Nuclear // Number Five

0.04 × Field Trip

I know young love is just a dream. We were only seventeen, but you're the only love I've known.

When Libby woke up, Five was sitting at her desk skimming over one of the science articles she had been reading through. The smell of coffee wafted through the air around her, and she glanced at the night stand, where a steaming mug sat waiting for her.

"Thank you," she muttered, sitting up to grab it. Looking down, she realized she was in the same clothes as yesterday and frowned. "About last night–"

"I understand," Five cut her off, "It's hard to grasp."

Libby shook her head and sighed. Her fingers ran through her hair as she tried to find words for it. "It's not that. It's just... It's been so long, but every part of me still feels the way I did when we were younger. Yet here you are, physically the same age, but mentally so different. I just want to be able to understand you now."

Libya's hands reached out for the mug next to her and she took a long sip. She stared at Five turning her head to the side. More than anything, she just wanted to peek inside his mind to see how the gears were turning. The sharp subject change that came next threw her off balance.

"The only clue I have to stopping the apocalypse is this," Five produced a glass eye from his pocket and tossed it to Libby. She caught it and examined it closely. There was a manufacturer and serial number on the back.

"I don't understand. How is this supposed to help us?" She asked, handing the eye back to Five.

"I found it in Luther's hand in the future. It must have belonged to whoever causes the apocalypse," Five explained. "I'm going to go follow up on it."

"I'll come with you," Libby smiled, getting up to follow him. She had spent so long without him, it felt right to spend as much time with him as she could despite the feeling of the previous night's encounter lingering in the back of her mind. "Maybe I can be of help now that I'm finally out of that cage."

Five smirked and walked over to her to take her hand. When their skin came in contact, she felt her heart flutter and heat rose to her cheeks. She pulled her hand away from his and frowned.

"I'm twenty nine, Five. Your body is thirteen. We can't be like this," Libby tried to reason with him, but it made her feel wrong. The logic and the emotion fought for dominance in her mind, and neither seemed to be winning. "It's not okay. If the wrong people see us, I could end up in jail."

Five shook his head, "You're not thinking, Libby. We don't have to be this way out in public. It's not about everyone else knowing about us. It's just about us, and besides, my mind is still twice your age." He paused and reached for her hand again. This time she didn't fight it or say anything, just let him lace his fingers between hers. "Now, are you going to help me stop the apocalypse or not?"

Libby sighed and let him lead her on. They mostly walked through the city, only pausing to jump a few blocks at a time until they had reached their destination. The building was sleek and modern, a medical laboratory in uptown. Libby started to get nervous. Her very presence in the building would contaminate all of their samples, maybe set them back months in their progress. 

"Five," she called out to him as he started to open the door to the building. "I can't. Science is precise, and being in there, it wouldn't be good for anything." 

Five turned and raised an eyebrow at her. It took him a split second to put the pieces together. He nodded, "Wait for me, then. I've waited longer for you." 

Libby stuck her tongue out at him and watched him disappear into the building. It was in that moment that she took notice of her surroundings. Being out in the city was a surreal feeling for her still, even though she had just been out just the night prior. She resigned herself to people-watching while she sat on the stairs. There was a large crosswalk out front, full of diversity. The people around her were both young and old. She was studying their expressions when the door slammed open behind her, making her practically jump out of her skin.