Nuclear // Number Five

0.09 × Never Sure

There's no place that I'd rather be, when I feel your teeth sink into me

Five and Libby returned to the academy a short time after that, spending some time together in his room again. They laid next to each other on the bed, Libby curled into his side. His hands ran gently through her hair as she rested her head on his chest. 

"Time does change everything," Libby mumbled, "You're right."

"How do you mean?" Five asked, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Sixteen years ago, I thought I would never see you again. I came to terms with the fact that I would be alone in the basement forever, and that I would never feel the way I felt about you again," Libby sighed, pulling back to look into his deep green eyes. "Here we are though. You, physically the same, but actually twice my age, and it feels like I've always had part of you with me in some way."

Five smiled slightly, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Footsteps down the hall distracted their moment, and Five pulled away from her to go investigate. Libby followed, gently padding down the hall after him. A trail of bloody footsteps lead to Klaus's room, where he was getting dressed. 

Five knocked lightly on the open door and took a couple of steps in, allowing Libby to enter too. Klaus looked like shit. His eyes were tired, and he looked like he'd been awake for days on end. Libby frowned and walked over to him, giving him a light hug. 

"You okay?" Five asked, taking his own time to observe Klaus's expression. 

"Yeah, I just," Klaus sighed into Libby's hair and pulled away from her, sliding his shirt the rest of the way on, "Long night."

"More than one from the look of it," Libby said, taking a seat on his bed. 

"Yeah," Klaus moaned as he stretched his back. 

"Don't remember the dog tags," Five observed, nodding his head toward Klaus's neck. He was right, and Libby hadn't even noticed them when she hugged him. They looked shiny, though slightly worn, as if they had been to combat. 

"Yeah, they belonged to a friend," Klaus grunted. Libby could tell his body was in pain, and she patted the bed beside her, hoping he would take the cue to rest. 

"How about that new tattoo?" Five asked, continuing to observe Klaus. 

"You know, I totally don't even remember getting it," Klaus answered incredulously, gesturing at the air with his hand. "Like I said it was a long night."

"You did it, didn't you?" Five asked, smirking. His hands retreated in his pockets as he watched Klaus take a seat next to Libby. Libby's thoughts clicked, and she realized that Klaus had time traveled. She couldn't say to what war, but she could tell there had been one wherever he was from the blood across the tile in the hallway and the pain he was obviously in.

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked, doubling over and resting his elbows on his knees.

"You know I can recognize the symptoms, Klaus," Five said, walking his way toward the two of them. His expression was smug. He was confident that he had it all figured out, Libby could tell. 

"Symptoms of what?" Klaus questioned,  staring down at the floor. It hurt Libby to see him this way. Klaus was always so bubbly and bright, and this new dull take on him was hard for her to watch. 

"The jet lag, the full body itch, the headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose and through your brain," Five described, giving Klaus an inquisitive stare. 

Klaus ran his hands over his face and peered up at Five, blinking a couple of times before letting out a long sigh.

"You gonna tell me about it?" Five asked, staring Klaus down.