𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ━ five hargreeves¹

7│IF YOU NEED ME, LET ME KNOW

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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙ. ʙ. ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ
ᴍᴇ, ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ꒱　


❝ DON'T MAKE ME PUT
YOU IN TIME OUT! ❞

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Sunday afternoons at age five were Five and Eight's favorite times in their early childhood as they were allowed rare extra free time due to One being stuck in training with their father. Pogo never made them work hard so they spent their time in Five's room doing schoolwork. Or, more accurately, the boy was doing both his and Eight's math homework while the girl laid on his bed on her back with her hair falling to the ground as the blood rushed to her face.

"This is so boring!" she whined for the third time in two hours.

Five rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't be bored if you did your homework."

Eight pouted from the bed but the red face made her expression less effective. "But I'd get it all wrong. Besides, shouldn't you be done by now?"

Sticking out his tongue in a surprisingly childish gesture— for him, anyway— he shuffled the papers together and placed them neatly on his desk. "I'm finished now, dear." While the nickname was meant to be sweet, the sarcastic way he said it ruined the effect. 

"No need to be so snippy," she replied.

Five sighed as he turned to look at the upside-down girl and asked, "what did you have in mind?"

Eight shrugged despite her complaints. "I don't know. I just wanted to do something with you."

☂☂☂

Looking at Five now in her kitchen, Alexa studied him for a minute. "So, what's our plan?"

Giving into the thought of them being a team again, the boy allowed a small smile to soften his next words. "There is no our, Lexa. I have to do this on my own." A look of irritation grew on her face and opened her mouth to rebuke him— most likely—but he beat her to it by adding hurriedly: "I'll ask for your help when I need it. Right now, though, I'm going to get information on my own. I'll see you tomorrow."

He left her alone in her apartment once more and the blonde let out an exasperated sigh. He really is going to be the death of me, she thought.

☂☂☂

The next day found Alexa back at the Academy even though she didn't know exactly why she'd gone back. Alexa had already called the school she worked at to let them know she wouldn't be coming in all week which was fine because of the death of her father. She supposed the lack of responsibilities brought her to see her family again even though yesterday had been enough.

Heading up the stairs, she nearly slipped when Five brushed passed her saying, "good, you're here. I need your help."

Confused but pleased, she followed him up the stairs. "What happened this morning?" she asked as clearly it hadn't gone as planned.

The boy gave an irritated sigh. "I need you to be my mom," he explained.

If she'd been eating, Alexa would've choked. "What?!" she exclaimed with an appalled expression on her face.

Smirking slightly at her reaction, he said, "it's not that bad of a concept, is it? And besides, it's only for an hour." They passed by Klaus' room where man himself was currently laying on his bed doing nothing. Five stepped inside. "Get up. I need your help."