RUN BOY RUN- reader x Five Hargreeves

Part Eleven

Y/n stumbled into the house at dawn, exhaustion etched on her face. As she trudged up the stairs, Five's sharp eyes caught her from his room, where he was grimly stitching a wound. She barely made it to her bedroom before he materialized, his voice cutting through the air. "Where the hell did you go?" he demanded. Y/n's eyebrow arched. "Wait, so you're worried now? Really Five?" Five's glare intensified. Ignoring him, she grabbed fresh clothes and a towel. "If you must know I was at the gardens. It's the only place I can find peace," she muttered, attempting to brush past him. He blocked her path, desperation creeping into his voice. "Look, I know you're furious with me. But I need someone with more than one functioning brain cell. In this family, you're the only one who comes close to matching me." "Please, Y/n. Help me with this, and we never have to speak again. I'm begging you." Their eyes locked, a silent battle of wills. Y/n's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, Five. I can't. What if you decide to gamble with my life again? Or worse, what if I die? I can't be with someone who values their own life over others."

She fled to the sanctuary of the bathroom, letting the hot water wash away the night's memories. Later, dressed in comfortable clothes, Y/n returned to her room. As she braided her hair, her gaze fell on her research. The book about her powers called to her, and she lost herself in its pages until Allison burst in with theories about their father's death. The family gathered, tension thick in the air. Y/n perched on the bar, only half-listening as Allison and Luther presented their suspicions about Mom. Vanya's disbelieving voice cut through the haze: "Do you really think Mom would hurt Dad?" Y/n's mind wandered, exhaustion clouding her thoughts. She snapped back to reality as Luther and Diego's argument escalated. "Hey, Y/n," Luther's accusatory tone rang out. "Where's Dad's monocle?" She cleared her throat. "No idea," she said flatly. Luther's face darkened. "You're lying-" "Back off!" Diego snarled. "She doesn't have it. I did."

Y/n's eyes narrowed. "Did?" The room erupted into chaos. Accusations flew as Diego admitted to disposing of the monocle. Y/n, overwhelmed by thoughts of Five and the family's dysfunction, slipped away unnoticed. She found solace on the roof, lighting a cigarette with trembling hands. As she exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the twilight sky, Y/n allowed the weight of her family's secrets to momentarily lift from her shoulders.As the last rays of sunlight faded, Y/n crushed out her cigarette and made her way back inside. The house was eerily quiet, the earlier arguments having dissolved into tense silence. She trudged to her room, her body heavy with exhaustion.

Once inside, Y/n closed the door and leaned against it, finally allowing her carefully constructed facade to crumble. The events of the past few days crashed over her like a tidal wave - Five's return, her father's death, the family's suspicions, and the constant undercurrent of impending doom. Her legs gave way, and she slid down to the floor, drawing her knees to her chest. Tears she'd been holding back for what felt like years began to fall, silent at first, then building to quiet, wracking sobs. The weight of expectations, of her powers, of the fractured family dynamics - it all became too much to bear. Y/n didn't know how long she sat there, crying until she had no tears left. Eventually, she dragged herself to her bed, not bothering to change out of her clothes. Her body felt leaden, her mind a fog of emotional and physical exhaustion. As she lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, her eyelids grew heavier. The chaotic thoughts in her mind began to slow, replaced by a numbing static. Without realizing it, Y/n drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep - her body's last defense against the overwhelming reality she'd have to face when she woke. In the stillness of her room, illuminated only by the pale moonlight filtering through the curtains, Y/n's face finally relaxed, the lines of worry and stress smoothing out as she succumbed to the temporary peace of slumber.