#Tua Five

[laurrelise]

did i have to make four of them? i absolutely didn’t thanks for asking. here they are anyways

[nathaliacortesv]

🌅🧡

[3njoythesil3nce]

cause wtf was that

[golden-redhead]

You see, the biggest problem with this is that Five HAD a love story all along.

His love for his family has been THE very foundation of the show and what kickstarted the entire chain of events.

He spent 45 years in the apocalyptic wasteland because he loved them too much to give up.

He found them in every possible timeline.

He reversed time for them.

He became an assassin to get a shot, however small, at coming back to them.

He’s been through countless timelines, doing his best to save and protect them in every single one of them.

No matter how dire the situation, he always pushed to find a way to save his family. His devotion was stronger than anything and there was no line he wouldn’t cross for his siblings. No matter how self-destructive the cost, he sacrificed himself again and again just for a chance at reuniting with them and saving the world so they could live.

It was a destructive kind of love, yes, but also inspiring. I think it resonated with many people because love can be intense, we love and want to be loved with this kind of intensity and dedication.

So, to throw it all away for a romantic subplot that no one asked for is not only a huge disservice to Five’s character but also goes against everything he represents. We already knew he’s capable of love and that he loves deeply.

I don’t understand how the showrunner who worked on the series for 5+ years can say that Five had to have an arc like this. It doesn’t make sense. He already had a love story. Arguably, the most beautiful and deepest of them all. He didn’t need more, what he needed was to have it returned and to finally settle down after multiple lifetimes of putting his life on the line to keep his loved ones safe.

To say otherwise means that the writers fundamentally misunderstood what made Five a great character and what fans loved most about the show. It feels like a betrayal, because it is one. It proves that the creators not only misunderstood the core character of the show but also never paid attention to the fandom and its preferences.

There’s a difference between catering to the audience and what they ended up doing, which is a character assassination at its worst. And it’s not just the character who was ruined but also the entire premise of the show, the reason why fans loved it in the first place. There’s no coming back from something like this.

[kazuhahalol]

— rendezvous 18.6y | five hargreeves x f!reader

— A space rendezvous is an orbital maneuver during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance.

Five discovers that you’re his soulmate. The only problem is that he’s also discovered you only exist in another timeline.

Warnings: angst, death

Five Hargreeves had no patience for this. The CIA wasn’t his ideal workplace. But it had its perks: they were more than willing to let him do things his way as long as they got results. And now, Derek—the shorter, perpetually frazzled assistant who had an unhealthy admiration for Five—was standing in front of him with a stack of paperwork, clearly expecting Five to care.

“Five, seriously, we’ve gotta fix this,” Derek whined, shifting on his feet nervously. His usually neat appearance was ruffled, hair slightly askew as his hands fidgeted with the papers, holding them a little too tightly. He looked like he was about to break into a nervous sweat.

Five, who stood at least six inches taller than Derek, rolled his eyes as he took in the sight of his assistant’s increasingly flustered demeanor. “What, you’re still worried about the training schedule?” he drawled. “Derek, the last time I checked, we weren’t in preschool.”

Derek was nothing if not persistent, though. “It’s not just the schedule! It’s the agents, Five. Their performance has been awful. If you don’t step in, they’re gonna—”

“—Be useless?” Five finished for him with an almost bored expression, leaning back in his chair as he kicked his feet up on the desk. “Let me guess. You want me to play ‘team leader’ and ‘mentor’ now. That it?”

Derek’s face flushed at the implication but he refused to back down. “I’m just saying, you’ve got the experience, okay? You know what you’re doing. You’re the only one who can actually fix this.”

Five stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. The truth was, Five didn’t care about their internal CIA issues, least of all some rookie agents who couldn’t handle basic tasks. But Derek had this way about him—this desperate, wide-eyed expression that made it hard for Five to say no. He didn’t like the kid, not really, but Derek was one of the few who actually did his job without expecting recognition.

“Fine,” Five said after a long, drawn-out pause, making Derek’s face light up in relief. “I’ll look into it. But don’t expect me to hold their hands and sing Kumbaya.”

Derek smiled his usual shit-eating smile, almost too eagerly. “Thanks, Five. I knew you’d come through.”

Five let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

With that, he turned and headed for the exit, his steps firm and confident. Derek stood there for a moment, watching him go with that same smirk. Five didn’t acknowledge it. He didn’t want to or he’d get mad.

Five was already sick of the day, annoyed by Derek’s incessant requests. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt like doing anything for the CIA beyond getting through the job. At this point, the only thing keeping him sane was the hope that he could at least catch a break. But the day was far from over.

He blinked and suddenly, he was somewhere else entirely.

Five stumbled a bit, his equilibrium off as he stood in an empty subway station, tiles cracked beneath his boots and flickering lights hanging above. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten there, or even what had happened. His body still felt strange, sick, almost. But the biggest question on his mind was where the hell was he?

“What the hell…?” Five muttered to himself, scanning the abandoned station. The walls were stained and peeling, the space echoing in a way that felt off, but not immediately dangerous. There was a stain on the floor in the shape of Australia.

He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck. His mind raced. Last night, he remembered taking shots with the Umbrellas, heading home, and hitting the sack. How could that have brought his powers back. Did coming in indirect contact with the marigold in the jar bring back his powers? That had to be it. The marigold was messing with his system, likely triggering his powers back into existence.

Well, Five didn’t know Ben spiked the drinks, so let’s give him a break.

Five spent the next several hours of his life trying to get out of this terrible subway. He was hopping on and off trains, going to different timelines, just trying to get back home.

On his umpteenth attempt, he lazily stepped off the platform. No sign of the stain shaped like Australia. Great.

Five grunted in frustration, but as he took another step forward, he felt a pull. Well, more like a yank. It wasn’t physical, but it was real. Like an invisible thread, guiding him forward. He froze, staring at the faintest red string flickering in his vision. It was so faint, so subtle, but it was there.

“What the hell…” Five said again, now fully on edge.

His thoughts scrambled. This had to be a mistake. He wasn’t supposed to be here, and the marigold surely wasn’t the cause of… whatever this was.

Without much more to think, Five started walking toward the string, curious. His instincts told him to follow it. The string led him down another dark and dirty corridor. He could hear the soft hum of something distant, a vibration that made him tense, but he didn’t stop. Not yet. However, the string continued down the dark hall of the subway tracks, and he was not about to step foot on them. But he knew he had to get out of here someway

“Guess I’m not getting out of here without figuring this out,” he muttered, almost to himself.

Just then, the same subway train pulled up, the voice speaking to him in a backward language he couldn’t understand. Five was exhausted and not feeling any less nauseous. Still, he couldn’t ignore the pull. The red string kept pulling, yanking itself towards its other host.

With an exhale, Five stepped onto the train, trying to ignore the odd sensation that coursed through him. It was a strange feeling, like stepping into something he couldn’t quite understand.

The train doors closed behind him with a clank, and Five was alone. He didn’t know where the train was taking him. But he figured that, with his powers back, the only way out of this situation was to see it through.

ᡣ𐭩

The train sped down endless tunnels, skipping across different realities. Five watched, his brow furrowed, as the landscape shifted around him, each stop revealing new worlds—new timelines—each one more strange and disconnected than the last. He didn’t know how or why it was happening, but he was helpless to stop it.

There were people. Familiar faces. Others he couldn’t quite place. Moments, too. Time itself felt warped, stretched beyond recognition. He saw places he recognized, but twisted and wrong. Things shifted constantly, and Five couldn’t help but feel the heavy weight of each reality’s imperfections.

The further the train went, the more frantic his thoughts became. He couldn’t keep hopping through these timelines forever. The red string tugged at him, guiding him forward. He needed to get back to his timeline. He needed to find his family.

But then, everything seemed to change. The train slowed, and before him, another station appeared. A glimpse of a new world, unfamiliar and yet somehow comforting. The red string kept yanking. He stepped out the train, looking for any sign of the Australia-shaped stain.

Nowhere to be seen.

He traverses the corridor until he reaches the stairs, climbing them until he’s met with the blinding sun. He navigates his way through the city, following wherever this red string is taking him. The buzz and sound of the city decreases as he reaches the more rural side. A small town, clean and quiet. Single family homes accompanied with apartments and townhouses. He stops at a single floor family home, staring straight at what his string was connected to.

You.

You were standing there, casually tying a ribbon around a patch of dahlias, the vibrant red flowers bright even in the dim light. You moved with a fluidity that made it impossible for Five to tear his eyes away.

The red string was there again, flickering, now more vivid than ever. It wound its way toward you, tugging with a force Five could no longer ignore.

“Dahlia’s, huh?” Five muttered to himself, barely above a whisper.

You looked up, sensing his presence. A soft, knowing smile appeared on your lips as you locked eyes with him. There was a sense of familiarity that struck him deep, like an anchor in the chaos that had followed him through the timelines.

The red string.

He was connected to you.

Five stood there, frozen in the soft light of the fading day, watching you work. The flickering red string still hummed in his vision, its pull relentless and undeniable. He couldn’t explain it, he had no idea what this was or how it worked—but there was something about you that felt…right. And as much as he hated to admit it, this quiet town felt oddly like home. It wasn’t like the chaos and destruction of his own reality, where nothing was ever really stable. Here, he could almost taste a sense of peace.

You were still working in the garden, tying a ribbon around a patch of dahlias, your movements graceful and easy. Five found himself staring for a little too long, caught in some quiet reverie, before he shook his head, snapping back to reality.

“Hey,” he said, walking toward you, his tone a little more dry than he intended. “You’re really into flowers, huh?”

You looked up, meeting his gaze with a warm smile, completely unfazed by his presence or the bluntness in his voice. You seemed to radiate calm, something Five had forgotten even existed.

“They’re my favorite,” you answered, your voice soft but strong. “They make everything a little brighter, you know?”

Five’s lips quirked at the edges, a slight chuckle escaping him. “Yeah, well, they certainly make your yard look like something out of a Pinterest board.”

You raised an eyebrow, the smile still there, though your eyes glinted with amusement. “You’ve been on Pinterest?” She asks, as if she believed he didn’t look like the type to.

“Who hasn’t?” He shrugged, but the sarcasm in his voice was gone, replaced by something a little less harsh. Something like…gratitude? Maybe.

You studied him for a moment, looking at his appearance which seemed a bit disheveled and exhausted, then nodded toward the house. “You need a place to stay, don’t you?”

Five didn’t hesitate. He had no reason to stay, no reason to linger. But something about this place, about you, made the idea of leaving feel foolish.

“I’m…lost,” he said, his voice a little softer than usual, though his tone remained steady. “So, yeah, a place to crash would be great.”

Your smile softened, and without a word, you motioned toward the house. “Well, you’re welcome to stay. I’ve got a spare room. It’s not much, but it’s quiet. And I could use the company.”

Five didn’t need any more encouragement. The string pulling him toward you only got stronger, and against his better judgment, he followed you inside. He didn’t say anything as you led him through the house, a small but cozy space that exuded a warmth he hadn’t felt in ages.

Days turned into weeks. The red string never wavered, but Five found himself growing comfortable in a way he hadn’t in years. He helped with small things around the house—things you hadn’t even known you needed help with. Fixing a leaky faucet. Setting up a new light fixture. Cooking dinner when you were too tired to bother. He did it all, all the while keeping his sarcastic and somewhat distant nature intact, even though, deep down, he knew he was slowly slipping. The edges of his carefully constructed walls were crumbling, piece by piece.

“You know,” you said one night as you both sat on the porch, watching the stars, “you’ve been here for a while now. I never really asked you… What exactly are you running from?”

Five didn’t look at you, his gaze fixed on the horizon, the weight of your question pressing down on him more than he’d like to admit. “Nothing,” he replied, his voice just a little too sharp. “Just needed a break.”

You tilted your head, sensing the lie in his words, but you didn’t push. You never did. You just let him be. And somehow, that was exactly what he needed.

ᡣ𐭩

Time passed in a blur of laughter, fleeting moments, and growing affection. Five found himself laughing with you. Something he hadn’t done in years. And, despite his best efforts to resist, he couldn’t deny it anymore: he was falling for you. Hard.

One evening, as you were both standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner, he turned to you, his gaze softer than usual.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice quiet. “For letting me stay. For…not asking too many questions.”

You smiled, that same quiet strength in your eyes. “I could say the same to you. You’ve made my life a lot easier, Five.”

His eyes flickered with something unreadable, but then he shook his head, a hint of that familiar sarcasm creeping back into his voice.

“Yeah, well, I’m good at that.” He hesitated for a second, then added, “I never thought I’d find peace like this. Not in…well, not in any universe.”

You placed a hand on his shoulder, your touch gentle but firm. “It’s not about the universe, Five. It’s about where you are… and who you’re with.”

That one simple sentence hit him harder than anything else. He swallowed hard, looking away from you.

The truth was, Five knew something you didn’t. Something that kept him awake at night, that gnawed at him whenever he looked at you and saw the way your smile made everything feel like it would be okay.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t his timeline. And by staying, he was risking it all. Every time he thought about the red string, the connection, the weight of it all, he knew he had to leave. He had to go back.

But every time he thought about leaving you, it felt like his chest might crack open.

One night, after you’d both declared your love for each other—slowly, hesitantly, like both of you were afraid of what might happen if you fully admitted it—Five knew that it was time.

“I can’t stay,” he said one evening, his voice tight as he stood in the doorway.

You looked up from where you sat on the couch, your expression confused. “What are you talking about? Where are you going?”

Five stepped toward you, his heart breaking with every step. “This isn’t my timeline. And I’m not supposed to be here.”

Five’s eyes flickered with a hint of sorrow before he hardened his gaze, looking away as if the truth itself would tear him apart.

“I have to go back,” he said, his voice tight, colder than usual, but there was something in the way he said it that betrayed the lie. “I have to go back to my family.”

You stood there for a moment, completely still, trying to process his words. The weight of his departure settled over you, heavy and suffocating. You opened your mouth to say something, anything, but the words seemed to get caught in your throat.

“Five… what do you mean? Why now?” You stepped forward, but he was already backing away, every movement deliberate as if he was trying to distance himself from you. “You’ve made a life here. With me.”

“I know,” he said quickly, voice tinged with regret. “I know. But it’s something I have to do. I can’t stay.”

You shook your head, a feeling of helplessness creeping into your chest. “Please… don’t go.”

The desperation in your voice made him hesitate, just for a moment, but he masked it with a quick, harsh breath. “I have no choice,” he said. “You wouldn’t understand.”

But you did understand. You understood more than he thought. It wasn’t just that he had to leave—it was that he wasn’t telling you the truth. You could feel it. The way he ached inside, how this wasn’t just about family or whatever excuse he was feeding you. It was something more, something bigger, but you couldn’t quite reach it.

“Five, please don’t do this,” you whispered, stepping closer until there was barely any space between you. You reached for his hand, the warmth of your palm pressing against his cool, detached skin. “You don’t have to go. Not yet. I…” Your words faltered, the lump in your throat rising. “I need you here.”

He closed his eyes for a long moment, then let out a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze softened, though the distance between you remained. “I need to do this. For everyone. For the world.”

You frowned, unable to make sense of his words. “What do you mean?”

But before you could get an answer, he stepped back, and his lips twisted into a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “But I have to leave. You’ll be alright.”

And with that, he turned and walked out the door, leaving you standing in the living room, heart heavy with confusion and sorrow.

Five never returned. After many failed attempts, he made his way back into his original timeline, a place where everything felt like it was falling apart, where the stakes were higher than he could ever explain. He had no time to dwell on what he was leaving behind, not when the fate of everything was at risk.

In his original timeline, the Umbrellas, his family, his true family, were preparing for their final mission. They had to make their sacrifice to correct the world’s path, to fix the timeline, to undo everything they had gone wrong.

And as he stood with them, ready to take his place in the grand scheme of things, Five knew there was no turning back. This was the end, and it had to be done. They all had to give up their lives, their existence, for the greater good. The world depended on it.

With one final look at his house around him, at the family he had loved more than anything, Five made his sacrifice. In that moment, the Umbrella Academy joined together one last time and ceased to exist, so did Five. Five was happy that he found love before he would pass on, even if she wouldn’t remember him. His very being dissolved, erasing him from the timeline, from everything.

ᡣ𐭩

Back in your timeline, you lived on. You continued with your life, growing older, feeling the passage of time like a slow, inevitable current. The world continued, with all its ups and downs, its joys and heartbreaks. But there was something missing, something you couldn’t place, a hole in your heart that never quite healed.

Years passed, and you found yourself in your garden again, standing among the flowers. The dahlias bloomed brightly, their red petals catching the sunlight. The tulips swayed gently in the breeze, a soft pink hue against the red. The flowers were a beautiful sight—one that had always brought you peace.

You smiled softly, a sense of warmth flooding through you, but there was an odd ache in your chest, a lingering sense of something long forgotten. As the years went by, you never stopped tending to your garden, not remembering the man that loved you more than he could ever love himself.

He ceased to exist, after all.

One day, you passed away quietly in your sleep, the world around you unchanged. The winter had just past and spring had sprung. The sun was shining, the children were playing, and in the brown soil of your yard sprouted a beautiful red dahlia and a single marigold, which you hadn’t planted before, only planting tulips and dahlias.

The dahlia and marigold sit in the spring sun in silence, a tiny red string connecting the two by their petals.

[brynnsasha191]

By the way, this is what Five Hargreeves looks like when he's around his siblings (who he fought to protect for decades)

LOOK HOW FUCKING SOFT HE IS WHEN HE'S AROUND THEM. and you want me to believe that this man would do something like that to Diego??? His brother??? No way.

[blorbos-shoved-ina-drawer]

why the hell does Five blindly trust the other Fives in the diner scene when they tell him to erase the entire family out of existence??? Five who we have seen not even trust himself from the same timeline just from the past?? Five would never trust a bunch of alternate timeline Fives telling him to just kill the whole ass family! sure he goes to the diner when he's being all mopey about Lila (which is already out of character) and running out of options but i would argue this is even more out of character for Five then the entire Five x Lila storyline

[big-ball-o-twine]

The thing is, Viktor and Five were close as children, but as adults? They are never on the same page, they are barely even in the same book. Every time that Viktor needs him, Five is somewhere else; every time that Five asks for his help, Viktor turns him away. And Viktor was alone and isolated as a child in part because Five left him there; and Five spent 45 years trapped and alone in the apocalypse because Viktor killed their family and created that wasteland.

Their interactions always feel so heavy and I think the choice to have Five walk away from Viktor at the end of season 3 was extremely interesting for what it said about the state of their relationship, and then it went nowhere but we don’t talk about that.

[profffessionally-trained-ducky]

it wasnt even character assassination it was a character massacre

[laurrelise]

“five and lila actually make total sense” “all these fake fans just don’t understand” “the writers have been planning this since lila was introduced”

my honest reaction:

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

only you (f.h.) (drabble)

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Wife!Reader

A/N: The last month was pretty busy so I couldn't write much but I had a cute lil thought about this while I was on the bus cuz of all the Five tiktoks on my fyp

"Honestly Five, your head isn't screwed on straight! No one in their right mind would put themselves at this much risk over and over again!" You shouted, voice almost hoarse and mouth dry as you continued to berate him, as you had since you arrived almost twenty minutes ago.

Your husband continued to ignore you, not even bothering to justify his reckless mission anymore and you continued to shout, waving your hands around in your helplessness and frustration.

Five Hargeeves was a great man but the one thing you absolutely detested about him was how he decided he had to do everything on his own. You were his partner, both in the commission and in his life, but he refused to trust you with his own matters.

To a certain degree, you could understand him. He was so anxious about saving his family, so tormented by their deaths hanging over him that he felt that unless he oversaw every single detail, it would all fall apart.

But just because you understood, didn't mean you appreciated your husband putting himself in harm's way when you could've helped him.

"Are you even listening to me?! Five! Your wife is here yelling at you, and you don't even have the decency to look her in the eye?!"

He didn't reply and you were stuck staring at his broad, blazer-clad shoulders.

Then he shifted, taking a deep breath and you heard the shaky breath he let out.

"Five?"

He finally turned, eyes glistening, cheeks wet and lip quivering and you felt so heartbroken at the sight of him that you felt your own tears prick at your eyes. You immediately closed the gap between you, "Oh, sweetheart."

You sat him down in the armchair, perching on his lap and letting him hide his face into your neck, peppering kisses to the crown of his head as he took some time to compose himself.

"I'm just—so tired." His voice cracked and you felt like your heart did as well, pulling away from him just enough so you could kiss his tears away.

"Shh, it's okay." You whispered, gently running your thumbs over the peak of his cheekbones. His hands were gripping your waist with the strength of a vice, nails digging into the flesh of your hips.

"What do you need, Five? Just give me the word and I'll make it happen." You told him, now more determined than anything to shoulder the pain he was feeling, "I would move the heavens and the earth to make you happy, my love. Tell me what you need."

He slumped over in defeat, pressing his forehead to yours, "You. Only you."

You sighed, now running your fingers through his hair. A part of you was disappointed that he was still unable to open up, another was unsurprised.

"Silly request. I'm already all yours."

Taglist under cut

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

@haniscrying

@superheroesaremyjam113263

@writers-whirlwind

TUA Taglist:

@tchatso

@ateliefloresdaprimavera

[giant-ball-of-twine]

it is very hard to have five as your favorite character because the assumption is that he is your favorite because you are attracted to him. when in reality you just want to watch an elderly child commit violent murder and love his siblings

[radiumjuice]

combining two of my favorite things

I FORGOT THE SECOND CHAIN

[em1989ts]

𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 - 𝒑𝒕. 2

five hargreeves x reader

word count: 1.7k

part one. part two. part three. main masterlist.

summary: after you discovered a deli full of alternate versions of your cheating husband, you realize they would never hurt you the way he did. once he finds you getting comfortable with another version of him, you'll have to work together to figure out how to save the world.

authors note: thank you so much for all the notes on part one! i appreciate it so much since i thought no one would ever see it. here's the highly requested part two, enjoy!

You could tell it was him right away. Your Five had burst into the deli like he was crashing a wedding. When you walked in, every Five had a look of awe displayed across his face, but now that look was replaced with anger and disappointment. 

You could tell Five had shrunk a bit under the gaze of his counterparts yet he firmly walked over to the booth where you were sitting with the new Five that you had been talking to. He had a shameful look in his eye yet held a stoic visage. Glancing down at your gentle hands still firmly held in the palms of the other Five, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked between the two of you.

“What- what is this?” He scoffed in an annoyed manner, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing yet somehow he knew exactly what was happening. 

The Five across from you gently released your hands as his eye twitched and he stood up and faced your Five. Even though they were both exactly the same height, you could tell they were challenging each other by standing up a little straighter, your Five standing slightly on his toes.

 New Five had an angry clench in his jaw yet held a slight smirk. He addressed your Five in a low tone, “You must be a fluke if you think you can just apologize and win her back because there’s not a single Five in this room that would hurt her the way you did.” 

You looked up at the two of them from your seat in the booth. You hadn’t mentioned how your Five had hurt you, what he’d done to lose you. How could this Five have known? Still however, you appreciated his defense. You had always thought it’d be pathetic to see two guys fight over you, but to see two versions of the same man, one who has hurt and wronged you and the other who holds an unconditional and undying love for you, it ignited a spark in you that you thought you’d never feel again in your existence. 

Existence. 

Once the new Five finished his sentence you could see the offense on your Five’s face as he prepared a rebuttal but you shut that down quickly. 

“Enough,” you held a hand out as if to break the aggressive tension between them, “this is irrelevant. We need to discuss a plan.” 

Your Five took this as an opportunity to occupy the seat next to you in the booth but new Five beat him to it by pulling him back by the arm and sliding in next to you, as well as placing a hand on your thigh. 

Your Five was taken aback by the action yet quickly regained his composure as he settled into the seat across from the two of you. 

Waiter Five stopped by once again to drop off another mug of coffee for your Five as well as to top of your mug and Five’s. You thanked him and took a sip as he waltzed away with a wink. You watched as your Five took a sip from his mug which he immediately spit back out. The deli of Fives erupted in laughter as both you and your Five looked around confused. 

The Five sitting next to you whispered an explanation in your ear, stating that Waiter Five had poured a couple of salt packets into his coffee rather than sugar. You grinned and hid your laugh in the shoulder of the Five next to you, him still facing you, your foreheads nearly touching. Your Five watched with a heartache as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin and set it back down on the table. 

The laughter had mostly died down, excluding a very sloshed and disheveled looking Five who continued to chuckle and hiccup while leaning against a door. 

You were still leaning slightly onto the Five next to you as he spoke, “So I take it you figured out the subway system by now” 

“Alternate versions of the same moment in time?” Five asked.

“Correct,” the other Five responded, “We’re all you from alternate timelines. Most of us here have given up on trying to fix the broken timeline.” 

Your Five listened with a befuddled look on his face and before he could question the words of the Five before him, you piped up an explanation, “It’s us who shattered the original timeline.” 

“Thank you, dear,” said the Five next to you as he brought an arm around your shoulder. You couldn’t tell if he was being this affectionate because he really missed his y/n or because he could see how badly it was ticking your Five off but either way you wanted to play along, leaning into his affection. 

He broke your gentle eye contact to once again address the Five glaring at you both.

“The timeline was shattered the moment we came into existence, leaving us with an infinite number of alternate timelines in an infinite loop of trying to save the world,” he said in a tired voice. 

You took a moment to really look at him, he looked so exhausted. 

So did your timeline’s Five.

So did Drunk Five, Waiter Five, and Brisket Five. 

Sure they looked content in the deli, as it was their place to escape, but the tired looks in their eyes really showed how hard they had tried and how worn out it made them. 

You didn’t realize it but you were staring so deeply into the eyes of your timeline’s Five. With such a soft look he thought would never come his way again. You felt sorry for him. You really did but there is nothing that could excuse everything he did. Nothing could excuse the betrayal and heartbreak he caused you. That was his fault and he would have to deal with every ounce of guilt and shame that accompanied him in his downfall. 

His eyes met yours, the green shining with sorrow as he attempted to convey all his feelings through his irises. You both knew your relationship would never be the same, even if you survived the Cleanse. There was just too much that couldn’t be undone. 

You broke the connection first, turning away to look at the tiled floor of the deli instead. 

Your Five continued to look at you. 

Your eyes. Your hair. 

He never could’ve loved Lila like he loved you, how could he have thrown you away so easily? 

His love for you was what kept his fire burning all these years. His love for you ignited his passion for saving the world,  just so you could live safely. 

Just so you could live without surviving on cockroaches or the roof of a crumbling library. 

Just so you could live without having to kill in fear of being killed. 

Just so you could live a happy and comfortable life, even if it no longer meant a life with him. 

You clenched your jaw in thought before turning to the Five next to you, “What can we do? I mean, there has to be a way out of this.” 

He looked at you with an answer he was sure you wouldn’t like, “The only way this cycle will end is if you cease to exist. You have to let the marigold combine with the durango in the Cleanse.” 

You raised a brow, “Just the marigold?” 

Five looked at you confused, “Yes, the marigold infected our mothers the moment the timeline was shattered.” 

“So it’s not actually us that’s the problem?” You waved your finger in a circle, gesturing to yourself, Five, and his absent siblings. 

“Technically not,” Five confirmed. 

You leaned back into the seat as Five returned his arm to his side. You bit your lip as you tried to remember anything that might help you come up with a plan, then it hit you. 

Viktor. 

You remember how he told everyone that when he lived on the farm back in Dallas, he saved Harlan, the little boy who drowned in the lake, by giving him some of his marigold. 

You also remembered that he was able to take away the marigold in the barn, and whatever was left back at Hotel Obsidian. 

You lifted your head, your eyes bright as the idea swirled in your mind. 

You brought your hands onto the table, finding that you explain best with random hand motions, “What about Viktor, he could absorb our marigolds and transfer out his own into the Cleanse. That way the marigold and durango meet but we won’t have to die, we just won’t have our powers again.” 

Both Fives were silent for a moment as they contemplated your plan. The Five next to you was the first to react by holding your face in his palms and planting a kiss between your brows. “Darling,” he admired, “You’re an absolute genius.” 

Your timeline’s Five frowned in disagreement and jealousy, “What about Ben? If we combine our marigold with the Cleanse then he’ll die in there.” 

“That Ben was an asshole anyway,” you shrugged, honestly not caring since he was the reason you were in this dilemma in the first place. 

He hummed in agreement, not able to argue with you on that. He stood up and so did the other Five so he could let you out of the booth. 

Your Five didn’t want to hang around for goodbyes, you had come up with a plan and that was that. He grabbed your arm and tugged you towards the door. The other Five quickly grabbed your other arm to hold you in place. 

“Once this is all over, don’t go back to him. There are plenty of Fives here who will treat you so much better,” he winked at you as cheers of agreement ensued across the deli. 

A blush came across your face as you looked around at the hopeful smiles of every Five in the room. 

Maybe you didn’t have to stop loving Five.

You just had to let go of one. 

You slightly nodded and winked back at Five as he let go of your arm, letting your Five tug you back towards the subway with an upset stomp. Looking back with a little wave, you walked out as Drunk Five yelled, “Auf wiedersehen!” 

☕︎

part three.

authors note: hopefully you guys enjoy! originally i didn't plan on making a part two but i'm glad you guys liked it so much. my inbox is open for any requests and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

taglist: @madscamp02 @buttermilkpetals @leitor-sonolento @ren-ren23 @alavit @tofueater78 @buzzbuzzlilbee @clownwritesfanfic @beanzwritez @pholuvre

(hopefully i did this right??)

[golden-redhead]

okay, but it's almost funny to see Steve Blackman blabbering about Five needing a love story, when it would have taken him all of 5 minutes and a quick scroll through his tumblr tag to realize that all Five's fans ever wanted was for him to get a genuine hug and a thank you from his siblings for saving their sorry asses again and again. it's literally all we wanted.

[fivendandelions]

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY 3.08 — "Wedding at the End of the World"