After getting my dad settled in his room, I lingered for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. He looked so peaceful, so vulnerable, and it made me wonder how much of this craziness was truly affecting him. I wished I could protect him from it all, but I felt so helpless. With a deep sigh, I left him to rest and quietly shut the door behind me.

Later one, Lila and I had both settled onto the couch, each of us with a bowl of ice cream. I had chosen chocolate, my go-to comfort flavor, while Lila opted for vanilla, though she didn't seem particularly thrilled with it. Sushi, my faithful companion, had curled up beside her, purring contentedly as Lila absentmindedly ran her fingers through her fur.

"So, you actually escaped from that place?" I asked, trying to picture her breaking out of some high-security facility. The idea seemed both incredible and terrifying.

"Yeah," Lila replied with a nonchalant shrug. "It was pretty easy, actually, when you know a couple of fighting lessons." She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, like escaping from a mental institution was just another day in her life.

I couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and apprehension. "How did you even end up in a place like that?"

She paused, licking the last bit of ice cream from her spoon before giving me a sideways glance. "I've killed people."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and unsettling. I stared at her, unsure how to respond, and she continued, her voice almost playful. "Many, many people."

I forced myself to nod, trying not to show just how shocked I was. I glanced over at Diego, who was lying unconscious on the table in front of us, his face pale but peaceful. "What happened to him?"

Lila turned to look at him, her expression still casual. "Him?" She pointed her spoon at Diego, as if he were just another piece of furniture. "Found him at his place, bleeding out. All guts and everything."

The mental image made my stomach turn, and I couldn't help but make a face. I looked down at my chocolate ice cream, suddenly feeling nauseous, and set the bowl aside on the couch. The thought of Diego bleeding out, barely hanging on to life, was too much to bear.

Noticing my discomfort, Lila stared at her own bowl of ice cream with a slight frown. "Vanilla is extremely bland. No flavor at all."

I couldn't help but smile at her bluntness, finding some comfort in her straightforward attitude. "Want to trade?" she asked, her lips curving into a playful grin.

I laughed softly and handed her my unfinished bowl of chocolate ice cream. She took it eagerly, and I accepted her vanilla in return. I watched as she dug into the chocolate with renewed enthusiasm, savoring each bite, while I stirred the vanilla around in my bowl. It wasn't as good as chocolate, but somehow, it felt right in that moment.

"So," Lila said between bites, "what's your story? You're not exactly a fighter, are you?"

I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. "No, I'm not. I'm just... me. A student trying to get through school, take care of my dad, and keep my cat happy." I glanced over at Sushi, who was still purring away, content with the attention from Lila. "

I continued to pet Sushi as she settled in my lap, purring softly. Lila's words lingered in the air, making me think. She seemed so confident, so sure of herself, even after everything she'd been through.

"She's a smart one," I said, scratching behind Sushi's ears. "Animals have instincts about people."

Lila nodded, her focus now back on Diego as she carefully cleaned his wounds. "Yeah, they do. It's a shame they can't talk, though. Might save us all a lot of trouble."

I watched her for a moment, the way she moved with a quiet efficiency, like she'd done this a hundred times before. "You've done this a lot, haven't you?" I asked.

Lila glanced up, her expression unreadable. "You learn a few things when you're on the run. When you've got no one else to rely on."

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I looked down at Sushi, feeling a sudden wave of sadness for this girl who had been through so much, and yet here she was, taking care of Diego, petting my cat, and sharing ice cream with me as if we were just two normal people.

"What about you?" Lila asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "What's your story?"

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. "My story? It's not as exciting as yours, that's for sure."

"Try me," she said with a small smile, her tone teasing.

I hesitated, not really sure where to start. "Well, I'm just a normal girl, I guess. Going to school, hanging out with friends, trying to figure out what to do with my life. And then...this," I gestured vaguely around the room, "all of this happens."

Lila chuckled softly. "Normal's overrated, trust me. But it's not so bad, having a little excitement in your life, right?"

I shrugged, not really sure if I agreed. "I guess. But I kind of miss my boring, normal life."

Lila smiled, a little sadly, I thought. "Yeah, normal can be nice. But you get used to the chaos. Eventually."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded and looked back down at Sushi, who had drifted off to sleep in my lap. The room was quiet except for the soft sound of Diego's breathing and the occasional clink of metal as Lila worked.

It was a strange kind of peace, sitting there with someone I barely knew, someone who had probably killed people, who was hiding out in my house with two boys who seemed to be in way over their heads. But somehow, it felt...okay. Like maybe, just maybe, things would be alright.

At least for now.

I could feel my eyelids getting heavier as I sat there in the living room, the events of the day catching up to me. Sushi was a warm, comforting weight in my lap, her steady purring almost lulling me to sleep. Lila was still on top of Diego, carefully tending to his wounds. The occasional clink of metal and the soft rustle of fabric were the only sounds in the room besides my own slow, steady breathing.

Just as I was about to drift off completely, a sudden whoosh sound startled me. It came from behind me, a brief rush of air that was barely there before it was gone again. My eyes shot open, and I sat up straighter, but exhaustion weighed down my body. My head lolled slightly as I tried to stay alert, but my eyes refused to cooperate. My eyes eventually gave up and finally closed.

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                           FIVE'S POV

Five stood in the kitchen doorway, brushing a bit of dust off his shirt with irritation, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Lila, who was still perched on top of Diego, tending to his wounds. "Oh, he isn't dead," he muttered.

Lila glanced up from her work. "Disappointed?"

Five's glare intensified. "Oh, to see you? Always." He picked up a small piece of cotton wool from the counter, using it to dab at a small nick on his neck.

"So much hostility in such a tiny package," Lila teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she watched him. "Did you cut yourself shaving? I could teach you to shave like a big boy."

Five sighed, brushing off her taunts with a wave of his hand. "No, I just ran into an old family friend," he replied, his tone dismissive as he continued to clean the small wound. But as he surveyed the room, his eyes caught the sight of the two chairs that had previously held Elliot and Y/n. The ropes were now discarded on the floor.

"Where did they go?" Five demanded, turning his gaze sharply back to Lila.

Lila didn't even look up as she continued working on Diego. "Let her out. She put her dad to bed, then we had a talk, ate some ice cream." Her tone was casual, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

Five's jaw tightened in annoyance. "Well, where's she now?"

Lila finally looked up, pointing towards the chair where Y/N was now slumped, fast asleep. "She's right there."

Five followed Lila's gesture, spotting Y/N in the chair, her head resting to the side, her breathing slow and steady as she slept. Sushi, her cat, was curled up on her lap, glaring at him with narrowed eyes before hissing in disgust. "Little shit," Five muttered under his breath, his irritation growing.

He turned his attention back to Y/N, noticing how peaceful she looked despite everything that had happened. Her hair was slightly messy, and she was still wearing the same dress from that morning. He found himself staring longer than he intended, something about the scene holding his attention.

Lila's voice broke through his thoughts, a teasing lilt to her tone. "If you keep looking at her like that, you might go soft for her."

Five shook his head firmly, snapping out of it. "Never gonna happen," he replied, his voice resolute. He glanced at Sushi, still glaring at him from Y/N's lap. "Grab the cat, will you?"

Lila rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Why can't you? I'm over here cleaning up your brother's disgusting mess."

Five huffed in frustration. "You haven't noticed that thing is an asshole with four legs and a tail? I'm gonna take her to her room."

Lila clapped her hands, and Sushi obediently jumped off Y/N's lap, sauntering over to Lila. Five carefully approached Y/N, his movements surprisingly gentle as he scooped her up in his arms, lifting her as if she were made of glass. He pushed open the door to her room with his shoulder, carrying her inside and laying her down on her bed with a careful touch. He pulled the covers over her, making sure she was comfortable before stepping back, his gaze lingering on her for just a moment longer.

Five stood in the doorway of Y/N's room, watching her sleep peacefully in her bed. Her face was relaxed, a stark contrast to the tense and chaotic events of the day. He hesitated for a moment, feeling an odd mix of emotions that he couldn't quite place. She had been dragged into this mess without any say, and now here she was, asleep in a room that seemed to belong to a completely different world from his own.

As he glanced around, he noticed her room for the first time. The walls were covered in soft pink wallpaper, dotted with delicate white flowers. A white light fixture with fake crystal accents hung from the ceiling, casting a gentle glow across the space. The room was undeniably girly, with a sense of warmth and comfort that Five hadn't felt in years.

His eyes landed on the posters of Elvis Presley plastered across nearly every wall. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips—there was something endearing about how much she seemed to adore the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His gaze drifted to the photos of her friends pinned up on a bulletin board. Each snapshot captured moments of joy and laughter, memories frozen in time.

Five walked over to the wall, his hands casually in his pockets as he inspected the photos more closely. There was one of Y/N and Elliot, both smiling widely, and another of her with a girl labeled "Bri" in neat handwriting, a heart drawn around her name. They were sharing milkshakes, the kind of carefree moment that felt a million miles away from the life he was leading. Another photo of Y/n when she was younger with the bigger smile, while she held a small kitten in her hands with a big red bow on its neck.

Sushi. Little asshole.

His attention was drawn to a particular photo where Y/N was wearing a bright yellow dress, her hair up in a high bun, and a pair of white heels. The happiness on her face was infectious, and despite himself, Five found a small, genuine smile forming. But then he noticed another photo next to it, one that made his smile fade instantly.

In this photo, Y/N was in the same yellow dress, but she was standing next to a boy. Five's eyes narrowed as he picked up the card attached to the picture: "Had fun with you at the dance! Can't wait to see what the future brings us. Love, Daren." The name and the affectionate tone of the message irritated him more than he cared to admit. Who the hell was this Daren? And why did it bother him so much?

Rolling his eyes, Five turned away from the photo, trying to shake off the strange sense of annoyance. His eyes landed on a small shelf against the wall, where a record player sat surrounded by a neat stack of vinyls. Without really thinking, he reached out and set the needle on a record.

Suddenly, the soft, unmistakable melody of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley filled the room. Five froze, realizing what he had done. He quickly shut off the record player, glancing over at Y/N to see if she had woken up. She stirred slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. Five let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He stood there for a moment longer, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the room. The scent of her perfume lingered in the air, and the soft lighting made everything feel surreal. Five knew he didn't belong here, in this room, in this life, this timeline. But for a brief second, he allowed himself to imagine what it might be like if things were different—if he wasn't caught up in a time-traveling catastrophe, if he didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But reality quickly came crashing back in. This wasn't his life, and he had no right to linger any longer. With one last glance at Y/N, Five turned and headed for the door. He needed to get back to the mission, to the plan, before he got any more distracted.

As he quietly closed the door behind him, he couldn't shake the image of her peaceful face from his mind. There was something about her that got under his skin, something that made him feel... different. But he didn't have time to figure out what that meant, not now.

Stepping back into the hallway, Five pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on what needed to be done. There was still so much at stake, and he couldn't afford to let his guard down—not for anyone, and certainly not for a girl like Y/N.

Five shook his head, mentally chastising himself for letting his thoughts wander. There was no room for sentimentality in what needed to be done. He had a mission, and getting distracted by a girl—especially one like her—was the last thing he needed.

He stepped back, carefully shutting the door with a soft click, and returned to the living room where Lila was still hovering over Diego, who remained unconscious on the couch. The room was quiet, the only sound being the soft clinking of the tools Lila was using to clean and bandage Diego's wounds. Five stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of everything that had happened over the past few days settling heavily on his shoulders.

Lila looked up as Five entered the room, her gaze flickering to the now-closed door of Y/N's room. "You know," she began, her tone almost casual as she focused on her work, "you're a lot softer than you let on."

Five's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lila smirked, not bothering to look up. "You care more than you think. I've seen the way you look at her. Like you want to protect her or something."

Five huffed in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't have time to care about anyone. Especially not her."

Lila raised an eyebrow, finally meeting his gaze. "Sure, keep telling yourself that." She returned her focus to Diego, adding, "But you and I both know she's different. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so bothered."

Five felt a surge of irritation rise within him. He had no intention of explaining himself to Lila—of all people. But her words struck a chord, one he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge. He wasn't attached to Y/N, not in the way Lila was suggesting. He had a mission, a family to save, and she was just... in the way. That's all it was. It had to be.

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