"So Delores being alive isn't a good thing?" Vanya asked slowly. Five clasped his hands in front of his face and squeezed them tightly.
"Apparently not."
"Why?" She asked. At this, he took a deep breath. He thought for a few minutes on how to put his feelings into words.
"Obviously things are different. Which, makes sense."
"A bad different?"
Five nodded.
"Bad how?"
Five turned to look at Vanya and raised an eyebrow.
"You don't seem to be handling it well." She stated.
Five put his head in his hands again. Vanya stood up from her seat.
"Would you prefer I tried asking her? I'm not sure—"
"No!" Five told her, louder than he had intended while grabbing her arm. Vanya sat back down and crossed her legs.
"Talk to me, Five."
"Could we go somewhere less public? I would prefer our siblings not walking into this conversation."
"Of course." She replied. They both stood up and walked up the stairs.
"My room or your's?" She asked.
"We better use your's." Five replied.
They both went into Vanya's room and sat down on the bed. Vanya rubbed his back gently, in soothing circles. They sat in silence for several minutes,
"Let's just say... We want different things out of this relationship."
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"She says that as her husband I have certain responsibilities to satisfy her needs."
Vanya looked at him for a moment before her hand went to her mouth in surprise.
"Did she... Talk to you about it? Or did she..." Vanya began, she didn't what to finish her sentence.
"Be more specific." Five suggested in an annoyed voice.
"Progressing the relationship, did she talk to you about it?"
"Somewhat, but only after she had engaged in new behaviors."
"What isn't a new behavior? Before she wasn't capable—"
Five balled his fists. "Before this, we spoke, ate and drank together, danced, slept together— actual sleeping..." He informed her quickly.
"What did she do?" Vanya asked quietly.
Five pursed his lips and ran his fingers through his hair quickly.
"You don't have to tell me if it makes your uncomfortable... I just, wish I could help." She shrugged before patting his shoulder.
"I'm here for you, Five. For as much or as little as you want to say." She told him. Five smiled.
"Thanks Vanya."
"No problem. Did you...want to stay in here for a while? I have to practice violin but you're welcome to stay."
"That sounds nice." He said. She stood and took her violin out of its case. Five laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. Vanya began playing violin. Five cleared his mind and focused only on the sound of the violin.
It was calming like the ocean. For this song, he would think of nothing else. None of the stress that he was under in his relationship or in fixing the apocalypse. None of his thoughts of wondering if there was something wrong with him. No algorithms or theories. Just the darkness of his eyelids and music. He took deep breaths in and out. He saw the music in his mind as she played it, every note in its right place. Even when a note was out of place, the next one would be in the right place. As if Vanya and her music could get through any trails that life threw at them. Just like him and Delores used to. Could this mean that she was never really happy with him? She always said that they were an unlikely pair and that he had growing up to do. She complained about some of his habits but they were always together. For 44 years, they could get through anything together. Delores saved his life. Without her, he knew that he would have lost his mind long ago.