FIVE. hustling for a good life

For the first time in years, McKenna woke up alone in her own bed. She eyed the familiar blue colored walls and felt the familiarity of her silk sheets. She insulted the scent of books and firewood. She had a pulsing headache, a hang over headache. She knew those well.

She remembered back to everything that occurred. Her mission with Five. Their succession. Going out for drinks. He drove her home. McKenna lifted the covers off her body to see she was fully clothed. He out her into bed and left. She lowered the covers again and smiled at the ceiling.

She arrived at work feeling like a mess. The hand full of Advils had yet to kick in and the two cups of coffee in her system weren't working either. She tied her hair into a messy bun and she sported a black pantsuit. She opted for tennis shoes instead of heels for the day. McKenna leaned against the building with a cigarette in her hand and dark sunglasses covering her eyes.

"How's the hangover?" Five's raspy voice got her attention.

She looked his way with a blank stare with made him laugh. "Feels amazing. Like I just jumped out of a plane with no parachute." She described and took another puff of her cigarette.

"Yeah, I felt that way too. Drank a lot of water."

"Thanks for bringing me home." She smiled a little.

Five nodded. "Of course. You passed out as soon as walked through the door." He told her.

"I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

A shy smirk appeared on his face and she got nervous. "You asked me to stay." He answered.

McKenna wanted to die. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She groaned and touched her forehead.

He just laughed. "Don't be. I'm just happy I got you home safe."

She lowered her sunglasses, revealing her makeup less face. She was waiting for him to make a sexual comment but he didn't. He only smiled at her like he was glad to see her. McKenna smiled back. "Last night was fun."

"The assassination part of the drinking part?" Five joked.

"I don't know, it's hard to beat a good assassination," She said in a playful tone. They shared a laugh. "No, uh, the drinking part. Definitely."

He smiled again. "I couldn't agree more."

McKenna dropped the cigarette and smashed it with her shoe. "I should get to work." She told him with a small smile and walked past him.

"McKenna," he called her name. She turned around. Five gave her another smile. "I like the messy look."

Feeling her body temperature rise, McKenna quickly smiled back and scurried into the building.

After a couple hours of working, McKenna sat with the Handler in her office having a drink. "What did I say? I knew you two would make a good team." The boss praised with a wide, proud smirk.

McKenna nodded. "You were right. Five's strong. He knows what he's doing." She told her with a subtle smile.

The Handler turned her head slightly and her smirk grew. "You look quite smitten, McKenna." She teased.

She almost choked on her champagne. "What?"

"Out of all the years I've known you, I have never seen that shade of red on your face."

McKenna touched her cheek, feeling how warm it was. She rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous. It's hot in here."

The woman smirked again. "Well, whatever you're feeling, it seems to be working because I have a feeling he's smitten with you too." She stated.

"Five and I are partners. Barely partners. We went on one mission together." She dismissed the claim.

"And many more in the future, I might add."

McKenna took a long swig of her champagne. She thought the Handler was ridiculous. One of McKenna's rules for herself was that she didn't date. She was too busy to worry about a relationship. Most men in the world couldn't handle a woman as successful as she was.

They were good for one thing: sex. McKenna knew how to lure men in with just a look in her eyes. They did whatever they could to manipulate a woman into going home with them. Over the years, McKenna had learned the ways of the human mind and found her own ways of manipulating the men who took interest in her.

She was a swindler. All she needed to use were her eyes. Soon, McKenna Barlowe became the manipulator. She could get any man to do what she wanted. Perhaps Five Hargreeves would be the next.

McKenna didn't go to the bar that night. She stayed home and made dinner for herself, something she rarely ever did. All My Love by Patti Page played quietly on the small radio she had on the kitchen counter. Pasta cooked on the stove. The bottle of wine she kept on the shelf was now half empty.

She lived with the Handler until she was twenty years old. At that point, she decided it was time for her to go out into the world on her own. She saved up her money and got a place of her own. She earned good money from the Commission. McKenna loved living by herself.

As she was mixing the pasta and the sauce together, her doorbell went off. McKenna furrowed her brows, saying that she wasn't expecting company, and she turned the radio down. She quickly went and opened the door. Five was standing on the other side with his hands behind his back.. "Five."

He slightly smiled. "Hello, McKenna."

She leaned against the door frame. "What are doing here?"

"Well, I was at home about to shut down and read a book when I realized. . ." He explained and pulled out a bottle of wine from behind his back. ". . . I have this new bottle of wine and don't have anyone to share it with."

A smile crept on her lips. "You came all this way to tell me that?"

"Not exactly. I blinked here." McKenna chuckled. Five held up the bottle of wine. "So, what do ya say?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Hargreeves?"

Would you deny the offer?" He questioned with a cheeky grin.

McKenna smirked. "Never." She moved out of the way and motioned for him to come in.

He walked into her apartment. "It smells great in here.  Are you cooking?"

"Pasta," she answered and went to stir the pot. "You're welcome to join me."

"I never turn down free food," Five responded and sat down at her kitchen table, which was coincidentally only meant for two people. "I didn't know you like to cook."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," McKenna said mysteriously and grabbed two bowls. She filled them with pasta then walked over and put them on the table. "Just like I still don't know a lot about you." She added with a smirk.

"I'll tell you anything." He said with soft eyes. He ate a fork full of the spaghetti and his eyes widened. "Wow, that's incredible."

McKenna smiled brightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Thank you. I can't cook that much but I make a mean bowl of pasta."

"Well, I'd eat this every day."

She twirled her fork and stared at him with another bright grin. "How about we open that bottle?"

"I like your thinking." Said Five and he stood from the table. He found a bottle opener in one of the drawers and popped off the top of the wine bottle. He poured them two glasses. "So, what does the great McKenna Barlow want to know about me?"

She rolled her eyes at the great and thanked him when he handed her the glass of wine. Five sat back down and she leaned forward. "I know you don't like to talk about your life before the apocalypse, but, I'd really like to know what it was like for you growing up."

He drank the wine and inhaled a breath. "There was good times and bad times. Most good outweighed the bad, but, they all sorta blended together throughout the years."

McKenna frowned. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine." She softly said.

"I regret being mean to siblings. I was a little shit back then." Five laughed and scratched his neck. "I did love them."

She nodded. "I'm sure you did. Do you think there's a chance you'll ever see them again?"

"I dunno." He answered truthfully. "I like to think so. But they've probably forgotten about me. I'm sure it's like I never existed." He spoke somberly.

"But you do. You're here." She responded. She raised her wine glass. "Having dinner with little ole' me."

Five grew a smile. "Sounds like a great time." He picked up his glass. "To bring here."

McKenna smiled. "To being here." She drank her wine.

He stared at her as she drank. She grew shy under his stare and felt the wine drizzle down her cheek. His eyes were prettiest blue she'd ever seen. Ocean strong. They were entrancing

Five admired her for a while longer. We Belong Together by Richie Valens played on her radio and they laughed. "What are the odds?" 

McKenna smirked and stood from her chair. She reached out her hand. "Will you dance with me, Five Hargreeves?"

He looked between her and her hand. "Dancing is a dangerous game." He said with a smirk.

"Good thing I like a challenge."

Five laughed and took her hand. She led him to the middle of the kitchen where the dim lights shined on them. She pulled him close to her like he did at the bar. She got a warm feeling in her stomach that spread to every part of her body. His touch burned her like a flame and everything else around her was not important.