Even though Y/N didn't get a wink of sleep the whole night, the next morning came fairly quickly.

She turned around and stared at herself in the mirror. The night before Five gave her some of Allison's old clothing that suited her nicely. It was a simple, somewhat too big for her purple t-shirt and black trousers, but Y/N had to say that she hadn't worn anything better in a long time. Five also promised her that he would get her new clothes in her size someday, but she had to refuse. He had already done much too much for her.

She was back to drawing the view out the window in her new sketchbook when Five burst into the room, slamming the door shut.

They both immediately heard a loud scream coming from the ground floor. "Number Five, come here this instant!" His father sounded quite irate. What a shock.

- Can't he simply stop talking for a change? - she mused, turning her gaze from her sketchbook. She didn't look at Five until after he had angrily kicked the nightstand.

- Jesus Christ, Five - Y/N instantly stood up and put her sketchbook away. She spoke with a slightly softer voice, just in case Five's father or any of his siblings followed him. - What the fuck happened? - she asked.

Five turned away from her, making it impossible for her to get a good look at his face.

- Fuck. You have a serious nosebleed. - She raced to the door, saying, - Wait here, I'll go get some plasters.

- Don't. - Five intervened fast to prevent her from leaving. - Someone could see you.

As he sat on the bed with his face hidden in his hands, Y/N observed him in disbelief.In addition to being worn out, he also appeared frustrated and humiliated. Which was remarkably unlike him.

Everyone associated Five with a stern, frightening young man, but this time, Y/N was utterly taken aback by his abrupt shift in behaviour.

- Stop joking. - She moved a few steps closer to Five. - Your nose is bleeding, you have a black eye, and your lip is swollen. Not to mention that weird purple bruise on your left cheek. - she pointed out.

- Just give me a moment, I'll take care of this. - he mumbled, panting heavily from exhaustion.

Five didn't even dare to turn to face Y/N when she continued to glare at his injured face. Frankly, he felt as though his dignity had been crushed, and he didn't even need to look at her to see that she was upset with him for some reason.

Y/N left the room despite his protests and proceeded to the nearby bathroom where she found a little red briefcase. She returned and sat down next to Five, her displeased gaze fixed on him. The red briefcase was on her lap. She opened it and started looking through the bandages, gauzes, and many wound cleaners within.

- Sit still. - she commanded and applied hydrogen peroxide-soaked gauze to his wounded cheek.

- These clothing are perfect for you. - He grinned, but his countenance quickly transformed to a pained grimace.

- Don't suck up to me now. Just tell me what exactly happened. Does this have anything to do with the wound on your eyebrow yesterday? The wound you didn't want to talk about.

He shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of her gaze on him. He knew he had messed up, and now he had to face the consequences. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.

- Why are you so stubborn, huh? - Y/N asked her Five with a hint of frustration in her voice.

- I'm not stubborn. - Five replied defensively. - I just don't see the point in talking about my problems with someone else. It's not going to change anything.

- But sometimes it's just better to talk about it with someone. - she persisted. - You never know, they might have a different perspective or some advice that could really help you

- I appreciate your concern, Y/N, - he said, softening his tone. - But I just don't like feeling vulnerable or like I'm burdening someone with my problems. It's easier to just keep them to myself.

- Do you realise how annoying you are?

-If you believe this would move me, you should know that lots of people have already told me that.

Y/N responded by grabbing the ice pack she had taken from the kitchen and pressing it firmly against Five's eye. Despite the obvious discomfort that Five was experiencing, Y/N couldn't help but laugh triumphantly as she watched him wince in pain.

- What the hell?! - He drew away from her, gazing at her as if she wanted to murder him.

- Just relax. I didn't beat you, therefore it's not my fault you're in pain now. - she said impassively, then wiped the blood from Five's nose with a grin on her lips.

- I can't believe I actually let you stay here. - he replied indignantly.

- If you wish, I may leave at any time. - Y/N cast a sly glance towards Five, who remained silent following her response.

As Y/N took a closer look at the wounds on the boy's face, her mood shifted from one of happiness to an overwhelming sense of unpleasantness. It was as if a veil had been lifted from her eyes, revealing the true severity of the situation. She couldn't believe that she had failed to notice the seriousness of his injuries before, especially considering that she had seen them before.

It was a strange and unsettling feeling for Y/N, almost as if her mind had unconsciously shielded her from the harsh reality of the situation until now. Perhaps, in an attempt to protect herself from any further unpleasant emotions, she had subconsciously pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Whatever the reason, she couldn't deny the overwhelming wave of sadness and empathy that washed over her as she stared at the boy's injuries.

- Will you eventually tell me what's going on, or should I figure it out for myself?

Five let out a heavy sigh, feeling a wave of reluctance wash over him. He shifted his gaze away from Y/N's curious stare, finding himself fixating on the uninteresting pattern of the floor. Despite his obvious discomfort, Y/N persisted in her inquiries, her eyes locked onto his face as she waited patiently for an explanation.

As Five struggled to find the right words, he suddenly felt a lump form in his throat, causing him to choke up. He desperately wanted to open up to Y/N, to share his troubles and provide her with the explanation she deserved. After all, he could tell that she genuinely cared about him and his well-being.

On one hand, he longed for the comfort and support that he had never received before, and Y/N seemed like the perfect person to confide in. On the other hand, his pride stood in the way, making it difficult for him to say a word.

As he struggled with his conflicting emotions, he failed to notice the gentle touch of Y/N's hand, wiping away the trickle of blood flowing from his lower lip.

- I'm sorry. - Y/N averted her gaze, displaying signs of embarrassment.

She rushed to explain as Five glanced at her with a puzzled expression.

- I'm sorry for pushing you to talk about it, especially since it's clear that you don't want to. - she said while using her hair to cover her face. She had never realized how frequently she did this, but it seemed to provide her with a sense of security. - You helped me when I needed it, and I feel indebted to you. I don't want you to misunderstand my intentions - I'm not helping you out of some sense of obligation or with the expectation that I won't need to care about you once the favour is done. It's heartbreaking to see you in such a distressed state overnight, and I feel powerless not being able to help you in the same way that you did for me.

The air in the room felt heavy with an uncomfortable silence that hung between the two teenagers. Y/N, feeling the weight of the stress that had been building up inside her, began fidgeting with the loose thread on her new blouse in an attempt to keep her mind occupied. Meanwhile, Five stared at her intently, as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. Which was somewhat "true".

The awkward silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity, causing the hearts of both Y/N and Five to race uncontrollably. Just when Y/N was on the verge of getting up and quietly leaving the room, she suddenly felt a hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her back towards Five.

As she stumbled backwards, she felt his arms wrap around her waist, holding her close to his body. Five buried his head in Y/N's shoulder, his warm breath tickling her ear as he whispered softly, - You don't need to apologize. I know I was a bit of an asshole, so I'm not mad at you.

For a moment, Y/N was too stunned to move or even speak. She simply stood there in shock, her mind struggling to process the unexpected turn of events. Eventually, she hesitantly returned the hug, her arms wrapping around Five's shoulders as she leaned into him.

In that moment, the two teenagers seemed to forget about all of their troubles and worries, lost in the comfort of each other's embrace. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, they both knew that they had found something special in each other - something that was worth holding on to, no matter what.

- Thanks... - she whispered and her eyes glazed over. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, smiling, then grabbed the red briefcase. - I'll.. I'll better put it back..

Five nodded while attempting to avoid making eye contact with her. While he was actually panicking inside, he pretended to be busy as he turned and headed to the closet. Trying to sort out his thoughts, he accidentally hit his head against the closet door, causing laughter on Y/N's face.

-(••÷ ~☂️~ ÷••)-

After a few fleeting moments of respite, Five was forced to return to training. Unfortunately, his father's foul mood put an end to any hopes of rest, despite all that had happened to him. As he stood in the training room, Five felt utterly humiliated. Everyone was staring at his wounds, and he was made to stand there as if nothing had occurred.

The worst part, however, was the fact that he had lost a duel to Diego. Five had had the perfect opportunity to spacial-jump behind him and take him down, but his powers had inexplicably failed him. The truth was that he had lost control of his abilities, but it was still an excruciating humiliation to lose to someone like Diego.

To make matters worse, Diego had taken full advantage of his victory, pummeling the defenseless Five several times before their furious father intervened. Now, Five sat listlessly in the tub, staring ahead with a blank expression on his face. He let out a long, heavy sigh and leaned back against the tub, but the pain that shot through his body made him regret it immediately.

He bit down hard on his lip, determined not to cry out and draw any more attention to himself. After everything that had happened, Five was already humiliated enough as it was.

- Is everything alright?

As soon as he heard a soft voice from the corner, his worries melted away. To his relief, it was Y/N.

The bathroom where he usually bathed, the one next to his room, was small. He noticed how much Y/N calmed down as soon as she opened up to him and started telling him about herself while he tended to her wound. She finally had a chance to talk to someone about her problems. However, there was always someone coming into his room, be it Garce or one of his siblings.

So he started bathing in the farthest bathroom from his room, which was in a practically deserted part of the house. Why this one?

Because only this bathroom was as big as if it could be someone's bedroom and most importantly it had an extension from which there was no view of the bathtub. So with just the right amount of trust in each other, despite the fact that they hardly knew the other one, they agreed that this was one of the few chances for them to talk in peace. No one could suddenly walk in, because who sane comes into people's bathrooms while they're showering?

Klaus does. But he's different so it doesn't count.

He knew- They both knew it was weird that they didn't know each other well but still allowed themselves to behave this way, but for some reason talking to each other about their problems brought them closer until they began to treat each other as best friends. Even if they only knew each other for about a week.

He forced a small grin on his face, closing his eyes and trying to adjust to the pain he felt right now.

- I'm fine. - he replied with a heavy, hoarse voice. He glanced toward the bathroom extension, where she was probably sitting now. He couldn't see her, she couldn't see him, so what's the problem?

- Are you sure? You don't sound like you're fine. - he heard again the same soft and concerned voice, coming to him from the dark part of the room.

There was a brief period of silence. He had to consider his next move. Why bother to lie when Y/N already knew what had happened?

- You're right. - he replied feeling a pain in his throat from the exchange of screams and insults he had with Diego earlier. - I'm not "fine".

As Five sank deeper into the warm water, he let out a deep sigh of relief. The sudden contact with the hot water caused a sharp sensation in his shoulders and neck, reminding him of the pain from the wounds on his back and face. However, he decided to focus on the positive side of things and found solace in the fact that the hot water helped to numb the throbbing pain. The steam rising from the water enveloped him, creating a sense of tranquility that he desperately needed. As he closed his eyes, he could feel the tension in his muscles slowly dissipating, and a feeling of relaxation washed over him.

- Y/N.. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm fed up with this house, this "Academy", this "family" and especially with "dad".

- I'd recommend running away, but I don't think you would want to end up like me. - she joked, still in a rather serious tone of voice. Her comment made Five chuckle for which she was grateful. She hadn't heard him laugh often.

- No, but seriously. - he repeated, pausing to let his words sink in. "I like this option. How about a vacation in Hawaii? - he asked, his tone light and playful. He knew it was an absurd suggestion, but he wanted to lighten the mood.

She let out a soft chuckle, a sound that was like music to his ears. Her voice was gentle and subtle, yet it was filled with concern for his health. The sound of her laughter echoed in his mind, and he felt a warmth spread through his chest. It was a small moment of respite from the stress and uncertainty of the situation they were in, but it was enough to remind him that there still were people worth living for.

- I was thinking more of a colder country. How about Norway? - Y/N suggested.

Five instantly recalled what she had said a few days prior, claiming that this was where she was going in order to visit her next victim.

- Norway? We're supposed to go there, so you'd be busy with your "job" all the time?

- What, are you lacking attention, Mr. Hargreeves? - she quipped with a vengeful smile, clearly enjoying the banter.

- Why are you so interested, Miss [Y/L/N]? - he retorted, a playful grin spreading across his face. In truth, he secretly relished the idea of taking a vacation with someone who would actually listen to him and take him seriously.

Y/N let out another laugh, her eyes glistening as she looked up at the beams of light filtering through the bathroom window. The rest of the room was almost pitch-black, with only a faint glimmer of light illuminating her side of the space. It was no surprise that no one else wanted to be there.

As she continued to laugh, Five couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth in his chest. There was something infectious about Y/N's laughter that made him forget about his worries, if only for a moment. He was grateful for the lighthearted exchange, as it provided a much-needed reprieve from the tension and uncertainty that loomed over them.

- Do you ever wonder what life might be like without our abilities? - after a little pause, he questioned her. This time, it was him who peered into the total darkness that was descending into his area of the bathroom. He took a little pause and grinned. - This is stupid. I'm starting to sound like some sort of philosopher.

- Don't say that. It's not stupid. - she insisted, turning her head to the wall, as if about to gaze at his smiling face. - To be honest, I give it a lot of thought. I remember thinking about it for the first time when I was about five or six years old. I'm not sure when it was. On the one hand, it would be great since we wouldn't be exposed to individuals like your father and would be able to do things like other kids our age. However, who would then fight criminals and make future criminals afraid to the point that they would not perform the crime they desired? What if, I don't know... like when I was shot, I got the help I needed just in time thanks to my ability. Otherwise, they would have discovered me lifeless in the woods. Overall, both having or not having powers has advantages and disadvantages, therefore I can't say which is better.

Five leaned his head back against the cool, porcelain edge of the bathtub. He let out a soft sigh, his eyes slowly opening to reveal the exhaustion and pain that lay beneath them. Each movement was a struggle, and even lifting his eyelids felt like an impossible task. The pain that wracked his body was relentless and seemingly unaffected by the painkillers he had taken. He closed his eyes again, trying to focus on the sound of the water lapping against the side of the tub. He hoped that if he could just relax for a little while longer, maybe the pain would subside, even if only slightly.

- You're right. - he replied in a low and hoarse voice. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he heard her response.

- I know. I know I am.

-(••÷ ~☂️~ ÷••)-

Y/N sat cross-legged on the carpet, carefully arranging Five's books on the shelves. Five watched her silently, admiring her dedication to the task at hand, even if he didn't necessarily agree with her arrangement. She seemed so content in that moment, and he didn't have the heart to interrupt her. Instead, he offered her hot chocolate, knowing how much she loved the warm drink before bed.

She accepted, and he made his way out of the room to prepare the drinks. As he walked down the hallway, he tried to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake anyone up or draw attention to himself at this hour. He passed his siblings' rooms, each one dark and silent. He made his way down the stairs to the kitchen.

As he heated the milk and melted the chocolate, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for Y/N. Despite everything that had happened, she had become a constant source of comfort and stability in his life. Even when he didn't feel like drinking hot chocolate, he was willing to do it just to see her smile.

Once in the kitchen, he looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

- 9:35 p.m... - he whispered to himself then walked over to the counter. From the cupboard he took out two mugs, chocolate and of course milk. Once Five had poured the hot milk into the pot, he stood there, waiting anxiously for the chocolate mix to will dissolve in the milk. His nerves were on edge, and when he heard footsteps approaching, his heart rate increased exponentially. He turned around to face Allison.

- Hey, what are you doing here at this hour? - he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Allison rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking surprised to see Five in the kitchen. - I could ask you the same thing. - she said with a hint of amusement. Allison looked at the two mugs on the counter and raised an eyebrow.

- Two cups? Seriously? Who's the lucky girl? - she teased.

Five rolled his eyes. He wanted to tell her to leave him alone and go to her room, but taking a deep breath, he remembered that apart from Klaus, she was the only person who had helped him earlier.

He tried to ignore her comment and focused on stirring the chocolate. He grabbed the two mugs and carried them over to the table where Allison was sitting. He set one mug in front of her and smiled gratefully.

- Thanks for your help earlier. - he said, feeling a pang of guilt for his earlier rudeness towards her.

Allison smiled back at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners. -No problem bro. - she joked. - You know I've always got your back.

He heard voices as he walked back down the darkened corridor. This is hardly surprising given that his siblings would frequently gather at night to play board games or watch films together. This time, however, he was overcome with anxiety. It was his room from where the voices were coming.

He felt his heart leap into his throat as he slowly turned the doorknob of the door. When he heard the slightest creak, he pushed the door with all his might, revealing two intruders in his room.

As he carefully turned the doorknob, he felt his heart spring into his throat. He pulled the door open with his entire might when he heard the slightest squeak, revealing two intruders in his room.

- Fuck.. - he muttered through clenched teeth. - What on earth are you two doing here?

****

Hey ;)
Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. I had an awful lot of tests, so I wrote short parts of this chapter every few weeks, which is why it's not as good as I wanted it to be.

But the good thing is that soon I will have a lot of free time to write and on top of that school is ending in a few weeks so I will be able to write more for you guys!

Btw as you can see I tried to improve my writing skills. I'm not sure if it turns out good or not. Feel free to leave feedback.

Sorry again and have a nice day/night! <3