When Violet awoke at first, it was in a panic.
There was an arm firmly around her waist and her breathing hitched as she felt the physical contact, her heart leaping into her throat. But after a few seconds of blinking and familiarising herself with her surroundings and the boy in front of her, she let out a shaky exhale, her heart rate levelling out to something normal.
Despite feeling incredibly warm, she didn't pull away.
Five's face was inches from her own, his arm slung over her waist and around her back, pulling her close against his chest.
Her face warmed as she tucked her head down, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. And despite everything, she didn't immediately push his touch away. She let herself lie there in his embrace.
She finally grew some confidence and looked up at Five's face, eyes trailing the soft edges of his cheeks, the curve of his nose, the two little freckles on his right cheek right where his dimples sat. Now, in this peaceful stage, there was no ridge or line between his dark brows. It was rare for him to look so relaxed, so calm, and for the sake of him staying asleep she didn't move a muscle.
But after a while of simply watching him sleep, not in a creepy way but in a more admiring type of way, she couldn't help it when she lifted her hand to gently graze the side of his face where those two freckles sat as he slept, with her fingertips. Her heart fluttered as a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile graced his lips.
Violet wished she could live in that moment forever, that moment between her finger brushing his skin and that smile appearing. If only she had the power to pause time, she would do it in a heartbeat. The moment was soft, it was simple, it was warm and it felt like everything.
She felt powerful. Not because she actually was, but because even while he was asleep her touch could cause even Five Hargreeves a smile, and that was more than enough for her.
In his sleep he scrunched up his nose before turning his face more into the pillow, making her quickly draw her hand back against her chest and smile a little.
She had never thought she would use this word to describe Five Hargreeves, who was often brash, cold and confident; but now, in this time, he just looked... sweet.
He would scold her if she ever voiced that, ironically, and vehemently deny it. But her eyes weren't deceiving her.
Almost as though he could sense she was thinking about him, he let out a small sigh. "What are you looking at?" He mumbled in a low, tired morning voice.
Violet shyly tucked her face down against his chest, her face warming. She felt his chuckle rumble through her body against his and her face grew even warmer.
Neither of them wanted to get up from how they were laying, though neither of them said it. It was an unspoken thing in the air between the two, or perhaps the only thing between the two, as Five tucked her closer against him and almost rested his chin on the top of her head.
Neither mentioned it.
They needed the break, the time to breathe and take a step back from all of the chaos and impending doom; here, together, the closest Violet had ever allowed anyone to get, (and Five knew this - it was all that was on his mind as he had the privilege of holding her close), they could both breathe easy for a single, rare moment alone.
They laid like that for a while, neither of them even wanting to check the time, neither caring because it simply wasn't important.
Five eventually broke the comfortable silence.
"You've gotten better," he murmured, knowing she would know what he was talking about.
Violet pondered to herself for a second and nodded slightly against him. "It's easier with you."
Her voice was soft as satin; the boy wanted to encase himself in it.
"It's different." She added after a while for clarification.
It was different with Five. Physical contact was different with him. He was the one person she could push herself past her boundaries with and she didn't entirely know why, but it was so freeing to be able to hold someones hand or lie in a hug - just because she couldnt stand the touch of another didn't mean she didn't crave the contact. She was horrifically touch starved.
The both of them were, really. Years in an apocalyptic wasteland and a lonely old house could do dreadful things to the psyche.
Five couldn't comprehend the warmth in his chest at hearing her answer. Maybe it was from her physically bundled against him, maybe it was from hearing her gentle voice, maybe it was because it was Violet and she always had that effect on him. Though now more than ever he was feeling it more and more.
He didn't know why.
Violet thought she had an idea but wouldn't have the confidence to act on it. Not yet, at least.
It had taken her a long time to get used to Five's touch; it was a ladder of progress and she was halfway up, closer to the top than she had ever been. It was gratifying to know she had come so far.
She wouldn't have without Five, though, and she knew it. No one else in the world could have the same effect on her.
"Why is it different?" His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Violet couldn't answer that. She opened her mouth to respond but the words died on her tongue. She shrugged lightly and trailed her fingers along the fabric of his tie.
Deep down maybe she did know the answer to that question but she hadn't quite come to terms with that yet.
They spent the entire half the day like that, just with Violet curled up like a cat against Fives side, the both of them pondering their silent anxieties about the meeting with Sir Reginald later on.
Only once did Five suggest they get up. In response, he was hugged like a koala until he began laughing and admitted defeat and they stayed there enjoying the rare peaceful moment while they could.
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Standing shoulder to shoulder in the elevator, Violet couldn't help but fidget with her hands as they were just floors away from meeting Sir Reginald Hargreeves.
"You don't even have to acknowledge him, you know?" Five said to her, pressing the button for the fourth floor.
She nodded, looking down, still caught up with destroying the skin around her nails as the anxiety swarmed inside her skull like bees.
"Hell, break some shit if you want. I just need to know what he knows about doomsday."
She smiles down at the ground at that.
As the doors began to close he put his hand over her own to stop her picking and she shot him a glare. He stared back pointedly and she lowered her hands, picking instead at the threads on her distressed jeans.
A second before the doors shut, a hand shot between them and made them open again.
"Hold it!" Diego stepped inside.
Klaus soon followed. "Hey everyone."
Violet backed up to allow them space, mildly surprised they'd actually showed up.
"Excuse me." Luther squeezed in, and at this Five put himself between her and all the others, moving her light by her shoulders so that she was just a step in front of him near the doors. Violet kept her head down, holding tightly to Five's sleeve.
She glanced up at him through a curtain of her hair as the elevator began to rise, and glimpsed a pleased little smile on Five's face at seeing everyone together.
It was quickly replaced by a disturbed expression as a putrid smell filled the small enclosed metal box. They all groaned and looked at Luther.
"Sorry," he looked down sheepishly. "Im nervous."
Five pulled her close to him so her face was then buried into his shoulder and her shoulders shake in silent laughter against him.
The doors open and Five quickly pulls her out before everyone else so they can breathe the fresh air.
They glance around at their surprisingly bright surroundings, being a tiki bar with a restaurant interior.
Klaus dramatically stumbled out, exclaiming, "i'm choking!"
Violet was glad the room was empty but the thought of what was coming made her subconciously flicker between physical states, her hands tingling.
Five's voice drew her out of her nervous daze. "Hey," she turned to look at him, picking at the threads of her jeans absently. "You're flickering."
Violet looked down at herself and swallowed, taking a deep breath and shaking out her hands at her sides until her regular state was fixed, and she didnt look like a ghost.
He gave her a weak smile to make her feel better and she exhaled slowly, turning in a slow circle to look around at the decorative plants and lights.
"Alright, when dad gets here, I'll do the talking." Five stated, heading over to the table in the middle to take a seat.
Violet would have no qualms with that. As klaus sauntered past her he handed her a drink in a tall tiki glass with a bendy straw that she had no choice but to take. She peered inside and took a curious sip from the straw.
"I've got a few questions for him myself." Said Diego.
It was pleasantly sweet.
"Look, we don't want to scare him off, okay? He might be able to help us with doomsday." Five attempted to caution as he sat down.
"We need to figure out why he's planning on killing the president."
She rolled her eyes.
"This is a matter of life and death you imbecile." He seethed, running out of patience.
"Maybe we should take turns talking?" Vanya meekly suggested, grabbing a large conch shell at the centrepiece of the table. "Here. Whoever holds the conch gets to talk."
Allison walked past and swiftly took it into her hand. "Great. I'll lead, we all know I'm the best public speaker."
"Okay, daddy's girl." Diego scoffed.
"Oh, jealous, number two?" She tilted her head mockingly.
Violet nervously put her drink down and eyed the group, tensions rising. She stood behind Five's chair and shifted, biting one of her nails. She had a feeling this was going to turn into a fight and she didnt want to be there if it did.
"Hey, no more rumours. No more bullshit. Were team zero. Were all team zero."
Luther raised a hand, smug. "Uh, Diego. You don't have the conch."
Diego nodded once before grabbing the conch from Allison and launching it at a pillar, shattering it with a loud crash.
Violet flinched hard and covered her ears, eyes scrunching closed in discomfort. Her heart hammered at the sudden noise and she shifted closer to the boy in front of her.
Five had stood up when Diego threw the shell.
He gave the man a dark look. "Stop acting like a bunch of children!" He snapped, turning to face Violet who hadn't uncovered her ears yet, tense.
He gently lowered her hands from her ears, making her reopen her eyes. Diego saw this and immediately looked guilty.
"Sorry, Violet." He muttered, looking down.
She looked down and shifted uncomfortably, hair falling in front of her face.
Five looks at her in question, silently asking if she wasokay, and the answer was no because she stood as a shaking mess filled with nerves because of where they were and who were about to meet.
She didn't get a chance to respond when the doors in the corner bursts open.
She turned herself invisible instantly and Five turned to sit down, still able to feel her presence beside him even if he couldn't see her. Everuone sat down, suddenly quiet.
"Not only have you burglarized my lab, set my chimp loose, conned your way into the Mexican consulate, repeatedly stalked and attacked me, but you have on numerous occasions..."
Sir Reginald sat down at the head of the table, placing a leather-bound notebook in front of him, glancing around the room.
Klaus slid into the seat beside him, drink in hand. "Hey, pop. How's it hanging?"
"Called me dad." He summarised. "My recommence informs me you're not CIA, not KGB, certainly not MI5, so... who are you?"
Violet held onto Five's sleeve and he glanced to the side briefly, able to feel the weight of her hold.
No one knew what to say, then, as the truth was likely to be waved off as a fantasy by the man despite its truth.
Five sat forward. "We're youre children. From the future. In nineteen eighty nine you adopted all of us and trained us to fight against the end of the world. Called us the umbrella academy."
"Why on earth would I adopt six-"
"-eight." Allison cut in, looking down. "One of us isn't... here."
"Dead." Diego clarified. "One of us is dead."
Violet frowned at his tone.
Reginald scanned the room, only counting six still, and although he had questions, that one could wait."Regardless, what would posess me to adopt eight ill mannered malcontents such as yourselves?"
"We all have special abilities."
"Special? In what sense?"
At this she let go of his sleeve and he looked to the side again.
"In the superpower sense."
"Call me old fashioned but I'm a stickler for a pesky little thing called evidence."
Allison muttered something into her drink, while Luther shook his head. "We're not circus animals, okay?"
Violet wandered away from the table, clutching her trembling hands to stop their movement, pressing her lips together. She fiddled with the leaves of fake plants and decor, smoothing her fingers over all the different textures that interested her.
Not listening to the talking, she flinched again when Diego threw a knife into a pillar behind where Reginald was sitting.
The man hummed and scribbled something in his journal. She frowned and made her way quietly over so she could peer over Reginalds shoulder to read. He had all of their numbers written down with a dash next to it, where he scribbled a random note down about their powers.
She eyed the glass of what looked like whiskey beside Reginald hand on the table and considered spilling it on the thing.
"You're zero for two, young man." He tapped his pen on the books edge.
Diego shot up from his seat to attack him but Five blinked across the room to hold him back, giving him a dark look. Reluctantly, he sat down.
Reginald eyed Five. "Now that is interesting."
Violet hated this. He was looking at them like science projects, like little dolls he could move as he liked and tinker with. Rats in a cage to study and prod.
She glared at the side of his head and played with loose threads again.
Five walked around the table to sit back down. He gestured. "Alright, quick run down. Luther, super strength. Klaus can commune with the dead, Allison can rumour anyone to do anything-"
"-except she never uses it." Diego comments dryly.
She smiled fakely at him, playing with her straw. "I heard a rumour you punched yourself in the face."
Forced to do so, his fist hit his face with tremendous force making him groan and hold his nose in pain.
She eyed the blood on his fingers in mild amusement.
"And you?" Reginald eventually asked Vanya who had stayed quiet the whole rime, just watching like Violet had been.
"Uh, let's not take those powers for a test run." Luther quickly put a hand out.
Everyone simultaniously agreed.
Vanya shrugged. "I can handle it. It's fine."
Violet believed Vanya's definition of the word to be slightly skewed. Fine was dropping a bit of toast on the floor and brushing it off. What wasn't fine was ending everyone currently living on earth in an emotional outburst. Don't get her wrong, she loved Vanya to death, but it didn't change the facts.
Vanya took hold of the fork in front of her and tapped it on the side of a glass while everyone around the tables protests grew louder.
Violet covered her ears quickly and backed away; her shoe must have made a noise because Reginald turned in his seat momentarily to look in her direction - and she froze, practically staring her father in the eyes for the first time in, well, ever. But he turned away as the high pitched ringing reverberated through the room and the fruit platter at the centre of the table exploded outwards, making her dart behind the pillar for cover.
She saw splatters of all kinds of fruits hit the floor, and cautiously peered around the pillar after it was over. Everyone was annoyed, picking bits of fruit out of their hair and off their clothes.
"Oops." Vanya said meekly, a little proud smile on her face.
Violet looked over at Five who had a bit of orange peel on his collar, too preoccupied wiping some kind of splattered fruit residue off of his sleeve. She snuck her way over and picked the peel off of him, dropping it on the table in disgust.
Unbeknownst to her, Reginald and everyone else had noticed what looked like a piece of floating fruit land on the table, and she mentally swore at herself for not being more subtle especially when Sir Reginald looked straight through her.
"Another gift of one of yours?" He asks the table, looking at them all in question.
A few of them smirked and Five sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. "No, that's just Violet."
"Ah, the eighth." He looks around, subtly intrigued. "Invisible?"
"Amongst other things." He admitted tensely.
"What else is there?"
The Hargreeve's all exchange a hesitant look, none of them willing to speak on her behalf and yet all knowing she would not do it for herself.
Pricking frustration crawled like a spider along her spinal column, making her fists clench at her sides and her eyes narrow.
"Thats for her to say, not me." Five said simply, dipping his head in a gesture. "And you can ask her yourself but I dont think that'll go well."
"Why not?"
Five smirked down at his lap, choosing to stay quiet.
"She... doesn't really speak." Allison spoke up.
Diego chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. "And you'd be the last one the list of anyone she'd speak to right now."
Reginald continued pressing relentlessly, making the quiet girl shift uncomfortably and grip the back of Five's chair tightly, knuckles turning white. The boy must have heard a faint creak in the wood and glanced to the side for a second.
"If she doesnt talk, she can write her answer down."
It wasn't that simple - being a selective mute meant she didn't choose when or how vocal she could be. It was her body. Her mind. Her anxiety. Sometimes she could speak, other times she couldnt even nod in response to a question because her mind went blank and her body seemed to paralyse. It was like being trapped inside her own body and screaming internally all at the same time.
Five knew this. The others might have had an incling from the past, but he knew.
Five shook his head down at the table, clenching his fist in his lap.
"It's not as simple as that-" he tried to explain, but was cut off.
"-and why not? There are other ways to communicate-" Reginald insisted sternly, like he was an idiot for not knowing this, and the internal frustration grew quickly like a volcano bubbling over.
She exhaled sharply, leaning to reach across the table and grabbed her fathers shallow glass and threw it as hard as she could at the pillar behind the man - it shattered in an array of glass and whiskey, some of the residue hitting the back of his suit as he stood in outrage - chair scraping back. He stared at the mess along with the rest of the group who sat wide eyed and in shock. He brushed his sleeve off roughly, expression darkening.
For a brief second she appeared in her normal state, coming out of her invisibility, so furious and tired of keeping all the pent up rage internalised that she lost control.
She could feel all eyes shoot to her and her stone cold expression crumbled ever so slightly as she realised what she had done.
Fives hand moved to connect with her own limp at her side but she flickered and disappeared again, heart hammering against her ribcage and skin burning hot with the attention.
Diego coughed to cover his laugh. "How's that for communication?" He asked in astonishment, the others beginning to smile and try to hide them from Reginald by looking down.
Klaus threw his head back in laughter after the rigid silence, looking over his shoulder and looking impressed.
Five looked right at Violet even as she was cloaked, and just seeing his tiny little boyish grin aimed at her made the tension in her shoulders release. She exhaled slowly, shakily, and unashamedly pulled out the chair next to Five and sat, teeth clenched.
They all eyed the movement, knowing she was there, and despite the anxiety clawing at her throat and making her skin burn, she grabbed her drink and began sipping from it, eyes cast down.
She was hoping the alcohol would calm her down or numb the nerves. It was an unhealthy coping mechanism, but she blamed the boy next to her for introducing her to the wonders of cocktails.
Her adrenaline was buzzing through her veins and she tried to keep her hands from shaking but that was futile.
And still, despite the anxiety, there was a small part of her that felt entirely liberated at the mere concept of what she had just done, in front of her father no less.
Reginald huffed, straightened his suit jacket and took his seat again, looking put off. "Charming."
"You kinda have it coming." Diego commented dryly, before leaning forwards and finally speaking what had been on his mind the whole time. "Look, forget that, we know you're in a plot to assassinate the president."
Everyone collectively sighed. Five sat back in his chair, defeated.
"You were recently hospitalised, were you not?" Reginald brings up casually. Diego's smug look crumbles slowly. "You still appear to be suffering delusions of grandeur and acute paranoia."
"Am I?" Diego scoffed. "Explain this." He tossed a polaroid photograph onto the table, a fuzzy image of a man in all black holding a black umbrella. "Thats you - thats two days from now on the grassy knoll at the exact spot the president is gonna get shot."
Violet rose an eyebrow, leaning closer out of pure curiosity to see the image, still sipping from her straw.
Reginald eyed the man for a moment before sitting back idly in his chair. "Well, I suppose you've solved it. You've singlehandedly unearthed my nefarious plot."
Violet tensed, bristling at the tone he was using. That same authoritive, smug, im better than you tone he always used when scolding them or during their lessons. It made them feel small and powerless. It made them feel stupid when it wasn't warranted, especially for developing young children. She knew what was coming and quickly downed the rest of her drink, eyebrows knitting together in distress.
"Is that what you want to hear? You fancy yourself a do-gooder? The last good man who will save us from our descent into corruption and conspiracy? This is a fantastic delusion. The sad reality is that you are a desperate man, tragically unaware of his own insignificance, desperately clinging to his own ineffectual reasoning. More succinctly, a man in over his head." Reginald continued ruthlessly.
They all could see Diego slowly sink back into his chair, a distressed expression beginning to appear, eyebrows furrowing.
Violet wanted to break something. She slammed her cup down without really thinking about it, Five glancing her way in concern. It felt awful sitting here listening to this. Her fingers were twitching.
So when Diego began to stutter and revert back to the memories of their shared childhood of struggling to speak, to communicate and being berated and belittled for it, Violet stood from her chair.
"You're... you're wr- wrong."
She didn't know what had possessed her. But Violet looked around, fingertips tingling, hatred in her heart, and went to the tiki bar off to the side and just... picked up a glass off the counter and watched it smash at her feet.
Everyone looked in her direction but unable to see her, they were all left searching, frowning in confusion as to why this was happening now.
Violet stared straight into the cold, heartless eyes of her father - feeling lighter knowing he was looking at her but also not - the anger tipping over the edge and spilling all over again.
She stared straight into Sir Reginald's eyes and walked over the shattered glass, the crunch making them all grimace.
"Why is this Violet girl destroying my fine china?" Sir Reginald asked as she spotted a decorated plate on the wall and unhooked it, smashing it on the floor.
The satisfaction was incredible.
Violet Hargreeves stared into the harsh, calculating eyes of her father and calmly pushed another from its perch. He knew roughly where she stood judging on where the plates were, and she knew.
This was the feeling she had been searching for her entire life.
This was it.
Her heart felt lighter.
And in causing this destruction she had pulled the crushing attention from Diego who was now becoming less upset as he watched his sister go.
"You have it coming." Luther mutters, unable to lift his gaze from the table.
Little Violet Hargreeves would gawk in terror at seeing her older self destroy something of her fathers. Little Violet Hargreeves, who deserved better. They all did. Every single one of them deserved better than him, and she didn't care anymore.
This version of him didn't know her. He wasn't the same, although he was, which might be why she could bring herself to act out all of a sudden.
Fuck Sir Reginald Hargreeves.
"Can one of you stop her?" He asked sullenly, staring at all the broken glass on the floor.
"I could."
Five shrugged, leaning back in his chair.
She paused to shoot a sharp look at Five, narrowing her eyes. But when he doesn't continue, they lit up.
"But we have more important things to discuss than some broken glass."
Violet thought, then, that Five Hargreeves was a boy she could love.
The sudden realisation struck her like a slap to the face, knocking the breath from her lungs.
He continued, none the wiser of her sudden predicament, while she tapped her thumb and middle fingers together on each hand, the repetive movement slowing her racing thoughts down.
"We have a catastrophic war coming in five days. We need to figure out how to stop it."
"War?" He echoed. "Men will always be at war with eachother."
Yes, Violet thought mildly, stepping over the glass and feeling it crunch under the soles of her shoes. They will.
"No, this isn't just some war. Were talking about the end of the world." Five insisted seriously.
"Well, you're the special ones, arent you? Why don't you band together and do something about it?" He asked as though it was that simple, as though they hadn't thought of that, and she hated that fucking tone he always used.
Klaus stood all of a sudden, arms up, and began to shake as though he was having a seizure. They all stopped and stared while called his name, Allison claiming he was probably overdosing.
Violet cautiously walked back over, eyebrows furrowed.
"Klaus, now is not the time! What are you doing?" Five hissed, leaning over the table with clenched fists.
He turned to Reginald who prompted "out with it boy!"
"Ben..." was all he choked out, before collapsing heavily with a thud that made Violet flinch.
They all marvelled in the silence at the unconcious man.
Violet hurried over to him and when the thought of tapping him made her recoil, she nudged him in the thigh with her shoe.
"Well," Reginald closed his book with a snap, standing, making her look over. "Thank you for coming. I've seen about enough."
Violet slowly approached the table and left Klaus, coming to stand by Fives side, staring after him as he went to leave.
She hated him.
As he headed towards the exit, Luther slammed his hands on the table and tore his shirt open, revealing his grotesque, hair ridden muscles. "Look what you did to me!" He shouted.
Violet grimaced.
Five shook his head and swore. "Shit, why?" He looked deeply troubled, sighing.
Reginald stared at the man emotionless before turning to the teenagers direction, pointing. "You, in the uniform. A word, in private?"
Five dipped his chin and stood with a sigh. Violet glanced at him from the side, almost tearing the loose threads on her jeans right off as she pondered what to do, then.
She had to follow him as much as she hated to admit it.
He trailed after Sir Reginald and she reluctantly shadowed Five, her thread picking becoming more shaky. They followed him to a dimly lit bar and took a seat, Violet taking the one on Fives right without moving it, tucking hair behind her ears.
"You seem to be the sensible one of the bunch." Reginald stated, gesturing to the bartender.
"Thats because I'm the oldest." He said back casually. "Technically, I'm older than you right now."
That was still a bit weird to her, especially considering there was a much older version of herself existing in another time line as they spoke. She pushed that odd thought from her mind.
"Cognac?" Reginald offered, surprisingly finding himself respecting the person before him.
"Make that two."
Violet lifted her head, eyes fixing on the side of Fives face. She watched the bartender pour them and he slid one over to where she was sitting as Reginald watched him in question.
The half filled glass stopped right in front of her and she pondered what to do. He knew she was there.
A few seconds later she pressed her lips into a thin line and revealed herself, averting her eyes. She was glad when her long her fell into her face and picked up the glass, raising it to her lips.
She could feel Reginalds eyes on her and refused to look over, jaw clenching.
"I believe I only requested the company of one."
"She goes where I go. If you've got a problem with it then any conversation you wanted to have, won't." Five said quickly, putting his drink down as a sign he was willing to leave right then and there.
Warmth spread across her chest as she smirked into her drink, lowering it and tapping the rim of her glass lightly. Her heart fluttered just a little.
Reginald remained quiet in thought for a moment, then muttered. "So long as our glasses stay in tact..."
She tightened her hold on her glass. The temptation to knock it off the counter was high, but she knew how important this was for Five and so remained still.
"This world ends in five days if we don't get out of this timeline."
Reginald just shrugged. "Worlds end." He said lightly. "Paleozoic, jurassic and so on.."
"We can do something about this one." Five pressed.
"Mans greatest flaw: the illusion of control."
Violet wanted to comment on how ironic it was for him to be saying that - the man who, all their childhood, thrived on controlling every little aspect of how they grew up even to the point of ending his life to bring them together.
She shook her head and drank some more, savouring the burn for the first time in her life. She wanted her cocktail back.
"I'm coming to you for help. You're our last sane option. Otherwise," Five shook his head, tone turning a darker shade. "I gotta make a deal that I really don't want to make."
She could see the silent distress in his eyes, a familiar haunted glaze that she hated seeing in him. But he had it hidden there so often she was sadly used to it. Violet slyly reached under the table and linked their pinkies. He glanced at her briefly from the side, twitching a shaky smile only for her.
"What do you know about time travel?"
"In theory?" He rose an eyebrow.
"In practice."
"I know its akin to depending blindly into the depths of freezing waters and reappeating-"
"-as an acorn." Five finished bitterly, nodding.
"What transpired when you time travelled before?"
"Botched it." He took a swig of his drink, thoughts turning darker. Violet stared down at the bar.
"How?" He was curious.
He sighed. "I jumped too far forward, got stuck in the future for decades in an apocalypse." He answered heavily, and her grip on his pinky finger tightened. "Then I jumped too far backwards... except this time I brought my entire family with me."
Reginald gazed at Five with interest. "Maybe your appetite is disproportionate to the size of your abilities. Start small. Seconds, not decades."
"Seconds?" He repeated incredulously, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
Reginald hummed in agreement.
"Look, no offence," Five scoffed, tightening his grip back under the bar. "But I need a bit more time than seconds for what I'm trying to accomplish."
"So much could change in the matter of seconds," Reginald began easily, shrugging a shoulder. "One could overthrow an empire. One could fall in love."
Violet looked away when Reginald glanced at her for a second.
"An acorn doesn't become an oak overnight."
Five's jaw clenched, his hold on her hand almost hurting. "I was really hoping you had more than that."
She was conflicted. She knew it was a decent lesson for him to learn but in the grand scheme of things, saving the world wouldn't be brought down to seconds. They did need more time.
Seconds, in a live wire situation, in theory, could change everything.
But now? They needed more than that.
"I'm sorry I cant be of more help." Reginald offered, oddly politely, and Violet almost did a double take.
For a second she stared then, at the side of Fives face, wondering if he was going to say something back. There was a vague apology on the tip of his tongue, she knew it because she knew what type of person Five was. Her heart sank a little.
But then he said nothing.
Five just shook his head, downed the rest of his drink - which he looked like he needed - and gestured for Violet to do the same.
They bade him goodnight, or Five did out of politeness, and he tugged her to follow after him. She did, glancing back only at the elevator as the doors closed, her eyes locking with Reginalds.
She left him with a hard stare and only tore her gaze away when the doors shut.
She wouldn't ever give him the satisfaction of holding that over her again.