(y/n) - your name

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"Thanks." I nod to the Uber driver as I get out of the car, shutting the door and walking up to the apartment building that Five lives at. I walk up the steps and look at the intercom listing to see his name and press the button to call him. I step back, waiting anxiously for him to unlock it.

It was the next weekend over where we both were free so I came over to his place to help him pack up. Five and I had been texting everyday and he kept me updated about how he was doing at work and the situation with his apartment. Everything had gone over smoothly with his landlord being ok to for him to move since the end of the month was nearing in two weeks so it was a clean break with Five being able to get his bond back.

"Hey sweetheart, come on up." I wave with a giddy smile as the door buzzes and I unlock it, heading inside for the elevator and going up to his floor. The doors open dn I jump in surprise to see five waiting for me with a shy smile on his face. "Hello beautiful." he pulls me into his arms, pecking lips before he leads me to his place. "Was the ride here ok? Traffic is usually a pain in the ass."

"It was fine! Not too bad considering everyone is out right now. How are you? Hows work?"

"Same old. FInished up with the marking so now they're just being receive dby the students. Unfortunately and unsurprising, a lot of them did not pass. Youd think they would try to study a little more."

I chuckle at his words. "Give them some slack, not everyone has the time to study, some of them could even be working to try and pay off class fees."

"That is the sad reality of it." Five takes us to his front door and unlocks it but turns to me before he opens it. "Just uh... warning... might be a bit... messy..." he looks at me bashfully. "I tried to clean as much as I could when I was free..."

"I bet it won't be too bad. It just means someone lives here!" I smile at him and he hesitantly opens the door to let me in. The first thing that hit me were the calendar. His apartment was pristine but there were stacks of calendars and newspapers in the corner of his room.

Oh Five...

My heart broke when I picked up a calendar to see the dates crossed off, some having little notes on them. He had been tracking the days it took to find me, and to keep track of the days for his sanity to not try and fall into his apocalyptic hallucinations. Just like how we practiced every day those first few months when I was helping him with his episodes.

"I'm sorry..."

I turn to look at him and he was looking at his shoes in shame. "Why are you apologising? There's nothing wrong."

"I didn't... want you to see this..." he whispers and I walk towards him, holding his cheeks to have him look at me.

"You did absolutely nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with any of it ok. Theres no need to be ashamed. It just... hurts to see..." There were just so many newspapers and calendars. There were some that were ripped up as if in anger, some that were from different parts of the world, some big ones to write detailed day to day notes. It was the newspapers that hurt to see, to see him collect one every day as proof that the world was still going, that he was stuck on April 1st. "Do you... want to bring these along...?"

"I..." he hesitates, wringing his fingers together. "I don't want to... I don't want to need them..."

"Then... do you want to throw them away...?" I ask and he becomes rigid. "I can help you with it. We don't even have to do it know. Let's just focus on packing first."

"Alright." Five nods with a light smile and I help him pack up.

He had a few cardboard boxes and I brought a big roll of bubble wrap so we could pack all his stuff and take it to his car. We split up and I focused on the public areas like the kitchen and living room while he did his private rooms. I didn't want to intrude on him. Five didn't own a lot, but enough to live comfortably and to be honest, I wasn't surprised. He learnt to be frugal and to be appreciative with what he has from the apocalypse.

But also I was kinda expecting him to be a hoarder lowkey.

I did a once over to see if we missed anything as Five brought the last box over to the doorway. "We have everything?" I ask him and he does a quick once over too before nodding.

"That's everything. You relax, I can take these-" Five blinks when I pick up a box easily full of his heavy textbooks reading material. "...to the car..."

"I think the manual labour when organising events got me stronger." I chuckle and he flushes as I walk out of his apartment. "Well? lets go to your car."

"Oh, right yes." he picks up a box and I couldn't help but watch the way his bicep and arms flex beneath his short sleeve shirt when he picks up a box.

I clear my throat with a flush and follow him to his car, doing multiple trips back and forth to fill his car with his stuff. I huff as I put the last box in the back seat, Five locking the car and i tie up my hair from how hot I was. Halfway through I had to take my flannel off and tie it around my waist, which made my baggy shirt fall down my shoulder. I knew Five was looking but didn't acknowledge it.

"So... newspaper and calendars?" I ask softly and he nods hesitantly. We head back up and I open up a big black plastic bag, Five standing in th middle of his apartment surrounded by his newspapers. "Five, there is no shame in taking these with you. If you need something to keep you sane-"

"-I don't need them anymore. I haven't needed them for a few days now... ever since I found you..." he turns to me with a thankful smile. "I think it's time to let go." I smile at him and let him do this on his own, watching him let go of his past bit by bit as he tosses the newspapers and calendars into the bag. Five held one more in his hands particularly tight as if he couldn't let it go.

"Five?" I whisper and he turns to the bag, hands shaking. "We can take that one-"

"-no... then I would never be able to let go."

I think for a second and grab a pair of scissors, passing it to him. "Keep a clipping of it. As a souvenir if this one is particularly hard to let go." The look he gives was filled with so much love, his eyes so soft and full of endearment.

"Alright." he nods with a whisper and cuts out the date with the headline before chucking the rest in the bag. I tie it up and pass it to him and follow him out of the apartment. He stops for a moment to just sink in that he was leaving, closing the door and locking it one last time. I follow him to the garbage room and he dumps the papers into the community recycling bin. I smile at him and hold his hand as he leads us back to his car, him squeezing my hand in appreciation. "Wait in the car, I'm just going to hand the keys back." I nod and settle in the front passenger seat, Five coming back shortly after and getting into the drivers side behind the wheel. He starts up the car and just breathes out. "Thank you, (y/n)."

"Oh! It was no problem! I had time to help pack and clean-"

"-no-I mean yes that but also, just... being there for me." he reaches over to hold my hand, kissing the back of it and I flush.

"You know I would do anything fo you..." I whisper.

"Then let me make it up to you. Every single day."

"Five, you dont-"

"-please, let me love you just as much as you love me."

I blush and whisper. "Alright." I squeeze his hand as he drives us off back to my place-well our home now. "I know how you can make it up to me today."

"And what would that be, sweetheart?"

"Can we order takeout?" I ask sheepishly and Five laughs softly as he drives down the road.

"Of course we can. What my sweet girl wants, she gets."

I yawn as I stand in the kitchen in my slippers and pjs, cooking some scrambled eggs and sausages as the tv plays some youtube videos of cretaors I follow. I made sure to keep the sound down since Five was still asleep, peacefully unaware and exhausted from the assessment markings he had to do for his students. Plus I let him sleep in knowing he doesn't get enough of it and needs to catch up on 40 plus years of lack of sleep.

It had been a couple of months now since we started living together and it was more than I could ever dream for. Domestic bliss that I never realised I've always wanted so desperately. Five and I had our separate lives but we always spent our nights together at home. We visited each other work, picked each other up or dropped each other off, went out on dates together, showed each other what we were like in our lives.

Five gave me a story for each of his belongings when I was curious, always picking me up from work, buying my favourite snacks when I craved them, took me to museums and galleries, brought me gifts and trinkets, and had movie marathons with me.

I took him to my favourite food places so he could try everything I loved, bought him books he mentioned he would love to read, learned to make his favourite coffee, took him out to fun activities like escape rooms and fun parks, and I told him everything about my life, about my belongings and my souveniers that I had-obviously the ones I remember.

But lingering on the memories and stories of my friends and family made me miss them dearly. I didn't even know if my family was my family. Again. If I was their daughter or a stranger. I frown as I thought about them again, sighing as I set the plates down on the counter to plate the food. I breathe out, gasping softly in fright when I feel arms wrap around me tightly.

"Morning sleepy head." I smile when I feel Five bury his head against my neck, his hands curling around my waist beneath my shirt to hold me tightly as his chest presses against my back.

"Smells good." he grumbles against me and I chuckle as I plate our breakfast.

"Go brush your teeth-"

"You..." he says sleepily before kissing my neck and I stutter. "You smell good..." I blush, whimpering when he moves my hair over one shoulder, kissing my neck more and nipping my skin.

My eyes flutter shut as I gently grip his hair, his fingers gripping my waist tightly. "F-Five-" he groans softly against me, leaving more heated open mouthed kisses and I stutter as his hands creep up my midriff to caress the skin there.

"Why didn't you wake me up when you got up...?" He grumbles against my shoulder before pressing kisses along my jaw and on my cheek.

"You know why. You need your sleep..." I breathe out shakily with a blush as he hums, holding me tight against his body. "Go brush your teeth and come eat with me." I chuckle when I feel him pout, still flushed from his sudden attack of affection before I reluctantly wriggle out of his arms. "Come on."

"Fine. Only because you asked so sweetly." He steals one last kiss from me and goes to freshen up as I smile loopily.

Oh how I love him.

I set the plates down on the coffee table alongside our drinks, settling down on the couch as I scrolled through my phone. 

My mind drifted to my family, searching for them on social media to see if they lived at our old place. I was worried about how much 4 years would have changed thing between us, 4 years that I wasn't here with them. Those missing years made me feel like a stranger to them and what if I did find them? Would they know it's me? Would I still be their daughter?

"(Y/n)?" I jump slightly in fright to see Five sitting down next to me on the couch with a worried frown on his face, his hand on my knee. "Your breakfast is getting cold."

"Oh!" I grab my cup of tea and reheat it in the microwave before coming back to the couch with it hot again.

"(Y/n)." I hum to let Five know I was listening as I eat my breakfast with him. "What's wrong?" I blink at him in surprise.

How'd he know?

"Nothings wrong. Why?"

He shakes his head. "Don't lie to me. I know something is wrong."

"But-"

"-(y/n)." He says sternly and I sigh in defeat. I knew I couldn't lie to him to save my life. He knew me too well. And he knows whos lying from years of training obviously.

"I... miss my family..." I breathe out. "I don't know if it's going to be the last timeline all over again, if I'm going to be a stranger to them or their actual daughter... I just really miss them..." Five pulls me into his arms to hug me, rubbing my back as I rest my head on his chest.

"I know sweetheart."

"I just want to see them again..."

"...then why don't we?" He says and I look up at him in surprise. "It's gonna eat you up inside if you don't get an answer. Even if it hurts, you should go see them."

"What if it was like last time...?"

He sighs with a light wince. "It's better to know than not know. At least this way you'll know they're ok. I know it hurt you when you were a stranger to them in the last timeline, but they were alive and well. I know you felt relief seeing them again."

I nod since he was telling the truth. Even if it hurt, even if they weren't my family, I was so glad that they were ok. And he understands how I'm feeling... after everything Five did just to get back to his family... the fact that he was even suggesting that I go see mine...

"Alright... I want to go see them." I sit up, determined now. Even if it killed me that I was an outcast, I knew Five wouldn't let me fall and be there for me.

"There you go sweetheart. There's my stubborn girl." He smiles at me as he caresses my cheeks and I huff at him which makes him chuckle. "Do you know where they are?"

"Back in Australia. I remember my old address... I just hope that they're still living in the same building."

"That's a better lead than nothing." I fiddle with my fingers and he smiles seeing me hesitate. "What is it my sweet girl?"

"Would you... will you come with me...? I'm scared to go alone..." I mumble and he gently lifts my chin to look at him as he smiles at me.

"You didn't even have to ask (y/n), of course I will. I think it will do us both some good to leave New York for a bit." he kisses my forehead and I breathe out in relief. "How about we work on sorting things with work and organising how long we're going to stay in Australia."

"Wait are you sure? Your work-"

"-baby, yes. Exam week is over and I can get a substitute to look after my classes for a while. Don't worry about me ok." he taps my chin up affectionately. "We can plan to get plane tickets after we get our breaks away from work confirmed at the same time." I nod quickly, feeling excited to go back home now. 

I settle back next to him with a good feeling in my stomach as I eat my breakfast with him. "Five..." I hesitate and he looks at me as he drinks his coffee and reads his newspaper.

"Yes, darling?" he smiles down at me, setting his paper down to stroke my cheek.

"I don't know if I'm rushing this between us or not or maybe I shouldn't be asking about this at all-what if it doesn't even work out for my family so there's no point-"

"-(y/n), you're rambling sweetheart." He chuckles, pulling me closer to his side as his fingers stroke my jaw,

"Right..." I clear my throat with flushed cheeks. "I... want to introduce you to my family properly and for real this time... If, you know... everything works out."

He smiles brightly, sitting up in excitement. "I would be happy to meet your family again." he nods and I grin, excited about showing Five my home.  

"Really!? Oh I can't wait!" I was now just really excited to show my love around my hometown and where I live, to show him my side of the world and my life before we met.

"I can't wait either." he whispers before he leans down to kiss me softly, his hands moving to gently hold my neck as mine held his cheeks

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