Word count: 1683

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 her bed, aimlessly staring up at the ceiling. She tapped her fingers against her stomach, barely even feeling it as she worried over Vanya and Allison.

She had stopped crying about half an hour before and had been in this position since then. She was beyond angry at Luther. Her fury still hadn't settled in her stomach, and it made her entire body tremble. That boy was going to catch her hands the next time she saw him. Sure, he might have super-strength, and sure, she'd probably break both of her hands during an attempt to fight him, but . . . she could try, at least.

There was a knock at her door, interrupting the evil schemes to beat up Luther that she had been mentally planning. Without waiting for an answer, the door opened, and a head peeked in to reveal itself as being Diego's.

Elizabeth sighed as she sat up, glancing at him once more before shutting her eyes. The last thing she wanted right now was to talk to one of the people behind this plan. 

She let her head lean back against the headboard before she called out, "What do you want?" 

Diego's eyes softened at the call. His lips pressed into a small smile—something she hadn't seen lately—as he gently closed the door behind him. He walked towards the bed, and he hesitated for a moment before sitting on the edge. 

"How you feelin'?" 

She scoffed. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know."

"I would like to know," he insisted, scooting himself a little closer. "That's why I'm asking."

"Well, I'm doing wonderfully," she responded snarkily, a humourless smile on her face as she folded her arms. "Y'know, Allison's half-dead, Vanya's locked up and in mental torture . . . And all I can do is sit here because a couple of dumbasses aren't letting me do anything. So, yeah, wonderful."

"Come on, Goldie . . ." He groaned, his eyes lowering to the bedding. "You know that it's for the best."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "The best for whom?"

"Everyone."

"Oh" —she leaned back, shaking her head— "so Vanya isn't a part of 'everyone' now?"

Diego frowned. "It's best for her, too."

"How?"

"You heard Luther." He gave a small shrug, turning so that his body was facing her. "She's dangerous. To herself, you, me, Five—everyone."

"Since when do you agree so easily with Luther?"

His back stiffened, and she clued in that, maybe, this decision wasn't made so easily. "When he's right."

Her nose crinkled as she incredulously asked, "Since when do you admit that Luther is right about things?"

"Since a couple of nights ago." Diego sighed, his hand ruffling his short hair. "Listen, don't worry. Vanya will be fine."

"So, what's the plan then?" she questioned with raised eyebrows. "Keep her locked up in there for eternity? Wait until she dies in there?"

"No, it . . ." He licked his lips, thinking. "Uh . . ."

"Ridiculous," she muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly.

Diego exhaled, putting a hand on her knee and patting it in a comforting manner. "I promise you, I will make sure that Vanya will be fine."

Her eyes flicked from his hand to his eyes, and she shook her head. "Not enough."

He tilted his head, a baffled look coming over his face as he questioned, "What do you want me to do, then?"

Elizabeth let out a long sigh as she rubbed her eyes. She had never felt so overwhelmed. "Just leave."

He scoffed. "I'm not leaving."

"Please . . . Please leave. I want to be alone right now." She swallowed as she pointed to the door, which was slightly ajar.

"I'm not leaving," he insisted, his voice lowering as he shook his head profusely.

She frowned as she looked down at her blanket. "Diego . . ."

"I'm sorry, Goldie. I am," he sighed regretfully, moving his hand to cup her cheek. "But this is for the greater good."

"Fuck the greater good." She shook her head, her eyes beginning to brim with tears once again. "I just want my friend."

Diego gazed at her tearful face for a moment before pulling her into a tight embrace. "I know . . ." he murmured softly, stroking the back of her hair soothingly. "I know."

She cried in his arms for a couple of more minutes before she drew away, wiping her eyes with her blazer's sleeve. She sniffled. "Why do our lives always have to suck?"

Diego chuckled lightly. "I wish I knew."

Just then, another knock filled the air. Except for this time, it came from the wall.

Knock, pause, knock, knock, knock.

"The hell was that?" Diego questioned as he furrowed his eyebrows, his head swinging to face the wall.

"Five," she sighed. She raised her knuckles to the wall and responded. Knock, pause, knock, knock, pause, knock. "I'll see you later, Eggo."

Diego leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Love you, little sis."

"Shut up," she murmured, though the corners of her lips tugged upwards as she began to slip off of the bed.

"Hey," Diego called after her, causing her to turn around to face him before she could leave. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

A small smile appeared on her face as she quietly returned, "I love you too."

Folding her arms, she walked towards the attic, wondering what Five wanted. He hadn't gone down with them to see Vanya, so maybe that is what it was about? Although, she wasn't sure how he'd know about it in the first place if he hadn't gone with her.

The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she entered the attic. The familiar moonlight shone through the open window of the balcony (fire escape) and spilt into the room. The usual silhouette of Five's back greeted her as she stepped closer, her eyes tentatively flickering between that and the stars just beyond.

She knew he was aware of her presents when his shoulders tensed, though he didn't look back at her. Quietly, she approached and sat down next to him on the ledge. 

She glimpsed his face, and she caught his expression of concentration; he was in deep thought, though that wasn't unusual for him.

She was silent for a moment, her eyes lowering to her hands. Then, she looked at him. "Something you want to talk about?"

"Elle, I wanted to—" His agitated eyes registered her red and puffy ones as he turned towards her, and his eyebrows soon furrowed in concern. "Were you crying?"

"What? Psh. No," she scoffed. "Crying? Me? I don't even know what that means."

He lifted his hand, gingerly placing it on her cheek. Her body was filled with warmth at the touch that it had been desiring for so long. "Elle . . ."

"It's Vanya," she said quietly after a moment. "Pogo said she had powers—really dangerous ones. Luther . . . Luther, that goddamn piece of shit, he locked her up."

Five frowned. "Where?"

"In the basement," she answered, her voice cracking slightly. "It was a room I had never been in before—no one has. You have to take the elevator. Only Dad and Pogo knew about it, I guess. And Vanya, obviously."

His thumb brushed away the tear that had managed to fall from her eye, and his frown remained prominent on his face. "But if she's dangerous . . ."

"Five, you—" Elizabeth stared at him for a moment before exhaling and shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. Whatever. What did you want?"

He sighed, thinking for a moment. "Listen, ever since I came back from the future, most of my focus had been on finding the owner of that eye, and the apocalypse," he started.

"No shit."

"Yeah. But then, after Hazel and Cha-Cha first attacked us, you—you said something to me, and it sort of . . . bothered me for a couple of days." Five rubbed the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked down at his lap. "It—it gave me this awful feeling, and it just absolutely wrecked my mind. It was all I could think about. I was so goddamn annoyed with myself that I took it out on others. On you." His eyes flickered towards hers. "And I'm sorry about that."

"Mhm" —she nodded— "you should be."

"I didn't want to let that distraction invade my mind, with the apocalypse and all . . . but now, that's over," he sighed. "And for the last few hours, that awful feeling has been back."

She peered into his face with concern. What was it?

"Hazel asked me what would've happened if I had never travelled into the future all those years ago." Five paused, looking up at the full moon that shone brilliantly. "What my life would be like now. Well, I'd like to imagine that . . ."

"That what?" she asked softly, now growing nervous. Was he about to . . . ?

Five was silent for a moment, chewing on his lower lip as he thought. After what felt like forever of waiting, he turned his head towards her, studying her face for a moment.

His green eyes gazed into her brown ones as he softly spoke, "That we'd still be together. Because . . . Elle, I . . ." He took a deep breath, his eyes now flitting between her eyes and the edge of the window behind her. "I still love you."

Her heart stopped beating as she breathed out, "You do?"

"I do." He nodded curtly, his voice quivering slightly as his expression grew agitated. "And, listen, I—I understand if you don't feel the same way. It's been a lot of—"

Five was quickly cut off as she cupped his cheeks and kissed him. 

He was slightly startled at first but quickly grew comfortable as he kissed her back, his warm hands gently placing themselves on the sides of her waist. The years of longing conveyed through their lips, the kiss only growing more passionate as each moment passed.

She drew away after a couple of minutes, keeping her forehead touching his as she whispered, "I still love you too."

Suddenly, a loud booming noise reverberated through the house. The ground shook, causing the two of them to grab onto the ledge to stay balanced.

Five looked toward Elizabeth with wide eyes. "What the fuck was that?"