Word count: 1405

𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐒 she arrived at the Academy, Valerie checked every room on every floor, not finding a single person except for Luther, Pogo, Grace, and the unconscious body of Allison. She searched a few more times, in the hopes that she had perhaps missed Vanya, but to no avail.

By the time she had given up, the other three had regrouped at the top of the main staircase. Valerie made her way towards them, not all too fond of their disheartened looks as she leaned against the railing. 

"No sign of Vanya," Valerie sighed as she folded her arms, giving them a small shake of the head. "She's nowhere in the house."

"Maybe if you checked one more time?" Klaus suggested, giving a slight shrug as he looked towards her.

"I searched the house thirty-nine times."

"Yeah, so why don't we round that out to a nice, even forty?" Klaus grinned, his grin growing even bigger when she threw him a glare.

"Well, I'm out," Diego sighed as he walked past the group, heading towards the corridor opposite them.

"Wait, wait, wait . . . Where are you going?" Five called, prompting Diego to stop and turn to them. "Vanya's still out there, and so are Hazel and Cha-Cha."

Diego nodded. "I know. I'm gonna get my things and then I'm outta here. I got some unfinished business with those fools," he stated before continuing towards his room.

Klaus sighed while he leaned back on the wooden railing.

As Five slipped his hands into his pockets and turned to face the other man, he questioned, "Hey, did Dad say anything about the apocalypse when you spoke to him? Any clues as to how it happened?"

Klaus looked up at him, slowly shaking his head with a small frown pulling down the corner of his lips. "No. No clues. Truly terrific shave. But no clues."

"Jeez," Five groaned as he ran a hand through his hair, the other hand clutching onto the eyeball. He began to limp down the stairs, almost tripping because of how fast he was going.

"Whoa, slow down there." Valerie sped down to catch him and grabbed onto his arm, helping him balance himself. "You'll open your wound and become a bloody mess again, idiot."

"Whatever," Five muttered, grabbing onto the railing as he continued to go down the stairs.

Not having noticed this, Klaus continued to blabber, "You know, come to think of it, he did mention something about my potential, and how I've barely even scratched the surface of my—"

"How did he know about the apocalypse?" Five pondered aloud as they went down the last few steps, ignoring what Klaus was saying.

"I don't know, but listen," Klaus started, nervously glancing around the room as they reached the landing. "This whole jumping through time thing of yours, how did . . . How did you know how to do that?"

Five stopped to stare at him for a moment, an incredulous expression on his face. "I didn't. You'd realize that if you were actually sober." He shook his head slightly as he began to walk towards the living room, scoffing quietly to himself.

"Hey, I am sober," Klaus protested with a pout. "I've been sober for two—almost two days now."

Five stopped and turned to him, putting his free hand in his pocket as he humoured Klaus, "Yeah, two days."

"It feels like forty-five years," Klaus breathed out as he stared straight ahead of him, an empty look settling in his eyes.

Five's sarcastic smile dropped. "Who are you kidding, Klaus? I've seen you fidgeting all day."

"Okay, well, he's trying his best," Valerie mumbled to him, but he didn't seem to notice.

Klaus began to walk up to Five, an irritated smile on his face as he replied, "Well, I guess we're both fighting our addictions, then."

"I'm not an addict," Five instantly responded with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah, you are," Klaus insisted as he nodded theatrically. "You're addicted to a drug called the apocalypse."

Five shook his head as he denied once more, "You're wrong."

Valerie scrunched her nose. "Is he?"

"First sign." Klaus raised a finger, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he continued, "Denial."

Five spatial jumped to the other side of Klaus, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You and I, we're not the same."

Klaus placed a hand on Five's shoulder, his voice tender as he spoke, "I've seen that look in the eye of someone who doesn't know who they are without their high anymore. Trust me. You gotta just let it go."

Five stared at him for a moment, processing his words. Suddenly, he threw the glass eye at the wall, shattering it into a million pieces that sprawled across the floor.

"Figuratively, but yeah, that works, too." Klaus shrugged, glancing over at the broken glass.

Five sighed before limping his way towards the living room, almost collapsing once more as he grabbed onto the archway to support himself.

Valerie rolled her eyes before speeding over and grabbing him. She dropped Five onto the couch before stopping right in front of him as he fell into the pillows.

"Rude," he mumbled as he straightened himself up.

"Sorry that I don't like seeing you hurt, that's my bad, really." She shook her head in annoyance as she sat down next to him.

Five was silent for a moment before he looked towards her. "Do you think Klaus was right? That I'm . . . addicted to the apocalypse or whatever?"

Valerie gave him a shrug as she shifted her body so that she was facing him. "Yeah, I think Klaus was right. I mean, the only thing you've focused on ever since you came back was stopping the end of the world."

Five gazed at her for a moment, a small smile growing on his lips. "It's not the only thing I've focused on. There's something else."

She let out a light chuckle before murmuring, "Then maybe you can only focus on that something else now."

"Fine by me." An adorable grin grew onto his face as he leaned toward her, cupping her cheek as he placed his lips against hers.

They kissed for a few moments, until—

"So cute. I love it," Klaus squealed as he clapped his hands together loudly before putting his hands onto his hips. "Power couple of the year."

The two immediately broke away from each other to glare at Klaus, whose eyes widened as if he hadn't been expecting this consequence.

"Klaus. Go. Away," Five said through gritted teeth, his glare worsening.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Klaus raised his hands in surrender as he slowly backed off. "But please, don't have sex on that couch, I really like—"

"Klaus!" Valerie and Five shouted in unison.

"I'm gone!" Klaus scrambled towards the stairs, leaving the two in the room by themselves.

"Okay, I was joking about murdering Klaus the other day, but now I really think we should kill him," Valerie said seriously as Five turned his head towards her.

A devious smile grew onto his face as he moved closer to her, one that she didn't trust in the least. "So I am influencing you."

"No, no, you are not." Valerie wagged a finger in front of his face as she quickly shook her head in denial.

"Mhm." Five nodded, though his tone and expression showed that he was doubtful.

Valerie lightly pushed his shoulder as she insisted, "You're not!"

"Oh, I think I am," he whispered as he drew his face closer to hers once more. "Here, let me influence you again."

Five pressed his lips against Valerie's again, with more passion than the last time. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her on top of his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Heat rushed through her stomach as his hands slowly slid up above her waist, his fingers gently caressing her skin through the uniform she was wearing.

His tongue traced the bottom of her lip, and she granted him access as she opened her mouth. Her fingers twisted into his hair, gently tugging at the soft tufts.

Valerie pulled away after a couple of minutes, only a few inches of space in between their faces. With a small grin, she whispered, "You can influence me as much as you want."