[✓] 𝐼𝑁𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝑈𝐷𝐸 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑎

Word count: 2049

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏, blinking slowly as she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness.

Five's right arm was wrapped around her, warming her from the chilly November air that breezed through the slightly open window. Judging by the dusky sky outside, it was quite early in the morning, meaning she probably still had some time until they would have to get up.

She carefully looked up to see that Five was still sleeping peacefully, and she remained quiet, not daring to interrupt the rare moment of rest.

She sighed, feeling his faint heartbeat as her hand rested on his chest and listening to his gentle breaths as he slept.

Valerie wished that they could go back to simpler times when they were just fighting Hazel and Cha-Cha and tracking down the owner of the eyeball. . . . Sure, there was still an apocalypse, but at least the family was together. . . .

She gazed at Five's sleeping face, a small smile playing on her lips as she adored his features. She snuggled closer into him, feeling his hands unconsciously tighten their grip on her.

Valerie closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again, but found herself unable to. She kept her eyes closed, instead focusing on the slight shifts Five made and the soft creaks of the bed.

Sometime after, the sky outside began to lighten, and sunlight started streaming inside the room. Valerie was more than awake but still kept her eyes shut, enjoying Five's company.

Five stirred around half-past six. His eyes still closed, he rolled onto his right side and pulled Valerie closer to him, wrapping his other arm around her and sleepily stroking the back of her hair with one hand.

"Val?" he murmured, his voice a little gruff from exhaustion.

"Mhm?" she hummed.

"I love you."

Valerie smiled before leaning her face up and kissing him lightly. "I love you too. But we should get up now."

Five groaned, only pulling her closer to him.

"What happened to you?" she giggled. "You were so obsessed with stopping the last apocalypse, I'd expect the same behaviour with this one."

"I like being with you like this," he mumbled into her hair before kissing the top of her head.

"But the world is still ending." 

After pulling the blanket off of her, she wiggled out of his grasp, quickly moving away as he reached towards her again. She only laughed when she receives complaints in return, and she quickly bent over to kiss the side of his head. 

She straightened out the skirt of her dress before running her fingers through her hair, trying to detangle it as best as she could.

She turned around to see Five moving slowly, reluctantly getting up. "Come here."

His forehead creased. "Why?"

"Just come here, you doofus," she sighed as she turned on one of the lamps, the soft, yellow glow illuminating the room.

He got out of the bed and walked over towards her, his eyebrows furrowed. Valerie placed one hand on the left side of his jaw, and mistaking this as an affectionate gesture, Five began to lean in.

"No, idiot." She firmly gripped his lower face and turned it so that she could get a good look at the cuts on his neck.

They were less red and, although they were fading away, it seemed as though they would leave light scars. Luckily, it didn't seem like they were infected, which was a relief.