💛⧼lucky yellow⧽💛

❤️ - five had a small collection of regression gear that he scavenged in the apocalypse and, much like he went back to find dolores, he spends a considerable amount of time trying to find the exact ones that he had originally. he’s very particular because he didn’t have a lot of stuff in the apocalypse and he isn’t used to being around people who can touch and take his things. his siblings try to get him more things and he always rejects it, though he does appreciate the thought.

❤️ - little five loves explaining things to other people. he’s a boy genius and does have a genuine interest in science and mathematics. his siblings don’t understand a single thing he’s saying half the time, but they think his excited baby babbles are really cute. luther is the only one that can follow him (in certain areas) and it surprises everyone else because no one expected him to be so knowledgeable about astrophysics. every so often, five does find an interest that the rest can properly engage with him in, but it’s usually super obscure things like his strangely specific love of transportation (it started with him liking race cars and building model planes with luther as a kid and turned into him studying the bodies of cars, boats, trains, and planes throughout the apocalypse. as someone who can teleport, he thinks regular forms of transportation are fascinating and he used to love traveling the world during the peak of his superhero career).

❤️ - he cries when something breaks or when he can’t use it anymore. like I said, he’s very attached to his things (there’s even a bowl of broken watches he collected canonically in his bedroom from his personal tests and training) and he hates having to replace anything. despite his irritation at having to redress in his old uniform, it’s so familiar and it’s his so he really struggles when he starts outgrowing them— to the point where he raids the academy storage rooms for any that might fit growth spurt and he ends up with ben’s old uniforms from before he died. five’s uniforms also make him feel younger so he has trouble throwing them out. he does enjoy sleeping in clothes taken from his siblings, though.

❤️ - he often has flashbacks to the apocalypse and, in the beginning, he’d force himself back into mindset of an assassin and refuse to let it shake him. after a while of being safe and at home, however, his body starts moving out of survival mode and it hits him all at once as his brain processes everything that’s happened to him. this means that there are a lot of times where he regresses during a flashback and cries until someone notices and comes to help him. more often than he’d like, that person was grace, leaving him to clutch onto her like he would when he was a baby while she coos and rocks him. grace doesn’t understand that he regresses, she merely does as her programming dictates and it dictates she takes care of her babies when they’re upset.

it had been a long day of work in the lab. you were exhausted and almost collapsed as you finally arrived in viktor’s apartment. jayce’s arms caught you and scooped you up, letting you curl into a ball against him. your thumb went to your mouth and jayce resisted an ‘awwww’. “ sprout is sleepy, i see. let’s give you a bath and some dinner first. “ viktor reached over and brushed his fingers against your hair. 

jayce nodded in agreement. “ you handle the bath, i’ll handle dinner? “ he offered and viktor nodded. so jayce carried you to the bathroom and viktor sat on the toilet beside the tub. he leaned his cane against the sink and beckoned you forward. jayce started the water and got the temperature perfectly between warm and too hot. viktor slowly helped you out of your clothes, removing your thumb from your mouth slowly. you let out a loud whine and then a yawn, viktor let out a chuckle and raised a brow. “ now hush, it’s only for a moment. “ and he let you take your thumb back when your clothes were finally a pile on the floor.

jayce stood back from the tub and took your hand. “ c’mon, in we go. “ and he helped you into the water and watched you settle into it. viktor grabbed a basket of bath toys from the side of the sink and looked through it. “ who do you want to play with today, sprout? “ you oggled the basket and reached out a little hand, clumsily searching through the plastic toys. jayce and viktor both mesmerized by your determined search watched on. finally though, you settled on a pirate ship, a cow and a pirate rubber ducky. 

“ fantastic choice. you two get this done and i’ll get dinner done. “ jayce kissed you on the head and then viktor on the head before turning and leaving. viktor smiled and turned towards you, “ feel free to play a bit first. he might need some time. “ he chuckled teasingly and you let out your own little giggle, a sound like a ringing bell. 

you played around with your toys for a bit and after a bit of playing viktor beckoned you towards the edge of the tub. from his seat on the toilet he began to wash you up. his hands tenderly worked the soap along your skin and the shampoo into your hair. he was careful to avoid getting any in your eyes but he and jayce had gotten tearless baby shampoo just in case for you. he expertly washed you and let you play on as he worked at his new little assignment. he rinsed the suds off of you and used a washcloth to get the spots behind your ears and between your rolls, giving you a few teasing tickles before you whined and pushed at his hands. “ okay, okay. i will stop, promise. “ and you let him finish washing you up. “ wait here for me, i’m going to go get you some pajamas. “ he grabbed his cane and rose up from his spot and made his way from the bathroom to the bedroom. you were content to play with your toys a bit longer, a bit hesitant to leave the warm, floaty comfort of the bath. but viktor came back with a pair of blue stripey jammies for you and set them on the sink before walking over and draining the tub. “ can you get out yourself, or should i get jayce? “ he asked, slowly putting away your bath toys. 

you pouted a bit, and stubbornly made your way up on wobbly legs. you took awkward steps out of the tub after viktor offered a hand. he gave you a bit of stability as you made it out onto the bathroom floor. viktor grinned, “good job. just like a big kid.” he gave your cheek a gentle stroke before grabbing a towel and wrapping you up. “ now it’s time to get dry and dressed for dinner like a big kid. “ he sat back down on the toilet and worked on drying you off. you shook around in the towel, making little coos and giggles at the motions he made to dry you off. it was chaotic and silly and made you feel light and happy.

but the drying ended and you slipped into your jammies with viktor’s tender helping hands. “ dinners ready! “ jayce called from the kitchen as if destiny had timed things perfectly. viktor rose up and took your hand again and walked to the kitchen with you. jayce set the table with a hot meal and set out the portions. everyone ate and jayce and viktor chatted about their day and their work in the lab. you were content to listen and watch your papas go on about big adult things. it was none of your concern. you were simply a kiddo.

dinner finished and jayce washed the dishes while viktor asked you about your day and listened to you babble, occasionally getting out whole words or parts of words. and so it was bed time. “ let’s get you to bed, kiddo. “ jayce leaned down to your seat at the table and scooped you up into his arms. viktor stood from his own chair and leaned against his cane for a moment as he pushed the chair in. “ i do believe it’s bedtime. “ he nodded and you let out a huff and a whine but truly did feel so so sleepy. 

but ohoh, jayce is just havin sooo much fun playin w vik ... today their game is a mix of saving a "princess" from a castle of blocks, but the "princess" in question is actually a shapeshifting monster that tricked them into releasing it to cause havoc everywhere! it's the most compelling story ever told and the twist was so good and viktor is the bestest story-teller in the world and, and—!

“jay.” viktor wrinkles his nose in jayce's direction as he swats away the thumb from the other's nibbling teeth. amidst work littered across their desk, a well–chewed brown pacifier sits, unbothered by the mess; once spotted, viktor reaches over, snags it, and slides it between his friend's lips before he can protest the loss. “that's yuck. your paci's not.”

the received response is an acknowledging hum around the rubber teat. jayce nudges viktor with a block, doe eyes alight with a glimmer that begs his friend for more story.

,, it takes about a minute for them to realize what happened & when they do they look at each other like ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : ) cus ,, that was not sposed to happen ... uh oh