Here, since I’m currently writing something else, I’d like to share a thought with everybody.
Imagine. Number Five manages to get back into his 58-year-old body, but rather than thrilled, he’s kind of sad and afraid. The aches and pains he’d forgotten about are back, though he’s in such good shape as an assassin they’re nothing like they could be. Still coming back in his teen body and throwing on one of his old uniforms had made sliding back into the family he’d given up on for dead feel natural, and he knows it made it easier for them, too. He sees them a bit weirded out to see him older, and starts to feel like he can’t be one of them again. Like there’s no way they can look at him, and see their brother. He should have gone back to the commission. Maybe he still could. Lila still had connections.
But Lila just tells on him, of course, and Diego gathers the others to gang up on him and find out what’s up. Five isn’t exactly communicative, but of course with all of them pressing, he eventually gives up just enough they get a sense of what he’s worried about.
Luther surprises him, taking a rough hold of him from behind, lifting him nearly off the couch. “Well, you seem just as light to me.”
Diego flicks him in the face. “Just as much of a grouchy asshole.”
Klaus uses Luthers hold of him to get a hold of his feet, starting to lightly play with his toes, and Five swears and struggles, and no he’s not turning red because he’s “still ticklish” don’t be ridiculous, Number Four
But then Luther adjusts his hold, to spread his arms out, and with no hesitation or disgust or weirdness, Diego, Allison, and Vanya find their own spots, and tickle him all at once, like they would have to cheer him up in the academy, earning laughs that are deeper in tone, but still familiarly giggly, and occasionally go high and shrieky when someone touches his knees or his hands
By the time they let him go, for the first time since he’s come home, he feels 13 again