5 of Swords as "his" feelings toward "her"
A-shikhs, (depending on the other cards that came up, of course) I would interpret the 5 of Swords in this case to mean that the guy's feelings toward your friend are not based on anything rational but are strongly tainted by his desires and his perception of her desire for him. This makes sense if, as you say, they've hardly even spoken to each other. In other words, his feelings toward her (and hers toward him, for that matter) are irrational and quite possibly based solely on some flirting with each other. They clearly need to talk to each other and get to know each other in order to get to a point where they can base their feelings on something more grounded.
(If my suggestion seems pretty far off from the "usual" interpretation of the 5 of Swords, it may be because I normally read from a Marseille deck and don't have that Rider-Waite picture in my mind. I think it's a mistake to always think of the 5 of Swords as having to do with defeat or "kicking butt.")
Clay