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Allison woke up to a muffled cry.Her eyes opened,droopy with sleep and her eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. She pushed herself onto her elbows, her nightgown ruffling under the duvet, and heaved a sigh. Grabbing her slippers, she hunched over as she walked to the source of her sleep's disruption.Klaus probably left the tv on with his conspiracy theory binges, Allison thought, mindless to the cold air.Her eyes widened, her pace quickening as the wails slowly got more distressed, ringing in the hollowness of the house and shaking the walls.When she left the hallway, Allison froze. There, sat on top of the stairs, crawled into his own spine and body frantically trembling- was Klaus.Klaus.He wailed, and wailed, and wailed. His screams exploded in Allison's ears, reflecting a deep, guttural fear, his pants for air harsh. Klaus was seemingly choking himself, one hand wrapped desperately around his throat as if the air wasn't leaking to his lungs fast enough, and the other beating his sternum furiously. Limbs shaking painfully, Klaus hid against the wooden banister and Allison could see how his head shook, left and right, hysterical. Even though Allison couldn't see his eyes, she could see the mascara dripping onto the whites of his thrifted pyjamas, contaminating them.“Klaus!” Allison ran to him, squatting down, quickly thinking about if she should text the others for help (no use, Diego was out of town, Luther was away with Pogo, and Five was currently at Vanya's place)“Hey, calm down, yeah?” she murmerd, a hand going to his back, “what's wrong? Are you hurt?”
“Mama!”
Allison froze, as Klaus’ face snapped to hers. Klaus’ eyes were open, filmy with a sort of cloud. The tone of his voice was panicked, and frantic.“Please, can you,” he took a shuddering breath, “can you help me find my mama?”Shit, shit what's going on? should i go to a hospital? Call Diego? He must know, right?“She.. My mama was right here, I swear miss!” Klaus ushered, hands leaving his body to lean closer to Allison. “I didn't mean to leave her, we- I got lost!”Clearly, Klaus wasn't himself, maybe he was having a psychotic break? Drugs? No,no he had been sober for a while (searching desperately for his Dave)“Okay, uhm, who are you?”“I'm Poppy!” Allison felt panicked tears well up in her eyes, what should she do? Hurriedly, behind her back, she texted Diego (hoping he could understand through her key board smash of a text).“Hi, Poppy,” Allison whispered, voice thick. “Ill help you find your mama. Can i ask what happened?”Klaus shook harder, as if a vengeful beast took his shoulders and banged against them, “My mama, ‘n I was going camping, I think, I got lost? I-I remember a man, he- he said we would go play when my mama was asleep.” Klaus cried more.“He- he took me to a river, a-and he held me against a tree and-”
Please! Let me go! I-I want mama! Mama! MAMA! MAMA IM HE-
“He,” Klaus closed his eyes, hands reaching to his throat, as he whispered, “he choked me.”Allison stilled, blood stopping and her lungs malfunctioning.“He took my head, a-and he beat me against the tree. Again, again, again!” Klaus rocked his head, “Please, miss, I don't know where I am! My mama's looking for me, please help me!”“P-poppy! Its okay, calm down, m-me and my b-brother will help you okay? He's coming over any minute now,” Allison had sent the text a while ago, “Breathe, here, follow me.”“Miss, it hurt so much. I-i remember the air, it burned, it burned my heart a-and my mouth. I-i couldn't even scream” a sick laugh escaped his mouth, curling into his own body.“Mama's probably forgotten-”“Y-your mother, she hasn't forgotten you. She must be worried out her head!” Alison took a breath, “I-if my daughter was lost, i would worry myself sick!”Klaus laughed sadly, shoulders slumping. Then, his eyes darted around the mansion, and settled onto the door that shook. He tensed, hands clamping over his ears, a wail bubbling in his throat.Allison yelped, scrambling back as Klaus banged his head against the banister. The door opened and Diego stumbled in.“MAMA, MAMA, MAMA WHERE ARE YOU? I CAN'T SEE YOU!” Klaus screamed, high pitched with a child like fear, Diego yelped, starting to run up the stairs.“Mama- MAMA HE'S HERE! MAMA HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!” Klaus threw his head back, tears streaming down his face, “Mama, I can't breathe,Mama please help me! Someone!”“Klaus! What the fuck is going o-”Klaus moved his hands with a furious energy, grasping Diego's face and bringing him closer.
“My name. Is. Poppy”.
Then, his eyes rolled back and his body slumped as if his strings had been cut by a deity.Silence returned to the dead house, as Diego and Allison stared at Klaus's still body. -
“Hey”
“Oh! Hey, sis.”
“What the hell was that Klaus!”
“I-im not sure. There..”
“There was this girl. Her name was Poppy. She- she was crouched near my bed last night. I- I tried comforting her, but she, she grabbed me?”
A quick inhale.
“It went black, and next thing i knew was my sister's gorgeous face, a-and these restraints? Why am I restrained?”
“Oh shit, sorry.” A pause and a metal clink. “Y-you really scared the shit out of us.”
“Haha, yeah Ben said I looked like I stared in a horror movie.” A wink. “Careful, Allison, I might be taking your spot on the red carpet soon”.
A wet laugh.
“Sure, dumb ass, keep believing that”.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After what happened that night, Klaus had this sense of weariness about him, Diego noted. When he sat down, his legs didn't soften the fall. When he stood up. he sighed, as if he was in pain, and swayed,unsteady. When he walked up the stairs, his grip on the banister was tight as his knees shook. Even at dinner, when Klaus would normally be annoying Five or murmuring to Ben, his shoulders slumped and he ate lethargically. Which was, understandable, to be fair. Diego can't imagine the whole scene without flinching, but the few seconds he was there; the tears, the hysterical screams, the way he choked himself numb- must have been frightening for Allison (and Klaus). After he had passed out, Diego had hurriedly took him to the infirmary, pacing as Allison's hands shook. They had fought: Diego had wanted to take Klaus to a psych ward (“It was his drugs!) but Alison was adamant ( “no he wasn't! You- you should've seen him, Diego, h-he looked like he was possessed). Eventually, he had caved to Allison's watery eyes, and Klaus’ soft breaths and compromised with restraints. When Diego had passed Klaus the next morning, he smiled close lipped and beard scruffy. The bags under his eyes increased and Klaus murmured a soft thanks. From what Diego has gathered, Klaus hadn't told any if the remaining academy. They were left blissfully ignorant as Klaus tried to silently grasp the change in his powers. Diego left him to it.
(How could he even help?)
// A week after the incident, the Academy was reassembled. They were having a movie-nights of sorts, watching Luther's astronaut “vlogs” (Klaus heard Ben chortle), and making fun of him (as siblings do). Five was laying on the couch, his torso twisting as Vanya accommodated herself. She had smirked at him and dug her elbows further into his ribs until he pushed her off like an angry cat, making her laugh. (It was till shocking hearing her laugh. Diego felt guilty each time). Allison was listening to Luther, who was trying to vehemently explain why he had a plant up in space. Diego stared at the tv that was paused, the sight if the sun overlaying the Earth and wondered, yeah why would you need a plant when you have this? Klaus was having talking to Ben, laughing and pushing himself off his elbows. “No! Ben! Listen to me yeah- no! Don't make that face at me!” Klaus howled at whatever Ben said, and as Diego watched him, he couldn't help but miss Ben’s sense of humour terribly. “Okay but as I was saying, he walks out with MY pink feather boa- you know that one? And he says “what do you think you're doing with my avocado?”. Klaus fell back against the carpet, looking at the space next to him, “I swear if he wasn't so handsome, I would have dipped ages ago. I'm sorry, but who doesn't smoke a blunt and make an avocado and honey face mask in someone's diamond encrusted bathtub?” Klaus laughed again and swatted the air next to him. “Don't bring that up, Ben! It's supposed to be” Klaus whispered, eyeing Diego who jerked back, “our secret”. Diego rolled his eyes, grinning, before rolling to the side and pressing play. // Amazingly, the Academy had fallen asleep. Soft snores filled the calm silence, as the TV hummed. Diego got up, back cracking, and looked behind him. Luther had fallen asleep in his chair, twisted awkwardly in a way that made Diego wince in pity. Resting on her head on his arm, Allison purred, eyes closed and face relaxed, her blanket on the floor. Five and Vanya were sleeping together on the couch, cramped, and whenever Five's leg twitches, Diego smiled. Sighing, Diego got up, turned the TV off before repositioning Allison's blanket over her shoulders. He wondered what time it was, didn't he have patrol tod- Klaus. Diego stopped, spinning around, eyes wide when he saw that Klaus was missing. He tried to calm himself, he had probably gone to the toilet or something Then, as silent as a snakes slither, Diego heard a peaceful hum from the kitchen. He bolted, grabbing a knife in his way there, muscles hardening in preparation for a fight. Klaus was most likely having a fit again, he was probably being violent, and oh god what if he opened the knife drawer? He had to protect his siblings and- Klaus, eyes closed and shoulders slumped, was dancing on the kitchen table. Time seemed to slow down. Barefoot, Klaus moved in a slow but delicate dance, twirling in away that made his long skirt twist around him. The soft patters of his feet could be heard under Klaus voice- humming a sad and remorseful song. On his face, he had a melancholy smile, lips quirked up. His normally vibrant hazel eyes were half lidded, foggy. “Hello”. Klaus whispered, reluctant to break the peaceful silence. “Klaus- what-” “My auntie once said,” Klaus caressed his forearms, “that to see an angel, you had to make friends with the Devil first. Is that true, Mr Devil?” Even though his tone was playful, there was something disturbing in Klaus’ gaze. “W-who are you?” Diego was sweating, his knuckles shaking. “Me? I'm Valeria”, Klaus stopped swaying and looked down at Diego. The baby blue of the moonlight of the open window behind Klaus shrouded him with a subtle eerieness. He squatted down, crawling to Diego, staring at him. “Can you, can you tell Roberto that,” his voice shook, “-that I'm sorry”. “Tell him that I didn't mean to-” He inhaled sharply, drawing himself back up and staring at the decorated ceiling. Unlike Poppy, Valeria seemed resigned, lost in her thoughts and her past in a nostalgic way. “Who's Roberto?” “He was the love of my life, we- we danced all the time. Oh, what a graceful dancer he was. He was so beautiful and majestic at the same time,” Klaus brought a hand up to his cheek, “I didn't mind when he left me with bruises. I-I thought, this is what it means to be his lover.” “I thought this is what it meant to be his and him to be mine. You understand, Mr Devil?” Diego jerked back, nodding, despite how on edge he felt. Klaus smiled, soft and wistful. contrasting with the sharp angles of his face and the jutting of his bones. He hummed out a final tune, slow paced, and with the moonlight, Diego couldn't help but cry. Whether in pity or panic, he didn't know. Klaus whispered, his voice watery and so filled with passion, it made Diego's own creak in jealously, “I loved him too much, so much. He was my world, my moon.” Klaus breathed, “tell him, I didn't mean to kill him”. And then Klaus closed his eyes and slept. Diego couldn't help but weep- for Valeria and for his brother.// Klaus awoke. These past few days, Ben had noticed earlier, Klaus had been jerking awake, spine collapsing as his breath became stifled, even though he dreamt of darkness and solitude. This time, though, he opened his eyes, calmly as if he was merely lost in thought, and inhaled, ignoring the pain in his bones and the throbbing of his eyes. Bright lights invaded him, and when he sat up, Klaus realised he was in bed.His stained sheets (fire, nail polish, paint) ruffled around him. and his head seemed to sink into his pink pillow as if he had weights attached to his ears. Klaus closed his eyes again, strangely numb. He was possessed. Again. He didn't want to hurt his siblings, but these ghosts were so vengeful. So hurt. Seeing that ghost, seeing her twist and turn in air, floating off the ground, made him pause. She seemed lost in her own head, thin brows soft (despite the blue tinge of her lips, and the gaunt hollowness of her bones). She had looked at him, calm and tranquil. The ghost stretched her hand out, dancing around him before caressing his cheek.
“Roberto”.
Then, his vision tumbled to darkness and soon after he woke up here. In pain, confused and so exhausted. Klaus looked to the side and saw Diego sitting on the edge of his chair. He looked so worried- too worried for a useless junkie like Klaus- and inched forward. Diego was saying something, and from the downward quirk of his lips, it had something to do with the possession. Klaus couldn't hear him, his ears were ringing and the blood thrummed in his eardrums. (bang,bang,bang) Klaus turned his head away, not wanting his brother to see the trembling of his lips. His brother (the alive one) folded his hands into Klaus' laps, continuing to ramble mutely. Klaus exhaled thinly, turning to his open window and watching Ben who was leaning against the window sill. He was feeling for a sensation he hasn't felt since he died, Klaus thought. Ben smiled at him, and somehow, it emitted such a strong sense of protection and warmth, that Klaus couldn't help but believe. He could tell that Ben was worried sick (as sick as the dead can get) but Ben was waiting; waiting until Klaus calmed himself down and for Diego to leave. Maybe Ben warded off the vengeful ghosts that normally lingered outside his room. How sweet.This was the second time. There wasn't any time to be weak, and to let time flow over him. He had to do something. Already planning what to do till he gets his energy back, Klaus interrupted the concerned speech of Diego. “Yeah,” he whispered, “We'll figure it out"."Thanks Diego."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Five
couldn't help but drift after coming back and evading the apocalypse, alongside the help of his adult siblings. It had felt strange, looking back, seeing his siblings that were previously crushed by debris, torn and bleeding coldly, alive and well. (Well being a strong word; they all seemed to have their own petty issues) Despite this, his siblings had changed whilst he wasn't here.
Luther seemed to be so isolated and dependent on Reginald, almost romanticizing to the point that it made Five disgusted. Reginald had brainwashed Luther- had made him think that beating him senseless with machines and monsters was the purest form of love. He was a child soldier, and then a boy soldier on the moon that still had to mature and grasp reality. Luther was harsh, and cold, yet seemed as if he doesn't know how to show affection or love. Quite sad,to be honest.
Diego was similar in that way (maybe that's why they battled for power so often). He had a cold and violent exterior, always fiddling with knives and cracking his knuckles (like when he was younger). It seemed to be a facade; inside Diego genuinely cared about his siblings and Mom, he was so vulnerable and yearned for the same protection he gave his family and strangers alike.
Allison still had this glow of happiness, even though she was internally struggling. When she was a child, she was placed on a pedestal by Reginald (as high enough one could be placed on when it comes to Reginald), her obedience and power held above by their father. She was lavishly loved by the public (look! Look! Its Allison!), a trait that didn't leave her even as she became a movie star, donning the red carpet. In contrast, she was actually being tormented by her powers, the immense guilt and the short highs of complete power that left as quickly as they came. It only worsened when she was under heavy fire for manipulating her power against her child.
Vanya. Previously, Five thought she was kind and obedient and so vulnerable. She reminded him of a rabbit, shy and hopping away into holes in the grounds, ears drooping when her family berated her for being a disappointment. Now, even though she was kind, after discovering her power, she was so sharp and quickwitted. That anxious behaviour melted away, leaving a powerful diamond,which Five couldn't help but admire. He respected his sister (even though she was still very awkward, much to his amusement)
Ben was dead. (He wish he was here to save him, instead he was running through time foolishly)
(But he could see him sometimes, a flicker of a kind smile and a voice of sassy response that had Klaus barking. The more Klaus became sober, the more that flicker turned into a flame)
The person who became the most tormented was Klaus. Even when he was the ripe age of 13, he was rolling joints under the table, puffing away later on with the window open. At 15, his gateway from his ghosts became his own addiction. At 18, Diego had said that a few months after Klaus ran away for good, he overdosed on cocaine.
(He had hurriedly left the hospital, ignoring how his head swayed and his feet stumbled, shame burning down his cheeks).
(No one was there)
And so, for the next 17 years of his life this is how had lived. Haunted and unstable, his only reason for living being his drugs, and so terribly alone.
It made Five sad whenever he remembered passing a silent Klaus who had his legs intervened in the banisters, eyes half- lidded and wet. It made Five sad when he remembered how he thought of Klaus as a useless junkie (even at 13).
(You're a burden, I hate you)
(Darling, I already know)
//
Five hadn't seen Klaus around lately. He would be worried that Klaus was in a ditch somewhere if not for Ben and his supportive words. The few times he had been seen, there was a terrible weight sitting on his chest, a deeply engrained lethargy.
Despite this, he changed a bit after last week. Even though he looked absolutely shattered, he was carrying a newfound energy. Almost hysterical, but definitely eager. Klaus was carrying books around, (floating too sometimes). From what Five had seen, they were all quite morbid, all something to do with death and the supernatural.
Life after Death- a ghosthunter's opinion by Carl Smite
The Time I was Possessed by a Dollmaker by Immogen Kolp
Death and God and How They Work by Dante Furu
Are Ghost real?- an article by The Supernaturalism
At lunch, with Diego sat in front of him and Vanya aside, Five had occasionally overheard Ben and Klaus.
(They believed Klaus now. Good, it only took them 16 years)
“So?” Klaus uttered, slouching in his seat, “No, God doesn't work like that. You're dead, shouldn't you know? You probably have tea parties with Her or something.”
A pause.
“No, I'm not going to learn to banish them. What if something goes wrong, and I banish you as well?” He looked over, ignoring Five who was peering at him, “Id never forgive myself.”
“Beside, they should move on their selves, I shouldn't be their, i dont know, vessel or something. That's sick.”
“Yeah,yeah, I'll bring some waffles later.” Then almost as quickly as the soft words had been voiced, Klaus picked up the book that was resting on the table and carried on reading it (The Book Thief).
Odd. Five shrugged and joined Allison and Vanya’s conversation.
//
Water was flowing from Klaus’ room, wettinf the old floorboards that left a horrible squelch whenever Five stood on them. He groaned.
“For fucks sake, Klaus!” Five rushed to his bathroom, banging the door open. “You better not be sleeping you di-”
Klaus was asleep.
Five squinted, coming closer. He heard his music blaring from his cheap headphones (Frank Ocean). The lighting was dull, the evening sun leaving, and the water sloshed over the tub, untroubled in its descent. Inside the water, Klaus floated slightly, his hands tipping out of the water, fingers still and undisturbed. His eyes were closed, small bubbles leaving his nostrils.
Then- he jacknifed out of the water, yelling.
Five scrambled back, fingers around the doorknob. Klaus’ eyes were colourless, and when he made eyecontanct, it was as if he could see Five's past and future.
Klaus crawled out of the tub, eyes weeping and his mouth twisted so horribly it made Five catch his breath. His limbs were frozen, ice tumbling into his bone marrow. Body contorted painfully, Klaus’ dragged himself to Five's direction, slow and languid as if he hadn't moved in years and had forgotten the movement. He had been whimpering, yelping every so often, as if a knife had digged a bit deeper into his naked rib cage.
“Why,” Klaus breathed, voice high, “Why did you kill me?”
Five forced out a choked laugh, “What drug are you on, Klaus? I thought you wanted to be sober-”
A wail escaped his mouth, hands cradling his eyes, nails digging into his eyebags.
“Dont you remember me, sir? Jordon Michel.”
The Name broke something in Five, who slid down the wet wall, sliding to a stop as he stared at his brother.
Jordon.
He remembered the lad. Only about 27 or so in the 50s. Five was sent to kill him by the commission, who gave him a rifle, a knife and a few bottles of gin. They didnt tell him anything about Jordon (when did they ever?), only that he was going to change history.
Like always.
Jordon had been so kind, so sweet. He worked in this lowly restaurant, living off tips yet still worked his hardest to make sure his customers were satisfied. Five remembered asking him on one lonely night, “Why are you here, boy? Go be something, don't be working in this shit hole”.
Jordon had only laughed,before shaking his head. “Sir, this is my aunty's restaurant. She is ill and I want her to be happy and proud of this restaurant, when she goes. She's put in so much work,only to get nothing That I cant just abandon her,” then, he smiled before going yo serve another customer.
So have you
, Five couldnt help but think.
After finishing his coffee, Five had clambered into his car and shuffled around till he found his rifle.
The next day, they had found the body with three bullet holes cleanly delivered to his neck, heart and stomach.
“Please, mister,” Klaus wept, “I helped you, I helped everyone around me.” He curled around Five like a dying snake.
“And all I got was a 3 bullets to my body by-by you,” Klaus looked at him, so deep into his eyes, Five hoped he would ignore the tears.
“You broke into my house, and when I begged that you wouldn't hurt by aunty, you killed me in my plalce without a second look,” he laughed.
“I’m dead because of you,” Klaus murmured, and as if a realisation had struck him, he chanted,
“I'm dead because of you! I'm dead because of you!”
He dugs his fingernails into his eyes, leaving bloody crescents into his skin, “You! You! You, YOU,YOU!”
Klaus clawed his own face, crying and weeping. Blood left in littles trickles down his fists and all Five could do was sit there, shaking, and watch- memories flooding him of blood,and cries and pleads.
“N-no,” Five whispered at last, “I-I-I didn't k-know, I-I didnt, I didn't-”, hyperventilating he pushed himself against the wall.
Klaus peeked at him through his trembling fingers, a disturbing grin staggering up his face conforming him into something of a nightmare.
“But mister,” Klaus crawled forward, leaving bloody fingerprints onto the floor. He grabbed Five's face, who was so vulnerable in that moment that he couldn't even even flinch.
“You did.”
After a beat of silence and of Five screwing his eyes shut, Klaus jerked back, body hitting the side of the bathtub. He arched and deformed himself, folding himself so painfully that Five yelped for him. Klaus screamed, his eyes flitting around, as he banged on his chest.
He yelled, “Get,” a wheeze, “the fuck,” another hit, “OUT!”
Finally, he let out a roaring wail, a symphony of his own terror and someone's else, echoing around the room, before he slumped down.
Klaus panted and as Five stared at him, still folded into his little ball, Five saw his brother in a new light.
His brother was so fucking anguished, so fucking taunted with a peace he can never get.
A deep felt sorrow reverberated from Five as a wave of remorse (his lack of understanding, him ignoring his brothers woes, the anger, the disgust, the disappointment) washed over him.
Five felt as if he could've drown in it.
In the quiet of the bathroom, Klaus squinted, face still bloody, one arm still thrown haphazardly over the bathtub, before teasing a soft, “Uhm, Five, do you mind? I'm kinda naked here.”
//
Five grumbled as he placed Klaus into an infirmary chair, softly. He saw how his body had been distorted, and could imagine the aching of bone and muscle alike. Klaus shifted in his fluffy pyjamas before settling when Five cleaning his facial wounds.
They were quiet; Klaus so utterly wrecked and tired, and Five, trying to stop his like from quivering from the guilt.
Then Klaus breathed out, “You know, its okay,” at Five's sharp look, he continued , “You've changed now. You had to survive even if-” he swallowed his Adam's apple bobbing, “even if you had to kill them.”
Five turned around, finding for the bandages. Almost mutely, he murmured, “No. This my burden to bear- and only mine.”
Klaus hissed, as Five poured alchohol on the wounds around his eyes, “Even so, that doesn't stop me from helping my little bro.”
Five cracked a withering smile, applying svereal gauzes and plasters on his cuts before saying: “Dont distract me. What the fuck was that?” “Babe, you have no fucking idea.” “Let me help anyway. After all, only me and Ben have an actual brain cell, compared to you morons.”Klaus laughed, a weight lifting off his shoulders as they shook in mirth (and not terror).
(I'm sorry Klaus.)
(I'll fix my mistakes. Starting with this family.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Vanya
didn’t know what to make of her family.
When she was a child, bangs brushing against her lonely eyes, they were isolated from her, evading her weak attempt at familial affection and reciprocation of her love, whether from the pure foreignness of it or Reginald’s wrath. When she was a teenager, hands nimble as they played the violin so beautifully, she watched, from the confinements of her room, as her siblings slowly succumbed to their burdens.
Diego became so terribly violent, body itching for a fight. She remembered a time where he jumped on Luther in the library, when he uttered something horrible about Mom, fists flying and teeth bared. (Luther had thrown him across the room, as if he was a villain that he fought on a crime scene. Diego had gotten back up and charged back at him) Vanya remembered seeing Mom in the infirmary with him, her consoling words juxtaposing with her robotic hardware. They were calm compared to Diego’s anxious stutter. He apologised and apologised and apologised, yet he showed off his torn and bloody fists the next day- something akin to a wolf baring its fangs after a meal.
(Out of all his siblings, Luther was mostly the same. If anything, the only thing that changed was how his devotion to his father increased with every offhand, meaningless compliments thrown his way from Reginald.)
Allison would watch her sometimes, as a child. Quiet yet observant, her eyes calculated as if she was trying to solve a puzzle. (It felt like it included her, not about her. After learning the truth behind her powers, it made sense now) Although she was showered in positive attention, only after when she stepped into the real world, did she realise how manipulative and evil her power was. Allison paid her debt by surrendering Claire to her ex-husband, after it was revealed that she abused her power on her daughter. (A shame really, Vanya really wanted to try her hand at being an aunt.) It crippled her inside, what she was once glorified for slowly being turned into a poisonous monster that ruined her life.
Five was there one day.
And the next he wasn't.
(She cried for him, made sandwiches in the dark, dedicated performances to him- and he still stayed missing.)
Vanya couldn’t remember much of Ben, to be honest. She remembered his kind smiles, how immersed in his books he was, huddled in an alcove in the library, his sassy attitude (only with Klaus though.) She also remembered how he cried- tears mixing horribly with the blood smeared on his face, screaming about the monsters inside him. He cried and with him Klaus wept.
Then, he died.
Klaus wept harder.
The Seance was a gentle soul. He cherished his siblings, even when they beat him in training because his powers were useless, even when - after the trauma started to set in- they called him such horrible things. Then, he started to take them and bore them like a brand, taking their horrible words and spitting it back at them. (
I know I’m a disappointment, Daddy dearest. It’s what I hope to be.)
She could remember him, one evening, trying his hardest to explain what it was like: seeing the dead.
He said something like, “ I wish I was normal like you, V.” He smiled, sad and grueling, the cigarette in his hands dispelling ashes. He waved a hand to the corner of the kitchen.
“There’s a boy there,” Klaus took a drag, “He’s telling me about how his mother bludged him to death, the pain he felt, the betrayal. He’s saying how the last thing he saw was his mother caressing his cheek before burying a hatchet in his brain.” Klaus closed his eyes, leaning against his hands. Vanya watched him, eyes wide and shocked.
“He’s only twelve.”
Klaus laughed, deep and hard, shoulders shaking so hard that Vanya thought he might’ve been sobbing. He continued with a quiet, “He wants me to help. He’s screaming at me. But, how can I?”
That night, Vanya laid awake, staring at her grey ceiling, unable to sleep.
He’s only twelve.
The pain.
How can I?
Then, almost as if designed by fate, Klaus got into oxy and the coke, instead of just cigarettes and weed. She would see him stumble into his room, high out of mind of God knows what, laughing and delirious. He would yell at the top of lungs, as if he sat on a throne at the top of the world. He would spin around in circles, and Vanys tried to pretend not seeing the puncture holes in his inner elbow.
(She had strolled past him, ignoring how he tripped and fell, only for him to start grinning a bloody smile)
(Vanya had walked past his bathroom once, on a cold dreary day. She could hear him sobbing, yearning for peace and comfort and love. She could imagine him holding his hands, eyes closed under the murky water of his bath, legs shaking. She carried on walking.)
Somedays, Vanya would worry. She would worry that her brother would be in a ditch somewhere, or selling himself for a pill or two, or just
hurt.
She contacted Diego one day, after a picture of the infamous Number Four being slammed against a police car, smiling a high smile, was leaked onto the internet. He picked up the phone with a gruff “hello”, and she quickly asked for an update on Klaus, avoiding all small talk and pleasantries.
Turns out that a few days after that picture was taken, Klaus had overdosed on heroin. Diego found him beside a dumpster, lips blue and body too still.
(“I still don’t know if he did it intentionally or not.”)
Vanya, although angry at her family’s estrangement, couldn’t help but pity them.
///
“Klaus, what are you doing?”
“Mediating with Ben, can't you see, dear sister?” Vanya hummed, still confused, as she watched Klaus, who had settled himself on the carpet floor a while ago, continue to sit cross-legged, hands (hello,goodbye) open. His head was tilted back, dark eyelashes brushing against his pale cheeks. and scruffy hair falling onto his forehead. He was still- unusual for Klaus who always had either a panicked or maniac energy.
Vanya felt on edge as she shifted in her seat, fingering the edges of her her book. Beside her, Allison grinned, offering her a quiet comfort even as she hooked an arm around her shoulders as she continued to scroll on her phone. Luther and Diego were bickering in a hushed tone, situated across the table a bit away from her. Vanya rolled her eyes; their relationship had improved so much but there was an odd familiarity seeing them argue over miniscule things. Occasionally, he ears would ring out with Five’s called out suggestions. (“Focus! I can see you’re not!” “Five! Ben won’t leave me alone, tell him to and maybe I can!”)
The music playlist blaring from Diego’s old radio hummed like her relaxed powers, distant and quiet yet soothing.
She smiled, huddling into her book as she relaxed. Compared to the bitter resentment she felt which triumphed over the apathy provided by her botched medication, she felt lighter and happier with her family. Her family who was also happy- apart from Four, she thought.
Something was off about Klaus lately. Although he was still sober, Klaus fluttered around, popping in and out of the libraries in the mansion and in the city. He conversed with Ben, which wouldn't have been out of place if Klaus didn't have sombre expressions on his face. Even Five, normally aloof and disengaged, was helping Klaus with something. Clearly whatever this something was- it was serious. She figured that if they didn’t need her help, then they had no reason to ask for it. They are probably handling it, she thought, inwardly shrugging. It wasn’t her business.
(Diego flinched a lot more around Klaus, at random times. Allison seemed to always shoot him cautious smiles, calculating yet hesitant)
So, to avoid irritating Klaus more, she fell back into her book, allowing the fictional creatures, and beasts and unspoken bravery wash over her as she became more and more immersed. Her concentration broke when she heard a soft gasp and felt Allison’s arm become tighter around her.
Klaus was trembling slightly, his hand reaching forward, fingers twitching. He leant forward, eyes opening to reveal wet, sorrowful eyes. Despite the quivering smile on his lips, tears leaked. Five scrambled forward, reaching for his notebook as Diego left the table and quietly sauntered over to Five. He watched with worried but observant eyes, hesitant as he glanced at Five and his furiously written notes.Klaus fell forward catching himself on a chair and reached his hand out further.
“You o-”
“Dave.”
Immediately, she knew something was terribly wrong. From the few snippets Diego had reluctantly told her, Dave was an old lover of Klaus, who had died. She shifted forward, but immediately scrambled back in her seat when Klaus's eyes rolled back.
Five yelped, throwing his pen aside as he helped Diego ease Klaus back. Clearly this has happened before, Vanya thought as she watched with worried eyes. Luther came over, throwing a protective arm over Allison, pushed his arm aside and sauntering over.
“What the hell is going on, Five?” Luther demanded, coming over to lean over Klaus’ motionless body.
Allison breathed, high as her eyes widened, “He’s possessed.”
Vanya shook, fear for her brother coiling in her gut. Possessed? Like, the Exorcist right? She felt her powers strum to life, a fierce protectiveness washing over her.
Klaus jolted onto the carpet, as if someone had slammed a car into his side- and Vanya cowered, in panic as she watched the books topple off the shelves. The furniture rattled, hard, crashing into old walls with a vengeance. Vanya yelped- was this her?
(No, it wasn't.)
Luther threw Diego and Allison under the table, ignoring the fearful yelp escaping Allison’s mouth. Five hurried over to Vanya, dodging the falling debris, wrapping an arm around her as he peeked over the edge of the sofa.
She hid,shaking and covering her ears-knowing that these loud sounds would provoke her powers. She opened her mouth, ready to scream when-
Everything fell silent.
Klaus yanked himself up, as if a higher power grabbed him by the torso and grabbed him. His eyes were closed, even when he leaned over, head resting on his chest. Vanga watched, hands clasped over her mouth, ignoring the stinging of her eyes.
Beside her, Five sighed, thick brows furrowed as he demanded stoically, “Are you Dave?”
“Hello again, boy.” Klaus groaned and turned around, the trees swirling as if it rippled in water, and faced God. He smiled, large and inviting and threatening. His eyes creased and it felt as if blood was dripping from his eyes. His eyes felt fuzzy, a distant pressure building in his temples, similar to when he time travelled into the arms of-
“Dave.”
Klaus’ eyes spiralled open (misty and a dull white), before snapping his attention to their brother, neck cracking. He nodded furiously, hands coming up to comb through his hair.
“W-Where am I? Who are you?” He looked at his hands, (hello, goodbye) shrieking and crawling back. His face scrunched up with such sorrow and confusion that Vanya wanted to cry. “Klaus! Baby, where are you?”
Hearing no reply, Klaus flailed around, elbows buckling as he desperately tried to find somethin. “Ah! Shit! Shit! Where’s my gun? Where’s my-” His voice crackled, similar to the radio that had gone dead silent, “fuckin’ gun?” He yelled, tears streaming down his face.
Klaus fell onto his knees, his shoulders shaking as an incredible weight burned his mind. “Please. Please help me!”
In front of him, God frowned, stoic and pitying.
“I told you, I can’t resurrect Dave-”
Diego crawled out from the cover, placing a hesitant hand on Klaus’ shoulder, before enveloping him in a tight hug, “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He murmured, rocking them back and forth. Klaus (Dave?) wailed, nails digging into his hollow cheekbones. His body shook, as if a hurricane had wrecked haven inside him, and compared to Diego’s soothing motions, he looked so vulnerable and weak.
“I-I didn’t want to die” Vanya felt tears leak. “Klaus! Klaus come back!”
“I-I keep getting possessed and it’s so fucking horrible. I keep- I get visions of their lives and how they died and- please, please just help me. I don’t want this!” Klaus felt himself break, under he stress of the past few months and he remembered Jordan’s aunt’s sweet smile and the smell of her doughnuts (and then a distinct BANG). He could feel Valencia’s lover’s protective arms, and her friend’s prideful banter, but he could still hear her hollow screams for help. Klaus could hear the mother’s (Poppy? Poppy!) cries for help echoing in the woods that Poppy had been murdered in and-
Dave. His sweet Dave. The warm sun beating down on his skin, and his southern drawl, and his mother’s kind smile and his father’s snarls and demands for a man, not a boy, for a son and he could feel Dave’s insecurities and his self- hatred, because all he wanted to do was love someone, but then he was chucked into a war he didn’t want any part in and then-
He met Klaus, and soon he died with that name on his bloody lips.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
Under the dimly lit library, surrounded by the chaos, Klaus’ heart broken howls for forgiveness from his lover rang in Vanya’s ears, like the closing of Hell’s gate.
Klaus closed his eyes, ignoring God’s concerned voice, and let himself break apart.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
the phrase, literally meaning "I wish to be dissolved", expresses the Christian desire to leave the earthly life and join Christ in eternal life.
// Ben watched, eyes downcast and furrowed, as his brother, sickly and weak, lay in bed, staring at the crumbling ceiling as he had for the past three days. Klaus' arms shook, reminding Ben of the drug days, when he begged his brother to drop the crack pipe or when he pleaded with his brother that he needs food and should find a not room, not wandering shady clubs in search of a customer. His body lay curled inwards, knobbly knees clacking loudly against each other even underneath the thick blanket and Ben tried to overlook the blood stained drops that were leaking from his fingernails. It seems, Ben thought, settling down on a chair, that even when off the drugs, Klaus would either be a collection of maniac energy, breathing out every meaning of chaos, or a hollow shell of a human, constantly dissociating and trying to rip off his fingernails as if they didn't belong to him. (A shame, considering how nicely Klaus painted on nail polish, especially the glittery ones.) The small, fragile light rays that trickled into the room did nothing to make Ben feel warmer. If anything, Ben wanted to cry, as he saw his brother's blank eyes. Despite being dead himself, Ben considered himself an outlier within the ghost population. There were some that were angry and bloody, with fangs as sharp as their words, and others that were horrifyingly empty, rocking back and forth and not hearing the thud that usually would have followed. Though, right now, Klaus seemed to embody death. He reeked of decay and sadness, despite not a single tear being shed, and Ben felt streams of anger wash over him. These past few months have been hard on Klaus. Stopping the apocalypse? Sure, whatever, a big whoop. Getting off drugs? It was difficult, especially considering Klaus' fluctuating motivations. He wanted Dave now, not later and certainly not never, but at the same time, he found relief in something that other people took for granted (silence). But having ghosts painfully rip your own soul out and replace it with their own and occupy your body, like some sick twisted dissociation? It was horrendous to see, even worse to feel the temptation. Ben hadn't told Klaus that as his drug intake decreased, he felt a feral urge within him that made his own monsters squirm with greed. He wanted to take over his brother, wanted to steal his body and run far, far away. Far away from the monsters, and the constant worry over Klaus and an unsurprising amount of trauma- Getting up, Ben mused to himself how, just like his personality, Klaus embodied the urge to escape, the feeling of letting go of all miseries and burdens and to run away to a better place. A place that will treat you better, with kind smiles and sun and not your own disillusions. How pitiful. [Dave? Dave! I need a medic , a medic a medic a medic-] Diego was shocked, when he entered his bothers room to leave a tray of food, to see his, normally lively, brother still. The tray was pushed onto the desk with a clack, but even then Klaus didn't flinch or even blink. Stepping closer, Diego saw how his eyes, bland and listless, were shaded away, red and eyelashes grouping together. Diego knelt next to his brother, a sudden urge to comfort his brother overtaking. His brother was so unlucky, he thought as he willed his shoulders to stop shaking. So, so, unlucky. He grabbed Klaus's hands, taking care to avoid his splintering fingernails that were crusted in blood. He whispered into the silence, dark and obscure, "come back to me bro. Come back." [hello? Dad? Dad let me out! I need help, i need help, i need help! Its so cold, so cold, cold cold cold-] / When Five blinked into Klaus' room, he tried not to be surprised. His siblings told him, in quiet voices as of all energy had been sucked out, that Klaus was in an almost comatose state. Vanya had thought that Klaus looked dead if not for his raggedy breathing. Mom, after pleads of help, just smiled her big rosy smile and said that Klaus will come back in his own time. Five furrowed his eyes. Considering the affair that he experienced, Five didn't pity him. He felt angry for Klaus, his brother who, no matter at what age, was always in the same state. In pain, with raw fingernails and a lingering smell of heroine, but still laughing. Always laughing. So, he sauntered over to Klaus' bed, where he lay on his side. The light from the blinds shone on his face. Even from this far, the redness of his eyes couldn't be mistaken. Five sat on his bed and Klaus didn't respond in the slightest. "You know, drugs won't help you right? I understand how you're feeling, but you'll probably stop...whatever this is, with better control." Five nodded to himself, satisfied with his words, yet he frowned when he saw his brother hadn't moved a muscle. "Hey. Get up." Not a twitch. "I said," Five yelled, a sudden wave of anger washing over him. He hated his brothers indifference, he hated how Klaus always ignored Five's advice and angry at what his brother was facing alone. Most of all, Five thought in the back of his mind, he was angry at himself for being so useless. "Get! Up!" He yanked Klaus' arms so hard that immediately Klaus jacknifed up. His head lolled and his fingers shook when he carefully whispered to Five, "Make them stop." "Please." [they're coming for you, they're going to kill you, you're going to die, die , die-] [would that be so bad?] Five fled, the crushing guilt and despair overwhelming his wrath. / When Vanya came to Allison with a quiet smile and an equally quiet whisper of "let's visit Klaus", Allison agreed. Underneath that stoic appearance, regret trickled up her throat and choked her. She was the first one to know, the first one to see Poppy, and yet she had done nothing to help Klaus, apart from small smiles across the dinner table. Useless. A word she connoted with Klaus regularly, throughout her entire life, but know she felt the weight of that word on herself. Walking into Klaus' room with Vanya, Allison was surprised to see Klaus sitting at the windowsill. Usually, whenever she peeked through the small crack of the door, Klaus was in bed, silent and ghostlike. Now, though, he was rocking slightly, back hitting against the window in small thuds. He murmured, too quiet for Allison to understand as he chewed relentlessly on his fingernails. Klaus looked out of the window, sun hitting his face, gaze searching, wandering, lost. Vanya stepped up to him, hand grazing his forearm only to receive no response. "Hi Klaus." She whispered, a kind smile tugging on her lips, "I hope you're doing well." No response. The thuds got louder. "We've been talking and...we've been thinking that maybe you need professional help." Thud. Thud. "Not too far! There's a facility near here, only a thirty minute drive. I looked on their website and it looks really nice." His stare remained blank. "Yeah, they have really pretty flowers and it looks so big and clean. The doctors seem really nice as well. Hopefully they'll let you keep that mess you call a wardrobe." Silence. Allison felt her lungs shudder as Vanya rested her forehead on Klaus' knee. She heard an obscure sob and a plea for him to listen, to speak, to live. Allison closed her eyes, trying not to cry, and thought, Please, God, please if you're out there... Help my brother. Help him. [the world's gonna end, its gonna end, its gonna end- end, end, end-] // god frowned, up in the eternal life. it seemed that klaus had somehow manifested his powers and yet, at the same time, has broken the seal of protection both she and satan had agreed to place on him. a shame, for the boy had so much potential to save the word, himself, and maybe his loved one in another life. what was his name? dave? she shrugged internally. there is never resurrection, she thought, watching the hargreeves siblings stare helplessly at their brother who was immune to the world, there is only rebirth. she blinked to the sky, the swirl of greys tightening momentarily, and when she glanced down, klaus was gazing at himself in the mirror. his skin was being tainted by tears- a mechanism used by humans to express devastation or happiness, she remembered. his voice resonated in her mind, absolute: i.want.to.die. god breathed in and wondered if she was being unbiased as she was expected to be, or was being cruel. she contemplated when observation of her humanity turned into entertainment. she was making klaus’ life torment and slowly, drip by drip, guilt started settling into her. is this what he feels everyday? yes, she decided, this must be fixed. // When Klaus woke up at midnight, he wasn’t startled by the apparition of the little girl in the sky. He turned to her, neck creaking and his cheeks stinging under his dried tears. Help me, he thought, please. God frowned at him, eyes hard but still placed a gloved hand over Klaus’s eyes, obstructing his faint eyesight of his dimly lit room and old plates, still packed with food, left by his siblings. He felt his soul leave his body and opened his arms to embrace Dave. // Diego yelped back when he saw Klaus floating on the kitchen table, with candles assorted around him in a weird pattern, in the morning. When he last wished Klaus goodnight and left his room hoping that this day would be the last, Klaus was confined to the bed and made no move to reply, with cheekbones that got hollewer each day and eyes that got darker each day- something resembling a corpse. But now, with sunlight streaming through the kitchen, Klaus had a glow to his face- literally. His skin resonated a beacon of light and with every movement he made, it danced around in the air. His brother’s eyes were whitened out, no iris in sigh, and his mouth was set in a cold line. “Klaus?” “Oh hello,” his voice was different and Diego jolted back. It was overlaid with multiple voices, some deep and some high, some accented and some not, and it echoed in Diego’s head like church bells. “Your brother isn’t available right now.” “Where is he?” Diego quicky texted his siblings, behind his back, frantic but not moving his eyes of his brother.
“dave? dave!” klaus lept into his lover’s arms, wrapping his legs around dave’s waist, like an octopus. he never wanted to leave his lover’s arms, especially when he felt dave’s deep laugh reverberate in his sternum, or how he could feel the cold metal of klaus’ dog tags meet the hollow of his neck, or how he could feel cold splashes of tears hit his collarbones.
“Somewhere up there. I am the Creator- you may refer to me as you wish. I have many variations, including God or Allah.” Diego heard footsteps entering the kitchen and sure enough, his family were gasping in shock at what Klaus had stated. Diego tried not to overthink the concept that Klaus had portrayed to him, that the afterlife was real or that the world really was created by that biblical figure. The Creator scowled, hard and in a different way to Klaus did, muscles distorting. “Your brother has been a thorn in my spiritual side for a very long time- in fact since he was born,” they jumped off the kitchen table, moving around to gather chalk (where did they get that from?) and drawing a symbol onto the wood of the table. It was constructed with chaotic lines, starting and ending with no direction or destination, all confined within a circle. “Why keep him alive then?” Five bit out, edging slowly towards the knife set on the kitchen table. Diego frowned, if Klaus’s body was injured then- “That boy is right indeed,” they pointed to Diego, “if you were to harm me, young Five, then you would ultimately be harming your brother as well when he comes back.” Five scowled, but didn’t correct the Creator. “And to answer your question,” they smiled at the siblings, wide and eerie in the light, “where would the fun be in that?” Diego jolted back. He thought that the big G would at least be kind not so- cruel, reminding him of how Reginald watched Luther stamp on ants as a child and, in turn, watched Vanya cry out in sadness. “W-Why is this happening to Klaus? Is he- is he going to be okay?” Vanya stuttered out, fisting the edge of her sweater when the cups started to click against each other. “When your brother was born, he was born dead. He was not meant to exist, similarly to how you were not meant to exist either. An error on my part, if you will forgive me,” Diego scowled. Having the being that created you saying that you were a mistake helped his self esteem so much.
“I missed you so, so much,” klaus looked into dave’s eyes, so bright blue and vivid with life. he kissed him hard, trying to make up for all those nights that he wanted dave there, where he wanted someone to convince him that he was above drugs, that he was more than a ouija board or the family disappointment. he kissed him to remind himself that he was only truly alive when he was in dave’s arms, safe, protected in the way his family could never provide.
“Your brother, unlike you lot, was given powers that was essentially illegal in the universe, any stronger and he would have created a tear in the universe. In a way, it is good that Reginald stemmed his fear of the dead and the creation of drugs suppressed his powers. Myself, though, don’t really understand why humans like them so much.” Diego wanted to yell at them; to say that Klaus had suffered too much and that the drugs destroyed his life, but even he knew that this was starting to make sense, why Reginald never really put Klaus in the limelight in missions and why he never truly made any attempt to stop the drug abuse. Klaus turned to Five, “When you timetravelled, universe 103 as we, up there, like to dub it, Klaus was sober. Who really caused the apocalypse, you,” they turned to Vanya who cringed back behind Allison, “or Klaus, who created a wound in the universe’s normal regime? Your brother is essentially the quite thin line between life and death, a medium that should never have been born.” They started to scrawl what looked like words within those anarchic lines. “Of course, me and my other counterpart agreed to arrange a meeting. We placed a seal onto your brother, in an attempt to hinder his powers, if the drugs hadn’t been strong enough. Have you not wondered why, no matter how sober Klaus got, he could never summon his loved one or banish the ones who haunted him?” The others shrunk back from their perspective gaze in shame, but Diego nodded. “His seal broke down, which is why the spirits could replace his soul, with their own. Horrible feeling, I’m sure.” They got up, leaning over to get a kitchen knife. Cutting a thick slit into their palm, they said with a wild grin, “And I will fix it.”
“don’t ever leave me you hear?” he pulled on dave’s ear, hand still on his chest even though he knew that in death, god would have been kind enough to make dave’s spirit form normal, like ben’s. dave yelped and together they fell onto the grass, laughing hard in a way neither had experienced in life or death.
White blood spurted out of the wound on Klaus’s hand and it splashed onto the symbol, displacing the chalk. The blood swirled and started to form into the words, like the ones that Diego had seen them scrawl in shalk. The words lifted up, up, and the light outside started to dim, entirely, despite being 10am. The silence had been filled by a crescendo of hymns, vibrating in the room and making the glass cutlery fall off the shelves. Vanya yelped and Diego dragged them back, away from Klaus. The creator started floating in the air, encased in a black aura, and was being bent unnaturally as they chanted words in an ancient language. With each word said, the hymns grew louder and louder, almost turning into screams. Allison whimpered, hiding behind Luther who swallowed thickly.
“I think… I think I can visit you now.” dave said, his chin nestled in klaus’ s sternum.
“why couldn’t you before? because of me?”
dave shook his head, intertwining their fingers together. he played with klaus’s nail polished nail, chipping it with his own, kissing his knuckles, “no,” he said, “ from something far greater than us”
Klaus started screaming, high pitched, like in pain, but instantly relaxed when black liquid started staining their white sclera, dripping from their nose and eyes. Diego swallowed, the gruesome sight branding his mind. Behind him, Five was yelling repeatedly, “what the fuck is going on? What the fuck?” Finally, a drop of black liquid dribbled from their cheek onto the chalk symbol on the kitchen table. And then- silence. Almost as if it hadn’t happened, the furniture started being dragged to its original place by an invisible force and the broken cutlery started mending itself. Klaus started to float back down onto the kitchen table, face pleased, and the sun started to rise again. Diego felt a breath escape his lungs in relief and stepped out from his cover (Luther’s gigantic body). “He- He’s fixed now?” Diego stuttered out. The creator rolled their eyes, smearing the black liquid around their face with the back of their hand, “as fixed as Klaus can be.” “Now,” the creator said, weaning back, “step back children.” And then Klaus collapsed, body mashing in an awkward way, but when Diego ushered over to look at his face and check for injuries, he looked relaxed in a way he hadn’t seen in a very long time. Diego felt a weight lift from his shoulders and he didn’t feel his siblings judge him when he started to cry. //
“spook,” dave whispered, nearly obscure, “ you need to go now.” klaus scowled, tightening his limbs around dave’s body tighter. he wanted to remain in his lover’s arms for forever- his soulmate’s.
“what? No, don’t be silly, buttercup. i’m right where i’m needed,” he nuzzled into the space between dave’s scalp and ear, earning a short laugh. Still, dave got up, pulling klaus with him. only when he saw the sincerity in dave’s eyes and the soft, wistful smile tugging at his face, did klaus start to cry.
“i don’t want to, please don’t leave me dave. i won’t annoy my siblings anymore or even smoke a ciggie- and i won’t get mad at ben and i won’t-” klaus felt sobs rise in his throat at dave’s tender caresses and at the finalty behind them. he looked over dave’s shoulder and there, on top of a hill, nearly hidden behind the trees, klaus saw the girl that haunted his dreams. she gave him a hard look, cold but still somehow pitying.
klaus shuddered and when he opened his eyes, he was on a pier, overlooking an endless murky ocean, dark but calm. dave stroked klaus’s cheek lovingly and their foreheads touched as he whispered, “ill be there when you wake up.”
klaus still felt his lover’s warm touches, even as he was pushed into the water and even when it invaded every sense with cold and then-
“I think he’s waking up! Klaus! Klaus, can you hear me?” Klaus groaned, his body so sore he thought he got hit by a truck. Every movement, even as single as opening as eyes, screamed at his muscles in pain. His hand ached and he ran his thumb over a bandage. His family was surrounding him, beaming and hopeful in a way that he only dreamt about when he was younger, before Reginald’s words of disappointment became true, back before Ben died. (The same Ben who was crying happily, hand trying to stroke Klaus’s hair but passing through, with how exhausted Klaus was.) Diego and Luther were leaning up against each other, eyes red and Vanya was openly sobbing. Five was pacing in the corner of the room, but even his nerves were given away by how he played with a frayed end of his blazer. Allison was desperately grasping his hand, tight.
My family.
He shifted his eyes to the corner of the room where Dave was leaning up against the wall. His lover walked towards him, the same encouraging smile and the same loving arms, with the same crooked teeth and hooded eyes.
They’re all here.
“Yeah,” he croaked out, watching their faces lighting up, “I can.”