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Number Four blinked.
There was a boy in front of him, peering through the wrought iron gates of the academy with curious blue eyes. He was small, maybe a touch shorter than Four, but looked to be around the same age (which was 11 and a quarter).
Four stood, slow and stiff from being sat on the front door step for so long. In a fit of rebelliousness, he had snuck out of his bedroom window, only to realise that he wasn’t strong enough to climb back up. He would be faced with the inevitable wrath of his father when he eventually plucked up the courage to knock on the front door.
“Hello,” said the boy.
“Hello,” parroted Four. He had never spoken to another child who wasn’t his sibling, and wasn’t entirely sure how these sort of interactions were supposed to go.
“What’s your name?” asked the boy.
“Four,” said Four.
“Four? Like the number? That’s a weird name.”
Four shifted uncomfortable. “No it isn’t,” he said, but his words lacked any real conviction.
“It is,” said the boy. “But that’s okay. It’s kind of cool.”
Number Four found himself blushing. That was strange - he had never considered himself to be shy. Then again, he didn’t have much experience around new people. “Thanks. What’s your name?”
“David,” he said, “but everyone calls me Dave. I was named after my uncle. He died in the war.”
“Oh,” said Four. “I don’t have any uncles.”
Dave looked at him, and then up at the looming building of the academy. “What’s it like? Living there?”
Four shrugged. “It’s okay. We don’t get much time to play though. We mostly train.”
“Train? That doesn’t sound fun.”
“It’s not,” said Four.
“Does your dad help with your powers?”
Four raised his eyebrows. He looked around, as if expecting Reginald to be lurking behind him. “How do you know about our powers?”
Dave shifted guiltily. “He tried to buy me when I was little, but my parents said no. I was born on the same day as you.”
“Oh!” said Four. “You’re like us!”
Dave smiled a little, and scuffed his shoe against the pavement. “Yeah. I think it scares my parents a little. My powers, I mean. Sometimes I wish…”
Four shook his head. “I wish I had a mom and dad. A proper mom and dad, I mean. Dad can be really scary.” He whispered that last part like a secret.
“Oh,” said Dave, frowning. “My dad isn’t scary at all. He cried when we watched The Lion King.”
“The Lion King?”
“Yeah. It’s a movie. Haven’t you seen it?”
“Dad doesn’t let us watch movies. He says it’s unproductive.”
“Oh.” The boy rocked on his feet. “I should go; my parents will be wondering where I am. Here.” He reached through the gate and grabbed Four’s hand, and pushed something small and cool into it.
Four looked at the key in his palm. “What’s this?”
Dave walked back a bit. “A key to your house.”
Four looked at the other boy in amazement. “How did you get this?”
He shrugged, half proud, half embarrassed. “See you, Four.”
“Bye!” called Four, watching as Dave jogged out of view.
He turned back to the door, and pushed the key inside. He turned it, grinning wildly when the lock clicked. He gently eased the door open, careful not to make a noise, and slipped back inside. It seemed he wouldn’t have to face Reginald’s disappointment after all.
-------
It was a full year later that he saw Dave again. He was sneaking out to try and find someone to buy him some alcohol (his father had gone ballistic when he noticed that the decanter in the parlour was mysteriously empty) when he noticed the boy loitering outside the gate, hands in his pockets.
“Hello!” said Dave, smiling brightly when he spotted Klaus.
“Dave!” said Klaus, lighting up. He scaled the gate and dropped down beside the other boy.
“How have you been?” asked Dave.
“Good! I’ve got a name now!”
Dave frowned. “You already have a name.”
“No, a real name,” said Klaus, rolling his eyes. “I’m Klaus!”
Dave considered this, before nodding decisively. “Klaus. It suits you.”
“Thanks!”
The boy looked at him for a long moment, and Klaus thought he saw something sad in their blue depths. “I saw you. On TV.”
“You did?” said Klaus eagerly.
“Yeah. It looked really scary.”
Klaus deflated. “Oh. I guess.”
“My dad got really mad. He said it was, um, child endangerment.”
“That’s dumb,” said Klaus. He felt kind of small all of a sudden.
Dave shrugged. “I’ve got something for you.”
Klaus grinned, any awkwardness already forgotten. “A present? For real?”
“Yeah,” said Dave. His fair cheeks flushed, and Klaus had to hold back the urge to tease him for it. “Here.” Dave held out a chain, a flat silver pendant suspended on it. It looked a little like a dog tag, except there was no name or number printed on it. Instead, it just read good luck . “To stop you getting hurt.”
“Cool!” said Klaus, threading it over his head and letting it rest on his chest.
“Make sure you wear it. Especially when you fight bad guys, alright?”
Klaus tilted his head. “Dad says that superstition is for idiots.”
Dave just smiled indulgently. “This one’s real. Promise.”
“Is that your power? Good luck?” guessed Klaus.
“No,” said Dave, laughing. “Not exactly.”
“What is your power then?”
Dave reached out and touched the necklace where it was hanging against Klaus’ chest. “I got this from my dreams.”
“Huh?” said Klaus.
“I can take stuff out of my dreams. Like this. Like the key.”
“ That’s how you got a key to the mansion!” exclaimed Klaus.
Dave grinned impishly. “Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?”
“That’s so much better than my power,” he groused.
“What’s your power?”
Klaus wrapped his arms around himself. “I can see ghosts.”
Dave blinked. “For real?”
“Yeah,” said Klaus.
“That sounds… scary,” said Dave slowly.
Klaus swallowed noisily. “They scream at me sometimes. It’s really loud.”
“I’m sorry,” said Dave.
Klaus plastered a smile on. “Hey, it’s not your fault.”
“Okay,” said Dave. “I should go, or I’ll be late home. See you around?”
“Sure,” said Klaus, a little sad to see him go. “See you.”
-----
A week later, Klaus tripped down the stairs wearing his mother’s heels. Miraculously, he was completely unharmed.
-----
The next time Dave visited, Klaus was in class, Pogo droning on about quadratic equations whilst Five loudly complained that it was too easy. Dave took out a paper plane from his pocket - one of his favourite dream creations - and tossed it towards the mansion. It swirled lazily, twisting in the air, as if caught on a nonexistent breeze, before sliding through an open window and landing neatly on Klaus’ desk.
Klaus unfolded the plane, reading the scrawled words: I’m outside -Dave x
Ignoring Ben’s questioning look, he stuck his hand in the air, and said, “May I please go to the bathroom?”
Pogo squinted at him, perhaps suspicious of his uncharacteristic politeness. “You may.”
Klaus scrambled out of the room and, once he ascertained that neither Reginald or Mom were around, darted down to the front door. He slipped out and clambered out the gate, greeting the other boy with a breathless “Hi!”
“Hey,” said Dave, a tad shy. “I got you something.”
Klaus eyes went wide. “Again?”
Dave pulled Klaus’ hand up, and dropped two small items onto his palms. “You said the ghosts were loud.”
Klaus broke into a grin. “Earplugs! You shouldn’t have!”
“Not just any earplugs. They only work against ghosts.”
His face went slack at that, looking at the small buds like they might hold the secrets of the universe. “Really?” he whispered.
“Go on, try them,” said Dave.
With slightly trembling hands, Klaus pushed the buds into his ears, and-
Oh.
“It’s quiet,” said Klaus. “Oh my god. It’s quiet.”
“They work?” Dave asked anxiously.
“They work,” confirmed Klaus. “It’s really quiet.” He took a shuddering breath, and was embarrassed to realise that his eyes were damp with tears. He roughly swept them away with the heels of his hand. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“It’s alright,” said Dave, voice hushed. He put a steady hand on Klaus shoulder, and waited as the other boy collected himself.
“This is- the best thing ever,” said Klaus. “Thank you. Thank you.”
Dave smiled, eyes crinkled. “You’re welcome.”
-----
A few weeks passed before Klaus saw Dave again. He was sitting on the stoop, lighting up a joint and hoping that no one would look out the window, when he spotted Dave crossing the street to join him.
“Hey,” said Klaus, nimbly scaling the gate, which mom locked at sundown like clockwork.
“Are you smoking?” said Dave, scandalised.
Klaus shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s just weed. It helps with the ghosts.”
Dave frowned. “What about the earplugs?”
Klaus winced. “Dad confiscated them.”
“Oh,” said Dave, crestfallen.
“Sorry,” said Klaus.
“Well, it’s not your fault,” said Dave. “I could try and get some more?”
“Nah, he’ll only take them again,” said Klaus, taking a long drag. He coughed, not used to the way it burned in his lungs.
Dave chewed the inside of cheek. “Are you okay? You look… tired.”
Klaus eyes slid away. “Training.”
“What kind of training?” said Dave warily.
Klaus took another drag, closing his eyes. The weed wasn't quite enough to prevent the flash of memory that overtook Klaus, nor the dread that raced down his spine as a result. “Dad takes me to this- this mausoleum. Locks me in there.”
Dave gaped at him. “Klaus, that’s horrible!”
Klaus shuddered. “Yeah. It’s… it’s so dark in there,” he said lowly.
“You should tell someone,” said Dave, “Parents aren’t allowed to do stuff like that!”
Klaus laughed. The sound was hollow. “My dad’s rich. He can buy his way out of anything.”
“Klaus…” said Dave.
“It’s fine. Really, it’s not that bad,” said Klaus, pulling on a grin.
Dave inspected him with worried eyes. “Are you doing anything for your birthday?”
Klaus shrugged. “We don’t really celebrate it. Why?”
“Meet me out here at one?”
Klaus pursed his lips. “Better make it two. I can sneak out after lunch.”
“Deal,” said Dave. “Take care of yourself, alright?”
“Always do,” said Klaus, quirking a grin around the smoke.
-----
Klaus’ stomach was knotted with anticipation as he tiptoed down the stairs and out the door. Five had looked suspicious when he ducked away, but he probably assumed he was going out for a smoke; no one knew about Dave. Klaus kind of liked having something secret, something just for himself.
Dave was already waiting outside, a jacket pulled tight against the crisp October air. He perked up when he spotted Klaus, waving dorkily. Klaus grinned.
“Hey, birthday boy!” said Klaus.
Dave giggled. “Happy birthday!”
“I got you something,” said Klaus, ears hot. “Well, I didn’t buy it - we don’t get any pocket money - but I drew you something.”
Dave took the paper, handling it like something fragile. “Wow,” he said. Klaus had drawn the pair of them, faces smiling widely. It held an impressive likeness. “This is amazing, Klaus. You’re really talented!”
“Aw, stop,” said Klaus. He had the strange urge to snatch it back, something shy wriggling in his chest.
“Seriously, this is incredible!”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Davey,” said Klaus with a wink.
Dave looked down with a smile. “I got you something, too.”
“Gimme, gimme, gimme,” chanted Klaus.
Dave produced from his pocket… a pebble.
“Um,” said Klaus, taking it confusedly. “Thanks?”
Dave rolled his eyes. “Kiss it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just- look,” said Dave, snatching the stone back. He glanced around the empty street before quickly pressing his lips against it. The smooth, grey pebble seemed turn pale, and then beams of light shot out of it, almost too bright to look at.
“Woah!” said Klaus, taking the shining stone in his hands.
“I thought- you said the mausoleum was dark. This way, it looks ordinary, so your dad wouldn’t take it away, and-”
Dave was interrupted when Klaus almost bowled him over with a bear hug. “Thank you!” he said reverently. Dave squeezed back, pleased.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered.
“Yeah. It really is,” said Klaus.
-----
When Klaus next saw Dave, he couldn’t quite muster a smile. The other boy immediately noticed that something was off. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched Klaus climb over the gate. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” said Klaus, the words reflexive.
“Klaus,” said Dave sternly.
Klaus wilted. “It’s Five. He’s… gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“He ran out at breakfast last week, and he hasn’t come back. I think he tried to time travel.”
“ Time travel?” said Dave.
Klaus shrugged. “Apparently it’s part of his powers.”
“Wow,” said Dave. Then, “Why hasn’t he come back?”
“Maybe he found somewhere better than here. Maybe he got stuck. Maybe he’s dead,” said Klaus flatly.
Dave grabbed Klaus hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure he’s just gotten carried away. He’ll be back.”
Klaus looked down at their joined hands. “Vanya keeps asking me if I have seen him. She leaves sandwiches out for him every night.”
“I can help,” said Dave, determined.
“How?” said Klaus.
“I’ll figure something out.”
-----
Two days later, Klaus sneaked into Vanya’s room in the dead of night. He flicked the light on, and she sat upright, frowning. Klaus got the feeling that she hadn’t been asleep.
“Klaus?” she whispered.
Klaus sat at the end of her bed, and spread out the map on her sheets. “We’re going to find Five.”
“What?” she said, eyes wide and startled.
“Just- trust me. I can’t tell you where I got it, but this map can find anyone in the world.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
Klaus bit his lip. “It’s magic.”
“Klaus-” she began, suspicion glinting in her eyes.
“No, really, it really is. Watch.” He took out a pen from his pocket, and scrawled the words across the map: Klaus Hargreeves.
Before their eyes, the map seemed to squirm, lines twisting and rearranging until they settled into a familiar pattern. A small X marked the Hargreeves mansion.
“What-” stuttered Vanya. “How-”
“Please don’t ask me where I got it.”
Vanya peered at him for a moment. “Why did you bring it to me?”
“What?”
“Why are you showing me? Why me?”
Klaus bit back his first response, which was to defuse the seriousness with a joke. Instead, he said, “Because Five was your best friend.”
She seemed to accept this, looking down at the map nervously. “What if… what if he’s dead?”
“Then it shows us where he was last alive,” said Klaus. “But at least we’ll know.”
“Okay,” she breathed. “Let’s do it.”
With a shaking hand, Klaus spelled out Five Hargreeves. The map quivered, lines sliding off the page, until they were left with a white sheet of paper.
“W-what does that mean?” asked Vanya.
Klaus looked up at her and grinned. “I think that means that he isn’t anywhere right now. I think he really did time travel.”
“Yeah?” she said, voice hopeful.
“Yeah,” said Klaus.
Vanya nodded, a slow smile taking form. “He’s okay.”
“Yeah, Van. He’s okay.”
----
“Hey, pretty boy!”
Dave blushed furiously, glancing around to check that no one heard. “Shut up,” he said.
“I’ll stop calling you pretty boy when you stop being so pretty,” said Klaus, dropping from the top of the gate and stumbling slightly.
“Oh, I guess you don’t want your present then,” teased Dave, waving the box he was holding in the air.
“Wait, no, no, no, I take it back!” said Klaus. “You’re not pretty at all. In fact, my eyeballs melt at the sight of you!”
“You’re the worst,” laughed Dave.
Klaus pouted. “You wound me, Dave, you really do.”
“Come and open your present,” said Dave, holding the box out in offering.
Klaus grabbed it with clumsy hands, and pulled out what looked like the handset of an old rotary phone. The rest of the phone, however, was missing, and there was no dial pad to key a number into. Klaus looked at Dave in askance.
“I’ve got the other one. They’re kind of like mobile phones? Except they only connect to each other. This way, we can talk when you can’t sneak away,” said Dave with a devious grin.
“Dave, Dave, you are- you’re fantastique!” cried Klaus, cradling the phone like one might hold a baby.
Dave frowned. Something about Klaus was… off. He was almost manic, hands moving wildly, words blurring. “Are you okay?”
“Of course, mon ami, of course!”
“Are you high?”
“Me?” Klaus asked innocently, before bursting into giggles.
“What are you on?” asked Dave.
“Oh, just a little ecstasy,” said Klaus.
“ Klaus. Why?”
Klaus shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because it’s dangerous!” replied Dave, gaining momentum. “You could overdose! You could get addicted!”
“Aw, you’re no fun,” whined Klaus. “It’s fine! I’m fine!”
Dave folded his arms. “Why are you doing this?”
Klaus airy expression faltered. His eyes flicked away, throat working. “They’ve been loud.”
“The ghosts?” Dave asked softly.
Klaus nodded. “When I’m high… they go away. I just wanted them to go away,” said Klaus. “And they did! It’s just you and me, now, Davey-boy!”
“There’s better ways,” said Dave. “We can figure something out, but please… don’t do this.”
Klaus frowned, and poked Dave’s cheek. “Aw, don’t be sad,” he said.
Dave swatted his hand away, but kept hold of it. Klaus’ palm was clammy in his hand. “Please. I’ll fix this for you, okay?”
Klaus looked at him with dark eyes, pupils blown. “Alright,” he said eventually.
“Stay safe, okay?”
“Always do,” said Klaus cheekily. “I gotta go. Talk to you later, pretty boy.” He waggled the phone in his direction.
-----
“I’m outside,” said Dave.
Klaus stuck the phone between his ear and his shoulder, and peered out into the hallway. “It looks quiet. Be out in a minute,” he said, before tucking the phone under his pillow.
He made sure he had the door key in his pocket before ducked out the window and slid down the drain, jogging around to the front of the mansion. Dave was leaning against the gates, all faux casual. “Fancy seeing you here,” he said.
“I live here, you dork,” said Klaus, grunting as he levered over the locked gate.
“I can’t stay for long,” said Dave. “My parents think I just went to the corner shop for candy. I just wanted to give you these.”
He pushed a bottle of pills into Klaus hand. Klaus raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were against my proclivity for drugs?”
“Those aren’t real drugs. They’re from- y’know,” said Dave, tapping his temple. “They’ll block out the ghosts, without the rest of the side effects.”
Klaus took a sharp breath. “Dave. You’re kind of awesome, you know that?”
Dave turned pink. “Shut up.”
“Never,” said Klaus fiercely, before pulling Dave into a hug. Dave wrapped his arms around him and held him tight for a moment which dragged longer than most boys hugged. Klaus eventually pulled away regretfully to inspect the label, which was blank. “How often do I take them?”
“Once a day,” said Dave. “Although if I dreamed them right, it won’t hurt you if you take too many.”
“You’re a genius,” said Klaus.
Dave grinned. “I gotta go, my parents will worry. See you later, Klaus!”
“See you!”
-----
“You don’t have to bring me something every time, you know,” said Klaus, greeting Dave with a tight hug. Klaus had been growing at an alarming rate, and his limbs were all too long and boyishly awkward when he folded them around the other boy.
“I like bringing you things,” said Dave easily. He had yet to hit his growth spurt, but his shoulders were broadening, and his cheeks were freckled with a summer tan. He produced a little box from his pocket. He had begun to dream up little ribbons to tie around his gifts.
Klaus took the box, but froze when he noticed a white bandage peeking out from under Dave’s sleeve. He caught his hand and tugged the sleeve up in one fast motion to reveal a stark bandage winding around his arm. “What happened?”
Dave pulled his arm back and his sleeve back down. “It’s nothing.”
“Dave,” said Klaus, throat dry, “Are your parents-”
“No! God, no, nothing like that,” said Dave.
“Then what-”
“I had a nightmare.”
Klaus took a moment before comprehension hit. “You got hurt in your dreams?”
Dave nodded. “Sometimes I panic and accidentally bring the cuts out with me.”
Klaus took a step closer. “What did you dream about?”
Dave closed his eyes. “Monsters.”
Klaus gave in and brought Dave into his arms, as if that could stop him getting hurt. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault,” said Dave.
“I’d fight them for you, if I could.”
Dave smiled sadly. “You do, sometimes. In my dreams.”
“Good,” said Klaus, smiling into blond hair.
“Sometimes,” whispered Dave, “Sometimes I’m scared that I’ll take the monsters out of my dreams. Sometimes I worry that I’ll make them real.”
“Then I’ll fight those for you too,” swore Klaus.
Later that night, Klaus unwrapped his present under the privacy of his bedsheets, his magic stone lighting the space. He looked at the deck of tarot cards and laughed until he cried.
-----
“Klaus. Klaus, please answer me. Please.”
Klaus took a shuddering breath, his phone cradled against his cheek. “I’m here.”
Silence for a moment. Then, “I saw on the news. Klaus-”
“Don’t,” choked out Klaus. “Please.”
The two breathed for a second as Klaus tried to push back his tears. He was so tired of crying.
It had been three days since Ben had died.
“I’m outside.”
“What?”
“I’m outside. If you want to see me.”
“But… it’s late. Your parents-”
“I snuck out.”
Klaus wheezed a half-hearted laugh. “I’ve corrupted you.”
Dave said, “I’m glad you did.”
Klaus swallowed. “I’ll be right down.”
Klaus walked out the front door, past caring about Reginald and his stupid rules. When he saw Dave, his heart stuttered, and he hopped over the gate hastily. Dave caught him, hands on his shoulders a stabilising presence. “I’ve got you.”
Klaus shuddered. “Ben- he…”
“I know.”
“He’s dead.”
“I know.”
“He- I couldn’t save him. I was too slow.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Klaus.”
Klaus pulled away sharply. “Maybe… if I hadn’t been blocking the ghosts, maybe they would have told me-”
“Klaus, you can’t do that to yourself. You can’t,” said Dave.
Klaus stood there for a moment, looking down at his bare feet - he had forgotten his shoes. He looked thinner than usual, holding himself tighter. Then, like a rubber band, he snapped, whipping around to look at Dave with a manic gleam in his eye. “Dave, can you- you can bring him back, right? You can dream him, you can-”
“Klaus-”
“Please, one more gift, please-”
“Klaus, I can’t-”
“Why not?” he barked.
“It won’t be Ben. It would just be- my idea of who Ben was.”
“But, I’ve told you about him, you know who he was, you know-”
“It wouldn’t be him, Klaus. You know it wouldn’t.”
Klaus wrenched himself away, jaw twitching. “Fuck you.”
“Klaus,” Dave said helplessly.
“Fuck you. I never asked you for all the shit you gave me,” he said spitefully, “and now, I ask you for one thing, one thing.”
“Klaus, please,” said Dave wetly.
“Just… Fuck!” Klaus span and marched away, back into the gaping maw of the door, leaving Dave alone in the dark.
----
Three weeks passed with no contact. Not that Dave didn’t try; Klaus’ phone had to be smothered by his sock draw, when Dave spoke into it every night without fail. Klaus was too angry to even think about speaking to him. In fact, Klaus hadn’t been speaking to much of anyone. His siblings all looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear if he had seen Ben, and he couldn’t-
He had considered, for the first time since he was thirteen, coming off of Dave’s miracle pills. Every time, the memory of Ben’s corpse, bloodied and broken, came to his mind, and Klaus shied away from it. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Ben like that. Every night without fail, he swallowed a pill, bitter with guilt, and wondered what he would do when the pills ran out.
He had taken to wandering. His father hadn’t mentioned Klaus’ frequent absences. He had seemingly lost his belief in The Umbrella Academy after losing his second child soldier. As such, Klaus was free to walk the streets listlessly, listening to music through headphones that Dave had dreamed him, until that reminded him too much of Dave, and he ended up walking in silence.
Sometimes, he would find somewhere to sit and people watch. That was where Dave eventually found him: In Griddy’s Donuts, watching as families and couples ate, laughing and happy, not broken and lost like Klaus felt. Dave walked over purposefully and slid into the booth opposite Klaus. “Hello,” he said.
Klaus picked at his chipped nail polish, unsure what to say.
“I got you something.”
Klaus smiled, although the expression looked strange and flat on his face. “You still dreaming things for me, even after I told you to fuck off?”
“Of course,” said Dave evenly. “Here.” He placed a pill bottle on the table. The label was blank, the same as his usual power blockers, but the pills inside were different, small and pale pink.
“What are these?”
“Before, I dreamed of pills to block your powers,” explained Dave. “This time, I dreamed of pills to control your powers.”
Klaus looked up, green eyes wide. “You- oh. Ben.”
Dave licked his lips. “Yeah. Ben.”
Klaus stared at the other boy, unblinking, until his tears spilled over and ran down his cheeks, smudging his eyeliner. “Why are you so nice to me?”
Dave shrugged. “You’re my best friend.”
Klaus laughed wetly. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met.”
The pair loitered in Griddy’s, ordering too many donuts and making themselves nauseous. Klaus warily eyed the clock, whilst trying to pretend he wasn’t. Dave kicked him under the table whenever he began to chew on his nails. He chattered about his parents and school whenever Klaus went quiet, and listened intently whenever Klaus offered up information about how his family was coping with the loss.
They fell silent as the time ticked down to 24 hours since Klaus’ last dose. Klaus was dizzy with anxiety, trembling slightly, and Dave was watching worriedly. Even the waitress had begun to shoot him concerned looks. He elected to lay his head in his arms, tired of jumping at every shadow. After a moment, a familiar hand threaded through Klaus hair, combing gently through his curls. Klaus shoulders dropped, and he breathed out the tension he hadn’t realised he had been holding. The headache which had been lingering for the past week was melting away, and he sighed in relief. “Just breathe,” murmured Dave.
“Oh my god. You have a secret boyfriend and you didn’t tell me?”
Klaus flung himself upright with a gasp. “Ben!”
“Klaus?” said Ben and Dave, voices strangely in sync.
“Three weeks and that’s what you lead with?” said Klaus, laughter tinged with hysteria bubbling from his lips.
“Well, I didn’t know you were going to hear me!” said Ben.
“I guess you can see him,” said Dave amusedly.
“Yeah,” said Klaus, feeling weak with relief. Ben wasn’t at all gruesome or bloody. He just looked like Ben.
“But seriously,” said Ben with a shit eating grin. “Who’s the guy?”
Klaus said, “This is my best friend. Other than my brother, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Um,” said Dave, focusing at a point over Ben’s left shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben. I’m Dave.”
“He seems nice,” noted Ben. “And totally your type.”
Klaus choked. He swallowed down a laugh, and said, “He says it’s nice to meet you too.”
“Liar,” said Ben.
Klaus began to laugh, but cut off suddenly when a pale figure lurched his way, snarl exposing bloodied teeth. Klaus flinched away, out of practice with dealing with angry spirits.
“Klaus?” said Dave.
“What the hell is that?” yelped Ben, stumbling back a step.
“Yep, the ghosts are definitely back,” said Klaus, hands pressed tightly over his ears.
Dave deftly unscrewed the bottle of pills and peeled one of Klaus’ hands away from his skull to press a tablet to his palm. “Guess it’s time to see if these work.”
“Klaus? Are those drugs? Oh my god, is Dave your dealer?”
Klaus ignored his brother and swallowed the pill dry. He looked at Dave, then at the raging ghost, and said, “What now?”
Dave said, “Uh, just try and, you know- banish the bad ghosts?”
“Right,” said Klaus, “sure.” He took a deep breath, and imagined the ghost disappearing, fading to nothing. He squeezed his eyes closed, focusing, and when he opened them-
“Oh my god, it worked. It worked!”
“Oh, thank god,” said Dave, grinning weakly.
“Klaus, will you please explain what the hell is going on?” yelled Ben.
-----
A month later, and Klaus and Ben had become KlausandBen, closer now than they had been before. Something about being the only person able to see you forced a level of emotional intimacy that was discouraged growing up under Reginald’s strict hand. Klaus could no longer keep any secrets, neither good nor bad; Ben now knew about Dave and the ghosts and the mausoleum.
Klaus had informed the rest of his siblings of Ben’s presence to mixed responses. Vanya had been thrilled, eager to pass Ben messages in a way that reminded Klaus of being thirteen and showing her the map that was hidden under his mattress, never to be spoken of again. Luther had seemed suspicious; their father had suspected (correctly) for some time that Klaus was suppressing his powers. Diego had been awkwardly pleased, and Allison morose - she had expressed a hope that Ben had passed on to somewhere better , wherever that might be. Klaus was just pleased that he had been, for the most part, believed, and Ben was grateful to be acknowledged.
Ben notably stayed behind to listen to Vanya practice when Klaus went out to meet Dave, tossing out a comment about unbearable sexual tension which had Klaus squawking and embarrassed.
Klaus ears were still tinged pink when he reached Dave. “Hello, dear!” he said, mentally willing his blush to fade.
“Hi,” said Dave.
“I have a favour to ask,” said Klaus, batting his eyelashes.
Dave laughed. “Go ahead.”
“Vanya just got a scholarship to study music,” said Klaus.
“That’s fantastic!” Dave said excitedly.
“She’s moving out in September, so I was thinking you might want to meet her before that?” Klaus asked shyly.
“Of course,” said Dave earnestly. “Wait, is that the favour?”
“Oh, no. I was thinking that if she was going off to a fancy music college, she probably needs a fancy violin to take with her.”
Dave’s eyes sparkled. “And you want me to dream one up?”
“If you would be so kind,” said Klaus.
“I’ll see what I can do,” said Dave. “In the meantime, I’ve got something for you.”
“Oh, you spoil me,” said Klaus. “Come on, let me see!”
Dave hesitated. “Okay, but- I’m not sure if you’ll like it. If you don’t like it, it’s totally cool, I won’t be upset-”
Klaus poked him in the ribs, laughing. “You’re rambling. That’s my thing, don’t steal my thing.”
“Alright, alright. Just- here-” Dave thrust a hand out, and Klaus took the small item. It was a squat, clear pot, filled with something creamy and pale pink. The label was plain, except for two words in what he recognised as Dave’s handwriting: tattoo remover. “It’s just- you mentioned a while ago that you didn’t like it, the umbrella tattoo, but removal is expensive, so I thought- But if you don’t want it, that’s-”
Dave’s nervous babbling was cut off with a crush of lips against his. Klaus leaned back, looking half afraid. Dave froze for a moment, eyes wide, before his brain started up again, and he shoved himself forward to catch Klaus in a clumsy kiss. This time, Klaus didn’t pull back. Dave’s hands came up to cradle Klaus jaw like something precious, and Klaus draped his arms around Dave’s waist.
Dave finally stopped kissing him long enough to murmur, “I’ve been waiting for you to do that for a really long time.”
“How was I supposed to know that?” said Klaus, indignant.
Dave laughed, resting his forehead against Klaus’. “I don't dream about just anyone, you know.”
-----
When Klaus finally introduced Dave to his siblings, he was introduced as his boyfriend.
-----
“Shh. Just go to sleep,” said Klaus, voice soft.
“No, I can’t,” said Dave, words blurred with fatigue.
Dave and Klaus had moved in together three weeks ago, into a tiny apartment above a shop front. Three weeks of bliss - up until last night, when Dave had startled awake at three in the morning with a sharp tooth buried in his calf. That was 24 hours ago, and Dave was still refusing to fall back asleep, terrified that next time he would bring back something more dangerous than a tooth.
“You’ll be fine. I’m right here,” said Klaus, burying his face in the crook of his boyfriends neck, breathing in the scent of soap and skin.
“That’s what I’m worried about,” said Dave. “If something happened- if you got hurt because of me-”
“I won’t,” said Klaus, voice certain.
“We shouldn’t share a bed. It’s not safe-”
“We’ve talked about this, babe,” said Klaus, sitting up so he could face his boyfriend.
“I can’t hurt you,” he said damply.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Klaus said, catching his face and turning him to face him. “You won’t. You won’t. I trust you.”
Dave swallowed. “Klaus,” he said, leaning forward and tilting into his warmth.
“I know. I-I love you.”
Dave looked up, startled. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Klaus lipped his lips, eyes glancing away.
“I love you too. Klaus. I love you too.”
“ Oh,” said Klaus.
“Yeah,” said Dave, a smile growing on his face.
Klaus laughed and half tackled Dave onto the bed, pressing kissed over his nose, his eyelids, his shoulders. “I love you. I love you.”
Dave giggled. “ Stop.”
“Never,” said Klaus.
-----
“Klaus, wake up.”
“Hnng,” said Klaus intellectually.
“Sweetheart.”
“What,” said Klaus, peering blearily at the clock. “Shop doesn’t open for another hour.” He shoved his face back into his pillow, determined to wring a little more sleep out.
“Klaus. Babe.”
“What?” Klaus whined, rolling over to face Dave.
He choked.
“Is that…?”
“I dreamed,” said Dave, chewing on his lip, “I dreamed that we were married.”
Klaus reached out to touch the band of gold he was holding carefully. “Do you want to…?”
Dave sat himself upright, crossing his legs underneath him. “Klaus Hargreeves. Will you marry me?”
Klaus nodded wordlessly, struck dumb with the hugeness of the moment. With gentle hands, he slipped the ring up his finger. A perfect fit. Naturally.
-----
“Klaus! Klaus!”
Klaus looked up, eyebrows raised. “Ben, I’m kind of in the middle of something here,” he hissed out of the corner of his mouth. The middle aged lady sitting opposite squinted at him. “Sorry, another ghostie. You said your husband’s name was Lewis?”
“That’s me! I’m Lewis!” said the ghost that had trailed her in.
“Klaus, this is important,” said Ben.
“So is the seance I’m currently holding,” said Klaus. “Sorry, yes, your husband is here,” he added towards his customer. The shop under their apartment had become their shared business - Seances and Strange Gifts. The shelves were lined with oddities from Dave’s dreams; everything from ornate vases to record players with no discernible power source. The business had quickly gained a cult following, spreading by word of mouth.
“Klaus, it’s dad. He’s dead.”
“Oh,” said Klaus faintly.
“Well, I’m very sorry for your loss,” said Lewis, “but will you please tell my Julia that my will is on the bookshelf between the sheet music and the John Lennon biography?”
“The will is on the bookshelf… sheet music and John Lennon,” he relayed distractedly.
Julia looked vaguely alarmed, either by the specificity of the information, or by the way Klaus had turned the colour of curdled milk. She shoved the appointment fee towards Klaus and fled, thoroughly spooked.
The phone rang. Dave’s steps echoed as he jogged out from the back room to get it.
“That’ll be Vanya,” said Klaus.
“Thought you weren’t that kind of psychic,” teased Dave, before picking up. “Hello? ...Oh, hi Van.”
A pause. “Oh. I’m sorry. Yeah, he’s right here,” he said. “Klaus?”
Klaus walked to the phone, feeling like he might be in a dream. Ignoring Dave’s worried eyes, he took the phone, and roughly said, “So he’s dead, then?”
“Yeah. Pogo said it was a heart attack. The funeral is on Friday,” she said.
“Shit. I kind of thought he might be immortal, y’know? I never imagined him actually…”
Dave’s hands reached up to rub his shoulders, and Klaus let him take some of his weight.
“I know,” said Vanya blankly.
“Does Diego know yet?”
“He’s on duty right now, but I talked to Eudora.”
“Allison?”
“Couldn’t get through, but I left a message.”
“Shit, Luther. Will he be back in time?”
“Pogo said he already knows, he’ll be there.”
Klaus rubbed his hand over his face, probably wrecking his make up. “Shit.”
“Yeah. Listen, I gotta run - rehearsals - but I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”
“Yeah, of course. Later, Van.”
He hung up, feeling dazed. Dave caught his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Why don’t we close the shop early? I’ll make you some tea.”
Klaus nodded numbly. He sleepwalked through cashing up the till and locking the front door, flipping the sign to closed. It wasn’t until he was buried under his duvet with a cup of chamomile tea that he said, in a very small voice, “I don’t feel sad. Does that make me a bad person? That I don’t feel sad?”
Dave pressed a kiss to his forehead before saying, “There’s no wrong way to feel about this. Your dad was- well, he was an asshole. You aren’t obliged to grieve for him, even if he was your family.”
Klaus shook his head. “He wasn’t, not really. My siblings are my family. You’re my family.”
Dave smiled tenderly. “You’re my family, too.”
-----
When Klaus arrived at the mansion, it was with Ben and Dave at his side, and a large casserole from Dave’s mother in his hands.
He showed his husband around with a sad nostalgia, greeting his mother with a tight hug and Pogo with a complicated smile. With his siblings all gathered and corporeal, alongside Eudora and Vanya’s girlfriend Helen, he felt something small and warm bloom in his chest. Sure, there was still some awkwardness; Luther had never escaped from Reginald's influence, and Allison had still been ambitious and distant when she first struck out. Despite all that, things felt almost natural. They even managed to avoid a brewing fistfight when Eudora put a hand on Diego’s shoulder and he instantly cooled off.
And then Five arrived, still thirteen years old and a little shit, and god had Klaus missed him.
When Klaus introduced Dave, Five had simply said, “I know. You really aren’t as sneaky as you think you are, and I can see the front gate from my bedroom window. So you guys got married? Legally?”
“Seven years ago,” said Dave.
Five gave him an appraising look. “I hope you treat him right. Remember: I could swap out your liver with a stapler before you could blink.”
“I forgot what a little sociopath you were,” said Klaus fondly.
“How come you're not interrogating the girls?” said Diego. “Sexist, much?”
“Their gender has nothing to do with it. I just don’t trust Klaus to make good decisions.”
“Hey!”
“You did try to eat a spoonful of coffee beans this morning,” said Dave.
“Traitor,” hissed Klaus.
-----
A week later and Klaus and Dave had ducked backstage before the concert to find a panicking Vanya.
“Oh Klaus, thank god,” she said. “My eyeliner is wonky and I forgot to bring my anxiety meds and I still suck at those Stravinsky runs and I’m going to lose second chair-”
“Vanya, breathe,” said Dave.
“Her Stravinsky runs are fine,” inputted Helen. “Her eyeliner is wonky, though.”
“I’ve got you,” said Klaus, “Just close your eyes and let me fix your make-up, sis.”
“You’re the best,” said Vanya.
As it was, Vanya didn’t mess up the Stravinsky runs. The concert went perfectly, and she grinned down at her family as they applauded.
It wasn’t until afterwards, catching late night donuts at Griddy’s, that she laughed so hard that all the light bulbs flared bright and exploded.
“Vanya,” said Klaus. “Holy shit. I think you have powers.”
-----
Five ended up moving into Klaus and Dave’s spare room; they were the only ones on this side of the country who were home enough to take care of a thirteen year old, and they had all agreed that no child should grow up at the mansion with just a robot and a monkey for company. Not that Five was your typical thirteen year old.
-----
Klaus had gotten used to waking up to strange dream objects - sometimes gifts, sometimes accidents.
That morning, he woke up to find Dave watching him with warm eyes, still sleep soft. His hair was flat on one side, and he was still the most beautiful sight Klaus had ever seen. Dave leaned down, and Klaus smiled into the kiss, not minding their morning breath.
Dave said into the warmth of his mouth, “Maybe I dreamt you.”
Klaus eyes sparkled with mirth. “Thanks for the straight teeth, then.”