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justatiredghost · 3 years

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Living for the Moment Ch21 A series of glimpses at Klaus’ life if he’d met Dave in his mid 20s. His life isn’t magically transformed, love can’t fix either of them when they’re both homeless and in a bad place. They’re not even really ready for a relationship yet. But maybe a supportive friendship can set them on a better path, the two of them inspiring each other to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, and the question is, when will they actually admit to themselves that they have feelings for each other? Read More AO3

Klaus was pacing, too much energy and nothing to do with it, all too aware that he hadn’t had a hit in much too long. He wasn’t sure if the nausea or shakes were because of the withdrawal or panic, but it was only going to get worse, especially once the ghosts started showing up. He crossed his arms tightly, feeling like he was going to crawl out of his own skin. He never had been very good at waiting.

And this was the worst place he could think of to have to wait around in. He hated being back at the Academy. It brought up too many memories, making him feel like a kid again, useless and miserable. Then again, not much had changed there. He was proud of how useless he’d remained.

Even though he knew Grace had said no one else was home, he still kept glancing at doors, listening for telltale footsteps, anything to indicate Reginald was on his way. It had always seemed like Dad had a sixth sense dedicated just to knowing when to show up to make his life a living hell.

He should steal something from the old bastard. For old time’s sake.

When the door opened, it startled him out of his thoughts and he half expected Reginald to be standing there. He wasn’t sure if Grace, her usual smile replaced with a look of trepidation, was actually better. It felt like his stomach dropped, like he was falling, and whenever he hit the ground, it would probably be more painful than anything he’d ever experienced.

“Your friend is resting now,” she said, which, so far so good, Klaus supposed. “But we won’t know the extent of the damage until he wakes up. I just want you to understand, he lost a lot of blood.”

Klaus knew there was an unspoken, ‘if,’ there. ‘If he wakes up.’ And his mind was all too helpful in providing plenty of horrible outcomes, from permanent organ damage to a coma. What were they supposed to do then?

‘They.’

The realization that he really, truly, meant that hit him hard. He wouldn’t leave Dave to face this alone, whatever happened. It was stupid, this was exactly what he’d worked all his life to avoid. He was a useless fuckup and this could only end horribly for the both of them. And yet, for some reason, he still wanted to try. Whatever the cost to himself.

It was strange, remembering that only a few hours ago he hadn’t been able to decide if he should meet Dave or not. But this was different. He could live with, for once, putting aside his selfishness so Dave could live a happy life without him fucking it all up. But now? He wouldn’t abandon him like this.

“Why don’t you go see him?” Grace said, reminding him that they didn’t have all the information yet. He didn’t even know if Dave would survive the night. She put a comforting hand on Klaus’ shoulder and smiled encouragingly for whatever it was worth.

“Thanks, Mom.”

He felt shaky and detached as he made his way to the infirmary, like this was just a dream. Until he actually saw Dave, that is. Seeing his too-pale form lying there snapped him back to reality and the weight and terror of it all hit him hard. As he sat beside him, he couldn’t help but watch Dave carefully, counting every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed; proof he was alive.

He shivered as he sat there, feeling completely drained, emotionally and physically. He thought about raiding the liquor cabinet, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave Dave’s side. There wasn’t anything he could do, now, but he’d come so close to losing him and right now, all he wanted was to be near him.

“Don’t you die on me,” Klaus said, even though he knew he couldn’t hear him. “Not now.”

The idea of losing Dave, after everything, made him want to laugh in a horrible sort of way that he was afraid might turn into something else. He didn’t want to even think about it. About how much he’d changed because of Dave, despite himself; about the glimpses of what his life could be, things he never thought possible, things he didn’t even believe in that suddenly felt like they could be true.

He was this whirlwind that had come into his life and shaken everything up, making him care about something other than himself for once. Making him want more than the oblivion he had spent his life searching for. It wasn’t fair. Dave was good, actually genuinely good, this couldn’t be how he ended up. Klaus deserved this kind of end, but not him.

He could feel exhaustion weighing on him after the day he’d had, but instead of giving in, he started pacing again. He didn’t know what else to do.

Klaus did fall asleep eventually. He’d slept poorly the previous night, so he’d been running on hardly any sleep even before everything happened, so he wasn’t all that surprised to find himself slumped over in an armchair near Dave’s bed. Grace’s heels clicking across the floor had likely been what roused him, and when he glanced over, he was met with the sight of Dave, awake and alive, and he was pretty sure it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Grace was in the process of taking his blood pressure, so it took a moment before Dave saw he was awake as well, so at least he’d managed to get his facial expressions under control by then. He wasn’t sure what Dave would have seen otherwise.

“Hey,” Dave said with a smile. He still looked pale and weak, and he didn’t seem strong enough to sit up, but it was just so good to hear his voice.

“I turn my back for a second,” Klaus joked, but something like guilt flashed across Dave’s face, although he wasn’t sure why.

“I’ll need to monitor you for a bit. Try to get some rest,” Grace said, reaching over to ruffle Klaus’ hair before leaving.

Klaus had never really felt awkward around Dave. He had no shame anymore, so he rarely felt awkward around anyone. But Dave especially, they just got along too well, he had always felt completely comfortable around him. Right now, though, he felt awkward, mostly because of the revelation of how far he’d go to help Dave, and what that meant. Maybe there was something wrong with him. So he did what he always did and avoided the topic. Besides, there were other things they needed to talk about first.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened, or what?” he asked, scooting his chair over so he could lean on the edge of the narrow bed.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Dave said, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at his face.

“I mean, I’m pretty sure most people would consider getting stabbed a big deal, but you’re lucky I’m not most people,” Klaus joked, trying to get him to stop looking so upset. “I am pissed that a fight went down and I wasn’t even invited, though.”

“I guess I do owe you an explanation,” Dave sighed. “I just mouthed off to the wrong people, it was bound to happen eventually, I guess.”

“Mr Katz, are you telling me you actually picked a fight?” Klaus said with exaggerated shock, hand over heart. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but then, I never claimed to be smart,” Dave tried to shrug but seemed to think better of it.

“Come on, don’t be stingy with the details,” Klaus prompted.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much more information for you,” Dave admitted. “I don’t even know who they were.”

“Wow,” Klaus said, struggling to think of a time Dave had actually seemed genuinely angry. Especially with strangers, he was usually the type just to ignore assholes and move on. It occurred to him that tbe two other fights he’d gotten into had been because of Klaus. Maybe he was a bad influence on him. “What did they even do to push your buttons that much?

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Dave said, sarcasm tingeing his words. “But I’m not exactly what people think of when they imagine the ideal soldier. I mean, they’re not supposed to be gay, or critical of the military, and they certainly don’t relapse six times in the last month alone.”

“Oh,” was all Klaus could say, because he hadn’t known, how could he? He and Dave had hardly spent any time together. But Dave always did seem so strong and confident, Klaus couldn’t help but assume sobriety was going well for him. Obviously he had his own struggles and Klaus mentally kicked himself for not paying better attention.

“Yeah,” Dave said, staring up at the ceiling. “My uncle is more like what people expect, which, fair enough. I don’t think these assholes were associated with the VA, I think they just happened to be passing by, but who knows. They’re not exactly above prejudice.”

“So, they started spewing bullshit, and you snapped?” Klaus asked skeptically.

“Not exactly,” Dave said. “I wanted to just ignore them, but then they started hassling a kid I’d seen around the VA, and that was when I snapped. Security chases us all off before a fight could break out, but they must have followed me.”

“We have got to get you better at spotting a tail.”

“Yeah, probably,” Dave said with an exhausted chuckle. “I don’t think they meant for this to go so far. One of them pulled out a switchblade he’d clearly never used before, and as soon as they saw blood, they all freaked out and ran away.”

“Not even gonna be professionals about this,” Klaus said, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “Well, hopefully they got it out of their system and won’t be doing any more stabbing for a while. Maybe we should—”

“I’m sorry, can we talk about this later?” Dave said, closing his eyes. “I’m really tired.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Klaus said, taken by surprise. It had just been so nice to hear Dave’s voice again, he had to remind himself of the trauma he’d just survived. He shouldn’t be pushing him like this.

“Thanks,” Dave said, eyes still closed. “For everything.”

“Whatever,” Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively as he got up and headed for the door. “You’ve already bailed me out of a few tight spots, so we’ll call it even.”

On the other side of the door, he had to take a moment just to breathe. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. He wasn’t used to going through so many emotions in one night and he still felt shaky. Then again, maybe that was withdrawal. Good thing he still had a stash in his room.

While he was here, Klaus figured he might as well take advantage of the situation. He’d apparently slept through most of the day, and he spent the rest of it enjoying a ridiculously long bath. Then, he went to raid the kitchen. He had his head in the refrigerator with a drumstick in his mouth as he piled more food into his arms. But when he turned to spread his spoils out on the table, he heard the floorboards creak.

He froze guiltily, ready for his dad or Luther to storm in to tell him off, but after a moment, it became clear that no one was heading this way. And, whoever it was, they weren’t all that steady on their feet, walking slowly. Klaus abandoned the drumstick and went to peek around the corner to find Dave, back turned to him, making his way to the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Klaus said. “If you pull a stitch, Mom’s gonna be really disappointed in you, and no one wants that.”

Dave actually cursed under his breath at that, leaning heavily against the back of a chair. “You know,” he said, his voice artificially light. “I was trying to make this easier on the both of us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not continually forcing myself back into your life on purpose,” Dave said, turning to look at him. He looked utterly exhausted, barely keeping his feet under him. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at his curls in frustration. “I know you’d rather move on and you’ve already done a lot for me, you don't have to--”

“Whoa, no, no,” Klaus interrupted. “I tried to meet you. I mean, I was there, but then I got arrested.”

“Arrested?” Dave asked skeptically.

“Yeah! That’s why I found you, I’d only just gotten out and was hoping you’d stuck around. Very, very late, I know, but--”

“You don’t have to do this just to be nice.” Dave crossed his arms across his chest, looking more like he was holding himself, and Klaus didn’t think he’d ever looked so small.

“Hey, this is me, remember? When do I ever do anything just to be nice?” He walked over to Dave, placing a hand on his arm, just wanting him to know he was serious. Dave leaned into the touch, still not quite meeting his eyes as he took a deep shuddering breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I can lay it on pretty thick sometimes, and I think barging into your life like I did and punching that guy certainly counts. I was afraid of losing you, but I wasn’t thinking about what you wanted, and that isn’t fair of me.”

Klaus just stared at him for a moment, before he remembered he was supposed to say something. Usually, Klaus was the one being accused of being too much. No one had ever wanted him in their life like this, and no one had ever been so concerned with what he wanted.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” was all he could really think to say.

“And I have a stab wound,” Dave chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Promise you’re not just here because you feel like you have to be? I know I’ve been laying on sob story after sob story lately, I didn’t really want to get into all this, you shouldn’t have to worry about my crap. And I definitely don’t want you to feel like I’m twisting your arm”

“It’s cute you think you could possibly manipulate me, of all people,” Klaus said, patting his cheek. “I’m immune to sob stories.”

“That’s not—” Dave started, but trailed off, clearly frustrated and unsure how to get across what he was trying to say, so Klaus continued.

“Besides,” Klaus continued quickly. “I’m pretty sure you’ve been dealing with my crap for a while now, isn’t that what friends are supposed to do? That’s a genuine question, by the way, I have no idea.”

“I guess,” Dave said with an uncertain shrug.

“Well, don’t worry, this is completely selfish on my part. If I were a better person, I would have let you leave.”

“I’m selfish too because I’m glad you didn’t,” Dave admitted.

“I’m still not really sure how this is supposed to work, but—“ Klaus hesitated, so close to saying how completely he trusted Dave. Instead, he shifted direction. “Hey, maybe we deserve to be a little selfish.”

“If you’re willing to put up with the disaster I’ve made of my life, I think we can figure something out.”

“You’re a disaster? Have you met me?” Klaus said, gesturing to himself.

“I’ve just really been struggling,” Dave admitted, looking so completely hopeless and worn out. “I already told you about relapsing. Everything is just so hard and I’ve let it isolate me. I even let it pull me away from my best friend.” Here he gestured at Klaus, to his surprise. “I can’t live like this anymore. Something has to change.”

“What does that mean?” Klaus asked. “You’re not giving up, are you?”

“No,” Dave said with a heavy sigh. “I just have to figure it out, but right now I just feel helpless.”

Klaus didn't really know how he was supposed to reassure him when he didn’t even believe things were going to work out. He’d learned a long time ago not to hope for the best, so he couldn’t advise him, and he certainly couldn’t comfort him. At least he could help him back to bed before he started bleeding again. It was all he could do at this point.

“Come here,” Klaus said, reaching out to take Dave’s arm so he could help support him back to bed.

Apparently Dave misunderstood, though, because the next thing he knew, Klaus was being pulled into a hug. It took him completely by surprise and he froze up before remembering he was supposed to hug him back. Dave leaned into him slightly, a comfortable weight as Klaus helped support him and he hated how much he liked it. It felt safe and warm, completely surrounded by Dave, overwhelming all of his senses.

“Wait,” Dave said after a moment, and now he was the one freezing up. “You weren’t going in for a hug, were you?”

“No, I was going to help you back to bed, but this works too.”

“Wow,” Dave said, but he didn’t actually release him. “Well, this is awkward.”

“You’re such a dork,” Klaus chuckled. “Come on, give me your arm.”

“I think I’d rather sink into the floor,” Dave said, but he finally let him go, letting himself be led along, his face bright red. Klaus wasn’t sure if he was slouched, ducking his head slightly, from embarrassment or just the pain.

“You can do that later when you’ll actually be able to get back up again. You do that now and you’ll probably be stuck there.”

“That’s fine,” Dave said. “I think I’ll just live in a hole in the ground. Any chance you’d be willing to never mention this again?”

“Are you kidding? I’m gonna hold this over you every chance I get.”

It was so nice, getting back to their usual banter. He’d missed Dave, of course he had, but being with him was always so much better than he had remembered. He was just so much more fun, so much kinder and softer, more adventurous and so, so strong.

Klaus cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on something else. There he was, getting carried away again. He had no idea what to do with himself. Maybe there was no saving either of them in the end.

#klaus hargreeves #dave katz #klave #klaus x dave #umbrella academy #the umbrella academy #fanfic #living for the moment #my fic

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yeah-klave · 3 years

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A Short History of What Happened - Chapter 5

Written, with love, for EnKlave Fest 2021.

Catch up with the story so far: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4

Prompt: Omegas aren’t allowed to join the army, but then Omega!Klaus gets dropped into Vietnam and has to pose as a Beta. He manages quite well, right until he goes into heat. Alpha!Dave is protective and incredibly aroused/horny.

Genre: Omega verse, smut, developing relationships, slow burn, undercover, misunderstandings, secretly in love.

Word length: This chapter: 3.9k

Warning: Implied, canon-compliant abuse. Implied homophobia. Discussion of AU-specific political issues, including victim-blaming, gay-shame and dub-con medical procedures. The entire work, when posted, will contain explicit sexual content.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of The Umbrella Academy characters or settings.

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They walked on in silence for a while.

Dave wasn’t quite sure why or how, but he felt more content in this moment than he had in months, years even. Maybe ever.

It was ridiculous. The man walking beside him was practically a stranger. A mystery; with secrets and a painful history and – quite possibly – more than a little darkness inside him.

Dave couldn’t explain it, but somehow, he still felt a… pull.

Perhaps Klaus did live in a world of shadows, but maybe Dave could turn on the light. Maybe Dave could be the light.

Dave heard a gentle inhale next to him and turned to see Klaus breathing deeply, his eyes closed and his heard tilted back slightly.

Dave faltered, was he… scenting the air?

Klaus’ lashes fluttered and he opened his eyes and caught Dave’s gaze. His irises were thin green disks around the dark pools of his blown pupils.

“Whaafght,” Dave stuttered.

Klaus blinked.

Dave composed himself, took a deep breath and started again.

“What,” Dave swallowed, thinking frantically and eventually grasping at the first coherent thought that came to him, “what kind of music do you like?”

Before him, a smile spread slowly across Klaus’ face and a twinkle lit up his eyes.

“Buckle up, David,” Klaus smiled, “I’m about to take you on a wild ride.”

And he did.

Dave hadn’t even heard of most of the songs Klaus listed off. In fact, he didn’t recognise them to all, even when Klaus sang bits aloud in a breathy, enthusiastic, but slightly off-key voice. Dave was feeling light and relaxed, but he didn’t start getting giggly until Klaus began adding the accompanying dance moves – a series of shimmies, little hip rolls and dramatic arm movements. Dave started laughing. And once he started, he found it really difficult to stop. The sound of Dave attempting to supress his giggling seemed to spur Klaus on because he just started hamming it up even more.

Dave tried to get himself under control a couple of times, glancing around nervously, aware of where they were. But the coast looked completely clear and then he’d look back at Klaus and the expression on his face would set him off again.

“I’ve never,” Dave wheezed between peals of laughter, “even heard of these songs. My favourite song is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Where you’re from must be much hipper than where I grew up.”

“Ohmigod, Dave!” Klaus choked, “Hip! You’re just too precious!”

“It means trendy or… happening,” Dave helpfully supplied.

Klaus’ faced creased and he doubled over in silent giggles.

“That’s perfect,” Klaus choked out, gasping for air, “absolutely spiffing! Completely ripping! Positively groovy!”

Dave didn’t quite get the joke, but grinned along with him.

“It must have been, though,” Dave bobbed his head earnestly. “We must be pretty out of touch with the cool music where I’m from.”

“Where’s that?” Klaus asked.

“Near Dallas,” Dave supplied.

“Ooh, a Southerner!” Klaus said. “So, Dave, are you more a smooth Southern gentleman or rough Texas cowboy?”

Dave paused. “Neither,” he said finally, “I’m just me. Just boring old Dave Katz. There’s nothing interesting about me. I’m just… a plain hamburger kind of a guy.”

Klaus looked at him steadily. “I don’t buy that at all,” he said. “There’s nothing plain hamburger about you, Dave.”

“Well,” Dave corrected himself. “Actually, my order would probably be plain hamburger with two pickles, if I’m being exact. And picky.”

“Exactly,” Klaus grinned. “See, just what I said! Flavour! Dave Katz likes to slip a bit of pickle in his hamburger!”

Klaus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Dave coughed uncomfortably. This conversation was straying into dangerous territory.

“How do you take your hamburger, then?” Dave asked.

“I like a little pickle,” Klaus said. “Well actually, I like a big pickle. A big, hard pickle.” He waggled his eyebrows again and then did an adorable little two-eyed wink. Dave felt his cheeks heating up at the same time his heart clenched a little at the cuteness. “The cheese can go take a running jump, though,” Klaus added, “and it had better come with fries and ketchup or else heads will roll. To be honest though, hamburger probably wouldn’t be my first choice for favourite food.”

“What would be?” Dave asked, interested.

Klaus pondered. “I knew someone once who made amazing ossobuco, that was pretty good. And I’ve always had a sweet spot of doughnuts. My siblings and I used to…” Klaus trailed off.

Dave held his breath, but Klaus didn’t add any more. Dave chanced a glance sideways. Klaus had a distant, faraway look in his eyes.

Dave racked his brain for a change of topic.

“Have you ever read Dune?” he asked.

Klaus appeared to give himself a little shake.

“No,” he said, “what’s it about?”

“Well,” and with that, Dave launched into a monologue about his favourite ever book. As he talked, he saw Klaus’ eyes flitting over his face, smiling and nodding along. There was a warmth and fondness there that took Dave by surprise; an unguarded acceptance. The mutual respect of a new friendship. It made Dave feel giddy and drunk, a bubble of happiness growing inside him.

Dave was just wondering whether he should start telling Klaus about his interpretation of the ‘fear is the little death’ line, when he suddenly noticed in the distance, the location of the new camp they were travelling towards.

Reality hit him like a punch to the face.

He’d had all this time alone with Klaus to talk about the difficult things, the things they couldn’t speak about in front of the others and they’d wasted it on hamburgers and silly dance moves. In fact, he’d hardly got any answers to the multitude of questions that has been plaguing him since Klaus first arrived. They still had so many practical things they needed to discuss.

“Klaus,” Dave said, his voice low and urgent.

Klaus flinched and looked around quickly for the danger.

Guiltily, Dave backtracked.

“No. Sorry. It’s fine. It’s just, we’ve almost arrived and…” he paused, usure how to phrase the next bit. “There are still a few things we should probably talk about first.”

“Like what?” Klaus asked, his voice innocent and confused.

“Well…” Dave started slowly. “You know…” He looked at Klaus hopefully. Klaus looked back, nonplussed.

Dave shifted uncomfortably, then whispered. “You know… omega stuff.” He swallowed. “Like… how we’re going to mask your scent and keep you safe.” He shifted uncomfortably again. “And then there’s,” he gave an embarrassed little cough, “there’s your…. ummmm…” his cheeks were bright red now, “there’s your…” he looked down and finally mumbled, “your heats.”

“Oh,” Klaus said breezily. “No need to worry about that, I have the suppressor implant.” He waved Dave’s words off with a distracted flap of his hand. “And the IUD, too” he added as an afterthought. “With the scent thing, though, I thought you said the others were all betas? They won’t be able to smell me. Only alphas can smell omegas. And there’s just you, so I’m all good.”

Dave frowned, confused. “What do you mean implant?”

“The heat suppressor implant,” Klaus clarified. “I have been – almost exclusively – since I was in my teens.” His face darkened. “My dad made me. He didn’t trust me. I mean, it’s not like I wanted to get bonded to the first alpha that came along, or get myself knocked up at seventeen. But I would have liked the chance to masturbate my way through my heats in my locked bedroom like a normal teenage omega. What I really needed was a whack-off dildo. But, oh no! That’s not okay for Number Four. He had to have the medical implant instead.”

Dave frowned deeper, trying desperately to keep up.

“Are you saying,” he said slowly, “that you have something implanted in you that’s stops you going into heat?”

“Umm, yeah,” Klaus drawled, looking at him as though Dave was the one talking nonsense. But then his eyes got really wide and he snapped his mouth shut.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath, staring into the middle distance. “They didn’t start doing that until…” he paused, “So nobody here has…” he trailed off again.

“Klaus?” Dave prompted.

Klaus gave a deep sigh. “Look,” he said. “I can’t explain it. But we don’t need to worry about my heats. I’m good for easily another few months.” He sighed again deeply. “And by then I expect Five will have… done something anyway... probably come and got me. So, I’ll be long gone before that’s an issue.”

Dave choked. “There are five of them after you?”

“What?” Klaus frowned. “No, Five. My brother Five.”

Dave was completely lost. “Okay,” he said slowly, still not quite sure what had happened but somehow trusting that Klaus knew what he was talking about. “Okay, that’s good, I think. So unexpected heats is something we can cross off the list of worries.”

“Yes.” Klaus gave a definitive nod. “So go on, what else did you have on that list?” Klaus asked. “It was my scent, wasn’t it? I don’t get what’s the big deal is if we’re just surrounded by betas?”

“Everyone else in our unit are betas,” Dave confirmed. “But there are alphas in the other units. I mean,” he added delicately, “I don’t know if any that are openly… you know…” he trailed off.

“Gay?” Klaus supplied.

“Yeah,” Dave said thankfully. “But, I mean, that’s not to say there aren’t any. If they were they’d probably – no definitely – try to hide that.” Dave twisted his face in discomfort. Klaus was looked at him unblinkingly, a question lodged behind his slightly furrowed brows.

Dave swallowed again and tried to steady his breathing, determinedly not making eye contact. He couldn’t let Klaus know that he was talking about himself. Not after everything Klaus had said earlier about manipulative alphas only being kind to omegas for sex. He wanted Klaus to feel safe. He wanted Klaus to trust him.

So Dave couldn’t let him know that he was one of those kind of alphas. The ones who were attracted to men. The alphas who were almost as rare as male omegas. After what Klaus had shared about his past, he didn’t want Klaus to feel scared of him. He didn’t want to make him feel like… prey.

Klaus was one hundred percent safe with Dave. Dave knew he would never force himself on anyone. But Klaus didn’t know that. Klaus would just see him as a potential threat. Even worse, he might think that he was manipulating him, that Dave had befriended him on false pretences, only to get close to him and... and… Dave shuddered.

Klaus had made it very clear – he was running from an abusive alpha. So absolutely under no circumstances could Dave let him know his preferences. The competing alpha urges battled inside him again: desire and protection. Protection won.

“So,” Klaus said slowly, “you’re saying I need to be careful to hide the fact that I’m an omega from the alphas in other units, not because they’d want to fuck me – because they’re probably not interested in that – but because they’d out me as an omega. And I’d then be sent… back.”

“Yeah,” Dave nodded. “And if back isn’t safe for you, then we need to make sure they don’t find out, so that you can stay here where you’re safe. Safer.”

“Okay,” Klaus said. “How do we hide my omega-ness from them, then?”

“Well,” Dave said, “for a start, don’t tell anyone you’re an omega.”

“Good one, Sherlock” Klaus grinned.

“Secondly,” Dave said ignoring Klaus’ comment with a small shrug and a roll of his eyes, “I guess, try to keep the scent glands in your neck and wrists covered as much as possible. Clothing is okay for a start, but if you’re going to be around alphas for any length of time, it might be a good idea to cover up even more… bandages or dressings maybe? Or – at a push – a layer of mud might work.”

“That sounds gross.” Klaus wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“I know, it sucks,” Dave pulled a sympathetic face, “but it’s safer.”

“It sucks to be safe!” Klaus huffed in frustration. “And you have no idea how much it really sucks. I’m not really one for coving up. I like to live my life scantily clad.”

Dave swallowed and looked resolutely ahead.

“You know…” Klaus said in a sing-song voice, “bare chested twink, make the boys wink…”

“Twink?” Dave frowned.

“That would be me, Dave,” Klaus said, waving his arms in a flourish that took in his whole body. He did a quick twirl on the spot.

“Oh.” Dave could feel his face heating up again.

“Or,” Klaus carried on, “if you want to sin, show some skin… to make him cum, bare your tum.”

“They’re,” Dave swallowed, “interesting rhymes.”

Klaus let out a musically little giggle and batted his long eyelashes theatrically. “All of my own creation, Davey. And anyway… what more do you expect? I’m just a little omega sex toy, there’s nothing up here in my head. I’m only good for one thing… pleasuring horny alphas.”

Dave frowned. “Omegas are worth so much more than that,” he said seriously. His mouth had gone very dry.

“Dave, it’s fine, I was joking.” Klaus said with a little shrug.

“No,” Dave said. “It’s not okay. I know what the law says, but general perceptions aren’t so fast to change. And it’s not fair that omegas are still treated like second class citizens. You shouldn’t feel like you have to act a part just because it’s what’s expected of you. You should be able to be exactly who you want to be.” Dave’s voice had risen and he was breathing deeply. The ironic weight of his words rang in his ears long after he’d finished talking.

“I completely agree,” Klaus said seriously, all frivolity stripped from his face. He looked vulnerable and open again. “I’m absolutely an advocate for omega rights. And it’s good to know that you’re an omega ally. Those rhymes though… I know it might seem like that’s me conforming to an expected stereotype, but actually, it’s the opposite. I hate being told that I shouldn’t embrace my sexuality because it negates years of omega rights protests. Acting like a flirt doesn’t mean I don’t believe omegas should have equal rights in society, whether they’re bonded or not. As far as I’m concerned, there’s a world of difference between choosing to act like a sex object and being forced into it. And I hate it when other omegas imply I’m being a bad omega, like there’s a right way and a wrong way. Fuck everyone who says acting like a stereotype propagates the wrong impression and makes it okay for alphas to treat us that way. That’s just victim blaming. If alphas act like fucking dicks, that’s on them, not us!” Klaus took a long, shuddering inhale.

“I’m sorry I said anything,” Dave said sincerely. “I’m sorry if I upset you or I said the wrong thing. I’m not always the best at talking about this kind of stuff. All I meant to say was… I think omegas get a raw deal and… and… and I’m on your side.”

Klaus smiled contrite. “I know, I’m sorry that got a bit heavy. And don’t worry, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just omega politics!” He blew out a frustrated breath.

Dave pulled a sympathetic face.

“Anyway,” Klaus said, gathering himself again, “where were we? Oh, yeah, slathering me in mud and making me cover up like a nun.” He grinned and did his funny little two eyed blink again. “Any other ideas about how to mask me up and make me the least fuckable guy in the country?” His voice was light and Dave knew he was only joking.

Dave cleared his throat. “Umm,” he started, “I thought maybe… you could wear my clothes?” He could feel his cheeks heating up again. “After I’ve had them on, I mean. That way my natural alpha smell might cover yours a bit. But you don’t have to,” He added hurriedly, “if you think that’s weird or gross or whatever. It was just an idea.”

Klaus shrugged. “Nope, I mean, that’s a perfectly logical idea. To other alphas, a faint alpha smell mixed with a fait omega smell will probably come out smelling like… well, probably like a bit of a funky smelling beta. But I can deal with that.”

Dave nodded. “I know it’s less than ideal, but I think that’s probably the best option. Other than that, I guess we’ll just have to play it by ear.”

Klaus paused, then said slowly. “So, basically, I’m not really safe here unless you help me. I have to stay on your good side, or else bad things could happen to me? That sounds like it’s come straight from victim testimony.”

Dave grimaced. “Yeah, I totally see where you’re coming from with that. All I can say is that… I’m not like that. I genuinely just want to help you. I know that sounds pretty pathetic and not very reassuring. But the bad things are genuine threats, and we’re in the unusual situation where I actually am the only one who can help. So hopefully you can learn to trust that I am actually an okay guy.” He gave an apologetic little shrug and looked over towards Klaus. “I’ve got your back, soldier. Whether you believe me or not.”

Klaus cocked his head to one side and appraised him seriously, but Dave thought he could smell something light and teasing in the air.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we… soldier?” He said eventually.

“I’ll take that,” Dave said calmly, his face soft and open and honest. Klaus just looked back at him, his expression unreadable.

They had walked on a few more paces before Dave looked over at Klaus warily. “There is something else I should probably tell you.” He said slowly.

Klaus’ ears pricked up and he looked over at Dave quickly. Dave’s nostrils flared, expecting a wave of apprehension from Klaus, but instead all he caught the scent of was… hopeful. He faltered and looked over at Klaus, whose eyes were large and fixed on Dave’s face.

“There is an alpha in another unit,” he started and watched as Klaus’ face fell slightly before his eyes. “I don’t really know, but I have heard… rumours.”

Klaus frowned again. “What kind of rumours?”

“Well,” Dave said. “I heard that… when he was back home… he was arrested a couple of times for abusing omegas, but he got off on technicalities.”

Klaus swallowed and his upper lip twitched in suppressed anger. “Bastard,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” Dave intoned flatly. “But look,” he added quickly. “I don’t know if that’s true. It could just be an ugly rumour.”

“All rumours start with a grain of truth somewhere. Except when Allison’s involved.” Klaus grinned. “Man, I wish I could introduce people like that to Allison. She’d sort them right out!” He barked a laugh.

Dave fought the urge to ask who Allison was, and instead said, “I just thought I’d give you a heads up. Just in case, you know. Just to be extra careful around him. He’s big. And not just alpha big. I mean, he’s big big. He could probably snap you in two with his little finger.”

“And by that you actually mean he’d split me in half. Right up the middle.”

Dave grimaced. “Well, I was trying to put it delicately.”

“Yeah, I know you were. Thanks though, I’ll watch out for him. Maybe you can point him out to me?”

“Sure,” Dave agreed.

They walked a little further in silence. It wasn’t exactly the comfortable silence of earlier, but Dave at least felt content that he’d said what needed to be said and was happy they’d come up with a plan. After a few more steps, Klaus chimed up.

“It really doesn’t seem fair that omega biology makes us so much smaller and slighter alphas. I mean, why do we have to be as small as betas. We’re the ones expected to mate with alphas. Alphas who are biologically huge!” He turned towards Dave and looked up into his eyes. Dave looked down at him, really appreciating for the first time the size difference between them. “I mean, everything is just so big about alphas. Their height, their build, their personalities, their cocks…” Dave choked slightly and Klaus grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, I am into alpha cocks, but biologically they really are unnecessarily enormous.” Dave looked resolutely ahead, but dimly he was aware that Klaus’ gaze had travelled down to his crotch and the noticeable bulge in his uniform pants.

“The size thing is all very well when it’s an alpha you’re into,” Klaus continued, his gaze still lowered. “But when it’s a predatory alpha throwing his weight around, it’s a bit disconcerting. Omegas should at least have some sort of biological defence mechanism to protect ourselves from alphas like that. Like skunk stick gas, or retractable cat claws.”

Dave let out a loud laugh. He brought a hand up to cover him mouth.

Klaus watched him with a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh my god,” Dave huffed out a chuckle. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m just picturing you with tufty ears and a tail, like a hybrid feline-man… or a cat-boy or something. That’s so wild.”

“Wow,” Klaus said under this breath. “Just wait ‘till you realise what that means, it’s going to blow your mind.”

“What?” Dave asked.

“Oh, never mind, ignore me” Klaus said hurriedly. But he was still grinning.

They turned a bend in the track and suddenly ahead of them they could see the camp site and others in their unit already hard at work.

“I guess it’s back to war now then,” Klaus said shakily.

“I guess so,” Dave replied slowly.

“I’ve got to say,” Klaus grinned, “I really can’t wait to wear that shirt tomorrow.” He nodded at Dave’s chest and furrowed his brows in a mock thoughtful look. “I just don’t think clothes feel right unless they’ve been worn in first by another man during a six hour hike through a tropical rainforest. Clothes are just missing something if they don’t come dirt encrusted and pre-stiffened in dried sweat.”

Dave grimaced and looked down at himself, noticing for the first time his pit stains and the dampness across his chest and back.

“Maybe I’ll give this a quick rinse first,” he said sheepishly.

“Don’t you dare,” Klaus said firmly. “I need all the alpha musk I can get, remember. Come on, Dave,” he said biting his lip slowly and looking up – way up – into Dave’s face, “you have to mark me. Cover me in your scent.”

Dave swallowed hard and forced his breaths to come evenly. As he looked down into Klaus’ breathtakingly beautiful face, he thought there must be some sort of trick of the light as the sun set slowly beneath the horizon in a pool of blood red light, because he could have sworn he saw a faint blush spread across Klaus’ nose and cheeks, the flush working its way down his throat.

“O-okay,” Dave stammered.

Klaus just blinked slowly and raised his gaze from Dave’s lips to his eyes.

Maintaining this charade, Dave thought ruefully, is going to be much harder than I thought.

#klave #klaus hargreeves #dave katz #the umbrella academy #klaus/dave #klaus x dave #tua

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anonymous-note · 3 years

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A Valley Song

Chapter 3: Tandem in Lucem

Masterlist

The mystery that is Klaus Hargreeves only seems to grow more mysterious as time goes on. The more Dave finds out he doesn’t know about him, the more he wants to pick the man’s brain and learn every detail of his life.

There isn’t much Dave can surmise on his own, considering Klaus keeps some closely-guarded secrets. However, what little he does learn, he buries deep into the recesses of his mind, committing every tiny thing to memory as he slowly constructs a puzzle that he can eventually put together. The puzzle that is the man he loves (and even though he hasn’t even known Klaus for very long, Dave is absolutely sure he’s in love with him).

Some things Klaus does reveal about himself is he used to do drugs, as well as drink alcohol, which he is well-versed in. He was a severe addict, ever since the age of about thirteen years old, in and out of rehab ever since. That was just his way of coping with the abuse he endured as a child, held under such strict regime that getting high or drunk was his only escape. He’s sober now, considering he has no access to those resources since coming to Vietnam, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s clean.

He hears voices, too. Dave doesn’t know the psychology behind it, but he hears Klaus muttering to himself, especially when he thinks no one can hear. It’s mostly things like “Shut up,” “Go away,” and “Leave me alone” that he whispers into the darkness. Sometimes Dave finds it unnerving. Most times, he resolves to help Klaus however he can.

But then in the mornings, he’s okay again. He’s back to the nonchalant, flirtatious, coy man that Dave is most familiar with, somehow making their standard army fatigues look like high-end fashion, fit for royalty. Even with dirt and grime on his face, there’s no hiding that lazy grin, the one that makes Dave’s heart stutter, and there’s no indication that Vietnam is having any affect on Klaus. If anything, it’s the other way around.

And then comes the night that they’re on watch together, armed with guns and helmets. They’re standing just outside of the light, surrounded by leaves and undergrowth, separated by a few trees. Dave is trying his best to keep his eyes focused on their surroundings, peering through the shadows in case there are threats just beyond his line of sight, when he hears the sound of a body dropping from Klaus’s direction, and his stomach drops with it.

There’s Klaus, writhing on the ground, hands clapped over his ears. He’s repeating the word “no” under his breath, over and over, sounding like panic and terror are just a few heartbeats away. Even when Dave is standing right in front of him, it’s as if he’s staring straight through him, to something Dave can’t see.

“I’m sorry,” Klaus moans, tears streaming down his face. “I didn’t mean to. I never wanted any of this to happen!”

“Klaus, what are you talking about?” Dave asks, trying to fight off the fear bubbling up in his chest, shaking off the urge to look behind him. He’s not a child anymore, and he has no reason to fear the dark. “Snap out of it!”

“Please, no,” Klaus sobs, curling into a ball. “Just go. Please, just leave me alone!”

Dave drops to his knees at Klaus’s side, pulling the man towards himself. “C’mon, Klaus, you have to snap out of this. Please, whatever’s wrong, just wake up. I can help you. Please let me help you!”

He cradles Klaus as he continues to mutter, desperation clawing its way up his throat. Then, it’s as if a curtain lifts, and Klaus is suddenly staring up at Dave, his eyes watery as his creases his brow in confusion.

“Dave?” he croaks. “What. . . . Where did they go?”

“Where did who go?” Dave asks, willing himself to breathe now that Klaus is okay.

“The men. The soldiers.”

“What soldiers, Klaus?”

“The ones we killed.”

Chills raise goosebumps along Dave’s arms, despite the jungle heat, as he shakes his head at Klaus. “What are you talking about?”

Klaus’s lip trembles as he clutches onto Dave. “I can see ghosts, Dave. They’ve haunted me since I was a kid. My dad locked me in a mausoleum to try and teach me not to be scared of them, but it didn’t work. I take drugs to block them out, but I can’t block them out here. They keep coming to me and yelling at me.” He’s crying now. “I didn’t mean to kill them, Dave. I didn’t mean to kill anyone.”

“I know,” Dave whispers, holding Klaus tight as he cries into his shoulder. “I didn’t either. But we have each other here, and we’ll be okay. We will be. I promise.”

Klaus never explains what happened after that, and Dave never asks. He doesn’t know if it’s mental illness, the effects of long-term drug abuse, or if Klaus can actually see ghosts, but he decides he doesn’t care. Even with all of that, there’s no one as ethereal in the world as Klaus, and Dave would rather that he be haunted than to not have him at all.

They talk about their futures often. Klaus talks about returning home to his family, though he isn’t really sure that he wants to. It’s the same for Dave. As much as he loves his uncle, he can’t truly be himself around him, or happy. Not if he has to hide who he is, lie through the rest of his life, pretend to be someone he’s not. There’s no life like that. There’s no life without Klaus.

So they start to talk about a life together. Moving somewhere far away, where no one will care that they’re two men who love each other. Spending the rest of their lives together, doing whatever they want, with no one to answer to. No more war. No more Helen Weaver. No more ghosts. Just the two of them, Klaus Hargreeves and Dave Katz, together forever.

If only that’s how it could’ve gone.

#anonymous-note #a valley song #klave #klaus x dave #klaus hargreeves #dave katz #the umbrella academy #tua fanfic #klave fanfic

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mychemicalxmen · 4 years

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“I can’t just call him in the afterlife like, ‘Dad, could you just stop playing tennis with hitler for a moment and take a quick call?”

cut to Dave Katz, now in his 51st year of waiting for this cosmic dumbass to meet and conjure him, sighing as he serves the ball over to Winston Churchill

#concept: afterlife mechanic where Dave can only watch over Klaus starting w apocalypse week #this man begins to Reconsider #im kidding I don't love the idea that afterlife time is real-time just take this shitpost ily #tua #klave

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spookyfbi · 4 years

Text

Untitled Klaus/Dave fic

Summary: When Dave’s father dies, he tries to pass on a message through Klaus, and Dave wonders why Klaus is so afraid of the ghosts.

———

“…Klaus…”

The strained voices screamed out to him as he lay in the cot, in a tent shared by a dozen or so other men. He tried to get his shaky breathing under control. Tonight was a particularly bad night. After a few more moments, he tossed aside his blanket and left the tent.

“Shut up!” he whispered when he felt like he was far enough away from the others to not be heard. “Shut up! Just leave me the fuck alone!” He took out a joint from his pocket and brought it to his lips. The contraband was difficult to come by here, but not impossible. It was always available when they went on leave, along with any other vice the men could imagine, to keep up morale. But they weren’t supposed to bring it back into the trenches. They had to keep a clear head out here. Still, Klaus knew a thing or two about smuggling drugs around. He lit a match, but a sudden voice spoke words that made him drop it to the muddy ground.

“…Tell Dave…”

He took the joint from his mouth. “What?! Who said that?”

“…Tell Dave… Important…”

“Tell Dave what?”

“…Please tell Dave-“

“…Klaus…”

“… Where’s my Mommy?”

“…Fuck that whore…”

“…What a pretty boy you are…”

The voices began to drown each other out and they all began to jumble together. Klaus covered his ears as the voices grew louder. “Shut up just please shut up!” he whispered through clenched teeth. He tried to focus on that one voice that mentioned Dave but he couldn’t make it out anymore. Who was it? What did it want to tell Dave? Klaus took in a deep, shaky breath. He swallowed hard as he looked at the joint between his fingers. He wanted to light it up so badly, to make the voices all go away. But that one voice had something important it wanted to tell Dave. What was it? Klaus put the joint back into his pocket. Maybe if he held out just a little bit longer he’d be able to make out the whole message. The joint would still be there tomorrow. Just a little bit longer, then he’d take a blissful drag to silence them all again.

———

The next morning the Captain called Dave into his office, and Klaus felt a weight in the pit of his stomach. The voices were still screaming, they had been all night, but none of them were telling him anything he wanted to hear. When Dave returned, he looked pale. He walked to his cot like a man possessed, staring blankly in front of him. He sat down on his cot, still staring at nothing and barely blinking. The dread in Klaus’ stomach grew.

The other men left the tent for their morning routine, but Klaus hung back, not really caring much if it got him into trouble. He sat down gently on the cot beside Dave

“Dave…?” he asked, and Dave began to stir. He turned his head slightly towards Klaus, but his eyes continued to stare.

“My father…” he whispered, “… had a heart attack. He’s dead.”

Klaus’ heart sank. His own father’s death had been a cause for celebration in his eyes, but clearly that wasn’t the case for Dave. He put his hand gently on Dave’s forearm. “I’m so sorry” he whispered.

“I’ve been given a week leave to attend the funeral and be with my family. I have to pack…”

Dave still hadn’t moved or even looked away from the nothingness ahead of him. “Here, let me help you” Klaus said, glad to have something useful to do. He took Dave’s suitcase from the end of his cot and started packing up Dave’s belongings.

Dave looked like he was trying to tear his eyes away from the nothingness but having a hard time of it. “Thanks” he choked out.

Klaus busied himself folding up Dave’s clothes and putting them into the suitcase. Then he paused, holding one of Dave’s shirts. “Do you want me to go with you to the funeral?” It was a stupid question, Klaus realised once he’d said it. Would they even let him? How would they explain it? But under other circumstances, if they were living together somewhere as civilians in 2019, it would be a natural question for a supportive boyfriend to ask.

Dave closed his eyes and nodded, sighing. Then he opened them and finally looked at Klaus for the first time that day. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea” he whispered sadly. Klaus nodded.

“Okay well, you’re just about all packed up.” Klaus said as he finished folding the shirt he was holding and put it in the suitcase.

“Thanks” Dave said again, and Klaus lowered the suitcase lid and closed the clasps.

“Don’t worry about it” Klaus waved, then he put his hand comfortingly on Dave’s knee.

Suddenly, the Captain came back into the tent, and Klaus quickly withdrew his hand. “You ready to go, Katz?” he asked with an odd mixture of authority and sympathy.

Without looking at Klaus, Dave took his suitcase and stood up. “Yes sir,” he said, and he followed the Captain. Klaus quickly got changed into his uniform and joined the other men.

———

The day had been hard without Dave, and without that joint he hadn’t smoked last night, but at least he had the other men, oh and the war and the need to stay alive, to distract him. Klaus was focused enough on the tasks at hand to ignore the voices. But that night was a different story. He hadn’t slept the previous night but he was still running on adrenaline, so he wasn’t really tired. And the voices were still there, loud as ever. He left the tent again and walked a distance so he could talk.

“Dave’s dad? Are ya there?” He took the joint from his pocket again. “If you’ve got something important to tell him, now’s the time. I’m not going another night without this.”

“…Tell Dave…”

There it was. Finally. “Are you Dave’s dad?”

“…Yes…”

“Alright, so what’s the message? Tell Dave what?” Klaus was getting impatient. He was itching to light up

“…Tell Dave…”

“Yeah yeah yeah, tell Dave what? Come on old man, I don’t have all night.”

“…I love him…”

Klaus was a bit annoyed. Was that it? That didn’t seem particularly important or urgent. “Okay, tell Dave you love him, that it?”

“… I’m proud of him…”

“Tell Dave you love him and you’re proud of him, got it. Anything else…?”

Silence.

Klaus stuck the joint between his lips and took out the box of matches. His struck a match against the box. “Last chance…”

“…Thank you…”

The other voices grew louder again, so Klaus lit up the joint and took a nice long drag. And then another. And then another. And slowly the voices faded. By the time Klaus had finished, the voices were no louder than the crickets chirping, and he was finally able to relax.

———

When Dave returned, he was a bit more like his old self. He accepted the condolences of the other men and slipped back into the normal army routine. Klaus knew he had to talk to him, to pass on his father’s message, but the words felt awkward in his mouth. How should he go about saying this? He couldn’t just go up to Dave and blurt out ‘hey Dave, I spoke with your dad, he loves you and he’s proud of you.’ Klaus tried to imagine what it might be like to have a father who was capable of love, of pride, of any emotion really, and how he might like to be told that if he had any expectation or desire of hearing these words. The concept was so foreign to him. He ended up avoiding Dave all day, which wasn’t difficult. Dave seemed pretty distracted himself.

That night Klaus was woken by a rustling sound from Dave’s cot. He saw Dave get up and leave the tent. Okay, now’s the time then. He got up and followed Dave, hoping the words would be there in his brain by the time he caught up.

When Dave stopped, Klaus slowed down. “Hey…” he whispered.

Dave turned his head slightly. “Hey” he replied, but didn’t turn around.

“If you want to be alone I can go back…” Klaus offered, unable to read whether or not his presence was welcome right now.

“No, it’s okay” Dave said, and he did turn around this time, and leaned against a nearby tree, folding his arms.

Klaus slowly approached him. “How was it?”

“Yeah, it was a beautiful service. My brother gave a touching eulogy” Klaus nodded and stood next to him. Dave sighed and focused on a branch stuck in the dirt, nudging it gently with his foot. “I never really felt like I fit in with my family. I always felt like… they could tell there was something…” he glanced briefly at Klaus and then looked back down, “…different about me. Y’know? I was terrified they’d find out. I enlisted in the army so I could prove to them that I was still a man. So they wouldn’t know I was… I guess all guys like us worry about that, huh?”

“Oh, sure” Klaus said, but that hadn’t been his experience at all. Reginald would’ve been just as disappointed whether Klaus was having a picnic with his siblings, or making out with a boy, or starting a fire, if it occurred outside of the designated half hour a week they had for fun and games, so he never felt the need to hide anything about who he was. Until he landed in 1968, of course. And even here his efforts were half hearted at best. More for Dave’s benefit than his own.

“I just wish…” Dave closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know what I wish…”

“Your dad was proud of you, Dave. And he loved you.” The words felt a bit less awkward now, more like an answer to a question Klaus knew Dave was trying and failing to ask.

“Yeah, that’s what I try to tell myself…”

“No, I mean he really is. He told me.” Dave shot Klaus a sharp look, then. It wasn’t that he didn’t know Klaus could talk to ghosts. At least, Klaus had told him a while ago. But maybe he hadn’t believed it. Maybe he just thought the voices Klaus heard were only in his head. “He came to me and he told me to tell you that he loves you and that he’s proud of you.”

“Are you fucking with me, Hargreeves?”

“No! No, he really did, I swear! Trust me, I wish he hadn’t.”

Dave let out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. “Did he know? Did he know that I’m…?” He let the sentence linger. Dave never liked to put any actual word to his sexuality. Klaus wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t know the word for it, or if using a word for it would make it too real for him. Either way, Klaus accepted Dave’s reluctance to use a label.

“He didn’t say.”

“Is he still here now?

“No.” Klaus felt a slight pang of… guilt? “No, I smoked a joint so I can’t hear anything now.”

Dave nodded and took a moment to let it all sink in. Then he breathed out a laugh. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe he had an epiphany when he died.”

“Maybe…” Klaus said. Fuck if he knew what motivated the dead.

“Or maybe he was just always proud of me and he never told me…”

“Maybe…” Klaus wasn’t sure which Dave would’ve preferred.

Dave looked at him fully now. “Thank you, Klaus.”

Klaus looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Hey, it was nothing, don’t mention it.”

“I know how much you hate hearing them” Dave said softly.

Klaus shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable that the attention was on him now. He looked up at the stars, not at anything in particular but just for something to look at. “Happy to do it” he said, with much less conviction than he would’ve liked.

The two men stood there for a few moments before Dave broke the silence. “Klaus, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Why do you hate hearing them so much? Y’know, I don’t think they’re as scary as you think. They’re just people who want to want to talk to their loved ones one last time. You could help them. What are you so afraid of? They can’t hurt you.”

“Not physically…” Klaus found himself fishing another joint from his pocket. He wasn’t planning on smoking it just yet, he knew he should probably save it for later, when he really needed it. But his heart was suddenly thumping and he heard the blood rushing in his ears and his stomach was doing flip flops and his hands were shaking and he just needed to relax before Dave saw how much the question had unsettled him. He took the joint between his lips and lit up, inhaling deeply.

Dave looked at Klaus, the earnest expression he wore urging him to go on.

Klaus could think of a million jokes he could say. If it were anyone else asking he’d pick one and be done with the conversation. But Dave was so earnest, so kind, so unguarded with his own emotions that it made Klaus want to reciprocate in kind. For the first time in his life, Klaus felt like he could share his deepest fears and not end up trapped in a mausoleum for his trouble, or something similar.

“I knew things as a kid…” Klaus cleared his throat, not sure if his trembling voice was even audible. “…that no little kid should have to know. A little girl who was kidnapped and left for dead. She didn’t even know she was dead, she just wanted her mom. A man who beat his wife to death and then shot himself. All he wanted to do was tell his kids how much of a slut he thought she was, because she was cheating on him. A psychopathic murderer who was just executed. He took great joy in telling me in excruciating detail what he’d like to do to me if he was still alive.” Klaus felt a tear escape his eye and he wiped it away quickly. He had many more stories like this, but he figured he’d said enough for Dave to understand.

“Klaus…” Dave whispered gently. “Shit… I’m so sorry.”

“They’re not all like your dad, Dave.” Klaus took another deep drag and tried to stop trembling so much. “And they’re not all like that either. A lot of them are scared or angry and just want to lash out at the next person they come across. I guess they are just people, like you said. People who don’t know how to deal with their shit, much less their deaths. Apparently you don’t just get 100 hours of therapy bestowed upon you when you die.” Klaus gave a chuckle to try to lighten the mood. He was starting to feel like he’d ventured too deep into the abyss and couldn’t find his way out. Humour had always been his lifeline. Humour and drugs. He took one last drag and then dropped the joint to the ground, putting it out with his toe. “Anyway, we’d better get back.”

Dave rested a hand on Klaus’ shoulder. It was warm and comforting. He felt steadied by that strong hand, like it could stop his trembling the way it might stop a coin from spinning by resting upon it. “Yeah, let’s head back” Dave agreed. He didn’t remove his hand, but slid it along so that his arm wrapped around Klaus’ shoulders. Klaus wrapped his arm around Dave’s waist.

“I do think your dad’s at peace” Klaus said as they made their way back to the tent. “For whatever that’s worth.”

“Thanks Klaus. I think so too.” Dave stopped as they were approaching the tent. Klaus was beginning to feel calmer. The warmth of Dave’s touch anchored him somehow. Dave turned to look at him. “I really appreciate what you did for me, exposing yourself to them so you could listen to my dad. It means a lot to me.”

Klaus waved him off. “Yeah, sure, I mean it’s fine. Really.”

“You’re a good friend, Klaus.” Dave’s expression was so earnest and so caring and his voice so gentle and his words so pure that it almost made Klaus weak in the knees. Klaus had never been called a good friend before. Hell, he’d never even had a friend, outside of his siblings if they counted, not that they’d ever called him a good friend either. He was Dave’s boyfriend, he knew, but the word friend felt just as warm and loving and beautiful coming from Dave. “If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know. I mean… I want to be able to do something for you. I…” A quick sideways glance at the tent and a lowering of his voice. “I love you, y’know. I just want to make you feel as good and as positive as you make me feel. About… everything.”

Klaus chuckled. “Sure, of course” he said, having no intention of taking Dave up on that offer. But there would come a night, when Klaus would run out of weed and the voices would get too loud, and he’d ask Dave to read one of his books aloud to him until he fell asleep, to drown out the voices. And as he would focus on Dave’s strong, gentle, beautiful voice, the thought would occur to him that maybe, someday, it could be possible to deal with all this without the drugs.

A/N: I’ve read that “rest in peace” isn’t a thing that Jewish people say about the dead, but one of the honorifics I found on wikipedia is “Peace be upon him/her”, so... Is it okay for Klaus to say that Dave’s dad is at peace? And does it make sense for Dave to agree? If not I’m happy to change it to something else more appropriate. I don’t want to be disrespectful.

#klaus/dave #klaus and dave #klave #the umbrella academy #tua

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