#ever again. and he’s never able to touch another child ever. good riddance. you gross greedy poor excuse for a public servant.

[goldkirk]

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[moon-beam95]

Two of a kind

By: Moon-Beam95

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy

Pairing: Klaus x Reader

Every child wants to be a hero, to have super-strength or to soar above the clouds, but let’s be real it won’t pay the bills. So when you realised you could see things others could not, you did the only logical thing and kept shtum. Like hell you were going to tell anyone about this freakshow. Thanks, but not thanks. Yet, you found that the older you became the harder it was to ignore them. The dearly departed wanted to talk, pass on message, demand that you help them, as if you owed them something. Fuck that noise! If they wanted your help they could damn well pay like every other fucker.

You started a sort of PI service, think Randall and Hopkirk, helped by the dead who you would then help, a little quid pro quo if you will. You had come to heavily rely on your powers a far cry from the child who was easily traumatised by the admittedly terrifying spectors. How do you tell the police that your sure your uncle murdered his wife when there was no proof, except his wife standing over him screaming obscenities, and gesturing wildly? How do you tell your parents that your not in fact playing make believe but playing with a lost little girl who never made it home? The one time you tried to explain,practically begging for them to say it would all be ok, they looked at you as if you were a monster, terrified beyond relief. So you sucked it up and laughed it off as it was all one big joke and never mentioned it again.

But like you said as you got older your powers grew stronger, which meant that the voices got stronger and you could slowly but surely could touch them, though this took a lot of effort on your part, easier for them to do damage. How do you tell the school nurse who slips you a pamphlet on abuse into your shaking hands, that the bruises littering your hands are from a man shot point blank by his lover in a jealous rage and not from an unfortunate home situation? Again, you don’t.

One of your cases brought you into contact with him. Klaus Hargreeves. At first you dismissed him as nothing more than another druggy, passed out in a literal shitty bin after coming down from a high. Yet, when you questioned the nearby girl, dressed in a ridiculously short dress, blood dripping from her sliced neck, needing to know if she'd seen the girl in the photograph you brandished, he reacted. He stopped whatever he was doing in the bin, peering over the edge and checking that yes you were talking to the dead girl, and clambered out of the bin. You tried to ignore him and the racket he created but he picked you up and swung you around squealing in joy.

“You see them too.”

Startled, you froze. It was then you noticed the ghost following him, oh great. You slapped his arm guestering for him to put you down.

“What the fuck man? Don’t go randomly touching strangers. I’m working for fucks sake,” you swung back around but the girl had gone, “Great and now my lead has gone. Thanks a bunch!”

He laughed, still giddy and clearly not at all repentant. “Klaus.”

“What” you said distractedly, not at all interested, mind already racing through other possible leads. A hand shot out and you took it out of reflex.

“My name, Klaus.”

“Y/N”

You turn around to head out of the alley, waving over your shoulder as he calls out.

“Wait. I’ve never met anyone who can see what I do.” You carry on walking, too far now to hear what his ghost had called out.

The second time you meet, you've managed to get yourself cornered by a thoroughly pissed of spirit. The fight hadn’t been going to badly, until you head a disgustingly cheerful voice shout

“Oi, weird girl its you.”

The spirit takes advantage of your distraction and he dives at you, slamming your head against the wall, hand encircling your neck. Screeching in your face, and let me tell you, ghostly spit, gross as shit. You rear back in what little space you have and slam your head into his, causing him to stumble. Ignoring the pain you start towards him but he fades with a parting -

“Bitch.”

You turn to Klaus head throbbing "You again. Really, what do you get a commission each time you fuck my case up?"

He holds his hands up, the ghost with him smirking. "Nope," popping the p, "But boy am I glad I ran into you. Also the ghost? How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Hurt it."

You quirk an eyebrow "can't you?"

"Nope, just hear them."

You shrug, "dunno always been able to, the more intune I became the easier it was."

His attitude did a 180 and he became quiet, subdued almost. "Can you. Can you make them stop?"

You gave a soft smile, pity blooming, you understood the need to drown everything out .

Feeling sorry you reply. "They don't ever really go but you learn to ignore them, a bit like background noise."

He sighs and the pity surges forth once more. You of all people knew how overwhelming the dead could be.

You reach down and shoulder your fallen bag, extending an olive branch.

"Let me get you a drink."

You look him over, he's still dressed in a long black, fur lined coat that grazed his ankles and trousers that looked painted on. He looks less high this time but the ghost still looks on with a concerned gaze. Your eyes flicker over to the hooded boy "and your friend."

"Brother" He corrects.

You wince, eyes closing briefly, but it does explain his constant hovering and Klaus' lack of concern. In my experience rarely did anything good from them hanging around too long.

The brother warily looks at you before tentatively reaching out a hand.

"Ben"

You smile back in what you hope is a comforting manner and give his hand a soft squeeze.

"Y/N"

His fingers tighten around yours as he looks at where your hands are connected mistified, while Klaus looks on longingly.

The walk to a nearby pub is quiet. The pub itself not so much. You both order and take a quiet booth in the back.

You sit in silence wondering how to broach the subject, him picking at the label on his bottle.

"How did you know you had powers?"

"How did you?" He asks back clearly reluctant but your willing to take a chance. You wished you'd had someone to guide you before you'd found Mildred. Still, you thought rolling your shoulder to relieve tension, better late than never.

So taking a deep breath you began. "It's always been there, figures in the corner of my eye. When I was seven I lost my aunt and police ruled it a home invasion gone wrong. But the next time I went there I saw her. Sat in her usual chair, head caved in. And I could see. I could see it. Shards of bone, brain matter leaking from the crevice." You pause taking a drink, trying to separate yourself from your memories.

"I scared the shit out of everyone when I screamed. She noticed I saw and began to shout, argue, swearing about uncle. I was terrified and begged to leave. They thought I was being a dramatic little shit, but I just couldn't stay there, it happened again and again every time they dragged me there. And each time my aunt got worse, more angry, more vengful and suddenly she wasn't the woman who baked cakes when I slept over or kissed my boo boos, she was this, this wraith."

"Well that sucks."

You snort. " No kidding, I always seem to find the worse ghosts. Wherever I go death follows."

He dropped his eyes and Ben liked on in concern, he was a quiet soul.

He began quietly. "When dad saw what I could do, when I came to him shaking and begging for help, he locked me in a crypt. No light, no nothing. Just voices screaming out." He paused here, taking a breath, giving a worthless chuckle.

"I musta been there hours, bodies screeching at me, all in different states of decay. When the door finally opened I was relieved but he just said, 3 more hours."

You jumped as he slammed his bottle down, cursing out, how could a man do that to his child. Reaching out a hand you caress his. He looked into your eyes and saw understanding.

"What a dick."

"You're not wrong. Then I discovered drugs and the high, the hallucinations drowned them out. So it was Hello drugs bye bye ghosts. And good riddance."

He looked at his brother smiling fondly. "Except Ben, no matter what he always forced himself through the drug filled haze."

"Mildred" you interrupted "I was 17 and my boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend died and completely lost it. He wouldn't leave me alone, he seemed determined to destroy my life. It wasn’t what your thinking no big acts of violence or anything, it started as just a few words here and there, constant muttering just at the edge where I had to strain to hear him. And i was just so happy he was there you know? It grew from there, it wasn’t some great battle it was a fucking siege.Then one night terrified and beyond tired I sat in the bath sobbing I just couldn't take it anymore, the constant whispering, I just wanted it all too end. Then she appeared, sat on the toilet, a bullet hole through the brain watching me. She taught me everything."

Klaus and Ben stared on in rapt attention, drinking in every word.

"Apparently she'd met someone like me ages ago, he'd helped her and so she swore to help those like him. It was little things, guided meditations. She talked about the veil a sort of in between where they reside. I hadn't really understood that at first, but I learned that the hard way. And above all she said your will had to be stronger than theirs."

"Well" he drawled "that sounds anti-climatic."

You shrugged a shoulder, " It worked, so I ain't complaining."

He took another swig of his beer and Ben latched onto an earlier piece.

"What did you mean you leaned the hard way about the veil."

You breathed out through your nose, "What we can do, walking among the dead, touching souls it leaves a mark. When we spend time convening with the spirits we enter the same state, were neither dead nor alive and that, that's what leaves a mark. "

They both quired a brow and despite the situation you had to stifle a laugh you could see the family resemblance now, they had similar mannerisms.

"When I was 18, I was still learning with Mildred, she had set me a simple task to help a spirit. He seems kind enough, he kept up a stream of chatter had he been alive we might have been friends." You laugh darkly, reaching up to scrub at your now stinging eyes. "He was so kind, and understanding, til one night I was in a motel, we've travelled to find some family of his. We were relaxing on the bed, and just as I was drifting off he climbed on top of me and smothered my face with a pillow. He killed me. I wasn't the first and he was beyond pleased when he heard there was someone who could interact with the dead. It was all kind of a haze what happened next, the was light so pure and happy, then pain and heat. Then a tugging sensation and I was back in body. I woke up in a dingy motel room, and the world was cold and numb."

"Jesus" Klaus breathed out. "What a wanker."

You let out a wet laugh, meeting his eyes you give a sad smile that could only have been gained through experience.

"Our powers, our gifts are in some ways the most dangerous, we walk along the living and the dead, yet we are neither. Unlike others, we can be hurt by the residents of both worlds, we have to be doubly careful."

"So we can't die?" He said, taking her word as gospel. There seemed like too many downsides to developing his powers, but for his brother, who spent his death watching over him there was nothing he wouldn't do. Not to mention that whole bit about light and pain and numbness sounded startlingly familiar, but for now that was going in the nope box.

"It seems so, I don't plan on testing it and I don't recommended you do either." You said tipping your bottle at him narrowing your eyes.

He lifted hand, "scouts honour."

"Please" you said " you weren't ever a scout."

You spent the night chatting, keeping it light hearted. The boys would tell stories of a superhero past and shenanigans they got up to. You shared stories of cases that took funny turns and embarrassing ghost requests. It felt so good to have someone who understood and a ghost who wasn't demanding anything or trying to kill you. But all good things come to an end and the pub began to close.

He stood drawing his cost around him, inclining his head "thank you for this love." Ben smiled. As they turned to leave,you found yourself doing something she never imagined doing.

"I could help. With your powers I mean. It'll be a hella lot cheaper than drugs and you maybe able to connect with Ben here more."

The brothers share a quick glance and both flash you excited grins. Klaus steps forward, slings an arm around your shoulders tugging you between the two brothers.

"Y/N, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

End.