𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 ~ 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀

~ Chapter Forty Five ~

"Well, that went as well as any Hargreeves family function," Allison said, breaking the silence inside the elevator. Dusk couldn't help but look down at Klaus with his back against the wall, shuddering and sweating like mad. "I feel so violated. I need an herbal bath," He sighed, rubbing his neck and face before looking at the ghost of Ben. "You had no right to possess me!"

The Hargreeves looked down at him, wondering who he was talking to. Unbeknownst to them, Ben was in the elevator with them, responding to Klaus, claiming that he didn't necessarily possess him but more like borrowed him. "Congratulations, by the way," Allison said, glancing over her shoulder at Luther and Dusk. "For what?" the raven inquired, confused by her sister's statement.

"I think that's the first time you two have ever stepped up to Dad," Allison explained. Dusk remembered the moment she became enraged by her father's lack of help. She had forgotten how stubborn the asshole could be. "Well, to be honest, I thought he would be a little helpful and not so stubborn from when we were kids," Allison nodded, understanding her sister's logic. None of them knew why he was so stubborn. But they all had a hunch that he was harboring a lot of secrets.

The elevator stopped, and they walked out one by one. As Dusk stepped out, she sighed before grabbing Klaus's leg and dragging him out as the elevator doors closed. "Leave me here, Dusky. Leave me!" he whimpered, making Ben roll his eyes at his exaggeration. Surprisingly, Dusk was strong enough to hold his weight and not manage to fall down the steps. Five was different since he was in a child's body. But Klaus was a fully grown man.

Vanya looked over her shoulder, hearing the sounds of Dusk panting as she reached the end of the staircase. "I've got him," she assured. By then, the siblings headed toward the parking lot in separate directions. Dusk's arms quickly became tired, so she carefully set Klaus next to a nearby bench, where he continued to whine.

"Can you take me home?" he whispered. "Yeah, I'll take you home," she answered. He wrapped an arm around the small of her back, stumbling as they walked to Dusk's car. She pressed the key into the lock, turning it about nine degrees before hearing a click and getting inside. The roads were full of darkness, with a few dim streetlights every so often. The full moon was shining brightly that night, its pale white light making it easier for the raven to see in front of her.

The two soon reached the gravel driveway of a white mansion. Dusk's jaw dropped, she had never expected Klaus to live in a place like this. "H-how did you find this place?" Dusk questioned, coming back to reality. "I found this place while I was getting away from my cult. But as you well know, they found me," Klaus sighed. She gave a look of sympathy to her crush, feeling that boom-boom sensation in the center of her chest.

"Come on, your cult can't be that bad," Dusk said, leading Klaus up the stairs. "You'd be wrong about that songbird," Klaus explained. The moment they opened the door, they were greeted by the members of Destiny's Children, who all rushed towards them, desperate to touch their "God" and this mysterious girl. "Who is she? Is she joining the cult?" A few members whispered amongst themselves.

"Alright back up, you hippies, let us through!" Dusk said, trying to remain as calm as possible despite the fact people were poking at her. The followers kept whispering about this visitor. The murmurings stopped as Dusk and Klaus walked towards his room, shutting the doors. She pressed her back against the door, letting a breath of relief before shifting her gaze towards Klaus, who slumped onto the ground again. 

"You need me to get you anything?" she questioned. "Mm, tea would be just peachy," Klaus muttered. She walked to the kitchen, watching as the steam gathered above the water and the bubbles at both sides of the metal reached the surface. Right behind her, some of the followers continued to watch, including Keechie and Jill. 

Curiously, Keechie quietly crept over to the raven, standing behind her and sniffing her hair, his hand slowly creeping to Dusk's butt. Before he could make contact, she snapped out of her daze and whipped around, grabbing his arm and staring him dead in the eyes. "Did you just try to touch me?" She growled. "I-I-I," Keechie stammered in response. This only made Dusk angrier as she threw him up against the wall, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Answer me, you blithering idiot!" She snarled, her eyes turning red, which made the cult member even more frightened.

"Y-Yes," He mustered. "Listen to me. I don't know where you come from. But from where I am, touching girls without consent is rude. So, do me a favor and leave me the fuck alone. And if you try to touch me again, you're gonna be coughing out blood and glass! Do I make myself clear?" Dusk's hair began to turn a few strands red, not enough to make Keechie notice, but Dusk could feel the fire burn through her veins.

Keechie nodded, whimpering as Dusk let go of his shirt and let him run off. "Jesus Christ," She murmured, pouring the two glasses of herbal tea and walking back to the room. "What took you so long?" Klaus asked as she handed him a cup. "One of your members tried to harass me," Dusk answered. "Oh, they're like that. Why do you think I left? Cause I hated them touching me all the time,"

"I can see that," The two conversed for a while, continuing to sip on their tea until Dusk began to feel tired. As she looked at the clock, she was shocked to discover that it was 12:30 am. Mary was probably worrying about her. "I should probably get ho-" "No! No, please stay?" Klaus pleaded, suddenly not wanting to let her go. He felt a warm sensation cross his stomach. It felt like a longing feeling.

A longing for Dusk.

"Klaus, you don't understand. Mary is gonna think I'm dead if I don't get back," Dusk protested. "I'm sure she'll be alright," Klaus stood up, taking her hand and ushering her towards the cushions. They stared straight ahead, looking at the large painting of him dressed like a reborn Jesus. It felt comforting, like something out of one of their memories together. She remembered feeling his body pressed against hers, feeling soft strands of his facial hair tickling her, and of course, his occasional jokes.

Dusk's eyes began to grow heavier and heavier, eventually causing her to fall into slumber. Feeling his body shift, Klaus looked over to see the raven beauty was asleep on his shoulder. Her hair looked so silky and soft, and the fourth Hargreeves couldn't help but run a gentle hand through it. "This is weird, don't you think?" Ben said from across the room, watching this entire scene. Klaus shot him a dirty glare before looking back at Dusk, grabbing a nearby pillow, and laying it underneath her head.

Unlike her, Klaus was not tempted to give into slumber. He would stay wide awake for as long as it took to ensure that Ben wouldn't have the opportunity to get into his body again.