Don't Be Scared, It's Only Love (Klaus Hargreeves x reader)

Chapter 9

(Y/N) woke up to the sound of a steady beeping.  Mind groggy, she tried to sit up only to realize that she couldn't move. She tried more forcefully, but her movement was again restricted. Panic set in and she began to thrash against her restraints and yell out. Tears streamed down her face with each second that she was unable to break free. Her breathing became rapid and sporadic and her vision was blurred with fear.  The door opened and Klaus came waltzing in munching on a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos.  As soon as he realized (Y/N) was awake he gracefully bounded over to her.

"How you feeling?"

(Y/N) stared at him for a minute before answering.  "What happened?" she asked groggily.

"You started to seize so I got an ambulance to take you to the hospital," Klaus filled her in nonchalantly.  "You did give me a wretched scare," he added on, tone becoming more serious.

"Klaus, are you gonna be ok?" (Y/N) asked gently.

"What do you mean?"

"It's almost my time.  I can feel it.  I know that I only have a couple months to live at best and I don't want to spend them in a hospital participating in trials that won't do anything."

"What if they do?  What if one of them is going to work and you just walk away?  What if- what if-" Klaus stammered out unable to believe what he was hearing.

"What if , Klaus.  I need to be free.  I want to enjoy my last few months instead of being carted to the hospital every week.  I want to be with you.  I want it to be like the old days." (Y/N) reached up and lightly cupped his cheek, "I love you so much, Klaus, and if you love me even just a smidgen, you'll understand why I can't do this."

Klaus looked at the woman he loved begging him to let her die without a fight.  The woman who had more fight in her than anybody he had ever met.  The woman who took down all of the government's best in a tactical simulation with her brother.  The woman who taught him to value and fight for his life.  How could he let her do that?  But how could he not?  Whether he liked it or not she was right.  He knew she was.

CJD acts fast and there's nothing close to a cure or a treatment for it.  She'd be practically living in the hospital, unable to do anything she would want to.  All just to inevitably die anyway. He wiped away a few stray tears that he didn't know had fallen and pouted at her, eyes wide and begging. As she stared back at him he could see the pain in her eyes.  The yearning to go back out and enjoy the world. He knew that she would hate him forever if he didn't let her go, so he swallowed hard and nodded, watching a radiant smile spread across her face as he did so.

Now here they were, all because he had let her have her way.  A simple gesture had led them down this road and though he knew that they would end up here in the end, he still couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.  The steady rhythm of a heart monitor was the only thing that Klaus could latch on to.  When he had first gotten the news he had excused himself politely and made his way outside to the back of the hospital.  He had screamed and cried out and collapsed on the hot pavement, the August sun beating down on him. People that walked by stared at the man dressed in a skirt and a sheer t-shirt bowed on the ground whimpering brokenly. The asphalt burned his skin, but if he had learned anything from the war, it was how to suck it up and endure the unpleasantness.

Klaus jumped in his seat when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

Jake peered down at him with an empathetic smile.  "Go on, get some air, I'll stay with her."

Klaus reluctantly stood up and stumbled to the door while Jake took his spot.  He glanced back at the childlike man and shuddered, remembering their fight.