The Umbrella Academy - one shots and imagines

Old Flame - Klaus Hargreeves x Reader

Reader is Klaus' ex-lover.

Warnings: nah

As soon as you stepped into your apartment, you could tell something was wrong. The smell of alcohol was faint, but it shouldn't have been there at all. You could smell something else, like sweet smoke. A soft sobbing was emitting from your lounge room, with a soft glow, probably from a lamp.

You had only told him to come here if it was an emergency. You distinctly remember praying that you would never have to see him again as you handed him a spare key.

You slowly made your way to the sounds of crying, ready to attack just in case it wasn't him.

But it was.

Klaus Hargreeves.

He was curled up on your worn-out blue couch, hugging a pillow tightly to his chest. Multiple empty bottles of alcohol were left littered on your coffee table. He loosely held in his hand a joint, his face stained with tears.

His eyes never met yours as you observed the mess that he was.

He hadn't changed much since you'd last seen him.

"Klaus?" you quietly called out, making your way over to him. He still avoided your eyes.

"Klaus, sweetie, please. Talk to me." You brushed is hair out his face, only to have him recoil.

"Klaus, I-"

"They won't leave me alone." He choked out between sobs.

"The ghosts?" You asked. He nodded in response.

"What happened?" you pressed.

"I got out of rehab a few weeks ago. I wanted to try, I really did, (y/n). But it got too much. They kept screaming, and yelling, begging for attention I didn't want to give them. I was only sober for 3 days and I couldn't handle it. I can't handle it, (y/n). I never could."

Klaus broke down into a new wave of sobs, hugging the pillow tighter. You remember having nights like this when you were dating Klaus, you would console Klaus but the end result would always be the same – he'd turn back to drugs, and turn his back to you.

You could never understand what he was going through. You didn't have any special powers, no way to relate to him. But what you did understand was that drugs were more effective than you. It escalated to a point where you couldn't handle his constant abandonment of you anymore, and you pulled the plug on your relationship.

Yes, it was an immature thing to do but you hated feeling useless to someone you might've loved. You had handed him a key to your apartment, telling him that if he ever needed help, he could come to you and you would try your best.

And here he was, curled up and crying on your couch.

And you didn't know how to help him.

You tried to stroke his hair again, and this time he didn't recoil. His sobs softened, knowing that you were there for him.

"Klaus, look at me."

His beautiful green eyes finally met yours. You could see the desperation hidden in them, the loneliness of his life.

"You can get through this." Was all you could say. You hoped that if you said it with enough confidence, he would believe you.

"No I can't, (y/n)!"

"Not with that attitude. And not alone. But you're not alone Klaus, you have me." You moved to sit next to him on the couch, trying not to crowd him. He rested your head on your lap, stilling holding the pillow.

"Why did you stay with me for so long?" He asked.

"I..." you took a deep breath, hands playing with his hair to calm him down. "I knew you needed me."

"Then why did you leave me?"

"Because you didn't want me. I'm sorry, Klaus. I shouldn't have left you like that but it hurt to be treated like crap from someone you loved. You treasured drugs more than me, and I couldn't cope with that."

A silence filled the room for a moment as Klaus took in what you had said.

"You loved me?" he asked, confused.

"Yes."

"Do you still love me?"

"I think I do."

Klaus sat up to face you. You could smell the alcohol and smoke on his breath as he got closer.

"Drugs were the only quick remedy that stopped the ghosts. They worked. I didn't want to try anything else because I knew what was effective and what wasn't. I'm sorry I didn't try us." Klaus said, his eyes now never leaving yours.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you."

"Friends again?" Klaus asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"I don't think friends do this."

"Don't do what?"

You replied to his question with a kiss, soft and sweet. He tasted salty, his tears overpowering the alcohol and opium. You both pulled away breathless.

"I don't know what the future holds, Klaus. But I want it with you."

"I'd like that" Klaus smiled, pulling you into another kiss, more passionate than the last.

He pulled away again, leaving you feeling slightly empty.

"I'm still high out of my mind, (y/n)."

"Nothing's really changed then, has it?" you mischievously asked.

"I think I've gotten more buff since last time, that's changed."

"No, you're still as scrawny as ever."

"Ouch, (y/n)!"

"Shut up and kiss me, Klaus"

And he obliged. 

You hadn't felt this happy since you last held Klaus.