Fixes to the Timeline

Chapter 8

It was the screaming that jolted Klaus awake, piercing through the silence, so full of terror and pain that it left him in a cold sweat just from the sound alone. It was still dark out but he stumbled out of bed regardless, halfway to the door before he even realized it was the ghosts and not someone he could actually help.

They pressed in around him, grasping hands reaching for him but thankfully passing through, their cries of fear and despair turning to desperation and rage as Klaus tried to shut them out. Dave was stumbling out of bed after him, barely awake, nearly bumping into him as he tried to get his bearings.

"We under attack?" Dave mumbled, but he was beginning to wake up properly now and seemed to remember where they were.

"Depends," Klaus sighed as he sagged against his door, pressing the heel of his hands into his eyes as if he could somehow rub the visions of death away. "Not unless you count ghosts."

"I definitely think they're on the list of enemies to look out for, yes," Dave said, gently drawing his hands away from his face. He moved closer, as if trying to block out the ghosts which Klaus appreciated even if it didn't exactly work.

"Well then I've got bad news," Klaus joked halfheartedly.

He flinched back as a ghost swiped through Dave at him, screaming so loud Klaus clamped his hands over his ears, not that that actually helped. They always could reach him regardless of earplugs or anything else he'd ever tried. He wanted to pretend he was fine, to avoid worrying Dave more than he likely already was, but it was just too much.

It was horrible and painful and he wanted to shrink down as small as possible and stop existing but even that wouldn't help get rid of them. They'd follow him wherever he went. He clawed at his own arms to try to ground himself, to bring himself back to the present and remind himself that they couldn't touch him, he was safe, but it was a losing battle.

"Well, shit," Dave said, drawing his attention. "I knew they'd surround us eventually. Come on, we gotta get back to the fort!"

Grabbing a bewildered Klaus' hand with sudden energy, he dragged him back over to the bed where he ripped off the sheet and draped one side over the bedside table before handing the other end to Klaus.

"Help me out with this, quick!"

Catching on, Klaus dragged a chair over and draped it over while Dave grabbed their pillows.

"Here's your weapon, now let's go!" Dave said, handing him a pillow before dropping down and crawling under their makeshift blanket fort.

Klaus huffed a laugh before rolling underneath to join him. "I think they got me," he said as he sprawled out on his back, smiling despite himself.

"Don't you die on me, Hargreeves," Dave said, crawling over to put his pillow under Klaus' head.

"Wait, so if the pillows are our weapons, did you just put a grenade under my head?" Klaus asked.

"Look, the analogy only goes so far, just roll with it."

"Okay, okay," Klaus grinned. "Now, are you gonna kiss this injury and make it better, or what?"

He gestured to his torso, winking at his lack of shirt. Dave grinned back but as he leaned closer, he paused, distracted by his tattoo there as he so often was. 'Klaus loves Dave.' Not that Dave could read any Thai, but he'd long since memorized the characters and now he reached out, fingers tenderly ghosting over the familiar lines almost reverently and the breath caught is Klaus' throat.

He couldn't help but wonder how Dave was so good at rendering him speechless. He treated him with such tenderness, like he meant it, all of it, like Klaus could ever deserve this. Klaus never knew what to do in moments like these, feeling too overwhelmed and terrified but also so so loved and happy and excited that this was real, this was truly happening and, fuck, he loved this man.