Fixes to the Timeline

Chapter 9

Eventually they had to admit to themselves that no more sleep was going to happen. It was still early morning and they were both exhausted, moving around sluggishly. Klaus couldn't help the pang of guilt he felt, knowing it was his fault they were awake at all. Dave had stayed up with him, trying to provide a distraction, but unfortunately not even he could drown out the screaming once the ghosts really got going. The company helped at least.

Instead of continuing to hide away in their fort, Klaus suggested they move downstairs so they could at least watch tv. That way, maybe Dave wouldn't feel like he had to distract him. Not that Klaus managed to pay much attention. He mostly just buried his face against Dave and tried not to hear anything at all, focusing instead on Dave's hand brush through his hair.

He was shutting down again, he could feel it happening. It was a new habit he'd developed, just letting the haze consume him for hours on end. He just didn't have many other options. The ghosts were just so overwhelmingly loud. But that was how months had gone by with him barely noticing, doing absolutely nothing with his life while his siblings all moved on and actually made something of themselves.

Going out and being more active may have been good for him, he always enjoyed himself when one of the others came around. He couldn't go out alone, though. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure he could trust himself. And he didn't want to put that kind of pressure on Dave, making him feel like his sobriety relied entirely on how long they could wander out into the city for adventure. Which would likely cause Dave to push himself harder than he should and worsen his healing injuries.

So instead he let himself slip back into it, shutting out the world and letting time blur past because eventually it had to get better, right? He just didn't want Dave to realize how unlikely that hope was before he had to accept it himself. Klaus knew something needed to change, he just wasn't sure what.

When he felt Dave wiggle out from under him, he felt guilty that he couldn't muster up the energy to say anything or even ask what he was doing. He'd fully intended to, but then he was gone and it was too late. Thankfully, what felt like only a moment later, Dave was back, gently shaking him back into himself.

"Hey," Dave said, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Think you can try to eat something?"

"Did you cook?" Klaus asked as he sat up. That certainly piqued his interest, but it helped that he was very skilled at slipping back into being a person when he needed to so that no one would worry about him. Too bad that, with Dave here all the time, there wasn't really any fooling him. "Are you trying to spoil me?"

"Well, it was mostly your mom, to be honest," he said, handing him a plate before settling down next to him.

"What time is it?" Klaus asked with a sleepy stretch. It felt like he shouldn't be tired.

"Three," Dave said. "I'm all for lazy days, but I wanted to make sure you ate something. I am getting kind of tired, though. Want to go back upstairs after this?"

Klaus made a noncommittal noise, the guilt back in full force. No doubt he was only saying that so Klaus didn't have to. He seriously doubted he could be tired. As soon as they arrived back in the bedroom, Klaus dropped face first into the blanket fort with a heavy sigh. Dave crawled in beside him, tucking them both in with the remaining blankets and pillows. Klaus was vaguely aware of Dave talking and he tried to pay attention, he really did, but all he could think about as he waited for sleep to claim him was how he should be the one trying to comfort Dave instead.

-

Klaus wasn't sure when he actually woke up or how long he lay there, just trying to block out all of the screaming. Eventually, he became aware that something was missing; there was no warm body pressed up against his like there had been when he'd fallen asleep.