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Diego has always wanted to help people.
He likes to think that it’s not a result of Reginald’s insistence that they’re meant to save the world, but rather who he is as a person. Making sure everyone got to safety and the satisfaction of seeing them whole and okay was his favorite part of every mission (not counting the thrill of bringing down a bad guy). So when he visits Mom and she asks him what he’s considering doing for the rest of his life, law enforcement seems like the most logical choice.
He changes his name first. Asks Mom for a new last name and writes down the first one she comes up with.
The idea of writing ‘Two Hargreeves’ on any form of official documents makes him physically sick, and he doesn’t need anyone connecting the dots and asking him questions he doesn’t want to answer. He doesn’t really plan on making friends anyway, so it’s not a big deal. He’s there to become a police officer, no socialize. Besides – he doesn’t really know how. He’s well aware of the vibe he gives off. Klaus tells him he looks about two seconds away from killing someone every opportunity he gets.
The academy’s not everything Diego had hoped it would be.
He doesn’t understand some of the procedures they have to follow. He cant tell if it’s because he grew up without having to worry about them, or if they’re genuinely just stupid procedures that don’t really make any sense. He is, however, still determined to pass. And with the help of an unexpected maybe-friend-maybe-more, he might actually be able to.
If he could just stop getting into fights with some of the other students.
“It’s not my fault some of them are colossal dumbasses.” He huffs.
Somehow, Diego has found himself with a group of friends. He doesn’t really know how this happened. One day, another student just came up to him and introduced herself as Eudora Patch – “but just call me ‘Patch’” – and the next thing he knows, he’s surrounded. He actually has other people’s numbers saved to his phone now, not just the house number and his landlord.
It’s nice.
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean you have to physically fight them all.” Hale says, rolling her eyes.
“Even if it is entertaining.” Patch adds, laughing. “You’re going to get in serious trouble if you don’t quit it, though. Where the hell did you even learn to fight like that?”
At home, he doesn’t say. He knows she’s right – he’s already gotten in trouble more than once. Their patience with him is wearing thin.
“God, right?” Hale puts a hand on her hip. “What are you, like, a boxer?”
“Maybe you could teach me how to move like that, huh?” Nathan asks, spreading his feet apart and raising his fists.
“I –”
“Di-e-goooo!” A familiar voice sings behind him, and he freezes. He already knew who it was, but Hale’s doubletake and Eudora’s eyebrow raise confirms it. He turns around.
Klaus really has the worst timing.
He excuses himself and hurries over to him, scowling.
“What are you doing here?’ he hisses. Klaus throws him a lazy smile.
“What? Can’t come visit you at school, meet all your little cop friends?” He puts his hands under his chin and bats his eyelashes at him. “Hmm?”
“No. Especially not when you’re high.”
Klaus gasps, seemingly scandalized, and presses a hand to his chest.
“How dare you accuse me of such things, mein bruder? I would never.” He lowers his voice. “I mean. I am a little drunk, but. Not High. Yet.”
“Klaus.” He grits out.
“Okay, okay. I actually came here for a reason.” His smile falls, and now he looks nervous. Diego does not like that look on him, and he definitely doesn’t like how it usually means something bad. “I. Um. You have to promise you won’t get all…mad.”
“You know saying that only pisses me off even more, right?”
“Okay. okay. Vanya’s here. She needs your help with something.” Klaus says quickly.
Oh.
No.
“No.” he growls.
Vanya had always been one of Diego’s favorites, growing up, even though he never actually acted like it. She was more muted than the rest of them. Quiet, like Ben and Five had been, but lacking Five’s arrogance and Ben’s air of fear. Sometimes, Diego would just sit on her bed with mom and watch her practice the violin, and clap when mom did. She didn’t laugh when he couldn’t pronounce any of the names of her pieces, like Luther did. She was a calming presence at his side, Klaus’ total opposite, but somehow, the two of them always know just what to do to make him feel better.
Until she wrote that damn book.
She didn’t tell anyone. She just released it less than a year ago, out of the blue. Diego had never felt more hurt and betrayed in his life. With father, he expected to be hurt. But with Vanya? It was like a ton of bricks had fallen on him, the day he passed by that book store and saw her book in the window. Their names weren’t in it, no, but it’s not hard to make the connection from the six children in the book to the seven adults wandering around the real world. She spilled all their deepest, darkest secrets and hid it under a thinly veiled cloth of code names and made up missions. He wanted to hate her.
He honestly doesn’t know if he does. But he’s definitely angry. And he really doesn’t want to see her.
“Ah, come on man.” Klaus tries. “She said it’s important. You can’t be mad at her forever.”
“Why aren’t you mad? She made you out to be nothing but a crazy junkie who’d do anything to get his next fix. How can you even stand to be around her?” He says, frustrated and hurt and so fucking angry.
Klaus just stars at him, eyes surprisingly clear.
“You two are all I have left.” He says simply.
And isn’t that just a punch in the gut? Diego sucks in a breath, some of his anger draining away. He never thought about it like that. He always assumed Klaus had other friends, someone else to stay with when he wasn’t crashing at Diego’s or Vanya’s.
“Klaus,”
“It’s fine.” Klaus plasters on that easy, dazed smile again, like none of that happened, and takes a step back. “I’ll just tell her to try Luther. Maybe he’ll actually pick up this time, hmm? Don’t sweat it.” He takes a few staggering steps back before twirling on his ridiculous platform shoes and disappearing behind the door. Diego sighs, running a hand down his face.
That could have gone better.
On the way back to the others, he hears – words, whispered about his little brother, and the sudden rage it fills him with must show on his face, because Patch reaches out and squeezes his arm.
“Diego, don’t.”
“Don’t risk your badge on that asshole.” Hale murmurs. “Detective Diaz has no patience for homophobic dickholes like him, and a lot of pull around here. He’ll be gone in a week. It’s not worth it.”
“Who was that guy you were talking to, anyway?” Nathan asks.
“No offence, but he looked kinda like a mess.” Hale hums. “Hot mess, but still.”
“He was…” Diego pauses. Should he say? He hasn’t even told any of them his actual last name, or anything about his past. He swore he wouldn’t unless absolutely necessary, before he joined the academy.
“Hey!” he hears behind him, muffled.
That isn’t –
It can’t be? He’s not still here making a scene, is he?
“Get your hands off my sister, creep!” Klaus’ distinct shout comes from behind the doors, and Diego’s blood runs cold.
What?
He’s running before any of the others can even speak, pushing open the swinging door and stopping short at the scene in front of him.
Another student – one he knows, one he talks to, what the fuck – has Klaus pinned against the wall, glaring at him like he wants to kill him. Vanya’s a little off to the side, cheeks red and hands over her mouth. Her jacket is half hanging off her, her bag on the floor and its contents spilling out. There are a few other students in his class around, and even some officers.
“What the fuck is going on?” Diego gets out.
“Dunno. This fag here just came at me for no reason.” Ray says, turning away.
Diego’s blood boils.
“Oh boy.” He hears behind him. It sounds like Nathan.
“This ‘fag’,” Klaus spits – he looks pissed. More than, even. “Came at you because you squeezed his little sister’s ass with your gross, tiny little heterosexual hands, you absolute shit bag.”
Diego doesn’t really feel himself move.
One minute, he’s standing next to the others, and the next, he’s on top of Ray and slamming the idiot’s back into the tile floors. He guesses it’s the blind rage that does it, or the absolute fury coursing through his veins. He can’t stop himself. He doesn’t actually want to. He slams his fist into the officer’s face, and he’s satisfied when he sees red.
“Yes! Hit him again!” Someone shouts.
“No! Diego, stop!” Some’s trying to pull him off, and failing miserably.
“Holy fucking shit.” Someone else says, close behind him.
There’s a pair of hands on his shoulders, and thin arms around his waist, and belatedly he realizes it’s Vanya. She’s trying to stop him. Why? Why would she do that?
“Hey!” Someone yells, and finally Diego’s pulled off him, breathing heavy and blood still pounding in his ears.
Ray’s face is a mess. His nose is most definitely broken, he may even be missing a tooth. He’s still conscious, which is unfortunate. Behind him stands Detective Diaz, with an expression on her face that Diego really can’t place.
“Hale, get this moron to the hospital.” She instructs. “Ramos, Young, Stuart – with me, now.”
Part of him knows that this was probably the last straw.
The other part of him doesn’t really give a shit.
The car ride to Vanya’s is silent.
She drives, because Klaus can’t and apparently Diego’s got a busted lip and black eye developing that he doesn’t actually remember getting. Klaus sits half in the back, half in the front, giving them both worried looks and chewing on his lip until it’s bright pink and raw. Its a nervous habit of his that Diego can’t summon the energy to tell him to stop. He glares out the window instead, trying very carefully not to think.
They follow Vanya up to her apartment quietly, and she gestures for them to sit on the couch before disappearing into her bathroom.
Klaus, for once, isn’t trying to fill the silence. Its. It’s unnerving.
Vanya comes back with a first aid kit, and sits herself down on the coffee table as she riffles through it.
“I don’t need –” Diego starts.
“You’re knuckles are bloody.” She says softly.
She’s right. He hadn’t really noticed that either. Shit. These are really gonna hurt tomorrow.
Well. At least now he doesn’t have to worry about falling behind in class because of it.
“You didn’t have to do that.” She finally says, dabbing at his hand with a wipe. He scowls.
“What are you talking about?”
“That. Defend me. Us. He was never going to do anything to really hurt us, not un front of all those people.” She pauses, looking up at him. “You got kicked out of the academy because of me.”
“I got kicked out because that was the fifth fight I’ve gotten into in four months, and if I hadn’t stopped, that shit head would be in the ICU right now.” Diego corrects.
“I could’ve taken him.” Klaus whispers, wringing his hands together.
“Why would you even stand up for me? I thought you hated me!” Vanya suddenly explodes, standing up quickly. Diego looks at her.
Does he hate her?
No. It’s a surprise to himself when he realizes it, but he doesn’t. he’s – he’s pissed beyond all hell that she would ever write those things about them. About him. about her supposed ‘favorite brothers’. Not even little Five escaped her scrutiny although she didn’t have much bad to say about their already dead siblings. But he’s more mad that most of what she said is true. He’s emotionally stunted. He never lets anyone in. He’s a coward.
It’s not her fault.
It’s Reginald’s.
“Vanya,” he grabs her hand, “I don’t hate you. I was just – angry. But even if I did kinda hate you, you’re my little sister. We’re the only family we got left. An that means I will always stand up for you, whether you like it or not. Especially if you’re up against dumbshit assholes who don’t deserve to even breathe the same air as you.”
Vanya stares at him, tears in her eyes.
“I’m the same age as you, you know.” She croaks.
“You’re still my little sister.” He huffs, pulling her close. He drapes his other arm over Klaus’ shoulder. “You’re both my little siblings. If anyone hurts you, I’ll kill them.”
“Aw! That’s so sweet!” Klaus claps his hands together. “Didn’t know you cared so much, hermano!”
“Klaus, he’s talking about murder.”
“I know! No one’s ever threatened to kill for me before.” He leans into Diego’s side and sighs. “Sibling bonding time. This is nice.”
“Alight, alright, get off me.” Diego huffs, letting them both go. Klaus presses a kiss to his head before he can get away, and then wanders into the kitchen. Diego can hear the distinct sound of the fridge opening, and Klaus’ sigh.
“Ugh, van, you don’t have anything good in here! We should go out for dinner. I vote waffles.”
“He always votes waffles.” Diego mutters. Vanya grins, and wraps a bandage gently around his knuckles.
“I…Diego?” She says softly.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”