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~ One ~ Dave’s 12th Day in 2019 ~
Klaus likes to think of himself as an optimist. He used to get on Ben’s nerves, actually, for being too optimistic-
‘Don’t worry, bro, I might be living on the streets but this is a really nice neighborhood.’
‘Come on, Ben, it’s not like I fucked a stranger for drugs, he’s been my dealer for weeks now.’
-but he thinks being optimistic in this situation is justifiable.
After all, what other choice does he have? If Dave doesn’t like 2019, it’s not like they can go back.
So here he is, very optimistically hoping that his boyfriend is happy in the future. And so far, that seems to be case. In fact, the first time Dave doesn’t immediately take to what the future has to offer, it’s something completely inconsequential.
They’re walking through the mansion, hand in hand, when Dave stops in his tracks and tilts his head. “What’s that noise?”
“What noise?” Klaus listens for a moment. “All I can hear is Diego’s music.”
Dave frowns. “I don’t hear any music.”
“What do you mean you don’t-” He’s cut off by Ben, following a few paces behind them.
With an amused snort, the ghost gestures down the hall. “I think he’s talking about Diego’s music, dumbass,” he chortles. “I doubt he heard a lot of dubstep in the sixties.”
“Oh!” Understanding dawns on Klaus and he starts tugging on Dave’s sleeve. “Babe, come on!”
The other man allows himself to be pulled down the hall without resistance, even if there’s still a confused pout on his lips. “Where are we going?”
“Diego’s room,” Klaus explains with a grin. “You’ve gotta see this.”
Dave doesn’t comment, just goes with the flow like he always does when Klaus asks, and soon they’re crouched outside of Diego’s room, Ben peaking over their shoulders. The door is cracked open and filtering out are the thumping bass line and nonsensical beats of dubstep, as loud and chaotic as Klaus remembers. Through the gap in the door, he can just make out Diego’s over the top dancing and he can tell exactly when Dave sees it, too, because the other man has to clap a hand over his mouth to stifle laughter.
After a moment of observation, he wheezes out, “wait, that’s supposed to be music?”
“You bet,” Klaus tells him and winks.
Dave shakes his head. “The future is crazy, sunshine,” he breathes, one part bewilderment, one part amazement.
“Good thing you’ve got me as your guide.” Klaus tucks himself into Dave’s side and breathes in the scent of the man he almost lost. “Crazy is my area of expertise.”
Dave chuckles low in his chest and the rumble soothes Klaus’ frayed nerves. Or it would, if he couldn’t feel his high -and the very last of his stash- slowly fading from his system.
~ Two ~ Dave’s 30th Day in 2019 ~
The first time Dave openly takes issue with the future, it’s the day after Claire comes to visit the Hargreeves mansion.
Klaus is excited to meet his niece -of course he is, never meeting her was one of his biggest regrets when he thought he was stuck in 1968- but he’s also two weeks into sobriety. And he’s never spent an extended amount of time with children but it turns out that they’re not exactly... ‘withdrawal’ friendly.
“Uncle Klaus, you’re allowed to draw on your walls?” Claire screeches as she comes skidding into Klaus’ room. “That’s so cool!”
He winces and tries to smile at her. “Uncle Klaus does what Uncle Klaus wants, baby girl.”
“I’m not a baby,” Claire informs him, Allison’s nose wrinkling up in distaste.
Klaus squeezes his eyes shut instead of responding. Dave is helping Allison get Claire’s room together and Ben had gone to supervise (spy) on Five and Diego’s training session so he’s alone. Or as alone as Klaus ever gets while sober. There’s a disembowled man in one corner sobbing hysterically and a raving older woman with a bashed in head in the other and his whole body is aching and, fuck, does he want some drugs. Claire must take his silence as invitation to keep talking and she starts bouncing on the edge of his bed as she narrates her airplane ride from California to New York.
“And the pilot came to say hi-”
Bounce.
“Please stop that, Claire-”
Bounce.
“And the lady brought me cookies-”
Bounce.
“Claire-”
Bounce.
“And I had a book to read-”
Bounce.
“I said-” Klaus darts forward and catches Claire by the elbow. “-stop that!”
There’s a sudden silence and Claire’s dark eyes fill up first with shock... and then with tears. “I’m sorry!” She wails, lower lip wobbling pathetically.
“No, fuck- I mean shit- I mean- Damnit! I’m sorry, Claire,” Klaus gushes, releasing his grip on her elbow to pull her into a hug.
They sit like that for a moment, Claire sobbing and Klaus blabbering apologies, before the door flies open. Allison and Dave both stumble in, Dave looking alarmed and Allison looking downright panicked. “What’s happened?”
“I made Uncle Klaus m- m- mad!” Claire stammers.
Klaus shakes his head and allows Allison to pull Claire into her own arms. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at her, I just-”
“Just what?” Allison snarls. “Thought you’d traumatize my daughter her first day here?”
Klaus only gapes at Allison uselessly and Dave steps between the two, arms out in a calming gesture. “Hey, hold on, you know he’s got a lot on his plate right now,” Dave reminds the glaring woman.
“Well maybe he should have it going on somewhere else,” she declares hotly before turning and striding out of the room, Claire still sniffling wetly into her neck.
Klaus feels like curling up and dying. Or better yet, like getting rip roaringly high and finding a rave or a club or a dumpster to drown his sorrows in. It’s what he would have done a year ago.
But it isn’t a year ago, he knows. And he’s reminded of such when Dave presses a large hand to his back and rubs it in a soothing circle. “Just breathe, sunshine,” he whispers, calm and sweet.
“I yelled at her,” Klaus admits, miserable and defeated. “What kind of uncle am I?”
Dave snorts a quiet laugh. “A normal one, I’d assume. Not that I have any experience either. Why don’t we go get some air, huh?”
The suggestion is normally something Klaus would turn down- with sobriety comes ghosts but at least he’s closely acquainted with the mansion’s phantoms. Except Dave’s eyes are shining and Allison had told him to take his problems somewhere else...
“Okay,” Klaus agrees reluctantly and holds out a hand.
Dave grins and tugs Klaus to his feet. “That’s my fella.”
They walk without purpose, Dave prompting Klaus for stories until he gives in and starts recounting the time he got arrested for smuggling cocaine into France. He chose the story because he knew it’d make Dave uncomfortable which- yes, he knows it’s a little petty, but Dave doesn’t flinch. He laughs at all the appropriate times and visibly bites his tongue when Klaus gets to the part of the story where anybody else would have scolded him and damnit, Dave.
“What?” The man asks, confused, when Klaus can’t keep his frustration to himself.
He plants his hands on his hips. “Why are you being so nice? I’m being a prick. We both know it.”
“No, you’re not,” Dave argues, crossing his arms defiantly. “You just don’t feel well.”
That makes the skinny man throw his arms up in frustration. “That! How do you do that?!” He demands and if his voice wobbles a little towards the desperate side, he’ll never admit to it.
“Because I love you,” Dave says simply and then his eyes light up and he points eagerly over Klaus’ shoulder.
He turns to find- “An ice cream truck?”
“Let’s get some popsicles!” Dave insists. “Come on, that’ll take your mind off things!”
Klaus rolls his eyes, even as a fond smile tugs at his lips. “We don’t have any money, Dave,” he points out.
“I think I have enough,” Dave assures him and digs into his pockets, triumphantly pulling out-
Klaus presses his hands to his lips to stifle a giggle. “Lovey-dove, we aren’t going to be able to buy an empty wrapper for 75¢.”
“Oh, come on, sunshine.” Dave prods at Klaus’ stomach in a quick, playful tickle. “I know it’s been a few few years but I used to send Sarah out for the ice cream truck with a quarter and that was more than enough for her to overdose on sugar and then some.”
Klaus sighs in defeat. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
~_~
Thirty minutes later, the pair enters the mansion in a mirror image of how they left, Klaus giggling madly and Dave pouting and sullen.
The first person they stumble across is Vanya and she falters in her path. “What’s got you all gloom and doom?” She questions in confusion.
“The future is stupid,” Dave huffs before sliding past her. “I’m going to take a nap.”
Vanya quirks an eyebrow at Klaus. “What was that about?”
“He found out about inflation,” Klaus stage-whispers, loud enough that it echoes down the long hallway.
The resounding door slam sends both Hargreeves into a laughing fit.
~ Three ~ Dave’s 48th Day in 2019 ~
After being sober for an entire month, Klaus decides that the whole thing sucks major donkey dong.
When he says as such that morning at breakfast, he receives instant and immediate backlash.
“Klaus!” Allison snaps, angry and harsh. “There’s a child present.”
Ben crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. “And she’s not talking about Five. Claire’s been here for over a week, bro, come on,” the ghosts nags.
Claire, from where she’s devouring her pancakes between Five and Vanya, looks up curiously. “What’s donkey dong, Mom?”
“It’s just a metaphor,” Vanya tells the little girl quietly while everybody else glares at Klaus.
Dave, because he’s the best boyfriend on the planet, only pats Klaus’ hand sympathetically. “You’re doing great, sunshine,” he assures Klaus with a quick kiss to the cheek.
Klaus sucks up the affection like a sponge. He knows he’s preening but he just can’t help it. Not only is Dave openly claiming Klaus as his boyfriend when less than three weeks ago he was anxious to even admit to their relationship but he’s also giving Klaus something he’s never had before; positive attention in reward for sobriety. Well, that’s not true. Ben has always encouraged Klaus’ attempts to get sober. It’s just not the same coming from a ghost who has no other chance at human interaction.
Diego, seated to Klaus’ other side, aggressively stabs at a grape. “How’s it going? Still got the shakes?” He asks, tone harsh but none the less genuine. Every person at the table shifts then, their annoyed glares replaced by stares of varying degrees of pride, sympathy, and curiosity.
“It’s okay,” Klaus mumbles, suddenly shy. “It was like having the world’s worst hangover and the flu at the same time, though, for awhile. And I was itchy,” he adds. “But every time I scratched, it hurt.”
Luther tilts his freakishly small head to the side. “Like the chicken pox?”
“Sorta,” Klaus agrees, not because it’s true but because they’ve decided as a group to encourage any and all signs of Luther’s budding empathy.
Claire tugs on Five’s sleeve. “What’s a chicken blotch?”
“Chicken pox, sweetie,” Allison corrects gently. “And it’s not something you’ll ever have to worry about again, trust me.”
Still pressed close to Klaus, Dave frowns. “What do you mean? Has she already had them?” He purses his lips sadly, ever compassionate.
“No, she’s already vaccinated.” Allison rolls her eyes. “If Jenny McCarthy thinks sitting next to me at the Oscars once is enough to get me to jump on her crazy anti-vac train, she’s got another thing coming,” she scoffs.
But Dave isn’t listening. He’s gone quiet and still, eyes wide and mouth open. Klaus carefully nudges him in the side. “You okay, sweet-cheeks?”
“I just- they vaccinate for chicken pox now?” He clarifies, tone awed. “I remember having to nurse my sister through chicken pox, it was horrible.”
Five nods, eyes gleaming like they do whenever history is brought up. “Oh yeah. They vaccinate for all kinds of things now. Hepatitis, influenza, measles. They even have an HIV vaccine in the works.” Klaus isn’t sure Dave even knows what HIV is, actually, but the other man doesn’t stop to ask.
“That’s- wow. When I was a kid, all I got was the DTP shot. And by the time my sister was born, there was the polio vaccine, too,” he lists, shaking his head in disbelief.
Luther laughs a little and reaches across the table to ruffle Claire’s hair. “Munchkin here doesn’t even have to get the small pox shot.”
“Really?” Dave looks absolutely fascinated, leaning over the table eagerly. “Why?”
Vanya, in her sensible tone, speaks loud enough to be heard from the end of the table. “It’s been totally eradicated.”
“No shit?” Dave laughs, a small, amazed sound in the back of his throat. “Damn. The future is groovy as hell.”
Klaus smiles and lets his head fall to Dave’s shoulder.
“I’m glad you think so, sugar.”
~ Three ~ Dave’s 61st Day in 2019 ~
About two months after returning to his time from the Vietnam war, Klaus has yet to forget about the brothers that he left there.
He can tell it’s bothering Dave, too, and he quietly works on a plan with Ben, going over the details enough times that he’s sure nothing will go wrong. He even asks Five if it’s a bad idea -as he’s the expert on timelines in the family- but the old man only glares at Klaus with his teenaged face and tells him that he “doesn’t give a fuck where you take your boyfriend for a picnic.”
So that’s how he ends up shifting nervously from foot to foot in the doorway, trying to ignore Ben’s judgement. “Just ask him, Klaus.”
“Ask me what?” Dave pops his head up from his book and looks between the brothers in confusion.
Klaus flips Ben the bird. “Watch it! You’re corporeal, you dick,” he hisses.
“Opps,” Ben deadpans and pointedly flips a page in his book. “Guess you have to ask him now.”
Dave bites at his lips. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes! Yes, everything’s good! Great, even. Très bien! Bueno! Es läuft absolut fantastisch-”
Dave interrupts with a huff of laughter. “Sunshine, spit it out,” he instructs warmly.
“Well...” Klaus picks nervously at his nails. “I thought you might want to go for a picnic-”
“Is that all?”
“-at the Vietnam War memorial?”
“...oh.”
The room is suddenly too quiet, too big, too tense.
Ben looks back and forth between the couple and shakes his head. “That’s my signal. Peace, bitches.” And then he’s fading from existence like a bad projector.
“I don’t want to make you sad,” Dave finally whispers when the silence has gone on for too long.
Klaus shakes his head. “No! I want to go! I’m just worried about...”
“Running into people we know?” Dave finishes with a wry grin. “I’ve been thinking the same thing for weeks.”
That pulls a giggle from Klaus. “But I’ve planned it out, I think. There’s a meeting for ‘Nam soldiers today at the VFW so anybody who would recognize us will be there,” he explains.
“That’s... that’s a great idea, sunshine,” Dave praises, wide smile on his face.
Klaus grins shyly and holds out his arm. “Then shall we, my dearest?”
“Oh, we shall,” Dave agrees before scooping Klaus up into a princess hold. “Ready?”
The skinny man giggles wildly and clings to Dave’s neck. “I’m always ready with you,” he promises.
~_~
A few hours later finds the pair stretched out under the fading sunlight, stomachs full of picnic food and pinkie fingers lightly wrapped together. Klaus feels warm and content in a way he hasn’t since- well, ever. It’s a novel feeling and he’s just about to suggest they pack up and head home to keep the good feeling going when a familiar voice rings out across the empty park.
“Klaus? Klaus Hargreeves?!”
He jerks up into a sitting position instantly and gasps in shock. Hurrying towards him and Dave is a figure straight out of Klaus’ memories. Almost six and a half feet tall and sporting the same bushy afro that he remembers -blue, now- he would recognize her anywhere. Being tugged along behind her is a shorter woman that Klaus doesn’t recognize and he quickly pushes himself to his feet to greet his old friend.
“Do my eyes deceive me?” He declares, all dramatic flair. “Or is that the one and only Tatiana Teaman?”
As soon as she’s close enough, Tati releases the other woman’s hand and pulls Klaus into a hug. “You dirty bastard, where have you been hiding?” She demands playfully, pulling back to look at him after a moment.
“Oh, here and there and now and then,” Klaus evades, grinning like a maniac and unable to take his eyes off of the woman.
From Klaus’ right comes a polite cough. “Who’s this, sunshine?”
“Right!” Klaus spins and grabs Dave by the hand, dragging him close enough to wrap his arms around. “Tati, this is my boyfriend, Dave Katz! And this is Tatiana Teaman, my cell- I mean,” Klaus winces and glances at the stranger behind Tati. “My friend.”
Tati smiles gratefully and shakes her head. “Thanks but no worries, Santa Klaus.” She gleefully gestures to the woman. “This is my wife, Jess,” she introduces.
“You’re wife?!” Klaus bounces on his feet and claps his hand together in excitement.
The woman -Jess- blushes slightly and leans forward to offer her hand. She short, though taller than Vanya, and sporting a buzz cut and two full sleeve tattoos. When she shakes Klaus’ hand, her grip is firm and warm. “A pleasure. I’ve heard plenty about you.”
“Tati’s told you all about her old cell mate then, huh?” Klaus tilts his head to address Dave. “This is, uh- well, in all of my stories I would’ve called her Tony.”
Dave’s eyes squint in confusion but he leans forward to shake first Jess’ hand and then Tati’s regardless. “I’m glad to meet you both,” he assures the pair slowly, obviously trying not to let on that he has no idea what the protocol in these situations is.
After all, it’s not everyday that you meet the trans woman who your boyfriend shared a cell with in jail after they got caught soliciting together, Klaus thinks in amusement.
“So, what are you two doing here?” He asks cheerfully so that they can all move on from the awkward introductions.
Tati wraps her arms around Jess’ shoulders. “Just paying our respects to the War on Terror Memorial down the block. My dearly beloved here did two tours in Iraq.”
“You were a soldier?” Dave blurts. He immediately winces and Klaus snorts and presses a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s jaw.
Jess doesn’t seem offended, at least. She only shrugs and rolls over her arm to show off a tattoo. “A marine, actually,” she explains.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Dave waves his arms around and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, this is probably going to be rude, but I need to clarify; you’re,” He points Tati, “a ex-prostitute, transgender woman?” He points at Jess. “And you’re a lesbian Marine?” And then he gestures between the two. “And... you’re married? Like actually, government sanctioned, got-the-certificate-type married?”
Jess and Tati share a quick glance before Jess squares both her shoulders and her jaw. “Yes. You got a problem with that?”
“A problem?!” Dave laughs, something deep in his chest, and wraps his arms tightly around Klaus. “Hell no. The future is awesome.”
Tati and Jess both relax and Klaus dissolves into a fit of giggles so powerful that Dave has to take on his weight. Once he calms down, he wipes the tears from his eyes and straightens up. “So, where’d you two meet?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Don’t be gross, Hargreeves,” Tati scolds him with a laugh.
Jess rolls her eyes. “We met at Pride two summers ago. I proposed at Pride last summer and we got married last week. Just in time for Pride this summer.”
“Pride?” Dave repeats. “What’s that?”
Tati purses her lips. “Klausy, I thought you said this was your boyfriend. Ain’t no gay man I ever met didn’t know what Pride was,” she drawls.
“Holy shiiiiit!” Klaus starts jumping up and down, practically vibrating with excitement. “Dave! We’re going to Pride!”
~ Five ~ Dave’s 95th Day in 2019 ~
Pride, Klaus knows, is slightly overwhelming the first time.
So he’s ready when Dave jumps in excitement at the sight of the ‘Gay and Jewish’ float. He’s ready when Dave claps and cheers for the LGBT Soldier Society. He’s even prepared for Dave’s burst of laughter when Tati and Jess ride by with the Dykes on Bikes gang, waving cheerfully.
What he isn’t ready for is...
Well, nobody’s ever accused Klaus of planning ahead.
It happens when they’re standing in line for corn dogs, Klaus draped over Dave’s back like a limpet and moaning about the heat. “I’m going to diiiee, baby-cakes!”
“You’re practically naked, sunshine,” Dave points out, smirking and letting his fingers dance over the hem of Klaus’ skirt- or the pansexual pride flag he’s wearing as skirt, at least
The skinny man shimmies for effect. “And I’ll be full on naked by the end of the day, you stud muffin,” he purrs.
“You’re ridiculous,” Dave laughs fondly. “We’ll eat and head home and- and... What the fuck?”
Klaus frowns. “What?”
“Is that...?” Dave trails off and gestures weakly with one hand over Klaus’ shoulder.
He turns to investigate and- “Oh, that,” Klaus squeaks.
He feels the unfamiliar sensation of embarrassment under his skin and if he weren’t already flushed pink from the heat, his blush would be obvious. Because across the street, staring at Dave and Klaus in all its life-sized glory, is a picture of sixteen-year-old Klaus. It’s a blast from the past that Klaus could have done without and he squeezes his eyes shut instantly.
He so does not need to look at it to remember it. Even lankier in his youth than he is now, clad in the same tasteless, bland uniform that dominated most of his childhood, and holding up a poster board covered in bubbly rainbow letters.
You don’t have to be straight to be a superhero!
Klaus almost gags thinking about it.
“What is that?!” Dave exclaims loudly.
Klaus peaks open one eye. “The Times Magazine cover from June, 2006?”
“It’s what?!” Dave is gaping like a fish, head swiveling between Klaus and the poster. “Are you like, famous or something?!”
His sigh is long and bone deep. “The Umbrella Academy was kind of a big deal, baby. And since me coming out wasn’t exactly part of daddy dearest’s plan, he was quick to jump on the damage control,” he explains.
“I’m going to shit myself. My boyfriend is famous.” Dave sways on his feet and rolls his eyes skyward.
Klaus grimaces. “I’m not famous. Allison is famous.”
“My boyfriend is a famous,” Dave repeats. “A famous, pansexual, non-binary, apocalypse-preventing superhero.”
Klaus pause. “...well, when you say it like that, it sounds pretty cool,” he admits.
“Hm... more like pretty sexy,” Dave purrs into Klaus’ ear, nipping at the shell of it gently.
This time, Klaus’ blush can’t be blamed on heat or embarrassment. “We done here?”
Dave doesn’t answer, just starts dragging Klaus towards home impatiently.
~ Plus ~ Dave’s 100th Day in 2019 ~
Klaus wakes up one morning a week after Pride to an empty bed.
He looks around to find the room completely empty- though that isn’t so rare, these days. Dave often wakes up early to go for jogs and Ben has taken to not hanging out in Klaus’ room without explicit reassurance that he isn’t going to walk in on something he doesn’t want to see.
So he shrugs and curls back up in his blanket and falls asleep again without worry. The next time he wakes, it’s to the bed dipping and warm lips pressing against his neck. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“It is now,” Klaus slurs and blinks awake. “Have a good run?”
Dave hm’s. “It’s getting too hot. I’m gonna have to invest in a treadmill,” he jokes.
“You live with seven heirs to a millionaire’s fortune, I’m sure you can convince one of us to buy it for you,” Klaus quips back, rolling so that he can press his body fully against Dave.
After a quick kiss, Dave leans back. “Why don’t you get up and get dressed, sunshine.”
“But I want to stay in beeeeeed,” Klaus whines. “And I want to stay here with yooouuu.”
Dave rolls his eyes and flings the blankets back. “Come on, breakfast is probably getting cold.”
Klaus grumbles but gets up anyways, getting dressed and following Dave down to the kitchen with minimal fuss. Ben is waiting for them, hands folded patiently, book sitting unopened in front of him.
“Morning, Benny-Boo,” Klaus greets and almost subconsciously extends the the power necessary to make the ghost corporeal.
Ben notices instantly and shoots a grateful smile his way. “Thanks. I’ve only got two chapters left,” he tells them and opens his book to the page-mark.
“Anything for my favorite brother,” Klaus teases as he starts pouring himself a bowl of cereal. “What snooze fest are you reading this time?”
But Ben doesn’t answer. He’s staring at the book in his hands with wide eyes. He looks up at Klaus, turns to look at Dave, looks back at the book, and immediately slams the heavy tome shut. “It’s a great book!” He yelps. “Full of great ideas! I support every single idea in this book!”
“What the fuck-” Klaus is cut off by Dave, who’s suddenly across the room and ushering Ben up.
Smiling widely, he prods at the ghost. “That’s wonderful! Maybe you should go see if the sequel is in the library!”
“I’m going to do that right now,” Ben agrees, far too cheerfully. “Have a good breakfast, Klaus!”
And then he’s gone. Klaus stares at the empty chair in absolute confusion. “Shouldn’t he finish the first book before he reads the sequel?” He points out, geasturing towards the closed book Ben left on the table.
“He’s just excited,” Dave all but whispers and comes back around the table.
Klaus quirks an eyebrow. “You’re being weird today.”
“No, I’m not,” Dave defends. “I’m being perfectly normal.”
The skinny man shakes his head. “No. You’re being weird. Suspicious. And so was Ben just now,” he adds, circling the table to get closer to Ben’s abandoned book.
“Ben was being normal, too!” Dave squeaks and tries to step in Klaus’ path.
He expertly dodges, ducking and spinning so that he lands right in Ben’s unoccupied chair. “Nuh-uh,” Klaus taunts and runs a finger up the spine of the novel. “And I think it has something to do with this boring old thing.”
“That’s crazy talk!” Dave’s tone is a little hysterical, though, and Klaus decides that he’s had enough.
He curiously flicks the book open to the marked page and- “Christ on a cracker...”
Slid into the pages of the book is a handwritten note and spelled out in Dave’s careful block lettering is a singular question:
May I have your blessing to marry Klaus?
Klaus feels himself tear up and he quickly turns away from the book to find Dave kneeling behind him, ring extending in one shaking hand.
“Klaus Hargreeves, will you marry me?”
Klaus, for once in his life, is speechless. He just sits there staring at the other man, jaw hanging loose.
“It’s just- now that I’m starting to consider 2019 home, I can’t help but think about how home’s not a time or place, really. It’s you.” He laughs a little, self-conscious and nervous. “And being at Pride made me realize how accepted our marriage would be- not that I care what other people think of us.”
Klaus opens his mouth to speak but Dave doesn’t stop.
“And I hope you’re not mad that I asked Ben for his blessing,” he hastily adds. “Because I don’t think you’re property or anything, I just thought it’d be nice to get his approval since he’s your best friend and all and-” He winces and shifts his weight from one knee to the other “And I hope you like the ring. I got you a pearl instead of a diamond, I don’t know why, I just thought you’d like it better. And I’m sorry if-”
“Dave,” Klaus interrupts softly.
The blond licks his lips. “Yeah?”
“I love you,” Klaus breathes. “I’m so in love with you.”
Dave blinks once, mouth dropping open. “Does that mean...?” He trails off softly and holds up the silver, pearl-encrusted band.
Klaus never technically answers the question but he thinks the hour long make-out session kind of gets his point across.
~_~_~_~