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Klaus missed these days. Quiet, warm nights with his siblings without anything more to care about than who was going to win at monopoly. Five was clearly going to win, but Diego and Luther were trying their best to get ahead while simultaneously trying to trick each other into making the wrong moves. He gave Allison a look and rolled his eyes towards his brothers while they fought over who would get what property. He had a hard time focusing on the game, even with Ben giving him tips and the occasional snark remark about “What a dumb move that was.”
Allison and Vanya were talking on the couch, only half paying attention to the game other than when one of the brothers would yell that it was their turn and whine for them to hurry up. Klaus wasn’t paying much attention either, choosing instead to listen to the musings of Luther’s old record player that was brought down to the living room. Music has always been a source of comfort for Klaus, usually just because it can drown out the spirits around him, but sometimes he enjoys it just because it can let his mind quiet for a while and just focus on the lyrics. Where he doesn’t have to think.
He sits and sways in his seat, sometimes standing up and dancing with one of his siblings if a particularly good song comes on. It’s been a long time since he’s had such a calm moment to just relax, after constantly moving around on the streets for years and then being catapulted right back into his chaotic family and having to deal with the apocalypse. But that’s all in the past now, and the living room is quiet other than the bickering of his brothers and the conversation of his sisters. And on top of it all that is the music, being what’s easiest for him to focus on.
His footsteps creak on the floorboards as he waltz’s across the hardwood floors, even though this song really doesn’t fit with a waltz, like, at all.
“Klaus, you’re going to get a blister!” Vanya calls out behind him.
Klaus only tsks at her as he continues to slowly swing around, barefoot feet tapping and shifting on the 40-something old wood.
The sunbeams shine through the curtains and the freckles of dust can be seen though the light. It’s probably close to the golden hour, Klaus thinks to himself. The lighting would probably look amazing in here if anyone had a camera.
The music picks up again, and his curls fall lazily into his face as he twirls and spins around the room, with Ben joining him and dancing together, even if it just looks like Klaus is holding onto the air to everyone else. “His” (Allison’s) skirt swings and coils around his long legs and he grins and continues spinning around with the spirit of his brother, both of them laughing.
Allison pulls Vanya up from the couch, and starts bobbing to the rhythm of the song despite Vanya’s objections, and all four start dancing in their own different ways around the room. Klaus instinctively sways in a loose but formal looking dance, while Allison looks like every music video from the 2000’s. Vanya looks a bit stiff and awkward, unsure of how confident she is dancing around other people, even her siblings. But she soon falls into a rhythm and only focuses on the music and loses her insecurities into the beat of the music. Ben is a bit erratic in his movements, barely dancing at all since he died and the only music he gets to hear often is thumping club music from Klaus’ nights that Ben was dragged along for.
The song began to fade out, and Allison skips over to the records drawer and began sifting through, searching for something else to put on. Klaus kept swirling around with Ben, even through the only sound in the room was the static noises of the needle. At this point, Diego, Luther, and Five have all stopped arguing over the board game and were now watching their siblings, hesitating on whether or not to join the dancing.
“Guyssss... we were playing something!” Luther whined.
“You were playing something.” Klaus pointed out.
Diego only ignored the two and stood to help Allison choose a song, while Five rolled his eyes. Five was content with only watching from his chair, and not particularly wishing to be taught how to dance at the moment. Vanya sat in the nook of the chair, unsure of what to do with herself while she waited for a new song to be played.
“Allison, hurry up and choose something! Anything is better than this dreadful silence.” Klaus calls.
“Aha! Perfect!” Allison exclaims, holding up a record folder.
Klaus didn’t pay much attention to what was chosen, instead aching for anything that could fill the room with sound again. He wanted to dance, and that’s not easy when nothing is playing.
He immediately regrets not looking at the cover of the vinyl. The first few beats of music begin playing, and Klaus stops near dead in his tracks.
He knows this song. Why are they playing THIS song?
All of the siblings get up and begin dancing, Luther in a stiff kind of shuffle, Allison and Vanya holding hands and giddily spinning around the room, Diego trying to show off as best as he can, and Five is still sitting on the couch, drinking his coffee and smirking at his siblings antics.
// Well the clock says it’s time to close now,
I guess I better go now,
I’d really like to stay here all night //
Klaus doesn’t dance. He doesn’t even move. His throat is dry and tight, and his face is wet from the tears that begin spilling down his face. He’s frozen in place and all he wants to do is scream but his throat won’t allow it.
“Klaus? Are you okay?” Ben seems to be the only sibling that notices that he’s standing still. Klaus barely hears his voice. All the sounds of the room are fuzzy except the music thumping in his chest.
He isn’t in the mansion anymore. He’s standing in a disco, surrounded by dancers and alcohol and that same fucking song,
And Dave.
Dave is right in front of him, and he reaches out to touch his face but he can’t move. Why can’t he move? He can’t move and he’s crying, because Dave is right there and he can’t get to him. The tears are running down his neck and he screams for Dave, and then the scene changes again. The air is hot and humid, and sweat drips down his brow and mixes with his salty tears and then there’s red on his hands.
Blood.
He’s back in this horrible fucking place, and he can’t breathe and oh god Dave is right in front of him and he’s dying, oh god he’s dying again, god Dave no, please not again.
Klaus lets out a strangled scream as loud as he can muster, and he’s crying so hard.
“DAVE!” He cries, “Dave, Dave, Dave..”
He reaches out for him again, but his face is cold and lifeless. You were too late Klaus, he’s dead again. You couldn’t save him again.
Klaus curls into himself, leaning on Dave’s cold bloody body. He can’t breathe. he can’t breathe, he can’t-
There’s a hand on his shoulder and he suddenly hears a sound that’s be present for longer than he was aware of it.
“KLAUS!”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s having a panic attack.”
“Van, are you su-“
“Trust me on this. I’m sure”
Klaus stumbles a bit, blinking. The air is cooler, and no longer humid and choking. His throat is still tight and twisting, but he takes in a shuddering breath. As he becomes more and more aware of his surroundings, he can hear Diego’s voice, and realizes that he isn’t laying on Dave anymore, he’s on the hardwood floors of the mansion he spent half of his life in.
“Wh- What.?” Klaus asks, blinking the tears out of his eyes.
“Klaus! Are you okay?” Vanya asks
He’s laying on the floor, in a crazed and uncomfortable position, looking like a cornered animal. All of the Hargreeves are standing around him, including Ben right behind his right shoulder. Vanya is holding Klaus’ upper body in her lap, squeezing his left hand, both her hands clasped around his “GOODBYE” tattoo.
Luther and Allison are both standing above him, staring with wide, concerned eyes. Five is next to them, arms crossed and eyes pointed, laced with..worry? Diego is crouched on his left, looking the most concerned of anyone, except maybe Vanya.
“Who knew that a little Klaus meltdown was all it took to bring the family together?” Klaus laughed dryly. It hurt.
“Wh- Klaus! What just happened to you?” Diego barks.
“Are you okay?” Vanya asks, quietly.
Klaus squeezes his eyes tightly together, tears still on his face and burning. He quickly wipes them off, as if that would make everyone forget that they were there. It doesn’t.
He takes a shuddered breath. “I’m fine. I’m good now.”
“Klaus..” Vanya starts.
“I said I’m fine. Now would someone please turn off that fucking music?”
The siblings give a worried and confused glance and Allison runs to turn off the record player. As the record scratches, Klaus breathes a sigh of relief.
“Klaus, what just happened?” Luther asks, trying to sound as soft as he can.
“I was gonna ask you all the same question.” Klaus mumbles as he stands up and brushes himself off. He wobbles towards the couch and flops down, shielding his eyes from the now strenuous light that he thought was lovely just a moment ago. Vanya sits down next to him, and pulls her legs into herself.
“You suddenly stopped dancing, and started crying. You fell onto the floor and started sobbing and calling out for someone named “Dave” over and over again.” She says, trying to seem calm even as tears prick her eyes.
Klaus mumbles a quiet “fuck..” under his breath, and punches the bridge of his nose. They weren’t supposed to see this kind of thing and he really doesn’t want to have to explain himself to the rest of his siblings.
So he doesn’t.
He just listens to the record whirring without any music playing, and grips his dog tags. His eyes close and he spreads a tight, joyless smile as the dried tears on his face are mixed with new ones threatening to bubble to the surface.
Vanya doesn’t ask any questions, giving him a tight hug and smoothing his back with her calloused hands.
“You don’t have to tell us what’s going on if you don’t want to Klaus, but I don’t want you to deal with whatever this is alone. Please let us help.” She says softly, and Klaus can feel some of her tears soaking into his shirt.
He lets out a wet laugh and a sigh. He wishes Dave were here.
“I will.” He whispers.