Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Klaus Hargreeves learned that his father was dead in a simple way, half-listening the news while attempting to knit a pair of socks. Emphasis on attempting. He could tell that these were not going to turn out right. Oh well, they'll be a little wobbly, no big deal, he thought. He was seated on the couch in his apartment, he was too focused on knitting, cursing under his breath as he tried to correct the stitching when the news anchor announced Reginald’s death. Ben was the one who got his attention. 

"Klaus," Ben said, staring at the TV with a look of shock on his face. 

"Fucking socks. What am I doing wrong?" Klaus grumbled, giving no indication of having heard Ben. "Damn stitches. Look at that gap! How did that happen?"

"Klaus," Ben repeated a little louder. 

"Maybe I should try another blanket? That last one turned okay?" He mumbled to himself, lost in thought, still not having heard Ben. "I mean sure, it was a little short and a little ugly, oh who am I kidding, it was hideous. But I think I can do better this time. What do you think of hot pink and bl-" 

"Klaus!" Ben yelled, finally getting his attention. 

"What?" He looked at Ben with annoyance. Ben simply pointed at the TV. Klaus turned to see what made him interrupt his knitting and froze.

"Oh." He said quietly. 

"Yeah." They stared at the TV in silence. He felt a lot of things at the moment, but relief was the biggest of them. 

"Holy shit, he's actually dead. I was starting to think the bastard was immortal." He joked, leaning back against the couch, socks forgotten and on the floor. Ben made a noise of agreement. They remained silent for a moment before Ben decided to speak.

"Are you going to go to the funeral?"

Klaus let out a sharp laugh. "Hell no. I said I was never setting foot in that house ever again. Even if he is dead."

"You should at least go to see the others. I'm sure they're all going to be there."

"Again, no, you know exactly what’ll happen. Luther and Diego will fight, Allison will side with Luther, I'll say something that pisses everyone off, and Vanya will sit there quietly." Klaus' voice got louder as he talks, gesturing with his hands wildly. "We'll have a service, Diego will start another fight, and then we'll all leave and see each other at the next funeral or wedding or whatever forces us to see each other next. Not to mention-"

"Daddy?" A small voice cut  Klaus' rant short. They turned to the living room doorway and there stood a young boy, about three years old. A mop of brown curls rested messily on his head and he gazed at the two with sleepy blue eyes. Wearing green dinosaur PJs and clutching a blanket in his small hand. 

"Benny, what are you doing up?" Klaus immediately moved to crouch in front of the boy. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Heard yelling. Was worried 'bout you." He put his arms around Klaus' waist and buried his face into his chest. Klaus felt a stab of regret for his outburst, only because it worried his son. 

"I'm okay, bee. Uncle Ben and I got into an argument, that's all." He wrapped his arms around the child and lifted him up, holding him against his chest. He carried him down the hall and into a bedroom, laying him down onto a small bed. He tucked him under his covers and placed the blanket he was clutching on top of him, cartoons bees decorating it. 

"Are you and Uncle Ben mad at each other?" Benny asked through a yawn.

"No. Just disagreed on something."

"Okay." He let his eyes close as another yawn escaped his mouth. It was only a few minutes before his breathing evened out. Klaus watched him, eyes soft, and pushed some curls off his forehead before kissing it. 

"Goodnight my little bee." He whispered. He stood and left the room, closing the door softly. He turned off the TV, locked the front door, and switched the lights off before making his way to his own room. He undressed and climbed into bed. Laying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. He could see Ben out of the corner of his eye, sitting on the dresser, flipping through a book Klaus was sure he had already read upwards of one hundred times. 

"How am I supposed to tell them I have a three and a half-year-old son?" Klaus mumbled into the darkness before drifting to sleep.

________________________

Klaus woke the next morning to a small body landing on his chest. He groaned while Benny giggled and bounced on his chest.

"Daddy, wake up." Klaus groaned again and kept his eyes closed. 

"No. Daddy is still sleeping. Leave a message." He turned his head to bury it into a pillow, muffling his words. It was quiet for a moment, then a small hand was pulling at his face, trying to turn it back upwards. Klaus let the hand move his face and once his face became unburied from the pillow, he felt fingers attempting to open his eyelids.

"Up. Wake up." He let his eyes be opened and when they adjusted to the light, he settled them on the boy currently on his chest. Benny was grinning and giggling, hair sticking out at every angle. Klaus couldn't help but smile at the sight. He was still dumbfounded by his son, by how adorable and sweet he was and how he changed his life. 

"Alright, alright, I'm up. If you get off me, I can start making breakfast. How about... waffles?" At the mention of waffles, Benny scrambled off his chest and ran from the bedroom, yelling ‘Waffles!’ as he sprinted to the kitchen. Klaus chuckled at the sight and climbed out of bed, making his way to the kitchen, as he entered he saw Benny already sitting in his seat, bouncing excitedly and still chanting ‘Waffles!’ excitedly. Klaus opened the freezer and pulled out a box of frozen waffles, popping two into the toaster and giving Benny a cup of apple juice before putting on a pot of coffee. 

Klaus thought back to the conversation last night. His father dying was probably the best thing that had happened to him this year. No more Dad meant no more worrying that he’ll find out about Benny and try to take him away. He knew that the funeral would be taking place in a few days and that his siblings would probably be there. He wanted to see them, even if they were almost always at each other’s throats. He would love for them to meet Benny, to let them get to know their nephew. He knew they would love him, but his greatest fear was that they’d think he’s still just a junkie and try to get Benny taken away. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost him. 

He was jolted out of his thoughts when the toaster popped. He snatched the waffles and put them on a plate, poured some syrup onto them, and cut them into small pieces. Benny gave him a wide, toothy grin and began to shovel waffles into his mouth. Klaus chuckled and poured some coffee into a mug and put two more waffles into the toaster for himself. He watched Benny scarf down his food, periodically taking a sip from the sippy cup adjacent to him. 

“Slow down buddy, you’re going to choke if you keep that up.” Klaus chided. Benny gave a nod and began to chew slower. “Thank you.”

The toaster popped again and Klaus placed his waffles onto a plate and lightly drizzled them in syrup. He placed his plate and coffee next to Benny, sat down, and began to eat. They ate in peaceful silence for a few minutes until Benny put his fork down on his plate. 

“All done!” He proudly exclaimed. 

“Your juice done too?”

“Uh-huh! Can I watch TV?”

“Sure, but only for a bit. Then you’re going to Mrs. Miller’s while I go to work.”

“Okay!” Benny chirped, running to the TV and switching it on, changing the channel to the morning cartoons. He jumped up onto the couch and fixed his gaze onto the screen. Klaus smiled fondly at the sight before placing their empty plates in the sink. He poured himself another cup of coffee and sat back down at the kitchen table. Ben moved to sit next to him. 

“We still have to talk about the funeral,” Ben said when Klaus was seated. 

“What’s there to talk about? I said I didn’t want to go.” 

“Yeah, I know what you said and I still think you should.” Klaus groaned.

“Why? The whole thing is gonna be a crap show and I’d rather not deal with it. I’ll stay home, maybe celebrate a little and that’ll be that. Plus, Benny doesn’t have to experience the horror that is our family.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. You haven’t seen the others in years. Maybe they’ve changed.” Klaus snorted.

“Yeah, sure.” He stated dryly, “Luther isn’t a control freak, Diego isn't a bitter asshole, Allison no longer craves attention and doesn't like manipulating people, and Vanya isn’t the quiet little mouse who stabbed us in the back. I’m sure they’re all better people and everything will be all sunshine and rainbows. We’ll all apologize for our sins and sing Kumbaya.” 

“I’m not saying that everything will be great but at least give them a chance.” Ben gave Klaus a stern look. “ What are you so afraid of?” 

Klaus went quiet at that for a few moments before whispering. “What if they don’t believe that I’ve gotten sober and try to get Benny taken away? I wouldn’t survive that. He’s the most important thing in this world.”

Ben’s face softened. “They wouldn’t do that... And if they do, just make me corporeal and I’ll tell them. They’ll have to believe you then.”

Klaus shook his head. "You have too much faith in our family. They'd still find a way not to believe me, it's not like I ever gave them a reason to."

Ben didn't respond and they sat in silence for a while.

"You don't have to go for yourself. You don't even have to bring Benny. At least go so that I can see and talk to them." Ben whispered. "I never got to say goodbye or tell them I loved them. If you won't go for yourself, then at least go for me. Please?"

Klaus remained silent for a moment before sighing. 

"Alright. I'll go. But if they start fighting or give me shit about Benny or something, I'm gone."

A smile ghosted Ben’s lips "Thank you, Klaus."

"Yeah yeah, only because I love you."Klaus dragged a hand down his face and sighed again. He looked over at Benny, still engrossed in his cartoons.

"Hey Bee?" Benny looked at him and Klaus felt some of the tension gripping his body loosen. He gave him a small smile and took a deep breath."How would you like to meet your aunts and uncles?"

________________________

The day of the funeral was quite stressful. ("Absolute chaos." Ben said, being completely unhelpful.) When Klaus told Benny that they would be meeting his Aunts and Uncles, he wanted to know everything about them. He already knew the basics, their names, their powers, and what they did now, (He freaked out when he learned his Uncle Luther was on the moon. He insisted they said goodnight to the moon and 'Uncle Lu' every night ever since.) but now he wanted to know more. Klaus did his best to only tell him the good things, a three-year-old didn't need to know all their family drama. 

The night before the funeral, Benny was so excited that he wouldn't go to sleep and didn't crash until 12 am, which means Klaus didn't fall asleep till 1 am. Benny then refused to get up and fought everything Klaus needed him to do. He put him in time out and waited an hour for him to calm down. 

He had planned to leave their apartment at 8, have breakfast, and get to the Academy at 10. It was currently noon and he just finished getting ready, Benny in the kitchen with Ben eating a sandwich while Klaus got dressed and put on some eyeliner. He looked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. 

"Here goes nothing..." Klaus mumbled. Klaus grabbed Benny and they went on their way. Ben walked beside them, corporal, and helping with answering Benny's non-stop questions about his family. They boarded the bus and he prattled on for the 30 minute ride. When they reached their stop, they stepped off the bus and there stood the Academy. Still as creepy and cryptic as he remembered. Klaus stared at the gate for a while till Benny broke him out of his trance. 

"Whoa! Daddy, you didn't tell me you lived in a castle!" Benny said in awe. Klaus snorted and felt the heavy cloud that's been covering him since he woke up lighten slightly. 

"Yeah. It's pretty big." He smiled down at him and took another deep breath. "Come on, Let's go inside and see the others."

Klaus unlatched the gate and climbed the steps to the door, Benny practically skipping with excitement. The door was unlocked so he let himself in. He and Ben had decided that Klaus wouldn't have Ben be visible right away, first catch them up on everything that has happened in his life and then tell them about Ben. He made sure Ben was incorporeal and walked into the foyer. 

Klaus looked around and could see that nothing had changed since he was last here. Benny was next to him, speechless, taking it all in. Ben had a look of disgust on his face. 

"Still as ugly as ever," Ben grumbled. 

Klaus nodded. He could hear arguing coming from the living room. He rolled his eyes. Already arguing. What a surprise. He thought bitterly. He guided Benny to the living room doors and mentally prepared himself for the shit storm. They stood in the doorway and Klaus took in the sight of his siblings. Luther was huge, much bigger than the last time he saw him. Diego had a new scar but was still the same, black utility belt filled with knives and all. Allison was as beautiful as ever, whiskey glass in hand. Vanya was hunched in on herself, looking uncomfortable and anxious. 

Diego and Luther were the ones arguing and Klaus wasn’t surprised, Allison looked annoyed, interjecting from time to time and Vanya remained silent. Klaus stood there a moment before clearing his throat. 

Everyone turned to look at him at the same time. All eyes were on him for a moment before they all flickered down to the boy at his side. There was an awkward silence, till a chipper voice broke it.

"Hi!" Benny shouted, smiling widely. 

"Uh, hi." Diego gave a little wave, still staring. 

"Hey, guys. Long time no see." Klaus said awkwardly. "How's everyone been?"

No one spoke until Diego asked the question they were all thinking. 

"Why do you have a kid?"

"Did you steal it?" Luther blurted out, still as tactless as ever. 

"No, uh…" Klaus sighed and forced himself to relax. "This is Benjamin, Benny for short, my son." 

The silence was deafening, his siblings all frozen in shock. 

Klaus raised his hands up and did jazz hands. "Surprise?"

Chapter Text

An awkward silence filled the room for several minutes. Klaus shifted on his feet, a forced smile covered his face, as he looked at his siblings. They were all still staring at Benny, who seemed unaffected by the awkwardness. Even Ben was uncomfortable, grimacing at the situation.

  A tug on Klaus' skirt made him look down at the little boy next to him. 

       "Daddy, are you done playing the silent game? I wanna say hi." Benny looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. Klaus felt his smile soften into one more affectionate. 

"Yeah, buddy. I'll introduce you." He pointed to Luther first. "That's your Uncle Luther. The one on the moon." 

Benny gasped and ran over to Luther, who was standing by one of the couches and hugged his legs. Luther looked stunned and hesitantly reciprocated the hug, gently patting his back with one of his huge hands.

"Daddy said that you are super strong and that you were a superhero and that you lived on the moon so I say goodnight to you at bedtime." Benny rambled on, barely pausing for breath. Luther listened to him with wide eyes, looking even more surprised at the fact that Benny said goodnight to him every night. 

Luther cleared his throat and gave Benny a small smile. "It's uh… nice to meet you. Thanks for saying goodnight to me." 

Benny beamed at him and looked back at Klaus to be introduced to the next sibling. He gestured to Diego, who had tried to school his face into a calm mask but he just looked nervous. 

"That's Uncle Diego. Our very own crime fighter." 

Benny skipped over to where Diego was sitting and hugged his legs as well. Diego's face morphed into a small smile. 

"Hi, Uncle Di. Daddy said you can throw stuff and it will go where you want."

Diego nodded. "That's right."

"Whoa. That’s so cool.”

Diego cracked a smile before coughing and forcing it away. “Thanks, buddy. Maybe one day I could teach you how to throw a knife?”

“Absolutely not!” Klaus shouted, glaring at Diego. Benny giggled while Diego barked out a laugh. The others smiled slightly and some of the room’s tension lifted.

Klaus shook his head fondly and directed his attention to Allison. "That is your Aunt Allison. You saw her on TV, remember?" 

Benny ran over to her and practically jumped into her arms. Allison had the forethought to put her glass down and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Klaus wondered if she was imagining Claire in her arms. 

"I saw you on the TV and you were wearing a pretty dress and Daddy said you were getting a prize and then you got a shiny statue and then Daddy made me go to bed." Benny babbled and Klaus could see a smile gracing Allison's lips. "Me and Daddy had pancakes in the morning to celebrate and then I went to Mrs. Miller's and told my friends that you were my aunt but they didn't believe me but Daddy said to ignore them cause they are poopy heads." 

Allison snorted and shook her head fondly. "Well maybe I can come around and you can introduce me." 

"Okay!" Benny gave her a wide smile.

Klaus' mouth quirked up into a small smile and then he turned towards Vanya. She was staring at Benny, a faint smile on her lips, and wringing her hands anxiously. He felt a stab of pity, before shoving it down and gesturing towards her.

"And this is your Aunt Vanya." 

Benny bolted over to Vanya and hugged her knees as well. Her hands fluttered over his shoulders nervously, then settled gently on his back. 

Benny pulled back and looked up at Vanya, a wide grin still on his face. "Daddy says you play violin." 

"I do." 

"Is it fun?"

Vanya nodded. "For me it is."

Benny released her legs and latched himself to Klaus'. "Daddy can I play violin?"

Klaus lifted him up and rested him on his hip. Benny's arms automatically went around his neck and he couldn't help but smile at his son. 

"When you get a little older, baby." 

Benny pouts and Klaus gives him a kiss on the forehead. The pout quickly transformed into a smile. A quick look around the room showed his siblings staring, seeming to be still trying to comprehend the situation. Ben had moved to sit on one of the bar stools sometime during the introductions. Silence fills the room again, broken moments later by the familiar sound of heels on wooden floors. 

Klaus turned around and was greeted by the warm smile of his mother. He felt some of the tension in his body melt away, as it always did whenever he was in the presence of Mom. She had a calming aura despite being a machine; he figured it was because she was the only source of affection their whole childhood. 

"Hey, Mom." Klaus’ voice was soft as he smiled warmly at her. 

"Hello Klaus, dear." She focused on Benny and he could see her smile become wider. "And who is this?" 

"This is Benny, my son. Benny, this is my mom." Klaus saw her eyes light up and she moved closer. Benny started squirming, indicating that he wanted to be put down. She crouched down and as soon as Klaus put his feet back on the ground, he was launching himself into her arms. He felt his heart clench at the sweet sight, his son hugging his mom. 

Mom pulled back and smiled brightly at Benny. "It's nice to meet you Benny." 

"Hi, Grandma. I already have a Nana so I call you grandma. Daddy said you make yummy cookies." Benny said with a wide grin.

"I do. How about I make some for you? If your Dad is okay with it." They both looked towards Klaus, Benny with wide pleading eyes. 

Klaus pretended to think about it. "Oh, I don't know." 

"Daddy!" Benny whined.

"Well… I guess so." 

Benny jumped up and down excitedly. "Yay!"

Mom grabbed his hand and started leading him to the kitchen. Klaus could his voice fade as they walked farther away. He turned towards his siblings, who were all staring at him. 

Klaus sighed. "Alright, I know you guys have questions so have at it." 

They all started talking at once, voices mixing together in a confusing jumble. Klaus held out his hand to stop them. "One at a time! Jeez... Allison, you first."

"How old is he?"

"Three and a half." He pointed at Vanya. "Next."

She cleared her throat and looked at him sadly. "Why didn't you tell us about him?"

Klaus felt a stab of guilt before remembering how hard he tried to tell them and how they pretended he didn't exist. He shoved the guilt away. "I tried calling each of you when he was born, except you Luther, you were already on the moon. You all ignored me, so I figured why bother." He shrugged.

They all had the decency to look guilty. Ben was glaring at them, still holding a grudge. Klaus rolled his eyes and turned to Diego. "Got a question?"

"Where's his mom?"

"She died last year, a hit and run. She was walking home from work and some drunk hit her. And yes, he's in jail now." He looked at his feet and tried to reign in the sadness he felt talking about Maddie. She was a beautiful, amazing person and a great mom. He missed her every day and he knew Benny did too, even if he couldn't quite remember her.

There was a moment of silence before Diego spoke again. "I'm sorry, man."

Klaus took a deep breath and forced a small smile. "It's okay." He turned towards Luther. "What about you big guy? Got anything to ask?"

Without even hesitating, Luther blurted out, "Are you sober?"

Klaus could see the others shoot Luther a glare, Ben somehow looking even angrier, but he only sighed. He knew this question would be asked, it didn't make it any less hurtful though.

"Yes, I'm sober. I wouldn't be raising a kid if I wasn't.” His voice was sharp. “I have a job and an apartment. So I think I'm doing okay."Out of all of them, he never thought he would be the most put together. 

Luther looked guilty, and Klaus tried to hide his annoyance. "Sorry..."

Klaus waved him off. "Doesn’t matter. Now, what were you arguing about before I came in?"

Immediately the tone of the room changed. Vanya shrank back down, Allison looked annoyed, and Diego and Luther were glaring at each other again. Klaus shot Ben a look and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Luther thinks dad's death wasn't natural. He thinks he was murdered." Diego’s words came out as a snarl.

"He was acting strangely before he died. He told me to be careful who I trusted, and then he died, doesn't that seem a little suspicious?" Luther snapped back.

"The coroner said it was a heart attack," Vanya said gently, trying to ease the tension. 

"Well, the coroner is wrong. Someone killed him." Luther turned to Klaus and he knew he wasn't going to like what he said next. "Klaus, I need you to summon Dad." 

Klaus didn't hesitate to respond, bristling angrily. "Absolutely not. No fucking way." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I don't want to. I finally don't have to worry about seeing him, or any other ghosts for that matter, so I certainly won't be summoning him."

Luther sighed. "Klaus, don't be difficult. We need to talk to him." 

"No, we don't. He had a heart attack and that's it. There is no mystery. Just a sad old man who died alone. Like he deserved." Diego got in Luther's face, his body coiled tight, ready to jump.

"What about his monocle? It's missing." Luther spat back. 

Diego scoffed and moved back to his chair. "Who cares about a stupid monocle."

"Exactly. It was worthless. So whoever took it must have had a grudge." 

It was quiet for a moment, then it dawned on Klaus what Luther was implying. 

"You think one of us killed him." Klaus growled.

Luther immediately looked guilty, but he didn't correct Klaus. He could see Vanya look hurt, even Allison looked angry. 

"Jesus Luther..." Ben said, rolling his eyes. 

"I can't believe you would think that." Vanya said. 

"I can." Diego muttered. Klaus ignored him and stood to leave. He started walking towards the door and he heard Luther calling after him. 

"Where are you going?" 

"I'm just going to murder mom. I'll be right back." Klaus replied sarcastically, heading down to the kitchen. He didn't wait to see if Ben was following him. He was furious, at Luther, at dad, and at the whole damn situation. He stormed into the kitchen but stopped short in the doorway. The sight that greeted him made his anger ebb away and love filled his body. There was his mom standing next to his son, smiling sweetly while he ate a plate of cookies and babbled away. 

"...and then we saw the lion and the tiger and then we got ice cream and then we went home and watched a movie and then me and daddy fell asleep on the couch." Benny waved his hands around dramatically and mom nodded. 

"Sounds like you had a fun time at the zoo." Mom said sweetly, wiping a smudge of chocolate off his cheek. Benny grinned up at her and nodded quickly.

"Yes, we did," Klaus called out from the doorway and started walking towards the kitchen table. Benny squealed and launched himself at Klaus. He caught him and rested him on his hip. 

"Daddy, grandma makes the best cookies ever! More better than Mrs. Miller." Benny gushed. "And she said she can make waffles! Can we have waffles, daddy?"

Klaus chuckled and shook his head. "Not when you just had cookies." Benny pouted at this and looked at Klaus with wide, pleading eyes. "How 'bout this? We'll come back tomorrow and ask if she can make some, alright?" 

In an instant, his face broke into a smile. "Okay!"

Klaus kissed his forehead and turned to his mom. "Thanks for watching him, Mom. That was not a conversation he needed to hear." He grimaced at the thought of that conversation. 

His mom smiled warmly and waved him off. "Oh, it was my pleasure. I loved spending time with my grandson. He's such a sweet boy." She brushed his hair back and he giggled. 

Klaus felt a surge of love at the word 'grandson'. "I'm glad you got to meet him."

She cupped Klaus' face in her hand. "Me too. I’m glad that I got to see what a wonderful father you are."

Klaus held her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes, reveling in the caring touch. He felt a few tears squeeze out his eyes and he quickly blinked them away, he took a deep breath. 

"Thanks, Mom." He croaked out and gave her a watery smile. 

She smiled once more before pulling her hand back and dusting off her dress. "You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, I have some cleaning to do before the memorial. This house doesn't get so clean by itself!" She said cheerfully, walking out of the kitchen. 

"Bye-bye, grandma!" Benny called out, waving furiously. 

She gave a small wave in return and strolled out of the kitchen, the sound of her heels clicking fading away. Klaus sat in one of the chairs, placing Benny in his lap. He hugged him close to his chest and rested his chin on top of his head.

"Did you like meeting everyone Bee?" Klaus 

"Yeah," Benny mumbled into Klaus' shirt, burying his face into the soft fabric. They sat in peaceful silence for a while. At some point, Ben wandered in and sat in a chair across from them. 

The silence lasted for several minutes before music floated down from above. Klaus and Ben exchanged looks of confusion until the singing started. 

Children behave,

That's what they say when we're together

And watch how you play

They don't understand

Klaus recognized the song as one from Luther's record collection. He remembers them dancing to it when they were younger, when their dad was away and Pogo gave them the day off. He looked at Ben and they both smiled fondly at the memory. Benny lifted his head and was looking at the ceiling, eyes wide with awe. Klaus stood up, keeping Benny close to his chest, and started swaying. 

And so we're

Running just as fast we can,

Holding onto one another's hands

Trying to get away into the night

And then you put your arms around me

And we tumble to ground and then you say

Klaus swayed and twirled around the kitchen. Ben smiled, watching them and nodding his head to the beat. Benny giggled as they spun around.

I think we're alone now

There doesn't seem to be anyone around

I think we're alone now

The beating of our hearts is the only sound

Klaus placed Benny on the ground and focused his powers, making Ben corporeal. He looked surprised for a second before grinning wide and lifting Benny into his arms. He spun round and round, laughing as Benny screamed with delight. Klaus laughed and continued swaying to the music.

Look at the way we gotta hide what we're doin'

'Cause what would they say

If they ever knew

And so we're

Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands

Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me

And we tumble to the ground and then you say

Benny squirmed, indicating he wants to be let down, and he started laughing and jumping around the kitchen as soon as his feet touch the ground. Klaus grabbed Ben's hands and started spinning them around, both of them laughing and smiling. 

I think we're alone now,

There doesn't seem to be anyone around

I think we're alone now,

The beating of our hearts is the only sound

I think we're alone now,

There doesn't seem to be anyone around

I think we're alone now,

The beating of our hearts is the only sound-

The music is abruptly cut off by a roaring boom and flashing blue light. It startles Klaus enough for Ben to go ghost again and Benny to latch onto Klaus' legs. He looked around wildly and heard something go flying and crash into the wall. He turns around just in time to see the knives in the knife block start rattling. 

"Get down!" Klaus yelled and dropped to the floor, pulling Benny with him. Just as they hit the ground, the knives flew through the air and into the wall where they were standing. Benny was crying and clutching Klaus tightly. He shoved him under the kitchen table and turned to him. 

"Hey, sweetie. You got to calm down. Okay, everything is alright." Klaus cupped his face and waited for his breathing to calm. "There we go. Good job. Okay, I need you to stay here. I got to see what's going on, okay?" 

Benny nodded shakily, tears still streaming down his face. Klaus kissed him on the forehead and climbed out from under the table. Things were no longer flying through the air, so he started for the door. He grabbed a fire extinguisher from against the wall and went to leave, but stopped short. The knives that he thought were embedded in the wall were instead hovering an inch or so before the wall, surrounded by a blue glow. Klaus swallowed hard and took a deep breath. 

"Bee, you have to calm down," Klaus said gently. The knives lost the glow and fell to the floor. He made eye contact with Ben, who had a concerned look on his face. Klaus ran past him and to the courtyard, where the craziness seemed to be coming from. His siblings were already gathered around it; it being a glowing portal in the sky. It was like a window, allowing them to peer through it and see what's on the other side. 

Through the portal was a grassy hill and a white fence. It seemed nice, minus the fact that it was surrounded by a freak storm cloud or something. Klaus was in a panic and did the first thing that came to mind. 

"Out of the way!" He screamed as he ran past them and towards the portal. He aimed the nozzle of the fire extinguisher and squeezed, sending a stream of foam towards the portal. It did nothing and in further panic, he chucked the fire extinguisher into the portal, where it disappeared in a blue flash. 

"What's that supposed to do?!" He heard Allison yell at him. 

"I don't know! Do you have a better idea?" Klaus snapped back. He stepped back as the portal started flashing violently. Diego pushed him behind him and acted as a shield for him and Vanya. He could see Ben out of the corner of his eye, studying the portal. Something, or someone, was now in view in the portal and was trying to push through.

"Get behind me!" Luther said over the wind. 

"Yeah. Get behind us!" Diego pushed Klaus and Vanya further behind him. Whoever was pushing through was now straining against whatever boundaries the portal had. Slowly, the stranger's face started to morph into one much more familiar. Klaus stared in shock as the person fell through the portal and onto the ground. Klaus and his siblings inched forward together. 

"Does anyone else see little Number Five or is that just me?" Klaus asked, hoping that they saw him too. The boy looked up at them and Klaus instantly knew that it was their lost brother. 

Five stood up and looked himself over, seeming displeased. "Shit." 

It was silent as everyone stared at Five in shock. Klaus had lost hope, believing that he'd never see his brother again, at least not alive. But here he was, alive, albeit still 13 somehow, but alive. Ben caught his eye and he was smiling, happiness glittering in his eyes. Klaus was sure Ben was close to crying. 

The shocked silence was shattered by tiny footsteps and a gasp. 

"Wow…" Klaus whipped around and saw his son standing in the doorway, staring at Five with amazement painting his face. Five looked past them and at Benny.

"Who's the kid?" He asked, frowning. His siblings all looked at him expectantly. 

"Fuck."

Chapter Text

This was not at all how Klaus expected his father's funeral to go. He envisioned awkward introductions, fighting, a shitty and uncomfortable memorial, more fighting, and then celebration donuts with his son and Ben at Griddy's. He definitely didn't expect his long lost brother to fall out of a portal in the sky but here they were. They were all sitting at the kitchen table, except for Klaus who was on top of it, watching Five move around the kitchen with familiar ease. Everyone was silent, even Benny who was perched in Klaus' lap. No one knew where to start, what to ask, or what to say. Ben was sitting on the counter, watching Five with undisguised glee. 

"What's the date? The exact date?" Five asked while rifling through a cabinet. 

Vanya was the one who answered. "The 24th."

"Of?" 

"March."

"Good." Five seemed relieved to hear this and came back to the table with a loaf of bread. 

"So, are we going to talk about this?" Luther asked. Five ignored him in favor of pulling out two slices of bread. 

Luther grew agitated and when Five went to grab something from the cabinets, Luther stood to block him. "It's been 17 years."

"It's been a lot longer than that." Five snarled and jumped past him. 

Benny let out a little 'Whoa' and watched with amazed eyes. 

Luther rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly.  

"Where did you go?" Diego asked. 

"The future." Five jumped back to the table with peanut butter and mini marshmallows. "It's sh- crap by the way." He said while side-eyeing Benny. 

"How long were you there?" Vanya asked. 

"Forty-five years. Give or take." Five spread peanut butter onto both slices of bread before piling marshmallows on one side. He looked up at Benny curiously. "You never explained who the kid was?"

No one answered, each in shock at Five's admission. Klaus was horrified. His brother had spent 45 years in the future that he described as shit. He could only imagine the horrors he faced, the fear he must have felt. Five left when he was thirteen so that means he had to grow up without them. He probably felt so alone. The smile had faded from Ben's face, his arms twitching like he wanted to reach out and hug him.

"Hey!" Five hissed and snapped them all out of their thoughts. He pointed at Benny. "Kid. Explain." 

Klaus shook away all thoughts of Five and his years alone. "Five, this is Benjamin, my son. Benny, this is your Uncle Five." 

"Hi!" Benny waved enthusiastically. Five seemed surprised but gave Benny a small smile. 

"Hello, Benny. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too! How come you don't have a name like daddy and everyone else?" Benny blurted out.

Five snorted softly, eyeing Klaus with a smirk. "I see he has his father's boldness." He turned his gaze back to Benny. "I liked my name and didn't want a new one." 

Benny considered this for a moment before smiling wide. "Okay!"

"Hold on. Back to the other thing." Luther blurted out. "You're telling us you're fifty eight?" 

"No, my consciousness is fifty eight. My body seems to be thirteen again." Five said with disgust. 

"How does that even work?" Vanya asked. 

Five finished constructing his sandwich and took a bite. "Delores kept saying the equations were off. Bet she's laughing now." 

He turned back to the table and picked up the newspaper that was sitting there. The front page had an article about Reginald Hargreeves and the Umbrella Academy. Klaus thought the article was shit, talking about what a genius he was and how he made the city a better place. If only they knew the truth. 

"Guess I missed the funeral."

"How'd you know about that?" Luther asked suspiciously.

"What part of the future don't you understand?" Five sneered. "Heart failure, huh?"

"Yeah."

"No."

Luther and Diego spoke at the same time. Five rolled his eyes and started walking towards the door. "Nice to see nothing's changed." 

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Allison asked as he walked past her. 

"What else is there to say? The circle of life." His footsteps faded away and everyone was silent. 

"That was interesting," Luther muttered. 

"Sure was," Klaus said with fake cheer. He looked down at Benny, who was fast asleep in his lap. "Alright, I'm going to put him down for a nap. Let me know when the memorial starts." 

He carefully slides off the table and readjusts Benny so his head is on his shoulder and his body is cradled against his chest. Ben hopped off the counter and fell in step with Klaus. As he was walking upstairs, he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned he saw Vanya approaching him. 

"Klaus." Her voice was low as to not disturb Benny. "I wanted to apologize." 

"For what?" Klaus exchanged a confused look with Ben. He didn't remember her saying anything insensitive or insulting him. In fact, she was probably the nicest to him during this whole ordeal.

Vanya stared at her feet and wrung her hands together anxiously. "For not answering when you called. For not being there for you." She paused and hesitantly added, "And for the book."

Klaus felt a pang of hurt when he thought back to those calls. He was so excited to tell his family about his sobriety and his son. He wanted them to be proud of him, to see how hard he was trying and see he was getting better. When none of them answered, he was hurt but he understood. He was known for calling and asking for money or a ride more often than not. But as the months went by and his siblings were still ignoring his calls, he gave up. He made one last attempt on Benny's first birthday and after the last call went to voicemail, he stopped.

 As for the book, he understood why she did it but it didn't stop it from stinging, seeing what she thought of him and telling the world their secrets. He was long past being angry at her for it but it still sent a wave of hurt through him when he thought about it.

"I won't lie and say it didn't hurt, because it did." Klaus did his best to keep the pain out of his voice, but judging by the way Vanya flinched, he didn't do a good job. "I tried for months to talk to you guys and you just ignored me. I just wanted you all to meet him, to see that I was trying to turn my life around. And you just pretended I didn't exist. I get why none of you answered, I wasn't exactly a good person to be around, but I thought because we were family that maybe you guys would be there for me." 

Klaus took a deep breath, reeling in the anger that was spilling out. Vanya wouldn't meet his eye and she was practically folding in on herself. "I was angry, but I'm trying to forgive you. Forgive all of you. I want Benny to get to know his aunts and uncles. I want us to be a real family." He gazed softly at Benny's sleeping face. He wanted the world for his son and he was going to do his best to give it to him. "As for the book, lets just not talk about it."

"I've been a terrible sister," Vanya whispered, her voice thick. 

"And I've been a terrible brother." Klaus shrugged. "We all suck at being siblings, but we can work on it. Together." He sent her a reassuring smile and she smiled back.

"Wow." Ben marveled. "You guys are being functional human beings. I never thought I'd see the day." 

Klaus shot him a dirty look. He and Vanya stood in silence for a bit before Benny nuzzled closer into Klaus' chest and let out a small whine. 

"I got to put him down for a nap. He refused to go to sleep last night." Klaus explained.

Vanya nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later." She gave a small wave before heading towards the living room. Klaus climbed the stairs to his old room. It looked exactly how he left it but with less trash and clean sheets. He wasn't sure if they had found all the drugs stashed in his room, so he will probably have to check all his old hidey holes and throw out what he finds. He gently placed Benny on the bed and lied down next to him. All the fighting and sudden reappearance of Five combined with 4 hours of sleep the night before, Klaus was exhausted. 

He pulled a blanket up over them and stared at the ceiling, listening to Benny's soft breathing beside him. Ben didn't follow them upstairs, most likely checking on the others. Klaus traced the cracks in the ceiling with his eyes, the repetitive motion familiar and comforting. He remembers all the times he traced the lines as a child, trying to drown the screams of the dead, and later as a teen while high out of his mind. 

What a day, he thought. Despite Five falling out of the sky, things had gone how he expected them to for the most part. The murder accusation was a surprise as was the apology from Vanya, but it was nice. He wanted to give Benny a normal life and who better to help with that then Vanya? She'd be a good influence on him, he decided. He'd have to ask if she wanted to meet up with them later. He heard of Allison's situation from tabloids so maybe he'd wait a bit before having Benny around her alone. Diego would have to be convinced to leave his knives at home before being allowed around him and Klaus wasn't comfortable letting Luther be around Benny just yet. 

Klaus didn't even know what to think of Five and his whole situation. Would he even want to get to know Benny? He had no idea that he even existed until today. Did he even like kids? Klaus knew he was overthinking things, but he couldn't stop his mind from bouncing thoughts around like a pinball machine. What if they thought he was a bad father and tried to get Benny taken away? What if they hated him and cut him out of their lives again?  He could feel himself spiraling, the old itch to numb himself making a reappearance, as it always did when he got stressed. His chest was growing tight and his breathing started picking up. He tried to slow his breathing but he could tell he was gearing up for a full blown panic attack. He got those a lot since getting sober, his body not used to dealing with stress naturally. 

He was about to get up and finish his freakout in the bathroom when Benny turned and flung his body across Klaus'. He quickly checked to see if he had woken him but he was still fast asleep. His body lay on top of Klaus', his face tucked into his neck. Despite the weight, Klaus could feel his chest loosen and his breathing became even. The panic gripping his throat released its hold and, finally, he could catch his breath. He wrapped his arms around Benny, holding him tightly against him and breathed in his comforting scent. Who knew all it took to bring him back from a panic attack was a three year old? He felt his eyes getting heavy, his body finally relaxing. He closed his eyes and let himself drift into sweet unconsciousness.

______________________________

Klaus was awoken by someone gently shaking his shoulder. He blearily blinked open his eyes and saw Diego standing over him. He tried to look nonchalant but Klaus could see a fond smile slipping through. 

"Luther wants to start the memorial," Diego whispered. 

Klaus nodded and looked down at the boy laying on his chest. His face was tucked into his neck, breath tickling his jaw. He kissed the top of his head and gently whispered in his ear. "Bee, you gotta wake up."

Benny whined before sliding under the covers and burying his face into Klaus' shoulder. Klaus snorted and rubbed his back. "Come on little man. Up and at 'em." 

A muffled 'no' came from under the blanket. Klaus looked at Diego and rolled his eyes affectionately before placing his hands on Benny's sides. "If you don't get up, I'll tickle you." As soon as the words left his mouth, Benny shot up, sitting on his chest. 

"I'm up!" He shouted, eyes wide and nervous. Klaus giggled and he heard Diego snort too. He sat up, keeping Benny close to his chest, and stood up with him in his arms. Benny had his arms around his neck, resting his chin on his shoulder. He slipped on his shoes and followed Diego down the corridor. They walked downstairs to one of the courtyard entrances. Before they reached the rest of their siblings, Diego stopped him. 

"Hey. Before we go out there, I just wanted…" Diego paused, looking uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and grabbed Klaus' shoulder that Benny wasn't resting his head on, squeezing it gently. "I wanted you to know that I'm proud of you. And I hope you'll let me get to know my nephew." 

Klaus felt his body grow warm, surprised that any of his siblings would say they were proud of him. All he ever wanted was them to be proud of him, for them to love him. He knows he never gave them anything to be proud of before, but that didn’t stop him from craving affection. The first person to give that to him in a long time was Benny’s mom, Maddie. She believed in him and while their relationship was never romantic, excluding the night Benny was conceived, she was very affectionate with him. A hand brushing through his hair, gently squeezing the back of his neck, holding his hand and cradling him in her arms. She had a sixth sense for when he needed comfort the most. 

Klaus felt himself getting teary and quickly blinked the tears away. He gave Diego a watery smile. “We’d like that.” Diego returned the small smile. He went to join their siblings but Klaus stopped him before he could. 

“On one condition.” Diego looked at him with confusion. “No knives.” 

Diego immediately looked outraged and looked as though he was going to protest, but Klaus stopped him before he could say anything. “He is three and a half. There will be no knives around my child until he is at least eight. Got it?” Diego looked like a kicked puppy and went to retort but Klaus cut him off again. “Got it?!” 

"Got it," Diego grumbled. Benny giggled at his pouty face. They then joined their siblings at the door to the courtyard.  Mom and Pogo were with them and Benny gasped when he saw Pogo. 

"Daddy! That’s a monkey!" Benny said in amazement. Pogo approached them and smiled warmly at Klaus. 

"Master Klaus, it's good to see you again. And this must be Benny." He said.

"It's good to see you too Pogo. Benny, this is Pogo." 

Benny waved, eyes still wide in wonderment. "Hi."

"Come on, let's get started." Luther lumbered over, holding dad's urn. Mom, Pogo, Vanya, and Allison all opened umbrellas and walked outside. Diego and Luther decided against using an umbrella, walking into the rain. Five was holding two umbrellas, one plain black and the other pink. 

"Pick one." He extended both umbrellas towards Klaus. 

Klaus immediately grabbed the pink one, mostly because he liked pink, but also because he was afraid of what Five might do to him if he made him take the pink one. He sat Benny down, opened the umbrella, and followed Five into the rain. 

Benny saw the statue of Ben in the corner of the yard and pointed excitedly. Ben was already there, circling his statue with a disgusted look on his face. 

"I hate this thing." He whined from across the yard. "It gets uglier every time I see it. It looks nothing like me."

Klaus bit back a laugh and rolled his eyes. They all stood around Luther. 

"Whenever you're ready, my dear boy." Pogo said.

Luther took a deep breath and slowly poured out the ashes, where they spilled into a small, clumpy pile. Klaus grimaced and the others looked uncomfortable. Benny simply stared at the ashes in confusion. Klaus had explained why they were there, but since Benny didn't know his dad, he was pretty neutral about the funeral. He understood death, he learned about fairly early when Klaus told him mommy wasn't coming home.

"Probably would have been better with some wind," Luther said dishearteningly. 

"No shit," Ben muttered.

"Would anyone like to say anything?" Pogo asked. Everyone stayed silent. "Very well." 

Pogo stepped forward, looking at the pile of ashes sadly. "In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master...and my friend and I shall miss him very much." 

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "He leaves behind a complicated legacy…" 

Diego cut him off. "He was a monster." Klaus couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "He was a bad person and a worse father. The world is better off without him." 

"Diego." Allison hissed. 

"My name is Number Two," Diego responded bitterly. "You know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names, so he had mom do it!"

"Would anyone like something to eat?" Mom interrupted. Benny pressed himself closer to Klaus. He squeezed Benny's hand reassuringly. 

Vanya answered mom. "No, it's okay mom."

Diego continued his rant. "If you want to pay your respects, go ahead. But at least be honest about the kind of man he was." 

"You should stop talking," Luther growled.

Diego stalked up to Luther and Ben groaned. "Here we go." 

"You know, you of all people should be on my side here, Number One." Diego sneered.

"I’m warning you."

"After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away." 

"Diego, stop talking!" 

"That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!" Diego jabbed Luther in the chest and that was the last straw for him. Luther swung at Diego, but he ducked out of the way. Klaus quickly pushed Benny behind him and stepped out of fighting range. 

"Boys, stop this at once." Pogo shouted. They ignored him and continued to attack each other. Pogo gave up and walked back into the house. 

"Stop it!" Vanya yelled. 

'Hit him! Hit him!' Klaus thought to himself. He wanted to verbally egg them on but knew it would set a bad example for Benny, who was watching the fight from behind his legs. He heard Five mutter something next to him before walking away. Klaus was about to grab Benny and do the same when suddenly Luther swung at Diego and hit Ben's statue when he dove out of the way. 

Benny gasped and whispered a sad 'Uncle Ben' as it crashed to the ground, the head breaking off and bouncing away. 

"And there goes Ben's statue." Allison sighed and headed back inside.

"Good riddance." Ben cheered. 

Klaus saw a flash of silver in Diego's hand and heard Vanya yell 'Diego, no!' when he threw the knife and sliced Luther's arm. Luther quickly covered the wound with his hand, looking shocked before running past them into the house. Vanya and Diego exchanged some words that he couldn't discern before she went inside and Diego guided mom out of the rain. 

Klaus handed the umbrella to Benny. "Wait here one second." 

He walked into rain and over to what was left of his father. "I bet you're loving this. Team, at it's best." As he turned, he kicked dirt into the pile. He walked back over to Benny and Ben and they went back inside. They headed upstairs to get some dry clothes for Klaus when they ran into Vanya using the phone. 

"...about 20 minutes? Okay, thank you. Have a nice day." She hung up the phone and turned to walk downstairs, bumping into Klaus and Benny. "Oh. Sorry."

"Leaving so soon?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah. I'm not really welcomed here." Vanya looked sadly at the floor. 

"Don't listen to Diego. He's a bitter grump." Vanya gave a quick smile at his comment. 

"Wait one second." He quickly ran into his room, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote his phone number down. "Here. Call me and we can get breakfast or something one day."

"Really?" Vanya had a hopeful look on her face.

"Yeah. Benny likes you and would love to see you again. Right Bee?" Klaus said cheerfully. Benny vigorously nodded his head, a wide smile on his face. 

Vanya took the paper with a shy smile. "That sounds great. I guess I'll see you soon." 

Before she could walk away, Benny leaped forward and hugged her legs. "Bye-bye Aunt Van."

She hugged him back softly. "Bye Benny."

He released her legs and she waved goodbye as she walked downstairs. Later, they would be down in the kitchen, with Klaus trying to get Benny to eat a peanut butter sandwich and Five searching the cabinets. Ben was sitting on the table watching Five with amusement. Allison walked in, heels clicking on the floor. 

"Where's Vanya?" She asked. 

"Oh, she left already," Klaus responded absently, gently coaxing Benny to eat. 

"That's unfortunate." Five said walking over to the table.

"Yeah." Allison sounded disappointed.

"An entire Square block, forty-two bedrooms, nineteen bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee." Five slammed a container onto the table. Benny was watching Five with curious eyes, taking small bites of his sandwich. 

"Dad hated caffeine," Allison said. 

"Well, he hated children too and he had plenty of us." Klaus laughed sarcastically. Allison gave him a dirty look and Ben snorted.  

Five rolled his eyes and started walking away. "I'm taking the car." 

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked concerned. 

Five glared at him. "To get a decent cup of coffee." He retorted. 

"Do you even know how to drive?" Allison asked.

"I know how to do everything." He sneered and disappeared in a blue flash and Benny gasped, still in awe with Five and his powers. 

"I feel like we should try and stop him, but then again, I kinda want to see what happens." Klaus was curious to see if Five could even reach the pedals. They heard the car start and drive away. 'Huh, guess he could reach' he thought. He finally got Benny to finish his sandwich when Diego strolled in. 

"Alright, I guess I'll see you guys in, what, ten years? When Pogo dies?" Diego said dryly.

"Not if you die first." Allison shot back. 

"Yeah, love you too, sis," Diego said casually. "Good luck on your next film. Hope it turns out  better than your marriage." 

Allison glared at him and Klaus mentally flinched. It was pretty harsh. Allison stomped out of the kitchen. 

"Bye Aunt Alli!" Benny yelled after her. 

Diego went to walk past them, but stopped and looked at Klaus. "Do you guys need a ride?"

Klaus shook his head. "Nah. We're going to spend the night here. He wants mom's waffles in the morning." 

"Waffles…" Benny sleepily cheered from Klaus' shoulder. Diego snorted and Klaus placed a soft kiss on his head.

Diego clapped him gently on the back. "Alright, I'll see you later."  

Benny waved to him."Bye, Uncle Di."

Diego waved back to him and walked out the door to his car. Klaus tightened his hold on Benny, stood up, and started heading upstairs. He made his way to his room and tucked Benny in. He made his way to the bathroom and washed his eyeliner off. He found an old pair of sweatpants and slipped them on. He climbed into bed beside Benny, who was now fast asleep. He wrapped Benny in his arms and read the writing on his wall, old poems and ramblings from his youth. They gave him a strange sense of nostalgia. Though they were the product of nightmares and drug binges, they were some of the most poetic things he ever wrote. He reread his musings until his eyes started to feel heavy. He closed his eyes.

'What a fucking day.' He thought before drifting to sleep.