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“Sorry I’m late,” Klaus’s voice called from the hallway as the door slammed closed. “I-- um--” His words slurred together, making Diego and the others glance at each other in worry. Klaus with words slurring wasn’t a good sign for his sobriety. And he’d been doing so well. Three months clean since his last relapse. At first there had been a lot of struggles, but he’d finally gotten into the groove of things, or so Diego had thought. “I ran into someone, who-- um,” he finally came around the corner, heavily leaning on the wall. He looked rough.
There were some bruises starting to form on his face, his hair was a mess, clothes askew. He was also clearly high. The way he stood, his speech, his eyes. It was a look Diego knew well. He felt his heart sink in his chest as the sight in front of Klaus. He wondered what had pushed him to go to a dealer and not Diego. He’d been doing so well at asking for help when he needed it.
Not that he always asked but he’d show up, making an annoyance of himself, getting in the way, bothering Diego. Who would then take the time to wonder why Klaus was acting out like this and he’d realized that Klaus was asking for help. Asking for attention. He possibly didn’t even know why he was acting the way he was, but Diego tried to be there for him. Get his mind off what was making him spiral before his feet took him to a dealer.
He’d not been there for Klaus this time.
“Klaus, you should’ve come to one of us if you were craving drugs,” Allison said, voice soft and caring. Diego noticed how she kept her body language open and welcoming. Something he’d learned to do while at the police academy, not that he used it much. He tended to not remember how it could help sway the person into talking.
Klaus had paused, seemingly so out of it that it took awhile for the words to process, “I wasn’t-- I- I- I didn’t go get drugs.” He frowned, looking hurt that he was being called out on being high. He scratched at the back of his neck and then got distracted by his hand when he brought it back around.
“Klaus,” Luther’s tone was harsh, catching their brother’s attention. “Are you actually going to try and tell us you aren’t high right now?”
Again, a moment for the words to reach Klaus, then he pointed at Luther, “No, no. Not that. I am very high right now but it’s not so bad. It’s actually quite nice.” He turned his head and blinked blankly at his side. Diego’s breath caught. He’d seen Klaus do that a thousand times, only now he knew it was Ben. As Klaus shook his head, he almost fell over. Diego hadn’t seen him this out of it in a while, even before his sobriety. He went up to Klaus and put an arm out to steady him. Klaus patted Diego’s arm in thanks. “I am high but it’s-- it’s not my fault.”
“Just ran into an old friend, eh?” Five said, taking a sip of his coffee. Diego shot him a look. Obviously Klaus had been having a rough time, they shouldn’t gang up on him, demanding things that he couldn’t give at the moment. Later, when he was sober again, that’s when they could go over this. Based on the state he was in, Diego wasn’t even sure how much Klaus would remember.
Klaus let out a loud laugh, just one burst of Ha!, “Not a friend.”
“He give you the bruises?” Diego asked, wondering if he should get Klaus to sit down. He started moving them to the sofa, as they did he noticed how Klaus reached down to help hold his pants up.
They were half zipped, but the button wasn’t done up.
And they were riding low.
As if he’d had trouble pulling them back up.
It could be that he’d had to take a piss somewhere and couldn’t pull his pants back up all the way.
But the bruises
He ran into an old friend
Diego hadn’t seen him this messed up in a long while
He didn’t go get drugs
Diego stopped their movement and turned so he was facing Klaus, “Hey bud,” he spoke slowly and quietly, hoping that it would be easier for Klaus that way, “was it Kyle?”
Klaus let out a whine from the back of his throat, his hand gripped Diego’s sleeve tight, “I tried to fight him this time, Di. Promise. Didn’t-- Didn’t go very well.”
Diego nodded while he swore to himself. He finished getting Klaus to the sofa before turning to the group, “Someone want to get him a water?”
“Can ‘t h’ve a lemon?” Klaus said, slurring worse than before. Possibly now that he knew he was safe, he was letting his guard down, letting the drugs really kick in. Diego would keep a close eye on Klaus, make sure he was okay during the high and the come down. And after, as he went through withdrawals as well as dealing with Kyle.
No one was getting up to get a glass of water.
“Who is Kyle?” Vanya asked, eyes glancing between Diego and Klaus.
Diego turned to face them, “A water.”
Five rolled his eyes and zapped out the room. Klaus made a noise of awe at seeing it happen. When Five came back, Klaus grinned, “S’like magic.”
The water did not have a lemon in it.
“Who is Kyle?” Five asked, holding out the water.
Klaus reached for it, but Diego grabbed it and helped Klaus hold and drink it. This was an old hat, helping Klaus while he was fucked up. He’d always been the one to help the most, even when they all lived together as teens. He’d usually be the one to either volunteer or the one who would be told to help Klaus. When they left the Academy, he’d been the one to look for him every so often if he hadn’t run into him or heard about him. He’d been there for the late night phone calls and Klaus showing up beat up and falling faster than the moon had at his door, looking for shelter.
“Do you know what he gave you, bro?” Diego said, ignoring Five.
Klaus shrugged, slipping farther down on the sofa as he did. “Dunno. S’not like he-- he tol’ me. Jus’ stuck me n’ then I-- I promise, I tried to-- to fight ‘im. Didn’t wanna be his bad boy. Didn’t become as pliant as he-- as he likes? Y’know? ‘Cause-- ’Cause I wasn’ alrea’y high. Then he-- he stuck his hand ‘n my mouth n’ he shoved a pill down my-- down my throat.” He let out another bark of laughter, “‘t was gross. I dunno where ‘is hands been.”
“You did good, Klaus. What happened isn’t your fault,” Diego said, pulling him back into a sitting position.
“Duh. S’all on Kyle. ‘e drugged me, Di.”
“I know,” Diego rubbed his back. “I know.”
Klaus frowned deeply, “Firs’-- First time I ‘ave had sex since Dave.”
Diego ignored the gasps and swearing from their siblings, “That wasn’t sex, Klaus.”
Klaus shrugged, seemingly unbothered that he thought of sex and rape as the same thing. Diego was aware of some of Klaus’s sexual past. Some of it Klaus has told him, some he put together. He knew that Klaus had started having sex way too young, usually for drugs, or while already high. He knew that until Dave he was usually high or using sex as a way to get more drugs (or food or a bed to sleep in). It was a transaction in some cases, in other’s just something taken from him. He’d learned the most unhealthy relationship with it far too early and he had some ideas that Dave had started to teach Klaus how sex could be. How it didn’t have to hurt unless he wanted that or how his body didn’t have to be traded for things.
Over the last three months Diego heard some about Dave.
He wished he could have met him.
“Do you want more water before we clean you up?” Diego asked and patiently waited for a response.
“Wa’er with a lemon?” Klaus asked, sounding hopeful.
Five took the glass out of Diego’s hand and left again, Diego assumed he was getting a refill. He took this time to look at the rest of the family. They should have been able to put together what Kyle did to Klaus. Allison looked like she was ready to cry, Vanya looked gutted, Luther was glaring at the floor while his hands were in fists and shaking slightly. Diego wondered if they had also realized how this wasn’t the first time Kyle had done this, not when Diego figured it out by how he was drugged and his pants were undone.
Diego did not like that he could read the signs, that there were signs. That Kyle had done it enough times, and Diego running into Klaus during or after (once, right before anything too bad had happened) that he knew. It shouldn’t happen in the first place, but that it happened more than once-- that there was a pattern? Kyle had a system down, for drugging and raping Klaus.
Five was back and held out a glass with a lemon in it. “So why haven’t you killed Kyle yet?”
Klaus let out a whine, “No, p’ease don’t. Then-- Then he’ll be ‘round for’ver.” Diego took the glass and helped Klaus drink from it once more. Letting out a happy hum, Klaus whispered something about the lemon.
“He’ll be around?” Five asked. “He’d be dead.”
“Use that big brain of yours, dum-dum,” Diego said. “He’d likely follow you around as a ghost.”
They’d all learned a bit about Klaus’s powers in the last three months as well. Ben was there, sometimes Klaus could manifest him. Those were the two good things that came out of his powers. The rest? Ghosts always being there, yelling, screaming, reaching out, looking like how they died.
“Shit,” Five cursed, sitting back down.
After Klaus was done with his second glass of water, Diego thought it was time to clean up him. Not that Klaus was dirty for what had happened. He wouldn’t blame his brother for what happened or pretend like he was lesser for it. He knew about people who had, who were raped or drugged and shunned by their, so called, loved ones. He’d never thought Klaus dirty for his choices or for the things done to him. But that didn’t change the fact that Klaus had been raped in a dirty alley and Kyle probably didn’t bother wearing protection and had probably been rough on Klaus.
And he knew Klaus wasn’t going to report it.
He never bothered anymore.
No need to take him to the police and let them gather any evidence with a rape kit. Might as well take him to get cleaned up. And this time, unlike the previous times, Klaus would get a bath. He’d enjoy that and soaking in the hot water would help with any sore muscles. Before Diego would have to grab a folding chair and drag it to the showers in the gym and set Klaus down on it.
Which probably never helped a whole lot. His bony ass, sitting on a metal chair as water poured down on him? Even without the other factors that couldn’t have been comfortable. But he’d never complained. He’d hold his hand up, palm towards the sky, and watch the water hit as if it was raining and not just a shower. And then he’d always smile, head tilted towards the spray.
Diego took the glass and set it down on the table, “C’mon bud. Let’s get you cleaned up. That’ll be nice, huh?” He helped Klaus stand up as he swayed, eyes half lidded and gave a lopsided grin. Diego did not enjoy the idea of getting Klaus upstairs to one of the nice big tubs. While he could use one of the bathrooms on the ground floor, none of them had the soaker claw foots that would be preferable. Klaus deserved something nice for once.
Especially since Klaus was forcefully drugged after he’d finally gotten sober.
Diego figured this would trigger some more relapses as Klaus clawed his way back to where he’d been yesterday. Over the years Diego had read some books on what addiction was like, the best ways to help. In the past he’d often let his anger and frustration lead him, instead of remembering what he’d learned. He’d always regret it later, as he watched Klaus storm off, after he’d pushed Klaus away. And he wasn’t necessarily better at not letting his anger win out, but he was trying. They all were.
“Where are you taking him?” Luther asked, halfway to standing up himself. He’d stopped there, frozen to watch, one hand reaching out to help, the other still on his chair.
“Shouldn’t he go to the police?” Allison asked. “Report Kyle?”
Diego had to hush Klaus when he let out a worried whine at hearing Kyle’s name. Diego then glared at Allison, “He won’t press charges. I know this is new to you all, but this is not our first rodeo. I’m going to help him get cleaned up in his bathroom. It’s where he’ll be most comfortable.”
Luther finished standing up, “I’ll help you get him up there.” He eyed how Klaus was swaying in the spot, holding onto Diego with a loose grip while Diego had his arms around Klaus. “It’s a lot of stairs. I’ll carry him.”
Diego looked Luther over, trying to gage how he was feeling. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to help. Not that Diego thought that Luther would pick Klaus up and drop him on purpose, but it was nice to see someone else stepping up to the plate to help carry the load. He nodded to Luther, watching as he reached out and gently put an arm around Klaus.
Klaus turned to Luther, let out a happy noise of surprise. “Oh cap’ain, ‘y cap’ain.”
“Hey, Klaus,” Luther replied. “Let’s get you upstairs and in the bath.”
“Oh, yes p’ease. Mm. Squea’y clean Klaus,” Klaus tried to grip at Luther’s arms as he had been to Diego, but his hands weren’t wanting to work right and it was more of a petting motion than anything.
Luther looked gutted. He shared a look with Diego before picking up Klaus up bridal style. Klaus let out a giggle and happily made himself comfortable in Luther’s arms. It was almost worse to see him so happy when they all knew what had happened. The drugs not letting him start to process what Kyle had done.
Diego hoped that when they wore off that Klaus didn’t mind the others knowing what had happened. And that for once he’d start to process and heal from it all. Before he’d always just gotten high again, pushing any thoughts about the trauma deep down as he floated away from it, never to think about it again.
At least until Kyle found him once more.
Hopefully this would be the last time.
Maybe they should track Kyle down. Not kill him, his ghost haunting Klaus would be true hell for him. But if they talked and explained to Kyle that he was not to touch Klaus every again. Just imply that if he were to touch Klaus again, that they’d kill him. But they wouldn’t, for Klaus’s sake.
Put the fear of god in Kyle.
The fear of Hargreeves.
Klaus reached up and tried to pat Luther’s face, “You’re pretty eyes.” He grinned, all teeth.
They’d arrived at his bathroom. “See if you can get him undressed as I start the bath water,” Diego said, moving towards the tub.
“Bubb’es?” Klaus asked, voice hopeful “‘eigo? Can I ‘ave bubb’es?” Diego turned and saw Klaus’s eyes wide open, pupils blown as his brows were furrowed in question.
Diego rubbed at his forehead, “Yeah, bud. I’ll get you some bubbles.” He went to the cabinet, ignoring Klaus’s claps and cheer as he told Luther he was going to get bubbles. He hoped, he assumed, Klaus kept some bubble bath in there. Otherwise he’d have to track down Allison and hope she had some. If not, the plan would be to send Five to steal some.
Klaus was going to get bubbles in his bath, god damn it.
As he was digging in the cabinet, he heard Luther and Klaus talking to each other, slurring and quiet responses. He was worried about leaving Klaus with Luther, but that was nothing against Luther. It was more about how he had always been the one to be there for Klaus over the years. He had always taken care of Klaus when he stumbled in. As Diego felt a surge of achievement for finding the bubble bath, he heard Luther speak louder, obviously to him, “There’s blood.”
Diego turned, sighing. He saw Luther had gotten Klaus undressed, both of them sitting on the floor near the bathtub. Klaus’s clothes in a pile to the side. “He isn’t always rough. That’s why he drugs Klaus, to make him pliant. But Klaus fought back this time. I’m not surprised he-- I’m just not surprised.” He would’ve liked to be surprised, found out he was wrong with his assumptions. Klaus seemed out of it, only sort of listening to the conversation around him. Diego walked over and gently put a hand on Klaus’s bare shoulder, “Found the bubbles, Klaus.”
Klaus beamed, “Thanks ‘eigo. A’ways there for me.” He reached up and patted Diego’s thigh. Diego wished that had been the case. He hadn’t always been there for Klaus. Hell, half the time over the years he’d think he heard his voice, see him in an alley. He’d note that Klaus was awake and moving and other than being high was fine and usually it’d been a rough day and Diego would just... walk away. Later he’d be mad at himself and try and find Klaus to make sure he had some food at least, some shoes. He couldn’t always find him though, when he’d go back to look out of guilt.
That guilt sat low in his stomach still.
So Diego got the water started, knowing how hot Klaus liked it, before dumping in some bubbles. Possibly too many, but Diego hadn’t ever taken a bubble bath and so he wasn’t aware of how much to put in.
“I wasn’t--” Luther started, watching Diego. “I wasn’t there for him like you were.” He looked ashamed of himself. “I’d never thought about what could happen to him and whenever I started to, I never pictured anything like this. I thought maybe he’d miss a meal or live in a shitty apartment. I didn’t-- I didn’t know.”
“You know now,” Diego said. Luther flinched slightly at his tone before nodding. “That’s important Luther. You’re here now, you’re helping now. He needs help still. We can only try and be there for him as he needs us.”
“Who’re you ta’kin’ ‘bout?” Klaus asked, eyes wide and looking back and forth between his brothers. Possibly Ben as well, with how often he looked to the side. “Who nee’s help?” He had started shaking and shivering, sitting naked on the bathroom floor.
Diego put a small smile on his face, kept his tone light, “Me, I do. ‘Cause I gotta deal with you.” It was a joking voice he often used when Klaus was high like this. He’d always been able to tell that Diego didn’t mean whatever he said when he used it.
And as per usual, Klaus giggled, “Wha’ a bummer.”
“Sucks to be me,” Diego agreed, turning the water off now that the tub was full. The bubbles looked like a mountain range. “But you’re lucky. Baths ready.”
Luther helped Klaus stand up. He could have just picked him up and then layed Klaus in the water, but Klaus obviously wanted to do it himself. He’d pushed himself up on shaky legs. He was pretty good at balancing out his drugged walk. Klaus maybe hadn’t been high in three months, but he was in no way out of practice.
Klaus sunk down into the warm water, eyes closing, letting out a happy hum, a smile on his face.
If Diego hadn't known what happened, he’d say Klaus looked peaceful. But there were bruises on his skin, peeking out from the bubbles, the shaking and shivering from before almost being more pronounced, even though he was in warm water. Maybe Diego noticed it more because he could hear the movements as the water sloshed around. “This is so nice.” Klaus said slowly, his words sluggish like honey. “Miss’d this.”
Diego knew Klaus meant he missed being high. He had no doubts on that. He knew it wasn’t that he missed when Kyle would rape him. But in his mind, if he got drugs beforehand then it wasn’t that bad. He could deal with it.
Luther sat back down, leaning against the wall, Diego leaning against the tub, the two brothers facing each other and listening to Klaus as he mumbled to himself or Ben, splashing happily in the water.
Now that he knew Klaus was safe and being taken care of, Diego realized he was thankful that he had Luther there to help this time. And the rest of the family to help in the morning. Maybe together, without overwhelming Klaus, they could help him heal from what happened.
Diego often worried that at this point it was too late for Klaus to heal from it.
It’d happened so much, so ingrained into Klaus, that the horror that had happened is now his normal. Or it was, as he was sober and living back at the Academy he wasn’t taken advantage of like he had been. Between Vietnam and then the last few months, it had easily (hopefully) been a year since anything like this had happened to Klaus. But it had been happening since he was a teen. It would be hard to help him acknowledge and actually heal from all the trauma he had.
And how much did he not remember?
“He’s still shaking,” Luther said, watching Klaus as he dunked his head under the water. Diego felt splashes hit the back of his head. He hoped he didn’t have bubbles stuck to him. “Shouldn’t he be warm? You drew a hot bath.”
Diego shrugged, “Between the trauma and the drugs, I’m not surprised he’s still shaking. It’ll only get worse as when the withdrawals start.” He wasn’t looking forward to it. Possibly it would start in the night, by morning it would for sure. He’d be lucky to get Klaus to eat breakfast.
Klaus burst up out of the water, taking deep breaths and giggling. Luther’s eyes were latched onto him. “I once told him I thought he was carefree.” Diego snorted. “I know, I know. I know how wrong I was now. But before I’d only seen his smile, heard his laughter. But now I see the bruises beneath all that. I can’t believe how stupid I was.”
Diego pointed at him, “Don’t make this about you. About how you weren’t there, or how stupid you were for not seeing signs. Don’t make him feel guilty for your actions and for coming home to be safe after this. You got that, Number One? You can have these doubts and fears, but don’t let him hear you blaming yourself or seeing you look guilty. That’s not how you’ll be there for him.” Diego knew Luther often made things about himself. It wasn’t completely Luther’s fault, him making things about himself, but he was an adult now. He knew about how he did it, he could put in the effort to fix it.
Him locking Vanya up was about Vanya, not about him.
Him helping Klaus deal with a rape was about Klaus, not about him.
Klaus did not need to hear these thoughts that Luther was having. It was fine that Luther felt this way, but he better not make this about how Luther had never been there before and how wrong Luther was but now he was there for Klaus. Isn’t that nice, that he’s there now?
It was nice.
But it wasn’t about Luther.
Luther gave a short nod.
There was a wet tap on the top of Diego’s head. He turned and saw Klaus, with a bubble beard, “S’eepy.”
“All clean then?” Diego asked, unsure if Klaus did more than splash around in the water. It was fine if that’s all he did. The water and bubbles would have helped get a lot of the dirt off, even without scrubbing.
“Mhm,” Klaus hummed out, giving a nod. Luther was right, the shaking was worse. It would end up being a long night. Diego knew he’d hardly get any sleep, wanting to make sure Klaus was okay while he slept.
“Alright, better put you to bed so you don’t drown,” Diego joked. Klaus laughed and poked at Diego.
Diego, with the help of both Klaus and Luther, managed to get Klaus out of the tub and wrapped in a towel. He hoped he’d be able to get him into some clothes but as long as he was under the covers, Diego would call it a win.
The fact that Klaus had managed to get home after what had happened was a win.
Diego layed Klaus down on the bed and went to find some loose pants for him to wear. He doubted he’d find much, but maybe a skirt could work. Or he could take Allison’s flowy pants he saw her in the other day. Klaus would enjoy waking up in Allison’s clothes. “Watch him and plug in the fairy lights. I’ll be right back,” Diego told Luther who nodded.
Diego wasn’t sure where Allison had put her pants and he didn’t really want to go through her clothes so instead he quickly went downstairs. The three siblings left were all in the room, quiet, drinking. He understood that. When he appeared, Five looked up, “How is he?”
“Tired. Clean,” Diego shrugged. “Based on how he’s shaking and shivering, withdrawal may have started early.” He looked to Allison, “Your flowy pants. Where are they?”
Allison sat her glass down, “I’ll go get them.” She was quiet as they went up to her room. No need to fill the space between them with talk. It wasn’t really the type of night to have pleasant small talk. She reached into a drawer and pulled out fabric that looked as if it didn’t want to stay in her hands. As she handed it over, she said, “You take care of him.”
Diego nodded, “Always do. But some help in the morning would be nice.”
She flinched, “I’m not--”
He held up a hand, “I know. I didn’t mean it like that. Just-- Just be there for him.” The pants were soft on his calloused hands. “Thanks for this.”
“Anything.”
He nodded and they parted ways.
When he was back in Klaus’s room Luther and Klaus were talking quietly again. Possibly with Ben joining in, with how Klaus kept looking to his side. Hopefully Luther had listened to Diego and wasn’t making this about him. “C’mon Klaus, let's get you in more than a towel.”
“I was ki’napped in a towe’ once,” Klaus said, a frown tugging at his face. “Took bath n’ then ‘azel bonked me on th’ ‘ead.”
“Well Hazel won’t be bonking you on the head tonight,” Diego replied, mentally cursing himself again. He knew Klaus had been kidnapped from the house, but he’d not asked the specifics. He also didn’t know the specifics of what happened while Klaus was with them. All the newer scars. Vietnam? Or the assassins? “Put these on,” he handed over the pants.
Klaus clapped, “Ooh!” He did his best on his own to get them on. Diego hoped Allison didn’t mind that he was going commando in her pants.
After Klaus had pants on, Diego got comfortable on a side chair, grabbing a book off the table. He opened it and went to start reading, but looked up and raised his eyebrows as Luther also made himself comfortable as Klaus started snoring.
“Mind if I keep you company?” Luther asked.
“It's your life,” Diego shrugged, going back to the book.
He found it was hard to get into the story, not because it was bad, but mostly because he wasn’t alone this time. Luther in the room, with a glance Diego decided he was keeping busy by making friendship bracelets with Klaus’s knitting yarn. Five had got the water with lemon. Allison and Vanya ready to help in the morning.
Things were different now, the family was there to help both Diego and Klaus.
It would be a hard road, helping Klaus, getting him sober again, hopefully making him deal with his trauma.
But it was one that Klaus would no longer be alone on.