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His way towards Klaus is excruciatingly long, no matter how hard Ben tries to hurry towards him. Vanya has calmed down by now, having accepted his hug and urged him to go talk to Klaus for one last time, and he can finally see the man stir on the ground at the relative peace that now surrounds them.
The tingling that travels all the way to his fingertips intensifies, and he pushes down his fear for what awaits him as he crouches down to meet Klaus’s eyes.
He finally meets his gaze as his brother groans loudly, muttering something along the lines of a terrible headache, and Ben gives him a soft smile. He has heard the same words come from him for years now, whether it’s due to drugs or Ben’s own nagging early in the morning.
Right now though, these words invoke a tight burn behind his eyes, and the Horrors stir in his stomach, not quite ready to let go of their best friend.
He doubts they’ll ever be ready. If he ever will. But he has no choice, so he waits patiently for his brother to finally look at him properly. Ben is almost struck by the bright green that greets him, and he’s reminded of the past few days spent with him, where Klaus has avoided his gaze.
Certainly not his best moment, but they all make mistakes, right? And while Ben is a ghost, it doesn’t mean that he can’t make one, too.
He hopes Klaus isn’t too mad.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers quietly, mindful of Klaus’s headache. He feathers his fingers through his long, brown hair and revels in the ability to do it for one final time.
Once, they hadn’t even known that he could do it. It’s all due to Klaus’s perseverance that he can now.
“About what?” Klaus laughs disbelievingly and shakes his head as though to clear it. “You saved the world, Ben. Might as well win the Coolest Ghost Award!”
A tender look slides up his face, and he feigns an exasperated sigh. “There’s no such award, Klaus.”
His brother rolls his eyes rather slowly, wrinkling his nose at him. “You act like I can’t order all the ghosts to make one—“ He flinches when the ghost of an officer screams his name, and Ben refuses to point it out as Klaus continues, “—I’ll make sure they organize a ceremony, too.”
The corners of his lips tug down, and Ben knows that he can’t delay it for any longer. “I can’t.”
“What?”
“I have to leave, Klaus,” he says quietly, pushing for a brave smile, but it comes as a tight grimace that immediately crumbles at the denial drawn on Klaus’s features.
“Brother dear, you can’t be that petty just because I kicked you out of my body—“
Ben places his hand on his brother’s shoulders, his hold tightening desperately when Klaus’s face falls at the tight, grim line of his lips.
“You’re leaving? You—is it that light?” he asks hoarsely, hands reaching out to grip his arms in alarm. At his nod, his bottom lip begins to tremble and he sighs loudly—exaggerated, forceful. “And here I thought you’ll be stuck with me forever.”
“That day . . . I didn’t leave because of what you said. I chose to stay because I wanted to — with you,” he insists reverently, and hot tears spill down his face just as Klaus’s own stream down his rugged face.
“I-I don’t—“
“I don’t want to leave either,” he interrupts softly, and he feels a pull within his abdomen that calls for him to leave, but he can’t stop looking at Klaus. He has done so for years, so how can he stop now? “I want to be here for you.”
“I need you,” Klaus begins to beg, his voice breaking as he clutches onto his body. His brother throws his offhanded act away as loud sobs rack through his body, and Ben feels glass shards prick at his heart, his innards pulled in agony at Klaus’s cries. “I’ll be better, please— “
Ben smiles, broken and watery, but he does so because he wants Klaus to smile as well, a wide grin that can match the typical tease in his eyes. “I believe you,” he whispers, and he takes one last look at Allison and Diego, who were looking at Klaus with clear confusion. “They won’t compare to me, but they’ll take care of you.”
Klaus offers him a wobbly smile at the wide smirk that spreads on Ben’s face. “I’m sorry for everything you had to see because of me.”
Ben shakes his head adamantly. “I don’t regret it. I only wish I’d been more helpful.”
”You did more than anyone else would’ve done. Fuck, thank you for never leaving.” A defeated sigh slips past his lips, and his smile grows strained. “So this is it, then? Please, avoid old Reginald and find better company - or as good it can be, if it’s not me.”
Ben rolls his eyes with an amused smile, and it almost feels like everything is back to normal. “You’re my best friend.”
“And you’re my best friend - always have been, Benny-boy,” and Klaus brings him into such a tight embrace that Ben simply rests his eyes and allows the beam of light to wrap around his form and alleviate him of the tight ache in his chest.
“Goodbye.”