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“NOW IT’S ISTANBUL” Klaus sang
“Not Constantinople” Vanya continued in a small voice, laughing at Klaus’ antics.
“BEEN A LONG TIME LONG, SINCE CONSTANTINOPLE”
“Why does Constantinople got the works?”
“That’s nobody's business but the TUUUURKS” They both sang, Klaus spreading his arms dramatically. Vanya burst out into chuckles, it was quiet, but it was there nonetheless.
“This is hell. I’ve died and gone to hell” Five muttered only loud enough for Allison to hear, massaging his temples. Allison laughed, watching as Luther happily sang along to the radio.
Diego, who was next to him driving, was trying very hard not to smile but mostly failing.
Allison turned her head to watch Klaus and Vanya on the back seat, laughing as Klaus danced in his seat.
She didn’t miss the way Five was tapping his foot rhythmically against the van’s floor.
…
“Soooo, are we gonna talk about-“
“No” they all said at the same time.
“Alright, just checkin’”
…
“Stop the car” Five gasped.
Diego cursed and veered right, stopping at the side of the road. Cars honked but Diego stuck out his middle finger through the window.
Five opened the door and stumbled out of the van, dropping to his knees in time to retch.
Not much came out, there wasn’t anything else in his stomach to actually throw up, so he just spent a minute dry heaving painfully.
The others stayed quiet until only shallow gasping was heard.
“You travel through space, one of the most nauseating experiences in the world, how do you get carsick?”
Diego looked at Five as he climbed back in and closed the door.
His littlest-oldest brother glared at him.
“Maybe there’s an lunatic asshole on the wheel”
Diego lunged to climb out of his seat, but Luther grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dropped him back into it as if he weighed nothing.
Diego contented himself with glaring back.
Allison sighed “Let’s just go”.
…
“I say we stop at McDonald’s” Klaus blurted when he saw the golden arcs.
“I second that” Allison quickly said, more than anything because Five was looking a little green again.
“Please” he groaned from where he sat with his knees drawn up to his chest.
…
Allison was driving now, with Klaus and Diego in the middle, Luther riding shotgun, and Five and Vanya in the far back, because she was the least likely to be strangled to death with a seatbelt.
“You feeling any better, Five?” Vanya asked, barely above a whisper, as Diego had threatened to stab anyone who woke him up.
“I’m fine,” he stared at her, far too much understanding in his eyes for her liking. “How are you?”
“I-“ she cut herself off when a lump formed in her throat. Tears filled her eyes. God, she missed Sissy and Harlan.
Five looked panicked at her reaction, and she let out a huff of laughter. Five, her brother, the assassin who hadn’t looked panicked when an entire army appeared in front of him but looked ready to flee the moment he saw tears.
She cleared her throat.
“I’m okay” she promised, “I just- it was really hard to leave them behind”
Five nodded, his body relaxing and his eyes far away.
“I get it. It was hard for me to leave Dolores behind too”
Vanya stared at him, mildly surprised.
He wasn’t looking at her, he was staring at his hands, lost in another time.
She wanted to reach out, grab his hand or hug him, but she knew the gesture wouldn’t be appreciated.
They stayed silent, Vanya got lost in thought until he felt someone grab her hand.
She looked at Five in disbelief as he squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.
“I wanted to take them with us,” he said, voice uncharacteristically small, “I hope you know that”.
Despite being tired, grieving for a lost brother and a lover, despite being lost in an unknown world, she smiled at Five.
“I know”
…
“So are we really gonna ignore the fact that our father is alive and still a world class cunt, and that our dead brother is alive-“
“YES” the rest bellowed
Klaus scoffed “You people have the worst communication skills I’ve ever seen”
…
“Okay, Diego is in love with someone who might be our sister, how about that topic? Can we talk about that?”
Klaus heard Five huff out a laugh and Vanya giggle.
“Klaus, I swear to God,” Diego growled, “I will stab you where it hurts”
“Bold words for someone who proclaimed to the world he loved us just a few hours ago” Five piped in in his usual dry way.
They all burst into laughter, Klaus only laughing harder when Diego’s ears reddened.
“I hate you all” he muttered, crossing his arms and definitely not pouting
“That’s not what I heard,” Allison said in a singsong voice.
“You loooove us” Klaus made kissy noises until he burst out cackling as he ducked out of the way of Diego’s halfhearted punch.
Why Diego really did love these idiots, he would never know. He looked back, annoyed and ready to snap at someone, and then he saw Vanya and Five, laughing harder than he’d seen in years and he decided the endless teasing might be worth it.
…
It was only five hours into their road trip when Klaus asked
“So where are we going?”
They all looked at each other. Diego opened his mouth.
Two hours later, it was Klaus who stopped what had been shaping up to be the longest fight they’d ever had.
They stopped in a motel, and when Klaus climbed back into the ban he looked smug and satisfied.
“I have directions to our new humble home”
…
“How the fuck-“
“Little ears are listening, Allison”
“Fuck you, Klaus” Five seethed.
“I was talking about Vanya”
“Hey!”
“You’re officially the youngest sibling, Vee, accept it”
“You were a known tax evader, how the hell did they let you keep the mansion?”
Diego looked around, the recently cleaned windows and the fully stocked kitchen, the massive living room with four couches and two loveseats.
“It’s technically Molly’s, actually, but she’s very understanding”
“I can’t believe you managed to brainwash a rich lady so much that 50 years later she still listens to you” Luther said, sitting down on the sofa in the massive living room.
“I can be very persuasive” Klaus wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. Allison ignored him as she turned to Luther.
“Look at it from her point of view: she believes that in the sixties she met a prophet who suddenly disappears, and 50 years later, the guy comes back looking as if not a day has passed for him”
“Fair enough”
Klaus observed as Five stumbled over to the other sofa and collapsed into it, letting out a little moan of bliss.
“We should come up with a plan” Luther said, still looking around, his expression a mix of bewilderment and confusion. It was becoming a worryingly familiar expression for the guy.
“Here’s a plan: shut up and sleep” Five mumbled.
Klaus couldn’t blame his brother, he had been running around nonstop for two weeks if what Luther had said while the tiny assassin had been sleeping in the car was true.
Surprisingly, it was Diego who piped up.
“Five’s right, we’ll think more clearly once we’ve slept”
“But-“
“Sleepy time, Luther” Klaus grabbed Luther’s arm and heaved him up, pushing him towards the staircase. “I told her we were six, so there’s should be six bedrooms ready for us”
One by one, they left until only Vanya and Klaus stood in the living room. Neither of them spoke, Vanya looked like she wanted to say something.
Klaus ignored the voice that demanded that he go upstairs and lock himself in a room, away from everyone. He grinned instead.
“Wanna have a sleepover?”
Vanya looked relieved as she nodded. She smiled at him, timid and grateful for the company. That made it all worth it.
…
“You guys are having a sleepover without me?” Allison demanded as he watched Vanya and Klaus drag a second mattress across the living room floor.
The two mattresses lay next to each other, trapped in a square made by four sofas.
Klaus grinned at her as he dropped even more pillows on the mattress.
Klaus looked at his sister, the way her hands were gripping her arms a little too hard, the tense shoulders, the bags under her eyes.
“There’s a sofa with your name on it”
When Klaus closed his eyes, his littlest sister was sleeping next to him, her blanket up to her nose and one of her cold feet digging into his calve; and Allison in the sofa closest to him, her arm hanging over the side.
…
“What the-“
Klaus opened his eyes to find Diego staring at the monstrosity of pillows and blankets that took up half the living room. He put a finger to his lips, signaling at their two sisters who slept on, unperturbed by the noise.
“Can you be more childish?” Diego rolled his eyes as he walked over to the kitchen. Klaus didn’t miss the way his jaw trembled and his hands shook.
When Diego came back with a glass of water, he stopped by the staircase, looking over at his siblings.
“There’s room for one more,” Klaus told him. Diego immediately straightened and sneered.
“I don’t need-“
“I know,” Klaus cut him off, “but do you want to?”
Diego stopped, considering.
With a click of his tongue, he walked over to one of the couches, stopping for a moment to properly cover Allison with her blanket, which was in the process of falling off.
He dropped into the couch by their feet, muttering a “‘night, Klaus” before closing his eyes.
Klaus followed suit.
…
Luther had arrived, if the loud steps were anything to go by. Klaus opened his eyes for a second time that night and found Luther staring at his siblings. With a sigh, he walked over to Diego. Klaus watched as Luther gently lifted his head and placed a pillow under it. Diego only sighed and continued on sleeping. Klaus watched with a small smile as Luther covered Vanya’s feet, which were sticking out of her blanket and then laid down on the largest of couches, closing his eyes with another sigh.
“Good night, Klaus,” he muttered. Klaus grinned softly.
“‘Night, Captain”
Klaus closed his eyes again as Luther chuckled, knowing he would probably wake once more.
...
It was still dark when frantic steps awoke him for a third time. Klaus opened his eyes to find Five looking around frantically, his shoulders relaxing with every sibling that he counted present.
His hair was a mess, his face pale and his eyes bright with panic. When he noticed Klaus awake, his expression turned his usual neutral, but it kept crumbling every few seconds, his lip wobbling even as he tried to hide it. His cheeks were dry but his eyes shone dangerously.
“I-I couldn’t find you” he explained, his voice hoarse. He sounded out of breath.
Klaus, for once, didn’t say anything. He pulled his blanket up without breaking eye contact. Five walked over and slipped under, looking like he was trying to look dignified as he did so. He didn’t succeed, but Klaus wasn’t stupid enough to point that out.
Five didn’t touch him, his back to him as he laid on his side, so Klaus didn’t touch him either, muttering a “go to sleep, Five” before succumbing to the darkness himself.
...
When Klaus woke up to find his legs tangled with his brother’s and Five’s fist grabbing at his shirt as he slept with his mouth partly opened, he hadn’t been entirely surprised; Five had always been a cuddler, even if he had never recognized it.
He untangled himself from his smaller-older brother, grinning softly when Five rolled over to his side to latch onto Vanya instead.
Vanya, who had always slept like a rock, didn’t stir, merely throwing an arm around Five’s smaller frame.
What Klaus would give to have a camera.
Ben would’ve loved this.
His smile disappeared.
…
One by one the Hargreeves siblings stumbled into the kitchen, all with half lidded eyes and messy hair.
Klaus waved at them each from where he was manning the stove, attempting to make pancakes and eggs.
Diego, the second to rise, quickly took over, not trusting Klaus culinary skills (and with good reason, but Klaus would never admit it).
Luther and Allison came later, Luther making a beeline for the coffee maker.
It was only when the kitchen smelled of hot coffee and pancakes that Five and Vanya came in. Five looked at them with empty eyes.
“Coffee?”
Luther wordlessly handed him a mug, which he took with a grunt that might have been a thank you.
“I told Molly that we needed the fancy kind,” Klaus grinned at Five, “Do you love me or do you love me?”
Five took a sip. He buried his nose in the mug, hiding his smile
“You’re okay” Klaus took it as a win and winked at his brother.
It was Diego who broke the comfortable silence.
“So what now?”
Everyone stiffened, their expressions darkened. Klaus shuffled and made a show of stretching.
“Well I don’t know about you, but I am going to take a bath”
“Klaus, I’m serious”
Klaus raised an eyebrow at him “so am I”
“We can’t just sit still,” Diego insisted.
“You mean you can’t. I’m perfectly happy to stay still for a while” Klaus paused, “well, not literally- ”
“Klaus is right”
The five siblings looked at Five.
He had finished his coffee, his green eyes shone with their usual spark, a little wild, coldly calculating.
“We need information, intel about what exactly did we change”
“Well for starters, dad never created the academy” Luther said.
“Yes, but apart from that, we can’t do anything until I do some digging”
“ You do some digging?” Diego scoffed, “and what are we supposed to do until then? No way, we’re doing this together”
Five studied him. Diego didn’t lower his gaze.
“Fine” Silence followed. Klaus clapped his hands, everybody jumped.
“So! I am going to call Molly, she’ll get somebody to buy us some clothes. Anyone need anything besides that?”
“Weapons” of course Diego would ask that. Klaus winced
“Yeah, my cult was more of a no-violence kind of thing, I don’t think Molly would like that”
Diego crossed his arms. He definitely did not pout. Klaus turned to Vanya.
“I could get you a violin”
Everyone turned to their littlest sister, who’s eyes widened. She took a step back.
“I don’t- it could be dangerous, Klaus”
But they could see it in her eyes, in the way her fingers twitched, how much she wanted it. Diego’s expression softened.
“If you want to, I don’t have a problem with it,” he paused, looking around at the rest of the siblings. “We trust you”
Vanya met five pairs of eyes, every sibling nodded. Allison smiled encouragingly.
“That would be great,” she confessed.
“I’ll add it to the list” Klaus nodded happily.
…
After writing down what each of them wanted for clothing (Klaus couldn’t be trusted with everyone’s wardrobe), they left one by one, until only Diego and Klaus were left.
Diego watched Klaus as the latter fluttered around, washing a few dishes, finishing his coffee, looking around in the pantry-
He closed the cupboard’s door with a bang. Diego didn’t look impressed.
“What is it, Diego?” he asked, irritated. He hadn’t had a moment alone since the farm, and the pressure, the weight of the last two weeks ( his cult, Dave in the diner, Dave in the mansion, Ben, God, Ben ) , was getting to him.
“Are you alright, bro?”
Klaus laughed, nothing about the situation was funny. “Are any of us ever alright ?”
“You’re dodging the question,” his brother pointed out. Klaus sighed and sat down on one of the chairs, facing away from his brother.
“Please, Diego, I want to be alone”
Did he? He was never alone. When he was little, before the drugs and alcohol, there had always been a ghost close by, a mangled corpse to whisper (or scream) in his ear.
Then, Ben had died, and he had never left his side, lecturing him or throwing snarky comments his way that more often than not made him laugh.
Did he want to be alone? It had been so long…
“I don’t think you do” Diego had always understood him better than the rest. It was both annoying and reassuring.
“No?” He turned to face his brother. “Then tell me, Number Two, how do I feel?”
Diego didn’t take his eyes off him, didn’t rise to the bait.
“I think” he talked slowly, sympathy in his eyes. A sympathy Klaus didn’t want (or maybe he did, he just didn’t deserve it). “You’re scared, and lonely. I think you miss Ben and feel guilty about lying to us about him. I think you’re frightened of what the others will say if they find out you lied, again.”
Klaus flinched at the last word, he couldn’t look at Diego.
“And I think you’re grieving for a brother the rest of us lost 14 years ago and you have no idea how to cope.”
There was silence. Klaus sniffled.
“How’d I do?”
Klaus flipped him off and Diego chuckled.
Klaus sat there, tears falling down his cheeks. Diego crept closer and pulled him into a hug. Klaus clung to his brother’s jacket and buried his face in his shirt.
For all his dramatics, Klaus had never been a loud crier. Maybe he had been at one time, and the instinct had been beaten out of him.
Whatever the case, he barely made a sound as he cried into his brother’s stomach.
Diego didn’t move, didn’t speak. He simply enveloped his brother, hiding him from sight as he sobbed his heart out, his arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders.
He saw movement on the corner of his eye. Allison stood by the door, concern written in every line of her face.
Diego shrugged helplessly at her, running a hand through Klaus' hair.
Allison’s silent question was clear: do you need any help?
Diego shook his head discreetly. Allison nodded and walked away.
Something swelled in Diego’s chest at Allison’s trust of him to take care of their brother.
Finally, Klaus pulled away, rubbing at his cheeks. He still wouldn’t look up.
“Hey,” Diego grabbed his chin and pulled it up, making Klaus look up at him.
“We’ll figure this out, we’ll get home, and we’ll make everything right”
Klaus nodded. He wiped at his eyes again.
“Did you try summoning Ben again?”
Klaus shook his head.
The truth was he was scared of the result. Scared of the possibility that it was impossible. Besides, who knew if he even could? Ben was alive in this timeline. He looked like he was dead inside, but alive nonetheless.
“We’ll figure it out,” Klaus parroted. Diego nodded.
“You’re not alone anymore”
With a small sigh, Klaus leaned against him again, Diego placed his hand on top of his head again.
“I promise, Klaus”
And Klaus believed him.