#dave: pleeeaaase?

[justatiredghost]

Living for the Moment Ch9 A series of glimpses at Klaus’ life if he’d met Dave in his mid 20s. His life isn’t magically transformed, love can’t fix either of them when they’re both homeless and in a bad place. They’re not even really ready for a relationship yet. But maybe a supportive friendship can set them on a better path, the two of them inspiring each other to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, and the question is, when will they actually admit to themselves that they have feelings for each other?

-

Kaus shifted, making himself comfortable in the old shopping cart. He felt lucky for finding one abandoned out here in this back alley. He wanted to close his eyes and rest a bit, but there were memories and nightmares waiting for him that he didn’t want to relive, so instead he popped another pill and lit a joint for good measure, watching the smoke curl up into the dark sky. He was just so tired. Why did everything have to be so difficult? 

“What’s been up with you lately?” Ben asked, looking down at him from a fire escape he was sitting on.

“Shhh, Ben, it’s quiet time,” Klaus said, closing his eyes. 

“It’s just,” Ben continued anyway. “You haven’t been going to any of the sketchier bars or clubs like you usually do.” 

“Just haven’t been in the mood,” Klaus said airily. “Why, are you complaining?”

“Of course not, it means you’ve been bored enough to take all my suggestions for things to do.  You even went to that movie I've been wanting to see.”

“What can I say? I was craving popcorn and it’s so easy to steal there,” Klaus said, hoping he’d give up soon. 

“If you’re trying to get sober—”

“Yeah,” Klaus laughed out loud, interrupting him. “No way that’s gonna happen. 

“I’m serious, Klaus,” Ben persisted, a little overeager. “This is really good!”

“Oh my god, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Klaus groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Just because I haven’t been in the mood to get absolutely wrecked, doesn’t mean I’m gonna ‘change my ways,’ or whatever. Quite the opposite. In fact, I might be feeling a bender coming on now.”

Ben’s expression didn’t look convinced and that alone made Klaus want to go out and take every drug he could get his hands on because, really, Ben should know better by now than to hold out on that kind of hope. Why was he still on his case about this when he saw firsthand what being sober did to him? 

“Does this have anything to do with that Dave guy you got beat up a few days ago?” Ben suddenly asked. 

“No,” Klaus said pointedly, probably too quickly. That was one of the things he was trying so hard not to think about. He still didn’t understand why Dave bothered after he’d seen how he lived his life. But it made it harder to want to indulge in his regular recklessness, especially since there hadn’t been any expectation for him to get clean like there was with anyone else he’d ever had that sort of conversation with. Maybe that could still happen, but Dave did drugs too, so Klaus really had no idea what to think. He just didn’t understand Dave. 

“Whatever,” Ben said. “If it’s brooding hours, I’m gonna go. At least you’ve been more fun lately.”

“You take that back, I’m always fun,” Klaus joked, cracking one eye open to grin at Ben, who shook his head, but was smiling too as he disappeared. 

Klaus leaned back in the grocery cart, breathing a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes again, settling in. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by when he heard a group passing down the street. He must have been higher than he realized, though, because he thought he heard Dave’s voice among them. 

“You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up.” 

He hadn’t realized he’d had the guy on his mind so much. He took a long drag of the joint as he heard footsteps approaching, trying to just enjoy the high before he was interrupted, feeling the cool night air on his face. He wondered what it was going to be this time. A cop? A mugging or a hate crime? Did he get a prize if he guessed right?

“Well, you look comfy.”

Klaus opened his eyes and had to do a double take when he saw that it really was Dave standing there, big smile on his face. Thankfully the split lip and black eye were beginning to heal. 

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to startle you,” Dave chuckled, leaning on the edge of the cart. 

“Hey,” Klaus said, offering him his joint. “What are you up to?”

“Just seeing what parties are out and about,” Dave said, taking a drag before passing it back. 

“Anything good?”

“Nah, not really. What about you?”

“Making my own party,” Klaus said, gesturing to the cart as if it were obvious. 

“Sweet, any chance I can get past the bouncer?” Dave asked and Klaus couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, I might be able to swing that,” Klaus said. “But you gotta push me.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Dave said, moving to stand on the bar on the back, using one foot to push it along.

“Oh, hell yeah, it’s definitely a party, now,” Klaus said, sitting up to get a better grip, legs still hanging over the front. 

Dave brought them to a sudden stop when they passed a skate park, the two of them turning to each other. 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Dave asked. 

“You better be ‘cause I need to do this immediately!” Klaus exclaimed. 

“Uh, you’re not talking about needing to pee, are you?”

“No!”

“Okay, good!” Dave broke into a run, speeding towards the nearest ramp. 

It didn’t take long at all for Dave to lose his footing and nearly faceplant on the pavement, leaving Klaus to careen along, cheering at the top of his lungs, wind in his hair, until it reached the peak of the ramp and tipped to the side, spilling Klaus onto the ground. Thankfully, besides some scraped up elbows and knees, he wasn’t hurt. Dave sprinted over and dropped to his knees at his side, but as soon as he realized that he was more or less unhurt, he collapsed to the ground beside him, the two of them giggling. 

“Next time, we should do that sober, we might last longer” Dave said. “And you should push me.”

“Sounds like taking some of the fun out of it,” Klaus said. “But fine. Then we can take turns nearly killing each other.” As if Klaus ever did anything sober.

“Sounds like the perfect evening to me,” Dave said with a heavy sigh as he caught his breath. After a moment, he rummaged around in his coat and pulled out a joint and lit it. He took a drag before bumping Klaus’ arm, offering it up. “So, how’ve you been?” 

“Fantastic,” Klaus said, accepting the joint eagerly.

“That bad, huh?”

“Nah, it’s been great, really.” Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively before passing the joint back. “What about you? Your face looks better. Sorry you're not gonna get a badass scar though.”

“Aw, maybe next time,” Dave laughed. 

“Really?” Klaus asked skeptically. “Do you actually want a scar? Because I can definitely help with that.”

“What? You can respond with deflective humor and I can’t?” Dave asked innocently.

“And here I was trying to be all sincere and apologize,” Klaus said, snatching the joint back, turning his eyes back to the sky above them because it was easier than looking at Dave. “I don’t even know why I went looking for you that night.” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but he supposed curiosity got the better of him. 

“I’m glad you did. I already told you, you don’t have to apologize,” Dave said. “I’d rather get into a little fight if it means I can help out a friend.”

“Ugh, were you always this sappy?” Klaus groaned, because he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about that. He wasn’t supposed to have friends. Acquaintances, sure, people he could party with, but they weren’t meant to stick around. Klaus wasn’t meant to stick around. So why was he still here?

“Yes,” Dave said with a giant shit eating grin that showed no shame whatsoever. “So, are you gonna tell me what’s been bothering you? I guess we can dance around it instead, but I have to warn you, I can be very annoying.” 

“Can be?” Klaus asked, shooting him a look.

“Okay, I am very annoying,” Dave chuckled, but then, like the considerate bastard he was, he hurried to add, “Unless you genuinely don’t want to talk about it. Boundaries, and all that.”

He glanced at Dave again, at his too-blue eyes that were always so sincere and soft, and he had to look away again, turning his gaze up to the harsh streetlights and the millions of stars staring through him. He sighed. Why the fuck not? Why not just jump in and share all the crazy bullshit that was his life? It wasn’t like any of this really mattered. 

And besides, Dave was bound to find out sooner or later. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn’t heard the gossip yet. Or he had but wanted to see him squirm instead. No, that wasn’t like Dave. Klaus just wanted everything to go back to normal so he could stop feeling so much all the time. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

“My sister wrote a book about the fam,” Klaus said, taking another long drag of the joint before passing it back, watching the smoke swirl above him as he exhaled into the night. “I’m impressed, really. Didn’t know she had it in her. And dear old Daddy was a bastard, someone needed to knock him down a peg or two.”

“Do you and your sister get along?” Dave asked.

Klaus couldn’t help but laugh which he supposed was answer enough. 

“Then I’m guessing her portrayal of you wasn’t exactly positive,” Dave said, voice sympathetic and Klaus hated how serious all of this had gotten. 

“Bingo, right on the money. But, I mean, look at me. It’s not like there’s much good to say, either. I’m just mad she told the world I was the one who dyed my brother’s mask pink. That was supposed to be our little secret.”

“That’s not true, you— wait, what do you mean ‘mask?’” Dave asked, distracted as Klaus hoped he would be. 

“Well, yeah. Any good child superhero has to wear a mask.” 

“Child superhero?” Dave exclaimed, choking on smoke as he sat up to stare at him. 

“What, did you seriously not put it together?” Klaus asked, finally turning to grin at him, crossing his arms behind his head, getting comfortable. 

“Put what together? I am so incredibly lost. What are you talking about?”

“Really?” Klaus said, holding up his hands for him to see. “Klaus Hargreeves? Ouija board inspired tattoos on my hands, umbrella tattoo on my wrist; you really have no clue who I am?” 

He’d honestly thought Dave would have at least suspected by now, but it had been too nice pretending someone didn’t know his past, that he could want to get to know him for him and not the fame. Maybe Dave truly didn’t know, though, as surprising as that would be. He regretted losing that, but honestly it was worth it to see Dave’s baffled expression as he tried to piece it all together. 

“I don’t—“ Dave began, but then the realization seemed to hit him. “Wait, you’re-- what was it?-- the Seance!” 

“Now he gets it,” Klaus chuckled, snagging the joint from Dave’s unresisting hand. “I seriously can’t believe you didn’t put it together sooner.”

“I’m sorry, I just haven’t thought about the Umbrella Academy in years,” Dave said, looking as if his world had just changed completely. Klaus didn’t like it. “It didn’t really occur to me how fucked up it must have been until I was older.”

“Nah, it was all sunshine and roses,” Klaus said. “Just read Vanya’s book for proof.”

“Or you could fill me in,” Dave said, and Klaus had to turn to look at him, surprised. “I don’t really like hearing things second-hand, especially from someone you weren’t even that close to.”

“I am not one to share my secrets,” Klaus said. “And I said she got it pretty much right.” 

He wasn’t really sure why he was trying to talk Dave into reading it. Maybe it would just make things easier. Especially because there were some things he didn’t want to share with him directly. It would be easier if Dave just stopped hanging around him so he didn’t have to see the exact moment he stopped being able to look him in the eye.

“I think I’m good,” Dave said. “We all got fucked up one way or another as kids. Some worse than others. We’re all just trying to get through life as best we can. You should be able to keep those secrets.”

“Your loss,” Klaus shrugged, not really sure why his throat was suddenly tight, even though the idea that he should have any privacy made him want to laugh. “It might explain some things.”

It shouldn’t matter what Dave did. He could be lying now and was going to look up the book the moment they went their separate ways. And even if he didn’t, if he was telling the truth, it shouldn’t mean anything to Klaus. He was already used to strangers who knew too much about him, people who only thought of him as Number Four and just wanted the bragging rights of being able to claim they knew him. He wondered how things were going to change now between the two of them. 

“I’m not sure anything could explain you,” Dave laughed, and it was strange, it was almost like he was joking to deflect for Klaus. 

“I’m going to pretend that was a compliment,” Klaus sniffed indignantly, barely managing to hide his grin, all too willing and relieved for the change in subject. 

“I meant it as one, I swear,” Dave said. “I never know what to expect with you, but I’m having a great time trying to figure you out.”

“What’s to figure out?” Klaus asked, striking a pose. “I’m just a fabulous dumpster fire.”

“Pretend all you like, that doesn’t change how great you are.”

Klaus couldn’t help but stare at him, taken aback. He wasn’t really used to genuine compliments. Sure, he’d had people find him attractive and he knew the things he was good at and how to use them to impress or gain the upper hand, but he wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to anything even close to this without some sort of ulterior motive. 

He had to put up with all sorts of unsavory types in order to get by, living on the streets. Then again, he’d done his own fair share of lying and stealing, so maybe he deserves to be among them. There wasn’t much he was proud of himself for, but then pride was the first thing to go if you wanted to last out here. Maybe Dave had just forgotten, he had been gone for a month, after all. That didn’t stop Klaus from wanting to be selfish, so he didn’t remind him. 

“Well, that’s enough of that,” Klaus said, jumping to his feet, because as much as he liked being the center of attention, he wasn't sure how he felt about all this. Besides, being fun was what he was good at, so he might as well play to his strengths. Keep Dave from realizing the truth just a little bit longer. “Come on, then. The night is young and we’ve got havoc to cause.” 

He threw his arm across Dave’s shoulders as he stood to join him, tightening his grip briefly as if threatening to put him in a headlock. Dave did the same and suddenly they were in a playful scuffle as they headed off into the night.