nebulochaotic | log; closed

Entry tags:

log; closed

WHO: Allison and Klaus Hargreeves
WHAT: Power switch between the sibs.
WHEN: Tuesday, 11/17
WHERE: Starting at Allison's, and then Klaus's
WARNINGS: Oh, the usual Hargreeves umbrella. I'll add more specifics as they come up.

On most mornings, Allison tends to wake up thanks to her alarm or because one of her dogs is trying to hog the bed despite the very plushy ones they have at their disposal, but today is a little different. Or, well, very different considering the way it sounds like someone keeps whispering somewhere near her. For a moment she almost thinks that it's a dream, or one of her brothers snuck into her room, so even if she starts to wake up, she doesn't open her eyes just yet. She just stays in that comfortable spot between consciousness and sleep, as if it will help her fall back asleep since she had ended up picking up an extra shift the previous night at the jazz club, but the whispers change. They're not just a distant sound, they're suddenly so close to her, so angry, and--

With a gasp she wakes up, just in time to see someone slip through her wall and out of her room. It's no one she has seen before, and considering the way they just disappear, for a moment she wonders if it's all a dream. She closes her eyes again, as if that will help somehow, but the whispers start again. More than that, in that darkness behind her eyelids she can see people. People she has never seen before, some talking to her, some reaching out to her as if expecting her to reach back, and--

Zeus nudges at her, making her open her eyes and she tries to ignore...everything as best as she can. She even gets out of bed and gets ready for the day, as if she's not hearing things in her head, and after taking the boys out for a quick walk, she walks over to Klaus's instead. Especially after seeing a woman at the front of the apartment building, someone that initially started off pleasant but then seemed annoyed that she wasn't making conversation, and what the hell is happening.

The apartment is quiet, but Klaus should be getting ready for work, so she can only assume (and hope) that he's awake because she needs ... Hell, she doesn't know what she needs.

"Klaus?"

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For the first time in literally all of Klaus's life, he sleeps through his alarm. He sleeps through Tony leaving, sleeps through Sirius and Remus's morning chatter. He sleeps as soundly and deeply as a man in his grave might, until the final warning alarm on his wrist band goes off.

He begrudgingly climbs out of bed, having been content to wrap himself up in the blankets and sleep more if he could make himself. But he sets his feet on the floor— "shit, that's cold"— and all but scurries into fuzzy slippers he's left scattered somewhere in his room. He tugs on a bright pink robe he's definitely stolen from someone in the apartment building, and starts into making coffee. "Fuck this machine is God's work apparent on earth. Though God would be very mad that I invoke her name like that. Serves the bitch right."

Yes, he should be getting ready for work but he has more energy today than he's had in forever and he's not sure why. He starts out humming under his breath, until the tune all but gets stuck in his head.

"First I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinkin' I could never liiiiive without you by my side. I spent so many nights thinkin how ya did me wrooong but I grew strong. I learned how to— shit what's the next part? Wait, is someone here?"

"Al?" So sorry, Allison, he's only in his underwear, the robe all but hanging off his shoulders as he peers out of his bedroom. "To what do I owe the great pleasure?"

He's not given himself enough down time to really acknowledge the silence for what it is, but it'll settle in soon.

To some degree, she can hear Klaus but considering the buzzing in her head with all the other voices, it doesn't quite register at first that she's hearing his thoughts. Hell, for a second she almost thinks that it's really him just talking in the other room.

As Klaus peers out of his room, she tries to not look too bewildered although it's hard, all things considered. She doesn't care that he's only in his underwear, and doesn't even notice the robe (definitely not hers, but it's hardly surprising to her that Klaus would have one like that), she's just...trying to make sense of all the noise in her head.

For a moment, though, she doesn't quite know how to phrase what she wants to ask. And she also doesn't exactly know what she wants to ask, which is what causes her to open her mouth but nothing quite comes out at first.

"I, uh. Want to grab some breakfast?"

Yeah. Yeah, that works. Maybe she's just imagining things. She had a few shots after work, maybe that's all this is. Some really weird, very strange hangover even if she knows damn well that she didn't drink enough for that to actually happen.

"I'm having a really weird morning. Maybe I just need to get out of here for a bit, you know? So...breakfast?"

On any other day Klaus might dismiss her bewildered look, but there's something about her face and the request that follows that strange pause that stops him in his tracks. She looks like shit, and there's something almost familiar about the look in her eye, but he can't quite place it.

"Breakfast sounds great," he says, looking her up and down once before disappearing into his room, hustling into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt he's definitely stolen from Sirius.

Every morning in this place is a weird morning he finds himself thinking, though there's no malice behind it, just fact. It still feels surreal that they're all here, after all. Especially after everything that's happened.

"What's going on?" Once he's toed his way into some sandals he reaches out for her, raising a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, the same hand dropping to gather one of her hands in his. "Come on, you can tell me all about it on the way. I swear I haven't felt like tis since I last did Adderall in the alley behind St. Martins that one time after a mission. Jesus. We'll cure all your ails with some fancy pastries and good coffee."

Allison blinks when he says that she looks like shit, frowning slightly in response. It's hard to tell if it's because of the surprise, or because she's at least trying to hide how she's feeling, but apparently she's not being that successful.

It's not until he disappears that it really dawns on her what he said. Not you look like shit, but she looks like shit. Like if he was telling someone, or as if he was thinking it out loud. His voice is just one of many, making it hard to really delve too much into it, but before she can even do so he's already back out. It's so comforting to be able to turn to him in moments like these, in being able to just tell him she needs him and he's there, no questions asked.

"I don't even know how to explain it," she admits as she walks out of the apartment with him, not letting go of his hand. It doesn't even dawn on her that she unconsciously squeezes it a little tighter when she catches sight of someone she has never seen before just lounging by the pool, someone that isn't alive if the blood on his shirt is any indication, but...Klaus doesn't glance over in that direction.

Nodding towards the pool, she slows down as they walk. "Hey, uh. Do you see someone in there?"

Klaus walks with her out of the apartment building, his hand in hers, and it's the first time he really notices how quiet the place is. The stairwells don't echo with his name, he doesn't see the shadows in the edges of his vision. Weird. Taking a vacation? But he doesn't give it much more thought than that as they step out into the courtyard.

He pauses, however when she slows down. "Oh, yeah that's Jim, he's— wait. You can see him?" He points and turns, only to realize for the first time since his arrival here, he's the one who can't see the ghosts. What the hell?

"I mean kind of big guy, blood all over his shirt, huge mole on his forehead?" He looks between her and the pool, then back again. He raises a hand to his head for a second, tapping at his temple and blinking his eyes. It's so quiet, he thinks. Quiet in a way that is both uncomfortable and relieving at the same time. But if Allison can see him...

"Hey, hey, look at me, yeah?" He gives her hand a tug, pulling her into his side. He look around the courtyard and in that moment, he realizes he can't even see Ethel. His face drains of color. "Can you see a woman over there? Short, stubby, gold tooth in the front, pissed at the whole world and then some?"

What did I fuck up this time?

Klaus nodding and describing the man by the pool - Jim, her mind already corrects - is both reassuring and troubling, and for a moment she’s almost lost in thought as she watches him. Until he glances over at her, as if asking what the hell she’s looking at, and Allison swallows thickly as she turns back to Klaus.

“Yeah. Yeah, I can see him.”

Him, and more. She can hear their voices in her head, some louder than others, and it almost feels like she can feel them as they reach out to her.

The way he tugs at her makes Allison focus again, and she nods. “Oh yeah, she uh. greeted me on the way back in with the boys, I can definitely see her. So that’s Ethel, huh?”

She’s in mid turn to look at him when he wonders what he had fucked up, and that’s when she notices that his mouth isn’t moving. But she had heard him so clearly, almost as if—

Oh.

“I don’t think you fucked anything up,” she tells him as she feels her mouth go dry, despite the sort of smile that quirks at her lips. “I can hear you. Like. Hear you. You’re projecting your thoughts, Klaus.”

How can she see them? Sure, this place lends itself to all manner of wild, crazy bullshit but the fact that he can't see the ghosts he's been able to see his whole life, and she can? He doesn't feel any different, outside of this renewed energy he has, and he can't wrap his head around it.

"Yeah, Ethel's a real gem once you get to know her," but he sounds distracted when he says it, eyes slightly wide as he turns to see where the woman usually sits, then back to Allison. "But I definitely did— wait, what?"

He stares down at her, at the way her lips quirk in a smirk. Am I hallucinating? Is this some fucking dream? Were those shrooms in the pasta last night not actually shitakes? Shit.

"I can't do that? And you can't see ghosts, so what the hell is going on? Wait, wait. I'm going to think something, and you tell me what I'm thinking."

Pineapple belongs on all pizzas.

When Klaus projects his thoughts again, Allison makes a face. “Gross. Pineapple does not belong on all pizzas.”

But... okay. So she can definitely hear his thoughts. She had been watching him and his mouth hadn’t moved, but she had heard him very clearly in her head. And now she’s seeing ghosts?

“You know, let’s just... I’m not that hungry anymore.”

Her grasp on his hand tightens again so she can tug him with her back to his apartment. She can feel her nerves fraying already, and the last thing she wants is to process all this with an audience in the courtyard or at a restaurant. She tries to not flinch as they pass by the stairwell, the voices louder to the point that she can feel her skin crawl, and once the door is closed she tries to, essentially, not freak out.

“Okay, so. I can see ghosts. And hear them. And you have telepathy. But you can’t read my thoughts?”

Some part of her already knows the answer. It’s as if they had traded powers. So if that’s the case, then does he have the Rumor, too?

“Can you try to Rumor me? To see if you have it. Nothing crazy,” she warns with a look, although if there’s anyone she trusts with it, it’s Klaus. He knows how she feels about it, and even if he doesn’t know the worst she has done with her abilities, he understands it.

"Shit."

The fact that she can hear his thoughts is eerie, makes his skin crawl in a way. How long has it been like that? Not that he wouldn't say what he's thinking anyway, but that does change things. It's not like the ghosts, where he can block them out, ignore them. This is more self reflective.

He follows her back to the apartment, however, unable to help the worry that nags at him. If she's seeing ghosts, then he knows exactly what she's feeling. He will never forget the day he really recognized all the noises and voices for what they were.

Once they're in the safety in the apartment, he gives a nod. "I might have an aneurism if I try to read your thoughts." But before he can actually think about the implications there, she says it, and he sputters a little bit.

"Wait. Wait, you think I've your powers?" What kind of fucked up place did they wind up living in? As if their powers weren't universally shitty enough as it is. "I... you think I can use the Rumor?" He laughs almost hysterically at the thought, both because of how possible it is and how absurd it sounds. But Allison is obviously saying it for a reason.

He runs his hands back through his sleep-mussed hair and lets out an airy sort of huff. "Okay, then. Fuck, this is weird, Al." To even think about Rumoring and being able to Rumor someone. "I heard a rumor—"

There it is. The strange waking of power, a pull similar to the one he feels when he conjures spirits. He looks taken aback before he starts again, gesturing haphazardly to her. "I heard a rumor that you sat on the couch."

It feels wrong. It feels so, so wrong and to even use the ability when he knows how much Allison has avoided it in the past? It feels like a betrayal.

“Well I’m pretty sure you would have noticed if you could read my thoughts, and my telepathy is only one-sided. I can see and hear ghosts, so... Yeah. I think you Can Rumor me.”

The thought alone makes her stomach drop, although it’s hard to tell if it’s because her security blanket is gone or if it’s for something else. There’s reassurance in the fact that, if her powers went to someone else, at least it’s with Klaus because he knows what they can do. He knows the true weight behind them.

She agrees, though. This is really fucking weird, and she just nods as she tries to not fidget with her ring.

When he starts speaking and starts saying the command, she can see it in his face. He can feel that surge of power, he’ll be able to feel the way that the air around them seems to shift as reality is ready to be molded at his whim, and before she knows it she’s moving to the couch so she can sit.

So this is how it feels. It’s not that unfamiliar - after all, Lila had made sure she could feel the effects of it back in Dallas, but still. It manages to leave her almost breathless, especially considering the implications that it has this time.

She swallows. “Okay, then we did get switched.”

There's something both extremely satisfying and horrifying about the way Allison moves at this command, like her body isn't her own. While Klaus has never been one to exactly revel in power or control, it does bring with it a certain weight. It sits uncomfortably in the well of his stomach.

"I... we gotta switch back."

He knows what waits for her at night, knows what lurks in the shadows, knows what ghosts will say, malicious or not. He's grown immune to some of it, the noise of the undead like static in the back of his mind, but it isn't easy. Not without the drugs, not without the alcohol. Even now, as clear headed as he stands, feeling like a whole human being for the first time in his entire life, he'd change everything back in a heartbeat.

"Being us was never fun and games anyway but this? This is some horse shit if ever I saw it." Moving to the couch, he plops down beside her and reaches for her hand, pressing it between both of his.

"You can stay here with us if you want. We have a spare room and everything. I..." It's weird, to think that Allison's going to get a bird's eye view of his abilities and thus, a small taste of the things he's dealt with most of his life. "It gets noisy at night."

When they were kids, there had been so many times when Allison would see Klaus haunted or tortured by what he could see and hear, that the protective side of her wanted nothing more than to take it from him. One time she had even tried to rumor him in his sleep, as if that would do anything, but of course nothing had happened. Their abilities had never been something they could learn with books or in manuals; it was hard wired into their DNA. They couldn’t change it or outrun it.

Eglaf is more than happy to prove that theory wrong, though, and here they are. With their powers flipped, and now they get to experience what the other lives through.

She looks down at their hands together, and she remembers what he had said not that long ago. How good he felt, and now it makes sense. For the first time since their curse had begun, Klaus was finally able to be free from the voices and the whispers, from the ghosts that followed him everywhere. Allison hasn’t had his ability for even an hour, and she already hates how her skin feels as if it’s crawling every time that they whisper at her to catch her attention.

“I’m working tonight,” she answers as if that explains why she’s shaking her head at his offer to stay with them, giving his hand a small squeeze. “And tomorrow. And, well, I don’t really sleep so it’s really not a problem.”

It’s not that she’s not scared. She’s terrified considering she has seen from the sidelines what this has done to Klaus, she knows what’s coming. She has already been getting a taste of it since waking up, but she doesn’t want him to worry. More than anything, she wants him to get a break and actually enjoy this. As much as he can, anyway, because she knows he’ll worry no matter what she tries to say.

“If there’s anyone that can control the Rumor, it’s you, so I’m just glad that went to you and someone else didn’t just stumble on it. I was able to alter reality again when Derek and I rescued that little girl, not just change someone’s mind, so...it’s stronger than before.”

Altering reality had been something she hadn’t delved too much into, especially after her lies to get out of training had literally created a clone of herself when they were teenagers that had ended up getting killed thanks to Reginald trying to teach her a lesson. She had learned the wrong lesson according to their father, of course - he had wanted her to comply, to not lie again, but instead Allison had veered further away from him and his methods. It had kept her from fully using her abilities to alter more than people’s minds, but her powers had gotten stronger while in Dallas that even without practice she had managed to melt a door a few weeks ago.

She gives his hand another squeeze. “I’ll be okay, I promise. And if I run into trouble, I’ll let you know.”

Klaus knows he should take the time he has now and relish in the peace of it, the quiet, the ease of a relatively normal headspace for once in his life but he can't calm the churning of his gut or the anxious turn of his mind. All of his siblings know what Klaus is capable of, what he deals with, on a surface level at the very least. But the experience of it is something completely different.

How does he warn Allison about the night sweats, the screams, the corporeal hands she might feel reaching for her shoulder on busy streets. Never mind the usual whispers and moans of those who pass in and out. How does he warn her about the nonchalant blood and gore, about how she could be sitting in a park and some asshole with a golf driver sticking out of his god damned face might pop up to say hello and chat about the shapes of clouds?

But she's shaking her head at his offer and he squeezes her hand again. "Allison," and his voice carries with it both a whine and a warning. "For once I'm the expert, alright? Now you might be some grand, Amazonian badass with a mean streak, but those assholes don't care. They're gonna do what they can to get your attention once they notice you're the one behind the wheel and not me."

He sighs and wraps his arms around her, tugging her into his side if only so he can press a kiss to her crown.

"Try not to go through it alone. I know you, and I know you're gonna tell me you're peachy keen. I might have your powers but I can still smell bullshit a mile away. So however long it takes for this bullshit to wear off, remember that. I've been trying to tackle the whole Seance crap my whole life and let me tell you, it sure doesn't work like that."

A part of him wonders if it won't be as bad, if she's made of stronger stuff than he was, if experiencing his abilities without the pressures of Reginald and his many experiments might make it palatable. He knows it won't, but he can hope, right?

"I think I'll be okay with the Rumor. I don't exactly have any plans to use it. Keep that puppy tucked away until it's back in the right hands. I... both of our abilities are stronger than before. Crazy, huh?"

"I know you're the expert. And I'm not dismissing what you're telling me, trust me; I know it's not going to be easy. But I have you, and I know I can ask you something if I'm in over my head. I did today, didn't I? I wasn't sure what the hell was happening and I came over instead of going to work, so..."

Sure, she might have beaten around the bush and not come outright to say it, but considering her usual method of denial to deal with situations, coming over at all had been a big step.

Shifting her position so she can wrap her arms around him in return, she leans against him and closes her eyes for a moment. It doesn't last for long, because it's not like before - there's no break, no darkness when she closes her eyes. There are only more ghosts, more voices, more things coming out to greet her. The fact that Klaus has dealt with this since they were kids makes her stomach churn, but at the same time it reinforces her determination to try to go through this as best as she can. He gets a break from it all, and that's actually a good thing the portal has done. She doesn't believe she's stronger than he is, but she'll do her best.

She breathes out a chuckle, nodding slightly. "Yeah. I think our time in Dallas 'helped' with that. I know my year of silence definitely did it, at least. When I started using it again, it felt different." So different that she had gotten carried away with it with Ray - she can still remember that thrill of satisfaction as the coffee continued pouring out of the coffeepot, and spilling onto the hand of the man at the diner.

Turning to him, she kisses his cheek. "Well, if you're not going to use the Rumor, then you need to at least control the telepathy. You can't go around projecting I Will Survive without even knowing all the lyrics." It's said with a smirk, playful. And yes, she's trying to distract him so he won't worry about her too much, but what she's saying is true, anyway. It's not just the Rumor he inherited, but telepathy as well.

"Good. You can call me any time, you know that? Trust me, nothing you say will even remotely surprise me." He rolls his eyes, but it's true. "I'll send you a naughty list for all the ones to avoid. Ethel's a delight once she warms up to you. She's got her own little network of ghosts and really that's where the fun is."

He snorts, remembering the many times the ghostly woman would stare him down, but over the months she's become something of a staple in his day. A greeting hello and goodbye to and from work and whatnot.

But Allison's talking about Dallas and he smiles to himself. Thinking of Dallas does hurt a little, when he remembers Dave's retreating back, the sting of the punch, and the bite of the alcohol he'd downed to ease the hurt of all of it. Dallas also meant three years of sobriety, though, and clarity with his abilities like he'd never experienced before. "You could summon an army if you wanted. Conjure all the ghosts and throw a belated Halloween bash, if you want. That's what Dallas gave me."

He grins as she kisses his cheek and he squeezes her closer, a laugh tumbling from his lips and wiping away any melacholy he might have held onto. "Listen, do not diss the marvelous works of Gloria Gaynor. My cult loved them, very much ahead of their time." He raises a finger and wags it at her, leaning to press a noisy kiss to her temple, if only so that he can project his thoughts again, practically an off-key wail.

I will surviiiiive I will surviiiiiive ohhhh as long as I know how to love...

"Or something like that. Ben gave them N-Sync, I gave them Gloria Gaynor, Dolly Parton, KISS... the options were endless."

"I'll call, I promise." And she means it, but she won't call unless it's an absolute emergency. Or if she does feel like she's drowning in any way. Which might happen, considering she only knows the surface of what Klaus deals with, but right now she's determined to not ruin the chance for Klaus to have some peace and quiet in his head.

At the mention of Ethel, she breathes out a laugh. "Yeah, she had quite the colorful language while trying to get my attention when I went to walk the boys. I don't know if she knew, or if she does that every day. But yeah, she's interesting.

The idea of conjuring a whole army is impressive, and she knows that was how Klaus had managed to defend himself and Tony when they got hurt, but the idea of doing that herself is not exactly tempting. Despite the smile she gives him, she can feel her insides tense at just the idea. She has enough with the ghosts lurking around and talking in her head; bringing more forth - willingly isn't exactly appealing. "I'll let you know if I get to that."

As Klaus talks about his cult, she smiles, but she can't help the laugh that all but bursts out of her as he sings in her head while he kisses her temple. She makes a face, but it's hard to considering the grin on her face.

"Good choices. I saw Ben with his little Backstreet Boys routine. Now I guess you get to do the same if you want to serenade anyone with your thoughts."

"I couldn't really tell you how to do it," he admits, a little sheepish. But the journey into controlling his abilities has been a rough one and certainly not linear. Controlling the Rumor, though more straightforward, comes with the same strange, gut feeling. "But by all means. Ethel can help you, if you need to use the weird little ghostly network I've managed to throw together. She knows the people who can help you."

It's weird, trying to explain all of these things now, and it almost feels a little intrusive, sharing this part of his life with someone. As if the conversation with Derek hadn't been scarring enough, knowing now that Allison will have a very real idea of what he's lived through?

It almost makes him nervous. He's spent much of his life trying to mask the actual horrors of it, shielding both them and himself. He tilts his head, resting it against her shoulder.

"Oh yes, he is a beacon of all things 90s, cheesy, and boy-band. But you're right, perhaps I'll make a new career for myself - the mental crooner, songs sung right to your brain, whether you like it or not." He smiles and goes quiet for a few moments before he finally sits back up, looking her over. "Just... be careful. Trust me, if I could take the Séance back from you, I would."

She gives him a smile as if to tell him it's okay that he can't tell her how to do it. It's no different than herself, after all. Allison has managed to control it, and even to get her abilities to be stronger, but it's all almost instinct sometimes. She doesn't know how to teach him, just because she never had to verbalize what she does on a regular basis. She would warn him of the addictive side of it, how that thrill of power and control can get out of hand, but if he's saying that he's not planning on using it, then...well. There's nothing to really worry about, then.

As he rests his head against her shoulder, she leans her head against his. Now that he's not looking at her, there's a moment where the smile fades, where she looks as spooked as she feels. Because this, all this, feels enormous and daunting but she doesn't let it stay on her features for long. She's an expert at lying to herself, after all; she knows damn well how to fake it 'til she makes it. They all are, but Allison has made a living with it, has had her face plastered on all over the media for so many years. She'll figure this out somehow.

She chuckles at what he says, pulling herself out of her thoughts, but she sobers up when he tells her to be careful. Giving him a gentle squeeze, she nods slightly. "I know you would. I've been wanting to help you with this since I can remember, so...it's really okay, Klaus." It's the absolute truth, too. She may have not always said it outloud, but she had done her best with what she could even if that just meant keeping him company through the worst of it at times.

"At least it's something I know from you, and like I said...I can go to you if I need it. I don't expect it to be easy," she admits, "but really. I'm okay with it."

"Why would you want to do that?"

The idea that anyone would want to take his ability after hearing how horrific it could be just blows his mind. Whether they were young or not, Klaus can't fathom any of his siblings wanting to take on his ability. But, in a way, he'd wanted to take on Ben's power, and this is no different is it? If he could have given Ben something gentler, fitting to the sweet natured boy they all loved, well. He would.

"I would never ask you to do that. I don't care how fucked up it is." And it is fucked up. "I just... I mean you hear them now, you're seeing them, so you get it but Al, it just gets worse. And I want you to be prepared for it."

He grimaces at the way he sounds, though, because he is fussing over her in a way he usually doesn't. They never have to fuss quite like this, but they're never in situations like this, either. "I know you'll come to me, but sorry, I'm a nervous nellie and it's fucking weird. I mean the silence, it's— it's weird."

Every voice sounds distinct to him, every ghost a different feeling, and to not have that awareness still makes him feel a little off kilter now that he's thinking about it. The silence is a beautiful, beautiful thing, because he can actually focus.

"Why?" She sounds incredulous at his question, but the answer is easy. "Because you don't deserve all...this crap. Because I love you, and I hate that you've been stuck with this for so long. We all got something shitty, but what it did - what it made Reginald do, it... I hate that it was even a thing. I hate that you got stuck with it."

Klaus means so much to her. Has, for so long, even if she knows her distance between herself and their family (and him) may have said otherwise. But in Eglaf they have had a chance to get close again, to build a better relationship than they ever could have back home, and if she had been protective back home, it has only gotten stronger. Klaus had probably seen that, when she had refused to even leave when he got hurt.

She sighs. "I know you would have never done that. And I know you'd never want this to happen, for someone else to get stuck with it. But, you know what, it's okay. I'm okay with it. You get a break, Klaus. God, do you know how long I've wanted that for you?"

She turns her head to press a kiss against his hair, holding him a little tighter for a moment.

"I get that you're nervous. And I'm sure I'm in for a surprise at how this all goes, don't think I'm ignoring all that. But I'm serious. I want you to have this. I'm okay with this. I'm really, very much okay with it."

"You don't deserve it either," he's quick to point out with a little huff. But she's talking about Reginald and he looks away. Just like he'd admitted to Derek, a tiny part of him still gives a shit about the man, even when he shouldn't, when he doesn't want to.

But he doesn't factor into a place like this, where they're all trying to forge something more, something better here than they ever could have back home where being a family seemed like an impossibility. But he'd be a fool to deny the idea of a break from it all is tempting, is so enticing because it's what he's yearned for his whole life. For someone to come in and flip a switch, turn it all off, even for a little while. He has it now, but at what cost.

"But you're right, nothing to be done about it now, huh?" He leans into her embrace, smiling when she kisses his hair. He doesn't deserve her, he really doesn't. "I'm not okay with it but as long as you know you're not alone. I seem to remember there was a little girl who would slip into my bed when I was younger. It was all very scandalous, because she'd rock me to sleep. That boy was very lucky. Because of her, he's never felt alone a day in his life."

He grins a little and leans his head to hers, giving her a little squeeze and shake. What would he do without Allison here? He loosens his hold on her with a little sigh, though it doesn't stop him from smoothing her hair where his frantic embrace mussed it.

"I should get to work before the rich, old bitties get mad at me. I've heard Lou's got this fantastic chocolate fudge cake and I have been making eyes at her for months so she'll give me one. Would hate to spoil all of my hard work."

Edited (k phone thanks) 2020-11-19 21:29 (UTC)

No, maybe neither of them deserve it. But it doesn't change the fact that she has wanted to give him a break for many, many years. If that means that she'll get stuck with his ghostly companions for a day or whatever it may be, then so be it.

Besides. It's not like she doesn't need the distraction, anyway. She has been dreading this week, and now that it's finally here, it almost feels like some cosmic 'payback' for her wanting to be distracted from the fact that she can't bear the reminder of her daughter's birthday on Friday.

"I do know I'm not alone," she assures him, smiling at the memory of them as kids. How they'd curl up together, as if somehow that way it would erase the shit that they would deal with in the morning. Just how she wanted to protect him then, she wants to protect him now, and she kisses his hair again. "Good," she says softly, "because that girl felt very lucky, too, to have such a great brother." A beat. "Even if he stole her make up later on."

It's said fondly, a smile on her face before she laughs at what he says.

"Yeah, I've got to get to work, too, actually." She gives him one last kiss before she stands, looking considerably calmer than what she had looked like earlier. The effects of the ghosts are still there, brewing within her, but now that she at least knows what's happening, it's helping to not freak out about it.

"Have fun with your old bitties. And I'll give you a call if something comes up, I promise." She gives him one last hug before she smiles reassuringly at him and heads towards the door. The ghosts are still there, lingering and talking at her especially as she makes her way towards the front gate, but she just tries to breathe through it. It'll chip away at her, she knows that, but it'll be fine. She'll be fine.

Yeah. Everything will be fine.

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