The Flood // the umbrella academy [Klaus]

f o u r t e e n

Klaus had directed Bea to his old bedroom, silently, gently guiding her by the arm. He could visibly see that she was upset - he would've had to have been blind not to. A few days prior, when Klaus had first heard any mention of an event on their eighteenth birthday, he hadn't paid two minds to it; he didn't feel the need to investigate further. Now, it must be said that he was pretty high on illegal 'medication' at that point in time so, naturally, went with the flow of conversation and didn't dwell. That, and he was excited about the prospect of trying to summon Reginald (and trying to impress Bea whilst doing so). Now, however, while his blood was most definitely not clean, he was less high than he had been in a very long time. He was far more receptive to social cues and could concentrate on being serious. He knew that was exactly what the silent redhead next to him needed right now.

On entering his room, Klaus released Bea from his grasp and moved himself to sit on his bed, back against the headboard and legs up. He patted the space next to him, inviting the woman to join. She complied in a heartbeat, delicately curling herself up next to him, laying her head against his chest. Klaus reached an arm around her shoulder, holding her tight to him as if she were merely a fragile doll, ready to break at any second. He knew this wasn't like her; if her words to Luther proved anything it was that she wasn't a delicate petal. She was showing this vulnerability to him and him alone, and it made him feel special. It made him feel wanted.

"You wanna talk about it, Red?" he asked once they were both comfortable, kissing the top of her head.

Bea stayed silent for a few seconds, leaving Klaus to wonder if all she really wanted was just to be held, to be comforted physically. But her reply soon came, quiet and muffled. "...Yes."

The man let out an almost inaudible sigh at her response. "I can't believe I didn't realise sooner," Klaus commented, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.  

Bea looked up at him, orange eyes wide in curiosity. All of the spiel she was ready to spill about Luther died on the tip of her tongue. "Realise what?"

Klaus opened his eyes, gazing into Bea's. "That Luther was a total liar."

Bea felt her breath hitch. Did Klaus' confession mean that he had believed her capable of tossing them all aside? Of ditching the boy she loved for a new life of independence and solidarity?

"I never really believed him," the man continued, looking up at the ceiling, his words somewhat reassuring to the woman in his arms. "I mean, the Bea I knew would never leave us all behind unless something incredibly heinous had happened." He sighed, unaware that Bea's heart rate was spiking. "His first mistake was telling us that you'd contacted him. Like, yeah right!" He chuckled, though there wasn't much warmth behind it. "I knew how much you hated him. The others didn't but...I knew."

Bea continued to gaze at his face, taking in his features with sad eyes due to their close proximity. "I'm sorry." 

Klaus' face morphed in disbelief. "Why are you sorry?"

"I don't-"

"Doesn't matter; it's hardly your fault. Look," he started, contorting his body awkwardly to face hers. "You didn't come back after the two weeks like you said you would, and that's a fact!" He continued to stare at her guilty face. "But there was obviously a reason, right?"

She remained silent. There was a reason. An exceptionally large reason. An incredibly abominable reason. And she knew she had to tell him. If there was one person in that house that deserved to know the truth, it was Klaus. "...Yes. But when I tell you, you'll never look at me the same way again." She was crying now, eyes filling up with tears that were ready to cascade down her face like a waterfall.