Klaus laughs at that, a laugh that's half sob, and shakes his head, just keeps holding the younger version of himself close against his chest, rubbing his back in even, gentle circles, continuing to tug and stroke at his hair while he cries it out. There's no judgement here, they might sling insults and sharp, sarcastic words at each other, but there's no judgement.
"Yeah yeah...asking any of us to get our shit together is a little much. Not sure any of us is cut out for that. But man, I've been sober for like a week and I have reasons to get sober that aren't just 'getting my shit together,' so I think that's something."
He lets the rest of it go, for a moment, just letting the younger version of himself cling and cry and he keeps holding him close, giving him permission and compassion and no judgement, never any judgement. Everyone else in the world might tell Klaus that his addictions are weakness, that he's just being pathetic and a wimp, even Ben, but Klaus knows better, he'll never tell himself that. Who does this Klaus have to rely on other than himself, and Ben, who he's going to lose soon? No. Someone needs to remind him that he's got this, or at least that he'll get it eventually.
And when the kid pulls himself back from the embrace, looks up at him with red-rimmed eyes and asks if things are still fucked up for Ben, how he can touch him. Those fingers clutch at Klaus' arms, digging into the patchwork jacket he's wearing over his vest from 'Nam, and he smiles a little, lifts a hand and brushes away some of the tears on the kid's cheeks.
"No. When he died, I went on a bender for like...probably two or three weeks, because I was so fucking scared I was going to see him like that, like all the rest of them. But eventually you can't just...you know. You can't stay that way. And I saw him, and he's perfect, he's just like he always was. He's not...he's not angry and hurting and he doesn't scream. Gets a little judgey sometimes, but that's Ben, you know?"
Klaus slides his fingers behind the kid's neck, squeezes lightly at either side of the back of his neck, just where he knows it feels good to get squeezed when he has a headache from crying. Something else Dave had taught him about himself during the war - Klaus had never been used to that kind of touch when he was hurting, not until Dave, and it changed him.
"Your powers, Klaus. They're not just seeing. You can summon them, you can make them manifest so you can touch them, and Ben's gonna be there to help you learn. You're gonna meet other people too, who you want to bring back. You're gonna be loved, and you're gonna lose it, but it's gonna be worth it, you hear me? There are reasons to get sober. Won't be easy, but..."
He shrugs again, offers his younger self a watery smile.
no subject
"Yeah yeah...asking any of us to get our shit together is a little much. Not sure any of us is cut out for that. But man, I've been sober for like a week and I have reasons to get sober that aren't just 'getting my shit together,' so I think that's something."
He lets the rest of it go, for a moment, just letting the younger version of himself cling and cry and he keeps holding him close, giving him permission and compassion and no judgement, never any judgement. Everyone else in the world might tell Klaus that his addictions are weakness, that he's just being pathetic and a wimp, even Ben, but Klaus knows better, he'll never tell himself that. Who does this Klaus have to rely on other than himself, and Ben, who he's going to lose soon? No. Someone needs to remind him that he's got this, or at least that he'll get it eventually.
And when the kid pulls himself back from the embrace, looks up at him with red-rimmed eyes and asks if things are still fucked up for Ben, how he can touch him. Those fingers clutch at Klaus' arms, digging into the patchwork jacket he's wearing over his vest from 'Nam, and he smiles a little, lifts a hand and brushes away some of the tears on the kid's cheeks.
"No. When he died, I went on a bender for like...probably two or three weeks, because I was so fucking scared I was going to see him like that, like all the rest of them. But eventually you can't just...you know. You can't stay that way. And I saw him, and he's perfect, he's just like he always was. He's not...he's not angry and hurting and he doesn't scream. Gets a little judgey sometimes, but that's Ben, you know?"
Klaus slides his fingers behind the kid's neck, squeezes lightly at either side of the back of his neck, just where he knows it feels good to get squeezed when he has a headache from crying. Something else Dave had taught him about himself during the war - Klaus had never been used to that kind of touch when he was hurting, not until Dave, and it changed him.
"Your powers, Klaus. They're not just seeing. You can summon them, you can make them manifest so you can touch them, and Ben's gonna be there to help you learn. You're gonna meet other people too, who you want to bring back. You're gonna be loved, and you're gonna lose it, but it's gonna be worth it, you hear me? There are reasons to get sober. Won't be easy, but..."
He shrugs again, offers his younger self a watery smile.