Work Text:
i.
Dave Katz had lived at Sunrise Apartments for three months when Klaus moved in. Dave didn’t necessarily hate the apartment, but it wasn’t his first choice. It was in a bad part of town, where drug deals and people were murdered. Dave was pretty sure about the last one anyway.
But Dave needed a place to live quick, after his parents found out he was gay. Dave had decided to confess to his parents one day the secret that he was keeping from them since he was twelve. He didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal, as he was twenty-six. Dave was wrong, as he was screamed slurs at, and thrown out of the only place he knew as home. After couch surfing for about a week, he signed the lease at Sunrise.
That was old news, as it was his three month anniversary of having the apartment when Klaus moved in across the hall from him. It had been vacant the whole time Dave had lived in his.
It was around 2pm on Sunday, when Dave heard loud shouts in the hallway. Dave wasn’t that worried, as Sandra, in 24A often argued with her granddaughter over college. Dave couldn’t offer much advice to Sandra and her granddaughter, than don’t go into the army. But Dave was pretty sure this wasn’t them, as this fighting sounded male and desperate. Dave decided to go and investigate, as he was just watching reruns of Unsolved Mysteries.
“Dammit, Five! Stop teleporting boxes!” cried an unknown voice.
“It's not teleporting, you moron. And it's more efficient than walking back and forth the millions of boxes of Klaus’s clothes.” argued a much younger, and angrier voice.
Dave opened the door to see a pair struggling with some boxes. The door across from Dave, was ajar and if Dave peered in, he could see a couple people walking about in the apartment. They didn’t seem to notice Dave standing in his own doorway.
“Boys, boys, you can all carry my boxes your own way!” said a man, in the apartment doorway, his hands on his hips.
The first thing Dave noticed about the man was that he was insanely beautiful. His cropped black jacket, covering his tie dye rainbow crop top. His messy long hair, and his bright green eyes. Dave didn’t normally notice people's looks, but it was impossible to miss his.
“Why aren’t you carrying any, Klaus?” asked a girl, standing behind Klaus, looking around the same age as the rest of them, besides the young boy.
The man, presumably Klaus, smirked and shrugged. “I’m the one moving! Don’t you want to help your brother?” he asked, batting his eyelashes at the girl, who laughed and pushed him.
Dave was finally noticed by the young boy who Dave could only guess had serious anger issues. “Hey, who are you?” he asked, nodding at Dave.
The whole group turned to Dave.
Dave sputtered. “Uh, um. Heard all the noise. Wondered what was going on.”
The man who was earlier arguing with the boy scowled. “We’re fine. You can go now.”
Klaus frowned, “No, no, no. Diego, that's not neighborly! Hi, I’m Klaus! That there is Five, and that is Diego!” Klaus pointed at Five and Diego as he said their names, they both didn’t seem that impressed.
Klaus extended his hand toward Dave with a smile on his face, waiting for Dave to make a move.
Dave took his hand and shook it. “Dave Katz.”
Klaus grinned. He turned toward what Dave presumed to be his family and muttered “See? We can be nice to people!”
Diego grumbled, and picked up a box that was sitting outside of Klaus’s door and moved around Klaus. Five shook his head, and followed after Diego. The girl to Klaus right, smiled sadly at Dave. Like she might understand what was going on in Dave's head right now.
Dave turned to Klaus and said, “While I’m gonna go, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”
Klaus nodded, still smiling.
Dave nodded, and turned back toward his apartment. He grasped his door and shut it, as he walked slowly back into his apartment. All he could think was, this is going to be interesting.
ii.
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
Dave turned and pulled the pillow harder over his head. It was one am, and Dave was pretty sure the whole hall was getting sick of the eighties music. It wasn’t that Dave hated the eighties, but he had a shift at the library at 7 tomorrow.
Clock strikes upon the hour
And the sun begins to fade
Dave grumbled, and sat up in his bed. “Thats it,” he muttered to himself. He felt around the side of his bed, on the nightstand looking for his phone. When he felt it, he flicked the flashlight mode on. As he made his way to the door, the sound of Whitney Houston got louder. Dave shook his head, as he swung his apartment door open.
Dave made his way over to Klaus’s door and knocked with a closed fist. Dave heard a loud crash from inside the apartment, then the music suddenly stopped. Dave then stood outside of Klaus’s door for a solid minute in his pajamas, looking like an idiot. Dave raised his hand to knock again, but before he could, the door swung open.
Klaus stood there, panting. “Hey, Dave!”
Dave raised an eyebrow at Klaus.
“Sorry about the music. You know, it can be hard to sleep sometimes, and eighties music can keep the ghosties away.” Klaus explained, without really explaining.
Dave nodded, even though he didn’t really understand. “I get it, but I have work tomorrow-”
“Ooh, you have a job? Where do you work?”
Dave was speechless. “I, uh, work at the library down the street.”
Klaus nodded his head, “Cool. Cool. Might have to go there sometime.”
Dave shook his head, a slight smile starting to appear on his face. “Just try to keep the music, okay?”
Klaus smiled back at Dave. “Sure! Of course. Also, sorry. Again.”
Dave shook his head, and turned around to walk back to his apartment. He shut his door, and settled back down to sleep. There was no more music, and all Dave could hear was the sound of cars from the highway across the street. It didn’t take Dave any more than five minutes to fall back asleep.
iii.
Dave finally had a day off after working a 40 hour week. He was exhausted. He just wanted to fall asleep watching Law and Order: SVU while eating bad takeout. Dave didn’t expect that to happen. Especially now that there was a cat in his apartment.
Dave was sitting on the couch, staring at the sight of the cat licking its paw. He didn’t know what to do with it. Dave was slightly scared of cats, after one scratched his arm up in fifth grade. He never forgave cats after that. After all, he was more of a dog guy.
Dave decided he must connect with the one person, who might know what to do with this.
Dave slowly got up, making sure to avoid eye contact with the cat. He opened his door, and was quick to close it. Dave walked quickly across the hall to Klaus’s apartment. He started pounding one the door. Klaus opened the door on the third set of knocks.
Klaus saw Dave and smiled. “Hey Dave!”
Dave sighed, relieved. “Klaus. I need some help.”
“What kind of help?” Klaus asked.
Dave shook his head. “No time to explain. Come on.”
Dave beckoned for Klaus, and Klaus sighed and shut the door to their apartment and started after Dave. “Is it that serious?” muttered Klaus.
Dave opened the door, and sitting right there was the thing. Klaus looked at Dave.
“Is this what you were so frantic over?”
Klaus awed at the orange fluffball, and picked it up by its stomach. The cat went limp, like it loved being held. Klaus walked deeper into the apartment, where the living room was. They sat on the couch, cross legged.
“You just want some attention, don’t you?” Klaus baby talked to the cat.
Dave thought it was adorable. And he definitely wasn’t talking about the cat.
“I don’t know what to do with it!” explained Dave, sitting down next to Klaus on the couch. The cat was now burrowing its head in Klaus’ lap. Klaus ran his hand over its back.
Klaus laughed, “Its a cat! There’s not much you can do. It doesn’t have a collar, so it's probably a stray.” Klaus looked sadly at the cat, running his hands through the cat's orange, soft fur.
Dave frowned. “We could put up fliers for her…”
So they did. Nothing came of it. Eventually, Klaus decided it was hopeless.
“I don’t think anyone wants little Sanft,” Klaus said to Dave, who was now standing in Klaus’s kitchen watching the cat eat some tuna that Klaus had picked up.
“It’s only been two weeks. And Sanft?”
“Two weeks is a longtime for a stray. It means soft in German.” Klaus explained, leaning against the sink.
Dave nodded absently. Klaus looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t.
Dave looked at Klaus, who was picking at his black glitter nailpolish. “So, what are we going to do?”
“I might keep her.” confessed Klaus.
Dave opened his mouth, meaning to speak but nothing came out.
Klaus looked at Dave and scowled. “What? I can’t do that?”
Dave shook his head quickly, “No, no! It’s just that not many people would do that! I think thats great, Klaus. Really.”
Klaus shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel like I have to. Being stray buddies of course.”
Dave raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Stray buddies?”
Klaus froze. It was obvious he didn’t mean to say it. They stared straight ahead, avoiding Dave’s gaze. “Um, I used to be homeless. I only got this apartment from my father's inheritance.”
“Well, I only moved here because my parents kicked me out for being gay.”
Klaus looked at Dave. “Really?”
Dave nodded.
“Wow. Thats…”
“Yeah.”
one.
After sharing their secrets, Dave and Klaus grew closer. Klaus learned that Dave’s favorite book was Dune. Dave learned that Klaus was raised as a ‘super-soldier.’ They both had nightmares, both from different things, but both equally frightening.
Dave could walk into Klaus’ apartment without knocking now. Klaus could walk into Dave’s without knocking, too.
It was going to be an early morning, and Dave decided it was best that he go to sleep early. It was only ten pm when Dave fell asleep. Dave was sleeping soundly, when he was awoken by a crash, and a loud yelp.
Dave grabbed for his phone on the nightstand, and turned on the flashlight feature, and jumped out of bed. Dave didn’t know what to expect. But, surely a robber couldn’t be that clumsy. As Dave made his way to the living room, he saw Klaus on his couch, holding his foot, muttering a string of curse words.
“Klaus?”
“Dave! Hey! Sorry for the...you know.”
Dave shook his head, and made his way toward the living room light. The room exploded with light, and he could finally see Klaus in full.
Klaus look disheveled. His hair was all over the place, and if Dave looked closely, he could see tear streaks down Klaus’ face.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Klaus?” asked Dave, walking toward the couch.
Klaus closed his eyes and sighed. “I had a bad dream, okay? I didn’t wanna wake you up, but I wanted to be here.”
Dave was sitting right next to Klaus and frowned at Klaus’s explanation “You could’ve woken me up.”
Klaus groaned and dropped his head. “I know! But I didn’t want to.”
Dave clasped Klaus’ hand, causing Klaus to look at Dave. Dave stood up, and led Klaus with him. “C’mon. Lets go to bed.”
Klaus followed after Dave to Dave’s bedroom, which was a mess. Clothes were thrown across the room, and the only thing that was slightly clean was the way to the bed. Dave pushed Klaus softly toward the bed.
“Lay down.”
“Katz, you know I like dinner first-”
“To sleep, Klaus.”
Klaus looked at Dave who was looking at Klaus softly. Klaus nodded, and climbed into bed, and Dave followed. As they settled in, they met in the middle of the bed facing each other.
“Thank you.” Klaus whispered.
Dave sighed “You don’t have to thank me for being a decent human being.”
Klaus’s eyelids started drooping, as they did, he felt an arm drop across his waist. Klaus snuggled closer to Dave, and slept a dreamless sleep.
☂︎☂︎☂︎
In the morning, Klaus woke to a bright light in his face. He turned over, to feel a body. Klaus had to think hard to remember what had happened the night before. As he remembered, he started to feel embarrassed. It wasn’t a secret that he had a huge crush on Dave, but it was impossible that Dave liked him back. He was Klaus Hargeeves. Unworthy of Dave. But last night made him rethink a lot.
Klaus looked up to see Daves resting face. His eyelids were closed, and mouth frowning. Klaus wished the frown wasn’t there, but besides that, Dave looked at peace.
One of Dave’s arms was wrapped around Klaus’s waist while the other was resting above his head. Klaus took one of his arms and rested it against Dave’s waist. Dave grumbled and pulled Klaus closer to him. Klaus sighed, and hoped this didn’t end.
“I can hear you thinking, Klaus.” muttered Dave.
Klaus sputtered.
Dave opened his eyes and looked down at Klaus. “Did you sleep okay?”
Klaus nodded, “Yeah. Thank you.”
Dave shook his head. “Anyone would do it.”
Klaus raised an eyebrow. “Anyone would let me in their apartment in the middle of the night and then let me in their bed to sleep?”
Dave smiled shyly, “Well…”
Klaus looked at Dave who was smiling at Klaus. Klaus decided it was never the brave type, but it was obvious Dave wasn’t making the first move.
Klaus brought his hand up to Dave's face and looked at him. Dave looked at him with a confused expression, but Klaus wasn’t going back. Klaus leaned forward, and pressed his lips to Dave. The second their lips touched, Klaus felt Dave kissing him back, soft and sure. They parted after kissing for what felt like hours. Dave rested his forehead on Klaus’.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I met you.” said Dave.
Klaus smiled and kissed Dave again.
As they parted, Klaus had only a single thought this is home.