Diego woke to someone sliding into bed with him. It startled him for a moment before he recognized the boney body that was pressed into his side. Klaus
"Hey, you okay?" Diego asked wrapping an arm around Klaus. Klaus let out a soft noise but didn't say anything.
"I don't want to be here." Klaus murmured and Diego felt his heart break. He knew this place was rough for Klaus.
"Alright. Let's go for a walk then." Diego said flicking on the lamp on his nightstand. Klaus looked like shit. It was obvious he needed to sleep, that he hadn't been sleeping. His eyes were red and bloodshot, his skin pale. Klaus clung tighter to Diego.
"Hey, it's okay. What do you need?" He asked brushing a clump of hair out of Klaus' face. Klaus frowned
"Will you stay?" Klaus asked and Diego frowned. He wasn't sure why Klaus was asking such a question when the answer was so obvious. Of course, he would stay, he would always stay for Klaus. Diego opened his mouth to answer and then suddenly Klaus was gone. No where to be seen. Someone was screaming down the hall though, screaming bloody murder.
Diego sat up panting. Klaus was screaming. Really screaming and not just in his dreams. Diego threw his covers off and sprinted out of his room to Klaus'. Klaus was thrashing in his sheets and Diego moved to restrain him, pulling his body upright and wrapping his arms around Klaus to keep him from hurting himself
"What's going on?" Luther asked appearing in the doorway
"Night terror." Diego said as he restrained his brother. Klaus went tight, thrashing around in his sleep to try and break Diego's hold but Diego didn't let go, just held on tighter. Finally, Klaus went limp, his screams becoming nothing more than pained whimpers. Diego gently laid him back down on the bed, tucking a sweat soaked clump of hair off his forehead. Klaus' eyes were open but Diego had enough experience to know that he wasn't quite awake yet.
"Hey. You with me?" Diego asked softly as he stroked through Klaus' hair. Klaus' eyes flickered over to him but Diego wasn't sure if that was confirmation or just responding to the sound of his voice. Diego glanced over to see Luther and Mom in the doorway
"Hey, Mom, can you make us some cocoa? I think it will help Klaus feel better." Diego said. Mom smiled brightly and nodded
"Of course, sweetheart." She said before leaving.
"Dee?" Klaus rasped out and Diego grabbed the trash can that Klaus had next to his bed and handed it to Klaus who promptly threw up. Diego rubbed his back. This was the third night they had been back at the Academy, the third night that Klaus had had night terrors so bad he had been violently ill.
"Is he going to be okay?" Luther asked from the doorway and Diego nodded
"Eventually." He said without looking away from Klaus. He missed the way Luther was watching them. Knowing and sad. Klaus set the trash can down beside the bed and crawled into Diego's lap. Diego held him for a moment before slowly sliding Klaus off his lap
"Let's go get some cocoa and then go for a walk, okay?" He said and Klaus nodded. He was quiet while they sat down in the kitchen and when Mom set a large cup of cocoa and whip cream in front of them. Klaus', he knew, would be laden with cinnamon. It was a trick that he had taught Mom to get Klaus to drink the cocoa better. Diego kept a close eye on him just in case but he seemed to be recovering from the night terror. Diego drank his drink slowly knowing that Klaus would drink his own drink only until Diego was finished and then would abandon whatever was left. Once the cocoa was gone Diego got dressed in some street clothes and met Klaus at the front door.
"Alright. Let's go." Diego said. They were silent for the first block before Klaus began to speak
"He smelt of cigar smoke and was bald. I remember his head looked like it had been waxed. He held me down a lot. Liked cut me up and then lick the blood up. His eyes…" Klaus paused in his words and shivered. Diego wrapped an arm around him
"It's alright. You don't have to talk to me about him." Diego murmured. Klaus shook his head
"Once his eyes glowed yellow and it wasn't a knife he cut me with. He had claws and fangs. I think he's like us. I think he was born on the day that we were." Klaus said. Diego frowned and pulled Klaus closer
"You think he was one of the forty-three? We've never run into anyone else, are you sure?" Diego asked. Klaus shook his head
"No, but if he wasn't, he wasn't human. I remember the claws. I remember his eyes turning yellow. It scared me even through the drugs he was giving me." Klaus said wrapping his arms around himself and Diego pulled him into a hug.
"It's going to be alright. I've got you. That sick fucker isn't going to hurt you ever again." Diego promised. Klaus clung to him and Diego felt tears stain his shirt. He held Klaus there, as the sun rose behind them, and let the smaller man cry.
"I love you Diego." Klaus murmured. There was something in his voice. Something that Diego had never noticed.
Something more than just brotherly love. Diego pushed the thought away. Klaus was still to traumatized, to unsure of himself to get into anything. Diego loved his brother, he would do anything for his Klaus. But he would not make the first move towards anything more.
"I know." He murmured, "I know."