Klaus really should have seen this coming. He'd been swindling this guy for much longer than he should have, pushing his luck on someone with a temper and a posse. But he was just such an easy mark, it was hard not to. And it didn't help that it was just fun ripping off assholes.

"Klaus!" the angry voice boomed down the alley.

Nope, Klaus was having none of that. He sprinted down the alley, not even really sure where he was going, just that it needed to be away from here. He turned a corner too quickly and ran directly into someone, the two of them sprawling to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, turning to give an apologetic word to the stranger before continuing his escape, but he was rooted to the spot in surprise when he realized it was Dave.

"Hargreeves!" the angry voice came again, this time much closer.

Dave, a bit slower to his feet and looking a bit stunned at the no doubt sudden change in tone his night was having, looked at Klaus, then down the alley where he had just come from, then back to Klaus. Klaus shrugged in a way that he hoped didn't show how tense he was. It was just an average Tuesday night for me, no need to worry!

Without hesitating, Dave grabbed his hand and started sprinting away. Klaus knew they were headed for a dead end and nearly pulled free, but he trusted Dave. It was a wild thought, but he did. Thankfully, Dave seemed to know what he was doing.

He headed directly for a door half hidden behind some trash next to a dumpster. Thankfully, it could open enough for them to slip inside, hopefully leaving the outside looking as if it had been undisturbed. There was a 2x4 lying on the ground, perhaps left here the last time repairs had been attempted on the place, but Dave grabbed it and managed to wedge it under the handle of the door, jamming it in place.

As Dave turned to lead the way upstairs, Klaus felt suddenly disappointed that he didn't take his hand again. He shut down that thought immediately and followed up a few flights of stairs out onto the roof of the building, overlooking the darkened city. It was peaceful up here, except for the yelling voices Klaus could still hear distantly below.

"So, you're having an exciting night," Dave chuckled, taking a seat and making himself comfortable.

"It's not my fault they're completely overreacting," Klaus joked, dropping down next to him because it probably was going to be a while before they stopped looking for him. "I mean, he had so much tacky jewelry, you'd think he was just begging to be robbed."

Dave laughed, shaking his head incredulously. "You should probably be a little more careful with who you con. Pick an easier target."

"Well, that's no fun," Klaus replied. "But, in theory, if I were to consider it, who would you recommend? You?"

"Sure!" Dave said, much too enthusiastically. "Here, you can even have my second to last cigarette." He pulled out a pack and handed one over. Sadly it was normal and store-bought, not one of the hand-rolled wonders that could contain any number of drugs. He still accepted it, who was he to turn down a free gift?

"What about your last one?" Klaus asked.

"Sorry, that one's already spoken for," Dave said, holding it up before bringing it to his own lips and lighting it.

"Oh, I see how it is," Klaus chuckled.

"I'll at least share this with you," Dave said, pulling out a bag of peanuts and passing it over before reiterating. "Share. Those are my favorite and I was planning on enjoying them."

"Yeah, yeah," Klaus said, taking a handful and popping them into his mouth. Then, he pulled one out and held it up. "Here." He tossed it and Dave caught it in his mouth.

"Nice," Dave said, before holding one up to return the favor. "You're turn."

"So who told you about this place?" He wasn't successful at catching it in his mouth and had to fumble to stop it from dropping on the ground. "I thought I knew all the best places."

"A friend took me here once," Dave said as they continued their game, throwing peanuts back and forth.

"Oh? I didn't realize this was the current popular spot for people to go to get frisky."

"No, it's not like that," Dave chuckled, shaking his head, throwing a peanut directly at him this time, before going back to gently tossing it in an arc so he could more easily catch it as if to apologize.

"Right, right, of course," Klaus said. "Well, since we're gonna be stuck up he for a bit-"

"We?" Dave echoed.

"Okay, fine," Klaus said, rolling his eyes. "Since I'm going to be stuck up here for a bit, and you seem determined to keep me company, tell me a bit about yourself. You from around here?"

"Nah, I moved here after I got back from my tour. I'm from Texas, originally."

"Well, that's quite the change."

"Yeah, well, I figured I could use it. What about you? You from here?"

"Born and raised," Klaus said. "I'm shocked you don't already know that."

"I got the feeling you were pretty popular around here, but I didn't know you were famous too."

"Oh, you have no idea," Klaus said. It was kind of nice, talking to someone who didn't know he was the Seance, so he didn't particularly want to continue that conversation and jog his memory. "You know, we've really gotta stop running into each other like this. This city isn't small, and yet we keep bumping into each other."

"Maybe it's because I was just thinking about how fun it would be to have a little adventure," Dave said.

"There has to be better ways to get your kicks, my man," Klaus said, eating another handful of nuts before tossing one to Dave again.

"I suppose hanging out on a rooftop isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world," Dave said. "What would you recommend?"

"I think we can probably sneak away, now, so come with me," Klaus said, jumping to his feet. "It's time to tour the town, see the sights, and all that."

"Oh, cool, I never did get a proper tour when I arrived," Dave said, eagerly standing as well.

"Happy to oblige. What better way to thank you for getting me out of a tight spot?"

"Of course, what are friends for?"

What were friends for? Klaus certainly didn't know, he'd never had one before. But for some reason, he still liked the thought.

They were running, out of breath but both still laughing anyway, and Klaus was fairly sure he'd never heard a sound he liked more. Dave's was infectious and while he'd been laughing at their antics before, he was definitely joining in on the pure joy Dave seemed to be having. They rounded a corner and ducked into an alley to rest and Dave leaned into him as he continued to giggle.

"Think we lost 'em?" he managed as he finally started to catch his breath.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't see anyone," Klaus said, glancing around the corner as he tried to get his own breathing and giggling under control.

He was all too aware of how close Dave was when he turned back, feeling his hands against him, realizing his own arm was wrapped around Dave, shoulders. Their eyes met and Klaus lost his breath a little all over again. And then Dave burst out laughing again and that had them both doubled over, giggling like they were kids again.

"I can't believe you splashed him," Dave said.

"I had to do something to distract him," Klaus said. "He had the handcuffs ready and you kept slipping!"

"Hey, fountains are surprisingly gross and slimy," Dave said.

"Then why'd you dare me to go in in the first place?" Klaus asked. "And why did you then join me?"

"I didn't dare you, you asked if I would and then immediately jumped in before I could say anything. Joining you seemed like the least I could do," Dave said. He sighed heavily and stretched his arms above his head. "Aah, it's been a while since I ran from the cops. Feels good."

"Well, then, you'll just have to hang out with me more," Klaus said with a wink. "I get chased almost every other night."

"Why am I not surprised?" Dave said, shaking his head, but he was smiling. "Thanks. This has been the most fun I've had in a long time."

"Don't worry," Klaus said, smacking his shoulder. "Next time we hang out we'll do something even more wild.

"I'll hold you to it."

"I guess we better clear out now though," Klaus said, reluctantly stepping away. "Not sure if this guy's got a vendetta, he might still be trying to find us."

"Yeah, guess so," Dave said, and it should be illegal to look that disappointed. "See you around."

"You know it," Klaus replied as he disappeared into the night.

Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned. They hung out a few more times after that, but then Klaus got arrested. Rehab was a better sentence than jail time, but thirty days had never felt so long. He didn't know he could still miss people. But mostly he missed the drugs.