The beach was teeming with tourists and sea-goers this evening and, for once, Klaus didn't stand out despite the way he stumbled along. Just another drunk out to enjoy the sand between his toes. Only, unlike most of the people around here, his flip flops and crop top were stolen, and he certainly didn't pay any fee to be here.
He'd usually be hitting up clubs as the sun went down, but everything was too much. He was miserable, every part of him ached, and he just wanted to be somewhere else. So, of course he came to the ocean. He didn't even really mind the crowds. It was easy to get lost in them, pretend like he could belong. Like he could be fine. And the sound of the waves was as close as he ever got to happy.
Still, he wanted to get back to his spot at the peer so he could drown everything out, be nothing, with no responsibilities, no one asking anything of him. He was walking so fast that he supposed it was inevitable that he'd bump into someone. He hit them so hard, he nearly knocked them to the ground. He was still going to deliver some sort of sarcastic remark, but the guy came back up with a smile and a soft laugh, and how was he supposed to respond to that?
"Sorry," the man said, hand brushing through his sandy curls. "I really need to watch where I'm going."
It was strange, something about this man felt so familiar. His blue blue eyes drew him in, the same way the ocean did. He stared at him for a moment, trying to place him, before he remembered to speak.
"Do I know you?" Klaus asked, instead of anything intelligent.
"No, I don't think so," he said, looking confused and possibly even a little concerned for some reason. Then again, Klaus was swaying slightly as he stood there, so maybe that explained it.
"Huh," Klaus replied, squinting at him as if that might help him see him better. Maybe the only reason he felt familiar was because they'd had a one night stand at some point and had forgotten. Well, maybe this guy remembered but was too embarrassed to say, which was fair enough.
"Dave," he said when it looked like the silence and his scrutiny was getting to be too much, extending a hand.
"Klaus," he said cautiously. Lots of things were familiar to him, but nothing had ever felt quite right the way this man did. And it made him suspicious. He still took his hand and shook it, though.
"Pleasure," Dave said with a smile. He gestured to the back of a stall nearby, down the path Klaus had been taking. "I'd go around if I were."
"And why is that?" Klaus asked.
"I may have set up a sand trap for my boss. I'd hate for you to stumble into it."
"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Klaus said, eyeing the man up and down before turning to go. "Good luck with that."