A woman's voice was coming from above him, her shadow blocking the sun.
"What the fuck do you want?" Klaus's voice was hoarse from use but it was working and that's what mattered right now.
"Yo. I was just seeing if you were okay."
"I'm fine." Snippy, but he just wanted her to go.
"You need some ice? I can go get you some from the gas station."
Klaus looks up at her, his eyes hurting in the afternoon sun.
"Nah. I'm good."
"Okay...Well, stay safe." She walks off, a look of worry in her eyes.
He couldn't call Diego or Mom or Dad.
He couldn't call anyone.
He didn't have anyone to talk to, to tell them what happened and to nurse his wounds.
Fuck knows that Luther was off the table.
And Allison.
Vanya? Nah, she was busy.
Squinting hurt, breathing hurt, existing hurt.
And it was incredibly hot in the August afternoon.
His mind wandered back to talking to family, god, he was hungover.
He didn't know how to tell them that the previous night he'd almost been arrested, kicked out of a diner for fighting, and that he was followed.
"Ugh. Fuck. Okay...Getting up."
He sat up slowly, his skin warm from the bench.
Priorities. Right.
He needed to go to that gas station and clean up before he went home.
Then he needed to eat.
Then he needed to get his ass back to his crappy little apartment and make himself sleep.
It was a plan at least.
He got up and walked until he reached the small sketchy pit stop.
The air conditioning inside was a blessing.
He bought an energy drink and some bandaids, ignoring the look that the cashier was giving him.
"Got a bathroom key?"
The man handed it to him in silence and pointed to the back of the store.
So much for 'thank you's'.
Klaus let himself in and for the first time in probably days, looked at himself in the mirror.
He was a mess.
His eyeliner was smudged all over his face, his right eye was black and red, and his lip was crusted over with blood.
Lovely.
Cracking open the drink, he decided it was best to just get the caffeine as fast as possible and chugged it.
"Real healthy Klaus." Ben mumbled from the corner, having decided to show up.
"You know, if you do that enough, I might join you."
"You know." Ben said mockingly. "If you get in enough fights, I might stop hanging around."
Ouch, that one hurt.
Klaus wiped at his face with a damp paper towel, wincing more at the comment.
"You remember what happened?"
"Not really. It's a blur after the first punch to about when I got to the bench."
"Ah..."
"Care to fill me in?"
"Not really."
"Alright then."
Klaus continued to work in silence, deciding against the bandaids and sticking the box in his bag.
"I'm heading home."
"I know."
He left the bathroom and dropped the key on the counter, the cashier scowling at him. "Thank you." He said sweetly, no need to be more of a dick if you can help it.
He hurried down the street, keeping his eyes on the ground with Ben trailing close behind him.
It wasn't until he unlocked his front door and stepped inside that Ben said something.
"We can talk after you sleep... I think you need a refresher on how to take on someone bigger than you."
Klaus laughed as he stripped down to his boxers.
"Yeah. Totally." He mumbled, falling into his bed and burying himself in the comforter.
As he was nodding off, he could have sworn he heard Ben say "Don't worry...They won't find you."
Yeah... Like he was worried.
And in some small part of his brain, maybe he was.
But for now, he just wanted sleep.
And with Ben standing guard, it was the easiest thing in the world.