When Klaus woke up the sun was just beginning to peek through the drawn shades in the living room; bursting the room to life with shimmering hues of golden light. He quickly recognized that everything surrounding him was once again quiet and still; no more screaming, no more ghosts—just the peaceful murmurs of his daughter's hushed breathing and Dave's gentle snores. His eyes fluttered, attempting to adjust to this new coherent state of wakefulness as he stretched his tired limbs. He yawned as he turned his head, shifting his sight towards the other end of the couch. The image that greeted his vision caused his lips to instantly tug into a smile, warmth filling his cheeks.

Dave was curled up on the couch sleeping soundly, his back propped up against the arm rest. He had pillows encircling his frame like the guard rails of a crib would be. He had Riley's perfect slumbering form resting comfortably atop his chest; his hands wrapped around her in a delicate yet protective embrace. They both were snuggled together beneath a fluffy fleece throw blanket; the tufts of the fabric ruffled against Riley's velvety soft skin with each steady breath Dave took. Klaus only wished he had a camera to capture this precious moment. His smile intensified as he absorbed the delicate scene before him, he would just have to settle for recording it to his memory, instead. He couldn't get over it, they both looked so comfortable, so serene, so...beautiful.

Klaus laid there simply marveling in this peaceful moment—until the phone rang; immediately tanking any semblance of tranquility into a mire of panic. Klaus's heart plummeted into his stomach as he quickly scrambled to his feet to silence the noxious sound, careful as he could to not disturb the slumbering figures on the couch. He plucked the phone from the receiver and cupped it to his ear, lowering his voice as he spoke.

"Hello?"

"Klaus! Oh man, finally!" Ben began, voice shrill with excitement. "I'm so sorry we haven't gotten a chance to talk yet, my schedule at school has been crazy!"

"Benny, I already told you it's okay, I understand," He spoke so softly, his voice merely a whisper. "It's so good to hear your voice, man. Fuck, I miss you."

"I miss you guys too! Why are you whispering, is Riley sleeping?"

Klaus smiled as he watched his daughter's content features twitch against the skin of Dave's bare chest, her fingers furling and uncurling the fabric of the blanket in her perfect little hands. Klaus gripped the material of his shirt above his chest; his heart fluttering with an immense sense of adoration. Witnessing her sleep so peacefully after watching her suffer for nearly a week brought such an overwhelming sensation of joy to his heart, he was so thankful to finally see her resting so soundly.

"Yeah. Yeah, she is."

"Oh, thank god," Ben exhaled a sigh of relief, "Klaus, your voicemails were worrying me, man. I'm so happy to hear she finally got some shut eye. How about you, are you okay? You sound exhausted, have you gotten any sleep? Be honest with me, you know I can tell when you're lying."

Klaus smiled as he exhaled a laugh through his nostrils, Ben's thoughtful concern warming his heart. His lips began to tremble, however, as the memories of the past five days of pure agonizing hell he'd just endured orbited around in his thoughts. Honestly, the few measly hours of sleep he's managed to get hadn't made up for the days of rest he'd lost to the unending torment from the souls of the dead. He still felt the pull of exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to curl back up and go to bed, at least for a few more hours. Ben didn't need to know that, though. Besides, Ben was here now, talking to him just as he'd longed for him to be since the moment he'd left. He couldn't waste this valuable time worrying him over his own deficiency of rest. He wasn't going to lose out on this coveted time with his brother just because he was tired. He would just have to wait a little while longer, then he could go back to sleep.

"Yeah, I've slept. I'm good, Benny. Really."

"You sure? You just sound so tired, Klaus. How much sleep have you gotten? Are you remembering to eat? Don't forget, you need to take care of yourself to—"

"Take care of my daughter. I know, Ben. I know." Klaus interjected groggily. He silently laughed as he ran his palm down his face. "I slept last night for, I don't know," He peered through his parted fingers and glanced at the clock on the stove, yawning as he answered. "About four, five hours? And I'm eating breakfast as we speak. I'm okay, I promise. How are you? Tell me about school, making any new friends?"

"School is, well, it's school. Nothing too exciting. Just extremely time consuming. God, I just feel so bad I'm not there for you two. I still can't believe how hard this week has been for you. I'll be honest, I got really worried this morning when I saw I had a missed call from you yesterday but no voicemail. You can't scare me like that, Klaus. Thank god you two are okay."

"Sorry about that," Klaus began, he ran his fingers through his hair before resting his hand at the nape of his neck. He pressed his shoulder against the wall so he could keep his eyes on the two slumbering figures in the living room. "I just got distracted and forgot to leave one. Don't worry, Benny, we are fine. Seriously, I promise. We miss you so much."

"I miss you guys, too. Will you give Rile's a kiss for me? Remind her I love her?"

"Of course."

"What are you eating?"

"Hmm?" Klaus asked, taken aback by Ben's sudden question.

"You said you were eating breakfast, what are you having?" Ben prodded. Klaus didn't know what to say at that moment. Truthfully, the last five days were just one giant blur. If he was being entirely honest with himself, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything at all. Not that he was avoiding it; it was just easy to forget about something as minuscule as remembering to eat with all of the stress surrounding him. Especially after spending the last decade with food being the least important priority on his list.

Dave sucked in a deep breath; his chest expanding while his grip gently tightened around Riley's tiny figure, his legs sprawled out in a stretch. He was beginning to wake up; surely Riley wouldn't be far behind.

"I'm eating..uh, eggs."

"Oh, good. Eggs are an egg-cellent source of protein, perfect for a balanced diet—"

"Wow, Ben. I'd expect a hellacious yolk like that from me, but from you?" He snickered at the laugh that he earned from his brother. He noticed as Dave started to peer around the room, the top of his dirty blonde curls bobbing over the edge of the sofa. "Hey, uh, I hate to cut this short, really I do, but Riley's waking up. I should probably go. I'll talk to you soon?"

"Of course! I gotta go anyways, my class is about to start. I'll try to call you back later tonight?"

"I'll look forward to it. We love you, Ben."

"I love you guys, too."

"Did someone mention breakfast?" Came Dave's drawled voice, thickly laden with sleep. Klaus laid the phone back on it's hook before turning his focus to the tired man in his living room.

"Yeah, you hungry? I guess I'm making eggs."

Klaus walked over to the refrigerator and quietly swung open the door to peer inside before plucking the carton of eggs out and setting them down on the counter. He busied himself with searching for a pan to cook them in. Truthfully, he was more tired than hungry at this moment, but he had a guest over; the least he could do was fix Dave some breakfast to thank him for all of his help.

Dave had to stifle a laugh at the sound of Klaus's floundering inside of the kitchen, his audible 'ow' when he dropped something certainly made his morning, and it had only just begun. Riley yawned as her tiny little limbs stretched before curling back up tightly against her body; her brilliant blue eyes searching aimlessly until they found Dave's. He smiled down at her, smoothing the disarray of curls atop her velveteen head. Dave bundled her tiny little frame into his arms while he sat up on the couch and rose to his feet.

"Klaus, you sit and relax, let me handle that."

Klaus peeled his eyes from the drawer he was rifling through in search of a fork before making eye contact with Dave.

"Dave, please, you've done more than enough," He began, laying a fork on the counter and closing the drawer to better address the man before him. "Seriously, thanks so much for last night, you're a lifesaver. I literally think one of us, if not both of us would have spontaneously combusted from stress if it weren't for you." Klaus flayed his hands in the air, mimicking the sound of an implosion. The two men exchanged a laugh.

"Don't mention it," Dave smiled at Klaus as he entered into the kitchen holding a calm, sleepy Riley in his arms. "Now, sit. Breakfast is my specialty, you just relax."

"Dave, I slept a solid four hours last night, I'm great. You, on the other hand, barely slept at all—"

"Klaus, four hours in five days is not well rested. I've been lucky enough to sleep every day this week, while you have not. I'm fine. Besides, I'm wide awake. Now, sit down. You need to take it easy."

Klaus didn't know what to say. He wasn't accustomed to anyone forcing him to just sit and relax. Normally he would be against such an asinine request, but he was rather tired. Perhaps letting Dave take the wheel on this wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Alright. Okay, fine. You make the rules." Klaus abandoned his breakfast post and meandered around the kitchen island, slumping his weary body onto one of the bar stools. He folded his arms over the quartz countertop; arching his back while he stifled a yawn.

"Good. Hold that thought, let me just set this little lady down, she's dozing off." Klaus nodded while Dave went to lay Riley down in her Pack 'N Play to continue sleeping. He leaned forward, resting his head in his arms as he closed his eyes. He wished he could join her, too. He was just so tired.

Klaus startled awake when Dave came back; he hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. He inhaled a sharp breath, his body shooting upright as he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to cover up his faux pas.

Dave noticed, though. He knew Klaus was still exhausted the minute he caught a glimpse of him that morning; his tired eyes immediately giving him away. He wanted to let him just go back to bed, surely he still needed to rest, which is why he forced him to sit and relax. However, he remembered from the night before how the sink lacked any dishes aside from the multitude of Riley's bottles. He feared Klaus hadn't eaten much, if anything at all the past five days. He knew he needed to make him eat.

Upon opening the fridge and peering inside his suspicions only intensified.

There was nothing inside the fridge aside from an untouched jug of water and an assortment of condiments. No meat, no cheese, not even any old takeout containers—nothing. He opened the pantry and found the same thing; nothing but vacant shelves. There were two potatoes that were beginning to sprout laying forgotten in a bowl, and the final few slices of bread. He was glad to have found these items at least, it would be just enough for the two of them to eat a decent meal. Dave knew he would have to remedy this, though. The lack of food Klaus had been living off of for at least the past week was downright alarming.

"Alright, looks like we are having eggs, hash browns and toast for breakfast. How do you like your eggs?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, I'm not too finicky." Klaus answered tiredly. He planted his elbow on the counter and rested his cheek against his palm. Dave noted him struggling to stay awake; and saw when his eyes kept drooping closed. He knew he would have to let Klaus get some shut eye after this, the poor guy certainly earned it.

"Scrambled it is."

Dave knew scrambled eggs were fast and easy to make, so he wasted no time in getting to work. He rifled through the cabinets and pulled out a second pan to join the one Klaus had already grabbed and set them both on the stovetop. He quickly washed the potatoes, picking off the little sprouts, before cutting them up into little home fry sized cubes and adding them into the oiled pan. They started to sizzle rather quickly, so he seasoned them with salt and pepper before turning his attention to the eggs. Dave whisked the eggs and poured them into the pan, once again topping them with seasonings. He dragged a wooden spoon through them to fluff them while they cooked.

"There wasn't any cheese, I hope that's okay?"

"Sorry, that's my fault," Klaus laughed tiredly. "They'll be perfect, I'm sure. Smells good already." Dave shot him a smile before returning his focus to the task at hand. Thankfully the food didn't take too long, and everything finished cooking right around the same time. Dave piled a plate with the hash browns and eggs. He buttered a slice of toast, cutting it into triangles before he added it to the plate and set it down in front of Klaus. He set a plate for himself before taking a seat beside him, settling down to eat. Dave's eyebrows furrowed, his lips parting into a frown as he took in Klaus's appearance. He was staring at his plate of food but showed little interest in actually eating it.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Klaus snapped out of his trance; pushing himself upright as he shifted his sights to Dave.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Klaus picked up the fork, poking it into one of the potatoes but he made no attempt to eat. "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired." Klaus set the fork down on his plate with shaky hands before burying his face in his palms. He was just so exhausted, he honestly didn't possess the energy to eat a meal. Dave shot him a sad smile, he could see how tired he was. He couldn't blame him for feeling that way, but he knew that Klaus needed to eat something. He needed his strength to be able to take care of his daughter, and to be able to take care of himself. Dave rested his hand on his back and gently rubbed soothing circles into his slender frame.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to apologize for being tired, but Klaus, you need to eat. What do you say you just eat your breakfast and then you can go back to sleep?"

Klaus sat up, nodding his head in understanding and acceptance. He knew Dave was right. Besides, he was rather hungry. He just had to eat and then he could go lay back down.

"You're right, sorry." He picked back up his fork and brought the bite of potato to his mouth. Dave smiled as he watched him eat. He was so happy he convinced him to; he hoped this would help guide him towards making better decisions for his own health and for his daughter. He couldn't even begin to fathom what hell he'd gone through the last week. He was still left bewildered that he'd allowed his own health and safety to dwindle and waited so long to ask for help.

Klaus chewed slowly, savoring the flavor of Dave's cooking. The potatoes were cooked to perfection; crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Better than any restaurant he'd ever eaten at. He took a bite of the eggs, they were light and fluffy and seasoned to perfection; he didn't even notice the lack of cheese. Klaus glanced at Dave and nearly snorted.

"You put ketchup on your eggs?" Dave paused, shooting a smirk at Klaus.

"It's the only way to eat them."

Klaus smiled, exhaling a laugh before the sorrowful sounds of his daughter crying filled the air. He frowned, setting his fork down while he scooted his stool back only for Dave to stop him.

"No Klaus, sit. You just finish eating, I've got her."

Klaus opened his mouth to protest, but his stomach started rumbling loudly earning him a look from Dave. He sighed, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. I'll eat."

Dave patted Klaus's back in passing as he made his way to Riley. He scooped her tiny squirming figure into his arms and brought her to the couch to be changed. He laughed as she wriggled around, her little legs kicking out as he tried to put back on her onesie.

"I think you might have a future soccer player on your hands." He joked as he carried her into the kitchen and started fixing her a bottle. Klaus smiled as he watched his daughter. She was so well behaved for Dave, instantly calming down and relaxing in his arms. He giggled when she sneezed, her little body tensing before relaxing. Her eyes were so vibrant and such a beautiful shade of blue. Klaus was always left so love-struck by her. He loved his baby girl so much, he truly still couldn't fully wrap his head around the fact that such a precious, perfect little creature could have come from him; that she was his. Dave tested the temperature of the bottle against his skin before he pressed it to Riley's lips; she latched right on to eat.

"You're so good with her," Klaus smiled before he pressed his forehead to the countertop, an exasperated pout leaving his lips. "Teach me your ways!"

"It comes with experience," Dave laughed, "You'll adjust. You're not doing a bad job, though. You just need to accept help sooner and not work yourself so thin."

"Yeah, well," Klaus began as he ran his fingers through his tangled unwashed curls, "I'm just not used to having anyone to turn to."

Dave's lips curled into a sad frown at Klaus's words. It upset him to see him so crestfallen; so utterly dejected and alone. He knew he'd mentioned he'd had his brother, but now with him gone, Dave could see just how alone Klaus truly had been. Dave knew in his heart he couldn't allow that to continue; not if he could help it. He had to be there for Klaus and his daughter. They needed someone to lean on, and he would be that person. Dave took a seat in the stool beside Klaus, resting a comforting hand against his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, I'm here for you. I know we just met, but I'm here. I won't turn away, I promise. I'll help you out, alright? Just—" His speech trailed off as he gazed into Klaus's weary green eyes, before he peered down and examined Klaus's slender frame. Klaus was so thin; so frail, he didn't know how he hadn't noticed until this moment. "Klaus, you need to take better care of yourself. Seriously, when's the last time you ate? You're too skinny, a stiff wind would blow you away." Dave's eyebrows furrowed with concern as his eyes searched every inch of his body, his hand moved to cup Klaus's chin, tilting his face to better examine his features.

Klaus fixed his tired emerald eyes on Dave's bright pools of blue. He couldn't understand this man. He barely knew him at all and yet here he was, showing him such genuine compassion and concern for his wellbeing. He didn't know how he should feel at this moment. Should he be happy? Or sad, or angry? He didn't know, he was confused and dare he say it...he was scared.

"Yeah, well," He began, pulling himself away from Dave's delicate grip. "it's hard to remember when you're not used to doing it."

"Having a baby just means you need to make sure you're getting everything you need to satisfy your health too, Klaus. You need to prioritize, take care of yourself, as well."

"It's not just since Riley came along. Believe it or not, Dave, before I was the well kept super dad you see before you—" Dave had to laugh at Klaus's statement.

"Super dad, you say? Klaus, you've barely eaten or slept in a week. You're wearing I'm assuming week old pajamas with spit up on your shoulder, and I'm not judging—but, when was the last time you had a shower?" He smirked. Klaus exhaled a laugh, pressing his hands to his chest as he gaped at Dave.

"Well, fashion and accessories are important to me, David. Sorry you can't appreciate the clearly finer things in life." He gestured to his disheveled physique as both men laughed. Klaus's laughter faded however, his features and voice taking on a more serious tone.

"Honestly though, before Riley I was a homeless drug addict." Dave's eyes widened in surprise. He would have never guessed that about Klaus. Sure, the man was a mess, but to hear that? He was shocked. "Never really needed to worry about food, not often, anyways. Having Riley has really changed my life a lot. All for the better! It's just..it's an adjustment." He stated honestly.

He didn't know why he was sharing this information with Dave, surely this knowledge would drive a wedge between their relationship; drive him away and ruin any chance they could ever have at a friendship. He didn't want to hide his past, though. He wanted to be honest with Dave. For the first time in his life Klaus finally met someone he felt comfortable enough around to speak openly about himself. He just hoped it wouldn't backfire on him; blowing up in his face.

Klaus shied away from Dave, his eyes moving to his plate as he poked absentmindedly at his eggs. Dave's stoic features softened. He was proud of Klaus for being honest with him. He could tell how hard that must have been for him to admit, but he was so thankful he felt confident enough to share the darkest aspects of life with him.

"Well, you're doing better than I thought then, if that's the case." He gently gripped his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Their eyes met and both men exchanged comforting smiles before Klaus laughed.

"Gee, thanks." They sat there in silence for a few moments, eyes interlocked in a mesmerizing stare.

Riley began to fuss, her arms and legs wiggling as she greedily reached for her daddy earning a genuinely proud smile from Klaus. He happily accepted her into his arms, pressing her against his chest as he smiled at his precious baby girl.

"Good morning princess, daddy loves you." He whispered softly while he cradled her cherubic cheek in his hands and kissed the top of her curls, nuzzling his cheek against the crown of her head. Klaus cooed to her and rocked her as he closed his eyes, his smile never fading.

Dave leaned his weight against the counter as he watched the precious moment enfolding before him; a smile spread wide across his face. He couldn't control the soft giggle that escaped his lips.

"What?" Klaus asked, opening one of his eyes to peer to the giggling heap beside him. "What's so funny?" Dave just smiled, his eyes never leaving the beautiful sight before him.

"It's just sweet, is all. The way your face lights up when you're holding her. When she's not screaming bloody murder, anyways." Klaus exhaled a quiet laugh through his nose, his sights shifting down to his beautiful baby girl.

"Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it?" He closed his eyes, cuddling his daughter's tiny frame unimaginably closer to himself, her warm soft skin pressed against his own instantly warming his heart. His smile only grew as her delicate little fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt as she snuggled herself up tightly against her daddy. "I love her so much. I never wanted to be a dad—not with my history. But it's the craziest thing, as soon as she was placed in my arms I couldn't imagine my life without her in it."

Dave's smile grew as he absorbed the view before him. He could physically feel the love that Klaus felt for his daughter; he could see it with his own eyes. His cheeks reddened as his own heart fluttered. They were so precious, so sweet, so...beautiful.

"Sounds like you two are perfect for each other. The way her face lights up for her daddy?" He let out a content sigh, his hand laying across his chest as his smile grew ever wider. Klaus just smiled as he laughed.

"Yeah, well, she is pretty cute."

Dave and Klaus exchange a warm smile as Dave leaned over to rub Riley's back.

"Yeah, she is."

Dave knew Klaus still needed to finish his meal, and he knew he would need to usher Klaus off to bed soon to make certain he got enough sleep. He knew there were plenty of tasks he would need to busy himself with today to ensure Klaus and Riley were taken care of; guarantee they were both healthy and safe. He also knew those things could wait for a little while longer.

Seeing Klaus so caught up in this beautiful moment; his worries and fears forgotten and his misery faded away, Dave couldn't bring himself to disturb such a blissful moment. And so, he simply marveled alongside Klaus, thankful he was able to share such a tender moment with people he truly cared about.

With a family he, dare he say, was already starting to love.

—-

Authors Note: Thank you for any and all comments and feedback on this story! I am so happy you all seem to be liking it thus far! I hope you will continue to read, follow and enjoy! If you are, PLEASE let me know in the comments any and all thoughts and opinions! I love to hear what you all jahe to say! Thank you again!

Fair warning, this story has a TON of sweet stuff but there is a lot of whump and angst as well. Just as a fair warning! I promise there is still a tonnnn of sweet tender fluffyness still to come though as well!