larger_world | (october 1)

Entry tags:

klaus

(october 1)

Today is Klaus's birthday.

Technically, it's the birthday for all the Hargreeves siblings, and while Obi-Wan thinks they might usually want to have a party, he suspects Ben's recent disappearance is likely still weighing too heavily on all of them for such a thing. Still, he wants to acknowledge the day, so he sends flowers to the others, a big bouquet for them to display in their home, accompanied by a nice box of chocolates the woman at the flower shop had kindly suggested.

Klaus, though, he has something else for. Knowing how he's been feeling lately about being in the house without Ben, Obi-Wan takes care to invite Klaus over this evening, making it a special invitation. The apartment is, of course, always open to him and they both know it, but he makes a greater effort this evening so that Klaus knows the day is still special.

He has arranged for a pleasant dinner to be brought to them, has purchased a nice bottle of wine, and has a small package for Klaus, a box sitting wrapped and tied with a bow on the living room table. Inside is a dog tag, just like the ones he already wears for Dave, and Obi-Wan deeply hopes it isn't too presumptuous a gift. Upon the tag, he'd had a date engraved. 01-02-2021. The first time he had ever told Klaus he loves him.

Satisfied with the entire set up, Obi-Wan takes one final look at himself in the mirror and fixes his hair as he waits for Klaus to arrive.

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It’s the first birthday that Klaus has ever spent without Ben, in some form or another. It’s also the first birthday that he’s been with any of his other siblings in almost two decades. It’s a complicated day.

When the flowers arrive, big and beautiful and far too thoughtful, Klaus knows who they’re from before he even looks at the card. Of course Obi-Wan would acknowledge them all.

It’s Klaus’s first real smile all day.

When he gets the invitation for dinner, he almost declines because— why? He’s too busy wallowing? How lame.

Instead he accepts, because Obi-Wan will understand that while there are very few things that would make Klaus not want to party, this is one of them. Still, he wants to see Obi-Wan. He always wants to see Obi-Wan.

He doesn’t get overly dressed up, sticking with tight black jeans and a green tunic that he’s pretty sure belongs to Allison, and leaves his face free of make up before leaving the house. It’s a brisk walk over to Obi-Wan’s, considering that he forgot a jacket, but he takes it slow and smokes a joint as he makes his way over.

It’s his birthday and his brother is gone and he isn’t even sure how old he is anymore, really. But it’s older than he ever thought he’d get to be. That’s something, he supposes.

By the time he gets to Obi-Wan’s, he’s shivering and his curls are a little out of control thanks to the humidity in the air, but he just sweeps them back away from his face as he lets himself into the apartment.

Obi-Wan is primping in the mirror by the entrance and Klaus smiles genuinely at the sight of him, feeling something in him relax just by being in his presence.

“Look at you,” he breathes out, opening his arms in invitation of a hug. “Now that’s what I call a birthday present.”

"Did you walk over here without a coat?" Obi-Wan replies as he slips his arms around Klaus in greeting, leaning in to press a kiss to the rise of his cheekbone. His skin is a little chilled and Obi-Wan pulls back, giving Klaus's upper arms a brisk rub, hoping to warm him a little.

"I mean happy birthday, of course," he adds a second later, breaking into a sheepish smile. It's his tendency to worry, even when people don't necessarily need it from him, and he knows it isn't always welcome. Still, he can't help himself, and as he shuts the door behind Klaus with a wave of his hand, he leads him deeper into the apartment and toward the table.

"Are you hungry?" he asks. "Or would you prefer to wait a little?"

Obi-Wan fawns over him and Klaus can’t help but to preen at the attention, laughing fondly as Obi rubs at his arms. From anyone else, Klaus might find the behavior annoying, but then again, such behavior wouldn’t come from anyone else.

It’s only Obi-Wan who cares for him in a such a way, who worries about things like jackets and whether or not he’s eaten, and that’s more than Klaus ever thought that he would get.

“Thank you, darling,” Klaus says softly, kicking off his shoes and following after Obi-Wan like a needy toddler, perhaps wanting more of that same attention.

“I could eat,” he says after a moment’s thought, realizing only then that he hasn’t eaten anything else today. He hadn’t even thought about it, but now that he’s pleasantly stoned and Obi-Wan is warm at his side, his stomach gives an eager little growl. “It smells good.”

"It ought to," Obi-Wan answers with a charmed smile. "I had it brought it from that nice restaurant you took me to when you received your big reward. I ordered several courses and I bought a bottle of wine."

He leads Klaus toward the living room and leans in to press a kiss to his cheek again.

"Go," he encourages. "Sit. I'll bring you a glass of wine and a plate. We'll eat out here, it's more comfortable." And he likes the ambiance of the room, most of which has to do with Klaus. Obi-Wan's decorating skills are essentially non-existent. He would be utterly content with a rather spartan way of life, but Klaus has breathed life into the entire apartment with lamps and throw pillows and items with colour and pattern that Obi-Wan would have never thought to select for himself.

"Obi-Wan!" Klaus says in a tone that's both admonishing and pleased all at once, reaching out to lightly slap at his chest with the back of his hand. "You didn't have to do all that."

He didn't have to, but he did. Just because he wants to make Klaus happy. It's a wonderful feeling.

The kiss keeps him from protesting and he lets himself be led out into the living room, sitting on the couch as instructed. He pulls his legs up to adjust himself into a cross-legged position and then picks up one of the throw pillows that he brought over, hugging it to his chest as he turns to look at the lamp he put on the side table, the one with the sheer dark red scarf draped over it to bathe the room in romantic light.

This is his home, too. How lucky is he to have two places to call home and have both of them feel that way?

When Obi-Wan comes back with wine and food, Klaus gives him a besotted look and reaches out for his plate, feeling his stomach clench at the sight of it. His favorite dishes are here and he lets out a pleased sigh, smiling happily up at this wonderful man.

"I love you," he says, and the words come so easily to him now. Easy to say, but he means it just as much as he did the first time he said them. Perhaps even more every day.

"I love you," Obi-Wan answers as he passes Klaus his plate, then settles in beside him. The wrapped box is still on the table and he glances at it, eyebrows raised as if he has no idea what it might be or how it had gotten there.

In truth, he's a little nervous about the gift. Now that he's gotten it, he wonders if it was presumptuous, getting Klaus something to wear alongside his tags from Dave. While Obi-Wan would never ask him to forget Dave, never expect him to behave as if the man hadn't meant the world to him, he wonders now if adding himself in such a manner is too much.

Klaus will be honest with him, he knows. And that brings him relief.

It is truly a testament to just how hungry Klaus is that he gets through about half of his plate before he notices the small, neatly wrapped box on the table. His brows perk up and he sets the plate down on the table, wiping his fingers on a napkin as he swallows his bite.

"Is this for me?" He leans over to grab it with a grin, wriggling his shoulders a bit and looking over at Obi-Wan as he unwraps it. Obi-Wan is so thoughtful, and probably got him something special. Perhaps something shiny, something--

When Klaus opens the box and sees a dog tag, he isn't sure what to feel, exactly. Confusion, at first. Why would Obi-Wan give him a blank dog tag? But then he realizes that it isn't blank. There's a date engraved on it, and Klaus carefully lifts it from the box, brow furrowed as he reads the numbers. It takes a moment to come to him, but he remembers. Of course he remembers.

"I--" He cuts himself off as he waits for it to process. Obi-Wan chose a dog tag specifically, knowing what the ones Klaus wears around his neck mean to him. Obi-Wan did not give this one to replace Dave's tags around his neck, that much he's sure of. He bought it to add to them, and Klaus lets out a shaking breath as his eyes well up with tears.

It isn't a ring. He isn't asking anything of Klaus, nor trying to stake a claim on him. It's just a symbol of his place in Klaus's life, something that only Klaus will ever know the meaning of.

"It's beautiful," he says after a moment, reaching up to wipe his eyes with the back of the hand holding the tag, sniffling a bit as he looks down at it and swipes his thumb over the date. After blinking a few times, he looks over at Obi-Wan with a smile. "I love it, Obi. This is perfect."

When Klaus sets his plate aside and reaches for the box, Obi-Wan puts his meal down as well, wanting to see Klaus's face as he opens the gift, wanting to be sure he'd done the right thing and that Klaus understands he isn't asking him to change anything at all. He just wants to commemorate something, a date that means something to them both.

"When I purchased it, the gentleman told me it should fit easily with any others you might wear," he says. "I took care to make sure of that, I wouldn't want it any other way, so long as that's something you're comfortable with."

He would never presume to think he's as important to Dave, but he knows he is important. In different ways. Satine and Klaus exist alongside one another in Obi-Wan's heart and he does like to think he and Dave exist in the same way within Klaus's.

The comment confirms what Klaus already knew. Obi-Wan would never ask to replace Dave in any sense. He only wants to be allowed in Obi-Wan's heart alongside of Dave, and he has been. They exist there together, in the same way Satine and Klaus exist within Obi-Wan's.

He nods and sniffles a bit, wiping at his eyes before reaching back to lift the dog tags over his head. It's the first time that he's purposely taken them off that he can remember, and he holds them in his palm, rubbing the pad of his thumb over Dave's name. He lifts the new tag from its box and rests it in his palm next to the others, smiling and wrinkling his nose as more tears threatens to fall.

And then he looks at the date on the tag again, brows furrowing as he huffs out an amused breath, looking over at Obi-Wan again. "I've known you for longer than I knew him. Loved you just as long. Ten months."

He's known Obi-Wan for longer than that. A whole year now, which is wild enough on it's own, but ten months since he said those words. "Wow."

"It's more than I ever imagined I might have," Obi-Wan answers, reaching out and curling his hand over Klaus's, over the tags he's holding in his palm. "And I'm very lucky to share your heart with someone who was clearly a wonderful and kind man."

He believes the tag makes that much clear, that he considers himself incredibly lucky, that he's more than happy to share the space he has in Klaus's life with Dave. There is no world in which he would ask Klaus to choose between them or forget this man who had been such a significant part of his life. A man whose love had convinced him to stay in a war.

With a smile, Obi-Wan leans in to kiss Klaus, soft and slow. Then he asks, "Can I put it on for you?"

Obi-Wan always has such a way with words, and what he tells Klaus is enough have tears spilling over, rolling down his cheeks as he sucks in a breath and lets it out shakily. Klaus has had two wonderful men love him after a lifetime of thinking it wasn't possible, convincing himself that he wanted no part of it.

But now he has it, and he can't imagine ever letting go.

"Please," he manages, handing the tags and chain over to Obi-Wan and then reaching up to press the heels of his palms to his eyes a moment. He wipes the tears away and then looks over at Obi-Wan with wet eyes and a trembling smile, reaching out to put his hand on Obi-Wan's knee and give it a grateful squeeze.

Obi-Wan handles the dog tags and the chain like the special things they are, unhooking the end in order to add the tag he's had made for Klaus, then closing it again. The tag hangs just behind Dave's, right where Obi-Wan thinks it should, and he smiles as he leans forward and loops the chain over Klaus's head again, laying the tags gently against his chest.

"There," he says, feeling pleased, and strangely, a little shy. This isn't the wedding ring he might have given Satine and it doesn't change how they work together, it doesn't change anything about who they are, but it still feels significant in its own special way. It's still a statement of their relationship, their love.

"Here," he adds, picking Klaus's plate up again and handing it to him. "Let's finish your birthday dinner."

When Obi-Wan puts the chain around his neck, Klaus lets out another little sob, but it's one of happiness and gratitude, and he's smiling as he reaches up to rest his hand over the tags. The look on Obi-Wan's face makes Klaus's heart seem to trip over itself, and he stares at him with a reverent expression.

They'll never propose to each other with rings, never get married, never do every conventional thing that all other couples do. They're too unique for that, but Klaus wonders if maybe they've done something more in line with their own beliefs and feelings. People that know him will see the tag and know that it means something.

Klaus expects to feel anxious over that, but he doesn't. He's leaping over all sorts of his old boundaries with Obi-Wan, and he's so far deep in this now. He's happy. He loves Obi-Wan.

"Thank you," he says again, taking the plate and leaning in to press a hard kiss to Obi-Wan's mouth, lingering there for a moment before pulling back and balancing his plate on his knees. "Okay, but then I'm going to kiss you a lot more."

"I thought this was your birthday, not mine," Obi-Wan quips lightly, smiling over at Klaus at the silly little joke he's made. But it does feel like he's the one who benefits from such things, kisses and affection, experiences he's had so little of in his life until now.

He hasn't been entirely without, of course, but nothing like what he shares with Klaus.

"Would you like a glass of wine as well?" he asks as he chews and then swallows another mouthful of food. He keeps looking at the tag resting against Klaus's chest, the one he gave him with the ones from Dave and it makes him smile, even as he stands to get them both a glass of wine.

"And what better way to celebrate than kissing a beautiful man," Klaus replies, grinning over at Obi-Wan with an adoring look on his face. He had thought that coming here might lift his spirits, but Obi-Wan far surpassed expectation, just as he always does.

"Yes, please." He cuts himself another bite and looks up to put in his mouth, but from the corner of his eye, he can see Obi-Wan looking at him. Or more specifically the tag. He looks so happy. Not possessive or smug, but just pleased. It makes Klaus full warm all over.

Once Obi-Wan is back with the wine, Klaus sets his plate on the table to take the glass instead, reaching up with his other hand to grab Obi's as soon as he lets go, holding onto it as he takes a sip.

"This is delightful," he says happily, looking at the glass before grinning at Obi-Wan. "You're learning!"

"Well, I don't think I can take all the credit," Obi-Wan answers with a soft laugh. "I did ask the gentleman at the wine store what might go with the dinner I was planning to order. They're much more knowledgeable than I can ever claim to me."

But he had gone to the nice wine store rather than the store at the corner of the street where he knows they sell wine, but the sort that comes in a box. Obi-Wan had made sure to find someone who knew what they were speaking of when it came to his recommendations.

More than anything, he wanted to give Klaus a nice, quiet birthday. Something that would be relaxing and would make him feel as loved as he truly is.

“Well, it was all perfect,” Klaus assures him, taking another sip from his glass and smiling. “This whole nice is perfect.”

He stares at Obi-Wan with a soft smile, good forgotten as he reaches up to curl his fingers around the dog tags. The thoughtfulness of the gift, all the careful consideration, has blown Klaus away. He’s never gotten such a gift, and he feels spoiled. He feels loved.

Once Obi-Wan sets his own plate down, Klaus shifts closer to him and reaches out to take his hand, bringing it up to his face to kiss his knuckles. It’s then that he realizes how long it’s been since they’ve had sex.

Weeks now, which maybe isn’t a long time for most people. But it is for them, and Klaus realizes why he’s been avoiding it. He used to use sex as a distraction, letting just about anyone fuck him to drive the noise and pain from his head, and he didn’t want to use Obi-Wan like that. He never wants to not be fully present with him.

But he’s present now. Yes, Ben is gone and he’s still grieving, but he knows that he’ll be okay. He knows that he has to be a person again.

“And what about dessert?” He asks coyly, crawling into Obi-Wan’s lap with a smile. “Did you plan anything special?”

"Actually, there is a chocolate mousse in the refrigerator," Obi-Wan answers, his voice light and teasing as his hands settle on Klaus's thighs, as if he couldn't possibly imagine Klaus meaning anything else. It's been some weeks since they've done anything in bed besides sleep, although Obi-Wan is perfectly fine with that, seeing no need to rush anything and wanting to respect Klaus's boundaries and he needs.

Besides, while their sex life is wonderful and fulfilling, Obi-Wan knows it's being able to fall asleep beside Klaus that has made all this so special for him.

"I even bought a candle to put in it," he adds, hands sliding up Klaus's thighs and then back down again, enjoying the simple act of touching him. "I was told that was a tradition most people understood, although I'm afraid I don't know the song that's meant to go along with the candle."

“My favorite,” Klaus says fondly, sliding one hand into Obi-Wan’s hair to brush it back from his face, stroking his fingertips along his scalp in a soothing, repetitive motion. His smile only grows at the mention of the candle and song, eyes crinkling at the corners. Sometimes it really feels like his heart beats for this man, who is so thoughtful and kind. This man who loves Klaus so much.

“I can teach you the song,” Klaus says as he cups a hand under Obi-Wan’s chin and gives him a soft, lingering kiss, letting his tongue sneak out to trace the seem of his lips. “After.”

He kisses Obi-Wan again, a little deeper this time, and then sits back to pull his shirt over his head, sending it soaring across the room. The new dog tag is cool against his skin, and Klaus looks down to admire them, smiling at the sight.

The playfully innocent smile disappears, becomes something softer and more genuine as Klaus leans in to kiss him, and Obi-Wan meets Klaus's mouth, sinking into the kiss. His hands glide back up Klaus's thighs, anchoring gently over his hips, holding their bodies together as they kiss, slow and certain.

He had felt no need to rush Klaus back into anything physical, but he has to admit, he does love how it feels to have Klaus wrapped in his arms.

"After," he agrees with another soft smile as Klaus rids himself of his shirt. Obi-Wan's hands slide up, smoothing over warm skin, across Klaus's back so he can hold him tighter. Then he tilts his head up for another kiss, this one deeper, still slow, but he makes no effort to hold himself back. Klaus will tell him if it's too much too soon.

Not having sex wasn't a conscious decision that he made or anything. He just wasn't up for it, pun intended, and he didn't want to use Obi-Wan in any way.

But now, after some time to process things, and after Obi-Wan has given him such a wonderful gift, he finds that he's very ready. So much so that the kiss makes him let out a soft whimper, and he reaches up to cup Obi-Wan's face in his hands as he licks into his mouth, pressing his hips against Obi-Wan's and giving them a slow roll.

"I missed this," he says breathlessly, even though it hasn't been that long. Still, he'd miss this after a day, after an hour, because it's the best thing he's ever had.

He deepens the kiss, moaning softly as he drags up Obi-Wan's sweater, only pulling away from his mouth long enough to tug it over his head before bringing their mouths back together again.

All Obi-Wan can do is hum his agreement, Klaus barely giving him a moment to reply, but he figures that sound is enough. And the way he helps Klaus get him out of his sweater, shaking it off his hand impatiently so he can bring both back to Klaus's warm skin, his palms sliding over his back before one tangles in the curls of his hair.

He loves kissing Klaus. The slow movement of their mouths, the slick of Klaus's tongue against his own, that alone is enough that Obi-Wan's cock is already straining at his trousers. He's in no rush, he would very much like to enjoy every moment of this and he sighs into Klaus's mouth, pleased and comfortable and utterly content.

"We should go into the bedroom," he suggests with a nudge of his nose against Klaus's cheek, the kiss having broken off briefly. "I'd rather be with you properly, I think, than trying to work out how to find more room on the couch."

Once they're pressed together skin to skin, Klaus wriggles happily and deepens the kiss, dragging his nails lightly through Obi-Wan's thick beard. He can feel the press of Obi's cock through his pants and Klaus hums in approval, wrapping his arms loosely around Obi-Wan's neck.

"Then you should carry us to the bedroom," Klaus pants out, grinning and nipping at Obi-Wan's neck, wanting very much to be carried. "You know I like it when my feet don't touch the ground."

Letting out another amused breath, he shifts his head to the other side of Obi-Wan's neck, holding him still as he sucks and bites a faint purple mark just below his beard.

"Mm, shall I throw you over my shoulder?" Obi-Wan asks with a low chuckle, letting his head tip to the side as Klaus's lips and teeth move over his skin. It feels wonderful, the way Klaus is touching him, and he's only teasing about throwing him over his shoulder.

Or he was, honestly, until this moment when he imagines it and imagines the sounds he might be able to get Klaus to make when he does so.

With a quick shift, Obi-Wan stands smoothly as he grabs Klaus by the waist and hoists him up. Perhaps he uses the Force just a little to help him make the transition effortless, but then, in mere moments, Klaus is slung over his shoulder and Obi-Wan happily pats his backside.

“Ooh, yes. Very manly,” Klaus teases, nipping at Obi-Wan’s throat and feeling a bit like himself for the first time in weeks. It’s a relief.

He’s expecting Obi-Wan to pick him up gently, sweeping Klaus into his arms like a swooning maiden, but instead he’s hoisted over Obi-Wan’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Klaus lets out a delighted gasp and wriggles his hips as Obi-Wan pats at his ass.

“You brute!” He cries happily, kicking one foot back as he’s carried across the room. “How dare you!”

As he’s carried, Klaus slides one hand down into the waistband of Obi-Wan’s waistband, greedily palming one ass cheek. “Are you going to have your wicked way with me?”

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