larger_world | (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.

Threaded | Flat

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.”

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