fire ; diego hargreeves

20 ; the lost

Five knew that Klaus had been travelling through time. Alex watched how Five asked about the briefcase, only for Klaus to tell him what had happened. Klaus left the room, wandering out into the house. He just looked lost, and Alex didn't know what to do. He just hoped that Diego and Klaus would be able to help each other; though he doubted how well the two would help each other, both consumed by grief.

Alex found Diego in his bedroom, sorting through his knives. His heart ached, knowing that Diego didn't know he was right there - he was still there. Just ... a little bit dead.

"Babe, what do you think you're doing?" he asked, watching him pack up the knives and leave the room. He followed after Diego, down the stairs, making his own way through the house. "Fuck, if you're going to try and get revenge, you're gonna fucking end up like me."

He still followed him, and they saw Klaus in the main area of the house, where the chandelier was still on the floor, left over from the attack on the house. God, that felt like so long ago now, now that Alex was dead. Everything felt like years had passed since they had happened. He supposed being dead did that to someone.

Alex figured he was handling being dead pretty well, all things considered.

"What happened here?" Klaus asked when Diego was close enough. Ben was leaning against a pillar, looking unimpressed as per usual.

Diego didn't give him an answer. "You look like shit." he said instead.

"Oh, why thank you. Hey, where you going?" Klaus said, sounding tired as he eyed up how Alex followed Diego. Alex just gave him a sad look.

"Nope."

"What?"

"I'm not giving you a ride," Diego said, and Alex knew that was bullshit.

Klaus made a face. "Aw, come on, man. You know I can't drive,"

"I don't c-" Diego started, but stopped, which gave Klaus enough time to say he was just going to grab his things.

Alex sighed, shaking his head a little. "You always say you don't want to give him a ride, but you always will. He's basically the only brother you give a shit about," Alex said, but Klaus wasn't there to hear him, and Diego didn't hear a word. Ben was the only one who did hear, and looked mildly offended. "You're dead, I don't think it's the same!"

"Pfft."

Diego waited in his car for Klaus, which was a change. Alex was in the backseat with Ben, their legs kicked up onto the middle seat. Klaus came out not too long later, his feathery not-quite jacket on.

"This isn't right," Klaus said from his spot in the front, eyeing up Alex in the back. "Shit." He pulled his bottle up and took a drink. "Nothing's right anymore."

The silence continued on the long drive. Alex didn't know what to say to Klaus; how could he when it was Diego who had lost Alex? There were questions in Alex's head; how was he able to manifest without Klaus there? Was he connected to both Klaus and Diego enough to stick around them? The words ran dry in his mouth, dead before they could go past his teeth.

Alex kept quiet, looking at two of the people he gave a shit about. He missed his other friend, wondering how Sally was holding up. They'd been friends years, and now he was gone.

"You OK?" Diego asked, glancing at his brother. Klaus just drank from his bottle, not bothering to reply. "Wow, this is a first. My brother Klaus is silent. Last time you were this quiet, we were twelve."

Alex could believe that. But he knew Klaus had a good enough reason to be so quiet.

"Ran down the stairs wearing Grace's heels, tripped over and broke your jaw." Diego continued, which put a funny mental image in Alex's head. "How long was it wired shut again?"