He hadn't seen Klaus in a while. Barty was not certain just how long it had been. He tried to keep track of time by counting meals, but that was fairly pointless when he couldn't know the schedule.
When Klaus wasn't there, there was little else. The people who brought his food wore headphones and when they saw him speak, he got punished. The experiments happened in controlled environment, obviously, and he hated them. He hated even more that part of him longed for them, because at least it was something. Like the hands touching him to hold him down when he got another spinal tap. They were contact. Something other than the empty silence he was trapped in.
He had started scratching his skin, wondering how long it'd be before they'd notice and before someone would have to treat his arms for it. That'd be something too.
And maybe it was that something that made them bring Klaus in again. Barty walked up to the door when it opened, eyes widening when he saw Klaus. He wanted to step closer, but he got shocked for that. The reason for the collar he wore. One of the guards gestured to him and he glared, rolled his eyes, but followed the instructions. Both hands over his mouth and he stepped back against the wall.
"You are going to stay with Number Two, Number Four, do you understand?" It was a scientist that had led Klaus here, accompanied by two guards, and she spoke to Klaus now, sounding almost kind. It really was the worst. "You remember him, right?"
"I remember." Klaus spoke softly, he always did. He wasn't a particularly brave boy, he was clearly terrified right now and his body language showed it. He was half curled into himself as he looked up at Barty. He knew Barty, he remembered him from before. Klaus nodded his head to show his understanding but didn't dare move away from the scientist in case he wasn't supposed to.
Klaus was so tired, his eyes were blurring and the bags under his eyes were darker than they had ever been. He spent all of last night with ghosts screaming at him, clawing at him, and he was still locked so deeply in the terror of it all.
It was hard to process that he was here. With Barty. A rare treat.
He scientist pushed him forward and Klaus moved reluctantly. He knew bad things happened if he disobey and people were being nice lately so he didn't want to spoil it. He knew he always did. He got too selfish, he wanted too much, he didn't behave as he should.
Looking up, he met Barty's eyes and the faintest smile show. "Hi."
Barty wanted to do something like offer a smile or even reach out, but obviously he couldn't do that. Not with that guard ready to shock him at any sign of misbehaviour. So he simply looked at Klaus and hoped they'd leave them alone soon.
"You know Number Two's power. He has abused it not that long ago. He has used it to kill. Perhaps being around you will teach him how serious death is." She crouched down a little to be level with Klaus, smiling at him. "You have been a very good boy, Number Four. I want you to keep trying your best. Promise that you will? Then I will bring you a gift."
Klaus always hated when they spoke nicely because he wanted it and he craved it but he knew it was going to end badly. When they were nice to him, when they touched him or spoke gently, it meant he was about to hurt. He tensed and all of his body locked in panic but he didn't make a move to retreat or fight. "I promise."
He looked at Barty, suddenly hyper aware because whoever he killed, they might still be here and he didn't want to meet them. He was sure if they were dead because of Barty, they were probably bad people. "I always try my best."
"I know you do. Now play nice with Number Two and... I suppose yell if he scares you." Maybe that was the best way to handle that. She smiled again and then turned away, leaving with the two guards. Barty's eyes were trained to the door, counting until three before he lowered his hands. He didn't fancy getting shocked again.
Looking at Klaus, he smiled. He stepped closer to him and reached for his hands, touching him before he had the chance to build up to it in his mind and make it an impossible thing to do. Klaus's hands felt clammier than they ought to, so he took them between both of his and looked at him. "All right."
He hesitated for a few moments, looked at the cameras and debated if it was worth it or not. But it always was. Affection was weakness, he knew that, but how many more chances would he get to have a hug? So he hugged Barty before anyone could stop it from happening. It was an awkward hug, he wasn't sure how to do it properly so he just held onto Barty before the wonderful feeling.
It was like a drug. Touch - nice touch, safe touch, controlled touch.
He pulled back and gave Barty a nervous look. "Sorry. I don't get --- a lot. I wanted to."
"I know. We don't get it." Not anywhere else. Barty wrapped his arms around Klaus and held him, looking up at the camera with defiance on his face while he held Klaus as tightly as he could without hurting him. He'd never done that before. It felt nice. Klaus was trembling. He wondered whether he was more cold or scared.
Lowering his head, he whispered by his ear. "Don't be scared." Not a bad command, was it?
"I'm trying." Klaus admitted but telling him not to feel something didn't make his body not feel it. It just gave him a wave, a moment of bravery, so he could finally look at what he hadn't wanted to look at this whole time. He swallowed hard but the fear was ebbed and buried so he could control his heart as he looked at what seemed like nothing to everyone else.
"You killed him. He's not very happy. He keeps yelling." He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Number Two - what's a cunt?"
"I don't know. He was one. It's an insult. A bad thing to call someone." Not overly impressed by it, Barty turned his head to look in the direction that Klaus was staring. "You are a stupid cunt. You gave me an in. That's on you."
No, he didn't feel any guilt. Instead he pulled them closer to the wall and sat down, tugging Klaus down with him. "Look at me. Ignore him. He doesn't matter."
"It's not that easy. They're so loud." Klaus admitted as he sat down and moved closer to Barty, looking up at him with a small smile. "Are you doing well in your experiments? They told me I'm doing a bit better now. I did really bad for a while." After they locked him in that room for 48 hours, he had entered a catatonic state so honestly, anything up from that was a great improvement. The bar was very low.
He wanted to talk about something but he didn't really have anything in his life but this. He couldn't read, he didn't watch things or play with things, he just did tests and experiments. "There's a lot of ghosts here. Lots of them died." He stared at Barty instead of the ghosts around him. "Like us. Like them. So many."
"I do well. It's stronger now." Whatever it was inside him, inside them. That power. "They fear me more." It meant less interaction. They had to know they could control him when he was the key to controlling everyone else. He pulled Klaus close and reached up to run a hand through his hair. It felt nice. A lot of texture to it. Felt a lot better than his own. "Relax. I want that. Be happy when you are with me."
Klaus put his head against Barty and snuggled close, smiling dumbly and letting that rush of dopamine and serotonin take him where he needed. It didn't need to be real, it didn't matter if it was or it wasn't, it felt real. He giggled as he felt that happy tingling feeling.
"I got pictures yesterday. They tell a story. That's something made up. It's about a little boy who has something called 'worries'." Klaus explained. They had given him a book to try and get him to describe his current emotions, to try and get him to work through it so they could resume tests. Lately, every test resulted in an utter breakdown and that wasn't productive. "The boy has yellow hair."
"My hair used to be lighter. I think." Barty glanced up to try and see his own hair, obviously not getting far with that. It had been shaved a while ago now, but it was still nowhere near long enough to reach his eyes. "What was the yellow haired boy worried about?"
Barty felt he should be given stories too. Then he could tell them to Klaus. Fill their emptiness with something.
"He got hurt. He fell over. And then he was scared to walk. He was scared to see the medical people too. Then he got brave and did it." Klaus frowned, unsure what he even thought about it, it all seemed so illogical. "I'm not sure how he got brave. Does it just happen?"
He raised his hand and touched Barty's hair, feeling it under his fingers and trying to look at it against his pale skin. "Your hair is brown, I think. Like the chairs in the assessment room. Only nicer."
"Your hair feels good. Like a lot. I like it." He wasn't certain he explained it well, but it was nice to touch. Nice to touch Klaus in general. He frowned as he considered what Klaus had asked him. "The way it could work would be if I told you."
Perhaps that was what was supposed to happen. "Don't be scared. Be brave." He petted Klaus's head and looked into his eyes. "Please, darling." He wasn't sure why he used that word, but it seemed fitting.
"Then I'll be brave." He had to be now, right? So he was. God, he hoped it worked. He didn't think he could keep going, he just kept crying and crying and making everyone so angry. He had to be careful and good. He had to be brave.
"Do you think if I'm brave and good, we can play together again?" He wanted to spend time with Barty, he hadn't in ages and he hated it a lot. He looked up at the camera, hoping they heard and took it into account. "I would do it if I could see you more."
"I don't know. They want you to not be scared and I think they might be scared of me." Scared of what he could do, anyway. "Maybe if they think it's useful." And wasn't it useful? He wouldn't want to do anything too bad around Klaus. He wouldn't want to frighten him. Klaus was so sweet somehow. He lowered his voice, speaking just for him. "One day, I will get out and I'll take you with me."
He wasn't even sure what 'out' really was, but he knew it existed.
"Maybe. I would like that a lot." He yawned loudly and closed his eyes, feeling so safe and comfortable in Barty's arms, he could have just fallen asleep. For the first time in a long time. He sighed and jerked himself up, scrubbing his hands over his face. He was not wasting his time with Barty like that.
"Did you know number three is dead?" Klaus whispered quietly. Then he huffed out a small, sad laugh. "Number one got him. He told me to be careful. You should be too."
"Number One is on inhibitors. He's harmless." Kind of. They were testing the inhibitors on him sometimes, but they didn't trust them. Didn't trust him. Made sense. He had liked killing. "You'll be safe. You're with me." He was determined to keep him like that. "We will be in a house. With windows."
He didn't know a lot of what was out there even theoretically. Houses seemed like a nice idea. Windows even more so. "Don't talk to Number One."
"Was he on them because of what he did to Three?" Klaus asked but he didn't want an answer. It was scary. He didn't know One, he never had the displeasure of being near him but he knew of him and that was unsettling enough. "I don't talk to him. I'm not allowed. I haven't seen him in a long, long time." Not properly, at least.
"I saw out of the window once. In the medical bay. It's just more whiteness." He didn't understand the difference between window to the outside and glass panel in the hallway but in his mind, there was no world beyond here. There was only more and more white. "I don't know what a house is but I know they have windows and stairs."
"They do. And there is green outside. And blue." He was recalling some illustrations in a book he had been shown. Maybe it wasn't the most accurate image, but it was all he had to go on. Barty looked down at Klaus, while he played with his hair. "I can make you sleep. I can make you dream of a house." That seemed like a nice idea. "Then you can tell me all about it when you wake up."
"Only if you promise to make them let us see each other again too. I will beg. I will, I really will." Klaus promised as he curled up in Barty's lap and closed his eyes, smiling a little as he thought of blues and greens in the outside. Something other than white. Everything in this world was white, he craved colours so much. "Can you make me sleep happily? I want to see the house..."
He had no idea what one was so his mind would certainly have fun with that one.
"I promise. I'll always find a way to be with you." Whatever he would have to do to make it happen. "Be happy. Dream of nice things. In a house, just you and me." And Barty was determined to watch over his sleep and to keep whispering into his ear to make sure it would be restful and happy. "Close your eyes. Fall asleep. I'm here and you're with me."
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When Klaus wasn't there, there was little else. The people who brought his food wore headphones and when they saw him speak, he got punished. The experiments happened in controlled environment, obviously, and he hated them. He hated even more that part of him longed for them, because at least it was something. Like the hands touching him to hold him down when he got another spinal tap. They were contact. Something other than the empty silence he was trapped in.
He had started scratching his skin, wondering how long it'd be before they'd notice and before someone would have to treat his arms for it. That'd be something too.
And maybe it was that something that made them bring Klaus in again. Barty walked up to the door when it opened, eyes widening when he saw Klaus. He wanted to step closer, but he got shocked for that. The reason for the collar he wore. One of the guards gestured to him and he glared, rolled his eyes, but followed the instructions. Both hands over his mouth and he stepped back against the wall.
"You are going to stay with Number Two, Number Four, do you understand?" It was a scientist that had led Klaus here, accompanied by two guards, and she spoke to Klaus now, sounding almost kind. It really was the worst. "You remember him, right?"
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Klaus was so tired, his eyes were blurring and the bags under his eyes were darker than they had ever been. He spent all of last night with ghosts screaming at him, clawing at him, and he was still locked so deeply in the terror of it all.
It was hard to process that he was here. With Barty. A rare treat.
He scientist pushed him forward and Klaus moved reluctantly. He knew bad things happened if he disobey and people were being nice lately so he didn't want to spoil it. He knew he always did. He got too selfish, he wanted too much, he didn't behave as he should.
Looking up, he met Barty's eyes and the faintest smile show. "Hi."
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"You know Number Two's power. He has abused it not that long ago. He has used it to kill. Perhaps being around you will teach him how serious death is." She crouched down a little to be level with Klaus, smiling at him. "You have been a very good boy, Number Four. I want you to keep trying your best. Promise that you will? Then I will bring you a gift."
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He looked at Barty, suddenly hyper aware because whoever he killed, they might still be here and he didn't want to meet them. He was sure if they were dead because of Barty, they were probably bad people. "I always try my best."
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Looking at Klaus, he smiled. He stepped closer to him and reached for his hands, touching him before he had the chance to build up to it in his mind and make it an impossible thing to do. Klaus's hands felt clammier than they ought to, so he took them between both of his and looked at him. "All right."
Klaus looked so tired. "Good to see you."
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It was like a drug. Touch - nice touch, safe touch, controlled touch.
He pulled back and gave Barty a nervous look. "Sorry. I don't get --- a lot. I wanted to."
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Lowering his head, he whispered by his ear. "Don't be scared." Not a bad command, was it?
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"You killed him. He's not very happy. He keeps yelling." He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Number Two - what's a cunt?"
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No, he didn't feel any guilt. Instead he pulled them closer to the wall and sat down, tugging Klaus down with him. "Look at me. Ignore him. He doesn't matter."
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He wanted to talk about something but he didn't really have anything in his life but this. He couldn't read, he didn't watch things or play with things, he just did tests and experiments. "There's a lot of ghosts here. Lots of them died." He stared at Barty instead of the ghosts around him. "Like us. Like them. So many."
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Selfish, sure. But not evil commands.
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"I got pictures yesterday. They tell a story. That's something made up. It's about a little boy who has something called 'worries'." Klaus explained. They had given him a book to try and get him to describe his current emotions, to try and get him to work through it so they could resume tests. Lately, every test resulted in an utter breakdown and that wasn't productive. "The boy has yellow hair."
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Barty felt he should be given stories too. Then he could tell them to Klaus. Fill their emptiness with something.
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He raised his hand and touched Barty's hair, feeling it under his fingers and trying to look at it against his pale skin. "Your hair is brown, I think. Like the chairs in the assessment room. Only nicer."
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Perhaps that was what was supposed to happen. "Don't be scared. Be brave." He petted Klaus's head and looked into his eyes. "Please, darling." He wasn't sure why he used that word, but it seemed fitting.
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"Do you think if I'm brave and good, we can play together again?" He wanted to spend time with Barty, he hadn't in ages and he hated it a lot. He looked up at the camera, hoping they heard and took it into account. "I would do it if I could see you more."
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He wasn't even sure what 'out' really was, but he knew it existed.
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"Did you know number three is dead?" Klaus whispered quietly. Then he huffed out a small, sad laugh. "Number one got him. He told me to be careful. You should be too."
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He didn't know a lot of what was out there even theoretically. Houses seemed like a nice idea. Windows even more so. "Don't talk to Number One."
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"I saw out of the window once. In the medical bay. It's just more whiteness." He didn't understand the difference between window to the outside and glass panel in the hallway but in his mind, there was no world beyond here. There was only more and more white. "I don't know what a house is but I know they have windows and stairs."
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He had no idea what one was so his mind would certainly have fun with that one.
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