[Klaus, on the other hand, has never thought that Ben is a dangerous thing in need of containment, has never thought that Reggie had any kind of right to treat Ben the way he had. Ben has dangerous powers, sure, but he's also a person. A particularly sensitive person, one who needs support and encouragement to use his powers safely, not...containment, rules, and harshness.

Unfortunately, he doesn't really have the words or the clarity of thought that it would take to communicate that to Ben. All he has is instinct and actions, the only things that Klaus has really had for a long time. So instead of agreeing that Ben should've known better, Klaus keeps rubbing his back and his neck and he shakes his head.]

Naw. How long has it been? You get a pass for forgetting about it, and now I'm on board. So yeah, you get to give me shit.

[And then Ben is looking at him, explaining that everything about being alive is so intense, explaining the difference between the feelings you have when you're dead versus the feelings you have when you have a body, and Klaus sees the parallel too. It reminds him of the drugs, how being on them he was just happy, everything was less complicated and terrifying and painful.

Again, he doesn't have the words for it, he just slides his arm around Ben's shoulders and pulls him in close, in a sideways hug, presses his mouth against Ben's hair. When Ben says that he's tired, Klaus feels a sudden and intense surge of relief because he can do something about that.]

Why don't you sleep for a bit, then? I'm tired too, we can just lie here and sleep, like old times. Right? Both of us always slept better with someone else around.

[Klaus' hand moves to the center of Ben's back and he rubs a lazy circle there, encouraging, his eyes still on Ben's face.]

Please?