#number 8!reader

I had just fought off one of the robbers as I high kicked him in the face, making him unconscious. When my part was over with, I was going to help Ben who was right by me while our other siblings were clearing a different floor.

As I turned to give my brother a hand, I didn’t think my life would fall apart as quick as it did. It felt as though the whole room went silent as Ben fell to the ground, taking his last breath. The bank robbers with a pistol in his hand shot him right in the head.

Rage quickly rushed over my body as I ran toward the man who murdered my brother. With my martial arts skill and the extra energy I had from anger, I jumped onto the man and snapped his neck.

It was a slight thrill, making me feel better that I killed him for revenge but the sadness of losing my brother flushed right back. It didn't matter after all, it didn't bring Ben back.

Quickly rushing to my brother who was lying still on the ground, I hoped that he was still breathing. It was a long shot but I needed to know if I could heal him with my powers.

I've tried countless times to heal him but he was long gone. The bullet went straight through his brains and there was nothing I could do to get Ben back. We were next to each other fighting the group of robbers, there were so many things I could've done to prevent my brother from dying.

After the building cleared out from all the robbers, the rest of the siblings gathered around Ben. They were all in shock, not believing that we lost one of our own. I've wondered if they ever blamed me for his death.

Dad showed up a while later with Vanya on his side, I could never forget the look on his face when he saw Ben, lifeless and still. 'Who was Number Six's partner for this mission?'

'It was me.' I mumbled as tears fell down my cheeks, not being able to take my eyes off of Ben.

'We all know who's at fault then. Right, Number Eight?' He kept a straight face then turned around without saying another word.

I didn't know what hurt worse, Ben dying when he was my responsibility or disappointing dad when all I want to do it prove that I was great.

When we got home, dad announced that we will do a memorial for Ben first thing in the morning. As much as the house was quiet due to dad hating us talking unless told, that night was the most quiet it had been.

It was hard to look at my siblings in their eyes, I knew that they judged me for what I didn't do to save Ben. They haven't spoken a word, it could be because we were all grieving but I couldn't help but think that they hated me now.

Grace was the only one I talked to before bed; she gave me a goodnight kiss on the cheek and tucked me in just as she does every night. I've asked her if she thought my siblings hated me or if they were angry about what had happened. She said not to worry and that they were all just sad that their beloved brother passed away.

I wish I'd believed that.

That whole night all I did was toss and turn. No matter how much I tried to sleep, it was hard to keep the flashbacks from replaying in my head.

The design of the pistol the man had in his hand, the way Ben slowly hit the floor as if it was in slow motion. The smirk on the robber's dirty face when he saw that he didn't miss his shot. The words that came out of Reginald's mouth when he found out that Ben had died.

It was all haunting me but perhaps I deserved it. After all, I failed the mission and failed everyone in the family.

My pillow was practically soaking from all the tears as I thought of the worst day of my life. I hated every single moment of this day. Too bad Five was away and couldn't go back in time to stop everything from happening.

'Aw Y/N. Don't cry.' I heard Klaus' voice from my door, I didn't even notice it even opening.

I sat up as he walked into my room, sitting right beside me on the side of my bed. Klaus laid his hand on my shoulder and lightly smiled. 'It's not your fault.'

'It is... I could've saved him. I was too busy fighting off the other ones that I barely noticed him struggling. I should've known...'

'No it's not, okay?' Klaus sighed, 'Ben came into my room to tell me you were crying. That you were blaming all of this on yourself. Ben said it's not your fault.'

My head shot up, immediately putting the words he said together. Has Klaus contacted Ben through his powers? 'Wait. B-Ben's here?'

Klaus nodded, 'Yeah. He's standing across from us, actually.'

I tightly hugged Klaus, crying into his chest as more tears streamed down my face. 'Oh my-. Ben... Ben I'm so sorry.'

Caressing my back, Klaus soothed me to try to calm me down. 'He doesn't blame you, trust me. No one else does too, you know?'

'Dad blames me. I know that I could've healed him. I was just not there on time.'

'Ben said that he was gone before you killed that murderer.' Klaus kept eyeing the door, assuming that he was looking at Ben. 'He says nice kill by the way.'

I couldn't help but chuckle. Even when he wasn't around anymore, Ben always found a way to make me smile. 'Yeah now that I think about it, it was pretty extreme. I did it for you, Ben.'

Klaus smiled at me, then looked at Ben. Oh, how I wish I could just give him a big hug or at least see that he was doing alright.

'Hey, also dad is a prick. All the years we've grew up in this house and I have never seen that old man smile. Just a negative, lonely man he is.' Klaus tried to cheer me up, having the biggest grin on his face. 'Can wait to move the hell out of here. Do you want to come with?'

A smile formed on my face, something I'd never thought I'd do all day. 'You promise you're going to bring me with you?'

'Duh, Y/N.' Klaus laughed, 'Maybe Ben would join us too.'

'You just a man in over his head.' I could see Diego crumbling down as father finished his shit of a speech. The whole table became silent, me and the rest of the siblings looking at Diego as we saw dad crush his feelings to the ground.

He was always the best at being a shit parent, Reginald didn’t even deserve to be called dad.

'Y-You're w-wrong.' Diego tears up as he stared into dad's eyes.

Dad chuckled lightly, 'Am I now? You wouldn't be so offended if it-'

'Shut up! Just shut up!' I slam the table, burning it a little as my fire powers took over for a bit. With such rage in me, my emotions took over my powers. 'You are such an asshole.'

He looked at my hand, 'You're going to have to pay for the damage you've done to my table.'

'I don't give a fuck about your table!' I screamed even more, ‘What about the damage you’ve done to us as a child?’

'Y/N...' Five mumbled.

Turning to Five, I shook my head. 'I know you're concerned that he may help us get back to 2019 but I'm done with dad, Five.'

'I still don't believe the fact that I've adopted the eight of you, especially with that awful potty mouth and your bad temper.'

'Guess what old man? I am what I am because of you.' I laughed, 'You're lucky you trained us right to control our powers or I would've burned you alive by now.'

I looked over Diego again, feeling sad for my brother who has been nothing but kind and caring to me over the years of our childhood until now. Unlike our asshole of a father.

'We don't need you, dad. I never have and I never will you sick, abusive lonley bastard.' I cursed, holding Diego's hand and led him into the elevator as I left Reginald and the rest of our siblings. 

The elevator closed and I squeezed Diego's hand for comfort, he squeezed it back and hugged me. 'Thank you, Y/N.'

“He’s still...Klaus.” Ben sat beside you and rubbed your back, you exhaled and shook your head, heartbroken that your time had come so soon, you didn’t have time to take care of him like you desperately wanted to. “You’re not going to see him?”

“No,” You gulped, biting your lip to stop it from quivering, “I can’t do it.” You choked your tears back and looked at Number Six. “It kind of sounds like he doesn’t want you around either.”

“Yeah, well, he can’t get rid of me that easily.” Ben’s chuckle faded into silence and the two of you sat there, thinking about what life would have been like if you had survived in that harsh world. Maybe if you weren’t born unwanted. You leaned on your brother’s shoulder and let time pass ever so slowly before he got up again. “I’d better look after him again, I’ll see you later, y/n.”

—————

“Why?!” Klaus screamed into the air with his dead brother as his only audience. “Why can’t I bring them here? I don’t even want you here and here you are!” His insults very rarely affected Ben, who leaned his ghostly body against the wall. “You have to know why I can’t do it, Ben. Why can’t I conjure y/n?” Klaus strained himself as he continued his effort to bring you before him.

“Maybe you should take a break.” Ben cautioned, only agitating his living brother more.

“No!” Klaus snapped, clenching his teeth and pulling his fingers through his hair. There were tears pooling in his bloodshot eyes once more, he’d been crying over this failure for some time now. “I’m sober, Ben! I don’t understand!” He fell to the floor with a thud and sobbed, leaving Ben with the burden of comforting him.

“Klaus, y/n doesn’t want to see you now...” He finally admitted, not knowing if that would make this better or worse. On one hand, Klaus wasn’t a failure, he was just being denied by a spirit. On the other, his favorite sibling refused to see him in the afterlife, yet he was one of the only people who you would actually be able to interact with out there.

“What?” Klaus sniffled, wiping his tears on his sleeve and peeking up at Ben, who’s frown only made him feel worse. “Have you seen y/n?” He asked and received a hesitant nod from his brother. “What?!” There was an echo from his shouting, he had turned angry at record time, but this had to be better than his pity-party.

“They told me they weren’t ready yet, Klaus. You have to respect the dead’s wishes.” Ben argued, which didn’t improve the situation at all. Klaus’s blood was boiling, but he wasn’t mad at you, he was mad at himself. There had to be an underlying reason why you wouldn’t see him. You were disappointed maybe? Ashamed to have called him your brother? Maybe during your life you had always hated him, you just found yourself responsible for him...

Klaus stormed through the hallways of the Academy, stomping on the old wooden floors. Maybe he could get your attention this way.

“Y/N!!! Y/N!!!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, you could hear it from the afterlife, it was like torture. “Come out and face me!” He demanded as more hot tears began to stream down his cheeks and neck. Your tears mimicked his own, it was painful to hear his voice calling your name like this. “You’d better see me!” His voice began to tremble and before you knew it, Ben was with you in the afterlife again.

“What should I do?” You closed your eyes and listened to your frustrated sibling who was banging on walls throughout the house.

“I’m begging you, y/n...” He fell to his knees and let his sorrow take over him, a heavy weight to carry. “Please, talk to me. It’s all I ask.” Klaus was a mess without you, it didn’t take a genius to figure that out, but returning to Earth was such a hard thing for you, it reminded you of all your worried from before death, Klaus most of all.

“Maybe you should talk to him...” Ben placed a hand on your shoulder and let you take a moment to absorb this heartwrenching situation. “He loves you, y/n. You might be the only sibling he could actually say that about. I know he ended up being your burden, but he valued how much you cared for him when you didn’t have to.” Ben took a slight pause and you sighed.

“He wasn’t a burden, Ben.” You admitted as Klaus cried alone on the Academy floor. “He was my brother and he helped me without even realizing it.” You left without another word and appeared behind Klaus in the hallway, sitting beside his curled up body. “Klaus?” You whispered and snapped him out of his shame. He scrambled to sit up and face you, filled with so many emotions by your warm presence gracing him once more.

“Y/N?” He asked in disbelief, not thinking his pleas to the afterlife would actually work on you. “Y/N, I’m sorry for everything. All of it. I was a shitty, good-for-nothing brother up until the day you died and even now I’m no good, I’ve missed you so much, you were all that was good in my life, you—” You were hit with a wave of whiplash among his many confessions to you, you had to stop him.

“Klaus.” You repeated, grabbing his undivided attention as he gazed at your barely-there figure.

“Yes?” He smiled at the comfort of your return, wishing it could be like this forever.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” You reached out to his cheek, despite not being able to touch him, he still appreciated your gesture. “I’m proud of you, and I hope that you continue down this path whether I’m here or not. You have so much to live for, don’t take it for granted like me or Ben. Live on for us and our memory.” You asked of him, hoping that your post-death wish would hold some weight. He nodded eagerly and wiped away another round of tears that began to rain down once again.

“Please don’t go anywhere for a while. It’s all I ask...”