"I had to try," he gets out, because he knows that it was stupid, that he shouldn't have made a scene in that diner, or forced his way into Dave's life, but he had to try. He would have done anything to make even the slightest bit of difference. And he had, but just not in the way he wanted.

He swallows hard and turns the helmet over again, resting his cold hand inside of it. Maybe it's his imagination, but it still feels warm, like it was taken right from Dave's head. Like somewhere he's still alive, just out of Klaus's reach.

After heaving a sigh, he presses in closer to Ben, feeling settled by his presence. "Maybe he went off knowing that somewhere there was someone who loved him for who he really was. Maybe that helped him, just a little."