CONVERSATION

Link: So... you're saying you were gone for a month...

Klaus: I was gone for a week.

Link: ...And you stayed in Under World for two weeks...

Klaus: I stayed in Under Word for two days.

Link: ...And this was all what, about a week ago?

Klaus: This was all about a month ago.

Silence filled the room for a moment before Link continued.

Link: Well, at least you got a girlfriend from it, right?

Klaus: That's... a completely different thing entirely.

Klaus and Link mashed the buttons on their controllers, engrossed in their video game session at the Atlas residence. It had been over a month since Klaus had returned from Under World, and in that time, he hadn't met with any other demigod except for his brother.

Link: How exactly did you two meet?

Klaus: *sighs* We were in the same graffiti group, along with Tyler. And one day, we decided to reveal ourselves to each other.

Link: Oh cool. I didn't know you loved to draw.

Klaus: It's... painting. You know, for the demigod of Mind, you're actually kind of a dumbass.

Link: Look here, lover boy. You're not gonna come into my home and disrespect me... Also, unlike you, my focus right now is getting Princess Pumpkin out of this gods damn King Browser's castle.

Klaus: If you say so.

Klaus and Link continued to play their game in silence. Their focus remained on the screen as Link continued his questions.

Link: So... What's her name?

Klaus: Avalon. And why do you even care?

Link: Yes.

Klaus: What?

Link: Huh?

The room was filled with silence for a few more seconds.

Klaus: You're a very strange guy, you know that?

Link: Yeah, well I'm probably your closest friend right now, aren't I?

Klaus: I seriously doubt that. Honestly, I'm probably even closer to your sister than I am to you.

Link: Wowww, right through the heart, Walker.

As the conversation carried on, Klaus and Link remained absorbed in their game, not sparing a glance at each other. Once Link finished speaking, they continued playing in silence.

Suddenly, an alarm blared from Klaus' pocket. He grabbed his phone and silenced it, then abruptly dropped his controller and stood up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Link asked, glancing at Klaus. "You're throwing the game."

"Sorry," Klaus replied, heading toward the door. "I have to be somewhere right now."

"Don't do this to me, Klaus," Link said, his attention divided between the game and Klaus. "Who's gonna play as Linguini now?"

"I don't know," Klaus said, continuing to leave. "Maybe ask Trent to play in my place?"

"But he's already asleep," Link pointed out. "Plus, he sucks at this level."

"Well, I still have to go," Klaus insisted. "It's kind of important."

With that, Klaus exited the room and, soon enough, left the Atlas residence.

Klaus hopped on his skateboard and headed straight to his destination. After a few minutes, he arrived at Avalon's home.

He approached the door, set his skateboard aside, took a deep breath, and knocked. He waited for a few seconds until he heard footsteps approaching. When the door opened, he was greeted by Avalon's mother.

Upon seeing that it was Klaus who had knocked, Avalon's mother's expression softened slightly from its initial smile. Sensing her silence, Klaus cleared his throat and spoke.

"Uhh... Good day, ma'am," Klaus said. "I'm here for Avalon."

Avalon's mother sighed and turned back into the house. "I know you are, Klaus Walker," she said, her tone dripping with hostility.

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She walked into the house and headed up the stairs, presumably to fetch Avalon. From where he stood, Klaus could hear a man's voice asking Avalon's mother who was at the door. After a few seconds, the door opened again, revealing the man.

"Hey, Klaus," said Avalon's father with a smile.

"Hey, Mister Smith," Klaus responded, his expression as neutral as ever.

"Mind giving me a hand with some stuff in the garage, son?" Avalon's father asked.

Noticing that Avalon might take a few minutes to get ready, Klaus decided to help out. "Sure," he replied, and they headed to the garage.

Klaus began helping Avalon's father with some heavy lifting and manual labor. Avalon's father always appreciated Klaus's help, acknowledging that Klaus's strangely impressive strength made the chores easier. Klaus didn't mind the tasks either so he was always happy to help. Eventually, Avalon appeared around the corner of the garage door.

Seeing Klaus helping her dad, Avalon stood silently until Klaus noticed her. Their eyes met, and Avalon waved at him, prompting Klaus to smile back. After a few more minutes of work, Klaus finished up, and he and Avalon headed out.

"I'm still amazed at how you can carry such heavy things with ease and without breaking a sweat," Avalon teased as they left the garage.

"I guess I'm in better shape than I look," Klaus replied as they headed out.

They continued to chat as they walked. Avalon seemed happy that Klaus and her dad got along well, and she didn't hesitate to point it out.

"It seems like my dad is quite fond of you," Avalon said with a smile.

"I guess," Klaus responded. "Though I can't exactly say the same about your mother."

"Oh, it's fine," Avalon said. "She'll come around eventually."

Klaus wasn't so sure about Avalon's optimism, but he decided to take her word for it. He found it ironic that, despite the presence of Dominion-over-Creation, one person whose approval he genuinely wanted didn't seem to like him. Even though he didn't want its influence to affect her mother, he couldn't help but feel its sting.

As they walked in silence, Klaus noticed that Avalon's expression had dimmed. She seemed worried about something, and Klaus wondered if the mention of her mother had triggered it. Deciding to drop the topic, they continued onward in quiet companionship.

After a few more minutes of walking, Klaus and Avalon arrived at a cinema. As they walked in, two girls standing nearby noticed their entrance and waved, walking over to greet them. These were Avalon's friends, and it seemed they had planned this outing as a group.

This was the first time Klaus was meeting Avalon's friends. The girls were very close to Avalon, and although their presence turned the date into a group outing, Klaus didn't mind. Spending time with Avalon was what mattered most to him.

After a brief chat, the group entered the cinema. They got their tickets, picked up some popcorn, and headed into the theater.

Naturally, Avalon sat beside Klaus. As the movie progressed, she found herself glancing at him occasionally, captivated by how handsome he was. But what caught her attention even more was the brightness of his eyes highlighted by the dark room.

"Wow, your eyes are really bright," Avalon whispered.

Klaus turned his attention to her upon hearing her statement, causing her to realize that she had spoken aloud.

"Sorry," she whispered with a smile, covering her mouth with her fingertips.

Klaus smiled, recognizing that Avalon hadn't meant to speak out loud. He found her habit amusing and endearing, so it never bothered him when she did it.

"It's fine," he whispered, returning his attention to the screen.

Avalon's friends, seated on her other side, seemed a bit jealous of the interaction. They found the moment cute and felt flustered by it. When Avalon noticed they were out of popcorn, she decided to get a refill. Klaus offered to go instead, but she insisted, so he let her.

"She's so lucky," Klaus suddenly heard one of Avalon's friends say.

"Yeah," the other agreed. "You're really sweet to her. Intimidating, but sweet."

Klaus acknowledged their compliments, aware that his behavior toward Avalon was different from how he treated others. He had been aware of this before, but taking a moment to reflect on how his emotions had shifted over time made him pause and wonder.

As the movie concluded, Klaus and the rest of the group exited the cinema and lingered outside for a brief chat. Although he didn't care much for small talk, Klaus was friendly to Avalon's friends, understanding their importance to her. After wrapping up their conversation, Avalon and Klaus decided to continue on their own, parting ways with the group to have some time to themselves.

Klaus walked alongside Avalon until they reached a park. It was already nighttime, and the streets were almost deserted, with the park nearly empty as well. Avalon knew Klaus preferred such a serene setting, so she had planned this to balance their outing after he agreed to accompany her to the cinema.

They found a park bench and continued their conversation under the beautiful night sky. Despite having met with Avalon every day since his return from Under World, Klaus never grew tired of their talks, or rather, of listening to her. Her voice brought him a sense of tranquility.

As their conversation progressed, Klaus realized he had something on his mind that he needed to share. He contemplated revealing the true nature of his existence to Avalon. Up until now, she had no idea that Klaus was a demigod. He had always avoided telling her, fearing it would alter her perception of reality and potentially harm her mentally. Lacking many human friends, he was uncertain how such a significant revelation would impact her.

However, Klaus knew that because he cared for her deeply, he would eventually have to tell her the truth. Especially since he learned from Quinn a while back that he would soon stop aging. With this realization, he decided that now was the moment to confide in her.

"Avalon," Klaus began after a brief pause, capturing her attention.

Avalon focused on him, sensing the seriousness in his tone, and Klaus prepared to reveal his true nature.

"Klaus!"

Klaus suddenly heard his name called, but it wasn't Avalon. His expression shifted as he looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice until it echoed once more.

"Hey, Klaus, can you hear me?"

It was Quinn, and she was speaking to him telepathically, which explained why Avalon hadn't reacted to the voice as well.

"How're you doing?" Quinn's voice echoed in his mind.

Klaus was completely baffled by the timing and convenience of Quinn's interruption. He wondered if she had somehow realized he was about to reveal his secret to Avalon.

"I'm fine," Klaus responded telepathically. "What do you want, Quinn?"

He wondered if she had been invading his mind throughout the entire date. But before he could continue his thoughts, Quinn replied.

"Oh, relax," Quinn said, picking up on his concerns. "I just wanted to relay some urgent information. Apparently, the presence of all demigods is required in Higher World immediately. So, I'm letting everyone I can connect with know."

Avalon watched Klaus with confusion, wondering why he had suddenly become distant after calling her name. As the seconds passed, her concern grew.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a smile, trying to mask her worry.

Klaus realized he'd been silent for too long and snapped back to the moment. He told Quinn he would head there immediately before she disconnected their telepathic link.

"I'm fine," Klaus said, refocusing on Avalon. "I just remembered I'd forgotten to do something urgent. It's a family thing that I need to attend to."

"Oh," Avalon replied. "That's fine. You should go before you're late."

Klaus offered to walk her home first, but she assured him she was fine. She could tell from his tone that he was in a hurry, so she told him not to worry.

As Klaus got up and took a few steps away, he suddenly stopped. He turned back and walked towards Avalon, stopping right in front of her and leaning closer. Their eyes locked before he whispered softly.

"Can I kiss you?" Klaus asked, his voice gentle and soothing.

Avalon smiled and nodded in response. With that, Klaus leaned in and their lips met, sharing a tender kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away, aware of the urgency of his departure.

Klaus smiled at Avalon, said his goodbyes once again, and left. Avalon waved back, her heart warm with the memory of the kiss as she remained on the bench.

Once out of sight, Klaus immediately used his Burst Speed to arrive at his transportation alleyway at the speed of light. He placed his palm on the usual poster, and soon, his consciousness faded, transporting his mind and body to the world of the Gods.