At 8 o'clock, Klaus found himself sitting at the Dunphy family dinner table, casually twirling spaghetti around his fork as he listened to Phil enthusiastically recount one of his high school stories.
"So there I was, standing on top of the cafeteria table, about to deliver the greatest joke of my life," Phil said, waving his fork dramatically. "I had the whole room's attention. The setup was perfect. But just as I opened my mouth—bam! Food fight!"
Haley rolled her eyes. "Dad, you tell this story at every family dinner."
Luke, on the other hand, was fully invested. "Wait, did you at least get to say the joke?"
Phil sighed dramatically. "No, son. The mashed potatoes hit me first. Right in the face. It was tragic."
Claire smirked, shaking her head. "You weren't exactly the cool kid in high school, were you?"
Phil placed a hand over his heart. "Excuse you, Claire, but I was the definition of cool. Right, Klaus?" He turned to Klaus, looking for support.
Klaus, who had been quietly observing the family dynamic, smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Well, if confidence is the definition of cool, then yeah, you were definitely the coolest."
Alex let out a small snort of amusement, while Haley simply raised an eyebrow at him.
Phil, missing the sarcasm entirely, grinned. "See? The kid gets it!"
As Klaus took another bite of spaghetti, Luke suddenly blurted out, "Are you Alex's boyfriend?"
The table fell silent for a moment. Alex immediately choked on her drink, coughing as Claire patted her back.
"Luke!" Claire scolded, giving him a sharp look.
"What?" Luke shrugged. "I mean, she never brings boys home, so I just figured—"
Alex, her face slightly red, quickly interrupted. "No, he's not my boyfriend! We're just working on a project together."
Klaus smirked, amused by the situation. "Wow, Luke, straight to the point, huh?" He leaned slightly toward Alex and said in a teasing tone, "Should I be flattered?"
Alex rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him."
Phil, who had been listening closely, suddenly perked up. "Wait, wait, wait. Just to be clear—there's no dating happening here, right?"
"No, Dad!" Alex groaned.
Haley smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "Huh. You know, now that Luke mentions it, you two do have that nerdy academic rivals-to-lovers vibe going on."
"Oh my god, Haley, shut up." Alex shot her sister a glare, while Klaus just chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction.
Claire sighed, rubbing her temples. "Okay, can we just eat dinner without interrogating our guest?"
Luke, still unconvinced, narrowed his eyes at Klaus. "I'm watching you."
Klaus grinned. "Duly noted."
The dinner conversation slowly shifted back to Phil's high school antics, but Alex couldn't help but steal a glance at Klaus. She wasn't sure if she was more annoyed at Luke's question or the fact that Klaus had found it so amusing.
Phil twirled some spaghetti around his fork and said, "So, Klaus, Haley told me you're quite an artistic guy."
Klaus set down his glass of water and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I paint, draw, play music—stuff like that."
Phil's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's awesome! You know, back in college, I was a bit of an artist myself. Ever heard of interpretive dance?"
Claire groaned. "Phil, please—"
But Phil was already out of his chair, dramatically moving his arms in slow, exaggerated motions. "Art isn't just what you put on a canvas, Klaus. It's about feeling. Expression. Movement!" He twirled around, nearly knocking over a salt shaker.
Haley rolled her eyes. "Dad, please sit down before you hurt yourself."
Klaus chuckled. "That was… definitely expressive."
Phil grinned, pleased with himself, and sat back down. "See? You get it! So, what kind of art do you do?"
Klaus shrugged. "A little bit of everything. I like painting landscapes, portraits. I play guitar too."
Phil whistled. "A musician and an artist? Man, if I had half your talent, I'd be unstoppable!"
Alex muttered, "You already think you're unstoppable."
Claire, trying to steer the conversation back on track, asked, "So, Klaus, do you want to pursue art as a career?"
Klaus leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know yet. I spent a lot of my past focusing on goals, but now… I just want to enjoy what I do. No pressure, no expectations."
Alex looked at him curiously. That was different from her mindset—she had always pushed herself toward success. Hearing Klaus say he just wanted to enjoy things made her wonder if she was missing something.
Phil clapped his hands together. "Well, that's the spirit! Sometimes, life's not about the destination—it's about the ride."
Luke, still chewing his food, added, "Speaking of rides, Klaus has a motorcycle. Can you take me for a spin?"
Claire's eyes widened. "Absolutely not!"
Klaus chuckled. "Maybe when you're a little older, Luke."
Luke pouted, and the table burst into laughter. The conversation moved on, but Alex kept sneaking glances at Klaus. He was different—more thoughtful, more mysterious. And for some reason, she couldn't quite figure him out.
Claire wiped her mouth with a napkin and said. "Remember, Saturday we have a barbecue at your grandpa's house. We're leaving at eight sharp."
Alex sighed. "Mom, I can't go in the morning. I have to work on my project with Klaus."
Claire frowned. "Alex, you can't miss it. It's a family gathering. You'll have plenty of time for schoolwork afterward."
Before Alex could argue, Klaus leaned back slightly and said, "Miss Dunphy, if it's okay with you, I can drive Alex there for lunch."
Alex turned to him, surprised. "Are you sure? I don't want to bother you."
Klaus smirked, resting his elbow on the table. "Relax, darling. It's not like I have a packed schedule. If we didn't have this project, I'd either be painting or writing songs during the weekend."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "Wow, could you sound any more like an old soul?"
Phil grinned. "An artist and a gentleman. I like this kid!"
Claire, still a little hesitant, eventually nodded. "Alright, that works. But don't be late."
Alex sighed in relief. "Thanks, Klaus."
Klaus just gave a casual shrug. "Anytime."
As dinner ended, Alex stood up and grabbed her plate, glancing at Klaus. "I'll walk you out."
Klaus smirked. "What, making sure I actually go home?"
Alex rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. "Just being polite."
They stepped outside, the cool evening air settling in as they walked toward Klaus' house next door. The streetlights cast a soft glow over the sidewalk, and the quiet hum of the neighborhood made the moment feel oddly peaceful.
"So, you're really driving me on Saturday?" Alex asked, glancing up at him.
Klaus shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yep. Unless you suddenly develop teleportation powers."
Alex huffed a laugh. "Wouldn't that be nice?"
As they reached Klaus' front door, he turned to face her. "You know, you're not as terrifying as you pretend to be, Alex Dunphy."
Alex scoffed, crossing her arms. "And you're not as mysterious as you pretend to be, Niklaus Blake."
Klaus chuckled. "Touché."
For a second, neither of them said anything. Then, Alex cleared her throat. "Well… goodnight."
Klaus gave her a lazy salute. "Night, darling."
Alex rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips as she turned and walked back home.