Retired S-rank father becomes a teacher

Silas' Circadian rhythm woke him up. His body was heavy and warm as he slowly opened his eyes. A hand was on his face and his wife was on the verge of drooling on his shoulder. A chuckle escaped him. He slowly moved her hand and grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

The light from the screen blinded him for a second before he adjusted his eyes.

Text messages from Hailey, his niece. Contrary to what Lisa expected—his sister-in-law—her daughter Hailey was excited to move back to the States with her mother even if her friends would miss her. The girl was just happy to live closer to her family.

Answering her messages, he got out of bed, trying not to wake up Liz. The floor creaked as he walked down to the kitchen and put the coffee machine on. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee made him relax as he took a sip of the bitter liquid, the dark color reflecting on the glass.

The backdoor was opened and he stepped out. The grass under the soles of his slippers was a bit wet with the morning dew. A gust of wind blew through the garden and he looked up at the clear sky.

He walked to the apple tree.

Lots of apples hung from it, ripe and red, just waiting to be picked. A bird was in its branches, singing a song. The click of a gate echoed through the yard. Footsteps followed after it. There was a particularly salty scent in the air and the ocean smell was clear in his nose.

A smile formed on his lips and without turning around he knew who it belonged to.

Evelyn’s mana was familiar. A little weaker than his own but still in a league of its own.

The sound of her shoes getting closer was heard.

“Good morning Silas.” Her voice was soft.

He turned around to face her. Her blonde hair was tied up, her pajama pants had duck prints on them and her shirt was black.

She walked to stand next to him, both of them staring at the tree in front of them.

“Morning, neighbor,” he greeted her.

Side by side they stood for a moment, not speaking.

“What’s for breakfast?” Evelyn asked and broke the silence.

Silas took a sip of his coffee. The bitter taste hit his tongue again.

“I was thinking of salmon benedict.” His voice was lazy.

Bringing her hand to her stomach, she nodded.

“That sounds nice.” The sunlight was bright and it made Evelyn’s hair shine as she put a loose strand behind her ear.

“Maybe with a fruit salad as a side dish,” she suggested.

He hummed in agreement. Then Evelyn went to the apple tree and picked an apple. With a crunch she bit into the fruit and chewed.

His eyes moved to the fruit and he plucked one out, the branch moved slightly with its weight. With a bite the sweet juices exploded in his mouth.

With the apple still in his mouth, Silas spoke, his voice muffled.

“Want to help me with breakfast?” He offered. It would be easier to cook with her than alone.

A smile appeared on her face.

“Of course.” Her blue eyes were bright as she swallowed a bit of her fruit. He nodded and walked back into the house.

The kitchen was chilly even with the sun shining in, the air was fresh and it smelled like coffee and apples.

“No magic right?” Evelyn asked as she entered behind him. Her slippers were discarded on the mat.

“Yup,” he said and rummaged through the fridge to get the ingredients. A few eggs, salmon and the potatoes he already peeled yesterday were taken out.

It was silent again. She went to the sink to wash the potatoes and cut them up. He put a pan on the stove and turned it on.

His eyes glanced at her every once in a while. Her heartbeat was calm yet different than yesterday, slightly faster as if she was nervous about something. She put a pot with water on the stove and threw the potatoes in.

He put some oil in the pan and heard it sizzle.

Then Evelyn took a deep breath and opened her mouth, “I might go to prison for a bit.”

She was watching the potatoes boil, not looking at him.

He poured the egg yolks in a separate bowl and the egg whites into the pan. Of course, he knew what she was talking about. The investigation had reached its conclusion and a trial awaited her. It was the final step of the case.

Silas kept cooking, waiting for her to continue. Evelyn turned around, leaning on the kitchen island as she watched him prepare the hollandaise sauce. She wasn’t a fan of it, thought it was too sour but she didn’t say anything about it.

“Four years maybe less if I sign a contract with Lucifer,” she sighed.

“She’s your friend and yet still ruthless with her job,” Silas replied. The butter in the sauce started to melt. Lucifer surprised him in that regard. He thought that since Haden, her husband violated the Hunter Association laws, she would show some mercy on Evelyn.

“I did kill my family,” Evelyn said.

Crouching down he grabbed the lemon to juice it.

“And they deserved to die,” he added while juicing the lemon, the sour aroma of it strong. “Personally, I would simply not show up to court and give Lucifer the middle finger,” Silas laughed and put the sauce to the side, turning back to Evelyn who had a small smile on her soft pink lips.

Her blue eyes were on him and she nodded.

“Sounds tempting.” She closed the distance, looking up at him because of their height difference. Evelyn smelled like the ocean on a calm day and the apple she was eating. “Will you come visit me?” She tilted her head, a bit of her blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

The timer for the oven dinged.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just protect you? All Lucifer needs is a little threat and the whole case goes away,” he said, opening the oven to get out the salmon. He didn’t want his friend to go to jail for something as stupid as killing her abusive family members who deserved it. She deserved a new start.

Her hand grabbed his arm and squeezed it lightly, the warmth of her body making the heat in his rise a little.

“I appreciate it. I really do, Silas, but it’s better for me to do this. Let the world see that S-rankers can be held accountable and that you won’t burn it all down if things don’t go your way,” she said.

She chuckled, “Lucifer thinks you’re the villain and I am trying to prove you’re not.” A pause. “Besides I’ll get a few tattoos and get buffed.”

Her laughter was cute and he put the plate down. Evelyn didn’t move her hand from his arm.

“What about the dates you had planned?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her fingers moved to play with the sleeve of his shirt, then she moved closer, her body pressing against his.

“I still want you to go on them with me after I get out.” She was whispering.

A kiss was placed on his neck.

“Do you think Elizabeth will still allow a convicted criminal to be near you?” She giggled.

Silas knew she was teasing. Liz knew everything about them and she was the one who set them up, telling them to go on dates to see where their feelings stood.

He lifted her chin. Silas brought her closer and she let him, just closing her eyes, feeling his touch.

Her nose bumped against his, the tip of their noses touching. The smell of lemon filled his nose. He wasn't sure yet what this was. This thing between them was different than his relationship with Liz, with his daughters or his mother and Hailey.

With a final breath he let her lips touch his own. The kiss was gentle. A taste of salt on her mouth.

She pulled back, a smile on her face as she opened her blue eyes, staring at his.

Silas returned to cooking.

“I’m still not sure about prison,” he said.

Evelyn grabbed some plates. She prepared the table.

“Consider it a small vacation,” she replied.

The table was round, big enough for seven but they only used five seats. Morning light came through the kitchen window and hit the wood, showing the grain of it. Elizabeth's teapot was already on it from yesterday, still warm.

Five plates were on the table and Evelyn sat down first. She was in her thoughts, eating her breakfast quietly as he continued to finish up. It didn’t take long until Liz came down, her hair a mess as she yawned and walked to the table. Her hand went to Silas’ cheek as a morning greeting.

She sat down on her spot next to Evelyn and grabbed her cup of tea.

“Hello Evelyn. Your pajamas are cute,” Liz complimented, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Evelyn smiled, looking up from her food.

“Thank you Elizabeth. Ducks are adorable aren’t they?” she replied, the shyness in her voice evident.

Liz nodded.

“You don’t have to be shy Evelyn, I already approve of you,” Liz said and took a bite of her eggs.

He watched their interaction. Evelyn’s cheeks were a light shade of red. She didn’t have a reply, only dug into her food. Liz didn’t push it any further and focused on eating.

There were two people who had yet to learn about their father’s new relationship, and Silas would prefer if it stayed that way until he himself figured out what this really was.

On cue two pairs of footsteps and grumbling were heard as the twins came down the stairs.

“No Kathy, you can not make dad teleport us to school. I love the ride,” Victoria said, her voice tired. Her bed head was visible and her pajamas were rumpled.

Kathy walked behind her and they both went to sit at the table. Kathy's eyes went wide.

“I thought she was banned from the breakfast club,” Victoria mumbled and bit into her food.

Evelyn chuckled and ignored the jab. Her eyes on Kathy who was still stunned.

“Your mother is allowing me in now Vic. I have been deemed a worthy family member,” Evelyn said as she took a bite of her salmon.

Victoria grumbled something else and let her brain processed the meaning behind that. Before she could, Silas teleported behind her and kissed the top of her head, her bed hair tickled his nose.

“Eat breakfast, my little princess,” he said to her and she complied. Her weakness was super effective.

Then he teleported behind Kathy, hugging her from the back and resting his chin on her head.

“Dad...you know that I don’t like PDA,” Katherine whined but didn’t stop him.

“We’re not in public Kathy. Besides I need my good morning kisses.” A kiss on the cheek and then a kiss on top of her head. He released her.

He sat down on the head seat, his breakfast plate in front of him and a fork in his hand after looking at his daughters who were all enjoying the food in peace. Liz winked at him from her spot, her emerald eyes glinting. His own violet eyes traveled to Evelyn.

She was looking at him too, the smile still on her lips as she sipped her tea. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. They could all figure this out together.

His phone beeped with a message. It was from Aethelgard Academy: a message to all the faculty. Liz also stood up and grabbed her phone from the coffee table to read the same message.

A frown formed on his wife’s face as he looked at his phone.

Emergency faculty meeting at the school in thirty minutes.

“Work calls,” Liz sighed.