Retired S-rank father becomes a teacher

Sizzling sounds and a strong, delicious smell filled the kitchen. Silas loved the early mornings, not just because it was quiet and he could drink his coffee in peace. The kitchen windows faced east and the first light was just hitting the marble countertops, warming the stone.

Making breakfast for his family was always a pleasure. The plan was to make breakfast in the castle but his little princess had wanted to go home earlier than he expected.

So at the Vane estate, he flipped a pancake with ease. The butter crackled and the heat of the pan warmed his skin. He gazed at the snoring mess on the kitchen island.

Hailey, his niece. The Ramen Queen drooled onto the marble and her silver hair was a mess. Her phone was still playing some anime on the counter next to her, the screen dim and the audio a tinny whisper. She had been fighting her sleep and insisted on eating breakfast before going to bed in the morning like a normal person.

He chuckled quietly. Lifting a pancake onto a plate, he put the pan on the side and moved to her. With a single finger, he slowly slid breakfast closer to her, curious if she'd wake up to eat. Her nose twitched but her eyelids seemed far too heavy.

"Kiddo, are you alive?" he whispered.

No response. Just another loud snore and the drool formed a small pool on the counter. His lips pulled into a smirk and he shook his head. Another chuckle came from the other end of the kitchen. A man who should have had black hair but instead his hair was whiter than snow.

"Your mom used to snore even louder," John commented and sipped his coffee.

The kitchen was big enough for all of them now but Uncle John always stood in the same corner, near the front door, for whenever he needed to run to save a client from incriminating themselves further.

Silas stood up and grabbed a napkin, cleaning Hailey's drool. She was going to be embarrassed later.

"Uncle John, should you be saying that when mom is just upstairs?" He raised an eyebrow.

John waved him off and gestured to his mug, the steam from his hot drink slowly disappearing.

"I'm not scared of her." He grinned and leaned against the counter. Before he could take another sip, purple sparks formed around the mug and the coffee was gone. Silas laughed.

"Apparently she's heard you."

The white-haired man glared at the empty mug, his eyebrows furrowed. "Her hearing should've gone by now. Magic keeps you young," he grumbled.

Silas had to glance at the floor. Even he knew to keep his thoughts about his mother's age to himself. A purple outline formed around Uncle John's body as he floated into the air, his grumbles falling on deaf ears.

"This is abuse of magic and power, Anna." He disappeared.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs as his mother came down. The stairs creaked on the third step—he never wanted to fix it. Anna came down, a smile on her face and she was dressed in light green PJs. Her steps were light. Her cleavage still visible despite the big brown button-up pajamas.

Sbounced as she moved towards Silas. His body heat up. He gulped. Her violet eyes sparkled not with lust but something sharper, accusing. She pressed her index finger against his chest and looked up at him.

"Were you talking to my brother about my hearing? Is my old age bothering you, my dear son?" She tilted her head. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck. Uncle John was currently in the Sahara Desert, talking to some camels about his sister. Silas shook his head, smiling at her.

"Never." He lied smoothly as he teleported Uncle John back to his house in the Vane Estate.

Her smile turned sweeter and she kissed his lips gently, her fingers grabbing his chin.

"Remember, my handsome son, you're close to the big 4-0 too," she said and let go of his face with an elegant smile, grabbing a piece of pancake with her hand and taking a bite. Silas tilted his head and crossed his arms; the big 4-0 was not that big of a deal.

He moved back to the stove and flipped another pancake.

"Age is just a number," he mumbled as his mom hummed next to him. The smell of syrup filled his nose as she drowned her pancake in the sweet liquid.

"Exactly. It is," she nodded. "So how was Victoria's special night?" She bit into her pancake, a curious look in her violet eyes. The question made him smirk and his mind flashed back to yesterday. The way Victoria moved, the sounds she made when he came inside of her and the way she clung to him like he was her only source of air.

"It was perfect," he sighed, flipping the pancake into the air and catching it again in the pan. "But." He poured some of the mixture on the pan and the smell intensified. "She seems to have moved on from the princess obsession to a different one."

Anna swallowed her piece and licked the syrup off her slender fingers.

"I told you not to indulge her fantasies too much when she was a child," she teased.

Silas scoffed. As if he could resist spoiling her.

"A queen, then?" His mom guessed. He nodded.

"A queen. She wants triplets," he added and a loud laugh echoed through the kitchen. His mother doubled over, holding her stomach. She slapped the counter a few times. Wiping a tear away from her eye, she calmed down. He squinted at her. It wasn't that funny; Liz's reaction was the same and she said it was cute and ambitious. At least Evelyn was on his side with this. More because of the genetic issues than the desire to have triplets.

Anna took a deep breath and sipped her coffee. She glanced at him.

"Imagine four Victorias." Her lips pulled into a mischievous smile. He shook his head. One Victoria was perfect for him. "I hope you learn your lesson from this."

A brow was raised.

"Which lesson?"

The pan sizzled in front of him and he grabbed a plate, placing the pancakes onto it. He added some blueberries, a few chocolate chips, and syrup. His mouth watered at the sight.

"Ha!" She laughed. "Have I ever spoiled you this much?" She grabbed her mug again and stared at him over the rim.

Silas rubbed his chin, leaning against the hot stove, using his magic to keep the heat from burning his bare chest.

"Well, that time you let me skip school to watch the soccer game—"

She raised her hand, stopping him from listing any more examples.

"Those are not the same as giving my granddaughters everything they ever wished for, even when they asked to fly on a broomstick through a hurricane." Her lips were pressed together.

He smirked. Upstairs, the alarms started going off and his girls were up.

"That was a fun day. I outdid myself," he commented. Even Liz had to admit he had a great sense of adventure, especially if his daughters wanted it. Anna shook her head but a smile played on her lips.

"Well, your punishment for that is going to be changing more diapers than you ever imagined," she said and walked past him, grabbing a few pieces of bacon from the plate he made.

Footsteps rushed down the stairs. Footsteps echoed outside in the garden. Silas paused. He looked at the pancakes and the chairs in the kitchen. His family was bigger now. His autopilot needed to adjust to the new circumstances.

The knock on the back door was quiet, soft. Then a rapid succession of knocks followed, weak, different but persistent. Through the glass he could see the garden, Elizabeth's apple tree casting its morning shadow across the lawn along with two other shadows.

The doorknob rattled as Silas walked to it. The sun shone through the glass. The handle was turned roughly and it opened.