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It's almost 4 in the afternoon, which means Shade has to go home and pick up Lloyd from his school. Thankfully his work was done and didn't require killing missions again, so he quickly ran to Lloyd's school since the kid is still in 2nd grade.
Well he was glad that Lloyd was already waiting for him, “dad! You came!” Lloyd waved at him as he ran to Shade and hugged his leg, Shade just chuckled and ruffled his hair as the other parents, especially widowed mom's looked at him. People at first might see him looks like a mafia or even a kidnapper ((in their eyes)) But actually he was Lloyd's Adopted father and a quite handsome man, if you know closely he's actually a nice dad and cares for Lloyd well being.
Aside from his job being an assassin that is. “Whoa there little man! You're being this happy, I take it that school is doing just great today?” He asked and got an excited nod from the blonde as the two then went off to go to the parking lot to get the car from there. Lloyd then tells an amazing thing he did today and some exciting news, “today we got a new teacher to teach my class! She's so pretty and our new homeroom class teacher!” He told Shade with excitement in his tones and Shade just chuckles listening to it.
“New teacher? Seems like you're happier than with the previous one then…”
“Yeah! Because this new teacher is a really pretty lady! She's a very nice and gentle person, oh she also helps me with many things!”
“Seems like you're fond of her just by a small time, what's her name by the way?” He asks, as he holds Lloyd's hand so he doesn't run away or even fall from where he was going. “Mrs. Neuro! She's also single, I think she's pretty and nice and fits as a mom! She has a mother aura, you should go and date her dad! I'm pretty sure you two are perfect together” ah of course. Whenever there's a new person, Lloyd would ask Shade to ask a girl especially if they are single to date him. He was sure enough didn't need a date or even thinking about marrying someone.
But what can he say to Lloyd? The kid wants him to be happy and he wants a mom in his life, just thinking about it just makes him sigh heavily. Guess his mother's influences already rubbed on Lloyd, his mother also encourages him to find a girlfriend and marry already. But he's still busy with work and all, he didn't want to date some stranger.
“Hey we talk about this, you can't just ask every girl that single to date me. But, it's new that you want your new teacher to be your mom? That's not polite to your teacher” Shade scolded Lloyd a little as the small guy pouted and huffed his cheeks. A usual remark if things don't go his ways, ah yes just like his little sister when she was a kid. “But dad! She's a nice lady and a great teacher and all the male teachers at school even asked her! Like all the time! She's too nice for those creepy guys!” He tried to reason with Shade, but of course he just said no to Lloyd's word.
The two then walk to the parking lot where their car is parked, where Lloyd sees someone walking through. And with excitement the little gremlin then went over to the person and hugged them, “Lloyd?!” Shade just realized Lloyd wasn't beside him and sees him running to the person he is approaching. “Good evening Mrs. Neuro! You're walking home alone?” Lloyd said as he hugged her from behind, and the person looked behind her as she smiled at him. “Good evening, Lloyd. Why are you not going home yet?” She asked as suddenly Shade then approached them.
“Lloyd! I already told you don't run off like that! Oh, is this the teacher you're talking about— augh!! My eyes!! It burns!!” He yelled as Neuro sprayed pepper spray at him, making Shade winced in pain as he held his eyes. Lloyd was surprised but also held his laughter at his dad's pain, with Neuro hiding Lloyd behind her back. “Stay away from Lloyd! Are you trying to kidnap him?” She yelled as Shade was still holding his eyes in pain, “what?! No?? I'm his father. Augh.. this is always happen everytime new people sees me…” he mumbled slowly opening his eyes which was still hurt. Neuro then look over at Lloyd and asks him if it's true or not.
“Is it true, Lloyd? This criminal looking guy is your father?”
“Criminal?! I look more decent than a criminal if you mind, lady!” He said but Neuro ignored him as she talked to Lloyd, which the young one nodded his head. “Yep! He's my dad! He usually dresses like that whenever he picks me up, hence why he always looks like it” Lloyd said as he laughed at Shade's still wiping his eye from the pepper spray. Neuro was looking suspiciously at him as Lloyd looked over between Neuro and Shade, and suddenly an idea lightened up.
“Mrs. Neuro, aren't you afraid of going home alone? It doesn't seem to be safe…”
“I'm quite alright Lloyd, it's not really far from here. Besides, aren't you and… this man supposed to go home? You didn't forget about your homework right?” She asked which made Lloyd tense, ofc he's not! He's just sideline for a while, that's all. “I still remember it! It's just, isn't it dangerous? Oh! Maybe my dad and I can walk you to your home!” He excitedly said as he looked at Shade, slowly opening his eyes and scoffing before he took his handkerchief. “No, we are not doing that. We are not going to—”
He opened his eyes and looked at Neuro, who looked over to him. Shade was too stunned to say anything, as he could feel his cheeks getting warmer and his heart started to beat. In front of him was Neuro, a young lady with a long dual colour of white and black that was length at her shoulder, with a style of noble young woman. Lloyd was smirking at the scene, clearly knowing that Shade was having love at first sight.
“On a second thought she can come with us– I mean we can walk her home if that's alright….” Shade suggests, still rubbing his eyes that still in pain. Neuro was about to say no but Lloyd then pleaded with the cute puppy eyes, how can she say no to her student? “I guess I don't mind… but I'm still watching you, sir. Just don't scare people like that, at least wear something that isn't going to make people think you're a criminal…” she said, examine Shade's style of choice for his clothes.
I mean he dressed like a mafia boss, and with those scary faces of him? Yeah that's why people keep thinking he looks like a criminal. “Uh… Yeah, sure, I'm going to take that as a criticism. Shall we escort you to walk you home?” He asks as he opens the car door, with Lloyd dragging Neuro to accompany him in the front seat, while Shade drives them. He should really wash his face cause he sure isn't going to focus enough to drive the car.
“Here. I apologised for what I did earlier, didn't mean to make your eyes hurt” She said while giving Shade her handkerchief for him to use, “I gave some water on it so it didn't completely dry and it can moist your eyes so it doesn't make them sting anymore” She explained, and he just nodded and use it for his eyes. Lloyd was watching this from both sides with him covering his mouth from smiling too much.
After dropping her off near her house, the whole ride between Lloyd and Shade was a bit dry. Except Lloyd was smiling the whole ride, “Lloyd.” Shade called him as the kid then suddenly froze, afraid his dad would scold him but instead he met a dark colour pink on his face, “I know I should say you can't do that. But, if you don't mind, maybe you could help me get closer to her?” Lloyd practically could feel he was like having candy but even better as there's sparkles in his eyes.
“Really?! So that means you like her?! Can this be a chance where I have a new mom?!” He excitedly asked with a nod as an answer, the small one then cheered as he had so much to do for Neuro and Shade to get together.
Shade just chuckles at his son, as he thought to himself, he could feel his heart beating and face become red whenever Neuro was on his mind. Maybe it was love at first sight, he didn't know love could shine this bright. Cause apparently she will be the Deer in the headlights for him.
………
For the past few weeks later Lloyd gave it all he got so Neuro could meet or talk to Shade every time he came to visit him or pick him up from school. Every time they met, Shade was trying to have a nice conversation with her whenever he could. She would rather answer with a cold and stern voice, but she always helps him to get Lloyd or Lloyd would ask her to talk with Shade just to get along. Some teachers and parents (especially widowed mom's and male teachers) would not be happy to see them, as they would always be chasing for either Shade or Neuro attention away from each other.
There's one time where Shade accidentally forgot to bring Lloyd's lunch as he met her to give it to the young blonde, well he accidentally made a lot so he decided to give her some. “Mrs. Neuro, sorry I kind of forgot to give Lloyd's lunchbox… would you mind giving it to him later?” He asked while giving her Lloyd's lunch and one extra lunch box. “Sure, if it's for Lloyd… I seriously can't think how you would forget to bring your own son's lunch like that, but why the extra one?” She asks curiously and stares at the lunch box.
“Well, since I've heard from Lloyd that you sometimes didn't like to bring lunch for work, I've decided to give you one. You've been doing hard work for the students and my son, at least we can't have a pretty teacher like you to be sick or unavailable to teach them?” He said, with a small hint of flirt in his tones as she could feel her cheek warming up a little as she huffed at his little flirt. “You and your mouth are full of sneaky words… but thank you for the lunch, I'll make sure to give when it's cleaned later”
Shade smiled and then turned around walking back to go back to his work, “then that's all! I'll be back to work now! Hope to see you again later” With that he left, Neuro standing in front of the class. Lloyd then came out and went to Neuro, “looks like dad makes two lunch boxes! He really observes people that surround him sometimes” he said as Neuro notices him right beside her, “Oh Lloyd! You're almost startling me, here, your dad left your lunch” She gave the lunch box to Lloyd as he happily received it.
“Thank you! Oh! Dad said you should eat it too while it's still warm enough. He made some lasagna, he hopes that you like it. Oh well, I better get back to my seat! See you later, sensei!”
The blonde child then left as he went back to his seat, talking with his friends. Neuro then looked at the lunch box and couldn't help but to smile and went back inside the classroom, guessing he wasn't a bad person, not like she was thinking of him or anything.
“It's delicious…” she said while eating the lasagna, smiling at the tasty food.
……..
Few days later Neuro was just finishing with grading some tests, and she can't help but feel proud of her student's hard work. Especially Lloyd, he's trying his best with the help of his other two friends. So she can see how tho, it's a miracle that is. She also kind of remembers that she needed to return the lunchbox that Shade gave her last time they met.
Well she can just give it later when he arrives to pick up Lloyd from school like usual.
Later when the school bell rang, it was already time to go home for the student and also the time for Neuro to go home, that is until she saw Lloyd still waiting at the school gate, waiting for Shade to pick him up.
“Lloyd? Why aren't you home right now? Where's Shade? Wasn't he supposed to be here an hour ago?” She asked as Lloyd look at her while nervously worried, “yeah I don't know, I mean dad was supposed to be here by now but—”
Just before Lloyd can continue his words, suddenly he sees Shade walking with him getting injured and his arms are bleeding, making Lloyd and Neuro panic and shock seeing him this injured. “Dad?! What happened, why is there so much blood from your arm?!” Lloyd ran to him as Shade was about to pass out but he was held not to pass there. “It's a long story… but I think we need to get home first, before something happens again” he said but when he tried to walk he almost fell, but thankfully Neuro caught him.
“Huh…”
“We need to get you into the infirmary fast. We can't let your wound spread, it will get infected if it's not tended carefully!” She said as she and Lloyd carried Shade together to the infirmary. Just as they arrive, Neuro then leads Shade to the one of the chairs as she makes him wait with Lloyd waiting for him while she searches for the antiseptic and a bandage to cover up the wound, and some ice packs for him. “Please remove your suits for a moment” she said, as Shade hurriedly covered Lloyd's ear with one arm that wasn't injured. “What are you implying here?~” he teases as soon as he feels a pinch on his ear, making him wince as Lloyd giggles at it.
“Get that thought out of your head, I'm just trying to help you. Also please be aware that Lloyd is still here…” she said as she covered Lloyd's ears, who still giggled at them. She then whispered to Lloyd to wait for them outside the infirmary, letting the small gremlin leave them alone. And now it's just the two of them in the infirmary, with Shade still bleeding. “Do you still need me shirtless now? Just because it's the two of us?” As a result he got a cold stare from her. He didn't have a choice, so he removed his suit and opened up the button of his shirt.
She then began to put some antiseptic on his bruise and wound cuts, Shade hissed at the pain as Neuro told him to stay still for a little. “Stay still… I'll only need to wrap the bandage over your wound cuts.” She explained, Shade nodded and let her wrap the bandage around his wound self. Neuro then examines his face, he was full of bruise, black eye and a bloody nose. Without saying any word she hurriedly pressed the ice pack in his eye and searched for her handkerchief to cover his nose from the blood. “I still have yours right here” Shade then uses the handkerchief she gave weeks ago, “You still have it?” She was a little bit surprised by it.
“Yeah… I was supposed to give it to you today but looks like it won't be given back now since it's covered by my blood… sorry about that”
“You don't need to apologise about it, I'm just surprised you still have them. I'm sorry for being rude all this time, but I wasn't good at communicating with people my age… also I hope your eyes heal faster, it seriously that bad”
Shade just chuckles and says to her that it was fine, since he already got used to it and since he was an assassin and all. As he explained everything about his work and his mission earlier. He just wanted to make sure she didn't get more worried about him later, “sometimes you can be as clumsy as someone with the most dangerous occupation, just promise me— I mean for Lloyd, you wouldn't do that stupid stunt again? Just wanted to make sure for Lloyd…” she explains as she can feel her cheek being suddenly dusted with red colour on her face, she definitely didn't have a crush or worried about him!
He then stared at her for a little and then burst into laughter and ruffled her hair, making Neuro yelp. “I try my best, can't promise that I won't get injured again… but, that's alright since I can get you to heal me and tend my wounds~” he tries to flirt, but in result he gets another ice pack shoved to his face. With Neuro blushing from his stupid flirt attempt, “just get home already. Lloyd's already waiting for you outside”
Shade then started to get up and put down the ice, as he smiled and took her left hand with his and kissed the back of her hand, looking at her as she could feel her blush was spreading fast again as her heartbeat was beating faster than before. He smirks at this, “are you falling for my charm now?”
“As if… now go home, Lloyd's waiting for you!” She said and pushed him out of the room and met Lloyd there, she then waved at them both as she then went in a hurry to go home, still with a red face from the sudden flirt from Shade. Lloyd's just giggled at this and Shade can't help but also to laugh. Oh well, he had his fun teasing her.
.
.
.
.
The two of them kept meeting each other, as it was shown that Neuro became more open to Shade as she let him visit her more often. And Shade really has so much fun getting to know her more than before.
Whenever he visited her he swore he could sense she was smiling at him, but whenever he looked at her she just kept her cold stare like usual, but he was sure she was smiling at him. Cause sometimes it was suffocating to say that the female mystique took his breath away just from her look at him. Her aura and presence really melting Shade's heart away the longer he looks and spends more time with Neuro.
Sometimes she would not give him a smile even though she takes delight in teasing him from his own teasing, which she often smiles at herself. He would flirt with her through small gestures, and he ended up getting another tease by the end as she would reply to his teasing. So he hoped she would just smile or give him a sneer even though for a little while, because he's trying to figure her out by himself.
“Still not giving up yet?”
“And you would think I would give up on a pretty and nice lady like you? Not a chance”
He simply answered as he and Neuro were both now hanging out in the park, watching the student and Lloyd playing there. It was really hard to win her heart even if he tries so many times, but then again it's Shade he never knows when to quit or give up. “You're really pretty… like I'm not joking here” he said as Neuro looked at him a bit surprised but yet not really as her blush appeared. “Why the sudden compliment? It's not usual that you would do that…” She ask still flustered about it
“You're really hard to figure out… that's what i like about you”
“Is that a challenge to see me lose my guard now?”
“Hmmm depends? You're very interesting I think. Wanna go on a date with me?” He ask out of the blue
“Depends. Where do you want to take me then? Just a heads up I won't be easily that swoon over immediately” She teased, making him chuckle. He gave her a ticket. “A ticket?”
“Amusement park ticket. I was about to ask you if you want to go with me and Lloyd this weekend? Since it's almost summer break, I'm just wondering if you want to go with us?” He said and gave her the ticket, which she received from him. A thin line appeared from the corner of her lips. “Was it your idea or was it Lloyd who asked me to go too?” Well that's cat out of the bag, she got him Good.
He can't help but to give her a light chuckle, “you got me there, it was Lloyd's ideas. He wants me to ask you and say that he wants his favourite teacher to go with me and him this weekend” he said to her, yeah seems like Lloyd has a new favourite person and Shade was being the number 2 in his son list now.
“And you're asking me?”
“Well in my defence, Lloyd wants you to spend time with us. And I agree with him”
She laughed, “if it's for Lloyd maybe I will think about it… but if it's with you? Hmmm.. maybe~ I'll consider it” she teases and walks to him. “So is that a yes?” He asks, as he follows her gaze as she turns back from him, but surely enough he can feel her smiling.
“I might be… but again, if it's still the challenge, then I accept your offer. Just don't even think ahead of yourself if you think you can win this or even trying to figure me out~” she smiles slyly at him, making Shade's face turn red, the same as a tomato. With that Shade returns the smile as he grins at her, “Oh? Challenging are we now? Alright, if I can make your guard down or I can figure you out, then you have to go on a date with me” he said confidently, making Neuro smirking at him.
Neuro walked to him, as their faces were now much closer than before. “And if I win, you're going to help me with my work then. And maybe banning you from doing dangerous work for about 2 weeks” she said to him, as she was grinning right now.
“I can't possibly do that?! That's my job!” He tried to protests to her
“Well that's the consequences, besides you're being reckless as usual…”
“Haah… fine, if that's the result if you're winning… deal.” Shade then shakes his hand with Neuro as a truce. Just as he was about to pull away, Neuro then reached for his hand and pulled him to her height and kissed his cheek. Shade was surprised by this as he pulled away and touched his cheek, his face now blushing. “And the challenge starts from now, I'll give that as a head start~ thanks for the ticket tho, see you on sunday…” She said, sticking her tongue at him while smiling at him.
Leaving him frozen still as she left for her class, the bell was already ringing. Shade was still processing everything, his mind now was racing fast. Thinking about everything.
He could tell he was feeling love at first sight all over again, who knew love could shine this bright? He didn't know that but he likes it a lot.
‘If life was a game, you would never play nice.’
‘If love was a beam, you'd be blind in both eyes.’
Neuro needs to prepare sunglasses now, and put it on cause she's now the Deer in the headlights to him, and this was going to be a fun challenge for him. Shade then walks away as he smile widely, laughing away freely now
“You're going to need your sunglasses on, Neuro. Cause you're the deer in the headlights to me”
Shade smiles as he can't wait to wait for this weekend. Oh he was going to have much fun now.