Lee navigated the situation with a little bait and switch. She made it seem like, yes, there was something they were hiding. But in actuality, it was a shot. And an infirmary.

Shin did not visibly mouth “nice one.” He pictured doing so, in the safety of his own mind. Where Kevin could not see it. But he did nod along as Lee spoke, like ‘yes absolutely this is what I meant when I said good things come to those who wait, shots!!’ (Not the good kind, people). Kevin could save that shot surprise for later.

Kevin suddenly wanted anything but the shot. Good.

He turned to look at the mansion, but heard a quiet voice, aimed towards him, Tarin. “He never stood a chance.”

”Hmph,” A little smile played on his mouth as a puff of a snubbed laugh escaped him. He did NOT wink at Tarin. He only imagined doing so. He just turned to the man, and smiled.

”If we’re skipping the infirmary, I think we can call the tour complete, then?”

What was left? Did Lee need to fill out paperwork? No. That would be for another day. Before they left, he wanted to see if Tarin had a number so they could talk some time, if he had any questions or just plain wanted to, or even to hang out, all sociable-like.

Lee nodded to Shin when he said he thought that meant that the tour was over. Lee really couldn't think of much else that Kevin needed to see at the moment.

”Are you sure about the infirmary, Kev?” she asked. ”Because if you do want to see it, I can take us and Shin can get back to work if he needs to.”

”No mum, I'm good,” Kevin said, still desperate to not end up getting a needle that day.

”Uh huh,” Lee said before returning back to the two men. ”Thanks again for this, Shin. someone doubted my ability to give a tour myself, and I didn't want to miss anything that may have changed since I was last here.”

Shin heard and Tarin could tell from the little not-laugh that he agreed and when Shin smiled, Tarin smiled too. Anyone who’d known Lee for more than a minute knew that she was a force to be recounted with.

Speaking of which, Lee just kept up on Kevin and Tarin just shook his head as Kevin made it clear that he had the point. No shots today.

Lee thanked Shin for the tour and pointed out that someone had doubted her touring abilities,

”For the record, the someone wasn’t me.” Tarin said, and then the alarm on his watch went off.

”That’s just the first one” he said, ”I’ve still got time if there’s anything else, and I can always get my own cab back.”

Everything was wrapping up. Lee was messing with her kid, and saying ‘thanks.’

He said a quick “no problem.” Shook his head at anyone who would have doubted her.

Tarin said it had not been him.

Beebee bee beep.

Shin told Lee He thought she would have ‘done just fine,’ while Tarin attended his alarm. He aimed a smile Tarin’s way.

That was just the first alarm apparently, but He could spend more time if needed. Shin idly wondered what the alarms were for. Not an insulin check. Did He have somewhere to be? Or had Shin missed a detail somewhere?

”Actually, there was something I wanted to speak with you about, privately. If that’s okay. Just be a minute, really.”

He wanted to tell him about the danger room, up front, away from Kevin. Explain the evasion, so it was not some guarded secret. He felt like some people hate secrets. Maybe they could even exchange data, numbers, so they could follow up on that super story, and any other things worth taking about. It felt like too much for today. Maybe they could do lunch?

To Lee and Kevin, shin said: ” Hope I was helpful. It was nice speaking with you both. If you have any questions, or need help, you have my number.”

Lee heard the alarm go off on Tarin’s watch and she looked over to him. She knew what that alarm meant, but he said that it was just the first one. That made sense that he’d have multiple warning alarms before his next appointment today since he wasn’t simply sitting around the shop.

She was a little confused about what Shin would want to talk to Tarin about privately. It’s not like Shin would really have anything to tell Tarin that she didn’t already know about, right?

Though Lee had just danced around the whole danger room issue with Kevin. Though Lee had been planning on letting Tarin know about that part of the mansion once Kevin was no longer within hearing.

Lee just shrugged. ”I’m in no rush,” she told Tarin.

Shin wanted to talk to him? What did Shin want to talk to him about. It had only been the first alarm, but he did eventually need to get back to the shop.

”Uh, okay…” Tarin said a bit awkwardly, walking a little way away as Shin finished talking to Lee and Kevin. Lee said she didn’t have any where to be, so what would it hurt to see what Shin needed.

”What’s up?” Tarin said when Shin approached.

Out of hearing of Kevin, barring sudden onset of super hearing mutations, that was. Or lip reading. Shin spoke to Tarin. Quietly.

”Try not to react too much to this, or Kevin will get suspicious.” He said in a hushed, but casual, tone. ”The reason we were evasive about ‘other stuff’ at the mansion… the mansion has this training room. Super advanced technology. I don’t know how they do it. It can make things, almost like the holo deck on Star Trek. Like virtual reality, almost. It’s called the “danger room,” and it’s for advanced training. Takes an X-man invite to get in. But Kevin isn’t quite ready for that sort of thing. I just didn’t want to lie, even by evasion, for you. Since I hardly even know you.” Shin said.

God, that sounded so awkward. But Tarin ought to get it, right? Understand? It was a pretty cool thing they had, a kid would be bound to want to see it. And it was called the “danger room” for a reason.

He probably could have kept silent and kept Tarin in the dark, but…

”Speaking of hardly knowing you….”

He pulled out a business card from his wallet, and offered it to Tarin. He taught at the mansion, of course he had one of those. Kealey had helped him pick the right font and colors and everything.

Would the man take it? This whole conversation was kind of awkward, but— he was trying to put the right foot forward.

”You’re probably still learning a lot about our side of the rift. It’s good to have friends. Maybe we could chat some time?” Go over stories.

Lee watched as first Tarin, and then Shin walked off a ways to talk. And then Lee noticed her son trying to sneak off in that direction slowly. ”Kevin Patrick,” she said softly but with a definite tone of warning in her voice.

Kevin stopped moving, his expression guilty as he looked at Lee. ”But aren’t you curious about what they’re talking about, mum?’ he asked.

”Of course I am,” Lee agreed. She’d be lying if she said otherwise. ”But the fact that Shin wants to talk with Tarin alone means that it’s private and has nothing to do with you going to school here.”

”But, if you don’t know what they’re talking about, how do you know it doesn’t have to do with the school?”

”First, because I’ve known Shin longer than you’ve been alive and longer than he’s been an X-Man,” Lee replied. ”Second, because if it was something to do with you or you going to school here, Shin would be talking with me.”

That said, Lee stood there waiting for the two men to be finished.

Shin wanted to talk about one more thing regarding the Mansion.

The problem was, if he wanted to keep whatever it was he was going to say a secret from Kevin, this was probably the absolute worst way to do it. Tarin knew for a fact that the teen was going to have nothing but questions about this exact conversation the second that Shin was out of earshot.

Shin explained and Tarin nodded slowly, he had assumed that there were all sorts of things in the Mansion that were X-Men related that students didn’t have access to. Why he needed to know about this exact thing…Tarin didn’t know. Still, he supposed with as many questions as he’d asked about the kids and how they trained with their powers and everything he’d probably set off some kind of alarm bell with the other man.

”Sounds like a cool thing, and I agree. If anyone wants a second of peace for any reasonable amount of time, telling Kevin is a bad idea. I’m guessing that’s why Lee changed the subject so quickly.” she probably would have told him about it later too. Still. It was a good thing for all the kids that they didn’t just have open access to something called the “Danger Room.” Apparently the X-Men had a flair for the dramatic.

Then Shin was handing Tarin his card and Tarin took it gratefully, he really didn’t know many people outside of Lee and Shin seemed like the kind of person who was generally pretty easy to know. Sharing stories though? ”Thanks.” Tarin said, ”It looks like you guys have a pretty good handle on things.” he added before checking his watch.

”I do have a work thing though.” he said, there was still time, but Tarin didn’t want to end up in a rush. ”Thanks for the tour. Sounds like you’ve got your hands full right now, but maybe we can grab a drink sometime or something.”

All that said, Tarin made his way back over to Kevin and Lee, ”You guys think of anything else you want to do?” he said, still trying to decide what he was going to say when the inevitable questions from Kevin started.

Tarin agreed, it was cool and not something to tell Kevin about. Yep, that was why Lee and him and changed subjects. He nodded slightly at that.

The man took his card, and said thanks. He thought they had a good handle on things. Which was a nice compliment. Shin smiled.

Again, the man checked his watch. He had business. Fair, fair.

Shin agreed, definitely, they could have drinks some time or something. ”Sure, that would be fun.”

They finished their talk, and Shin and him returned to the Lee family. He put his hands in his pockets, and waited.

It didn’t take long for Tarin and Shin to return from their little talk, and Lee could see Kevin opening his mouth to start asking questions. ”Kevin…” Lee said.

”But mum, can’t I at least ask Tarin if it’s cool?”

Lee tilted her head at her son. ”If there’s something that Shin told him that he thinks you should know, Tarin will tell you without questions, Kev.”

Hearing her son’s sigh, and swearing that the eye roll was audible as well, Lee turned back to Tarin. ”No, I can’t think of anything else at the moment,” she said.