#code: exotic

Silence settled in after the question was thrown at him. Add’s smirk slowly went away and with a light tap of his foot, he descends down to the ground to be at a proper level with Eve. Immediately her drones moved themselves to the front yet Add paid no attention to them. He didn’t even glance at the two and only focused on Eve in the middle. Eve studied him hard, noticing how his dynamos settled behind him as he got off and showing no signs of aggression. Not even a spark of electricity. She started to feel suspicious of what the man was up to. She slightly flinched when Add suddenly raised out a hand, almost as if he was asking for a handshake. Eve squinted at the hand of his, confused on what he was going for with her. Of course, Add eventually started to talk again. “A truce,” Add plainly said. “A what?” Add couldn’t help but grin at Eve’s tone of confusion. “I decided to stop going after your codes. You should be pleased.” “I don’t understand. You lost interest in me?” Eve mumbled, having a small scowl on her face as she started to feel slightly offended. Yet the other side of her felt curious and cautious of Add. “Oh no. That’s not the case,” Add replied, putting down his hand after noticing Eve wasn’t making any advances on him. “You see, you’re rather difficult to get to, mostly thanks to your group of... friends since they’re often in my way. I won’t be surprised if I am being watched right now since there is no possible chance that they’ll leave you alone like this.” Add gestured at Eve being the lone person out on the open field. “It’s just...I have been thinking….” That is when Eve noticed a change. Add’s posture changed and his snarky tone dropped. His eyes shifted away to study a group of bushes close by and he put his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Thinking about what?” Eve questioned, feeling slightly relaxed that Add appeared to look calm. Not a single sign of aggression whatsoever. Even his lips didn’t curl up to a wicked smile as he rather had a steady, serious face. “It occurred to me one day that I was rather being inappropriate to you, hunting you down like a madman and such,” Add explained. “Well you are…… Well it was inappropriate. I’m glad you noticed it,” Eve grumbled, agreeing with him. She wasn’t sure why she exactly stopped herself from calling him a “madman” but it was probably nothing. Add nodded his head at Eve’s agreement. “I believe there is another way to get the possible data for my research. Sure it is going to take some time, but it’s going to take longer if I have to keep hunting you down for your codes. You understand where I am getting at? Hell, I already can manipulate time and space. I just need to find a way to extend out my abilities, getting accurate calculations. I got this far from where I am,” Add said, having some sort of pride of his current research. “So, I am just asking for a truce. I wish to no longer be enemies with you.” Add put out his hand once again, looking at her for any signs of approval if she didn’t want to shake his hand. “Hm...how mature of you,” Eve commented, making Add’s hand faltered slightly. She swore she saw his cheeks turning pink but it was faint. “...Hm.” Eve calmly waved her hand at her drones in which they moved aside for Eve to step through. She walked towards him, watching how his eye widen yet he didn’t move from where he stands. Eve stared at his hand and took it, gently shaking his hand. “I accept this truce of yours. Though,” Eve gave a tight squeeze on Add’s hand, “if you betray our truce, there will be consequences.” “Noted,” Add grimaced at the tight grip and relaxed when she let go of him. “Magnificent…” he mumbled under his breath as he stared down at his hand. “Also...it just occurred to me that I never got the chance to say thank you for the many times you saved me from life-threatening situations,” she added, staring at him. “Kek, I’m assuming you are going to say your thanks now?” Add sneered, shaking his hand lightly before putting it back in his pockets. “I suppose. Though I don’t think words would be enough to show my thanks. So, I wish to help you with your research.” Add froze from his spot, staring at Eve long and hard. She wasn’t sure if she said something wrong, especially when he hadn't blinked at all for a long time. It sort of worried her, making her wave a hand at his face for any sign of reaction. He eventually responded at her hand waving, blinking a couple of times and taking small steps back. For a second, Eve thought she saw a smile. Not the “time to kidnap Eve” sort of smile, but a smile that seems to be happy. “Oh. You wish to help me?” “Yes.” Eve paused for a moment. “I don’t think the truce will make up the multiple of times you tried to capture me, despite the other multiple of times that you saved me from danger. I can say that I wish to do something in thanks for you saving me but I expect the same thing in return.” “Hooo, so it’s not for free.” “That’s correct. I’ll help you with your research as long as you help me with my own research, to make up for the times you tried to capture me and for me to make up the many times I never said thanks to you for saving me.” Add closed his eye as he thinks about it, slowly nodding his head. “Kek, now you’re being the mature one here. I guess as time goes, we grow up and learned to see what should be done right.” Eve didn’t say anything else and she timidly lent out a hand, like what Add did, for a handshake of an agreement. Add opens up his eye with his eyebrows raised, staring down at the open hand. He finally smirked and took her hand in his with a firm grip. “Sure, it will definitely make up the time I wasted in the past months.” The two weren’t aware that this was a start of something new together.