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The day was dragging.
Raine could see it in the half-lidded stares of her students, their sluggish posture, the way one of them actually groaned when she assigned one single review question. No one wanted to be in class the day after a weekend of egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, and way too much candy. Not even her, if she were being completely honest.
Still, the school didn’t observe Good Friday or Easter Monday, which meant that someone had to keep things from descending into chaos. And of course, that someone was her, seeing as she was still, after all these years, the only teacher the village of Iselia had for all its kids.
She leaned against the edge of her desk, arms folded, watching one child attempt to use their eraser as a pillow. Another was very seriously trying to draw a bunny with glitter glue, despite glitter glue not being part of any approved classroom material for the day (or any day, really).
How many hours were left?
She resisted the urge to check the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes.
It’s fine, she told herself. One slow Monday. I can survive this.
She was halfway through convincing herself when the classroom door opened, and she immediately bristled, preparing to deliver a stern warning about parents inappropriately interrupting lessons, only to stop dead at the sight in front of her.
None other than her boyfriend stood in the doorway, dressed in head-to-toe white: crisp shirt, tailored pants, and, most absurdly, fluffy bunny ears perched atop his head like they belonged there. He carried a woven basket on one arm, the handle looped over his elbow like it was some kind of noble accessory.
“Happy Easter, kiddos!” Zelos announced, his voice bright and theatrical. “The Easter Bunny’s got chocolate!”
The class immediately erupted into squeals of delight.
Several students leapt to their feet. One clapped. One shrieked. One shouted something unintelligible and started running in circles around his desk.
Raine pinched the bridge of her nose. Of all the ground rules she’d had them establish for their relationship, she had clearly forgotten to mention the one about him showing up unannounced at her workplace. Quietly, she growled in annoyance, “Zelos.”
“Professor,” he replied with a dramatic nod, striding into the room as if this were completely normal. “Looking as radiant as ever, I might add.”
“What, pray tell, are you doing here?”
“Oh, just dropping in to say hi,” he said breezily, already handing out treats with unnecessary flair. “Your students looked so dead in the eyes when I peeked through the window. I figured they needed a pick-me-up. You kinda looked like you needed one too.”
A large chocolate egg, probably as big as her face, was placed delicately on her desk.
It was pink.
Raine narrowed her eyes. “This is a classroom. Not a candy circus.”
“Aw, come on, let ‘em live a little!” The redheaded intruder said, ruffling a kid’s hair as he passed. “Look at ‘em! They’re practically reborn.”
Indeed, her students had miraculously transformed into bundles of sugar-fueled energy. They were wide awake now. Too awake.
“Back to your seats!” Their teacher called, clapping her hands. “We are still in the middle of a lesson–”
“Oh no no no,” Zelos interrupted smoothly, waving toward the door. “We’ve reached the part of the curriculum called unscheduled recess. You all have ten minutes to enjoy the sunshine. On me.”
A cheer went up as the students bolted outside like wild animals freed from their enclosure.
The half-elven woman stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. “You can’t just–”
“They needed a break!” The self-appointed Easter Bunny retorted, as if he hadn’t just completely overstepped every boundary she’d set. “And so do you.”
Before she could object, he was suddenly in front of her, crowding her gently against the edge of her desk.
He reached up without warning and slipped the bunny ears off his head and onto hers, adjusting them gently until they sat just right. “There,” he murmured, eyes gleaming. “Now you’re the cute one.”
“Zelos…” she warned again, an accusatory finger poking him square in the chest as her cheeks warmed.
“What?” he said, leaning in, voice low. “You pull it off better than I ever could.”
And then he kissed her.
Not a little peck, not a mischievous smooch. A string of kisses. Warm and playful and way too effective. Raine made a noise of protest against his mouth but didn’t actually stop him, which she would very much be reflecting on later.
By the time she remembered she was supposed to be scolding him, she was red-faced and breathless, clinging to the front of his shirt as if she’d forgotten how to stand on her own.
Infuriating.
“You can’t just do that–”
“Too late.”
Before she could formulate a proper counterargument, a voice rang out from the open window.
“Professor Sage is kissing the Easter Bunny!”
Raine froze.
Zelos blinked.
They both turned their heads toward the source of the yell– one of her more observant students, face pressed up against the glass with a dozen equally nosy classmates behind her.
Shit. How the hell was she going to cover this one up?
“Out,” she hissed, harshly pushing Zelos back with all her might and guiding him toward the back exit. “Before I get fired. Out.”
“But–”
She shoved the fluffy ears back onto his head and plucked the golden chocolate bunny from his basket without an ounce of shame. “Leave the candy. Take your ears. Go.”
Grinning from ear to ear, he backed away slowly, “Happy Easter, Professor~”
Then he turned and hopped out the back exit.
Literally.
Raine stared at the closed door for a long moment, cheeks still burning, before muttering under her breath, “…I swear, one of these days I’m going to strangle that man.”