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Teachers’ lounge is supposed to be a calm place, the kind of refuge to escape from all the problems and chaos teenagers cause whenever they go.
For Leon Kennedy, however, it’s become an absolute nightmare.
He’s trying his best to not lose his mind. He’s trying to really convince himself that the results of the World War II exam his sixteen-year-old students did just a few hours ago wouldn’t be that bad.
The red pen flooding the pages like a massacre is actually proving quite the opposite.
He runs his hands through his hair, frustrated, and lets out a heavy sigh. He’s spent more weeks than he would’ve liked not only explaining the topic in detail, answering every doubt that came up, but also doing everything he had in his hand to make sure his students were as prepared as they could be for the exam.
Not to mention the passion he had when teaching the topic.
He decides he can’t let this go. He writes another one of his famous “see you after class” notes in the margin of one of the worst-graded exams (for now), silently hoping that the next paper he picks has a better result… even if it’s just slightly better.
“How the fuck you say World War II ended with the fall of Berlin Wall?”
“It makes absolutely no sense, but hear me out: I bet if you ask whoever wrote that, I’m sure they’ll give you an answer good enough for you to pass them.”
Leon lifts his head even he doesn’t need to do that to know exactly who’s talking to him.
You. Of course. Who else would it be?
The second-grade primary school teacher. The pure personification of a ray of sunshine. The one that always has a smile on her face, and an energy that can be either contagious or nauseous.
You’re standing in front of him, holding a ridiculous amount of papers. Leon can’t quite bring himself to look away from you because, no matter how much you sometimes irritate him, he’ll still finds you beautiful.
You take advantage of the moment to silently show him some of the drawings you have in your hands.
Bees.
Happy bees. Sad bees.
There are even bees wearing hats and shooting confetti out of their mouths.
Leon says nothing, just like you expect. Instead, he ignores you to keep grading exams.
A few minutes pass before the increasingly loud banging finally drives him up the wall.
When Leon looks up again, he sees you fighting with the printer, which clearly refuses to work.
“Can someone explain to me why, every single time I come here, this stupid, useless, piece of shit, decides to stop working?” you huff, nearly shouting. “It’s like… like it has something against me!”
“Maybe it’s because you make way too many photocopies every week,” Leon replies.
“I have to give my students a quality education, Leon. And a quality education includes, among others, making as many copies as I need so we can properly work through the content.”
“And does your quality education include printing out an entire colony of bees?”
You shrug and say nothing.
It’s not worth it fighting with him today. You know he’s way too stressed.
Instead, you grab a nearby chair and drag it over until it ends up right next to Leon… much to his misfortune.
You place the stack of papers on top of some exams he hasn’t corrected yet, earning a growl from him.
Leon is fully convinced that if you don’t leave the room within the next few seconds (or even better, the school building), he’ll have a heart attack in that moment.
“My kids need all of this, Leon,” you tell him, confidently, showing him the drawings once again. “They’re learning about pollination. What a better way to learn about it than by coloring little bees and then putting all them over the classroom so they remember about pollination?”
“I’m currently reconsidering my entire career, so the last thing I need is you showing me those… stupid things.”
You huff again, hoping he doesn’t mean it… Or, at least, praying it’s just stress taking over him… like always happens.
Even so, you can’t help but understand him. Completely.
“Fuck… I’m such a shame as a professor…”
“Stop saying that!” you say, smacking his shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up. It doesn’t work, of course. Leon loses even more patience when he notices a red pen streak on the exam he’s grading, one he’s absolutely certain his students will think looks like a penis. “You’re not a failure. It’s just that… teenagers are idiots. Just keep that in mind.”
“Is that your professional opinion as a teacher?”
“Definitely!” you reply, raising your voice. You sigh, talking to yourself to stay calm. “Why do you think I teach in Primary School? Little kids are way cuter, and they think I’m a genius just because I can spell difficult words with no help… at all.”
Leon tries not to, but a small smile begins to appear on his lips.
He quickly bites his lower lip, adjusting himself in his seat and trying to keep his composure, even the truth is that having you sitting that close to him is making him more and more nervous.
“Look at you! I made you smile!”
“If I admit you’re almost funny, will you finally leave me alone?”
You tap your chin, thoughtfully.
“Let me think about it… No.”
Leon doesn’t even get the chance to answer when you suddenly jump up from the chair and head back toward the printer.
“Oh! I just remembered why I came here in the first place! Oh my God, why do I have to be that idiot…?”
“I guess it’s to make my life more miserable,” Leon replies, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s just a bonus, Leon,” you say, turning toward him without losing your smile. “Yeah, whatever, this printer isn’t working because… I don’t know, but I need to make these copies, so I guess I’ll have to go back to the Primary teachers’ lounge…”
Leon just stares at you, not sure of what to say, and trying to process what you’ve just admitted out loud.
Is the stress finally hitting him hard, or did you confess that you really came all the way to the wing he works at, which is nowhere near where you work at, just to make photocopies… even though you have a printer in your own area?
“You came from the Primary School wing to the High School one just for… photocopies?”
“Of course!” you nod enthusiastically.
“You are aware there’s a printer over there… and that’s a much better one… right?”
“Well, that’s debatable…”
“Come on. Just be honest with me… please.”
You press your lips together, not knowing how to explain that the free period you had, and that you really wanted to see him, are the real reasons you came all this way.
You’ve even earned a few questionable looks and some muttered comments from teachers of higher grades on your way there. You pretend not to hear them and, moreover, pretend they didn’t affect you.
“Well… maybe there’s a chance that I wanted to come to see you,” you finally admit.
Leon has no idea how to answer to that.
Saying he’s in shock is definitely an understatement.
He tries to come up with a friendly, lighthearted answer, but his stress seems to take control and speak for him without thinking:
“I’m two seconds from kicking you out of here, you know that?”
You laugh, letting out a fake and breathless gasp.
You’re a disaster, but Leon would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t love it when you act like this, even if right now he’s never hated it more.
“Please, you couldn’t. You know, as much as I do, I’m your favorite person in this entire school.”
“Well, congratulations for that, but right now you’re exactly quite the opposite,” he mutters.
“You don’t mean that. I know you don’t.”
Leon shakes his head and buries it back in the exams.
Of course he doesn’t mean it. No one’s perfect, but you came dangerously close without even trying to.
“Stop making those weird faces,” you keep talking. “You’re going to get more wrinkles, old man.”
You sit back down next to him, carefully starting to cut out drawings that look like flowers.
“You’re annoying, you know that?” he snaps while meticulously correcting the causes behind the end of World War II.
“And yet you still haven’t told me to shut up.”
Leon frowns.
He wants to. He should… but he can’t.
You’re being way too kind to him.
He curses himself internally and swears that, from now on, he’ll grade exams at home to avoid situations like this.
Suddenly, without even thinking about it, you lean closer to him, too close, and gently take his chin.
The moment you force him to look at you, Leon gets lost in your eyes.
For a few seconds, neither of you says anything. And you both, of course, don’t confess everything racing through your minds about each other.
“You need a break, Leon.”
Your hand moves to his cheek instinctively, caressing it with a tenderness that Leon doesn’t expect, but that surprises you too.
He swallows, trying to steady himself, but his heart only pounds harder.
He can’t help but feel like it’s a betrayal to everything he feels for you.
“Why do you always have to be a threat to me?”
All you do is smile, then press a kiss to his cheek before standing up.
“You can keep it a secret for as long as you want… but you know you love it.”
You take your things and head to the door, pausing only to turn back, leaning against the doorframe while looking at him.
Leon knows exactly what you want with that.
He lets out a deep sigh and carefully takes all the exams, takes off his glasses, and packs everything into his briefcase, along with his pencil case and phone.
“If I walk with you wherever you’re going,” he says at last, “will you promise to be quiet?”
“Not a chance,” you reply cheerfully, grabbing his arm once he’s beside you and dragging him out of the teachers’ lounge with no real destination in mind.
Leon is exhausted. His head throbs, a clear warning sign of an incoming migraine. He feels drained, frustrated, with impostor syndrome lurking closer than ever. This isn’t the first time he’s had bad exam results, but it is the first time they’ve been that awful.
He decides not to dwell on it, doing his best to push the intrusive thoughts away and focus on you instead.
You don’t stop talking, though that’s nothing new to him.
First, you tell him about how your kids, as you always call your second graders, made you Christmas cards, and even brought you a gift after the holidays: a watercolor set.
Then, you move on to how, earlier today, your favorite student (because yes, you tell him you all teachers definitely have favorites) dropped part of her snack on the floor and you ended up giving her your own lunch. You tell him that with a smile because you were more than happy to do it. You even tell him how the girl stayed by your side during the entire recess, telling you all about her puppy and her little baby brother.
And of course, you can’t help but quickly tell him about the project you’re preparing for your students. Even though impostor syndrome consumes you when it comes to your own job, you dare to show him a few photos of everything you’ve been working on at home. You want it to turn out so well that you can’t limit yourself to work only during school hours.
“So… what do you think about how I’m handling the project?” you ask once you’re done explaining everything, feeling a little embarrassed for talking so much.
Leon keeps walking, trying to process the information you’ve just dumped on him in that little time. Some of the photos look like pure chaos, but he has to admit it looks good.
Actually… really good.
“Well… it looks fun,” he says honestly.
“Are you serious?!” you squeal, your eyes lighting up with excitement.
He gives you a shy smile.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Look at this! Grumpy Leon complimenting and praising me!” you shout again, now bouncing slightly in place. Some of the teachers you pass shoot you killing looks. You don’t notice, but Leon glares at them in return, as if he was about to kill them himself. “This definitely deserves me getting you a coffee!”
“I don’t feel like having coffee. I already had one this morning, and I don’t think that’s a good idea considering how nervous I—”
“Bah, that’s nonsense!” you interrupt him, finally stepping into the Primary Education wing. “You’re having coffee with me whether you like it or not. And, then, you’re going to thank me because I’m convinced my coffee is way better than that shit you drink from that vending machine.”
“I’ll thank you the day none of my students fail one of my exams,” he replies.
The Primary School teachers’ lounge is empty when you walk in.
You don’t say much more after that other than telling Leon to make himself comfortable and feel at home while you head over to your locker.
Leon, silently cursing himself, pulls the stack of exams out again, planning to keep grading them… if you let him.
As he works, he glances at you.
You’re not just making him a coffee: you also seem to be decorating it. And he has the feeling that you’re even writing something on a piece of paper.
When you come back, you place the mug in front of him.
It reads “Bee positive”, and it’s decorated, of course, with a bee making a heart shape with its hands. And, as if that wasn’t enough, you’ve somehow created a ridiculous amount of foam, topped with a smiley face that looks like it’s made of cinnamon.
Then, as you sit down beside him, you slide a note toward him, the one he assumes you were writing earlier.
“Even if you’re having a gray day, remember you can always make the sun come out! Sincerely: your very own Miss Sunshine,” followed by a heart and an excessive amount of smiley faces… even that’s not a surprise no surprise there.
Leon doesn’t know what to say. His eyes do, though, when they meet yours.
“Maybe you need to focus on a new approach.”
The sudden change of topic from you, now sitting beside him again, eating a chocolate cupcake, throws him off a little, but he prefers it to the awkward silence.
“I’ve already tried,” he says.
“Have you tried bribing them?”
Leon narrows his eyes, clearly unconvinced by what you just suggested.
“Fuck, no. I’m not bribing my students.”
“Not even by making them work in teams and giving them higher marks?” your eyes widen in surprise. “Have you considered bringing cookies and giving them some? What about candies?”
“I’m not giving my students cookies or anything like that,” Leon states, once again trying not to lose his patience. “I don’t know what to do with them, and that’s exactly what worries me. What if I start acting like, no offense, a Primary School teacher when they’re two years away from going to university?”
You shake your head. It annoys you how… rigid, Leon is, how closed-off he is to change.
But what bothers you even more is that you can’t seem to find the right way to help him even you’ve tried it a thousand times. Daily, you’d dare to say.
“If you help me with my project, and actively take part in it, I promise to commit to finding a way for your kids to pass all the remaining exams this year,” you propose.
“And what exactly does a Primary Education teacher know about teenagers and History?”
“First of all, stop being so mean to me… I’m just trying to help you, idiot!” you snap. You didn’t expect that to come out, and neither did Leon, who straightens in his seat, a bit uncomfortable. “Second of all: it just so happens that I have a few tricks up my sleeve… but I’m not giving you any of them until you help me with the project.”
“Listen…”
“Don’t you like bees, seven-year-olds… or me?”
I don’t really like bees, I love being around little kids, and I’m crazy about you, is what Leon really wants to say.
Instead, he stays quiet, absently stirring his coffee while staring at the note you wrote for him.
“You do realize how many exams I still have to grade, right?” is all he manages to say.
“Leon, you need to relax, and I’m being serious now,” you tell him. “I’ve already said it, but I’m going to keep repeating it to you as many times as it takes for you to actually listen to me.”
“I can’t relax,” he frowns. “Do you have any idea how painful it is to have to read that—?”
You don’t give him the chance to finish talking.
You move toward him faster than he expects, cup his face with both hands, and kiss him.
At first, Leon is completely caught off guard, but then his right hand comes up to the back of your neck, pulling you close and trying his best the contact between you doesn’t break.
Leon wonders why he didn’t do this sooner, while you’re more than happy you finally had the courage to take the initiative, especially since your work crush (fuck it: your crush) seems more than eager to kiss you back.
The lack of air eventually forces you both to pull apart.
You settle back into your seat, unable to stop yourself from laughing when you see your lipstick smeared all over Leon’s mouth.
“Did you just…?” he tries to speak, but the words refuse to come out.
“Yes, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again,” you say, leaning in to kiss him once more, shorter this time. “Leon Scott Kennedy, I need you to stop worrying about exams once and for all and take a break.”
Now it’s Leon who can’t stop smiling, and that’s when you know you’ve definitely won.
“You’re extremely lucky you’re so cute and pretty,” he says, “because, otherwise, I swear I wouldn’t shut up until you shut me up by kissing me.”
Your eyes sparkle, your mouth falling open in shock at what he just said.
“Excuse me… did you just say out loud I’m cute and pretty, and that you want me to shut you up… by kissing you?” you press him.
Leon, again, doesn’t say anything.
“If I’d known this was going to happen between us, I should’ve suggested we work together way sooner!” you exclaim, jumping up in excitement and sitting down on his lap. If he didn’t grab your waist and steady the chair, you’d both end up on the floor. “Say it again! Come on!”
“There’s no way. Definitely not.”
“Come on, Leon,” you pout, then start leaving kisses all over his face. “Just one more time. Pleaseee…”
“No.”
“Please?”
“But…”
“Leooooon.”
“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” he starts, “but somehow… Fuck, why keep lying to myself… you’re also my very own Miss Sunshine.”
You beam at his words, but you know perfectly well that things between you aren’t ending there.
“I’m not your Miss Sunshine yet,” you say playfully. “At least, not officially.”
“Oh? You’re not? I thought you were.”
You shake your head.
“I’ll be when you finally have the courage to ask me out on a date,” you reply cheerfully, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him once again, not giving a fuck about you two being caught. “I made the first move and kissed you not once, but twice! So… I think it’s now your turn to take the next step. That’s teamwork, Leon. Haven’t all your years as a teacher taught you that?”