Archive of Our Own

One: Art Room

“What’s all this racket?” Bdubs walks over towards a group of students in his art room. The colorful charms on his gold ribbon lanyard clink as DIY pins adorn his denim overalls.

Squealing and muttering over something on their phones? Good grief! They have an art project due for their mid-term reports soon. There was no time to dilly dally!

“M-Mr. Double O!” One of the girls awkwardly stutters, quickly shoving her phone behind her back. “N-nothing! We were just… researching some art techniques and references!”

He narrows his eyes and pouts his lips, arms crossing in front of his denim overalls.

“Guys, your references are printed right there—“

Suddenly, a voice resounds throughout the room—a recognizable, firm voice that everyone has definitely heard on television or at the movies for the last decade or so. The students watch in terror as Bdubs narrows his eyes in pure annoyance.

Mr. Dubs never got annoyed like this before… He was usually the funny art teacher everyone liked to prank and joke around with.

But never this annoyed—even when students were caught scrolling on their phones in the middle of his classes.

“I-I uhm—“ The poor girl blushes and quickly turns her phone off. " S-sorry, Mr. Double O…"

“Etho Slab? Really?” He groans, raising up his brow as his eyes swirl with annoyance.

“Uhhh… Mr. Dubs, what’s wrong with Etho?” One of the boys at the table asks, confusion tilted in his voice. Etho Slab, one of the most celebrated veteran actors in the industry—the one with millions of fans worldwide, the one who kickstarted many careers simply because he had inspired them…

“Nothing! Nothing! His voice may be aggravating, and his face may be stupid handsome but I’m his biggest fan.” Bdubs shrugs, planting his hand on the table.

The class stares at him, unconvinced.

“What?”

“… Mr. Dubs, you just called him aggravating.”

“So? It’s not my fault I have to see him all the time!” He squeaks, face red.

“…” It was a well-known fact across the school that Mr. Dubs was a funny and strangely lovable guy. So it wasn’t a surprise when everyone just shrugged off his weird comment and went back to working on their art project.

“Yes! That’s right! Get back to work! And stop watching Etho Slab movies!”

“I’ve had enough of those.” He grumbles jokingly under his breath, glancing at the simple wedding band on his ring finger. He heads back to his desk, swiping on his own phone as he continues to supervise the working teenagers.

The students only stare at each other and shrug, continuing to work.

They don’t notice Mr. Double O’s lock screen of a suspiciously familiar white-haired man with heterochromic eyes, along with a cute golden retriever and a sassy Siamese cat.

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Two: Art and design offices.

“Hey Bdubs!” Cheers Ms. Cleo, the design teacher. “How are you doing today?”

He sighs with his cup of tea, staring at the pile of papers on his desk. Why did the curriculum think it was a fantastic idea to make each student write a three-thousand-word report on art analysis for an assessment? It was art for God’s sake! Shouldn’t they be graded on things like technique, creativity, and meaning?

He grumbles as he furiously points at the pile on his desk, a pout laden on his face. Cleo only laughs, giving their co-worker a pat on his back.

“It will be okay. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve got thirty-five papers to mark!” She stares at her own pile, dread settling into her gut. Oh god, they were just as cooked as Bdubs, weren’t they?

“Grrrr… They’re all pestering me to mark them already! They handed it in yesterday! Yesterday!” He huffs, picking up his favorite red pen. “Marking takes time, you know!”

They only roll their eyes, a smile on their face as they sit down at their own desk. “Maybe a nice soundtrack will help you focus?”

“Mm… I know, but fine. I’ll start now.”

As he plugs in his earbuds and starts playing the soundtrack to one of his favourite movies, he doesn’t notice the soft footsteps behind him or the calls for his name.

“…Mr. Double O? Hello?”

A moment goes by, and the student awkwardly stands behind the unaware art teacher, fidgeting with his bag. The eye contact with design teacher Ms. Cleo only makes things more awkward, as their kind eyes crinkle before gesturing towards the student to cover his ears.

“Shhhh…” they mouth before they take a deep breath.

“BDUBS!”

The startled art teacher drops his pen, big eyes going wider than ever as he jumps from his seat.

“YES?! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!”

They gesture at him to turn around as they smirk playfully.

“O-oh! Sorry! Hello! What can I do for you, Harry?” He smiles up widely at the student, quickly regaining his composure.

“Um… Would it be okay if I used the art rooms during lunch today? I’d like to finish my painting.”

“Of course! Just be mindful of the equipment in the room and the cardboard boxes; we’ve had a new shipment of pottery wheels that need assembling.” He reassures the student.

“T-thank you!” Harry, the student, narrows his eyes at Bdubs’ phone…

Wait…

“Mr. Dubs, I didn’t know you were a fan of Decked Out!" The boy’s eyes light up at the sight of the Spotify album cover. “Who’s your favorite character?! Did you play the original video game?!"

“Oh! I loved the Rogue!” Bdubs’ tone suddenly became less formal and more energetic, tapping his pen on his desk. “He was the only one who made it all the way and gained insane new abilities by trading his crowns and coins—“

“The one portrayed by Etho Slab?”

“E-Exactly!” The art teacher snaps his fingers, a shyness hardly ever seen in his eyes. “I did play the videogame with him—I mean, my husband…” He coughs mid-sentence, his face flushed, and his eyes glance toward his wedding band.

Harry didn’t seem to notice; the gleam in his eyes only grew brighter; excitement filled his brain. He knew Mr. Dubs had loved movies; he’d just never imagine it would be the Decked Out franchise!

“Really? What were your stats? Were you good? Did you get the exclusive trading cards they released?!” He floods Bdubs with a barrage of questions.

“O-oh! I was alright… I was winning at first, and my bastard husband beat me!” He laughs, awkwardly fidgeting with the band around his finger. “I did get the exclusive trading card! The one they only had at select theaters.”

“You mean the one that they got the actors to pose for and sign? With the gold foil and everything? Man, those are reselling for crazy prices on eBay!"

"Oh, I saw. Stupid scalpers! I only have one, though; it's, of course, the rogue!"

“Ohhh… Mr. Dubs I’m so jealous! I tried to get him—but I only managed to get the Decked-out II Frost King holo card! At least I got Tango Tek’s signature…”

“Ah yes… I’ve met the guy once! He’s super nice.” Bdubs laughs, tapping at his phone. “See!”

And there he was, Mr. Dubs, with his big smile and large brown eyes, posing hilariously with Tango Tek, the creator of the original video game and the actor for the frost king in Decked-Out II. It didn’t seem to be at a convention considering they were in front of a citadel. wait—

“Did you seriously bump into him during filming?!” Harry exclaims, noticing the unique blue roof of the citadel. “No way!”

It takes Bdubs a minute before he scrambles to turn off his phone, panic in his eyes, shoving the device into his drawer.

“O-oh yes! I-I was there on vacation one winter break! You know me, I love architecture ha ha! I wanted to visit the famous citadel, and I—I didn’t know they were filming! Asked the guy, Plenty nice, yes, yes! " Nice conversation about character design and game mechanics!”

“That sounds awesome!” Harry exclaims. His eyes shoot up in urgency as he notices the numbers on his digital watch. “Oh shoot—Gotta run! Thanks for permission to use the art room Mr. Dubs! It was fun talking about Decked Out!”

“Y-yeah! Go on! Don’t be late to class! I had fun too!”

As the boy scurries off, he turns to face an obnoxiously smirking Cleo staring right back at him.

“W-what?!” He squeaks, face all red with embarrassment.

“Reeeal subtle there, Dubs.”

“S-shut up! You marry him and get used to his face every day!”

“Mhmm… Sure. You just can’t be normal about Etho.”

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Harry is halfway through his painting as he recounts the conversation he had with Mr. Dubs that morning. It was still super cool to know that he was into Decked out.

It’s only then he realized that Mr. Dubs had a furious blush on his face whenever a certain actor was mentioned.

Wait—does Mr. Dubs have a celebrity crush?

He doesn’t blame him. Etho Slab was incredibly attractive with his aura and mystery and all. Harry nods. Mr. Double O had incredibly good taste.

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Three: Cafeteria.

The loud clattering and chatting in the cafeteria is typical as Bdubs makes his rounds again. It’s a Tuesday, which means he’s on lunch duty.

That’s fine! He loves it! He just has to walk around, make some conversation with students or with Mr. Hills, the resident history teacher who also has duty Tuesdays. The kids are well behaved…enough.

Unless they were the year sevens—God. He hopes they won’t chuck food at each other, or play their Robloxes and video games at max volume again. These little twelve-year-old gremlins—He is really not in the mood for sending anyone to the principal’s office.

As he stands by one of the tables, he notices the usual group of girls huddling around and chatting leisurely with each other. Ah, the joys of youth, where you could just see your friends during class or at the cafeteria and gossip like there was no tomorrow.

“Oh my goodness, I think I have the biggest girl crush on Pearl Moon! She’s gorgeous! Did you even see her in The Wolves in the Forest?! That red cloak—“

“No. No. I think Ren Dog is hotter. His acting in Red Winter was so top-tier—You know, in an interview, he said that he could play the guitar and sing…”

“Wait, I think I’ve got an old video of him singing actually…”

“What?! Send it to me—right now!”

“Guys, guys, please.” One of the other girls interrupts their simping. Her tone, firm, dark, and commanding. The table turns towards her.

“The real champion would be the OG. The one who started it all. Etho Slab.”

Bdubs’ eyes widen—

“Have you seen him?! That tall, intimidating stature and the mysterious aura with his famous mask and white hair. Oh my god—“

“Isn’t he super old? He’s kind of washed up—“

“Hey!” Before he can stop himself, he’s already making a beeline towards the group of girls. “Etho is not washed up!”

“M-Mr. Dubs?!”

“For the record, his movies are still amazing—I mean have you seen the role he plays in Red Winter?! Sure, he’s more of a side character in the movie, but doesn’t he play his role flawlessly?! He acts so regal too! And sure, okay, maybe Red Winter may not be the best example of his recent works, did you watch him in the superhero series? Yes! Life: Wild! You cannot call him washed up with how well he pulled off those action shots with his wind powers—he did his own stunts too!”

“...Mr. Dubs... are you an Etho girl?”

Huh? He cocks his head in confusion. He’s never heard of…

“What’s an Etho girl?”

“So it’s like… Super Etho fans? The ones who've watched all his films and dramas, the people who consistently collect his merchandise and display them?” One of the girls speaks up, tapping away on her phone. “Here! See?”

And he’s met face-to-face with this Instagram account with—Holy Judas Priest, that’s a lot of followers.

He scrolls through the page, noting all the edits to Phonk and seductive music, the pro shots, the thirst traps—all of Etho?!

…why did it suddenly feel so hot in here? Did he have a fever?

He can feel the smoke rising up his head, evaporating any brain matter left into the atmosphere.

Oh gosh.

“Earth to Mr. Dubs?”

“Y-yes! S-sorry! W-what?! Do people actually have social media accounts of Etho?”

“Yep!” Another girl pops, fidgeting with her fork. “They go super viral as well.”

“W-why?”

“‘Cause he’s a hot guy!” And the entire table dissolves into laughter. “Plus! Look at this!”

She takes her phone back, quickly scrolling through something before heading the phone back to the stunned art teacher.

“WHAT THE HECK?!”

The table dissolves into rambunctious laughter—Oh, they were doing this on purpose now!

He scrolls through the thousands of Instagram posts—fans with endless amounts of Etho Slab can badges, acrylic figures, and plushies of his different characters all displayed in multiple multiples—Holy cow—was that a whole lifesized cardboard cutout?!

“H-how do they even have the money—–"

“Never heard of Oshi-Katsu?”

“What?!”

“It means supporting your idol in Japanese. It’s really popular nowadays! People buy loads of merch and stuff to show their support! It’s like a form of art. People would come up with creative ways to display their merchandise, like rosettes for badges, decorated photo cards, keychain holders, etcetera!”

“O-oh… I see… Interesting…” Mr. Dubs stutters out, his face redder than the tomato sauce on today’s pasta. “I—I've never even heard of this—or the term 'Etho girl' before! And I’ve been supporting the man since his Super Hostile and Mindcrack days! —Also, I'm not a girl, so how can I even be an Etho girl?”

“ ‘Etho girl’ is just the term for his fans. It’s gender neutral. Also, what’s Super Hostile? I’ve heard of Minecrack before, but never Super Hostile.” Another girl replies.

“What? You’ve really never heard of Super Hostile?” Bdubs exclaims. These youngins! They’ve never heard of culture! “It was made by this indie studio created by this guy called Vechs. He was in it with DocM77 and Guude? The one series where a group of boys had to participate in a hardcore, high-stakes survival challenge or else?”

“I’ve heard of DocM… But who’s Guude?”

Bdubs facepalms. “No way—you don’t know who Guude is?!”

“Maybe you’re just old!” One of the girls laughed. “Vintage movie stars!”

“H-hey! I’m only thirty-five! Guude was hella famous—Gen Zers and their cluelessness. Did you know I had to watch all my movies on DVD and VHS back in the day? I didn’t have your YouTube and streaming thingies!"

“OOOOLD!”

“Hey! I should fail your art submission just for this, missy!” Bdubs huffs jokingly as the table erupts into laughter.

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Chat: Harrieee

Harrieee: Yo saw u and ur friends laughing w Double O today during lunch

Harrieee: Y’all were so loud what’s so funny

You: oh nuthn Double O is just an Etho girl

Harrieee: oh rlly?! I mean he blushed like crazy when we were talking about him the other day. Decked out fan asw

You: YEA LOL! Bro was red asf when we showed him the thirst traps

Harrieee: dam I didnt kno his game, he’s so real tho

Harrieee: so fire

You: yea and he was like mentioning Etho’s old movies/ tv series asw… like the stuff no one knows… Bro is an insane Etho girl.

Harrieee: speaking of… I wonder wut his husband thinks about dis crush

You: actually— has he even ever mentioned who his husband is?

Harrieee: wow… actually no… He tells us everything but we don’t kno his husband?

You: wow… Huh…

Harrieee: Anne, u think we can ask him?

You: nah it’s his life. There might be reason why he doesn’t share

Harrieee: ok yea fair.

You: o yea one more thing.

Harrieee: yea

You: Did you notice the new lacy photocard holder on Double O’s bag? I’m p sure that’s an Etho Polaroid picture. He just can’t be normal about Etho lol

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Four: Orchestra practice.

It’s no secret that the school festival was coming up soon. One can look towards the auditorium every day from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm to hear the orchestra practicing tirelessly until the awaited Saturday two weeks away.

“And one two!” Mr. Ess-Vee (SV) commands, raising his conductor's baton up as the members prepare their stances to play their instruments.

The hall fills with delightful melodies as Mr. SV smiles proudly to himself. He thought this would be the perfect soundtrack to play from, especially considering the movie’s popularity with the youth nowadays. The orchestra was sure to be a hit this year!

As the music comes to a stop, Mr. SV doesn’t notice the loud clapping coming from the open doors of the auditorium.

“Bravo! Bra-vo!” Mr. Dubs cheers, along with Ms. Cleo and Coach Leman. “Great job, kids! Great job Mr. SV!”

"Yeah, that was fantastic!” Coach Leman (but everyone prefers to call him Coach Skizz instead.) “Great job, kiddos!"

“The Glassfather?” Ms. Cleo snickers, directing a look at Mr. Dubs, who doesn’t seem to notice. “My, what a famous soundtrack!”

“Yep!” Mr. SV replies. “One of Etho Slab’s newest hits! Fantastic movie by the way!”

The students all chuckle; the movie had been a recent release as a massive box-office hit. It followed a man, Shay Dee (played by Etho Slab, of course), and his mafia in the 1960s—focused on illegal glass production as well as…other things…a thriller of how he built his dark multimillion-dollar empire from the ground up.

The students watch as Ms. Cleo gives Mr. Dubs a harsh nudge on his arm as the shorter man jumps awake in his fuzzy green hoodie and overalls. “Great movie, would you say so?”

The whole orchestra notices how Mr. Dubs flushes red once again, fidgeting with his ring as his large brown eyes dart across the room. “Y-yes! Fantastic movie! Etho did such a wonderful job acting this time; he made being intimidating look easy! I highly recommend that if you haven’t—watch the film!”

The members of the orchestra glance at each other not so subtly, grins on their faces. Thanks to a certain Harry and Anne, it spread like wildfire that Mr. Dubs had a weird celebrity crush on Etho Slab.

And nobody could fault him! It’s harder to find someone who doesn’t have a crush on Etho Slab.

“Anyways—“ Mr. Dubs rambles on. “I love how historically accurate the movie was! The set was truly wonderful, and I heard they filmed it in actual historical 1960s spots—like that one diner scene. Etho’s interview after the movie was spot on as well, and I know some of you think just because he’s an older actor, he’s all washed up and not as good—BUT HE PROVED YOU WRONG! Fantastic movie, 10/10 I’m sure! Everyone will definitely like this movie, even the ones who hate movies!”

The orchestra glanced at each other; nobody knew anything to Mr. Double O’s extent; he was a Super Etho girl. Oh definitely. It’s a widespread fact that their beloved art teacher just could not be normal about the guy.

Ms. Cleo rolls her eyes and coughs loudly. “You sure about a lot of things about him.”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?!”

They only laugh, dragging the shorter man by the arm as Coach Skizz laughs behind them. “C’mon. We’re here to check on the signs and stuff for the school fair, and I want to go home to my cats! No more Glassfather talk! Chop chop!” Ms. Cleo scolds.

"Okay, okay! I’m coming!” Huffs Bdubs like a petulant child.

“Bye Dipple dop!” Cheers Coach Skizz, before the three of them disappear behind the stage curtains.

Mr. SV only gives a sheepish smile, turning towards his orchestra again.

“Okay, from the top! One, two!”

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Art class student GC: the paintbrush that mr. Dubs forgets in the sink

Luv<3: @harriee, u were right, Mr. Dubs has the biggest celebrity crush on Etho we saw during orchestra prac tdy.

You: SEE!!! I told you! He was like this with Decked out asw!

Ann3: SV Choosing Glassfather was def targeted towards double o

Ann3: hm…

Ilovecats_23: wassup

Ann3: nuthin… Just thinking… Dyt that mr SV chose this for double O because they’re maybe married? Just thinkin lol

Hungryhungryhippo: no way… Isn’t SV like…really into Coach Skizz or sumth

Kir4!!!: Have you seen SV at the stands during practice— Eugh those eyes are full of adoration.

Kir4!!!: also SV no wedding band + yapped about Glassfather for weeks and chose it for orchestra, not for double O

You: what about Ms. Cleo?

St3phaniE_ :) : “my *HUSBAND*”

You: o right yea my bad. I saw them nudging him like crazy maybe they know and like teasing him in old married couple way

Ann3: nah. Ms. Cleo only likes their cats. Told us once that Double O was like an annoying little brother

Ilovecats_23: I mean… Who could it be?

Kir4!!!: literally anyone outside of school lolz.

Luv<3: Dubs is def Ethogirl tho. Ykw I respect it, me too man.

Luv<3: have you seen those arms in a tight turtleneck.

Ilovecats_23: ok TMI Lana.

Luv<3: What????? Jus ask double O he’s gon agree.

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5: Art classroom

"Oh, hey Mr. Dubs? What are you doing?”

Bdubs turns his head towards his student, his arm still holding up the large poster on the wall and a stapler in another hand. “Oh, hey Lana! What’s up? You’re ten minutes early to art class.”

“Yeah, I had a free period. Figured I’d come to start early so I could finish my piece for the school fair exhibition.” She shrugs, heaving her bag off onto the spot next to her table. “Is that a Mycelium Resistance poster?”

“Oh! What a keen eye!” Bdubs laughs, placing the final staple onto the bulletin board, the poster finally put into a good position. “Yep! Did you watch the movie?”

“Oh yeah, it was pretty good. I think my older brother enjoyed it more than I did, though. He’s a huge fan of Grian’s action films.”

“Oh! Grian! Yes, he is quite a good actor, not as good as Etho though! "Og from day one!” The art teacher proudly puffs out his chest, a prideful look on his face with the widest smile.

“Why are you putting up a movie poster in the art room? Why not in the film and drama studio?” She asks, her voice tilting with curiosity.

He gives her a bright, flashy smile, proudly stepping back to admire his handiwork with his hands on his hips. The large satin-finish paper gleams under the sunlight, accompanied by Mr. Dubs’ potted plants. Lana admits it's a fantastic poster.

The purples and the greens surprisingly work well together, with the main focal point being of the actor Grian, who plays the mother spore, along with Etho Slab and Ren Dog standing in front of him. They all look menacingly down on the mayor, played by Scar Goodtimes.

“We can study anything for our art.” He brightly replies, dusting off the invisible dust of his overalls. “You know, the genius of this poster is in its subtleties, you know? I’m going to use it as a case study for the younger years; remember the year nine unit? Movies and Art?”

“No, sorry, I transferred here in year ten," Lana shrugs.

"Oh, you missed out! I played so many Etho Slab movies; my classes were absolutely sick of him!” The art teacher cackles.

Lana can’t help but notice the glimmering gold band on Mr. Dubs’ finger. And before she could cast better judgment, the million-dollar question slips out of her mouth.

“Mr. Dubs, does your husband like Etho?”

And to her shock and surprise, Mr. Double O, a man so usually full of movement, goes completely still.

“H-he’s… Uhhh… H-he quite likes him… Yes, I would say so…” He’s a spluttering mess, and Lana almost feels terrible for Mr. Dubs, if he wasn’t so fun to tease. “H-he watches all his movies with me… so… I’d think so?”

Lana narrows her eyes. Hmmm… weird… why was he so uncertain?

“Is that so? Tell me more. What’s your husband like? Is he handsome? Does he like your childhood horse stories?”

“He’s a jerk!” Bdubs explodes in a burst of confidence contrasting his earlier anxious attitudes. “He teases me all the time! And he's taller than me and never lets me live it down! But…”

“But?” Lana doesn’t miss the way Mr. Dubs’ gritted teeth soften into a rare small smile, the kind that shines with adoration. Or the way his eyes glimmer gently as he fidgets with his fingers.

“He’s my husband. He’s silly and handsome and incredibly talented and smart. Yeah, we grew up together and went to college together; I’m forever grateful I have him.”

“Hm.” Lana can’t help but smile to herself. If anyone deserves a happy ending and a peaceful life, it’s kind Mr. Dubs.

“I’m happy for you. I hope we get to meet him someday!”

“That’s never going to happen! Start on your project; the students are arriving soon!” He jokes, laughing as he makes his way towards the door.

“Okay, okay!”

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Ann3:

You: Dubs spilled about his husband today

Ann3: rlly?! Spill the tea girl

You: not much tea to be spilled, except that dubs absolutely loves him and grew up with him.

Ann3: well that’s news to me! Your contribution to the cause is grately appreciated o7

You: lol he’s so smitten it’s sweet

Ann3: awwwweee

You: also… He said y’all had a movies and art something unit in Year 9? Apparently he played so many Etho movies

Ann3: o yea Eugh. I wasn’t in his art class that year cus I was in music, but I heard from Stephanie that every lesson they worked he played an Etho movie for that unit

Ann3: they watched so much she got so tired of seeing Etho’s face for months

You: lol, we love Mr. Dubs and his weird, very not normal obsession with Etho.

Ann3: real 🙂‍↕️

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+1: School fair

A mysterious man in a baseball cap and a mask walks into the school. He looks incredibly suspicious and awkward as his tall stature saunters into the halls.

He looks awkwardly as he lingers by the staircase, staring at the directory in a confused stupor. He turns towards the many students and visitors passing by, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people.

“Um… excuse me?”

Harry looks up at the man, above his boxes. There’s something about him he can’t place a finger on, but the man looks familiar. Awfully familiar.

“Hello! Is everything okay?” Harry shrugs. Forget it; it’s probably no one special. “Can I help you?”

“Um… Would you know where the art exhibition would be held?” The man’s voice, a little sharp, a little gruff, but still painfully awkward. “I…I'm here to support…a friend…”

“Oh! Yes, the art exhibition is held in the third-floor art studios. Mr. Double O is running it. When you see a short man with white streaks and mismatched brown and white brows, you’re probably in the right place.” Harry supplies, shuffling the boxes in his arms.

The man lets out a laugh, amused and mellow. “Thank you, I’m here for him anyway."

“Oh! Well then! Have fun!”

The man only gives him a nod, as he continues to climb up the stairs.

It’s not that much of a climb, but he’s made it to the third floor. Now, according to the directory he just needs to walk straight and turn right and—

He sees the sign for the art studio and makes a beeline for it. The quiet atmosphere contrasts with the rest of the jovial, busy school, where music and bright colors blast from everywhere.

The man smiles underneath his black face mask, glancing at all the beautiful artwork produced this year. Bdubs was right; the students did a really good job this year.

He notices the parents who take photos of their kids’ art; younger kids wander around looking at any bright colors that may catch their fancy.

“—Yes, Jasper is doing very well in art; his creativity is unconventional, but it’s wonderful! I love his idea with the pottery…” He hears his favorite voice in the world behind a few displays. Turning, he sees brown curly hair with streaks of bright white talking to a middle-aged couple.

“That sounds great, Mr. Double O. Our Jasper has been hoping to pursue design in university, and I think he has been producing a portfolio. He said he had shown you and Ms. Cleo; is there anything he needs to improve or…?”

“Hmmm, according to his target universities—great choices by the way—his portfolio is looking really good and on track, but he needs a bit more diversity in the products he is designing. You have nothing to worry about! He worked on it real diligent during his free periods! Your son is very appreciated in our class.”

"Thanks, good to hear. Thank you, Mr. Double O.”

“My pleasure! Enjoy your day!”

The man only smiles to himself. His husband’s passion for his work and his students was truly admirable and one of the things he had loved so much about him. The way his eyes glimmered at encouraging a student, or how his cute brows furrowed whenever he was working on a particularly tricky art piece.

He quietly creeps up behind him, tapping him on his shoulder.

“Boo.”

“AGH!”

The shorter man jumps out of his skin, hoodie and all, with the cute DIY pins. Despite the school being open to the public, he still wore torn dark denim jeans and his scraggly old red Converse shoes that he'd worn since highschool.

God, He loved Bdubs.

“Hi.” He hums, holding the art teacher’s hands.

“You!” The glare in his husband’s eyes is harsh and frantic, him reaching overhead to pull down his baseball hat to cover his face better. “What the hell are you doing here?!” He hisses through gritted teeth.

“I wanted to see you.” The man could only smile under his mask.

“—You!” And the man lets out a soft chuckle; Bdubs was incredibly cute when flustered. “Do you know what would happen if they saw you?! You don’t like being hounded!”

“Yeah… But I figured it would've been somewhat worth it if it came today.” He laughs. “Plus, I know you get super tired after these things, so I’ll take you home and help you with cleaning up.”

“Sure…” Bdubs’ eyes narrowed, dragging his husband through the labyrinth of displays and past prying eyes. “You’re usually not that nice. What did you do?”

“Nothing! Nothing! Is it wrong that I just want to help you and appreciate you?”

“This makes me sick.”

And before he knew it, he made his way into Bdubs’ classroom down the crowded hall. He walks in with awe and wonder, not expecting a classroom to look so… cozy.

He knew his Bdubs always had an eye for decoration, a style consisting of warm wooden shelves and greenery. Creative uses of decor and function never fail to fascinate him. But the way the sunlight filters in so perfectly and bounces off the waxy plant leaves and the placement of artwork, along with the neat yet messy arrangement of art supplies, just screams BdoubleO.

“Hm…”

"Neat, right?!” Bdubs exclaims, a large smile on his face.

“It’s nice.” He hums, taking a seat at the spinny chair at Bdubs’ desk. “All the photos you showed me really don’t do it justice.”

“I know! Everything’s always better when you see them in person!”

“That’s what you said when you married me.”

“Shush you. I need to head back. STAY HERE.” His husband huffs, arms crossed in front of him with the cutest pout. The man only chuckles, giving Bdubs a hug and a masked kiss before sending him off.

As the classroom door slides closed behind him, he basks in the atmosphere of the room. It’s decorated like their own house. A small quiet bungalow in the upper side of the city.

He glances around, almost jumping out of the spinny chair when he sees the giant Mycelium Resistance poster stapled onto the bulletin board.

God, even after decades of acting, he’s not even used to seeing his own face on— Why was Dubs displaying his movie posters in his classroom?

Before he could do anything, the door slides open again—hoping to ask his husband why the hell he would—

“O-oh? "Sorry, excuse me, I’m here to get my things.” He sees a girl in a uniform stumble in.

“S’okay. You one of Mr. Double O’s art students?” He asks, playing with one of the many pens on his desk.

“Y-yeah? What about you?” He can see the hesitance in her voice, a little on guard. “You seem… Suspicious…”

He quickly glances down at his all-black attire before he remembers his baseball cap and his mask.

Well… She was right.

“Sorry… I’m a friend of his. Can you tell me why this poster is up in… an art room of all places?” He hums amusingly, clicking the top of the pens.

The girl’s eyes narrow, quickly snatching her stuff. “It was for the year nine film and art unit… why?”

"Oh, nothing.” He hums. "Say, Bdubs, what’s he like in class? He never tells me anything.”

She snorts, slinging her bag over her shoulders. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Oh really?”

“He’s so talkative—we know everything about him! His college, his degrees, where he grew up, the horses' names from his childhood farm! Dude—He's like the biggest Etho girl to ever Etho girl.”

The snap was an Etho girl?

“What…is an Etho girl?” He’s too scared to ask; maybe he doesn’t want to know?

The girl just bursts into laughter, tears almost filling her eyes. “God—Double O just surrounds himself with Boomers—doesn't he?! An Etho girl is a fan of Etho Slab, the actor? It’s what people call themselves online.”

He nods, stunned. Why hasn’t his manager or social media ever told him before?

Oh god—his own husband… A flush rises through his pale skin, hidden under layers of black fabric. A strangled cough escapes his lips as he almost drops his pen.

“S-so—Mr. Double O is a… Fan? Of Etho Slab? Interesting…”

“Yeah! He knows all the vintage stuff as well—like, series that none of us have even heard of… I mean, do you know what the heck Super Hostile is?! We didn’t even know what it was until he told us and we watched it!”

Yes, he knows what Super Hostile is. It internally makes him cringe.

Hard.

“It’s actually pretty good; he was right. Anyways, Mr. Dubs will not shut up about the guy! I wonder what his husband thinks about his celebrity crush."

Another choke—another cough.

“Are you okay?” The girl asks.

“Y-yeah—Yeah— Does he—talk about his husband often?”

The girl goes silent, a pensive look on her face.

And his heart may be beating a little faster than usual.

“Considering how much the man overshares… We’ve never actually heard much about his husband. All we really know is that they grew up together, and he’s taller than him—but who isn't? Oh! And he also said he teases him often!”

He lets out a deep, affectionate chuckle… Is that so?

“But…”

“But?”

“He loves him a whole bunch. You can see it in his eyes. It’s kind of gross actually.” She laughs. “Alright, gotta dash. Don’t do anything suspicious here. I’ll call security first thing.”

He gently places the pen down. Feeling the corners of his lips reach his eyes.

His darling Bdubs.

“I wouldn't dream of it. Have fun.”

“I’m watching you!” And she was off.

He sighs, his hand trailing up to touch the cold silver band on his ring finger.

He married the right man.

.

.

It’s not until later that Bdubs is relieved of his art studio duties. He returns with a container of food the cafeteria and food stalls have been selling.

It smells heavenly, its aroma filling up the room. Perfect timing; he hasn’t had lunch yet.

“Got you some food!” Bdubs smiles brightly, a skip in his step as he pulls up a chair towards his desk. He quickly plops down and hands the masked man a waffle.

“Mmm… Thank you, flower. I was starving.” He laughs, gracefully taking the snack from his hands.

“No problem!”

“By the way… You’re an Etho girl?”

Bdubs chokes so hard he’s worried his husband would die of suffocation.

“W-what?!”

“Wouldn’t that make you an Etho boy?”

“M-my students told me that the Etho girl was an inclusive thing! It doesn’t matter if I was a boy or girl; if I was a fan, that’s what I called myself!"

“Also… You talk an awful lot about Etho at school…” He smirks, his cold hand trailing up his husband’s face, cupping a soft cheek.

“Oh Shaddup, Etho!”

He quickly takes off his mask and presses a kiss onto Bdubs’ lips. It’s soft, sweet, and tastes absolutely delicious, like sunshine.

“My biggest, day-one, fan.” Etho smirks, glancing at the Mycelium Resistance poster.

“Of course! Who had to put up with you through your career?!”

"But…"

He kisses him again, feeling the art teacher’s warmth seep through his skin. Fame and money have never ever held a light to having Bdubs in his arms.

“You’re my favorite fan. My favorite person.”

“Sap…” his husband pouts.

“You love me!” Etho chuckles.

“That’s why I married you, no?" He laughs.

"THAT'S YOUR HUSBAND, MR. DUBS?!”

Bdubs feels his heart drop as he turns to the prying, gaggling crowd of shocked students situated outside his classroom.

"WHA— WHAT THE SHIT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Bdubs squeaks, horrified.

“YOU WERE ETHO?!” Exclaims the girl who had come in earlier.

Bdubs drops everything, panicking as she ushers the class into his room.

“LANA BE QUIET!” Etho scoffs, which is ironic coming from Bdubs. “EVERYONE. IN. NOW.”

“You know what? Everything makes so much more sense now…” Muses one of the students.

.

.

.

.

.

Extra: the informal press conference that happened in Mr. Dubs’ classroom.

“Seriously—do you guys not have your shifts?!” Mr. Double O exclaims, staring at his Year 13 class, all seated in rows in front of him and his husband.

“Yeah—but c'mon, Mr. Dubs!” Kira exclaims, huffing. “Meeting the freaking Etho Slab is so much better than this freaking fair!”

“Hey! You guys worked hard on the fair!” He shoots Etho a harsh glare, grumbling under his breath. “This is why I told you not to come…”

Everyone watches in awe as Etho Slab, the A-lister, the icon, the legend, sheepishly scratches the back of his fluffy white hair, only to lean down and press a soft kiss to their art teacher's forehead like a sopping wet fox.

“Sorry Dubs…”

“Hmph.”

“AND YOU!” Anne turns towards Mr. Dubs, feigned betrayal on her face. “YOU DIDN’T TELL US YOUR HUSBAND WAS THE ETHO?!”

“FOR GOOD REASON!” Bdubs exclaims. “Oh god… Your producers and managers—Etho, they’re going to kill me!”

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” The movie star laughs, only pulling his husband in closer, as Bdubs huffily tries to push him away. “Now, I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions. But I’m going to have to ask you guys to keep a lot of this a secret.”

The class nodded in unison. While yes—this was super cool and jarring to know your art teacher is married to a celebrity out of all people—it was crucial that they respected the wishes and boundaries of their teacher and his husband.

“Good. I won’t be going into particular detail, unless Bdubs adds to it. But first question..." He scans the rows. “Yes! You!”

“How many years have you been together?”

“Since high school. I married him after college. I knew him for longer though; we were neighbors."

“What does Mr. Dubs think of you working in film?”

“I love it!” Bdubs pipes up.

“You heard him, folks. Kickstarted my whole career too. Next question.”

“What’s your favorite Decked Out game?!” Harry cheers in the background.

“Decked out II for sure!” laughs Etho. “It totally helped that your Mr. Double O sucked at the game.”

“H-HEY!”

The classroom erupts into laughter and giggles, and he can’t help but giggle along too with Bdubs.

“Are they making a Decked Out III movie?”

“Cannot confirm nor deny.”

“Did you study acting in college?”

“Nope. Mechanical engineering… acting sort of just… happened? It was weird.”

The students glance at each other, giddy—wow, they’ve learned more today than they have the entire school year.

“Do you have any career advice?”

“Stay humble. The world is bigger than you.”

The class muses in admiration.

“So not like Mr. Dubs?”

“Oh no—don't be like him.”

The class erupts into laughter again, turning towards a very flustered Mr. Dubs who only tugs on Etho's arms jokingly. “Jerk!”

“You love me!”

“That I do.” The way Etho’s eyes crinkle with adoration is a whole new side to the A-lister. Nobody could believe that their art teacher, Mr. Double O, an ordinary man with a normal job, was married to The Etho Slab.

Never mind that—nobody was prepared for the Etho Slab stared at their art teacher, Mr. Double O, like he was the goddamn Sun and the rest of the universe.

How smitten was he?!

“What’s it like being a star?"

“I wouldn’t consider—“

Just then, the door slams open, revealing Ms. Cleo.

“Hey Bdubs! Was looking for—oh, Etho! What a surprise. How are you doing lately?”

“YOU KNOW HIM TOO?! MS CLEO?!”

“Of course! He’s Bdubs’ husband? I see him at dinner parties at their place!”