Work Text:
"Good morning, Miss Forbes!" April bounced on her toes as she walked through the hallway, waving toward her English teacher.
The cheerful blonde smiled back despite standing duty for a horde of high schoolers to rush past her. "Good morning, April. I hope you're ready to turn in your genre study proposal for third hour."
Nodding, April stopped at her locker nearby. "I'm all set," she promised as she unloaded her bookbag. "It's going to knock your socks off."
"Looking forward to it," Miss Forbes chuckled. Her attention was soon diverted by a cup of coffee suddenly appearing before her. "Oh, thanks," she said to Mr. Mikaelson, gratefully accepting the mug. "I can't believe I forgot caffeine for the morning duty shift."
Giggles broke out from behind April, where she found her friends Aimee and Sarah snickering at their teachers' conversation. "What's the joke?" April asked.
"He's so whipped," Aimee said meanly, jutting her chin toward their usually grumpy art teacher. Mr. Mikaelson was certainly the hottest teacher they had, but his effortless charm only seemed to truly appear around the sunny Miss Forbes. It was the worst kept secret in school that everyone thought they were dating, always standing duty together or chatting at the dances while chaperoning. Asked directly about it, though, and they would always clam up. 'None of the students' business' might be their defense for not answering, but Mystic Falls High was nosy to its core. "God," Aimee sighed, "why is she not dating him? They've been flirting for, like, two years."
"Maybe they have been," Sarah suggested, lifting a lascivious eyebrow. "A torrid love affair has been happening right under our noses."
April shrugged, clutching at her notebooks tightly as she risked a glance at their teachers. "I'll admit they're comfortable around each other," she hedged, "but maybe they're just good examples of a comfortable working relationship."
Snorting, Sarah more blatantly watched Miss Forbes roll her eyes at something Mr. Mikaelson said. "Or they're a good example of the slow burn, and this is just foreplay for them."
"Sarah!"
"Oh, calm down, Nana," Aimee joked. "Like we don't know about that fanfiction you're writing? I've read your drafts of Draco and Hermione becoming professors at Hogwarts, and yes, I do sense some real-world inspiration."
Embarrassed, April shut her locker and quickly walked down the hallway to her first class. "Shut up," she hissed, mindful of the otherwise oblivious teachers they left behind. When she saw Mr. Mikaelson grin shyly toward the ground as Miss Forbes laughed, however, April couldn't help but smile herself. "They're just cute, is all."
"Whatever," Aimee said, following her friend to calculus. "I'd totally be dating him if I were her."
"April, can I borrow you for a few minutes?" Miss Forbes asked as the bell rang for lunch. "I'd like to discuss your genre proposal."
Taking a fortifying breath, April waited patiently as her classmates gathered their things. Once everyone had filed out, Miss Forbes sat at the next desk, April's pink report folder in hand. "You hate it," the crestfallen teen realized.
She had been biting her lip all hour, nervously watching her teacher grade proposals instead of the documentary they were supposed to be taking notes on. April wasn't a big risk taker, but she felt compelled to try something different with this project - and the genre she chose was certainly a risk.
"I don't hate it," Miss Forbes rushed to assure her. She flipped to the page with April's main argument, running a perfectly manicured nail along her thesis statement. "I can tell you're passionate about wanting to legitimize fanfiction, pointing out the genre's amalgamation of other genre tropes and how direct author relationships with the audience can influence the story mark it as unique."
Waiting for the other shoe to drop was too painful. "But?"
"But, I can't approve fanfiction as a topic for this assignment." Before April could argue, Miss Forbes held up a hand. "The curriculum is too strict already, and I fought hard to give this project the flexibility it needs with approved reading lists. As much as I hate to turn down your proposal when you're so interested in it, I have to in the name of protecting the project for future classes."
Clearly disappointed at the news, April wilted. "I get it, but how is it fair that haikus get their own genre of poetry while fanfiction is infinitely more varied and personal to me? Dramione might not be for everyone, but there's something for everyone who want to try it out."
A thought of inspiration hit her, and April dove for her bag. "Here," she said, pulling out her editing draft for her latest fic. "I know I'm not Hemingway or Allende, but how does this not count as a genre? There are entire collections full of teacher-centered stories. They all have their own tropes, and there's a total realism that comes from authors' real lives."
Miss Forbes raised an amused eyebrow at April's explanation. "Oh, really?" she asked teasingly. "Do you write about your teachers?"
Blushing, April just nodded. "Read it, and maybe reconsider my proposal? Please?"
Her earnest expression must have worked, because Miss Forbes' amusement softened into understanding.
"I make no promises," the teacher warned.
"Sure," April nodded, excited that she was being taken seriously. "Thank you, Miss Forbes!"
"Go eat lunch," she said, waving her hand in dismissal.
As April packed up to leave, it occurred to her that Miss Forbes would essentially be reading about herself and Mr. Mikaelson under the guise of Harry Potter fanfiction.
She could only hope that her teacher didn't notice - or that she'd mind enough to dock April's grade.
"Oh my god," Bon," Caroline huffed in disbelief. She had brought home April's story and proposal after work, and she couldn't believe what she was reading. Of course, she had to call her best friend about it. "They totally ship me and Klaus together."
"They ship you," Bonnie laughed through the phone. "Caroline, we don't watch Buffy anymore."
Caroline shook her head, even though she was alone in her living room. "While I'm impressed with April's writing, I can't help but feel a little violated. This story is filled with conversations I've had with Klaus in the hallways. These girls know nothing about me or Klaus - not really - and they've constructed this romance between us in their imagination."
Sighing, Bonnie didn't sound nearly as concerned. "I'm not sure you have room to talk, MrsBroodyAngel on ," she pointed out. "Ten years ago, you would have been April fighting for your right to party with licensed content."
Her lips pursed like she tasted something sour. "You know what? I hate that you remember everything."
"And you love creative students," her friend reminded her. "She's channeling that talent in productive avenues, and there are worse-looking people she could pair you with. Annoying or not, Klaus is a looker."
"Shut up," Caroline admonished lightly, fighting a blush. A key in the front door distracted her, only to open to a very welcome sight. "Got to go, Bon, dinner's here."
"Tell Professor Malfoy I say hey!"
"Ha ha," she deadpanned, hanging up. Caroline jumped from the couch to greet her boyfriend with a peck on the lips. "Hey, babe."
"Hello, love." Klaus leaned in for a more indulgent kiss. "I thought we'd do gyros tonight."
"Smells good," she said, grabbing the takeout bag from his hands. "You're not going to believe what I read today."