Chapter Text
Summer break ended, and it’s the first day back to school. Frankly, Steve’s a little nervous.
Logically, he knows he’ll be fine. Hell, he's defeated monsters! But he can't help feeling like something will go wrong.
So, on his ride to school in his new Honda Accord because yeah, his precious Beamer drifting through space is a totally normal thing now, he mentally checks off everything and can’t seem to find any faults: the classroom is set up, he has his roster, and he already has his first-week classroom work schedule ready for the kids.
In Steve’s defense, who wants to be teaching freshman sex-ed, it’s not his top choice, but he does enjoy being a role model for some students. And being the little league baseball coach, does sort of balance out the cons, working with those kids brightens up his school year.
So he breathes a sigh of relief in the comfort that everything is put together. After everything, Steve finds comfort in a schedule and getting back to work is just getting back into that groove.
But as he pulls into the staff parking lot, he feels like he jinxed himself a little bit; somebody's in his spot. Granted, it's not his assigned spot, but it doesn’t make for a great start to his day.
And as he looks around, he realizes all the spaces are taken.
Jesus, he curses himself as he checks his watch quickly before he looks back up at the parking lot. It's not even 8 o’clock yet and school for the kids doesn't start till 8:30.
Steve does a quick lap around the parking lot in his car, and to his luck, there’s a spot open… On the downside, it’s the farthest from the school.
He parks his car, flips open the sun visor mirror, fixes his hair, says a little prayer to God knows who, and steps out of his car with his satchel bag in tow, eyeing the small distance to the school.
As he makes his way into the school, he absentmindedly thinks of Robin. He misses working with her. No matter the bad day he had with customers or trouble with the soundboard, she had a way of cheering him up.
He’s quickly snapped out of his thoughts of Robin when he bumps into someone else, causing a ladder to fall to the floor.
“Ohmygodimsosorry!” he spills out as he quickly leans down to help.
He takes note of what she’s wearing: a conservative skirt, a cardigan, and ballet slippers. With this in mind, he assumes she’s a new teacher—a coworker.
Her face is frazzled from the interaction. “It’s okay,” she says as he lends his hand to help her up. “Thank you,” she smiles, and he can feel his face light up with a blush.
“I really am sorry,” Steve apologizes. “I was zoned out, you know, the first day of school kinda thing.”
She fixes the fallen curls from her bun, and Steve watches diligently as she does so. “I gotcha, no worries,” she trails off. “I’m Marianna—well, the kids call me Ms. Hodge, but you know!” She giggles nervously and holds out her hand in greeting, and Steve can’t help but smile.
He shakes her hand and laughs. “I’m Mr. Harrington, but you can call me Steve.”
She looks up at him, “It was nice to meet you, Steve, but honestly, I’m soooo behind. I’ll catch ya later?”
“Oh yeah, totally understandable,” he says. Right before she walks away, he’s pretty sure she winked at him… or maybe his mind’s just playing tricks at this point. Either way, Steve can’t help but smile to himself.
He carries his dopey smile all the way to his classroom, forgetting all about his first day of school anxiety, in a way sometimes it feels like his back in highschool with the jitters he has.
He walks over the window, pulls the blinds, letting the light in and he sighs successfully at the now brighter state of his classroom.
Just as he finishes that, the morning bell rings to signal everybody into their classes and soon enough, freshmen start pouring in.
As they do so Steve states, “Sit wherever you want, just don't make me regret it!”
And with the next bell, class starts.
As the last class of the day makes their way out the classroom door, Steve feels confident about this school year.
Yes, there were lots of giggles, who can blame them? Freshman and sex-ed? He was surprised there weren’t a lot more!
He grabs the “get to know you” forms he created for the students from the turn-in bin and places them in his bag, making his way out of the building.
As he walks across the parking lot, he mentally curses the person who took his original parking spot because, after a day filled with kids, he is utterly exhausted.
He unlocks his car, sits down in the driver's seat with a sigh, and just sits there for a second, taking a moment to relax before he drives home.
In the distance, he sees Marianna walk out the school doors and make her way to—wait—his original parking space?
Steve just rolls his eyes. He doesn’t know what for, at himself or her. He wants to be a little ticked off; truly, it’s not a big deal, it’s the principle of it. But he just can’t. Just thinking about her smile has worn him down.
And another thought pops into his head: well, fuck, “I have a crush.”