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His head hit the desk with a thud and he groaned into the text book. It had been such a long day. A ridiculously long day. He wasn’t going to make it to three in the afternoon that was for sure. He’d be lucky if he made it to lunch. This was not the situation he had dreamed of as an idealistic college student at NYU. It wasn’t even a nightmare.
“Mr. Rogers?” A little voice asked. “Are you ok?”
He sighed and lifted his head reluctantly. This was his planning period. His one child free moment of the day. The little girl stood by the door nervously. He realized he was scowling and stopped it. Masha had done nothing wrong.
“I’m fine, Masha. Why aren’t you at recess?” He stood from the desk and walked towards her.
She took five quick steps back into the hall and he froze. “I didn’t want to be outside.”
“It’s not that cold. You have a jacket.” He kneeled on the floor where he was and debated going back to his desk to shoot and email to Sam. This sounded like a job for the guidance counselor, not a history teacher. She stepped into the room again and he saw a huge cut on her leg. Her bottom lip wobbled.
“Loki pushed me.” She said quietly. Steve sighed.
“Do you want to go to see the nurse? He could give you a flower Band-Aid.” He asked.
“No.” She shook her head emphatically and huffed. “I don’t want to be in trouble.”
“Why would you be in trouble?” He asked.
“’Cuz I punched him.” She admitted softly, hands bunch her bright pink floral dress.
"What?" Steve froze.
"For the pushing." Masha explained quickly.
He couldn’t help but laugh. And he wasn’t about to go make her see the nurse if she really didn’t want to. He taught enough little kids that he had wipes and Band-Aids in his desk. It was a necessity. Daisy from second grade had pouted at the lack of floral options (specifically, Daisies) but honestly if she wants to get that she could go see Nurse Strange. He carried the basic beige only. His budget didn’t stretch to specialty Band-Aids.
“You look grumpy.” She said with a nod. “It’s the testerone. That’s what my mom always said to my daddy.”
“That he was grump?” Steve asked. He had to struggle not to laugh. He wished Nat was here.
“That he had too much testerone and a’cuz of that he has lines on his face like yours.” He lost it then and bit his lip to keep from laughing right in the little girl’s face. She skipped away, smiling and he rubbed a hand across his face to smooth out the lines. It had been a good reminder not to be so grumpy at work.
“Go back to recess, Masha.” He called after her. She promised she would.
His mood stayed a little lifted but took a few more hits for the rest of the day. Daisy and Grant in his second grade class had decided that this week, instead of being best friends, they hated each other. And that said hate needed to be expressed via loudly shouted vitriolic comments. He could only imagine the things the other classes were hearing from his.
The line had to get drawn when Grant had leaned forward and chopped a large hunk of hair with scissors that Steve hadn’t even realized he had. The screams had only made his headache worse. It had taken Fury himself coming from the hallway to get everyone back in their rightful seats. It wasn’t every day the principal himself came to pay a visit. He raised an eyebrow at Steve, who couldn’t do much besides shrug.
“I’m going to send in Ms. Foster’s teaching aide.” Fury said with a frown. He pointed at Steve, Daisy, and Grant. “You three come to my office.”
Steve hadn’t been sent to the principal’s office since…ever. And he didn’t appreciate that his first time was as a grown man. He followed the older man down the hallway and held Daisy’s hand while she wiped tears off of her face while simultaneously sticking her tongue out at Grant. Unfortunately, even Fury appeared to be double books so when they got there he was sat outside the office while Fury had a discussion behind a closed door. It sounded like it was with a parent. It was short and five minutes later the door opened.
“Masha won’t do it again, Sir. We’re having a very long talk when we get home.” The man who walked out of the door was younger than Steve expected. He assumed the man was her father here about the playground incident from earlier.
“But I didn’t do anything wrong.” She huffed.
“You punched him.” He pointed out.
“We’re gonna ‘gree to disagree.” She nodded firmly. Steve bit back a laugh just a second late.
“I’m sorry.” He apologized when his snort got three eyes pointed in his direction.
“Mr. Rogers.” Fury and Masha said at the same time. One of them sounded considerably happier than the other about the situation. Masha dashed over and showed him her leg.
“Mama sent him with my favorite.” She cheered. It was Spongebob. Steve chuckled.
“Much more fun than boring old plain Band-Aids.” He laughed. He heard Masha’s father chuckled and looked over at him.
He wasn’t really prepared for what he saw when he did. He must not have been paying attention at first, his default was to watch the kids because that was literally what he got paid for. Though Darcy was now in control of 28 of his little ones and if that was terrifying he didn’t know what was. He only hoped she’d improved since the time she suggested class wide manicures while waiting for him. Six months ago didn't really seem like that long when he thought about it though.
He realized a second too late that he was staring. Open mouth and everything. He snapped it shut with an audible snap and immediately turned bright red. Her dad was literally pulled from one of those magazines Tony kept subscribing him to as a “joke”. Shaggy dark hair and bright blue eyes. Eyes that were clearly laughing him right now. His mouth was twisted into a smirk and Steve estimated he was roughly the color of a tomato.
“This is Mr. Rogers.” Masha explained to her dad. “He’s got too much testrone, too.”
Steve wanted to melt into the ground. He didn’t know who was more surprised by the commentary, Masha’s Father or Nick Fury. He tried to speak but all that came out were little inarticulate noises. There weren’t words for how badly he was blushing at the moment. There was no way this moment could get any more embarrassing.
“What’s testrone?” Daisy pulled on his sleeve to get his attention.
The only upside to the hell he was currently residing in was that it included the delighted laughter of Masha’s father. He didn’t event try to hide it the way Fury had. Steve had no recourse here but wasn’t about to give an elementary schooler a lesson on biology.
"Not why you're being sent to my office." Fury said. "Now let’s let Ms. Barnes get back to class and have ourselves a little chat about acceptable classroom behavior.”
Steve couldn’t make eye contact with anyone and stared resolutely at the ground. Masha’s dad ushered her out of the room while still laughing at the whole situation. Fury looked like her was strongly considering finding multiple ways in which to punish him. And of course Daisy and Grant had decided they were best friends again and were debating between themselves what exactly ‘testrone’ actually was. It was not his best day as a teacher.
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“If you’re shopping for Band-Aids.” The voice behind him said casually. “I happen to know that eight year olds are a huge fan of the cartoon characters.”
Steve whipped around so fast he nearly took out the display in front of him. “Mr. Barnes.”
“I prefer Bucky.” He laughed. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and Steve’s brain was struggling to function properly.
“Steve.” He nodded.
This was a convenience store. He was in pajama bottoms. Steve still hadn’t recovered from the humiliation from the afternoon and had actually come down from his apartment for the express purpose of using junk food to make his day suck less. So far, it wasn’t working so well. And of course Bucky was still in his jeans and too tight tshirt from earlier and looked way too good doing it.
“You’re Masha’s teacher.” Bucky said. It wasn’t a question.
Steve shook his head. “Next year. Probably.”
“She talks about you a lot you know.” Bucky said. He reached over and grabbed one of the Band-Aid packs from the wall. “Or at least has been since I’ve been watching her.”
“You’re not her dad?” Steve questioned. The feeling in his stomach was not hope. Nope. Not it.
Bucky grinned and Steve felt his knees go a little weak. “Uncle. She’s my sister’s kid.”
The hallelujah chorus was definitely not in his head. Somebody was playing music. Steve just nodded and tried to pretend to be casual about his interest. Bucky just stood there for a second while Steve failed completely and struggled to get two words together.
"Oh." Steve floundered for words. "Just...the Band-Aids. Her dad brought. I assumed."
Bucky's grin only widened. "Snaked them from my sister's house. I don't have kid Band-Aids."
“I…You…” Steve winced. “I swear I’m usually better about this.”
Bucky laughed at him. The same full bodied laugh from before. “I’m kind of glad you’re not.”
“Coffee? I’ll work up to full sentences.” Steve offered. Bucky nodded.
“You’re getting there already.” Bucky teased. Steve’s face was still bright red.
“Uncle Buck.” Masha’s voice was a loud cheer and Steve’s eyes went to saucers. An attractive woman with long brown hair trailed after Masha down the aisle. She smiled at Steve happily.
“There you are.” She said to Bucky. Steve realized he’s probably made another embarrassing mistake and took a small step back. Of course. Uncle didn’t mean that he was Steve’s…type. He was starting to fear the red in his cheeks was a permanent addition.
“Hey, Becky.” Bucky smiled. “I was just grabbing some Band-Aids.”
“They’re for you.” Masha cheered to Steve happily. Steve smiled at her. “They have cartoons.”
The woman laughed. “Oh, you’re Mr. Rogers.”
“I am.” Steve admitted. The woman winced slightly.
“I’m her mother. I heard from James that there was an incident at school today.” She said. A small pink tinge went to her cheeks. Steve could relate.
“Apparently it’s pronounced tes-TOS-ter-own.” Masha said loudly.
“You really didn’t need to teach her to pronounce it.” The woman said to Bucky. Steve laughed honestly for probably the first time all day. Bucky, or James, was looking properly chagrined. He shrugged and cast a look at Steve from under his lashes.
“If she’s gonna say it anyways, Beck.” He reasoned. She swatted at him.
“Uncle Bucky said you were cute.” Masha said into the short silence. "And you probably have just the right amount of tes-tos-ter-own."
She punctuated each syllable with a nod of her head. Of all the things for her to say. Bucky’s eyes went wide and both he and Steve shifted awkwardly. Becky was laughing at them both. Loudly. Masha was just grinning and looking between the two of them while Steve went back to wishing the ground would swallow him whole.
“I wasn’t a’spossed to listen, but I did.” She whispered to Steve conspiratorially.
“You’re why she’s like this.” Bucky accused his sister. She was howling bent over with laughter.
“You two can hold hands now.” Masha insisted. “That’s what you do.”
That didn’t help anyone, but even Steve had to laugh. Bucky’s face was a bright red and his sister was still trying to contain her giggles. Masha had never looked prouder of herself. When neither of them moved she went to grab her Uncle’s hand and moved it towards Steve.
“I think we’re good, Mash-pit.” He whispered. Steve snickered.
“So about that coffee?” He asked. Bucky just sighed and shook his head.
The number practically burned a hole in his pocket the entire way home and he barely lasted fifteen minutes before caving in and calling it. He wasn’t even surprised when Masha answered the phone with an excited cheer.