#imagine a preschooler looking you in the eyes and being like ‘damn dude you got issues’

[and-so-he-rambled]

“Is this your lab?”

Vlad jumped, cursing in the form of a confectionery as he shocked himself. He spun around in his chair to see the children in the doorway. He wasn’t sure how they’d gotten in to the secure lab, the baby monitor on the table standing silent. He had put them both to bed hours ago and had been too restless to sleep, so he’d gone down to the lab to work on Jazz’s blaster. He hadn’t been sleeping well since he’d gotten the children.

Jazz stood in front with Danny beside her holding her hand. She was pale and terrified as her teal eyes roamed around the partially finished basement. It had likely been a dungeon once, but he’d cleared it out and had started remodeling it. It was sparse, filled with table of blueprints and half finished projects. He hadn’t conducted many successful experiments in the last few years, but the more he learned about himself, the better things he could create.

Danny’s eyes were focused on the gutted portal against the back wall. It had taken him years to build a functional portal, and he’d managed to and was able to explore the infinite realms in the last two years, but his portal was too unstable to rely on. He’d needed to disassemble it and ship the parts to the castle and he hadn’t gotten around to putting it back together yet.

“Don’t make a ghost portal.” Danny stared into Vlad’s soul. “I don’t want you to die too.”

The words washed over Vlad like a bucket of icy water.

He stood so fast his chair flipped, the spinning of the wheels drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He dropped his soldering gun, uncaring as it flattered to the ground.

“Your parents died in a portal accident?” They hadn’t given him details on the accident before and the police had only told him there had been an explosion. Due to the open investigation he hadn’t been able to view their lab or bodies, and only once it was closed could they have a proper funeral.

Both children nodded.

Vlad leaned against the table, hand over his chest as his core shuddered. The children both called out to him, but he couldn’t focus on it. Had Jack messed up another portal? Had they not learned from Vlad’s accident? He was spiraling and he needed to breathe already, what about the kids-

What about the kids?

He was over whelmed with the need to make sure they were okay, that they hadn’t been damaged by the portal collapse. He needed to focus, why couldn’t he breathe? He didn’t even need to breathe, so why couldn’t he catch his breath?

A small hand began to pet his hair.

“You’re having a panic attack, I think you’re supposed to take big breaths. The doctors made me count to five and back, can you do that?” Jazz was standing in front of him, and oh, he was on his knees. “5… 4… 3…”

“1!” Daniel yelled, face smooshed into Vlad’s chest as he snuggled into his lap, gangly lumps in every direction.

“No Danny, it’s 2 next.” Jazz corrected

“Then 1?”

“Yeah, I dunno if zero counts.”

“Do abcs next!”

Hearing the kids talk brought Vlad out of his haze. He stood on shaky legs, holding Daniel still. He shouldn’t put his mental well-being on the shoulders of a child, he thought he had gotten over his panic attacks over the accident. The deaths of his former friends had opened old wounds he’d long since bled dry.

“Thank you Jasmine, I apologize that you had to see that.” He took a shaky breath. “Let’s get you kids back to bed.”

Jazz’s eyes were on him the entire trip back upstairs, gaze far too intelligent. She was analyzing him.

Daniel fell asleep immediately once he was back in his bed, snuggling in to the stuffed aliens he’d happily picked out.

Jazz sat on her bed while he put her brother to bed, bare feet swinging idly.

“You don’t need to be sad, that you got scared.” She said softly as he tucked her in, eyes seeming to glow in the dim light.

Vlad sighed, smoothing her hair from her forehead. A patch of it seemed lighter than before.

“Jazz, I’m the one who’s supposed to be telling you that.” He sat on the edge of her bed, hands folded in his lap. “You don’t need to worry about me, I’m an adult.”

Jazz blinked sleepily at him, snaking a hand out of the blankets to pat his leg.

“You’re an adult, but you’re like us.” She yawned, snuggling into her pillow. “You’re broken too.”

Her tiny hand slid off his leg as she fell asleep, finally relaxing. She only was calm when she was asleep, and even though he knew she had a weapon under her pillow it was a relief to see her calm.

Vlad stared at her sleeping face, a torrent of emotions running through him. He resisted the urge to wake her up and ask her what the hell she meant by that

[messrprcngs]

* THEATRE NERD!PETER PARKER HEADCANONS .

SUMMARY : just some really cute theatre nerd!peter headcanons because i feel like if peter knew anything about musical theatre he’d be really into it PAIRING : theatre nerd!peter parker x reader WARNINGS : none, i think A/N : so this hasn’t really been edited and i may or may not switch from present-tense to past-tense like halfway through it so i’m really sorry but i hope you guys like it anyway ! and if you could send me a message if you like it ? i can be on or off anon, i just really need some encouragement right now because i have a lot of schoolwork to do and actually hearing that people like what i write takes a bit of stress away from me

- okay so i just imagine peter being like super into theatre and honestly it's just the cutest shit ever and i love and stan this concept but anyway - - you're new to midtown high, and you and michelle are, like, best friends. the two have been inseparable since birth, and have gone to the same school since preschool. so imagine your disappointment when you find out that she got accepted to midtown high, this school for geniuses that you didn't get accepted to - fast forward to the end of your freshman year, and you've finally convinced your parents to let you apply to midtown again you also may have accidentally gotten yourself into enjoying musicals, dear evan hansen specifically ( damn tumblr for introducing you to mike faist and his wonderfully amazing hair ). you were hoping for the best, but unfortunately, you were sure that the 'best' you were going to get was a letter from midtown saying something along the lines of "sorry, you didn't make it in. try again next year !" - so imagine your surprise when you get the letter from midtown in the middle of july saying that you did it. you got in - you're so excited for school to start, because even though you've only gone one school year without your michelle by your side, and even though you two saw each other practically every weekend, you missed your best friend - so now it's the very beginning of your sophomore year, and michelle's showing you around the school about half an hour before the first bell rings because a, she's your best friend, and b, she gets extra credit for doing it. even though she doesn't need the extra credit, she likes to have it anyway, for those days when she just really needs to skip school to go attend a feminist rally or a pride parade ( i see her as being like 100 % demisexual okay you can fight me on this i'll win ) - she's shown you everything except your locker so far; your classes, the cafeteria, the courtyard, the auditorium. she even shows you the fucking basement. and now your tugging her away from the chemistry lab because you only have ten minutes til class and you need to put all the extra shit you carry around in your backpack into your locker because if you don't you're sure that your back will snap in half - there are way more people in the halls now than when the two of you first got into the school. mj drags you by the sleeve of your oversized sweatshirt, towards what she says is most definitely your locker, when you suddenly stop in your tracks - there, just feet from you, is the most attractive boy you have ever seen - his hair was brown and an unruly tangle of soft curls and yeah, he was probably a little shorter than most boys your age, but did you give a shit ? the answer was no, you did fucking not - and now mj's looking at you with her eyebrow raised, before her intelligent gaze is following yours and her eyes land on peter and she knows. she fucking knows and then she's smirking so wide and she wants to laugh and you can see it out of the corner of your eye but you're too busy staring at the adorable little bean in front of you and - - and then mj's whispering in your ear, "jeez, y/n/n, drool much ?" and you nearly jump out of your skin. you want to be mad, but then she's laughing and you can't be mad at her because she's your best friend and you love her so much so instead you opt for hitting her on the arm and sending her a playful glare - "shut up !" you exclaim in a whisper, not wanting to draw the attention of mr. too cute for school. "he'll hear you !" - mj let out a breathy chuckle, before crossing her arms to stare right into your soul eyes. "so, how are you going to get past him, y/n/n ? we both know how terribly nervous you get when you have to pass people you think are exceptionally hot." - she was right. you couldn't pass by cute individuals without doing something totally embarrassing to save your own damn life. last time you had tried, you ended up in the hospital with four stitches in your lower lip and three in your chin - "i'll do what i usually do nowadays whenever i'm nervous : i'll just start singing a song from deh. i mean, it's not like he would know anything about the musical, right ? so it won't attract his attention." you nod to yourself, patting yourself on the back for coming up with such a good plan - mj opens her mouth to say something, before closing it and letting that smirk settle onto her lips again. god, did you hate that smirk - you held her gaze for a moment, looking at her warily, before turning around and marching straight forward as you began to sing a song from the dear evan hansen soundtrack; unfortunately for you, it was a song that would definitely attract attention. and you were singing it very loudly - "DEAR EVAN HANSEN, LIFE IN REHAB IS ALRIGHT," you sang. you can hear mj failing to stifle her giggles as she trails after you. "I LIKE THE YOGA, AND THE SHARING CIRCLES EVERY NIGHT" - you were passing him now, the terribly handsome boy who was still at his locker. was it just you, or did you see him turn his head in your direction from out of the corner of your eye ? - "BUT DUDE, THESE STORIES -" and that was when you heard another voice join in with yours. you look back at mj, eyebrow raised in a silent question as you continue to sing. she shook her head and points to the right of you, smirking that irritating smirk - it was him; he was the person singing along with you. your jaw drops open for half a second, before you got back to the song - "SO MANY PEOPLE END UP SUCKING DICK FOR METH !" - and your jaw stops functioning completely once jared's creepy ass laugh starts up in your head. you can't believe that he knew the song; but honestly, that just makes you like him even more - he smiles sweetly at you. "sorry if i startled you. but i just heard you singing the reprise and - well, i guess i just couldn't help myself," he apologizes, giving you a sheepish shrug. god you want to marry this adorable dork - wait, what ? - so first off, just to clarify : yes, peter is still spiderman. he is still the ultimate nerd of midtown high, and is still a chemistry whiz. he just also happens to be really into musicals and shakespeare and stuff and is really gay for michael mell and really straight for veronica sawyer. just imagine that the drama club has replaced the academic decathlon team in this au. okay, now back to the headcanons !! - "i'm peter !" he quickly adds, in response to your gaping mouth. and he sticks his hand out and waits for you to shake it, and it takes you a few seconds to process that yes, he is actually introducing himself to you, and you somehow find the strength to close your mouth. both of your hands shoot up to grasp the one he's holding out, and you manage to stammer out a "i - i'm y/n." - he gives you a smile, and it's a tad less sheepish this time. "so, you like dear evan hansen ?" - and this is when you start in on your long-ass rant about how much the musical means to you and how great it is and how you just love connor murphy and jared kleinman and alana beck with all of your nerdy little heart. and you practically completely forget that mj is even there, even though she's standing about a foot behind you two the entire time. and then the bell's ringing, and peter's asking you what your first class is, and you tell him as quickly as you can because you're hoping, just really, really hoping that you have the next class with him so that you have more time to talk about musicals during passing period. and he grins so wide when you tell him that you have ap world history for first period - the two of you head to ap world history together, and by now you've completely forgotten about mj, who watches the two of you leave with a smirk on her face. she only heads toward her own first class when the final bell rings - by the time lunch rolls around, you already know so much about peter. his favorite subject is chemistry, he has a genius level iq, he has an internship at stark industries. and he's in the drama club. he tells you that ned, the nice boy that the two of you are sitting with, is also in the drama club. ned nods along excitedly, and quickly suggests that you join the club, too - before you can say anything in response, however : "would you losers please stop trying to bring my best friend over to the dark side of the nerd moon ?" - if your guess was 'who is mj ?' then you would be correct, my friend. she's trying to look pissed but she's very clearly smirking and you think that this is the first time that you've ever seen mj fail at looking pissed when it's not solely at you - ned looks so startled and it's really funny and sad at the same time. "you have friends ??" - and now mj's actually glaring at him, and you swear that if looks could kill, ned would have dropped dead a second ago. peter looks concerned, and you don't know if it's because mj is glaring daggers at his best friend or because he knows thinks ned's hurt mj's feelings or something - "yes, i have friends, thank you very much," mj finally says, looking away from ned and rolling her eyes. "y/n/n, you aren't going to make me sit with these losers, are you ?" - you just give her an apologetic smile. she grumbles to herself for a moment, before plopping down next to you, across from ned and peter - lunch that day is spent making some pretty bad star wars puns and rapping hamilton songs, and, of course, listening to mj complain about how all of you are losers ( but you caught her smiling once or twice, and you know she enjoyed it ) - it doesn't take you very long to figure out how things work here at midtown; that meaning, you had somehow managed to befriend the two most loserest losers in the entire school ( those two losers being peter and ned, of course ). you've also found out, much to your dismay, that peter has a thing for liz allan, who not only was head of the drama club, but was also the prettiest girl at school. so much for marrying peter getting peter to like you - despite the fact that your crush's crush was head of the club, you still wanted to join; you had heard that they did a musical at the end of every year, and you really wanted to be a part of that - and so you go to beginning-or-year auditions and drag mj along with you, and you audition together, and you both get in. and you're happy, because you, ned, peter, and mj are friends now ( though you're closer with the boys than mj is. she's still pretending she doesn't like them ) and you really don't want anything else in life at the moment ( except for peter to like you instead of liz ) because you're perfectly happy the way things are - but then about a week later, peter starts acting weirder than normal, and then he's quitting the club - and then ned's starts to act odd, too. one day, and you can't help but think that it's something you did, that maybe they don't like you anymore, and despite mj trying to convince you otherwise during your lunch period, you start to really believe it - and then during gym class later that day, you hear ned saying that peter knows spiderman, queens' resident spider-themed superhero, and that gets you thinking that they didn't just start ditching you and mj because they don't like you, it's because they found someone cooler, someone who made them realize that they didn't like you. and that someone was spiderman - you and mj go to liz's party that night. she tells you that it'll be good for you, getting out of the house. says it'll keep your mind from obsessing over your 'unrequited love' for peter and your new-found hatred of spiderman - but it doesn't. it doesn't, because you see peter there, and you can tell that liz likes him, and it just makes you feel worse. and so you run out of liz's house and end up in a little corner of the front yard crying your eyes out, wishing that peter would see in you what he saw in liz - and that's how mj finds you a few hours later, except you're not crying anymore; you're passed out, snoring softly and mumbling peter's name over and over again in your sleep - fast forward a couple more weeks, and peter's joining the drama club again, just in time to for the theatre competition the club's been invited to in washington d.c. - so you hate spidey, right ? i think it'd be really great if you, like, told peter that when the drama club is at the hotel ? like maybe before liz asks peter if he wants to go down to the pool. like you knock on his and ned's door while they're still working on the suit and they have to shove everything under the bed so that you don't see it before letting you in - alternatively, they just don't let you in at all and peter opens the door and quickly steps out side and closes the door before you can see anything inside the room - and you're a little curious about it at first, but you decide to let it go, and you ask him if him and ned are alright ( "yeah, y/n/n, we're fine. you don't have to worry about us." ) and you just kind of stare into his eyes for at least thirty seconds and peter feels like you're staring down into his soul and he feels a little twinge of something but he dismisses it because the only time he's ever felt something like it is when he's with liz and no, he does not like you - and then you ask him something you've been wanting to know the answer to since you heard ned in the gym : "do you really know spiderman ?" - peter's startled, but he gives a hesitant nod, and he doesn't know why because it's not like he wants to impress you or anything, because the two of you are just friends - and then you let out a quite "oh" and his face falls because you sound disappointed and now he's disappointed anD - - "is - is that bad ?" - and you shake your head and shrug and stand there for a second before managing to get out a soft, "i don't really like spiderman. at all." - and now it's peter's turn for his face to fall because that was the last thing he had expected you to say and he wishes you hadn't said it because it makes him feel like you don't like him, and he knows it isn't like that but it is like that at the same time because him and spiderman are the same person. the only thing is that you don't know that - and he suddenly realizes that he really does like you, and he really wants to change your view of his superhero alter-ego because he can't take you disliking him, even if you didn't know it was him - and then spiderman saves you and the rest of the drama club from that elevator, and you can't decide whether you hate him more or less because on the one hand, he did save your lives, but on the other hand, he's probably so full of himself and thinks that he's just so great and you just want to punch him - so then you get back to new york ( you won the theatre competition ) and everything is kind of okay but you can't stop thinking about the conversation that you and peter had that night at the hotel, and how he looked kind of disappointed that you didn't like spiderman. you put it down to the fact that he's disappointed that one of his friends doesn't like the other ( though were the two of you really even still friends ? ) - and then a few nights after you get back, you're heading back towards your apartment complex after just stopping at the store on the way home from michelle's. and it's late but you don't mind because you've been out late in queens before and you actually really like it - and you hear a noise behind you and suddenly you're paranoid and start thinking about how you left your pepper spray at home and you wish you had it now and - - and then something human-shaped, red, and blue drops down from the lamppost above you before your eyes and you drop your groceries and let out a shriek, before the thing in front of you clamps a hand over your mouth. and that's when you realize that the thing in front of you isn't a thing, it's spiderman, and you're suddenly overcome by the urge to kick something ( preferably his head ) - after a few minutes, you hear a soft "are you going to scream ?" come from behind the mask, and you shake your head. spiderman takes his hand off your mouth, and he just stares at you for a minutes, hanging above the ground attached to his web like some kind of actual spider and it's starting to freak you out - "my friend peter parker told me you don't like me," the spider-themed hero said eventually. you can feel the heat rush to your cheeks and you suddenly wanted the ground to swallow you. sure, you didn't like him, but he was a superhero, and he could kill you in a second if he really wanted to. you just gave him a small shrug and looked away - he let out a chuckle. "i bet i can change your mind." - this, of course, piqued your interest, and you looked back up, eyebrows raised. "are you really so full of yourself that you think you can -" - it all happened too fast for you to really register but when you reached the phrase 'full of yourself,' spiderman reached up for his mask, bringing it down over his mouth, and then his nose, and his eyes, until suddenly it was peter parker hanging before you and he swung forward a little bit and then suddenly his lips are on yours and you're kissing and your eyes are wide before you melt into the kiss and reach up to cup his cheeks with your hands - don't you guys just love the wonderful spiderman upside down kisses like reall y my dudE S

[fenfyre]

Lesson One: Focus

Commission for @tami-flu who’s a sweetheart and wanted me to bring one of our very self-indulgent AUs to life

“Are you sure this is the right address?” Lance tried really hard not to roll his eyes when he unstrapped the wiggling child from her booster seat and lifted her out of the car. This was only about the fifth time Shiro asked that question, after all. “Yes”, he hummed patiently and tucked a lock of white-blonde hair behind Emily’s ear. “It’s the address Laura’s mum gave me and that I checked on the internet. Besides … it says dojo in big red letters above that door?” He pointed over his shoulder at the sign. “I think we’re good.” Shiro gave a short hum as he threw the door shut and locked the car with the press of a button. “It’s just so … empty”, he wondered and looked around the parking lot, only a few other cars scattered across it. Some, like theirs, were parked in the shade of big oak trees to shield them from the already burning sun. It was hot for May. “Relax, man. We’re twenty minutes early. What did you expect?” Just at that moment Emily wiggled free and started running across the parking lot, heading for the dojo. “Hey!”, Lance called after her with a laugh. “Wait for us!” “Catch me! Catch me!”, she shouted back over her shoulder, giggling, her bright green backpack bouncing up and down with every step. “Oh, just you wait, young lady!”, Lance grinned as he took up the chase, barely hearing Shiro behind him, calling for his daughter: “Don’t go inside without us!” But Emily was far more occupied with outmaneuvering Lance, jumping around the low hedges confining the parking spots and shrieking whenever Lance got too close. “Too slow! You’re way too slow!”, she taunted and laughed but after a few minutes of trying to catch her Lance finally got a hold of the little gremlin. He hauled her up into his arms, blowing an obnoxiously loud raspberry against her shoulder which made her shriek with laughter, short legs kicking but arms flying around his neck to hold onto him. “Shoulders”, she demanded after a few seconds, already trying to climb higher and Lance boosted her up until she could swing comfortably onto his shoulders with him holding onto her legs tightly as to not let her slip off. “And now?”, he asked, spinning in circles a few times and spotting Shiro heading for them and the entrance to the building that Emily soon pointed at. “Onwards, trusty steed!”, she ordered and he couldn’t help but snort, wondering where she’d picked that up. He started galloping toward the wide double doors anyway. “Your word is my command, lovely princess”, he grinned but earned a weak kick against the chest for his troubles. “I’m a knight”, Emily declared instead and ducked down when they reached the entrance. Lance bent his knees as well, just in case, and waddled through the open doors. “My apologies, your braveness...” Emily just hummed, apparently pleased with his reaction, and straightened back up, head held high as they made their way to some sort of reception. There was a man standing behind a short counter, writing something down in a notebook. When he looked up to greet them Lance almost tripped. Because damn, the guy was hot. His dark shirt was clinging tightly to his body, leaving hardly anything to the imagination as it revealed strong arms and well-sculpted pecs, a tight stomach. His features were Asian, Japanese maybe, and finely cut, a nice fit with his lean form. But the most impressive thing were his eyes, an intense, stormy blue-grey that stared straight at Lance for a few moments before shifting up to Emily. When he smiled it was like his whole being was blossoming. “Hey, now that’s a brave knight if I’ve ever seen one”, he said and Lance could barely keep from whimpering at the smooth tenor of his voice. The man reached out to shake Emily’s hand. “I’m Keith, I’m one of the teachers here.” “Hello. My name is Emily Shirogane. It’s nice to meet you”, she replied and shook his hand, always polite and well-mannered when meeting strangers. No matter what a tiny beast she could be when it was bedtime. “Oh yes!”, Keith nodded. “I talked to your father on the phone. Is this him?” Stormy eyes flicked down to meet Lance’s again but before he could answer with anything but a breathless wheeze Emily giggled, her little body shaking on his shoulders. “No! This is my nanny!” Lance nodded and managed to mumble his name. Keith didn’t offer him a hand to shake. “I’m her father”, came Shiro’s voice from behind them and Lance didn’t know whether to be relieved or mortified because … there was no way Shiro didn’t hear that, right? “We spoke on the phone.” “Right, now I recognize your voice. Mr Shirogane”, Keith nodded and stepped around the counter. Damn his legs were long. “Just Shiro please”, Shiro smiled and extended a hand for Keith to shake. In a split second stormy eyes flicked up and down Shiro’s body and Lance felt himself bristle. Oh no, he didn’t. No matter how hot the guy was, it was on. Lance hadn’t spent the better part of a year trying to get closer to the utter heartthrob that was Takashi Shirogane only to have some random karate teacher butt in at the last second. “We’re here for the trial lesson”, he said, interrupting their little moment before it could grow into something entirely unnecessary. “Emily’s a friend of Laura, she told her she really liked coming here.” It took another second too long for Keith to end the handshake and look over at him. “Yes...”, he nodded. “Oh yes, I remember. Shiro told me on the phone. Laura’s a good kid, very … fierce.” “Oh, Emily is, too”, Shiro chuckled and Keith smiled at him. Lance wanted to slap his stupid, pretty face. Even if it would most likely get him the ass-kicking of his life. The dude was probably a black belt if he was teaching. “I believe that...” Keith turned to look back up at Emily. “You can join us for a lesson or two, see if you like it as much as Laura does.” “Yes”, Emily said and nodded strongly, judging by the movement of her body. Keith smiled at her before looking back at Shiro. “And I’ll see if she can follow the instructions, integrates well with the other kids, things like that...” “Wait, so you’re teaching her group?”, Lance blurted, earning a slight frown. “Yes”, the instructor nodded. “I give classes for children and teenagers. Is there a problem?” Lance held that intense gaze for a beat or two before forcing out an awkward laugh. “No!”, he shook his head. “No problem. No problem at all, I was just … I don’t know, forget it.” Keith frowned at him for a horrible moment before his expression softened and he looked back up at Emily. “If you want you can get changed over there.” He pointed into the hallway behind himself. “Then I can show you around until the others get here. That sound good?” “Yeah!”, Emily quickly agreed, then kicked Lance’s chest again. “Onwards, trusty steed!” Lance hesitated. “Come on, Em. You’re a big girl, you can get changed by yourself.” Besides, he’d rather not leave Shiro alone with painfully hot Keith. But Emily wiggled on his shoulders and leaned down to whisper into his ear, hands cupped around her mouth: “I don’t wanna go alone...” Shiro gave a carefree laugh that made Lance swoon inwardly. Of course he’d heard the little plea, Emily wasn’t too good at whispering yet. He cocked an expectant eyebrow at Lance which usually meant it was time to do his damn job. Lance reluctantly galloped down the hallway.

~ It turned out there was another boy in Keith’s class that Emily knew from preschool and as soon as Laura and him arrived the little girl made it very clear she didn’t need Lance’s assistance anymore. Instead she ran off with her friends as everyone got ready for the lesson. Him and Shiro weren’t allowed into the room but could watch Emily from a row of windows where a bunch of other adults were already gathered. Lance chatted with Laura’s mum for a bit, telling her how excited Emily was to try karate as well and scheduled a playdate for Saturday, when Laura’s dad would finish preparing the pool for the summer. The girls should have fun cooling down like that. Lance excused himself soon after and sidled up to Shiro on the wobbly bench offered for the parents. The kids had just finished warming up and moved on to fall exercises. While the others were going through the motions expertly already, Emily waited for Keith to show her the basics, how to initiate a controlled fall and how to roll and twist so she wouldn’t hurt herself. Her first tries still looked clumsy at best but Keith still smiled widely at her, nodding and correcting her posture and movement a bit as he kept watching her. “I like him”, Shiro said after a while, eyes following Keith around the room as he went from child to child, praising them and offering feedback. Lance felt his heart sink. “Who? Keith?” “Yes, he seems to be really good with the kids, don’t you think? I like how he talked to Emily first when we got here. Not a lot of adults do that.” As reluctant as Lance was to admit it, Shiro was right. Keith was good with kids, had an instinctive, warm ease when talking to them that mysteriously vanished when he addressed Lance. What a shame. The kids all seemed to adore him, though, striving for his attention and smiling bright when they earned his praise. “Yeah”, Lance nodded. “Yeah, he’s really good. I think Em likes him, too...” The kids had a break about halfway through the lesson and while most of them went to their bags to get a drink Emily skipped up to them, face flushed and sweaty but smile wide and eyes sparkling. “I really, really like it! Keith is amazing! He says I’m a natural and that I’ll be as good as Laura if I come back each week!”, she babbled, climbing into Shiro’s lap. Lance automatically reached for the little bottle of water in his bag and handed it to her with a stern look. She huffed but took a few gulps. “Please daddy, please can I come back? I really want to!” Shiro smiled and nodded quickly. “I can talk to Keith after the lesson and sign you up. But you’ll have to promise to keep coming here, we talked about this...” “Yeah yeah, I promise”, Emily shrugged quickly, then perked up again. “Oh, can you make me spaghetti for dinner? I’m hungry!” “You’re hungry?”, Shiro asked, bouncing his daughter on his knees. “Well, if you want I can make you spaghetti right now!” She frowned, her little face scrunching up as Shiro touched a finger against her nose: “Boop, you’re spaghetti!” Both Lance and Emily groaned, rolling their eyes in unison while Shiro grinned, undeservingly proud of himself. “You’re so lame!”, she cried out and hopped from his lap in protest, crossing her arms. But she was also smart and quick to think, knowing she wouldn’t get her favourite food if she kept pouting, so she corrected herself: “Can you please cook spaghetti for dinner tonight?” Shiro agreed the same moment Keith called for his students to continue.

~ After the lesson they waited for Keith to say goodbye to the other parents before approaching him. “Yes, of course!”, he smiled after Shiro asked him to sign up his daughter. “Emily did great for her first time, her motor skills are already very well developed, I think she’ll benefit from a challenge. I’ll give you...” Keith held up a finger, signalling for them to hold on as he ducked back behind the counter. After a moment he re-emerged with a few papers in his hands. “These forms. You can fill them out at home and just bring them to the next lesson.” “Thank you, Keith”, Shiro smiled and Lance felt that ugly jealousy squirm in his stomach again. “Emily really liked it. Didn’t you, sunshine?” “Yes!”, she nodded quickly. “Thank you, Keith!” “Thank you for doing so well, it was my pleasure, Emily.” She giggled and Lance wanted to groan. Did the whole family have to fall in love with his pretty smile and gorgeous eyes and that lean, perfect, powerful body and… Focus. “Great, see you next week, then”, Shiro smiled softly and Keith nodded. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it...” There was definite purr to the words and Lance would have tackled the guy to the ground if the sound didn’t also do things to him… Instead he sighed inwardly, a long-suffering expression of helplessness as they left the building, Emily chattering on and on about the lesson and how great Keith was, Shiro still smiling. This would be a bitch.   [This fanfic was a commission! Check out how to commission me or consider buying me a Coffee if you liked this story!]