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It was first thing on a Monday morning and Sunflower Class were supposed to be doing maths. But no one really wanted to do maths, least of all Mr Rogers. So instead they were doing art. Again. The only person complaining about it was Mr R and even he wasn't too grumpy. He enjoyed art but Ruby Grantaire also knew that Maths Was Important. A fact which seemed to have slipped Steve's mind when he was planning this week's lessons. So, Grantaire was now taking groups of disgruntled 10 year olds into the library and teaching them about fractions 4 at a time. This was not how he had been expecting to spend his Monday morning. He was overwhelmed already.
Things weren't going much smoother in Lavender class either. Neither Enjolras, nor Bucky wanted to teach the science lesson. They'd successfully put it off all of last week. But unfortunately for them that meant electric citcuits with buzzers first thing on a Monday morning. They would have used lightbulbs but there weren't enough to go round. So buzzers it was.
"Mx Barnes, my buzzer is broken." Good… its one less noise. They only just managed to stop themself saying that aloud as they turned to face the tearful 7 year old. They sighed dramatically which made the child laugh.
"Well then, Maya! What're we going to do about that? Shall we…" they pretend to think "pull silly faces at it until it works?" They stick their thumbs in their ears and wiggle their fingers until Maya laughs again.
"No! That won't work! We need a new one!" Bucky sighs dramatically again but it's clear they're happy.
"Then get a new one, silly billy!" They're laughing as they lift the box down for Maya to get a new buzzer. Crisis averted. Maya runs off back to her group and soon their circuit is working.
–
Thomas was being facetious and R was honestly Done With His Bullshit. Any other day Thomas's antics would have probably been funny. But not today. Today he was just being irritating. R took a deep breath, flicked his hair out of his eyes and tried again.
"Thomas, if Daisy has ⅞ of a cake and Alan has ⅘ of a cake how much do they have all together?" Thomas just shook his head. He was shaking with laughter and R was fed up. He felt about 2 seconds away from bursting into tears right there infront of the children.
"Shall we work it out together? What do you do first?" The worst part was that R knew Thomas knew the answer. He'd written it down on his whiteboard before he was asked. Then he'd simply rubbed it off and laughed saying.
"I don't know Ruby. You're the teacher, you tell us!"
It was another 5 minutes of Thomas being deliberately difficult when Mr Enjolras walked past. Even the children were starting to get annoyed with him. They wanted to learn. They loved their intervention time with Mr R, and Thomas was spoiling it.
"Is everything alright?" Mr Enjolras was doing his 'I'm asking so I can help rather than being polite because I know you're struggling' voice but unlike most teachers it didn't make Ruby feel inferior and like he couldn't do his job. It just made him feel comforted, Enjolras had come to rescue him.
"No… er… I mean… yes," Thomas cackled with glee as he spoke. Ruby just sighed internally and did his best 'I want you to know I'm talking about you infront of you because I'm disappointed' voice, the one that always made him want to vomit with cringe and punch anyone who did it in the face.
"I'm afraid not Mr Enjolras. Thomas is refusing to engage."
That was when Sam piped up "yeah… he won't listen to Mr R and its making it hard for us to learn," R put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sam tended to get quite upset about Tommy's antics. He loved and needed the intervention time so when Tommy tried to ruin it he was always the first to get upset and try to help R fix it.
"Thank you for helping explain, but that's my job. Okay?" Sam smiled and nodded. Enj also nodded at Sam, smiling.
"Tommy, come with me, you've spoilt your chance to work with Mr R now. So you're going to be working in my room in silence for the rest of the day." Enj took Tommy by the hand and marched him to Lavender class. Tommy went with Enj but as he left he turned to look at R and Sam, cackling delightedly as he stuck his tongue out.
–
The four boyfriends were cuddled up together on their sofa with Friends playing in the background. It had been Steve's turn to pick.
"Loves… I think I want to change my name. 'S that ok?" R was quiet when he asked.
"Of course it is, sweetheart. What to?" Bucky was the first to react. They smiled and kissed his cheek as they asked.
"I don't know yet. I just… I've been thinking about it,"
Enjolras gently leaned over Steve and squeezed R's hands. "We love you, always. We will support you with this however you need,"
"Thank you, apollo. Love you," R said quietly, squeezing his hand back before Steve pulled him into a gentle kiss.
"Love you, with any name. You don't need our permission but if you want it then you have it. If it will make you more comfortable," Steve and R just smiled adoringly at each other after Steve's little speech and Bucky and Enj kissed him one on each cheek because they love him and his words and how they're so extra but also just right.
"You could always ask the kids to help you pick… if you're still struggling?" It was Enjolras' suggestion but they all nodded.
"Yeah… I… yeah, I will."
After that all four boyfriends wound even closer to each other, cuddling happily in their home. Together.
–
Steve smiled at Sunflower class. "Good morning! Today before we get started Mr R has a special task for you all." R smiles excitedly as he steps infront of the class.
"Right, yes, so as you all know I'm transgender."
Abbie raises her hand. "Yes Abbie?"
"Like… like Mx Barnes?" She asks. R nods.
"Sort of. Its a bit different for me to how it is for them but… that's a conversation for another day when Mx Barnes and I are together and can both contribute to the answers. Do you understand? You're free to ask questions and I know Mx Barnes feels the same. Its just easier to explain what's the same and what's different if we're both here. I can see if Mx Barnes is free at break time and we can have a conversation about it if you'd like?" Mr R is calm and happy throughout his explaination, making sure Abbie understands that although now isn't the best time she hasn't done anything wrong by asking. Abbie nods.
"If that's ok… yes please. I… I want to know," she smiles.
"Brilliant! Now… until now I haven't changed my name from my old one. But… now I want to. I want a 'boy name' and I know names don't have genders," he points to the poster on the classroom wall about gender neutral language and things, "but… I still want a name that people think is a 'boy name'. The only problem is that I can't pick. So… I thought I'd let you lovely lot pick for me. That ok?" Steve is grinning from his desk as the children excitedly start calling out suggestions. He loves how accepting they all are! After a few seconds of excitement he raises his hand and starts signing "5 4 3 2 1 quiet now year 6," R smiles gratefully at him.
"Its lovely that you're all excited to help Mr R pick his new name but we do have some ground rules. Number 1 is it must begin with R. Number 2 is it must be socially seen as masculine. And number 3 is you're allowed names of fictional or famous people so long as they're not too obvious." Steve smiled as he told them the rules. R nodded as he handed everyone a piece of paper for them to write their idea down.
Once all the names had been written down Steve collected them up and shuffled them before handing the pile to R for him to decide. This took about half an hour. Once he'd decided he held up his hand and signed "5 4 3 2 1 all eyes on me please year 6." Once he had everyone's attention he grinned. "Drum roll please!" The class all did a drumroll with their pens. "My new name is… ROSS! Thank you all for helping! I loved all your suggestions and as well as being the most popular suggestion Ross felt the most me," he said. The class all erupted in cheers and applause. This was shaping up to be a great day. R couldn't wait to tell Enj and Bucky when they all got home!
–
Poppy wandered into the classroom to get her lunch box. Normally Mr Enjolras was in the classroom getting everything ready for the afternoon. But today it was Mx Barnes. Poppy smiled, she liked Mx Barnes. They were like her, their arm was a prosthetic too. "Mx Barnes why are there staples on our French display and where is Mr Enjolras?". Bucky turned round, grinning.
"He's had to go and get some resources for this afternoon. Is it something I can help with?" They don't tell Poppy that the staples were from Enj's tie. They stapled it there earlier as a hostage to make sure Enj taught the fucking science lessons.
"I'm ok. I just forgot my lunch box," Poppy was laughing as she spoke.
"Oh Poppy! Silly banana!" Bucky sighed dramatically, clearly amused by the forgetful child. She did, after all, forget something atleast once a day. "Go on then, quick before all the nice seats are gone and you have to sit by the bin!" They both pull exaggerated "yuck" faces at the mention of the bin seats.
"Gross! Mx Barnes, no one likes sitting by the bin!" Poppy was laughing. She really did like Mx Barnes.
Bucky nods seriously.
"Exactly! Walk though Poppy." They call after her as the small child rushes out of the room towards the hall.