A/N: *Rihanna Voice* I want them dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks dorks (but Riordan's got his name on 'em).

Cold air pushed its way angrily through the crack between the wall and the faulty window. The loud whirring screech of it was already testing his patience, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take a whole day next to the thing.

Too cold to have class outside... He was, in all honesty, sick of this school and all its aches and pains. Sure, he was glad to have a job, but everyone has their limits. His classroom didn't have curtains, he wasn't even sure there was heating. Not that Nico minded the cold.

What he did mind, however, was the high pitched squeal of the first bell as it cut through the air. His students piled in and the room was getting louder and louder by the minute. All at once he found himself wishing he could just jump out the demon window and be done with it. The bell cried once more and Nico found the strength somehow to drag himself out of his chair.

"Ciao, studenti, e bentornati. Spero che hai avuto una be-"

"Mr. di Angelo?"

"Si?"

"Can you maybe not talk in Italian?" Nico sighed.

"This is Italian class, Conor."

"Yeah, but... We just got back from Holiday. Don't you think we should, you know, ease back into things?" Nico paused for a moment, staring the boy down as if to say "have you forgotten who teaches this class?". He was well aware of his reputation as a hardass. In fact, he'd worked hard for it.

"No, Mr. Stoll, I don't think we should 'ease back into things'. You've just had 2 weeks to 'ease'." Some students in the back of the room groaned, and once they had settled, he began again.

"Now then. Si prega di prendere i tuoi libri."

aeiouaeiouaeiouaeiouaeiouaeiou

Leo tapped on his desk impatiently as his students shuffled through the door. He was glad for the noise they brought, it had been far too quiet before. Quiet wasn't really his thing.

"Alright alright! Let's get this show on the road. I hope everybody had a nice holiday, and yes, Travis, we'll have time for stories, so" he picked a pencil up off the desk next to him, flicking it somewhat near the boy's hand "put your hand down. First, though, since I am a teacher and this is a school we might have to have some kind of a lesson. Devastating, I know."

Leo flipped around in his textbook for a minute, before finally settling on a page somewhere near the middle.

"Page 245! Go! Drew you can start reading, and Travis, you can give me back my pencil." Travis threw the pencil up to the front of the room, and Leo sort of- mostly- caught it.

"Thank you. Now then, miss Tanaka. The floor is yours."

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Nico hated lunch in the staff loungue. Not necessarily because he disliked his co-workers, (though the boys swim coach did get on his nerves), but because he didn't like people watching him eating. Or doing anything, really.

So he stayed in his classroom, ate his lunch, and planned his lessons.

And he definitely didn't read comic books. Not ever. Because what kind of responsible, mature adult read comic books? Not him, that's who.

A loud bang sounded down the hall, and Nico calmly stood and walked to find out what had happened, because nearly falling out of his chair and running terrified would have been incredibly unprofessional.

What he found was Mr. Valdez, the sbop teacher, on the ground surrounded by tools, gripping his toe and cursing.

"Um... are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah. I, uh, hit my toe. With a hammer."

"I see..."

"I'm Leo Valdez. I teach shop."

"Nico di Angelo. Italian." For some reason, Leo looked like he was trying not to laugh. "What?"

"It's just... I've heard some stories about you, and... You didn't really seem like the Batman type."

Nico flushed and hurriedly hid the comic book he totally didn't have from sight. "I, um... I'm not. The Batman type."

"Oh, really? Then... If you weren't reading a Batman comic, what were you doing holding one with your finger in the middle like you were saving your spot?" Nico just stood there, trying to think of something and coming up short. Leo let out a soft giggle. "Chill, man. Batman kicks ass. Seriously." Nico eyed Leo, who was still on the floor, suspiciously, before dropping his face defeatedly.

"So... What issue is that, anyway?"

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Scary Mr. di Angelo, as it turned out, was the least scary person Leo could think of. He was probably different in lessons, but outside of class he was just plain dorky. The guy played Dungeons and Dragons for god's sake.

"Dude, you totally need to watch Game of Thrones. It's a literal necessity. In fact, it's so necessary that you're going to come over to my house and watch it tonight. No buts. Absolutely none. Here," he handed Nico his phone. "Put your number in. I'll text you the details later. I refuse to let this not happen. If you even try to leave this classroom without putting your number in my phone I will attach myself to your legs. I'm serious."

Nico laughed as he typed in his contact information. He usually didn't make friends at all, let alone this fast, but there was something about Leo that had just clicked with him instantly.

They were both sitting on top of Leo's desk by now, and Nico was laughing at something stupid Leo had said when the students started coming in. Nico muttered a quick "shit, I'm going to be late" to which Leo responded with a loud sort of chuckle. The bell rang, and he turned to the class.

"Okay, good afternoon! Hope you all had a good lunch. Yes Ethan?"

"Um... Did Mr. di Angelo just smile?"

A/N: Okay so... first chapter. Yeah. This is a pretty short one but I am known around the world for my infamously short first chapters, I actually tried to make this long and it shows. :/ Anyway. First chapter.