Yeah, sorry I didn't get this up earlier. I have no excuses, really, just laziness, the fact that while the soccer game may only be 75 minutes, the driving time is also 75 minutes, and my laptop was dead. Again.

When I saw the word 'lesson' in the prompt list, I immediately thought of Anti-Cosmo tutoring Anti-Wanda. I mean, I know it was probably meant as a prompt to get me to write a 'life lesson' one-shot, but y'know, it's open to interpretation

This is an AU, in case you couldn't tell.

Thanks to BJXCBFOREVER, Cupcake-Ninja-Platypus, CherryCreamSauce, and an unnamed guest for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Consider this story disclaimed. Again.

3. Lesson (Prompt 082)

"Anti-Cosmo, if you participate in this program, it will give you that extra credit you need. In other words, you don't really have a choice."

"But Madam Gilroy-"

"I'm sorry, Ace. I asked Madam Arian for other options, but there were none."

"I understand. I suppose this is what I get for wanting to secure a top position right out of Final Year."

"I'm glad you understand. Good luck, Acie."

"Thanks; I have a feeling I'll need it."

He sighed as he entered the study hall, annoyed that he hadn't seen this coming sooner. Of course he would have to make some sacrifices if he wanted to get anywhere near the Head Office.

"Anti-Cosmo!" Anti-Luther called from a table halfway across the room. "Right on time, as usual." He said as the aspiring leader drew nearer.

The boy merely nodded. "I may be forced to come here virtually against my will, but punctuality is always important." He glanced around for a second, surveying the room. "Anyway, Madam Gilroy said you have a tutoring program I could participate in for extra credit."

The organiser shuffled through the miscellaneous papers on his desk. "Yeah, I've got the assignment right here." He pulled out a few pages, and stapled them together. "Here. You're supposed to tutor a girl named Anti-Wanda. She's a Final Year like us, but you'll have your hands full I'm sure."

Anti-Cosmo frowned. He recognised the name; he'd heard it before, but he couldn't find the face to match the name, and the papers were pictureless. "Which subject?" He asked, flipping one of the pages Anti-Luther gave him and finding nothing.

"All of them." He said, grimacing. "You poor guy."

Anti-Cosmo closed his eyes. Lord save me . . . "I suppose I have my work cut out for me then."

His buddy placed a hand on his shoulder. "For the sake of your sanity, I suggest you take the extra year of schooling. Even if you do take it, you'll still be the youngest Anti to get into the Head Office."

A shake of the head is the reply he received. "There is no way I'm spending another year of my life here."

"Then good luck, my friend." Anti-Luther patted his shoulder once, and then removed his hand.

"I just hope this is all worth it."

Anti-Wanda felt more than a little faint when she saw her new tutor walk into the room, sporting his usual blue blazer and black pants. The hat that always seemed to be falling off his head sat carefully atop his dark navy hair, and his monocle was polished so there wasn't a single speck of dust within ten feet of it.

He didn't look cute, no, not at all. He didn't look drool-worthy even without huge, rippling muscles. Nope. Not one bit. She definitely wasn't wondering if he was single before telling herself that even if he was single he was completely out of her league. She only sat there and pretended that she wasn't completely and utterly intimidated by him.

"Hello, Anti-Wanda is it?" Oh, and for the record, she totally didn't love the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Y-Yeah. Hiya," she blinked once, smiling weakly up at him.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Anti-Cosmo cleared his throat. "So, where would you like to start?" She shrugged, communicating that it really didn't matter, so he sighed. "How about maths?" Another shrug.

"Okay," he said. "Let's start with an easy one. If x = (y*z)/a, what does y equal?" He waited, mentally crossing his fingers. please say (x*a)/z, please say (x*a)/z . . .

Anti-Wanda frowned. Math was never her strongest subject. Then again, her strongest subject had been Gym, which she only got a D+ on. Oh well, might as well take a guess at it. "Uh, four?"

Her tutor almost buried his head in his hands. This was going to be a long month.

Surprisingly, he hadn't given up on her yet, like so many of the others had. He had looked like he wanted to bash his head against the wall a few times, but he hadn't left. Instead, he stayed and ran through the basics of what she would need to get through her Final Year somewhat patiently.

He had given her a crash course in all the subjects she had gotten less than 80% on, (which was all of them) and she ended up actually remembering some of the things he told her. If Anti-Cosmo had known her a little better, he probably would've started looking out the window for signs of an apocalypse

She wasn't looking at him dreamily when he asked if she was paying attention. No, she was merely wondering if he always looked that good- er, she was wondering if there was anything he didn't know.

"Wha? Oh ya, I's listenan!" She gave him a grin, and he actually quirked his lips upward in a small smile.

He picked up the large history textbook he'd let her study from, and tucked it under his arm. "I should probably get going; it's getting to be quite dark outside."

"Okay."

"Do you want to do this again tomorrow?" Well, there was something she didn't expect, though she supposed she should've.

She slung her bag over her shoulder. Are sandwiches my favourite snack? "Yeah!" She said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.

"Alright. Would five be a good time for you?" He asked, and she nodded. "Then I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," he gave her a small, casual smile, and walked away, shoes tapping softly as he left.

As he drove out of the school parking lot, he noticed a figure walking down the sidewalk beside it. Who — or what — would be walking out here at this hour? If it was the middle of the day, that would be different, but it was dark out and this . . . well, it wasn't exactly the best neighbourhood to be walking around alone in.

He squinted slightly, because though his monocle helped, it was no bionic eye. "Bloody Hell . . ." He sighed when he recognised the figure.

"Anti-Wanda!" He called without thinking, and she turned her head to look back at him. He pulled over beside her. "What are you doing?"

She wrinkled her brow in confusion. "I's walking home."

"At this time of night?"

"Yah . . ."

He sighed and opened the passenger door. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

"What?"

"You shouldn't be walking around at this time of night." You shouldn't have to walk home at all, he added silently. He sighed again as he realised she probably failed her drivers test, too.

Meanwhile, Anti-Wanda was wondering why in the world he was offering to drive her home. She had walked this path a thousand time over and no one had ever asked her if she needed a ride. Shrugging her confusion away, she clambered into the car.

"Where do you live?" He asked, manoeuvring the car back onto the road.

"The street with the houses on it."

Anti-Cosmo groaned softly in exasperation, but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. "No no, I mean your address, the name of the street you live on."

"Uh . . ."

"Nevermind."

It took a few minutes, but Anti-Cosmo, being a genius, was able to figure out a way to find her house (it mainly consisted of following the route Anti-Wanda walked home).

"So," Anti-Cosmo said as she started to leave. "Tomorrow at five?"

She grinned back. "Yep."

"I'll see you then, I suppose."

"Goodbye," they said at the same time.

Wow, that was probably the most cliché thing that's ever happened to me, Anti-Cosmo thought.

Anti-Wanda blushed. "See ya." Then before she could embarrass herself further, she turned and walked up the drive, bag bumping against her hip.

At the door, she was greeted by an overly-excited Anti-Blonda. "Hiya sissy! Was that your boyfriend?"

Anti-Wanda blushed again, and scooped the six-year-old up. "Naw, he's jus' a friend."

Anti-Blonda shook her little head. "But he's a boy, right? An' he's your friend, so he's your boy-friend!" She laughed a little, and then began to do what she did best: tease. "Anti-Wanda has a booooyyyfrieennnd!" Then she started to make highly disturbing kissy sounds, and Anti-Wanda laughed despite herself. "Didja kiss him? Didja? Hmm?"

The older of the two set her little sister down. "Tha's just silly. C'mon now, time fo' bed." She led the little girl by the hand into the bathroom, as the girl herself continued to ask questions like: "Are you two gonna get married? Can I be the flower girl?" and "Anti-Juandissimo's gonna be jeal-ous!"

Anti-Blonda may have been kidding, but after she had gone to bed, her sister went had to wonder if she was right.

D'aww, Anti-Blonda is so cute.

1547 words, not bad for me. Yep, I may or may not venture back to this universe some time soon.

Updates may or may not be slow, depending on if I can finish what I've started or if I'll get stuck writing new things and not finishing them again.

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