Allura looked around her classroom, taking in the sight of her new students. They were all so different (and moreover, adorable), yet she had a positive feeling about this. This was going to be as large as her class was going to get, per order from the superintendent, and the new teacher only hoped that she could do a good job this year. This was her first class, her first foray into the world of education – and if it went badly, she was certain it could be her last class.
But these children all looked rather innocent, in their own regards. Yes, Lance looked like he might have a mischievous streak to him, but he seemed relatively harmless. Allura was hopeful that Hunk would be harmless; he seemed quite content to just sit and play with his pet rock, after all – a child that enamored with an inanimate object could hardly be taken as a threat. And Katie was sitting there looking so cute and pretty, and she had seemed so close with that Takashi man; she would probably be the sweetest of them all.
There was also, the fact that Allura felt as if she only had three students to care for. Keith was still sitting in the corner, not saying a word, nor even daring to look at his other peers. This was both unsettling and relieving for Allura; she wasn't going to have to worry about Keith causing problems, and yet, she was also going to have to try to break him out of his shell without causing him too much emotional stress.
She did have her work cut out for her, but Allura felt prepared.
Or, she did, until a sharp knock on the door caught hers and the children's attention. Lance immediately started into repeating, "Who's there? Who is it?" enough to coerce Hunk into saying the same thing. Even Keith's eyes were trained on the door, curiosity obvious on his normally-passive face. Katie had stood up, walking over to join Hunk and Lance. She too was interested in who the mystery stranger could be.
Children and their mob mentality, Allura thought to herself, rubbing some chalk dust off her hands and on to her skirt before going to answer the door.
Dressed in a painstakingly-ironed periwinkle button-up and sharp black trousers, Coran invited himself in, taking in the sight of the preschool. "Your father didn't lie, Allura; you have decorated impeccably in here," he observed, looking back at her. "So, how's the first day going? Any rabble-rousers yet?"
Allura couldn't even hide her annoyance as she answered, "Our day hadn't even started before you barged in, Coran. But, so far so good." She made sure to keep her eyes on her students, even as she answered. Perhaps this was a trick of Coran's – to see if he could distract her from caring for her responsibilities. It seemed like something the man might do.
Running a hand over his chin, fingers twitching at his ginger mustache, Coran laughed nervously. "Yes, well, I arrived just because the superintendent wanted to see how his little princess was doing." Coran had obviously gained enough confidence to use Allura's father's nickname for her against her. She frowned deeply, trying to choose her words rather than make a scene.
"He's right next door, he could've checked himself."
Coran gave Allura an almost-disappointed look. "Now, you know your father has plenty of work to do without checking on how his daughter's first day of going. So…here I am to give him a status report! And let's see here…" He checked around the room for a bit longer, even stopped to examine Hunk and his lunchbox. The older man knocked on the walls, as if to check for stability, and he returned to Allura, his face unreadable yet his eyes glimmering with an unspoken playfulness he had had since she was old enough to remember. In a second, however, his expression softened. "You're off to a wonderful start, Allura," he told her earnestly, "I can't wait until your father gets to see this room. Now! Let's see who we've all got here-"
Coran kneeled down, and as if on command, Lance scurried over to inspect the newcomer. Allura made a mental note to keep a watch on that one; he would most certainly be a runner.
"Are you a stranger?" the little boy asked, a bit forward, but at least there was a hint of caution in his voice.
Chuckling, Coran smiled. He had a gentle nature to him, if not a bit zany at times. But he had always been a fixture of Allura's mind, and she would be lying if she tried to insist she wasn't thankful for his presence, especially now. "I'm Coran, and I work right next door. I came over to see how everyone's day is going."
A knowing sort of nod, and Lance motioned for Hunk to join him. Now the two boys watched Allura's former (and probably current) babysitter, Lance amused and Hunk trying to match his new friend's attitude. "'m Hunk!" he greeted, and stuck out his tiny hand for the older man to shake.
Coran had always appreciated children with manners, and he gratefully accepted the hand to give it a firm shake. "This one's a gentleman, aren't you? And what have we here, another one in the corner? Oh, and a lovely lady right here! Allura, what a room you've got," he exclaimed, and Allura tried to hide her smile at his enthusiasm. The children were feeding off his excitement, and that much was obvious. And to her own disappointment, she realized that there were still plenty of things she could stand to learn from Coran.
After being addressed, Katie glanced down, playing with her dress, now a bit bashful. She certainly wasn't as bright-eyed as when Takashi had been sitting beside her, and Allura frowned. Such a little girl, losing so much at such a young age – Allura could relate.
It seemed as if Coran was using his telepathic abilities today, because he glanced over at the young teacher without missing a beat. There was a mix of concern and confusion written on his expression, but Allura shook him off. "So, then, this is Katie," she said, and then gesturing to the end of the room, "and that's Keith. Keith – did you want to come over here and play?"
The little boy shook his head vehemently, and both adults quietly huffed. He was antisocial, if anyone ever was. Turning to face Coran, Allura asked, "Any advice?"
"Well, you can't force him to spend time with the others if he doesn't want to. You just have to be encouraging, let him know that he's appreciated and wanted. Trust me, and at least try to figure out some of his interests, and you might be able to start a conversation with that," he suggested, and Allura nodded as he talked. Coran usually did know how to talk to children, even the difficult ones. It was what made him an asset to the school district, and probably what encouraged her father to employ him as the guidance counselor for the elementary school across the yard. The older man looked over to the chalkboard, noting the names written down. "What have you learned today, Allura?"
"I learned their names, and their favorite colors, and – and something they like to do!" she nearly screeched, reaching over to give Coran a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Coran, I really appreciate it."
"Sometimes I think you forget it's my job to know these things," he quipped, pushing down on his knees to lift himself off the ground. Allura nearly threw out an arm to help him, but he wasn't that old yet; and Coran definitely would've been more irritated than thankful for her assistance. "I think I've got a pretty clear idea of where you're going so far, and I'll be sure to tell your father as much." He started for the door, then stopped, turning back around and looking the young woman in the eyes. "You're going to do fine, dear," he assured her, his mouth in a small smile. And in a few seconds, he broke the tender moment with a loud, "Then I'm off! I'll be sure to return, children!"
Occasionally, Coran seemed to alternate between a wise yet eccentric mentor, and simply a kooky elf. But Allura did appreciate his faith in her. She took in a long breath, more determined now. "So, that was Coran. You'll probably be seeing a good deal of him this year. But enough of that – we all remember learning each other's names, right?" She waited to see them all (sans Keith – he simply looked up) nod their heads before continuing. "And we're going to learn lots of things this year. Does that sound fun?"
Lance was bouncing up and down excitedly, not so much so that Allura had to scold him, but enough that everyone in the class had their eyes on him. "I wanna learn!" he exclaimed; and beside him, Hunk began to chant the same thing.
In a way, this was a great development; the children had a desire to further their education, to enrich their minds to an extent that they were willing to cause an uproar.
On the other hand, though, Allura did have a bit of a rebellion on her hands.
The noise was growing, especially when Katie joined into the chorus, her high-pitched voice bringing in a chaotic harmony to the boys' echo. Keith said nothing, but he was watching Allura with such a level of intensity that the teacher felt just a bit insecure.
She tried to clap her hands together, to grab their attention, but the attempt was lost on her class. The noise was growing, and Allura was so glad that the pre-school was separate from the elementary school, because her father would most certainly be disappointed in her lack of control.
Of course, Allura did have an ace up her sleeve, but she'd rather not resort to bribery on the very first day of school. And yet, with the way Hunk was beating on the table, and the way Lance and Katie were trying to outdo each other's volume, the young woman decided she had no other choice. With a long, resigned sigh, she ventured over to her desk, pulling out her hefty bag of supplies. Keith was the only one who was still watching her, his dark blue eyes filled with a certain curiosity that almost made Allura laugh.
But in a moment that surprised even his teacher, Keith got up, making his way closer to Allura's desk. He kept a safe distance, but made sure not to lose eye contact. His given attention did not go unnoticed; and in a matter of seconds, Katie had joined the quiet child. She adjusted her glasses, and Allura glanced up, now noticing that the little girl's frames seemed entirely too large for her face (in an endearing way, of course).
Allura dropped the bag onto her desk with a dull thump, noting the way the two children jumped at the motion. There weren't too many heavy things in the tote, and plenty of soft things to cushion the sounds; but the canister of peanuts she kept at the bottom for the sole purpose of her after-school snack certainly made enough of a noise to encourage Lance and Hunk to join their classmates in watching Allura. She glanced up, mischief playing on her expression, and smiled.
If nothing else, they were all quiet now.
Allura sighed heavily, playing into her dramatic nature, and sat down at her desk. She nearly kicked her feet up for effect but opted against it; after all, she was supposed to set a positive example for her darling students. "You know," she began, scanning the room, "learning is so important, but you know what else is? Being good, that's what. When we're good, we have playtime. But – oh, gosh – how can we have playtime if we don't have anything to play with?"
"I have Shay!" Hunk interjected.
"You do, yes. But I'm entirely certain that none of you have what I do in my bag. For this year, I brought along a few toys for you all to play with when we're good. Did you want to see them?" she asked. As per usual, Lance was so ready for the reveal, practically vibrating with excitement. Hunk had placed Shay gently on the table beside him, focused on Allura and the mystery she was hiding. Trying not to seem too engrossed, Keith side-eyed his teacher (though he couldn't quite hide how his hands fidgeted in anticipation). And Katie watched Allura, her glasses sliding down her nose as she dipped her head.
Though she couldn't help but giggle at all of the children's facial expressions, Allura did have a certain fear that they wouldn't even enjoy the surprise. If that were the case, she'd feel both rejected and just disappointed in herself.
"Well, what I have here-" she began, pulling out a plush toy from her bag. With an impressive puff of a lavender mane, a dark purple stuffed lion was presented to the class. "-is a bag of my favorite animal."
"Lion," Keith said suddenly, and his classmates all gave him an inquisitive look. Even Allura had to pause for a moment, before nodding.
He did say he liked zoos. Made sense.
"Perfectly right, Keith!" Allura congratulated, placing the toy on top of her desk, in front of her bag. "But this isn't the only one I have. I have them in plenty of colors, and you know something? All of you can have one, as long as we're all good. Does that seem fair?"
"What other ones do you have?" Keith asked, now perfectly verbal when the topic pertained something that interested him. A little bitterly, Allura thought that Coran had been entirely correct about helping Keith open up. Apparently, animals were his favorite things to talk about. The teacher made a distinctive point to herself that she would make sure to somehow incorporate animals into her…galaxy-themed classroom.
Putting a finger to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought, Allura hmmmed. "Well, let's take a look. I have…" she began, pulling another lion, a pleasant lemon-colored one, out and placing it beside the purple one. Without being prompted, she dug into her tote bag and extracted a cherry red lion, petting it on its head before letting it join the line-up. In a few more moments (a few very tense moments, for the students), an emerald lion with a hunter green mane was held up. At this point, Katie's actually dropped open, and it occurred to Allura that her method of underage bribery might actually work.
Well, not so much bribery as rewards.
A "twilight blue" (she had read the name on a paint sample once, and this stuffed animal was the perfect shade to match the celestial name) lion sporting a navy collar of fur completed the row of animals, and Allura placed her hands on her hips, proud of herself.
"Well, then, aren't these all wonderful gifts for you? But remember, you have to be very good to get them; and when you do, you can play with them whenever we have playtime. Even better, you get to take them home! They're yours to keep. Forever." She had considered placing the threat of taking them away if one of the students misbehaved, but Allura felt that punishment a bit too traumatic. "But if you're bad, you can't play with your lion at playtime for one whole day."
The children dutifully nodded, gathering around her desk. Allura had to whisk them away, promising to keep an excellent eye on both her students and the lions. She promised that, as soon as the school day was over, she would distribute the toys. But not a moment sooner.
And, by the way each child easily sat at the tiny tables, all neatly seated, the young teacher had a hopeful thought that her schoolyear was going to continue nicely.
Takashi's first day back to class went exactly as he assumed it would – not too well. Not only did he arrive just a few minutes past rollcall, but he also received a good deal of stares from his peers. Of course, he knew how jarring it must be to see a college-aged student missing a full arm. On top of that, Takashi found it increasingly difficult to focus on note-taking when he was so concerned with how Katie's first day of preschool was going.
He even considered calling Miss Allura's class between his biology lab and his literature lecture, but he willed himself to not. After all, Katie was only going to be held up in class until a bit after noon, but he simply couldn't help but be worried.
A terrible, almost-selfish part of him just wanted Katie to be able to stay in his apartment all day, where he wouldn't have to leave, either. Neither would have to attend class, only sit and watch television and occasionally get off the couch to eat. It wouldn't be the worst idea, certainly, but it also wouldn't have helped Katie thrive any. Preschool was definitely the best decision for her, as it was what her parents had already chosen, but it was also hard for Takashi to completely abide by their setup. After all, the Holts didn't have college classes to worry about; and they were also a married couple.
Neither parent was a barely-adult college student with a hole for an apartment. Takashi was, though.
Oh, but he was trying. Trying to be the very best…whatever he could be for Katie. He wanted to make her smile easily again, to help ease her back into a state of normalcy. Of course, he knew that her life would never go back to how it used to be – she had lost her parents, and her beloved older brother, and that wasn't going to change.
But Takashi was still trying to get Katie to a new sort of normal.
After his British literature session, one that left Takashi cursing Charles Dickens and his so-called classic Great Expectations, he hurried to the bus stop. His backpack was slung over his shoulder, and he swiped his student I.D. at the front of the bus, not even waiting for the affirmative beep from the change machine before sitting down. Takashi had already calculated how many stops it was until his stop for the preschool, and he waited as patiently as possible, even though he bounced his leg up and down incessantly while he bided his time.
As the bus hissed to a stop, Takashi practically jumped out of his seat, thanking the driver before quickly exiting the vehicle. He now wished he had a car; but as a simple college student, he had formerly had no need of such luxuries. And even if he had possessed a car before the accident, his lack of a right arm certainly added a hindrance to driving.
Needless to say, the bus was fine for now. Katie actually enjoyed riding it; she definitely liked getting to insert her bus pass into the change machine every time she hopped on the large vehicle.
Takashi wasn't embarrassingly early, but he was the first parent-slash-legal-guardian to arrive to the preschool. A part of him figured that entering the room would be rude and intrusive, especially since it was Allura's first day. But the more reasonable half of his mind argued that a young man simply loitering around a preschool would read as creepy.
Therefore, he didn't like it, but Takashi knocked on the door, sticking his hand in his pocket immediately afterward, pretending to be nonchalant. He wasn't, of course, because he already felt a steady warmth rise to his cheeks. He was nervous, that much was certain.
In a short while, the door opened, and Allura took a second to recognize Takashi's face. Her expression lit up, and she smiled, leaning a bit against the doorframe.
The thought occurred to Takashi that her eyes were far too bright of a crystal blue, and they were practically criminal. But he swiftly dismissed the notion, mentally reminding himself that he hadn't had an actual romantic relationship since he was a sophomore in high school; and it was simply the idea of an admittedly attractive woman standing in such a close proximity to him that brought the original thought along. Right?
Something to that effect.
"You're early," Allura observed, but she opened the door farther open. "Come in, have a seat – we were just reviewing our days of the week, and I should hope that you can help us." She teased, ushering him inside.
Katie hadn't even noticed that he had walked in at first. She and Hunk were at the chalkboard, trying to decipher the order of the days. Takashi noticed that the names were written on laminated sheets of paper held against the board with magnets. The pair of children had already established that Sunday came first, and Saturday ended the line, but they seemed to be stuck. Takashi seated himself in the back of the room, watching the class interact with each other.
Without missing a beat, Allura made her way back to the front of the room, obviously impressed with the progress Hunk and Katie were already displaying. "Alright, we've got the weekend figured out, so we just need the schooldays in order, right?"
Takashi felt himself sinking down into his chair, relaxing a bit, a smile forming in response to the way the children were interacting with their teacher. Katie and Hunk both watched Allura with wide eyes, nodding emphatically.
"Well, we're going to think of an easy way to remember how they go along-" she started, grabbing her cell phone and pressing the screen a few times. "-And I have a song to remind you all." She tapped the screen again, and an upbeat whistle of a song began. With an excited start, Takashi remembered the tune in a matter of seconds. He had seen Happy Days when he was younger, as it had been one of his grandmother's favorite sitcoms, and he was just a little more than pleased to hear Allura utilizing the song to teach the children.
She was only playing a segment of the song, a part a bit later into the opening theme, and the students shushed themselves to listen.
"~Sunday, Monday, Happy Days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days, Thursday, Friday, Happy Days – Saturday, what a day! Groovin' all week with you!~"
With a quick tap of screen, the song stopped, and Takashi couldn't help but laugh. The children seemed to enjoy the tune, evidenced by Lance begging the teacher to play it again. Allura inclined, just once more, then turned to Katie and Hunk.
"So, then, we'll start off easy. First comes Sunday, and after that is Monday." She rearranged the two papers on the board, stepping back to admire her work. "Let's remember that today, okay?" Allura suggested, turning back to face her students.
Hunk seemed fairly pleased with himself. "We got Sunday!" he announced, beaming. He looked over at Katie, who had just noticed Takashi's presence in the room. The little girl mouthed Shiro, but stayed rooted at the front of the room. He did admire her behavior – under any normal circumstance, she would've sprinted over to where he was. This time, however, Katie refused to move.
Something was definitely up.
"You certainly did, you two!" Allura agreed, eyes roaming to the back of the room to check the clock. She made a noise of surprise, then clapped her hands together. "It looks like we're right at the end of our day," she observed, a hint of a mischievous smile on her face. "So…were we all good today? Shiro-" And he started at the nickname, "-what do you think? Were we good?"
He looked at her, then at the pleading eyes of the children, and he grinned. It felt good to smile, an easy smile, especially after such a stressful day at school. "Well, I haven't been here that long, but I think everyone here was great!"
Hunk let out a relieved sigh, leaning against the chalkboard, visibly relaxing. Katie's face lit up, and Takashi opted not to fumble for his phone like an idiot just for the sake of having photo evidence that Katie definitely could smile, even when she was under his watch. Or rather, Allura's. But he was there to witness it.
Retreating to her desk, Allura pulled out…a bunch of stuffed lions? They were all in different colors – red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. Takashi was certainly confused, but the students were practically vibrating with excitement. They must have known something he didn't. Scanning the expanse of children, the teacher picked up a blue lion.
"I don't know if you all knew this, but all these lions have different personalities," Allura explained. "And you see, the blue lion is very…cool. But it's also very energetic, and it's good at making friends. Lance, you can have the blue lion," she offered, holding the prize out to him. Lance ran to the front of the group, gingerly taking the toy from his teacher. He was grinning, showing the stuffed animal to Hunk.
Next, Allura chose the green lion. "And our green lion here is very smart and curious. It also has a playful streak, I'm sure. Katie, this one's for you."
Takashi did take a photo of Katie accepting the stuffed animal. She held it close to her chest, petting its head. He glanced back up, then decided to take a picture of Hunk and Lance observing the blue lion; he considered pocketing his phone again, but this sort of coronation ceremony just had to be documented, the young man felt.
"The red lion is very well-behaved and quiet. And it's very observant, which means it sees everything that happens, and it thinks about everything, too. I think the red lion has a lot to say, though," she explained, handing Keith the toy. Takashi dutifully snapped a photo without anyone's noticing.
"And the yellow lion is so sweet. It treats everyone with the same kindness, and it can always make everyone smile and laugh. Hunk, I think you should have the yellow lion." No one saw Takashi take Hunk's picture.
Allura gasped, because there was still the purple lion left on the table. The teacher tsked under her breath, picking it up. "Oh, the poor thing will be so lonely if we can't give it to anyone, won't it? But I couldn't possibly take it, so who should we give it to? Any suggestions?"
Raising her hand in the air with such a quickness that surprised Takashi, Katie waited patiently for Allura to call on her. Once Allura responded with a, "Katie," the little girl looked back at her guardian. "Shiro was good," she said in a small voice, adjusting her glasses as they slid down on her nose. Takashi shook his head, touched by how sweet Katie could be, but he certainly didn't want Allura to think that he needed to be included in this ceremony of sorts.
Without missing a beat, Allura made a noise of agreement. "You're absolutely right, Katie! Takashi has been very good here, and he even took pictures of you all with your lions! Now, let's see, what's the purple lion like? I think…the purple lion is a very good leader, who is wonderful with children, and it's probably gentle and wise. The purple lion is – well, it's sort of a combination of all the lions. Does that sound right?"
Katie spoke for her class as she took the lion from Allura's arms and handed it to Takashi. "Yeah."
His face felt a little warm, and Takashi was certain that he was turning red, but he gratefully accepted the gift, offering a silent thank you to Allura. She smiled widely, nodding in response. He might have even said something else, but there was a sharp knock on the door, and it alerted Takashi to the fact that the other parents had arrived to pick up their children. Making sure that Katie had her backpack, and had a strong grip on her green lion, he gave a quick farewell to Allura and to rest of the children, and led the way out the door, making sure to allow Lance's mother and her very swollen stomach to enter the room first. He and Katie passed by Hunk's parents, and Hunk's mother even offered a sweet greeting to the pair, almost as if she was acknowledging him as a "fellow parent." Stopping in his tracks, Takashi did the same, lamely lifting up his arm, the purple lion following in the motion.
For a moment, his self-worth won over his usual crippling amount of self-deprecation; and it felt right, to be honest. In fact, a small (and entirely hesitant) part of Takashi believed that he might actually be able to juggle college and Katie. He hoped so, anyway.
Takashi multi-tasked and held onto Katie's hand while still keeping his backpack slung over his shoulder. She didn't struggle, just hummed to herself while still cuddling her little green lion. The two waited at the bus stop for just a few minutes before the yellow vehicle arrived. Takashi let Katie board first, and he followed, letting his young ward choose where they sat.
As the two claimed their seats (toward the front of the bus, so that Katie could get a better look out the windows, Takashi found some time to think. Yes, preschool was definitely turning into a good decision for Katie, Takashi decided. And it might even be beneficial for him, too, considering the little girl wasn't the only person on the bus ride back that was gingerly holding a stuffed lion - the purple lion was cradled safely in the crook of Takashi's arm.
A.N.: All the positive feedback for this story was so encouraging, so I definitely wanted to add on to it! This fandom is completely taking over my life! Thanks so much, everyone!