A/N: *sobs* how did I write 4000+ words about this scenario? NO ONE KNOWS
Scenario: team-teaching!AU
San Fransokyo Preparatory School is known for three things: its beautiful campus, its small class sizes, and its science program.
Thus every fall, Leiko Tanaka ("GoGo," to her friends and colleagues) makes the trip up the tidy white steps and through the shiny glass doors to her classroom, where her eighteen students for the coming year wait. Already, they have made themselves at home, voices tumbling over each other as they talk about their summers. In the corner, two boys have turned their desks around so they can play a game of finger soccer, flicking a tiny ball of paper between themselves, while the girl beside them has started organizing the contents of her pencil pouch.
GoGo drops her bag at her feet and powers on her computer. And then she sits and waits.
Sure enough, the bell rings, sending everyone scrambling back into his or her seat. As the dull roar simmers down, GoGo walks to the front of the class, where she crosses her arms and announces, "Welcome to high school."
The kids in the front row fidget. One girl folds and unfolds the hem of her skirt.
"The rules are simple: respect me and I'll respect you. We'll start with names."
The students all introduce themselves. Myla has pink braces and wears her hair in two long braids; Eric has a perpetually startled look to him; Jonah and Carl are going to have to be separated. Jordan has a lisp, Kim has an impressive collection of highlighters, and Minji rolls her eyes whenever Darryl speaks. Steve turns bright red whenever anyone of the opposite gender so much as looks at him and Areya dishes out a mean stink-eye; Waverly prefers everyone call him "Jones," Serafina is trying to hide the fantasy book she's reading in her lap, and Patrick would like his hat back from Franny, who at this point is either terrorizing him or flirting with him. Nikola and Geraldine have matching tennis shoes and have mastered the art of telepathy. Meanwhile, Pietro has perfect posture and watches GoGo attentively, ignoring the rubber band that Kyle keeps shooting at his back.
As far as personalities go, this isn't the rowdiest bunch she's had. And the question isn't whether she'll make it through the year, but whether they will.
"Welcome to Physics. You can call me Miss Tanaka. Now, before we start—"
GoGo is interrupted by a knock on her door.
"Come in," she says, already anticipating who it will be.
Tadashi Hamada's head pops through the door. "Permission to enter, ma'am?" he asks with an easy grin. A few giggles ring out from the hallway behind him, and GoGo resists the urge to roll her eyes—of course Tadashi has already befriended his batch of kids. They're probably all gathered outside in a neat line, like a group of ducklings following their mother.
"Knock yourself out," she answers.
Tadashi opens the door wider, directing his students toward the back of the room before he shuts the door and joins GoGo at the front.
"How's it feel to be back?" he asks, hands shoved in his pockets as he leans sideways to speak to her while keeping an eye on the class.
"Ask me fifty minutes from now for a more accurate assessment," says GoGo. "I'm guessing you're doing the honors?"
"It would be my pleasure," says Tadashi, before he raises his voice to address the back row: "Careful not to knock into the equipment, guys!" Once all the students seem settled, Tadashi launches into his speech. "All right, so, for those of you who don't know, I'm Mr. Hamada, the other physics teacher. The reason you all are together right now is because Miss Tanaka and I," here, Tadashi gestures between him and GoGo, "are a team. On a day-to-day basis, you'll be in separate physics classes, but we'll be doing labs as a large group. Which means that yes, you can have a lab partner from the other class. Also, if you ever need help, both Miss Tanaka and I can address any and all questions since we'll be giving the same assignments and covering the same material."
GoGo studies Tadashi's profile as he speaks. His face, as always, is lit up, and GoGo knows that by the end of the period at least a third of the girls will leave the room with giant crushes on him, due largely to a combination of Tadashi's relentlessly good cheer and the well-fitting short-sleeved dress shirts that he insists on wearing. They've been doing this together for three years now, and Tadashi always gets a flood of gifts around Christmastime. GoGo would be jealous if she weren't so amused.
A loud crash from the back of room jolts her from her thoughts. Jonah and Carl look up, wide-eyed, as the tower they were assembling from everyone's binders topples to the floor.
"Ah, and there's our first lesson," Tadashi says, catching GoGo's eye and winking. "Gravity."
o.O.o
A week into school, they have their first joint lab.
"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," GoGo begins, climbing onto a chair so her voice can better carry to the back of the room. She goes on to explain the procedure while Tadashi weaves between each group, handing out supplies. The two of them have different approaches; GoGo leaves the kids to their own devices, trusting them to have the courage to come to her for help, while Tadashi is always an arms-length away, making sure they understand every step. It's a system that's worked well so far.
Suddenly, someone screams. It's Emmaline, one of Tadashi's kids.
"What is it?" asks Tadashi, darting around the table to get to her.
"Sp-spider!" shrieks Emmaline, practically clawing at the people around her to get away. The other kids have caught sight of it and begin to clutch each other and gasp; Waverly clambers onto a desk.
"It's all right, everyone," soothes Tadashi, "it's just a—that is a really big spider." His face pales and he glances over his shoulder at GoGo, a pleading look in his eyes.
GoGo rolls her eyes. What a sissy. "I'll handle it," she says, moving down the aisle. Tadashi has already started herding kids out of the way. The rest of the group parts for her like the Red Sea until she's staring down her eight-legged foe.
And okay, the spider is pretty big; its body is about the size of an eraser, its legs adding about another inch to its length and width. GoGo crouches down, sizing up her opponent, the students gathered around her as if she's in the middle of a boxing ring.
"I'm going to need a container and some cardboard," she announces. Good old Pietro sets off to do her bidding, passing the materials to Tadashi, who in turn passes them to GoGo.
"Anything else?" Tadashi asks, swallowing nervously. His presence is warm beside her, his brown eyes trained on the spider.
"You can bail out now," GoGo teases. "The kids are just as scared as you are; no one's going to call you chicken."
Tadashi shoots her a relieved smile, patting her on the shoulder before he stands up and puts as much distance as he can between him and the spider, which has remained motionless.
"All right, big guy," GoGo mutters, readying her tools, "here we go."
She creeps toward it. The whole class seems to hold its breath, watching her approach. GoGo's never heard them be so quiet before.
The next few moments happen in a flash. Someone—"Darryl!"—sneezes, startling the spider into action. GoGo's arm comes down, lightning-fast ("Holy shit!" Kyle says in awe), trapping it. She sweeps the cardboard square under the container, lifting the spider into the air, its legs tapping against the plastic walls. Tadashi rushes to open the door, and all of them file out into the hallway and outside of the building. GoGo feels like she's leading some kind of procession.
She sets it free in the grass, watching its thin legs scuttle away with a shudder.
And then the clapping starts. Tadashi leads the applause as the students swarm around her, hailing her as their savior.
"All right, all right—that's enough, everyone," she says, holding up her hands, though she can't help the fond smile that creeps up her face. "Get back to class."
Tadashi hangs back in the doorway waiting for her as the children filter back indoors.
"I think you might have me beat as coolest teacher, now," he says as they walk down the hallway, the door swinging shut behind them.
GoGo tilts her head. "Threatened?"
Tadashi laughs. "No, I'm with the rest of them. You're my hero, GoGo."
GoGo snorts. "Someone needed to come to your rescue."
"Hey." Tadashi points a finger at her. "You promised you wouldn't call me a chicken."
"I promised the kids wouldn't."
"Knew it. There's always a catch with you."
"Let's just make sure they finish this lab," GoGo says, rolling her eyes and shoving him lightly in his side as they reenter the classroom.
She doesn't catch the sly look that Myla and Kim exchange.
o.O.o
"Guess what I heard," Honey Lemon sings as she waltzes through the doors of the teacher's break room, sidling up to the coffee machine.
"What?" mumbles GoGo around the muffin she's stuffed in her mouth.
"Our dear Wasabi is dating Ava, from the history department," Honey Lemon discloses, dumping a packet of cream into her coffee and stirring. She slides into the stool across from GoGo, tucking some of her blonde hair behind an ear and waits, expectantly, for GoGo's reaction.
"You're sure?"
"Positive as a proton!"
"We're talking about the same Wasabi here, right? The one who color codes his lesson plans and has to have all the desks in his classroom spaced perfectly apart?"
"The one and only," nods Honey Lemon. "It must drive him nuts, dating Ava! I mean, have you seen her file cabinets? They're practically exploding. Although," pauses Honey Lemon, tapping her lip, "his organization skills would be put to good use with her."
"Is that…allowed?"
Honey Lemon shoots GoGo a strange look. "Organizing other people's cabinets?"
"No, Honey! Dating a colleague."
Honey frowns. "The administration hasn't said anything about it, so I guess not, as long as they can keep things professional during school hours. Besides," she says brightly, "attraction is one of the four fundamental forces of nature."
"Sure, Honey," GoGo says dryly.
"Anyways, it's nice to see that there's some hope of us balancing work with love," sighs Honey Lemon. "Speaking of which…" she eyes GoGo hopefully.
"No."
"Aw, come on, GoGo!" complains Honey, pushing out her lower lip. "Nothing? Not even one measly little summer romance?"
"No."
"Well, how about one of my friends? I'm sure he'd be interested."
"No thank you, Honey," GoGo says firmly.
"But you're so eligible," Honey moans, slumping in her seat. Suddenly, she perks up, a new light in her eye. "Is it because you're holding out for someone?"
"What? No!"
"Ugh, fine," sniffs Honey Lemon. "I'll break you eventually."
"What are we threatening GoGo with?" Tadashi interjects smoothly, entering the break room.
"Nothing," Honey Lemon says quickly, picking up on GoGo's glare. She glances at her pink watch. "Oh, my chem class starts in ten minutes! See you all later!" She shoots GoGo a pointed look before hurrying out of the room.
Tadashi watches her go before exchanging a look with GoGo, one eyebrow raised in question.
"Did you know Wasabi and Ava are dating?" GoGo asks abruptly.
"Yeah, I heard about it," says Tadashi, leaning against the water machine. "Why?"
"No reason." GoGo shrugs. "Just seemed out of the blue, I guess."
"Nah, they'd been dancing around each other for a while," says Tadashi, stirring his tea. "One of them just needed to work up the courage to ask."
"Would you date someone from work?" GoGo asks, brushing the crumbs on the table together into a pile.
She hears a choking sound and looks up to find Tadashi pounding his chest with a fist, red-faced. "Sorry," he croaks, holding up his cup of tea in explanation. "Went down the wrong pipe." He rubs his mouth with the back of his hand, face still a faint pink from embarrassment. "Now, what were you saying?"
"I asked if you'd date someone from work," GoGo repeats, and she doesn't know why but suddenly her face feels warm, too.
"Oh. Well," says Tadashi, eyes dropping to the cup in his hands, "I mean, I wouldn't…it's not impossible."
"But it's impractical, right?" says GoGo, rushing to fill in the silence.
"Well, I mean…" Tadashi hesitates, studying her carefully. "Yeah, I guess."
"Okay," nods GoGo.
She got the answer she was pushing for, so why does she feel so disappointed?
o.O.o
"So if we plug in time into this equation, then we can calculate—"
"Excuse me, Miss Tanaka?"
"Yes, Myla?"
"Mr. Hamada's standing outside."
"What?" GoGo crosses the room to her door, opening it to find Tadashi. "Do you need something?"
"Sorry," says Tadashi, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you have an extra teacher's edition? I can't seem to find mine."
"Just a second," says GoGo, walking back into her room. On the way to her bookshelf, she snaps, "Put your phone away, Kyle."
"Thanks," says Tadashi when GoGo hands him a copy. "You're a lifesaver."
o.O.o
"Hey, GoGo, do you have a pair of scissors?"
"Here."
"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but do you have an extra calculator? Manuel forgot his at home."
"Yeah, hold on, it's in my drawer somewhere."
"Can we have one of your tissue boxes? Something's in the air and the kids are sneezing like crazy."
"Grab one from my storage closet."
"Looks like you and I got saddled with chaperone duty for the dance tonight, huh?"
"Just kiss already!" someone shouts from the back row.
GoGo whirls, face flaming red. "Be quiet and sit down!"
o.O.o
Before winter break arrives, GoGo sorts through her closet, trying to create more storage space for the projects the kids will ask her to keep safe for them in the coming semester. She has about two boxes full of mementoes: a model of Schrodinger's Cat that one of her students made, a Newton's cradle, some ping pong paddles from who-knows-what and the "Spider Slayer Shrine" that the kids created from popsicle sticks earlier in the year.
"Need some help?"
GoGo whirls around to find Tadashi watching her, eyes bright. He raises an eyebrow as he tries to peer over her shoulder at the contents of her closet. "Do you not turn on the lights in there?"
"Don't need to," says GoGo, handing him a yoyo that she confiscated from Billy, who left halfway through last year, before she could remember to return it. "I know where everything is."
"Uh-huh," Tadashi says, a little disbelievingly. He picks up the Spider Slayer Shrine, turning it over in his hands. "This is pretty nifty."
"Don't you have your own things to take care of?"
"They're already packed up nice and neat in my car."
GoGo raises an eyebrow. "Even the teddy bear?"
"I drew the line at the teddy bear," Tadashi winces.
"Carla's really in love with you, huh?" GoGo observes, tossing the last of her items into the second box.
"She's fifteen," Tadashi says, scooping up the heavier box. "She'll get over it." He tilts his head toward the door. "Shall we go?"
Outside, the chill air seeps into GoGo's skin, nipping at her nose. Some of the kids are hanging out on the field, still waiting for their parents to pick them up, and they call out as she and Tadashi walk by, wishing them "happy holidays" and a "wonderful winter break." In the parking lot, GoGo sets her box down, rummaging in her purse for her key.
The sun is bright despite the cold, sunshine bouncing off the thin layer of frost that covers the grass nearby. GoGo opens the trunk and she and Tadashi slide the boxes in before they turn to watch the kids chasing each other across the field, slipping and sliding and laughing loudly.
"Halfway through," announces GoGo.
"Yeah," sighs Tadashi, his elbow bumping against hers as he settles beside her. "Are you doing anything over the break?"
"Enjoying the peace and quiet, mostly. Family's visiting. What about you?"
"I'll be spending it with my brother and aunt," says Tadashi. "Also, grading papers."
GoGo groans. "Don't remind me."
"We could do it together," Tadashi offers easily. "Call me up. We'll go get coffee and be miserable together."
GoGo laughs, but the sound catches in her throat when Tadashi turns to her and she realizes that he's serious. "Okay," she swallows. "Sure."
He's still looking at her.
"What?" demands GoGo, a tiny bit of anxiety surfacing.
"Eyelash," explains Tadashi, tapping his cheek. GoGo reaches up, swiping her finger across her right cheekbone.
"Did I get it?"
Tadashi shakes his head. "Here, I've got it," he says, voice unusually soft as he reaches over and runs a thumb along her cheek. His touch is gentle, and GoGo closes her eyes without meaning to.
She chalks up her involuntary shiver to the cold.
"There," Tadashi finally says, satisfied. He holds it up, a tiny, fragile black sliver against his skin. "Make a wish."
GoGo rolls her eyes but humors him, thinks up a quick let it snow before she blows it off his finger.
"I'd better get going," she says, drawing her coat tighter around herself as she steps back. Immediately, she feels colder—San Fransokyo weather is weird that way.
"Me too," Tadashi says, shoving his hands in his pocket. "See you around," he smiles, and something warm pools in her stomach, like a sip of hot chocolate.
"See you," GoGo agrees, giving him the tiniest smile back.
o.O.o
On the first day back from break, Nikola and Geraldine approach GoGo's desk wearing twin Cheshire-cat grins.
"Yes?" she frowns, eyeing them warily.
The girls look at each other, some kind of secret conversation occurring between them (again, it's the whole telepathy thing) before Nikola finally bursts out, "Are you and Mr. Hamada dating?"
GoGo blinks, taken aback. "What?"
"We saw you in the parking lot," Geraldine confides. "On the last day of school."
"It looked really romantic," gushes Nikola. "You two were standing super close to each other, against your car, and then he reached up and touched your face—"
"Duuuude, I remember that!" says Jonah, sliding into his seat (which just so happens to be closest to her desk, because she had to keep an eye on him somehow). "Mr. Hamada was making a move."
"Oh, are we talking about Miss Tanaka's love life?" asks Myla, clapping her hands. "Seriously, you and Mr. Hamada would be so cute together!"
GoGo's mouth opens and closes. Oh, no. No way is she having this conversation with a bunch of teenagers with overactive imaginations.
"Ten bucks they get together by the end of the year," Carl pitches in.
Kyle shudders. "Ewww, gross."
Okay. That is enough.
"There is nothing going on between me and Mr. Hamada!" GoGo says, surging to her feet. "Now all of you sit down so we can start the lesson!"
Denial, Myla mouths to Kim.
o.O.o
"Happy birthday!"
GoGo jumps almost a foot in the air as a cacophony of noise bursts from her classroom. The kids—all thirty-six of them—emerge from under desks and behind tables, waving noisemakers and party poppers. Someone has hung a banner from the ceiling, and its border is decorated with signatures.
"How did you know?" she asks, wide-eyed, as Emmaline walks up to her holding—a cake?
"Mr. Hamada told us," says Emmaline, handing her the fruitcake, which is adorned with plenty of pineapple, her favorite—also due to Tadashi, GoGo guesses.
Sure enough, Tadashi catches her eye over Emmaline's head. He has some confetti stuck in his hair and his face is split in a huge grin.
"Thanks," GoGo mumbles, accepting the gift, her gaze swinging across the whole room. "All of you."
"Miss Tanaka's blushing!" someone hoots, and the whole class starts to cheer. GoGo rolls her eyes, but she lets them have this moment.
o.O.o
Spring fever at San Fransokyo Preparatory School is named not, as one might guess, because of allergy season, but rather because of the relationships that tear through the student body with an alarming rapidity, like—well, an infection.
Already, GoGo has had to mediate two break-ups (one freshman-junior relationship, in particular, took an ugly turn), and has also had to chase two kids out from her classroom (seriously, why would anyone think a lab is a good place to canoodle? The whole place smells like disinfectant).
Needless to say, by the time 6:00 rolls around, she's exhausted, and she's also still at school because she hit a stride with grading and feels like moving will disrupt her momentum. She's taken over Myla's usual seat—front and center, smack dab in front of the Smart Board—and has her papers stacked on the desk beside her.
And then Tadashi comes in holding a bouquet of flowers.
GoGo looks up, horrified. "Oh, don't tell me it's got you, too."
"What?" Tadashi stares back at her, startled.
GoGo gestures to the flowers. "Did another girl proclaim her undying love for you? A lot of the eligible bachelors their age are getting snapped up. They're starting to get desperate."
The tips of Tadashi's ears turn red. "Oh, no. These are…these are for you."
"Oh—wait, what?"
Tadashi sighs, setting the flowers down on an empty desk. "Look, over the course of this week I've spent more time helping people with their relationships than their homework, and since most of it went along the lines of 'just suck it up and tell her how you feel,' I figured it was time to take my own advice."
He crosses the room to stand in front of her, placing a hand on either side of the desk as he leans forward, tie swinging between them. "I really like you, GoGo. It's okay if you don't feel the same; I promise I won't bother you about it. But I just need to know."
His face is close, so close, brown eyes waiting for an answer. GoGo gulps. Her heart is hammering in her chest, and she wonders if this is how Tadashi's students feel when he puts them on the spot. Unbidden, Honey Lemon's words from the beginning of the year rush to the front of her mind: attraction is one of the four fundamental forces of nature.
Does she like Tadashi? She's never thought about it before—but no, that's not right, either, because she has. When they're walking down the hallways side by side and his eyes are crinkled in laughter and the sun is streaming through the windows…and she's always noticed the way he talks with his hands, and how he didn't talk down to Carla when she came to him in tears because she didn't understand the unit, and how the boys could easily make fun of him behind his back but they don't because they respect him—no, more than that, they actually like him—
Tadashi's face shutters in response to her silence and he begins to pull back, nodding. "Okay, I understand."
"No, you don't," GoGo says, grabbing his tie to stop him from leaving, and because she's always been better with actions than with words, she surges up and kisses him.
Tadashi stiffens in surprise at first, but then he relaxes into her touch, one hand coming up to gently cradle the back of her head. He pulls her closer to him; GoGo is struggling to rise out of her seat and finally manages to get her knees under herself. She's practically falling over the table, but Tadashi steadies her by bringing his other arm around her waist and GoGo balances herself with a hand on his shoulder, her other one still tangled in his tie.
She feels flushed, feverish. The line of Tadashi's shoulder is broad and strong underneath her hand, and as much as she appreciates the fit of his shirt, she'd appreciate it even more if it were off—
Tadashi chuckles, breaking off their kiss and catching GoGo's hands, which have started to mess with the top button of his collar, completely without her telling them to. GoGo stares at them, wide-eyed and slightly fascinated by her total loss of control. Get a grip, GoGo.
"You haven't even let me ask you out yet," he says, squeezing her hands and peering into her eyes. GoGo can feel his pulse beneath her fingertips and takes some comfort in knowing that her heart isn't the only one that's kicked into overdrive.
"Okay. Ask me out," she says, lifting her chin in challenge.
Tadashi smiles. "Will you go out with me, Miss Tanaka?"
"Yes."
"Will you keep letting me interrupt your class at random intervals just so I can see you?"
"That's what you were doing?"
Tadashi laughs loudly. "Clearly, it wasn't as effective as I'd hoped."
"No, it's just…wait." GoGo frowns. "You said dating a colleague was impractical."
"Only because you said it first," says Tadashi. "And anyways, gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love."
GoGo stares at him incredulously. "Are you seriously quoting Einstein at me right now?"
"Are you objecting?"
"Just shut up and kiss me again, Hamada," she says, curling her fingers in his collar.
"Your wish is my command," replies Tadashi, pressing a kiss to her temple. He places one on her cheek, next, then against her jaw, and then rests his forehead against hers, mouth hovering dangerously close to hers but still not touching.
"You're doing this all wrong," huffs GoGo.
"So then," starts Tadashi, leaning forward so that his lips brush warmly against the shell of her ear, "teach me."
As far as lessons go, it's a pretty great one.