modern au where the party teach at a middle school and they're all youngish, exhaustedish members of faculty (mike teaches english, will teaches art, dustin teaches physics, jane teaches bio, max teaches psych and lucas teaches PHE) & there's a staffroom bet going that mike and will are secretly going out and just haven't told anyone (minus jane...who always acts just a little like she knows something nobody else does).
the kids believe it, too. it's hard not to when mike and will act like they do — they arrive together, go home together, eat together. will's sticky-note-doodles can be found littering mike's desk and folders. mike usually brings will a thermos flask of warm food (and then they go and sit in the staff room with whoever out of the party isn't on playground duty). on valentines day will showed up at mike's class with a massive bouquet. they play the same old music for their students. they tell the same stories.
mike's class of sixth graders swear on their lives that they once saw will kiss him on the cheek. lucas is absolutely convinced he once saw mike sign off an email with love, mike. dustin claims he's spotted them making out in the staff parking lot.
nobody can prove anything, though. eventually, eventually, max decides to ask. will pulls a ring on a thin chain out from his shirt collar. 'we've been married for three years,' he says. 'you know, you could've just asked.'
