DOL is genuinely an insane game to me. you can goon or you can face the eldritch level horrors that exists in the in-game lore. but before any of that, you need to pay life changing amounts of money each week in order not to get slimed by a bunch of grown adults. the guy who demands that money from you is in an asshit forced proximity hate-hate relationship with your sugar parent. said sugar parent is associated with multiple other weird people who run the most morally questionable businesses possible (don’t worry, treating humans like animals is okay but building a skyscraper isn’t!). one of them is a cult leader who hosts furry conventions every four weeks. speaking of cults. twilight is technically possible in the dolverse because vampires are hinted to exist. lovecraft-esque creatures can be made via cult rituals. you get haunted every so often by an apparition that tried to drown you. a gyaru bullies you at school. you can have dinner with pimp lucius. they mayor is an amateur filmmaker. said mayor is actually under the thumb of the guy who demands you to pay him each week. they still use medieval torture devices to punish criminals. the law is practically nonexistent. there’s no such thing as a good ending. and it all happens in a seaside city in the UK. what the fuck.
Pranking Avery by giving him a father's day present at the end of the date and not say anything. Imagining Avery either immediately dropping PC or following them throughout the week trying to get them to talk and they stay hush.
Only when Saturday rolls around again do they say "You're my sugar daddy, so happy father's day. "
For as much shit as I give Avery, I've gotta say that it was an interesting move on Vrel's part to give us a love interest option that's so interconnected with the seedy underbelly of the town. They're acquaintances with most, if not all of the game's major antagonists, (Bailey, Quinn, Leighton, Remy, Harper) and that's fascinating.
Teen!Grace being a canon-confirmed Reddit user is fucking hilarious, AND she was talking to people about the Baker Incident in r/ amateurjournalists LMFAOOOO.
That is what she was doing on her laptop in 2018 at the Wrenwood Hotel!
On a more serious note though, this is interesting. The Clangers is a real show from the 60s, a British stop-motion kid's show. There also seems to be in-universe conspiracy theories about the BSAA, and what I'm going to assume refers to the events in RC given the photo. But interestingly enough, the picture used for the BSAA one is the DSO's logo, so it seems tensions between the BSAA & DSO might've heightened? If so, that makes Chris coming to save Leon & Grace all the more interesting, especially with all the BSAA drama they seed throughout this game and Leon & Sherry's mission being a bit off the record.
the buddy system - a m.robinavitch x f! kindergarden teacher au
< masterlist next chapter >
a/n : y'all .. you guys have no idea how long it took to write this due to life stuff. but good news ! i am very close to graduating uni since i passed my last exam AND the first chapter of this v wholesome (and slightly angsty, yes) AU is finally done after AGES !! i want to thank @sportsnightnut for the lovely collage and neverending support, alongside all of my mutuals who believed in me and this au
warnings : this chapter has tooth-rotting fluff, a brief mention of (possible) abuse and a very cute michael robinavitch.
word count : 5.2k
divider : @tsumiinum
please don't feed this work into ai or post/repost it without credit; likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated
CH.1 : ROBBY MEETS SUNSHINE'S CLASS
Michael Robinavitch wasn't expecting to be woken up by a phone call at 10 in the morning on his day off.
It was fine, he gathered, as long as it wasn't work-related. He knew they were short-staffed and overworked, but today was the day where he put his foot down: he would not be going back to PTMC, not now that Dr. Ellis and Dr. Shen were attendings and, especially, not now that he had found you, carving a hole to carry you in his heart and soul.
Which is why, in hindsight, he should have checked the caller ID before locking his phone.
He groaned, turning his back to the window bathing him in morning light, hands pressing a second cushion on his head, trying every last resort measure to salvage the remnants of the sleep that were now birds, flying out the window to perch on a tree, singing the song of the morning.
The phone rung again, louder and more insistent.
He turned starfish-style on the bed, huffing. He picked up his phone with one hand, blindly, trying not to knock anything down from the mahogany nightstand, his tired voice echoing in the otherwise empty room.
"M'hello ?"
"Hi baby, I'm so sorry, did I wake you up ?"
He stood up, fixing his bedhead with one hand and putting his phone between his ear and shoulder.
"Hi sunshine," he stopped to yawn, "yeah, but it's okay. 'S everything alright ?"
"Yeah, yeah everything's okay, I just …" you stopped for a heartbeat, worried sigh making his brow furrow. "… I forgot to bring the bag full of coloring books and pencils for the kids to school."
He hummed. "Where did you forget it? Here or at yours ?"
"At your place. Remember that big bag I had with me last night ?"
He yawned again, passing a hand on his face before blinking. He stood up, joints creaking too loudly for his comfort, put a pair of slippers on and shuffled towards the living room, looking around trying to jog his own memory about where he had last seen it.
As he looked around, he beamed when he saw the big, red bag with rainbow pins all over it, a "IF LOST RETURN TO : Ms. Sunshine, class 3-B" tag in the center of it laid neatly on the kitchen counter top, all of the animal-themed coloring books and the dozens of crayon boxes still intact, the memories of you unceremoniously dumping it on the table last night - and him laying it there to make sure you wouldn't lose it - creeping up over his sleepy fog.
"… Babe ? Baby, is everything okay?"
He chuckled, voice still thick with sleep. "Yeah sunshine, sorry I was just looking for the bag."
"Did you see it ?" you asked, the worried tone in your voice making his frown burrow.
"Staring right at it."
You grumbled lowly, the expletives that were running through your head being held back by what it felt like the flimsiest glass wall.
"Babe," you sighed, "I shouldn't even be asking this, but -"
"It's not a problem, sunshine. I'll bring it over."
A moment of pause from your end.
"… Really ?"
He beamed, smile so bright you could see it from the other end if you focused. "Yeah, really. I'll just, uh, throw some clothes on, clean up, have some coffee and will pop right in, is that okay with you ?"
"That's perfect, Mikey, thank you."
"No problem, Miss Sunshine. Love you."
"Love you too, bye," you hung up, blowing a kiss to the phone screen.
Michael smiled at the phone screen, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he stared at the picture of you smiling that warm, late may date he had taken you after a month of getting together, a moment woven so deeply into his brain it was the safe place he went to whenever he needed a break from the chaos in the ER. He kissed your face on the screen, a murmured "love you, sweetheart" followed suit, walking to the bathroom to start his morning routine.
He hadn't really thought much about love in the days after PittFest. Between his failed relationship with Heather and the trench that now divided him and Jake (with Janey trying, unsuccessfully, to act as a bridge between them), he thought it was not in the cards anymore, and in a way, he didn't even mind that.
He simply thought that, like many things in his life, being lonely was his destiny.
That all changed after Dana invited him to her Halloween-themed dinner party at her home. He was reluctant, at first, unsure how well he'd do in a crowd of strangers he wasn't used to at work, home or any other place he frequented often. He had dressed up simply, a pair of his scrubs spattered with fake blood and some vague, Frankenstein-inspired makeup Jack had helped him with at the last minute. He was just about to leave, say bye to Dana and her girls and just go home to wallow in self-pity and nurse a shot or two of Kentucky Bourbon.
Then Dana introduced you to him.
And the axis of his orbit shifted.
You came to the party dressed as Joan of Arc, "you know the Jules Bastien-Lepage painting, where she's in the garden ?"
He shook his head laughing. "I know of it, haven't had time to go to the MET to see it."
You laughed, extending your hand and smiling your thousand-watt smile. "Maybe we could go together one time," you offered as you introduced yourself.
He smiled back, cheeks dusting with pink as he shook your hand. "Would love to, sunshine."
By mid-November of that year, you were going strong and steady. You came by his place almost every day during the week, toothbrushes and clothes and other miscellaneous items stored carefully in his house, whether it be your black and white umbrella in a corner of his living room, clothes and underwear in a drawer or your electric toothbrush standing proudly next to his on the sink, the almost two years with you have turned his home into a safe haven.
He sighed, looking at himself in the mirror before he had to leave: Light blue cashmere sweater, his green cargo pants and his usual sneakers, his bag on his shoulder, your heavy bag in his hand, the car keys with a keychain you had bought for him on your last class trip and another one on his house keys, a stethoscope with his and your initials engraved within the small pendant, and his green jacket.
Once he made sure he had everything, he walked out the door, locked it and made his way to the car, putting on some music and igniting the engine.
As he drove towards the school, the usual smooth sailing of his drive being interrupted by crests of flowing traffic, he had wondered how your classroom would look like now that the school year had started. He had helped you with everything he could during the summer, from stocking school supplies to decorations and name tags for the children's cubicles where they would put their things, from blankets to toys and backpacks, occasionally providing emotional support as well.
"I'm getting a bigger class this year", you had told him on a breezy summer night, your head against his naked chest as he gently played with a small strand of your hair, windows open to let the air in and to soothe the sweat running down both your bodies. "Not by that much, just five more kids and two more who will arrive before the winter holidays," you continued.
He looked down at you, the love in his eyes shining brighter than his worries. He kissed your hair, speaking in the low, rumbling tone he had while basking in the afterglow.
"You okay with it ? You don't sound particularly worried."
You sighed, slumping more against him. "I don't think so ? I mean," you stopped, interrupted by a yawn, "My class is usually very well-behaved, I don't see why it would be an issue, I just …" you stopped, eyes cast downwards as you thought on how to best convey your worries to him.
He put his index and middle fingers on your chin, lifting it gently and putting a kiss on your forehead.
You smiled, leaning your forehead against his lips and taking a few deep breaths, holding your breath for four seconds and exhaling for as long as you could, gently coached by his deep voice, praise cascading from his lips after you calmed down.
You took another deep breath, continuing where you left off.
"I'm afraid that the parents won't like me."
Michael's laugh rumbled joyfully throughout the room. He kissed your forehead again, laughing while you tried to swat him in the chest with a straight face.
"Stop, it's true !" you chided, chuckling.
"They'll love you. You're good with kids, sunshine. You got this."
You smiled, looking up at him as you rested your chin on his sternum.
"I love you, Mikey, thank you."
He smiled, gently flicking your forehead.
"I love you too."
He smiled at the memory, cheeks dusting over with a light shade of pink as he kept driving to the school, the traffic now calming down and the streets almost blissfully empty. He turned at a streetlight, turn signal on as he steered the wheel to the left, the campus park now coming into view as he found the parking lot, turning the engine off and stepping out of the car, both bags in his hands as he made his way to the front office, knocking on the door.
The secretary, a woman in her late 50s - early 60s with blonde, puffy hair, a pair of black glasses and a simple, yet stylish blue blazer, white button-up and black pants with red flats looked up as he knocked, a wide smile on her face as she opened the door.
"Hello, are you here to pick up a kid ?"
Michael shook his head, laughing quietly. "No, no. My name is Dr. Michael Robinavitch, and I'm here to -"
"Is that Miss Sunshine's bag ?" a small and squeaky voice asked, slowly walking towards him. Robby looked down and saw a small boy, not older than 5, with curly hair and the biggest pair of brown eyes he had ever seen.
Michael smiled, crouching down at the boy. "Are you one of her students ?"
The boy hid, now flustered, behind the secretary's leg, nodding as he tilted his head to look at the older man. "Yeah. She always has that bag," the boy continued quietly.
Michael's heart just about melted. He crouched down, joints creaking as he tried to maintain a safe distance just so the boy wouldn't get spooked.
Silence reigned supreme for a few seconds, the boy getting shyer as time went on.
Then, after what felt like a lifetime, he heard it.
"I'm Sayid."
A statement squeaked as if spoken by a little mouse.
Michael's heart burst from the cuteness.
He waved to Sayid, his eyes shining brighter once the child reciprocated the gesture.
"It's nice to meet you Sayid. You can call me Mr. Robby."
As he stood up, he glanced at the name tag on the secretary's name tag before smiling at her. "Is it okay if I bring up the bag to Miss Sunshine, Mrs. Saunders ? She forgot it at my place and asked me to come get it."
Mrs. Saunders laughed, patting Michael amicably on the shoulder. "Of course, of course. You'll just have to sign in as a visitor and you can head to the classroom. Do you have an ID or your hospital badge with you ?"
He nodded, opening up his bag, searching the pockets as he tried to locate his brown leather wallet, patting the pockets of his jacket as well. "Sorry, i just - ah, AH ! Here it is," he smiled triumphantly, holding up the wallet and shaking it in the air, trying to make Sayid smile at the very least, frowning imperceptibly when the kid didn't even move his mouth upwards. He took out his ID, handing it to the secretary, walking towards her and speaking in a quiet voice.
"Is Sayid okay? He looks pale and sweaty. Is it a fever ?"
Mrs. Saunders nodded, replying in the same tone he had used as she gave back his ID after checking it thoroughly. "Yeah, a pretty high one according to his teacher, your -"
"Girlfriend," he replied, giving the secretary a small smile. "She's just my girlfriend."
"Only for now, I hope" she concluded, a big grin on her face as she gave him the sticky visitor's badge.
The laugh and slight nod he gave her were answer enough. He put the badge on his sweater, turning around and listening to her directions towards his sunshine's classroom when he felt a little hand grabbing on his cargo pants, tugging twice to demand attention.
He looked down, seeing Sayid looking up at him with wide eyes shining with fever and hope.
"Mr. Wobby ?"
"Yes, Sayid?" he replied, waiting for a few seconds as the flustered child looked around the office, fiddling with his fingers as he gathered his thoughts.
"Do you, uhm, would you -" he interrupted himself, looking up to Michael's right side making eye contact with Mrs. Saunders. "Can I take Mr. Wobby to Miss Sunshine's class ?"
Mrs Saunders laughed, nodding. "Let's go walk Mr. Robby to your class."
Sayid smiled, his tiny frame now vibrating slightly with excitement, tight curls bouncing up and down as he lifted himself on his tippy toes, his red shoes with black laces creasing at the top. He held out a hand towards Michael, the sleeves of his Spiderman sweater dwarfing it, the limb shaking lightly. "Come on, Mr. Wobby," he said, his wavering voice filled with urgency, "We - we gotta go ! They're coming back from recess !"; he then turned to Mrs. Saunders, big brown eyes looking up at her. "You too !"
Michael thought he was going to die of cuteness, 'and if her entire class is like that,' he started talking to himself as he grasped the child's hand into his, 'I do not know if I am going to survive this next half an hour.' He looked down at Sayid with a smile, half listening to what he was rambling and looking around at the school all around him, full of drawings and colorful decorations made by the kids, some pictures of school plays and kids in Halloween costumes and dressed in cultural clothes, smiling faces littering the hallways, only interrupted by splashes of color in the shapes of hearts, rainbows and sun rays.
His looking around the hallway was interrupted by his almost - crash into the door of room 3-B, the familiar "KNOCK THREE TIMES AND MISS SUNSHINE ARRIVES" cardboard sign greeting him, the glitter pink and yellow letters making stars appear in his eyes.
"What ? Kids like magic spells" you tried to explain, laughing, hands full of glitter trails as you looked at Robby, currently making your "Raise your hands if you have a question" sign in red markers.
"Why three times, though," he asked, laughing louder once you started doing jazz hands around yourself to demonstrate a sense of magic, "why not 'Knock Thrice ?".
He laughed harder when you threw a pillow at him.
"What the fuck rhymes with thrice, Mikey ?"
"- Wobby, MR. WOBBY !"
He was brought back to the present by a tiny hand tugging at his sweater's sleeve.
He blinked, smiling down at Sayid. "Yes, Sayid ?"
"Can I knock on the door ? Please, Mr. Wobby, I really want to !"
Michael smiled, shaking his head back and forth. "Go right ahead, little man."
Sayid knocked three times, bouncing up and down and smiling in excitement. "Miss Sunshine ?"
"Come on in, Sayid !"
The moment your sweet voice hit Michael Robinavitch's senses, his day had immediately brightened. He waited as you opened the door, red and white polka dot nails making way for the spacious classroom, filled with memories of your shopping trips together, from blankets to cardboard and trips to the arts and crafts store, arguing and laughing about which kind of pens and markers would make the best for the kiddos and for yourself. He looked at the period table on your wall, right next to the long whiteboard, a pretty "Today's Subject : Ancient Rome" scrawled in your neat cursive, round letters both clear and aesthetically pleasing.
All of the late nights spent turning the classroom in a colorful yet efficient learning environment had really paid off, and the smile on Robby's face now felt stapled in.
"I see you brought a guest, Sayid !" you smiled, as you knelt down in front of your student, lavender dress gently flowing down to the floor.
"Yeah ! Yeah, I brought Mr. Wobby !" the five year old exclaimed proudly.
You looked up at Michael, smiling at the love of your life with a smile that could rival the sun, sauntering over to hug him, thanking him quietly as you slipped the bag from his shoulder onto yours, kissing him on the cheek, making the entire class of children giggle.
As you were about to introduce him to your class, turning around with your hand tightly clasped in his, an announcement broke through the loudspeaker, making everyone look up.
"MRS. SAUNDERS PLEASE BRING SAYID MANSOUR TO THE FRONT OFFICE, HIS FATHER HAS ARRIVED TO PICK HIM UP."
The child pouted, his small hands opening and closing towards you as he started to cry.
"I don't wanna leave, Miss Sunshine !"
"Aw, Sayid," you said, patting the child gently on the head. "I know that, but you're not well, okay ? I'll still be here when you get better, I promise."
You nodded while holding out your pinky, waiting for the small child to wrap his around it.
"I pinky swear."
As soon as the child wrapped his pinky around yours he smiled, waving bye to his classmates as Mrs. Saunders escorted him out, running eagerly to his dad who was waiting for him.
As soon as he left, the class started chattering loudly.
You turned around, clapping your hands twice and cleared your throat, making sure all the kiddos had their eyes on you. "Take me out to the ball game," you called.
"Take me out to the crowd", the class responded, finally quieting down.
"Okay class," you smiled, stepping towards the center of the room and gesturing towards Robby, "This is Mr. Robby, everybody say 'Hi, Mr. Robby !'," waiting until the class droned the same sentence and then quieted down again.
"Good, do you want to introduce yourself to Mr. Robby ?"
They all nodded, some smiling and some less interested, some wiggling in their seats ready to get up.
"Okay now, everybody form a single line, buddy up, and you can introduce yourself to Mr. Robby, quietly and in order" you yelled louder as chairs started scraping the ground, every single child in the class taking the hands of their buddy, the single file neatly formed in front of Michael, who was currently turning purple from the blush in his cheeks.
"Okay class, you can start" you said, stepping next to your boyfriend, sliding a hand around his waist.
The first duo to introduced themselves were a blonde, green-eyed girl with a green sweater with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, gray jeans and pink shoes and a bright smiled next to her is a dark-skinned girl, her black hair in box braids adorned with colorful beads and hair ties with little plastic balls the same color as the hair tie, brown eyes shining and wearing a matching outfit to her friend, a big smile on both their faces.
"They are Dionne Jones and Cher Carmichael," you smiled.
"Hello Mr. Wobby, it's nice to meet you!" they exclaimed at the same time, giggling as Michael waved back at them, the 'hi, Dionne and Cher' whispered to them making them saunter back to their desks giggling.
"Their parents are big fans of 'Clueless'," you whispered, "if you couldn't tell."
"Are their parents also best friends ?" he asked, a slight laugh in his tone.
"Like the twins from The Shining," you replied, making him laugh and turning back towards the kids.
The next couple of children in line were a boy and a girl. The boy had short, black hair with big blue eyes and slightly taller than the others, who was wearing a simple black and yellow t-shirt with black knee-length shorts and sneakers with dinosaurs on it. The girl, on the other hand, had long ginger hair kept in French braids, a white long-sleeved dress with light pink, frilly socks in Mary Jane shoes with a cat's face on them, her green eyes striking along with the freckles dotting the entirety of her face.
"William Anderson and Jane Matthews," you introduced with a coaxing look towards William.
The kid simply waved, looking down at his shoes while his companion waved enthusiastically.
"Hi Mr. Wobby !" she yelled in a squeaky voice.
"Hi Mr. Wobby" he said quietly, a slight accent to his voice.
"Hi Jane, hi William. Are you British, William ?" Michael asked, genuinely curious.
William shook his head. "I'm from Ireland."
Michael smiled his sunshine grin, kneeling even though his joints protested and held up his hand, speaking in a gentle tone. "Want a high five ?"
The small boy nodded, jumping up slightly to make sure to reach his hand, the slapping sound sharp. The child immediately brightened, hugging Robby's leg and thanking him louder, walking back to his seat with his female classmate with a pep in his step.
You smiled at him, shaking your head and clicking your tongue against your palate.
Alex and Martin Morrison, two identical twins, introduced themselves next. They were very energetic, both dressed in the t-shirts for the local tee-ball team where they both played at, Alex in a red shirt and Martin in a yellow one, both wearing black jeans, white socks and …
"Why the mismatched shoes ?" asked Robby, curious as he saw that the twins had one blue and one purple shoe on different feet.
They both looked at Robby mischievously.
"Don't tell Mom," Alex started, his brown eyes shining, "but we decided to switch one shoe each."
"But why ?" Michael asked, bewildered.
In response, all the twins did was shaking their shoulder length brown hair, smiling and giggling behind their hands as they went back to their seats.
Michael looked at you for an answer, actually flabbergasted.
You simply shrugged, lips trembling as you tried to contain your laughter.
The two girls that introduced right after were a conundrum in Michael's eyes, who looked at them like they were a puzzle. Both were very quiet, with long chestnut hair, both dressed in slightly similar fashion: the taller girl, Ethel Bradley (as you told him), had a purple long-sleeved shirt underneath, a gray tank top on top of it and a simple pair of black skinny jeans, red sneakers the only bright color in the outfit stark; Janie Cooper (who instead told him her name herself) had a white, long-sleeved shirt on, a short-sleeved band tee on tucked in a shin-length checkered skirt, black sneakers scuffing on the floor as she tried to get Ethel to come forward.
"Come on, it's okay, he doesn't look mean does he ?"
Ethel looked up from her bangs, looking Robby up and down until she shook her head, letting her friend lead her over with a smile, both waving at him quietly as Janie simply walked Ethel away to her seat.
Michael looked back up, a worried look headed your direction.
"Abuse ?" he asked quietly, turning you both around so the children couldn't hear.
You shook your head. "I don't know," you whispered back, "but I am trying to find out."
"Keep me posted, okay ?"
You nodded before turning back around, Michael following your lead with a frown marring his face. You patted his back, trying to calm him down, kissing him between the eyebrows, the gesture garnering a few "Ewww"s and sparse giggles as you both laughed as well, a dusting of pink now also on your cheeks.
Eden Ramos-Martinez and Aaliyah Holt were next, another pair of neighbors turned friends in this class, both of them having had lived together since their families moved from Texas to Pittsburgh, a fortunate stroke of luck making two small families into a very big one. Aaliyah, Robby had noted, had extremely blonde, almost white hair with purple-ish eyes, the pupils moving quickly inside the iris, her features accentuated by her lighter skin and the red glasses perched on her nose. Eden was wearing a light brown hoodie with a Puerto-Rican flag embroidered on it, his washed, flared jeans making him stumble slightly on his yellow Converse. Upon closer inspection, Robby noted mentally, he was wearing a sunflower lanyard.
"Hi Mr. Wobby, it's nice to meet you" she spoke, waving in Robby's general direction, a big grin appearing on her face as she saw the adult waving back at her.
Eden, on the other hand, simply waved.
Both went back to their seats quietly, the smile on Robby's face never once going away.
Barbara and Caitlyn walked up next, their walk as sharp as their personalities. Caitlyn, with her long blonde hair and ruffled yellow dress with lemons embroidered on, her tights underneath the dress white with strawberries on them and some light blue ballet flats quickly ran up to Robby's leg, barrelling towards it at the speed of light and hugging it.
"Hi Mr. Wobby, I'm Caitlyn Devereaux !"
"Hi Caitlyn," he replied while laughing, "It's nice to meet you."
A loud clearing of the throat. "Excuse me ?"
Michael immediately looked down, and on Caitlyn's right he saw another kid, a small girl with shoulder-length brown hair with blonde tips, a mushroom hat and yellow overalls with a blue shirt underneath, with shark-patterned socks, purple boots and a pair of very large, rectangle-shaped blue glasses.
She extended a tiny hand. "I'm Barbara Wright."
Robby shook her hand, face stunned in disbelief. "Nice to meet you Barbara."
"Can you pick me up, please ?"
Robby nodded, carefully picking the five year-old up into his arms, making sure to support her body firmly and gently.
"Well, I'm glad you wanted to - hey !" he started laughing.
"Barbara, honey," you reprimanded gently, "What did i tell you about sticking your finger in someone's ears ?"
The little child pouted. "But it's fun !"
"Barbara, honey -" "Hey, hey sunshine, it's okay" Michael interrupted you, giving you a kiss on the forehead in reassurance. "It's okay, they're kids ! Let them be playful, I'm unharmed."
You sighed, nodding.
Barbara beamed. "You can put me down now, Mr. Wobby."
Michael didn't hesitate to do as he was told, putting the child down gently, a "as you wish" following suit, shaking his head with mirth as the two girls walked back to their seats.
Lois and Andrew were next. Lois, a girl with wavy jet black hair wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt tucked underneath a flowy white linen skirt that went down to her ankles, grey socks and white shoes completing the look, gave him a wide grin and waved. Andrew, a red-haired kid with a simple striped t-shirt and a pair of beige pants, just nodded his head towards him and left, a flabbergasted Lois staring at him.
"That was Andrew Price, and this is Lois Kwon."
"Kwon," he hummed. "Do you know a young woman named Joy Kwon ?"
Lois smiled again, and Robby wondered if he might lose his vision if these kids kept beaming up at him.
"Yeah ! She's my big sister! She's sooo smart."
"She really is," Robby replied, "she works where I do, she's pretty cool."
"Really, Mr. Wobby ?"
"Yeah, really, kiddo," he replied quietly.
"So cool !" she replied, walking back to her seat next to Andrew, going back to chatting.
Samuel Thomson and James Greene introduced themselves next, both dressed in a hockey jersey and a pair of cargo pants, Samuel's curly hair in a ponytail and James' in a small bun.
"Do you play hockey, Mr. Wobby ?" they asked in unison, their hopeful brown and golden eyes looking up at him.
Michael shook his head, shrugging. "Sorry kiddos, hockey's not for me."
"Aww, bummer" complained Samuel.
"But hockey's such a good sport !" said James, trying to get Robby to change his mind.
"It's just not for me, sorry kids."
Both boys sighed. "Let's just go," said James disillusioned, taking Samuel's hand and dragging him to their desks, with Sam looking up at Robby and waving, a small smile on his face as him and his friend moved to sit back down.
Harvey James and Robin Crawford were next. Both boys simply waved, but with the way they were dressed Robby didn't need for them to talk to understand their personalities. Harvey James was dressed in very colorful clothes, with a black turtleneck underneath a neon blue-red and purple sweater, the faded jeans fitting him perfectly with a pair of black combat boots, his brown hair cut into a perfectly messy mullet. Robin, on the other hand, was dressed in a midnight blue and black outfit, alternating the two colors between hoodie, shirt, pants and socks, with the shoes being a very simple gray pair of worn Adidas, eyes hidden behind his raven hair.
Only one kid was now left. Michael, looking at the kid, felt for a millisecond as if he was staring at a photograph of himself when he was his age: short brown hair which turned slightly upwards at the front, big brown eyes and a long nose, he wore a gray hoodie with a plain blue t-shirt and black cargo pants with grey socks and brown shoes.
You walked up to the child with a big smile, holding his hand as you walked with him towards your boyfriend, kneeling between them with a big smile.
"Michael Carter," you said as you pointed to the child, "meet Michael Robinavitch."
Robby's eyes sparkled with happiness.
"Hi Mr. Wobby," the child spoke shyly.
"Well hello there, Little Mikey !" Robby spoke just as softly.
The child giggled. "Hi, Big Mikey !" he replied, running towards the older man for a hug, which Robby quickly reciprocated before letting the kid go back to his seat.
You smiled, standing up and dusting off the ends of your dress. "Okay everyone, now we can get to coloring but first, can I hear a big thank you for Mr. Robby ?" you asked, smile brighter than the sun and moon combined as you heard the kids repeating your words. You then turned around, giving Michael a big hug before he left.
"Bye Mikey, thank you for the bag and, well, handling the kids well" you said, laughing.
"Bye sunshine," he smiled, kissing your cheek, "and it was no problem, truly."
He then turned towards the door, turning his head back to the classroom as he stepped back into the halls. "Bye kiddos, see you again soon !"
As he walked back towards the exist, he felt heart warming as a chorus of "Bye Mr. Wobby", "Please come back soon" and, "Come back Mr. Wobby !" followed him out, the soft closing of your classroom door the only movement that stopped the noise. He walked back to his car, saying goodbye to Mrs. Saunders from her office window before he turned the ignition on and started the car, driving back to your shared home.
If he sent you a text reading "can I see them again soon ?", well, he would never admit it to anyone.
P.S.: all the children's names are references, let's see who gets them all !
