Chapter 1
“Welcome Dr. Strange, I must say it is quite an honor for someone of your renown to agree to take over our science classes,” Coulson, Vice President of SHIELD, says leading him through the school.
“I’m happy to lend my assistance but what were you doing before I came?” Stephen asks as kids scurry through the halls trying to make it before the bell.
“Mr. Stark, our Kindergarten teacher has been filling in when his class has Gym, lunch and recess, but many of the science class are when he has to watch his students so we’ve been getting Mr. Rogers the art teacher to fill in for him...It’s been a mess,” Coulson says pinching the bridge of his nose.
“And this Mr. Stark is qualified to teach science?” Stephen says.
“He has like eight official PhDs and the ability to learn anything. He is the most qualified to teach most sciences here alongside Dr. Banner,” Coulson says.
“And yet he is teaching Kindergarten?” Stephen asks and Coulson shrugs.
“He never told me why and I never asked,” Coulson says and they walk through the halls and Stephen hears excited voices a little ways down the hall.
“Okay kidlings, follow the leader. I’m it, first we are going to waddle like ducks. Ready?” Stephen hears a voice say and several excited giggles and as he turns the corner he sees a man, a few inches shorter than him waddling around with a line of kindergartners trailing behind him. Some of which are quacking.
“Hi, Vice Principal Coulson,” the kids chirp at him before going back to quacking.
“Remember guys follow the leader,” the man says staying perfectly still but not looking either Stephen nor Coulson in the eye and the children jump to imitate him making Stephen smile.
“Mr. Stark, this is Dr. Strange. He has agreed to fill in for Dr. Banner,” Coulson says and Mr. Stark smiles and quickly shakes his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Tony. And these are my little Ducklings,” Tony says and the kids quack.
“You have multiple PhDs and prefer to be called Mr. Stark?” Stephen asks and Tony’s face flushes.
“W...well Kindergartners don’t really care about things like doctorates and PhDs. And it seem ridiculous to make everyone call me doctor when I don’t even...you know...refer to myself that way. Everyone say hi to Dr. Strange,” Tony says and the kids say hi.
“Please call me Stephen,” He says to Tony who smiles.
“Ah Tony there you are! You left your coffee in the Teacher’s lounge,” A tall blonde man says making the kids jump and some whimper.
“Thor, what have I said about inside voices?” Tony says immediately rubbing one student who is crying’s back soothingly.
God he’s gorgeous. Stephen thinks to himself.
“I am sorry,” The giant...Thor says and kneels down in front of him to look at the children, “hello there. I’m very sorry for frightening you all.”
“See kids, that’s what you do when you hurt someone. You apologize sincerely and let them decide if they forgive you,” Tony says and Thor beams up at him.
“Yes, a very wise lesson from a very wise man,” Thor says and Tony blushes harder.
“I...I...Wouldn’t say I’m wise. Just saw a teachable moment,” Tony says and one of his students tugs on his pant leg.
“Yes Shuri?”
“Mr. Stark I have to go to the bathroom,” she says.
“Alright, show of hands who needs to go?” Tony asks and several hands go up in the air and Tony nods.
“Alright, Thor can you watch the class real quick while I take these five to the bathroom?” Tony asks and Thor nods and sits down on one of the tiny chairs that are clearly too small for him.
“Mr. Thor? Do you have a sibling?” one of the small children asks.
“Why yes, do you know Mr. Loki?” Thor asks and they nod.
“He’s my little brother,” Thor says.
“But he’s not little?” One of the kids says.
“What he means is I am his younger brother,” another voice says and Stephen looks behind him and sees a tall dark haired man coming down the hall.
“Hi Mr. Lokes,” the kids say and Loki smiles.
“It would seem that Mr. Stark’s nickname for me has become quite popular,” Loki says.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Coulson asks.
“I am on my way there now. I wanted to get a new book for my class to read,” Loki says motioning with the book under his arm.
“Mr. Coulson please come to the office,” the PA announces and Coulson looks at Stephen.
“Go on. I will wait here,” Stephen says and walks briskly down the hall.
“Thor, your intentions are getting quite obvious. Tony has his coffee cup on his desk in his classroom,” Loki says too low for the children to hear.
“As are you getting obvious. Is your class and the library for that matter not on a different floor than this one entirely?” Thor asks.
“I had something I wanted to give to Mr. Rhodes,” Loki says holding up a set of keys.
“How many tries did it take for you to lift those?” Thor asks.
“None, I found them in the bathroom,” Loki says glaring and Tony comes back with another coffee in one hand and Thor’s in the other.
“Why do people keep giving me coffee?” Tony asks.
“Who gave you the other cup?” Thor asks.
“Bucky,” Tony says blushing and a thin but muscular sandy blonde man comes out of the stairwell with yet another cup of coffee which he goes to hand to Tony who is starting to look overwhelmed.
“I will help you carry them Tony,” Thor says at the same time Loki and the sandy blonde make the same offer.
“I will help Tony, you three should go to your classrooms,” a man in a wheelchair says and Tony seems to visibly relax.
“Thanks Rhodey,” Tony says and hands one of his coffees to the man and then starts walking down the hall again, the man Rhodey by his side, and Tony’s students follow him into a classroom with a nice big robot on the door and smaller ones, that look like each of the kids made one, around the door frame. Stephen smiles and then notices Loki, Thor, and the sandy blonde man are staring at him.
“What?” Stephen asks.
“You are interested in him as well aren’t you,” Thor says.
“I just met the man,” Stephen says.
“And yet you were watching him leave like the sun was going down,” Thor says.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Stephen says and sees Coulson coming back down the hall and watches the three men take off towards their classes.
“I hope those three weren’t bothering you too much. They can be quite obsessed with Mr. Stark. It’s quite stressful for the man because he doesn’t seem to understand what it is they want,” Coulson says and shows Stephen to his classroom which has a view right into Tony’s classroom and Stephen spends much of his down time watching Tony handle his class. The kids seem to love him and he seems to care about them.
He’s able to see what the other teachers were talking about. There is nothing more he wants to do than get to know him.