This is to rix_scaedu‘s prompt to this card, for trope_bingo. It fills the “au: college / highschool” square.

As such, this is decidedly AU, with characters from my Addergoole ‘verse.

Mike was lost. He straightened his cuffs in tie, checked his reflection in a trophy case (yay, tie, double yay, trophies), and wondered where he was. The school was new, sure, but how could he have gotten this lost before he’d even made it to a class.

“Hey, you the new guy?” They face coming into view up the stairs looked familiar; a quick glance back at the trophy case told Mike why. Broad nose, glower, short no-nonsense haircut, check. He was a lot shorter in person, though.

“That’s me, The new blood.” Mike shifted posture, trying to look shorter. “The dumb one who got lost before my first class.”

“Mike, right?”

“That’s the short form, yeah.” There was absolutely no point in alienating the jock faster than he had to. “And you would be… Luca Hawk?”

“Call me Luke.” Call-me-Luke tilted his head at the stairs. “Professor Storm sent me looking for you. You’re late to class.”

“I think I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.” The thing was, Call-me-Luke wasn’t glaring any less, but Mike didn’t think it was directed at him in any way. The jock just seemed to be generally glare-y.

“That happens. Other new kid got lost, too.”

“So, will you show me to.. Professor Storm’s class?”

“That’s what I’m here for.” The guy actually cracked a bit of a smile.

Mike was in trouble. When Luke smiled, he was absolutely stunning. He swallowed and let himself be led into class.

The teachers – Ms. Storm and Ms. Kalonimos, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Petros – were far too good looking to be in a school, certainly all in the same school. It didn’t matter. His classmates – Regine and Laurel, Shira and Sang Ki – they were all beautiful, delicious, and even Regine, the school genius, smiled at him. It didn’t matter. The jock had smiled at him.

The guy was helpful, he was friendly, and he was distracting. Mike tripped and fell in gym; Luke caught him and set him on his feet. He got lost three days running, and Luke found him. It would have been brilliant, if Mike was doing it on purpose. If he’d been doing it on purpose… and if had been working.

Shira liked him. He kind of liked Shira, too, scary as she was. (Mike wasn’t one to throw stones, not with his glass house, but he was pretty sure the girl was feral. At least it was a nice-smelling sort of feral). She liked him, and had been very clear on exactly how much she’d like to like him somewhere behind the bleachers.

Ginger liked him. Ginger wanted him to take her to the Homecoming dance. Regine… offered to help him with his homework, which Mike took her up on because he was pretty sure she actually meant it.

But Luca Hawk, Mr. Call-me-Luke… Mike twisted an ankle coming out of class because he was looking the wrong way, slipped, and fell right in front of Luke. Again.

As the jock was helping Mike up, again, he muttered something in Mike’s ear.

He couldn’t have… he didn’t… he… Mike went limp.

I’m flattered, but I’m not into guys.

Mike’s school life had just gotten a whole bunch longer.

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