♪ fue mejor ~ kali uchis, sza
* oakwood elementary
thursday
Growing up, you didn't see yourself as a teacher. Instead, you had plans to be a doctor or a lawyer, like your parents wanted you to be. Your plans weren't exactly what you wanted, they were carved by your parents, and you were taught to always meet their expectations. You could remember the disappointment on their faces when you told them you switched your major to education.
You didn't care tho, you finished your degree in two years after already finishing two years while in high school, thankful for the program your school offered.
By the age of 20, you were a licensed preschool teacher, and you loved your job and your students more than anything. Kids were always something you wanted, but your love life wasn't exactly the best. You had your first and only boyfriend during junior year of high school, only lasting a couple of months and you've been single ever since.
Your hands scratched your forehead as you edited your lesson plans, teaching preschoolers didn't require a lot of planning, since you mainly taught them spelling, some simple math, and how to write.
"Ms. Y/L/N, Bryan keeps kicking me," Deuce's voice spoke, your head immediately lifting to look at him, his eyes were a little watery causing you to frown. Deuce may or may not be your favorite student, and while all the kids were sweet, the surprisingly tall 6-year-old was the sweetest and cutest of them all.
"Again, my love? How about you stay here with me, while I call his parents, yeah?" You softly spoke and pointed to the small chair that was next to yours. You decided to call his parents to let them know what has been happening. Every day Deuce would come to tell you some kid was bothering him, it was obvious that he was smarter and taller than the rest, and you felt bad because he was always left out.
You picked up your phone, dialing the number that came up for his dad on the report. You looked down to see him coloring some numbers when he picked up, "Hello?"
"Hi, umm is this Deuce's dad? I'm his teacher Y/N," you felt nervous, you always did when you made a call.
"Yeah, this is him, did something happen? Is he okay?" His voice was deep, and he was out of breath, which was odd, but you had no right to question why.
"Yeah he's good, I was just calling because some kids have been bothering him lately, and I just wanted to make sure that you were aware. I've already spoken to the other kid's parents about it,"
"I didn't know about that. He usually talks about school and if he does he just mentions spending the day with you," he sounded a bit concerned, and you felt bad. Maybe you should've called earlier.
"I usually have him sit with me since he's always doing what he's supposed to. He's a good kid really, I just don't understand why they're so mean to him, if I'm being honest with you," you shook your head as if he could see you.
"Is it okay if I come in after school to talk to you about this? I'm in practice right now, and I wanna make sure I can give you my full attention," practice?
"Yeah that's fine, we'll have a good rest of your day then,"
"You too!"
"That's a really pretty color, Deuce," you said after hanging up the phone. He was coloring his numbers in with the same shade of green.
"It's my daddy's color," you nodded your head
—
After the day finished you finally dismissed the students, holding back Deuce since his dad was going to come in, "You're gonna stay with me until your dad comes to pick you up, okay?"
"Can we color until he comes please?" He had the cutest little voice and you couldn't possibly say no to him.
"Yeah of course, do you want to use one of these?" You held up different color pages for him to pick, after he picked the one he wanted, you picked one for yourself and started coloring.
You looked up when you heard a knock on the door, you got up to go open it seeing the most, and you weren't even exaggerating, he was the finest man you've seen in your entire life.
"Hi, I'm Deuce's dad, Jayson," he extended his hand for you to shake, and you had to mentally slap yourself out of your staring, he had on a pair of grey joggers with a matching hoodie and white air forces.
"I'm Y/N, Deuce is right over th-," you began speaking before you were cut off by Deuce.
"Daddyyyyy," he screamed as he ran towards his dad, he immediately picked him up, and that had to be the most heartwarming thing you've ever seen.
We love a man that's good with kids.
"I missed you, little man," Jayson said as you walked towards your desk, he sat down in front of you, in a chair you had pulled for him.
"I heard some kids were bothering you?" He asked and Deuce nodded his head.
"Yeah but Ms. Y/N tells them not to, and she helps me with my work," you nodded your head as Deuce talked with a smile on your face.
"Yeah that's what I wanted to talk to you about, earlier one of the kids hit him, and they usually say stuff about his mom and stuff," you saw Jayson's expression drop at the mention of his mom, "I don't really know what's happening at home but I know it's a sensitive topic for him,"
"Yeah umm," he cleaned his throat and you instantly felt bad for bringing it up, "His mom left him with me and basically disappeared so he technically has no mom. It's just me and my mom taking care of him when he's not in school," you nodded your head, making sure to let him know you were listening.
"Yeah, I understand. I just don't want this to become a problem where he doesn't want to come anymore. I have him sit here with me every day, but I just wished he could make some friends, he's just smarter than the rest if we want to be honest."
You honestly wondered how could anyone abandon their own child like that, especially when his father looks the way his Deuce's did.
"I appreciate you calling. I truly didn't know this was happening, my mom usually comes to pick him up since I'm at basketball practice most of the days,"
"Oh, you play for college?" You asked, making him laugh.
" I used to. I play for the Celtics," your eyes immediately widened. How could you not notice, the man had to be almost if not 7 feet tall, and that's when it all clicked.
"My god I'm slow. I don't really have time to keep up with sports like that but your name does sound familiar," you laughed shaking your head, "I bet you're gonna be like daddy too huh?" You asked Deuce and he nodded his head.
"Yeah. I like watching daddy play, it's fun"
"I bet it is,"
"Have you ever been to a game?" Jayson asked and you nodded your head.
"I used to go with my dad when I was little. He was a crazy Celtics fan. But it's been a while, I don't even know who's on the team anymore," you replied and he nodded his head.
"We have a game tomorrow. You should come, I can hook you up with tickets," you had to stop yourself from thinking he was flirting with you but you nodded your head.
"Tomorrow's Friday, right? I'm free," you smiled leaning back on your chair after checking the date on your phone.
"Two tickets or," he asked and you shook your head.
"Just one, it's just me," you quickly made eye contact with him before looking away.
"Actually, how about me and Deuce pick you up so you can watch it with Deuce, right Deuce?"
Oh, was he smooth with it. God, you hate him already.
"Yeah that sounds fine," you gave him a small smile before looking at Deuce who had a sneaky look on his face.
"Great. I'll text you tonight then, it was nice meeting Ms. Y/N" he spoke getting up from his chair, Deuce following right after.
"You too,"
*y/n's apartment
5:30 pm, friday
Getting ready took longer than usual, and you were 1000% sure you've never taken as long to get ready as you did now. You wanted something simple, but something cute.
You decided on a pair of denim jeans, an olive-colored cropped tank top, and white Air Forces since you could never go wrong with those. You decided to add on a flannel since you knew it could get cold during games.
You styled your hair and did your makeup, as usual, only adding a bit more highlighter, and lining your lips with a brown pencil.
Jayson had texted you earlier to ask for your address and to let you know he was picking you up at six which is only a couple of minutes so you sat down on your couch scrolling through Instagram.
jayson
heyy, i'm out in the front
y/n
ight i'm coming down
read 5:58 pm
After replying, you grabbed your purse quickly, throwing your phone inside and making your way out. You didn't have trouble spotting his flashy car since compared to the rest in the parking lot, it was the only one that stood out, and because he was waiting in front of his door, and a 6'8 man is not hard to miss.
"Hi," you whispered as you got closer, he pulled you into a hug before Deuce made his way out of the car on his own.
"Hey Ms. Y/N," he greeted you, pulling you into a hug and away from his dad.
"Hey Deuce, you can call me Y/N by the way, it can be our thing yeah?" You asked and he nodded his head.
"You look beautiful," Jayson said, making you blush as you shook your head before placing Deuce back down on the ground.
"Thank you, you look good too," you smiled, tucking a little curl behind your ear.
"Preciate ya, alright let's go before we're late yeah?" He replied and Deuce opened his door while Jayson walked you to the passenger side, you thanked him as you sat down.
The drive there was quick, there wasn't much traffic until you got close to the area.
It had been so long since you went there that everything was different, especially since you had walked in from a different area.
"My mom is here already, so I'll introduce you guys before I leave," he said and you nodded your head, you were nervous, to say the least. It was his mom for God's sake.
"Yo Ma, this is Y/N, she's a friend, and Deuce's teacher," he looked at you with a smirk as you shyly waved your hand at his mom. She looked friendly but intimidating at the same time.
"Hi Y/N, come here don't be shy," she said before pulling you into a hug, "You're so beautiful,"
"Thank you, but please you are just gorgeous," you replied, your cheeks were red, and you were thankful you had applied a little blush before leaving.
"I gotta go but I'll talk to you after the game, bye lil man," Jayson said as he gave deuce a hug, "Bye Y/N,"
"My name's Brandy, I don't think he told you," she said, making you laugh.
"Yeah he didn't," you shook your head, you noticed Deuce started holding your hand, and your heart melted at the small gesture.
"Jayson's a crazy man, that's the only way to describe him," she laughed, shaking her head.
"You think so?"
"For sure, when did you guys meet?"
"Yesterday actually, I called him because some kids were bothering Deuce," you told her and she nodded her head.
"Damm my son wastes no time," she laughed, "I see why tho, you seem different than the rest,"
What she said had you thinking all night. Different. You knew you were different from the average girl your age, but you wanted to know what she meant regardless.
The game was fun, and you had a good time with Deuce, and talking to Jayson during halftime. When the game finished, Deuce dragged you to the court where Jayson was, all the cameras around you making you extremely nervous, and you just wanted to pick him up and run back to the floor seats.
He brought you to where Jayson was, letting your hand go and jumping on his dad, "Can Y/N come to more games please?" Jayson's eyes widened when the reporter in front of him heard it.
"Y/N, who's Y/N Jayson?" She asked and you mentally groaned, you shook your head as Jayson turned to look at you, 'it's okay' he mouthed.
"She's a friend. She came to help my mom watch Deuce," he calmly explained as he brought you closer to him.
"Would you say she's just a friend or is there some type of romance going on between you two?" She turned to look as Deuce jumped from Jayson's arms to yours.
"I would rather not say anything, for her privacy, now if you excuse us, we'd like to leave," he said, grabbing your hand and walking away.
"I'm so sorry about that," he could tell you felt uncomfortable and he genuinely felt bad.
"It's fine. I feel bad for you tho, asking mad personal questions and shit,"
"You get used to it. It's annoying sometimes but that's just how it is," he shrugged, and you nodded your head.
Your arms were getting tired from Deuce's tall self and you were sure he noticed because he stopped and took him from you.
"You tired lil man?" He asked, making Deuce nod his head before he laid it on his chest, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back," he said as he placed Deuce on a bean bag chair. It was a large room filled with different TVs and chairs all through it, it was like a game room of some sort.
"I'm just gonna change real quick," you nodded your head as he walked out.
"Did you have fun?" You were now in the car with Jayson and Deuce, but Deuce was literally knocked out in the back.
"I did actually, so thank you. I don't think I got a chance to say thanks," your voice was soft and quiet since you didn't want to wake Deuce up, Jayson looked at your lips, admiring the way the lights reflected on your lip gloss.
"You don't have to thank me Y/N," God, the way your name sounded coming out of his mouth was making you wanna act up, "I know it's late but you wanna go eat something?"
He wanted to spend as much time with you as he could. Everything just felt natural, and he was genuinely enjoying your company.
"If you want, but it's gonna be on me," you smiled and he shook his head.
"No, it's not, it was my idea,"
"If I'm not paying you can just drop me off at home," you crossed your arms with a smirk on your face.
"I don't like you," he rolled his eyes.
"Oh yeah? You can just take me home then, Jayson," you smiled, shaking your head.
"Alright Y/N, stop playing for real,"
"Nigga I ain't playing, I don't want you to pay for myself. Ion like when people do that,"
"Fine. What do you feel like eating then?" He sighed with a smile on his face.
"I want cheese fries, there's this little place round here that sells them," you took your phone out, putting the address on the maps app.
"You want cheese fries at 10 pm?" He asked, following the directions on the screen.
"Yeah, they got ice cream too. The place is a lil ghetto but they got good food," you explained and he nodded his head.
You were right. The place was a lil ghetto, but it was one of your favorites.
"What do you want?" You asked him and he shrugged, for a small place they had a big menu.
"What are you getting?"
"Cheese fries, and chicken tenders,"
"Get me the same thing then,"
"You sure? They have steak and cheese grinders, you look like you like those," you said, making him laugh.
"I do but I probably won't eat it all, and I don't wanna waste your money," he said scratching his neck.
"Nigga please, order what you want," you rolled your eyes, before he could protest you went up to the little window and ordered, "Do you wanna get something for Deuce?"
"Nah, he don't eat around this time," he replied and you nodded your head.
When you went to pay Jayson placed a 50 on the counter before you grabbed it and pushed him away, "Ignore him and use this," you gave the cashier your card before turning to glare at him.
"Don't play with me Tatum, I'm not the one," you said trying to give him his money back but he wouldn't grab it.
"Nigga, I told you I was gonna pay," he shrugged laughing.
"No, you're not," you got closer to him, before shoving the money in his pocket.
"God, you're annoying," he took the fifty and placed it in the tip jar.
"I'm annoying?"
"Yes very," he nodded his head, you remembered Deuce was still in the car so you went to go look and check on him, you had left his window a little down so you could see him.
"How am I annoying Tatum?" You asked, sitting down on the bench.
"You just are, I will get back to you with the specific reasons though," you nodded your head as you watched him talk.
"Wow. That's interesting. I take you to my favorite spot and this is how you treat me," you shook your head, "Shaking my head Tatum, this is my Deuce is my favorite Tatum,"
"Oh, Deuce is your favorite?" He was now in front of you, looking directly at you.
"Yeah, he is," you looked up at him, you felt relatively small and overpowered.
"Really?" His was now on your chin, goosebumps formed on your skin from his touch.
"Umm," your mind was clouded, and the feeling of his lips against yours didn't help. It took your mind a few seconds to register what was happening.
"You're gonna be the death of me, did you know that?" Your hands were wrapped around his shoulder, while his were around your torso in between your flannel.
"Shut up, and kiss me, Tatum,"
word count:
3.2k
**
a/n
i hope y'all like this story lmaoaoaoa, and i hope that this plot isn't taken bcs i like it very muchhhhh but anyways, i wanted to say that this is not proof read yet, i wanna a couple chapters out first then i'll start revising. i haven't written anything in a while so i hope you like this