phan oneshots

Word Spreads

A/N: sorry for not updating in like forever :(
thanks for 600 reads though. it's really appreciated :)
(also barely edited sorry)

Teacher AU
Words: 1,036

Mr. Howell was the attractive, young teacher all of the females (and few males) constantly chatted about. The tenth grade English teacher didn't wear a ring around his fourth finger nor did he have any pictures on his desk, like other teachers.

Mr. Lester was the ninth grade biology teacher, who was liked by all. He did animal trivia at the end of class every day for extra credit and was always smiling when assisting students. Like Mr. Howell, Mr. Lester didn't have a ring, but had numerous pictures on his desk, all of which no one had ever saw due to the fact that Mr. Lester never sat down during a lesson.

As simple as you put it, Mr. Howell and Mr. Lester seemed completely separate in the eyes of their students.

That changed quickly.

It was the last five minutes of fifth period, which was Mr. Lester's favorite part of the class: animal trivia.

"Okay!" Mr. Lester clapped his hands. "Which animal can change it's gender multiple times during it's life?" (A/N: since you never find out, the answer is an oyster. thanks, google.)

Students began scribbling their answers down frantically, while other considered the question. Suddenly, the silence was halted by a door opening revealing Mr. Howell.

"Um, hi," he said awkwardly. "Can I talk to you for a second in the hallway, Phil?"

Chatter began quickly at the sight of Mr. Howell. With tear stained cheeks, it was quite evident that this would be spread rapidly through the school.

"S-Sure," Mr. Lester scanned the room. "Carrie, you're in charge for a minute."

Mr. Lester walked out of the room with Mr. Howell and everyone erupted.

"Mr. Howell was crying! Did you see that?"

"Why'd he come to Mr. Lester?"

"Why Carrie in charge?"

The door swung open, revealing Mr. Lester, who also had puffy eyes, like Mr. Howell. He ran across the room, grabbing his bag and stuffing some things inside quickly.

"There'll be another teacher here in two minutes. Please don't do anything besides breathe," Mr. Lester pleaded, then ran out of the classroom.

Talking filled the room quickly as one student by the name of Chris ran up to the front of the class and picked up one picture frame on Mr. Lester's desk.

"Holy shit."

The class fell silent at Chris' remark.

Louise, another student, ran up to Chris and analyzed the picture.

"Mr. Howell and Mr. Lester are together?" she questioned aloud, causing the entire class to rush up to the front of the room to see the image, showing a blushing Mr. Lester next to Mr. Howell who had his lips placed on Mr. Lester's cheek.

The class scanned the other pictures. One revealing Mr. Howell and Mr. Lester each holding the hand of a young girl around the age of five and grinning widely. Another showed the same girl, who appeared about nine in the photo, on top of Mr. Howell's shoulders as the two looked at each other, smiling. The next of the girl at eleven or so grinning widely with a backpack shrugged on her shoulders. The last was of Mr. Howell and Mr. Lester sitting on a large couch, yet only taking up a small portion of it for they sat so closely together with Mr. Lester's head rested on Mr. Howell's.

"Is that their daughter?"

"They're such a cute couple!"

"Do you think they're together?"

"No shit, idiot."

"They're gay?"

"But I liked Mr. Howell."

The erupting questions and inputs were silenced by the sound of a door opening as the substitute teacher enters and ordered them all back to their seats.

"Alright," she said, stepping in front of Mr. Lester's desk. "Mr. Lester had a family emergency, so had to go home. Please just hold on for one more minute, then you'll be dismissed to your next class."

After the subsititue teacher dismissed the class, the word spread of Mr. Howell and Mr. Lester rapidly.

-

When the first student spotted Mr. Lester, questions were sprung upon him.

"I heard you left early, sir. Is everything okay?"

"I heard a rumor, Mr. Lester. Would this happen to be true?"

"How's everything, Mr. Lester?"

These questions were answered by a simple "yes" or "I don't know. Get back to your work."

To the students' disappointment, Mr. Howell was absent that day, so no one say able to ask the English teacher questions.

During fifth period biology, one student raised their hand at the back of the class.

"Mr. Lester, are you dating -- or married to -- Mr. Howell?"

Slightly taken aback by the question, Mr. Lester gulped. "I might be."

Several snorts were omitted from the class by the response.

"What happened yesterday, Mr. Lester?" a boy named PJ inquired.

"Um, uh," Mr. Lester mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. The entire staff of the school already knew. What harm could it cause telling the students? "My daughter got hit by a car when walking home from school."

The class erupted with questions.

"Is she okay?"

"How old is she?"

"You have a daughter?"

"Who's she with now?"

"Calm down, please," Mr. Lester announced. "Her name is Katie and she's twelve. It wasn't too bad of an injury -- her leg is broken -- but she's currently home resting with, um, my husband," Phil said, clawing his neck.

"Told you he was gay."

"Is it Mr. Howell?"

"Aww. They're married. How cute."

"Um," Phil considered telling them. Would it do anything? Probably not. "That's why Dan -- Mr. Howell as you guys know him -- is out today."

"Told you!"

"Aww."

"Tell us everything, Mr. Lester!"

"Um. We've been together for fifteen years, but married for ten. We adopted Katie about six years ago and we absolutely adore her." Mr. Lester grinned widely.

A few "aww"s were ommitted from the class. "Now please open to page 934 and begin reading the first seven paragraphs, then answer numbers one through five on the following page," Mr. Lester announced, quieting most of the class.

Once the class was dismissed forty-two minutes later, the entire school was notified of what was told in Mr. Lester's fifth period class.