Heart to Heart (LGBTQ+)

His & Hers - Chapter One

Roger and Tim are both happily married, but not to each other. For how long can they keep the charade up and stay together?

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Monday

It's a Monday afternoon and the sun shines brilliantly. Rays of warm light filter through the open blinds that grant only little privacy from the school parking lot just outside of Mr. Roger Simmons' classroom. The neatly dressed teacher stands with his back to his students - most of whom look bored out of their minds with only a few of them paying any attention, some might even be sleeping, all except for the one kid down front who's taking notes of absolutely everything their teacher says.

"Now, can anyone tell me why the Axis Powers were named that?" Roger asks and turns around to catch how dead-eyed everyone looks.

When that one student in the front row seems to reach for the sky, waving his hand as frantically as he can, accompanied by little whines and noises that a puppy sick for attention might make. He brings his other hand to grab at his arm for support as he struggles to be exemplary.

An act that doesn't work in this classroom.

"Anyone?" Roger insists on not looking directly at the one boy who's almost jumping out of his seat.

Instead, indifferent and exhausted, he simply leans over his desk, arms outstretched and palms flat against the wood of his desk to support himself as he waits... and waits... and waits silently, the sound of a student snoring somewhere in the back suddenly the loudest thing in the universe until it's overshadowed by the bell ringing.

Every student is wide awake immediately, clamoring as they stand up with their chairs screeching across the linoleum floor, each of them here shoving their books and schoolwork into their backpacks before rushing for the door.

Above the discord of it all, Roger shouts loudly, "Read page 217 to 230 till Thursday, and brush up on your knowledge on the Axis Powers because yes, it will be in the test two weeks from now!"

He stays bent over the desk as the room empties out, removing his glasses to rub his eyes, pinch at the bridge of his nose, and inhales deep before letting it escape in a long, exasperated sigh. Being a teacher can be so rewarding when a student excels in class, but the journey there is more of a battle than a leisurely walk in the park.

"Sounds tough," an amused voice says.

Like struck by lightning Roger is standing upright again, one hand landing on a hip, the other touching his gelled-up hair to ensure it hasn't fallen out of fashion, his smile all nervous with a chuckle near breathless as his heart soars in his chest at recognizing that voice.

In the doorway stands Tim Hayes, English teacher and Roger's best friend since they themselves were students here. He's leaning against the frame of the door, turtleneck collar reaching up to his strong, clean shaven jaw, the bottom of his shirt tucked into a pair of nice and pressed black slacks.

"No tougher than we were at their age," Roger joyously admits.

He turns toward the blackboard and leans against his desk, gazing up at his polished handwriting that spells out information valuable to these young teens' education, not that they seem to neither care nor understand the importance of recent history.

Overdramatically so, Tim says, "Ah! Retribution!"

They laugh together at that, warm and familiar, as Tim joins Roger by the desk, their hands on the wood only mere inches apart; close enough that body heat can be felt vividly. There's a tingling in Roger's hand that urges him to move those last few inches, to touch the other is all he can think of at this proximity.