Teacher!james Potter - Tumblr Posts
eeee im blushing i love teacher!james and teacher!reader đ¤đ¤đŤś
Blossom Elementary



wc: 2.1k
tw: none! kids?
pairing: james x reader
teaching au!
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Your summer had flown by. Last year you had applied to the new job offering they had at an elementary school. You had finally gotten all your credentials for teaching and were now able to get a job as a teacher. So you applied to as many elementary schools as you could. But your dream school to teach at was Blossom Elementary. Blossom Elementary was among the nicests elementary schools, they had a special program in their school. And while it was a well known school it wasnât like the private charters that parents fought tooth and nail to get their kids in. But it was one that would definitely be looked at in a high honour. So naturally when you got the news that you had gotten the job you were ecstatic. The following weeks were getting the curriculum, classroom, and knowing your way around the school. As the summer progressed you worked endlessly on class plans, activities and other tasks that needed to be done before school started in the fall. Throughout your planning you saw that there was another teacher that would combine your classes together. This was new but definitely not unwelcome to you. Looking into the other teacher you managed to meet her while setting up your classroom. Her name was Mary.
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Quickly you both began talking and became good friends. Naturally your class plans had included each other so your kids would be combined and have more time to coexist with other people. That was two months ago. Now you are standing in front of the door to your classroom, hands shaking. This was your first day. You felt your hands go numb. It wasnât a bad feeling but certainly uncomfortable. Trying to remain calm you focused on making sure everyoneâs name tags were laid out and that everyone had a seat. There were final touches and you continued to glance at everything that needed to be fixed.
In the midst of doing this your friend and coworker Mary walked in.
âHey Y/n?â You glanced up from the calendar you were looking at and looked at him.
âYeah?â
âAny chance that you had a chance to look at the buddy system?â Your eyes widen. You knew you forgot something. You had been so nervous for today that you had glanced over that part of your lesson plan. You see, Mary had given you a copy of how his lesson plans are made up and how they are structured for the class when they meet with their buddies. Blossom Elementary had a tendency to pair the older students with the younger students and gave them a buddy to work with. It wasnât that you hadnât made the lesson plan. You did, you just didnât know whoâs class youâd be going to.
âIâm taking your silence as a no. Itâs okay, thatâs why Iâm your partner.âShe smiles and walks towards you with an envelope.
âRight, What would I ever do without you?â She laughs and looks at you slightly
âYâknow you got paired up with a good one.â She comments as she places the envelope on the chair beside you. You scrunch your brow at her comment.
âWhaddya mean?â You ask rising up from your previously crouched place.
âYour buddy class. Itâs with the first graders; they're so sweet. The teacher you have is okay. I love mine though! Iâm thoroughly glad I donât have him anymore!â She cheered as you opened the envelope looking at your list. You were paired with a James Potter. If Maryâs words were anything to go off you would assume heâs a nice guy, maybe a tad energetic but nice.
âDonât worry love heâs nice! Heâs just a lot of energy to deal with! Anyway Iâll see you at recess!â She left with a wave and a smile goodbye as she walked to her class across the hall. You sucked in a deep breath as you glanced over your room. This was it, your dream came true.
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Kids began to filter into your room, a lot of them were timid and trying to find their seats and not wanting to play outside. The ones who sat in their seats opted to keep to themselves and thoroughly studied the paper that sat in front of them. You walked around the room greeting parents and children who entered your room. Everyone looked nervous to be there and you felt the same way. More students and parents began to filter in and the students found their seats. After thirty minutes it was time to begin your school year. The nerves were starting to make your skin tingle. But you kept calm as best you could, you smiled at the kids and gently closed the door enclosing you and the thirty kids in your room.
âGood morning everyone! My name is Ms. L/n and Iâm your guysâ fifth grade teacher!â A few of the students muttered out a good morning while others said hello and the rest remained silent. As you reached the front of the class you scanned the way most of the eyes that met you looked. Nearly all of the kids looked exhausted. You didnât really have anything that you needed to teach the kids today. So why not ease them into school? Itâs their last year after all!
âI know you guys must be really tired and not at all excited for school huh?â You question as you sat on your desk and began logging into your computer. All of the students agreed to your comment.
âWhat if we watch a movie together while you guys fill out get to know me pages?â The kids cheer at your suggestion and you began looking for a appropriate movie to play. After some time you finally found a good movie to play, Minions. And much to the kids delight they enjoyed your choice. Happily and cheerfully they began to work on their worksheet filling out the various questions about themselves. Within thirty minutes they had all finished their work. You had seen that they were done and paused the movie.
âOkay raise your hand if you finished the worksheet?â Everyoneâs hands flew up.
âWonderful! Now weâre going to go around in the groups and youâre going to introduce yourself to me ok! And to make it a little less intimidating you can introduce yourself as a minion first.â Most of the kids laughed and they began sitting up waiting for you to pick on a group to start.
âUm okay, how about group four?â All the kids frantically looked at their tables fearing the worst. The other seven tables let out a small sigh as the one in the furthest corner fell silent. A small boy with curly brown hair cleared his throat as he prepared to answer. He stood up and began introducing himself,
âBello! Kevin!â The class erupted in laughter and it took a moment to quiet down enough for the boy to continue,
âHi! My name is Haiden, Iâm nine years old, I play football and I have a little sister who is in first grade!â He smiled and sat down as most kids said hi to him and clapped as he sat down. The next person who spoke
was a girl who had blonde hair that was put into plaited braids.
âUm, my favourite character isnât a minion but itâs Dr. Nefario.â A few gasps and giggles were heard. âMy name is Aria, Iâm nine, I have two dogs and I do gymnastics.â Aria sat down quickly. The other two kids from their group introduce themselves, their names being Jillian and Keith. You called upon another group and began learning more about the kids. You had come to find that most of these children played a sport of some sort. You were down to your last table. Table six.
âAlright dear and whoâs your favourite?â You asked a girl who had gorgeous red curls.
âMy favourite is Margo!â
âMy name is Margaret, Iâm ten! I have a cat and I play football. I have a little sister who is also in first grade. And my aunt who teaches here!â She smiled and sat back down. The boy next to her had black hair and he stood up quickly.
âHi, my favourite is King Bob.â
âMy name is Julian. Iâm ten, I like to run. I play basketball and I have an older brother.â He sat down and the last two kids looked at each other hoping the other would speak up first.
âI like Ron.â The boy who had sandy hair spoke.
âMy name is also Ron, Iâm nine. I like to draw, and I play rugby.â He added as he sat down next to the timid looking girl. She had brown hair and a pair of pink circle glasses. She slowly rose from her desk and spoke,
âMâfavourite is Agnes.â
âAnd my name is Eloise, I have two little brothers. I own a cat and I do ballet.â She sat down and looked straight at her hands. The class clapped for her and you smiled looking at your clock hung above the wall. It wasnât quite time for their recess and you needed to ask Mary a question. So you opted to continue to have them watch Minions. They quietly watched the film as you poked your head into the class next door.
âMs. Macdonald?âMary looked up and smiled at you as she placed her pen down as she stood and walked towards you.
âIs everything alright Ms. L/n?â She asked in a hushed tone. You nod and smile at her concern.
âYes! I just wanted to ask you a question, when do we meet with our little buddies? Like is there a special thing for that or is it when either party is available?â Mary laughed softly as she glanced at her watch.
âI laugh because I was supposed to take the kids to meet their littles! So why doesnât your class come along? Iâll ring Potter and tell him his big buddies are coming.â You smile and go to tell your kids about the plan.
âOkay everyone! So all of you have been going to Blossom for more than this year right?â You make sure to see everyone nodding their head in agreement. Thankfully everyone had been attending Blossom prior to this year which made explaining where you were taking them much easier.
âGreat! So you all know how we have little buddies? Well weâre going to go meet them!â They mostly cheered and began cleaning their desk and quickly lining up. Once they all resemble a line you open your door to see Mary and her class parallel to your door.
âClass this is Ms. Macdonald please say hi.â They all said their hello to Mary and her kids.
âHi guys! My kids say hi to Ms. L/n! Sheâs the other grade five teacher!â Her kids all greet you and you smile giving them a smile and wave. Once the greetings were made you and Mary made your ways to the front of the line.
âSo did James take it well that weâre coming?â You whisper to Mary. She giggled as you all turn a corner.
âI think he took it better than well. He nearly teleported himself to our pod.â You let out a small laugh. Mary smiled at you and bumped you gently.
âI told you that you had nothing to worry about.â You nod and take another turn with her noticing that you had seemingly arrived at where you needed to be.
âThis is your class, mine is right down the hall! We have about forty minutes before we need to head back so the littles can have lunch.â You nod and wave at her as she leads her kids to the class down the hall. You look at your line of kids and knock on the door. You werenât sure what you were expecting. You waited a few seconds and the door opened. The door revealed a tall man. He was gorgeous. He had beautiful eyes and curly brown hair and he had circled glasses that fit him gorgeously. Sucking in a sharp breath you continue to stare at him.
âHi! Iâm Mr. Potter! You must be my big buddies!â He cheered as he slightly ushered in your kids. You blink and move out the way to have your kids enter his room.
âUm yes! Iâm your- Iâm Ms. L/n!â You smile as you enter the room with James as your heart rate rises. He was gorgeous, how were you supposed to come and co-teach with him without feeling like a schoolgirl each time? Dear God what did you get yourself into?
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please feel free to like comment and reblog!! it makes me really happy to see them!
<3
lily
[1] Parent-Teacher Conferences
Summary: James meets his favorite student's mother for the first time.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!reader, mom!reader x son!OC (Liam), inspired by this post by @ravishinglavishingluvr
Next Part: Seeing Each Other Around Town Series Masterlist here
![[1] Parent-Teacher Conferences](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/366f43b0ec770666-77/s500x750/e83cbcb3381570a011a677546ccf196fb199eb2d.png)
teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teacher!james teâ
specifically james as a kindergarten teacher
(see inspiration post)
(just kindergarten instead of preschool)
(yaknow, for the plot)
Okok lets get started :D:D:D
Youâve got a sweet baby boy of a son (Iâm sorry if you donât!! I also donât but idk my stepmom is pregnant with a boy and Iâm super excited and this mess is what came out so here you go)
And heâs five and in Jamesâ kindergarten class
Baby boy is just the sweetest little thing
James loves him to death
Heâs smart and nice and helpful and just an absolute gem
Like seriously tho James goes to the library during his lunch break to hang out with school librarian!Remus and school secretary!Sirius and just canât shut up about how much he loves your son like James just talks about him the whole lunch period
And Remus and Sirius are like
âThatâs great, James đ"
But James doesnât care heâs just too excited to have such a bright young boy in his class
And also (because James is nosy af) heâs super curious to see what kind of parents this kid has
So parent-teacher conferences roll around and heâs like âWhat kind of geniuses are raising this kid?? Letâs see em????â
And then nurse!reader rolls up to the 7:30 PM meeting, still in her hospital scrubs and profusely apologizing for being like three minutes late
And James is like
What.
Not at ALLLLLL what he was expecting
(not that heâs complaining, youâre fucking adorable and a great break from all the stuffy parents heâs had to deal with all day)
So you and him sit down and talk about your sonâs work at school
And James just gushes about him to you practically the whole time
Like legit James fell for him before he even met you
Meanwhile youâre like
1) damn i didnât know my kidâs teacher was so pretty
(Not like thatâs important ofc because you have priorities and your son always comes first.)
And 2) but like can my son read?? Can he do math?? Are you teaching him science sir????
And James is like âyeah but heâs NICE and KIND and EMPATHETIC
âDO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET FIVE YEAR OLDS TO SAY THEYâRE SORRY
âAND HE JUST DOES ITâ
And youâre like
ââŚâŚyeahâŚâŚ bc thatâs an important part of learning to be a good person ⌠ofc I showed him how to be kind?? Like what????â
And James
(poor babyâs bar is on the floor from all the Karens whoâs kids he teaches)
Heâs just so enamored about how youâre just like naturally kind and caring??
And you imparted that onto your kid????
Your conference time is the last one on Jamesâ schedule, and he absolutely irritates the fuck out of Remus and Sirius as he drives them back to their flat
Like he canât shut up about you
And your kid
Like he just loves your son
And has a little puppy-love crush on you
Remus pretends to be annoyed and Sirius teases him
But when James drops them off theyâre already planning your wedding
(Remus: âYou know, we havenât actually even met her âŚâ Sirius: âSo? Have you ever seen James this smitten??? Itâll happen, love. Trust the process.â
![[1] Parent-Teacher Conferences](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/366f43b0ec770666-77/s500x750/e83cbcb3381570a011a677546ccf196fb199eb2d.png)
Next Part: Seeing Each Other Around Town
đ Cute Kid Masterlist đ [Completed]
Aaaaalrighty folks I'm starting a series that I actually intend to finish (mark it on the calendar). It's more of a series of blurbs than anything, and maybe eventually I'll convert it into an actual series, but we'll see. I'm trying to keep it as easy for me as possible because I've found it really difficult to write consistently lately, so I super appreciate your patience <3<3<3 Anyway, I hope you like it!!
Summary: Your son is the light of your life. It's always been you and him, and you've never felt the need for anything else in your life. But maybeâjust this onceâyou could indulge in something you want instead. Though, it might be a little tricky, seeing as he's Liam's kindergarten teacher. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!reader, mom!reader x son!OC (Liam), inspired by @ravishinglavishingluvr's post here <3
![Cute Kid Masterlist [Completed]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/683f633f3204131ceef575a6d5f3eee8/04dad43310ed0710-b8/s500x750/06d196b768712b15f6b44990a8922573c364dab7.png)
âł Parent-Teacher Conferences â in which James meets his favorite student's mom for the first time.
âł Seeing Each Other Around Town â in which James discovers his favorite student and his mom are his across-the-street neighbors and now he can't stop seeing her everywhere.
âł Career Fair â James holds a parents' career fair, to which Liam's mom is invited.
âł Liam and James Make You A Birthday Gift â in which, inspired by his birthday party at school, Liam goes to James for help with your birthday present.
âł James Takes Liam to School â in which, having grown closer with James over the month after your birthday, he offers to help lighten the load of a stressful morning.
âł You Get A Visitor in the ER â in which you're working overtime when you get a visit from an unexpected someone who makes your shift just a bit less excruciating.
âł Kindergarten Graduation â in which Liam graduates from kindergarten and another thing changes in your life.
[2] Seeing Each Other Around Town
Summary: James discovers his favorite student and his mom are his across-the-street neighbors and now he can't stop seeing her everywhere.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!reader, mom!reader x son!OC (Liam), inspired by this post by @ravishinglavishingluvr. Tiny little bit of angst in this one but it's negligible. Y'all this is gonna be a slow burn but we'll get there. Also I'm updating sorta regularly now yay!!!
A/N (23/5/24): FINALLY edited this. I'm out of school, so hopefully I'll have time to continue this series <3
Previous Part: Parent-Teacher Conferences Next Part: Career Fair Series Masterlist here
![[2] Seeing Each Other Around Town](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/10e93fec50a24831-d1/s500x750/fbba88cbb113fbd037f020629af8a37140fa3634.png)
Poor James is completely infatuated with you after parent-teacher conferences
He just canât get you out of his head
And Sirius and Remus are usually the ones who suffer the consequences
Their apartment is on the way to school from Jamesâ house, so they almost always carpool
And lately, the entire car ride, James Cant. Shut. Up. about you
(âBoys, you shouldâve seen herâsheâs so sweetâof course sheâs Liamâs momâPads, you donât understandâtheyâre so similarâRemus, sheâs gorgeousâdid you see her????â)
By the end of the week, Sirius and Remus are very amused with Jamesâ adoration for you
But it also gets kinda irritating after a while, so theyâre pretty thankful when the weekend rolls around and they (hopefully) get a small break from his incessant enamored babbling
Saturday rolls around, and James is up at six thirty (hard to break out of the habit when school starts at eight) and shuffling out to the lobby of his apartment building in his pajamas, robe, and slippers to get the mail and the newspaper
But just because Jamesâ body wakes up early doesnât mean Jamesâ brain wakes up at the same time so heâs out by his mailbox looking confusedly at the newspaper and wondering why he suddenly canât read
And after like a solid thirty seconds of him just squinting really hard he finally realizes itâs because he left his glasses inside
Heâs doing his best guys, heâs doing his best
So James is about to turn around and go back to his own flat to get his glasses (and probably a cup of coffee) when he hears his own nameâ âjust ⌠well, kinda
âMr. Potter?â
James just about jumps out of his skin because what teacher expects to see one of their students outside of school???? Like no thank you
Donât get me wrong, James loves his kids to death and heâd die for them any day
But itâs the weekend
So no thanks
But then James realizes itâs Liam and heâs lowkey relieved because like
If he has to see a student outside of school, heâd rather it be this one
And then it occurs to James that if Liam is in his apartment building at six thirty in the morning, then he probably lives here
And if Liam lives here, then âŚ
âLiam?â
Poor James canât help the full-body flush that rushes through him at your voice
Boy looks like someone dunked him in tomato juice
His head snaps from Liam (or at least the blurry shape that has Liamâs voice) to where your voice is coming from, and it hits him that youâre whispering (very tiredly and cutely, if you asked James) from the floor below his own, leaning over the railing to watch as your son presumably gets the mail
How the hell didnât he notice you lived in his apartment building????????
Not that heâs complaining ofc :):):):):):)
James realizes after a minute that Liam asked if heâs alright, and heâs just like âYeah!!â and utterly beaming
(Unbeknownst to James, you realize who exactly Liam is talking to and blush just as terribly as James does when you realize youâre still in pajamas and arenât at all presentable)
You say good morning to him as well (from the balcony) and James is pretty sure heâs about to melt
(You call him Mr. Potter tho and it lowkey makes him cringe and remember that Liam is like RIGHT next to him)
So you and him exchange pleasantries like Romeo and Juliet with the balcony :) you get it?? :):):) while Liam gets the mail from your own mailbox and walks it up the stairs back to you
(he says âhere you go, mamaâ in his sweet little voice as he hands the small stack to you and you say the gentlest âthank you, babyâ back and Jamesâ heart feels like goop in his chest)
James barely makes it back into is own apartment before heâs squealing and doing a goofy little dance out of overflowing joy
And the best part?
That's not the last time he sees you. Not even close.
Over the next several weeks, James begins to notice you everywhere around town
He sees you and Liam at the grocery store (youâre there with Liam and give him the choice between dino nuggets and spring rolls; he decisively choses the latter)
And on his way to work (on one of the few days where Remus and Sirius arenât carpooling with him, as Remus was sick and Sirius stayed home to care for him), James sees you in your own car on your way to work
And when you and Liam go on walks on the weekends (James had taken to mowing Remus' mother's lawn, which was on your walking path, shirtless every Saturday morningâfor entirely unrelated reasons, of course, and he will take no questions on the matter âŚ)
James still isnât sure how he hadnât noticed you before because how could he have missed you?? Youâre gorgeous????
(Of course, poor Remus and Sirius get to hear about his fawning even more now)
(They both find it cute though and they like to give him advice, so itâs fine)
So eventually one Friday night, James canât sleep and is done with his lesson plans
And heâs just bored, so what does he do?
Go to the grocery store, of course
So James ventures out, once again in his pajamas, to the grocery store to get some treats to eat while he watches Antiques Roadshow until he falls asleep
And of courseâhe shouldâve known at this point honestlyâthere you are
(Also in your pajamas)
And James says hi before he can really stop himself, and you look a little spooked for a second (because who tf would be talking to you in the grocery store at ten at night?) but then you realize itâs him and you say hi back with a sweet little smile that turns James' insides to warm fudge
Apparently, Liam is at Draco's birthday sleepover (Draco's a little shit, and James never understood how Liam could stand the kid) and you donât have a shift at the hospital tonight, so you decided to indulge in some celebratory ice cream
James ends up helping you choose which ice cream you want (chocolate chip cookie doughâa classic) and as thanks, you go with him to the candy aisle to help him pick out treats
James ends up getting a container of pretty much every candy, cookie, and chip that grocery store because he didnât want to leave yet lmao
And when youâre in line to check out, James mentions that thereâs a career fair at school in a month and heâs wondering if youâd maybe want to come and talk about being a nurse????
Pretty please??????
James doesnât notice how your face falls ever so slightly. You kind of forgot for a second that heâs your sonâs teacher and not just some pretty guy that youâve sorta had a crush on for the past couple weeks. Nothing could happen between the two of youânot if it meant messing with orâgod forbidâhurting Liamâs education. But itâs okay. Youâll just suck it up and stick to your job and your son. Itâs fine. Itâs fine.
Youâre agreeing in an instant, and James promises to email you the details so you can plan around it
James leaves the grocery store with like ten pounds worth of treats feeling full to the bursting with warmth and his eyes are glowing the rest of the night
He sees this really pretty pearl and gold necklace on Antiques Roadshow and catches himself thinking about how pretty it would look on you, but he doesnât bother trying to stop himself at this point
It wouldnât be any help anyway
![[2] Seeing Each Other Around Town](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/10e93fec50a24831-d1/s500x750/fbba88cbb113fbd037f020629af8a37140fa3634.png)
Next Part: Career Fair
[3] Career Fair
Summary: James holds a parents' career fair, to which Liam's mom is invited.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!reader, mom!reader x son!OC (Liam), inspired by this post by @ravishinglavishingluvr. Hah, remember last time where I said I was updating semi-regularly? Ok well I actually mean it now, I promise lmao. Not edited but I'll do that tomorrow. Also kinda short, sorry
A/N (1/8/2024): okok I came back here to change the names of some kids bc I forgot that this is a marauders au so I can use the names of like real kids from harry potter smhhhhh please don't get mad at me this is my first time writing an au
Previous Part: Seeing Each Other Around Town Next Part: Liam and James Make You A Birthday Gift Series Masterlist here
![[3] Career Fair](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/94597ee97744c512-a0/s500x750/917feae014f0bf05654e4ddfa1a95c2f414c7b1e.png)
James ended up pushing the career fair back a couple weeks because there was a conflict in the schedule
(not because you emailed him back saying you wouldnât be able to come the day he had originally planned it)
(and definitely not because he asked you to send him your shift schedule so he could make sure you could come, and you were working overtime for two weeks straight)
(James was pretty sure your work schedule violated some labor laws or something, but he was in no place to question you)
Liam is soooo excited for the couple days leading up to the career fair
Because his mom is cool af and he canât wait to show everybody just how badass you are
(You had Liam pretty young, so youâre totally the parent who all the kids think is the coolest person alive and who all the kidsâ older siblings have crushes on and who all the kidsâ parents judge because of your age and assume youâre irresponsible, but we donât have to talk about that)
James is also excited because he hasnât had a real conversation with you in a couple weeks and he really just wants to talk to you
Poor Sirius and Remus have had to deal with him swooning and fawning and over you and also helping him frantically prepare for this career fair because âguys it HAS to be perfectâ
But at long last, the day finally arrives
James scheduled the career fair in the afternoon so he could threaten children with canceling the event if they misbehave, so both he and his kids are bouncing off the walls in excitement all morning
He eats lunch in the library with Remus and Sirius, and they both spend the entire time hyping him up
(Itâs mostly Sirius tho)
âYouâve got this, Prongsâbe smoothâbe niceâyouâre a nice bloke, thatâs not gonna be a problem for youââ
And eventually, itâs time
The parents that are participating in the fair arrive ten minutes before James has to get the kids from the cafeteria so he can explain to them whatâs going to happen (because god knows the majority didnât read the goddamn email he sent)
Youâre a little late (profusely apologizing again, and it reminds James of the first time you met back at parent-teacher conferences) but you read the email the night before (and take another piece of Jamesâ heart hostage while youâre at it) so itâs no worries
Jamesâ summary instructions take a shorter amount of time than expected, so the ten or so parents all get to talking
And ofc James takes this opportunity to talk to you
Youâd emailed back and forth about the fair but you hadnât really talked in person since that night in the grocery store, and James was starting to feel like heâd die if he went another day without talking to you
So heâs plotting his route to you across the classroom when he notices youâve secluded yourself a few steps away from the majority of the parentsâ conversation
James is also horrified to discover you look slightly uncomfortable
Like youâre somewhere you donât belong
And of course James canât have that
So he sidles up next to you and asks how your day is going, if your boss gave you a hard time getting off work early, how the chocolate chip cookie dough from a month and a half ago wasâanything he can think of, really
By the time James has to go get the kids from the cafeteria, youâre smiling and laughing, and James desperately wants to keep you like that all the time
He shakes himself out of his daydreamy state on the way to the cafeteria because this is your JOB, James, you canât be distracted by your favorite studentâs mom. His sweet, kind, whip-smart, dazzling ⌠mom âŚ
(In the back of his mind, James knows heâs screwed, he just has no idea what to do about it)
(CERTAINLY not act on it, because that would be a complete conflict of interest and totally unprofessional of him)
(But itâs just a crush)
(Itâs fine)
(Right?)
ANYWAY
Liamâs on the lookout for you as soon as he steps through the door, and he beams the sweetest little chubby-cheeked smile when he finds you and points you out to his friends
You wink playfully at him, and he and his friends giggle excitedly as they sit in their seats
If James is being completely honest with himself, the career fair was a little disappointing
The majority of the parentsâ presentations were kinda lame
And they didnât make their jobs understandable or appealing for the kids
Dean's mom (sheâs regional manager of a popular grocery store chain) complained to the class about her boss pretty much the whole time
Lunaâs father, a rather eccentric professor at the local university, just spewed a bunch of nonsense technical jargon about the soul or the meaning of life or something that not even the adults in the room could understand
And Draco's dad (he owns the local insurance company and is just obscenely wealthy, which explains quite a bit of his son's attitude) straight up said he hated his job, so thereâs that
But then there was your presentation
James is sure heâs in love by now because you made being a nurse sound so amazing
You talked about how youâre in charge of taking care of people when theyâre sick or hurt, how itâs nice to be able to help people, how even when your job gets hard, you feel like youâve made a positive impact at the end of the day
Once the parents left, James asked the kids whoâs presentation they liked the most
And ofc every kid in that room agreed that yours was the best
And a solid 75% said they wanted to be a nurse lmao and he was just so proud
Proud of his kids and also you because your presentation was just so fucking good
As James is taking the kids out to the buses, Liam thanks him for inviting you to the career fair
Ofc James says it was no problem and that youâre really cool, so it was a pleasure to have you there
And Liam kinda gives James this ⌠look ⌠and is like â⌠yeah, my mom is cool âŚâ
And James gets this horrible feeling that Liam somehow knows
Knows heâs completely smitten for Liamâs mom
Fallen head over heels
Practically in love at this point (though James has a nasty habit of throwing that word around willy-nilly)
(Liam kinda freaks James out a bit sometimes lmao)
![[3] Career Fair](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/94597ee97744c512-a0/s500x750/917feae014f0bf05654e4ddfa1a95c2f414c7b1e.png)
Next Part: Liam and James Make You A Birthday Gift
[6] You Get A Visitor in the ER
Summary: You're working overtime when you get a visit from an unexpected someone who makes your shift just a bit less excruciating.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!single mom!reader.
A/N (26/7/2024): this is edited but still kinda short so I may come back to it at some point and add some things ... second to last chapter yay!
Previous Part: James Takes Liam to School Next Part: Kindergarten Graduation Series Masterlist here
![[6] You Get A Visitor In The ER](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/ed2d2560d931d9bc-84/s500x750/a4698ce98a6427bd1b03b4dc1b5db0909650cc4e.png)
About two weeks ago, you woke up in the middle of the night to a hard thump from Liamâs room
You were in his doorway in a flash, of course, because what if heâs dying
And tbh you were kinda close
Turns out he fell out of his bed and the lower right side of his abdomen was hurting really bad
You figured out pretty quick that he probably had appendicitis, which is definitely not ideal
So one rather tense ambulance ride and night in the ER and OR later, you wheeled Liam out of the hospital in a wheelchair so he wouldn't mess up his stitches too much after literally getting an organ removed
You texted James to let him know what happened and that Liam would be staying hope from school for a week to recover
(James had managed to give you his number under the guise of offering to drive Liam to and from school in the future and although you haven't had to ask or even use his number at all, he still has you as one of his pinned contacts)
(Sirius and Remus make fun of him for it)
(Your contact photo is actually a photo of Liam where he's smiling really big while mixing cookie dough for your birthday, which was about three months ago)
As always, James was totally sympathetic and understanding and even dropped by your apartment after school with work for Laim so he wouldn't fall too far behind
You took the week off from work to watch Liam, of course
But you're paying for it now bc your CNO super sucks and isn't understanding at all when it comes to your kid
So now he has you working a fucking double to make up for your missed days
Two 12-hour shifts in a row, 6AM to 6AM
Not fucking fun, dude
(Your CNO is the absolute worstâthis is the one that James is pretty sure violates labor laws pretty consistently)
He actually wanted you to do three doubles over the next two weeks but Poppy (not the CNO, but sheâs been a nurse at this hospital for time immemorial) told him off, so you only have to do the one today
And at the very least, itâs in the ER
Which isnât terrible
Definitely not as bad as med-surg
I mean yeah, it can be stressful but itâs nowhere near as bad as medical dramas make it out to be, and itâs pretty rewarding most of the time
Itâs a Friday, so Tonks watched Liam in the morning and took him to school, where Ms. Hope picked him up and held onto him for a couple hours until it was time for Ron's sleepover, which she then dropped him off at
So heâs safe and taken care of
And itâs been a pretty quiet night tbh
There was a big car crash during rush hour in the morning but beyond that, nothing super crazy or out of the ordinary
So now youâre on triage duty with Poppy (which just means you and her are hanging out and talking while waiting for somethingâanythingâto happen)
Lily, one of the administrative aides that checks people into the ER, finally pokes her head into the ER at half past ten at night, and itâs rather urgent
Apparently someoneâs cut their had pretty badly
You lose a rapid-fire game of rock paper scissors against Poppy, so itâs you that goes to evaluate the patient
But when you enter the ER fast track, youâre really quite surprised
"James?"
To be fair, James is also quite surprised to see you, it's just that he's more smiley and pleased than distressed
Heâs hovering near one of the beds and has what seems to be a kitchen towel wrapped around his palm, which you now see has been bleeding quite profusely
Youâre at his side embarrassingly quickly and asking him standard questions as he stares at you with a rather glassy look on his face
What happened? Cut my hand while cooking. Can you feel your hand? Um, yeah, it ⌠it hurts pretty bad. Can you tell if itâs still bleeding? I canât really, no. Do you feel lightheaded at all? Mm, yeah, just ⌠just a bit. Did someone drive you here? Yeah, um, Sirius did ⌠they told him to wait in the lobby.
James is in shock, that much is clear
You ease him to take a seat on the bed and quickly grab a couple forms, which you fill out as you continue asking him questions
Poor boy gets really concerned when you make for the door to the ER proper but ofc you reassure him youâll be back in a second
You ask Poppy to get Dr. Longbottom before quickly returning to James
And JamesâSweet Summer Child Jamesâhe's just asking you what youâre doing here so late, if Liam is at Ms. Hopeâs, just random questions that arenât super related to one another
Heâs super out of it but you entertain his thoughts and answer whatever questions come to his mind as you ensure that his kitchen towel is applying a decent enough amount of pressure
Alice shows up pretty quickly with a suture tray and asks you to clean Jamesâ cut as she gets ready, which you readily do
You also let her know that James isnât exactly all there, to which she smiles amusedly and says she can see that lmao
James is kinda confused at first when Alice tries to take away the towel around his hand, but you gently explain what's happening and he understands pretty quick
He looks down at his hand when you finally uncover the cut (itâs long but cleanâeasy to stitch right up) and poor boy gets a little too light headed at the sight of all the blood thatâs covering his hands and the kitchen towel and your latex-gloved hands
James just about falls over onto your shoulder lmaooooo
He doesnât quite pass out, just like a severe wave of lightheadedness
You quickly encourage him off of your shoulder and you and Alice manage to lay him down on the hospital bed just so he wonât fall off of it and hurt himself if he does decide to pass out
The cut is easy to clean despite how bloody it is, and you round the bed to Jamesâ opposite side as Alice prepares to administer the anesthetic and sew Jamesâ hand up
This entire time, James has just been following your around with his eyes
Heâs never gotten to see you work before and itâs really quite interesting to him
And he loves that youâre taking care of him (Such Gentle! Yay!)
Alice asks you to keep James talking and distracted while she sews him up and you happily obliged
Itâs kinda hard to keep James talking though because he just keeps asking you questions
By the time Alice is finished with Jamesâ hand, youâve told him about Liamâs recovery, your shift so far, and how shitty your CNO is for making you work a double
James is much more lucid by the time his stitches are finished which is great because he was sort of starting to worry you
But heâs pretty much all there now :)
Heâs also disclosed to you that he cut his hand while trying to take the pit out of an avocado, which you find absolutely hilarious even though you couldnât really laugh at your own patient
Alice leaves you to wrap Jamesâ hand in protective gauze and give him post-op care instructions
And James is honestly thrilled that your shift has been a quiet one
Because heâs sure that if anyone beyond you two were in the fast track, they would have seen clear as day how he looked at you while you wrapped some soft gauze firmly around his palm
Heâs lucky though because youâre tired after working for about sixteen hours with eight still to go, so you donât really notice the look in his eyes
You give him the normal spielâwash around the area of the stitches with soap and water not hydrogen peroxide, put vaseline over it, wrap in a non-stick bandage, the works
By the time youâre done, James is just kinda staring at you
You tack on at the end that he can always text you or drop by your apartment to make sure heâs taking care of them correctly
Sirius leaps up from his chair in the lobby when he sees James finally come out of the ER
He was lowkey super worried bc he knows James is the slightest bit squeamish around blood
But now heâs also like super confused bc James is looking at his newly bandaged hand like it had the best compliment ever written on the palm
Itâs only on the car ride home that Sirius finally weasels it out of James
Apparently Liamâs mom was working in the ER and she was the one who bandaged up his hand for him after he got stitched up
And apparently, when James was complaining lightly that his palm still hurt right as he was about to leave, she brushed a light kiss against his palm and whispered something to him about how kisses make everything better
Sirius practically has to pick his jaw up off the floor as he and James walked into the latterâs apartment, where Remus had apparently finished their rather bloody attempt at guacamole
And then of course he made James explain what happened to Remus, who just laughs and shakes his head
Jamesâ only regret is that he was too stunned to do anything except wave goodbye as you left
![[6] You Get A Visitor In The ER](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/ed2d2560d931d9bc-84/s500x750/a4698ce98a6427bd1b03b4dc1b5db0909650cc4e.png)
Next Part: Kindergarten Graduation
[7] Kindergarten Graduation
Summary: Liam graduates from kindergarten, and another thing changes in your life.
Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!single mom!reader.
A/N(18/8/2024): GUYS I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!! ok maybe not really finished, I think I may continue to add to this au as I think of ideas and please please please send me ideas/requests if you have any and I'll do my best to write them :) thank you all so much for reading my silly little story, I really appreciate all the love and support you've given me, even when I take months and months to update (sorry) all my love to each and every one of you <3<3<3<3
Previous Part: You Get A Visitor in the ER This is the last one as of right now! Click here for the series masterlist
![[7] Kindergarten Graduation](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/263064f13237fb4a-cd/s500x750/0b75f23ebe1362ffe8f8cba5058d33544aaea587.png)
Alright itâs taken a hot second
But weâre here guys
The end of the year!! *jazz hands*
The school year, that is
Liam has been getting more and more excited for summer break as the weeks pass by
You promised him that youâd visit your dad, whom Liam hasnât seen since he was two because he lives so far away
You and your dad arenât exactly the closest but you get along well and your son thinks grandpaâs the funniest thing since sliced bread
And itâs about time that you visit him anyway
But first, Liam needs to get to the end of the school year
And he has! Yay!
The administration at Liamâs school likes to put on a little graduation ceremony for the kindergarteners and the departing fifth graders, and that ceremony happens to be today
And itâs as if your car knows that you have something important to do today
Because sheâs just refusing to start up
The engine makes a horrid whining-grinding sound when you turn the key in the ignition, and it makes you a little nervous that the whole thing is gonna blow
So youâve resigned yourself to finding a different way to get to Liamâs school
Side note: you have the misfortune of being very anxious to get to events quite early in an effort to make sure you arenât late, and youâve definitely imparted that worry onto your son
Which means you have a nervous six-year-old switching between pacing back and forth beside your useless car and wrapping his arms around your thigh in an anxious iron grip
At least youâd left your apartment early, so thereâs still some time to figure out a solution
You run through the list in your head: the school is close enough to walk to but it would take too much time, Tonks and her parents are at her own high school graduation so thatâs obviously not an option, Poppy is working today so she canât pick you up, and you absolutely refuse to ask anything more of Ms. Hope since she already does so much for you with Liam
The idea dawns on you to take an Uber just as the front door to your apartment building opens
And of course, a solution on legs walks into the parking lot
(Even if you donât like burdening him by asking for his help)
James smiles as soon as he sees you and Liam
Liamâs face also lights up like a Christmas tree as he waves enthusiastically from his spot attached to your leg
You shouldnât be surprised when James saunters over to you both to say good morning
And you especially shouldnât be surprised when he offers help with your car troubles
(You were terrified slightly worried when James had left the ER that youâd crossed a line when you kissed his bandaged palm, and maybe you did, but James didnât let it change your dynamicâif anything, he was just more and more happy-looking to see you every morning, and it was hard not to let his happiness spread to you too)
You refuse Jamesâ help at first under the guise that his hand was still healing from that cut, but he just laughed and reminded you that heâd cut himself a month ago and his hand is perfectly fine
Which is how youâve ended up here
The hood of your car propped up, Liam peering eagerly at the engine, James in a very nice-fitting crewneck t-shirt and formal slacks poking around inside the car, and you holding the suit jacket heâs planning on wearing to shake his kidsâ hands as they walk across the gymnasium floor and blushing furiously as you try not to stare at the way the short sleeves of Jamesâ shirt fit so nicely around his biceps
Youâre plenty familiar with human anatomy, being a nurse and all, but jesus christâ
After a minute or two, James hums in understanding and Liam replicates the sound, trying to look where James is looking
You do your best to school your face, and you succeed for the most part even if you canât really get rid of your blush
James explains to you and Liam that the bearings in your alternator have broken down and you sigh deeply
He says heâd offer to fix it butâhe laughs a little sheepishlyâheâs not the best with cars
Still, his friend Sirius, an administrative aide at Liamâs school, is pretty good at car mechanic stuff and James could probably ask him to do it
You arenât super keen on agreeing (again with the asking for help thing) but either way, getting your alternator fixed right now isnât a possibility because all three of us have a kindergarten graduation to get to, Mr. Potter
Jamesâ eyes go wiiiiide lmao but you reassure him that you have enough time to get to the school just in time if you leave now
And of course he offers to drive you both there
You accept (not like you have much of a choice) and quickly find yourself on the way to Liamâs school with Liam in the back, sitting in Jamesâ âemergency car seatâ
(He explains that he keeps a kidsâ car seat in his trunk in case he ever needs to drive a kid anywhere and that this is the car seat he used to drive Liam to and from school that one time)
(You feel alarmed and then thankful and then terribly guilty when you realize youâd never even thought about if Liam was sitting in a car seat that day)
After all that hassle, you, James, and Liam finally arrive at the school building and hurry to the gym, where the ceremony will be taking place
You send Liam down the hall with James with a kiss on the forehead (James thinks about asking for a kiss himself but thinks better of it) before going to sit in the rows of folding chairs set out for parents and family members
You sit with Molly and Arthur, the parents of Liamâs good friend Ron
Arthur is very jolly and cheery at all times and Molly, while occasionally judgemental, is usually quite kind
This graduation ceremony is very abbreviated just because six-year-olds canât sit still for four hours like they would have to if this was a real graduation
The event starts with a few quick words from Principal McGonagall about how hard the kids have worked this year and how they deserve to enjoy their time off from school
Then itâs time for the kids to walk across the âstageâ, which is really just a mobile raised platform
The principal calls a name, hands the child their very own kindergarten diploma, and sends them to have their photo taken with their respective teacher
James (now with his suit jacket back on) has a wide smile on his face as he stands with the other three kindergarten teachers
You cheer for Ron with Molly and Arthur as he walks across the stage to take a photo with his teacher, and when itâs Liamâs turn, Molly and Arthur (and Ron from the side of the stage) cheer with you
When the ceremony is over, Ron and Liam come running to you, Molly, and Arthur asking if they can go to the playground across the street to play for a while
Molly and Arthur agree to take Liam and Ron while you go let James know where youâre going and that you and Liam can walk home if he has somewhere he needs to be
Itâs pretty clear from the look on Jamesâ face that he thinks that even just the idea of leaving you and Liam without a ride is atrocious lmao
He just shakes his head like itâs the most ridiculous thing heâs ever heard and promises to meet you at the playground once heâs done dealing with Dracoâs overbearing parents
You laugh and nod in agreement
The playground across from Liamâs school is really fancy
The city built it pretty recently, so itâs tall with a merry-go-round and a tire-swing and metal slides that youâre sure sear childrenâs skin off on hot days
Liam and Ron are having the time of their lives already, and you sit with Molly and Arthur on a nearby bench under a tree
Itâs easy to talk with them because they ask the same questions whenever you talk
How are you? Oh Iâm good. Howâs Liam doing? Heâs good too. Everything good at the hospital? As good as it can be, yeah.
Theyâre easy to talk to but itâs difficult to relate to them sometimes
Molly and Arthur are so old they could be your parents, and they have seven kids, the oldest of which is only a couple years younger than you
But at the same time, theyâre really rather cute
Theyâve been married for who knows how long and theyâre still so in love (even when Molly threatens to decapitate her husband)
Itâs sort of inspirational in a way
Liam and Ron call over to the three of you saying theyâve found a frog under one of the slides
You sigh and get up, knowing Molly doesnât want to see any sort of amphibian and Arthur has some back problems so he probably couldnât bend down to see the frog anyway
By the time you reach Ron and Liam, Ronâs got the poor frog cupped in his hands, and you tell him he may want to put it down since itâs scared
Ron understands and finds a puddle to release the frog into
Molly, Arthur, and Ron end up having to leave pretty quickly
Their oldest is graduating today too and they need to make it to his ceremony, so you and Liam bid them farewell and promise to make plans to hang out over the summer sometime
James sees you being dragged by Liam towards the swings as he crosses the street towards the park
Neither you nor Liam realizes heâs there until he sits in the swing next to you
But Liamâs flying into Jamesâ gut with the tightest hug ever as soon as he sees him
You laugh and James hugs Liam back and thinks to himself that this is just the best thing ever
He couldnât be happier in any other place with any other people
Liam tells James about the frog and that somehow evolves into thanking him for being "the best teacher ever, not the bestest because of grammar"
(James thanks Liam for being such a good student, and Liam has the biggest smile after that)
Watching Liam talk to James makes a warm fuzz rise up in your chest
Theyâre just so sweet with each other :(
James is so attentive with Liam and Liam talks to James like theyâre both adults and itâs just the cutest sweetest nicest thing ever
Liam decides to go searching for more frogs in the wooded park near the playground, and you and James are left watching him from the swings
Itâs quiet for a little while between you and James, and James suddenly becomes starkly aware that this is the first time youâve been alone together in the month since his ER visit
Usually you have Liam or maybe Remus, Sirius, or Ms. Hope as a buffer, but now?
Now itâs just him and you
But if thereâs one thing James is good at, itâs making people feel comfortable in sorta uncomfortable situations
So he makes some cheesy joke about you being the parent of a kindergarten graduate, and you laugh along and say you couldnât be more proud of your little boy
And just like that you two are talking like best friends again
You thank him for the kind note he wrote about Liamâs performance in school that he included in the report card from the most recent parent-teacher conference
He recommends a new kind of breakfast cereal youâd seen him buy at the grocery store a couple weeks ago
You update him on the gossip and drama between Poppy and your CNO at work
He thanks you for the black-and-white cookies you made for him as a thank-you for the oatmeal raisin cookies several months ago
You tell him about a large black dog youâd seen waltzing about in Ms. Hopeâs front yard once
He asks you to check on the very-much healed scar on his palm (just to be 100% sure itâs not infected, you know?)
You laugh at his jokes and he smiles at your laugh, and eventually, you fall into a silence more comfortable than the last
Eventually, James speaks up
âHey, um âŚâ He sighs, unsure of how he wants to go about this. I mean, itâs fine now, isnât it? Heâs no longer Liamâs teacher; youâre no longer his studentâs mom because Liam isnât his student anymore. So itâs fine. Right?
âYou alright?â you ask, brows pulled just slightly together in concern. James takes a long look into your eyes before turning and setting his gaze on Liam. Your son is crouched under a wide tree, eyes trained on the dirt and mud underneath in search of frogs.
âI ⌠yeah, Iâm alright,â James says. âI, uh ⌠I ⌠god, this is so much more difficult than I thought it would be.â He laughs quietly at himself in a way thatâs a little too self-deprecating for you to approve of, but he starts talking again before you can comment.
âOkay.â James is firm in his resolve, but he refuses to meet your eyes as he speaks. âIâIâm gonna say something, and Iâm not one hundred percent sure how youâll react, so if I say something wrong or make you uncomfortable in any way, pleaseâpleaseâjust tell me and Iâll never bring it up again, but I wanted to tell you howâhow Iâve been feeling these past couple months and I hope you feel the same wayâI think you do, but maybe Iâm just reading into thingsâbut I just wanted to say that, you know, I started to think of you as my friend when we started talking in the mornings, but as soon as I saw you at parent-teacher conferences I knew you were just the kindest, most hard-working, most beautiful person Iâd ever had the honor of meeting andâand over the past year, Iâve begun to have these feelings thatâbut itâs been so hard because I would never ever voice them while Liam is in my class because that would be terribly unprofessional and completely unfair to you, and I justââ James heaves a breath, suddenly sharply aware of the fact that he hadnât been breathing enough, and gasped for several deep breaths.
He looked into his lap with a self-pitying laugh. âI ⌠sorry, Iâm rambling.â
James dug the toe of his shoe into the wood chips, pushing his swing lightly. Why had he done this again? Liam was barely out of his class and he was already hounding after you. God, how desperate and creepy was that? He hadnât even truly confessed and he was sure heâd already ruined every chance of you even talking to him again, let aloneâ
The crunch of wood chips made James wince. He closed his eyes, certain you would simply leave him on the swings without so much as a goodbye, until he heard your steps stop abruptly somewhere in front of him. Carefully, one eye peeked open, and he saw your ballet flats standing directly in front of his seat on the swings, facing him. He looked up.
James felt like he knew you pretty well at this point, but the face you were making was one he wasnât familiar with at all. One moment he thought it was hope, but it would switch and look like fear next, then reluctance, then ⌠was that excitement? Happiness? Eventually, you took a deep breath, shoulders squared and ready to speak.
âDo you like coffee?â
There was a moment of silence before James very eloquently responded, âWhat?â
You smiledâgenuine this time, if awkward.
âI mean, if you donât, thatâs totally fine, I just ⌠figured we could go somewhere to get coffee orâor tea, or a muffin or something before I go to work rather than just, you know, talking by the mailboxes.â You let out a meek laugh, and James feels his shoulders melt away from his ears.
âDo you like coffee?â he asks back.
âIâm a nurseâcoffee is the only thing keeping me from falling apart at the seams,â you quip. James outright laughs, which makes you smile, which makes him smile.
âWe can go for coffee,â he agrees. âI know a cafĂŠ that has muffins and stuff thatâs pretty close to the hospital if youâd like to go there. The Leaky Cauldron. Have you been?â
âOh, yeah,â you say with a nod of recognition. âMe and Poppy went there for lunch once. They have a rather nice quiche.â
âAlright, itâs a dateââ
Jamesâ eyes widen as soon as the words are out of his mouth, and he looks at you like heâs in trouble. The same look of reluctance and a drop of fear clouds your eyes once more, and James finds he loathes it. He prepares himself for the worst.
âI want to say, before we ⌠before we move forward, there are some ground rules.â
James nods quickly, eyes wide as he peered up at you. âAnything.â
You try to strangle the blush that creeps up your neck at that.
âWell, really only one ground rule,â you amend. âNo matter what, Iâm Liamâs mother first. Always. He already likes you, which is part of the reason I offered to get coffeeâI would never go out with someone he didnât approve ofâbut when it comes down to it, heâs always going to be my top priority. No matter what.â
Jamesâ eyes soften, and he nods, reassured.
âThat was one of the first things I liked about you,â he admits. âLiam is your sonâyour worldâand I completely understand that. I would never ask you to change that, or to think of me before him. Never in a million years.â
James watches your shoulders relax, and you take a small, relieved breath before nodding.
âThank you,â you say quietly. James just smiles up at you, eyes adoring. You finally allow your own gaze to roam freely over his features, to take in his nose, his eyes, his lips.
You take a step closer, knees brushing lightly against Jamesâ where he sits. Ever so gently, you reach a hand out of your pocket to brush a stray curl behind Jamesâ ear, and your hand lingers there, fingertips brushing against his jaw. James is about even with your sternum, and he canât help but love with all his heart how pretty you look from this angle.
Slowly, leaving plenty of time for him to pull back, you bend at the waist towards him. You donât stop until his lips are on yours in a small, tentative kiss. It's gentle and the two of you scarcely move. Just a simple press lasting a handful of seconds before you pull back just enough to look into Jamesâ eyes.
It takes a second for him to come back down to Earth, but you can see the moment when he realizes what just happened because his eyes seem to glow with a radiant sort of joy that has you wanting to kiss him again just so that look never goes away. He smiles broadly, and it must be contagious because you end up smiling slightly too as you slide your palm against his cheek and he reaches a hand up to cup the back of your neck. He simply holds you there for a moment before laughing disbelievingly and bringing your lips to his again.
![[7] Kindergarten Graduation](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aaf4c9bd419df4ce4ed3a657ce4704d8/263064f13237fb4a-cd/s500x750/0b75f23ebe1362ffe8f8cba5058d33544aaea587.png)
This is the last one as of right now! Click here for the series masterlist