#I went to the fudging bookstore and got a paper cut there

[lunaaranala]

Paper cuts sure hurt and bleed a lot for something so tiny

But oh well I gained a battle scar at the bookstore

[writethehousedown]

You're Wonder Under Summer Skies (Branjie)--athena2

Summary: Brooke and Vanessa reflect on the school year and their relationship as summer vacation starts. (This is a continuation of Here Comes the Sun, so you might want to read that first. It can be read on the blog here or on AO3 here).

A/N: I really loved the little teacher verse I created, and decided to continue that here! It’s pretty much pure fluff and ice cream, and I really hope you enjoy! I’d appreciate any comments or feedback you have! Thank you so much to Writ for betaing this and supporting me always, you’re the best!

Title from Adore You by Harry Styles.

“Come on, Brooke, you’re using all the hot fudge!”  

Brooke grins as Vanessa pulls up at her side. 

“I saved you some, don’t worry.”  

“You better have. You know how many rolls of wrapping paper we had to sell for that?” Vanessa teases, sticking her bowl under the dispenser. The PTA had fundraised enough to get real hot fudge and caramel sauce dispensers this year, and they’d had to stop more than a few kids from sticking their heads under the spouts. The last day of school ice cream party is always a success, and Brooke almost wants to apologize to the parents for the sugar-high, sticky, and grass-stained state they’ll receive their children in today.  

The kids are running some of the sugar off on the playground, and it’s time for the teachers to raid the ice cream. Most of them are more excited than the kids, and who could blame them when the folding tables spread down the gym are what dreams are made of: gallons of ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry (including dairy-free), with sprinkles, brownies, cookies, marshmallows, fruit, whipped cream, and an entire candy store to top it with. Nina covered the tables with striped tablecloths for an ice cream parlor vibe, supervising it all in an apron and paper hat, an enormous grin on her face. 

Vanessa’s bowl is more candy than ice cream, and Brooke has to smile. Vanessa’s love of candy only makes her even cuter in Brooke’s eyes, and after they started dating, she began keeping extra candy in her desk in case Vanessa had a rough day, or for regular days when Brooke wanted to surprise her.  

Brooke applies her finishing layer of whipped cream and looks at her masterpiece of a sundae when shouting erupts behind them.  

“Give it back!” 

“No!” 

Brooke sighs. “Sounds like some kids are fighting. I thought they were all outside…” She and Vanessa head down the table, to see the kids in question are none other than Silky and A’keria.

“Yep, some kids fighting all right,” Vanessa cackles. 

“Give me the gummy bears!” Silky lunges for the bag in A’keria’s arms. 

A’keria pulls back like a boxer dodging a punch, holding the bag to her chest for dear life. “No! Last year you took them all, and I didn’t get any! Even when I told you sharing is caring. Now you can have a gummy bear-less sundae and see how it feels.”

“Hey, there’s another bag!” Nina interrupts, giving Silky a fresh bag and ushering them away from the table.  

Tears of laughter glisten in Vanessa’s eyes, and Brooke has to grab some water before she chokes. 

“They’re like two old ladies, I swear,” Vanessa says. She leads Brooke outside where they sit under a tree together.

Vanessa begins eating her candy with a side of chocolate ice cream, and Brooke grins. “So, embarrassing story,” she begins, watching Vanessa’s eyes light up, “When I was little, I wouldn’t eat chocolate ice cream because I thought it was made of chalk. My mom told me it wasn’t, but I wouldn’t believe her.”

“Stop, that’s adorable!” Vanessa squeals. She throws her head back and roars with laughter, summer sun sparkling against her hair, and Brooke is in awe that they’re here together, ready for casual dress day in jeans and the Star Wars T-shirts they had picked for each other. Last year she had watched Vanessa from afar, trying to find the courage to say something, wondering if her ice cream would taste better if she was enjoying it with Vanessa. 

Now she can say, definitively, that it does.

—

Taking the classroom apart is Vanessa’s most-dreaded school activity. Aside from the exhaustion of trying to pack up grade books and pencils and crayons and notebooks into boxes, of tossing dirty, ripped-up decorations in the trash, there’s the sadness of it. Another year gone, another group of kids ready to be first-graders, another year becoming memories. But tomorrow’s the kindergarten graduation, and she does get to see Brooke in her black dress with white flowers, the prospect making up for the sadness. 

“It’s summertime, Bertha,” Vanessa says, stroking the guinea pig cheerfully. The two babies, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, sleep peacefully in the corner. At least she’ll have them home with her this summer. She lets Bertha rest as she starts on cleaning. 

Her year-round stuff–the games and toys and books in the back, plus her dog posters–can stay until the fall, but the rest has to go. With a heavy heart, she starts pulling down her summer fun decorations. There’s the construction paper beach balls and sunglass-wearing suns she had carefully made at Brooke’s one weekend, giggling and watching cooking shows while Brooke made construction paper ice cream cones for her class. 

She tugs down the palm trees and deep blue paper she had turned into waves bobbing along the classroom walls. Last are the sandals and sunglasses she made, scattered around the room. Vanessa gets everything within her height range, and then she’ll ask Brooke for help with the rest. At least this year she won’t have to risk her life standing on chairs or desks or, as a last resort, trying to knock things down with a broom whose bristles always sent unknown debris into her face.  

Her room goes from a sunkissed beach to a cold white block, but the emptiness doesn’t bother her as much this year. Maybe because she has Brooke now. She won’t have to exchange an awkward ‘see you next fall’, because she and Brooke have the whole summer ahead of them to spend together. 

They’ve taken things slow since April, slower than any relationship Vanessa’s had. But she likes having time, not rushing things, letting each tiny moment really bask in all its meaning and glory. The first time they held hands in public, fingers locking as they browsed through a bookstore. The first time Vanessa made dinner for Brooke, rice and beans and homemade tortillas that Brooke devoured almost the whole stack of. And today, which will be the first time Vanessa tells Brooke she loves her. 

In April, it took all she had to spit out that I might love you too. She’s held back since then, not wanting to go too fast or scare Brooke away, because she knows Brooke’s never been in any long-term relationships and often gets scared putting her heart out there. But Vanessa doesn’t want any more I might or I think. She wants to tell Brooke for real, to silence any doubts there could be, to let Brooke know Vanessa will never hurt her. She loves Brooke, and she wants her to know it. 

Taking one last look at her almost-bare room, Vanessa heads next door.

—

Brooke carefully packs up the foam-board banana split she made and takes a look at her room, nearly empty except for the dinosaur and cat posters she leaves up all year. She carefully packs up the felt Worry Monster so he’ll stay safe until he can soothe new kids’ fears in the fall. Rose and Lily, the two guinea pigs Vanessa gave her, squeak happily, one of the only signs of life still in the classroom. There’s no trace of the ice cream cones she cut from brown construction paper and topped with a rainbow of scoops and sprinkles, no laughter bouncing off the walls, no stray LEGO blocks lying in wait to assault someone. Just a quiet classroom that will be filled with new decorations, new kids, and new excitement in a few months.  

“You put your stuff away so nice. I just dumped it in boxes,” Vanessa mutters as she walks into the room. 

Brooke shrugs. “I like to do it slow, I guess.”

“And think about the year,” Vanessa says, and Brooke nods, still in awe of how Vanessa can always tell what she’s thinking. Still in awe that she gets to be with someone who knows her so well. 

Vanessa takes her hand and pulls her across the room. They climb on Brooke’s desk, moving aside her Totoro mug and the toy stegosaurus Vanessa got her just because she knew Brooke would like it. Brooke still can’t believe she gets presents from Vanessa, for no other reason than just because. Vanessa’s feet swing merrily, high above the floor, and it makes Brooke’s heart burst. 

“Another year over, huh?” Vanessa says softly. She leans over, resting her head on Brooke’s shoulder.  

“Yeah.” Brooke sighs. “You’d think we’d be used to it by now.”

“I know. If you asked me in September, I couldn’t wait until June. But now tomorrow’s their graduation, and…” 

“You wonder where the year went,” Brooke finishes. There were the busy early days of learning names and getting the kids adjusted and soothing fears, days with lots of tears when she wished the year would end already. Somehow, the last day of school–in all its breathless, sticky-sweet glory of ice cream and graduation excitement–came from nowhere. Even after all her years teaching, it still sneaks up on her every summer. 

“We’ll have new kids soon,” Vanessa says, taking Brooke’s hand. 

“Yeah.” Brooke squeezes back. 

“I bet you have your fall theme planned already.” 

Brooke blushes. “I was thinking a big tree, with all the kids’ names on apples. How about you?” 

“Maybe a pumpkin patch.” Vanessa shrugs. “My parents took me to one every year. Then they couldn’t get me out of there because I wanted to hug and kiss all the pumpkins. I think that’s why they got me a dog.” 

Brooke laughs, all too easily picturing a tiny Vanessa wrapping her arms around pumpkins bigger than her. “Maybe this fall we can go to a pumpkin patch. You can hug and kiss all the pumpkins you want.” 

Vanessa grins, snuggling deeper into Brooke’s side. “As long as I get to hug and kiss you too.”

Brooke’s cheeks burn again. “Of course.”

Vanessa lifts her head suddenly, turning to look at Brooke. Her eyes are sunshine-warm and bright, her teeth emerging in a hesitant smile. “Hey, Brooke?”

“Yeah?” Brooke asks uncertainly. She can tell from the way Vanessa glances at her lap and bites her lip that she has something big, something important to say, and Brooke’s stomach twists. What if Vanessa doesn’t like her anymore and wants to break up? What if–

“I love you.” Vanessa’s words cut clear through Brooke’s worries, making her mouth hang open. Vanessa loves her, and as embarrassing as it is, Brooke’s never gotten this far in a relationship. Most of them ended after just a few boring dates. But Vanessa is unlike anyone Brooke’s been with, and Brooke knows that she loves her too. Loves their lunches and movie nights, their jokes and secret glances they trade back and forth. Loves the way Vanessa makes her feel like she’s wrapped in a warm blanket, how her hugs are like coming home. 

“I love you too,” Brooke finally manages after Vanessa starts getting worried about her silence. “Sorry, I just…I’ve never really said that to anyone.” 

And Vanessa, kind as ever, doesn’t laugh or tease her, but just smiles. “I’m happy to be the first, then.”

Suddenly they’re kissing, right on Brooke’s desk like some sort of school fantasy come to life, only real and even better than any dream. Brooke is amazed that their kisses still feel like this, that everything between them still feels as special and important and lovely as the first time. Vanessa’s lips carry the faint taste of chocolate ice cream and the million candies she’d piled on top, giving Brooke a residual sugar rush. Vanessa’s hands trace gently up and down Brooke’s arms, her touch soft and soothing, and Vanessa whines when they separate. 

“You’re still coming over tonight, right?” Brooke checks. It had been her idea to order pizza and have a little last day of school party of their own.

“Oh yeah! And I’m bringing the ice cream.” 

“We just had ice cream.”

Vanessa presses her fingertip to Brooke’s nose. “You can never have enough ice cream.”

“Or enough kisses,” Brooke says, leaning in for one more. They load their stuff into the car and head out into the warm sun, summer firmly in their grasp.