fandomhigh | Home Economics 1, Fourth Period 1/5

People who hadn't had classes with Mr. Rogers before might be surprised to find that their home ec teacher was a tall, broad-shouldered guy who looked like he'd just stepped out of a military recruitment poster. Or, you know, not. Steve waited until everyone was present to begin his spiel.

"Good afternoon. I'm Steve Rogers--that's Mr. Rogers to you, please--and this is Home Economics, or Home Ec. If you're planning to complain that you didn't intend to be in Home Economics, well, welcome to Fandom High. If you're unaware of what Home Ec is, it's basically how to fend for yourself: cooking, cleaning, that sort of thing. I want to assure you there is nothing to be scared of. We're going to start with the parts that don't involve sharp objects or heat, so you can sort of work yourselves up to that mentally, if you need to. You should each have a syllabus at your work station. Typically you'll be working in pairs, but I'm fine with groups as long as you're not disruptive, and you're welcome to switch partners at any time. Oh, and," he glanced down at his class roster, but no, it still had not changed. "Mr. Stark, please see me after class.

"Now that we've got that out of the way," Steve said, and clapped his hands once, "I'd like for everyone to introduce themselves, giving your name, year, and where you'd currently rate your general skill level, one to ten, in the topics covered on the syllabus. Feel free to elaborate on those basics, if you want. We'll start with you," he said, picking a student at random.

Once they'd finished that, he moved on to, "And now we're going to jump right into cleaning. This will be especially good if you're new, right, you won't have a chance to get your dorm room messy. The first step to cleaning is really just to be tidy and organized," he said, like that was the simplest thing in the world. "Have a place for everything, and put things in their place instead of throwing them wherever. Put books in the bookcase instead of piled on your desk. Put dirty clothes in the laundry basket or bag instead of on the floor, and fold or hang clean ones and put them away. Throw things away or recycle them when you're done with them, instead of letting pizza boxes and old magazines pile up. Sweep hard-surface floors regularly. Speaking of sweeping..." there were ten brooms and dustpans lined up against the wall. "Since I couldn't make you practice tidying up, you get to practice that. If you don't understand how this works--" Steve was ruling nothing out, especially considering he had Emma Frost and Tony Stark in this class "--ask me or one of your classmates for help.

"Oh! Before I forget: this class comes with homework." Steve made a face at them and said, "I know, I know, but if you don't put these things into practice, what's the point, right? So your assignment for the rest of the week is to tidy up your dorm rooms and get organized, creating designated places for things if they don't have them and putting things in their places. If you need organizational supplies and can't buy them yourself right now, I have milk crates, which are great for organizing, clothes hangers, and laundry bags in my office, and you can see me after class, or I'll be holding office hours on Friday, so please, feel free to drop by. And if you know anyone who needs a laundry bag, send them my way, too, I have plenty, they were free."

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"Or I've had enough practice and don't need to show off," she suggested, using her broom just to brush some dust from her boot.

"Fine but I'm gonna sweep my dirt onto your boots," he decided and proceeded to do just that.

And Effy was going to kick at it.

"Why?" she had to ask, with a small breath of a laugh. "Can't be because you're that upset I'm not playing well in class." Like she ever enthusiastically participated.

"Don't kick my freaking dirt," Alex said, making a face. "I've just swept that and I don't want to do it again. I should make you clean up the mess you just made."

So, he thwapped her ankle lightly with his broom and motioned to the dirt. "Get to it."

Well, it was his own fault for moving it onto her feet. Her boots were not for dirt dumping. She half-heartedly tried to move her foot out the way. "Never knew you had such a kink for seeing a girl sweep."

"Who said it was a kink?" Alex wondered, raising an eyebrow. "Must you equate everything with sex?"

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out. "I had to make my own assumptions."

"Do I really look like a guy who would have a sweeping kink?" Alex wondered, leaning against his broom. "That's a little disappointing. So tame!"

"Wrong kind of dirty for you," she noted with a smirk. "Still haven't answered the question."

"I can't even remember the goddamn question," he admitted. "What was it?"

"Why so interested in seeing me play with a broom?"

"I gotta have a reason?" Alex asked, shrugging. "Maybe I just wanna see if you can do it."

"Can't believe you doubt in my inner domestic goddess." How could that be, with her using her broom as a leaning post and nothing more? "Where's the faith?"

"In this, I have no faith," Alex said, shaking his head. "You've never proven to me that you're domestic at anything at all."

Effy had less than a grain of domesticity in her. It was true. And she wasn't sure why she would feel the need to claim otherwise.

Still, she shrugged. "I can be when I need to be." She'd done her bit over the years. "But it's not like I go out of my way to organise." Better things to do.

"Yeah, not taking your word for it," he decided, shaking his head. "You're gonna have to prove it on this one. All you've done is stand there."

"All you've done is move your mess onto me," she pointed out. So he wasn't exactly showing his Home Ec skillz.

"At least I'm using my broom," Alex pointed out, shaking his head. "You're just standing there."

"Watching you try and explain your fascination with seeing me clean... Way more fun," she told him. Plus, she just enjoyed being a pain. That was a little part of it.

"I don't have a fascination," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just don't think you can do it. Even I can do it. Hell, I had to do it when I lived at home. No one else would."

"Talk like I grew up with a personal maid or something." She wished. He wasn't the only one had to look after a house, and babysit a sibling and a parent at points.

"You're all talk," Alex chanted at her before he went back to sweeping some of the dust around him. "Taaaaaaaaaaaalk."

"You're really trying to bait me into cleaning?" Effy was more than a little amused, yes.

"Gotta find my fun somewhere, don't I?" Alex asked, shrugging. "And I still think you're all talk."

"How would I do it wrong?" she wondered, subtly nudging the dirt he'd piled around her back his way. "Not stupid enough to use the wrong end." How else could you truly fuck this up?

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