University Towns, the Curse of

This was inspired by elephantlord's tags, "#THE SECOND ONE #MY HEART FOR A HOT DADS AU" on " modern AUs that I need in my life": "The benefit of being the only adult in this college course is commiserating about the woes of single-daddom over a beer with the hot professors".
1. Herc and Angela moved from Australia to Canada to help her family. Their marriage didn’t survive. Chuck spends two weeks with him, two weeks with Angela but the balance is a bit off ‘cause Angela’s at the hospital so much.
2. Tamsin and Luna are alive, healthy, dating, and accidentally stole Mako. (Mako stowed away on their transport.) Social services find her extended family but they don’t want her, it seems she’s going to go into foster care but then! 
Luna says, “My brother’s a university professor! He can take her!” 
So Stacker ends up with Mako.
3. Chuck is still a genius. Herc’s taking university courses to keep up.
4. One particular university course is the same one that Stacker teaches to a bunch of 17-19 year olds. And Herc.
4b. Tendo may be the TA, I dunno. 
5. Jin and Taller Sasha sit in the back of the class. They sit with Min and Siqi. Jin passes out almost as soon as Stacker starts teaching. Min’s not impressed when he drools on her. Hu and Cheung, each with different schedules, look after Mako when Stacker’s teaching.
5b. When Herc is in class and Charlie can't babysit, Chuck hangs out with Miz and Professor Gottlieb and their baby (and maybe their cats). Hermann finds he must step up his game with Chuck demanding proofs and reasons for every. single. constant.
6. Charlie Darling babysits Chuck. She’s also in the class. 
Herc totally doesn’t tear up with relief at seeing a familiar face. She’s dating Jackson and he totally doesn’t pout when Charlie gives Herc the seat she was saving for him. (There’s one on her other side but.)
7. At the end of the class, as Herc’s passing the professor’s desk, Siqi bodychecks Min who knocks Herc off balance who falls into Stacker. 
“What?” says Siqi. “They both live in this one.” 
Min apologizes profusely and flees the theater.
8. Herc asks if he can make up for getting Stacker almost completely covered in chalk. 
Stacker asks Jin if he and the other two would mind looking after Mako for a while longer. 
Jin asks if they can stay up late and gorge on junk food. 
Stacker says, “Within reason.” 
Jin skips out happily. 
Herc and Stacker end up at a bar where they’re the oldest ones (curse university towns).
9. Midterms roll around; Stacker tells Herc after class that if the time doesn’t work with Chuck, Herc can write the test later. 
The time doesn’t work for Chuck. 
On the next available Saturday, Herc shows up at Stacker’s house for the makeup test.
10. Stacker lives in one of a series of townhouses. Tall Sasha, Cheung, Jin, Hu, and Taller Sasha live next door.
11. Mako ... Mako is working through things. 
“Good morning, Mr Hansen,” greets Pentecost. “Come in.”
“'morning, sir,” replies Herc. “Thank you.” 
“Would you like tea?” 
“’m fine, thanks.” 
“This way.” 
Crashing from upstairs. 
Yelling in Slavic. 
“I have a student!” shouts Pentecost. 
“"Sorry!”“ calls Jin. 
”“It was Jin!”“ shouts… also Jin?
”“Very sorry, Professor!”“ shouts Alexander-call-me-Sasha. 
”“Won’t happen again, sir!”“ adds a third Jin?
“They’ll quiet down,” apologizes Pentecost, pushing open a door. “You’ll be writing in here.” 
Tiny, snug office with better lighting than any exam hall /and a window. “Sounds good.”
“If you need anything, I’m just next door.” 
“Thanks again, sir.”
“You’re very welcome. Good luck, Mr Hansen.” 
Herc nods, settles at the desk. 
About five minutes later, there’s a knock. 
Stacker opens the door. “Miss Mori insists it’s rude not to have tea, even if the visitor has already declined.” 
“Uh, thanks.” Herc waves at the preteen glowering just behind Stacker’s arm. 
She frowns harder, marches to the desk and puts down her tray with a little more force than perhaps necessary. 
“That’s very kind of you?” 
“Milk or sugar.” 
“Just milk please,” he replies, reaching for the cup. 
She scowls. 
He doesn’t reach for the cup. 
Miss Mori quickly serves tea, jams a tea cozy over pot, and bows. 
“It’s perfect, thank you,” says Herc. 
She picks up the sugar bowl, bows, and stomps out. 
Stacker smiles weakly, closes the door behind her.
Category:Ficlet
Category:AUs
Category:Team Hot Dads