Teddy's head felt like it was about to spring several leaks, as if it had been pumped too full of air and couldn't contain the building pressure for much longer. I blame Tuesdays, the teenage boy huffed to himself, determined to justify the dull melancholy stuffing up his brain on something. This plain blah state he couldn't shake just had to be all Tuesday's fault. Nothing good ever happened on Tuesdays. The algebra quiz he'd stayed after school to make up was proof enough of that.

Yep, Tuesdays suck, Teddy sluggishly mused in an effort to keep the thrumming in his mind from completely evolving into a headache. As far as the fifteen-year-old was presently concerned all of reality backed him up on this. Comic books didn't come out 'til Wednesdays, basketball games were nearly always on weekends and Sherlock premiered on Sundays. Even the signing of the Declaration of Independence and The Alamo hadn't happened on Tuesdays. Both occurred on Thursdays. (How Teddy knew this he couldn't be bothered to recall at the moment, but the bottom line was Thursdays are still better then Tuesdays.)

Yet as the teenager arrived at his locker to lighten his load before trudging home, Tuesday's suck abruptly became the farthest thing from his mind. As soon as Teddy popped open the metal door his intended actions faltered because he found himself face to face with another face.

There is a boy in my locker. His inner voice informed him as if the mere sight wasn't enough to convince him of this fact. There is a boy in my locker, Teddy thoughts repeated, this time with just as much bewilderment and awe as he saw reflected in the expression of the person opposite him. There is a boy in my locker… and he is cute as fuck.

While some deeper, more rational part of Teddy knew he should be concentrating on everything other than that part, for whatever reason, this jumped to the forefront of his mind. The other boy was god damn adorable, Teddy internally cursed, trying to bring himself to fret like anyone else would, because there was a boy in his locker. But everything from this kid's wide brown eyes to his light flushed skin seemed to trigger something in Teddy that pulsed want all over his insides.

"Um, this your locker I presume?" It wasn't until the boy inside Teddy's locker made an awkward attempt at speech, though it came out mumbled, that reality started to outweigh teenage hormones. Only now did Teddy's mind begin to move from there is a cute boy in my locker to how and why is there is a cute boy in my locker?

"Y-Yeah." He managed to fumble out, hoping he sounded more surprised than enticed. "It is my locker. So, ah, what are you doing in it?" The boy moved to shrug, gesturing inside the cramped space he occupied as if he were somewhat used to making the most of foot by foot confines.

"You know, kids these days." There was a slight sarcastic lilt in his tone, but Teddy could see past the false humor. After all, he had a bit of experience when it came to pretending to be someone else.

"So." Teddy started awkwardly, choosing to ignore the story behind the other kid's tone for the moment. First things first after all. "Are you planning on taking up residence in there? Or are you just waiting for someone to call the Avengers to rescue you?"

This earned Teddy a hesitant smile and he couldn't help grinning back. Because wow, just half a smile from this boy made his heart quicken. For a brief moment, as the other kid began to maneuver to dislodge himself, Teddy wondered what a genuine smile could do to him?

"No need for drastic measures." The other boy began as he squirmed, managing to dislodge a shoulder from the inside of the locker. "The only really good thing about being small is that you can weasel your way out of most places other people shove you into."

"This happens to you a lot?" Teddy cautiously inquired taking a step to the side, allowing the boy some landing room as he adjusted a foot out of locker, then another shoulder, and finally the rest of him followed. As he straightened he made a half shrug in answer.

"Like I said, kids these days."

As Teddy watched him adapt to new found space he allowed himself a moment to admire the boy in all his un-constricted glory. He was just as cute outside of Teddy's locker as he was in. Most of his features could be described as narrow and rounded. From his eyes to his nose, shoulders to torso, and even his unkempt dark hair. (…Although that could have been a result from spending heaven only knew how long lodged in a locker.)

But what really flared Teddy's interest, as his eyes wondered down the boy's body, was the kid's attire. To a naïve eye it could have seemed unspectacular. A pale hoody with a seemingly stylized scarlet M across the front. Baggy jeans with the faded Van-Dyn label just visible along one back pocket. A book bag slung over his should adorned with patches from the iconic H and zig-zagged P to a gold star set against red and blue. To sight trained in the art of nerding, (a craft Teddy happened to be trained in) they spoke loud and clear. It also potentially explained, Teddy realized with a slight frown, why the boy ended up in his locker. Kids these days? Screw kids these days.

It was at this moment Teddy noticed that he too was being stared at, and despite himself pleasant heat migrated up his skin. He averted his gaze here, forcing a cough he hoped would distract from how he shifted ever so slightly in an attempt to hide the blush.

"So what's your name?" Teddy tried to ask with as much nonchalant cool he could muster, while actually feeling flustered as hell.

The boy visibly tensed at the question, as if he'd just realized he were a five-year-old talking to a stranger without his parents' consent. His so far (despite having just emerged from a locker) fond gaze hardened, eyeing Teddy like he might lash out like a poisonous snake.

"You don't have to tell me, I guess, if that's weird." Teddy attempted to sooth away sudden unease that had worked its way into the air between them. Not that he blamed the other kid. Teddy may be dork at heart and a big fan of cuddles over punches, but this boy didn't know that. He certainly looked more like a bully on a teen drama.

"Just thought- since you know- you spent however long in my locker that I should at least know who you are." Teddy stumbled over his words here, slowly losing the nerve he needed to hide his blush. "Just in case this ever happens again I can be like 'Hi Steve! Kids these days again? Well screw kids these days!' Or when my mom asks me what happened at school today I can tell her 'Oh, I found Steve in my locker today, but it was all cool because he ended up loving Harry Potter and Captain Marvel as much as I do.' Instead of 'I found some kid in my locker today.'… your name isn't actually Steve is it?"

For a whole minute after his rant Teddy could actually feel the weight of silence between the two pressing down on him as if the force of gravity had actually tripled exactly where he was standing. Gradually his head, and his chest now too, began to refill with that stuffy somberness it had before there was a cute boy in his locker. God damn Tuesdays! Teddy started to internally swear again, because this, this for sure was Tuesdays fault. But then Teddy realized the other boy's shoulders were relaxing, and his mouth was turning upward in a weary smile.

"I'm not badass enough to share a name with Captain America." He started, if a bit shyly. "It's Billy."

"Billy." Teddy huffed name like it was a godsend. Then as normalcy settled back in, nerdy inspiration hit. "I'm Teddy. So want to go save the future of our fledgling band together with the help of a time traveling phone booth and important figures in world history?" Thank god Billy actually laughed at that, with a genuine smile no less. Tuesdays. Teddy had just enough sense to think as that look managed to melt the strain building around his head and heart. I fucking love Tuesdays.