Work Text:
Lia changed the group name to “Daddy Marx”
Ann: guys I'm late, someone save me a seat pls
Ann: if I have to sit 1st row I'm going to die
Ann: did not do any reading
Ann: (Also LOVE the new group name)
Nina: don't worry, Bridgerton hasn't started yet
Lia: thanks! “Econ group 4” was making me sad
Lia: Also you don't need to rush
Lia: but
Lia: I would
Ann: ???
Ann: oh wait
Ann: just got it
Ann: I'm RUNNING
Ollie: They should really schedule lectures differently
Ollie: Bridgerton after Sharma in the same room is just asking for trouble
Lia: but I'm living for it!
Ann: I want the live tweets!
Ann: Can't believe I'm missing it
Ann: Professor Sharma 🔥🔥 love of my life
Nina: Bridgerton walked in and took one look at the whiteboard and immediately criticised one of her sources, it was amazing
Nina: Sharma is not having it
Lia: she just called him ‘such a dull white man’ 👑
Lia: not that I have any idea what they're talking about
Lia: too academic for me tbh
Ollie: I hear ‘log function’ and I'm out
Nina: Sharma is good at arguing though
Nina: def would like to take a class with her
Nina: she seems interesting
Ann: more details pls!
Ann: Are they shouting?
Ann: Is there blood?
Ann: (What's Sharma wearing? 😍)
Nina: a purple blouse
Nina: she looks lovely
Nina: well right now she looks mainly angry
Lia: lol she just called bridgerton’s methods outdated
Ollie: Bridgerton just rolled up his sleeves
Lia: he’s scribbling some crazy formulas on the whiteboard
Ollie: He looks good today ngl
Ann: how you can even look at Bridgerton when Sharma is there SMH
Ollie: 😇
Ann: I bet he has a wife and kids at home and never even so much as does the dishes
Ann: He seems like the type
Ollie: nooo he seems kind
Ollie: kind but determined
Ollie: also
Ollie: aren't you supposed to be running??
Ollie: Sharma will have to get to her own class eventually you know 👀
Ann: almost there!
Nina: he does wear a ring
Nina: so does Sharma
Nina: Sorry, Ann
Ann: Noooo, not true
Ann: I def checked before
Ann: there was no ring
Ann: my heart 💔
Nina: tbf she wears a lot of rings
Nina: maybe it's not a wedding one?
Ann: she is simply a fashion icon!!
Lia: she's also leaving
Lia: You'd better hurry up, ann
Lia: Bridgerton looks livid
Ann: fuck
***
Daddy Marx
Ollie: omg guys
Ollie: I was in prof bridgerton’s office today
Lia: 👀👀
Ollie: because I needed a letter of recommendation
Ollie: Shut up
Ollie: but
Ollie: he had a magazine cutout of Sharma getting a reward on his desk
Ann: EXCUSE ME!?
Ann: he doesn't deserve to be gazing at such perfection
Nina: what??
Nina: that's so weird
Nina: do we know why?
Ollie: no guys, it gets worse
Ollie: he saw me stare at it
Ollie: which, embarrassing
Ann: what did he say?
Ollie: that it motivates him to work harder
Nina: god, academics, honestly
Ollie: AND THEN, he smiled all sweetly and said
Ollie: “sometimes I throw darts at it”
Ann: DEATH
Ann: death to bridgerton
Nina: that's a bit much, right?
Nina: like, kinda creepy
Ollie: I think he was joking
Ollie: I hope
***
“Bridgerton!” Anthony looks up from his desk to find Kate Sharma glaring at him. As that isn’t an at all unusual occurrence, he’s pretty unfazed by it.
“Yes? Please do sit down,” he tells her, gesturing towards the chair opposite from his desk magnanimously.
She shakes her head. “I don’t have much time.” She closed the door behind her before stepping to his desk and leaning down on it, eyes narrowed at him. It gives him a rather distracting view of her cleavage.
“Did you tell your students that you like to throw darts at a photo of me?” she demands.
Anthony shrugs. “You heard about that? It was a joke obviously. They noticed the picture of you getting that honour thing on my desk.”
She keeps glaring at him.
“What?” he asks, defensively. She takes a deep breath.
“You cannot say that to a student! It’s a deranged thing to say! Edwina heard about it because someone was genuinely worried you wished me physical harm and wanted to warn me!”
Anthony pales. He forgot how the rumour mill worked at university sometimes. Suddenly the joke no longer seems innocent. He begrudgingly feels a sort of respect for the students for how seriously they even take a joking threat of violence. Clearly it’s a different generation than him and his mates who had threatened to throw punches far too often.
“I’ll talk to the student,” he tells Kate. “I’m sorry.”
She nods, looking relieved and opens her mouth as if to say something. He wants to pull her to him but refrains. She shoots him an awkward smile and pushes herself away from the table and turns to leave as he watches her go.
***
Daddy Marx
Ollie : sent a screenshot
Lia: Is this the start of a porno?
Lia: Prof Bridgerton wants to see you in his office 😏😏
Ann: gross
Ollie: stop, I’m freaking tf out
Ollie: what if I’m in trouble
Nina: don’t be silly, what even for
Nina: you’ve done nothing wrong
Ollie: maybe he won’t give me a rec after all
Ollie: Fuck I’ll never get my semester abroad application done in time
Nina: ollie, it’ll be fine, I promise
Nina: want to get a coffee? 💜
Ollie: yes pls
Ann: I’ll join as well
***
Daddy Marx
Nina: How’d it go?
Nina: What did Bridgerton want to talk about?
Ollie: Just got out
Ollie: so weird
Ollie: but all good
Ollie: sent a voice message
Lia: can’t listen rn
Lia: summary?
Ollie: he basically wanted to clear up the throwing darts at prof Sharma thing
Ollie: make sure I knew it was a joke
Ollie: did you guys tell anyone
Lia: Um
Lia: like everyone?
Lia: I thought it was hilarious
Nina: guess someone got the wrong idea
Nina: still not your fault Olls
Ollie: feel a bit guilty, tbh
Ollie: he looked quite concerned
Ollie: like he was hurt people would think that about him
Lia: did you want to kiss it better?
Ollie: Lia!
Ollie: stop
Ollie: I’m not that into him
Ollie: You have to admit most profs don’t look like that
Ollie: And he dresses well
Lia: I think he just dresses rich tbh
Ann: Personally, I am that into Prof Sharma
Ann: glad Bridgerton doesn’t want to harm her perfect face
Ann: I think killing him might make passing his class a bit difficult
Ann: …unless?
Nina: don’t feel guilty Ollie!
Nina: it was a strange thing to say
Lia: tbf, it’s Sharma
Lia: they’re just super intense about each other
Lia: maybe it’s UST?
Lia: I bet their spouses hate each them for it
Ann: I refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Sharma spouse
Ann: I’m like this 🙉
Lia: but imagine
Lia: work dinner/ event
Lia: Bridgerton and Sharma just arguing the whole time and their spouses just sit there
Lia: so funny
Nina: it seems kinda sad tbh
Nina: poor them
Ann: I have no sympathy for Sharma spouse personally
Ollie: I tried to google him
Lia: lol of course you did
Ollie: Did you know he has seven siblings?
Ollie: And his dad was a prof as well
Nina: seven siblings??
Nina: is he crazy religious or something?
Ollie: I don’t think so
Lia: wow no wonder he’s so intense
Ollie: but didn’t find any info on his spouse :(
Lia: you were ready to STALK
Ollie: guess he’s private
Ann: or just part of a cult
***
“Professor Bridgerton, what is that I hear about threatening Kate with physical harm?”
Anthony gulps. The head of the university, Professor Danbury is a most formidable and scary woman. He hadn’t expected to be cornered by her at the one staff coffee machine that makes a halfway decent coffee.
“Hi Agatha,” he replies. She only ever uses faculty members’ titles when she has a bone to pick with them. He’d learned early on that extending her the same courtesy only managed to exasperate her more.
“It was an ill-advised joke. I’ve spoken to the student in question and have set the record straight.”
She harrumphs. “That will not do. The rumour mill at this institution doesn’t work like that, you can’t just squash gossip by telling one student the truth.” She stares at him like she is trying to impart vital information to him. “It has already spread, like a spider's web. You will have to take down the whole structure, rather than just tell the spider to do it.”
Anthony stares at her. The metaphor seems unnecessarily dramatic, but Danbury always had a flair for dramatics. It made her a very popular speaker at conferences.
“And how would you suggest I do that?” he asks carefully.
She shakes his head in disappointment. For all his accomplishments, he always feels a bit like a schoolboy next to Agatha Danbury.
“With a sufficiently sharp knife,” she says simply.
***
Daddy Marx
Lia: Wtf wft wtf WTF
Ollie: no way!!!
Ann: noooooooooo
Ann: my heart
Ann: I can’t take it
Ann: HIM???
Ann: I feel so betrayed
Lia: also, just how?
Nina: What happened?
Nina: guys??
Nina: I’m hungover
Nina: couldn’t hack the morning class
Nina: is it Bridgerton?
Lia: NINA
Lia: you won’t believe it
Lia: we know who Bridgerton’s wife is
Ollie: I should have figured
Ollie: I feel dumb
Nina: explain pls?
Nina: I am not awake enough for this
Lia: okay so
Lia: class is about to start and bridgerton walks in
Lia: Sharma is there and once again, fight, discussion, academia, bla bla bla
Lia: but then someone makes a joke, like “watch out for darts” and he freezes? And Sharma gives him this look and leaves
Lia: and when everyone is sat down and he is about to start class, he’s like
Lia: “I do not like divulging personal information and it really is none of your business, but I have no desire to do Professor Sharma any bodily harm”
Ollie: like says it all formal
Ollie: and we think it’s done there, okay rumour addressed
Lia: BUT THEN
Lia: he continues
Lia: and says
Lia: that he is MARRIED to her
Nina: NO
Lia: told you there was sexual tension
Nina: you said there was UST
Nina: and if they’re married I’d wager
Nina: that it gets resolved
Ann: ew no no no
Ann: still cannot believe it
Ollie: told you he was hot
Ollie: he must be a decent guy to pull her
Nina: I still
Nina: so much fighting? It seems exhausting
Nina: is this toxic? I don’t get it
Lia: I think they’re both just very intense about their subjects
Lia: or maybe arguing is their love language
Lia: or maybe it’s foreplay
Ann: stop
Ann: I beg you
Ann: my heart is already broken
Ollie: same kinda
Ollie: guess I do have a small crush
Lia: duh
Nina: sorry you two
Nina: better this way
Nina: the power imbalance is icky
Lia: duh
***
Anthony isn’t at all surprised to hear the knock at his office door after the lecture. He really hadn’t appreciated just how fast the rumour mill at their university was until recently.
He’s relieved to find it is indeed Kate who opens the door, who slinks into the chair opposite his desk looking as beautiful as ever.
“So,” she starts, shaking her head in fond exasperation. “You told the freshers we’re married.”
Anthony resists the urge to grab her hand, to get up and kiss her. They have their rules after all. He chuckles ruefully. “I guess so. Who did you hear it from?”
Kate shrugs. “It’s spreading like wildfire apparently. Edwina sent me some screenshots.”
“Goodness,” Anthony groans. “Why is everyone so interested in this?”
“I swear it’s gotten worse this year. You’re just getting too attractive,” she tells him, grinning. “It’s the grey hair coming in. I’m sure you were the talk of the town among the freshers before all this happened already.”
He shivers in disgust. “Please don’t. They’re not much older than Hyacinth.” Kate laughs.
“And then you went and made that joke-” she carries on. He interrupts her at that.
“I’m sorry about that, truly.” The thought that someone could think he’d want to harm Kate had been quite upsetting to him and the way the rumour had spread had been more than a little hurtful. She must be able to tell, because she gets up and walks around the desk until she’s able to touch him. It’s against their rules but he appreciates the calming hand in his hair nonetheless.
“It’s okay, I thought it was funny,” she says, softly. “Although maybe a bit too much for a stranger.”
Anthony grabs her hand and presses it to his lips. “Thank you,” he murmurs. Kate nods and lets her hand cup his jaw for a moment. He always likes feeling the cold metal of her wedding ring on his skin, a reminder that she’s here, his wife.
She takes her hand away and leans against the desk next to him, her arms crossed.
“We need to discuss the rules, I guess. We’re already breaking them now,” she sighs.
Anthony nods, trying to order his thoughts. “I thought we could just carry on as we were? Who cares what the students think.”
Kate nods thoughtfully. “I was going to say the same thing. I like the system as it is and some students always figure out we’re together sooner or later. Although-,” she smirks at him, “it’s the first time you’ve felt the need to announce it.”
Anthony rolls his eyes at her, but he can’t keep the smile from his face.
“So same as always, no shop talk at home?” he clarifies.
She nods. “And we’re strictly colleagues as soon as we step foot on campus. Standard rules,” she confirms.
It’s a silly system, born out of a time where they would discuss papers well into the night at home, but feel uncomfortable talking honestly at work in front of colleagues because they didn’t want people to think badly of their relationship. It left them both frustrated, their marriage weighed down by their differing views at home and their career halted by the stilted way they would express them at university. It all came to blows when Kate accused him of not respecting her enough to honestly tell her what he thought about his research and to please stop holding back. It took some fine-tuning until they realised they needed clear boundaries and, for all they could fiercely argue about methods and theories, at home they needed time to focus on their relationship. Thus the system was born.
It’s strange, therefore, to have her in his office like this, touching him gently. It’s rather nice really, even if he knows why they don’t usually allow themselves to do so. Still-
“We could amend one rule,” he suggests in a low voice.
“Anthony,” Kate says, warningly, but when he gets up to stand in front of her, his hands bracketing her on the desk, she doesn’t move. “It’s the most important rule,” she whines softly, as he leans down to kiss her, a kiss she returns eagerly.
“Professor Sharma,” he whispers into her ear. “I need to get my grades up.” He gives her a little kiss on her neck. “And I’d do anything.”
Predictably, Kate burst out laughing at that. She pushes him away, shaking her head and muttering, “gross, gross, gross.” Anthony holds up his hands apologetically.
“You almost had me convinced too,” she tells him, stepping away from the desk.
“Today of all days would probably be a bad idea. I’m half expecting students to be listening at the door,” he admits. Kate’s eyes widen.
“God, you’re probably right.”
“We need to assign them more work if they have this much time gossiping about us,” he grumbles. She laughs at that.
“Sure, old man, that always works and doesn’t breed resentment and gossip at all.” Her face takes on a more serious expression as she walks towards the door. “So - back to the rules?”
He nods, chagrined. It’s not his favourite thing in the world but it is the solution that works best for them. They’re both too passionate about their subject and entirely convinced of their approach.
She presses her lips together and her body language changes. She stands straighter, less relaxed as she tells him, as she opens the door: “I reviewed the article you sent me, I think your explanations are lacking. I’ll send you the notes, Bridgerton.”
There are indeed some students gathered around and now Anthony is relieved to fall into their familiar dynamic.
“Thank you, Professor Sharma.”