Work Text:
“I don’t understand how you just… make stuff.” Your eyes dart up to your door, smiling and rolling your eyes at Ryland Grace, Glover Clevland’s favorite science teacher.
“What does that mean?” He steps further into your room, the air still cool, thirty minutes before the first bell.
“There are no numbers! Nothing’s set in stone– there are no equations to figure anything out!” You laugh softly.
“I can barely do what you do, so we’re even.” You watch him come around your desk, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest.
“What are you working on?” He muses softly, trying to find a way to further the conversation, making you shake your head.
“An example piece for the assignment I’m having them start today.” He nods slowly, watching the way your hands carefully move across the canvas, brushes even and tidy. “The need to do a value project.” He raises a brow.
“Like… monetarily?” You laugh, setting your brush back in the water.
“Light and dark, Ryland.” You laugh, making him let out a soft, embarrassed ah, cheeks going red. “You think too literally sometimes.”
“That’s kind of my… job.” He laughs along with you, making you smile. You kick his shoes softly.
“Maybe we need to get you into art.”
“I don't think you’d appreciate my stick figures.” You snort, grab your brush, and add more paint to your piece.
“I would love your stick figures.” The statement alone makes his heart flutter, averting his gaze from yours.
“You’re only saying that because you haven’t seen any.”
“Come in on your off period! The kids love you, and they’ll probably flip if you show up and do work with them.” He watches you for a long moment, brows pinched in consideration as he shifts his weight and shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Are you sure?” He looks at you over the rim of his glasses, and you can feel heat creep up your neck.
“I’d love it– they’d love it. Only if you have time.” He shrugs, a smile finding its way to his lips. He’d always find time for you, but you didn’t need to know that.
“You’d love it?” You clear your throat and focus on your painting.
“I mean– I guess– the students would like it, too.” You reason softly, making his smile grow as he watches you.
“I’ll see what I can do. Probably beats grading.” You chuckle, nodding softly.
🖍
You pursue your classroom as the student eagerly start their assignment, sketching out the first design and carefully pouring their paints. “Mr. Grace!” A voice speaks loudly, making every head snap up in the direction of the door, including your own. He gives a shy smile and waves.
“I’ve been told some of you would like to see me attempt to paint.” Excited whispers jitter around you, making you smile and motion to an empty seat. He does his best to draw his gaze from you in your element, focusing on your bright lanyard, that jingled every time you move.
“Lilly, can you explain what we're doing to Mr. Grace?” The girl eagerly nods as you help with the table you’re at. Ryland can’t help but subtly watch you from afar, tracing the lines of your smile and the way you eagerly help the kids fix their lines. He carefully follows the instructions the students around him give him, earnestly trying his best to paint a small landscape.
By the time you make your way to the table and pull up a stool, he’s red with embarrassment. “How’s it going?” You ask the table gently, eagerly looking over the students' nieces before turning to Ryland. “Mr. Grace?”
“It’s uh… green?” The table erupts in giggles. You smile, glancing over his piece.
“I think you’re doing well!” You encourage gently, making his flush deepen as he clears his throat.
“Are there any rules on adding animals?” You raise a brow, the kids around you whispering eagerly. The question made him feel foolish for a moment, a blush coating his cheeks.
“...no? Do whatever your heart desires.”
“Science does not require your heart.” He grumbles, making the students giggle again.
“But, Mr. Grace! Wouldn’t anatomy include your heart?”
“Someone was listening during my lectures!” Grace smiles. “But for the sake of this joke, science doesn’t require your heart.” The kids all laughed again, and you watched with a grin.
“Does that mean you’re saying she doesn’t have a brain? She’s not doing science!” One boy says, making your jaw drop with mock offense and making his heart flutter with panic.
“No! No! That’s not what I meant! She’s got plenty of brains! However, she’s good with being led by her heart!” He reasons, making you smile bashfully. The students erupt around the two of you and sigh at the forming ideas of their favorite science and art teaching “being in love.” He ignored the way his heart soared at the idea of love.
🖍
“You never showed me what animal you added to your painting.” You muse softly, stepping into his room, making his head lift from the papers he was grading. He smiles, waving you further in. You pull your bag tighter over your shoulder, moving to lean against his desk and look down at him.
“You’re not allowed to laugh at me.”
“Whatever you’re going to pull out, I’ve probably seen worse.” You snort softly, watching him dig through a pile of assignments before pulling out his small landscape piece. He offers it to you, and you find a small orange-and-white fox in the bottom-left corner. You grin at the small creature and its goofy smile, watching as Ryland’s cheeks flush. “A fox, hm?”
“They– they’re my favorite.” He mumbles gently, making your gaze soften.
“Really?” He nods, shifting his weight in his chair and clearing his throat. “I love it.”
“You do?” His eyes snap up to yours as an eager smile crosses his lips.
“It looks good! And it’s not half bad in terms of value. I’d give you an… A.” Your expression tightens slightly at the way he toys nervously with his pen and avoids your eyes.
“An A, huh? That’s uh– can you– uh– flip it over.” Your brows pinch in confusion as you gently flip the small piece over, finding it would be un-fox-gettable if you went out with me! -R, a soft gasp leaving your lips.
“You know that pun is horrible, right?” You giggle, making him shake his head with an embarrassed smile.
“It was the only thing I could think of.” He murmurs, making your smile widen.
“I’d love to.” You reach out to gently grab and squeeze his hand, making the flush across his cheeks deepen as he finally meets your gaze.
“Are you sure? You don’t–”
“You asked me on a date by painting me something. I think I’d been a fool to say no.”
🖍
“Miss?” You look up from your computer, smiling at the student.
“Yes, Lilly?”
“Why did you hang up Mr. Grace’s painting?” Oohs echo around the room, and you feel your heart creep up your neck, glancing at the piece behind it.
“Because I think it’s a good reminder that anyone can do art.” Lilly gives you a skeptical look as the kids start to whisper. “Get back to work!” You laugh softly, making the kids mumble under your breath.
Class progresses slowly as you make your way around the room, helping adjust lines, mix certain colors, and having soft conversations about the students’ days. “Mr. Grace!” Lucas says happily, making you look up as the blonde man sheepishly steps into the room.
“She hung up your painting!”
“Look! Look!”
“Mr. Grace, you need to practice your animals.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t insult my fox drawing abilities! My fox looks great!” He jeers softly, making the students laugh.
“Why did she hang your painting up?” Ryland’s eyes drift from yours to his painting that was now hung up among other student creations behind her desk.
“I’m willing to bet she’s already told you, and you probably weren’t listening.” You smile and nod, and the eager eyes move to yours.
“I said that I hung it up because it’s a good example of the fact that anyone can do art. Even a scientist.” The students ooh and ah, giggling as they look between their two beloved teachers.
“See? You guys need to use your ears.” Ryland grumbles.
“Are you staying for class again?” An eager voice asks, making all the eyes snap back to Ryland.
“Just stopping by today, sorry to disappoint.”
“You just want to see our teacher.” One boy perks up, making excited giggles around you.
“What if I just wanted to see my students?” Ryland tries to recover, watching as you hide a bashful smile behind your hand.
“Alright! Alright! You all have an assignment to finish! I’m going to talk with Mr. Grace in the hall for a moment.” The blonde nods, opening the door for you, and you skeptically glance over your class.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to cause a fuss.”
“Are we still on for tonight?” You blurt out, making him look up at you and smile.
“If you’re still up for it.” You nod, hands interlocked behind your back.
“I can uh– take your painting down if you’d like.” He shakes his head.
“No, no, please– I– uh– keep it up. I’d like it if you kept it up.”
“Can do, Mr. Grace.” He grins, pulling the door open again to let you back into the classroom.
🖍
You fidgeted with the napkin in your lap, glancing up to look around the restaurant every so often. You’d worn a nice dress and done your hair and makeup, shifting nervously in your seat. But the stress faded away as Ryland walked in, hair messy and glasses slightly askew as he scanned the room for you. You both smile as he sees you and makes his way to the table, sitting across from you. “I’m so sorry I’m late– the science fair–”
“Ryland– it’s alright. You’re here, and it’s only ten minutes.” He sighs softly and nods, finally letting his shoulders drop.
“I’m… really glad you said yes to all this.”
“Me too.” The waiter walks up, and Ryland orders both of you a nice bottle of wine and a starter, letting you order your main dish before following with his own. “This is a really nice restaurant.” You watch the man blush, reaching across the table to gently take and toy with your hand.
“You deserve it.”
“I haven’t gone on a date in… forever.”
“Me neither. I’ve been trying to find the courage for uh… months.” Your brows raise in surprise.
“Months?” He sheepishly smiles up at you.
“My last relationship didn’t uh… go very well. It’s been hard to… get back out there, I guess.” You nod softly, squeezing his hand.
“I haven’t been in a relationship since college. Haven’t had time… or interest. So if it makes you feel better, the bar isn’t very high.”
“Hopefully, I don’t even need to set a bar.” Your head tilts, brows pinching in confusion.
“What does that mean?”
“That hopefully you won’t even be… looking for someone else.” His voice dwindles off softly at the end as you smile at his words.
“Well, your personal bar is already through the roof at the fact that you were willing to paint me something.”
“At least I’m doing something right.”
“You’re doing a lot of things right.”
🖍
The walk back to your apartment was slow, hands connected and swinging between the two of you. You listened to Ryland chatter eagerly about the project he had come up with for his students to start the next week, the scientific jargon confusing you, but you couldn’t find it within you to have him clarify.
You pull him to a stop as you stop at your building, pulling him from his thoughts as his eyes settle on you with a dopey smile. “Is this your stop?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Unfortunate?”
“Want to come up?”
“Do I?” He teases, clearly lightened by the alcohol. “Yes, please.” You grin, pulling him into your building and into the elevator. “Fifth floor, hm?” He giggles, hugging you tightly and pressing you against the cool metal.
“What’s so funny about the fifth floor?” You smile, reaching up to gently cup his cheek. He leans into it as the elevator dings past the floors, humming happily at your touch.
“Five, y’know?” You giggle, grabbing his hands and pulling him out of the elevator onto our floor.
“Can’t say I do know.” You tease, grabbing your keys and unlocking your door as he happily glues himself to your back. You manage to kick your shoes off and get out of your jacket as he happily squeezes you from behind. “You doing ok?”
“I’m doing pretty well.”
“How about you go sit down, and I’ll get you some water, hm?” You turn in his hold, brushing his hair from his eyes and gently adjusting his glasses.
“I think I’m ok.” He grins softly. “Just ok, right here…”
“You’re like a puppy.” His head presses further into your neck, making you laugh again.
“Not a puppy. A fox… You know I like foxes. And– and– Maybe I’m just happy.”
“I’m glad you’re happy, Ryland.” Your fingers card through his hair as he sighs. “And yes, I know foxes are your favorite.”
“The students are never going to let us down.” He huffs.
“Just wait till they see us chaperoning the school dance together.” A soft chortle leaves his throat before he lifts his head and presses his forehead against yours. “I really… like you.”
“I can tell.” You hum, smiling. “I think you also might be a little of a lightweight.”
“Me? Never.”
“Are you sober enough to kiss me?” He perks up, grinning.
“I’d love to.” You pull him in closer, letting his lips meet yours, making him hum happily and pull you in tighter. You pull away when the two of you can’t stop laughing. “Maybe I’m not sober enough.”
“Guess you’ll have to stay the night, hm?”
“Can I really?” He pouts gently.
“Promise.”
🖍
Morning comes slowly, Ryland curled against the warmth of your chest, arms clamped around your middle, as he mumbles happily. It was the first time you’d seen him without his glasses (which had been carefully stowed away on your beside table), face lax as your fingers weaved through his hair.
His sleep talking made you giggle, your body shaking beneath him, making him stir. “What’s going on?” He murmurs.
“You’re awake.” He lifts his head to glance around for a moment before he squints at your face.
“‘M not dreaming anymore?”
“How’s your head?” Your thumb brushes his temple softly.
“Fine. Was kissing you part of my dream?” You grin and shake your head.
“That definitely happened.” He slowly moves to linger over you and press his lips against yours.
“I’m sorry I got so…” You shake your head, cupping his cheeks.
“I had a wonderful night… It was amazing.” You whisper, making him grin and settle back on top of you, head against your chest.
“I’m glad you said yes.” The words are barely audible, but you can feel the rumble over them against your ear as your hand finds its way back to your hair.
“Me too… why foxes?” He kisses you eagerly again.