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Professor Kennedy, notorious to be the hottest teacher of the whole school. At least, that’s what rumors would say. But it’s not like you weren’t affected by it too. Sure, you’ve snuck one or two glances — okay, maybe more but that’s beside the point — and yeah, you can see the appeal.
What you couldn’t understand, was when he had caught interest in you of all people.
You were working on tomorrow’s homework assignments, before practically jumping off of your chair after feeling a hand tap lightly on your shoulder. When you turned to see who it was, you were pleasantly surprised to see Professor Kennedy standing behind you, looking over your shoulder. “Need any help with your assignment?” He asked, politely, nothing of the ordinary. But you could tell something was on his mind that didn’t imply the question he had just asked.
“I’m fine, but thank you for your consideration professor.” You answered. Basic and the most common answer that could’ve given him when you didn’t want to get bothered, but also when you didn’t want to be rude.
He lingered for a few more seconds, before continuing his little round of the class to see how everyone was progressing. You returned to your assignment, but you couldn’t help but feel a pair of eyes land on you from time to time.
———————————————————————————
That wasn’t the first time you’ve seen your professor behave a little bit… off, to say the least. It wasn’t like you’re an expert in reading people’s intentions, but you would sometimes wonder if he was trying to hide what he was thinking about. Or maybe you were reading too much into it…
Lately, you’ve been struggling with a few of your subjects. Probably because you’ve been busying yourself with anything but school. Now that you were behind on school, you can’t help but feel regretful that you didn’t use your time wisely.
You knocked on the office door, that lead to your very well-known professor, mr. Kennedy. It doesn’t take long, before hearing a muffled “come in,”following with a few ruffling sounds, most likely him shuffling some papers around. You entered the office, closing the door right after. You could tell that he was not expecting you to be there, as it took a few moments before he resumed his movements. It was as if he had forgotten how to function for a second, before his natural frown appeared again.
“What can I do for you?” He asked. A low, smooth voice, like he had done this a billion times already. But if you looked at his movement with more attention, you could see him reshuffle the same set of papers he already had picked up beforehand. You walked over to his desk, since it would honestly be impolite to keep lingering at the entrance and be pretty impractical. “I had a question about the past few lectures, since I’ve been having trouble keeping up… if you have the time for it, of course.” You looked over the piles of, you presume, paperwork and assignments ready to be graded before looking back at professor Kennedy.
It took him some time to answer. He was probably thinking about if he had the time to be helping one of his student, or maybe he was just thinking about his dinner plans. But, eventually, he nodded and asked about what you needed help with.
He was patient with you, even though you had little to no clue on what you were doing most of the time. He would correct you, and explain the reasoning behind it in a way even a toddler, in this case you, could understand. You were pretty impressed with the amount of patience he had, since he was basically re-explaining every past lecture at this point. Never did he even raise his voice all too much, but you could see him sigh every now and then.
It was getting dark, and the school had quieted down significantly. You checked the time: 7:48 PM. You cursed under your breath: you had forgotten the time and had missed your bus. The next one was going to be an hour away, and the school closes at 8.
Professor Kennedy seemed to sense your distress, as he checked the time as well. “It’s getting late. Are you able to get home?” He asked. You could tell that his voice was laced with something that sounded like worry, but you brushed it off. You told him your situation, but that you were fine with it and would probably hang around school grounds a little longer till your bus arrives.
He looked to be even more pissed by your dismissive behavior, but he instead took a deep breath before asking the following: “do you need a ride home?”
It was strange, really. A professor, riding his student home? Who does that? You contemplated the choice, but decided to agree with it, since it would mean that you wouldn’t have to wait for your next bus anymore. He nodded, before grabbing a pile of papers, placing them in his binder and storing it in his bag.
You started cleaning up as well, picking up the papers he had used to explain a few concepts you had trouble understanding, planning on using them to revise later on. You grabbed your bag, letting it hang over one of your shoulder, before looking to see Professor Kennedy finishing up and closing his laptop.
A few moments later, you arrived in the parking lot beside your professor. You always seen him as an old uptight teacher, so imagine the surprise it must’ve been to see him unlocking the door of a FREAAKINGGG Porsche. “Never knew a teacher’s wage would get you that. Maybe i should become one too,” You joked, before realizing you had done that with your literal professor. You bit your lip, hoping that he wouldn’t reprimand you, and to your surprise, he doesn’t. He instead, of all odds, had a smirk on his face.
“Not wrong to assume, but unfortunately being a professor doesnt pay you that much.” He chuckled softly afterwards, as he opened the door for you. After a little hesitation, you stepped in. The leather cushion of the seat was very comfortable. As you buckled your seatbelt, he quickly got over to the driver’s seat, got in and started the car engine. With just a few revs, did they drive off into the night.
“Show off,” you scoffed, as it felt light on your chest. Like you weren’t conversing with your professor at all. He didn’t turn to you, but you could see a smile crawl up his face before he could get rid of it.
“For you? Gladly.” He softly mumbled, his words hanging for her to decipher what its intention was.
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Unsure what to make it of it, you decided to brush it off and to leave it for another time.
———————————————————————————
“Have you seen how he looks at you? He definitely has a thing for you,” your friend basically squealed. You could only chuckle awkwardly and change the subject. “Didn’t your class start a few minutes ago?” You said, looking behind her at the clock across the hallway you two were standing at.
Her eyes widen, as she mumbled something about having to talk to her about what’s been happening lately. You could only smile at her as she left you alone with your own thoughts. “Hm, what a weird thing to say. Surely she didn’t mean that.” You thought absentmindedly, whilst walking down the hallway to the school’s library to continue catching up on material.
—which had been the case, if you hadn’t accidentally knocked over a student.
You should probably pay a little more attention after turning a corner, you reminded yourself. “Ah, didn’t see you there, let me help you.” You said apologetically, before offering him a hand. Instead, he swatted your hand away. “Get lost, you—”
“—Is there something the matter here?” A sudden voice called from behind you. You immediately recognized it as Mr. Kennedy. The student’s eyes widened slightly, before getting up and going past them, mumbling something incoherent and something you couldn’t quite catch.
You turn, revealing him to be staring at you in a way you’re not ready to discuss yet. “Thank you for—” “—you don’t have to thank me.” He interrupted, already walking away. It deterred you, why the cold shoulder suddenly? He had been pretty nice to you all year round, he even helped you get home safely not so long ago. You hadn’t forgotten about it. You even got him something for the trouble. So… why?
You shook your head, determined to gift him the present you got the day after he had brought you home! Though you had no idea when to give it to him, since he always looked so busy.
You had some time to spare, and was also pretty sure that he was in a lecture at the moment. So you decided to head over to his office to put it there.
It was pretty easy now that his office was empty, since it didn’t require any awkward conversations which relied on small talk, which surprisingly wasn’t actually a normal occurrence with you two… Strange.
You set down the neatly wrapped gift on his desk, before leaving. Where you immediately bumped into a classmate from English “Oh hey, didn’t think I would bump into you,” you said, surprised since you don’t often see nor hang out with people of their circle.
He revealed that he wanted to take you to prom, and had been reluctant to ask since you two never really conversed with each other. It really made no sense for him to ask you, but you decided to agree. You didn’t really have anyone for prom yet, and had been putting the idea off for a long time. Mostly because you’ve never had a person to bring to such a occasion, but also because you’ve been busy with school lately.
You two decided on meeting each other inside the party, which you didn’t really mind since you lived pretty far off campus and it would be annoying for him to get all the way to you just to pick you up. You waved him goodbye, with a slight uneasiness that someone was watching over you. But when you looked around, no one was really in your line for vision.
———————————————————————————
“Fuck, I’m going to be so late at this point.” You mumbled underneath your breath, as you made your way off the bus. The fact that you were in a way too fancy outfit and wat too overdressed to be in a BUS, which was not helping at all. You ended up awkwardly standing on the bus, before practically dashing out of it when you got off. It was annoying enough to live this far away from campus that you needed to take the bus everyday.
You made your way onto campus. It was already 8:18PM, the party started at 8. You would want to sprint all the way there, but you were almost certain you would end up there drenched in sweat of running or tripping on a loose rock or something. It was probably the best idea… but that would essentially mean you would get there even later. So you decided to take the risk and run the rest of the trip.
Feeling like shit running all the way to campus with people looking at you strangely, you were finally making your way to the entrance. It only gave you a few more seconds to think of an excuse, before you actually opened the doors. The booming music immediately shot right into your ears, the scene before you made you want to turn around and run the other way straight back into bed. But you had made a promise, so you followed through and went in to look for him.
Bad choice.
You ventured into the packed venue with nothing much but a thought of fulfilling your promise. The smell of sweat and alcohol was as clear as day. You could even see a few people drunk already, which made you wonder how they managed that in the span of not even a half hour. You came across a few classmates, exchanged greeting and such before a flash of recognition flashed right past you. There he was,
with a girl that was too close to be ‘just’ a friend.
It shouldn’t even hurt you, really. You barely even know this guy. But the fact that he had asked you and led you on just to find some other chick was something that really hit you. He seemingly also noticed, as he looked at you smugly. “look who finally showed up. What? Are you going to cry, hm? You didnt actually think ill take someone like YOU to prom” He said sarcastically, while he faked a gag and tightened his hold on the girl’s waist, making her giggle and settle her hand on his chest.
“Why would you even ask me to prom?” You said through gritted teeth, as a sudden rush of anger took a hold on you after his condescending tone showed nothing more than that he couldn’t even cared less to play with your feelings. He looked pretty happy to explain, as he revealed to you that the person you bumped into that day, was actually one of his buddy’s and had asked him to pretend to want you as his prom date.
“Seriously!?” You asked, your voice had raised to a higher pitch. “Are you saying that you went through all of this, just because I happen to bump into your buddy that didn’t even watch his own step?” You couldn’t believe the stupidity that led to this. Who even does something as petty as this?
He simply shrugged and kissed the girl right in front of you, moreover to show off that he couldn’t have cared less about what you thought of this situation. You practically stormed out of the room, making your way to the exit as the adrenaline slowly subsided. Tears pricked in the corner of your eyes, making it hard to see where you’re going. But after so many years, you’ve grown accustomed to this environment and got outside safely.
You sat on the pavement, as uncomfortable as it was with the outfit that was probably more expensive than your wardrobe combined (you were definitely regretting this later), looking down on your phone as you blinked the tears out of your vision. You were NOT going to cry for someone who you barely even know that well, especially to an asshole like him. God, you just wanted to go home. If only your goddamn bus could come quicker than after each hour.
“Need someone to talk to?” A voice appeared from behind, a very familiar voice. Someone you apparently can’t escape from. “Mr. Kennedy? What are you doing out so late?” You asked, as you felt pretty awful at the moment, and didn’t want to burden someone with such silly endeavors. You didn’t dare turn around. Because if you did, you couldn’t promise you wouldn’t break down in tears.
“Monitoring prom, just so nothing goes to out of hand,” you could hear him step closer, but you still couldn’t bare to turn around. You blinked your tears away, before taking a deep breath. He stood behind you for a moment or two, before asking if he could sit down. You nodded, finding his presence more comforting than to be sitting alone at this hour.
A comforting silence settled between the two. The tree rustling every so often when the wind blew. You shivered. You hadn’t expected to be sitting so depressingly at a bus stop at this hour. Suddenly, you felt the warmth of a blanket engulf you. The warm fabric was pleasant to say the least… it smelled like whiskey and old spices. “Thank you… for the gift,” you hear him say, turning to see him staring to you with a subtle smile. You had just noticed how he sat with a loosened tie and his shirt not buttoned all the way. Probably because it had been pretty warm inside.
Something inside you shift. You can feel your cheeks heat up, as you let yourself snuggle deeper into the jacket he had given you. Your eyes were locked on him for a little longer, he really was mesmerizing up close. “You’re welcome,” you can hear yourself say, but your whole attention was focused on him. The noises around them slowly faded away, as you placed a hand softly onto his. He flinched slightly, before entangling his with yours aswell. His gaze shifted from your eyes to your lips, as if he was completely captivated by you.
He shifted a little closer, his body turned over to you and leaned in close. His breaths were labored. You didn’t move at first. Too new, too inexperienced. Hesitantly, you moved closer to him. You licked your lips, as your eyes dipped onto his lips. You were probably flushed red at this point. Your other hand grabbed the back of his neck, and you pressed in closer, noses almost touching.
Suddenly, you saw your bus approaching and quickly pulled back. Your sudden movement made him jerk back, as his gaze followed yours to see the bus. He coughed, as he looked away and stood up quicker than you could possibly fathom. “You should go now,” you said, feeling awkward and nervous that you almost kissed YOUR TEACHER. “Yeah..” Leon answered, but he sounded almost… hurt?
You wanted to say something, anything. But when you turned back, he was already walking away. Leaving you sitting there on the pavement, as the bus driver was angrily honking and shouting at you if you were getting on the bus or not.
———————————————————————————
It had been a week after prom… and you couldn’t focus.
…
Because every time you tied to, it would end up futile as your eyes kept drifting over to Leon. Somewhere in your chest felt like it was aching, wanting to be closer than where you were. You ignored it, you had to.
You sighed, frustrated and wondered where everything had changed. The jacket was in your locker. You had been too scared to return it, so it had been sitting there ever since. He was teaching, per usual, but all you could listen to was his voice that was talking about whatever topic he had in store today. That soothing voice was like an addiction you wouldn’t want to let go. You would even go so far as to say you would love to hear him talk about the most boring subject and still love it. It sent shivers down your spine just by thinking about it.
You, however, couldn’t bring yourself to actual hold up a conversation after what had happened back at the bus stop. It was wrong: a teacher and a student almost kissing. But god, you couldn’t keep your mind off of him. So much, that you didn’t even notice him talking to you. Only when your classmate nudged your side, had you noticed that he was trying to get your attention.
Your eyes widen slightly, as you suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Why was he suddenly addressing you? “Y-yes?” You pinched your thigh, why were you stuttering all of a sudden?
“Please stay behind after class. I need to have a word with you.” He said in a dismissive tone, but his eyes were telling another story. Eagerness? Maybe even curiosity. You nodded, and class resumed again. What is it that he wanted to talk about?
As time passed, you began to feel more anxious. Was there something wrong? Was it about the prom… how they almost—
LETS NOT GO THERE, SHALL WE?
You shook your head, checking the time. Class was almost over. Leon was currently writing the assignment that was going to be homework for next week, as you quickly wrote it down and packed your books into your bag. The bell rung, and the class went like a tidal wave, pushing each other away to get the best table for lunch. It wasn’t long until they were the only ones left in the class.
“You wanted to speak with me?” You said, approaching his desk. He was currently rubbing his temples, like the whole lecture had been a headache… which wasn’t an unusual occurrence. He lowered his hands onto his desk, his eyes lingering and then looking down your body. You felt yourself getting redder, as you place your bag on his desk, anticipating his answer.
It seemingly helped him get out of his trance, as he let out a quick cough and straighten up. “Yes, right. I wanted to talk about prom night…” He started, his eyes averted. You mouth ran dry, as you couldnt think of ways to explain her choices that night. But before you could say anything, he answered for you: “—It was unprofessional of me, so I wanted to ask you to please forgive me for my advances.”
It left you slightly dumbfounded. Though you should accept it… right? You shouldn’t make things harder for yourself, and it was a perfect opportunity to just take it and continue on with your life. But for some reason, you hesitated. Your heart ached for something you couldn’t quite understand. Your mind was screaming to just walk away, but your heart was telling you to pursue. You hesitated, and Leon noticed.
Or… maybe, if you would let me…” Leon muttered quietly, his eyes trailing from your eyes to your lips. Stepping closer to you, closing off the distance between the two with you quickly. His hand found itself caressing your cheek as he exhaled almost nervously. You froze, unsure of what to do. Bnut before you could think, you leaned in closer. Your eyes locked onto his, a smile appearing on Leon’s lips before he closed in the gap between the two.
The kiss was everything you could’ve ever wanted and more. His lips were rough on yours, but the kiss was sweet and light, as if he was scared to ask for more. While his hand was holding your cheek to hold you, while you wrapped your arms around his neck, one hand entangled into his hair. It felt like a relief, like something finally lifted off of your chest.
When he broke up the kiss, you two were both breathing heavily against each other. You two stood there in silence for a few moments, the comforting silence engulfing whatever tension had been brewing before this moment.
“So…” you began, whilst looking up at him shyly. “Are you going to ask me out after this, or was this a one time thing?” You teased lightly, a small creeping on your face, knowing that this wouldn’t be the last of him. He chuckled, finding her question amusing.
“You’re going to be the death of me.” Was all Leon said before leaning in for another kiss. But this time? he wasn’t planning on letting you go.