Chapter Text
“And BIO 440 on Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM to 11:50 AM,” you mutter as you finish going over your Fall semester schedule on your phone again. The morning summer sun warms your skin as you make your way to the Biology building. Being in your final year of university (and being quite the accomplished academic if you don’t say so yourself), you’d gotten to know the campus very well, especially the buildings, classrooms, and professors frequented by Marine Biology majors like yourself. However, you didn’t recognize the professor’s name on your schedule for your Advanced Techniques in Ecology class.
Maybe he’s new? You thought with a shrug and continued your walk to your new class. You idly think back to the email you’d gotten about Dr. Zhongli’s retirement as you climb the stairs to the fourth floor. First impressions are always important, so you always like to dress fashionably - especially on the first day of class. A ping from your phone catches your attention right as you get to the top of the stairs and you duck into a hallway to check it. An involuntary grin pulls at your lips as a message from your boyfriend appears on the screen, hyping up your carefully selected OOTD (outfit of the day) with lots of heart and water droplet emojis. Giggling, you tuck your phone in your pocket and skip down the hall to the classroom to start your day.
Immediately upon walking in, you lock eyes with a pair of deep blue orbs at the front of the room. While the other students are chattering away, you’re momentarily frozen in a trance as you take in orange untamed locks, handsome features, and a tall, lean physique hiding beneath a well fitted maroon button down and gray slacks. His fair skin, showcased by rolled sleeves, is smattered lightly with freckles and a blonde streak dashes through his hair. Those azure eyes rake over your form and narrow slightly in interest, amusement tugging at his lips. Oh my-
Just as quickly as you’d been sucked in, you shake your head briskly, snapping your gaze away from the stranger and promptly dive into a seat by the door. Ducking your head down a bit (in embarrassment or to hide from that gaze - you’re not sure), you pull your phone out and pretend to scroll as you dare to peek up through your lashes at the handsome stranger.
Your pulse reverberates in your ears as you watch him survey the room, his eyes once again lingering on you as you quickly look back down at your phone. 5 minutes til class starts…
Why was this random guy standing behind the lectern at the front of the class? A confused student? Is he lost? Maybe he just really likes lecterns? He looked about a couple years older than you so he was likely a graduate student Teaching Assistant or something…maybe?
The start of class nears, but no professor-looking person has walked through the door yet. You triple check your schedule and the professor’s name. Tartaglia huh…for a new professor on his first day, he sure likes to take his damn time . You pull out your notebook, planner, and pen as the clock on the wall hits 10 AM. The rest of the class’s chatter dulls to a murmur as everyone settles in for class, some turning their heads around the room in confusion before settling back on the mysterious red-head. You survey the rest of the student’s understandable apprehension before also returning your attention to the man at the front of the room.
“Ahem,” he clears his throat and the class falls silent.
“Good morning everyone, and welcome to BIO 440 aka Advanced Techniques in Ecology! My name is Ajax Tartaglia and I’ll be your professor this semester!” he cheerfully calls out to the dumbfounded students. He beams mischievously as chaotic whispers erupt around the room, pleased with his surprise reveal.
“Now now, I know what you’re thinking: how could this young, tall, smart, handsome, (was that enough adjectives?) stud of a man be the professor for one of the toughest upper level Marine Biology courses at THE Teyvat National University?” he continues with a whimsical wave of his hands, as if to placate the growing confusion in the classroom.
“Well, if I must say, it’s gotta be because I’m a genius after all, right?” he shrugs boastfully with a wink, “in all honesty though I do have the appropriate qualifications as listed in the syllabus and on my website so feel free to check that out after class!” he relents as he passes out stacks of syllabuses for the students to pass around. When one lands in your hands, you quickly scan the page for his qualifications. Double major undergrad in Marine Biology and Physical Education with a Master’s in Oceanography?! AND THREE YEARS IN THE FIELD IN SNEZHNAYA?!?!
Your eyes grow impossibly wider as you read each new qualification before you furrow your brows skeptically. Did he get his degrees as a teenager? A child prodigy?? How was it even possible to have these accomplishments if he wasn’t either a big fat liar or a super genius? Well…his employment at the elite university certainly disproved the former… You recall the rigorous background checks required for just the application alone when you’d considered being a TA.
Relief and excitement wash over the classroom as the students quickly acknowledge his competence. As if searing into your body, you feel his gaze once again trained on you. At your impressed expression, an arrogant smirk flashes across his face before it quickly relaxes to an easygoing smile as he turns back to the rest of the class. Was your face that easy to read?!
“I hope we have a great semester this year and that we can all get along!” he calls out to the now responsive class before diving into the contents of the syllabus and what the semester has in store for everyone. You scrawl down some notes and highlight important dates in your planner but your mind continues to wander back to the glances and grins from earlier.
Why was he looking at you? Are your clothes weird? Is your hair messed up? Is there something on your face??
You quickly open your front camera only to find your makeup and hair still intact and perfectly styled, just as you’d set them this morning. Your cheeks flush at the memory of his intense gaze as it had swept your body when you entered the room. Your honors student status shouldn’t draw enough attention to warrant what had happened earlier; plus, how would he even know anything about who you are anyway? You turn your attention back to your professor as he makes his closing remarks, the clock above him ticking closer to 11:50 AM.
“And I know this class is notoriously “that class” for you Marine Biology majors,” he finger quotes, “but please do not worry about your grades,” he reassures.
“You’ll have plenty of chances for extra credit ,” he purrs, eyes sweeping the room and landing on you with a wink at those last words. Your face flushes as his speech about textbooks fades into the background. Did he just wink? At YOU?! What’s with this professor???!
The clock signals the end of class and you quickly gather your things before bolting out of class before anyone else can see the red tips of your ears or hear your thundering heartbeat. What was that?! Who was that?! What’s going on??! Your mind tumbles at a mile a minute as you struggle to collect yourself after this very eventful first class. As you hurry out of the Biology building, a ping from your phone snaps you out of your thoughts. A silly meme from your bf softens your furrowed brows and melts a bit of the stress in your shoulders. You heave a sigh and shield your eyes from the blinding sun as you step out into the noon heat.
This was gonna be a long semester.
~~~ <3 ~~~
The next class passes by with more heated eye contact and suggestive remarks and yeahhh this young professor is definitely singling you out, whether the rest of the class notices or not. He hasn’t been blatant enough to cause any rumors, but you and he both know something is afoot.
I mean, sure he’s tall and handsome and a smooth talker and DAMN smart (holy hell was this really “that class”), but I have a loving boyfriend and I’d be damned if I cheated on him - physically or emotionally! If there’s anything you’re not, it’s a cheater - in both love and academics.
“I heard you’re the top honors student in this department, (Y/N),” a voice calls out as you pack up your things at the end of class one day. You pause your packing to look up at the lithe frame leaning against the empty desk in front of you. His eyes bore down at you like a hunter locking onto its prey. He calls out some farewells to the last of the students filtering out of the room as you eye him quizzically before standing up to talk.
“Mm yeah, I guess that’s so,” you respond hesitantly, fingers toying the hem of your shirt. That must be why he had that knowing smile the first day. I guess the other professors told him about me?
“The other professors have given great praise about what an excellent student you are and how passionate you are about marine biology!” he confirms, “I guess that means I should look forward to your work this semester, huh?” He politely extends a hand.
You hesitate momentarily before voicing your agreement and clasping his hand in a firm shake. Before you can let go, he tugs you towards him and you stumble forward. His other arm snakes around your waist, catching you in a tight embrace.
“Oh, and you may think you won’t need ‘em, but don’t forget about those extra credit opportunities, girlie,” he murmurs lowly, his breath hot against your ear. Electricity sparks where his iron grip holds your waist and your hand burns where it still holds his. Blood rushes to your face and before you can stammer out a response, he lets you go with a gentle push, hands in the air innocently as if he didn’t just have you pressed flush against him.
“I’ll be waiting!” he calls cheerily with a wave as he strolls out of the room, leaving you with your mouth agape, trying and failing to find words or thoughts or whatthefuckjusthappened?! Was he flirting ?! Hitting on you?!
While one might generally be flattered by an attractive man’s approach, you could only feel a mix of anger and annoyance. You have a boyfriend! You’re in a healthy and loving relationship! And what kind of cocky prick just saunters up to a girl and assumes she’s gonna wanna take part in his “extra credit”?!
You stomp angrily across campus before stopping in your tracks. Blood rushes your face, but this time your hands curl in fists and your brow furrows. Oh it’s on. He might think that was an invitation, but really, it was a declaration. A declaration of war.
~~~ <3 ~~~
And war it was indeed.
“WHAT?!” you scream, startling your bf off the couch at your apartment. Rubbing his head where it bumped the ground, he quickly gathers at your side with concern, “W-what’s wrong, babe? Everything ok??”
You can’t stop your mouth from dropping open as you refresh the screen for the millionth time. However, just like the 999,999 times you’d refreshed before, the screen displays the same thing: a big, fat F on your very first Advanced Techniques in Ecology homework assignment. Me?! Getting an F ?! Impossible. Unheard of. Unfathomable.
“I got an F on a homework assignment?!” you screech in disbelief. There’s no way. You had triple checked your work was correct and quadruple checked that it was submitted properly and in a timely fashion. There’s no way! There’s no way the number one Biology department honors student could get an F on an assignment. Your hands curl into fists on the keyboard and your eyes narrow in rage as you seethe out his name: Tartaglia...
Smoke seemingly pours out of your ears as your vision turns red. Your boyfriend weakly consoles you before giving up knowing it’s useless. Oh now it’s really on. Who does that bastard think he is failing you ?!
You snatch the syllabus off your desk and scan the page for his next office hours: Wednesday at 4 PM. Tomorrow, huh? You fist the paper before abruptly standing up and sending your boyfriend home. Stomping to your room, your mind is already calculating how you’re about to verbally and emotionally lay into this motherfucker. You drift to sleep with a smirk on your face, confident he’ll get his just desserts.