haru @h4rumichan - Tumblr Blog

talking science (Ryland Grace x teacher!reader)

You’re a new teacher at his school. But when you spot Dr. Grace talking science for the first time, you’ve never seen anything better. So you make it your mission to get him to talk like that as many times as you can.

(2.4k words, no use of y/n, fluff, teacher!reader, confessions, kissing)

i could not figure out how to end this so…I hope it’s okay! Credit to @corinthianism for the inspiration!!

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When you first saw Ryland Grace, he was in a serious debate with one of the history teachers in your school.

You were walking into the breakroom to eat your lunch when you spotted him in his button up and tie. Ryland was leaning his hip against the counter, waiting for his turn at the community coffee machine. His hair caught your eye instantly, the dirty blond strands looking a bit unkept in the fluorescent light. Then his glasses, that were perfectly suited for a science teacher, sat crooked on the end of his nose as he tilted his head at the man.

“You mean you aren’t teaching that in your history class?” Ryland asked the teacher while filling up a cup of coffee at the machine. His sleeves were rolled up to show his forearms, which were looking way too good for a Wednesday afternoon.

“Well, no, it’s not very relevant.” The history teacher responded with a shrug.

He turned to the history teacher, set aside his cup of coffee, straightened his glasses, and began to explain.

“That’s a very relevant breakthrough for both science and history. I mean, the observation was performed by the English scientist Robert Hooke in 1665, when he observed plant cells in a dead piece of cork. Which was, quite frankly, revolutionary for the world of science. Even though many people argue that Antoine van Leeuwenhoek was technically the more important breakthrough since he was the one who discovered living cells.” He held up both hands in a shrugging motion before he turned back to his coffee. “But that was only nine years after Hooke, so, technically you could say both were important. Kids should definitely be learning about that in your class at some point, though, since cells literally make up every living thing.”

“Please. That’s all science stuff, buddy.” The history teacher scoffed, clearly offended. But Ryland didn’t bat an eye. No, he just turned with his coffee and walked right out, passing you while muttering something under his breath about uneducated adults.

You always had a thing for smart guys, but hearing him finally knock that history teacher down a peg?

Oh, you were done for.

So, naturally, pushing Ryland Grace into science explaining territory was slowly becoming one of your favorite pastimes.

Especially because he looked so cute when he started going off, listing every possible fact that he remembered on the topic. Ryland’s eyebrows would scrunch up before he’d straighten his glasses, roll his shoulders back, and start talking about how wrong you were. You knew he never meant it in a mean way, especially towards you, so it was attractive to see him go off.

His hands would get a mind of their own, gesturing as if you could physically see what he was talking about. His eyes would light up with that spark behind his glasses as he spouted scientific jargon about the fact that you were teasing him with.

“So like…y’know how some people think the Earth is flat? Get this,” You leaned across the break room table, a half eaten sandwich clutched in your hand as you spoke loudly enough for him to hear across the room. “It could be a square. How come every flat-earther thinks that the Earth is an oval? I mean, maps are square.” You gestured with the sandwich still in your hand, talking to one of your teacher friends. “I feel like I’m on the cusp of a scientific breakthrough right now.”

“Wait, what?” Ryland asked from across the room, and coughed on the water he was drinking. “The Earth is—the Earth is a sphere. There’s literal topographical data for this kind of thing.” He sputtered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Or so they say,” You turn to him, smiling as he straightens up and fixes his glasses.

Right into your trap, straight into science nerd mode.

“It’s actually not a perfect circle, it’s an irregularly shaped ellipsoid. So it’s not flat, and it’s not a rectangle. It’s like a lopsided marble,” He gestured, creating a round shape with his hands. “The diameter bulges at the equator. It’s from the centrifugal forces, since our planet constantly rotates. Not to mention that sea levels are constantly changing too, which contributes to the lumpy shape.” He rambles out, his eyes flicking from his hands to your eyes, making sure you’re paying full attention to his explanation. You have to suppress a grin behind your sandwich.

“Ohhh, okay, okay.” You nod, taking another bite of the sandwich. You know that the Earth isn’t flat. “I gotcha.”

But you can’t help but poke at him again.

It happened in the hallway. You taught the classroom across from him, and in between classes, you couldn’t help but hover near your door, just to catch a glimpse of his focused face. When he finally came out to lean on the doorway, his arms crossed in that way that showed off his biceps, you had some trouble finding the right words.

“Dr. Grace? Quick thought…” You smoothed out your clothes, holding back a smile.

He fixed you with the look. The one where he looked over his frames at you, both of his eyebrows raised in annoyed anticipation. The one where it made you feel like you were in a classroom all over again.

You felt a blush spread from your neck to your cheekbones at the intense look. With all of his focus on you, it made you feel like he was studying you under a microscope.

“Stop staring at me like that,” You said, waving your hand between you two like you could clear the air of nerves around you.

“I’m just listening. Go on, shoot,” Ryland nodded to you, his blue eyes still trained on your face.

“Pluto is still a planet.” You held back a smile as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Okay, you’re doing this on purpose,” He said, the corner of his mouth twitching like he was holding back a smile.

“I’m not! I’m not, I’m serious,” You protested, holding your hands up in a look of fake surrender. “I just don’t know why we kicked it out. It’s very rude, if you ask me.”

“Pluto is still a planet, it’s just a dwarf planet now,” He stood up straighter, and you stifled a laugh behind your hand.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing! Nothing, go on,” You gestured to him, and he sighed.

“We didn’t kick it out of the solar system or anything, it’s simply too small to generate its own gravity. There are three rules that make a planet a planet.” Ryland held up three fingers, ticking them off as he talked. “It needs to be round, orbit the sun, and clear its neighborhood of objects. That basically means that it needs to use its own gravity...”

You sort of zoned out after that, nodding along to the conversation even though you weren’t really listening. You were too focused on the way his eyes stayed on yours, the way his voice took on that specific cadence when he went into teaching mode.

“So Pluto is still a planet,” He finished talking just as the bell rang, snapping you out of your blatant staring. “Don’t be so offended about its status, alright?”

You stood there for a second, blinking to ground yourself back to Earth. Your cheeks heated up again when he quirked his brows at you, like he knew exactly what you were thinking.

“Right…” You nodded, finally glancing away from his face. “Okay, yeah. That…that makes sense. Guess I should uh, go. Class, you know?” You laughed while awkwardly making your way back into your classroom.

“Class. Yeah.” Ryland nodded too, though he seemed a little confused at your reaction. “Have a good one!”

You darted into your classroom before you could make a bigger fool of yourself.

“It’s not that obvious, is it?” You asked one of your friends one day. She worked as the Computer Science teacher down the hall from you, and was currently sitting across from you in the teacher’s lounge.

It was early in the morning, long before most of the other teachers arrived.

“Well…” She said, and you groaned, covering your burning face with your hands. “You’re about as subtle as the kids I teach.”

“Great, just great,” You said, peeking out from behind your fingers. “How bad is it?”

“You look like you’re about to make heart eyes every time he starts talking.” She grinned at your embarrassment. “Oh come on, he’s not bad looking.”

“He’s definitely not bad looking, and those glasses, ugh.” You complained, and you could feel your face heating up more. “And he’s one of the few guys that can make sweaters look good. It’s unfair.”

“Maybe you should ask him out?” She offers, and that stops you immediately.

“Are you insane?” You raise both of your brows at her.

“What? I’m just saying,” She shrugged as you collapsed onto the table dramatically. “You could do a lot worse than the science extraordinaire with great arms and cute hair. Plus, you can’t stop talking about him.”

“He does have cute hair, ugh. It’s just, I could listen to him explain science all day. He gets this—this look and—fine! I’ll give it a go,” You relented when she raised a brow at you. “After school today, I’ll ask him out. Okay? Fair?” You huffed as you ran a hand through your hair.

True to your word, you delayed your usual hasty departure from your classroom. You gathered your things as the students filed out, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to get Dr. Grace alone.

Soon enough the hallway was empty of students, and you made your way across the hall into the 8th grade science classroom.

Ryland didn’t notice you right away, since his back was turned to you while he wiped down the whiteboard. You watched him for a minute, steeling your nerves before walking through the doorway.

“Dr. Grace?” You said, smiling convincingly and hoping your face didn’t show your nerves.

He turned around with a smile you’d only seen a handful of times. Looks like he had a good day today.

“Oh, hello. Are you about to debate another scientific fact with me?” He chuckled, setting the whiteboard eraser down. You had to physically make yourself look away from the way his sleeves were rolled up.

“Something like that,” You said as you fidgeted with your car keys. You already felt your cheeks heating up in the way they always did around him.

The silence stretched long and awkward as you both stared at each other. You were trying to find the right words, but you felt like you were back in middle school, working up the nerve to ask your crush out.

“You know,” He said, leaning his hip on his desk. “Blushing is just a physiological response to emotions. Your adrenaline starts running high…” He raises a hand, tapping a finger on your reddened cheeks. “That widens your capillaries, which allows blood to appear closer to the surface.”

You were so stunned by the sudden touch that your mouth parted.

“Really?” You said, though you could feel your palms beginning to sweat already.

“Oh yeah,” He nodded. “Yeah. So the question is…what’s got your adrenaline going?” He asks, tilting his head subtly at you. “Are you feeling alright?” A flash of concern crossed his face, and before you knew it, he pressed the back of his hand to your forehead.

“I’m feeling fine. I just…” You gaped for a minute, still searching your brain for the answer as he lowered his hand. Instead of your prepared question, you blurted out:

“Go on a date with me?”

You wanted to melt into the floorboards.

It was his turn to blush now. He huffed out a laugh and smiled, scratching the back of his neck. “Well that was uh…very straightforward.”

You nodded awkwardly, wiping your sweaty hands on your pants.

“For an English teacher, you sure have a way with words,” He said, and you swore you would evaporate from how hot your face felt.

“Don’t be mean,” You mumbled.

“I’m not being mean, I think it’s cute.” He chuckled, reaching up and brushing a stray hair out of your face.

“Is that a yes?” You asked, feeling your heart hammer against your chest so hard you swore he could hear it.

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you,” He said, and you thought you would start floating from the light feeling in your chest. “Took you long enough, though.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You huffed out another laugh.

“It means that I’ve noticed you. It means…this.” He said right before he closed the gap between you. His lips were unexpectedly soft and warm against yours. You let out a small, startled sound before you returned it, your hands fisting in his sweater to tug him closer.

Both of his larger hands settled on your waist, turning you slowly to press your lower back against the edge of the desk. You tilted your head just enough to deepen the kiss, and you heard him make a gentle noise of surprise.

When you finally parted, you were both breathing shallower than before. His lips and face were flushed red, and you felt his heart pounding in his chest where it was pressed against yours.

“Definitely yes,” He breathed out, leaving you both smiling and feeling like teenagers again. “Although…I might’ve overheard that you have a thing for my sweaters?” Ryland teased. “Or was it my hair?”

“Oh my god, stop.”

“No no, I’ve got it.” He grinned. “It was the look, wasn’t it?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” You let out a nervous laugh as he gives you a disbelieving look.

“Oh really?” He said, right before he rolled his shoulders back, and looked over his frames at you with his eyebrows raised. “Are you sure?” He asked, the smile leaving his face for a minute as he gave you the look.

“You can’t—you can’t do that. That’s illegal.” You stammer out as he grins.

“Yeah, I knew it.” Ryland teased again, leaning close enough that you could feel his warm breath on your lips. “I just can’t believe you’ve been doing it on purpose. I’m almost offended.”

“Almost?” You whispered, and he nodded.

“Almost. Because I’d explain anything to you, honestly.” He shrugged, smiling down at you before he gave you another quick kiss. “Besides, I can’t be too offended at my date.”

“Right,” You agreed, grinning so hard your face hurt. “The date. Tonight? At the diner downtown?”

“Sounds perfect to me,” He said, matching your smile as he finally stepped back. “Go on. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

Finally, you thought. I scored a date with Ryland Grace.