┊ ┊ ┊ ♡ ┊ AOT - ! Teachers Pet - university AU
Levi Ackerman did not have favorites.
That was what everyone believed.
He was precise. Cold. Brutally fair. The kind of instructor who corrected mistakes without raising his voice because he didn’t need to.
Which was why the whispers started.
Because he looked at you differently.
“You’re such a teacher’s pet.”
“He never calls on anyone else like that.”
“You stay after every class.”
Because the truth was worse than favoritism.
Levi wasn’t easier on you.
But the class went silent anyway.
You kept your face composed. “Yes, sir.”
Chairs scraped. Eyes lingered. The door shut.
The air shifted instantly.
Levi didn’t look at you right away. He stacked papers with precise movements, sleeves rolled up, jaw tight.
“You’re distracted,” he said.
“That’s not what I’m referring to.”
“The rumors don’t bother me,” you said quietly.
“Because they’re not wrong,” he continued.
The confession hung heavy in the empty classroom.
Your breath caught. “You said you didn’t.”
“I said I don’t show it.”
“And that’s becoming difficult.”
His hand lifted, hovering near your waist.
“You don’t flinch,” he said softly. “You don’t fawn. You don’t crumble under pressure.”
His knuckles brushed your side.
“And you look at me like you want me to lose control.”
His hand settled fully at your waist now.
Warm. Firm. Possessive without being forceful.
“You’re my best student,” he said quietly. “My responsibility.”
Your fingers twitched at your sides.
“And if I blur that line,” he continued, voice lower now, “I risk everything.”
“Then don’t blur it,” you whispered.
He stepped back abruptly.
The next three days were torture.
He treated you like everyone else.
And that hurt more than any rumor ever had.
Because now you knew the tension wasn’t imagined.
And he was choosing to bury it.
On the fourth day, you didn’t wait for him to ask.
“Are you going to keep avoiding me?” you asked once the door closed.
“You haven’t looked at me all week.”
“I look at you when necessary.”
“Necessary,” you repeated softly.
The control in his expression was thin now. Stretched tight.
“You’re testing me,” he said.
“You looked disappointed,” he added quietly, “when I stopped asking you to stay.”
“I notice everything about you.”
The admission felt dangerous.
He closed the distance in one swift movement.
Your back met the edge of a desk. Not harsh but deliberate.
His hands braced on either side of you, caging you in.
“You want me to stop pretending?” he murmured.
His hand slid to your waist again firmer this time.
“You think I don’t know exactly what you’re doing? Standing there, composed. Acting unaffected.”
His thumb pressed into your hip.
“You look at me like you want me to lose control.”
Your fingers curled into his shirt.
His mouth claimed yours in a kiss that felt like weeks of restraint detonating at once.
His hand tightened at your waist, pulling you flush against him. The other slid up your back, fingers splaying like he needed to anchor himself.
Because you’d been waiting too.
He broke away first, breath rougher now, forehead resting against yours.
“This is why I avoided you,” he muttered.
“You have no idea what you do to me.”
His jaw tightened. Then, quietly
The words were low. Honest. Unfiltered.
Your heart slammed against your ribs.
He kissed you again slower this time. Deeper. Less explosive and more deliberate. Like he was memorizing the feeling.
But then A noise in the hallway.
He pulled away instantly.
Composure snapping back into place.
“Stand straight,” he ordered under his breath.
He stepped away just as the door handle rattled.
Someone laughed outside. Whispered.
“They’re still in there.”
Levi’s eyes flicked to you.
He grabbed a stack of papers and opened the door himself.
Two students stood there, startled.
“Is there a problem?” he asked coolly.
He closed the door again slower this time.
But didn’t look at you immediately.
“They’re watching,” he said quietly.
You stepped closer anyway.
“How long are we supposed to pretend?”
His gaze lifted to yours again.
He stepped forward once more not as explosive now, but no less intense.
“After,” he murmured, fingers brushing your jaw, “there will be no lines to cross.”
His thumb tilted your chin up.
His lips hovered just over yours.
“And until then?” you whispered.
His mouth brushed yours barely.
A promise instead of a kiss.
“Until then,” he said quietly, “you stop staying late unless I ask.”
A faint, dangerous smirk touched his lips.
Eren hated the term teacher’s pet.
Mostly because it implied you were obedient.
Corrected him mid lecture.
Challenged his theories.
Held eye contact a second too long when the class went silent.
If anything, you were the only student who didn’t treat him like an authority figure.
Which was exactly why he kept calling on you.
“Wrong,” he said sharply one afternoon.
You didn’t back down. “It’s not wrong. You’re oversimplifying the model.”
The class collectively inhaled.
Eren stared at you from the front of the room.
He walked toward your desk slowly.
“You want to explain it?”
You stood up without hesitation.
The tension shifted instantly.
Everyone watched the two of you like it was a match about to start.
You stepped closer to the board, pointing to the diagram.
“You’re ignoring this variable,” you said calmly.
His voice came from just over your shoulder.
“And you don’t like being wrong.”
A few students snickered nervously.
The whispers started immediately.
“Definitely his favorite.”
“She basically runs the class.”
“He lets her talk to him however she wants.”
But when the door closed?
The atmosphere changed entirely.
He didn’t look amused anymore.
“You enjoy that,” he said.
“Challenging me in front of everyone.”
You crossed your arms. “You’re the one who engages.”
“Because when you do it, I forget I’m supposed to keep distance.”
That wasn’t what you expected.
“You’re the teacher,” you said carefully.
“And you’re not afraid of me.”
“It is when it makes me want to...”
He cut himself off sharply.
You tilted your head. “Want to what?”
His hands flexed at his sides.
“You push me,” he muttered.
“You think I like being tested?”
“I think you like that I don’t treat you like everyone else does.”
“You don’t look at me like I’m in charge.”
You swallowed. “Maybe I don’t care that you are.”
You knew it the second it left your mouth.
His hand shot out gripping the edge of the desk beside you, trapping you between him and the wood.
“You should care,” he said quietly.
“Because I’m trying not to cross a line.”
Your heart was racing now.
“And if I don’t want you to?”
He kissed you not out of slow temptation.
Like he’d been fighting himself for weeks and you just handed him permission.
His hand slid to your waist instinctively, pulling you closer. You responded just as fiercely, fingers gripping his shirt like you’d been waiting for him to finally stop pretending.
He pulled back abruptly, breathing uneven.
“This is exactly what I was trying to avoid,” he muttered.
“Then why did you tell me to stay?” you challenged.
“Because you’re the only one I trust,” he shot back. “The only one who actually sees me, not just the position.”
You didn’t answer immediately.
His hand was still at your waist.
“They think I give you special treatment,” he continued more quietly. “But the truth is… I hold you to a higher standard than anyone.”
The confession landed heavier than the kiss.
“You make me want to be better,” he corrected.
“And this?” you asked softly.
“But you don’t regret it.”
His thumb brushed lightly along your side.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
He stepped back immediately, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“We can’t keep doing this after class,” he said.
“Then stop asking me to stay.”
His eyes locked onto yours.
A small smile tugged at your lips.
“That’s not very professional.”
“I don’t care about professional,” he said bluntly. “I care about not ruining your reputation.”
That caught you off guard.
He stepped closer again slower this time.
“If we cross that line,” he said quietly, “I want it to be because you chose me. Not because I had authority over you.”
“And if I already chose?”
The next class, he argued with you again.
Called you out.
Challenged your answers.
Pushed you harder than anyone.
But when your eyes met across the room
There was no mistaking it.
You weren’t his teacher’s pet.
And that was far more dangerous.
Armin didn’t intimidate his students.
He didn’t bark orders.
He didn’t glare.
The room always went quiet when he spoke not out of fear, but because everyone wanted to listen.
He noticed the way you leaned forward during lectures.
The way you stayed after to debate theories.
The way you challenged him gently, thoughtfully.
Which is why the whispers started.
“She’s definitely his favorite.”
“He only smiles like that when she answers.”
“He keeps her after class all the time.”
Armin didn’t favor you because you were obedient.
He favored you because you understood him.
He said it gently one afternoon, almost like a question.
The classroom emptied slowly.
Armin exhaled softly and leaned against the edge of his desk.
“You know they’re talking,” he said.
“And it doesn’t bother you?”
“It bothers me that it might affect you.”
That caught him off guard.
“You’re worried about my reputation?” he asked quietly.
He stepped closer not imposing, just closing the space naturally.
“You’re brilliant,” he said gently. “That’s why I ask you to stay. Not because of favoritism.”
Dangerous in a different way.
“Does it make you want to stop asking me?” you asked softly.
His throat moved as he swallowed.
The confession felt heavier than it should have.
“Because when everyone else leaves,” he said, voice quieter now, “I don’t feel like I’m lecturing.”
“I feel like I’m… understood.”
This wasn’t about grades anymore.
“And what if that’s dangerous?” you asked.
He looked at you like you’d asked something deeper than you realized.
“Because I trust you,” he said simply.
His hand lifted slightly hesitated then brushed a strand of hair away from your face.
It was the smallest touch.
But it felt louder than anything.
“We shouldn’t,” he murmured.
“You’re the one who asked me to stay.”
A faint smile curved at his lips.
His hand lingered near your cheek longer than necessary.
“You make it very difficult to maintain distance.”
“You’re very good at maintaining distance,” you replied softly.
“That doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
Your breath faltered slightly.
“Do you want distance?” you asked.
The word barely rose above a whisper.
Your hand moved before you overthought it resting lightly against his chest.
“You’re my student,” he reminded quietly.
That flicker of something passed through his eyes.
“I don’t want anyone thinking your success comes from me,” he said. “You’ve earned everything.”
“And if this becomes something,” he continued carefully, “I want it to be when there’s no question of fairness.”
Your thumb brushed slightly against the fabric of his shirt.
His hand gently covered yours over his chest.
“Until then,” he said softly, “we pretend we don’t look for each other in every room.”
“And if I don’t want to pretend?”
His composure wavered just slightly.
“You’re very dangerous,” he murmured.
You tilted your head. “Why?”
“Because you’re patient.”
He let out a soft, almost nervous laugh.
“Not when it comes to you.”
The admission hung between you.
Giving you every opportunity to step back.
His lips brushed yours gentle at first, tentative, like he was still asking permission.
When you kissed him back, the hesitation melted.
The kiss deepened slightly still soft, still careful but filled with weeks of unspoken tension.
When he pulled away, his forehead rested lightly against yours.
“This has to be the only time,” he whispered.
Footsteps echoed faintly in the hallway.
Reality creeping back in.
He stepped away reluctantly, adjusting his sleeves.
“Graduate,” he said quietly.
His eyes met yours again.
“After,” he said, voice steadier now but undeniably warm, “I won’t ask you to stay.”
He glanced toward the door, then back at you.
“Until then,” he murmured softly, “try not to look at me like that in class.”
He laughed quietly breathless, fond, already lost.
Professor Erwin Smith built his career on perception.
Respected. Strategic. Untouchable.
Which is why he was careful.
You weren’t just one of his students.
You were the sharpest mind in the room.
The only one who didn’t flinch under his stare.
The only one who challenged him without ego.
The only one who didn’t try to impress him.
And that made you dangerous.
The class exchanged looks.
Of course you were staying.
You gathered your things calmly, ignoring the whispers.
When the door closed, silence settled like a weight.
Erwin remained at the front of the room, hands clasped behind his back.
“You contradicted me again.”
He stepped down from the platform slowly.
“I don’t argue unless I’m certain.”
The way he said it felt layered.
“You’ve grown confident,” he continued. “Confident enough to challenge authority.”
He stopped in front of you close enough to command the space, not close enough to touch.
“It’s exactly what I hoped you would become.”
“I do not invest time into students who plateau.”
You studied him carefully.
“And what am I to you?” you asked quietly.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Because Erwin never spoke without deciding the outcome first.
“You are potential,” he said finally. “Extraordinary potential.”
That question lingered longer than it should have.
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
But you didn’t look away.
And that’s what made him step closer.
“You are,” he said quietly, “the one person in this room who makes me consider my own limitations.”
“That is not a comfortable position for me.”
“You don’t like being challenged?”
“I dislike unpredictability.”
That flicker passed through his eyes again.
That spark he tried so hard to bury.
“Enjoyment is irrelevant.”
This wasn’t about grades anymore.
It wasn’t about mentorship.
It was about something neither of you wanted to name.
“You’ve noticed the rumors,” he said finally.
“They assume I favor you.”
His expression didn’t change.
“I hold you to a higher standard than anyone else.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No,” he agreed quietly. “It isn’t.”
The honesty shifted something.
“And if I said I didn’t mind the rumors?”
“Because perception can dismantle careers.”
“I am accustomed to risk.”
“But I will not allow you to bear consequences for something you did not initiate.”
Something tightened in your chest.
“And if I did initiate it?”
That question broke the rhythm.
For the first time, he hesitated.
“You would be reckless,” he said quietly.
The silence between you turned electric.
Close enough to feel the warmth from him.
But he still hadn’t touched you.
That restraint was louder than any kiss.
“You are ambitious,” he said. “You want influence. Control.”
“And aligning yourself with me could compromise that.”
“You see everything as strategy.”
That almost made him smile.
“You are not a weakness,” he said carefully.
“But I cannot afford one.”
The words should have ended it.
Because neither of you stepped back.
“You think wanting me makes you weaker?” you asked softly.
“Then what does it make you?”
The smallest fracture in his armor.
Your hand lifted slowly giving him time to stop you.
Your fingers brushed lightly against his sleeve.
But it changed everything.
“You are testing my discipline,” he murmured.
The confession was quiet.
And far more intense because of it.
He stepped closer finally closing the last inch of space.
“If I cross this line,” he said, voice low, “it will not be impulsive.”
“I don’t want impulsive.”
His hand finally rose resting at your waist.
“If this becomes something,” he said, “it will be because we choose it. Not because of proximity. Not because of power.”
“And if I’ve already chosen?”
That was when he kissed you.
But unmistakably intentional.
When he pulled back, his thumb remained lightly at your waist.
“We proceed carefully,” he said.
“That sounds like a warning.”
Footsteps echoed faintly down the hallway.
Composure returning like armor sliding back into place.
“You will graduate at the top,” he said evenly.
“You will not allow anyone to question your merit.”
His eyes locked onto yours again.
“After,” he said calmly, “there will be no professional boundary to consider.”
A faint, restrained smile.
“Until then,” he replied, “we are strategic.”
The tension didn’t disappear.