Fic title: it’s fine line between love and hate
setting the scene: tony is an engineering professor and steve is an english literature professor, and they get on each other's nerves but also want to jump each other's bones and they deal with both of those feelings by being snarky to each other about their disciplines
the fic starts with tony sitting in uninvited on steve's class as he's teaching frankenstein and talking about the fine line between genius and madness and tony raises his hand and says "not to brag, professor rogers, but i have erased that line" and steve is like "stop quoting oscar levant and get out of my class"
but then in the middle of the fic something serious comes up, like tony being offered a year-long teaching opportunity at some prestigious program across the world, and he tells steve that he's on the fence about it (because he's going to miss steve duh!! but he doesn't say that out loud) and even though steve can't imagine not seeing him for a year, he says of course tony should go because a fantastic opportunity, and tony is like you want me gone that bad?? and they get in a dumb argument and don't talk for like a week
meanwhile steve is teaching wuthering heights and the class is debating catherine and heathcliff's relationship and a student goes there's a fine line between love and hate too right? and steve thinks of tony and is like *forlorn lovesick sigh* "i guess there is."
and then in the end they make up and confess and finally finally make out and tony breaks up the kiss to say "i thought you hated me" and steve says "you know what they say about fine lines"
~the end~
