Y’ALL I ACTUALLY GOT BETA READERS. @jotatetsuken & @anxi-aashi beloveds
for @cirigiri's dilf collab. You can find the other pieces here
You were always a bright student. The top of your class, the favorite student for almost every teacher, the brightest star amongst your classmates. So why the fuck are you staring at a B- on your midterm paper? The letter was bright red and almost mocking you with the circle around it only amplifying it. Red pen littered the paper, with the smallest mistake being called out. The sound of the professor's voice pulled you from your shock.
"If you think I graded you unfairly, see me during my office hours. Even if I end up finding more mistakes, I'll only change your grade if you get a higher one." Your eyes were full of venom as you scowled at him. Professor Levi Ackerman was the current bane of your existence. He must make up for his lack of height in his abundance of audacity, you thought. To think you looked up to him, enough to come to this college to be under his tutelage. All of those expectations you had of him being a passionate and wonderful teacher and mentor were shattered the moment you got that B- back. It felt more like he was a bully, or even a tyrant, seeming to mess with his student’s grade to exert his power over them. You let out a silent scoff and gathered your papers as he immediately dismissed class. Going back to your dorm, your roommates could feel the frustration rolling off of you, a thick aura weighing down on anyone around you. This was your freshman year of college, and the college history course you took in high school was a breeze, so why were you struggling now? You vented out to Annie, one of your roommates, and she sighed.
"He's the head of the history department. It practically gives him immunity because he wrecks GPAs. I have no idea as to how many students’ 4.0 or near 4.0 GPAs he tanked. The only people that literally have it easy are the people in the intro classes, or people who aren't in the major but are taking the class as an elective." Another roommate, Sasha piped up.
"Yeah and he doesn't accept late submissions at all. I submitted an assignment a half an hour late, and he wouldn't accept it. Like, unless you give a valid excuse with documentation, or accommodations, he won't accept it. I heard some girl broke her wrist and he didn't accept her late assignment without a letter from the hospital."
"She gave him the letter though," Annie replied, knowing that story all too well. The girl was an ex of hers.
"Yeah, but the grades were already submitted, so she missed the deadline. And for her final too."
"Sasha, you realize that she waited till the last second to turn in the paperwork, right? Do you remember when Ymir broke her arm and Professor Ackerman literally recorded his lectures for her and gave her handwritten notes? He's not mean, he just punishes procrastinators."
"Well, he's punishing me!” You shrug your shoulders in exasperation, as you continue, “I turned in my paper early and quadruple-checked it. But still, a B-!" Annie and Sasha stared at you in shock.
"A B-? Damn he must hate you." You glared daggers at Sasha while Annie punched her arm.
"Sasha, shut the fuck up." Sasha whined and you stormed into your room, biding your time until his office hours opened. The moment that time came around, you walked with a purpose, your anger almost coming to a head. A path was practically cleared for you, everyone trying to avoid your wrath. As you approached his door, you saw his name plated in bronze almost mocking you. You took a deep breath and knocked on his door. A quiet "come in" sounded from the door, and you opened the door, stepping into an office that looked like it was out of a magazine. Everything was so pristine, and almost too clean, and he sat at his desk, staring at you intently over a book.
"I suggest you start speaking since you clearly came here for something." You wanted to roll your eyes, but you held it in.
"Good afternoon professor. I wanted to see you about my midterm paper."
"Let me see it." You handed him the paper and he looked over it.
"I think the B- is a bit harsh." Levi scoffed.
"Y/N L/N. Your name has been running around the department as the star student. That reputation won't save you in my class. If you want a good grade, you have to earn it. It’s because that my fellow professors think highly of you, that I'm going to hold you to a higher standard than your classmates. So, either you're going to shine brighter than your classmates or fizzle out. But I'm not going to take it easy on you." You stared at him in astonishment.
"Why?"
"I've seen so many students cruise on their reputation and so, professors baby them. But that'll not be the case in my classes. I'm being upfront with you right now, so either you can either change majors, and avoid me as a professor as best as you can, or fight." He handed you your paper back and you made your way back to your dorm, your resolve building with each step you took. You were going to fight.
For the next three years, you took numerous classes with him, always going to him to double check your papers before submitting them. With how often you saw him, you both became closer, not only building a strong professional relationship, but a budding crush also grew simultaneously. Levi was an amazing professor, an extremely strict one, but you learned that if you asked for help, he'll give it to you, although he'd be grumpy about it the entire time.
Before you knew it, it was the weekend of graduation. Your finals were done and over with, and now it was time to celebrate. On Saturday morning, you woke up to an email from Professor Ackerman, asking to see you in his office. Your heart skipped a beat and you put in a little more effort than you should have in getting ready, but you're probably never going to see him again, so you have to make it count.
As you arrived, you knocked on his door, and he opened it, ushering you in before closing the door.
"Y/N,” he addressed you, “I have to admit, you've been my favorite student these past 4 years. I don't think a student will ever surpass the expectations you've set." You beamed with pride and nodded in gratitude. "Are you hungry?” He inquired, “I made reservations at a restaurant for us, if you're comfortable with that. There's something that I want to discuss, and a celebration to be had." The moment you nodded, he stood up and grabbed his coat, ushering you out of his office and leading you to his car. It was sleek and black, and shiny as if he bought it within the last couple days. Even the interior was almost factory fresh. In your gawking, Levi started his car, the roar of the engine pulling you from your stupor. You quickly buckle up, and he does the same before pulling out.
The drive to the restaurant was silent, but it was a comfortable one, both of you content with each other's company. Soon enough, he stopped the car in front of a high end restaurant, and climbed out. You came out after him, and you saw his eye twitch a bit at the sight, but he still looked as stoic as normal. A man came up to him and Levi gave him the car keys before leading you into the restaurant. You felt so out of your depth, feeling like a clown in the middle of Wall Street. Everything practically glittered, and you were stuck in your awe as you were guided to your table, subconsciously walking with Levi. Levi pulled out your seat and you sat, your attention now fully on him. The lighting almost made the man look soft, admiration swam in his eyes although it was very easy to miss. How many times has he given you that look without you even realizing?
"Firstly, I want to congratulate you on your graduation,” he responded to you as he sat down, “Summa Cum Laude is a great feat. I'm extremely proud of the work you've done."
"Thank you Professor. Your help really made the difference."
"Don't disregard your own talent. I was only there to assist. Everything else came from you. All those late hours that we pulled together, as well as the ones you did on your own, and the hundreds of drafts that you had to redo over and over again, you decided to pull through. At any point, you could have given up from my harsh mentorship, but you took it in stride. That's extremely admirable of you." You smiled at his kind words. The waiter came and took your orders, Levi ordering you a dish that you were looking at but ignored due to the high price. After the waiter left, Levi's attention was back on you.
"I'm going to get into the real reason I invited you here." He leaned forward and clasped his fingers together, looking at you intensely. You felt heat rise in your face and you quickly drank some of your water to calm down. "I want you to be my partner." You choked on your water, and he rubbed your back gently, apologizing.
"Your what?"
"My partner,” he clarified, “I'm going to Berlin for a historical site, and I want you to come with me as my partner. They found numerous artifacts and want me to analyze them." Professional partner. Got it. He continued, "It'll be a great experience for you, and I know you're more than capable. Granted I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, but it'll be hands on practice, an internship if you will."
"It's an honor," You responded, trying your best to play it cool, and failing miserably. Heat started flooding your face, and you looked visibly flustered.
"Sorry to embarrass you like that,” he responded, continuing, “I'll inform them to book an extra room as well as another person to the flight manifest."
You furrowed your eyebrows at him in confusion, "Flight manifest?"
He nodded in agreement, saying, "They chartered a private plane to fly me there. We'll also be staying at a hotel near the site. Our meals will also be completely covered."
Widening your eyes, you replied, "This is a lot."
"Considering my status as an archivist and historian, I'm not surprised," he responded. You know his status all too well.
"Professor,” you put your hands on the table as you inquired, “did I ever tell you why I picked this major and chose this university?" His gaze looked like he was picking you apart piece by piece.
"Tell me."
"When I was growing up, history wasn't my favorite subject,” you responded, shrugging your shoulders, “In fact, I hated it. I always did so poorly. But then in high school, we watched a video that involved you looking through artifacts, explaining them piece by piece. I was so enamored with the way you spoke. I could see how much you loved what you did, and it was then that I found my love of history. I read all of your books, and even got a couple of them signed."
He smiled softly, faintly remembering you, saying, "That's why you felt familiar."
You nodded, and responded, "I found out you taught here, and applied, hoping to take your classes. And I'm glad I did." Levi was so thankful that either you could see the flush rising to his face at your words or chose to keep it to himself. Maybe he's going to regret inviting you to Berlin, but he can't fathom the idea of never seeing you again. So he'd rather shove his feelings down and ignore them than act on them and never speak to you again. It's what he's done for the last year so keeping it up shouldn't be an issue.
"You flatter me, Y/N."
"And you the same, professor."
"Please, call me Levi. You've graduated. I'm no longer your professor. And we’ll be working together as equals, so you're more than okay to refer to me with my first name."
"Okay, Levi." He just felt his soul leave his body at the sound of his name. If he was a cat, you would hear him purring. "I look forward to working with you!"
"Me as well."
A month later, you were in Berlin, working side by side with Levi. Any time you heard the shower running, you wanted to scream, remembering the first night you moved in, seeing a towel only wrapped around his hips. How is a professor and historian built like that? He isn't ripped, but you definitely saw a six pack and an Adonis belt. You had to pretend as if you never saw him, as if that image doesn't take over your dreams, filling them with nothing but pure lust. Unbeknownst to you, Levi had the same conundrum, having seen you in your underwear when you accidentally left the door to your room open. Is he some kind of pervert? He must be with how often he thought about you. What's wrong with him and why can't he get it together? Rather than sort out his feelings, he bottles them up once more, while you do the same. He finds himself regretting that he brought you here like he has every day since you both arrived.
One night all of the staff decided to go out and party. Levi has no idea how you roped him into this, but here you both are, Levi sitting on the table and you having the time of your life on the dance floor. His eyes are focused on you, and how could they not be with how bright you look, rivaling even the lights. A tap on his shoulder caught his attention.
"Levi, you can't keep sitting here." He turned to see Hange, an archivist he's worked with before.
"I'm fine here." Hange scoffed at Levi's words.
"I don't think so. I see you staring at your coworker. It's so obvious you like them."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." A mischievous smile made its way onto Hange's face.
"So you won't mind if I go dance with them, right? They look like so much fun." Levi scowled and almost snarled before clearing his throat.
"Sure. Go have fun." Hange sauntered up to you, their presence only being made known to you with the scent of a sharp perfume. You never knew how to describe their scent as anything other than clean. Their breath was cool on your ear.
"Hey Y/N. Wanna make Levi jealous?" You turn to them, certain that you didn’t hear them correctly, but they had a grin that you knew meant nothing but trouble.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Dance with me. Give him a show." Your smile quickly matched their own, and you grabbed his hands before pulling them close.
"And a show he'll get." Soon there was barely any space between you two as you both moved to the music. You honestly forgot about three songs in what your initial goal was, losing yourself to the music. Hange was so much fun, the both of you giggling when you bumped into each other or made a misstep. Their mood was contagious and you easily found yourself lost in them. A tap on your shoulder brought you back to earth, turning to face the person who wanted your attention only to see Levi.
"Y/N. I'm going home. Have fun with Hange," he spoke through gritted teeth and looked composed, although you could tell he was seething. His jaw was clenching and unclenching and a fire raged in his eyes.
"Give me a second and I'll come with you." Levi scoffs at your response.
"No, you're having so much fun with them and I wouldn't want to impede."
"Levi. We're heading home." You turned and kissed Hange on both cheeks. "See you tomorrow!"
"I look forward to it." They winked and you giggled, only serving to only worsen Levi's mood. Levi quickly pulled you out of the club, mumbling quietly. A taxi pulled up and you both stayed silent on the ride back to the apartment, but you could feel the tension crawling on your skin. As you entered the apartment, Levi walked behind you, closing the door gently. He has to remain calm. He shouldn't fuck this up. How can he get his feelings across to you in a way that doesn't make you uncomfortable? He's deep in thought and the sound of you calling his name breaks his concentration, his eyes focused on you. Before he could say anything, you walked up to him and kissed him, stealing his breath away. He quickly returned the kiss, holding a hand to your cheek. You never got the time to really pay attention to all of his callouses, the rough texture imprinting on your skin, but you felt as if this is where you belong, where you were meant to be. With him. By his side. You both broke away from the kiss as you let out a breathless chuckle.
"Well, I'm glad I'm bold enough for the both of us. You would have taken forever to confess." He scoffed at your words.
"I was planning on telling you tonight."
"After I was practically grinding on Hange."
"Fair. But why them of all people?" You gave him a soft smile before you spoke.
"Because they're your friend. I know you trust them to not seriously be flirting with me. So I got to make you jealous in a comfortable way." He returned your smile in kind.
"That was a solid plan. There's, however, one hiccup." You cooked your head in confusion.
"Oh, and what would that be?" His smile turned into a malicious smirk, with affection and lust swimming in his eyes.
