Lit Prof Pascal, the pool key after the event
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from Singapore

seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from South Africa
seen from United States
seen from Palestinian Territories

seen from Bangladesh
seen from Australia

seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from France

seen from United States

seen from Singapore
Lit Prof Pascal, the pool key after the event
My favorite reads of October! Please mind the tags for each fic to curate a better reading experience for you, and don't forget to give some love to the authors 💚
dividers by @strangergraphics 👑
Past fic recs
Joel Miller
Daddy Issues - Ch. 2, Ch 3 by @aurorawritestoescape ~ Joel Miller x fem!reader
Halloween Party by @milla-frenchy ~ Joel Miller x fem reader ~ {Joel wants you, but you're married to his brother}
His Favourite Holiday by @tateypots ~ Joel x f!reader ~ {Being a ghost is super boring until a little Halloween power surge means Joel can finally get his hands on you.}
His Favourite Holiday Part 2 by @tateypots ~ Joel Miller x f!reader ~ {It's been a hard year, but with his handy Halloween power surge Joel seeks out revenge. And another good fuck with his favourite girl.}
Leopard Print by @toxicanonymity ~ joel x f!reader ~ {Joel mistakes you for a sex worker, offers you a ride, Fs you, shares you and is mildly possessive about it.}
Owned by @milla-frenchy ~ Joel Miller x fem reader
Puppy Girl by @cosmickid-inmotion ~ Boston Era!Joel Miller x Puppy Girl!Reader ~ {Joel and Tommy live in Boston, and after being away for a long weekend, Joel is happy to come home to his pup. He even brought a new toy.}
So helpful! by @nosesitter ~ perv j.miller series ~ {Older, lovely, and single neighbor Joel miller has been nothing but absolutely helpful toward you since you’ve moved in… he’s so down bad for you that he has invaded your privacy, stalked you and broken into your apartment. Twice now.}
Ticklish by @tateypots ~ Dark!Joel Miller x f!reader, Dark!Tommy Miller x f!reader
A Villain's Monologue by @aurorawritestoescape ~ serial killer!Joel Miller x f!reader
Lucien DeLeon
he knows by @almostempty ~ lucien x f!reader
Javier Peña
Amor Prohibido by @iknowisoundcrazy ~ javier peña x f!reader ~ {javier is catching feelings for the last person on earth that he should.}
Good Girl by @bergamote-catsandbooks ~ Javier Peña x f!reader ~ {Who is the good girl now?}
Jeans by @katareyoudrilling ~ Javier Peña x gn reader ~ {You have thoughts about Javi’s jeans}
Puff, Puff, Smash by @half-moon16 ~ Javier Peña x f!reader ~ {When you're reunited with your old crush, Javier Peña at a get together at his dad's ranch, you proposition him with a theory he just has to test out for himself.}
Frankie Morales
altitude and ache by @berryispunk
at your mercy by @myownwholewildworld ~ frankie morales x evil scientist!f!reader ~ {He’s broke, for lack of a better word. So when he sees the flyer taped to a grimy telephone pole PAID CLINICAL STUDY. $3,000 for the weekend. No experience necessary, he figures it’s easy money. Just sit around, take a few pills, maybe get a needle in the arm. He’s done worse for less. But the facility isn’t a hospital.}
The Color of Peace by @berryispunk ~ Frankie Morales x gn! reader ~ {A quiet evening by the ocean. Just you, Frankie, a truck bed, and the kind of love that feels like breathing again.}
Pumpkin Guts by @insomniamamma ~ Frankie Morales x f!reader
Two for One by @max--phillips ~ shapeshifting alien!Frankie Morales x afab!Reader
Harry Castillo
Long Way Down - Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5 by @punkshort ~ Harry Castillo x f!reader ~ {Working as a personal assistant for the most eligible bachelor in New York City has its perks: above average pay, expensive goody bags from parties, traveling to exotic locations, dining at exclusive restaurants. It's a dream job that practically fell into your lap. The downside? You've been hopelessly in love with him for years and he has no clue. Even if he did, he isn't willing to give up his playboy lifestyle for a steady relationship. That is, until he meets Lucy, and everything changes.}
Tim Rockford
The Nebble Files - Ch. 39, Ch 40, Ch 41 ~ Tim Rockford x OFC Jane Nebble ~ {Officer Jane Nebble is looking for a change by transferring to another police precinct. She sees this as a great opportunity, but will her new boss feel the same?}
Nightmares by @604to647 ~ Detective Tim Rockford x fem!reader ~ {Detective Rockford dreams he loses you.}
Only Yours, Always Yours by @604to647 ~ Detective Tim Rockford x fem!reader ~ {You find out you’re not the only woman bringing Tim lunch at the precinct.}
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by @604to647 ~ Detective Tim Rockford x fem!reader ~ {Tim takes you to a pumpkin patch and you meet a ghost from the detective’s past.}
some good friend by @covetyou ~ Tim Rockford x Soft Dom!Sex Worker!f!reader ~ {Nerves were coiling in his belly in a way they typically only did at the end of a big case. There was no judge or jury here, no sentence, no surprise acquittal. There was just your door, and the promise of everything that lay beyond it. And it made him nervous.}
Dieter Bravo
Daddy Dearest by @missredherring ~ Dieter Bravo x Fat!F!Reader ~ {He should've been good for you like he promised and not touched himself in the first place, but he missed you and started looking through the text thread, full of pictures and promises and he got horny —of course he did— it happens automatically around you now, and… and… he swallows around the lump in his throat because you're here and he's fucked it up.}
Oberyn Martell
be a good boy by @stitch-away ~ top oberyn martell x bottom male reader ~ {oberyn and you get into another argument. but this time you actually hurt his feelings. oberyn knows exactly how you can make it up to him.}
sleeping beauty by @stitch-away ~ oberyn martell x male reader ~ {after another afternoon in the brothel with oberyn and his array of other lovers, you're all asleep together in bed. oberyn wakes up with his sexual appetite as rapacious as ever and he finds himself unable to resist you}
Mr. Ben
Clandestine by @hellfire-state-of-mind ~ Mr. Ben x fem! reader ~ {Mr. Ben is daddy, Ms. Jenny is mommy and they’re all a happy family at St. Lawrence High School, no crumbs left. But what happens when the cool aunt moves to town?}
Ted Garcia
Babydoll by @bratfrag ~ ted garcia x afb/f! reader ~ {you're sick of fighting with ted, so you try to fuck with him and wear something that'll make his head messy and his cock hard.}
Ezra
Sagittarius by @magpiepills ~ Ezra x f reader ~ {you and Ezra in your pod.}
Multi
the green & the green 2 by @toxicanonymity ~ Ezra x f!reader; ft. others.
Old Hollywood by @sp00kymulderr ~ Joel Miller x Dieter Bravo
Self Recs
Out of Office ~ Ted Garcia x f!reader ~ {You and Ted have coffee together. Alone. But it's not officially a date, right?}
Maneater - Ch. 2 ~ Max Lord x OFC ~ {A dinner with Nina sets Max on the path of least resistance.}
The Sexorcist ~ stepdad!Marcus Moreno, boss!Frankie Morales, parole officer!Javier Peña, ex-boyfriend Clint Flood, doctor!Reed Richards, priest!Joel Miller and priest!Dave York x f!reader ~ {When you become possessed by a sex demon, your only help comes from the creeps who desire you the most.}
This sweet man cheesin' just said "school picture" to me, so I added the 90s lasers.
Seeing Double
Francisco 'Catfish' Morales / F Reader
(Part of the Frankie and Emma Morales series)
You were in a hurry to get home and made a huge Faux Pas
HAPPY FRANKIE FRIDAY!!!!
Tag List:
@bergamote-catsandbooks, @kirsteng42, @harriedandharassed, @joelmillerpascal, @missladym1981, @vickie5446
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE TAG LIST ANYMORE KAY?
You took your one tiny suitcase from the driver, telling Ike the doorman that you would take your own suitcase up, you were in a hurry. You were desperate for a pee and simply couldn’t afford to stand around waiting any longer. You sorta half-yelled, half-mumbled a goodbye to the girls and ran inside, beelining for the lobby bathroom. But it was occupied, the occupant simply stating someone was in there. “And I’m gonna be a while,” she had groaned.
Oh. Dear. God.
You dragged your suitcase to the elevator, pressing the button so many times in the vain hope that the contraption would arrive faster if you did, cursing under your breath.
When the doors finally dinged open, you ran inside, in the smallest steps, obviously, desperately pressing the button to your floor before punching the close button as many times as you could.
“Hold the elevator, Emma dear,” you heard someone call out.
Fuck!
Mrs Newman, your elderly neighbour from next door, inched her way across the vast lobby, taking her sweet old time, dragging her trolley of groceries behind her.
You were in cold sweats, the coolness from the AC in the elevator not helping the situation, certainly not helping with what you’d got going on with your bladder.
Do not shut the door, Emma, you told yourself. Do not scream at her to move faster. Don’t do it, Emma. Don’t you dare do it.
She already had problems with you living there. Snide remarks about the noises coming from the bedroom you and Frankie shared ever since you moved in hidden as light-hearted jokes behind sharp eyes as the two of you waited for the elevator for months. Sweet comments about how quiet Frankie was as a neighbour, how peaceful her nights were before you came into his life.
Her AC and heating seemed to have problems a lot at night, especially when you and Frankie were… cuddling… for a while. Frankie would open the door to find her sweetly standing there, a helpless plea on her lips, telling him she needed her help, only for Frankie to go over and discover she had turned the main switch off.
But no, Emma, don’t scream at her. Your Mom would be so disappointed. And Frankie would certainly be disappointed. He adored her.
So you gritted your teeth and smiled, resisting the urge to scream, swallowing it so it would stop in your throat and not come out of your mouth.
When she finally got into the elevator a year later, she sweetly remarked about your suitcase, asking where you’d been. It’s so nice and quiet these few days, she said.
You told her.
You’d just gotten back from a few days at a nice spa with the girls, your stepsister, Anna and your Mom for your bachelorette trip. You and Frankie were getting married that coming weekend. In just two days, you were going to marry the man of your dreams and be his wife.
The thought made you feel all warm and gooey inside.
But not enough to stop the goosebumps from the need to pee
“Oh how nice, not long to go now!” she said, that forever sweet smile on her lips. “Are you going to have a baby soon? Places like this is really not suitable for babies, dear,” she said.
Okay. Your bladder was in serious danger of bursting. Seriously. You couldn’t even think anymore. Your head was starting to hurt. Your eyes were starting to tear up, and your plan to dance the desperation away as you rode the elevator was now soiled due to her being there.
You simply smiled and said you didn’t know yet. We’ll see, you told her, your teeth now hurting from your need for the bathroom, as well as your determination to stop yourself from shoving this woman’s face into the wall.
As the elevator dinged, signalling your arrival on your floor, and your closer proximity to a bathroom, she started talking about you and Frankie were probably too old to start having a family. You simply nodded desperately for a few seconds before speaking over her, telling her you really needed to go, your thighs beginning to chafe from you rubbing them together to stop yourself from just peeing yourself. As you ran to your front door, you didn’t miss her mumbled ‘young people are so rude these days’. You simply smiled and went inside, slamming the door behind you.
You ran into the bathroom, opening the door and leaving it open. The shower was running, music playing on loud, the shower curtain closed. Frankie must have just gotten back too. He and the boys had Frankie’s bachelor’s party at a cabin somewhere, Frankie’s cousins, his uncle, your stepbrother and Henry, your stepdad joining them. You took your panties off and sat on the toilet, releasing a huge groan of relief as you let go, your cold sweats now even more prominent. You took your dress off, tossing it on the floor with your panties and bra before flushing, intending to join your very sexy fiancé who you missed very much in the shower.
He didn’t seem to clock your presence, the water pressure and the music he had on his phone blaring in the shower. He was washing his hair, humming as he did, facing the wall.
You slipped behind him, closing the curtain, immediately closing in and wrapping your arms around his wet, soapy body, burying your face in between his shoulder blades.
“I’ve missed you Baby,” you cooed, nuzzling your face on his very broad back.
His body stiffened. Really stiffened, but not in the way you’d expected.
He stiffened like he didn’t expect you to be there, like he didn’t know what to do. His hands just stayed glued on his soapy head.
“Are you playing hard to get baby?” you continued, your hand beginning to roam from their initial place on his belly, the right one going up to his chest, the left going lower. His belly seemed a bit… fuller. Softer.
Huh. Maybe he just ate a lot during the bachelor trip? Didn’t work out?
But something felt off.
The next thing you knew, he had pulled away from you, his body pressed up against the wall, his face planted directly on it, both his hands now covering his cock.
What?
The water was turned off.
“Emma? Is that you?”
Wait.
That’s not Frankie’s voice.
Your eyes took in the naked body that was in front of you, the butts clenched.
That’s not Frankie’s body. Similar, but not really.
The memory of you screaming your head off at him when you thought he was Joel the day the two of you met came rushing back to mind.
Just like that, you grabbed the towel from the hook, covering yourself, and screaming your head off, scrambling to get out of the bath tub, running out of the bathroom as soon as you could, grabbing Frankie’s book from his nightstand, ready to throw it at the intruder.
“Emma? Baby?” you heard your fiancé’s voice call out, the man himself came running into the bedroom, panicked. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
You screamed once more, throwing the book at him. He dodged it, and the paperback fell with a weak thud on the floor.
“Baby, it’s me. What’s wrong?”
Oh, yeah, it’s him. It’s really him.
You threw yourself into his arms, your mind scrambling to find the words to tell him what just happened, but nothing but incoherent babbles came out.
The music from the bathroom stopped.
“Frankie?” a man’s voice, similar but different to Frankie’s called out. “You home?”
“Ben?”
“Yeah,” the man answered, cautiously stepping out of the bathroom, a towel around in waist, a t-shirt on, the material now wet, clinging to his body.
The body you just hugged while naked.
The body your hands almost… Oh God. Oh God. Oh dear God.
You hid yourself behind your fiancé.
“I thought he was you… I thought… I was naked, he was naked, he was in the shower, oh God… oh God, I’m sorry Frankie, I’m so sorry,” you somehow managed to get out, your face hot from embarrassment.
“I didn’t see anything,” the man said, “I swear, I didn’t hear you come in.”
You had your face in Frankie’s back, mumbling to yourself.
“I’m gonna got get dressed,” the man said, “Sorry Emma, I didn’t think you’d be home yet.” He left the room, closing the door behind him. You heard him shut the door to your office.
Frankie’s body started shaking.
“Are you okay?” he asked, peeling your hands off his middle and turning around to face you, his voice shaky from his silent laughter.
“Why are you laughing? I almost jerked him off!”
He guffawed.
“It’s not funny!” you stomped, starting to cry.
The man was trying, he was really trying, pulling you into his arms and hugging you tightly, kissing whichever part of you he could reach, his body still shaking from laughing.
“I’m sorry I got in the shower with him, I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” you sobbed.
His shaking body stopped shaking, “Hey, Emma Baby, look at me,” he coaxed.
It took you a while, but you eventually stopped sobbing, your eyes finally finding his.
“Do I look angry?” he asked, earnestness on his face.
You shook your head, small sobs escaping you.
“That’s my cousin Ben. I told you he was staying here until the wedding, remember? My other cousins staying with the other guys?”
Oh. Yeah, he did.
“Ben, the teacher, right?”
He nodded, wiping your tears away.
“The hot water in the guest bath is not working, I told him to shower in here. I went to get the part I need to fix it,” he explained, hugging you again. “I’m sorry you were surprised.”
“I thought he was you,” you tried again, tears flowing once more. “I didn’t mean to… oh God, I molested the man! Frankie I molested your cousin!”
And just like that you bawled again.
Frankie almost gave himself a stroke trying to stop from laughing.
He coaxed you enough to take a proper shower, going outside to talk to his cousin.
You had never taken so long to get dressed before.
By the time you came out, the hot water in the guest room shower was fixed, and Ben was properly dressed. Your eyes filled with tears of embarrassment once more when you saw him.
God, you just wanted to hide away and die.
“Hi,” Ben said, smiling, holding out a hand for you, “I’m Ben.”
“Uh oh,” Frankie said as he saw your lips got wobbly, coming over to hug you. “He told me what happened, you didn’t see anything, he didn’t see anything, right?”
You nodded into his chest.
“It’s an honest mistake, I should have locked the door, I shouldn’t have had the music on that loud, it won’t happen again,” Ben said.
“I should have known… Frankie never had music on when he showers,” you meekly said. “I’m sorry for molesting you. It won’t happen again.”
After a few awkward laughs, so many ‘sorrys’ and ‘I should haves’, the three of you somehow managed to get over the incident, and by dinner time, you actually managed to look Ben in the eyes and talk directly to him without using Frankie as a middle man.
The only problem your fiancé had with the situation was that you refused to have sex with him that night, merely for the horrifying thought that the man you almost molested was next door and might hear you.
Oh well, at least Mrs Newman won’t be complaining tomorrow.
You woke up the next day and prepared breakfast for everyone, awkwardness almost gone altogether when Ben came out, asking if he could do anything to help. The two of you actually managed to get to know each other a little. Things were moving along swimmingly, you thought, until he received a FaceTime request from his fiancée, Jenny. She asked to say hi to you, wanting to congratulate you on the wedding, and to say sorry she wasn’t able to attend. She seemed nice enough, and you felt so lucky you got along so well with his family members.
“So, I wanted you to know…” she said, her eyes twinkling, her face serious. “I heard about yesterday.”
Oh crap. Oh God. No… you kept thinking how you would be reacting if someone had almost molested Frankie the way you did Ben.
“I’m so sorry, Jenny,” you began, more than ready to beg for her forgiveness.
You didn’t even manage another word in. She started howling, laughing so hard her face turned red. She laughed until she couldn’t breathe, until her phone fell off the table she had propped the phone on.
And that set the guys laughing as well.
Yeah… you were never going to live this down. Ever.
The only thing you could wish for was that the guys and girls never hear about this. You would most certainly die from shame if they did.
"You molested Fish's cousin?" you heard a familiar voice say.
Benny was standing behind you, his face contorting into a cheeky grin.
Damn it Benny!
Mr Ben Tax
The Creed of Chaos
A Mr Ben Fan Fic
THIS IS THE MAY MASTER
Happy The Mandalorian & Grogu Day!
If you’ve been following my Mr Ben stories you know what your going to get but this is one that can be read om it’s own too. To read the last chapter click here there is also a main page for this set of fics.
Synopsis:- Mr Bens class are lacking motivation for mock exams, you manage to make sure everyone’s attention is grabbed.
Word Count:- 5200
Warnings:- DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER 18! Teacher/teacher relationship, workplace romance, classroom secrecy, suggestive themes, explicit sexual content, oral sex, power dynamics in a professional setting, rule breaking, risk of professional consequences, student-adjacent chaos (non-sexual), use of costumes/cosplay themes, emotional intensity, consensual sexual content between adults, humour mixed with intimacy, & morally grey behaviour in a school environment.
This is the fic I had going on in the back ground which helped inspire the whole challenge, so I hope you have all enjoyed this. See you tomorrow for some calmness.
Easter break is well & truly over. You’re now both back at school trying to get your 16 & 18 year olds ready for exams & everyone else ready for mocks. You do often find yourself day dreaming about the engagement moon you & Ben took. It may have only been a few days in a 4 star hotel with a spa in somewhere much warmer than here, but it was everything. You did have some family members ask why you weren’t tanned but they didn’t want to know what went on in your hotel room. The Do Not Disturb sign firmly on the door.
But now you stand in your classroom at the end of the day putting up a new display board, hanging onto the memories of what you & your now fiancé got up to when the lights went off.
As you pin henry the 8th to the royal family tree the door swings open. You don’t even have to sniff the smell or turn around, just from the way the door hit the wall you know who it is.
“Babes…”
“How did you…”
“You don’t think I don’t know how youngling doors open Ben”
“Fair enough” he says & now you turn around, stripy shirt, hair disheveled, smelling of coffee & smug as he always is. Yea that’s your man. You sigh at the look in his eyes “that bad huh” he says.
“Yep” you say “who’s upset you today.”
“Year 10 as always, they aren’t taking their mocks seriously”
Ben dropped into one of the student chairs at the front of your room like he’d been personally defeated by Year 10 energy alone.
“I just need them to concentrate,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “That’s it. That’s the whole job. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
You glanced over your shoulder from the display board, pin still between your fingers. “They’re 15 babes. Concentration is, like, a mythological creature to them.”
He huffed a laugh, but it didn’t quite land. “No, but genuinely. I’ve set them a revision task & half of them are staring at me like I’ve personally cancelled Star Wars.”
That got your attention.
You turned properly now, leaning against the desk. “Star Wars? Whats that got to do with mocks & exams, other than a Jedi training school?”
Ben pointed vaguely toward the corridor. “New film. Trailer dropped. They’ve been feral since break. I swear I heard someone say they were ‘mentally unavailable’ due to Grogu using the force.” He raises his hand. He’s already lost the battle.
You blinked. “…That’s actually impressive multitasking.”
“Don’t encourage them.”
“I’m not encouraging them,” you said, walking over, voice lighter now. “I’m just saying… you’re fighting the wrong battle.”
He looked up at you, exhausted, hair falling into his eyes. “Oh, am I?” He holds his head in his hands “I usually don’t, I can then get them back to the current world.”
You stepped closer, hands sliding onto his shoulders without thinking. His whole body softened under your touch immediately, like it was muscle memory. Comfort he needed
“Yes,” you said simply. “You’re trying to pull their attention back in.”
“I am a teacher,” he muttered.
“& I am telling you baby…”you said, squeezing gently, “grab their imagination, Ben. You’re the best at that.” That made him pause.
He glanced up at you properly now. “That sounds suspiciously like one of your ideas that ends with me in a costume.”
“You started the cosplay journey”You smiled sweetly. “But Not necessarily does it need to be like that…”
Then, softer: “Okay… maybe a little bit necessarily.”
He let out a low laugh, tipping his head back against your hands. “I knew it.”
“But think about it,” you went on, more animated now. “They’re not ignoring you because they don’t care. They’re ignoring you because you’re competing with something bigger than a textbook right now.”
“Mandalorian,” he said flatly. “More Pedro Pascal, even if you can’t see his face.”
“Exactly,” you nodded. “So stop trying to out revision it.”
His brows lifted slightly. “& instead…?”
You leaned in just a little, voice dropping like you were letting him in on something obvious. “Make them want your story more.”
That landed.
You could see it in the shift of his expression, the way his brain started turning even while he still looked mildly annoyed at the concept of teenagers having opinions.
“So what,” he said slowly, “I just… become Star Wars? I go all Jedi?”
You smiled. “Ben. You know what you have to do”
He scoffed, but there was no bite in it anymore. “That’s a terrifying statement.”
“You walk into a room dressed like a Roman general & they behave for a week.”
“That was one time.”
“& Cupid.”
“Also one time.”
“What about….”
“Okay,” he cut in quickly, pointing at you now, “don’t list my crimes of cosplay.”
You laughed, hands still resting on his shoulders, thumbs brushing lightly. “I’m just saying. You don’t need to fight for their attention. You just need to redirect it.”
He looked at you for a moment, then leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on your desk like he was conceding defeat in the most reluctant way possible.
“…So what do you suggest, my wise yoda?”
You pulled at face at him calling your yoda but then giggled.
“Give them a challenge,” you said. “Make it a game. Make it bigger than the film. Bigger than the lesson.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Always, it’s painful but it always end up fun.”
He sighed, but you could already see the idea forming behind his eyes now, that familiar spark of chaos returning.
“Right,” he said slowly. “So I basically weaponise their obsession.”
“Now you’re getting it.”
“& I’m guessing,” he added, looking up at you again, “this is where you tell me I’m going to regret listening to you.”
“Ben you started this with gladiator” You tilted your head. “But yea you Probably will.”
He nodded once. “Yeah. That tracks.”
Then he reached up, catching your wrist gently & pulling your hand off his shoulder just long enough to press a quick kiss to your knuckles.
“Fine,” he muttered. “But if this ends with me in another costume…”
You grinned. “You started this career choice, babe. You love it don’t shy away.”
He stood, finally a bit more alive than when he’d walked in. “I hate that you’re right so often.”
“I don’t,” you said brightly. He paused at the door, looking back at you with that familiar mix of fondness & resignation.”Grab their imagination, Ben,” you repeated softly.
He pointed at you once. “I’m going to regret asking what that means.” He then goes to leave but pauses & looks back at you “love you honey” he winks & Then he was gone. You sighed, as your heart fluttered, you went back to your display board smiling, already knowing, whatever he came up with next… you were absolutely going to make it worse.
Three days later, school had settled into that early may revision season exhaustion where everyone was technically working… but emotionally stressed or checked out.
You were in the lunch hall queue, half listening to two teachers debating whether Year 11 revision timetables were “motivational” or “just psychological warfare,” when you felt a familiar cluster of energy approaching.
You turned just in time to see a group of Year 10s hovering awkwardly near your table you sit at when you have to monitor the canteen.
“Miss…” one of them started.
You raised a brow. “That tone already tells me I’m about to be involved in something I didn’t agree to.”
They exchanged looks. Then Sophie, your favourite child in your tutor, stepped forward, clearly designated spokesperson. “It’s about Mr Ben.”
That got your attention immediately.
You set your lunch down slowly. “Right. Go on.”
Another student leaned in, conspiratorial. “He’s doing a test next week.”
“I’m aware,” you said carefully wondering where this was going
“& he said,” Sophie continued, “that if we take it seriously… we get Star Wars chaos.”
You paused.
“…Star Wars chaos,” you repeated. You’re now concerned you’ve accidentally sent Ben into a rabbit hole he can’t handle.
A few of them nodded eagerly like this was sacred curriculum.
“He said,” another added quickly, “that if 80% of us do well, he’ll ‘reward us properly’ but he wouldn’t say what it is.”
You stared at them for a second. Of course he did. Of course he’d promised teenagers Star Wars chaos like it was a formal assessment objective. Your mind is now wondering if he even has any Star Wars costumes at home, of if you’ll be turning the dinning room curtain spur of the moment into a jedi robe.
You pressed your lips together to stop yourself smiling too obviously. “& you’ve come to me… why exactly?”
Sophie shrugged. “Because you help us with his lessons sometimes.”
“That’s not how teaching works,” you said immediately.
Another boy spoke up. “Please, miss. We just need revision help. He’s actually scary when he’s disappointed. You know that the most.”
That made you snort despite yourself.
“Fair point,” you admitted.
They all relaxed slightly. You tapped your fingers against your tray, thinking. Then slowly, an idea formed. You looked back up at them.
“Right,” you said lightly. “Here’s what’s going to happen.” They straightened instantly.
“You’re going to revise,” you continued. “Properly. Not half-hearted, not ‘I’ll just watch a video & hope for the best’ or ask chat gpt about it.”
A few guilty faces. You are all to well aware how revision has changed in the last couple of years.
“&,” you added, a little softer now, “you’re going to come see me at lunch every day this week in my class room.
Their eyes widened. “Really?”
“But,” you said quickly, lifting a finger, “you do not tell mr Ben…”
Silence.
Then: “Wait…what?”
You smiled sweetly. “If he finds out, I lose control of the situation. & frankly, I enjoy chaos when it’s correctly managed. & let’s be honest Mr Ben secretly enjoys it too. I mean he started these dress ups, he can keep them going.”
Sophie grinned. “So you’re helping us cheat the system?”
You gasped lightly. “No. I am helping you revise efficiently.”
The kids looked at each other their smiles lifting.
“…Which may or may not improve your chances of achieving Star Wars chaos.”
That sealed it. They all lit up instantly.
“YES MISS.”
“We’re so passing this test.”
“This is actually sick.”
You bit into your salad. You pointed at them as they started backing away, already buzzing. “Not a word to Mr Ben.”
They mimed zipping their mouths shut.
As they disappeared back into the hall, you finally let yourself smile properly.
Because honestly? Ben was about to be very, very confused next week & you were absolutely going to enjoy every second of it.
2 weeks later, the school had that post-assessment calm that never really lasted long enough to enjoy properly. Papers were marked, results were starting to come in & Year 10 had been suspiciously… proud of themselves.
You were just finishing tidying your desk & packing your lap top away when there was a knock at your classroom door.
Not a student knock. Not a quick check-in knock. A Ben knock. Confident. Familiar. Slightly dramatic.
You didn’t even look up properly. “Come in.”
The door opened.
He stood there in his usual post-teaching state, tie slightly loosened, sleeves pushed up, that look on his face like he’d been holding in a thought all the way down the corridor and couldn’t wait any longer.
“Can I have a word babes…”he said.
You finally looked up. “That sounds ominous. Why?”
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. A pause. Then, slowly:
“My Year 10s got 92% in their exam.”
Silence. You blinked once. Then a second time.
“…92%” you repeated carefully. “Wow” He nodded. Slowly. Watching you now. Very, very intently.
“That’s suspiciously high,” you said.
“It’s an excellent result,” he replied, but there was something in his tone now. Something knowing.
You leaned back slightly in your chair. “That’s… really impressive for them. You must be very proud.”
“Mhm,” he said. “Especially considering how deeply unbothered they usually are by everything I say.”
You nodded slowly & tried not to give the game away . “True.”
Another pause. His eyes didn’t leave yours.
“So,” he said casually, “I started thinking about how suddenly motivated they were. How they started asking for extra revision. How they were suddenly… very organised.”
You swallowed slightly. “Right. I mean these mocks mean they can be set for next year’s exams.”
“& then,” he continued, “I remembered something you said to me. About grabbing their imagination.”
“Did I?” You cleared your throat claiming innocents . “I say a lot of things.”
“Mhm,” he repeated again. He took a step closer now.
“& then I remembered,” he added, “how they kept mentioning you in passing. Lunch revision. ‘Miss said this.’ ‘Miss helped us with that.’ Very helpful, apparently.”
You stared at a point just over his shoulder. Knowing making full eye contact would give you away & also make you feel all unnecessary.
“…I am a very supportive colleague,” you said carefully.
Ben hummed. “You are.”
Another pause. A small laugh from him before he tried to make eye contact.
Then, softly: “You helped them, didn’t you?”
You opened your mouth. Your eyes locked. Closed it again. That was enough. His expression changed instantly, not annoyed, not angry. Just that slow, inevitable realisation settling in. Soft but realising defeat.
“Oh my God,” he said quietly.
You pressed your lips together. He laughed. Properly this time. Head tipping back slightly, one hand coming up to his face.
“You absolutely did,” he said, pointing lightly at you now. “You absolutely interfered with my revision results.”
You tried to stay composed. “I prefer the term educational enrichment.”
“Enrichment?” he repeated, still laughing. “You ran a covert lunchtime revision operation behind my back.”
You shrugged. “They were stressed & it helped them. I also only helped a couple…”
“… you decided to become a secret academic benefactor?” He interrupted.
“I like chaos when it’s correctly managed,” you said calmly. That made him laugh harder.
He stepped closer to your desk now, bracing both hands on it & leaning in slightly. “So let me get this straight,” he said. “While I was thinking I was finally winning as a teacher…”
You tilted your head. “Yes?”
“You were over here running… what, revision intelligence?”
You smiled innocently. “Maybe.”
He shook his head, still grinning. “I knew something was off. There is no universe where my Year 10s suddenly become that responsible without external influence.”
You gave a small, proud shrug.
“They were very motivated,” you said.
Then he sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair secretly proud of the hand you had in this.
“…I can’t believe you actually helped them.”
“You’re welcome,” you said. “Makes you look good.” You wink “you always do though babes.”
He looked at you again, softer now. Fond in that quiet, knowing way he got when he stopped pretending to be annoyed.
“You do realise,” he said, “this is exactly how I end up in ridiculous situations at work.”
You smiled sweetly. “You started it with Star Wars chaos.”
He pointed at you again. “That was a promise. Not an invitation for educational espionage.”
You leaned back in your chair, completely unbothered now. “& yet, here we are….” You pause before winking “…once again” He exhaled a laugh, shaking his head again before finally straightening.
“I’m telling them it doesn’t count,” he said.
“You absolutely are not.” You bluntly reply.
“I am,” he said immediately.
“You’ll ruin my reputation.”
“You ruined mine first,” he shot back.
That made you pull a face at him thar said so much without saying a word.
He stepped around your desk now, leaning down just enough to press a quick, affectionate kiss to your forehead.
“You’re unbelievable,” he murmured.
You smiled up at him. “& yet, you love me.”
Ben blushes before then making eye contact “always”.
He leaned in for the kiss but that’s when the school bell rang.
“Damn” he muttered “I wanted to teach you a lesson, but I bet…” you shake your head & he pauses. You then get up.You waited until the corridor outside was finally quiet. No footsteps. No chatter. No risk. Then, very deliberately, you reached past Ben locked the classroom door shut.
Ben turned slowly. “What are you doing?”
You leaned back against the door, arms folding, expression far too calm. “Locking it. I have no lesson 4, it’s marking time”
He raised a brow. “That usually means something dramatic is about to happen.”
You smiled. “Maybe you should put me in detention, Mr Ben. For the wrong type of student encouragement.”
Bens mouth twitched. “Oh?” He wasn’t going to say no though.
You tilted your head. “I’ve been interfering with lessons. Undermining authority. Helping students pass your tests without telling you.”
He stepped closer as you slowly walked back from your classroom door.
His eyes narrowed slightly, amused now. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Maybe I am.” That earned a quiet laugh from him. He glanced toward the blinds, then back at you.
“…Turn around,” he said.
You blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Turn around,” he repeated, softer this time. “If we’re doing detention properly, I’m at least pretending to follow procedure. So turn miss” the way he said miss set off lust in your body.
You rolled your eyes, but turned slightly anyway. You heard the blinds slide down. The room dimmed. When you turned back, he was already watching you.
“That’s very dramatic for a fake detention,” you said.
He shrugged. “You started it.”
You took a step forward. “I think you’ll find you started it with Star Wars chaos & emotional manipulation of teenagers.”
“Educational engagement,” he corrected instantly.
You laughed. “Of course.”
A pause settled between you, slower now, warmer, the kind that always crept in when neither of you bothered pretending anymore.
“So,” he said, leaning lightly against your desk, “what exactly are you guilty of?”
You stopped in front of him. “Helping your class do too well.”
He nodded once. “Mm. Serious offence.”
“Mm-hm.” you licked your lips.
“& how do you plead?”
You smiled slightly. “Not sorry in the slightest.” You then tugged on his tie. That made him exhale a laugh under his breath.
“Bad student,” he murmured.
“Bad teacher,” you shot back.
His eyebrows lifted. “Careful.”
“Or what?”
That stopped him just long enough to change the air between you again. Then he stepped closer, so you were now technically on the edge of your desk.
“You keep talking like that,” he said quietly, “& detention’s going to take longer than usual.”
You didn’t move. “Is that a threat or a promise, Mr Ben?” He secretly loves it when you call him that.
“Depends,” he said softly, “are you going to behave?”
You tilted your head. “No.” Bold blunt & honest. That did it.
He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Worst student I’ve ever had.”
“Best one you’ve ever wanted to kiss,” you replied instantly.
“The only one”
Then his hand lifted, just barely brushing your waist as if checking you were still real in front of him.
“I thought detention was about discipline,” you said softly.
“It is,” he replied.
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
That made him pause. Then he exhaled a slow laugh, shaking his head like he’d given up pretending.
“Because you’re impossible,” he said quietly.
“& yet?”
“& yet,” he repeated, softer now.
The minimal space between you disappeared without either of you deciding it.
His hand slid properly to your waist this time, steadying you like he didn’t trust either of you to behave anymore. Your fingers lightly caressed the front of his shirt.
Then you murmured, “So what happens in detention, Mr Ben?”
His voice dropped.
“Usually,” he said, “I tell students off.” He moved the hair off your face”… But you’re a very distracting case.”
You smiled. “Am I?”
“Extremely baby.” That was all it took.
Ben who so often control himself with you at school suddenly had a primal urge. Ben kissed you like he’d been thinking about it for years .
Slow at first. Deliberate. Like he was savouring the moment like it might be your last. His hand stayed warm against your waist as yours curled into his tie, tugging him closer until there was barely space left between you.
“You are such trouble,” he murmured against your mouth. Your tongue dancing as the heat grew.
“You love trouble.”
“I love you,” he corrected softly. That stole the smugness from you for half a second.
His forehead rested against yours briefly before his lips found your jaw, then your neck, unhurried kisses that made your breath catch every single time. Outside the classroom the school still existed somewhere beyond the blinds, but in here it felt suspended. Hidden away in your own little world.
Your fingers slid up into his hair as he kissed you again, deeper now, the kind of kiss that made thinking impossible.
“Still think helping my class behind my back was a good idea?” he asked quietly.
You smiled against his lips. “Considering 92% passed? Absolutely.”
He laughed softly under his breath. “Hopeless.”
“You’re welcome, Mr Ben.”
That name nearly finished him off on the spot.
His eyes closed briefly as he exhaled, hands tightening slightly at your waist before he looked at you again with that expression you knew far too well now, warm, wrecked, completely gone for you.
“You know,” he said quietly, “most teachers get thank you cards.”
“You got improved data.”
“I also got emotionally manipulated.”
You grinned. “Grabbed your imagination though, didn’t I?”
He actually laughed properly at that, head dipping to your shoulder for a second before he kissed you there too.
“God I love it when your a menace,” he murmured again, softer this time.
You wrapped your arms around his neck as he guided you fully onto the edge of the desk, settling himself between your knees like it was the most natural place in the world to be. His tie had come loose beneath your fingers now, shirt slightly open at the collar, hair already ruined from your hands.
“Definitely detention worthy behaviour,” you whispered.
“Mhm.” His nose brushed yours. “Think this one might require a very long conversation after school.”
“Shame,” you replied innocently. “I suppose I’ll just have to stay behind.”
His smile turned devastating.
“That’s my girl.”
Then he kissed you again, slower this time, before he then dropped to his knees & lifted up your dress. Your face instantly red, knowing what Ben was about to do.
“Ben? Here… what if…”
“No one’s gonna walk in on us” he says his hands rubbing your thighs, your body trembling. You lift yourself up to scoot back & he takes that oportunity to pull your knickers down, the white lace now around your ankles. Ben licks his lip looking at the state of you.
“Never gets old” he snigger before rubbing his thumb over your clit. Your hips react instantly to his touch.
“Fuck” you groan.
“Swearing means a longer detection.” He says as he sinks a finger inside you working you open.
“Ooh fuck fuck” he laughs at that.
“You are trouble” he says with a wicked grin “I like it when you play up.” Without any further warning his head goes straight to your sex, & his tongue, that magnificent tongue, starts to work, lapping away. Your body responsive, shaking with desire as Ben has you clamping instantly.
“Oooh fuck”
“Don’t come already baby” he moans “wanna take my time.” He says as you fist your hands into his hair. It will be more disheveled than usual as he continues to pleasure you.
You don’t ever ask Ben to go down on you, but when he does it’s always a surprise but it’s always exactly what you need. The way he moans, the way his lips feel, the way it turns you to jelly, the way every sense in your body is on high alert. It’s the best kind of euphoria.
He never expects oral in return. In fact you both have learnt what each other need when the time is right& right now as you cum coating his face sat on your class room desk you know this was the exact right thing to do. He whimpers as you tug on his hair as your orgasm hits. Glorious & magical as it is every time. Your breath raged as Ben licks up every single drop.
He wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t loud any of this. Just the kind of closeness that made the whole classroom feel like it had shrunk to the space between you, soft laughter, quiet teasing, words that faded into something neither of you bothered finishing properly anymore.
He eventually stood up & his lips now met your mouth. Tender, soft, & tasting of you. You just held each other for a while, your hands resting against him as you steadied yourself on the edge of the desk.
Ben didn’t move away. In fact, he looked like he had no intention of doing so.
His forehead rested briefly against yours, a quiet exhale leaving him like he was only just remembering how to breathe properly again.
For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then you let out a small, breathless laugh.
“We could both be sacked for that,” you murmured.
His mouth twitched slightly, still warm, still a little undone. “Probably.”
You looked at him properly now, like reality was slowly starting to creep back in at the edges of the room.
“…That was very unprofessional,” you added.
He hummed in agreement, but didn’t sound even slightly sorry. “Extremely.”
You gave him a look. “You’re supposed to be the responsible one.”
“I stopped being that somewhere around you locking the door,” he replied softly. That made you smile despite yourself. You shifted slightly on the desk, still not quite ready to create space between you.
“What if someone had walked in?” you asked.
His eyes flicked to yours, calm, amused, entirely unbothered now.
“Then they’d have learned an important lesson about timing.”
You snorted. “That’s not a lesson.”
“It is when I’m in charge,” he said. That got another quiet laugh out of you. But neither of you actually moved away. Not yet.
His hand rested lightly at your waist again, steady, familiar now in a way that felt more honest than anything said out loud.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.You nodded.
Then you added, softer, “We really shouldn’t do that again in school.”
His lips curved slightly. “Agreed.”
“…Probably.”
That earned him a look. He smiled properly this time, leaning in just enough to press a slow, grounding kiss to your forehead, not rushed, not chaotic anymore, just warm & certain.
“Come on,” he murmured. “Before I start ignoring every rule I’ve ever made for myself & bend you over the desk for a real lesson.”
You exhaled a small laugh, finally shifting off the desk, though his hand lingered for a second longer than necessary before letting go. You pulled up your knickers & straighten yourself out, before you glanced at him.
“…We are definitely in trouble,” you said.
He straightened his tie like nothing had happened at all.
“Worth it,” he replied simply. “We can pick this up when we get home though, where we know only the cat will interrupt us.”
The day before the film release, Year 10 were already impossible. Ben stood at the front of the classroom in full Mandalorian armour, helmet off for now, resting on the desk beside him, trying to talk over a level of noise that had absolutely nothing to do with his lesson. He knew he looked good & everyone was lapping it up but unlike the other times he had dressed up he was struggling to get control.
“Right,” he said firmly, clapping his hands once. “If we are going to revise, we are going to actually revise.”
A few students straightened up. Most did not.
Someone in the back whispered, “He looks so cool though.”
Another replied, “Sir, are you actually going to the cinema like that tomorrow?”
Ben exhaled slowly. “No. I am not going to the cinema like this. I am teaching like this. There is a difference.”
“So you do have the outfit for tomorrow?”
Ben opened his mouth. Closed it again.
“…Focus.” The class erupted anyway. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Honestly, I am one more comment away from turning this into a silent written task.”
That got a few half-hearted attempts at silence. It lasted about six seconds.
But then there was a Knock at the door. Ben didn’t even turn immediately.
“Oh, now what,” he muttered under his breath.
He walked over, pulled the door open, still mid-exasperation… he stopped. Jaw hitting the floor.
You stepped into the room. Full Mandalorian armour. Helmet under one arm & in the other…Grogu. You had snuck your costume into school over the last week. Even Ben hadnt notice he was as speechless as anyone.
The entire class went dead silent for half a beat. Then exploded.
“NO WAY.”
“MISS???”
“THERE’S TWO OF THEM??”
“THIS IS ACTUALLY INSANE!”
Ben just stood there for a second, staring at you. Then a slow smile spread across his face like he’d just lost the argument in the best possible way.
“Well,” he said quietly, “looks like I now have a clan & a foundling”
You walked further into the room like this was completely normal, Grogu safely cradled in your arms as the students practically vibrated with excitement.
“I heard there was chaos,” you said lightly.
Ben let out a short laugh. “You caused this you know…”
“Allegedly,” you replied.
A student called out, “MISS IS BETTER THAN SIR!”
Ben pointed immediately. “That is subjective”
Another voice: “Are you both going to the cinema like that tomorrow??”
You glanced at Ben, then back at the class, smiling.
“Maybe,” you said. They screamed again.
Ben shook his head, still smiling despite himself. “Right. Everyone sit down. We are still doing revision.” Groans immediately.
You stepped beside him now, lowering your voice just for him.
“Helmet stays on, Mr Ben,” you said, teasing.
He looked at you properly then, that familiar spark in his eyes, soft at the edges but absolutely entertained.
Then he winked.
“…It’s off for a special occasion,” he said a little too loudly. You blushed. The class lost it all over again. For once, Ben didn’t even try to stop the noise straight away.
Just stood there beside you, shaking his head slightly, like he’d accepted that this lesson, like most lessons with you, was already completely gone. But somehow, exactly how he liked it.
You felt so lucky to be dating Mr. Ben, the Literature teacher in the classroom next to yours. You loved the way Ben treated his students as his equal, took time out of his day to help students who came to him with questions, and his open door policy. Ben inspired you to be a better teacher.
Also you loved how caring was with you, always checking in, winking at you when you walked by each other in the halls, always having your favorite drink on your desk when you got to your classroom.
Ben was amazing outside of work, when you guys would work on grading your classes work he would come up behind you and rub your shoulders, as he placed kisses on the back of your head, reminding you that your beautiful and how lucky he was to have you.
But the thing is, you were lucky to have Ben. He was so thoughtful and caring, so much from the immature ex’s you had before. You can’t think of anyone better to have as your co-worker and your lover.
If you are interested in a Moodboard, I'm currently taking requests. Please like and/or reblog this moodboard to show appreciation. It would mean the world to me. ✏️ This was originally a collaboration done with DrinkingPedro on Instagram. You can see the collaboration HERE.☕️
An Inch Away (From More Than Just Friends) - Chapter 4
Our first day in London, and a whole lotta flirting. This is tooth rottingly, cheesily fluffy shit. You've been warned.
Pairings: You/Mr Ben
Rating: Teen, later chapters will be Explicit.
Warnings/tags: Romcom logic, age gap (reader is late 20s, Ben mid-late 30s), former student/teacher dynamic, but no romance until student is late 20s, flirting
Word Count: 3.7K
Series masterlist | AO3 | Main masterlist
Previous Chapter Thanks @half-moon16 for betaing! 🩷🩷
Ben woke first the next morning.
The distant noise of London traffic reached the room, the bustling sounds of people commuting to work and the city coming to life rousing Ben from his slumber. He’d slept like the dead last night, once he’d finally fallen asleep. The travel and jetlag had taken it out of him, and he lamented his age; something he’d been doing a lot more in recent weeks. Back when he first started doing this trip, he could run on caffeine and catch up on sleep later. These days, when he was tired his body made it known.
He looked over to your bed. You were still asleep, your hand tucked under your chin and the covers pulled high like you were cold.
He rolled out of bed with a quiet groan, mindful not to wake you as he padded to the bathroom on bare feet. He closed and locked the door behind him, trying to ignore the panties hanging on the towel rack as he relieved himself.
He wandered out into the room a few minutes later, freshened up but still sleep-mussed, rubbing his eyes.
“Good morning.” You greeted sleepily, still tucked under the covers. You’d grabbed your phone, scrolling through all your missed notifications from overnight.
“Morning.” Ben greeted, heading to the kitchenette to make a coffee. He grabbed two mugs, fixing one for you as well as he waited for the water to boil. Instant coffee wasn’t his favourite, but it would do in a pinch.
You both continued to wake up in silence, an easy, quiet understanding between you that neither was ready to socialise just yet. Ben finished making the drinks and set yours on your bedside table, choosing to sit on the couch with his. He was too sore to sit back in bed, his back needed the support of the couch. He shook his head internally at himself. He’d never felt older, sharing a room with a pretty young woman like you. That was saying something he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge, because working with teenagers already made him feel plenty old as it was.
“Thanks for the coffee.” You’d said, sitting up and smiling up at him prettily. It made his gut swoop with desire.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at you in response, trying to ignore the way you looked sitting in your bed wearing his shirt.
Today was a big day. The first official day of the trip, with Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and Parliament on the itinerary.
Of course, it was all old news to Ben. He’d been here many times before. But it always warmed his heart a little to see the excitement of his students experiencing something new, to see them discovering that there was more to the world than their little corner of it.
This time, though? He was excited to see you experience it. He remembered how much you’d wanted to go on this trip when you were a student. How disappointed you had been to miss out. It was why he’d so readily suggested you as a chaperone when he saw you that first day. He hadn’t been able to help you come on the trip when you were a student, but he’d jumped on the opportunity that had presented itself this time. They’d needed another chaperone, and that meant you could finally see Europe. It was a strange, full-circle kind of moment that felt a little bit like fate. Like making things right after he’d seen you miss out last time.
Of course, he hadn’t been attracted to you back then. You were just a child then, not even in the realm of what Ben considered attractive or intriguing. He’d cared for you like a teacher should, and held a soft spot in his heart for you like he did all his disadvantaged students; kids that worked too hard, or grew up in rough circumstances. Kids he wished he could help more. He’d wished he could have helped you back then, like he’d wished he could help out a lot of students over the years.
You finished your coffee, standing to rinse your mug and put it in the sink. It was driving him a little crazy, seeing you in his shirt like this. He averted his eyes, knowing his gaze would linger on you if he let it.
He shoved his newfound attraction to you back down as he got dressed and ready for the day. Things had changed, but he wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking this was anything other than some misplaced feelings and loneliness. You’d find a young person like yourself to pair up with eventually, and Ben would be where he always was - working at the same school, doing the same trip year after year, and feeling like the chance to find someone had long passed.
This would pass, too.
It didn’t pass.
You’d walked out of the bathroom in yesterday’s leggings and Ben’s borrowed shirt tied into a knot at the bottom, looking better on you than it ever would on him.
You crossed the room, brushing your hair and tying it back, thanking past you for packing your brush in your carry on. You put a little lip balm on your lips, tucking the chapstick into the small backpack you’d used for your carry on luggage. You’d upended the bag onto your bed earlier so you could repack it for the day with only things you needed. You didn’t want to carry any unnecessary weight with you all around London.
Ben tried not to stare at you as you moved around the space wearing his shirt, but you noticed his eyes on you as you were zipping your bag.
“I hope you don’t mind?” You’d asked sheepishly, gesturing to the shirt. “I can’t bring myself to wear the same shirt as yesterday.”
“Not at all. It looks better on you anyway.” Ben reassured you with a smile. “I was thinking though, if you don’t hear about your luggage by this afternoon, we can use the emergency credit card to buy you a few things to get you through. There’s a department store not far from here.”
“Oh I don’t want you to waste your money! I have a little emergency cash, I’ll be okay. Hopefully it will turn up though.”
“It’s not my money, sweetheart, it’s the school’s money. It’s for situations like this, and if your luggage doesn’t turn up, we’re definitely using their money.” He said firmly. He’d be damned if he let you spend your money on this; he knew full well what kind of money a first-year relief teacher made.
“Oh, cool. Well, still. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that. But thank you. It’s good to know there’s a safety net. I’d rather not dip into my emergency funds unless I have to.”
“It actually became a thing after my luggage got lost a few years back.” Ben admitted. “I’m as surprised as you that the school decided to do it. God knows they don’t put any of their money into classroom resources.” He rolled his eyes.
“Ain’t that the truth.” You agreed.
He patted himself down, checking he had his phone, wallet and the room key. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yep, let’s go.”
“What are you most excited to see today?” He asked as you walked together down the hallway. You were meeting the students and other teachers for breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
“I’m looking forward to Big Ben.” You said, a teasing tone in your voice. He turned his head to look at you, catching the playful look on your face. You waggled your eyebrows at him, giggling when he pulled a face.
“Real original.” He shook his head in amusement. “If you can find a Big Ben joke I haven’t heard before, I’ll give you twenty bucks.”
“Challenge accepted.” You said brightly. “Be prepared to pay up.”
“We’ll see.”
When you entered the restaurant, most of the group was there already, milling about the buffet and sitting at the scattered tables. Your colleagues looked almost as sleepy as you felt, the jetlag hitting you all. Some of the students were scrolling sleepily on their phones, others were excited and full of energy for the day, perky and bright eyed.
You set your backpack on the back of a seat at an empty table, Ben doing the same, and you joined the line for the buffet together. You returned to the table a few minutes later, your plate filled with fruit and some breakfast pastries. A glance back to the buffet told you that Ben was still waiting for his toast on the weird conveyor belt toaster that all hotel breakfast buffets seemed to have. You felt vindicated at your decision to skip toast this morning; it always took forever and never turned out quite right.
You were joined at the table by two of your students, leaving the spot next to you for Ben.
“Good morning, Miss!” Julita greeted brightly, setting her plate down on the table as she slid into her seat. Her friend Clare echoed the greeting, sitting down next to her.
“Good morning, girls.” You said, smiling at them. They were good students, friendly and kept to themselves a lot, usually more comfortable talking to teachers rather than their peers. It reminded you of how you’d sought out connection with your teachers at the same age, starved for interaction with adults that liked you, believed in you, encouraged you. You assumed that these girls had similar issues with their parents.
“Are you wearing Mr Ben’s shirt?” Clare asked in a low, conspiratorial voice, her eyes alight with interest. You levelled her with a quelling look, sighing.
“Yes, Mr Ben was kind enough to lend me some clothes. My luggage was lost and I’m still waiting to see if they can find it.”
“Oh man, that sucks.” Clare frowned. “If you need anything for, y’know - lady stuff - I have some.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I’m okay for now. Thank you, though.”
Clare beamed at the praise, returning to her breakfast.
“Do you think you’ll get your stuff back?” Julita asked, frowning. “That’s gotta suck. Are you gonna have to go shopping?”
“I hope I’ll get it back, but if I haven’t heard anything by tonight I’m going to have to at least get some basics.”
“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.” Ben’s voice came from behind you as he returned to the table, joining you. “Good morning, girls.”
“Good morning, Mr Ben. It was so nice of you to lend Miss your shirt.”
“You call her Miss?” Ben asked, completely sidestepping the shirt comment. You shot Clare a stern look. You really needed your own clothes by tomorrow, because you were not going to let this become a thing for the gossip mill.
“I guess they haven’t found a good nickname for me yet.” You shrugged.
“Back when she was a student, she had one.” Ben said casually, and now your glare landed on him.
“No. We are not bringing that back.” You said sternly.
“What was it?” Julita asked, a glint of determination in her eyes.
“Think wisely, Ben.” You warned. “I know where you sleep.”
Ben raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, ladies. I’ve been threatened. You’ll have to come up with your own nickname.”
“So, did you guys go to school together?”
“Ah, no. ‘Miss’ over here was a student at the school when I was a new teacher.” Ben answered, the hesitance in his voice telling you that he’d immediately regretted sharing that piece of knowledge. His hesitance would only ignite their interest further, so you decided to redirect the conversation.
“You know, Mr Ben wasn’t always Mr Ben. My class called him Mr B.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s deathly afraid of bees.” You answered, a smirk pulling at your lips.
“I’m not afraid of bees.” Ben said flatly, his face playfully incredulous. “I’m allergic.”
“That scream suggested otherwise.”
“Moving on…” Ben redirected clumsily.
“I hope you remembered your Epi-Pen.” You teased, curious about whether he was actually allergic.
“Always have it with me. Front pocket of my backpack.” Ben said, nodding down to his bag.
“Wait, you’re actually allergic?” You asked in surprise, and Ben gave you an affronted look, reaching over to steal from your plate.
“I never lie.” He said with mock offense, popping a blueberry in his mouth. You mouthed ‘rude’ at him, earning a cheeky grin in return.
“I hope you know how to use an Epi-Pen, Miss.” Julita said.
“I’m First-Aid certified, so I do. Hopefully I won’t have to put my knowledge into practice, though.”
“I can self-administer it too. But I’d definitely prefer not having to use it at all.” Ben said, hand drifting to his leg absentmindedly, rubbing his thigh as though chasing away a phantom pain. He’d obviously needed to use it at least once before.
“Yeah, I definitely don’t want to fill out the incident paperwork for a foreign hospital trip.” You said teasingly.
“That’s cold. Some bedside manner you have, Miss.” Ben said, lips pulling into an exaggerated frown.
“Hey! I’ll have you know my bedside manner is as sweet as sugar!”
“Sure, sure. Sugar.” Ben said doubtfully.
Peter, interrupted your banter with a bark of laughter. “Hah. If she’s sugar, you must be spice.” He laughed, slapping Ben’s shoulder good-naturedly. “You kids ready to get this show on the road?”
“Sure am.” You said cheerfully, checking the time. “Ben?”
“Let’s get going, Sugar.” He said cheekily, moving to stand.
“Oh god, let’s not let that catch on.” You protested, making Ben laugh.
“Hey, it’s better than Mr Bee. You think I don’t know who came up with that nickname?”
Fuck, busted.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“Mmhmm.” Ben hummed, unconvinced. “I see all, Sugar.”
“Dammit.” You muttered under your breath.
“What’s wrong, Miss Sugar?” Clare asked, joining in on the joke. Ben reached his hand out for a high five, which Clare enthusiastically returned.
“Et tu, Clare?” You shook your head. “I’ll remember this.”
“Don’t worry, Clare. I’ve got your back.” Ben said, slipping his backpack onto his shoulder, leaving the other strap hanging against his back.
“Julita’s with me, right?” You asked, making eye contact with the younger girl.
“Sorry, Miss Sugar.” She said, giggling when Ben cheered in victory, high fiving her too.
“Yes! Oh, revenge is sweet. Delayed, but sweet.” Ben was grinning, his cheek dimple standing out, his eyes wrinkled at the corners with mirth. It was enough to make you forget yourself for a moment, breath catching in your chest as you were struck by the joy on his face, all directed at you.
“Yeah yeah, c’mon Spice.”
“Yeah, that’s not catching on.” Ben said, and the girls hummed in agreement.
“You guys suck.” You pouted, barely able to hold the look for a moment before breaking. “Whatever, let’s get on the damn bus.”
“Aww, don’t be like that, Sugar.” Ben snickered, making the girls giggle.
“Enough outta you, Morales.” You threatened with a sharp whack to his bicep.
“See? Terrible bedside manner.” Ben said, dodging the second whack you aimed at him. “Do no harm!”
“I’m not a Doctor, Ben. You don’t swear an oath when you do a first aid course.”
“Well they should look into adding that in.”
“I’ll let the good folks at the community college know.” You deadpanned.
“Alright, children. Get on the damn bus. Don’t make me split you two up.” Christine threatened, though her eyes were alight with amusement.
“Look what you did, you got us in trouble. You turned her against me.” Ben teased, stowing his backpack in the space above the seats, gesturing for yours too. He sat in the window seat at the front of the bus, and you slid into the seat next to him.
“You have done that yourself.”
Ben’s eyes lit up. “Did you just quote Star Wars to me?”
“Is that not what you were doing?”
“Well, yeah, but usually no one gets my references.” He admitted wryly.
“Lucky for you, I’m also a massive nerd.”
“Finally, someone who can match my energy.” Ben joked.
Students were getting on the bus now too, and you kept a head count going to make sure everyone was there. You had to shift yourself a little closer to Ben to narrowly avoid being hit with the backpacks of the students scooting past you down the narrow aisle, until Ben eventually decided to take matters into his own hands, pulling you closer to him so you didn’t have to dodge anymore.
“Thanks.” You said gratefully. “I didn’t wanna get all up in your space.”
“Don’t mention it, the first rule of Europe is personal space doesn’t exist.” Ben said wryly. “You think this is close quarters? Wait til the hotel elevators in Italy.”
You very decidedly were not going to think about being in hotel elevators with Ben.
“If I’m lucky I might lose a little weight by then with all this walking.” You said, half-jokingly.
“Hey, don’t even.” He said, shaking his head. “There isn't anything wrong with your weight. I mean it.”
You didn’t really know what to say to that, so you settled for gently squeezing his hand, a silent thank you. He squeezed yours right back.
Peter and Christine were the last to get on the bus, taking the seats opposite you and Ben on the other side of the aisle.
The bus driver shut the door, starting the engine. “All right, folks! Our first stop today is Westminster Abbey! Then Trafalgar Square, Parliament and Big Ben.”
The students whooped excitedly, cheering and chatting amongst themselves about what they were most looking forward to.
By the time you reached the top of Big Ben, your legs were burning and you were so ready to go back to the hotel and rest. Mercifully, you’d heard from the airline earlier today; they’d found your luggage and were going to send it to your hotel. It should arrive before you returned from the day’s activities, and you were grateful you could avoid a shopping trip.
The tour of the clock tower was louder than you were expecting. Even with the ear defenders they encouraged visitors to wear, you could hear the loud workings of the clock mechanism. It was fascinating, though - it was the kind of thing you’d only seen before in movies.
It was too loud to do much talking up the top of the tower, so you were able to take it in with little distraction, keeping an eye on the students as you did.
When you were finally able to take the ear defenders off, Ben asked you what your favourite part of the trip was so far.
“This was my favourite thing so far.” You answered honestly.
“Ahh, but is it your favourite Ben?” He asked jokingly.
“No, not my favourite Ben.” You said honestly.
He flushed, pink creeping up his neck. “Well, that’s because I’m awesome.” He joked, downplaying the compliment.
When you got back to the hotel that evening, your suitcase was waiting for you behind the front desk, much to your relief. You were left with an entirely new dilemma, though.
The sleepwear you’d packed was fine for sleeping alone, and you’d packed as if that would be the case. Short pajama shorts and singlet tops were your preference to sleep in no matter the weather. You hadn’t accounted for having to share a room with anyone, let alone Ben. You’d also packed a soft cotton jersey robe for emergencies - on the off chance a student knocked on your door in the middle of the night needing help.
You were mentally calculating how you were going to dress more appropriately for bed without blowing through your daytime wardrobe too quickly. Some of the hotels had laundry facilities, and rotating laundry days were part of the trip itinerary so everyone got a chance to wash and dry their clothes. It was impossible to pack for a month-long trip without accounting for doing laundry. You’d packed with the rotating laundry itinerary in mind, for once in your life not packing more than you needed. Typical.
You were either going to have to go shopping for more appropriate pajamas, or you were going to have to wear what you’d packed and hope it didn’t make things awkward.
Today, though, you were too tired and overstimulated to go shopping anywhere after sightseeing.
To hell with it, you thought. You’d wear your skimpy pjs tonight, and if it felt weird or awkward, you’d go shopping tomorrow.
Ben offered you the shower first, so you bundled up your pjs and ducked into the bathroom, determined to be quick about it so you could finally lay down. You were bone-tired and couldn’t wait to sleep.
You rushed through your shower, dressing and brushing your teeth afterwards. It wasn’t until you gathered up your dirty clothes that you realised you’d forgotten your robe in your haste to shower.
Damn.
You looked down at yourself, trying to muster the confidence to open the door. You weren’t worried about Ben being weird or inappropriate, but you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. You were once again starkly reminded that you used to be his student.
You took a grounding breath and unlocked the door, pulling it open. Mercifully, Ben was looking down at his phone.
“Bathroom’s all yours.” You said as you crossed the room, tossing your dirty clothes onto your suitcase and slipping under the covers of your bed. “I'm exhausted.” You griped, and Ben shook his head.
“You have no idea.” He said, tossing his change of clothes over his shoulder. “The exhaustion is just beginning. Rest while you can. You'll learn to love the soothing vibrations of the train and the bus when we head over to the continent.”
At his mention of vibrations, you remembered with a sudden jolt that your suitcase contained your vibrator. Your tummy roiled hot with anxiety. You'd have to make sure you'd packed it somewhere more contained in a moment, before you forgot. You hadn't anticipated sharing a room, so there was a good chance you'd just thrown it in there. You hadn't seen it when you'd grabbed your pjs, though.
You'd check when Ben got in the shower. Only check it, so you could hide it better. You weren’t going to get any use out of it on this trip. Just the thought of him catching you or overhearing you use it had you wanting to die of pre-emptive embarrassment.
You could wait until you were back home.
Probably.
If you enjoyed this update, please consider leaving a comment or reblogging. Your interaction makes writing worthwhile and fun. <3
Taglist/people who enjoyed the last chapter: @shessweetsour @behomewhenthestreetlightscomeon @half-moon16 @brittmb115 @thischarmingmandalorian @amyispxnk @tuquoquebrute @titlee78 @foreveratlantica-blog @indiegirlunited @pedrit0-pascalit0 @underchaos @rainbowcat164 @bekscameron @mrs-pedro-pascal @sptbear @matchalov3 @mirandablue1 @amybel1e @thesassyteacher91
it’s cuffing season
MR. BEN (PEDRO PASCAL SNL CHARACTER) X TEACHER!READER
summary: your students won’t stop teasing you about a certain handsome teacher
warnings: fluff, teasing, hidden feelings, potential workplace romance, fem!reader
a/n: this is just for shits and giggles lol. teacher!pedro is doing something to my brain
part two
—
You were too busy to even notice at first. But when the hushed whispers and giggles started to become louder and louder, you finally snapped out of the trance you were in while grading your student’s papers and looked up.
And of course, the ever bashfully handsome teacher that everyone somehow had a crush on was leaning against your door, watching you.
You sighed before making your way over, not missing the childish noise your students were making. “Get back to work,” you scolded.
You raised a brow at him. “Is there something you need?”
“My students are in Geography right now, and had some time to kill.”
It seemed like he always had time to kill because he was always making these visits to your classroom.
“Don’t you have something better to do than distract my students?” you teased.
“I actually came to ask you something,” he said with a gentle smile on his face.
“Oh? And what is that?”
“What do you want for lunch today?”
-
It has become sort of a routine by now—the unspoken habit of buying each other lunch a few times a week.
Because that’s what good colleagues do, right? Buy lunches for each other. And for him, it also seemed to include hanging around in your classroom, and making sure to always wait up for you to finish organizing for tomorrow’s lessons before leaving the school together even though you knew it takes up an extra hour of his time.
Or not, because your students once again wouldn’t stop pestering and teasing you after he left your doors today.
“You should stop coming to my classroom so often,” you said in the staff lunch room. “My students are taking it the wrong way.”
Aftering taking a bite out of the burrito, he asked with his cheeks full, “What do you mean?”
You couldn’t help but giggle at his adorableness.
“Well, my students are ‘shipping’ us now,” you replied. When he looked at you in confusion, you explained it to him. “They are basically putting us together and saying some… stuff that’s not appropriate work wise.”
“Oh, really?” he said, face and voice smug.
The two of you have always been closer to each other than to the other teachers in this school—flirty even, but if your noisy students kept on talking, other staff members might catch on and take it the wrong way.
“This is serious!”
He hummed. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, my students call me ‘Daddy’ and you ‘Mommy.’ Much worse than that shipping thing you explained to me.”
You paused for a while. “Are they seriously saying that? Oh my God…” you trailed off, embarrassed.
“Yeah, I don’t get it either. But it’s a good thing. I think,” he said with a laugh.
You let out a groan before putting your head down onto the table. Despite the potential disaster of rumours to come, you couldn’t help but to wonder, would it be that bad? Being with him? You mentally cursed yourself for thinking that.
“Well, should we?” he asked.
You snapped your head up. “Should we what?”
“Become a Daddy and Mommy.”
You snorted at his insinuation. “You are insufferable.”
He gives you a sheepish smile but you don’t miss the little glimmer of hope in his eyes that also matched yours. You lifted your left hand up. “Hate to break it to you but I’m old fashioned. Ring first,” you teased, “then we can talk.”
He smiled at you, face full of adoration. That wouldn’t be a problem at all, he thought to himself.







