your secret professor boyfriend mr. rafe cameron.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who really truly tried to shut it down at first. like fully pulling you aside after class one day, “you need to stop,” he tells you, firmly. “this isn’t something i can-” he cuts himself off, “i won’t jeopardize everything i’ve worked for.” and it should’ve ended there. it would’ve with anyone else. but you just looked at him, a little evil smile tugging at your lips like you already knew he was losing this fight.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who starts noticing that you don’t actually listen. not in a disrespectful way not at all, you’re still his best student but in the way you keep staying late. “accidentally” catching him as he’s packing up. asking questions that turn into conversations that stretch just a little too long. and every time he tells himself, this is the last time i let this happen, and every time it isn’t.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who shuts down your “i’ll drop the class so we can be together,” idea immediately. you already decided. “if that’s what it takes.” and he just stares at you. actually taken aback for once. “no,” he says immediately. more aggressive than you’ve ever heard him. “absolutely not.”
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who steps back like you’ve just suggested something ridiculous, something he refuses to even entertain. “i am not worth that,” he adds almost defensive now. “you don’t compromise your education over something like this.”
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who doesn’t realize how much that stings until he sees your face drop, because to you, it’s not just ‘something like this.’ it’s him. “it’s not that simple,” you push, softer now, but more dangerous. “it’s you.” and he hates how that hits me directly in the chest.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who exhales like he’s already lost. like the decision’s been made somewhere deep down and he’s just catching up to it. he rubs the bridge of his nose, pacing once behind his desk before stopping. “you’re making this very difficult,” he mutters, more to himself than to you. and you just watch him, patient. because you knew too.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who folds because of you. because you look at him like that, eyes wide in a way that’s looks innocent but doesn’t feel innocent. “i want you,” you tell him, like it’s the simplest truth in the world. “and you want me too.” and the worst part? he can’t even deny it.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who stills the second you step closer. like his body betrays him before his mind can catch up. you reach for his tie, fingers curling around it, tugging him just slightly forward, and he tenses. not because he doesn’t want it, but because he wants it too much. his breathing’s uneven, hands flexing at his sides like he’s physically stopping himself from touching you. “don’t,” he says under his breath, but it’s so weak, and not even a real warning.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who closes his eyes for a second like he’s trying to reset himself, trying to remember who he’s supposed to be. but when he looks at you again, you’re still right there. still holding onto him. and there’s something in his brain that’s conflicted, and gone. “you don’t understand what you’re asking for,” he says. but he doesn’t step away, and that’s the moment he loses.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who doesn’t touch you at first. that’s the thing. even when he gives in, even when he finally says, “okay, okay,” it’s still careful, and restrained. like he’s holding himself on a leash that’s already fraying.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who takes you to dinner far across town. somewhere quiet and dimly lit. nowhere near campus, and where no one would recognize either of you. he’s more nervous than you’ve ever seen him, fixing his sleeve, adjusting his watch or clearing his throat multiple times before he speaks.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who brings you a book bouquet because of course he does. carefully picked titles he knows you’ll love, tied together in a way that’s too thoughtful. and tucked inside? a small, delicate diamond necklace that catches the light just enough to make your breath halt.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who slides the envelope across the table like this isn’t the most nerve wracking thing he’s ever done. and inside? pages of equations. neatly written, and very him. you look up at him, confused, a small laugh slipping out. “what is this?” and he just nudges a pencil toward you, lips twitching. “solve it,” he says, like it’s obvious. and you do, because duh. one by one, working through them, realizing halfway through that each answer gives you a letter. your pace slows, but your heart doesn’t.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who watches you the entire time, quieter than usual, fingers tapping once against the table before going still. because he knows exactly when it clicks for you. the moment your face drops. when you start piecing it together, ‘will. you. be. my. girlfriend?’ and you look up at him like you’re not sure whether to laugh or melt. and he exhales, just barely, like he’s been holding that breath the whole time. “will you do me the honors,” he says softly, matching your pace as you read it, “of making me the happiest man alive, and letting me be your boyfriend?” and you were embarrassingly already nodding before he even finished.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who immediately regrets the wording the second it leaves his mouth. you can see it, the slight wince, the quiet, “that sounded better in my head,” under his breath.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who absolutely melts when you laugh. like visibly relaxing him. tension leaving his shoulders because you’re not running, you’re smiling. and when you say yes? leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips like it’s the most natural thing in the world? yeah. that’s it for him. fuck he’s such a simp for you.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who freezes for a second when you whisper, “so will this be our little secret, professor?” against his mouth. his grip tightens just slightly where his hand rests on the table, pulling back a little, and his eyes flick to yours, with this dark look. “you shouldn’t say things like that,” he says quietly. but there’s zero conviction behind it.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who becomes even more careful in public. if anything, he pulls back more in class. he’ll linger less near your desk, calling on you the same as everyone else, but maybe even a little less. anyone watching would think if anything, he’s harder on you.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who makes up for it the second the door to his office closes. pinning you to the door, grabbing your neck and pulling you towards him, with that sweet smirk. it always taking you by surprise because where has your sweet innocent professor gone?
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who has you sitting beside him at his desk, not across. that’s the first thing that changes. “it’s easier to go through it this way,” he tells you, already pulling your research proposal closer, shoulder brushing yours like it’s nothing. like it doesn’t make you blush in the best way.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who leans in so close when he’s reading your work. one hand braced on the desk, the other holding a pen, his glasses on the tip of his nose, pointing lightly at sections as he goes.. “this part right here?” he mutters, and you’re not even processing the words because all you can think about is how close his mouth is to your ear.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who notices. of course he does. he always notices. there’s a small pause, his lips twitching slightly before he continues like nothing happened, but his tone dips just enough to let you know he’s so very aware.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who is your biggest supporter academically. like it’s not even a question. he takes your thesis so seriously, reading every draft, leaving full notes, sitting with you for hours breaking down the structure, methodology, phrasing. “good girl, this is really strong,” he’ll say, tapping the page. “you just need to trust your argument more.” and boy does that do your head in.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who gives the softest praise but it hits ten times harder now. “you’re doing really well,” he tells you one night when you’re visibly frustrated, fingers tangled in your hair, papers scattered everywhere. he reaches over, gently pulling your hand down. “hey. look at me.” and when you do, his expression softens. “you’re not falling behind. you’re refining. there’s a difference.”
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who gives the most grounding pep talks. not overly sweet, or coddling. “you don’t get this far by accident,” he reminds you. “you’re capable of this. i wouldn’t let you take this on if you weren’t.”
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who stays way later than he should. office lights dimmed, while the two of you are the only ones left in the building some nights. he’ll glance at the clock, sigh quietly, then look back at you. “one more section,” he says, even though he knows he’s not going anywhere until you’re done, until it’s perfect.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who gets a little gentler with physical proximity when it’s just the two of you. not anything obvious, but his hand resting briefly on your back when he passes behind your chair. fingers brushing yours when he hands you a pen. small things that feel huge because of who he is to you.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who absolutely adores how passionate you are about your topic. “repeat me to your thesis my love” and you have a love/hate relationship with pet names, because his deep musky voice always throws you off. “it’s on the effect of multilingualism on recreational reading behaviour amongst first gen immigrants in a variety of different countries.” and he’ll sit back, just listening to you talk through your thesis, with a small and proud smile on his face. “you’re going to publish this one day, and be so successfuli know it,” he says casually, like it’s factual, and not just a possibility.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who still has those moments where it hits him, what this is. like he’ll be mid sentence, looking at you, and there’s a glimmer of awareness behind his eyes and then he’ll shake it off and refocus, because he’s already way too far in, more than he even realized himself.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who walks you out of the building late at night, every single time. no discussion. grabbing his coat, keys in hand. “i’m not letting you walk out alone,” he says simply with a little witt, like it’s obvious.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who really does drop to his knees in front of you at the end of date nights, like it’s second nature. one hand lightly on your ankle, the other carefully unfastening your heels, slow and deliberate. “these things are a hazard,” he says, to himself, like he’s offended on your behalf. but it’s the way he lingers after, thumbs brushing lightly over your skin, like he’s not in a rush to move away.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who calls it “respectable” when he lowers himself to your level, but it’s so obviously more than that. there’s something in his face, so focused and almost reverent, like he wants to be there. like he’d rather be looking up at you than anything else, because to him, you’re his goddess.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who is a yearner in the most dangerous constant way. it’s in the way he watches you when you’re not paying attention, the way he remembers everything you say, the way he pauses sometimes like he got distracted just looking at you.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who encourages you to slow down in ways no one else ever has. “go take a bath,” he’ll say quietly when you’re stressed, already standing up to run it for you. the tub is ridiculously large, borderline unnecessary, and you’ve definitely teased him about it, but he just shrugs. “it’s pragmatic,” he insists, even though it’s not, especially on a professors salary.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who sits nearby while you’re in the bath, because he just loves to be in your space. not only sexually, but mentally. having one leg crossed over the other in his chair, book in hand, reading aloud to you in his calming voice that makes everything sound better than it is. occasionally glancing over the top of the page just to make sure you’re actually relaxing, and you always are.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who will pause if you go too quiet. “still with me?” he asks, and when you hum in response, eyes closed, he smiles to himself before continuing. like seeing you so peaceful brings him a sense of comfort, because if he’s not making your life easier, than what is he doing?
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who loves taking care of you. like sitting behind you with a comb after you’ve washed your hair, carefully working through your hair, patient with every knot. “you need to be gentler with this,” he says after seeing how rough you are with your hair. way more focused on the task than his lectures sometimes, like it genuinely matters to him.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who learns your routine without you ever having to explain it. which products go first, how you part your hair, what you like and what you don’t. and he follows it exactly, like it’s something precise, something worth getting right.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who gets quietly attached to the feeling of you leaning back against him while he does it. the weight of you, the trust in the action. he enjoys way more than he lets on.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who has a thing for your neck and collarbone. he’ll always just absentmindedly press his lips when he’s close to you. like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it half the time. leaving kisses all over, no matter how giggly you get.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who smiles against your skin when you squirm, mumbling something about you being “dramatic” when you remind him you’re ticklish, but he still doesn’t really stop. if anything, he just gets lighter with it, more careful, like he’s adjusting instead of pulling away, and his attentiveness melts you.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who finds comfort in proximity. like if you’re both working, he’ll shift his chair just slightly closer without thinking, with his knees brushing yours. he doesn’t interrupt you, or try distracting you, you just feel him there.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who quietly adjusts things in his office for you without ever pointing it out. like there’s always an extra charger now. your favorite type of tea somehow stocked in the cabinet. the chair across from his desk swapped out for a more comfortable one. none of it acknowledged, because it’s just what he’s supposed to do for him.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who looks at you sometimes like he’s still surprised this is real. like he’ll be listening to you talk, nodding along, and then there’s that brief pause where his expression softens just a little too much before he collects himself again. ‘how can one be so mesmerizing?’ he’ll ask himself.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who never makes a big deal out of how much he cares, but it’s obvious in the way he takes his time with you like second nature. nothing rushed or careless. because you’re something he refuses to mishandle.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who steals the smallest glances at you during lectures. nothing obvious, just quick flicks of his eyes toward where you’re sitting, like a reflex he hasn’t learned to control yet. and if you happen to already be looking at him? there’s the faintest lift at the corner of his mouth before he turns back to the board.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who has, on very rare occasions, given you a blink and you miss it wink during lectures. so subtle no one else notices it, but it hits you like a shockwave, and he just continues explaining like he didn’t just completely derail your ability to think.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who finds teaching your class almost unbearable some days. he’ll be explaining the method of a new equation, writing something out neatly, and his brain just betrays him, flashes of you laughing late at night, the way you curl into him, the softness of you in his hands, your beautiful bare face, and those mesmerizing eyes of yours. and he has to pause for half a second, clearing his throat, forcing himself back into the equation.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who grips his marker a little tighter when that happens, knuckles nearly going white. not enough for anyone else to notice, but just enough to bring him back to reality. “as i was saying,” he continues, his voice steady again, even if his thoughts are anything but.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who gets weirdly territorial over your time, in a “you need rest” kind of way. like if you mention pulling an all nighter, he’ll just look at you before saying, “no, you’re not.” and suddenly your schedule is reorganized, your deadlines broken into manageable pieces, and he’s sitting there with you making sure you actually sleep.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who doesn’t know how to take a compliment. he can compliment your beauty, or how well you do on work, but when you listen to him to explain a concept to you, and say “wow you’re truly so intelligent” he’ll shut down and say “you don’t need to-” but will stop himself mid way to correct himself, because he knows you’re telling the truth, not just trying to falter him. “thank you sweetheart” he’ll say with his shy smile.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who absolutely loves when you wear his glasses. like, it genuinely does something to him. he’ll be speaking, glance up, and just stop for. blinking like he needs to reset. “those suit you very well,” he says quietly, like it’s an understatement, but the way he’s looking at you says everything else.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who thinks your beauty is the kind people try and fail to describe properly. he won’t say it like that out loud, but it’s in the way he studies your face sometimes, like he’s trying to understand how something can be that soft and that sharp all at once. and he’ll say things like, “shakespeare would’ve written play after play just based off your beauty.”
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who is completely obsessed with your mind. like, of course you, but how you think? that’s what gets him every time. he’ll ask you questions just to see how you approach them, leaning back slightly, watching you work through it, and his professor side just explodes at how articulate you are. secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who loves to call you “angel”, it’ll slip out when you’re tired, or frustrated, or just being you. “easy, angel,” he’ll say quietly, brushing your hair back. because to him, you’re something gentle in a life that’s always structured and controlled. you soften him without trying. or “my pretty girl.” it’ll come out when he’s a little more undone than usual, paired with a quiet observation. “you think too much, pretty girl,” or “look at you,” under his breath. because he notices your beauty constantly, but this is one of the few times he actually lets himself say it.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who doesn’t just give you answers, he leads you to them. “think about it this way,” he’ll say, tilting his head slightly, guiding you instead of correcting you. and when it clicks for you? that proud little “there it is” like he knew you’d get there all along.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who will randomly test you on small things, not in a pressuring way, more like he enjoys the back and forth. “define that again,” he says one night, looking at you over his glasses, and you roll your eyes but answer anyway. and he just hums, satisfied.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who carries that natural authority into everything. and it’s not controlling at all, more like the kind of presence that makes you want to follow his lead, because you trust it.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who doesn’t even realize how attractive that is. the way he makes decisions, the way he takes care of things without making a show of it, the way he’s always just slightly ahead, already thinking about what you might need.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who notices how you look at him sometimes, like you’re in awe, and it throws him off more than anything else ever could. because in his head, you’re the impressive one.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who has a habit of of using his experience to cater in your favor, like proofreading your emails before you send them, hovering just behind you, one hand resting lightly on the back of your chair as he scans the screen. “change that phrasing,” he says, pointing slightly. “you’re underselling yourself.” and he won’t let you hit send until it sounds like you at your best.
secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who turns into your handsome, older boyfriend when it’s just the two of you. his professor demeanor drops, becoming more loving and needy for you. reaching for your waist to wrap himself in you. but his underlying strictness never fully disappears, and you love that. secretprofessorboyfriend!rafe who still, somehow, manages to make you feel like you’re the one with all the power, just by the way he looks at you when you’re not trying.
sequel to professor!rafe | for my bestie aurora, ty for your inspo my lovie <3
