if this world were mine | teacher!honey
summary: pope didn't mean to form a crush on lena's teacher. warnings: smut (unprotected sex), drinking, mention of measles, fighting (bruises)
notes: i'm not sure how i feel about this, I couldn't figure out the ending, but I didn't want to go to long without posting something! I'm still working on more one-shots for "sugar on the rim", but I am also working on a one-shot with honey being a nurse
Pope doesn’t mean to get a crush on Miss Honey. He finds her sweet, too sweet, like her namesake. Since he moved Lena to St. Catherine’s, he has been paying much more attention to what is going on with her at school. Knowing all the classes she is taking, the few friends she has been making, and most importantly, her teachers, including Lena’s favorite teacher, Miss Honey. She was as new as Lena, having only been at the school for a year after spending five years teaching elsewhere.
Andrew thinks he hasn’t seen Lena this happy since Cath was alive, with how much she gushes about her new teacher. Lena is always eager to show him the pictures Miss Honey helped her draw, how she has improved her writing under her teacher’s guidance, and the new hairstyles Miss Honey does during recess.
He knows he thinks about the young teacher too much, with her warm complexion, bright smile, caramel-colored hair, and the pretty floral mini dresses she wears. He remembers meeting her when she requested a conference, as Lena had transferred during the middle of the school year.
She had a bubbly, bright personality, wearing pastel-colored clothes, and she had cookies for him. He remembers the smell of oranges and almonds that clung to her skin as she sat beside him and reviewed the school year's activities, with a calendar already highlighted for him. And like Lena, he looks forward to the little notes and updates she provides on Lena’s progress with smiley faces.
Andrew knows Miss Honey is only being friendly when she checks in with him and Lena during drop-offs and pickups. He knows she is only doing her job by leaving notes about Lena on ClassDojo, but sometimes, they feel she is checking up on him, too.
Worse, on days when he picks up Lena late, she is always so kind and understanding. She insists she is there to help, which leads to him getting her number, which he has to use too many times for his liking, and asking if she can watch Lena.
Pope feels that was his downfall.
If he thought seeing Miss Honey in her cute sundresses was tempting, seeing her out of her teacher attire in jeans shorts with tanks that showed the visible outline of her bikini tops was detrimental. Then she would also give him extra food from dinners she would make with Lena for him to eat.
He has to remind himself daily that she is Lena’s teacher. She is good and clean. He doesn’t want to ruin any good influence that his niece may have in her life. And if there is one thing Pope has that his brothers lack, it is self-control. And he isn’t going to compromise his niece’s happiness.
So, he agrees to chaperone the field trip to the San Diego zoo after she states it may have to be canceled due to the lack of chaperones. So he goes, not knowing what to expect, as he knows the parents who send their kids to St. Catherine. He isn’t used to being around so many kids all at once, but Miss Honey stays by his side the whole time.
He can tell Lena is happy that the trip wasn’t canceled and that she is thriving with her friends in class.
“Thank you for coming.”
Pope looks at Honey, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses. She is wearing a yellow sundress with a cropped jean jacket. Her hair is down in loose waves, and with every breath of the wind, the smell of oranges invades his senses.
All the chaperones had been paired with a group of 6 kids to watch over. He had been wary of having to hang out with another parent, but Miss Honey had paired herself with him and kept the rambunctious kids with sticky fingers entertained while he scanned the area for any sign of danger. Yet, the threat wasn’t a gun, but disease, as he recalls the study about measles at Disney.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he replies.
“But I do,” Miss Honey insists, and he is taken aback when she reaches out and squeezes his hand. He can feel his cheeks becoming warm from the contact. It’s so soft and innocent.
“Uncle Pope, can we take some pictures?”
Honey’s hand disappears from his, and he laments the loss as he goes and takes pictures of his niece in front of the animal enclosures. Even Miss Honey joins her in a few. Worst, after that day, he makes his wallpaper of the two of them.
After the field trip, he feels things are a bit different. On days Miss Honey watches Lena instead of immediately leaving, she invites him inside and warms up his plate. She will join him at the table as Lena works on another drawing.
The conversations flow easily as she tells him about her life and how she isn’t from the West Coast. She had followed her ex-boyfriend here, but it didn’t last. She stayed and wanted to set down roots. He sometimes feels guilty that he doesn’t have much to share. His life story isn’t worth sharing outside of the adventures he has been having with Lena. She has made life worth living.
Eventually, Lena does notice his infatuation with Miss Honey when he takes her for ice cream one Saturday.
The wind is blowing in their hair, but this time, Pope has mastered some of the hairstyles Honey has taught him, like ponytails, buns, and simple braids. French braiding is the most difficult, and he even bought a mannequin head to practice. Today is the first day he has mastered the two-boxer braids, and Lena seems happy.
Lena happily eats her chocolate and vanilla ice cream cone as they return home.
“Uncle Pope?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you like Miss Honey?”
Pope freezes as his niece eats her ice cream as if she hadn’t asked a life-shattering question.
He clears his throat. “Why do you ask that?”
Lena stops eating her ice cream and looks at him as if he is stupid. “You smile a lot at her.”
“She is nice,” he replies.
“So is Mrs. Kumer, but you don’t smile at her.”
Pope frowns at the mention of the old lady who lives a few doors down. She always offers Lena treats but seems to have maintenance issues at her home, as she always wants his help. Also, Mrs. Kumer was the same age as his mother.
“You should ask her out,” Lena insists.
“Lena…”
“You should be happy, Uncle Pope,” Lena says before entering the house.
Andrew wishes it could be that simple, but it isn’t. Though some of him finds it comforting that his niece finds him worthy of her teacher, he knows he isn’t.
Lena doesn’t mention him asking Miss Honey out as he drops her off at school on Monday. The routine returns to normal as he checks his phone for updates on the ClassDojo app. Miss Honey is outside watching Lena go into the car to go home.
But then it changes. As Lena is at a sleepover, he still doesn’t know if he feels comfortable with her being there. Honey had told him she didn’t have any weird vibe from the girl’s parents, so he let Lena go. However, he bought a burner phone with his number programmed so Lena could call him immediately if something didn’t feel right.
And he didn’t want to stay at Baz’s place alone in the dark, especially when Deran’s bar is closer to the sleepover. He decides to remain perched on the stool there to kill time, but fate has other plans as he nurses a drink slowly.
He sits up straighter and hears a familiar laugh behind him. He turns his head slightly, and their eyes meet. She abandons the group of people she is with and immediately heads over to him with a bright smile and joins him at the bar.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Honey says as she saddles up to him.
He can tell she is a little tipsy as he eyes her in a black floral skirt with daisies in a white lace tank top, and he quickly averts his eyes as he can tell she doesn’t have a bra on.
“You waiting on someone?” She asks.
He shakes his head. She smiles as she leans closer to him. “Let me buy you a drink!”
“You don’t have to do that,” he states, which she ignores as she flags down Deran. He ignores Deran’s inquisitive eyes as Honey orders Tequila shots for them. She downs her drink quickly, barely with any wince.
Her body is pressed against his. He can smell her perfume.
Deran places another beer in front of him and notices that he also gives Honey another drink. Based on the red and orange coloring, he assumes it is a tequila sunrise.
His hazel eyes flicker back up to her face, where she is watching him with a smile. He sits up straighter. " Are you here with someone?”
Honey sighs. “I was, but my friend got distracted.” Pope raises his eye, and Honey looks over to where he can see a dark-haired girl making out with some guy.
“Do you mind if I join you?” She asks before biting her lip.
Pope feels his tongue become heavy as he shakes his head. He expects Honey to take the empty seat next to his, but she doesn't as she moves between his legs.
He ignores Deran’s even more curious look as Honey engages in conversation with him. He doesn’t mind as he can tell the drinks are making her looser. He also knows they would like them to be a couple to any bystander, and he doesn’t mind.
Yet, as much as he wouldn’t mind wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her further into him, he knows she is tipsy and, despite what people say about him, he would never take advantage of a woman in that way. It’s easy to close her tab as he asks how she planned to get home, and he hums in appreciation that she had planned to catch a cab instead of driving.
He walks her to her door, ensuring she gets inside and is tucked safely in bed.
She giggles as he helps her into bed. Somehow, he manages to get into her bed without any indecent exposure.
He returns with a bottle of water and some aspirin to place on her nightstand. He thought she would still be up giggling about random things, but instead, he found her sleeping underneath her blankets.
He admires her while she sleeps. She’s beautiful, he thinks. He fights the urge to move her hair, feel the silky strands, or even lean forward to kiss her forehead. He does take advantage of her sleep as he explores her house fully. Her home is filled with emerald greens, dark blues, and a royal purple among other colors. Despite being a new home, the house is filled with many knick-knacks from the local thrift store and a bunch of beach glass. He admires her few photos of herself from when she was in college and younger. He enters her small office, cluttered with teaching material, the only messy room in the house. He smiles at seeing her little anecdotes about her planned lesson plans and activities.
However, his eyes become stuck on a photo of him with Lena from the field trip at the San Diego zoo in front of the pink flamingos.
They don’t talk about the night in the bar, but she does send him a thank-you text that he isn’t sure how to respond to.
Things don’t change for a bit, but there is a tension regarding their interactions. But neither makes a move. Instead, he does what he does by staring and asking her quietly if she can watch Lena here and there. She agrees without complaint until one day, she has to decline. It causes him to pause as he stares at her.
He can tell she is hiding something from him, and he doesn’t hold back his gaze from her. He looks into her maple-colored eyes, and like most, they break. She mutters that she has been asked on a date. He doesn’t remember his response as he walks away with her calling his name.
Worst of all, he blows off the plans with his brothers for a scouting job and follows Honey on her date. He bristles when he sees that she is on a date with Lowell Robinson, a scumbag he had beat up in high school for messing around with Julia. He watches from across the street where she sits across from him in the outside seating. He only relaxes as he watches the date end uneventfully. Honey gets in her vehicle to head home, and he follows to ensure Lowell doesn’t get any funny ideas.
He watches as she sits in her car before heading into the house. He sits for a couple of minutes before he drives away, defeated.
Over the weekend, he debates texting her and maybe apologizing for his behavior, but he doesn't. He drops off Lena on Monday and doesn't bother giving his brothers or nephew a reason as to why he bailed.
The week is more of the same. He tortures himself by constantly checking ClassDojo or pulling Lena to discuss her day and Miss Honey's pretty outfits.
And he tells himself it's for the better that he creates distance. It would poison Honey with his world, and the world only knows what his mother would do if he knew about her.
It's the only reason he agreed to participate in another MMA fight. He let his mother have the illusion of control over him, but he needs an outlet for his aggression anyway. It was his first time anxious about a fight, and it shows. He ignores his brothers, primarily Deran’s concern, which is returning to the pits for fights. He hasn’t participated in fights since his early 30s.
Despite the rush of adrenaline and seeing the hues of black and blue forming on his opponents, it doesn't feel as rewarding as it used to. Hearing his brothers cheering or receiving his mother's cool approval doesn't cement him to his family as it once did.
Especially when he comes home and sees Lena's worries as she tries to tend to him, he feels guilty, as he is a guardian now. He can't be reckless or look for danger to appease his self-loathing and regret, and Lena is counting on him.
His only reprieve is that Lena has another sleepover planned, which leaves him alone in the house as he tends to his wounds and scrapes.
He is fresh out of the shower when he hears knocking on the front door. He frowns as if it were his brothers, they would walk right in. Smurf has shown no interest in entertaining Baz's former house.
Only clad in his towel, he walks to the door, pulling the curtain back, surprised to see Honey with bags at the door.
She looks startled to see him, but a small, soft smile tugs at her lips. He opens the sliding door and moves so she can walk in.
“Everything okay?” He asks.
“I feel I should be asking you that,” she replies as she looks at him critically, in nothing but his towel, his bruises and scrapes are much more visible.
“This is nothing.”
Honey huffs as she moves to the kitchen island. Pope follows her and watches as she unpacks the bag, which contains a thermos, chamomile tea, crackers, and bananas.
“Lena said you were sick,” Honey explains. “I brought homemade chicken noodle soup.”
Pope runs his hands through his hair. Who knew his niece was so deceptive? “I didn’t know she did that.”
Honey’s eyes trail his body, “Clearly.”
He flushes as he grips his navy towel tighter. “Let me get dressed,” he mutters.
“You hungry?” She asks.
He nods his head shyly.
“I’ll set the table,” she tells him.
He comes back out in black basketball shorts and a black T-shirt. Honey has placed two bowls at the table filled with her homemade chicken soup. He is almost embarrassed when his stomach growls.
“Thank you,” he tells her before he takes his first spoonful.
“You're welcome,” she replies.
Honey fills the table with small talk, and he listens intently as she explains some of the house renovations she wants to do. She especially gushes about her wish for a gazebo, and he is already calculating the cost and materials to build it for her.
It isn’t until they are done eating, washing, and drying the dishes together that Honey brings up his appearance. “Can I ask what happened?”
Pope debates whether to tell her. Yet she looks up at him with those bright maple syrup eyes that he feels he can get drowned in. “I fight.”
“For money?”
“Sometimes,” he tells her honestly.
Honey hums as she hands him the last dish that needs washing. “Why didn’t you come to my door that night?”
Pope stills at her questions. His tongue feels like cotton. “What night?”
She gives them this cheeky smile that completely disarms him as she leans against the sink beside him. “The night of my date.”
Pope is lucky that he placed the bowl he was drying on the rack; otherwise, he would have dropped it. He isn’t sure what to say without coming off weird to her. He thinks this is the moment she wants nothing to do with him. “I just wanted to make sure that you were safe.”
Honey raises an eyebrow at him. “Still doesn’t answer my question.”
Pope looks forward and clenches his jaw.
“I’m not upset,” she tells him.
He looks at her curiously. “No?”
She shakes her head and laughs a little, “You are sort of hard to read, Andrew.”
He agrees with that statement.
“You want to watch a movie?” She asks.
He nods his head, not trusting himself to speak.
Honey picks a movie about a lady falling in love with a fish. He tries to pay attention, but halfway through the film, he becomes distracted as Honey removes any distance between them as she settles against him. It causes him to bring his arm up around her shoulders as she rests on his chest. He prays she can’t feel how hard his heart is pounding.
He doesn’t notice when his fingers start weaving in her hair. When the movie is over, Honey leans up and looks at him curiously, ”How are you feeling?”
His brows furrow, and he isn’t sure how to reply. Honey gets up on her knees, her gaze flickers from his face to over his shoulder. Her fingers trace over the bruises on his face. “Does fighting help with things?”
“Not this time.”
Honey scoots closer to him, “There are healthier ways to get rid of that type of aggression.”
Pope feels his brain short-circuit as he tries not to think about what her words are implying or that she would suggest such a thing to him. Worse, her bottom lip steadily becomes plumper as she bites on the lip in her nervousness. He can see that her breathing has become heavier. Worst, her eyes that once golden honey look like a dark whisky he could find himself becoming drunk in.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he tells her gravely as his hand reaches out and moves her lip from her teeth.
She cocks her head to the side, “Like what?”
“Like you want me.”
“But I do.”
That is all the permission he needs. Pope surges forward and meets Honey’s lips. She offers no resistance as he licks into her mouth. He can already feel himself throbbing in his jeans as Honey maneuvers her legs around his waist. His rough hands move from her waist to the skin of her legs as he trails up, feeling the fleshy skin exposed from her skirt.
The need for air becomes too much as he pulls back. Honey’s eyes are completely dilated, and her lips are swollen.
“Are you sure?” He asks. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He is nervous as Honey deserves soft and slow, but he only knows rough and bruising grips.
Honey takes a deep breath, “I want you to fuck me.”
Pope believes he growled at her words as he gripped her, causing her to squeal as she wrapped around him as he headed towards the bedroom. He drops her onto the bed, causing her to giggle, and then it's a race to become fully undressed.
He watches in anticipation as she removes her bra, leaving her completely exposed—her dark nipples were stiff, causing him to lick his lips in anticipation.
“You still with me?” She asks from her place on the bed, he can see her slit wet from where he stands as she parts her legs giving him a peek.
He nods as he approaches the bed, almost like a predator latching onto its prey. She closes her eyes as he begins to wreak havoc on her neck. Pope wasn’t one for hickeys, never received one, nor took the time to give them. Sex had always been impersonal, just a release for any pent-up energy. Yet, the thought of marking Honey - to claim her, he can’t describe how it makes him throb harder—the idea of him leaving his imprint on her causing him to suck harder on her skin. Honey’s fingers weave through his hair, her grip turns tight as he trails down to her breasts.
He pulls away with the slightest graze of his teeth, his lips twitch as she lets out a mewl of frustration as he hovers over her. Her lips are pouty and swollen, and her cheeks are flushed. It’s a sight that will forever be ingrained in his mind. “You’re beautiful, " he tells her.
Honey’s face softens, “So are you.”
He shakes his head, but Honey frowns as she cups his cheeks, forcing him to look at her, “You are.” He doesn’t get the chance to refute anymore as she kisses him. He feels her hips grinding against him for friction.
His fingers begin gently toying with her, causing her to sigh into the kiss. He pulls back and watches her face before trailing to her jaw again, trailing over the marks he left. His mouth moves to her breasts and toys with her the same way his fingers do.
But then his mouth moves lower, he presses a kiss to her stomach, doesn’t mind the metallic taste of her butterfly belly ring, before he moves a thigh over his shoulder.
“Andrew, you don’t -”
Her words are cut off as her whole body shudders, and she cries out as he licks into her. He starts slow, as if he is honest with himself; this isn’t something he usually does. He isn’t sure of his skill, but she can’t keep still as she squirms against him. She tastes sweet and he can fill her juices soaking his chin, after a practically hard suck, she pulls on his hair hard, which causes him to moan as he watches her heave for breath.
She looks fucked out as she takes deep breathes. “Good?” He questions.
She eyes him silently before she gathers enough strength to sit up. Her position causes him to scoot back and stand at the edge of the bed. She follows him as she sits in front of him shyly. Yet, he maintains eye contact with her as she gently takes him in her hands. His stomach clenches as her grip becomes firmer. He watches in anticipation as she takes a deep breath and runs her tongue over his tip.
Not wanting to miss a second, he brushes her hair out of her face and holds it gently behind her head. He chews on his lip as she continues to work him with her mouth and hands. When she drops the teasing act, he moans loudly as his grip on her hair tightens. And he feels close as he can feel himself hitting the back of her throat and how she would use her tongue for kitten licks at his slit.
“Honey, you gotta stop -” The sound of her displeasure cuts off his words. He frowns. “You want me to fuck you, yeah?”
Those words break through her fog as she nods. It’s a mess of limbs and tongue as they scramble to the top of the bed. His hand reaches over to the nightstand to grab a condom, but her hand stops him.
“I need a condom,” he tells her.
“I want to feel all of you,” she whispers, her eyes are glossy, but determined. “Only if it’s okay with you. I’m on birth control and clean.” He leaks more at her words as he has never gone raw with a girl. A part of him wonders if her birth control fails and Lena can become a big sister.
He kisses her in response as he gently pushes into her. He isn’t an ungodly size, but from the pinch of her face, he can tell he is bigger than she is used to. He tries to distract her with a kiss as she adjusts.
“Sorry,” he mutters against her lips as she relaxes and begins slow, shallow thrusts.
“Don’t be. You feel good.”
Pope grips her thighs and raises them high as he secures her legs with his hands, placing them under her knees.
Honey practically screams as he pushes in deeper. “Fuck, Andrew…” she pants. He looks down to see a cream at the base of his cock. The sound of their skin meeting echoes in the room. “I need you closer,” she pants.
Pope moves his arms where he had her legs locked, and she crosses her legs across his back. Her arms wrap around his neck as he moves them to their knees. Honey doesn’t miss a beat as she grinds down on him and chases her release. He can feel her walls becoming tighter around him. He presses a bruising kiss to her lips before giving her nipple a hard pinch, and he watches in awe as she crumbles.
Her mouth drops in a silent scream as she trembles from her release. He can feel her clamping down hard on him as her release soaks their thighs and sheets, it is almost as if she is trying to suck him in and expluge him simutaneously. It’s soon after he feels the tingling at the base of his spine. He gives her a few hard thrusts as he buries his head in her neck, and he doesn’t even think as he sinks his teeth in the flesh as he finds his release and paints her gummy walls. His release goes through his whole body as he twitches inside her.
He is panting hard as he comes down. He doesn’t even realize he had moved them to where Honey is flat on her back as he pants in her neck, still stuffed inside her. He comes back to his senses as Honey’s fingers run through his sweat-soaked hair.
He leans back to look into her eyes. She gives him a soft smile before she kisses him. In the quiet moments after, he helps Honey clean up the mess between them and changes the sheets. Honey, clad in one of his shirts, is in his arms as she cuddles against him.
Pope slept easily that night.
