wlw professor x student short story. no smut, slow burn, wholesome.
wattpad - our unfinished song
i met her when i was eighteen.
i remember the day so clearly. i was watching the rain from the second floor of my high school. a small tear escaped my eye as i replayed the conversation with my dad. his words sent blades through my chest.
the sky was cloudy just like my mind that day. my vision blurred and i used the sleeves of my uniform to wipe the tears away.
"you okay?" a voice suddenly appeared next to me. i jumped a little.
i looked up and saw her for the first time. i didn't know she'd be so important to me.
raindrops dripping from her short, black hair. she looked about late twenties or early thirties. her blouse untucked and a bit wrinkled. the school's lanyard hanging crooked around her neck. she was holding a thick folder and a travel mug with a rainbow sticker on it.
her concerned eyes focused on me.
i sniffled. "i'm okay. just... enjoying the view." i replied causing her to look at what was in front of us.
"uh, well, it's... wet for sure." she chuckled. "not everyday you can see a view like this."
"that's right." i replied. god, this is so embarrassing. i wiped my cheeks quickly.
"what's wrong?" she asked again.
i shook my head. "nothing. it's just the rain."
"right." she said, like she didn't believe me but also not going to push. "yeah, sometimes rain water gets in my eyes as well. makes it seem like i'm tearing up when actually, it's just raining." she shrugged.
a laugh escaped me before i could stop myself. it sounded like a hiccup.
"there you go." she smiled. "better than tears."
i attempted to roll my eyes but instead a small smile appeared on my face.
"i'm elias." she extended her hand for me. i hesitated before shaking her hand.
"i'm the new music teacher. actually, i was just looking for the music room." she chuckled. "i've never been to such a gigantic school before. don't ask how many times i've walked the same path thinking it should be right around the corner."
i let out a small laugh. "yeah, the layout is confusing. just wait until everyone starts to leave school, it's like a war zone, trying to swerve through the crowd."
"then i better leave before school's over." she joked.
i pointed towards the stairs behind me. "go one level up and it's the first room on the right."
her eyes glowed. "thank you so much! i will repay your kindness, miss..?" she trailed.
"y/l/n." i smiled. "but you can just call me y/n. if you see me around."
she started up the stairs before stopping and looking back at me.
"hey, a bad morning doesn't mean a bad day. there's still plenty of time to turn the day back around." she waved before continuing her journey.
by the time the bell rang, my tears have dried.
i didn't expect to see her again so soon.
the music room was filled with chatters and laughters. i kept my head down in the back of the class. i wasn't a loner, i just liked to avoid unwanted attention.
our regular teacher had retired, and rumours had it, that someone new will take the spot. someone strict, someone boring, someone who thought pop culture was not an art.
so when the door finally opened and she walked in with confidence, i was very surprised.
her eyes darted around the room until they landed on mine. she gave me a small nod of acknowledgment. my face warmed.
"good afternoon, everyone. my name is miss jones. i'm the new music teacher at this school. in my class, there's only one rule. and that is, to not apologize for your talent." she spoke. "some people are naturally gifted in music, others in sports and others in mathematics."
"the point is to find what you are good at. however, it's more important to find your passion. as we know, hard work beats talent. anything is truly possible given enough time and effort."
she smiled and the room relaxed.
at the end of the class, i lingered to ask some questions. my hands shook as i approached her. she was looking over some piano sheets.
"hey, miss jones?" i started, voice quavering.
"hmm?" her eyes not leaving the sheets.
"i'm just wondering if i can play the piano as my chosen instrument?" i asked.
"of course, you can. as i said, play to your strengths. we'll make it work." she replied softly.
her encouragement felt like sunlight in a room that had been dark for a long time.
she never treated me any differently from other students. but she noticed things.
she noticed when i hesitated during group projects so she'd quietly assigned me to a group. she noticed when i get too nervous playing the piano in front of the class so she'd adjust the program so i never had to go first.
she noticed when i would stay back after class to practice, or simply staying in the music room. she'd quietly sat in her desk marking papers or watched me play discreetly.
"i'm fine, you can go home." i once told her.
"it's not safe for you to be alone after hours. plus, i still have work to do, anyway." she said.
eventually, the music room became my safe space. in which i could relax and let go of my need to seem perfect.
she never asked too much questions but she always listened when i talked. she was my safe space.
she felt harmless. like a big sister.
at least that's what i kept telling myself.
truth is, i was scared to admit that i wanted more.
but i kept my feelings hidden away.
i tried to play it cool whenever she'd get so close to me that i could smell her perfume. i ignored the shivers down my spine whenever our hands brushed by accident. i'd immediately looked away when our eyes locked.
it might have stayed that simple. if not for the rumour.
i heard it on the hallway as i was heading to my next class.
"i heard miss jones has a wife." one girl said. "alyssa saw her in the movies yesterday, they were holding hands. they seemed super close."
"well, teachers are allowed to get married." her friend replied.
"yeah, but she looks super young. i didn't think she'd be wifed up already." she said causing the other girl to laugh.
"she's not that young! she looks about... thirty?"
married. i thought to myself. of course, she would be.
she was smart, she was pretty, she was talented and she was super considerate. why wouldn't someone marry her?
i let out a breath i didn't realize i was holding and calmed my racing heart.
this shouldn't impact me so much.
i avoided the music room that afternoon.
going home to my messy family was better than staying in a room with her.
even though i missed our conversations so much.
elias noticed, obviously.
"y/n." she said after one lesson. "is everything okay?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.
i forced a smile. "of course."
she nodded slowly as if she didn't believe me. "right... okay. well, i'm here if you want to talk about anything."
"thanks, miss jones." i mumbled before walking away.
i felt her studying me but she didn't push.
somehow that made it worse.
graduation day arrived earlier than expected. the hall was crowded and warm. i walked across the stage to collect my certificate. even when my body was filled with tremendous nervousness, i still looked for her. i wondered if she was already looking at me.
i spotted her in the aisle and i could tell she was smiling at me.
as i stepped off the stage, i couldn't help but to be drawn towards her direction.
"hey, y/n. congratulations!" she held her hand and i hesitated before shaking it. "it's a big night for you."
i let out an awkward chuckle. "it sure is. the whole night's been a blur."
she reached into her pocket. "well, i've been meaning to give you this." she pulled out a small box.
it was a wooden box with the word 'courage' engraved on it.
"wh.. what?" i stutter. the piece of wood was beautiful.
she scratched the back of her head. "it's a music box. when you wind it, it plays the first bars of your composition." she said. "i, well, i might have borrowed your sheet for a bit."
âyou made this?â i whispered.
âa friend of mine did the mechanics. I just annoyed him about it.â she smiled sheepishly.
emotion surged so quickly it scared me. i wanted to cry. i wanted to hug her. i wanted to say thank you in a way that explained everything this year had been.
but the word married rang in the back of my mind like a warning.
"thank you..." i whispered. "it's really nice, miss jones."
her eyes softened. "you've worked really hard, y/n. i'm very proud of you." she smiled.
"miss jones, i-" i started.
"eli!" a female voice suddenly interrupted. that was when i spotted the wife. her arm linked with miss jones'.
i instinctively took a step back as if i was caught doing something bad.
"there you are! mum is looking for you, she wants pictures." the woman said before turning to face me.
"i, uh, am going to look for my family. thanks again, miss jones." i walked away before waiting for a response. my heart was racing again.
and that was the end of high school.
life after graduation had been a bliss. i eventually moved away from home and made some new friends. the campus was huge, buzzing with people who walked like they knew they belonged here. i had hoped one day i could feel the same way.
i was currently on my final year of an arts degree specialising in music theory in a well-known university.
the best thing i got from my bachelor degree was meeting aiden.
he was standing at the front of my lecture room the first day of university. late twenties, quite young for a professor. must be a prodigy. he had dark hair and a neat button-up shirt. his gaze did a quick sweep around the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone for too long.
âhi,â he said, voice slightly too loud into the microphone. âiâm aiden jones. iâll be taking this class for the year. if youâre in the wrong room⊠sorry.â he pointed at the powerpoint screen written 'intro to music theory ii'.
a few students chuckled. he flinched at the sound, then continued.
âiâm autistic,â he said bluntly. âthis means sometimes iâll miss social cues, or say things that sound blunt. it doesnât mean Iâm angry with you. if I say something confusing, raise your hand. i like questions. theyâre explicit." he paused. "explicit is good.â
his lectures were the most detailed ones. when students would laughed or whispered. he would pause, seeming lost, then carried on like nothing happened.
some people found him odd. some found him easy to tease.
one time i couldn't stop myself.
i heard two students whispering in the hallway, mocking the way he repeated certain phrases. something in me snapped.
"maybe if you spent more time paying attention in class instead of gossiping, you'd actually pass the exam." i rolled my eyes.
their heads snapped towards my direction, brows furrowing.
they ignored me and walked off. my hands shook in anger after that interaction. yet i was full of satisfaction.
after that, i started speaking up more in his classes, asking questions when the room went awkwardly silent, clarifying points when he lost track of where heâd left us. sometimes i stayed after lectures to help gather worksheets or erase the whiteboard.
"you don't have to do that." he suddenly said. "i can do it."
âi know,â i said. âi want to.â
he studied me for a moment. âyou are⊠patient.â
âi had good teachers,â i said before i could stop myself.
a familiar ache flickered through me at the memory of the music room, the wooden box, the word courage.
he smiled for the first time. "then they did something right."
i turned around to look at him and he was already looking at me. not for long but enough for me to noticed his brown eyes.
they reminded me of someone.
you know, the universe has a sense of timing that would be comedic if it didnât feel so cruel.
it happened on a random wednesday.
the hallway was busy with students walking inbetween lectures. i was holding a stack of photocopied sheet music in my arms, weaving through the crowd towards aiden's classroom.
i turned a corner and suddenly collided with someone solid.
"whoa-" i said as i stumbled and hit the wall.
the sheets flew out of my hands as i instinctively balanced myself using the wall.
"i'm so sorry." i said as i kneeled down to gather the papers.
"no, no, it's my fault. i was in a rush and-" the female voice paused.
"y/n?" the voice asked cautiously.
the hallway voices faded.
a small smiled appeared on her face. a face i never thought i'd see again.
a chuckle escaped her mouth. a sound i didn't realize i had missed so much.
she looked different... older, yes but also, steadier. her hair still short and slightly messy. she was wearing a navy shirt half tucked into her jeans.
"oh my, y/n!" she said in disbelief. "what are you doing here?"
i awkwardly tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "i'm a student here." i replied softly. "and you?"
she flashed me her university identity card attached to a lanyard. "i'm a professor here, starting today."
"oh, uh, really?" i asked.
she nodded and handed me the rest of my papers. "yup. where are you heading?" she held out her hand to help me get up.
a shiver ran down my spine as our hands touched.
"i'm going that way." i pointed behind me.
"oh, me too! let me walk you." she smiled.
oh boy, here we go again.
"y/n. i was waiting for you." aiden said as i stepped into his class. "and- oh hello!" aiden beamed as he glanced at the person behind me.
"hey, man." miss jones waved.
"i didn't know you were coming today." aiden said.
my gaze darted between these two.
elias gave a small wave. "yeah, i only came to pick up my card and look around the campus." she smiled. "so far i'm enjoying it." she said while looking at me.
"you two know each other?" i asked.
aiden nodded. "of course."
elias chuckled. "we share the same parents. he's me younger brother."
my eyes widened. "huh? no way." it's too much of a coincidence!
"why? how do you know y/n?" aiden asked.
"y/n was a student of mine. she witnessed the start of my teaching career and how completely lost i was." she chuckled and nudged me lightly on my shoulder.
"i really appreciated her for not judging me and instead trusting my teaching methods completely."
aiden nodded. "i can say the same about her. y/n has been an amazing helper." he sighed. "i think i'm going to take a break from being an educator."
my eyes widened. "what? why?" i asked.
he shrugged. "it's been a pleasure working with you and everyone but my actual dream has always been to create music. i've decided to pursue it now, while i can." he smiled.
"when are you leaving?" i asked. sadness creeping up inside of me. aiden was one of the best teachers i had in my whole life.
"this is going to be my last semester. this is why my sister came today." he said.
"that's true." elias turned to look at me. "call me professor jones soon. i will be taking over his classes."
my eyes widened again. "you? w-what?"
a loud chuckled escaped her lips. "what? you still think i'm a newbie at teaching? i'll have to remind you that i have gained myself a masters degree." she joked.
and so, my feelings for elias jones returned. it felt like deja vu somehow. the only difference was that we were both older.
life has odd seasons. sometimes everything changes at once, other times it shifts gradually, until one day you realize everything has changed.
having elias at the university was like that.
weâd exchange small talk. how are your classes? have you been composing? is aiden sleeping enough? are you?
slowly, the conversations grew longer.
sometimes we both ended up in the music building late. her finishing marking, me helping aiden reorganize his exams or finishing off my essays. once, when a storm knocked out the power, the three of us sat in the dim emergency lighting, sharing instant ramen from the vending machine and swapping stories about our lives.
that was the first time i felt like i belonged in this university.
i told myself I was imagining it when eliasâ eyes lingered a bit longer on mine. or when her smile softened in a way i didnât see her use with other students. or when her hand brushed mine in the hallway and neither of us moved away immediately.
eventually aiden had left university to pursue his music career. he told me he was going to join an orchestra and play across the globe.
i felt sad about him departing so suddenly yet i was so proud of him as if he was my own brother.
we had exchanged numbers despite it being looked down upon.
having elias as my professor had not been easy at all. not because i didn't think she was a great professor. no, she was brilliant.
she was absolutely brilliant. she was funny. she was confident. she was patient.
but everyday she reminded me why i fell for her so hard back then. and everyday i reminded myself that she was taken. and everyday my heart tore apart itself.
yet slowly, carefully, we grew close again. she would offer me feedback on my compositions, i would bring her coffee before class. we laughed more. talked more. i don't know when it started but she no longer looked at me like a teacher looks at a student.
then one afternoon, the universe decided that i had enough pretending.
i was wandering around the hallway after class. my feet suddenly walked towards the music room, hearing the faint sound of a piano.
the door was already opened. i recognize the back of the person playing the piano immediately.
she played softly, her eyes were closed. her fingers moved through the keys as if she remembered each note personally.
it took me a while to realize she was playing my composition. the one i made in high school.
how could she remember that?
a small gasp escaped my lips causing her eyes to snapped open. startled, her hands still hovering the keys.
"i, uh..." she trailed off.
"how... why... um, how do you remember how to play that?" i asked.
she paused for a moment. "i guess i never once stopped thinking about it. um, the first time i heard you play this song, i thought it was the most beautiful rhythm i've ever heard." her gaze fell on the piano.
"it's... beautiful. you played it very well." i said honestly.
"thank you." she smiled. "come listen properly."
i hesitated before sitting. our knees touching each other.
she started again from the beginning, fingers gliding over the keys. hearing my old melody now gave me severe nostalgia.
"you played this better than i did." i whispered as she hit the last note.
she chuckled. "older hands. less fear."
"is that how it works?" i teased.
"sometimes." she smiled, turning to look at me. i didn't realize how close we were sitting. her face only a couple of inches in front of me.
i looked at her then, really looked. a strand of hair rested inbetween her brows. the way she looked at me like she was controlling his words carefully.
"can i... ask you something?" i asked.
my heart started beating very fast.
"um, were you..." i hesitated. "back in high school, were you married?"
"yeah. people said you were." i fidgeted in my seat. "i mean, it doesn't matter. um, you know it-"
"i was not." she said, stopping my rambling.
"but i saw a woman come up to you at graduation. she called you eli so i just assumed..."
understanding dawned slowly across her face, followed by disbelief.
she chuckled. "that was paula. aiden's now wife."
"oh." heat rising up my cheeks. "so you weren't..."
she shook her head. "no. i still am not." she watched me carefully now. "is that why you pulled away?"
i tried to laugh it off but my voice sounded shaky instead. "it was stupid i know."
"y/n." her voice was gentle but there was a hint of something deeper. "if i had known, i would have cleared it up.
her brown eyes not looking away from mine. "you didn't do anything wrong. i just... assumed things. i was a kid."
we were quiet for a moment. i could hear the birds chirping outside.
"y/n." she said gently. "i never thought you'd look my way again."
"i never really stopped." i smiled. my hands trembled in nervousness.
i thought she'd leaned closer to me but instead she drew a distance between us.
âi wonât pretend i havenât thought about this,â he said quietly. âbut Iâm also a professor here, and youâre still a student. that power imbalance doesnât just disappear because time passed.â
i nodded slowly. "but you have thought about it." i whispered.
âi care about you,â she said again, each word deliberate. âvery much. i donât know what that looks like in the future. i just know i want it to be something we can both be proud of when we look back.â she said.
"back then, you were so hard on yourself." she rubbed circles on my palm. "i was so worried about you. i wanted you to know you were doing fine just the way you were."
"elias, i..." my throat hitched.
"but back then, you were very young. that line mattered. it still matters."
"i know. i'm glad you drew it." i bit the inside of my cheek.
in honesty, her honesty felt more intimate than sharing a kiss.
"i don't want you to think that i'm waiting for you to graduate. that... would be unfair to you." she chuckled lightly. "i don't want to give you pressure at all."
i smiled through the ache. "okay."
the situation between us wasn't over. it was just... unresolved. just waiting for the right moment.
time passed. i only had a month of university left. my workload had increased and exams were rolling in.
elias and i grew closer. such as, sharing our spotify playlists, watching youtube videos of piano covers together, and grabbing food inbetween our classes.
she never crossed a line. neither did i.
sometimes i really wanted to. sometimes i had to fight the urge to press my mouth against her.
there was something precious about building whatever we were heading like this. slowly, carefully and longingly.
the day things finally shifted for real was of course, my graduation day.
the ceremony was smaller than high school, but somehow felt bigger. i wore a black gown and a cap that kept sliding to one side. mum cried as soon as she saw me. dad took photos on his old phone, muttering about the bad quality.
i hugged classmates and took numerous pictures with the friends i had made. i exchanged phone numbers i wasn't sure we'd actually use.
the thought of job hunting, moving out of the dorms and the future in general was terrifying. but it was mine.
i slipped away from the crowd and wandered back towards the music building. the hallway was quiet, echoing with the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.
i wanted to see the music room for the last time.
i headed upstairs and found elias leaning against the railings, watching the rain.
"what are you doing here?" i asked softly.
this moment reminded me of how we first met. back when i was eighteen.
she turned around to look at me. "there you are. a university graduate." she smiled.
i chuckled. "i know. feels surreal."
"you look good in a gown." she said, pushing off the wall.
"you looked like you haven't slept in ages." i said.
she nodded. "you're right. exams season means marking season."
we stood facing each other.
"so, how does it feel to graduate, again?" she smiled.
"strange. i can't believe my university days are over on a random friday." i joked. "it's scary to not be a student anymore."
"you'll be fine." she said. "you always are."
none of us said anything for a moment.
she cleared her throat. "i have something to tell you. but i don't know how you might take it."
she took a deep breath. "i spent years reminding myself that my job was to guide you and not to want you. to be proud of you from a distance. never to let you feel pressured or confused about how i feel about you."
i took a step closer to her, heart racing. "and how do you feel about me?" i whispered.
âi love the way you think about music,â she said. âthe way you defend people who need defending. the way you laugh at my terrible jokes, even when you roll your eyes first. i love who youâve grown into. who youâre still becoming.â
she paused, jaw clenching.
"i don't want this to be something you look back on and regret, y/n. or worse, something that cost you respect or opportunities. so if this... if you feel that it's a mistake, you can-"
i pressed my lips on hers. my hand gripping the back of her hair gently. standing on my tiptoes.
her lips parted in surprise for a moment before kissing me back.
she tasted like sweet coffee and years of longing. the kiss was soft, careful and shaky.
"elias." i whispered before kissing her again. "i know what i want."
she leaned into me like someone stepping into warmth after a long winter.
for a while, it felt like everyone else in this world had disappeared and we were the only last two people.
when we finally pulled back, we were both laughing.
"well, that resolved that question mark." she joked.
"i hate leaving things unanswered." i smiled causing her to chuckled.
"me too. but sometimes you have to live in them for a while to appreciate the resolution." she reached for my hand.
we stood there for a long moment.
i didn't believe that fate existed until it brought me back to elias jones.
