𝑩𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔 || 𝟏𝟖+
❝The secrecy adds to the trill, doesn't it?❞
The one where young student Grace finds herself in an illicit affair with attractive history teacher James-and ends up falling for him despite knowing she shouldn't.
「mcu...
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 were settled. Grace had decided for herself that she did want to travel after graduation next year. She had enough savings and even her mother's support. The phone call between them had been quite short though, not more than a few slurred apologies for not calling for weeks now, and Grace quietly explaining that she wasn't coming home for the holidays this year. Then, she had revealed her plans to follow her father's footsteps, which had made her mother tear up and tell her that she should do it.
Now, her blonde hair braided in two braids, she took a deep breath before knocking on the familiar office door she had knocked on so many times before. Only that for once, her intentions weren't to get her teacher out of his pants. She merely wanted to talk to her boyfriend. Calling him that still made her giddy, like she would never get used to it. Maybe she wouldn't have to, anyway. If only Grace wasn't such a pessimist...
"Hey, sweetheart," James beamed upon opening the door, carefully peeping down the hallway in both directions before taking her hand and pulling her inside the room, locking the door behind them. It was a routine, a habit they had fallen into, and it almost felt wrong to break this cycle.
"H-Hey," she choked out, letting her hands rest on his sides as he kissed her. Not hungrily, though. It was a sweet, passionate kiss. Like he knew something was up.
"Gracie, what's going on?" he whispered, inches away from her face. She gulped down a knot that had gathered in her throat, and blurted out the words before being able to overthink it.
"I'm gonna do it."
"Do...what?" James asked, slightly confused. He tilted his head to the side, brow furrowed, his peacefully blue eyes resting on her face like she was the center of his universe.
"Europe. Next year."
"That's amazing!" he grinned, pressing a long, almost innocent kiss on her lips. "I told you, you should do this."
It hurt her to see him being so happy for her. It hurt her even more to ask the following question.
"James, do you believe in long-distance relationships?"
Silence emerged. A few seconds passed in which nothing was to heard but their breaths, both quick and shallow. James' smile slipped away into a confused, flabbergasted expression. For a moment, Grace was afraid she'd pass out.
"Something tells me you don't," he mumbled, his face now pained. Grace's silence and the nervous bite on the lip were enough of an answer for him, and he let his hands slide off her face back to his sides, and took back a step.
"Please tell me you're not trying to break up with me because of a trip you'll take next year."
More silence. She only shook her head, but her shoulders shrugged all by themselves, too. James scoffed.
"Nope, that's not happening, Grace," he said firmly, taking one of her hands back in his. "I'm not letting you go because of some minor doubts you have. About traveling, not even our relationship."
He pressed his lips together and lowered his head, looking directly into her eyes as he carried on.
"So, there ain't no way in hell I'm letting you do this. Just because you go away for a year doesn't make me want you as my girlfriend any less. Okay?"
He paused, waiting for her reaction. She could only stare blankly at him, trying to process his words, just like when he continued.
"I don't care if I have to wait months for you to come back to me, as long as I know that the entire time, you'll be mine, waiting to run back into my arms."
What tightened Grace's airway now was tears of joy. A ray of hope flashed into her brain. Maybe, all the long-distance relationships she had known all her life lacked what she and James had, whatever it was.
"Okay, good," she gushed, face utterly red, her eyes glassy, "Because I really didn't want to break up."
"Didn't think so," he smiled, and she noticed how his own eyes had gotten slightly glassy as well, "Now come here."
This hug had been the thing Grace had needed. His scent enveloping her, his lips pressing against the sensitive skin of her neck, her body pressed flush against his.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" she muttered, her eyes closed. Without missing a beat, he whispered the answer back.
"You, hopefully."
"James," she giggled all giddily, "I'm serious."
"So am I," he replied, peppering kisses on her skin everywhere he could reach, "If you want to celebrate together, I'm down."
He paused, pulling back, one brow arched.
"That's what you meant, right?" Grace laughed, nodding, her hands in his neck pulling her back down to her. He groaned against her lips, his hands slowly beginning to slide her jacket off.
"Good. I always wanted to do it by a fireplace."
"You... don't have a fireplace," she replied, moaning at the sensation of his hands on her bare back.
"Oh, I will rent us a cabin with one," James stated in a low rumble, "Just so I can fuck you by the fire, baby."
"You're impossible," she rather moaned than chuckled in response, feeling how wet she was getting from the image of them having a cabin all for themselves, able to do it everywhere they wanted.
"Oh, James," she grunted when he slid his hands into her jeans, squeezing her backside, pulling it closer to him, making her feel his arousal. Her mind blank, the next words just...said themselves.
"I love you."
He froze. His hands on her backside, his lips inches from hers, his breath ragged and quick, he stopped moving. Grace's eyes widened. Had she just...
Yes, she had. And he didn't seem very... happy about it. Embarrassment flushed her skin with shivers and a brightly pink color, and she stepped out of his reach, adjusting her clothes and putting her jacket back on. The entire time, it must have been well over two minutes, James stood perfectly still, his eyes full of shock as they lazily followed her moves.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, "I'm, like, so sorry. I should go."
A single tear rolling down her cheek, she practically sprinted down the hallway, her heart thumping out of her chest. He hadn't held her back. Convinced her that it was okay. That he felt the same way.
None of that had happened. Instead, she had just agreed to try what she had always believed to be a right-off-the-bat failure, only to let those three words slip out accidentally.
She turned back around before running down the stairs. Nothing.
He wouldn't follow her. Call her name, tell her to come back.
