Love Flavored Latte

Chapter 8 - Pen, Smiles and Surprises

Normally, in any other class, a second would feel like an eternity to Matt. But right now, it was quite the opposite.

After admitting his defeat and finally having the courage to ask for some help from his favorite professor, Matt was now sitting in the library across from Professor Angevine, who was explaining the lesson to him again. If Matt had to be completely honest, this was worth the nervousness that he had had just a while ago, because he got to be with the professor he felt deep affection for. Listening to his lecture was already great, and being with him alone was ten times better.

Students usually felt extremely anxious when they had a one-on-one talk with their professor without anyone they knew by their side, and while Matt couldn't blame them, he also couldn't say that it was the same for him right at this moment. Being close to the professor he loved, being able to freely talk to him about the lesson, listening attentively to what his professor said and also to his voice... It felt like a dream.

All of a sudden, the voice he had come to adore stopped abruptly, and he looked up from the book to see his professor looking intensely at him, which made him jump a little. But right after that, he realized that the said professor was actually looking at his... hand?

"Um... Professor?" Matt began as he was unable handle the unexpected silence. "What are you doing?"

His question seemed to pull Professor Angevine back into reality. "What- Oh, I'm, I'm terribly sorry for that, Matthew."

"No, it's okay, professor!" Matt tried to reassure him. "I'm just, uh, a little surprised."

"I'm really sorry." Professor Angevine chuckled. "I was just impressed by how you were spinning the pen between your fingers."

"I... was?" Despite raising an eyebrow at that statement, Matt wasn't actually that surprised. Twirling pens had become a habit of his, and he would sometimes do it unconsciously whenever he had a pen, or anything similar, in his hand.

"Yes, and I really like it!" His professor nodded.

"Thank you, professor." Matt blushed, fiddling with the pen. "But it's not really something to be proud of."

"It is, Matthew! Please teach me how to do it!"

Matt was really caught off guard when his professor leaned forward with his eyes gleaming with excitement. He moved back a little, even though he didn't really want to. "A-Are you sure, professor?"

"Of course! I've never been able to do it my whole life. All I can do is swaying it back and forth between two fingers-"

Professor Angevine seemed to have realized that the distance between them had shortened greatly and that Matt had a very startled look on his face, which made him quickly withdraw himself. "I, I apologize for my... unprofessional outburst."

It made Matt's heart race madly when he saw the sight of his professor tucking strands of his hair behind his ear, his face red as he averted his gaze in embarrassment, but Matt immediately reminded himself to get back to the situation at hand. "It's really okay, professor."

Seemingly too deep in shame, the professor in question didn't answer, covering his face with his hand as he looked down, the ground having suddenly become an interesting thing for him to stare at. The sight was too unreal but too cute at the same time, but then again, Matt couldn't let his professor be like this, because he knew what it was like to be embarrassed.