Red Room Hours with John Tan

English 102

You heard the alarm and rolled over covering your face with the pillow. After a minute you slapped your hand onto your phone and lifted it to your face. Shit, how long had the incessant alert been blaring, you were late. You groaned inwardly and silenced the alarm before dropping it into your blankets.

This was the second time this week you'd have to walk into English class late. It was awkward enough that you weren't doing well in the class causing Professor Long to call you out almost every lecture but since you'd been crushing on this new guy it felt worse. Having to slip in the door to immediate disapproval, and then slide down the rows of chairs until you found an empty one made you feel panic build in your chest. Don't even add in your crush, John Tan, watching you brush past irritated students. You considered rolling over and going back to bed.

After a quick moment's contemplation you knew it wasn't going to happen, you had to pass this class, you tossed the blanket back and began looking around your room for clean jeans. You found a pair halfway under your bed nearly inside the cardboard box you kept there. You smiled thinking of it full of all of your favorite toys. How long had it been since you'd pulled that box out? You shook your head trying to get back on task, thinking about the things you could do to your crush with each of those items was deadly, you'd never make it to class. Had it really been over a month since you'd last spoken to Carter and not a single playmate since?

Speaking of playmates, John was gorgeous with his dark hair falling over his forehead long and silky, dark often serious eyes that cut through you deeply when he looked up from his book or notes. The way he would watch you walk into class made you feel like he knew what you looked like without your clothes. While it gave you a thrill, it also made you feel too vulnerable. You couldn't tell if he looked at all the girls that way or if his glances were reserved for you. How would you know since no one else seemed to have trouble getting to class on time?

Sometimes you'd lose focus in class just watching his hand wrapped around his pen, leaving you wondering what else his hand could wrap around. No wonder you weren't any good at this class, you couldn't seem to pay any attention. John took all of your thoughts, and they were delicious ones. Lately you imagined him in precarious positions across your bed more vulnerable than he made you feel with his glances during your tardiness. These thoughts were ridiculous, he was never going to notice you, and he probably didn't even enjoy your kind of play.

Only six minutes late you quietly pushed the door to the class open steeling yourself and immediately 30 pairs of eyes rotated in your direction. Most were apathetic and quickly glanced away, but not Professor Long, her glare was cutting into you. You knew you should be looking at her and being very apologetic, but instead found yourself searching for John.

"Y/N, I see you're continuing your habit?" Professor Long blinked pointedly at you with a slight shake of her head.

"My apologies, I overslept." You blushed crimson down to your toes pulling your bag in front of your chest. "I'll grab my seat, sorry again." Looking around you didn't immediately locate an empty chair, you nervously ran your fingers through your hair, and then found the seat, it was right next to John. Your whole body stiffened but there was also excitement that tingled into your belly. You'd have to brush past him and then arrange yourself practically shoulder to shoulder with him. Your breathing changed immediately, but with the professor beginning to glare you moved quickly.

Sliding sideways you eased down the aisle until you reached John, suddenly nervous your hip bumped into his desktop tumbling his pen to the floor. Almost in slow motion his head lifted, those intense eyes dragging across your body waist level, to breasts, to neck; did he pause there, watching the pulse at your throat pick up? Finally with a grin that moved across the fullest lips you'd ever seen he looked into your eyes. Did his eyes lower to your breasts again? No, that must have been a trick of the light.

"Y/N, late again huh?" He reached to the floor well shaped fingers grasping the fallen pen with ease, then without waiting for your response switched his attention back to front. With nothing else to do you dropped into the vacant chair, as unobtrusively as possible placing your notes and book onto your desk.

Professor Long was discussing the main characters motives in the reading assignment. Two very different people with trust issues and skepticism for each other. She was asking the group about how these feelings manifest in our every day lives and how we get past them to get to know each other. You couldn't help but glance at John who was almost frowning in concentration and nodding at the direction she was giving. She was explaining a new exercise and you once again found yourself not even paying attention. The way his hair brushed the back of his neck, it looked soft and you almost lifted your hand to curl a finger around a lock. There were ways you wanted to get to know him, and almost none of them wholesome. He glanced in your direction with a smirk, did you say that out loud? No, but you were staring at him, and he noticed.

"Pair up with a person near you and find a way to get them to answer this list of questions. I would recommend you don't interrogate them, but rather try to meet them at a personal level. Write a short summary of this person's answers, in a way that captures who they are based on what you find. We'll discuss in two weeks." Professor Long's TA began passing out the list of questions and you felt immediate panic. John's head had turned to the guy on the opposite side of him, which of course it would. You were always late to class and could never answer any questions the way the professor wanted, why would he choose you.

"Sorry Dave, I think I'll pair up with Y/N, I already know your answers dude," the laugh in his voice was apparent. Your heart stopped, did John just say your name? Did he just imply that he wanted to be your partner. You weren't even breathing, your eyes widened as his head swiveled back to you, the smile on his face reaching all the way to his eyes, straight white teeth showing as he reached for the stack of papers being held out from the girl in front of him. "That good with you Y/N?" He didn't wait for your answer before taking a sheet, dropping it on your lap and then peeling one from the stack for himself and passing them on.

"Yeah, we can pair up if you want," in your head the words sounded confident and even, but your eyes were still watching his lips, and you'd sank your teeth into the edge of your own. Why did your mind jump to the places you wanted his lips to touch? Your heart was already beating too fast, this just added to your inability to focus, you blinked slowly eyes lifting back to him. His had gathered concerned, your tone had sounded strained and not at all relaxed like you hoped.

"You don't sound so sure? If you'd rather someone else-" His smile faltered slightly, but he was looking at your teeth digging into the tenderness of your own full lip. His tongue edged along his and you leaned forward toward him, your breathing changing.

"No, don't," maybe you'd said it too quickly because his eyes flickered up to your own and he laughed softly.

"Alright, let's meet at the book store tomorrow at 2:30?" He was scanning the paper now, concentration on his face. "I'd invite you back to my dorm, but that might give you the wrong idea." He wasn't looking at your eyes anymore, he was watching your lips again and he laughed softly. "There's time later to give you the wrong idea," he joked before turning back to the professor who had moved on with the lecture.

"Sure, 2:30 works for me," this time you were confident that your answer was calm and he seemed to think so as well because he only glanced your way with dark eyes and nodded. Had he really joked about giving you the wrong idea? You decided to give attention to the lecture now as well and not think about that flirty sentence. You'd have plenty of time back in your dorm to wonder why you'd agreed to pair with him. You knew it would be a exercise in control for you, but definitely an interaction that would fuel your fantasies for a while.

(A/N pls vote if you're enjoying this story 🥺)