.~*~*~*~*~*~*~.
One of those things.
.~*~*~*~*~*~*~.
.
"It was just one of those things. I was lonely, and you didn't seem to care about me. And Stephen was so sweet and attentive."
.
"Professor Cutter!"
Nick stopped walking and sighed to himself, turning around to face the man running after him, one of his students from his Tuesday classes he noticed, "I'm Stephen Hart, I'm in your class." He grinned and Nick gave a small nod, hoping this would be quick so that he might actually have a chance of a five minute kip before his afternoon lectures. "I was just wondering if you could help me with something? See I'm applying for an archaeology dig over the summer and they want a signed letter off one of my lecturers."
"Sure, what do I have to write."
"Oh it's just the usual. You think I'd be good, work well in a team. You can make it up if you don't really know much." Hart said, a knowing grin on his face and Nick winced, so the kid had noticed he didn't really recognise him then.
Nick nodded, "Fine, I'll get it to you by Tuesday?"
"Great! Thanks Proffessor Cutter!" Stephen grinned again and Nick found himself smiling back as the man walked away.
.~*~.
"Oh shit sorry!" Nick yelped as he crashed into someone, first day back after the summer and he was already killing his students.
"It's fine." Came the reply and Nick glanced up to see Stephen Hart smirking at him.
"Sorry." He said again, ducking to pick up his papers, blinking when the student helped him, "You… You're tanned." Shit! What the hell had he said that for?
Hart sent him another one of those grins, "Summer in Spain."
"Oh yes, the archaeology dig. How was it?"
The other man seemed to light up as he handed Nick the rest of the papers and got to his feet, "Amazing, one of the best things I have ever done. The fossils we found were just…" He trailed off, his expression showing that his mind was somewhere else and Nick laughed.
"Well I'm glad."
Hart blinked before smiling, "Need a hand?" He asked, nodding to all the things Nick was trying to carry.
Nick contemplated saying no but realised he probably wouldn't make it to his office without dropping everything again, "Thanks, my office is just over there." He said, handing Hart a pile of folders. They walked down the corridor in silence and Nick kept casting sideways looks at the other man before he caught himself and winced, what was he doing? Hart was a student! Not to mention being male and… Well Nick was married for Christ's sake! "You got your new time table yet?" He asked to distract himself.
"Yup, I have your seminars on Mondays and Thursdays, Sam's on Wednesday's and the other Professor Cutter on Tuesday's and Wednesday evenings. It's kind of full on but I like it that way." Hart said as Nick balanced a box against the wall so that he could unlock his office door. He dumped the box down on his desk, turning to take the folders off Hart and thanking him, thinking that the man would leave. But Hart was frowning at something and moved forwards towards Nick's shelves, his hand reaching out towards one of the fossils, "Can I touch it?"
"Go ahead." Nick smiled, watching as the man took the fossil off the shelf, treating it with extreme care.
"Permian?" Hart asked.
Nick blinked slightly, no student had even guessed that before, "We think so, it's difficult to be absolutely certain."
"It's beautiful." Hart murmured, putting it back on the shelf before clearing is throat slightly. "Sorry… I umm… I'll see you in class."
.~*~.
"Bloody fucking psycho bitch." Nick rolled his eyes, he was definitely getting closer to Helen's office then, he mused as he turned the corner. He was surprised to find that it was Stephen Hart who was sat there, on the wall opposite the door, cursing away.
"Everything okay?" Nick asked lightly, moving to sit next to the man.
Hart looked up and grimaced slightly when he saw it was Nick he was talking to. "Fine."
"You can tell me you know." Nick smiled, "I know better than most what she's like." He added teasingly.
Hart gave a half smile, "Our papers had to be in by twelve, I got here at ten past because she wanted them printed out and the printers in the library were jammed. Apparently I'm late so she won't mark it."
Nick almost laughed, he'd forgotten what a bitch Helen could be when it came to the students, "She'll mark it, she's just making you sweat." He reassured the man, hell he'd make sure Helen marked it.
"Really?" Hart frowned, "But that's… She's horrible! No offence." He added quickly.
Nick chuckled, "None taken." He said, watching as Hart shoved some papers into his bag before standing up, "Listen, that book you were asking about in class? I have a copy in my office if you want to borrow it." He offered.
Hart grinned that grin that, for reasons he was trying to ignore, sent funny feelings to the pit of Nick's stomach, "Thanks!"
Nick led the man down the corridors to his office, totally forgetting why he had gone to find Helen in the first place, Hart balanced against Nick's desk as Nick rummaged around, shifting piles of papers and books to find the one he wanted, "It's a bit of a mess." Nick said apologetically.
"It's nice." Hart replied, frowning down at a piece of paper on the desk, "You need a lab assistant?" He asked and Nick looked up, glancing at the job notice he'd been going to put in the local job centre.
"Yeah, need someone to help out with projects so I can keep doing lectures."
"I… I could." Hart offered. "I mean, you wouldn't have to pay me much! I'd just really like to see the work you do and it looks so interesting and -"
"Okay." Nick said, interrupting the man's babbling.
Hart blinked, "Really?"
"Sure, why not?" Nick grinned.
.~*~.
"Here, coffee." Stephen said, putting the mug down in front of Nick, "Did you stay here all night?"
Nick sat up, yawning and pulling a sheet of paper off his cheek where it had stuck, "I was looking at this research."
"Well it won't make sense unless you sleep." Stephen pointed out as Nick drank his coffee, "You have a seminar in the blue room in an hour. Also your wife was looking for you."
"Yey." Nick muttered, trying to hide another yawn, "Why are you here anyway? You're not meant to be working until tonight."
Stephen shrugged, sitting on the edge of the desk and sipping his own coffee, "Saw your wife, she asked where you were, said you hadn't been home so I figured you were here. Decided to come and wake you up since I need you in that lecture theatre at ten for me to be able to graduate."
"Not long to go now." Nick said quietly, a small smile on his face, "Got any plans?"
"I was thinking of sticking around for the summer. Keep working for you if that's okay? It's just I'll have no cash once I graduate so I may as well stay with the work I've got."
Nick nodded, trying to hide the grin he felt growing at the fact that Stephen was sticking around, "Sounds good to me." He said, "Urch, I need a wash and a shave if I'm giving a lecture." He mumbled, moving over to the small sink.
"Razors are in the top drawer." Stephen said as Nick looked around the sink for one.
"Thanks." Nick said, wondering when Stephen had come to know his office better than he did.
.~*~.
"You should be out celebrating with your friends." Nick chastised as Stephen walked in.
"I know, but I just wanted to come and say… Well thanks. No way would I have managed this without you." Stephen said quietly, his cheeks flushing red.
Nick gave a small smile, ducking his head, "Ah, you'd have been fine." He chuckled awkwardly.
Stephen gave a small shrug, leaning against the closed door. "Well… Still."
"Go have fun!" Nick laughed, "It's your last day, that's it now until graduation day itself."
Stephen rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Yeah… I'll see you on Monday?"
"Monday? Oh work… Yeah sure, I was going to go and see if I could persuade the museum to let me see those new artefacts."
Stephen laughed, "Sound great." He said before unexpectedly moving forwards and hugging Nick, "See you Monday." He mumbled awkwardly as he pulled back.
"Yeah…" Nick murmured, trying to tear his eyes away from Stephen's neck, trying to figure out why he was staring in the first place. Stephen cleared his throat before moving forwards slightly, his hand brushing Nick's and Nick moved, cupping Stephen's face. "Nick I… I want to kiss you." Stephen whispered, moving to brush his lips against Nick's before pulling back. Nick's chest contracted and he closed his eyes against the voices in his head, the one telling him to just kiss Stephen and then that other little voice, reminding him about Helen… "Stephen." Nick breathed, his hand still touching the other man's face, "Stephen I can't. I'm married."
Stephen pulled back, chewing on his bottom lip, "Yeah… You're right. I'm sorry." He murmured, moving over to the window.
"It's not that I don't want to." Nick whispered.
"I get it." Stephen said but Nick could tell that the man's teeth were clenched. Nick sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You should divorce her." Stephen said suddenly, "And not because I… Because we… Well you should just divorce her because she's a cow and she makes you unhappy."
Nick couldn't help but chuckle at that before he became serious again, "I still love her." He admitted quietly, closing his eyes tightly.
"Yeah…" Stephen murmured, "But is it enough?" He asked as he left.
.~*~.
Stephen was quiet when he turned up for work the next Monday, he cleared up Nick's desk without his usual jokes about turning into a housewife, he purposefully avoided touching Nick's shoulder the way he usually did as they read something on the computer. "Stephen… Look what happened the other day, can we just forget it?" Nick pleaded after Stephen had jerked away when he brushed against him, the tension was really getting to Nick by then and he hated it, wishing he knew how to make it go away.
"Already forgotten." Stephen said evenly, looking up and scowling as Helen walked in. Stephen and Helen hated each other, Nick wasn't quite sure what had triggered it, all he knew was that every time they were in a room together they ended up sniping at each other. After what Stephen had said the other day he'd come to assume it was because Stephen disliked the way Helen treated Nick.
"What can I do for you?" Nick asked, dragging his thoughts back to the present.
"I just wanted to say that I won't be home tonight." Helen said, "I have a late meeting so I'll stay at Jessica's."
"Fine." Nick sad through clenched teeth, did she really think he was that thick?
"Good." Helen snarled, slamming the door as she left.
Nick glanced towards Stephen who scowled at him, "Why do you…" The man trailed off, "Forget it."
"She's my wife."
"Doesn't seem to stop her screwing around." Stephen spat and Nick closed his eyes briefly, it was common knowledge then? Everyone knew, everyone was laughing at him.
He gave a sigh, "So because she is I should pay her back in kind?"
"No. That's not what I meant! I just don't know why you put up with it. You're not happy."
Nick stood up, he had to admit that Stephen had a point but that didn't make it any easier, "No, I'm not."
"I don't like seeing you unhappy." Stephen murmured, Nick blinked, it had been a long, long time since anyone had said something like that to him, Helen just didn't care anymore. He moved quickly around the desk, grabbing at Stephen and kissing him hard, Stephen gave a small squeak of surprise but relaxed into the kiss, his hands moving to clutch at Nick's waist. Nick drew back from the kiss and pressed his forehead to Stephen's pushing him backwards. Stephen made a little "Oof" noise as his back slammed into the wall but Nick ignored it in favour of kissing him again, their tongues battling as Nick slid his hands along Stephen's hips, "Want you." he mumbled against the younger man's lips and Stephen chuckled, flicking open Nick's button using only two fingers, "Where the hell did you learn to do that?"
"Do you really want to know?" Stephen gasped out in reply and Nick felt a shot of jelousy that had him clutching at Stephen's hips tightly, surely leaving bruises.
.~*~.
Nick pulled himself away from Stephen and, ignoring the small whine the man made, made his way over to the sink. He wetted a facecloth before waking back over and kneeling down, wiping Stephen clean. Stephen gave a small shiver and Nick chuckled, tossing the damp cloth over in the general direction of the sink before dragging the blanket off the chair down, to cover them up slightly. "What about… What about Helen?" Stephen asked quietly.
Nick sighed, "All I know is… I need you. I love you." He murmured, "And anything else… We'll deal with as we go." Stephen grinned and snuggled into Nick's chest. "I've always wanted a lover." Nick added, ducking away and laughing as Stephen swatted at his chest.
.
"Falling for one of your students is never a good idea, but… Sometimes these things just happen, you know."
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