Author's Note : Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I had a lot going on and no time to write. Will try to be more responsible with this story in the future.
Regina woke up early. Too early. She tried going back to sleep but it just wasn't working. Instead, she decided to study a bit. So she took a fairly large Calculus book and decided to practice her differential equations. The first test wasn't going to be in at least a month, but she had nothing better to do anyway. Somewhere in the middle of the third equation, her thoughts drifted off. To Gold, of course. It was annoying, really. She wasn't used to thinking about guys, let alone an older man who was her teacher. However, she couldn't chase him off her mind. It all kept coming back, and she imagined him writing his book, the one she read so many times. She imagined his long hair falling over his eyes, him frowning when sentences didn't turn out to be just how he imagined them to be. Then he would get up, she thought, pace around the room smoking, frustration evident on his face. He was a perfectionist, that she knew. It was easy to see just from the way he spoke, wrote, or how the cuffs on his sleeves were folded perfectly. It seemed almost impossible to imagine him insecure, not being in control of everything. That was so appealing, imagining him mesmerized by her, not being able to think of anything other than the fact he wants her just so much. Her imagination progressed fast. Suddenly, in her mind, she was unbuttoning his shirt, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. In her thoughts, Aidan Gold was pathetically shivering just from her touch, she had him under her control, his femme fatale, his little muse. She imagined him breathing heavily, pulling her closer to him, pinning her against the nearest wall, preferably in his classroom, not being able to resist her even if there was a possibility of getting caught. Regina imagined him touching her in ways she was never touched before, but what she really wanted wasn't that, although she most certainly wouldn't mind. No, what she wanted more than him worshiping her body was him worshiping her mind, telling her she was brilliant, she was different than any woman he ever met. What Regina wanted more than adoration, was respect. She wasn't much different than Gold himself when it came to that. Then she remembered he had a wife. The thought was making her sad, but also curious. What did she look like? Could she possibly be a match for him intellectually? Regina sighed sadly, she was almost certain a man like him would never want a woman who was anything less than perfect. Her steamy fantasy was soon replaced by thoughts of self-doubt. She imagined how she looked, must be a beauty, probably slim and tall, and smart, so she could challenge him intellectually and share all of his interests. She envisioned him making love to his wife, his soft strands of hair tickling her face as he gave her the pleasure Regina would never get from him. With a groan of frustration, she went back to her books. It is going to be a long day.
In the meantime, Gold was sitting in his chair, grading the entry exam he has given to his students the week before. It was a nightmare to read all those nonsense, but at least it was easy to give marks. After all, how hard is it to just write "0%" over and over again. Then, in the middle of empty papers, he spotted a correct answer. And then another one, and another one. He pulled it out of the pile and was amazed. This person, whoever she was, got 78% correct and that was more than he expected anyone to do. For a second, he slipped into a pleasant daydream of matching the clever student to that girl he met outside university. He would praise her work and perhaps get her to come to his office hours with an excuse of helping her pursue her interests. He would get to know her better and perhaps she would think he was an intriguing intelligent man. Maybe that could even be attractive to her. He stood up and looked in the mirror. How could a 19-year old beautiful woman find him attractive? Gold sighed and got back to work, trying to focus on the tests in front of him.
The week went by slower than either of them wanted. Regina, to her surprise, learned she was almost counting days to her next class with Aidan. He stopped being Gold in her mind and sometimes she would let his name gently roll off her tongue, thinking about how it would be like to call him that.
Gold, on the other hand, was keen on solving a mystery. Who was the person who did so well on his test and how on Earth did she know all that. Even though the black-haired girl was attractive, this student was even more appealing. He put brains before looks and he had no idea how he, who found knowledge so erotic, ended up married to his wife. Not that she was stupid, that wouldn't be the right word. She was average, and she was the only average thing Gold ever truly wanted in his life. Well, at least used to want. It was painful for him to remember just how smitten he was when she approached him in high school. It was their freshman year, and Gold was already this weird geek kid and Millah was the most popular girl in class. One day, she asked him to tutor her in math and he almost refused because the proximity of her made him dizzy. Over time, he relaxed in her presence and they talked, shared laughs and spent recess together. And, just when he thought he would be content with just being her friend, she leaned over her math homework and pressed her lips to his. He had to pinch himself to check if it's real. Aidan liked this girl very much and was attracted to her beyond every point of reason. It was enough for him just to lay his hand on her bare knee to fuel his fantasies for a week. The first time she allowed him to see her naked, he was afraid of touching her. She was so beautiful and he didn't want to do anything wrong. When he finally found the courage to do so, she got so afraid of her reaction, of how easily she gave into his touch, that she jumped of the bed and pressed her dress over her body, hiding it from him. He let her decide about how far they'd go and each time her boundaries shifted a bit, it was like a small victory for him. But, Aidan knew now, and perhaps even then, but didn't want to see it, that they had nothing in common. Once, he took her to the AC/DC concert he was so excited about and she made him leave early because "they were too loud". Only then, he was so in love he didn't mind.
"That's what your problem is", he thought to himself. "You never found the right woman because you were too thrilled about fucking a prom queen".
It was true. He was so insecure in high school and thought she was better than him because she was popular and he was a geek. He thought he doesn't deserve her and she thought the opposite. They were once in love, but not anymore. They lived their everyday routine, with their baby boy and their memories as only things that still tied them together.
When Wednesday finally came, Aidan almost ran to work. He stopped for a smoke by the gate, hoping he will meet that beauty again and this time have a longer conversation. He scolded himself for thinking about a student, throwing away his half-smoked cigarette. How on Earth did he manage to have a crush on a 19-year old. Aidan paused for a second before entering his classroom. He scanned the back row looking for his raven haired beauty but didn't see her. That was because she was right in front of him, in a tight black skirt, so close he could probably touch her bare legs if he reached out with his hand. She looked into his eyes with a little smile, her pen and notebook in front of her, all ready and eager to take notes. It was hot in the classroom and her blouse wasn't buttoned up to the top, revealing just enough of skin to be tastefully tempting. Aidan stood in the middle of the classroom trying not to think about her young lovely body and it almost worked. Seemingly calm, he started his lecture.
"First the bad news, I graded your test. It was appalling to see just how inaccurate your answers were. I'll return the tests now".
He called out names one by one and everyone looked terrified of zeros that decorated their tests.
"Now that we're done, let's get to the good part. Me trying to teach you bunch of ... students something", he said, annoyed. "Oh", he added, "Miss Regina Mills, stay after class. I need to discuss your paper with you".
Regina's heart started thumping. She thought she did well and obviously, she was wrong. Emma, who sat next to her, looked at her and said "Don't worry, I'll stay with you so that he doesn't eat you alive".
"Miss", Gold said, looking at Emma, "I really don't remember giving you a permission to speak".
"Sorry, Sir", Emma said.
Regina sat completely mortified to the end of class. She barely took notes and her stomach was hurting so bad that she could hardly focus on any of Gold's words and the stuff he was talking about was actually really interesting.
Gold, on the other hand, was so joyful he had to concentrate on keeping a strict facade so that his students don't think he's crazy. They were the same person after all, his little student crush and the brilliant student who did so amazingly on his test! He suddenly got nervous, realizing he will soon stay alone with her. How to control himself so he doesn't say or even worse, do something stupid. He licked his lips and imagined, for just a short second, laying her on his desk and sliding that dreaded skirt up her toned legs.
"Stop thinking about it, stop right now", he scolded himself.
It was while he was trying to banish a picture of Regina on his desk from his mind that the bell rang and students started leaving class. Everyone except for her.
"Miss Mills, I believe you know what I wanted to talk to you about".
"Umm, it's about my test, right, Mr. Gold?"
Gods, his last name, rolling off those pouty lips. It was torture, standing so close to her. She was sweet and smart and sexy and forbidden. Perhaps that made her even more appealing.
"You did amazing on the test. 78%. I was shocked. I expected many zeros, and a 15% score at best. How did you do it, Ms Mills?", he asked, forgetting his strict professor posture in front of her, genuinely wanting to know.
"Let me make you a deal", she said. "We go out so I can both talk to you, have a cigarette and not be late for my next class and I tell you all about how your test was easy", she gave him a grin, feeling brave after his praise.
"My, my, that intellect does produce great ideas", he answered and they headed for the courtyard, where they both pulled out their cigarettes.
"So, Miss Mills, you promised me the secret of your success on my test", Gold said, trying to hide just how eager he was to know, fiddling with his cigarette a little too much for his usual calm demeanour. "Right", she answered. "It was simple really, your test was emotional".
"What?", he almost choked.
"You wrote many books on the subject and anyone who read at least one can easily tell which part is your favourite. You simply wrote about things you love and find particularly interesting differently and it catches a reader's attention which makes it easily memorable. And then you gave a test which consisted only of those chunks of information you hold dear. See, easy?", Regina smiled, leaving Gold dazed by her answer.
The bell rang and she hurried inside. Gold shook his head in awe. She will be the death of him.