Classroom Hazards

Rean rubbed at his eyes. He made himself swallow thin air just to resist the urge to yawn.

"Struggling there, trooper?"

Rean started, blinking more than a little frantically at the sudden noise.

Somehow, he only just then remembered that he was in class. It was a free study period. They could work on anything they liked, yet he had a book of Maths equations open before him on his desk.

He looked up, finding his Instructor, one Sara Valestein, standing over him with a knowing smirk affixed to her lips. Blinking a little more as he continued to register his surroundings, Rean spotted Alisa scowling at him from her own desk just behind their Instructor. A few desks along, Jusis rolled his eyes and shook his head as he returned to his own work. Most of the others didn't pay him any attention, thankfully.

Rean swallowed thickly as he turned back to Sara. "Instructor, I- Sorry, I-"

"It's alright, Rean, no harm done." Sara smiled warm and genuine. Then she chuckled. "Don't worry, if I executed every student who dozed a little in class, I'd have no students left."

Rean chanced a chuckle of his own. "Thanks, Instructor. I won't make a habit of it."

"Good boy." She eyed his workbook. "You getting the hang of those equations alright?"

"Err …" Rean hesitated as he looked down at the pages before him. He could barely remember what he was even supposed to be doing. He was just too tired.

A light chuckle. "It's not rocket science. Here, let's have a look …" Sara began, moving round his desk and leaning over to run through the first set of questions with him.

Rean tried to keep his eyes on the workbook before him, he really did, but he was already tried and weak. It wasn't his fault that his eyes drifted over to glance at the 'v' shape that dove low in her blouse. It wasn't his fault that the delicious curve of her chest drew him in so, not when it was right there, right before his eyes!

He deliberately bit down hard on the inside of his cheek as a form of penance, and forced his eyes away, praying to Aidios she didn't notice. He cursed himself a perverted fool. Sara was there to help him, not be a slab of meat for him to drool over.

Yet even when he managed to get his wits a bit more together, he still found it hard to concentrate on his school work, even with Sara's voice murmuring the questions in that lovely, lilting tone of hers.

Instead, he found himself concentrating more on Sara herself still. He liked the way she bit down on her tongue slightly when she was puzzling over a tricky question. For some reason, presumably only known to the woman herself, she twisted her tongue as well when she did that, so that it was upside down as it was clamped between her teeth. It was a strange thing, nothing at all noteworthy really, yet it was also somehow adorable. It made Rean smile.

Sara's eyes flickered up from the paper to find Rean staring.

He blinked. Eyes wide like a deer in the headlights.

She released her tongue from between her teeth and smirked at him.

"I hope you're getting somewhere with this one?" Sara chuckled softly. "Cause I'll be honest, I ain't got a clue."

Rean grimaced. "Uh, yeah, no. Sorry, Instructor."

Sara sighed theatrically. "Oh well, guess you're failing the maths exam then. Hard luck, Rean."

She stood up straight once more, and then patted Rean on the head with an overly mournful expression. Then, she smirked again and leaned in closer still. Rean fought hard not to lose himself in those gorgeous amber eyes.

"Or, you could pay more attention in Instructor Heinrich's class." Sara gave Rean a pointed look.

"R- Right, sorry." Rean grimaced once more.

Sara rolled her eyes but chuckled. She leaned a little closer in still. Rean was almost thankful for that, because he couldn't even think about her cleavage when her beautiful face was close enough that he could feel her breathing.

"I know he can be a bit of a fuddy duddy, but he is the expert on this sort of thing." Sara whispered, throwing a cautious glance about the classroom to make sure she wasn't being overheard by the rest of Class VII. "It may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it's important that you fully engage with your education, Rean. You understand that, right?"

Rean nodded quickly. "Of course Instructor."

"Atta boy." Sara gave him a wink, then straightened up and turned around to go give Millium a hand with something.

Rean really wished that she had gone to see Elliott or Laura or someone else, because when Sara leaned over Millium's desk it gave him a pretty perfect view of her rear through her skirt.

Sadly, Millium needed help with a lot of things.

xxx

"Oh, and Rean?"

Rean was halted in his tracks. He was just about on the threshold heading out of the classroom. The clock tower was chiming for the end of the school day, though it was muffled not only by brick and mortar, but by the steady marching of dozens and dozens of students as they fled their classrooms for the comforts of their dormitories.

"Have you got a moment before you go please?" Instructor Sara continued from behind him. He didn't have to turn around to see that mischievous smile on her face.

Before him, Alisa gave Rean a look and a curiously raised eyebrow as she hung back from the rest of Class VII as they wandered down the corridor to leave the academy with the rest of the school's students.

"I guess I'll catch up with you later." Rean smiled, nodding her on.

"Ok, see you back at the dorm, Rean." Alisa smiled. Then she turned away and jogged to catch up with the others.

Rean took a quick breath before turning back to the classroom. His Instructor was there, stood between the tables and her desk – Their Instructor, he reminded himself. She didn't belong to just him after all. Hell, she didn't belong to anyone. Sara Valestein was a force of nature, literal lightning, just like her Bracer moniker. She was just as sharp and quick and dazzling. She was a wonder to behold, and Rean cursed himself a fool every time he did so.

After all, what hope did a mere mortal have in trying to catch lightning?

"Well, come in and shut the door then." Sara smirked, a look in her eyes that seemed to tease, cajole and see straight through Rean's soul all at once.

"Er- Yes, Instructor." Rean swallowed thickly and did as she told him to.

"Good boy." The Instructor let out a soft chuckle.

Rean turned back to find her part way through seating herself upon one of the student desks. Her right leg arched up to hook over her left knee. It gave him the briefest of glimpses up her slender legs. Not so far as to be scandalous, but certainly more than enough to have him desperately clawing for dreary or repulsive thoughts – Anything to make the blood rush anywhere but between his legs.

"Now, you've been an awfully busy bee of late, haven't you, Rean?" Sara murmured, still with that smile. She had one hand gracefully clutching the edge of the desk that she leant on. Her head tiled to the side just a little, her vibrant cerise hair falling the same way as it artfully framed her questioning expression.

"I have, Instructor?"

"Oh, don't act coy with me, Schwarzer." Sara's smirk only grew. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I can read you like a book, you know."

Rean swallowed thickly. He prayed to Aidios that she couldn't really do that. "I'm sorry, I- I really don't know what you mean, Instructor."

Sara pouted those delightful lips with a little sigh. "Alright, I guess you're going to make me come out and say it then, aren't you? No extra credit for you then."

She straightened up and pushed herself onto her feet from the desk top. The movement was that of an experienced dancer, at least more so than a teacher tired after a full day of teaching. It also propelled her just that little bit closer to Rean himself, so that there was merely a foot or so between them.

"You're taking a lot on yourself, Rean. The jobs, the chores, all those little errands you do for the student council, ring any bells?" Sara listed off as she folded her arms with a pointed expression.

"Oh, right." Rean murmured, rubbing at the back of his neck with a small grimace. "I … I guess so …"

"There's no guess about it. You think I don't notice your little lapse in concentration earlier, hmm?" Sara peered at him with a knowing eye.

Rean swallowed thickly. "I- Sorry, Instructor."

Sara shook her head softly. "Honestly, it's no wonder you're drifting off in class with all that extra work you're doing. Then you've got all your coursework and your lessons every day. Your exams are coming up soon you know, and I've still got some field trips in store for you all. On top of all that, you're still leading all those expeditions into the old school house, aren't you?" Sara sighed, her expression becoming something for serious for the first time. "Look, normally I'd be thrilled to have a student so willing to go the extra mile, but I'm worried that you're taking too much onto your shoulders, Rean."

"Oh, err, it's not too much, really." Rean tried a reassuring smile. "I don't mind a bit of extra work here and there. Ha ha …" He laughed vaguely.

"I hope so." Sara paused to let the point sink in. Then she sighed again. "Listen, I'm not trying to doubt you, Rean. You're doing a fantastic job, both in and out of the classroom, apart from with your maths of course." She smirked. "I hear nothing but good things about you, from the other teachers here, from your fellow pupils, and even people from Trista. I just worry you're going to end up stretching yourself too thin or end up wearing yourself out by the end of the year."

"I won't let it get to that point. I promise, Instructor."

"You better not." Sara smirked again. "But, if it ever does get too much for you, if you find that you're slipping behind in something, you know that I'm always here for you, right?"

Rean found himself blushing somehow. "I- Thanks, Instructor."

"I'm always happy to arrange a few one on one sessions for my star student, you know, if you do find yourself struggling." Sara winked playfully. "That is, if you can stand to be alone with a beautiful, older woman into the night."

Rean somehow resisted the urge to swallow again. "Oh, right, th- thank you."

Sara seemed to be oblivious to Rean's discomfort, or perhaps she merely hid it well.

"Maybe I'll have to brush up on my maths as well though." She teased. "And I was a bracer once, you know. I could always help you out when you're rescuing cats from trees or getting deliveries to the right people, or whatever else gets thrown your way, you know, if you ever need a hand."

"I couldn't ask you to do that sort of stuff." Rean objected with a faint chuckle. "You're my Instructor. You've probably got lots more important things to be doing."

"Oh don't worry about saving my graces, Rean. I'm certainly not afraid to get my hands dirty." Sara gave him a wink and a mischievous smile.

Rean let out a little laugh. "Ok, well, thank you Instructor."

Sara chuckled back. She reached up to brush his jaw with her knuckle in a playful little punch. Her gaze became more serious for a moment. "Day or night, I'm here for you. You know where my door is, Rean. I do sleep right above you, after all."

Rean had never been gladder that she turned away from him than when she did so in that moment. He was ever so grateful that she couldn't see his cheeks implode.