Arograce x f!aroace reader [Part 1]
A/N: this isn't completely accurate to the movie or book events. I am not aroace myself so please feel free to comment if I might've misrepresented something or to just educate me on some aroace topics you guys would like to see represented in the fic
Tags: aroace,platonic soulmates,teacher x teacher,found family,mentions of acephpbia
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"And that's why vaping is just as bad as smoking" You scribbled a skull on the whiteboard just for emphasis and turned to the around twenty five deadpan expressions of children staring back at you.
They probably saw an entire second pep talk about no smoking and vaping to be excessive and unnecessary but the truth is that your colleagues and yourself noticed a worrying rise of smoking at younger ages up until even seventh graders. Sure it looked less worrying than seeing a thirteen year old with a cigarette but just because it smells like bubblegum and looks like an oddly shaped highlighter doesn't make it any less damaging.
"Any questions?" The room was so loud you could hear a person coughing in the way back of the auditorium.
"Hi sweetie. How's things going with school?" Your mom's voice had grown to have a sympathetic edge to it ever since you hit your thirties.
"Yeah things are okay. Kids are being a bit chaotic but it's a Friday so"
"That's good. How about you though. Are you really ok?" Your mom's concern had been directed to you ever since your sister got happily married while you remained single. She was searching for a sadness that was buried deep under your 'feigned contempt' You loved your mom. You really did. She cared so much for you but she never really understood how you could claim to be happy with how your life was right now. And not happy in a "I've made peace with it" way. Truly happy. You loved your own whimsical apartment,you were getting closer to buying your dream car and you adored your job of inspiring young minds. You had everything you could ever hope for.
"I met a very handsome young man at work"
You paced around the room, suddenly your thirty minute lunch break felt too long. "Mom" a deep sigh left your throat but you reluctantly let her ramble.
"I know I know but he's quite he gentleman" your mom returned your frustration with a sigh of her own. "I just want you to be happy"
"I know" You knew she cared. You just wished she could accept that you were happy as things were.
You opened he staff window and took a drag from your mango flavoured vape. You were careful to blow it out of the window. Usually you didn't like smoking on the job but lord knows you needed a moment of peace.
"Vaping causes throat irritation, coughing, nausea, and headaches. Long-term use can lead to severe issues, including permanent lung damage, cardiovascular strain, heavy nicotine addiction and ...what else did you say again?" You rolled your eyes as Mr. Grace,your colleague, repeated your exact words you'd preached to the auditorium full of seventh and eighth graders. A lecture that him,Mrs Smith and Mr. Lang had to chaperone since the two grades combined were quite the handful. Grace had confiscated atleast two vapes and three phones from that lecture alone.
"Who exactly told his class they needed to have a balanced diet?" You asked then gestured to his spicy ramen. The same exact kind your colleague has every single day. Not exactly all that nutritious.
"Touché" Grace raised his hands in mock defense and for a moment you felt the tension ease from your shoulders.
His sincere question evoked a sigh so defeated that Ryland's eyebrows shot up sky high.
"Woah okay. Serious stuff I'm guessing?"
"It's my mom. She's nagging me about when I'm gonna 'find someone again'" you expected an expression that most people shared of 'oh well that's not so bad' but instead you found empathy.
"That sucks. I get it" his tone was more sincere this time as if he carried that feeling of not belonging in the carefully constructed box that society had made. "It's like you should be wanting more but hey you're happy as things are"
"Exactly!" A smile painted your features with the feeling of being recognised for once in your life but it quickly fell as you came to the reality that just by sharing the struggles of a problem didn't make it go away.
"I feel like what I want it's never enough. Like I'm" you struggled to find the right words "failing somehow. But I don't want to be unhappy either." It was a fine line to walk of not wanting to disappoint your family but also wanting to live a happy fulfilled life. "Damned if you do and damned if you don't am I right?"
Grace listened with a newfound intent and made little effort to adjust his crooked glasses. He very scarcely talked about being aroace. You both did. It was a part of yourselves that was often deemed as unnecessary information.
"I used to be scared of growing up. I think maybe I was just childish. The thought of marriage scared me but I always thought it was an inevitable thing that was going to happen" his fingers drummed over the wooden table of the teacher's lounge that still had light rings from Ryland and Mrs. Smith forgetfulness when it came to the concept of using coasters.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking" he quoted what must be some article or book and it made you look up from your now lukewarm coffee. The words struck a chord within you and it seemed to have struck him a while ago as well. He had the words memorised and said them as if it carried the weight of the entire world.
"Steve jobs by Walter Isaacson. You should read it sometime" a smile creeped it's way onto his lips.
The bell rung and Grace stared with a defeated expression at his half eaten noodles. Darn! He didn't even get to finish his greasy lunch.
"It's fine. Better for my heart anyway" he clapped his hands before getting up and mentally preparing himself for his next three classes.
"What is 67?" He ran a confused hand over his face. "Like is it slang for cool or?" He felt like this was the skibidi toilet fiasco all over again.
His students just shrugged and did the motion. "It's 67"
"I know but what does it mean?" He gave up when his question was met by giggles and a few students just doing the motion again.
He's lost touch with the lingo since he's been teaching less classes with this whole project hail mary he was part of.
It was horrific to remember the explosion. The three lives that weren't just lost but evaporated into nothing. Like they hadn't even existed in the first place.
A knock on the door took him out of his own tragic thoughts and he saw Stratt standing there. She was not fond of children. Her cold gaze did not soften for the twenty curious eyes that were focused on her.
"Dr. Grace" she greeted. "I would like to speak with you in private"
"But I'm kinda of teaching a class right now" he gestured but when she showed no intention of leaving and coming back later he put a pen down by a table nearest to his desk. "Uh Veronica you're in charge ok?" He knew they were going to erupt in noise anyway but it was better than nothing.
He followed Stratt into the empty hallway and waited eagerly for a reason but the two men dressed in black suits ushered him into a mysterious vehicle.
He reluctantly walked with Stratt to the big conference room that had a large curved wooden table at the middle. The backup engineer and pilot sat dressed in their orange NASA suits along with less familiar faces.
"You miss me or something?" He smiled at his own joke.
"We need a scientist" she started and the further she explained his smile fell and his posture grew rigid.
Him. They wanted him. "You can't be serious. I mean I can't even moonwalk. I get sick on the elevator!"
"Good thing we don't have elevators in space" Yaoi chimed in as he took a bite from the complementary twizzlers on the on the table. Grace would've taken one for himself if he didn't feel like his entire life he'd built was being threatened of being ripped from his hands.
"You have no immediate family. You don't even have a dog. You have no childen"
"I have kids! Dozens of them. They come to my class every single day!"
"Dr. Grace don't embarrass yourself. We both know this isn't about your students. If you truly cared for them you would save their world we both know it"
Stratt's words were sharp and calculated in a way that made Ryland cringe. She had a point. He didn't have a wife. Didn't have children of his own. But he had a life. He had friends. He had dreams and he had parents that he cared for. Was that not enough? Apperantly not.
"What about my fiancé?" He blurted out,grasping at straws the more he realised that Stratt wasn't going to take a simple no as an answer.
"Lying is not exactly your strong suit Dr. Grace. And frankly it insults my intelligence"
Darn she wasn't gullible. He should've guessed that. He wracked his brain and tried to think of a name. Who would understand? Who would say yes when asked something as crazy as Will you legally marry me so I don't have to go on a secret government suicide mission?
"I do though" Your name fell off his lips before he could doubt this ridiculous scheme of his.
Stratt frowned. She wasn't convinced but she couldn't prove Grace wrong. She wasn't there where he supposedly proposed to this person.
"I promise I will train this scientist as fast as possible. It won't waste any time. But I can't leave my fiancé here"
"Dr. Grace as touching as your love for your... fiancé is we still need the best minds on this project. That means you"
Darn. Stratt really was a tough cookie. Think Grace. Think,think.
He was already regretting the words the moment he said it. His lies were becoming bigger like a crashing evalanche.
The entire room went quiet and for a moment Start showed the smallest flicker of humanity. "If you can prove these claims I will consider it. But you have to spend the next two months training the scientist. Day in. Day out. Am I understood?"
"Yes- yeah of course" for a second he felt like he could breathe again but then he remembered the tiny detail of how in the heck was he going to get you to agree to this?
Pizza? Check. Chocolate ice cream? Check. Too much popcorn for your health? Check. You were having your annual movie-thon with your friends. It's a tradition you started since your first year in uni but it's been more difficukt to keep up since your friends got married,had kids and more.
You couldn't blame them but sometimes you felt like you were behind somehow by not having these things. Even if you didn't possess a desire for marriage or children.
"No they're not! They're scaley little rats"
Sofia and her wife argued ligtheartedly while Gremlins played on the TV. You paid them little mind,too invested in adorable Gizmo's fate during the movie.
"Can y'all dig it? We can dig it! ... Whoomp, there it is! Whoomp, there it is!" Your phone rang,earning a bunch of shushes and some popcorn being thrown in your direction which made you both laugh and roll your eyes.
You got up and saw the caller ID. Calling: Ryland Grace. Why was your colleague calling you so late? You had half the mind to just ignore him but you had a feeling that this was urgent. So you answered. "Hello?"
His voice was serious. He wasted no time with greetings or small talk. "I have a huge favour to ask you"
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