#omg tom

“Well, the department wants to do a sort of cultural exchange thing especially considering what’s going on in the world today. And I thought well we already have a cultural festival every year so why not do something different right? And I thought maybe if we all brought a stranger or someone we didn’t know as well into our lives and showed them our cultures and kind of broadened their horizons it would be a cool, academic way of getting to know one another.” He explains.

“That sounds really cool! It would be interesting not only for white people but people of other ethnicities to experience other cultures. I sort of feel we all are in our separate bubbles and need to sometimes expand our reach and our view.” She tells him.

“So, would you want to do help me with it?” he asks.

“Yea I’d love to! But um, what exactly do I have to do?” She questions.

“Oh right! Well first, you need to find a subject or someone to share this experience with. Next, I wanted to debut this whole project in September, when we usually hold our historic seminars with the museums and important people so this project will span a couple of months. But I think six months is a good enough time for immersive experience. What do you think?” he says.

“Six months sounds good, It’s kind of perfect because my sister is getting married and Ramadan is happening soon too.

“Perfect! Now all you need is someone to take to these things.” He says. “And I don’t count.” He adds.

Her smile fell. Crap, how was she supposed find someone so quickly? Sana couldn’t help because she was Indian and while they had different religions, they had been friends for years. She knew everything about Mahira’s life. She couldn’t ask anyone at work because she hated everyone at work and she was going to quit. Wait! The guy who always came to the bar! What was his name? Tom!

“Mahira? Did you hear what I said?” John asks snapping her back to reality.

“Huh?”

“I said I just want weekly reports/interviews about what you guys do. You can’t be just taking them to these things and not write anything down got it?”

“Oh! Yea of course! Um, would other teachers count?” she asks.

“I don’t see why not, you’re not a student.”

“Great! I think this project will be fun!” she gushes. They chatted about a few quick things like deadlines and reports before she headed over to the English department to find Mr. Hiddleston.

“Alright Andy take care, and don’t forget to indent your paragraphs please!” Tom called as the student rushed out of his office. He sighed and went back in to grade papers. It seemed all he did was grade papers and they weren’t even the good ones by his Classics students no he was grading the English 100 papers. The terribly written English 100 papers. Why were they so bad? Why didn’t these kids know how to spell? And why did Bridget feel the need to turn in everything a day late with the excuse of getting sick? He was a college student once, getting sick meant being drunk or hung over! And he still turned in his essays on time! There was a knock on his door interrupting him from his thoughts.

“Come in,” he murmurs. The door opens and—oh my god. It was her. Mahira was here. In his office! Was this a mistake? No, it couldn’t have been! Right? “Mahira?” he says befuddled.

“Hi, um is this a bad time?” she asks.

“No no! What is it?” he asks. She closes the door behind her and takes a seat. Taking the extra few seconds to figure out what to say to him.

“Um, so uh,” she stutters out. “So, Dr. Cho is doing this project and I wanted to know if you’d like to help?” she explains.

“What is it about?” he inquires. She explained the project in full detail as Dr. Cho—John—had told her. At the end of her spiel she looked at him and asked, “Would you be interested in being my partner for this?”

“It sounds amazing, I would love to be your partner. But, I thought you hated me.” He says.

“I don’t hate you! I just… I think you have some interesting qualities.” She said. That was a stretch.

“Interesting qualities?”

“You’re a serial womanizer who hits on women half your age and doesn’t stop talking.” She confesses.

“Serial womanizer?!” he exclaims.

“You hit on a different girl every week with the same ‘Ooh look at me I’m a suave British man! I’m so interesting!’ when really all you do is talk with your hands to make it seem like you’re interesting.” She retorts.

“Do you have something against British men?” he asked confused.

“Your people took over half the world and then left it in shambles when we rebelled against you, I have a bit of resentment.” She quips.

“Okay so you do hate me.” He states.

“No no! I—“ she sighs. “I don’t hate you, I just haven’t gotten to know you that well. And that’s what this project is about isn’t it?” she responds.  

“Yea, I guess you’re right.” He replies. He smiles at her, “Okay, I’ll do the project with you.”

“Really?” she says amazed that even after that attack on his character he’d still want to work with her for six months.

“Yea, it sounds really cool and I’d love to learn how to belly dance.” He adds jokingly. Oh god, he was doing so well up until now.

“We don’t belly dance. That’s Morocco.” She says.

“Oh right sorry.” Goddammit Tom.

“Um, its fine I’ll come back tomorrow for our first interview and then we can talk after that. Sound good?” she asks. He nods and she stands up. “Well see you tomorrow Tom.”

“See you tomorrow Mahira.” He says. “Oh and Mahira?”  

She turns around and looks at him, “Yes?”

“Don’t fall in love with me.” He replies cheekily with a grin. She rolls her eyes and mutters, “Bewakoof.” Under her breath and leaves. Tom sits back in his chair and sighs. He was going to be spending six months with her. God, it was going to be a trip.

Nancy looked at Chris from her spot across the table where he was reading book reports at her home. She was editing a draft or trying to when he asked her, “So, what is this?”

“What’s what?” she asked back.

“You know this,” he says gesturing to them both. “What are we?”

“Well I’m pretty sure we’re human unless you have something you want to tell me.” She jokes. He laughs, “No no I mean our relationship.”

She paused and looked at him, “Oh that.”

“Yea.”

“Yea,” she agreed. She closed her laptop, editing would have to wait. “Well um, we’ve been going out a lot these past few weeks.” She replies. 10 dates to be exact according to her calendar, every free lunch, every free after school afternoon, they spent together it was kind of insane how in such little time they had been together for ten dates. 10 dates! In 10 dates she learned about his family—two sisters and a brother—he learned about hers—no siblings, just her mom, Kaylee who they kind of adopted after she came out as bisexual and little May—she found out they both liked Disney movies, he found out she liked to plan out everything and making lists, planning out her weekly schedule, she even taught him to meal prep and he was forever thankful for that. She also found out he was a great kisser.

She had kissed men before mind you and they were all great. But either it had been a long time or Chris was some kind of god of kissing in another life because holy crap he was a good kisser. The way he leaned in and paused just before kissing her, as if he was planning out how he was going tease and torment her with the way he’d kiss her. And it wasn’t just his lips that tormented; oh no no it was the way his hands travelled her body, exploring every inch of her skin. His beard rough against her neck but it was rough and wonderful and she wondered what his beard would feel like against more sensitive parts of her body and then she had to bring her thoughts back because oh god she was thinking about him doing very dirty things to her and he was staring at her wondering what this relationship meant to them both and great she was probably drooling. Dammit.

“I’m sorry you were saying something?” she says coming back to reality.

“Um, well I was just saying that I really like you.” He answers.

“I really like you too.” She responds.

“I was um thinking that maybe I could um call you my—“

“Wait!” she interrupts. He looks at her, dammit Chris moving too fast.

“S-Sorry sorry I just, I thought this was going somewhere and I wanted to be sure.” He apologizes.

“What? No Chris I…” she sighs and gets up and walks over closer to him, sits in his lap. “I really like you too.”

“Then what is it? What’s stopping you?”

“…You’re May’s teacher.” She whispers.

“What?”

“You’re May’s teacher! I mean some of the moms know and they haven’t been mean but I’m scared if more of them know and they find out and they might make May’s life miserable and I just don’t want that for her.” She confesses. He looks at her for a moment and then bursts out laughing. “What’s so funny?!” she asks confused and slightly frustrated.

“The moms are stopping you? Nancy this is kindergarten.” He says.

“It’s more political than you think! PTA moms are scary.” She retorts.

“If the school doesn’t have a problem with it, the moms shouldn’t. Nance I really like you. I like your lists, and your meal preps and how you talk about books and movies.” He says. She smiles a little and he continues, “I like how wonderful of a mother you are to May. I like your laugh; I like the way you gasp when I kiss that spot on your neck.” She blushes and scrunches her nose. He laughs, “I like how you scrunch your nose when you’re nervous or embarrassed. I like you a lot. And I really can’t wait to see where this goes.” He finishes. She smiles and kisses his cheek. “I can’t wait to see either… Boyfriend.” She replies. He grins, “Oh so I’m your boyfriend?”

“Yes. And I guess I’m your girlfriend.”

“Mmm, maybe.” He says. She makes a face and he laughs, “Of course you’re my girlfriend! I’m the one who brought up the conversation didn’t I?”

She giggles and kisses him. And they kissed again, and again, and again…

A/N: What did you think??? Let me know!!