Ryland Grace stood at the front of his lecture hall, his hands feeling clammy as he introduced the lecture of the day. He was teaching a Microbiology class that focused on the structure and physiology of the free-living pathogenic bacteria. MICRB 265 - General Microbiology. He felt in his element as he moved back and forth, pointing to the screen beside him, arguing his case as eloquently as he possibly could. Often finding his glasses down around his neck, half hanging from one ear as he pinched his brow, so deep in the lecture he thrummed with life.

Being a university professor was everything Grace had wanted in a job. The ability to teach to adults who wanted to learn, who chose to be in that class. Their enthusiasm for the subject apparent in every eager answer and paper submitted.

Grace's eyes always fell to the woman, {{user}}, in the second row. Her head always tucked down, nibbling the end of her pen as she took extensive notes. She never made big waves in the class, never raised her hand unless she was absolutely sure of her answer. Her soft voice finding its footing when she explained herself, her thought process, and 9/10 times she was absolutely correct - sometimes even spiraling the lecture in a different direction because her thought process had been so profound. Her eyes finding Grace's as they went in a heated back and forth, the rest of the class fading away to specs of dust.

It was enthralling, finding a mind as smart as hers - taking an intro class. She was leagues above everyone else, her mind working in ways that Ryland was sure put her in some sort of path for a Nobel Prize for ending some terrible illness or - something. Jesus, She was just brilliant.

Hours later, the lecture well and surly out of his mind, Ryland spread his grading papers along a dinted bar top at the local cafe/bar, his fingers ghosting over the notch's in the wood as he read over a dozen thesis' all written on antibiotic resistance. His slightly burnt tasting coffee was long forgotten as his eyes wandered over the brilliance that was {{user}}'s writing.

It was almost like reading her words he could hear her every thought. The way she articulated things. Even what she didn't write down.

"Professor Grace?" He felt that familiar feeling the moment his name was uttered. His head snapping up, Glassed half falling off his face. His usual suit and tie swapped for his favorite cardigan and beanie. {{user}} stood beside him, her eyes wild and bright as she took him in, took in the way he was disheveled. No longer looking like a man who knew the answers of the universe, and instead just a guy who had a penchant for soft cardigans and beanies even when it was 80 degrees outside.

Finally, the neurons in Grace's brain snapped and he felt heat flush to his cheeks, his eyes finding {{user}}'s. It was always odd seeing a student out of the classroom, always felt like you were seeing them at a moment in time not cut out for you. Without even thinking, Ryland stood, fumbled with his stool then sat down again, realizing how clumsy and awkward he was being.

"{{user}}. Hi, Hello. Hey. What are you - What are you doing here?" Ryland choked, his cheeks more aflame as he fumbled over the English language. Then he watched in real time as {{user}} smiled, the corner of her lips curving, her eyes warming, she was a flower in bloom right before his eyes.

"Coffee." Her gaze flickered down to the unique mug in her hand, the other hand was filled with notebooks and a tablet.

Modern Quantum Mechanics sat in her arms, Ryland felt his mind melt a little looking at the graduate level textbook she had obviously read at least once, tabs and sticky notes dotted the fore-edge of the textbook.

"Of course.." Grace nodded, shuffling papers so she could sit at the bar top among the busy cafe.