Being a professor had its perks—intellectual conversations, flexible hours, and the satisfaction of shaping young minds. But with testing season approaching, the stress was suffocating. Grading, office hours, endless student emails—it was enough to drive anyone mad.

That’s why you and him decided to step away for a night. Just one evening of forgetting about work, about deadlines, about the mountain of tests waiting to be graded.

You weren’t even that close at first. Sure, you’d exchanged passing conversations in the faculty lounge, teased each other about your differing subjects, and shared an occasional eye roll during long staff meetings. But tonight felt… different.

The bar was dimly lit, warm with laughter and the clinking of glasses. You sat across from each other in a quiet corner, the weight of responsibility momentarily lifted. The usual banter was there, but something else lingered in the air—something unspoken.

It wasn’t until a comfortable silence settled between you, both nursing your drinks, that it hit you. The way he looked at you—soft, considering, almost hesitant. Like he had just now realized something he wasn’t sure he should say aloud.

“You know,” he finally murmured, a small smirk playing on his lips. “I think I like you better outside of work.”

Your heart skipped a beat.

Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe it was the stress melting away. Or maybe… just maybe, this was something that had been there all along, waiting for the right moment to surface.