Thread: It was just one... (Bevatoria and skittish_butterfly)

Even focused back in on his work, it didn't take much for Grant to overhear her shouting after him. Enough that he knew others could hear too, and he tried to slink just a bit lower, to pretend it wasn't for him even though the words clearly had been. Time for class. Be the authority figure forget about it, and they will too, he thought to himself idly as he smiled at his class. I hope you all did the readings that the Professor assigned you we'll be discussing them today and the potential applications of... He was attentive enough to see the guy checking Elizabeth out in the back, and fought down a little pang of jealousy as the tutorial began. It wasn't his flirting that bothered him, rather that the student was free to do it. It wasn't as if Grant hadn't tried it with Elizabeth or with a few of his other classmates and students, but he felt restricted in doing so. That there were boundaries that existed for him that didn't for others such was life as a graduate student with an uncertain future. A constant reminder of being a scientist was to focus on what was, and not what wasn't. Figure out the stable variables first. Grant took every opportunity to steal glances at Elizabeth one of the advantages of being in charge was that he could've been looking at anyone. She seemed fidgety, uncertain, much like he was at the moment, even if the routine of a lecture and a question and discussion session hid a lot of his own feelings and questions at the moment. There were dozens of reasons a professor or, in his case, a graduate student could be a little off their game, and they didn't usually have to answer to those they taught or oversaw. But eventually, she seemed to be completely out of focus, and he did what had been a practiced motion for him and inattentive students. Pick on them, ask them a question. If nothing else, it made them awake for the rest of the class, and more often then not got him an answer he didn't expect. Elizabeth had surprised him on more then one occasion, and now he was expecting the same. For that moment, he'd almost forgotten about what he'd said to her, and the altercation that had ensued between both of them afterwards. She surprised him here, too. By staying dead silent. He coughed, repeating his answer. Elizabeth, what do you think of Lawson's diagnosis and his theory that.... She didn't respond. Barely flinched, blinking before finally sensing that he was asking her something, the whole class now locked in on her. I'm sorry, could you...Could you repeat the... A moment passed, and Grant was so stunned that it took him a moment to process her reaction, not getting a chance to respond before she did. She glared at him, all but storming out, without her bag and phone. Well, then... The doors reopened, and Elizabeth made her way back in, grabbing her bag and phone. This is your fault. she said to him, marching back out and slamming the door. Act like you're in charge. Shrug it off. Okay, let's try this again. He'd usually crack a joke in that instance, but with the eggshells he was on around Elizabeth, he didn't want to risk any word of it getting back to her through intermediaries. Let's move on to Peter Lampsha's lab tests on dna re sequencing.. The rest of the tutorial finished, the students ambling out aimlessly, but Grant could sense their uneasiness. Any kind of drama was usually viewed with some sense of satisfaction as it lightened the tension, but that drama was also usually not aimed at anyone in particular. Today, it had all been him and Elizabeth, and he was worried. Almost terrified that he'd just gambled on something that hadn't worked, wasn't going to work, and that might get him fired for sexual harassment. Unless it worked. Unless she was actually sliding in under his thumb with a growing desire to cum only at his command. It was clear she'd had a rough night, and not just because of what he'd said. People did get sick randomly, but maybe, just maybe... All he was fairly certain of was of how grateful he was about not going into the lab today. His early thoughts were consumed by Elizabeth, but not in lust. In fear of her anger, terrible vengeance to be meted out by the daughter of one of the University's most beloved figures. In his department, no less. But fear gave way to necessity, and he lost himself to a paper shortly after a couple of student visits. So much so that he forgot that Elizabeth was probably going to visit. His door a crack open, he never looked up, couldn't see it open. Didn't think it would, a half hour away from going home, most of his floor all but gone.