Literature, lust and love - Professor Romanoff

THIRTY-NINE

"Hey, Des," Wanda walked up to me at the end of her lecture and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Hm?" I replied as I tore my eyes from the corner of my notebook that I was staring at. I saw that everyone had left and the hall was now empty. "Oh I'm sorry, I'll go."

"No no no, you stay right there," Wanda commanded before sitting on the desk next to me. "What's going on, hon?"

I chuckled sheepishly, now aware of my lack of engagement during her class. "I'm sorry I was paying attention, Wanda."

"I don't care about that. Well I do because finals are in three weeks, but what I care about right now is you, Desi. What's wrong?"

"You don't have to listen to my problems."

Wanda gave me the sternest look I have ever seen across her face. "Desdemona, you better retract that right now. I want to help you out, that's what friends do. I know I'm only your professor but I still care about you, and it's only fair to share when you've listened to me all those times about Vision."

"Yeah, but those were fun conversations. If I talk to you now, I'm afraid I won't be your 'friend' anymore." I knew Wanda was an open and caring person, but I had no idea how she would react to my relationship with Natasha, especially being a professor herself.

"Desi, I'm not going anywhere. Talk. Please."

I sighed and fiddled with my arrow necklace from Natasha. "The first day we met, you comforted me about my breakup. You told me that it didn't have to be over, and that I should take time to work on myself before making a move again."

"Let me guess, you made a move?"

"More like they made a move on me," I blushed, the memories of that night still giving me goosebumps.

"They?" Wanda prompted.

"She." I watched for Wanda's reaction but she only nodded her head. She saw me staring and her eyes widened.

"Wait, were you worried I wouldn't accept you? Desi, I'll always accept anyone for whoever they love, always. I may be with a man currently, but I'm really into everyone, it just depends on the person for me. Please don't ever be scared that I'd judge you."

I held up my finger. "Don't be too quick. I never told you this but the reason I broke up with her in the first place was that we were being threatened. So I was a coward and ended things as you know." Wanda hummed. "But then after four months of being apart, we were both still in love with each other as ever, and she decided to forgive me and move on. It was going great until we started being threatened again."

Wanda had her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "But why would someone threaten you? Threaten you with what?"

"The why we're not sure on, but the what." I paused and took the deepest breath I could muster. "I'm in love with Natasha Romanoff. And she's in love with me."

Her expression was blank for a moment before Wanda stood up and walked to an opening in her classroom. "Desi, stand up."

I got out of my chair and walked over to her. As soon as I stepped within range of her arms she pulled me into a hug. "I'm happy for you Des, really. Natasha is a great girl." Her arms kept me tightly locked into her embrace and I felt her rub my back. "I had my suspicions."

"You did, really?" I pulled away, looking at her surprised.

"That first day, when Natasha saw you in the hallway, I've never seen her look at anyone like that, let alone other people in most couples. She looked so pained for you, and I could've sworn I saw her debating whether to take you in her arms or not regardless of me being there." I giggled because that's exactly what Natasha was doing as she told me herself. "Even in her transcript, no teacher writes that passionately about a student, not even me. And then when you got back together, I assume, I saw a huge shift in her personality. It was like a weight had been lifted off her conscience. And at Wine tasting Wednesday she almost let your name slip when she said she was going home."

"Wow, you're quite the observer," I smirked and Wanda laughed and nodded her head.

"So, this person told the dean, I presume?" I nodded. "Who is this person, do you know?"

"It's, it's my best friend Emily." I answered, my voice becoming shaky. "Well, I guess my ex friend. But she's my actual best friend's girlfriend and I don't want to lose him either."

"Oh, Des, you're not going to lose Alex, I promise you when the time comes he'll choose the right side."

"And now we have to stand in front of the board of governors and defend our relationship and lose our dignity just because for some stupid reason Emily thought she had the right to mess with me!" I slumped backwards onto Wanda's desk, letting the air expel from my lungs.

"The board of governors?" Wanda asked, walking towards me.

"Yes, and they're all going to judge us, just like the dean!"

"Well, the dean is an ass, none of the faculty are sad to see him go. But as for the governors," she trailed off with a small smile playing on her lips.

"The governors?"

"One of them happens to be your favourite professor's fiance."

"Vision is a governor?" I asked with shock as Wanda's smile increased. "Is he, well what would he think about me..."

"Are you asking me if Vision is homophobic? He's not. He's one of the gentlest souls I've ever met, and besides, he knows what you mean to me, so he would always be in your favour."

My mind was running. "So, it could be alright?"

Wanda placed her hands on my shoulders. "Desi, it will be alright. Everything will be fine, you and Natasha will get your happy ending."

"Oh my god, Natasha. I have to go tell her this. Thank you so much for listening to me, Wands."

Wanda smiled with her nose scrunch. "Always Desi. Go get your lover girl."

I quickly grabbed my stuff and ran out of her room as I tried calling Natasha.

"Hey baby," she picked up.

"Tasha, are you in your office?" I asked hurriedly as I ran through the hallways.

"Yes, is everything alright?"

"Just open the door for me," I ordered, seeing her hallway insight. I ran around the corner and slipped into her room just as she opened the door for me. The door swung closed behind me and I grabbed onto Natasha's hips and pulled her flush against me.

"Angel?" Natasha questioned before I kissed her. She obviously kissed back, but I could sense her confusion through the moment. I pulled away and started talking before she could.

"Vision is a governor, so he can vouch for us."

"Vision as in Wanda's Vision?"

"Yes baby, we're going to be alright."

"Are you sure he would help us?"

"He's a gentleman, and Wanda said that he would do anything for her, so if she told him to help us he would."

"Wanda knows?"

"I had to tell her today, I was practically a zombie thinking it all through," I sighed, running my hand through her hair before setting it back on her waist.

"And she was okay with it?" Natasha questioned, biting her lip.

"More than okay. Baby, we're going to be okay," I laughed, smiling broadly.

Natasha smiled. "I love you so much, Desi."

"I love you too, Tasha."

"Now all that needs to happen is your talk with Alex," Natasha reminded me and a pit formed in my stomach.

I was not looking forward to that conversation.