Motion Sickness | Simon Petrikov x Reader

Chapter 1 | New Beginnings

You grumbled under your breath, setting a cardboard box full of books, office supplies, and other miscellaneous items on your desk in your new office. It was going to be a long day, you knew that much already. You were a professor. You had been a professor for almost six years after earning your PhD in history.

You had moved from a small town university to pursue life in a larger city after you accepted a job offer at a new university. You were hesitant at first. You'd have to move to the next state over, you'd have to make new friends and colleagues, you'd have to adjust to the fast paced lifestyle that came with living in a busier environment. However, the starting salary they were offering you was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so you obliged. You decided to make the big move, praying that it would be worth it in the end.

So, there you were. You unpacked your things, situating and organizing your items on your dark mahogany desk. You took in your surroundings, admiring the antique style of the university as a whole. You were always a sucker for vintage styles. Once you emptied the box, you tossed it to the side to discard of later. You stepped out of your office, taking a look at your new classroom. It had the appearance of a small lecture hall. The desks were situated on terraced levels, much nicer than the classroom you previously taught in. The whiteboard was large, definitely an upgrade from the chalkboard you had to write on back at your old university.

You examined the wooden engravings etched into the doorframe of your classroom, admiring the Victorian aesthetic that matched with the rest of the building. The university was notorious for its history. This made you all the more excited about working here.

You walked back into your office, taking out a small name plate with your last name etched into the golden metal. You aligned it with the edge of your desk, facing it outward for others to see. Once again, you stepped out of your office and back into the classroom. You looked around, taking in its immeasurable historical beauty. You couldn't believe you were getting the opportunity to teach in such a beautiful place. You turned on the digital whiteboard mounted onto the wall, watching the projector flicker on. You were thankful for the easy set up, glad you had an option of using the traditional whiteboard or the digital screen. Sometimes, you just didn't feel like writing everything by hand on a board. At least you didn't have to inhale chalk dust every five seconds anymore.

It wasn't long before you walked back out to your car, grabbing another box filled with classroom decor. You liked making your classroom more interesting. If you were going to spend so much time in it everyday, why not make it your own?

You hung up posters relating to history. Some of them maps of the world with little facts written on them, some of them having quotes from your favorite historical figures. You climbed onto a chair to hang up some fairy lights around the room. You didn't like using the flourecent lights, it hurt your eyes. So, you liked to add some warm light sources to your classroom as a substitute.

It took about two hours for you to finish setting up your classroom. When you were finally done, you sighed with relief as you looked around. You were proud of your hard work and pat yourself on the back for getting it done all by yourself. Your classroom looked less boring now and represented your personality. You weren't a boring person, and your classroom reflected that.

You were so caught up in admiring your own work that you flinched when you heard an unfamiliar voice echo through your classroom. You snapped your head to the door, your heart beating out of your chest.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you. I suppose I should've knocked first." A tall, slender man stood in the doorway of your classroom.

His hair was a deep brown color, almost black. What caught your eye was a white streak running through his side swept bangs, quite an eyesore, but it intrigued you. His white button up paired nicely with his red tie with a dark brown sweater vest pulling his look together. He pushed his round glasses up on the bridge of his hooked nose, his piercing white eyes giving you an apologetic gaze.