my professor, my obsession || cillian murphy

chapter sixteen

As we stepped into his apartment, the air was filled with the comforting aroma of vanilla candles mingling with the gentle crackle of a lit fireplace.

"Damn, you left those burning when you left?" I questioned, shocked since I was always taught not to.

"Accidentally," Cillian laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "It was fucking worth it though," he added, approaching me with a grin.

"I can tell," I replied, feeling a warmth spreading across my cheeks. Despite my admiration, a lingering curiosity compelled me to ask, "When did you know? That you liked me?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing momentarily before brightening once more. "You'd be surprised," he chuckled, his grin widening.

My brow furrowed with anticipation. "Tell me," I pressed eagerly.

"Believe it or not," he recounted, a glint of amusement in his eyes, "it was when I took attendance that very first day."

"Seriously?!" I blurted out, my excitement bubbling over unintentionally. I hadn't meant to be so loud, but the revelation caught me off guard. He chuckled at my reaction, nodding in affirmation. "I knew the first day too," I admitted, but his lack of surprise indicated he might've already known.

"Oh, I know that, Clementine," he told me, surprising me even more.

"You knew this entire time?!" I exclaimed, my brow furrowing in confusion before morphing into a scowl "Why wouldn't you say anything? I've been ob—crushing on you for months!"

He offered a nonchalant shrug, then nodded, as if comprehending my frustration. "I knew it was wrong," he explained, his tone casual yet tinged with a hint of vulnerability. "But it's only recently dawned on me... I'd take the risk for you."

His admission hung in the air, a weighty pause filling the space between us as his words sank in. "Me too," I said.

"I know," he replied, gently lifting my chin with a tender touch before planting a kiss on my lips.

"You're such a know it all," I teased, a playful roll of my eyes accompanying my remark.

"Yeah, I know," he shrugged with a hint of amusement, suppressing a laugh as he smirked back at me, his eyes alight with affection.

"Fuck you," I chuckled, shaking my head in mock dismay as we settled onto the couch, once again pressed close together. "Only two weeks until winter break," I suddenly asked, turning to him with a wistful expression clouding my features.

His disappointment mirrored my own. "You know my number," he reassured, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation. "Just how far away do you live, by the way?" he asked.

I cringed, hanging my head low with a sigh. "California," I muttered.

His eyes widened a little. "That's far," he said.

"Yeah," I sighed.

He laughed a little. "Well I'm not going anywhere," he told me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "so when you get back, I'll still be here."

"Will you still want me?" I voiced my fear, the words escaping in a hushed whisper, a surge of uncertainty flooding my senses. The nagging dread of losing him lingered.

His laughter rippled through the air. "Naturally," he replied with casual assurance, squeezing me in a slightly tighter embrace. "Unless you have some boy waiting for you at home?" he quipped, a playful smirk dancing upon his lips.

I erupted into laughter as I shook my head in amusement. "That's funny," I managed to say between giggles, my gaze meeting his as his smile widened. "Even if there were, he wouldn't stand a chance," I declared, nestling my head against Cillian's chest.

"Good answer," Cillian responded, his satisfaction clear in his tone, before resuming the comforting gesture of running his fingers through my hair—a sensation that I now love.

As the evening wore on, Cillian and I remained on his couch, talked, watched a few episodes of "White Collar," a show that coincidentally appealed to both of us. We were wrapped in a shared blanket, and the warmth and comfort of it all was enough to send me off into a peaceful sleep in his arms.

***

Morning arrived with unwelcome haste, the first light of sun filtering through the window as I woke up. I was still cradled in Cillian's embrace, listening to his steady breaths as he continued to sleep. Glancing at the wall clock, it was nearly half past six.

Shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position, I accidentally woke him up. "Sorry," I murmured apologetically, though he was already stirring, his movements swift and urgent as he rose from the bed.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late," he muttered in a rush, his voice tinged with panic as he hurried towards his dresser. He he mumbled a string of swears, while frantically rummaging through his drawers.

"Late?" I questioned, rising from the couch.

He glanced over at me, a flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "Yeah, I've got a 7 am class to teach," he explained hurriedly.

"Oh," I murmured, a pang of disappointment washing over me as the reminder settled in that he had other classes too, not just mine.

Watching him hastily dress, I noted his typical attire—a cozy sweater layered over a button-up polo and tie, paired with either black or brown slacks and dress shoes. Occasionally, he'd wear a blazer too. His style always reflected that effortlessly professional demeanor .

"C'mon, I should get you back," he told me when he was changed. He was still hurrying around the room as I got up and gathered my things, which only consisted of my phone, shoes and hoodie.

He snaked his fingers through his messy hair to tame it, then put on his glasses before grabbing his keys and briefcase. I sulked, not wanting to go back. But the fact that I was going to see him in only a few hours kept me going.

Cillian didn't seem paranoid at all when we walked down together. He didn't seem ashamed either, which I thought he would. The brisk air hit us like a speeding school bus as we stepped outside, sending shivers down my spine. I still wasn't used to the Colorado weather. I instinctively reached to hug myself for some source of warmth, but before I could, Cillian had already wrapped his arm around me, offering his warmth to me.

The drive back was short, and when Cillian pulled into the parking lot of the dorm complex, once again, he didn't even try being discrete. Thankfully there wasn't anybody out at this time to see us together, but it got me thinking what people would think if they did see us together.

I kissed Cillian goodbye and dragged myself back up to my dorm. I had class in a little over 2 hours, and I was going to at least attempt to get any sort of work done that I needed to do, but I was still all flustered from seeing Cillian. I could hardly focus on anything anymore, he was constantly on my mind. Yet I never got tired of it.

***

Sorry. I know filler chapters suck ass