Solangelo Oneshots

Mysterious Spouse

"Now we're moving on to the second part of the presentation."

A collective groan came from the students. Professor Solace grinned.

"I know, guys. We're all tired. Lockdown sucks. Online teaching sucks. You go take a ten minute break and then we'll get started."

The students started grabbing their snacks, drinks and some left the room to stretch their legs. Bea stayed in the room, texting her friends, who were also in the lecture.

Bea: Two more hours of this! I think I'm gonna die

Molly: At least Professor Solace is nice. It could be worse. We could have two more hours of Professor Octavian.

Ryan: you mean prof octupus

Molly: His name is Professor Octavian.

Bea: He does kinda look like an octupus tho

Molly: He does not.

Ryan: he's stringy

Molly: Stringy?

Ryan: yeah

Bea: Wait shut up look at Professor Solace

Bea's eyes had been caught on a flicker of movement beside where the professor was sitting. There was a hand shoving a kit kat at Professor Solace and said professor was laughing. He looked calm in a way he didn't in lessons. Sure he was more friendly than the other professors but there was something close to adoration in his eyes.

Ryan: bet you that's his wife

Bea: Or his husband

Molly: Or we shouldn't be speculating about our professor's personal life.

Ryan: nah it's fun to speculate bea i'll bet you ten dollars that's his wife

Bea: I'll bet you ten that it's his husband

Ryan: game on

Molly: I hate you both.

-

The second sighting Bea had of the mysterious spouse was a week later. They were wrapping up the end of the lesson with questions when Professor Solace glanced up to someone out of screen.

"One second," he said to the class, muting his audio. He looked concerned, hands gesturing widely as he spoke. The students started murmuring amongst themselves. Bea's eyes stayed glued to the screen as her professor got up and tightly hugged someone. They stayed close enough in view that she caught a glimpse of a leg and some messy black hair briefly.

A few moments later, Professor Solace turned his microphone back on again.

"Hey, lesson's over. Thanks for coming and make sure you do your homework by Thursday."

Bea heard a soft sniff in the background. He clicked off and one by one the students followed until only Bea, Molly and Ryan were left.

"Do you think they're alright?" Molly asked.

"She was short! I definitely win!" Ryan said.

"Shut up!" Bea retorted. "That's very insensitive. Besides, he wasn't short. He's like five six. Plenty of men are five six."

"Not me."

"No, you're five four."

"I am not!" Ryan protested. "I'm five eight!"

"Sure you are." Molly rolled her eyes. "I'm logging off. See you when you've found some manners."

"Never!" Ryan taunted but she'd already left.

"You're still five four."

"Fuck off."

-

Mysterious Spouse started showing up more regularly after that. There was an arm or a leg or some hair and occasionally even a very soft voice that couldn't quite be picked up by the audio. Bea was convinced she was right and she really wanted to get ten dollars from Ryan. As such, she devised a plan.

"Professor Solace? Who's that person who keeps coming in?" she asked one lecture. Okay, so it wasn't much of a plan. It was more of an outright question. All the students leaned in. More and more of them had been getting invested as the term went on.

Professor Solace looked up, suprised. "Oh. That's Nico."

"Who's Nico?" another student asked.

Professor Solace hesitated. "Nico’s... Nico is Nico."

He frowned, looking puzzled, but swiftly changed the subject backed to the lecture. Bea sighed. So much for that plan.

Bea: Well that wasn't helpful. Nico is a boy and a girl name

Ryan: bet's still on

Molly: This is so inappropriate.

-

When they finally got their answer, no one had been expecting it. He's turned on her laptop and logged into the session but instead of seeing Professor Solace's weary but smiling face she saw an empty chair.

It didn't stay empty for long. A man flopped down into it, fixing piercing brown eyes on to the waiting students.

"Hi." He spoke smoothly with rough edges. "Your lecture is cancelled for today."

An influx of protests came from the people who'd been planning around this.

The man held up a hand. "Shut up. Will has been working himself into the ground and I've only managed to convince him to cancel because he has the flu and can't get out of bed. Figure out your own shit."

Bea huffed, taking in the tan man in the black t-shirt. His hair was flopping over his face. His black hair. Hang on a minute.

"Who are you?" she asked urgently. The man scowled.

"None of your business."

"For all we know, you could have murdered Professor Solace and be lying to buy yourself time," she pointed out.

The man rubbed his eyes with the expression of someone who has suffered far too much to be entertaining them.

"I'm Nico. I'm Will's husband."

Everyone erupted into chatter but one voice rang clear.

"I fucking knew it! In your face, Ryan! You owe me ten bucks!"

Nico raised an amused eyebrow. "Were you betting on my husband's sexuality?"

Bea felt her cheeks burning. "It sounds awful when you say it like that."

"Congratulations on your ten bucks. I'm a little offended. I'm worth more than that."

They saw a lot more of Nico after that (and if Bea rubbed it in Ryan's face then that was her business).