Professor Walter Bjørnstad had always been a man of books. His office, tucked away in the quiet corner of Solbekk University's library, smelled of aged paper and ink. He reveled in the hushed conversations of scholars and the rustle of pages. But one day, as he meticulously annotated a rare manuscript, he heard a different kind of whisper—a soft, melodic voice that made his heart skip a beat.
Billieba Birkeland was unlike any student he'd encountered. Her eyes held secrets, and her laughter echoed through the ancient corridors. She sat in the back row during his lectures, her pen dancing across the pages of her notebook. Walter couldn't tear his gaze away from her—the way her fingers brushed her cheek when she was lost in thought, the way her lips curved when she disagreed with a theory.
One rainy afternoon, after a particularly intense seminar on Norse mythology, Billieba lingered behind. "Professor Bjørnstad," she said, her voice a velvet caress, "I have questions."
He gestured for her to sit. "Ask away."
But her questions weren't about Yggdrasil or the Aesir. Instead, she asked about his favorite book, the one that had shaped his worldview. Walter hesitated, then revealed the truth: "It's The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry."
Billieba's eyes sparkled. "Why?"
"Because," he said, "it reminds me that we're all children at heart, seeking meaning in a vast universe."
She leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheek. "And what if we find meaning in each other?"
Walter's heart raced. "Billieba..."
Before he could say more, she kissed him—a gentle press of lips that tasted of rain and longing. The library faded away, leaving only them—the professor and the student, bound by more than academic curiosity.
Their relationship blossomed in stolen moments—their hands brushing as they reached for the same book, their laughter echoing through the stacks. They met in secret, under the watchful eyes of ancient philosophers and forgotten poets. Walter knew it was forbidden, but love had a way of defying logic.
One evening, as the rain tapped against the stained-glass windows, Billieba whispered, "Walter, I've always believed in soulmates."
He traced the curve of her jaw. "And do you think we're—"
"—two halves of the same star," she finished. "Destined to find each other across lifetimes."
And so, in the heart of Solbekk's library, Professor Walter Bjørnstad and Billieba Birkeland shared their first kiss—a kiss that bridged the gap between knowledge and passion, between professor and student.
