Strangefrost Oneshots

part seven ~ oh, professor (2)

{Alternate Universe where Loki survives Infinity War and wants a simple life; Stephen Strange is a professor at a high-end university as well as the Sorcerer Supreme; the Avengers have retired. set after Avengers: Endgame. part two of five.}

My morning classes flew by. I found myself enjoying them much more than I ever would have thought. Most of the students were eager and friendly, except a rotten egg that threw me dirty looks every now and then, or a particularly snooty one who tried to correct me after every word I said. Like I said - tried.

Then there were the few who, instead of dirty looks, gave me interested ones. I'd overheard a group of girls leaving the classroom talking about me in quite an odd manner. They had seemed to be discussing my suit, and how much they'd like to tear it off me.

How flattering.

I was still chuckling after they swept out the door. The sun filtering into the room warmed the air around me so I slid my suit jacket off and loosened the black tie around my neck. I slipped my day's notes into my satchel and slung it over my shoulder, with my blazer over my arm.

My thoughts drifted towards Stephen, and the unexpected visit he'd given me that morning. I couldn't shake the way he'd looked at me. His eyes, blue and bright, regarding mine with such gentle humour, yet the intensity of the attraction I'd felt towards him had unnerved me and I failed to remember what else had been in his eyes at the time. I was sure there was something else.

Maybe I need another look, I thought, smiling. I pushed in my chair and walked out my class, heading for the staff room.

Once I'd arrived, I was welcomed by the staff of the university as they wished me a good year's teaching, and though I did appreciate their words, I was impatient. I took a deep breath after the last had come to speak to me and looked up.

"They're an awfully chatty bunch, aren't they?" Stephen said quietly. He gestured to the seat beside him.

"They're quite kind, actually," I responded with a smirk, defending them only to get a rise out of the sorcerer. I sat down in the chair and hung my jacket on the backrest. "What're we eating?"

He gave me a vaguely frustrated look before sliding a tray of food towards me on the table.

"Best burgers in town." He picked up the burger on his own plate and took a messy bite.

Being an overly polite, heavily mannered person, I picked up my knife and fork and cut the roll in half, and then sliced a bite-sized piece. Once again, Stephen flashed a rather annoyed look at me.

After swallowing, he asked, "So, where are you staying at the moment?"

"New Asgard," I answered. I took a sip from the glass of water accompanying my burger.

"You come to New York from Norway every single day?"

I frowned at him. "You do know I can teleport, right?"

Stephen flashed his eyebrows. He took another bite of his burger. A drip of sauce slid down his lip. I chuckled.

"You've, uh, got some sauce on your, uh..." I picked up a napkin and leaned forward.

Stephen stopped chewing and looked cautiously up at me. I wiped the drop off his lip. He looked down at my hand. I retracted it slowly before putting it down and snatching my gaze away from him and onto my food. I tried to ignore the rapid thumps of my heart. My fingers tingled with the temptation to run my hand over his cheek and tickle his bearded jaw.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him eat. He finished off his burger much more delicately after my interruption and I pretended not to notice. As he drank his glass of water, I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down each time he swallowed. The veins in his neck stood out only enough for them to be slightly visible.