The Upside of Heartbreak

Risky Relations

No update on TWoB this week, but you are getting one on this one. The two week long wait is finally over!

Sorry it took so long. I could give you twenty million excuses of everything between health issues and family drama, but I won't bother. Just know that after two days of babysitting my niece, I REALLY appreciated my alone time to write this (even though that alone time was in far too short of stints)... *sigh* I hope you all enjoy it :)

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"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Hayden found himself fighting back a flinch. Wondering if Alvin's roar could be heard in the outer office, and cringing slightly at the thought. Still, Hayden hadn't grown up with Stoick Haddock as a father and not learned to hide his unease. Or his shame. Sitting up straighter in his seat, Hayden swallowed once to muster his courage again as he faced down Alvin with a look of forced calm plastered on his face.

"You heard me. I seem to have had sexual relations with a student sir," Hayden replied. Falling back into his typical sarcastic drawl in his nervousness.

"Already?! It's your second bloody day here boy," Alvin choked out. A look of utter shock on his face.

"That it is sir. The sexual relations happened before the start of term, sir. In my defence, I did not know that she was my student at the time. You can imagine my surprise when I took the roster in class today and saw her there." When what little of Alvin's face that was visible flushed a deeper red, Hayden was quick to add, "I assure you that it was not planned on either side. It was just as unexpected for the lady to see me here today."

"I could blame Dagur and Eret for being bad influences, but I accept full responsibility for this one sir. My ex and I had just suffered a rather dramatic falling-out you see, and I attended a party as a way to drown my sorrows. As sometimes happens when young people drink together, I met a beautiful lady and took her home instead." Allowing a lopsided smirk to twist his lips now, Hayden sat slightly forward in his chair and folded his hands together. "Do you require further details? Or can you figure it out from there?"

Though he appeared calm, Hayden was practically holding his breath as he waited for Alvin to explode. The massive man simply gaping back at him with wide eyes for a long moment. Then Alvin did the very last thing that Hayden expected. He started laughing. Great gasping laughs that shook his shoulders as he pounded a massive, meaty fist on his desk.

"You've got some guts boyo. I'll give you that," Alvin finally managed between laughs. "Your father's son through and through. He never could keep his head around pretty ladies either. Put a little drink in him, and it only got worse. Nearly got himself kicked out of school for it back in our fraternity days. That was before he met your lovely mother and settled down though," he added with a grin.

"Yeah, you've mentioned. So... am I fired," Hayden couldn't stop from asking. Desperately hoping that Alvin wasn't going to dive into stories about his and Stoick's 'glory days' at Berk U, as he was apt to do. Getting escorted off of campus in handcuffs would probably still be better than hearing about Stoick doing keg stands before pulling his shlong out and playing the bongos, or something. No son needed those images haunting him for eternity...

Alvin just scoffed at him and shook his head. "Of course not boyo. If we fired every single professor that made a stupid mistake when they were drunk, we'd have no one left to teach our classes. Unfortunately, we do not have an alternate physics teacher available though. I suppose we could just remove the young lady from your class if need be..."

"Certainly not," Hayden cut across him. "I will not let my decisions affect the lady's future career. She did absolutely nothing wrong!"

"Very well," Alvin said. A warm smile crinkling his dark eyes now. "You're a responsible man, Hayden," he added. Leaning forward as he folded his hands on the desk. "Your father did not raise a dummy. You know our policies, and you know the risks. I trust that you will do what you feel to be right in this situation. For you, and for the lady in question. May I ask her name?"