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#yungho au
warmau · 5 years
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Professor!AU Johnny
shout out to the person who asked me to continue this on kofi!  tw: mentions of heartbreak, general angst but it’s still a warmau au so you know it’ll end up ok 
“just forget me like im trying to forget you!” 
the first thing people realize about their new professor is that he’s tall 
and that for such a handsome, young looking guy
he dresses like a grandpa
we’re talking knitted sweater vests and corduroy pants
wood brimmed glasses and shiny oxfords
but none of that matters, because by the end of the first class most people know that it’s going to be a fun semester 
because professor suh ,,,,,,,,,,,, is a goofball
prof. suh teaches introduction to film studies, it’s a core class that all film majors have to take
and if anyone is passionate about films ,,,, well you haven’t met johnny
he especially likes to rave about likes of brian de palma, john carpenter and william friedkin
the 70s horror wave is kinda his jam,,,,,,
also love documentaries and if you were to pluck his headphones (never in his life will he spend money on airpods) off his head you’d probably hear a fleetwood mac album resounding through them
even though,,,,,,this guy is barely even thirty,,,,,,
but anyway back to the fact: 
johnny is the funniest and cornball-est professor there is
in the sweetest kind of way
he’ll go out of his way to organize movie viewings on the quad
ask students to come up to the front of the class and act out a favorite scene of their’s
even bring in his black lab puppy to class and be like 
“if you handed in your essay on time - you can give jordan a pet”
totally got called in with the dean to discuss smuggling animals onto campus and johnny was just like hey,,,,,it worked. no one submitted their essay in late
you can tell he really loves teaching and he really loves film, he just gets so animated when he talks
pointing at his slideshows, rocking excitedly back and forth on his heels when a student gives a deep and insightful comment on a directors work
the absolute look of pride on his face when students present their final projects 
and he can tell they enjoyed their time working on it
got featured in the university newspaper because he wore one of those newsboy caps
and the caption was: film department fashionista professor ~
johnny got a good laugh out of it
but drama professor ten INSISTED the newspaper do a cover on him too 
because johnny? fashion? no,,,,,,,if you wanted fashion, looks, serves then you had to come to him
ten’s assistant professor hendery: all you do is wear black
ten: shuttup i have a masters degree
johnny is friends with all the other professors, no matter the department or the area of interest
he’s on great terms with the engineering departments heartthrob taeyong, the studious physics department head kun, and even the coach for the uni football team jaehyun
he’s basically irresistible - he’s a positivity magnet 
and everyone wants to befriend him
or date him
(several times he’s had to politely refuse advances from students and faculty alike - though the one time a love letter found its way onto his desk he really just,,,,couldn’t find it in his heart to throw it out)
basically the entire campus has a crush, platonic or not 
and everyone just cannot fathom how professor suh is single
“he is suuuuuuch a catch”
you overhear, while pouring yourself some coffee and trying to remember if you sent out the right links for the homework yesterday
“i know, i heard he’s finally interested in dating again.”
“he wasn’t before?”
one of the teachers shrugs
“he just keep rejecting everyone - but there was a rumor of him going around with someone last week-”
you don’t really care for the rest of the conversation
because you know it’s blatantly untrue
you were the person who had been with johnny last week
all you’d done is meet up to discuss a possible group project between your students
nothing more, nothing less
you’d only recently gotten a job at the university teaching in the history department
and johnny had been kind to you since day one
talking to you on campus when you’d bumped into each other, giving you a little rundown of where to find what and who professors could go to in case of emergencies
he’d been bright and welcoming and just like anyone else
you liked him, not in a romantic way or anything - you just could tell he was a good person right off the bat 
after a couple of days you’d run into him after a mandatory meeting for professors 
and you had brought up the fact that you were going to be doing a class on the 70s and johnny had excitedly offered that your class join his for a viewing of the ‘79 film version of ‘mad max’
you’d talked about it over coffee at the campus cafeteria, and to your surprise it had gotten blown out of the water
several people, including students, had asked you about it 
‘are you into him?’
‘you know faculty aren’t allowed to date right?’
‘didn’t you just get here - you should probably slow down...’
more than anything, you were surprised at how everyone thought they had the right to pry into his business
and it had made you wonder 
maybe johnny is too nice for his own good
but either way - you didn’t want to get stuck in any of this drama
keeping this job was your priority, falling in love? you hadn’t thought about it since college
the work day dwindles down, you teach your last class and barely have a chance to let them know about their projects as they all rush out of the door when the period ends
you take a little time putting your things together when you hear the door open
thinking it’s a student, you get ready to see if they have any questions
but instead you see johnny in the doorway
a beige cardigan thrown over his button up shirt and dad fitting jeans
“ah! looks like my students were right - this is your classroom.”
you give a little smile, but ask why he’s ultimately here
johnny doesn’t answer for a second, he looks like he’s collecting himself 
“i just wanted to make sure you’re ok, there have been some rumors floating around and -”
you’re reminded of the dozen or so comments you’ve gotten and the whispering of the other professors and ta’s in the lounge this morning
“oh, i’m ok. i keep telling everyone they’ve taken it the wrong way.”
johnny’s smile softens
“im sorry to cause you so much trouble when this is your first semester teaching here.”
you put a hand up and shake your head, not noticing the way johnny ‘s eyes dull just a bit 
“don’t worry. everyone will know it was simply school stuff when we have the shared class.”
he agrees with a small nod and you think that’s the end of it
when suddenly he walks over and helps collect some of the heavy books on your desk
“let me carry these.”
“oh you don-”
“please?”
his smile curls up at the corners, the gentle plead leaves you incapable of saying no
and so you watch him gather up the books in his arms and you walk out behind him
yeah, i think he is too kind for his own good.
you and johnny plan to merge your classes on thursday
instead of meeting up, you simply email each other about the arrangements
and everyone seems to forget about the momentary rumor that you and him are anything more than co-workers
but still, even through emails, johnny is charming and sweet
you start to question it too
hovering over his profile picture on the email, the empty ring finger and the way you hear stories everyday about confessions turned down by the film professor
thursday finally rolls around and all the students are beyond happy to be watching a movie rather than doing classwork
johnny cracks jokes about the film while you set up the projector, you get a little jealous seeing how engaging your students are with him
when sometimes you can’t even get them to say a word
he’s a great person and a great teacher, it’s like he was made for this profession 
you muse, before catching yourself mid thought, embarrassed to be thinking about johnny when you’re in the middle of a class
when everything is good to go, johnny gives you a thumbs up and all the student inch forward in their seats as the opening scene plays
you and johnny move toward the back of the room
where he leans up against the wall and you switch the lights off before catching his side profile in the corner of your eye
he’s handsome, it’s undeniable 
but looks are only surface deep, so you wonder if someone so beautiful could also be so kind and caring
johnny turns and you want to pretend you weren’t looking, but it’s too late
the sides of his lips curl up into a smile and he tilts his head, black hair parted perfectly around the frame of his handsome face
“have you seen this movie before?”
he asks in a low voice
“n-no”
“ah, well if you look at the setting the director makes sure to-”
the buzzing of his phone stops him and he excuses him from the room
you think it must be a call from a friend, maybe an appointment reminder 
but when johnny doesn’t come back for almost an hour - you start to worry
half of the class is trying to pretend they’re not on their phones while the other half is engrossed in the film
so you make a quick decision to leave the room for a second and find where he’s gone off too
“no, i don’t want to see you again.”
the voice makes you stop in your tracks
that,,,,,,,,sounds like johnny,,,,,,but,,,,,,,harsher?
“i don’t think you understand what you did to me. do you think i can forgive you? do you really think -”
he’s talking faster, but the pitch is higher 
“stop, i don’t want to hear it. you chose him, you chose him when you slept with him in our bed!”
you freeze, feeling your blood go cold
this isn’t a conversation i should be hearing ,,,,, 
you swallow and want to start backing away, but for some reason your feet are planted
refusing to let you leave
“no, no - just forget me like im trying to forget you!”
at just the right moment, your senses kick in and you manage to turn yourself around and back toward the classroom door
when you step inside, you get spared some glances but the action scene on the screen awards you a clean entrance
you go back to your spot, arms crossed over your chest
was he talking to his ex? it sounded like it,,,,,,but his voice,,,,,
he sounded so broken
johnny doesn’t come back for another couple of minutes
when he does, he enters the room and gives a little smile to students who giggle his way
he sees you and the smile widens  
but you can’t smile back
his voice, the pain you felt in every syllable - they make this happy johnny in front of you feel fake
thankfully the ending credits save you from having to make awkward conversation
you and johnny move toward the front of the room and as you shut down the projector you hear him talking with the students
the same pep, cheer, and happiness that’s always there 
seems duller
or maybe it’s only you who hears the small change 
the rest of the students are reacting and chatting with him as they normally would
and when johnny turns and asks if you want to say anything
you let your students know about their projects, a wave of groans passing through the sea of bodies
you and johnny let the class out a little early, you sort of panic because you think being alone with him will somehow be weird
so you make up an excuse about having coffee with professor ten
you dash through the door, leaving a confused johnny behind and make way for cover in your office
im an adult, why am i acting like some kid who just almost got caught with a secret?!
you reprimand yourself, but still you don’t feel like it would have been a great idea to stay around and chat
like what would you say to him? especially after hearing him ,,,,,, like that
you take cover in your office, closing the door and setting yourself behind your desk
you distract yourself grading some in-class work when your phone lights up with a notification
you think it’s a faculty email so you open it up without another thought
when you see johnny’s names
‘thanks for letting me show the movie to your class! i hope everything is ok, you seemed a little distressed. did professor ten do something to you - let me know~’
the signature on the email is the same one all teachers use in their school emails
you want to answer because you feel bad knowing he’s worried
but at the same time you feel awkward now
am i the only one who knows about his ex? no one has ever brought it up before.......
you pick up your phone and hit reply, but instead of typing anything you just stare at it
whatever, it’s not my business. let’s just forget what i heard and move on.
you lock the screen and go back to grading
the time passes and a couple of days later you find yourself so busy with your classes projects that nothing else manages to cross your mind
you’re rushing down campus with a couple of large display boards when you almost crash head first into someone
“oh sorry - i can’t see over these-”
“here, let me help.”
johnny’s voice reaches you first and then you feel the boards being lifted from your hands
with his tall stature, they look smaller than before
he pouts when you make eye contact and goes
“you never answered my email! are you ok?”
it takes you a second to remember what he’s talking about, but when you do you just make up another excuse
“oh i sent it, maybe it didn’t go through?”
“maybe, you know all the students use up the school wifi.”
you laugh with him and for that split moment it feels like everything is normal
you’re just two coworkers, two friends
but then
“no, no - just forget me like im trying to forget you!”
the words close in on and you abruptly feel the calmness of your situation turn into dread
“i can carry those-”
you start, trying to get away from johnny again, but he simply refuses to let them go
“what room are you in, let me help you.”
you want to insist that you can do it yourself, but panicking you just blurt the number out
you both start your way toward the building and johnny makes casual conversation
but the words you’d overheard nearly overshadow everything he says
why do i care so much? why is it bothering me?
you groan and johnny suddenly asks what’s wrong
you can’t take the feeling and you grab the board back
“sorry - just forgot i need um markers, i have to go!”
your excuse is utter bullshit, you’re sure johnny doesn’t believe you 
but you don’t like the sinking feeling you get around him and so you disappear again and johnny almost calls out 
but even if he did, you wouldn’t hear him over the pained memory of that phone call
at some point you start avoiding him
or at least avoid any contact with him
you don’t want to seem rude, so you just go out of your way to be in any place that he’s not
so he can’t ask you about it and so you don’t have to be faced with knowing that the happy character he plays
isn’t all that happy
you think that’s what bothers you most - the fact that everyone else sees him as this 
positive light, cutely dressed in sweaters over button downs and oxfords
adjusting the glasses on his nose as he flips through a script submitted in one of his classes
but now you just see the pain - the cracking voice - just the visualization of johnny walking into a room
and being faced with something so heartbreakingly cruel that to this day he’s shunned away affection
no wonder he rejects just about anyone - maybe he just can’t trust someone like that again?
“excuse me, can you tell me where the film department is?”
you startle, looking up to see an unfamiliar face
the individual smiles, apologizing politely for scaring you before explaining that they need to see one of the film professors
you have a couple of minutes to spare and even though you don’t want to go to that building 
because of the off chance of bumping into professor suh
you still feel like you can’t just give this person vague directions
so you take the chance and tell them you’ll walk them over
they don’t say much, so you assume they’re either a transfer student or maybe a visiting professor
you swipe your id card to get through the entrance of the building and hold the door open for them to step through behind you
they’re rather plain, you’re not struck by anything about them - just that they’re neat and very mannered
so you don’t expect that once you get off the elevator and lead them into the professor’s lounge 
that their demeanor to change as drastically as it does
because the moment they set eyes on johnny
who you didn’t even notice in the corner 
they lose their posed attitude and run at him with open arms
your confusion is apparent, is this his relative? they don’t look at all like him-
but then it dawns on you
because johnny’s eyes turn cold and his lips thin out into a straight line
“what are you doing here?”
he asks and the tone of voice sets a tension in the room that’s nearly suffocating
“john - don’t be like this! you were so mean on the phone and i thought in person you’d be -”
“you need to leave.”
he’s merciless, motioning to the door with his head 
and catching a glimpse of you, frozen in the corner with shock
the pit of your stomach churns
is that,,,,,,,,,,are they,,,,,,,,,,,,,,his ex?
“oh c’mon, you won’t even talk to me now? after everything we’ve been through? johnny love you know-”
even though his anger is nearly blazing off of him like an open flame
johnny touches them gently - his hands barely grazing their upper-arm as he starts to walk them over to the door
you want to escape, that or just plain disappear 
but you can’t move a muscle 
johnny is nearly two feet away when his ex jerks themselves away
“john - listen to me! you can’t just leave me like this! look - look at this - it’s the ring you got me, we’re still engaged! you can’t just -”
johnny seems to snap, the kindness and the happiness he exudes almost daily is no where to be found
he turns, broad shouldered and standing tall 
if you had never known any other side of him you would have found yourself frightened 
“that ring means one thing, it means you’re a cheater. im sick and fucking tired of you thinking i will ever take you back - get out of my life for good.”
the cursing sounds unnatural in your ears, everything about this johnny is off
he’s harsh and sharp and his energy is just pitch black
but at the same time you can’t blame him
this person has some kind of chip on their shoulder about hurting him and thinking they’ll get off scottfree
it even stirs up an anger in you as well
johnny turns and with one glance you can tell that the rough, pissed off expression on his face is going to turn into devastation 
you don’t want him to breakdown in front of this person so you decide to do something you know you’ll probably come to regret
you intervene, stepping in front of johnny and giving him the fakest smile you can
“oh professor suh did you remember we have papers to grade together, come with me!”
you reach out and touch his wrist, his skin is hot and you tug him out of the room
his ex makes a move toward the door, but you nudge johnny forward and then take the chance to slam the door shut in their face
the sound echoing through the halls and earning you questionable looks on all sides
but you don’t care 
you know johnny needs to go somewhere and be alone and you find that place in the fire escape staircase
dingy and old, but free of students and pesky exes
when you find yourself in the small, dark area you realize you should excuse yourself
and let him maul over the many emotions he must be feeling right now
but when you turn to go, you hear his deep voice softly ask you to stay
he sits down on the steps, large hands cradling his head 
“why can’t they leave me alone?”
“im sorry, i don’t know why.”
you say the only thing you can say even though it makes you feel terrible 
johnny shakes his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes and making it hard to read the expression on his face
although it’s not hard to assume that it’s pained
“you know, i was going to marry that person. i was going to walk down the aisle with someone who - who -”
johnny loses his words 
“who would betray you?”
you finish and he looks up, his eyes ringed red and bristling with haziness 
“yes.”
he chokes back a sound
“someone who doesn’t really love me.”
he shrinks, large shoulders closing in on themselves
you want to comfort him, but you’re not sure 
after all it isn’t as if you and him are particularly close
so you give a small bow as you mutter that you’ll leave him be for now, that he needs his space and you don’t want to invade it
but before you can turn around, johnny rises up off the steps and stops you
for a moment he’s just got a hand on your wrist, holding you in place - maybe he just needs someone to hear him out 
maybe he wants to thank you for getting rid of the person who hurt him so bad
but something twists in the pit of your stomach as he tugs you toward him
and you feel weightless, falling into his arms easily and fitting into the plane of his chest perfectly
“im sorry”
he apologizes, deep voice cracking
“im sorry - i just want to hold -”
you give a weak nod, knowing you should be the bigger person and step away from this 
he’s vulnerable, you’re the only one around, there isn’t any other reason for his actions
but a little voice in your head prods it says
maybe johnny actually trusts you! maybe you’ve made him feel like being open with someone is possible again!
but you refuse to fall into that trap 
johnny is handsome, kind, and didn’t deserve to be cheated on and scarred
and so it’s impossible that he’d ever find healing in you 
“can you close your eyes for a second?”
you freeze at the request - wanting to ask why, but somehow all you end up doing is letting your lashes flutter closed
“im sorry, im so sorr-”
johnny doesn’t even finish his sentence, he presses his lips to yours and you let out a sound of confusion
that he interprets as protest so he pulls away just as fast as he started and tries to stumble over another apology
when you just reach out with your hands and pull him back into you
i don’t care if im just a coping mechanism for him right now, just feeling his lips on mine for that moment - it’s obvious he’s missed affection. he needs this. im just being a good person.
no matter how you reason in your mind, your thoughts melt away when johnny’s hands wrap around your waist and his large body nearly envelops you whole
one hand finds the hem of your shirt - but hesitates and stays on your hip as you tilt your head and johnny groans when your teeth pull at his lip
he’s burning up, his skin gets hotter and hotter as the kiss gets deeper and deeper
and you feel your back against the wall - johnny placing his hands on the surface beside your head as he keeps himself from doing anything you might not want him to
but you’re at a point where you’re willing to take his own hand in yours and move it back onto your body
because johnny suh deserves to be loved and he deserves to have someone that’ll give themselves to him and only him 
and in this moment it’s you - and you want him to know that
“did you hear about the physics quiz for professor qian?”
two voices from below shatter the bubble around you and johnny
disconnecting from each other - you take in a breath and react faster than he can
you open the door to the stairs, scurrying out 
just in time for it to shut behind you as two students round the top stair and find professor suh alone 
staring at the door
they giggle, greeting him and he just nods, speechless and touching the curve of his lips 
“what the hell did i just do?”
you say to yourself, trying to fix your hair as you pass through the campus and back to the parking lot
you thankfully don’t have any classes to teach today so you just book it home and ignore the notifications that litter the screen of your phone
you feel like you’re in high school again - being a giant child about this sticky situation
but you just don’t know what to do now
why did you let yourselves get carried away like that? you work together for gods sake you’re going to have to see each other TOMORROW
you groan into your pillow 
you try to carefully deleting notifications from your work email that have johnny’s name in them
and only feeling worse when they pop up again
you accidentally press on one and it opens
it’s the same profile photo on the email icon, smiling, happy johnny
the same .edu email
everything is the same but the message
‘please don’t hate me’
you take in a breath, tap reply 
‘i don’t, but - what did that all mean?’
‘this isn’t something we should talk about over......’
‘yeah, let’s do it in person.’
 you gather up a bit of your courage and tell yourself it’s ok. mistakes happen, the air will clear up when you face each other
your students don’t notice that you’re jittery 
when you drop the pen you’re holding, they just keep typing away on their laptops
and for the first time as a professor, you’re happy to have no one paying attention to you
when the bell rings and you start walking toward the campus cafe where you’ll be meeting johnny
you feel a mixture of butterflies and sickening poison invade the inside of your stomach
he’s already there, sipping a coffee, wearing a ridiculously long sleeved cardigan and rounded glasses
a student greets him and he gives her the smile you’re so used to seeing
that the image of him curled up with tears on the brink of his eyes just doesn’t seem real anymore
but you saw it. you know you did.
you approach slowly and johnny seems to hesitate between getting up and staying in his seat
“do you want me to get you a coffee?”
he propositions, but you shake your head
“johnny - i mean, professor suh - i hope you know you don’t owe me anything.”
he had been drumming his fingers on his thigh, but he stops
“you don’t owe me any explanations about ,,,,,,,,,,,, that person or about the situation or about,,,,,,,,,,,, why what happened - happened. i just want us to be good colleagues,,,”
your voice trails off when the smile on his face isn’t showing up
it’s just a blank - long stare
“professor suh,,,,,,?”
“did you think i did what i did just because i feel lonely?”
you sit back and look around
“i-”
“you’ve got it wrong.”
he slips out of the chair and you think he’s about to just leave - but he’s thinking what you’re thinking
which is that you can’t talk about making out with each other when there are about one hundred students within earshot range
so you end up again in the stairwell, not the same one - but it’s the only private place on campus
and the second you’re alone, johnny chucks the cup over his shoulder and wraps his arms around you
your body is pressed, perfectly again, into the shape of his chest
“you’re not a rebound, or a coping mechanism, or any of those things.”
he mumbles, deep voice against the skin of your ear
“you’re the first person ive had an interest in in a long time - i just chose the wrong time to act on it.”
you think you’re making the words up in your head, but they’re really coming out of johnny’s mouth
“i know you said you want to be good colleagues, and i want that too. but outside of work i want-”
 you shift a little, arms coming up to embrace him back
really you’re not even thinking about it - your body just feels safe and comfortable
and it speaks for you as he pulls back 
to look at you with those almost amber like eyes
“i want something more - if you’re ok with it?”
you nod, lips parting a little as he leans in to kiss you again
there isn’t the same desperate, driven by pain feeling as there was yesterday
but it’s still loving and passionate
“but prof - johnny,,,”
you start against the skin of his cheek
and he slows down a little to hear you out
“if i see your ex on campus again, i wont be nice about it now.”
he chuckles
“don’t worry, you have my permission to do your worst.”
you both laugh over it - before kissing again and again and again
until his phone goes off and he picks it up and the head of the film department is frantically asking if he meant to be late to his class or if he got into another accident on his bike
“you bike to work?”
“yes - and ill be picking you up on my bike on our first date.”
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