Watchful

Part 1 of a short story collection focused on a particular couple

Rosewood Academy is an intricate, complex and international school system that caters to a rather specific student base. The only requirement is that the applicant not be human. That being said, the Academy's campuses are isolated little villages, populated with all manner of fantastical characters... Yet, that particular year, out of all the students on the Ottawa campus, one student had the entire faculty buzzing with curiosity.

The feline-traited half-fae wasn't of an unusual breed and, while advanced for his age - already in college at sixteen - and academically excelling, he wasn't a exactly prodigy. It was his name that struck them. Reasero. One of the oldest and richest non-human families in the Americas, and, if the faculty knew their gossip well, the boy's late mother was a Desrosiers, a prestigious French family. Regardless of his blue-blooded lineage, the boy lived in one of the smallest apartments on the campus, just a few blocks away from the campus pub at which he worked almost every night. His family never visited, his father had played no part in his enrollment, he payed his schooling and rent and everything else on his own... It was enough to rock all the faculty members to the core.

There was only professor who's interest in the boy was actually in -him-, and not the gossip. Perhaps because, at twenty-nine, he was younger than most of his fellows, or perhaps because he was easily charmed by the playful grin that had greeted him on the first day of term, in his Shakespearean literature course. What ever the reason, Professor Jareth Maddox had made himself a new routine that year, one that bordered on obsession...

Every night, without fail, the young professor would slip into the campus pub for an after dinner drink and make his way to a quiet corner table, with a perfect view of the doorless kitchen and the cat-boy working inside. From his vantage point, he remained unnoticed but was able to drink in the sight of his student as the boy handled dishes, making even that chore seem oddly graceful. 

Only a few people knew, but cat sang while he worked, his quiet voice unusually high, but sweet. Jareth knew well enough though, that he liked to dance. The professor eagerly watched as the boy's too small frame would turn smoothly, veiled in a curtain of unbound black hair, streaked with navy blue. His little feet would pop up to tip-toe, his feminine hips accentuated in the fluid movement of his cat's tail as it curled around him. 

After four months of his near voyeuristic routine, Jareth was finally caught. The teen had a night off, and was at the pub for fun, dancing closely pressed to another boy when his green-blue cat's eyes fell on his favourite professor. With all the excitement of a crushing school-girl, he parted company with his date and bounced over to the man's table.

"Professor Maddox! I almost expected you to not come tonight, so many of us making such a din. Must be hard for you to even think." The boy's girlish giggle was only outdone by the pinkening of his cheeks, fortunately masked by his dance-induced flush.

"Ah, monsieur Reasero, I wouldn't have missed this, it's nice to see such life in this place..." The man's dark hair was just too short for him to hide behind, unfortunately, and his own look of shyness seemed to encourage this student he'd worked so hard to avoid outside of classes.

"Heh, you make yourself sound old when you talk that way." The boy teased, a little grin on his full lips. "Why don't you come dance with me? My date was a bust so I'm all lonely anyway..."

Against his better judgment, and a few school rules, Jareth reached his hand across the table as he nodded. His heart thumping loudly in his ear when he held that small clawed hand in his much larger one. The man fought hard, telling himself this was innocent, that he was simply feeling lonely and allowing himself a brief indulgence. He almost had himself convinced, until the end of the first song.

The minutes seems to fly by, and the pair felt formalities melt away with the music. By the end of an hour, Jareth held the boy tightly pressed against himself, the small arms draped over his muscled shoulders, as his hands rested on those long admired hips and they swayed in time with their own rhythm, the thunderous beating of their hearts...

As all nights must, that one came to an end, and it closed with a conversation, that ought never have happened...

The man's arm was around the boy's waist as they walked to the younger one's building and up the few steps to the lobby. There, they paused in shy silence until the cat spoke softly, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. "Thank you... Jareth, I had a great time tonight..."

"So did I, Misao... But... you do know we can't do this again..." Jareth replied sadly, stepping away reluctantly. It should have ended there, but ever impulsive, Will all but threw himself at the older man, claiming his lips in a kiss.

"I don't care... We can be secretive... I want this. I want to try."

And that... was, by far, the stupidest thing I've ever done...

Author's Note

A vampiric arc story - our reality, with supernatural creatures.

Reviews

[lost?]

This is pretty cool, keep writing.

Only one con-comment -- I think in your other story you said steal instead of steel (probably should have put that in another comment.)

A couple of questions (non-negative, just curious):
Q: Why'd you make it fantasy instead of plain non-fiction?
Q: (Possibly stupid) Does this story have any connection to the other one you posted?

And actually one more. Why'd you make Professor Maddox 29? You could have made him 24, just out of college, or 34...??

P.S. I'm new to Writers' Cafe... if you could take a look at some stuff I put up, that'd be awesome! Please?!