Chapter Text
Beomgyu turns his back to the last few students who file out of the lecture hall, he makes quick work of erasing everything that he had scrawled on the blackboard. Today had been a lot of back and forth with the students, typical for moral ethics and the way it bred discussion and often conflict.
He hears someone clear their throat behind him, “Professor?”
Beomgyu turns to see probably the last student that he’d ever want to find himself alone with. But when did anything ever go how Beomgyu wanted it to.
“Ah, Taehyun. Did you want to talk about something?” Beomgyu tries to hide the fact that he is nervous. It's such an odd feeling to have around a student, especially one that hasn't done much more than stare at him unnervingly. The strikingly blonde male likes to scrutinise, but not just the concepts that Beomgyu teaches, instead he picks apart the professor himself with his piercing gaze.
“Yes, actually.” Taehyun leans one arm onto the lectern. His sleeve is rolled up, and Beomgyu accidentally lets his gaze wander to the veins that are on display. Beomgyu has taught plenty of attractive students without personal falter. But Taehyun always seems to have Beomgyu losing himself a bit. “I wanted to discuss the moral dilemma present in relationships complicated by status.”
“Ah, you wish to discuss relationships that have a professional power imbalance.”
“Yes, a CEO and their employee, or…” Taehyun stares into Beomgyu’s soul as he says the next words, “A teacher and a student.”
Beomgyu levels Taehyun a charged stare, “That delves into legalities, but there’s a lot of material on the topic, lots of opinions, lots to consider.”
Taehyun jumps in, “I imagine it’s easy for us to discuss the second example, considering you are a teacher, and I am a student. More situational insight wouldn’t you say?”
The words that Taehyun spoke are by all rights harmless, but the way that he said them has Beomgyu panicking slightly inside. Taehyun is obviously implying some kind of relationship between him and Beomgyu, but Taehyun is certainly far from the pining admirer. However, Beomgyu isn't one to roll over, he has a lot of bite, and so he figures he’d at least meet Taehyun toe to toe. “From a personal perspective, I don’t find myself interested in any of my students, they’re far too young and innocent, inexperienced.”
“So, you suggest that young people are not enough for a teacher’s needs?” Taehyun’s face does not fall at all to Beomgyu’s statement, leaving the professor still guessing as to his angle for all of this.
“How could a student be enough to satisfy the needs of a grown adult, with a career and an established lifestyle?”
Taehyun smirks and Beomgyu wonders how he always seems to feel like he is winning when Beomgyu is trying to dig at him and shoot him down. “What do you think about when the personal dynamics are opposite to their professional dynamics?”
“Are you suggesting that the student has the power?” Beomgyu glares at Taehyun, trying to figure him out.
“Well, you’re assuming that the teacher has the power. That doesn’t seem like you’re considering all possibilities. Honestly, I find that to be the biggest problem in a dilemma such as this, that people immediately assume the student is the vulnerable one. Tell me, professor, who do you think is more vulnerable?”
“Well, a teacher is in more danger if the relationship is to be found out. But I do not think that means the teacher is the vulnerable one.”
Taehyun walks around the lectern to come face to face with Beomgyu. He's the shorter one, but his piercing eyes make Beomgyu feel small. “Are you so sure about that?”
“Students are young and impressionable.”
“That may be true,” Taehyun continues, “But who feels like the prey in this situation.” Taehyun’s hands come to rest on the whiteboard either side of Beomgyu’s head. He didn't realise until now that he had been backing away from Taehyun. “Well?” Taehyun prompts.
“There are adults who would take advantage of children,” Beomgyu starts.
Taehyun pushes a knee between Beomgyu’s legs and twists one of Beomgyu’s nipples through his ironed white-collar shirt causing him to yelp in pain, “That’s not what I’m asking you. I said, who feels like the prey in THIS situation? Well, professor? Answer me.”
And then there was a hand on Beomgyu’s throat. “Taehyun, what are you…?” Beomgyu chokes out.
“What am I doing?” Taehyun tilts his head to one side, “Am I taking advantage of you? But I’m simply a student, it’s the teachers, the adults that do that. I’m the prey, aren’t I, professor?”
“Taehyun, please,” Beomgyu strains.
Taehyun smirks, the familiar expression that haunts Beomgyu’s lecture hall, only it has never been this close before, “I believe you know what to do to get yourself released. I asked you a question, didn’t I?” His eyes are dark as he stares right into Beomgyu’s.
Beomgyu knows what Taehyun wants to hear, but he isn't exactly in the business of complying. And so, he stares Taehyun down with his mouth sealed shut, all the while struggling with his air supply, spots dancing across his vision.
Taehyun takes the hand not around Beomgyu’s neck and pinches his nipple again, this time holding it there, and he slowly twists it and watches as Beomgyu’s eyes water and his face grew red. All the while feeling the extra satisfaction of the teacher growing hard against the leg he has pressed tightly to his crotch. “I’m going to ask one last time, professor. It’s a simple question really, and I know you know the answer. All you have to do is say it.” Taehyun’s tone turns to something close to a growl as he commands Beomgyu to concede, “Who is the prey?”
“I am,” He rasps.
And like the flick of a switch everything is released. Taehyun removes both hands and his leg. Beomgyu draws a gasping breath as he slides to the floor, his body not able to hold itself up. And that’s where Taehyun leaves him, breathing heavily and painfully hard.
A million thoughts swim through Beomgyu’s head as he sits slumped alone in the lecture theatre. A conflicting mix of dread and excitement for the next lecture that he'll have with Taehyun’s accompanying stare. That had been crossing lines, legal lines, personal boundaries of Beomgyu’s and yet thoughts to report Taehyun never cross his mind. He's only all the more intrigued to see him again.
He feels sick for it as he shakily draws himself back up to standing. Sick that he had been taken advantage of by a student, and sick that he had drawn some enjoyment from it.
Beomgyu slowly gathers together all his things to turn in for the day. Making sure he has his car keys on hand, to get off the campus and back to his apartment as swiftly as possible. He couldn’t dare to look any of his colleagues or students in the eyes with all that was racing through his mind and how he wanted to crawl out of his skin.
After a few days, several coffees and a couple of Taehyun-free tutorials Beomgyu's feeling semi prepared for his next lecture. He's determined to pretend that nothing is amiss, to give his lecture as per normal, and to face that stare head on, even if it will do so much more than just unnerve him now.
Pretending nothing's wrong becomes alarmingly easy when the lecture hall is void of the dark eyed blonde. Beomgyu was thrown slightly, having been so overprepared for Taehyun’s presence, but he settles comfortably into his teaching with the standard pressure of inquisitive eyes from the seats.
Beomgyu's wearing his brown three-piece suit to this particular lecture, wanting to feel professional, and subconsciously wanting to cover himself up over what had happened last time, but he’d underestimated the weather and so halfway through his ramblings he removes his coat and drapes it on one of the empty front row seats as he walks around continuing to delve into the topic of the day.
But it seems the weather is not the only thing he’s underestimated. As not too long later one of the higher-level hall doors opens announcing the presence of a late attendee. And Beomgyu falls over his words as he watches the blonde casually stroll to an empty seat.
Beomgyu looks away and quickly pulls himself back together getting on track as he talks his way around the stumble. He keeps his focus anywhere else in the room. Eyes wandering the seating, there are a couple of times that he skips over where he knows Taehyun is sitting, almost meeting his gaze on autopilot.
Beomgyu’s heart is racing now, he had gotten too relaxed with the lack of Taehyun’s presence, that his sudden appearance was making Beomgyu’s head spin. He focuses as best he can on maintaining a reasonable talking speed. But the rhythm disrespancy between his pulse and words makes it rather difficult.
Even through all of his caution, he still manages to lock eyes with Taehyun. And that stare is so smug and so knowing, almost as if he can hear Beomgyu’s heart rate and smell his anxiety.
He hates how much Taehyun’s driving his own point home. Even with this much space between them, with hundreds of students around them, Taehyun makes Beomgyu feel like prey. He feels caught, and he can't find the way out.
With the close of his lecture Beomgyu pack’s up his things and clears off the blackboard as the students are still slowly filing out. He’s waiting, he doesn’t know if it’s fear or anticipation that he’s feeling as he waits for whatever happens next.
Beomgyu watches as the hall empties, but when the students clear no one is left behind from the crowd. The lecture theatre is empty, Kang Taehyun nowhere in sight. And it doesn’t relieve Beomgyu even slightly. He thought Taehyun was absent for the lecture but then he had turned up halfway, and now he hasn’t come to corner Beomgyu after. Who’s to say the student won’t be waiting for him elsewhere.
Beomgyu picks up his briefcase and hangs his coat over his arm. He exhales shakily as he kills the lights and leaves the room. Taehyun is not waiting for him outside the theatre, nor is he hanging around any of the corridors. And Beomgyu finds the carpark barren even though he had been fearing to find the student waiting by his car. Maybe he's being too paranoid.
Only once he’s in the car, key in the ignition and pulling out onto the road does he finally start to relax again. He makes it back to his apartment fine, kicking off his shoes and shucking off his vest, all of the tension draining with them.
Beomgyu collapses on top of his sheets, tossing his slacks to the floor, now in his underwear and open dress shirt, and he runs a hand over his face. Knocking his round glasses in the process and quickly slipping them off and onto his nightstand. It feels so cruel, Beomgyu had barely interacted with Taehyun for four days and yet all the way home he had been occupying Beomgyu’s every waking thought.
And Beomgyu just knew that was to Taehyun’s every intention. To not talk to him tonight, but to see him, to mess with him and to remind him who the prey was. Like he’d been saying and driving home. And Beomgyu just had to wait, for whatever the next move would be.
And well, there wasn’t much waiting to be done. The next lecture he had was the following day. And Taehyun was already in the lecture hall before Beomgyu arrived, seated, along with most other students who arrived on time.
Beomgyu takes his time setting himself up, pointedly ignoring the holes being borne into the back of his head. He's glad he had listened to the weather and foregone a jacket today, because even in his vest and button down he was starting to feel a little hot from the intense gaze.
The lecture goes smoother than yesterday. Beomgyu feels more confident, on top of his game. Maybe it's thanks to the familiarity of Taehyun’s standard presence, the fact that while the lecture is on going there isn't much the student can do to gain the upper hand.
After the lecture however is a different story, and this time Beomgyu notices the way Taehyun lingers. He watches the number of students in the room slowly dwindle, until Taehyun finally makes his way down the stands, reaching the floor right as the door shuts behind the last straggler.
“I’ve been thinking more about what we talked about last time, professor,” Taehyun pronounces each word slowly, calmly.
Beomgyu makes a hum of acknowledgement but continues to keep himself busy packing up, not conceding to meeting his student head on.
“You spoke of danger last time,” Taehyun taps a finger rhythmically on the lectern edge, “That a teacher stood to lose more from an uncovered relationship.”
“It’s all to do with the line of consent,” Beomgyu feeds into the discussion, but he still doesn’t turn to Taehyun directly, only passing glances over his shoulder, to make sure distance and propriety is maintained, “A person of lower status, and particularly if that person is underage has obstructed ability to provide consent and therefore has removed accountability for actions taken. A sane adult, with more status or power providing full consent is then liable for any consequences of actions taken. And not to mention the pre-existing responsibility and duty of care that teachers have for their students. It’s such a losing situation.”
“They really take the fall.” Taehyun muses.
“It’s career ruining.” Beomgyu turns to look back from where he’s dusting the blackboard and Taehyun is right there. His presence startles him and Beomgyu bites his lip to prevent from verbally alluding to this.
“There doesn’t seem to be any blame laid to the student,” Taehyun whispers the words, enough sound to be heard only by Beomgyu, not that there is anyone else around to otherwise hear the words. But it's so private, so intimate as Beomgyu feels Taehyun press his body to his back. “There’s no consequences for the powerless.”
And it’s so laughable. The powerless? Taehyun has him pressed to the wall, unable to move away, and he stands to lose so much if anyone were to find out about this. Taehyun has so much power, and the student knows that; he goddamn knows it.
“Really, a student could do anything they wanted to their teacher.” This time the colour of Taehyun’s tone is wicked.
“I thought we were here to talk about morals, Taehyun,” It’s supposed to be stern, but the anticipatory fear of where this could go next has Beomgyu’s tone lighter. It’s brattier, closer to who he is outside of this place, who he is to potential partners, “Where do you draw the line?”
Taehyun tangles his fingers through Beomgyu’s hair and then pulls harshly, forcing Beomgyu’s chin up, head resting back on Taehyun’s shoulder. He presses his hips forward, pushing Beomgyu against the blackboard, pinning him there with his body. “What if we turned away from our morals and gave in to sin?” Taehyun mouths against Beomgyu’s throat, letting his teeth drag, causing Beomgyu to jump and shiver. “Afterall, we’re all sinners, aren’t we, professor?” He punctuates the last word with a bite, clamping his teeth down on Beomgyu’s neck.
Beomgyu yelps at the sudden pain and squirms in Taehyun’s hold. “Don’t you feel that this is wrong?” He gritts out through his teeth.
“But it could be so right.” And now Taehyun is kissing down the column of his throat, and it’s so tender in nature that it gives Beomgyu whiplash. “You’re so alluring to me, professor, I want to unwrap and unravel you.”
It’s the most honest Taehyun has been about all this. It lends beyond harassment, that Taehyun considers this at least one step more than purely messing with Beomgyu.
“What do you want, professor?” Taehyun speaks lowly, it’s an offering, it’s almost kind, except that Taehyun presses himself against Beomgyu further. So much so that Beomgyu can feel everything, from his breath, to his firm chest, to the pressure against his ass.
Taehyun has given Beomgyu an opportunity for choice in the midst of his pursuit and yet his mind is clouded by thoughts of Taehyun. What with feeling him everywhere, he has vague thoughts about how he’d like the young strong male to bench press him. And maybe Beomgyu was just losing his sanity.
“I want to keep my job.” Beomgyu ends up getting out.
It only serves to make Taehyun chuckle, “I believe the career ending factor road on whether or not the relationship was found out.” Taehyun pulls Beomgyu’s head harshly to the side and takes his earlobe between his teeth. Taehyun moves his free hand from where it cages Beomgyu against the blackboard and traces it up Beomgyu’s stomach, coming to his chest. He slips his fingers between the vest and the shirt to tease a nipple. And he pairs this with a purposeful roll of his hips against Beomgyu’s ass.
Beomgyu can feel Taehyun’s hardening length pressed between his cheeks, the way his mouth sucks a bruising mark into his neck, and the stinging pain from the intermittent tugging on his hair. Everything combined pushes Beomgyu close to something, or at least further away from his stable sense of wrong and right as he breathes out, “Well, we better not get found out.”
It's the admission that Taehyun has been waiting for, clearly, as Beomgyu feels him smirk against his skin. “That’ll be no problem for me,” Taehyun says as he slowly detangles himself from Beomgyu, allowing the professor to find his footing as he breaks away, “I’m good at staying hidden.”
Beomgyu is perplexed for a second, wondering as to why everything is ending so suddenly. Scared he’s maybe made a huge mistake in his admission.
But Taehyun simply continues to move away, and all so quickly he is leaving, with the words, “See you next week, professor,” on his lips.
Beomgyu’s head spins. He’s so screwed, he’s pretty sure he’s now in some sort of sexual arrangement with a student, not that it wasn’t already turning out to be like that from the start. But unspoken and spoken were two entirely different things.
Yes, Taehyun was attractive, and was Beomgyu attracted to Taehyun, also yes. But was it really worth it? There were plenty of men out there that didn’t pose nearly as many moral, ethical or legal problems for Beomgyu.
Beomgyu straightens himself out, trying his best to comb through his hair with his hands so he can leave the theatre peacefully without attracting prying and curious eyes.
Beomgyu is surprisingly calm going into the next week. Because there’s an element of certainty, he’ll see Taehyun, Taehyun will approach him, and it will probably escalate in some kind of sexual way. Though he doesn’t know how far Taehyun wants to take anything. But with Beomgyu’s agreeance it’s sure to go somewhere.
Beomgyu is still plagued with thoughts of how wrong it is. His weekend hadn’t been very restful fretting over all the factors. It wasn’t the greatest move of his to give in so easily like that, nor was it even typical of his sex life. He was a goddamn brat, doms never got him that quickly. Though he supposed Taehyun had yet to gain a considerable amount of satisfaction from whatever arrangement it was that they had going on. If it could be considered an arrangement at all.
With the hotter weather continuing to roll in Beomgyu is wearing shorts today, suspenders over his button down. And he mildly fears the reveal of more of his skin to Taehyun’s eyes and potentially his hands, if they end up against the blackboard again later.
Today Taehyun also heeds to the weather change and he’s wearing a plain white tee, this is probably the most of Taehyun’s arms that Beomgyu has been visual witness to. He’s quite toned, and Beomgyu finds that more attractive than he’d like to admit. God, since when had conceding to entertain your student’s unholy desires lead to thinking about them unbidden.
And well Beomgyu’s thoughts don’t really get back on track from there. Slippery slopes and all that.
Taehyun’s gaze is not as calculating today, he’s surprisingly not scrutinising Beomgyu, instead he seems to be sizing him up much more enthusiastically, a spark behind his eyes, telling of what’s to come.
At the end of Beomgyu’s lecture he has a couple students approach him, asking him questions relating to an upcoming assignment. And his mind couldn’t be further from the topic. Not with the way he catches Taehyun backpeddling out of the corner of his eye, making himself busy quickly so as to not overlap time with the dedicated students. If measure of studiousness was related to how much time you stayed back to consult the lecturer, Taehyun would be the star student.
Once Beomgyu has answered his callings he says a polite farewell to the students and turns to his things, packing his briefcase as if he were planning to leave promptly. Which was likely far from reality.
“Professor.” Taehyun greets, standing at the bottom of the seating bank.
“Did you have any questions about the assignment?” Beomgyu asks cheekily.
Taehyun only rolls his eyes, his energy much more laid back today. As if he doesn’t believe he has to fight for his goals. Beomgyu is miffed by his quiet confidence, not one to let anyone have him easily.
“I really must get going,” Beomgyu stokes the flames the best way he knows how, “So if you don’t have any questions, then I’ll be leaving.”
Taehyun scoffs, but there’s a chuckle behind it, keeping things light-hearted, “I don’t have any queries on the assignment, but I do have another moral quandary I’d like to discuss.”
Beomgyu hums, waiting to find out where this will go next.
“Regarding practices of discipline…” Taehyun trails off, his focus one his hands, and Beomgyu becomes suddenly aware of a ruler that Taehyun is twisting between his fingers.
Beomgyu gulps, drawing his eyes away from Taehyun feeling a small spark of fear, “Do you wish to talk about the psychological concept of positive punishment?”
Taehyun hums, “We could use the student and teacher example once more. Professor, is it right to cane students for bad behaviour? Should parents be allowed to spank their children?”
“As I’m sure you are aware, Taehyun, the law has removed the use of physical punishment from schools.”
“But what do you think, professor, would your values allow you to commit such an act?”
“No, they would not.” Beomgyu states firmly, staring Taehyun down. But then he invites the beast, “What about you?”
The corners of Taehyun’s mouth pick up, “For me, I suppose it depends on how deserving the recipient is.” Taehyun smacks the ruler into his own palm. “Some behaviours must not go unpunished.”
“And what behaviours would those be?” Beomgyu stokes, leaning his elbows onto the lectern.
Taehyun begins to move from his place by the seats, walking around Beomgyu slowly in a wide arc. “Insolence, talking back, disobedience.” Each word hangs in the air, Beomgyu’s mind following each one, drawing it back to him.
He's about to speak up when the ruler comes down on the corner of the lectern, just barely missing the skin of Beomgyu's arm and he jolts so hard, heart rate kicking up suddenly. It's an aluminium ruler and so the sound of it is stark.
Taehyun laughs, "These old tools are so effective. I didn't even hit you, but I'm certain you're ready to obey."
Beomgyu scoffs, "You think it's that easy?"
There's silence for a moment, and Beomgyu wonders whether he's stumped Taehyun, but then he feels a cool touch on the inside of his thigh. Taehyun gently pressing the ruler against Beomgyu's skin from behind him.
Taehyun hums as he runs the metal up the side of Beomgyu's leg. Beomgyu grips the lectern as he shies away from the sensation, but this only causes Taehyun to increase the pressure, keeping the ruler connected to his skin.
"The flat side of this makes such a nice sound," Taehyun muses and then he taps Beomgyu's opposite thigh with it a couple times. Not enough to cause pain, but it doesn't stop Beomgyu from flinching.
Beomgyu feels a hand press against his lower back pushing him forward to lay over the lectern more, but keeping his ass and legs out. And then without preamble there's a smack of the ruler across the back's of his legs.
Beomgyu cries out, and then quickly clamps a hand to his mouth remembering where he is, in the middle of the large lecture theatre.
Taehyun follows the hit up promptly with another and this time Beomgyu hears the way the sound echoes around the room. "It's so pretty." Taehyun muses.
Beomgyu can only pant, and suck in air through his teeth to stop from making too many unholy sounds.
Taehyun allows Beomgyu a moment of reprieve as he runs the cool metal over the back's of Beomgyu's now hot thighs.
"You know," Taehyun begins contemplatively, "For as pretty as the sound of the flat edge is, it doesn't leave nearly as pretty marks."
And then the flat cool press is replaced by a digging slide of what Beomgyu knows is the thin edge of the ruler. And while it isn't necessarily sharp, Beomgyu knows the hard edges are sure to do some damage.
Beomgyu waits for it, edged by the movements against his legs. Taehyun doesn't say anything and it's so much worse. But Beomgyu's not crazy enough to open his mouth, knowing his luck the ruler would come down right at that moment. For as silent as Taehyun is, he still puts slight pressure onto Beomgyu's lower back, subconsciously preparing Beomgyu for what's to come. And they come in quick.
The first one hurts, but it's not all that much different from the flat edge, just a more targeted pain. But when the second swing comes through it stings, and with the third stinging so clearly as well he realises that Taehyun's probably drawing blood. His stomach turns, but something in his mind draws him to what it must look like. Clear marks, cuts on his flesh. A much more stark reminder of Taehyun's touch than the hickeys he'd left last week.
One particular harsh blow has Beomgyu lurching forward and crying out. Tears come to his eyes and before he can properly register, he's hyperventilating.
Through the cloud of pain he feels the soft touch of skin against his legs, Taehyun soothing the cuts with his palm. It stings, but the touch is shockingly kind. It's enough of a contrast that Beomgyu whines in something close to pleasure.
Taehyun moves them to the floor, cradling Beomgyu in his lap. He keeps his knees pulled up so that the tender back's of his legs don't make contact with anything.
Beomgyu hiccups, realising he'd cried quite alot with feeling how wet his cheeks are. Taehyun removes Beomgyu's glasses and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his eye.
"Why are you being so kind?" Beomgyu sniffles.
"You interest me professor," Taehyun mutters, "But I wouldn't call me kind." And his face breaks out into a wicked grin as he pulls on Beomgyu's suspenders, releasing them to snap back against his chest.