LOVE MY PROFESSOR . (GXG)

The soft light of morning crept through the curtains, casting golden streaks over the bed. Ben stirred, his head pounding from the remnants of last night's drinking. His body ached, but it wasn't just from the alcohol-it was from the warmth beside him, the reminder of what they had done.

Slowly, he turned his head and saw Koe sleeping peacefully next to him, his bare skin marked with faint red and purple bruises-evidence of the passion they had shared. Ben's breath hitched as he looked down at himself, realizing he was just as bare.

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his messy hair.

Carefully, he slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Koe. His feet hit the cold floor as he made his way to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Inside, he turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on his face, his reflection staring back at him. His fingers traced the faint hickey on his neck, and his jaw clenched.

Ben's Thoughts (Internal Monologue):
"What the hell did I do? This isn't me. This shouldn't have happened. I was drunk. We were both drunk... but that doesn't excuse it. I can't- I can't let this mean something."

He let out a sharp breath, shaking his head, trying to push away the guilt clawing at his chest. After dressing up quickly, he stepped out of the bathroom, grabbing his things.

As he reached the door, Koe stirred in bed, blinking sleepily. His gaze softened as he saw Ben standing there.

"Where are you going?" Koe's voice was groggy, still laced with sleep.

Ben froze for a second but then quickly composed himself. "None of your business."

Koe frowned, sitting up. "Ben... wait."

Ben clenched his fists. "Forget about last night," he said coldly, his voice sharp. "It was a mistake."

Koe's face fell. "Ben, don't do this-"

But before he could finish, Ben had already slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Koe alone in the silent room.

Days passed, and the tension between Ben and Koe thickened like a storm brewing on the horizon.

Ben had been avoiding him-skipping meet-ups, ignoring texts, pretending as if nothing had ever happened. Every time their eyes met across the campus, Ben would look away, his expression unreadable.

Koe, on the other hand, was drowning in guilt.

He didn't regret being with Ben, but he regretted how things had turned out-how Ben refused to acknowledge him now, as if Koe had forced him into something.

That night, he finally had enough. He found Ben standing outside their usual hangout spot, smoking a cigarette, staring blankly at the street.

Koe took a deep breath and approached. "We need to talk."

Ben exhaled smoke, not even looking at him. "There's nothing to talk about."

Koe's jaw tightened. "Bullshit. You've been ignoring me for days. You won't even look at me, Ben."

Ben scoffed, flicking the cigarette away. "What do you want me to do, Koe? Pretend like nothing happened? Or worse-act like it did and fuck everything up?"

Koe stepped closer. "Why does it have to be a mistake?" His voice wavered slightly. "I- I thought-"

Ben cut him off with a bitter laugh. "You thought what? That we'd wake up and suddenly be something more? That's not how this works, Koe. We were drunk. It was stupid. And I'm not like that."

Koe's heart clenched. "Not like what?"

Ben looked at him, his expression hard. "Not like you."

The words hit like a slap. Koe took a shaky step back, hurt flashing across his face.

"You blame me for this," Koe whispered. "You act like I forced you-like I wanted this more than you did."

Ben didn't answer.

Koe's voice broke. "But I didn't. We were both there, Ben. We both wanted it. But now you're pretending like it's all my fault just because you can't deal with it."

Ben turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Just drop it, Koe."

Koe let out a humorless laugh. "You're such a coward."

Ben stiffened but didn't turn back.

Koe took a deep breath, his voice quieter now. "I won't keep chasing after you, Ben. If you want to pretend like this didn't happen, fine. But don't act like I'm the one who ruined everything."

Ben didn't respond.

The silence between them was suffocating, heavier than any words could be.

Koe shook his head, swallowing back the lump in his throat. "Goodbye, Ben."

With that, he walked away, leaving Ben standing alone in the cold night air, watching as Koe disappeared into the distance.