The Professor's Daughter

Susie stumbled out of the back doors, the light above her head stinging her eyes. She raised her hands to her eyes to block it out, slipping on the step and gradually falling against the brick wall. Her head felt like it was rattling around as she heard the blood rush to it.

With such little stability and strength, she slid down the wall, grazing her bare arms and landing in a heap on the floor. Her dress slowly soaked up the rainwater from the damp ground and once again she hid her face with her hands. And cried.

She was a letdown, a disappointment and someday she’d be a nobody.

Those words were the ones she feared the most and the cruel realization she’d just been put through made her tears fall faster and the lump in her throat grow. She curled up even more, not caring that her dress was ruined, that her makeup will have run and her hair a frizzy mop.

It was then, however, that she heard the crunch of stones under feet. Peering up a little, she saw two black shoes loom into her blurry vision and stop a foot from herself.

Her head rose as the fuzzy figure crouched down in front of her and pushed a flop of her hair out of the way. His hand trailed a little down her face, his fingers grazing the places where tears were beginning to dry.

Though there was a tiny fraction of doubt due to the lack of focus and light, Susie pulled herself up onto her knees. Her eyes were wide and dazed.

Was he really here? Was this really happening? And on tonight of all nights as well.

“T-?“ She went to ask but the man simply moved his finger to rest on her lips.

He leant forward, so close to Susie’s ear that she shut her eyes as a shiver ran down her spine. She knew she had waited too long as he hushed to her softly. The light above Susie flashed twice before burning to an end and she was blanketed into darkness.

“Shhh….”

A couple hours earlier…

The cold metal of the lift wall was unforgiving as Maria’s back pressed against it. She spread out her fingers wide on the surface and took a deep breath, her eyes closing. It was alright, she would be fine. She simply had to go home and go to bed, thinking could wait until morning.

Or at least that had been the plan.

“Maria, wait.”

That was what everyone shouted, whether it was Adele or Susie, Daniels or Leighton, it was always ‘Maria, wait’. Maybe she was fed up of waiting for people to display themselves or tell the truth, why couldn’t they just say what they wanted to say in the first place?

“Maria?”

A hand slid in the closing gap of the doors, preventing them from shutting completely and whisking Maria away from such a turmoil of a night.

Maria looked up to see Leighton’s face appear as the doors opened again; his cheeks were flushed and his eyes fiery. He was… angry? Irritated? Flustered?

“I thought I said to wait.” He stated, stepping into the little room and hitting the emergency stop button. His gaze flicked to Maria as he waited for an answer.

“Why should I?” She dismissed, wrapping her jacket around her for warmth despite her temperature rising under Leighton’s piercing scrutiny.

Enraged and provoked, Leighton strode forward and took the bull by the horns or in this case took Maria in his arms. His face was but centimeters from hers, his hands on her cheeks, his eyes on hers.

“Because I wasn’t finished.” He murmured.

And then he kissed her.

He kissed her again.

And then he kissed her once more.

And by then Leighton was in love: he loved how soft her skin was beneath his fingertips; he loved how her hair tickled the edges of his face; he’d loved the sullen look she’d given him before and how quick it had changed to the smile he now felt against his lips. He loved how her hand was gripping the fabric of his top; how the shoes she’d been clenching were now jabbing into his chest and how beautiful she looked in her teal dress.

Maria, on the other hand, was enduring a fit of dizziness as she clung to her Professor for support. This wasn’t like before, it was so different to the kiss in the corridor where there had been the grief of Margaret Richards and the uncertainty. She leaned in even further to the kiss as Leighton pulled back. He smoothed back Maria’s hair as she allowed herself to regain her balance and gradually she opened her eyes.

“You were saying?”

“Don’t go.” Leighton lulled, he ran his hand through Maria’s curls.

“Stay? Here?” Maria asked, she watched as her fingers played with his collar.

“That’s if you want to…?”

Maria grinned uncontrollably. “Of course I want to.”

Leighton leant forward again. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Their lips met once more as Leighton’s hands travelled around Maria, clasping her closer and it wasn’t until they heard a pointed ‘ahem’ that they broke reluctantly apart.

“Ah, good evening Mrs Kendall.” Leighton spoke politely, turning his back to Maria as she righted herself; he caught her hand though, running his thumb in circles over the skin. “Off out?”

“Just down to collect the post. Forgot to earlier.” Mrs Kendall chuckled as she smiled knowingly. Her thick slippers kept her toes snug and she tucked the folded tissue back up her sleeve.

“Why don’t you let me get it for you-“

“No no, dear. You have company.” Mrs Kendall smiled as she peered around at Maria who only hid her crimson face. “And I wouldn’t want to spoil your evening.”

Leighton stepped out of the lift, pulling Maria behind him. “Well, enjoy your evening Mrs Kendall.”

Mrs Kendall smiled again as fond memories of the past resurfaced. “You too.” She called wittingly after the pair before hopping into the open lift.

Meanwhile, Maria waited until the door was closed firmly behind her before bursting into a fit of laughs.

“How embarrassing.” She exclaimed as she hid her face in Leighton’s shoulder. Her arms were looped over his neck and he couldn’t help but laugh a little himself. “Did you see her shocked expression?”

“I don’t think she was quite expecting to see us. Or anyone for that matter.” He justified.

“But she looked as if she got some strange kick out of it.” Maria raised her head and scrunched up her face before laughing once again.

Leighton leant down and kissed the well of Maria’s neck as she continued laughing, both from Mrs Kendall’s arrival and the way his lips tickled her skin.

“Maybe we should have invited her in.” Leighton suggested in his smooth voice which only made Maria squirm awkwardly.

“Don’t you ever put those sorts of thoughts in my head again.”

“I apologize.”

Peacefully, Leighton rested his forehead against Maria’s temple whilst she let her eyes close with the feel of his breath against her cheek. Her back pressed further into the closed door as his hands tugged at her jacket.

Leighton knew that he wasn’t acting himself, he never would be with Maria but then again what exactly was himself?

Was it an ignorant, unloving, shell of a being? He knew his mother would turn to see him like that but ashamedly Leighton knew that that was the man he’d become over the years. And yet in the presence of this girl; this youthful, free-spirited optimist; he was transformed.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Leighton murmured, his fingers slipping underneath Maria’s jacket and subsequently pulling it down off of her shoulders.

“I don’t believe it came up.”

“Well, you do.” His lips grazed the soft skin around her collarbone. “So much so,” His nose nuzzled against the defined structure. “That I’m tempted to simply gobble you up right here and now.”

Maria relinquished a string of giggles as Leighton joked around but the spontaneous sound halted sharply and her face screwed up tightly.

Leighton’s head rose immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Door handle.” Maria yelped, stepping forward once Leighton had moved to one side, a quiet apology leaving his lips.

“Come with me.” He instructed and the two walked through to the living room. The fire was still crackling a little in the grate and the curtains were drawn back to show the dark night with it’s sprinkling of apartment lights, an open book lay upturned on the sofa cushion.

Instantly Maria was reminded of the couple nights she’d spent here with Leighton, when she was in need of company, care and security and when he was being unfamiliarly charitable. She remembered how serene those long evenings had been, how she would glance up at him; his head against the cushion, his hand moving fluidly as he scrawled remarks on essay’s, his feet propped up on the coffee table. It had been the most relaxed pose she’d ever seen of him, how he would pull his glasses up onto his head, rub his eyes and scrunch up his nose before returning back to his work. Completely at ease with his surroundings, with himself and with her presence.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure.” Maria smiled as Leighton disappeared into the kitchen. She slipped off her jacket and flopped it over the sofa arm before sitting down, folding her legs beneath her and dropping the shoes to the floor.

If one thing could be certain right at that moment, it was that Maria wished life was simple. If there weren’t complications like her mother falling and her father loathing Thomas Leighton then maybe life would in fact be that little bit easier. Maybe she’d be able to live in an apartment as nice as this one, maybe she could actually, properly, problemfree-ly be with Leighton instead of all of this on-off-yes-no business that had them spinning round in circles.

Of course there was that further, minor, ever-so-tiny complication.

Thomas Leighton wasn’t just Thomas Leighton.

He was Thomas Leighton, Professor of Astronomy.

Or in other words: Thomas Leighton, Professor of Maria Ludwig.

Professor. Lecturer. Mentor. Tutor. Educator. They all meant the same thing.

Thomas Leighton had a responsibility to teach Maria on space, celestial objects, the physical universe as a whole.

Oh, and then just chuck in the part about teaching her how to love someone and be loved in return.

Not really top of the class specification.

“Here you go.” Leighton handed Maria the narrow glass and before he could take a seat himself, Maria had downed the drink in one swift gulp. “Is everything quite alright?”

Maria smiled briefly and handed back the glass. She pulled herself up to rest her head back next to Leighton’s, her eyes transfixed on the glowing logs in the fireplace.

Outside the city was still alive, she could hear it; a city of rebellion and secrets and for those moments that Leighton and Maria spent together that night, Maria knew she had a secret. A secret she had to hold on to tightly, because if anyone knew their true circumstances, it would all be over in a flash.

Maria’s voice wobbled as she replied.

“Everything’s fine.”