#professor marston

[baked-mango]

This is all the Zsakuva main boys and how I feel about them. They're also drawn as chibis and it's super cute and I'm never changing my opinion and I wanna know if y'all would change where everyone is. <3333

This took me all day, i love this fandom

#bringbackyandereboypleasesakuIactuallylikehim

[zsakuva]

Hello..!

I’ve kind of wondered about this for a while, but I’m curious if Darling was already comfortable with calling Andrew, ‘Andrew’ before they dated him.

Since Andrew was their professor, was he one of those teachers that let students call him by his first name, or was it more like a ‘Professor Marston’ sort of thing?

I guess I mean was there a sort of adjustment for Darling to stop addressing him as a professor?

Thank you! :-)

I think he would've been called both: Andrew when students are directly talking to him, and Professor Marston when being talked about. So I don't think there would've been any period of adjustment.

[imaginesbymk]

MARSTON. ━︎━︎ ZSAKUVA STRICT PROFESSOR !

chapter eleven - ❝what do you really want?❞

← previous chapter: chapter ten - "new friend." next chapter: FILLER CHAPTER - "ICEBREAKERS." →

fanfic info / read it on wattpad

SYNOPSIS — Fed up of waiting, Andrew finally confronts Y/N about his feelings and where they stand. Y/N has to make a decision.

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A N D R E W

"IT'S A COMPLEX field of contradictions and paradoxes that you can exploit. The influence of poetry is never summarized by a few words. It seeps into its very foundation." To some students who are only there to pass, it seemed like absolutely nothing to them. But when I spoke into the lectern mic, there was a rush of passion through my teaching as I spoke about poetry.

"But, it also pulls from your own ideologies whether you're aware of this or not, and so poems are always subjective in writing just as they are in interpretation, and time can also change it because of shifts in the dominant, societal culture. Now when these contradictions occur, in theory, you need to understand the breadth of obvious persuasion versus rooted ideology."

That last sentence I gave was something I had learned in my younger years. I credit the poets who were so lovesick and miserable that they poured it onto paper. The amount of ink used for a person they could but couldn't have. It was something I never thought I could relate to until I met Isaac.

Literature club wasn't too popular at the time. When I walked in the first meeting, only ten students showed up. If it was varsity, there would be twice the amount. Out of everyone who seemed to get along with each other right off the bat, Isaac was the first man I saw- and he was the only person who spoke to me the most.

As far as I know, the university has clubs, just not a Literature club. The Dean commented that having Literature and English composition courses were enough that there would be no point of even starting one. If I were to open one, I'd be the first to run it, and I wouldn't be as strict to these students in extracurricular. I'd laugh more, show a different side of me that everyone doesn't see often. With Y/N, we could probably talk about Astrophel and Stella for hours. I'll never forget the last time we had a tutorial. Y/N passionately rambled on the reading list they came up with themselves, as if they were the ones giving the lecture.

But as usual, I was. "So, the next poem I would like you to analyze is If by Rudyard Kipling. It's already uploaded onto Moodle, so give it a read. I want you to write down your initial interpretation, and then ask a friend for their interpretation, and then bring the results next week to see if they differ and why." I looked at my watch, then closed the slides on the projector with the tablet. "Okay, that'll be all."

I stepped away from the lectern, gathering the extra files and booklets I had piling on the desk. From the corner of my eye, Y/N was already heading out. It's been a couple of weeks now since they and [STUDENT NAME] started hanging out. They sat beside each other again today, and I'm hoping some day I'd call them out to answer a question if they weren't paying attention.

But Y/N can be sly and still be caught up in their work.

"Oh, could you stay behind to help for a moment? I need another pair of hands to bring these to my office."

Y/N nodded, walking over to help me collect the materials.

"How's your studies so far?" I ask.

"So far so good," they reply.

"Good. How's the new module? Poetry is definitely a sharp change from 12th century literature."

They nodded. "It's been more interesting than the last term."

I hummed. "Yes. There'll be a lot more chances to explore creativity in the coming weeks. I don't know if you saw on Moodle, but there will be one week where I ask each of you to anonymously submit a poem that we can dissect in the lesson after to see if any subconscious ideologies bring forth. They will also remain anonymous so even though we'll be speculating as a class, we'll never know the truth, which I think is needed for something like poetry."

I opened the door for Y/N, letting them exit the hall first.

"What about you?" Y/N asks.

"Have I? I've written some poems," I pause. No one has ever read my poetry, before. I don't go digging through my old books just to find them if they were all that poor. I can't imagine people's reactions whether they were good or bad. "Maybe I could share some with you, definitely not the ones I wrote as a teenager. Those will, uh, never see the light of day."

Y/N laughs. "I'm sure they're not bad."

"It's natural to be a skeptic of your own work and not live up to the expectations you've set yourself, especially when you go review them years later. As I said in class, societal ideologies change with time, but so do internal ones. Your view on life changes as you gain more knowledge and your mindset shifts, and then an outlook you thought you'd have forever can change with one strange encounter." I jiggle the keys into the lock of my office, letting Y/N enter first, then me.

"And you've experienced that yourself?" they ask.

"I've had too many to count. But I'd encourage listening and being open to change." I hung my shoulder bag near the chair, then my laptop. I looked at Y/N, waiting to be instructed with the books in their hands. "Set them down on my desk." They do so.

"Actually before you leave, I wanted to have a word with you. Well, not anything related to your work but a more... personal conversation."

Y/N stops. "Yeah?"

"Since the last time we spoke here, I'venoticed that, um, you've been hanging out a lot with that friend of yours. You frequently sit next to them too now."

"Yeah?" they shrug. "What about it?"

"Well, I can't help but wonder if there's anything between you two."

"What are you talking about?" Y/N shot me a look, folding their arms.

I had to remind myself again. It has been weeks, and all I've done was mope around in silence while Y/N drank flavoured milk teas with someone who skips lectures just for the hell of it.

As selfish it may sound, I deserved assurance. I deserved an explanation.

"You know fully well what I'm insinuating," I said, annoyed. "After what we've done together and now that you know how I feel, suddenly you've taken an interest in a classmate that you've only started talking to."

"How do you know all this?"

"I'm observant, and you know I am. So," I folded my arms, too. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Y/N responded exactly how I thought they would. Y/N shook their head.

"Are you sure? Because if I were to take a guess, I'd think that you're purposely flaunting this new friendship in front of me."

And giving the smirk forming on Y/N's face, all that overthinking and overanalyzing for weeks on end just proved I was right all along. "I was just testing to see how you'd react. What have you noticed?"

"You're testing me? What sort of validation are you looking for?"

Y/N rolls their eyes at me. "C'mon..."

"Fine, I'll humour you. It started a couple of weeks ago, they had an interest in you before that, and I saw. Obviously you noticed, too. It was the day after you were here last that you decided to change tactics, and you made sure to do it so openly, it would be difficult for me to not see." I stepped closer to them. "Convincing them to sit at the front with you, borrowing stationery, forgetting to bring your book to class so you can share and get closer..." That annoyed me the most.

Y/N eyed me up and down.

"Like I've said before, I watch you on occasion. Maybe occasionally isn't the right word to use. I'm interested in you, so naturally I'm going to want to look at you even when I'm focusing on the other students. You're always in my peripheral so I see when you do something and turn my way to gauge my reaction."

"Oh, so you have been noticing that, too."

"Yes, I see that you're sly, but not invisible. So, I need to have a talk with you once again, it seems." I frowned down at their level. "What is your end goal here? What do you really want from me? If you're leading on someone just to get my attention, that's a little problematic, isn't it? Or are you just having fun? How do I know you're not doing the same to me and just seeing where the chips fall?"

Whatever their answer was, mine would remain the same. I've came to terms with myself about my feelings for them, even though I tried to brush them off, even if I tried to fight them when I tried to sleep. If Y/N doesn't give me a straight answer by today, I would not know where to go from there.

They shook their head again.

"Y/N, love. I would like an answer. To be quite dramatic, it's driving me nuts. It's been driving me nuts. Did you suddenly change your feelings about me?" I ask.

"Are you seriously putting me on the spot here?"

"I honestly feel like I have to, because you confessed to me over an assignment, and just a couple weeks ago, you and I had that talk in my office. But now you have your eyes for someone else."

"There's no one else I have eyes for."

I was genuinely taken back. It was a baby step of what I wanted as proper closure. "Ah, so you do like me? But I think you should let your friend know that you have no intention of building a relationship with them. It'll only prove to hurt them further down the road once they realize what you've been doing."

"Like what?" Y/N asks, chuckling. It could only mean I had to be the one to step up and ask the big question for something we're sure we both want.

"You know exactly what. You say you like me... what if I offered for you to be with me?"

Y/N stopped smiling, looking at as me as if though that question would have never been asked by someone whose job was to grade their paper. "Surprised? I'm sure we can make it work."

I don't see them when I close my eyes, but I leaned down and cup their face to pull it closer. I kiss them, imagining the look on their face still being as in shock when I made that offer. An offer I knew anyone at campus would accept, given what they say and think about me.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?" they ask, breathing for air.

"I think about it all the time, don't you?"

Y/N nodded.

"There's a version of this that doesn't go our way," I tell them. "But there's also one where we have a chance to make something out of it every day. I think about you when I'm home. I wonder what you're doing, if you're studying well, eating well. Sometimes you're in my thoughts more than anything else... and I'm starting to understand what it really means - that this is not just a fling or a curiosity for me."

"But are you sure you feel this way for me? Sometimes your heart can deceive you. We could end up being just a fling or curiosity and nothing more."

I sigh. "Here," I grab Y/N's hand and placed it on my chest. "Can you feel it? How fast my heartbeat is? I have to uphold a certain look for the sake of keeping my job, but when it's obvious to me that I desire someone who seems to want me as well... there's only one thing left to do."

"But people will talk about it. They're not dumb."

"Yes, people will talk. I am your Professor, you are my student. It's not unheard of for relationships to occur in universities, and if I'm correct, I'm only a couple of years older than you. So, with all that said... what do you really want?"

Their eyes twinkled up at mine. I know what they want. And I wanted to hear it. "I want you... to kiss me again."

I chuckled. "I can give that to you." I did as they wished. I pull away once more. "But you have to break it off with that friend. Don't give them anymore hope."

"Already halfway," they say. "We weren't that compatible, anyway. I didn't think you would be so jealous of them, jealous of what I was doing."

When I checked their status, [STUDENT NAME] was indeed still my student. I can't remember what exactly their grade was, but it was likely a passing grade, a saving grace. But disregarding that person, I couldn't bare to go on another week of Y/N forgetting their textbook again and having to touch hands and knees with them in front of me, again.

I scoff. "You think I wouldn't be jealous? Of course I am! You can flirt so openly with them and there won't be a problem. The only time I can really spend with you is in here where no one can see us." We kept kissing. "Teaching-" Another kiss. "Is the best part of my day. Not because I'm a Professor who should like their job, but because I know that you're guaranteed to be there, watching me. So, the fact that your attention suddenly shifted to someone else is... annoying. If you truly like me, then don't look at anyone else the way you look at me during class or outside of it. You can hang around with others as much as you like, but I'm losing out on that. Not anymore."

We kiss again, grabbing their hand. I trail my kissing down to their neck and back to their lips as I spoke in between. "So say it to me." More kisses. "Say-" Another one. "That you want to be with me." Once more. "And you will."

Y/N looked up at me. "I want you, and I will be with you."

I hummed. "Good answer."

This sensation felt more victorious than when I even got hired at the university, or when I opened mine and my brother's Christmas gifts our parents got us when we were kids, which was Finding Nemo on DVD. My anxiety over whether my feelings were reciprocated had finally vanished, though I was here, alive and well, for many more to come. But I could assure nothing could go wrong.

"There's a museum that I'm thinking of visiting in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you'd like to join me."

"The British Museum?"

I nod. "I'm writing another thesis, it's strictly a hobby at this point, but I wouldn't say no to having another mind there. I've heard there's a new exhibition opening and I'm eager to see it. We could go at the weekend so no using university hours."

"A lot of students go there."

"I've accidentally bumped into plenty of students outside classes so it's not uncommon, and something tells me you'll like the exhibits. I want to be there when you experience them."

They paused for a moment, then nodded. "I'm down."

"Good. Well then, it's a secret date. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, I'll see you in class tomorrow. Oh," I quickly dug through my bag, pulling out something not as valuable for a gift, but the thought of giving back was considered after I was given candy and a written note gestured on Halloween. For Y/N? I'd give them the world. "Happy birthday."

Y/N blinked, accepting the small present. "How'd you know-"

"[STUDENT NAME] has a big mouth." I roll my eyes a bit having to credit them for knowing.

"It's not until Sunday."

"I don't see you on weekends. Well, except for our date that's coming up. We could treat that as a belated birthday date, just for you. But until then, eat lots of cake for me on your big day." Y/N giggles in response. "Er..." I shook a bit in my voice. "I'm gonna need your cell. Emailing seems too formal for a date, and kind of odd. Especially since this is gonna become something more." I said since, not if.

Y/N smiles and pulls out their phone. "If you wanted my number all this time, you could have just asked, Professor."

I now had Y/N's name in my contacts, and I could already picture them calling me at 1 in the morning just to hear my voice. "I'm not that eager," I joke down at them, wanting to trace my finger on their cheek. I could melt. "Just call me Andrew."

I peck them on the lips one last time and they walked out, bringing the small gift with them.

"Make sure you bring your books this time," I sternly remind them as they peaked their exit. They let out a faint chuckle, shaking their head as the door shut. As I was finally alone, I exhaled a shaky breath, unfolding my arms and nearly falling off my chair as I took a moment to sit down. I could really use coffee, or just a glass of water. The wind was knocked right out of my soul.

It was starting to kick in. I have a date.

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[tiefy]

"Our love is illegal."

Louise Barnes as Miranda Hamilton in Black Sails (2014-2017) / Rebecca Hall as Elizabeth Marston in Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017).

[thedivinevera]

Professor Marston

Professor Marston x reader, Andrew Marston x reader, Andrew Marston x FEM! AFAB!reader, professor x student, young professor x student, Zsakuva character x reader

Professor x adult!! student, forbidden love, smut, breeding, sex, p and v sex, mention of marriage and pregnancy, obsessive tendency, yandere tendency

Tw : Smut, p and v sex, yandere tendency, obsessive tendency, bad writing, bad grammar, please help!!, OCc Andrew

Sweet ramble for our professor

A/n : sorry for the OCc character

:( it's just very hard to wrote horny things when his literally a beige flag :)

Professor Marston is so mean :( so different from Andrew Marston, your boyfriend who cares you softly. Professor Marston manhandle you to his Shaft, not even letting you have a break, forcing you to jump on his hard cock with his hands on your waist, your poor pussy numbing and completely red from skin slapping and continue Cumming

When he's busy he will make you sit on his cock while he has doing his professor work :| so bored and itching for his dick to move but you don't want to be a bad girl so you completely stay still not wanting to disappoint your professor, after all you're a good girl, you love your professor Marston right? So stay still and wait until he fuck your slutty cunt and let him do his job so he can ruin you straight until the sun rise

He gets jealous when you talk to the other Young professor... A lot :,( asking you if his extra credit are not enough and you need another professor's cock to suck and pass your grade, sweetie you don't need them you only need him, make him feel good and he will pass you and even convince your other professor to do the same after all who wouldn't believe to the strict, young genius Professor Marston when he talk about a potential student so just worry your pretty head of yours on how to write your essay with his hard hot cock mushing your inside after all once you graduated you can be his pretty wife, he's already successful than does old hag so why don't he take a leap and marry his pretty girl 😍😍😍 you don't need to do anything other than to become his little pretty slutty wife ready to take his cock after he come back home, stress because of the stupid children that can't figure out how to live their Life.

He sometimes fantasize about you when you're at his class, imagining how pretty you would be once you are filled with his cum, his sperm try to fertilize your egg and making you pregnant with his pretty children. He promised to himself that once you're both married he would definitely breed you making sure that you will give him children boy and girl, he wants children of each gender and wouldn't stop until he completely have a girl and boy calling him papa. He want to have a big family full of happy children raising them not like how his parent does loving them equally not looking what achievement they can give for the family and that would only work once he breed you successfully. Once the bell ring his fantasy stop.

Asking you to stop by for a moment, bending you to the desk after he lock the door when he said he just want to speak to you :) realizing that he want to talk about your future with him with his dick all the way to your deep inside just waiting to paint your inside white and letting his spermy run for the egg :(

You after your fav professor ask for you to stay: ☺️

Realizing that he just want to breed you: ☹️

But of course you would like it right? After all you love him right? He can ask you to spread your leg wide and jump on his dick and you would do that right???? The only problem you have is how you will hide the dripping cum until you finish your class and finally going home to his place and letting him continue, after all you're to noisy to be breed multiple times in his office and also Luca or others might see you and he wouldn't let anyone to see how pretty your pussy is that's only for him ☺️☺️☺️ after that you can receive an aftercare from your sweet boyfriend Andrew Marston, can't wait for Andrew to be the one who breed you too, after all h professor or not he just want to have you

[tanksbigtiddiedgf]

WHO ARE OSKAR AND WILD

[neick-hitlz]

study Alan Rickman's (my husband) face for my soul ! ฅ՞•ﻌ•՞ฅ

[zen-dayas]

@pscentral event 36 -> trios

and four is a party - (insp)

[apricitasart]

If your man has greasy, ratty, shoulder length dark hair- he's not your man. He's my girlfriend.

[des2dream]

Goodbye Strict Professor Andrew!👓🌹

He premiered in January 8, 2021 and he ended in November 16, 2024. You hate to see him go, but you love to see the impact he had on everyone! I made this art piece to honor him as his story and character are officially getting shelved. Thank you, Andrew and thank you, Saku for creating this character that was meant to be a one-shot. I guess it just goes to show how life works in mysterious ways. One minute you have a one-shot character, the next you've got a Number One popular character! I'm looking forward to more lovable characters in the future!

(I know this sketch doesn't look all that professional or digitally painted, but I did the best that I could, okay! Just to let you all know.)

[peppymintdreams]

The First Morning After

@stufs-world requested this too along side Isaac's

Andrew Marston x Darling

first morning after moving in together, Andrew and Darling share a quiet, intimate moment over tea and crumpets, basking in the newfound comfort and peace of their relationship while playfully teasing each other about the future

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the bedroom. The warmth of it stirred you awake, but it wasn’t the light that kept you from falling back asleep it was the steady rhythm of Andrew’s breathing next to you. The rise and fall of his chest was a calming cadence, one that grounded you in the reality of this moment.

You were in Andrew’s bed. No longer just the university’s "Strict Professor" or the figure of forbidden desire. Now, he was your Andrew the one who teased you mercilessly yet held you close with a tenderness that melted your heart.

You turned slightly, careful not to wake him, and gazed at his face. His features were softened in sleep, his usual sharpness dulled by the serenity of the early morning. His glasses were neatly folded on the nightstand, and his arm rested loosely around your waist, as though even in sleep, he needed to be near you.

It felt unreal waking up beside him like this, knowing it wasn’t just a fleeting moment. You were no longer confined to stolen glances across lecture halls or whispered words in shadowed corners. This was your new reality: waking up in Andrew’s bed, in Andrew’s life.

The temptation to stay like this was overwhelming, but you knew him. Andrew was never one to let a morning slip by, even on weekends. With a smirk, you imagined he’d be up soon, probably working on his next project or grading papers, English Breakfast tea in hand.

As if on cue, Andrew stirred. His arm tightened around you, and with a soft groan, his eyes fluttered open. The usual sharpness returned as his gaze met yours, but this time, it was accompanied by something softer.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.

“Morning,” you replied, barely suppressing the smile that tugged at your lips.

For a moment, he simply looked at you, his hand tracing a lazy line along your side. “I could get used to this,” he said, a teasing glint appearing in his eyes. “Waking up with you here, instead of you sneaking out before dawn.”

“Hey, you’re the one who insisted we keep it discreet.”

Andrew’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “Discreet, yes. But now…” His voice trailed off as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “Now, we don’t have to hide.”

The simple truth of it made your chest tighten with a strange mix of relief and happiness. “I never imagined waking up like this with you,” you confessed.

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you fantasized about it,” he teased, eyes alight with mischief. “If your essay from last year was any indication.”

You felt heat rush to your cheeks. “That was a metaphor!”

Andrew chuckled, his hand sliding down to intertwine his fingers with yours. “Metaphor or not, we’re here now.” His voice dropped to a softer tone, more serious. “And I’m glad.”

His words hung in the air between you, and for the first time in a long while, there were no underlying tensions, no rules to follow. Just you and him, in the quiet peace of a shared morning.

“Do you want breakfast?” he asked after a moment, breaking the comfortable silence. “I could make us some tea and crumpets.”

Your heart swelled at the thought Andrew, the Strict Professor, casually offering to make breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world. “I’d love that,” you replied, your voice soft.

He slipped out of bed, tugging on a simple grey t-shirt. You watched him for a moment, struck by the intimacy of seeing him like this relaxed, unguarded, his usual professional demeanor left behind with the discarded clothes on the floor.

Andrew paused at the door, turning back to you with a smirk. “You coming, or are you planning to stay in bed all morning?”

“Give me five minutes,” you teased back, your heart lighter than it had been in months.

As Andrew disappeared into the kitchen, you sank back into the pillows, letting the contentment of the morning wash over you. This was real this was yours. And somehow, it felt like the beginning of something even greater.

You lingered in bed a moment longer, savoring the lingering warmth of the sheets and the soft echoes of Andrew’s movements in the kitchen. It felt surreal this quiet, domestic scene, so far removed from the whirlwind your relationship had been until now. There was no rush, no need to hide or guard your expressions. It was just the two of you, living in this moment.

Finally, you slipped out of bed, throwing on one of Andrew’s button-down shirts that had been discarded from the night before. It was far too big on you, but the comfort of it the familiarity of his scent clinging to the fabric made it feel like home. You padded into the kitchen barefoot, and the sight that greeted you was something you knew you’d carry with you forever.

Andrew stood at the counter, carefully preparing tea. His back was to you, his movements unhurried, almost methodical. The early morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft glow over his figure. The kettle whistled quietly, steam rising as he poured the hot water into two cups. Next to the cups sat a small plate with perfectly toasted crumpets, butter melting into their golden surface.

“Look at you, being all domestic,” you teased as you leaned against the doorway, crossing your arms with a grin.

Andrew glanced over his shoulder, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Don’t get used to it. This is an anomaly.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, stepping further into the kitchen to join him. “I don’t know, Professor. I could get very used to this.”

He turned toward you, his eyes narrowing playfully. “Professor, hmm? Are we keeping things formal this morning?” He handed you your cup of tea, his fingers grazing yours just long enough to send a small shiver down your spine.

“Habit,” you said with a smirk, taking a sip. The tea was perfect strong and rich, exactly how you knew he liked it. You weren’t surprised; Andrew’s attention to detail extended even to the simplest things.

He leaned against the counter beside you, the teasing look in his eyes giving way to something softer. “How are you feeling? About everything, I mean.”

You paused, considering his question. There had been so many emotions since your relationship had become public fear, uncertainty, the weight of the judgment that came with it all. But now, standing here in his kitchen, in his shirt, with him by your side, all of that felt so far away.

“I feel… happy,” you admitted quietly. “Like, really happy. And I don’t think I’ve had time to feel that until now.”

Andrew’s expression softened, the walls he usually kept up fading away. He set his cup down and reached for your hand, his thumb tracing small circles over your knuckles. “Good. You deserve to feel that way.”

You looked up at him, warmth blooming in your chest at the rare sincerity in his words. “What about you? How do you feel?”

For a moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze flickered, as if weighing the vulnerability of his response. But then, his fingers tightened slightly around yours, and he exhaled, leaning closer. “Content,” he finally said, his voice low. “For the first time in a long time, I feel content.”

The way he said it, the quiet honesty in his voice, made your heart skip. Andrew wasn’t someone who easily let his guard down. But here, with you, he was different unguarded, open in a way that made your connection feel even more real, more tangible.

You placed your tea on the counter and slid your arms around his waist, resting your head against his chest. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around you in return, his chin resting atop your head as he held you close.

“This is nice,” you murmured, the steady beat of his heart in your ear calming you.

“Mm. It is,” Andrew replied, his hand sliding up your back in a slow, comforting motion. “It almost makes me forget how much work I have to catch up on later.”

You pulled back just enough to look up at him, an eyebrow raised. “You’re not seriously thinking about work right now, are you?”

A small, guilty smile tugged at his lips. “Maybe a little. But it’s hard not to when I have a dozen papers to grade and—”

You pressed a finger to his lips, cutting him off. “Nope. None of that. This is supposed to be a relaxing morning, remember? You said it yourself no work, no distractions. Just us.”

Andrew’s eyes flickered with amusement, but there was something deeper there too, something appreciative. He gently took your hand from his lips and brought it to his chest, keeping it there as he leaned down, his forehead resting against yours.

“Just us,” he echoed softly, his breath warm against your skin.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The world outside the window seemed to fade away, leaving only the quiet rhythm of your breathing and the soft thrum of your heartbeat in time with his. It was simple, but in that simplicity, you found a sense of peace you hadn’t realized you’d been searching for.

Eventually, Andrew pulled back, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile. “Alright, no work. But if we’re not doing anything productive, then I suggest we finish those crumpets before they go cold.”

You laughed, releasing him from your hold. “Deal. But I’m not promising I won’t make you do something else productive later,” you teased, a playful glint in your eyes.

Andrew smirked, his eyes darkening with that familiar mischievous look that always sent your heart racing. “Oh, I look forward to seeing what you have in mind, Darling.”

And just like that, the comfortable domesticity of the morning was laced with that electric charge that always existed between the two of you teasing, playful, but underlined with something so much deeper.

As you sat down to eat together, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. This was your life now waking up with Andrew, sharing lazy mornings, teasing each other over breakfast. And somehow, it was even better than you’d ever imagined.

[m--bloop]

"Fair enough..."

[zsakuva]

My most popular series, The Strict English Professor: Season 1 is now on Spotify!

I will start uploading other series in due time, but for now, Happy New Year, and enjoy listening!

[imaginesbymk]

MARSTON. ━︎━︎ ZSAKUVA STRICT PROFESSOR !

chapter ten - ❝new friend.❞

← previous chapter: chapter nine - "professor green-eyed monster." next chapter: chapter eleven - "what do you really want?" →

fanfic info / read it on wattpad

SYNOPSIS — Andrew's thoughts and fantasies over Y/N have grown increasingly unhealthy, but he can't help but give in. Y/N flaunts their new friend in front of Andrew.

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Y / N 

I AM UP bright and early for a Thursday. Just last night Brittany showed up to my place as I was catching up on the lecture that I skipped. Professor Marston put at least thirteen slides in the module. Because of his long lectures, you'd have to be present in his class to receive in-depth teaching, or you'd be in a stump reading at least a couple sentences off one slide that wouldn't do much. 

As long as my textbook was here, I was in good hands. 

I was also in good hands thanks to Brittany, who offered me CBD oil for my muscle pain. Ever since my body felt like it had woken from surgery, she blamed it on the excess cardio walking around campus. If it wasn't fun or if we weren't commuting anywhere fun, she would drive or take the subway. I knew the CBD oil worked, because I had finished the final slide and collapsed under the sheets while Brittany took the other side of my bed. 

For a Thursday, I woke up feeling like I had never felt any more lighter in my bones.

This was one of the days where Brittany would be working a longer shift. [STUDENT'S NAME] offered to drop me home after school today. 

I roll over to my side to reach over and grab my phone off my desk.

My heart sank. I was not up bright and early for a Thursday. The atmosphere felt like 6 AM until I tapped my screen. It was nearly noon. My phone had never gone off, the alarm for 6 was never set.

"Holy fuck, Britt!" I scream, sprinting out of the bed. The post-CBD feeling immediately left my body, only for panic and adrenaline to replace it. 

Brittany lifts her head from her pillow, her eyelids opening halfway. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I run past her, grabbing emergency sweatpants and a shirt from the drawers, then my bag off the ground. "I'm late! Professor Marston's gonna kill me."

"Late?" she lazily sits up and checks her phone. "Since when are you ever late for his class?"

Just by how busy the subway was, it was definitely the afternoon. The excess cardio was paying off, but I was beginning to lose my breath as soon as I reached campus, my shoes clamping against the pavement and grass. Brittany wears those high heeled platforms in any season as long as the outfit went with it, but all I grabbed from my shoe rack were ones I haven't worn in a while, and they felt foreign when I slid them on. 

A group of girls were walking slow in front of me at the front entrance. I had no other choice but to beeline through, making one of them drop their book.

"Hey!" one of them shouts angrily at me.

The Literature lecture, the time duration at least an hour and ten minutes in from when I've reached campus, had to be on the first floor. Just a few hallways down. More fast-walking. I swung the door open, hearing Professor Marston's voice echoing into a microphone at the lectern.

By now, everyone took a quick look at me, like I had just rudely interrupted to film a dumb prank for a YouTube video. I had to think quick. I went over to the second front row and plop myself down in one of the empty seats. 

From at least a twenty-meter distance, Professor Marston stares coldly at me, then resumes his teaching.

I forgot my textbook.

"IF THERE ARE no more questions, you may leave. Office hours will resume, respectively. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

That was my plan. I knew I missed half of the lecture, I missed important details Professor Marston had shared to the class. When I checked on Moodle, one of today's slides had two sentences. That's already ten minutes of a lecture. 

After I had a chance to eat something an hour later, I knocked lightly on his door. I was allowed in.

"Heyyy, Prof!" I sheepishly enter his office. I laugh nervously, all eye-wide with my hands up and shaking in the air. "It's me again. How was your day?"

I saw it right away just by studying the look Professor Marston gave me, the same look when I made my grand entrance earlier. 

"How was my day?" He asks, opening the blinds of his window. "Er, well, the lounge is still low on cream and sugar, so I am surviving on organic peppermint tea. I handed back everyone's mock assignment on annotated bibliography, everyone except you because you came late to my class. Or did you skip Literature again but decided to attend last minute?"

Not gonna lie, hearing Professor Marston scold me with a voice that stern had me frozen in my spot. There's no difference if he's a couple years older than me, as was his authority. I knew how serious he took his teaching, so it's not like I was trying to flunk Literature on purpose. "I got caught up with something earlier."

"Was that something another lunch hangout with that friend of yours?"

"No," I said. "Personal stuff."

"Hm." Professor Marston looked a bit on edge. "Is, uh, [STUDENT'S NAME] what's-their-name not here?"

"No," they skipped class again, just without me. I would feel extremely guilty for snitching on them, but the guilt for leading Professor Marston on like this was slowly picking up on me. Neither of us were playing hard to get, but if I continue sitting next to [STUDENT'S NAME], sharing their stuff and being so close to them that our arms were touching each other, it would feel like I was. 

If one of us speaks up, it would be just me and Professor Marston being much closer than the student whom I found out had a thing for me a while back. 

"How can I help you?" he asks.

My phone vibrates. I didn't wanna bother checking who was calling me now that I was with Professor Marston. Was it Brittany? Professor Marston notices my phone going off in my sweatpants and gives me an annoyed expression.

I reached in my pocket and double click the side of my phone to decline the call, to show I wasn't trying to be late, disorganized, unprofessional and rude all in one day. "I just wanted to apologize for barging in late, and that I've caught up on last week's lecture. Now that you mentioned it, I'd like my annotated bibliography back, if that's not a problem?" 

Effortlessly, he flips through one of the piles on his desk and hands it over to me without saying anything. I thank him with a quiet voice.

"Listen, I'm not flaunting my privilege as a university student by purposely skipping classes," I say. "Especially yours. I love attending your classes, it's probably the most engaging I've been in. I just overslept today. My alarm didn't go off."

Professor hums. "You must have forgotten."

I nodded. "It was because I was catching up on the lecture I skipped."

"Well, in order to avoid the chaotic errors you've made, start by attending class. You can always go out for food anytime you want, but one class you intend on skipping can cost you. Literature is not an easy course."

Professor Marston wasn't wrong. I had to learn that the hard way. One out of a couple times. "I know."

"Given that you're one of my top students, I know that you know. But what I don't know is this transition you've been having, lately."

I looked up at him. "What do you mean by that?" My phone buzzes again. A missed call and a text message.

Lol hellooo are u dead? I'm outside and I got us froyo

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A N D R E W

Y/N SHAKES their head, checking their phone. "Shit, I gotta go. [STUDENT'S NAME] called."

"Are you sure?"

The sound of the door swinging shut was my only answer. I can't describe the feeling as blood-boiling, but even after Y/N comes late to class and just leaves for [STUDENT'S NAME] again, my body felt hot.

"Get home safe," I wanted to tell Y/N. 

As a professor, I stress to my students that as adults they should be responsible if they paid an outstanding amount of money to study at university, while they get to decide on their own as adults. I am certain that Y/N is a dedicated student who does attend classes and does take initiative, but they're just latching themselves onto someone else in front of me on purpose. They really are as bold as I thought they were ever since they wrote about Abélard and Héloïse. 

Their explanation over being late doesn't even matter to me anymore. They were gone now. 

When I got home last night, I was alone with my own thoughts inside my home office. I must have been glued to my chair for almost an hour and a half, staring at the powerpoint I was supposed to be filling in for next week.

I imagined Y/N in front of me like last time. They were in front of me, leaning down to kiss me, and I wish we could be doing that right now. Why? Why am I feeling like this? Because I have an unhealthy desire for someone I wanted?

Were they doing this to get my attention? To fire me up? Intentionally play tricks on me? And if it really was to make me jealous, should it be my turn to do the same? I lifted my binder to take out more sheets, my impairment immediately making me drop everything onto the floor. Oh, joy. I sighed as I got down to retrieve everything up from the ground. 

Another thing thrown at me. I get a notification from my laptop. Another email from the same account posing as my brother. It also didn't feel great that a ghost was trying to mess with me.

I reported the email as spam.

Another notification appeared above it. I wanted to yell. Out of muscle memory I was about to delete it if it was them again, or an address I didn't recognize, not a student, staff, Y/N, or anyone I knew personally - until I read the subject.

NEW EXHIBIT OPENING AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM

I let out a sigh of relief. 

No, I tell myself, packing up to head for the next lecture I would be teaching. That isn't right. There's no one that I have had an eye on before I even knew Y/N. I couldn't even go back to Isaac if I tried. He's moved on with his career, and he's residing God knows where. 

Y/N has it all, and I'm here to suffer.

But I knew what this meant for me. It didn't feel so great. It didn't feel great that Y/N was with someone else.

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[literaryspinster]

Patiently waiting for the whole internet to discover Professor Marston and The Wonder Women again. It's always so fun the once or twice a year it happens.

[wlwcatalogue]

A few sapphic film recs!

Just a few recommendations for sapphic films under 2 hours which may or may not have flown under the radar:

Moonlit Winter / 윤희에게 (1hr 45m, 2019, dir. Lim Dae-hyung)

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (1hr 48m, 2017, dir. Angela Robinson)

Who's the Woman, Who's the Man / 金枝玉葉 2 (1hr 50m, 1996, dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan)

Sisterhood / 骨妹 (1hr 37m, 2016, dir. Tracy Choi)

DEBS (1hr 31m, 2004, dir. Angela Robinson)

Farewell, My Queen / Les adieux à la reine (1hr 40m, 2012, dir. Benoît Jacquot)

Bonus - short film: Love Does Human / 사람 하는 사랑 (24 mins, 2019, dir. Oh Seon-ju)

Commentary under the cut!

1. Moonlit Winter / 윤희에게 (1hr 45m, 2019, dir. Lim Dae-hyung) - IMDB | MyDramaList

This movie is about a daughter (Kim So-hye) who finds out about her divorced mother’s (Kim Hee-ae) past with another woman (Katase Jun), and how in encouraging her mother to reconnect, the two finally open up to each other as well. Dry stuff on paper, but there’s more to it: the mother and her former lover didn’t just break up, they were split apart by their families as teenagers and the mother was forced to marry a man against her will. In short, it deals with the aftermath of the typical “bad ending” of older stories featuring WLW characters, wherein schoolgirls in love would be separated and married off to preserve the heteronormative status quo.

Although the queer relationship does not get much screentime at all – the two characters share a single scene, there are no flashbacks, and there’s not even a hug – queerness remains at the heart of the movie. It’s a rare depiction of how the repression of queerness leaves scars on people which affect how they engage with the world, but which also shows that as long as they are alive, there is still hope that those scars can be healed. Also, despite the heavy-sounding subject matter, it’s a very gentle experience: there are no direct depictions of homophobia and no sensationalism, just a little story of human connection unfolding in a snow-cloaked Hokkaido.

2. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (1hr 48m, 2017, dir. Angela Robinson) - IMDB

The blurb on IMDB says that this movie is about “psychologist William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), and his polyamorous relationship with his wife [Elizabeth] (Rebecca Hall) and their mistress [Olive] (Bella Heathcote) who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman”. As someone who is not particularly drawn to biopics, male protagonists, polyamory, BDSM, or Wonder Woman, I assumed that this movie wouldn’t be my jam and so didn’t watch it until quite a while later – which is when I discovered just how wrong I was.

First, the two women take up just as much of the movie’s focus as Marston. Elizabeth, Marston’s wife and fellow psychologist, is highly intelligent but equally highly-strung; she does not know how to deal with her husband’s attraction to new research assistant Olive, nor Olive’s attraction to both her husband and Elizabeth herself, and this internal conflict (even after the three enter into a polyamorous relationship) features heavily in the story. Second, although it declares itself to be “based on a true story”, the movie is not especially interested in recreating or representing the past. Rather, the historical elements are used as a framework to explore certain ideas: Diana’s Lasso of Truth symbolises how progress and healing must be first founded upon honesty, for example. The polyamory and BDSM is also not at all sordid or sensationalised, but rather presented in a nuanced (though still sexy!) manner. More than anything, this is a movie with a big heart and big ideas, and should be judged on its own merits.

3. Who's the Woman, Who's the Man / 金枝玉葉 2 (1hr 50m, 1996, dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan) - IMDB | MyDramaList

All you need to know going into this sequel of 1994 movie He's a Woman, She's a Man (金枝玉葉) is that main character Wing (Anita Yuen) is a woman who has found both fame and (heterosexual) love while disguising herself as a male idol, and that her relationship with record producer Sam (Leslie Cheung) is known to the general public— although it is perceived as being homosexual in nature due to her persona. At this point, you might be wondering why an M/F romantic comedy is on this list, but this movie is a bit odd in that instead of focusing only on problems such Sam’s internalised homophobia and misogyny (both of which are addressed in the story), one of the new obstacles facing the couple is the female lead meeting female pop star Fong Yim Mui (Anita Mui)… and both starting to fall for each other.

I was surprised at how sensitively Wing and Fong Yim Mui’s respective arcs are handled, especially for a mainstream movie from the 90’s starring two of Hong Kong’s most popular performers at the time. Instead of giving the two women a meet-cute and leaving it at that, a lot of care is put into showing them processing and coming to terms with their feelings in their own time. Romantic and sexual attraction is also highlighted separately, which is refreshing given how they are usually depicted as inextricably linked even now… Obviously Wing and Fong Yim Mui don’t end up together, but their feelings aren’t dismissed and – relative to the narrative constraints – the ending is a warm, optimistic one. Also, Anita Mui gives an absolutely award-worthy performance in one of the scenes with her character and Wing, so fans of her should definitely give this movie a try.

Important note: Although there’s much that’s good about it, Who's the Woman, Who's the Man is far from perfect. Early on, there’s a masquerade party where two of the characters are wearing masks which look like racist caricatures, and the masks are crop up in multiple scenes in the film. More serious is the subplot about a male character who keeps trying to win over a lesbian, culminating in her agreeing to sleep with him once while he’s dressed as a woman (CW: transphobia, homophobia) – though this storyline ends with the man accepting that she really is gay and parting on friendly terms. That said, these problems are already mild compared to the actively hateful transphobic and homophobic jokes present in so many of its contemporaries, so if you’ve watched a 90’s Hong Kong comedy before, chances are that your tolerance level is more than high enough.

4. Sisterhood / 骨妹 (1hr 37m, 2016, dir. Tracy Choi) IMDB | MyDramaList

Sisterhood opens with tragedy. Originally from Macau, main character Sei (Gigi Leung) is living quietly in Taiwan with her husband after the 1999 Handover when her life is overturned by a newspaper personal ad informing her that her long-estranged friend and colleague Ling has passed away. The movie is shot through with flashbacks to earlier times, tracking a young Sei (Fish Liew) as she starts doing sex work and is taken under the wing of the more experienced Ling (Jennifer Yu) and her friends. Memories of togetherness and community are juxtaposed against sequences of present-day Sei struggling to navigate her grief, the tensions of the now-fractured friend group, and a Macau that has changed just as much as she has. The acting and script can be clunky in places but the sentiment shines through, especially after the first third, at which point the movie starts honing in on Sei and Ling’s relationship. It’s not a happy story, but nor is it defined by sadness; instead, it posits that the past is not merely to be mourned, that it is instead something that can shape and provide a foundation for the future. I won't talk too much about how queerness figures into this story, due to spoilers, but rest assured that it is present and important!

5. D.E.B.S. (1hr 31m, 2004, dir. Angela Robinson) - IMDB

Okay, you've probably heard of this one before if not watched it already, but anyway! This was the first WLW movie I watched, and for a long time, the only one which I actually enjoyed. It’s about an elite spy (well, more like an honours student at spy school) (Sara Foster) and a criminal mastermind (Jordana Brewster) falling for each other, a premise which is just as fun and over-the-top as it sounds. The movie does a great job of mixing action, humor, and romance, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome – it’s got a nice compact runtime and a cracking pace. There’s still nothing quite like it in my opinion, though I’m very welcome to any recommendations in this line (my askbox is open if you have any!).

6. Farewell, My Queen / Les adieux à la reine (1hr 40m, 2012, dir. Benoît Jacquot) - IMDB

Loosely based on Chantal Thomas’ novel of the same name, Farewell, My Queen is a portrait of French nobility in decline, following maidservant Sidonie Labarde (Léa Seydoux) who is in the service of Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger). It's a beautiful, lavish production which effectively conveys the perspective of a servant locked in the gilded cage that is Versailles during the French Revolution, and is a rare case of a historical figure as famous as Antoinette being presented as queer in a serious historical drama.

That being said, the queerness is mostly background, coming mainly in the form of Antoinette’s crush on? relationship with? duchess Gabrielle de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen)— though a case can be made for Sidonie, whose outward opacity belies an unwavering, almost unsettling, devotion to her queen. Also, be warned that the movie has many a dodgy shot of cleavage, and two instances of unnecessary and voyeuristic nudity... but other than that, it really does have gorgeous cinematography.

Fun fact: there really were rumours about Antoinette having a scandalous relationship with the duchess, although these have nearly always been written off as baseless reputation-smearing.

Bonus - short film: Love Does Human / 사람 하는 사랑 (24 mins, 2019, dir. Oh Seon-ju) - MyDramaList

Some say that the best science fiction puts a spotlight on some part of the human condition, and this short film does just that. Main character Tae Eun's (Kim Min-ju) girlfriend Joo An (Jang Sam-yi) no longer has a human body: after carrying out a medical operation which transferred her consciousness to a computer system, she now has a web-camera for her eyes, a speaker for her mouth, and control over their home's devices for her hands. And although the change was by Joo An's choice and Tae Eun was supportive, the pair struggle to adjust to this new reality, and are confronted with the need to communicate and to consider each other's perspectives. Love Does Human has a bit of a slow start, and there were points where I didn't understand why the characters were reacting in a certain way, but it all comes together beautifully in the end. Through its sci-fi premise, viewers are encouraged to think about real-life problems using a different angle, and the movie never gets too heavy. Also, shoutout to some excellent voice work from the two actors - Joo An is performed nearly entirely through voice but she feels deeply human and present, and Tae Eun's actor also has a standout scene featuring some great voice acting. All in all, it's a short film that's well worth checking out (especially since the director has made it available for free, with English subtitles, on Youtube - embedded above)!