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#biology research jobs near me
milksnake-tea · 11 months
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━━ homecoming.
He was always your favorite, ever since the day you'd found him. But you knew you couldn't keep him forever. One day, he would have to leave.
merman!blade x gn!reader
contains: fluff, hurt/comfort, a smudge of angst, blade is a little shit, reader is a scientist, potentially ooc blade, a hint of abandonment issues, making out (but nothing suggestive), not edited we die like jing liu, written before version 1.1
word count: 1.7k
a/n: posting this on the last day of mermay because ofc i am (im pst so shhh its not june yet). anyways merman blade is the most genius thing i have ever thought of no one will convince me otherwise
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Your research facility was unlike any other in the world.
The hallways were enshrouded in darkness, with the only light sources being the illuminated tanks that lined the walls. They varied in size and shape, some cylindrical, others rectangular. Some tanks were lucky enough to have entire biomes in them, ranging from gorgeous coral reefs to murky kelp forests, and some had nothing in them at all. But what every tank had in common was an eerie glow of cyan that pulsated throughout their waters.
As you walked past the exhibits - your footsteps echoing loudly throughout the empty halls - your specimen began to unravel to life.
Electric eels sparked with lightning as you passed, and beside them, gigantic sea serpents hissed and coiled. Grindylows peeked from behind their forests, and jellyfish of all forms drifted aimlessly through their tanks. An eye the size of a soccer ball watched you from the largest exhibit of all, the giant squid thrilled to see its master.
This institute was home to mythology and biology alike, where fables rested alongside common knowledge. Here, in the middle of nowhere, with no land in sight, you were in the eye of the storm - vulnerable to the truths behind old sailors’ tales.
Despite this, you loved your job more than anything. These creatures that you studied, that you nurtured and raised, were like your children. Even the various hippocampi (who you didn’t have the heart to keep within your walls), were dear to you, and you to them.
Yes, there was the occasional sea monster that you had to shoot down. Yes, there were the occasional sirens who would try to lure you to your death. Most of the ocean’s creatures were dangerous, and well aware of it. Unfortunately, you were too smart and too stubborn to die.
A sharp tap on glass snapped you out of your thoughts. Smiling knowingly to yourself, you walked up to a cylindrical glass tank that spanned two stories tall, encircled by spiraling stairs.
“Hey, Blade. Missed me?” You greeted, placing a hand on the glass.
Out of all of the creatures that you held within your home, he was your favorite.
He really was a beauty. Gifted with a slender black tail, seared with a vicious red, the merman swayed gently in his tank, sleek, almost sharp fins flowing around him. Blackened scales gave way to fair skin, scarred with scratches and bites from previous battles. His hair billowed around him like a dark cloud, fading from black to a soft maroon.
You'd found Blade a few weeks ago, bleeding out in the coral reefs surrounding your little island of a facility. He’d likely gotten into a fight with other merpeople, as the more territorial ones tended to do. Even now, the wounds hadn’t completely healed, with bandages still wrapped around his abdomen.
Blade’s ever-cold face barely budged at your greeting. The second your hand met his tank, he backed away, swimming up towards the top of his tank - naturally expecting you to follow. You sighed, shaking your head knowingly.
By the time you had climbed the staircase to the top, Blade was already lounging on the stairs leading into his waters. His wet hair clung to his body as he watched you expectantly, his tail flicking small waves into motion. Sunlight cascaded over him from a glass ceiling, bathing him in a gentle light.
“You’re late.” His eyes never left your body as you neared him, eyeing you like a hungry predator.
You dropped your bag off some counter lining the walls. “I was dealing with the new shipments.”
“Oh? Am I finally getting some company?” Blade asked sarcastically, stretching like a cat in the warm sun. You don’t think it was an accident that he rolled over, shamelessly showing off his sculpted abdomen.
“Like I could just order a merman off the web,” you scoffed, sitting next to him and dipping your legs into the tank. “You’re just a special case.”
He didn’t respond to that, merely watches you with an emotion that you can’t quite pinpoint. Knowing him, it could be anything from warm affection to a mischievous desire to inconvenience you by the slightest amount. He was petty like that.
Briefly, his tail came to brush against your legs. You giggled at the action, the thin fins ticklish against your skin. A flicker of a smile flashed across Blade’s face, gone just as fast as it had appeared.
“How are your wounds?” you asked, your hand absentmindedly coming to pet his head. Where Blade would have bitten anyone else, the merman keened at the touch, closing his eyes briefly.
“Better.” His voice was barely above a whisper as you threaded your fingers through his wet hair.
“That’s good. No pain?”
“None,” he answered. As you removed your hand, for a moment, he chased it, before he met your teasing eyes and remembered himself. Coughing, he quickly turned away, refusing to meet your amused gaze.
“At this rate, you’ll be leaving sooner than expected,” you hummed. Blade’s eyes widened at your words, an unfamiliar pang hitting his chest. “I’m sure you’ve been missing your friends.”
Blade scoffed at the notion, rolling back onto his chest to stare at the floor. “Hardly.”
“Well,” you shrugged, kicking up some water. “At the very least, you’d miss the open waters.”
That, he couldn’t deny. But even still, the thought of finally leaving the facility had become foreign to him. Three weeks prior, he would’ve jumped at the opportunity to get out of this place, this tank. But now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Hey, chin up.” Your hand cupped his cheek, bringing him to look up at you. “It’s not like you’ll never see me again. You can always visit.”
He doubted that. Out in the ocean, he had little free time to himself. He would spend his days constantly on the run from various mermaid kingdoms and tribes, and if not that, he’d be hunting, searching for his next meal. He journeyed the seas without end. Blade was a vagrant, a wanderer without a home.
But here, perhaps…
His body moved without thinking. Pushing himself up onto his arms, he leaned over you, water droplets falling onto your shirt as he caged you between his arms. His gaze had become hazy, his eyes lidded. His breath shuddered in his chest as he pressed his forehead against yours, drinking in as much of you as he could.
Blade didn’t say much, but he didn’t have to. You heard his words loud and clear, without him needing to say a word.
Stay.
It was unclear who he was talking to, whether it be you or himself. There was a subtle desperation in the way his chest heaved as he breathed, breathless without a thief.
Your arms, your welcoming arms, wrapped around his shoulders like a warm blanket, bringing him in for an embrace. Immediately, he latched onto the opportunity, gripping onto you as though you’d disappear if he dared loosen his grip. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, breathing in your scent, forever engraving it into his memory.
If only he was human, he’d lament. If only he could walk the lands like you did. If only the two of you weren’t separated by land and sea. If only - his grip became just a little tighter - he could stay like this a little longer.
You stroke the back of his head gently, feeling Blade shiver at your touch. He wasn’t crying - you didn’t know if he even remembered how.
Deep inside, you wanted him to stay. You didn’t want to let him go. It was an ugly, selfish part of you that wanted to keep him for yourself. But you knew you couldn't keep him here. He had to return to the ocean, where he belonged.
He pulled away from you, yet still held onto your arms like a lifeline. You never thought you’d describe the stoic merman as desperate, but there was no other word that could properly depict the emotion swirling in his eyes.
Your hands came to cradle his face gently, unable to say a word. Blade’s breath hitched.
His lips barely parted as he spoke, his voice raspy and low.
“Forgive me.”
That was the only warning you got before he crashed his lips into yours.
His kiss was unlike any other you’ve had. Whereas your previous experiences were tender and romantic, this was hungry, raw, depraved. Blade kissed you with the fervor of a starving man, as though you would be his final meal. He was aggressive with his affections, practically clawing onto your shirt as he clutched you closer to him.
Your heart raced in your chest as you met his violent dance, parting your lips for a moment to allow him to slip in his tongue. You welcomed him in, firmly holding his face. Emotions swirled in you like the blurred voices of a crowd, overwhelming and satiating you at the same time.
To say that you were surprised by his actions would be a lie. You’ve known his feelings for a while now, and had plenty of time to accept yours. It was obvious, in the gentlest touches, in the way he could make you smile just by being around you.
You’ve avoided acknowledging these feelings for the longest time, and so did he.
When the two of you finally parted, a string of saliva connecting the two of you, the only thing you could do was watch. You studied Blade’s face, clearly now, for the first time. Your fingers traced around his jawline, admiring how his cheeks had become dyed with a pretty red. You swiped over his parted lips, still catching his breath from the kiss. Your thumb rubbed just underneath his eyes, brushing away the loose strands of hair from his face.
You’ve always known he was a beauty, but in this moment, he simply took your breath away.
Blade covered your hand in his, nuzzling into your palm. He softly pressed his lips to your inner wrist, a stark contrast from the kiss he’d just ravaged you with. He kept his eyes solely on you as he did this, trapping your gaze with his stare.
“I’m not leaving.”
“Huh?” You blinked, trying to snap yourself out of your daze. Blade smirked against your palm, swiping out his tongue and dragging it against your skin.
“Come, now,” he mused. “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”
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reblogs w comments are appreciated !!
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copperbadge · 2 years
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I’ve been doing more research on ADHD after the diagnosis, specifically watching some channels that you guys and others have recommended, and it’s actually a fascinating process coming at the diagnosis from the far side of forty instead of the near side of twenty. 
I have a ton of coping mechanisms, which I developed because “Well, I’ve got to deal with life somehow”. In the evaluation I had with the psychiatrist, I was basically diagnosed on them. Some of the more simple ones really seemed to fascinate him, like taking the doors off my kitchen cupboards and hanging my keys on the knob of my self-locking door.  
Many of the videos are about helping younger people develop these coping mechanisms -- not relevant to me, generally, although some of the tips are still useful, like the idea that whatever you’re doing to cope, it’s meant to lower the demand on executive function. I’m fortunate in that my diagnosis is inattentive, I don’t have the hyperactive angle, and thus don’t have a ton of need for fidget toys or sensory stimulation in the way the videos talk about. The fidget spinner I have is cool because it’s Captain America, but it doesn’t like...help, per se, and after about two minutes I get frustrated with the fact that there’s no result, it doesn’t produce anything. I do best in meetings and classes when I have something to occupy me, but it can’t be tactile, it has to at least partially engage my brain, and knowing that I need a brain-fidget rather than a hand-fidget will be helpful in coming up with appropriate (and socially acceptable) workarounds. 
Not sure what to do with all the discussion of emotional regulation; I feel like I’ve got that bit figured out but also like maybe my solutions aren’t the healthiest, so we’ll see. 
I think perhaps the most useful thing is the idea of identifying a need or issue and then finding a workaround for it as a conscious process, which is usually something I do instinctively. This one video was about going to Target specifically to shop for products for kids that could still help adults with ADHD, and while most of it was fidget toys, I liked the idea of browsing with the focus in mind of finding tools for workarounds. Which led to the idea of, well, what am I working around? and the concept of consciously identifying ADHD-specific issues. So that’s something to think on for a while -- aside from the Adderall, what are solutions to specific ADHD-driven issues I have? 
I suspect because I am older and well-trained in problem solving I may not get as much assistance from videos or books about living with ADHD as a younger person might, as I might have as a younger person. I think I may look for something more along the lines of a layperson’s medical text; I’d like to know what we know about how ADHD affects function, because that will be more helpful to me in identifying ways my experience of reality is not neurotypical, and then I can come up with my own workarounds. Because it is a trifle frustrating to look for more information and get a lot of stuff -- useful stuff, just not useful to me -- about fidget toys or bullet journaling. :D 
Plus...the biggest hurdle I’ve had is an inability to start and carry-through tasks, and the Adderall does a great job with that, so a huge looming issue is resolved, or at least on its way to resolution. Other than that I don’t really see many problems that are going unaddressed, but that’s where a more thorough knowledge of the actual biology might help me shift perspective.
Anyway. Get in losers, we’re going to Target even if we don’t need fidget toys, because Target is fun to shop at.  
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the aliens from the show are difficult, I have a reboot in my head but I'll separate them for hopefully a more digestible read I also haven't seen the show in a long time so my memory is blahhh
General Headcanons
Coverton gives me amphibious vibes, tho I do think those cheek "flaps" are like. gills or something, not exactly. his chrysalis rejuvenation molting whatever is ?? helps keep his skin squishy soft and get rid of skin disease. human equivalent of a "birthday" but he only does it every 6¾ (earth) years, he's also 180 so you do the math for his human age
"Coverton" is not his real name, that's a title, as is "Coverlord" for leader of the interstellar conquering empire
loves a good mocha, I also think he would like boba tea. idk I like to imagine the aliens just trying earth drinks, I'm gonna project more and say he doesn't like soda, or champagne but does appreciate wine. the lemonade he had from the pilot was meh, whatever
from what I understand Sta'abi doesn't have a home anymore? she's a survivor of some horrid giant beast's rampage. at some point she left her planet to join an interspecies group of warriors that travel the stars, which has some association to the Coverlord Empire. so her position under this council of warriors is.. a monster hunter
her favourite kind of food is from the sea, enjoys shellfish & cephalopods the most (because her usual hunt is on land, seafood is fancy). she likes to dance despite not being very elegant, but her priority is "the mission" which excludes "having fun" (tho her idea of fun is tag)
Sqweep's skin is like. dry slime. or putty texture. she is like a sterilised marshmallow if that makes any sense. smells like roasted walnuts or a burnt almond cookie
Reboot Headcanons
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concept art I love better than the og + sketches of inspired slight redesign from my ig (and a drawing I forgor)
Coverton's legs are pretty weak compared to even the average of his species, Earth's atmosphere & gravity doesn't help either. so while he can stand, it's only for a brief time, it also fluctuates how long depending on the weather. he'd use his hoverchair or just put the spacesuit on, especially for going outdoors
‌can't stand saltwater, lousy swimmer, afraid of Earth's ocean & easily seasick
‌unlike show canon, his telekinesis is artificial & enhanced with technology
weighs like a bunch of grapes, flexible & hypermobile, near-sighted so he may wear contact lense
he carries out his rejuvenation cycle in a secure chamber, symptoms include excessive sliming ("sweat"), bubbling skin (boils), and flaking (desquamation is just the beginning). like the rest of his species, he was grown in a lab
I honestly have no idea if that's natural hair or a wig lmao
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concept art where I'd just combine the best ones imo
Sqweep is a nickname! she gets it from the "eep" sounds she makes when excited or surprised
idk why I feel like she has a hundred or more siblings, not many are close to each other. perhaps several parents too, at least 5
like her parents and grandparents and great grandparents she's a super rich adult scientist that works as part of an interstellar organisation dedicated to protecting life harbouring star systems
a field researcher therefore planetary explorer, her job is to document & study life on Earth
likes romantic comedies, and loves all animals on Earth, but she's allergic to fur, which is devastating
since she does have a face and therefore is able to emote, I think the antenna colour coded light emoting is unnecessary. I'd like to find another place for it in relation to her but not her biology itself. she sparkles instead
pretty sure no bones (therefore no teeth), light as a cloud so a gust of wind could send her off like a tumbleweed, but I feel the density of her own body can regulate itself, depending on certain conditions? covered in fine fuzz, her nubby hands (tentacles?) hold things like itty bitty hooks
can't digest foods unless in the form of fluids, probably likes bland foods tbh. anything too flavorful would make her head explode
y'know maybe her species is. delicious. their "flesh" tastes like space mango, but cotton candy weight & texture 💀
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some of the concepts I refer to for the most challenging and frustrating of the alien bunch, and today's look of her as I also went through & played with various designs
this version of Sta'abi is dropped on Earth to manage her "anger issues". her peers decided she needed to chill out, which is coincidentally the same day a vornicarn is brought into the world. as a hunter, she would've killed on sight, but after helping to capture it and being held captive by Area 5X herself, she starts to empathize with and eventually befriend the creature
Coverton eventually gets her to somewhat roam free in the facility and offers her a way off world but only if she helps him with his plans. he's not completely transparent about them and Sta'abi just wants to leave, she's already familiar with the empire he works for so there's some trust in his word
the males of her species have wings? is that canon? I feel like it's canon.. but in modern days they're just for show, can't fly but can glide and catch wind to hover, though only for so long as they're mostly small
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none of these concept art belong to me btw if that wasn't obvious I just took them from the wiki
came from the only egg that survived the initial meteor crash & wasn't frozen to death, laid dormant and got covered in the antartic ice until global warming exposed it millions of years later (which scientists soon discover but let the monster agents investigate as they have alien consultants)
instead of Link's nose I really hammed up the alien parody for my own indulgence haha (blood cw; initial drawings + non-canon chest bursting)
steals coverton's chocolate either when he's not looking or right in his face, probably doesn't like baths, loves chin/neck scratches & belly rubs (only from Sta'abi)
smells with the tip of his tongue, bipedal & quadrupedal, not great at hearing
skin is scaly like a snake, full of muscle
can and will survive in all extreme environments except the desert? for heat & hydration reasons mayhaps as he can't withstand both at once
some of these may change with time and I'd love to read everyone else's hcs! or how you'd rewrite them perhaps :]
since you made it to the very end you're obligated to tell me your favourite alien 🫵
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mysticetus · 1 year
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thank you so so so much for the detailed ask!!! i've recently considered going into that field and that information / suggestion is super helpful for my decision :) i didn't know you were a biology major! that's so cool! how has it been so far? what kind of courses you took in high school do you use now / what do you feel are specific essential areas? i hope that doesn't sound like a strange question to ask, i've got some memory issues and knowing what specifically to focus on before i get into college could help a lot :)
no problem its not often i get to talk about the work that i do so im glad to write stuff.
when it comes to academic advice i have to preface it by saying things depend greatly on what is available to you, since “biology major” can fall under a ton of different things and im not sure theres a universal system for it … some examples ive seen are biology BS (bachelor of science) which is more useful for microbiology and if you want to go into research, biochemistry, or the medical field … biology BA (bachelor of art) which is better for macrobiology like zoology, and people looking to go into education. Theres also ecology and evolutionary biology, and more specific majors like botany, marine bio, etc ….
or your college might just have a single biology major. it really depends. my college happens to have a robust bio department and thats the main reason i wanted to go here. they usually have information on offered majors on their website but i assume youre looking at that anyway lol.
A nice piece of advice i received from someone in the field was when i attended the necropsy of an adult female sea lion, the woman performing it recommended we get a general biology degree rather than marine biology, since general bio offers you more opportunity. For example if you want to work in like… idaho studying golden eagles or kansas looking at salamander species you cant much use a marine bio degree for that. But a general bio degree is helpful in most marine bio environments. (Also marine bio is extremely competitive and the work is usually expensive but thats another conversation…)
in high school the class most useful to me was definitely physiology which was a science elective for me. It went over like…bone names and organ systems and how muscles work and all that … its still useful to me. You could also look into APES (ap environmental science) if thats something available to you. but generally i think you should take classes that are interesting to you! bio is a huge field and you may discover something really amazing if you just follow your nose.
and high school isnt all there is, you could see if theres a local museum or wildlife rescue center that takes youth workers/volunteers. More often than not facilities like this are non profit and depend on volunteer work so they might have something available. For paying jobs you could look into pet stores, sounds weird but there was an aquarium store in my town that had tons of species and the employees there are mostly really nerdy teenagers. similar situation with a reptile store near me, they literally breed chicks to feed the snakes. animal husbandry is a great way to observe like. Feeding behaviors and ecological roles. Doing work in actual places where a bio degree is applied helped inform my decision and i also learned a lot on the job. i never really freaked out about extracurriculars i just did this stuff because it seemed cool but it definitely helps with getting into college in the first place.
hope this helps
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phddis · 1 year
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Intro Post
Hi, I'm Max (24, she/they, gmt+1), if you wanna plot with good old Charles like this post or send me a message xx
character’s full name: Charles Francisco Xavier character’s nickname: Professor X, old friend Age: 43 MBTI: infj zodiac sign: Aquarius powers: omega level telepathy
Physical appearance
Height: 1,78m Body build: lean, strong shoulder strength Shape of face: angular Eye color:  dark brown Glasses or contacts:  glasses when working, usually toys with it if not working Distinguishing marks: days old beard, kind eyes Predominant features: greasy hair Hair color: brown Type of hair: straight, curly at back of neck Hairstyle: often let down, strands stuck behind his ears, will sometimes tie it up when it gets too long Voice: clear and calm Physical disabilities: paraplegy (both legs paralyzed), needs a wheelchair to move around Usual fashion of dress: old man style Jewelry or accessories: always his Swiss watch on his right wrist, a hairtie next to it
Personality
Good personality traits: empathetic, generous, loyal Bad personality traits: manipulative, secretive, stubborn Mood character is most often in: tired but contempt Sense of humor: bright and sarcastic with his close friends Character’s greatest joy in life: knowing he was able to help others, no matter the way Character’s greatest fear: being responsible for someone's death Why? I don't think the worse would be the guilt, honestly, it might be the fact that other people's opinion about him could change Character is most at ease when: teaching, sleeping Most ill at ease when:  his team is off fighting, he has to debate in public with morons Enraged when: injustice happens under his nose Depressed or sad when: stuck in a loop about his past or hearing a student of the school talk about their own shitty past Priorities: the school aka all his kids' safety (he's a father of hundreds yes) Life philosophy: "you have to die a few times before you can really live" If granted one wish, it would be: for durable universal peace Why? so he could get a good night sleep once and for all Greatest strength: the fact he truly believes peace can happen between mutants and humans Greatest vulnerability or weakness: his kids Biggest regret: not opening the school earlier Biggest accomplishment: opening the school
Past
Hometown: New York Type of childhood: very privileged but also very lonely, would spend ages without seeing his parents and had no close relationship with them (or anyone for that matter); quite estranged from his childhood and doesn't like remembering it Pets: none Most important childhood memory: his last birthday celebrated with his father, right before his death Childhood hero: Noam Chomsky Dream job: owning an ice cream empire Education: went to Harvard and Oxford, got PHDs in genetics, biology and biophysics, as well as a doctorate in psychology
Present 
Current location: still his family mansion at Westchester, which he transformed into a sanctuary for mutants, he also has a flat near the Columbia University where he teaches thrice a week. Religion: atheist Occupation: Professor of genetics, advocate for mutant rights, Headmaster of his school of gifted kids Finances: wealthy as fuck
Family
Mother: Sharon Xavier Relationship with her: very conflicted, she was a violent woman who went through hardships, and Charles was often at the end of her wrath. Died alone and drowning in alcohol, she truly fucked him up Father: Brian Xavier Relationship with him: Charles' father died when he was still quite young, and the memories he has of him are pretty nice, He was one of Charles' childhood heroes and he made him fall in love with science Siblings: depends uwu Spouse: none Children: none that he knows of for the moment
Habits
Hobbies: reading/writing, playing chess,doing research Plays a musical instrument?  learned piano and cello as a kid Plays a sport? not really, does exercise when he has time though How he/she would spend a rainy day: either catching up on paperwork or gossiping with the kids in the common room Smokes: not anymore Drinks: has a few glasses of whatever's in his cabinet every day, used to get completely trashed during the day but had to stop, will get completely trashed whenever possible Other drugs: not anymore What does he do too much of? worrying What does he do too little of? sleeping, eating well, resting Usual body posture: leaned on his side, elbow on an armrest and chin resting in his palm
Thanks for taking the time to read everything!!
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mysticdoodles · 2 years
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hello!! as a high school student who wants to go into marine biology (or a related field) as a career, do you have any tips on how to get started? what approach should i take for college/what are some useful skills to practice and keep in mind?
Oh boy, I've never been asked this before! Bear in mind it's been a while since I did the high school-to-college song and dance, but I will do my absolute best c: I will also be answering this based on MY experience of what worked best for ME and experiences my colleagues went through to get to the same place, but you may want to try a different approach, and that's totally fine! I'm not necessarily an authority on this, and I am human, so bear with me mgfhmkdf
To start off with, having a college degree is technically not necessary, but it IS incredibly helpful and a lot of jobs in the field will require you to have at least a Bachelor's. What ultimately matters is that you have the experience the job you're gunning for requires you to have learned - college is simply a fast-track to getting that experience in a controlled environment, and an easy way to link you with internships and networking opportunities that can do the same thing outside of a school environment. A college degree also just sounds fancy on a resume, so there's that. Here's my advice, based on MY particular path, bearing in mind that you want to go through the college route (NOTE: AGAIN, this is ONE method of approach, not the be-all-end-all). This will also be dependent on whether or not you want to work WITH animals, like I did- you may want to do remote research or go on a vessel for on-water studies! Those options will also be available to you and I strongly recommend you look into them if that's your desire cx It went a bit long, so I'm putting it under a readmore to save your dashboards |D
If you can help it, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Powering through the courses you need in order to get the degree you want can certainly build your portfolio. But oddly enough, the thing that got noticed on my resume the most wasn't the course selection I took in order to be skilled with different animal clades- it was my second degree in art that made me stand out, made application reviews pause and go 'huh that's new!' and offer me interviews. So don't sweat having the perfect selection of courses under your belt! Focus on taking the ones YOU want to learn about, and they don't all have to be biology related! Pad out the rest of your electives in order to fulfill the requirements you need for the degree you want while also being something you would enjoy learning. Hell, I took a course on classical fairy tales in order to fulfill an elective (and stay sane), and I still look back on it fondly.
Do research on the colleges you want, and trust your gut feeling on which one you would be happy to join. The location and facilities of the college itself can be important. Scout out which colleges are equipped properly for the particular field you want to partake in. Some colleges have facilities with direct access to a beach for samples and providing fresh water sources for enclosures that have study animals. Some colleges are nearby to NOAA or AZA accredited facilities that would love to have extra hands assisting with their research while also providing you with valuable hands-on experience. Some facilities will be nowhere near the ocean itself and entirely remote. Take into account how each college can help you, and whether or not you'll be comfortable associating with or living nearby on-campus. One of the biggest reasons I didn't attend a particular college that accepted me was their lackluster response to my questions - when I asked if I could pursue a certain path of study, they were very wishy-washy and vague, so I ultimately chose to go elsewhere.
Do internships! Internships are INCREDIBLY valuable for both your resume and your practical experience in the field. Studying animal skeletons in class and doing simulated pattern studies on algae growth in tide pools or calculating bio-accumulation of mercury in sport fish will do nothing to prepare you for what it's like to work in an actual husbandry environment. It can be dirty, hot, humid, and no matter what you will be getting wet. Equipment can be the highest top of the line sand filter, or a sieve someone cut out of an old ice cream tub. Internships also strongly encourage team-building skills, because marine animals are very high maintenance, and the simple reality is that it's just so much easier when you have colleagues helping you. This is another time to focus on learning! And don't worry too much about WHERE necessarily you take these internships- the location doesn't matter so much as WHAT you learned while you were there. Did you learn water quality control? System maintenance? Quarantine procedures? Husbandry basics? Take notes!
Get PAID experience in animal care of some form if you want to go into a field that involves husbandry. This is something that personally tripped me up because only ONE job I ever applied for told me that this was something heavily desired. Internships are crucial, but some jobs in marine biology will specifically require you to have been paid in a position of animal care at some point or another. It's a stupid obstacle, I know- what should it matter whether or not you got paid as long as you learned what was important? This can be anything from working as a contracted aquarium maintenance worker for folks who own saltwater tanks (usually rich people lmao), to a paid internship with NOAA hatcheries, to working at Petsmart in the fish section. It really doesn't matter where, as long as you did work involving animal husbandry and maintenance, and were paid for your time.
If you are not already, GET. SCUBA. CERTIFIED. I cannot emphasize enough how HUGE scuba certification can be on your resume going forward.
Had to add this after due to text block limits (boooo): In college, you'll have to get through the weeds of introductory courses before you actually get to the good stuff. Nearly every science major requires you to go through a certain number of math, chemistry, and other universally applicable "weed-out" subjects, and you have no choice but to power through those to get to specialized instruction like vertebrate anatomy or marine mammal studies. As someone with ADHD who hates the tedious nonsense, this was rough for me xD Don't get discouraged if those first courses are a slog, they're kind of designed to be that way. If you decide the path ultimately isn't the one you want to follow, you have time! You are welcome to switch to another and try something else you think you'd enjoy studying, there's absolutely no shame in it :)
When you transfer from college to research/employment, don't worry about getting a job in the field right out of the gate- it's extremely competitive right now, and opening that door can be a challenge. Get a foothold in other ways! Assist with student research, get entry level jobs in another department at the same facility or similar, or even get another unrelated job to pay the bills while you build up your skills. You'd be surprised how much any sort of job can add to your portfolio! A lot of my colleagues had retail jobs before they joined us.
As for useful skills, as a baseline you need to learn proper water quality maintenance for enclosures - no matter where you work, marine animals require extremely specific parameters for their living situations. And they'll vary by the animal! Be it a five-gallon quarantine tank for an anemone or a multi-thousand-gallon enclosure for a sea lion in rehab. Some animals do better in schools, and some are better in less crowded environments or can be the only individual of that family present without there being inter-species conflict. Understand the nitrogen cycle, and how to properly do a water change without endangering the animals if they're still present in the environment. You WILL be doing this at every facility, and that is a promise. It's also very good to be adaptable, and respond to change, because the animals' needs can shift on a dime- for example, you might get called for a crisis that sprung up in the middle of feeding (or even the middle of the night!), like a leak sprung on the side of a holding environment and someone needs to manage an emergency dive while someone seals the breach. Do what needs to be done for the sake of protecting the animals, because they're YOUR animals now. And as a final note, try to learn the scientific names for the animals in particular that you'd like to study and work with- it's not imperative, but in my experience it helps to communicate with a lot of the Old Salt professionals and tracking system oriented guys, since they usually use the abbreviated scientific names over the common name (Like Boops boops would be Bboo). Very few facilities, but SOME, may require you to know at least a few scientific names of animals on site after a certain time period working for them.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but hopefully this helps at least somewhat!
I need to finish my laundry ||D
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sbgridconsortium · 5 months
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Structure of Equity - Jamaine Davis - Meharry Medical College
Sharing some of our #SBGrid member tales from the last year. This one from September 2022.
Numbers speak clearly to Jamaine Davis. As a boy growing up on Long Island, math came so easy to him that one of his family nicknames was "the professor."
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Other numbers have shaped his ambitions at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where Davis runs one of the few labs in the world that uses structural biology to help explain biological health disparities.
For example, U.S. Black adults are twice as likely to have Alzheimer's disease compared to non-Hispanic Whites. And despite a somewhat lower overall lifetime risk of breast cancer, Black women experience a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer than White women at every age and are more likely to be diagnosed with fast growing and late-stage breast cancer.
"My research program is basically at the intersection of structural biology, genetics and disease, and health disparities," says Davis of the big-picture questions that guide his lab's work. "What are the molecular mechanisms that dictate who develops diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's? And then how do we design effective therapies? How do we target the right pathways for the right treatment for that patient?"
One project in the early stages focuses on a gene (ABACA7) that has a stronger effect on risk of Alzheimer's disease in Blacks than the better known ApoE4 gene risk variant. "It's actually the strongest risk factor for developing Alzheimer's in African Americans known so far," Davis says.
As he explains it, ABACA7 transports lipids out of cells, handing off the lipids directly to ApoE, and also interacts with Tau, another protein that goes awry in Alzheimer's. Two missense variants in ABACA7 confer the risk.
"So we've been studying these mutations to see what impact they have on lipid transport," Davis says. "Once we're done, we can look at the people who particularly carry this mutation or variant, see what downstream processes are altered, and design therapies to rescue that. And these variants so far have only been identified in African Americans."
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In individuals with African ancestry, the phospholipid-transporting ATPase ABCA7 (ABCA7) gene has stronger associations with Alzheimer’s disease risk than in individuals with European ancestry and than the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele. The Davis lab is exploring the structure and function of key ABACA7 mutations and how they contribute to alterations in transporting lipids, which may influence Alzheimer’s in African Americans. Credit: Courtesy of J.Davis.
Davis began his academic training on a different career path. With his early affinity for math and science, he reasoned that chemical engineering made sense as a college major. But near graduation at Drexel University, he realized that the typical next step for someone with a chemical engineering degree was a job at an oil company. He hadn't taken one biology course in college, but he found himself drawn to biomedical research instead.
He seized an opportunity to work in a biophysics lab at a neighboring school, University of Pennsylvania, where his mentor Jacqueline Tanaka gave him a peek at the scientific career he could have in biophysics and opened his eyes to the kind of academic role model he could be. Her excitement for X-ray crystallography and for increasing the proportion of women and minorities in science inspired him to go to graduate school.
"She built her career in structural biology and mentoring, hand in hand," Davis says. "She saw some potential in me, and I was at a crossroads." Davis had also been unaware of the extent of health inequities across the country and of the low representation of minorities in academia.
For his thesis, Davis chose the lab of Harvey Rubin, a dynamic speaker who fostered an immediate interest in infectious disease. In Rubin's lab, Davis characterized an enzyme that enables Mycobacterium tuberculosis to enter (and possibly exit) the dormancy stage in the lungs of people.
When Davis finished his PhD in 2007, he was the first Black to earn a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biophysics at UPenn. "I had a great time," he says. "They were very supportive. But it is pretty shocking. If you look at Twitter, there are other people posting the same kind of statistic. They're the first Black to graduate from a certain program at a certain institution. It does show there is still some under-representation across different departments."
He followed up with two postdoctoral fellowships at the National Cancer Institute. He first showed that a novel protein in Shigella (bacteria that cause food poisoning) was not a protease, as some suspected. A second project elucidated the binding modes of a protein with multiple domain repeats implicated in the development of cancer.
Then he thought about how best to combine his interests in a distinctive research program. He chose Meharry, one of the oldest and largest historically black U.S. academic health centers. (Davis is also a member of the Vanderbilt University Center for Structural Biology.)
Historically black colleges and universities are powerhouses in educating African Americans who go on to earn doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine, as Davis and his co-authors reviewed in a commentary (Cell, 2022). Blacks make up 12% of the U.S. workforce, but only 5% of working physicians and 3.6% of full-time faculty conducting research at medical schools.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Davis found new opportunities for mentorship and community outreach. Soon after the pandemic took hold, a student-driven community formed on Twitter with the handle @BlackInBiophys and a logo designed by Taneisha Gillyard, a former postdoc in the Davis lab. Davis spoke at a virtual meeting held by the group.
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A former postdoc in the Davis lab, Taneisha Gillyard, designed the logo for @BlackInBiophys, a student-driven community that formed on Twitter during the pandemic. Credit: Taneisha Gillyard.
In a short time, a strong sense of community developed among people who may have never met in person, but know a lot more about each other through social media, Davis says. People share grant writing tips, training and job opportunities, and generally celebrate the scientists, their contributions, and career options for the next generation.
The visibility may help change other statistics about Black researchers receiving less NIH funding and being cited less often than their white colleagues, Davis says.
Davis also teamed up with Meharry colleague Jennifer Cunningham-Erves to develop a funded community outreach project to address community concerns about vaccines. He has spoken about the basic science of mRNA at townhall-style community meetings, in person and virtual. The online recordings have reached people from Chicago to New York to Haiti.
The project collaborates with a consortium of more than 90 churches in middle Tennessee and Better Options TN, a community nonprofit organization. To understand concerns, the Meharry team interviewed people in the Southern United States. They developed and organized content on a frequently updated web site, https://yourcovidvaxfacts.com/en.
"We asked about their thoughts about the vaccine and the virus," Davis says. "The biggest one, particularly for Black Americans, was the distrust with government and healthcare. But I was very impressed with some of the questions that the public had. They weren't getting answers, and they wanted answers. If you remember, one of the major issues with people not getting a vaccine was that they thought it would affect their DNA. They just weren't familiar with mRNA."
Davis felt their concerns and trust issues as well. He initially was cautious about being vaccinated himself, waiting to see more data about its safety in people. "Even being a scientist, I was hesitant," he says. "I didn't want to be one of the first," he says. But as he explained the science and helped alleviate concerns of others, he also convinced himself to get the vaccine too.
Meanwhile, back in the lab after the pandemic disruptions, Davis and his team are working to improve health outcomes for populations most at risk, one variant protein and pathway at a time.
- Carol Cruzon Morton
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liceouniversity01 · 1 year
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List of the Best College of Arts and Sciences Courses
If you are still deciding which of the Arts and Sciences courses to take, this article lists the best courses at this College to study. More than that, we will discuss why taking any of the Arts and Science courses is ideal and what course you can take based on your interests and chosen field.
However, before anything else, let us describe the College of Arts and Science. This field of study gives a wide range of higher education subjects to help students gain knowledge and skills to succeed in their chosen careers. These subjects range from arts and humanities to science and math and social and behavioral sciences. Whatever your choice is, universities will offer specific programs and subjects that will introduce you to the field and help you achieve your dream career.
List of Arts and Sciences Courses
⦁ BA in International Studies
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies is a degree program that runs for four years. This course helps its students ponder on the relevant international scene. Aside from learning the essential international concerns, students will be exposed to subjects that will test their critical thinking skills to fully grasp the world's different cultural, social, political, economic, and legal concerns. International Studies students have a bright future as they can work as diplomat, lobbyist, consultant, communication specialist, or teacher, among others.
⦁ BA in Political Science
The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science is a four-year program. This course centers on analyzing the government systems in the Philippines and abroad. Critical thinking skill will be honed to enable the students to produce a fundamental analysis of any political and power interplay. For students who are aiming to study law, this course is an excellent preparatory course. Aside from studying law, its graduates can find employment as political analyst, public relations specialist, legislative assistant, political consultant, and other occupations related to political concerns.
⦁ Bachelor of Science in Biology
This course is a four-year program. Aside from learning basic and advanced Biology studies, students will be equipped with natural and physical science knowledge. In this course, learners will also be honed to become fluent in handling equipment relevant to their field of study. Moreover, there is an excellent opportunity for Biology students to apply their knowledge and skills as this course requires on-the-job training and research writing. This applied learning will give them the experience they need for future employment here and abroad.
⦁ Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Bachelor of Science in Psychology is also a four-year program. This course trains students to study and analyze human behavior using scientific methods. However, this course is more than just studying human behavior. The course also teaches its students to be competitive by exposing them to instruction, research, and community immersion. Its graduates are introduced to employment opportunities in education, counseling, human resource management, and research.
Where to Take Arts and Science Course Near Me?
Liceo de Cagayan University is one of the top choices when taking any of the mentioned Arts and Science courses. Our university is equipped with professors who are authorities in their field of study. More than that, our university has modern facilities and equipment that support instruction and research to form highly qualified and competent graduates.
If you are ready to take a leap higher in your education, Liceo de Cagayan University is open to giving you the experience of becoming a College of Arts and Science student! Join the Liceo de Cagayan University community today. Call us at (088) 858-4093 to 94 or email at [email protected].
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shrishtyunikart · 1 year
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B.Tech Agricultural Engineering
B.Tech Agricultural Engineering is a four 12 months undergraduate application managing the machinery, engineering, and technological know-how withinside the agricultural sector. The B.Tech Agricultural engineering Syllabus consists of topics like farm machinery, soil, agricultural manufacturing, etc.
Admission for the B.Tech Agricultural Engineering Eligibility direction calls for the aspirant to have handed twelfth or an equal diploma from an identified institute/board with at least 60% combination marks (55% for the reserved aspirants) withinside the qualifying exam with arithmetic and physics because the principal topics in magnificence twelfth and one of the elective topics as chemistry/ biology/ biotechnology. There aren't any age limits for pursuing this course
Admission to the B.Tech Agricultural Engineering course is made based on standard B.Tech Agricultural engineering entrance exams. JEE Main and JEE Advanced are nationally accepted exams, the B.Tech Agricultural Engineering Admission Process registrations for these entrance examinations commence during May and July 2023 in different phases.  Candidates who have completed their 12th grade in the science stream with 50% marks are eligible to apply for B.Tech Agricultural Engineering near me colleges.
Top B.Tech Agricultural Engineering degree Colleges are IISc Bangalore, Marathwada Institute of Technology, Delhi, KIT's College of Engineering, Kolhapur, and others. Depending on the type of Institute, the average B.Tech Agricultural Engineering fee structure is between 50K and 2 lacks.
The center subjects withinside the B.Tech Agricultural Engineering Syllabus are meal processing, meal manufacturing technologies, agricultural processes, machinery, and so on.
After the B.Tech Agricultural Engineering program, applicants are eligible to paintings in Agri-commercial enterprise firms, meals processing, agricultural studies, improvement firms, etc. An entry-level graduate of this course can expect an annual B.Tech Agricultural Engineering salary of between INR 1.5 – 2.5 lakhs. M.Tech and MBA are the maximum famous better research vacation spot for BTech graduates.
There are several B.Tech Agricultural Engineering jobs that you can go for. With a keen field knowledge, you can also explore the following B.Tech Agricultural Engineering placements opportunities.
Agricultural Sales Engineer
Manufacturing Manager
Agriculture Program Manager
Researcher/Fundamental Analyst
Primary Production Manager
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plotbunnsies · 1 year
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Can I Save Them All
Part 3/?
Previous / next
Louis looked around the abandoned apartment, pondering.
He looked the place up and turns out it's for sale. The whole building actually is, and for a low price, which is suspicious, and Louis can’t figure out why?
Louis has been here for a month now, and there’s nothing wrong with this apartment. He’s inspected this apartment 4 times, and after seeing the building’s price, he thoroughly inspected it again, and came out blank! He’s even done a day’s worth of research in case a quirk affected the building or something, but all he came up with was that it’s on the bad side of Musutafu (Which is bullshit. No one has bothered Louis until now and there are no heroes patrolling here. If anything, this is probably the safest part of Musutafu, just a bit dirty)
So, Louis decided he wants to buy the building, and after a bit of searching, he found a job that will help him get the money needed.
It’s at a cat café. He’s very excited. He’s never come near a cat before, and he’s very curious(a lot of people call them “Backstabbing” creatures, and yet people love them? To the point of people calling them their boss? interesting)
He’s filled up an application, got accepted, and now he only needs to go to the café so they know he’s a real person and not a liar.
But before he closed his laptop, something caught his eye. A question.
A quirk question, on a forum he was browsing for any signs of a character that he knows the age of (he’s still hesitant to hack with Nezu around). Louis knows next to nothing about quirks (he really needs to research more) but
He knows biology. He knows about human, animal, and insect biology and he knows physics and chemistry and he knows too much for an eighteen-year-old (he had personas he needed to perfect)
And Louis was curious (he’s been curious) He wanted to know whether this knowledge could help him or will it be of no use. If he’s literally going to have to relearn everything. And this question seemed harmless enough. Just asking if there's a way to control a hearing-enhancing quirk (they sounded desperate) The answer won't harm anyone
So Louis wrote a "quick" reply (it was three pages long) and ran out of the door. He had an interview? To nail.
--
Louis loves cats.
They're small and agile and light to pick up and furry and meows and purrs when you scratch them just right and-
Louis loves cats.
The owner of the cat café was pleased by that (he wasn't sure about Louis’s "I'm not sure" when the application asked him about his opinion of cats) but he still needed to ask Louis some questions.
"And it says here that you've worked in a café before?" The man, with greying hair and a kind face and the softest smile ever directed at Louis, asked.
"Yes"
"..do you have a manager's number? An owner I could ask about you?"
"No, that was when I lived in Europe"
"Ah, well how about you try making a drink? This is a café, after all. You'll need more than a love for cats to work here"
And that's how Louis got his job. He made a regular cappuccino with a caramel pump and drew a cat on top (oh my lord this looks adorable!) And the owner hired me (kid you were made for this) he said, which Louis laughed off. He was very much not made for this.
So he left the café, after giving every cat a treat, and promised the owner (just call me Komi, kid!) To come to work at 6 am. And so, Louis was on his way to the apartment. 
But soon, someone started tailing him. Louis walked three blocks, took two turns and the guy was still behind him.
This caused Louis to panic (what did he do? He's only hacked once into the government database and that's only to add his identity. Nothing else! He didn't even steal that much, only going out to steal twice a week) so quietly, Louis whispered to himself. 
"Two miles" he felt more than heard a confirming beeb, and just like that all cameras within a two-mile radius were disabled. Louis took a turn into an alleyway and quickly scaled the building, and is currently standing on a fire escape, calmly waiting for his stalker to come. 
Soon, a guy entered the alleyway, looking around impatiently. He didn't call anyone upon not seeing Louis, instead kicking the wall angrily and then moving to get out of the alley.
No, Louis thought as he jumped down behind the man and held a knife to his neck.
"Why did you follow me" He asked, inching the knife ever so slowly into his neck. 
"I-I didn't, I just wanted some money, man!"
Oh
Maybe the people complaining about this place were right. Perhaps it is a dangerous place.
Louis knocked him unconscious and continued his walk home.
"Disable two miles," he said absentmindedly. This is the first time he went anywhere without knowing everything about it. Sure he's not here for a reason, he just ended up here, but he does need to research this place more.
He just needs to find a way to do it without getting anyone's attention. 
--
Well, Louis was not ready for this. (He's not been ready for a lot of things since getting here)
Fourteen people, fourteen different individuals, were in his DMs and were asking for help using their quirks. Five of them were willing to pay for his advice. 
Louis is not ready for this.
But the promise of money keeps him from deleting his account (what part of staying unnoticed did he not understand?!) so stared at his laptop. He stared for 20 seconds, then he closed the laptop, put it in his backpack, and headed to the nearest bank.
He’s gonna need an account if he’s going to work online, after all.
--
 It was four in the morning. Louis was researching how exactly touch-based quirks work when he heard something.
Footsteps. Light, quiet footsteps climb the stairs of the building to the last floor.
The floor Louis was in.
Louis got up, and crept to the front door, waiting.
The footsteps came closer, Louis took out his knife.
Knob started to move, Louis took a deep breath
The door was pushed open, and Louis lunged his knife at the intruder’s neck. Sharp brown eyes met startled blue eyes, and Louis froze.
He was holding a knife at Dabi’s neck.
He slowly lowered the knife, watching Dabi for any signs of aggression, and laughed nervously.
“Sorry, bad habit”
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I knowww that Quirk analysis is what Midoryia usually do in bnha fanfics, but i also want louis to do it and it's good technically legal source of money! Louis cant go around befriending good people if he's doing very illegal things. gotta start kinda small and when you cement yourself into the friend group you start showing your more messed up side! anyway for anyone who's reading this hope you enjoy! Previous / next
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trentondentist · 1 year
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Dental care - A Rewarding Wellness Profession
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Among the diverse wellness careers, dentistry provides several chances for success. Not just do dental professionals recover harmed teeth and also gum tissues, they educate patients good dental wellness routines and also enhance their chewing as well as speech. They likewise detect oral illness and provide preventive measures. A dental practitioner can operate in a range of setups, including a private method, a hospital, or an additional care establishment. Prior to you enter oral college, you'll require to take a selection of scientific research training courses, including biology and chemistry. You might additionally require to take a dental admissions examination to be approved into an institution.
Some colleges call for an undergraduate degree prior to applying. Dental care is a vibrant health and wellness area, with chances for growth and development annually. This field provides exceptional compensation as well as can be a satisfying job. Its extent varies, and also dental experts can concentrate on numerous locations, including anesthesiology, orthodontics, oral as well as maxillofacial surgical treatment, or prosthodontics. Regardless of your chosen specialization, you will be needed to complete continuing specialist advancement (CPD) programs and take an oral residency prior to you are accredited. The dental career is an outstanding selection for individuals with an all-natural creative sense and excellent manual dexterity. Click here: https://youmakemesmile.ca/trenton-dentist for more details on dental wellness services near me.
Many oral experts operate in exclusive techniques, but a small portion of them work in health centers or local wellness systems. Oral experts also take pleasure in excellent settlement and are very demanded. Oral college is a four-year program. The majority of institutions require a bachelor's level. If you wish to go into oral college with a pre-med degree, you might be able to avoid some of the needed science programs. However, most aspiring dental specialists choose a bachelor's degree in biology or chemistry. Oral colleges are an affordable procedure, as well as admissions are usually figured out by quality point standard, minimum rating on the state exam, and also referrals from previous professors. A few schools supply accelerated admissions after two or three years of undergraduate research. It's a good idea to obtain a work in the dental occupation prior to putting on oral college, to help reduce your trainee lending financial obligation.
The dental occupation entails interactions with clients of all ages and also cultures. They make use of the most recent analysis and treatment techniques to diagnose and also deal with oral illness. They also show the public concerning dental wellness and also disease avoidance. They carry out professional treatments to restore as well as change teeth, including making use of oral implants. Some dental experts specialize in treating gum tissue condition, or periodontal illness. These dental professionals utilize prescription antibiotics to kill particular sorts of microorganisms. They also identify and also deal with gingival cells condition, which can impact the health of other crucial organs. Dental colleges have come to be significantly diverse, as developments in dental research have actually included genetic engineering, proceeded growth of new products, and web links between dental as well as systemic illness. Visit this link for more info on the best dental care expert on this page.
In fact, the Initiative to Incorporate Oral Health and also Medication unites leaders in academic community as well as health care to change the occupation. During the initial two years of oral college, pupils will certainly get fundamental guideline in the scientific research of dentistry. Throughout the 3rd as well as fourth years, pupils will certainly take part in medical researches in energetic oral practices. For more information about this topic, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentistry.
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longinsure · 2 years
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Manager jobs near me
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#Manager jobs near me professional#
This position is part of a dynamic and progressive Animal Care & Health team.īring your strong animal care knowledge, daily animal care management experience, teamwork ethic, personal accountability, and proven enthusiasm to our team of dedicated professionals! Our values of Integrity, Quality, Respect, Collaboration, Inclusion, Justice and Fun are at the heart of all we do. We are dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and enhancement of the natural world and its living treasures through education, research, and recreation. The zoo has been ranked numerous times as one of the nation's best small zoos. It was built on the site of what was known as the Child Estate. The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres near the ocean in Santa Barbara, CA.
Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network.
Zoo and Aquarium All Hazards Partnership.
Zoo and Aquarium Safety: Example Practices.
#Manager jobs near me professional#
Wendy Fisher Award for Professional Excellence.The Devra Kleiman Scientific Advancement Award.Tim O'Sullivan Award for Professional Development.Animal Welfare Lifetime Achievement Award.Marlin Perkins Award for Professional Excellence Conway International Conservation Award Winners North American Conservation Award Winners.Angela Peterson Excellence in Diversity Award.Executive Leadership Development Program.Principles of Ambassador Animal Management.Population Management II: Data Analysis and Breeding Recs.Population Management I: Data Management and Processing.Managing for Success: Organizational Development.Managing for Success: Career Development.Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs.Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums.Crocodilian Biology and Professional Management.Conservation Education: Creating Effective Learning Experiences.Avian Management, Biology and Conservation.Animal Welfare: Evidence-Based Management.Animal Training Applications in Zoo and Aquarium Settings.Behavioral Husbandry Best Practices for Your Animal Welfare Program.AZA Professional Development Course Policies.Nature Play Begins at Your Zoo & Aquarium.Methods for Animal Behavior Research DVD.Green Practices: Third-Party Certifications.Green Practices: Materials and Products.Resources for Greening Business Practices.SAFE Granting Program Review and Selection.Black-footed Ferret Recovery and Reintroduction Program Analysis.Annual Report on Conservation and Science.Animal Program Sustainability Designations.Guidelines & Sample Documents, Programs, and Policies.Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums.Board-Approved Policies and Position Statements.Social Science Research and Evaluation Scientific Advisory Group.Small Population Management Advisory Group.Reproduction and Endocrinology Scientific Advisory Group.Molecular Data for Population Management Scientific Advisory Group.Institutional Data Management Scientific Advisory Group.Ambassador Animal Scientific Advisory Group.Aquatic Collections Sustainability Committee.
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rosepeckhamacademia · 2 years
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Rose Peckham
Human Biology 1090
5/2/2022
Signature Assignment ePortfolio Reflection
In light of my completion of my Spring semester course in Human Biology, I have chosen to share my reflection on the case study that I completed my final project on, Opioid Addiction. With any college class, you can expect an agenda of readings, quizzes, and discussion posts to be included in the expected coursework - but the best part, aside from the general plethora of new information that I am able to digest, are the case studies. These assignments are absolutely the ones that I choose to be as engaged and thoughtful as possible when doing, and I would say the reason for that being is that I feel I get the most overall out of them. They require me to think critically while also holding space for compassion and empathy in the highest regard, as afterall, these are about fellow humans just like me. We touch on real-world issues that require more than just your own individual perspective and demand that you are viewing things from a scientific lense. The takeaway from each case study leaves me feeling enlightened and passionate about the topic. For a little bit of context, I work in clinical research at the University of Utah. One of our research studies is an established surveillance network that collects information on maternal, infant, and child opioid addiction patients throughout multiple states - I am responsible for abstracting the charts of these patients to obtain demographic information, their full medical and social histories, test results, delivery outcomes, etc, and they are shared with the CDC. Everyday, through my computer screen, I read about the lives of women and children who have had their lives turned upside down and inside out by addiction. And even today, I truly cannot even completely grasp how complicated and intense dealing with such a diagnosis can be. While I would not say that the case study project changed my view on science, it did however provide a deeper insight into why biologically this may happen to some people and not happen to others. It was extremely informative in the way that I now have a more solid foundation of understanding what exactly an opioid addiction is, what it does to you, and the myriad of consequences aside from strictly legal ramifications and rehabilitation (which a lot of my job also consists of.) In my research for this project, I would not say that I saw scientists actively engaged in public policy debates when it came to my internet quests, simply because I tried to use mostly published research studies that are not meant to reflect personal opinions of these individuals. However, I will say that I work for a handful of amazing scientists and physicians who do care about these issues and do discuss their stance in light of Utah policy surrounding the community and who it affects, and I am privileged enough to be able to view these ideas through their eyes on a near daily basis. That being said, my case study really pushed me to think about public policies surrounding addiction and the viciousness of legal and social ramifications that everyday people go through. Each experience is unique to the individual and their circumstances, and yet it often feels as if we could be doing better for our patients in terms of accessibility to medical resources and expanding rehabilitation efforts. While I am not an expert on the topic, I do wish that others were more aware of the psychology behind addiction too. Yes, you may understand exactly what happens when an opioid enters your body, but it seems to me that if more people truly knew about and understood what it meant to be truly addicted to something, that there would be more outreach and advocacy for these issues. It is not as simple as “do not drugs” or “just stop being addicted”. An opioid addiction completely rewires your brain, and it does not just change in the physical sense, but also in a deeply emotionally traumatic sense. I would say I feel the most impact when it comes to viewing this issue through a patient’s eyes versus one of a healthcare professional. There is truly a stark difference when you look at a topi
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ccrpsorg · 3 years
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atlafan · 3 years
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Something New - One Shot
a/n: I’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks, rewrote half of it, and now I feel like it’s good enough to post. I guess you could call this enemies to friends to lovers??? they’re both idiots, honestly lmao, anyways, enjoy biology teacher!Harry (not proofread) reblogs and feedback are helpful!
Warnings: a little bit of angst, fluff, and smut
Words: 20K
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Divorced, new home, new town, new job, and a new school district for the kids all within the same year. Y/N had been separated from her husband for a couple of years prior, but when he moved in with his girlfriend, she knew it was officially over. It sucked. She knew she’d look back on it someday and be grateful that they ended things, but right now she wasn’t too happy about it. He got to be a weekend dad with his young girlfriend by his side, and there she was looking like the crazy old hang. It wasn’t her fault for not taking the best care of herself. She was depressed, could you blame her. They lived in one of those towns where everyone knew every little thing about you, so it was time to get out.
Securing the new job was the first on the list. If she could do that then maybe the kids would be more understanding about leaving. Y/N was a database manager for a non-profit organization. She was behind the scenes, and that’s how she liked it. She didn’t have to be the one asking for money or on the front lines vising donors. It was a job she could do anywhere, and she’d get paid well because of the software she knew how to use like the back of her hand.
There was a private school she had seen a job opening for. Normally, she’d be more apt to work for a non-profit, and not just some school for snotty rich kids, but their website made it seem like it wasn’t like that. Their donors gave out scholarships for students all of the time, and staff/faculty could send their kids to the school for free. That was a no brainer. Giving her kids a good education was her dream. The school was a K-12, so that would mean an easy pick up and drop off. After thinking it over, and researching the surrounding towns, she sent in her application.
Two weeks later she got a call for a video interview. She accepted happily. A week after that she was asked on campus for a second interview. Y/N put on her best blazer and nicest blue dress, the school colors were red and blue after all. She even made sure to wear red heels. Y/N spoke eloquently during her interview. She had researched everyone in the development office so she already knew faces and names. They were impressed. She spoke about her experience with The Rasier’s edge, the database management system, and they were awe-struck. She was given a tour of the campus, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The elementary school was a separate building, and the middle school and high school were separate, but connected by two connectors to make one large building. The development office was set up in this cute white house. They shared it with the alumni office, and apparently it was one of the oldest buildings on campus. Although, it was taken of so you’d never know it was old. They even showed her where her potential new office would be. There was a pool and ice rink as well that Y/N got to see. She was impressed. She interviewed the people on the committee too, knowing it was a two way street. She liked what they had to say.
A week or so after that, she was given an offer, a really good offer. Now it was time to talk to her kids. She couldn’t just accept without speaking with them first. Her daughter, Riley, would be going into ninth grade, and her son, Ben, would be going into eighth. Y/N was only thirty-three, she was a young mother, thanks to her ex-husband who was about seven years older than her. A red flag she should have been more wise to, but she was young and naïve, and that’s all that needs to be said about that.
It was a difficult conversation with the kids, but after calming down they had become more open to it. They were upset with their father, and the idea of being a little farther away was sounding really nice. Living in a new home to make new memories in was sounding really nice. Making new friends and having a fresh start was sounding really nice.
So, Y/N accepted the position, and was given a moving allowance. She was able to find a home quickly that was perfect for them. A decent three bedroom about fifteen minutes from campus, so the commute would be easy enough. Riley and Ben took a liking to the uniforms, and since you did all of this over the summer, they’d be able to blend in easily on the first day of school. No awkward ‘walking in halfway through the term’ bullshit.
“When am I supposed to see them?” Your ex had asked you over the phone when you told him you were moving.
“Every other weekend, same as before.”
“So now I have to drive an hour out of my way to-“
“It’s not an hour, it’s forty-five minutes at best. Shouldn’t it be worth it? They’re your kids.”
“You’re taking them from me.”
“You did that to yourself, Joseph. The weekends will stay the same. Be happy our kids are getting a good education. Goodbye.”
She knew she was harsh, but after being cheated on, and left for a younger woman, she thought she earned the right. A week before school started, the kids had gotten their schedules in the mail.
“Who do you have, Riles?” Ben asks her.
“Someone named…Mr. Styles for homeroom, he’s the biology teacher too.”
“Thought you took bio sophomore year.” Y/N says to her.
“Nope, my grades were good, remember? I’m in the honors class.” She smiles.
“What about you, Ben?”
“Um…Mr. Horan. Looks like I’ll have him for pre-algebra.”
“No female teachers for that, huh?” Y/N asks.
“I have a woman for Geometry, Mum, see?” Riley shows her.
“Oh good. Got worried for a second there.” Y/N chuckles.
“Are you nervous to start your new job?” Ben asks her.
“No.” She shakes her head. “I’m actually really excited. The time off has been nice, but I’m eager to get back into it.”
//
Y/N drops off the kids on the first day before going over to the staff lot. The program support assistant, Millie, is waiting for her with a cup of coffee and a warm smile.
“Morning, Y/N.”
“Hi, Millie.”
“Cream no sugar, right?”
“That’s right, thank you so much.”
“Let me lead you upstairs to your office. You have a meeting with the director of development, John, in about half an hour, and then you’ll have a team meeting with the rest of the people on your specific team, the gift processors, customer service. Then at lunch the development team and the alumni team will get together to welcome you.”
“Oh my, well, alright.” She chuckles.
“I put everything on your calendar for you.”
“Thank you.”
Y/N was used to doing everything herself at work, this was already a breath of fresh air. She hoped Riley and Ben had a good morning just the same.
It takes Riley a moment to find her classroom. She stops short when she walks in when she sees Mr. Styles, and another student walks right into her.
“I’m so sorry.” She says to the boy that nearly knocked her over. “Um, I wasn’t sure if this was the right classroom.”
“it’s okay.” He says. “Are you new?”
“Yeah, I’m Riley.”
“I’m Chris.” He smiles. “Wanna sit next to me?”
“Sure!” She says and sits a few rows back with him.
“Where’d you move from?”
“Just form a few towns over. My mom just got a job in the development office here.”
“Oh, cool! My mom works grounds here.”
Riley noticed that Chris had a rainbow pin on his blazer. She smiles at it. He notices her looking at it.
“I…uh…like your pin.”
“Oh, thanks.” He mumbles.
“My best friend back home has a lot of rainbow stuff in her room.”
Chris nods in understanding. More kids come in and claim their seats. The second bell rings, and Mr. Styles closes the door.
“Good morning, everyone.” Riley’s jaw drops at his accent and deep voice.
“Get used to it.” Chris whispers to her. “A lot of the teachers here are from other countries.”
Riley nods and continues to listen to Mr. Styles.
“Welcome to another year at our fabulous school. You’re officially high schoolers!” He grabs the handbook. “Which means there’s even more rules to follow, so let’s get through this together, yeah?”
Mr. Styles was quirky. He cracked jokes and made Riley feel excited to have him for biology. She turned to look at all of the lab benches in the back. She loved science in general, so this was good.
“Lastly, open house for parents will be at the end of the month. They begin at 6PM, so hopefully I’ll be able to meet all your folks. We also have a really fun fall carnival on campus. There’s games, rides, and it also gives a chance for families to see where you go to school. It’s all a part of our homecoming weekend.” The bell rings and everyone stands up. “Riley, could we chat for a second?”
She nods and looks at Chris.
“I can wait outside for you.” He says to her and she feels grateful. Their schedules were just about the same.
“Um, hi.” She says shyly.
“Hi, dear, so I was informed you’re new, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Usually we have new students stand up and introduce themselves, but I don’t like making people do that. It’s so forced. I can see you’re already making a friend.” He smiles. “Is it just you that’s new to us? Any siblings?”
“My younger brother is in eighth grade. He has Mr. Horan for homeroom.”
“You don’t say? That’s my best mate, believe it or not. He’s in good hands.”
“That’s good to know. I’m sure it’ll give my mom some peace of mind.”
“I don’t want to make you let, just wanted to give you a more friendly introduction.”
“Thank you, Mr. Styles. See you for bio.”
“See you later.”
Riley was making friends right away thanks to Chris. She had people to sit with at lunch, and she made sure Ben did too. He seemed to be sitting at a full table which was great. Her last class of the day was bio, which was perfect so she’d be near her locker.
“Welcome to honors biology.” Mr. Styles says. “This is a mixed class of ninth and tenth graders. Today we’re going to settle on lab partners, and we’re going to get lab safety out of the way. It’s the bane of my existence, but I need to know you all know how to be safe.”
Chris offers to be Riley’s lab partner even though he had other friends in the class. Mr. Styles writes down who is partnered with who. Then he essentially gives a tour of the classroom. He shows them where all of the lab coats and goggles are, the eyewash station, the sanitation shower, and the other equipment they’ll be using throughout the year.
“Now, in biology, we’ll be learning a lot about plants and animals, and we’ll also get into human anatomy. These subjects can be tough at times to grasp, so please, don’t be afraid to ask questions. I want to make sure I’m explaining things properly. I’m always will to meet after school for extra help as well, or put together a study group.” Mr. Styles explains.
Riley was finding that all of the teachers were really nice so far. She meets Ben after school and they walk over to the staff lot where Y/N was. She had asked to save her lunch hour for 2PM so she could scoot the kids home quick. Her supervisor had no problem with it.
“How was it?”
“Mr. Horan is hilarious, and he’s Irish!”
“Mr. Styles is British! And super nice. I think I’m gonna like it here, Mum. I already made a friend, so I had people to sit with at lunch.”
“Me too!”
It warmed Y/N’s heart to hear that the first day went well. It was all she could have hoped for. She gets them home, set up with a snack, and back out the door she goes. She had a couple of hours left of work anyways, so it was a nice break in the day. The lunch she had earlier with her new colleagues was fantastic. Everyone was welcoming and had no problem showing her the ropes.
When she’s walking to the parking lot around 5PM she notices other people making their way as well. She smiles at a few, and she gets some friendly nods back. She’s parked next to a black range rover, and she was hoping to get to her car before the other owner because she had parked a little too close to them on their driver’s side, but it wasn’t her fault. It was the only open spot when she got back.
“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Shit, she thinks to herself as she approaches. Not a great first impression to make at all.
“Just crawl in on the other side, H.”
“It’s the principle of the thing! They could have scratched it, or-“
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Y/N yells as she hustles over. “I had to bring my kids home, and this was the only other open spot, and the person previously on the other side of me was parked over the line, so I had to squeeze in, and I know it looks like I’m the asshole, but I swear I’m not.” She panics as she gets her keys out of her purse.
“It’s fine, miss, Harry’s just a jerk when it comes to his fancy car.”
“You sure like riding in my fancy car, so I suggest you shut it.” Harry huffs and looks at Y/N, furrowing his brows. “Look, I’ve had to be nice all day, and I’m exhausted, could you just back out so we can leave?”
“I said I was sorry.” She mumbles. Her eyes widen, though. An Irish accent and a British accent. “Shit, I think you’re my kids’ teachers.” She sighs. “Do the names Riley and Ben ring a bell?”
Harry’s features soften and he runs a hand through his hair.
“You’re Riley’s mum?”
“Yes.”
“Seems like she had a good first day. What department are you working in?”
“I’m the new database manager for the development office.”
“Ben was a delight! Laughed at all my jokes.” Niall says and you smile.
“He said you were funny. Riley liked you too, although now I’m not sure why. Taking a long day out on me. I’m sure the first day is a lot, but it was my first day too, and I’m equally as tired.”
“Maybe you should get home then.” Harry says, and she rolls her eyes.
“Nice meeting you both…well, one of you. I’m sure I’ll see you again, but if not I’ll be at the open house.” She gets into her car and carefully backs out, not scratching Harry’s car.
“You were rude.” Niall says as they both get into the car.
“I paid a lot of money for this car. I park far away for a reason, and someone has to park that close to me?”
“She apologized.”
“Good for her.”
“Harry…”
“Ugh, Francie texted me today, and it just sent me into a fucking spiral, and I had to act like it didn’t all day.”
“What?! When did she text you?”
“After homeroom, she told me to have a good first day. I didn’t even respond.”
“You should just block her number.”
“I haven’t quite reached that point yet, but it’s coming for sure.”
“You still shouldn’t have taken it out on that woman.”
“I’m sure she’ll forget all about it. I’ll be nice next time I see her, alright? Can we please just go get a pint now?”
“You’re the one driving, find a place you wanna go to.”
//
Y/N had successfully avoided the rude Brit that had given her such a tough time on her first day. Riley still raved about him, though. She said he was one of the best teachers she ever had. Ben really enjoyed Mr. Horan as well. He made math fun, which Y/N was grateful for. Ben was never really a good student, but he was doing really well so far.
“I can’t wait for you to go to the open house. Make sure to be super nice.” Riley tells Y/N. “I don’t want my teachers suddenly being mean.”
“It’s not me you have to worry about.” Y/N scoffs.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, honey. So, you’ll walk me around to all the classrooms, and you wait outside?”
“Mhm.” She beams.
“Mum, wait until you talk to Mr. Horan. He’s going to tell you the best things about me, I just know it.” Ben says.
“I’m looking forward to it, honey.”
Y/N had a draining day on the day of open house, and she just decided to stay on campus. She ended up taking the kid home at two, and told them she could figure out where the classrooms were herself. She got to have a one on one with Mr. Horan first.
“You can just call me Niall. We don’t need to be so formal.”
“Alright.” She smiles. “You can call me Y/N.”
“Ben’s doing really well so far. I was a little nervous at first, but he’s getting the hang of it.”
“Thank god.” She sighs. “So, he’ll be in ninth grade taking algebra one next year, is that okay?”
“Perfectly okay. A lot of students do that.”
“I just wanted to make sure because my daughter is in geometry.”
“Math isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. I was checking out his other grades, and he’s excelling in history.” She nods.
The conversation goes well. Y/N makes it through all of the meetings, and her last one is with Harry. She hears laughing from inside the classroom. The door swoops open, and a couple walks out chuckling with Harry.
“Ah, Mrs. Davidson, come on in.”
“It’s Miss Y/LN, or just Y/N if you want.” She says as she sits down on the chair near his desk. He sits down on his chair.
“My mistake, Riley’s last name is-“
“Her father’s last name. I’ve changed mine back. We’re divorced, didn’t really feel like keeping it.”
“I’m, um, sorry, I know how rough divorce can be.”
“Yeah? Been through it yourself, Mr. Styles?”
“Just call me Harry, and my parents were divorced, so I know enough about it from a child’s perspective.”
“They’re not too keen on their father right now. Classic situation of him cheating on me with a younger woman, which of course they found out about.”
“That’s weird.” He rests his cheek on his fist. “You seem pretty young yourself.”
She blushes slightly and clears her throat.
“Could say the same to you. I had them young, yeah, things happen. I don’t regret it though.”
“Riley’s been a real pleasure to have in class, and she’s fitting right in. She seems to like biology the best.”
“She loves science.” She smiles. “Think she gets that from me. I was really into math and science as a kid.”
“Guess you being a database manager makes sense then. New job treating you well?”
“Yeah.” She cocks her head to the side with a smirk. “Although, my almost perfect first day was just about sullied by a man you bullied me in the parking lot.”
“Okay, okay, I was an ass.” He sighs. “Thanks for bringing it up by the way.”
“Why were you so nasty to me anyways? I’ve been avoiding you.”
He frowns at that.
“My ex…fiancé texted me and wished me a good first day, so it just ruined my day and I had to keep it all bottled up. You parking that close just brought me over the edge. I apologize.”
“Yikes, I’m sorry. Well, at least you got out of it before you got married. You saved a lot of money and time.”
“It’s alright…” He looks away for a moment. “Are you bringing the kids to the carnival? It’s all part of homecoming weekend.”
“Yes, and they’re really excited. I have to work technically since a lot of donors come back. I mostly just need to be on the ball. Their father is coming too since it’s his weekend with them technically. I guess it’s good for him to see where they’re going to school.”
“If you need a break from him I’ll be working the candy apple booth.” He smiles.
“Good to know.” She yawns. “Jesus, sorry. I gotta say, I’m whipped.”
“Makes sense, it’s past eight.”
“That late?!” She stands up immediately, and so does he. “I need to get home to them. Um, well, this was a much better meeting.” She sticks her hand out for him to shake.
“I agree. Don’t be a stranger this weekend.”
She nods and leaves his classroom. Maybe he wasn’t as big of an asshole as she thought. Y/N’s had her fair share of bad days, he was allowed to have them too.
//
“It’s like a college campus, this place is huge!” Joseph says once they’re at the football field of the school.
“Yeah, and there’s a pool! I’m trying out for the winter swim team soon.” Riley tells her dad, in a better mood since he didn’t bring his girlfriend.
“It’s really all free for them?” He asks Y/N.
“Mhm.” She nods. “Okay, here all your meal tickets. I have to bee-bop around since I’m technically working. Have fun with Dad.” She smiles and they lead Joseph off towards some of the rides and games.
Y/N meets up with her colleagues and mingles with some of the donors she hasn’t been able to meet yet. She meets back up with the kids later to go on a few rides, and then goes to get food with them. She spots Harry at the candied apples tent, and she goes over there.
“I knew you’d find me.” He smirks.
“I’ve got a sweet tooth, what can I say?” She shrugs.
“You know, me too. Major sweet tooth.”
For whatever reason that makes her blush.
“Um, so I can I have it dipped in caramel and chocolate?”
“A woman after my own heart! I like mine the same way.” He picks up one of the apples from its stick and dips it in the chocolate first. “Any sprinkles or anything?”
“No, the sauces are fine, thank you.”
“So, where’s the-“
“Hi, Mr. Styles.” Riley says as she, Ben, and Joseph approach. “This is my dad.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Riley’s homeroom and biology teacher.” Harry hands you the apple once it’s done, and then shakes Joseph’s hand. “She’s a real pleasure to have in class.”
“So I’ve heard! Nice to hear it straight form the source, though.” There’s an awkward silence. “Um, well, kids do you want an apple?”
“Yeah!” Ben says and tells Harry what he wants.
Harry’s eyes catch Y/N biting into her apple, and how she licks around her lips. He looks a little too long because Joseph notices, and he clears his throat to snap Harry out of his trance.
“You two about ready to hit the road after this?” He asks them.
“Sure.” Riley shrugs. “Bye, Mr. Styles.”
“Have a good weekend, see you Monday.”
Y/N hugs both of the kids, and nods at Joseph.
“So…no kids this weekend?” Harry says to her.
“Nope. It’s funny, I always look forward to the little break, but by the time Sunday night hits I miss them.”
“Any plans?”
“Just relaxing. I’ll probably catch up on some sleep tomorrow. How about you?”
“A few of us are going to the pub after this…if you’d like to join, you’re welcome to.”
“Oh!” She says a little surprised. “Well, that would be great, actually. I haven’t really had time to explore some of the night life around here yet.”
“I could drive us from here if you like. I can always bring you back to your car.”
“You actually trust me to get into that fancy car of yours? I’m shocked.” She smirks, and he rolls his eyes.
“I apologized for that, didn’t I? Can we move on? Let me give you a ride later.”
“Alright.” She smiles. “Sounds like fun. It would be nice to get to know more people.”
“Great, I’ll find you later then?”
“Sounds good.” She walks away with her apple in hand, and he smiles.
After schmoozing with more alumni and donors, Y/N felt pooped. Did she really feel like going out and drinking? She could easily go home, draw herself a bath, and have a glass of fine all on her own. She had socially interacted so much today, and the thought of doing more was draining. Maybe she could go out with Harry another time. She tries looking around for him, but she’s not sure she spots him.
“Y/N!” She hears from behind her. “You ready?” Harry asks.
“About that…I think I’ve changed my mind…”
“How come?” He says with a slight frown.
“I was very social today, so I’m feeling a little tired. I don’t think I have enough pep in me for drinks tonight…but maybe another time?” She clasps her hands in front of her waist, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden.
“Oh, yeah, I definitely get that. Um, yeah, another time for sure.”
“Thanks, well, see you around, Harry.”
“See you…”
//
“Mum, we’re home!” Ben says Sunday evening as he and Riley come inside.
“Hey.” She smiles. “How was Dad’s?”
“Annoying.” Riley huffs. “I can’t stand Margaret. She, like, tries too hard to be our friends.”
“Mm, well, that’s what happens when a forty-year-old man decides to date a twenty-five-year-old woman. She probably knows how to babysit and be a pal.”
“Doesn’t it gross you out that he’s with someone so much younger?” Ben asks as he plops down on the couch.
“Of course it does. It won’t last long, unless she’s after his money.” She rolls her eyes. “I don’t know why, it’s not like we were living the high life before.”
“Ew, what if he gets her pregnant.” Riley says with disgust. “I don’t want another little sibling, one is plenty.”
“Yeah, and then we’d have to pretend like we’re happy for him. I’m glad we didn’t have to do two nights over there this weekend.”
“Me too.” Riley sighs. “Did you do anything this weekend?” She asks Y/N.
“I just relaxed. Caught up on some TV, nothing special.” She shrugs. “Did you get all your homework done?”
“Yes.” They say in unison.
“Alright, go get ready for bed then.”
Riley and Chris meet at their lockers the next day at school and talk about their weekends. They chat in homeroom about their upcoming biology test. Chris was feeling a little nervous, but Riley was feeling confident. She studied almost all day Sunday. When it was last period, and Harry gave out the tests, her eyes bugged out. She read all of the questions over, and it wasn’t at all what she thought. She looked up at Harry dumbfounded. He was typing away at his computer, answering emails. She walks up to his desk with the test.
“Done already?” He jokes with a whisper.
“Mr. Styles…I don’t know any of this.”
“What do you mean? I gave you a study guide.”
“I…I know you did, but I left it at my mom’s, and so I was going off memory…I think I studied the wrong chapters by accident or something.” Her eyes were about to well up with tears.
“Alright, step out into the hall with me. Did you take notes while you studied?”
“Yeah.”
“Grab them for me.”
He stands up and goes out to the hallway to wait for her. A few of the kids in class were watching, but they get back to their own tests. She hands him her notes, and he makes a few humming noises.
“Right, yeah, you studied the wrong chapters.”
“Ugh, I knew it! So…does this mean I fail?”
“No.” He sighs. “It was an honest mistake, you’ll have to take a makeup exam after school sometime this week, though.”
“I can do it tomorrow! I would just need tonight to study. I could study in class now.”
“Get the rest of your things, I can give you a pass to the library.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Styles.”
“Don’t mention it.”
They both go back inside and she grabs the rest of her things. He writes her the pass and out the door she goes. Chris makes a motion for her to text him before she slips out, and she nods. Tuesday morning, just as Harry was sitting down at his desk with his coffee, he got an interoffice phone call from Y/N.
“Hello?” He answers, voice still deep from sleep.
“Hi, Harry, it’s Y/N.”
“I know…caller ID and all that.” He chuckles.
“Right, well, I wanted to say thank you for letting Riley take her test later this afternoon. She was a wreck last night when she got home.”
“It was an honest mistake. Plus, when I saw how much studying she did I knew I had to give her a chance to just take it later. Do you think she’s prepared enough for later?”
“Oh, definitely. She feels much better. Do you mind if Ben comes to sit in the classroom with her while she takes it? No sense in me zipping him home if she’s going to stay after.”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
“You’re a life saver, thanks! Talk to you soon.”
“Bye-“ He’s cut off by the sound of the phone clicking on the other end.
Riley stays after class to take her test. Shortly after Ben shyly walks into the classroom and takes a seat. He does his own homework while she takes her test. Forty minutes later, Riley finishes her test, and hands it to Harry.
“I can grade it now if you like since it was all multiple choice.”
“That’d be great.” She smiles.
He looks at his answer key and checks off all her right answers. He writes 92% in big red ink and circles it.
“Well done. I can’t give it back to you until tomorrow, of course, but at least you can rest easy about it.”
“God, what a relief! Guess I’ll be a pro when we reach the chapters I already studied.”
“I bet you will be.”
“Do you mind if we hang out here until our mum’s done with work? She said she was just gonna pull up out front of the building.”
“Sure, I have some other grading to do anyways. In fact, would you like to help? It’s for another class, I could give you the answer key.”
“Yeah!”
Harry sets her up, and he even plays a little music for all of them.
“Mr. Styles?” A boy named Austin walks in. He was a sophomore in Riley’s class. “Thank god you’re still here.” He sighs.
“What’s up, Austin?”
“I was wondering if you graded my test yet? The football coach needs me to fill this progress report slip out. He’s making all of us do it.”
“Oh! Yeah, let me look. I can just tell you your overall grade. Have a seat, it’ll take me a minute.”
He nods and sits down, glancing at Riley briefly. She gives him a small smile and blushes.
“How come you’re here?” He asks her.
“Oh, I needed to make up the test from yesterday. I accidentally studied the wrong chapters.”
“Happens to the best of us.” He smirks. “You’re new to town, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You should come to the football game Friday, since it’s home.”
“Yeah, um, maybe I will.”
“Cool.”
“Alright, Austen, I’ve got your grade.”
He stands up and goes to Harry’s desk.
“Sick, a C+! That’s way better than I thought.”
“Let’s try to keep it that way, yeah?”
“I’ll do my best, thanks.” He walks out of the room and Riley puffs out some air.
“Don’t tell me you have a crush on that guy?” Ben chuckles.
“He’s so cute, I can’t help it. That’s the most he’s ever spoken to me, and now he wants me to go to the game. I have to go Friday, I need to text Chris.”
“If you go, can I go?”
“Sure.” She shrugs. “The more the merrier.”
Riley and Ben had always been close. They were practically best friends. They got a lot closer when their parents were going through the separation/divorce process, leaning on each other for a lot. Harry hear the sound of heels clacking on the floors outside the classroom, and there Y/N is appearing in the doorway looking lovelier than ever. She had a long coat on, synched at the waist, and her hair was down and wavy.
“Hi, kids, ready?” They both get up, and Harry stands as well. “Thanks for letting them hang out for a bit while I finished up.”
“It was no problem. Riley was pretty helpful to me with some grading.”
“How’d the test go?” She asks her daughter.
“Got a 92!”
“Amazing! I think that calls for takeout tonight.”
“You just don’t feel like cooking.” Ben chuckles.
“I’m sorry, are you complaining about getting Chinese food, or?”
“No! Just making an observation.”
“Mhm, okay, let’s go. Have a good night Mr. Styles.” She says to him.
“Same to you.”
On the ride home, Riley gets a text from Chris saying he’s down for the football game on Friday. She sighs with relief, and looks over her mother.
“So…can Ben and I meet up with Chris on Friday? We’d like to go to the football game.”
“A boy asked her to go!”
“Shut up, or you can’t come with me.”
“Hey!” Y/N says. “A boy asked you to go?”
“Well, sort of. He just said I should go if I wanted. I haven’t been to one yet, it could be fun. Chris said the snack bar is pretty stacked.”
“And you’ll keep an eye on your brother?”
“I’m only a year younger than her.” Ben scoffs.
“You’re in the eighth grade, that’s a big difference right now, even if it doesn’t feel like it. What time does the game start?”
“6:30, I think.”
“Sure, you can go. I think that’ll be good for you kids to go to.”
“Awesome, thanks Mum.”
//
“We’re gonna be there anyways, just ask her to tag along.” Niall says to Harry over lunch on Thursday.
“You make it seem like I wanna date her, I just think she’s cute.”
“Just ask her if she wants to go out with us after, would you?”
“Fine, I’ll give her a call right now.” Harry reaches for his phone, and looks up Y/N’s extension. She picks up on the second ring.
“Hey, Harry.”
“Hi, do you have a minute?”
“Sure! Is everything alright with Riley?”
“Yeah…this isn’t about her. It’s more of a personal matter.”
“Oh…what’s up?”
“Niall and I are chaperoning the football game tomorrow night. All of the faculty take turns doing it. We just walk around and make sure no one’s drinking underage. We were wondering if you’d like to join us. We’d be going to the pub after most likely too.”
“I don’t know if I should. Riley and Ben are going to the game, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m hovering around them, you know?”
Niall gestures for the phone and snatches it from Harry.
“Y/N? It’s Niall. Enough excuses, yeah? You’re coming out with us tomorrow night, and that’s final. You need to get more involved with student life.”
“I’m plenty involved!”
“You import and export donor data all day. I bet your kids won’t care.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Y/N did think about it, and then she asked Riley and Ben how they’d feel if she went. They said as long as she wasn’t up their butts they wouldn’t mind. It made things easier for her to drive them there at least. She watches as they meet up with Chris and essentially run off from her. She sighs and looks around for Niall and Harry, suddenly feeling like a loner.
“Oi, there she is!” Niall shouts, handing her a hot chocolate. “This should warm you up quick. You look cold.”
“I didn’t think it would be chilly enough for gloves.” She chuckles. “Thank you.”
“So, basically we just walk around, but we get to enjoy the game for the most part.” Harry explains.
“Is our team any good?”
“We’re decent, yeah. Think our lacrosse players are better to be honest, but they don’t get as much recognition.”
Y/N nods and takes a careful sip of her warm drink. She walks around with the guys, mostly listening to them talk in their accents. It was sort of fun to see all of the parents, staff, faculty, and students at the game cheering the team on.
“See that one, number 11?” Harry says to her, pointing towards the field. “That’s Austin, he asked Riley to come to the game. They’re in my bio class together. I think she likes him.”
“How can you tell?”
“I catch her looking at him from time to time. I might be wicked and assign them a project to work on together.”
“Teachers actually do that?!”
“Oh, sure.” Niall says. “I switch up the seating chart once a term just so I can pair people up. It’s pretty interesting to see what happens.”
“The students gossip to us all the time too.” Harry laughs. “They have no problem sharing personal information.”
“So…you think he might like Riley back?”
“I have no idea, he sits in front of her, and mostly just takes notes.”
“Is he nice?”
“He’s not a dolt if that’s what you’re asking. Definitely not your classic meathead, not to worry, Y/N.”
Y/N nods, and keeps walking around with the guys. The team wins, and everyone cheers. Riley, Ben, and Chris find her in the crowd of people near the exit.
“Mum, can we bowling?” Riley asks.
“With who?”
“Me, Miss Y/L/N.” Chris says and you raise your eyebrows. “Okay, and some of the cheerleaders and football players, but it’ll be fun! It’s cosmic bowling night. My dad said he could drive.”
“Please, Mum.” Ben pouts, and you roll your eyes.
“Alright.” She sighs, and takes her wallet out of her small sling bag. “Here’s some money, have fun. Home by ten, do you hear me? I’ll be out for a bit myself, just in case you get back before me.”
“Where are you going?” Riley asks.
“I’ve made some friends of my own.” She grins. “Go on, have fun.”
“Thank you!” They all say and head off.
“I can follow you both to the pub.” Y/N tells Niall and Harry, and they all walk to the parking lot.
She feels a little nervous going out with them. She had made a few friends so far, mostly her colleagues that she saw every day. There was this weird divide between faculty and staff, so she had noticed. So, Y/N wasn’t sure how welcomed she would be by the others they were meeting up with. She takes a deep breath before getting out of her car, and meeting Harry and Niall at entrance.
“You’re gonna love this place.” Harry says, putting a hand on her shoulder as they go inside. He leads her to a table where a few people were sitting already. “Oi, everyone, this is Y/N, she works in the development office.”
They all look at her and smile, saying hello. Niall takes his seat, and Harry has you sit between the two of them. Y/N learns the names of some other faculty members. Shane, Lora, and Jess. None of them had Y/N’s kids in class so she could rest easier. She found Harry and Niall to be hilarious, often almost choking on her drinks from laughter. She notices that Harry’s rolled his sleeves up, and can’t help but look at his tattoos. He explains a few of them to her. Around 10:05 she got a text from Riley.
Riley: just got in, thanks again for letting us go, it was amazing! When are you home??
Y/N: soon, baby, thanks for checking in
“Well, I should probably get going.” She says to Harry. “My kids just got home, and I don’t like leaving them alone too long when it’s late.”
“Fair enough, can I walk you to your car?” He says, leaning in a little bit. “Just so I know you left safely.”
“Sure, um, that’d be great.” She throws some bills on the table to take care of her tab. “Thank you all so much, I had a great time.”
“See ya, Y/N!” Niall says with a smile. She misses the wink he gives Harry, and Harry mouths ‘be cool’ at him.
“M’just gonna walk her to her car, I’ll be right back.” Harry says, addressing the group before heading out the door with Y/N. “You’re good to drive, right?” He says as they both walk outside.
“Of course, I only had, like, two drinks. You saw me nursing them.”
“Alright, just wanted to be sure.” He watches her fish for her keys out of her bag. “I’m glad you came out tonight.” He rubs the back of his neck. “You’re a lot of fun to be around.”
“Aw, thanks, you’re fun to be around too.” She smiles, biting her bottom lip. He can’t help but let his eyes drift to it.
“Are you in a rush to get home?”
“Well…I…”
“It’s not like they need you to tuck them in, right?”
“N-no…” She raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you…are you making a pass at me?” She was backed up against her car with him a comfortable foot away from her, but she was starting to feel warm.
“Maybe.” He shrugs, stepping a little closer. “Would you feel uncomfortable if I was?” She shakes her head no and swallows.
“Do you do this with all your students’ mums?” She smirks, gaining some confidence back.
“Well, considering that I was in a four year long relationship up until six months ago, I can confidentially say no.” She opens her mouth and smirks. “And no, I don’t usually do this with colleagues either.”
“So…why with me then?”
“You’re cute.” He grins.
“Harry, I…I’m not really looking for anything serious right now, I’ve just started a new job, I bought my own house, I’m juggling teenagers, I can’t start up a relationship.”
“I don’t think I asked you for that. In fact, I haven’t asked for anything, yet.” He says smugly. “M’not looking for anything serious either.”
“Alright, what do you want from me then?” He shifts his weight to his other hip, and just looks at her. Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. She looks around, and steps closer to him, barely any space between them now. “You…you want to have sex with me?”
“Why do you sound so surprised? I think you’ve really got it going on.”
“Seriously?”
“Sure, you really know how to fill out a pair of jeans. Your bum looked awfully cute at homecoming.”
“All this coming from the guy who was about ready to murder me for almost scratching his car.” She scoffs.
“I have apologized for that over and over, but clearly my words mean nothing to you…” He puts his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe there’s something else I could do to make it up to you.”
“You’re my kid’s teacher, Harry.”
“Not after 2PM I’m not. Right now I’m just a guy who wants to fuck you.”
“I can’t go back to your place with you right now.”
“My car’s got tinted windows and a spacious back seat.”
“How…how old are you, anyways? I mean, I’m thirty-three, Harry, and you’re a little baby faced. I’m not one of those people who-“
“I’m twenty-nine. Do you wanna go fuck in my car or not? It’s okay if you don’t, I’m not trying to pressure you, but it’s bloody cold out here and I wouldn’t mind warming up.”
Y/N hadn’t had sex with someone in since the last time her and Joseph had sex, which was a few years ago. She also couldn’t remember the last time she had sex in a car, probably when she was a teenager. Was she really about to do this with some she had just started to become decent friends with? Was this is the only reason he wanted to be friends with her?
“Is the only reason you’ve been wanting to invite me out? To get my pants off?”
“No! I genuinely think you’re nice to be around, but I also wouldn’t mind getting your pants off.” He smirks.
“Okay.” She nods. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
“Really?”
“Quickly, before I change my mind.” He grabs her by the wrist and tugs her towards his car. He unlocks his car and he lets her get in first. He reaches forward to turn the car on so the heat is on and there’s a little music playing. He goes to cup her cheek, and she backs away. “I’m a little nervous.”
“We don’t have to do anything crazy if you don’t want. We could just kiss if you like.”
“I just…it’s been a while for me, you know? Like, a long while, so…I want to, I’m just nervous.”
“How can I help you relax?”
“I guess…um…could I sit on your lap and maybe we could hug for a bit?”
“Sure.” He nods.
She moves to straddle him, and she wraps her arms around his neck. His go around her back, and he rubs her soothingly. He gets a good whiff of her perfume, and it makes him smile.
“Comfortable?” He asks softly. She hums her response and he holds her a little tighter. “I like whatever perfume you’re wearing.” He feels her giggle against him.
“It’s just apple spice.” She mutters into his neck, and moves to look at him. “Nothing special.”
“Well, I like it.” He tucks some hair behind her ear. “Would it be alright If I kissed you now?”
“Yeah.” She smiles.
He licks his lips and presses them to hers. Her eyes flutter closed and she tugs at his hair. His hands squeeze her hips as the kiss deepens. He sucks on her bottom lip, and it makes her whimper. She rolls her hips down on his and he grunts. He kisses sloppily from her mouth, to her jaw, and to her neck. He mouths at her neck, full well knowing he can’t leave a mark, but it doesn’t stop him from licking and sucking a little over the area. She tugs at his hair a little harder and continues grinding against him, feeling his bulge getting harder. His lips move back to hers as his hands roam up her front, hesitating before reaching her breasts. She takes his hands and puts them over her boobs, squeezing his hands over them. He takes over from there, kneading them as best he could over her coat.
She gets frustrated, and get shimmies her coat off. He’s happy to see her nipples peeking through her shirt. He moves to suck on it through the material and she gasps. Her chest was heaving when he came off and looked up at her. Her hands move to unbutton her jeans, and he wastes no time sticking his hand inside. Instead of smirking when he feels how wet she is, he presses his lips back to hers, loving knowing that he was turning her on this much. His fingers move along her folds, and he slips his middle finger inside her gently. He groans when he feels how tight she is.
“Christ, you weren’t kidding. Do you never use anything at home?”
“Who the fuck has the time?!” She huffs as he starts bringing his finger in and out. “M’too exhausted half the time, and even when they’re gone I just do something quick.” A moan leaves her lips when his thumb starts to circle around her clit. Her forehead presses against his, and her eyes pinch closed.
He gets his ring finger inside her as well, and he curls them both up. She moves back and forth on him, riding his fingers. She makes fists with his shirt, and she starts panting. He groans from watching her, and just from the way she feels. He pets against her g-spot, and his thumb works into her clit.
“Oh, oh my god.” She says, biting her bottom lip. “I…I think I’m gonna come.” He doesn’t let up on her, doing his best to get her there. Her whimpers and whines were just egging him on. “Oh, shit, oh, shit!” She cries out as she comes around his fingers. He works her through it, and then retracts his fingers, sucking on them while making eye contact with her.
“Well?” He smirks.
“Do you have any condoms?”
“Yeah, get your pants the rest of the way off.” He lifts her off of him and places her on the seat while he reaches forward into the console, and grabs a condom.
“Aren’t you a little old to be leaving condoms in your car?” She says as he slips her jeans and underwear off.
“Wouldn’t be able to fuck you if I didn’t, would I?” He winks, and undoes his belt and jeans. “Think you’ll be able to ride me reverse, or do you need to go missionary to ease you into it.”
“Don’t be an asshole, I know how to have sex, it’s just bene a while.”
“I wasn’t! I don’t wanna hurt you.” Her eyes widen as he pulls his hard dick from his boxers, rolling the condom on.
“You think you’re the first guy with a larger prick to fuck me? Think I can handle it.”
“Now who’s being the asshole?” He chuckles and grabs her to bring her back to his lap, her back pressed to his chest. He reaches around to rub on her to make sure she’s still wet. “You want this still?”
“Yeah.” She lifts her hips and he lines himself with her, pressing up into center. It’s a tight squeeze, like she thought it would be, but she does her best to relax around him. She nearly shrieks once she’s sat fully on him.
“I’m gonna make you feel so fucking good.” He says into her ear before nibbling on her earlobe.
She hooks an arm around his head while he grips her hips, and her head falls back to his shoulder. He thrusts up into her while rubbing on her clit, and her mouth falls open. She hadn’t felt this good in a long time, this was incredible. She tugs on his hair and helps herself move on him so he doesn’t have to do as much work. He frees up one of his hands to grip and squeeze one of her breasts. She looks up at him and yanks his head down to hers. She licks into his mouth and he moans into her. He sucks on her tongue and her eyes roll back. Between that, his fingers on her slit, and his dick fucking up into her, she was about ready to lose it again. She pants into his mouth as she comes again. He thrusts begin to get sloppy, and then he’s spilling into the condom. They sit there for a moment catching their breaths before she moves off him.
They both get dressed, and Harry throws the condom into a nearby trashcan as he walks her back to her car. Her face was flushed, and she for sure looked like a mess, but she felt good. He cups her cheeks and backs her up against the driver’s side door, kissing her tenderly.
“That was fun.” He says.
“Yeah.” She breathes and looks down at her watch. It was already 11:30. “Shit, I really need to get home. Ben gets worried when I’m out late.”
“Sweet kid.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Well, get home safe and all that.”
“You too.” She smiles and opens her car door. He closes it for her once she’s inside, and she starts the car.
As Y/N drives home it starts to hit her what she just did. She just fucked her child’s biology teacher, who she also happens to technically work with. Never in her life had she done something like this. Maybe in her younger days she would have done something this rebellious, but she had grown up a lot, and she was a professional now. She takes a deep breath before keying into her home. She sighs when she sees the light from the TV coming from the living room. Riley and Ben were passed out on the couch.
“Hey, kids.” She coos. “Wake up, I’m home.”
“Mum?” Ben says sleepily. “Where were you?”
“I…I was out with friends, remember? Um, let’s get you both into bed.”
She turns the TV off as they both slowly make their way upstairs to their bedrooms. Once they’re both in their beds, she goes into her own room, and gasps once she gets a good look at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was smeared, and her hair was a mess.
“Christ, Y/N, what did you do?” She says to herself and sighs.
//
The next day, Y/N was walking around like she had a stick up her ass. Maybe her body wasn’t quite ready for someone of Harry’s size. Nevertheless, she had to get up and start her day. She got some laundry going, did some dusting, and then made some breakfast for the kids. They both come into the kitchen around 10.
“Can you both put your sheets in the laundry room for me? I’m doing a linen load in a bit.” They both nod as she puts two plates of eggs in front of them. “How was bowling?”
“So much fun!” Riley says. “I actually got a strike, I couldn’t believe it.”
“You did?! How’d you manage that?”
“Um…Austin helped me, you know the one in my bio class? He’s really nice.”
“Riley, I’m happy for you and all, but I don’t know if I want you dating yet.”
“I’m not dating anyone! At least I wasn’t the one who stayed out until nearly midnight doing god knows what.”
“I’m an adult, I can do what I want, that’s one. Two, if you and this boy decide you really like each other, I think it’s only fair I get to meet him.”
“Just because he helped me bowl a ball doesn’t mean anything.” She rolls her eyes.
“What about you, did you have fun?” Y/N sighs as she asks Ben.
“Yeah, I hung out in the arcade, it was sick.”
Just as she was sipping on her coffee, Y/N’s phone goes off. It was in front of Riley and Ben, and Riley furrows her brows.
“Who is it?” Y/N asks.
“Um…Mr. Styles. Why is he calling you?”
“I…I have no idea.” She snatches her phone quickly. “H-hello?”
“Hey, Y/N! Just wanted to see how you were.”
“I’m alright, um, I’m in the kitchen with the kids, could you just give me a second?” She leaves the room and goes down the hall to her home office. “Okay…um, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I just didn’t wanna be a dick and not call.”
“Well, that’s nice of you.” She blinks a few times.
“So…you feel okay about everything?”
“Yeah! Wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t. Little sore, but other than I’m good.” She chuckles slightly and so does he.
“Well, next time I can be a little gentler…if you’d like there to be a next time, that is.”
“You…you don’t want last night to just have been a one-time thing?”
“Not necessarily, I had a good time with you, and I think you had a good time with me.”
“I just…I don’t know how smart it would be to start something up with my kid’s teacher.”
“Well, you already sort of did…”
“Yes, but I think to continue it would be stupid. I don’t want to do anything that could potentially embarrass her. Riley and Ben are really starting to make friends. They were cool about moving here for me, so I want to be-“
“It’s not like we’re dating, Y/N. No one has to know.”
“As if you haven’t told Niall yet.” She scoffs.
“I mean he was curious as to why I didn’t come back to the bar last night, but I didn’t give him the full details. He knows how to keep things to himself.” He pauses for a moment. “Look, I get it, you’re just trying to be a good mum, I can admire that. But after a certain point you need to remember that it’s okay to do things for yourself.”
“Like fuck a guy in a parking lot?”
“Exactly!” He laughs. “You’re still so young, why not let yourself have some fun?
“Harry…”
“All I’m saying is, if you’re ever lonely, or if you can’t sleep…you can call me.”
“I’ll…I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to them. Probably wondering what we’re talking about.”
“Yeah.”
“Have a good rest of your weekend.”
“You too.”
She hangs up, completely shocked by the conversation she just had with Harry. She goes back out to the kitchen where the kids were waiting with raised eyebrows.
“What did Mr. Styles want?” Riley asks.
“Oh, um, someone left their wallet at the restaurant we all went to last night, that’s all. He was trying to figure out who it belongs to.”
“There was no ID in it?” Ben asks.
“Apparently not.” Y/N shrugs.
//
At first, Y/N wasn’t sure if she wanted to take Harry up on his offer. She genuinely didn’t want to make things difficult for Riley. When mid-November rolled around, it was time for parent-teacher conferences. These were the more serious one on one meetings before the holiday season to make sure students would be able to pass all of their classes. More often than not Y/N found herself meeting with Ben’s teachers than with Riley’s, but Y/N wanted to check in with everyone to make sure her kids were acclimating to the new school fine. What she wasn’t expecting was for Joseph to want to come to the conferences as well. She got away with blushing a little when they saw Niall. He didn’t make anything awkward, but it was when they made their way to Harry’s room that she was starting to feel like she wanted to vomit. The door swings open and two people walk out. Harry steps out and looks into the hallway, smiling when he sees you, then frowning when he sees Joseph.
“Mr. Davidson! How nice to see you again, please come in.” Harry says, gesturing to step inside. “Hi, Y/N.”
“Hi, Harry.”
“You can call me Joseph.” Joseph says as he sits down and Harry nods.
Harry and Y/N make eye contact briefly, and then he clears his throat.
“Well, I’m not sure why Riley signed you both up.” Harry chuckles. “She’s doing exceptionally well, and not just in my class. She’s a bright girl.” He takes out a few of her lab reports. “The first semester tends to be easier since we’re learning more about plants and those types of organism. Next semester we get into zoology and human anatomy. I always make it known there’s study groups and after school help. I try to make it as engaging and fun as I can. We even play a few rounds of operation.”
This makes you smile as Joseph furrows his brows at Riley’s lab reports. He nods along with what Harry is saying.
“I’m glad she’s doing so well. She was sort of a big fish in a small pond at her last school.” Joseph says. “I was a little worried she’d feel overwhelmed. This transition for them was really abrupt.”
“They had most of the summer to get used to things.” Y/N says, rolling her eyes. “This isn’t a snotty school either, the teacher’s actually help the students succeed.”
“I’m just saying-“
“Listen.” Harry cuts in. “Seems like you two might have some things to discuss that don’t really involve me. Riley’s doing great, and Niall tells me Ben’s doing just as great. Nothing really more to it.”
Joseph nearly had a decade on Harry, but Harry owned this room. Having Joseph be put in his place definitely did something for Y/N. She can’t help but smirk as Joseph sits up straight.
“Yes, well��thank you. We’ll make sure to relay the message to them.” He says and Harry nods. Joseph stands up, as does Y/N.
“Y/N, did you happen to drive separately? An alum emailed me today, and I have a couple of questions about our donation site.”
“Oh! Sure, I can stay a few moments.” She looks a Joseph. He stands there for a moment, looking between the two of them.
“Goodnight.” He says, and out the door he goes.
“So…what’s your question?”
“I didn’t actually have one.” Harry smirks at her and she blushes.
“Oh.”
“You seemed uncomfortable with him here.”
“I don’t exactly enjoy his company anymore.” She sits slightly on his desk.
“I know, shit like that is just awkward. Francie and I still have some mutual friends, and we’ve had to be at a few of the same parties since the breakup.”
“Can I ask…I mean, you said you were together for four years and engaged…what happened?”
“Why don’t we have this conversation over drinks?” He stands up, grabbing his keys and jacket.
“Harry…it’s a school night.”
“And? It’s only seven. Not like we’re gonna be out all night are we?”
“I have two kids at home.”
“You have two teenagers at home. Come on, just one drink and I’ll tell you everything.”
“And then what?”
“Whatever you want.” He winks and leads you out the door.
//
Y/N texted the kids to let them know she was just grabbing a quick bite, and that she was very proud of their hard work. She followed Harry to a pub, and they grab a booth inside. They each order a drink and munch on some popcorn.
“Alright.” He sighs. “So I was with Francie for four years, and we were engaged for all of five months. It was working out great, we were living together, had a couple of pets, you name it. She works for this tech company, right? So, she got promoted, which was great, but it would have involved her to start traveling a lot, and eventually moving to New York. I didn’t want to move, and she didn’t want to do long distance.”
“Why didn’t you want to move? You could have found another school to work at…”
“It was the principal of the thing! She didn’t even ask, she just expected it, like her job was more important than mine. We started arguing more and more, and when I asked her why we couldn’t just try long distance she said that would make things difficult to start a family, and I said we already had a family, and that opened up a can of worms. She wanted kids and I didn’t. After that we ended it. She took our dog and cat, and left.”
“She took the pets?!”
“Yup! Left me the ring though.” He scoffs.
“Wait…so you don’t want kids?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, I love babies especially. But…I just don’t see myself being a dad.” He shrugs. “It’s a lot of responsibility, a lot of money too. I don’t know if I could take care of someone else. And maybe…when she said it…I had this thought of if I did want kids I wasn’t sure if wanted her to be the mother of them.”
“It took you that long to have that kind of conversation?”
“What about you? Did you and your ex have a proper discussion about it?”
“No, he knocked me up, proposed later that year, and we got married in a courthouse while I was seven months pregnant.” She finishes her drink. “Just like a fairytale. Then when he promised we could have a real wedding, I got pregnant with Ben, and all that money went to him. S’alright, though, it would have been a waste of money.”
“Can I ask why you got divorced?”
“Well, the age difference was one thing. He’s seven years older than me, which may not seem like much, but it was. I felt like I couldn’t talk to him sometimes. Then he decided to cheat on me with some other young thing, so we went from separated to divorced real quick.”
“I’m so sorry.” He frowns slightly.
“Don’t be, it was a while ago. I think things worked out for the best. We’re all doing better now.”
“I think it’s admirable that you’ve turned your life around the way you have.”
“Thanks.” She smiles and he finishes off his drink. Once they pay their tab they head out. “I think it’s too cold to do what we did last time.”
“And I couldn’t persuade you to come back to my place for a bit?”
She looks down at her watch and sees it’s already 8:30. She sighs, biting her bottom lip.
“I…I want to, and if I didn’t have two kids at home waiting for me I would. Maybe…maybe you should find someone else to be your little fuck buddy. I’m not easy to be with.”
“Maybe that’s what I like about you.” He says, leaning forward so his lips brush yours, kissing you quickly before backing away. “Have a good night, Y/N.”
She groans once she’s in the car. When she gets home both Riley and Ben are in their rooms unwinding. She says hello and goes to her own room to get ready for bed. Y/N wonders what she would have done with Harry at his place. How he would have touched her and kissed her all over. She sighs and gets into bed, aggravated as fuck.
//
It was Thanksgiving weekend when Y/N took her next shot with Harry. The kids spent Thanksgiving day with her, and they had the rest of the weekend to be with Joseph. When Saturday night rolled around she was bored and lonely, so she called him.
“Hi, Harry.”
“Hi, Y/N. Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?”
“I did…although, I have way too many leftovers.”
“You don’t say?”
“Yeah! Um, you wouldn’t happen to be hungry, would you?”
“Starved.”
“Great, well, if you’d like to come over you can.”
“I can be there within the house. Just text me your address.”
He had assumed Riley and Ben weren’t home. He needed to take a quick shower before coming to see her, and she needed to do the same. She wanted to be as fresh as possible for him. When she heard the doorbell, she raced down the stairs to open it.
“So, I can heat up whatever-mph!” He had gripped her cheeks and pulled her into him, kissing her passionately.
“I didn’t actually come here to eat.” He breathes. “Well, I did…but not food.” He smirks and lifts her up. She wraps her legs around his waist and kisses on his neck as he carries her upstairs. “Where’s your bedroom?”
“Last door on the right.” She mumbles into his hot skin.
He gets her in the bedroom, and sets her down. He starts taking his clothes off, and she does the same. He knees onto the bed to hover over her, and he kisses her, sucking on her bottom lip.
“Glad you finally called me for this.” He says as he licks around her nipple.
“You could have called me.”
“Didn’t want to look any more desperate.”
He nips at her stomach as he works his way down, giving her little to no warning before he licks into her. She gasps, gripping onto his hair. She bites her bottom lip as she feels his warm tongue lapping away at her. He sucks on her clit and slips two fingers inside her.
“When was the last time someone made you feel this good, hm? When was the last time someone made you this wet?”
“Wh-whenever the first time we hooked up was.” She whimpers.
“And before that?” He kitten licks at her clit now.
“God, I have no idea!” She moans out as his fingers pet inside her against her g-spot. He struggles to get a third finger in, so he doesn’t bother.
“Tighter than a fucking finger trap you know that?”
“I told you, I don’t make time to-oh!”
He started sucking on her clit again, and pumping his fingers quickly. She was squirming underneath him, panting and moaning loudly. She cries out as she comes, and he pumps his fingers slowly as her hips move along with his motions.
“Condoms?” He asks when he pops up.
“You don’t me to, um…?”
“Another time, I don’t think I’d last very long if you sucked on me.” He had been rutting himself against the mattress. She nods and reaches into her bedside drawer for a condom she toss it to him and watches as he rolls it on. “Roll over.”
She does as he says, and gets on her elbows and knees for him. He grips her hips, and lines himself up with her, pushing inside. It’s a tight squeeze, but he gets in no problem. They both moan out from the feeling. He reaches around to rub her clit, and she collapses onto the bed.
“God, just do what you want with me, Harry.” She grunts, and he moans from behind her.
“You’re so fucking sexy, you have no idea. Come for me, Y/N, come on.”
She cries out into her pillow, and he spills into the condom. Somehow after they both got cleaned up they ended up back in bed together. Harry through his arm around Y/N and pulled her to his chest.
“What are you doing?” She giggles.
“Cuddling you.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel like it.”
She laughs, but doesn’t fight him on it. Then…they fell asleep. It was a total accident, Harry never intended to spend the night. He just wanted to cuddle for a bit before heading out. He was more tired than he thought, and so was she. She nudges him awake.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He says, knuckling at his eyes.
“It’s okay. Would you like to take a shower with me?”
“I would.” He smiles and gets up with her.
It was the dirtiest shower she had ever taken. He had gotten on his knees to eat her out, and then he lifted her up, fucking her into the bathroom tile wall. She left many scratch marks on his back, and then he came on her stomach. They got cleaned up for real after that, and headed downstairs for some coffee. Just as she was about to offer him some breakfast, she heard the front door open.
“Oh my god!” She whisper screams. “They’re not supposed to be back until later!”
“Be cool, Y/N.” Harry says.
“But-“
“Mum, we’re…Mr. Styles?” Riley says as she comes in with Ben. “What…what’s going on?”
“I should ask you the same. Why’s your father bring you back so soon?”
“We asked if he could.” Ben says. “Can only handle so much of his girlfriend.”
“So…Mr. Styles, um, no offense, but what are you doing here?”
“Well, your mum just so happens to be one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She had all these leftovers and asked me if I’d like any, and I said yes. I may be a Brit, but I love Thanksgiving dishes. So I came right over. Just got here a couple minutes before you did.”
“Yeah, I was just about to pull the food out. Why don’t you two go put your things away?”
Riley furrows her brows, but shrugs it off, and goes with Ben upstairs.
“You’re quick on your feet.”
“Wasn’t a total lie.” Harry says, finishing his coffee. “I better get going.” She walks him to the front door, and he gives her a sneaky kiss along with a bum squeeze. “See you soon, I hope.”
“Definitely.” She smiles. “Bye.” She opens the door for him and out he goes. She sighs happily, and goes into the kitchen to make a little breakfast.
//
Riley was a little suspicious after that morning. She spent most mornings in homeroom analyzing Harry’s features. He was his usual chipper self, but there was certainly an extra pep in his step. Then in biology it was the same thing.
“Riley?” Austin was standing in front of her desk, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Oh, hey.” She smiles. “What’s up?”
“Are you free this Friday?”
“I…I think so.”
“Would you wanna go to the movies?” He runs a hand through his hair and she swallows.
“This is gonna sound really lame, but I need to ask my mom first.”
He chuckles slightly at that.
“No worries, let me know if she says yes.”
“I will.” Austin goes to his seat, and Riley looks at Chris who was giving her a thumbs up.
“Alright, if we could all settle down?” Harry says. “Today we’re going over fungi cells so I need all of your attention on me.”
Harry liked attention in general, probably one of the reasons he wanted to be a teacher in the first place. He just happened to also enjoy biology and he was good at explaining it to the youths. During class Riley felt her phone buzz, and saw she had a text from Ben.
Ben: reminder that I have a doctor’s appointment, so you have to wait after school for Mum to come get you
Riley: okay thanks, I’ll just go to the library to wait for her
“Riley!” She snaps her eyes up at the harsh tone from her teacher. “Is that your phone?”
“Y-yes…I’m sorry, Mr. Styles, my brother-“
“I don’t care.” He shakes his head. “You know the policy.” He gestures for her to give it to him.
“But he was just-“
“Is it an emergency?”
“No.”
“Alright then, give it here.” Everyone was looking at her, and it made her face flush. She gets up and walks towards him to hand over her phone. He takes it puts it in his desk drawer. “You can have it back after class.”
She nods, and goes back to her seat. After class she walks out, completely forgetting she had her phone taken away. She gets settled in the library, and gets some homework done. She was there for over an hour until Y/N showed up in a huff.
“Riley Davidson, I’ve been calling you for fifteen minutes!”
“Mum, be quiet!”
“If your brother hadn’t told me you were in the library I never would have found you. Where the hell is your phone?”
“It’s…oh shit.” She says as she packs up.
“What?”
“I forgot that Mr. Styles took it from me.”
“He what?!”
“Ben texted me while I was in class, and I texted back. He caught me, and took it away from me. It’s the policy.”
“I don’t give a fuck, that’s your property. Come on, hopefully he’s still here.”
He was. When they walk in, he was writing something on the whiteboard, furrowing his eyebrows. Looked like it was a chemistry equation. Y/N clears her throat to get his attention.
“Oh, hello ladies.”
“Where do you get off taking my daughter’s phone?”
“Oh! I completely forgot about that. You left right after class, Riley.” Harry goes into his desk and grabs the phone. “Here you are.”
“Thanks.” She says as she swipes through to check any notifications she may have missed.
“It’s the policy, Y/N.”
“What if I got in a car accident and someone needed to reach her? Then what?”
“Did that happen?” He crosses his arms.
“No, but it could have.”
“But it didn’t. There’s no texting in class, no phone use of any kind, actually.”
“Mum, it’s fine, we can-“
“Excuse me, but that’s her property. If I need to get in touch with her, or if her brother does, then she should be able to send a quick text. It’s not like she was scrolling through Instagram.”
“But she could have been.”
“But she wasn’t!”
“Maybe you should hover over a little less, hm? Kids rely on their phones so much because their parents are constantly trying to see what they’re up to.”
Y/N takes her keys out from her purse, and hands them to Riley.
“I’m parked out front, go start the car for me. I’ll be just be another minute.” Riley nods and leaves quickly, knowing how bad it can be to be scolded by her mother. She certainly didn’t want to watch her favorite teacher get bitched out. “You don’t have kids, so I wouldn’t expect you to understand-“
“I have dozens of kids, actually. Ones that come to see me to talk to me about their problems, I’m also always studying trends of the today’s students, so don’t stand there and-“
“Do not interrupt me when I’m speaking.” She says firmly, and he closes his mouth. “You may speak when I’m finished, Mr. Styles. I’m a single mom doing my best for my kids. I will not be lectured in front of my daughter about being a helicopter parents because I’m not. However, I’m doing the job of two while my ex gets to be a weekend dad, who my kids don’t even want to see. It’s my fault Ben texted her at the time he did, alright? I asked him to remind her that I wouldn’t be picking her up until later because I had to take him to a doctor’s appointment.”
“May I?” She gestures that he can speak. “She didn’t need to text him back right then. It’s the school policy to take a phone away if we see it out, I was just doing my job.”
“Well, you should have remembered you took it so you could have given it back to her! I was sitting in the car for nearly twenty minutes waiting for her, I was starting to get worried.” Y/N pouts, and even though this was a very serious matter, Harry couldn’t help notice the blood starting to flow right to his prick.
“I’m very sorry about that.” He puts his hand on her shoulder, and she glances at it before looking at him. “I take ownership for that mistake. I feel terrible that I even caused an ounce of worry. If there’s anything I can do to make it better, please let me know.” His tone was condescending and seductive all at the same time.
She places her hand on his and removes it from her shoulder.
“Have a nice evening.” She says.
“Same to you.” He smirks.
Y/N makes her way to her car, and sighs heavily once she’s in there with Riley.
“Please don’t tell me you just yelled at him. He’s my favorite teacher, Mum.”
“No, we had a very adult conversation, and he apologized for not giving you back your phone when he should have after class.”
“I guess I could’ve waited to text Ben back. I’m sorry I caused all this.”
“It’s not your fault, honey, it’s fine.” She smiles at her daughter and they make their way home.
“I…I was asked to the movies this Friday, can I go?”
“With who?”
“Austin.”
“I’d like him to come to the house first so I can meet him properly. You’ve been hanging out in groups with him. Would this be one on one?”
“I think so. I can ask him if he minds coming inside first before we go.”
“That would be great.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Are you…are you and Mr. Styles, like, seeing each other?”
“What would ever give you that idea?!”
“I just think it’s weird that he was at our house.”
“We’ve become friends, you know I hang out with him and Mr. Horan sometimes.”
“Yeah, but Mr. Horan wasn’t there. It was just you and Mr. Styles, and you both had wet hair.”
“I had showered before he swung by, he must have done the same.” Y/N shrugs. “We’re just friends, honey, nothing more.”
“Okay.”
Y/N could tell Riley didn’t quite believe her, but she knew her daughter wouldn’t press her on it more for now. Not if she wanted to go to the movies with Austin.
//
“It’s nice to meet you, uh-“
“You can just call me Miss Y/L/N, it’s nice to meet you too, Austin.” Y/N smiles. They were all standing in the front hall. “So…it’s just you two going to the movies?”
“That’s the plan.” He says with an innocent smile.
“Have her home by 10:30, please.”
“Can do.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
“Have fun.” She sighs and turns around to Ben. “What about you? No plans?”
“Not tonight. I was just gonna play video games.”
“Well, if you’d like to have a friend over-“ Her cell phone goes off and she furrows her brows. “One second, sweetie.” She goes into the kitchen for some more privacy. “Harry?”
“Hey, what are you up to tonight?”
“Hanging out with my son…why?”
“Oh, they’re not with their dad this weekend?”
“No, they were with him last weekend.” She sighs.
“Damn.”
“Why?”
“Well, Niall and a few other people were gonna go to this place where you can throw axes, and we thought you’d like to come.”
“That sounds like…fun? Um, but I can’t just leave Ben here alone. I’d feel terrible since Riley’s out.”
“Hey, Mum?”
“Honey, I’m on the phone.”
“I know, sorry, Kyle just texted me and asked me if I wanted to sleep over. I know it’s last minute, but-“
“You can go! You can definitely go, I’ll even drop you off.”
“You’re the best! I’m gonna go pack up my stuff.” Ben races out of the kitchen.
“Guess that just solved itself.” Harry says.
“Guess so.”
“Let me come pick you up. Text me when you get back from dropping him off, yeah?”
“Alright.”
Y/N gets herself ready, and then drives Ben to Kyle’s house for his sleepover.
“Why do you look so nice?” He asks on the way there.
“Well, I made plans with my own friends since you and Riley are out. Is that okay?” She chuckles.
“S’fine.” He shrugs. “Feel like you’ve been going out a lot lately. Are you, like, dating?”
“No, baby, I’m not dating. But I am making good friends, which has been nice. I didn’t have many friends back in our old town. Too many judgey moms.” She pulls up to Kyle’s house. “Have a great time, call me if you need me.”
“I will, thanks!”
She watches Ben go inside, and then she makes her way back home to wait for Harry. She liked his car a lot, and it would be nice to actually go for a drive in it, instead of just riding him in it. Y/N was shocked when she heard the doorbell.
“You didn’t have to come to the door.” She says as she steps outside.
“Sure I did. I may be just trying to fuck, but I’m a gentleman at the end of the day.” He smirks as he opens the car door for her. She rolls her eyes at him, and climbs in.
“This really is a nice car.” She says as she looks around.
“Saved up a long time for it.” He places his hand on her thigh as he backs out of the driveway, and he keeps it there.
“So, an axe throwing place?”
“It’s all the rage right now. You can drink and throw axes, it’s pretty cool. I’ve been once before it’s a hoot.” He chuckles and squeezes her thigh slightly. “I’m glad you were able to get out for a bit.”
“Me too.”
She lets him keep his hand on her leg for the entire ride as they chat over the music. He parks the car, and gets out, jogging around to the other side to open the door for her. She smiles at him, and they both head inside. He even gets them their drinks from the bar. It was starting to feel like a date, especially when she only saw Niall with one other person, some woman she had yet to meet.
“Y/N, this is my girlfriend Anna.” Niall says.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Y/N says to her. Harry comes over and hands her a drink. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We all set?” He asks Niall.
“Yeah, we all just need to sign the release forms.”
They all sign and are brought over to the axe throwing area. They’re told how to do it, and they get going. Harry and Niall go first, and of course their axes stick. Y/N takes a deep breath, and throws her, but it doesn’t stick.
“That’s alright, give it another go.” Harry encourages her.
“I…I don’t think I threw it quite right.” She says to him.
“Would you like some help?” She nods yes at him and he steps closer to her, putting his hand on her back. “You need to release from this point, okay? Give it all you got.” He steps back and lets her throw it. It sticks and she squeals, turning to hug him. “I knew you could do it!”
Anna hits her target as well. The four of them were having a great time. Once their time is up, they all grab table for food. Y/N checks her phone, it was just about nine. No texts from the kids. She hoped Riley was having a nice time on her date, and that Austin was being respectful during their movie.
“Miss?” The waitress says to her.
“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry. Um…” She looks at the menu and then to Harry. Everyone else had clearly ordered.
“She’ll have the same as me, thanks, love.” Harry hands the waitress the menus and then looks at Y/N. “You like turkey burgers, right?”
“Yeah, sorry about that. My daughter’s on her first date, and I was just checking my phone to see if she had text me or anything.”
“You have a daughter that’s old enough to date?!” Anna says, shocked. “What’s your secret, girl? You look fantastic!” She laughs, and so does everyone else.
“I was a young mum, nothing more than that.” Y/N chuckles. “She’s only fourteen, a freshman out with a sophomore boy from her biology class. It’s cute, really, he’s on the football team and she’s been to a few of his games. They’ve been hanging out in groups, but tonight is the first one on one.” She takes a sip of her drink. “Listen to me, it sounds like I’m recapping an episode of The Bachelor.”
“Do you have any other kids, or just the one?” Anna asks.
“I have a son, Ben, he’s thirteen. Niall’s his teacher actually.”
“Yup, great kid. Harry has Y/N’s daughter in class too.” Niall tells her.
“Is that how you two met?” Anna asks, and you smirk.
“No, actually, the three of us met because I parked too close to Harry’s precious car in the staff lot. I work in our development office.” She sips her drink smirking at Harry who had slumped in the booth. “He yelled at me, it was quite the meet cute.”
“Yikes, I’ve never seen Harry yell before.” Anna says. “You’re usually so calm.”
“I’ve had that car for two years, not a scratch on it, and I’d like to keep it that way.” Harry says. “It’s all water under the bridge now.” He puts his arm around Y/N, smiling down at her.
There’s more talking during the meal. Y/N really liked the turkey burger Harry had ordered for her. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. It was about ten, and Y/N wanted to get home before Riley like a responsible adult. She tells Harry this, and he nods.
“It was really nice meeting you, Anna.” Y/N tells her again.
“Same to you, have a nice night.” They all part ways in the parking lot. “Oh, I like her so much better than Francie already.” She tells Niall.
“Me too.” Niall sighs. “But you know they’re not really dating.”
“I know, I know, but this was a very nice glimpse for them to see what a date could be like. They were so cute with each other.”
“I agree, I just think Harry’s still on the rebound. I also don’t think he’s mature enough to be dating a woman with two teenagers. Little kids maybe, but teenagers? That’s a lot to take on. Besides, what if he wants kids? Y/N’s in her early thirties, she probably wouldn’t want more.”
“Isn’t that what Harry and Francie broke up over? She wanted kids and he didn’t.” Anna shrugs. “Let them figure it out.”
Y/N and Harry were parked in her driveway making out. The damn console was in the way, but he was still able to get his tongue into her mouth. Her hands were in his hair, tugging him closer to her even though she knew she needed to get out of the car.
“Harry.” She breathes as he starts kissing on her neck. “I…I need to go inside. I can’t be out here like this when Riley gets home.” She gasps when she feels his teeth nip at her skin, and then he pulls away, almost glaring at her.
“Man, nothing to kill a hard on more than a mention of a student’s name.” He huffs.
“I told you…this might be easier for you if you wanted to fuck someone without kids.”
“Well, I’m kinda hooked on you now, so I can’t do that.” His thumb brushes her bottom lip as he cups her cheek. He leans in to kiss her again. “Do you think we could get together tomorrow since it seems like we can’t fool around tonight?”
“Sure, I have some errands I need to run anyways, so I can add you to the list.” She winks. “I’ll text you.”
“Alright, sounds good.” He chuckles. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”
“So did I, goodnight.” She smiles and hops out of the car. She quickly gets herself inside.
Harry backs out of the driveway just as Austin pulls up with Riley.
“Whoa, who do you know with a range rover?” Austin asks.
“That’s…Mr. Styles’ car.” She swallows as she watches him drive away. “He’s friends with my mom. She texted me saying she was seeing some friends tonight, I guess he drove her.”
“Cool.” Austin says. “I’ll walk you to your door.” He does so, and they linger there for a moment. They hug each other, and he gives her a kiss on the cheek. “Can we do this again sometime?”
“I’d like that.” She smiles.
“Great, well, have a good night.”
“You too. Thanks again.” Her heart soars as she goes inside. She finds Y/N sitting on the couch watching TV.
“How was the movie?”
“Really funny.” Riley plops down next to her. “Where’s Ben?”
“Sleeping at Kyle’s.”
“Oh, nice. So…where did you go tonight?”
“To this axe throwing place. It was fun, look.” She takes her phone and shows Riley a video of her throwing an axe and it sticking to the wooden target.
“Cool! You went there with Mr. Styles?”
“Mhm, and Mr. Horan and his girlfriend Anna.”
“Oh my god, Mum.” Riley gasps. “You went on a double date!”
“I did not.” Y/N scoffs.
“Did Mr. Styles pay for anything?”
“Well…yeah, he did, but he said it was just easier.” Riley gives her a look. “What?”
“Mum, he definitely was making a move!”
“And what do you know about moves, hm?”
“Apparently more than you. You two should go out one on one and see how it goes.”
“I’ve done that with him before.” Y/N shrugs. “We’re just friends, Riley.”
“He drove you tonight, right? I saw him pulling out of the driveway when I got home.”
“He offered to drive, yeah, and I accepted. He’s got a really nice car, thought it would be fun to go for a ride in it.” Y/N blushes slightly, annoyed at her own innuendo. “I’m not dating your teacher, don’t worry.”
“I wouldn’t hate it.” Riley shrugs. “You deserve to have someone, Mum. Dad’s out there with miss thing living what he perceives as his best life, you should do the same.”
“I don’t want to be in a relationship right now.” Y/N sighs. “I don’t have time for it. If Ben hadn’t gone to Kyle’s I wouldn’t have been able to go out tonight.”
“He can stay at home by himself.”
“But I would have felt bad about it. I like being home when you guys are home.”
“We’re not babies, that’s all I’m saying.” She twiddles her thumbs. “Plus, he’s super cute, so-“
“Riley!” Y/N chuckles and throws a pillow at her. “Don’t talk about your teacher like that.”
“He is! I don’t have a crush on him, but anyone with eyes can see how cute he is, Mum.”
“I’ll agree with that, he’s very cute.” She yawns. “Well, now that you’re home I’m gonna go up to bed. Was Austin respectful and all that tonight?”
“Very.” Riley smiles. “He asked me if I wanted to do it again sometime. I’m excited about him.”
“It’s a nice feeling, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Y/N hoped the feeling would never fade for her daughter because she knew all too well how it felt when it does.
//
The next day, after Ben got dropped off, Y/N told the kids she was going out to run some errands, and asked them to get some chores done while she was gone. She genuinely needed to get some things while she was out, so she did that before going over to Harry’s. It felt odd to be going over to his place in the middle of the day for a dick appointment, as the kids would say, but this was happening. She pulls up to a nice duplex, and she recognizes Niall’s car in the other driveway. She texts Harry that she’s down front, and she sees the front door open on one side. She gets out of her car and greets him.
“Find it alright?” He says to her as he lets her in.
“Mhm, this is a cool place.”
“Thanks, Niall and I bought it together, like, five or so years ago. We fixed up one side and then the other.”
“So he gets one side and you the other?”
“Yup, worked out well. I’ve redecorated recently, for, um, obvious reasons.”
“Right, trust me I know how hard it can be living in the same place where good and bad memories were made.”
“Is that why you came out here?”
“One of the reasons she sighs as she kicks her shoes off. “I needed a fresh start.”
He hums his response as he cups her jaw in his large hands, bringing his lips to hers.
“How long do you have?” He says against her lips.
“An hour at most. I have to go to the grocery store after this.”
“Oh.” He smirks. “You won’t be going to the store after this.”
“Wh-why not?” She swallows.
“Because you’re not gonna be able to walk when I’m done with you.” He bends down and lifts her up over his shoulder and she squeals.
“Harry!” She giggles as he brings upstairs to his room. Fuck, he was strong. “What will I tell my kids when I’m walking funny?”
“Tell them good old Mr. Styles cracked your spine in half, I’m sure that’ll go over well.” He drops her on his bed, and gets his shirt off. She looks up wide eyed at him. “Oh, love, I’m not actually gonna do that.”
“I know, I’ve just never seen your tattoos in the daylight like this. I mean when we showered I sort of did, but…they’re so pretty.”
His features soften and he picks her up again, getting himself on the bed and laying her down. He sucks on her bottom lip as she wraps her arms and legs around him. His hands work to undo her jeans, and he tugs them down past her bum. She kicks them off the rest of the way, and he pets her over her underwear. She moans into his mouth, and his dips his fingers inside, sliding along her slit. She could feel him growing hard against her hip.
“Y/N?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you blow me for a bit?”
“Of course! Lay down.”
He gives her a relieved smile and lays back on the bed. She gets between his legs and does his pants. She gets them off and tugs his boxers down. She kisses his tip first, then gives his shaft kisses before licking him up and down. She looks up at him and sees he’s already watching her. She smirks and wraps her lips around his tip, sinking down on him as much as she could.
“Yeah, just like that.” He groans. “Fuck, you feel so good.”
She moans against him and bobs her head up and down. This wasn’t her favorite thing to do in the world, but she didn’t mind do it for it for Harry since he was so attentive with her. She gets him to the brink of coming, and then he pulls her off of him. He gets her naked, and opens her legs up, diving right in. The flat of his tongue sliding up her center to her clit. He sucks both of her lips, one at a time before focusing on her clit again. Two of his fingers slip inside her, and her eyes roll back. He has her crying out moments later, and before she knows it he’s getting a condom on.
“Can I go on top?” She asks.
“Sure.” He shrugs and lays down, his cock stiff and ready for her.
She swings her leg over him, and rubs his tip over her clit before sinking down on his. His hands grip her hips as she moves around in a circle to get comfortable. She moves herself on and off his cock, enjoying the stretch he’s giving her. When she gets a little tired she comes down to him chest to chest, and kisses him. His hands slide to her ass, and he moves her on him. He thrusts in and out of her, and she moans into his neck.
“Like the way I feel like this?” He grunts.
“Yes, fuck.” She mumbles. Her clit was rubbing against him perfectly, and she was trying to concentrate on that. “Don’t stop what you’re doing.” She tugs at his hair and he nearly growls.
He thrusts into her faster and faster, it has her panting and moaning. His tip was hitting her g-spot, so the whole thing was really overwhelming. She moans out his name loudly as she comes, and he fucks her through it. He lifts her off of him, and sets her down on her stomach. He gets behind her and pushes back inside. She gasps, but it feels good. He fucks her from behind until he comes, and collapses on top of her. He holds her for a moment before pulling out and getting rid of the condom. She uses the bathroom, and gets dressed. He throws on a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt.
“Thanks for adding me to your list of errands.” He says to her as they stand in his front hall. She giggles into his chest as he hugs her and kisses the top of her head.
“My legs are working just fine, by the way. But I’m too tired to go grocery shopping now.”
“Well, you only gave me a bloody hour, love, and you made me come really fast.” He pouts. “Can’t seem to last that long with you.”
“Maybe you should jerk off before I come over next time so you can handle it.” She grins and he rolls his eyes.
“You came twice didn’t you?” She nods yes. “Alright then, quit your complaining. Go on, get outta my house.” He pats her bum and kisses her one more time. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“You too.” Y/N drove home with a smile on her face the whole way.
//
Things were like this most weekends, especially when the kids were at Joseph’s. Harry would come over on Friday night instead of Saturday in case he fell asleep. Plus if he stayed the night that meant they could have sex most of the day Saturday, which was really nice. Y/N was having a lot of fun with Harry. Sometimes they’d meet up with Anna and Niall to go bowling, or catch a movie. In a way it felt like dating, but there was absolutely zero pressure. It was the exact companion ship she had hoped for.
When the holidays rolled around, she got the kids for Christmas, and Joseph got them for New Year’s, which meant Y/N could go to the party Harry was having. Apparently it was an annual thing. There were a lot of people from school there so she felt right at home. Y/N hadn’t had a New Year’s kiss in quite some time, so it wasn’t even on her mind until all of the couples migrated towards each other as it got closer to midnight.
Harry was wandering through his home trying to find her. She was in the kitchen refilling her drink. He lets out a sigh of relief. He could hear people starting the countdown.
“Christ, there you are!” He says to her, pulling her into him.
“You were looking for me?”
“Course I was, who else am I gonna kiss, hm?” They hear everyone yell ‘one’ and he plants one on her. She thought it would be a simple peck since there were people around, but no, Harry full on kissed her. “Happy New Year.” He breathes and then kisses her forehead.
“Happy New Year.” She says faintly as he walks away from her to continue being a good host. She was one of the last people there, feeling drained at nearly two in the morning. She was getting her coat, about ready to say goodbye when he looked at her funny. “What?”
“Where do you think you’re going at this hour?”
“Home.”
“Nope, sorry, m’afraid you’re staying with me tonight. Get that coat off, now.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“Is that so?”
“it is.” He nods, and she smirks at him stepping closer to him.
“Make me.” She grins and his eyebrows raise.
“Right.”
Before she knows it she’s being picked up and carried to his room. They both giggle as he gets her in his room. He gets her jacket and boots off, and he tosses her one of his bed shirts.
“What’s this for?” She asks as she holds the shirt up.
“To sleep? Can’t fuck you right now, I’m knackered.”
“Oh.” She blushes. “Alright, well, thank you. Um…you wouldn’t happen to have a spare toothbrush and a washcloth then would you?”
“Sure, I’ll pull that out of the linen closet for you, one second.” He leaves the bedroom and comes back shortly and gives her what she asked for.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” He shrugs and starts taking his clothes. “Feel free to use the bathroom first.”
She nods and does so. She liked the way his shirt fit, how it hugged her thighs and just barely covered her bum. She washes up and shyly pads back into the bedroom. He smiles when he sees her, and watches as she crawls onto the bed.
“Well, don’t you look cute.” He pinches her thigh as she settled.
“Oh! Don’t do that.” She swats his hand away and he chuckles, getting up from the bed.
“Back in a tick.”
He shuts the lights off once he’s done in the bathroom, and gets into bed with her. She felt awkward until he yanked her onto his chest.
“You can be pretty forceful sometimes, you know that?”
“Does it bother you?”
“Not really, it’s not like I don’t feel safe.”
“You feel safe with me?” He asks softly.
“I do.” She feels him hold her a little closer.
“I just want what I want when I want it I guess.”
“So I’ve noticed. I like a man that knows what he wants, though, so it’s not like it’s a turn off.
“Aw, so you feel safe with me and you like me. A Happy New Year indeed.” She sucks her teeth at that and it makes him laugh. “What’s wrong, can’t take a bit of teasing?”
“I can, you’re just annoying.” She nudges him and he kisses the top of her head.
“You’re fun, Y/N.” He chuckles.
“Let’s get some sleep so you can fuck me in the morning, yeah?”
“I like the way you think.” He sighs and lets his eyes droop closed.
Y/N and Harry spent most of New Year’s day in his best, and neither of them would have had it any other way.
//
“Y/N?” One of her student workers comes into her office. “Mr. Horan from the math department is here to see you.”
“He is?” She raises an eyebrow. “Um, alright, he can come in.” The girl nods and lets Niall in. He closes the door behind him. “Is everything alright with Ben?”
“Yeah, this isn’t work related.”
“Oh…alright, would you like to have a seat?”
“No, it won’t take long…um…did you know Harry’s birthday is on the first of February?”
“I did not know that, no.”
“Right, well, I’m throwing him a party at this pub he really likes to go to. He’s turning thirty, you know? Wanted it to be a little more special for him.” She nods and he continues. “He’s shy about his birthday, and he’d never come right out and say it, but I know it would be mean the world to him if you came.”
“Well, of course I’ll go. It’s not like I haven’t been to a party with him before.”
“Yes, but instead of casually coming over to his New Year’s party…you’d sort of be showing up as his lady, you know?”
“What are you getting at here?”
“Come on, Y/N.” Niall scoffs. “He’s crazy about you, can’t you see that?”
“Niall…” She says in a hushed tone. “You know very well that he and I are nothing more than-“
“Fuck buddies, yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes. “This has been going on for months, you seriously don’t want more with the guy?”
“No.” She swallows. “I’m getting exactly what I need from him. He doesn’t want more either, what we’re doing works for both of us. Has…has he said something to you?”
“Not in so many words, but he talks about you enough. I think it’s silly to not go for it.”
“Look, if I didn’t have two kids maybe things could be different between him and I, but it’s not that simple. I don’t want more…at least not right now.”
“Alright.” He sighs. “I’ll text you the details for the party, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and keep it a secret. He thinks we’re going on a bar crawl.”
She nods and out the door he goes. She sighs heavily and shakes her head. Now there would be all this pressure for his birthday. Did she need to get him a gift? And what kind of gift should it be?
//
“Mum, you look so good.” Riley says sitting on Y/N’s bed when she comes out in a red dress.
“Thank you, honey.”
“And this is for a friend’s birthday party?”
“Yes.”
“Whose birthday?” Riley grins.
“Harry’s.” Y/N sighs.
“Did you get him anything good?”
“I…I got him, like, well, you know how he likes to wear all those rings? So I saw this ring at the store that I thought he might like.”
“You got him a ring?”
“Is it weird? It’s weird right? I just…I saw it and I thought of him, and I-“
“I bet he’ll love it, Mum.”
“Alright.” She nods. “Listen…you’ll be alright with Ben tonight? I…I could either be home really late, or I might not come back until the morning depending on how much I have to drink.”
“He’s setting up some movies and popcorn for us as we speak. We can handle it.”
“Good, okay, thank you.”
“Where would stay if you don’t come home?”
“Mr. Horan has offered me his guest room if need be.” It was a blatant lie but she couldn’t very well tell her fourteen-year-old that she was most likely going to have birthday sex with her teacher.
“Okay.” Riley shrugs and goes downstairs with Y/N. The doorbell rings. “I’ve got it.” She says as Y/N gets her coat on. “Hi, Mr. Styles.”
“Hello, Riley, is your mum ready to go?”
“Mhm, she’s just getting her coat on. Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thank you.” He smiles and then uses all his willpower to not let his jaw drop when he sees Y/N. He couldn’t even see her dress, but he could tell she’d be a knockout tonight. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She smiles and turns to Riley and Ben. “Don’t be afraid to call if you need anything. I can be home in a flash. I’ll text you later to let you know what my, um, plans are.” She blushes and pushes Harry outside as the kids wave them off.
“She’s not subtle.” Ben says as he plops onto the couch.
“I know, I wish they’d just admit they’re in love and get on with it.” Riley says and starts the movie.
//
Harry opens the backseat of Niall’s car for her, and then he jogs around to the other side. Niall was driving, and Anna was in the passenger seat. Everyone greets one another and off they go. Harry keeps his hand on Y/N’s knee the whole way, and she puts her hand over his. They smile at each other, but nothing is said. Needless to say he was surprised by there being a party at the pub for him, but he was delighted.
Niall had done really well. Lots of drinks and appetizers going around, good music, and people mingling. There was even a cheesy slideshow of every single one of Harry’s school pictures throughout the years, and Y/N had to fight tears from laughing so hard at some of them. Harry couldn’t have asked for a better birthday, especially with Y/N around. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her all night, and eventually his arm didn’t leave from its place around her waist. No one really paid it any attention. Most people knew there was something going on between the two of them, but it was none of their concern. The single men in the room at the least knew not to hit on her. No one really wanted to get on Harry’s shit list.
There was a table for gifts, but Y/N kept hers in her purse, not wanting it to get lost. She also wanted to give it to him in private in case things got awkward. She had overthought the ring over and over. It was this nice topaz band that she thought he’d like. He said he was always looking for a pop of color in his wardrobe.
“Hey.” He says to her, pulling her into him. “Are you gonna come home with me?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “Are you having a good time?”
“A great time. Couldn’t have asked to turn thirty with better people.” He tucks some hair behind her ear and she shivers. “Can’t to get you back to my place, though.” He leans in to speak in her ear. “M’gonna mess up all this pretty makeup you’re wearing.” He kisses her cheek and lets her go. She was suddenly counting down the moments until it was time to leave.
When it came time, she helped grab all of the gifts off the table and bring them to Niall’s car. She had texted Riley that she wouldn’t be coming home which she felt slightly guilty about. She didn’t like giving up her weekends with the kids like this. Niall and Anna help get everything inside, and then leave Harry and Y/N alone, drinking water in the kitchen. He comes over to her, putting his hands on her hips, and pulling her forward.
“Have I told you how fucking sexy you look tonight? I’ve had to hold my hand under my jaw all night just to keep it from dropping.”
“Idiot.” She chuckles. “Oh! Wait, I got you something.” She snatches her purse from the counter.
“So it’s not lingerie? Sort of thought you were my gift.” He smirks and she rolls her eyes.
“That wouldn’t be very original, and I don’t find lingerie to be particularly comfortable, sorry, Sport.” She fishes the ring box out of her purse. “Here we are. If it’s weird feel free to just kick me out…I saw it thought you’d like it, nothing more to it than that.”
He takes the box from her, furrowing his brows. His eyes widen as he opens it up. He looks between her and the topaz band several times.
“Are you serious?” He says.
“Y-yeah…do you like it?”
“Are you kidding? I love it! I just can’t decide what finger to put it on.”
“I guessed on the size. You have such fat fingers, so I went with a larger one.”
“Think that’s the first time I’ve heard you complain about my fingers. Better be the last.” He slips the ring onto his middle finger and holds it out. “It’s perfect, thank you so much. You really didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I wanted to. Like I said, I saw it and thought you’d like it.”
He hugs her and she hugs him back. He kisses her cheek and works his way to her lips. He sucks on her bottom lip, and she tugs at his shirt. His hands slide down to her ass and he squeezes.
“Fuck, I want you so bad.” He says against her lips, and lifts her up onto the counter.
“Mm-mm, just bring me upstairs, I don’t wanna have sex on the counter again.”
“But it’s my birthday.” He pouts.
“Yeah, and last time we did this my back hurt for, like, three days, so bring me upstairs.”
He sucks his teeth and lifts her back up, carrying her bridal style out to the staircase, and up to his room. He sets her down on the bed and takes her heels off, sliding his hands up her calves and thighs. He pulls her to her feet so he can lift the dress up over her head. He tugs her nylons off along with her underwear, and unclips her bra, leaving her naked in front of him. He licks his lips and kisses her. Running his hands all over her body. She works to get his shirt undone, and pushes it off his shoulders. She undoes his pants and lets them drop to the floor, he steps out of them, and they both fall back on the bed. He grinds his hard dick, still clothes by his boxers, right into her core, and she groans. He continues to grind against her, and she moves her hips along with his to get some extra friction.
“I want you to suck me off while I fuck you with my tongue.”
She nods and they switch positions so he can lay on his back. She gets situated over his face, and she lowers herself on his body. His tongue moves back and forth along her slit before entering her. She gasps just as she’s getting her lips wrapped around him. His hands grip her hips so he can lick into her in just the right way. She moans around his cock as she tries to bob up and down on him. He removes his tongue from her so he can finger her, and he licks up to her other hole, something they’ve done before. She chokes on his dick and pulls off, choosing to pump him instead.
“Shit, Harry, oh my god!”
He moans against her as she comes around his fingers. He pulls his fingers away and laps her up. He rolls her onto her stomach, and he grabs a condom quickly. He rolls it on and spreads her legs wide open. She lifts her hips up as he pushes inside her, and he grabs a pillow to put under her back. He rocks in and out of her as his hands knead her breasts. She wraps her arms around his neck to pull him down to her, and she licks into his mouth. He moans into her as their chests touch and sweat starts to form between their bellies.
“Y/N.” He moans into her ear, and it raises goosebumps all over skin. She wraps her legs around his waist to pull him even closer. He kisses on her neck and she runs her fingers through his hair. “I want you to come at the same time as me, think you can do that?”
“Y-yeah.”
He snakes a hand between them so he can rub her clit and her mouth falls open. They make eye contact the entire time, and they cry out as they come together. He collapses on top of her, and she holds him close, kissing his cheek multiple times. He keeps his head buried in her chest for a few moments. He looks up at her, about to say something, but her phone goes off.
“Shit, it could be the kids…”
“One second.” He pulls out of her with a grunt, and lets her up. She gets up and waddles over to his dresser and grabs her phone.
“Ben?”
“Hi, Mum, I’m sorry it’s so late, but Riley doesn’t feel well. I think it’s her period, but she’s on the floor, like, clutching at her stomach and I don’t know what to do for her…”
“Shit, okay, um, get her a glass of milk and two ibuprofen from the cabinet. I’ll be home soon, I’ll set up a warm compress for her. She gets really bad cramps like me sometimes.”
“Okay, thanks, sorry again.”
“No problem, I’ll see you soon.” She turns to Harry. “I…I’m sorry, I can get an uber or-“
“I’ll drive you, don’t be silly.” He says, already throwing some sweats on. “Do you want something to change into so you don’t have to put all that back on?”
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
He gets her a sweatshirt and some sweatpants. Once she’s cleaned herself up they’re out the door and into his car. This time around he holds her hand the whole way, their fingers intertwined and everything. When he turns the car off when he pulls in, she gives him a funny look.
“Don’t look at me like that, I’m coming in, obviously.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I know, now come on.”
They get inside, and poor rile is still laying on the floor sucking milk out of a straw. Ben was sitting on the ground neck to her rubbing her back.
“Mum?”
“Hi, sweetie.” Y/N gets on her knees next to her.
“Feels like someone’s squeezing my insides with a spiked glove.”
“I know, baby, the medicine will work soon, I promise.” She sighs. “Ben, in the bathroom cabinet is where the warm compresses are, could you get one for me please?”
“Yeah.” He stands up and looks at Harry, but doesn’t say anything. Riley sees Harry’s sneakers and turns to look at him.
“Hey, Mr. Styles…”
“Hey.” He smiles. “Not feeling great, huh?”
“Cramps.” She says bluntly.
“Ugh, that’s the worst.” He sits down next to her. “My older sister used to get them really bad, I felt terrible.”
Ben comes back with the warm compress, and Y/N snaps it to get it to warm up, and she presses it to Riley’s lower back. She sighs from the feeling.
“See? Better already.” Y/N says.
“I don’t know what happened. I was fine all night, and then I got up to get some more soda, and I basically fell to the ground.”
“The bad ones can creep up on you unfortunately. I need to get you up to your room.”
“I could carry her…if…if that’s alright with everyone.” Harry says.
“That would be okay.” Riley says. “No one else could do it anyways.”
He helps her up, double and triple checking it’s okay that he’s touching her, and he carries her up. Y.N has Ben clean up the living room before he goes to bed. Y/N goes into Riley’s room after Harry’s places her on her bed.
“All set?” Y/N says to her, brushing some hair away from her face.
“Yeah, thank you.” She yawns. “Goodnight.”
“Night, honey.”
Y/N tugs Harry into her room, and closes the door.
“I’m so sorry, thank you for coming in…I don’t know how I would’ve helped her upstairs, I would have had to make a bed for her on the couch.” Y/N starts tearing up. “There are so many things I can do for them on my own until I’m reminded that there are things that I just can’t.”
“Hey.” He puts his hands on her shoulders. “You’re a great mum and you’re doing what you can. I couldn’t imagine being so young and raising two teenagers. You make it look easy, honestly. You’re amazing, Y/N.”
“You really think so?”
“I do.” He nods.
“Would you…I mean…it’s late, um, would you want to just stay here?”
“It wouldn’t be weird for you?”
“No.” He smiles and starts taking his clothes off. They get into bed together and cuddle all night. He somehow was always exactly what she needed, and it scared her a little. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Put me at ease the way you do?”
“I don’t know.” He smiles down at her. “Didn’t realize I did that for you.”
“Well, you do. And I don’t know how I feel about it.”
“Christ, Y/N, just admit you like me as more than just a guy who fucks you good so we can date already.”
“What?” She sits up and so does he. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not trying to be. You don’t wanna date? I mean we practically already are when you think about it. I’m not seeing anyone else, are you?”
“With your clingy ass? Who would have the time?!” She laughs.
“Oi, I resent that.”
“You ask me to hang out literally every weekend.”
“Yeah, cause I need to get to you before someone else does.”
“Harry…you realize if you get into a relationship with me you’re getting into a relationship with my kids, right?”
“I do.” He nods. “I know it’ll be a lot, but if it means I get to be with you…I think I could be all in with them. I can’t speak for Ben, but I know Riley likes me. I feel like we could make this work.”
“I don’t want more kids…I’m almost thirty-four, I would hate for you to end up wanting kids of your own. That’s not something I can give you, Harry.”
“You know what I’d really like?”
“What?”
“A dog. I’m great with pets, absolutely great. I miss having a pup around. If we get to a point where we feel like that’s the right move, that would definitely be enough for me.”
“I’ve always wanted a dog.” She bites her bottom lip. “Wow, okay, so…we’re doing this?”
“We fucking better be, I think Niall will explode if we don’t.”
They both giggle, and kiss each other. They settle back down to get some sleep, ready for whatever the morning brings.
a/n: if you liked what you’ve read, and are able/want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee. 
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