For Every Breath • •

[Molly Annabelle Cheshire]

Although she had graduated last summer Cheshire was still on the university campus at least once a week. It was part of the issue when your best friend was a professor there and lunch dates could start late when Hadley’s office hours came in the hour before. Not that Cheshire minded of course. It was an excuse to ‘bump into’ Mason Rivers; her old Anthropology professor. Cheshire hadn’t needed the degree when she had a job for life at her dad’s company and a position already at the theatre, but she had wanted to go to college for the social scene more than anything else. After being undecided for a long time, she had taken his course solely because she fancied Mason. She hadn’t done anything with her degree other than frame it and hang it up, and she doubted she would ever do anything with it. The knowledge she had learnt came in handy for flirting with the intelligent guys when she was on a night out, but that was about it. Cheshire had always been more artistic than academic, and there wasn’t a single thing that could change that, just like there hadn’t been anything her father could do to change her flighty behaviour or her impulsive nature.

Arriving typically early so she could take her detour to cross paths with Mason as he was getting out of his lecture. She would’ve thought by now it was obvious what she was doing since she did it every single visit to Hadley, but he acted just as clueless as he had done back when she was the first student at his office hours every single time they came around. Cheshire hardly thought herself subtle either. She was dropping hints even back when she was a student and her crush was entirely inappropriate. Still, she was surprised she had kept this up as long as she had. She wasn’t famous for her patience, and Cheshire had a mentality where she usually just went straight after whatever it was that she wanted.

Cheshire stopped at a vending machine to grab a bottle of water, keeping it in her hand as she continued down the hallways she knew only too well. She slowed her pace as she spied the crowd of students spilling out of the lecture theatre she knew had just been home to the Anthropology majors for the last hour. Pausing to catch her reflection in the window, Cheshire ruffled her hair, bringing it over her shoulder and then continued towards the door, smiling as she spotted the gorgeous professor on his way out. “Oh, hey, Professor Rivers. This is starting to become a bit of a habit.” She laughed, acting like this was just another coincidental meeting on her way to Hadley’s office. It would be, too, if Cheshire was taking the long route each and every time. Mason hadn’t called her out on it though, and Cheshire hadn’t picked up on any hints that he was aware of her true intentions when she kept running into him on such a regular basis. The brunette wasn’t all that sure she could keep playing coy though for much longer. It wasn’t in her nature, and she was getting a bit bored of this dance. She didn’t know if Mason was clueless or hoping she would take a hint of some kind. Really, he should just spell it out for her!

• • •

TAGGED! Mason James Rivers
WORDS! 571!
OUTFIT! Determined Darling!
LYRICS! Kids In Love - - - Mayday Parade
NOTES! <3

[Mason James Rivers]

Mason wasn't in the habit of acknowledging the advances of his students. Most of the young women wore their tops just a little too tight and their skirts just a little too short to grab his attention and Mason just wanted to sigh and shake his head at them. There were a few that tried other tactics but Mason liked New York, he liked teaching at NYU where his name and all the letters behind it meant he could be picky about what he did or who he accepted into his classes. Lucky for his students, he wasn't all that picky, though fooling around or being uninterested got that student a one way ticket out of his class and an invitation to be denied acceptance to the rest of his classes. At least the male students in his class wore their clothes properly while they tried figuring out if he secretly did enjoy the company of men over women. The truth of the matter was, he wasn't seen with many women because there were few who intrigued him intellectually. He found more useful things to fill his time with than partaking in mindless conversation over a drink he really didn't want in the first place. 

The Anthropology professor would much rather be doing exactly what he did on a near daily basis. He enjoyed standing at the front of a room full of interested people, talking about his passion and seeing the understanding on his pupil's faces. "You've two weeks for this assignment. Remember, personal essay. I'll see you all later." He said, closing the book on the desk in front of the class, effectively ending the class as well. He had to head back to his office and prepare for the onslaught of knocks on his door because this student wanted ten minutes of his time to flirt with him over the "assignment" and that student wante ten minutes to rant about another student. That part of his job seemed far thankless than he would have liked but the rest of the job he liked so he could deal with it. He waited until the room had emptied out before he made his own way out the lecture hall. He needed to grab a coffee before he headed into the lion's den that was the hall outside his office during his regular hours. 

"Hello again, Ms Cheshire. Keep this habit up and someone might think you're stalking me. Are you?" He asked, teasing. The study of people might have been his forte but the noise in the crowded hallway he could certainly do without. It appeared that while he was in the hall, so were most of his students. "Do you still like your chai tea? My treat." He added in case she would have turned him down otherwise. He didn't think so, with all the times they accidentally bumped into each other. Mason didn't believe in coincidence and even though Ms Cheshire said she was friends with a member of the staff, there were quicker ways to the offices. He didn't particularly mind, if he were being honest. She had captured his attention that first class but again, he liked his job and wanted to keep it.

Tag || Molly Annabelle Cheshire
Words || 539
Clothes || Puzzling Professor
Music || House Party --Sam Hunt
Notes || <3

[Molly Annabelle Cheshire]

Cheshire was the kind of girl who got what she wanted, whether it was through polite methods or brute force. It didn’t matter to her if she crossed a line or not; she would do as she pleased, when she pleased. It was the result of a messy childhood, complicated by a messy divorce and parents who had used their little girl as a prize rather than a daughter. The lasting damage had seen Cheshire grow into a woman who knew the ins and outs of revenge tactics, and who had more than few issues when it came to commitment. Some people she had gone to school with were settling down, flashing their diamond rings and sharing tales of their adorable kids, but those things were not for Cheshire. Her nights were spent getting guys to buy her drinks and not caring what their names were; they were company for a few dances, a few teasing moments, and then she laughed when she climbed into a cab alone and left them scratching their heads and wondering what had gone wrong.

She was a minx, and anyone who knew her could attest to it. Some even said it would land her in trouble one day, but Cheshire would remind them that there wasn’t really a time when she was out of trouble. If it wasn’t her dad looking for her to complain that she was pushing a deadline, or testing his patience with something else, then there was someone who had a bone to pick with the brunette. She was used to it, and laughed most of it off, which was reckless of her. Cheshire might have been twenty-five, but she was far from sensible. There were times when she would run off and leave everyone in the lurch with just a short text message to say she was off to the Caribbean for ten days. There would be a moment of panic, or someone wanting to scream at her, before everyone would realise she had mysteriously completed all of the work needed from her and actually could afford the break. Messing with their heads in a harmless fashion was something she did without even thinking now, much to the chagrin of her father, and the powers that be at the theatre.

As much as Cheshire wanted Mason, she was clever about it. She played coy well, though she was tiring of this dance. She might not have outright declared her interest in her old professor, but anyone with a shred of common sense should be able to pick up on her flirting. If Mason had though, he hadn’t given her much back to work with before today. Offering a coy smirk, she glanced around at his dispersing class. “I gave that habit up after graduation.” She joked, though one of the girls who had been in the class with her back then had frequently commented on Cheshire’s habitual visits to his office hours. Smiling, Cheshire adjusted the straps of her bag and nodded. “I like it when it’s too early for anything stronger.” It wasn’t her most obvious hint to him that she basically fancied the pants off him, and chai tea was not a date, but it was something she’d take up any time. “And I’m sure Hadley can keep herself busy for a little longer.” If Cheshire blew her off altogether she would make it up to the fashion professor with a night out of her choosing. It would be worth it to spend some actual time with Mason that wasn’t just a not-so-coincidental passing in the corridor.

• • •

TAGGED! Mason James Rivers
WORDS! 606!
OUTFIT! Determined Darling!
LYRICS! Kids In Love - - - Mayday Parade
NOTES! <3

[Mason James Rivers]

Mason was pretty big on rules. He didn’t do too much to over step rules when they were strictly in place. Like at school. He tended to keep to himself and only interacted with his students in the classroom and during his office hours. He liked his job and didn’t want it ruined because he’d tossed the rules out the window. He had quite a few attractive young women in his classes and lectures but he knew better than to touch. Plus, he wasn’t particularly fond of such obvious advances in his classroom. And most of them were forgotten the second they were out of sight. They were all young and thought a fling with a professor was something they wanted to strike from their bucket lists but what they failed to realise every single time was that they would be sadly mistaken in thinking Mason would be that professor.

There were those that were forgettable, but then there were those few that stuck with him. Miss Cheshire happened to be one of those few but whilst she’d been in his class, whilst she’d still been a student, he’d told himself she was off limits and then she graduated and then didn’t see her for so long he’d starting thinking he never would again. And then felt like that was the biggest shame on record. He quite liked her but until that day she’d worn that cap and gown and strode across the stage for her diploma, she’d been off limits and he’d had to deal with reminding himself that every single time she said something coy and flirty. He’d had to think about everything before he said it so he could make sure it didn’t come across flirty.

She wasn’t off limits now though and he had started seeing more and more of her when that new fashion professor started. He’d heard all about her but he’d yet to have the chance to meet her in person. She’d been feisty if the stories were anything to go by. Mason thought they would probably get along well enough since she’d stormed into a class and practically took it over. Mason would never be able to do that but he appreciated those who could. “Pity.” he said, grinning. Cheshire wasn’t his student anymore, he could do as he pleased. “As do most.” Mason agreed, nodding. He himself liked a good drink after a long day at work, which was usually followed by long hours of research. “There are always milling students with questions that can’t wait.” He confirmed as if he understood what happened in Hadley’s classroom. He knew what happened in his and he was constantly surrounded by students with questions after class was over.

Tag || Molly Annabelle Cheshire
Words || 505
Clothes || Puzzling Professor
Music || House Party --Sam Hunt
Notes || <3

[Molly Annabelle Cheshire]

In Cheshire’s opinion, rules were made to be broken. If there was line she shouldn’t cross she wanted to take a running start and leap right over it. There had been plenty of times in her life already when she had done just that. She didn’t care to think about what had been illegal those times either, because all that mattered was that she hadn’t been caught. There had been a few close escapes, but Cheshire could run fast and was clever enough to slip away when a good moment showed itself. It was the rush she loved more than anything else, but if people asked why she broke rules and acted out of sorts so often she would point at her parents and blame both of them for using her as nothing more than a trophy throughout her childhood. She had been their prize in the war that was their divorce and it had left her rebellious and uncaring towards either of them. She acted the way she did to get a rise from them and quickly found that she just liked being bad.

And she had definitely done her fair share of that. Cheshire wasn’t quite ready to stop either. Mason had been the only thing she hadn’t gotten when she wanted him. She didn’t really think she’d been subtle either back then. She definitely knew she had said things to her Professor that if she’d said them to a college boy he would have probably looked for the nearest private space there and then. However that had been what still drew her to Mason now. He wasn’t like the rest. Cheshire had a habit of toying with men and then tossing them aside when she was bored with them. Her life had been a series of meaningless flings and that had so far kept her happy, but they were all the same. Mason didn’t come across like the rest of the men who caught her eye and she needed to know if it was just an act or if he truly was something unique. Plus, she wanted to be able to say that she had slept with her professor, even if it was after she had graduated from college.

Smiling devilishly at him, Cheshire moved her hand across his shoulder teasingly before picking off a piece of lint and flicking it away, acting like that had been her plan all along. She wasn’t trying to get under his skin at all. “These days I’m just chasing you, waiting for you to roll over and surrender.” She said quietly enough for only him to hear, but still with a casual tone like it was all no big deal. “So, tea?” She turned on her heel and walked in the direction of the coffee shop. Cheshire knew she was terrible, but she loved being so. “I remember trying to take up quite a bit of your time back when I was here. Are they worse now?” She played innocent, acting as though her interests were purely academical back then. Hadley could survive without her, and would probably not be all that surprised if Cheshire called later to say she’d been distracted by a man.

• • •

TAGGED! Mason James Rivers
WORDS! 541!
OUTFIT! Determined Darling!
LYRICS! Kids In Love - - - Mayday Parade
NOTES! <3

[Mason James Rivers]

Mason wasn't usually one for rules and regulations when he was outside his classroom. There were some things he really didn't want to fuck up and his job was definitely one of them. He didn't want to have to find a new gig somewhere else, nor did he want to have no choice but to move back to his family home. The estate was grand and he had loved growing up there but it was a rural town, barely on the map and there was nothing to do around there; especially for an anthropologist like him. He could be entertained for a week, maybe two but after that, it would have been a downward spiral that saw Mason packing his bags and heading off to some distant country to study something, anything, even if he didn't know what it was until he actually got there. Sticking a pin in a map had worked well for him in the past, it was reasonable enough to think it would work out well for him in the future as well.

But Mason had found since he'd started teaching that he actually liked it a lot. It wasn't as thrilling or as adventurous as being out in the field but it was as much an experience as the rest of it and that much he enjoyed. He also liked to see what other people's takes were on the assignments he handed out. There were always so many different aspects to any given subject and Mason liked seeing which of his students would surprise him with their work. There were a few who surprised him again and again and Mason enjoyed those papers the most. When Cheshire had been in his class, her papers had surprised him quite a bit. Mostly because they always seemed to be taken from completely different views from the last. She'd been good and Mason had been shocked when she'd gone to set design. Though he had to admit, she was very impressive with that as well.

Not to mention she habitually grabbed his attention whenever she was in class and he found himself fighting against instinct to look directly at her and include his entire class. He figured out pretty quickly to look at anyone else when he wanted to look her way and it worked out well until he let his eyes wander through the classroom and caught hers. "Should have tried harder." He whispered back, making sure to look directly into her eyes as he said it. He wanted her to know she'd been too close to winning their little war. Mason nodded his head as he chuckled and followed Cheshire in the direction of the closest coffee shop. "Tea now, Whiskey Sours later." He made it a statement, figuring it had been long enough for this little game of theirs. They were both adults and she was no longer his student so he didn't have those rules to follow. "None as bad as you." He informed her honestly. Though they tried their hardest, none of the young women in his classes had come close to being as blatantly flirtatious as Cheshire. By the time she'd left his class, he'd been finding it harder and harder to resist her.

Tag || Molly Annabelle Cheshire
Words || 542
Clothes || Puzzling Professor
Music || House Party --Sam Hunt
Notes || <3

[Molly Annabelle Cheshire]

Cheshire had always known she was never going to put her anthropology degree to use. She had only minored in the subject because she fancied the pants off of Mason. Art was her passion, but the classes were dull and boring. College in itself had been a stipulation of her father’s, in regards to her trust fund. Cheshire ploughed ahead with it mostly for the social life, the parties and the boys. Of course, even with the college boys, her eyes had been on Mason. It was a personal challenge to get him, and once she befriended Hadley and found herself returning to the campus after graduation, Cheshire took that as a sign that her game was not over. Even more encouraging was that Mason didn’t chase her off or seem annoyed when she ‘bumped into him’ on her way to see Hadley.

She knew she wasn’t in the least bit subtle. Cheshire never had been much of a fan when it came to being coy. She hadn’t really seen the point of it. Too much time could be wasted beating around the bush, and it could be lost entirely if someone was too oblivious. Cheshire liked the game she had been playing with Mason. She had known there was something there, or at the very least she had had some kind of effect on her professor. Moments here and there when he’d avoid her or stumble. It made her grin like the cat she shared her name with. It also kept her going. Normally she would have grown bored and given up a very long time ago if there had been nothing whatsoever in retaliation. She deliberately wore her tightest skirts, or her cropped tops to his classes, usually being a terror in red just because she could. She always wondered what might happen if she stayed behind on those days, if the other nerdier kids hadn’t swarmed him at the end to ask him questions about their coursework. All Cheshire needed was an empty room and maybe...but there was no use in dwelling on what might have been. She had him in front of her right now.

Smirking wickedly, Cheshire lifted her eyebrow and leaning in tantalisingly close. “Oh, I’m not done with you yet, Professor.” She promised teasingly. Cheshire had spent four years in his class thinking of a hundred things she could do if he just gave in to her. She still thought about them, and she would still be inclined to do each and every one of them given half a chance. Mason didn’t know the extent of Cheshire’s wicked side – at least not yet – but it was enough to make some men blush. “Whiskey Sours and you might find out what colour my underwear is. Red or black?” She taunted with a devilish smile. There was the line, and Cheshire had sailed right over it. “It’s good to know I don’t have any competition there.” She joked, though she was partly being truthful. Cheshire was not a possessive person since her life had been a series of casual flings, but she’d called dibs here back when she had been a student. “I mean, you were so good to give me so much of your time back then. I know I kept you quite a bit in that office asking you all sorts of things.” She said, playing innocent while equally aiming to remind him of how they would be alone during those office hour appointments and how she would deliberately lean in too close, brush against him, or phrase her words to have a double meaning. Even now, just like back then, Cheshire was trying to get under his skin.

• • •

TAGGED! Mason James Rivers
WORDS! 624!
OUTFIT! Determined Darling!
LYRICS! Kids In Love - - - Mayday Parade
NOTES! <3

[Mason James Rivers]

Mason loved what he did for a living. He'd never wanted anything else, even when he could have been so many things. It ran in his blood and though his childhood wasn't so great, his family was. They'd shown him he could be what he wanted and were so proud of him when he accomplished so much. Every time he was published, they had dozens of copies, if he won an award, they were there to cheer for him and he knew they were so proud of all he did. Mason also knew he could have done anything at all and they would have supported him. He could have been a bit of a deadbeat and they would have helped him through life. Luckily, he had far too much stubbornness running through his veins for him to be anything less than driven in all he did. Which was why he had strict rules for himself and those were mostly to follow the rules of the school; including no entanglements with the students.

None of Cheshire had even piqued his interest though so he'd had to hide himself away and hold himself back whenever she was around for the four years she'd been his student. He'd treated her as fairly as he'd treated anyone else, not giving her any special credits or picking her to ask questions or answer them immediately. He always went through every hand that was raised, though many had the same questions and plenty put their hands down once again after theirs had been answered sufficiently. He usually worked from one side of the room so she was neither first nor last and kept his answers straightforward just like he did for everyone else. He thought he'd done a damn good job of showing indifference. And then she'd graduated and life moved on again. Mason could breathe a little easier, though on occasion he still wished she was in his class. His days seemed just a little brighter when she was in there, trying to provoke a response out of him. He saw her with her little outfits that screamed for attention and forcibly moved his attention elsewhere. He also saw the boys in his class openly ogle her though whether or not she noticed was something else entirely; and a question he didn't have the answer to.

Mason smirked, tilting his head to the side just the smallest bit. "Promises, promises, Miss Cheshire." He responded with his own teasing tone. She was no longer his student. He kept having to repeat that to himself like one would pinch their arm to prove it was real. She was taunting him in the best possible ways and he was more than willing to follow her down this particular rabbit hole she was so clearly interested in taking him. "With any luck they'll be my favourite colour." He tossed back at her with an equally devilish smirk. He could play this little game of theirs quite well. Mason remembered all those hours she booked in for office time with him. She's been an exceptional student, much smarter than those who desperately needed his guidance and refuses to make an appointment with him for a bit of tutoring. She could have aced his classes with flying colours without ever introducing herself to him if she'd so chosen. And thank god that he'd caught her attention because she'd certainly caught his. "I remember those meetings well." He told her with a shake of his head. He'd known she was trying to get under his skin, trying to get him to break. He was a man of honour however, and hadn't been able to let himself go like that. Now though, things were different and he could do as he pleased.

Tag || Molly Annabelle Cheshire
Words || 629
Clothes || Puzzling Professor
Music || House Party --Sam Hunt
Notes || <3

[Molly Annabelle Cheshire]

Cheshire knew she was not the daughter her parents had hoped for. Her mother wanted a girl with expensive tastes who would put all the hours in shopping and jetting around the world to fashion weeks and fancy events she wrangled tickets to. Her father wanted someone who could take over the company, manage numbers while juggling meetings and men in suits. Cheshire was the way she was because she had deliberately rebelled against their wishes and dug her own path out of what was left. She had never forgiven them for the divorce and how she was tossed about like a rag doll, fought over like some trophy. No one had listened to her when they were fighting over money and settlements, and she had held onto that grudge until it manifested into a motorbike, a promiscuous personality, and a future in art, whilst her college degree sat on a shelf with the paperwork for her motorbike, and the warranty details for her Macbook Pro. If someone told Cheshire to do something, she deliberately skipped off to do the opposite. It had been that way since she was little and even at twenty-five she still rebelled, sticking her tongue out like some difficult, bratty kid.

It was why whenever Mason had fought against her advances she had pushed harder. She knew there was a chip in his armour. She saw it when he had stumbled over words during their office hours together, or in the way he ensured there was always distance between them when they were alone together. It amused her, left her giddy knowing that she did push his buttons even if she never quite broke him down enough for him to grab her and throw her up against the wall. There was still a chance now. Her visits to Hadley were mostly excuses to play this game, to toy with Mason some more. College had been forced on her by her father, but if this one thing could come out of it then Cheshire might consider it an overall win. She didn’t particular give much of a damn about the four years that led to a bit of paper and a gown and cap. She didn’t use it to fix up the sets and make sure the stage didn’t fall apart.

This was all heading in the direction Cheshire wanted it to. She wasn’t a shy girl, and she certainly wasn’t the type to worry about what other people thought about her. “I was reading a paper in bed the other night that explored the idea of the first sexual revolution of man. How the betas introduced the idea of bringing the females food to increase their power in tribes. They suggested that led to today’s world where a man might buy a woman food in order to impress or seduce her.” Cheshire stopped and then looked up at Mason with a devilish glint in her dark eyes, closing the gap between them until it was barely there. “By the evidence put forward in that paper, your offer to buy me chai tea suggests you want to cart me off afterwards to the equivalent of your hut – shall we say, your office – and bend me over that sturdy desk of yours.” Cheshire’s lips twitched into a daring smirk, and she knew anyone nearby could have heard her speak those crude words to the man who had once been her professor. She didn’t care though. She loved pushing Mason’s buttons and right now she was waiting to see his reaction, to gauge just how he responded when she ignored that line and pushed him back to jump right over it herself.

• • •

TAGGED! Mason James Rivers
WORDS! 618!
OUTFIT! Determined Darling!
LYRICS! Kids In Love - - - Mayday Parade
NOTES! <3