"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." The words fell elegantly from his lips. Green eyes dancing over the classroom as they watched. An active reading. A small pleasure where all they had to do was watch, and listen, and if he had chosen you, continue.

"G-Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." The girl blushed red, clear embarrassment in her cheeks at her small stutter from the rush of finding where they were in the story.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" He continued in his own role, picking another oblivious student. A new Juliet.

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." The boy drolled boredly. Eyes cast in a different direction.

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." His lips curled. Another Juliet.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."

Ambrose Lennox let his eyes finally fall onto the face he liked the most in the room. Their eyes meeting as he traced the pink tinted cheeks on the boy with his eyes. He was watching intently this entire time. Enraptured by every Shakespearean word that fell past his french lilted lips. Without prompting, he was the new Juliet.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took." He continued without mistake. Their eyes meeting as the class listened in their tired school daze.

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again."

"You kiss by the book." His lips curled. Knox shut his book then, jolting half the class awake from his word laced dream.

•••

"WHY DO I HAVE AN F ON THE FUCKING READING?" Aaron took no time in confronting him as he slapped a paper into the teacher's face.

Ambrose immediately pinched his brow after peeling the assignment off. The class had just filed out a moment before, off to another class or lunch. But Aaron already knew that this was his off period. He had him for an entire hour and a half to rant to if he pleased.

"Have you considered reading the material before doing the assignment, Price?" He goaded with a cheeky, unenthused smile before letting it fall into his usual smirk. Watching the blond fume over his desk a bit more.

"You did this on purpose didn't you?!"

"What do I get out of that?" Ambrose lied through his teeth. He very well knew what he got out of that. He was fluttering over him like an angry teddy bear. And honestly, it was fun to see him mad.

"You know what you get out of it you pervert-"

"Hey- You're a pervert too."

"No I'm not!" He huffed. Poking the man in the head, knowing good and well the fact that he didn't deny it was open guilt.

"Okay okay, don't do that-" The smile that eased its way onto his handsome face made Aaron pause. Damn. He always knew how to stun him too.

"In all honesty..." He picked the paper back up, barely taking the spare second to look over it. "It looks like I got the answers mixed up... it's actually a C+."

Aaron looked at him blankly before his face went red again.

"THAT'S BARELY ANY BETTER!"

Knox almost snorted at the way he fumed even more. Sure, Ambrose may be joking around with the boys grade more than he should (it was all properly marked where it mattered anyways) but he couldn't help but enjoy it while he could. Eyes gently roaming across his freckled cheeks as he wondered how long it would take to count them, and if he'd let him connect the constellations on them like the last time they where alone together, in peace and quiet at his house, both enjoying each other's company they just quite couldn't with other people.

All at once did it hit him that Aaron had stopped yelling at God. Their eyes locked on each other's as he suddenly strode over, glaring at him before taking the mug on his desk and taking a dangerously large drink.

Ambrose tried to get it back but it was too late as Aaron nearly died on the amount of whiskey that man managed to stomach with his coffee.

"You bastard no wonder-" He coughed. "-you won't listen to me, you're drinking again!"

"You should know better than to think I wasn't."

"This is why you're going to die at 40."

"What was that thing your friend said? Here for a good time not a long tim-"

"Don't take advice from a teenager who snorted a pixie stick for a dollar." Aaron muttered as he scowled at the taste in his mouth. Arms crossed over his chest as he watched the man in front of him sigh, standing up right after.

"I promise I was listening."

"Then what did I say?"

"......I'm an alcoholic?"

"Almost." Aaron gave a fleeting smile. Still pouting after a split second as Knox walked forward, clearly wanting to face him. And he did, as he gently tilted his head forward with a finger under his chin. Head tilted as his green eyes wandered down to that pout.

"Are you drunk right now then?" Aaron thought to ask after a moment. He could rarely tell given how well he seemed to manage when under the influence, he was always a bit aloof and mean regardless the situation, but suddenly. He wanted to know.

"In all honesty. I had just poured that for myself earlier. I haven't had a sip yet." He was to busy reading to the class. Reading to him. Really.

"I don't believe you." Aaron started defiantly. Arms still crossed over his chest as Ambrose scoffed. Leaning closer to his freckled face with a small smile on his face.

"Kiss me. You'll taste if I'm lying."

He watched his eyes go wide, before looking back to the door. Ambrose was quite lucky to have no windows. Even luckier to have the door lock on its own.

"Mr. Knox...." He said quietly, eyes already glancing at his lips, hesitant, but thinking.

"It's Ambrose, Aaron." His hand brushed through the blond curls on his head. Watching him lean into his touch without thinking about it.

Softly did their lips meet. A sweet, tender kiss. One that still tasted like whiskey with what Aaron mistakenly drank. But one that both clearly enjoyed.

As it broke away they both took a moment as they looked at each other. Admiring their places with their own, perfect view.

"Want me to read it with you?" Ambrose said after a moment. A suggestion that flew over the blond's head for a second before his eyes widened at the offer.

"Oh, yes please..." He sighed, remembering the work after a moment before glancing at the clock.

"After school though. I'm still staying in here... But I don't think I want to read right now." His cheeks still have off a light blush, one that brought another smile to Ambrose's usually grumpy face.

"I don't think you'll want to read then either... You're going to get stuck with a C+..." He joked as he wrapped his arms around the boy. Pushing another, light, playful kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Shut up."

•••

(This is Ambrose trying to be as sweet as possible ngl, he also kinda sucks at it lol)

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