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The general consensus on campus is that Dr Fell is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs. No student who's taken one of his english classes has finished the class without a deep love for literature.
Admittedly there are many better teachers than him but the fact he's the loveliest person to walk the earth more than makes up for it. Students might come out of his class with average grades, barely scraping through to the next year, but it's worth it. He's a little too prone to getting off topic, always managing to fit in at least one rambling rant to each class regardless of what he started off talking about. This means his classes have many catch up sessions after hours, but extra hours spent in the library with Dr Fell are never considered to be a bad thing.
Due to his tendency to overshare, no student gets out of Dr Fell's class without hearing about his beloved husband Anthony. It's easily the professors favourite subject to get off topic about so he can never resist talking about him. Even if there's an exam the next day and lots to teach he can't help gushing about his wonderful husband if asked.
None of his students have ever seen him with this husband but can't help feeling fondness towards him. It's painfully obvious from the way Dr Fell talks about him that they're crazy in love with each other and have been for a long time. There's only so many anecdotes they can hear about decades of beautiful romantic gestures without falling a little in love with the man too. All they properly know about him is that he's tall, handsome, loves Dr Fell to bits and is the most thoughtful guy on the planet but it's more than enough.
Dr Crowley in comparison has a much harsher reputation to the students. Many students come away from his environmental science and botany classes hating his guts and regretting taking the course. For a select group of students who are truly interested in the subject though, he's an angel in disguise.
Many of the postgrads or students who've been in his class for multiple years develop a deep respect for the man despite his many flaws. He's antisocial, blunt and takes no nonsense but he's also deeply passionate about his subject and has a soft heart when you break through his outer shell.
Students taking his class for easy grades to help them skate through the year may detest him but future botanists and conservationists worship him. Anyone struggling to take care of house plants or unsure about where to start their collection always find him eager to advise. Anyone with looking for advice on summer jobs helping to save the environment will leave his office loaded down with references and connections to get them there. Even students who simply need a safe haven, be it from bullying, family trouble or mental health struggles will always feel welcome in his greenhouse. Dr Crowley might hand them a trowel and put them to work but he'll never judge, only make sure they're cared for and get somewhere safe once they leave.
No matter what relationship a student had with the professor though, he never said a word about his private life. It's legend on campus that a student heard Dr Crowley on the phone to someone he called 'angel' leading people to assume he has a spouse. Who this spouse was or what they were like was up for debate though because many students tried to pry information out of him but always failed. Even the most passionate student in his class got nothing more than a stern look before having their question ignored.
From their personas, not a single student would have thought that the two of them would have been in a loving marriage for almost 20 years. Soft, nerdy Dr Fell and harsh, aloof Dr Crowley seemed to be as opposite as two people could be. Even their physical appearances, tall and short, stick thin and slightly chubby, dark and light, seemed to suggest they could never be friends. Underneath that though they were both kind old souls with a passion for learning and a love for the world.
Not even the most outlandish student would have suggested that Dr Crowley and Dr Fell could possibly be together so things quickly got out of control.
One evening during another of Dr Fell's catch up classes in the library Dr Crowley comes in looking for the other professor. The two of them know he's simply wondering when he can go home with his husband but to the students it's jarring. Most of Dr Fell's English Literature 102 class watches in shock as Dr Crowley slinks over to their teacher. With 50 pairs of eyes watching on Dr Crowley leans over Dr Fell's chair to draw his attention out of the book he's reading.
They have a short conversation about nothing more than when the catchup will be finished but it leaves the students reeling. The way they talk and move around each other shows so much casual intimacy and comfort that no one could have expected.
Once Dr Crowley leaves the library Dr Fell immediately goes back to explaining a concept to a student, oblivious to the gossip around him. No one quite knows what to make of it but also don't know how to ask what just happened. Usually they could ask their cheery old professor anything and know he'd tell them everything he knew but they've never been in this situation before. It's agreed on that no ones going to say a word about this to either professor but they'll all keep their eyes open to figure out what's going on.
After a few weeks of spying and subtle probing of the two professors the students meet again for a catchup session one night and discuss everything they've learnt.
One student called Adam Young shares that he saw them walking out of school together on multiple occasions during one lunchtime.
A boy named Warlock Dowling admits he's seen Dr Fell going into Dr Crowley's greenhouse many times quite late at night.
Many other students share similar little tidbits of knowledge before a girl called Anathema Device blows the lid off the whole thing. She walks into the library an hour late, smirking like she's found out the popes dirtiest secret and plans to use it for world domination. All eyes are on her as she sits down and calmly says "Yesterday I saw Dr Crowley walk into Dr Fell's office as I was going to ask him a question and when I peaked in the door they were snogging"
Cries of outrage have to be violently muffled as all the students heads swing towards Dr Fell. As always he's sitting at a desk by himself, reading a book and looking like the angel they've always known him to be.
The students watch him for a few minutes before they all come to the conclusion that it can't be his fault. It's widely agreed on that Dr Fell can do no wrong so it must be Dr Crowley. He must have seduced poor Dr Fell and taken advantage of him to convince him to cheat on his poor darling husband Anthony. After everything they've heard about the man there's no way this was done with Dr Fell's free will, there must be something nefarious going on.
Despite protests from students who know and like Dr Crowley the rumour mill starts and can't be stopped. Over the next week everyone on campus finds out about the torrid affair between the two professors and public opinion greatly shifts.
There was always a good feeling towards Dr Fell but now students are more fiercely protective over him than ever. His lecture halls are always fully packed even and he gets more questions than ever about his dear husband. Everywhere he goes he's trailed by at least a dozen students, making sure he can't get near Dr Crowley without getting interrupted and hustled off. It's extremely confusing to say the least but Dr Fell does feel rather proud at how much his students seem to care for him all of a sudden.
Dr Crowley on the other hand gets nothing but frosty stares and attitude in every class. Students who really care for him and the subject still try to be kind to him but are upset by the idea that he could be a homewrecker. No more students come to his office after hours to chat about their succulents or help weed in the greenhouse with him to avoid a toxic ex. After years of building up a frosty persona Dr Crowley feels that he should be happy with this turn of event but can't help feeling deeply hurt.
After a long day of classes full of angry students Dr Crowley gives up on all decency and texts Dr Fell. They agreed to not make their relationship too obvious at work to avoid any trouble with their colleagues or giving the students the wrong idea. Despite that though he's so exhausted and needs a bit of time with his husband to help him get it together.
It's not long before Dr Fell arrives house, instinctively finding his husband among the mess of foliage and wrapping him in a hug. In his husbands arms Dr Crowley feels better and happily soaks in Dr Fell's warmth, wishing he could stay here forever instead of facing another class.
Eventually though Dr Fell pulls back with soft concerned eyes "What's wrong Anthony dearest? I've never seen you like this at work before"
"It's nothing angel, students just acting weird and it's getting me in a state, shouldn't be acting like this"
"Don't talk nonsense dear. Now that you mention it though my students have been weird too lately"
With growing suspicions the two professors share their experiences and start to come to a realisation. They still don't know what's happened or what's been said but they're starting to get an idea. Some event must have occurred to make the students simultaneously hate Dr Crowley and love Dr Fell without either of them realising it happened. No matter how much they wrack their brains though they can't think of what it might be. Neither of them have been doing anything different from what they've done for the last decade of teaching so there's no reason for this.
While they sit amongst Dr Crowley's plants brainstorming, Adam Young and Warlock Dowling are sprinting across campus. They'd recently gotten together and met up after hours to snog in a private part of campus but were discovered other students. Said students proceeded to tease the two then chase them across campus, throwing threats and gay slurs after them, making them fear for their safety.
Warlock and Adam have been very against Dr Crowley but when they see his greenhouse in the distance they have no choice. He might be a lying, cheating asshole but the greenhouse is still a safe space and might be their only chance to escape. They both come from rather intolerant families so getting caught and beaten would lead to some very uncomfortable questions.
Luckily they reach the greenhouse in time, rocketing through the doors and running up the aisles of plants. Knowing the places reputation, the bullies don't bother trying to come in, settling for more vague threats before buggering off.
The professors heard the commotion so get up from their place cuddled up on the ground to check it out. When they see Warlock and Adam bent over, catching their breath, Dr Fell's heart sinks and he rushes to comfort them. There had been many many experiences similar to this for him throughout the years and he can never stop himself helping a kindred spirit. If he didn't have Crowley he'd likely have gotten hurt much more often than he did so he'll never stop caring for bullied queer kids.
When the two boys see the english professor they feel a stab of dread at what they must have walked in on but let themselves be fussed over. Having Dr Fell's full care and attention is always a delightful thing that neither of them would turn down for the world. Once he's made sure they're safe and unharmed Dr Fell bustles off to make tea for everyone, having left a teapot in Dr Crowley's office a long time ago.
There's a long tense silence between the boys and Dr Crowley before the professor caves. The two of them used to be among the very small group of his favourite students so seeing them glare at him cuts deep. He can deal with the hatred of the general school population but seeing students he's tried so hard to care for and mentor do the same is too much.
With barely disguised hurt he walks right up to the boys and crosses his arms "Alright you two what's going on? You're not leaving until you spill what all this is about?"
Warlock and Adam share a scared glance before Adam straightens himself up, trying to feel tough and brave "We got caught kissing and chased here by assholes, it's pretty obvious"
"I know about that kid, I've been through it enough myself to know what it looks like. I'm talking about whatever's going on between us here, where's all this hatred come from?"
While Adam works himself up, trying to find the words to tell Dr Crowley what a disgusting traitorous asshole he is Dr Fell comes bustling back. Ignoring the tension in the room he hands the students a cup of tea each then puts a soothing hand on Dr Crowley's arm "I would've made one for you Anthony dear but I hoped we'd be heading home soon anyway. I know you hate the earl grey I keep around here so I promise I'll make you a good strong green tea later"
Dr Crowley leans over to press a lazy kiss to his husbands temple in thanks without taking his eyes off the boys. Adam stares at the two men in shock, forgetting the tea completely but Warlock was unfortunate enough to have just taken a mouthful. When he hears Dr Fell say Anthony he spits most of the mouthful all over his shirt then splutters until Adam smacks him hard on the back.
Again Dr Fell rushes off to find a towel to clean Warlock up while Dr Crowley's eyes sparkle in delight "You didn't know we were married did you? I thought he would have talked about me at least a hundred times by this point in the year"
Warlock leans heavily on Adams side as he whispers in horror "We thought you were having an affair. Everyone thinks you're a gross homewrecker stealing poor Dr Fell from his loving husband, what the actual fuck!"
Dr Crowley manages to choke out "Watch the language, it upsets Ezra" before breaking down in laughter. Adam and Warlock watch their teacher cackle for a minute before devolving into relieved giggles as well. They were so upset that their favourite teacher was helping someone cheat but now they don't need to worry anymore. Now they can go back to loving Dr Crowley just as much as before, probably more now that they know he's the romantic softie Dr Fell gushes about.
When Dr Fell gets back he gently dabs at the tea Warlock spilled down himself and flashes Dr Crowley a thankful smile. Somehow the three of them seem to have worked out their issues in the short time he was away. Once Warlock's mostly decent again Dr Fell steps back and clutches Dr Crowley's arm again "Is everything ok here my love? You know I hate seeing you stressed or upset"
Warlock and Adam cringe at the thought of hurting Dr Crowley but awkwardly explain the situation to Dr Fell. Luckily he laughs at the whole thing, dragging his husband down into a kiss to show how relieved he is.
Now that everything's out in the open Dr Crowley can feel a little bit of an evil plan forming. He's always been a fan of grand gestures so clearing up an issue like this definitely calls for another one. His over the top dramatics embarrass his husband but afterwards Dr Fell always admits that he enjoys them.
As the four of them walk out to the parking lot together Dr Crowley and Adam scheme how they can break the news to the whole school. It would be easy to have Dr Fell start calling his husband Dr Crowley or something subtle but that's no fun. The whole scandal has turned into a big thing so the reveal is damn well going to be a big thing too. No point doing all that suffering without also getting to bask in the students shock and regret.
While they make ridiculous plans Dr Fell and Warlock trail behind, watching their drama queens fondly. They take their time getting to their cars because Dr Fell has always been fond of Warlock so has a lot to tell him about. By the time they get there Warlock feels a million times happier than before and would without a doubt fight to the death for Dr Fell if he had to. People weren't exaggerating when they said the man is a national treasure and deserves nothing but the best, which he now knows Dr Crowley definitely is.
The four men part, all feeling very satisfied with the way the evenings gone. On the way home Dr Crowley fills in his husband on the dumb plan him and Adam came up with. Like usual Dr Fell laughs and shakes his head at his husbands flair for the dramatics but easily agrees to play whatever part he's expected to.
After a sleepless night Dr Crowley's got all the details for his grand reveal worked out and is so excited. He never knew a grand coming out to all the students was something he wanted but now he's glad they get to do it. Just telling everyone they're married would've been easier but this is turning out to be great fun.
With a quick good luck kiss Dr Fell rushes off to his morning classes while Dr Crowley lounges off to the greenhouse to meet his accomplices. They spend the morning picking the most beautiful roses they can find then arranging them into a bouquet. Dr Crowley hoped there'd be more for a bigger display but they've only just started blooming so options are limited.
Class is supposed to end very soon so the three of them sprint across campus. There's a lunch area in the middle of the main buildings where most students eat, the perfect place for an announcement. Once they've claimed a picnic table right in the middle Dr Crowley jumps on top of it and cradles the bouquet to his chest.
When the bell rings students stream out of class, all stopping to stare at the sight of their least favourite teacher on a table with flowers. Like he was told Dr Fell gets out of class quickly and can't help giggling when he sees his husband. When he gets an eager wave the english professor walks over and lets himself get pulled up onto the table.
By this point everyone knows about their affair so there's a lot of angry muttering. Ignoring the childish gossip Dr Crowley hands the flowers to Dr Fell then cups his face between his hands "I know I've done this so many times over the years but I need you to know I love you with everything in me Ezra. Without you I don't know if I'd even be alive right now but I do know I'm so glad I lived to be with you. I can't imagine spending a single second of eternity without you beside me, my best friend and the love of my life.
Despite public opinion of the couple no one can help softening, even just a little. It's not every day you hear someone devoting them self completely to another person, especially in public with a huge audience.
With a so much love in his eyes Dr Fell leans in to peck his husbands lips and say loud enough that no one can miss it "Oh Anthony, I doubt we need a public spectacle to say we'll be together forever since we are married after all but this is so sweet my darling, you're too good to me"
While there's screams of shock throughout the lunch area Dr Crowley hauls his husband back in for another blindly good kiss. Before they start getting any uncomfortable questions or rude comments Dr Crowley pulls away. Quickly he grabs Dr Fell's hand and they run together away from the crowds of gobsmacked students to the greenhouse.
Once alone in Dr Crowley's office Dr Fell lovingly puts his flowers in a vase before they tumble onto the couch together. It's a free period for both of them so they spend the afternoon lazily making out and cuddling, ignoring knocks on the door from curious students. Tomorrow they'll officially confirm they are in fact married and the whole affair business is nonsense but for now they deserve some alone time.