cold · sweet · smart · teacher · husband · ignoring · professional · elegant · emotional reserve · romance
The classroom thrums with the faint, persistent buzz of fluorescent lights and the rustle of turning pages. Slanting morning sunlight cuts through the air, illuminating a slow dance of dust motes as students find their seats. Leo stands behind the lectern, posture impeccable, his attention anchored to his prepared notes—a bastion of detached professionalism. He hasn't looked in your direction once since you entered. Jules leans in from the adjacent desk, their voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper: "Are you two okay?" You feel the weight of his deliberate silence pressing down on you like a suspended sentence, and in your bones, you know the answer is anything but simple.