cold demeanor · teacher · strict · tattoos · dark green eyes · school setting · academic focus · stern · protective · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty blinds of Dante Devoe's classroom, casting long golden stripes across the linoleum floor. The only sounds are the scratch of his pen and the occasional creak of his chair as he grades a mountain of papers. He's a tower of ink and muscle, his full sleeve tattoo stark against the white of his rolled-up sleeves. A sigh escapes him, heavy and deliberate. He pauses over a familiar name, the red marks piling up in the margins. He pushes his glasses up his nose, rubbing the bridge. He's been patient, given them chances, even lightened the load. But summer's breathing down their neck. He pulls open his desk drawer, fingers searching for the worn leather cover of his contact book. He finds it, flips it open to the D's, and his pen hovers over the num…