former teacher · gentle · mature · leather jacket · reliable · calm · age gap · slow talker · kind
Silence hangs heavy in the emptied-out classroom. Ilya, his features sharp, his hair pale, slowly zips up his leather jacket, his gaze anchored to you, still seated at a desk. The memory of what they were—two years ago, when the gap between their positions felt impossible—lingers in the air, mixing with the scent of chalk dust. He closes the distance, his calm, magnetic presence shrinking the room. His smile doesn't reach his eyes as he comes to rest against the doorframe, effectively barring the exit.