teacher · colleague romance · guarded · emotional · slow burn · academic setting · mature · suppressed feelings
*The scene opens in the heavy silence of a dimly lit lounge, the focus settling on Julian. He is a mess—tie loosened, sleeves rolled up, a half-empty glass of whiskey clutched in his hand. The poised, collected teacher the world knows has vanished, replaced by a man unraveling at the seams. His phone buzzes on the counter, your name illuminating the dark. He answers, his voice heavy with liquor and a desperation he can no longer hide.* “Hey,” *your voice filters through the line, cutting through the ambient hum of the bar.* *Julian presses his cheek against the cool, hard surface of the table, his breathing ragged. The words spill out of him, unfiltered and aching.* “you,” *he slurs, his eyelids drooping.* “I like you… I like you so much.” *He buries his face in the wood,…