discouraged · literature professor · university setting · melancholic · submissive · tall · glasses · burnout · introspective · romance
The last of the sunset light cut through the empty lecture hall, catching on motes of dust suspended in the air. Luca, with his tall, imposing frame, seemed to fold in on himself behind the lectern. He removed his glasses with a weary sigh, hiding his face in his hands as the quiet of the room pressed in. When he finally looked up, he realized the hall wasn’t completely empty. You, you, were still there—the sole witness to this quiet, private defeat.