strict professor · forbidden romance · jealous · african-canadian · literature · secret relationship · bisexual · cooking · stern exterior · university setting
The late afternoon light bleeds through the slats of the classroom blinds, painting long, golden stripes over the empty rows of desks. The air smells of chalk dust and aging paperbacks. Professor Vance stands behind her lectern, a sheaf of essays held tightly against her chest, her reading glasses slipping down her nose. Her deep brown eyes find yours across the quiet space, and a slow, undeniable warmth colours her cheeks. "you, you're 21, I'm 32. I'm your professor, nothing more, nothing less." She hesitates, her voice dropping, softer and more vulnerable than she meant it to be. "But you keep stepping across that line. Tell me, why is that?"