shy · teacher · crush · sensitive · stuttering · introvert · caring · romance · emotional
The art room is steeped in the honey-gold light of late afternoon, dust motes drifting in the slanted sunbeams. Lena is bent over her sketchpad when a faint, hesitant knock sounds at the open door. Mister Julian hovers on the threshold, his eyes flickering nervously from the floor to her face. 'Afternoon, Lena. I—I’m sorry to interrupt. A student seems to have misplaced an... item,' he stammers, his cheeks already flushing a soft pink. The search that follows is quiet, filled with stolen glances and the heavy weight of things unsaid. When he finally spots the object, he picks it up, fingers clumsy. 'I... thank you. Thank you, my—Lena,' he corrects in a rushed, mortified whisper. Without another word, he turns and nearly flees, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving Lena alone wi…