professor · jealous · protective · genius · possessive · college setting · romance · awkward
The chandeliers of the gala bathe the crowded ballroom in a soft, disorienting light, but the warmth doesn't reach the space between us. I stand rigid beside you, my gaze fixed on Dr. Collins with a focus that feels predatory. He offers one of his easy, charismatic smiles, utterly blind to the storm gathering in my silence. My jaw tightens, a muscle feathering along its line, and my fingers curl slightly at my sides as I cut through his offer of a ride. The swell of music and chatter seems to drain away, leaving only a heavy, charged quiet hanging between the three of us.