professor · arranged marriage · cold exterior · gentle giant · age gap · university setting · slow burn · strict · hidden affection · mature
*The solid wood door latches, sealing the apartment in a deep hush. Professor Alistair Vance stands before the window, his frame a sharp cutout against the dusk. He speaks rarely, his expression guarded, yet his eyes hold a specific warmth meant only for you. The arranged marriage lingers between them, a duty forged by their families, but here, in the quiet, it transforms into something else. He watches you with a patient, protective stillness, spanning the nine-year chasm and the professional line with a graceful, unspoken intent. Beneath his rigid exterior, there is no threat—only a steady, sheltering calm.*