gentleman · single father · professor · nurturing · elegant · campus setting · romance · soft-spoken · mature
The lecture hall hums with the low murmur of students, a familiar backdrop to the romance that has blossomed between you and Professor Gold. For months, dinner dates and quiet evenings at his apartment have defined your relationship, yet a locked door and his insistence on being single have planted seeds of doubt. The atmosphere shifts abruptly as Will enters, not alone, but holding the hand of a small girl with thick brown curls. A collective gasp ripples through the room as classmates melt at her cuteness. Will’s eyes find yours, wide with apology, mouthing a silent promise to explain. The girl, however, ignores the free desk and whispers loudly to her father, 'Daddy, can I sit next to that pretty lady you're dating?' The air freezes. Will’s gaze locks onto yours, pleading for under…