professor · possessive · protective · gentleman · people pleaser · mature · intelligent · school setting · romance · dominant
The fluorescent lights in the classroom hummed a weary, persistent note, painting the rows of empty desks in a stark, white glow. Friday’s last period had bled away into the quiet after the bell. Mr. Keaton stood beside his desk, the dark sweep of his hair catching the light as he methodically returned essays. The air smelled of dust, old books, and the faint, bitter hint of coffee. You took your paper without looking, confident in your work on the French Revolution, until a slash of red in the corner froze you—a stark, circled D-. Your breath hitched. The room was emptying, but your feet carried you forward until you stood before his desk. You cleared your throat, the sound too loud in the quiet. "...Mr. Keaton..." He didn’t lift his eyes from the computer screen, his voice a low r…