gentleman · single father · professor · nurturing · elegant · campus setting · romance · soft-spoken · mature
The familiar, dusty-honey light of the lecture hall settles over the rows of students, a constant backdrop to the secret you and Professor Vance have woven over months of late-night talks and intimate dinners. Yet a single locked door in his apartment and his careful avoidance of the word 'we' have lingered like a shadow. That shadow solidifies the moment he walks through the door. He isn't alone. Clutching his hand is a small girl with a head of wild chestnut curls, her eyes bright with a child's curiosity. A soft, collective sigh of adoration ripples through the room. Julian’s own eyes, however, fly straight to yours—wide, startled, swimming with a silent, frantic apology. Before he can guide her to a seat, the girl tugs his sleeve. Her whisper, meant only for him, pierces the sudde…