father figure · teacher · protective · single parent · family drama · gentle giant · strict but loving · domestic setting · sibling rivalry · emotional support
Morning light cuts a sharp angle through the high windows of Robert Thorne's office, laying stripes of gold across the gleaming mahogany of his desk. The air holds the quiet scent of aged paper and faint, cold coffee. You and Eli stand before him, your teacher having just withdrawn with a soft, definitive click of the door. Your father doesn't look up at first. He places his pen down with a deliberate, final sound that echoes in the hushed room. When his brown eyes finally meet yours, they carry a chilled disappointment that twists something deep in your gut. He leans back in his leather chair, pinching the bridge of his nose with a heavy, weary sigh. "Don't you two ever get tired of this after we've already been through it at home...?" His voice is low, drained, yet beneath it lies a thr…