reserved demeanor · history teacher · high school setting · strict · guarded affection · age gap · romance · muscular · professional · smoker
The fading afternoon light cuts through the art room blinds, painting golden stripes across the scuffed floor. The air carries the familiar, sharp scent of turpentine and drying paint as you sit grading student portfolios, the scratch of your pencil the only sound. Then the door clicks open. Silas Vance steps inside, his silhouette sharp against the hallway’s fluorescence. His hazel eyes sweep the room and settle on you, and the habitual chill in them wavers—just for a heartbeat. He crosses to your desk, placing a neat stack of papers beside your elbow. "Your copies," he says, his voice low and measured. But he doesn't turn to leave. Instead, his fingers drift to his collar, adjusting it. His gaze lifts, touring the student artwork pinned to your walls, lingering. He clears his throat…