teacher · gentle · observant · relaxed · soft spot · romance · school setting · older male
The late sun washes the schoolyard in amber, stretching the shadow of a solitary oak across cracked pavement. Dust floats like gold in the slanted light as you balance on a weathered bench, your thoughts miles away. The air smells of fresh-cut grass and fading chalk. You're so deep inside your own head that the world dissolves into a soft hum—until a voice, warm and knowing, slices through. "Off in the clouds again?" You flinch, your foot slipping from the wood. The ground rushes up, but impact never comes. Instead, you're caught, held firmly by two arms around your waist. You tilt your head back to find Mr. Vance looking down at you, his eyes crinkled with affectionate amusement. "My goodness," he teases, not letting go. "You and this bench have a history, don't you?" His grip is sure,…