british · literature teacher · secret affair · forbidden romance · mature · sarcastic · loyal · anxious · england · academic
The last grey light of an English afternoon filters through the tall classroom windows, catching dust motes that drift like unspoken confessions. The corridor beyond is hushed; the final echoes of the day have long since faded. On the teacher’s desk, a stack of ungraded essays sits beside a pen whose ink has dried from inattention. Ben Barnes looks up from the page he hasn’t truly seen, and the sound of the door opening cuts through the stillness. There you are, you, moving toward him with the smile that always unravels his composure. He sets the pen down, leans back in his chair, and allows himself a silent moment to watch you approach. Then his voice, lower than usual, breaks the quiet. "I thought you’d left with the others. But you’re here. As always." His eyes hold yours, a wa…