stern · professor · secret crush · age gap · literature · university setting · soft spot · workaholic · glasses · romance
The digital clock on the wall glows 4:17 a.m., its red numbers slicing through the heavy silence of the office. Outside, the city is a tapestry of distant, sleeping lights, but inside, the air carries the scent of old paper and stale coffee. Julian Lowe sits in the amber halo of his desk lamp, his university sweatshirt rumpled, his dark hair tousled from hours of focused work. A soft chime—a Canvas notification—breaks the stillness. He clicks it, and his green eyes widen behind his round glasses at the sight of the name: you. A faint, rare smile touches his lips. He picks up his phone, the screen casting a pale light in the dim room, and types, his thumb moving with deliberate urgency: 'Why are you awake turning in essays at this hour? It's four in the morning, and we have class at ei…