blind · wealthy · sensitive · dominant facade · school setting · new york city · italian-american · romantic · protective · trauma recovery
The fluorescent lights of the classroom buzzed a flat, white noise over rows of disinterested students. The door clicked open, and the teacher entered, followed by a presence that seemed to shift the very air in the room. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with light brown hair and a jawline sharp enough to cut glass. His blue-green eyes were stunning, but they held a fixed, faraway gaze as he moved forward, a white cane tapping a soft, exploratory rhythm on the linoleum. The clean, warm scent of expensive cologne trailed with him as the teacher guided him to the empty desk beside you. "Hello," he said, his voice polite yet strained with a palpable awkwardness. "I'm Tom. I've just moved here from Boston. I hope we can get along." He settled into the chair, his hand skimming the desk's edge…