All characters are at least 18 years old.
------
Hank
Thank God and the janitors that the classroom didn't smell like sex in the morning. My Tuesday-Thursday classes with Psychology 1302 felt so surreal, standing in front of everybody in the exact place I engaged in sexual acts in. The entire time, my mind was on Jean, lusting after her while she was sitting in somebody else's class. An uncomfortable knot formed in my stomach every time I thought about it. Was I turning into a jealous nutjob? Or had I finally lost my mind from holding back from her? The psych professor needed a shrink here.
After an eternity and a half, I was finally done with classes for the day. I was packing my things, getting ready to head back to my office when I decided... I didn't want to sit in there all day. I craved spending time with Jean. I was going into withdrawal.
I needed some air.
Briefcase in hand, I stepped outside for a walk, watching the students mingling or moving between classes. Young adults looking at the beginning of the rest of their lives.
Would I miss it?
Whoa, where'd that come from, brain?
In case Jean and I get caught and I lose my job, of course. Would I miss being an educator?
The answer, which took me by surprise, was: Not really. I'd been helping people for so long, and a break wouldn't be amiss. I was kind of good at it, but helping people always seemed like a duty. Even when it came to my brothers, it was because I was the older brother and I loved them. I wasn't
thrilled
about paying for their room, board, and tuition, but I had to protect them. And that was where Jean was different. She needed protection too, but... I enjoyed it. I took pride, and even pleasure, in helping her. And in return, she breathed
life
into my life. She was fun, but not in a hot fling sort of way. I... was developing genuine feelings for--
"Hey, stranger."
And there was the girl herself, cutting into my thoughts with a smug smirk, trying to play things cool when I knew what she was really like. I broke into a smile and she bit her lip, her posture ever so slightly losing some of her trademark bravado.
"Hey, you," I replied. "What's up? You done with classes yet?"
She nodded. "Ms. Winstead assigned an in-class essay, but since it's next week, I don't have to worry about it for a bit. Which means I'm free for the rest of the afternoon." Her mouth quirked shyly. "You're free too, right?"
"Technically speaking," I confirmed, giving her a teasing smile. "Were you considering utilizing my office hours?"
"Well, I have work tonight, so we can save the fun stuff for later," she suggested. "But in the meantime... I believe I was promised a movie?"
"You're right! Dang, we've put it off for a while now, huh? Hmph, so you're suggesting I just take the afternoon off? I suppose I could do that. Leave a note on my door that I won't be holding hours today."
"That sounds like a great fucking idea," she agreed, giving tiny emphatic nods.
"Then if you'll give me a moment, I'll write the note. Meet me at the car?"
--
"So does this movie have color or no?"
I snorted. "It's not even an old movie, Jean." She raised her brow skeptically, a wry smirk on her lips. "It's one of Draco's movies, maybe you've heard of it. Lighting the Stars."
Jean frowned. "I have heard of it. Isn't it about a funeral parlor though? Depressing ass shit."
"Give it a chance," I chided, putting the movie on. We were on my couch, and she snuggled up to me as if we'd done this a thousand times. I kissed the top of her head as the movie started, and she purred happily.
Lighting the Stars was indeed about a funeral house worker, a rough-around-the-edges man named Sammy. His whole life was quickly falling apart. After being released from prison for assault against a man hitting on his girlfriend, he found out his girlfriend had cuckolded him with the very same man. His father was refusing to pass the family business down to him because Sammy still didn't measure up to his dead older brother in his father's eyes, and now suddenly his most recent job had landed the deceased's young granddaughter in his lap. Little Wendy was too young to understand death, and wreaked havoc on Sammy's life trying to get her grandmother back.
Except Wendy's only next of kin refused to take her in, leaving her in Sammy's hands. And slowly, inadvertently, she began to turn his life around. Suddenly he had somebody to care for, to fight for. Everybody in Sammy's life had chosen somebody else. His ex had chosen another man. His dad had chosen his older brother. But at every turn, Wendy chose him. Eventually adopting her, he really started to grow into a dad, even drilling her on what to do if she got lost.
"What's your dad's name?" Sammy asked as he tied her hair up before school.
"My dad's name is Sammy Morgan," Wendy recited.
"And where do you live?"
"73 La Honda Road, Portola."
"And your dad's phone number?"
Wendy turned to Sammy, bored. "Why do we have to do this in the morning?"
Sammy just smiled and sent her off to school. Minutes later he was intercepted by her real mother, who had been in prison but was back to be a proper mother. Sammy reluctantly handed Wendy over, despite the young girl's protests, but it wasn't long before she ran away from home. Desperate to find her, Sammy and her mom searched everywhere, only for Wendy to return to Sammy on her own."
"Where the hell were you?! What if somebody took you, or you got lost?" Sammy yelled.
Amidst tears, Wendy replied, "My dad's name is Sammy Morgan. I live at 73 La Honda Road, Portola. I wouldn't get lost..."
I heard a sniff and looked down at Jean, who was gulping back a sob. Probably relating too much to Wendy, being abandoned by her family. "Hey, you okay?" I murmured.