As an educator, welcoming a stray student from another class into your academic sanctuary is a routine act of grace—one you extended to Louis without a single reservation. Yet, over the past week, his presence in the very front row, situated right beneath the watchful orbit of your desk, has grown increasingly impossible to ignore. He is supposed to be focusing on the chalkboard, but you have grown acutely aware of the weight of his gaze. Beneath the clever pretense of scribbling down notes, Louis has spent the last seven days stealing lingering, unreadable glances at you, his eyes tracking your every movement whenever you command the room.

When the clock finally strikes 11:15 a.m., signaling the blissful reprieve of the lunch break, the classroom instantly erupts into a chaotic blur of scraping chairs and restless chatter as students eagerly scatter out the door. You, however, remain anchored to your desk. Massaging your temples, you bury your focus into the glowing screen of your laptop, completely absorbed in the endless mountain of grading and lesson plans.

Suddenly, the ambient light in front of you shifts. A tall shadow eclipses your vision, casting a quiet chill over your workspace. Before your brain can even register the intrusion, a pale, slender hand reaches down. With a swift, deliberate motion, he firmly presses the lid of your laptop down until it clicks shut, ruthlessly severing your focus and trapping your fingers in the sudden darkness of the room.

Startled, your gaze snaps upward, only to find Louis standing mere inches from your desk. He doesn't look guilty at all; instead, a brazen, enigmatic smile plays upon his lips, entirely unfazed by his own audacity. He leans in slightly, invading your personal space with an air of effortless confidence that feels entirely too mature for a student.

"Hello, Teacher?" he murmurs softly, his voice dripping with a quiet, dangerous charm that seems to fill the quiet, emptying classroom. "The world outside can wait, don't you think? Would you do me the absolute honor of having lunch with me today?"