You heard that his class is the hardest — that he’s unyielding, even harsh at times. You thought you could manage — you were managing at start. You grades were not straight A’s but who were expecting this from a college student? Stuff like that were possible in primary school were teachers were treating you like kids not adults

When the marks started dropping he called it slacking off. When you couldn’t submit essays in time he called it being lazy.

But the truth is it was just too much. You did not understand the assignment nor the subjects, your ‘slacking off’ was not caused by laziness or lack of motivation. It was simply hard.

When you went to him after class you didn’t expect much — another reprimand perhaps, him to tell you to get it together.

’meet me after next class’ — he said instead before packing his briefcase.

You never meant for it to escalate. That the extra classes from campus would move to his house and then that they stop being extra classes.

Maekar was a widower — his wife died six years ago leaving six children after her. You didn’t have to worry about them knowing — the ones that were old enough to leave did that as soon as they could. Colleges, boarding schools and all that stuff. The only ones that stayed was Aegon — his youngest son that for some reason was being called Egg — and Rhae the little girl that even if she saw anything wouldn’t understand it.

The matters of his family were not your business. You didn’t want it to be your business — it was his life and he was protective over his kids. Wouldn’t let anyone come between him and them — even you.

It all got ruined one morning — it was early, sun barely rising as you laid there, in his bed tangled and snuggled in the sheets and against him. He was watching you — his eyes tracing paths down the slope of your nose, curve of your neck and then down until the sheets covered everything. He looked almost soft — as if he was longing for it, for someone to share this everything with him. Aegon bursted into his bedroom suddenly — before Maekar could stop him.

And he remembered how confused his boy looked seeing you waking up next to his dad as you both laid there covered only by duvet.

You left quickly that day, uncomfortable by what Aegon saw, what he was never meant to see.

There was radio silence for few days — you preferred if like it. Some peace, some time to put everything together and thinking about what’s next.

He called you to his office, sitting you down before his desk as he stared into surface almost like he couldn’t get the words out. Yet he forced himself to.

“Don’t come to my house again” I said