ILLICIT AFFAIRS | WLW

Timeless

The late afternoon sun poured through the tall windows of the university's corridors, bathing the building in a soft, golden glow. The entire campus, usually alive with chatter and movement, felt unusually quiet. In every corner, students were scattered in small groups, clutching their textbooks or hunched over laptops as they prepared for the impending storm of midterms. The week before exams always had this peculiar energy—a mix of dread and frantic preparation that seemed to hang in the air like a thick fog. But for Blair, today's unease wasn't just about exams. It had everything to do with the office at the end of the corridor she was walking down.

At the end of the previous week, Catherine had sent out an email, informing her classes that there would be no lectured until after midterms. The message had been characteristically brief and efficient – instructing them to use the time to study on their own, a practical approach many appreciated. The words were professional, distant but she had offered extra help by extending her office hours over the times her lectures were scheduled. And Blair knew that that meant for her.

Blair had waited deliberately until the end of Catherine's office hours to come. She knew Catherine well enough by now to understand that their shared time wasn't just about academics, and arriving late meant fewer students would be around to interrupt. It had become their unspoken rule—keeping things discreet, slipping into moments when no one would suspect anything more than a student seeking her professor's help. Yet the secrecy of their relationship had only heightened the tension between them, every touch, every glance filled with the weight of what could not be said out loud. A kiss behind closed doors, a whispered conversation that would leave Blair yearning for more.

Blair reached the hallway where Catherine's office was located, her pulse quickening in anticipation. Her mind was already a step ahead, imagining the small smile that would tug at the corner of Catherine's lips when she saw her, the way Catherine's eyes would soften just for her. The thought of being alone with Catherine, even in the formality of the office, filled Blair with a familiar thrill. But just as she turned the corner, that familiar rush of excitement collided with something entirely unexpected.

Thomas.

He was standing in the hallway, just outside Catherine's office, his back to Blair as he pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder. He was unmistakable—his tall frame, his messy dark hair that always looked like he had just run his hands through it. The sight of him hit Blair like a shock of cold air, freezing her in place. She hadn't seen him properly in weeks, and the suddenness of his presence brought a flood of emotions she wasn't prepared to deal with.

For a moment, Blair considered turning around and walking away, avoiding the interaction altogether. But it was too late—Thomas had already turned, his eyes meeting hers, surprise flickering across his face.

"Blair," he said, his voice carrying that familiar tone that made her stomach twist with both comfort and unease. "Hey."

There was an awkwardness between them now that hadn't always been there, the air feeling heavy and thick with the unspoken tension of their past. Blair could remember a time when seeing Thomas would have made her feel something else entirely—familiarity, maybe even comfort. But now? It was complicated. Messy.

Blair forced a smile, trying to compose herself as she stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her heart was racing, but not in the way it had been just moments ago. Now it was racing with nerves, with the awkwardness of facing someone she hadn't quite finished things with. "Thomas," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Hi."

There was a brief, uncomfortable pause as they stood there, neither of them quite sure what to say. Blair could feel the awkwardness settling between them, the weight of the time since their 'breakup' hanging in the air like a shadow.