Seraphine

four

Seraphine

Dr. Michael's class passes by rather quickly, with Seraphine unable to tear her gaze away from his hands. She noticed within a few minutes of entering the classroom that his hands, like Dr. Reeves', are inked down to the fingers. 

She realizes with a jolt that this is one of the most attractive features a man can have. 

"Seraphine," someone hisses in her ear, and she jumps away, blinking harshly into the light. People around her are packing their things and standing up, and she turns her head to see Liliana smirking. 

"Got caught in La La Land, did you?" Seraphine flushes at being caught and nods, her eyes flicking to the front of the classroom, where Dr. Michaels is talking to a student. 

Almost as if sensing her eyes on him, he looks up, his brown gaze finding hers immediately. She finds his gaze similar to Derek's, but...safer, somehow. A shiver runs down her spine as he continues to stare at her while talking to the student. 

She finally breaks eye contact when Liliana steps directly in front of her, hands on her hips. Seraphine glances up to find violet eyes, and she finally asks the questions she's been wondering since they met. 

"How come I've never noticed you in here before? And, are those contacts? I really like them." Liliana blinks, as if she'd forgotten they were even there, and rubs her eye.

"Oh. I recently went through a rough breakup and had a mental breakdown, so I decided to dye my hair last weekend. And I've been practically blind all my life, I just recently started having fun with the colored contacts. My eyes are actually blue, and I used to have brown hair." Seraphine's eyes go wide at the mention of her breakup and she opens her mouth to express her condolences, but Liliana holds up a hand. 

"I don't wanna hear it--she was a bitch. Anyway, I look better like this." She strikes a pose, making Seraphine smile. Liliana smiles herself, though it's a little broken, and her violet eyes are misty. 

Seraphine's smile dims for a moment, before it disappears all the way, and she pokes the side of her mouth with her tongue. Her lips part, and she blows out a breath before asking her question. "Can I...paint you?" 

Liliana's eyes go wide, and her mouth drops open. Before she can say anything, however, Dr. Michaels does. 

"Miss Thatch, come here." The way he makes his demand makes Seraphine shiver, her eyes darting up to meet his. He's leaning against his desk, not unlike how he was when they first entered his classroom. 

"Yes, sir?" She catches Liliana's eye and shrugs before standing up and collecting her things. Liliana gives her a look before exiting the classroom, leaving the two of them alone. Seraphine walks up to Dr. Michaels, holding herself. 

She feels weirdly exposed under his gaze, like he could see deep into her soul. Her mind immediately goes to Derek and all the secrets she holds, and she quickly drops her eyes to the ground out of fear he might discover everything. 

She reaches his desk and her gaze flits up to his hands. They're pressed tightly against the mahogany, inked fingers spread wide. She suddenly has a flash of those same hands on her thighs, and she snaps her widened eyes up to his immediately. Seraphine finds his brown eyes glinting with mischief, and she blushes. 

This is twice now I've been caught staring at my professors. 

"Are you alright?" Dr. Michaels finally speaks, and Seraphine's brows furrow in surprise. 

"Yes...why?" He sighs and leans back, bringing his arms up to cross over his chest. Seraphine's eyes are drawn to the movement, and then up to his face, where some of his hair is dangling in front of his eyes. She feels a desperation, then, to brush it out of his face for him.