It was the only solution. To protect Eli. To protect himself, his job. Without anything more to say on the matter, and not wanting to give Eli a chance to bring up something else, James took his leave. It wouldn't surprise him Eli suddenly felt ill and spent the whole of last period in the nurse's office to avoid his class.
James certainly wasn't as enthusiastic in his lesson as usual.
His mind was elsewhere. That boy's tears, the press of his lips... It's all he could think about. Once the initial shock of realizing he broke Eli's heart passed, he realized he couldn't actually request to have him transferred to another class, either. If he did so, he'd have to explain why and he couldn't in good conscious say why. It would put his job at risk. And it might cause issues for Eli, too.
Hadn't James done enough to this poor kid?
Needless to say, Eli's schedule never changed. There was no transfer and he continued on in James' class. This time, he was careful not to pay too much attention to Eli during class, keeping his eyes off him helped.
But then the nights would come and it was just James alone with his thoughts. Inappropriate thoughts about such a young man... Did thinking of him that way make it better? Eli was barely fresh 18, hardly a man at all. Even if the age difference wasn't a problem, their status as teacher and student was. Ah, but that also made the fantasies even better.
And by the weekend, he was back at his seedy little bar. He'd been there for hours, throwing back drink after drink in an effort to quiet the tumult in his mind. Which meant he had more than a few too many. Which left him wondering about Eli once again. Which... left him wandering across the street. Just for a glimpse, James told himself once he paid the cover to get inside. He didn't take a seat near the stage, instead opting for a table in a more secluded area. It would be best if Eli didn't know he was there.
no subject
James certainly wasn't as enthusiastic in his lesson as usual.
His mind was elsewhere. That boy's tears, the press of his lips... It's all he could think about. Once the initial shock of realizing he broke Eli's heart passed, he realized he couldn't actually request to have him transferred to another class, either. If he did so, he'd have to explain why and he couldn't in good conscious say why. It would put his job at risk. And it might cause issues for Eli, too.
Hadn't James done enough to this poor kid?
Needless to say, Eli's schedule never changed. There was no transfer and he continued on in James' class. This time, he was careful not to pay too much attention to Eli during class, keeping his eyes off him helped.
But then the nights would come and it was just James alone with his thoughts. Inappropriate thoughts about such a young man... Did thinking of him that way make it better? Eli was barely fresh 18, hardly a man at all. Even if the age difference wasn't a problem, their status as teacher and student was. Ah, but that also made the fantasies even better.
And by the weekend, he was back at his seedy little bar. He'd been there for hours, throwing back drink after drink in an effort to quiet the tumult in his mind. Which meant he had more than a few too many. Which left him wondering about Eli once again. Which... left him wandering across the street. Just for a glimpse, James told himself once he paid the cover to get inside. He didn't take a seat near the stage, instead opting for a table in a more secluded area. It would be best if Eli didn't know he was there.