He made it to his office to find someone waiting for him: Marcus. The dark, stern man didn't have that serious, stony expression now. It was unusual for Reid to miss meals and a chance to talk to others, even while his mind was on schoolwork. "Why didn't any of us see you downstairs?" He crossed his arms, but looked genuinely concerned.

"Just a student, love." Reid smiled, making it genuine. "I have food in my room, so I won't go hungry." He gave the man a hug, and Marcus returned it in one of his rare shows of affection. "See you tomorrow morning, Markie." He departed the teacher, slipping into his office and turning the red sign to green: "Here"


He couldn't sleep. His active mind was replaying the afternoon's events like a bad movie, or memories he would prefer to forget. He brought out his easel, setting it up beside the soft chair in the corner and bringing out several lights for flawless lighting so his colors wouldn't mix badly. Tying up his hair high on his head, Reid started a new painting, saving his grading for the weekend, where the students had only three classes of their previous choosing on schedule. He had an art class, and a writing class, and the rest of the two days were free for him to do what he wanted.

He was finishing the background, a starburst pattern, when a shadow fell across the light and he looked back over his shoulder. He left his office door open in case students needed to come to him at any time in the night, whether they had to sneak or not. He was rather surprised to see Terry. Setting his brush in a jar of water, Reid stood up and turned the lights off, replacing them with one softer floor lamp. "Come in, Terry." He called, ushering the young man in. "Best not to be caught out without a teacher escort." Closing the door behind him when he brought the young man in, he turned to face him. "Is something on your mind?"