The morning light sliced through the curtains of Domino’s bedroom, casting jagged streaks across the tangled mess of sheets where Hank Williams lay sprawled. He squinted at the alarm clock on the nightstand, its red digits glaring back at him like a personal insult: 7:20 AM. Only forty minutes until class at Magneto Institute. “Shit,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw as he turned to the sleeping form beside him.
Domino, all sharp edges and untamed energy even in sleep, was curled into the pillow, her dark hair a wild halo. Hank nudged her shoulder, his voice a low rumble laced with playful urgency. “Yo, Dom, rise and shine, babe. We’ve got less than an hour to haul ass to class, and I ain’t carrying your sorry butt across campus.”
Domino groaned, one eye cracking open to shoot him a look that could’ve melted steel. “Forty minutes, Hank? You’re kidding me. Why didn’t you set the damn alarm?” Her voice was gravelly with sleep, but the bite was already there. She rolled out of bed with a huff, her toned body catching the golden morning light as she stood, unapologetically bare for a moment before snatching a pair of tight black pants and a fitted tank from the floor.
Hank propped himself on an elbow, watching with a lazy smirk as she yanked on her clothes in a frantic rush. “Damn, woman, that fine ass of yours needs to move faster if we’re gonna make it. I ain’t got time to admire the view all morning.”
She spun on him, one eyebrow arched as she tugged her tank down over her abs. “Keep staring, Williams, and I’ll leave you here to explain to Professor Kline why you’re late. Again. Move it, or I swear I’ll drag you out by your damn hair.”
They stumbled out the door minutes later, barely put together—Hank’s shirt half-buttoned, Domino’s hair still a chaotic mess. She strode ahead, her boots clicking on the pavement as she barked over her shoulder, “Keep up, clown boy, or I’m leaving you in the dust. I don’t babysit stragglers.”
Hank jogged to catch up, grinning like a fool. Just outside the classroom door, he couldn’t resist—his hand landed a playful smack on her backside, the sound sharp in the quiet hallway. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. “I love you, Dom. Just so you know.”
She froze for a split second, her sharp hazel eyes cutting to him with a look that could’ve been a warning or a promise. But her lips twitched, softening just enough. “Love you too, idiot,” she shot back under her breath before straightening her shoulders and pushing through the door. In an instant, she was the untouchable Domino Voss, teacher and commander of chaos, while Hank slouched into his seat as just another student.
Inside the classroom, Domino took her place at the front, her presence a storm waiting to break. Her voice snapped through the air as she launched into the day’s lesson on tactical theory, her fierce energy pinning every student in their seat. That is, until a cocky little punk in the back row—Travis, with his perpetually smug grin—leaned forward, elbows on his desk, and piped up.
“Hey, Ms. Voss, gotta say, you and Williams put on quite the show last night. Couldn’t help but overhear through the dorm walls.” His tone dripped with mockery as he mimicked a high-pitched moan, throwing in a dramatic, “Oh, Big Daddy!” for good measure. The class erupted in snickers, a few gasps cutting through the laughter.
Domino’s face flushed—a rare crack in her armor—but her eyes turned to ice. She crossed her arms, stepping closer to Travis’s desk with a glare that could’ve stripped paint. “You done with your little stand-up routine, Travis? ‘Cause I don’t recall hearing anything worth repeating. Keep your fantasies to yourself before I make you run laps until you puke.”
Unfazed, Travis smirked wider, pointing at her lower half. “Oh, come on, Ms. Voss. Hard to deny it when you’re literally wearing the evidence. Check the label on those pants.”
Domino glanced down, and for a split second, her composure wavered. Emblazoned across the back of her tight black pants in bold white letters were the words “Property of Hank ‘Big Daddy’ Williams.” A wardrobe mishap from the morning rush, a gag gift from Hank she’d grabbed in her haste. The class lost it, laughter bouncing off the walls as her jaw tightened.
Before she could fire back, Hank was on his feet, swaggering to the front with a grin that screamed trouble. Without hesitation, he gripped her waist, pulled her close, and planted a deep, tongue-heavy kiss on her lips right there in front of everyone. The room went dead silent, then exploded into whispers and stifled laughs. He pulled back, his hazel eyes glinting with mischief as he turned to face the class.
“Alright, listen up, y’all. I’m dating Domino Voss. I love her, and I don’t give a rat’s ass who knows or hears what. Anyone got a problem with that, you can take it up with me. Otherwise, shut your damn mouths and let the lady teach.” His voice carried a daring edge, his stance protective as he stood beside her.
Domino exhaled sharply through her nose, her cheeks still tinged pink but her authority snapping back like a whip. She shoved Hank aside with a pointed look, then turned to the class, her tone cutting through the lingering tension. “Show’s over, kiddos. Open your books to page 87, and if I hear one more peep that isn’t about tactical formations, you’re all running suicide drills until sundown. Move!”
The students scrambled to comply, the rustle of pages filling the room as Domino’s iron grip on control returned. When the bell finally rang, she dismissed the class with a curt nod, but grabbed Hank’s arm as he tried to slip out with the others. She pulled him aside, her half-glare softened by a flicker of exasperated affection. “Did you *have* to make that kind of scene, Williams? Kissing me in front of the whole damn class? What’s next, a billboard on campus?”
Hank grinned, unrepentant, and gave her backside another playful smack. “Hell yeah, I did. Gotta make sure everyone knows you’re my girl, Dom—especially with that fine label on your pants screaming my name. Besides, after this morning’s chaos, I owe you a wild night to make up for it. Deal?”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth quirked up despite herself. “You’re insufferable, you know that? Fine. But you’re on cleanup duty after. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind.” Her words were sharp, but her gaze lingered on him just a second too long as he sauntered out, leaving her to shake her head and mutter, “Damn clown boy.”
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