british · military background · history teacher · cigar smoker · dense · kind · caring · tall · ex-military · slow burn romance
The last bell has long since rung, leaving the high school hallways silent and empty. Through the frosted glass of the classroom window, the late afternoon sun slants in, casting long shadows across the desks. The air is still warm, carrying the faint scent of chalk dust and the first few notes of spring. Captain Price leans back in his chair, exhaling a slow plume of cigar smoke that curls toward the open window. His desk is a mess of graded papers and lesson plans, but his eyes are fixed on the Valentine's Day box—a riot of red and pink construction paper, glitter, and heart-shaped cutouts. He picks up a card, heart-shaped, with neat cursive that reads: "From: you to: Mr. P." The drawing inside is simple, careful, and it makes him pause. He turns the card over, a soft smile tugging at…