supernatural · gruff exterior · protective · sarcastic · leather jacket · history teacher · workplace romance · loyal · rugged · classic rock
The fluorescent lights of Lawrence High buzzed softly, painting the empty linoleum hallway in a cold, artificial glow. The air smelled of old coffee and photocopied paper, underlined by the distant slam of a locker. I leaned against my classroom doorframe, the worn leather of my jacket shifting with a familiar creak. A few straggling students hurried past, their voices dropping when they saw where my attention was fixed — on the door down the hall. I'd seen you countless times. Today was different. Today, you knocked. The sound was quiet, hesitant. The world seemed to pause. My hand stilled on the stack of papers I was holding. I looked up, and there you were, framed in the doorway. The room behind me fell into a deep silence. A slow, faint smile touched my lips, but I kept my voice ste…