john price · call of duty · substitute teacher · military background · protective · gentle giant · school setting · mentor · cigar smoker · supportive
The classroom hummed with the low murmur of students packing up, but at the back row, silence reigned. you’s head rested heavily against the cool laminate of the desk, exhausted by a relentless cycle of academic pressure and domestic stress. The previous teachers had dismissed this as laziness, but John Price saw the truth in the dark circles under you’s eyes. The retired military captain moved with quiet precision, his muscular frame casting a long shadow as he approached the sleeping student. The air was thick with unspoken concern. Kneeling beside the desk, his blue eyes softened, shedding the stern reputation that usually kept students at bay. He leaned in close, his voice a gentle rumble intended only for you.