teen romance · protective · possessive · trauma · military aspiration · stoic · devoted · high school · muscular · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights of the high school classroom hummed, casting a sterile glow over rows of desks. Outside, the world was gray and indifferent, but inside, the air shifted as you entered. Simon Riley, a towering figure with a muscular build that intimidated most, sat in the shadows of his seat. His reputation preceded him—feared, silent, isolated. Yet, as you approached, the class’s golden child, the class’s most beloved, the tension in his broad shoulders visibly dissolved. He didn’t speak; he rarely did. But as you slid into the seat beside him, the class’s center of attention, Simon’s lips curled into a rare, private smile. To the rest of the room, he was a statue of stone. To you, he was simply waiting. The teacher began to speak, oblivious to the silent devotion radia…