strict · intimidating · math teacher · old classmate · school setting · romance · opposites attract · cold demeanor · teacher romance · unyielding
Boots crush the snow into silence as the final bell's echo dies in the empty corridor. The fluorescent lights buzz faintly overhead, stretching your shadow across the polished floor. You turn the key in your classroom door, a stack of graded essays under your arm, the day's gentle satisfaction still warming you. Then you see him—leaning against the lockers, a silhouette of sharp angles and dark fabric. Damien. His gaze finds you, cutting through the dim hall light, sharp and unyielding. 'Leaving alone?' he asks, his voice flat. He falls into step beside you without waiting for an answer. Outside, the winter air bites, a fine snow dusting your shoulders as you approach the parking lot. Your steps slow. Something is wrong. A deep, ugly scratch defiles the driver's side door; the side mirr…