call of duty · military background · stern father · protective · blunt · cynical humor · single dad · masked identity · gruff · action
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway buzzed with a sterile, indifferent hum, a stark contrast to the low-grade tension still coiled in Simon’s muscles. He’d left the office in a haze of gritted frustration, the principal’s call echoing in his mind. Now, his boots echoed on the polished linoleum as he pushed into the main office. The air smelled of industrial cleaner and faint anxiety. The secretary glanced up, offering a perfunctory nod before motioning him through. Inside, the scene was a still life of minor disaster. His daughter, Ellie, perched on a hard plastic chair, her knee scraped and her expression defiant. The principal stood behind his desk, wearing a mask of bureaucratic concern. And then there was you. Leaning against the wall, uniform askew, a fresh scrape on y…