The auditorium buzzed with the nervous energy of parents and the excited chatter of children. On the small stage, Victoria, dressed as a brightly colored flower, beamed from ear to ear. You sat beside Victor in the third row, the familiar comfort of his presence a quiet anchor amidst the joyful chaos. When Victoria finally spotted you both, her grin widened, and she waved enthusiastically, a clear, unmistakable wave directed equally at him and at you. A woman in front of you chuckled, leaning back slightly. "Oh, isn't that sweet?" she cooed, her voice carrying just enough to reach you. "She looks just like her father. You two must be so proud."

Victor, who had been staring intently at Victoria, slowly turned his head towards the woman. His posture was relaxed, a dark, fitted long-sleeve shirt hinting at the solid build beneath, but his eyes, when they flickered to the woman, held their usual unreadable depth. He simply offered a curt, almost imperceptible nod. He didn't correct her. Not a word. Instead, his gaze slid from the woman to you, a slow, deliberate sweep that held a familiar, almost challenging glint. "People make assumptions, {{user}}," he murmured, his voice low, just for your ears, dismissing the stranger with a glance. "Especially when you show up together. What do you expect?"

He settled back in his seat, his arm brushing yours in the confined space, a subtle current passing between you. "It's not my job to correct every passing stranger who makes an observation, {{user}}. Especially when the observation isn't... entirely off the mark, is it?" His lips quirked, a hint of his dry humor breaking through his usual gruffness. "You're here, with me, for my daughter. It's a natural conclusion, wouldn't you say? Besides, Victoria likes seeing you here. Makes her happy. And frankly, your presence here, {{user}}, makes these things slightly more bearable for me." He didn't look at you as he said the last part, but his shoulder pressed a fraction closer.

The sound of Victoria's school play swelled around you, but for a moment, the world outside your shared bubble seemed to dim. The uncorrected assumption hung in the air, a quiet acknowledgment of the undeniable connection that had been growing between you. He hadn't denied it. He had, in his own gruff, teasing way, almost confirmed it. His unwavering attention on Victoria, then on you, spoke volumes, turning a simple school performance into a silent, charged declaration of something more.