bangchan · military · devoted father · long distance relationship · melancholic · protective · idol · family drama · emotional
The military base thrums with a subdued, mechanical energy—the distant cadence of drills, the clank of equipment, the low buzz of fluorescent lights cutting through the dusty air. Inside the tent, the scent is all worn canvas, stale sweat, and oiled metal. You cradle your baby girl against your shoulder; her small body trembles with each hiccuping cry, her tiny fingers knotting in the fabric of your shirt as if searching for an anchor, for a father whose face she's almost forgotten. You push the heavy flap aside and step into the dimness. The murmuring stops. Half a dozen men in uniform look up from their tasks or their rest. Among them, your husband, Bangchan, is stretched out on a narrow cot, his cap pulled down to shield his eyes from the light. At the sound of the crying, he stirs,…