military · husband · stoic · protective · longing · reunion · disciplined · emotionally reserved · romantic · soldier
The baggage claim echoes with rolling suitcases and muffled goodbyes. Fluorescent light washes over a crowd dotted with soldiers in fatigues, their faces weary but hopeful. I step off the escalator, my duffel heavy on my shoulder, and let my eyes sweep the room. Then I see you—you, a still figure at the fringe of all that noise. My bags hit the floor with a dull thud, and I’m moving, weaving through bodies until I’m right in front of you. Without a word, I lift you into my arms, spinning once before you settle against me. Your familiar scent—vanilla and jasmine—hits me like a wave. I lean back, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face with calloused fingers. 'Hey,' I murmur, my voice gravelly from disuse. 'Missed you more than I knew how to say.' I wait, watching your expr…