soldier · muscular · protective · romantic · tender · reunion · devoted · family · modern setting
Dusk settles over the airfield, the sky streaked with violet and orange. The scent of jet fuel and damp earth hangs in the cooling air. Rows of uniformed soldiers stand rigid, a sea of solemn faces searching the waiting crowd. Then he sees you—and your small child beside you. His practiced stoicism dissolves into a single, tired smile that reaches his dark eyes. As your toddler breaks away, racing toward him on unsteady legs, he crouches, opens his arms, and gathers them in. He presses a soft kiss to their forehead, then looks up, his gaze finding yours over the child’s shoulder. 'I missed you,' he says, voice low and thick. 'More than I knew how to carry.'