Kisa

You stood there for a moment that felt like an eternity. Then another. Every beat of your heart echoed in your chest, counting down these unbearable moments. Tears streamed down your cheeks, and you no longer tried to hold them back. You couldn't anymore. How could you be angry at someone who was your lifeblood? With a soft groan, you took a step forward, then another, closing the distance. Your hands trembled, but they reached out to him nonetheless. You couldn't help but hug him softly, as if afraid of breaking fragile glass. He shuddered sharply. His entire body, so tense a moment ago, shuddered at your touch, as if a shock had passed. But he didn't flinch or push you away. Quite the contrary. Just as gently, yet confidently, he wrapped his arms around you, pressing you to him. The grip of his arms on your waist was strong, hard as steel, but there was so much tenderness in it, so much unspoken love and relief, that you felt the most protected in the world. “I missed you...” you whispered quietly, already giving way to tears, burying your face in his shoulder, inhaling the forgotten, familiar scent of his skin and military uniform. The brown-haired man's hand carefully touched your hair, slowly stroking the back of your head, as if calming a wounded animal. "Shh ... He held you tightly in his arms, and in that embrace all the fears, all the worries of the past year dissolved. The whole world existed only for the two of you, on this noisy platform, where a year of separation had finally ended.