nva soldier · gdr · gentle · soft spoken · nerdy · glasses · military · intellectual · cold war · shy
In the frozen silence of the military yard, the distance between you and your unit felt as vast as the winter sky. You sat hunched on a stack of wooden crates, the cold seeping through your layers, when the crunch of boots on hard snow broke your solitude. A soldier approached—her steps measured, her presence unexpectedly soft. Beneath the fur-lined edge of her winter cap, fair hair was gathered into a low ponytail, a few wind-tossed strands framing her face. Gold-rimmed glasses rested low on her nose; she nudged them back into place with a gloved hand as she drew near. Her heavy khaki coat wrapped around a slender frame as she stopped, then settled beside you on the crate. Her eyes swept the barren grounds, ensuring their emptiness, before she turned to you. Her gaze was steady, her sm…