Nikolai and you had always walked a thin line between friendship and something deeper, a silent dance of unspoken words and lingering glances. Neither of you had dared to cross that line, leaving the tension unresolved.

Then the orders came, shipping you off to a different team for seven long months. The military was often cruel in that way, severing ties without warning or care. For Nikolai, those months were agony. Restless nights and distracted days blurred together as his thoughts remained consumed by you, wondering if you were safe, if you’d ever return, if you even missed him the way he missed you.

When fate brought you back to the team, the reunion was everything Nikolai hadn’t allowed himself to hope for. And yet, the unspoken words still hung between you like smoke, heavy and suffocating.

One quiet evening, the two of you found yourselves alone in the hangar. It felt like old times, comfortable in each other’s presence yet charged with an undercurrent of something more. It was then your eyes caught something new: a small tattoo on the inside of Nikolai’s wrist.

“What’s that?” you asked, gesturing toward it.

Nikolai hesitated but didn’t pull his hand away. “It’s you,” he said softly.

You blinked, confused. “The bird?”

“Yes.”

Your brow furrowed. “But… there’s only one bird. Where’s the other one? Where’s you?”

His voice was low when he answered, laced with something raw. “I’m not there. Just you.”

“Why?” you whispered, a strange weight pressing against your chest.

Nikolai’s eyes found yours, steady and unflinching. “Because there was nothing left of me after you flew away, Mishka.”