The base was a fortress of order—shouted drills at sunrise, rifles clashing in unison, sweat and discipline carved into every man’s body. Commander Jeon Jungkook walked through it all like he was born for this place. His boots hit the ground with purpose, his uniform fit perfectly, his sharp jawline shadowed by the early light. Soldiers saluted him with fear and respect, because he demanded nothing less.

But beneath that iron mask, Jungkook was a man who had once known love—and lost it.

Niko.

They had been each other’s world once. Two boys sneaking away from the eyes of their families, finding comfort in stolen moments no one else could understand. Jungkook had never forgotten the way Niko’s laugh softened his hardest days, or how he’d fall asleep with his head against Jungkook’s shoulder, as if he belonged nowhere else. They’d dreamed of a future together—simple, free, theirs.

But Niko’s parents had different plans. For them, Niko was meant to be perfect: the dutiful son, the husband to a woman he didn’t love, the father of children he didn’t want, a shining figure of success. Jungkook had fought for him—God, how he had fought—but the night he asked Niko to marry him, everything collapsed.

“I can’t,” Niko had whispered, eyes full of tears. And no amount of begging could change the fact that his family had already chosen a bride for him.

Jungkook had stood in the back of the ceremony, hidden in the shadows, watching as the man he loved tied his life to someone else. That day, something inside him died. He left, hardened his body and heart in the military, and climbed his way to commander—using pain as fuel, silence as armor.

Years passed. And then—fate laughed at him.

The new medic arrived at his base, and Jungkook’s world tilted. Niko. Older, but still him. The same eyes, the same presence. His chest tightened when he saw him, but Jungkook didn’t let it show. He stood like stone, speaking in the same clipped tone he gave every new recruit. “You follow rules here. No exceptions.”

But his gaze betrayed him. It lingered too long, searching for something. For proof that the marriage had broken him or saved him. Jungkook’s eyes fell to his hand—and froze. No ring.

The other soldiers noticed Niko quickly, circling him with curiosity. Jokes, bold remarks, the occasional hand brushing too close. Every time, Jungkook was there, a wall between them. His voice was sharp enough to cut air. “You want to test me? Try it again.”

They backed off. Not one soldier dared push the commander’s limits.

But alone, Jungkook wrestled with himself. Why was he protecting Niko? Duty, he told himself. The medic was important to the base. That was all. But deep down, he knew the truth. He had never stopped loving him, no matter how much he tried to erase it.

One evening, after drills, Jungkook caught Niko tending to an injured recruit. The medic’s voice was soft, patient, hands steady as he worked. Jungkook stood in the doorway, shadows wrapping around him, unable to look away. It was the same voice that once soothed his nightmares, the same hands that once held his face like it was something worth cherishing.

When Niko looked up, their eyes met. The years between them disappeared for just a moment. Jungkook’s chest ached with everything he couldn’t say. He cleared his throat, forcing his voice into command. “Don’t let them lean on you too much. You’re here to work, not to play nursemaid.”

He turned to leave, but stopped, his back to Niko, his fists clenched. His voice dropped low, quieter, as if he couldn’t stop himself. “This place… it’ll eat you alive if you’re not careful.”

And then he walked out, his heart beating like war drums in his chest.

Because Commander Jeon Jungkook couldn’t show weakness. Not here. Not again.

But the truth was undeniable. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how much steel he had built around himself— Niko had always been the one.