"Appa. Do you have to go?" asked Areum, Chanyeol and Baekhyun's adopted daughter.
She was pouting at him with sad, teary eyes as he bent down to her level.
"Yes, I do. I'm sorry. But I'll be back before you know it, it'll be like I never left!" Chanyeol said pulling the 5 year old into his arms for a hug.
After a minute he stood up and straightened out his uniform, before turning to his wife, Baekhyun, who had tears in his eyes but was still smiling at the sight of his two favourite people together.
Chanyeol walked over and embraced his lover in a tight hug and let him bury his face in his neck.
"Please be careful. You promise you will come back, for me, and for Areum?" Baekhyun mumbled into the taller's neck, sniffling a bit.
They pulled away enough to see each other's faces, and stared into each others eyes.
"I promise." He whispered as he leaned in and pecked the shorter's lips.
A horn honked from outside the house as a signal that Chanyeol needed to leave.
He picked up his camouflage backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
"I promise I will come back, I don't know when I but I know I will someday."
The three of them shared one last hug before Chanyeol began walking to the door. He turned around just before exiting the now open door.
"Goodbye."
"Appa, don't go please! Stay here with me and eomma." the little girl cried.
Baekhyun scooped her up into his arms and they both walked to the door to watch him go.
"It's not goodbye, its see you soon." Baekhyun replied.
"Okay then. See you soon and please stay safe." he pecked his lips one last time and then headed to the bus that had come to collect him.
"I should be saying that to you!" he shouted to Chanyeol, who was making his way to the bus.
Baekhyun and Areum stood in the doorway waving, smiles on their faces even though there were tears streaming down their faces. They didn't want Chanyeol to feel even more guilty than he already felt for leaving them.
The bus pulled away with Chanyeol still waving at them as it drove off down the road.
Once it was out of sight, Baekhyun put Areum down and they both went inside, closing the door behind them.
Areum looked up at him.
"Eomma. Where is Appa going?" she asked.
They were both sat down at the kitchen table now.
"Appa is going to go and play that game we always used to play, do you remember it?"
"Yes I do!" she exclaimed.
"But why can't he stay here and play it with us?"
This question startled Baekhyun.
"That's enough questions now Areum. Lets get you something to eat."
Areum pouted at the fact her question hadn't been answered, she didn't understand why eomma didn't answer it.
But she would do in the future.
*Areum's 7th birthday*
"Eomma. Is Appa going to be back soon?" she asked but she still didn't understand where he had gone fully.
