A/N: Hak x Yona! First one for this ship and also for Akatsuki no Yona for me to write. It's also on my Tumblr! Thank you for reading it. :)

P.S. I also recommend listening to Joe Hisaishi (composer for many Studio Ghibli films)'s piece "First Love". I think it fits perfectly with this story, and also with the Hakyona ship in general~)

Ripples from the waterfall glided across the surface, overlapping again and again in silver arcs. In the dim of twilight, the water shimmered a dark violet. The resounding, dull boom of the waterfall, deafening in his ears, the shocking freeze from the sprays, the bizarrely calm pool of water lapping the shore… the contrast was so stark, he almost felt dizzy…

"Hak… "

He didn't turn around. "Hime-san, you should be asleep."

"So should you."

She stood beside him, her presence both a warm glow and a skin-peeling itch. Something impossible for him to touch. Only to hear and smile, to hear and cry, to hear and laugh.

"Hak…?"

She cocked her head towards him. Hak reluctantly met her gaze, baring himself for what he knew was coming.

He sucked in a breath. Gods, she's beautiful... Yona's hair flared in the most royal scarlet, her eyes sparkled like the most clear ice-water. His cheeks tinged with heat. His heart tripped itself into a knot.

She was so… so…

"H-hak…?!"

Hak blinked. His hand was cupping Yona's cheek, his dark eyes staring into her shining ones, his breath caught in a trap just like hers. Blood was roaring in his ears and his hand was shaking.

… Wait- Shitshitshitshit what am I doing?! Hak snatched his hand away and was about to step back. That is, if there was anything to step back on.

His foot skidded off the ledge, and he realized dully that his ankle was twisted with a flash of pain. Really, what am I doing… he thought when his eyes snapped open.

"Hak!" Yona leapt forward and grabbed his hands, eyes blazing.

Terror licked through Hak. "Wha-! Hime-san, no-"

The two smashed into the water.

Afgh-! It's deep! For a second, Hak saw above him the watery face of the moon before he broke through the surface, coughing.

"Hime-san! Hime-san?!" Hak frantically called. Is she still underwater…?! He dove back in, his eyes wide even as the water burned into them. Where is she? Hak felt paranoia and fear rising uncontrollably, almost bubbling out of his mouth, when he glimpsed a flash of red to his left.

Yona! he thought in relief, when he saw her foot. It was clamped between two rough slabs of the cliff. Yona was weakly attempting to drag her foot free, but each jerk spurted fresh blood.

Hak swiftly swam forward and took out his hunting knife. His chest felt close to contracting into shards, yet his hand still found the strength to chip away at the stone. Hak placed a hand on the bleeding foot and it relaxed, although the bleeding did not abate. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the rock broke off. At some point, Hak felt his vision darkening, his head becoming lighter until at long last, the rock completely fell off. Hak gingerly slipped the foot out. He yanked Yona and himself upward, until they both burst out of the water. Hak gasped, nearly vomiting from the sheer nausea of being underwater.

"Hime-san, are you…" Hak froze as Yona lay limp in his arms. "Hime-san. Hi… Hime-san?"

N-no, this is a lie… Hak placed a finger on Yona's pulse when she coughed violently, flailing. Relief crashed down on Hak, and all of his strength slipped away.

"You idiot," Hak mumbled, holding her tighter. "I thought you really- actually, for once, died. You're so bad for my heart…" Heaven, if you exist, then just this once, just this once, let me hold her and see her not as a princess or someone untouchable, but as a living, breathing human…

Hak buried his face deeper into her drenched hair. She smells so sweet… is this what warmth would smell like if one could smell it…? He felt himself losing, succumbing, falling apart…

"k...ak… HAK!"

Hak snapped his eyes open. He blinked in confusion. He held up his hand to his face. It's… dry?

"Geez Hak, you're aaalways sleeping on duty! Hmph!"

"Now, now Yona, no need to be so harsh on Hak."

Hak looked up to see a pouting princess and a relaxed noble.

Wh… what? Hak nearly fell off his post on the castle rail. The two wore layers upon layers of silk, shimmering like mirrors of gold, crimson, and sapphire. Crystals daintily adorned their attire. The rose hair ornament sparkled in Yona's tumble of hair.

"Hak, how could you be asleep on duty on my wedding day?"

Hak stared at her, his mouth a small o and words dried up in his mouth.

"Yona dear, you know how hard Hak works both day and night." Soo-won smiled gently and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Soo-won…" Yona looked up at him, and they gazed into each others eyes, lost in a world of pureness and beauty.

"...Right, right, you lovebirds have the rest of your lives to be lovey-dovey; please spare me." Hak finally said, sticking his tongue out as the two blushed to the roots of their hair. He leapt off the rail and onto the grass. He grinned as he turned around. "Just remember to call me first when you have your first kid," he called.

Hak turned away, a small smile gracing his expression as the two protested behind him. But as soon as they couldn't see him, behind the very first tree in the courtyard, Hak collapsed heavily against the bark.

Something must be wrong with me; it never hurt this much usually. Stinging pain sang in his heart, and Hak clenched the cloth by his chest. He stared down at his dull blue clothing, worn but true, washed out but strong, lowly but just as noble.

But not silk.

Know your place, Son Hak. She would've never loved you. She was never yours.

(so this is basically an AU for if Soo-won either never killed King Il or no one found out that he killed him. Hak had fallen asleep and dreamt of being with Yona, but when he woke up he faced this harsh reality of unrequited love. Thank you for reading!)