So uh... this is late.

Irony.

In hindsight, he should've expected this, after all, spending the day in the serene tranquility that was the Kouka Palace courtyard was almost never peaceful with that brat running around. Things had been quiet and Hak, lacking in all commitment and duties, was content to laze about for the warm day. The young boy, dressed in beads and feathers and robes and sarcasm had a full stomach and a prime napping spot and no one was there to bother him.

The day had been perfect, too perfect.

Hak really should've expected this, expected her. Just visiting the castle nowadays meant babysitting and spoiled whines and everything her. Even her old man, the king had tried to get him to be permanently by her side as a bodyguard for what would be essentially the rest of his life. Hak had no intention of being some nobleman's personal dog, no matter what 'his chubbiness' attempted too persuade him with. Being by Yona's side every day and every night, talking and listening, teasing and dodging, it would be way to much like they were actually married only without the fun stuff… like intimacy and romance and- NOPE, time to get rid of that thought, stupid teen hormones. Besides what kind of bodyguard wouldn't use weapons to defend his charge, what a happy-go-lucky king.

So when Princess Yona, sporting hair as fiery as her annoying(ly cute) personality, came bounding in stride with his name springing forth from her lips and tinged in slight desperation, Hak really should've known that he was going to be dragged into some mess of hers. However, once Yona had set her sights on her prey, there was no escaping fate. She had coming floundering to his presence crying, 'Haku', with that irritatingly adorable Sky tribe accent of hers, adding an unbelonging vowel to the end of his name, and with some problem, some mess no less… probably just needed help dealing with the consequences of one of her stupid pranks. The mess in question opposed to his initial judgement, was as she had stated, an informal courting from the fire tribe's second son… Kan Tae Jun, Tan Kae Jun… Hak didn't care enough to remember. Whatever the prick's name was didn't hold weight in Hak's mind, all he wanted to do was to take a nap as far away from the conflict as possible.

Nonetheless, hearing that young, spoiled Yona was being courted for actual marriage from such an absolute moron was definitely a highlight of the otherwise placid and lax day. The situation was so utterly ridiculous and absurd that Hak had cackled obnoxiously and slapped his knee with a few loud thwacks. It was about time she got a taste of her own persistent and demanding medicine. The princess was always running to him for every little complaint and problem and damn if it wasn't aggravating knowing she was only looking for his help because her precious Soo-won wasn't there. Really, he felt so pathetic too, getting angry over his best friend and the object of her unrequited love, or whatever the child called the kind teenager. It had taken true Wind tribe willpower and grit but Hak had been able to play off his bitterness and jealousy with his usual sarcasm and teasing until of course she had all too not subtly shoved it in his face that 'Soo-won would never say that' and then things had snowballed from there… then the heart cracked teen lost it. He had just upped and let loose, yelling with bitter cynicism and indignation because he wasn't Soo-won and if she wanted his help then she should've lowered her own damn expectations and stomped hastily away.

That was it, he had thought, the day had been ruined. Hak's date with the largest tree in the courtyard and afternoon sunshine was now gone and to be lamented along with his lack of sleep and now sour mood. Mundok had noticed for sure, the old man always noticed when something went wrong. He was too in tune with others emotions, especially to the closed off and independent Hak who just wanted to steep in self-pity and wounded pride.

Stupid old men and their stupid old observant ways.

The 'gentle until Hak committed a fallacy' man always knew when Hak's moody side took over apart from his usual dour self, leaving the uncouth punk to sulk and wallow like the child he tried so hard not to be. The obsidian haired boy when left to his own devices would without doubt pretend like his especially crabby attitude meant nothing was wrong and almost ultimately failed every time. The real kicker to the old general in this particular instance however, had been when Hak haughtily threw back an obviously grouchy when are we going back and a poorly veiled nothing's wrong dripping with attitude on top. Well, whatever the boys problem, it wasn't Mundok's concern, after all he had been instructed not to argue with Hak because 'that's how buildings are destroyed' and this old man was not going to get any younger by having a battle with an angsty teen. So he had left and Hak was allowed to finally brood in silence…

Until of course she showed up. Again.

Yona had come to him brokering no excuses but instead spurting out an explanation, an apology, and a dressful of fruit and that was all it took for his anger and jealousy to just run off like she was doing right then. She had made some brief speech about being a princess and that princesses also had to take responsibility sometimes and how she was sorry for acting like a child and that finally the fruit was for him. Honestly, Hak had never been so stupefied in his entire life. Did his princess truly just own up to her mistakes? Did Yona really bring him enough fruit to last him days and as an apology no less? His brain really couldn't take much more drama for the afternoon and so, young naïve Hak just decided to assume the emotionally unpredictable day was over.

His calculations had wrong before of course, but Hak had never been so utterly wrong before in his entire life. He had wandered the gardens aimlessly after her quick amends, looking for another place to lie in the sun when he finally heard the chime of her voice nearby for the third time that day. She was standing up for herself for once, posture regal and unrelenting, character fierce and magnificent, but it seemed like for all her effort, his childhood friend was fighting a losing battle. This asshat just couldn't seemed to take a hint, pushing and pulling, purring 'kitten' down her frame. He thought his voice was butter but the jerk was more like lard. It was disgusting. Revolting. Nauseating. He hated nobility, detested every little thing about it. The guards, worthless as ever, had only been able to go search for the king rather than getting involved in actually protecting the princess for fear of livelihood or maybe job security or some other stupid bullshit. Yona had just cried out a weary stop again. Damn he really hated nobility. He could get involved, but that… that was a commitment for life, that taking over as her sole protector and knight… that, would be his history. Hak knew what getting involved meant. He was young, not an idiot.

Asshat number one pulled harder.

Shit he hated nobility.

In the blink of an eye or more appropriately like a flash of lighting, Hak had flitted over and forced his way between the two nobles, the looks of surprise on both their faces had him smug. King Moron cried like a hurt puppy demanding his name and status and 'how dare he interrupt such an important meeting, do you know who my father is, who do you think you are?!' Hak had responded in the only way that seemed to come to mind, announcing his rank with an articulate passion that shocked even himself as the next Chief and General of the Wind Tribe, shoving superiority right down Sir Lord of the Cries throat. The burn of the noble should've been the end of the whole mess, but once again Hak just had to go one step further and announce his fervent and ardent and totally (not at all on his side) fake love and engagement- Ugh, of all things to say you moron! Maybe he was an idiot. He really did not deserve to be the next person in charge of the whole Wind Tribe. Whatever, the guy was finally starting to get the hint… until he didn't. Next level acting was needed, Yona was needed and they were going to have to sell their relationship. This would undoubtedly be not only Hak's final undoing but Hak's wakeup call to start a little thing called 'thinking before acting around the damn princess!'

'You're not really in love with this heathen are you Princess?!'

Pause.

Yona flashed bright red.

Wait. No. Stop.

Pause.

'Y… Yes! I love Hak!'

Pause.

Well… shit. Now he was colored as crimson as her hair. Did this to myself.

Really, Hak had no one to blame but himself. He was done for now, Hak with blushing princess in arms and desperate yet clever wit on his tongue somehow managed to wordplay his way past the hormonal love-struck mess of a kid he was inside and truly convince the doubtful party of the nature of their relationship. Hak honestly was just trying to convince himself that any of this was happening when the creep decided to get violent and try to pull a sword on young warrior. A fight, a fight was something Hak could deal with, this was where Hak would really shine, no one was better than the Thunder Beast, especially not some snot nosed brat in need of a good ass kicking. Hak had been ready, eyes gleaming like a demon, body tense like a wild animal, just waiting for metallic shing of a sword being unsheathed when… his highness arrived? King Il had been able to diffuse the situation with authority not normally associated with his being. Lord of the Cries scurried off, tailed tucked between his legs and head bowed in shame.

'I didn't know the two of you felt that way about each other, I'm happy for the both of you.'

Of course the peaceful king would hear that little spiel, how long had he been standing there anyways. The two teens broke apart as ungracefully as possible, sputtering hurried 'it'snotlikethat!'s' and other excuses.

And then the king got serious. Hak had taken that final plunge into the protector role the moment he stepped into that argument. Hak had even managed to defend her without using weapons at all… what a clever king. Hak kneeled and bowed and swore his oath of loyalty to be everything he never asked for, everything irritating and disruptive to his whole way of life, and all because of that stupidly clever king and his annoyingly stunning daughter.

Grandpa was right.

Irony was a bitch.

I have no excuses as to why this is like 7 months late so please enjoy