Author's Note: Hey, everyone. I decided to write the same thing I did last chapter but in a 3rd POV focusing on Shin-Ah and how he reacted to everything. Hope you enjoy!

VampireSiren and Silvia- kotomi - yeah XD I'm so happy for them. It was about time I think lol

Chapter XLIX

His Heart

(3rd POV: Shin-Ah's)

He had decided to stay behind while the others went to the market in order for Yun to sell his goods so that the party would have some funds while they traveled. He had felt that it was better for him to stay with Skye then to go exploring with the others. The need to be with her and protect her was far more important to him. Though, he felt as though there had been a distance cast upon them. He did not particularly enjoy it. He had to admit that she had troubled him by hiding something so important from him. He had thought they were close enough that she would go to him if she was ever in danger. She was keeping secrets from him and it hurt. He was extremely upset that she wouldn't speak to him about it. He felt like she was the one pushing him away. Had he done something wrong? Is that why he hadn't told him? Perhaps they weren't as close as he had hoped. He felt something akin to anger bubbling up to the surface at the fact that he could not do anything at all to stop her from leaving him if that was what she wanted. He was angry at himself for thinking that way. His heart ached at the thought that one day she may very well decide to leave his side. He truly believed at this point that if she actually were to leave that he would die. He couldn't see a future without her in it.

As he sat beside her, he thought about what to say. It was beginning to be extremely difficult for him to give her space. All he wanted was to hold her hand and sleep right next to her again. But he felt like she wouldn't want to do that. Ever since he found out that she kept a secret from him, he kept his distance. He was hurt and confused. He didn't know what that meant. He felt as though it was here way to say that she wanted to distance herself and he was trying to respect that. But it did not mean he would leave her alone at camp. He still desired to protect her. He also felt being able to at least see her was giving him some feeling of ease.

"Um," He heard her start, causing him to look at her. He noticed that she looked upset and it made the inside of his chest twist. He frowned, not knowing how to comfort her. "I...I'm sorry…" He looked at her in confusion behind the cover of his mask. Was she apologizing to him? "I didn't mean to hide anything from you. I just… I didn't want to worry you." He still remained silent, listening to every word she spoke. Something inside of him was stirring. So, she had kept this secret from him in order to prevent him from becoming worried about her. She wasn't pushing him away. "I… I hate that I upset you… I want things to go back to normal between us…"

"...Normal?" He asked, unsure of what she meant by that.

He watched as she lifted her head from her hand but still looked down, nodding her head, "Mhm. How close we were…" His felt his heartbeat accelerate in his chest as she said that. Did she miss being close to him? His hand twitched from beside him, still trying to hold himself back from pulling her into his arms. She had no idea how sweet it was to hear her words.

"Skye," he said her name. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted to see her face. She hesitantly lifted her head to look at him. He saw the way she looked at him and couldn't help but to frown at her. She looked upset as she looked at him. Was it because of him? He felt slightly responsible for her being upset. He wanted her to smile at him again. He missed her smile. He missed her touch. He missed having her in his arms. There was something inside of him that was always lured by her. He never would have thought that he'd ever feel this way for someone. It still confused him to no end but he knew that what he felt for her was all consuming and yearning for her affection. It kept growing and growing inside of him. He reached out a hand and gently brushed his hand on her cheek. To his utter surprise, she leaned into his touch. This simple little gesture caused his breath to catch. She wanted him to touch her. This realization caused his mind to blank. This girl that he found himself always thinking about seemed to desire his touch as much as he desired to touch her. Could it be possible?

"Please forgive me," she pleaded filled with emotional and he could tell she was attempting to keep away her tears. He froze in tensed observation. No. He did not want her to cry. The desires within him had become too strong to hold back now. In the next instant, his hand brushed past her face to the back of her head, pulling it to his chest. His hand gently held her head to his chest and his other hand wrapped itself around her waist in a warm embrace and comforting embrace. His hesitation to do this was far gone. All he wanted was for her to be near him and he wanted to communicate that as clearly as he could.

"Don't hide things from me," he spoke into her hair. He wanted her to tell him everything. She was the most important person in his life. In his world. He needed to know these things in order to be there for her and protect her. That is all he ever wanted. He wanted to be sure that she would be smiling. He wanted her to be happy above all else.

She nodded her head against his chest, "Okay. I won't."

He was pleased to hear her say those words. He was glad to know that he had been mistaken in assuming that she was pushing away from him. This meant he could continue to hold her in his arms, hold her hand and maybe even kiss her lips again. This thought made him feel warm inside. It caused him to loosen his hold on her body as he thought these things. Was it silly of him to assume he would get her affection? He honestly would take any affection she was willing to give him. But he never knew what he was allowed to do. He never wanted to upset her if he went too far or asked for too much. This was all new to him after all. He did not know the first thing about relationships or how to properly be with someone intimately. And Skye was far too special to him to risk screwing up.

He was looking down at her as she pulled her head up to face him. She had a look in her eyes as she reached her hand up to touch his mask. He felt his stomach do something strange as she did this. She looked at him, hesitating as she held his mask in her hands. As if he something inside of him urged him to let her do as she pleased, he nodded her head to give her permission to slide his mask off his face. He couldn't deny her. It wasn't often she would even ask. He was entranced by her. She slowly slid the mask over his face to the top of his head. He felt as though he couldn't do anything but stare at her. The fear of his power was nowhere in his mind. All he saw and thought about was her. Having that barrier put aside as he stared into her eyes, he felt like he saw her for the very first time. She was beautiful and enchanting. He was staring at the girl that had somehow given him more than he had ever could dream. She had freed him in so many ways. He adored this girl above all. She was everything to him. He was staring at the girl that stole his heart. At that moment, the confusion of what he felt for her was gone. He knew that he loved her. Everything inside of him was dying to reach her.

He watched as her face flushed as she looked at him. Something about this pleased him. It was like this innate feeling that she was reacting to him in a positive way and he could feel that. The hand that had held her head slid back to her cheek in a sweet caress. He was holding himself back and trying not to look at her lips. The passion he felt for her was surging. He didn't know what to do with himself. He had never felt this way before. It both confused and frightened him. He was new to this. This was the first time that he loved a girl. What was he supposed to do? What if she didn't love him back? He felt her lean into his hand, turning her face to kiss the palm of his hand. That action alone caused him to slid his hand passed her cheek again to the back of her head. He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her face slowly forward. He had wanted to crash his lips onto hers but something had stopped him. What if this wasn't what she wanted? He should ask permission before doing this. That was why he brought her forward more slowly. He wanted to make sure that she wanted this as much as he did.

"Skye…" he breathed out her name as if a plea as he kept staring deep in her eyes. He was looking for any sign that indicated that this was allowed. But every part of him was screaming at him to kiss her. She was so close, he could feel her sweet breath on his lips. His body felt warmer than usual at the anticipation and yearning for her. His heart was beating forcefully against his chest. He wondered if she knew what he felt. She moved her hands on his chest and he was frozen in place. She hadn't rejected him yet. Instead, she moved her head and gently kissed his lips with her own soft ones. He felt a relief wash over him. It was as if he could finally relax like he had been given something he had lacked and needed terrible. Like her kiss was bringing him to life again. She had that effect on him.

She had closed her eyes for those couple seconds as she pecked his lips. And then opened them again to look at him. He felt his cheeks had gotten hotter from her actions. But he wanted more. He licked his lips as if he needed more of her taste in his mouth. He should just be glad she had given him that much affection. He was lucky enough to kiss her again. It was always something he enjoyed greatly. But to his utter shock, she did not end there. Instead, he felt her hands glide up his chest to his shoulders and finally rested on the back of his neck. The action had caused a sensation in him that was foreign. She pulled his head down by his neck and claimed his lips once again. There was something different in this kiss. Like a hunger for something more. He closed his eyes and let himself fall into her kiss, letting out a groan. His body was reacting to her in a strange way that he was unfamiliar with. No. He had felt it once before but now it felt stronger than that day.

He felt her deepen the kiss and the heat inside of him grew. He pulled on her hair gently as if it would quench the igniting fire in him. His ears picked up on a soft moan coming from her, tickling his lips as they kissed. That sound made him want to pull her closer to him. With the arm that was wrapped around her slender waist, he pulled her closer to his heating body. Her chest was pressed his and her arms wrapped around his neck. The sudden closeness of her body caused him to gasp. He could feel her heat against him and it felt like he was losing his mind. His body tensed at the strange action that Skye had taken by pushing her tongue into his mouth. This was new. And he soon found that he rather greatly enjoyed this new way of kissing. He battled with her tongue and pushed past in order to explore her own mouth. New emotions and sensations were created in that moment of passionate kissing. He knew that he wanted to do this again and again. It sent him into a threshold of pleasure he had been unfamiliar with until this day. She was awakening something deep and sensual within him. Something no one would have thought him capable of.

After some time, she pulled her face away from his to let them breathe. They both seemed out of breath once they broke apart. But she still had her arms around his neck and was close to his face. The mask that had sat on the top of his head had fallen behind him without either of them realizing it. He pulled her into a hug, pressing his chin on her shoulder and putting his nose at the crook of her neck. He still wanted to remain close to her body. The strange sensations coursing through his body needed to be put out. He knew that. And so he took the time to just let himself fall back to normal. She brought a hand to play in his soft hair and small gesture made him feel good. He liked this more than he had anticipated. He wanted her to play in his hair more often. He relished in her ever willing affections. He still couldn't believe that this girl would want to be like this with a monster like him. Was he a monster? This girl made him feel like he wasn't. He doubted that an amazing girl like her could ever be with a monster.

Her next whispered words had caused his heart to stop beating in his chest, "I Love you, Shin-Ah." Skye loved him. He was frozen in shock at her words. He almost couldn't believe it. Had he imagined it? Maybe he had hoped for it bad enough that he made it up. Those words really stirred him and tugged at him.

After some time, he pulled his head out of her neck and looked at her blushing face. He hadn't imagined it. "Skye," he said her name to cause her to look at him. He was going to answer her with what was also in his heart. "I love you too." Her lips parted in surprise at his words. For a moment, he thought that he had made a mistake.

"I don't mean like just a friend, Shin-Ah," she blurted out.

"Mm. Like a… boyfriend?" he questioned, hoping that it was the case. When she had blurted that out he felt something inside of him shift.

"Uh… Y-yeah…" she said and looked away, her blush reaching her ears. Her words struck him. She really said that. He couldn't believe it. "I-is that bad?"

She let out a small yelp as he pressed her against him in a tight embrace. "Makes me happy." He really felt happy that she said that. She was now his. And he wasn't going to let anyone else have her. He felt something possessive take hold.

"O-Oh," she answered sheepishly, "I… Um. Does that mean…?" she trailed off as she bit down her lower lip. "Shin-Ah… Um. What am I to you?" I

"My girlfriend," he replied without missing a beat. She was his and he was hers. He wasn't going to deny that anymore. After she had confessed her feelings to him there was no way he was going to let her go.

"You know what that means right?" she asked. "It means we'd be a couple. You know that right?"

"Yeah," he let out. He felt pride at knowing this. He didn't exactly know what it was like to be someone's boyfriend but he was willing to learn and give it his all. Now that she had accepted him as her man, he would do anything to make her happy and pleased. He was lucky that she had chosen him. He was going to try his hardest to not mess up. "I understand."

"Are you sure?" she questioned him again. "That this is what you want?"

"I want you," He said to tell her that she was all that he wanted. He didn't want her to misunderstand him. He thought it was cute when she shifted so that she could hide her face in his chest. This meant that he didn't need to ask her to hold her, right? He would try to hug her as often as he could and see. He was interested in knowing what it would be like now that they were together as a couple.

"They're on their way back," he whispered to her as he rubbed her back to get her attention. She pulled out of his embraced and nodded to him. He was looking off to the side in the direction that their friends were coming back from. He was caught by surprise as he felt her lips on his cheek in a chaste kiss. His eyes widened slightly and his cheeks flushed. He heard her giggle. He turned to look at her as she tilted her head with a smile on her face. His lips twitched upwards in a small smile, his eyes showing affection as he looked at her. His stomach was fluttering and his heart was calling out to hers. He was happy to see her like this and for her to be his. He couldn't believe it. She was his. She wanted to be with him. And she loved him.

He reached behind him and put his mask back on his face to cover his eyes. The bottom of his face going back to normal. He saw her pout playfully from her spot before she moved to once again sit beside him. She leaned her head against his shoulder with a smile on her face. He kissed the top of her head affectionately before the others were in plain sight. He liked that he had made so many friends and that they all seemed to accept him. He enjoyed their company. But moments alone with Skye was his most treasured times.

"How sweet. The lovebirds have finally made up," Hak teased as they all were now clearly visible.

"Sis!" Zeno called as he ran and jumped in her arms to give her the biggest hug in the world. "Zeno had lots of fun but wished you'd come with Blue Dragon!" She laughed and patted his back. Shin-Ah still didn't understand how this boy was her sister because he knew she was from another world but still accepted it. They seemed like siblings enough. Zeno was the only male he felt was safe around Skye. He heard Yona giggle somewhere but his attention stayed on Skye and Zeno.

"Glad everyone enjoyed themselves," Skye said.

Jae-Ha walked up and looked down at the new couple, "You seemed to have enjoyed yourself as well, Skyrah." She tilted her head to the side in confusion. He smirked as he pointed at his own hair to demonstrate, "You should fix that." Shin-Ah hadn't told her that he hair was coming out of her ponytail from when he had pulled her hair gently when she had kissed him.

"I didn't think he had it in him," Hak added as he crossed his arms and looked at them. Shin-Ah couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. Had what in him?

Skye's head snapped at him, "What the hell those that mean? What do you two think even happened?" They both gave her a rather strange expression. "Nothing like that happened!" Shin-Ah slightly frowned, not understanding what they were talking about. He told himself that he should ask her later.

"I'm confused," Kija said as he looked at everyone. "Yona, what are they talking about?"

"I also have no idea," she said before turning to Hak, "What are you talking to Skyrah about?"

"Nothing you have to concern yourself with, Princess," Hak replied. Yun sighed but minded his own business as he started to prepare dinner. Shin-Ah also wanted someone to explain things.

Zeno let go of Skye and straightened up to look at her with a smile, "But something did happen, right?"

She seemed to freeze in the middle of tying the ribbon in her hair. Her eyes looked away as a pink tinge came to her cheeks, "Nothing like those two perverts are implying." She finished tying the ribbon and let her arms relax in my lap.

"You looked very kissed," Jae-Ha commented with a smile. Shin-Ah could help but feel pride at those words. "I would know as I've seen a lot of beautiful women after they've been kissed." He winked at her.

She let out an annoyed groan, "Information I did not want to know."

"Wait. Who kissed Skyrah?" Kija questioned as if just coming into the conversation.

"You really are an idiot, White Snake," Hak commented under his breath.

Outraged, Kija turned to him, "Be quiet, you beast!"

Jae-Ha placed an arm around the oblivious White Dragon, "Our little brother Blue Dragon did of course." At those words, she turned her head and hid her red face in Shin-Ah's shoulder. He looked down at her and felt satisfied that now everyone knew that she was his. She hadn't denied it. She was truly his now. "And it seems our little Skyrah is a little shy. How adorable."

They heard Yona giggle, "They are both very sweet."

"Blue Dragon and my sis are both adorable!" Zeno agreed along with them.

"If all of you are done," Yun cut in. "We need more firewood and I'd like some help with handling cooking."