Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Soo-Won, Yona

Requested by: Lee03na (Ao3)

Yona's eyes gently fluttered as she felt Soo-Won shifting behind her. Apparently, her exhaustion had led to her dozing off on the horse, despite her lingering cautiousness concerning the entire situation that had developed in the forest of Sei Province. Yona's mind took a moment to ascend from the fog of sleep. She blinked blearily as she felt Soo-Won swing of the horse to land lightly on his feet, and almost by reflex, her dawn-like eyes sought him out. He was straightening out his robes, but when he felt Yona's gaze on him, his eyes flickered up to meet hers. It was only then that true consciousness returned to Yona. Her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly tore her gaze away to again stare at her lap, which was apparently her object of interest lately.

I can't give him any reason to think that this changes anything. I must return to Hak and the others as soon as possible…

"Yona." She forced herself to glance back down as Soo-Won coughed politely. "I'm going to take you down from the horse now." Yona blinked slightly, because admittedly- and infuriatingly- she respected him a little more for asking permission. She gave him a civil nod of compliance in response. Yona could not help the way her muscles tightened as his hands gripped her waist; half of her wanted to be touched, yet the other half of her shuddered in revulsion. She could only see his blood-stained hands holding her, dying her kimono red and the iron stench filling up her nose. She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, and she felt Soo-Won freeze in the middle of attempting to lift her down. She cracked an eye open, and the grotesque vision was gone. Soo-Won's eyes were wide, staring her as if wondering if he should go forward.

"I just brushed my ankle against the horse," she lied quickly. Soo-Won looked down at the still-bleeding wound as if registering it, then slowly nodded and proceeded to continue what he was doing. He easily lifted Yona from the steed, once again settling her into his arms since she couldn't walk. Yona swallowed slightly and gripped the fabric of his robes, as if she needed to ground herself somehow. Unfortunately, she could only ground herself to him. She was still reeling from their heated kiss. The heat rose to her face just thinking about it, how nice it felt…

No! she thought wildly. If she had not been in Soo-Won's arms, she would have tossed her head about to forcibly shake out the thought. If her old feelings for Soo-Won were dredged up again, nothing good would come of it.

"Yona!" Lily's voice distracted her from the dilemma within her heart. Lily came running up, pausing to give Soo-Won a suspicious pout, before looking sadly down at Yona's ankle. "You're still bleeding…"

"It's all right, Lily. It looks worse than it is," she reassured her quietly. Lily looked unassured, but General Geun-Tae took her gently by the elbow to lead her away to where the other soldiers were constructing a tent for her. He was insisting that she should rest, and they would take care of Yona's wound. As she was led away, Lily kept tossing worried glances her way. Yona appreciated that she was so concerned for her. She's a good friend.

Soo-Won carried her toward the opposite side of the little encampment, where Joo-Doh was assembling the royal tent. It was modest, given the circumstances, but still exceptionally spacious and laden with comfort compared to the rest of the shelters. He held Yona in one arm as he used the other to pull back the flap and bring her inside.

"My Lord, I will see to Lady Yona's ankle." Joo-Doh's gruff voice floated in through the entryway. Yona panicked momentarily, gripping onto Soo-won; somehow, that was a worse alternative than staying with Soo-Won. The king must have picked up on her fright, or otherwise wanted to do it himself regardless, because he politely refused.

"Nonsense. I will see to Yona's wound." He gently set her down amongst the pillows and furs and straightened up. His slim fingers teased his golden-blonde locks out of his face as Joo-Doh peered through the flap.

"My Lord, I must protest-" he started, holding a roll of bandages and a damp rag.

"Protest as much as you wish, then," Soo-Won responded smoothly while taking the medical supplies from him before kneeling in front of Yona. Her face flushed as his fingers ever-so-lightly pushed the hem of her kimono away to bear her ankle freely.

"My Lord!" Joo-Doh whined. General Geun-Tae poked his head in to see what all the commotion was about and began to ogle himself. Yona blushed further, embarrassed at all the attention as well as the tender caresses of Soo-Won's hand across her ankle. His hand suddenly wrapped around the shaft of the joint, and though she would have liked to act tough, she could not stop the small, pained gasp from leaving her mouth. He looked up at her as her expression contorted into one of pain, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"J-just do it," she huffed quickly. Soo-Won narrowed his eyes further, and then suddenly, without warning, he wrenched the arrow out of her ankle with one swift jerk. Her hands immediately flew to her mouth, but the agonized scream still slipped through her fingers to fill the tent with its shrill sound. Yona had broken out in a cold sweat just from the small operation, and was panting. After the shock subsided and her nerves ceased their screeching, Yona dropped her violently shaking hands and looked down at Soo-Won. He was gently wiping the blood away with the damp rag. Though it stung, it didn't nearly as much as it could have since he was being so soft with her. Yona's eyes watched his hands as they trailed over her skin. Every brush of his fingertips sent electricity jolting up her leg, and not just from the pain. Her breath began to hitch slightly in her chest as she imagined his fingers trailing upwards, traveling up her calf and across her thigh-

Yona's face blazed redder than her hair as the scandalous thought bloomed in her head. She instinctively slapped her hands to her face to shield her blush from the men.

"Yona? Is this hurting you too much?" Soo-Won asked. The amount of concern in his voice was dangerously deceptive. Don't let it get to you, Yona; don't let it get to you…

"No, I'm all right…" she squeaked back in response. She peeked through her fingers as Soo-Won began to continue his work. His nimble hands wound bandages around her foot, around and around, before sealing them with an adhesive. He looked so concentrated on what he was doing, so serious, which wasn't at all like the carefree Soo-Won she remembered. Yet, that sinful part of her loved seeing him this way, so serious over her… Yona groaned inwardly as her mind insistently derailed into oblivion again. She needed to get as far away from Soo-Won as possible before things got complicated.

"Princess, is there anything else that you need?" Soo-Won asked her as he leaned back, sitting on his knees. Yona dropped her hands, aware that her face was still pink but unable to help it; Joo-Doh and Geun-Tae were still watching with brash interest. Yona was then reminded of the terrible parch in her throat, that burning gnawing from having to resist the Nadai-laden water in the prison camp.

"Water," she croaked, hating how pathetic her voice sounded. Geun-Tae brought her a canteen of water, and she unabashedly drained it to the last drop in a mere three seconds, but the cold water irritated her scratchy throat. It caught, and she jerked back, coughing with water dribbling down her front. As she hacked continuously, Soo-Won reached forward as if to help her. She instinctively scuttled backward, eyes blazing with a warning- and the mere bit of longing. His hand froze in mid-air, still reaching for her before it dropped, and he exhaled a deep sigh.

"Gentlemen, I think things are quite all right here. Miss Yona and Miss Lily are settled, so why don't you both see to yourselves? We spent a great deal of the day looking for these two, and I am sure you're tired as well." Though it was paraded as concern for their well-being, it was a very obvious insistence that the two of them be left alone. Geun-Tae seemed not to care and stepped right out, but Joo-Doh lingered for a second before giving a brief nod. The tent flap dropped down as he left, and Yona and Soo-Won were left alone within the tent.

She fidgeted anxiously, patting at the damp spot on her kimono. He gazed intently at her, and she avoided meeting his eyes. If she did, something might happen. I need to stay focused. I still have a duty to my country. I can't let Soo-Won change that. "Yona. Look at me."

Damn it to all hell, though she tried to resist it, his voice called her eyes like a siren song. They instantly rose to meet his, and once they did, they locked into submission. His eyes burned with the dim fire of dusk, when the sun flashed once more before being swallowed up by the horizon- a perfect compliment to her radiant irises of dawn. Yona felt an ache forming in her chest. It was undeniable; she wanted him, even after all this time. She wanted him to hold her and kiss her and love her.

But Yona could not forgive… She could not forget.

"Soo-Won-"

"Don't worry. I don't intend to keep you here against your will. I'm sure one of your dragons will turn up eventually," came the surprisingly casual reply. His face was calm as he stared at her, but Yona was all but calm. Everything since the kiss had been such a muddled mess. She was losing herself in the ghosts of old feelings. She took a moment to respond, trying to find her way in the dense fog of her mind.

"Yes. I am sure they will. I can leave Lily in your hands," she managed finally. Silence descended between them. It lasted an agonizingly long time. Yona wanted to scream, but she was not sure what. Suddenly, Soo-Won's hand twitched, then crossed the short chasm between them to rest atop hers. Her eyes flickered down to stare at it. She wanted to hold it, and she wanted to slap it away. She just settled for sitting there.

"Yona…" His other hand was under her chin now, forcing her to look back at him. It wasn't really forcing, since she did so willingly, allowing the gentle move to pull her face upwards. "Yona," he repeated, softer. His voice sent a shudder through her body, but not a disgusted one. His voice permeated every fiber of her body, ringing with a song of which she had never heard… His thumb trailed across her cheek, gently caressing the various scratches that marred her skin. "I'm sorry."

Those two words broke her like nothing had before.

"'Sorry'?" she choked as the tears instantly flooded from her eyes. "You don't get to say that. Not after what you did."

"Maybe I don't deserve to, but that doesn't change it from being true." She squeezed her eyes shut, the words causing her physical pain. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her kimono. She wanted to believe him; oh, how she wanted to. But how could she forgive her father's murderer? How could just abandon how strong she had grown, alongside Hak and Yoon and her dragons, at just a few whispered words?

"Yona…" The way he was saying her name was driving her insane, in all meanings of the word. His hand had slipped from her face into her knotted, tousled, dawn-colored hair. She instinctively found herself leaning into it, craving the touch she wished for during her sheltered life in the castle. Now, she almost wanted it more. A soft sigh left her lips, and her eyes flickered open to meet Soo-won's. Two rising suns above oceans of tears reflecting pools of the last glimpse of sunlight before dusk. Two forces of opposition but yet completed one another.

"Soo-Won… I don't… I can't…" She couldn't even formulate words from how intensely she was feeling. He laughed dryly.

"I guess it's my fault for expecting you to still love me after that, huh?" he cocked his head to the side slightly while a sad smile ghosted his mouth. "I never wanted to hurt you, Yona. I just couldn't see this country suffer any more. You understand, don't you?" His gaze was pleading now. Yona did understand, loathe as she was to admit it. She had seen too much beyond the castle walls to argue otherwise. Soo-Won's words began to chip away at her defensive wall.

"I do, but… I can't stay with you, Soo-Won." Another breathy sigh, and this time, it was his gaze that dropped. He measured his words for a long time before looking back up at her.

"I suppose that's fair, but…" Yona's eyes widened slightly as he pushed closer to her, bringing his face to her own. She could feel the words he breathed gently across her face, "If not forever, then just for tonight?" That whispered, heat-filled question stirred that ache in Yona's chest, blooming it into a flower of hurt and passion. Her face screwed up slightly as the tears rolled in fresh waves down her cheeks, and all she could manage was a nod and a shaky inhale. Soo-Won didn't ask her for any more words, though.

His lips ghosted across hers, then settled into a concrete, passionate kiss. Yona's trembling hand reached up to curl around his while the other once more anchored itself into his robes; Soo-Won's continued to trace its was through her waves of red hair, and his other circled to the small of her back to pull her body flush against his. Her back arched into it of its own accord, because Yona could no longer really think. Her mind was captivated by the feeling of his mouth blending into hers, almost as if they belonged together. She wasn't sure how but somehow, his tongue slipped into her mouth to swirl with her own. The deep kiss made Yona intoxicated more than any drug or drink ever could; her mind was a muddled mess of complicated feelings, a swirl of hurt and love and sadness and happiness and emotions she didn't even know the name of.

He whispered her name against her lips as he pushed her backward. His blonde hair fell across her as she landed against the soft downy comforters that lined the floor, and he fell with her, not letting up the kiss for a moment. She returned his call with a desperate mewl, pawing at him as his mouth left hers to drop continuously deepening kisses across her jawline and down her neck. Her face hazed with a blush as he tugged at her kimono, loosening it a bit to allow him access to her collarbone and shoulder. Every touched struck her like lightning, leaving her tingling and trembling. Yona had never craved something like this in her entire life; she both relished it and feared it. Her desperate breaths fogged in front of her face as her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay grounded to the moment. Why had she been so adamant not to let things go like this? She had wanted this for so long… She finally had Soo-Won's love. Surely that was enough?

His mouth was against hers again. Yona returned his affections greedy, needy, hungering. His hands were everywhere, feeling her through her clothes, leaving electricity in their wake.

"Soo-Won… I l-lo-"

A polite cough froze them faster than an icy blizzard. Soo-Won's eyes were wider than the moon as he whipped around to glance over his shoulder to see Joo-Doh and Geun-Tae- and Lily, oh no- in the tent with matching expressions. Yona's face blazed as reality suddenly slapped her like a mother scolding her child, and she turned her face away, unable to bear Lily's completely floored gawk. I can't believe I let him-!

"Do you need something?" Soo-Won asked coolly.

"Lady Lily wanted to see how Lady Yona was faring," Joo-Doh reported with equal chill. Yona side-eyed him. His face had returned to that stoic visage carved from stone. Geun-Tae now looked uncomfortable, and her friend was just staring at her in deep concern. Honestly, Yona was glad that they turned up before something… un-princess-like happened.

"Well, as you can see, she's faring quite well." As he sat up, Yona wriggled out from underneath him to sit up and, as discreetly as she could, fix her kimono. She was mortified to discover several marks across her body that had resulted from Soo-Won's intense attention. She tugged at her kimono to hide them before coughing awkwardly.

"Thank you for bandaging my ankle. I'm tired. I would like to rest now- with Lily," she clarified to make sure that Soo-Won knew she had no intention of carrying their sordid affair further. He looked at her, obviously saddened, but quickly regained his composure.

"Of course. Do you need help?"

Yona refused before she even tested the theory. She pushed herself up, wobbling a little but managing to concentrate most of her weight on her good leg; bearing a little pressure on her injured foot hurt considerably, but not enough to where she could not walk herself. She hobbled over to Lily, who immediately grabbed her to support her. She brushed past Soo-Won, who was just staring at the space she had just occupied. Another arrow, unseen, embedded itself into her heart as she walked past him.

No matter how much she wanted it, the dawn and the dusk simply could not exist together. It was a law of nature that Yona had to obey.

"Are you sure that you're all right, Yona?" Lily asked her quietly as she guided her to their tent. The two generals took their places as guard on other sides of the encampment. Yona exhaled sharply as she eased herself down onto the blankets, her slim hands wrapping around her ankle, which had begun to throb a little. Lily sat on her knees across from her.

"Yes. It doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did." The unasked question hung in the air like a guillotine blade, ready to slice through the thick tension between them. Yona decided just to address the issue. "It's complicated, Lily."

"I know. I just don't want you to be sad, Yona," the girl smiled comfortingly in response.

That's when Yona fell against her and cried pitifully for what she wanted but could not have.

Jae-ha came deep in the night. His soft call permeated the fabric of the back of the tent, quiet but loud enough to rouse Yona from sleep. When she felt the princess shifting around, Lily awoke with a slight fright; her head tossed about in sleepy panic until Yona gently shushed her and informed her that she was leaving. Lily stared up at her groggily, only barely registering the statement, until it finally diffused through the thick fog of sleep and clicked. She hugged Yona and insisted that she be careful, holding her for a long while, until she settled back amongst the blankets and pillows lest their conversation attract the attention of whichever general was currently on watch.

Yona drew back the flap of the tent and peered out into the night. General Geun-Tae was sitting across the clearing with his back to her, rigid as stone and seemingly unaware. She crawled out and circled the tent to see the Green Dragon warrior crouching there with that ever-smug smirk decorating his lips. Silent, he turned around to allow her to clamber onto his back. She wound her arms around his neck in a secure hold. For some reason, she glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Soo-Won's tent.

His eyes glittered as he watched her from the entrance. Her breath hitched in her throat as her heart jumped into its place, terrified he would raise the alarm. He watched her for a few seconds, then the flap flipped closed, eclipsing him from view. Yona closed her eyes, but the sad expression he had been wearing burned into her eyes. She leaned her head against Jae-ha, suddenly exhausted, while he leaped into the canopy, carrying her away from the man she loved and always would.

Above her head, the dusk was receding as dawn took its place.