Chapter 10

By the time the two of them got home, the sun was just beginning to fall beneath the horizon, leaving the house in a rosy glow as the snow sparkled in the final rays of light.

They were welcomed by an overly excited Tae-Yun and bombarded by teasing and questions from Hang-Dae and Tae-woo (None of which did had raise to the bait for much to their disappointment) after which everyone settled down for dinner.

It was nice, Yona thought, to feel like a part of this family again as they all sat and talked in the living room later. The excitement in the air for Christmas tomorrow, seeing Mundok help Tae-Yun set out cookies and a glass of milk while Han-Dae wound Tae-woo up trying to guess what he got for him.

It felt like it had been so long since she'd seen them all and it was always wonderful to see them again, though she did wish that her friends from school could join as well.

She could see it clearly already, Jae-ha getting drinks for everyone while Zeno and Kija helped decorate the apartment. Yun making everyone some late-night snacks as Shin-ah got Ao to help hang up ornaments on the tree.

She sighed with a smile at the thought. Maybe next year they'd have Christmas together at the apartment as the little self-made family they were. For now though, this was more than enough for her, and by the look on Hak's face, watching his grandpa, cousins and brother muck about together, she knew he felt the same.

Before they even knew it, it was getting late and so everyone went about saying their goodnights and headed off to bed.

As Yona sleepily climbed the stairs she yawned broadly and had to catch herself from slipping the last step.

"Careful there, you don't want to go and smack your head before Christmas tomorrow. The headache of being woken up at 6 am for presents is going to be killer enough already without a minor concussion" Hak whispered in her ear from behind her making her jump.

"Do you have to sneak up behind me like that? If you don't want me to trip, try not to give me a heart attack" she whisper-yelled back.

He chuckled, "well if you did fall I'd catch you so its alright isn't it?" he said now smiling fondly as a blush ran across her cheeks.

"I'm still not sure that this is real you know. That today actually happened. That I could be this happy."

"I know what you mean."

"Yona?"

"Y-yes?" she stuttered, being caught off guard by him actually calling her by her name. She'd gotten so used to him calling her 'Princess' that the sound of just her name on his lips seemed almost foreign to her ears.

"Thank you." He said, and with that he leaned in and gave her a soft and lingering kiss before saying goodnight and heading to his own room.

After a moment or two she got back her feet and headed to her own room snuggling deep under the covers as her heart still fluttered like a butterfly in her chest, sending her into a realm of sweet dreams of all the future was sure to hold.

{*****}

Hak hadn't been exaggerating at being woken up early the next morning as Yona was dragged out of bed at 6 am by Tae-Yun who had to lead her by her sleeve into the living room to keep her from bumping into any walls with her eyes still being clouded by sleep.

Hak didn't seem nearly as bothered by the early wake up call she noted with a twinge of annoyance. Either he was well accustomed to being woken up like this for special occasions or all those days spent going to early morning training sessions made him fairly used to only getting short stints of sleep.

She also supposed that might be the same reason why he loved taking naps in the afternoon so much now that she thought about it.

Either way, the day was joyful as they all had breakfast and then exchanged gifts with one another.

For Tae-Yun Yona had gotten him a new hat, as the one he always wore was looking a little worse for wear. For Mundok, she had gotten him his favourite coffee beans that she knew were hard to find and for the cousins she had gotten them each a new fine grain whetstone, seeing how excited they had been for weapons training with Hak.

In return, she had been given an array of gifts including a new light pink scarf, and a collapsible travel hairbrush to which there were a few snickers knowing how frustrated she could get when it came to taming her vibrant locks among other odds and ends that she gratefully accepted and thanked everyone for.

After about an hour they seemed to have gotten through everything and so they all started to clean up all the scraps of wrapping paper and ribbon that had been scattered on the floor until Hak pulled her aside.

"Your present is actually outside" he said taking her elbow and guiding her to the door.

"Hang on, let me just finish help cleaning everything up."

"Don't worry about it, there are enough hands helping out and Gramps told me to give you your present before it gets damaged by the cold."

"He knows what it is?" she asked a little surprised.

"Well, it was a little hard to hide anywhere else, so I had to tell gramps and ask if I could keep it in the garage for now."

"What in the world did you get me?"

"You'll see, now close your eyes and wait here. Don't open them until I say so." He said and with that left her standing outside in the driveway while he went off to rummage through the garage.

She didn't have to wait long however, as two minutes later she could hear his footsteps crunching in the snow in front of her before he told her she could open her eyes.

When she did, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

In front of her Hak stood with the most gorgeous bow she had ever seen.

It was a recurve bow, probably a mongol horse bow based on its size and shape. She stood there rooted to the ground in astonishment before managing to make her feet move as she took a step forward as he handed her the weapon.

Right by the grip there was a small single carving that had then been burned into the wood of a dragon curled around itself in an array of knots.

"I remembered you always said you wanted to become stronger, wanted me to teach you something and well. . . I thought that the bow might be a good fit for you. Archery is about brain, not brawn and takes a lot of focus and skill, but I have a feeling you'd be more than up for the challenge" he explained.

"Hak, I don't have the words. . . Its beautiful! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, running her thumb over the dragon carving.

"I'm glad you like it. I saw the dragon and I just knew. With your hair like flames it seemed only fitting that you'd have a dragon's bow" he said smirking, but she could only beam in response.

"It's perfect. When can teach me to use it?" she asked excitedly, looking up at him.

"Whenever you like." He said now smiling genuinely back, happy to see her so excited to learn.

"Then show me right now! I want to see how much practice I can do before dinner!" she said, and he laughed.

And for the rest of the afternoon they stood in the snow together, firing shot after shot at a nearby pine as Hak began to show her the right posture and how to get a feel for a good shot until eventually they were called inside for dinner, much to the relief of their numb fingers and toes but to Yona's overall disappointment making Hak swell with pride at her determination as if it were his own.

After Christmas dinner however and after they had all enjoyed a good hot chocolate by the fire, Yona was surprised when Hak pulled her aside once more, long after everyone else had gone to bed.

"Come on, I have one more thing for you" he said, grabbing both their jackets and boots and heading back outside again.

"Another gift?! Hak, that's too much, I only got you the one gift! I feel terrible now!" Yona said, now looking slightly dismayed but pulling on her jacket and boots and following him nonetheless.

"Don't worry It's only something small and didn't take much effort. I just figured that I should revisit that old album we listened to in the car and revise some things." He said, glancing her way to see her reaction as he brought out his guitar from where he had hidden it behind a tree earlier. When he'd had the time to do that she'd never know.

"Revise? But I love that album already, why would you need to revise it?" she asked looking more confused now than anything else.

"Nothing much, I just figured the tone could change for one in particular, given how things are now." He said giving her a small smirk and with nothing else to say Hak quickly tuned his guitar –As it had gotten out of tune due to the cold temperatures outside –before he began to strum and sing.

"I wish I could play the violin

I'd play 'til tears rolled down your cheek and chin

And if you sang along

We could write the loveliest song

Sometimes, I indulge my every whim

And piece by piece, I build the cell I'm in

But, I only stay here long enough

To write the loveliest song"

Yona's smile wasn't even comparable to the joy she felt as she instantly recognised the song upon the first few notes.

It was 'The Precipice'.

He had taken her favourite song that he'd ever written and changed the lyrics ever so slightly to match its happy and light tune.

He'd changed it from "the saddest song" to 'the loveliest', and the smile on his own face was enough to make her heart ache.

"I dreamt I stood on a hill that I wished was a mountain

To look back on all my accomplishments

Well, they must have been small, because I couldn't seem to find them

So, I took a leap off of the precipice"

As he continued on Yona slowly made her way over and sat down beside him on the rock he had uncovered from the snow, closing her eyes and absorbing the feeling of the song as the night air made her cheek grow flush.

"I wish I could play piano well

I'd hit the keys that make your spirit swell

And if you sang along

We could write the loveliest song"

At the last line of the verse she opened her eyes and looked back at Hak to find him gazing at her, eyes that breathtaking electric blue that she loved so much.

"I dreamt I stood on a hill that I wished was a mountain

To look back on all my accomplishments

Well, they must have been small, because I couldn't seem to find them

So, I took a leap off of the precipice"

"Whatever the cost

Whether it works out or not

Whatever the cost

Whether it works out or not

I'll follow you I'll follow you

I'll follow you with my heart"

As he let the last echoes of the song fade into the night Hak set aside his guitar before turning back to Yona.

"So? What do you think of the changes? Not too drastic right, but what do you think, should we keep them?" he asked, trying not to get lost in the glow her smile seemed to blind him with.

The smile that he made appear. The smile that was for him.

Oh, he could see this every day and still be rendered speechless by its radiance.

"I think you somehow managed to make my favourite song even better, if that is even possible" she replied scooching closer and leaning into his side.

"Thank you, Hak." She said, giving him a soft kiss on his neck (as while he was sitting up properly that was as high as she could reach), "This has to be the best Christmas ever."

He smiled and reached down and held her hand in his, twining their fingers together, "Anything for you, Princess." And he brought her hand to his lips giving them a soft kiss of his own.

They sat like that for awhile, just enjoying each others company as they watched the stars come out. It was quiet in a way that held nothing but contentment between them both, as though it was something they had both needed and was long overdue without either even realising it.

It was different from their time up at the fort, or when they hung out with everyone else back at the apartment. And it was certainly different from when they were together with family but this. . . this was like recharging after a long day and they both felt some hole deep inside of them begin to heal.

As the moon began to shift higher overhead, Hak finally broke the silence.

"You know, now that I think about it, it is a little unfair that you got two gifts and I only got one" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What?! Well I know but, well. . . I don't have anything else and—"

"Yes, you do" he said cutting her off.

"What do you mean?"

"Right there" he said, not even turning his gaze away from her to indicate something that might have been hidden away.

"Where? I don't –" she sputtered confusedly.

"Right here." He said leaning down and stealing her lips in a kiss.

She was rigid for barely a moment before melting into it returning his affection in kind. This might be something to get used to, this seeming fondness he seemed to have for catching her off guard with kisses. But it was one she was happy to oblige all the same.

{*****}

Hey guys, this chapter was quite rushed so I'm sorry for the pacing and mistakes (I'll be sure to go back at fix them when I can I just really wanted to get another chapter up).

Things have been hectic but that's no excuse for how late this update is or for its quality but bear with me for now.

Thanks so much for reading this far as always and I love you guys and this fandom (You're all such sweethearts and so friendly) 3