Day Seven: Soulmates

Soulmate AU in which every person has "soul words", or words written across their skin that say what their soulmate thinks of them at the moment.

Part One: Yona:

For the first half of her life, the nape of Yona's neck reads "Yona-hime". It's simple and fitting for any person in Kouka. It tells her nothing, and as such, Yona ignores it.

A few days after the embarrassing incident with Kan Tae-jun, one of her attendees lets out a yelp. "Yona-hime" changed to "my princess". The word choice makes her flush, remembering back to the incident and a certain new bodyguard. Still, though, it was not so different that it required pondering. It did not, she insists to anyone who asked. Absolutely not.

After the close run-in with the mountain snakes, Hak quietly informs her that the symbols for "my princess" have become bold. It's as if someone wrote the words and refused to stop tracing them. They are rough, now, and almost messy with emotion. In her current state, Yona acknowledges the information but doesn't ponder over it.

It's Yoon who tells her the words don't actually stay the same all the time. Sometimes they show things like "trouble" and "worrisome". More often, they say "brave" and "lovely". Yoon blushes, but doesn't hesitate to tell her "temptation" appeared at times as well. Even with all these new choices, though, the words always revert back to "my princess".

After they meet Kija, Hak murmurs that "my princess" is no longer bold. The words are less emotional, too. Whoever her soulmate is, they seem to have settled.

Shin-ah blushes and tells her that sometimes, too quickly for the regular eye to catch, "my princess" changes to "mine" and back again.

Jae-ha jokingly says that her soulmate must be a possessive bastard, but Yona shakes her head. They are, to an extent. Her words reflect that. But at the same time, they don't make her feel owned. Just safe. Safe like in Fuuga.

Zeno tells her he's amazed "Hiryuu" doesn't appear among her words, though that might just mean it's someone who doesn't know she's a reincarnation yet. Hak says maybe her soulmate just doesn't care; maybe she's just Yona to them.

After Hak's confession, her words change to "you, damn it!" Because of course they do.

Part Two: Hak:

Hak's left shoulder blade* lacks any words, but for the typical ones kids think about soulmates in general. Among them are primarily "my future" and "annoying". Sometimes, they change to "Kouka's future" and "future king". No one tells him of the latter two.

Once he arrives at the castle, an attendant hesitantly tells him that his words have changed to one thing and one thing only. "Soo-won". He takes the news quietly and knowingly. His old man has already told him that sometimes, people are unlucky enough to have their soulmate so utterly convinced their soulmate is someone else, that that name reflects on their actual soulmate. He just never thought he'd be one of them. He never thought he'd know the name. He never thought he might know his soulmate from the other name alone.

After the incident with Kan Tae-jun, the name "Soo-won" disappears. Nothing appears in its place for several days. When it does, it makes both the attendant telling him and Hak himself blush. "Mine". After all the time with someone else's name on his skin, it feels like acceptance.

His soul words change regularly after that. "Annoyance" is a popular one, but so are "helpful", "strong", and "brave".

"Mine" still makes an appearance every now and then.

Hak runs from the castle with only Yona by his side. When he arrives at Fuuga, Mundok tells him his shoulder has gone blank again. By the time they reach Ik-soo's, it's changed to "protect". He's not sure what to think about that, so he chooses to think nothing at all. They have dragons to find.

Kija glimpses his soul word by accident. He's not sure what to think of "safe" anymore than he is of the previous words.

After the entire Awa incident, Jae-ha tells him his word has changed to "stay". Hak thinks that one is easy. After all, he has no intention of leaving Yona's side.

*Why yes, Hak's soul words are on his left shoulder blade because that's where he got shot protecting Yona. Because why not go for any and all angst possible while you can?

I hope you all enjoyed, and please review!