"And take this," Jae-Ha hands Hak a small canteen, "...to ease her pain."
"I'm not gonna encourage the princess to drink when she's upset."
"It's not for that, Little Brother," Jae-Ha lifts his brows into a telling expression that Hak immediately understands.
Swiping the object from his friend's hand, "Right. Thanks."
Jae-Ha watches Hak walk to her tent in the woods, open the cloth door, spilling light into the night, then disappear inside.
To Yun and the dragons close by, "You guys should move your tent a ways over. Give them some privacy. I'll keep watch that no one's coming."
As they all go, Yun eyes Jae-Ha, "Pervert."
Jae-Ha sighs. It was easier to simply be a pervert before I knew I really loved her.
Hak climbs down next to where Yona sits and pulls her against his broad chest. Yona's eyes are wide, wet orbs. She closes them in relief. He's here. She wraps her arms around him. Her man. Don't go.
They hold and hold, pressed tightly against one another, the smell of the day on them both - the floral scent of Saika's garden, the masculine radiance of Jae-Ha's jacket still on her shoulders, and the fresh presence of Yona's tears. Hak buries his face into her hair and she lets him. He feels one of her hands creep up to his necklaces, as to verify they're both still there. He moves a hand over hers and gives it a squeeze. Of course they're still there.
He pulls back and brushes her crimson locks behind her ears so he can look at her, "Want to talk about it?"
She shakes her head, "Not yet... I miss you."
He smiles encouragingly, "I'm right here."
"I know…" that's not it.
He knows what she means. This sucks. They're together but apart. All the time. That little distance between them feels like miles.
"Stay?"
He's not sure how long is ok, given their proximity to so many prying eyes. People who'd take any excuse to kill him or even them both. But in his heart... there's nowhere he'd rather be. He's waited to be able to be this close to her at a time like this for over half his life.
"For just a little bit longer?" she pleads, separation anxiety rising, "I need you," both hands cling onto his robe, desperate not to let him go.
I need you. He plays her words over and over in his head as pulls her into his arms, "Are you kidding, Princess? I'm not leaving until you send me away."
She nuzzles her face against his perfectly-muscled pecks, then lifts her face up and kisses his neck, "How could I ever do that?"
He runs his hands through her hair, his eyes heavy with affection, "After seeing another man down on his knees for you today, I do like reassurance."
"Oh, Hak," she runs a hand up to his cheek and pulls his face down to hers, grabbing his lips in a sweet kiss, offering herself to him - he surprises her with the immediate strength of his return, taking her mouth with a possessiveness that weakens her under him as it kindles an incredible fire in her core. He's never kissed her quite like this before. Not needy - telling. His arms wrap around her gently but firm, muscles flexed, she cocooned in his intoxicating jealousy.
She moans and realizes she's losing herself already - she pulls away to catch her breath, and make clear, before the topic is completely lost in the night, "You have nothing to worry about."
Oh but the way he looks at her, "I worry every day," not taking his eyes off her, he lifts the canteen he brought and slips it into her hands, "Every day since I met you… how troublesome."
As she looks down at the canteen and tries to calm the heat rising in her cheeks, "I heard. I threw off that nap schedule of yours."
"Completely ruined it," he loosens the cap on the canteen for her and nudges her hands to bring it to her lips, "Drink. It'll soothe some of the pain."
They're both practically panting for one another now, but they're trying to communicate before giving in to their wants.
Pain. Yona eyes where now she's allowed to because she's his wife - that incredible place between his legs. Her mouth opens ever so slightly as she begins to think about this powerful, headstrong man helplessly aroused for her...
Hak tries to slow what's becoming inevitable, encourages her to drink more, distracts, "What happened tonight? ...I'm your husband now, I need to know."
Ooo that possessiveness again. Yona breathes deeply to steady. That's right, no longer just her bodyguard and friend. Though he would've wanted to know back then, too. But now… all the more, everything that happens to her happens to him, as well. They are entwined. Yona tips back more of the strong liquid, her attitude tonight completely reactionless to the burn on her throat. She'll take it. There are things that hurt far worse right now.
"We encountered a lost family from Kai, fleeing the war."
Hak immediately knows what that would have meant to her. He's a former war general, after all - a master of the chessboard of Kouka. And, to the same level of skill, the princess' heart for her people.
"Are they OK?"
She drinks again, "Zeno took them to Tae-Jun."
Hak pushes air out of his nostrils as he looks to the side in an "of course" sorta way. Yona squeezes his hand, changing the subject, "You didn't sleep well last night?"
He doesn't want to get into that, "Did you?"
She shakes her head, "Even if I try not to think about it… every second I'm anxious about this war."
He puts a hand on the canteen to stop her, "That's enough," he sets it to the side, "I know you. You're going, no matter what anyone says. But whatever happens there, it is not your fault."
Her face creases in self-anger at her inability to believe that.
He sighs and pulls her fully onto his lap, "What can I do-" he traces fingers over the creases on her forehead, "-to keep my wife from getting more wrinkles?"
Yona, totally surprised and semi-offended, breaks into a laugh while smacking his arm, "You always-!"
"I've gotta take care of you! I've swore to too many times at this point," he smiles down at her, she beaming love back up at him, "Imagine how much trouble I'd be in if anything happened to you?" he starts counting the liabilities, "The old man would kill me, King Il would meet me with an axe in the afterlife and he doesn't even touch weapons, the gods would-"
She grabs the collar of his robe and pulls his mouth down onto hers, Jae-Ha's liquid taking full effect in easing her body… and chasing away every last inhibition. She's going to have this man - now.
Jae-Ha stands against a tree in the moonlight, a good distance from Yona's tent, but not far enough away to miss the sound of her laughter emanating from within it.
How does he do it? Jae-Ha is amazed. She was in such a state just minutes before. He had tried to cheer her up himself, but every attempt returned only silence. She wasn't trying to be mean, he was sure, she simply was in a stupor. Hak, somehow, can pull her out of those every time.
Then he starts to hear her moaning. Oh. Well, that makes sense. After he's cheered her up... and I gave them that alcohol for a reason. More moaning. Jae-Ha sighs and looks up at the moon, suddenly trying to distract himself with memories of his own previous escapades. If he can just think about some other woman…
He smiles sadly. This isn't working.
"Princess!" Hak is both thrilled and worried by her intensity. She has him completely disrobed on top and is working her hands to free the rest of him. He's helping her, but barely keeping up.
"Yona…" she instructs as she licks his abs.
What the hell did Jae-Ha have in that thing? Hak isn't exactly complaining as he wonders and watches in awe. Yona is now masterfully removing her own clothing. Hak was going to mention that she didn't need to do this for him, but he picked up along the way here that this clearly was not just for him. And as far as he's concerned, if she needs something from him… this sort of something… it's hers.
Her breasts now exposed, he instinctively reaches a hand forward to cup one. She looks down at his erection like a cup of water after a marathon through the desert. Seriously, Jae-Ha, what the hell was that?! Her mouth is on it and she's sucking. He gasps and starts focusing on breathing, trying not to come quickly. This is amazing. For all the years he's wanted to make love to her, he never once guessed she'd be this eager about sex.
Yona moans with him in her mouth. She's quickly fallen in love with this part of him. Not only that it visually fascinates and draws her in, or that it fits inside her so perfectly and hits such elusive places, but most of all because of what it does to him. She can feel him feeling from there. And there are so many times she's wanted to comfort Hak.
She licks all the way from the base to the tip and takes it from the head into of her mouth once more.
Hak has his hands on her shoulders now, "Wow-whoa... slow down."
She looks up at him in question with innocent eyes, her mouth glistening wet and his cock gripped in her hands.
"It's too good... I'll come," he's trying to slow his heart, but her beauty and curiosity aren't helping.
She smiles mischievously, "What is it you were saying earlier?"
Uh oh. He watches her climb onto him with a naughty little fire in her eyes. She places her hands on his great shoulders, looks down as though assessing a challenge, then slowly lowers herself onto him, letting out a little cry as his cock penetrates her.
Inch by inch she slowly slides down, filling herself with him. He holds his hands on her hips and momentarily loses his mind into his own pleasure. She leans against his hard chest, gasping.
"If it hurts…"
She smiles against him, "You're so predictable, Hak."
He twitches inside of her and she moans. He praises into her ear, "All the unpredictability was taken by someone else… Yona."
With a deep blush, she wraps her arms around his neck further and uses her knees to life her vagina off of him a ways and then to fall back down, pushing him in deeper yet. They both gasp amazement. She giggles despite the pain. Fucking with Hak while fucking trumps everything else.
She begins bouncing more and more on him and he helps with his strong hands on her hips. She watches his arm and ab muscles flex and is wildly turned on. Her moaning is loud and passionate. Hak can't even keep his own audible pleasure in check. Incredible.
Then their eyes meet and suddenly all the playfulness melts into something more. He grabs her mouth in a wordless I love you, then looks into her eyes again, expressing the deepest I'm yours she's ever seen, felt, or heard.
Jae-Ha hears their climax, both of them, loud and clear. Newlyweds, he sighs. Hearing them almost makes him want to get married. He's had his share of great sex. But to anyone who could have beheld the succession of events tonight would know, what just happened between those two was something far more. Soul-moving?
Yona climbs off Hak, a portion of his semen slipping out from inside her and traveling down her thighs. He sees that and thinks about that pregnancy talk again… but tonight is not the night.
He grabs one more kiss from her lips before starting to put his clothes back on. She watches bittersweetly, "You have to go, right?"
As he pulls his pants up, "I promised not until you send me away. But… I'm asking you to."
She pouts, knowing it's the right thing, "Jae-Ha keeps telling me it's only for a little while. Things being like this."
Hak finishes pulling his outer robe on, "I won't let this go on much longer."
"Just touching you… it calms me so much. Just being near… you've always kept my nightmares away."
"I'm never far. And I know that's not good enough. As your husband, that's really not good enough."
She hands him Jae-Ha's overcoat, "I'm sure he's cold out there."
Hak remembers.. Jae-Ha… probably standing right out there.
Yona leans forward and pecks Hak on the lips, "I'm sending you away. Go warm up my Jae-Ha and send him back to me. I'll be dressed in just a moment."
"I need to talk with him about something, so I'll leave Kija outside for a short while. Jae-Ha will be at your side before you know it," he looks bittersweetly back at her, "You know, he can keep nightmares away, too. If you let him."
When Hak arrives at Jae-Ha and hands him his overcoat, the green dragon has an impressed smile on his face and is nearly at a loss for words, "...well done."
"Pervert," Hak sighs, then, "Come with me."
Jae-Ha has no idea what's going on but follows. They swing by the Bunch and send Kija to watch over Yona's tent. Then Hak walks and walks, leading Jae-Ha much further away from their camp then he would have thought necessary.
"You're starting to worry me…"
"You can stop worrying. I'm not leading you out into the middle of nowhere to kill you."
"But the thought crossed your mind, right?"
Hak smiles thoughtfully, sadly, "Kind of the opposite."
Now Jae-Ha's really fascinated. Hak stops at a promontory over a lake reflecting the moon and takes a seat on the end. Jae-Ha sits next to him. It's silent, beautiful.
"Wow, finding a place like this in the middle of the night… is there anywhere you haven't been, Hak?"
"I'm well-studied more than well-traveled. Remember, I've had a impossible princess to look after for a long, long time."
"I'm guessing she's why you brought me all the way out here?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Always."
Hak is silent for a while, unsure how to start. Then finally, without looking at Jae-Ha, "This is gonna sound strange at first, but I'm serious."
Somehow, Jae-Ha doesn't need Hak to say another word. A foreboding feeling is creeping.
"I have a favor to ask. You can consider it the most important thing I'll ever ask of you."
Why are tears already in my eyes? Jae-Ha wants Hak to stop.
Hak looks down over the lake, then up at the moon. Finally he turns his face, looking Jae-Ha directly in the eyes, "If something happens to me… no, think of it as… if one day the princess cannot stand, please... let her to fall on you."
"What…" Jae-Ha's breathing is labored, "...kind of metaphor is that?"
Hak remains serious, "It has to be you."
Jae-Ha looks around in frustration, then stands. Hak rises, watching him.
"What the hell, Hak. What the HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"
Hak doesn't respond, waits for him to calm down.
"What are you planning?! This is insane… completely insane!"
"There's something I need to take care of."
"Oh, don't talk to me like I don't know what THAT is!"
"You only know a portion of how deep this goes. It has to end now."
The way Hak finished that sentence silences Jae-Ha for a moment. The depth of pain and hatred there… but-
"Do you love her at all?"
"How can you ask me that?!" now Hak is incredulous.
"You are talking about going off and dying!"
"FOR HER!"
"That's not what she wants!"
"It's to get her what she needs!"
"Is this the kind of man you are?! You marry a girl, have her fall madly in love with you, then disappear - but only after making arrangements to pass her to a friend?!"
Hak's eyes flash but there's a sadness there so strong that any anger dies on the spot.
Jae-Ha lunges and punches - smashing Hak across the face, knocking him to the ground. He looks down at his dear friend as he shakes his hand in pain. The sight of him taking the hit like he deserved it… that troubles Jae-Ha very deeply. He extends a hand down to Hak, who takes it. Once up, Jae-Ha pulls him into a hug, embracing him tightly, desperately as if to stop him.
"Don't you know how much she needs you?"
Hak is almost in tears himself, "She thinks she'll die without me."
Jae-Ha trembles as he realizes that may be true.
"That's why I'm asking you… if worst comes to worst, save her."
Jae-Ha steps back, looking his friend in the eyes seriously, "It's not up to me, Hak."
"I know her better than anyone. It has to be you."
"There are other men who could step in and provide for her far better. Tae-Jun-"
"She doesn't love him. She cares for him, she does not love him."
Hak and Jae-Ha hold eyes, the magnitude of that sentence transferring between them. Then Hak finishes it, "Only someone she loves could possibly save her spirit."
Jae-Ha's eyes are wide, he's so mixed up, but all he can manage is what his heart is screaming, "...don't do it, Hak."
Hak only looks sad. Regretful. Resolved. Jae-Ha watches him walk away. His dear friend. Little brother. The conversation has ended. He closes his eyes to think. But he can't. There's only pain. Doesn't that beast know how much he loves him, too?