A/N: Whoops - a lot decided to happen in this chapter ^^; At the point I realized... "wow, hey, this chapter is very long!" I decided to split it in two. So without further ado, here is Part One...
Yona is surprised when Hak leaves her in Mundok's care for the afternoon. It isn't like him to leave her when he's concerned. Even stranger, it isn't like him to go make preparations.
Sure, historically he's been known venture off on his own… but to weapon shops. And obviously he's well-versed in making preparations when it's for a battle.
But this is neither of those things. This is beyond what Yona understands to be the scope of any Wind boys' activities in general. Hak is off making preparations for her. A girl. His lover.
Yona is so curious she can barely stand it.
It's hours later when Hak returns. But the room he left Yona in is empty.
He can't help it when his heart speeds up and his mind starts racing through unlikely and terrible scenarios. Of course, he weighs them all as though they probably just happened.
So now he's rushing through the palace halls, breaking into a full run and looking around frantically. He's sweating - and he's not the kind of guy who sweats even while training with a dozen men.
Hak tries to imagine where she could have gone. But she's not in her room. Not with the dragons and Yun. Not with Min-Soo. Just when his hand starts itching for a glaive and his eyes begin to narrow into beast mode-
-there's Mundok standing outside Hak's old room.
Oh? She went here? Hak's surprised, alright. He approaches to set his heart at ease.
"Couldn't have stayed in one place, eh?"
Mundok glances sideways at his fired-up grandson, "You can't leave a flower in a dark room and expect it to grow. She needed fresh air."
"The air in there is definitely not fresh," Hak cringes, staring at his door.
Mundok looks upward as though speaking to the gods, "The princess misses him and he still complains."
Hak shakes his head as he passes and enters his room to find her - and there she is at the window, perfectly framed, the light reflecting off her mesmerizing crimson locks.
Yona turns with a bright smile to see him, "It was so rare for me to ever come in here."
"I wasn't aware you ever did…" Hak scratches the back of his head, still in disbelief that she's even in here now. The room's not much compared to what she was used to.
"Well," Yona comes to him, wraps her arms around his firm waist, and snuggles her face against his chest. Oh, I missed you… "Sometimes when I wanted to come get you, I stood there in the door when you opened it. I may have peeked a little..."
Hak laughs in a breath as he recalls - he was always shocked back in those moments, too. Why come for him when she had dozens of servants at her beck and call? Yet he was always secretly pleased when she did. He always wanted to be near her. Speaking of... "You never stay put when I ask you to, did you know that?"
Yona can hear his still-rapid heartbeat, "Were you worried?"
"Terrified."
She looks up at his serious expression and her countenance slips into concern.
Seeing that, Hak adds, "But every time I get to be this relieved," and he brushes a strand of hair away as he caresses her cheek.
"I'm glad," Yona reaches her hands up and pulls his face down to hers. The return of his lips is so needy it takes her breath away. And she realizes just how concerned he truly must have been.
When they pull apart… "So… where do I get to be alone with you tonight?"
Hak looks to the side of the simple room, his cheeks turning pink, "Just come along. You'll see."
Yona feels something glow deep inside her. Aww, Hak's embarrassed...
The moon is full in the sky, trees casting deep shadows and fireflies aglow as Hak leads Yona cloaked on horseback along a trail lined by tall grass.
Yona is thoroughly enjoying her view. Tonight Hak is wearing those formal Wind Tribe robes she likes so much. Though she hasn't yet let go of the fact that he didn't give her time to put on anything particularly ornate herself - just a simple day dress. How is it fair that he gets to look so good while her hair is unruly and body cloaked?
Yona stops her pouty train of thought when she sees it - a gorgeous bath house on the edge of this forest just beyond the palace grounds. It appears so welcoming. Warm light spills out into the foliage. Clear pools of water from natural springs spill off to the side and out behind the edifice.
"Hak…" Yona's mouth is agape, her eyes taking in the pretty, secret wonder.
Hak's still looking forward as he leads her, "I promised I would do my best to do everything right if it's with you," finally he stops and turns to her, so shy but sincere, "In the Wind Tribe, when a husband learns his wife is with child, it's tradition for him to honor her and celebrate together. A night alone, a special feast, and thanks to the gods."
"Hak…" Yona is still speechless.
Hak blushes as he helps Yona down from the horse so she can take in this beautiful place she's never been. Unlike Hak, who has countless secret spots in the woods around Fuuga from his childhood, Yona was never allowed to step foot outside the palace to find special places. That's a major part of why he chose here.
"If you'd like… this can be somewhere only we know," he reaches out for her hand.
Yona places her hand in his, "I'd love that," then as he leads her, "This is incredible. How did you find it?"
"Well, technically Mundok knows about it and the servants who prepared it tonight. But few know it exists because it was your mother's."
"Hhh," Yona gasps, tears welling in her eyes.
Hak turns, "Is it OK?"
But Yona's smiling now, "It's perfect," looking up at Hak, "I've never been to a place I knew was special to my mother and father before. ...you taking me here to celebrate our baby and give thanks… it feels… like maybe somehow, somewhere they can feel this happiness with us."
Hak squeezes Yona's hand. I like that thought, too. When they reach the threshold, Hak stops them, "There's one condition."
"Hm?"
"You're not a princess tonight."
Yona looks up at Hak in shock, "Is that part of the tradition?!"
Hak searches, "Sort of… technically there are no princesses in the Wind Tribe. But what I mean is… I want you to relax. Pretend we're just a boy and a girl from a village. On this kind of night, they're allowed one responsibility only," he's serious now, "to love and be loved."
"Hhh!" Yona gasps again as Hak so suddenly scoops her up in his arms and carries her over the threshold. It's a beautiful, perfectly-sized room with sitting and sleeping arrangements. Yona's cheeks are pink, eyes sparkling. Hak is being so romantic…?!
Hak gently sits her down on tatami mats at a low table on the floor and kisses the top of her head before heading to the other side of the room.
Yona watches him return with a tray of various foods already prepared for them. Hak notices Yona is off in her head, almost frowning at the tray.
"Not hungry?" he offers as though he'd happily whisk it all away as quickly as he brought it.
"Oh!" Yona regains herself and then with a little embarrassment, "Sorry, I was thinking of you as a village boy and me a village girl and then realized… you never would have married me."
"I would have."
Wow, there was zero hesitation there. But... Yona pleads, "No way! Remember when you brought me back to the Wind Tribe the first time? All the elders were at a loss at how I could be so… I can't do any of the things a wife should," she looks down at the tray and laments, "I can't cook at all."
Hak lifts the towel off one of the baskets.
Yona looks down, "Bean jam buns?!" her eyes widen at the meaning behind these for she and Hak - from a time when they were both at the palace before, "Did you ask for these to be here?"
"I wonder…" he feigns innocence.
"You hated when I made these for you!"
He lifts one and takes a bite, "Relax, Princess…," then correcting himself, "I mean, Yona. Do you know why I ate all of them that day?"
"You said it was so no one else would be poisoned."
"Because you said you wanted to make something for someone you loved. And…" now he's blushing big time, "you said you were making them for me."
Yona's breathing quickens. He remembered. But, "Then why did you tell my dad they were awful?"
"They were truly terrible. I could barely keep them down."
Pouting, "You're not making any sense, Hak. Why are you bringing this up like that's a good memory?"
Looking straight in her eyes, "Bean jam buns have been my favorite food since that day."
In the second Yona feels that sentiment hit her heart, Hak leans over the table and steals a kiss from her lips. When he pulls away he affirms, "I would have married you."
Yona stares at this crazy man.
Hak goes on, "When you love someone… doesn't anything that comes from them become precious?" then smirking, "If we were villagers, I would have died from your food. ...but I would have died happy."
Yona is half-glowing and half-ready-to-hit-him. As she reaches to enjoy a bun with him, she notices the wedding band on her finger. Hak had spent most of the money he'd earned from being her bodyguard and saved in Fuuga in order to get it on the day of their wedding. It's true that men like Tae-Jun or Soo-Won could have afforded something triple the expense and beyond. But to Yona, this ring is the most precious, perfect piece of jewelry she'll ever own.
"Hak," Yona starts as she works on an enormous bite.
"Hmm?" He responds, chewing his own.
"I would have married you, too."
He stops chewing for a second. Yona knows he naturally doesn't believe her.
"You think I didn't ever notice you."
Still not chewing.
Yona wipes some red bean from off her cheek with mild embarrassment, "I wouldn't have been so self-conscious all the time if I didn't know you were there."
Hak smiles a little as he begins to chew again.
"Always making those rude remarks!" Yona doesn't let go, then, "But you were always looking out for me. I don't know how to describe it… I always felt comfortable with you. Safe."
Making his point, "You can feel that way with friends though. You don't necessarily marry your friends."
"Hak," she demands he listen, "if you were a village boy and I was a village girl, I would have married you. Even in the palace when," she hates saying it, but, "there were reasons I should have looked other places for suitors first, didn't I always come running to you for everything? Ask you to come with me everywhere? More than anyone else. I didn't recognize it at first because I was so used to you always being there and I didn't have any context. ...but the feeling was always there. You were always special to me. More special than just a friend."
Hak looks down at the tray of food as he tries to regulate his body so he doesn't look as moved as he is. Yona knows every behavior of his, so of course she notices. But she just enjoys watching the struggle and doesn't say a word.
Still looking down, Hak moves a hand over one of Yona's, then musters something, if even a new topic, "I'm relieved to see you ate something."
Yona bites her lower lip, "When I'm with you, my body gets so at ease sometimes it forgets there was ever any discomfort."
Hak slowly looks up from their hands, following the line of her beautiful extended slender arm to her face, lip still trapped under her gentle bite.
Oh no. Hak's plan was not to pressure Yona into anything physical tonight. He wants her body to heal and be rested. But the way she's looking at him now… well maybe he can control himself?
So he does what he always can't not with this girl he loves, "If you have the energy… the moon is still out. Wanna go for a swim?"
A/N: I'm sure you can see where this is going... to the steamy outdoors.