"Shhh. She's still asleep."
"Says he who snored all night," retorts Jae-Ha to Kija who's in bedding on the floor next to him.
BAM! A pillow hits Jae-Ha's face.
"Yun, is that really your first inclination every morning?"
Yun sits up with groggy eyes and a scowl for Jae-Ha. "Only toward the person who wakes me up. It's always you." Yun sighs as he glances longingly at Zeno who's still blissfully asleep.
Yona's curled up in a ball on her bed, eyes still closed but with a little smile on her face. For the past few days, this has been her favorite sound in the world - her Happy Hungry Bunch's bantering in the morning.
Since the night Hak found out about Soo-Won being alive, he's had them stationed in their room at night. Gods forbid it - if there's a coordinated attack, they'll have the best chance of protecting Yona if they're all together.
Yona loves their lively company and has always hoped they'd get to do some "sleepovers" in her palace bedroom. But…
She stares at the empty indent in the sheets next to her. Hak. He's been relentless working with the Sky Tribe warriors since that night. Up every morning before dawn. To bed long after everyone's already been down for the night.
Yona splays her hand out over the space where he should be. The emptiness of the air is a cold shock to her heart. It really, really helps that he at least sleeps next to her each night. But she still misses him. Their privacy. His touch.
Their latest conversation about Soo-Won under the great oak didn't exactly end on a romantic note. And after they sent Lili and Tae-Woo off with Shin-Ah as their guide, Yona's fears only heightened about how tense and possibly upset with her Hak must be feeling.
She's been too afraid to talk to him about it all. But until she does, she knows she won't be able to calm down.
Yona hears the pillow fight escalating in the background. Thank goodness those guys are here.
Yona sits up and turns toward her company. "Good morning."
The guys all stop mid-motion and beam up at her. Kija apologetic. Zeno with a wild smile. Yun exasperated. And Jae-Ha… with that sweet, supportive look he has when he can see right through her.
"How are you feeling, Dear?" Jae-Ha asks with sincere concern. "You know - if… your pregnancy is making you uncomfortable, I'm happy to get you anything that could help."
They both know what he's really talking about. Who, rather. Yona also knows Hak is pissed at Jae-Ha at the moment, so she's not about to go asking for any favors…
"I'm flattered you leave her in our care, but this is bordering on abandonment."
Hak lowers the meat skewer Jae-ha brought to the training grounds, "Is this your idea of good breakfast conversation or did you seriously just bait me with food so you can sit there and pester me?"
Jae-Ha shrugs. "It worked, didn't it?"
Hak sighs and bites off a chunk of meat. With the mouthful, "Don't push it. My hand's been slipping today."
Totally unphased, "She's started to show a little. Did you get to see?"
"I noticed. Not that it's your business. I'm concerned how you saw, though."
Jae-Ha rolls his eyes. Yona didn't have to pull up her gown for him to see. He notices everything about her. And it's driving him mad that Hak is being so cavalier about all of this.
Hak swallows and reaches for his cup, suppressing his true emotions at every turn. Jae-Ha has no idea what kind of turbulence he's feeling right now. How he hates that he couldn't just support the princess. That he argued with her. Hurt her. Is afraid to touch her… because she hasn't touched him. How he constantly wonders if they're even OK.
Abandonment? She is the center of his every thought every second of every day. When he comes into their bed at night, it's always when she's already asleep because he's afraid to appear before her when they're awake. Like his very presence could upset her. But no matter how long a day has been, he has trouble falling asleep. He longs to touch her.
He stares at her. Cherishes every inch. Most of all, her rising chest and swelling belly. Her bump is only slight, but he's noticed alright. Just last night he reached his hand out just an inch from it, dying to feel her warmth and fullness there. But he held himself back. Like he will continue to until he knows she wants him like that.
It's been days since they've made love. They've gone this long before… but never with something this unresolved between them. His need for her has gotten so strong he's become irrationally irritable on the training grounds and has been surprising himself with his bursts of anger. What a lover's touch can do to calm a man's body, his spirit, is incomparable...
"Your Highness."
Both Hak and Jae-Ha look up at one of the palace servants who's just arrived.
"I apologize for my interruption. I know you're very busy training. However, a couple lords from the Water Tribe just arrived and brought a gift."
Hak just stares at the young boy. He hates this stuff. And he's so tense he doubts he can even try to be civil.
Always able to read a room, Jae-Ha goes in for the save, "Is this something I could handle in his stead? His Majesty," a moniker which he can't help but smile about as he rattles off, "is, as you said, quite busy."
The servant boy blushes at this complication. "Um… well, you see, the gift may not be something he wishes to share."
Hak accidentally snaps his wooden skewer in half. Jae-Ha notes that his friend is in a state that could use some relief. Maybe he needs a break after all...
The servant boy is shaking, but doesn't give up. "Please come and see. The lords are certain His Majesty will be pleased."
Lili rubs her eyes and yawns as she finally wakes up. Ugh, her body aches like hell. They rode and trained so long yesterday she thought she'd die.
She apprehensively opens her eyes to see - Shin-Ah, quietly sitting there scratching Ao's belly and staring at her. Lili is surprised to feel relief at this odd sight. What's more awkward: waking up to Shin-Ah or Tae-Woo? Apparently, even the mask doesn't put Shin-Ah over the edge on that one.
Lili heads out of the tent to find Tae-Woo so they can start their day. They've been traveling horseback on a road along the edge of a forest. She guesses he probably went into the woods to catch breakfast. She starts along a path that goes in between the trees.
Fuck, this hurts! Lili tries to get her mind off her body. She focuses on positive thoughts. Like that she's pretty proud of herself for surviving this far. And she's been getting along with Tae-Woo pretty well without feeling weird about it. Sure, as a precaution she's been comfortable keeping their conversations sorta wooden and impersonal, but she's thinking she can probably be real with him now and possibly even have an actual friendship.
Ever since she pieced together Tae-Woo is always with Han-Dae - like, always - and realized that maybe Tae-Woo's fixation isn't on a girl at all, she's found some ease around him. Yes, there's still this weird sadness that's lingered ever since she figured that out. Disappointment. But that's ridiculous. What is there to be disappointed about? Nothing ever happened. Nor was it gonna. It's not like he ever made a move on her.
She's just a girl at a marriable age - confusing physical and emotional feelings are only natural.
Lili hears something in the distance. Must be him!
Tae-Woo bursts up through the surface of the cold water and flicks his hair back before swimming to a shallower area of the small lake.
Washing off feels great. He'd woken up extra early in the morning to do some hardcore training. That's what Hak would've done. Being out on the road like this, you've got to be in shape for a threat at any time.
Later in the day he'll continue some basic training with Lady Lili. She said that's what Yona would've done - kept training even on the journey. Not that they have much choice anyway. They only have until coronation to get this right.
At least they have horses and can take main roads most of the way. Yona and Hak definitely didn't have that luxury.
Speaking of, Yona and Hak must've had to sleep in the same tent sometimes, too. Wonder how Hak did that… 'cause when Lady Lili sleeps, sometimes she turns and is pressed right up against him and-
Tae-Woo cuts his train of thought off, as he often has done since starting training with Lady Lili. He's afraid of where his thoughts might go if he doesn't keep check on them. Any guy alone with a girl, having to touch each other everyday, sleep next to each other at night - any guy could end up seriously confused in a situation like this. But he's seen her with Jae-Ha enough times. He knows, with this girl, he's not allowed to get confused.
"Tae-W-"
Tae-Woo flips around in the water to see Lili pop out of the trees onto the lake bank.
Why are her eyes so wide…?
OH! Tae-Woo looks down - his torso is exposed all the way down to the top of his pelvic V. She can't see that, but she can see a whole lot.
Lili simultaneously realizes she's in no way averting her eyes, so she throws a hand up over her face.
Pound. Pound. Pound. Her heart has forgotten nothing.
Oh no… as feared, Tae-Woo's similarities with Hak do not end at hair color and attitude.
Lili feels a tingling in her core inspired by the visual she can't get out of her head. Those. Abs. Whether this guy is into guys or not, so much for her keeping her composure from here on out.
Tae-Woo quickly moves into deeper water while noting Lady Lili looks mortified with that hand over her face. Oh crap, she's gonna tell Jae-Ha who's gonna tell Hak who's gonna… damn it, I've already accidentally crossed the line.
"He's just been getting so much attention," Yona confides.
Mundok smiles down at Yona as only someone recognizing a familiar phase in life can. They're sitting together on Hak's favorite bench. And Hak is the only topic that the princess has been interested in talking about today.
"That's true, I heard about the tournament they'd like him to fight in to get the citizens excited," Mundok affirms.
"It's not even just the big things like that for Kouka. You wouldn't believe how many people have already asked to sit and break bread with him."
"If they were smart, they'd all be asking for time with you."
Yona glows at that suggestion from someone she respects so much, "Everyone is used to how things were before this, right? I think it'll be some time before they fully embrace Hak and I's unique arrangement here. In any event, I have my fair share of requests, too. I'm just… used to Hak being there with me."
"I think he'd like to be."
Yona looks up at the elder with hope, "Really?"
Mundok wants to laugh, but he keeps serious. He remembers being young and insecure. It's no laughing matter when you're living it.
"You know why your father loved Hak? Because he could trust him to be honest no matter what. The boy might even be incapable of lying. And he would never lie to you. I have a feeling you two would do well to have a nice long talk about all this."
Yona nervously curls her fingers into the fabric of her gown, "I know."
"I haven't seen you head anywhere this fast in a week."
Yona stops her rush toward the training grounds to see Jae-Ha up on the edge of a red roof.
"Oh, it's good you're here! If Hak saw me without a bodyguard I'd never hear the end of it."
"My pleasure," Jae-Ha deftly lands at her side and continues down the path, "though I do have a favor to ask."
"Sure," Yona offers.
"Please don't hate me."
Yona stops and turns to look at him, "...you did something?"
Jae-Ha cringes a little bit, "It wasn't premeditated at all. The situation… was not the best. I was making light of a bad, bad-"
"You can just tell me, Jae-Ha."
With a deep breath, "Some Water Tribe nobles brought Hak a rather forward gift in the form of royal concubines."
Yona lifts a hand to her mouth, her eyes nearly popping out of her head, as her body fills with fear and rage.
Jae-Ha quickly clarifies, "Don't worry, Dear, you should have seen it. Hak would have nothing to do with them and - well, as politely as he could, which was not very polite at all - he rejected the 'gift.'"
With her emotions on high from the pregnancy, Yona feels a thousand different things. She wants to cry. She wants to kill a couple Water Tribe nobles. She wants to vomit. She wants to stop hyperventilating.
"Breathe in, breathe out," Jae-Ha encourages. "Nothing happened, other than the Water Tribe nobles were upset and I offered that perhaps the ladies could stay and maybe others at the palace could enjoy their company. I love spending time with beautiful women. ...and I may have joked that even Lili could enjoy it."
Yona's mouth drops. "So Hak asked what you meant."
"He wouldn't let it go," Jae-Ha apologizes. "She's off with Tae-Woo right now so he's… sensitive on the topic."
"And you told him what happened?" Yona closes her eyes in dread.
"In private, I explained where I'd gotten that idea… yes."
"Is he mad?"
"At me? Absolutely. At you? Dear, he seems… very pent up right now. I know you two had a disagreement and are giving one another space, but I don't think that's working out so well. For either of you. Please go put him out of his misery."
Yona looks at her green dragon with worry, "But I can't bring Tae-Woo back. I can't undo the misunderstanding with Lili. How?"
"Easy, Dear. Kiss him."
SWOOSH! Hak swings his glaive at a Sky soldier, but his mind is off somewhere in a fog.
So something like that happened to the princess and she wasn't comfortable telling him about it? What must she think of him?
And there's no way he can let her find out about the "gift" today from someone else before he tells her. She'll definitely worry, especially with how things have been lately. He cannot let her feel that. Not when she has absolutely nothing to ever worry about when it comes to that. And she never has.
Hak nearly hits the guy he's fighting. He stops in his tracks.
Damn it. He's gotta go get his head straight before someone gets hurt. This is it. He's got to talk to her.
Hak is taking his gear off in the room where the Sky warriors change their clothes when he hears the door lock behind him.
He minds where his glaive is placed before turning to see-
"Princess."
Yona stands before the doorway in a cloak, her face concerned but hopeful.
She doesn't say a word as she strides over to him and he can't help but start toward her.
She grabs his face and pulls his lips down to hers with a passion he returns in full.
All their worldly worries seem to evaporate in the moment.
Yona pulls away and takes a step back. Her fingers fly to the tie at the front of her cloak. It falls. She has nothing else on.
Hak feels himself hardening at the sight. His heart is pounding, his breathing intensifying.
Yona lowers her fingers to herself and then lifts them. They're glistening. She's so wet.
"Hak, I hope you don't mind. I really, really need you right now."
And even though there's so much he wants to say, Hak has always been best at expressing himself physically.