Memento mori || Jongsang ✓

17| Quassation

Yeosang breaks the rules he is supposed to follow, not long after they leave the commanders' building. He steps up to Jongho's side when no one is around, his eyes look down at their pacing boots, "Are you mad at me?" he asks, silence clinging to the tone while his stomach rumbles with some kind of guilt. Yeosang does not wish for Jongho to think badly of him.

"No, I am not," Jongho answers shortly with a heavy sigh, gently sliding his hand down the boy's arm until their fingers mold into a hold. Yeosang glances down at their hands and smiles at the warmth he feels. His heart might start singing in glee. "Eventually, I knew it would happen."

Yeosang is unsure of how honest the other knight is, but instead of letting the mood fall worse, he presses Jongho's hand and lets a small sheepish smile rise to his lips, "Do not worry, Jongho, although I might be without experience yet, you can still call me a knight, officially." The string of timbre has the other smirk down at him as he pulls Yeosang with him through the door to his chamber, a shriek escaping his mouth in surprise.

"How lucky I am to have the allowance for that, my knight."

_____

Evening has reached the fortress and the pair enters the filled feast hall. The boy is not surprised when San notices them almost immediately and waves them to the long wooden table he sits by.

"Have you been busy with your training? It feels as if I have not seen you for days!" Unexpectedly, Yeosang blushes at the blonde man's exclamation and stares down at his hands when they seat. San is right, he has been rather busy this week, but not only because of what he thinks. Jongho minds his own wooden plate while they speak.

"Ye-yes, I am sorry," the boy replies, but his apology is denied by the other knight.

"No, do not feel sorry! I have spent a lot of time helping Theo anyway," San says as he forks a piece of meat and puts it into his mouth. Then he gazes up at Yeosang with his bright blue eyes and he leans forward over the table, "He burnt his one hand awfully in the fire the other day - so, he needs my hands for the coming time. But do not tell anyone this, he hates when others feel pity for him!"

Yeosang does not know what to say, so instead, he nods at the other knight. He can imagine how awful the burn must be.

"How are you healing?"

The man raises his head at Yeosang's words, a smile tugging at his eyes until they disappear into two crescent moons, "Great, actually. I think I may be ready for the next crusade. Emma told me that I am fully recovered," San says and excitedly swallows a lump of food before digging another into his mouth, and Yeosang thinks he resembles a small boy all too much.

"I am glad to hear that," Yeosang smiles as the conversation slowly warms him up to a more loose talk.

Suddenly, San jerks his head up as he exclaims loudly while pointing at both Yeosang and Jongho, "Yeosang, I almost forgot to ask you if it was true. Emma told me that Higher Commander Park conferred his position as your guidance counselor to Jongho, am I right?"

At the mention of the other knight's name, the boy cannot keep the sights from flooding his mind and taint his cheeks with a dusty red color, that he prays for San not to see. Silently, he lets his eyes fall to his side, where he glances at Jongho and sees how the knight's own reaction stays unchanged for any viewers.

"That is true, Sander. I am his Guidance counselor, although that task may not be mine much longer."

Yeosang flutters his eyes for a moment when the light from the candles illuminates the knight's profile in the feeble-lit building. He senses the sweat forming in his warm palms he clenches tightly underneath the long table and he shoos his face from looking at the handsome man. He has no notion of what Jongho just told San, and still, the blonde man is staring rather perplexed at him after what is said.