Witcher | Hyunsung

Hyunjin punches his future boyfriend in the face

"Hyunjin," Jisung whispered, shuffling around, "how do we escape? You have a plan, right?"

Hyunjin took a deep breath. "I have a knife in my boot," he told Jisung quietly, "if we stand up at the same time, I can take it, and cut us free."

Jisung let out a breath. "Oh, that's good! I knew you got this."

Hyunjin just brought his legs under him, swiping the dagger from his boot – really, what kind of bandits didn't tie their prisoner's legs? – and as he stood with Jisung scrambling to his feet himself, he cut the ropes tying them together.

The bandits noticed a second too late, and drew their swords a second too late. Two put up half a fight, but soon they all lay dead on the floor, blood splattered all over Hyunjin. Hyunjin wrinkled his nose, and made an attempt to wipe the blood off of his daggers on the only bandit who still had a clean shirt.

"Where did that second dagger come from?" Jisung, his wrists still bound, interrupted Hyunjin.

"You're still here?" Hyunjin shoved the daggers back, one into his boot and the other under his arm guard where it was concealed under black leather.

"Wait so you could have broken free all along with the dagger in your sleeve? Why didn't you..." understanding slowly crawled across his expressive face, followed by a bright smile. "Hyunjin! I knew you care about me!"

"I don't," Hyunjin said, but somehow couldn't stop himself from untying Jisung's hands. He took his sword from where the bandits had tossed it in a corner and drew the blade. More bandits would still be outside. Jisung picked up his lute and hugged it close to his chest.

As Hyunjin had expected, a few bandits were in the surrounding woods, just far enough to not have heard their companions' dying screams. Hyunjin killed the ones that attacked him and let the others run away.

When he reached the road, he lifted his fingers to his mouth and whistled.

Loud breathing and stomping reached him not much later.

"Hyunjinnie!" Jisung emerged behind him, cheeks flushed under his bruised face, lute strapped to his back. "I don't understand how –" he gasped for air, "– you can run through the woods so fast. Wait for me."

Hyunjin, however, only had eyes for the beauty that approached him now. "Kkami!"

Kkami was his trusted companion and only friend. And a horse. But she was the best. Better than all humans he ever met. A good listener too. And quiet. Unlike a certain annoying bard.

"Oh, pretty," Jisung stumbled towards Kkami, who neatly stepped around him as if he was just an unusual kind of tree.

"I'm so proud of you," Hyunjin whispered to her, leaning his forehead against hers and stroking her long neck. Kkami was truly his only friend.

Hyunjin climbed up on her back in one smooth move. He patted the parts of her neck he could reach and steered her down the road with his legs alone. She started walking in a comfortable walk, one that she would be able to hold for days. The sun was high in the sky, the trees green, the birds singing. It was calm now. The breeze smelled of forest and moss and rotting leaves and flowers in bloom. Hyunjin could hear his own heartbeat as well as Kkami's, their breaths aligning like they so often did on long journeys.

It was wonderful.

Except that his and Kkami's weren't the only heartbeats he heard.

"Oh, can I also ride on your horse? No? Alright then, it's your horse, I understand. Did you call her Kkami? That's so cute. Like you! You were so badass back there, I had literal goosebumps. I must admit the blood splattered clothes fit you very well. And did you see their faces when they realised we got free? And oh, we busted a drug ring, if you were on good terms with the queen we could totally go to the capital and receive money for doing good deeds in the name of the crown. But alas, we'll have to live as vagabonds! Lonely heroes on their way to defeat evil!"