Ryokuryuu's Lifeline (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Part 3: Pure Love

Trigger Warning: hints at sexual assault and rape.

You gazed up at Jae-ha with a soft smile on your face as he appeared before you. His lavender eyes scanned over you, meeting your gaze when he was satisfied you were alright.

"Cabin?" He inquired, studying you closely for any signs of discomfort or hesitation. It was getting later in the night and he knew you had to be feeling tired.

Smiling sleepily at him, you took his hand in yours, leading him below deck. The captain had given you two separate quarters at first, but since you were both kids when he rescued you and couldn't fall asleep without him, she didn't mandate what you could or couldn't do, knowing he would always prioritize your comfort and safety first above all else

You entered your room with Jae-ha trailing behind you, grinning as you remembered your earlier conversation with Yona.

I love him.

Suddenly, strong arms encircled your waist from behind you, bringing you closer to his chest. You felt the heat radiating from him through your layers of clothing and sighed, snuggling closer to him, face tilting up as you twisted to press your cheek against his shoulder.

Jae-ha eased as he observed you keenly, no signs of even the slightest bit of flinching away from his touch. Dropping his head down, he rested his forehead against yours, exhaling slowly.

He had to be more careful.

You always had an issue with physical contact. Jae-ha was guessing it had something to do with being chained in an alleyway, vulnerable to whoever decided to make themselves known and so he tried his best to tone down his personality around you.

Captain Gi-gan had taught him how to woo a woman properly, and soon enough, it became a part of him. You never asked him to change, but he never missed the way you would wince at his words on occasion. 

It was the only time he ever regretted his charming demeanor when you were noticeably agitated from his words. It happened the first time when he found you.

"What's a beautiful lady like you doing in a place like this?"

Jae-ha's eyes widened in shock when you audibly whimpered, curling your body away from him feebly.

At the time, he didn't understand what he did wrong. It had taken a lot of time for you to open up to him, years in fact. You had told him at one point, that hearing those words reminded you of what people would say to you before they did whatever they wanted to with you. Jae-ha once asked you if anyone had touched you.

You understood the gravity of his question.

He still remembered the way guilt and shame clouded over your eyes as you confessed to him that you didn't remember. Sometimes you would sleep for days at a time, and when you woke up, things would feel different but you couldn't clearly recall it. It was almost like they had taken a part of you, but it was beyond excruciatingly painful to never remember the details. You felt frustrated and angry that they had walked away with something that you didn't even know about at the time. That night, he had reassured you that no matter what had happened, you weren't at fault. After you fell asleep in his gentle and grounding embrace, he made a promise.

"I'll keep you safe." He brushed back hair that had fallen into your eyes. "I promise, with my life, I'll protect you, Y/N."

Jae-ha's jaw tightened at the memory as he held you close to him. A small smile making its way onto his face as you scrunched up your nose, yawning adorably.

You're so cute, Y/N...

"Bedtime?" His hot breath tickling against your ear as he whispered.