The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

10K Special: Moonlight Dance by the Ocean [Part 7/7]

Words for this part: 3.3k

Hak chased Yona down, turning her towards him once he caught up with her. His eyes flew open in alarm as he spotted the tears rolling down her cheeks. He saw her fiddling with something in her hands and immediately knew what it was.

He could never forget the hairpin that she still held onto, despite everything that had happened.

Yona pocketed it away, but they both knew that he had seen it. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes when he caught her wrist, pulling her close to him.

"Hak..." She murmured, trying to convince herself that the heat she felt on her cheeks was only from the alcohol.

He didn't say anything, but inspected her closely, eyes filling with pain as he saw the agony in her beautiful, lavender orbs.

"Princess, are you alright?"

She coughed, eyes darting everywhere so that they didn't look at him. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at how he probably thought of her now.

He probably sees me as a little girl, just like when we were kids. He'll never think I'll amount to anything like this for holding onto the past. He thinks I'm pathetic.

"I can hear your thoughts."

His rough voice broke her out of her internal rambling, and her lower lip trembled.

Hak's eyes widened as she broke down in tears, the material of his robe bunching in her hands as her knuckles went white.

Instead of teasing her, like she thought he would, he wrapped an arm around her back. Her breathing came in short spurts. She was on the brink of panicking.

Her bodyguard shushed her quietly, rubbing her back lightly, never touching her completely. His forehead creased in worry when her sobs didn't cease or slow down.

"Princess," Pulling away slightly, he tilted her chin up. "You need to breathe."

Yona nodded quickly, chest heaving as she tried to take in as much oxygen as she could.

Violent coughs racked her body as she took in too much, and he was just about to go get Yoon when she grabbed onto his arm. Nothing was said as he allowed her to sink to the ground, eyes flitting over her form to ensure that she was okay.

He ignored how half her body was practically draped over him, focused on her wellbeing.

It wasn't until some time later that her cries decreased, but she still wouldn't look at him.

Yona felt humiliated, thoroughly embarrassed by her breakdown. "H-Hak... I-I—"

"You don't have to say anything." He told her quietly.

He already knew. She didn't have to tell him how she felt about Soo-won, and how those feelings were currently being churned up inside of her and spat back out, making her sick to her stomach. His princess didn't have to tell him how conflicted she felt about where she stood with her cousin after he hurt her.

It was written all over her face and he could read her like a book.

All the words she wanted to say died the second she lifted her head. He looked as unreadable as he had always been to her, but there was a hint of something swimming in the depths of his cobalt eyes and she knew it wasn't amusement.

No matter how much he teased her, made fun of her, she knew that deep down, he cared about her.

Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, I did order him to stay with me. To guard me and teach me swordsmanship. He's only here because I tied him down.