The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Halloween Special: Caramel Apples and Tricksters [Oneshot] Modern AU (Part 2/2)

She threw out her arms on either side of her body to halt him, slightly elevated since she was on the first step of the stair, and she frowned slightly as she studied him from head to toe. From this position, they weren't exactly eye to eye, but they were pretty close. Shin-ah just waited patiently, aware of what she was doing.

It was routine.

They had always made sure the other was okay when they returned from an assignment, although she had a much longer track record than he did when it came to skirting past medical assistance. It wasn't entirely her fault, but it was her belief when it came to prioritizing others over herself and the protective, blue-haired man was more than attentive to catch any injuries she tried to slip past the others.

Calista jerked her chin past him, folding her arms over her chest stubbornly. Shin-ah obeyed the cue, turning around and then walking and jumping a couple of times so that she could assess his state. Through it all, he noticed her bottom lip was never freed from in between her teeth.

He doubted she knew what she was doing. She had a habit of unconsciously biting her lip when she was concentrating.

Cute. He thought to himself as he approached her, resting a hand on the railing next to her.

Shifting his weight, he leaned against the post, a smile quirking up at the edge of his mouth ever so slightly at the innocent expression on her face. 

"... Am I cleared?" He asked quietly, nose flaring ever so slightly in amusement as she dramatically pretended to think it over. 

Humming a noise of disregard, Calista ran her hands over his torso, checking for any hidden scrapes or broken bones that she might have missed. But the way he stiffened under her fingertips had her freezing, snapping her head up to ask what was wrong.

However, before she could say a word, her back met the wall and her vision swam. Slightly disoriented, she shook her head, then her eyes widened in astonishment. His arms were positioned above her, caging her in between him and the unyielding wall behind her. 

Labored pants puffed out against her forehead and she craned her neck to see what was the matter, more worried that he had hurt himself rather than the compromising position she found herself in.

She had to check. "Shin-ah?"

The small shake of his head had that train of thought instantly diminishing, knowing that he wouldn't have lied to her when she asked him seriously. But his breathing didn't even out and she was growing more concerned.

"Is it smoke? Was there a fire? Do you need to go to the hospital?" She fired questions at him rapidly, anxiety rising as he failed to answer her in time.

A slim forefinger placed against her lips shushed her immediately.

"Don't... do that." Shin-ah finally managed to get out, shuddering against her when her fingers ran comfortingly along his arms. 

Her eyes widened, an apology on the tip of her tongue when he gently pressed his lips against hers. Warmth exploded from her heart, scorching a path up to her brain, short-circuiting the wires there. 

Calista smacked her lips together after he pulled away, one thing coming through the delirium filling her head. "Did I do something wrong?" 

He shook his head again, this time frustrated with himself. He didn't know how to tell her.

"If you do that... I don't... know what will happen..."

After a whole month without her, he felt like he was going crazy. But he was not going to lose control before he made an honest woman out of her. That's what his father had always taught him.