bye guys hi ladies mWah.
just a smol poll before we get rolling into this
1. action or hyewon and riki fluff or drama
2. happy or sadge ending (already decided for samurai but for future stories i wanna know if yall like to cry and be emotional)
3. when do yall think the scene (yall should know what im talking abt 🙃) happening
also if you guys would give me inspo or recs, id appreciate it cause nowadays im looking for smth interesting to read.
The first thing Riki saw when he opened his eyes almost knocked him straight out of bed.
When he slowly stirred awake, his eyes flitted open. He yawned tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. Ugh. He hated mornings.
And that was when his eyes landed on her.
Holy cow.
He drank in the sight. She was (undeniably, much to his pride) ethereal laying on top of his blankets, her long lashes were fluttered shut. Her head rested gently on his legs, her mouth letting out the occasional breathy sigh here and there. A peaceful expression was placed on her lips, he assumed she wasn't having a vision as that would certainly affect someone's sleep.
Had she been there the whole night? Memories of the previous night flooded his mind. The prince wanted to bang his head against the wall. Had he seriously asked her to sing for him? Embarrassing.
Riki recalled her singing voice. The shaky, raw voice that hinted at insecurities and vulnerability. The way it rang out those high notes like a bird warbling. (I suck at this poetic stuff, forgive me .) Honestly, he couldn't imagine her being able to sing so passionately, especially with her fiery temper, but life certainly had surprises in store for him.
Shifting slightly onto his left, he debated on whether or not to get up. Should he? Nah, he thought to himself lazily. Better to not wake up Hyewon in the process and face a very, very awkward morning.
How long he laid there, gazing up at the ceiling, he had no clue. His eyes roamed around the room, trying to find something to stare aimlessly at until they flickered to her lips. How soft they looked- Nope, nope, not thinking of it! Red blossomed on his cheeks. He pushed that thought away. He refused to succumb to his impulsive thoughts. Red as a tomato, Riki quickly directed his attention to the wall. He shouldn't think of her that way. What if she wakes up right now and sees him? What if she thinks he's some weird psycho-
The prince tensed, peering down at her face, softening a bit. Maybe it was wrong to admire her face while she was unconscious and unaware, but he couldn't help it. He watched as she twisted slightly in her slumber, occasionally mumbling indecipherable nonsense under her breath. It was amusing to see her like this, Hyewon had quite the duality.
Her body rustled more persistently against the blankets. Shoot. She was starting to wake up. Riki hastily shuts his eyes, pretending he was asleep all along.
-
An strange, but familiar room greeted Hyewon as she blinked her eyes open.
Wait a minute...this wasn't her room.
Holy sh-
She quickly scrambled out of the bed, backing onto the door. How did she get here? The last thing she recalled was singing. Ah, that explained the throbbing ache in her throat.
She must've fallen asleep from all the fatigue. Hyewon cursed at herself for falling asleep at the worst time possible. Stupid, stupid. What if Riki saw her? Did he see her? No, he couldn't have, otherwise he would've shrieked and pushed her immediately off the bed.
Tentatively, her eyes swept towards the figure lying idyllically on the bed. She let out a sigh of relief. Thank the gods that he was still asleep.
She should leave before he wakes up. Yes, that was the best option.
Sneakily, she turns the door knob and slowly opens the door. With one last backward glance, she slips out the door.
To her surprise, it was still rather early. No servants bustled by. Good. The way to her chamber was clear. No one had seen her exit out of the prince's room.
A few meters down the hall was her own room. It shouldn't be too hard to slide back into it without anyone noticing.
When Hyewon was safely behind the door, she relaxed. She was safe. Maybe she should get changed, breakfast would start soon. She stepped into her bedroom-
"Where have you been?"
"Gods," she cursed. She had almost jumped out of her skin after moments of trying to not get caught. Leveling her gaze towards the familiar voice, Hyewon scowled. "How the hell did you find my room, Yeonjun?"
He sat on the edge of her bed, arms and legs crossed. Her best friend narrowed his eyes. "Ayeong told me. Now, don't change the subject. Where. Were. You." he emphasized, a stern look on his face. "I've been here for an hour looking for you, but you weren't here. And obviously, you haven't stayed here for the night either. What were you doing so late at night? I was so worried-"
"It's none of your business," she snaps defensively. He may have been her best friend and her first and only line of reassurance, but this crossed the line. Noticing his frown, Hyewon softened. "I'm fine, Jun. Trust me. I didn't do anything, okay? Nothing happened."
Except you basically slept in the same bed with the Crown Prince and sang to him, her mind thought sarcastically, I wouldn't really call that "nothing".
She blocked out those thoughts. Clearing her throat, she attempted to avert the topic. "Why were you looking for me?" she asked
The plain look of hurt lingered on Yeonjun's face, but he let the subject go. "I'm here to say goodbye. Our- I mean my," he amended, "My cohort is set to leave in a few hours for battle. There's been a skirmish in our northern defenses. It'll," he looked to the floor, "It'll be strange to fight without your company. My first battle without you." he laughs awkwardly.
"For how long?"
He paused. "At least two months. After north, we're regrouping with the rest of the army to wherever the West attacks. I can't believe the war actually started," he admitted. His hand made their way to hers. "I thought we'd always be in some limbo, but manage to negotiate peace in the end. General Kang told us they killed Envoy Shin and declared war on us with a note."
So Yeonjun had heard the story too. "He's right. I was the one who found the body last night," Hyewon confessed. "Minister Yoon thinks I was the one who killed him or at least was involved in the murder."
He gasps. "What? You couldn't have. You're too loyal-"
"I know, but there was no one with me to testify for that." She hated lying to him. But if she lied, less questions would be asked, especially if the court found out Riki had been with her too. "They're letting me off for now, but they think there's a traitor in the palace..."
"A traitor? No way. That's impossible. Who in their right minds would betray the emperor?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. But there must be, how else would they have gotten past the scouts? No one is allowed to leave the palace without Emperor Hankyu's permission, especially me."
"Oh." Yeonjun mumbled. He looks at her. "I hate this. There's going to be so much bloodshed and death, Hyewon. Do you think the war will ever end?"
Would it? She hesitated, squeezing his hand comfortingly. "Maybe one day. But that won't ever happen until we kill Cha Renjin. He's the source of this all." she replied.
"The Dark Prince."
She nods. "As long as he's alive, the war will keep going. He'll keep sacrificing his own people, even if they're on the verge of total annihilation."
He sighs. "There's no way out without a single death or battle, is there?"
"No one ever wins in a war, Jun. All we can do is keep fighting."
"Fighting," he repeated. "How ironic. I'm a soldier, but I hate fighting in battles."
"No one ever does," Hyewon replied. She gives him a small smile. "Take care, okay? Don't do anything stupid out there. Don't die or else I'll haunt you." she threatens lightheartedly, trying to lighten up the mood, causing Yeonjun to chuckle.
"No promises, Hye." He pulls her into a hug. "You too. Don't be your crazy, impulsive self and get into danger, alright?" His whispers tickle her ear gently. "I'll miss you. Stay safe."
She doesn't say a word, only listening in silence as she takes in his warmth one last time.
A/N: cringe levels are high, ik ik. but this was necessary cus i dont want the story to get to fast paced so i decided why not hyewon and yeonjun fluff before we get to the good parts :).
SOMEONE GIVE ME INSPO CUS KSNBDKSBSISKVDJDJSJ.