Author: Tegan & Sara's Drove Me Wild was playing on the loop while I was typing the entire one-shot fiction. You should listen to it. I think that it perfectly depicts our Yona/Hak moments. This one-shot is situated right after the group found the first dragon and while looking for the seiryuu.

Drove Me Wild

A Yona/Hak Fan Fiction

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All four them had stopped in the middle of the forest with Kija leading the pack. The white dragon who recently pledged his powers to the former princess stoically remained standing near a tree and seemed to be contemplating on the location of the seiryuu. Yoon, on the other hand, had already woken and started to work on the map, trying to narrow down the possible location of the blue dragon. The red-haired princess remained asleep right beside him. With his back leaning on the slope of the ground and his spear near him for an easy access for possible and surprise attacks, Hak, the thunder beast of Kouka, looked at the bright sky and took it as a sign to get up as well.

Hak carefully watched her from the corners of his eyes – the former princess with her fiery hair as bright as the fire. He watched the unique glow of her apple red hair, a feature unique that made people around the palace believe the rumor that she is an orphan of King Il. It was one of the physical characteristics he finds interesting in her. If he were to be told that it will be his job to simply watch her, he wouldn't mind accepting it as she is a view he will never get tired of. However, his foster grandfather, the General Mundok, once told him never to play with fire as the beauty of the flames is parallel to the burning pain it can cause.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he contemplated on the idea of gathering all four dragons for her cause, something totally unclear to him, yet he swore his undying allegiance to her and the late Majesty King Il.

Hak will die protecting me. I want you to protect Hak, so he won't die. It was something she said to the white dragon after the latter had attempted to pay him to leave. Hak let out a small smile as he lightly placed his hand on the princess's forehead.

He silently thought, "if I were to be asked for my life to save hers, I am more than willing to oblige."

The former princess felt the slight weight on her forehead and creased the space between her brows, an attempt to fight off the sleepiness. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the former General of the Wind tribe looking at her pensively. She quickly pushed away his hand and sat. With an embarrassed expression on her face, she asked, "did I oversleep?"

Hak looked away from her and unwittingly remarked, "you look so ugly."

Yona frowned though unsurprised at how her childhood friend often teases her and answered with an air of pride, "you don't have to always look at me, Hak."

She sounded a little angry with the pitch of her voice a little higher than her usual. She stood and started folding her sleeping cloth. On the other hand, he flinched upon hearing her comeback.

"Oh, it's a good thing that the two of you are already awake," Yoon noticed between his conversation with the white dragon about the possible locations. A map was spread out on the ground while the two were talking immensely. The young bishounen added with a smile, "you can start gathering wood for our breakfast while we plan our route."

The red-haired fugitive nodded with enthusiasm, a sudden change of facial expression, as she placed her sleeping cloth inside the sack bag. Yawning, she stood and stretched her arms. The ex-general followed her and carelessly folded his and placed it inside the bag as well. When she started walking to pick up twigs and branches, he followed her silently with his spear strapped on his back.

He watched how her once white porcelain skin has changed into a light golden tan. Her exposure to the outside world has changed her appearance much, despite her rare exposure under the glaring rays of sun. Hak knew that she was no longer the Yona he knew from the palace. She was already someone else, or rather something else.

The red-haired woman noticed his unusual silence and slightly looked back and straight to him. She frowned a little and asked, "why are you looking at me like that, Hak?"

"Just wondering," Hak quickly answered with a wicked grin, "how you have become uglier."

Slightly offended, Yona's face twitched. She wanted to throw the twigs she was holding on her arms, but decided to do otherwise. The red-haired princess remained calm and simply replied with a small laugh. Her action made the Wind Tribe's Thunder Beast more confused.

Instead, she recalled, "remember how I used to care a lot about my appearance?"

Yona felt a slight twist in her chest as she recalled the last time she talked about her physical appearance with anyone. It was with her father right after the ceremony and on the day of Soo-won's arrival.

"It was silly of me," Yona continued, "to ponder so much on physical appearance for a person who would eventually betray me."

Hak felt like his jaws tightened with her statement. He curled his hands into fists as he recalled the betrayal of their childhood friend Soo-won, whom he thought to be the person to give happiness to her.

Tearfully, she looked at her childhood friend and smiled, "I would often remark to my father how I find my hair awful with its unusual brightness and unruliness."

Hak approached her from behind and lightly touched a handful of her ruby hair. For him, it was a treasure. She is a treasure. The extension of her body remained soft and silky despite the lack of attention from the owner since she became a fugitive. He was like a moth attractive to the bright red fire. He knew that, like the attracted moth, he is willing to give up his life for a touch of light – her light.

Touching her hair was an unconscious act, lowering his invisible wall and letting go of himself by being true to his feelings, something that he deeply buried inside. Calmly, he replied, "your hair, it's beautiful."

Yona felt a jump in her heart as she remained stoically standing.

"And to tell you the truth," Hak continued, moving closer to her. His body almost touching hers. Yona sensed his breathing, steady and calm. "You look more beautiful than before."

By saying that, Hak knew that he was being honest. Too honest for a soldier like him to say something like that to a royalty, moreover the one he pledged his life to. He saw how different she was with her slightly tanned skin and radiant fiery hair.

Yona appreciated his remarks. The words melted her heart like gold in immense heat. She swiftly turned her body and faced the thunder beast of Kouka. With a jovial smile on her face and innocent amaranthine eyes, the fugitive princess replied, "thank you."

Hak's eyes widened as he gazed into her beauty. He imagined every possible way he could love the woman. Every inch of his humanity for her sake. Every action he could give to her just to see her smile. Every kiss he is willing to offer just to have the inkling experience of touching her skin.

With certainty, he knew that all his invisible barriers towards the woman went down. The thunder beast of Kouka became a moth lingering around the bright fire. He was attracted to the light and he knew that one step closer to her will bring him immense pain and evident death. Despite that, he did not care at all.

While the princess remained smiling, Hak realized the downfall of his invisible walls. With an attempt to rebuild the broken barrier, he mischievously said, "I take it back."

Yona frowned and playfully poked his head with a stick. She only laughed at what he said and continued to her activity. The thunder beast smiled as he followed her.

The woman definitely drives him mad.

FIN