Disclaimer: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona or any of the characters.

"Oh there you are!" Yona spotted Hak at the base of a large tree next to the campfire.

"Need me for anything, princess?"

"Yes. Well, no…" Yona forgot what she wanted to say under the piercing gaze of his blue eyes. "I mean, Yoon asked me to bring you these! He is busy treating Kija, but you need to have your bandages changed too so I offered some help," she finally smiled and held out a bunch of clean bandages.

"Thank you, princess."

Yona sat on the ground next to him.

"I'll help," she said.

"But you don't have to…"

"Does it hurt anywhere?" she completely ignored his attempt to protest and started to unwrap his arm, mumbling something about Yoon chopping it off if Hak lets his bandages get this dirty again.

Hak couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"It's not funny!" she remarked shooting a glance at him.

He didn't say anything to it, but kept watching her small hands move deftly, yet hesitantly, while she was cleaning the wound and fixing the clean bandages around his stretched out arm.

She had learnt so much after escaping from the castle, this little girl he had known since childhood. Had King Il not fallen to regicide, she would still be living in luxury without a care in the world. Had Hak not been so careless on that day and had he not been so trusting, had Yona been saved from all the hardships, what would have become of her now? She would have been married by now most likely, and taken her rightful place as the queen, perhaps? Sometimes he thought that back then the princess was like a glass-encased candle, the light toned down and distorted. But everything that happened since then, each of her new experiences shattered the glass more and more, gradually exposing the core, the radiant flame as bright as the dawn. And he was drawn to it more than ever.

"Hak?" Yona was waving her hands in front of his face. "Is something wrong?"

He blinked. Had he been spacing out? By the looks of it he really had. That was embarrassing.

"Don't move!" she commanded, and not giving him time to respond she got up instantly, cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his forehead.

Even after she pulled off the sensation of her gentle kiss lingered for a while. For a moment Hak was glad that his hair was covering his face enough to conceal blushing cheeks. Of course it wouldn't mean anything, she was just checking his temperature, and yet…

She frowned. "I don't think you have a fever. But I'd better ask Yoon." Saying that she darted off, leaving Hak to his confused thoughts.

"Congratulations! Not much, but it's a start…" Jae-Ha's voice sounded so out of place that Hak thought he was imagining it.

He raised his head to see the green dragon sitting on a tree branch above. Just when did he get there?

"Droopy-eyes, my dear friend," Hak said heavily, rising off the ground. "Be honest with me. Have you got a death wish?"

"Not particularly!"

"Bad news for you. Since I'm going to kill you this very moment."

"I'd like to see you try!"

Ryokuryuu smiled and elegantly evaded Hak's blade swing.

Some things just never changed.