"BEFORE THE DAWN"

An Akatsuki no Yona fanfic by Nozomi888

[A/N: Thank you Rockin' Angels for your review! I'm so glad you feel that I was able to capture both of them in Chapter 1- it was really my intent to dive into their hidden emotions there. Don't worry, the, uhrm, heated action scene you are hoping for will come (this was originally intended to be a rated MA+ one-shot). But not just yet. ;) There are still some barriers between them that need to be broken down. ]

Disclaimer: Akatsuki No Yona is owned by Mizuho Kusanagi. I am a mere fangirl who loves the characters she has created, and want to read/write more stories about them.

CHAPTER 2

Yona didn't know how long they knelt there by the door, not moving, not saying anything. She basked in the gloriousness of feeling him in her embrace, letting relief flood over her, welcoming the warmth of his touch. She wondered how he was feeling now, if he felt as much joy as she did. His words had become like a mantra to her. I have always been yours.

She understood now that she had always been his as well.

He gently pulled away from her. She looked at him, puzzled.

He was smiling that gentle smile of his, the one he seemed to reserve only for her. His left hand traced her cheek, his tender touch belying the callouses and scars on his strong hands.

She put her hand over his, and turned her face to his open palm, tracing her lips over the rough ridges along his palm, before finally planting a soft kiss.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He jerked his hand away suddenly, as if burned by her touch, but he gave her a small smile and waved his arms towards the direction of her sleeping chambers.

"It's late. Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake," he promised her, grasping her hand as he kissed her knuckles to bid her goodnight.

She heard him, but couldn't bring herself to move away from him. Not when she had just discovered how wonderful it felt to be in his arms. He had always held her close like this before, but this time felt so much more different, more fulfilling somehow. She wanted more.

"Hak, didn't I just say that you didn't need to be my bodyguard anymore?"

He chuckled then.

"Princess, I'm here because I want to be here, and I'll keep guard over you, just as I have always done, because I want to."

She bit her lip, contemplating about the wisdom of what she was about to ask him.

—o—o—o—o—o—

After his announcement, he had intended to firmly send her off to bed again, and resume his usual post by the door, but was distracted when she bit her lip. The moonlight was teasing him again, showing him her delightfully entrancing expression. She was thinking about something for sure, but he was curious as to what it was that made her worry her lip so.

In truth, he did not want to leave her now when both of them were still emotionally vulnerable to the confessions that they had just made to each other. It was not exactly a declaration on both their parts, and he would not plant false hope within his heart despite her earnest words about what he meant to her. After all, she had not explicitly declared that she loved him.

He felt a little sad at that. He would have to give her up when she married, and he would not trouble her with his own feelings; would not even consider holding her back.

And now that they had gotten back some semblance of normalcy between them, he simply wanted them to fall back into their usual, comfortable space around each other.

"If you don't march off to bed now, I'll carry you there myself," he teased, anticipating her embarrassed outrage or that withering stare of hers before she rolled her eyes.

He was truly not prepared for her response.

"Would you- keep me company for a bit longer? Your presence soothes me."

He raised his eyebrows at her, questioning. She had lowered her head a little when she spoke, suddenly a little shy.

Ah, she was full of surprises tonight.

Since he was also reluctant to leave her just yet, he took her hand instead and tugged her towards the direction of her bed.

"I'll stay here in your room until you fall asleep."

This time, she obeyed him and crawled up into her bed, shifting towards the center. As she got comfortable, she turned to him, patting expectantly on the space beside her.

"It'll be more comfortable for both of us if you sit here. This way, I don't have to watch you watch me, and you can rest a bit."

He gave out what he hoped sounded like an exasperated sigh, put his Hsu Quandao against the wall beside her bed, and sank half of his body onto the mattress, with one leg planted firmly on the floor. He leaned himself back into her pillows. He closed his own eyes.

"Sleep," he muttered.

—o—o—o—o—o—

The grouchy man beside her was definitely like the Hak of old, and while she was partially relieved that the awkwardness between them had gone, she was also feeling slightly put-out by his casual behavior. Didn't he realize how much of a toll this evening had taken on her? She had felt like she was dying when she gave him back his freedom, had felt herself battling despair when he had turned to leave, had felt like she was being torn from the inside as she spoke words to him from her heart about what he was to her.

And now, he was acting like nothing happened. Was he trying to set things back to the way they were?

But there was no going back now, right?

She peeked up at the man beside her. Hak had closed his eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest, his body angled in a way that his left leg relaxed on the beddings while his right leg was still over the side, undoubtedly on the floor, to make it easier for him to get off the bed without disturbing her. That was so like Hak to put her above his own comfort, and she started to relax as she felt the now-familiar warmth spread throughout her body.

His breathing had evened out, and there was now a sense of calmness settled over him. That much she could tell. She wondered how he could be so relaxed when she was feeling butterflies in her stomach? She felt like her heart would escape from her chest at anytime, given how fast it seemed to be beating. Every fiber of her being was fully aware of him stretched out beside her.

Oh how she wanted to reach out to him again, to feel his closeness against her body, to have his arms around her. Would it be appropriate to ask him if she could touch him? She could feel her face heating.

Since when did she become so bold around Hak?

She didn't think she'd be able to voice out another request of him, didn't trust her voice to speak.

So she turned her body to face him, inched a little closer, and leaned her head against his arm.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Hak's eyes didn't open, but he was far, very far, from being asleep. He had felt her gaze upon him and had opted not to speak, since it would encourage conversation when he wanted her to rest. He had a feeling that she was a bit disgruntled, judging from the way she shifted around. He chose to ignore it.

He could not, however, ignore the sensations she woke within him when she leaned her cheek into his arm.

Such sweet torture.

How many years had he longed for her to initiate a touch? How many years since he'd wanted her to look at him, really look at him, and see more than a servant? How many years had he yearned for a moment like tonight? And now, finding himself in the very situation he wanted to be in, he was refusing to act on them.

If she wanted to use him as a pillow to fall asleep, he would endure. He would not betray her trust.

He tried to stay still, but then she moved her left arm and covered the fingers of his right hand, which was still crossed over his chest.

He couldn't resist. He opened his fingers and intertwined them with hers. He could at least allow himself this much, right?

"Go to sleep, Princess," he chided.

The soften his words, he turned to plant a light kiss atop her head.

She stilled.

Oh, did she feel that? He waited for her to pull away.

Neither of them moved.

Then, Yona raised herself higher on the pillows.

He opened his mouth to tell her off again, but was silenced immediately by her soft lips, pressing up hard against his.