How to Kiss

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A kiss is a lovely trick

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Yona may have been naive in many aspects of the real world, but she was no stranger to kissing.

From an early age she would watch plays performed in the capitol's theatre where the two lead roles would kiss to certify their love in the end. She played dolls with her mother where they would make the princess and prince get married, and when her mother passed away the nurses took her place. Weddings were the biggest event for kissing, though. In her thirteenth year alone, Yona had gone to twenty-seven weddings.

Yona had always loved weddings; there was something about the energy and the dancing and the way the bride and groom would look at each other that made her heart hammer in her chest. She always thought that one day it would have been her and Su-won, with Hak at their side, to celebrate such a momentous occasion.

But it wasn't until earlier that day, when she and the Happy Hungry Bunch were passing through a village that she got a experience a true wedding. There were no extravagant decorations, no high quality entertainment, and the bride didn't even wear a wedding dress. Instead, it was the entire village who had come to celebrate with a live band perched up on empty boxes while they played an upbeat song as the bride, dressed in regular work clothes, danced with her husband.

Deep down, Yona had always known that the marriages she attended back at Hiryuu castle were all arranged by her father and different leaders in attempts of establishing peace. None of those brides and grooms ever protested against their marriages and tended to be at least fond of one another, but Yona got to witness true love that night in the village when she cheered for the newly wed couple as they kissed.

Maybe that's why she had been dwelling on it so much in the following hours that they set up camp, about a mile west of the village and the wedding. Despite Yona's attempts to be a strong warrior, she was still a young girl at heart, and the thought of true love left her both excited and aching. Would she ever get to experience a love like that? To kiss someone so passionately?

What was it even like to kiss a boy?

Yona touched her lips gingerly with her fingertips. She had been saving her first kiss for Su-won, but now what was she going to do?

"Hey, Yona?" Yun softly kicked Yona in the foot with his boot to get her attention and she immediately sat up straight with a blush. "You okay?"

He held out a bowl of stew to her and for the first time she noticed that the others were all gathered around the campfire, eating as they watched her with curious eyes. Her blush deepened and she desperately hoped that she hadn't been zoning out for that long.

"I'm fine!" she chirped, taking the bowl from him. Hak's eyes burning into her side was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. "I was just thinking is all!"

"Is...that all, Princess?" Kija asked nervously, setting his bowl in his lap. "You were staring into the fire for a long time."

"Yep! My brain is just on overdrive!" She shoved stew into her mouth until her cheeks were bloated in an attempt to discourage any more say on the subject.

Zeno handed his empty bowl to Yun for a refill, earning muttered curses and an eyeroll. "I bet the miss is just thinking about that pretty wedding we saw today," Zeno cooed, brushing hair out of his eyes. Yona nearly choked on her food. "Zeno likes weddings."

"They did have some good food." Jae-ha rested his hand across his stomach. "And the alcohol was excellent despite it being of the cheap kind."

"That didn't stop you from getting borderline wasted," Hak chuckled.

Jae-ha shrugged. "Ah, but borderline is not the same as...uh, over the line."

"Screw you," Hak said, but he didn't sound angry, "you tried kissing me. That's you being drunk."

"That was once."

"You tried kissing Shinah too."

"Did not."

Hak turned to Shinah who nodded his head. "See? He says you did."

"Nuh uh."

"Don't forget Zeno!" Zeno raised his hand enthusiastically. "Ryokuryuu tried to kiss Zeno also!"

Yona subconsciously touched her lips again. There was that word again. Kiss...

Yun slapped his palm to his forehead. "I leave you alone for ten minutes to trade some herbs for spices, and Green Dragon over here," he jerked his thumb toward Jae-ha, "starts sexually harassing people again. You're such a pain!"

Kija smiled smugly. "Unlike you ruffians, I had a rather pleasant time with the princess! We fawned over the colorful biscuits and even shared a dance." The others regarded him with envious glares, specifically Hak and Jae-ha, but the white dragon ignored them. "Right, Princess?" Kija looked to Yona who had her eyes fixed on the the fire's flames again. His voice tinged with worry, "Princess?"

She didn't look up, making the overall mood of the party tense. "Miss?" Zeno questioned.

"Yona, what's wrong?" Yun prompted. He dropped his spoon on the ground and kneeled before his friend.

"I have a weird question," she whispered quietly after a minute. Her eyes stayed focused on the fire.

"Yeah?" Hak crouched in front of her, brushing her bangs out of her face. For the first time, she broke her eyes from the fire to look at him. She could feel his pulse quicken.

Taking a deep breath, Yona pulled back from his grip and tightened the hood of her cloak around her tighter. She could already feel that her face was on fire but it was too late to turn back now that she had made it this far. "WHAT IS IT LIKE TO KISS A PERSON?" she yelled out in one breath.

"Huh?" Hak grunted, falling over.

"Thunder Beast?!" Yun looked at Hak, though the small boy was in just as much shock as the ex-general was.

"What did she say?" Kija asked frantically, getting in Jae-ha's face dramatically. "What'd she just say? I didn't hear that! I couldn't-" The white dragon toppled over, fainting from the sheer mortification of his princess and master wanting to partake in kissing.

Yona blinked, her eyes wide. This wasn't really the reaction she had expected. "Huh?"

Jae-ha laughed, slapping his knee repeatedly. "That was great, Yona dear! Did you see the looks on their faces? It was the best thing you could have said!"

Zeno smiled cheekily like a small child that got away with stealing a cookie from the jar. "I knew the miss was thinking about that wedding!"

"Yona," Yun righted himself so that he was almost nose to nose with her, "why would you wanna know something like that?"

"I, uh," Yona stopped herself to look around the campfire. It was nearly pitch black out and Jae-ha was still laughing, though more in control of himself, Zeno was sitting calmly with his chin in his hands as he waited to hear an explanation, and Shinah dumped a large bucket of water on Kija to wake him up. Hak was on the ground at her feet, trying to push himself up.

Yun gave her an impatient look as he waited. Everyone else started to quiet down and suddenly all eyes were on her again. "It's just that," she bit her lower lip, "I've seen a lot of kissing but I don't know what you do."

Yun's face blossomed bright pink. "And you expect us to teach you that?"

Yona shrugged, blushing just as much. "Well, I don't know!"

Jae-ha raised his hand, standing up. "I'll volunteer to teach her!"

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" Kija bellowed, extending his dragon arm toward the green dragon menacingly. His clothes were still dripping water and his hair clung to his bright red face. In fact, he was blushing the most.

"Yeah, I gotta agree with Mr White Snake on this one, Droopy Eyes," Hak deadpanned, shooting a look just as terrifying as a dragon's power. "There's no way a pervert like you is teaching the princess how to kiss."

"Zeno can help her!" Zeno smiled, slipping onto the bench next to Yona. She smiled, suddenly embarrassed about having to possibly kiss one of her friends. This isn't what she had had in mind when she had decided to ask them. "It's really easy, Miss! All you do is touch your lips to someone else's!"

"Back off, Yellow Dragon!" Yun barked. Zeno shrugged, slightly confused considering he hadn't actually made a move or anything. "I don't think any of you," he pointed a finger at Jae-ha, "especially you, should be kissing the princess!"

"I agree," Hak said, "because clearly I should do it."

"Huh?" Yona's jaw dropped.

Jae-ha raised his eyebrows with a slight smirk.

"I mean come on," Hak flashed a cocky grin at Yona who narrowed her eyes skeptically, "we've known each other since we were kids, Princess. Wouldn't that make the most sense?"

"No it certainly would not!" Kija exclaimed, baring his arm threateningly again.

"I think Kija should kiss the princess." Jae-ha clapped Kija on the back, making him stiffen.

"Me?" Kija's eyes rolled back in his head and passed out again with the biggest blush on his face.

"More...water." Shinah grabbed the closest bucket and stepped into the woods.

Yona's nose wrinkled. "Is the idea of kissing me so bad that Kija had to faint?"

Jae-ha laughed uncontrollably, doubled over and wheezing. "I think White Snake was just too overwhelmed," Hak supplied. "So, are you going to be my pupil or what, Princess?"

"I said you aren't kissing her!" Yun stated, sitting on the log beside Yona. "I'm here to protect her innocence from you perverts."

"Okay, then, Yun." Yona turned to him. He seemed less intimidating to talk to about the ordeal.. "How do you kiss someone?"

Yun's face was so red, it could have been a rash. "Uh, uum...turn your head."

Yona blinked. "What?"

"Look at the Thunder Beast."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Yona obeyed and looked at Hak who had a less than pleased expression. She wondered why he was so sour about not being the one to teach her. It wasn't like he liked her or anything….oh right. It was probably part of his weird game.

"Yun, what are-" She stopped when she felt something soft and warm touch her cheek and the contact made her stomach flip in delight. She turned just in time to see Yun lean away from her, his blush still prominent.

"That's what you do," his voice was quiet. "But, ya know...on the lips."

Yona's grin widened. Leaning forward, she plopped a kiss on Yun's cheek, making him jump and fall back off of the log. "What was that?" he asked, touching his face with his hand.

Yona laughed. "I kinda like this whole kissing thing!"

"Zeno's turn!" Zeno leaned closer to her and kissed Yona's cheek. She giggled loudly, then returned the gesture. "The Miss's kisses are so warm!" Glancing down at Hak's jealous expression, he said, "The Mister should get one!"

Yona quirked her smile down at him, remembering a time when she chucked a snowball at his face. He had the same look now as he did then. "Well, Hak?"

Hak groaned, but leaned forward anyway. "If you're handing them out, I'll take one."

Yona rolled her eyes at him, but placed a kiss on his cheek, probably a little too close to his mouth for her liking. She should have adjusted herself better, but she didn't think anything of it. She sat back on her heels, waiting for him to kiss her in return, but he just stared at her blankly despite his own blush. "Well?" she asked.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to kiss me?"

Hak's heart jumped at that, but he tried to keep his composure. "Maybe if you're good over the next few days." He smirked.

"Now you're making it sound dirty!" Yun snapped, tidying up around the fire; anything to keep his face down until it returned to it's normal color.

Quickly, Yona ran up to Shinah who just reappeared to their campsite with a bucket of water. "Shinah!" she panted, coming to his side. He cocked his head at her. "Come here." She motioned for him to bend down, which he obliged. In one swoop, Yona pushed his mask up his face just enough so that she could touch her lips to his cheek, and then pulled it down.

Giggling, she ran back toward the fire, calling over her shoulder, "Thanks for letting me kiss you, Shinah!"

Momentarily forgetting he had a bucket in his hands, Shinah cupped his face and accidently dropped the pail, spilling water over the grass. "More...water." He picked it up and smiled softly as he hurried back toward the stream.

Jae-ha was sitting patiently beside the still sleeping Kija when Yona reached him. "Saved the best for last, Yona dear?"

Yona exaggerated her breathing to hide her embarrassment from the joke. "Actually, Kija will be when he wakes up."

"I'm not sure White Snake will be able to handle it," Hak grunted, still tinged pink.

Yona laughed, leaning toward Jae-ha and to give him a peck on the cheek when he moved at the last second. Suddenly, Yona found her lips on his. "Woah!" her eyes widened and leaned back, not mad but just surprised.

Jae-ha winked at her playfully. "Now you got your real first kiss out of the way, huh?"

Yona touched her lips with her fingers, unsure if she should be upset or if she should laugh. "I guess so!" She settled on laughing and Jae-ha chuckled along with her. Not everyone thought it was funny though.

"You dumbass!" Yun cried. He whipped out a fresh spoon.

Hak appeared with his glaive, a devilish glint in his eyes. "Picking a fight with me, Droopy Eyes?"

Jae-ha chuckled weakly. "Looks like it's time to take my leave," he kissed Yona's hand, "Sorry to cut this short, Yona dear." He jumped toward the sky and disappeared into the trees.

"He went that way!" Yun pointed and he and Hak started after the elusive Green Dragon.

Zeno laughed. "Is the miss holding up alright?"

Yona grinned, her eyes full of happiness from her friends being with her. "I'm fantastic. Although my first kiss wasn't as magical as I thought it would be."

Shinah appeared, dumping water onto Kija who immediately woke up disorientated. "The princess?" he grunted, looking around groggily. "No harm...to master...princess?" His eyes focused on Yona in front of him. "Princess Yona! I apologize for my weakness and for being out of commission!"

Yona giggled. "It's fine, Kija. So," she lowered her face so that they were eye-level, "wanna kiss?"

Kija's eyes widened. "Wha-?"

"Yeah!" Zeno grinned from ear to ear. "Ryokuryuu kissed the miss on the lips!"

"HE DID WHAT?" Kija looked like he was going to attempt getting up, but fell backward again in a heap.

Zeno and Yona laughed. Shinah scratched his head. "More...water. Ugh."

...

12/31/16