#yul

Maybe that was how he didn’t protest at all when a simple peck on the lips that was supposed to be discreet turned into a slightly longer kiss. He didn’t pull away when you threaded your hands in his hair to bring him closer to you, nor did he budge when you slipped your tongue past his lips, deepening the kiss to something neither of you had ever dared to try before. You weren’t even engaged yet (though you both knew that you would get married as soon as the opportunity arose). 

You were situated in an empty room in Jeongjingak, both aware that you Uk and Yeong were supposed to arrive at any time, not knowing when their boat might arrive back in Songrim. The room was a bit chilly as the weather was getting cooler, but Yul’s lips burned through any chill that could touch your body. He had you pressed up against a bookshelf, the same spell books that he had studied in his youth used as a rest against your back as he impatiently kissed you, exhausting his breath and any sensible thoughts left in his head. The only thing on his mind was you and, more precisely, your lips. 

How soft they were, how they moulded so perfectly against his. How did you do it? What expensive balm or ointment did you apply to get him so thoroughly addicted to the taste? If there was a way for him to be able to kiss you like this whenever, he would do it in an instant. 

He supposed that the most obvious answer would be to marry you first. And he had half a mind to propose to you right now and find a ring maker the same afternoon without sending word back to Seoho Fortress. He needn’t bother with his father’s approval when he already knew that nothing would sway his mind when it came to you. You were the only woman he would ever consider marrying, and you knew it too by the way he was kissing you. Yul would never give any other woman a chance to get this close to him, not even if she was the prettiest lady in all of Daeho.

The entire time that you had been lost in the kiss— familiarising yourself with another one of life’s pleasures that you had the enjoyment of experiencing for the first time with the first and last man you would give your heart to— you had been feeling the fabric of Yul’s hanbok. It was a light seafoam green with a soft lavender collar on the outer garment. With your wandering hands, and the style of the set (forgoing any ties for the collar or waist), the fabric easily started to slide off of his shoulders. 

Yul could feel what you were doing and the fact that he was about to lose a layer of clothing. You were so sure that he was going to finally tell you to stop when he pulled away from your lips at long last. But, to your surprise, he didn’t. He made eye contact, his eyes shiny with a hint of mischief hidden in them.

“Do you need help, my love?” He asked softly. You were shocked that he seemed so composed, and not even a little bit out of breath, unlike you. You gathered that it had something to do with his breathing technique. 

You nodded, a bit dazed, but still eager to be any closer to Yul as you could. Admittedly, you had some idea of what he was hiding under the elegant sets of hanbok. You hadn’t exactly been slick when hugging him. But you had never actually seen his chest, and just the thought of it had your face heating up and butterflies swarming in your stomach. 

The outer garment slipped off of Yul in seconds, and he tossed it aside on one of the chairs before grasping your waist to pull you closer again. He simply needed your lips on his again as quickly as possible. He had never felt this impatient in his life.

With your lips back on his and his skin just that little bit closer to your fingertips, you were both more than content. All thoughts flew out the window, much like before, until the sudden sound of footsteps made you jerk away from your lover. Yul didn’t register the reason for your unexpected action until he finally saw Uk’s familiar head of short black hair in the doorway. 

Right. Jeongjingak was a public space, and now that Uk and Yeong were back from their months of hunting down Jinyowon relics, they were overdue for a reunion. Yul had been excited to see his friend originally, but now he felt a twinge of disappointment, realising that Uk was the only thing keeping him from tasting your lips again for the next few hours.

“You’re back!” Yul heard you say as you gave a sweet smile to Uk, and his wife, Yeong, who was right behind him. 

“Yes, it was quite the adventure, wasn’t it?” Uk grinned, turning to his wife for her consensus. She smiled at first, but as she turned back to you and Yul, her gaze twisted to one of confusion and then astonishment. 

“Are you two lovers?” She asked quickly, causing your stomach to drop and Yul to turn his head, stunned by her suggestion. No one in Daeho knew you as anyone more than Yul’s close friend, and most of his rumoured lovers had been women of… more prestigious lineage. 

Uk narrowed his eyes at his best friend, taking in his rumpled hair, flushed face, and finally, his missing outer robe. His head shot back to his wife’s, a knowing look shared between the two before Uk let a sly smile grace his face.

“Yul, you never cease to surprise me. Here? In Jeongjingak? I didn’t know it was such a popular spot.” His smile grew as Yul’s face reddened, practically drowning in embarrassment from being caught in such a scandalous act. That too, with someone he wasn’t even engaged to yet. No one had any suspicion of you two before, and now he was sure that the news would spread rapidly to every corner of the country. And eventually Seoho Fortress too.

“I always thought their energy matched.” Yeong spoke up again, “Yul’s was so calm and yet powerful. No wonder Y/n’s daring personality was just enough to kindle its full potential. They will be a great match.” She gazed at you proudly, giving you a silent nod of approval at your anxious look.

In the time that the few words had been exchanged amongst the older couple, Yul had managed to slip his garment back on, hoping he was subtle enough with it. He was entirely flustered still. Everything from the intensity of the kiss to being caught so suddenly was enough to make his brain short circuit. His image as the cool-headed eldest son of the Seo family was crumbling beneath him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it now that Uk had caught him. 

“Yes… We are… engaged.” Yul stuttered, choosing the last word suddenly as a final attempt to make the situation look even slightly better. Your eyes widened in shock when you heard it, even wondering suddenly if you had forgotten when Yul had ever asked you to be his officially. He had never uttered a word of it to you— the last that you knew was that he would have to send a very carefully worded letter to his father and wait anxiously for approval.

Uk nodded approvingly, “I always wondered when you would. You are the last to do it, you know.” He teased, but was quickly shut down with a slap from his wife.

“Yul is doing far better than you! You proposed to nearly 20 other girls before getting married. And you are younger than him!” Yeong didn’t hold back, and you smiled at the sight. They had been through so much, you were glad that they were finally allowed to be happy together; experiencing a fulfilling marriage after years of hardships. 

You looked forward to the day that you would be able to seen with Yul like that. The day people would always expect to see you two side by side, when they would ask you about the other and how you were doing together, because you would forever be united from that moment, sworn to each other until death dared to tear you apart. You had never longed for something as much in your life, nor had you ever felt so deeply in love as you did with the man who stood next to you. Though Yul hadn’t yet asked you, you were already his, and there was nothing that could possibly change that fact.

↳ k-drama taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @cha3w0n-hearts,, @tempobaekh,, @candewlsy,,

@cosmicwintr,, @blossominghunnie,, @parkjennykim,, @seunghancore,, @emmylksblog,,

out of the blue, someone fell from the bushes with a yelp. everyone looked that way, lady l/n letting out a huff.

“there she is… gods, this child will make me die because of an heart attack one day” she mumbled.

indeed, there was a young lady standing in front of the peony bush. she was dusting off the pink flower petals and leaves from her pastel purple hanbok. everyone could notice she was saying something to herself and seemingly, she didn’t realise she wasn’t alone.

“this is our daughter, y/n” your father sighed.

you looked up and suddenly saw the four people’s gazes on you. blood of embarrassment rushing to your cheeks, you approached them.

bowing gently you greeted the guests and a young man caught your attention. it seemed that you caught his too – he was staring at you in awe.

“greetings” you mumbled and refused to look at the unfamiliar people.

“where have you been– you know what? i done even wish to know. this is your new bodyguard, seo yul” your father pointed at the young man in light purple hanbok. you smiled upon realising it had the shade as yours. sending him a nod, he bowed.

his face was truly handsome and being honest, you were glad it was him and not the older man seated next to him.

“it is my pleasure to meet you. i promise, a single hair won’t fall off your head as long as i’ll be guarding you” he said softly. his ebony irises were glued to you, enchanted by your beauty. park jin just lifted the corner of his lips in a smirk, noticing how smittened his nephew is.

“and your name is…?” you asked, ignoring the look your mother sent your way.

“seo yul, lady l/n” the brown haired man replied, his feline-alike features causing you to study his face. then, your gaze fell upon his plum-shaded hanbok with tender, blueish sewings forming peonies. how ironic.

“i like your hanbok, seo yul” you smiled and bowed, then looked at your parents “i still need to unpack my baggage so if you’ll excuse me, i shall get going”

they just nodded and dived back in to the conversation whereas the young mage’s eyes followed you until you disappeared inside the house.

you were so pretty and graceful yet – unlike choyeon – you had a rebellious spark in your eye. something in you just intrigued seo yul and he didn’t even notice when he tried to drink from an empty porcelain cup.

the young mage arrived at your residence, the warm sun heating up his skin pleasantly. the fresh air was filled with the scent of flowers that blossomed in the garden, the birds’ singing beautifully filling in the silence.

someone from the servants led him to your chamber and knocked gently, looking at the new addition to the staff.

“lady y/n is very… childish. please, don’t be afraid to tell her no if she has an ridiculous idea or a foolish request” they said. yul frowned and suddenly the door opened, your maid looking the man up and down.

“you may come in” she said and yul stepped inside.

“who is it?” your voice rung in the room yet you weren’t nowhere in sight. only when your maid came to the folding screen and stepped behind it, he realised you’re there.

blush hit his cheeks and he shook his head.

“it’s seo yul, lad–” he started.

“we’re the same age, i assume. please, don’t use any of the honorific words and nicknames” you hummed and then said something to your maid “this ribbon, please”

yul looked around the room. he didn’t spend much time with noble women except choyeon, yet he thought it’s something known that women tend to be tidy. well…

maybe your room was somehow clean, it definitely had it’s own charm. history books on the floor, along with calligraphy supplies. horse-themed ornaments scattered on the wooden furniture, makeup tools next to a pretty mirror and… empty plates.

“can you show me around the city today, yul?”

his gaze snapped up and he felt his face get warm when he noticed you caught him staring. but there was no anger or disgust in your eyes, no. pure amusement and excitement.

“of course” he nodded, taking in the sight of you. today, you decided to wear a faint yellow hanbok. the sewings at the bottom of the dress were gold and formed a beautiful scenery: young deers, forest plants and wild birds. the rest of the clothing, including the frame of your sleeves, was white. there was a yellow ribbon in your braided hair.

“we shall go, then” you grinned and energetically stormed out of the room. he looked shocked at the maid. the older lady just sighed, dramatically wiping her forehead.

“good luck” she just mumbled and seo yul chased after you, with a love-struck smile.

“so? what are you going to show me? can we see the mage place?” you asked, not even turning around when you heard his footsteps approaching.

you knew he’d say no: you heard that only mages were allowed to enter the place and after all – sadly – you were no mage.

“sure, i’ll take you to jeongjinjak. but be aware that the mages might not be too pleased to see you there” he answered casually and just when he caught up with you, you halted your movements. yul realised he had to stop and turn around, blinking.

“really?” you asked in disbelief, lips forming into a huge smile.

“of course, why not?” seo yul returned your smile.

“i thought… ah, it doesn’t matter. we should go, then” you hummed happily.

yul already knew that he won’t be able to resist you.

“oh my, it’s beautiful here” you sighed when you entered jeongjinjak. the place was spacious and quiet, the air filled with a feeling of seriousness and a scent of old books “do you live here?”

yul nodded, his hand intertwined behind his back as you two strolled around the place carefully.

“my uncle is in charge of this place” yul added. passing by some young mages that were training, you sent them a sweet smile and bowed gently.

they all stared at you in awe, immediately losing focus and stumbling over their own feet. giggling at that, you failed to notice the disapproving look yul sent them.

“i always wanted to at least possess the power ryusu” you hummed sadly “but my parents were never willing to find me a teacher, even though they know some of the stages themselves. selfish, isn’t it?”

you turned to yul and his apologetic smile. there was a certain softness in his features, a look that was different to what you always stumble upon. most of the people assumed you’re a spoiled brat and treated you this way. but yul was the only one who didn’t: he was carefully listening and genuinely cared about what you said.

“i can teach you the basics, y/n” he offered and before you could burst out with happiness, he quickly added “but it must remain a secret between us”

“of course it will” you grinned and quickly went to hug him. you realized your actions and froze, feeling ashamed of your impulsiveness. seo yul noticed that and his heart ached with a strange feeling. were you taught to suppress your emotions? “thank you so much, yul”

“it will be my pleasure, la– y/n” he smiled, ebony irises glinting with happiness. you held eye contact for a mere moment longer before there was a sudden bang.

it was the mages in training who were just staring at you and didn’t notice that they tripped over the edge of the passage.

spending time with yul became a part of your routine. however, it wasn’t a negative thing. you loved his company; for the first time ever you felt like you had a friend. someone who truly cared for you.

a knock at your door caused you to smile. yul had a specific pattern of knocking – it sounded like a tender melody, rhythmic but pleasant to listen to.

“come in!” you hummed, finishing braiding your hair. your guard entered, bowing and scanning your figure (not so) secretly.

“good morning” he hummed, stepping in. you could read it on his face that he wanted to add something but halted from doing so. ‘you look stunning today’ was what lingered on his lips, albeit his shyness prevented him from wording it out.

“what should we do today?” you asked, tilting your head.

you adored seo yul – he always kept up with your ideas and temper. most of the maids were old and always too tired to even take a short walk. even though he wasn’t your maid – and certainly, he wasn’t old – he never had a problem with taking strolls around the city or showing you the neighbourhood . sometimes it included walking through hills, high grasses and small rivers. but he was always willing to do so.

“is there something particular you wish to do?” he asked, his tender voice calm as always.

“not really, no” you shook your head.

“then, we could go–”

he wasn’t meant to finish when your mother barged into the room. her face morphing into relief when she noticed you.

“you’re here, good. do not leave the house today, i heard there are some… civil commotions in the city. and it’s been dangerous lately” she said and her eyes met yul’s. he bowed “oh, you’re here. you can go home now. y/n’s not leaving the household today”

“but mother, i–” you started.

“no. it’s too dangerous” she cut you off and left, the maids closing the door behind her.

yul watched your features grow sad and his heart sank. you lost your excitement, eyes gradually fogging with a strange, bland emotion.

“it’s fine. i’m not in the mood anymore, you can go home” you mumbled, turning your face to the window.

“i’m not in the position to disobey your mother’s orders, however i’m your guard” yul offered and carefully studied your reaction “and not to brag or be overconfident, but you’re going to be safe under my watch”

there was a ghost of a smile dancing on your lips as you played with the hem of your hanbok.

“mhm… and what if my parents found out?” you hummed, cocking your eyebrow.

“i’d take the responsibility” yul said seriously. shaking your head, you stood up.

“no need, i was just teasing you. shall we go, then? where are we going, anyway?” you asked.

“to the market. i believe you haven’t seen it yet, y/n?” he asked with a tender smile.

“no, our maids do the duty of providing food…” you hesitated and stopped yul before he left. his eyes widened when he felt your hand on his chest “how are we going to leave? it’s the middle of the day, everyone will see us”

“just trust me, lady” he hummed and slid his hand to grab yours “may i?”

you nodded. yul’s gentle and smooth hand took in yours, as if scared that he’ll cause harm. blush spreading across your cheeks, you looked away and let him lead you.

seo yul was like a cat – his moves were sharp and calculated, paying attention to if someone is coming or not. in no time, you left through the back door and the garden. finding yourself in the middle of a busy street, you looked at him with wide eyes and a smile of gratitude.

“i’ll be using this route” you grinned and saw a flash of fear go through his face.

“no, don’t do that… you’ll get hurt or…” he started and you let out a gasp, drawing some passersby’s attention.

“what is that? that colorful thing? wait, yul, are those parrots?” you yelped in excitement and he couldn’t help but laugh sincerely. his features dropped when you ran off.

“wait a moment!” he giggled, adoring your excitement.

yul walked you through the market, explaing who’s selling what. the delicious smells and colors surrounded you, mouth agape as you took in all the amazing views. the young mage was stealing glances at you and how adorable you were while doing that.

“oh, the sweets!” he hummed and noticed you look that way curiously.

“can we get some?” you asked.

“of course” he grinned, hands interlocked behind his back. he followed you slowly while you already approached the seller. eyes meeting, you stood closer to him once yul arrived.

“what are we having? my treat!” you grinned “all of them look delicious…”

“my favourite are the pine pollen tea ones” he mumbled shyly, pointing at the greenish cookies.

“well then, we’ll have each one of everything” you hummed and noticed the seller’s eyes widen.

“ah, yul!”

you both turned around and saw a man with blonde hair approach you. while yul was distracted, you said something to the snack seller.

“what a beautiful lady… my name is park danggu” the blond man bowed dramatically as you stared him up and down.

“uh-uh. nice to meet you, i’m l/n y/n” you smiled and frowned, looking at yul. he just smiled.

“that’s a friend of mine” your guard explained and noticed all the snacks are already packed, waiting for you. suddenly, yul had a strange feeling ache in his heart: he did not want you to talk too much with danggu. “shall we go home?”

“oh, already?” you pouted, grabbing the bag. yul took it from you, fingers brushing against each other. blush spread on both of your cheeks. danggu smiled upon that.

“yeah, i’m busy either way. i will see you around, yul. don’t come home too late, though” danggu wiggled his brows and was off before yul could even say something.

“he’s silly” you snickered and poked his arm. yul seemed flustered.

on your way back you chatted all the time. you decided you won’t go anywhere once you’re home, so you dismissed yul to go back (only after thanking him for his company, of course).

once back at jeongjinjak, yul was surprised to see a package addressed for him.

it turned out you bought all the pine pollen tea snacks for him and had them delivered at his dorm.

the mage couldn’t help but melt and smile absentmindedly at the gesture.

for a couple of days yul was dismissed from his duties: your parents gave him some spare time and you said you’re not in the mood to leave the house. it left him pondering if something is wrong and decided to ask you if everything is alright.

the time he spent without you made him realise something: life is bland when you’re not by his side. you’re so lively and energetic, yet so adorable at the same time. he missed you and had this tingling feeling in his heart whenever you weren’t around. yul was looking forward to the day he’ll meet you again.

after finally coming back to his duties, he went right away to your chamber. it was late and dark outside but a messenger called him, saying it was urgent. the mage thought something dangerous was happening.

“y/n?” yul asked, coming into the room. there was a couple of candles lighting up the room, shadows dancing on the walls.

“yul! let’s go out!” you whisper-yelled, grabbing his hands. a pleasant warmth spread through his body before he processed your words.

“what? i thought it was an emergency and you got hurt…” he mumbled.

“no, no. i’m fine. just bored to death… are there any horses…?” you asked hesitantly.

“h-horses?” he choked out, eyes widening. you shrugged nonchalantly.

“i feel like going on a horse ride”

you are insane.

“sure, we’ll find something” he scoffed, shaking his head. he shouldn’t be doing this; none of this, at all. he’s about to sneak out with a lady he was supposed to protect and do something that could potentially harm you. which, he was here to prevent in the first place.

but he couldn’t help it! he felt like you put a spell on him, he just wasn’t able to resist.

“we shall go then, my lady” he hummed. good thing the room was dimmed, otherwise he’d see how your face reddened with a shade of ruby-alike shade of the yin and yang jade.

yul held your hand gently and helped you leave through the window. erupting into quiet giggles when you almost stepped on his feet or when you passed the peony bush where he first saw you. under the cover of dark night sky, yul led you to a nearest stallion. he looked around, making sure no one saw you.

“y/n, do you even know how–” he turned around and gasped when he saw you already on the horse.

“can we go to the pretty fields? please…” you mumbled. yul nodded slowly and hopped on a horse too, leading the way.

“we should be back before sunrise…” he mumbled. there was a look of calmness in your face, almost unfamiliar.

wind in your hair, the sound of horse hooves pleasantly clacking against the ground underneath the starry sky caused your heart to soothe. the smell of fresh grass and yul’s silhouette beautifully framed by moonlight – it was a moment that you wanted to stay in forever.

arriving at the fields, you stopped next to a small stream. the water was rustling pleasantly, hypnotizing you. yul realized that you stopped following him and turned around, looking at you. something was troubling your mind, clearly.

“yul-ah”

even in the faint light you saw his eyes widen. cute.

“yes, y/n?” he asked, voice gentle.

“i think i… no. um, actually, no. i’ve been practising ryusu! can i show you?” you asked and he nodded, locking his hands between his back.

you put your body strength on your legs, focusing to keep your moves sharp and clean. chest moving up and down to keep your breathing regular and steady. just when you thought you got it–

“y/n, i think… my heart longs for you when you’re not present but then it acts as if it was possessed whether you hold my hand… i’d rather look at you than all of the stars or beautiful ornaments” yul said, his words carried by wind.

letting out a shaky breath, you looked at him. moonlight shining on his handsome face and somewhat scared eyes.

“why did i say that…” he mumbled.

you let out a melodic laugh and ran up to him, wrapping hands around his neck. yum was startled but held you gently.

“you fool” you mumbled, smiling against the fabric of his hanbok “my heart calls out for you too. i’ve been meaning to say that for while, that’s why i needed some time alone”

“huh?”

you leaned away and gently grabbed his face, cupping his cute cheeks.

“you’re the only one who understands me, yul-ah. i bask in your warmth and kindness, your spirit makes me feel alive– can… can i kiss you? i’m out of words” you asked. yup nodded shyly, unsure what to do with his hands.

placing your lips on his plump ones, he instinctively wrapped hus hands around your waist. pulling you closer and smiling softly into the kiss.

when you felt like you were running out of your breath, he pulled away.

“you need more training though…”

a frown formed on your face and he snickered.

“with ryusu?” you asked, unable to believe he just said that.

“no– well, yes. if you train your breathing, you’ll be able to kiss longer” a smirk danced on his lips “or the other way around. fortunately for you, i can help with such matter”

suddenly his eyes widened, the flirty behaviour disappeared in a blink of an eye.

“don’t tell your parents. or my uncle. we’re kind of… breaking the rules”

“i won’t” you smiled sweetly and tip-toed to smooch his cheek.

years spend alone without friends or love, barely with your parents caused your heart to ache in a mysterious and hurtful way. but now, with yul by your side, a soothing feeling washed over it as if someone put a calming balm. a balm called love.

masterlist <3