“You came here to tell me something like that?” Well that was unexpected. The moment Soo-Won recapped this whole situation, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Hak probably just had wasted the possibility to kill him … and nobody would have been able to save him. But instead Hak just came to mutter compliments?

“Stay.” His lips were faster than his mind and for a second he cursed himself for not calling the guards. But then there was this feeling again. The emotion of deep regret. “You’re in no condition to wander through the castle”, Soo-Won added, following his former friend and grabbing his arm with a serious expression.

“ Stupid, I know. “

Especially after everything. 

Soo-Won was faster than he was able to move out of the room again. Hak tried his best to not look at him again, but it was so hard since keeping his eyes closed made him dizzy. Slowly he blinked at him, hair tousled from sleep, eyes glittering in the moonlight.

Yona felt embarrassed and a little ashamed. She had to wait until morning, but she felt that she could not do this. She continued to play with Hak’s hair before finally deciding to ask him.

“Can you kiss me again?”

Well, now he was wide awake. His lids shot up and for a moment he just stared upwards before searching for Yona’s gaze. Realizing he lost his cool for a moment, he let a smile splay across his lips.

Soo-Won woke up as he heard the babbling voice echoing through his rooms. He gazed at his friend before getting out of bed in an instant.

“Hak, what are you … doing here? Do you know what time it is?” He didn’t just …?

Oh, he definitely had a beer too much.

Hak didn’t even remember how he made his way from the happy hungry bunch’s quarters to those of the current king of Kouka, but somehow... he ended up here. It was probably one of the most dangerous situations he’d gotten himself in during the last couple of months.

;;~“Hey what’s that supposed to mean,.. I don’t get that moody.. “ She pouted slightly and then soon changed again she she noticed how his expression turned into a serious one. 

“I-I know.. but don’t you already have enough on your own plate to worry about .. you don’t need my nightmares and problems on top of it.”

He snorted, slightly amused. “ It’s not that much really. A moody princess, a bunch of idiots... “ There wasn’t any malice in his voice, secretly Hak had grown very fond of each and every one of them. “ There’ll always be enough room for you to tell me about these things. You don’t have to hold them in - especially if you feel better if you talk about them. “

[#] uhhhh soooorry for all the angst we’re putting on your dash /D i guess we are too familiar with each other’s headcanons regarding possible past relationships between hak and soo-won by now. i swear we’re able to put that aside for other plots //D anyway, there’s still the possibility you’re enjoying the massive desaster we are, so i’ll opt for that /D

“The Hak I knew would have never believed in rumors”, Soo-Won said. Gradually his voice started crumbling just as his facial expression. He tensed up and after a few seconds it felt like he was trembling under Hak’s hands.

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about. I’m not lying.” Narrowing his eyes he almost seemed to be sulky. “Even if you were right and I wasn’t being honest when telling you that … does it make a difference now?” He just did what he had to do. He couldn’t change his future. Neither in the past nor now. If anything was certain then it was the fact that he would die sooner or later. More likely sooner than later.

“Telling me that I owe you something but beating around the bush yourself. You want to know when I started betraying you?” Soo-Won got his voice under control one more time and pierced Hak with a serious look on his face. “The day I killed your King. Give or take a few days. That’s it. And you know what? You don’t need to believe me cause you never came with the intention of getting answers you would be happy with. Am I right?”

Either the night wind or Soo-Won’s words made him shiver; he didn’t know which. Factum est, the blonde might’ve had a couple of points. Hak didn’t like it, but at least he was calm enough again to really take in the things he said.

Slowly he untightened his grip and let his arms fall to his sides.

“ I guess there are no answers that would make me anything near happy. Maybe you’re right and I am still pathetically clinging to whatever I thought we once had. Which is total and utter bullshit, because even if we had anything, it obviously wasn’t enough. “ Once he’d bitten his tongue off rather than spit out those words. Sentiments, pah.

“ It’s pathetic. I’m pathetic “, he repeated , “ for still having that one ounce of trust in you. Because even if you betrayed everything we wanted to be, I’m still not able to let go. I wanted to - but I can’t. So if there’s any fragment of decency left in you, you’ll tell me to fuck off now and let me make peace with this desaster that's our- I don’t even know what this is. “ Powerless he gestured between them. He really... didn’t have enough energy for this anymore. It ate away at him for the past couple of years and he just couldn’t bear with it any longer.

“ Or you finally drop it - and let me see the real you again. “

It wasn’t the first time Soo-Won witnessed one of Hak’s flashs of anger. So there was no need to be impressed. Nonetheless the former general managed to get his full attention again. The King looked up and stared into the blue eyes which seemed to glow with rage. It took him a few moments to gaze at the hands holding him.

“I never promised anything to you”, he said calmly. “What do you want me to prove? What do I have to do to win you over again? You’re the one who joined my troups.” Without even trying to free his arms he ground his teeth. “What are you even doing here, Hak?”

He could’ve slapped him square in the face and it would probably have had the same effect. Due to sheer power of will he didn’t let go of him.

“ You’re lying. Again. “ Hak inhaled deeply, trying to sort through his thoughts - they wouldn’t get anywhere with this impulsive rage he was displaying. “ You once told me the you I knew was a fake. That I never knew you. Even that was a lie, wasn’t it? Noone could put up such an immense façade at such a young age! When did you start betraying us?! “ When did you start betraying me?