The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 153: Conflicted

The second the situation was contained, Shin-ah whisked Calista away upstairs.

Yoon took charge, delegating Hak and Kija to taking the nadai addicts outside where they could be easily taken home by their families, which Jae-ha left to go contact. Using the information from the owner, they were able to identify most of the regulars.

Yona and that blue-haired girl also went outside, her bloody nose needing tending too. Luckily, neither one of them were too seriously hurt.

The same, however, couldn't be said for her.

Knees like jelly, Calista lacked the strength to do even the simplest of tasks.

Stumbling up the steps, she squeaked and clung to Shin-ah's neck for dear life as he suddenly scooped her up, deciding to carry her instead of watching her struggle like a newborn deer.

"I can walk!!" She protested, not wanting to be a burden after such a fight.

Just by glancing at him, she could tell he was just as exhausted as her. As far as she could tell, he hadn't been extensively hurt; but surely, he was just as sore as she was, if not more.

Squirming in his grasp, she tensed when he leaned down to kiss her passionately, landing with such accuracy on her soft lips that it overshadowed that fact that he was doing it to distract her.

Calista's mind drew a blank even after he pulled away and she buried her face into his neck in embarrassment at how effective that tactic was as he continued walking somewhere which she vaguely registered as the dressing room where she and Yona had gotten ready in earlier.

Her heels bumped against his leg clumsily at the brisk gait he set and she would've fallen to the floor if not for the tight hold he had on her.

The events of the night were pretty much a blur to her. The shock of how close she had been to getting assaulted right there in front of the people she cared most about made her sick to her stomach.

Bile rose in her throat and she dry heaved, coughing soon after when nothing came up.

Shin-ah didn't say anything, but his grip under her knees and around her shoulders tightened. His jaw ticked and he stared stoically ahead as they arrived at the room that was away from the chaos.

Zeno was taking care of the clean-up with the help of the barkeeper and the owner and he promised to ensure their privacy while they were gone. His baby blue eyes sparked with curiosity as the blue dragon asked him that favor, but he nodded nonetheless, his bubbly personality giving way to a more solemn one when he saw how badly the girl behind him was shaking.

When they finally arrived in the dimly lit room with only a single moonbeam illuminating the area, he kicked the door closed and set her down on top of the vanity table.

Calista opened her heavy eyelids with great difficulty, bolting upright when her hand knocked into the hair brush she had set down earlier, sending it spiraling to the floor.

Catching it nimbly with one hand, Shin-ah set it down on the nearby chair before taking off his mask and stepped in between her parted legs, tilting her head from side to side to get a look at her face.

Her breath caught in her throat at his proximity, her thighs unconsciously squeezing his hips as he examined her carefully for any injuries. He was incredibly warm and she unconsciously tugged him closer.

Calista blushed as she realized they were now around the same height when he caught her gaze.

"Are you hurt?" Shin-ah asked her quietly, his golden eyes imploring her to be honest with him.