Family Doesn't Require Blood (ATEEZ)

Chapter 1

A/N

Hello everyone, welcome to my new story and thankyou so much for coming here to read it. This story is written a little bit different from any of my other ones as it isn't in first person point of view, but I hope you all still like it nonetheless. I've been waiting a while to begin posting this so I can already have about 7 or 8 chapters done to begin with. I will probably update this another 2 times within the next week but after that, it will change to me posting once a week. I haven't really written anything like this before so I apologise if it's not the best, but I hope you guys still enjoy it :)

"Again. Your father told me you need to refine your hand to hand combat skill." Hongjoong groaned and took deep breaths where he was laying on his back on the dirt, internally cursing the knight who was teaching him.

"Are you sure you don't just like beating me San," Hongjoong said as he heaved himself to his feet. San chuckled at the Prince's whining, smiling innocently.

"Now why would I enjoy that your Highness," he said, the innocent smile turning into a mischievous grin.

"I've told you not to call me that Sannie," Hongjoong said, frowning at the younger knight.

"You realise we're in public right now? This is a training room and anyone could walk in. I could be punished for calling you anything but your Highness," San said. Hongjoong sighed, not liking the fact that even his friends had to call him by his title. San could tell it was bothering the Prince so he gave him a small smile and walked closer to him.

"No one's going to tell father on you, they all know you're a close companion of mine," Hongjoong said.

"It's fine Hongjoong, let's just keep training," San said, knowing how much the topic of his royalty annoyed him sometimes. Not to mention the fact that as a Prince, he should be able to defend himself in hand to hand combat, something San was advanced in, however Hongjoong was not.

"Can't we just stop, we've been at this for hours," Hongjoong groaned.

"No, we can't. You know that things have been stirring in the Kingdom of Balhae and if those assholes decide they want a war, you need to be able to protect yourself," San said. Hongjoong rolled his eyes, annoyed at how adamant the younger was.

"That's what I have Yunho for. You know, my personal guard," he pointed out. Yunho was assigned as Hongjoong's guard once he turned 18. His job is protect the Crown Prince whenever he goes out of the grounds of the castle, and even sometimes within the castle.

"Yunho can only do so much Hongjoong. If something happens and he can't protect you, you need to be able to defend yourself as well," San said in exasperation.

"I can protect myself. I happen to be quite advanced in sword fighting," Hongjoong said with a frown, not liking that the young knight was making out he couldn't handle himself at all.

"But you aren't always going to have a weapon with you. What happens if you're disarmed," San said. He grabbed the Prince's wrist an dragged him back to the middle of the training room.

"When am I ever not going to have Yunho or my sword San. I just want to go to my room and have a nice bath. Father's away, this is like the one time I get to relax," Hongjoong said as he pulled his wrist from San's grip. San sighed as he looked over at the smaller, trying to think of a way to get him to stop whining and continue practicing. Then it came to him, Hongjoong's biggest weakness. San has his own little brother and he would do anything he could to protect him, no matter what.

"Well, what if you were out with Yeosang, alone without weapons. And then someone attacked him, wanting to kidnap him, or kill hi-." San wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Hongjoong was lunging forwards, anger present in his eyes. San grinned to himself as he quickly blocked the punch, glad to finally have the Crown Prince's undivided attention on practice.