Be With You | Park Seonghwa

5

Two uneventful days had passed travelling on his horse and speeding your journey up, trailing a bit to the west so you could lead to your house, when you finally encountered another set of rebels.

"Why is it always you," you muttered harshly as you pushed Seonghwa against a tree, your eyes scanning around, "who gets me in unnecessary trouble?"

"I mean," Seonghwa was grinning as he looked down at you, "you could have left. You seem to know your way around well."

"Let's just say the lack of human company the past years is making me crave even yours," you sent a dagger flying and it landed straight in the middle, ridding you of another man. "Cover. Now."

Seonghwa understood and loaded his bow as he covered your back while you sent daggers, each dagger striking and ending the men. Seonghwa, however, was aiming not for the vital points, unlike you. And he scolded you for killing the men.

"I'm protecting you," you looked at him in disbelief.

Seonghwa sighed, his heart swelling at the way you said that and looked at him. He told himself that you were only protecting him because he was going to take you to the castle but he couldn't help but wonder if you really were starting to consider him... a friend.

Or more.

"Cleanse your brain while you're at it," you muttered and he laughed out loud at that.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

You didn't answer that, instead smiling to yourself and turning your back to him, making sure he wouldn't see it. You took a deep breath, back to your normal mode and turned to face him. "Why are they still coming after you? Just what have you done? I think it's about time you tell me."

"Not unless you tell me why you were in prison and everything else."

"Ah," you nodded, "You know, sometimes I really do think we're warming up to each other. Maybe friends, maybe something else, but starting to mean something to each other. And then you... pull this shit."

Seonghwa scoffed, "I could say the same. I thought last night might have changed things."

Last night.

The two of you had been sitting in front of the fire when he told you about how he thought the King really was going on the wrong path. He opened up to you about his concerns about the king, and though he did not tell you what exactly his post was (which you knew already) you could tell that as the King's Right Hand, he really did care about the King. And that reminded you of yourself because there was once a time when you cared about the King too. When nothing else mattered to you except his approval, his compliments, his complaints.

You told Seonghwa that you understood. That you, too, had a 'master' like he had. That you also cared about him deeply until he betrayed you, got you sent to prison using your sister to save his hide. That he had done that only because you had dared to tell him that the decision he made regarding his rivals was wrong and would lead to bloodshed.

"That sounds like the King too," Seonghwa sighed. "He hasn't been making the best decisions lately."

"Now, now," you elbowed him, "What would the King say if he could hear you now?"

Seonghwa looked at you, grinning, "Off with his head?"

It was the second time he heard you laugh and it sent him in a daze as he brought his hand to your face, about to caress it, pausing when he saw the hesitancy and what looked like fear in your eyes, changing his mind and slapping you lightly instead.

"You laugh like you're choking to death."

And that had ended with him clutching his wrist and half laughing, half crying in pain.