Shin-ah x Hak (Akatsuki no Yona)

Part 4

Elsewhere, a little earlier...

What is he playing at? Yoon wondered to himself. He'd sent Hak off to get water ages ago, had he decided to go fishing while he was at it? Yoon didn't mind, he just wished he'd tell him, he needed the pot back so he could start to heat the water, it was a long process to make dinner large enough for four dragons and a thunder beast.

Yoon tapped his foot as he sat, leg crossed over the top of the other, on a rough log by the ashen remains of the campfire, a restless feeling gnawing at him. Normally he'd have no worries about Hak disappearing for a bit, he was more than capable of dealing with anything that was thrown his way, but today, a feeling like anxiety was creeping, making Yoon feel uneasy. There was something off about Hak recently, ever since the inn incident he hadn't been the same, often spacing out.

Yoon had been at a loss. As the sensible one of the group he felt he should have talked to Hak about it, and made sure he was okay... but the fear of what he might hear had kept him from doing so. Yoon was pretty sure he could guess what had happened, but if Hak told him outright, what could he possibly reply? What could he say to Hak? Wouldn't silence only make him feel worse, Yoon really wasn't sure it was something he could help handle this time. He'd failed Hak and left him alone to deal with whatever was bugging him by himself.

With a heavy sigh Yoon rose to his feet, he'd go check Hak was okay and hadn't got himself into any more trouble, and he could retrieve the pot, he reasoned with himself. He tentatively wandered off to the lake muttering excuses to himself, when he was a short way off his feet abruptly stilled, an unexpected scene confronting him, stunning him so greatly that for a moment all he could do was stare unthinking.

That was Hak.. and Shin-ah? Yoon assumed from the fur headpiece that Hak had around him. Yoon watched numbly as Shin-ah pushed Hak onto his back. This unusual act finally urged Yoon back into thinking. Did dragons go into heat? Was Hak for some unknown reason being targeted? If he was being forced against his will this wasn't something that should be ignored. Yoon took a deep breath, he didn't want to get involved, he didn't want to see anymore, but what if Hak needed help?

A low thwump diverted Yoon's attention, Jaeha had landed behind him, having dropped in from some unknown location. Jaeha smiled from underneath his curtain of hair and held a finger to his lips, motioning for Yoon not to make too much noise. Yoon was about to question Jaeha but was cut off before the words could materialise.

"It would be best not to interrupt them at the moment, don't you think?" Jaeha whispered, rising gracefully to his feet.

"But... What if Hak needs help?" Yoon stammered, his mind was unusually blank. He wasn't sure how to address the issue when it had been Jaeha involved previously, he didn't want to throw in any accidental accusations without knowing the facts of what had actually happened that night.

"Do you really think Hak would let anyone get away with doing anything to him if he didn't want them to?" Jaeha retorted with his own question lightly.

Yoon had no words. He couldn't argue that if Hak hadn't killed or half decapitated them, then it probably wasn't against his will. Was that just what he was into...? There wasn't anything wrong with it, especially since they weren't causing trouble in the camp or hurting Yona... Yoon sighed. There was nothing he could do he here, this wasn't the time or place to stick his nose in.

Jaeha smiled sweetly, and began to accompany Yoon back to the camp, flopping his arm around Yoon's shoulders. However, not long after reaching the camp the pair were halted by the distant call of Jaeha's name, seeing Shin-ah waving at him, not entirely able to conceal the look of alarm from encompassing his features, Jaeha quickly made his way to the lake, effortlessly covering the large expanse in a single leap.

Jaeha hadn't really been sure what to expect, he knew what the pair had been doing, so he certainly wasn't anticipating suddenly being called over, but the fact that Shin-ah had even raised his voice to call for Jaeha should have been warning enough.

Jaeha stared blankly at the motionless Hak for a moment, his face pale and breathing shallow, body covered in a sheen of sweat, lying on the damp robe, completely unconscious, and Shin-ah putting his mask back on. Before his brain had caught up Jaeha found himself grabbing Shin-ah by the collar with two hands making him stumble backwards, an ugly black feeling welling up and boiling over in an instant, uncontrollable.

"What the hell did you do to him!?" Jaeha yelled furiously at the expressionless masked face.

"Hak.. fainted." Shin-ah replied quietly after a moment.

Fainted? Hak? The words managed to break through Jaeha's seething anger for a moment, his sense of reason struggling back in. Jaeha glanced at the still unmoving Hak, his chest constricting painfully without permission. Ah, he was on the bottom Jaeha noted. Was it too much for him? Jaeha suddenly wondered in astonishment ,now that his brain was able to process rational thoughts again in small trickles. His chest squeezed again, suddenly feeling heavy. Of course Shin-ah wouldn't have used his power on Hak, else Shin-ah would be paralysed as well, but he wouldn't use it anyway, even if Hak had pushed him too far he wouldn't have used it on him. Jaeha turned back to Shin-ah, and relinquished the fistfuls of fabric he had clasped onto so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

"Sorry Shin-ah." Jaeha apologised, feeling slightly embarrassed and ashamed to have jumped to such conclusions.

Shin-ah merely shook his head slightly.

A breathless Yoon finally arrived at the scene, having run as fast as his could to join them. He rest his hands on his knees taking deep breaths, then straightened up, putting his hands behind his head for a final stabilising breath then knelt down next to Hak. Yoon checked Hak's pulse in his wrist then uncertainly held a hand to Hak's forehead, his face now a blotchy shade of pink, his breathing more ragged than when Jaeha had arrived.

"He's burning up and freezing at the same time. We need to get him back to camp, I'd say he was sick." Yoon concluded, his logical side having taken charge.

Yoon watched as Shin-ah leaned in to whisper something to Jaeha, whose eyebrows momentarily raised before he nodded in agreement to whatever Shin-ah had said.

"Yoon, you get back to camp and set up whatever is necessary to treat Hak, I'll carry him back." Jaeha explained, already gently pushing Yoon in the direction of the camp. Yoon hesitantly agreed, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as if he were conflicted but set off nonetheless.

"SorryHak, hang in there just a little longer." Jaeha pleaded under his breath as hepicked up the unconscious form and dipped him in the lake.