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akatsukinoawesome · 8 years ago

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An Affordable Winter Festivus For All (An AnY X-Mas Fic)

Dearest @uta-chan-meganekko I am SO SORRY that your gift is late, but as they say, MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS AND SORRY SORRY SORRY (ok, so that might not be an actual saying, but I am still really sorry).

The prompts you gave me were:

Hak x Yona Zeno x Kaya Any and all HHB brotps (including Yoon and Hak) Kija x Jae-Ha is fine too! Just Yona and the HHB Shenanigans Angst/Fluff/Humor everything goes I don't mind nsfw, but it isn't something I particularly request for, here

I tried to combine a bit of everything and ended up with a group fic with general interaction between everyone and a healthy dose of Hak x Yona. I hope you enjoy (again, sorry, sorry, sorry and I sincerely hope you enjoy!)

Very Bestest Wishes for the New Year!

CharlieChaplin2 (of Akatsukinoawesome)

Title: An Affordable Winter Festivus For All (or an AnY Christmas Fic).

Characters: Yona, Hak, Yun, Kija, Jae Ha, Shin Ah, Squirrel Ao, Zeno.

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Author’s Notes: Written for the @akayonagiftexchange (thank you for organising this and having patience with me!). Manga compliant. Full of fluff. This is the fluffiest of fluff to have ever fluffed. Enjoy!

“Do you think it'll have a lot of bugs in there?”

The trepidation in Kija’s voice was clear even though his stomach growled loudly enough to nearly drown out his question. Jae Ha grinned but otherwise ignored the noise, saving the Hakuryuu from further embarrassment. To be fair, they were all ravenous after their long day spent climbing up the steepest part of the mountain path, but fortunately their efforts had paid off: just like Yun’s excellent map reading skills had promised, they were about to arrive at a cozy (but suitably large) cave which would do nicely as a shelter for the night.

“Would you rather sleep outside in this freezing cold, White Snake?”

Despite knowing he was being teased it was obvious that Kija was actually considering it as an option. “Once we get a fire going there won't be any need to worry, it’ll chase any bugs away,” Jae Ha offered by way of reassurance.

Hak was having too much fun, however, to let it go. “No it won't,” he said, “creepy crawlers are attracted to heat and light. If anything, more will come towards us.You don't need to worry, though, I'll be happy to protect you through the night in exchange for your portion of dinner.”

“Stop frightening him, Hak.” In spite of her attempt to hide it, Jae Ha could hear the exasperation in Yona’s voice - a sure sign she was also very tired and hungry. He guessed it was that, more than what she actually said which made Hak stop his teasing. “Kija, if you sleep outside you'll catch a cold,” she said as she pulled her cloak closer, “besides, since they'll be so many of us moving around we'll be the ones frightening the bugs, they'll go into hiding and won't bother us. You’ll be perfectly safe in the cave, I promise.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Kija turned to the Thunder Beast and gave him a look of smug triumph. “And while I thank you for the offer, Hak,” he said sarcastically, “I can protect myself just fine. You keep away from my food.”

Hak shrugged. “I was only offering my services, and at a discounted rate for a friend, too.”

“None of you will get dinner if you don't hurry up!” Yun called out from a little further up the mountain road, the Seiryuu and Ouryuu standing on either side of him. “Shin Ah says we’re almost there but it's getting dark quickly.”

Jae Ha’s own stomach rumbled in protest at the thought of going the night without food. “Best we pick up the pace,” he suggested to the other three, “before we upset mother too much.”

“I heard that!”

“He's got ears as keen as a falcon’s eyes, that one,” he grumbled. Yona chuckled lightly, her mood lifted since they were so close to their destination. He couldn't help feeling pleased at having made her smile and it nearly made him roll his eyes at himself. I'm almost as bad as Hak, he thought, go away, dragon blood, leave my poor heart in peace. As per usual, though, it wasn't listening.

~*~

Immediately upon arrival at their new site, and despite the overall fatigue of the group, everyone fell into a well-practiced routine as they each did their part to make camp. As per usual Yun was the one preparing dinner and once the food had been made ready everyone formed an orderly queue… if by ‘formed an orderly queue’ Jae Ha actually meant that while Zeno and Kija bickered and fought between themselves to snag the first bowlful of stew from the pot, Yona had tried to sneak past them, only to be caught by Hak (which started an additional kerfuffle on a whole other level). In the end, whilst everyone was fighting over who was hungriest/oldest/had most seniority, it was Shin Ah who managed to get first dibs on the food… it’s always the quiet ones, Jae Ha thought to himself. Being the big brother and knowing that bickering over dinner was unattractive, he’d stayed out of it, surveying it all instead from his spot next to his sleeping mat. He might have been last to eat, but watching his pseudo-family interacting with each other with such normalcy and comfort was more than worth it.

The only thing that was out of place was the fact that Yun wasn’t telling them off as loudly as usual. Jae Ha might have been hungry, but an empty belly hadn’t dulled his senses. He made a note to ask Yun about it when they were alone but Yona beat him to the punch and spoke to him while everyone was still eating around the campfire.

“Yun, is everything alright? You seem a little… contemplative tonight.” Her voice echoed louder than she intended it to in the cave and drew the attention of the others.

Jae Ha’s sharp, violet eyes flicked over to the boy, curious to see if he would open up.

Yun stopped munching on the wild herbs he was eating and to Jae Ha’s surprise, he looked a little sheepish. “Well, the famous Kouka tradition of Winter Festivus is coming-”

“Ah, my favorite holiday!” Kija sighed, interrupting. “I’d almost forgotten it’s that time of year. Granny will be busy supervising the decorating of the village right about now. There’ll be presents for everyone, warms fires, plenty of feasting, fireworks and sweet drinks!”

Yona heartily agreed with him. “Winter Festivus was so much fun at the palace, we had the best food and games! Father would open up the palace doors for the whole kingdom and finding gifts for everyone was so much fun!” She laughed, revelling in her memories. “Mundok used to dress up as Mr Festivus and give all the children gifts. Do you remember, Hak?” Her eyes creased with nostalgia at the corners. “He used to chase after you when you tried to sneak a peek from his sack!”

Hak unconsciously rubbed at the back of his head, her infectious grin spreading easily to him. “Sometimes he actually caught me, too.”

“Ik-Soo used to pretend Mr Festivus came to leave me a gift in the night,” Yun piped up, that false irritability ever present whenever he spoke about the priest, “but I never fell for it. It was so obvious it was him,” he said, “but I would pretend not to know because it made him so happy.”

“You must miss him,” Yona said kindly, “and I'm sure he misses you, too.”

Yun waved it off. “Bah, since he's on his own he'll probably go visit the mountain shrine. Lots of people from the region travel there for Winter Festivus, they'll be plenty for him to do to in order to help set everything up for the influx of holiday tourists…” he said, deliberately dodging Yona’s point, “although he'll probably cause the other priests more harm than good,” he added in a low mumble.

“I'm sure he'll be fine. And between all the food preparation, decorating, music and fireworks, Ik-Soo will likely have a great Winter Festivus holiday,” Yona reassured him.

Shin Ah’s face lit up under the mask as he listened, imagining all the events which supposedly took place during the celebration. “It sounds nice.”

Kija turned to the Seiryuu, aghast at the implication. “Don't tell me you've never celebrated a Festivus before?”

Shin Ah sat momentarily paralysed, his spoon halfway to his mouth, as if worried he'd somehow given an incorrect answer, and then shyly shook his head. Ao stopped sipping broth from his bowl to mimic him.

“That's terrible!” exclaimed Zeno, his voice echoing loudly within their cave. “We’ll have to throw a Festivus celebration so you can experience it! Zeno loves celebrations.”

Yun’s initial frown had returned. “As I was trying to say before I was interrupted, Winter Festivus is coming up and, well… we’re all dirt poor.”

“That's not new information, Yun-kun, why does it bother you now?” Jae Ha asked.

“Well,” Yun sat up a little taller, evidently proud of his potential new idea, “I've come up with a plan - a way for all of us to celebrate the holiday together in an affordable manner.”

“You never let us down, such a good mother,” Jae Ha teased, seeing the boy was already looking happier.

“Watch it, you exotic leg-beast, or I won't let you take seconds.”

Jae Ha feigned being being distraught. “I take it all back, then. What's your plan, bishi-Yun?”

“We’ll pull names out of a pot. Whoever you get, that's the only person you'll get a gift for. The only person.” He looked specifically at Hak and Yona. “No extra gifts for anyone, got it? That way we’ll all get presents and it'll still be fair and cheap.”

“That sounds like fun!” Yona beamed as a thought occurred to her. “Do you think when we pull out the name of the person we’re buying the gift for we keep that name a secret until Winter Festivus Day?”

Yun shrugged. “Sure, if you think it'll make it more interesting.”

“Yay!” Zeno threw his arms out in celebration “Seiryuu gets to experience his first Winter Festivus and Zeno will get a present! This is going to be great!”

Simply because Zeno was doing it, Shin Ah raised his arms out, too. “Yay,” he said in his soft voice and smiled, tentatively excited at the prospect of his first Festivus.

“I'll write everyone’s names down and put them in a pot.”

“Not you, Droopy Eyes,” Hak warned. “I don't trust you to put your own name in only once.”

“Fufu, how mean, Hak.” Jae Ha pretended to pout.

“You can try and look cute all you like, but you're not my type so it won't work.”

The Ryokuryuu’s eyes lit up like stars. “You think I'm so cute when I pout that you tease me deliberately? Oh, Hak-kun…”

Hak sighed. “That’s… that's not what I said.”

“I’ll get the pot ready with everyone’s names,” volunteered Yun, “once we finish dinner.”

He was rewarded with a chorus of “Thank you, mother!”

“I don't remember raising any of you as children!”

~*~

On the day of Winter Festivus they'd spent the morning and afternoon in the town taking in all the sights and sounds and smells the holiday had to offer them. They ate too many sweets, (some of them) drank a little too much and they spent as much money as they had on games (sometimes even winning little prizes). Shin Ah’s cheeks ached from smiling so much, more exhilarated than frightened at all the hustle and bustle. Zeno got lost in the crowd on more than one occasion and for a while Jae Ha was somehow roped into acting as a substitute for a band whose flute player was ill. For an hour or so Yun even set up shop and sold a few medicinal herbs (and what he marketed as ‘hunky beast’ hugs, building on previous experience and exploiting not just Hak, but Kija and Jae Ha as well), although he guarded the money he earned from that business venture tightly, staunchly refusing to allow the others to waste any of it at the Festival.

As the afternoon dragged on and the sensations began to overwhelm them all a little, they agreed to return to their inn until the fireworks began at night. They’d rented two rooms (a small one for Yun and Yona, and a much larger one for the others), and gathered in the bigger of the two for the highly anticipated exchange of their Winter Festivus gifts.

They all sat in a circle, their presents hidden behind their backs as they gleefully tried to spy on one another, each of them brimming with anticipation.

“So, who wants to go first?” Yun asked when everyone was ready.

The Ouryuu volunteered immediately. “Zeno does!” Without waiting for permission he whipped out the gift from his sleeve: a rolled piece of cotton with something wrapped inside it. “This is for the Ryokuryuu! Happy Winter Festivus!” He tossed it to Jae Ha, sitting opposite him. “Zeno hopes he likes it and makes good use of it.”

Jae Ha looked up in surprise once he'd unrolled the cotton and realised what his gift was. “How did you know I needed this?” he asked.

“What is it?” Yona asked, not recognising what it was.

“It's Python skin,” he explained, “for my erhu.”

“Zeno noticed the Ryokuryuu wasn't playing as often after he dropped his bag during that fight in Sei, and that when he did play, the sound wasn't quite right. Zeno guessed that it was damaged and the Ryokuryuu was probably having trouble affording to fix it.”

Jae Ha nodded, surprised at Zeno’s perceptiveness. “This would have been expensive,” he said.

The Ouryuu smiled broadly. “That's why Zeno caught the python himself. It was free!”

Yona’s eyes widened in horror. “But didn't you get bitten?”

“Only a few times,” Zeno said in an attempt to placate her concerns, “but everyone knows the Ouryuu will always recover so it was no problem!”

“‘Only a few times’ is a lot, you careless dragon,” Yun said, “it’s not like a simple thorn prick!”

“But the python isn’t very poisonous and it only managed to break Zeno’s wrist once!”

“That doesn’t make it any better!”

Zeno simply laughed and patted the boy on the head.

“This is a very fine gift,” Jae Ha said, “the quality of the skin it high, and it’s been dried and treated perfectly. This was skillfully done. Thank you, Zeno-kun, I really appreciate it.”

Zeno scratched his hair, embarrassed at the sincerity of Jae Ha’s thanks. “Zeno’s happy his gift made the mister happy, too. Maybe the Ryokuryuu will start playing more for us in the evenings again?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the group. “Who’s next?”

“Well, since I got my gift, I think it's only fair I give my present next, right?” Jae Ha suggested.

“Oh, that's a good idea! Who did you pick from the pot?” Yona asked.

“That would be…” Jae Ha paused for dramatic effect, “Hak!” He pulled a large, white bottle out from behind him. “I hope you like it.”

“Cheongju, huh? Good choice.” Hak took the gift from Jae Ha and inspected the name. “This is a good brand, too,” he said appreciatively.

“It was difficult to get a hold of, I had to barter for it in a very dubious place, but it’s definitely the real deal.”

“I don’t want to know more,” Hak said, grinning, “but let's enjoy it together later tonight.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“No fair,” Kija protested, “you guys are always sharing drinks together.”

“Anyone’s welcome to join us, White Snake, if you can keep up with us.”

“It's Winter Festivus, the least you could do is call me by my proper title!”

Considering he was in a good mood, Hak felt there was no harm in obliging. “Fair enough, Hakuryuu. But just for today.”

Kija’s jaw fell open and Yona thought he looked adorable enough to giggle over.

To everyone’s surprise, Shin Ah spoke up. “What about you, Hak?” he asked, “who did you buy a gift for?”

“I’ve never seen you so excited, Shin Ah-kun.” Jae Ha said, highly amused. The boy blushed at the attention but from the way he was smiling and how tightly he was holding his hands together, it was obvious he was struggling to contain his glee. This was his first time celebrating a holiday and he was as excited to give a gift as he was to receive one.

Hak reached for a small bag in his robe and then went back in to pull out a pretty cloth folded in half as well. “It’s funny you should ask because it’s you,” he said, grinning, as he handed the goods over. “There are some nuts in the bag for Ao, and the gift in the cloth is yours.”

Shin Ah beamed and even though he was wearing a mask, Jae Ha was convinced the smile had reached those beautiful eyes of his. He held the cloth reverently, as if it could dissipate with a whisper, and stared at it without moving.

“Well?” Kija asked. “Don't you think you should open it, brother?”

Shin Ah looked up at Kija and it seemed to break the spell. He smiled again before laying the cloth onto his lap and carefully peeling it open. Inside were two medium-sized silk, yellow tassels, connected together with an intricate knot and decorated with two round green stones. Ao would have beamed too, except she’d already begun stuffing her cheeks with the nuts she'd found in the bag Hak had given her. “Just like Yona’s earrings,” Shin Ah whispered, holding his gift up for everyone to see. “Thank you.” He immediately got up and collected his sword, looping the tassels easily in the handle’s hoop.

“Hak made those himself,” Yona informed him, unable to hide her pride in her bodyguard’s hidden artistic talent. “That's why he could afford to buy materials of such good quality; he was able to purchase some silk string and unpolished gems and fashioned the tassels himself out of it.”

“Hak can make jewellery?” Yun asked, impressed. Jae Ha snorted with delight at the very idea.

“Weapon accessories,” Hak corrected, half embarrassed and half preening over the Princess’ praise. “It's important to know how to tie knots well, and I know how to polish things because it's an essential skill for weapons’ care.”

“The Mister is amazing,” Zeno exclaimed.

“I’ll treasure it.” Sitting back down with the group (his sword clutched lovingly) Shin Ah placed a clear jar of ointment in front of Kija. “I… I found this in the market. There were lots of different types, but… the lady there, she said that this was the best one. It should work to repel the toughest bugs. Happy Winter Festivus, Hakuryuu.”

Kija all but had hearts in his eyes and grabbed at the large jar eagerly. “Oh Shin Ah, how thoughtful!”

“I hope it works,” Shin Ah said, still holding his sword, “if it doesn't, I'll… I’ll go back and find you something else you might like.”

Kija shook his head vehemently. “No, no, there's no need. It's the thought that counts most of all, although I am sure it will aid me effectively in my battle against those terrible creepy crawlers from hell!” He opened the top and took an experimental sniff, scrunching his nose. “It’s certainly pungent,” he said. Ever the optimist he smiled broadly. “I can’t see how this will fail me!”

Shin Ah’s heart began to pound, happy beyond words at having succeeded in his first attempt to buy someone a present.

Jae Ha, however, smirked, knowing who was next. Almost everyone knew whose name Kija had picked from pot due to his ensuing panic and subsequent dedicated hunt for the perfect gift. “It’s your turn to give your gift now, Kija-kun. I wonder, who on earth could it have been?”

Kija went bright pink. “You know very well who it was! You made fun of me the whole time and turned my shopping experience into an absolute nightmare!”

Jae Ha shrugged his shoulders. “I was only trying to help...” he said, dolefully.

Kija wasn’t buying the act and angrily shook a fisted claw at the Ryokuryuu. “You made too many suggestions and doubted all of my choices!”

Hak and Zeno couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

“Oh Kija, please don’t worry, I am sure whoever you got will love whatever it is you bought them, especially when you've obviously put so much thought and effort into finding their gift. Like you said to Shin Ah, that’s what really matters, right?”

Yona hadn’t realised it was possible for Kija’s blush to have gotten redder, but it did.

“Well, Princess, I hope that what you say is true because my person is you.” Without looking at her, he extended out his other hand, clutching a small wooden box. “I hope you like them,” he said shyly. “If not, I can always take them back and get them changed.”

“Oh.” Yona was pleasantly surprised. “I had no idea it was me!”

“Everyone else did.” Hak grinned. “He spent ages discussing what he should get you when everyone was trying to sleep and he wouldn't shut up.”

“Zeno remembers that night… he was so tired!”

“These are so pretty!” Yona was smiling widely from ear to ear, holding up a pair of new walking boots. “They look so comfortable, too!”

“Well I noticed your shoes are a bit worn and I know these ones are less slender but it’s the winter and I was thinking about the cold and how your feet might be getting more uncomfortable with the change in season-”

“Kija-”

“-and so when I saw them I thought you would like them but I wanted them to be pretty too because you’re a princess who deserves only the very best-”

“Kija…”

“-so I asked the cobbler to put some decoration on them and he did but if you don’t like them I can get you som-”

“Kija they’re wonderful and I love them,” Yona said loudly, interrupting his babble and doing everything she could to contain her laughter. “I could not be more grateful.”

“Oh,” he puffed out, utterly relieved, “I’m very glad.”

“I was just asking Hak the other day about whether or not I should get a heavier pair of shoes,” she said. “You've done me a great service because now I don't have to look for a new pair myself.” She smiled and held up her new shoes. “I'll start breaking them in tonight when we go to see the fireworks.”

Kija turned to give Jae Ha his familiar look of smug triumph.

“Well, considering there’s only the eternal seventeen year old and me left, I think we can easily figure out the rest.”

“The little lad is clever,” Zeno said, patting Yun’s head again. “Zeno’s excited to see what the little lad’s got him.”

“You’ll have to wait your turn. It’s Yona who’s supposed to give a present.”

“And here they are,” she said, presenting him with two books. “I know they’re a little boring,” she apologised, “I wanted to get you something more exciting, like a epic ballad or a historical romance but all I could afford was this old book of complicated maths. I bought it from a merchant who’d gotten it from a nobleman’s retired school tutor. I found the book on flora and fauna of the Xing Kingdom abandoned in one of the inns we stayed in a while ago.” She smiled at him. “One day, I’ll take you to the library at Kouka palace. You’ll be able to read anything you want, there are so many books there it’ll make your head spin, I promise. But for now, I hope these will do as a start.”

In a rare state of open emotion, Yun, unable to contain himself, got up to hug Yona tightly. The initial act took Yona by surprise, but the boy’s strong grip around her shoulders was a welcome thanks. Once he came to his senses he let go and sat himself back down as if nothing had happened and tossed Zeno a large, heavy bag. “Here,” he said while trying to duck his blushing face into his arm. “I made these for you.”

Zeno’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Sweets! The little lad made Zeno sweets! How joyful!” He shoved three into his mouth, one straight after the other and beamed, throwing his arms up into the air and making a ‘V’ with each hand. “In Zeno’s opinion, this is the best gift of them all! Happy Festivus Day to all!” His exuberance turned suddenly to trepidation, however, as everyone seemed to get the same idea at same the time. “No! Get away!” he yelled as they all pounced on him and tried to steal a sweet for themselves. “The little lad made them for me!”

~*~

“Uh… Princess, wait,” Hak said as the group made their way out of the inn to go watch the fireworks.

Yun eyed them both with suspicion and was about to open his mouth to berate Hak but Zeno caught him by the shoulders and pulled him away. “Come on, little lad, you and I aren’t as tall as the others, we have to go save spots up in the front or we won’t see anything!”

“That’s a good point,” Jae Ha added, winking quickly at Hak as he passed by. “I don’t want to have to carry you to higher ground, it’d be quite tiring, come along everyone.”

Once they were alone in the room, Hak began rifling through his things.

Having had no indication as to why she was asked to stay, Yona stood watching him awkwardly. Her eyes wandered over his muscular form - as they tended to do when she had an unimpeached view of him (stop it, she told herself, your cheeks will go red and he’s sure to notice!). She swallowed down the lump in her throat. “So… tonight was… um, fun? I really enjoyed celebrating Winter Festivus with everyone.” Yona tilted her head to get a better look at what he was pulling out of his pack when he didn’t respond. “What’s that?” she asked, uncertain if her suspicions about what he was about to do were correct. “Is that a new…”

“Yeah,” he said, standing up again and handing her a sleek, large bow. “For you.”

She gasped lightly. “Hak, this…” she took it from his outstretched hands and ran her fingers along the gift, “it’s beautiful.”

He nodded. “Bamboo core, ears of sandalwood and mulberry, and reinforced with buffalo horn,” he described, proud of his own find. “It’s a good bow.”

“But how did you-”

“I traded in the old one and a dagger I wasn’t using as part payment,” he answered, having anticipated her question. “It was worth it, though.”

“Oh…” To afford something so expensive he would’ve had to have sold one of his better weapons. Her heart ached at the thought of his generosity; he already gave her so much. “You didn’t have t-” she stopped herself when she noticed that of all things, Hak - the Thunder Beast of Kouka - was blushing. She immediately thought it better to simply take the gift in the spirit it was given. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel awkward about his kind gesture. “This is perfect, thank you.” As she was about to test the string she noticed something special about the decoration on the inner side of the bow. “Is that the royal crest in the design?” she asked, surprised.

He smirked. “You noticed. It wasn’t safe to make it obvious but this bow should last you a long time if you take care of it properly. I wanted it to be personal for you, so I kept it subtle and worked it into the pattern. It isn’t easy to see unless you’re really looking. I’m glad you like it. The crest is difficult to replicate, I wanted to do a good job with it.”

“You did,” she said, a smile blooming, “and I do really love it.” Her eyes pricked with tears, but she reigned them in.

“It’s a little bigger than the last one,” he said, “so with more training you’ll be able to reach targets which are further away. It’ll be harder to use but you’ve grown a lot in strength and in skill, and even a little in height,” he added with a grin, “so I’m sure you’ll adjust well.”

At his compliment she grinned, too. “I thought we were only supposed to buy a gift for the person whose name we pulled out of the pot,” she teased.

He stretched his arms out and yawned before answering, feigning nonchalance. “Technically it’s not a Festivus gift. It was about time you had an upgrade and it just so happens that I am giving it to you on Winter Festivus day.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “I broke no rules. Yun can’t punish me.”

Yona’s, however, widened with worry. “Wha? Will Yun really punish us for breaking the rules?” she asked in a panic. “You think he’ll deny me breakfast tomorrow?”

Hak lifted an eyebrow. “You bought someone else a gift?”

It was her turn to blush. “Sort of,” she said, looking down suddenly and finding her new bow very interesting all over again.

“Oh,” he said, mildly surprised, “then yes. I heard Yun say that anyone who bought more than one person a gift wouldn't be allowed food for two whole days.”

At that Yonas gaze shot up. “Whaaaa?! Noooo!” she wailed, “I would have eaten more at dinner if I’d-” she stopped when he burst out laughing at her, clutching at his stomach as he doubled over. “Hak!” she yelled as she marched over to his pack and drew out an arrow from his quiver, “I'll test out my new bow by shooting you.”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry,” he apologised amid residual chuckles. “It was just too easy.”

She huffed, putting her bow down gently to pull out a piece of paper from a pocket in her dress. “I'm reconsidering whether I want to give you your Festivus gift.”

He stopped laughing completely at that. “Me?” he asked, surprised.

She began blushing as the rare look of shock in his gaze turned to assessment. He had a way of piercing straight through her, as if he could read her heart like it was an open book. It took all of her strength not to toss the folded sheet of paper at him and run away in embarrassment.

“What’s this?” He opened it, genuinely curious, and read.

“Your gift. I didn't have enough money so…”

“Princess, this is a list of my chores,” he narrowed his eyes in suspicion as they tore themselves away from the paper and peered into her face. “Are you trying to tell me I'm being a slacker?”

Of all his potential reactions, that one had never actually occurred to her. “What? No!”

“Then-”

“You work so hard,” she explained, “you’ve always- well,” she stopped herself, “maybe not when we were in the palace when you used to take naps all the time-”

“It wasn’t all the time,” he mumbled, but she was too far into her spiel to notice.

“-but maybe even then you probably used to nap a lot because I was always such hard work to protect,” she was blushing furiously as she struggled to get back to the focus of her speech, “but that's not the point, you see my point is-”

“Princess-”

“-you do so much, not just for me but for everyone, but also mainly for me, and you never, ever stop. You're always helping out and you’re always on the lookout and you care about everyone so very much. I'm trying to become strong like you, Hak, but it's taking a little while so in the meantime I wanted to just-”

“Princess, slow down.” Hak placed his hands firmly onto her shoulders, bending slightly so that he was eye-level with her, grabbing her attention. “You're sounding flustered,” he said and gave her a gentle smile of reassurance. “I don't mind doing what I do, truly. I work hard because it makes me happy. There's no reason for you to get so stressed about it, especially when I have so many friends that I can count on to take care of me, too.” Pulling away, he waved the paper briefly. “Thank you for laying out my chores for me in an easy list. I’m grateful, for you and your kind gift,” before she could answer he continued on, “Yun would appreciate how organised I'll be from now on. It'll definitely help.”

It was Yona’s turn to frown. “That's not what that is.” Honestly, she thought, he can be so obtuse sometimes. It was half cute and half irritating, which sort of made it even more endearing to her. “They're gifts,” she explained. “The next time you have to do one of those chores I'll do it for you, instead.” She looked up at him, eyes hopeful that he'd like it. “It's not much, but even you need a break too, sometimes.”

For a second she worried she’d said something to upset him. He stood perfectly still, his gaze intense and focused entirely on her.

“Hak?” Before she could say anything more he’d gripped her into a tight hold, just like Yun had done earlier, only this one was much, much fiercer. He’d pulled her close to him, enveloping her small frame entirely, and then pulled away just as quickly. She’d barely had time to register what had happened.

“Sorry,” he said, smiling broadly and not looking sorry at all, “I was greedy and took two gifts from you instead of one.”

“That’s… that’s ok, I didn’t mind,” she said quietly.

They stood grinning awkwardly at each other for a few moment, happy to be within the presence of the other.

Eventually Hak cleared his throat. “Maybe you should go put your bow away,” he suggested, “we’ll need to catch up with the others soon or we'll miss the fireworks.”

“Alright,” she agreed and bent down to pick up her gift. “Thank you for this,” she said, smiling happily. “Happy Winter Fesitivus, Hak.”

“Happy Winter Festivus, Princess.”

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