Yeosang breaks the rules he is supposed to follow, not long after they leave the commanders' building. He steps up to Jongho's side when no one is around, his eyes look down at their pacing boots, "Are you mad at me?" he asks, silence clinging to the tone while his stomach rumbles with some kind of guilt. Yeosang does not wish for Jongho to think badly of him.

"No, I am not," Jongho answers shortly with a heavy sigh, gently sliding his hand down the boy's arm until their fingers mold into a hold. Yeosang glances down at their hands and smiles at the warmth he feels. His heart might start singing in glee. "Eventually, I knew it would happen."

Yeosang is unsure of how honest the other knight is, but instead of letting the mood fall worse, he presses Jongho's hand and lets a small sheepish smile rise to his lips, "Do not worry, Jongho, although I might be without experience yet, you can still call me a knight, officially." The string of timbre has the other smirk down at him as he pulls Yeosang with him through the door to his chamber, a shriek escaping his mouth in surprise.

"How lucky I am to have the allowance for that, my knight."

_____

Evening has reached the fortress and the pair enters the filled feast hall. The boy is not surprised when San notices them almost immediately and waves them to the long wooden table he sits by.

"Have you been busy with your training? It feels as if I have not seen you for days!" Unexpectedly, Yeosang blushes at the blonde man's exclamation and stares down at his hands when they seat. San is right, he has been rather busy this week, but not only because of what he thinks. Jongho minds his own wooden plate while they speak.

"Ye-yes, I am sorry," the boy replies, but his apology is denied by the other knight.

"No, do not feel sorry! I have spent a lot of time helping Theo anyway," San says as he forks a piece of meat and puts it into his mouth. Then he gazes up at Yeosang with his bright blue eyes and he leans forward over the table, "He burnt his one hand awfully in the fire the other day - so, he needs my hands for the coming time. But do not tell anyone this, he hates when others feel pity for him!"

Yeosang does not know what to say, so instead, he nods at the other knight. He can imagine how awful the burn must be.

"How are you healing?"

The man raises his head at Yeosang's words, a smile tugging at his eyes until they disappear into two crescent moons, "Great, actually. I think I may be ready for the next crusade. Emma told me that I am fully recovered," San says and excitedly swallows a lump of food before digging another into his mouth, and Yeosang thinks he resembles a small boy all too much.

"I am glad to hear that," Yeosang smiles as the conversation slowly warms him up to a more loose talk.

Suddenly, San jerks his head up as he exclaims loudly while pointing at both Yeosang and Jongho, "Yeosang, I almost forgot to ask you if it was true. Emma told me that Higher Commander Park conferred his position as your guidance counselor to Jongho, am I right?"

At the mention of the other knight's name, the boy cannot keep the sights from flooding his mind and taint his cheeks with a dusty red color, that he prays for San not to see. Silently, he lets his eyes fall to his side, where he glances at Jongho and sees how the knight's own reaction stays unchanged for any viewers.

"That is true, Sander. I am his Guidance counselor, although that task may not be mine much longer."

Yeosang flutters his eyes for a moment when the light from the candles illuminates the knight's profile in the feeble-lit building. He senses the sweat forming in his warm palms he clenches tightly underneath the long table and he shoos his face from looking at the handsome man. He has no notion of what Jongho just told San, and still, the blonde man is staring rather perplexed at him after what is said.

San gathers his brows while his fork slowly sinks to his plate again, "What do you mean by that? Is something happening?" The knight does not smile, and Yeosang thinks the look on his graceful face does not charm him anymore. His blue eyes are widened, and he moves them back and forth between the two in front of him.

Jongho laughs at him, lifting a hand to cover his grin which only makes the blonde knight seek help from Yeosang. "I- Yeosang, what is it that I am not told of, but Jongho apparently finds this funny?"

The boy bites his lip while he cannot stop his smile from leaving him cheekily. The confusion on the knight's face sparks humor within him, and the ignition makes him reach for his cutlery and prod the food to his mouth, confidently.

"Well.." he starts, glancing over at Jongho with a twinkle in his eyes, "I believe it may grain your interest if I told you that Seonghwa knighted me."

Suddenly, San's fork drops to the surface of the plate, and he slams both his hands flat down onto the wooden table before he leans forward, expression: priceless.

"He did WHAT!?"

Yeosang nods confirmingly at the other's doubts with a smile painting his lips in somehow, glory, "He very much did. Jongho can affirm this too, now that he was there."

Going from heavy-full, the blonde man's eyes squeeze together until they disappear, and his captivating smile rises on his face again while he congratulates Yeosang dearly.

_____

Sitting in front of the other knight's small mirror that stands on his wooden furniture up against the wall, he bends his head and splashes water into his face from a bowl filled with warm water before scrubbing the dirt away from his face. When the fluid hits his scratches it burns, and Yeosang hisses out through clenched teeth. When he glances up, he can see Jongho stand behind him in the mirror, eyes filled with a bland of sorry and hilarity.

Today was his unlucky day, and Yeosang has no notion as to why. The morning seemed glorious, and still, now his bare skin is covered in dirt and scratches from the thorny bushes he fell down into during their ride through the woods. Harmony had gotten spooked by something deeper in between the close trunks of trees, and Yeosang had had no chance to stay in the saddle from the quick movement the horse had made. And he had hit the ground in a rather unlucky place. Nothing else had happened other than the burning scratches, and he had collected his horse right afterward. Now, he can feel the guilt gloom in the other knight's eyes.

Jongho steps closer and sinks a cloth into the water, while he speaks, "That must be the worst fall until now." Yeosang raises his head to look at the other in the mirror. Water drops roll down his face and soak his clothes.

"I know the sight humored you," the boy retorts while searching for the dry fabric that lies on top of the furniture and gently dabbing the water off him again. A warm palm presses his shoulder, and the knight gestures for him to pull the clothing from his upper body. A sudden hesitancy blooms in the boy, and he feels bashful about the other's query. He swallows tensely and slowly raises his hands to the knot above one of his hips before untying it. Jongho's hand there touches his nape is damp from the bowl of water when he helps him with pulling the fabric off. Yeosang's skin is filled with the same scratches as his face, and when Jongho lets his sight wander down the boy's arms, he can see dried blood.

He blushes from the impact of the knight's eyes running over his bare body, and his hands and arms are gathered protectively in front of his chest and stomach. His cross hangs around his neck, touching the bottom of his chest as he has been told. But Jongho does not even say a word to that, as the room suddenly loses its amount of air.

"This is worse than what I thought," the knight chooses to say as he finally runs the wetted cloth over the outer side of Yeosang's scratched arm. He bites his lip.

The warmth from the water soothes him dearly, and he already feels better from the first gentle stroke. Jongho slides a hand through the back of his hair and catches Yeosang's attention, as he steps to the boy's other side, "I am sorry this happened, Yeosang."

Almost immediately, Yeosang shakes his head, "Be not, it was an accident that you did not know would happen. Fortunately, I am only outermost hurt, so you shall not worry for my health."

Jongho hums gently as he lets the cloth swipe over Yeosang's neck and collarbones, going over the necklace's strings, until he lets it down his back, drying off sweat and grime. The boy holds his breath while all his senses are drawn to where Jongho has his fingers planted on his skin. The man leans over him and drops the used cloth in the bowl again, taking the fabric from Yeosang's hands and drying the wet skin before it gets cold. But Yeosang feels like burning right now.

"You are beautiful," Jongho whispers in his ear when finishing the last touch. Yeosang does not feel like stopping. The knight templar's head rests in the crook of Yeosang's shoulder as he delivers a shiver down the other's spine from his hands that lightly travel down his sides to his waist. In the mirror, their gazes are locked together, despite Yeosang's urge to seek down to the skin where Jongho holds him.

"I remember you have told me that before.."

He feels how Jongho's fingertips push further along his skin, trailing down the prominent lines of his muscles he has built, "But it is only the truth," Jongho continues, his voice filled with fever and thrill. Yeosang inhales shakily when the other tilts his face to kiss his neck. His naked skin tingles from the touch and the soft, filled lips bring butterflies to his insides. Slowly, he lets his arms down from any cover, and the knight traces his eyes on him with a touch of tenderness.

"You can stay here, I promise that no one will find us," the man tells him when his lips barely rest on his skin anymore. His heart throbs against his ribcage, and he believes that Jongho sees it. Here, in the knight's dark chamber where white candles stand lit on the top of the furniture, his skin glows like rich honey and his orbs fall deep like onyx. His breath hitches from how well the knight caresses his chest with his strong hands there lead Yeosang to lean in closer to the other man. When he stares up, the other meets his slightly parted lips with his own and fingers slide up his throat until they wrap around his jaw and cheek. Yeosang loses himself in their kiss, forgetting everything about his burning scratches.

The boy grasps the man by his shoulders and pulls himself up to stand. The rough texture of Jongho's short-sleeved shirt rubs against his bare skin as the knight sways them patiently to the grand bed while they still kiss. His mind is full of the knight, and the digits of his hand touch the places where no thorn has scratched him, creating a relaxing rhythm to follow. Yeosang closes his eyes when he is spread onto the covers of the bed, and he trusts Jongho with all his might when those hands caress him like he is one of those foreign Greek gods he has heard of - all gentle and forbearing. He is in love with the way he feels himself differently, the way Jongho makes him wonder if it is still him who lays here.

And his own fingers thread the knight's dark hair as lips move faster. Yeosang flushes when he decides to push his tongue against Jongho's lips, but instead, the knight removes his mouth fully, leaving a disenchanted boy to be surprised by the unfamiliar feeling of Jongho's lips on his body. He gasps, tightening his fingers in the other's hair while his eyes fall open to stare down at Jongho kissing his skin dearly.

"O-oh Jongho," he exclaims at the bending man, who looks up at him immediately. Yeosang feels lightheaded when the blue and the brown eye stares into his own.

Jongho rests his chin on his chest, "May I?" he asks, eyes worshipping him, and Yeosang's heart flutters at the notion. He nods, but the smile he sees rising on the knight's face makes the sparks grow and he cannot hold himself from smiling, too. Jongho's hands are warm around his waist and if the boy's heart was not beating this rapidly inside him, he would have fallen asleep to the satisfying amount of warmth. He senses an air blowing against his stomach and his eyes widen at the sight unfolding before him. The knight is heaving his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular, toned figure to any eye wanting a glimpse. But Jongho bears no cross. Yeosang swallows every part he comes to see bare without any clothing, and the hands there suddenly fall empty are filled with raw skin, as he reaches out to touch the man.

The smile still plays around the knight's handsome features, when he bends down and slides his arms underneath Yeosang's back, lips lingering at his neck, as he turns them around on the side where he drowsily takes Yeosang's lips between his own and kisses him until the candles have burnt out. Yeosang wishes to fall asleep like this every night from now on and forever.

_____

Every knight in the fortress is brought to the feast hall where Higher Commander Park speaks of important words. This day, his clothes seem to be decorated in more silver than usual, but the dark blue colors still sculpt around his lavish form. Something in Seonghwa's eyes speaks of danger, and the tone of his words is serious. It takes a long moment for him to comprehend what is happening, and suddenly his eyes are ground in the deepness of the Higher Commander's. Terrified, Yeosang turns his head at Jongho.

"Jongho, what.. what does this mean," his faint voice gets swallowed in the noises of knights leaving for the task they have been designated. When his orbs land on the knight by his side, he fails not to notice how tightly his brows are drawn on his face, concern written all over his posture. And it scares Yeosang.

But Jongho ignores the other's question, instead, he grabs him by the shoulders and steers him away from the table, only making the boy's thoughts bewilder in darkness.

The blonde knight is running toward them when they step outside in the sunny weather.

"Yeosang! Jongho!"

Jongho finds the boy's eyes before San reaches them, "Do you wear your sword?" Gulping nervously, Yeosang nods and points down at the weight of his filled sheath. The knight tells him 'Good' and afterward faces the blue-eyed man.

San is smiling widely and the boy can see how restless he is from the way his feet cannot find a place to stand still on the cobblestones. "I was just told before how it has been decided that we are going on a new crusade! Are you not excited, Yeosang? This will be your first one!!" he exclaims, his hands gathered in front of him as if he is going to tear his body from his soul.

A light chuckle escapes Jongho's mouth from how enliven San sounds, and he tells him to calm down. But Yeosang does not know how to feel about the different emotions he pulls off them both. Mainly for how oddly Jongho's frame of mind changed so suddenly. San's blue eyes are drawn at him while he awaits his answer with a toothy smile.

"I think I am.." he trails off, his sight shyly going to his boots.

San cheers at him, giggling as he does. Yeosang can see how shattered Emma will be when she hears the news, but her brother does not seem to think the same.

"Sander, we have to leave now. Our weapons shall be sharpened before daybreak, and I know many want the same," Jongho then says, and the other knight understands.

"Well, I assure you that you are indeed right about that. Let us hope that Theo has someone helping him this day, now that I am out of reach," the blonde man snickers, before waving them both off and rushing away into the building.

Yeosang hears how Jongho sighs and he looks up to find the different eyes there still is showing no sign of reassurance.

"Come, let us be done with this soon, and then we can talk."

_____

"Listen, Yeosang," the knight hushes. His eyes are cast above his shoulders before he closes the door to the boy's chamber. The only light there draws the outlines of the few pieces of furniture to be seen, is what comes from the cracks around the wooden door. Yeosang holds his breath when Jongho's leather boots resonate against the stone floor. Yeosang's eyes shine like fragile glass when Jongho gently takes his hand in his. Even if he cannot see the knight's eyes, he still feels how they trace his own.

"You must understand that there is no joy to any crusade, despite Sander's exultation, they are all so cruel," he says quietly, lifting his free hand to caress the boy's warm cheek, "I did not wish you would be part of one any time soon.."

Yeosang is biting his lip so hard that he nearly tastes blood, "Do... Do you think that.."

He feels Jongho's thumb gently moving back and forth his skin like a calming ground to the anxious atmosphere. Yeosang wants to lean in closer, to steady his thumping heart against something firm.

The knight inhales sharply, before he opens his mouth again, "I.. forgive me, but I am unsure about that. You are strong Yeosang, stronger than what one sees at the first glance, but.. are you capable of killing? There is no mercy in the middle of a battlefield."

His eyes waver a little, and Yeosang turns away from the knight before stepping over to his bed and sitting down. His mind hardeners with iron.

"I can do it, Jongho."

Yeosang wishes for his own words to be the truth because he has no say in his partaking.

⚔︎