Wooyoung wouldn't stop smiling.

They returned to the village after bidding their temporary goodbye to Mulberry and Wooyoung hung off Seonghwa's arm to look at him as if he hung the moon in the sky. Several of his people snickered at his dumbstruck expression. In their minds, Wooyoung must have been blessed with some rare position after last night's festivities.

Seonghwa ignored their vulgarities. He was just as concentrated on Wooyoung and led him along as they went to tell Hlin about their plans. They found her in the same spot as last night, seated broad-legged at the table with one talon dangling over the armrest of her throne. By her side, Eldrid had exhausted herself. Somebody had placed a warm wool blanket over her shoulders to keep her from the biting cold that charged inside every time the door opened.

When she spotted the pair, the chieftain lifted her cup with a hoarse cheer.

"There are our heroes. Had a nice evening? I had the lad wash your coat since you looked delightfully out of it last night." She beckoned at a chair propped close to the fireplace where Seonghwa's fur-rimmed cloak dried off its white shine.

"Thank you," Seonghwa replied with a graceful bow. He sat to drink some water and share the new food that had appeared. Breakfast? Dinner? Who knew.

"We rarely had such fun. Just now, we returned from meeting Mulberry," Wooyoung grinned. Hlin sat up, somehow coherent despite all the booze.

"He missed you lots. Did you apologise for running off with your elf? I'm surprised you two made it through that encounter," she snickered, and drank to Seonghwa's health.

"Come on, Mulberry is a gentleman. They got along well!"

"He is as gentlemanly as you, chick."

A cute nickname. It suited Wooyoung and his bumbling on unsteady legs from time to time.

"Seonghwa suggested we take him with us! There is an area near the castle where he can live and I'd get to see him often. Mulberry seemed pleased with the idea," it burst out of Wooyoung when he couldn't contain his glee any longer.

Hlin's surprised gaze found Seonghwa. The elf stared back coolly, not disconcerted by the sharpness in her eyes.

"Oh? He would go that far for you, though you are one among six others?"

Seonghwa didn't miss a beat and replied before Wooyoung's eyes could wander in his direction.

"Wooyoung's happiness is important to me. A crown prince has many more opportunities than others, so I would like to use them to accommodate him," Seonghwa confessed with a humble nod of his head.

Hlin rested her cheek on her fist until it squished.

"Very interesting. In that case, you made an excellent catch, Wooyoung. Mulberry will be happy to be with you."

"I think so, too," Wooyoung grinned, cheeks warmed from his blush. He became shy when tended to, and Seonghwa loved the sight.

"We will leave in the evening so we have time to get Mulberry settled in before I need to depart on my next journey. Thank you for your hospitality," Seonghwa said with a polite bow. Unperturbed by Hlin's disappointed pout, he tucked his hair behind his ear when he straightened.

"You won't stay another night? I was hoping for drinks and games with you two all week. Your elf has so much to teach us." She raked her eyes up and down his frame, looking at him differently now that he proved himself.

But Wooyoung shook his head, taking Seonghwa's side since he remembered his upset. The other reason was that he was eager to please so Seonghwa didn't change his mind about Mulberry.

"He is really busy but we will return time come. Until then, I wish you and the others a good hunt."

This time, Hlin conceded. She stood to hug Wooyoung, then Seonghwa, not wobbly in her step. When her stench of alcohol and sweat pulled back, she patted the tall elf's shoulder.

"Take good care of that one. He is my most favourite chick."

"I wouldn't dare think of anything else. He shall be safe until his next visit."

"You also show your face again. You are fun under that stuffy facade. Next time, we'll offer you our homebrew." She had to laugh at Seonghwa's alarmed expression.

They parted with pleasant smiles and Seonghwa picked up his coat to sling it around his shoulders. He placed the pelt he had borrowed on the back of a chair before they stepped outside into the frigid contrast of the cosy longhouse.

Wooyoung sucked in the cold air and breathed a smile into the tumbling snow. When he turned to Seonghwa, his mischievous yet ever so handsome features were gentler than Seonghwa had ever seen them before. Now, he was the one with the endeared smile.

"Let's go home, yes? You deserve some rest." He pried a leftover stalk of hay from Seonghwa's hair and pushed the strand back behind his ear. Though the skin of his hands was rough from his duties as a scout and years spent in the saddle, their touch was tender.

"Call Mulberry to accompany us," Seonghwa replied. Wooyoung's smile grew before he turned to do as he had been told.

A few moments later, Mulberry emerged from the cliffs with an echoing cry. His wings sailed above them before he landed in the spread of snow between the village and the forest. Wooyoung beamed at Seonghwa.

"Wait here, I'll get his saddle." He dashed away, leaving the two unlike creatures to mingle with one another.

With fondness in his eyes, Seonghwa studied the intelligent being.

"It must have been amusing, growing up with Wooyoung. I imagine he was always the troublemaker he is today."

Mulberry tilted his head at Seonghwa, scrutinising him in the same way the elf did to him. Upon Seonghwa lifting a hand to caress the gryphon's head, he nuzzled into his palm.

"Let's look out for him together. I feel you also like it when his eyes sparkle."

The clack of a beak was his answer and Mulberry's bright eyes revealed Seonghwa was right. His lips twitched into yet another smile.

Wooyoung came racing back through the snow. He panted, burdened under the weight of the brown saddle in his arms. Once he arrived, he slung it over Mulberry's back and strapped it snugly.

"You didn't miss the feeling of that, did you? Bear with it, buddy. Speaking of, you might make a friend at the castle. He is small and quite impractical, both as a mount and a war animal, but you will like him." Happy with his work, Wooyoung patted his friend's side. When he gave Seonghwa his hand, Seonghwa gladly swung his foot into the stirrups.

Wooyoung came to sit behind him as before and called an enthusiastic goodbye to those who mingled about. As they took off, Seonghwa patted his sides to make sure he had his papers. Then they soared into the skies. This time, Wooyoung and Mulberry were a studied team and relished in their dynamic.

Not tired since they slept late into the day, Seonghwa watched the sunset with Wooyoung. Their embrace felt impossibly cosier than before.

"Thank you for putting up with me during this, Seonghwa. You had no reason to do me a favour after I provoked you, but... I'm happy you did." Wooyoung's voice was soft and it carried the scratchiness from last night. He struggled to form the words out loud, so Seonghwa stayed perfectly still in position so he could get them off his chest.

"I wanted to. And I understood how respect is measured for your people. It doesn't matter to me how they value an elf so long as they abide by our treaty. You, however, are one of them. You need their approval."

Wooyoung sighed when Seonghwa put it like that. He hadn't needed to be desperate, hadn't needed to push his luck. Yet, he was thankful Seonghwa followed.

"I should have supported you when you supported me. Our people, we... We are warrior folk. The strongest wins; it's always like that. Submitting means weakness. They would have mocked me forever if they knew I submitted to a delicate elf. Yet it shouldn't have mattered. For you and your dignity."

Seonghwa closed his eyes, lulled by the voice behind him and Wooyoung's firm grip.

"Sometimes our instincts act out of line. You grew up there, so you reacted as you seemed safest. I also make mistakes. In forgiving, we show compassion."

The reminder of what happened with San bore into Seonghwa's heart. It was an open wound, an uncharted void. He hoped he would find the time to check on the seraph upon their return.

"I humiliated you, though you were so kind to me and that I regret deeply. Your granting me favours made it worse... I hope I can make it up to you. If there is anything you desire, tell me."

Relaxed against his chest and the cosy green scarf, Seonghwa lifted one of Wooyoung's hands to press a kiss to the back of it. His tanned palm looked so large over Seonghwa's dainty gloved fingers.

"There is nothing I ask of you. If you wish to show your regret, use your actions."

Wooyoung took a moment before he nodded. Once he came up with something, he would learn what it meant to care for another person.

"She called you a chick. Did you ever get bullied for being smaller or younger?"

Huffing, Wooyoung wrapped his arms around Seonghwa once more.

"Bullying is the wrong word; we aren't mean like that. They did laugh about me, though. I was always scrawny, and they said I couldn't grow into a real man since I couldn't beat any of them. Before the joust, I was obsessed with winning, just to show them. It was the first time I garnered awe. Then they said 'as expected, you grew up well.'" He mocked their voices, making Seonghwa snicker.

"Their words spurred you to do better, so they helped you in a way. Do you think they looked down upon you after you left?"

After a beat of silence in which they stared at the pinks and oranges of the sky that turned Wooyoung's hair into fire, Wooyoung hummed.

"Perhaps they did. Perhaps they claimed I took the easy way out and gave up on my training to become a prince's plaything. But I have no regrets. Our visit proved neither you nor I am easily shoved around and though my people love to resolve matters with fists and sex, Hlin knows better. She understands. That's why she is our chieftain."

The corners of Seonghwa's lips lifted into a smile.

"They are exceptional people, in their way. Different, but good. Though they could really need some cleaning up," he ended with a frown.

With a squeal of delight, Wooyoung cuddled him until Seonghwa choked on his breath. When he glared, not irritated, the gryphon-born rejoiced at the amusement he found on Seonghwa's face.

"My hatred for our cleaning days in the castle didn't come from nowhere. You do an excessive amount of it."

"I don't," Seonghwa grumbled. "I do it just right and that is why my place is clean while your longhouse permanently stinks of alcohol and is sticky all over."

Too endeared to argue with him, Wooyoung leaned his cheek against Seonghwa's shoulder.

"That's fine. You can be odd and clean way too much. It doesn't make you less lovely."

With a huff, Seonghwa nudged his elbow at the other.

"As if. If anything, it makes me more lovely."

"Yeah, yeah." Wooyoung leaned to kiss Seonghwa's cheek and, though Seonghwa pretended to be mad, he softened at the gesture.

For a few minutes, they shared the peace of the sun sinking into the ocean. Mulberry's feathers rustled in the wind as he carried them over its invisible breeze.

Then, Wooyoung spoke up again.

"Hey, Seonghwa?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you for showing me so many of your beautiful emotions on this trip. They suit you."

Seonghwa blushed and hid behind his hair so Wooyoung wouldn't see.

"It was because you make me laugh."

"And mad. It's gorgeous. I want to see them all on you." He kissed Seonghwa again, even softer than before, and Seonghwa's heart hammered in his chest. Now, he couldn't hide his blush anymore.

"I'd prefer if you don't make me mad."

Wooyoung giggled.

"No promises."