Pic: Saeyoung, MC, and Saeran (MC will be introduced later)

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." A quiet whisper. Yoosung opened his eyes slowly to meet bright mint irises. "Let's go," Saeran said, grinning, and ambushed Yoosung with a think sweater over his head.

Yoosung sat up, yawned, pulled the sweater on, then laced up his boots before walking with Saeran out of the dorm, the rest of the members not up yet.

Saeran grabbed a small covered basket from the kitchen, and then the two checked in with Vanderwood in the infirmary, climbing the stairs to the door that opened to the morning sky.

It wasn't too cold as Saeran and Yoosung made their way through the snow to the nearest peak, walking in comfortable silence.

The sun had not yet risen, but the eastern horizon was tinged pink and orange, showing that sunlight was soon to follow.

The incline was slow at first, but after 20 minutes, the slope was treacherously steep. The trail was rocky, lined with thin snow, and provided an amazing view of the valley.

The fortress was just a square of brick from here, and Yoosung spotted a few people going out to snowshoe.

A breeze ruffled through their hair as Yoosung and Saeran began to reach the summit of the mountain. The snow up here was deeper, and soft, as it was fresh.

Yoosung sighed in awe at the sunrise, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Saeran, who was looking at Yoosung from the corner of his eye.

The sun was rising now, a gleaming red and orange glow of fire on the horizon. The pinks, oranges, and reds blossomed across the eastern sky, the stars still present in the west, half-moon fading away.

Yoosung was reminded by the colors of something he had read about in the medical books called 'flowers'. Brightly colored plants that had petals of all colors... yet another thing that Yoosung wanted to see, after 'trees' and 'horses'.

"It's so beautiful..." Saeran almost had the courage to reply with "Not as beautiful as you," but couldn't get his lips to say it. "Thanks for showing me this. And everything else. The lights in the sky... the Cold in the first place."
Yoosung lightly punched Saeran in the shoulder, grinning. Bad move.

In seconds, they were grappling, arms pushing and shoved each other, then reaching out again. Yoosung should've known it was no use; in just a few minutes of dodging and ducking, he was thrown lightly to the soft snow, Saeran pinning him down, hands on his shoulders, grinning triumphantly.

Yoosung breathed fast, shaking his head slightly, and Saeran felt the blonde's heartbeat under his palm.

"I'm never gonna beat you, am I?"

"Nope!" Saeran crowed happily.

It was then that Yoosung realized the suggestive position they were in, Saeran hovering above him, faces close. Yoosung blushed hard and it seemed that Saeran realized it at the same time, and immediately sat back, resting on Yoosung's thighs, cheeks flushed.

"Sorry," he murmured, even though he was this close to just bending down and kissing Yoosung breathless.

"S'okay."

They both got up, and the awkward silence settled for a brief moment before Saeran's face lit up.

"Here, I packed some breakfast." He reached into the basket he had been carrying and pulled out a flannel blanket, placing it down on a large, flat rock to their left that was cleared from snow. Yoosung wondered if people came up here often...

Saeran then pulls out two of wrapped packages, handed one to Yoosung, and then sat on the blanket, patting the spot next to him for Yoosung.

The sun warmed their faces, even in the cold, and it felt even better as they munched on what turned out to be sandwiches, as well as a canteen of water.

Saeran also pulled out a flask of his own, and, at Yoosung's puzzled look, handed it to him. After one sip, Yoosung coughed several times and gave Saeran a bewildered look.

"What is that?!" He cried, wiping his lips and thrusting the canteen back at Saeran.

Saeran frowned, then looked surprised. "You've never had whiskey before?" He asked with equal amnesty.

"Whiskey?" Yoosung gulped at the water, eyes still wide.

"Alcohol, in general?"

"I don't believe so, no. I don't blame Aithne; that stuff is awful!"

"Oh, cmon. You didn't even drink it right. Of course, you're gonna hate it if you take a gulp that big your first try."

Saeran handed the canteen and instructed Yoosung how to legitimately drink this strange new drink, which left Yoosung feeling slightly dizzy and throat-burning.

Saeran laughed and took a long swig before tucking the empty canteen back into his coat pocket.

In comfortable silence, they watched small children play in the snow, and people strapping on snowshoes.

When he was done eating, Saeran laid back over Yoosung's legs, head resting in his lap, mint eyes gazing into violet.

"What happened the other night in the kitchen?" Saeran asked quietly, picking at a loose strand on Yoosung's pants.

Yoosung's eyes widened, "How do you...?"

"The staff told me. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh," Yoosung sighed, tilting his head back, gazing at the sky, bringing back the memory of his childhood best friend. Tall, solemn, but still his V.

"Does it have to do with Aithne? I'm just confused because of Rika and Jihyun," Yoosung flinched at his name, "Are the leaders of Calida." So it was true. V was the king.

"I used to be very close with... Jihyun." The name tasted sour on his tongue, and unnatural, so unlike the soft, breezy syllable of his nickname.

Yoosung's mind screamed at him not to tell Saeran anything, not to tell anyone, to live on in secrecy and then forgetting would be easier. But he was falling into the leader's bright green eyes and couldn't help but let himself slip even further.

"When I was young, he was my best friend. I called him V. I didn't live in my own home too much; I stayed with V and his parents, who were very kind to me. V and I grew up together... we were practically inseparable, and for seven years too." Yoosung let out a shaky laugh but felt his smile slip. "When I was seven though, the previous queen had brought her daughter to Aithne. V abandoned me to be her suitor, I guess. He never really told me. With me one day, gone the next." Yoosung stopped heartbeat accelerating. "So," he said faintly, "I had to go back to my parent's house."

Flashbacks flooded through Yoosung's vision, his father's fists, pummeling his pale skin, leaving bruises and sometimes open cuts along his spine, which curled to protect his stomach, which was kicked anyways. His ribs showing through, dappled with large red-turning-blue splotches of color. Five long blue circles around his forearm, which lined up to his father's fingers when he gripped him too hard so he wouldn't run away.

Yoosung snapped out of his thoughts and let out a shuddering gasp. Saeran lifted a hand to Yoosung's face and rubbed his cheek with the pad of his thumb and soon Yoosung's salt-water tears were dropping off his cheeks, and Saeran sat up and held the shaking boy to his chest, rubbing his back and humming in his ear.

"It's okay, it's okay..."

...

Saeran held Yoosung until his sobs subsided, but still hummed a slow melody to help him calm down, low voice making his chest vibrating.

When Saeran was positive that Yoosung was okay, they packed up their bag and began walking down the mountain, talking and starting to laugh again.

...

Poor Yoosung!! ;( but hey, we got some cute Yooran moments! SPEAKING OF THOSE, CHAPTER 16 IS GONNA BE A BIG SURPRISE YAY!!! Love you guys, please leave a vote if you liked it and I always love comments! 💓😩👌