cassiopeia ꒱ markhyuck

twenty eight

By midday, they were already on the road again, with Donghyuck trapped back inside the stuffy carriage, left with nothing but his boredom and his thoughts.

He had shifted about the carriage, trying to get comfortable and take a nap, but that had ultimately failed. The road was bumpy, and whenever he tried to rest his head, the carriage would go over a rock or a dip in the path and his head would bang painfully against the side wall, effectively keeping him awake and properly irritated.

He eventually resorted to leaning his head out the window and staring at Mark again, as cliche as it was. He no longer had his heat to blame for him wanting to be near or look at Mark all the time, so he had just begun to accept the glaring truth that he maybe, possibly, kind of had a tiny itty bitty little crush on Mark.

Just a little one, though. Nothing serious, and certainly nothing to bring any attention to. It was just fleeting admiration, he told himself, just some silly infatuation that he would get over in the next couple days.

He still rested his hand on his chin and stared at the king from his window, watching fondly with a dumb smile on his face as Mark talked excitedly with John about something. He couldn't stop himself from scanning all the tiny, endearing details of the alpha's face and committing them to memory, daydreaming about what it would be like to press a kiss against the highest point on his cheekbone, or how warm and safe he had felt in his embrace. He wanted to hear Mark's low voice against his ear again, telling him that he would protect him and keep him safe. He wanted to go back in time to the moment where Mark had hovered over him and asked to kiss him, and he wanted to tell him yes and let him close the distance until their lips finally met.

"Oh?"

Jeno's voice startled him out of his thoughts, the fantasy shattering as he flushed red and tried to appear calm and nonchalant.

"What?" Donghyuck snapped back defensively, tentatively turning to look at him. Jeno was riding next to his window and had a knowing grin on his face, glancing pointedly between the king and queen.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or did I just catch you looking at the king with something other than disdain in your eyes?" Jeno teased. Donghyuck coughed and turned away, crossing his arms.

"Your eyes do deceive you. I have no idea what you're talking about."

The soldier laughed, slowing his pace slightly to put him closer to the carriage. "You've been acting quite strange since your heat, Your Highness. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you've fallen in love with the king."

"In love?" Donghyuck spluttered, his face burning. He looked back at Mark frantically, making sure he wasn't in earshot, before he leaned more towards Jeno and hissed, "it's not love, you dumbass. It's just... a silly little crush. That's all."

Jeno raised an eyebrow at him, unconvinced. "With all due respect, Your Highness, the look in your eyes led me to believe that you were seconds away from asking for his hand in marriage."

Donghyuck just scowled at him, raking a hand through his hair. "Go away. You're being ridiculous, I don't wanna talk to you anymore."

"Is it such a terrible thing to be in love?" Jeno scoffed, nodding pointedly in the king's direction, "especially when the person you've fallen for seems to love you just as much, if not more."

"Mark doesn't—" Donghyuck began defensively, then quickly stopped himself, biting into his lower lip. Did Mark really love him? He had kind of already suspected that Mark had developed feelings, and the king hadn't been very subtle when he expressed his desire to kiss him, but was that... could that really be love? Was Mark not just infatuated with him too?