cassiopeia ꒱ markhyuck

thirty three

Donghyuck felt more anxious than usual that night, though he couldn't exactly pinpoint why.

He had no reason to suspect that anything was amiss, and he felt safe in Mark's care and reassured that there were plenty of guards outside his bedroom door tasked with keeping him safe, but mysteriously he still felt restless, like something bad was about to happen.

"What has got you so worked up at this late hour?" Mark said gently, taking Donghyuck's hands and pulling him closer. The omega flushed and looked up at the king wearily, chewing on his lower lip.

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling that I can't shake off," Donghyuck murmured, fidgeting a little where he stood. Mark frowned and brought one of his hands up to his mouth, pressing his lips to his knuckles in a soft kiss.

"You have nothing to worry about, Donghyuck. I am here, and I'm going to keep you safe, even if it comes at the risk of my own life."

Donghyuck just pursed his lips, looking down at the floor. "I don't want you to die either."

Mark let out a soft chuckle, his thumb brushing over the back of Donghyuck's hand. "I'm not going to die. You're not going to die either. There is an army of guards outside protecting us, and we will be perfectly fine in here, okay? Just relax, love, there's no reason to work yourself up."

The omega stiffened at the nickname, his face heating up. "Yeah, okay... I trust you."

"Good," Mark hummed, pulling him in a bit closer, "then let's head to bed, hm? Maybe all you need is a a peaceful sleep to calm your thoughts."

Donghyuck nodded slowly, crawling up onto the mattress and laying down. Mark slid back and laid down next to him, looking at the omega and hesitating.

"Is it still okay for me to hold you while we sleep?"

Despite his shyness, Donghyuck was quick to nod. "Please. Wanna be near you."

Mark just grinned at that, pulling the small omega into his arms and pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. Donghyuck pliantly allowed it all, even though his whole body heated with embarrassment.

"Sleep well, beautiful," Mark murmured, lips still pressed against his hair. Donghyuck shuddered and tightened his arms around the king's shoulders, deciding to just enjoy the moment for what it was and not worry about anything else.

"You too, Mark."

┈ ୨ 👑 ୧ ┈

By the time Woohyun was supposed to leave to start his shift with Jisung, the guards were already posted outside the king's quarters, standing in their formation and not speaking a word.

Woohyun smirked to himself and pulled his hood up higher around his head, shielding his face and helping him blend into the shadows as he crept over to where each soldier was posted.

He kept his makeshift mask pressed tightly up against his face as he pulled the pin in the first gas bomb, watching the cloud of foggy air billow upwards towards the ceiling as he rolled it quietly to the first set of guards. The soldiers all looked down at it in bewilderment, but by the time they realized what it was, it was too late, the gas already taking effect and knocking each of them into a sudden, deep sleep.

He continued to do the same to each section of the guards, quietly knocking out each group one by one until he finally reached the door, where John, Jeno, and their group were standing watch.

The bomb rolled across the tiled floor until it hit the tip of John's boot, catching his attention immediately. It didn't take long for John to look up in alarm, coughing and uselessly trying to press his collar against his face as he frantically looked around, trying to spot the culprit.