long live the king - nct, markhyuck

♕ 8 ♕

"you can't even imagine how happy i am, mom..." the tanned male breathed out, his shoulders slumping down as he relaxed his whole body.

just like every other day, the peasant was sitting in front of the small hump of earth under which his mother had been buried a dozen years prior, talking to the person whom he missed dearly.

his lips curved up in a smile at the sight of the beautiful flowers that were still resting on the tomb. sure, after being left there for a few days, they now were almost completely withered, but donghyuck still found them pretty.

"yes, i'm here to talk about mark again." the boy sighed, his smile never leaving his face. "but at the same time, what did you expect? he's so... so nice..."

the tanned male got lost in a daze, his thoughts wandering back to all of those afternoons they had spent together. another few days had passed since they had placed flowers on their deceased parent's tombs, and they still had been meeting every single day after that.

in fact, it had become a habit, a comforting and heart-whelming one, and perhaps the happiest part of their day.

"i know i told you lots of things about him already, but today there's something more important that i want to tell you." the young male spoke out loud, his words being carried by the warm breeze that was blowing that day.

the tanned male took a deep breath, his eyes closing for a few seconds before he opened them again. "the fact is..." the boy stopped himself again. "mark is..."

donghyuck couldn't seem have the ability to go further, the words he wanted to get off his chest stuck in his throat and refusing to go out.

it wasn't supposed to be so hard; his mother was loving and caring, and she'd always want her son to be happy. this was what really mattered to her. that, and her husband's happiness as well. she loved them both to the moon and back, and she'd give everything to see them succeed and be happy. so, why couldn't donghyuck just let out those words?

deep inside, he somehow had an idea why.

befriending the future ruler of aes sure made him the happiest, but it was against his nature and his family's identity. and telling his mother the truth about mark would cause her to have to choose whether to stand by her son's happiness or her husband's.

plus, donghyuck had to remember that, just like his father, his mother was an anti-royalist as well, so perhaps that she wouldn't accept donghyuck's words, and perhaps that she wouldn't understand how happy he truly made donghyuck. and if there was something donghyuck couldn't live with, it was his parents' disappointment.

so that is why those words were still stuck in his throat.

"he is perfect..." the tanned male ended up telling with another sigh, deciding against telling her the whole truth. "and mom, it feels really good to finally have someone my age to hang out with."

and as frustrating as it was for him, the tanned male didn't add anything more.

he'll tell her about mark, royals and going against his family principles another time.

♕

"i brought something from yestarday's meal at the restaurant to cook for you." the tanned male informed as mark led him inside the castle through the back door for the 14th time – or perhaps was it the 15th? they had lost count of how many days they had been meeting up, both rather focusing on the actual moment.