long live the king - nct, markhyuck

♕ 22 ♕

it all felt too amazing and too familiar.

this way of feeling lighter than a feather, of flying without needing to jump from a cliff, of falling but never getting hurt.

being in love felt too amazing, and living this love by the lakeside under the shade of trees felt too familiar. donghyuck would trade this moment for nothing in the world.

just like a few weeks prior, the two young males had escaped the problems that came with their daily lives and status to spend a bit of time together without fearing to be judged. they were both half naked, part of their clothes lying on a rock under the sun for them to dry after the playful splashing battle they had participated in a few minutes after getting there. inevitably, their bodies were intertwined in a mess of limbs, both resting against each other and holding each other tight.

donghyuck would say that it felt good being in love, having this fluttery feeling inside his chest at the sight of mark, having goosebumps all over his body at each touch of the royal, and constantly fighting against the urge to just glue himself to the boy's side. sure, this was good. but being able to show that love he felt so freely, without fearing to be judged or put to shame for it felt even better.

it was so relieving to be able to reach for mark's hand and intertwine their fingers, to pull mark in a tight embrace, to kiss his cheeks and nibble at his lips, to lie down on him and inhale his cologne... and not stressing about whether or not someone could see them was another level of relieving.

here, in the middle of the forest, in this beautifully shaded clearing, they were alone, and no one would even dare approaching them. they were completely free to do whatever they wanted and be whoever they pleased.

this far from the royal palace and from donghyuck's small village, there was no one to tell the future king how he should act and to warn the peasant of how he should behave in front of a royal. here, mark could become as small and mundane as a peasant, and he could make donghyuck feel as important and valued as a royal.

there, they didn't need to fit in the roles that society had defined for them, and that, donghyuck was more than pleased about, the problems coming with being a peasant and the son of an anti-royalist too far away for him to care – well, before mark had to bring them up again, of course...

"are things better between your father and you?" the question came, both disturbing the peaceful silence and donghyuck's peace of mind. the brunette slightly tensed on top of mark, the royal immediately sensing it and letting his hand caress the tanned skin between donghyuck's shoulder blades.

"i haven't exactly talked to him since yesterday." donghyuck answered after a few seconds, his mind getting invaded by all of the memories of his and his father's fight, his cheek that was resting on mark's pectoral somehow aching for a second.

"did he not want to talk?" the royal continued calmly; his hand continued to trace patterns on donghyuck's back soothingly.

"it's not that." donghyuck sighed. "he just hasn't come home yesterday. he must be really upset with me, i don't know..."

it stung a bit to let out those words. actually, it stung to think of all of it again, mostly considering what his co-worker and him had talked about at the restaurant.

donghyuck was ashamed of how bad and arrogantly he had reacted to his father's words, and he had come to hate how offensive he had been to a man that wanted nothing but his good, and who tried his best. his best might not be what donghyuck wanted, but the man didn't have the easiest life, so it was donghyuck's duty to make an effort and understand that.