The Merciful Prince

Chapter 44

Waking up in Jinyoung's arms after so long apart is the most comforting thing in the world. He's warm and smooth, and clutching him so tightly, Mark never wants him to let go.

Mark doesn't move, for fear of waking him up. Instead, resting in bed, thinking about what they'll do today. He can't imagine it. After the excitement of the festival, he doesn't know what they'll do outside of it. Of course, he'll go home. They'll go home.

The thought makes a smile spread across Mark's face, a big goofy grin. He can't wait to bring Jinyoung back home with him. Create a home with him.

Jaebeom will come to of course and Mark is even happy to watch Jackson and Jaebeom pretend they don't dislike each other. Even Youngjae—oh wait.... Youngjae.

Youngjae doesn't have to go with them. But Mark really doesn't want that, he wants him at the palace with them, where he can walk without his mask and help Mark with his pregnancy. He has to ask him, he has to, and hopefully he will say yes. Even if it's only because Jaebeom's going.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Jinyoung is suddenly whispering in his ear, shifting up on his elbow to kiss his cheek.

"I wanted to lay with you like this for a while" Mark admits, smiling when he feels Jinyoung smile against his cheek.

"Are you happy?" He asks, and Mark can hear the mirth in his voice, the teasing tilt to it.

"I'd be happier if you kissed me" Mark replies and Jinyoung chuckles, rolling him over and pressing him back into the pillows with a kiss.

They kiss lazily, neither one of them impatient or eager to get up. Jaebeom eventually comes into the room to wake them, and they have to break apart to get ready for breakfast.

"Before breakfast your majesty, Youngjae would like to check on you" Jaebeom tells him as he helps him pull his clothes on. He's left Jinyoung to his own devises in favor of dressing Mark. It seemed like the polite thing to do, and more importantly it seemed like it might bother Jinyoung.

"Please, Jaebeom, call me Mark, every servant in my palace calls me Mark"

"You're too kind" Jinyoung jokes as Jaebeom smiles, quickly turning into a playful smirk.

"When do I get to start calling you 'Jinyoung'?"

"Not in this lifetime" Jinyoung sneers, but there is a smile beneath it as he shoves Jaebeom back, doing the final buttons on Mark's coat.

Jinyoung and Jaebeom walk down to breakfast together while Mark goes back to his rooms to be looked over by Youngjae. He's felt fine, since the festival, he was worried about over working himself, he is still technically recovering and pregnancy is a whole new kind of strain.

Youngjae looks him over, checks his heart, his blood pressure, his reflexes, takes another blood sample. He's always thorough but he feels he should be especially so now that it's the first child Mark will be carrying and it's after being sick for so many years. Mark is gearing up to ask him, hoping he'll say yes.

He's actually nervous that he'll say no. Ediekor is very far away, and it wouldn't be easy for him to come back and visit if he wanted to. Not only that, but Youngjae gets incredibly sea sick, and asking him to again, take a two week boat ride with them is asking a lot.