cassiopeia ꒱ markhyuck

twelve

"Have you... have you eaten yet?"

Donghyuck blinked, taken aback. "Uh... no, not yet. I was just about to go eat before you came in here."

"Well... would you like to eat with me, then?" Mark asked slowly, glancing up at the omega. Donghyuck took a long moment to consider it, weighing his options. He was still dedicated to being combative and oppositional... but he was pretty hungry, and eating with the king didn't seem that bad. It always was kind of lonely when he ate by himself anyways.

So, he shrugged and muttered, "Sure, I guess. Whatever."

Mark's eyes widened in obvious surprise. Out of the corner of his eye, Donghyuck could see Renjun smirking at him, causing irritation to bubble up once again.

"I mean... I'll probably hate every minute of it, because I can't stand you, but I guess since you offered... I'll indulge you just this once."

Renjun snorted. Mark's eyebrows raised a little in what looked like poorly concealed amusement. Donghyuck wanted to kick himself—and maybe also kick Renjun too, while he was at it, for making it oddly difficult to keep up his hostile persona in front of Mark.

"What? What's so funny?" Donghyuck snapped, directed at both of them. Mark held his hands up in playful surrender.

"My apologies. I was merely surprised that you seem to be a lot more agreeable than you usually are."

Donghyuck bit the inside of his cheek, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Well... you saved my life, and even though I still hate you, I guess I owe you a little bit of leeway... I have to repay you somehow, so I'll just be a tiny bit nicer to you as my way of saying thanks."

"You do not have to repay me, Donghyuck, I was merely fulfilling my duty to protect you. You may still treat me however you please... although I will continue to make efforts to court you," Mark chuckled.

"Whatever," Donghyuck grumbled, fighting back a blush as he turned away from Mark's stupidly handsome face.

"In that case, I'll be waiting for you in the dining room. I'll leave you to get dressed."

Mark gave him one last smile over his shoulder before he left the room, leaving Renjun and Donghyuck alone together once again.

"Shut up," Donghyuck scowled before Renjun could even open his mouth, "I don't want to hear it."

Renjun obediently did not say a word, but he didn't even try to hide his laughter as he helped Donghyuck get ready.

┈ ୨ 👑 ୧ ┈

Mark and Donghyuck were both quiet as they ate together. Besides the mumbled greetings they had exchanged when Donghyuck walked into the dining hall, neither of them said a word as the food was brought out and they began to eat. It was suffocatingly awkward, and Donghyuck was growing more and more uncomfortable as the silence stretched longer, but he refused to be the one to speak first. He already felt like he was "losing" in his hypothetical battle against the king, and he didn't want to give his enemy any more ground in their fight.

Finally, when their plates were both empty, Mark cleared his throat and looked up at Donghyuck hesitantly.

"So... I've been thinking a lot more, especially since the attack, and... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Donghyuck's head snapped up, looking up at the king in confusion. "Huh? For what?"

"For almost failing to protect you last night. And for bringing you here, and putting you in danger in the first place," Mark muttered, looking sheepish. "I understand your anger, and I know it was selfish of me to bring you here. I'm sorry that I will continue to be selfish in keeping you here, because even though I wish I could, I simply cannot send you back to your world."