cassiopeia ꒱ markhyuck

twenty two

Mark was able to see and speak to Donghyuck again one last time before his real heat began.

According to the nurses, this would probably be the last time Donghyuck was even somewhat coherent enough to hold a proper conversation until after his heat was complete, so Mark had to take the opportunity to speak with him and discuss any plans for taking care of the omega during the worst of it. When the nurse had approached him and recommended that he make "plans", it was obvious that they assumed Mark would be the one helping Donghyuck through his heat, and that they needed the time to thoroughly discuss things like consent and limits before Donghyuck was no longer in the right mental state.

However... the question of Mark spending his heat with Donghyuck was... complicated, to say the least. To say that it was up in the air wouldn't be entirely true, because Mark was almost certain that Donghyuck didn't truly want to spend his heat with anyone, let alone the king. But, in the off chance that Donghyuck did ask for his help, Mark was almost ashamed to admit that he'd probably agree to it pretty much instantly. Mark would do anything to help the omega and take his pain away, even if it meant going against the long held tradition of the king and queen only sleeping together for the first time on the night of their official crown sanctioned mating and wedding ceremony. He ultimately decided that what the high priests didn't know wouldn't hurt them, and he knew damn well that his soldiers could be easily sworn to secrecy if the situation arose.

He may also have had some selfish reasons for being so willing to help Donghyuck through his heat. But he liked to ignore those and pretend he received absolutely no personal benefit from it, if only to make himself feel better by once again refusing to acknowledge the ever apparent shift in his thoughts and feelings towards the omega.

He inhaled a deep breath and entered the room where Donghyuck was staying for his pre-heat, mindfully standing a good distance away from the omega's bedside. John was standing right next to him, prepared to use force once again if necessary, but the captain had still urged the king to keep a considerable amount of distance between him and Donghyuck just to minimize the risk of something happening again. Even standing on the opposite side of the room, Donghyuck's scent filled the room and his senses, almost immediately warming his body and making it harder to breathe or think clearly. He cleared his throat and tried to push on, straightening his shoulders and appearing as diplomatic as possible.

"Donghyuck... hello, I hope you are doing well."

"I'm not," Donghyuck hissed back, kicking his legs out petulantly. His hands were still bound to the bed frame, and his body squirmed against his restraints as his natural instincts drew him closer to Mark. His hair was plastered against his forehead from sweat, his robes slightly undone from where he had either struggled or the nurses had taken pity and undone them theirselves, and Mark found his mouth going dry as he took in the sight. It was almost too easy to picture Donghyuck in all kinds of erotic positions when he looked so wrecked already, and it was a slippery slope into letting his alpha instincts take control of him again.

He cleared his throat, trying to push the thoughts and fantasies away before they snowballed and caused another disaster. "What can I do to make things more comfortable for you? I'll do anything, all you have to do is ask."

"I want to be untied," Donghyuck whined, his arms twitching against the restraints as if to illustrate his desire to be free. "I haven't even been allowed to make my nest yet. Can you please tell the nurses that I'll behave if they just let me make my nest? I can't go through this without my nest... it will be hell."

Mark frowned sympathetically, his heart sinking. He remembered how distressed Donghyuck had seemed in the carriage when the need to nest was growing stronger, how nothing had been comfortable or satisfactory for him. He didn't have extensive knowledge of omega biology, but he did remember reading that nests were one of the most essential parts of an omega making it through their heat cycles safely and healthily. Something about it was supposed to regulate their hormones and promote a feeling of safety that would improve both their physical and mental health—and contrastly had the potential to do the opposite, if they were somehow restricted from being able to nest.