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He was six and Donghyuck was five when they first met.
They were at a summer festival that the town hosted every year. Instead of waiting in line to get on the many rides that the festival had, Mark decided to sit at the art table for the younger kids to play at, coloring in a baby lion he drew.
Mark hated roller coasters. They made his heart drop and his stomach feel all queasy, he didn’t like it one bit, not even the merry-go-round. No, he would much rather be sitting in the shade, coloring away, drinking on a watermelon slushie.
In the middle of coloring his lion’s mane, Mark felt someone nudge his shoulder. Looking over with wide eyes, he found himself staring at a boy around his age, cheeks puffed out in concentration as he colored. “Do you have a favorite color, Hyung?”
Yellow crayon pausing against the white paper, Mark asked, “Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, Hyung , I’m talking to you.” The boy rolled his eyes at him. Then in a tone filled to the brim with sass and attitude, the boy bit out, “I’m not talking to the crayons, am I?”
He may have been young but Mark had just learned about the age ranking system. He wasn’t sure but he had a feeling that the boy was definitely younger than him. Even though the boy had called him ‘hyung,’ he didn’t really feel the respect.
Flustered, Mark gripped onto his crayon a little tighter, the tips of his ears burning. Once he got over the initial shock of the whole ordeal, he parted his lips, ready to give the boy an answer, only to get cut off before he was able to say anything at all.
“Wait!” The boy exclaimed all of a sudden. Looking up from his drawing with sparkling eyes, he smiled toothily, “Let me guess your favorite color.”
Not sure what else to do, Mark just nodded.
“Well, my favorite color is red. It’s like the best color in the whole wide world!” He shouted, as the gummy smile spread out on his lips even further, showing his missing front tooth. It was cute. Body nearly buzzing with excitement, he said, “So your favorite color must be red too!”
Between him and God, Mark didn’t even have a favorite color. Maybe it was blue, but he wasn’t sure. Although, as he watched how happy the boy had shouted out the color red, his sun-kissed skin flushing under the summer’s heat, Mark smiled. “Yeah, my favorite color is red.”
“I knew it! Only cool people like the color red and you’re pretty cool, Hyung.” Chubby fingers reaching out towards him for a handshake, the boy said, “My name is Donghyuck. Let’s be friends!”
.
Mark hasn’t seen the color red the same since the day that he met Donghyuck.
It was in everything now, he couldn’t unsee it now.
He could honestly even live in it too.
.
It was the color that flowed to Donghyuck’s cheeks when he was embarrassed. The rosy color dusting his cheeks, right where his beauty marks were scattered like the constellations in the night sky as he would bury his face into Mark’s chest, seeking protection, which Mark would always give. Mark would protect him until the very end of time, he had promised that to himself and God since the moment that Donghyuck had entered into his life.
The kids in kindergarten weren’t as mean as the ones in first grade, Mark knew this since he had already experienced it.
But Donghyuck hadn’t yet.
“You can’t play with us, chubs!” A puny, little first grader yelled out at Donghyuck, holding onto the soccer ball in his hands tightly. “You probably couldn’t even run around without falling and rolling all over the grass.”
His weight had always been a touchy topic for Donghyuck. And it would continue to be a touchy topic for him throughout high school and college too. But it would hit particularly hard to six-year-old Donghyuck, especially when some of the kids around him started to lose their baby fat already.
Holding back his tears, Donghyuck bit out, “At least I’m not a twig that would break if I fell, you tree branch!” Satisfied with how the other boy gaped at him, his cheeks too flushing in embarrassment, Donghyuck ran away to the one person that he knew would play soccer with him without calling him mean names.
He practically threw himself into Mark, who was standing by the other soccer post, kicking the ball mindlessly between his feet.
Mark wasn’t prepared for the incoming attack at all, so they all but stumbled to the ground in a jumble of limbs. But he was careful to take the brunt of the fall, not wanting to hurt Donghyuck.
Cheeks still completely blazing hot, Donghyuck buried his face against his best friend’s chest. “You were right, Hyung. First graders are mean.” His words were muffled against Mark’s t-shirt. “Like super mean.”
Not caring that their clothes were growing wet from the damp grass, Mark pulled him in close, hugging him tightly. “I’ll beat them up for you.”
“It’s okay. You shouldn’t get in trouble because of me.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do.” Donghyuck lifted his head off of Mark’s chest, pouting as his cheeks slowly returned to its normal color. “Who’s going to play with me if you get in trouble, Hyung?”
“You’re right,” Mark nodded as he sat back up so that the two of them were sitting across from each other, legs crossed, and knees slightly touching.
Scoffing, Donghyuck flipped his long, curly hair to the side. “Of course I’m right, Hyung. I’m smarter than you!” Then standing up abruptly, Donghyuck kicked at the soccer ball between them, “Come on. I want to play!”
.
It was the color of Donghyuck’s eyes when he cried his heart out in eighth grade right after some stupid boy had turned down his love letter and flowers on Valentine’s Day. It was the color that Mark saw too as he watched the boy disappear from sight after turning Donghyuck down.
This was the first time that he loathed the color, for it broke his heart as he watched the way Donghyuck sobbed in his arms, tears cascading down his tanned cheeks.
Tucking Donghyuck’s head under his chin, Mark tried his best to soothe the crying boy down. Hands rubbing his back, he whispered into Donghyuck’s curly locks, “Don’t cry, Hyuck. He’s not worth your tears or time. He was a real asshole, anyways.”
“But I really, really liked him, Hyung.” Donghyuck wailed out, hiccuping in between each of his words. “I can’t believe he did that right in front of everybody! It was so embarrassing.”
“It was only a couple of people,” Mark told him. Placing his thumb right underneath his eyes, he gently wiped away every tear, being extra careful not to smudge Donghyuck’s eyeliner, which he knew that the boy had taken extra time to do just for that day. “They probably forgot about it already.”
“I won’t! I’ll probably remember it until the day I die!”
“But you will forget about it,” Mark promised softly, and he would. He would make sure that Donghyuck wouldn’t have to remember that day ever again. Donghyuck was supposed to be all smiles and laughter, never frowns and tears.
That was why every year after that, Mark gifted Donghyuck a box of chocolate-covered strawberries, Donghyuck’s favorites. For a box of decorated fruit, they were so goddamn expensive, but the smiles that Mark got in return for them was worth every penny that he had spent.
.
It was the color of Donghyuck’s lips after he would eat those cherry popsicles, tainting them underneath the glow of the summer sun. And when Donghyuck would ask him for his watermelon popsicle after finishing his own off, Mark wouldn’t hesitate in giving it to him. He had learned over the years that what Donghyuck wanted, he would always get, no matter the circumstances. Surprisingly, Mark didn’t mind.
“This is perfect,” Donghyuck said as he tilted his face up towards the sun, letting it warm up by the sun’s kisses. Tongue coming out to lick his lips, spreading the color out, even more, he added, “I want to live like this forever.”
Mark did too. He wanted to live in that very moment, where it was just him and Donghyuck, with the summer sun beating down on them as they ate their cold, sweet treats.
He wasn’t sure when it started but those days, his heart beat a little faster than normal and his hands grew a little sweatier too whenever he looked at Donghyuck. The warmth that was reserved for only Donghyuck increased by tenfold, his whole body tingling with it.
And on some days, like that one, he had the urge to kiss Donghyuck. It was crazy, completely insane, but the longer he stared at those popsicle stained lips, the more he wanted to lean over to get a taste of them. Would they taste like the cherry popsicle that Donghyuck had just eaten? Or would they taste like the watermelon one that he had? Or maybe something else entirely?
“You’re staring at me weirdly, Hyung.” Donghyuck said, knocking him out of his daze. Raising an eyebrow, Donghyuck asked, “What? Is the summer heat getting to you? We can leave if you want.”
Mark shook his head. “It’s okay. We don’t have to leave.”
“Alright, if you say so. Don’t blame me if you get a heat stroke later.”
He wouldn’t, not at least before he would pass out from how fast his heart was drumming the longer he stared at those plump lips.
It was at that moment that he allowed himself to accept the fact that he had a major crush on his best friend.
.
It was the color of Donghyuck’s tie when Mark dipped him in the middle of the dance floor on the night of their senior prom. He didn’t care that other people were watching them, especially not when he had Donghyuck right where he was supposed to be, in his arms, head thrown back in laughter, cheeks flushed once again in that pretty hue, his favorite color.
“You’re crazy,” Donghyuck told him, his smile blinding as he leaned against Mark’s chest.
Mark shook his head. “Only for you, baby.”
His heart swelling in his chest as the color on Donghyuck’s cheeks intensified. Reaching up to hold his heated face in the palm of his hands, he leaned in close, until their breath mingled with one another. “I’m always crazy for you, Lee Donghyuck.”
“And I’m always crazy for you too, Mark Lee.” Donghyuck breathed out, their lips nearly touching. Eyes drawing up to meet his, he gripped onto Mark’s shoulder, “Now, come on, kiss me already.”
And kiss him, Mark did.
.
It was the color of Donghyuck’s warm breath against his ears, whispering his name, as he left a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses against his neck. It was also the color of the blood pumping through their veins as their hearts beat in sync with one another.
He leaned back, equally out of breath, and stared at how beautiful Donghyuck looked on his bed, hair a complete mess, and spread out above his head like a halo. In comparison to how Donghyuck was gripping onto his shirt so tightly, Mark gently slipped his fingers under his shirt to caress the warm skin, loving the way Donghyuck moaned at his touch.
Even with his hazy vision, he could see the way those honey, brown eyes burning so vibrantly, tearing into the very depth of his soul as Donghyuck began to tug at the hem of his shirt, wanting it off.
“Mark…” Donghyuck whispered, his voice soft, barely audible as Mark cast both of their shirts to the floor.
“Yeah, baby?” Mark asked as he leaned back in for another kiss.
He tugged at Donghyuck’s lips, tasting their sweetness as he laid down on top of him, skin touching skin. The contact burned so hotly, nearing burning him alive, but he didn’t care. All that he wanted to do was melt into Donghyuck until they were one with one another, nothing separating them apart, not even air.
Donghyuck’s eyes shone brighter than the stars in the night sky and his smile radiated more warmth than the morning sun as he said, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Donghyuck.” Deepening the kiss, Mark mumbled against his lips, “Forever and always.”
.
It was the color of the roses in his hands as Donghyuck walked down the aisle, looking breathtakingly beautiful in his white tuxedo.
There were tears in his eyes and Donghyuck’s too. He wanted nothing more than to step down from the altar and to run towards him. He wanted to wrap Donghyuck up in his arms and to kiss him senselessly. But he couldn’t do that, or else Johnny was going to murder him for ruining the perfect wedding that he had planned for them. And he definitely did not want an angry Johnny on their wedding day.
Instead, he clasped his hands together tightly, in front of him as he waited for Donghyuck to arrive. With each step that Donghyuck took, Mark felt like it was getting harder to breathe and his heart was prepared to leap out from within his chest. It was alright though because it seemed like Donghyuck was feeling the same, judging from the pretty color that was dusted across his cheeks and the way the bouquet trembled slightly in his hands.
The second that Donghyuck was within reach, Mark immediately reached out for his hand, to pull him up to the altar with him. As Donghyuck’s warm hand slid into his, their fingers intertwining, his heart finally settled down.
Giving their clasped hands a gentle squeeze, Mark whispered so that only Donghyuck could hear, “You look beautiful.”
“I could say the same to you too.” Donghyuck smiled.
“I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Me neither.”
.
It was the color of their living room in the first house that they bought together. He never really cared for interior design, so Mark had given Donghyuck full reign on how he wanted to decorate the house. Mark was just there to pay for it all, which was something that he would much rather do than choose a paint color. He couldn’t see the difference in the paint called ‘No More Drama’ or ‘Firecracker’ anyways.
“I have a question” Donghyuck suddenly called out as they were painting the walls side by side.
“Hm?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now…” he continued.
“Yeah? What about?”
“I always thought it was strange and a coincidence that we both have the same favorite color.” Donghyuck pointed out as he set his paint roller down and stepped down from the ladder. “But is red even your favorite color?”
Mark stopped rolling the paint against the walls and turned around to look at Donghyuck, who was now standing in the middle of their unfinished living room, hands on his hips, paint splatters all over his clothes.
He took in Donghyuck’s flushed cheeks and rosy lips for a moment and allowed his heart to speed up at the sight.
Then he thought back to the first time that they met, at the town’s annual summer festival, to when Donghyuck asked him what his favorite color was. He remembered how wide-eyed and excited Donghyuck was when he had exclaimed that his favorite color was red. He also remembered the way he had smiled in return, his heart unknowingly beating a little faster at that time.
Mark thought about all the time that they had shared, every single second, leading up until this very moment. Lips spreading out into a smile, he hummed out, “Yeah, my favorite color is red.”