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A NIGHT IN DECEMBER | 1:25 AM
Mark fell in love with Donghyuck the night of his best friend’s wedding. When the lights and the drinks and the volume fell to a simmering calm laced with the feeling of pure affection, Mark stole Donghyuck. The pair giggled their way to the bedroom they shared, and Mark let himself get wrapped up in the warmth of a boy made from stars. He let himself melt into his touch and lost his sense as Donghyuck kept pushing closer and whispering words of love and praise against his skin.
Mark fell in love with how new it felt. Perhaps, the immense show of love they experienced at the venue was to blame. A moment where Mark swore he could see two hearts intertwining as one, and all he could think of was Donghyuck. Donghyuck and his newly coloured hair, eyelids shimmering with glitter and cheeks aglow to match, looking like a dream at the end of the line. Perhaps hearing Lucas and Renjun speak so warmly of each other like no one else in the world mattered, just sent Mark’s love into overdrive.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the surplus of champagne he and his friends consumed over the course of the evening. Donghyuck has always been touchy, but when tipsy he’s an entirely new level of clingy and affectionate. Mark fell in love with the way he looked up at him as he hovered over him, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal soft skin that glittered like gold. Donghyuck’s hair spilled over the pillow and his giggles filled the room as Mark pressed his mouth everywhere, breathing in the heat that radiated from it every time he touched it.
“I wanna get married too,” Donghyuck had whispered at one point, and Mark swore he went to heaven at that exact moment.
Drunken giggles were exchanged before Donghyuck placed a faux ring on Mark’s finger, and that was it. Mark decided that nothing in his life would ever come close to feeling the way Donghyuck does. It was a moment of pure, unbridled happiness that gave Mark a glimpse of how Lucas and Renjun must have felt that evening. It made him realize that one day, yes, Donghyuck will be married. To him.
Mark fell in love with the way Donghyuck looked beneath him. The way he chased every touch while his heartbeat accelerated, beating against Mark’s chest wildly. The way he made the softest, gentlest noises—almost always laced with giggles and sparkling cheeks—against Mark’s neck and into his mouth.
Donghyuck felt like a dream that night. A beautiful, golden, hazy dream that Mark never wanted to wake up from.
When he did wake the next morning, his head sore and the sun too bright, Donghyuck was there. Facedown on the bed with his head twisted to the side to reveal bruised lips and smudged makeup, he looked just as beautiful as the night before.
Mark’s fingers reached up to touch his shoulder blades, tracing over the skin where his wings hide and leave spots of warmth in their wake. He smiled just slightly and shifted closer, letting his legs tangle with Donghyuck’s before he drifted back asleep with the boy pressed against him.
***
THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS | 11 AM
Mark had developed a habit of sleeping in far too late ever since winter began. The mornings simply seemed too cold and unwelcoming for him to bother getting out of bed—unless of course, he had to work. This resulted in many days where his eyes opened to empty bed sheets where a certain fairy should have been laying, and brought disappointment and coldness which exceeded that of the bitter weather outside.
Donghyuck, a creature of habit and routine, was never hard to find. Mark would slip out of bed and mumble under his breath about how cold the floor was instead of putting on socks, and would rub his hands over his arms as he ventured out of the bedroom in search of the boy. Donghyuck usually ended up being in one of four places; the bathroom, the lounge, the kitchen, or the yard. Mark would peer into each room as he passed, hoping to find the boy he had become accustomed to using as a human teddy bear.
He most often found him kneeling next to a slowly filling bathtub and lighting his favourite scented candle, or sitting atop the kitchen counter with his hand stuffed in a box of cereal.
This morning, however, he woke up with an unusual weight on his torso. With a breathy groan, he opened his eyes to find a head of cotton candy hair obscuring his vision. Donghyuck's head rested comfortably atop his chest, tucked into the crook of his neck just slightly. The rest of his body was spread half on him, half on the mattress, and he found one of his legs being held captive by Donghyuck’s.
He found himself smiling as he reached up his free hand to smooth down the boy’s unruly hair, tangling his fingers in the messy curls that framed his sleeping face. Seeing Donghyuck so peaceful at such a late hour in the morning was nearly unheard of, so Mark decided to embrace it.
However, as soon as he fell still and shut his eyes again, the boy began to move, a tiny sound emitting from his lips. Mark tried not to giggle as Donghyuck whined a little before tucking his head further into Mark’s neck, his hair tickling his nose.
“I know you’re awake,” Donghyuck mumbled against his skin, bringing a blush to Mark’s cheeks.
“How?” He muttered back, cracking open an eye again to watch the way his fingers curled tighter around his shirt.
“Your breathing is different when you sleep.” Donghyuck’s voice was slow and lazy and Mark felt a familiar flutter of butterflies in his stomach.
“You listen to my breathing?” He threw both of his arms around the boy’s waist, earning a squeak of surprise that sounded directly in his ear. “Creepy, don’t you think?”
Donghyuck immediately dissolved into giggles, filling Mark’s chest with warmth as he cradled the smaller boy against him happily. Donghyuck’s head popped up from its place so he could grin at Mark, his cheeks alive with stars as he leaned in and placed his lips haphazardly against Mark’s, only hitting his bottom one with another giggle.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” He whispered, nudging Mark’s nose with his before dropping his head back down onto his chest.
“Hey, you were sleeping too.”
“I got up and had breakfast, then came back to bed because I was bored.”
“You’re always bored.” Mark rolled his eyes, tracing his finger over the small of Donghyuck’s back.
“Exactly. Can we do something?” Donghyuck didn’t hesitate in sitting up, leaving a frustrating coolness in his wake as he grinned down at Mark in a way that left no room for argument.
“We’re not going outside.” Mark ruled out, glancing to the window to find a flurry of snow falling and painting everything white.
“I don’t want to.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes playfully, before putting on a mocking tone to mimic Mark. “It’s too cold.”
Mark snorted a little before sitting up and curling his fingers around the collar of Donghyuck’s shirt. He dragged him in to kiss him softly before Donghyuck pushed him away with a grimace.
“Yuck. Brush your teeth.”
Mark fell a little more in love with Donghyuck’s bluntness, and the way adoration still twinkled in his eyes despite the playful look of disgust on his face.
Mark still loved kissing Donghyuck more than all of that combined, so he slipped out of bed and trudged his way to the bathroom to do exactly as Donghyuck said, filling his mouth with the clean taste of mint before returning to find the boy gone. He furrowed his brows and ventured toward the unmade bed, immediately spotting him sat on the floor beside it, rifling through a selection of photographs.
“What are you doing, baby?” Mark crawled atop the bed and settled on his stomach behind Donghyuck’s head, reaching a hand down to pull out a polaroid photo and examine it.
“Your room is boring,” Donghyuck stated with a shrug, and Mark tossed the polaroid of himself back down into Donghyuck’s lap.
“It’s your room too, silly.”
“I know. Which is why I want to decorate.”
Mark hummed, propping his chin on Donghyuck’s shoulder before faintly kissing his ear. “Sounds fun.”
“I thought so too.” Donghyuck giggled, before glancing up at Mark. “I thought we could hang some of these, and maybe find some other things to… move around?”
“Whatever you want, baby.” Mark laughed with a roll of his eyes as he pushed up onto his knees and tried his best to think of what else could be altered to please the boy. “How about you look around, and I’ll set up the speaker so we can listen to music.”
Donghyuck let out a sound of excitement before leaping to his feet and letting photographs spill across the hardwood floor. Mark shook his head with a laugh and ventured over to the dresser where his speaker sat waiting. He fiddled with it, connecting his phone and scrolling through his music, searching for the playlist he made for songs that Donghyuck took a liking to.
Pressing shuffle, he turned around to find the boy rummaging through the drawer on his bedside table with determination on his soft features.
“What are these doing in here?” He wondered aloud as he lifted a tangled set of string lights that Mark had long forgotten about.
“Oh, they stopped working a while ago.” Mark shrugged, turning the volume up before heading back over to where his boyfriend knelt. “I think I burned them out from using them so much.”
“I’ll fix them,” Donghyuck stated matter of factly. “And we can hang them over the bed.”
Mark hummed happily, and Donghyuck stood.
“I have a plan.”
“Tell me.”
“I wanna hang those pictures,” He pointed to the floor. “String up the lights.” He pointed to the wall. “And change the duvet.”
“What’s wrong with the duvet?” Mark frowned, flopping back on the fluffy white comforter with a huff.
“It’s nice, but it’s boring. I’ll just change the colour, I promise.”
Mark’s eyes rolled but he grinned, giving Donghyuck a nod as a go-ahead. If he was being honest, he loved to watch the boy use his magic. He fell in love a little more every time his face would go serious and a pout would form on his lips as he put his whole concentration into whatever he was doing. He fell in love with the simplicity of some acts of magic; how he would simply wave his hand with a giggle and the bath would be warm again, or the lights would go dimmer.
Mark fell in love with the way Donghyuck constantly fascinated him.
As the morning progressed into the afternoon, he felt closer to Donghyuck than usual as he helped the boy place photographs in specific places on the wall. It felt new, the way Donghyuck laughed and stuck polaroids from the days they had spent together, and the way he sang along to the songs and bounced around on the bed with his hair flopping around and a grin on his face. In a way, Donghyuck felt a little human, and Mark fell in love with him all over again.
“Do you like pink?” Donghyuck had asked as he dropped onto the bed to sit, bouncing in place and looking up at the dozens of photos he had positioned on the wall behind the bed.
“Pink is great, baby. Why?” Mark asked from his place on the rug, sifting through the leftover photos that they ran out of room for. A few of them were of him, doing things like cooking, playing the guitar, and sitting in the backyard.
His favourites were of Donghyuck, which he caught himself with his phone when it was late at night or early in the morning, and the boy was sleepy and cuddly and his cheeks were always decorated with stars. They felt so intimate, and he was glad he got to keep them for himself.
As he looked up he found the duvet to be a shade of blush pink that matched the curls atop Donghyuck’s head, making a grin break out on his face as he pushed up onto the bed and met him in the middle to plant a kiss right on his lips—which was interrupted by giggles.
Mark pulled away and found the lights strung between the pictures on the wall glowing gently, making Donghyuck look like he was made of pure gold. Mark fell in love with the way his eyes shone beneath them, nothing but a childlike exuberance and an overwhelming glow of affection filling them.
“Beautiful, baby.”
***
A SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN JANUARY
Mark fell in love with Donghyuck the day they had an argument.
The pair rarely ever fought, and if they did it was lighthearted and easy to resolve. It never resulted in shouting and flushed faces and complete and utter frustration. But Donghyuck had never brought up something so serious until that day.
It was innocent enough at first thought— he wanted a job. Something to do to make him feel more useful and more like everyone else. Mark had laughed him off at first, entertaining the idea for a little while, but when he continued to pursue it quite seriously, a sense of fear that he hadn’t felt in a long time began to creep up on him.
Fear for Donghyuck’s safety in an often unforgiving world.
He had tried to explain that jobs are difficult and demanding and not like any Donghyuck would have had back in his village, but the boy simply did not listen. He begged Mark, whined and bothered until Mark told him to drop the subject because all he could think about was something going wrong.
There were too many risks in his eyes, sending Donghyuck somewhere new and tough and impatient without anyone by his side. His worry felt rationalized, but the boy didn’t agree.
Mark has always thought of Donghyuck as the lightest and the most understanding person he had ever met, never getting angry or bitter over anything. Sunshine seemed to run through his veins and spill into everything he said or did, and it was just one more thing Mark loved about him.
But this made Donghyuck go cold, and he had hardened his expression before arguing back that Mark just didn’t trust him, and the whole situation wasn’t fair.
Mark thought the idea of something happening to Donghyuck again wasn’t fair.
Being not nearly as level headed as his boyfriend, he pushed back harder. “Donghyuck, you’re like a child! You can’t expect me to feel okay sending you out to do things like that on your own!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he caught the way Donghyuck’s expression faltered. The way his eyes blinked in shock and he swallowed hard before straightening his shoulders as if nothing had happened.
“That’s not my fault.” He said firmly, and had the situation been different Mark would have cooed at the look of forced intimidation on his face; brows lowered and lips jutted out in a pout. “And besides, it doesn’t matter if you’re okay with it. You don’t make decisions for me, Mark.”
“As long as you’re here, in this world, you’re my responsibility.” Mark shot back, assuming no room was left for argument.
He was incredibly wrong as immediately, Donghyuck’s kind eyes narrowed and he jabbed a delicate finger in Mark’s direction.
“You’re the only reason I‘m here! The reason I was stuck in the first place.” He sneered, voice rising in volume in a way Mark had never heard before. “The least you could do is not treat me like I’m helpless..”
Mark tightened his jaw before spitting, “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead.”
Donghyuck silenced immediately, and it was almost as if all the colour drained from his skin. What once was an expanse of warm honey and stars fell flat and pale and made Mark feel ill. He swallowed hard but said nothing as the boy in front of him closed his mouth and shook his head weakly.
“Why would you say that?”
Mark found his voice to be the worst part. Not his quickly crumbling face and shaky hands. Not the way he could feel a tug on his heart as Donghyuck stepped away from him, his bright eyes turning dull and teary. It was the way his voice was barely anything at all.
It trembled and cracked and was so small, and Mark couldn’t manage anything other than,
“Hyuck,”
But the boy just blinked quickly and dragged his eyes away before immediately climbing the stairs and leaving Mark to stand in the lounge on his own, with the weight of his words settling right on his shoulders.
He cursed to himself before turning around to find Renjun and Lucas standing in the front hall with grocery bags clutched in their hands. They stared at him, Renjun pitifully and Lucas angrily, and Mark shrunk into himself a little more.
“You’re a goddamn idiot,” Lucas muttered as he marched toward the kitchen to unload the groceries, not even giving Mark a second glance as he passed.
“Well, it’s true!” Mark weakly defended himself, only earning a glare from both boys.
“Doesn’t mean you fucking say it.” Lucas spat, slamming a can down into the counter before spinning around with his brows drawn tight. “He probably doesn’t even want to remember that, and you’re here holding it against him.”
“I didn’t—”
“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean it that way, you still said it.”
Mark let his shoulders slump before sighing, unaware his hands were shaking until he wiped them over his face. The weight on his shoulders started to crush him as he heard a door upstairs shut softly, leaving the house in uncomfortable and unnatural silence.
With Donghyuck around, there was always a feeling of excitement. A spark that never died out no matter how late or how early it might be.
At that moment, everything felt so incredibly wrong.
Mark could feel guilt clawing its way up to his throat from his stomach, burning his insides with sickening heat. In all honesty, Mark thought he might throw up from the sensation, but he did his best to swallow back the unpleasantness before quietly asking for help.
“What do I do now?”
Lucas ignored him, which was something he never did. He never got angry with Mark—at least not genuinely—but Mark assumed that this situation made his anger valid. In terms of normal, Mark acted the farthest from, and Donghyuck lost his always unwavering temper. The tension had sat above them for some time, but Mark pushed it over the edge.
“Maybe give him some space?” Renjun suggested softly, glancing back at a stone-cold Lucas. “He’s probably upset.”
“Donghyuck hates space,” Mark said weakly, thinking back to every time Donghyuck had nestled up beside him while he was doing something, or had joined him on his ventures to work, or the grocery store. “He never wants to be alone.”
“There you go,” Renjun smiled just slightly, “You know him better than anyone. What do you think you should do?”
“I should go talk to him.” Mark realized quickly that he doesn’t need assistance when it comes to Donghyuck. “I need to apologize.”
Without another word he rushed upstairs, leaving Lucas to angrily mutter to himself in the kitchen. Upon reaching the hall he found only one door shut, and guessed that Donghyuck had hidden away in their shared bedroom. He always said it was his favourite place - that he shared his best memories with Mark in that room. He found comfort and safety there, and Mark stopped to consider his decision with his hand on the doorknob.
He only ended up thinking for approximately 5 seconds before he twisted the knob and let himself in, the overwhelming sensation of magic crashing over him and stealing his balance for a moment. He wavered in place, blinking quickly to adjust his suddenly spotty vision before his eyes landed on a pair of golden wings.
There on the floor at the end of the bed sat Donghyuck, his wings protruding from his back and like always, taking Mark’s breath away. They distracted him briefly, but couldn’t keep his attention from the state of the boy, whose head was tucked into his knees as his shoulders rumbled.
That, and the fact that his wings only came out when he was incredibly happy, or when he needed a sense of comfort. This was clearly the latter, and as the sickness Mark was feeling intensified he wasn’t sure if it was from the magic or the guilt.
He stepped closer silently, and when Donghyuck didn’t react he allowed himself to sit down on the rug next to him. He chewed his cheek for a moment before finally speaking.
“Donghyuck?”
Donghyuck’s head rose quickly to reveal flushed cheeks wet with tears and eyes that widened upon seeing Mark. He looked a little scared, which made Mark’s blood run cold, but he mostly looked defeated. He held eye contact with Mark for a few seconds before his lips shook and he let out a hiccup, head dropping so his chin hit his chest.
“Oh god, baby.” Mark cooed softly, immediately feeling the urge to cry as it trampled over his guilt and nausea. “It’s okay, I just wanna talk to you.”
“I didn’t mean what I said—about being stuck.” Donghyuck stuttered out suddenly, his jaw shaking terribly as his hands hastily wiped at his eyes. “That wasn't nice at all, and I didn’t mean to make you that angry.”
“Fuck, Donghyuck no.” Mark rushed to say, his eyes widening worriedly. “No baby, that wasn’t your fault. That was all me I—I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was awful of me.”
“It was true, though.” Donghyuck whimpered, his eyes blinking quickly to release the tears constantly collecting on his lashes.
“That doesn’t mean it was okay.” Mark echoed Lucas. “I never should have brought it up. It was inappropriate and uncalled for. You didn’t deserve that.”
“You wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t been so difficult and annoying,” Donghyuck mumbled, and Mark swore he shifted closer just a little. “I shouldn’t have pushed like that.”
“Hey,” Mark said softly, daring to reach out a hand and encase Donghyuck’s trembling fingers gently. “Don’t you start with that. I love you, and you had every right to be upset with me.”
“And you were allowed to be worried.” The boy said just above a whisper, and by some miracle, his head landed on Mark’s shoulder. “Sometimes I forget how scary your world is. You’re just trying to keep me safe.”
“Always, baby,” Mark whispered back, feeling the way Donghyuck’s wings tickled his skin. “And I promise that as long as I’ve got you, you’ll be safe. Even when you do things by yourself.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” Donghyuck sniffled, curling his legs in and linking his fingers with Mark. “You’re not magic.”
His tone lightened just slightly, and Mark fell in love with the way a teary giggle echoed between them. He fell in love with the way Donghyuck responded to his touch, accepting his comfort instead of fighting it. He fell in love with the understanding that they both acted in ways they shouldn’t, Donghyuck’s wiseness stomping on Mark’s earlier statement of him being too childlike to handle himself.
Mark fell in love with the fact that Donghyuck was stronger than anyone he had ever met, and that he was fully capable of proving it.
“I’m sorry.” Mark murmured, and Donghyuck just hummed in response, trembling against his side just slightly. “I never want to hurt you.”
“I know, but you have. And you will.” Donghyuck told him, and the way his wings brought warmth to Mark distracted him from the confusion and worry his statement evoked. “I’ll hurt you too. It just happens. But then we learn from our mistakes, right?”
He lifted his head to look at Mark with the softest eyes he had ever seen on a person, pouty bottom lip jutted out and begging Mark to lay a kiss there. He didn’t, however, just offered a tiny smile before nodding his head.
“Right.”
Mark fell in love with the fact that Donghyuck continued to grow a little bit every day.
***
A SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY | 7:15 PM
Mark fell in love with Donghyuck the evening he walked into the living room to find the couch cushions on the floor and no boy in sight. He had ventured back from a shower hoping to find him waiting on the couch and wrapped up in blankets like he normally would be. Donghyuck hated rainy days, as he said they made him feel sad and cold, and the whole day had been filled with clouds and drizzle.
Mark was anticipating a lazy, clingy boy to snuggle up against when he returned in his sweatpants with his hair half-dried, but instead, he found a mess.
“Hyuck?” He called out, stopping beside the deconstructed couch and placing his hands on his hips. “Care to explain what happened here?”
From behind him he could hear fast footsteps and spun around to find Donghyuck carrying an armful of sheets and blankets with a shy smile on his face. He giggled upon seeing Mark, his eyes lighting up as he announced,
“Lucas taught me about blanket forts, but then he had to go to work.”
“Is that so?” Mark rolled with eyes but took one of the folded up sheets from the boy’s arms before turning to look at the mess of cushions. “Am I allowed in the fort?”
“If you help me build it,” Donghyuck stated matter of factly before promptly dropping the blankets onto the floor and stepping over them. “I can’t figure out how to make it taller.”
Mark chuckled before nodding to the dining room, where a table surrounded by chairs sat waiting patiently. Donghyuck’s eyes followed before widening comically, his face going bright as he realized exactly what Mark was trying to hint at.
“You’re so smart!” He cheered before racing into the dining room and dragging a chair back with him, a silly grin still on his face. “Get me another one please.”
Mark listened without argument, accepting that his idea of a peaceful evening wasn’t about to happen. He didn’t really mind as long as Donghyuck was happy, so he obediently pulled a second chair into the living room and set it opposite the one Donghyuck brought.
“Lucas said forts are good for movies. Is that true?” Donghyuck asked as they each took an end of the sheet and draped it over the backs of the chairs, creating a roof for their fort.
“Sure, as long as it’s comfy inside.” Mark shrugged, tying the edge of the sheet around a part of the chair to hold it in place. With a pout, Donghyuck mimicked his actions.
“We can make it comfy, right?”
Mark paused, watching the way Donghyuck’s face softened as he pouted up at Mark, creating the most irresistible expression that Mark both loathed and adored at the same time. He stepped away from the chair with a smile before picking up a throw pillow and tossing it at Donghyuck. The boy fumbled to catch it before giving Mark a confused look.
“Better get to work baby.”
Donghyuck nodded affirmatively before dropping the pillow and racing back into the dining room to retrieve another chair. Mark, happy to watch the boy so excited, stepped back from the construction process and instead made his job the preparation of snacks. He figured that if they were going to watch a movie, they could do it right.
From the kitchen, he could hear the sound of furniture moving and the boy speaking quietly to himself while Mark popped popcorn in the microwave. He loved Donghyuck’s determination and creativity, and the way he was so desperate to explore new ideas and ventures—no matter how silly it might be.
The rain trickled against the window as Donghyuck’s voice transcended into a gentle singing, a tune Mark didn’t recognize. He had heard it before, but only from Donghyuck, and he was beginning to assume that it was a song he brought with him from home. Mark fell in love with how special Donghyuck felt.
How magical he really was.
He would have to thank Lucas for the fact that he very clearly set this evening into place for them.
“Almost ready baby?” He called as he was shaking the popcorn into a bowl and retrieving his laptop off the kitchen table.
Donghyuck continued to sing as if he didn’t hear him, and when Mark returned to the living room he nearly let out a gasp. In front of the couch was certainly a fort, old sheets spread across dining room chairs. But inside a boy knelt, adjusting pillows and blankets while tiny orbs of light floated above him like stars trapped within the sheets. Something about it felt so warm to Mark, that his whole body relaxed as he slowly stepped closer.
Mark was in his house, the place that he had lived in his entire life, but something about the mess of sheets and pillows felt more like home than anything else.
“Come in,” Donghyuck giggled, glancing over his shoulder with the gentlest of smiles.
Mark nodded silently, crouching down and shimmying his way in beside him. Upon plopping down onto a pillow Donghyuck reached ahead of them and pulled the edge of a sheet down to seal them off from the outside, leaving nothing but the gentle lights floating above them to illuminate the surprisingly spacious fort.
“Comfy?” Donghyuck asked, pulling the popcorn from Mark’s hands so that he could open his laptop and place it in front of them.
“You did great, Hyuck.” Mark giggled in disbelief, glancing up at the lights as the computer came to life.
Donghyuck pulled a blanket over their legs before snuggling up to Mark’s side, chewing on a piece of popcorn as he softly requested, “Can we watch Christopher Robin again?”
Mark hummed, resting his head against Donghyuck’s lightly. “Course we can.”
With a happy noise, Donghyuck’s arms slid around Mark’s waist so he could pull closer to him, and the fort fell silent as the movie began.
Mark fell in love with how happy Donghyuck got whenever the animals came on screen, letting out little giggles at Tigger’s excitement and Pooh’s unintentional mischief. He fell in love with the way he got heavier against his side, and his breathing evened out against his neck.
Mark fell in love with how it felt to have the love of his life right beside him, in their own little home made of blankets and pillows and stars.
***
A DAY IN MARCH | 2:25 PM
Mark fell in love with Donghyuck’s inherent need to love all the world has to offer.
Normally, this part of him comes to life whenever they go out, and Donghyuck feels the need to appreciate everything in his path, from the colour of the leaves to the clouds in the sky, to the children that pass them and squeal at the sight of his candy coloured hair.
It brings joy to Donghyuck’s face that Mark could never get tired of, and so he always let him go and pick a leaf, or take a picture of the sky, or encourage the small kids to touch his fluffy hair. Donghyuck has always had a beautiful passion for the world, and though Mark doesn’t understand it, he adores it with everything in him.
On this particular afternoon, the pair had gone for lunch on a day where the weather was nicer than it had been recently. Donghyuck had his fair share of exploration by the time they were heading back to the car, but the universe had one surprise left in store for them. As Mark was rummaging through his pocket for the keys, Donghyuck let out a sound that caused him to jump in place and let out an embarrassingly high squeak.
Heart thundering in his chest from the shock, he asked, “What the hell, Hyuck?”
Without an answer, Donghyuck was rushing over to a battered cardboard box sitting beside a building and sheltered by nothing but overgrown grass. He was cooing before he was even on the ground, his lips forming a pout as he immediately dropped to his knees and reached inside.
“What are you doing?” Mark exclaimed, having no idea as to what he might have been touching.
“Mark, come here!”
Without hesitation Mark ventured over to where Donghyuck knelt, his hands gently urging something to move. He crouched down and his eyes landed on a small ball of grey fur and big wide eyes that stared up at Donghyuck fearfully.
“It’s okay, little one,” Donghyuck said softly, offering his upturned palm to what seemed to be a kitten. “We’re not gonna hurt you.”
The kitten blinked a few times as if listening before its head lifted slowly and its little nose twitched.
“That’s a good girl,” Donghyuck cooed, and Mark looked at him with his brows furrowed.
“It’s a girl?”
“Mhm,” Donghyuck hummed before daring to wrap his hands around the animal. “Let's get you outta there.”
“What are you doing?” Mark asked again, falling back on his heels as Donghyuck pulled the animal out of the box and immediately cradled it close to his chest.
“Someone left her here. Mark, we need to help.”
At that, Mark quickly realized what the boy was insinuating. He opened his mouth to protest but ended up just shaking his head and frowning. Donghyuck barely acknowledged him, just stroked his fingers between the kitten’s ears with a hum.
“You poor thing. You must have been scared, huh?”
“Donghyuck, we can’t keep the cat.” Mark let out with a sigh, only earning him the most offended glare he had ever received from Donghyuck.
He looked completely and utterly betrayed, and Mark felt like a villain sitting there in his yellow raincoat.
“We can’t just leave her here!” Donghyuck all but cried out, his eyes softening substantially and drawing all of the sympathy right out of Mark.
“Well no Donghyuck, of course not. We’ll wrap her up all warm and drive her to the shelter.”
“The shelter?” Donghyuck exclaimed in disbelief. “Mark no, she’s too little!”
“They’ll take good care of her.”
“I’ll take good care of her!”
Mark watched the way Donghyuck pouted, for once in his life hating the sight of it because it always made him falter and give in. He knew Donghyuck was genuine, that he would take on the responsibility of having essentially a baby around the house, but he couldn’t say yes so easily. Not when it entailed so much.
“You know, pets are a lot to handle.” He said gently, making Donghyuck roll his eyes and giggle.
“I know. We have three already.”
“Do you think a fourth is a good idea?”
“Yes! The dog needs a friend to play with.” Donghyuck informed him matter of factly, and Mark didn’t question it because Donghyuck could communicate with their pets, not him. “He’s bored when we’re busy.”
“Make another argument,” Mark demanded with a hint of a smile on his face. He felt silly sitting in a rundown parking lot with a stray kitten and his fairy boyfriend, but Mark had been in stranger situations so he decided to make the best of this one. “And maybe I’ll consider.”
Donghyuck pursed his lips and huffed through his nose, a telltale sign that he was thinking hard about something. He continued to pet the cat gently before letting out a gasp.
“I have a good one.”
“Let me hear it.”
“If I have a kitten to take care of, I’ll have something to do. It’ll keep me busy and I’ll feel useful and I won’t bother you about a job anymore.”
He finished the statement with a grin, and Mark remembered the fight that surfaced the day Donghyuck asked about a job. How badly he upset him and how he declared that he never wanted to hurt the boy.
He made a bold decision. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
“We’ll take her home, Hyuck.”
“Really?” Donghyuck’s mouth turned into an ‘o’ and his eyes went so bright that Mark swore the stars were trapped in them. “I would hug you right now but I’m holding the kitten.”
Mark laughed, daring to reach out a hand and smooth down the fur between the animal’s big, round eyes, that in a way almost reminded him of Donghyuck’s. The cat purred happily and nuzzled closer to his touch, bringing an unusual swell to Mark’s heart.
“She can be our baby,” Donghyuck stated, and Mark couldn’t help but lean in and press a kiss to the side of his head.
Mark fell in love with the way that idea sounded.
***
A WARM, EARLY SUMMER DAY
Mark has fallen in love with Donghyuck in every sense of the word.
From the way he makes him feel, to the things he does and says to remind Mark that there is no one in the world more important than him. Donghyuck has given Mark everything he could have hoped for in a lover and so much more, and he knows that there's no one else he would want beside him in life.
Even with the surprises, and the unpredictability. Even with the magic that comes with him. Mark wants it all, and he realizes this on an afternoon in May as he watches Donghyuck sort through a selection of flowers he had picked in the backyard earlier. He had the intention of pressing them, drying them, and using them for teas and syrups, but Mark is happy to just watch him organize them with a small pout on his lips.
He gets up from the bed, a flower of his own between his fingers, before crouching in front of the boy with a hum. Gently, he reaches forward and tucks the little white flower behind his ear, watching the way stars cluster on Donghyuck’s cheeks as he giggles shyly.
Mark doesn’t have any doubts at that moment. Everything feels so serene and so perfect, and he just can’t wait any longer.
“Stay here, baby. I have something for you”
Donghyuck listens, crossing his legs and settling his hands in his lap with a head tilt, resembling a confused puppy. Mark finds himself filled with nerves as he gets back to his feet and pulls open the drawer of his bedside table, rummaging around for a little box that he knows he left near the back.
He pulls it out, the velvet soft against his sweaty palms as he swallows hard and spins around. He plasters a grin on his face as he drops onto the floor across from Donghyuck, watching the way his lips curl into an instinctive smile and his eyes travel to Mark’s hands.
“What...what is that?” Donghyuck’s hands grab for the box but Mark pulls it away and shakes his head with a laugh.
“You’ve gotta be patient baby, I’m kinda bad with words.”
“Oh…” Donghyuck settles his hands back in his lap and watches Mark with widened eyes.
The sunlight streaming through the window makes everything about him sparkle, from his skin to his eyes, to the gentle golden glitter that paints his lids.
“Donghyuck,” Mark starts, but swallows hard and cuts himself off. Donghyuck’s hand reaches out again but this time just laces with Mark’s fingers soothingly. Mark finds the courage to speak again. “I love you—you know that, right?”
“Of course I do.”
Mark chuckles nervously. “I feel like everything I planned on saying, I’ve already told you a million times before.”
“I’ll still listen,” Donghyuck says softly, blinking quickly at Mark with an unreadable expression.
“O-okay… then I’ll just… say it, I guess.”
Donghyuck nods, completely silent and serious, almost as if sensing the heaviness of the situation. Mark inhales deeply before continuing.
“Donghyuck I think you’re the most beautiful creature on this planet, inside and out.” His words leave in a rush, stomach alive with so many butterflies that he feels sick. “You just see the world in such a curious and innocent way, and you remind me that not everything is serious all the time. And not to mention you look and feel like summer and heaven and all things golden. You are golden, Donghyuck. Really.”
Mark looks up to find his skin proving his words, shimmering a beautiful shade of gold that makes it hard for him to focus.
“It… it scares me to think of what my life would be if I hadn’t taken that walk by myself the morning I met you—or if I hadn’t gone back to find you, because I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and it’s all because of you. You and your freckles and your eyes and your gentle hands, and your love of everything and everyone. You’ve taught me to be more aware, more appreciative of what’s around me—even the tiniest things. You’ve taught me what it means to really be in love.”
He pauses only to take a breath, his heart hammering against his ribs so loud that he feels it in every part of his body. “The things we’ve gone through really prove that nothing in life or the future is predictable, and we never truly know what it holds. But what I do know is that I want you in mine, by my side, always”
Mark stops. He looks up from their intertwined hands and locks eyes with Donghyuck, whose sparkle with unshed tears and so much adoration that it makes Mark’s heart skip. Donghyuck reaches his shaky hands up and presses his palms to Mark’s cheeks, shaking his head slowly.
Mark bites his bottom lip nervously. “What?”
“I love you.” Donghyuck breathes before pulling them together and catching him in a warm, gentle kiss that steals the air from Mark’s lungs.
He tugs himself even closer and lets one hand slide over the back of his neck and into his soft hair, the taste of vanilla and stardust overwhelming his senses.
“Marry me, Lee Donghyuck.”
Donghyuck pulls away and swallows hard, forehead pressed to Mark’s and hands still secured on his cheeks. “Huh?”
Mark sniffles, feeling his eyes begin to burn as he shakily opens the small box, revealing a shiny silver band that he spent far too long picking out with Lucas by his side. Donghyuck’s eyes travel down before his breath catches and he makes a choked sound that causes the tears to spill from Mark’s eyes.
“That’s… for me?”
“Yes.” Mark lets out a choked laugh, nodding as he pulls away just slightly to pointlessly wipe at his eyes. “I want you to marry me. For real.”
Donghyuck lips tremble and he lifts his eyes to meet Mark’s before he nods rapidly and lets out a tiny hiccup. His hand flies up to cover his mouth, cheeks brighter than ever and alive with cosmos.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you, Mark Lee.”
Mark’s hands shake so much that he can’t seem to pull the ring from where it’s nestled in velvet cushions, so Donghyuck takes his hand and guides him, lips curled back in a wavering smile as Mark grips the ring. He lets out a nervous laugh as he slips the ring over Donghyuck’s finger, before pulling his hand up to press a kiss to his knuckles.
For a moment, it feels like his heart has been moved, shifted into a place that feels just right and floods his entire body with warmth and relief. He knows he made the right decision, and he knows that this is exactly how things are supposed to be. Donghyuck is his, and his heart and the stars and the entire universe agree that it shouldn’t be any other way.
“We’re in love forever now, right?” Donghyuck asks, echoing what he said the night of their friends’ wedding.
And Mark is sure. He isn’t speaking through a drunken bliss or chasing the feeling of his friends’ affection. He’s never been more sure of anything in his life as he smiles warmly at his own little piece of heaven sitting in front of him with a ring on his finger and a flower in his hair.
“Forever and always, Donghyuck.”