Chapter Text
Mk liked the color green.
Sure, orange and red would always be his favorites, but green just had a way of catching his attention in a way no other color did. After all, in Chinese culture, it does symbolize a lot of great things.
Things like nature, regeneration, fertility, health, harmony. Yet the one thing that intrigued him most had nothing to do with tradition or symbolism. It was that whenever he noticed the color, he thought of Mei.
His best friend in the entire world.
It made sense, really. Green was Mei’s favorite color and it showed up everywhere, in her clothes, her accessories, the dyed streaks in her hair. Even in battle, when she’d transform into her totally awesome dragon form, her scales would shimmer with a brilliant, radiant green.
And every time Mk watched her soar through the night sky, graceful and powerful, he felt something strange stir in his chest. He didn’t know what it was. He just knew she looked… amazing.
So yeah. It wasn’t weird that green reminded him of Mei. It was just an association. Nothing more than that.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
Because even now, sitting beside her at a table in Pigsy’s noodle shop, the thought had come back again.
They had just finished a round of deliveries, and Mei was rambling excitedly about a new arcade she’d discovered, scrolling through her phone as she talked. Mk rested his head against the table, listening at first.
Then his eyes started to wander.
From her bright green eyes, to the green streaks in her hair, to the faint dragon scales that traced parts of her skin. The color suited her perfectly. Without really thinking, Mk reached out and ran his fingers through the highlighted strands of her hair.
Mei stopped mid-sentence.
“Hm?” She grinned. “You like my highlights? Pretty cool, right?”
Mk didn’t pull his hand away. “They’re… pretty,” he muttered.
And he only realized what he said the moment the words left his mouth.
“Uh- I mean- cool! They’re pretty cool!” He straightened up quickly, heat rushing to his face.
Mei laughed and slung an arm around his neck in a half-hug. “Aww, thanks! Y’know, I could help you dye your hair sometime if you want.”
“Nope- I’m good!” Mk said far too quickly, scrambling for a change of topic.
“Hey! Your birthday’s coming up, right? Got any plans?”
Mei leaned back in her chair and shrugged. “Not really. Since you’ll probably be busy then, I figured we could just hang out here. Maybe grab some food later or something.”
Mk blinked at her words.
Sure, Pigsy’s had enough of his slacking off and he’s been working all week to make up for it, but to think that Mei thought he’d spend her birthday stuck in the shop...
No way! Not when he’d already planned an amazing surprise party for her that day.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Mk said, confidence kicking in. “how about I ditch work, we go see a movie, and then we hit that arcade you’ve been talking about all day-”
Mei pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, squealing.
“Mei- I can't-” Mk gasped looked down, only to find himself staring into her sparkling eyes and he became oddly distracted from what he wanted to say.
“Really?! You’d face Pigsy’s wrath for me?” she said, practically vibrating. “Yay! You’re the coolest friend ever!”
“It’s my BFF’s birthday,” Mk said, clearing his throat as he gently freed himself. “Of course I’m spending it with you.”
Mei launched back into excited planning “I wonder what movies are gonna be airing that day and about the new arcade we’re gonna go-”
Brrrrrrrr!
Mei’s phone suddenly rang, then she checked the screen and groaned.
“Sorry. It’s my parents,” Mei muttered. “They’ve been bombarding me with calls all day.”
She took a minute to talk to them and when she was done she started tapping frustratingly on her phone screen.
“House sitting again?” Mk asked and Mei scoffed, shaking her head.
“I wish! We’ve got a ‘special guest’ coming over,” she used her fingers to make the quote gesture. “And my parents wants me to meet them. Ugh.”
She sighed and stood up to make her way out of the shop. Mk tagged along to walk her out.
“Are you gonna be home for long?” He asked. He really didn’t want her to leave so soon.
“Not for long I hope.” Mei whistled, summoning her horse power bike. Mk started to look a bit worried.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it, okay?” Mei pinched Mk’s cheek to reassure him.
“See you later Monkey man!” she suited up and hopped onto her bike.
“See you later, Mei.” Mk said waving a little. Mei smiled softly and then she was gone.
Mk slowly lowered his hand.
Only then did what he had done earlier start to hit him. Not only did he run his fingers in Mei’s hair, he also made such a dumb slip of the tongue. His face burned as he buried it in his hands.
“I can’t believe I got carried away again…”
“Mk! Five more orders to go!” Pigsy shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Coming!” Mk called, bolting back inside the shop.
--°✿°--
Later that night, after the shop was closed and finally taking a shower, Mk lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. Finally having time to relax, he took a moment to really process his actions today.
Liking the colour green. His strange impulses around Mei. And that weird fluttering feeling in his chest whenever he looked at her for too long.
Mk slowly reached up to touch the spot on his cheek where she’d pinched him earlier, and for what felt like the hundredth time that day, his face grew warm again.
Something was definitely wrong.
Desperate, Mk reached for his phone, opened an anonymous forum and typed out his problem. He wrote how a certain color reminded him of his best friend, how he kept acting weird around her and if anyone could give him some really helpful advice.
After receiving a few replies and jokes suggesting he might be going crazy and should seek medical help, he was starting to lose interest in the attempt, however, one comment caught his attention.
The commenter suggested that his fondness for the color green might indicate something more. That maybe he was developing special feelings for his friend.
“Special feelings?” Mk read out, before his phone buzzed. When he checked his notifications, he saw that it was a message from... Mei!
Mk quickly sat up and opened the message.
[Mei❀: Mk! look what i found!]
She sent a photo.
It was a photobooth strip that he and Mei had taken years ago. The images on it still sharp. Most of it were just pictures of him and Mei making silly faces and he couldn’t help but chuckle at a few.
Then in the last panel of the photo he noticed It was different from the rest. Mei was looking at him laughing with her one-of-a-kind smile. It was a beautiful smile.
Mk’s cheeks felt warm again and this time he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach.
Special feelings...
The stranger’s comment echoed through his mind again, and suddenly, everything seemed to click into place at once.
Love.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest, as if it were trying to escape. It all started to make sense now. The reason behind his odd feelings and everything.
He liked the colour green, because he was in love with Mei.
--°✿°--
Mei’s POV - Earlier That Day
It didn’t take long for Mei to arrive at the Dragon residence. She hopped off her bike, unequipped her suit, and made her way to the front door. As she waited for the facial recognition to scan her, her mind wandered, right back to the way Mk ran his fingers through her hair earlier.
She lifted a hand and mimicked the motion, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Silly Mk.”
Mei glanced around the familiar compound then moments later, the door slid open, and she was immediately greeted by her oddly anxious mother.
“Hey, Mom-” Mei started, but Mrs. Dragon was already fussing over her, straightening her clothes and fixing her hair. When she finally seemed satisfied, she smiled and grabbed Mei’s hand.
“Hurry now,” her mother said, guiding her inside. “Our guest has been waiting to meet you.”
When Mei reached the living room doorway, she found her father seated with another man, the two seemingly deep in conversation. The moment Mr. Dragon noticed her and her mother entering, his expression immediately brightened.
“Welcome home, Mei,” her father said warmly. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
He gestured to the young man sitting nearby, and Mei’s green eyes met striking purple ones.
Before her stood a fairly tall man, with a lean, athletic build. A portion of his straight silver hair was tied back in a small bun, while the rest flowed smoothly like silk past his shoulders.
“Woah…” Mei whispered before she could stop herself.
“This is Kui Mushe,” her father continued. “A descendant of the snake family. Please, greet him properly.”
Mei straightened. “Hi. I’m Mei Dragon, descendant of the dragon family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She bowed politely, and he returned the gesture.
“You’re much more beautiful in person,” Kui said, his voice low and smooth as he stepped closer. He took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it.
As he did, Mei noticed faint, almost unnoticeable patterns along his wrist and neck, delicate scales, just like hers.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” he added. “Lady Mei.”