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Donghyuck knew when they were sipping beer from red cups, sitting on top of the roof of Mark's car, looking up at a single star in a black empty void that was the sky and the moon tinted yellow, hidden by mist and clouds. It was quite cold, the breeze making color rise to his cheeks and goosebumps on his skin.
Mark had told him to wear a different jacket because the blue denim jacket, black t-shirt and fishnets under ripped black jeans were doing nothing to protect him from the cold, but how in the world could be do that when the whole highlight of his outfit was his jacket? Otherwise, he would just look goth.
So of course he got a runny nose and red ears. Mark's leather jacket rested on his shoulders and he rubbed his elbows with crossed arms, looking at him from his periphal view because he was so sure he would combust into flames if they made direct eye contact, even in this weather.
Mark Lee was somehow not even cold. He wasn't shivering or red in the face, because it just seemed like winter likes him more than it likes Donghyuck.
"It's because you hate it too." Mark had said, smiling endearingly. "You get what you give."
He wasn't wrong, Donghyuck hated winters. He hated waking up at 6 in the morning during the ass-crack of dawn to go to school, his feet were always cold even when he wore socks, and the coldness and darkness of winter made him feel small. It made him feel weak.
Winter was everything foreign to him, because back home in Jeju, he was used to being free in light clothes, sunshine, the ocean lapping at his feet, moisture sticking to his skin and ice cream dripping down his chin.
Mark Lee was immune to the cold, and a human heater on top of it. His hugs were always warm, so were his high fives and fist bumps and handshakes. Donghyuck wondered that if he were to hold his hand, close the gap between their fingers, would they be warm too?
Mark exhaled heavily through his mouth, smiling at the cloud that formed in front of it. "Look at that, it's so cold. The first snow isn't far. I can feel it."
"Snow might be the only good part of winter." Donghyuck said, sighing. "Aside from christmas and New year's, of course."
"Hot chocolate?"
"Not a fan. I could just eat chocolate instead, I don't understand what is so special about it if it's mixed with some milk-"
"No, I mean, would you like to get hot chocolate with me?" Mark said, chuckling and hopping off the car. "Get out of here?"
"But...the others. You wanna leave them?"
"They won't miss us." He said, and how could he say no when Mark was looking at him like he hung the moon and the stars themselves in the sky.
Breathless, he said "Sure."
There they sat, the two of them in the crappy lighting of an old diner, warm cups of hot chocolate with marshmellows in their hands. He saw Mark Lee with his perfectly ruffled blonde hair and boyish smile, and suddenly, his worn out Nikes looked so interesting.
"Look! There it is, I told you!" Mark said with the biggest grin on his face, soft eyes looking out the window.
Snowflakes, small, white and intricate - almost like stars in the sky - falling down on the sidewalk under the street light.
"It's snowing." He said, getting up and reaching out his hand for Donghyuck's. "Come on! We can't miss it."
Donghyuck smiled because he couldn't help himself, took his hand and ran outside with Mark dragging him.
Snow was already starting to gather everywhere, on the cement of the road to the top of the diner's roof.
Donghyuck stuck out his tongue and felt a snowflake land on it. "It really is snowing."
Then, they turned to each other, grinning like idiots with snow in their hair. In Mark's eyes, he saw himself, and in his own, he was sure only Mark was there.
Then he leaned in and gosh, when their lips met under the diner roof's faerie lights, face and hands red, Donghyuck's heart wasn't thrilled and blood wasn't thrumming through his veins. His heart beat slow and steady, soft and calm, like it already knew everything, like this moment was as real as the soft blonde locks under his fingers and his toes curling in his shoes.
He knew that this amazing, adorable, cute and dumb guy is his forever.
🕸️
To no one's surprise, Donghyuck was the first person Mark revealed his powers to. Even if he didn't mean to, Donghyuck could tell that Mark had been dying to tell him. He wasn't exactly subtle either. The way he clutched his phone whenever it got a notification that was probably from SHIELD, how he just dissapeared at completely random times - especially if they were watching the news - and the sore thumb that was his sudden increase in strength.
Still, Donghyuck had just brushed it off and thought of it as Mark just sneaking off to a stray cat he was hiding behind his parents' backs (wouldn't be the first time), being busy with school and extracurriculars, and maybe going to the gym.
He didn't go as far as to put the pieces together as him being fricking spider-man!
After his initial surprise, Donghyuck got rather used to it, but most importantly, he learned to trust Mark. Even though that boy didn't know what he was doing half the time, Donghyuck just had to find it in himself to not stop him just because it was risky.
Mark was a good person, through and through. Always honest and moral in whatever he did, whether it was turning in a wallet he found on the ground to the police station, or risking his life to save people with the powers he possessed. If Donghyuck had spider powers, he would probably be robbing banks, but Mark is nothing like him.
(okay, maybe not robbing banks but certainly not being a hero either!)
Whenever their dates got interrupted by a criminal, or whenever Mark was late, Donghyuck couldn't find it in himself to be mad because that wouldn't be right. What was he going to say? 'How dare you leave our picnic to go save those people's lives'?
So whenever Donghyuck heard a knock at his bedroom window, even if it was the middle of the night, he got up and opened it, smiling and kissing this brave boy who decided to take the world on his shoulders, all for the greater good.
🕸️
Although Donghyuck would always remain Mark's boyfriend first, he still enjoyed the perks that came with being spiderman's boyfriend too.
He felt a thrill running through his veins when he heard Annie from Algebra 2 gush about how amazing spiderman is, and just how lucky his partner must be.
'I mean' Donghyuck thought to himself, a tiny smirk curling up his lip, 'If you count saving tons of transportation money, not being able to hear the end of careful measures you must take to prevent crimes ,and getting rid of your fear of heights, then sure! Being spiderman's boyfriend does have a lot of advantages.'
Ever since Mark became spiderman, Donghyuck had saved up the money he used to use for the bus he took every morning to school, had gained the ability to not even blink while staring down at people who looked like ants walking on the sidewalk while he himself was suspended in the air, come to have an unusual amount of knowledge about traffic rules, late night excursions and whatnot because of Mark's constant yapping, and had been through multiple instances of Mark throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
However, aside from those, Donghyuck never really saw Mark's golden retriever behavior, smart-ass brain, and weirdly heroic behavior as spiderman attributes, because that was always what made Mark, well, Mark! Donghyuck loved all of Mark, and spiderman was just a bonus that came along with the dorky puppy that was his boyfriend.
🕸️
Donghyuck was a part of the school choir for as long as he could remember, because his mom always thought his voice was beautiful and as soon as he learned to suck up and do what his parents asked of him instead of laying down on the floor and throwing a tantrum, she signed him up for choir practice when he was 9 years old.
Donghyuck doesn't really mind singing, since he likes doing something he's good at. He likes the praises and the clapping of the audience at the end of a performance, and that had always been enough to keep him going, even if not being able to eat a lot of cold food and fretting all the time if he had a sore throat came along with it.
He had to perform in front of a large audience for the first time for the spring show of 7th grade. He could still remember the panic ceasing his chest and tears clogging his throat as he peaked through the curtains at the audience gathered.
He was on the verge of crying in front of the music teacher as he tried to explain why he won't be able to go on stage.
Then, 13 years old Mark pulled out a ten dollar bill and his precious Pokemon Platinum video game that he never let anyone touch because his older brother gave it to him, and said "If you do good, I'll let you play a game on it and we can get ice cream afterwards." with his sweet, crooked, braces smile. "My treat!"
That night, Donghyuck got bouqets of flowers from his friends and family, but the daffidols Mark gave him were the last ones he threw out after they dried.
🕸️
Donghyuck's mom always did love Mark. Whenever he came over to their house, she'd insist that he get seconds at dinner and always sent him back with a gift, she'd always let Donghyuck go out with his friends if Mark was there, and it seemed like she always trusted him to keep Donghyuck out of trouble.
That's why when Donghyuck told her they were dating, he expected her to be more estetic, but all she did was smile knowingly and say "That's amazing, dear, why don't you invite him over for dinner tomorrow?"
That dinner went like any other, Mrs. Lee continued pampering and spoiling Mark, but when she asked Donghyuck for help in the kitchen, and they both were alone, she said "Sweetie?"
"Yeah, mom?"
She kissed his cheek and patted his shoulder, lips stretched into a heart-warming smile. "I'm glad you're with Mark, he's a good boy."
He smiled too. "I'm glad too, mom."
Mark was a guy true to his heart, always.
🕸️
Donghyuck doesn't know what he would do without Mark, and he doesn't think he will ever find out either.