I'll Peel All Your Tangerines ★ Mark Lee.

i'll peel all your tangerines ★ mark lee.

tags. fluff, drabble. childhood friends to lovers. 390 words.

inspired by when life gives you tangerines. i also imagined this mark while writing...

"oh my god, you follow me everywhere!"

from elementary school, all the way to university — mark lee follows you everywhere. it started with playing in the same sandbox. now you're both adults in university, yet he's still here. always.

"wanted to have lunch with you," he says. you could even hear the pout in his tone.

"you're such a loser."

you sigh, shutting your book and placing it on the grass beside you. you're sitting behind the ncit library building, where maple trees veil over every spot. you lean against the branch, mark mirroring your action. he's still pouting.

still, he unwraps two bento boxes — of course, he brought two. well aware of your skipping-lunch-tendency. mark picks the shrimps off your box only to peel them and place them back into yours. he then peels a tangerine, popping one slice into your mouth.

with your mouth full you utter,

"are you going to follow me until i'm all grey and wrinkly?"

"if you'd let me."

oh. you couldn't stop your eyes that trail towards his lips, gaze lingering. a hue of pink spreads across your cheeks, to which mark takes notice.

"why are you all red?"

you pat your cheeks with your hands, "i'm always this red!"

"no you're not."

he inches towards you, bringing a palm towards your forehead. "are you getting sick? is your dorm room too cold?"

immediately, you shake your head, avoiding eye contact. but mark isn't mark if he doesn't constantly worry about you.

"what's wrong, yn?"

"i..." you mutter. "wanna kiss you..."

ahhhh. mark's blinking, processing your words. shame fills you, as you mentally curse yourself for saying the words out loud. now the poor guy in front of you is short-circuiting.

"you don't have to —"

mark's lips crashes against yours. it's clumsy, nervous, and it tastes like tangerines. but you kiss back anyway, tilting your head to deepen the kiss.

it's perfect. he's perfect.

when you pull away, his eyes are glazed over, affection swimming in his brown hues. he caresses your cheeks with the tenderness only he's ever given you.

"this is so stupid but," he whispers, "i'll peel all your tangerines until we're grey and wrinkly. if you'd let me."

you chuckle,

"and i'll eat them all."