Today is the 3000th day Donghae and Hyukjae have spent together. 

Between the two of them, Donghae is a lot more sensitive and romantic. He places great importance on anniversaries and celebrations, and as a loving and supportive partner, this means that Hyukjae is obligated to pay attention as well. If he was asked, Hyukjae would say he’s proud of all the romantic things he’s done for Donghae throughout the years since they met in middle school. 

Some of them have included big things, like saving up his money to buy a car to drive to school together when they were teenagers, as well as little things like always peeling prawns for him whenever they go out to eat barbecue. Once, at a school festival, Hyukjae kicked a soccer ball into a paper hoop to win an air humidifier for Donghae, and Donghae leaped into his arms in pride after he made the goal. Although it’s a cheap humidifier, they still have it and use it at home. He knows he’s whipped, but there isn’t much he hasn’t done for the man he loves in the almost twelve years they’ve known each other. 

And so, Hyukjae has been waiting and preparing for this day for quite some time. 

Typically, the most important relationship milestones among couples include 100, or 1000 days together, but Hyukjae gets the idea for the number 3000 a few months ago, when the song, “Love You 3000” is released on YouTube. He personally doesn’t spend much time on social media, but when your boyfriend’s job is being a YouTuber, you start paying attention. The song is inspired by a line uttered in the final Avengers movie, and for the two of them, Iron Man is quite special— it was what they bonded over when they first met as awkward middle schoolers.

Donghae is obsessed with Iron Man. In fact, when they had first started dating in college, Hyukjae had been mildly jealous of the numerous Iron Man figures and posters in Donghae’s dorm room. He still shudders when he remembers how once when they were fooling around in bed and suddenly an Iron Man figurine fell down from a shelf, killing the romantic mood entirely. 

However, he’s also grateful for Iron Man giving Donghae impossibly high standards in men, which luckily for him, kept him single for long enough until he finally mustered up the courage to confess to him at the beach one summer when they were eighteen. He doesn’t really remember what exactly he blurted out, having been too caught up in nerves at the moment, but he can still see the image of a bright, teary eyed Donghae smiling at him under the setting summer sun from that day, and thinking, wow, how the Hell did I get this lucky? 

It takes them a couple ups and downs to get to where they are today, but as Hyukjae looks down at the ring nestled in his hand, he knows that he doesn’t want to wait a day longer to ask his boyfriend the question that he’s always dreamed of. 

—

Hyukjae decides for sure that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Donghae on a snowy Christmas night. They’d been fighting about God knows what, and Hyukjae had shown up at his home on Christmas day to apologize. But Donghae hadn’t expected him to arrive, and had taken a midnight shift at the coffee shop he worked at to make some extra cash during the holidays and to cool down from his minor temper tantrum. Hyukjae stood pathetically on his doorstep, holding roses and a Christmas gift, shifting back and forth on his feet as he kept ringing the doorbell and banging for Donghae to answer. Finally, Donghae’s next door neighbor, Jungsoo, opened the window blinds to see what the commotion was about, and frowned as he took out his cellphone.

“Donghae, where the hell are you?” Jungsoo asked into the phone. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, having just been woken up in the middle of the night. Somewhere in the background, his boyfriend, Youngwoon, grunted for him to come back to bed. Although he would want nothing more than to snuggle back into the covers, he adores his young neighbor, and he wanted to do everything he can to help him patch things up with his boyfriend, especially on Christmas day.

“I’m… working?” Donghae replied, sounding muffled. He heard the clinks of coffee mugs and murmuring of customers from the phone call, and Jungsoo rolled his eyes as he looked out the window and saw Hyukjae crouching in front of the door. 

“Hyukjae has been standing outside your apartment for four hours!” 

So Donghae quickly took a taxi and saw Hyukjae standing there on his doorstep, covered in snow like a snowman.

Later, when they eat hot curry and rice in Donghae’s kitchen after making up, Donghae chides Hyukjae for risking his health and waiting outside in the snow for him. Honestly, Hyukjae agrees. It had been a fool’s move, but instead of calling or sending him a text, Hyukjae wanted to come in person and apologize right away to show his sincerity. 

They hold each other tight, but instead of making silly promises to never fight again, they agree to be more understanding of one another. Donghae tells him he’ll try his best to be less sensitive and moody, and Hyukjae tells him he’ll try his best to be less fickle and calculating.

He prides himself on being much more logical and rational than his boyfriend. But it’s on that Christmas Day that Hyukjae realizes that Donghae is the only person who makes him rely on his heart rather than his brain, that Donghae is the only person he would ever give everything to. 

—

Soon after they graduate college, Hyukjae and Donghae move in together in a small apartment of their own. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s enough for the two of them. Someday, they’d like to raise dogs, but pets aren’t allowed in this apartment, so it’s on their bucket list for the future. Hyukjae finds a job at a start-up company, and ends up reuniting with Choi Siwon at his workplace, an old acquaintance from high school. Although Hyukjae is still slightly jealous of Siwon because of the little crush Donghae used to have on him when they were teenagers, there are no hard feelings, and they quickly become close friends. Hyukjae wouldn’t say his job is the most interesting thing, but it pays the bills and he is happy with how life is panning out for him so far. 

Donghae, on the other hand, is having a little trouble finding work. Hyukjae doesn’t push him, and he feels guilty every time he sees Donghae spending his days doing part-time work and having sleepless nights researching and looking for jobs in digital arts and design. He wants to hold him close and reassure him that he doesn’t mind paying more than half the rent and not to be so stressed, but he knows that his boyfriend is strong-willed and has his own pride as a man. 

However as time goes on, he notices that Donghae’s mood is starting to brighten, and one day when he’s working sick from home, he hears some voices and sounds from their bedroom. Curious, he pulls the blanket around his frame and pads over to their room from his home office to find Donghae speaking animatedly into a camera with his laptop propped open beside him. 

The image is quite a sight to see. He remembers when they were in middle school and Donghae had panicked all throughout a group presentation they were working on because he hated public speaking and always got tongue tied. Of course, Hyukjae was there to scoop him up and save the day, delivering their rehearsed lines for their school presentation. Seeing Donghae speak with a newfound confidence into a camera fills him with pride at how far Donghae has come. 

“What is that?” Hyukjae asks, pointing at the screen and resting his chin on Donghae’s shoulder. “Is that being broadcast somewhere?” 

Donghae leans into his touch, chest slightly rumbling from laughter. “Oh my God, Hyukjae, you’re such a Boomer.” 

“We were born literally six months apart,” Hyukjae deadpans and rolls his eyes. 

The younger male clicks on the laptop and shows his boyfriend a webpage to answer him. “It’s YouTube. I’m starting a channel to do as a hobby on the weekends.”

Honestly, Hyukjae doesn’t really understand what he’s doing on his channel. Sometimes, he makes fun of him for how sloppy it looks. But it makes his boyfriend happy, and by some of luck, his YouTube channel takes off, and gains monetization. Donghae quits his part-time job at the coffee shop and devotes his time and digital art skills into editing his YouTube videos. He buys a better camera and editing equipment, and soon becomes a successful YouTuber. 

After a year or so of doing YouTube, Donghae asks Hyukjae if he would mind being in a vlog. He tells him he wouldn’t have to mind the camera, and they should just act naturally. Hyukjae would have to admit that he’s a bit shy to be filmed on camera. Donghae has always been the one with manga heroine looks, even when they were awkward teenagers. A tiny reason why he had waited so long to confess to Donghae when they were younger was because he didn’t think he was as handsome as Iron Man or Siwon. But Donghae reassures him that he is the most handsome man in his eyes, that his subscribers are very kind, and that there would be no pressure at all. So he agrees, and they film a vlog in the car while eating egg bulgogi burgers from McDonalds before going to the gym.

Later that week, Donghae finishes editing the vlog and posts it online. 

Donghae’s HARU: “Drive” with D&E ! [Posted by Donghae LEE 4 hours ago]

[Click to see comments] 

omg omg our donghaek has a BOY how did we NOT KNOW ?!? [+115, -10] 

i need to find a man who looks at me the way E looks at donghae [+404, -20]

who is “E”??? please make a boyfriend Q&A! [+718, -11]

Donghae LEE replied to this comment: he is my “E”ndgame! <3 he’s a little shy to be on camera but maybe i’ll make a video about him soon. [+4.4k, -60]

[Load more comments]

“See, look how nice the comments are!” Donghae tells Hyukjae with a wide grin a few hours after the video is posted on YouTube, and Hyukjae blushes when he sees the nickname of “E” that Donghae has given him. 

Now, Hyukjae has never been big on social media. They grew up in a generation where the internet was still developing, and he thinks he’s passed the age where he would have enjoyed it. But Donghae loves it, so he has to love it too, just a little bit, and he ends up researching and watching YouTube himself. 

—

Some things never change, and even when he turns twenty-six years old, Donghae is still obsessed with the Avengers and Iron Man. Of course, Hyukjae never fails to oblige any of his whims, and he purchases deluxe tickets to the theater on opening night for the two of them. 

The entire theater roars when Tony Stark delivers the iconic line, “I love you, 3000,” and of course, his boyfriend rambles on and on about it afterwards, when they’re eating ice cream at the parlor on the bottom floor of the theater. Hyukjae thinks it’s cute that they still have childish dates even when they’re nearing thirty, and he is eternally grateful that they’ve made it this far through the years.

Later, Donghae bursts into Hyukjae’s arms one day when he gets home from work and explains to him that he read a fan theory online that all the Marvel movies add up to a total of about 3000 minutes long. Eventually, Hyukjae gets curious, and after some online searching, he finds out that 3000 is actually just a big number according to “Tony-hyung’s” daughter, and is just a way to say I love you a lot. But instead, he lets his boyfriend believe the fan theories and gush about the thoughtfulness and ingenuity of the production team. 

Donghae finds out the truth when one of his subscribers links the interview where Robert Downey Jr. talks about how his daughter inspired the line in a comment on his YouTube channel, and Hyukjae can only laugh quietly in the background when Donghae flops around on the bed like a fish, hopes and dreams shattered. There’s nobody else like you, Hyukjae thinks to himself. Even now, Hyukjae still gets excited when he thinks about eventually getting married to Donghae. 

They’ve talked about it before, and have reached the mutual understanding that they’ve always been together for the long haul. When they were younger, they were still navigating their unstable lives and figuring things out, so the timing hadn’t been right. However, they’re older now, and Hyukjae doesn’t know what they’re waiting for, other than to figure out the best way to propose to the love of his life.

But the number 3000 gives him an idea, especially when they’re about a hundred days away from hitting that milestone.

—

“Jongwoon-hyung, I’m not a bad singer!” Hyukjae complains when his friend, Jongwoon clicks his tongue, leaning back after listening to Hyukjae sing a few lines of “Love You, 3000.” As a demo singer, Jongwoon prides himself in his musical talent, and had offered to help him practice keeping his tune for the big day, which is slowly approaching. Ryeowook, his boyfriend, had suggested Hyukjae sing the chorus live to Donghae before getting on one knee and popping the question, and so Jongwoon was awarded with the task of training him. 

“You’re not. You’re just… a little lower than my expectations?” Jongwoon says, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms. He takes the paper from Hyukjae’s hands and makes a few intonation marks to help him stay in tune. “But it’s Donghae, and he loves you regardless of your singing abilities.” 

“I know,” Hyukjae groans, and takes a gulp of water as he sits down and stares at the lyrics sheet he printed out before going to Jongwoon and Ryeowook’s shared apartment. “I just want to make sure this is perfect. Like something straight out of Hollywood, you know?” He takes off his wire glasses and rubs his eyes, suddenly feeling his nerves spike up. He hasn’t felt this way in ten years, since he first confessed to Donghae on a beach when he was eighteen, and he hopes that things would be a little more graceful this time around. “He’ll say yes, right?” Hyukjae asks in a small voice.

Jongwoon blinks, before a gentle smile reaches his face. “Of course, Hyukjae.” He reaches out to pet his head slightly.

Hyukjae shyly looks away and clears his throat. “Baby, take my hand. I just want to be your husband.” 

“Cause I’m your Iron Man, and I love you, 3000.” 

—

“You’ll be fine, Hyukjae. You’ve practiced in the mirror, like a million times,” Siwon tells him over Facetime when the day finally comes. Thankfully, Ryeowook, who is also a YouTuber, agreed to take Donghae out for the day to film a shopping vlog so that Hyukjae would have ample time to prepare before taking him out on a seemingly ordinary date that night. He takes a deep breath as he fiddles with his hair and considers ironing his shirt for the fourth time that day and clenches his eyes shut, willing his rapid heartbeat to calm down. 

“Everything will go smoothly. Shindong-hyung and Ryeowook edited the video really nicely. And the beach is all set up properly with the projector and the speakers.” Siwon says reassuringly. “Honestly, the only problem might be your face. But he lives with you already, so he’s got to be used to it by now.” He cracks a joke, trying to make Hyukjae a little less nervous.

But instead of retorting back sassily, Hyukjae just stays quiet and lays down flat on the floor, not wanting to crease his pants by sitting down. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Siwon asks worriedly.

“Do you really think I’m the right guy for him?” Hyukjae asks, staring up at the ceiling. 

Siwon simply smiles fondly. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you’re the only one for him. Why else would I have rejected him when we were in high school?” Hyukjae laughs with mirth at the memory, and takes a deep breath, trying his best to calm down and just focus on keeping Donghae from finding out the surprise until the end of tonight. 

Today is the 3000th day Donghae and Hyukjae have spent together. 

However, among their little group of friends, it is a point of controversy of what they consider to be their first date. According to Kyuhyun, it is the day Hyukjae takes Donghae out and confesses to him on the beach when they’re eighteen and seniors in high school. According to Ryeowook, because they didn’t kiss, it doesn’t count. 

“It’s the thought that counts! That was the first time they hung out romantically.” Kyuhyun always says. 

“Well, by that logic, their first date would have been when they were like, fourteen, since they’ve been in love forever even when they still considered each other as friends.” Ryeowook often retorts. “The best indicator of the first date is the good night kiss. Ask any of my subscribers.” 

Whenever their friends begin to debate about it, Hyukjae and Donghae just laugh along. Ultimately, Hyukjae decides that the beach day should be considered their first date together, insisting that he doesn’t want all the anxiety and panic he went through that day to go to waste. Donghae just humors him and goes along with it.

If it was up to Donghae, his train of thought aligns closer to Ryeowook’s, and he thinks the more accurate number is closer to 4500-ish, rather than 3000. 

They meet when they’re in the second year of middle school. Donghae is an awkward transfer from Mokpo with a heavy Southern accent, and Hyukjae is a skinny Seoul kid with an awful haircut. They end up sitting beside one another as desk partners, and although they don’t know it yet at fourteen years old, they’ll spend the rest of their lives beside each other. 

First, they bond over superhero movies, and Donghae is glad to meet someone who is willing to listen to him gush about Iron Man and Tony-hyung. Don’t get him wrong, Hyukjae loves Iron Man too, but Donghae is the one with an Iron Man lunchbox, so he is the representative Iron Man fan. When Halloween rolls around, they pool together all their allowance and birthday money to buy matching Iron Man costumes. It eventually becomes a tradition, and they dress up together every year until middle school ends. In hindsight, all of their friends and teachers must have known they would become an item, even before they knew it themselves. By then, most of the kids their age have outgrown superheroes and Iron Man, but Hyukjae and Donghae have always shared a unique friendship, a special understanding of one another.

Then high school comes. Suddenly Donghae gets rid of the acne on his face and Hyukjae gains some muscles from joining the dance team and they start noticing each other. Really noticing each other. However, they both treasure their friendship too much to risk telling each other that, “hey, although I love reading manga and watching superhero movies with you, lately I’ve also been thinking about what it would be like to kiss you and hold you and