Red was a champion. That was all there was to it. He was also quiet, kept his eyes narrowed, spoke gasps not words, chewed his nails too much, ate too little, had a history of fainting spells, sported crippling social anxiety, tried to steady his hands when they could not be clasped and revealed his heart to no one.
But he was a champion.
He was alone, he was scared, believed null in himself, found little joy in the air he breathed, allowed his skin to freeze blue, pretended not to miss people far too far away, yelled his weak voice raw, collapsed in a mindless fever, holed himself away, questioned his skin but in his heart—
He was a champion.
He picked himself up again, trained until he could stand on his own, allowed himself to remember and not forget, washed his hair, spoke words of love, reached through the white instead of blending to it, cleaned his badges, licked his wounds and even though it took two years, he finally realized—
He was a champion.
In his heart of hearts- when he rolled his shoulders back and lit crimson aflame with the determination of a God, he supposed he realized it then. When his blood spiked with a passion he couldn't begin to describe, he was sure of it. It took three years after the flame was extinguished did the embers rise.
"Red."
Red, red, red—the colour of blood and fire and anger and heat and destruction but never ending warmth. For a moment, he could feel his old self wonder if he was deserving of such a title.
But when Green spoke it, peeking through the snow with an expression of absolute petrification, Red realized that he deserved it.
Green was warm- a summer day and five years later, his jaw was strong like the mountains and eyes that glistened akin to the timid blades of grass that would reveal themselves in the summer. His arms were solid, tight and toned like legendaries he could only dream of seeing. His lips were chapped and bleeding, the crimson colour filling Red with satisfaction.
His name reminded Red of meadows, vast and shining with memories and unthinkable unknowns.
Red wanted to set that meadow on fire- in a blaze that even such endless secrets could not hide themselves from.
He wanted to set Green on fire until his chest stopped hurting.
"Green."
He was a champion.
