Work Text:
Toey was used to attention—he’d always been everyone’s favorite: sweet, friendly, and endlessly charming. But today, it wasn’t just his smile or his endearing personality that had people stopping him left and right—it was the way he looked.
Clad in their usual uniform, Toey had done something different. He’d rolled up his sleeves to the elbows, his forearms flexing slightly whenever he moved, and—to top it off—he was wearing glasses today. A simple pair, nothing extravagant, but it made him look… cooler. More mature. Handsome, in a way that caught people by surprise.
The morning hadn’t even started properly before their friends noticed.
“Whoa, whoa, wait—what happened to our Toey?” Matt teased as soon as they’d met outside the lecture hall. “Since when did you become this… this guy?” He gestured vaguely at Toey’s rolled sleeves.
“What do you mean?” Toey laughed, adjusting his bag as if nothing was different.
Peem joined in, elbowing Q as they all walked inside. “Admit it, Q, your boyfriend leveled up overnight. Like, seriously. Is this the same Toey who whined about ice cream yesterday?”
Q rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t argue, though. Toey did look good—so good, in fact, it was starting to make Q’s stomach twist in a way he didn’t like.
---
The attention didn’t stop there.
During their break, people from other classes stopped to greet Toey. A few playful comments were thrown his way:
“You look so cool today, Toey!”
“Wait, wait—pose for a photo, just one!”
Toey, ever polite, laughed it off, hands waving dismissively. “What, Hia? You all are being weird, it's just me na.”
But Q was starting to frown. He’d stayed on the sidelines for most of it, quietly observing while pretending to scroll through his phone. When their friends weren’t busy teasing Toey, they were smirking at Q’s obvious sulking.
By the time lunch was over, Q’s patience had worn thin. Instead of hanging out with the group after class, he mumbled something about needing to finish his project and disappeared into the art room.
---
Toey found him an hour later, hunched over his work, furiously sketching while his brows knit together in focus—or frustration. Toey didn’t announce his presence at first; he leaned against the doorway, watching Q’s hands move deftly across the paper.
Q, with his loose shirt and tied-up hair, always looked effortlessly cool when he was drawing. Toey thought it was unfair how his boyfriend didn’t even realize it.
Finally, he stepped in. “You’ve been avoiding me,” Toey said softly.
Q’s pencil paused mid-line. “I’m working,” he replied flatly.
Toey didn’t buy it. He walked up to the desk and pulled out the chair next to Q, sitting down with a thud. “Phi, you’re mad at me.”
“I’m not,” Q muttered, his voice clipped.
“You are." Toey leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You’ve been sulking all day. Is it something I did?”
Q didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let out a long sigh and dropped the pencil. “It’s nothing. You wouldn’t get it.”
Toey tilted his head. “Try me.”
Q hesitated, but Toey’s expectant gaze was too much. Finally, he muttered under his breath, “I didn’t like how everyone was… looking at you today.”
Toey blinked, a small smile tugging at his lips. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” Q sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “They kept saying how good you looked. Some random guy even asked for a picture. And you—” he gestured vaguely, “—you just let them.”
Toey was silent for a moment, and Q immediately regretted saying anything. But then Toey broke into a soft laugh, reaching across the table to poke Q’s arm. “Phi Q… are you jealous?”
Q flushed, cheeks turning pink as he looked away. “No.”
Toey grinned wider. “You are.”
“Am not.”
Toey pushed his chair closer, the screeching sound making Q glare at him. But before Q could protest further, Toey leaned in, resting his chin on Q’s shoulder.
“You know I only care about what you think, right?” Toey said softly, the teasing tone from earlier gone. “It’s just my uniform na, P'Q. I wear this everyday."
Q glanced at him, the heat in his cheeks refusing to fade. “Well… you don’t look normal. You look…” He trailed off, refusing to finish the sentence.
“I look what?” Toey teased, nudging him gently.
“Never mind.”
Toey laughed again, this time more tender than amused. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“I said I’m not—”
“Fine, fine.” Toey raised his hands in surrender before standing up and moving behind Q’s chair. He rested his hands gently on Q’s shoulders and squeezed lightly, making Q pause. “Let me stay here, okay? I’ll be quiet. I just want to watch you draw.”
Q sighed, though the small smile on his lips betrayed his stubborn front. “Suit yourself.”
Toey leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Q’s temple. “Don’t worry, Phi. I’m all yours.”
Q didn’t reply, but as he picked up his pencil again, the corners of his mouth curled just slightly.
If Toey noticed the faint blush still lingering on Q’s face, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he kept his word, sitting quietly across the table, watching Q work like he was the only person in the world.
---
The art room was quiet, save for the faint scratching of a pencil and the distant hum of the cicadas outside. Q had been busy for hours, immersed in the details of his canvas, sleeves rolled up past his elbows, hair tied in that familiar loose knot at the top of his head.
Toey watched silently, sitting idly on the desk with his legs swinging slightly. He’d been meaning to help clean up, maybe offer to grab something to drink, but every time he tried to look away from Q, his gaze was drawn back.
“You’re staring again,” Q said softly, not looking up as he swept the last strokes onto his work. The corners of his lips twitched slightly, as if he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the attention.
Toey tilted his head, smiling faintly. “Can’t help it, phi. You’re too good to look at.”
Q paused. His fingers stilled against the palette as warmth flooded his cheeks, though he tried not to show it. “Stop distracting me. I’m almost done.”
“Take your time,” Toey said, resting his chin on his palm. I could watch you forever, he thought, but didn’t say it aloud.
---
By the time Q decided to call it a day, the sky had melted into soft purples and blues. He wiped his hands against an old cloth and began shuffling his scattered supplies into his bag, careful and methodical. Toey stayed close, watching him, though the look in his eyes had shifted—there was something unreadable about it, like he was waiting for the perfect moment.
“We can go now,” Q said, not quite meeting Toey’s gaze.
Toey didn’t reply.
Instead, he stepped closer, quiet and deliberate. Before Q could realize what was happening, Toey’s arms slid around his waist from behind, pulling him into a gentle back hug. Q froze, his heart skipping a beat as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Toey? What are you doing?” Q asked softly, though his voice betrayed more confusion than irritation.
Toey didn’t answer right away. He tilted his head slightly, resting his cheek against Q’s shoulder. “You work too hard, Phi,” he murmured, his voice low and warm, seeping through Q’s defenses like a summer breeze.
Q’s hands faltered, dropping the pencil he’d been holding onto the desk. “W-We need to finish packing,” he muttered, though the words came out far less convincing than he’d hoped.
Toey didn’t let go. Instead, he straightened, spun Q gently in his arms until they were face-to-face, the table pressing lightly against Q’s back. Q blinked up at him, his lips parting slightly as he tried to form words, but nothing came out. The look in Toey’s eyes was soft but intent, and it rendered Q breathless.
“Toey—” Q began, but Toey leaned in, slow and deliberate, crowding Q’s space until Q instinctively leaned back. His hands gripped the edge of the table behind him as Toey caged him in, palms braced on either side of him.
The air grew thick, charged with something Q couldn’t name. His heart raced beneath his ribs, and his breath hitched when Toey’s face hovered close enough for him to feel the faint warmth of it.
“Toey…” Q’s voice was a soft warning, but there was no heat behind it—only anticipation and flustered uncertainty.
Toey’s gaze dropped briefly to Q’s lips before he closed the distance, capturing them in a kiss that stole the breath right out of Q’s lungs. It wasn’t hurried or frantic—it was slow, deep, and devastatingly intentional. Toey kissed him like he had all the time in the world, tilting his head to deepen it as his hands moved from the table to Q’s waist, pulling him closer.
Q shivered under Toey’s touch, his knees going weak as heat spread through his entire body. Without realizing it, his hands reached up to clutch at the sleeves of Toey’s uniform, his fingers curling tightly in the fabric as if afraid of letting go. The kiss made his heart flutter wildly, the sensation dizzying and grounding all at once. He felt warm and weightless, as though Toey’s touch had set him adrift.
"Ai'Toey..." Q could only murmur against his boyfriend's lips, letting himself be kissed.
When Toey pulled back slightly, Q’s breath came in short, shaky exhales. His face was flushed, his eyes glassy as he struggled to regain his bearings. Toey didn’t move far, though—he rested his forehead lightly against Q’s, their noses brushing.
“Phi…” Toey said softly, his voice tinged with teasing affection, “you’re so red.”
Q blinked up at him, dazed, before realizing what Toey had said. He turned his head sharply to the side, his hands dropping from Toey’s sleeves to hide his face. “I’m not.”
“You are,” Toey replied, grinning, though his voice stayed soft. He shifted, pressing a lingering kiss to Q’s temple before murmuring near his ear, “It’s cute.”
Q swallowed hard, his heart still hammering, unable to come up with a retort that didn’t betray just how flustered he felt. Toey leaned back just enough to look at him, his grin gentling into something tender as he brushed his thumb against Q’s cheek.
“Let’s go home, okay?” Toey said quietly.
Q didn’t trust himself to look Toey in the eyes, so he nodded, his face still warm as he picked up his bag. Toey grabbed it from him before slinging it over his own shoulder, earning a soft protest from Q that was quickly ignored.
As they left the art room, Q muttered something about Toey being “impossible,” but the faint smile tugging at his lips gave him away. Toey simply reached down and took his hand, intertwining their fingers with a quiet finality that left Q’s heart racing all over again.
Q might’ve been flustered, but he wouldn’t trade this feeling—or his annoyingly perfect boyfriend—for anything.