Chapter Text
Mork had been in love with Pi Pattawee for exactly three minutes when he realized he was in serious trouble.
Because honestly, how was he supposed to recover from this?
Pi was standing across the dentistry cafeteria arguing with Duean with an amount of outrage completely disproportionate to the situation.
“I’m saying that using my electric toothbrush is still disgusting even if we change the brush head!”
Duean kept eating calmly.
“We share DNA.”
“That doesn’t eliminate bacteria!”
Pi looked ridiculous.
His glasses were slightly crooked.
His uniform was wrinkled.
His hair was messy, like he’d fallen asleep on top of a book again.
And on top of all that—there was a streak of toothpaste stuck to his cheek.
Mork felt something dangerous tighten in his chest.
Because Pi had no idea.
No idea what he looked like when he was upset.
No idea how he moved his hands when he argued.
No idea how he bit off his words when he talked too fast.
No idea that Mork had been watching him for weeks.
Not in a weird way.
Well.
Maybe a little weird.
“You’re staring again,” Nan said from beside him.
Mork didn’t look away.
“Mmm.”
Nan followed his gaze and immediately smiled.
“Oh. The dentistry guy.”
“He has a name.”
“That was fast.”
Mork finally smiled a little.
Yeah.
It had been fast.
Too fast, probably.
But it wasn’t his fault Pi was so… Mork didn’t even know how to describe him.
Pi wasn’t the kind of person who usually drew attention.
He didn’t walk into a room and make everyone turn to look at him.
He wasn’t obviously charming.
He wasn’t socially smooth.
Pi was awkward.
He got nervous easily.
He frowned when he studied.
He looked suspicious of anyone who was nice to him.
And still, Mork couldn’t stop looking at him.
Especially when he did things like this.
“You’re blushing again,” Duean said.
Pi nearly jumped out of his chair.
“Shut up!”
Nan let out a soft laugh.
“He’s cute.”
Mork immediately looked at him.
Nan raised both hands.
“Relax. I’m not trying to steal him.”
“You can’t steal something that isn’t mine.”
Nan arched an eyebrow.
“Yet.”
Mork looked back at Pi.
Yet.
Yeah.
That was exactly the problem.
Because Pi clearly had no idea.
And Mork had no idea how to make him understand without scaring him.
Every time he tried to get closer, Pi reacted like a stray cat being offered affection for the first time in its life.
He ran…immediately.
And still, Mork kept trying.
Because it was already too late not to.
“I’m going to say hi,” he said, standing up.
Nan smiled like someone watching a car crash about to happen.
“Good luck.”
Mork ignored him and crossed the cafeteria.
As he got closer, he could hear Pi arguing with Duean.
“I’m not looking at him!”
“Then stop staring at him like a documentary victim.”
Pi opened his mouth to reply, and right then he looked up.
And there it was.
The exact moment he saw Mork walking toward him.
Mork already knew that expression perfectly: first surprise, then panic, then offended confusion.
It was adorable.
“Hey,” Mork said.
Pi looked at him like an evil spirit had just appeared.
“What do you want?”
Duean made a dramatic noise.
“Can you act like a civilized person for five minutes?”
Mork had to hold back a smile.
Pi looked even more nervous up close.
And yeah. He definitely had toothpaste on his face.
Mork decided that would probably kill him someday.
“I came to give this back to you.”
He pulled out the mechanical pencil Pi had left in the library the night before.
Pi recognized it immediately.
“Where did you find that?”
“You left it on the table.”
Pi frowned.
“How do you know it’s mine?”
Mork lifted the pencil slightly.
“Because you chew on this when you study.”
Silence.
Pi blinked.
Duean slowly turned his head toward both of them with growing suspicion.
Mork saw the exact second Pi realized the implication behind that observation.
His ears turned red first.
Then his cheeks.
Mork wanted to take a mental picture.
“That’s weird,” Pi muttered.
“You’re weird.”
Pi opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Mork had to look away for a second to stop himself from laughing.
Because seriously.
How could someone be that cute without even trying?
Pi still clearly expected Mork to say it was all a joke.
That he was teasing him.
Or winning a bet.
Or being cruel in some sophisticated way.
Mork was already starting to hate that.
Not Pi—the way Pi saw himself.
“Well,” Pi said finally. “Thanks for returning it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mork didn’t move.
Pi immediately tensed again.
Yeah, definitely a stray cat.
“Do you need anything else?” Pi asked.
Yes, Mork thought.
Your number.
Your time.
For you to look at me the way you look at your favorite books.
For you to stop looking surprised every time someone treats you like a human being.
But instead of saying any of that, he pointed at Pi’s cheek.
“You’ve got toothpaste right here.”
Pi froze completely.
Duean started laughing so hard he hit the table.
“NO WAY!”
Pi nearly fell over trying to wipe it off.
“HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN THERE?!”
“A while,” Mork answered.
“AND NOBODY TOLD ME?!”
Duean could barely breathe from laughing.
Mork had wanted to tell him earlier.
Really.
But Pi had been talking too fast and moving his hands too much and—Well.
Mork had gotten distracted watching him.
Pi started shoving his things into his bag frantically.
He clearly wanted to die.
“I’m leaving.”
“To class?” Duean asked.
“To live under a rock.”
And then he practically fled the cafeteria.
Mork watched him go.
Crooked glasses.
Half-open backpack.
Still embarrassed.
And he felt that warm, dangerous pressure inside his chest again.
Nan appeared beside him.
“You’re smiling to yourself.”
Mork didn’t even try to deny it.
“Mmm.”
“You like him a lot.”
Mork watched Pi disappear at the end of the hallway.
And smiled a little more.
Yeah.
A lot was an understatement.