Chapter Text
The entire thing starts because Flux misses a step. Not metaphorically. Literally.
One wrong step near the west stairwell of the dormitory building, the edge of his shoe catching against concrete worn smooth by years of exhausted students, and suddenly his dignity is tumbling downward before the rest of him does.
The sound echoes horribly. A loud, skin-slapping thud followed by several scattered papers flying down the stairs like distressed birds.
For one terrible second, the hallway goes silent. Then laughter. Not loud. Not cruel. Worse. Contained. Suppressed. The kind people try to hide behind coughs and lowered heads.
Flux stays there for exactly three seconds, palm stinging against the cold floor, before sitting upright with the expression of someone moments away from suing the universe itself.
And at the top of the stairs stood a white-haired boy. Saparata. President of the Student Association Government (SGA).
Annoyance incarnate. Watching.
“ Oh, ” Saparata says after a pause, one brow lifting slightly as his golden eyes judged the amethyst eyes silently. “ Vice President down. ”
Flux wants to kill him instantly. Instead, he grabs his scattered papers with the remaining scraps of his pride.
“ Watch your step, president, ” he mutters while passing him. “ Wouldn’t want your ego falling next. ”
Saparata hums. Far too amused. And somehow that’s worse than if he laughed directly.
By evening, the incident should have died naturally. Unfortunately, Saparata owns a twitter account. Unfortunately for Flux, several people follow it. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Saparata finds himself funny.
@Saps03 | Saparata
saw some1 lose a fight against the stairs today, praying for his recovery 🙏🙏
598 Views 21 Retweets 473 Likes
>> @fluxoff_03 | lulu 🔒
OH MY GOD.
“ saw some1 lose a fight against the stairs today, praying for his recovery 🙏🙏 ”
23 Views 1 Retweet 13 Likes
Flux stares at the tweet. Then at the username. Then back at his tweet. His eye twitches.
< Saps (pres 🤷)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
delete your account <<
>> why
you know why <<
>> unfortunately
>> i dont
you lit js posted about me slipping <<
>> did i mention you?
WHO ELSE SLIPPED TODAY???? <<
Flux throws his phone beside him dramatically.
-
>> could be any1
He immediately grabbed his phone back after it buzzed, he had nothing to retort so he just insulted him.
at least i dont run students meetings like a fucking dictator 🖕 <<
>> at least i can walk up the stairs without reenacting a tragic hospital scene
at least people like me <<
>> debatable
atleast i dont look emotionally constipated 24/7 <<
>> what does that even mean
exactly <<
(08:34) Seen
-
The typing bubble appears. Disappears. Appears again.
Flux waits. Another message finally arrives.
>> Saps is typing…
Then nothing. Gone. The bubble disappears completely. Flux blinks.
He waits another few seconds. Still nothing.
“ …Coward, ” he mutters under his breath. Yet his thumb presses against the screen anyway.
No new messages. No sarcastic comeback. No dry insult carefully made to irritate him specifically. Just silence.
---------------------------------------------------------
Five minutes pass. Flux checks again, nothing. Another five minutes, still nothing.
The room feels strangely quiet tonight, the ceiling fan above him spins lazily, chopping the silence into uneven pieces while pale evening light spills weakly through the dorm window.
His phone rests against his chest, cold and useless. Flux clicks his tongue.
Honestly, what kind of insult game is this? Stopping midway through an argument should count as academic misconduct.
He opens Twitter, closes it. Opens Saparata’s profile again, still inactive.
No new posts. No replies. No irritating subtweets.
His thumb hovers over the compose tweet button. He could easily post something. Something annoying enough to drag Saparata back online.
Maybe:
“ pres prob asleep at 8 pm unc stat ”
Or:
“ the sga president loses an argument. historic moment for democracy. ”
His fingers pause above the keyboard, then slowly lower. A strange feeling settles unpleasantly beneath his ribs. Not guilt. Definitely not concern. Just… something. Something irritating.
Flux exhales sharply, tossing the phone beside him before falling backward onto his mattress. The springs creak beneath his weight.
Across the room, Cynikka’s bed sits empty, blankets slightly wrinkled from where she had left earlier that evening. Probably out somewhere, unfortunately living a life.
Meanwhile, Flux remains trapped inside a one-sided argument with a man who probably died in the middle of typing.
How dramatic.
---------------------------------------------------------
Several buildings away, Saparata sits rigidly on the edge of his own dorm bed.
Fuming, actually fuming. Which only worsens his mood further. Because this was supposed to irritate Flux. Not him.
Yet somehow, somewhere between “ emotionally constipated ” and “ exactly, ” the conversation had curved violently off course until now he was the annoyed one.
Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.
Saparata scrolls through Twitter aggressively as if the timeline itself personally offended him.
Across from him, Snowbird glances up from his laptop. “ …You good? ” Saparata doesn’t look away from his phone, “ Vice President is being annoying as usual. ”
Snowbird’s mouth twitches instantly… dangerously close to a laugh. Saparata slowly lifts his eyes, just enough to glare.
Snowbird coughs into his fist and returns to typing, “ Right, ” he says carefully. “ Terrible situation. ”
Saparata narrows his eyes before looking back down at his screen, still no new messages from Flux.
Good. Better, actually. He doesn’t care enough to continue arguing. Not at all. His thumb pauses over the chat anyway, then locks the phone instead.
2 hours later, the dorm door swings open. Cynikka enters looking exhausted, immediately flopping face-first onto her bed with the dramatics of someone returning from a five mile walk.
Flux glances over briefly from his own mattress, “ You alive? ”
“ Mhm. ” Cynikka muffles against the mattress. A pause.
Then:
“ Someone likes you, by the way. ” She says casually, calm even.
Meanwhile, Flux nearly dropped his phone directly onto his face. “ What? ”
Cynikka rolls onto her back, already scrolling through her notifications. “ Someone likes you, surprisingly. ”
Flux sits upright so quickly the bed frame creaks, hes even blushinh.. “ Who? ”
“ No clue. ” She replies, not glancing up her phone.
“ You’re lying. ” He assumes, I mean—if she heard that then she must know who it is!
“ I’m not. ” Cynikka wasn't being energetic right now, so… yeah maybe it was true… HALF. HALF-TRUE!
“ Cynikka.. ” Flux whines, as he was getting too curious.
She snorts softly, “ You went pink instantly though, you need someone to date? ”
“ I did not turn pink instantly, and I’m just that curious. ” He immediately defends himself.
“ You did, and sure, mhm. ”
Flux glares at her, Cynikka ignores him completely.
The room falls quiet again except for the occasional tapping of phone screens and distant muffled laughter echoing from outside the dorm halls. Flux slowly lays back down, his phone rests above his face once more.
Someone likes him, weird… Suspicious, even. His mind drifts unwillingly toward a familiar face. Golden eyes. White hair. Those stupidly beautiful features. Sharp expressions. Annoying posture.
‘ Saparata. ’
Flux stares at the ceiling.
‘ …Yeah. Maybe. Probably. ’
The thought curls strangely warm beneath his embarrassment, I mean..
THE Saps liking him..? No way, his rival of all people too.
He was assuming it was Saps, which he thought was obvious. Hm..
Morning arrived slowly over the campus.
Not in the cinematic way people liked describing in poems and films, where sunlight spilled beautifully through windows and birds sang like they were being paid for it.
No.
It arrived through the pale blue sky outside the lecture hall windows, through the distant sound of chairs dragging against tiled floors somewhere down the corridor, through exhausted students crossing the courtyard with unfinished assignments tucked beneath their arms and coffee clutched like lifelines.
7:39 AM.
Too early for a Tuesday.
Saparata sat somewhere between the front and middle rows of the lecture hall, right where the board remained clear enough for his eyesight without forcing him into the awkward loneliness of the very first row.
The room was still mostly empty.
Only a few students lingered around, quiet silhouettes beneath the cold white lights overhead. Someone near the back yawned loudly before lowering their head onto the desk again.
Saparata rested his cheek against his palm, elbow pressing into the hard wooden surface beneath him while one leg moved idly beneath the chair in slow, absent motions.
The sleeve of his sweater slipped slightly past his wrist as he lifted his other hand, turning it just enough to glance at the silver watch resting there.
7:40.
“ ...Hm. ” He let out a soft hum.
Still early.
He let his arm fall back onto the desk before staring blankly toward the board ahead, eyes tracing over half-erased marker stains and faded equations left behind from yesterday’s lecture.
His thoughts wandered without direction.
Student council documents. Deadlines. The upcoming event Sidefall kept forgetting to finalize and… Flux falling down the stairs yesterday.
His mouth twitched upward before flattening immediately after. Annoying. Actually annoying. Why was that still funny?
---------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, several dorm buildings away, Flux stood in front of the sink brushing his teeth with the expression of someone moments away from forming a terrible idea. Which, admittedly, he was.
The bathroom mirror reflected damp raven hair falling messily around his face, the small purple cowlick near the crown of his head refusing to settle no matter how much water he pressed against it earlier.
His amethyst eyes narrowed slightly.
Toothbrush hanging lazily from the corner of his mouth, he leaned closer toward the mirror as another thought crossed his mind.
‘ So Saps likes me, huh... not exactly shocking. ’
The foam of toothpaste gathered at the edge of his mouth as he tilted his head slightly, considering it. Then another thought followed almost immediately after.
‘ Maybe I should flirt with him a little. ’
‘ Get his delusions up. ’
‘ That’d be funny. ’
The corners of his mouth lifted. Not a kind smile, more the sort people wore before making catastrophically bad decisions for entertainment.
Before he could spiral further into whatever horrible plan he was constructing, loud knocking suddenly echoed through the dorm room door. Flux startled violently enough to almost choke on toothpaste foam.
“ What?! ” he managed through a muffled cough.
“ Get out already, ” Cynikka’s voice called from outside.
“ We’re gonna be late. ” Flux rolled his eyes despite the fact she couldn’t see him. He spat the foam into the sink before rinsing quickly, wiping the remaining water from his mouth with the back of his hand as he reached for the doorknob.
The bathroom door opened with a soft creak, Cynikka stood outside still half-awake, her brown hair unbrushed, holding her phone with the exhausted expression of someone who regretted existing before 8 AM.
Flux walked past her without ceremony, “ You’re not even dressed properly, ” he muttered.
“ And yet, I’m still faster than you. ”
“ Tragic. ” He grabbed his bag from beside the bed before sitting briefly at the edge of the mattress to put his shoes on. The laces tightened neatly beneath his fingers, one loop then another.
Outside the dorm window, morning light stretched faintly across the campus buildings, pale light against concrete walls and glass panes.
Flux stood afterward, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder before pulling the dorm door open. The hallway outside smelled faintly of laundry detergent and burnt coffee and the door shut close from behind him.
By the time Flux arrived at the lecture hall, more students had started filtering inside. Not many, just enough for the room to feel lived in now. Conversations drifted quietly through the air in fragments while chairs scraped softly against the tiled floor.
Saparata noticed him immediately, it happened instinctively. One moment he was staring absentmindedly toward the front board, the next his eyes had already shifted toward the doorway before his thoughts could catch up.
Flux stood there adjusting the sleeve of his jacket slightly, strands of raven hair still faintly damp from his shower. The purple cowlick near the top of his head curled stubbornly downward.
His gaze wandered briefly across the room before landing directly on Saparata, then he smiled. Small, barely there, but still enough to make Saparata narrow his eyes suspiciously.
Flux walked down the aisle casually before stopping beside the empty seat next to him, deliberately. Though Saparata, naturally, remained unaware of that fact.
The chair legs scraped softly against the floor as Flux pulled it back and sat down beside him, out of every available seat in the lecture hall… beside him. Saparata stared ahead for a moment longer.
Then:
“ …Why are you sitting there? ”
Flux leaned back lazily against the chair, “ Can’t I sit wherever I want? ”
“ You usually avoid me like the plague. ”
“ Maybe I’m evolving. ”
“ Horrifying. ”
Flux clicked his tongue before crossing one leg over the other. Though despite his outward composure, his thoughts remained significantly less stable.
‘ Why would my rival like me?.. ’
The thought circled through his head again. Not unpleasantly… just strangely. Because when he really thought about it, Saparata had always looked at him differently from everyone else. Sharply. Attentively. Like every word Flux said deserved either criticism or memorization.
It was irritating. Probably. Maybe.
Flux shifted slightly in his seat before leaning forward, resting both arms atop the desk as he turned his head toward Saparata’s side profile.
Morning light spilled faintly through the nearby windows, catching against pale cream-colored hair and the two small moles resting perfectly beneath his eyes.
Pretty.
That was the first thing people usually called Saparata.
Pretty. Beautiful. Gorgeous.
Never handsome.
Something about him lacked the roughness people usually attached to that word. His features were softer than that. Refined enough to feel almost unfair.
‘ ...He looks kinda attractive. ’
The thought arrived naturally, then immediately struck Flux like a truck afterward.
‘ WAIT. ’
‘ No. ’
‘ Absolutely not, Flux. ’
Heat rushed violently across his face. Flux jerked back slightly, eyes widening at himself as though personally betrayed by his own brain.
No. No, because what the hell was that?
Saparata finally turned toward him just in time to catch the Vice President of the student council looking visibly flustered for reasons completely unknown.
One pale brow lifted slowly, “ …Why do you look like that? ”
Flux straightened immediately, “ Like what? ”
“ Like you saw a ghost. ”
“ I always look like this. ”
“ That’s unfortunate. ”
Flux glared.
Or attempted to.
The remaining redness across his cheeks ruined most of the intimidation, Saparata studied him for another second before lowering his gaze slightly. Then, without warning, he reached out and pressed a finger lightly against Flux’s cheek.
Warm. Very warm.
“ …You’re literally burning, ” Saparata muttered, Flux froze… for exactly one second. Then, his entire face somehow turned even redder.
He grabbed Saparata’s wrist immediately, fingers wrapping around it as he turned sharply toward him with a glare that lacked any genuine hostility beneath it. Their faces ended up closer than intended.
Far closer, close enough for Flux to notice how pale the shorter boy actually was beneath the morning light, close enough to see the faint silver tones hidden within his cream-colored hair, close enough to catch the brief flicker of amusement lingering inside those golden eyes.
Saparata tilted his head slightly. Slowly. Deliberately.
“ …Why are you reacting like this? ” he asked softly, the hint of teasing resting beneath every syllable.
Flux’s grip tightened slightly around his wrist, “ You’re annoying. "
“ And yet you sat beside me. What does that mean then, hm? ”
“ That doesn’t mean anything. ”
“ Mm. ”
The sound barely counted as a response, still it was somehow enough to irritate Flux further. Or perhaps embarrass him more. He wasn’t entirely sure anymore.
The lecture continued on as usual after that. Or at least, the professor certainly tried to continue as usual.
Words filled the room steadily, formulas and explanations written across the board with practiced motions while pages flipped softly beneath restless hands. Pens scratched against paper. Someone near the back stifled a yawn behind their sleeve. Morning sunlight shifted little by little across the tiled floor, pale gold stretching further beneath rows of desks.
And yet, despite all of that, Flux could barely focus on a single sentence being spoken. His cheeks still held traces of warmth from earlier, not obvious enough for everyone to notice immediately. But still there. A faint pink lingering beneath pale skin, subtle enough to disappear unless the light caught him at the right angle. Which, unfortunately for him, Saparata kept doing.
‘ Pfft... as if that actually affected me. ’
Flux rested his chin lazily against his hand, eyes fixed toward the front of the room despite the fact his thoughts had long drifted elsewhere. The professor’s voice blurred gradually into the background, words melting together until they became nothing more than distant noise humming beneath his thoughts.
‘ Fuck, I was supposed to tease him. ’
His brows furrowed slightly.
‘ Flirt, even. ’
‘ And somehow I ended up being the one getting teased instead? ’
‘ How is that even possible?.. ’
The deeper he sank into his thoughts, the less aware he became of the lesson itself. Time passed strangely in classrooms like these, where minutes stretched thin beneath fluorescent lights and the air smelled faintly of paper and dry erase markers. Only when the professor erased half the board and began introducing the next topic did Flux finally blink himself back into reality.
Beside him, Saparata remained seated in the same relaxed position as earlier. One elbow rested atop the wooden desk while his cheek leaned lightly against his palm, pale strands of cream-colored hair falling neatly beside his face. His foot moved idly beneath the table in slow, repetitive motions against the floor.
Tap. Pause. Tap.
Not obvious, most people probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Flux did.
His gaze drifted downward briefly before the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. Dangerously close to a smirk.
‘ Hm. ’
‘ Would it be funny to irritate him this time? ’
The thought came naturally. Effortlessly, like his brain had already accepted Saparata as a source of entertainment.
Flux shifted subtly in his seat before leaning slightly closer toward him, close enough for Saparata to notice immediately. Yellow eyes slid toward him once more, one pale brow lifting in silent suspicion.
‘ Is he gonna get flustered again? ’
Saparata wondered, the thought almost amused him.
‘ Hope so. ’
Then Flux moved his leg. Slowly. Carefully. Until it hooked lightly around Saparata’s beneath the desk. Playful. Challenging. Completely unexpected.
Saparata stiffened almost instantly, just enough for Flux to notice. His brows furrowed slightly as he attempted to pull his trapped leg away with a simple shift of movement beneath the table.
Easy.
Or at least, it should have been easy.
Flux only tightened the hold slightly in response, the smug expression resting across his face made everything significantly worse.
One of his hands supported his cheek lazily while the other remained draped beside him, posture loose and relaxed like he wasn’t currently preventing the SGA President from escaping.
Meanwhile, Saparata used both hands briefly against Flux’s leg beneath the desk, attempting to push it away without drawing attention. The professor continued teaching entirely unaware that the President and Vice President of the student government association were currently engaged in whatever the hell this was.
Their GPA suffered quietly in the background. Though admittedly, both of them possessed the kind of academic arrogance that made them think:
‘ I can study later. ’
Flux leaned closer afterward, not enough to seem suspicious from afar. Just enough for Saparata to notice the warmth of his presence beside him. The scent of shampoo still lingering faintly from his morning shower. The dark strands of raven hair brushing near his forehead.
His voice lowered slightly as he spoke, “ You’re distracted, President. ”
Saparata narrowed his eyes, “ You’re irritating. ”
“ Aw, ” Flux cooed as he tilted his head slightly, amethyst eyes reflecting amusement beneath the classroom lights.
“ I thought you liked me. ” There it was, that sentence. Saparata’s breath caught almost invisibly. Then, against his own will, warmth spread faintly across his cheeks.
A soft blush. Small, but undeniably there.
Flux paused, his eyes widened slightly.
‘ ...Wow. ’
For a second, he completely forgot about the lesson. Forgot about the room. Forgot about literally everything except the fact Saparata had actually gotten flustered.
‘ Should I flirt more?.. ’ The thought arrived instantly.
Only then did Saparata finally shoved his leg away properly with enough force to separate them beneath the desk before turning his attention sharply back toward the board ahead.
Or at least pretending to, his posture straightened slightly.
The faint pink across his cheeks remained visible beneath the classroom lights no matter how much he ignored it. Flux stared at him openly for another moment. Absolutely fascinated.
God. If only he had recorded that.
That alone could have repaid him for yesterday’s staircase incident.
Flux cleared his throat eventually before forcing himself to look toward the front again, though the ghost of amusement still lingered across his face.
Beside him, Saparata had finally calmed down enough to actually listen to the lecture. Or maybe he was only pretending to listen. Honestly, Flux couldn’t tell anymore.
Later that afternoon, Saparata made the mistake of opening Twitter. Which naturally led to another mistake immediately afterward.
@Saps03 | Saparata
certain people get very flustered very easily for someone SOOOOO annoying, then they have the audacity to irritate ME after... beware of them guys... beware..
562 Views 68 Retweets 359 Likes
The tweet remained untouched for approximately forty-seven seconds before Flux appeared.
>> @fluxoff_03 | lulu 🔒
delete ts @Saparata oml why tf do u keep posting shjt tht happens
“ certain people get very flustered very easily for someone SOOOOO annoying, then they have the audacity to irritate ME after... beware of them guys... beware.. ”
27 Views 2 Retweets 18 Likes
>> @sapaa_txt | white blob 🔒
public awareness is important
|
>> @fluxoff_03 | lulu 🔒
you are actually so unbearable
--
Three minutes later, Saparata’s phone buzzed again. Private messages this time.
< Flux (vp 🖕)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> u should shut up 4 sum1 who likes me
what?? 😭💔 <<
wdymmmm?? <<
-
'Huh. Pfft, as if that would fool anyone.' fluc thought
-
>> yk
NO I DONT??? <<
>> thats exactly it
???? <<
(23:47) Seen
Saparata stared at the messages in complete disbelief, then annoyance. Then confusion again.
What did that even mean? He typed a reply. Deleted it, typed another one. Deleted that too.
Meanwhile, somewhere across campus, Flux laughed quietly to himself before tossing his phone onto the bed beside him, irritating Saparata had suddenly become incredibly entertaining.
That night, Saparata laid flat against his bed beneath the darkness of his dorm room, one arm tucked beneath his head while faint city lights filtered weakly through the curtains nearby. Snowbird had already fallen asleep hours ago.
The room remained still aside from the soft hum of the ceiling fan overhead.
Saparata stared blankly toward the ceiling, his thoughts replayed the conversation unwillingly.
‘ u should shut up for sum1 who likes me ’
His brows furrowed faintly.
‘ What does he mean?? Does he think I like him?.. ’
ugh.
He exhaled softly before reaching toward his phone again, immediately opening TikTok in an attempt to distract himself from whatever strange nonsense Flux had planted into his head.
Videos flickered endlessly across the screen afterward, none of them held his attention for very long.
Meanwhile, Flux remained awake too. Arms crossed loosely over his chest, he stared at his phone screen thoughtfully before finally glancing toward Cynikka across the room.
She remained sprawled across her bed scrolling through her own phone peacefully.
“ Do you think it’s Saps who likes me? ”
Cynikka didn’t even look up, “ No. ”
Flux frowned immediately, “ You didn’t even think about it. ”
“ Because no. ”
“ Why not? ”
“ You both act like divorced politicians. ”
Flux clicked his tongue, “ That doesn’t answer my question. ”
“ It literally does. ” She finally glanced toward him briefly afterward, expression somewhere between amused and concerned. “ You two argue like enemies every single day. Nobody sees romance there. ”
Flux’s brows knit together, “ But think about it. ”
“ I am. ”
“ And? ”
“ And absolutely not. ”
Flux stared at her in disbelief, so much disbelief. Because from his perspective, the signs practically glowed in high definition.
The teasing. The staring. The reactions.
How did nobody else see it? He turned back toward his phone eventually, scrolling silently afterward while Cynikka shook her head to herself. Honestly,.. Flux was hopeless.