Chapter Text
Tai was sat up from his bed, phone in hand, eyes wide, staring at the most confusing message of his life.
Rejoice 🌻
Go on a date w me?
Rejoice.
Tai groaned and dragged a pillow over his face.
He hated that guy.
Genuinely.
At least, that was what he told everyone.
Rejoice spent half his life bothering him at school. If Tai was trying to study, Rejoice would appear out of nowhere and start talking. If Tai was eating lunch peacefully, Rejoice would somehow find his table and invite himself over. If Tai was walking to class, Rejoice would fall into step beside him and spend the entire journey saying the dumbest things imaginable just to get a reaction.
The worst part was that he never seemed to run out of energy.
Every day it was something new.
Stealing Tai’s pens.
Poking his shoulder from behind and pretending it wasn’t him.
Leaning over his desk to “borrow” notes he already had.
Sending him random messages at two in the morning.
Somehow always showing up wherever Tai happened to be.
It was exhausting, infuriating and absolutely unbearable.
And yet, whenever Rejoice wasn’t around, school felt strangely quiet.
Tai hated that too.
Because despite how much Rejoice annoyed him, despite how often he rollegd his eyes whenever he saw him coming, despite how many times he told people he couldn’t stand him…
Tai had somehow developed a crush on him.
A massive one.
Which was honestly humiliating.
His friends would never let him live it down if they found out.
Tai buried his face deeper into his pillow.
Rejoice was irritating. Loud. Overconfident. Way too comfortable invading his personal space. Way too good at making Tai lose his train of thought.
And somehow, despite all of that, Tai still found himself looking for him in crowded hallways.
Still noticed when he wasn’t around.
Still remembered little things about him without meaning to.
It was embarrassing.
His phone buzzed again.
Tai pulled the pillow off his face and glanced at the screen.
Rejoice
Immediately, his stomach did something stupid.
He opened the message.
Rejoice🌻
u awake
Tai stared at it for a moment before typing
Tai
obviously
Then, almost immediately
Rejoice🌻
then answer my question
if u say no im moving countries
His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
He typed a response. Too long.
Deleted it.
Typed another. Too desperate.
Deleted that too.
His heart was pounding so loudly whoever walking by his room could probably hear it.
Tai
are u serious
The blue text box appeared almost instantly.
Rejoice🌻
yea?
Warmth started rushing up his neck, colouring his face a crimson red.
He buried his face into his pillow.
This could not be real.
His phone buzzed again.
Rejoice🌻
yea?
Tai stared at the message longer than he should have, overthinking way too much about his reply.
Then finally managed to:
Tai
okay
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then:
Rejoice🌻
okay???
Tai could practically hear the panic in that message.
His cheeks felt hotter.
Tai
okay yes
The typing bubble appeared instantly.
Rejoice🌻
holy shit
Tai just smiled at his screen, the back of his palm reaching up to block his face as if Rejoice could see him through the screen.
The nervous energy that had filled his chest a moment ago softened into something warmer, gentler.
Something that felt suspiciously like happiness.
After a few more messages, the conversation finally died down.
One last text appeared.
Rejoice🌻
goodnight tai
Tai stared at it.
It was just a simple message.
But it meant way more than that to Tai.
He smiled at his screen one last time, fingers moving across the keyboard in a swift,practiced motion.
Tai
goodnight rejoice
The second he sent it, he tossed his phone onto the bed and buried his face into his pillow, practically squirming into it as his cheeks somehow flushed even hotter than it did before.
He turned over on to his back, staring up at the ceiling, just the thought of a date with Rejoice was enough to make his mind short-circuit.
It was only then the realisation really settled down on him.
Holy fucking shit.
He was going on a date.
With none other than Rejoice.
He forced his eyes shut, feigning sleep, instead thinking about the date.
He didn’t even know what he was going to wear.
Whatever, that will be a tomorrow Tai problem, right now, Tai needs the sufficient amount of sleep to mentally prepare himself for his day tomorrow.
Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, mind only on one person, Rejoice.
⸻
Tai was woken up to his ringtone blasting loudly in his ears.
The melody pleasing but way too loud and energetic this early in the morning,
Tai flipped his phone over and froze upon seeing the contact name.
Rejoice 🌻 calling
Tai’s thumb hovered over the decline button.
He was half awake, drowsy and didn’t even know what to say if he were to pick up.
He did anyway.
“What?” Tai muttered out, voice rough from sleep.
“Good morning to you too.” Tai could practically hear Rejoice grinning.
“What do you want?”
“Your address.”
Tai blinked.
“My address?”
“Yes.”
“…Why?” Tai said hesitantly.
“Because I’m picking you up.” Rejoice replied easily.
“Oh.”
“Oh,” Rejoice mocked.
“Shut up.”
“Just give me your address bro.”
He gave Rejoice the address, listening as he repeated it back to make sure he got it right.
When the conversation should have ended, neither of them hung up.
Tai just sat in his bed,phone up to his ear, listening to the others heavy breathing.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
If anything, it felt strangely comfortable.
Like neither of them particularly wanted the conversation to end.
Finally, Tai broke the silence.
“You could’ve just texted me all this.” Tai murmured.
For a moment there was silence again.
Then Rejoice laughed softly.
“Maybe I just wanted to hear your voice.”
Tai froze.
His brain melted into sludge right there.
The worst part was how casual Rejoice sounded saying it.
Tai pressed a hand against his forehead.
“You are so unbelievably cheesy.”
“You like it.” Rejoice accused.
“No, I don’t.” Tai said, completely taken aback.
“You definitely do.”
Tai could hear the smirk in his voice.
He hated how much he was looking forward to seeing that idiot.
He hated even more that he was self aware.
⸻
Getting ready was the most stressful experience he’d ever had.
He has had math exams easier than this.
Tai had spent almost an hour standing in front of his closet.
Every outfit he’d ever owned suddenly seemed unfit.
Everything was either too much or too less, nothing in the middle.
He wanted to look good.
Not because he was trying to impress Rejoice.
Okay.
Maybe a little because he was trying to impress Rejoice.
Eventually he settled on a white graphic tee and black jeans.
Simple.
Comfortable.
Something he actually wore regularly.
But even after choosing, he kept second-guessing himself.
Was the shirt too plain?
Should he switch the jeans?
Should he do his hair?
Did he look like he was trying too hard?
Did he look like he wasn’t trying enough?
By the time he reached the cologne section of his dresser, he felt like he was losing his mind.
He picked one up. Too manly.
Put it down.
Picked another. Too much.
Put that one down too.
For some reason, the idea of Rejoice standing close enough to notice how he smelled made his entire face warm.
Eventually he chose one and forced himself to stop overthinking.
If he kept going, he’d never leave the house.
⸻
When the doorbell finally rang, Tai’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
He checked his reflection one final time.
Adjusted his hair.
Then immediately adjusted it again.
Only after convincing himself he looked normal did he head downstairs.
The second he opened the door, his brain stopped working.
Rejoice looked unfairly good.
Light blue jeans.
A plain white t-shirt.
A yellow cardigan that somehow made his eyes look even brighter.
His blond hair was slightly messy, like he had run his hands through it on the drive over.
Nothing about the outfit was particularly fancy.
That was what made it worse.
He looked effortless.
Meanwhile Tai had spent half an hour deciding between two nearly identical shirts.
Rejoice’s eyes immediately landed on him.
And stayed there.
Tai suddenly became very aware of himself.
Very aware of how he dressed.
His hair.
Everything.
A slow smile appeared on Rejoice’s face.
“Wow.”
Tai narrowed his eyes immediately.
“What?”
Rejoice looked him up and down once.
Then again.
A little slower.
Tai’s heart nearly exploded.
“You clean up nice.”
Tai immediately wanted the ground to swallow him whole right then and there.
“Shut up.”
The smile on Rejoice’s face only widened.
And somehow that made Tai’s chest feel warm.
Not embarrassed.
Not uncomfortable.
He didn’t know what it was.
Rather he didn’t want to name it.
Seeing Rejoice always brightened up his day.
Even if it was bothering him at school.
Even if it was teasing him until his brain melted into sludge.
It was a dangerous realization.
One Tai absolutely refused to think about.