Chapter Text
Teetee had always hated Thursdays because they seemed to collect every inconvenience the universe could think of and stack them neatly into a single day.
This Thursday, however, appeared determined to outdo itself.
First, his alarm hadn't gone off and second, his laptop had frozen halfway through exporting a project he'd spent three nights working on.
The professor overseeing his studio module had spent fifteen uninterrupted minutes explaining why his concept lacked "emotion."
And to make matters worse, the rain that had threatened all morning finally arrived just as he stepped out of the design building.
Without an umbrella.
Of course.
By four in the afternoon, Teetee found himself sitting alone beneath the covered walkway connecting the arts complex to the library, damp at the edges and exhausted in a way sleep couldn't fix.
Students passed by in clusters.
Laughing.
Talking.
Rushing toward their next classes.
No one paid him much attention.
Which was fine.
He didn't particularly want company.
He just wanted the day to end.
The sketchbook resting on his lap remained untouched.
For the first time in months, he couldn't bring himself to draw.
The criticism from that morning kept replaying in his head.
Teetee let his head fall back against the cool concrete pillar behind him and closed his eyes.
Just for a minute.
Just until the knot in his chest loosened.
"Hey."
His eyes opened.
A pair of sneakers stopped in front of him.
Then a voice.
Warm.
Easy.
The kind of voice that sounded like sunlight filtering through curtains.
"You look like you're either plotting a murder or having the worst day of your life."
Teetee blinked.
A boy stood there holding two canned coffees.
One already open.
One still sealed.
Dark hair.
Bright eyes.
The sort of smile people trusted immediately.
Teetee had seen him around campus before.
Not often.
Just enough to recognize him.
Business faculty, maybe.
Or marketing.
Something that involved talking to people.
A lot.
"You always approach strangers like this?" Teetee asked.
The boy tilted his head.
"Only the ones who look one inconvenience away from becoming supervillains."
Against his will, Teetee laughed.
A small sound.
Barely there.
But it escaped anyway.
The stranger immediately pointed at him.
"There you go."
"What?"
"The laugh is the proof that you're not actually planning murder."
"You don't know that."
"Good point."
The boy crouched down slightly and held out the unopened coffee.
"A peace offering."
Teetee stared at it.
Then at him.
Then back at the coffee.
"You don't even know me."
"True."
The smile softened.
"But you looked like you needed one."
For some reason, that was what nearly undid him.
Not the coffee.
Not the joke.
The fact that someone had noticed and stopped.
The fact that somebody had looked at him and seen that today was hard.
Teetee swallowed.
Hard.
Then reached forward and accepted the can.
"Thanks."
The boy grinned.
"No problem."
For Por, he would completely forget about the exhausted art student he'd shared coffee with in a few hours..
But Teetee would never forget this interaction.
By Friday evening, Por's attention had shifted to a far more immediate threat.
"Absolutely not."
Across the table, Auau looked offended.
"You haven't even heard the proposal."
"I know the proposal."
"You don't."
"You're trying to get me to attend the masquerade."
"See? You heard it."
"I don't want to go."
The annual university masquerade had achieved near mythical status among students.
Tickets sold out every year.
People spent weeks planning outfits. Entire friend groups treated it like the social event of the semester.
Por had successfully avoided it since first year.
He intended to continue that tradition.
Auau leaned forward.
"You're coming."
"No."
"You already bought the ticket."
"Because you bought the ticket."
"Exactly."
Por pointed accusingly.
"That's not a point in your favour."
"It absolutely is."
"It feels illegal."
Auau looked delighted.
"It wasn't illegal."
"The fact that you have to clarify that is concerning."
Around them, the café buzzed with Friday evening energy.
Students crowded tables.
Music drifted through hidden speakers.
Outside, the setting sun painted everything gold.
"You need to leave your dorm occasionally," Auau declared.
"I leave my dorm."
"You go to class."
"That counts."
"It does not."
Por opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again but nothing came out.
Because unfortunately, Auau had a point.
A devastating point.
The correct kind.
Auau immediately noticed.
"Oh my god."
"Don't."
"You're considering it."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Por groaned and dropped his head onto the table.
Auau's triumphant laughter echoed throughout the café.
And somewhere across campus, completely unaware of the role fate was preparing him for, Teetee was sketching invitation designs for a masquerade ball he wasn't even sure he wanted to attend.