When coffee stains turn into inside jokes, chaos feels a lot like love.
The next morning, Fah walked into the engineering lab, expecting the usual hum of computers, whirring machines, and the low buzz of students muttering over formulas. Instead, he found a familiar presence already waiting for him at the front bench.
Tawan.
"Morning," Tawan greeted, casually flipping open his notebook. His smirk was present but softer this time, lacking the usual sharp edge.
Fah froze, muttering under his breath, "Great… he's early. Why is he always early?"
"You talk to yourself again, or is that just your version of 'good morning'?" Tawan teased.
Fah rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. "Neither. I'm… calculating the probability of running into you again today."
Tawan raised an eyebrow, leaning over his lab station. "High probability, judging by your expression. You seem… pleased about it."
"I'm… focused," Fah muttered, though the blush creeping up his neck betrayed him.
The morning passed in a blend of concentration and quiet, subtle teasing. They worked side by side on a project about robotics arms, occasionally brushing hands over tools or papers. Each touch sent a little spark through Fah, but neither acted too overtly—they were engineers, after all; subtlety was key.
During lunch, Fah and Tawan found themselves sharing a bench under a giant banyan tree in the courtyard. Fah had brought two sandwiches, and Tawan had—predictably—forgotten his.
"Of course you forgot," Fah said, tearing his sandwich in half. "Some things never change."
Tawan took the offered half without protest. "You're spoiling me, engineer. Are you sure this isn't some trick?"
Fah shook his head, grinning. "No tricks. Just… I don't know. Thought I'd make your day a little easier."
Tawan's dark eyes softened for a moment, the teasing replaced by something gentle. "You always know how to get under my skin, don't you?"
Before Fah could respond, a rogue soccer ball from the nearby field came flying toward them, knocking Tawan's tablet off the bench and into the grass.
"Watch it!" Tawan exclaimed, scrambling to retrieve it, now covered in mud.
Fah couldn't help laughing, even as Tawan glared, though the glare didn't hide the faint flush in his cheeks. "See? Chaos finds you even outside the cafeteria."
Tawan huffed, handing the mud-smeared tablet back. "I swear, engineer… this is your fault somehow."
"Maybe," Fah said, nudging him lightly. "Or maybe it's fate keeping us together."
Tawan paused, then smirked, shaking his head. "Cheesy. But… I think I kind of like it."
Fah's grin widened, and for a few minutes, the world shrank to just them—sandwiches, laughter, and minor disasters that somehow made the day brighter.
By the time class resumed, Fah realized he didn't want to think about what could go wrong. He only wanted to enjoy the little moments—because with Tawan, even small obstacles felt like an excuse to get closer.