The night they stopped pretending.
The walk back to the dorms was quiet, but quiet wasn't the right word. It was heavy, thick with all the unspoken things. Every step Fah took was like walking through wet cement, his mind keeping coming back to the same thing—Tawan's words.
Maybe it's because I like being where you are.
Fah's ears burned at the recollection. His heart thumped too rapidly for his chest to hold. He risked a glance at Tawan, who lagged one step back, fists buried in his pockets, but his sharp eyes stayed locked on Fah as if he could see through him.
When they reached the corner where their paths usually split—engineering dorms to the left, medical dorms to the right—Fah slowed to a stop.
"This is me," he muttered.
"Mm," Tawan replied. He didn't move. Didn't turn away.
Fah frowned. "Your dorm's the other way."
"I know." Tawan's voice was low, deliberate. "But I'm not ready to leave."
The words shocked Fah's body. He turned a full circle, and for a moment they just stared at each other in the dim light of a street lamp.
"Why?" Fah asked. The word sounded more desperate than he intended.
Tawan stepped forward, so their toes nearly touched. His gaze never wavered, blazing. "Because if I leave now, I'll keep on pretending. And I'm tired of pretending.".
Fah's breathing was halted. The world at the periphery faded away, leaving only Tawan in sharp focus.
"I like you, Fah." Tawan said it flat out, no joke, no grin—just plain honesty, barefaced. "I like the way you face problems head-on. I like the way you argue with me even when you're wrong. I like the way you never give in, even if the result is going to be a mess. I like you. And I don't want to continue pretending that there's just rivalry or chance."
Fah's heart was pounding so hard, he was sure it would burst. He'd open his lips, close them again. He'd handled broken machines, all-nighters, impossible deadlines—but this? This scared him in the best way.
"You're ridiculous," Fah gasped.
"Perhaps." Tawan's mouth curved, but it wasn't his usual cocky grin. It was softer. Softer. "But you still like me too. Don't you?"
Fah swallowed, his throat parched. All his denials rehearsed fell apart. The truth spilled out before he could grab it.
".Yeah." His tone was low, but resolute. "Yeah, I do."
For half a second, there was silence between them. Then Tawan spanned it, hands on Fah's collar and yanking him in. The kiss came sloppy at first, a collision of lips, all repressed hatred and months of frustration unleashed. Fah braced himself, then melted, his own hands on Tawan's shoulders, pulling him in like gravity had triumphed.
The world tilted. Heat pooled in his chest, spreading outward until every nerve buzzed. Tawan tasted faintly of coffee and something sharper—something purely him. When they broke apart, both breathless, Fah barely had time to inhale before Tawan kissed him again, slower this time, more deliberate.
"God," Fah muttered against his lips, "you're insufferable."
"And you're addicted already," Tawan shot back, his smirk returning between kisses.
Fah did not even attempt to deny it. He dragged Tawan to the rear door of the engineering dorm, partially hidden from view. There, against the cold wall, where no one could see, they kissed again. Twice more. Again and again and again.
It wasn't perfect—teeth clashed, laughter interrupted, and Fah muttered under his breath when Tawan's fingers brushed over a sensitive spot on his waist—but it was real. Wild. Every kiss shouted louder than their words: I want you. Always have, I think.
By the time they finally parted, foreheads touching, both of them grinning like idiots.
"So." Tawan breathed. "Still hate me?"
Fah laughed, gasping. "Yeah. Hate you a lot.".
Tawan's answering smile was devastating. "Good. Means I'll never get bored."
And then he kissed him again.