Work Text:
Boston looked different in October.
The city seemed softer somehow. The brick buildings around campus were covered in ivy turning red and gold, the sidewalks scattered with dry leaves, and the air carried that particular cold that made everyone pull their coats tighter around themselves.
Halloween was everywhere. Pumpkins sat on apartment steps. Fake cobwebs hung from balconies. Someone had even decorated one of the lecture halls with plastic skeletons.
Tle hated Halloween.
He hated crowded parties, cheap costumes, overly sweet drinks, and people who suddenly decided Halloween was an excuse to become someone they weren't.
Most of all, he hated the fact that he was standing in front of a mirror at ten thirty on a Saturday night, adjusting a pair of black devil horns on his head.
“You look miserable.”
Tle glanced at his roommate through the mirror.
“I am miserable.”
“You've been invited to this party three times.”
“I've rejected it three times.”
“And yet you're going.”
Tle looked down at himself.
Black shirt. Black trousers. A dark red tie he hadn't bothered fixing properly. The horns he got from a cheap Halloween section at Walmart were the only thing that made the costume obvious.
“What can I say?” he muttered. “I'm easily pressured.”
Tle didn't tell him the real reason.
He was going because FirstOne would be there.
Which was pathetic.
Completely pathetic.
Tle was twenty-two. Old enough to know better. Old enough to understand that going to a Halloween party just because one person might be there was embarrassing.
Unfortunately, knowing that had never stopped him from doing it.
They had been in the same major for almost two years. They had shared lectures, group projects, late-night study sessions, library tables, and more arguments than either of them could count.
Tle had never considered them friends.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
FirstOne was annoying.
Too cheerful when Tle wanted silence. Too playful during lectures. Too good at getting professors to laugh at his jokes. And somehow, despite being one of the smartest students in their major, he always seemed to have time to bother Tle.
They had met during their first semester.
FirstOne had walked into class late, apologized to the professor with an easy smile, and taken the only empty seat beside Tle. Then he'd leaned over and whispered,
“Do you have a pen?”
Without answering the question, he handed him one.
FirstOne had never returned it.
Three semesters later, Tle was still waiting. Small things like a pen shouldn't have mattered to him. But somehow, everything FirstOne did mattered.
Especially tonight.
Because Tle had heard that FirstOne was dressing as an angel. And apparently, his brain had decided that was information worth remembering. Which was ridiculous. He didn't even look like someone who needed a costume to be an angel. That was Tle’s thought.
He already had the face for it.
That was the problem.
FirstOne had always been unfairly pretty. Soft, rounded cheeks that made him look almost harmless. A small, delicate nose. Huge, round eyes that could make him look innocent when he wanted to. And lips that were just a little too soft-looking for Tle's peace of mind.
People tended to underestimate him because of it.
Tle didn't.
FirstOne could be mean.
Not cruel.
Just mean enough to be irritating.
He knew exactly which buttons to push and seemed to enjoy pressing every single one.
And Tle—
Tle had been staring at him for almost two years.
He just hadn't been brave enough to call it what it was.
The party was already crowded when Tle arrived. It was being held at an old house just off campus, the kind of place that looked beautiful during the day and vaguely haunted at night, with orange lights hanging from the porch, fake spiderwebs covering the windows, and music loud enough to shake the walls.
The moment he stepped inside, warm air and the smell of alcohol hit him all at once. Someone handed him a drink, and he accepted it without much thought. Twenty minutes later, another somehow found its way into his hand, though he couldn't remember asking for it.
He told himself he would only stay for an hour, maybe two at most, before heading home. It seemed like a simple enough plan until he looked across the room and saw—
FirstOne.
Tle stopped walking. For a moment, everything else around him seemed to fade into the background.
FirstOne was wearing white. A simple white shirt tucked into pale trousers, with a pair of white wings strapped to his back and a crooked golden halo hovering above his head.
It should have looked ridiculous.
Instead, it looked unfair.
His soft features made the costume almost painfully convincing. His cheeks were round and naturally flushed from the heat of the party, his small nose barely visible beneath the warm lights, and his lips looked even softer than usual.
But his eyes—
Those huge, round eyes were scanning the room.
Until they found Tle.
Their eyes met.
FirstOne smiled, but it wasn't the polite smile he gave professors or the bright, effortless one he showed everyone else. It was smaller, softer, almost knowing, and Tle hated how quickly he recognized the difference. That smile was for him.
Knowing.
Like he'd been looking for him too.
Tle's stomach dropped when FirstOne raised his drink slightly, almost like a private toast meant just for him. Tle stared for a second too long before finally looking away, pretending his face wasn't already getting warm.
Idiot.
He took another drink, trying to ignore the feeling of FirstOne's gaze still lingering on him from across the room. Tle refused to look back, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd noticed. He lasted approximately thirty seconds before his curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself looking back.
FirstOne was still watching.
Tle immediately looked away again. How was he supposed to stare back? Those eyes would have all the devils in hell begging on their knees. And who was he? Just a guy who played pretend.
This was going to be a long night…
FirstOne had always been difficult to understand.
His appearance made people underestimate him.
He looked harmless.
Sweet, even.
But Tle knew better.
FirstOne could be surprisingly mean when he wanted to be.
He had once told Tle that his presentation looked “like it was made five minutes before class.”
It had been.
Another time, when Tle had fallen asleep during a lecture, FirstOne had drawn a tiny halo above his head in his notebook and written:
Rest in peace.
Tle had hated him for that.
Probably.
The problem was that FirstOne knew exactly how to get under his skin, and Tle had never figured out why he enjoyed it so much. Maybe it was because FirstOne was the only person who could make him forget what he was supposed to be doing, or because he'd spent far too much time watching him whenever FirstOne wasn't looking. Or maybe, somewhere along the way, all that annoyance had quietly turned into something else.
Something warmer.
Something that had been sitting quietly in Tle's chest for months.
Something he had refused to name.
An hour later, Tle was definitely drunk, not completely, but enough that the music seemed slightly louder than before and the room felt warmer than it should have. He was standing near the kitchen counter, nursing his drink and trying to convince himself that he was still perfectly fine when someone stepped up beside him. He didn't have to look to know who it was.
“Having fun?”
Tle didn't need to look.
“Unfortunately.”
FirstOne laughed.
Up close, the halo was crooked.
Tle stared at it.
“You're a terrible angel.”
“I know.”
“You're supposed to be nice.”
“I never said I was.” FirstOne's smile widened.
“What’s your costume supposed to be?”
Tle pointed at the horns.
“Really? You're a devil?”
“That's generally what horns mean.”
FirstOne looked him up and down, a small smile playing on his lips.
“It's accurate.”
“What does that mean?” Tle raised an eyebrow.
“You look like one.”
“That doesn't answer the question.”
“It wasn't supposed to.”
Tle scoffed, earning another laugh from FirstOne. God, that laugh. He took another sip, letting the warmth of the alcohol settle in his chest as he tried not to think too much about how much he liked it.
Silent went over them for a second before the angel broke it.
“You've been staring at me all night.”
FirstOne said it casually and Tle nearly choked.
“I haven't?”
“You have.”
“I was looking around.”
“Across the room?”
FirstOne leaned slightly closer.
“Several times?” He asked again.
“You're imagining things.”
“Sure.”
There was something smug about the way he said it, and Tle hated it. He hated the way his heart sped up whenever FirstOne stood too close, hated how easily his attention caught on every little thing about him—the curve of his smile, the warmth in his cheeks, the way his fingers curled around his drink, even the stupid halo above his head. It was ridiculous how much he noticed, especially when he'd spent so long pretending he didn't notice at all.
“You're annoying,” Tle muttered.
“You keep saying that.” FirstOne smiled.
“Because it's true.”
“And yet you keep looking at me.”
Tle didn't have an answer, so he took another drink instead. FirstOne watched him for a moment, his expression softening into a small, knowing smile, as if he'd gotten exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for.
“You're cute when you're annoyed.”
Tle nearly choked again.
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Say things like that.”
“Why?”
“Because you're—”
Tle stopped.
“Because I'm what?”
“Annoying.”
FirstOne laughed.
“Right.”
He stepped away.
Tle watched him go.
And immediately hated himself for it.
As the night went on, the party only grew louder. Someone turned the lights down, leaving the living room bathed in the warm glow of orange fairy lights as people crowded together and danced. By then, Tle had completely lost count of how many drinks he'd had. He was sitting on the stairs, feeling pleasantly warm and slightly unsteady, when FirstOne appeared beside him again. One look at Tle was apparently enough for him to know exactly how drunk he was.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You look drunk.”
“I'm not.”
“You're holding your cup upside down.”
Tle looked down. Shit
“Shut up.”
FirstOne laughed and sat down beside him. For once, he didn't tease Tle, and the two of them sat quietly for a while, letting the muffled music from the other room fill the silence between them. Outside, the wind pushed a few amber leaves across the porch, their rustling barely audible beneath the distant music. Tle turned to look at FirstOne, taking in the soft glow of the orange lights against his face.
“You're really an angel?”
“Tonight.” He answered as he turned toward him.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you're behaving.”
Tle laughed quietly.
“You're supposed to be the nice one.”
“Maybe you're just making me mean.”
The words lingered between them, and Tle's smile slowly faded. FirstOne looked away, suddenly seeming much less confident than he had a moment ago. For the first time that night, there was a hint of nervousness in his expression, and Tle felt his heartbeat quicken.
He wasn't sure what had changed, but something about the way FirstOne avoided his gaze made the moment feel different. For once, there was no teasing smile, no clever comeback, no attempt to get under his skin. Just the two of them sitting there, close enough for Tle to notice the faint flush spreading across FirstOne's cheeks.
“You're flirting with me.”
“Maybe.”
“You've been doing it all night.”
“Maybe.”
“Why?”
FirstOne didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze dropped to Tle's mouth, lingering there for just a second before returning to his eyes.
Tle saw it.
And suddenly he was painfully aware of how close they were sitting.
“You really don't know?”
Tle swallowed the foolish hope rising in his chest.
“No.”
FirstOne smiled faintly.
“You're hopeless.”
Tle leaned closer.
“Then tell me.”
Their faces were only inches apart now, close enough for Tle to catch the faint sweetness of whatever FirstOne had been drinking. His halo was still crooked, and Tle found himself wanting to reach up and fix it, to brush his fingers over those soft cheeks again. More than that, he wanted to close the remaining distance between them.
He wanted to —
“FirstOne!”
Someone called FirstOne's name from the living room, breaking the quiet between them. FirstOne pulled back, and the moment shattered. He stood, leaving Tle sitting there with his heart still pounding and the space between them suddenly feeling much too wide.
“I —”
“I should go.”
“Right.”
FirstOne hesitated before leaning down, close enough that Tle felt his breath against his skin as his lips brushed lightly against his ear.
“Don't disappear.”
Then he walked away.
Tle stayed frozen on the stairs.
His heart was pounding.
“Fuck.”
The party had become too much, and Tle needed some air. The cold Boston night hit him the moment he stepped onto the back porch, sharp enough to clear some of the alcohol from his head. Around them, the last of the autumn leaves clung to the trees, their red and gold colors muted beneath the porch lights, while a few dry leaves skittered across the wooden steps in the wind.
Then Tle noticed FirstOne sitting alone at the edge of the porch. His white wings were slightly crooked now, and the golden halo that had been hovering above his head earlier was gone.
“You lost your halo.”
FirstOne looked up.
“Maybe I wasn't a good enough angel.”
“You're not.” Tle walked over and sat beside him.
FirstOne smiled.
“You're drunk.” FirstOne said as he got the chance to see the slight red colour painted faintly across Tle”s cheek.
“Probably.”
“You shouldn't say things like that when you're drunk.”
“Why?”
“Because I'll believe you.”
Tle turned toward him.
“Then believe me.”
FirstOne went quiet, and the teasing expression disappeared from his face. Something in the sudden seriousness of his gaze made Tle's chest tighten. He'd spent months trying not to think about this, months pretending he didn't care, even as his eyes kept finding FirstOne across classrooms, library tables, and crowded hallways. He'd noticed every glance, every small smile, every time FirstOne looked back at him, and somehow, he'd convinced himself that none of it meant anything.
Maybe it was easier that way.
Easier to pretend that all those lingering looks were just coincidence, that his own attention wasn't always drawn to FirstOne without him even realizing it. Easier than admitting that somewhere along the way, he'd started waiting for those moments when their eyes met.
.
.
“I like you,” Tle said.
FirstOne stared at him for a moment.
Then, to Tle's surprise, he smiled.
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I'm not stupid.”
“Then why do you keep teasing me?”
“Because you make the funniest faces.”
“That is not a reason.”
“It is for me.”
A soft chuckle caught Tle off guard, but when he looked back at FirstOne, the smile slowly faded. FirstOne was watching him differently now, really looking at him without the usual teasing expression. His eyes lingered on Tle's face as though he was trying to memorize it, and for once, Tle didn't look away.
“You're not the only one who's been staring.”
Tle's heart skipped.
“Then why didn't you say anything?”
FirstOne shrugged.
“I was waiting.”
“For what?”
“For you.”
Tle didn't know what to say, so he reached up slowly, giving FirstOne plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to. His fingers brushed against FirstOne's cheek.
Warm.
Soft.
FirstOne didn't move away. Instead, he leaned into Tle's touch, his cheek settling more comfortably against his palm. It was such a small, trusting gesture, but it nearly broke something inside Tle. After months of pretending he didn't care, having FirstOne willingly lean into his touch felt almost unbearably tender.
“You're supposed to be an angel.” Tle whispered.
“I told you.”
FirstOne's eyes softened.
“I'm not a very good one.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm a devil.”
FirstOne laughed softly.
“Then I guess we're both in trouble.”
Tle leaned closer.
“Probably.”
Their foreheads touched, and neither of them moved. The cold Boston night seemed to fade into the background, leaving only the quiet rustle of autumn leaves and the distant sound of music coming from inside. Under the streetlights, the trees around the house were washed in soft shades of gold and red, and Tle could feel the warmth of FirstOne's breath between them. For a long moment, FirstOne finally whispered,
“Can I kiss you?”
Tle smiled.
“You're asking now?”
“I've been trying to be polite.”
“You're terrible at it.”
“I know.”
Tle closed the distance, and their lips met softly. There was no rush, no audience, and no teasing this time, just the warmth of FirstOne's lips against his and the faint sweetness of whatever he'd been drinking. Tle let the kiss linger for a moment, finally allowing himself to feel what he'd spent so long trying not to admit he wanted. When they eventually pulled apart, FirstOne smiled at him, his cheeks faintly flushed from the cold, the alcohol, or perhaps something else entirely.
A low chuckle slipped past their lips. Their gaze still lingered.
“You taste like whiskey.”
“You taste like candy.”
“Is that a complaint?”
“No.”
Tle brushed his thumb over FirstOne's cheek.
“Definitely not.”
FirstOne's cheeks turned pink.
“You're staring again.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Tle smiled.
“Because you're pretty.”
“You're drunk.”
“Still true.”
“You're going to regret saying that tomorrow.”
“I don't think I will.”
FirstOne looked back at him, and the teasing was gone from his eyes, replaced by warmth and something that looked dangerously close to relief. Tle reached for his hand, their fingers intertwining easily between them. It felt strangely natural, almost like all those months of stolen glances across classrooms, libraries, and crowded hallways had been leading to this without either of them realizing it.
Behind them, music thumped faintly through the walls, and someone inside shouted about another round of drinks, but neither of them moved. They simply stayed there, holding hands beneath the cold October sky.
“You're going to remember this tomorrow, right?”
Tle frowned.
“Why wouldn't I?”
“Because you're drunk.”
Tle looked down at their intertwined fingers.
“Ask me tomorrow.” Tle stared back at him.
FirstOne studied him for a long moment.
Then his expression softened.
“Okay.”
He leaned closer and rested his head against Tle's shoulder. Tle's heart squeezed at the simple gesture. After spending so much time pretending he didn't want this, he was remarkably bad at hiding how much he liked having FirstOne this close.
The party continued behind them.
The music.
The laughter.
The shouting.
The occasional crash of someone dropping a cup.
But out there, beneath the cold Boston sky, it all felt distant.
Like the world had become smaller.
Just the two of them.
The devil and the angel.
07:26 a.m.
Tle woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and immediately decided he was never drinking again. His second thought was that he was probably lying to himself. His third thought was FirstOne, and that was the one that made him freeze. The memories began coming back in fragments.
The party.
The orange lights.
FirstOne across the room.
The stairs.
The porch.
FirstOne’s cheek beneath his fingers.
The kiss.
I like you.
“Fuck.”
He remembered everything. Unfortunately. Or maybe fortunately. Tle hadn't decided yet.
*Ding*
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, saving him from having to think about it for another second. He reached for it, only to find a message waiting for him.
One message from FirstOne.
Tle stared at the name on the screen, his heart immediately picking up speed. He hesitated for a moment, suddenly much more nervous than he'd expected, before finally opening the message.
"You still owe me an answer, devil."
Then another message appeared.
"And just so you know, I remember everything."
Tle closed his eyes and sighed. Of course he did. His thumb hovered over the keyboard as he tried to come up with a response, but before he could type anything, another message appeared.
"You told me to ask you tomorrow."
Tle smiled despite himself.
He typed.
"Okay."
The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.
"So?"
Tle stared at the screen then he typed.
"So ask."
He expected a question in return, but he should have known better. FirstOne's mischievous side wasn't going anywhere, apparently. A moment later, another message popped up.
"See you in class, my devil :)"
Tle dropped his phone onto the bed and covered his face with both hands. He could already imagine FirstOne sitting in their usual lecture, looking completely innocent, as if he hadn't kissed Tle the night before, spent the entire party watching him from across the room, or known all along exactly how Tle felt. Tle groaned at the thought of having to see him in just a few hours, though somehow, the idea didn't scare him as much as it probably should have.
Because now, when FirstOne looked at him from across the room, Tle wouldn't have to look away.
The devil had finally been caught.
And, judging by the stupid smile on his face, he didn't particularly want to escape.