Unexpected Love *⁠.⁠✧

Episode 21

One month later

Perth no longer called Santa his slave. In fact, everything between them had softened, and their relationship became smoother. Perth wasn’t possessive anymore, and Santa could breathe more freely. The tension that once hovered between them seemed to melt away, replaced by something warmer, deeper.

It was a quiet morning in their shared dorm room since Perth insists Santa to stay in his dorm. The sunlight streamed through the window as Santa sat on the edge of the bed, yawning and stretching. Perth, still half-asleep, shuffled out of bed, rubbing his eyes.

Santa glanced over at him. "You want to grab breakfast from the campus cafeteria?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.

Perth grinned lazily. "Only if you buy me coffee."

Santa rolled his eyes but smiled, standing up. "Fine, phi... let's get ready."

Soon both of them get off from the bed and take a shower . Later on, As they got dressed in their uniforms, Santa stood in front of the small mirror on the wall, adjusting his shirt. Perth, already dressed, stood behind him and gently took Santa's tie in his hands, helping him with it. Santa let him, smiling softly at Perth’s focused expression.

"You're getting good at this," Santa teased, and Perth chuckled.

"Of course," Perth replied. "Gotta take care of you, don’t I?"

Santa playfully nudged him, but it was clear their dynamic had shifted. There was no more tension, just the gentle comfort of being around each other.

With their ties straightened and uniforms crisp, Perth and Santa made their way out of the dorm. As they walked to the campus cafeteria, the morning buzz of students filled the air. Santa held his books casually under his arm, while Perth had his backpack slung over one shoulder, a slight spring in his step.

The cafeteria was lively as usual, filled with the chatter of students grabbing their breakfast before the first lecture. Perth guided them to a quieter corner of the room. As they sat down with their trays, Santa handed Perth his coffee, rolling his eyes with a smile.

"Here’s your coffee, phi. You’d better appreciate it."

Perth laughed. "I always do when it’s from you."

They ate in comfortable silence for a bit, before Perth glanced over at Santa, noticing how relaxed he seemed these days. It was a far cry from the first time they’d started sitting together in the cafeteria, where everything felt awkward and charged.

"How's your assignment coming along?" Perth asked, sipping his coffee.

Santa sighed, poking at his food with a fork. "I’m almost done with it, but the group project is taking forever. The others in my group aren’t really helping, so I’m stuck doing most of the work."

Perth frowned. "Want me to help out? Since I'm done with mine"

Santa smiled softly. "Thanks, phi, but I’ll be fine. I just need to push through."

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They finished up their breakfast and made their way to class. As they entered their lecture hall, the familiar sight of rows of desks and the sound of students settling in greeted them. Perth and Santa took their usual seats next to each other, and just as the lecture began, Perth discreetly reached under the table and gave Santa’s hand a squeeze.

Santa glanced at him, slightly surprised, but didn’t pull away. He gave Perth a small, knowing smile and squeezed his hand back. There was something about these little gestures that made everything feel good, like they were slowly building something together.