Chapter Text
Ivan had a knack for making his presence impossible to ignore. Especially to Till. Whether if it was with his subtle yet loud declarations of love, the constant attempts to cling to Till's side, or the way he always found some excuse to invade Till's personal space, there was no escaping him.
It was exhausting, really.
At least, that’s what Till told himself.
Today was no different—or so Till thought. He barely had the chance to sip his morning coffee before Ivan appeared, beaming like he’d just won the lottery, his pearly snaggletooth showing through the opening of his soft and outrageously pink petal lips as he grinned.
“Good morning, Till! Did you sleep well?” Ivan asked, practically bouncing in place as he gave a vivid smile and with a bit of playfulness, he said jokingly, tone ever so affectionate. “Did you dream of me?”
“Why would I dream of you?” Till muttered, rolling his piercing teal eyes as he glanced at the time. He was already running late. “Don’t you have better things to do than stalk me at breakfast?”
Ivan laughed, his pearly snaggletooth appearing amidst his laugh as he brushed off the jab like it was nothing. “You’re my better thing to do.”
Till sighed, trying to ignore him, as his mind wandered to someone else—Mizi. Sweet, talented Mizi, who always seemed to light up any room she walked into. She was perfect, and in some alternate reality, Till was certain they could be something more.
But this wasn’t an alternate reality. This was his reality, where his beloved crush was a lesbian. And one where Ivan’s overwhelming affection was a constant—and a little irritating—part of his life.
At least, that’s how Till felt until the love potion incident.
-
It happened on an ordinary day, completely by chance. Ivan, who was always on the hunt for new ways to impress Till, had stumbled upon an alien vendor selling brightly-colored drinks. It was supposed to be a confidence booster—something that would help Ivan “dazzle” Till even more.
What he didn’t know was that the drink had a very specific side effect: it made the drinker fall hopelessly in love with the first person they saw.
And for the first time in years, Ivan didn’t see Till first.