Chapter Text
Kevin Sydney stared up at the brick building towering over them and immediately felt very, very small.
Duvall Hall
Their new home. At least for the next year.
They adjusted the strap of their backpack and glanced around the nearly empty parking lot. Most freshmen wouldn't arrive for another week. The university offered early move-in for a handful of students, and Kevin had accepted the opportunity eagerly. The drive from their hometown had taken three days. Trying to make that trip and then move in on the same day as hundreds of other students sounded like a nightmare.
At the time, arriving early had seemed like a great idea. Now, standing in front of a mostly empty dormitory with everything they owned packed into the back of their car, they weren't so sure. The building was enormous. The campus stretched out even farther beyond it. The whole university felt overwhelming.
A voice called out to them. "Kevin Sydney?"
Kevin nearly jumped out of their skin.
A woman with red hair and a friendly smile walked toward them from the building entrance.
"That's me," Kevin said.
"I'm Jean Grey. Welcome to Duvall."
"Hi."
"I'm one of the RAs. Did you get your ID and keys from check-in?"
"I did!"
"Great! I'll show you how to scan in and where your room is."
"Thank you."
Jean led them toward the front entrance. "Your ID gets you into this dorm twenty-four hours a day; other dorms can only get in before nine pm," she explained as she stopped beside a small black scanner mounted near the door. "Just tap it here."
Kevin held their card against the scanner. A green light flashed, and the door clicked open.
"Perfect," Jean said. "You'll be using that thing about a hundred times a day."
Kevin laughed nervously.
"Most people won't move in until next week," Jean said as she guided them through the quiet lobby. "So it'll be pretty peaceful around here for a while."
"Kinda nice," Kevin admitted.
Jean nodded knowingly.
"This is the community kitchen. Anybody in the dorm can use it. Just label your food unless you want it to mysteriously disappear."
Kevin snorted. "Good to know."
Jean continued down the hallway before stopping at a stairwell. "The elevator is over there. Are you good using the stairs?"
“Yeah! Thanks for asking.”
The second-floor common area was empty. A few doors stood open down one of the halls where other early arrivals were unpacking.
Jean stopped in front of a room. "Here you go, Room 214."
Kevin looked at the number on the door. Their room. Their room at college.
Jean smiled as they stared. "Go ahead."
Kevin slid the key into the lock. The door opened. A small dorm room waited on the other side. It wasn't much. A bed, a desk, a dresser, and a closet. But it was theirs. Their very own room.
"Welcome home," Jean said, lingering in the doorway as Kevin stepped into the room. "Pretty decent, right?"
Kevin set their backpack on the bed and looked out the large window overlooking the courtyard. "Yeah."
"So, is anyone here helping you move in?"
Kevin's stomach tightened, and they shook their head. "No. It's just me."
"Gotcha. I noticed you have quite a few boxes in your car."
Kevin winced slightly. "There are... a couple."
Jean laughed. "Would you like some help?"
Kevin shook their head immediately. "You don't have to do that."
"I know, I want to."
"Yeah, but I don't want to make you carry all my stuff."
"Oh, no," she said with a smirk. "I have a much better idea."
Before Kevin could ask what she meant, Jean walked back into the hall. "Come with me."
"Where?"
“Just trust me."
Kevin followed her out of the room. They headed back down the hallway, toward the stairs.
"Where are we going?" Kevin asked.
"To solve your problem."
"I don't have a problem."
Jean gave them a look. "You have enough boxes in your car to furnish a small apartment."
"That's not true…"
"It absolutely is."
Kevin sighed.
Jean grinned. "Don't worry. I know exactly who to ask."
A few moments later, they reached the first-floor common room. Unlike the rest of the building, this area actually had people in it.
Two guys sat on a couch, one taller and one shorter.
The tall one looked up, "Hey, Jean."
"Hey, Bishop."
Jean gestured toward Kevin.
"This is Kevin. They’re a freshman who is moving in upstairs."
Bishop stood and offered a hand. "Lucas Bishop."
Kevin shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"You too."
Bishop pointed toward the guy still on the couch. "And that's Logan."
Logan looked up from his phone, and Kevin finally got a good look at him. He was short, but he wasn't small. Broad shoulders. Clearly strong. And, in Kevin's opinion, attractive.
Logan nodded. "Hey."
Kevin forgot how to speak for a moment. "Uh… hi."
"Logan and Bishop are both on the football team."
"Which is why we're trapped here early," Bishop added. "Practice."
Logan groaned. "Don't remind me."
"We actually came down here because I need a favor." Jean chimed in.
Bishop raised an eyebrow, "What kind of favor?"
"The moving-in kind. Kevin drove here alone, and they have a lot of boxes.”
Kevin wished she would stop saying that.
But Bishop was nodding before she even finished. "Yeah, of course."
Logan sighed and shoved his phone into his pocket. "Okay."
"Wait, really? You’ll help?"
Bishop laughed. "Don’t sound so surprised. I am sure if the other guys were here—”
"Jean!" As if summoned by the universe itself, a tall man with blonde hair practically burst into the room.
Behind him walked another student, who was even taller and looked significantly less enthusiastic about everything.
"Jean," the blonde announced dramatically, "I have returned."
"I was wondering why it was so quiet…"
"It was an adventure," the dramatic one said.
"We got coffee," the other said, rolling his eyes
"A dangerous adventure."
"The only dangerous thing about it was that you almost walked into traffic twice."
Jean smiled. "Well, you made it back with perfect timing," she gestured toward the two students. "Kevin, this is Wade Wilson and Nathan Summers. Nathan is the first-floor RA."
Nathan nodded to Kevin, "Most people call me Cable. Mostly because my roommate here is incapable of using normal names."
"I use lots of normal names," Wade argued.
Cable stared at him. "No, you really don't."
Jean pointed toward Kevin.
"Kevin is a Freshman. They just got here today. Needs help getting about fifty boxes upstairs."
"I do not have fifty boxes."
"Forty-nine?" Bishop suggested.
Kevin groaned.
Wade gasped. "A freshman?"
"Yes."
"From out of state?"
"Yes."
"Moving in alone?"
Kevin nodded.
Wade immediately slapped a hand against his chest. "Say no more."
"I really haven't said much."
"The Knights of Duvall shall assist."
"That’s not a thing," Cable said.
"It is now!" Wade pointed dramatically toward the door. "To the parking lot!"
Bishop smirked. Cable looked tired already. Logan just shook his head and followed.
The first trip went surprisingly smoothly.
Bishop grabbed two large boxes as if they weighed nothing.
Logan carried an entire stack that Kevin was fairly certain should have required two people.
Cable silently picked up whatever was closest and started walking.
And Wade talked. Constantly.
Kevin wasn't entirely sure how one person could have so many words.
By the third trip, Wade was halfway inside Kevin's car.
"What is this?" he asked, pulling out a lamp.
"My lamp."
"Cool." He handed it off to Bishop and immediately reached for something else.
"Wade," Cable called.
"What?"
"Try carrying things."
"I am carrying things."
"You are snooping."
Wade ignored him.
A moment later, he froze. "Oh," he slowly reached into the backseat. "Oh, my God."
Wade pulled out a Pikachu stuffed animal.
Kevin felt their face immediately heat up. It was an old stuffed animal, a little worn around the edges. One they'd had since they were a kid.
Wade stared at it. Then stared at Kevin.
Then looked back at the Pikachu. "Do you like Pokémon?"
Kevin rubbed the back of their neck. "Uh..."
Wade gasped. "Oh my God."
"It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?" Wade held the plush against his chest dramatically. "Not a big deal?"
Kevin laughed nervously. "I mean... yeah. I like Pokémon."
Cable immediately pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh no."
"OH YES."
"Wade..."
"OH YES." He pointed at Kevin. "They like Pokémon."
"I heard that."
"This is incredible! We are gonna be best friends!”
Kevin couldn't help laughing.
Wade practically vibrated with excitement. "Is Pikachu your favorite?"
"No, it’s probably Sylveon."
Wade gasped. "Excellent choice."
"Thank you."
"Fairy type. Cool design. High affection. One of the best Eeveelutions. Excellent choice." Wade nodded seriously.
Kevin grinned. "What about you?"
"Ditto."
Kevin laughed, "Seriously?”
"Is that judgment I hear?”
“No, it’s just… I wasn’t expecting that.”
“They are just a little goo baby that I want to squish and love and—”
“Wade. Can we maybe continue this conversation while we carry the rest of Kevin’s stuff upstairs?” Cable interrupted his rambling.
“UGH. Fine. Only because you asked nicely and bought me coffee earlier.” Wade handed the Pikachu to Kevin and turned to grab another box.
“Didn’t really have a choice, you always conveniently forget your wallet when we go anywhere,” Cable mumbled as he took the box Wade handed him.
Wade smirked, “Yet you continue to take me places.” He grabbed another box and turned back toward Kevin. "Okay, next question. What’s the first Pokémon game you played?"
Kevin laughed, and before they knew it, they were talking about favorite games, the weirdest Pokémon, terrible gym leaders, and which starter choices had emotionally damaged them as children.
By the time all the boxes were in Kevin's room, the sun had begun to set. After thanking everyone and assuring Wade several times that they were absolutely not going to unpack tonight, the group finally drifted out of the room.
The building was still quiet. But it didn't feel quite as empty anymore.
Kevin walked to the window and looked out across the campus.
A week from now, hundreds of students would be arriving. Classes would start. The dorm would fill with people.
Everything would change.
This morning, standing in the parking lot, the thought had terrified them. Now it didn't seem quite so scary.
Kevin rested a hand against the window frame and found themself smiling.
Maybe moving two thousand miles from home hadn't been a mistake after all.