Chapter Text
Jeremy took a shaky breath, hands crumpling up the paper in his hands as he anxiously grasped it tighter. Room 201. He stared ahead at the door in front of him- the room he was going to live in his freshman year of college, lest he drop out. The room he was going to share, oh god, with another boy. A boy he had never met before.
Until today.
Until right now.
...
Jeremy continued to stare dumbly at the door before glancing at the other students socializing in his hall, a loud murmur of conversations overwhelming his senses as new students just like him settled into their temporary homes.
Fuck. He’d much rather deal with one roommate than all this noise right now. His anxiety was high enough as it was, and one stranger who might hate him was better than multiple strangers who might hate him.
With that thought, Jeremy finally managed to reach for the doorknob and pull it open in one swift motion before he had other thoughts telling him to act otherwise. And when it fully opened, Jeremy blinked in confusion. It was empty. His roommate wasn’t even here yet.
Jeremy let out a small laugh, hand that wasn’t holding a bag of his belongings going up to grab a fistful of his own hair in disbelief. All that worrying over nothing. He put his bag down in the middle of the room, not feeling up to possibly arguing over who got what room, and whirled around before letting out a loud squeak.
The boy leaning in the doorframe grinned a handsome, lopsided smile, the area under his eyes creasing in delight. “Sorry to scare you, roomie. Looks like you haven’t settled in yet.” His roommate- Michael if he remembers from his advisor telling him- stared intensely at Jeremy’s chest, brown eyes shining and almost golden in color. It made the startled boy gulp and blush, and grab at his baggy jeans to try and stop the sweat from his palms. He was anxious, and his roommate was cute, but mostly he was anxious. Those stares could mean a million things. He could clash with Jeremy in so many different ways. They could hate each other. Michael could bully him and beat him up- I mean look at those arms!- and Jeremy would still think that Michael had the most beautiful eyes he had ever s-
“NES, huh? You like retro gaming?”
Jeremy froze, both in thought and action, dumbfounded. His eyes which had absentmindedly wandered to the floor shot up to search Michael’s. He still wore a grin, but it seemed more genuine, and his left hand fiddled with the cord on his headphones which were laying loosely around his neck.
“I... wh- what?” Jeremy stuttered, feeling flushed and sweaty and like he had lost all brain cells but the ones that were absolutely horny for strangers. This made Michael let out a soft snort, and he lazily pointed at Jeremy’s shirt. “NES bro! Don’t disappoint me and tell me you’re wearing it ironically. I see them everywhere in Hot Topic. Total posers.” His lips almost mimicked a look of disgust, but his eyes shone with the same friendly enthusiasm. His whole energy exuded playfulness and it brought light into the whole room.
Jeremy let his mouth drop into the shape of an “o” as he looked down at what he was wearing, removing his bunched up hands from his jeans to self consciously pull on the hem of his shirt which features a NES controller and the phrase “keep it classic”.
“Y- yeah, no... I don’t wear ironically.” He said quietly, glancing up and adorning a light smile. “I love retro games. A... and vintage music.”
Jeremy watched as his roommate physically softened. Michael was taking in the meekness of the boy in front of him, while also breathing out air of relief on his own because he had a feeling him and his roommate were gonna get along just fine.
“Thank god. I’d hate to be rooming with a heathen.” Michael bantered, feeling himself glow as he got a giggled out of the shy boy. “Lucky for you, I brought a couple of retro gaming things.” He lightly kicked the box he had put by his feet. “Maybe... when we’re not too busy with classes or whatever, we can play...?” Michael proposed, posture becoming a little stiff in anticipation.
He watched as his roommate gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he did so. Eventually he nodded, shy smile becoming larger. “I’d love to. Michael, right?” Jeremy questioned, and the boy now officially known as Michael enthusiastically nodded his head.
“That’s me! And you’re Jeremy!” Michael declared, posture and voice now filled with confidence, and his right arm stuck out firmly for a handshake. This was when Jeremy first noticed his Pac-man tattoo, and he felt himself relax even further as he put his smaller hand into Michael’s. His roommate was actually so... so cool, and Jeremy felt so lucky.
Michael let out an excited laugh, letting go of Jeremy to lean down and grab one of the boxes by his feet. “So, roomie, what room have you left me with?”
It was Jeremy’s turn to let out a small chuckle, the hand that was just grasping Michael’s reaching back to rub at the back of his own neck. “Actually... I haven’t picked one. I’m... awful at making decisions. And didn’t wanna get into a possible argument. So whichever room you want is fine by me.”
This caused Michael to blink several times before finally taking in the room around him. He was so focused on Jeremy that he hadn’t realized the room was quite clearly untouched. None of the doors had been touched, and Jeremy was in the middle of the room, a large bag resting at his feet. Michael pouted at the sight. He was paying so much to live here, and the most breathtaking in the room thing was his roommate. Goddamnit.
Well, at least that made something worth his money.
“Hm. Uh. Well... it appears we’ve reached a crossroads, young Jeremy. Will you take the road to your right or to your left?” He asked, putting on a narrator voice.
Jeremy bit his bottom lip to keep himself from snickering. “Obviously I’ll take the RIGHT path.” He joked, and Michael quickly felt himself wanting to grow closer to the boy. He was absolutely adorable, no doubt about that.
“No one appreciates the dying art form of puns anymore. You have earned my respect... for now.” Michael bantered, eyes and tone going playfully dark. Jeremy stared him in his eyes and slanted his own, laughing as he did so, as if to say “try me”.
“But you picked the RIGHT path. Therefore, you shall have... the room to the right.” Michael grinned, Jeremy’s eyes going wide as he glanced over his shoulder to look at the door to the room Michael helped him pick.
“Y... You’re ridiculous.” Jeremy stated, smile shocked and true and absolutely blinding to Michael. “You’re ridiculous and I can’t believe you would trick me like that.”
The tan boy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Ohoho, but Jeremy, you have yet to see the full power of my abilities. Indecisiveness shall be no more around me.”
Jeremy leaned towards Michael to playfully punch his arm, having to glance up to reach Michael’s eyes. God, he was tall, wasn’t he?
“I guess I’ll have to keep you around, then.”