Chapter Text
College dorm life has been a rollercoaster for Hubert Von Vestra so far. It’s half way into the semester, and Hubert still could not handle the irritating mannerisms of his roommate. Of all the people he could have been paired off with, it had to be some pompous rich kid who was always smiling and oozing positivity. Now, Hubert had not expected to absolutely be thrilled with his roommate, most college roommates merely tolerated one another’s existence, but he loathed living with such a blind optimist.
He knew from day one that the two were not going to get along very well, recalling the argument he had with his incoming roommate when he took over the side of the room he had planned to claim. While Hubert had arrived first, he had merely tossed a few of his bags into the middle of the room before leaving to go along with some nonsense from his parents about spending time together before leaving him to start his new life living away from home. The idea had been so exciting at first. The freedom from his father was liberating, but it came with a price.
That price went by the name Ferdinand Von Aegir.
On day one, Ferdinand made himself an enemy when Hubert came back late in the evening, the sun completely gone from the sky, and saw Ferdinand hanging up a plethora of pictures on some corkscrew board on his, self proclaimed, side of the room. When Ferdinand saw Hubert come into the room, he had been stunned to see that his roommate was some tall, brooding man with far too much black in his wardrobe. He had offered a smile and a hand to shake upon meeting, but Hubert merely scoffed and rejected his greeting, asking for him to take everything down and move sides. Recalling the short version of the story, Ferdinand refused and grew an immediate distaste for his new roommate as well.
Since that fateful day, the two had been butting heads over every trivial detail. Whether it was the fact that Ferdinand woke up at damn 6AM, when his classes didn’t even start until 8AM, and began a long process of “rising and shining” with his obnoxious singing in the shower and ten step skin routine that baffled Hubert to no end. Then, there was the fact that Ferdinand always was taking damn pictures of himself and every damn little thing he did to post on social media, often getting blurry cryptic shadows of Hubert in the background that alarmed his many followers.
This wasn’t even mentioning the fact that Ferdinand was a social butterfly, so he always had friends over. Plus, the fact that he was a theater major, he often had many other theater kids who flooded their dorm and deafened Hubert with their endless singing or reciting of lines. There were many times where Hubert would literally threaten to kick these people out, forcing them to leave so that he could work on a paper or study in peace. Yet, he couldn’t even enjoy that, because Ferdinand would always whine and give him a lecture about how he was going to fail an audition or needed to practice and that this was his dorm too blah blah so he had to respect his wishes.
Wallowing in self pity, Hubert thought he was the only suffering in this arrangement, but this was far from the truth. In Ferdinand’s eyes, he was being shackled with some demon of the night who never slept. Ferdinand had tried to befriend his roommate many times during the first few few weeks, but he gave up after a while, since Hubert seemed determined to hold a grudge and mock every little thing he did. It was frustrating to always hear that scoff or watch Hubert roll his eyes when Ferdinand spoke about his club activities, such as his involvement in the equestrian club, or gushing about his plans on his phone about attending a multitude of sporting events with his friends. He figured the man just had to be jealous, since he never saw Hubert talk with any one beside one woman with white hair that he went to class with in the evenings. Though, she seemed a little more friendly than Hubert at least.
Of course, this was only the tip of the iceberg for Ferdinand’s complaints about living with Hubert Von Vestra. One of his least favorite things about Hubert was the fact that he seemed to live off of coffee, looking half dead as he never slept more than like two or three hours a night, if that. The man gave off such a terrifying aura that often scared away many of his pals. One of his closest friends from class, Lorenz Gloucester, refused to come back to his dorm after being glared at the entire time he was over and being openly mocked with muffled laughs and snickers from across the room when helping Ferdinand recite his lines.
Then, there was the fact that Hubert would leave his side of the room a chaotic mess. He claimed that he knew where everything was, but Ferdinand couldn’t stand it. His walls were bare, and his desk was a mess of papers and books! It looked as if a tornado hit the place in Ferdinand’s opinion. Plus, Hubert had the nerve to leave these passive aggressive post-it notes over on his side of the room. They would often be half-hearted insults about either something he did during his morning routine, overhearing a conversation on his phone, mocking his practicing for his parts, or merely teasing him for his constant use of his social media apps. Ferdinand began to return the notes, making notes on his messy room, his rugged appearance, his lack of sociability and poor attitude, his rudeness to his friends, his lack of a love life, or the fact that he often blared awful metal music in the middle of the evening when he came back from his night classes. That had almost made him fight the man on multiple occasions. He had been fast asleep, only to be woken up by the man turning on his bright lamp and working on his laptop with his fifth cup of coffee, blaring music without headphones. He was grateful for divine intervention keeping him from strangling Hubert.
Living together like this for over two months now, the two had yet to run out of spite and petty arguments. Yet, this evening was different than usual. When Hubert returned back from his Friday night class, he looked more dead than usual. While he always had bags under his eyes and skulked back into the room like a shadow, his expression was missing its usual flicker of liveliness from being irritated from whatever Ferdinand was usually doing. Instead, he looked rather somber, letting his bag fall to the floor and sitting on his bed with a soft squeak from his weight. He didn’t even grab his laptop or phone to start blaring any music to disrupt Ferdinand’s nightly routine.
On this particular evening, Ferdinand was currently checking his appearance for the fifth time in the mirror. He pulled at his pastel yellow polo and the pair of khaki shorts he was wearing, frowning as he wasn’t sure if this was a good enough outfit for his evening plans. His hair was currently tied up in a ponytail as well, and he fiddled with two strands of wavy, orange hair he kept in front to frame his face. He turned to look at Hubert when he entered the room, stunned that he had no biting remark to greet him with.
Checking his messages again, he steps out of the bathroom and goes to grab his lanyard and wallet from his desk. He takes another glance at Hubert, who was just staring at the ceiling with a blank stare. Against his better judgment, Ferdinand can’t help himself from checking to see what was going on with his strange roommate.
“Hubert,...you feeling sick or something?” He asks, not yet turning to look at him. He sent a quick text to Dorothea that he was heading out soon, and that he would be a little late to Claude’s house party. He wasn’t super close with Claude, but he got the invite through Dorothea, and if she said this was the place for a good time on a Friday night, then he believed her judgment. His attention is brought back to his extra gloomy roommate when Hubert responds with a small huff and muttered response.
“Not particularly. Why? Afraid I’ll infect your pretty little singing voice?” The words are taunting, but they are lacking the usual vigor Ferdinand has come to expect out of Hubert. It is almost disappointing to not have a worthy opponent for one of their infamous arguments, since Hubert sounded so defeated from the start.
Slipping his phone into his back pocket, Ferdinand walks over and looks down at Hubert, who was now tiredly staring back at him, as he blocked his view of the lovely white ceiling he had been admiring for ten minutes now. Ferdinand clears his throat and tries again to inquire about what was bothering Hubert.
“Funny, Hubert. No, but really. What gives? You’re like...double dead tonight.” He says, with little care for the little insult he stuck in there. Ferdinand waits for a response, not moving or looking away from Hubert. The man seemed to get tired of staring at Ferdinand because he sat up and averted his gaze, making a ‘go away’ motion with his hand towards his roommate.
“Not that it is any of your business, I failed a major exam tonight. Big points. Might not pass the course if I can’t scrape my way back up. Happy now?” He pulls out his phone to stare at a few messages he had, but it was mainly just an excuse to not look back at Ferdinand and his concerned gaze. It was irritating to have a man like Ferdinand treating him like some glum child.
The mood in the room shifts, and Ferdinand feels sympathy for Hubert. He knew what it was like to be in that very position, and he also knew what he needed to help get him out of his slump. He quickly texts Dorothea that he would be bringing a plus one to the party and that he would be actually on his way soon. Shutting his phone off, he goes and grabs Hubert’s cell, taking it and holding it out of his reach from his position on the bed.
“Get up.”
“No, give me my phone.”
“Get up and follow me. Then, you can have it back.” Ferdinand is stern, eyes narrowing as if to challenge Hubert to fight back.
“Follow you? Why the hell would I do that? Where are you even going at this time of night?” Hubert asks, getting more irritated by the second. He was not in the mood to be dealing with any shenanigans from Ferdinand. The attitude of Hubert has Ferdinand second guessing his kind nature, but he knows he has to be the better person and be here for his rude roommate while he was having a bad day.
“Party, duh. You know what that is, right? People our age go to those on Friday nights, and you are coming with me to one right now.” Ferdinand says, keeping Hubert’s phone out of his reach. He can see the utter disgust and disinterest on Hubert’s face at the idea of attending a party. This man really needed to get out more, in Ferdinand’s opinion.
“I’ll pass. Now give me my phone.” Hubert deadpans with a bored look upon his face.
“Nope! If you want this back, you have to come with me!” Ferdinand says in a sing-song voice, going to head towards the door, opening it and hovering at the entrance to their room. Hubert stares at him for a moment, groaning as the bubbly brat was being extra annoying tonight. He gets up from his bad, glaring as Ferdinand quickly hops out into the hallway with a laugh. Of course, he thought this was a silly game.
Hubert reluctantly follows after him, closing the door behind him and locking it. He shoves his hands in his pockets, spotting Ferdinand down the hall waving at him with a beaming smile. He swore he could hear him teasing him to hurry up, and Hubert wished he would have just let the idiot take his phone without a fuss. Yet, he keeps begrudgingly chasing after him, catching up to him once they leave the dormitory building.
“I will be taking that.” Hubert says as he snatched the phone, a grin spreading across his lips as Ferdinand gasps and looks disappointed that Hubert caught up so quickly. He looked ready to go off on some tangent, but Hubert quickly stopped him before he could. “Now, where is this stupid party of yours, and how long do I have to stay?”
The smile that fills Ferdinand’s face could have lit the entire block up brighter than all the streetlights combined.
- - -
Once the two had made it to Claude’s place, the party was already in full swing. The house was packed with intoxicated broke college students all looking for a good time, and this party was just the place for one. There was booming music, plenty of cheap shitty beer, and lots of gross PDA from horny, tipsy couples. It was the exact type of scene that Hubert hated, but Ferdinand was eager to hang out with his friends and let loose. Upon entering the party, Ferdinand grabbed two red solo cups, handed one to Hubert, told the gloomy man to relax and socialize, and then excused himself to go and mingle with his friends. Even though Ferdinand was able to drag Hubert to the party, he could not make Hubert actually unwind and enjoy the occasion.
While Ferdinand was off somewhere chatting his little heart out with his friends, Hubert was left to wander the overcrowded rooms on his own. Only two people dared to approach him while he shuffled around, but Hubert brushed both off with a stern glare and dismissive tone. So, he found himself nursing his cup in the corner of a room, watching other people make fools out of themselves. It was fitting for a pessimistic man like Hubert, becoming a silhouetted wallflower that mocked drunk party goers to himself.
While Hubert did not move, he did spot Ferdinand on a number of occasions moving around the place. He was usually accompanied by Dorothea, both of which seemed to be drinking and enjoying themselves, dancing and talking with large groups of people. He rolled his eyes when Ferdinand waved at him once, only giving him a nod as a response. As Ferdinand was chatting and dancing with a large group with Dorothea, Hubert had noticed some brunette man approach the two with drinks, but was gently declined. He thought nothing of it, taking a sip from the same cup Ferdinand gave him at the beginning of the party.
As the night progressed, Hubert felt his boredom levels rising. He resorted to pulling out his phone to check some mindless apps and messages, but his battery was low since he hadn’t gotten the chance to charge it when he came back from class this evening. He was ready to go home, but he had lost track of Ferdinand again. He considered leaving without the man, but he was pretty sure he left his keys back on his bed. So, he was stuck here until Ferdinand got tired of being his social self.
Hubert’s patience began to grow thin as he noticed the crowd dwindling down some, leaving him surrounded by drunk karaoke singers and some gross couple sucking faces on the couch in his current room. So, he finally left his wall and walked around to locate the whereabouts of his roommate. Upon entering the kitchen, he spotted the familiar vivid flash of orange hair across the room. Yet, Dorothea was not with him this time. Instead, it was the same brunette from earlier in the night, except he seemed much more intoxicated. Stealthily approaching, as to not be spotted, Hubert eavesdrops on the conversation.
“Ferdie, c’mon! Just one more drink, please? With me?” The brunette pleads, giving a miserable attempt of a pout to earn some pity points. Ferdinand wasn’t buying it though, smiling politely and shaking his head.
“Oh, I'm sorry, but I can’t right now. I have cut myself off for the night, and I should be leaving any minute anyways. Maybe another time?” He suggests, trying to let the man down gently. Ferdinand was far too nice of a guy, and jerks like this could smell that from a mile a way. Despite being friendly and patient, the brunette whines and slips his arm around Ferdinand’s shoulders, pulling him closer.
“Awww, don’t be like that! What’s one more drink and ten more minutes? It’s Friday night, baby!” The brunette urges again, smirking sleazily at Ferdinand, who was physically uncomfortable with the non consensual touch. His face contorts in a distressed expression, eyebrows furrowed and eyes avoiding eye contact with the tipsy man.
“I said not tonight. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Ferdinand repeats, more stern this time as he shrugs off the arm from his shoulders. Guys like this were the worst part of parties. He only wanted to have some fun with friends, but he always ended up with some jerk trying to get him drunk, likely for shitty sex.
As Ferdinand began to walk away, the asshole wasn’t able to understand what “no” meant, even after being rejected multiple times. He reached a hand to grab Ferdinand’s wrist, tugging at it roughly. It was tight enough to make Ferdinand hiss in mild pain, turning to yell at the jerk for trying to grab him, but he doesn’t get the chance.
Having seen enough, Hubert stepped forward and forcefully ripped the brunette’s hand off of Ferdinand’s wrist. He was much taller than the other man, towering over him with an icy stare. He grips his arm brutally, enough to leave nasty bruise.
“He said no, so back the fuck off. Do you not know what the word no means?” Hubert spoke in a deep voice, not letting the man’s arm go just yet. He was fuming with anger, and it was obvious that Hubert was not the type of man to piss off.
“S-Sorry, you’re right man...Ahh, just let me g-go…” The brunette mutters, looking horrified. Hubert was rightfully frightening with his mysterious, dark aura and venomous gaze. Not to mention the eerie tone of voice he used and his appearance similar to the obscurity of a night sky.
Luckily for the jerk, Hubert lets him go and scoffs as he scrambled away, nearly tripping on his own two feet. Once he was gone, Hubert turned to Ferdinand, his expression softening instantly. It was the kindest Ferdinand had ever seen Hubert look in the two months he's known him. Not a hint of arrogance or mockery to be found, instead genuine concern.
“Uhh...you alright? Sorry, that was probably overkill…” Hubert mumbles, looking a little bashful at what he just did.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand was stunned by what he just witnessed. Hubert had come dashing across the room to rescue him from some drunk asshole trying to get into his pants. Of all the things he expected to happen at this party, he didn’t expect to be currently imaging Hubert Von Vestra as some cheesy knight in a romance novel. Yet, it was all his frazzled mind could think about. The usually snarky, selfish Hubert had gone out of his way to scare away some ignorant jerk away from him. He couldn’t find any words, his cheeks feeling hot all of the sudden as Hubert looked at him with such a tender gaze. He doesn’t think he’s ever really noticed what a pretty shade of green his eyes were until this very moment.
“Huh? Oh! Y-Yes, I am just fine!” Ferdinand quickly stutters out, laughing nervously as Hubert gives him a befuddled look. He rubs his wrist where he had been grabbed without thinking much on it, but Hubert frowns and gently takes his hand to lift his arm up to get a closer look at his wrist. The sudden touch is warm, and Hubert’s hand is softer than he would have imagined. The way Hubert scrutinizes over his wrist to inspect for injuries made Ferdinand take a deep breath to calm the quickening of his pulse.
“You look fine. Just be careful or whatever.” Hubert says and lets his hand go, shoving his own hands back into his pockets. He glances around the room for a moment, as if taking in his surroundings, before speaking again. “Can we go now? My phone is dead, and I can’t stand to listen to this pop garbage for one second longer.”
Ferdinand shakes himself out of his fanciful stupor, knowing he had to respond since conversations required two way communication.
“Yeah, we should go back to the dorm. This party is dying anyways, and Dorothea left already….” He trails off, watching as Hubert looks relieved that he could finally leave. It’s almost comical how much Hubert hated social spaces. “Ready to head out?”
“Been ready, hurry up.” Hubert says, already walking down the hall towards the entrance of the house. Ferdinand quickly follows after him, catching up with ease as the two leave the party to start their walk back to the dorm. The air is chillier now, and Ferdinand regrets not bringing himself a sweater for the walk back. While he tries not to make his shivering obvious, Hubert can spot it easily in his peripherals and groans.
“Stop that, just take it.” Hubert grumbles, unzipping his hoodie and handing it over to Ferdinand. He thinks nothing of the action, just irritated by the way Ferdinand kept pretending not to be shivering. Did he think he was that oblivious? Still, Hubert keeps walking as Ferdinand slides the hoodie on and slips his hands into its pockets.
There is a silence between the two of them, and Ferdinand felt his blush return his cheeks as he wore Hubert’s hoodie. Never in a million years did he expect a guy like Hubert to actually care enough to share his hoodie. Hell, he thought he would have mocked him for forgetting his sweater. Yet, here he was, wearing the cozy hoodie and walking a step behind the man.
As he followed Hubert's figure, Ferdinand can’t help the way his mind races with frivolous thoughts, all related to how cliche and romantic this would feel if this were anyone besides Hubert. However, his heart still beats just a tad faster as he nuzzles his face into the fabric, inhaling the scent of coffee and faint cologne.
“You know...the music playing at the party wasn’t all garbage.” Ferdinand says, trying to start a conversation as they strolled down the dimly lit sidewalk. He can hear Hubert’s sharp intake of breath.
“Don’t make me take that back because I will let you freeze for having awful music taste.” He taunts, a smile curving at his lips. Ferdinand is able to catch it, and he feels a sense of relief at this familiar bickering.
“Okay, Okay. But hear me out…” He starts, and Hubert groans as they had a long walk back to the dorm.