Chapter Text
Ruggie’s eyes are drawn to a guy suddenly pausing in the middle of the sidewalk to look through the window of a clothing store. He’s around the same height as him with white hair. His red eyes reflect and shimmer under the street lamps
Ruggie prepares to file him away as just another broke college kid trying to window shop but the man stops again. And again. And again. Each time it's in the middle of the cement sidewalk.
Without fail he gazes at the store in wonder as if he were an alien in the city. First he looks at the clothes, then the decorations, and lastly the people shopping. Ruggie notices that he spends the most time on that last part.
How obnoxious. It's as if this guy lacks any self awareness. After a couple more minutes of watching Ruggie’s ready. Ruggie can’t contain the smile that slips across his face. Just as practiced he walks towards the guy, all while pretending to be distracted by his phone.
First, bump into his shoulder second, use the sudden hit as a cover for the missing wallet in his pocket finally, scramble some apologies out.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going” Ruggie makes sure to stumble a little on his words to seal the image of a bumbling fool. The wallet has long since been hidden in the inner pockets of Ruggies roughly fitted jacket
“It's all good don’t worry.” The guy flashes him a wide smile that showcases his dimple. Typically people would brush off Ruggie with an annoyed huff or glance. Ruggie tries to form a connection between his odd pauses in the streets and his open attitude. He must be a tourist, Ruggie concludes, that's perfect for him, less trouble and deeper pockets.
Suddenly the red eyed boy’s smile fades and his mouth forms a perfect O shape.
“Ohh I was standing in the middle of the sidewalk. My bad sorry about that.” He chuckles and Ruggie slips on the fake comforting smiles he’s perfected. The smile is almost second nature after caring for so many kids in his old neighborhood.
After a couple polite phrases the man finally waves goodbye. Ruggie keeps walking ahead and prepares to start speed walking at the next street turn.
“Hey wait!” The man grasps Ruggie’s left wrist, stopping him at the street corner. Ruggie thinks back to the nights when food was running out and he was inexperienced, his hands weren’t as fast, his steps weren’t as light, and he wasn’t as clever.
Just as Ruggie shifts his weight, prepared to break out of the man’s hold he talks some more.
“You forgot this!” In the guy’s hand is an expensive watch that most definitely isn’t Ruggie’s and if it was it would’ve already been listed on Ebay for a sweet check. Instead it was the watch that the man was likely wearing seconds ago.
Ruggie takes a moment to observe the guy's face some more. His eyes are the same as when Ruggie bumped into him, open and honest. His skin is bright and healthy with no wrinkles besides the permanent smile lines that etch into his face.
Ruggie couldn’t tell you what made him open his right hand and accept the watch but he did.
“Don’t worry, it's worth much more than my wallet. That thing’s only got my IDs.” His friendly laughter punctuates Ruggie’s hammering heart. He’s seen this scenario before hidden behind trash cans and scrap metal. This is when they take out the badge and the handcuffs.
How could he be so stupid? Just because he got to go to a fancy school he got rusty! He should’ve watched him more carefully!
Ruggie shakily shoves the stolen wallet into the man’s hands and runs. Down the street. Into the subway. And into his new dorm.
On the wooden floor near the door there's a singular suitcase with all the clothing and items Ruggie owns. There's no couch, no chairs, no rug, just a simple bed.
In its emptiness Ruggie sits down on the stiff mattress bed and stares at the barren walls around him as he tries to make sense of his night. He thinks back to all the little hints the guy gave that he caught Ruggie but comes up with nothing. Ruggie finds solace in the fact that the man doesn't know his name.
His body comes to the realization before him. A chill falls over his body. His mind finally catches up and he visualizes the name that was engraved into the wallet.
Kalim Al-Asim.
It's been one week since Ruggie stole the watch. After learning that it was Kalim Al-Asim he decided against selling online. After all, everyone's heard the rumors about the powerful Asim family.
The Asim conglomerate has business in almost every financial, commercial, and industrial department. There’s no telling what will happen if the watch is traced back to him.
The watch is now hidden away in a wooden box. The only thing that connects the box back to Ruggie is the small hyena sticker his grandmother gave him when he was nine.
Now all Ruggie has to do is prepare for his second year of college, meet his new roommate, give them the rules about never touching his food or detergent or anything he buys, and an easy rich school life will be his.
The RA of Ruggie’s dorm building emailed him in the morning to tell him when his roommate would come that afternoon. Unfortunately for him he’ll be at work but Ruggie doesn’t give himself any time to complain. Time spent thinking about his problems is time better spent making money and with that Ruggie’s out the door to his part time job at the local donut shop.
After years of part-time jobs Ruggie’s movements are muscle memory, from the cooking to the pleasantries, he works without hesitation. By the time his shift is over he's standing in front of his dorm door and in one swift motion he pulls the door open wide.
“Hey! I’m your new roommate” a familiar cheery voice says way too loudly for the distance between them, “my name is Kalim”. Kalim sits in the center of the previously barren floor. Now it is covered with a complicated decorative Indian style square rug. Surrounding him are three massive suitcases each one is open and messily overflowing.
Ruggie slams the door. Maybe the sound will wake him up and he’ll be free from this nightmare. He can only hope.
From the other side Kalim starts chattering away.
“I think we might’ve met before. Am I mistaking you for someone else? Sorry I’m not too good with faces. Anyway, what's your name? I know they gave me a paper with your name on it but I kinda lost it somewhere. One of my good friends, oh I’ll tell you all about him later, but they told me that I gotta ask you what your dorm rules are” With each word Ruggie’s hope to move forward decays.
Ruggie looks down the hallways towards the stairwell, the windows, even the vents but nothing. He can’t come up with any escape plan.
Kalim opens the door and looks at Ruggie. Ruggie tries to steels his face into neutral gaze. In the quietness of the hallway all he can hear is his heartbeat drumming in his ears rhythmically. Kalim moves to stick his hand out for a handshake but pauses. Ruggie watches as Kalim breaks eye contact with him to glance to the side before speaking softly.
“Can we be friends?”. It wasn’t just the soft tone that froze Ruggie in his place. He’s a man who can easily put away his emotions to get a job done. But no one had asked Ruggie if they could be friends since… Ruggie couldn’t give an exact time but he knew it was a long time.
Ruggie pulls his mind back to the boy in front of him. Kalim’s wide garnet eyes look at him expectantly and his dimples are on full display as a shy smile has graced his face.
“We’re roommates.” Ruggie replies. He swiftly ducks out of Kalims gaze and into the dorm.