Chapter Text
"I'm here. I'll call you back once I unpack," Alex says, reaching for the door with his key. His other hand, still holding the bag on his shoulder, brings the phone down from his ear. "Love you. Talk soon."
He smiles at the lovely voice and, taking a breath, pulls the door handle.
"Hi, I’m Alex! I’m your new—" but no one's there. He glances around—completely empty. "—roommate," he finishes in a whisper, for no real reason. The room really is empty.
Alex chuckles at himself. Did he really expect someone to greet him with open arms? Especially at this time of the evening?
So, he's alone. But not in a "nobody-is-home" sense—he was warned the dorms were packed, and he knew he only got this spot because he was an exchange student and couldn't afford anything more expensive.
Alex doesn’t rush to claim the empty bed, which is relatively far from the door. Well, relatively—it's not a big room. He decides to inspect his roommate’s side first. Might as well. When will he get the chance again?
His eyes are drawn immediately to a flag near the bed—some sports team, maybe hockey. Alex isn't sure. Well, pretty typical for a 20-something guy. A couple of photos hang on the wall: a blond guy with light hair and pale green eyes. Alex smirks—what else did he expect from Minnesota?
A photo with a dog, a group shot, one with a woman—probably his mom—and then a framed picture on the desk... Wait. That man looks familiar.
"Shit..."
Peter Hauri. Professor Peter Hauri. More precisely, Hans-Peter Hauri, professor of psychology and sleep pathology. Alex had seen the memorial plaque dedicated to him in one of the university halls. He knew exactly who the man was and what he contributed to science—mental health had always fascinated Alex.
If he's really living with Hauri's son, well, that would explain both his roommate assignment and why he ended up at this university.
Then Alex notices a stuffed black cat. It looks a bit worn, and the sight brings a soft smile to his face. He, too, had kept some toys from childhood. Some patches of fur had faded to gray, but the kitten still looked cute.
Then the smile fades. There, on the nightstand, is an open pack of condoms and a bottle of lube.
That’s enough exploration for now.
Not that Alex was some innocent, blushing virgin. He wasn’t a virgin at all. It’s just… Maybe it was the fact that he still lived with his parents, or maybe he simply saw sex as a bit more private—definitely not something to leave on open display. That was like leaving sex toys right on top of a made bed—too much.
Thoughts still buzzing with impressions of his new roommate, Alex moves toward the window to let in some fresh evening air. The courtyard outside glows softly under a few streetlamps. From the street, a faint hum of voices drifts in.
Time to unpack.
He opens his bag and dumps a few things on the bed. Fortunately, they each have their own (small, but separate) dressers and shelves—great news for someone who values personal space as much as Alex does. He starts folding underwear and socks when he remembers: he forgot to call his parents.
But before he can hit "call," the door bursts open. He nearly jumps out of his skin and drops his phone.
"Oh god, Matt, I’ve been waiting all day," says the first person he sees—a girl tugging at the collar of a very tall guy’s shirt. His hands are on her waist.
Alex’s stomach tightens. What the fuck is he supposed to do?
Finally, the door shuts behind them, and Alex gets a better look at the guy. Matt. Alex freezes. Doesn’t know what to say. Luckily, Matt pulls away from the brunette who’s already kissing him, notices someone else's stuff... and finally turns his head.
"Shit." He gently pulls the girl off him and looks at Alex with something like guilt. Then turns back to the girl, hands lightly guiding her away.
"I’m sorry, but you’ve gotta go, Sherry."
"What?!" Oh no—she’s clearly drunk.
"I completely forgot... I’ll call you a cab, okay?" He looks so lost.
"I live in the building next door, dumbass!" She storms out, slamming the door behind her. Alex is honestly relieved she didn’t slap Matt first.
"I’m sorry," Alex says, standing up from his bed.
"Don’t be. It’s totally my fault. They told me you’d be arriving today, but I went out with friends and just... completely spaced." Matt walks over and offers a hand. "Matthew Hauri. But just Matt."
That last name rings in Alex’s ears. And the height—Jesus, Alex has to look up. The guy’s probably a whole foot taller than him. He’s stunned, and it takes him a few seconds to shake his hand.
"Alex," he says. "Alexander Gumuchian. And before you ask—Armenian roots. That’s where the last name comes from. My dad is Armenian and my mum is Swiss so…"
"Hah, cool! My dad was from Switzerland too."
I know, Alex nearly says. Instead, he bites the inside of his cheek and changes the subject.
"Still, sorry for interrupting your... moment. I hope your girlfriend won’t stay mad for long..."
"Girlfriend? Nah, Sherry’s not my girlfriend," Matt chuckles. "Don’t worry. It’s all good."
They look at each other. Alex tries not to think about how Matt is literally towering over him. He stares. His heart pounds. This is too much. He needs to sit down. Or lie down.
Then he remembers—he still hasn’t taken his shower stuff to the bathroom. Grabbing it, he heads for the door.
"I'm gonna take a shower."
"Cool."
"Cool."
God, that was awkward. And of course—he tries the handle. Locked. Key required. And in this kind of dorm, of course they keep their shower stuff in the room. He realizes it the second he steps inside. He’s never lived in a place like this. And he doesn’t even have anything to change into.
All he has is a towel, a razor, and some shower gel and a loofah. Going back without showering would be even more humiliating.
Idiot. What a perfect fucking first impression.
So Alex just took a shower and mentally prepared himself to knock on the door, hoping the towel wouldn’t slip off his hips. He tied it tighter and slicked his hair back so the wet strands wouldn’t hang in his face. He didn’t want to look even more awkward.
He knocked, a bit hesitantly. Actually, very hesitantly. It was awkward to hold the towel, his toiletries, and clothes all at once.
“Key?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“Come in.”
Matt didn’t look annoyed, which was a relief for Alex. If anything, he seemed amused by the awkwardness of the new roommate.
Alex stepped inside and grabbed some underwear from the dresser. Damn, he wished it was still in the bag. Luckily, Matt quickly returned to his bed, where he’d apparently been lying all this time judging by the glowing laptop screen. Alex quickly put on boxers and a random T-shirt without taking the towel off his hips, tossing everything else onto the bed.
“You’re fast,” Matt noted as Alex pulled on sweatpants.
“Huh? Yeah, I don’t wash my hair,” Alex just hoped Matt wasn’t staring at him.
“Really? At all?” Matt seemed genuinely interested now. Or maybe he got up for some other reason, because he moved over and sat down on the chair at Alex desk.
“Uh, yeah, I just use water and…” Alex, caught off guard, sat on the edge of the bed.
“So now I know your name’s Alex, you’re Armenian, and you don’t wash your hair,” Matt leaned on the desk, smiling at him. “Anything else? I thought we’d actually get to know each other properly. Small talk, y’know?”
“Oh, yeah…” Alex wanted to say “me too,” but stayed silent instead and rattled off a few basic facts: “Well, uh… I’m from Canada, Vancouver, I’m 22, in my third year of kinesiology. And I’ve never lived in a dorm before…”
“That shows,” Matt smirked.
“I’m also lactose intolerant and generally have some digestive issues.”
“Whoa, you tell everyone that on a first date?”
“Not that I go on dates,” Alex blushed a little. Then he realized it was just a joke, but backing out now would be weird. “I mean, I have a girlfriend. But yeah, you’re right, weird things to start with.”
“So you’re like a serial monogamist or something?”
“Huh?”
“Well, serious relationships at this age… I dunno, man, I’d rather party until I’m like 30,” Matt ran his hand through his hair. Only now did Alex notice how curly it was. And probably soft too.
“Party?”
“Yeah… you know what I mean,” Matt looked a bit embarrassed, but the dim light made it hard to tell if he was blushing. “Sorry again about today.”
“Ah,” of course. A guy like him just uses his charm and likes to keep things casual.
“I’ll try to give you a heads-up next time,” Matt got up, and Alex’s eyes stayed fixed on a blank spot.
“Next time?” he accidentally voiced the thought. A totally unnecessary question. Alex could have guessed on his own if he hadn’t been in such a rush.
“Yeah, haha,” Matt took off his T-shirt and grabbed his shower stuff.
“Don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Cool,” nope. That was anything but “cool.” Sharing a room for the next six months with someone permanent was one thing. But meeting new people every day, or rather, probably losing the chance to be alone in the room for some time daily… Anxiety immediately reminded him it was a problem. What about studying for finals and all that?
“Oh, and by the way,” a clear voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Matt apparently grabbed everything he needed and picked up his keys from the desk. “I’m 21, from Rochester, and you’ve probably already seen my dad. Well, not literally, he died five years ago…”
“I know,” fuck, Alex, “I mean, I know his work. And I’m sorry he died.”
“Yeah…” something heavy flickered across Matt’s usually bright face. “I’ll get going. Make yourself at home, whatever.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Alex buried his face in the pillow. Something… no, everything was screaming at him—he wasn’t going to feel at home here.