Chapter Text
It was a mostly pleasant fall afternoon. It were around 2 PM and a guy named Derek Hutchins had just left his home to live and study at Kamiyama University. After saying his final goodbyes, the man boarded his car and went on a 2 hour trip to his college dormitories. By 4:30 PM, he had parked his car in the students' parking lot and began wheeling his luggage to his dorm.
Along the way, he had accidentally bumped into another guy, the shorter white readhead had tripped and fell face-flat from the uneven floorings of the halls. Derek put down his luggage and rushed to check up on the young man. "Sir, are you alright?" he had asked while crouching to help the man back on his feet.
The redhead frantically picked up the books he was carrying before he fell. He turned his back with eyes wide open like he was still processing what just happened. "Ah, yes. I'm fine, don't worry!" the young man had said. Derek pulled the young man up and gave him the rest of the stuff that fell from his hands.
After a few moments, the two were standing face to face with each other before one broke the silence. "Once again, my apologies for this circumstance." the tan-skinned male stated once again. He grabbed his luggage and wheeled it over to one of the nearby rooms, which was his. He unlocked the door with the key he was given at the register and was greeted by his roommate for the rest of the year.
It was a black guy named Brent, a semi-famous basketball player in the school, was known by most but only has 1 or 2 close friends. His head snapped at Derek, giving a subtle nod as his way of greeting the other, Derek quickly reciprocated that nod and made his way into the room. He opened the wall closet to see that his roommate's clothes were tidied up on one side, leaving the other bare for him in advance. Derek had breathed in deep and started unpacking his stuff and settling in.
Around 6:56 PM, the verge of 7 o' clock, Derek had finally organized his half of the room and laid down on the bottom bunk that he had put a mattress topper on. He then opened his phone to check for any notifications from his family and the syllabus for the year until one of the RAs knocked thrice and gently opened the door.
The RA squinted his eyes, looking around the room until his eyes met Brent's. "You, you're getting moved out last second. We finally found you a solo room." the RA said, voice strict yet professional. Derek's roommate looked nothing more than overjoyed, quickly shoving his things into his luggage bag neatly and efficiently. Around 30 minutes later, he was done and was about to leave the room but not before wishing Derek luck with whoever he'll get as a roommate. "Yo, good luck on the new roommate, dude." he said while putting his fingers into a peace sign
Derek gave him a half-hearted response while grinning slightly. "Can't say the same for you." while putting his book down. Brent had chuckled at the comeback and left the room. Not even a tick of the clock had gone by and another RA had peaked their head into the room. "Your new roommate will be arriving soon, hang tight." the RA said before closing the door.
He couldn't care less and shrugged then went back into reading his book. Around 15 minutes later, the doorknob shook slightly then the door opened, revealing the guy he bumped into earlier. The man looked around the room and squinted his eyes when he saw the sight of Derek's face.
"No way, it's you!" the man gleefully said with his luggage still in one hand. Derek was surprised he was more happy than upset about him tripping down the hall earlier, seems like his new roommate had already forgotten about the interaction from earlier.
The man had closed the door behind him and made his way into the dorm, quickly unpacking his stuff in a messy but weirdly organized fashion, leaving Derek's side of the wall closet alone while still using his own space. After 30 minutes of unpacking he sat down on the bed and looked at Derek. "I'm Avery, Avery Hunter." he had said while reaching his hand out to shake Derek's.
Derek then put down his book on the nightstand next to him. He then sat up to shake Avery's hand, it was cold probably from the fall atmosphere from outside but it was a relaxing kind of cold. A cold that still had a spark of warmth inside "Glad to meet you, Avery. My name is Derek, Derek Hutchins." he had replied.
Avery on the other hand, shivered slightly, Derek's voice was strict and his face looked like he was about to eat someone at any moment. The awkward handshake lingered for a while until Avery's phone began ringing in his pocket. He let go of Derek's hand to answer it. He gently closed the door behind him and when he picked up his phone, he saw that it was his parents.
His hand hovered above the green phone icon, as if hesitating on pressing that answer button. He exhaled sharply and his personality switched a whole 180 degrees as soon as the signal reached his end. "Hey mom, what's up?" he said, voice audibly more monotone than earlier.
A static sound was heard from the other line, until it cleared up and the voice of his mother was resonant through the phone. "Avery, dearest. Have you gotten to the dormitories yet?" his mother spoke from the other end, voice strict and firm. Unexpected coming from a parental figure but this his normal.
"Yeah, I have." he said, putting his other hand into his pocket. He fidgets with whatever he has in his pockets. Keys, tissues, the seams of the fabrics, anything really.
His mother cleared her throat and took a sip of tea, slurping audible from Avery's phone. "Well, it's your last first day of school tomorrow, I suggest you begin sleeping now to prepare yourself for a busy morning tomorrow. After all, I only want what's best for you." his father had said from the other line with the faint clinking of ceramics.
The call went on for a shocking 12 minutes, it was just telling Avery on how he should be prepared for whatever senior year is gonna bring until Avery made up an excuse to drop the call. Avery then went back into the dorm and greeted Derek with a smile on his face, the personality change could catch anyone off-guard, and that's exactly what happened.
Derek was in utter shock, not visibly but mentally on how Avery just flipped an internal switch between serious and friendly. Despite the sudden change, Derek decides not to mention it for now as it might be a personal matter in Avery's hands.
"I think I'm gonna sleep. Just use the night lamp over there if you wanna continue reading your book. Goodnight, Derek." the man had said. He was sleeping but time was barely scratching on the surface of 8 o' clock!
Derek was outright concerned for his roommate, sleeping before dinner, really? Derek couldn't hold back his thoughts anymore and checked in on Avery. "You haven't had dinner yet, though. Shouldn't you eat before you sleep?" he asked, voice slightly louder from concern.
Avery awkwardly smiled and waved his hands. "Ah! I ate a lot before dinner, so I'm not that hungry. Thanks for asking, though!" he said as he grabbed his pyjamas and headed to the bathroom to change.
He put his pyjamas on the pre-installed rack and latched on to the sink and stared at the mirror, another year of having to mentally and physically change his actions and thoughts when talking to his friends and parents, he thinks. He had never wanted a life that was "best" for him, he was forced into taekwondo when he was thirteen and quit at fourteen after he broke his arm from foul play.
Around 5 minutes passed before he emerged from the bathroom, lime and white striped pyjamas with a night cap equipped with a lime green pompom on its end. He let out a few grunts and scoffs as he settled into bed.
Derek looked at the clock a few minutes after Avery had settled in, it was 7:34 PM and he was feeling kind of hungry so he decided to make his way to the convenience store not even 5 minutes away from the campus. When he was greeted by the store's automatic doors and the faint smell of kimchi from the back refridgerators, he saw Hastur, carrying an entire case of banana milk.
"Yo! You finally got here, how's your roommate?" his friend had asked, case of banana milk blending with the yellow hoodie he was wearing. Derek scratched the back of his head and hesitantly replied.
"Ah, it's fine, decent roommate I suppose, he's got a bit of a problem with his parents but it's whatever." he said while spinning his wallet on his finger by the means of the keychain. They waved goodbye to each other then Derek went on with his night. He bought what he needed, ate, got back to his dorm, read a little bit, and slept as well.
The next morning, he discovered that Avery was nowhere to be found. That was odd, but he didn't wonder any more. He showered then changed his clothes and walked to the cafe which he absolutely adored because of the flower arrangements. Who knew blue orchids would look so lovely inside a building? The wind chimes rang through out the cafe and he walked to the register. He was a bit shocked to see Avery behind the counter and greeted him good morning.
"Good morning, Avery. What brings you here?" Derek asked with a slight smile on his face, he had not expected his roommate to snag a part-time job at the cafe which would be filled with people applying for an extra buck.
Avery chuckled slightly, just as pleased to see Derek as he was to see Avery. "Good morning to you too! I work here, and looks like class is about to start in an hour, I should probably get going after this. Anyways, what can I get you?" he said while brewing up an espresso.
Derek took a look at the menu, it was beginning to show some fall-exclusive items and Derek was curious to try them. "I'll have the pumpkin bagel and the strawberry latte." he said whilst looking up at the menu.
Avery began wiping some of the tools in the back dry, probably different ones from the tools used to make simpler stuff like americanos and cappuccinos. "Alright, scan the QR code to pay and I'll call your name once it's ready!" he said.
Three minutes later, Derek's name was called and he began walking to his classes. Sure it was a bit early but hey, early bird gets the worm right? He walked down the road which was beginning to be covered in leaves. A few crunches here and there but he eventually made his way to class. The day went normal for a first day of school then he went back to his dorm afterwards. He wasn't looking forward to any clubs since his years of school are about to end anyway so he just napped a bit before studying,