Snapshots From a Kirkland Dorm Room

by Wildemercury

Summary:

Just a bunch of short (mostly fluffy) (and mostly gay) one shots pre-facebook all with in the walls of the ever infamous Kirkland dorm room!

Chapter 1

Summary:

Eduardo tries to coax Mark to get some sleep!

Mark poured over his computer screen, squinting his eyes as he tried to make sense of the code in front of him. It was 3 AM and the cramped dorm room was eerily silent, except for the occasional tapping of Mark's keyboard. Eduardo was sitting next to him, sifting through paperwork and charts as they worked together on their latest project. Despite being tired, Mark couldn't seem to get himself to sleep. He had almost convinced himself that he would be able to keep working until the morning light started to creep in through the window, but his stomach had other ideas. An empty rumble echoed through the room, and Mark finally pushed back from his laptop.

"I'm going to grab a snack," he mumbled to Eduardo.

Eduardo looked up from his work, "You want me to come with you?"

"It's okay," Mark said, as he stood up and stretched out his limbs. "I won't be long."

Mark slipped out of the room and Eduardo watched him go with a sigh.

It was only a few minutes before Mark returned, clutching a bag of chips and a small bottle of soda. Eduardo shook his head in concern as he watched Mark tuck into the late-night snack. He knew that Mark wasn't particularly interested in taking care of himself, especially when it came to his eating habits, and Eduardo often found himself quietly worrying about him.

"You need some rest, Mark," Eduardo said softly.

Mark huffed out a small laugh, "We all do, Eduardo."

"I'm serious," Eduardo urged. "You'll feel better if you sleep."

Mark shrugged, "Sleep is for the weak. Plus, we've got a deadline coming up."

Eduardo leaned back against the wall and watched Mark finish up his chips. For a moment, he considered trying to talk him into getting some sleep, but he could see the determined look on Mark's face and knew he wouldn't be pushed.

After they had both finished their snacks, Mark lazily threw the empty bag over his shoulder and burrowed into Eduardo's side. Eduardo wrapped his arm around Mark and pulled him close, settling into the cramped twin-sized bed. Eduardo wanted nothing more than to hold Mark, to press against his body and feel the warmth emanating from every inch of him. Mark shifted slightly, resting his head against Eduardo's chest, feeling the slow steady cadence of Eduardo's heartbeat as it lulled him to sleep.

The moonlight filtered in through the window, casting a comforting glow on the two sleeping figures. For a brief moment, the world outside of the dorm room and the anxieties of the upcoming deadline faded away, replaced only by the comforting embrace of Eduardo as they drifted into blissful sleep.

Ultimately, the deadline was met and the project was successful... but for Eduardo, the memory of this sleepy, intimate night with Mark far outstripped any of the technical achievements they had accomplished together.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Mark, Eduardo, and a chicken share a meal in the cafeteria

Mark and Eduardo were sitting in the Harvard dining hall, enjoying their lunch. Eduardo had brought the chicken with him, as he always did lately. The chicken was perched on Eduardo's shoulder, pecking at his food.

As Eduardo was eating his chicken salad, he noticed that his chicken was eyeing his food hungrily. Without thinking, Eduardo scooped up a small piece of chicken from his salad and offered it to his feathered friend.

Mark, who was sitting across from Eduardo, burst out laughing. "Dude, did you just feed your chicken chicken salad?" he asked, still chuckling.

Eduardo looked down at his plate, realizing what he had done. "Oh man, I didn't even think about that," he said, shaking his head.

But Mark couldn't stop laughing. "This is the funniest thing I've ever seen," he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

Eduardo couldn't help but laugh too, and soon the two friends were both in hysterics. Even the chicken seemed to be amused, clucking happily as it pecked at the bits of salad on Eduardo's plate.

From that day on, whenever Mark and Eduardo ate in the dining hall, they made sure to keep a close eye on their food - and on Eduardo's chicken. But they never forgot the hilarious moment when Eduardo accidentally fed his chicken chicken salad.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!!

Chapter 3

Summary:

Mark meets his three roommates for the first time!

Mark had always been something of an introvert, so the idea of living with three strangers in a dorm room was daunting to say the least. But as he arrived on campus and met his new roommates, he couldn't help but feel a little bit better about the whole thing.

Dustin was the first to greet him, bouncing up and down with excitement as he introduced himself. "Hey man! I'm Dustin! This is gonna be so cool, right? I'm so excited!" Mark couldn't help but smile at Dustin's enthusiasm, which was infectious to say the least.

Next up was Billy, who introduced himself with a calm, laid-back demeanor that put Mark at ease almost immediately. "Hey man, I'm Billy. Nice to meet you." Billy's chill vibes were a welcome contrast to Dustin's high energy.

Last but not least was Chris, who had a quiet confidence about him that Mark found intriguing. "Hey there, I'm Chris. Welcome to the team." Chris seemed like the glue that held the group together, which was reassuring to Mark as he tried to find his place in the group.

Over the next few weeks, Mark settled into dorm life with his new roommates, and he quickly grew to appreciate each of their distinct personalities. Dustin was always eager to make new friends and had a knack for bringing people together. Billy was an anchor for the group, keeping them grounded and levelheaded when things got stressful. And Chris was the rock, the one they could all count on when times got tough.

As the semester wore on, the four of them became inseparable, spending countless late nights together studying, hanging out in the common room, and exploring the campus. Mark was still quieter than the rest of the group, but he found he didn't mind so much when he was with them - their easy camaraderie made him feel at home in a way he hadn't expected.

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 4

Summary:

Mark, Eduardo, and the rest of the Kirkland gang discuss an AEPI party at breakfast the next morning

Mark stumbled into the cafeteria the morning after an AEPI party, feeling decidedly worse for wear. He spotted Eduardo, Chris, Dustin, and Billy sitting together at a table, all looking equally exhausted.

"Hey guys," Mark groaned, dropping into a chair. "How are we all feeling this morning?"

Dustin let out a groan. "Ugh, my head is killing me. What were we even drinking last night?"

"Eh, who knows," Chris muttered, rubbing his bleary eyes. "All I know is, my body is telling me I'm never drinking again."

Billy chuckled weakly. "I think we say that every time, man."

Mark nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but this time I really mean it." He winced as a wave of nausea washed over him. "So, how was the party last night? I barely remember anything."

Eduardo grinned, looking slightly more chipper than the rest of them. "It was insane, man. So many people, so much alcohol. I think I danced for like four hours straight."

"Nice," Dustin said, peeling off a piece of toast and staring at it listlessly. "I vaguely remember making out with someone in a stairwell? Maybe?"

"Well, at least somebody had a good time," Chris said, shaking his head. "I was stuck making small talk with that weird guy from Eduardo’s marketing class all night." He shuddered. "Not my idea of a good time."

Mark grimaced. "Yeah, I can't remember anything after that one guy started doing keg stands."

"I remember that," Billy said, looking a little more alert. "He was wearing a Batman onesie, right?"

Eduardo burst out laughing. "Yeah, that was the guy! What was his name again?"

"I have no idea," Mark said, laughing too despite the way his head throbbed. "I don't think I caught anyone's name last night."

"Good old AEPI parties," Dustin said with a sigh. "Always a blast but you pay for it the next day."

Mark groaned in agreement. "I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep until Monday."

"Well, unfortunately we all have class this afternoon," Chris said, checking his watch. "So unless we want to flunk out, we'd better start getting some coffee into our system."

They all groaned in unison, but began to gather their things and shuffle towards the coffee machine. It was going to be a long day, but they knew that somehow, they would get through it together.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 5

Summary:

Mark meets Erica for the first time!

Mark's fingers moved quickly over the keyboard as he typed in the codes for his latest project, a program designed to improve the efficiency of course selection. He was so focused on his work, he barely noticed the sound of chatter and clinking dishes around him.

Erica, on the other hand, had just finished catching up with her best friend over breakfast at the campus coffee shop. She was feeling lightheaded from all the laughter and joking they had been doing. As she gathered her things to leave, she caught a glimpse of the guy sitting next to her. He was deeply engrossed in coding, his eyes darting back and forth between his screen and the pages of notes in front of him.

Something about him caught Erica's attention, and she couldn't resist striking up a conversation. "Working on a big project?" she asked, trying to get Mark's attention.

Mark looked up, surprised at the sudden interruption, but he was intriqued by the girl with the dry sense of humor. "Yeah, something like that," he replied, still a bit guarded.

Erica could sense his reservations, but she was determined to get to know him a bit better. She kept asking him questions, and soon they were talking about all sorts of things.

As they talked and laughed, Mark began to feel more comfortable around Erica. He was enjoying her wit and her bubbly personality, and he found himself opening up to her more and more.

At some point, Mark mentioned that he went to Harvard, while Erica went to BU. Naturally, they both laughed at the classic Harvard-BU rivalry for a bit before continuing the conversation.

After a while, Erica had to leave to attend a class, and Mark reluctantly went back to his work. But throughout the day, he couldn't stop thinking about Erica. He found himself replaying their conversation in his head, and he realized that he was more attracted to her than he had been to anyone else in a long time.

Over the next few weeks, Mark and Erica began spending more and more time together. They would meet up at the coffee shop to chat, grab lunch together, or go for long walks around the campus. Erica seemed to know exactly how to complement Mark's introverted, reserved personality, and he found himself feeling more confident around her every day.

Eventually, Mark found the courage to ask Erica out on a proper date. They went to a romantic Italian restaurant, and as they sat across from each other, staring into each other's eyes, Mark knew that he had found the girl for him….at least for now.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 6

Summary:

Dustin passes time with Mark during a lecture.

Mark and Dustin were both sitting through a boring lecture that neither of them had any interest in. Mark was quietly taking notes and trying to stay focused on the speaker while Dustin was struggling to pass the time.

As the lecture dragged on, Dustin started making bad jokes under his breath, trying to entertain himself and make Mark laugh. Mark tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help being fond of Dustin's attempts to make things more lively.

Dustin continued to crack jokes throughout the lecture, getting more and more outrageous as time went on. Dustin tried to make Mark laugh with silly puns or wordplay, he made comments on the speaker or the lecture itself, poking fun at the dry or boring content, and he came up with clever quips and one-liners on the fly to try and make Mark smile. Mark couldn't help snickering every now and then, despite trying to stay focused on the speaker.

By the time the lecture finally ended, Mark and Dustin both felt relieved and exhausted. Dustin turned to Mark and said, "I don't know about you, but I think my jokes made that lecture a lot more bearable." Mark nodded, smiling, happy to have a friend who could make even the most boring situations a little bit more enjoyable.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Notes:

Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!