Chapter Text
One and a half years ago (March)
There was death in bubbles, the ones that escaped him as he clawed to the surface for a moment before being dragged down again.
Roman couldn’t breathe.
Icy black water crashed around him as his entire body spasmed-his neck throbbed and, when he was able to suck in a breath, his entire perception narrowed to the line of fiery pain burning his side.
Roman was going to die- even if he found a foothold, even if he miraculously launched himself to shore without falling back in, even if he scraped his mud-clogged body away from the rapids with strength he didn’t have.
Roman was going to die because even if he survived, he would find Roman.
And he would kill him.
-
Present Day
“I still can’t believe you’re leaving me,” Roman huffed at his now previous roommate, Patton Morales. Roman shook a box of his belongings for emphasis.
“I’m living across campus, Roman,” Patton said, giggling when Roman shook the box again, “It’s closer to my pre-med classes and is hardly much of a trek.” Patton adjusted his backpack and the laundry basket of Roman’s belongings that he was carrying to rest on his hips. He ran a hand through his tangle of coppery curls.
Patton had been Roman’s freshman year college roommate and, while Roman had been slightly worried about a random assignment, the two of them became fast friends. Patton was sweet and easygoing, if a little overbearing. They had bonded the first year over dorm activities and a mutual love of animated movies. It also helped that Patton crafted the most delicious pastries known to man at seemingly random intervals.
While they had gotten along well as roommates, Patton had decided to change housing areas for their sophomore year. The school approved the request because of his major, but they wouldn’t do the same for Roman.
“Across the room to across campus may as well be a hundred miles!” Roman exclaimed, finally coming in view of his student apartment for the year. He set the box down and whirled around to face Patton, “You’re robbing me of my youth! How do I enjoy my youth with strangers?!”
Patton crinkled his nose, “Logan isn’t a stranger.”
“I’ve met point dexter maybe a total of three times since you both took that calc class together and I’ve spoken to him even less. I don’t even know the third guy’s name!”
Just because the random roommate assignment worked well last year doesn’t mean it would happen again and he wasn’t sure about Logan. He seemed taciturn, but Patton vouched for him. Although Patton would vouch for pretty much anybody.
Patton shook his head, Roman watched as the coils swayed at the top of it, “You’ll become friends,” he said, pointing up at Roman, “You become friends with your two new roommates, I become friends with my two new roommates and then we’ll all be friends together! Maybe we can throw a party!”
Roman shot him with an exasperated look. Patton only adjusted his gold-frame glasses and nodded with conviction, walking up the stairs as he did so. He motioned towards the door and Roman opened it, taking in the suite.
It was a step up from the shared bedroom Patton and he had last year, but not by much. There was a kitchenette and a small living area with a single blue couch in the middle. Behind the couch was a glass door that opened to a dilapidated balcony fenced in by a black frame. The right side included a single room that cost more than the double room which Roman selected.
“At least I’m closer to the bathroom,” Roman grumbled, casting a longing glance at the single room and walking into the double.
“Oh hush, double rooms mean double sleepovers! That’s why I chose it for my apartment!” Patton said.
“You don’t even know who your roommates are going to be.”
“Part of the fun,” Patton said, booping his own nose and setting the laundry basket down, “is this all your stuff?”
Roman nodded and set his own box down. He had lived in the dorms over the summer and hadn’t accumulated much, “Looks like mystery roommate hasn’t arrived yet,” he said, glancing over at the bare bed on the other side of the room.
Patton was making quick work of Roman’s bedding, setting the sheets down with remarkable efficiency and fluffing the pillow.
“Do you know anything about him?” Patton asked.
“The only information he put on the housing website is that he’s a freshman. He somehow got out of the mandatory dorm requirement because his dad works here or something.”
Patton hummed, “Kind of sad he’s missing out on the bonding activities, but I guess that can be overwhelming for some people,” he muttered then gasped, “Oh! You can help him with all his freshman drama! That’s so cute!”
Roman laughed, “Patton, he’s at most a year younger than us.”
“Help the child!” Patton whined and moved to take off and unzip his backpack, “C’mon you’ll be like a big brother!”
Roman flinched, “I don’t-,” he looked down to where Patton had taken out a tangle of wires from his bag, “what is that?”
Patton grinned up at him, “I remember how much you liked my fairy lights in the room last year so,” he held up the lights, decorated with small red and yellow stars, “I got this for you. A move-in present. And a please-still-be-my-friend-even-though-we’re-not-roomies present.”
“So a bribe,” Roman quipped, even though the present warmed him. Patton stuck his tongue out and hunted for an outlet. He produced a bottle of tacks and went around Roman’s side of the room, hanging up the lights. Roman tried to help, it was far easier for him to reach the top of the room, but Patton insisted that it was a part of the present. Roman busied himself with unpacking his meager kitchen supplies (one spoon and fork from a set, a butter knife spirited from the dining hall, a stack of paper plates, and half a pack of unused solo cups) and the rest of his belongings. When he was done, he came back into the room to see Patton had finished with the lights. He plugged them in and a soft orange swept the room. The wire hung awkwardly in places where Patton couldn’t quite reach and hung lower near the head of his bed.
It was perfect.
“Thanks, Pat,” Roman said softly. Patton smiled and spun in a slow circle. Seemingly satisfied, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the lights, no doubt already posting on SandersUnMe- the Sanders University campus app Patton was obsessed with along with most of the student body. Roman was sure he would be too if he had a smart phone.
“I have to go and set up my lab access,” Patton said and reached into his bag, pushing a tub full of cookies towards Roman, “Make friends,” Patton said sternly, gesturing towards the cookies meaningfully.
“I’m sorry, that sounds like you want me to share these?”
“Make. Friends,” Patton said again, punctuating each syllable with a shake of the container, “For someone with such a charming personality, you barely tried to talk to anyone else last year.”
“I spoke to Logan.”
“Less than three times, as you already mentioned.”
Roman huffed, but there was no denying Patton when he had that look on his face- golden eyes round and shining with determination. Roman took the cookies and sighed.
“I’ll try.”
And in Roman’s defense, he really did try. Well, kind of. He did what Patton asked at least because when Logan Sage finally arrived, slightly red in the face and huffing, with two overstuffed suitcases, a backpack, and several more boxes behind him holding the door open, Roman waved the container in his face.
“Cookie?” he asked, taking one out, “Or do you already have your food for the year in one of those boxes?”
He wanted to make friends, but not at the cost of commenting on the truly ridiculous amount of stuff this person had brought with him. The single room wasn’t that much bigger.
Logan was either too concentrated on getting his things inside to notice the snideness or it went over his head. Either way, he just shook his head and hauled the two suitcases to his room. Roman watched for a minute while Logan tried to open the door with his elbow. The thick framed glasses were slipping, tilted at a precarious angle. Roman sighed, getting up and catching them before they hit the floor.
“Hello new roommate, nice to meet you new roommate, excited to spend the next year with you new roommate,” Roman said, raising an eyebrow when Logan finally looked up and made eye contact.
Logan looked ruffled, which was incredibly amusing because in the past three interactions Roman had with him he had always had an air of complete control. He was wearing a tie of all things and a cotton black polo shirt that he must have been sweating bullets in with the combination of the heat and exertion. Though Roman was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and maroon sweatpants, so he couldn’t judge too harshly.
Logan blew a strand of his straight black hair, which had been impossibly gelled back last Roman had seen him, out of his face.
“Hello,” he said simply, “You are Roman.”
Roman nodded, “I am Roman,” he said, slipping the glasses back on Logan’s face, hiding the dark blue eyes behind the lenses. Logan blinked.
“Thank you,” he blinked again, “You are tall.”
Roman bit back a laugh. Where was the eloquent nerd that Patton talked about?
“I am, I guess most of the times I’ve met you have been sitting in the library. I also have these,” Roman moved his arms up and down, “they work by the way.”
Logan just stared; Roman decided to put him out of his misery.
“Do you need help bringing your stuff in?”
Logan started, “Oh, no that is quite alright I can take multiple trips to-”
“You look like you’re about to pass out. Unless you have a thing against people touching your stuff, I’m helping you.”
Logan conceded. Roman snatched a plastic cup from the kitchen, filled it with sink water, and handed it to Logan before bringing in the rest of the boxes, grabbing what looked heaviest first and working his way down.
“Careful with that one!” Logan exclaimed when Roman came in with the sleek black duffel that was left outside. Roman set it down gently, eyeing the reusable water bottle Logan was drinking from. The plastic cup remained untouched.
“Thank you,” Logan said, his face now its normal complexion- pale in contrast to Roman’s tan. Roman hummed.
“Too good for sink water?”
Logan huffed, “Contaminants and industrial run-off are common in this area’s water supply. Additionally, single-use plastic is far more hazardous to the planet.”
Roman rolled his eyes, “Cheaper though.” He couldn’t believe he wasted one of his cups on the guy.
“Only in the short term. I have an extensive set of kitchenware that I would not be opposed to sharing, however I ask that you do not use my items if you do not intend to wash them immediately after use.” Logan got up and adjusted his tie.
“Your generosity knows no bounds,” Roman said, dipping into a mock bow. He drained the water from the plastic cup in one gulp and set it back on the stack. Logan cringed at the display.
“Perhaps now is a good time to talk about expectations as roommates to keeping our enviornment orderly and functional. Is our third roommate here?”
Roman scoffed, “First off, the room was extremely orderly and functional before you brought what looks like everything you’ve owned in the past two decades. And no, he isn’t here yet.”
What was this guy’s problem? He brings a mountain of things and suddenly Roman is the one being disorderly? With Roman’s five kitchen items?
Logan seemed to consider before turning and moving his things into his room. He came back out, “Oh and Roman, about the cookie you offered earlier?”
Roman perked up a little despite himself. The cookie he had waved at Logan was sitting on the kitchenette counter. Maybe it could be the peace offering against Roman’s rising annoyance.
“Please remove it from the counter, it’s leaving crumbs.”
Roman sighed.
This was going to be a long year.