Chapter Text
— wednesday january 20 2016
it’s freezing in the lovely city of rochester at this time of year. in fact, it’s below freezing — 22° to be exact. so why was michael walking out on the snowy covered sidewalks, penguin shuffling his feet in his big, heavy combat boots, careful not to slide on the ice?
well, to get to his 8 am college class, of course. his professor hadn’t sent out a email to the student portal about class being canceled despite that fact that most students weren’t even going to attempt to leave their warm dorm rooms to slosh through the ice that covered the campus sidewalks. they just returned from christmas break last week.
michael already missed his family— being at home with his parents, his childhood dogs, his old friends who he hasn’t seen since he moved to the bustling city to study music production.
michael pulled his black and white striped beanie further over his ears, protecting them from the piercing cold air before shoving his hands farther into his leather jacket pockets. he tried to pick up the pace with his clunky boots and slippery ice, urging himself to get to the warmth of the music building.
his ten minute commute from his dorm room to class was annoying enough, even when the weather was nice, so it’s ten times more inconvenient in the snow.
michael can feel the bone chilling cold settle on his eye brow piercing, that, honestly, has probably been slowly rejecting since he got it done at the piercing shop on the strip that’s littered with bars, coffee shops and diners.
michael tucked his chin into the collar of his jacket, his bright red hair falling into his eyes as he neared the building he had been walking towards for the past fifteen or so minutes.
michael reached the music building doors, tugging on the curved handle of the door. as the door swung open, warm air surrounded him and he felt his body relax a little bit. he pulled his chin out of the collar of his jacket and brushed what hair had fallen out of his beanie back into its rightful, messy, place.
his mom had convinced him to trim up his hair while he was home visiting for the holidays but she could not convince him to redye his hair a more natural color. “but it’s christmas!” michael protested “you are lucky i didn’t show up with red and green in my hair.” he had told his mom. maybe he would appease her over spring break.
michael’s bright green eyes were still trying to adjust to the lighting difference in the dimly lit building, scanning to find the room he needed to be in. michael spotted some students sitting on a bench outside the auditorium. he decided to ask them if they were also in the intro class with the professor he had already forgotten the name of. the cleared his throat but his voice still came out a bit raspy due to the cold still feeling heavy on his vocal cords.
“hey, um, are you guys here for the intro to music class?” he asked with low confidence.
the pair nodded at him, before the male student spoke “yeah, if professor deaton would actually bother to show up.” the blonde haired boy scoffed out his response.
his voice was dripping with annoyance. michael noticed the blonde boy was fidgeting with the black ring in his lower lip with his tongue.
michael audibly sighed and reached a hand up to do his own fidgeting with his brightly dyed hair. “judging by your reaction, does this happen a lot?” michael asked.
this caused the blonde haired boy to finally look up at who was speaking to him. he flashed his bright blue eyes up to meet michael’s.
the boys eyes widened a bit, flashing up to the mess of fire truck red, spiky hair that was poking out every which way out of the knitted beanie the pale boy was sporting. the blonde boy refocused his eyes on the face of the boy who asked the question, hoping that his reaction didn’t seem rude to the boy standing before him.
“um, yeah, kind of, unfortunately.” the blonde haired boy answered with a slight hind of embarrassment. he chewed at his lip ring, once more.
“i’m his TA and if he would just give me the key to this stupid room,” the boy nodded his head towards the door of the auditorium, “i could get everyone in their seats and take care of getting attendance and starting his slides for him.”
the boy on the bench looked over to the tanned skin girl that was sitting next to him. she had her headphones placed over her ear, the left ear peaking out through her pin straight, jet black hair.
michael could faintly make out her mixing a track on her janky mac book laptop. “sierra, have you heard from your dad or not?” the blonde elbowed the girls side, slightly.
“ah shit.” her quiet voice squeaked out. she pulled her headphones off of her ears, making her hair bunch up around her neck.
michael was looking at her now, she was very pretty. her eyes crinkled at the edges and her tanned skin was so smooth and covered with sun-kissed freckles; unlike michaels skin which was littered with a couple of nerdy tattoos, bumps and scars and so pale he was practically see through, even in the summer time.
the dark haired girl was a definite contrast from the lighter and brighter boy who was settled at her side on the uncomfortable, mass produced school bench.
the blonde boy flicked his eyes from sierra to the tall, pale boy standing in front of the pair. sierra pulled her phone out of its place under her laptop and her shoulders fell as her eyes rolled with annoyance.
she sighed out, “no, luke. he probably won’t show up. i’m sure he’ll cancel class. he doesn’t like driving when it’s below freezing since his wreck last winter.” she frown slightly at the blonde, luke, before turning her attention back to her laptop.
michael sighed once again “well, that sucks. i walked fifteen minutes to class, braving the cold, for no reason?” he was slightly annoyed at the fact that his professor didn’t bother to send out an email about canceling class.
but he was a little relieved that he got out of bed this morning because otherwise he would probably be rotting under the covers of his shitty dorm room twin mattress. that is not how michael wanted to start this semester.
michael shifted his weight between this feet, the snow that was on his boots making a small wet spot on the outdated carpet of the school building.
luke looked back up at michael with apologetic, big blue eyes. michael was really fixated on his eyes, now. michael didn’t like eye contact, usually, but there was something about how icy blue these eyes were that were captivating his attention.
“sorry.” luke managed to get out as his attention bounced down to his own laptop. “i guess i should send out and email on his behalf about class even though it seems like you were the only one who was even gonna show today. that’s some dedication..–“ luke paused, refocusing on the boy in front of him.
luke wasn’t able to catch the boys eyes at first. the colored haired boy was chewing on his thumb before realizing that the boy on the bench had paused, probably expecting a reply from him.
michael’s bright eyes darted to the boy, a little wide from shock that he wasn’t even listening to what the TA was saying to him. “i’m sorry? i got anxious and spaced out.” michael admitted his cheeks tinting a shade darker.
they were already a shade of pink from the cold air whipping across his face during his walk around campus this morning. the brisk wind had already had his lips a mess, he could only imagine his cheeks will feel chapped as well tomorrow.
luke chuckled a little at the boy, who seemed very nervous about missing this class. “your name? that’s what i paused for.” luke looked up at him curiously, his tongue brushing over his tongue ring once more.
“oh, uh, names michael.” michael awkwardly stuck his hand out towards the pair on the bench, his tattered back pack sliding down the slick material of his thrifted black leather jacket. he tugged it back over his shoulder before finishing his previous thought.
“michael clifford.” michael’s eyes beamed with pride. he couldn’t wait to introduce himself as a music producer to potential clients. that’s why he really needed professor whatever his name was to actually bother to show up to teach him.
luke chuckled again, looking at the way the boys demeanor changed, michael flashing his white, bunny teeth at the younger boy.
“well, nice to meet you michael. i’m luke and this is sierra.” luke said, smiling kindly at the boy in front of his legs.
luke slightly elbowed sierra’s ribs again, causing her to briefly look up from her lap top and flash a quick wave at michael. michael could tell the dark haired girl was way more interested in her music than either one of the two boys invading her space.
“her dad is a professor here so she kinda lucked out and got into the program fairly easily.” luke explained to michael.
“nice to meet you both.” michael smiled sweetly at the pair even though the girl was not paying attention to him at all and was, in fact, pulling her headphones back over her ears, to drown out the voices of the two boys.
luke rolled his eyes at sierra and focused his attention back to michael. luke tilted his head slightly towards sierra who was now adjusting in the seat to sit cross legged juggling her laptop. “ignore her. she’s so focused. she really wants to write and produce music.”
michael smiled, widely. he wanted the same thing so he agreed. “yeah, me too. i really wish class was happening today.” his cheeks tinted darker again, not quite the shade of red his hair was though. that would be a sight.
“sorry, i sound like such a nerd.” michael apologized to the boy who was typing up an email on his laptop, probably to the rest of the students in the class, alerting them to the cancellation of class.
“yeah. no. um- i mean..” luke stumbled over his words. he didn’t want to seem impolite to the boy before him. “you don’t seem like a nerd. you seem very passionate and determined.”
luke’s long fingers paused on his newer mac book. “i was actually complimenting you on that when you zoned out.” now it was time for luke’s cheeks to flush a slight shade of pink. he didn’t want to seem rude, calling michael out on his anxious habit.
“not many students would walk in the snow and ice just to make it to an intro class. bravo.” luke flashed his perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth at michael.
michael thought luke probably used that charcoal toothpaste which supposedly made your teeth whiter. some trendy new fad that would fade in a month or two. michael did, however, notice a small chip on the tooth in which luke’s black lip ring was settled next to.
luke hit send on the email he was typing up and almost instantly michael’s phone vibrated in his too tight black skinny jeans back pocket. he wiggled the cracked iphone out of his pocket, clicking it open to the email notification that luke had just sent. “wow.” michael’s lips parted, “you’ll never believe it! class is canceled today due to the weather.” michael joked, his tone very sarcastic.
this earned a chuckle from luke. michael wondered if it was a sympathetic chuckle at his clearly terrible joke or if luke really thought his sarcasm was funny. michael noticed that dimples formed in luke’s stubble covered cheeks during this chuckle, which he had not noticed before, so maybe luke really did like his dry humor.
michael slid his phone into the pocket of his black leather jacket, not wanting to bother with his jeans again, seeing as he had to shimmy his phone into the tight fabric.
luke closed his lap top, sliding it into a very classy looking, leather lap book cover before placing it carefully in a book bag that was monogrammed, most likely with his initials.
luke flashed his eyes back up to meet michael’s frame, once again. luke stared at the boy though his long eyelashes, he noticed that michael had a piercing of his own, on his eye brow, tucked behind his wild locks of bright hair. if you weren’t looking for it, you probably wouldn’t even notice it for the account of the boys wildly messy hair.
luke blew some air out before grabbing his own backpack and slinging it over his broad shoulders before standing up, stretching his legs out. he was slightly taller than michael when he was standing. michael watched the boy as he stood up, adjusting his back pack and wrapping a thick scarf, that michael hadn’t even noticed, around his neck.
luke was aware of how absurdly cold it was outside. he woke up nearly an hour before he was needed to help out with class and he had to brave a walk around campus as well. although, he was slightly closer than michael was, it seemed by how the boy talked about his commute.
“well,” michael paused, smiling shyly at luke who was now standing in front of him. michael had to slightly tilt his eye up to meet luke’s piercing blue eyes again.
“i guess ill see you around when it’s not freezing and class is actually in session.” michael shoved his hands back into the pockets of his jacket, getting ready to brave to cold to walk back to his cozy dorm due to the rest of his classes already being converted to online discussion forums.
michael gave a friendly nod at luke and sierra, who was still buried in her lap top, clacking on the keys occasionally.
he turned on his heels, his boots making a little squeak from the wet spot that was slowly drying in the warm of the music building. he started his stride towards the big glass doors of the building, tucking his chin back down into his jacket.
“wait!” luke spoke, without really realizing he had. he hand his long arm extended out towards the boy who was folding himself into his chunky clothes.
luke’s mouth fell open, he didn’t really know what he was going to say. he didn’t plan on saying anything at all so when the color haired boy turned to him, he tried to close his mouth into a friendly smile.
“i mean- uh. do you maybe-?” luke’s stubble covered cheeks blushed a faint pink, again, he reached his hand up to ruffle through his dirty blonde hair, flatting it a bit as his tongue darted over his piercing.
“i mean do you want to go with sierra and i to the coffee shop and maybe discuss the syllabus?” luke’s eyes darted between sierra, michael and the floor. he dropped the hand out of his hair and turned it up in a “i don’t know” gesture with a shrug of his shoulders for good measure.
“i mean since you were the only one to show up on this dreadful day i think i should at least help you out a little bit?”luke sounded slightly confused. and to be honest, he was.
he wasn’t sure why he was inviting michael to hang out at the coffee shop with him and sierra. even though sierra will most likely ignore him anyway and play dj on her lap top until she decides it’s time to head back to her place for a nap.
michael gave luke a small smile, his eyes glinting a little bit in the dim light before he chuckled a little lowly. “um… yeah, yeah i think i would enjoy that.” michael answered honestly.
he hadn’t made many friends since moving. if you could even consider this offer a budding friendship. it sounds like luke is just trying to help him out since he is mr. deatons TA. he is probably just inviting michael to earn some brownie points with the professor.
michael didn’t care though. michael had some hope bubbling up in the pit of his stomach that this might be the year for him. he quickly shoved the nauseous feeling back down and tried not to appear too giddy.
“well,” luke clapped his large hands together, gaining the attention of his counterpart. “let’s get going then! i can drive us, though, we don’t have to walk through the freezing cold.”
sierra glared up at the tall boy through her dark eye brows. michael kind of thought she looked intimidating and wondered what exactly the dynamic was between the pair. he didn’t really know why he cared at all about what they were to each other but he found his mind swimming with the thought.
“uh no. you won’t be driving us anywhere. i don’t even know what you just signed me up to participate in. but, i grew up here and ive been driving in these conditions for literal years.” she glanced over at michael. her big, dark brown eyes focused on him for the first time this morning.
“trust me,” she winked at the pale boy who looked a little scared. “you’ll be much safer with me driving rather than lu.” she smiled up at luke, a big, goofy, teasing smile.
michael didn’t know why he felt so anxious about these two strangers. his anxiety melted away when the boy with the bluest eyes and the blackest lip ring flashed him a perfectly white, pearly smile asking if he was ready to go.
michael didn’t even care for coffee but for some reason he was so compelled to be around this boy that he ignored the fact that his nose wrinkled up at the thought of the strong smell of coffee.
michael smiled back, his goofy bunny teeth showing. “yeah, yeah i’m ready!” michael finally managed to get out as he watched the pair lead the way out of the music building, into the cold, empty parking lot to luke’s car.