Before the sun began to rise and peek through the curtains, Benji’s phone alarm blared through the quiet dorm room. Still half asleep, he turned over, his messy gray hair falling over his eyes, and tapped his phone to silence the noise. The screen displayed the time and date—4:30 AM Saturday, December 23rd alongside a wallpaper featuring his favorite anime, Kingdom of Aridania: Child of Prophecy. With a tired swipe, he shut off the alarm and began getting out of bed.

Meanwhile, on the other bed, Peter, who was a light sleeper, stirred awake at the sound of Benji’s alarm. He turned towards Benji's side of the room.

“Sorry for waking you, you still got an hour before we have to get going. I’m going for my morning run,” Benji said as he hopped off his bed.

“No break for vacay, man?” Peter mumbled, still half asleep.

“Nope, I enjoy it. Wakes me up. It’s my coffee,” Benji replied, already taking off his pajamas.

“Fair enough. Imma go back to sleep. Wake me up when you get back,” Peter chuckled groggily before turning back over.

“Roger that,” Benji responded as he pulled on his running clothes.

Benji dressed in a long-sleeve compression shirt and sweatpants, his preferred outfit for winter runs since he wasn’t fond of the cold. He also pulled on a hat to cover his ears before quietly exiting the dorm room, locking the door behind him.

The dorm floor was standard, but a carpet in Kensington University’s colors—blue, white, and gray—was laid out across the hallway. Benji descended three flights of stairs and stepped outside into the crisp morning air, the sun still not out. He had a preferred route: a right turn out of the dorm, a loop around the park near the center of campus, and then a circuit around the athletics field. Before starting, he put in his earbuds and selected his running playlist. The jog was more of a sprint, given his limited time, and when he returned to the dorm, it was about 5:15 AM.

Back at the dorm, Benji grabbed a change of clothes, a towel, and soap, preparing for a quick shower. As he made his way to the showers, a man stepped out of one of the first-floor dorm rooms. It was the same short Asian man with brown hair Benji had bumped into when he got back from seeing his family.

“Hey, hey, Benji, how’s my favorite nepo-baby doing?” he quipped, blocking Benji’s path.

“I told you not to call me that, Steven,” Benji replied, rolling his eyes.

“Aww, come on, you know it’s true,” Steven teased, reaching out to tap Benji, who moved away slightly.

“What are you doing up so early? We don’t have to leave for the airport until 6:15,” Benji asked, changing the subject as he continued walking toward the shower.

“I forgot to pack last night,” Steven chuckled nervously, trailing after him.

“Of course you did,” Benji sighed.

“Can’t shame me for procrastinating,” Steven shrugged.

“Yes, I can. And will,” Benji replied, lightly slapping Steven on the head.

“Ow, what was that for?” Steven asked, rubbing his head.

“For being a dumbass, that’s what,” Benji said as they reached the entrance to the showers. Steven raised his hand, plotting to slap Benji back.

“Slap me, and I’ll break your hand,” Benji warned, feeling the breeze of Steven’s hand behind him.

“What? How’s that fair?” Steven pouted.

“'Cause I’m a “nepo-baby”, I get special privileges,” Benji shot back, flipping Steven's words on him.

“Ha, see, you admit it,” Steven laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, now let me shower in peace,” Benji replied, trying to hide his amusement.

The two parted ways to shower. Twelve minutes later, Benji stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping from his wet hair and chest. The droplets trailed down, highlighting the crevices of his muscles, before soaking into the towel at his waist. Meanwhile, Steven had already finished his shower and turned towards Benji. Unlike Benji, Steven’s water droplets slid down his skin more easily, unimpeded by muscle definition—he was the more relatable of the two men.

“Oh, my,” Steven whistled suggestively.

“Die,” Benji replied without missing a beat.

Steven laughed. “Alright, so, wanna help me—”

“No,” Benji interrupted coldly, already making his way out of the shower room.

“Why not?” Steven emphasized the last word, trailing after him.

“It’s your problem, you have to deal with it,” Benji responded as he continued walking.

“But what if it makes me late?” Steven asked, half-joking, half-worried.

“Perfect, then I won’t have to deal with you the whole trip,” Benji said enthusiastically.

“Wow, you really hate me that much?” Steven gave him puppy dog eyes.

“Yup,” Benji replied as they approached Steven’s room.

“Such a bad friend,” Steven huffed. “I’ll see you in a few then, meany,” he said, opening his room door.

“Have fun packing,” Benji replied with a big fake smile. In return, Steven flipped him off.

Benji, now alone, quietly made his way back to the room, carefully opening the door to avoid waking Peter. Moving silently, he selected his clothes for the day—a crisp white tee, a soft gray sweatshirt, charcoal black cargo pants, and boots that matched his navy blue designer overcoat, which he set aside until it was time to leave. His movements were deliberate as he slid an obsidian ring onto his right ring finger and fastened a customized diamond chain around his neck, the word "Gray" glinting subtly from it. He then rummaged through his suitcase, retrieving a bottle of cologne. The fragrance was subtle yet refined, with a delicate hint of citrus that lingered just enough without being overpowering. After a few spritzes, he returned the bottle to his bag, then gently walked over to Peter’s bed, nudging him awake with a soft call of his name.

“Peter, wake-up time, it’s 5:35,” Benji said as Peter turned over, grabbing his phone and reluctant to get out of bed.

“I’m starting to regret booking the flight this early,” Peter groaned.

“I bet. Don’t worry, you won’t be regretting it when you get in those first-class seats,” Benji playfully nudged him.

“Oh wow, look now I’m awake. You work magic, Benji,” he enthusiastically sat up in bed.

“What can I say? I got that magic touch,” Benji chuckled. “Now come on, don’t wanna be late.” He slapped the bed.

Peter got out of bed, folding his blanket—unlike Benji—before getting ready to shower. As he was doing this, Benji headed to the door.

“Where you going?” Peter asked while changing.

“Gonna go help our darling Steven get ready. He didn’t pack last night,” 

“Of course not. Alright, text me when you’re done,” Peter sighed.

“Roger that, Captain,” Benji saluted before exiting the room.

He headed down to Steven’s dorm and quickly knocked on the door. Within seconds, Steven swung it open. He was dressed in a black hoodie layered under a cream-colored cardigan, paired with blue jeans and black sneakers. His hair was styled in a curly perm, and a platinum earring glinted from his left ear.

“What are you doing here? Came to gloat?” Steven rolled his eyes.

“Sadly, not. I came to help,” 

“I bet Peter made you,” Steven argued. Just then, Peter walked past, heading to the shower.

“Nope, if it was up to me, you’d be shit out of luck,” Peter commented.

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Peter,” Steven pleaded.

“I told you to do it last night. You didn’t listen. Not my problem anymore,” Peter shrugged, walking away.

“Traitor!” Steven hissed as Peter left.

“Since it seems you don’t want my help, Imma just go back upstairs and—”

“Nope, I need you. Come on,” Steven said, pulling Benji into his room and closing the door swiftly.

Benji and Steven got to work packing. Benji followed Steven’s preferred way of doing things until about five minutes in when he realized Steven had no clue what he was doing and just took over packing for him. It took about 30 minutes for Steven to get fully packed and ready. During that time, all Steven did was choose the clothes he wanted to take while Benji did all the work. Eventually, they finished and rested, sitting across from each other on the office chairs in Steven's room.

“You have to be the most dysfunctional human being I’ve ever met. How’d you even get into this university?” Benji sighed.

“I’ll have you know I’m very smart. And to answer that, I play for the university’s volleyball team,” Steven said proudly.

“Really? Would never have taken you as a sports guy with your build and all, but scholarship, huh? They must have been really desperate,” Benji laughed.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean, asshole? I’ll have you know I’m really good at volleyball. One of the best liberos in the nation, in fact,” Steven replied, annoyed.

“Right, right, and I can fly,” Benji mocked, trying to get under Steven’s skin.

“It’s true. Come to one of our games in January, and I’ll show you just how good I am,” Steven huffed.

Before Benji could reply, his phone started ringing. It was a call from Peter. He answered while Steven was still talking.

“Don’t act all smug ’cause you’re fit—” Steven was interrupted as Benji covered his mouth with his hand.

“What’s up, Peter?” Benji asked while Steven struggled to remove Benji’s hand from his mouth.

“You guys done? It’s 6:08, and we still need to call the Car,” 

“Yeah, we’re ready. I’ll go up and get ready now. Bye,” Benji said, hanging up just before Steven licked his hand.

“Ew, gross,” Benji removed his hand and wiped it on Steven.

“You trying to suffocate me, man,” Steven gasped for air.

“Stop being dramatic. It’s about time to leave. Get ready and meet me and Peter outside in five minutes, or don’t—I wouldn’t mind.” Benji shrugged before getting up and exiting the room.

Benji made his way back up to the room, stepping inside to find Peter putting the finishing touches on his packing. Peter was dressed warmly, a brown beanie snug on his head, with a gold chain just peeking out from under his white shirt, layered beneath a gray hoodie. A brown jacket added extra warmth, paired with gray sweatpants and brown sheepskin boots. As they moved around the room, packing the last of their items, they talked over their plans for the day, ensuring everything was in order. Peter, always the planner, had already ordered an XL car to fit their large bags and asked Benji to double-check the tickets one last time. Satisfied that everything was set, Benji pulled out his phone and sent Peter money for the Uber, then slipped into his navy blue overcoat. With their suitcases lined up neatly by the door, they were just about ready to head out.

“Alright, ready?” Peter asked, giving the room one last scan.

“Yeah, I’m gonna fix my hair first and I’ll meet you downstairs,” Benji replied, reaching for the hair products and comb on his desk.

“Okay, I’ll get a head start then and make sure Steven’s ready. Don’t forget to lock up when you leave,” Peter said, grabbing his suitcase and heading for the door.

“Yes, Mom,” Benji shot back sarcastically as Peter exited the room.

Left alone, Benji focused on getting his hair just right. He carefully combed it into a neat middle part, making sure it was even and firm enough to hold up during the plane ride. Satisfied with the result, he put the comb and hair products away, grabbed his suitcase, and locked the door behind him as he left. Downstairs, Peter and Steven were already waiting outside the dorm building. Steven, now wearing white gloves, spotted Benji approaching and couldn’t resist a jab.

“About time. Always late, Benji,” Steven teased.

“Right, I’m the late one,” Benji countered.

“Okay, so the car’s gonna be pulling up to the front entrance. Let’s start walking; he’ll be here in five minutes,” Peter said, ignoring their playful banter.

“Alright, let’s see that libero stamina,” Benji quipped, clapping his hands with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Fuck you, Benji,” Steven shot back with a grin, flipping him off

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End of Chapter 1

I forgot to share that the Prologue happened in August of 2023 and this is now December 23rd, 2023 so there was a time jump where Steven and Benji became friends. 

Also shameless plug, "a wallpaper featuring his favorite anime, Kingdom of Aridania: Child of Prophecy." That's one of my stories I'll hopefully be able to post soon lol.

With that being said Hope you enjoyed it! I'm currently getting some artwork worked on for the story as I planned :) so hopefully I can get that up on here as quickly as possible! 

Word Count: 2100

Next Update:  8/28/24