Dominic hates his new roommate. Like, really, really hates him. Topher's an arrogant asshole like no other, constantly prattling on about his genius. He manages to do it at really inconvenient times, too, like when Dominic's trying to study—because, yeah, he may not be a "genius" like Topher and he is on the football team, but he still wants to do well and because he's not the "genius" Topher, he actually has to work. Sometimes Topher tries to help him study, and that reallygets on his nerves. He doesn't need anyone's help, especially not from the annoying nerd he's forced to share a room with.

Topher's got a thing for junk food, too. It's ridiculous how much sugar the man (no, boy) consumes daily. He's constantly sugar high, practically bouncing off the walls. And always fiddling with things. Always fiddling with something. Always. And then there's—

"Hey, Laurence!"

—that. Laurence. He hates the name Laurence. Hates it with a passion.

"My name is Dominic." Ground out between clenched teeth, the way he seems to always talk to Topher.

"Ah, no it's not. Well, technically, it is, but it's not your first name, and I always make a point to call people by their first names. Except teachers. They're scary and must be called 'sir' or 'ms'. But...still. You are Laurence."

"I'm going to bed."

The way conversations with Topher usually end, as well.

Really, he should have requested a change—on the grounds of "He's the most immature freak I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!" Yeah, that would go down well...—months ago, but to be honest...he's grown a little attached.

Not that he'd ever, ever admit it to anyone, least of all Topher himself. But yeah, Topher can be sort of cute in a dorky, awkward kind of way.

"Dom..." (It's Dom today. That's always a good start)

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to ask you... I mean, I've been meaning to ask you. Well, I wanted to mean to ask you..."

"Topher, just spit it out, I haven't got all day."

"Oh. Right, yeah. Of course. Um..."

Topher is sitting crossed-legged on his bed, twiddling his fingers together as he stares down at his lap. He looks shy and unsure, emotions Dominic isn't exactly used to seeing on Topher.

Dominic sighs, knowing he's going to regret it but unable to stand the look on the other man's face. He stands from where he's been working at his desk and goes to sit on his own bed (and seriously, who's idea was it to place these beds so close together?) opposite Topher.

"What's up?"

Topher glances up at him, startled by his proximity, then back down again. "Uh... there's this girl, in my sociology class, and I, um, wanted to ask your advice on..."getting" her."

Dominic sucks in a deep breath in shock. Wha...? "Why are you asking me?" What on earth could have given Topher the impression that he was the right person to go to for dating advice?

Topher shrugs. "Well, you're, you know, you. You always have girls around." Off Dominic's look, he says, "Hey, don't think I don't know! There's a reason I stay late at the library, you know."

Caught red handed, Dominic has no choice now but to help him. The guy knows how to play a good hand, he must say. "Right. Well, ah, I don't know. Start hanging around her, and just ask her out. I don't know."

"Aw, come on!" Topher exclaims. "You gotta give me something more than that! What kind of roommate-friend are you? Number one rule in the roommate guidebook; never let a fellow roommate hanging!"

"There is no guidebook."

"There is in my head!"

Dominic gives a huge sigh of exasperation as he stands. "Okay, rule one: stop being immature!"

Topher huffs and crosses his arms over his chest, feigning a look of hurt. "I am not immature."

Dominic raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Topher stands too, so that they're face to face, a little closer than Dominic would like. "Okay, whatever. You need to tell me more."

"Topher, seriously, I don't know! You just have to be you and not be scared, and you should be fine."

"Dom!" Dominic hates the way Topher draws out his name, like 'Do'om'. It's stupid, and, again, immature. "You can't just say that! My myself is annoying and condescending, and I can't talk to a girl without being scared and getting all tongue tied and flaily! I don't need to be myself, I need to be you."

"Me? Why would you need to be me?"

Topher waves his hands around at him. "Look at you! You're so calm and collected all the time, and you just ooze cool without even trying. I need that. Teach me how to ooze the cool!"

"Okay, one; I do not ooze cool. That sounds gross. And two; even if I did, which I don't, it's not something you can teach."

But Topher isn't listening. "See! Look at that! How do you do that? Maybe it's the anger. Or the abrupt, clipped-ness. I could totally do that."

"Topher—"

"Shush, I'm being abrupt!" He turns suddenly then, and yells, "And angry!"

Dominic can't help it: he laughs. "Topher, you couldn't be abrupt to save your life. And angry doesn't suit you."

Topher grins at him sweetly. "But you love me anyway."

Dominic lets out a little laugh. "Yeah, sure." He turns around and goes to sit back on his bed, Topher following. He can't believe he's helping Topher Brink get a girl, but he has to admit, he's having fun. "Look, who is this girl anyway? Would I know her?"

"Uh, yeah." Topher is doing that thing where he mumbles and looks down at his hands again. "You, um, might. Um...her name's Adelle DeWitt."

Dominic's mouth falls open. And it's incredibly rude, but he just can't seem to close it. Adelle DeWitt. Topher's after Adelle DeWitt. Adelle DeWitt, the smartest, hottest, most-perfect-in-every-way girl in school. And Dominic's never pretended to be a nice guy, but this is low, even for him. He starts laughing, and it's pretty darn hard to stop but he does because by the look on Topher's face, the kid might cry. "Hey, I'm sorry, I really am, but... Adelle DeWitt." He shakes his head. "Dude, I've been after her for yearsand she's never given me the time of day. Ever. Really, sorry, but she's out of both of our leagues."

Topher looks crestfallen and buries his head in his hands. He starts sniffling quietly and Dominic can't believehe's doing this, but he goes over to Topher's bed and wraps his arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay. She's not even that nice anyway."

Hands still covering his face, Topher wails, "But she's so beautiful!"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"And smart! Seriously, she's almost as smart as me."

Dominic chuckles. "But she's not. See, she's not good enough for you."

Topher looks up at him and rolls his eyes. "If someone had to be as smart as me to be good enough for me, there would never be anybody. Ever." Dominic is about to grin when Topher puts his head and his knees and starts crying again. "Oh my God..."

Dominic pats his back awkwardly, saying, "Aw, come on, it's not that bad. I'm sure you'll find someone else."

And then Topher's looking at him with those big beseeching eyes of his and they're so very green and filled with tears and Dominic has no fucking idea why he does it, but suddenly he kisses him. And it's not like it's bad or anything, but what the hell?.

They pull apart and Topher says, "Okay, um... what?"

Dominic looks away. "Yeah, I don't know."

"Well, it wasn't awful. Um, it was good."

"Yeah."

"So, er...?"

"Still thinking about Adelle DeWitt?"

"No."

"Good."

As he moves to kiss him again, Dominic thinks that he probably still hates his roommate, but he also sorta loves him. Not that he'd ever admit it.