So, another challenge. I never learn, do I? XD Anyway, it consists of only 10 prompts anyway so I'm rather confident that I'll be able to complete it. Now, I claimed the prompts for Fado, Vigarde and Hayden so all ten fics will focus on the three of them (not that that is something new 8D)

This here is the first part of three of my ModernAU University arc (and yes, this is serious crack, yay~). Catalina, Aileen and Minna will of course appear as well (as established relationships. I was contemplating if I should also write a chapter about how they met, but, eh, those here wanted to be written first). So, and now have fun.

Warning for the topic cheating.

When Hayden and Fado came back to Hayden´s apartment from university – Hayden had had an lecture and Fado had accompanied him (mostly to bug and distract him) – they found Vigarde sitting at the table, face pressing against the light wood. Fado laughed at the sight.

"Hangover much? You shouldn't have had so much booze yesterday." He walked over to his silent friend while Hayden put away his bag. "Eh?" Fado slapped Vigarde´s back and leaned down.

Vigarde slowly turned his head to him; the grin almost instantly dropped from Fado´s face. "Vigarde...?" Hayden stopped sorting his notes into the correct folders and turned when he heard the strange change of tone.

"Fado..." Vigarde said so lowly that Fado almost didn't hear him. He wasn't hangover – or at least not just hangover – but there was something else in his eyes. A guilt that had nothing to do with drinking (or public stripping and getting a huge fee, which had resulted in them having to live off canned noodles for at least a month). Fado straightened.

"What did you do?" His voice was harsh. Hayden walked a few steps over to them, frowning.

"I..." Vigarde sat up slowly; his head was bowed and his shoulders slumped. His skin looked almost ashen.

"What did you do?" Fado repeated and crossed his arms. Vigarde squeezed his eyes shut and put his head in his hands. "I won't ask nicely a third time, Vigarde. Spit it out."

"I... I took someone home with me yesterday."

"And it is safe to assume that that person was not your girlfriend Minna?" Hayden found that Fado was almost too hostile and cold, but cheating was something Fado loathed and it was not the first time that they had this "conversation".

"Yes." Vigarde seemed to shrink under their eyes.

"You are a fucking idiot," Fado hissed. "Once again." While Vigarde nodded, Hayden threw Fado a look. He noticed it and glared back. Hayden raised one eyebrow. Fado snorted dismissively and ignored him; he would curse and use this tone as much as he wanted. There was no reason not to act pissed off and disappointed. "I see you want to repeat your past experiences. Again."

Vigarde groaned – or sighed? – lowly and massaged his eyes.

"Fado, can you please be a bit more constructive?" Hayden asked. "Accusations are not helpful."

"And what would be helpful, Hayden?" Fado hissed. Hayden clenched his jaw. Fado waited for a few seconds, but he got no answer. He turned back to Vigarde, who was staring blankly out of the window. "Did you at least have fun?"

"Fado!"

"Shut up, Hayden!" The two glared at each other for a moment.

"I have to tell her, don't I?" The whisper brought their attention back to Vigarde. He had squeezed his eyes shut again.

"You damn better tell her or do you also want to be a fucking coward?" Pain flashed over Vigarde´s face. Fado tsked annoyed and started to pace, his back turned to his friends. Hayden hesitated for a moment and then went into the kitchen to make himself a coffee – a rather bad excuse to get away from them. Vigarde remained silent.

The air was charged with anger and disappointment; one could almost cut it like butter. The clattering of the coffee machine seemed to muffle as soon as it entered the living-room. Soon Hayden came back from the kitchen and directly walked over to the couch in front of the TV, which stood with its back to the table, without looking at his two friends. He sat down gingerly, tucking his legs under himself.

Abruptly, Fado stopped his pacing, which made Hayden look up. "Where is the girl?"

"She left an hour ago."

"Does she know that you have a girlfriend?" Vigarde didn't answer; Fado looked at him over his shoulder. "Vigarde."

"No. But she knows that this was an one-night-stand."

"At least something." Fado ignored Hayden´s resigned sigh. "So, when will you tell Minna?"

Vigarde sighed and made a helpless wave with his hand. "I don't know. She's not here over the week and-"

"That's why you did this? Because she's not here to hold your pants up?"

"Fado!" Hayden exclaimed; Vigarde stared at Fado with widened eyes. Fado glared at both of them.

"Hayden, I said 'Shut up'."

"And I say that you are in my home and I don't want you to scream or insult each other," he retorted.

"Hayden, stop being such a wimp!" Hayden actually flinched. "This is not a moment where you can avoid a fight by talking nicely. Sometimes you have to yell. It seems that's the only way to get the message in Vigarde´s thick skull."

"I know that I did something wrong!" Vigarde interjected and sprang to his feet. "You don't have to rub salt in my wounds."

"If you'd really understand what you are doing, then why does it happen again and again?" Vigarde´s mouth snapped shut, his teeth clacking audibly. "Isn't that what happened in every one of your 'relationships'?" Vigarde dropped his gaze. "Vigarde, stop being a douche and get your act together. You never learn from your mistakes and now you finally lose someone important to you. Maybe now you'll get it."

"But it's not like I want to cheat on them," Vigarde retorted weakly. Fado snorted condescendingly.

"Of course you don't. You are just so weak that you can't resist, can you." Vigarde gritted his teeth and balled his fist. "If you'd really love her, you would be able to resist, wouldn't you?" His fist clenched and unclenched; words of denial crept up his throat but they didn't manage to get out. Because they were pathetic; he was pathetic.

"And you," Fado turned to Hayden, whose eyes widened in surprise. There was no reason to be angry at him. And yet Fado glared and pointed at him. "It's not healthy to suppress your anger and annoyance all the time. Conflicts happen and have to happen. So stop avoiding every little disagreement. And it's fucking annoying," he added as an afterthought. With that Fado turned on his heels, stomped to the door and left, slamming the door shut loudly. Hayden´s fingers clawed into the soft fabric of the couch and heat of embarrassment crept over his neck. Vigarde still stood, looking quite lost.

Minutes elapsed and nothing happened. Both men were lost in their thoughts. Vigarde sighed eventually. "I'll go now."

"Okay."

Without another word Vigarde left. Hayden rested his head on the backrest of the couch and stared into the dark depth of his coffee mug. And the day had started so nicely...

A week later Vigarde stood at the station and waited for his girlfriend to exit the train. He shifted from left to right, slipped his right hand in his trouser pocket and almost instantly pulled it out again because it was too uncomfortable. He was tall enough to see over most people´s heads so it was quite easy to look out for the mop of curly, light blue hair. A stream of people spilled on the platform; he heard greetings and happy exclamations left and right and a stone settled in his stomach. He swallowed hard. Next to him a young woman hugged her friend and laughed happily. Vigarde couldn't help but picture Minna, happy, tired and relieved, and then how her face would fall, how sadness and a feeling of betrayal would overcome her when he told her that-

"Vigarde." He almost flinched at the loving edge in her voice. He pushed back all obvious guilt from his face and turned to her with a smile so fake it could've been made out of plastic. Her smile was the complete opposite. She let go of her bag, stood on her tiptoes and flung her arms around his neck. "I've missed you so much."

He didn't feel he had the right to hug her, whisper that he missed her too and kiss her. But he did it anyway and the stone in his stomach grew. On their way home, to hers and Catalina´s shared apartment, Minna told him everything about her week at home, what her parents did and how her little sister had finished school and now tried to get a summer job before university. Vigarde nodded at everything and even managed to ask some questions. Most of the time, however, he tried to arrange his thoughts, remember what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. Minna didn't seem to notice; maybe she thought he had to concentrate on driving.

He carried her suitcase up the stairs while she hurried ahead to meet Catalina at the door. "Minna!" Catalina exclaimed and hugged her smaller friend tightly. "How are you?"

Vigarde noted that Catalina wore a chick dress, which could only mean that she and Fado were going out tonight. He couldn't help but think that this was no coincidence. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful or not.

Catalina shooed Minna in; Vigarde had to enter alone. They gathered in the living-room; Minna immediately was hugged by Fado and greetings were exchanged. Vigarde silently put the suitcase down next to the door. When he looked up, he noticed that Fado was watching him over Catalina´s and Minna´s heads.

"Come on, Lina," he said, turning to his girlfriend. "We have to go now."

"What?" she answered confused, laughing. "The film starts in more than an hour. We have enough time for a little chitchat." Vigarde´s heart leapt up to his throat; he definitely wouldn't object to a little delay.

"No." Fado sneaked his arms around her waist and pulled her away from Minna. "If we don't leave now, we can't get the popcorn, ice cream and drinks and find good seats."

"Nonsense," Catalina said and turned in his arms away from him; Minna seemed to be amused by them. "I can't just leave Minna without telling her about what happened on Wednesday." She winked at her friend.

"But Linaaaa," Fado whined and pulled her closer, her back to his chest, and nuzzled her neck. She giggled. "You know I need my popcorn. And ice cream."

"Yes, and you will get it. Now stop being a bother."

"But if we leave too late, we can't make out before the film starts."

"I see, that's what you really want." She threw a glance at him over her shoulder; he grinned up at her. Minna and Vigarde had listened to their exchange silently, one amused, the other fidgety, but now Minna disrupted their flirting.

"As long as you're discussing, I'll take my luggage into my room," she announced and left for the corridor, dragging her suitcase behind her.

"Come, let's go," Fado said again, this time in a much lower and serious voice. Catalina was still smiling but a frown crept on her face. Fado´s gaze wandered and hers followed. To Vigarde, who had crossed his arms and was shifting again, and wore a far too serious expression. Catalina´s smile faltered. She turned to Fado again. He had dropped his gaze to her shoulder.

"What...?" She turned back to Vigarde. Suddenly it dawned on her; her head whipped back to Fado. He sighed and nudged her towards the apartment door.

"Let's go." Catalina glowered at Vigarde; he avoided her gaze. She didn't budge.

Then Minna came back. Catalina instantly smiled again and went to her. Fado didn't stop her; he rather threw a last knowing glance at Vigarde, who nodded and sighed inaudibly.

"I'm so glad you're back, Minna. You'll have to tell me everything later, okay?" Minna nodded. Catalina pulled back and hesitated for a second. "I'm always here for you." Minna smiled confused, tilting her head slightly.

Before she could ask Catalina what she meant, the blonde woman grabbed Fado´s arm and pulled him towards the door. "Come, my hoggish boyfriend. Let's get you some popcorn."

"I'm not hoggish," Fado protested. "I'm an athlete. I need my food."

"Of course you do." Then the door fell close and cut off their conversation. Minna and Vigarde were alone now in the apartment. A fact that was very uncomfortable to Vigarde.

"They're funny, aren't they?" Minna said, laughter in her tone. Vigarde nodded silently. "Ah, it's good to be home again." She went over to the big couch – it was big enough to comfortably lounge on it; it was more of a bed than a normal couch, really – and kicked off her shoes. "I love my family but they are still really tiring sometimes." She sighed deeply and stretched. Vigarde noted that her shirt slipped up and showed her belly. He felt unusually guilty for looking.

"What are you still standing there?", she asked and reached out for him, smiling invitingly. Her hair pooled so beautifully around her. "Come here." Vigarde bit his cheek and looked away.

"Minna, I..." He tried to remember his speech, or at least his mental notes, but his mind was blank.

Minna frowned confused and let her hand fall. She watched her boyfriend for a moment and then sat up. "What is it?"

Vigarde shifted, wiped his lower face, looked around and then at Minna. She was scared. It was so clearly written on her face and she looked so small and lost on the big couch. The pang Vigarde felt was stronger and more painful than he had imagined it would be.

"Vigarde." Her voice was so quiet and there was so much hurt, as if she knew what had happened. Or Vigarde was just imagining it. He contemplated for a moment if he should sit down on the couch, but maybe she wouldn't like him to be this close. He decided to remain standing.

"Minna, I'm so sorry." He could watch how the last colour rapidly disappeared from her already pale cheeks. "I- I don't know why I did it and I know it was wrong and I'm the biggest asshole on this planet and I never wanted to hurt you..." he trailed off, bit his lip, avoided looking at her. "But I did and there is no excuse for it."

"What... did you do." It didn't sound like a question; her voice was flat, emotionless and yet shaking with hurt.

"I... slept with another woman. Last Friday." She was silent and he didn't dare to see her reaction. Painful minutes passed. Vigarde´s heart beat hard against his ribs and throat. Never in his whole life had it been this hard to admit his own stupidity.

"Out." It was only a whisper. Vigarde blinked; he hadn't understood (or didn't want to understand?).

"What?"

"I said 'out'." Her voice shook violently and he heard the tears in her voice.

"Minna, I-"

"Out!" She had never yelled before; she was always quiet and shy and modest. He nodded slowly and turned, but not before throwing at least one last look at her. It slapped all air out his lungs; her eyes were swimming with tears, but none was falling yet. Her lips were pressed to a thin line, her gaze a strange mixture of anger and contempt, and desperation and yearning for a lie, for consolation, for reparation.

Vigarde was frozen; he couldn't go. She would break down as soon as the door fell close. He couldn't leave her now. But she wouldn't want him here anyway.

"I said-" she had to swallow a sob "go. Now." Unwillingly, he complied and scuffled to the door, opened it slowly and stepped into the stairwell feeling extremely sick. The door closed quietly behind him. He stood there for a while, unable to bring himself to move, to go and leave her alone.

It tore at his heart when he heard her first sobs. They were muffled by the walls and wooden door, but he heard them. He slid down the door and buried his head in his hands.

He forced himself to listen for a few minutes, to burn the sound of his betrayal in his memory. Then he looked up, blinking away his tears, and got out his phone. He typed and send a quick message, then stood up and left. Aileen would surely take care of Minna...