Posting this chapter at the same time as the previous chapter as it's more of an epilogue than anything and a lot shorter than all the other chapters


Vacation

Finally all their exams and assessments were over and everyone in the apartment could relax. Well, relax as much as they could while anticipating the release of their results. The three housemates sat together in the room Ludwig and Feliks shared, each holding a mug of coffee that Francis had made – apparently he'd done some barista training during his study-free year. Francis lounged lazily beside Feliks on his bed, and Feliks – lying on his stomach with his feet behind his head – didn't seem to mind. Ludwig sat across from both of them, cross legged on his own bed, cupping his coffee with both hands and feeling the warmth radiate from it.

'And now we wait,' Feliks mused, swirling the contents of his mug.

'I wonder if anyone will realise how much bullshit I put in my essay,' Francis shrugged after he spoke, taking a sip of his coffee. 'Drink up Ludwig, it's not like I spiked it or anything.'

'That inspires so much confidence,' Feliks snorted, but drank nevertheless. 'And which essay? The art theory one or the philosophy one?'

'Both,' Francis admitted. 'But everyone bullshits philosophy anyway.'

Feliks cackled triumphantly.

'So you admit it!' he crowed. 'Philosophy is just pretentious bullshit!'

'I never said anything about it being pretentious…'

Ludwig decided to interrupt before an argument could break out.

'I'm not sure how I did,' he confessed.

It was true that he'd been confident with the way he'd prepared for his exams and his perceived performance in them right after he'd finished, but as time went on he was beginning to what he'd done. He'd done his best, but what if it wasn't enough. What if everything he'd written down on his exam papers had been wrong.

'You probably did just fine, Ludwig,' Feliks reassured him, setting his mug down on the carpet so that he could cross his arms. 'You did like twenty practice exams for each subject. You're probably going to be on the Honour Roll for everything.'

'You spent more time studying than doing anything else during the entire exam period,' Francis pointed out.

'Yeah,' Feliks picked up his drink again. 'One time I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, and you were just muttering equations in your sleep.'

'Did I really do that?' Ludwig asked. There was a high chance Feliks was telling the truth as Gilbert had mentioned him the same embarrassing thing another time he was particularly anxious.

'You did,' Feliks confirmed. 'I was kinda creeped out at first, because the room was all dark, but then I turned the lights on you you were just tossing around and muttering so I figured you were sleep talking.'

'Oh,'

'This is why I wanted my own room,' Francis said with undisguised amusement.

'Why? Because you sleep talk?' Feliks laughed, then leaned over to give Ludwig a hi-five, which Ludwig returned once he realised what was happening.

It was rare for Francis to take being the brunt of a joke gracefully, but that he did, and changed the subject.

'So we about a month's break from study now. Do you guys have any plans?'

'Oh wow, freedom!' Feliks exclaimed, eyes wide as the amount of time they had hit him. 'I don't know… Sleep, I guess. What about you, Ludwig?'

Ludwig thought about it for a moment.

'I'm going to go back home,' he answered honestly. 'See my parents and my brother, pet all of the dogs... I've missed them all.'

'Sounds about right,' Feliks nodded. 'I'll go see my family and catch up on all the sleep I missed.'

'That's something to start with,' Francis agreed. 'But that can't be all you're planning to do.'

'Sure it can!' Feliks rebutted. 'Just watch me!'

'I mean aren't you going to do other things? Have fun? Live?'

'Isn't that what you did all last year? "Living"?'

'Yes, but that's something you should do as often as possible,'

'You sound exactly like a philosophy student,' Feliks shook his head and took a large gulp of coffee.

'I am a philosophy student,' Francis' expression made it clear he knew precisely what Feliks had meant.

'That's what I meant!' Feliks fell for the bait, having missed the look on Francis' face.

Ludwig smiled and drank from his mug as he watched his friends bicker yet again, too used to the scenario to be anything but amused. He thought back on the semester that had just past – sure there had been some rough patches with their living situation at points, but it'd mostly worked itself out in the end. So when Feliks called a truce to comment on how he'd miss everyone over the break, Ludwig couldn't help but agree. There had been some strange moments in the apartment, but it had been worth getting to know his housemates.

'We'll be seeing each other again when the next semester starts,' Francis commented dryly.

'That doesn't mean we can't miss each other!'

'Feliks is right, you know,' Ludwig laughed, joining in as the other two clinked their mugs together.


I hoped you enjoyed reading this fic. I certainly enjoyed writing it.

Please leave a review if you want, I always want to know if something made you laugh.

I may be planning a spinoff and a sequel to this fic, but we'll have to see.