Chapter Text
The day is as sunny as it is hot, but Jace still misses the California sun on his back as he steps out of the car and onto the searing black pavement of the King's Landing student parking lot. He raises his sunglasses for a minute, taking in the hustle and bustle of move-in day as Luke opens the passenger door behind him, babbling excitedly. He’s been talking non-stop for the last hour of the trip.
Jace can’t fault him; he remembers the feeling, the coil in his stomach on his first move-in day two years ago.
"You're over there," Jace says, pointing to Summer Hall, the freshman building. He then points to his building - Harren Hall. It’s his first semester in there, but he had a couple of friends who stayed there last year, so he’s familiar enough with it. "I'm over there. You want me to come with?"
He turns around, folding his arms on top of the car as he watches Luke grab his duffel while his eyes dart around to take everything in.
Luke glances between his brother and the student housing. Relief fills him at the thought of not having to go over there alone. Not that he would admit that. But he nods, glad that their dorms are right across from each other. The campus is way bigger than their highschool one, and filled with probably hundreds more people. He can’t decide if that makes him nervous. A lot of new faces, but at least he won’t stand out.
“Yeah, sure,” he grunts, struggling to shut the trunk door with his elbow. His hands are full but he’d rather die than make two unloading trips. “I can come up with you too, just FYI.” He butts his chin toward Harren Hall. “Ya know get ya settled, tuck ya in for a nappy-nap before class.”
If he calls Jace a baby first it’ll make him look less petrified. Easier to act like this is just another school, and he’s not a thousand miles from home.
Jace snorts at his comment, tousling his brother’s head in a way he knows annoys him before grabbing one of the boxes he’s loaded up with and tucking it under his arm, closing the trunk with his free hand. He chuckles and nods toward the freshman hall. "Come on, then."
They lug Luke's shit up the stairs, only knocking into two or three or five people before arriving at his door. They find the room beyond empty, so his roommate must not be there yet. Luke takes the bed on the left, stacking his boxes and bags on top and around it before they return to the car, feeling lighter.
Jace can sense the anxiety in Luke, even if he's trying to hide it. It's a big step for him, bigger than it was for Jace. Luke's always been shier, less likely to stray far from home or try new things. And King’s Landing, being in Virginia, is a full two day car trip from their home in California. Majority of which Jace drove, and his neck can tell.
They head for Jace's dorm next. He packed lighter this year than in years prior. He never uses half the shit he brings anyway, better not to have to haul it back at the end of the year. Besides, he wanted to give Luke plenty of room in the car for anything he wanted, knowing he may need the comforts of home, especially in the first few days before there are classes to distract him.
Jace shoulders into his dorm, and unlike Luke’s, his is occupied. There’s a kitchenette, a row of three windows that look out on the quad, and a brown leather couch, which is the only piece of furniture so far. On the end, his elbow propped on the arm of the couch, his head in his hand, sits a mountain of a guy, his shoulders broad as a quarterback’s, his brown hair tied back from his face, little haphazard pieces falling over his eyes as he scrolls his phone absently.
Jace’s roommate presumably.
The guy looks up as Jace halts in the doorway, unsure why he’s even stopped, and their eyes meet for a brief moment; Slate gray, dark, intense.
"Hi." Jace swallows, finding his mouth a bit dry. "Jacaerys-- Jace." Why the fuck did he say his full name? He's been trying to avoid people knowing that since freshman year. His roommate takes a breath, opens his mouth to speak as Luke bumps into Jace's back hard.
“Jace!” he yells. “Move!”
Jace lets himself be shoved further into the room, setting down his boxes as the stranger rises from the couch.
“Oh my god, you get a common room?” Luke is saying, his voice echoing in the room. “Fuck you, dude I’m so jealous.”
Another sleepless night up with Rickon has Cregan fucking exhausted, and the four cups of coffee he’s already had this morning have not helped. Not exactly how he wanted to spend his last night before the semester started, but it is what it is. And he didn’t want to leave Sara hanging, considering how long he’ll be gone, leaving her with the full responsibility. Move-in had been as aggravating as it’s always been, and now he’s spent and aggravated, and just ready to go back to sleep. It’s not even noon and he’s ready to be done with the day.
“Stark,” Cregan says, introducing himself, though he wasn’t asked to.
Jace flushes, has no idea why, then has an idea why, then pushes it down to the dark corner where it belongs. That is not something he needs to unpack this year. After the week he’s had leading up to move-in, he needs this year to be nothing but easy and fast and not complicated and not shitty.
“Cregan!” Luke’s excited voice cuts through the room so sharply it makes Jace’s ears ring. Boxes and bags crash to the floor as his little brother rushes across the room.
Cregan pulls him into a pound hug that knocks the breath right out of Luke. Jesus, he’s big.
“I didn’t think I’d see you ‘til orientation!” Luke turns towards his brother. “Jace! This is the major mentor I told you I was emailing all summer, Cregan. Cregan, my annoying brother, Jace.”
“Jacaerys,” Cregan corrects. His grin turns wolfish as Luke's brow raises. “I got permission to use it."
“Just Jace is cool,” Jace says, needing that to be the end of it.
“You could've just said you'd been already introduced. Oh, yeah, I guess I also mentioned you in my emails,” Luke says to Jace. “Don’t let it go to your big curly head or nothin’.”
Cregan laughs and ruffles Luke’s mop of brown curls. “You’re one to talk.”
“Dude your accent is so thick I’m surprised you can even pronounce your name let alone his.”
Cregan rolls his eyes, “Surprised you got into this school, pretty sure there’s a height requirement.”
Luke laughs sarcastically, and elbows Cregan again, looking over at Jace, “He thinks he’s hilarious- Wait are you guys roommates? That’s so cool! Jace, trade me!”
“No can do, short stack,” Cregan chimes in, leaning his elbow on Luke’s head like he’s a barstool- despite Luke’s squirming to get away. “Me and your brother could use the damn peace.”
Finally remembering himself, Jace lets out a laugh and points a finger at Luke.
"Wow, he really does know you." He pats Luke's shoulder as he passes him, taking in the room. It’s nice. Better than the dorm he was in last year, for sure. Being a junior has its perks, it would seem.
"Did you pick one yet?" Jace asks Cregan, gesturing to the bedroom doors, both of which are open.
Cregan nods towards the room on the left. “That one. I got a thing about seein’ the door. Hope ya don’t mind.”
“‘ Hope ya don’t mind .’” Luke mocks Cregan’s voice to the best of his ability then looks up at him. “Where are you from again?”
Cregan rolls his eyes, ignoring him and following Jace further inside the room, taking him in while he takes in their surroundings. So this is Jace. He’s awfully pretty, the objective kind that’s impossible to ignore. Dark features, sun-kissed skin, tight frame, full lips. He’s a catch, really. He won’t let himself think anything of him past that. It’s not fair to a roommate. Or to his mentee.
“Y’all from Cali, right?” Cregan asks, just to break the silence, but mostly to get Jace to talk more. Why, he’s unsure. “Bet that drive was shit.”
Jace pokes his head through the doorway of his room. "Yeah, it was," Jace says, his voice echoing in the sun-patched emptiness. It’s small, but nice.
He looks over his shoulder and is surprised to find Cregan closer than he expected, his gray eyes roaming him as if he's looking for something. He stops immediately when he catches Jace looking, clearing his throat.
Great. So he's hot and kinda weird. That's just fucking... confusing.
"Luke said you're from Vermont?" Jace says. He tries to recall the bits and pieces of information his brother had spilled about his student mentor, but he hadn't cared much at the time. He kind of hates that he cares now, but they're going to be roommates, he tells himself. They might as well get to know each other enough for it not to be awkward all year.
“Kinda,” Cregan answers, forcing his eyes away after realizing how hard he's been staring. “We live there most of the year but we have a second ranch in the mountains here, so I go back and forth a lot.”
It’s a discreet thing when he surveys Jace again, leaning in the doorway as his roommate sets his bag down on the bed. His clothes, his posture, noting just how different him and his brother are despite their similar features. Maybe it’s the age gap but Jace has this imposing way he carries himself, how he holds his shoulders and the set of his jaw, all dignified and stern. Somehow it’s not obnoxious, like Cregan can tell he deserves to hold himself like that, like he knows it’s earned. Maybe it is. Luke spoke highly of the guy.
He blinks, shaking his head a little to clear it. “You a science major too? Like Luke?”
"Um, no actually." Jace fiddles with the zipper of his bag. "Linguistics. With a minor in history.”
It’s what their mom had gone for. And her father before him, and his father before him, and so on.
He catches Luke's eye over Cregan's shoulder and narrows his eyes when Luke quirks his eyebrow curiously. Cregan can't tell Jace is acting weird, but his brother sure as hell can and it’s endlessly annoying. Cregan steps back as Jace reenters the common room.
"Come on," Jace says to Luke. "I'll walk you back to your room." He turns to Cregan, who, if Jace didn't know any better would say has trailed behind him like a lost puppy of sorts. "It was good meeting you.”
“What the heck is with you?” Luke turns to his brother after they make it back to the quad, not wanting Cregan to hear. “You’re acting weird.”
Jace shoots his brother a sharp look.
"No I'm not." He takes a deep breath, feeling Luke's interrogative eyes on him. "I'm just tired from the drive. That's all."
He glances at Luke as they walk, the air cooling as the sun sets, bugs flying lazily on the quad in the orange light.
He needs to tell him what happened. But how is he supposed to break the news when he hasn’t even fully accepted it himself?
When they reach Luke’s room, there’s a mountain of boxes around the bed on the right side of the room, but still no roommate to be seen.
He looks to Jace as he enters behind him. “And here I thought I overpacked.”
They break down boxes as they unpack, stacking them in the corner to take back down to the car. Luke sits and puts together a closet organizer while Jace makes clothing piles on the bed.
Luke turns to Jace once he gets sick of the monotony, twirling the allen wrench to tighten one of seemingly a thousand screws. “So ya gonna tell me what your deal is with Cregan? Do you two like know each other or something?”
"What the fuck are you talking about? You're the one who knows him. To me he's just the random guy I'm rooming with." Jace sits down on the edge of the bare mattress as he finishes organizing Luke’s clothes, then rips open the first box he sees. Books.
"He seems nice enough though. Am I gonna have to worry about him throwing parties or anything? Or bringing like a thousand girls home at night?"
He tells himself he's asking for the sake of his sleep schedule. He's distracted when he opens the next box and pulls out the dilapidated dragon stuffie that Luke's had since he was a baby. Jace gave it to him for his first Christmas.
"You brought Arrax?" Jace flops his sad, worn little wings in the air with a laugh.
Luke perks up at the name, ceasing his packing to whip around and snatch the toy.
“Don’t just wave him around!” He cradles the plush protectively. “How would you like it if someone just picked you up without asking?”
He smoothes out the dragon’s scuffed felt scales, kissing its head before taking it back to the organizer with him. “Don’t worry, A, the mean liar dickhead with people problems won’t hurt you anymore.”
Jace snorts and rolls his eyes. "Jesus Christ." But he can't help a fond smile as Luke sets the stuffy next to him on the floor, arranging his wings and head just so.
God, how is he seventeen? He was supposed to stay little forever. And shorter than Jace. They see eye to eye now. That's what Jace tells himself to feel better - Not that he has to look up just slightly to meet his brother's eyes now. When the fuck did that happen?
Jace clears his throat, pushing those thoughts away before they run off with him. "Seriously though, am I gonna have to worry about Cregan? My last roommate brought a new girl home every other night and I almost failed a class because they'd keep me up. Also it was fucking gross."
Luke rolls his eyes, “I don’t know, probably not? I don’t think he really dates.” In truth, he doesn’t know a lot of really deep personal information about his mentor, but Luke figured it’s because he just hasn’t asked. He hasn’t wanted to overstep, he has a habit of overdoing it with questions. “Besides, you wouldn’t think it was gross if you were getting some action too.” He says it without thinking, instantly regretting it. “Sorry.”
He wants to ask about Baela so badly, it’s been driving him crazy. Their breakup is shadowed in mystery and Jace won’t bring it up. They seemed so perfect together, so happy… Luke just doesn’t get it.
“Has….” He chooses his words carefully, “Has she called or anything?”
Jace's head snaps up. "How the fuck do you know about that?"
He hasn’t told a soul, hasn’t known how to.
He doesn't know why it upsets him so much, it's not like Luke wouldn't find out eventually. But the thought of the disappointment on his mother's face when she finds out... She loves Baela. Has always said they were a perfect match.
Jace groans, head falling into his hands. "Rhaena," he guesses.
Luke flinches, taken back by Jace’s response for a moment before the realization sinks in. Guilt instantly fills him, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck like that will get rid of it.
“Oh, I didn’t realize nobody else knew yet, I just figured you hadn’t told mom.” He looks at Jace, genuinely remorseful, “I’m sorry, really.”
Jace sighs, shaking his head. "It's fine. People were bound to find out eventually. I don't think Baela is bothering to keep it secret." It makes Luke feel even worse, seeing him so gutted. He makes his way through the mess of boxes to put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Jace chews the inside of his cheek. "I just... don't get it. I didn't see it coming, you know? I thought we were all good."
Luke’s heart squeezes. He wishes he could think of anything to say to make it better.
The two of them, Jace and Baela, had been together since middle school, and everyone thought they would get married. It was a wonder they hadn’t been engaged already, their mom had mentioned it about a thousand times. Even if Jace had brushed it off every time, Luke was sure it would happen eventually.
“Did she say why? Like did something happen?”
"I don't know."
Jace thinks back to it. They'd met up four days ago. It was supposed to be their last day together before they both had to leave for college and wouldn't be able to see each other until break.
They'd gone to their favorite spot on the beach with Chinese takeout, sitting on the cliffs overlooking the water where they'd had their first kiss. It was as familiar a spot to them as they were to each other. He hadn't even noticed she'd been acting weird until she put down her chopsticks and turned to him and said, " Jace ."
He'd known then. It had all come crashing down on him, the realization of what was happening. A lump had formed in his throat, but she'd taken his hand.
" Are you about to say it's not you it's me ?" Jace had asked a little weakly. " Cause I really don't think I can hear that right now. "
Baela had laughed a little, always the good sport. God, she was perfect. Too fucking perfect for him.
" Kind of the opposite?" she'd said. And he’d wracked his brains for what he possibly could have done that didnt even warrant a conversation before a breakup. They'd never struggled with communication before. " It... It's you. " She'd peered into his eyes, clearly trying to get through to him even as he shut down. " You're not happy. I look at you and I can just tell. This isn't right ."
"I don't understand. I love you. We're fucking perfect together, Baela, everyone sees that. Everyone knows. "
"I think you're the only one who didn't get the memo, " she'd said, but it wasn't bitter or unkind. She'd already accepted this, Jace realized. But he couldn't. He still can't.
"I asked her," is all Jace says to Luke. "Just like... why the fuck she would do it. If it was school, or something I did. And when she said no, I asked her to give it another chance.”
But nothing he'd said had swayed her once her mind was made up. He still remembers how she had touched his face when he demanded to know why, her lips quirked into a kind of sad smile.
" Jace... come on, " she'd said. " You know why. "
Then she'd left him sitting there with half finished takeout. He'd stayed sitting there til sunset, after, even.
You know why.
“You know why,” Jace repeats. “That’s what she said to me, like some kind of fucked up riddle.”
All Luke can think to do is lurch forward and wrap his arms around his brother. He holds him tight, willing the sadness to expel from him even if he knows that’s not possible.
“I’m sorry." It's all he can think to say. "It’ll be okay, maybe she’ll come back around.”
If there’s one thing they both know about Baela, it is that she’s unwavering and never changes her mind.
Jace gives in to the hug for moment, his throat tight. "Thanks.”
It's all he can say before the door opens and a smooth voice says, "Am I interrupting?"
His hair is blond - so blond it's basically white. His face is sharp and angular as a knife. He's dressed in a form-fitting black turtleneck, a box hefted on his hip. Despite his words, it sounds more like he feels he's been interrupted by Jace and Luke's presence and not the other way around.
"You must be..." Jace tilts his head, reading the name scrawled on the side of the box he's carrying... "Aemond. Never heard that one before."
Luke's roommate gives him a strange look, his mouth quirking up in something that is definitely not a smile. There's something uncanny about his face that Jace can't quite put his finger on.
"You're my roommate?" Aemond asks, and Jace can't tell which one of them he's talking to so he says, "I'm Jace. I'm over in Harren Hall, I'm just here helping unpack. Sorry to crash."
Aemond takes in the two of them, the boxes, the clothes on the bed, the stuffed dragon on the floor, and Jace feels suddenly protective and unnerved.
"And you are?" Aemond says, this time definitely talking to Luke.
It's only then that Jace realizes what's so uncanny about his face - one of his eyes is fake. It's impressively realistic, but when Aemond looks at Luke, only one of his eyes moves to do so.
“Luke,” he answers, unphased, surprising even himself. “Nice to meet you.”
This guy is terrifying in a way that Luke finds to be really, really abrasive. As is he’s trying to force you to feel that way. In his true nature, Luke does the opposite, smiling a little to be polite as this Aemond looks him up and down.
Luke would do the same, but his mother raised him with manners.
“Are you always this friendly, or just a long day of moving?” Luke asks.
Aemond lets out a breath through his nose, maybe a laugh? He pushes past them, stepping over Luke's belongings and putting his box on his bed across the room.
"I like your... little friend." Aemond's eyes flick over Arrax coolly. It's clear he has no intention to answer Luke's question. "Decided to bring a little piece of home to your first day? I get it. First day is stressful."
Oh, Jace hates this motherfucker immediately.
Luke nods his chin towards the stacks of boxes on Aemond’s side. “For you even more so apparently, since you brought your whole house with you.” It’s really hard to tell what the mood is here, but Luke feels like every word out this guy’s mouth is a challenge. One he’s up for sure, but he doesn’t want his living situation to be hostile. “Did you want some help? We just finished up my stuff and I don’t mind lending a hand.”
Jace registers the flicker of annoyance in Aemond's expression - subtle, but there. But at Luke’s words, Jace is less concerned to leave. He forgets, sometimes, that Luke has just as much of their mother's fire and their father’s strength as he does. He's going to be fine.
"I should head back. Let you two get.... settled." He claps Luke on the arm. "See you later?"
Luke nods as Jace heads for the door, exchanging a parting nod with Aemond that is none too friendly on either side.