Neko // Jamilton // Hamilton ✔️

one; edgar allen poe + ramen noodles [edited]

the past, when they first met / thomas' pov

I pick my stuff up, piling the books onto my open arms and my baby blue pencil case on top. Aaron follows close behind me, his mouth open and mind off somewhere else, in a different world. I kick the back of his leg.

"Ow!" Aaron yells, catching the attention of the rest of the class. They turn away after they realize it's a simple college friend being a bully to his other college friend, but one girl in specific keeps her eyes on Aaron.

"Theodosia." Aaron giggles nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

Theodosia turns away, shaking her head and walking away. When she leaves the classroom, Aaron turns to me, "You heartless tree."

I pat his bald head.

"Um, you too. You... heartless... smooth surface."

Aaron doesn't respond to my mindless teasing as we walk out of the classroom and to our dorms. It's snowing outside, the cold winter air making the hairs on the back of our necks stand up. Aaron shivers, pushing his hoodie up.

We walk in silence across the campus until we reach my dorm building. Building C. I hold the door open for Aaron, following him in and to my dorm room.

Aaron pushes the door open, sighing.

"You practically live here. Remind me again, why can't you stay at your own dorm?" I ask Aaron, placing my textbooks down on the table as he relaxes on the couch, letting out a deep sigh.

"My roommate," Aaron replies coldly because he knows where I'm going to take this conversation.

"And what's wrong with your roommate?" I ask.

"Her name is Theodosia."

I sigh.

"Aaron, she thinks you hate her. Have you seen the way she looks at you? Even though you act like a complete heartless smooth surface to her, she's always so nice to you." I shake my head.

Aaron stands up, "It is clear to me I'm not wanted here."

I snort.

"You just realized?"

Aaron mockingly snorts back, picking up his books from the coffee table and stalking out of my dorm room. He only stops halfway there to wave to me and hand over a friendly smile. I give him one back, watching him close the door.

I sigh, getting up and walking to my dorm room. My roommate showed up once in the starting of the year, but he lives at his own house. The dorm is just extra that he pays for. I don't mind, I'm not exactly the most extroverted person.

I hear a knock on the door.

I go to open it.

"I forgot my phone," Aaron mutters, pushing past me and getting his phone from the couch. Then he's off again as if nothing ever happened. I sigh, going back to my room.

If it's anything like the other times he left, he'll be back by dinnertime.

My dorm room is plainly decorated with posters on the wall but the tightness of it is still very visible. I pull out clothes from a small cabinet underneath my bed, taking off my winter clothes and pulling on sweatpants and a hoodie.

Grabbing my phone and earbuds off the nightstand, I shove the two in my pocket and walk out the dorm door, leaving my room and dorm behind in the dust.

I walk down the long hallway. The red pattern seems to swallow me whole as I make it to the final end and wave to the head of our dorm building.

"See you later, Mr. Washington."