Know Me (College AU)

3. Zach

Zach opened the door to his dorm room, only one thing on his mind, and that was Fandy. He had gone to the party for no other reason then to people-watch, writing what he saw down his his small black notebook to use them in a story later.

But when he saw Fandy, Zach gained confidence he hadn't had in a long time. He had never, never seen someone so confused and adorable looking at the same time. At first, he assumed he was taken by the guy pulling his wrist, but he was relived when the smaller guy was whisked away by the guy hosting the party. Then, he had a chance to get to know Fandy.

His small dorm was bursting with energy. Great. Zach rolled his eyes. Roommate's got his friends over again.

Zach's roommate was, in one word, gross. He had gotten in on a sports scholarship, and rarely ever went to class. He smoked inside, as well as invited other bad people to do drugs or smoke with him.

He also made assumptions about Zach, even though he had never brought someone else to the dorm. He told all his friends Zach was gay, and they often ridiculed him for it.

In reality, Zach wasn't sure what he was. He had dated both boys and girls, liked then equally. In high school, Zach was popular, friends with everyone, but here, in college, he lacked any sort of relationship, besides a couple of acquaintances in each class.

Zach was different from Fandy. He didn't care much for the past or future, and he lived in his own world. Zach was a born writer, and he was able to create scenarios about whatever he wanted. He carried his black notebook everywhere, watching people and writing down ideas for characters or making up storylines as people interacted. Then, he would work them into his assignments or side projects.

People were heard talking starkly in the next room over, and Zach walked quietly, counting his steps, trying to avoid that squeaky plank.

He opened the door to his separate room. It was small, his roommate had the bigger one. A closet, a twin bed, a dresser, a desk and a bathroom.

Zach's room was full of... Zach. Pictures of the most treasured people in his life, his mother and father, were on his desk, by his bed, and hanging on the wall. His jersey from his high-school volleyball career was framed and hung on the wall. On his desk sat three notebooks and his laptop, his backpack hanging on the chair. There was a brown leather jacket hanging on the doorknob of his closet, but that was the only thing out of place in the whole room.

Zach locked the door first, then took a deep breath. He took out his phone, connecting it to the Bluetooth speaker that was on his dresser. Music was his remedy. He listened to whatever, whenever. Music helped him study, helped him party, helped him fall in love. He started a song, soft and quiet and calming, and then began to get ready for bed.

First was taking off the button up and jeans he had put on for the party, placing them in a dirty clothes bin by the door. He took a pair of sweatpants he had placed under his pillow and pulled them on.

Zach rarely slept with a shirt on, except maybe sometimes in the winter, when the heat was down. He was always alone, so he saw no point.

He majored in Chinese Language Arts and minored in English as a Second Language. But Zach's biggest goal was to publish a book one day, a love story, probably, one that would change the views of people in China.

He was no stranger to the homophobia that surrounded his country. He knew what happened to actors in gay shows when they got too popular. They were banned from working together.

He remembered a time back in high school, when he was dating a guy named Daniel. They used to go to the park to eat lunch, then walk back to school holding hands. Two men holding hands would always turn heads, make women pull their children closer to their bodies, or make homeless men on the streets yell slurs at them. Daniel would hang his head, avoiding the glares of people trying to meet his eyes. But Zach would keep his head high, glaring right back.

He wasn't going to let anyone choose his place for him.

The song switched to the same one that had been playing at the party when he had asked Fandy to dance. It reminded him that he had a date tomorrow.

A date. With Fandy. Images of wide brown eyes and a stark white smile filled his head, making him need a deep breath. Fandy had told him that he had never kissed anyone before, which was astonishing. He must be at least nineteen. He had really never kissed anyone in high school, and, if that was the case, had he never dated anyone before?

The fact that Fandy was completely innocent only made Zach more interested. If it was true he had never kissed, then Zach would teach him willingly. If it was true he had never dated anyone, Zach would gladly be his first.

There was something about Fandy that made Zach inevitably attracted to him. Something that made him stand out in a room full of people.

He wanted to find out what that was.