Their walk is rather silent, and even though Thanatos prefers it this way, Rebecca has other ideas. She looks up at him through her reddish lashes with rust-coloured eyes in quick glances. “It’s impolite.”

Thanatos raises a brow. “You’ll have to be specific.”

“Speaking to the headmaster that way and ignoring your designated meeting times,” she says, huffing. “It’s the middle of the day; she wanted to meet with you during lunch hour for seniors.”

“And I wanted to meet with her earlier so I would waste less time playing student.”

“You are a student!” Rebecca steps in front of him, hands fisted and on her hips, face scrunched. “I read about you, Mr. Briar! Big, famous detective you are, that doesn’t matter here.”

He peers out the window beside them. Coolly, “The girls would say otherwise.” Rebecca scoffs and turns on her heel, walking faster. Thanatos quickly catches up with casual strides.

“I suppose I’ll take you to your dorm room first so you can settle,” she bites out. “Unfortunately, despite your request, all we have are doubles free, so you’ll be rooming with a senior in the boys’ dorm.”

“This would’ve been nice to know before arriving, Ms. Hawthorne.”

“His name is Jonny Greenwell,” she continues, ignoring him and pulling out her phone. “A bit of a ‘doofus’ according to most peers, but he’s got a clean record. His—your—room is 206.”

“Far too inconvenient. Is there not a way to-“

“The headmaster’s word is final,” Rebecca stops him. Thanatos sighs and tucks his free hand into his coat pocket. In front of him, Rebecca smirks to herself.

The dorms are much like the main building: old, white, and the image of perfection. Of course, decorations don each door, and Thanatos makes brief note of a few. Soon, they reach room 206, and a chill runs Thanatos’ spine.

Rebecca knocks on the door. “Student Council President Hawthorne. Mr. Greenwell, your new roommate is here.”

“Oh, yeah! Comin’!”

Rebecca cranes her neck to stare down Thanatos. “You’re not expected to attend classes today, but here’s your schedule.” She offers a black file full of papers, but he raises a hand in protest.

“No need. Classes won’t be necessary.”

“What part of student don’t you get?” She forces the file against his chest.

Thanatos clenches his jaw, takes the file, and tucks it into his messenger bag. “Clearly, your research was not done well, Ms. President,” he retorts, and before Rebecca can answer, the door opens. Thanatos represses the boiling in his chest for now to focus on this new roommate of his, and it seems that Rebecca does the same.

Jonny Greenwell, to Thanatos’ observation, is exactly what he was expecting. Short, wispy blond hair tucked into a beanie, Jonny is a pale-skinned American boy in skater fashion with dozens of freckles, bright blue eyes, and the longest lashes Thanatos has ever seen. Unlike the one Rebecca offers, Jonny’s smile reaches his eyes.

“Hey! Sorry, uh, about the mess.” Jonny scratches the back of his neck. Thanatos peers past him and almost feels like screaming. “I was expecting you, but I totally forgot to fix the place up before classes. Come on in, though, and uh… make yourself at home!” Jonny steps aside.

Thanatos deliberately steps in front of Rebecca to go first, and—completely disregarding Jonny—he pulls out a pen. “Which side?” he asks coldly, and Jonny stutters.

“Ah, uh, l-left.”

The pen is twirled before pointing at the trash and laundry underneath the left-side bed and flinging it to the right side. Thanatos moves to the desk there, kicks out the chair, and takes a seat. He wastes no time retrieving his computer from his bag.

“Woah,” Jonny breathes in nervous awe. He leans down to Rebecca’s level. “Are y’all sure this is fine? Did I already piss him off?”

“No,” Rebecca sighs. “That seems to be his… personality .” Stepping inside, Rebecca pulls out a clipboard from her backpack. “Just sign this here, please. It’s a non-disclosure agreement stating you won’t reveal any details of Mr. Briar’s current work to the public, etcetera.” She offers him her trademark smile, playing with a strand of her hair, and batting her lashes. Ah, Thanatos eyes from his seat, that’s the game she plays.

Jonny nods quickly and doesn’t hesitate to sign it, eyes never truly leaving Rebecca’s face. “Here y’go, ma’am!”

“Perfect! Thank you so much, Mr. Greenwell. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to email the student council, okay?” Jonny nods again, and Rebecca giggles. Thanatos has to force himself not to shudder.

“Sure thing!”

Rebecca winks and shuts the door, leaving the boys alone. Thanatos breathes an audible sigh of relief and sinks properly into the chair. “For the record,” he begins, “I loathe messes. I suggest you clean yours; it’s terrible in here.”

“Right, yeah, like I said: I forgot. Plus, I didn’t really feel like it?” Jonny’s still grinning, and he approaches Thanatos with an outstretched hand. “Jonathan Jonny Greenwell.”

Thanatos eyes the hand, Jonny’s face, then the hand again. He takes it begrudgingly and shakes. “Yes… of course. Thanatos Briar. Your knack for laziness and mess is truly a talent.” Despite his deadpan, disinterested delivery, Jonny snorts and snickers.

“Thanatos? That’s a supervillain name.”

“Specifically, it’s the name of the Greek god of death.” He wipes his hand on his pants and goes back to typing. “You have the name of a campy superhero.”

“Hell yeah! Fitting for roommates then, dude! The perfect pair,” he laughs.

“Yes, but it’d be even more perfect if you’d leave me to my work,” Thanatos replies icily, but Jonny doesn’t seem deterred whatsoever. He just stands there, leaning over Thanatos’ shoulder like a curious puppy with a wagging tail.

“So, like, you’re here on detective work? Cos, that’s what you do, right? The headmaster told me it’d be somethin’ like that, so I Googled your name ‘n’ stuff, and you do detective work.”

“Ah, so the skater boy has a brain.”

“Hey, don’t be mean! If we’re gonna live together, it’s only fair I know about you and visa versa.” Jonny drags his own chair over quickly, crossing the black rug between the beds, and plops down into it. “Is it dangerous?”

“About as dangerous as you are nosy .” He sighs and briefly looks over. “Yes, so I suggest you stay out of it, Mr. Greenwell.”

“Hey, no formalities, man! Just Jonny’s fine.” He pauses in thought then grins. “Yeah, Jonny’s just fine, Toasty.”

That makes Thanatos halt entirely, the clicking of his keyboard silencing immediately. His gaze turns into a slow head turn, squint, and furrowed brows. “… Toasty? ”

“Yeah, Thanatos. Zoom in on the ‘tos’ part. Toasty.” Jonny chuckles. “What, never had a nickname?”

“I have, but that’s certainly a new one.” Thanatos stares, and Jonny’s warmth radiates like sunshine. It makes it difficult to keep the tenseness in his shoulders. He and Sibylla would get along. Thanatos offers a small smile. “Most just call me Ato.”

Jonny’s smile widens, and he punches Thanatos’ shoulder lightly. “Nah, Toasty is much better! More creative!”

Thanatos’ hand instinctually comes up to brush against where he was hit, and he stares at the spot. No, ignore it. Ignore it. He hastily returns to his laptop. “Do you know what would also be much better, Jonny?”

Jonny perks up at the use of his name. “Hm? Yeah?”

“A clean room.”

Jonny groans, and he pushes away from Thanatos with his feet, but when his chair hits the edge of the rug, the wheels catch on it. He squawks as he’s sent tumbling backwards in his desk chair. He groans and rubs at the back of his head. He groans again when a small pile of laundry falls from Jonny’s bed and onto his face.

Thanatos smiles behind one hand as the other puts his pen away.

“Say, Toasty, dinner service is about to start, wanna come?” Jonny asks from their shared bathroom. Thanatos can smell the men’s deodorant and body spray he uses from his desk.

Classes have ended for the day, and Jonny got back from his last one about an hour ago. It seems they run from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM with the senior’s lunch being from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Thanatos notes on his planner. With the wide array of classes, it’s only natural they run a little longer than the average high school. Not that he’d know first-hand, though; he was home-schooled until college.

“Dinner service?” he inquires, only half-interested. His work is, truly, more important, but his stomach argues against him.

“Yeah, it’s like a buffet sorta thing. It’s pretty good! I usually eat with my friends, and we meet up right before it opens.”

Jonny comes out of the bathroom with a towel around his neck, boxers on full display, and hair still damp from his shower. Thanatos swallows and keeps his eyes on his screen. He precisely wanted to avoid a roommate for this among many other reasons. “I see. Yes, Sibylla has spoken of this system before.” He read it on the school’s website.

“Sibylla, huh? Your girlfriend?”

Thanatos frowns. “My sister.”

“Oh, is she cute? Can I meet her?” Jonny rustles through his drawers. “You ain’t half bad, so she’s gotta be- Ow!” He rubs at his back at the feeling of something hitting it. Looking down, it’s one of Jonny’s own shoes… one that was on the other side of the room. He blinks at Thanatos.

“Flirt with her, and I’ll castrate you myself.”

“Yeesh,” he hisses. “Fine, fine, whatever, you want food or not?”

“No.” Thanatos stomach growls far too loudly for his own comfort. Jonny grins and gestures towards the origin of the noise. He sighs. “Yes, fine. Do I need to wear my uniform?”

“Nope!”

Thanatos, now unpacked, grabs clothing from his wardrobe. “Perfect,” he says, rushing into the bathroom and hastily shutting the door.

The cafeteria could house elephants if it so desired. With its high ceiling, plentiful space, and vast amounts of food and tables, Thanatos was sent back to younger days in similar venues, though the thought makes him swallow a lump in his throat. Much like everything else at Waurelt’s it was clean, white, and calculated. Despite the oldness of the cafeteria building, the inside was decadently modern and minimalistic without ever losing its vintage Victorian hints. It’s a well-kept building for something from an era over 200 years ago.

“Just show ‘em your student I.D. and you can get anything you wanna eat, okay?” Jonny instructs, and as they go through the lines, it takes all of Thanatos’ focus not to brush any shoulders or think about how many people are in here. Jonny looks at Thanatos’ plate as they approach a table near the farthest corner of the room. “Is that really all you’re gonna eat, dude? Your stomach was at bear level growls.”

Thanatos, not dignifying the comment with any retort, merely shoots him a side-eye. Jonny laughs, and the grin only grows when two other boys holler at him.

“Oi! Jonny-boy!” yells one, a kid with darker skin and large round glasses. Jonny picks up his pace to return the offered fist bumps. Thanatos, only a little awkwardly, stands behind Jonny and looks away. The other boy, pale and freckled skin with messy auburn hair, isn’t having any of it.

“Who’s the grumpy guy?” he asks.

Jonny sets his plate down on the table so he can swing an arm around Thanatos shoulder. Thanatos immediately stiffens. “He’s my new roommate, y’all. Be nice to him; I mean it.” There’s no real threatening tone to his words. “And-“ he turns to Thanatos. “-these are Mason and Eddie.” He gestures to the tan one and pale one in that order, and Thanatos makes a lazy note of it.

“Thanatos Briar,” he says succinctly.

“Oh, like the detective, yeah?” asks Mason.

“He is the detective, stupid!” Eddie scolds in a lower tone, punching Mason in the arm. “Haven’t you ever seen the news on TV?”

“Nah, mate, that’s for oldies.”

Jonny is snickering, but he makes sure to get Thanatos comfortable and eating in a chair at the table. They watch as the other two continue to bicker.

“Oldies? It’s for the educated.”

“You say that,” Mason laughs, mouth half full. “But we both know my grades could use some improvement.”

“Oh!” Jonny exclaims, and they stop dead in their tracks. Eddie closes his gaping mouth, and Mason finishes chewing. He looks at Thanatos. “You’re smart, so you could help.”

Thanatos, with a fork full of mashed potatoes, stares him down hard. He swallows and leans a bit away. “Not interested. I’m rather busy.”

“Solving crimes, I bet!” says a girl passing by in a group of them. Thanatos dabs at his mouth with a napkin. “It takes a lot of work to catch killers, so you boys could take some notes.” The other girls giggle and whisper in agreement as Mason sticks out his tongue. Eddie sighs.

“Now, now,” Thanatos starts, pulling out the charm. His smile is so soft yet so eye-catching, and he crosses his legs with grace. He offers to take her hand in his gloved own, and she gingerly obliges with a beet-red face. “Save your lovely voices for something more worth your while.”

“Did he just insult us?” whispers Mason.

“I think so,” Eddie whispers back.

“W-Well, um-“ The student stutters, and all her friends watch in awe.

“It’s alright,” Thanatos continues. “Perhaps we can speak some other time more privately. Please, do eat before your food gets cold, all of you; It’d break my heart to see you upset because you didn’t.” He gently releases her hand after giving it a small squeeze, and she holds it gently to her chest.

She tries to speak again, but she instead nodded quickly and turns on her heel. After one of the others asks for an autograph and gets her notepad signed, they all quickly follow suit. The excited chatting between them doesn’t quiet until they’re a few tables away.

Thanatos sighs, smile dropping instantaneously, and he resumes with his rather bland mashed potatoes. The other boys stare at him hard , and they turn into glares when he sighed in disgust.

“What the hell was that?! How can you not care about like five hot girls giving you all their attention?” Mason pries angrily, crumbs on his cheeks. He points his fork at Thanatos accusingly. “So unfair!”

“It’s totally unfair,” grumbles Eddie.

Jonny drags his hands down his face, “I can’t even get a date .”

“You’re a bastard ,” Mason adds.

Thanatos shrugs. “I don’t care about it,” he says bluntly.

Jonny leans in, bewildered, “Don’t care ? How? If it were me, and I had whatever the hell that just was, there’d be no chance wasted!”

“As any man with a working brain would do!” Mason adds. “Sometimes, thinking with your other head isn’t such a bad thing, Thanatos.” He points downwards with his finger, moving it in circles, and Thanatos feels his head start to hurt.

Jonny nods in agreement. “But, man, girls make it so confusing…”

“Not really,” says Eddie, poking at his mashed potatoes. “You two are just dumbasses.”

“Pot calling the kettle black,” Mason retorts.

Did all high school boys waste their time like this? Thanatos puts down his spoon and stares at the wood grain of the table. His head is spinning. When did the cafeteria get so loud? The pressure of every presence presses against his skin like thick mud, and Jonny’s stupid accent is making his ears bleed.

Mason points his fork at Thanatos, jabbing it in the air a few times. “Oh! Oh! What if Mr. Suave over here can land us someone nice, yeah? Maybe he’ll even find a girl he likes, too.”

“Cut it out,” Eddie mutters, eyeing Thanatos, but it goes ignored.

Jonny laughs with his mouth full of mush. “That’d be so tight!” He swings his arm around Thanatos’ shoulders, and Eddie palms his forehead. “Whaddya say… bud?”

Thanatos shoots out of his chair more dramatically than comfortable, and it catches a few glances, but he ignores them with every burning, quivering fibre of his being. He practically slams Jonny’s arm onto the table. He can’t breathe at all.

“Excuse me,” he says. His ears are burning. “I need to get back to work.” And so, Thanatos picks up his plate and briskly walks away before Jonny can stop him. Behind him, he hears Eddie’s voice.

“ Idiots ,” Eddie berates.

It’s too much. There are whispers and glances and even someone calling his name, but it sounds too much like TV static. None of it can penetrate his overloading brain, so after disposing of his dinnerware, Thanatos rushes out of the door and into another without ever looking up from the floor.