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It was official.
Dainsleif was going to kill him.
Aether groaned, head planting on his desk as he held onto his returned chemistry test. He shrunk into himself, wanting nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow him whole.
He was so sure he had it this time! He had done all the homework and labs exactly right, so what happened?!
Okay, so maybe he hadn’t studied as much as he should, and maybe he shouldn’t have let his little sister Paimon drag him around to every bakery in the city a couple days ago, but he didn’t think it’d matter that much!
He peeked up at his test again, the sinking feeling in his gut growing heavier as he fixated on the score at the top.
A 73 out of 150.
48%...
He slapped the paper facedown, folding his arms over to push his face into it. He should’ve studied more. He needed to pass this class to graduate!
His scores on everything else was fine, never straying further than maybe a B- on assignments and labs, but he was just a horrid test-taker.
Math was easy. English was even easier. His electives in communication were outstanding. So, what in archon’s name was the reason Chemistry was so hard?!
It was the second test of the semester; his previous grade having been a C-. He didn’t consider it great, and he had gotten a long lecture from Dainsleif, but Lumine and Paimon were understanding at least…
It didn’t help Dainsleif was a professor in the social science building either.
There were only two more tests in the semester. He had time! He was even told that the lowest test grade was going to be dropped in the end anyway. He’d be fine!
C’s got degrees, right?
He lifted his head up, sighing before he suddenly froze, his eyes catching on the sight of the only person in class he ever talked to.
Albedo, dressed in his beige turtleneck and brown slacks, was speaking blankly with the professor. The instructor looked pleased with the conversation, no doubt praising his (probably) high grade on the test.
Albedo was the smartest in the class, no question there. He was renown throughout campus as the top student in the physical science department. Every professor sung his praises and he was always secured a place in any future conferences to show off his latest research.
He studied for hours on end throughout the week, even at times declining outings to study for upcoming exams and was always on top of everything that was requested of him.
If Dainsleif wasn’t going to kill him, then his dormmate was.
He couldn’t count the amount of times Albedo would stop him at the door or write on their shared calendar to remind him about their class exams.
Albedo was probably the only reason he even did well at the homework, truthfully.
If he found out how bad Aether did on the exam…
Aether paled, revisiting the memory to when he received a C- on the previous exam. Albedo hadn’t been entirely disappointed, but he had been subjected to two hours of lecture regarding the topics he missed on it.
And that was before Dainsleif found out…
Their class was over for the day. He could probably make a break for it if he was fast enough. He wouldn’t be able to hide forever, because of their shared living area, but he could hide at least for a little bit.
Where could he go though?
Ice ran down Aether’s back as he witnessed Albedo pointing in his direction, only for his eyes to harden and narrow moments after the instructor replied.
He saw Albedo’s lips form a small ‘Thank you’. He met Aether’s gaze, instantly telling him with a cold expression; I know.
Aether stood up from his desk.
Albedo walked around the professor’s desk.
There was only one course of action that could prolong his life.
Aether bolted.
He swallowed thickly, adrenaline pushing him past the few students who tried to leave at the same time as him. He muttered an apology, his chest feeling tight as he managed to shove his terrible test paper in his bookbag.
He grasped onto the strap, keeping it steady as he continued speed walking through the physical science building. He didn’t really have anywhere to run, so what in the world did he think he was doing?
He chanced a glance behind him, knowing despite the fact he was more athletic than his dormmate, his pace could easily be matched by the other.
“So far, so good…” Aether mumbled under his breath, grunting as a weight suddenly slammed into him.
Firm hands grounded him by his shoulders, steadying his balance before he tipped completely over.
“Sorry-!” His words caught in his throat, fear enveloping his senses as he took in the sight of his dormmate in front of him. The grip on his bag tightened to the point his hands burned. He didn’t think Albedo would catch up to him that quickly!
“Um, I can explain…?” Aether trailed off, blinking slowly as he realized something was off. He took a moment to look over his dormmate’s (?) clothing.
A light, arctic shaded jacket with a white t-shirt and blue jeans.
His body relaxed instantly at the sight of a bare neck.
“Oh, it’s just you, Durin,” He placed a hand over his heart, catching his breath, “You startled me.”
Durin was the exact opposite of Albedo. The two were twins in almost every way appearance wise (other than the tattoo), but that was where their similarities ended.
Albedo was known as the most intelligent student in physical science, but when it came to life science, Durin was the star.
Albedo focused on all non-living organisms.
Durin focused on all living organisms.
Both faculties praised their abilities and encouraged them to continue aiming for the top, however they were unable to see the rivalry that blossomed between the two.
When it came to when they were at conferences together, both were always nominated for the same prizes for their presentations and at times, they would both walk away with the reward, the decision to choose between the two nearly impossible.
These moments enraged them and caused their rivalry to spiral even further.
In their eyes, only one could be at the top.
“I should be the one saying that,” Durin chuckled, his voice a smidge deeper than Albedo’s “It’s not every day I see you running throughout the halls.”
Aether wouldn’t say he was running. He was just walking swiftly.
“I’m uh…” Durin wasn’t as strict as his brother, but still the thought of telling someone his terrible grade…
“Aether?” A familiar voice called out, causing Aether’s body to tense back up instantly. “Where are you? We need to talk.”
Durin’s eyes flickered to the side, catching sight of his brother rounding the corner. Two identical gazes met, one narrowing in warning and the other sharpening in a silent challenge.
The hands left Aether’s shoulders, one now taking his hand in a possessive-like grip. “Let’s run,” Durin whispered deviously before dragging the boy along for the ride as he began to sprint down the halls.
“DURIN.”
Students lingering around the building now watched the trio run, some taking to reaching for their phones to record the oddity of seeing, not only the genius of physical science but also the star of life science dashing through the halls.
Aether wanted to crawl into a hole even more so than before.
Dainsleif was going to have his head if any of these potential videos went viral.
“M-Maybe we should stop,” He tried to call out to Durin, nearly tripping over his feet as they rounded a corner and narrowly avoided a poor student carrying a large stack of papers.
“This was your idea, wasn’t it?” Durin responded, his step not slowing in the slightest even with their sharp turns. “Come on, I think I know a place.”
Albedo couldn’t be that far behind them; would it really be smart of them to try to hide?
He should really just bite the bullet and accept his fate.
It was his own fault he failed. Albedo just wanted to help him pass, even if the thought of having to sit through another impromptu lesson sent a chill down his spine.
Durin lured him to a door near the back of the building, his mischievous grin having stayed in place the entire venture over. He grabbed the knob, winking behind his shoulder. “In here.”
The place where Durin took them was relatively familiar to Aether. It wasn’t anything special, in fact it was something that everyone knew about but never took the time to go to.
It was an abandoned staircase in the back of the physical science building that only faculty members utilized most of the time. It was out of reach from most of the classrooms and beyond creepy, so a lot of senior students deemed it the haunted staircase just to terrify the incoming freshmen.
The white paint on the staircase walls were slowly started to chip away, the stairs worn down to the point you could see the concrete beneath the once-gray overcoat. Frigid air flowed through the area, at times reaching in the negatives depending how cold it was outside. The lights flickered, barely able to remain lit. The entire thing looked as if it were ripped out of a low-budget horror film.
Why anyone would take this staircase was beyond Aether’s imagination.
Durin was right. The chances of them being found here (unless they were seen) were next to none.
The second Durin shut the door behind them, Aether slumped against the nearest wall, cringing at the feeling of cold concrete seeping through his hoodie.
“Not that I didn’t have fun doing this,” Durin started, his own body pressed against the door as he kept a watch through the small window, “But why were you running?”
He deserved an explanation, Aether knew that. Not many people would be willing to run through the halls of a campus building while classes were in session just for the heck of it.
He sighed defeatedly, reaching into his book bag to retrieve the wrinkled paper he had shoved inside. He handed it off, unwilling to make eye contact as it was taken from him.
A few moments passed between the two.
“You were running from Albedo because you failed a test?” Durin scoffed, “What, does he make you sit through an hour-long study session when you fail?”
Aether stayed quiet.
“Ah.”
“I know, it’s dumb,” He mumbled, cheeks flaring in embarrassment, “But I feel bad when he does it because he puts a lot of effort into trying to teach me and it works most of the time, but I just…”
Taking tests was awful.
“Have you considered dropping the class?” Durin suggested, waving the test absentmindedly in the air, “You’re only taking it because it has a lab, right?”
“Well, yeah…” Aether needed it to graduate and there were a limited number of classes that included a lab and lecture. He considered himself lucky for the fact he was even able to get in.
It was only a small bonus when he found out Albedo was in his class too.
“But I can’t just drop a class in the first month,” Aether groaned, “Besides, I do fine with the assignments!”
“You could drop out and join my class.” Durin sent a quick glance to the window, pushing himself off the wall slowly, “I could convince my professor to get you a spot.”
“I don’t think that would help.” The course wasn’t the problem, it was his testing anxiety. He just needed to somehow work through that and- “I’ll be fine. I just-”
Aether’s voice caught in his throat, retracting on himself as he was caged between a pair of arms. His test fluttered to the ground behind Durin, turquoise darkening into a dangerous hue.
“I think it would,” Durin purred, pressing closer against the other, “I could give you some private tutoring on the subject. I’d be less strict than that dull brother of mine. I wouldn’t even get angry if you failed to get a high grade.”
“T-That doesn’t exactly help me.” Albedo got mad when he received a low grade, but that was only because he cared.
“Although, if you failed to get above a C…” Durin trailed off into a throaty chuckle, legs shifting to place a knee between Aether’s, “I suppose some punishment would be in order.”
“Punishment?” He tried to shift away, the atmosphere taking a turn for the worse, “You’re too close, Durin.”
“You think so?”
Aether yelped when his knee moved upwards, startling him enough he was able to stand up straighter to avoid the appendage.
“I don’t think I’m close enough,” A hand dragged itself down the wall, settling on Aether’s hip, “Come on. Drop his class and join mine. You’ll find the material is much more entertaining.”
Aether’s hand shot out before Durin could drag him closer, pushing against his chest to keep a small distance between them.
“Durin.” He hissed, the heat on his cheeks nearly burning. He was more than aware of the infatuation Durin had for him; however, the boy hadn’t been this direct in his advances in a while. The last time he had tried anything was about a year ago, and even then, he hadn’t felt he was in much danger due to their sister being in the room next door.
“Aether,” Durin abandoned the wall and the boy’s hip entirely, taking a different approach entirely. He wrapped both arms around Aether’s waist, dragging him fully away from the wall to press their bodies together.
Aether gasped; his hands now trapped between the two of them. He struggled to no avail, shivering when warm lips managed to kiss against his neck.
“Durin, this is not the place to-!”
“So, I am allowed to elsewhere then?” Aether whimpered as hot air trailed across his ear, his body beginning to melt against his friend, “Then, shall we-?”
The staircase door slammed open.
Aether tried to pull away instantly, only for his body to be trapped in a deathlike hold. He was met with a deadly glare from a familiar face.
“Durin,” Albedo hissed, teeth grinding as he focused all his attention on his brother, “Let go of him.”
“No,” Durin smirked, “Do you mind taking your leave? You’re interrupting us.”
“Do you mind?” Albedo reached forward, trying to force the two apart.
Durin held on tight, starting to laugh at the futile attempt to separate the two of them.
Aether was tired of this.
He maneuvered his feet around, taking advantage of the distraction Albedo provided, to swipe his foot underneath Durin’s.
The boy let out a surprised shout, his grip easing immediately as gravity pulled him down. He reached out to grab ahold of Aether.
Aether stepped aside.
Albedo wasn’t so lucky.
The twin yelled out a similar sound to Durin’s as he was dragged down to the floor with his brother, falling haphazardly on top of him.
Aether took the moment to scoop up his discarded test before adjusting his bookbag. He didn’t hesitate another second before he dashed up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time.
“Aether, wait!”
“This is why you should’ve stayed away, you idiot!”
“How is this my fault?”
Aether didn’t stop running until he reached the top of the staircase, opening the door to the faculty member’s hall. He slammed it shut, breathing heavily.
He shook his head, trying to bring himself back down to Teyvat. He knew they would recover soon from their fall, so he didn’t have much time to linger.
He walked down the hall, smiling sheepishly at professors who recognized him. He approached the elevator at the other end, pressing the down button.
He could probably avoid seeing Durin for a little while, but Albedo and him shared a dorm, so that was inevitable.
Aether reached inside his bag, withdrawing his phone to check the time. 4:55 pm…
If he was right, Dainsleif’s office hours were from 4 pm to 6 pm…
At this point, maybe listening to his guardian scold him wouldn’t be so bad.