#i finally ordered a new laptop charger which should come after my class tomorrow which is annoying but hey at least i did it

[louferrignojrofficial]

so i got 58/100 on my first assignment that’s worth 40% for this module… i’m not doing that bad so far 😤 now to get started on the essay and the intervention project/essay that are both due on december 9th 😀 and are both 2500 words 😀

[troey-jibiani]

YAY! I got this on on Ao3 at a decent time so I can actually post it here!

The group chat is quiet, which is Nursey’s first clue that something’s wrong. Bitty texted him early, a simple ‘happy birthday!!!!’ with a lot of emojis, but no one else on the team has said anything yet. He really hopes they aren’t planning something, because he knows he specifically told them he doesn’t want a huge party for his birthday.

Dex walks with him to practice like it’s any other day. They live in the same building (and this year, they’re roommates), so they’ve been walking together since the beginning of freshman year.

Usually, Chowder comes from the Haus to walk with them, but he doesn’t today. Nursey asks Dex if Chowder’s sick or something, but he says that Chowder’s just in a hurry to get some assignment done, and that he’ll be at Faber by the time they get there. Other than that, they don’t really talk.

Practice goes well, and no one acknowledges today’s date. Maybe they forgot? But how do you forget Valentine’s Day, much less your own bro’s birthday?

No one talks about plans. No one has a date tonight. No one says anything about the idea of an anti-Valentine kegster. No one is hyped to buy discount chocolate tomorrow, no one has a surprise planned for their SO. It’s all too suspicious to Derek.

He almost forgets about it later, after going to his classes. It’s not until he gets back to his and Dex’s dorm that he remembers everyone is acting weird.

“Nurse, C just texted me. He wants us to come study with him. He says he studies better with people in the room. Something about it making him feel like he has to at least look like he’s actually doing something?”

Yeah. Nursey knows Chowder likes to have them over to study. It makes sense. But he should have texted both of them.

Nursey goes with it. “That’s chill, I don’t exactly have any plans, so.”

Dex doesn’t acknowledge the cold undertone that Nursey just used. He just grabs his laptop, shoves it in his bag, and turns to the door.

The walk to the Haus is quiet, like their walk to practice this morning.

“Ok. What gives?” Derek finally asks.

Dex looks at him like he’s crazy. “Is something wrong, Nurse?”

“Yes, something’s wrong! My own roommate didn’t even say happy birthday to me at all today, the guys are all acting like Valentine’s Day doesn’t exist, and Chowder texted you instead using the group chat! I know I said I didn’t want a party, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want people to acknowledge my birthday!”

“Whoa, Nurse, chill,” Dex snickers. “Let’s just get to the Haus, alright?”

Nursey huffs out a short breath. It’s cold, cold enough to see his small tantrum in front of his face. He keeps walking, but he makes sure to do so a good four feet in front of Dex. They’re not walking together. They just happen to be going to the same place.

When he opens the door to the Haus, nothing is out of order. Ransom and Holster are playing Smash Brothers (Brawl, no items, Fox only, Final Destination, for some reason. Melee is clearly better) and Bitty’s in the kitchen, talking to Jack on the phone while he bakes.

Derek trudges up the stairs to Chowder’s room. The door is closed, and it looks like the lights might be off?

Dex catches up to him just as he opens the door. Dex pushed past Nursey to flip on the lights, and Chowder jumps up from behind his desk.

“Surprise!!!!!”

Chowder’s room is covered in balloons (and confetti, after the party popper that he just set off). There’s a banner hanging from one corner to the other, and two wrapped presents sitting on Chowder’s desk, next to an entire pie. It looks like razzle berry, which is what Bitty calls a pie with multiple types of berries in it. Derek hadn’t had it before he came to Samwell, but it’s now his favorite.

“So, I know you don’t want a huge party,” Chowder says, “but I figured a party that was just the three of us would be cool? I told Bitty and he said it sounded like a good idea. We got everybody in on it, so no one could ruin the surprise.”

Dex picks up a noise maker off the desk and blows it in Nursey’s face. “Your roommate didn’t forget your birthday.”

Nursey could totally cry right now. He’s not going to, because that would mess with his Chill Aesthetic, but he could.

“Yo, Nurse. Are you in there?” Dex asks, waving his hand and the noise maker in front of Derek’s face. “We just wanted to do something nice for your birthday, not break you. Hello? Nuuuuurse.”

He can’t actually say anything. Like, at all. No words want to come out. So, he does the next best thing and hugs Dex.

“That’s–a little–tight–can’t–breathe–”

“Oh oh me too! Group hug! Don’t forget me!!!!!” Chowder cheers, tackling the both of them. Dex takes several deep, gasping breaths when Chowder and Nursey release him. “So, do you want to open your presents or cut pie first?”

“Presents?”

Chowder ushers Nursey over to the bed and makes him sit, then grabs a party hat and pulls the strap over Nursey’s chin. He and Dex both grab one of the presents off the desk and hold them out for Derek to pick one.

He takes Chowder’s present first. It’s in a bag, with a complicated ribbon holding it closed. He fiddles with it for a minute before Dex pulls out a pocket knife and cuts it for him. Inside, underneath a few layers of tissue paper, there’s a phone charger, a pair of earbuds, and a paper gift certificate that says he can have one free drink at Annie’s.

“You were complaining about how you ruin chargers and earbuds really quickly so I thought you’d like some with more durable cords,” Chowder explains. “It’s a braided cord so it’ll last longer.”

“Thanks C, I needed a new charger,” he says.

Dex waits for him to more Chowder’s gift to the side and plops the box down on Derek’s lap. It’s very neatly wrapped, which Derek would expect of Dex, and easy to open. The paper comes off to reveal a plain white box, that holds a scarf and a matching pair of gloves–with string connecting them that can be removed by pulling a button out of a tiny loop in the yarn. They’re dark green, and warm, and Derek loves them.

“You’re always losing yours, so, I thought these might be better?” Dex says.

“Where’d you get them? Wow, there’s not even a tag,” Nursey asks. He wraps the scarf around his neck.

“They’re not, ah. I made them,” Dex mumbles.

“That’s really sweet? Thank you? Oh my god? You literally made me a pair of gloves that are harder to lose. Dex, that’s amazing. I love them, I really do.”

Actually, Derek just loves Dex. And Chowder. A lot. This is the best thing that anyone has ever done for his birthday.