Storming

Summary: Eragon's having a hard life, what with university, a crazy best friend, a crazy good friend, a brute of a best friend's boyfriend and an extremely attractive man living in the apartment across that hall. Who most likely thinks that Eragon has been deprived of the general good luck humans are granted at birth, and this was before they were forced to live together.

0

Eragon stared in dread at the steadily leaking pipe and the chaos that was previously his apartment.

"Oh, my landlord is going to kill me!"

0

3 months before the incident…

Eragon was staring perplexedly at the obnoxiously loud digital alarm clock on the table beside his bed. It was hardly a fascinating thing, black with bright red numbers displaying the time, a couple of buttons here and there. Yet Eragon still stared at it like it was a mystery as large as the answer 42.

The reason for this being that his alarm went off at a time that Eragon considered ungodly and it always took him a few minutes after waking up to remember which button was the blessed one that turned the horrible thing off.

When the continuous ear-splitting sound was successfully silenced, Eragon walked the slow, swaying, barely-missing doors and walls walk of the newly awakened and the recently undead, and made his way to the bathroom.

Every morning, he never failed to think about how much easier it would be if he'd gotten the apartment with the ensuite. This walking across the hall business was lethal to someone as unlucky as him, anything could happen in the space between his room and the bathroom.

Another loud, unwelcome noise interrupted his shower-time. He made a wild grab for his phone, before it vibrated and sang itself onto his tiled bathroom floor, and tried to manoeuvre his body so that while his head was out of the glass door of the shower, his body was still under the showerhead. It was awkward but it kept his phone from absorbing more water than its delicate health could handle.

"Hello?"

"Hey Baby. You in the shower?"

"Saphira, you have the wrong number…again."

His best friend laughed. "I'm just joking Era', I know who I called and addressed you appropriately. Now, finish up quickly and meet for breakfast like you promised."

Eragon thought hard, the morning fog circulating his brain making the extra work necessary.

"That was today?"

"Yes. We have a late start today and then Thorn's picking us up after our respective classes. Now get your butt down here, Angela's Café, two blocks from Varda. Be quick!"

It wouldn't take too long to get to Angela's and since he started later today, he didn't need to be at Varda University until a more reasonable time than usual.

Eragon sighed and flew into action. He threw the cleanest pair of jeans on, shoved his head threw his chosen top, grabbed a hoodie and tried to put on a pair of black converse while holding onto the hoodie and ended up on the floor.

Switching the hoodie from arm to arm as he finished putting the rest of his shirt on, so that it covered his torso and didn't just hang around his neck. Grabbing his wallet, his keys, his phone, slipping in the bathroom while doing so and barely keeping his balance, and finally he left, or tried to.

His hoodie got caught in the door as he was leaving. He tried tugging it out, he tried walking away with half of it and hoping the rest would come free of the door and follow.

It wasn't working, so he grabbed an armful of hoodie, turned his back on the door and tugged. He stopped, still with an armful of black hoodie, when he saw his neighbour from across the hall staring at him.

Cheeks pink with embarrassment; he walked back to the door, located his keys and rescued his hoodie before fleeing the scene.

His neighbour smirked in amusement, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes and returned to his apartment.

"Every morning, there's always something."

0

Eragon's day had been uneventful since that morning. Saphira was still crazy, so was Arya, and the drive home with Thorn once again reminded him that Thorn was scary even when he was nice to you and said he considered you a friend.

Getting back to his apartment, he fished for his keys. He inserted the right one in the lock and twisted. A soft 'snapping' sound was heard and Eragon stared in dismay at half of his key, as the other half was still embedded in the lock.

He grabbed his phone and searched through his contacts. He was on good terms with a local locksmith due to the frequency of stuff like this happening.

"Hello, Oromis."

"Rider? What is it this time?"

"My key broke, inside the lock. Well, half of it anyway."

"Ah, I see. I'll be by as soon as I can."

"And that would be?"

"At least two hours."

Oromis disconnected and Eragon slumped back against his door.

Eragon sat there, playing games on his phone, for an hour. His battery was low and his Ipod was in his apartment. In a fit of quiet frustration, he began steadily banging his head on the door behind him, eyes closed so he didn't loose it and burst into tears.

"Maybe if I pass out, time will go by faster?" Eragon wondered aloud, before resuming his banging.

Footsteps approached the hallway that Eragon was seated in and stopped close-by.

"That doesn't sound like a particularly healthy idea, kid," a voice said from above.

Eragon just groaned before opening his eyes, and the pink flush from that morning returned to his cheeks. His neighbour towered over him, a small smirk on his handsome face and a twinkle in his grey eyes. His dark brown hair was dripping and clinging to face, turned black by the water. He ran a hand through it, which clumped it together out of his eyes.

Eragon watched in daze, stunned by the sudden appearance of a person and by the fact that his neighbour was talking to him.

"It's raining?" Eragon asked, still stunned.

"Yeah, for the past half-hour. How long have you been sitting here?"

"An hour. You've never talked to me before, you always just stare."

"Call it a habit. Would like to come in?" He gestured to his door.

Eragon nodded, a bit unsurely, and pushed himself off the floor.

His neighbour opened the door and walked inside, while Eragon followed dumbly. He looked around the apartment to occupy himself so his bad luck didn't kick in and he accidently torched the guy's place or something equally ridiculous that only happened to him.

It was the same set up as his, with the lounge room and the balcony facing the street outside and the kitchenette attached the lounge room with a marble counter separating the two. The bedroom and bathroom were down a hall, which was to the right. There wasn't any mess on the floor, there were a few books and magazines on the coffee the table, the TV was on some cartoon channel, the kitchen was clean, unlike Eragon's, and there was a coat rack by the door.

The guy had seated himself on the couch and beckoned to Eragon.

"You can come sit, you know. I don't bite."

Eragon moved mechanically to the couch and sat as far away from his neighbour as he possibly could get. He was still trying to comprehend that his neighbour was interacting with him for once. His neighbour either wasn't bothered by Eragon's demeanour towards him or he just wasn't letting on that he was bothered.

His neighbour, who Eragon realised he didn't know the name of, crossed his legs at the ankle and leaned back into the couch, peering over at Eragon. The flush that had melted away during Eragon's inspection of the apartment came back with force. Eragon fidgeted under the gaze.

"So, why were you sitting in front of your door for an hour? Were you waiting for someone who didn't show?"

Eragon shook his head. "My key broke," he mumbled.

"Ah, so we're waiting on the locksmith."

Eragon nodded, still looking incredibly uncomfortable. When his neighbour didn't say anything else, his thoughts began to drift. His eyes rested on the TV but his mind was a million miles away. He didn't register that his neighbour had casually slid closer until his arm was lightly squeezed and he jumped back to reality. His head whipped around to face his neighbour, and freaked when they met nose to nose and scrambled away. His neighbour scooted closer again, smirking at Eragon's reaction. He held out a hand.

"I just realised I never introduced myself, I'm Murtagh Morzansson."

Eragon clasped his hand. "E-Eragon Rider," he stuttered, blushing.

His neighbour, Murtagh, pulled away still smirking and muttered something under his breathe that Eragon thought sounded like 'I know' but it could have easily been something else. Maybe it was actually 'Hi Ho'.

Yeah, that was probably it. The exhaustion of the day eventually caught with Eragon, and he couldn't stay awake long enough to realise he was steadily leaning into Murtagh like he was a comfy pillow.

0

Eragon wasn't sure what to do. He could knock and face the man who had carried him back to his apartment, put him to bed, acquired his new key, paid the locksmith for both the key and getting the other half of his old key from the old lock, and left the note that compelled Eragon to be standing, rather awkwardly, in front of Murtagh's door for the last ten minutes.

Fiddling with the money Oromis had informed him he owed. That's what the note had said. He left it with the key sticky taped to it, with the note sticky taped to Eragon's hand. You owe me.

But what did Murtagh want exactly, favours…No, Eragon guessed compensation. Raising his hand to knock, Eragon became indecisive again and gave in to what he thought the more appropriate idea. He scribbled a note on an envelope, shoved the money and signed his name. He pushed it under the door and ran back to his apartment, locking the door.

Now he never had to see Murtagh again.

0

2 months before the incident…

"Thorn, you really are too sweet," Saphira chattered at her boyfriend, beaming like the sun.

"Yes, really you're too sweet," Eragon mimicked sarcastically, before flinching when Thorn put his arm around Saphira's shoulders.

"Don't hit me!" Eragon squeaked.

Thorn laughed deeply, ruffling Eragon's hair, making Eragon scowl at the large redhead.

"It's alright, I won't even come inside," Thorn promised.

"It's not that," Eragon grumbled, "Why can't you take her with you?"

Saphira gasped and latched onto Eragon, crying dramatically. "Don't love me anymore, Era'. Have you replaced me with some hot piece of man candy and given your heart away to another? Tell me it isn't so!"

"It isn't so."

Saphira pouted a bit before beaming again and flounced over to Thorn again.

"Worry not, Thorn and I will scour the land in search of the one who'll win your heart. Can't leave to fend for yourself, now can I?"

Eragon sighed and rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at edges of his lips. Saphira was crazy, but he loved her all the same. They came into Eragon's hall, which was thankfully clear. He hadn't exactly told Saphira about the hot–neighbour–Murtagh.

"I might have someone," Thorn said, as he walked between Saphira and Eragon.

"Who?" Eragon asked, suspicious of the suggestion.

"A friend of mine, actually he lives pretty near here. He's not bad, a bit of a jerk at times, but I think he'll find you cute so he'll be extra nice."

"His name's Murtagh, isn't it? And he doesn't live near here, he lives here."

"I said nothing off the sort," Thorn said, glancing at Eragon with amusement in his eye.

"Yeah, but he's your best friend, Saphira told me every little detail on you when you first started dating."

"Ah, I see."

"And men are not cute," Eragon groaned in hatred of the very word.

"But you are," Thorn joked, grinning at the shorter male.

"Cute as a cupcake," Saphira agreed, coming up behind Eragon, bumping her hip into him and stealing his keys. She kissed her boyfriend goodbye and let herself into Eragon's apartment.

Unfortunately Eragon hadn't been expecting the force of her bumping into him and tripped over his own feet, crashing into the wall. Glaring at his door, which Saphira left slight ajar, he pushed off the wall and walked straight into another wall…oh, wait, that was a chest.

Eragon blushed at the muscular torso that he had smashed into, his eyes travelling up from his eye line of the owner of the chest's mouth to the owner of the chest's eyes.

His heart sank, and he burst into tears of embarrassment on the inside. On the outside, he went an even brighter pink bordering on neon.

Murtagh smirked down at him. "Hello Rider."

Eragon didn't answer, instead he stepped back and hurried towards his apartment. Before he could get all the way in and shut the door, Murtagh's voice filtered back to him.

"Be careful where you step, or someday you might take out the wall."

0

1 month before the incident…

Rain was pouring down from the dark clouds that covered every inch of sky, cars splashed water in ever direction, the pavement was like a small river, and Eragon had never been colder in his life as he sloshed through it.

He didn't have an umbrella, his last one broke the last time he'd been out in the rain and he never bothered to replace it. He was soaked, his clothes would produce a small lake when he wringed them out later, his hair was plastered flat, his teeth chattered and his body shivered uncontrollably as he slowly froze.

He was still a block away from his apartment, and was tempted to wait at Angela's café until the rain had stopped, or someone could pick him up, before he died of hypothermia. But he didn't want to bug Angela…or Elva, who would probably kick him out after seeing how bedraggled he was and how that would affect the state of their floor. The shop next to it looked just as inviting. It seemed to be a digital media entertainment store with CDs, DVDs, games, bright lighting, and probably a decent heating system. Even better, he'd never been in there so if he got banned for dripping on the floor, he wouldn't feel too bad about it.

The door jingled as he went in. Eragon went into the nearest aisle and hoped he'd be in the store long enough for the heating system to have an effect. Somebody was restocking the shelves, ignoring Eragon's presence, which Eragon was fine with. Rather than disturb the employee and possibly get kicked out, he went to the opposite shelves. He had placed himself in one of the gaming aisles and deciding that he might as well browse before he subjected himself to the horror of the outside world again.

Sliding his hands out of his sleeves, as they didn't do a thing in keeping them warm, as they were also soaked, he brought them up to his mouth and blew.

"Fuck, it's cold," he muttered, unsuccessfully trying to coax some life back into his numb fingers.

"Well, the weather isn't exactly that which accompanies warmth," a familiar voice drawled from nearby.

The employee restocking didn't even look over but Eragon knew he was the one who'd spoken.

"You don't think I know that!" Eragon snapped, rounding on the poor employee, who still didn't bother to look up.

"Chill out, would you? I didn't mean to upset you; it was just a little sarcasm. Jeesh!"

Eragon huffed and turned back to the games.

"I'm about as chilled as I can get," he muttered to himself, picking up one that he'd played with his cousin Roran. He studied the synopsis and pictures on the back. He hadn't really known what he was doing last time he'd played it, mostly he just ran around and got shot a lot.

Putting it back, his arm knocked some of the nearby games and sent them clattering to the floor. The employee looked up, eyes widening when he saw who the other occupant of the aisle was. Eragon was already on the floor, picking up the fallen games.

Another set of hands reached joined his.

"Let me help you," the familiar voice was a lot softer now.

Eragon nodded but didn't look up from his task, struggling to get his numb fingers to co-operate.

"You're soaked, Rider."

Eragon's head whipped up to see Murtagh's slightly smirking lips and twinkling eyes.

Murtagh took the few games that Eragon had collected, stopping for a moment as their fingers brushed, and then carried on with putting the games away. Once the last games settled into place, quick as a flash Murtagh's warm hands had enveloped his.

"Not only are you soaked, you're freezing too."

Murtagh took a firm hold of one of his hands. "Come with me," he said, pulling Eragon along.

Murtagh exited the aisle and walked up to the cashier.

"I'm finishing for the day, can you lock up?"

The cashier nodded and Murtagh pulled Eragon outside again. He walked them over to a sleek grey car and unlocked it, gesturing for Eragon to get in.

Eragon hesitated. "I'll get the seats wet."

Murtagh smiled. "I'm sure they'll survive."

0

Eragon paused outside his door, very worried about the two voices yelling inside and the sounds of conflict.

He knew that Roran was coming over during the day to drop off some food from Katrina. That girl really knew how to cook, and had somehow gotten it into her head that Eragon wasn't able to sustain himself without her regular deliveries. However, he had no idea of anyone else who could be visiting. He twisted the knob and found the door locked. Roran had his own key, but he always left the door open until he left.

Hesitantly, Eragon located his keys. He jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Murtagh stood behind him, Eragon could feel the heat radiating off his body, with a dark look in his eyes.

"What's going on in there?"

Eragon stared at his door in dismay. "I don't know, my cousin was supposed to come over to deliver some stuff but nobody else was supposed to be here."

A particularly large crashing sound floated through the door, making Eragon wince.

"From the sound of things though, I may need a new apartment once they're done."

Eragon turned back to look at Murtagh. His gaze shifted from the door to Eragon and small smile spread across his lips.

"Well, you can always stay with me, if they total you're apartment."

Murtagh turned and went back into his apartment before Eragon could respond.

With a heavy sigh, Eragon opened his door and faced what was probably a very expensive damage cost on his apartment.

Roran was tussling on the ground with…

"Vanir?"

The two men looked up from the ground, noting the destruction around them. Eragon's kitchenware was smashed, there were dents in his walls, the coffee table was broken, and little pieces of wood, plates and plaster littered the floor.

Vanir gave a smirk, so unlike the smirks that Murtagh gave. It was slimy and smug, like he had Eragon right where he wanted him.

"Hey babe," Vanir greeted, shoving Roran off him and clambering to his feet.

"What have you two done? Why is Vanir here? Fucking hell, my apartment is ruined!"

Eragon was close to tears and now he was yelling too.

Vanir scrambled over and attempted to embrace Eragon.

"Aw, baby, I'm sorry. It's just your douche of a cousin started some stuff that I felt the need to finish."

Eragon wormed his way out of Vanir's arms and stood near Roran.

"You weren't expected, he was. And don't call me 'baby,' we broke up four months ago."

Vanir smirked again and Eragon shivered, scooting closer to Roran.

"That's why I'm back here actually, and that's what your cousin got all uppity about."

Roran glared angrily and stepped in front of Eragon. "Damn right, I did! Don't you think you've screwed him over enough!"

Vanir stepped up Roran, glaring right back.

"Oh, if only we'd gotten to that, I imagine you'd have blown a fuse if you knew I'd taken your precious cousin's virtue, but someone else got there long before I did. Did you know that? But to answer you're question, no, I don't think I have."

Roran punched Vanir. "Of course, I knew, and I swear if I see you near Eragon again–"

"Oh, you swear, do you?" Vanir sneered, holding a hand to his bloody nose.

Eragon pulled Roran away from Vanir. "Stop it!"

Eragon looked at Vanir and then at the door. "Get out!"

Vanir opened his mouth to speak again, but Eragon interrupted him. "Out."

Vanir glared and left, leaving the door open to the hall. Eragon could see Murtagh leaning against his door, glaring at Vanir as he left. Eragon tore his gaze away from his neighbour and looked at Roran, who had also noticed the man across the hall.

"Something going between you and that guy?" Roran asked in a whisper.

"What? No, he just…I just–"

"You just think he's really hot. He seems okay, I like that he doesn't like Vanir. I hope he's not like Vanir, 'cause then we're gonna have a problem–"

Eragon interrupted their whispered conversation and returned to normal volume. "No, we're not, because I want you to leave too."

"What?"

Eragon looked at Roran meaningfully and nodded at the door, making Roran sighed.

"Fine," he huffed, "but you better call me."

Roran shut the door behind him and the whole apartment rattled slightly. Eragon surveyed the disaster zone that was his apartment. It looked a tornado had casually blown though the space.

A pipe attached to the kitchen tap burst open, spraying water all over the kitchen. It would continue slowly flooding the apartment without something to contain it.

Eragon revised his comparison. Now, it was like a large storm had erupted inside his apartment, along with a small earthquake.

He stared in dread at the steadily leaking pipe and the chaos that was previously his apartment.

"Oh, my landlord is going to kill me!"

He couldn't be bothered trying to fix this right now and instead went across the hall and knocked on Murtagh's door. The man opened the door, just as he finished off a call on his mobile.

"I was just calling some people for you," Murtagh said, with a small smile.

Eragon tried to reciprocate but it turned out more like a grimace.

"Was your offer to stay with you serious?"

Murtagh glanced at Eragon's closed door and then at Eragon's tired, unhappy face.

"Well, it wasn't before, but it is now."

Eragon sighed in relief. "Okay."

0

Eragon had been living with Murtagh for a week so far, and everything wasn't so bad. Katrina, Saphira and Arya had made sure that Roran and Vanir were paying for the damages and that Roran was personally cleaning up the apartment.

Murtagh had insisted he take the bed but Eragon felt guilty about making Murtagh sleep on the couch, especially since Eragon noticed that Murtagh was only taking the couch because he thought Eragon was cute and Eragon said as much. Murtagh only looked away and gently told him to shut up before making his bed on the couch. Eventually, they agreed on rotation.

Murtagh was more than amused most of the time, as he got to witness Eragon's case of bad luck firsthand, from hitting himself in the head with the fridge door, getting sizable bruises from doorknobs as he often walked into them and more often then not tripping over himself in the process of getting dressed.

This morning, Eragon had already done all three and his mood was worse off for it. Rubbing his aching side, while preparing his cereal breakfast, he didn't notice Murtagh sneaking behind him. He waited until Eragon had put the milk down, so he wouldn't have to clean anything up, and playful jabbed Eragon's soon-to-be bruised waist. Eragon jumped, hissing loudly. He turned and hit Murtagh on the arm.

"Don't do that, you bastard, it hurts!"

Murtagh struggled to keep his amusement at bay and thoughts away from 'how cute Eragon looks when he's pouting,' so that he could look suitably guilty.

"Sorry," Murtagh apologised, trying to seem sincere.

"No, you're not."

Murtagh grinned at Eragon, who rolled his eyes. "You're right I'm not."

Eragon turned around to reply but was cut off, when Murtagh held his face and crushed his lips onto his. When Murtagh pulled back, his eyes were wide like he was surprised at his own actions.

Eragon smiled and stood on his tiptoes, gently kissing Murtagh. Their eyes slid closed and Eragon's hands tangled themselves in dark, silky hair, while Murtagh's hands slid down Eragon's body to rest on his hips and pull him closer.

Disconnecting from each other, Eragon laughed at the surprised look on Murtagh's face.

Leaning in Eragon kissed Murtagh again.

"How long have you wanting to do that?" Eragon asked, as Murtagh kissed and buried his face in Eragon's neck.

"Too long," Murtagh said, pulling Eragon even closer.

"Exactly."

"When I first saw you I thought you were cute, but the day I found you outside your room, banging you're head on your door, that's when I realised I only wanted you. Thorn had been egging me on to talk to you, because he knew of our mutual attraction–"

"You make it sound so sexy," Eragon said, laughing.

Murtagh playfully squeezed Eragon's waist. Eragon pushed away, hissing.

Eragon glared at him sternly. "I told you that hurt," Eragon said, pouting.

Murtagh pulled Eragon back, leaning his forehead into Eragon's.

"You're right, you did. I'm sorry."

"I can tell," Eragon whispered, kissing his current roommate.

Murtagh moved to deepen the kiss but Eragon pulled away, smiling cheekily.

"You were saying about our mutual attraction?"

"Yes, because of Thorn, I finally decided to talk to you. Can I kiss you again now?"

Eragon nodded, and Murtagh moved closer. Lips met and Eragon moaned and quickly pulled away, cheeks bright pink in embarrassment.

"At least I know you're enjoying this."

"What are we now?" Eragon asked.

"What do you want to be? Because, truthfully, I want you to be mine and me to be yours and nothing less than that."

"I want that too."

Murtagh smiled and kissed Eragon again.

The door to Murtagh's opened and Thorn and Saphira walked in. Thorn just sat down on the couch, while Saphira waded between the two.

She rounded on Eragon. "A week, a week, and you're already shoving each tongues down each others throats. I can't believe you didn't tell me you were digging Thorn's best friend. I could've organised something sooner, that didn't involve destroying you're apartment. And you,"

She rounded on Murtagh. "Take care of Eragon, feed him, walk him, make sure he gets some sun, and don't you dare hurt him. He has three very close females that will come after you, if you do."

She waltzed over to the couch and dropped into Thorn's lap.

"You may now recommence your tonsil hockey."

Murtagh and Eragon grinned at each other.

"You need to take me out sometime," Eragon said, pushing his cereal to the other side of the counter and taking a seat there.

"Later," Murtagh said, sitting next to Eragon and grabbing hold of the hand that Eragon wasn't using to spoon his cereal with his own.

"Alright, later," Eragon agreed.

Saphira was beaming at the new couple. "It seems like you've finally got some good luck, Era'."

Eragon smiled at Murtagh. "Yeah, seems like."

0

Fin.

This took forever. I spent lots of nights on this, as my days were busy, so forgive any mistakes.

I'm very happy with this.

Tawnyeyes.