It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

13: Tomorrows and drop outs

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Twenty years old

"Do I look okay? I think I need validation." Ares positions himself in the doorway to Felix's room, his arms spread out for Felix's attention to fall on the turtleneck he's wearing, tucked into a pair of dress pants that Felix swears he has never seen before tonight. "Give me confidence."

Felix abandons the glue and ripped pages of an old book Ares once bought second-hand for him, looks him up and down and tells him with a monotone voice, "I have never wanted you more."

"Even your ace ass?" Felix snorts and Ares turns around, gesturing to the lower part of his body. "It's my butt, isn't it?"

"Definitely." Felix rolls his eyes when Ares fists his hand like Felix's confirmation is a victory. Felix laughs. "You look great. What are you dressing up for?"

"I'm going out with some friends from school," Ares explains and walks to Felix's bed to sit on the edge of it. Felix turns in his chair to face him. "Like a 'let's celebrate the upcoming semester' thing but everyone is actually excited about it."

"Imagine being excited for another year of school." Felix sighs, reaching for Ares until he takes a hint and pulls him closer so Felix can put his legs up on the bed, caging Ares' body. "Anybody I've met who's going?"

Ares considers this, resting his arms on Felix's stretched legs. "Remember Rupi who came over the end of last semester? She promised me she'd be there."

"Wait," Felix says and can't help the smile that takes up his face, "didn't she give us a plant? Because you invited her and her partner over for dinner?"

"She did," Ares chuckles.

"It's in the living room! She was nice. And her partner was, too. What was their name? I don't remember."

"Kansas," Ares says, stroking Felix's knees and thighs. "She said they couldn't come tonight—oh and she told me to invite you and then you declined so she's not happy about that—" Felix rolls his eyes—"and she liked talking to you about those dramas you always watch. Now she's gonna be the only sober person there and no one to talk about shows with."

"Mhm," Felix hums, "I feel like we really did bond that night."

"You don't say," Ares laughs. "I thought you'd ask her if you could come with them home when Kansas said it was time to leave."

"They looked ready to deck me if I even tried," Felix continues, laughing and restrains himself from poking Ares' dimples that have deepened. "Well, now I almost regret not going tonight."

Offended, Ares says, "Because she's there? I'm also gonna be there."

"I always see you." Felix rolls his eyes when Ares snorts and adds, "And of course I also regret not being there to see you drink your stomach gone. Which reminds me," Felix continues, "that if you need me to come get you, call me. I can't have you running around drunk when there's so many lakes in this city."

Ares snorts and leans back on his hands on the bed. "I'll try and stay sober—"

"Because you're so good at that."

"—so you won't need to come get me," Ares says, ignoring Felix. "But I'll let you know if I need help to get back. Sounds good?"

"Okay."

"And you're sure you don't wanna come?" 

"Yeah. Besides," he says, leaning forward to put his hands on Ares' thighs, "Sara said she might come over, so I'd like to be here just in case she does."