It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

16: Suits and sweaters

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Twenty-three years old

Felix watches Ares, sweaty-handed and in a hurry, enter their bedroom to look at himself in the body-sized mirror on the closet, his hands gliding down his thighs in a nervous tic. It's a newly bought suit, Felix notes, just as he also notes how nervous Ares looks, bottom lip trapped in between his teeth.  

Felix sees everything despite just having awoken, his eyes still trying to make sense of how light it is outside despite how early in the morning it is. 

After the fourth dust-removal, Felix can't take the obvious discomfort anymore and rolls over on his stomach just to say in a fake-seducing voice, "Looking sharp, papi chulo."

Ares lets out a choked sound and Felix wonders how he actually managed to seduce Ares with only this line, but then Ares turns and says, "Fuck, you scared the crap out of me, Lix, I didn't even notice you were awake." Before Felix can say anything, Ares frowns. "And did you just—" He nods. "Why would you—" He nods again. "Okay, let's just not talk about that."

Felix makes sure to find Ares' eyes when he turns back to the mirror, examining his suit for more dust. "Call me crazy," Felix says, "but I don't think kids are going to tear you apart because of your clothes, babe." 

Ares pauses. "Kids can be assholes."

"You're the teacher."

Felix pushes himself out of bed just as Ares snorts and walks up behind him to hook his chin on his shoulder, arms still hanging limp down his sides. "You look nice," he tells him.

Ares looks at him in the mirror. "Thank you, Lix." Then his eyebrows raise and he grins. "Papi chulo?"

"It was a weak moment," Felix argues as Ares turns himself around so they're facing each other, "I tried to make you feel better."

"By seducing me?"

Felix sends him a look. "Is it hot?"

"Nope," Ares deadpans and Felix laughs. "I have never been less turned on in my entire life."

Felix continues, "But you are a little."

Ares seems to consider this before he sighs. "Listen—"

"I knew it."

"But," he says, running his hands down Felix's arms, then through his hair and over his neck, all while Felix is laughing, "only because you look so good, it frustrates me I have to leave this early. Imagine all the things we could—" he pauses. "Too much?"

"You're reaching the limit." Felix grins at him when Ares moves his thumb and index finger across his closed mouth and acts like he throws away an invisible key. "Besides," Felix says, "I look like I haven't slept in days. Are the bags under my eyes really doing it for you?"

"More than the snoring does—I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ares quickly adds, laughing when Felix lets his arms fall from his hips and takes a step back, faking offense. "I'm sorry," Ares adds with a pout and Felix doesn't fight him when he takes ahold of Felix's arms and puts them around his neck before snaking his own around Felix's stomach.

"I take it back," Ares says and Felix hums, rolling his eyes just to see Ares hesitate for a moment. "Do you think I should change? Is a suit too much?"

Felix does think it's a little much, but he also thinks Ares looks like a runway model and that he has spent so much time preparing one that Felix feels bad for saying anything but, "No, it's not." He lets Ares sway him side to side like they're dancing. "It'll be a fun little thing that you only wear suits on the first day of school every year. It could be a tradition."