The Feature

VI

"Well, this feels familiar," you muttered to yourself as you climbed out of your car, making your way down the street towards Benedict's house. "Well... This feels familiar," you said again, changing your tone, trying to find the funniest way to say it.

You stopped outside the house, taking a deep breath before walking up the path. "Well, doesn't this seem familiar," you whispered as you knocked on the door.

It opened and you immediately felt the warm air of the house drift towards you, soothing your cold cheeks and wrapping around you like a welcoming embrace. You looked up to see him standing there, smiling politely and gesturing for you to come in.

This was actually real.

"Well, this feels awfully familiar," he said as he closed the door behind you.

You stared up at him before breaking into a laugh. "I was just about to say that to you."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I was practicing it the whole way here."

He chuckled, reaching his hand out to take your coat. "Well I apologise for stealing your thunder."

You slid it off and handed it to him. "That's okay. It sounded better when you said it anyway."

He observed you quietly as you looked around. You'd been there twice already, and yet you still found yourself in awe. It wasn't the biggest house in the world, wasn't overly grand or particularly ornate. But it was beautiful to look at; spacious and inviting, full of character and warmth. It was definitely one of the nicest houses you'd ever been in. But perhaps that wasn't saying much.

You glanced up as he continued to look at you, rolling your eyes at him with a smile. "You already know I think this is a nice house..."

He laughed. "Would you like a tour?"

You raised an eyebrow. "You're actually willing to let me walk around your home?"

"Well, you'd be supervised this time."

You breathed out a laugh, looking down at the floor as a slight wave of embarrassment washed over you.

He walked you through the house; describing each room, showing you his favourite features, pointing to pictures and trinkets and explaining the stories behind them. As you followed him upstairs, you tried to hide your discomfort as the memories of sneaking around came flooding back; the voice in your head telling you to stop as you crept further and further towards his room.

He opened the first door. "This is a bedroom, doesn't get used." Then he walked to the second door. "This is a bedroom, also doesn't get used." He pointed to a third. "This one is also a bedroom and... you guessed it, doesn't get used."

You giggled, following him to end of the landing where he opened another door and walked inside.

"And you're already well-acquainted with my bedroom." He paused. "Though not for the right reasons."

The right reasons? you thought. What would have been the 'right reason'? Was there ever a right reason for him to have you in his room?

You shook the questions away quickly; you were probably overthinking it. Most definitely overthinking it.

"It's tidier than I remember," you joked.

"Yeah I actually made the bed this morning."

"Well done."

He led you back out and you walked with him to the stairs, stopping suddenly and looking back at all the doors.

"So you have all these spare beds and I had to sleep on the couch?"