icarus falls • felix catton

FOUR

four's theme - fade into you - mazzy star

She was curled up in Felix's arms as the sun rose over Oxford. This was bliss and she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He was her Felix and she would bask in that glory forever if he would let her.

'Are you watching me sleep darling' he breathed out, a smirk falling into place on his beautiful mouth, finding Ariadne amusing when she was all flustered and bothered. 'It's okay if you were, I watch you too' he mused as he hovered over her and began to attack her face in kisses as she laughed a melody that he wished could sing forever. Her hair cascaded across the pillow, glinting treasure in the sunlight. She was euphoric to him and he would never let her go, not even in death. She was pure sunshine and he loved to bask in her warmth. His heart was hers until she didn't want it anymore.

The pair looked at one another, they were happy and nothing could hurt them in this bubble of theirs, no absent mothers gallivanting around Europe, searching for something long gone and no expectactions towering over one another.

'Ari, y'know the tradition in my family when someone dies, we write their name on a stone and throw it in the river, well I thought we could write Achilles name on a stone and throw it in the stream, to honour him' Felix asked hesitantly, awaiting her reaction.

Ariadne froze at the mention of her brother, but took in what Felix had to say. It was really thoughtful and a kind thought to honour her brother. She wanted to do it, it would help her move on from that awful time in her life.

'Yeah Felix I'd really like that' she muttered as she entwined their hands together, fiddling with the signet ring on his pinky finger, the silver glinting in the daylight.

There was rapid knocking at Felix's door, breaking the couple out of their romantic reverie. Felix scrambled to a linen shirt discarded on the floor so that Ariadne could retain her modesty in the presence of visitors as he pulled his pajama bottoms over his legs to banish the draft that was creeping through the cracks in the door.

Felix opened his door, Ariadne still in the bed to find Ollie standing in front of him, distressed and shaking. Felix couldn't process his thoughts correctly and blurted 'Ollie- what's happened?'.

The boy in front of him bursts into uncontrollable tears, that shook him to his very core, his chest wracked with sobs. Ariadne peers over Felix's towering frame to see Ollie and immediately turned away heading back into the room, heading for Felix's bathroom to avoid Ollie's meltdown.

Felix leads Ollie into his room, acknowledging why Ariadne took off to the bathroom. He would go and check up on her after dealing with the mess of a boy in front of him. Ollie spoke to him in hushed tones, respectful to the fact that the walls are thin and Ariadne couldn't deal with other people having meltdowns in her direct vicinity.

Felix was asking him questions. Too many for Oliver's liking

'How did it happen?' Felix asked, being tentative, as if he were walking on egg shells around the grief stricken boy. Oliver explained his dad's substance abuse issues to Felix and murmured that he 'Cracked his head on the pavement. Probably drunk, knowing Dad'.

Felix recoiled from Oliver's revelation in horror muttering 'Fucking hell' before consoling the poor boy in front of him Jeez, I'm... I'm so sorry, Ollie, that's' he trailed off, not entirely sure what to say next.

Oliver sat on the floor, his tears dripping to the ground in floods saying 'It's just a shock'. Oliver wasn't entirely sure what to feel in this exact moment.

Felix wrapped his arms around the boy, engulfing him in his warmth while asking 'Is your mum alright?'

Oliver looks up at Felix, saying that 'She was completely incoherent which is...pretty normal for her'. Felix looked at Oliver, pity filling his gaze as he led Ollie out of his dorm to give Ariadne some space to breathe.

It is late when Felix comes back, a gleaming black pebble in one hand and white Sharpie in the other. Ariadne greets him with a kiss, she had missed her golden boy all day while he was out consoling Ollie. Farleigh had called, asking for a drinking session tonight but Ariadne had turned him down. She felt like relaxing and revising for her exams next week, with Felix beside her.

'I was thinking we could drop Achilles' stone at Saltburn, it was one of the only places he was truly happy' Ariadne whispered into Felix's back as they shared the small bath in his dorm room.

'I think he would like that' Felix murmured back to the girl, playing with his bracelets.

'And then one day our stones can be dropped with his' she mused, cupping the water with her hands and letting run down Felix's back.

Both now dry and clothed, the two sat with their legs crossed on the floor, revising Romeo & Juliet for Ariadne's English Literature exam.

'These violent delights have violent ends, And in their triumph die like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume' Felix recited alongside Ariadne. It was her favourite line by Shakespeare and the one she had written her dissertation on. There was something about the quote that ignited something within her and she could forever pick it apart, always finding a new viewpoint to compose her thoughts and opinions around.

Closing the textbook, Ariadne reached for the pebble and carefully wrote her brother's name on the rock, dotting the i in his name with a heart like she used to do when she was small, he always said he hated it but in truth it warmed his heart that his sister adored him.

She showed Felix the rock and he tucked it safely away in his bag that he would use to travel next week back home.

Ariadne and Felix slept next to each other, legs and hearts twined together but neither of them knew that four stones would end up on the riverbed at Saltburn by the end of the summer.

a/n: things are starting to pick up now. dropped some major hints for the rest of the plot in this chapter. one to two more chapters with the gang at oxford then off to saltburn for shit to hit the fan!