you're beautiful here

f i f t h t e e n

Chapter 15

After that night, Felix and Alice spent most nights in one bed or the other. They didn't even have to do much to have a good time—being with each other was enough. Felix had never felt love before, but he knew what it must feel like. He knew this was it. He was afraid, though, of what that meant. All good things must come to an end. He tried not to think about that as much, but he couldn't help that the phrase kept sticking in his mind.

Although Felix fell in love with Alice's boldness, he was almost glad that she had softened over their time together. Since the night they admitted their feelings, she had been much more aware of the effect of what she says has. They were so different when they met, but it seemed like they were finally in the same universe. Worlds colliding.

Felix awoke in the morning to the sun hitting him in the face through the window. He blinked rapidly as if that would make him make sense of his surroundings better. He looked over to Alice who laid beside him. Her head was on his chest, as it often found its home there, and their legs were intertwined. He found a smile creeping its way onto his face. He felt he could watch her sleep all morning. He laid there listening to their breath for a moment until her eyes started blinking slowly. Her dark eyes met his green ones. They each had a lazy smile on their face.

"I never sleep better than when I'm with you," she whispered. Like she didn't want to speak too loudly for fear that she would end their moment. He pulled her closer.

He closed his eyes. "I'm home with you." Even though he had grown more confident, he still feared to say things like this. Like when he said it, it would suddenly alert some benevolent being what was going on and they would find a way to end it.

They held each other a little longer. Felix glanced to her bedside clock and sighed. "We need to get going. I have to open up soon." He said this, but neither of them made a move.

After fifteen minutes of Alice tracing circles and lines on his chest and Felix running his fingers along her side, she finally said, "Okay," and began to get up.

Felix felt around for his phone by the bedside table. He tried turning on the screen, but all that flashed was the "low battery" symbol. He let out a small huff. He was always letting his phone die because he and Alice would get caught up in a moment. He plugged it into the charger near her desk and walked into her bathroom.

As he began undressing for a shower, Alice moved to the kitchen to begin making them a meal they could take on the walk to their respective shops. Alice had never had this before. She never before wanted to be so...domestic? Loving? Codependent. Since leaving her home, she had never had to worry about anyone else. She used to think that was a good thing, but now she couldn't imagine life without Felix in it.

The sound of the water running accompanied her soft music playing. Life seemed so simple, if only for a moment. Her moment was interrupted by a loud and rapid knock on the door. Alice frowned, then pulled her eyebrows together. No one ever comes here, and it was quite early in the morning still--the sun had barely come up.

Alice stood on the tips of her toes to look through the peep-hole in the door. She could see Beth standing there, looking out of breath and flustered. Beth hurriedly knocked again. Alice quickly pulled her face away from the door. She heard the water turn off as she opened it. Before she could get a word out, Beth pushed in and started talking a mile a minute.

"Beth, I didn't understand a word you said. Calm down. What's wrong?" Alice worriedly asked. She'd never seen Beth this worked up. A damp Felix peaked his head out of the hall. He was still covered in water with small spots of soap on him and held his gray towel at his waist.