It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

12: Haunted couches and sunsets

CHAPTER TWELVE
Nineteen years old

When given the chance, Felix likes to blame Sara for having him talk Ares into buying most of their furniture and crockery mainly from second-hand stores.

"You're really going to want a dead man's couch in your apartment?" Teddy said when they met up around Christmas, her eyebrows raised as she stared at him in the car mirror, her fingers tight around the steering wheel. "It could be haunted."

"It's good for the environment!" Sara argued, her whole body turned so that she was almost fully fazing Teddy beside her, leaning against the window. Felix just hoped she wouldn't accidentally open the door with her elbow. "And it's cheaper."

Teddy glanced at her before looking at Felix again. "You're gonna get haunted."

Sara shot him a look. "But at least you're not bankrupt."

Teddy snorted out a laughter and Felix mirrored her. "I think I'll be fine," he said. "But thanks for worrying about me, Teddy."

To that, Teddy just shrugged and said, "Okay," just like she had just done when Felix told her that Ares was going to be his roommate throughout college—and that they were also sort of dating now. Felix couldn't exactly tell if Teddy hated it or if she didn't care enough to hate it all. He was just glad that it was no more than that. 

But because of Sara's constant wish to bring Felix with her to every second-hand store she lay her eyes on until he became the one pulling her along, Felix convinces Ares that those are the places to go. Felix doesn't think Ares cares enough about interior design to argue with him on it even though his first response to the idea is to wrinkle his nose and say, "Aren't those always haunted?"

Felix rolls his eyes and wonders how Teddy and he never actually got along.

"We won't get a ghost," Felix assures Ares when he says it the first time and once again when he is parking the car outside Sara's favorite second-hand store.

"It's okay," Ares says, shrugging. "I could take a ghost." Felix turns to look at him, frowning and when Ares notices his expression, he gapes, "You don't think I could take a ghost?"

"No, sure."

"You hesitated."

"No," Felix says in a monotone voice, "really."

"Felix—"

"Let's go," he interrupts, grinning when he hears Ares gasp. "Can't let all the ghosts wait."

When Felix has rounded the car and Ares has caught up, Ares extends his arm until Felix takes the hint and holds his hand. Sometimes, it still amazes him that he can do this. That when Ares lets go to tie his shoes or take off his jacket, Felix can take his hand without any prompt and Ares will just let him like they've always done this.

It seems so natural, it's weird to think there was a time where he couldn't.

They're holding hands when they enter the store but when Ares gets caught in having to hold the door open for an elder woman, he has to let go and Felix moves to make space for her. She smiles at him, thanking Ares and Felix then drags him to the area with all the furniture. 

On a dining table that Felix vaguely thinks Sara would adore and that he considers sending her a photo of, there is a set of plates. He wonders if the print of the tableware is enough to make up for how small and useless they in reality are.

"Lix," Ares says from across the table, his hands holding onto one of the chairs surrounding it. Looking up at him, Felix wonders if he's going to tell him to leave the plates. He's trying to come up with a good excuse to why their apartment needs them when Ares says, "You're gay, right?"