It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

19.5: Sister and brothers

CW/TW: lung cancer + cancer treatment

CHAPTER NINETEEN AND A HALF
Twenty-six and a half 

Ares is on the phone when Felix comes home from work.

He unwraps his scarf and slides off his shoes before following the sound of Ares' voice into the living room where he's perched on the couch, computer open on the coffee table, phone pressed against his ear. When Felix catches his eye, he asks as quietly as he can, "Who is it?" and hopes that the answer will be Cass.

Ares mouths the word, "Papa."

Felix blinks at him. "Again?"

Ares makes a face that Felix can't decipher just as Felix hears Mr. Sanchez say something else, making Ares glance up at him. "Oh, it's Felix, he just—" but Felix shakes his head at him and Ares instead continues with, "went to take a shower. What did you say the name of your coworker's kid was again? Maybe I do know her."

Felix tries to hide the guilt when he mouths a "thank you" to Ares who merely shakes his head at him like it's nothing, like he understands, kissing the back of Felix's hand when he walks past him to escape into the bedroom. He leaves the door open.

"She's doing good, Papa," Felix hears Ares say after a while when he pulls out a pair of Ares' sweatpants. Felix doesn't miss the way his voice changes. "I visited her last weekend, she's been home almost all month. Mhm. I don't think she'd mind if you called her. Yeah. Okay." Felix can vaguely hear Mr. Sanchez speak and then Ares repeats, "Okay. Tell Mama I love her. And you too. He's still in the shower, but I'll tell him. Yes, I'll call if anything happens. Yes. Okay. Bye."

Felix has just taken off his shirt when Ares joins him in the bedroom.

"Your parents doing okay?" Felix asks, like he always does as he reaches for an old t-shirt in the closet and Ares replies, like he always does, "Yeah. Papa told me to tell you that he misses you."

Felix smiles, pulling the shirt over his head. Even though he already knows the answer, he still asks, "What did he call for?" 

This causes Ares to rub his face, making a sound between a sigh and a groan. "He just wanted to check in." When his face is visible, Ares makes a quiet sound, this time a dry laugh. "I almost felt bad for directing him to Cass, but god, it's the third time this week."

Felix understands. The past three months have been a series of phone calls all made by Ares' parents and Felix's dad to them both—Felix is afraid to ask how many times per week Cass is targeted. He is trying to feel grateful, but he knows why they're calling, even if they disguise it as nothing but a check up, and it is always a painful reminder of the obvious, of what Felix is already desperately trying to forget. At times, Felix finds it difficult not to resent them in some way or another.

So, Felix says, "It's okay," just to remind Ares that it is. 

He naturally follows him out into the kitchen when he gestures for them to get started on dinner. "He also conveniently wanted to remind us about next weekend," he tells him and Felix almost tells him how much he's dreading it with his back turned to him. 

"Like we're the ones who'll forget," Felix says and then immediately regrets it when he sees the look on Ares' face. Felix puts his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry," he quickly says. "They didn't mean to forget, I know."

"It's still shitty of them," is Ares' response, his face still pulled together like he's thinking about the last time they all agreed to go visit their parents. How Cass and Ashton had been hours late because Cass had gotten worse over night and they'd spent all morning and afternoon in the hospital. Having forgotten to call and tell them, Felix had almost had a panic attack when he'd tried to reach Cass' phone and she hadn't picked up.