In Want of a Wife [part 14]
Chapter Fourteen: "Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life." Anon
Feliks woke with a groan. His head was throbbing and he had yet to even open his eyes. He didn't think he could do it.
He decided to be very brave and try. He slowly blinked and let his eyes open, then moaned and tossed and arm over them.
He heard chuckling. Feliks used his free hand to flip whoever was laughing the bird.
"Mon cher, that is not very nice!"
Feliks huffed, rolling over to glare at Francis.
"Don't care." He muttered. "Hurts."
"What hurts?"
"My head."
"I would be surprised if it didn't." Francis nodded. Feliks could hear shuffling and then another groan-not Francis?
"Who else have you tortured?" Feliks mumbled, not even trying to move his head to look.
"Mathieu!" Francis chirped. "Darling, why are you giving me that face?"
"I hate you." Feliks grinned at the words. "Go get me an aspirin."
"Is that all I'm good for?" Francis sounded affronted.
"Yes." Matthew replied.
"Gimme one, too." Feliks tacked on. "And water."
"Fine, fine!" Feliks peered from his spot on Francis' guest bed to where the taller blond was rooting through a clear plastic box.
"D'you have a drug box?" Feliks wondered aloud.
"Of course!" Francis replied, still too damn perkily. "Advil, Tylenol, aspirin?"
"Just get me the fucking stuff." Matthew demanded grouchily.
Feliks couldn't help it; he started giggling uncontrollably.
"Fucking stuff." He mumbled. "Fucking stuff!"
Francis rolled his eyes and delivered the pain relievers with water for his hung over guests, then sat down on the futon at the far end of the room.
"What do you say?" Francis sang.
"Thanks." Feliks replied, happily burying his head into the pillow and waiting for the drugs to take affect.
"Fuck you." Matthew replied drowsily. "I told you I wasn't drinking yesterday. I told you not to let me get a hangover."
"I couldn't stop you, Mathieu!" Francis gesticulated. "I simply couldn't! You were having such a good time!"
Feliks heard Matthew groan. "Am not right now."
"I have stories!" Francis continued, mindless that his continuous talk was wrecking havoc on Matthew's poor head. "We ran out of ice. So someone said, 'we're out of ice.' And Mathieu, darling child, you collapsed onto the floor and started sobbing."
Matthew didn't reply, but Feliks' interest was piqued.
"Why was he crying?"
"He was completely distraught! 'But where will all the polar bears live? What about the polar bears?'"
"I like polar bears." Matthew protested.
"I know! It was très adorable." Francis gushed. "I think Gilbert recorded it-"
"Fucking Gilbert." Matthew heaved a resigned sigh. "I should know better."
Feliks was feeling a bit better, and reached into his pocket to check his cell phone for the time.
11:37 AM. One missed call from: BFF TORIS *heart*
Feliks froze. He shifted to his recent calls as stared-apparently he'd picked up one call and then not responded to the other? That was kind of unlike him.
"What the hell happened last night?" Feliks mumbled.
"It was a very good night." Francis replied. "I had fun. I don't care if I negatively impacted others."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Matthew said, a bit panicked. "What the hell did you and Gil and Antonio do now?"
"I am afraid I do not remember. But I am sure it was very awesome, as Gilbert would say." Francis remarked. "I think that Gilbert passed out somewhere along the way."
Matthew sighed and pulled out his phone, jamming buttons. Then he held the phone up next to his ear.
"…Gil? Hey. Yeah. I know. Look, what the hell did we do-what, no! I'm with Francis. Feliks, too. No, nothing happened, relax will you. I have a hangover, don't talk so loud. Oh, cry me a river, Gil. I want a milkshake. If you bring me a milkshake I'll make you pancakes. Chocolate. Wait, no. Vanilla. Yes. Yes. And don't spike it or no maple syrup. Okay. Love you." Matthew sighed, dropping the phone and letting his head fall into his hands.
"…Pancakes?" Francis waggled his eyebrows.
"You can have some too." Matthew mumbled, massaging his forehead. "After all, you gave me some pain relievers."
Feliks rolled over onto his back and sighed, unsure if he should call Toris and let him know he was okay? What had they talked about? His phone said the call was under a minute-what had happened? He sighed, bringing his hands to his stomach as he focused on simply breathing.
"Feliks, you want pancakes, too?"
"That'd be so great." Feliks replied. "Thank you."
"Someone with manners." Matthew approved. His phone buzzed, and the blonde held it up to his ear.
"What now? Of course he can. Does Lovino want some, too? Of course Lovino is there! No, I'm not a mind reader. They were having sex on top of the refrigerator, weren't they? I don't know. Wait, we were? Why were we-oh my god, really? That makes sense now." Matthew laughed. "We would. Thanks for humoring drunk me. Remember, vanilla milkshake or no pancakes." Matthew hung up and laughed again.
"Apparently Gil and I had sex on a refrigerator in hopes of encouraging it to get horny and produce ice-cube-babies for the polar bears."
"How kind of you." Feliks chuckled. "Always going the extra mile to protect endangered species."
"Anything for polar bears." Matthew laughed. "Gil said he'd be like twenty minutes. I guess I should get started on pancakes?"
"Pancakes are good." Francis hummed in approval. "My kitchenette still has everything from last time."
Matthew pushed himself up and stretched, yawning as bones creaked back into position.
"We get drunk and make pancakes a lot." He replied, amused.
"Why not?" Francis pondered.
"Why not." Matthew echoed. "I love the fact your room has a kitchen."
"Bonuses!" Francis chirped. "And a bathroom too, don't forget."
"You need the bathroom. Carrying all your shampoo crap at once would break your arms." Matthew teased, rooting through the cabinets for ingredients.
"But my hair is so luxuriant." Francis shook his head, letting his hair fall across his shoulder. "It is well worth it."
"Totally well worth it." Feliks agreed, sitting up to reach out and brush Francis' hair. "It shines like whoa."
"Doesn't it?" Francis clasped his hands together in joy. "'Like whoa,' you say?"
"Totally." Feliks replied happily.
The telephone conversation was pushed to the back of his mind. This is what college was about: making new friends, doing stupid things, and having a good time. Feliks had probably invited Toris along and Toris had refused. He could be a party pooper like that.
Feliks loved Toris; he really, truly did in more ways than one. Even if they never got together, Toris would always be his friend. But he couldn't wait for Toris to figure his own life out-Feliks was a cute little thing and he knew it. Francis' attention felt good, even if it was just his personality to be flirtatious.
Feliks didn't want to give up, but that kiss Feliks had witnessed had hurt. Francis had done his best to make it better. Feliks had been hanging out with him every night for the past few days.
Francis was fun! It wasn't anything serious. Feliks didn't think he wanted anything serious. Because it wasn't like he was trying to get over Toris, but at the same time he was.
Because Toris was a super nice guy, but he was straight. How many times had he told Feliks he was straight? Feliks wasn't the type to just sit back and wait.
He felt a little unfaithful. He always tried to initiate contact with his Liet. He always just wanted to talk. He couldn't forever hold that much of Toris' time! Toris would find someone and it would break Feliks' heart, so Feliks was trying to slowly move on.
Francis was surprisingly helpful. Feliks wasn't sure if Francis was attracted to him or if a relationship was even something Francis wanted, but they had fun flirting and talking.
Fun. Feliks had missed fun. Sometimes he felt like Toris was such a downer-he liked real problems and serious business and Feliks was just not that kind of formal.
Francis got up and laid down on the bed, letting his head rest in Feliks' lap. Feliks smiled and began to rake his fingers through said luxuriant hair as Francis continued to praise its beauty.
So maybe he loved Toris, but that didn't mean he could love only Toris. There was room for new best friends