Love and Red Coloured Ties

Chapter song: Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You - Arctic Monkeys 

Julius was jolted awake from his sleep by the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

Wait… vacuuming?

He blinked, groggy, and glanced to his left, noticing that the bed next to him was neatly made and empty. The memory hit him—Silas had left on Friday night and wouldn't be back until Sunday evening.

With a sigh, Julius dragged himself out of bed, his movements slow and deliberate as he stretched. He peeked out the window; the sun was already shining brightly, promising a warm day.

Turning on the speakers, he tidied his corner of the room, putting away books and personal items until it looked presentable. Then he ventured downstairs, surprised to find the house unusually silent. A house full of teenage boys should have been bustling, even at this early hour. Yet, there were no signs of life—no early risers making breakfast, no occupied bathrooms. The emptiness of the house sent a chill down his spine, but he shook it off and took a long shower, giving his hair some much-needed deep conditioning.

He had dyed his hair honey blond at his best friend's insistence, which, while complementing his warm eyes and tan skin, required more upkeep than he had anticipated. Drying off and dressing comfortably, Julius made his way to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

In an effort to ease his homesickness, he made a Korean breakfast. His multi-ethnic heritage—Brazilian and Colombian from his father's side, and Korean from his mother's—meant his family had a rotation of breakfasts from each culture. Despite not being at home, he wanted to keep up the tradition.

As he enjoyed his cucumber salad, the front door creaked open, and Agares walked in, dressed in sports attire. The sight of Julius eating breakfast without a care caught him off guard.

"I didn't realize anyone was still here," Agares said, his voice carrying a hint of aloofness that startled Julius. The dark-haired boy filled his water bottle with measured efficiency, taking a long sip.

Julius couldn't help but notice Agares' appearance—his black compression shirt and shorts accentuated his muscular frame, his shoulder-length hair tied back flawlessly. It was remarkable how pristine he looked even after a workout.

Julius had to force himself to look away, his cheeks flushing. He stammered a greeting, "G-Good morning."

"Morning," Agares responded, his eyes briefly flickering to Julius' plate of food.

"Did you not make any plans for this weekend?" Agares asked.

"Oh, I had initially planned to go home, but my house is being renovated, so my mother advised me to stay here," Julius explained.

"I see. How unfortunate," Agares replied, his voice flat.

Julius looked up, puzzled. "Unfortunate?"

"I'm sure Silas told you about weekends here. Most members avoid the house like the plague. It seems only you and I are left this weekend. Not even Eirie stayed back," Agares noted.

Julius wasn't sure how to respond, so he focused on his food. Agares watched him in silence, occasionally glancing at the meal.

To break the awkward silence, Julius offered Agares a plate of food. "I made more than one serving. If you're hungry, feel free to help yourself."

Agares' expression remained inscrutable as he looked at Julius. "I'm sorry if that was impertinent of me," Julius said quickly, his anxiety evident.

"It's fine. Since you offered, I'll help myself," Agares replied, grabbing a plate and serving himself. He joined Julius at the table, and they ate in an almost oppressive silence.

"This is delicious," Agares said after a moment, surprising Julius with the compliment. "What's this dish called?" He asked, pointing to the savoury pancake.

Julius' cheeks warmed at the praise. "It's gamja-jeon, a potato pancake with some side dishes," he explained, pointing to the vegetables.

"I didn't take you for someone who cooks," Agares remarked.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I remember when I first cooked for Amélie, she didn't believe I'd made the meal and thought it was takeout," Julius said with a chuckle.

Agares' eyes briefly darkened before returning to their usual coldness. "Amélie?"

"My best friend from Westwood," Julius said, a relaxed smile forming. This was the first time he felt a bit more at ease around Agares, and Agares noticed.

After they finished eating, Julius insisted on doing the dishes while Agares went for a shower. Julius used the time to complete some overdue homework.

When Agares reappeared, now in a sweat set, he informed Julius, "I'm going to finish cleaning around the house. I suggest you work upstairs."

The sight of Agares pulling out cleaning supplies reminded Julius of Silas' comments about Agares' obsession with cleanliness. Feeling guilty for letting Agares handle everything alone, Julius braced himself and approached the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

Agares raised an eyebrow, his gaze unreadable. "You're offering to clean?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, it seems like a lot of work for one person," Julius said.

"Alright then. Since you offered, I'll take the kitchen, and you can handle the common area," Agares said, handing over the cleaning tools.

The two worked in their assigned areas. After one hour, everything was spotless. Julius, already winded from the effort, marveled at Agares' apparent ease with the task.

"Do you do all of this yourself every weekend?" Julius asked.

"Usually, yes. Eirie helps out when he stays," Agares replied.

Julius recalled the timid boy he had seen once and couldn't reconcile that image with the idea of him handling such work. "Don't underestimate Eirie based on appearances," Agares said, breaking his thoughts. "He's strong and has excellent stamina from swimming."

"Wow. Now that you mention it, I can imagine him as a professional swimmer," Julius said, handing the tools back to Agares.

"Everyone here has their own skills and talents. Most of the seniors are captains of their sports. Everyone selected for this house belongs here," Agares said.

Julius couldn't shake the feeling that those last words were directed at him, but Agares' expression remained unchanged. He chose not to dwell on it.

They spent the rest of the day cleaning, with Julius tackling the bathrooms and Agares focusing on the rooms, spending extra time on his own and his roommates' spaces. Julius couldn't help but think that maybe Silas was right about Agares being obsessive and perhaps even mysophobic.