la belle epoque (hanna)

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Mid April 2029
Cannes, France

It was just supposed to have been something fun, no strings attached. But somehow, it had grown into something more. Felix and Hanna had spent a lot of time together over the past two years, between holidays, festivals, shows and more. Felix enjoyed Hanna's company endlessly, though something always felt off. Like they were a film, and they were always just one scene apart. Barely noticeable, until the oddities started piling up. Even still, Felix couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, so instead he pretended like everything was normal and worked doubly hard.

Felix likely wasn't helping the state of their relationship (which they had also never really defined) when he suggested they spend a long weekend around Easter in the south of France. Hanna had readily agreed, though when they arrived at the hotel Hanna did comment about the lack of beach access. Felix had shook his head incredulously, laughing to himself, certain she was joking. Looking back now, he wasn't really sure if she had been or not. The first day had been very relaxed, walking along the port and a delicious dinner. It was the morning of their second day, and Hanna hadn't woken yet.

A light breeze ruffled Felix's hair as he stepped onto the balcony of their hotel room. He leaned on the bannister, gazing out over the gently bobbing sailboats moored in the harbour. The city was quiet, rousing itself slowly as they did in the south. Felix rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered where he was in life. Head of a ministry department - his father had been very proud of that one - but still drifting somewhat. Like the ground was constantly shifting beneath him, and he had to keep running to stay afloat. He sighed, running a hand through his dark locks. He ought not let himself worry when he was on holiday like this.

hanna horváth

[hanna horváth]

Two years and some months had passed with Felix. It was a fun and exciting blur filled with traveling, great shagging, and endless good times. They never discussed labels to keep things light and low maintenance. Though they were definitely in a relationship of some sort. She liked Felix a lot, she found herself craving him in ways that made her insides tingle with desire and satisfaction, but she knew she didn’t love him. Nor did she think that he loved her. Truthfully, she knew he was a “placeholder” boyfriend because she didn’t like to be alone. Felix was smart, thoughtful, sweet, and extremely good in bed. He also made a lot of money. So that was an added bonus. It was one of the perks of being with an older bloke, they had their shit together. 

Felix spontaneously invited Hanna on an Easter holiday which she happily agreed. She loved visiting South of France. Laying by the beach with a drink in hand was her favorite part of these resorts. Felix should have known.

Hanna was never in her life a morning person. And she never would be. She remained rotting in bed long after Felix. There were probably better ways she could be spending her vacation. Bright light engulfed the room, filling the room with the sound of water lapping rocks and birds chirping. It should have been a nice, soothing sounds, but Hanna was a  very grumpy morning person. "Oh my God, Feliiiix!" she screeched, rolling over on her stomach, ”Close the curtains, it’s too bright!" Hanna snapped like a bratty teenager, burying her head under her pillow with a moan. ”Please.”

FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Something about the sea breeze quieted all the thoughts in Felix's head. The streets were quiet, and the boats moored at the marina bobbed in the morning wake. For a long moment, Felix thought that maybe he was the only one in the entirety of the riviera who was awake right now. That was, until -

Though he grimaced at Hanna's piercing shriek, Felix didn't turn around. He instead contemplated their non-relationship. Yes, they had stunning sexual chemistry. And Felix always loosened up when he was around Hanna. She made him feel alive and he smiled a lot more when he was with her. But there was a disconnect when it came to ideals and philosophising, something Felix was very fond of. Hanna never wanted to dig deep into why or how, instead preferring to take life as it came and squeeze the most fun out of it. Felix hated to admit it to himself, but he was growing exhausted. And his mind felt like it was rotting.

With one last look at the sea, Felix returned to the bedroom, a wry grin playing at his lips. The sheets were rumpled around Hanna and she'd stuffed her head under a pillow to block out both the light and the sound. "Are you really going to spend your hols in bed?" asked Felix, rolling his eyes knowing that she couldn't see him. He touched her shoulder gently, his fingertips feather light on her skin. "Think of all the shopping..." he added after a moment. "And the French fashion..." he finished, though perhaps he should have started with that. Felix simply wanted to be outside, listening to people live their lives around him, wondering what had brought them to this city on the sea. What about their families? Why this specific city?

hanna horváth

[hanna horváth]

Once Felix stopped speaking Hanna sighed deeply. Those were not the words she wanted to hear in the morning - not in that order. Maybe if Felix mentioned brunch she would have been in a better mood...but they didn't have beach access from their suite so it would be on some lame patio with tourists. She had quite the audacity for someone considered a 'tourist' herself.

And the bloody curtains were still open, sending her lingering hangover to a level 5 catastrophe. She could scream.

Deep down, Hanna knew she was being an overdramatic brat and she kept sabotaging herself to ever have a healthy relationship (not that her and Felix had anything close to a healthy relationship). She knew she shouldn't ever admit it, but she forgot how much fun it was to be a brat. A full fledged, ungrateful bitch. Felix didn't deserve it. He was just an easy target when she was hungover before coffee. Those 'sorry for what I said when I was hangry' shirts were made for people like her. 

Hanna peeled out of the luxurious hotel sheets she was cocooned in with the haste of an angry butterfly. "I was just getting up." she lied with a full body scowl, as if he already nagged her more than once. He didn't.

Before her feet touched the marble floor, she chose the kind of day they were going to have... Hanna stomped into the bathroom and closed the door. Hanna wasn't a door slammer, that was 'unclassy', but she would make a man wait as long as it took to get ready. Every single time.

Once she entered the bathroom she took over an hour in the shower because she fell asleep with the water hitting her body. Eventually when she emerged from the steamy bathroom she was finally made up, fully dressed in a sundress, strappy fashionable heels, and a big hat. Her fiery temper seemed to be amplified by the hot shower and brewing hunger. Her oversized sunglasses sat on her nose, "What do you want to do, Felix?" she asked expectantly with a sass that could cut glass, since he was so eager to leave....over an hour ago.

FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Hanna didn't seem won over by Felix's proposition, but at least it had gotten her out of bed. She was grumpier than usual, Felix observed with an arched brow as she padded into the bathroom and locked the door. And that was that. Felix heard the shower start and he sighed, running his hand through his hair. Where had he gone wrong? And what in the name of Merlin's left ball had warranted such childish treatment? He decided that he must have been some awful criminal in his past life to be met with such unwarranted vitriol. Felix retreated to the balcony with sunglasses perched on his nose.

After a quarter of an hour, Hanna showed no signs of emerging. Felix thought it best to let her anger steam itself out. His stomach was grumbling anyways, so without a word, he left the hotel room. The streets were quaint and only just starting to get a bit busy, with boulangeries on every corner, terraces bordered with leafy trees, and the fresh smell of coffee drifting along on the lazy wind, Felix couldn't imagine a better way to wake up. Well, perhaps not being ignored by his non-girlfriend. Felix chewed on the inside of his cheek. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about it - in fact, he had ruminated over his relationship with Hanna for the better part of a year. But they just worked the way that they were, and if Felix was entirely honest with himself, he was afraid that Hanna would wake up one day and decide that she wanted nothing to do with him. Similarly to Madelyn, who had dumped him after a trip to Dubai, and it was no coincidence that the two were friends.

With that unhappy thought, Felix turned into the first boulangerie he found (which, admittedly, was not very hard). He ordered two chocolatines and two iced coffees. The woman behind the counter narrowed her eyes at the mention of iced coffee, but relented as Felix passed over the appropriate change. Sipping his drink thoughtfully, Felix returned to the hotel room where - unsurprisingly - Hanna was still in the bathroom. Felix bit down on one of the chocolatines, left the other and the coffee on the nightstand, then retreated back to his haven on the balcony.

Some time later (Felix hadn't been keeping track, but his legs had grown rather hot from sun exposure) Hanna finally emerged from the bathroom. Good, he was desperate for a wee after sucking down his ice coffee. "You were an age and a half, bloody hell," he observed before dashing into the steamy bathroom and relieving himself. When he was done, Felix returned to Hanna, crossing his arms as he appraised her. "I got you a coffee and a pastry. A cigarette would really complete the French look, but..." He shrugged. "Non-smoking hotel." Felix pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, having forgotten they were still on his face. "I thought we could go for a walk down the main thoroughfare. That is, if you think you can part from the bathroom for that long? There's some nice shopping..."

hanna horváth