Icarus Chapter 90: Rub – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Icarus brings Helios to a small ledge on the roof of the yellow wing. He sits cross-legged and offers Helios a cigarette. Helios declines because his father is returning the next day and thinks he would somehow know. Icarus lights his own cigarette and suggests they share. He takes a drag, then clasps Helios’s chin and breathes the smoke into his mouth. The smoke curls around their faces, making Icarus’s eyes sting.

Helios asks for more, leaning in until their lips nearly brush. Icarus stops him, pressing his fingers to Helios’s cheek and placing his thumb on Helios’s bottom lip. Icarus states firmly that he has never done that before and cannot start with it. Helios pulls back, initially stung by the rejection, but Icarus holds him and explains that being touched is overwhelming for him. Touch was not common in his childhood, so now he experiences it more intensely than others and cannot control his reactions. Helios, curious, asks why, and Icarus says it is unfair but something he would stop if he could.

Helios asks for more smoke, and Icarus blows it into his mouth. Helios makes a soft, wanting noise and calls Icarus beautiful. Icarus laughs and says Helios does not need to flatter him because he already wants him. Helios covers his face, embarrassed by Icarus’s bluntness. Icarus shrugs and reflects that he tells the truth because he has no relationships to sustain; if someone dislikes his honesty, he simply stops speaking to them. He then says he is not really beautiful, just the only person around while Helios is in a tough spot, and that Helios can go back to his life once he is free.

Helios changes the subject, asking whose party Icarus is going to. Icarus says it is Luca’s, his first party ever. Helios reacts with disbelief, exclaiming that Icarus has never kissed anyone or been to a party. Icarus explains that he cannot let anyone get too close because he is a cat burglar with a house full of stolen goods; any visitor could attract Interpol. He also mentions he is kind of Catholic. Helios, frustrated, shouts and turns to climb back inside.

Key Events

• Icarus and Helios sit on a rooftop ledge; Icarus offers a cigarette.
• They share smoke through a breath exchange.
• Helios attempts to kiss Icarus; Icarus firmly refuses.
• Icarus reveals his aversion to being touched and its origins in a childhood lacking physical affection.
• Icarus confesses he is a cat burglar and Catholic, and that his first party is at Luca’s.
• Helios reacts with shock and climbs back inside.

Character Development

Icarus
This chapter provides the clearest insight yet into Icarus’s emotional and physical boundaries. He is not simply distant; he has a genuine sensory sensitivity that makes touch overwhelming. His honesty about his limits shows self-awareness and a desire for consent, even as he initiates intimacy through the smoke-sharing. His bluntness is confirmed as a deliberate choice rooted in his isolated lifestyle. He also reveals the practical reason for his isolation: his criminal life as a cat burglar, which forces him to keep people at arm’s length. This combination of vulnerability and danger makes him a more complex figure.

Helios
Helios is caught between his growing attraction to Icarus and the shock of Icarus’s revelations. His initial sting of rejection transforms into curiosity, then dismay at Icarus’s lack of typical adolescent experiences. He is desperate for connection but also struggles to comprehend Icarus’s world. His final outburst and retreat suggest he is overwhelmed, unsure how to navigate a relationship with someone so different from anyone he has known.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

Touch and Sensory Experience
The chapter centers on touch as a charged, intimate act. Icarus’s description of touch as overwhelming and “more intense” than for others highlights how physical contact can be both desired and feared. The shared smoking bridges intimacy without full contact, a compromise that respects Icarus’s limits.

Secrecy and Vulnerability
Icarus’s revelation that he is a cat burglar and Catholic adds layers to his character. The stolen goods in his home literalize the danger of letting someone close. His vulnerability in admitting his touch aversion is balanced by the power of his secret life.

Truth and Bluntness
Icarus states that he tells the truth because he has no obligations to maintain relationships. This honesty creates a unique dynamic: it is both refreshing and destabilizing for Helios, who is used to social niceties.

First Experiences
Icarus’s admission that he has never kissed anyone or been to a party underscores his extreme isolation. These “firsts” become symbolic of the normal adolescent experiences he has missed due to his circumstances.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 90 deepens the romantic tension and character development between Icarus and Helios. It establishes crucial backstory for Icarus—his tactile sensitivity, his criminal occupation, and his Catholic faith—that will inform future choices and conflicts. The refusal of a kiss creates a boundary that respects Icarus’s needs while intensifying their emotional connection. This chapter also foreshadows the danger Icarus faces from his lifestyle and the risk Helios takes by associating with him. It is a turning point that moves their relationship from playful flirtation to genuine vulnerability.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Icarus refuse to kiss Helios, and what does this reveal about his character?
   Icarus refuses because he has never been kissed and finds being touched overwhelming due to a lack of physical affection in his childhood. This reveals his self-awareness, his need for consent, and his sensitivity, which contrasts with his confident exterior.

2. How does Icarus’s confession that he is a cat burglar change the reader’s understanding of his isolation?
   It provides a practical reason for his limited social life: his home is filled with stolen goods, and any visitor could attract law enforcement. This adds a layer of danger and shows that his distance is not solely emotional but also strategic.

3. What is the significance of the smoke-sharing scene as a form of intimacy?
   The smoke-sharing allows physical closeness without direct contact, respecting Icarus’s boundaries. It creates a ritual of trust and exchange, and the breath they share becomes a metaphor for the mutual dependency growing between them.

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