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It sounds like the start of a cliche teen movie.
Phainon, star quarterback, number one college heartthrob and the object of every girl’s fantasies, was caught gushing about his massive crush on somebody from the cheerleading squad.
The gossip spread like wildfire. And why wouldn’t it? It was the most exciting thing to happen in Chrysos University in years. A quarterback and a cheerleader sounded like a match made in heaven. It didn’t take long for rumours to fly on who the object of Phainon’s crush could be. After all, the cheerleading squad is full of beautiful women.
Maybe it was soft-spoken and delicate Castorice, with her nose always buried in a book, waiting for a prince charming of her own.
Or mischievous and playful Cipher, who frequently butted heads with the football team. Sparks could fly beneath barbed words and catfights.
Or Hyacine, the flower of the veterinary department. Gentle and kind to all living things, and an uncanny ability to befriend animals like a real disney princess.
Perhaps it was March, the quirky manic pixie dream girl complete with a dyed pink bob. Who loved cute things, took photographs of everything, and skipped classes to hang out at the arcade.
Maybe Stelle, who was the one subjected to March’s arcade escapades. Tall and aloof, who didn’t speak much but looked like she could bench press most of the cheerleading team.
Mostly, the popular consensus landed on Cyrene, head cheerleader, and more importantly, Phainon’s childhood friend. After all, what could be more romantic than a tale of childhood friends blossoming into lovers? Combine that with the dynamic of a head cheerleader and the quarterback? Cinema, absolute cinema.
When asked, Phainon would never give a straight answer, putting on his most charming smile and saying enigmatically “Well, I wonder who?”
Well, there was one member of the cheerleading team who seemed immune to his charms—Mydeimos, the only male cheerleader on the team. Every time Phainon wanders too close to where the cheerleaders are practicing he is there to block his path. And every single time he’d cross his arms, pulling himself up to his full height, looking like a god. Blond hair with red tips that brushed his shoulders, sun-kissed tanned skin with crimson tattoos flickering up his exposed arms like flames.
“You again?” Mydei scowls, a look that Phainon is well accustomed to by now. “What is it now?”
“Mydei!” Phainon grins at him, unaffected by his glare. “You got a new piercing? It really suits you!” He eyes the flash of metal underneath his bangs, right on the edge of Mydei’s left eyebrow that catches the sunlight when Mydei shakes his hair out of his golden eyes.
Sure enough Mydei’s stony expression doesn’t react to the compliment. “Return back to your side of the field this instant, the girls have no time for your nonsense today.”
“Aw, but I just want to disturb my favourite cheerleader.” Phainon says.
“I tire of your foolish behaviour,” Mydei scolds. “You’re always coming here, bothering me and disturbing the girls. You won’t even say which one of them you have a crush on. You’re leading them on.”
Phainon tilts his head to the side. “I don’t think I’m doing anything untoward, I’m always friendly to the girls. Actually, I’m sure I spend more time with you than I do with any of them.”
Mydei grits his teeth. “And that’s the problem exactly.”
“Alright, Mydeimos, what’s your advice? What do you propose I do?”
“For starters, you should be honest about your feelings outright instead of playing these stupid games.”
“Oh… I see. So to the person I like, I should make it really obvious that I like them, right?” Phainon nods sagely, like Mydei had just said something very profound and clever. Mydei feels a vessel near his temple pop, it’s like the quarterback is making fun of him for being overly serious.
“If you can’t understand simple language then I have nothing more to say to you. Now leave us be, we have to practice for tomorrow’s game. Which I’m sure you know, deliverer.”
The nickname trickles out his lips like venom, the same nickname that’s haunted Phainon since he scored his first winning touchdown. The school’s saviour, their golden boy, their deliverer. The man who singlehandedly pulled their university football team out of obscurity and into the sports pages of the Okheman Times.
Phainon still smiles amicably, but the corners of his lips twitch by just a fraction. It’s as much of a victory as Mydei is going to get, for it takes a lot to crack that picture perfect, campus It boy visage.
“So that means I can come bother you again tomorrow?” Phainon flashes another grin, cradling his helmet underneath his arm as he jogged away. Laughing, he waves at Mydei who resolutely tries to ignore the way his stupidly tousled white hair flies into his stupid blue eyes and sticks to the side of his temples with sweat. Ignores his stupid pretty face and the way his stupid shoulders look so broad with those shoulder pads and the stupid sun tattoo on his neck.
He flips Phainon off instead, coaxing another laugh out of him.
“Good job Mydei on chasing that stinky quarterback away, my hero~” Cipher drapes herself over his shoulder like a lazy cat. She had always been distrustful of the entire football team, or perhaps she just didn’t like men in general, with the exception of Mydei. “Now come on, we’re going up and we need you to base.”
Football players were treated like celebrities in almost all the shitty teen romcoms that Castorice forces Mydei to watch on movie nights, and it was the same at Chrysos University. Especially when you were good at it and had the looks to boot, like Phainon. Word is that he had already gotten several offers of sponsorships and modelling jobs and whatnot, but he humbly turned them all down to focus on his education.
On the other hand, the girls on the cheerleading squad were treated like groupies, meant to look pretty, shake their pompoms and their asses, and allow the student body to salivate over them. Mydei hated that. It was a far more gruelling sport than most people gave it credit for. The discipline, flexibility, strength and coordination needed to pull off the average cheer routine would make most of the football players curl up into the fetal position and cry. The blood, sweat, and tears shed from their sport is not for the weak of heart.
And the last person anyone expected to be a cheerleader was Mydei. Tall, buff, covered in tattoos and piercings, with a glare so fierce that it could make people cry. But surprisingly, he fit in well. The girls adored him, naturally welcoming him into their friend group, and his strength made him a natural base—supportive, sturdy, a guy the flyers could count on to catch them safely every time.
Joining the cheerleading squad got him noticed, and once he was noticed, the gossip mill began to churn. There were some who said he only joined as some sort of predatory tactic, a wolf muscling his way into a den of sheep. The contradiction between his appearance and the guy who danced alongside girls in miniskirts during football games and caught them safely in his arms was so… so… drastic that they couldn’t make sense of it. So as always, people assumed the worst.
And they couldn’t be more wrong. Firstly, Mydei liked men and there were none in the cheerleading team except for him. Secondly, the practices felt more like a military boot camp than a time for flirting. These girls were serious and they were merciless when it came to mistakes. Third of all, Mydei has an actual life, he has assignments to complete, a 10% body fat ratio to maintain, and if he has any spare time at all, he spends volunteering at the campus library.
He’s different from those brutes on the football team, who seem to not do anything but lift weights, party, and disturb the cheerleaders.
“I think you’re being a little too hard on Phainon. He always seems perfectly sweet when speaking to me.” Hyacine smiles, her voice so soft and understanding it makes Mydei feel bad for venting, even though that’s literally what they do on girls (+ Mydei) night. “They do call him the campus prince, and he acts like one too.”
Mydei snorts, rolling his eyes, he finds that very hard to believe. That guy has been nothing but irritating and insufferable to him, specifically.
If Phainon’s a prince, then Mydei is the goddamn king.
“Maybe you should give him a chance, Mydei. He’s much kinder than you give him credit for,” Castorice piles on, in the middle of painting her nails deep purple. Mydei feels indignant, why is everybody suddenly ganging up on him when first of all, he’s right. And second of all, he has always acted with his friends’ wellbeing in mind. It seems clear from the way people talk about Phainon that he’s a player, and the way he goes about having a crush, creating a spectacle out of things leaves much to be desired. He’ll never let a guy like Phainon take advantage of his friends like that.
“You know little lion, you’re getting quite famous around campus yourself.” Cipher pops in, bowl of snacks in one hand, putting her arm around Mydei like she is wont to do. “Got your own nickname and everything.”
Mydei rolls his eyes, he’s sure it isn’t anything good, but he has thick skin and it will take much more than that to hurt his feelings. “Is it a funny one at least?”
“On the contrary, it’s something good this time. They’re calling you the ‘guardian of the cheerleading squad’.”
“Oh,” Mydei blinks. “That’s not too bad, I guess.”
Cipher nudges his shoulder. “You don’t have to pretend that you don’t like it. You look as smug as the cat who caught the canary.”
Well, it is way better than any of the stereotypes people have bestowed upon him before.
“As if you girls need me to protect you,” Mydei grins, canines peeking through. “You’re all scary as fuck.”
He saw Cipher make a guy twice her size kneel down and beg for forgiveness, all because he had been a little bit rude to Castorice.
Hyacine clasps her hands together, delighted by the good news. “I’m so happy that people are finally seeing you for the softie you really are!”
Mydei isn’t sure that’s a good thing. But then again he’s sitting in Hyacine’s all pink room with a facial mask, hugging her favourite fat unicorn plushie, so he doesn’t have anything to say for himself.
Castorice, who follows the campus gossip sites religiously, appraises her nails and gestures for Mydei to put out his hand. “And you’ll never guess who’s been Mydei’s biggest defender.”
“Oh! I know! Pick me!” Cipher waves her hand in the air like she’s auditioning for a game show. “Does his name start with a ‘Phai’ and ends with a ‘no-ooot being obvious about it whatsoever?”
“Cipher,” Mydei starts tiredly.
“No, it’s not me but aw, thanks.” Cipher sticks out her tongue, and nimbly steps out of the way as Mydei tries to blindly swipe at her while Hyacine lays cucumber slices on his eyes.
“Stop moving,” Castorice frowns, the nail polish she was in the middle of applying on Mydei’s finger slips, painting his fingertip in the shade of ‘crimson strife’.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that he’s only using me to get to one of you.” Mydei says matter-of-factly. “It pisses me off. If you like someone, you should just be honest. Nobody likes being led on. He is bad news, trust me on this.”
Mydei doesn’t see it because he has cucumber slices on his eyes, but the girls exchange looks with each other. Looks that seem to say ‘our friend is stupid, but that’s what we love about him’.
“Why are you all silent?” Mydei says, still blinded. “Did I not speak the truth?”
“No, no, you’re right. You’re such a smart little lion.” Cipher says in a sickly sweet tone, sharp fingernails running through his hair. “Men bad, couldn’t agree more.”
“You mock me, but I’m not joking, you’ll see soon enough.” Mydei huffs, just the slightest hint of a pout on his downturned lips.
Sometimes, Mydei thinks there’s a special place in Styxia for people who do not put their reference books away after using them in the library. Strewn on the tables, over random shelves, and to his chagrin, he even finds one in the garbage can. Even though some of the books weren’t good, they deserved more respect than that.
Among his duties as a volunteer librarian is hunting down these errant books and returning them to their rightful spots. It’s a job that he finds oddly soothing, wiping the hints of dust off the covers and slotting them into the proper positions. Nice and quiet, peaceful and…
Mydei’s jaw twitches as the sound of a violent cackle reaches his ears, followed by what is clearly a light slap and hushed whispers that did not do a good job of staying quiet. Seriously, can people read the signs all over the library that state ‘please be quiet’? Is the student body of the top university in Amphoreus illiterate? As the voices do not cease, Mydei decides to take matters into his own hands and confront the students directly.
With his stature and appearance, he finds that he gets pretty good results when trying to enforce the rules.
“This is a library, lower your voice.” He steps out of the bookshelves, making himself known to the two noisy students who turn out to be-
“You…” He’s plagued by Phainon at cheerleading practice, and now he’s plagued by him in his sanctuary, the library, too.
His brow furrows when he catches sight of his companion, with her back turned to him. But Mydei can recognize that shade of pink hair anywhere.
“-Cyrene?” They had moved away rather quickly when he spoke up, but Mydei thought for a moment that he had caught them in a compromising position. Faces too close together, bodies almost touching.
“Mydeimos!” Phainon recovers from the shock first, his face turning an unsightly shade of pink. “I-it’s not what it looks like, I swear!”
Mydei’s expression darkens, when someone swears it’s ‘not what it looks like’ it almost always is.
By Nikador, he had heard horror stories about such blasphemies occurring in the library. But he had been fortunate never to encounter such a thing, until today.
An ugly bitterness rears its head, and Mydei tells himself it’s because of the disrespect for the library. And not because he’s… disappointed by what he sees.
“Mydei! I promise you, it’s really a misunderstanding. I was just giving Phainon some advice, we’re just friends!” Cyrene stands up, patting her hair down with a sheepish look on her face. Mydei gives her a once over, she seems unharmed, aside from being more flustered than usual.
“Alright?” Mydei replies, confused as to why she needs to explain herself to him. Cyrene is a grown woman and can date whomever she wants, even if she has terrible taste in men.
But still, it’s not like Cyrene to lie, and he trusts her at least. So he gives in with a long exhale. “Fine, just… keep your voices down.”
“No need, actually I just remembered I had to… go see a professor. I’ll see you two later.” Cyrene glances at Phainon again, before hastily packing up her things and leaving.
As for Phainon, well, he looks constipated. His face is twisted in an undoubtedly unflattering expression, and the faint flush of pink has yet to dissipate.
“Are you unwell? You look terrible.” Mydei points out bluntly, not caring about his feelings. Being truthful is more important than being kind, after all. It was best to be both, but sometimes Mydei couldn’t be bothered.
“Geez Mydei, you really pointed that out so mercilessly.” Phainon retorts weakly with a humourless chuckle. “I’m fine… just, kind of embarrassed.” He then murmurs something under his breath.
…set up…meddling…of course Cyrene picked a time and place where you were on duty.
Mydei couldn’t catch any of it aside from the last part. His temper flares, it’s not like he wanted to see that either!
“What is your deal?” Mydei glowers at him.
“Huh? Me?” Phainon points at himself, blue eyes wide open, the very picture of innocence.
“Yeah, you’re always around me. We don’t even have the same classes, or hang out in the same circles. You’ve never come to the library before.” Mydei would know, because he’s here all the time either studying or volunteering. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Is it so difficult to imagine that I like you and want to get to know you?” Phainon says with a pout.
“Hah?” Mydei says intelligently.
“You’re funny, and the girls like you a lot.” Phainon’s lips quickly curl up into a devastatingly handsome smile. “You’re cute.”
The way Mydei’s heart flutters at that declaration makes him aware that he’s no better than the rest of them. Steeling his jaw, he takes that traitorous heart and shoves it into a box, squashes it down until it doesn’t see the light of day.
He’s not the kind of guy people just want to get to know. Especially suns that shine as brightly as Phainon. He must be using him to get closer to the girls, there is no other explanation.
“Is that the move you pull on all the girls?” He finally manages to utter, voice low and dangerous.
Phainon blinks again, he’s a natural at pulling off the innocent, unaware look. “Pardon?” Oh, he’s exceptionally talented at playing dumb.
The ensuing silence is deafening.
Mydei continues, softly, slowly.
“I see a different girl fall in love with you everyday. You charm them, have them wrapped around your little finger and the next day you’re seen with someone else. It’s all fun and games to you, part of the chase. But you’re just fooling around, nothing serious, right?”
Phainon’s smile falls.
“Is… is that what you think of me?” He says, sounding dejected in a way that almost makes Mydei feel bad.
“I have yet to be proven wrong, deliverer.” Mydei lets the last syllable drip off his tongue like venom. “I can’t make decisions on behalf of other people, but I’ll be damned if I let you break the hearts of any of my friends.”
Phainon perks up. “So all I need to do is to show you I’m actually serious about my crush and you’ll admit you were wrong?”
Mydei just lets out a snort of laughter, or disbelief at the audacity, a little bit of both. “You can most certainly try. You may start with what you like about her.” Come on, Mydei isn’t a brute, he can be reasoned with, though it won’t be easy.
“Her?” Phainon tilts his head to the side, as though confused.
Mydei, annoyed, snaps his fingers in front of Phainon, drawing his eyes up from where he had been staring around the level of his chest. “Your crush, genius, keep up.”
“Oh!” Phainon only thinks about it for a second. “If I had to pick my favourite thing, I guess… breasts?”
Mydei’s expression darkens again.
“...Breasts?”
His blood pressure spikes, he feels like grabbing Phainon by the neck and throttling him because they were just talking about being serious, and now Phainon has admitted that his favourite thing about her is her cup size. Not just any girl, one of his friends!
The deliverer continues, eyes roaming back down, away from Mydei’s face. Too ashamed to make eye contact, at least he has not completely abandoned his humanity.
Mydei takes that back as soon as Phainon opens his mouth.
“I especially like how they look… in that skin tight… cheerleading top.”
Mydei takes a deep breath in.
It is a momentous occasion where the entire campus witnesses student librarian Mydeimos getting himself kicked out for the very first time, all because he tried to start a fight in the middle of the library with the star quarterback while roaring:
“And that is why I will NEVER let you go near any of the cheerleaders!”
One of Mydei’s favourite pastimes include cooking. Part of maintaining a healthy body is not just a brutal fitness regime but also a finely curated diet. When he cooks, he’s the type of chef who takes the ingredients he’s given and makes the most out of them. Mydei likes to think that he holds a similar philosophy in life, tackling all obstacles head on and making the best of them. That is the Kremnoan way.
He doesn’t understand why a degree in history requires him to take any math, but since he’s doing it anyway, he might as well succeed at it.
But math… is the villain that has gotten the best of him.
Mydei grips the paper with the failing grade on it so hard that it starts to crumple in his fist.
It’s fine, this is just a small setback, there are other tests coming up that he could use to salvage his grades.
If he can even pass those in the first place.
Mydei sighs heavily, catching the attention of the person next to him. Which unfortunately, happens to be Phainon, his mortal enemy.
“Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” Phainon says, Mydei’s eyes snap open when he realizes he’s muttered it out loud. “I like to think of us more as… friendly rivals.”
“Leave me alone, deliverer.” Mydei huffs, How dare his opponent mock him in his lowest moments, not even giving his privacy to mourn his loss (his otherwise perfect GPA).
“Are you… failing math?” Does this HKS not know of personal space? Phainon leans over his shoulder, peering at his paper. Mydei quickly turns it away, but the damage has already been done, he’s seen everything.
Mydei doesn’t dignify that with a response, it’s a rhetorical question anyway. To his utter humiliation, he feels his ears start to burn of embarrassment from his rival catching him in such a state.
“You know…” Phainon says again. “I happen to be pretty good at math, I took this same course last semester. Full marks.”
Mydei grits his teeth.
“Good. For. You.” he growls, sounding like he was fighting a valiant battle just to offer the barest of acknowledgements.
“Before you get mad and try to hit me again-” Phainon says hurriedly. “What if I tutored you? I bet you’ll be able to get an A next time.”
Mydei rolls his eyes, why would he offer to do that when Mydei was a choking hazard whenever they were in the same room? He couldn’t think of a worse idea.
“No need. I’ll sign up for one of those… peer tutor programs.” Mydei isn’t really the type to ask for help, he’s used to surmounting obstacles on his own, pulling oneself up by their bootstraps kind of guy. It’ll all work out if he just studies harder, he’ll quit his volunteer position and the cheer squad if he needs to. His grades are the highest priority.
“Why? I’m one of the top students in the class, and I’m a pretty good teacher too.” Phainon is persistent, Mydei would give him that. Dogging on his heels even as he walks away.
Mydei doesn’t want to be in the same room for long periods of time with Phainon. His irritation with the man is one thing, the way he gets flustered is worse. Phainon had a habit of saying the right things, or riling him up, of giving him that goddamn sunshine smile that makes his heart feel like it’s choking on air. Because Mydei is not immune to that pretty boy charm, and that is what’s most dangerous of all.
“I don’t think so.”
“What? You don’t think I’m a good teacher? Or you don’t think it’ll work?”
“Both.”
“Ah, got it.” Phainon states.
Mydei pauses in his tracks, wondering whether getting rid of him is that easy.
“You think you’re so dumb that you won’t get a good grade even with my support!”
The paper crumples to a ball in Mydei’s hand instantly. “This will be your head if you don’t stop talking.”
“Ooh, kinky.” Phainon winks, only to duck with a small yelp as Mydei flings the paper ball at his head, the strength and ferocity behind the throw turning an ordinary exam paper into a deadly weapon.
“Okay, okay, I got an idea. Hear me out!” If attempted murder doesn’t deter Phainon, nothing will. Mydei sighs and just steels himself to bear it out until Phainon gets bored and leaves.
“Knowing you, it won’t be anything good.”
“Why don’t we make it a competition?”
Mydei glances at him out of the corner of his eye. He hates to admit it but he is intrigued by the suggestion. “The word ‘competition’ indicates that both of us would need to accomplish something. So, what will you bring to the table?”
“I’ll tutor you in math, and your goal would be to score higher than I do in professor Anaxa’s philosophy class.”
Mydei finally stops walking, stepping aside closer to the wall, out of the walkway to give them space to talk. Phainon grins in victory, he’s finally gotten Mydei’s attention.
“How is that a fair battle? Those courses are nothing alike, and Professor Anaxa’s philosophy course is notorious for being punishing.” He knows, because both Hyacine and Castorice take the same course and have probably lost 10 years of their lifespan from it.
“Right? So the terms are in your favour here, I think I’m offering you a great deal.”
“So what, you tutor me in math, how am I supposed to teach you philosophy?” Mydei grunts, crossing his arms.
“No need. Our final grade will be based on a mock debate with the professor, and arguing with you is my daily exercise.”
Mydei huffs, what kind of foolish logic is that? Still, it sounds interesting, almost fun, and Mydei never says no to a battle of wits or might.
“You’re a strange man,” he simply says. “But alright, if I win, you promise to confess, honestly, to whichever girl you’re interested in. Whatever answer she gives you will accept without protest and then stop disturbing the cheerleading squad.”
Phainon draws himself to his full height so they are standing eye to eye, his blue eyes glittering with determination and delight. “Fine. But if I win, you have to wear the girl’s cheerleading uniform.”
And with that, Phainon takes two steps back as though anticipating that Mydei will try to hit him again, which he very nearly does.
“You are a perverse individual with a humiliation kink,” Mydei snaps. The boys’ cheerleading uniform is custom made for him, as he is the only guy. It’s a fitted sleeveless jersey in the team colours, and a pair of athletic shorts layered over compression tights. It’s comfortable, flexible and perfectly functional for his needs. He has no desire to wear the girl’s cheerleading outfits of a sleeveless crop top, miniskirt and knee high socks, nor has the idea ever crossed his mind.
But well, he’s liking his odds in this contest, Mydei never enters a battle thinking he would lose. Plus, he isn’t adverse to a little risk. So he sticks out his hand for a handshake. “Very well, I accept your terms. I hope you’re ready to lose, deliverer.”
Phainon steps forward and grips his hand so tightly that Mydei thinks he’s trying to assert dominance through strength. He’s seen the way Phainon grips footballs; he knows the strength in those hands. Not wanting to lose out, Mydei squeezes back so hard both of them almost lose blood circulation in their fingers.
If Phainon feels any discomfort, he doesn’t show it, instead he just grins lopsidedly at Mydei, his entire face lighting up in joy.
He actually looks a bit like an oversized dog. It's kind of cute.
“And I hope you’re ready to wear the girl’s cheerleading uniform. I know you’ll look great in it.”
Nevermind, he is a menace. Is throttling him still off the table?
“When’s our first study session?”
“Mydeiiii~ you are serious about winning that contest right? Or maybe you’re secretly really eager to wear the girl’s uniform?”
“You’ll reply to my texts but ignore me when I ask when we’re going to meet up?”
Enough! It seems that the deliverer’s taunts had worsened tenfold once they had made that stupid ‘bet’. Cheerleading practice and shifts at the library had become a living nightmare due to this. Worse still, he’s right, Mydei’s not making any progress with his math course and can’t achieve victory if he’s half-assing it like this.
Mydei checks his calendar, unfortunately, his schedule is swamped. It’s chock full with cheerleading practice as football season approaches, volunteer sessions and classes. On the times where he is available, Phainon isn’t. It was proving to be more difficult than he thought.
He finally finds a time slot they have in common, the kicker being that it’s his regularly scheduled study session with Stelle, March, and their friend Dan Heng. It usually devolves into Mydei and Dan Heng doing their best to actually study, while Stelle and March flip through their phones or do their best to distract the others.
He has his hesitations about letting Phainon sit in close proximity with two cheerleaders, one who very well might be his crush. Especially after he made such a cringeworthy declaration of not letting any of them near him. But Mydei will be there too, and Dan Heng, so it should be alright?
He decides to invite Phainon after getting permission from the group of friends calling themselves the ‘astral trio’, who seemed a little too excited about the prospect.
From the moment he walks into their booked study room, he feels that something is wrong. The chairs had been rearranged. The room had a single, square table and normally their chairs were perfectly symmetrical, one on each side. This time though, three chairs had been shoved haphazardly on the side of the table nearest to the door, while the other two were put close together directly opposite. This meant that the occupants would be sitting so closely that their shoulders would touch.
Indeed, March, Stelle, and Dan Heng are already there when he arrives, naturally taking the 3 seats. They are shoved together so closely that they closely resemble 3 smushed hamsters on top of each other.
He tilts his head to the side, confused. “Should I… move the chairs?”
“No, no!” March cries out. “We thought we’d try something… different today!”
“They say that amoebas can transfer nutrients through skin contact so we thought we’d try it out,” Stelle says while snacking on some chips. Her expression is so deadpan that Mydei can’t decide if she’s being serious or not.
March laughs in a way that is too shrill and too forced. “I feel like it’s working… right, Dan Heng?”
“Yes.” Dan Heng says in a flat tone, looking like he has been at the mercy of Stelle and March’s whims for a long time.
“Okay… Well, Phainon’s joining us today and he’ll be helping me with math. If we’re too noisy, just say so.” He heads to the two chairs on the opposite side of the table and tries to move one further away, only to hear March let out an aborted gasp.
Mydei stops. Looks up.
Stelle has her hands clasped over March’s mouth while Dan Heng tries to pretend like nothing is happening.
He reaches out to move the chair again.
March lets out a fractured wheeze.
Mydei decides to leave the chair where it is.
He sighs and shuffles himself into the inner seat, him and Phainon are both big guys, this amount of space is definitely too close for comfort. He comforts himself by thinking that Phainon would be the one moving the chair when he gets here.
It’s not long before Phainon arrives, and Mydei isn’t surprised that he greets everyone in the room like an old friend. He compliments March until she blushes, fist bumps with Stelle and calls her ‘partner’, and exchanges nods of respect with Dan Heng. Is there anyone at this school that he doesn’t know?
He immediately makes a beeline for the empty seat next to Mydei like it’s only natural. Not only does he not move the chair, it seems like he pushes it even closer. When he takes his seat, they are pressed together closely from shoulder to forearm. Phainon’s bare arm is warm with his body heat, and his muscles are firm and well defined. Mydei forces himself to focus on the assignment in front of him.
Phainon starts teaching, and while Mydei had thought the quarterback was all talk, it seems that he was surprisingly good at it. Mydei’s issue wasn’t that he was slow, it was that he had trouble grasping the more complex numerical concepts, and by the time he got it, the whole class had already moved on. But Phainon explained each step slowly, and ensured that Mydei got it before he moved on. He didn’t even know how Phainon managed to weave in historical analogies in his tutoring, but Mydei appreciated him taking the time to use a language he was proficient in.
And then the problems started.
It started when Mydei started noticing things about Phainon. Things like… how good he smelled, or how soft his hair looked when it fell into his face, or how blue his eyes were, or how sharp his jaw was…
It was getting harder to focus on the question.
“You’re doing so good, keep going.” A deep voice whispers in his ear, Phainon’s warm breath fanning his cheek. And for some reason, it is that line that breaks him.
Mydei drops his pen, pushing his chair away so abruptly that it creaks, drawing everyone’s attention in the room to him.
Not a fan of the stares, Mydei feels his face get hot.
“I’m thirsty, I’m getting a drink,” he says, hoping that his calm and measured tone is enough to offset his flush. “You guys want anything?”
March and Dan Heng gape at him.
Stelle raises her hand, expression nonchalant. “Can you get me a soulglad?”
Mydei nods, and then has to go through the ordeal of having to squeeze past Phainon because he’s essentially trapped in a corner of the room. As the study room door swings closed behind him he can hear March smacking Stelle on the shoulder saying “Can’t you read the room?” and Stelle replying “but I wanted a soulglad!”
Once safely outside, Mydei pops his balance coins into the drink machine and waits as the mechanism slowly spirals to release his drink. This is not going well, and Mydei doesn’t know how he’s going to last long enough to get a good grade on math, much less win the bet.
There is no word for ‘in too deep’ in the Kremnoan dictionary, so Mydei might have to invent one.
Still, the way he was acting today would rule out March and Stelle as his potential crush, as there was no way a sane man would be acting like that in front of someone they liked. But that was assuming that Phainon was a sane man in the first place, which Mydei highly doubted.
Mydei’s drink tumbles out of the machine, and he chugs the whole can on the spot. He is surprisingly thirsty. After that he decides to get a few more to be polite to the others before heading back.
After all, Mydei is no quitter, he’ll see this bet through hell and high water.
When he returns to the study room, there is that subtly awkward atmosphere like he has just interrupted a conversation about him. But he knows his friends are not malicious, and decides not to press on the matter, instead just handing out the drinks silently.
Phainon has moved his chair a little bit further away now. Still close enough to be able to look over Mydei’s assignment and give advice, but no longer close enough to brush shoulders.
Mydei feels a little sad about that, he actually misses the touch. It’s not that he disliked it, but since Phainon already has a crush, it’s not a good look to be canoodling so close to another guy.
Hence, Mydei stays silent, but he has to let Phainon know he’s not mad, somehow… he observes Phainon quietly as he tries to explain another math concept to Mydei. On the outside his actions are calm and collected, but Mydei can feel an undercurrent of nervousness, like he’s afraid of stepping out of line again.
“Phainon.”
The man startles at the sound of his own name.
“Y-yeah?”
Mydei picks up the last can of drink, still icy and cold from the machine. Without any warning he presses it down on Phainon’s neck, above his choker and sun tattoo. Phainon yelps in surprise.
“Here, I didn’t know what you liked so I got you my favourite.”
“Oh… thanks. It’s fine, I… like whatever you like.” Phainon says in a voice so soft that it’s almost a whisper.
Mydei raises an eyebrow, that cannot be true. Everyone has preferences. Perhaps Phainon was a little more reserved than he appeared.
“I should be the one thanking you, you make a fine tutor.” Mydei doesn’t think he would have fared so well if it was somebody else. His grades are important to him, and Mydei likes to show gratitude when it is due. It’s not much, for now, but he gives Phainon a little smile.
Phainon’s eyes glaze over, and he sways slightly in place like he’s drunk. Acting strangely, he puts his elbow on the table, covers the lower half of his face with his palm and turns slightly away from Mydei.
“N-no worries. Since you got the basic concepts down, why don’t you start doing those questions? I’ll - ahem - I’ll be here if you need me.”
Weird, but Mydei is slowly getting used to his odd behaviour. After all, he’s surrounded by strange individuals every day, what’s another one?
Noticing all this, Stelle leans closer to March and whispers. “Can I change my bet?”
“All bets are final and non-refundable.” her friend heartlessly whispers back.
The tutoring sessions continue wherever they can find the time. It slowly becomes a little easier to organize times when he and Phainon are free since some of his schedule seems to mysteriously free up or overlap with Phainon’s in places where they didn’t before.
One of these sweet spots happens to be right after cheerleading practice, which has been moved up to end around the same time as football practice. Weird.
Mydei pushes it to the back of his head, it’s probably a coincidence. He deigns not to think about it any further, focusing on helping Hyacine with her fly drills instead.
“Same as before?” He widens his stance, planting his feet firmly into the ground and holding out his palms. “Remember, brace your core, don’t waver when you get up there or you’ll fall.”
Hyacine nods, placing her foot into his hands. Once he feels her position secure, he counts, one, two, three, and lifts her up into the air explosively. Hyacine wobbles, and he shifts his bodyweight to compensate. Soon, she catches her balance again, lifting up a single leg into the air before twisting and holding it behind her head.
“Good.” Mydei grunts approvingly. Hyacine almost turns her head to look at the ground, and her foot wobbles precariously again. He knows she doesn’t like heights, something about a nasty fall when she was younger. “Don’t look at the floor, look at me.” He says firmly.
“Mydei! I want a lift too! Up! Up!” Cipher comes up to him, arms flung out like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
She nearly runs right into him, and Mydei holds an arm out as though he’s keeping an overeager kitten at bay.
“I’ll base for you after I help Hyacine.”
“Awwww, come on little lion. You’re strong enough to hold the both of us.” Cipher sulks.
“I’m okay with that!” Hyacine says cheerfully. She lowers herself down carefully to perch on Mydei’s shoulder, her legs draping over his shoulder.
Mydei sighs, shifting his position to ensure that Hyacine is safely balanced with only one arm.
“Fine, come here then.” He crouches slightly, opening up his other shoulder for Cipher to climb onto.
“Yay!” She cheers, clambering onto him like a cat climbing a tree.
Mydei grunts, annoyed when her sharp acrylic nails dig into his skin. She eventually makes it up to his other shoulder, sitting comfortably as he adjusts his bicep to support her better.
“Wow! You can see everything from up here!” She says, dramatically looking around like she’s perched on a viewpoint. “Is this how tall people feel all the time?”
“Look, the football players are starting their drills.” Hyacine points.
“Am I just a human stool for you?” Mydei’s grumbles fall on deaf ears as they watch the football players practice. Across the field, the football team has been divided into two halves, facing against each other. Mydei can pick out Phainon immediately, helmet tucked under his arm, snow white hair gleaming under the sunlight, standing out in the sea of players.
He puts on his helmet, and from then on, Phainon dominates the field. He darts down the center like a rocket, the ball flies into his teammates hands, and before Mydei could blink Phainon is already on the other side of the field, leaping into the air and catching and scoring a touchdown like it’s child’s play. Before anyone can pause to catch their breath, he’s already calling out the next play.
He darts around his opponents like he’s dancing, mows into their defense like they’re nothing more than a stack of cards, strikes like he’s the general in a war, leads the team like he was born to do so.
The whistle blows as Phainon scores another dramatic touchdown.
Phainon’s confidence isn’t all for show, he has the skills to walk the talk. And while Mydei doesn’t always see eye to eye with him, he must admit that the guy is impressive.
“Loverboy’s looking this way!” Cipher squeals. “Smile and wave.”
Mydei sighs, he’s got his hands full, literally, trying to support two girls on his shoulders. But he doesn’t need to do anything, because nearly the entire squad has turned and broken out into a chorus of cheers and squeals, pom poms fluttering in the air.
What a popular guy.
Cipher leans forward to shout something, nearly slipping off his shoulder as she does so. Mydei’s arm tightens around her thigh, flexing his bicep harder to keep her steady. If she slips off and falls, he’s never going to hear the end of it. The strain makes the veins on his forearm stand out, but both girls are secure.
Meanwhile, Phainon stands on the field, looking in his direction. It’s like he’s frozen in space. He doesn’t even react to the sound of the whistle blowing, and gets tackled by a linebacker several seconds later, flattening onto the turf.
The cheerleaders gasp, even Mydei gets worried for about a few seconds before Phainon springs back up, waving back cheerfully like he hadn’t just been wiped out.
“What an idiot,” Mydei murmurs under his breath, relieved that he didn’t seem to be injured.
After some time, practice breaks and they separate to do some stretches. Mydei sits on the grass, muscles aching comfortably from the workout. He stares at the footballers again, they still have a couple of drills to run through before they can call it quits, and Phainon stands at the head directing his team like a commander in battle.
“You and Phainon have been rather inseparable lately.” A playful voice calls out to him and Mydei’s breath hitches with surprise.
“Cyrene… you have to stop sneaking around people like that.” He exhales upon the sight of their charismatic and mischievous cheerleading captain.
“Aw, but your reactions are so fun.” She grabs his ankle and presses it outward, helping him with his stretches. Mydei groans lightly as his body turns into jelly, muscles relaxing from all the strain. “So? What do you think of him?”
“About who?” Mydei rolls his neck back, sighing from relief. Maybe if he pretends not to understand, Cyrene will let the subject go.
Unfortunately for him, it seems both the childhood friends from Aedes Elysiae are relentless when it comes to getting into his business. “Come on, you know I'm asking you about Phainon.”
Mydei doesn’t understand why his opinion matters so much. Sure, he is protective of the girls in the way that a normal friend would be. But it’s not like he would interfere if Phainon did decide to ask out one of the cheerleaders.
“I think as his childhood friend, you should have a better insight into him than me.”
Cyrene groans, mutters something about ‘apologizing later’ under her breath, and pokes Mydei in between the eyes. “Do you even know why he’s trying so hard to get to know you?”
Mydei tilts his head, the floating question marks practically visible from his confusion. “He likes one of you and sees me as an obstacle to overcome?”
Cyrene’s face goes through a myriad of expressions, disbelief, then dejection, then exasperated humour. “Oh, you’re an obstacle all right. Counterpoint, he’s doing this for you, dummy!”
“For me?” Mydei repeats blankly as Cyrene gets called off to help by another cheerleader, leaving him with no further explanation to her baffling words.
That didn’t make sense to him at all.
Perhaps it was another strange Okheman figure of speech that Mydei couldn’t quite grasp. People here could be so vague, dancing around the point, completely unlike the blunt honesty of Kremnoan culture. There must be something else he’s missing.
Mydei flicks his gaze towards the field again, where the footballers are still running drills. Phainon looks his way mid-play, catches him staring and waves at him before shooting off after the ball like a predator on a hunt.
It doesn’t mean anything, it could simply be a coincidence, but the fact that Phainon noticed him makes his heart send off jolts of electricity. He thought he had cooled down from the stretches, but it feels like his body is getting warm again.
He swallows, trying to shove his feelings back into the box. But it's useless.
Mydei might have to admit to having a teensy, tiny little crush on Phainon.
And that he looks forward to their tutoring sessions.
After trying out various meeting spots like the library or the cafeteria, Mydei must admit that he’s partial to the empty bleachers after practice is over. There is something about the smell of freshly cut grass, the wind blowing through his hair, and the lack of curious passersby that hits the sweet spot for him.
Spring is starting to turn into summer, and the weather is perfect. Mydei waits on the bleachers at their usual spot, having just showered and changed out of his sweaty gym clothes. The warm sunshine on his skin and the cool breeze on the back of his neck is just right, and Mydei wishes he was doing literally anything other than studying math.
Goddamn, it’s so fucking boring. Mydei feels his eyelids getting heavier as he tries to make sense of the problems in front of him. He’s going to be over the moon when he passes this class and never has to look at an equation again.
Where is Phainon? He’s late. Whatever, Mydei is so comfortable that he doesn’t even care. In fact, this is a perfect spot for a nap. He rests his head in his arms on the elevated seat in front of him, shuts his eyes and lets himself drift off into peaceful slumber.
Unfortunately, falling asleep in public tends to be one of his bad habits. He tries not to do it at school, but sometimes when the weather is this perfect it can’t be helped.
As he naps, Mydei has a weird dream about him and his friends opening a restaurant in a magical forest staffed by creatures from some children’s cartoon. Professor Anaxa is there too, growing pumpkins the size of small buildings.
He stirs when somebody’s fingers run through his hair, it’s nice and comforting and Mydei instinctively pushes his head into the touch. His mother, probably, it’s been too long since she had done this. Mydei used to get grumpy when she did, claiming he wasn’t a little kid anymore. Now though, he’d do anything to have her headpats again.
Because Gorgo is…
Mydei’s eyelids flutter open.
“Did I wake you up?” A familiar voice asks, not his mother, no, Phainon’s voice.
Mydei raises his head, realizing he’s staring straight into Phainon’s blue eyes. He’s so close. His eyes look like they have little crystals in them. It’s pretty.
>Your eyes are pretty
>That felt nice
>Could you do that again?
“What are you doing?” Mydei asks instead.
Phainon just laughs, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “You had some leaves in your hair and looked stupid, I was just helping you out.”
“Oh.” Mydei runs a hand through his hair, at least Phainon did his job, there are no leaves in it. “You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, something came up.” Mydei is about to berate Phainon further about keeping punctuality, when he notices that he’s standing weirdly. He’s leaning to the side, clearly favouring one leg, and his shoulders are stiff from trying to keep himself balanced. When he tries to shift his weight, he grimaces slightly and quickly disguises it as a cough.
“Should we get started? Which problem are you at now?” Phainon says.
“Are you okay?” Mydei interrupts.
“I’m fine, why?”
“You’re limping.” Mydei tries to rack his brain, did Phainon get injured during practice? They all saw him get tackled earlier and just laughed, but he had seemed fine then.
“Oh.” Phainon smiles tightly. “It’s nothing, I just bruised my knee a little.”
Mydei looks at his pants, they’re dark purple, and clash horribly with his yellow sweater. Who dressed this man, and how was he considered the campus heartthrob again? “Roll up your pants and let me see.”
“How forward!” Phainon waggles his eyebrows, trying to deflect the situation. “But I’m afraid I’m not as easy as you’d think.”
“HKS!” The curse tears itself out from his throat in frustration that Phainon is still trying to make light of this matter. A sports injury is no laughing matter, if not treated properly it could lead to Phainon being unable to play football for an unforeseeable amount of time. Taking care of one’s body should be among the highest priorities, and the fact that the Deliverer refuses to do so infuriates him to no end.
“Stop squirming.” Mydei orders, crouching down in front of him to roll up his pants sleeve.
“Getting down on your knees in front of me? Gosh, if the campus gossip mill caught this what would they think?” The deliverer’s incessant mouth is still rambling as Mydei exposes his knee to find it swollen and dyed in blotchy red and purple.
“You call this ‘just a bruise’?” Mydei’s voice is low and dangerous. He’s angry, angry that he hadn’t noticed sooner, angry that Phainon would just play off this injury like it’s insignificant, angry that Phainon tried to hide it from him. “You should have gone to the clinic first thing.”
Phainon grimaces. “It’s really fine. I’ve gone through worse. Just landed in the wrong place during practice. Anyway, let’s forget about it, shall we start the tutoring?”
Mydei quietly looks at him like he’s crazy. “Do I look like I’m in the mood to study?”
That moment Phainon realizes he’s beat, his demeanor changes. His shoulders lower and his whole torso seems to hunch forward with weariness.
“Hehe… I guess nothing gets past you.” He says weakly, even the strand of hair on the top of his head that sticks up no matter what seems to be wilting.
“Come, I’ll take you to the clinic.” Mydei says, already putting his things away.
“My leg hurts.” Phainon says cheekily. “Are you going to carry me like you carried those girls?”
It was clearly meant as a joke, yet Mydei eyes him up and down, seriously contemplating the suggestion. Phainon’s as bulky as Mydei, and they are exactly the same height, but Mydei can lift double his bodyweight, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
“Sure. I think a princess carry would be most suitable, given the injury in your knee.”
Phainon’s face crumples. “I’m going to have to decline that offer.”
“Why? I could lift you easily.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Phainon grimaces. “But if it’s alright with you, I don’t think my dignity could take it if the whole campus saw you princess carrying me to the clinic.”
Mydei supposes that’s fair enough, and as long as Phainon gets himself to the clinic, he doesn’t care how they get there.
“I’ll just support you then, you can lean your body weight on me. I don’t mind.”
“Reliable as always.” Phainon says with a weak chuckle. “...I sometimes wonder what I can offer you, when you seem to be able to do it all already.”
Mydei pauses, finding the remark strange. Before he can question Phainon on what he means by that, he feels Phainon’s bodyweight lean against him, warm and heavy. He pushes that thought to the side, it’s more important to get Phainon to the clinic, first.
Mydei is careful, supporting him in a way that looks like he’s not doing much. To the average onlooker, they might as well be two guys walking side by side. But Phainon can feel the supportive flex of his muscles on his shoulder and arm, ready, waiting to catch and steady him if he stumbles. He can certainly understand why the girls all felt so safe around him.
The clinic isn’t far, and Phainon looks relieved when they arrive and he finally gets to sit and take the weight off. The doctor makes quick work of his injury, and by the time he limps back out into the waiting room, the knee is properly treated and bandaged.
“What did the doctor say?”
“She said I was lucky.” Phainon says with a sheepish smile. “I should be able to go back to playing football in a week if I rest properly.”
Mydei sighs in relief, glad that this wouldn’t have any lasting repercussions.
“You should take better care of yourself, Deliverer.” Mydei says, wondering if any of that will even get through his thick skull.
“I know,” Phainon smiles tightly, taking the seat next to him with only minimal wincing. “I’m sorry I messed up our study session.”
Mydei looks at Phainon with absolute bewilderment. He couldn’t fathom why Phainon would need to apologize for that, it’s not like he’d chosen to get injured. “They’re not that important, your health comes first. I was going to suggest we halt our tutoring sessions for this week, while you focus on recovery.”
Phainon expression droops, he looks like Mydei had personally kicked him. Mydei didn’t understand it at all, rest and free time was a good thing, certainly?
“I’m confused, why do you seem upset?” At a total loss, Mydei decides that the best solution is to ask directly.
Phainon’s expression twists, looking like he’s fighting an internal war within himself before he puts on a blithe smile and says “Just worried about your grades, Mydeimos. After all, you need all the help you can get.”
The sting that comes with his words is undeniable, Mydei feels like he’s been slapped. He is confident in his intelligence, Mydei takes good care of his body and his mind. His perfect GPA proves it, save for one poor subject which he had no say in taking. What would the campus golden boy know? Phainon is not without flaws, even if everyone did see him as perfect.
But he will never show weakness in front of Phainon. So he stands up, adjusts his backpack securely and says “In that case, I think you can get home by yourself. And you can forget about any further tutoring sessions, I’ll figure it out on my own.”
He isn’t usually this sensitive. Certainly others, including Phainon, had said similar things to him before which he just allowed to roll off, like water off a camel’s back. But coming from someone he’s grown to respect, to like, to consider his equal, hurts more than Mydei would like to admit.
“Wait!” Phainon’s hand reaches out to grab his and when Mydei turns around, he sees that Phainon has practically stumbled out of his seat, even though it must hurt to do so. His expression is wild, panicked in a way that is alarming on the normally cheerful and composed football captain.
“I’m sorry! I misspoke. I was trying to make a joke but… ugh… I’m stupid.” His large blue eyes rove across Mydei’s face as his hand grips him tighter, like he’s scared Mydei’s going to pull away and disappear forever if he lets go.
Mydei raises an eyebrow, he’s not going to argue against that, but there’s no doubt that the mixed messaging is starting to irritate him. “Then speak plainly. I tire of guesswork.”
Phainon breaks eye contact with him, looking at the floor. “I…” Then his face breaks out into explosive crimson.
Mydei can’t take his eyes off him. The deliverer blushing is a rare and fascinating sight. Because his skin and hair are so pale, the flush stands out all the more vividly.
“I… enjoy our tutoring sessions, and they have become excuses for me to hang out with you.” He murmurs softly while still holding on to Mydei’s wrist.
He thought Phainon would come out with half-baked excuses, more poorly timed jokes, maybe even some cocky deflections. But sheer honesty? Mydei didn’t expect that, and honestly, doesn’t know how to respond.Maybe if Phainon was like this all the time, they would surely have gotten along better.
But as Phainon whines softly and his fluffy hair falls into his eyes, Mydei quietly thanks Nikador that he isn’t. Reminds himself that Phainon is usually loud and confident and rash and bold and nothing like whatever this is. Otherwise Mydei wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Because he’s so cute. Criminally cute. Illegally cute. Putting up a fighting chance against a pack of chimeras cute.
And as the entire cheerleading squad knows, Mydei has a weakness for cute things.
“...I said I didn’t want any more tutoring.” Mydei still tries to sound stern, but his resolve is rapidly crumbling like a cookie dipped in milk. “I didn’t say we couldn’t hang out.”
“Really?” Phainon’s face brightens immediately, a huge smile splitting his face, eyes lighting up in boyish glee. If he had a tail, it'd be wagging. He looks so genuine that Mydei can’t think of it as anything but his honest feelings.
Which troubles him even more.
Because Mydei shouldn’t like him.
The whole school knows that Phainon likes one of the girls on the cheerleading team. Over the past few months, Mydei has worked with this as an irrefutable fact. It’s why he’s able to keep his guard up, to keep him at arm’s length. Falling for Phainon is off-limits, he’ll only be setting himself up for heartbreak.
And while he’s not a glutton for punishment, not like that, his feelings persist.
“Why are you trying so hard?” He can't help but ask. It doesn’t make sense why Phainon wanted to get to know Mydei so badly. Surely, that time could be better spent making headway with his actual crush.
“Trying so hard to what?” Phainon asks innocently.
“You know,” Mydei gestures his free arm in the air. “Like you’re trying to gain my approval.”
Like Mydei is some gatekeeper, an overprotective father of six daughters who is here to make him go through the 12 labours of Hercules before he gives his approval to date any of them. He’s not like that, he’s actually younger than all the girls, he’s just some random college guy!
Phainon’s expression softens, eyebrows straightening out. He looks at Mydei straight in the eye and says with the utmost sincerity. “It’s all for the person I like. You said before that I was just fooling around. I want to show them that I’m really serious.”
Mydei’s chest lurches and he stares at Phainon, genuinely moved. For Phainon to go to such lengths just to prove that he’s not the person he seems to be, all for that one special person.
“They must be very lucky.” He says, and then he clears his throat, wrenching his wrist free from Phainon’s grasp while adjusting the strap of his backpack again. He’s said too much. “I mean, you don’t need my approval. I’m not their gatekeeper.”
“I know,” Phainon says, still smiling at him gently. “But it’s something that I want to do.”
Mydei frowns at him slightly. “Just who is your crush anyway?” Phainon has been tight-lipped up until now, but perhaps he’ll get a straightforward answer if he just asked. He likes to think that despite everything, he has a good rapport with Phainon, so surely…
“I can’t tell you right now,” Phainon says. “But I’ll tell you when our bet ends. What do you say? You’re not getting out of it so easily.”
“Hah.” Mydei rolls his eyes, he shouldn’t have expected better. “Fine. But as I said earlier, thank you, but I will no longer need your assistance with tutoring. I want to do the rest on my own.”
Phainon lowers his hand to his side. “It’s okay to ask for help, you know.”
Mydei scoffs, feeling a slight prickle of irritation that Phainon, of all people, is saying this to him. “I could say the same for you.”
He’s just about to walk off again, when Phainon blurts out. “Then… tomorrow, same time? No tutoring, just… hanging out.”
Mydei pretends to think about it, closing his eyes and tapping his fingers on his elbows as though to prolong the silence and aggravate the moment further.
“Fine. You’ll get the snacks.”
“Okay!” Phainon doesn’t pump his fist in the air, but the way his hand hovers awkwardly around shoulder level before he lowers it again shows that he was thinking about it. “I’ll text you, Mydei!”
Mydei has never been this nervous to receive an exam result. His hard work normally pays off, or in the case of math, he can at least prepare himself to fail. But well, this time the stakes are high.
With a deep breath, he opens his envelope to reveal the results.
That’s good.
That’s incredible in fact, almost an A. The Mydei from a few months ago could never have imagined scoring this well.
Then again, there were a lot of things the Mydei from a few months ago wouldn’t have believed.
For example, becoming so close to Phainon that it was weird to go a day without speaking to him. Or spending hours having petty arguments with him over text. Or respecting him so much that Mydei would have his back no matter what.
Even to go so far as to fall a little bit in love with him.
It’s a great outcome, better than he expected. All Mydei needs to do is to show this to Phainon and then…
…And then their bet would be over.
Considering Professor Anaxagoras’ class is known for being notoriously difficult, it’s unlikely that Phainon scored anywhere near this good. Mydei has a strong chance of winning. And with that, Phainon will finally confess his feelings to one of the cheerleaders in the squad. She’ll say yes, because of course she will, he’s excellent boyfriend material, and they’ll start dating.
Beautiful, a story for the ages.
Mydei would be happy for them, he’s not the type to get jealous or bitter, even if it shreds him to bits on the inside.
And Phainon is kind, and genuine at heart. He’ll probably still want to hang out with Mydei as friends, but Mydei doesn’t know if that’s something he wants. To sit shoulder to shoulder with someone he has a crush on, who is already someone else’s boyfriend sounds like absolute torture.
No, he’ll distance himself and move on, as he always has.
He’ll miss Phainon, but it’s the best decision for the both of them.
“Mydeimos? Why the long face? I heard from Stelle that you performed well on the exam, you should be happy.” Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Mydei turns to face Phainon, taking in the handsome features like it’s the last time he might appreciate them in their full glory.
Once this is over, would Phainon miss him? Would he wonder why Mydei was suddenly distancing himself, or would he shrug and move on because he had gotten what he wanted.
“Here.” Mydei shoves his exam paper in Phainon’s chest. “88. I won, deliverer.”
Phainon blinks in disbelief, before reaching into his satchel and taking out his own paper by professor Anaxagoras. The grade is clearly written on top. Also 88.
“Huh, and here I thought victory was mine. I broke the school record, you know. Nobody’s ever scored this high.”
Oh, this feels… anti-climatic. Mydei doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Knowing that Phainon’s heart is set on another, he could never let himself fall, not completely. So why drag on something that is doomed from the start? The logical side of his brain knows that, and yet, Mydei can’t stop the pathetic yearning for these blissful days to go on forever.
“Then… what now?” Mydei sighs.
“Well…I still really want to see you in the girl’s cheerleading uniform.” Phainon replies shamelessly.
“HKS!” Mydei swears again, feeling his blood pressure spiking. What is with this guy and his insistence on making Mydei cross dress?
“Why don’t we both perform our end of the bargain?” Leave it to Phainon to make such an absurd request with such an innocent expression. “I already prepared your outfit anyway, custom made, it’ll fit you perfectly.”
Perhaps if Mydei knocks himself out on one of the lockers it would make this nightmare end. There are so many things wrong with that statement he doesn’t even know where to begin. “You prepared a uniform… for a bet that you might not even win?”
Phainon just rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right? I didn’t want you to have any excuses to chicken out of the bet in case I won.”
Mydei grits his teeth, a low growl emanating from his throat. “There is no word for ‘chickening out’ in the Kremnoan dictionary.” Even if it was embarrassing, even if he hated it, Mydei would never go back on his word once he had committed to it.
Phainon beams at him. “Exactly, I know you Mydei. You’d never break a promise, which is why I prepared it.”
Mydei clears his throat, looking away. So he was played like a fiddle, yet Mydei couldn’t help but be secretly pleased that Phainon understood him so well.
“Fine… whatever… name your time and place and let’s get it over with.”
“How about we do it on the same day? You wear the girl’s uniform and I’ll confess.”
Great, now he gets to be heartbroken and humiliated at the same time, what joy. Mydei’s so caught up in his own embarrassment that he misses the eager glimmer in Phainon’s eyes as he stares at Mydei like he’s everything to him.
But he is Kremnoan and they accept their punishments with dignity.
“...Very well.”
“Midsummer faire next week, then.”
Mydei blanches, that is… sooner than he expected. He thought he’d have more time to prepare. Midsummer faire coincides with their last football game of the season, the entirety of the student body is likely to attend for the festivities, the cheerleaders are running a fund-raising booth themselves.
“You are insane.” Mydei swallows. “...Everyone is going to see.” He’s very well aware that his cheeks are burning and his voice is faltering.
Phainon blinks at him, stunned into silence for several seconds. “I… haven’t considered that.” And then he murmurs softer under his breath.
“Can’t let anyone else see him like this…”
“Huh?” Mydei asks, not sure if he heard correctly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Phainon says.
Mydei frowns lightly as Phainon says his farewells and rushes to his next class. He is still kind of worried about it, but Phainon told him not to be. So… should he be worried or not?
The day arrives sooner than Mydei likes. He cheers and performs the routine to perfection alongside the girls for their final game of the football season, but his heart is not in it. It’s not that he’d be made to wear the girl’s uniform later, Mydei is confident in his masculinity and doesn’t care about that, it’s that he’s more bothered about the object of Phainon’s supposed crush than he thinks.
He’d be happy for whoever it is, Mydei loves his cheerleaders dearly and wishes them nothing but the best. He wants them to be happy, he is their biggest cheerleader.
But as he sits on the bleachers watching the crowd cheer for Phainon, a tiny, petty part of him wishes it was him instead.
But wishful thinking never leads anywhere.
Phainon plays well, probably one of the best games Mydei’s ever seen him play. Comfortable in his element, he shines as bright as the sun, radiant and pure, untouchable. Each throw is precise and powerful, each sprint is explosive, and every touchdown brings the stadium to its feet. And try as he might, Mydei can’t tear his eyes off him.
The Chrysos Heirs win the game.
Phainon gets tackled to the ground by several of his own teammates, before getting lifted off his feet into a hero’s carry. His jersey and white pants are covered in mud and sweat, and his hair sticks out all over the place when he pulls his helmet off. But his smile is radiant and so handsome that it makes Mydei want to strangle his own heart in his throat.
It’ll be over soon.
“Mydei! We’re on for the encore!” Hyacine calls to him, a pom pom landing in his lap. Mydei doesn’t even register the call until she’s in front of him, clear blue eyes narrowing in concern at him.
“Is everything okay?” She repeats, softer, more careful. “You seem a little out of it.”
Mydei shakes his head. “I’m fine.” He forces a smile as a group of enthusiastic cheerleaders suddenly appear out of nowhere to drag him out into the field.
He feels guilty for even feeling bitter, because these girls deserve the world.
The goodwill he feels towards the cheerleaders slowly but surely dissipates as they drag him into an empty rec room after the game is over and present him with what is, undoubtedly, a girl’s cheerleading uniform in his size.
No, for real, it’s a 1 to 1 recreation. In their signature team colours of red and gold, with the Chrysos Heir name and logo emblazoned on the front and back. A halter top sleeveless shirt, pleated miniskirt and knee high socks to complete the look. The moment it lands in his hands, Mydei can tell it’s of seriously good quality, the fabric velvety to the touch, and with good stretchability for his uh… assets.
“What the fuck is this?” He says,completely flabbergasted. Surely, the bet had only been between himself and Phainon, he hadn’t involved any of the girls into this. How had he recreated the uniform so perfectly, did they help?
“Phainon’s not good at keeping secrets, and he asked us for help! And plus, we really wanted to see you in the uniform too!” March begs, clasping her hands together, eyes big and watery and pleading.
“What the fuck is this?” Mydei repeats again, because something this audacious bears repeating twice. He holds out the uniform, and from looks alone it was going to be a perfect fit.
“I couldn’t have the deliverer boy showing you up at your own victory party. So we all chipped in to make sure he got the right measurements.” Cipher quips.
Mydei is speechless, absolutely speechless. All those times when Cyrene hugs and squeezes his shoulders, where Cipher puts her arms around his waist, when Castorice says ‘can you just stand next to this standee here? For science’. They had been secretly collecting data on him to feed to Phainon?
Perhaps he really is too trusting.
And yet when the girls beg for him to put it on, eyes sparkling with excitement, he can’t bring himself to say no. He doesn’t dare disappoint them, not after they’ve put so much effort into this. The guardian? Yeah right, more like the pushover of the cheerleading squad.
At least none of them insist on following him into the makeshift changing room, he can do that by himself.
“You girls are enjoying this way too much,” he grumbles as he steps out of the changing room. They are squealing, they are taking pictures, he allows it, for he knows the girls are just enthusiastic without any malicious intentions.
Mydei is used to showing skin, but it was usually his chest, and his lower body is always fully covered. Many didn’t know that his tattoos extend all the way down his thighs and legs. But seriously, the skirt is so short that it barely covers his ass, is this what they have to wear every performance? Come next semester, he’s advocating for uniform pants.
He crosses his arms, feeling the fabric stretch across his pecs. He really doesn’t have the build for this, the top feels far too narrow and constrained.
“I feel ridiculous.”
“I think you look beautiful!” Hyacine chirps. She stands before a stool, motioning for him to sit. Which Mydei does, because, again, he’s the enabler of the cheerleading squad. He sits with his legs spread open, as he’s used to, completely forgetting that he’s wearing a skirt.
Cyrene clears her throat with a sheepish gaze, and he quickly slams his knee shut until they knock against each other.
Meanwhile, Hyacine carefully takes the hair next to his temples, braiding them on the sides before fixing them behind his head in a half-ponytail, secured by a red ribbon.
He’s far too used to being treated as their personal dress-up doll from all the girl’s (+Mydei) nights he’s attended.
“Are you done?” He glowers as Cipher comes over with a colourful chimera hairclip, red like the tips of his hair, pinning his bangs up and out of his face.
“Aww, you look so cute!” She coos in a high-pitched voice, squeezing his cheeks with her palm. “I could just eat you up!”
Mydei looks horrified by the statement. “I will never understand Okheman's weird hyperbole.”
“Phainon! Over here!” He hears March and Stelle call out to someone outside, and knows that the time has arrived. He gets off the chair reluctantly, the thin fabric of the crop top pulling against his ribcage as he stretches. Arghh, this is so embarrassing. Kremnoans do not ‘run away’, but that open 2nd storey window is looking very tempting right now. He’s athletic… he could leap that far…
From the crack in the doorway he can see Phainon outside, greeting the girls with a friendly smile. He’s changed out of his football uniform into a more casual outfit, a crisp white shirt worn open over a blue t-shirt and well-fitted trousers. He looks handsome. Which only infuriates Mydei even more as he himself feels like a lumbering gorilla dressed in a ballerina’s tutu.
As the door creaks open wider, Mydei steeled his stance and prepares to face his punishment like a real Kremnoan.
Phainon steps inside, and upon catching sight of Mydei he immediately jolts like he’s been shocked by a lightning bolt. He drops the thing he’s been holding onto the floor, and Mydei can see that its flowers, lilies, orange and beautiful.
Mydei sighs, his appearance is… shocking, sure, but he thinks he pulls this miniskirt off. Mydei is pretty confident with his body, he’s worked hard for his perfect physique and cheerleading is a physically demanding sport. So, he has nothing to be ashamed about.
That doesn’t stop him from crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive gesture.
“Are you happy now, Deliverer?” He murmurs, voice less confident than he planned.
“Mydei! I-” Phainon drops down to the floor on all fours, scrambling to pick up the flowers he dropped. When he looks up at Mydei again, his eyes widen some more.
Too late, Mydei realizes he’s forgotten about the fact that he’s wearing a skirt once again, and was standing with his legs far enough apart in a power stance that Phainon, from his angle, definitely got an eyeful up his skirt…
Phainon scrabbles backwards, hitting his head on the doorway with a very audible knock.
Mydei sighs, is there any end to this tomfoolery?
“I- ow… fuck- you look- you look amazing, haha. I knew the uniform would be a perfect fit.” Phainon is gripping the back of his head, face flushed beetroot red. Mydei knew it, knew that all those hard falls and head injuries from playing football gave him brain damage because why is Phainon looking at him with stars in his eyes. Even laughing would be a more understandable reaction right now.
Mydei raises his eyebrow. “You’re acting strange, you’re the one who wanted this bet.”
Phainon beams up at him. “Haha, yeah, and wow, I am not ready for what I signed up for.”
Mydei sighs again. “I did my part, now it’s your turn to fulfill your side of the bargain.” He glances around the room one more time. Most of the cheerleaders are in here, looking very amused by the current situation.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Phainon picks up the flowers and holds them in his lap, settling on his knees in front of Mydei. When he looks up at him from this angle, he reminds Mydei of a puppy begging for treats.
It’s cute…
“Mydeimos…” He starts, face unusually serious. His hands grip onto the stems of the lilies so tightly it almost seems like they would snap, he’s nervous in a way that Mydei doesn’t usually see.
It’s a rare sight, and Mydei can only blink in surprise at the pink dusting his cheeks, the way his blue eyes are fixated on him, the way his upper lip is trembling. God, he looks pathetic. Maybe that’s why it has taken him this long to confess to the person he likes.
Wait. Wait a minute.
Confessing?
The realization hit him a second before Phainon belts out explosively for the whole campus to hear.
“PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!”
A beat of stunned silence passes before Mydei mutters an intelligent sounding- “huh?”
He has just barely caught on to the fact that Phainon’s long-standing crush on a cheerleader is… himself.
“I’m the cheerleader you have a crush on?”
Phainon scrambles to his feet, continuing his train of thought quickly as though afraid that Mydei would change his mind or try to escape if he gives him too much time to think. “Yes! You’re the cheerleader I’m hopelessly infatuated with! I wasn’t going to do anything about the crush at first, but then the rumours began, and you kept getting in my way, and then I started to like you even more!”
Mydei is stunned. Phainon liked him even more when… he got in his way? Was there something wrong with this man?
In hindsight, it does seem a little obvious now because somehow Phainon is always hanging out with him, but how was he supposed to know?
“I thought we were bitter rivals,” Mydei says, still shaken by the revelation.
“Well, we can still be bitter rivals if that’s what you want! But you were just so stubborn… and insistent I was just fooling around. I wanted to show you I was serious before formally asking you out. It really wasn’t my intention to trick you.”
Mydei looks around him in bewilderment. All the cheerleaders are staring at him in anticipation. Cyrene slams a hand onto her forehead, Castorice can be seen typing furiously on her phone like she needs to write this down right now. March and Stelle have their pompoms suspended in the air, as though they really want to start cheering, but can’t just yet.
And then the reality of the situation kind of hits him all at once.
He’s the one Phainon has liked all along, and Phainon had only held back on confessing because he wanted to show Mydei his sincerity first. Despite that sincerity coming across as ragebaiting, the fact that Phainon cared enough to show his effort makes him happy.
Nobody had ever done that for Mydeimos before.
And well, all this time when he was moping about his feelings being unreciprocated, he couldn’t have been more wrong. It would seem that all this time, he had nothing to worry about.
“Hmph.” It’s a weak rebuttal, because Mydei knows he’s smiling. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit how happy he is that the guy he’d fallen for was pining for him in return. “Alright.”
Phainon steps closer to him, big blue eyes wavering, as though seeking reassurance from Mydei that this is real. “Is that a yes?”
And for some reason, that look absolutely makes him falter. Curse his weakness for cute things!
Mydei knows he’s blushing too when he quietly says. “Do I need to be clearer? Yes.”
The girls don’t scream so as not to interrupt the moment, but the pompoms do go fluttering in the air in celebration. Somewhere within the crowd he hears Cyrene mutter “Finally!”
Phainon’s eyes darken, pupils expanding to the point where they almost overlap his blue irises. He licks his lips nervously, drawing Mydei’s attention to the glistening trail of saliva over his lips, and the bob of his Adam's apple. His free hand reaches out, brushing gently over Mydei’s jawline. His skin is burning hot.
“Then… I’m gonna kiss you now.” Phainon’s voice comes out hoarse and breathless, not even trying to hide the effect Mydei has on him. That simple line sends Mydei’s heart beating into overdrive. Not a question, a fact, a statement that seems all the maddening when Mydei can feel his warm breath on his lips, hear the sound of his soft but heavy breathing, smell the light yet tangy scent of his citrus cologne.
“I…” Before he realizes it, Mydei has put a hand up to block the kiss, feeling Phainon’s wet lips touch the top of his palm comically.
“Why?” Phainon whines, sounding very much like a dog who's been denied a treat.
Maybe Phainon doesn’t care about public displays of affection, but Mydei is still very aware that they are all standing in the middle of a group of very enthusiastic cheerleaders and he does not wish for Cipher’s camera recording to land him on the front page of the school website the next day. “I’ll kiss you when we’re alone.”
Phainon huffs, blowing hair out of his face. “Cyrene, please.” His pleads, his voice is broken, like he’s holding onto the last threads of his sanity.
“On it. We can discuss compensation later.” She ushers for the girls to pick up their belongings and leave. Stelle, naturally, cannot resist making an obscure gesture involving her thumb and her index finger as she passes.
“Pst, I’ve got the official photographs. 20 balance coins per copy.” Cipher whispers to Phainon as she passes, which Mydei unfortunately catches full wind on.
“I’ll transfer the money to you later,” Phainon whispers back.
Mydei doesn’t have the time to feel affronted when the door closes behind her and Phainon is immediately on him, pouncing like an excited puppy. His teeth clack against Mydei as their lips meet almost violently, and his tongue laps against Mydei’s bottom lip desperately as though he’s trying to eat him alive.
“Wai-” Mydei tries to say, but any words he tries to speak are quickly devoured by Phainon. He pushes Mydei backwards, and Mydei feels the hard edge of a table press into the back of his spine. Phainon pins him in place with his body, their mouths still glued to each other.
“Wait?” Phainon’s entire bottom half is pressing against Mydei, heavy and hot. There’s a hard bulge against Mydei’s exposed thigh that he knows isn’t his phone. Mydei suddenly feels like he doesn’t know this man, this man who he had developed a crush on, who was eager and sincere and as innocent as an oversized puppy at times. He doesn’t recognize that hungry look in his eyes, the way Phainon’s hand is trailing over his leg, underneath his skirt, squeezing the flesh of his thigh. “You already made me wait for months.”
It turns out the puppy might have been a wolf all this time.
Phainon lowers his head down to Mydei’s neck, nuzzling against the racing pulse of his carotid, before going for his lips again. His canines rip open the skin of his lips and Mydei tastes blood on his tongue. Phainon isn’t bothering to be gentle, his kiss is rough, slobbery and sloppy, but somehow, Mydei is really into it.
Maybe he’s just really into Phainon, in general.
“You drove me crazy, Mydei. I should get an award for my self-control.” Phainon’s weight is heavy against him as he leans down and whispers next to his ear. The white strands tangle with his own, tickling lightly against his cheek.
Mydei feels heat rushing downward, Phainon has a way of unraveling the tightly wound restraint that he wove around himself like armour.
He wraps his hand around the back of Phainon’s neck and returns the kiss, their thighs rub against each other and Mydei realizes how sharp the sensations are when he’s wearing nothing but a skirt and a crop top. His bare abs rub against Phainon’s shirt, and he hears Phainon whimper as wet fabric brushes against Mydei’s leg.
“Are you… wet?” Mydei asks, shocked by the audacity. The Phainon he knew struck him as someone composed, reassured, someone who would never conduct such degeneracy in public. Acts like getting so turned on that he’d leave a visible stain on the front of his jeans were inconceivable to him. Especially when they’re still at campus and anyone could walk into the door at any minute.
“Sorry.” Phainon yelps, hand moving as though to cover the evidence of his shame. “I… I can’t help myself. Do you have any idea how you look right now?”
Mydei has… some idea. He saw himself in the reflection earlier, he knows he looks good. But even so, Phainon reaction is more dramatic than he expected.
He looks at Phainon again, red faced, shirt crumpled, scrambling backwards and closing his legs demurely like he hadn’t just tried to jump him.
Oh, Mydei likes him a lot.
“Now you decide to show restraint? Fool.” He teases fondly.
Phainon’s breath hitches, his face turning impossibly redder. “I… you only just said yes, I like you so much, Mydei. I don’t want to scare you off.”
Scare him away? The idea that Mydei would be scared is almost laughable. That Phainon thinks his feelings are somehow one-sided is offensive, like Mydei hasn’t been pining over him from the sidelines for months now.
He sighs, “Deliverer, did you not think that I could back out of our ‘bet’ at any time?” Mydei asks pointedly.
“But, your promise-”
“Do you think me so fickle that I would make promises to people I don't like?”
Phainon just points to himself dumbly. “But you called me a player.”
“Was I wrong? You were harping on and on about your crush’s-” Mydei stops in the middle of his sentence as they both look down at his chest.
“-breasts…”
He realizes a little too late that his nipples are hard from just kissing, standing out stiffly against the thin spandex of his cheerleading top. Surely… their usual top isn’t this see through, is it? Mydei realizes that when it’s stretched out like this, every line of his chest is clearly visible to the point where even the faint lines of his tattoos can be seen. Surely this is not school regulations.
Phainon’s throat visibly bobs, and he looks like he’s torn between staring or bashfully looking away. As usual, he opts to be shameless, gawking at Mydei like the finest buffet has been laid out before him.
“...Are you not embarrassed?” Mydei finishes, heat rushing to his cheeks at the long overdue realization that Phainon had been complimenting his breasts, apparently, even though he was a man.
“How could I be?” Phainon exhales, expression devout. “Those deserved to be worshipped. Sometimes when you sit next to me all I can think about is putting my face between them and sucking them off.”
Mydei must have heard incorrectly. He refuses to believe that when Phainon was sitting next to him looking all polite and sweet and innocent, he was thinking such filth.
“HKS…” He can’t do anything but curse weakly. “I wouldn’t put this on for just anyone, you know. I respected you… that’s why I was willing to go along with whatever stupid plan you had.”
“I…” Phainon’s voice cracks. “I’m so happy to hear that… I’m so turned on right now Mydei…”
A little endeared and fed up at how much Phainon sounds like a needy puppy, Mydei finally snaps “Whatever you want to do to me… I can take it.”
Phainon truly doesn’t have to be told twice, scrambling on all fours to get to him, making him look even more like a dog. But Mydei is starting to realize that maybe he’s a dog person after all as he grabs Phainon by the choker and drags him closer for another kiss.
“Hah…” Mydei moans as Phainon forces his tongue into his mouth, licking around his gums and teeth like he’s trying to savour every inch of Mydei. It’s messy, and slobbery, and almost disgusting if Mydei stops to think about it, but his brain isn’t thinking of much at the moment aside from Phainon’s hands resting on his hips, Phainon’s quiet whimpers filling his ears, and Phainon’s warm, slick tongue in his mouth.
“You’re hot…” Phainon says in between kisses. Mydei doesn’t know if he means his temperature, or his body, possibly both, the way his hands are starting to wander. Phainon’s hand tracing his ribcage is warm, almost ticklish were it not for the fact that he was being so slow and gentle.
But it was his other hand that was the problem, the hand that dips under the pleats of Mydei’s too short cheerleading skirt, that pulls the edge of his stockings until they snap back with an elastic ‘pop’. That wanders up, up, over the hard muscle of his thigh, over the increasing warmth of his skin until they brush over his embarrassingly hard cock still bunched up in the tight cheerleader’s underwear the girls included with his uniform.
“What…” Phainon’s voice falters, his hand moves even more boldly across Mydei’s pelvis. Lingers on his cock, wanders over the square of his hips, the jut of his pelvic bones, cupping the back of his ass, and brushing over where his balls are barely, barely, shoved into the tight fabric that these people call undergarments.
“Mydei… are you… are you wearing panties?” Phainon says in a voice soft as a whisper. He sounds like he’s had every birthday wish granted to him at the same time.
A keeling sound tears out of his throat that Mydei would rather die than admit was a whimper. His cock twitches again underneath the panties, having been constrained from the start, the growing bulge and tightness getting uncomfortable to deal with.
“...The girls brought it for me.” Mydei admits softly. He had thought it was a little strange, but just put it on without question.
He hears Phainon mutter something indecipherable under his breath, but before he can ask Phainon to repeat it, Mydei realizes he’s muttering prayers to all 12 titans that he got to see Mydei this way. And then Phainon falls silent.
“Phainon?”
He looks almost unrecognizable, his snowy white hair is slightly sweaty, hanging over his eyes and obscuring them. The blinding blue in his eyes is almost snuffed out by how dilated his pupils are getting. Then from out of nowhere, he lets out a huge groan.
“Argh… Mydei, are you serious!” Phainon whines, hiding his face in the nook of his neck.
“What?” Mydei repeats, confused. Is it weird? Is it gross? Does Phainon not like it somehow? “Should I change?”
“No!” Phainon grips both of his wrists tightly, straddling him with his thighs. Football player’s thighs, Mydei takes a moment to appreciate how thick they are and how his pants are so tight they seem to almost tear at the seams. Even more maddening is the garter belt he’s wearing around one of his thighs, that’s insane, who does that? It makes him look like sex on two legs. Mydei almost loses himself in fantasies of getting choked between those thighs and it makes his legs clench and his dick twitch even more uncomfortably underneath his panties.
“Fuck… fuck Mydei don’t you dare take them off.” Phainon is pleading, voice almost a growl. “Only I can help you take them off.”
“You want to help me change clothes?” Mydei repeats, utterly lost. He would be up for it, but it was just a little bit strange. He thought Phainon liked him in this outfit.
Phainon catches the uncertainty in his eyes and laughs almost hysterically. “Sweet Kephale, you don’t get it, you really don’t get it.” He inhales and shuts his eyes, and when he opens them once again the look is darker, hungrier. “I want to put my head under your skirt and suck you dry, I want to fill you up so good you don’t think of anyone else than me, I want to mark you all over your body until everyone knows you’re mine.”
Phainon leans his head so close that Mydei can see the teardrops on his pale eyelashes, can hear his ragged breathing. The hand underneath his skirt squeezes his hard cock like a threat, like an invitation.
“Do you get it now, Mydei?”
“Oh.” Mydei breathes, eyes widening. Maybe there is something wrong with Phainon, but there is something wrong with Mydei too because anything Phainon wanted, he was down for. “I would let you.”
Phainon takes in another shaky inhale and asks once again, as though seeking his consent one last time before shrugging off the shackles binding his restraint. “Right here? Right now?”
Well, an empty rec room isn’t exactly the place he imagined having sex with the man of his dreams, but there is a first time for everything. Mydei shrugs and says, “Why the hell not. Stay quiet, and we won’t get caught.”
Phainon’s hips are already moving, thrusting into Mydei’s pelvis which only makes his panties feel all the more wet and uncomfortable. In the meantime, Phainon shrugs off his outer shirt and throws it aside. Mydei openly gawks at his broad arms, lined with sinewy muscle, veins bulging as he continues to hold Mydei down.
Fuck he’s really into strong men.
“Can you feel how hard I am?” Phainon whimpers. It’s not subtle, with the way it feels like an entire log is slamming into his pelvis. “It only gets that way around you. At first, I thought there was something wrong with me. The first time I saw you do a split on the field I got so hard I almost fumbled the game. Do you know how hard it is to hide an erection in those football pants?”
Yeah, he’s seen the pants. White, skintight, and leaving nothing to the imagination. Goodness knows how he’s managed to get away with playing while having an erection.
“How did you get through the game?” Mydei asks, curiosity overtaking him.
Phainon just laughs self-deprecatingly. “Well, a little boner never hurt anybody. And I’m a really, really good player.”
“Huh.” Mydei repeats. “So while you were playing, you were imagining me spreading my legs for you.”
He doesn’t mean to tease him like that, but the way Phainon stops what he’s doing to splutter and turn bright red is too endearing.
“Wait, huh? No! It’s not like that!” An obvious lie.
Mydei takes Phainon’s hand and uses it to spread his skirt upwards, exposing the underwear, black, lacey, and entirely too tight for his overstimulated cock. Phainon audibly swallows. Mydei runs Phainon’s hand over the thin fabric, letting him linger just a little too long against the crack of his ass.
“I could spread my legs for you for real. If you make it worth my while.”
Phainon looks like every single one of his prayers has been answered all at once. He wastes no time going down, nearly ripping off clothes with his teeth before he manages to tug them off carelessly. Using his mouth he nips, licks, kisses each inch of bare skin that he can get his hands on. Infuriatingly, he carefully avoids Mydei’s heavy, leaking cock, as though on purpose.
Mydei whimpers, he’s doing everything but touching the place where Mydei wants to be touched. Frustrated, he decides to take matters into his own hands and reaches downward, planning to stroke himself off.
But instead, Phainon catches it mid-way. “Impatient, are we?” He says, and there is something dark about his tone that makes Mydei want to obey. He makes a strategic retreat, it’s not like Mydei cannot fight back, but perhaps it’s not so bad to submit now and again.
“Then hurry the fuck up before I get bored.” Mydei says instead, still trying to pretend that he’s not achingly ready for Phainon.
“Really? That’s not what your body is telling me.” Phainon finally, finally grabs the tip of his cock, gently running his finger down a sensitive vein on his shaft. Mydei feels his full body shudder, the vibrations rolling straight up his spine.
“Haa…” He moans, voice tearing ragged from his throat. The sound of which seems to turn Phainon on even more, judging by the way his grip trembles and his strokes become more erratic.
“Ah… hah…. Phainon.” Mydei groans as the pleasure starts to mount, at this point he can feel it, something cool and wet dribbling down his bare thighs. This was nothing like when he masturbated by himself in the shower. Phainon’s hand was slightly larger, coarser from playing football, the friction from his calluses giving him a new kind of pleasure he couldn’t get by himself. “There… more…”
“You’re surprisingly demanding.” Phainon’s voice is breathless as he continues to stroke him off, his still fully clothed cock presses against his thigh, the dampness becoming more and more difficult to ignore.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Phainon whispers in a soft, meek voice. “When I jacked myself off in the showers after that game, I thought of you, and how you would sound like when I fucked you. And I must admit, the real thing is much better than my imagination.”
“Hah.” Mydei can’t help but laugh, though it was interrupted by a sharp whine as Phainon’s thumb drives straight into the tip of his cock. “When you fucked me? That sounds a little presumptuous. I hated your guts back then.”
“I guess a part of me knew you’d eventually come around.” Phainon’s voice is deeper, hoarser than he’d ever heard it. “And if you didn’t I’d just try again, and again, and again.”
A sharp jerk sends Mydei’s neck flying backwards, hissing in pain as sharp teeth bite down on his neck, eyes screwed shut in pleasure.
“I’m very persistent. You know.” Phainon says, licking the fresh wound like he was a fucking dog instead of a man.
Mydei would admit that he had nothing on this guy when it came to sheer tenacity.
“I’m-ahh-I’m not sure I believe that.” Mydei manages to grit out, his back arching as waves of pleasure ransacked his body. “After all, you still have your pants on.”
Phainon falls for the bait spectacularly, immediately unbuckling his pants as though it was a challenge and he had to win. Mydei admires the sight of his strong, muscular calves as his eyes rove up, the bruise on his knee from some time ago was healing along quite nicely, with only mild discoloration remaining.
“Wait.” Phainon’s hands stop moving when Mydei speaks, he narrows his eyes at Phainon’s knee, a thought slowly emerging from his hazy mind.
“That time when you got that bruise…” Mydei murmurs slowly, the idea had started off ridiculous, but made more and more sense the more he thought about it. “Did you get it because you were looking… at me?”
Phainon blushes, but at this point both of them had leaped light years past the point of shame. What’s another embarrassing confession to add to the list? “You were balancing one person on each arm… that should be illegal.” He murmurs quietly.
His finger presses into the tip of Mydei’s cock again, a little harder this time, causing him to groan. Phainon’s doing so well, making him feel so good, but it’s not enough. Mydei wants more, wants to be completely dominated by him, wants his cock sunk so deep inside him that he can’t think, wants Phainon to prove not just with words, but by actions just how much he wants him.
“Want to test my flexibility?” asks Mydei. He probably should have known better than to provoke someone like Phainon. Someone who appears prim and proper on the surface, but hides a storm of twisted emotions within him.
With that, Phainon’s hands touch him again, but not on his cock, no. This time, they wander to the back, where his unguarded entrance lies ripe for the taking. Mydei yelps as a warm finger penetrates him, the cavity opening slightly to accommodate for the additional girth.
“Wow,” Phainon mutters. “You’re wet down here too.”
Yes he is, he’s wet from every orifice and it’s all Phainon’s goddamned fault. Because lately, every guy that he’s fantasized about while pleasuring himself has stupid blue eyes and stupid white hair.
He hitches a breath as Phainon puts in another finger, taking in a shaky inhale as his hole stretches pleasantly.
“Oh?” Phainon tilts his head to the side, messy white bangs falling into his eye. “You’re surprisingly loose. Like you’ve done this before.”
Mydei can feel the danger in his lilt. Phainon is testing him, prodding for the right answer. But Mydei still wants to play.
“Don’t tell me our dreamboat quarterback is a virgin.” Mydei teases, then realizes a little too late that he’s flown too close to the sun. First of all, Phainon’s eyes glaze over, the blank expression on his face is so alien Mydei almost doesn’t even recognize him. He had gotten so used to seeing Phainon smiling, it was unnerving to see him with such a look. Secondly, although it was himself who asked the question, it bothered him to imagine Phainon doing the same with other people, other lovers.
“Is that a problem? You’re my first.” Phainon admits honestly. Mydei gulps, biting his tongue so as not to cry out loud when Phainon shoves a third finger into his hole, spreading them apart, stretching him open and pliant. “And you’re not?”
Mydei can’t lie, and he won’t. But it doesn’t mean it has to tell the whole truth either.
“Let’s just say… I have experience.” Sure the experience was limited to his fingers and his toys, but he conveniently skipped the last part.
Because he likes it, the way Phainon looks almost mad as he flips Mydei around so that the front of his pelvis smashes against the table, the way he mounts him like an animal and the tip of his large cock presses against Mydei’s entrance. Mydei groans as he leans forward, the hard edge of the table driving into his lap, presenting himself like an offering.
“Then you’ll be familiar with what happens next.” Phainon says bitterly as he pushes his cock in.
Mydei thought he was ready for it, but Phainon’s fingers were nothing compared to his cock. It’s huge! What do they feed him in Aedes Elysiae? He hisses a sharp inhale, abs clenching in order to stabilize his balance, elbows pressing against the table that threatens to collapse under their collective weights.
“Fuck, you’re huge.” Mydei gasps.
“Just a little more, Mydeimos.” Phainon pleads. “I’m almost inside, you’re taking me in so well.”
When he thinks Phainon can’t possibly push it in any further, he does, and the way his cock presses against Mydei’s prostate makes stars bloom in his vision. It never felt like this when he used toys, the angles were always wrong.
For a moment Mydei just struggles to get his bearings, his body feels stretched out to its limit, and even Phainon has to shut his eyes and savour himself for a few minutes. The room is filled with the sound of nothing but heavy breathing.
“Mydeimos… you’re so warm… and wet, and you’re squeezing against me so tightly. I’m not hurting you, am I?”
Mydei snorts, the mere idea itself ludicrous. “Who said you could ever hurt me?”
“Good, good, I’m glad,” Phainon says. “Then you don’t mind if I do this, right?”
Phainon grabs one of Mydei’s thighs, hoisting it on top of the table so he’s bent over in a half split. This angle is even better, and Mydei moans out loud, fingers grasping the top of the table for a better hold.
“Fuck… you’re a fucking monsters, now move,” Mydei gasps, he needs more. The tip of Phainon’s cock brushes against his sweet spot so tantalizingly that Mydei pushes his ass against Phainon to try and feel more. Instead, Phainon stabilizes himself by holding on to his hipbones, pelvis infuriatingly still as Mydei does all the work.
“So, who is it?” Phainon has no right sounding so calm when his cock is buried inside him like this.
“What the fuck are you talking about? Ah… there!” Mydei finds himself distracted as his back arches with pleasure when he finds his own sweet spot.
“Who was the person who got to fuck you first?” Mydei can’t see his face, but Phainon sounds angry. He starts moving too, his cock brushing friction against Mydei’s sore walls, inflicting pleasure so exquisite that his thoughts go white and he forgets what he was supposed to say.
“Hah…” Mydei presses his entire torso onto the table, fingernails raking against the wood, leaving marks. It borders on overstimulation, too many sensations at one time leaving him overwhelmed. “Phainon… slow down.” Drool dribbles down the side of his mouth, Mydei can only watch as drops of saliva darken the wood of the tabletop.
Instead of listening, Phainon speeds up. The table rocks against their combined weight, only stopping when its edge slams against the opposite wall. In time rumours would grow on whether the room turned out to be haunted, nobody would have guessed it was the star quarterback and the guardian of the cheerleading squad having intense public sex.
“Mydei… you look amazing.” Phainon comments, Mydei, with his face plastered against the tabletop, tongue lolling out, knows he doesn’t look at all dignified right now. “Am I better than him? Was he able to make you feel this good?”
Phainon pulls out almost all the way, making Mydei groan and stumble shakily onto his elbows, before thrusting in once more, cruel and relentless.
And Mydei comes.
He comes with a quiet whimper as his dick stiffens, white liquid squirting out and running down his thigh, while his torso shudders violently from the pleasure.
“Haah.” Mydei sighs again, forearms trembling as he raises himself upright. His muscles are sore in the way that they can only get from a great orgasm. He can’t help but laugh again that Phainon seriously believes there was anyone else before him. As though Mydei wasn’t the most untouched maiden that hadn’t even kissed anyone before this.
“The answer is no, my sex toy wasn’t a better lover than you.” He cranes his head back, grinning wolfishly at Phainon’s awestruck expression.
“So you tricked me.” But Phainon doesn’t look mad, no. Instead the corners of his lips curl up, his eyes are hooded, almost manic with glee. Mydei wouldn’t expect anything less from somebody he considers his equal. “You’re a sly one, Mydeimos.”
“But,” Phainon continues, as he grabs Mydei by the waist again, gentler this time, nothing like his harsh grip from earlier, begins rocking back and forth slowly, yet no less passionately. “If I had my way, I’d like to be gentle.”
“Hmph…” Mydei hums, but can’t resist the soft moan of delight that escapes his lips. His cock is spent, lying flaccid against his thigh. But the mounting pressure in his pelvis is an entirely different sort of pleasure. Feeling so full with Phainon gives him an indescribable high, he could get used to this. “Don’t look down on me. I told you, I can take it.”
“I know you can,” Phainon croons, voice saccharine. He pulls back again, sparks flying as he scrapes across his insides, and thrusts it toward the place where he knows will make Mydei scream.
“Ahh… Phainon… coming…” Mydei gasps, his eyelids fluttering shut, so blissful that he can almost ignore the sharp pain in his shoulderblade.
“Mydeimos…” Phainon’s voice comes out muffled and gagged, it’s hard to enunciate clearly when his teeth are biting into Mydei’s skin. He’s forced to consider that the deliverer might be part dog. Either that or he has a kink for leaving marks. “Me too.”
Mydei cries out as the pressure mounts in his abdomen until he’s sure he can’t take anymore. Inside him he can feel Phainon’s cock stiffening, filling him up until the wetness leaks out of his hole, dripping down his thigh.
“Haaahh… fuck… Mydei… sorry… I bit too hard, you’re bleeding.” Phainon gently props Mydei against the table as he pulls out. Mydei tries to straighten his back and stand upright, but his muscles are shaking, utterly spent. He feels more exhausted now than after running cheerleading drills for 2 hours, wryly, he considers adding sex with Phainon to his gym routine.
“For somebody with such a pretty face, you’re a beast.” Mydei grumbles. He sinks to his knees, pressing his cheek against the table even though it’s disgusting, covered in saliva and sweat and fingerprints and even a little bit of cum.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Phainon worries, eyes widening as he kneels in front of Mydei. The cheerleader kind of wants to laugh, his lips are a little red like he has blood on them, and his sweaty bangs are hanging straight downwards like a sweaty dog. But the expression on his face is so concerned, like he had done grievous harm to Mydei.
“Hah, no, I enjoyed it. Help me up.”
Mydei’s legs are trembling as he stands himself up, like a shaky fawn taking his first steps. He cleans up with a sports towel that somebody has helpfully left behind and starts looking around for his clothes. After the high from the back-to-back orgasms have worn off, Mydei starts to feel mortified about what he’s done.
“I had sex… with the Phainon Khaslana. In public…” He mutters to himself in disbelief. Mydei is such a private person he can’t even piss without the door closed, and yet here he was, losing his virginity in a place where any passerby could overhear.
“Yeah,” Phainon says with a dreamy smile, having no such reservations. “And it was all thanks to that cheerleading uniform. I knew all those part time work savings would pay off.”
Doesn’t Phainon have better things to do with his money than fund unnecessary items that nobody asked for? Despite thinking this, Mydei still folds the discarded cheerleader’s uniform neatly and puts it aside. It… might come into handy again at another time.
Now… where are his clothes? They are not bundled together with the rest of his belongings, and tearing the room apart doesn’t seem to provide any new discoveries.
It is then where the dawning horrific realization comes across him. “...They stole my clothes?”
“What?” Phainon says, trying to pat dry the stain on the front of his pants. It’s not terribly visibly, luckily for him.
“Somebody took my clothes with them.” Is the only conclusion Mydei seems to be able to come up with. Nothing else would make any sense. Sure, they had all left the room in a hurry but nobody would mistake Mydei’s clothes for their own. The size was completely different, let alone the style.
While he rummages inside his bag futilely, Mydei comes across a folded note, smelling like Castorice’s signature lavender perfume and written in Hyacine’s big loopy penmanship.
Dear Mydei, the unresolved sexual tension between yourself and Phainon everytime the two of you are in a room is turning us homophobic.
Therefore we are confiscating your clothes and locking you two inside until you work it out.
Please text proof of your relationship to Cipher in order to be released.
With love, the Chrysos Heirs cheerleading squad ♡