Work Text:
Freedom is a feeling that Phainon is well acquainted with. Even as an artist, he was free to choose his songs, his outfits and his freedom to voice his opinions. Perhaps he was lucky to be signed under the infamous label, Amphoreus, led by the legendary and retired idol—Aglaea.
Her mentorship has been invaluable, her steadfast and constant support will always be the one of the reasons for the boom in his career. But even her lax attitude had a limit for him; no matter how kind she has been towards him.
Now, Phainon is not one for scandal.
The most trouble he’s been in is his controversial take about mint ice-cream (it tastes like toothpaste but he’ll stop there before he starts another tangent) but aside from that incident, Phainon truly did not wish to attract any more trouble into his life. His career as an artist is hard enough but external drama? No, thank you. One of the many websites that write those ‘Top 10 Reasons Why Artist ‘Phai’ is Well-loved’ articles about him even states that a majority of his fanbase appreciates and agrees with his honesty.
So, imagine the look on Aglaea’s face when he decides to tell her that he’s in a relationship with a very prominent, very volatile and very handsome individual. Incredibly handsome and tall, with hair as wild as a lion’s mane and eyes that look like they want to devour him.
Who wouldn’t want Mydeimos of Castrum Kremnos? A prodigal son of a madman, who brought his family’s company back from the ashes of near bankruptcy to immense wealth, who won in a battle of wits and strength against his own flesh and blood. Truly, Phainon understands that the description doesn’t bring the best reception towards their relationship but he knew a different version of Mydei.
“Aglaea, please—”
“No, Phainon. I’m happy that you are in a happy relationship, however,” she places a heavy emphasis on the word, “Not everyone will be as welcoming to your relationship as we are. To add to that, I’m quite sure that Mydeimos’s lawyers would disagree with this public declaration.”
The young artist frowns and sinks back into his chair, “They do but Mydei is… not one to follow authority?” He smiles sheepishly at her.
Aglaea sighs, pinching the bridge between her eyes. But she meets his eyes again—which still puzzles him as to how she does it—and her gaze softens.
“How did I ever mentor such an honest child? Even Castorice has the ability to lie every so often.”
“Cas would like to avoid any and all public eye if possible and you,” there’s a teasing tone in his voice, playfully pointing his pointy finger at her, “have always supported my honesty where it matters.”
Once again the woman sighs at his words but she could do nothing but smile now. Aglaea hums and mulls over his words before turning to her assistant (Garmentmaker has always been kind to him as well) and watches as they tap on her tablet.
Phainon waits calmly, certainly curious at what she’s doing but not enough to push her to rush. One does not rush perfection, after all. Her assistant lifts her head from the tablet and gives a confident nod, Aglaea stares at Garmentmaker for a few more seconds before turning to him with a wider smile.
He raises an eyebrow at the clear mischief on her expression.
“First, I’ll congratulate you again on your happy relationship with Mydeimos. I’m happy that you’ve finally found someone.”
To outsiders, his and Aglaea’s relationship may skirt the line of affections but only she was one of the very few who knew how deep his pain ran on worse days. How his grief threatens to swallow him whole when life has run through him like trash on the street. But Aglaea never fails to be a strong pillar in his life, providing him with a purpose in life and he will always be grateful for her.
“Thank you, Aglaea…”
“Second, while I am happy for your newfound love, I’d like to ask that you take a few months until your next comeback to think about making this relationship public.”
The CEO turns the monitor towards him and he notes that his comeback is scheduled in another 6 months.
“My next comeback? Why?”
“An album would be nice, no?”
She doesn’t give him any more clues and Phainon takes this as his cue to leave. As he shakes his head at Aglaea’s secretive schemes, he thinks back to Mydei.
Speaking of, it’s almost dinner time, he should hurry home so that he makes sure that Mydei at least grabs something for dinner or else he’ll go to bed with just pomegranate milk in his stomach. Still, he’s grateful that Aglaea is accepting of their relationship, he had been anxious all day that she’d reject the mere thought of him or, Titans forbid, grill him about their relationship—
“Oh, one more thing, Phainon,”
He stops in his tracks, turning back to her with a tilt of his head.
“Do bring Mydei over for dinner some time.”
Ah. Perhaps he was wrong.
When Phainon steps into the apartment, adorned in his disguise (despite what Anaxa says, a mask and glasses works wonders for him), he notes the lack of lights within the penthouse. Not surprising, Mydei doesn’t usually spend time outside of his home office. Ever the workaholic.
Placing his abandoned mask and glasses on the cupboard next to the entrance, Phainon makes his way through the familiar layout of Mydei’s abode, right up to his home office’s door. He doesn’t hesitate to push it open.
Immediately his eyes soften at the sight, the scowling expression of his lover hovering over a document that seems to torment his current being.
“You’ll have permanent creases if you keep scowling, Mydei.”
“I don’t need to look pretty like you, Boy Saviour. I need to look like I could kill somebody.”
Phainon laughs at the thought of it, “Well, you’re halfway there.”
In three strides he reaches Mydei’s side, where he always belongs, and plucks the documents out of his lover’s hands before situating himself onto the young CEO’s lap. Mydei gives him an unimpressed look.
The artist gives him a cheeky smile.
“Hello handsome, have any plans for dinner?”
“Can’t say that I do.” Mydei’s hand feels solid and warm on his waist, keeping him still and ensuring that he doesn’t fall off his lap.
“Is that so? How about a quick dinner before a shower and then bed?”
“Hmn.”
Phainon starts to forget his initial reason for coming over when Mydei leans down to give him a slow kiss on the lips. Always a peck or two before he pulls back and leaves Phainon chasing after him.
Like a puppy, he’d tease.
“Mydei, let’s grab some dinner. I refuse to let you sleep with pomegranate milk as your only ‘meal’.”
The blonde shrugs at him, “It’s convenient.”
Despite the answer, Mydei doesn’t struggle when Phainon leaves his lap, regrettably, and pulls him to the kitchen. With constant meetings packed into his schedule, you’d expect Mydei to have an empty pantry and fridge but he’d never admit it to anyone; he keeps it full just for Phainon. He takes pleasure in watching his lover dance and hum his way around the kitchen, whipping up a quick meal for the both of them.
A visage of a domestic life that lives on the furthest corner of his mind, a wishful dream that he keeps to himself. It would be decades before he and Phainon would be allowed to live a peaceful and quiet life.
And yet, Mydei looks forward to it.
“How’s work? Are the directors still giving you a hard time?”
He sighs, a headache already coming forward, “When are they never? First, it was my father. Then, the company. Now, it seems as if you’re the source of their grief.”
Phainon glances over his shoulder, a teasing smile decorates his lips.
“Am I now?”
God, help him.
“You and your never-ending troubles, Boy Saviour.”
Mydei could hear the pout on Phainon’s lips, eyes never leaving the curve of his back. Without thinking, he stands and makes his way towards him, quiet as a mouse.
“It’s not my fault that you’re the one in love with me.”
The artist doesn’t react to the arms making their way around his waist or the head that nuzzles into his shoulder. Knowing there is no resistance, Mydei kisses into the soft skin of Phainon’s neck—careful not to leave a bruise. He’d never hear the end of it from Phainon if he left a visible mark.
“I would hope none of them are,” However, he can’t resist biting into the exposed skin, “I don’t share.”
What belongs to me, remains unspoken.
His white-haired lover shivers under the pretense of his words.
“You’re unbelievable…”
“And you’re the one in love with me.”
Just then, Phainon turns off the heat on the stove, turning around in Mydei’s hold to face him. There are many times in his life when Mydei truly believes that no one could ever look at him with anything other than anger or fear. But Phainon proves him wrong, once again. The heir could never understand how Phainon can look at him with eyes full of love and adoration, so much so that it’s spilling into the slight lift of his lips, the crease of his forehead and the slight flush in his cheeks and ears.
What has he done to deserve such a look?
His smile is just as blinding, if Phainon was the sun then Mydeimos was Icarus, flying to greater heights just to get a glimpse of his lips.
“And I wouldn’t love anyone else.”
He doesn’t forgo dinner tonight but they dine on a later time, time passing by with the rustling of sheets beneath their skin.
The following days are nothing but a blur for Phainon. He still has time before his next comeback but songs don't just appear out of thin air. His previous album had quite a sad note, he channeled all of his frustration, anger and sadness at Mydei’s hardships (ones he’d been told over and over that he can’t fix) into it. It was a success but inspiration isn’t a never ending river.
So he’s been lounging on Mydei’s bed, staring up at the ceiling, hoping for some musical miracle to fall into his lap.
As if, he huffs.
Phainon toss and turns, burying his face in the sleeves of the oversized sweater he’s wearing—another one of Mydei’s possessions. He breathes a forlorn sigh and goes back to staring around the room. A lion plushie on the vanity chair catches his attention.
A near identical image to Mydei.
Hm. Mydei.
“What on earth did you mean, Aglaea…”
Waiting 6 months for his debut seems excessive if it’s just to announce his relationship. He’d argue that it was overkill but one doesn’t pick a fight with the inner machinations of Lady Aglaea. If she says so then there must be a reason.
His thoughts, inevitably, go back to Mydei.
Who could’ve thought that a chance meeting at a random boxing ring would bring him here? He was curious and chose to take a single class but instead he meets the love of his life; already throwing punches at each other before the first date. Phainon snorts at the memory. After that, he and Mydei would find themselves meeting again and again. A library (something in his chest twists at the mere mention of this), a bookstore, cafes, restaurants, the gym and even on the streets.
He genuinely thought that Mydei was stalking if not for the disinterest he had towards him in their early coincidences.
One courageous hello turned a reluctant interaction into a conversation, banters changed into jokes and then an exchange of phone numbers, a promise to another meeting. Meetings evolved into dates, and before he knew it, here he is in the present day.
Phainon’s posture relaxes, sinking into their comfy bed.
He really wants to shout at the top of the world about their relationship.
“An album would be nice, no?”
…
Maybe he can.
He sits up and reaches for his discarded notebook, headphones and laptop.
Sometimes songs do write themselves.
Months come and go, he wrote a full album, learned choreography and did promo shoots. He was ready for the release of his music video. He chooses to watch it at home; their home, on the living room couch, where it feels the most comfortable. It’ll premiere in 10 minutes and for this special occasion, Mydei chooses to take a day off from the office. Phainon almost coos at his gesture.
“You didn’t have to call in sick at the office just for me, Mydei,”
His boyfriend raises an eyebrow at the sheer audacity, thinking he’d miss this for the world.
“There is very little I wouldn’t do for you, Phainon. Besides,” he pulls Phainon into his lap, “I’d like to see what my contribution has resulted in.”
That brings a laugh out of him, the mysterious Mydeimos? Curious over a little music video? Who would’ve thought that this day would come. Nevetheless, Phainon doesn’t question him, allowing himself to sink further into Mydei’s warm embrace.
He’s about to doze off, snuggled up against his living heater before the sound of the premiere starting wakes him up. Phainon hopes that his fans don't freak out too much.
But with Mydei’s arms firmly planted around his hips, slumber is pulling him back. He leans back and lets himself fall into a peaceful rest.
He goes viral by the time he wakes up from his nap. Phainon could feel Mydei moving around (when had they moved to their bed?), he’s sitting up against the headboard of the bed instead of cuddling him so he whines at the lack of attention.
"Mydeeiiii… come hug meeeee."
He feels Mydei’s chest rise from a snort.
“Aren’t you curious to see how your fans are reacting?”
“Truly I am but right now, I’m even more curious about how my boyfriend’s lips feel against mine,” Mydei doesn’t humour him with a response, rude. Phainon opens his eyes, committed to guilt trip Mydei into kissing him senseless but instead of Mydei’s face, he sees a phone in front of him.
His, of course.
“Aglaea called. You might want to call back before she breaks down the door.”
“Is the almighty Mydeimos scared of Lady Aglaea?”
The silence is deafening.
“Oh my god, you are—”
“Shut up and call her. I’m going to make us a snack.”
He leaves the room in a rush but Phainon’s gleeful laughter follows him even as he disappears beyond the threshold of the door.
The singer giggles even as he dials Aglaea’s number, her voice instantly coming through.
“Hello dear.”
“Hi Aglaea,” He rolls onto his back, “How was the music video? A success, I hope?”
“Missed it, did you? It was a resounding one, dear. You’re going viral as we speak.”
Phainon glances out the window, the sun is still in the sky but maybe bleeding into the early hours of the evening. The music video was released at 12 PM. He guesses that it must be around 4 pm.
“A nap tempted me. I hope it’s the good kind of viral.” He hears Aglaea humming.
“Place a bit of trust in your fans, Phainon. They say that fans are the mirrors of their artists.”
She is right, as always. Phainon had placed his trust in them and had given them the honesty they wholly deserved from him. He never told her nor Mydei but he had some guilt building up within him when he had to hide their relationship from them.
Maybe he just couldn’t wait to profess his love for Mydeimos from the highest building, standing at the top of the world.
“You’re never wrong… As always, my lady.” Aglaea’s laughter sounds like the soft notes of a harp.
“Well, I’ll stop here for today. Spend some time with your love. Tomorrow is when work starts again.”
His love.
He bids Aglaea goodbye and hangs up the call, eyes glued to the ceiling.
The music video was released hours ago. The one he wrote about them, inspired from when Mydei confessed under the quiet veil of the night where Phainon reminds him of the golden sun. When his being is illuminated by the evening sun rays of Kephale, his lover says that he is the visage of an angel coming to his salvation.
The music video where he insisted that Mydei joins him. Their story, from the beginning to the present, filled with scenes throughout their relationship. The first meeting, the dates that followed, the life they share together away from prying eyes and under the guise of sunsets and starry nights.
Phainon hides his face in his hands, oh Titans.
Everyone knows that he’s dating Mydeimos.
He kicks his legs up and rolls around the bed like a schoolgirl who received a text from their crush. His heart feels like bursting from the sheer love he feels in the moment. Hiding isn’t needed anymore, he can stop wearing ridiculous disguises and finally hold Mydei’s hand in public.
Maybe he can kiss him in front of their favourite bookstore too.
“You look happy.”
Phainon peeks through his fingers and sees Mydei leaning on the bedroom door frame, a tray of snacks in his hands. He can see his favourite snack peaking out amongst others. There’s a teasing smile ghosting on his lips.
Oh god, he loves him.
“Mydei,” Phainon’s hands move away from his face, arms extending towards Mydei, “I love you.”
He sees his beloved’s eyes widen, mouth creasing at the corners, attempting to hide a smile. His blue eyes lock onto Mydei as his expression softens, love and affection shining through his gaze. He makes his way towards the bed, on Phainon’s side, placing down the snack tray on the side table and then leaning over Phainon like a lion ready to devour his meal.
“I’m well aware, Phainon. The sentiment is shared and as I’ve told you before; you are half of my soul.”
Kissing Mydei feels like he’s walking into the lion’s den. Ready to be consumed or to be adored until his final breath. He tastes of pomegranate milk, something he’d grown to love.
Mydei pulls back with a smile ghosting his lips and something soft in his eyes.
“The Kremnoan language may not have a word for love but you,” he tucks a piece of his hair behind ear, “You, Phainon, are the living, breathing definition for it.”
Phainon pulls him for another kiss and another and another. Until Mydei falls back into bed with him, trapping Phainon between his arms at the sides of his head. Sunlight shines from their window, casting Phainon in this beautiful glow—an angel, he’d praised against his skin.
Lost in each other, the lovers didn’t notice that Aglaea had sent him an article about Phainon’s latest music video.
‘Phai’s New Music Video ‘Golden Hour’ Reveals His Long-time Partner, Shocking Fans and Industry!’
Phainon uploads a picture later that night on Twitter, creating a frenzy amongst his fans.
Work does continue the next day. Phainon had an interview scheduled mid-day, a short one but he still had to leave the comfortable embrace of Mydei far too early in the morning. Now he’s in his fitting room, the soft bristles of the make up brush running across his cheeks and forehead.
His eyes glance to the side where his phone had lit up with a notification.
Oh! A notification from Mydei.
He reaches over and unlocks his phone to see what Mydei has tweeted out.
Phainon smiles like a fool at his phone.
Titans, he wants to go home now. But Aglaea would kill him if he leaves on such short notice, especially since this is his first interview after the release of the music video. Might as well suck it up and power through it until he gets home.
“All done! You’re scheduled in 15 minutes, Phai. Ready to go?”
Phainon lifts his gaze to the stage manager and musters the brightest, camera-worthy smile, “Of course.”
Ordinary people would be squinting under the harsh shine of the spotlight but Phainon is a natural, settling comfortably under the bright lights. He starts to understand when people say he’s like a flower blooming under the moonlight.
“So, Phai, how are you tonight?”
Right, the interview.
“Please, call me Phainon, my stage name sounds out of place here.” He laughs, casual.
The interviewer smiles, she seems like a sweet woman, her body language is welcoming and there’s no hostility that he can tell.
“Phainon, then. First of all, congratulations on the release of your new music video, your fans have been a wonderful show of support with its release.”
Pride swells in him, he could tell that his expression brightened up.
“They really have! I’m lucky to have their support and I hope to be able to give my all for as long as I possibly can.”
She smiles, shuffling the cue cards in her hands, “Though, it was quite a surprise to everyone once it was released. Could you tell us a bit about the process and the thought that went into it?”
He eases into a relaxed lean in the chair.
“Well,” Phainon tilts his head at the interviewer, “as you may know, I had a darker concept for my previous album and it came from a place of great sadness. There was so much anger that I needed an outlet for and my album had been that.”
Then he places his head in his palm, leaning on it as his elbow rests on the armrest of the chair, “So,” he says with a teasing tone, “this album is my outlet for the love that I have now.”
The interviewer leans in closer, interested and wanting to hear more.
“We’ve been together for two years now and after waiting until we were sure, I wanted to tell the world about us, about him. So I poured all my love and hope into this song before I begged him to join me in the music video as a reveal of sorts.”
He laughs.
“So you’re the one who mostly directed the video?”
“Yes and no. I had a vision but Mydei and Aglaea were the leading forces for most of the scenes.” That was a scene for another story.
“Speaking of, are you comfortable sharing any information about your relationship?”
A hushed whisper falls in the studio. But Phainon isn’t fazed. His thoughts are lost to the countless memories that he’s shared with Mydei—of Mydei. His features soften.
“Mydei and I met around 3 years ago. I needed a new hobby and boxing seemed like a good idea at the time,” he shrugs, “so I took a class, where I met him. We kept bumping into each other afterwards, it was honestly a little scary. Imagine this 6ft tall, buff, angry looking guy appearing wherever you go.”
The audience laughs at his joke but Phainon shakes his head at the memory. It was scary to bump into Mydei coincidentally but that was before he knew him as a giant teddy bear.
“So you both had a rocky first encounter?” The interviewer is just as amused at the story as he is.
“Definitely. It took all my courage to march up to him at the bookstore and ask why he was following me. Mydei was pissed at my accusation, understandably, but we cleared it up. One thing led to another and here we are today.”
“Well, that’s a wonderful story, Phainon. But why wait until now?”
Ah. The million dollar question.
“Truth be told, I always had the fear of losing Mydei because our lives are so different. Not only that but we both had to sort out our personal issues before we could even think about what the future held.” Suddenly, Phainon sags in his seat, “But I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
He turns to look directly at the camera and, even with his tired frame, he smiles—a genuine smile, “I wanted to tell the whole world how I love you. How I’m so sure that there’s no future without you in my life, Mydei. And now, I’m finally able to.”
There was no Phainon without Mydei. Vice versa.
Phainon feels the weight of the ring slung around his neck.
“I’m very thankful for the support and love from my fans, for accepting this very surprising news. And I’m happy that I’m able to share this with you all.”
Applause roared through the studio, startling him and the interviewer. He breathes a sigh of relief and straightens his spine (Titans forbid, Aglaea catches him slouching). The lovely interviewer clears her throat and urges the audience to settle down.
“Well, I believe that’s all for our segment today. Thank you so much for joining us, Phainon. I speak for many of us when I say, congratulations on the new album and may you have a successful comeback. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Phainon!”
He steps off the stage with the sound of cheers ringing his ears. Every step is lighter than the one before.
Glancing down at his watch, Phainon frowns when he sees that it’s currently 4 PM. He should hurry home. Mydei said that he’d be home early today which is rare, with how many responsibilities are on his shoulders, it’s understandable. But it’s even more of a reason why he should get home immediately.
He takes his phone out and sends a quick reply to Mydei’s previous tweet, practically throwing himself out the door that leads to the outside of the studio.
He’s instantly bombarded with flashes, grimacing.
How did the paparazzi get here?
He covers his eyes and keeps his eyes on the asphalt under his feet. What a headache. He takes a tentative step towards his car before a pair of shoes enter his line of sight and he sees that the flashes are blocked at his peripheral vision.
“Fucking vultures… Let’s get you out of here.”
His heart leaps to his throat, head raising to see eyes that greet him every morning.
“Mydei!”
He is still in his work outfit, using his coat to shield Phainon from the barrage of flashes and screaming of the paparazzi. Phainon trails his eyes further down and oh.
Are those flowers for him?
“Shouldn’t you be at home?”
Mydei shrugs, “I came to pick you up.” I missed you.
“You didn’t have to, I was just leaving.” I missed you too.
Phainon takes the bouquet out of Mydei’s hand and interlocks their fingers with his free hand, pulling them towards Mydei’s car and in full view of the paparazzi. The constant clicking of cameras and bright flashes doesn’t bother him now as he keeps his gaze locked on Mydei. The curve of his lips, the crease between his eyes, the furrowed look and hair that barely looks out of place.
“I love you…” He breathes, as if he was whispering a prayer to the high heavens.
Mydei squeezes his hand in response, “Let’s go home.”
Maybe in another life, he’d live through a different experience with Mydei. Maybe, in that life, he’d go through trials and tribulations just for a moment of respite. Sometimes he dreams of a life where both he and Mydei sit on top of a roof, in someone’s private quarters or a private bath, talking and speaking the quiet promises of a life thereafter.
Deep in his soul, Phainon knows that wherever life may place him, he would wait for Mydei—such as the way that Penelope would wait eternally for her love, Odysseus to return home to her arms.
He wonders what comes after this, whether in the beyond or in the next few minutes. Did Achilles ever humour the thought, when Patroclus left his mortal arms? Phainon hopes that they do not end in a tragedy. If he could, he'll love Mydei to the point of invention, as Apollo did with his lover, Hyacinthus. But he'd settle for this life, for a place next to his lover with a promise that is set in stone by the fates. In this life, he'd be granted countless of chances to live his life with Mydei in the nook and crannies of their favourite bookstore.