Work Text:
Sometimes, he wonders why they all live in such a huge house that can easily accommodate more than ten people. But Phainon was not about to question Aglaea’s monetary decisions. She was the one who bought the building after all.
Phainon parked his car in the usual spot and killed the engine. Sighing softly, he slumped forward in his seat, resting his head on the steering wheel. The wind was starting to pick up, and he should head inside quickly, but today was just…too much. To say he was exhausted was an understatement. The endless practices followed by the subsequent meetings tired out both his body and mind. All he wanted was rest. Rest, a bath, and some warm food.
He let his muscles relax for a moment before grabbing his keys, jacket, and kit, then stepped out into the open air. The wind rustled his hair, cool and steady, and for a brief moment, it felt like a kind of relief. Compared to the hot and stuffy morning that tortured him, this was what he needed. Sadly, he couldn’t be here forever, and his aching hand holding his bag was screaming in pain. Right, a hot bath.
He made his way to the door and rang the bell, silently pleading with the universe to take pity on him- just this once- and let someone answer right away. As much as he loved the cold weather, right now the chill was starting to get him, and he’d rather not get a fever before he returned for training the next week. His coach was such a sweetheart for letting him off for the whole week.
And as it turned out, the universe did pity him — the door swung open not even five seconds later, and he immediately felt a strange pressure around his legs, followed by someone shouting, “Snowy!”
Well, three someones.
Phainon laughed, leaning down to gently pat the three redheads clinging to his shins, their faces buried in the fabric of his sweatpants. “Tribbie! Trianne! Trinnon! How have you guys been?”
“We’re doing great!” Tribbie exclaimed, her bright indigo eyes sparkling. “Agy said you were coming home today, and we wanted to be the ones to greet you!”
“Yeah!” chimed in Trianne, hugging him so tight that Phainon was sure his legs were going to detach from his body. “Everyone missed you! Even Cipher! We all thought you’d be back in a year or two!”
“Trianne…,” Trinnon sighed and shook her tiny head. “Ignore that, Snowy, we all knew you weren’t going to take that long. De and Cinnie are making your favorite for dinner tonight. Everyone’s excited to see you.”
The triplets let go and stepped aside. “So, come inside!” said Tribbie, and added in a much lower voice, “I think we should’ve hugged you after you entered the house.”
Phainon cackled and shut the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and tossed his bag in the closet that was made specifically for his equipment. “It’s alright,” he said, ruffling their heads one last time and making his way into the living room where he found Aglaea, Anaxa, and Cipher lounging on the sofas and bean bags watching some documentary on nature and butterflies.
Cipher was sleeping soundly on the bean bag, head tucked in her hand, muttering incoherently while the other two were talking in low voices, probably having yet another debate on what’s on the screen.
Phainon stood there, simply watching them. The familiar voice of Mr. Yang filled the room, along with the rustle of leaves and the wings of the butterflies. Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon told him they were headed to their rooms and made him promise to play with them tomorrow (which he will, of course- he’d do almost anything for them).
The designer and the scholar were still knee-deep in their latest “discussion,” sitting way too close for two people who claimed to loathe each other. For all their talk of mutual disdain, they clearly had no concept of personal space.
And as he stared, he thought…should he interrupt them? Or does he wait here until he notices them? He didn’t want to accidentally make things awkward, especially considering Aglaea and Anaxa’s…unique relationship. Actually, he should probably head to the kitchen first and check in on a certain strawberry blonde. Oh — and Hyacine, too. The girl would definitely want to do one of her “quick physical exams” to make sure he didn’t come back with any injuries… again.
However, any plans he had were promptly thrown out the window when Cipher chose that exact moment to sneeze very loudly and jolt herself awake. Bright cyan eyes locked onto cerulean ones, and her lips curled into a familiar, knowing smirk, a single fang peeking out.
Oh, Titans, please smite him on the spot.
“Ahh, the Great Deliverer of Medals has arrived,” she purred, stretching her arms and legs like how a cat would. “I thought you would be gracing us with your magnificent presence tomorrow.”
Phainon groaned and slapped his hand on his face in exasperation. At least he didn’t have to wait an hour before Aglaea and Anaxa took notice of him. Don’t get him wrong, he loved Cipher as a sister, but man, she could be a pain in the ass.
“Phainon,” he heard Aglaea say, and whatever tension was in his body melted away. The woman was standing before him with her usual elegant smile, her hand on his shoulder. Behind her, Anaxa gave him a small nod, which he returned. “It’s good to have you back once again.”
“It feels good to be back,” replied Phainon. “Honestly, with all the rigorous training my coach was putting me through, I needed a break. Thankfully, she agreed- well, right before I nearly passed out on the ground.”
Cipher snorted. “Wouldn’t be surprised if you had an entire monologue written out just to get a vacation to your coach. Hah! I bet you sang in rhymes!”
Phainon shot her a withering look. “Laugh all you want, but if I had to do another 8-minute bout, I would’ve snapped my épée in two and come back here myself. Or maybe drive right into the sea.”
Aglaea frowned. “Phainon.”
“Nah, I kinda like it,” said Cipher, laughing. “At least you’re still the dramatic moron I always know.”
Anaxa merely sighed and rolled his eye, no doubt wanting to continue with his little debate, which only caused Cipher to laugh even louder. Phainon sighed and gave Aglaea the look. The look that everyone knew translated to “If I don’t go to my room now and get in the bathtub tub I am going to spontaneously combust and die, and all of you are going to have to explain my death to my partner.” And thankfully, as she always does, she understood the hint and chuckled. “At least you didn’t drive into the sea.”
He pouted. “Aglaea.”
She giggled quietly. “Go. Mydei should be in the kitchen with Hyacine.”
‘Thank goodness.’ “Thanks,” he said, giving Anaxa one last nod and sticking his tongue out at Cipher, who, true to form, flipped him off without even glancing his way. He just snorted and trudged into the kitchen.
The smell of noodles hit him the moment he stepped inside, warm and rich, making his mouth water almost instantly. The aroma reminded him of the noodles his mother made for him back in Aedes Elysiae for him and Cyrene whenever she came to visit. He still had her old cookbook, which was the only thing he managed to salvage from the charred remains after the village was reduced to ashes. and for a while, he had it buried in his closet, not wanting to look at it as it would only remind him of everything he lost… and everything he couldn’t protect.
But now, as he entered, he could see it propped up on the wall open, not even a single stain on it as it was standing on the messy counter. That alone made him want to tear up a little and give the person whom he trusted the book a big hug. And he would as soon as he-
“Phai! You’re here!”
…And it was only Hyacine in the kitchen.
It wasn’t that he minded; he loved the pink-haired girl a lot, but he also expected to find the 6’11 idiot hunched over the stove stirring away vigorously. He bit back a tiny whine. It wasn’t like he wasn’t going to see him, but still!
Oh well. Hyacine was here, and Titans forbade him to frown in front of her. She was such a sweetheart, unlike a certain follower of Zagreus currently being a menace in the hall. “Good to see our resident physician is in tip-top shape,” he teased. He then added with a smirk, “Someone has to be to keep the crazy in check.”
“Don’t forget that also includes you as well,” giggled Hyacine, stirring the pot. “Your physical altercations with Cipher and De always give me a heart attack. Especially with De.”
“What can I say? He’s a good sparring partner.”
“Yeah, way too good—like, draw-blood-on-the-regular good. Honestly, I still can’t believe you two actually fell for each other, considering the amount of bloodlust we all see in your eyes the second you both pick up a sword.”
Phainon laughed. She wasn’t wrong. Sometimes, he wondered if he and Mydei had been warriors in a past life, given how instinctively swordplay came to them. Sure, he came home to rest, but whenever he had energy to burn, he’d drag Mydei out to the back garden for a quick spar. Mydei never said no and was always eager to throw hands… or swords, in this case. And speaking of Mydei…
“Hyacine, do you happen to know where a certain tall, handsome, and ridiculously muscular businessman might be hiding right now? Aglaea said he was in here, but—” he gestured dramatically at the empty kitchen, “as you can see, he is very much not.”
Hyacine blinked once. Twice. Thrice, and then burst out in laughter, clutching her stomach as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Her curls were bouncing as she tried to catch her breath, nearly doubling over from how hard she was laughing. “You should’ve been a playwright, Phai,” she managed to say between snorts. “The gods would’ve given you a million trophies just for the theatrics alone.”
Phainon sniffed. “I will admit that was one of my options, but Mydei suggested I’d put my other talents to use. And he was right.
“Oh Titians, Phai, you really are down for him, aren’t you?”
“It goes both ways. And Hyacine, if you don’t tell me where he is, I might combust and die-“
“Upstairs!” Hyacine gripped the counter, her woolly pink sweater sliding off her right shoulder as she shook in uncontrollable laughter. “He’s upstairs in your shared room. Now go before you start waxing poetry, and I become the third wheel for the week.
Phainon grinned like a puppy who had finally found their prized bone. He shot her a salute and said, “Thanks, Cinnie. I’ll bake you cookies later as a thank you-unless Cipher is listening to us right now and decides to steal them later.”
“Then I’ll just make sure she doesn’t get her grubby little hands on them,” said Hyacine, finally recovering from her fit of laughter. She gave him a playful shove toward the door. “Now get out of here and go upstairs! Don’t keep him waiting. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
Now Phainon laughed as tiny hands pushed him outside, hands raised in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! I’m going, I’m going! No need to push—I’m not that desperate… okay, maybe just a little.” He flashed her a wink and backed out of the kitchen, the grin never leaving his face as he turned and jogged up the stairs and headed to his room.
The lights were on, and the bed—unsurprisingly—was perfectly made. From the bathroom came the sound of running water, and sure enough, there he was: the tall, magnificent man, casually leaning against the sink, eyes fixed on the filling tub. Little bubbles were drifting in the air, catching the light as the soft scent of lavender filled his nostrils. His favorite bath gel. His muscles wanted to weep in joy.
Phainon shuffled inside, immediately catching Mydei’s attention. Without a word, he walked over and rested his snowy white head on Mydei’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him in a hug and letting out an exaggerated sniff. He felt him shake as he let out a huff.
“You certainly took your time,” Mydei said with a teasing smile, nudging him gently. “I was starting to think the noodles lured you away for good.”
“It would have if Hyacine hadn’t chased me out,” came out Phainon’s muffled reply, hugging him tighter. “Also, my body is slowly betraying me. The car ride back here was torture.”
Mydei huffed again. “You could have called me. Or has our glorious Deliverer decided to suffer in silence and make it everyone’s problem?”
Phainon let out a tired laugh and stepped back. “What can I say? My acting skills are second to none. Everyone here agrees. It’d be nice if a certain someone here would also.”
“Hah! As if. Your fencing skills still need refining, and if I’m right, isn’t your match this year?”
“Yep! I’m mostly confident in my forms, and so is my coach. I’ve won almost every practice match so far. All I have to do now is just beat you.”
Mydei smirked. Turning off the faucet, he said, “Keep dreaming, Deliverer. Sure, we go back and forth for hours, but in the end, I always outlast you. Endurance is everything-and that’s something I have in the bag.”
Phainon opened his mouth to retort when he felt a hand on his waist, and he was being pulled into a side hug. “But we have enough time to work on that, so don’t worry about it. That gold medal will be yours.”
“Glad to hear you have some confidence in my abilities,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “And I promise I’ll do my best and make all of you proud.”
Everyone was confident- Aglaea, Anaxa, Castorice, Hyacine, Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon, Hyacine. Hell, even Cipher, in all her chaotic glory, had a ton of faith in him. It was why he trained hard every day. It wasn’t just to bring in a medal. He wanted to repay everyone who had been so supportive on his journey. It was his dream to participate in the Olympics, and that dream was now a reality. He was going to do whatever it took to reach his goal and celebrate with everyone.
Mydei hummed. He tossed him a towel and his pajamas and made his way out of the room. “Here, take a quick shower before the water gets cold and change. Dinner should be ready soon, and I doubt you’d want to eat cold, soggy noodles.”
“You know me,” Phainon replied. “And also, who even loves soggy noodles?”
“You tell me, you’re the only instant ramen lover here.”
“Hey! It’s good food! Maybe not healthy food, but good nonetheless.”
“Alright, alright. Just make sure you don’t eat a shit ton of cups and give your coach a heart attack. Or give yourself one before the Olympics roll up.”
“Ha, ha, very funny. Now get out of here.”
The last thing he heard was Mydei’s laughter echoing softly before the door clicked shut behind him. As he stripped off his clothes, a sigh escaped his lips—his sore muscles were about to cry out in joy.
“Mmm, Mydei, what’s the time?”
“Huh?”
“Time.”
“…It’s three in the fucking morning. Go back to sleep.”
“I can’t for some reason,” Phainon whispered, sinking into the sheets. His head rested on the other man’s chest, listening to his calming heartbeat as he felt sleep leaving his body. Sometimes he found it deeply ironic—he was a fencer who spent hours on the field training his ass off, and yet, when it was finally time to rest, sleep refused to come. And just when he was hoping to finally get some rest at his home…
“Hey, I can hear your thoughts, Deliverer. Speak what’s on your mind before it devours you.”
“I thought you said you wanted to sleep,” Phainon said, smiling.
“You woke me up with your excessive mumblings anyway. I doubt I’m going back to sleep anytime soon.”
“I’m…sorry.”
“I’m not mad, Phainon.” Mydei sighed, hugging him a little tighter. “I doubt I could ever be properly mad at you even if I tried. So, tell me. Is it the nerves?”
“Maybe… I don’t know." Phainon wasn’t sure himself. Some days, it was definitely the nerves that kept him up all night — his stupid, overthinking mind just wouldn’t give him a break. But when he was home, those thoughts hardly ever bothered to knock on his brain. There wasn’t anything to be anxious about.
Mydei pulled back just enough to look him straight in the eye. “Then don’t dwell on it. You can’t change the future. No matter what happens, we’ll be right here with you, every step of the way. You’re not alone in this, Phainon. You’ve always been there for us. Remember how you helped Hyacine prepare for her medical exams, or Castorice with her knitting projects?”
He does. Back when Hyacine was still a student and was stressed out over her finals, Phainon stepped up and helped her go through every single one of her study materials her teachers dropped on her. Anaxa also lent his aid through weekly pop quizzes.
As for Castorice, the two of them bought as much wool as they could carry and spent hours knitting small charms and plushies for her online store. She had to restock an entirely new batch thanks to the surge of attention she’d received over the past month. Orders kept flying in faster than she could fill them, but between the two of them, it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, spending time in front of the fireplace telling stories and sharing laughs was something Phainon enjoyed a lot.
"Don’t forget you took part in Anaxa’s monthly debates, helped his students, played with the triplets when they begged you to come outside, and even modeled for Aglaea after she finishes a new design. And how could I forget all those nights we spent slumped over the table in this very room, sorting through taxes and other paperwork? Keeping the company afloat was supposed to be my responsibility. My burden. Yet you stepped in without even a moment's hesitation.”
He moved to hug Phainon again. “All I’m trying to say is, you’ve done so much for everyone in this house. And now you’ve finally found your footing in your life. We’re all here for you. I’m here for you.”
And he knows. He knows that well. They didn’t always say it out loud, but they showed him in their own ways, every single day.
Hyacine always fussed over him after a spar, checking every inch of his body to make sure he didn’t have any bruising. Aglaea always made him healthy snacks that also tasted really good after his evening showers. Castorice made sure to give him a plushie whenever he visited, and Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon made him drawings which he hung up on the refrigerator in his studio apartment.
And Mydei? Apart from their regular sparring sessions, the massages he gave Phainon for his sore arms and legs before bed were heavenly.
Mornings were always hectic-after all, Mydei was both a businessman and the owner of the private library in the center of the city- and in the evenings, he usually hit the gym, sometimes dragging Phainon along with him. The nights were the only time they truly had for each other, and while it would bother anyone else, it never bothered them one bit. There wasn’t any reason for it to. Plus, they had the weekends all to themselves.
So, yes, he knew everyone believed in him, but even with all their support, doubt still managed to creep into his mind from time to time. Phainon didn’t want to let them down. He knew they wouldn’t be disappointed if he lost, since, after all, this was his first time. Still, the thought gnawed at him.
“You’re still thinking too much, Deliverer,” Mydei whispered. He shut his eyes and sighed. “It’s fine. I still have time to knock some sense into that tiny little brain of yours. Perhaps a spar should help.”
“You think?” asked Phainon, his eyes remaining closed. He stifled a yawn. “What if all I want to do is remain in bed and never get up?”
“Never get up? You? Hah! As if I’ll believe that,” Mydei retorted.
“I’m serious! I’m here to take a break, and my coach did risk her life just so I could come back-“
“Dramatic as always, aren’t ya?”
“Hey! Shoosh! Anyways, she did everything she could so I could be here with all of you, so I should make the most of it. Ok yeah, maybe lying all day in bed isn’t a good idea…Ooh! You’re not gonna be busy this week, right? Since we’re both freed from our obligations, now is the time for us to go out and have some fun. Go to the cafés downtown that I know you’ve been wanting to go to for a long time. We can actually do stuff together properly. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“It… would be,” said Mydei. Phainon felt him bury his face in his hair. “But, have you seen the weather lately? It’s been raining nonstop.”
“Well, it wasn’t today.”
“I call it luck.”
“Or maybe it’s because the clouds were weeping for me all this time, and now that I’m back, they’re happy.”
“….”
“You have to admit it is a good theory.”
“Go back to sleep,” came the exasperated yet fond voice that also planted a tiny kiss. “Now that you’re back to normal, I think you won’t wake up after nine. And…after breakfast, let’s make some plans. There are a few places I’d like to take you to I think you’ll like.”
“Then it’s a deal.” Phainon smiled and snuggled into his pillow. “Goodnight, Mydei.”
“It’s good morning you dumbass- “
“Stop being a nerd just this once.”
“Fine. Good night.”
The thank you for being here for me wasn’t said. It didn’t need to be said. After all they knew that in this life, they’d always have each other.