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There were several facts that Mydei knew about Phainon:
His boyfriend was a perfectionist.
His boyfriend overthought everything.
His boyfriend was ridiculous.
And all of that had led him to this situation, to him sitting cross-legged on their messy bed, his cheek on his fist as he watched Phainon nervously compare two near-identical blue ties in the mirror. He’d press one against his collarbone, then the other, before repeating the process all over again. This had been going on for at least thirty minutes.
There were other, far better things that could be done with the time, with the column of his throat, but as though sensing his intentions, Phainon had banished Mydei to sit on the bed. Not that there was anywhere else for him to go in their small, cozy flat; which, if he were honest, was the only reason Mydei hadn’t tried to upgrade their shared apartment into a penthouse suite.
Maybe in the future they’d need more room, but for now…he liked how easy it was to run into each other here. How impossible it was to avoid one another in a fight. The fact that the only way they could squeeze onto the bed was in each other’s arms.
“What do you think?” Phainon asked, finally.
“Just pick one,” Mydei finally growled, checking his watch. He’d been wrong; they’d been at this for an hour. That was far more time than anyone needed to get dressed. “They’re both the same.”
“It’s not that easy,” Phainon grumbled, setting down the two ties as he adjusted his suit’s collar. “Everything has to be perfect.”
Mydei snorted. “We’re just meeting my parents. You’re overthinking this.”
“They’re your parents,” Phainon retorted with a sharp click of his tongue. He ran a hand through his hair as his eyes met Mydei’s in the mirror. “And some of us can’t get away with wearing almost nothing.”
Mydei leered. “That’s not what you said last night.”
Phainon flushed at that. When they first met, Phainon used to complain that he never knew where to look, especially since Mydei preferred to walk around shirtless. No, though, it seemed his boyfriend didn’t have any issues finding just where to rest his eyes.
“Anyways,” Phainon cleared his throat, returning his attention to his ties once more. His ears remained red. “First impressions are important.”
“Then this matters even less,” Mydei mumbled, averting his gaze. He doubted there was a single person who met Phainon who cared what he wore. Regardless of how nervous Phainon was now, he would be perfectly fine during their lunch date. After all, for as long as he’d known him, Phainon had always managed to charm anyone who crossed paths with him.
His professor.
His mentor.
His rivals and colleagues.
Even his bosses—actually, perhaps Mydei should upgrade their home to a bigger one. That way, he could convince Phainon to just work from home for the rest of his life. At this rate, he was going to collect more admirers for Mydei to fight.
Not hearing him, Phainon sighed and turned around. “Which do you think is better?”
Mydei scrutinized the two ties. The one on the right matched Phanon’s hair and eyes, bringing a sense of unity to his outfit. However, the one on the left was a darker blue, providing good contrast, especially paired with his white suit.
They both looked good.
However, Mydei pursed his lips, unable to say any of that. Finally, he just slipped off the bed and grabbed the left one. “Just take one.”
“So you like darker better, huh?” Phainon grinned, his bright eyes curving with delight. As usual, he seemed to see right through Mydei, right through the words that he was never able to say.
“Just with this suit,” Mydei muttered.
Phainon didn’t say anything, just wore a smug grin as he knotted his tie.
-x-
There were several facts that Phainon knew about Mydei:
His boyfriend was tongue-tied more often than he’d ever admit.
His boyfriend liked to hide how much he cared.
His boyfriend was silly.
And all of that had led them to this situation, to Mydei sitting stiffly in their car outside of the restaurant that Phainon’s parents had agreed to meet them in for dinner. His hands looked like they were glued to the steering wheel, his posture rigid, and anyone would be forgiven for thinking that a mannequin was seated there instead of a person. Briefly, Phainon wondered if maybe he should drive on the way home.
If this moment was any indication, tonight Mydei was going to overdrink.
The worst part was that Mydei was a nonchalant drunk and it was near impossible to tell how far gone he was until he just passed out.
They sat there in silence, watching the snow fall, watching it pile up on the windshield. Outside, pedestrians quickly walked down the sidewalk and vehicles zoomed to their destinations. Inside, the car cooled and when Phainon shivered, feeling the need to zip up and wear his gloves, he decided they’d waited long enough. Mydei was as prepared as he was going to be.
Any more and he’d just psyche himself out entirely.
“Ready to go?” Phainon cajoled, gently grasping Mydei’s hands. They were curled up tighter than he expected and he had to pry them off one at a time.
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Mydei snorted, his voice cooperating where his body wouldn’t.
Phainon raised a brow, unable to resist the easy jab. “Someone who looks terrified.”
Mydei’s nose scrunched and his lips twisted into snarl. “There is no word for—”
“Terrified in the Kremnoan language,” Phainon finished for him, rolling his eyes. He’d heard that phrase more often than he could count, and all of them had amounted to feelings that Mydei refused to acknowledge. It was something he inexplicably found cute. It was also something that could be frustrating as hell. Hopefully, today would be more the former than the latter. Gently, he reassured him, “They’re just my parents.”
“What’s there to be scared about? They’re your parents,” Mydei sneered, and it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anything else. “They’ll be just like you.”
“What does that mean?” Phainon gave him a look before chuckling. Actually, maybe Mydei had the right idea about this for once: his parents would love Mydei just as quickly as he did. It would be harder not to; despite his caustic tongue at times, Mydei’s heart was as big and soft as they came.
And for all his bluster, his actions were as easy to see through as glass.
Though…Phainon sighed as he glanced at his boyfriend’s outfit. Or lack of one. Even in the winter, he had insisted on dressing as little as possible, with only his puffy winter coat protecting his skin. His parents would also have that moment where they wondered just why he couldn’t wear a proper shirt.
But it was something they’d get over quickly. Or get used to, at least.
Slipping out of the car, Phainon walked over to the other side and opened the driver’s door. He held out a hand. “Shall we?”
Robotically, Mydei turned and grabbed his hand. “I was just waiting for you.”
“Sure.” He squeezed Mydei’s hand and laughed. “Whatever you say.”