Chapter Text
“To think this cafe just opened, and it’s already so popular...”
Phainon watched the line outside, already spilling into the street. Both he and the professor had arrived at the entry hour, lucky enough to avoid the rush that followed.
Anaxa smiled. “Yes, even everyday citizens of Okhema have realized the superiority of these lovely creatures.”
Phainon, having just finished his plate of food, turned his gaze toward the mint-haired man sitting across from him. His expression softened when Anaxa, after taking a picture with his telestate, admired the drink with contained excitement.
Anaxa stirred the drink with the straw. The two-toned blue and purple swirled in the glass, a small sleeping Dromas base nestled at the bottom. The sage admired the delicate craft before sipping his drink.
Not bad.
A week prior at the Grove
Anaxa stared at his telestate. Castorice’s message glowed on the screen, an invitation to visit a newly opened cafe. He would have ignored any ordinary restaurant, preferring his hypothesis and a mountain of papers.
However, this place was different. The name alone disrupted his agenda and tugged at his appetite.
It was the Dromas Cafe, which, to his dismay, was in Okhema.
Under Aglaea’s domain.
He sighed and intertwined his fingers. Shadows dancing in the office light obscured his face.
Anaxagoras, a sage and founder of the Nousporists, wanted to go despite himself.
His eye twitched as he recalled his most recent visit to Okhema. After a riot sparked by his criticism of the nobles’ legal ignorance, Anaxa had been arrested and imprisoned by Aglaea. His title as Chrysos Heir saved him from an indefinite sentence.
Anaxa looked at the pictures and bit his lip. They were Dromas-shaped honey pancakes and a purple-blue drink. To anyone else, it looked cute and delicious, but to Anaxa, it was a glimpse of heaven. The food was like ambrosia, the liquid shimmering as it clung like dew to a spider’s web.
He exhaled, accepting how small his appetite truly was.
The pancakes alone felt overwhelming. Each dish had its own special Dromas touch. They were made with meticulous effort and care that only other Dromas lovers would understand. He did not want to waste a single bite of such delicacies.
It would take him days to even go through the entire menu, and the last thing he wanted was to stay in that city for any longer than a day. Hyacinthia, his assistant, was already quite busy with her work in the twilight courtyard.
It was then that Anaxa remembered a former student, insolent and dependable, the one who would understand his peril.
Anaxa picked up his telestate to go through his contacts list, then stopped on a name.
Elsewhere, in Janusopolis, Phainon was on a solo expedition for Aglaea to retrieve a specific relic foretold to contain information about the coreflames. He was in the middle of fighting the Titankin when a certain ringtone with wind chimes went off.
“Sorry, guys, I need to take this,” Phainon said as he parried an attack from the Furiae Praetor and jumped back to a safe distance.
The remaining Titankin paused and looked at each other in confusion. One of their archers had their bow drawn, but stilled when the white-haired Deliverer had his back turned towards them. The deliverer stabbed his weapon into the ground within reach.
They had never seen an intruder shrug them off to do something so mundane.
Phainon opened his message box; the special ringtone that he had reserved for one person only had finally revealed itself.
For the first time since his graduation, Professor Anaxa started the conversation.
“Phainon of Aedes Elysiae, I am in dire need of assistance. Would you be available within a week?”
— Professor Anaxa
He furrowed his brow, now worried.
Did something happen at the Grove?
He typed.
“Yes, of course. It will take me a day’s journey, but I can come straight to the Grove if needed.”
— Phainon
Yes, he was ready to drop everything and run to the Grove if it meant that Anaxa truly needed him. The expedition was more training than mission, even if Aglaea herself had requested it. His anxiety spiked when he had received nothing for the next minute.
A gentle chime.
“That is unnecessary. The task I require you for is in Okhema. My schedule for arrival will be in a week from today.”
— Professor Anaxa
Phainon blinked. It wasn’t as urgent as he had thought.
“If this is a bother or you have other priorities, then please inform me with haste. I will find someone else.”
— Professor Anaxa
Immediately, he typed in a response with a tinge of irritation at the back of his mind.
“I will be available. You don’t need to look for anyone else.”
— Phainon
“Very well, I will see you at the Marmoreal Market at the start of the entry hour.”
— Professor Anaxa
A frown crossed his face. It was rare for Professor Anaxa to be in Okhema and on schedule. The few times that the sage was in Okhema were because he had been driven out of the Grove for being too radical. The students often had to follow Anaxa to Okhema to continue their lessons until the political fire died down.
Fortunately, this time, Anaxa seemed willing to be in Okhema.
Despite the unexpected request, Phainon couldn’t help but tilt his lips into a smile at the thought of spending time with the person he longed for. A year after graduating, he missed being able to see Anaxa whenever he pleased, and it had stressed him more than he was willing to admit.
Now then.
Phainon turned around.
A dreadful chill settled over the air as the Titankin stood, confused by what had transpired. They looked at the man who towered over them, not in height, but in presence.
“Hey,” the man spoke with a gentle smile as he purposefully walked towards them. The claymore had already been dispelled. “I don’t have the time to fight any of you now. So I’d like to ask some questions and be on my way.”
The group stiffened. Though disarmed, the white-haired deliverer’s footsteps still echoed with danger. The archer’s grip slipped.
An arrow flew only to be caught in midair by a hand.
“Let’s call a truce, shall we?”
Cold cyan eyes that flashed gold froze them to the bone. The arrow made of stone broke into pieces as it fell onto the ground.
Present
Despite the expedition being expected to take a month, Phainon completed it within days. Aglaea had looked surprised at seeing Phainon back so soon with the relic. Janusopolis’ temples were known for their maze-like structures and complicated puzzles regarding time.
He held back a sigh as he tried to blink away the sleep from his eyes. He was glad that the sight of the Dromas and the cafe’s curated designs distracted Anaxa.
“Phainon,” Anaxa said with the menu in his hands. “Are you still hungry?”
Phainon blinked. “Of course.”
Anaxa called for the server.
“What can I get you, sir?” A blond-haired man with lightly tanned skin came over with a notepad and a pen ready. A smile was on his face, and Phainon frowned as he recognized the smitten look in the server’s eyes. No matter where they went, people gravitated to Anaxa like moths to a lantern. He didn’t like it.
“Everything on this menu, except the pancakes and the passion-fruit drink.”
Both Phainon and the server’s jaws dropped at the incredulous request. The nearby customers also turned their heads.
“Si—sir!? Are you sure?”
“Did I stutter?”
“N—no,” the server responded before hastily making his exit, not even bothering with the notepad. “R—right away, sir!”
Anaxa hummed with a smile on his face.
Distant “What!? Are you fucking serious!?” screams erupted from the kitchen as the sage looked pleased.
This time, Phainon didn’t even try to hold back his sigh. His hand covered his face as exhaustion slipped through his facade. He now knew what he had signed up for and what Anaxa meant by dire circumstances.
“Professor Anaxa.” Phainon uncovered his face with an exasperated smile. He had already resigned himself to his fate.
“It’s Anaxagoras. And what is it?”
“I can’t help but wonder who you were planning to ask if I was busy?” Phainon asked. “Surely not, Miss Hyacinthia?”
Hyacinthia would probably have been delighted at the chance to accompany Anaxa to Okhema for something that wasn’t a business trip.
“Unfortunately, Hyacinthia had other responsibilities to attend to,” Anaxa said with a sigh. “I would have brought Ica, but she forbade me from ruining her diet ever since she found out that I had been giving her treats.”
Somehow, that didn’t surprise Phainon. In fact, he was more surprised that it took Hyacinthia this long to find out who’s been giving Ica an apple every day.
“If you weren’t available,” Anaxa said after sipping his drink. “I was going to ask the King of Kremnos.”
“Mydei?” Phainon said. “When did you two become acquainted?”
“Just a few months ago. Mydeimos had come to the Grove to look at our library.”
“—He reads?!”
“Phainon,” Anaxa said sharply. “How you ever got to the conclusion that Mydeimos didn’t read, I don’t know. But a king of his loyal subjects must be literate as well as disciplined. Also, if you had forgotten, Castrum Kremnos has its own library as well.”
“Sorry,” Phainon said without further ado as he glanced away from Anaxa’s sharp gaze. His interactions with Mydei had been mostly combat-related. Although they had known each other for a year, they mostly just worked together under Aglaea’s orders against the black tide and titankin. Most of their conversations with each other had been reduced to light banter and competitive rivalry.
Surely, Mydei had other things to do besides indulging Anaxa’s whims. They weren’t that close, right? Phainon clenched a fist below the table, uncomfortable knowing that his rival and the person he longed for knew each other.
“And I did forget about the library,” Phainon admitted instead, looking back into Anaxa’s eyes.
Anaxa sighed. “Nonetheless, it is nothing short of tragic for the people of Kremnos to have not only lost their home but also their history.”
“—Here’s the Dromas special!” The server came in with a tray full of food. “The rest are still being cooked, so please have some patience with us.”
The server laid out a generous amount of plates on their table. Every dish was served with a unique Dromas touch. Phainon noticed the care in the spread: light and heavy dishes balanced between savory and sweet, arranged so no one’s palate would tire. He appreciated the high level of service and the cooks’ care for their customers.
No wonder this cafe was so popular.
And… they all looked expensive. If Anaxa didn’t mention that he would pay for all of it, Phainon was sure that he would’ve had to take a loan for this. Taking the mantle for the Deliverer did not mean his paycheck was any different from everyone else’s.
Fortunately, all were in smaller portions than he had expected.
Anaxa was already prepared with his telestate out. “Feel free to eat, once I’m done documenting.”
Snap. Snap. Snap.
“Professor, aren’t you also going to eat?” Phainon asked as he grabbed a small appetizer that Anaxa had already photographed. It was a soup with moon-shaped dumplings resembling a sleeping Dromas, alongside root vegetables meant to look like red soil. His mouth watered as the steam rose from the clear broth, carrying a scent of herbs and mushrooms.
“Sadly, my appetite pales in comparison to yours.”
Snap. Snap.
“But Professor Anaxa, surely even you would consider it a waste to have come all the way to Okhema and not have a single taste of these delicacies.”
“Phainon, I am quite fine with just the drink. I believe you are more than deserving of the meal.”
“But.” Phainon pressed. “Wouldn’t it be impolite to the chefs who took the time and effort to meet your demands?”
Anaxa turned his head a bit to see more than one cook looking their way from the kitchen door, anticipation written on their faces.
The sage gave a deep sigh before conceding. “Very well, I’ll have a taste of each dish.”
Documentation done for the current set of food, Anaxa placed down the telestate. He leaned forward as though waiting.
Phainon swallowed. “Uhm, Professor Anaxa… what are you doing?”
“You’re the one with the utensil and dish,” Anaxa said as he glanced up at him. His eye rested on Phainon with unassuming calm. “I expected you to give me a sample.”
Wait?! Phainon froze as his brain short-circuited for a moment. Did he mean feeding him by hand?!
“Well?”
Phainon inhaled as he tried to regain his composure. He couldn’t help but feel the warm gazes of the other customers; the cafe was supposedly a hot spot for couples after all, even if the theme was based on the Earth Titan.
He picked up the spoon and carefully spooned the soup and the dumpling onto it. It looked as though it contained a small ecosystem made for the little Dromas.
Anaxa casually lifted his hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear as he took the dumpling into his mouth. The spoon was just the right size for him to place his lips over it, and the dumpling was bite-sized. Deliberately, Anaxa leaned away from the spoon as he chewed.
“Oh.” Anaxa licked his lips after he swallowed. “That was quite exquisite. I didn’t expect the dumpling itself to contain liquid that simply enhanced the flavor of the soup. And the root vegetables had enough sweetness to them that the savory taste wasn’t overwhelming.”
Phainon stared with a blush creeping on his neck as he sought to keep his thoughts in line. The words barely registered as he gazed into Anaxa’s eye, which shone with delight.
“I suppose you’ve made your point,” Anaxa continued, glancing at the remaining dishes. “If this is only their appetizer, I can only imagine what the others taste like. At the very least, it gives me an incentive to leave a thorough review.”
The cooks in the background gave a light cheer before returning to their stations. Anaxa looked at the other dishes expectedly, but didn’t touch them. Phainon felt something crack as he stared at the spoon that had just graced his professor’s lips.
“Ah, forgive me,” Anaxa said, noticing Phainon’s hesitation. “I’ll go ask for a replacement for the spoon.”
“—Wait!” Phainon stopped Anaxa before he called the server. The sage looked surprised at his sudden command. “It’s alright, Professor, I really don’t mind.”
He did, but not in the way that Professor Anaxa thought.
Phainon gripped the spoon with a little too much force; it bent slightly under the pressure as he took a taste of the soup. As Professor Anaxa had said, it was delicious with a nutty hint of the earthly aroma. He felt his face turn hot as he tried to focus on the meal. He didn’t know whether the warmth came from the dish or something else.
“Well then, let’s proceed,” Anaxa said after Phainon had finished the appetizer. He eyed the other dishes with interest; as of now, not only was his appreciation for the craft piqued, but his appetite as well.
Meanwhile, Phainon already felt drained as the blush on his face refused to go away.
The dawn device was bright as the city of Okhema basked in its gentle rays. It was well within high hour when the server came with the last item on the menu.
“Here, you go! The long-awaited Thousand Layer Dromas Forest!” The server came in with the knife and a whole cake. “Those guys back there wanted to reward you two with their signature dish without having to cut into it.”
“Indeed,” Anaxa said, pleased. For him, it had been all about the presentation, and the cafe had checked off all the boxes while they were here.
Phainon, who had been feeling overloaded for the past few hours, was quietly impressed by the staff’s care and service. Judging by the cake, he could tell that it had just been made and was fresh from the oven.
The server left them with two plates and forks before leaving to serve other customers. Phainon and Anaxa were the only two who had stayed from the entry hour. The soft laughter and chatter filled the cafe as the crowd outside still waited in line.
Snap. Snap. The signature noise and flashes of light came from Anaxa’s telestate as he documented the cake. It was a purple cake with a Dromas sleeping next to two small Dromas eggs. Their white horns were made of whipped cream, and their blue eyes looked like gems that glittered like pearls. The eggs were purple and dotted. The aroma of chocolate and pistachio filled the air as Phainon gazed at Anaxa, enjoying his moment.
It had taken a while, but he had become accustomed to feeding Anaxa with a shared utensil, and sometimes by hand, careful not to miss the flickers of joy that crossed the mint-haired man’s features.
As if by routine, Phainon picked up the knife to cut into the cake once Anaxa was done recording. Although the server had left them with two empty plates, he deliberately used only one. He also knew Anaxa would much prefer a small bite to a portion of the cake.
The knife cut into the cake, and the warm layers of pistachio were revealed. The thin green layers were precise, and it looked like hundreds of them were stacked on top of one another before being separated by the light, creamy green ganache.
“Professor Anaxa, do you have any plans after this?” Phainon asked as he used a fork to cut into a bite-sized portion of the cake; he made sure to add a little of the winter frosted whipped cream on top.
“Hmm, after this, I was planning on visiting the Dromas and leaving immediately.”
It didn’t surprise Phainon that Anaxa was only here to experience the cafe; the visit to the Dromas would mean that he was already reserving the next ride back to the Grove. The Dromas were the main sources of transportation around here, other than the Janus portals.
Phainon stalled.
Anaxa narrowed an aqua eye. “What is it, Phainon?”
“Would it be presumptuous for me to ask more of your time, Professor?”
Anaxa sighed. “Aren’t you the one with leftover duties, always following that woman’s orders to keep the world safe?”
Phainon awkwardly chuckled. Anaxa’s and Aglaea’s bad blood had never been a secret for all the Chrysos Hiers involved. And Anaxa had always disapproved of his decision to take the role of the Deliverer. “I’ve been given some time off after the last mission.”
He had earned a small respite from Aglaea after completing the expedition at record time.
“I suppose… I wouldn’t be against the idea of spending some time after this,” Anaxa said at last. Then, in a much lower voice, as he looked away. “After all, you deserve it.”
Phainon’s eyes widened at the unsaid words. Typical of Anaxa.
“I’ve missed you.” Insinuation he would have missed if he hadn’t spent six more years at the Grove postponing graduation.
He brought Anaxa the piece of cake to the tip of his lips. He watched as Anaxa carefully took the sweet dessert between his lips. The moment lasted longer than the other times Anaxa had eaten from his hand as the man stayed for a second longer on the utensil before leaning away. Phainon filed it away.
Anaxa placed a hand over his mouth as his eye lit up, and he chewed before swallowing. “Simply delicious! The pistachio and chocolate aren’t too sweet, and the layering offers a moist but light taste. Even the frosting was light.”
The Deliverer also took his own bite of the cake and wasn’t surprised by the exquisite taste. The cake was moist, and the frosting only accentuated the rich yet light flavor as the pistachio and chocolate blended together perfectly. He chewed as he savored the dessert using the same fork.
It didn’t take long for him to finish the cake. Phainon, in the back of his mind, was glad that he had always been a big eater. Today, he had eaten enough for five people and was quite satisfied with the rich selection of food. Though it wouldn’t be something he would indulge in every day.
Anaxa called for the check, and the head chef had come over to their table to speak with them personally. They had never seen anyone ask for the whole menu in one day.
“It was an honor cooking for you, Sir,” the head chef said. “When we found out who’d ordered all this, we were only determined to serve you the best.”
Insane, indeed. Only Anaxa was bold enough to do anything for Dromas.
Phainon observed the head chef. The tanned skin, blond hair, and green eyes suggested he was an outlander, and he looked to be in his mid-50s, with lines under his eyes. It was rare for an outlander to own any establishment, especially one that had blown up in popularity within weeks.
“Hah, with such notable hospitality and craft in your cooking, I’ve only been impressed by the care you’ve all put into this place,” Anaxa said as he took out his wallet. The Dromas-shaped leather stood in stark contrast to the esteemed sage’s image.
Castorice must have made it for Anaxa. While it warmed Phainon to know that Anaxa treasured the things his students had given him, it also left a bitter sting of jealousy that he refused to admit to. He shouldn’t feel this way about a heartfelt gift.
“If it hadn’t been for that day you stood up against the nobles of Okhema, we wouldn’t have gotten the courage to fight for the approval to open this establishment.” The head chef bowed deeply, and the server beside him accepted the check.
Anaxa stiffened for a split second, which went unnoticeable by anyone except Phainon, before he responded promptly. “As pleasant as this experience was, we’ve long overstayed our welcome.”
The incident had left an uncomfortable mark on Anaxa, reminding him once again that he was still on Okhema soil.
“Will we see you again, Sir?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Both Anaxa and Phainon got up to leave the cafe. Just as they exited through the doors, Phainon heard a commotion inside and turned back to see.
“Ch-Chef, this t-tip.” The server held up the piece of check as though it were the Holy Grail. “It’s… th-three times the p-price of what they ordered.”
Screams ensued before Phainon closed the door quietly behind him.
Phainon sighed as he walked alongside Anaxa in the Marmoreal Market. His professor never left without creating chaos.
“Okhema is as noisy as ever,” Anaxa said with a sigh of his own. “The people here chatter with such inconsistency and triviality that it dulls the mind. They chase the tail ends of gossip without having the slightest idea of what’s happening outside of their own little world.”
“Then,” Phainon said as he placed a hand on Anaxa’s back, gently leading him away from the crowd. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”
Anaxa allowed him to lead as Phainon tried hard to ignore how easily the man had listened to his suggestion. His hand didn’t stray from the smaller man’s back, fixed in place. Protective yet fragile. If Anaxa had wanted, he could easily break away.
Phainon frowned. Even though Anaxa had eaten little, it should still have been enough for an adult. His back felt frail even through the clothes.
Had Anaxa been eating at all since his graduation? He trusted Hyacinthia to keep their professor alive, but Anaxa himself would always find ways to forget his own self-care.
They walked for a bit, with Phainon guiding Anaxa through the nearly empty halls and corridors as they ascended the stairs. Although Okhema was crowded with people, most took to the baths or markets during this hour.
Silence guided their footsteps until they entered a space known only to a few people in Okhema.
Anaxa hummed in appreciation of the scenery once they arrived. It was a small garden with a tree in the middle and a bench beside it. The space was steeped in shadow, with the tree’s leaves growing overhead. Although it was an open area, it lay on the opposite side of Okhema, facing away from Kephale’s dawn device, which explained the lack of people who were drawn to the light.
There were no voices here, only peaceful quietness.
“I come here whenever I need some peace of mind,” Phainon admitted as he lifted his hand away from the small of Anaxa’s back. The warmth that had lingered on his palm had begun to cool despite the weather. He clenched his hand into a fist.
“It’s nice,” Anaxa said as he observed the trimmings done to a nearby plant. Someone had been taking care of it. He glanced at Phainon for a split second before walking toward the stone bench beneath the tree. He sat down at the edge with an exhale.
“Sit,” Anaxa said as he patted the space next to him.
Phainon blinked at the command before he took a seat next to Anaxa. He kept some space between them.
“For how long have you not slept?” Anaxa asked, his voice sharp.
Phainon looked startled and looked into Anaxa’s eye, which judged him. His composed expression softened into a weary smile. “I could never hide anything from you, could I?”
“… I think for at most five days.” His last nap was at the temple, a light rest that was beyond restful as he camped in enemy territory. He had been determined to finish early by finding the relic.
An emotion flickered in Anaxa’s eye, and Phainon would have missed it if he had not already been gazing at his professor.
It was guilt.
Phainon stopped himself from touching Anaxa. Instead, he voiced the words. “It’s not your fault, Professor Anaxa,” he breathed. “The burden is my own after all.”
He had been rash, considering the time constraint… But he didn’t want Anaxa to find someone else just because he couldn’t make it.
A moment of silence lapsed between them before slender arms pulled him down with surprising force.
Phainon blinked when he found himself lying on top of Anaxa’s lap. He was too stunned to move as he stared up at Anaxa.
“You look like you’re barely able to walk,” Anaxa said as he smoothed the white tresses. “Sleep for now. I’ll wake you up later.”
Phainon felt dazed. Never had he imagined Anaxa, who always kept people at a distance, would have permitted anyone to use his lap as a pillow. He tried to will himself awake, wanting to stay conscious a little longer.
“… I—” Phainon lifted a hand to touch Anaxa’s cheek. Love you.
His hand never reached as it dropped to his chest. And he was soon lulled to sleep by the soft scent of mint and soft fingers that caressed his hair.
The unsaid confession was lost in the gentle breeze.