mornings are exhausting. but they're sweeter with him.
✦ info: phainon wakes up at a ridiculously early hour and kisses you into waking up with him.
✦ warnings: mornings, ew. none, this is pure fluff (edit: except for the fact that he bites you once affectionately). au ambiguous, but in my head: modern au. (0.8k words)
✦ notes: he's so needy and he's so sneaky i love him i'm going to sob ugly tears i love him so much i'd like him to wake me up like this please please please- ahem. AHEM. who said that jsjsjsjjsj lmao i hope you enjoy :)
i. recent. ii. masterlist.
morning rises, soft and slow.
rays of light slowly start to seep in through the eastern windows, illuminating the tiled floor, pale curtains fluttering in the gentle breeze that finds its way in.
your blanket is cozy, your bed is soft, your alarm is yet to ring. the world outside is still, and it is peaceful.
he chuckles, voice still deep with his usual morning rasp. “good morning, sleepyhead.” he says affectionately, words drawn out, as he kisses your cheek tenderly. “did you sleep well?”
you’d often compare phainon to the sun.
with the way he always looked at you with such warmth, and the way his smile shone brilliantly, it was hard not to. truly, you adored him with every inch of your being, and he lit up your life much like the light of the sun on your skin.
now, if only he didn’t rise with it.
why does the sun rise so very early, anyway?
“i’d sleep well if you’d let me sleep in a little longer, phainon,” you groan out, turning away from him so that your face stayed out of his reach.
you’ll get your kisses later. but first, sleep.
he hums. “let me think about it,” he says as he settles behind you. you feel him pull you closer and pause, like he’s deep in thought, and when he stills, you think you’ve won the battle.
well, good.
it is far too early for such antics, in your opinion.
but just as his warmth lures you back into the arms of sleep, your eyes fluttering shut, soothed by the pace of his breathing, you feel a sneaky kiss on the back of your neck. “i thought about it.” he whispers, smiling against your skin. “sorry, darling, the answer's no.”
oh. oh, no.
he teasingly drags his lips down to where your neck meets your back, ghosting over like the brush of a butterfly's wings, leaving goosebumps in his wake. he lingers there for a minute, his breath tickling your sensitive skin, before he retraces his path to reach the base of your ear. he kisses there gently, once, twice, and then— he bites.
gently, of course, but it still has your eyes flying wide open.
“phainon!” you gasp, electricity running down the length of your spine. you turn around to glare at him.
“bet you’re awake after that, aren’t you?” he murmurs into your ear. you whack him playfully on the shoulder.
his bright laughter in answer is infectious, and you can’t help but crack a smile begrudgingly.
“yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” you huff, moving to hide your face in his shoulder as he still shakes with laughter. “you always wake me up too early.”
“sorry, sorry.” he says in return, not sounding even the least bit apologetic, and you pull away to give him a look.
"you don't sound very sorry," you huff indignantly.
his lips form into the slightest of pouts and you swear to kephale above that you could see faint dog ears drooping in his fluffy white hair.
“we haven’t seen each other since last night.” he says, blue eyes never leaving your own. they're wide, and they blink innocently. “i missed you,” he finishes, his voice dropping to a small whisper as he looks away, and your heart melts at the sight of him.
well.
you can’t exactly argue with that, can you?
you sigh in defeat, sitting up. “alright, alright, you win.”
the effect is instant.
his pout disappears and his whole face lights up, eyes sparkling with joy, a dimple peeking out as he grins brightly.
he pushes himself upright, and with all the enthusiasm of a puppy, he pulls you on top of him, both arms wrapped around your face, and kisses you over and over and over, from your lips to your nose to your eyelids and to your cheek until you’re giggling in his embrace.
“there we go. not so grumpy anymore, are we, darling?”’ he murmurs, pressing one final kiss to your nose.
you hum, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from your eyes. “i’m awake, that’s for sure.”
his grin never leaves his face, and he nudges your cheek with his nose. “have i ever told you that you have a beautiful laugh?”
“yes, a million times already,” you respond, smiling affectionately at him.
“well, then i’ll say it again. i love the way you laugh.”
“even when i sound like a hyena?”
“especially when you sound like a hyena.”
it is right then— cradled in his arms, watching him with a smile so dazzling, when the morning’s just begun and the whole day lies in wait for the two of you— that you find your answer.
why does the sun rise so early?
just so it can see you smile, of course.
(“so you’re saying i do sound like a hyena?”
“huh- what?! that is not what i meant and you know it.” he groans, resting his forehead on your shoulder.
“i’m just kidding.” you respond, running your hands through his soft, pale hair. “consider that payback for waking me up.”
“would it help if i had breakfast ready next time?” his voice is muffled, but you can still make out the words.
“yes, yes it would.”)
✦ ending notes: first phainon drabble!! hehe this was a quicker piece but i thoroughly enjoyed every second of writing this (i know a very popular characterization is that he's needy WHICH I AGREE WITH but he's also excellent at executing a plan and setting it in motion ykwim? he contains multitudes jsjsjsj therefore, needy and sneaky)
✦ taglist: @maopll (taglist form is linked. send an ask to be removed!)
synopsis: phainon has been crushing on you for as long as he could remember. Yet every confession he painstankingly prepared himself for never made it past his lips. After countless failed attempts, it seems he requires the help of cupid..or in this case, his professors?
contains: 4.2k wc, modern au, female reader, phainon fumbling to the point where its lowk embarrassing for bro.., pathetic phainon, nerdnon? (he wears glasses here bcs why not), aglanaxa if you squint, characters might be OOC.
notes: guess who lost 5050 hard pity for phainon's eidolons hahhahahhaa...e6 phainon pls come home early im broke </3
i present this as my humble offering..🙏
pls ignore any spelling or grammatical errors..i'll correct them soon enough but it's like 5 in the morning and i can't sleep so i decided to finalise this from my wips and post it..
Phainon remembers the first time he met you.
How could he not?
It was back when Professor Anaxagoras's (Or Anaxa, as Phainon like to call him) had just ended, and Phainon—who had somehow found himself dozing off midway through—was being lightly reprimanded after everyone else had already left.
Not that he minded.
Anaxa only ever did it because he cared—well, in his own way, sharp eyed enough to notice Phainon's habit of pushing himself too far, and stubborn enough to refuse to let the boy go unchecked.
So he walked out of the lecture hall still half-laughing, half-listening, trading easy jokes over his shoulder as he spoke with the professor.
And then he bumped into someone.
No—he walked straight into them.
The next moment, gravity won.
Phainon barely had time to register the collision before he felt himself falling backwards, and he reached out, just to accidentally pull the other person down with him in a messy tangle of surprise and momentum.
It was only after a short while did he process what he just did.
"Shit. I'm so sorry!"
He pushed himself up immediately, voice sharp with panic as his glasses slipped off his face in the movement. He fumbled for them blindly, too panicked to process things properly, his heart already racing with second hand embarrassment.
Internally, he was already calculating every possible way he had just ruined someone's day.
He knew his own strength. All those gym sessions with Mydei weren't just for show—he could almost lift twice his weight without thinking about it.
Which only made it worse.
What if he'd hurt you when he pulled you down?
What if his grip was too hard?
"I—are you okay? I didn't— I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm really sorry—"
"It's ok, really." Your voice cut through the waves of panic in his mind, holding out his glasses to him.
When he finally looked up, reaching out to take them, his breath hitched the moment your eyes met.
Oh.
After that one awkward encounter—though it had been far more awkward for him than it ever was for you—Phainon found himself seeking you out more times than he ever cared to admit.
At first, it was easy enough to justify.
The two of you shared lectures under both Prof. Anaxa and Professor Aglaea, so crossing paths was hardly unusual.
You just seem to be in his vision half the time.
Sometimes you'd end up walking the same corridor after class. Other times you'd find yourselves sitting next to each other in lectures, exchanging quiet comments about assignments or complaining about whatever impossible workload the professor had assigned that week.
Those small conversations gradually stretched into longer ones.
A brief greeting became walking together after lectures. Studying in the library became sharing lunch whenever your schedules happened to align.
Before either of you really noticed, spending time together had become effortless.
With Phainon's easygoing nature and your quiet patience, friendship settled naturally between the two of you, as though it had always been there.
But Phainon wished it didn't stop at just friendship.
He wasn't entirely sure when it had happened. Maybe it was the way you had laugh without holding back whenever he said something particularly stupid. Maybe it was the way you'd always listen so earnestly wheneever someone spoke, giving them your full attention and advice when necessary.
Or maybe it was simply because you were you.
In his eyes, you shone far too brightly to ever be ordinary to him.
Your smile lingered in his thoughts long after you were gone. The sound of your laughter had an annoying tendency to replay itself in his head during times he was supposed to be paying attention. Sometimes he'd catch himself looking for you before he even realise what he was doing.
Somewhere deep inside, in a place he refused to acknowledge even to himself, he wishes that warmth you show to others would one day belong to him alone.
It was selfish.
He knew that.
Yet he couldn't help longing for it—for the chance to be caught in it entirely, to sink beneath it without struggle and never resurface. And even then, if asked, he would have said it wasn't enough.
Eventually, after weeks of talking himself into it (and yapping Mydei's and Cyrene's ear off), he decided he was finally going to confess.
His first confession attempt failed terribly.
He had spent nearly an hour standing in front of the mirror in his room the night before, repeating the same confession until the words rolled naturally off his tongue.
By the time he finally crawled into bed, he'd convinced himself there was no possible way things could go wrong.
The next afternoon, after Professos Aglaea had dismissed the class, he spotted you leaving the lecture alone.
His heart immediately started pounding.
This was it.
He hurried after you, weaving through the crowd until you glanced over your shoulder at the sound of your name.
"Oh, Phainon!"
You smiled.
It was a simple smile—one he'd seen dozens of times before.
Yet somehow, the moment it was directed at him, every carefully rehearsed sentence vanished from his mind.
His mouth opened.
"..Uh...."
Come on.
Say it.
"I.."
Nothing.
His brain, so dependable in every other situation, chose that exact moment to abandon him.
"..Do you understand today's lecture?" he blurted.
The words left his mouth before he could stop them and immediately, he wanted to disappear, hoping the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
You blinked in mild surprise before giving a thoughtgul hum. "I guess? Did you?"
Relief arrived in the form of conversation, and he grabbed onto it for dear life.
"Yep!" he laughed a little too loudly, cringing at himself on the inside as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hard not to focus when Professor Aglaea has this look that makes you really pay attention.."
You laughed, the corners of your eyes crinkling ever so slightly.
He laughed too, matching your pace as the two of you continued walking down the corridor as though nothing unusual had occured.
Inside, however, he was silently mourning the death of what had been, in his opinion, the perfect confession.
If only you knew.
His second plan never even reached the starting line.
Undettered by the first failure, Phainon adjusted his plans slightly, spending the entire weekened dragging Mydei from one shop to another under the painfully unconvincing excuse that he was 'helping him buy something'.
In reality, he'd been searching for a gift—something small enough not to overwhelm you, yet meaningful nough to accompany the words he'd been trying to say.
Unfortunately, fate seemed to have an exceptional sense of humour.
The very moment he found himself standing in front of a display of adorable chimera keychains, carefully deciding which one you might like most, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Oh? I didn't know you two liked these kinds of things."
He froze.
Turning around, he found you standing beside Ciphera, who was already grinning far too knowingly for his liking.
Panic seized him at once. Not that you would judge him—of course you wouldn't. But the thought flashed through his mind anyway, and before he could stop himself, he was already scrambling for an excuse.
"Uh! It's for Mydei!" Phainon blurted out before his brain could catch up, immediately pointing at the unfortunate man standing beside him. "Yeah. Mydei likes these things. Notme."
The accusation came so suddenly that Mydei whipped his head around to stare at him, sending him a glare that said 'I'll deal with you later'. Then, as if deciding it wasn't worth the hassle, he simply looked back at you and Cipher with the same calm expression as always.
"What?" He replied plainly. "They're cute."
He reached toward the display and picked up one of the keychains.
"I like Fig Stew."
"They are!" You brightened, stepping closer, eyes wandering over the rows of tiny chimera keychains before picking up one yourself.
A small smile spread across your face as you held it between your fingers. "I like Beagle Coconut..but Fig Stew would probably be second on my list."
"I like Beagle Coconut too!"
The words escaped before Phainon even realise he'd spoken.
You look at him, tilting your head slightly.
"I thought..you didn't like these?"
His smile stiffened.
"..Hahahah..did I?" he laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck as his mind desperately searched for something—anything—that could save him.
"I meant.." he nodded once.
"I like them."
Another nod.
"..A lot."
"Oh—"
Before the awkward silence could stretch any further, Cipher clapped her hands together, cutting cleanly through the moment.
"Anyway!" she chirped, already looping an arm through yours. "Our movie's starting soon [Name]! Pink girl and Princess Homebody are waiting. Come on—time is precious!"
"Wait—"
Phainon reached out instinctively, but the word came far too late.
You barely had enough time to place back the chimera keychain before you were already being pulled towards the exit, only managing a small wave over your shoulder before disappearing through the shop doors.
And just like that, you were gone.
The shop suddenly felt much quieter than it had a moment ago.
Beside him, Mydei let out a slow sigh before glancing sideways at his best friend.
"You're unbelievable, HKS."
Phainon buried his face in one hand.
"I know."
He really, really did.
Unfortunately, his third attempt wasn't any better than the first two.
By then, he'd stopped trying to come up with the perfect confession.
Every carefully rehearsed speech had somehow fallen apart the moment he stood in front of you, so perhaps he had been overthinking it all along.
Maybe, this time, he just needed to say what was on his mind and let the words come naturally.
When he caught you alone after class one afternoon, he took a quiet breath before calling your name.
You turned toward him almost immediately, offeringhim the same familiar smile that, despite everything, still managed to make his heart skip a beat.
"What's up, Phainon?"
"I..I've been thinking about you..." he began, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words.
His courage faltered immediately when he realised what he just said.
"Oh uhm—not in a weird way," he added far too quickly.
The instant the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back.
Why would he say that?
Now it definitely sounded weird.
You blinked, your head tilting slightly in confusion as you continued waiting for him to explain himself.
"Well..not weird, just.." Phainon let out an awkward laugh, desperately trying to recover, but ever sentence that came to mind somehow sounded worse than the last.
His thoughts tangled together until he couldn't even remember how he'd originally planned to confess.
He sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"..It's not important, actually."
Another forced laugh escaped him as he took a small step back, avoiding your gaze.
"Forget I said anything..bye [Name].." he mumbled, before turning and leaving immediately, leaving you there as you watched him, thoroughly confused by whatever that conversation had just been.
Phainon, meanwhile, spent the rest of the day mentally replaying every second of it, somehow finding new ways to cringe at himself with each pass.
By the time evening came around, he had already convinced himself that it was, without question, the worst confession attempt in the history of confessions.
And yet, despite every failed attempt, every missed opportunity, and every spectacularly embarrassing conversation, he never once gave up.
"Does he have any clue how ridiculous he looks?"
Aglaea paused halfway through typing on her laptop, fingers hovering above the keyboard as she glanced up at the sudden comment. Following Anaxa's gaze toward the office window, she looked down into the courtyard below.
Phainon was, by every conceivable definition, failing to be subtle.
He walked beside you for all of three seconds before falling half a step behind. Then, apparently deciding that was too far, he hurried to catch up again, only to realise he was now walking a little too close.
A moment later he awkwardly adjusted his pace once more, caught in an endless cycle of trying—and failing—to figure out what a normal distance between two people was supposed to be.
Furthermore, everytime you spoke, his head would turn towards you almost instantly.
And when you smiled, so did he.
If he had a tail, it would have been wagging.
"..About as much as you're aware how ridiculous that blanket of yours looks." Aglaea replied flatly before returning to her laptop.
"How dare you. This is a limited edition Dromas blanket. Only 50 were ever made." Anaxa glared as he smoothed a hand over the blanket draped proudly across his shoulders, its repeating droma faces smiling with almost unsettling enthusiasm. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was to secure 3 of them?"
Aglaea paused.
"Three." She repeated.
"One for the office, one for home, and one for my car," Anaxa replied, as though this was a given. "Preparedness is not a crime."
"If you say so."
Anaxa paid her no mind, his attention already drifting back towards the window
"...He's going to ruin it," Anaxa muttered.
Aglaea looked up from her work again, following his gaze.
"Ruin what?"
"That." He gestured vaguely toward the pair of you. "Whatever... that is."
She leaned back in her chair, watching the two of you for another moment. Phainon was saying something with far too much enthusiasm, while you listened with an amused smile that, somehow, only seemed to make him more nervous.
"...He's been like this for weeks, no?"
"No, he’s been at it for way longer," Anaxa corrected.
Another silence settled between them.
Outside, you had just laughed at something Phainon had said—something he very clearly hadn't intended to be funny. They watched as he visibly short-circuited, blinking once before hurriedly laughing along with you, nodding far more times than any normal conversation required.
Aglaea pinched the bridge of her nose.
"This boy…"
"Argh..." Anaxagoras groaned dramatically, throwing both hands into the air before turning away from the window altogether. "I can't bear to watch this anymore."
Aglaea raised an eyebrow.
"I say..." He pointed decisively toward her. "We put our differences aside and help them."
"And why," she asked evenly, "would I do that?"
"Oh, don't act all indifferent now, woman." He folded his arms with a huff. "I've seen you watching them too. You're just as invested in this as I am."
"..."
Aglaea remained silent.
Her eyes drifted back toward the window, watching both you and Phainon for a while longer before she let out a quiet sigh.
"...I suppose," she admitted at last, closing her laptop with a soft click, "we should."
A smug grin immediately spread across Anaxa's face, as though her agreement had confirmed a victory in some unspoken contest between them.
"I knew you'd come around."
"[Name], may I have a moment?"
You paused just as you were about to leave the classroom, turning back to find Professor Aglaea standing by her desk. She offered you a small, polite smile, waiting until the last few students had filtered out before gesturing for you to come over.
You nodded, walking over to her desk.
"Is everything alright, Professor?"
Aglaea folded her hands neatly in front of her.
"I've been looking over your recent assessment reports." She paused briefly, choosing her words with her usual precision. "Your mathematics grades have... declined this term."
You let out a quiet sigh, your shoulders slumping ever so slightly.
"...Yeah." You nodded sheepishly. "I guess it's gotten a little harder lately."
"The course becomes considerably more demanding after the midterm."
"It really does..." you muttered.
A faint smile touched Aglaea's lips before she reached for a single sheet of paper resting on her desk.
"Your mathematics professor intended to speak with you herself," she explained as she held the paper out. "Unfortunately, something came up, so she asked me to pass this along instead."
You accepted it, glancing down in curiosity.
"She has arranged for a tutor to help you until the end of the semester."
Your eyes drifted toward the name written neatly across the top.
"...Phainon?"
Aglaea gave a small nod.
"I believe the two of you already know each other."
Relief washed over you almost immediately.
"Oh!" A smile spread across your face before you could stop it. "Yeah, I do."
That was...honestly reassuring.
You'd be worried you'd end up paired with a complete stranger, someone you'd have to awkwardly stumble through equations in front of while making a fool of yourself.
At least with Phainon...
Well.
He was Phainon.
Embarrassing yourself somehow didn't seem quite as embarrassing anymore.
"I'm sure he'll explain everything clearly," Aglaea said, noticing the visible change in your expression. "He's one of the strongest students in the math department."
You nodded, carefully folding the paper before slipping it into your bag.
"Thank you, Professor."
"I'll let him know to expect you."
As you left the classroom, Aglaea watched the door close behind you before allowing herself the faintest smile.
One problem solved.
Now she just prayed that Anaxa will do his part well for Phainon.
By the time the agreed day arrived, Phainon had already been sitting in the academy library for nearly twenty minutes.
Not because you were late.
Simply because he'd been early.
His notebook lay open in front of him, pages filled with neatly written equations, diagrams and little notes he'd put together the night before.
Looking back on it now, he had probably overprepared.
He'd rewritten half the chapter in a way he thought might be easier to understand, worked through every example question twice just in case you happened to ask about one of them, and even bookmarked a few extra reference books from the shelves nearby.
The familiar sound of footsteps approaching pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up instinctively, only to see you weaving through the bookshelves before spotting him almost immediately.
"There you are." You smiled, making your way over. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."
"You didn't," he replied a little too quickly, shaking his head. "I only got here a few minutes ago."
It wasn't entirely true.
But it wasn't entirely a lie either.
You slid into the chair across from him, setting your bag down with a quiet sigh before pulling out your math book.
"I'm honestly glad the professor picked you," you admitted with a small laugh. "I was worried I'd end up with someone I didn't know."
Phainon blinked.
“Oh?"
"Yeah." You nodded, absentmindedly flipping through the pages until you reached the chapter that had been giving you trouble. "It's less embarrassing asking stupid questions when it's someone you're already friends with."
Friends.
That stung a little, but Phainon still gave you a smile, "Well... ask as many as you want."
"I might regret hearing you say that."
"I probably will too."
The two of you laughed, and just like that, the awkwardness he'd spent the entire morning preparing for quietly melted away.
"So..." he began, glancing over the page before looking back at you. "Which part has been giving you trouble?"
You frowned thoughtfully.
"...Honestly?"
"Mhm?"
"...All of it."
He blinked.
"...That's fair."
"I understand the examples while the professor is explaining them, but when I get home and try the questions myself..." You sighed dramatically, letting your forehead fall onto the open book with a soft thud. "...It's like everything I learned just disappears."
Phainon let out a quiet laugh, more fond than amused.
"I'll do my best for you then."
"...Huh."
Anaxa folded his arms as he peered through the glass window from above, looking down at the library floor below. His gaze lingered on the table near the back, where the two of you sat surrounded by open books and scattered sheets of paper.
"It's seems your plan is working well."
Aglaea stood beside him, her expression unchanged as she observed the same scene. From this angle, Phainon was clearly focused—explaining something steadily, pencil moving across the page as you leaned in slightly, listening with far less frustration than before.
"If you give him something else to focus on," she said after a moment, "he stops getting in his own way."
A brief pause.
"Better than whatever plan you had in mind.”
“I say my plan would have been great too.” Anaxa clicked his tongue. "I'll have you know my plan involves careful structuring of the environment and emotional timing."
“Your plan was too much.”
“We should still try it just to see.”
“Please don’t ruin what I created.”
“Ahh… I’m a little nervous for this exam,” you mumbled, lingering outside the lecture hall with your notes clutched a little too tightly in your hands.
Phainon stood beside you, glancing over at your expression before letting out a small, reassuring smile.
“You’ll be fine, [Name].” He placed a hand on your shoulder, “just keep calm. Watch out for careless mistakes—that’s usually what gets people.”
“Ugh… if I fail, I’ll have to attend extra classes…” you sighed, one hand moving to adjust your bag as your eyes flicked back down to your notes. Your lips moved quietly as you reviewed formulas under your breath, like you were trying to cram the entire subject into the last few minutes.
“You studied a lot,” Phainon said with a soft laugh. “I’m sure you’ll pass, maybe even higher! Like an A?”
“Please,” you muttered, still half-focused on your notes. “If I somehow get an A, I’ll treat you to something.”
That made him pause.
Just for a second.
“Yeah?”
His smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning far too brightly.
“It’s a date then.”
He said it so casually it barely registered as anything unusual, already guiding you forward a step as the crowd around the lecture hall began to shift. You, however, were still too busy murmuring formulas under your breath to catch it properly.
Phainon cleared his throat, forcing his expression back into something normal.
“Good luck, [Name]. I know you’ll do well.”
You nodded absentmindedly, still reviewing your notes as you disappeared into the flow of students heading inside.
Only once you were out of sight did Phainon finally exhale.
“…Please do well,” he muttered under his breath, staring at the closed lecture hall doors for a moment longer than necessary before turning away.
“Phainon! Phainon!”
Your voice carried across the courtyard before he even had the chance to properly turn around. He barely registered what was happening before you were suddenly right in front of him, colliding into him with enough force to make him take a quick step back.
His arms came up instinctively in surprise, then hovered awkwardly for a second before settling carefully at your sides to steady both of you. The sudden closeness made his face warm almost immediately.
“Woa—[Name]…?” Phainon let out a breathless laugh, trying to process the sudden impact while making sure you didn’t lose your balance.
“I got an A!” you said brightly, still pressed close to him.
That alone was enough to shift his entire expression. The surprise faded almost instantly, replaced by something warm and relieved as he relaxed into the moment.
“Oh!” he grinned, genuine pride slipping into his voice. “See? I knew you could do it!”
“It’s all thanks to you,” you replied, pulling back just enough to look at him properly, still smiling. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Phainon paused at that, like the words had to settle properly before he could respond. Once it settled however, he was quick to ask.
“Then..! Can we go on our date?”
You blinked, the excitement stuttering for a moment.
“…Huh?”
The confidence he’d just gathered slipped immediately. His hands moved up to adjust his glasses, his gaze shifting away as if the ground had suddenly become very interesting.
“I-I mean… not a date,” he added quickly, letting out an awkward laugh that didn’t quite hide his embarrassment. “You said you’d treat me to something, so… yeah. Just that. Not a date.”
There was a brief silence between you, the kind that made him very aware of everything he had just said.
Then your voice softened.
“It can be if you want.”
Phainon froze.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything at all, like he was making sure he hadn’t misunderstood you. Slowly, he lifted his head again, his expression full of hope that just couldn’t be contained.
“…Really?”
You nodded, a small smile returning.
“Mhm.”
“Well then..”
His voice trailed off.
Words had failed him too many times already. Every confession had tangled itself into something else before it could ever reach you.
So instead, he simply held out his hand, his smile impossibly bright.
hiiiiiii ! ! so i just found out and read basically (almost) all of your phainon x reader fics in one night!! i think I'm going insane but its phainon so it's okay!! all of em are so so awesome!! :D
its an idea that popped up on a random tuesday, feel free to adjust it for your own liking too! - yandere childhood phainon that likes reader a lot to the point he would do anything for them! ! the twist is reader is an idiot that speaks before thinking. you should've known where this is going (i totally did not give up because cough cough i didn't know how to explain it..) anyway wanyswy thankyou thaykyou i panicked and tripped but thankyyou! ! ! wish you a happy day! yayy! !
The Weight of Your Lightest Words
Yandere!Phainon x Reader
The afternoon sun cast a warm, amber glow over the open fields, the wind carrying the sharp scent of crushed grass and dry earth. It was a perfect day for kites, though you couldn’t bring yourself to match the sheer, vibrant energy of the boy running ahead of you.
You were the nonchalant anchor to his drifting boat. While you walked with a slow, indifferent stride, tugging lazily at the string of your simple paper kite, he tracked your every movement with an intensity that defied his young age. He didn’t care about the wind, or the sky, or the other children shouting in the distance. He cared only about the space you occupied.
If you told him to sit, he sat. If you casually mentioned you were thirsty, he would reappear minutes later, out of breath, holding a cool cup of water. It was an unconditional obedience born from a devotion he couldn't yet fully name, but one that consumed him entirely. He lived to please you.
Then, the wind died down in a sudden swoop.
Your kite dipped, spiraling out of control before snagging firmly on the highest, most precarious branch of an old tree at the edge of the field. You stopped, looking up at the tangled mess of paper and bamboo with a mild, disappointed sigh. It was out of reach. A normal kid would have given up and gone home.
"It's stuck" you looked over at Phainon, squinting against the sun. With the pure, unthinking unfiltered thought of a child, you mused aloud, "I bet you could reach it, Phainon."
You didn't mean it as a command.
But to Phainon, your words were a sacred decree.
There was no hesitation, no second thought for his own safety. He scrambled up the rough bark of the oak tree with a frantic, desperate agility, driven by the singular, burning need to give you exactly what you wanted.
"Phainon, wait, I didn't mean-" you started, your nonchalant facade cracking just a fraction as you watched him climb dangerously high.
"I'll get it for you" he called down, his fingers gripping a branch that was far too thin to support his weight.
He reached out, his hand just brushing the paper edge of the kite.
Crack.
The branch gave way instantly. For a terrifying second, Phainon hung in the air before plunging downward, crashing through the lower boughs until he hit the hard ground.
You rushed over, your heart hammering against your ribs. Phainon lay in the grass, the retrieved kite clutched tightly, miraculously uncrushed, in his right hand. His left leg was bent at an unnatural, horrific angle.
Yet, as he looked up at you through the pain, sweat beading on his forehead and tears pricking the corners of his eyes, he didn't cry out. Instead, a weak, disturbingly breathless smile stretched across his face. He held the kite up toward you.
"I got it," he whispered, entirely ignoring the agonizing snap of his bone, "I got it for you."
Horrified and completely out of your depth, you stumbled backward, commanding him to stay still before sprinting toward the village as fast as your legs could carry you. You shouted for the adults.
Within an hour, the village elder had set his leg, binding it tightly in wooden splints. Phainon had to be held down by two grown men during the process, but his eyes never left you where you stood in the corner of the room. He didn't care about the pain. He only cared that you had fetched help for him.
---
Years had bled into one another, you were teenagers now, but some things remained stubbornly unchanged. You still walked through life with an effortless, untouchable nonchalance, a quiet island amidst the loud, chaotic waves of your peer group. And Phainon, as always, remained your shadow.
It was a stifling summer afternoon when you and a handful of friends found yourselves idling by the edge of the old woods, looking for anything to break the heavy boredom. One of the boys suddenly pointed a finger upward into the thick canopy of a sprawling wild tree.
"Hey, look at that... is that a beehive?" he asked, squinting. "Man, that thing is huge. Look at the size of it!"
Instantly, the group erupted into competitive, childish chatter.
"I dare you to throw a rock at it."
"No way, you do it! I bet you wouldn't even dare to climb up there."
"Are you kidding? You'd get absolutely mauled."
You stood slightly back from the rowdy circle, your expression blank, watching the bees swarm lazily around the massive, golden-brown structure. You weren't really paying attention to their macho posturing. Instead, your mind drifted, entirely detached from the danger.
"Fresh honey sounds nice, though," you murmured under your breath, a casual, unconscious thought escaping your lips. "Bet it's really sweet."
Next to you, Phainon’s shoulders dropped their relaxed posture. His eyes, which had been fixed on the side of your face the entire time, shifted slowly toward the hive.
Before anyone in the group could even register a movement, Phainon stepped past them.
"Wait, Phainon? What are you doing?" someone called out, laughing nervously.
Phainon leaped onto the lowest thick branch and began to climb. It was a mirror image of the day he broke his leg years ago, only now, he was bigger, faster, and completely devoid of any self-preservation. Your friends gasped, stepping back in a mix of awe and horror as Phainon scaled the tree with reckless abandon, his eyes locked onto the buzzing hive.
"Phainon, stop!" one of the boys yelled up.
"Phainon, get down," you said, "I don't want it."
He didn't listen. When it came to your safety, he would protect you. But when it came to your desires, even the ones you didn't mean, he was utterly deaf to reason. He reached the high branch, the swarm of disturbed bees thickening into a angry, black cloud around him. Without a single flinch, Phainon reached out with a thick, heavy stick he'd grabbed along the way and violently struck the base of the hive, catching the heavy, honey-dripping mass with his bare arm as it broke free.
The swarm exploded. A deafening, furious buzz filled the air.
"Run! Run!" your friends screamed, scattering in absolute terror as a cloud of angry bees descended from the canopy.
Phainon dropped from the lower branches, landing heavily on his feet, holding the sticky, golden hive against his chest like a prize. "Run!" he commanded you, his voice eerie in its calmness, even as the first wave of stingers sank into his neck and arms.
You didn't need to be told twice. You turned and sprinted alongside your frantic friends, the furious swarm hot on your heels. But Phainon didn't run to save himself, he ran right behind you, deliberately keeping his body between you and the cloud of insects, acting as a human shield.
By the time all of you collapsed into the safety of an old abandoned shed, slamming the heavy wooden door shut, everyone was gasping for air. A few of your friends were crying, nursing three or four painful stings on their arms and faces.
But Phainon... Phainon was a horrific sight.
He collapsed onto a crate, his face, neck, arms, and hands covered in angry, swelling red welts. He had been stung dozens of times. He was shivering, his breathing shallow and ragged from the sheer amount of venom injecting into his system.
Yet, as you stepped toward him, your chest heaving with adrenaline and a mounting, suffocating sense of guilt, Phainon looked up at you. His eyes were bloodshot, his face puffed and distorted by the swelling, but the look in his eyes was pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
Slowly, he set the broken, dripping beehive onto a clean piece of wood between you. Amber honey oozed out, rich and sweet, filling the dusty shed with its scent.
He looked at the honey, then up at your horrified, pale face. A breathless, distorted smile pulled at his swollen lips.
"It's... for you," Phainon rasped, his voice trembling as he forced the words past his throat. He reached out with a sting-covered hand, not to touch you, but just to hover near your sleeve. "You said... you wanted it sweet. Is it... sweet enough?"
----
The transition from teenagers to adults was ushered in not by a festival or a coming-of-age ceremony, but by the harsh, metallic clang of armor and the grim call to arms. War had come to the borders. Phainon had been the very first in the village to volunteer.
If the war stays out there, it won't touch Y/N.
For three long years, the village heard nothing but bloody rumors from the front lines. No one truly knew what happened out there in the mud and the slaughter, but when the soldiers finally returned, the boy who left had been completely hollowed out and refilled with something terrifyingly sharp.
To the village, he was a hardened war hero. To you, he was still the same old Phainon, because the moment his eyes landed on you among the crowd, the cold, dead gaze of a soldier vanished, replaced instantly by that familiar, unconditional devotion. He had survived a war simply because he had promised himself he would return to your side.
The village erupted into a week-long celebration to cheer for the survivors. Because of your natural specialty in the kitchen, you somehow found yourself tasked with managing the grand feast. You weren't entirely sure how you’d let yourself get dragged into the chaotic, sweating kitchen, but as platters of roasted meats and rich stews flowed out, your nonchalant mask remained firmly in place.
You were an expert cook, but you were an absolute, undeniable fool when it came to alcohol.
As the night deepened and the cider flowed like water, someone pressed a heavy wooden mug into your hands. You drank it, then another, your usual detached indifference melting away into a blurry, sloppy haze. By midnight, you were completely intoxicated, slouching heavily against a tavern bench.
"I can't stand him" your voice slurred and overly loud as you aggressively pointed a clumsy finger across the crowded room.
Sitting at a long table was a boisterous, loud-mouthed soldier from the village who had also returned from the front. He was currently surrounded by a group of locals, loudly bragging about how he was going to court you, boasting to anyone who would listen that you clearly had a soft spot for him because you'd served him an extra portion of stew.
"So annoying. Wish he'd just shut up and go away."
Phainon had been sitting quietly by your side, ignoring his own food. At your words, his eyes slowly tracked your finger, locking onto the boasting soldier. The chaotic noise of the tavern seemed to mute in his mind. The man was a nuisance to you.
"I see," He leaned down, his breath brushing your ear as you closed your eyes, fading out. "If you don't like him... I can make him disappear for you."
"Yeah... whatever... make 'im go away." you mumbled thoughtlessly, completely oblivious to the weight of your words before your head hit the wooden table.
He rose from the bench with a swift movement.
It happened in one terrifyingly efficient go. There was no struggle, just the silent, lethal precision of a man who had turned killing into an art form. He didn't feel a shred of guilt. He only felt an overwhelming, ecstatic rush of pride. He was cleaning up your world.
By the next afternoon, you woke up with a pounding, merciless headache, your memories of the previous night completely wiped clean.
But the village was in a total frenzy.
"His boots are still in his room, his coin purse is on the table, but he's completely vanished!"
When you heard the shocking news of the man going missing, a cold prickle of unease washed over you, though you couldn't fathom why.
"It's awful, isn't it?" a soft voice spoke up from behind you.
You turned to see Phainon standing there. He was looking at you with those wide, adoring, entirely innocent eyes.
"People just disappear sometimes," Phainon said evenly, stepping closer until his shadow completely enveloped you, shielding you from the midday sun. He reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his touch surprisingly warm, completely devoid of the blood that had coated it hours prior. "But you don't need to worry about it."
----
The morning after the village was turned upside down by the soldier’s sudden disappearance, the air felt thick with unspoken tension. Looking to escape the suffocating gossip of the town square, you accepted Phainon’s suggestion to take a stroll down by the river. You had no reason to deny him; after all, it had been three long years since you last walked together like this.
The riverbank was peaceful, the steady rush of the water a grounding contrast to the chaos brewing back home. As you walked side by side, you found yourself talking about the mundane things that had happened during his absence: the seasonal harvests, the changing weather, the quiet rhythm of village life. You told him, with your usual understated sincerity, that you were simply glad he was back.
Phainon listened with an intensity that made it feel as though your words were the only thing keeping him anchored to the earth. He didn't offer much about himself, the front lines, or the war. You didn't want to push him, either. You knew the battlefield left scars that ran far deeper than the jagged one on his brow, and you had no desire to force him to relive what was likely pure trauma.
Your thoughts wandered for a split second, your gaze drifting to the rushing water. Because of your momentary distraction, your foot caught on a treacherous, moss-slicked rock.
Before you could even gasp, a hand gripped your waist, and a strong arm locked around your shoulders, pulling you firmly against a solid chest.
"Careful," Phainon murmured, his voice low and incredibly steady against your hair. He didn't release his grip immediately, his fingers lingering on your waist just a second too long, checking to ensure you were entirely unharmed. "I've got you."
You stepped back, blinking away a rare flash of surprise, and nodded your thanks.
A little while later, Phainon excused himself to head back to the village first. You decided to stay by the river a bit longer, enjoying the solitude, until the bushes rustled and one of your childhood friends walked out, looking pale and deeply distressed.
"Oh, thank goodness," Martha breathed, jogging over to your side. She wrung her hands nervously, looking around the quiet riverbank. "Have you... have you noticed anything strange around here lately?"
"Strange? Like what?"
"I lost one of my lambs last night, it was just a few months old. It didn't break out of the pen- the latch was still closed. First that soldier disappears from the tavern, and now my lamb?"
"It's probably just a wolf," you replied calmly, trying to soothe her rising panic. "The winter was harsh. The predators from the mountains are likely coming down closer to the fences. Don't worry too much about it. Just double-check the pens before sunset."
Your friend let out a shaky sigh, comforted by your total lack of alarm. "Yeah... yeah, you're probably right."
The two of you began the walk back to the village together, wanting to return before the shadows lengthened and darkness settled over the place.
----
The next afternoon, you headed back toward the edge of the woods to gather a few more wild mushrooms to finish off tonight’s savory soup. As you knelt by a mossy log, a faint, desperate sound caught your attention—the distinct, muffled bleating of a lamb coming from a thick patch of briars nearby.
Curiosity breaking through your usual indifference, you stood up and followed the noise.
You pushed past a heavy cluster of bushes, your hand reaching out toward the trembling, trapped little lamb, when the ground suddenly exploded with movement. A rough, calloused hand clamped violently over your shoulder, ripping you backward. A large, rugged man stepped out of the shadows of the canopy, a rusted hunting knife glinting in his fist.
He pinned you against a tree, raising the blade, but as his eyes scanned your face, he froze. His expression twisted into a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"Wait..." the man growled, "You're not Martha."
He was clearly looking for the lamb's owner, likely waiting to ambush her when she came looking for her missing livestock. But his hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second. A dark sneer crossed his face as he tightened his grip on your shirt. "Doesn't matter. You saw too much anyway."
He brought the knife down. You closed your eyes, bracing for the impact, but the strike never came.
Thwack! Thwack!
Two sharp, deafening snaps split the air in rapid succession. The man let out a blood-curdling shriek as two heavy, black-fletched arrows tore through the air with terrifying velocity, pinning both of his palms directly to the trunk of the tree on either side of your head. The knife dropped harmlessly into the dirt. He writhed in agony, trapped against the wood by his own hands.
Before he could even process the pain, a third arrow flew from the shadows.
Crunch.
It was a gruesome, horrific sound. The arrow drove clean through the side of the man's neck, the steel arrowhead bursting out the other side in a spray of dark crimson. His eyes rolled back, his body going completely limp, suspended only by the arrows anchoring his hands to the bark.
Your breath caught in your throat, a cold sweat breaking out across your skin. You didn't wait to see who the archer was. Driven by pure survival instinct, you snatched the trembling lamb from the bush, tucked it firmly under your arm, and sprinted away from the bloody scene as fast as your legs could carry you.
You burst out of the treeline, your heart hammering against your ribs, and crashed blindly into someone's chest.
You looked up, gasping for air, to see Phainon. He was dressed in his hunting gear, a heavy bow slung over his shoulder, looking down at you.
"What happened? Are you hurt?"
"There's a man... in the woods," you panted, your usual calm entirely shattered as you clutched the lamb tighter. "He tried to attack me. Someone shot him... arrows through his hands, and his neck. There's so much blood. We need to go back."
Phainon’s expression darkened, a chilling, lethal stillness settling over his features for a brief second before he masked it with a calm, reassuring nod. "Lead the way."
With Phainon closely at your side, you cautiously retraced your steps back to the thicket. But when you finally pushed through the bushes to the clearing, you froze in absolute shock.
The man’s body was completely gone.
The three black-fletched arrows had been ripped from the tree, leaving deep, splintered holes in the bark. The only thing remaining was a heavy, gruesome trail of dark blood staining the grass and pooling into the dirt.
"He's... he's gone," you whispered, staring at the empty space. "He couldn't have moved."
Phainon stepped past you, casually kicking a patch of dirt over the heaviest pool of blood to obscure it from your view. He looked around the quiet clearing, his face entirely unbothered, as if a brutal scene of violence hadn't just occurred in this exact spot.
"The wind is picking up, and it's going to get dark soon," Phainon said softly, turning back to you with a gentle, comforting smile. He reached out, lightly patting the head of the lamb in your arms. "Take the lamb back to your friend. I'll handle the rest of this."
You looked at the blood trail, then at Phainon’s calm demeanor. Still dazed by the sheer adrenaline, you nodded slowly, turning to head back toward the safety of the village.
Phainon watched your retreating figure until you completely disappeared from sight. The moment you were gone, the gentle warmth vanished from his face. He adjusted the grip on his bow, tracking the messy path through the brush.
----
The next morning, the village felt smaller, suffocatingly quiet after the terrifying incident in the woods. You walked beside Phainon as he effortlessly carried two heavy wooden buckets of fresh water back from the well. Even with the weight, his stride was perfectly synced to your slow, indifferent pace. You were lazily conversing about nothing in particular when the sudden, loud clatter of hooves echoed down the dirt road.
A lavish, gilded carriage rolled into the village square.
With a harsh tug of the reins, the horses ground to a halt right in front of you and Phainon, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. The carriage door clicked open, and a man stepped out. Dressed in suffocating layers of silk and velvet, he carried himself with an insufferable, nose-in-the-air arrogance that instantly made the atmosphere turn sour. He didn't even look at the village; his eyes snapped directly to Phainon.
"You there," the man barked, his tone dripping with disdain as if he ruled the very ground you stood on. "I am looking for a new personal guard. Pack your things. You will serve me now."
A cold spike of irritation pierced through your usual nonchalance. You absolutely loathed people who treated human beings like property.
"He's not a dog you can just whistle for," you spoke up, cutting through the man’s arrogant demands with dangerous, unbothered friction. "He stays here."
The noble sneered down his nose at you, disgusted by your defiance, but before he could snap back, Phainon stepped squarely in front of you.
"I deny the offer," Phainon said. "I serve only one person. And it will never be you."
The noble’s face twisted in rage, but with a dismissive wave of his hand, he stepped back into his carriage, his guards giving you both threatening, lingering glares before the carriage rattled away.
From the whispers of the lingering guards and the frightened murmurs of the gathered townsfolk, you quickly found out exactly who he was. He wasn't just a wealthy merchant; he was a powerful, untouchable noble out for a regional stroll, a man notorious for his corruption, a tyrant who seized lands, abused peasants, and treated the poor like dirt beneath his polished boots.
You and Phainon knew this wasn't going to be an easy rejection. Men like him didn't take 'no' for an answer.
Seeking an escape from the looming dread, you dragged Phainon into the village tavern. Frustrated and exhausted by the sheer injustice of the world, you turned to the alcohol once more, drinking wholeheartedly.
"If I had that kind of power... if I was that rich... I'd never let things be like that. I'd take everything he has and actually do something good with it. Corrupted bastards... they shouldn't even exist."
You drifted off into a heavy, drunken sleep a moment later, completely oblivious to the catastrophic shift you had just caused inside Phainon's mind.
Once he had safely carried you home and tucked you into bed, Phainon slipped into the pitch-black night.
The noble’s carriage and personal escort had set up camp in a private clearing just outside the village borders. Two guards paced the perimeter, torches flickering against the dark woods. They never saw Phainon drop from the canopy above.
He landed soundlessly behind the first guard. In a fluid, terrifyingly practiced motion from his days in the trenches, Phainon clamped a hand over the man's mouth, pulling his head back to expose the throat. A single, deep swipe of his blade silenced the man forever. Before the second guard could even turn around, Phainon closed the distance, driving the heavy steel blade upward beneath the man's jaw, straight into his brain.
He slipped into the secondary tents where the remaining crew- the driver, the servants, and the backup mercenaries- were sleeping. One by one, he ended them in the dark. The canvas walls of the tents were painted in dark crimson as Phainon cut through them. He wasn't angry at these men; they were simply loose ends that needed to be severed to protect your new inheritance.
Finally, Phainon stepped into the main, lavishly decorated tent where the noble lay asleep.
The heavy scent of copper and fresh blood preceded him, waking the tyrant. The noble blinked his eyes open, gasping as he saw a tall, blood-splattered shadow standing over his bed. He opened his mouth to scream for his guards, but Phainon’s hand plunged downward, pinning the noble to the mattress by his throat. The sheer force choked out the scream into a pathetic, wet gurgle.
"They're all dead."
The noble’s eyes widened in sheer, suffocating terror as he thrashed against Phainon’s grip. Phainon dragged the terrified man out of bed by his hair, throwing him brutally onto the floor. With his boot pressed heavily onto the noble's chest, Phainon reached into his jacket and pulled out a clean sheet of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill.
He dropped them onto the floor next to the man's trembling hands.
"I am going to give you a single chance to live," Phainon murmured, leaning down, "You are going to write a will. Declaring that upon your disappearance, every single coin, piece of land, and treasure you possess is to be legally transferred over to Y/N L/N. If you refuse, I will skin you alive in this tent."
Terrified for his life, the noble scrambled for the quill. With blood-stained fingers, crying and gasping for air, the tyrant frantically scribbled out the text, legally binding his entire estate, his generational wealth, and his vast treasures to your name, sealing it with his official family ring.
The moment the ink dried, the noble looked up, his face pale and wet with tears. "I did it... I did it. Please. Let me go."
Phainon picked up the parchment, blowing gently on the ink to let it dry. He inspected the seal, folding it carefully and placing it securely inside his inner coat pocket.
Then, he looked down at the noble. The gentle expression vanished.
"I lied."
Before the noble could even register the betrayal, Phainon’s hand darted forward. With a swift, brutal twist, he snapped the man’s neck.
---
The morning air was crisp, but you couldn't see the path ahead. A soft, dark cloth was tied securely around your eyes, blinding you completely as a pair of familiar, calloused hands guided you forward with absolute gentleness.
"Just a few more steps," Phainon’s voice murmured right beside your ear, rich with an excitement you had rarely heard from him since his return from the war. "I promise, it’s worth the wait."
You let him lead you, your usual nonchalant compliance guiding your steps. But as the ground beneath your boots shifted from rough dirt to smooth, polished stone, and the open-air breeze vanished into a grand, echoing warmth, a strange sense of unease began to settle in your stomach.
"We're here." he whispered, his hands moving to the back of your head to untie the knot.
The cloth fell away. You blinked against the sudden brightness, your eyes slowly adjusting to the sheer, breathtaking opulence stretching out before you.
You were standing in the grand foyer of a magnificent estate. Crystal chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings, and gold-leaf trim lined the mahogany walls. The floors were scrubbed so clean they mirrored the morning light, and every piece of silver gleamed. It was entirely vacant, save for the two of you, but it was pristine.
"Do you like it?" Phainon asked, stepping into your field of vision. His face was lit up with a terrifyingly pure, adoring smile. "It’s yours. All of it."
You stared at the sweeping staircase, your mind entirely blank. "Phainon... what are you talking about? I don't understand any of this. How could this be mine?"
"Because he gave it to you.. You remember him right? He left everything to you. I made sure of it."
The words echoed in your mind, and suddenly, the fog of the past few days began to clear.
You hadn't been living in a series of strange coincidences. You had been living with a monster who treated your every passing, careless thought as a divine commandment.
You realized just how incredibly, dangerously naive you had been. Your apathy had been his license to kill.
Before you could take a step back, Phainon glided soundlessly behind you. Unyielding arms wrapped securely around your waist, pulling your back flush against his chest. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply, his chest rising and falling in a contented sigh.
"I told you I'd always get you what you wanted." His grip tightened, locking you to him. "I would do anything for you. You have me now... the greatest weapon you could ever ask for. And it is entirely up to you how you use it."
He leaned up slightly, his lips brushing against your cheek before pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your shoulder. He pulled back just enough to look at you.
"I know you'll make the right choice."
The silence of the grand manor pressed in on you, forcing you to look at the two distinct paths stretching out from this very moment:
You shatter your nonchalance once and for all. You command him to stop.
You look at the terrifying power serving only you, and you take your chance.
Btw I loveee my life i hope you experience a life where youre not insecure about your identity, its aweeeeeessome🩷🩷🩷 one day you will be free of all your struggles and it will feel heavenly. (pasted cause im lazy)
If i had a nickle for each time u did this to some tumblr Phainon blog id have like 3 nickels? which is crazy. N e ways hope u heal and find peace genuinely!
The dead will wake up to inquire about the thunderous sounds echoing throughout the universe, spoiler alert its the sounds of his ass getting clapped ♡
*Leans on bugatti and lamborghini at the same time cause im like. 14km tall {standing on my money mb guys[still 7ft tall when im nit standing on my money(but im always standing on my money cause im just really rich lile that)]})*
Thank you so much!! This means a lot to me.❤️🩹🩵 i legit cant tell you how much asks and comments mean to me theyre the sole reason i post, i love when ppl enjoy my posts, it makes me really happy <3!! this motivates me so much. i will always try to post more and more🫶🫶
I got kinda too shy to post this LMAO so ill just leave it here since i know you match my freak...
ALSO I DIDNT MEAN FOR HIM TO GRAB THE ASS LIKE THAT I SWEAR I JUST ZONED OUT AND HE WAS HOLDING IT LIKE HES USHER😭 (ignore whatever fuckery y/n wearin i was too lazy to give em clothes😭😭😭😭😭😭😭)
Im drawing like im running out of time just to improve my art and make crazy ass level 1000 perv phainon ❤️🩹
I was giggling at this all the way home after my exam, like me?! Little old me?? You think I deserve to see your art?! I'm honored to be matching your freak! (˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
Also I have theory, what if while you're busy for a few seconds he himself moves his hands and grabbed reader's ass? Maybe him being self aware also means he's self aware in fanarts too! You can always share your art with me, it really makes me happy and honored ( ᴗ͈_ᴗ͈)”
Phainon does not realize he’s doing it, that’s the thing.
If someone sat him down and said, “Heyyy buddy, you talk about your spouse an unreasonable amount” he would blink, genuinely surprised, and go “I do?” before immediately following it up with, “Well, Dawnlight is remarkable...” smiling shyly while rubbing the back of his head. And that would be the end of the conversation!
It starts after you leave Okhema it first it wasn't in a dramatic way,no grand collapse. No visible unraveling, no sobbing on his knees, just…little things, gaps he doesn’t know how to leave empty.
The light over Okhema never fades, but it changes. Shifts in tone, in warmth, in sharpness and Phainon notices these changes more now since he doesn't have your pretty face to look at and giggle about all day..
“This is the kind of light Dawnlight prefers” he says during patrol one day, gaze drifting upward “Dawnlight likes it. Says it’s easier on the eyes..” Someone hums politely and someone else nods, no one thinks much of it.
But the next patrol, he does it again, then again, and again and again and again and—
By the end of the week, one of the guards quietly mutters, “He’s doing the thing again..” and another guard replies “Just give it ten seconds, he'll stop after a while” as they count under their breath.
But Phainon doesn’t notice the looks or maybe he does and just he doesn’t care because saying your name out loud makes the space beside him feel less wrong, like he’s trying to remember what your presence feels like, like you’re still here, just slightly out of reach.
In meetings, he leans over maps with that familiar furrowed brow, expression serious, thoughtful. “If Dawnlight were here” he says, tapping a route, “they’d tell us this path is too obvious”
A strategist hesitates. “Is…that based on previous data?” Phainon smiles “Based on knowing them!” The meeting moves on.
The Trailblazer meets him a few days later, already bracing themselves...Because traveling with Phainon is…a lot, it turns out.
The group pauses at a small plaza where sunlight glints off polished stone, casting gentle patterns across the ground. Phainon stops mid-step, hands clasped behind his back, staring off as though he’s lost in thought.
“Do you think…” he starts, then clears his throat. “Do you think Dawnlight would like this place?”
The Trailblazer tilts their head. “Uh…the plaza? Sure?”
Phainon shakes his head slightly, as if the answer isn’t enough. “No, I mean the light, the way it feels underfoot, the way the wind carries sound, they always notice little things like that.”
Dan Heng mutters under his breath, “We’re not here to impress your spouse”
Phainon doesn’t hear. He’s already crouching to examine a fountain at the center of the plaza, fingers brushing the water’s edge. “They’d probably sit here for an hour just watching it flow. And I’d—” He stops, flush rising to his ears “I’d make sure the water’s not too cold before they put their foot in and then maybe they'll give me a little kiss on my cheek for caring about them—”
The Trailblazer blinks. “You really like daydreaming about them huh..” Phainon straightens, embarrassed. “Yes! Of course! I-uh.. I just…I like thinking about how they’d react..”
Dan Heng pinches the bridge of his nose, turning away. As Phainon leans against the fountain, shoulders relaxing, voice soft. “I wish they were here, just for a moment, I’d show them everything..”
The Trailblazer exchanges a glance with Dan Heng, Dan Heng sighs “He’s impossible.” Phainon doesn’t hear either of them. He’s already murmuring, almost to himself, “They’d smile at this, I know it, I just know it…” And just like that, the plaza becomes smaller, quieter, warmer, because Phainon’s whole world is still centered on you, even when you’re not here (loser)
The first puzzle happens a few hours later. Ancient mechanism, stubborn as hell, Dan Heng studies it carefully meanwhile Trailblazer pokes at a lever.
Phainon doesn’t even hesitate. “If Dawnlight were here, they’d finish this in one try!” The Trailblazer snorts “Sure...”
“I’m serious!” Phainon says, earnest. “They’re very good at this sort of thing!” he says with his whole chest, looking all proud while bragging about you.
Dan Heng pauses “…Phainon”
“Yes?”
“…Never mind”
At first, it’s kind of cute! He sounds fond, not distraught. He smiles when he talks about you. There’s no bitterness, no anger just this constant, low level missing humming under everything he says.
But then it keeps happening, every obstacle turns into a story, every quiet moment turns into a memory. “This path is narrow” Phainon remarks. “I usually walk ahead in tight spaces like these to make sure it's safe for Dawnlight”
“You don’t have to, we're not them..” the Trailblazer says. “I know! ” he replies, cheerful “I just want to, it brings Beautiful memories of how I hold their hand while they lean on me from behind and—” Dan Heng exhales slowly through his nose.
Rest phases are the worst, there’s no night sure but there are intervals where the light softens, where people slow down, where bodies are supposed to reset even if the world never fully rests.
They sit beneath a canopy. The glow warms, gentles. The Trailblazer stretches. “We move again once the cycle shifts” Phainon hums. “Dawnlight prefers resting during this phase. Says it makes their thoughts quieter..”
“…Okay?” the Trailblazer says. Silence threatens to settle but Phainon fills it immediately “They always fall asleep faster than they think they will, it's adorable! You should see their face when they sleep”
The Trailblazer lies flat on the ground, already already giving up. Dan Heng tries to intervene exactly once “Phainon” he says, carefully. “Talking about them constantly will not bring them back faster”
Phainon considers this “I know” he says. Then, softer “But it helps me breathe and feel better..” Dan Heng has no response to that.
This guy talks about you when he’s calm, he talks about you when he’s irritated, he talks about you when he’s bleeding, laughing weakly as he waves off concern “It’s fine! Dawnlight would be upset if I complained!”
“You are actively injured” the Trailblazer says. “Yes” Phainon agrees. “They hate that, they hate seeing me like this, and I hate making them worry”
But back in Okhema? It’s even worse! He lingers near the gates during every arrival cycle, posture too straight, attention snapping up at footsteps that aren’t yours. Hope flickers and dies on his face so fast most people pretend not to notice.
He tells everyone about you, the blacksmith knows how you like the sound of forging when the glow is bright, the archivists know you steal Phainon’s warmth when reading, the guards know unfortunately exactly how you rest against his chest (maybe even how you suck on his nipples) like that’s where you’re meant to be.
Someone jokes that if you vanished entirely, Phainon would reconstruct you from memory alone, no one laughs very hard, because it’s obvious now, he’s not coping as well as he thinks. He’s doing everything right, smiling,fulfilling duties,standing tall as any Chrysos Heir should but without you, the space beside him feels wrong, too quiet, too empty, he's already messing your warmth...so why can't you just come back already?!
In his chambers, your things remain untouched,not out of grief, no no no! He just knows that you might get upset if he messes with your stuff and it's totally not because he imagines you using them and then putting them in that place and then setting next to him, as put your hand on his cheek before you kiss his lips and then— he totally can cope just fine..
He sits during rest phases, armor discarded, hands idle, whispering your name, As he rubs his face against a piece of cloth that belongs to you, his appearance is kind of sad and pathetic, but no one dares to say anything.
So when word spreads, quiet at first, then everywhere, that Aglaea’s mission succeeded, that you’re coming back—
Phainon doesn’t wait, just runs in the direction of the city gate, no composure, no dignity, just motion. When he sees you at the gates, his dignity doesn’t matter anymore, repetition doesn’t matter. Nothing really does.
He stops like he’s afraid you’ll vanish if he moves too fast, like you're not real, like he's still dreaming. “…Dawnlight ” he breathes, voice wrecked, already at the edge of sobbing.
Then he’s there, arms around you, holding on like letting go would be a mistake he can’t afford. “You’re here” he keeps saying. “You’re really here...Dawnlight is this really you? I'm not dreaming right?”
He presses his forehead to your shoulder, grip tight, unashamed “Don’t leave like that again!” he whispers. “Don’t go without saying goodbye!” You wrap your arms around him too, by now he's sure you're really real. “I did say goodbye” you murmur.
He knows, you did say goodbye and everything, even give him a kiss on his forehead. He just exhales a shaky laugh and says, “…Still”
Behind you, the Trailblazer watches, exhausted and fond. “So” they say quietly to Dan Heng, “he’s normal again?” Dan Heng watches Phainon breathe like the world finally makes sense “…No” he says “But this is as close as it gets..”
And honestly? Everyone can live with that, because Phainon loves loudly and now that you’re back, they can finally stop hearing about it (They absolutely won’t)
It's just something I wrote on the way home After my exam so I'm sorry if it's kind of bad, but luckily I don't really have anything tomorrow so I'll go back to writing the requests I have. My next post will probably be smut
