Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Phainon was in a rush, he quickly sprayed colonge on the most accidental places on his body, knowing it won't last the long night he has ahead of himself. He didn't even tie his tie properly, thinking he'll do it on his way to the graduation party at Cerydra's house. Cipher was already blowing up his phone with messages saying that shes waiting in front of his house with Cassie, alarms that lasted 5 seconds, at some point even beeping the car horn and screaming on top of their lungs that they're going to be late and Cerydra is going to behead all three of them for being late to her graduation party, Cerydra was the richest girl on campus, while both of them got the same degree in aeroengineering, Phainon knew that she was miles ahead of him. I'ts not like a guy who just got his ATPL and works as a flight instructor can be an equal to an aspiring astronaut. He quickly got into the car and didn't say a word, he just heard his friends muffled voices through the whole ride. These thoughts spiralled in his head so long, in the end he did forget to tie his tie properly.

-Phainon! Phai!!! STALL STALL!!!! - Cipher screamed once again, which woke Phainon up from his daydreaming state.

-We're here! You wouldn't want to miss it now, would you? - Castorice calmly added.

Both girls took Phainon by each of his hands and pulled him out of Ciphers beetle. After they got confirmed as invited guests on the entry phone, they were slowly on their way to the door, Cipher was skipping excitedly near Phainon. Considering that Cerydras front yard was about 300 meters long, they still had a while to talk about life.

-You'll never guess who's here! I've heard from the grapewine that Cyrene will be here to congratulate you in person! And even better, remember that guy whose bakery i stole from once and you had to pull up to get me? He'll be here too, apparently he's a soundcloud rapper of some sort now... No idea, if he puts on a performance while I'm drunk you'll have to hold me so I won't fall from laughing! - Cipher was screaming so loudly, even people resting in the pool could hear her.

-Cipher, he's a rockstar... Well, not really a star, yet. But I've been searching for young talents across Amphoreus. He was really nice during the interview, his music while not exactly my taste, it was just objectively good! I wrote a pretty successful article about him! Such a shame that his bandmates didn't appear.- Castorice happily exclaimed.

-Yada, yada, he can't be all that now, can he? He can make pretty good pastries but a jack of all trades is a master of none, besides, free food always tastes better! Just like here! I can't wait for the huge multi-layered cake! - Cipher opened the door so she and her friends could walk in.

-Free for you, I was the one who had to apologise and pay him back. If I didn't do it back then, he could've reported you and you wouldn't get a job as a police officer. - Phainons mouth was shut by Cipher's finger.

-Shhh! Shhh! Not in front of everyone! - Cipher was slating him through clenched teeth while Castorice was giggling.

-It's nice to see you! - Cerydra walked up to them with a blonde man behind her - Mydeimos, meet my fellow classmate, Phainon! I think you remember his friend, Castorice and... who are you?

Castorice was making all sorts of hand movements and whispering something indicating that Cipher was just her plus one, she had trouble talking to others in stressful environments. That's where the Mydei guy stepped in and Cipher froze in embarrassment. He greeted Castorice, while telling her that there's nothing to be afraid of and that he could introduce her to his friends if she still feels shy or uneasy. After that, he just looked at Phainon with an raised eyebrow, as if he was getting judged. Mydei noticed that Phainon has been staring at him all along, it's not like you see a guy in just his apron and pants on a formal graduation party! After a while he snapped back to reality and noticed Mydei's judging stare.

-I think we know eachother, yeah I think we do! What's up man, how's life? Haha, remember me? My name is Phainon! - Phainon was laughing awkwardly, reaching out his hand as if he was about to get dabbed up, which never happened. This man was looking him up and down while Cipher was trying her hardest to hide behind him. Castorice noticed how heated the situation got, even Cerydra didn't know what to do so she just stayed silent, with a mildly annoyed expression.

-Mydei! Forgot to tell you! - Castorice unexpectedly walked up in between them, pushing Phainon away with her hand.

- Remember the article? Each day even more people tell me that I should talk to you about releasing your songs on more platforms! They love them, I'm so glad you're getting the recognition you deserve! Oh, right, you should also give me the recipe for the wild berry honey cheesecake you gifted me for the interview! - Castorice surely was entertaining Mydei well. Only hearing their friends muffled voice, Phainon and Cipher could evaporate without any consequences, Phainon was even able to grab a random bottle of beer from the table.

-Cipher, I'm acting like a kid at this point. We should just get back and apologise as any other adult would, if he really is a souncloud rapper, then the worst he's gonna do is sampling our apology into a song, it's not like anyone is going to listen to his music! They care about his ,,talent" because he's rich! - Phainon started telling Cipher while drinking an apple flavoured beer in between his words.

-First of all, that is the worst kind of beer you could get, even if we were in a rush. The more important thing is that you can't get this emotional over a mediocore guy that you don't even know! - Cipher grabbed him by his shoulders.

- Listen, if you get sampled and people will actually listen to his music because he's a nepo baby, everyone will recognise your voice! And then you're the pilot, right? Just greeting your passengers? And all of them are screaming "oh that's the pathetic guy that Mydeimos sampled! Look at my pilot dawg we boutta crash!" And they will leave! - Cipher said all of this on one breath. Phainon just sat down on the stairs and sighed.

- I don't think he's that kind of guy. - he said, putting his head down and handing his beverage to Cipher. Both of them just had to sit in a disappointing silence for few minutes.

-What's gotten into you? - Cyrene was sneakily walking down the stairs, Phainon flinched as he heard his sister's voice after almost a year of not seeing her in person.

-Reny! It's been a hot while, how's your job as a journalist? Castorice has gotten into the same industry! - he got up to hugged her in an instant.

- Everything is going smoothly as per usual! If I heard everything right, my brother has a little crush on a guy! - Cyrene teased and Cipher gagged in shock.

-No, no, no, Cyrene, it's not like that, I'm deathly scared of that guy! - Phainon whispered and grabbed his sister's shoulders.

-Yeah? Why? He was insanely nice when I was talking to him, apparently he was the head chef for this banquet! You have to talk to him, make a move! It's not like he'll try to bite your tongue off! - Cyrene's teasing only got worse with every sentence. Phainon sighed while Cyrene handed him her mojito, noticing how upset her brother became, while Cipher was just staring at the absurd scene.

- We can go to the backyard for a quick cigarette to calm you down and talk about it, how about that? - After saying that, Cyrene made a hand movement indicating that all three of them should leave the house.

*

-C'mon, c'mon, get going! How can a journalist be faster than a police officer and a pilot? I thought they were testing your physical abilities while giving you your licenses! - Cyrene was giggling through the whole run. After they got away from the life of the party, Cyrene took out a pack of cheap, thick cigarettes out of her purse and started lighting one.

-So what seems to be the deal with the Mydei guy? I told him that my brother is the hosts classmate and that's why I'm here, he said that he wanted to meet the said brother and I assume he did meet him. - Cyrene started asking questions, smoking in between her sentences. After that she handed the cigarette to Phainon.

-It's not like I know him! He didn't even say a word to me, he just looked me up and down after I tried to introduce myself! - Phainon started panicking.

-Isn't that just what lesbians do when they like eachother? - Cipher jokingly asked.

-Yeah, that might have worked for you and Castorice back in highschool! Not when my friend has stolen baked goods from his bakery and I had to pick the said friend up and pay for the pastries that were gone! Let's talk about the elephant in the room, why are we even talking like I would like to be friends with that half naked show-off? You all saw him walking around without a shirt, in just his apron and pants! He's a weirdo! - Phainon was getting even more irritated with every word, his hands were visibly shaking as he hasn't smoked in a hot while and this amount of nicotine was clearly affecting him.

- In that case, why are you stressing out so much? If he really wanted a payback that consists of him beating you up, then he would've done so ages ago. He was probably looking you up and down because you look like an absolute mess. - Said Cyrene, while fixing her brother's tie.

- Besides, as the pastry thief that should be more concerned than you are, I didn't even notice that he's not wearing a shirt. Cyrene's right, you're dwelling way too much on it. - Cipher added, which embarrassed Phainon so much, that he dropped the dog-end of the cigarette onto the ground, stomped on it angrily and took a quick sip of his mojito that he almost spilled while running.

- Also, he saw us very clearly. Even if he's holding a grudge, it's not the kind that we should be worried about, just like Cyrene said. - Cipher took out her phone, being clearly tired of talking about the same man she doesn't even know for the past hour.

- Look who's been calling, obviously it's Cas! I'll go get her! - While Cipher was running away, Cyrene placed her hand on Phainon's shoulder.

- Look, if that guy is really that interesting to you, I can get him to have an actual conversation with you! It's nothing like you to worry about this guy that doesn't really seem to care. - Cyrene was also extremely bored at this point, but she knew that Phainon would never stop talking about the same thing.

-Oh look! Speak of the devil! - Cyrene gestured with her hand pointing at something behind Phainon.

-Cyrene, got a spare cigarette?

Chapter Text

Mydei was insanely casual about the party, as if he wasn't aware how influencial the host was. He must've been a close friend of Cerydra judging by his outfit choice that Phainon couldn't stop admiring. By the time he was done, Mydei has smoked half of his cigarette, he was laughing about something with Cyrene.

-And how about you Phai? - Cyrene asked while giggling and Phainon snapped back to reality.

-What were you talking about again? I'm a bit tired today. - Phainon tried excusing himself, knowing that Mydei saw him staring at him the whole time. Cyrene pinched Phainon's cheek teasingly so her brother won't embarrass himself and she will do it for him.

-If youre also adding hours you haven't actually flown into your pilot logbook! Mydei was looking for a co-pilot for Eurypeon's private jet and the said pilot faked his hours because no one wanted to hire him as an airline pilot! - Cyrene turned back to Mydei.

-Well, Phainon better hurry and get more hours in air so I can recommend him to you! A little birdie told me your first encounter wasn't ideal but he really is a responsible and trustworthy boy! I was the first person except his instructor to fly with him and I clearly remember him trying to figure out whether I was a case of hypoxia or just a victim of air sickness! Rest assured, he will care even more for his crew! - Cyrene winked at Phainon, he couldn't be more grateful for a sister that speaks so proudly of him. Phainon was nodding his head like crazy indicating that she's telling the truth. This whole time Mydei was simply raising his eyebrows in curiosity and softly laughed.

-I'm not buying that, Cyrene. You can recommend your brother to a cartel at best. I'm not getting on a plane with your blood relative, his ideas are probably even dumber than yours. - Mydei was being unnecessarily mean towards them, yet he didn't stop chuckling.

Phainon was constantly eyeing between them, not saying a word. Cyrene was awkwardly smiling and sweating, at some point even holding an eye contact with Phainon for a second, neither of them said a word.

-That would be really hard to become a cartel pilot, it's not like they're hiring anyone they find on the streets. They have to actually know you're trustworthy and they won't have to shoot you off. - Phainon was panicking, he knew that he couldn't meet fire with fire, so he just opted for correcting Mydei. Cyrene looked a bit disappointed, but knew that her brother wasn't the kind of guy to throw insults at strangers. To his surprise Mydei just smiled instead of rolling his eyes.

-Hold up now, you seem wound up, I wouldn't freak out that much if I were you. I'll get you a drink, how about that? Hope you don't mind me calling you a delivery boy even if you won't save your spot at a cartel.

-Yeah, it would be nice, mind getting me a regular vodka with a red bu-

His sister chimed in, interrupting Phainon in the middle of his sentence.

-Mydei you're so bad with words! How about deliverer? Sounds way more modest! - Cyrene started adding insult to injury. Both of them were giggling, Mydei grabbed Phainons shoulder.

-Don't take it to heart, would you mind helping me pick a drink for myself? - Mydei asked politely, as he was a completely different person than he was just seconds ago.

-Take me out to dinner first, would you? - Phainon laughed and looked Cyrene, she was smiling widely as she noticed how the two boys have warmed up towards eachother. She saw them walk towards the mini bar near the house, where Hysilens was talking to Cerydra.

*

-What's your problem with me, man? You keep bumping into me all the time, do this once more and I'll assume that you're into me! - Mydei hissed through his teeth, hoping Cyrene won't hear him.

-Hold your horses and quit flattering yourself, Mydei. I saw you twice, that doesn't mean all the time. Besides, I think you can see that I'm not into men. Why on earth would you even think that? - Phainon's tone changed dramatically from what it was.

-Relax man, never said that I wanted you. I was just weirded out by the way you act and how much your sister wants us to be friends. Even if you do like me, just don't make it my problem. - Mydei doubled down. Phainon was getting annoyed but just sighed, he wasn't fully sober and didn't want the argument to get heated, because that meant both of them would probably get into a weird drunk fight. By the time they got to the mini bar Cerydra went introduce her guests to eachother.

-Look, let's just get our drinks, shall we? We're almost there. - Phainon tried appeasing Mydei.

-Hi Hysilens, I'm thinking of a regular redbull with vodka, how about you, Mydei?
-Phainon walked towards the mini bar, greeting his colleague from their university's sports team.

-Nothing too strong, a regular pinacolada would be nice.

-Sure, be right back. But wait, I don't remember Cerydra purchasing any energy drinks, will a white monster do? I should have a spare one in my sports bag in her room. - Hysilens asked Phainon to which he just nodded and smiled towards her, while she walked towards the stairs.

To their surprise, Mydei and Phainon heard a girl screaming their names, Phainon instantly recognised Cipher's voice and ran towards her. She looked like a hot mess, she was visibly sweating as if she had danced for the past hour without a break, yet was even happier than on an average day.

-Get me to Mydei! I want to apologise just a bit better than you did! - Cipher was holding something behind her back, tapping her foot whether it was from stress or excitement. Mydei slowly walked up to them with a curious expression.

-What about me? I think we already know each other, don't we? - He was clearly unimpressed. That moment Cipher held up her pointer finger in the air and smirked, signalling that Mydei should wait for the apology. She was intensely searching through her bag, finally finding a lighter visibly covered with eyeshadow and a fake eyelash glued to it, which allowed her to show her gift.

-A blunt? - Mydei raised his eyebrow.

-Yeah, yeah, it's not much but Phai already paid for these damn pastries! You can't still hold a grudge against me! It was rolled by yours truly! - Cipher handed Mydei a lighter right to his face.

As soon as Mydei took the blunt and started smoking it, Cipher quickly grabbed her dirty lighter and ran off to the dance floor after she heard the word "cake", which would explain her being even more full of energy earlier. She ended up screaming something along the lines of "thank me later", but her speech simply turned into blur along the loud music.

Mydei passed his gift to Phainon.

-Want a smoke? It's a larger one and should last me like half an hour. - Mydei said, blowing smoke at Phainon's face. Phainon aggressively took the blunt out of Mydei's hand and took a hit, treating it like a competition. He barely held himself back from also blowing a smoke on Mydei's face, he was convinced of his good manners, even when he wasn't sober. He refused to give Mydei his blunt back for good five minutes, both of them sitting in an awkward silence.

-Man, I think that's enough for you for now. - Mydei took his gift out of Phainon's hand.

-Explain what was that about earlier? If you had a problem with me, I would expect you to just say it to my face! Who would've guessed that a soundcloud rapper would turn out to be an absolute pussy of a man. - Phainon snapped back at Mydei, which was very unexpected of him.

-Look, I don't need any apology gifts. You can't just try to dab me up after doing weird shit towards me! You know damn well why I was mean to you! - Mydei said, basically hissing the words out of his teeth, looking straight into Phainon's eyes.

-At the end of the day I didn't even touch these pastries! And I paid! Why are you so pressed about something that happened half a year ago? - Their faces were practically few inches away from each other.

-Drop it, it was because you were there. - Mydei said proudly, which made Phainon just tighten his jaw. Yet, their intense eye contact didn't break for a second, if somebody watched them from a distance, they would probably think that they're having a competition about who can go without blinking for the longest.

-We forgot about our drinks, Hysilens is probably waiting for me with the energy drink she promised.- said Phainon, just to break the awkward silence and to divert Mydei's attention, while he was clenching his fists.

-Fuck the drinks, you better tell me what's with the staring? What are you trying to prove? - Phainon's attention shifted quickly, while asking Mydei a question, he was insanely sure of himself.

-You're also staring, yet you're not doing anything about it. What does this say about you? - That's when Phainon tried to punch Mydei's face, which made Mydei back towards a wall, then charge towards Phainon and grab his arm.

-Listen, if you really want to fight, we can do just that, but I'm not embarrassing myself in front of so many people. - Mydei said, opening the bathroom door and yanking Phainon inside. Holding a blunt in his teeth for his dear life.

Phainon broke away and locked the bathroom door, instantly grabbing the blunt from Mydei's mouth, which made the cigarette filter fall under Mydei's tongue.

Both of them knew that the bathroom lights were too bright, they also had to be careful not to destroy Cerydra's house, in a room where even the sink felt like a dangerous obstacle. The music was heard through the walls.

Mydei spat the filter out, only to notice Phainon trying to punch his stomach in the spare time. Before anything happened to him, Mydei hit him with his shoulder, only to find that the back of his apron ended up untied by Phainon's sultry hands.

Half of the blunt ended up getting forgotten on the cold bathroom floor, while both men were trying their hardest to clench their teeth to not make much noise.

Even if their fight was mostly constructed of shoving each other because of their intense emotions, Mydei's lower lip was cut from the forgotten glass of mojito, that Phainon ended up crushing after carrying it for few hours straight. Phainon's nose was bleeding and his neck was red from Mydei attempting to strangle him.

Both of them were panting, a faint metallic smell of blood was present in the bathroom. They weren't even fighting at this point. Phainon was holding his fist right before Mydei's face, who was pinned against the wall near the shower.

That's where Mydei used his only chance, he slipped away from Phainon and shoved him to the mirror that cracked slightly.

Every second in the bathroom was feeling even more uneasy, both of them were sweating, finding it hard to breathe. This second, Mydei noticed how vulnerable Phainon looked with his loosened tie and buttons missing from his collar. All of that was caused by Mydei.

Phainon was basically passing out at this point, he just grabbed a piece of a paper towel and wiped the blood of Mydei's lips.

-That was good. You won. - Phainon was breathing heavily while Mydei stood in an absolute shock.

Phainon was clearly drunk, not even once has a man stood so close to him, yet he hasn't backed away, not even an inch.

-And you better not forget it.- Mydei scoffed, grabbing Phainon's face and wiping the blood from his nose with his palm.

They ended up staring right into each other's eyes for a while, which was so different from their behaviour just five minutes ago. After Phainon tried to lean back, Mydei grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, their noses almost touching.

-Stop staring, you can't be so full of pride that you have to keep looking at the loser for 2 business days. - That's when it happened, Mydei's lips touched Phainon's. Yet none of them leaned back.

-Even if anything happens, what happened in Cerydra's bathroom stays there. - Mydei said after breaking free from the kiss, feeling the heavy breath of his rival.

Just after that Phainon grabbed Mydei's apron by the collar and took it off completely, grabbing his waist and leaning for something more passionate.

Chapter Text

After leaning in, Phainon just froze with pure terror in his eyes. His pupils didn't move even by an inch. It felt like he just froze in time, as if something just clicked in his brain, something so important that he just couldn't do anything else.

-Already chickening out? - said Mydei, grabbing Phainon's face and smiling mockingly.

-Mydei, look.. - Phainon sighed and stepped closer to the door. - I don't think that I'm... Into men. I don't care if you're gay, but.. that's just something I cannot do. I kissed you just because I'm not thinking too well right now, you know? This amount of alcohol paired with a blunt really took me off track, sorry man. - Phainon started explaining himself, his monologue was getting even more confusing with each second, as if he had to overexplain everything, just so Mydei wouldn't feel hurt.

While Phainon was explaining how his parents are waiting for grandchildren and how he wasn't cut out for a life with another man, suddenly Mydei cut him off with a rather tired and obviously drunk voice, stumbling towards him.

-Phainon, can't you ever just.. quit talking? You're bad at excusing yourself.

-What..?

-You're really fucking bad at turning a man on, Phainon. The second you figure out what you actually want without changing your mind every minute, feel free to text me. For other than that, don't even try to bother me. - Mydei slid his business card in Phainon's pocket, then opened the bathroom door and slammed it right into Phainon's face.

Phainon for a split second saw Cyrene clenching her teeth and looking away in embarrassment, moving her arms in fast manner, signaling something to Mydei, then, in a very loud tone, she started scolding her brother, so loud, you really could tell that she wanted Phainon to hear it from inside the bathroom.

-Sorry for him, Mydei. He's a grown man, yet doesn't know any etiquette, you know? That weird playboy phase in highschool really took toll on him, he doesn't understand real, adult life now! Let me have a talk with that rascal! - Her voice was getting louder and more irritated with each second, she was insanely humiliated by her brother, even if she never knew the full story.

Just few seconds later, Cyrene stormed in and locked the door behind her.

-Reny, It wasn't half as bad as you think it was, i swear on god!

-Mate, you fucked up your date big time, for real this time. He was really into you! - Cyrene grabbed Phainon's hand and started waving it - That's what you'll have to do to your piloting career! Wave bye-bye! You disrespected this man twice, you're lucky that he's into you, otherwise, he would make sure that you'll never get a job! - Cyrece let his hand go, leaving a red mark from how hard she was squeezing her brother's wrist, noticing the blood on her brother's nose and the shattered mirror.

-.. I'm at a loss of words, you know? You're like a prime example of more luck than sense! Never in my life have I seen Mydei this bumming sad! He's usually as calm as a buddhist monk! What on god's green earth did you say to him? - Cyrene was unusually upset because of her perfectionist nature, even after making multiple flirting guides for Phainon, he failed miserably.

Cyrene's speech didn't seem half as serious as what she really meant. Even when she's mad, she knows that she shouldn't keep on stressing out Phainon even more, even if he let her down. She sighed and started buttoning Phainon's shirt and fixing his tie. This moment, Phainon finally spoke.

-I told him that I'm not gay. I have a whole life ahead of me, Reny. I can't just... waste it on a fleeting romance with a man. - Phainon said, while Cyrene was sweeping up the broken glass scattered all across the bathroom, not even looking at her brother. - Besides, it was pure lust! You're literally cleaning after our fight!

Cyrene rolled her eyes while dropping shattered glass into the bin and grabbed a makeup wipe from her purse. She started her monologue about romance while cleaning her brother's face so he could look at least half as presentable as he should.

-You're an absolute mess, Phai. Yeah, yada yada, I could tell you won't find a guy like this again anytime soon, but you really could've went easier on him. As far as I know him, Mydei doesn't get obsessed this much over meaningless stuff, that man has a big fat crush on you! Look how quickly he forgave Cipher! I don't know what exactly happened, but please don't ever try to mislead anyone interested in you. You're a good person, Phai, you can't just hurt people because you change your mind.

Phainon stood in silence, looking at the shattered mirror, finally coming back into his senses. He tried to defend himself by saying something, but Cyrene covered his mouth with the dirty wipe.

-You know he was willing to make up with you? Now you just confirmed his false belief of you! - She tossed the used wipe perfectly into the trashcan. - I get it, you're terrified of what just happened, you've never experienced anything like this, neither of you had bad intentions obviously. But first, he thought you were a weirdo, now you think he's a weirdo and as your wingwoman i really do feel like taking care of two bulls in a china shop!

-You're.. a what? - As Phainon spoke up, his sister covered her mouth and took a step back. Phainon decided to brush it off as Cyrene's playful teasing to lighten up his mood, taking out Mydei's business card out of his pocket and staring right at it.

-He told me to text him once I'm sure what I want to do with him. - Phainon said, clearly tired.

-Bold move of him, he really wants you, pal. But..be a decent guy now, alright? - Cyrene softly grabbed Phainon's hands, her tone completely changing. - Don't just do it for his parents' money or his career, think of what you really want, what if no one could judge you for going after him or any other man in that case? You pissed me off, Phainon, but I really get your point now. Just don't forget to text him someday even if you're not willing to get to know him, he doesn't seem like the romantic type on the surface, he might just wait for you. We'll talk more once we're home, it's getting late, we should go. - Said Cyrene finally opening the door.

After a while of saying goodbyes, Cassie walked up to them, asking them for help with carrying Cipher to the car. Cassie was also insanely mad at Phainon.
-She passed out during the trivia night, Phainon you dumbass! You promised we wouldn't stay for the quizzes because Cipher always smokes a fat one and says that it helps her think! - She said jokingly while Cyrene was hushing her, signalling that Phainon wasn't really in mood for jokes at the moment.

Cassie was driving the beetle as the only sober one, her and Cyrene exchanged stories in the front seats, while Phainon was too lost in his thoughts, wiping Ciphers' makeup, her head rested on his lap in a dark car.

-Yeah, you know, Reny? We almost lost the trivia game the second Cipher passed out, but this Mydei guy appeared like all pissed off and offered to join our team as a replacement! Thats the second i realised he's gay, no straight man can be this good during a trivia night. - Cassie relaxed her body while checking the GPS on her phone to make sure she drops Phainon and Cyrene off at their apartment, as she's not used to late night rides. - Anyways , where were you and Phainon when we needed you the most during the match?- she asked, turning the wheel with an exasperated sigh. - You two are like trivia gods! We were losing dramatically before Mydei stepped in!

-Phainon...got a food poisoning and I had to search for activated charcoal... Yeah, you know, the panna cotta caught up to him and he went as pale as a white man can. - Cyrene sighed, looking at Phainon right after saying that for the confirmation, fearing that her lie won't pass. Phainon sticked his head out so Castorice could see him, nodding really fast, with a fake feared expression on his face.

It seems that Cas has believed them, as she just eyed Cyrene, pointing at the steering wheel with one hand, moving her mouth as if she really did not want to ask if she had to drive faster. Cyrene shook her head and at this moment, Castorices' phone screen turned to a different color, someone was calling her and that mysterious someone was Mydei.

-Mind picking that up for me and putting it on speaker? - Cyrene's hands were shaking, yet she took the phone and picked up.

-Cas.. I'm totally wasted but Hephaisteon suggested another interview next week, about the new album. Besides, you're like.. One of the best journalists out there, we'll pay you, is that okay? - Mydei said, visibly exhausted through the phone speaker.

-Mydei, it's 4AM, get some rest. I'll check my schedule tomorrow and text you back, alright? - said Castorice, somehow keeping a professional tone. - But what's up with you tonight? You never called me for this type of stuff, that's what your manager does! You also never throw money just to appear in my studio, what's going on with you, Dei? - Cassies facade finally cracked, showing that she's clearly concerned for Mydei.

Cyrene's and Phainon's hearts were pounding with stress, both staring at each other with fear in their eyes until they heard a muffled, bitter sound of a sigh on the speaker.

-Nothing happened, Cas. Really, no worries, I'm sleeping at Cerydra's house tonight so I'm in great hands. I just really need that interview right now, you know? Please, just show me your schedule tommorow, aight? Night. - Said Mydei, while in the backgroud everyone could hear the screams of his bandmates, telling him to man up, get a grip and all sorts of things.

Before Cas could fully say "Goodnight.", Cyrene has hung up and put the phone where it previously was. The silence in the car was suffocating, that's when Castorice started asking questions. Cassie glanced into the rearview mirror, her eyes narrowing as she tried to catch Phainon’s stressed gaze.

-What is going on tonight? First, you two seem way too stressed out about a food poisoning, when you could've stayed at Cerydra's place, but you didn't. That would explain why Cyrene hung up when Mydei mentioned staying there. Something between you and Dei, Phainon? Hm? - Castorice spoke, seeing that Phainon literally froze in his seat, and Cyrene looking out the window, both not saying anything, until the very moment they heard yawning.

-Cas, baby... - a muffled, incredibly groggy voice groaned from the very back of the car. Phainon jumped in his seat, even though hearing his saviour, Cipher relieved him from the interrogation.

-Did I do good at trivia tonight? If so, could you please order that multi-meat pizza... You know? Chief's favorite? - Cipher asked, obviously tired, while Castorices' gaze softened and she left out an exhausted sigh in disbelief, agreeing to take Cipher to a 24-hour diner after they drop Phainon and Cyrene off. This unexpected wake up really saved them a lot of stress, as the topic vanished into thin air, even if both Cyrene and Phainon knew, that Cipher will be the next interrogation target.

After that car ride that felt like forever, Castorice finally dropped them off at Phainon's place. As both of them got out of the car and Phainon was searching his pockets for the keys, his sister broke the silence.

-Phainon, we need to talk.