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Mydeimos was on the run.
He was exiled from his own city and exiled from his own birthplace by his own father. He had to save himself from his own suffering from the Sea of Souls, ripping himself apart from those luring ghosts that tempted him into the afterlife. And now he was a lone wanderer, aimlessly circling the city that he could no longer return to, while being fueled with the flames of revenge.
He had spent almost his entire life outside, abandoned and all by himself. Mydeimos had to learn how to live by himself, fend for himself, and survive by himself. He had been living like this for years, ever since he was exiled as a child. With his curse of immortality constantly bringing him back from the arms of death, Mydeimos has remained, vigilantly growing stronger and stronger with every passing day. He was a grown man now, fighting off the Black Tide monsters and his own people who chased him out of ever approaching the city.
These repeating cycles and days filled with fights and bloodshed was just the new normal for Mydeimos. Where could he go to escape such a Fate? He had already concluded long ago, as a young child, that such a thing was not possible for someone like him. For he had been cursed by Fate, with the prophecy stabbing him in the back, and his own family, who subsequently left him to die. It seemed that nothing would ever smile upon this poor, Kremnoan child, who meant nothing to anyone in this empty world.
Although he was immortal, he was constantly outnumbered, and he had no wish to fight the other Kremnoans. It would just be an endless stream of war and violence that Mydeimos could never end. As much as he wanted to avenge himself and take back his fate from his father, Mydeimos knew that this goal alone would be a futile task if he had to fight the other Kremnoans, who obediently followed the King's orders.
He has accepted long ago that his Fate lay out here, in this forest, where something or someone will eventually pierce through his tenth thoracic vertebrae. He will die in these forest grounds in complete solitude, with his body returning to the soil beneath his feet and reappearing at his home, the Sea of Souls. It was the place where he first started and struggled from, and the place where he had begun this arduous journey of survival; is it not where one begins that one calls home? Mydeimos was sure his name had already been erased from the records of Castrum Kremnos. The Sea of Souls was far more acquainted with the person named Mydeimos than Castrum Kremnos ever would be.
It was any other day out in the vast forest, hacking and slashing down the Black Tide monsters that had covered his path. Gold dripped down his limbs as blood seared his vision, but his life consisted of nothing but exactly this. Mydeimos was gasping for breath, corpses littering around his feet, to the point where he could not even see the fallen leaves that had been strewn all over the floor. All that mattered to him was that the path was now clear, and he had to keep moving forward, lest someone found his presence. It was dark outside, and not a soul could be seen. Did Black Tide monsters even have souls? It didn't matter to Mydeimos; all that mattered was if they were hostile or not. Nothing else mattered in his endless dance of survival.
He had just stepped over a pile of corpses when the snap of a stick echoed in the air. Whirling himself around and sidestepping the lifeless bodies, he raised his arms and braced himself for an attack, but he only saw a flash of white dart across his vision. With wide eyes, he followed the flash of white and could faintly make out a large animal piercing and shaking the arm of a Black Tide monster that had somehow escaped Mydeimos’s grasp.
The Black Tide monster crumpled to its feet, screeching into their ears as the animal released its grasp. It lunged once more, sinking its sharp canines into the monster's shoulder and emitting a howl from the monster. Mydeimos watched, completely still, as the animal tore this creature to its knees, toying with its final breath before it slumped to the floor. And then, it was completely still in the forest. Completely silent, just as it was supposed to be.
His breath hitched in his throat when the animal turned around and locked eyes with Mydeimos in the dark. It was a large, fluffy, white wolf. It glowed under the moonlight, with its fur shimmering in Mydeimos’s eyes. But what intrigued Mydeimos the most was that it was spotless, clean, with nary a sign of living in the wild. Mydeimos was sure that even his physical appearance was messier than that of this wild animal. Mydeimos has seen many wild animals over the years; how else was Mydeimos supposed to eat while living in the forest? But he had never laid his eyes upon one that almost mimicked a majestic being that had descended upon this land, stepping down from even the moon itself. How was its coat so shiny and spotless? How could it have fearlessly toyed with a Black Tide monster? There was only one thing that pounded in his brain as the animal approached him.
He needed to run.
Whirling around on his feet, he bounded over the corpses of the Black Tide monsters, sprinting in an empty direction and heading for wherever the moonlight shone. If the wolf decided to follow him, Mydeimos would at least have an advantage where there was more light, and he could actually see his surroundings. Wolves could see very clearly in the dark, and Mydeimos would just be asking to return to the Sea of Souls once more if he had waited for the wolf to attack first.
Could he win against a wild animal? Of course he could, but it wouldn't be as easy in the dark where he could barely see while being surrounded by trees on all sides. He needed to go somewhere that was open, where he had more space to swing at this wolf and move around. Wolves were too accustomed to hunting and fighting in the dark, and Mydeimos needed to tear that advantage from its grasp. He could also tell, from the first glance at this wolf, that it was no ordinary wolf. He could not underestimate it in the slightest.
Rustling followed his feet, and he knew that the wolf was chasing after him. There was nothing Mydeimos could do but continue in the same direction, weaving between trees and shrubs as the wind whistled in his ears. The wind pushed back his golden bangs as if trying to stop Mydeimos, but he had no choice but to continue onward with his feet carrying him as fast as he could. His ears picked up the sounds of cracking branches, breaking leaves, and heavy pants, and Mydeimos knew the wolf was approaching closer and closer. If the wolf so much as jumped up to bite at him, Mydeimos's life may just end right then and there.
To a wolf? A mere animal? Mydeimos inwardly scoffed. He was never going to let that happen.
He broke through the crowding of trees and ended up at an opening in the forest. An expansive lake lay across Mydeimos’s vision, sparkling under the moonlight just as clearly as the animal that had stopped behind Mydeimos. He turned around at the wolf that had halted its steps a few paces back from Mydeimos, with part of its legs still submerged in the darkness of the forest. Did it realize it was at a disadvantage if it stepped out into the empty space before him?
Mydeimos was catching his breath, waiting for the wolf's first move, but it continued to gaze up at him with blank, ice blue eyes. It took one hesitant step forward, but Mydeimos narrowed his eyes at the wolf, completely unmoving. It wasn't until the wolf was fully basking in the moonlight that it let out a whine and settled down onto the floor, gazing up at Mydeimos.
What was it doing? It chased him down the whole way through the forest just to lay down and stare up at him? Was this the same wolf that was toying with the Black Tide monster until it crumpled to the floor, or did it switch with a completely different wolf while it was chasing Mydeimos?
He took a step forward, feeling the lifeless leaves crunching under his footsteps. They echoed in the silence, and the wolf's ear twitched but did not move. Mydeimos took another step forward and another, but the wolf continued to silently gaze up at him. Mydeimos could even reach out his hand and set it upon its little head with how close they were now, but the wolf didn't get up from the ground.
Its fur was soft. Too soft for any wild animal to have. Mydeimos grazed his fingertips through the thin fur at the top of its head and let his hand fall to the nape of its neck, tussling the longer fur that was down its back. The wolf barked, causing Mydeimos to tense, but it seemed to be permanently rooted to the floor.
“Did you follow me all the way here just to be pet?” Mydeimos chuckled lowly to himself. His hands had abandoned all hesitation and were now fully grasping the fur of this wolf, combing through the long and soft fur that adorned its body. The wolf was unmoving underneath his hand; he could only feel the rise and fall of its body with every breath of the cold, night air as it continued staring at Mydeimos with its equally cold, blue eyes.
With one last pet between its lowered ears, Mydeimos pushed himself off the ground and glanced around. Due to the chaos of running away from this very wolf that lay at his feet, he was unsure of his orientation in reference to Castrum Kremnos. He still lingered around its borders but never approached its front gates. Now that he was chased around through the forest, he didn't know where he was anymore. Mydeimos was taking in his surroundings to see if anything looked slightly familiar, but he couldn't recall ever seeing such a grand lake in all his years of being on the run. The last time he had ever seen such a large body of water was the Sea of Souls itself, but this body of water lacked any sort of wailing ghouls or lamenting souls. Mydeimos was never fond of water because of his experience with the Sea of Souls, but he could make do with spending the night under the moonlight for tonight.
His ears picked up rustling next to him, and as Mydeimos tried to sidestep away, he paused upon seeing the wolf nuzzle its snout underneath Mydeimos’s relaxed hand. Its snout was icy, wet, and left Mydeimos’s hands feeling extra cold under the night sky, but he continued patting the wolf on top of its little head like it asked for.
“Are you sleeping with me tonight?” Mydeimos softly smiled down at the animal who was lavishing in Mydeimos’s attention. Mydeimos didn't really mean for the wolf to actually stay with him, but as he tried to find a place to settle for the night around the lake, the wolf was obediently trailing behind him. He couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped him as the wolf swished its tail behind itself while Mydeimos tried to find a place to sleep.
“Will you attack me tonight?” Mydeimos had found a sturdy tree to lean against. It provided adequate shade for when the sun would rise tomorrow, and he wouldn't have to worry about its stability being compromised. The wolf had curled up by Mydeimos’s side earlier when he had asked if it was staying, but the wolf barked loudly at him in response to this new question. It was so loud and abrupt that it even disturbed the water's edge at the lake that spanned in front of them.
Mydeimos raised an eyebrow, patting the wolf so that it would settle against his side once more. “Do you understand me?”
A soft whine escaped the wolf as it rested its snout upon Mydeimos’s hip. Well, if the wolf happened to attack him, just let it be anywhere but his tenth thoracic vertebrae. Those were the last remaining thoughts on his mind as he rested his head and back against the tree and let unconsciousness consume his entire being.
The sunlight beating down against his eyelids roused Mydeimos from his slumber. Although the tree did provide the shade he was looking for, he could not stop the sunlight from illuminating the entire space around him. The lake twinkled under the sun's rays with every ripple across its tranquil surface, and the trees were as beautiful as they could be during the Month of Weaving as they rustled under the slight breeze that swept through the land and his golden hair. After spending years out in this forest, he had learned to tell the days and months apart just based on the environment, the season, and the stars above him. The fall harvest had just concluded, and the leaves were beginning to fall from their branches of origin.
At his side, the wolf was no longer there, but there were berries, fruits, and leaves scattered at his feet. He scoffed to himself, plucking one of the berries and plopping it into his mouth. Did that wolf leave these here for him? Not only did the wolf neglect to take his life while he was in a fit of slumber, but the wolf was also serving him breakfast? He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not, but his favorite fruit, pomegranates, was just one of many that sat at his feet.
It was a leisurely morning for Mydeimos, cracking open one of the ripe pomegranates and digging into the seeds. He didn't even have to go out and gather any food today, and he got to sit back, relax, and enjoy how the sun was reflected against the disturbed water that rolled in waves. Wait, disturbed?
The fruits and berries rolled off his lap and crashed to the floor as he shot to his feet. There was someone in the lake. How did he not see them before?
He narrowed his eyes, but he was too far away to see any distinctive features. Were they a Kremnoan? It wouldn't make any sense to see any other person around this area except for a Kremnoan, considering that Castrum Kremnos was nearby. But Mydeimos believed this area to be too far for their regular patrol. Maybe someone decided to venture out here from Castrum Kremnos? The only thing he could see was that this person was bathing in the lake, but he really couldn't see any other distinctive features except for white hair that shone brightly in the sun. From the frame of the other person, they were most likely a man, but the person’s back was facing toward him.
Carefully bending down and gathering the fruits and berries that did not splatter against the floor, he snuck back into the darkness of the forest, allowing the shade to hide his presence. It would be bad if he ran into anyone, let alone a Kremnoan, and he would rather be safe than sorry. Did that person see Mydeimos? It wasn't as if Mydeimos was particularly covered or anything when he had fallen asleep. Were these fruits and berries from that man rather than the wolf? If so, he should try to get rid of them. Although poisons could not take his life, he would rather not have to see the Sea of Souls again.
The trees rustled a little too loudly behind him to be the wind, and he shot out a fist, whipping around and colliding straight into a hand that had caught his fist. With widened eyes, he tried to punch the man straight in the stomach, but the man dodged backwards.
“Wait!” The man raised his arms, stepping backwards. Mydeimos’s heart was racing as his eyes quickly took in the appearance of the other man in front of him. Based on his white hair, broad frame, and naked body that was dripping in water, he could only assume it was that man who was bathing in the lake.
Mydeimos narrowed his eyes, taking in more of this man's appearance. Bright white hair, ice blue eyes, and a sun tattoo that blossomed from the side of his neck. Was it Mydeimos’s imagination, or was his tattoo glowing? And were those animal ears on top of his head? Were those even real? He could tell this man was a warrior, or at least knew how to fight, from the way this man carried himself and how sculpted his body was, but he didn't seem like a Kremnoan to Mydeimos. If he were, the man would not have stepped back and raised his arms in surrender.
“What do you want?” Mydeimos growled, locking eyes with ice blue and bracing for impact.
“I–I–Wait, I don't want to fight!” The man took another step backward.
“And how can I trust you?”
“Didn't you see the food I set for you?”
“How do I know they're not tainted?”
“Didn't you eat one?!”
“I may be fine now, but who knows about later?” Mydeimos coughed, swiping the remnants of the pomegranate that had littered his lips. If they really were poisoned, it would hit him in a few quints sooner or later.
“Just give me one. I'll eat one right here.” The man held out his hand. Mydeimos still had the pomegranate he was previously eating, so he tossed it over to the stranger. He confidently ravaged at some of the seeds before handing the rest to Mydeimos.
“If it's poisoned, then we both die.” He waved the pomegranate for Mydeimos to take, and with narrowed eyes, Mydeimos obliged.
“You never answered my question. What do you want?” He spat at the stranger. He couldn't imagine that some random man trying to approach him in the middle of nowhere would have any good intentions.
“You don't remember me?” The man in front of him deflated, with his shoulders sagging and his lips pouting. The animal ears on top of his head even lowered. Were those really, actually real?
At the incredulous question, Mydeimos’s eyes roamed the man's naked body another time. “If I met anyone with hair such as yours, I would remember–”
He paused, his shoulders tensing at the fluffy white tail he could barely catch swaying behind the man. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? There was no way, right?
“You really don't remember me from last night?” The stranger’s hands, which were previously raised in the air, fell to his side.
So, it was true.
This man standing in front of him was the same wolf that had toyed with a Black Tide monster and chased him through the forest just to beg for pets the previous night.
“Why are you…” Mydeimos’s voice trailed off as he took in the man's arms, hands, legs, feet, and… At the sight of what hung between his legs, there was no doubt the being standing before him was, indeed, a man. Despite the animal ears or the tail that swished every now and then behind him, the person standing before him resembled more of a man than the wolf he had spent time with last night.
“So you do remember?!” At the slight indication, his tail-wagging increased at lightning speed, with the wolf ears shooting straight up.
Mydeimos couldn't help his eyes from watching the wagging tail behind the man's back. “I… Why… How…” In all his years of roaming around in the wilderness, never had he seen such a sight. Was he, perhaps, still dreaming? Was Zagreus playing tricks on his eyes? What month was it? No, it was the Month of Weaving. It wasn't yet the Month of Fortune for Zagreus to be on funny business.
The man smiled, taking a step forward, but he flinched when Mydeimos took a step back. His ears and tail drooped, and Mydeimos had to stop himself from laughing.
“I… was cursed,” the man began to explain. “I don't know which Titan, but I was a wolf who was granted the body of a human.” His hand rubbed the side of his neck that contained the sun tattoo. “I was branded with this mark, which was when the curse began. I can transform between wolf and human form, for whatever reason.”
Mydeimos frowned. Was he telling the truth? Did Titans really take particular attention to individual humans, err, wolves, that roamed the earth? Enough to curse a singular wolf? He could only imagine Georios, the Titan of earth, would care. But that would be the last Titan to pull something like this. Based on the branding being a sun, he could only imagine the Titan would be Aquila, Titan of the sky, or Kephale, the World-Bearing Titan. He also couldn't imagine either of them concerning themselves with a small, little wolf out of millions of other beings.
“And you choose to roam the earth as a wolf rather than a human?” Mydeimos raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Is it because that is your true form? The one you are most comfortable with?”
“That and… Humans don't really… have these ears or tail…”
The tail shyly vibrated behind him as if it were trying to hide itself, and Mydeimos had to cough to stifle his laughter.
“Then why are you human now?”
“It's just easier to bathe.”
Mydeimos scoffed. What a simple reason. Is that why the wolf's fur was so unnaturally soft? The man was just bathing in the lake, so it wasn't as if Mydeimos could call him a liar.
“How did you learn human speech?”
“I learned from the patrolling guards you run away from.”
Mydeimos paused in his interrogation at the mention of the Kremnoan guards. “You… know that I am avoiding them?”
“Well, you seem to try to avoid their sights whenever possible.”
“Why have you been following me?”
The man grew rigid, his smile freezing under Mydeimos’s nasty glare. “Um… I… Well… You… I…” The man's voice eventually died in his throat as his bright, blue eyes glued themselves to the floor.
“Fine.” Mydeimos whirled around on his feet and began venturing back through the forest, and the man behind him scrambled.
“Wait! Wait! You helped me out one day, okay?!”
Mydeimos stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder at the man who latched onto his wrist as if he were about to bolt down through the forest again. “I helped you?”
“Those… err… Black Tide monsters, as you all call them? I was injured one day, from them, but you saved me from them,” the strange man rushed to explain. “I… don't think you even noticed me lying there in the darkness, but it was because of you that I learned how to defend myself against them.”
“So you decided to follow me ever since then?”
“Okay, you don't have to make it sound so creepy.” Much to Mydeimos’s amusement, the man’s face bloomed red. Even wolves could feel embarrassment, apparently. “I just… wanted to help.”
Mydeimos scoffed. “I don't need any help.”
“But that Black Tide monster almost got you yesterday!” His raised voice made Mydeimos flinch. “It almost… Your back…”
There was no way the wolf even figured out his weak spot, right?
“My back?”
“I… noticed you tend to try and protect this spot.” A light brush of his fingers ghosted Mydeimos’s skin, and shivers ran down his spine at the light touch. He ripped his arm away from the wolf, trying to forget the tickling sensation that trailed his spine.
“You must be mistaken,” Mydeimos spat.
“I've been following you for a long time!” The wolf cried. “It's… I don't know why, but it's just something I noticed. I couldn't help but jump in when I saw the monster was going for that spot on your back. I usually try to keep out of things, I swear!”
Mydeimos resigned with a sigh. “How long have you been following me?”
“Maybe…” The man before him began fidgeting in place, with his ears drooping and his tail quivering behind him. “A couple of years ago? Since you saved me?”
Another deep sigh escaped Mydeimos’s chest. “Fine, whatever. What do you want from me?”
“I…” The man continued gazing at the floor. Mydeimos was so amused at his defeated tail behind him. “I just… want to help you.”
“What if I don't need any help? Will you leave me alone then?”
The man's head shot up, and Mydeimos could see the faintest shimmer along the corner of his eyes. “I would… continue to follow you in the dark.”
Why was Mydeimos feeling so sorry for this stalker wolf? Was it because of how pitiful he looked? Or was it the way his tail was trembling behind him, or the ears that drooped in Mydeimos’s presence? If he was just going to continue following Mydeimos no matter what he said, then there was no point in casting the man, or wolf, away.
“My name is Mydeimos.” He stared resolutely into the wolf's eyes. The wolf was quite large, so he wasn't surprised that his human form standing in front of him was just as tall as he was. “I don't think you have a name.”
The man shook his head.
Mydeinos hummed. He couldn't ever forget how the wolf’s coat shimmered so brightly under the moonlight, and the man's white hair perfectly mimicked that. “Something white? Something bright, maybe? How about… Phainon?”
“Are you… letting me stay by your side?” Despite how pitiful the man continued to appear, his tail started swishing with much fervor behind him.
“Getting excited, are we?” Mydeimos laughed, eyeing the tail that was only increasing in speed. He couldn't stop his hand from running through the man's hair right between his ears, just as he did with the wolf just the previous night. “Would I give you a name only to leave you be?”
“Mydei!” The wolf lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Mydeimos so tightly that he could barely even breathe. Mydeimos was furiously slapping the man's back to release him, but a laugh rumbled through his chest once more at seeing how violently his tail was swishing back and forth.
“My name… is Mydeimos,” Mydeimos could barely manage to correct him while feeling his abdomen being squeezed to pieces.
“It's too long,” Phainon mumbled against the crook of his neck, pouting into his skin. “I'm not used to saying names yet because I didn't need to. My… Day… Most?”
“Mydeimos.”
“My… Dee…”
“Mydeimos.”
“... Can you say it a bit slower?”
“My–dei–mos.”
“My… Mydei… One more time?”
“Okay, just stop.” Mydeimos pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just call me Mydei. I don't care enough.”
“Mydei!” The drooped tail from failing to call his name correctly returned with much fervor, wagging excitedly in the air while his shortened name was called over and over again. “Mydei! Mydei! Mydei!”
Mydei rolled his eyes while still within the arms of Phainon. Maybe the shortened name will attract less of the Kremnoans’ attention.
“What have you been wandering out here for, Mydei?” The enthusiastic tail had slowed down and was now languidly swishing back and forth.
His hand found Phainon's hair, grasping at his strands as he had done with the wolf's fur last night. “I… am just wandering.”
“Without leaving this area?”
This wolf was way too perceptive for his own good.
“It is my hometown,” Mydei murmured. “My birthplace. The ruler of this city is my father, who abandoned me in the Sea of Souls.”
“I would never abandon you, Mydei,” the wolf grumbled into his neck.
A quiet laugh left Mydei’s lips. “I know you wouldn't.” Somehow, with less than a day of spending time with this wolf, he truly felt, deep in his heart, that those words were true. Phainon would not leave him so easily.
“Are you trying to go back home?” Phainon's tail was still leisurely swinging behind him, brushing through some of the leaves that had scattered onto the floor.
Mydei didn't want to answer that question. Of course, a part of him still yearned for a home. A home that wasn't the Sea of Souls, where he had visited more times than his own birthplace. He wanted to settle somewhere in tranquility and have a normal, day-to-day life. A life that didn't involve fending off monsters almost everyday and trying to find a suitable place to sleep. He didn't need to be a King, like his father; all he wished for was peace, quiet, and a comfortable place to return to. Although he did want to take revenge against his father, he had no desire to fight anyone else. It was an impossible ask for someone who was by himself.
“Mydei?” Phainon’s words broke his thoughts, and Mydei let out a deep breath.
“Not necessarily. I would just like a place where I could peacefully rest.”
The arms around him suddenly squeezed around Mydei’s waist, and Mydei swore he was already seeing the Sea of Souls again. “You're not dying on me, Mydei!”
“I didn't mean… I actually meant to rest and relax, not die!”
Phainon immediately released his vice grip on Mydei, and his vision of the standing trees returned to him. “I thought you meant peacefully resting as in dying…”
“Yeah, I realized.” Mydei scoffed. “You're not the only one who is cursed.”
Phainon's head raised from his neck as his adorable little pout was fully in Mydei’s view. “You're cursed too?”
Mydei nodded. “I am cursed with immortality. Do not tell a soul that the very place I am protecting on my back is the only way to truly kill me.”
A sharp gasp left Phainon's pouting lips, and a hand slapped right onto Mydei’s back, right on his tenth thoracic vertebrae. “I won't tell a soul!”
Mydei flinched, electricity rushing through his veins at the feeling of Phainon's spread palm pressing hard into his weak spot. Because it was his weak spot, and because Mydei was always careful of that spot, it was extremely sensitive. Mydei’s face burned furiously as he squirmed from Phainon's big hands, trying to escape this strange feeling that was swirling in the pit of his stomach.
“Yes, so please.” Mydei swallowed thickly, trying to ease his blush. “Don't touch it.”
“I'm sorry!” Phainon whipped his hands back to his side as if Mydei were on fire, which Mydei really did feel like he was on fire from how much his stomach was flaring from that one touch. Sure, Mydei hasn't conversed with another person for years, but was his body really craving that much human attention that he reacted to one measly touch against his back? Did this wolf even count? But Phainon's hands were definitely warm and big and… His fingers were quite long, and… He definitely had quite the body, but… Did he still count?
Mydei cleared his throat, glaring at the man who had his tail straight up as if he were the one who got electrocuted. “Just… Be careful. You can touch it but… carefully.”
Phainon nodded his head enthusiastically. Little did Mydei know that he should have been more specific and told him to never touch his back, but Mydei didn't know about that at this moment in time as he pushed past Phainon and made his way back to the lake.
“Where did you find those fruits from? They tasted good.”
“Over here!” The man rushed to Mydei’s side, latching onto his arm and pulling him while Mydei felt the wind behind him from Phainon ferociously wagging his tail.
They spent the majority of their morning scavenging through the bushes and trying to account for the fruits and berries that Mydei had splattered onto the floor from when he had tried to escape the strange man bathing in the lake. Mydei had draped a cloak over Phainon’s naked frame now that he was dry, because after he had so… sensually touched Mydei earlier, his eyes kept trailing down the man's naked body against Mydei's own wishes. He cursed to himself every time he caught himself, tearing his eyes away from a certain body part, with the man innocently asking Mydei what was wrong every time.
“Nothing is wrong,” Mydei growled for the umpteenth time as he pushed himself to his feet and walked in the complete opposite direction of Phainon. He needed to get that man better clothes, or Mydei was going to go insane. He had never realized how much his body was deprived of another warm body until this very moment. He acknowledged that he was a grown man who had forgotten the touch of another person, but a dog?
They settled at the spot where they had fallen asleep the previous night, snacking on the fruits and berries they gathered together while deciding which part of the forest they should hunt in for food for the rest of their day. Phainon pointed in a certain direction, saying that he could smell the scent of more animals in that direction, and Mydei let him run off. Unbelievably, he saw the man morph into a cloaked wolf right before his very eyes, but before he could even react, Phainon had already ventured off into the woods.
He wasn't exactly thinking of it, but his hands instinctively moved to his pants the moment Phainon was out of view, palming his erection that refused to settle the entire time he was gathering berries.
Mydei needed to get the blood back into his brain before he ended up fucking a dog because Phainon was driving him insane. Phainon and his stupidly broad shoulders. Phainon and his stupidly large hands. Phainon and his stupidly long fingers. Phainon and his stupidly warm skin. Phainon and his stupidly adorable smile. Phainon and his stupidly soft hair. Phainon and his stupidly cute tail and his cute little ears. Phainon and his… that was definitely not little.
A curse skipped out of Mydei's lips as he dug into his pants to unveil his pulsing erection that had been suffocating in his pants. One pump of his hand, and Mydei was already a moaning mess, throwing his head back into the tree he had slept on last night as his hand continued its ministrations. His back was arching, hissing at the touch of his warm hand grasping his length. It had been a long time since he had touched himself, Mydei must admit, but he couldn't believe he was getting off to the image of a wolf that had somehow cemented itself right into Mydei's life within the span of a single day.
His body couldn't forget the feeling of his long fingers spreading along his back, ghosting his tenth thoracic vertebrae as if he was almost caressing him there. Mydei slapped his other hand over his mouth, moaning at the sensation of Phainon's fingers dragging along his back, pretending that the hand that was wrapped around his leaking cock was actually his large hand instead. His heartbeat was ringing in his ears at the image of ice blue eyes peering down at him while Mydei made a mess of himself. Those ice blue eyes that were watching Mydei moaning into the air through parted, red lips and watching Mydei leak all over his twitching dick.
Mydei’s legs were trembling violently against the floor. He was already close. It had only been a few minutes, but that familiar pleasure was already swirling in his abdomen as it flexed to stave away the oncoming orgasm. He was gasping and panting into his hand, moaning a certain name while quickening the pace of his fist. He was tightening his hand around his cock, with his own precum acting almost like a lubricant. Squeezing his eyes shut, he envisioned broad shoulders and a white head of hair towering over him, taking him however he pleased.
Why did he give that dog a name? It only gave Mydei an excuse to moan something while he was getting the cum fucked right out of him. While that man fucked himself deep inside in Mydei’s head. He could feel his hole twitching desperately in his pants, crying for something to fill him up so much that the breath would be stolen right from his lungs. His other hand crept underneath his scrotum, pushing at his entrance that was already fluttering with need, but nothing could compare to how good it felt to feel his finger finally submerge in his tight, pulsing warmth. A wanton moan ripped through the air as he began pumping his length and feeling himself inside, with his warmth fluttering around his finger with every movement against his walls. He couldn't go as deeply as he wanted to with the way he was sitting on the floor, and his back arched at the feeling of another finger being blanketed by Mydei's insides. They were massaging against his digits, yearning for something bigger that could reach him so deeply that would leave Mydei panting and crying.
Titans, Phainon was so big. His eyes had stared so hard at Phainon that he remembered every single curve and ridge and vein on that guy's length. That curve would hit directly where Mydei wanted it to, and his girth would stretch him wide enough for Mydei to see stars. He couldn't stop the groan that shook his chest at the thought.
Phainon. Phainon. Phainon!
Shoulders growing rigid, legs trembling, and vision turning white, Mydei's body jolted forward as he emptied himself right onto the ground. Pleasure was running through every single one of his limbs, with goosebumps rising on his skin at the endless amounts of electricity rushing through his veins. Moan after moan and curse after curse left his lips as his cum splattered on the floor in front of him, right between his open legs. His back was arched as his body quivered with every pump of cum that spilled from his tip, and he was left gasping for breath as his body shook for air to fill his lungs as he came down from his high.
Mydei could not believe he just did. Mydei could not believe he just did that.
He tore off his clothes and jumped into the lake, letting the freezing cold water permeate through his mind until he could no longer breathe. It felt like he was drowning, but he was trying to remove literally every thought of that man out of his mind. Mydei tried to scrub himself off of his cum and of every thought of that white-haired man, wolf, whatever he was, while underwater, while the cold temperature shot through every part of his skin. It felt as if spikes were repeatedly stabbing into his every being as he washed himself down under the water, and he soon emerged with a loud gasp for air, splashing water all around him as he shook his golden hair.
“Mydei!”
Mydei swept the golden bangs from his eyes as he saw Phainon running after him with the cutest downturned eyes Mydei had seen in years. He was back to his human form now, wrapped in the cloak that Mydei had forcefully draped over his body.
“Did you finish?” Mydei definitely finished while Phainon was away; that was for sure.
Phainon nodded, falling to his knees at the edge of the lake. “Are you okay?! I heard a loud splash and ran over.”
“I'm just taking a bath. It's not worth worrying your head over.” Mydei was just definitely worrying his head a little too much earlier, but he wasn't about to tell this man kneeling and pouting in front of him or else he would ask for the source of his worries. “Do you, as a wolf, eat meat raw? Or do you, as a human, cook it?”
“I've done both!” Phainon jumped into the air. “I'll go cook it while you bathe!” The man dashed off as quickly as he came, so Mydei used the chance to actually take a proper bath before emerging from the lake. He waited for himself to dry off in the afternoon sun before dressing himself back in his clothes. They were clothes that he had stolen from Kremnoan guards when he was still growing, as he could no longer fit in his own clothes the more he grew older. As a result, they were just scraps of clothes that loosely hung on his frame, draping down and barely covering much of his torso. At least he was able to steal actual pants, but it was a good thing he was basically indestructible and didn't need much armor to protect his body.
Mydei approached Phainon, who already had a campfire going as he carefully roasted the meat that he had caught. He glanced over at the pile that Phainon had collected, and he gathered enough for dinner too. Phainon was truly quite the obedient and enthusiastic man; was Mydei saving him really that much of a big deal that he would follow him for years afterwards?
“I can take it from here.” Mydei tried to reach out for the stick that the meat was stuck on, but Phainon deftly dodged his hand.
“Just sit down, Mydei. I can do it.”
“If you caught the meat, let me cook it.”
“It's fine!” A soft laugh filled Mydei’s ears as the man continued to cook the meat. “I… want to prove myself to you.”
“Prove yourself to me?” Mydei raised an eyebrow at the man in front of him, who was slowly turning red.
“I noticed you weren't looking at me earlier,” Phainon muttered. “You wouldn't tell me anything either. How am I supposed to know what's wrong if you don't tell me anything?”
Mydei just wanted to grab his ears and point them straight up. Why were they drooping like so? Was he really that saddened over Mydei not looking at him? He wasn't looking at him because his naked body was making the blood in Mydei's body rush immediately to the warmth between his legs.
A heavy sigh left Mydei's chest. “Nothing is wrong. I told you.”
Phainon’s ears were drooping so much that they were practically folding against his head, burying themselves into his white hair, and Mydei clicked his tongue. He despised how easy it was to see just what Phainon was feeling in his heart.
“You just… reminded me of my birthplace.” Mydei recalled their previous conversation before they had begun to gather breakfast. “I don’t want to go home; rather, I would like to sort things out with my father before settling somewhere in peace and quiet.”
“Sort things out?” Phainon was blowing on the meat, and Mydei had to stifle a laugh at how his cheeks puffed up with every breath.
With his smile fading, Mydei answered Phainon’s question: “I want to kill him.”
“I’ll help you.”
Golden eyes widened at his simple statement. “What?” Mydei was expecting a pause at most, or maybe just silent, wide eyes to stare back at him. Maybe he was expecting further questions of clarification, or questions about his relationship with his father, since all Phainon knew was that he was exiled by him. But Mydei was not expecting an immediate offer for help.
“I’ll help you.” Phainon easily tore the piece of meat in half and handed one side to Mydei.
“You’ll help me?”
Phainon nodded his head, his wolf ears no longer drooping. “He left you out here. You don’t deserve that at all, Mydei.” As he was taking a bite, he paused in midair before exclaiming, “Wait, maybe I should thank him because I got to meet you!”
Mydei rolled his eyes and took a bite out of the meat Phainon had so graciously cooked for him. It was a little burnt, but it was nothing Mydei couldn’t get over. In fact, it was quite a delicious piece of meat, and Phainon had taken the care to gather it with as little mess as possible. He was quite the considerate one; he should’ve shown himself to Mydei way earlier instead of trailing him around like a lost puppy for years.
“Is it good?”
Mydei hadn’t realized that the man was watching his every move ever since he tasted Phainon’s cooking. He was eagerly staring at him with wide eyes, batting his long eyelashes at him, but it only made Mydei want to mess with the poor wolf.
“It’s fine.” Another bite landed upon his tongue, and Mydei almost choked at seeing how saddened Phainon looked. His ears immediately dropped, and the tail that was leisurely swaying behind him could no longer be seen at how still it became. A pout formed upon his lips, and the man’s eyes glistened. How dramatic.
“Isn’t ‘fine’ a good thing?” Mydei huffed at the man.
“I wanted it to be perfect,” Phainon muttered. His hand lowered, and Mydei realized he needed to say something or else the sad little wolf wasn’t going to eat anymore.
He reached over, brushing his hand through Phainon’s white bangs. “It’s good, Phainon. I was just kidding.”
“Really?”
Mydei nodded.
“You’re not kidding this time, right?”
“Just eat your food, or I will.”
“Yes, Mydei!”
Mydei scoffed at how heartily Phainon began tearing into his food and how much his body shook from his tail wagging behind him. Mydei couldn’t believe he was even getting himself off to this easily pleased, innocent man, whose main goal for the day was just to cook their food well. He hated how much his chest felt warm at watching this man ravage healthily into his food, how the ears atop of his head perked up and twitched with every slight sound in the distance, and how his tail swayed with the wind. Mydei needed to know how long a wolf’s lifespan was, as his brain had already become accustomed so quickly to this man’s presence.
They continued eating their food in silence, with only the sounds of the crackling fire filling the air between them. Although it was a sunny day, the air was still quite cold, and Mydei could only hope that the thin cloak he had covered Phainon with would be enough to keep him warm. Was he used to having a fur coat most of the time?
“How come you don’t turn into a wolf anymore?” Mydei softly smiled while leisurely watching his tail swaying behind him. “You only turned into one when you went to hunt for food.”
“I can’t talk to you when I am a wolf.“ Phainon grinned, and Mydei cursed at his heartbeat that reacted so strongly to his smile.
“Is that so?” Mydei hummed, ignoring the rattling in his ribcage. “Did you ever change into a human while following me for all those years?”
Phainon immediately shook his head. “It was easier to hide myself as a wolf rather than as a human. I’m still not entirely used to the human form.”
“That makes sense.”
Phainon nodded, gulping down his last remaining pieces of meat. “So, when are we going?”
Mydei raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“To kill your father.”
He coughed, and Phainon scrambled to gather lake water to help Mydei soothe his throat. Mydei adamantly shook his head, pushing Phainon’s floundering hands away. “It’s not… It’s not that simple.” Mydei was clearing his throat and taking deep breaths to settle himself.
“It’s not?” Phainon furrowed his eyebrows. “Can’t we just run in there and kill him?”
“He is the strongest man in this city.” Though Mydei couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him from Phainon’s simple plan. “I also do not wish to harm any others who get in my way. I am only there for my father’s head and my father’s head only.”
“I see.” Phainon frowned, swaying his head in tandem with his tail behind him. “That does make things more complicated.”
“You’re quite eager to kill my father.”
“He has done my Mydei wrong!” Phainon exclaimed, almost jumping to his feet at his own excitement and anticipation. “He deserves to be punished! And… And you won’t be able to live in peace for as long as he is alive, right?”
Mydei nodded. “That’s right.”
“So, we should take him out as soon as possible, right?”
“It’s not that simple, Phainon.” Mydei had to pat his hand atop the man’s head to ease him back to relaxing on the floor. “We have to think of a way to get in there without alerting anyone else, and we also have to fight the strongest man in this city. Neither task will be an easy feat.”
A deep breath left Phainon’s lungs as he sank back into the floor. “Is that why you’ve been wandering around this city instead? You can’t bring yourself to leave, but you can’t bring yourself to go in?”
His simple, plain question struck a chord in Mydei’s heart. Why didn’t he just leave? This city didn’t need him anymore; the city and its people had lived for years and years without Mydei’s presence. Couldn’t he have just started a new life elsewhere? Instead, his younger self had swum from the depths of the Sea of Souls, fighting the temptation of the abandoned souls, and bringing his feet back to the very place that had left him to die. Why couldn’t he bring himself to leave? Was it because it was his birthplace? Was it because that throne was rightfully his? Was he really that eager to avenge himself and bring his father to the Sea of Souls himself? Mydei wasn’t sure what it was; all he could bring himself to admit was that he could not tear himself from this place even if Phainon had forcefully dragged him away.
“I don’t know why I’m still here,” Mydei admitted.
Phainon stayed silent, gauging Mydei’s unreadable expression. His tail continued to swish languidly behind him as the silence crept over their conversation once more.
“Would the two of us be enough?” Phainon broke the silence as he slightly changed the conversation. “Would we both be able to fight against your father?”
The Black Tide monster from the previous night flashed through his mind; Mydei needed to remember that Phainon was ruthless and not just some tiny, little, innocent wolf. “With the two of us, we have a much better chance than I alone. If the layout of the palace had not changed since I was young, then we should be able to sneak in without much effort.”
“We should catch them by surprise!” Phainon flew toward the pile of food he had scavenged for dinner and pushed a random stick into Mydei’s hand. “Why don’t we go in a couple days’ time? They won’t see us coming, right?”
At his eagerness, Mydei’s eyes slightly widened. “You don’t want any more time to prepare?”
“What more time do I need?” Phainon nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “If the two of us have a better chance, I don’t see why we need to wait.”
“If we fail, they will be more on guard than ever,” Mydei sharply warned. “That will also mean they are on the lookout for, not just me, but for you as well.”
Phainon hummed, crawling over to Mydei’s side. “I wouldn’t mind being on the run with you too.”
Mydei coughed. He hoped Phainon didn’t notice how much his ears burned. Clearing his throat once more to forget Phainon’s words that echoed endlessly in his mind, they spent the rest of their day drawing up the palace’s layout in the dirt, memorizing the different paths they could take, the usual patrol route on the time and day they wanted to act, and the King’s weaknesses.
As the sun began to set around them and the air became chillier, they even spent most of their dinner discussing different strategies and working out various ways they could fight together, as neither man had truly fought with the other. Mydei wouldn’t exactly count when Phainon had lunged for the Black Tide monster that was about to swing from behind him. They practiced well into the night, and Mydei was quite impressed that the wolf even knew what battle strategy was in the first place. If Phainon really wasn’t on his side, it was good instincts on Mydei’s part to run when Phainon had locked eyes with him as a wolf last night.
“Will you bathe with me, Mydei?”
“What?” The sudden question had caught him off guard, and Mydei instinctively flinched due to his… previous lake activities just earlier in the day.
“Well–I–” Phainon’s ears dropped. “I just… I don’t know… We were running around all day trying to practice different fighting strategies. We might as well take a bath while we have a lake here.”
Mydei scowled. “Two baths in one day?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Phainon returned the frown. “You’re telling me I bathe more than an actual human?”
With a click of his tongue at his taunting tone of voice, Mydei began tearing off his clothes, and he could faintly hear the other man cheering in the back. A flash of white darted past Mydei’s eyes before quickly being followed by droplets of water splashing across his cheeks and a loud crash into the lake. Brushing the stray droplets from his face and sweeping his golden bangs from his eyes, Mydei could see Phainon excitedly waving at him from the lake. Rolling his eyes and discarding the rest of his clothes, Mydei joined him in the cold water.
“Do you get colder as a human?” Mydei submerged his limbs into the icy temperature and felt it permeate through his very blood.
“Definitely.” Phainon nodded. Only his head could be seen above the water's surface now. “It's so cold with no fur to cover me.”
“Why did you even suggest taking a bath then?”
“Because I wanted to take a bath with you, Mydei.” The soft smile that was sent in Mydei's direction, along with his innocent words, were going to send him spiraling.
Ignoring his pounding heartbeat, he quickly washed himself off before exiting the lake. Mydei didn't bother looking back at the other man as he was leaving, but it wasn't long until splashes could be heard right after his exit.
“You don't have to follow me everywhere.” Mydei had meant for it to be a simple, plain statement, but when he turned around, he almost jumped to cover the man. He was shivering so violently, with his entire body bare and bracing the night wind, and his ears and tail were drenched and pointed toward the floor. Mydei quickly draped him with the cloak despite the man still being soaked in the lake water.
“Did you really not want to take a bath with me?” Phainon whispered as Mydei was in the midst of drying his sparkling, white hair.
Mydei's hands paused momentarily before resuming his ministrations. “Is that why you followed me out?” He chuckled quietly. “I am not fond of the water is all. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Is that why I take more baths than you?”
“You do not have to keep bringing that up.”
“Is there a reason you hate water so much?”
He sharply inhaled at the question, pondering if he should even continue entertaining this man. But they had already sworn to take down the King together, so it wouldn't do harm to add more fuel to the fire. “My father threw me into the water when he exiled me. It took a long time for me to save myself. That is all.”
“You make it sound so simple.” Phainon weakly chuckled, but his eyes were looking anywhere except for Mydei. “You always make your suffering sound so… normal.”
“It is just the state of my life. There is nothing I can do about it.” Mydei had dried off the rest of Phainon, but for some reason, his hands continued to stay attached to his body. With the cloak still draped over Phainon’s head, his hands roamed over the fabric, sliding against his broad shoulders and his neck and drying the sun tattoo that was glowing in the dark. “Maybe you were lucky you were born as a wolf and did not have to suffer through the trials and tribulations of an average human.”
Phainon was still glancing downward; Mydei could tell even without seeing his ears and tail that they were drooping. “I wish I were born as a human so you wouldn't have had to be alone for so long, Mydeimos.”
Mydei chuckled lowly. “What? Would you have killed my father when he tried to banish me?”
“Yes.”
Mydei smiled at the simple answer. “Thank you, Phainon.”
“I would've made it so that your father did not exile you, and if I didn't make it in time, I would've saved you from the water.” Phainon's lips were quivering, and Mydei wrapped the cloak tighter around his shivering frame. “If I didn't make it in time either, I would've made it so that you did not have to learn how to survive in the wild and grow up all by yourself. I would hunt for you, cook for you, and fight for you. And we would take back the throne together.”
Although Mydei was still naked himself, his main priority lay with keeping this man warm first as he wrapped his arms around Phainon's shoulders, shielding the man from the night breeze. “Thank you, Phainon. Truly, I mean it. Thank you.” Mydei whispered. He hadn't realized how close he had become to the other man, and their noses were almost brushing against each other. “You also said my name correctly back there.”
“Mydei?”
“You said ‘Mydeimos.’”
“I definitely said ‘Mydei.’”
Mydei rolled his eyes with another laugh escaping him, but as he was retracting his arms, two warm hands had crept from underneath the cloak and attached to Mydei's waist. Mydei jumped at the sudden touch as he was pulled underneath, with the cloak wrapping around both of their bare frames. Despite how thin it was, it still covered them from the cool winds, but what really heated his body the most was Phainon's body ghosting over him. Mydei gulped, attempting to look anywhere except for the ice blue eyes that stared straight into his being.
“Aren't you cold?” Phainon's warm breath ghosted over Mydei, and the warmth sent shivers down his spine. His shaking frame only made Phainon push him closer, and he stumbled under the cloak, his breath hitching in his throat and his eyes growing wide at the lightest and faintest touch of Phainon's skin against him.
“Phainon–” Mydei tried to push a hand between them, but it felt as if his limbs had lost all their strength underneath this thin cloak. His hand rested against Phainon's warm chest, and he could hear his sporadic heartbeat through it.
“If you're cold, you can stay in here?”
Mydei flinched at his breath that sent shivers down his spine and tingled against his lips. He could barely hear the man standing in front of him anymore over his own heartbeat that was filling his ears and pounding against his chest. He was breathing heavily, trying to calm his burning cheeks and look anywhere except for the man holding him firmly around his bare waist. His hands… fit so perfectly around him.
“I should–” Mydei swallowed thickly. “–get dressed.”
Two strong arms released Mydei, and the cold, night air surrounded his body once more, leaving him feeling colder and emptier than he had started. Phainon gave him a small smile before picking up Mydei's clothes for him and handing them over.
“I meant what I said.” Phainon held out his hand with Mydei's clothes folded neatly in his grasp. “If you're cold, you can have this cloak back. I can just turn back into a wolf.”
That's what he meant by stay in there? Not that they would both stay in there together, but Phainon would leave him the cloak? No, no, no, what was Mydei thinking? Was he really hoping he would share the cloak with Phainon? While they were both still naked?
Inwardly shaking those embarrassing thoughts out of his head, Mydei dressed himself back into his ragged clothes. Meanwhile, Phainon was already laying down some spare sheets and rags he had found while hunting as a place for them to sleep for the night. They were still near the lake, since none of the Kremnoan vanguards had found this place yet, but Mydei was getting quite used to seeing the water now. Although he still didn't like water, somehow the serenity of it under the moonlight and watching it shimmer in this tranquility made it seem like everything was okay. It almost seemed as if he had finally found his peace and quiet. Somehow, he wouldn't have minded it if Phainon had asked him for even a third bath that day.
“Mydei!” Two hands tugged on Mydei's hand, and the warmth spread throughout his fingertips and up his arm, swirling deeply in his chest. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized he was just standing still, staring at the lake before him. Phainon's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he settled in the space next to Phainon, sitting on the makeshift bed.
Phainon removed the cloak from his shoulders and draped it over their laps like a blanket. “If you don't want to see the lake, I'll hide you.”
Mydei scoffed, with that persistent warmth flaring in his chest. He turned his head away and refused to look at the source of his burning heat. “I don't need to hide from mere water.”
“It doesn't hurt to look away for a night.”
A gentle hand brushed against his ear, and Mydei jumped, biting his lip and burying any noises that were about to escape his throat. His eyes shot over to Phainon, who was pushing some of Mydei's hair behind his ear, but he quickly retracted his hand once he had locked eyes with Mydei.
“Sorry,” Phainon mumbled. “Let's just go to sleep.”
Golden eyes watched the white-haired man settle under the cloak, but he looked so dejected with his ears pointed downward that Mydei couldn't help a sigh leave his chest. He brought a hand up, brushing his fingertips through his white hair and rubbing at the base of his saddened ears.
“I don't mind you touching me, Phainon.” Mydei's face burned once he realized the implications of his words, and he quickly added with a clear of his throat, “Just warn me next time.”
Phainon's eyes were closed, reveling in the scratches that Mydei was giving him. He hummed and nodded, which Mydei took as a sign of acknowledgement. It was Mydei's turn to settle under the cloak, with his back facing the other man, as Mydei was unsure if his heart could handle staring at him the entire night. He shut his eyes and waited for the night sky to immerse him in a deep sleep, but for some reason, despite how long they had discussed their plan against his father and sparred together, he wasn't exhausted at all.
“Mydei?”
It seemed the other one wasn't tired either. Humoring him, Mydei grunted to let him know he was still awake.
Phainon's voice behind him continued. “Can I touch you?”
At the straightforward question, Mydei couldn't help his entire being from heating up under the cloak. He did tell him to warn him, but why was this suddenly more embarrassing? “Do what you want.”
The slightest touch of hot fingertips ghosted over his back, and the sensation left electricity rushing through his veins as Mydei gasped sharply. His back immediately straightened at the touch, while Phainon continued pressing his hand deeper against his skin.
Mydei wanted to whip around and tear his hand away from that specific spot, but his brain was too busy focusing on the pleasure that pooled in the pit of his stomach. “What are you–”
“I was just curious.” Phainon's voice was deep and husky, and Mydei swore the tone of his voice shot straight into his groin. “If this spot felt different from anywhere else.”
His body was trembling under Phainon's hand as he continued massaging into Mydei's back, running delicate fingertips along his spine and swirling into his skin. Mydei wasn't sure if Phainon even noticed that he was shaking under his touch; did he just assume it was Mydei being cold?
Mydei was biting his bottom lip, straining not to release any noises as his body continued to quiver. The front of his pants was getting tight, and goosebumps were erupting all along his back with each delicate, sensual touch from the other man that grazed Mydei’s skin so lightly that it left him craving more. His hands were fisting the fabric they were lying on, swallowing his moans down, while Phainon's thumb circled the small of his back.
“Are you… done?” Mydei inwardly cursed at how weak his voice sounded, but it was so hard to speak when all he wanted was to groan into the air and ask for more. He wanted to ask Phainon to press harder and deeper, and his body was craving for so much of his hot skin to run along his body that he had even begun sweating in anticipation.
No reply came from the other man. A hand settled at his waist, sliding up and down through the clothing that Mydei could only manage to wear on one shoulder. Phainon had crept his hands inside and was feeling more of Mydei's torso, running his digits along his abdomen and lightly tracing the lines of his muscles. Mydei was hot–too hot. He was burning under this cloak, and his desperate, panting body could no longer feel the night breeze that swept through their hair. His breath was hot, and the breath against the back of his neck was hot as he was feeling Phainon's presence creeping closer and closer to his back until they were pressed against each other. He could feel the lines of Phainon’s muscles pressing against his back, and Mydei was quivering in Phainon's hold as he brought a hand up to his mouth to stifle whatever dared to slip out.
Both of Phainon's hands were now freely roaming inside of Mydei’s shirt, but he could barely feel it over the heat that was circling in his stomach. Phainon had gone from delicate touches to more needy grasps, pushing both of their bodies together and sliding against him. Two digits suddenly pinched one of Mydei's nipples, and he couldn't stop the spark of electricity that rushed down his body as he moaned into the night breeze, arching his back and pressing into something hard rutting against his behind.
What was Mydei doing? Was this really happening? The sounds of his sporadic heartbeat were filling his brain along with the gasps and pants that echoed in his ears from behind him. Something fluffy had wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer against the other man's body as a tongue lapped out against the back of Mydei's ear. Mydei jumped, biting his lip once more to stifle the needy whine that filled the space between them, but that was long abandoned when another hand had snaked down his other side to palm at his other nipple.
Mydei was a moaning mess. He was groaning into his hand and shaking within the arms of Phainon. He could hear the other man panting and sucking against Mydei’s skin, whispering his name along the goosebumps that he roused. His nose was pushing Mydei’s golden hair out of the way so he had more access to leave kisses down the back of his neck and his shoulder, all while pinching and rolling Mydei’s pointed nipples. He hadn't even realized that he was pushing against Phainon's body and rutting into what Mydei could only assume was the other man's erection, and the groan that filled his ears was so, so lovely. It left Mydei wanting to hear more of Phainon's voice, and he ran his fingers through Phainon's tail to pull the man closer.
“Mydei…” One of Phainon's hands crawled down Mydei's body, pushing against his lower stomach. His fingertips were dipping underneath Mydei's waistband, and he could barely hear Phainon's next words over the ringing in his ears from his heart. “Can I? Please?”
Mydei shakily opened his mouth, but only desperate whines and gasps escaped his lips as Phainon slid his fingertips back and forth, running his hand through the golden hair that was below his waistband. Mydei was squirming, thrusting, and trying to silently communicate to the man how much he wanted Phainon to go lower. He shouldn't have put on these pants; he should've just crawled under this cloak completely naked and let Phainon do whatever he wanted to him.
At the lack of response, Phainon hesitantly slid his hand lower, brushing against Mydei's length. The light touch against his hot skin made another moan echo against the lake as Mydei threw his head back, resting the back of his head against Phainon's shoulder. Phainon took it as a sign to keep going, his digits further creeping down while his other hand pulled at his pants until Mydei was completely exposed under the cloak. With his pants now gathered at his ankles, Phainon had free rein to do whatever he pleased.
“I saw you earlier.” The large hand that Mydei had been fantasizing about practically all day was finally wrapped around his hard cock, and Mydei spasmed at the pleasure that filled his body all the way down to his toes. He was barely processing what Phainon was whispering against his ear, as Mydei's body was too focused on the tight pumps that Phainon's warm hand was giving him.
“You called my name. I thought you were in trouble, so I sprinted over.” A fingernail grazed his slit, and Mydei jolted, moaning over whatever Phainon had just said. Mydei was shaking with his eyes squeezed shut. He didn't want to know that they were just outside for anyone to come by and see, but the mere thought of that left him squirming in Phainon's grasp as he dug his hands into the fluffy tail that was wrapped around him.
Phainon jumped, a soft moan pressing against his ear as Mydei fisted his tail. “You know… I didn't mean to walk in on you.” He was panting so hard while playing with Mydei’s dick, caressing his length and pumping the entire shaft. Mydei was leaking into his hands and making an entire mess, with the sounds of his precum squelching in his eardrums. But his body was thrusting into every single pump of Phainon's hand, pushing against Phainon's hand and pushing against Phainon's crotch behind him. Now that he was no longer wearing his pants, he had completely forgotten that Phainon was just completely naked under the cloak, and he groaned at the feeling of his hard, curved dick sliding in between his ample cheeks. It almost felt as if Phainon belonged there, slotted in between his cheeks, and grazing Mydei's fluttering entrance that tried to suck him inside.
“I didn't realize that's what you thought of me.” Soft lips pressed against Mydei's skin, and he burned at how much passion he could feel from just that one kiss. “But you looked so beautiful, calling my name so unashamedly. I wanted to hear it… One more time. I couldn't get you out of my head all day, Mydeimos. My entire body was screaming for you.” Phainon tightened his hand, and Mydei jolted with moans and whimpers sliding off his tongue at the tight squeeze around him. His dick pulsed within Phainon's fists as he uttered his next words, “Can I go inside, Mydeimos? Will you let me?”
A thrust against Mydei's behind, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as Phainon's hard cock pushed against Mydei's entrance. He could feel just how much his body was craving to be filled. Titans, Phainon's bare, hot, and twitching dick just felt so good against him. “You're… my name…”
“Will you let me inside, Mydeimos?” A low voice whispered against him, and the warmth of his breath only added to the heat that was already filling his stomach. He wanted something inside so bad, and his entire body was crying to him over how empty he felt. His insides were itching to be filled, fluttering with desire, and the dick that was sliding against his behind did little for his escaping sanity.
“Please,” Mydei gasped, rutting into the other man once more. He couldn't stop his hips from thrusting into the other man and feeling every vein sliding against his entrance, and he almost shot his hand behind him to bury Phainon inside himself. “Hurry… Hurry up.”
Phainon gulped, pulling his hands away to grasp at Mydei's thrusting hips as his tail slid away from his body. He squirmed underneath his touch, but his entire body stilled when he felt Phainon line himself up with Mydei with his hard tip pressing right up against him. He already fingered himself open earlier, but he still wasn't sure if he could completely handle Phainon's size. But his brain had already fogged up with pleasure seizing his every being, and even the stretch around the shape of his dick sounded like a good idea.
At the slightest breach of Phainon's tip entering his hole, Mydei was already trembling like a madman. The feeling of his hot length pushing inside, stretching out his entrance, and filling him up entirely was exactly what his body had been craving all day. His stomach flared up in pleasure as a moan ripped out of his chest. Mydei was clawing at the sheets and trying so hard to control his breath and stay completely still, but it was so hard with Phainon's dick sinking inside and brushing against his inner walls. He just wanted to tell the man to go faster and to thrust it all inside, but his brain refused to process any words.
Phainon's hips became flush with Mydei’s behind, and he cursed at how full he felt inside. It was almost as if his pounding heartbeat was traveling straight down to the dick that was filling him up, and it felt like Phainon was pulsing inside of his hole. Phainon was reaching places that Mydei had never felt before, and he was afraid of what kind of desperate man he would become once Phainon started moving. A large hand crawled down his thigh, grasping at his sweating skin, and one thrust that pushed into his hole made Mydei scream.
He was seeing stars as Phainon began pummeling into his hole, stuffing him up completely. Moans and gasps traveled with the night breeze as Phainon continued pressing right into his sweet spot that fluttered in satisfaction and pleasure with every drive of his tip. Mydei was bouncing against Phainon's hips with every hard thrust, and his own dick was already leaking at all the pleasure running through every limb of his body.
The feeling of being stretched wide to fit Phainon's dick as he destroyed his insides was something Mydei couldn't even begin to describe. He had half a second of feeling empty before Phainon's length was completely submerged in his warmth once again. Over and over, Mydei was being pinned to the floor as Phainon crawled on top of him, riding his ass and thrusting as fast as he could. The cloak had already long fallen off of them from all their movements, and the sounds of their skinship were echoing under the night sky and rustling through the forest trees that surrounded them.
Every single one of Phainon's moans reverberated through Mydei's head as he dug his fingernails into his own palms. His legs barely felt the faint swishing of Phainon's tail as he pushed himself deeper, plunging over and over into Mydei's squelching hole that couldn't get enough of the stimulation. Mydei's brain was far gone, with his eyes rolled back into his head and his lips parted as moan after moan left his throat. He was calling for Phainon's name, begging for him deeper, asking him to fill him up inside. And Phainon was groaning above him, acquiescing to every single one of his requests to the point where that half a second had become only a heartbeat. He was thrusting so fast to the point where Mydei was running out of breath, and he couldn't even moan from how much his lungs refused to cooperate with every thrust from the other man.
“Wait–Wait, Phainon!” Mydei was struggling to breathe as shaky arms pushed himself off the floor, but a hand landed on his back and slammed him down to the floor. Mydei groaned, and his stomach tightened at being manhandled so fearlessly as his entrance was continually ravaged by Phainon's cock. He could feel the man pulsing against his walls, and he knew the man was close.
“My–Mydei! You can't… You can't leave. Not right now!” Phainon flew forward and continued ramming himself inside so hard that Mydei was sliding against the fabric they were lying on. Mydei moaned loudly at the friction his dick was feeling as it tangled in the fabric of their makeshift bed, leaking into the cloth and staining the sheets underneath them.
“I wasn't… I wasn't! AHHH!” Mydei was sure Phainon wasn't even listening to him anymore, as one hand had left his hip and began pressing into his weak spot on his back, pinning him to the floor. Mydei spasmed at the electric pleasure that shocked him through his body and made his body grow rigid. And with the flaring of heat in his stomach that even Phainon's tip could reach, Mydei couldn't stave away the oncoming orgasm that was about to take over his entire consciousness.
“Phainon! PHAINON! WAIT!” Mydei was convulsing against the hand that was massaging his back and at the friction he was feeling against his hard dick that was pressed against the sheets. Combined with the pleasure of his needy hole being filled to the brim, Mydei couldn't hold it in anymore, but Phainon was thrusting into him at a breakpacing speed, and he needed him to slow down so he could cum.
“I'm so close. I'm so close, Mydei.” Phainon groaned, clawing into Mydei’s hip and leaving marks all over his skin. “I can fill you up inside, right? You'll let me, because you love me, Mydei. You love me and want to be filled up by my cum, right, Mydei?”
“Phainon, please–OHHH!” Mydei slammed his head into the floor with another press against his back, and Mydei was arching against the floor as his legs writhed. Mydei had clenched his stomach to delay his orgasm, but he could no longer overpower the heat that was exploding throughout his body. His feet were kicking up and down, brushing against Phainon's swishing tail, and his toes were clenching in the air as he came. Mydei yelled Phainon's name while cumming into the sheets, but Phainon didn't slow down in the slightest, fucking him through his orgasm as Mydei's body convulsed and twitched with every pump of his load that spilled from his tip.
“WAIT! AHH! PLEASE!” Mydei was choking on his own gasps, squirming underneath Phainon's hands that refused to let him move from the floor. He was a victim of every single thrust and pummel of Phainon's dick that had fucked him throughout his entire orgasm, and now his stomach was clenching and tightening at the repeated pleasure and overstimulation that took over all five of his senses.
“AHH! Mydei, Mydei, MYDEI! I'M CUMMING!” Phainon moaned his name like a mantra over and over, slamming his hips against Mydei's bouncing ass as his thrusts became sporadic. Mydei couldn't even feel anything in his body anymore as Phainon continued to fuck him past his orgasm, and his arms and legs trembled in the pleasure that he was at the mercy of. With his mouth parted and drooling into their sheets, Mydei was left gasping and panting for any semblance of air that was left in his lungs.
He couldn't feel anything at all in his body, from his clenching toes all the way to his clawing fingernails, but all of a sudden, something began expanding in his hole, and Mydei began squirming to try and escape whatever was happening. His hole was being stretched beyond what was humanly possible as something painful ripped through his bottom half. He kicked his legs to push him off, but Phainon's tail had wrapped around his legs to keep him still.
“Phainon, Phainon! Fuck! What are you doing?!” Mydei threw an arm behind him to try and push the man away, but Phainon had securely rooted himself to Mydei’s behind with two hands now planted on his hips. It was a few heartbeats later of excruciating pain when Mydei's eyes rolled into the back of his head as streams of thick cum filled deep inside his hole, and his elbows gave out as he trembled in pleasure and pain at the cum that spilled inside of him and rushed against his pulsing walls. Mydei was shaking and convulsing, with hot tears brimming his eyes, over this pain that felt like his entire bottom half was being ripped apart, and he gasped and shook against the floor, clawing desperately at the sheets to try and escape. Phainon was groaning above him as he rode out his orgasm, and Mydei's legs were finally released from Phainon's tail when every last drop of his cum was deeply secured inside of Mydei’s hole.
“Get… out… ” Mydei barely managed to gritted teeth. His fists were still trembling above his head over the feeling of his hole being stretched apart.
“I… I can't…”
“What do you mean you can't?!" Mydei shouted. He had tried to whip around to push the man off himself, but every slight movement only emphasized how stuffed to the brim his hole was. He had Phainon's cum still swirling inside and whatever the fuck was tearing his hole apart. He couldn't even turn around to see what the other man looked like.
“It… It…”
Okay, was Mydei the one getting torn apart, or was it Phainon? From the way Phainon was trembling like a little leaf getting blown away in the wind, Mydei would've thought Phainon's hole was getting shredded to pieces rather than his own.
“It what?”
“It… It needs to calm down on its own…”
A brief silence settled over them. Mydei's brain had become numb to the pain, but Phainon was still shaking violently above him.
“You're telling me we have to sit here and wait?”
“I'm so sorry!” Phainon scrambled to apologize. “I… I… I just… I just got so excited that I…”
“You what?”
Phainon mumbled something so quietly that Mydei had to strain his ears to hear his voice. But even then, Mydei still couldn't catch a word.
“What did you say?”
“I… I…” Phainon was trembling even more violently before, which Mydei didn't even think was physically possible. What was he possibly afraid of?
A deep sigh left Mydei’s chest. “Phainon, I'm not going to do anything to you. Just tell me.”
A loud gulp could be heard behind Mydei's head. “I… I tried to breed you…”
A much longer silence settled between the two men, with only the sounds of the whistling night breeze every so often. It was so cold outside that Mydei's heated and sweating body had immediately cooled, but there was only one thing that was now swirling in his head throughout their silence.
“I'm going to kill you.”
He felt the man sitting on him flinch, with the tremors of his body only growing more violent. Mydei rolled his eyes, pointing at the cloak that had fallen off their bodies during their activities. It was just barely out of reach, and he needed Phainon to grab it for him.
“Are you…” Phainon’s tail hesitantly wrapped around Mydei's ankle as if it would somehow still his quaking body. “Are you trying to choke me out with the cloak?”
“What?” Mydei's sharp tone made Phainon jump once more. “I will if you don't hand it to me. I'm fucking cold, and we are both naked outside while waiting for you to calm down.”
Phainon quickly scrambled for the blanket, draping it over both of their bodies as they waited throughout the night for Phainon to calm down.
It was going to be a long night for the both of them. And they were definitely not raiding Castrum Kremnos tomorrow.