Archive of Our Own ^omega

“I'm pregnant.”

Phainon tried not to choke, but Mydei was staring at him with such conviction that it almost convinced him the man was telling the truth. Still, there was no way that could be possible. Not when they had been so careful.

(Careful, a mocking voice in Phainon’s head sneered, as though he hadn't spent the better half of the last year railing Mydei six ways to Sunday, with nothing to protect them but a prayer to Kephale and a dream.

“Wait—” Mydei would routinely mumble against his lips, pulling away from heated kisses to gasp, “the— the condoms—”

“Don't worry, baby, I'll just pull out.”

Phainon really had planned to pull out, honest. But fucking Mydei was an arduous task, what with how he writhed and squirmed underneath him like a stranded mermaid seeking water, and Phainon had often been too preoccupied with holding the man in place to remember that he wasn't allowed to finish inside.

He had still been dutiful enough to clean up afterwards, and since Mydei nearly always passed out whenever he orgasmed, Phainon had enough time to scoop out the remnants of his cum.

Never mind the fact that he liked to wait a little bit to see how long he could let it stay nice and safe between Mydei's legs.)

“Hm,” Phainon hummed, thoughtful as his eyes scanned over Mydei's messy ponytail, his rumpled trousers, his oversized sweater. He looked adorable standing in Phainon's doorway, especially with the annoyed expression making his face scrunch up like a tiny kitten.

Mydei scoffed. “Is that it? Is that all you have to say? ‘Hm’?”

In his hands, a manila folder crumpled under his grip, with a few sheets of crisp white paper sticking out the top as if to peek at Phainon menacingly. Blue eyes narrowed. Was Mydei going to make him sign an NDA?

They had been fucking for a long time, and friends for even longer than that, and in all the time that Phainon had known the Kremnos family — Eurypon, Gorgo, and darling Mydeimos — he had always known them to be efficient and precise. As a reputable family, they had little room for scandals to erode the status of their public life, so it had become quite normal for Phainon to see his childhood friend carrying a trusty manila folder when he needed to get things done.

A snap of fingers in front of his face drew Phainon's attention back to the man in front of him. Mydei was still standing in the doorway, making no move to even try and get inside his quaint little apartment.

It was incredibly strange to see him behaving like the apartment wasn't as good as his second home. Well, maybe not his second home — that was the moniker dedicated to the family beach house down in Styxia. And probably not even his third home, for that was all the way up in the Aidonian mountains.

But the last time Mydei had been over, before his three months of radio silence, before he had almost convinced Phainon that he had finally abandoned him for good, Mydei had acted far more shamelessly.

(Phainon could still remember it like it had happened yesterday — Mydei desperately knocking at the door, a faint flush painting his cheeks and a box of condoms in his hands as he pushed through the door to fall onto the dingy couch.

The calendar on the fridge had been open to the page of the Month of Reaping, displaying a cheesy sketch of Cerces working a plough and doing a thumbs-up. Phainon almost felt weirded out at how the titan stared him down as he also ploughed, slow and hard and deep into Mydei's wet cunt, pushing the man's knees up beside his head and leaving indents in the cushions.

For all his efforts in bringing protection, Mydei's condoms had lain abandoned on the side, jostling sadly in place as the couch shook under each thrust shoving him further into the fabric, while the blond whined and curled his limbs around Phainon. Nails scrabbled at the width of his back, Mydei's arms pulling him closer and closer as though he could forcefully merge the two of them into one being.

Actually, the only reason Phainon kept looking over to the calendar was that Mydei was muttering feverishly as he got fucked.

“Has to be today…” He kept mumbling, pressing his face against Phainon's shoulder, “Gotta be today…”

There was nothing on the calendar that could suggest the day was anything out of the ordinary. The only notable markings on the squares were those of Phainon's random errands on haphazard days, and the red dots signifying Mydei's period one week prior.

Despite the fact that they weren't technically dating, Phainon prided himself on knowing all things to do with Mydei, the only known expert in the field. So at the ripe age of twelve, as soon as he had found out that his friend would have to suffer through monthly bleeds, pure concern had caused him to keep the habit of tracking his cycle.

Besides, Mydei never had a problem with it, seeing as he took it upon himself to fill in the calendar when Phainon missed a day or two.

“Mnggh—” A strangled groan, and then Mydei was coming, his insides pulsing around Phainon's cock, his eyes fluttering shut and his body going limp. The sight alone was enough to make Phainon finish with a few aborted little thrusts, groaning as he emptied himself into Mydei.

He didn't pull out when he rearranged their bodies, pulling Mydei to lie on top of him amidst the soiled couch cushions.

He would probably be out for a while.)

Maybe that had been the day that Phainon had finally succeeded in putting a baby in Mydei.

But, wait. Was he actually being serious?

“Mydei, did you take a—” pregnancy test, Phainon wanted to ask, but he was cut off by a very positive test stick being shoved into his hands. “Ok, and what about a—”

A sheaf of documents detailing Mydei's blood work was pulled out of the manila folder, and Phainon scrambled to grab them all as they were thrown at his chest. Iron levels, excellent. D3, excellent. Protein, cholesterol, glucose — all in a perfect range.

Testosterone was lower than normal, but Phainon was a little bit more focused on the glittery pink circle around ‘hCG — high’, and then the little annotation next to it: ‘Congratulations!!!’

And if Phainon's hopeless buffering at the sight of the elevated levels of pregnancy hormones wasn't enough, Mydei lifted a photograph: a blurry grey blob on a dark background.

A sonogram.

Their baby was still small, about the size of a peach, but that was enough for Phainon’s jaw to drop. A nervous smile stretched across his face, something Mydei must have thought to be disbelief, for he barged past Phainon and into the safety of the apartment, the door slamming behind him as he stood in the centre of the room.

“If you still don't believe me—” Golden eyes darted everywhere but in Phainon's direction, avoidant and shy, even if Mydei's movements were decisive as he lifted up his woollen sweater to reveal a slight curve to his waist.

The toned muscles of his abdomen were starting to soften, to become rounder and gentler in the efforts of nurturing their peach-sized baby nestled in Mydei's belly. He wasn't wearing his binder, so Phainon could see how even the crimson streaks of tattoos snaking under Mydei's chest and across his torso were beginning to stretch as his body padded up in preparation.

So, it truly wasn't a prank. Not that it could be: sometimes, Phainon doubted that his Mydei even knew how to tell a lie.

Without lowering his sweater, Mydei called out, “Hyacine says I'm thirteen weeks along.”

Thirteen weeks. Thirteen weeks. That was ninety-one days, give or take a few. Phainon felt ill. Just over three months. And in those three months that Mydei had ignored all of Phainon’s calls, had left every desperate text message on read, had cancelled on any planned hangout with the feeble excuse of ‘not feeling well’, Mydei had actually been… had actually been…

“I’m keeping the baby,” Mydei carried on, his voice unwavering and leaving no room for discussion as the sweater slowly started to inch back down. “If you don’t want to be in their life, that’s…” A pause, then a resolute huff. “That’s fine, I’ll figure something out.”

But before he could continue that line of thought, Phainon had already surged forward to hold Mydei in a firm embrace. His body was more plush to the touch than usual, the budding softness of fat and relaxed muscle rubbing against Phainon in ways that made him feel a strange, burning sensation in the pit of his stomach.

How could Mydei stand there and talk of Phainon abandoning him and their baby? Evidently, he had not made his feelings on the matter clear enough.

Carefully, Phainon slid his hands underneath Mydei's sweater to rub light circles on his lower back. When the blond relaxed against him, settling into the hug and wrapping his arms around Phainon's back to reciprocate the hold, he began to rock the two of them lightly on the balls of their feet, a languid dance to soothe Mydei's anxiety.

Then, Phainon fumbled one hand around to splay his palm against the baby bump, all the while mumbling into blond hair. “Of course I want to be in their life. They're ours.”

Soon enough, that gentle curve would swell into something more obvious as their baby continued to grow bigger and healthier in Mydei's belly. No matter how self-reliant he tried to be, Mydei would need more help to look after himself.

Who would be there to fetch his midnight cravings, hold his hair back during bouts of morning sickness, massage his swelling ankles, do all the things he could to ease the burden of pregnancy, if not for Phainon?

He didn't want to entertain the thought of Mydei relying on anyone else. But, there was one glaring question he still had.

Slowly, Phainon began, “This isn't me saying I don't want to stick around,” He tightened his grip around Mydei, just in case the man got the silly idea to wriggle free, “but weren't you on birth control?”

When they first started their… arrangement, Mydei had immediately taken Phainon with him to the clinic to get a checkup, and to set up a regular subscription of contraceptive pills for himself.

They couldn't take any chances with a surprise pregnancy, Mydei had reasoned, for they were too young and too focused on furthering their careers. Sex was simply for stress relief, nothing more, nothing less.

(Stress relief, as if Mydei didn't whisper out secret admissions of love when he thought Phainon was fast asleep, as if Phainon didn't scour every single dating app to make sure Mydei hadn't set up a profile without his knowledge.

As if Phainon hadn’t gone one step too far, and replaced the birth control pills in Mydei's pill bottle with harmless sugar tablets. He could rationalise it by saying that it made the sex better, more dangerous, more real when Phainon mumbled that he was going to fuck Mydei pregnant and Mydei only responded with a pleased little noise.

But that wasn't the truth. No, the truth only reared its ugly head when Phainon saw Mydei being set up on yet another blind date by his parents, or when one of his friends laid a casual hand on his shoulder for a moment too long.

If Mydei found out, maybe he would finally see the grotesque beast hiding behind Phainon's mask of a tamed mutt. But bringing a baby into the world, their baby, would mean that even if he was disgusted, at least he couldn't leave.)

In his arms, Mydei went a strange colour. “Oral contraceptives aren't a hundred percent effective,” he reasoned, avoiding Phainon's eyes. “Must've been an unlucky day.”

“Don’t call our baby ‘unlucky’, Mydei.”

That brought the vigour back to Mydei's face. “I wasn't calling the baby unlucky, I was saying—”

“Our baby, not the baby.” Phainon interrupted, grinning with amusement at how Mydei started to squirm, trying and failing to escape the hug in his attempts to smack Phainon around the head. “You don't want to give our little treasure a complex, do you? What if they grow up thinking Mama hates them because you get used to referring to them with definite articles instead of—”

He was cut off by the impact of a violent thud against his forehead, followed by searing pain that lanced through his head. Mydei had headbutted him. With an aggrieved groan, Phainon took a shaky step back, clutching at his temples to try and make the world stop spinning.

Mydei’s skull was as strong as ever. Maybe their baby would inherit that.

“Okay, okay,” Phainon said, bringing Mydei back into his arms placatingly. He tucked his chin over the top of blond hair, a precaution against any further attacks, “and, uh, what about your HRT? Didn’t Hyacine say that would make pregnancy near impossible?”

“‘Near impossible’ isn’t the same as impossible,” Mydei muttered, but his face was conveniently hidden in the ratty fabric of Phainon’s t-shirt.

Phainon supposed that was true; after all, he had heard of some men getting pregnant while on a regular regimen of T.

(The chances certainly couldn’t have been low, not with how Phainon had been slipping fertility supplements into Mydei’s food.

He had done the proper research, making sure to pick a brand that wouldn't interfere with Mydei's other medications, and would be inconspicuous enough to blend in with the unflavoured protein powder Mydei used to make his breakfast every morning.

Ulterior motives? No, none. Definitely not.

Phainon had only wanted to test if the vitamins would make Mydei's cervix softer, if they would help him push past that fleshy barrier and fuck right into his womb.

As for why he wanted to cum inside Mydei's womb… by now, he was starting to understand his own thinking.)

In any case, it didn't matter. Mydei was pregnant now, and Phainon was more than happy to take up the duty of caring for him while he went through this. Better him than anyone else.

“I'll take care of you,” Phainon murmured, and he raised a hand to pet through the strands of hair tickling his neck. If the stories of pregnancy making one's hair grow thicker and shinier were true, then Mydei's mane would become even more glorious as the months progressed.

He couldn't wait to see.

“And your work?” A hesitant question, once again spoken directly against Phainon's shoulder instead of to his face.

But Mydei had a point: right before the three months that he had been alone, Phainon had received an opportunity for a two-year programme where he would be assigned to Penacony to work under the jurisdiction of some kind of Family. He wasn't clear on the details; all he knew was that it would take him away from Amphoreus, far away from Okhema and far, far away from Mydei.

The confirmation deadline was in three days, and the more time Phainon spent being ghosted by Mydei, the more certain he was about accepting the offer. Maybe that was what he needed, time away from his usual routine.

(After all, when he had received the email, on the last day of the Month of Freedom, the first person he had told was Mydei.

He had gone deathly pale at Phainon's words, freezing in place from where he was stirring a pot of soup at the tiny kitchen stove. Without turning around, he had asked, “So? Are you going to take it?”

Mydei’s voice had been oddly nasally, one of his hands shaking from where it was holding onto the ladle like a lifeline. His other hand was hidden beneath a sweater-paw — he was in one of Phainon's hoodies again — but it looked to be curling up in a fist.

Phainon had seen all this and had wanted to laugh. Mydei was probably worried that living in Penacony would make Phainon forget he even existed, as if that were even possible.

“Well, maybe. I don't know,” Phainon had padded over to the fridge, pulling a can of beer from the sparsely filled shelves and cracking it open with one hand. “I guess?”

“You guess?”

The kitchen went quiet, shocked still in the aftermath of his distraught admission, the only sounds being the bubbling of the soup and the fizzing carbonation of the beer against the can.

Phainon hummed and took a sip. “It's not like it'd be permanent. And there's not really anything keeping me here.” Except for you, Phainon wanted to say, wanted to scream from the top of his lungs. But the words choked in his throat, sinking alongside the bitter taste of beer.

“Bullshit.” Mydei only sneered. “What about m—”

He didn't finish his sentence, seeming to remember something that made a numb cloud fall over his previously relaxed demeanor.

“Fine.” Mydei sounded tired now, and yet there was a weary resolve set firm in his shiny eyes. The conversation seemed to be over.

Only, five days later, he had shown up to Phainon's apartment and gotten himself pregnant.)

Travelling to Penacony would at least mean that Phainon could learn to live by himself a bit, without the semi-codependence he and Mydei had developed over the years.

…

Ha, what was he thinking? He could never leave Mydei like that, especially not now, with their baby brought into the mix. Penacony would find another lawyer, but Phainon would rather die than let Mydei find another man.

Besides, he hadn't confirmed anything yet, and his boss was already under the impression that he would refuse. Aglaea had taken one look at Mydei, who had driven over to Phainon's office one day to deliver his lunch, and had hummed in acknowledgement.

“I won't take the job. It's alright, I don't want you worrying about it.” A gentle kiss against Mydei's temple, and then Phainon was guiding him to sit on the couch. “You have to keep your stress down, make sure your blood pressure stays low and all.”

The couch had been cleaned since their tryst three months ago, but somehow he kept forgetting to take the box of condoms over to the bedroom.

At least Mydei would know he hadn’t moved on from that day.

“You bring my blood pressure high enough,” Mydei groused, despite settling against the cushions with a pleased hum. He looked more vibrant now, the anxious energy humming under his skin completely dissipated, and the healthy flush returned to his cheeks.

His hands were resting on top of the barely-there curve to his navel, and honey-golden eyes watched as Phainon puttered off to the kitchen to prepare some herbal tea.

They would have to sort out where they would live — Phainon's apartment was more like a lover's nest than a proper living space, hardly fit for a child, and Mydei still lived with his parents — and maybe, just maybe, Phainon would be able to convince Mydei to put a name to their relationship.

But for now, it was best for them to rest.

(Later that day, after a midday nap where the two men found themselves curled around each other like lazy cats, Phainon heard a rustling from the kitchen.

He got up to check out the noise, only to stare in astonishment at Mydei, a triumphant smile on his face as he emptied the box of condoms to separate them for recycling. Oddly enough, the packets appeared to be torn, as though someone had tampered with them in advance.

Good thing Phainon hadn't used them.)

Mydei took to pregnancy like a fish to water.

Phainon had heard enough horror stories to harbour a healthy dose of fear — some reported benign growths in abnormal places, some talked of going temporarily blind, some even described how they became so ill they could barely leave their beds.

Thankfully, Mydei had none of those experiences. If anything, carrying suited him.

He downloaded a handy little tracker app on both of their phones so they could store any key information about Mydei's pregnancy, and it also sent daily notifications to track the size of their growing baby.

The day they moved in together, Phainon got a cheery little message of ‘Good morning! (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠) Your baby is now the size of a pear!’ Something about that made him inconsolable for hours, rubbing his cheek against the swell of Mydei's stomach and pressing wet kisses against the delicate skin. They almost missed the moving van.

When the baby was the size of a pomegranate, it was time for one of the routine family dinners at the Kremnos household, and they decided to finally break the news to their parents. At that point, Mydei was well into his second trimester and was more comfortable with the pregnancy.

Madame Gorgo had taken one look at her son, at the softness in his cheeks and the roundness of his stomach, their pomegranate-sized baby barely concealed by Phainon's baggy shirt, and had lit up with a knowing smile. The rest of them had to be told about the news, and Uncle Eurypon immediately burst into tears, blubbering and sniffling about his baby having a baby.

Phainon’s parents, meanwhile, were a bit more controlled, though no less overcome with joy. His father had clapped him on the back with a toothy grin, and his mother had breezed past Phainon in favour of embracing Mydei like he was her own son.

Rather than question the nature of their relationship — for, that was still something they could not explain — the rest of the evening was spent sharing stories and parenting tips. And when it was time for Phainon to guide a sleepy Mydei back to the car, he did so with a sense of contentment burning deep within his chest.

Surprisingly enough, Mydei didn't experience any severe pregnancy symptoms. Though perhaps it wasn't so surprising — he took meticulous care of himself, and each routine checkup at Hyacine’s clinic became more like a formality for her to send him off with a clean bill of health.

(Not to mention the fact that Phainon had done his research long before their baby was conceived, and had seen evidence that Mydei's pregnancy would be affected by Phainon's health at the time of conception.

He had made a pact with himself to fix his unhealthy habits, to maintain a disciplined regime of exercise and a proper diet to make sure Mydei wouldn't have to go through anything stressful while carrying their baby.

When Mydei saw him turning down drinks at their usual group hangouts, or shovelling extra vegetables into his meals, or being more meticulous about tracking his protein and vitamins, he said nothing.

If anything, he had praised Phainon for finally taking care of his health.

“But you still have some stuff to learn,” He once said, pouring Phainon's glass of water into a plant and replacing it… with a completely identical one, “so don't think you can leave just yet.”

“Mydei, there was nothing wrong with my water.”

“It was in the light for too long. The vitamins evaporated.” Mydei didn't meet his eyes, simply harrumphing and folding his arms.

“That's not scientifically true—”

“Shut up, eat your food.”

The food — which, Phainon would add, Mydei had lovingly prepared — was one of his recent usuals: a bowl of fresh veggies topped with walnuts, a generous serving of salmon, and a side of oysters.

Even if the combination was a little strange, it tasted brilliant.  Though perhaps that was just Phainon's hunger talking, for Mydei had snatched his potato chips away before the meal and berated him for snacking.

Well, Phainon couldn't really explain Mydei's recent propensity for micro-managing their diets, but if he wanted to play the part of his wife so badly, he wasn't going to say anything.)

Except, there was one complication, if it could be called that: Mydei was borderline at risk of gestational diabetes. Not because of any pre-existing condition, no, but rather, his newfound cravings.

The fact of the matter was that Mydei simply wouldn't stop eating honeycakes.

“Are you sure there's a baby in there, or are you just making me a little honeycake?” Phainon cooed, rubbing his palm lovingly over the swell of Mydei's stomach. His hands were leaving shiny traces over the tan skin, still covered in some oil from when he had been massaging the tender aches and pains away from Mydei's ankles, his back, and his chest.

Mydei scowled and kicked his foot from where it rested in Phainon's lap to strike his knee. Then he shovelled another bite of his honeycakes into his mouth and chewed slowly with a petulant frown on his face.

Today, he was munching on a stack topped with Biscoff and maple syrup, and a dollop of vanilla cream to garnish the plate. It looked delectable, and smelled even better — unsurprising, considering Mydei’s expertise in baking.

Watching the peaceful motions of Mydei eating, Phainon couldn't help but tease. “You keep eating those honeycakes, darling.” His hand found its way back onto Mydei's bump, greedy in its pursuit to feel their child. “What if our baby comes out tasting like one?”

Mydei froze. “What are you talking about…?”

His brow furrowed, and he quickly placed the plate to the side in order to free up his hands before tucking his legs under him and curling his arms around his belly. Like this, he was angled away, effectively protecting the baby, from… from Phainon?

“You can't eat the baby,” Mydei hissed, golden eyes squinting at Phainon distrustfully.

“Our baby. And who says I can't? I need the protein.” Phainon flexed a bicep, and he grinned at how momentarily distracted Mydei became.

Then Mydei snapped out of it. “Your attempts at being funny are making you sound like an idiot.” His foot landed a decisive hit on Phainon's sternum, eliciting a wheeze. “Stop.”

He looked closer and closer to smacking Phainon around the head with his plate of honeycakes, and Phainon didn't want to risk dying of brain damage before he could meet their baby, much less see Mydei holding them.

“Fine, fine. But if I can't have them, can I have their mommy instead?”

His hands wrapped around Mydei’s ankles, tugging his legs forward and creating enough space for Phainon to slot himself in between them. But before he could lean forward and kiss the scowl off of plush lips, a thought washed over him, sobering and slightly discomforting. “Mydei, can I ask you something?”

“If it's something stupid—”

“Does it bother you? When I call you ‘mommy’ or like…” He wanted to ask about calling him his ‘wife’ as well, but then he remembered that he only called Mydei him that in his head, or when he was drunk and passed out on Castorice's couch.

(When they were younger, Phainon hadn't realised that most people actually saw Mydei as a girl until right when they were going through puberty.

One day, Mydei hadn't come into school, and a teacher had pulled him aside. “Hey, Phainon, Mydei's not in school today? Can you get these notes over to her please?”

Her. Her? “Her?” Phainon had asked, tilting his head in confusion.

The teacher’s brow had furrowed, like it was obvious. “Mydei.”

“Mydei's not a girl.” Phainon’s brow also furrowed, but the teacher just rolled his eyes.

“Ok, whatever. Just— just get the notes over.” Then the teacher walked away, frazzled. That had been the first time Phainon had felt the ugly thing inside him threaten to snap its jaws.

But Mydei would get mad if he didn't show up with his work, so Phainon had come over to his house that afternoon to deliver his notes and his homework.

Both Madame Gorgo and Uncle Eurypon were at work, so Phainon used the spare key under the young flower plant plot to let himself in.

The house was dark, dimly illuminated by the sunset glowing through the windows. Even Mydei's bedroom didn't have the lights switched on, and when Phainon pushed open the door, the curtains were drawn.

Maybe he should have knocked, but they never knocked, not with each other.

But Mydei was lying on his bed, a curled up lump under his Chiikawa bedsheets, completely still.

“Mydei…?” Phainon had walked forward after setting Mydei's schoolwork on his desk, and poked at his prone figure. “Mydei, I've got your homework. Why’d you not come in? Are you sick? Do you wanna come to my place, I can get Mom to make…”

The sight of Mydei slowly sitting up made his words trail off, and then a warmth flared up on Phainon's face when he saw that Mydei was… was completely naked. Thankfully, the sheets fell over his lap and covered his lower half, but his chest was bare in front of Phainon's eyes.

It was no longer like when they were younger, when Mydei's body was basically indistinguishable from Phainon's — excluding the fact that he was slightly taller. Now, puberty was causing him to store fat on different areas to Phainon, areas that wouldn't be reshaped regardless of how much effort Mydei put in at the gym.

Lost in his thoughts, Phainon didn't notice as Mydei grabbed his wrist, and then he was tugging Phainon forward to splay a hand over the swell of one of his breasts.

“What,” His golden eyes were bright, but… empty, even if his tone was flat. He pulled Phainon closer, until his breath was ghosting over the heat of Phainon's face. “Do you also think I'm a girl?”

He didn't let Phainon answer before carrying on. “I'm not. I never have been. But… but, people don't seem to believe me. Mama and Dad believe me, and… you believe me too, right?” Then he let out a frustrated noise. “Why do I need people to believe me? I don't— I don't understand it, isn't it enough for me to know?”

The Chiikawa bedsheets shifted as Mydei pulled Phainon to sit beside him, and then they crinkled as he scrunched them up in his fist. “Is it because I like cute things? Or… or my hair? I like looking pretty, but that doesn't mean I'm a girl, so why…?”

Phainon was ashamed to admit that that was the first time Mydei had ever truly told him about how he was feeling. He never said what he meant, but that had never stopped Phainon from learning how to read his tells, the microexpressions flitting across his face, the glints in his eyes.

So to hear that his friend was suffering through these thoughts, internalising something that should have been something he could talk freely about with Phainon…

“Mydei, I think that's the most words you've ever said to me in one go,” Phainon tried to lighten his tone, tossing an arm around Mydei's shoulders in a friendly way as if that could make the anguish in those golden eyes dissipate.

But Mydei shied away, before Phainon could even continue. “Sorry… that's a lot, I think, to spring onto you—”

He looked embarrassed, like a cat caught stuck on a tree so tall that it couldn't figure out how to get down without hurting itself. The cat would hiss and spit and eventually start mewling in fear, but it wouldn't jump, not until a friendly pup ambled along and provided a fluffy enough bed for it to land upon without injury.

And so, just like a dog, Phainon yelped out a “No!” and pounced onto Mydei, wrapping him up into a firm hug so tight that he almost cut off his breathing.

The rest of the evening was spent in each other's embrace, as Phainon frantically soothed Mydei and Mydei vigorously petted his hair in wordless thanks.

And when Phainon, on Mydei's birthday a few weeks later, presented him with his first binder, Mydei didn't say anything. But he looked at him like he had hung up the sun, and that had been enough for Phainon.)

Mydei hummed. Numerous thoughts flitted behind his eyes, and his gaze randomly flickered to the plate of honeycakes, until eventually he settled on a calm admission of, “No.”

“No?”

“No,” Mydei spoke, smoothing one hand over his belly and the other hand down Phainon’s arm. He tried to discretely squeeze Phainon's biceps too, but his movements were too obvious and the man only grinned.

“If I were younger, then maybe. But I’m… more comfortable with myself now, and you only really call me that around our loved ones.” He took a pause, wistfully looking over to the honeycakes once more. “And, I've known you for too long to feel like your words are aimed to hurt.”

Before Phainon could jump forward and devour Mydei for how sweetly he was speaking — because, it took a lot for Mydei to speak the truth: he was the type of person who shared his feelings through his actions, his food, but never his words — Mydei added, “Plus, I'm secure enough in my body—”

“I'm secure in your body too,” Phainon agreed.

“Huh?” Mydei looked a little bit confused.

Honestly, Phainon didn't even know what he was saying. He just needed to get his mouth on Mydei. “Yeah.”

Mydei was about to speak, but was cut off by a surprised squeak when Phainon suddenly crowded into his personal space, crawling over his reclined body to kneel in between his thighs. A wide grin spread across Phainon’s face as he leaned over Mydei’s stomach and, after winking cheekily up at the man, rested his cheek against the baby bump.

“How's my little honeycake doing in there?” A sweet brush of his lips against warm skin, and then a gentle croon, “Papa can’t wait to meet you and see if you’re just as sweet as your Mama.”

His words were brilliant at making Mydei flustered; he turned bright red and smacked Phainon’s shoulder with an indignant hiss. But he didn’t push him away, content to let his partner bond with their baby while he resumed picking at his plate of dessert.

“Papa loves you so much,” came a devoted whisper, followed by a gentle kiss. “Papa’s gonna make sure you never feel alone, ‘cause he’ll always be there to make you smile.”

Firm arms snaked around Mydei’s waist to properly encircle both him and the baby. Phainon shuffled further up the couch to settle beside him, taking care not to rest his weight on Mydei’s body as he sank against the pillows with a sigh.

His hand made its way to blond hair, fiddling with the braid draped over one shoulder. “Mydei.”

“Mrm?” At the sound of his name, Mydei paused his chewing, turning his eyes to watch Phainon curiously.

Cuddled up against him like this, with Mydei’s cheeks stuffed with honeycakes and his soft weight pressing against Phainon’s side on their too-small couch, the scene was so gooey and domestic it made Phainon’s teeth hurt.

He couldn’t be blamed for what came next.

“Ah?!”

A harsh yelp tore from Mydei’s throat, his plate balancing precariously in his hands after a full-body flinch, and his golden eyes wide as they focused on where Phainon’s teeth were nibbling his cheek.

He really couldn’t help it!

Mydei just looked too cute, too round and sweet in his arms, that it would be impossible for Phainon not to test the give of his soft cheek, to try and see if all those honeycakes were truly making him taste like a treat.

“Get off me,” Mydei groused, but like always, he didn’t try to escape. If anything, he pressed even closer to Phainon, little contented hums slipping out as he nuzzled into white hair.

“i should take you to the beach,” Phainon groaned, burying his face in Mydei's neck to smother the warm skin with kisses, “put you in one of those sexy bikinis and do a maternity shoot.”

The thought was electrifying — Mydei looking all cute and round with his soft curves and swollen belly, staring balefully at the camera while he complained about Phainon not pampering him enough in lieu of flitting around with his camera. His bikini would be red, to match his tattoos, or maybe blue, to display Phainon's claim on him, if his belly didn't already make it obvious.

“No thanks.”

“But Mydei, you’d look so cute!” He sounded like a dog, he knew he did, what with how he was whining and pawing like a clingy pup. But that was the best way to convince his Mydei to do something.

And it was clearly working, for a blotchy flush was spreading across Mydei's face as he grumbled into his honeycakes. “I feel like a whale.”

Clearly, baby-brain was making Mydei delusional. But Phainon could play along. “If you were a whale, you'd be the cutest whale. My cute whale.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Mydei said. “Go get me a glass of water.”

His attempt at an aggressive frown was looking more like a fussy pout, so Phainon pressed one last kiss to his lips before he got up to fulfil his request. And he obviously couldn't forget their baby, so he shuffled down to kiss the bump once more, before ambling off to the kitchen while whistling a happy tune.

It wasn’t like they had anywhere else to be.

Aside from the honeycake situation, the only other change due to Mydei’s pregnancy was his hunger. To be more specific, his carnal hunger.

“Fucking finally.”

Before he could even take one step through the door, Mydei was grabbing onto Phainon’s collar and dragging him inside to shove him to the floor. For a pregnant man, he was rather violent.

Phainon wasn’t complaining, though; once his back hit the ground, a warm weight settled over his hips as Mydei straddled him with a huff and started tearing at the fly of his trousers.

Within seconds, Phainon’s cock was half-erect in Mydei’s hands, quickly chubbing up to full hardness under his heated gaze and at the sight of plush thighs spread wide to accommodate Mydei’s swollen stomach, hidden away under one of Phainon’s oversized t-shirts.

The pudgy lips of Mydei’s cunt were squished against Phainon’s leg, copious amounts of slick leaking onto the black fabric of Phainon's trousers, but he’d learnt not to complain. Even if it would be a bitch to wash out, the alternative was having to sit and watch as Mydei pleasured himself with a dildo instead.

No perfunctory words were spoken, no mindless chatter exchanged, only a hoarsely whispered, “Welcome home,” before the sensation of searing heat as Mydei rose onto his knees and sank onto Phainon’s cock desperately.

“Hh-hah—”

“Fuck,” Mydei rasped, his breath coming out harshly as he immediately started rocking his hips, trying to sate the itch deep within him that only Phainon could solve.

(It made him feel a strange way, Mydei’s elevated lust. It wasn’t like he had never expressed desires towards Phainon before getting knocked up, but somehow, being round and heavy with Phainon’s baby inside his belly made him gravitate to the white-haired man like a sunflower to the sun.

“It feels like an ache,” Mydei had admitted once, long after a romp that left him sore and aching pleasantly, while Phainon rubbed his shoulders and planted kisses along his neck. “It feels like I’ll die if I don’t have you inside me.”

Phainon tried not to let it show how much that pleased him; after all, Mydei was finally beginning to feel the same way that Phainon had felt all along.

Instead, he had only mumbled against blond hair, his hands lingering atop one of the knobs of Mydei’s spine. “You’re not allowed to die.”)

Fingers struggled with the buttons of Phainon’s shirt, and he cracked his eyes open — when had they shut? — to watch as Mydei nearly tore open the pressed white linen, his hips continuing to move jerkily up and down and up and down again.

“Let me,” Phainon murmured, unbuttoning his shirt and quirking his mouth in a grin when a choked moan escaped Mydei’s lips at the slowly revealing sight of a pale torso, solid abs, and golden tattoos.

“Deep— you’re so—” Mydei sounded drunk, as though he had been pent up all day and it was only Phainon’s cock that could provide him the ecstasy he needed to survive, to live.

Phainon’s touch trailed down to caress one of Mydei’s ankles resting on the ground, the cotton of his socks fuzzy to the touch and slipping on the wooden panelled flooring. His other hand went to the hem of Mydei’s t-shirt and pulled it up and over his swollen belly, over his puffy chest.

The velvety walls of Mydei’s pussy squeezed around him like a vice, and Phainon was more than happy to be used as a toy if it meant making the beauty on his cock happy. He remained still as Mydei rode him desperately, simply supporting his sweetheart as he took the pleasure he needed amidst shaky gasps and drawn-out moans and frantic whimpers.

It was almost mesmerising to see plump breasts swaying with each bounce on Phainon's cock, beautiful in how much heavier they were now that Mydei's body was preparing itself to feed their unborn child.

“You— you did this to me,” A frustrated groan, followed by an unsteady grip on Phainon’s wrists that pinned them to the floor beside his head. “Take responsibility.”

Part of Phainon felt guilty— Mydei’s words were nothing but the truth; he had done this to him with no intention other than the desire to chain the two of them together. But, in his defence, he was more than willing to take responsibility. Mydei only had to let him.

Mydei’s thighs were quivering from the strain of holding up his weight, his knees were getting chafed against the hard flooring beneath them, and his hair was falling over his eyes as he tried and failed to fuck himself deeper on Phainon’s cock.

In as gentle a tone as he could muster, Phainon spoke, “Go on, darling, take what you need.”

But that only made matters worse.

“Why won’t you fuck me?!” Mydei let out an aggrieved sob, his hands sliding from Phainon’s wrists to his firm biceps in order to grasp them like lifelines. “I need it, need you to fuck me, Phainon.”

He was being unfair. “You know we have to be gentle, Mydei,” Phainon sighed, sweeping Mydei’s hair behind his ear and trying not to get harder at the sight of golden eyes wet with tears. “You’re in a delicate condition. What if I accidentally hit the baby?”

The mess on his cock got wetter. “That's, uh, not how it works, idiot.”

Between them, Mydei’s engorged clit was an angry red, all swollen and tender and begging for attention as it rubbed against the wiry silver hairs crowning Phainon’s cock.

A slight sadistic feeling overcame him at the sight, and Phainon reached down to pinch the nub between his fingers, ignoring the squeal and the frantic scratches that were elicited from Mydei.

“That hurts— oh!”

The sudden shift from pain to pleasure made Mydei’s eyes roll back, as Phainon released his clit and instead began to pet it sweetly, while his other hand reached up to roll a dusky nipple in between his fingers.

It was obvious that Mydei wanted to double over from the overwhelming sensation, but the size of his belly was making it impossible; instead, he simply writhed in place, his hips grinding down in an attempt to get pressure on the sensitive spot inside his cunt.

Phainon was content to lie there and pleasure Mydei, when suddenly, a thought struck him.

He may not be able to fuck his pussy, that much was true. But what about…?

A light tug on Mydei’s braid made his eyes flicker open. “Hn, what?”

He sounded fucked out of his mind, delirious with pleasure as he cradled his belly like an innocent mother while moaning like a bitch in heat. The delicate pink of his tongue was peeking out from between his swollen lips, and Phainon had the overwhelming urge to taste.

So he did just that, pulling Mydei as far down as his belly would allow and using his core strength to sit up and make the rest of the distance. Their lips met, spit-slick and heated as Phainon swallowed down his pleasured sounds.

Mydei pulled away from the kiss for a moment, panting open-mouthed against Phainon's lips as he caught his breath. But Phainon used that moment to slip his tongue in between Mydei's lips, prodding inside with the wet muscle to taste him and fuck his mouth like it was his pussy.

Despite his whining and squirming, Mydei couldn't escape. The grip around his body was firm, and he could only sit on top of him obediently, his insides spasming while Phainon swallowed up his soft moans, sampled the taste of his tongue, drank the saliva threatening to slip past his lips.

At first, when Mydei's bump was still small, Phainon would have him on his back almost every day. He had savored the sight of Mydei dazed and pliant beneath him, stuffed full with his cock and hugging the curve of his belly and still staring up at him with pure adoration.

But now, their baby was around the size of a cabbage, and Hyacine had warned Mydei against lying on his back due to the risks of the added weight on his spine.

That only meant that Mydei was forced to rely on Phainon to support him when they had sex, leaning his body against his and having to be held in place lest he accidentally twist into an uncomfortable position.

Phainon was a little ashamed to admit how much he enjoyed Mydei’s dependency on him, how much joy it gave him to be the sole reason for Mydei’s comfort and pleasure.

“Phainonnnn,” A drawn out whine as Mydei canted his hips forward, leaning back onto his hands and huffing like he had just run a marathon. “Gonna come…”

His face was flushed, wet with tears and sweat and drool, but he looked relieved. He would probably be back to ordering Phainon around soon enough.

“Yeah?” Phainon hummed, and then he reached down to pinch that swollen clit once more, ignoring Mydei's yowling to savor the feeling of tight walls constricting around his cock. “Let's come together, then.”

“You bastard… You're so mean to me… making me do all the work…” Mydei sniffled, all the while continuing to diligently move his hips. “‘m carrying your baby… and you're bullying me.”

“Our baby, and I’m not bullying you, sweetie. Just gotta make sure you tighten up.”

It was incredible to see how Mydei, who had once been more than capable of matching both Phainon's teasing and his stamina, was now struggling to keep up. Harsh exhales were leaving him heavily, breathless as though he had just finished a workout, while his exhausted body lay limp in Phainon's hold.

But Phainon would look after him, would fuck him good enough to make him see stars and then feed him little fruit slices to help him recover, for that was his duty, his dream, as Mydei's partner.

(Mydei's newfound reliance on Phainon extended to areas past just their sex life. Simple things that he used to be able to do without a second thought now required proper planning and consideration.

Just the other day, Mydei had needed a jar of spices that had been put up all the way on the top shelf of the cupboard. Normally, he could just shuffle close to the counter and reach up to get it, but now the baby was in the way.

That was how Phainon found him, frowning thoughtfully at the shelf as though formulating a plan to get the spices down.

“D’you need any help, cutie?” Phainon had yawned behind his hand as he padded over to wrap himself around Mydei, pecking his cheek and then settling his chin on his shoulder with a grin. His hand curled around Mydei's belly, lifting up their baby to try and alleviate some of the pressure on his back.

That day had marked the fifteenth week since they had moved in together, and Phainon had been floating on a cloud all morning as he thought about how Mydei would look holding their baby in their newly decorated nursery.

“I can't get the spices…” Mydei had murmured, unconsciously leaning back against Phainon's chest.

“Oh! Allow me,” And then Phainon was reaching around his pregnant lover to retrieve the jar, as easily as it had once been for Mydei.

After that, Mydei had shoved him against the countertop and sucked his brains out through his dick, batting his eyelashes lewdly up at Phainon whilst absently petting his curved tummy.)

Phainon's devotion had often been compared to that of a dog's, that much was true. But if Phainon was a mutt with his gaze fixed to his owner, then Mydei was the one holding his leash and stopping him from escaping into the world.

There would be no leaving each other, not anymore.

It was when Phainon was leaving work that he received the long-awaited call.

The Month of Joy brought with it a spirit of endless mirth, a desire for many to go drinking, and an endless slew of meetings as clients wrapped up their tasks for the year. Normally, Phainon could handle this all with little complaint, a hardworking cog in the corporate machine.

(After all, Mydei was always there waiting for him at the end of each tiring day. Whenever Phainon wanted to complain about his coworkers — never his boss, for Aglaea had a soft spot for him and treated him well — Mydei would always scoff, but still make him a steaming cup of hot chocolate and lay his weary head on warm thighs to nap.

“Mydei, I'm really going to kill them this time,” Phainon threatened, nuzzling further into Mydei's lap. “Caenis, Lygus, and every single one of those bastards working for Nanook.”

“You do that.” Mydei ruffled his white hair with a little more vigour, a breathless quality to his voice.

He always got worked up when Phainon was angry, when cracks formed in the cheerful mask and the simmering rage slipped out. His eyes would glaze over subtly, his legs subconsciously parting, as if Mydei was irrevocably attracted to the beast wearing the face of a puppy.

Ha, as if.)

But this year was special. This year, this month, their honeycake would be born.

So it was with a lightness in his heart that Phainon drove home that day, with nothing on his mind but his plans to massage Mydei's ankles, feed Mydei nourishing foods, pepper Mydei's bump with kisses.

Only, his daydreams were interrupted.

‘[mydei <3333] is calling…’

The phone had barely been ringing for a second before Phainon answered the call, speaking cheerfully, “Hello, sweetheart, I'm just on my way home—”

“My water broke.”

A woman in front of Phainon's car threw up a nasty sign and staggered away into a cluster of old oak trees, half-drunk but still lucid enough to call him a crude word as well. To be fair, Phainon did deserve it: he had almost hit the woman with his car.

He could just blame it on the month's festivities.

“Hello? Phainon, are you there?” Mydei sounded unsure, but there was no evident pain in his voice yet. Good, that meant there was still time.

“Yes, yes. I'm here.” This time, Phainon leaned out of his seat to peer around the corner. It wouldn't do him well to get arrested on the day their baby was born; he could serve to drive a bit more carefully. “I'm on my way home, don't worry.”

Mydei's reply was immediate. “I'm not worried. I called Hyacine.” He paused, seeming to catch his breath, before continuing, “She's setting up the pool.”

The birthing pool. True to the superstitions of Phagousa’s month, Phainon’s parents had suggested a water birth. Mydei hadn’t objected. The warm water would soothe his aching muscles and it was supposedly more comfortable than the traditional manner, which was really all that Phainon was concerned about.

“Phainon?” Mydei's voice was back to being shaky, not frantic but also not completely stable.

“Yeah, baby?”

“I'm… I… I have something to tell you.”

Phainon’s heart dropped into his stomach. His foot pressed down harder on the accelerator. “What's wrong?”

An audible exhale. “Come home quickly, then I'll tell you.”

It was just like Mydei to drop something so terrifying one moment and then dismiss it the very next.

(About a year ago, before their honeycake was conceived, before Phainon even started considering what Mydei would look like with their baby in his belly, there had been a similar instance of potentially life-altering news being dismissed.

“You know, Hephaestion and I have a marriage pact,” Mydei had said casually, his tone nonchalant as if unaware of the stone that had dropped in Phainon's stomach. “We said that if we're still unmarried by thirty, we'll just end up with each other.”

Hephaestion?

“Oh yeah?” Phainon had tried for a grin, even though it probably looked more like a grimace. It was alright, Mydei wouldn't see, not from where his face was pressed firmly against Phainon's shoulder.

What right did Hephaestion have to marry Mydei? He wasn't the one who had a spare toothbrush in Mydei's apartment, who routinely picked him up from work to take him out, who always went grocery shopping with Mydei even when his meal suggestions were often turned down.

He wasn't the one who knew exactly where to press to massage out the aches in Mydei's shoulders, or the one who knew how to brush Mydei's hair in order to get the man feeling half-asleep, or the one who held Mydei when the world became too much for him.

He wasn't the one always waiting for him to come home like a loyal dog.

And if he ended up with Hephaestion, Mydei would inevitably move in with him at Castrum Kremnos. Sure, it wasn't that far, only a couple hours by train, but a nasty, ferocious thing in Phainon's chest wanted to sink its jaws into Mydei's ankle, to force him to stay by his side where he would be safe, where Phainon could protect him.

Before those damning words had been spoken, the moment had been one of post-coital bliss — one of Phainon’s favourite experiences in the world, right there in the top rankings. There was nothing he liked more than a nude and sweaty Mydei laying atop him, absentmindedly petting Phainon’s sternum as they caught their breath. And then Mydei sat back up.

“Nevermind,” He shrugged, crawling down to settle over Phainon's cock once more. “Let’s go again?”

Maybe Mydei had left the topic there for the day, but Phainon certainly hadn't. After dropping the blond back home afterwards, he immediately drove to Hyacine's clinic in a daze to find a planned parenthood leaflet.)

Phainon tried not to sound too panicked — it would only stress Mydei out further, and he really didn’t need that at the moment — but he felt like he was going insane. “Shit, Mydei, you can't just say something like that and not—”

“Don't be mad,” Mydei sounded close to tears, an oddly jarring realisation, “promise you won't be mad. It's… silly, I know, to ask that, but…”

It was as though all the anxiety simply melted. Mydei needed him, needed him to be calm and grounded while he went through the labour. Phainon's feelings mattered, yes, but they could take the back bench while he soothed his partner’s fears. Besides, nothing that Mydei could say would ever make Phainon leave.

“I won't be mad, baby. Just— just calm down for me, okay? Don't stress yourself out, I'm almost home.” A quick look at his surroundings, finally realising where he was after driving mostly on autopilot, had Phainon perking up in his seat. “In fact, I'm right outside. Don't hang up, okay?”

“‘Kay,” Mydei let out a choked sob, and Phainon nearly stumbled over himself as he raced out of the car.

He barely remembered to close the door behind him, not even bothering to lock it; hopefully, it would lock automatically. Up the stairs, because the universe hated Phainon and the elevator was broken — but no, the universe couldn’t hate him, because the rhythmic exhales and inhales in his ear of Mydei doing breathing exercises to calm himself down were proof that their baby was on the way.

And how could that fact be anything but absolute proof that Phainon was beloved by someone out there: maybe a titan, maybe an intergalactic god, maybe something even greater — hell, maybe even Mydei?

He fumbled with his keys, eventually getting them through the lock to shove open the door and tumble through, prepared to see something gory, something shocking, bloodstained floors, mournful wailing, horrified screams, anything and everything, only to see…

Ica.

The fat pomeranian looked at him with beady black eyes, seeming to spend a few moments contemplating before eventually tilting a fluffy head as if to beckon him inside his own apartment.

Is this sanitary, Phainon wanted to ask, but there was no one to answer him other than Ica, and he wasn't so sure how far their dog-to-dog communication could go. Besides, Ica had deigned to stop in front of the closed bedroom door refusing to go further, so it was probably fine.

Thankfully, the horror film scene in Phainon's mind wasn't taking place inside. He had opened the door a bit more tentatively, and been greeted by Hyacine's cheery face.

“Phainon, you're here!” Her ponytails bounced as she ushered him in. “Go wear something clean, and wash your hands.”

Their bedroom had been repurposed into a birthing room, with plastic sheets on the floors and covering the bed to prevent any mess. It was warm, but not stifling, and Hyacine had put some calming music on in the background to make it more relaxing. On the bed, a pile of towels, a few bottles of drinking water, a few medical tools. In the centre of the room was the birthing pool, fully inflated and filled with comfortably heated water.

And in the birthing pool, Mydei.

He was curled up on his haunches, doubled over the wall of the pool, his heavy panting interspersed with occasional whimpers and groans. But he looked to be in better condition than Phainon had been picturing in his stress-addled brain, so that was something.

Beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead, his skin was flushed from the heat of the room and the stress, but his breathing was steady and Hyacine didn’t look concerned, so he must have been doing well.

When he spotted Phainon, hovering in the doorway while he took in the sight inside the room, Mydei scoffed.

“Are you just gonna stare? Come here,” He grumbled, his hair falling over his face from where he was slumped over like the muse of an old painting. Yet despite it all, there was something prideful glowing in his eyes, something giddy with excitement.

Phainon could only obey. He went straight to the bathroom, ignoring the internal voice crying out to hurry to Mydei's side, to wash up and change into a comfortable set of clothes. He wouldn't let his hastiness put their health at risk — both Mydei's, and their baby's.

But it didn't take too much time, and soon enough his mind went quiet, a satiated beast curled up beside its hoard, as he stood awkwardly by the birthing pool.

Mydei didn't let him stand there useless for long. As soon as he registered Phainon's presence, he was tugging him down on his knees and curling his arms around Phainon's neck. He clung to him like a koala, like a sloth, like any sort of adorable thing showing its affections freely, and rubbed his cheek against any part of Phainon he could reach.

Maybe it was a labour thing making Mydei suddenly feel so desperate for skinship. But it would be a lie to say that sort of stuff wasn't common for the two of them.

He was trembling sporadically as his muscles tensed and relaxed, the contractions pulsing through his body more frequently as the minutes passed. Phainon buried his face in Mydei's sweat-soaked hair, pressed kisses to Mydei's temple, nosed at Mydei's braid as it slowly came undone.

“You're doing so good, sweetheart,” Phainon mumbled. He was a bit unsure what to say to someone giving birth, but something was probably better than nothing. And judging by how Mydei was relaxing in his arms, he wasn't doing too badly.

But then Mydei went stiff. “Phainon,” He sobbed, and a full-body shiver wracked his body.

Phainon heard Hyacine say something in the background, and it was probably important, but he was focused on more pressing matters. Specifically, how Mydei’s arms were constricting around Phainon's neck.

Before he could wheeze out for a break, unfortunately aware of how shameful it was to need a break from supporting Mydei through the ordeal he had put him through, Mydei began to speak.

“Phainon,” He said slowly, “I poked holes in the condoms.”

The bear hug remained unyielding, even when Phainon stammered out, “What?”

Mydei refused to meet his eyes, a rare occurrence of his usually stalwart confidence failing him. His body was warm, slightly damp from the water in the pool, but all Phainon could think about were the damaged packets of condoms he had seen Mydei throwing out months ago.

“You can hate me. I guess. It would be easier if you didn't, but— but you can't leave.” Mydei's fist scrunched in the Phainon's collar. “You can't leave me, do you understand?”

There was a desperation in his voice, one that Phainon had  never heard in all their years knowing each other, one that made Mydei sound like he would be devastated by the mere thought of being left alone. Except no, it wasn't the thought of being left that scared him, but the thought of being left by Phainon, and that made something within Phainon eerily pleased.

“Phainon, I need you.” Finally, Mydei looked up, raising his face from where it had been buried in the fabric of Phainon's shirt. His lips trembled, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Well, maybe that isn’t enough to keep you, but… but the baby needs you—”

It was like Phainon was operating on autopilot. The moment he had heard those three words spill from Mydei's lips — Mydei needed him — his brain switched off, and all he could say was:

“Our baby.”

“Huh?”

Now, Phainon was the one holding Mydei in place, overpowering his efforts to escape the hug and keeping him pressed against his chest while he spoke, petting his hand through Mydei's hair in a repetitive motion and keeping his voice calm. “Is that why you were so desperate for me to use a condom? You were planning all this?”

A sob, and then a sniffle. “It’s not like it did anything… you always ended up using the pullout method instead…”

With how distraught Mydei sounded, it almost sounded like his plan had completely failed and he hadn't gotten pregnant in the first place. The sheer absurdity of the situation almost made Phainon want to laugh, but his head was still reeling over the fact that Mydei needed him.

Except the last part of what Mydei had said was wrong… perhaps he should confess.

“Hm, that’s not completely true,” Phainon didn't want to sound irresponsible, but it was a bit of an awkward admission. “I always forgot to pull out.”

“You forgot?”

Well, since they were being honest. “Okay, fine, I didn’t forget, I came inside on purpose.”

“Really?” Mydei sounded happier now, water rippling as he shifted in place to hug Phainon more comfortably and leaned more of his bodyweight on him.

He always did that when he got relaxed. Phainon liked to joke that he was part cat, a spoiled little thing that enjoyed rubbing and lounging against Phainon like it was his birthright. And since he was calmer, Phainon decided to take a little risk.

“And I… I replaced your birth control with, um, with sugar pills.”

There was a joke to be made about how pregnant the silence that befell them was, but Phainon was a bit distracted by his nerves as his confession finally left his body.

Was it over? He had mustered up the courage to crack apart his ribs, reveal the grotesque insides that hid a tender secret, but was it enough? Was Mydei finally going to realise how horrible of a man Phainon was?

He braced himself for a shout, a scream, hell, maybe even more tears, but there was nothing.

Instead, Mydei sighed. “I stopped my birth control months ago. Those were tic-tacs.”

“Mydei…” How could Phainon forget? Mydei needed him. It was starting to dawn on him that, for all Phainon yearned to stay by Mydei’s side, the same could be said the other way.

“I also paused my testosterone schedule around that time.” Mydei continued, a familiar spark in his voice. “To increase the chances.”

It seemed the moment was no longer a tense reveal of their secrets. No, it was a competition. Phainon could handle those.

“I was also trying to increase the chances…” His words trailed off. Was it too soon? Whatever, he had a competition to win. “I put fertility supplements. In. In your protein powder.”

Like a disgruntled cat, Mydei wrinkled his nose and wrenched his head back just enough to squint up at him with judgement glaring in his golden eyes. “Fertility supplements? Were they those WombGlad ones that Penacony launched last year? Wait — not the Prote-lizer ones that slimy Belobogian salesguy shows on TV? Phainon, those are scams, you know this.”

It was as if he were Phainon's nagging wife.

“I didn't use those!” He did use those. They were the only supplements that came in powder form and were easy enough to mix into Mydei's protein powder. Every morning, he had watched as Mydei prepared his usual breakfast shake before his workout, and he’d try and disguise the mounting glee in his chest at seeing Mydei unknowingly raise his fertility levels through the roof.

Mydei shoved Phainon backwards with a firm hand against his chest, then wrenched him back forwards with his hands wrapped around his biceps. “Well, I focused on your diet to improve your sperm health, and clearly it worked—”

“My techniques worked as well?! Mydei, there's literally a baby in your belly right now—”

“Actually there's not.” It was Hyacine. She looked shellshocked, but Phainon was more focused at where her finger was pointing in the birthing pool. “Yeah, sorry. I'm still here, I know. But, while you were flirting, your baby slipped out.”

With a jolt, Phainon peered into the water to see their little baby, the umbilical cord still attached, held securely in Hyacine’s hands as she quickly lifted them out. Her movements were confident, but her face was awkward, as if she was interrupting something big. “Um, do you mind if I…”

“Yeah, sure, no, go ahead.” Phainon was probably in shock. That felt almost anticlimactic.

Pretty soon, the baby — their baby, that was their baby! — started bawling, a high pitched mewl that really emphasised the strength of their lungs, and Phainon felt Mydei let out a relieved breath. Hyacine worked quickly, cleaning the baby and measuring their vitals, until finally, a warm bundle was placed in Mydei’s arms.

Their baby. Their son.

Phainon couldn’t look away.

Their son had a tuft of golden blond hair, blue-eyed and cooing softly now that his wails had died down, and his little face was scrunched up as he squinted up at Mydei. Mydei, who was crying silently, tears rolling down his face as he cradled their baby close, and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

As soon as their son learned how to smile, it seemed to be all he ever wanted to do. It took a few months, but he was a joyful little thing, always squealing and laughing towards Phainon to get him to bounce him in his arms, or making grabby hands towards Mydei to chew on his braid.

In any case, during the first couple of months, neither of them wanted to leave their baby’s side.

All in all, looking after a baby wasn’t too bad, aside from the late night feeding sessions and the constant diaper-changes. And, of course, the issue of a name, because in all their rigorous planning to bring the baby into the world, the one thing that had skipped their mind was what to call their son, so Phainon had taken to calling him their honeycake as a placeholder.

It was a fitting name. Their honeycake was a hefty thing, with soft cheeks perfect for prodding and a gummy smile that lit up his face whenever his parents cradled him in their arms, and he had a soothing effect whenever Mydei’s fluctuating hormones left him frazzled, just like his favourite snack.

But for Phainon, the most entertaining pastime definitely had to be—

“Can you say ‘Papa’?”

Twin pairs of blue eyes stared into each other, only for the baby’s mouth to stretch in a little grin. He let out an adorable coo, tilting his head like a confused puppy, but he did not say anything, choosing to leave his father sitting there expectantly.

Phainon pouted, right as Mydei padded in from another room with a scoff, “Too early for that.”

“You're just trying to sabotage me,” Phainon shot back, “and Madame Gorgo said you said your first words when you were barely two months old.”

It was a bold-faced lie: she had actually told Phainon that Mydei had been non-verbal until he was a year old, but clearly Mydei didn’t know that, for he only scowled, sank onto the couch beside him, and reached out his hands.

“Whatever. He’s hungry, give him to me.”

Normally, Phainon would be hard-pressed to refuse any of Mydei’s demands, happy to comply with them with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. But he wilted at this request. Clutching their honeycake closer to his chest, Phainon avoided eye contact with Mydei. “Huh? No, he's not. Look, he's fine.”

Almost as if sensing the prospect of feeding, their baby chirped, stretching to try and reach for Mydei. Traitor. Maybe he got his insatiable appetite from Phainon.

“Who carried him for nine months?” Damn, Mydei had got him there. Phainon obediently stayed silent. “Exactly, so give me my baby.”

“Our baby,” Phainon huffed, but he handed their son over anyway. He could just curl around Mydei instead, and that way he could hold both of his darlings close in his embrace.

Mydei wasted no time, slipping his shirt off and bringing their baby to a nipple so he could drink voraciously. Phainon couldn't judge — he had tasted Mydei's milk before, so he could vouch for its flavour. It didn't take long for the three to settle in a peaceful silence, the only noise being the quiet snuffling of their honeycake as he suckled.

After a while, Phainon couldn't help but sigh dreamily, “Wow.”

He propped his head on Mydei's shoulder, staring into confused golden eyes like they held the secrets of the universe, secrets that Phainon was willing to devote the rest of his life to exploring.

“What now?” Mydei tried his best to sound aggrieved, but he was leaning into Phainon's warmth just as much, and there was an affectionate lilt in his voice as he nuzzled into white hair.

Phainon's gaze dropped to their baby, still working away at Mydei's breast. Then he looked back up.

“Nothing,” He swallowed. “Can I go down on you?”

In Phainon's defence! There was nothing more irresistible to him than Mydei lazing around in his arms like a proud lion, and seeing him be so loving with their baby really, really got Phainon going.

Too comfortable to actually get up, Mydei simply bit Phainon on the nose before hissing, “I'm holding our baby—”

“I'm sure he'll understand if mommy and daddy need some alone time… can we get married?”

“Crazy topic change…” Mydei hummed, but he sounded as though he were actually considering it. Well, honestly, marriage wasn't such a farfetched thing, not when they were already living together with a baby. Unless Mydei still had second thoughts… in which case…

“Mydei, let's have another one.” At least Phainon was asking this time. Really, it was the most optimal solution; at the very least it would give Phainon nine more months to prove himself as the perfect husband.

A pinched expression made its way onto Mydei's face, the same kind he made whenever their baby accidentally bit him while drinking.

But that couldn't be the reason, for their honeycake had already finished his meal, and was smacking his lips as he cooed with delight at nothing in particular. What a happy little guy.

Mydei frowned, trying to guide their baby back to his nipple, a feeble attempt at coaxing him to drink more. “Huh? You're done already?”

But their son was stubborn in his decision to not have anymore milk, and he only squealed up at Phainon as though asking for him to take over.

You're on Papa's side, Phainon cheered internally, before swiftly relinquishing their son from Mydei's hold and crooning, “Aww, is Daddy right to think his honeycake is full of milk?”

He gently thumbed a drop of milk from their baby's cheek, and then booped him on the nose to see him giggle.

“Hm,” Mydei groused, folding his arms over his chest, “is Mommy right to think Daddy is full of shit?”

Phainon chose to ignore Mydei's words. He was just jealous that Phainon was the only one who could successfully burp their baby without making him throw up. “Let’s go put you in your crib… it's time for a nap, sweetheart.”

So he went and did just that, patting their baby lightly along the way to make sure he didn't have any air trapped inside, and then kissed him on the forehead before their son drifted off into a dreamworld.

And then, he made his way back to the living room to look after Mydei.

The blond was sitting where Phainon had left him, arms folded and legs crossed beneath him, a petulance in his frown that almost distracted Phainon from the decadent sight of his bare tits. Milky tits.

“You've got a lot of nerve,” Mydei hissed, but he stretched his arms out anyway to tug Phainon against his chest, and ruffled his hair as his lips wrapped around a pert nipple.

Mydei was the type of person to take meticulous care of his diet, so it was a given that his milk would be nothing short of ambrosia. It was thick and creamy, sweet but not too sweet, smooth enough and warm enough to feel like a warm hug from the inside out.

Not to mention that while Phainon focused on drinking, Mydei's gentle fingers would always find their way into his hair, petting at his scalp and pinching lightly at the nape of his neck and massaging the tenseness away from his temples, absentminded motions to distract Mydei from the onslaught of pleasure as he lay back and got his tits sucked.

Phainon pulled back, desperately swallowing a mouthful of milk. “Mydei. Mydei. Am I not a good Papa? Look, I'm taking care of our son's leftovers.”

He ducked back down again, this time switching to the next nipple and pressing open-mouthed kisses to the tan flesh before suckling hard on a dusky bud.

Mydei's head lolled onto one of his shoulders, a pitchy whine slipping from his mouth. “Don't say that… You're so weird…”

It wasn't his fault, Phainon would argue, if anything, Mydei was to blame. Mydei was the one who had driven him crazy. Only a crazy person would have done what Phainon did to keep Mydei beside him.

But either way, here on their couch — a proper upgrade from the dingy thing upon which their baby had been conceived — there was nothing stopping Phainon from having his way with Mydei, from giving one last nibble to his breast before planting butterfly kisses down his stomach, tracing the outline of stark red tattoos and tender flesh.

A sense of pride kept Phainon lingering a bit more on the light stretch marks streaked across his belly, almost unnoticeable due to Phainon's diligent nightly oil massages on the baby bump as their honeycake was growing.

Eventually, Phainon reached the waistband of Mydei's shorts, and he hooked his fingers under the black fabric to peel them off, revealing puffy lips and a soaked cunt.

He barely had a second to appreciate the sight in front of him before Mydei's hand covered the gift between his legs.

“You remember our rules, right?” He sounded teasing, but there was an undertone that seemed almost nervous, as though he believed that Phainon, in his love-sick state of gluttony, would forget himself and do something against Mydei's wishes.

The mere thought was impossible to comprehend. Phainon gave a reassuring smile and pulled Mydei's hand away to lace their fingers together. “Only my mouth.”

After giving birth, despite how quick the moment had felt, Mydei retained a sense of hesitation towards having anything near his lower half. No matter how many times Phainon had assured him that he would be alright even if they never had sex again, Mydei still beat himself up over it, and so they found a compromise: Phainon could use his mouth.

It worked well enough, if the high-pitched mewls spilling from Mydei's lips were any indication.

“Oh— oh, Phainon, please,” Mydei sighed out, his thighs shaking from either side of Phainon's head, his nails digging into the skin of Phainon's hand, “Fuck…”

Phainon could only groan, his tongue swirling against the delicate folds and greedily drinking up the slick that poured from Mydei's sweet pussy. He pulled his head away slightly, collecting saliva on his mouth only to let it drip in thick globules onto the mess in between Mydei's legs, for like a dog, he needed some way of staking his claim.

But Mydei only let out a broken groan, and tugged Phainon back towards his pussy to make him clear his spit up, and Phainon couldn't help but pray to some unknowable deity for granting him such a great honour.

Thank you, the thought drifted to the front of Phainon's delirious mind, aimed both at Mydei, and at his glorious cunt, thank you for making me the happiest man alive.

Was it really such a strange thing, to thank Mydei's pussy? After all, it had allowed Mydei to carry their baby, to bring their son into the world where he could smile and giggle and make Phainon's life all the more better by tethering Mydei to his side. Not that he needed a reason to be tethered, for Mydei had already proven his devotion tenfold by poking holes in those damned condoms.

Phainon licked Mydei's angry red clit into his mouth, letting his teeth graze the bud lightly as his hands forced Mydei's legs further apart, to try and get even closer to the man's core, and it was that which finally made Mydei come with a weak little cry.

Almost feverishly, Phainon surged up, bullying into Mydei's space and slotting their lips together so Mydei could taste his own juices in a bruising kiss, as if to say, look, look what I would do for you, look what you do to me.

Mydei hummed, unwound and pliant from his orgasm, and took what he was fed with no complaints. Dazed as he was from coming so hard, he undulated his hips slowly against Phainon's crotch, hooking a leg around his hip to press his wet pussy against the bulge of Phainon's aching cock.

“Mydei,” Phainon sobbed, an overwhelming flurry of emotions rising like a torrential wave, “Mydei,” He pleaded again, as if he were a god that could absolve him by simply calling his name. “Mydei, this thing inside me, this mutt, does it— does it not scare you?”

Maybe it was a little bit dramatic, but there was nothing like the build-up to an orgasm that left Phainon feeling both too much and too little at the same moment.

Clearly, Mydei felt the same, for he rolled his eyes as if exhausted by Phainon's words.

“N-nikador’s balls,” He muttered, even as he jolted with aftershocks as Phainon ground down against his sensitive clit, even as his eyes rolled back when pleasure sparked up his spine. “What— ngh— what kind of idiot would be afraid of his own guard dog?”

And maybe that was all Phainon needed to hear, was all he needed for him to spill into his trousers with a strangled whimper, for his hips to still as he fucked against Mydei. It couldn't be described as anything other than fucking, so blatant in the rawness and the heat and the mind-blowing pleasure as their bodies rocked together in tandem.

But it was love, too, in every gentle kiss and every soft sigh, in every cosy morning and every quiet snore of their little son as proof that their souls were intertwined.