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“Mydei, when I say let's grocery shop, I meant we buy stuff in the store! Not the whole store!!”
Phainon knew his husband was not your average man. He knew Mydei's background and his somewhat complicated relationship with his father. But in the end, Phainon never really cared about Mydei's stash of money until now.
“The stores would be too crowded, Dear.” Mydei argued.
“I feel bad for that grandma who usually shops at this hour.”
“Then invite her in.”
“She left.”
Mydei rolled his eyes, “I can't just unbuy it.”
“Why buy an entire store in the first place?”
“The entire company.” Mydei corrected, like that's any better, “We get more discounts than anyone now. Some of them are even free.”
“Just-” Phainon sighs, thinking about the amount of money Mydei just spent is not good for his already overthinking brain, “Let the other customers in, Mydei.”
Mydei shrugs but his smile has a tinge with a genuine apologetic expression, “Whatever you say, Dear.”
Phainon feels bad for being emotional when Mydei just wanted the best for him. But wasting so much money just feels so wrong to him. Money is money, no matter the amount one has, it is still paper with value.
When Mydei came back, he noticed Phainon’s eyes were looking at a bucket of yogurt. He thought Phainon was interested in trying the no sugar one, which is odd since Phainon usually buys the flavored ones to share with Mydei.
“Want to try them? We could always add fruit jams to make them sweet.” Mydei asked but Phainon just kept staring at the yogurt, “Phai?”
“Huh? Oh, right. Sure if you want it.”
Mydei squinted and tested the waters, “Are you sure?”
“Yup, it’s in the trolley now.”
Phainon kept acting odd for the rest of the day there. Their routine was that Phainon would lead them towards the snack aisle first, then the essentials but he’s just following Mydei without protest.
Something is clearly bothering him but old habits die hard. His husband has a terrible habit of keeping everything negative to himself. Not to say Mydei also has some bad habits like throwing aside something that clearly bothered him for later.
While in their dating years, Phainon once didn’t speak with him for a week because he thought Mydei was angry at him for choosing to hang out with his sister, Cyrene who was visiting in town. Mind you Cyrene’s visits were quite rare.
’She’s your sister! Why would I be mad?’
’You were cutting the carrots harder than usual.’
’The knife was just dull.’
’But you looked at me funny.’
’...’
That conversation lasted for three hours to ensure Phainon did nothing wrong and another one and a half hours to convince him to stop apologizing. Mydei knows well enough what he’s going into. Phainon is clever, has a golden heart, endlessly in denial when his love was reciprocated, and a very insecure man when it comes to his own positives.
In the distance while Mydei was picking some vegetables, he saw Phainon whisper something to an old woman. Huh, that must be the grandma that Phainon talked about.
His husband slipped something into the basket, a discounted labeled ginger that was supposed to be theirs.
Did Mydei forgot to mention a savior complex?
“Dei, what do you want for dinner?”
Mydei was confused, “Didn’t we decide to make your favorite curry?”
Phainon waved off the idea, “I changed my mind. Let’s do what you have in mind.”
He stared, “Phainon.”
“Mydei.”
“Do you have something to tell me?”
He shrugged, “Not really, why?”
“Because you kept throwing items that I said I want but never your usual ones.”
His shoulders subtly tensed, eyes widened for a millisecond but was forced down to normal, and of course the eye contact. He was looking everywhere but him ever since…Oh.
“Oh, I see.”
“See what?” His husband said, half panicked. Mydei wants to talk about it now but seeing how crowded the store is now.
“Later, in the car.” Mydei carried the trolley off Phainon’s hand before pausing and walked fast back towards Phainon again, “I’m not mad at you.”
“I wasn’t assu-”
“I love you.” Mydei interrupted.
Phainon choked at the sudden declaration, “I love you, too.”
.
When they went in the car, Phainon would start in 3…2…1.
“I’ve been thinking.” Phainon said as soon as the cars were out in the streets, “Do I react too much to some things? Like, in general of course.” He gestured, “I mean, I feel like I should be more in control of my mood, you know?”
“Hm.” Mydei only said, carefully maneuvering the car to a safe parking place.
Phainon seemed to not notice and kept talking, “I just feel bad, you know? I know you were just looking out for me but I just nagged at you back then. I know you said that I should stop apologizing a lot but this time, it’s definitely my fault, right?”
“Phai.” Mydei starts but Phainon seems too busy on formulating more thoughts.
“I just, I don’t know. I don’t know what to say aside from apologizing. I don’t want to mess up our marriage because I get childish over such, no problem things? Like, you have a lot of money and I trust you enough to-”
“Phai, dear.” Mydei held his hands, warm and grounding, he didn’t even realize his hands were shaking. Why? Why is he so afraid of?
“Phai, look at me. Do I look like I’m less in love with you?”
’No’ Phainon quickly thought when facing his Mydei. It was the same way he looked at him from all of those years ago.
To him, Mydei was something akin to a cat. He could see how dilated his pupils are, how all of his attention was on him, and Mydei wasn’t the type to speak with flowers but he learned how to.
The things Mydei changed and have not changed, was for them
And Phainon, oh he feels horrible for not being able to do the same.
“Were you ever less in love with me when I kept complaining that you left your socks everywhere?”
His breath hitched and quietly said, “No.”
“Then the same logic applies to me, Sunshine.”
“But you’re Mydei.” Phainon weekly argued.
A click from the seatbelt. Mydei slowly turned his whole body closer towards the passenger seat, their hands still intertwined with glimmers of red and blue gemstones attached in each of their fingers.
“And you’re Phainon, my one and only. I won't change a thing about you.”
Phainon wants to cry, “But you changed parts of yourself for me. I couldn't do the same.”
Mydei's eyes widened for a short beat before it crinkled in amusement.
“Phainon.” His tone stayed soft, patient, “You didn't notice?”
“Huh?”
“Actions speak louder than words. You know what I value and became attuned with it. Even before we were dating, you-” Mydei sighs into the steering wheel, suddenly flustered by the old days where Mydei was so helplessly in love.
“Even back then, you always adapted to me like it was second nature. You became straightforward just because I said so. And me? I had to practice since you like words so much.”
Mydei looked forward towards the clouds and back at Phainon. Suddenly, he couldn't formulate words. It's so hard to speak when Phainon smiled so brightly. It took every ounce of his being to not bang his forehead on to the steering wheel.
“Mydei… I noticed, of course I did.” Phainon leaned to their already close distance, kissing him by the cheek, “You're so sweet to me, I'm so lucky to have you as my husband.”
“And you as my wife.”
“Not letting that go, huh?”
Mydei kissed back, this time on the lips. And Phainon melted into it beautifully.
“You like it.”
“Husband or wife, I'm just happy I'm your something.” Phainon said so naturally yet it made Mydei’s heart almost burst.
“You're my everything.” Mydei said back, not needing to look and reflect on how red the two are.
If Cipher was here, she would make a disgusted face and whine to Castorice on how they could escape from their endless looping flirting.
Well, thank goodness she isn't here. She would have passed out half-way through their trip home.