You’d been dating Phainon for a few months now, and every moment with him was a mix of warmth, laughter, and that ever-present, almost infuriating distance he kept whenever things got too close.

He was silly in a way that make you giggle—pulling faces over breakfast or tripping over his own feet trying to dance with you in the kitchen; charming, with a knack for making you feel like the only person in the room with his focused attention and soft-spoken compliments; and deeply caring.

But there was a pattern. Every time the air between you grew heavy, every time kisses deepened and hands wandered, he’d pull back. A sudden joke, a distraction, a murmured excuse about fatigue or some unfinished task. You’d noticed, of course. You’d always let it go—until tonight.

You were curled together on the sofa, the warmth of shared laughter still hanging in the air after one of his endearingly awful puns. A comfortable silence fell, and you shifted, kissing him slowly, savoring the familiar softness of his lips. Phainon responded, his hand cupping your jaw, the kiss deepening naturally, filled with the usual warmth and a growing, undeniable current of desire. You felt his breath hitch, a slight tremor in his fingers. And then, just as instinctually as ever, he began to pull away, his head turning slightly.

But this time, you were ready. Gently, firmly, your hands came up, framing his face, your thumbs brushing the high curve of his cheekbones, keeping him close. His eyes, wide and startled like a spooked deer, met yours. You could feel the heat radiating from his flushed skin beneath your palms. “Phainon,” you said softly, “what do you think you're doing?”

He stiffened, his cyan eyes flickering away. His voice, usually so smooth, came out small.

"It's… it's not you," he fumbled, uncharacteristically tongue-tied. "Gods, that sounds terrible." He swallowed hard, forcing himself to look up. "It's me, entirely me." Phainon paused again, gathering courage, his blush deepening impossibly further. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I've never done it before. You're my first. I don’t want to mess it up, embarrass you, or… me.”