Chapter Text
“You’re still here?”
The other owner of the room paused at the entrance, holding the doorknob and giving him an exasperated look as if the guest in the room was an offensive insect that went in without permission. Caelus pouts back, using his I’m the youngest and the most pitiful person you have ever met face to win a silent argument between them.
Besides, if not for a fact that his life is in danger, he would not even be here, his bed is too comfortable to be left alone.
“He will be home soon.” Mydei supplied to his roommate, beckoning the mint-haired man to sit down with them on the floor.
Anaxa sighed, deposited his bag on top of the bed then sits there before he began questioning, “Are you still petty about this roommate thing? Is that why you frequent this place?”
It has been a month since he stole Caelus’ potential roommate in the dorm—Caelus’ word, not his. Caelus is just one year younger than him, had been Dan Heng’s roommate for a year before the black haired man finally found a suitable place to live near the college. Something like he wanted a private space for himself—plus, the benefit of not have to face other people when that time of the month hits, alpha’s rut.
It wasn’t like the guy didn’t tell Caelus before—they are the most inseparable best friend—Dan Heng has always been wanting to find a place for himself and decided to live in a dorm until then. Caelus just thought it would be easy to ask his new college friends to inhabit the same room with him after that.
It went like this:
Caelus didn’t want to be alone after Dan Heng moved out. Truthfully, since he is a beta, sharing a living space with an alpha or omega didn’t really matter to him. When he told them that, Anaxa just looked at him dead in the eyes and said, I have my uterus removed, made a point about how he is surgically a beta.
Gone his confusion about why an alpha—Mydei—live in the same room with an omega—Anaxa. No wonder the mint-haired man never miss a class. With the most important organ that identify him as an omega removed, heat for him would be astronomically better than most, under control with just a suppressant like a cold medicine. His scent would be almost nonexistent too.
Not like Caelus ever know what Anaxa smells like, being a beta, everything smells normal in his nose.
Caelus suggested to just switch room so Anaxa could have a place for himself if he wants. At the mention of that, those eyes sparkled, entertaining the idea of stuffing the lone room with all his postponed research since they didn’t have space anymore. Mydei just shrugged, not complaining what’s the end result of their bargain.
Anaxa almost agreed.
The key point—almost.
On the last day, the mint-haired man suddenly said he would like to keep his stand as Mydei’s roommate. Confused and betrayed, Caelus demanded an answer and he only got, you will know soon.
Turned out, there was a new guy who just got admitted into the dorm. When he heard the news, Anaxa finally explained that his soon to be new roommate had been waiting for a room to open since the guy couldn’t afford to pay rent anymore. They knew each other from middle school, so Anaxa reassured him the new guy isn’t some kind of weirdo.
Then why don’t you be his roommate, he asked that time. Anaxa just shushed him, said something like the guy loves to talk and he would rather keep Mydei’s peaceful quietness in the room after a day sitting in a lecture, thank you very much.
Phainon is indeed kind. A nice alpha who knows his boundaries and spreading an infectious warm smile to everyone.
It had been a month since they first met. It should be going smooth with no trouble, except, Caelus is convinced the man is a serial killer in hiding.
Caelus threw his upper body to the table in a dramatic way, his arms sprawled out hugging the wooden surface. “I’m trying to keep myself alive, you know.”
Anaxa frowned, showing a bit of concern aside from the skeptical look in his eyes. “Is college too hard for you?”
“I meant like someone is actively trying to murder me, not the kind of death like buried under piled assignments.”
There was a moment of silence.
“…Maybe college is too hard for you.” Anaxa nodded to himself in pity.
“I’m not crazy!” he straightened his back and turned to the strawberry blond man beside him, “Mydei, tell him that I’m not crazy.”
Mydei sighed, undoing his folded arms to rest on top of the low table. “Even I think your deduction is stretching.”
Golden eyes widen in betrayal. He spent two hours telling all the suspicious encounter he had with Phainon to Mydei, only to have met a cruel reality of all that stories went past his senior’s head. He should re-evaluate Mydei’s position in his favorite seniors list. Maybe he had been too harsh to Jing Yuan—no, he’s definitely not mad after his favorite RA forgot to save one last donut for him—at least that laidback man would listen to him intently and indulging his idea.
He decided to recount it to the new member of witness that would be useful if he ever actually die in his roommate’s hands. “We have this theory—”
“Who’s we?” Anaxa raised an eyebrow.
“Me, March and Dan Heng.” he elaborates and Anaxa, without a moment pause, scoffs.
“Just you and March, then.”
Maybe he really should report Anaxa to his favorite RA for the constant slander. He decided to ignore it for now. “My new roommate, your middle school friend, is a killer in hiding.”
At that, Anaxa looks intrigued, “Your reason?”
“He’s too nice, suspiciously nice. There’s no way he didn’t have dirt on him.”
Mydei quips, “That’s not—”
“I’m not finished!” he cuts in, swaying his hand left and right signaling the audience to keep their mouth shut. “Don’t you know why he enrolled here?”
Anaxa mulled over that, their campus is one of the top university in a big city. Back then in middle school, Phainon too was a transfer student, coming from a country side. He heard that Phainon went to another city for high school, that was why they haven’t had much communication—until now.
He didn’t think to ever ask why the white-haired man chose to move here, after all, he too just pursued a better education for himself. He left his hometown after spending countless days reassuring his sister that he would be fine and can handle how city folks work around their life.
“He’s starting over,” Caelus nodded, “He’s also a forensic major, a genius killer that’s beating the system. He’s obsessed with human anatomy. Who would suspect a university student to be a killer?”
“You watch too much True Crime Documentary.” Anaxa concluded.
Mydei gave his roommate a look of see? I told you he’s stretching.
“You guys just wasn’t there when he’s being suspicious in front of me.” Gray head drops to the surface of hard wood, “What if his name isn’t even Phainon?” the voice cracking a bit like his sanity these days.
“That’s his name as far as I know.” Anaxa confirmed, trying to ease the brewing anxiety in the younger man.
“Only he and God know the truth.” Caelus suddenly got up and slams his hand loud enough to startle both owner of the room, “What if he stole the identity of the first person he ever killed? Hey, how many times has he moved? Is this his third city? Maybe more?”
Nope, he’s a hopeless case, Anaxa sighed.
“I should do more research.” Golden eyes sparkles with new determination. “If I know which city he had been before, I can try to find any unsolved murder case in the area. That way, I have more evidence to blackmail him if he ever threatened to end my life. If he is the killer, this could potentially save my life.”
“Don’t you think he would just actually kill you on the spot?” Mydei suggests, “What kind of a killer will let his soon-to-be victim to even have time to blackmail him?”
“Inexperienced killer.”
“Now you’re just contradicting yourself,” Anaxa shakes his head, “If he’s inexperienced, how is he still loose instead of behind the bars?” cornering him without mercy with a heart of strict thesis examiner.
Caelus groaned like his head had been fried from too much thinking. “You guys don’t get me. I really just need a support for my mental wellbeing.”
He’s already imagining March would add more ideas to help. Maybe it’s his own fault for pouring his heart out to these two instead of his best friends, but he had no other choices. The more people who knows, the more witnesses can testify for his death in the future. He’s just making it easier for their own good so the killer would be detained without wasting any time.
“Have you ever thought that you’re overthinking this?” Mydei asked in a pitiful intonation.
“I have. But who the hell owns a replica of greatsword and brought it to a college dorm?”
“He has a what.” Mydei parroted out of shock.
Caelus looks down, wiping his face in a defeated manner. “A greatsword. Dawnmaker. He even has a keychain with the same design and called it Helios. Every time I lie down to sleep, that fucking sword is right in my line of sight. I can’t even sleep peacefully anymore.”
“Or he is just an otaku.” Anaxa shrugged, eyeing his own merchandise scattered on the bed. A few earth beast plushies stared back at him like a swarm of chicks waiting for their mother hen to come home. Ah, he really should be preparing for bed instead of entertaining a guest at this hour.
“Which one of the RA that allowed him to bring a replica of greatsword?” Mydei addressed the elephant in the room.
Drat. Maybe Jing Yuan deserved the declining position in his list. Caelus balled a fist on his lap.
“I will give you guys a photo of it to remember, that will be his weapon to kill me.”
“Realistically, hiding evidence that huge would be a mission itself.” Anaxa laid down, relaxing his aching back after seating all day in class. “People would notice if he walks around with that, there’s more chance for him to use the miniature keychain instead of the replica.”
Caelus pales. “That would not be a fabulous death.”
Slow and painful death where his fatal points got stabbed. Maybe his eyes until the round organ squished back to his skull, leaving a gaping hole. Maybe his arteries right under his skin, either his wrist or his thigh.
He feels like throwing up.
“Let’s stop it, you don’t look good.” Mydei scoots closer, rubbing his back up and down in a gentle manner.
He muttered gratitude as his nausea died down.
“Don’t think about it too much, it’s unhealthy.” Anaxa turns sideways, facing him. Those calm two colors eyes reassuring him, “I vote for a nerd instead of a killer.”
“It takes one to know one.” The sentence slips out before he could swallow it. A familiar passive aggressive banter between them.
“Right back at you.” Anaxa turned his back, reaching for one plushie to hold. Had enough with socializing for today and started ignoring them.
His senior isn’t wrong. He’s aware and proud otaku with the reflection on the mirror. Anaxa isn’t so bad after all, the man just shows his concern and care in his own way.
Caelus felt a hand on his nape, rubbing a few seconds longer before retreating.
Mydei leaned back on his bed frame. “I’m sure it’s nothing. However, if you ever feel threatened, you can crash here anytime.”
“Will you be making me golden honey pancake to cheer me up?” he blinks slow and hopeful like a kitten, weaponize coquettish behavior.
“I told you, he loves you just for your cooking.” Anaxa sudden quip broke his immersion.
Mydei just sighs, “Sure. I will count it as you owing me a favor then.”
“This is why you’re my favorite senior!”
The silent hall never scare him. With just an hour before midnight, he skips to his room one floor below.
The situation made him nostalgic of the first time he tried to sneak to his own bed without meeting the new roommate one month ago. He should be welcoming the new guy, but he got too busy playing game in Sampo’s room—that blue-haired man bewitched him with the new PS4.
When he realized it was almost midnight, he sprung up and ran back to his room. He expected Phainon to be asleep already, tired from moving his belongings into the room. When he opened the door, their lamp still bright up above, and a tall, white-haired man sitting on the bed with folded knees, writing something in the book on his lap.
For a few seconds, they just looked back and forth. He felt like intruding a girl writing a diary entry.
Phainon swiped the book to the side and greeted him, “Oh, hello! Nice to meet you, Caelus.”
“You know my name?”
“From Anaxa, he told me you’re a humanities major. I’m studying forensic by the way.”
“We have that in this campus?”
Phainon laughed that night. A melodic one that seemed to permeated into his brain ever since.
“He also told me about your previous roommate, just a general situation about what happened that a space was finally open for me.”
He remembered feeling a bit upset like a comedian that script got leaked to the audience before performing. “What didn’t Anaxa tell you? I feel like he stole every introduction line I should be using right now.”
Phainon smiled so sweetly at him. “That you’re cute.”
He sputtered at that. And it’s rare to make him flustered.
“I’ve been dying to meet you ever since Anaxa mentioned how lively you were.”
He stopped in front of his door, hand hovering right above the doorknob, back to reality. The memory cassette stops working as his brain repeating those words carefully like a broken tape.
I have been dying to meet you ever since Anaxa mentioned how lively you were.
Why did he forget about that?
His composed mind—the fruit of Mydei and Anaxa’s hard work—gone in an instant like a fragile pyramid stacks of card that got blown away by the night wind. Oh, he’s dying alright. He would not be lively anymore if his hunch proven right, if every innuendo Phainon ever used with him actually meant what it meant—damn it, he hates the choice of wording that man use. He’s a forensic major, not literature. What was that man doing?!
He felt like turning away to run back to Mydei and Anaxa’s room. He considered Sampo’s room as that guy would definitely be still awake at this hour, perhaps won’t even complain if he crash for one night, but he doesn’t feel safe enough to sleep in a 5 meter radius with him.
A suspiciously nice guy that he’s pretty sure is a killer or a scientifically proven suspicious man with many victim testimonies—the answer is obvious.
He pushed the door open, praying Phainon had been asleep, the taller man is a morning person after all. There’s no way he stayed up late, right?
Unfortunately, things rarely go exactly as planned for Caelus though.
The lamp above turned off, leaving two bedside lamp that they brought respectively, creating a warm light. He walks to his side of the room, eyeing the empty bed across with the blanket thrown off to the side as if the owner got up to do something and hasn’t returned.
Too focused on inspecting his roommate’s side, he almost didn’t hear the faucet in their restroom go off. By the time he was thinking to slide on his covers and pretend to sleep, the door opened with a click, not giving him a chance to execute anything. Phainon come rushing out of the bathroom, shirtless, specs resting on the slope of his nose and bright orange sweats hanging dangerously low.
Holy shit.
He knew Phainon sometimes wears thin metal glasses for reading purpose, but he never knew Phainon has a defined stomach that sculpted impressively, matching the fit of muscles on both of his arms.
He hadn’t expected the white-haired man to be so fucking hot for a killer.
Why is he hiding THAT under those astonishing pajamas?
It’s obvious for an alpha to have a distinctive figure in height, a physical trait that they have, but it’s up to them to train their body since no one was born with visible muscles. A few got obsessed with strength, a few only bulked up enough to carry their mated partner—Phainon definitely falls in between category, more than enough but less than excessive.
A perfect balance for eye candy standard.
But, even Caelus isn’t a fool in the eyes of death for a handsome face and structured body. He mentally scoops his jaw back from the floor and croaks out, “I didn’t know you work out.”
Phainon, visibly startled, drops the t-shirt tangled in his hands.
“Buddy! I didn’t see you there!” he placed a hand over his broad unclothed chest, “Don’t scare me like that.”
His tone was stern. Caelus’ heart rate picks up.
“Won’t happen again, sorry.” He hopes his jaw hadn’t fall long enough for the man to notice. He bent down to pick up his roommate’s t-shirt on the floor as an apology. When he straightened back, he’s face to face with the toned arm as he’s shorter than Phainon.
“Sorry, can you flex them?” he blurted out what was in his mind without filter, eyes zeroing on the biceps.
For a second, Phainon looked dumbfounded, then a melodious laughter rings out like that first night. Caelus realized belatedly that his roommate always laugh at every ridiculous statement came out of his mouth like a supportive stand up’s crowd. He’s almost touched for having such a loyal sidekick if only the man didn’t intend to take his life.
Nuh uh, he’s not that dumb to be tricked by deceptive sweet words and gestures.
“Do you want to have these or just admiring?” the taller man asked as he flexed one arm with confidence.
But, on God, the man has a deadly body.
“Do you want a truth or a lie?” Caelus threw a question back.
“Why was there a lie?” the skin between the brows scrunched up cutely, the metal specs slides down a bit from it, obviously pressing a giggle that bubbles up in his chest.
“I would answer with yes I want it too, but not in front of Mydei because that senior would actually write down a workout plan for me. He did it not once, but twice.” Caelus sighed.
Phainon chuckled low, “You don’t have to be ashamed of admiring it.” He received the garment back, dropping a casual fun fact, “I can lift two children on each arm by the way.” then his confident smile got covered up by the forest green t-shirt as he put it on.
Lift two children?
To where?
Caelus feels sweats trickled down his back. Is Phainon a cold murderer who targets children? That’s more fucked up than he thought. He hopes the agitation doesn’t show on his face and for Phainon to unable to read mind, because if not, he would be five feet under the next day.
He got distracted at the rustling sound as Phainon struggle because the fabric over his head has caught the tip of the glasses, awkwardly moving to pull it down. He has to hold back the snort, reminding himself that he might be dealing with the most wanted murderer.
“Here,” he said, helping him.
With the t-shirt in its supposed place, it reveals Phainon’s face tinted red with embarrassment to the tips of his ears. The confidence gone like it had never been there before.
“It happens to me too.” Caelus smiles, reciting the same experience so the taller man would not feel mocked. He turns on his heel, “Well, time to sleep. I will be late to my morning class if I linger around.”
That is his first mistake.
Turning his back to the potential murderer.
An iron grip circled his middle in the next second, he almost falls down from the force of it, but the alpha easily maintained their balance together as if his center of gravity weights nothing. His confused mind reeling at the sudden change, processing a firm chest pressed on his back, his heart leaped to his throat.
“Where have you been before coming back?”
He swears Phainon’s voice dropped an octave low.
“…W-What?” he stammered, one free hand that didn’t get caught clutched at the arms on his stomach. His fingers failed to even dent the muscle there.
Was a strength between a beta and an alpha always this far?
He jolts as something breathes in his nape. A shiver run down to his tail bone at the unexpected touch.
“What did you do with Mydei?”
How the fuck did he know.
“Just chatting?” It’s not good to let the predator smells his fear, so he swallowed every trembling words and spits out cold hard fact. “Anaxa slept first, leaving only me and Mydei to chat around. I almost got him to spill his signature recipe, the golden honey pancake, but got kicked out at the last second.”
“I see.”
The grip weakened an ounce. The heat radiating from the taller body enclosed him like a protective bubble.
“If Mydei do tell you his recipe, do you think you can make it?”
The casual question left him more questioning the situation they are in. He puts strength to his knees, hoping it didn’t shake with fear so he wouldn’t fell down pathetically. Showing weakness to a killer is definitely not recommended by the guide he searched online a few days ago. Think Caelus, think. March would be proud if he executes their study perfectly.
“I don’t know. I’m pretty good at throwing random things into a bowl to make something, but to follow a detailed recipe is another question I too want to know the answer. Why?”
Make a small talk, distract the hunter, play dumb as much as he can. With it, let’s hope Phainon decided he’s not worth to waste the energy to kill. Who wants to kill a clueless nobody who can’t even read the room?
A killer would be searching for a better victim than that.
“Nothing,”
He felt Phainon nosing along the area around his nape to his shoulder blade before resting a chin there, the gesture reminding him how a predator sizing their prey before swallowing them whole. Is Phainon a cannibal too on top of a killer? His mind supplied as his realization of the new speculation coming in.
“Just thinking maybe I can make it.”
“Are you offering?” he cursed himself as his stomach’s opinion came out before his brain. Damn it. Dan Heng always warned him about the danger of free food. I’m sorry, teacher Dan Heng.
Phainon stepped back, allowing Caelus to breathe, pulling his arm away to rubs the back of gray head within a considerably polite distance. “If you want.”
That’s so sweet of him, but Caelus couldn’t perceive that since his senses focusing on how the hands of the killer is so close to his neck, it would be easy to snap it like a twig, cracking his spine into two. With those arms? Phainon could do it.
And Caelus is not curious to find out.
“Good night, buddy.” Phainon flashed a small smile, blue eyes lingered on him for a few more seconds before the man retreated to his own bed.
Caelus feels like he won’t be getting a good night sleep after that.
“Dude, you stinks.”
He’s offended. He hasn’t had the time to dumpster dive today or yesterday or even the day before that. Busy keeping his roommate on tab like a secret service agent spying their target’s internet history—in short, he’s cosplaying as a malware. Silver Wolf would approve of that.
Caelus raised his arms to his nose. “That’s not very fabulous of you for accusing me, I showered this morning. Maybe your nose is the problem.” He’s eyeing Luka from head to toe, “Or you just smell your own, didn’t you just play baseball?”
Luka definitely smells like sunburn from being in the middle of the field in high noon. Students would be swarming the cafeteria for lunch and yet, here he was, the red-haired man chose to play baseball instead. Not like it was wrong, even Caelus was guilty sometimes, joining his friend to wave a baseball bat and not leaving until he score a homerun.
“Not that kind of stinks,” Luka laughed heartily, wiping sweats of his face with a towel he always carry in the backpack. “I mean like, you reek of an alpha.”
He frowns, “Since when did you do transition? I thought we’re in this the beta club forever.”
Luka laughs harder, bending down to clutch on his own stomach.
Though second gender is still around, their species has gone down a lot considerably from old times. Half percentage of individual in the world are beta—an ordinary human. With that many people that couldn’t smell a natural scent coming from an alpha or omega, the case of harassment and discrimination also became an outdated stereotype.
“Not me, this alpha senior that I play with, can smell you.” Luka said as the ticklish feeling dissipates from his belly. “Said something like I have to keep my distance if I don’t want to face an angry alpha, supposedly your mate or your lover.”
He remembered that senior face when he came to the field. He didn’t have the urge to join them for today, so he just came to pick up Luka for lunch together.
He blurts out, “Can we go back to meet him?”
Luka stares, “Huh? For what?” they paused in the middle of the hall, cafeteria just a few steps away.
“I want to ask him where the hell is my lover.” Caelus rests one arm on his friend’s shoulder, “I don’t even know my other half, and yet he knew? Is he like some kind of psychic or fortune teller?” he sighed out loud, looking down to the ground.
“That’s what I thought!” Luka exclaimed, nodding his head in solidarity. “Maybe some alpha just scents you accidentally? Or maybe your secret admirer scents you when you were not looking?”
“Who’s got a secret admirer?”
A new voice cuts in.
They jumped in tandem, one to the left, one to the right. Creating a gap in the middle for the owner of the voice to step in like a sitcom. A slender blond man smiles innocently—no, scratch that, more like a cat that got the cream. Peculiar eyes glinting with mischief.
“Bro, can you like show up normally? Maybe wear a bell or something so I can hear you coming.” Caelus suggested an absurd idea while patting his own chest, heart drumming under the skin.
Aventurine sings song, “If you’re the one choosing, I might consider it.”
Luka raised his brows high until it disappear from sight, hiding behind his red bangs. “Dude, TMI, I don’t want to know your kink.” He laughs nervously.
The blond man didn’t elaborate, pressing ahead, “So? What secret admirer? Did Luka finally received a love letter beside a thank you letter from kids?” sliding himself in between them in such a practiced move that someone pass by might think they’re a trio that is inseparable from birth.
No one would know Aventurine just wanted to be right beside the gray man.
“Hey! The kids are precious and sincere!” Luka defends with Caelus agreeing with him.
“Okay sorry, but what is this smell?” Aventurine scrunched up his nose, one hand in pocket ready to pull out his expensive perfume to spray the air around them. An unbearable itch under the skin like someone who can’t stand a little irregular pattern in their daily life.
The left and right trio brightens up at the same time, realizing Aventurine is an alpha who could help them to identify the culprit. Caelus didn’t waste any time to face the middle man, “Here, Luka said I smell like an alpha.”
“You?”
Aventurine leans in, nose diving straight under his jaw that Caelus can’t help but stand still.
“There’s a bit of citrus, wamth and freshness with a hint of spiced tea.” The blond man sniffs closer, “It mellows out to a floral scent and woodiness.”
“…Fresh laundry?” he asked, gulping down to wet his throat.
The movement shows on his neck. A pair of piercing bright purple and cyan squints, calculating, but he can’t see it since the mop of blond hair is the only thing in his line of sight. Aventurine raised a hand, fingertips presses on the side of his neck in a purposeful manner.
“I think so.”
“Are you guys done yet?” Luka chirps in with eyes covered with his own fingers as if the scene unfolding in front of him is like a restricted part of the movie where parental advisory needed to guide their children on how to perceive a suggestive gesture.
“Do you know whose scent is this?” Caelus rubbed his own neck after Aventurine stepped back.
Brows furrowed, with a troubled expression, one of the top business students says, “I don’t want to sow a discord between you and your new roommate.”
Isn’t Phainon practically exposed with that chosen words? Caelus deadpanned mentally.
Luka slapped the slender blond man in the back, “You’re basically saying senior Phainon is the culprit.”
“I’m not dropping names, now am I?” Aventurine shrugged, then cleverly retors, “If he asks, I’m gonna say you’re the one who sold him out.”
While Luka shrieks in horror, had walked into the trap unwillingly, Aventurine pulled out his custom bottle of perfume and sprays it around Caelus’ collarbone before he could react. He looks down as if the scent could be seen with eyes alone, smelling a hint of sweetness that is not to overpowering and just right.
“This smells better,” Aventurine nods satisfied, “Trust me, friend. Now, should we eat together? I will pay.”
Both he and Luka are the one they called hungry freaks, having a bottomless stomach. At the mention of free food, who can refuse that? Their canteen has a special menu where the culinary students makes the food, with more variety, a lot of students could get a non-boring meal with better quality of ingredients—with money.
“Now that I think about it, maybe his scent coincidentally transferred to me when I used his blanket.” Caelus said in the middle of half-finished plate.
“Senior Phainon?” Luka parroted, putting his spoon down.
Aventurine coughs, the soup dumpling went down the wrong pipe. “Why did you even use his?” the expensive watch in his wrist makes a clatter sound as it hit the edge of the canteen’s table. “Where’s your own blanket?”
Caelus handed him a bottle of water for relief in pity. “Well, apparently, I sleep walk sometimes. Only when I’m dead tired.”
He can’t exactly say he lost sleep recently because of the potential killer in his own room—Aventurine and Luka are not on the list of witnesses yet—waking up tired and worn his body down in the process.
“Good thing I can’t open the locked door, but the sound of me smashing straight to any furniture in the room was enough to wake him. He said he didn’t know how to handle it, so he just wrapped me in his blanket burrito style and carried me back to bed.” He finished re-telling what happened last night.
“So you woke up this morning like that?” the red-haired man makes an o with his mouth.
“Yeah,” he puts another mouthful of dumpling, chewing it slowly. The soup burst in with flavorful broth, satisfying his taste buds.
“That’s very kind of him.”
This is why every person he has told about his fear of a killer hidden in sight had a hard time believing him. Phainon is such a gentleman that everyone just assumes the man is pure white inside out. He shakes his head mentally.
“Why did it have to be his blanket?” Aventurine is still scrutinizing the unimportant detail, “He can just walk to your bedside and snatch your blanket.”
“Why? Is that wrong or something?” Caelus frowns.
The only thing he had to note down was he accidentally burdened Phainon with an annoying task. The man’s patience could be thinned out sooner or later if he keeps sleep walking at night, spiking the chance of his potential death sky high.
One night, Phainon could be using a pillow instead of a blanket to suffocate him to death in his sleep. He doesn’t want to die so soon—not until he got his degree at least, he has yet to harvest the fruit of countless sleepless night doing assignments—but dying that way doesn’t sound so bad. He won’t even know the process, waking up to the other side.
Imaginary March and Dan Heng like angels on both shoulders smacking his back to reality, pushing out that thought before he could dwell more on it.
“He’s an alpha,” Aventurine states an obvious fact. When he received the same confused look from both of his peers, the blond man sighs, “They’re all wolves, you know. Don’t let your guard down even if you’re a beta.”
“What does that even mean?” Caelus’ frown deepened.
“Let me rephrase it,” Luka knocked on the table with his forefinger, imaginary light bulb on top of his head, “In this case, since Phainon is kind to help Caelus, you were meant to say that senior has a crush on Caelus? Am I understanding this right? And whatever he does would have an ulterior motive?”
“Yeah, I have you on tape by the way.”
“Please delete it.”
Caelus amazed at the way Aventurine always successful at making his conversation partner to spill everything without him saying it outright, making the other person to be held accountable while his hands were clean. Maybe Caelus should follow the example, to deal with his roommate.
He leans back on his chair, “There’s no way Phainon would like me that way.”
Two pair of eyes pierced him the second those sentence came out. He felt like a hamster that is being pinned to the table so they could take a CT scan, forcing him to instinctively stopped chewing his food.
“Are you serious?” Aventurine places his head in hands.
Luka gulped down his drink before opening his mouth, “I may be dense in this kind of thing, but I think Phainon is especially caring to you.”
“Have you seen him? He’s like the picture perfect of an alpha. Why would he waste his time on a beta when many omegas are smitten with him?”
Luka almost opened his mouth to retort something around, don’t put such a low price on yourself, but a hand stopped him. He looked to the side and found Aventurine shook his head. Caelus, back to enjoying his food, didn’t pay attention anymore as if this topic didn’t interest him in the first place.
“Just a grain of thought,” Aventurine said in the end, “You can entertain it once in a while.”
When they part, Caelus skipped back to his own class with Dan Heng who came to pick him up.
Luka is toying with his bag strap, looking back and forth before saying, “Are you sabotaging senior Phainon?”
Aventurine checks for a scratch on his watch, wiping it with fingertips in a nonchalant manner. The material cool on his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The red-haired man sighs, a life of a beta supposed to be the most ordinary life with mundane dailies. And yet his friend got caught, surrounded by wolves—as the man beside him had said. Poor Caelus.
“Are you aware you’re also an alpha? Caelus would still be skeptical of you too. I don’t think he notices any of your advances.” He didn’t even know why he helped to knock some senses into the alpha beside him. Pity for having seen his courting fail more than enough times? Who knows.
“I still have the tape if you forget.” Aventurine slips one hand in his pocket as if to show off he’s gripping the very evidence that he could use to blackmail.
“Yes, yes, I understand. I should mind my own business.” Luka sighs again for the umpteenth time. “I will keep my mouth shut and not piss you off.”
He prayed Caelus would soon choose one person so the other alphas would back off from threatening all his friends like this.
“I’ll have the cookies n’ cream and blueberry blaster on top. Ah, with golden ribbon, please.” Caelus said to Guinaifen behind the counter.
“Not the cheesecake one? Your usual?” her ponytail sways as she stretched to the side to reach a medium cup stacking on top of each other.
“I’m feeling disorder today.”
“What does that even mean?” she giggles. “You’re lucky I haven’t made your usual order when I saw you, or a cup of ice cream will melt in vain.” One hand scooping the flavor chosen.
“Hey, not every regular will make the same order. What if I wanna be different someday?” Caelus shook his head, “You need to copy me, the best employee of the month.”
“You don’t work here.”
“But I do work for the coffee shop across, same thing.”
She just rolled her eyes fondly. “What about the handsome guy behind you?”
He almost turned around to check on the friend he brought here on Saturday noon, but Phainon leans in first, watching the caramel drizzle on top of his order. “Is that the golden ribbon? Isn’t that too sweet?” the man asked, close to his ear.
A breath caught in his throat, Caelus croaks out, “It good.”
“It good?” Phainon repeats teasingly, laugh bubbling in his chest.
“Nevermind the caramel, the blueberry one is actually the cavities in that cup.” He added when he found his voice again, face still a bit flushed. “The chocoball is using a dark chocolate, it would suit you if you want something not too sweet.”
“Then I’ll have the cookies n’ cream with chocoball.” Phainon tells Guinaifen with a smile.
“Coming right up!”
When they have their orders in hands—after fighting who pays first, the winner is Phainon—they sit right beside the counter, still in sight from the cashier—Caelus chose the place where he can signal to Guinaifen if something goes wrong. This is their first time going out together on the weekend, he called it roommates bonding. Phainon looked so enthusiastic when he proposed the idea this morning, knowing both of them coincidentally didn’t have day class on Saturday.
He had to help Phainon dress up though, the concept of wearing two clashing colors didn’t sit right with him. What kind of killer using such a bizarre colors that surely would leave impression on every passerby when he should be minimizing attention as much as possible to blend in?
Maybe he’s not a killer, Dan Heng’s voice echoed in his memory.
“Do you need my help, buddy?” Phainon asked, waiting patiently for his ice cream that Caelus is holding hostage for insta photo.
He set his phone on the table, smiling sheepishly. “You won’t mind if I upload a few photos, right?”
He feels the weight as Phainon leaned on him, shoulders sticking together like a glue. White hair brushed his gray one, blended seamlessly. Phainon hums, glancing at the screen that shows the taken picture.
“That’s a good photo. You can tag me.” Phainon returned to his previous position, but their shoulders still brushed with minimal movement. “Should we take one where our face is in the frame?”
Now that’s unexpected. His plan is working, he has been executing it since a few days ago. To show kindness and help the killer, so Phainon would lower his guard around him. Perhaps, a little too well. If he has a picture with the taller man, the police would surely set their eyes on his last insta posts.
“Oh, you’ll regret it.” Caelus scoops his ice cream, “I sold polaroid of celebrity.”
“Am I a celebrity? I’m flattered.” Phainon chuckled. A pair of blue eyes shines like sea foam on the beach under the sun, it invites him to dip his ankle only to be pulled by the strong waves.
Caelus looks down, suddenly finding his ice cream interesting, “If there are fans who want to buy Dan Heng and Jing Yuan’s picture, I believe you’ll be on their list too.”
“What about your opinion? Do you think I’m that handsome?” the white-haired man inquired with hopeful eyes.
Caelus lifted the spoon and pushed it into Phainon’s open mouth. “Sshh, I’m not blind. You just want me to say it.”
Sitting up straight, Phainon covers his mouth with his palm, “That’s too sweet.”
The missing warmth beside his shoulder suddenly jarring. Caelus shakes that thought, looking down to his own cup, finding smudge of blueberry on the spoon. “Oh sorry, wrong ice cream.” He pushed the correct cup toward its owner. “Well, now you know the taste!”
Phainon cleansed his tongue with the chocoball on top. He’s sensing the glance Caelus threw, without hesitation he offered a spoon, “Want to try mine?”
Caelus chomped the spoon straight with his mouth without thinking. Actually, he was just staring to see if Phainon likes his recommendation, but the thought of rejecting a killer’s offer never led to a good ending, he had no choice. Phainon’s expression brightened up when he swallowed, Caelus feels relieved at least.
They exchanged a few stories about what they do back in home, when Phainon told him about he used to fish on every weekend and catch an impressive haul, his mouth reflexively opened to say, “There’s a river down the street. Do you wanna go?”
When his rationality catched up, it’s already too late. Phainon gave him a murderous look, reminding him what he shouldn’t do to a killer. He mentally beats himself up as the realization sets in.
Please say no. Please say no.
“I would love to,” Phainon puts down his spoon, ice cream finished.
Oh God. Caelus is going to die, he’s not sure if it’s from Phainon’s helios or his smile. He’s eyeing the keychain on the sling bag cautiously as sweats budding on his temple.
He swallowed his regret and stood up. “Follow me then.” He makes sure to glance at Guinaifen on his way out, signaling SOS with every fiber in his being.
“Remember guys, safety first!” Guinafen called back with a wide teasing smile.
Caelus flushes right at the door, gasping in horror. “We’re not like that!” Phainon behind him already choke-laughing at the unexpected remark from the girl. He adds, “I’m making eye contact in case I went missing!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but have fun!” she waves her hand.
Girl… you’re my only hope, everything ceased to exist in Caelus’ eyes.
When they’re ten feet away from the ice cream parlor, Phainon match his steps as he slips a hand on his pocket. Looking out and couldn’t contain his curiosity, “Why did Guinaifen say we need to be safe?”
Caelus can’t even look him in the eye to answer, “A few people like to do… uncivilized things at night there.” He recalled Dan Heng’s vocabulary to avoid saying sex and many activities in that group. Thank you, teacher.
“Ohh…” Phainon dumbly responds, voice cracking airy at the end.
He glanced to the side and found the taller man flushes a bit. “Don’t be scared, I’m just showing you around. We can just throw rocks since we have no fishing tools.”
“…Too bad,” Phainon mumbled almost inaudible, but Caelus catches it anyway.
His heart does a funny thing like kicking his ribcage. “Too bad?” he repeated in a high pitch voice from how surprised he is. Hands itching to shake the man beside him until the inside rattle here and there.
“The fishing part.” Phainon dodged it like a skillful stuntman.
Caelus doesn’t know why he feels a hint of disappointment at the answer.
What the hell is wrong with him today?
By the end of the day, sunset on the horizon painting the sky in a red hue, his alpha roommate raised his arms, showing a big trout caught with bare hands like a seasoned hunter wild bear. With pants rolled up to the knees, undershirt and toned arms showing without restriction of his flannel, Phainon showed his fish like a trophy with a wide victorious smile.
Caelus, sitting on the edge with both feet dipped in the shallow river, clenched the flannel shirt on his lap. If he were an omega, his instinct would be purring at the show of strength, smitten with how dependable the alpha is for providing a meal.
Unfortunately, he is a beta.
That fact never disappoint him before.
And yet…
He pushed that thought and asked the important question, “What are we going to do with that?”
“…Carry it back to the dorm?” Phainon sounded unsure.
He hopes their RA will be ecstatic to see a cool fish.
Caelus pouts, chewing the straw in his mouth before sucking the last sip of chocolate milk until the box withered. The sounds loud enough to annoy his companions in the mini park inside their campus.
“What, what, what.” She looked up from her half-finished essay, “What’s bothering you?”
They came here to enjoy the fresh air and touch grass, and yet the gray-haired man gloomed like the world was ending.
Dan Heng puts down his note to his lap, paused the reading. “You’ve been doing that for like… the past ten minutes.”
Caelus sighed like every trouble in the world chases him to no end. “I have good news and terrible news.”
“Good news, Phainon isn’t a killer and your deduction is wrong.” March answers for him with a knowing look, “Bad news, he’s smoking hot and you have a crush on him.” she sings song.
He drops his face to his raised knees, the empty box of milk fell down to the grass. He groans, “Now you’re just mocking me. You’re wrong by the way, he’s most definitely a killer, I can feel it.”
Dan Heng interjects, “You’re still on that?” with a tone of surprise, overestimating his best friend to be back on the right path.
“You didn’t deny the second allegation.” March smirks.
“I’m going to die soon and you care more about who’s got a crush on who?!” he looked up with a betrayed expression.
She shakes him like checking how filled is the bag of chips she’s gonna buy. “Caelus, it’s painstakingly obvious that guy likes you! Even I have to drop my suspicion when I saw how he looks at you.”
The passionate gaze, the affection that Phainon had no intention of hiding, his many overt and passionate advances. Even the thickest person on the earth would have noticed long ago—an undeniable fact that Phainon is courting the gray haired man. Meanwhile Caelus, a beta, probably didn’t know how to respond to an eager alpha.
It’s a mental problem at this point as to why Caelus still denied it.
“What’s on your mind?” Dan Heng asked patiently. Knowing his best friend would likely to shut in if they kept cornering him.
Caelus chewed on his bottom lip, weighing the right words to convey his chaotic mind. “I’m a beta…” his voice grew smaller, “If I accept his… courting, I can’t even be his proper mate. Phainon is an incredible alpha, he deserves so much more than me.”
“Even with that knowledge, he chases you anyway.” March pointed out. “Surely he’s not that insensitive to be so clueless about it.”
“If you want to accept him, then talk to him.” Dan Heng adds, “This is between the both of you, not something you can just decide yourself. I believe he is the only one who can dispel your fear right now.” voice soothing as if he had years of experience under his belt.
“Besides, you’re not that bad.” March slaps his back a few times.
His golden eyes blurs with a layer of wet tears, “Even if I dumpster dive in my free time?”
“At least you’re self-aware about it.” Dan Heng sighed.
Caelus chokes back his tears, throwing a troubled smile instead. “What do you guys think I should start with? Asking if he’s a murderer?”
March facepalms so hard she mumbles, you’re hopeless, so fucking hopeless, in a loop to the air. Dan Heng clears his throat once, face blanched as if he didn’t want to say it but can’t help resort to it as the last choice.
“I think you have a kink somewhere, being attracted to killers or just someone who can manhandle you.” He grimaced afterwards, regretting the sentences coming out of his mouth.
There was silence for a while.
“Oh…” a pair of golden eyes blinked a few times, sunrays on his face like a spotlight, clearing the overcast around his very being, “Oh…” connecting the dots until it paints a full picture.
“Please tell me it’s the latter.” March begs. “I don’t want to be friends with someone who admires a serial killer.”
He doesn’t confirm so she could keep guessing. It’s obvious anyway.