He was scared.
When one of the guards abruptly removed his set, Psyche tripped on his feet. He was left disoriented from the sudden turn of events, and the memories of all the times his father had called security on him overflowed his mind.
'What is happening?'
Psyche didn't understand why the guards were surrounding him. His brothers said they would make sure he didn't get beaten again.
He had had a bad feeling since the music started.
He wasn't supposed to be the only one dancing. Phyros' friends had to take the attention away from him and make sure no one saw as he took Eros to the kitchen.
Instead, they kept laughing on the sidelines, and one of them was even recording.
'Eros was someone with lots of connections and power, so this was supposed to benefit them too.'
If so then…
'Just why?'
He looked up to the second floor. Adolphe shrugged and made a gesture with his hands as if saying: 'it couldn't be helped! oops!'.
Psyche saw Phyros behind him laughing with his stepmother.
'What happened? What are they talking about?'
He felt one of the guards grabbing his hair and pulling it to face him.
'Let me go!'
'Don't touch me!'
'They're going to lock me again, aren't they?'
He was tired.
It wasn't his fault that he was born into this world.
Psyche had spent the last few days working in the company's beauty subsidiary. He was sleep-deprived and hungry. But, he knew that if the new project took off his father could recover a bit of his wealth.
And he could have proved he was more than just the child of an affair.
If only Phyros hadn't ruined all of his project's presentation by accident, they wouldn't have had to resort to becoming a gold digger.
'No! If only…'
Psyche turned his face to search for Eros.
'Did he leave? I hope so. I don't want him to see me like this.'
Unfortunately for him, Eros was still in the bar. With a drink in one hand and holding the hand of a tall, dark-haired woman with the other one.
"...ha!"
He laughed bitterly. But, Psyche felt his heartbreak into a million pieces.
If only Adolphe never said Eros had a crush on him. That was probably fake too, right? Just like all the promises his brothers had made to him.
{"Didn't you know? That hideous face of yours is quite appealing to that Heaven's brat.}
He had tried to put the family above his feelings his whole life. He had tried to be invisible and to appear cold and frivolous to everyone, but…
{"Who knows, maybe he'll find some value to you if you do this."}
If only those words hadn't given him hope.
Before, he said that he felt sorry for using Eros, but in reality, he was ashamed of using such methods to beg for his attention.
He felt pathetic, knowing his body was all he had to offer.
"Come with us while I'm being nice, boy," said one of the guards.
'Someone…'
'Please, help me!'
Even so, he didn't want to be locked in his room again. Desperate, he looked up at the second balcony once again, where his family was.
'I'll do better!'
'Please…'
'Mot-!'
Just then, the guard released Psyche's hair. And a moment after, the jacket he took off earlier covered his shoulders.
'What?'
A whistle crossed the air, and then Psyche heard a man's low voice speak to the guards. The words were supposed to sound friendly, but the tone coming from his lips wasn't kind at all.
He recognized the silhouette of the man in front of him. It would've been impossible not to.
Eros had a presumptuous air around him and a relaxed smile, but Psyche recognized his fear and sadness in him. And, above all of it, anger.
'Is it because of me?'
He didn't want to feel happy about it.
Psyche thought that falling for whoever showed him a minimum sign of affection was embarrassing, that it made him look starved for love.
Even so, he couldn't help but feel bubbling happiness inside to see someone protecting him.
"Well, well~, mind if I step in~?"
Eros stood between Psyche and the guards, completely blocking Psyche from sight.
'What is he doing?'
"Huh? And just who are you, kid?"
"You don't deserve to know."
"This brat!"
The guard raised his still-free fist into the air, preparing to bring it down on Eros's face. The sudden action alerted viewers.
"Not in the face!"
"What are you doing?!"
"That face is worth at least two countries!"
"How do you think you'll pay for the damage done to us if we can no longer see his face?!"
"Ugly people shouldn't punch!"
"Huh?" The guard stopped his advance, bewildered. He looked up at the second-floor balcony, making sure Psyche's father agreed with his actions.
The Demetriou Group's CEO, Dimitrios, glanced at him before turning his back completely. The guard took that as a confirmation.
"Stop that hand right this instant!"
Before he could do so, a female voice interrupted the scene, causing the voices to rise again.
"Isn't that…?"
"Third Heaven's CEO's right hand, Miss Iris!"
"I can't believe she showed up!"
"I somehow got a thousand watchers just now… Everyone, send me money!"
"First a fairy dancer, then the heir of the Third Heaven's group, and now the goddess herself in the flesh!"
"Kyaaa, how is she so beautiful?!"
"Mommy?"
"Sorry?"
"Ah, nothing, just ignore me."
Iris ignored the pathetic situation behind her and focused on why the thick-faced humans were suddenly so openly expressive: Eros.
Sensing her silent anger, Eros sent her a message with his gaze.
'I messed up! Help me!!!'
Iris snorted derisively and looked at the man threatening Eros.
"If you dare lay a hand on him, the Third Heaven group will have no other choice but to settle this on our way."
She stood firmly in front of the guards.
Her long black hair fluttered, revealing an open back in her white and black suit. The action caused a round of shrieks from the spectators.
The guard looked confused. The only thing he could do was lower his fist and release himself from Eros' grip.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" Iris said.
Eros didn't think she would help him in the first place. But, watching Iris' eyes change to a bluish glow, he panicked.
'Hey! hey! Why are you so serious?'
His mom had already told him about Iris' distaste towards humans. But he never realized it was so deep as to allow an otherwise calm and composed goddess to show her real emotions.
"There'll be no need for that."
It was Evangeline. Adolphe followed behind her.
Both gods furrowed their eyebrows at the appearance of Psyche's family.
Eros felt a range of different negative emotions pouring out from their presence. He almost wanted to cover his nose.
Evangeline talked to Iris, refusing to acknowledge Eros and Psyche. The former was almost happy that he didn't have to deal with her, while the latter continued to shake.
Eros hurriedly helped Psyche to get up, supporting him with his arms. Psyche flushed, feeling the grip of Eros' hand on his lower back.
Eros felt the sudden surge of embarrassment, joy, and desire growing inside of the boy's heart. He giggled.
Had he not felt the vibrant annoyance of a particular goddess, he would have taken Psyche to another place while everyone was distracted.
However, whom he needed to take away as fast as possible was Iris.
'Why is her social battery so low? Seriously!'
He turned to look at Psyche. He was still a bit frightened, but his eyes were clear and active, ready to step in at any minute if the situation required it.
'He looks like a little tiger cub. How cute.'
When he returned his gaze, Eros responded with a sweet smile.
"Are you okay, darling?"
Psyche felt out of breath.
His eyes looked dearly at him as if Eros could walk to hell and back for him.
Psyche did not know that he met love in the flesh, nor that he was fearlessly looking at it in the eyes.
'How is he so beautiful?' He thought.
And, of course, love was captivating and vast. But it could also be cruel and regretful.
Unbeknownst to him, his face got even redder, "y-yes?"
"Can you stand by yourself?" Eros giggled once again,
His light-hearted laugh made Psyche gulp. He didn't think he had the strength to answer without his voice shaking, so he just nodded.
Evangeline was still trying to appeal to Iris' good side. Humans couldn't feel they had a deity in front of them unless she decided to slaughter them.
'She does look like she is about to go apeshit, though.' Eros thought.
"Excuse me for a minute then," Eros gently pushed Psyche aside, "I'll promise we'll talk soon."
Before he left, Eros patted Psyche in the head lightly. He then walked towards Iris with his hands in his pockets.
"It's a pleasure to meet someone as popular as you, Miss Iris. I didn't know you'd be joining us tonight."
Adolphe understood what his mother wanted to achieve, so he followed her act.
"We sincerely apologize." He said, "Allow us to offer compensation for any harm caused."
"...Compensation?" Iris said, gritting her teeth.
"Yes, why don't you accompany us to my balcony so we can discuss the-"
"Your son," Eros said, looking straight at Evangeline.
Silence filled the room. The faces of both people standing in front of him seemed to have smelled something foul.
"What?"
Forgetting her anger, Iris facepalmed.
Psyche blinked once, twice, and three times before fully processing what the person in front of him had said.
"Huh??"
"Excuse me?" Evangeline seemed to have been as perplexed as him.
Just when Psyche was about to convince himself that everything that was happening around him was just a dream, Eros turned around with an expression of apparent innocence and winked at him.
"I want him."