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+---- Thread: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? (/showthread.php?tid=12431)
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
If he was less in his thoughts and more present, he might have tacked on the quiet truth that for how much the butcher cares about himself and his appearances, that he truly does care more for the Maverick than himself these days. The kiss to his forehead is one he relaxes into, though, hearing that the shower sounds good, once their gazes meet, the vulnerability turns into relief at the agreement.
Truly, Danta could linger in his grip however much he likes, but as he starts to move Asta isn’t far behind. “[say]You know I will not mind.[/say]” The chair creaks as he stands, his hip popping with the movement as he also tries to ignore the bloody footprints they leave heading toward the bathroom. With all of the beautiful perks of the Wildering House, Asta’s relieved to see the shower begin steaming nearly immediately, exhaling some further relief to slip in behind Danta in the shower and winding his arms around him from behind, tucking his chin in against the Maverick’s golden, suntanned shoulder.
“[say]How are you feeling?[/say]” He asks as the water hits both of them and he closes his eyes, letting the water wash away the brunt of the blood and ash that’s clung to their skin.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-29-2026
The water has just started to clean away the blood from his throat and chest when he feels Asta step into the shower behind him, and as the other man's arms slip around him Danta wastes little time in leaning back into his chest. Letting out a content sigh and closing his eyes as well, he tilts his head to rest it against the butcher's, and for a blissful few seconds it's just the heat of their bodies, the steam and the drumming of the water.
[say]"Mm...? I'm tired,"[/say] he admits with a smile. [say]"And really sober. That fountain water heals everything, apparently. But otherwise I'm good, I promise."[/say] Relaxing further into the cradle of Asta's arms, Danta let's his head hang a bit and peeks his eyes open to see the water beneath their feet swirling red as the blood washes away. [say]"How are you feeling?"[/say] he fires back, arching an eyebrow and glancing over his shoulder a fraction.
Part of him wants to turn in the other man's arms and to fuss over him in turn, but he knows better than to take the moment away from Asta if it's something he needs. It's hardly unpleasant, after all, to stand and be held like this.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
“[say]A shame.[/say]” He hums against the quiet drum of the shower as it hits them. As Danta leans back into him, his arms grow a bit tighter, holding him up against him comfortably to alleviate his bruised mentality. He’s tucked in such a way that he can feel the beat of the Maverick’s heart, ensuring the butcher that his fiancé is still here, and it’s very nearly enough that Asta opens his eyes to prove it to himself again.
He doesn’t have to, though. “[say]It is a good thing I brought the rest of the wine, mm?[/say]” He suggests, tilting his head a little more into Danta’s, nuzzling softly with his wet, now mostly blood free beard. “[say]I am okay. Better now. Still very much not sober.[/say]” His accent thickens with the longer sentences, taking a slow and deep inhale to lift his head up to look at the Maverick finally.
He takes the moment to slip on his glamour, his hair dropping down from where it was pinned by his horns, wet and heavy where it settles in his face and frames him in very much a wet dog kind of look. “[say]You know you are everything to me, right?[/say]” He asks tentatively, like there’s some urgency in how close they came to him losing it that he feels like he has to say it.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-29-2026
[say]"That's right, you did,"[/say] Danta purrs, the realisation prompting devious smile to creep across his lips. [say]"You're very smart."[/say] He's sure there's plenty of liquor also stashed away in their room if they run out of the wine, but he's certainly not going to complain about Asta's immediate solution. [say]"Good,"[/say] he whispers to hear that the butcher is feeling better, though his next remark dissolves into a soft laugh as it dawns on him that he's he most sober person in the room. (Not something he's used to, you understand).
[say]"No shame in that,"[/say] he says, lifting his head a bit as he's nuzzled, though it's as Asta draws up his glamour that he looks at him properly. Soaking wet and still vaguely bloody and more than a little in his cups, Danta finds himself nevertheless charmed all over again by the sight of his fiance.
The softer smile that starts tugging at his lips fades at the unexpected question though, his cheeks heating under the scrutiny, and he sighs out a breath that's almost a laugh before reaching up to sweep Asta's wet hair back from his face. [say]"I had a feeling,"[/say] he mumbles, leaning in to kiss his cheek. [say]"The feeling is mutual. I'm sorry I scared you."[/say]
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
“[say]Mm, you could say that again.[/say]” He rumbles, letting the little ego boost grow in his chest where Danta always knows to say them. It does help a touch that he’s not sober, though he isn’t as fucked up as he was before. It is a strange sensation being the most sober one – often used to the both of them being equal or at least near each other’s soberness.
The smile tugs at the corners of his lips despite the honest remark, not ashamed at all by the fact he’s still drunk. He supposes it means that Danta gets all of the thoughts right now that he usually would keep locked behind his too sharp teeth, hoping that he doesn’t send their good night over the edge.
He leans into the touch once Danta’s brushing back the dark strands of wet hair from his face and tilts into the kiss to his cheek. “[say]It isn’t your fault.[/say]” He says immediately to Danta’s apology, his arms sweeping around him easier, the heat of the shower’s water raining down upon them to steal the blood away from his fiance’s blonde strands. “[say]I thought I would be able to handle it better. It was incredible, I just.. I let myself get in my head.[/say]” He winces a touch, his voice low and a quiet hum but loud enough that it can be heard over the water.
Tilting his head a touch more to press his own kiss to his fiance’s jaw, his fingers spread out to let his fingertips press and stroke gentle motions in his back.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-29-2026
[say]"I could?"[/say] Danta grins at that. [say]"Alright - you're very smart,"[/say] he whispers, his soft laughter almost lost in the hush of the shower, and as the other man clasps him closer he sinks easily into the embrace, happy to be held for as long as Asta needs and through whatever drunken headspace he finds himself in.
With a soft shiver the Maverick also draws his glamour up now, making it easier for the other man to indulge in all the fuss he wants without risking cutting himself on the juts of diamond that protrude from his fair hair. [say]"We can both be guilty of that,"[/say] he mumbles - of getting too much in their own head, he means - Danta humming a note of approval at the soft touches pressing against his back.
[say]"You can always talk to me when something like that happens,"[/say] he continues, glancing over his shoulder again towards Asta. [say]"And for what it's worth, you never once seemed out of control."[/say]
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
His smile brightens to hear Danta repeat it, letting it settle in his chest a little warmer. It smooths out some of the apprehension that’s found its hooks there, especially as he sees the glamour draw up and one hand abandons his fiance’s skin to reach up and run his fingers through Danta’s wet hair, drawing it back out of his face, getting any lingering blood out as he angles them such that the shower can completely clean out the blood from his hair.
“[say]Yes. We have a tendency to do that, don’t we?[/say]” It’s a rhetorical question – knowing all too well how the both of them bottle their internal feelings, thinking they were often too little or stupid to address when they’ve both been conditioned (in very different ways) to always be fine or strong. It’s the sentiment that Danta says glancing over his shoulder that Asta lingers on.
The fact he didn’t seem out of control has a playful wink shooting his way as he catches his stunning blue glance. “[say]I am a fantastic actor, darling.[/say]” He touts, playfully drawing back the hair from his face to nuzzle in and press a kiss to his cheek before he’s smoothing out his hands along his shoulders. “[say]But yes. I can be better about talking to you. I will work on that.[/say]” He cements the fact in a gentle hum to his skin.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-29-2026
[say]"Mm, we do,"[/say] Danta agrees quietly, tilting his head to indulge in the skilled fingers that sweep through his hair and moving without protest as Asta manoeuvres him under the stream of water. It doesn't take long for the red to run pink through his hair before finally washing clear, and there are only a few stubborn streaks of blood left on his body besides, too.
Scoffing to catch the wink Asta shoots his way, Danta flashes him a grin without fangs and turns his head to sneakily catch the kiss aimed to his cheek against his lips. [say]"We'll both work on it,"[/say] he agrees, letting the butcher's hands skim along his shoulders and back before he finally turns in his arms to face him properly.
[say]"For now though, let's finish getting clean so I can get drunk again? I'm feeling as though I'm missing out on the party."[/say] So saying, his hands reach up to gently clean the blood away from Asta's neck and chest, carefully lingering on the deeper scars so as not to handle him too roughly.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
They both agree and they both promise to be better about it for the future – a future with the two of them inextricably connected in a way he’d never thought he’d ever be. It soothes that part of him that strung itself in knots with anxiety over the past hour or so, though he finds it helps to not see all the blood painting Danta’s skin.
The stolen kiss is one that Asta smiles into, happily letting go so Danta can spin in his arms and work on his own mess of a bloody body. He can’t help the smile that blooms on his face – even without the Ancient markers, the butcher’s teeth are still just as sharp. The only difference in his smile is the fact his canines aren’t quite as long, but still pointed perfectly sharp despite it. “[say]Ah, yes, we cannot have that.[/say]” He hums confidently, tilting his head up so that Danta can clean off his neck and chest, the water soon running clear and getting in between every gnarled scar where it had pooled previously.
"[say]Not much longer, I promise.[/say]" He leans into the touch a bit heavier, though, as though the relief has finally hit him as he snags a bit of the soap to lather them both up to ensure they were certainly clean, clean and rinses them both off, before he’s shutting the shower off and beckoning for Danta to step out of the shower so he can follow him – promptly summoning fire for the both of them to dry off completely without the use of a towel.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-29-2026
[say]"No we certainly can't,"[/say] Danta agrees, utterly without complaint as the other man goes about cleaning them up properly, and by the time Asta is shutting off the shower he feels almost like a new person. [say]"I might not want a repeat performance of what we just did out there too soon, but we can have a shower like that any time you like,"[/say] he purrs, grinning over his shoulder to the butcher and stepping out.
With fire twisting around his body and kissing at his skin and his hair, Danta meanders back into their room without a care, and he's more than a little relieved to find that the space has apparently cleaned itself up. The blood has vanished from the floor, the chair is tucked neatly back at the table, and their red-soaked clothes have disappeared entirely. Whether they pop up again is none of the Maverick's concern; for now he's just happy to see the room looking how it should.
[say]"C'mon - we can definitely drink in bed,"[/say] he says, snagging a couple of glasses and the remainder of the wine and promptly crawling into bed to prop himself up against the plush pillows, sinking into them with moonlight streaming in from the window outside.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-29-2026
“[say]Mm, well, we cannot dabble in it too often otherwise it will lose its charm.[/say]” The butcher teases. Don’t get him wrong, he’d love showers like that every day if he could, but he knows it wouldn’t be as sweet as it was today. Though, perhaps that’s because of other indicators that had guided them along to the serenity of the rest of their evening.
Stepping out of the shower behind Danta and letting the fire dry them off in a ribbonesque dance, it’s a good distraction for the butcher who imagines the second they return to the room he’ll be faced with the footprints leading from the chair and the pool of blood that had marred it. As it turns out, he should not have been worried about it.
Relief loosens the tension that had built in his shoulders as he follows his lover toward the bed, while Danta collects the glasses and the bottle, and the second that he crawls into the bed and props himself up, Asta crawls in after and snuggles up against the Maverick’s side, taking one of the glasses from him and letting his arm rest warmly against his fiance’s chest. “[say]This was the most expensive wine they had, you know.[/say]” He teases, eyeing the bottle with absolute appreciation. “[say]It certainly tastes like it.[/say]” It’s been a few hours, but even still the butcher can still taste the hint of it on his tongue.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 01-30-2026
[say]"Impossible,"[/say] Danta boasts. [say]"Otherwise you could say the same thing about anything charming. And you certainly haven't lost your charm for all the ways I've dabbled in you."[/say] Grinning wickedly across at Asta, he settles in bed and makes room for the other man to join him, carefully opening the wine and pouring them both a healthy measure to enjoy.
Setting the bottle down and surrendering one of the glasses to the butcher, with an arm free now Danta is able to slip it around Asta's shoulders, letting him nuzzle in against his side all he likes. [say]"Was it?"[/say] He raises his eyebrows, peering into the rich red in the glass. [say]"How do you know if it's expensive by the taste?"[/say] He's gotten better at knowing what he likes in wine - dry over sweet, red over white and so on, but he's still got a ways to go when it comes to telling quality, clearly.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Astaroth - 01-30-2026
It isn’t a rare thing for Danta’s silver tongue to charm him back, but it’s rarer when he’s in this odd mixture of a mental state to actually hear it, to let the flattery truly heat his cheeks in flares of pink that isn’t entirely from the fact he’s still not sober. “[say]It is good to know you have not tired of me yet.[/say]” The butcher teases as he slips into the space created at Danta’s side.
He doesn’t usually choose this position, preferring to be in Danta’s place more often than not. But tonight had been a lot of trying things, emotionally, physically, that he can’t help but to become softer – the predator showing his belly in the face of the only true safe space he’s sure he has. His glamour is still up so he doesn’t impale Danta with how he nuzzles his head into the space at his shoulder, taking a sip while the Maverick inspects it. “[say]Mm, well, it is a wine whose notes do not fight one another for priority. You can taste each depth and flavor that intertwines and accentuates one another. Rich, and lingering in the mouth with no artificiality.[/say]” He hums, wondering if he’s explained it well, swirling it in his glass. “[say]It is harmony.[/say]” He decides, tilting his head to look up at Danta with a sharp smile.
RE: southern comfort's comforting, isn't it? - Dantalion - 02-01-2026
[say]"As if I could ever tire of you,"[/say] Danta purrs, combing his fingers gently through Asta's hair as if to tame it back away from his face. [say]"I've never been bored in your presence for one moment, even when we hated one another."[/say] And if there ever is a dull moment, Danta is sure he can easily tease the other man into some playful retaliation to pass the time.
Listening quietly as the butcher explains the expensive properties of their wine, he holds it up to the pale moonlight as if that might also help to uncover its secrets, before taking a large sip of it himself. [say]"I want you to know,"[/say] he says quietly, smirking, [say]"that I did very well to hold my tongue through all of that. Especially when it came to things that are rich and lingering in the mouth."[/say]
Laughing under his breath, Danta tilts his head to rest it against Asta's crown, relaxing further into the bed. [say]"Harmony, though. I like that. Kind of like us, I guess."[/say]