light the match to taste the heat

// as long as there's bread and as long as there's an appetite //

The scolding without the heat is met with Astaroth’s low hum of a breathy kind of agreement, clearing his throat like it might remove the cotton found there from the running and the blood loss. It doesn’t work, though, and instead leans heavily on Danta as they walk, tail waving sluggishly through the somewhat warmer air.

Humidity surrounds them as they trudge along a well worn path, his thoughts slowly coming together as he wets pale lips. “Isla… Isla had some fountain water with her… Maybe others have the same..?” He stutters over the words at precisely the time a cart comes into view and Asta plays the part of a slightly swaying man, coated in blood. (Like it’s a hard thing to do to gain the carts attention and the two people within it).

And as they start to divert their course toward the two Ancients, Asta leans in a bit closer to Danta with a heavy breath, another apology on his tongue before his sharp teeth promptly lock it behind their paleness. He knows Danta isn’t much of a planner, but fuck if he isn’t doing a great job.

Astaroth

// as long as everyone you need is stepping in line, you are camouflaged //

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

"We'd better hope so," Danta mutters, holding more of the other man's weight as they continue onto the path, his eyes sharp for anything promising. "Fuck would you have done if I hadn't come after you?" he wonders, the words gruff and muttered under his breath, mostly because he doesn't really want to think of it.

With his arm tightening around the other man's waist as they wave down a cart, the Maverick waits for it to trundle to a stop beside them before he guides Asta to lean against it. "Don't go anywhere," he jokes with a smirk, hurrying around to have a word with the driver and his passenger.

And you know, given that Torchline has a healing fountain and is really actually a decent place to live, it's a relieved looking Maverick who comes back to join Asta. "They're headed to Haulani. We'll need to get up to the floating part of the city - that's where the clinic is, apparently - but they can get us into town. And they had this." He holds up a small vial of fountain water.

First thing first is getting into the cart, though, and... well, you've seen how tall Asta is. "Come on, up we get." He nudges him, happy to be used as a brace or a crutch - whatever gets them moving.

Dantalion

// as long as there's bread and as long as there's an appetite //

“Someone would have found me.” Astaroth replies, with a surprising amount of certainty that it would have been sooner rather than later, even if he’s positive it would have done more harm than good and he’s quite grateful for Danta’s choice in following him.

The cart arrives and Asta’s maneuvered into leaning against it which he does diligently, bloodied hand gripping onto the wheel while his tail curls around his leg as if trying to make himself as small as possible.

When the blonde returns, Asta’s dark gaze seems to perk up a bit, nodding his head at the plan laid out, but before he can ask for the small vial of the water, he’s being ferried into the cart. And he absolutely uses every inch Danta gives him to climb into it, smearing more of his drying blood along the blonde’s shoulders and arm as he pushes himself up and settles into the cart with a heavy groan.

Hands tremble again as they start to prod at the damage inflicted, before those very same hands reach out to take the vial of water from the other man, but his hands shake a bit too much to be able to sip from the pouch with ease. It burns in a hint of shame as the hands fall into his lap and his dark gaze finds the other man as he utters a quiet “please,” because the last thing he wants to do is spill it.

Astaroth

// as long as everyone you need is stepping in line, you are camouflaged //

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

"Those are some strong words for a man using me the same way he uses his cane," Danta drawls, trying for levity. (Where the fuck is his cane anyway). But then they're playing a game of leapfrog with a cart and Danta grits his teeth to make sure he doesn't accidentally drop the other man. Only once he's settled does the Maverick hop up to join him, patting the side of the cart to tell the driver they can head off.

Around them are a few crates, presumably of supplies or stock for something, but there's enough room for them to ride fairly comfortably, if not feeling a bit cramped, and Danta slouches to sit beside Asta. "Let me," he says instantly, retrieving the vial of water from his shaking hands and uncorking it. Cupping the other man's jaw and guiding his head back, the Maverick is careful of the movement of the cart as he tips the water into his mouth.

And call him an idiot (it's the first time he's seen it in action ok) but he expects it to just fix everything, feeling most put out when the wounds don't magically knit back together entirely. "Did it do anything? If they just gave us water, I swear to Dygra--" Already he's ready to throw hands about it, evidently.

Dantalion

// as long as there's bread and as long as there's an appetite //

If he wasn’t so fucked up he might quip something about if the shoe fits in regards to the cane. But it’s nothing more than a thought that arrives and vanishes as soon as he’s settled into the cart. The water is still capped thankfully in his shaking hands, and Asta blinks with a quiet thank you as Danta takes it.

Eagerly (as much as he can be in his state), Asta tilts his head however Danta needs, the water touching his tongue and like a lifeline the butcher swallows it down with a heavy sigh.

Already starting to feel a bit better, his hands quit trembling slowly and despite the wounds still being open, they’re scabbing and clotting with ease, and the fuzziness of the blood loss is nonexistent. And in the face of what he can only assume to be the Maverick’s worry, non trembling hands lift to clasp Danta’s as a more clear dark gaze finds his face. “Easy, darling. It did work.” He says as if it might alleviate the other man’s anger.

Astaroth

// as long as everyone you need is stepping in line, you are camouflaged //

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

Still trying to glare at the back of the cart driver's head, teeth clenched as if he might clamber up there and take a bite out of him for his trouble, only Asta's hand against his own is enough to draw his attention back. "Mm? You... oh, thank fuck," he blurts, tail still lashing in irritation as he slouches back to sit with the other man. With brows furrowed and his hand still clasped in the butcher's, he huffs out an irritated sigh, though whether it's at Astaroth or just the situation in general is anyone's guess.

"You're such an idiot," he mutters without any venom in his voice, shifting to tug the other man against him and getting comfortable (as comfortable as he can) against the side of the rocking vehicle. "It's a fair while to Haulani, so you can sit here and think about how much of an idiot you are."

Dantalion

// as long as there's bread and as long as there's an appetite //

If looks could kill, Asta was positive that whomever was driving the cart would have been killed three times over with that glare that the Maverick levels at his back. As it stands, though, he does feel better, and soon enough the blonde is slouching beside him while the butcher squeezes the Maverick’s hand gently as if it might help.

The words that leave are expected, even if it brims against that echo of shame in the back of his head, and he heaves a sigh before he’s tugged into a comfortable position against Danta, tail curling and flicking in his internal irritation.

“I can stew on it.” He says with a touch of bitterness in his accented tone before he heaves a sigh, dark eyes more focused lift to scan Danta’s face. “Thank you for following me.” Finding me. Taking care of me.

Astaroth

// as long as everyone you need is stepping in line, you are camouflaged //

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

It doesn't help - not the fury that is still burning low in Danta's gut, anyway - but he does offer the butcher a squeeze of his fingers in return. "As you should," he grumbles, of Asta stewing on his stupidity on the way to Haulani. And while he's all riled up with nowhere to go, at the very least the Maverick is able to keep it to himself enough to relax against the side of the cart, tilting his head against the other man's and scowling out towards the front of the cart.

"You'd have followed me," he says softly, an arm snaking around Asta's shoulders as he lets out a deep sigh and starts to accustom to the swaying motion of the crate. "Now try and get some rest. I'll wake you when the cart stops." As for Danta, he'll be busy spying on their surroundings and periodically checking the still open wounds on Asta's arm and collarbone.

Dantalion

// as long as there's bread and as long as there's an appetite //

The grumble is met with nothing but silence from the butcher, even as he clings to the gentle touch of their heads butting against each other. And when Danta says that he would have done the same thing, well, Astaroth can’t deny it. Because he was in the jungle at precisely the same time that Danta had been to witness the creature for that sole reason of trying to make sure that he was okay.

The arm snakes around his shoulders and the butcher leans into it despite the bumpiness of the trek, pressing his horned head carefully into Danta’s shoulder. “Alright.” He says without the eloquence of anything else, unable to come up with something more, so instead he focuses on doing exactly that – starting to pass out now that his head doesn’t feel so foggy. It’s a slow blink at first, but Danta would be able to tell the second that Astaroth gives up the fight, sinking into him in a deadweight and in a position that both of his wounds could be checked periodically during the trek.

- FIN <333

Astaroth

// as long as everyone you need is stepping in line, you are camouflaged //