one hundred sleepless nights

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

“It does.” Astaroth confirms, the butcher mixing both the taunting and teasing in regards to where exactly this night was going to go. But, of course, it does go both ways – and he meets Danta’s raised comment with that grin of his own, chuckling a dark laugh at the drawl. It is a good thing, but certainly Astaroth can be quite selfish when it comes to things he wants. And currently, it’s the blonde trying to leave the table in front of him.

His head cocks and his hand slips away, a lock of his dark hair falling to frame those dark eyes that track Danta as he presses up against him to slink off like nothing happened, and for a moment the butcher lets him step away, debating in the moment where to start. It lasts a split second, because as Danta makes it a few steps away, Astaroth is there, hand clutching at the shirt he wears to prevent him from stepping further, pressing him back so that the Maverick’s back presses against the wood post of the four post bed.

The butcher’s hands immediately start to move to unbutton Danta’s shirt, humming a note of “it is a good thing that I know how to manage suspicion, then, isn't it.” A lie when it comes to whatever this was, but a truth when it came to his other less favorable activities, Astaroth’s gaze bores into Danta’s in a challenge.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

Danta gets far enough away to wonder if Asta is actually going to allow him to leave, and he's just about to forfeit their game of kiss-chase first when suddenly the other man is backing him up against the post of his bed; a position the Maverick has been in before, and happens to thoroughly enjoy. "Mm, you're better at it than I am," he agrees, the admission one he makes freely. 

And since he's letting Asta be the one to manage things, however that happens to look tonight, it gives Danta more than ample opportunity to be the more chaotic influence between the two of them. And so as the butcher tries to unbutton his shirt, he'll find himself impeded by the sudden way the Maverick surges forward, reaching for the other man's belt to tug him closer at the same time as he leans up for a firecracker kiss passionate enough to draw blood.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

The free admission is enough to grant Astaroth enough of a boon to offer more of a reward, hands attempting to unbutton the shiny buttons on the other man’s shirt only to be impeded quite delightfully by the chaos unraveled from Danta. It’s a slight fight, with only one button undone as he’s pulled forward, body pressed hard against the other man with his own hands pinned between them against both of their chests.

It’s enough for the slight oomph to slip from the butcher, poured into Danta’s mouth with a keening lilt to the sound at the spark of iron and the warmth of blood rising to the surface on his lip. Like a shark in water, Astaroth presses into it even as his breath hitches with the force of his hands pinned against his sore and bruised chest, chasing and sharing the delightful addition to the heat of the moment.

Distracting himself, he forces one of his hands out from being smashed between their bodies, threading roughly through loose blonde strands to deepen the kiss that much more, tilting Danta’s chin up to meet his height better. His other hand tries to wiggle between them enough to stubbornly unbutton the next portion of Danta’s shirt, body tensing slightly with each movement as it presses against still sore bruises.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

I would not have offered if I did not think myself capable, Asta had said in not so many words, and Danta fully intends to hold him to it. He'll kiss the bruises - old and new - better afterwards if that's what the butcher desires, but for now the taste of iron in his mouth and the possessive press of the body against his own has him thinking very little about how sore the other man still might be. Trying to unbuckle Asta's stubborn belt even as the taller Ancient fights with his shirt buttons, Danta is forced back for breath eventually just as he frees the garment.

"No teasing?" he pants, his fanged smile one of expectation and feigned disappointment, as if he'd expected Asta to have been able to keep his composure for much longer than this. But of course Danta isn't actually complaining at all, looping the leather belt around the butcher's neck and shoulders so he might use it to pull him in closer again, capturing his lips a second time with a greedy moan rumbling up in the back of his throat.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

The heat radiating from Astaroth’s body clearly screams that he doesn’t care either – and maybe there’s a part of him that relishes in the pain despite it as he does his best to box the Maverick in, chasing the taste of iron on the other Ancient’s lips and tongue. They part, and the butcher hates how out of breath he is, but his dark gaze is hazy as he leans back just enough to get Danta’s third button free.

“This is your reward, darling.” He drawls a touch breathlessly, before the hand in his blonde hair drops to the shirt at the time Danta’s got the butcher’s belt looped around him. “I can take it back if you do not want it.” He puts it simply, punctuating it with the tear of fabric as he rips open the rest of Danta’s shirt.

Don’t worry, he knows a perfect seamstress just down the way that can fix it right up.

He’s pulled closer by the belt and Astaroth’s hands possessively drag blunt nails down the Maverick’s sides to his own pants, pulling him forward to press against him more as he growls into the kiss, breaking it shortly after to bully his face in against Danta’s neck, sharp teeth scratching at the surface in a test of strength and a silent threat, body practically vibrating as he gives in and sucks a mark underneath the Maverick’s jeweled earlobe, hands now fighting to slip Danta’s own belt off, aiming to manhandle him to get it.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

Asta might hate it but Danta relishes in the way the other man fights for breath and control, even as his skilled hands continue their pathway down his shirt buttons. "Now I didn't say that," he protests, the objection almost moaned into the butcher's mouth as he pins them together using the belt around his shoulders. 

Somewhat startled by the sound of tearing fabric, Danta leans back enough just to be able to arch an eyebrow down at his ruined shirt, but whatever he might have to say about it is cut off by the way the butcher forces himself in against the crook of his neck.

Inhaling sharply and dropping the belt in lieu of being able to wind his arms properly around the butcher, Danta melts against the other man in a way that will likely prove as satisfying as it is frustrating, given how Asta is trying to manhandle the rest of his clothes off. Letting hands warmed by flickers of fire smooth across scarred shoulders, the Maverick likely surprises them both in the way he tilts Asta's chin back up, leaning in for a kiss that's suddenly slow and hungry and much more than the teasing game they've been playing so far.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

He’d answer that Danta had absolutely insinuated it, were it not for the press of their bodies and their lips meeting once more, how he nearly swallows the protest before diving his face in against the Theocrat’s neck as if wondering what exactly would happen if he did leave a mark that screamed him. Alas, it’s a thought that vanishes as soon as it arrives, because he hears the dull thunk of the belt as its dropped and suddenly, his back is warm with flickering flame from the other Ancient’s fingers themselves.

Growling a sound of approval, even as it’s his turn to be a bit manhandled, chin tilted up. He dives into the kiss with a passion that he suddenly realizes has shifted, surprise flittering like white noise through his body as his fingers twitch against Danta’s belt. The butcher is nothing if not adaptable, though, the teasing and taunting set aside for the way his shoulders loosen their tension, for the way one hand continues to work at the belt buckle while the other loops easily around Danta’s shoulders and the bed post, gripping onto it for purchase as he pushes Danta back into it with that slow and needy kiss, deepening it, unable to hide the hum of the softer moan that escapes his lips and pours into the Theocrat’s mouth, his tail stopping its tense lashing in favor for winding around Danta’s leg as the butcher shifts slowly and easily to shove his leg in between the blonde’s legs, allocating space for him to actually try to slip that belt off.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

Sipping in a breath wherever he's able, if you asked Danta quite when the tempo of their pawing at each other had shifted, he'd never be able to tell you. Regardless, he's absolutely not complaining as the butcher responds in kind, the Maverick's fingers gently and possessively tangling through the back of dark hair, his hips and legs shifting to accommodate the taller man between them and a needy moan thrumming up in the back of his throat.

Only drawing back as the butcher is finally successful in the removal of his belt, Danta raises a playful brow and gazes down at it, before nosing in to leave a line of kisses against Asta's bearded jaw. "And what are you planning to do with that, I wonder?" he pants, breathless and grinning and making it clear that teasing isn't dead, even if he's had to take a short breather to fully enjoy the other man's body.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

Oh, he has a plan, a tiny bit different from the one that the Theocrat had when it came to pulling him in by his neck and shoulders, and when they part it’s with a playful gleam in his hazy gaze, breath panting against the other man’s ear as Danta trails kisses up his bearded jaw. “Now, now. There’s no need to rush. You will see.” Comes the breathless purr, a seductive and wicked whisper in the Maverick’s ear as he winds up the belt in one hand and then proceeds to slip off Danta's shirt and drag his arms up above his head, offering the expanse of his neck in the process for a reward of the blonde’s arms being malleable enough to move.

Crafting a little loop with the belt around the bedpost, Astaroth slips Danta’s wrists into it, tightening it and cementing the other man’s hands from touching him despite remaining close for the moment to allow the blanketing of his body despite how they remain upright. Hands drag slowly down his arms and shoulders, along his sides that he knows intimately (both because of these recent occurrences and from before where he’d made it a goal to figure out just how Danta’s body worked in order to enact the most punishment), down further to possessively spread against his hips. Now, the butcher withdraws, chest heaving from still trying to catch his breath, unbuttoning the other Ancient’s pants to slide them off all while clearly and indulgently appreciating each and every portion of bare skin available to his dark gaze.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

He's sure he will see, though as the words are whispered against his ear, the dark lust that trills through the length of his body is almost impossible to ignore. Mumbling some curse or another under his breath, Danta forces himself to relax and be guided under Asta's expert touch, his torn shirt soon discarded and the other man's throat tantalisingly close as his arms are guided above his head. Unable to resist, of course Danta leaves a few nips and marks of his own while the butcher is busy, his hips grinding against the leg thrust between his own.

It's for all these reasons that the Maverick doesn't realise he's effectively allowed himself to be bound and trapped until Asta is stepping unceremoniously away; in his haze of arousal Danta immediately tries to follow, only to be caught in place by the belt around his wrists. "Wh--" Roughly spoken, the unfinished question morphs into a needy moan as warm hands drag down the length of his body, freeing his hard cock from the tight confines of his pants.

Left panting and relieved but simultaneously desperate for more, though Danta doesn't speak, his blue eyes practically beg Asta to continue and his hands have clenched, white knuckled, into fists over his head.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

Nope and marks added to his skin are simply just badges of pride for the butcher in this moment, adding to the tension in his own pants. It doesn’t keep him from being quiet, though, not with the little hums and sounds of approval that escape him while he easily distracts the Maverick from what it is he’s doing. Success is a brilliant thing as Danta’s question is roughly spoken, and that too sharp grin is all but aimed directly at the blonde in his wicked delight.

As the rest of the Maverick’s clothes are removed, Astaroth coaxes a flame from the fire, letting the ball of it press against the hollow of the blonde’s throat before it lifts up in that kiss of flame, licking against the Maverick’s lips, aiming to distract that much more while his other hand drags blunt nails into the V that makes up the bottom of the Theocrat’s torso. He can see the pleading gleam in those lusty blues, but it doesn’t make him give in just yet, not as he presses in again and hovers his tilted head in the blonde’s face, the lock of black hair brushing lightly against Danta’s nose.

“Will you be good for me?” He asks in a breathless whisper, all of his cockiness and arrogance on display once more as one of his hands drops to drag his fingers along the length of the Maverick’s cock, wanting that inflated ego of having Danta beg despite knowing that the shorter Ancient isn’t above it to get what he wants. Regardless, it is nice to hear.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

Humming indulgently at the heat of the fire against his throat and lips, it's absolutely the distraction that Asta intends it to be, Danta melting back against the bedpost even as the other man presses close enough to be just within reach, but not quite. "Fuck," he hisses under his breath, the words almost mumbled against Asta's lips as the butcher's clever hands glide down his body and tease against the length of his erection.

The whispered question has his cock throbbing hard, and it's through a breathless laugh that the Maverick considers his answer, before he leans in as much as he's able to try and paint Asta's lips with his response. "I promise I will," he moans, trying to rock his hips into the other man's hands. "I'll be the best you've ever seen me, as long as you keep touching me like this." Maybe it's a lie (it probably is) or maybe it's a well-intentioned response that Danta intends to live up to; Asta will only find out if he keeps going.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //

reaching for a book of matches
strike a light and then you'll see the real mess that i am

With where his hand is, Astaroth can feel the way Danta’s cock throbs, sparking more heat to pool in his belly. Even more when he leans forward enough and the butcher remains precisely in place, soaking in the painted promise for what it is. “You promise…” Comes the hum of dark delight, giving in to reward the answer he’s given, even as Danta isn’t done yet. His hand loosely wraps around the Theocrat’s cock, stroking a slow and languid movement as he watches a touch calculatingly.

Whether or not the promise is true, Astaroth finds he doesn’t care. The prospect is there enough to continue this game, this careful toying. “Very good, darling.” He drawls, his free hand lifting to tilt Danta’s chin up, to place a chaste and too hungry kiss to his lips, pulling away with a nip on his lower lip from his sharp teeth, which only serves to drive him forward in another, deeper kiss, aiming to capture Danta off guard with the tightening of his hand and the quicker strokes of the other Ancient’s cock.

Astaroth

i swear it's nothing personal - i swear it's nothing personal //////

// light shines in the darkness //

Lifting his chin all too willingly to accept the not-enough kiss against his lips, the not-enough touch to his cock, Danta manages to moan out Asta's name, making it sound like a plea, before the butcher's mouth crashes against his own again in earnest. Snatching in a breath of surprise just as the other man deepens the kiss, the Maverick is certainly caught by surprise, colour rising high in his cheeks and a rough groan rumbling through his chest at the sudden and hard strokes to his cock.

"Fuck, please," he hisses, panting for breath and left entirely at the butcher's mercy, though nothing about it suggests that Danta dislikes this turn of events. If his knuckles are white where they grip the bedpost it's out of anticipation for more, and if he bites the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, gods, it's just out of impatience.

Dantalion

// and the darkness will never understand it //