[SE] find my home

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

Why ruin the moment with a pathetic attempt at leapfrog (given their positioning), when he could simply buoy it with affection and adoration – and a deep desire to actually feel the press of Danta’s lips against his own. He can feel the surprise before it melts into the return kiss, the butcher easily tugging Danta back into him, even if it means he has to prop himself up on an elbow so as to not go under the water again.

Warm water from the geyser’s mist sprays down on them and in spite of the still stinging pain of his lip, the butcher’s tail curls beneath the water to wind around Danta’s leg as his free arm winds around his middle. “You made me more of a mess.” He retorts affectionately, his eyes slipping closed to indulge in the detangling of his hair from his horns. “Yet I am happy to be your mess all the same.” He tacks on for good measure. Because while he usually had an aversion to such things, somehow it feels okay to be so long as Danta was with him.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"Mm, I did do that, didn't I?" Danta purrs, more than content to drape himself against Asta while he works on returning him to his usual slick perfection. Once he's satisfied wth the other man's appearance - taking the time to kiss any more blood from his lips, should he spot any - and the ripples from the most recent geyser have stilled the water somewhat around them, he leans in to absently rest his chin against the butcher's shoulder, his lips brushing across scarred skin.

"It isn't gaudy out here," he decides a moment later. "I quite like it, in fact." That all on its own might be enough to forever brand The Rainbow Road as garish af at the bare minimum, but whatever. "I do wish we'd brought some drinks, though. Maybe a blanket to lay on. Can I interest you in finding a path to take us back to the beach?" He raises his eyebrows hopefully.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

“You did.” He agrees, before he’s content to be fussed over between readjusting and situating his hair and kissing away the blood that lingers on his lips from where it tries and unsuccessfully clots over and over again. Eventually it does, though, when the butcher stops fucking with it, a few moments before he feels the way Danta sinks into his shoulder. Feeling the brush of his lips only barely against his scarred skin, the butcher’s arm loosens a touch and he opens his eyes again, squinting against the sun before he gets used to it again.

Humming a soft note of agreement, Asta nods a short movement, one that has his bearded cheek brushing against Danta’s temple. “I thought you would, darling.” It’s a genuine agreement, soft and gentle, until the suggestion comes and he’s all ears. Shifting slightly to stand and tug Danta up with him, it’s with a “I think that sounds lovely. I am sure we can find some drinks and a blanket on the way there, mm?” He suggests as they get back onto their feet, stepping out of the Rainbow Road’s water back to the path, dripping all the while. “Is there a particular drink you were hoping to snag seeing as we are on vacation?” He probes, flashing a smaller smile (so as to not disrupt the clot he’s formed), while keeping his arm around Danta’s middle as they walk.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"In a place like this? Yeah, I think that's doable." Grinning - and prevented from obnoxiously nuzzling at Asta's cheek by the way he suddenly rises to stand, Danta is happily ferried along with him nevertheless. Both of them are dripping wet, not that it matters much for men like them, the spaded tip of the Maverick's tail flicking stray water as he leans into the arm that winds around his middle.

Hmming as they start to stroll back along the vibrant cobblestones, Danta squints out towards the sea as if that might give him a few more ideas, before tipping his head up to grin at the other man. "Maybe white rum?" he suggests. "It feels very Torchline. Pina coladas, maybe? Or those mojitos you liked last time?" he suggests, strolling casually as if they don't both look like drowned rats.

"We can get tipsy, nap in the sun for a bit and dry off, and then go for dinner?" Gods he hopes that sounds like a good idea to Asta.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

More than doable, if the carts leading up to the beach have anything to say about it. They dot the edges of the walkway – as close to a boardwalk as the Rainbow Road could get toward the beach to the ocean, and the butcher’s already scanning inside them as they pass for something of note. The walk and heat radiating from the stones and Torchline itself already begin to dry them a fraction, though not where Asta’s arm remains wound around Danta to keep him close. “I will gladly try a pina colada.” His lips twitch toward a smile as Danta plans out their day.

And honestly? It sounds perfect. Enough that the butcher’s tail flicks in delight, spraying lingering water across the two Ancient’s heels. “Yes. That sounds lovely, darling.” He purrs, giving Danta a squeeze before he’s loosening his hold a touch, guiding Danta toward the stall on their left as he eyes a large towel and a parasol he intends to get (he realizes it’s vacation but he’d rather not get sunburned). “Would you like to go and secure the drinks?” He asks with another affectionate smile sent Danta’s way.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"You know, I thought you would," Danta says with a smirk - pina coladas seem right up Asta's street in terms of alcohol content and sweetness, and the Maverick is also scoping out the stalls as they come into view, enjoying the heat rippling off the stone and ghosting through the air around them to help dry them off.

Stepping away as he feels the butcher's grip on him loosen, he's already drifting towards a little shaded cocktail stand, flashing him a fanged grin. "You got it. I'll meet you back here," he advises, leaving the other man to secure their shade for the afternoon.

The Maverick opts for something a little more tart - some kind of daiquiri, if he had to guess - but does indeed return with the promised pina colada for his lover, as well as a small flask of healing water from the fountain (because of course it's available everywhere). "You know, so we don't have to look and feel like we've been punched in the face." He winks.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

The Maverick knows him very well. Though it isn’t as if Asta questioned it - half the time he thought he wanted something, Danta was already well aware of the fact. It’s sweet in a way that Asta doesn’t know just how to handle, to be seen so deeply, but appreciative of the fact regardless as he bids his lover a momentary goodbye with a nod and a smile so that he might go and secure their drinks.

In the time Danta is gone, the butcher collects a plush extra large towel, adorned in swirling designs of teal and navy blue - like ocean grasses curling toward the surface, and a parasol to match. Hoisting the parasol over his shoulder, the towel in arm, he turns back to see his lover return with a flask amongst the two drinks.

For a moment, he does think its full of harder liquor, and even Danta’s words don’t register that its Torchline fountain water - because if you gave the butcher enough alcohol at this present moment he might forget about his split lip in both pain and appearance. “How very thoughtful of you, Danta darling.” The butcher purrs with a laugh, stepping away from the merchant he’d been dealing with, items in hand as he nods toward the expanse of beach. “What did you get?” He asks in reference to the daiquiri in his lover’s hand, prowling onto the hot sand in search for the perfect prime real estate to spread the towel onto.

Once he has, the parasol is set down and the towel is tossed out so that the edges float in the brief sea-slick breeze, before landing in a perfect large and warm rectangle before he’s popping open the parasol to set it above the towel, casting shade down upon the middle section of the towel to keep the sun from directly bearing down on them. Only then does he turn around to collect the Pina colada he very desperately has wanted to try.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"I am thoughtful, aren't I?" Danta trills as he follows after Asta, taking great pleasure in watching the Mighty Astaroth prowl across the hot sand, parasol and beach towel in hand as he searches for a good place to sprawl out for the afternoon. Not bothering to hide his smile, the Maverick stands by to let his lover do his thing, only stepping closer once they are finally able to sit and relax.

"Me? I feel as though it is sour cherry. I asked for something tart," he explains, waiting to surrender the pina colada to the butcher before he's sipping at his daiquiri. Humming his approval, he nods and offers it out for Asta to try, though he's not sure whether he'll approve. "Just what I wanted," he purrs.

Regardless of the other man's opinion of his drink, Danta moves to plop down onto the towel in the shade, uncapping the flask of fountain water and promptly splashing some onto his face. If Asta thought it was hard liquor, he might be horrified at first, but when the Maverick smiles back at him, it's with the redness and bruising to his cheekbone promptly fading away. "Much better." He offers the flask out.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

“Is that so?” He asks in regards to the sour cherry daiquiri, and as he sets up their little shaded spot on the beach, the butcher pauses enough to gladly take a test sip of the tart creation the Maverick had asked for. And honestly? He puckers, swallowing it down as quickly as he can with a face that’s scrunched up as if he’s either in pain or just very truly dislikes the way the caverns of his mouth have begun to sweat from the sourness that aches in his jaw.

Handing it back and just about to get precisely into the horrors of it - his face remains as garish and mortified as he watches Danta splash his face with the liquid from the flask, his tail whipping behind him and casting barely a shadow with how fast it moves. “Wh—” The butcher pauses as Danta peers up at him without the redness of their brawl earlier, exhaling his surprise in a laugh that’s a little too high pitched.

He feels his heartbeat thunder in his neck as he sinks in under the shade with Danta, nose wrinkling as he aims to angle himself as far away from the dreadful daiquiri as possible before snagging the flask. “It is terrible, but I am happy you like it.” He offers, briefly, before splashing his face with the flask as well, before his tongue prods where his lip had been split.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"Mm?" Smiling quite innocently up at Asta for once (because at no point in this whole debacle has Danta realised the other man thinks he's dousing his face in hard liquor), the Maverick tilts his head as his lover seems to briefly malfunction. "Everything okay?" he asks with a raise of his eyebrow, tail curling and flicking with curiosity as he surrenders the flask of fountain water - and accepts his sour daiquiri with a smug grin.

"If it's terrible it means you won't ever try to steal it," he says with an obnoxious slurp of the drink, before he's setting the drink down and relaxing back on his hands - at least until he spies Asta trying to figure out how his mouth is healing. "You want me to kiss it better, if the fountain water isn't doing the trick?" he asks. "I feel responsible for it, after all."

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

“Just fine, darling.” He confirms to his lover as he calms from the immediate surprise of the sour tasting daiquiri and the fact he’s thought Danta might have actually lost his mind and doused himself in liquor. At least the only true thing is that he disliked the daiquiri, and to the follow up response, the butcher caps the flask and sets it down with a roll of his eyes.

His head tilts back to his lover with his tongue still prodding out at the space he’d accidentally bit down on, before his lips quirk into a too sharp smile. “I would like that very much.” He purrs, ensuring the pina colada is set down in a secure space before he’s crowding Danta’s own, pressing into him to demand a kiss for the injury he’d sustained, all dramatics and still slightly damp skin.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"Well, who am I to deny you something you'd like?" Danta says, all crooked smiles and swagger as Asta sets the flask aside. With any lingering pain from their accidental fight(?) wiped away by Torchline's healing water, he welcomes the butcher into his space with a playful snap of his teeth, only to lean in to deliver the promised kiss to his (now perfectly healed, but let's pretend) lips.

Letting one of his arms slip around Asta's shoulders, it isn't long before Danta gives up the fight to stay sitting up; kissing the other man soft and slow, he sinks back into the warm heat of the towel, drawing the butcher over him like a blanket he never wants to take off. They are far from the only couple out here canoodling in the sand - and much more besides, he has no doubt - but gods if it doesn't feel good to have an easy moment like this all to themselves.

"Better?" he whispers as he finally draws back with one last flick of his tongue, tasting no blood in Asta's kiss - only the lingering sweetness of the cocktail.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

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

“Yes, who are you?” Comes the muffled sassy rumble before he deftly avoids the true snap of his lover’s teeth in favor for the promised kiss to soothe any lingering aches. Not that there are any, but he plays the part, ever the drama king. The kiss is slow and sweet, saccharine in the way that it burns more than skin deep, stoking the fire that burns blue in the pit of the butcher’s center.

He drapes Danta easily as a blanket, content to press the weight of his thin frame against the Maverick. And as they part, the butcher’s panting breaths are pineapple sweet with no iron tang. “Much better, love.” Comes the soft purr, the butcher withdrawing enough to brush his nose gently against Danta’s own, immediately ruining the moment with the obnoxious nuzzle of his bearded face against his lover’s smooth cheek.

Astaroth

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

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"Good," Danta mumbles, scoffing out a laugh and turning his head as Asta comes to nuzzle his way against his cheek. Any attempts at fighting him off are perfunctory at best, the Maverick happily sprawled beneath the heat and weight of his lover even as the sun beats down around them and people continue to meander amongst the stalls and along the beach, including past their little spot in the sand.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that I've decided where I'm going to be for the rest of the afternoon," he purrs, tipping his head back towards his abandoned cocktail. "If only we'd gotten curly straws, we might have been able to drink those from here. Ah, well." Letting the drink melt is a risk Danta is willing to take, the Maverick nosing his way against the side of Asta's neck and huffing out a content sigh, closing his eyes against the afternoon light.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //