april showers

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

Light designs drag along Danta’s skin - swirls and whorls like he might etch into the bones he’s saved and bleached back in the Dusklight. It’s that motion, alongside the soft hum of a laugh that leaves him in a soft breath, fluttering gold strands. “I would rather you work on your tan, darling.” Though he supposes it goes both ways. The two of them similar enough to rather take the brunt of the damage while the other faced the horrors and monsters suddenly flooding Caido.

It’s that thought that comes and goes in favor for the next, more tender of subjects. He feels Danta shift slightly, arms keeping him tucked in. “I understand.” He had, too, but the frustration of his impending bloodlust and Maea’s unprompted apology, he hadn’t been focused on much more than relieving the stress of it. “I think if I were to do it again, it would be Flora or Charlie.” He murmurs softly, offering that little tidbit, because it wasn’t like he was going out and deciding when the next occurrence was. He’s happy to have Danta all to himself, as evidenced by the dancing at the Hanged Man. Even if it didn’t have a promise of anything more.

The sheer idea of someone trying to steal Danta away from him was enough to get his blood burning.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

"You and me both," Danta says through a scoff, "though it would've been better if you'd been working on it with me. You tan better than I do." His fingers act as if to try and copy the swirling patterns Asta is painting against his skin on the butcher's own bare flesh, as if to imagine how it would look with a deeper, more olive tone to it. "It won't be quite as warm in the Grounds, but I bet it's still sunny enough to lay around for an afternoon." Maybe their vacation can continue for just a day or two longer at home.

Asta's understanding is all Danta can ask for, in truth, and though his smile is hidden against the other man's throat, the silent apology in it is no less sincere. "Charlie?" He can't help a real laugh at that, the Maverick fighting to peek up at his lover. "I'll let her know - she'll be delighted by that," he purrs. "Maybe we can even christen the rage room - then you won't need to keep yourself on such a tight leash."

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

“I have to take some breaks, lest I end up getting too tan in comparison to you, darling.” The butcher teases softly, relaxing inch by inch with the gentle touch returned to him. It’s a pleasant mimicry of the designs the butcher draws into his skin, even if he’s currently daydreaming about the heated warmth of the sun, like it stands a chance at chasing away the cold pain still radiating and burning from his chest. “I would enjoy that very much.” Because since he’d left while they were on vacation, it’s only fair that the butcher treat Danta to an extended one back home.

He can feel the smile against his throat, even as the question hits him alongside Danta’s bright laugh. “Mmhm.” He confirms with his own deep chuckle, amusement flickering in the way the smile tugs at his face, curling into Danta more so that he might be able to see the smile there without having to peek so obviously. “Is it such a good idea? To.. mm, reinforce my tendencies?” He asks curiously, unsure if it might undo the progress he’s made so far.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

"It wouldn't bother me; I've always been the paler sort. I bet you looked all sorts of enticing back under the Halovian sun during Longheat," Danta purrs, shifting only enough to sink further into the butcher's embrace, as if he might somehow get even closer than they are currently. Outside, the skyship appears to have reached the altitude it needs to coast along, and the rocking of their cabin becomes something gentle and steady.

At the other man's question, Danta does finally shift enough to peep up at him, blue eyes sleepy and expression remarkably unbothered despite the subject of their conversation. "Oh, probably not," he says, leaving a line of kisses against the hollow of Asta's throat. "But you so rarely get to have any fun in that way, I thought it might be nice for you to let loose without feeling guilty. It's a good point, though. I wouldn't want to cause more problems in the long run."

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

Snorting - because he honestly had, between the pale sun and the reflection from the snow, the butcher’s skin had been a near constant tan, deep and warm and beautiful in comparison to how pale he’s become ever since becoming Ancient and sticking mostly to the confines of his room and their cave system. “The sun never had a chance to set where Whitebrim was at that time.” He comments idly, nostalgia pouring into his accent as the smooth rocking of the cabin adds a beautiful addition to the momentary memory. “It is just the beginning of Longheat, anyway. Perhaps I shall get as much of a tan as I can and you can see just what it was like.” Nuzzling in to press a kiss to Danta’s forehead, the butcher settles again.

At least, enough that the next suggestion to question is aired, spotting the exhaustion in his lover’s beautiful blues before they vanish in favor for the warm line of kisses against his throat. “Once, perhaps, may not ruin it?” He says thoughtfully - because it would be fun, even if part of him could recall the terror after in the centuries past. A low but deep inhale is taken in, breathing in the scent of sage and citrus, the hint of smoke. “An indulgence.” Comes the low hum, arms winding around Danta a bit tighter, to hold him should he wish to fall asleep finally.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

"Oh?" Curiosity laces through the Maverick's tone at that, even as his eyes shut momentarily to enjoy the kiss pressed to his forehead; affection that he's not only gotten used to, finally, but that he craves like a man in the desert seeking water. "How'd you get any sleep?" He imagines the underground little bunkers like the ones Asta had shown him in the House of Midnight made it easier, but gods, it sounds like a grand way to fuck with one's sleeping pattern.

"I'd like that. I'll stay wisely in the shade where I won't burn to a crisp," Danta agrees, unable not to smirk at using the word burn in reference to their kind. Truthfully, though, sunburn is one of the only dangers of Longheat that they might suffer.

Smiling against the hum of Asta's voice against his lips as he speaks, Danta allows himself to be tucked closer against his lover, nodding sleepy agreement. "Only one way to find out," he quips, all chaos and mischief, before he falls silent in Asta's arms, his breathing slow and heavy within only a few moments as he succumbs, at last, to a nap.

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

“Carefully.” The butcher teases playfully, a low and soft rumble of his voice. “The bunkers, mostly. Though we often had thick hoods that helped if we were outside.” He murmurs, all things that Danta had seen when he’d shown him what his life was like before he’d been saved by Dygra. So with the offer of staying in the shade so that Danta doesn’t burn, the butcher purrs his agreement — flashing a bright but sharp smile in answer.

Sunburns sucked as an Ancient, there was no way around that.

But then, the Maverick is falling asleep, and Asta holds him tightly against him to make sure he doesn’t get jostled as the sky ship maneuvers through the sky. Listening to the slow breaths and feeling the easier pulse of his heartbeat, the butcher nuzzles in and manages to catch a small nap in between. But the trek is nearly over, he can tell from the brief glimpses through the porthole of trees in the distance, assuming the sky ship has gotten lower so that it can dock.

He lets Danta sleep for as long as he needs, though it doesn’t stop his fingers from raking through his lover’s blonde hair, finger combing it gently and idly, offering each and every little fuss and attention he can while Danta isn’t awake to bite his fingers for the audacity of it. They’ve shifted enough in the nap that Danta’s fully pressed against his chest, now, and the butcher’s back is curved to rest his shoulders and the back of his head against the small wall that buts against the top of the bed, able to let his dark gaze focus on the serene sight of his lover finally relaxed.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

Danta sleeps hard - unexpectedly so, but then he'd likely been more concerned for the butcher than even he realised when he'd shown up at the eleventh hour to dock the skyship. Stirring, at last, only when he senses that the ship has started to dip lower, it's with a long, deep sigh and a reluctant grumble under his breath that he curls himself tighter around Asta. "Well," he mumbles, voice rough and muffled against the other man's chest, "I just ruined any chance of getting any sleep tonight, didn't I?"

Because he can sense it's been hours, from the change in the temperature of the air if nothing else, and it's with a brief shiver that Danta stretches out, before curling up again and peeking up at his lover with blue eyes made uncharacteristically soft by his doziness. "Sorry," he adds, belatedly. "I'll be better company the next time we take a skyship."

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

Asta doesn’t mind - knowing full well that the Maverick needed it after the time he’d spent away. So he takes what time he can to thread his fingers through bright, golden blond, teasing it back into place and out of his lover’s face. He can tell he wakes before he does, from the way his breathing grows, the way his pulse quickens a touch, the grumble under his breath before muffled words he can actually hear follows it up. “I can think of a few ways to tire you out, love.” Comes the equally quiet hum.

Because it had been a few hours, but Danta needed it, and Asta wasn’t about to wake him up from it if he didn’t have to.

“No, no.” Comes his soft laugh to Danta’s apology and the soft gleam to his stunning blues. “You are perfect company whether you are asleep or awake. And besides, I also acquired a quick well needed nap.” Just because Danta’s awake doesn’t mean Asta’s fingertips stop threading through his hair. If anything, they get a bit more focused, dragging blunt fingernails along spaces on his crown that are otherwise blocked by horns typically. “I believe we are going to land soon.” He adds, the affection glittering in his dark gaze.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

"Don't you threaten me with a good time - not when I can have you all to myself again," Danta mumbles, his wicked smile something Asta will be able to feel against his skin as well as see. "Knowing you, though, you'll be having us carefully unpacking our belongings, folding them all neat and hanging them up." Which, fine, it would occupy Danta for a while, but in an annoying way that would tempt him to burn his entire wardrobe and start again from scratch.

Leaning into the fingers that scritch through his hair and humming a note of content pleasure, the Maverick straightens up just enough to aim a kiss against the butcher's jawline. "Good. You've got years of disturbed sleep to catch up on," he says with a grin; any nap is well-earned for Asta, in his opinion.

To hear that they're going to land soon, though, Danta sits himself up properly at last so he can stretch, though he already misses the searing warmth of his lover's embrace. "Mm, you want to find somewhere to stay in Jack Tar for the night? Or make the trek back home?"

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

“Oh, that is not what I was thinking… but now that you mention it.” The curve of his smile is mischievous, as if he’s readjusting his plans to fully change over to the idea of folding clothes and putting everything away, even if for once it was the last thing the butcher wants to do. He doesn’t, though, change his mind. Especially when Danta’s surging up to press a kiss against his bearded jaw — something that always melts the butcher just a fraction each and every time.

Humming a soft laugh, his lips quirk into a small and amused smirk. “I learned that is called a ‘sleep deficit’. And yes, I have a long while to make up.” Incapable of preventing himself from adding his fun fact of a day, the butcher’s smile is sharp as it is playful and bright, continuing to stroke through his lover’s hair — a fleeting thing as Danta sits up and Asta remains curled up awkwardly on the bed to make himself as short as possible.

His hands settle at the base of his ribcage, watching his lover with warm eyes that only brighten with the prospect. “We are still on vacation, yes?” He suggests with a smile. “Let us stay in Jack Tar. We can have a nice meal, I can find a healer, and I can tire us both out to sleep tonight, mm?” Leaning forward to dance his fingertips up along Danta’s arm, he sits up a touch more to see if he wants to make any adjustments to the impulsive plan.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

Narrowing his eyes only half playfully as Asta acts as if he wants to reconsider the plan he'd offered, Danta is soon distracted, luckily, by the delightful crackle of his back as he's able to stretch out fully. Stifling a yawn behind his hand - and bouncing his eyebrows as if to say he's got his own sleep deficit to make up for, apparently, the Maverick settles back to tilt his head curiously at the other man's suggestion.

And gods, he doesn't think he's ever heard a better plan in his life, Danta reaching out to gently pinch the butcher's cheek in affection. "That," he says, even as long fingers come dancing up his arm, "sounds incredible. Don't change a thing about it - you've got yourself a deal." Knowing those particular words are like a loaded gun to the man tucked in the bed, Danta leans in before Asta can make too much of them to silence him with a kiss.

Slow and soft and full of all the promise of a very busy evening, it's only the gentle shift of the skyship that has him sitting back a fraction, and outside he can hear the call of seabirds and voices from the dock. "That's our cue to leave," he whispers, clambering out of bed to pull his clothes back on. "There's an inn close to the skyport made of old boats," he says conversationally. "If you want to continue our nautical adventure."

Dantalion

// i get a toothache every time i lie to someone i love //

The pinch to his cheek is gentle but sparks an amused glint to his gaze, nose wrinkling a touch as his smile widens. But it’s the following words that Danta speaks that really sparks the light in his eyes. His grin brightens, eyes lighting up into the rich honey of anticipation, when Danta — knowing what he’s done — leans in and silences him with a kiss.

One that the butcher responds to in kind, an eager and pleased press back into him (and maaaaybe a bit nippy in the process), wholly indulging himself in Danta’s silent promises. Withdrawing with a slight flush to his skin, the butcher for once is content letting those words lie, nodding to hear that they’d arrived. “We might as well, no?” Comes the pleased hum, shifting enough to slip off the little bunk alongside Danta so that he can rummage into his back and procure clothes that don’t make him appear as though he’d been charred.

Finding something suitable, the butcher slips the black slacks on, slipping his belt in and tucking his new dark purple silken shirt into the waistband of his pants before he finishes it up with an equally dark waistcoat. Putting everything else back in to be dealt with later, the butcher finally drops his glamour, shooting Danta a brilliant smile as he collects both of their bags. “Lead the way, darling.” It seemed he had a better idea of where they were heading than the butcher did.

Astaroth

// please just look me in my rotting smile and tell me i'm the only one you think of //

in space the stars are no nearer; just glitters, like a morgue

Also letting his glamour drop as they get up to move about the little cabin, Danta can't help the way he lurks by the door to watch the man who had cradled him in his arms become the gentleman butcher once more. It's effortless in a way the Maverick wants to sink his teeth into, and it's only the call of good food and a feather bed in Jack Tar that stops him from crossing the room once more to get his fill.

"My pleasure," he purrs, opening the door and stepping aside for Asta to slip out, before he's leading them off the skyship and back down into familiar territory. The last remnants of the sunset are still bleeding into the horizon, painting the sky in hues of fuscia marred by the shadow blue of true night as it creeps in, and though the docks are as busy as ever, it's more pleasure than business by now.

The inn Danta had spoken of is an easy spot - one large mast protrudes up from a rooftop crafted from patchwork hulls, bearing a flag the Maverick doesn't recognise, but it acts as a beacon for them to aim towards. "It's called the Rum & Plunder," he tells Asta conversationally as they amble through the streets. "It can get pretty rowdy, but otherwise a decent place to stay. Or so said some sailor who visited the Dusklight."

Dantalion