[SE] black shades, white gloves

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“It is not a threat, darling, it is a promise.” The butcher flashes a wink once he’s devoured the shared bite of Danta’s meal. It’s just as delicious as he’d suspected it would be – even if his attention seems a bit more focused on his reaction to the scallops with the deep reddish purple hue of the pomegranate glaze.

He offers his own bite of the lamb over, keeping an eye on him as he takes the bite and relaxes with the approval that has the butcher sinking back a touch in his chair with an easy but still sharp smile. “I have to agree.” He murmurs, settling into the silence aside from the chatter around them and the filtered soft music that only adds to the ambiance of the bonfire light flickering against their faces.

It's perhaps the most he’s eaten in a single sitting without falling asleep immediately after and the butcher neatly cleans up his plate by placing the used cutlery that he isn’t keeping, atop the plate and slides it toward the edge of the table when he hears his lover’s voice and spots the wicked smile. “I may burst if we indulge in dessert but I feel as though it is a must.” He drawls with a playful weariness, head cocking slightly as his sharp smile brightens. “What stolen forks?” He whispers as he leans across the table a touch, showing the sleeve in question to reveal that it’s empty. But if Danta listens intently when he leans back, he’ll hear the quiet clank of metal upon metal from his pocket.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

Tucking that promise away for one day in early Flowerbirth, Danta smiles to himself and mimics Asta in the placement of his cutlery now that they are finished with their meal, sliding his plate to the end of the table alongside his lover's. "If there's every a time where you skip dessert, I know we're in dire straits," he agrees, sipping at the last of his wine and casually slouching back in his seat to watch the bonfire through a haze of snow that's begun to fall.

"Mm? Oh - oh. Yes. Well, quite right," he says of the non-existent forks, grinning and cocking an ear towards Asta as if to better hear him clink and softly jingle with the clear theft he's committed.

The wait staff either don't realise or don't care, because their empty plates are swept away with little more than a polite smile, and as the dessert menu inevitably arrives, Danta raises his eyebrows across at Asta. "I know you said it was a must," he purrs, "but what if I tempt you to commit blasphemy and share something with me? You'll be eating most of it either way."

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“If I do you will know I am quite ill.” The butcher teases softly, because he’s got enough of a sweet tooth and an expectation now that he knows he’ll always leave room enough for dessert, even if it means that Danta has to roll him out of the establishment. Today, though, it’ll only add to the food coma the butcher can already feel trying to steal him away and it’s only the hum of his lover’s voice that keeps him awake enough to chuckle softly as Danta picks up the quiet jingle in his pocket when he straightens up to take the dessert menu.

Perusing it briefly, the butcher’s gaze flits up to catch Danta’s stunning blues, brightened by the flicker of the warm bonfire outside their window. “Mm, are you sure you are not ill?” He teases, even as he leans forward again and twists the menu to face his lover, quietly listing off the options as if they’re both perusing which might sound the best (but it’s for the Maverick’s benefit as well). “I am very happy to share with you, darling. And out of the options, I am partial to the chocolate raspberry lava cake or the strawberry cheesecake.” He hums of a few of the desserts mentioned, but he leaves it open enough for Danta to offer his own choices into the mix.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

"If I am, it's almost a guarantee you'll end up sick too, so we better enjoy being out like this while we can," Danta says through a soft laugh. Leaning forward as Asta subtly describes the menu for him, the Maverick hums out a sigh and tilts his head as if he can't decide, despite being quite ambivalent to most sweets. "Let's do the lava cake," he decides. "Chocolate is your favourite, and it is your birthday. Do you want a chocolate martini to go with it?"

Providing Asta is on board, Danta will take the lead this time when their waiter returns, adding two martinis to the order (his own is an espresso though, to hopefully wake him up a bit) alongside the cake to share. Soon enough they're left to themselves again, and Danta reaches across the table to quietly take the other man's hand. There's no pomp to the gesture, just a quiet affection for them to enjoy the evening in away from the snow.

"I almost forgot what it was like to just be out like this. Even before Leafchange, there was the void and the Family. Everything felt like it had to be for a reason, you know?"

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“Woe is me.” Asta drawls, a small smile blooming along his face again, revealing the sharp edges of sharp teeth and his fangs alike. A smile that remains while he drawls the menu in a quiet contemplative hum, offering his own quiet choices and waiting for Danta’s input – pleased and admittedly charmed when the Maverick chooses the lava cake. “That sounds lovely.” He hums, settling in while Danta takes the lead and only interjecting to see if they may be able to bring extra raspberries with the chocolate cake before they’re left alone again.

Warmth reaches his hand as Danta takes it, his face blooming with open affection as his tail sweeps out to wrap around the blonde’s in even more of a quiet touch. “Gods, it felt almost dreadful if you went out to simply have fun.” Scoffing slightly, the butcher sighs and shakes his head. “There was an air of how dare you.” His voice tilts up, a quiet and playful mimicry.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

"Mmhm," Danta agrees with a dramatic widening of his eyes and a nod. "Or if not that, it was some organised fun that people or gods had put together that always ended up feeling a bit desperate. That masquerade was the first time people had properly let off steam for a while I think - me and you included." Grinning at the memory and gently squeezing Asta's fingers as he feels the butcher's tail coil around his own, Danta resists the urge to rest his eyes, even for a second, in case he nods off at the table.

Luckily their martinis arrive first, the Maverick purring his thanks and taking a quick sip of his own, relishing the bitter tang of espresso on his tongue. "Gods, that's better." He grins. "It's not often I look forward to going out into the cold, but after we're finished here I think we'll need it to be chilly to get us back home." Else someone might find them huddled against a wall in the Last Whisper, slowly turning to stone.

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

The dramatic flare that blooms across his lover’s face sparks the low hum of a laugh from the butcher, his horned head inclining before he sighs wearily, like it was a point in time where the only fun to be had was specifically the tasks the gods and demigods had put together for them. “That masquerade was wonderful. I only wish I was a fraction less effected by the season to fully enjoy it.” He hadn’t been able to swan his way around the tables as much as he otherwise would have, lest he took a bite out of someone.

But there would always be the other seasons, right?

Their martinis arrive and the butcher’s thumb strokes along Danta’s hand in a gentle touch before he downs a sip of his martini, the chocolate a rich taste that would only be a precursor to the cake that’s inevitably arriving. “I do think it will urge us to go quickly, at least. It is a shame I still have not acquired a flighted shift to make it go faster.” His tone takes on a lilt of mourning before he shakes his head. “Perhaps I should take up those dragon riding lessons before our next excursion and you can take me home.” His nose wrinkles with the laugh that leaves him, warm and indulgent.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

"Mm, it was a little sad to have to leave you lurking while I went to socialise," Danta says, his voice low with a hint of apology in the tone. If he hadn't also been a touch stir crazy by then he'd have happily spent the evening glued to Asta's side (likely where the other man would have preferred him, honestly) but at that point he'd needed the freedom as much as anything else.

The brush of the butcher's thumb across the back of his hand draws Danta out of his reverie, and he takes another sip of his martini with a smile before setting the glass down. "Your feirw shift would make quick work of any frost and ice this season, though," he points out with a grin. And it wouldn't even try to charge at anyone this time.

"I'll opt not to make several dirty jokes at the idea of you riding my dragon," he adds with a wicked laugh. "Besides, I don't think it would do us much good down in the Last Whisper. Bit cramped, wouldn't you say?"

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“It was necessary.” The butcher decides in favor of Danta’s apology. He’d known it had been a lot, he just hadn’t had much of a choice to not delve into the fight it might have caused in order to socialize as he otherwise might have. No harm no foul, he supposes, especially given his tiny excursion of his own had acquired him a very much needed rose for Thalassa. So it had worked out, even if it had not been entirely ideal.

Sipping from his martini, the butcher’s laugh is gentle once he’s swallowed it down, nodding his head. “Mm, but the effort.” The dramatic drawl ends with a sigh, as if he’s already tired just thinking about it. Jokes on them, though, Asta was tired the second he woke up.

But the drama fades for the grin that blooms, his laughter warming up to hear the struggle Danta clearly goes through to not make an innuendo based off of what the butcher’s said and his tail tightens a touch around his own in the equivalent of a silent shrug. “Well I cannot very well ride your lava wyrm shift nor your gore crow, mm?” He points out briefly before their cake arrives.

All chocolate and warm and ready to be cut into for the “lava” to come out, but it’s topped with fresh and ripe raspberries and far more than would ordinarily come with it – something he thought that Danta would approve of more than the molten chocolate inside the cake. “Ah, perhaps the tiger then?” He comments, staring at the cake before his honey dark gaze lifts to Danta’s, as if the molten lava cake had reminded him of his lover’s molten tiger shift.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

"Ah, that's a good point." Danta laughs. "I forgot for a second that even having you here with me tonight is a very special occasion, given how many naps you probably needed to prepare yourself." Still, he doesn't blame the other man (and in truth he finds it very endearing, though he'll never tell), lifting his hand to leave a quick kiss against the back of his palm, before sitting back in time for their cake to arrive.

It's everything he imagines Asta might want in a dessert, and he raises an approving eyebrow at the sight of the extra raspberries, Danta immediately reaching for one to relish the tart sweetness of it - not too much for him, as the other man has correctly deducted. "I wouldn't recommend you did, no," he agrees of both the lava wyrm and the gore crow, reaching for the knife they've been provided to glide it through the soft sponge shell of the lava cake, sending a cascade of molten chocolate flowing out.

"Perhaps," he says of his tiger shift. "Honestly, though, for tonight I think we'll be fine on two legs together. We'll just be quick."

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“I will need at least three when we get back home.” He teases, because at this rate the naps might become full sleeps and there would be nobody around except for Danta to tell him the difference (it’s how long of a nap the butcher would take, of course). Either way, his smile is bright as Danta presses a kiss to the back of his palm, affection and adoration flaring into his face in the honey warmth of his gaze.

Their cake arrives and he’s quietly pleased once Danta nabs a raspberry, happy to let the Maverick cut the cake to let the “lava” spill out, and all the while the butcher snags one of the provided forks to snag a bite of it, dipping the drier portion of the cake into the chocolate lava before lifting it to his lips. “I do not wish to burn holes in this outfit, either, so perhaps you are right.” He flashes his lover a playful smile before he takes the bite, immediately sighing in complete relief at the sweetness that overtakes his tongue.

He's swift to snag another bite with the fork just as he had before, but this time he tops it with a raspberry to offer the bite across to Danta.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

"Three?" Danta repeats, barking out a laugh around another raspberry. "I think maybe I'll just put you to bed when we get home. There's a reason I decided we'd go for an evening dinner, you know." He winks. This way he and Asta can swan home in the dark and go straight up to their room; even without the butcher feeling as dozy as he is, he doubts either of them would be in the mood to act as theocrat and bodyguard after a meal like this.

Smiling to see Asta's enjoyment of their shared dessert, he lets blue eyes wander indulgently over the outfit, torn between complete agreement with Asta and also wanting to burn it off his body entirely himself. Opting to take the offered bite of cake to avoid making good on such impulsive thoughts, Danta hums his surprise around the chocolate and raspberry, nodding his approval and sitting back. "This was a good choice," he informs the other man.

And whilst he doesn't have Asta's sweet tooth, he does indulge in a few forkfuls of cake and raspberries dipped in chocolate - it's a date, after all.

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone

my, my, those eyes like fire, i'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre
come now, bite through these wires,

“How thoughtful of you, darling.” The butcher purrs with a soft laugh, because yes – it was probably much easier to simply have a long nap than it would be to expect it to be a multitude of naps. In all honesty, however, if they didn’t have a window the butcher would have zero idea what time it actually was while in their room.

Not that it matters too much, given that it was the evening and it was already dark outside and cold and the bonfire that kept them functioning with just enough heat to not turn to stone completely, he might not know what day it is but he does know it’s close to bed time.

He watches his lover a touch more intensely when he takes the bite, a touch surprised to see how much he’s enjoying it and happily makes himself busy with the majority of the sweeter portions, downing it with even more sweetness from the martini. “It is quite lovely, isn’t it?” He hums, letting the fork rest on his tongue shortly after as he peers across at the other Ancient with a tired glimpse in his gaze that’s melded with an overwhelming happiness. “I think I may require some help getting out of all of this when we get home. Would you be opposed to helping?” He doubts it, based off of the previous look and Danta’s impulsivity. The butcher could stay awake a bit longer to indulge him, too.

Astaroth

i'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired

I wanna run against the world that's turning

Close to bedtime is a relative thing when you're a chaos gremlin like Danta and the owner of a brothel, but given the way Deepfrost has seized hold of Asta thus far, he's happy to concede - especially tonight. He makes sure to leave a decent number of raspberries for his lover to enjoy as well as the cake, and by the time they've devoured the dessert between them, the Maverick is also dipping the last raspberry into the remnants of his espresso martini.

"Mmhm," he agrees around the last morsel, resisting (just) the urge to stretch out entirely in the hope that the restaurant owners might allow them to simply curl up under the table and sleep. Catching Asta's eye as he makes a very dangerous sort of suggestion, Danta at least manages to play at being gentlemanly, offering him an indulgent nod. "It would be my pleasure," he purrs. "And I think you know it."

With dessert and their drinks empty, it isn't long before their attentive waiter returns and Danta gets them squared away so they can prepare to leave, though he does bounce his eyebrows playfully at Asta. "You think you can walk?" He chuckles.

Dantalion

I'd move so fast that I'd outpace the dawn, I wanna be gone