[SE] love you 'til I rust

// you knew who I was //

"Mm, I'll see what I can do," Danta purrs, eyes lighting up to notice Asta sidle in beside him, the Maverick letting a casual hand rest atop his knee as they peruse the menu. This, at least, is familiar territory, and while it does take him a little longer to fully glance over everything, he catches on one item in particular with a grin. "They have venison," he says. "So I'll have to try that."

Glancing up as one of the servers brings over their drinks - an old fashioned for Danta without the cherries and a chocolate martini for the butcher - he murmurs his thanks and accepts the glasses to set them down. "And it might be a nightmare out there, but I can't deny it's good to be home," he adds with a smirk; the chaos of the Dusklight might be a lot for some (he remembers it was a lot for Asta when he first arrived) but for Danta its a place he's owned and grown into, somewhere as much a part of him now as the man at his side.

"Look at everyone on their best behaviour," he says with a chuckle, stroking his thumb across the top of Asta's thigh. "And I know it's definitely not because of me."

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

Warmth blooms at his knee to feel Danta’s hand settle against his knee, settling in as he murmurs the menu, as if trying to decide what he wanted to indulge in for dinner. Something hearty after all of the hard work of the day. It seems Danta’s plan is much the same, snorting softly to hear that he’s picking venison. “Ah, enacting some revenge?” He murmurs, tilting his head slightly toward Danta with a knowing grin – sharp and playful.

As the server brings over their drinks, though, he gladly takes his own as Danta sets them down. The chocolate martini is cradled lightly before he takes a sip of it, waiting to make sure he tells them what they want to order before he takes a sip and sets the glass down to sit back and indulge in the warmth radiating from Danta.

“It is good to be home.” He agrees, reminiscent of how incredibly overwhelming it had been at first, originally only intending to secure a room in exchange for working as the security. It feels like ages ago now, even as much as he thinks it’s been since he’d made deals. He glances around after, though, to see that everyone was on their best behavior, and shifts slightly to wrap his arm around Danta’s shoulders – thus thumb brushing against his oversized forest green sleeve. “Mm, are you sure, darling? You control far much more than I do.” He asks, feigning confusion as he looks over at the crowd as some of them glance back toward them – eyes on both of them and lingering like a held breath as if they’re waiting for some drama to occur. And when the butcher catches their eye, his sharp smile is aimed at them as if in a dare.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

"Maybe," Danta says with a fiendish little smile. "This way you won't have to be wearing any bandages at least," he adds, tapping delicately at the clean white dressing against his throat. Murmuring his thanks as well and lifting his glass, he places their orders with the quiet ease of familiarity, requesting his venison on the particularly rare side. "I know," he says softly the moment the server leaves. "I'll go out tomorrow."

For now, though, he takes an overdue sip of his old fashioned and relaxes into the cradle of Asta's arm as if he's the true seat he's taken rather than the booth at their backs. "That might be true but I'm the one who usually encourages the bad behaviour," he says, his grin taking on a feral sort of edge even without fangs. "When you're away on errands, things are manic in here."

And they have a debauched, bloody, exhaustingly wonderful few days of it, it's true. But that's all the more reason for needing the butcher to keep his heel on the back of the Dusklight's neck from time to time. "So I'm almost certain that this," he gestures with his glass to the surreptitious looks, the marked improvement in behaviour, "is all for you."

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

“How lucky for me.” The butcher purrs, drawing quiet to let Danta make the added request which sparks a glance from the butcher that’s immediately answered in the next breath. “Perhaps before we reach Frey’s Breath you can go and harass some Pyrina?” He muses, stirring his chocolate cocktail with the tip of his finger, plopping it directly into his mouth shortly after as Danta sinks into him.

Happily soaking up the warmth, his tail tightens a touch around the Maverick’s leg, head tilting slightly down toward his lover as he spies the feral grin. “Perhaps I should indulge in my shadows more, that way no one knows whether or not I am here.” His head tilts slightly this way and that, as if making his little debate, a lock of dark hair falling upon the Maverick’s red tinged golden strands.

Casting another brief glance around the Dusklight to meet a few eyes still waiting to see what might come of the butcher being down here whether or not he’s working – he is here sans cane, after all, though everyone knows he doesn’t really need it to prove his point, the butcher concedes to his lover. “You maaaaay be right, darling.” He trails off in a low tone, another one of the rare few times he tells the Maverick he's right, ego be damned.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

"Now that's an idea," Danta purrs, the edge to his smile suggesting that he'd very much like to partake. In retrospect he ought to have taken care of it earlier when they were both in The Climb, but sue him, he'd been distracted by his lover suddenly becoming a giant black dragon.

Smiling to feel the butcher's tail coil more tightly around his calf, Danta settles more comfortably against him and takes another sip of his drink, starting to ignore the eyes on them and relax into the swing of the Dusklight. As they (read: Asta) continue to sit and keep to themselves, he's sure the rest of the main area will relax too. And if they don't, tension is bad for orgasms, so they've only got themselves to blame.

"Oh, you mean casting them on the walls even when you aren't close by?" Danta grins, glancing up at the wall behind him as if he might see Asta's shadow looming overhead. "That could be a good idea. And thank you, Asta." Positively beaming to know that he's right, he leans in to nuzzle obnoxiously against the other man's jaw for good measure.

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

“I do believe I am full of them.” The butcher purrs, arrogance slipping from him with as much elegance as his shadows do as they draw over the both of them like a well-worn coat under the view of the people that steal glances at them. Already feeling better thanks to the painkillers and the prospect of a hot spring dip and hunt in the morning, the butcher’s arm remains comfortably around his lover’s shoulder as they wait for their meal and he accepts the additional boon to his ego as though he was none the wiser.

Slowly the crowd begins to relax, inch by inch until even the rowdiest ones take their final glimpse at the owner and his security before returning to their focus, even if Asta has let his favorite ghoul press against the wall above them to survey the rest of the group with its horned, smiling, devilish shadow like a warning sign made billboard.

“Mm, I meant more as though hiding in the shadows so they believe I am not there even if I am.” He says, mumbling toward the end to feel the obnoxious nuzzle to his bearded jaw, sparking a slightly inebriated snicker as he diverts his attention entirely from the rest of the Dusklight to turn his head to steal a kiss in the middle of Danta’s antics, the smirk pressed into it for the very public display.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

Clocking the smiling, antlered shadow overhead like it's some fiendish guardian angel, Danta has long gotten used to this part of his lover's haunt at least, such that he feels more affection for it than anything else. As such, it's with a lingering smile back to the ghoul that he returns his attention to the man casting it; him and his ideas, though the Maverick never clarified on whether they were good ones or bad.

"Oh, I see. Well, we're particularly good at being stealthy, you know," he says. Get them Grey Road perks and all. "You have to promise to tell me where you are, though. I want to be able to watch when you jump out and--" Cut off by the kiss that comes pressing to his lips, Danta - uncomplaining and unrepentant as his hand slips further along Asta's upper thigh - figures that Asta will get the point anyway.

He draws back with a soft huff of laughter, nose brushing against the butcher's, and he chases it up with a quick sip of his drink to avoid getting carried away with himself. "I didn't realise we were part of the show tonight," he purrs. "Not that I'm complaining."

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

“We are.” He hums, refraining from adding anything else as he steals the kiss – and words – away from the Maverick, knowing what he means for the rest of the plan that they put together, absolutely understanding the point. He could pick a particular corner to haunt, envelope himself in shadows and wait until the perfect moment arises for him to make his grand appearance.

Careful of it, of course, lest he let too much of his haunt out on display for any unwilling (rd, Danta) viewers. For now, his smiling ghoul of a shadow works well enough as he lingers in Danta’s space, leg shifting slightly to give him more of a path to sweep his hand against his thigh as his lover parts and he withdraws enough to let Danta take a sip of the old fashioned.

Humming a note as his freehand settles on the table, fingers tapping the top of it lightly in idle thought, the butcher’s grin betrays his aloofness for the way he casts his honey dark gaze back at the Maverick. “Perhaps it is a machination of mine.” He purrs playfully, reaching for his drink to take a sip from it, confidence in the shroud of being a brat, a silent wouldn't you like to know?

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

"Oh, is that right?" Danta raises his eyebrows at Asta's boast, a soft laugh rumbling up in his throat as he relaxes in their seat once again, though his hand remains casually splayed against the butcher's inner thigh. "I call bullshit," he informs him, "but I'm willing to entertain the nonsense if it means I get to kiss you more."

The rest of the Dusklight is saved, perhaps, by the arrival of their food, and Danta sets down his drink mid-sip so he can sit himself up. The rabbit and venison come paired with a side of roasted root vegetables to share that he's entirely uninterested in for now, along with another two cocktails which he's a little happier to see.

"I'll ask you now if you'd like to try this," he says softly to the butcher, "because I'm afraid I'll be liable to stab you with my fork after that."

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

“Bullshit?” The butcher playfully mimics Danta’s voice – his face brightening up with innocence and feigned surprise – brows pinching in his quiet shock. But before they can really get into the grit of the show for the Dusklight and silently mourning the loss of the thought of Danta throwing a plate at any onlookers, their food arrives alongside two more cocktails.

His tail loosens around Danta’s leg as he straightens up, staying looped around it for his own quiet comfort as he downs the rest of his cocktail and focuses on the plates set down in front of him. He, too, ignores the vegetables to share in favor for the rabbit – glancing over to see the very bloody and raw venison, drawing his arm away from being wrapped around Danta’s shoulders to ensure he gets to keep all of his fingers.

Utilizing the knife with prime ease, he slices off a chunk of the rabbit – medium rare rather than the portion of venison that might still be breathing – ensuring he gives him the rarest portion of the slice for an almost equal exchange. “Will this make up for it, my dear?” He asks as he snags a smaller slice of the venison than he’d left of the rabbit to pop it into his mouth and hum with approval.

“It is quite lovely, darling. Do enjoy yourself.” He shifts slightly, his shadows warbling before they move away from the Maverick lest it spark reminders of the Climb as he tries to eat, doing whatever he can to ensure he keeps each and every finger intact while they eat.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

"Yes," Danta decides without preamble, skewering the bit of rabbit that Asta sets down for him to pop it into his mouth, humming a low note of approval even if the venison is what he knows he's really craving. "Yours too," he says as they subtly disentangle from one another, the Maverick's knife almost melting through the venison, and with the scent of blood in the air it isn't long before his attention slides from Asta entirely.

Well. Not entirely, given his furtive glance towards the shadows that retreat, and should the butcher's hand - or anyone else's unfortunate appendage - get between Danta and his meal, it's likely to go badly wrong for all involved. He doesn't even realise it when his glamour drops, using his fangs to better tear bites from the meal, his tail twitching restlessly beneath the table.

It's an uncharacteristically silent dinner that's luckily made carefree by the energy of the Dusklight all around them, and though he's nowhere near satisfied in any way that counts by the time he's done, at least Danta's ordinary hunger is sated for the time being. (He thinks; it's always a bit difficult to tell).

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

Even if Danta tells him it’s the best bite in the world, the butcher knows him well enough to tell he’s lying. So he hums contently, accepting the answer for what it was when he knows that the raw venison would be sating hopefully until the next day. Drawing his shadows into himself and focusing on his own meal, the carves up the rabbit with knife and fingers alike, drawn silent as they eat with the shadows withdrawn to pool around him and keep from extending anywhere near his lover.

Danta’s quick in it, though, and the butcher glances over as he tears flesh from bone with his sharp teeth to see the shiny spark of his horns and the vibration of the other Ancient’s tail beneath the table, restless as is likely the rest of him. His gaze drops down to the bandage on his shoulder, ensuring it hasn’t reopened to bleed through in the subtle vibration of the Maverick’s body, and only when he’s satisfied the butcher sits back to spear a piece of roasted sweet potato on the sharp edge of one of the rabbit bones to plop it in his mouth.

“How was it, darling?” He asks once he’s swallowed down the bite, the shard of bone sticking out from his lips like a toothpick.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //

// you knew who I was //

Letting out a long, deep sigh that has the tension dragging from his shoulders, as Asta speaks it's like Danta has only just noticed that he's still there, offering him an apologetic smile as he wipes his mouth and hands off with his napkin. "Not enough," he says, knowing he'll know exactly how that feels, "but it will do for now. I think it tasted good."

Giving the other man a sheepish shrug, with no little bone toothpicks available from his own meal, Danta is forced to use his fork like a peasant to stab at a piece of parsnip, bringing it to his lips with the intention of actually tasting the food this time. "Oh, these aren't bad either," he says, sounding surprised by that fact and settling into something like his old self again, his tail slowing to a content little flick against Asta's leg beneath the table.

"Do I need to ask if you want something sweet to chase it down with?"

Dantalion

// with every step that I ran to you //

Astaroth

// but if you think I'm misery,

“Good.” He hums contently, flashing a small smile back at the Maverick once he’s fishing around for another piece to spear with the sharpened bone-pick. Snagging a piece of beet, it’s almost as dark red as the blood left behind on Danta’s plate. “No, it is quite nice. The roasting adds a nice taste of flame to it.” Which is probably one of the only reasons the butcher is actually picking at the roasted vegetables – given how much of a carnivore he is apart from his sweet tooth.

Speaking of his sweet tooth, the butcher’s smile is softer and charmed as he lets his tail coil around Danta’s loosely, head tilting opposite of his lover to let his dark gaze focus on him, made entirely black by the dark duskiness of the Dusklight. His shadows dance a little vibrating thrum around his shoulders, curling around his neck like a makeshift sheer scarf. “Only if you wish to indulge with me, darling. I do not think I could devour one entirely by myself.” He isn’t opposed to it, but he’s fairly certain he wouldn’t finish it. Which, isn’t really the end of the world, he supposes.

then baby, all the company,
it never leaves me alone, no //