Damian’s cheeks were beginning to burn as his cheeks as he blush intensified. Shit shit shit shit shit. I’m so dead. Damian was ready, ready to throw himself away from the man and shoot ice at him, put he was honestly grabbing at straws. He knew he’d probably be dead before he could even move, if the Reaper knew who he was. “Y-You have?” He asked, but he voice was hardly more than a whisper. Why won’t my heart stop pounding?
Rowan nodded. "Mhm." He smiled slightly, noticing the blush. He gently tipped Damian's head up to look at him. "I have. I always watch the prettiest people in the room." He winked a bit flirtatiously, smiling a little. Rowan's fingers were long and thin, the type a pianist might have. Or in Rowan's case, a necromancer. He swayed with Damian still, wondering what it would take to make the other male trust him. He could tell that he didn't. Which was wise, but…it got so tiring. Everyone was scared of him and what he could do. The skeletal armies that came when he called, the way all he had to do was touch someone and they died.
Damian’s breath escaped his lungs when he looked into Rowan’s stunning eyes. Damian expected himself to be relieved that he was only flirting, but his heart just fluttered more. For a second, he wasn’t the Frost, and Rowan wasn’t the Reaper. “I-I’m not- I’m not pretty, I- I’m not.” He stuttered shyly, knowing he really should be capitalizing on the situation and flirting back, but heavens just because he knew the steps to a successful mission didn’t mean he could easily fulfill them. Just because someone watched thousand of cooking shows didn’t mean they were a good cook.
Rowan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Handsome, then. Hot. Cute. Whatever descriptive you would prefer." He smirked a little, pulling Damian closer. The song was already about halfway over, and he realized that he didn't want it to end. "I'm serious. I looked at everyone in the room, and you were the best-looking one."
Damian blushed heavily. “I- Th-There’s no way anyone could think me to be anything but boring,” He stammered, but curse his own loneliness he leaned into the other male. The Reaper. Damian tried to convince himself that this was for the mission, to get more intel and find a way to stop the Reaper, but dang it his stupid emotions were getting in the way and he had a hard time lying to himself. He wondered if Rowan truly did know who Damian really was, and was calling him cute and pretty and handsome to get him all flustered.
Rowan cupped his face with a hand. His fingers lightly traced the other man's jaw. "Hm. Someone's lying to themselves." He said lightly. "Because when I look at you, I see only a handsome young man. I don't see anyone boring." He gave a gentle but flirtatious smile, fingers lightly skimming over Damian's jaw.
Damian leaned his head into the hand. How long had it been since someone touched his face like that? Probably never. “I… Y-You probably say that to all the guys you meet, don’t you?” Damian prayed that it was the truth. He honestly did, despite how his stupid lovesick heart wanted him to deny it, his brain frankly needed Rowan to admit to something like that because he was on a mission, he had a duty, he wasn’t supposed to enjoy himself.
"Nope." Rowan replied. "Only when it's true. And it isn't always." he chuckled softly, thumb brushing lightly against Damian's cheek. "In your case, it's very true. Prettiest guy in the room, and the first one to catch my eye." He smiled at Damian, a real, heart-stoppingly genuine smile.
Damian felt a fuzzy warm feeling spread in his chest at that stunning smile that was meant for him, but he immediately tried to squash it down. This is for the mission, and the mission only. “Y-You’re too sweet,” He squeaked shyly, and curse his traitorous body, he leaned into Rowan even more as they swayed together. It didn’t help him in the slightest that Rowan felt warm. Sure, Damian controlled ice and was naturally a cold person, but that didn’t mean he liked the cold.
Rowan's hand slid to his lower back to hold him close. "Hm. That's the first time I've been told that." His heart fluttered in his chest, and he swallowed slightly, holding Damian close. "But it's still the truth." He wanted…he wanted him to stay. He really did. He wanted Damian to trust him and let him…let him…he didn't even now. But he wanted someone he could love. Not just another one night stand.
Damian found himself leaning in even closer, curse his lonely heart for wanting someone. At least he stopped himself before he could lean his head on the other’s shoulder. “Are… are you as bad as people say you are?” Damian whispered before he could stop himself. He wanted to know. To know what the Reaper was like, beyond the undead armies and touch of death. He wanted Rowan to tell him something. He didn’t know exactly what, but it was like he needed for the man to tell Damian that he wasn’t the monster Damian wanted to believe him to be.
Rowan stiffened a little, eyes flickering slightly. "I don't know. Am I?" he replied. I don't know. I don't know. They say I'm a murderer, and I am. They say…they say… He took a deep breath, the smile slipping away and a pensive, slightly withdrawn look appeared. "I would rather not talk about it." he said finally. "As you have likely already made up your mind, and nothing I say will change it if you have already decided that I'm a monster."
Damian knew he messed up. He was hardly good with words to begin with, what did he expect of himself? It was probably better to distance himself from the Reaper anyways. But he couldn’t stop himself from pulling away slightly so he could speak with clarity and sureness while looking Rowan in the eyes, “I haven’t made up my mind about anything about you, except for the fact that you’ve been too kind to me,” He attempted a tiny smile, because… well, his sentence was the truth. His heart had blurred the lines a little in the brief moments they had just shared, and Damian was truly at a loss for whether to listen to his brain or listen to his heart.
Rowan swallowed. "I…alright." the smile returned after a moment. "And how have I been too kind? I've only spoken the truth." he spun Damian around, and guided him to the edge of the crowd as the song ended. He knew he should release the other man, but…he didn't want to. He wanted to keep holding on to Damian. He slowly, reluctantly removed his arm from around Damian's waist, though he was still holding his hand.
When that smile came back, Damian felt… relief. Relief? No, he couldn’t be relieved at the sight of that smile. He wasn’t supposed to like Rowan. But those worries floated away like sticks in a stream as he was spun around, his heart fluttering like a hummingbird. “Well, for starters you keep telling me I look better that what I am,” Damian insisted, then continued, “A-And I don’t deserve compliments of any kind to begin with. I’m… I’m not the kind of person you should be giving them to.” Indeed, Damian was from a different world. Sure, he was a, quote unquote, ‘hero’, as the media liked to label him, but that only solidified Damian’s resolve that Rowan shouldn’t compliment him of all people. It wasn’t right, if Rowan knew Damian was the Frost, he’d probably be disgusted. Damian couldn’t stop his smile from shrinking just a tiny bit when that gentle, warm arm left his waist, his heart longing for more of that human contact but too shy to asked to be held like that again.
(gtg to bed. Good night!)
Rowan shook his head. "Nope. You do deserve it, and I'll call you beautiful as many times as it takes until you believe me. Now, you said you wanted to meet my cousin?" he smiled, and led Damian over to a thin, young teenage girl sitting in a chair as she watched the party. "Lilly, this is Damian. Damian, this is Lilly. She designed the party."
Lilly smiled up at them. "Nice to meet you." she blushed slightly at the praise. "Rowan, stop it! You designed half of it!" she argued.
"Maybe, but you're the mastermind." Rowan replied with a wink.
Damian was about to protest again how he was not beautiful, but he nodded at the mention of Rowan’s cousin. As he was led over, he quickly shut down his original idea of his cousin being a persuasion chip. She we so young, Damian knew he couldn’t being himself to do that. “Nice to meet you, Lilly,” Damian greeted with a smile, brushing away his responsibilities for the moment, “The party is truly wonderful. It’s all amazing.”
Lilly smiled, blushing a little. "Thank you. Rowan wanted a party, but none of the responsibility." She gave Rowan a mock stern look.
Rowan grinned. "Who, me?" He teased, smiling. He still had his hand in Damian's. "Never."
Lilly rolled her eyes fondly, then broke off, coughing. Her coughs rattled in her chest a little, her thin shoulders shaking and drawing inward.
Rowan bit his lip. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. She nodded, waving a hand and taking a moment to recover.
Damian smiled at the interaction, but it quickly turned to a frown when she started coughing. He was about to ask if she was okay, but Rowan beat him to it. He paused, biting his lip. Damian… Damian felt bad at the surprise that had sprung in his chest upon seeing the Reaper see if someone was alright. It wasn’t like Rowan wasn’t human… But he’s still a villain. I have to realize that. But the longer Damian spent with the Reaper, he realized more and more that… he wasn’t just the Reaper. He was a person too.
Lilly took in a breath, letting it out in a soft huff. "Sorry about that." She said, giving a rueful smile. "Not doing great today."
Rowan sighed softly. "Do you need to go home?" He asked worriedly. It was painfully obvious that he cared a lot for his younger cousin, and didn't want her hurt or in pain.
Lilly shook her head. "No, I'm okay." She said. She looked at Damian, giving him a quick smile. "So. How'd you catch my cousin's eye?"
Rowan blushed a little, coughing now. "Lilly!" He exclaimed.
Gosh, Damian felt… he felt something in his chest. Upon seeing cold hard proof that Rowan… Rowan cared for someone. Focus on the mission, Damian… He tried to remind himself, but try wasn’t exactly do. Damian was pulled from his thoughts with the question, his face immediately blushing as he explained with a spying smile, “Well, he keeps claiming I’m pretty but I have my doubts.” He shyly smiled at Rowan, bit his lip a little but something just seemed to sparkle in his eyes.
Rowan smirked slightly. "Hey, if I say you are, you are." He replied, the smirk turning into a genuine smile as he looked at Damian.
Lilly wrinkled her nose. "Hmm. Rowan, no sleeping with people tonight. I'm staying over, remember? And I don't want to hear…anything." she waved a hand.
Rowan's eyes widened, and he turned red. "No, Lilly!" He facepalmed, peeking sideways at Damian. "I have no such plans, I swear." He said, laughing in an embarrassed manner.
Lilly smirked mischievously. She looked at Damian. "As for him calling you pretty…I agree. A little bit." She laughed softly.
Damian had blushed before, but when Lilly had said… Damian’s cheeks burned a bright red. Sleep with me? Sex? Oh my gosh…. Damian didn’t know anything about- Relief washed over him when Rowan told him that wasn’t his plans. Gosh if he had asked Damian with that intent… Damian might have -quite literally- froze up when they got to it. Although…. No. I can’t let myself think like that. “I-I really don’t deserve such compliments,” He replied shyly, shifting a little so he was ever so slightly leaning off of Rowan’s side and sapping off his warmth.
Rowan hummed softly. "Yes you do." He replied, putting his arm around Damian gently. "Stop saying you don't." He gave him a gentle smile.
Lilly grinned, then turned her attention back to the party, sensing that the conversation no longer concerned her.
Rowan leaned his head against Damian's for a moment. "You're a beautiful person. A beautiful man. And…if you let me, I would love to get to know you better outside of just this evening." He spoke softly.
You don’t understand… I’m -supposed to be- plotting your down fall, to put you in jail…. Every compliment Rowan insisted was making it infinitely harder for Damian to hate the man before him. It was harder to think about all the times they’d fought under the names of Frost and Reaper, when he was looking at Rowan’s face like he was a normal human being. So, when Rowan spoke softly to him like that… Damian knew it’d be so easy to just politely say no, to get info and leave, but gosh darn it the only thing that came out of his mouth was, “I- I’d like that very much.” Curse his heart. He tried to blame it on the mission, to tell himself he was only wanting to continue this because he could get more information that way, but even he knew that that was a huge lie.