forum You are my hero! But I am not a villain. (1/1 closed)

Started October 04, 2023 by @Festive_Fenrir

tune

Narciso's mere touch was enough to dispel any further arguments from Auraleous for now as his eyes fluttered shut and he succumbed fully to the embrace. The way Narciso's fingers repeatedly glided through his hair immediately had Auraleous feeling drowsy with warmth and comfort, though even in his foggy state of mind, he promised they would discuss his imperfectness later, excitedly assuming and hoping there would be a later where they'd be like this again.
Auraleous was far from perfect, or at least that's how he saw himself. Perhaps to the rest of the world, he was near godly but all auraleous had going for him was an immortal life. In every other aspect, he was human. He made mistakes, god only knows just how many mistakes he's stupidly made throughout his lifetime. He was clumsy and awkward when he was himself and not playing the role of the hero. He had anxieties, he had dumb little fears he was probably too old to have. He had never owned his own house or learned how to cook very well. His only major success he'd count as a functioning human being was miraculously landing a modeling job that he didn't even sign up for. That and keeping his cat alive. Other than that and the hero thing, Auraleous was a mess half the rest of the time. He was probably the furthest thing from perfect and he didn't want Narciso going into a relationship with the wrong idea.

"You are so much more than just a villain for me to defeat every day, dear. And I plan on finding exactly who my mysterious adversary is, if you're willing to look past my little act of city hero." He reasoned with a teasing smile. As much as Auraleous claimed his hero thing to be an act, there were genuine moments. his interactions with Narciso were mostly genuine, even if it took him ages to admit that to himself. Makeing sure people were safe, the city was safe, interacting with fans, even if the publicity was a bit much for him. He loved what he did but he wished he could be ever so slightly more himself.

Auraleous glanced up when he felt Narciso shift a soft laugh escaping him, wanting to make a comment about Narciso saying he didn't like him bu the let the other continue, seeing him struggle slightly with his words. He was a bit confused and surprised when narciso explained his job, he had expected for Narciso's job to be something underwhelming, something to fuel his disdain for order and mundanity he displayed in their fights…not wedding photography. Auraleous listened as Narciso confessed and gently cupped Narciso's cheek, pressing their forheads together. "I think I can understand what you mean." He replied softly. He didn't think, he knew exactly what Narciso meant. Because he wanted more than just liking each other. But say "love" made him feel nervous. Outside of their hero villain relationship, Auraleous didn't know Narciso, and Narciso didn't know Auralous, not for who he truely was. He couldn't deny what was between them anymore, nor did he want to but jumping to marriage and love when they had all the time in the worldfelt wrong to him.

Auraleous scrunched his nose cutely and shook his head . "Who said we're not having a wedding, dear? I've aready chosen out colors pallette and everything and now you're telling me we're not getting married? You break my heart, Storm Cloud." He teased, "But I suppose you're right. Perhaps a little too early for that." He broke away far enough to look at Narciso. "Before we even think about marriage, how about dinner first? No set up, no gotcha moment, just you and me, normally. Just Auraleous and Narciso."

There was a lot that Narciso wanted. It was confusing as much as it was painful. Just being himself with Auraleous, for them to be together, that was already asking a lot coming from him. Even worse, he was exhausted of everything. What was the use of being a villain anymore? Sometimes when he would go to work, he felt like a normal person, but it was always painful shooting for a wedding. The successful ones anyways. All of the happiness made him feel gross and jealous.

He kept his eyes lowered. Thankfully his crimson locks covered his vision. Normally he was not as bashful or nervous, but here he was right here right now, confessing his feelings to man he has been fighting for hundreds of years now. After watching all of his favorite romance movies, he did not expect his confession to be like this. He wanted it to be somewhere nice where the two of them were just themselves, not the hero and villain everyone know them as.

Narciso could have sworn to God that he was.going to melt the moment Auraleous cupped his cheek. When their foreheads were pressed together, he held his breath. Never had they been this close before unless they were fighting. Technically they should be, but thank God they were not.

Softly laughing, he shook his head. "You always come up with these funny pet names to call me," He sighed. If he knew more about Auraleous, he probably would have married him on the spot. Sadly he didn't know what movies Auraleous liked or his favorite color or what kind of food he likes. Sure those are little things, but he's learned it is critical to remember all kinds of details.

A moment passed by where he was doing nothing except for standing still, staring back at Auraleous. He wasn't sure whether to smile, scream from excitment, or both. All of the energy contained within him made his face buzz. Dinner with Auraleous? Part of him was afraid that this was all a dream. It was too good to be true.

After looking around the room, he gazed back at Auraleous. Oh those eyes. It would be lovely to stare at them from across a small circular table at a fancy restaurant. "Sure, I would love that," He beamed. "As long as we can be us, Auraleous and Narciso…that is all I ask for. We can go anywhere, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to be with you…get to know you."

Auraleous shrugged, cautiously reaching up and gently brushing aside his hair. "They come easily. Besides, you react so adorably to the nicknames. How can I not?" He asked, gently pressing a kiss to Narciso's hair and indulging in their closeness before he took a step away. "You can't tell me Storm Cloud doesn't suit you well, dear." He argued with a satisfied little grin as he found his jacket from where he dropped it earlier. "One of us has to put effort into cute nicknames."

As much as he wanted to stay with Narciso like this forever, a small voice in his head still told him they couldn't so careless, at elast not yet. In the public's eye, they were still enemies, they were a hero and his enemy, they were long time rivals, destined to slit each other's throats for the rest of time. So as much as Auraleous wanted to drag Narciso against his chest and kiss him senseless, showing him exactly what he had been surpressing all these lives, Auraleous made the concious decision to wait and be patient for their time alone.

He took a deep breath and gave a slight bow at the hips. "Then I look forwards to dinner, my Storm Cloud. Woud you apposed to tomorrow around 7:00? I'll pick you up." He offered, flinching when he heard Conan in his ear. Usually the mute function lasted longer. In the case that Auraleous or any of the other hero's was in trouble, the mute function would deactivate after 20 minutes, unless a certain someone knew how override that. Conan just happen to be that exact person.
"I knew it! I absolutely called it! Finally! I was wondering when you'd cofess!" He cheered. Auraleous laughed softly, not even having the energy to be annoyed. "You couldn't wait, could you?" He asked, shaking his head as he muted Conan again, though he didn't think his friend minded as he called for others to pay up on bets they had made before Auraleous had muted.

"It seems everyone knew before we did." He muttered, his smile softening when he heard Narciso accept to the date. "Just you and me, I promise this," He waved to the earpiece "won't eb a problem. At elast I hope not." He huffed a small laugh, a fluttering in the pit of his stomach rising. "You're sure you want to ruin the perfect image of this hero in your mind, dear? I can't promise you I'm the same person whenI'm not playing city hero." He warned gently, shoving his hands into his pockets, letting go ever so slightly of the facade and relaxing.

Narciso felt his knees turn into goo. It was a wonder that he was still standing. The moment Auraleous's fingers began to weave through his hair, he lost his breath. To matters worse…better…the hero even kissed his hair. Auraleous had kissed him! Even though it was not a kiss kiss, his face turned as red as his hair. He was sure that his heart was going to explode if it hadn't already. Auraleous was bound to make it happen anyways. If the hero hadn't proven it already, then he had no clue what was going on.

His bottom jaw hung. Words piled on top of his tongue but they stayed there. God, he would love nothing more than to go on a date with this hero. He didn't care where they would go for dinner. They could be in the fanciest restaurant in the whole wide world or have a picnic by the lowest level of hell. It didn't matter to him.

The best he could do was eagerly nod his head. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped and suddenly shook his head. "No I-…I would love to love to love to to go," He stammered. A shaky breath left him as he smiled. Part of him didn't believe that this was happening. He needed to find the perfect outfit. Not to mention he had to style his hair too. Everything would have to be perfect.

No matter how much effort he was going to put into getting ready for this date, he knew that it may not be entirely perfect. Narciso still worried about the whole heor villain thing. Everyone else still saw them as such, even though he knew that the two of them wanted to move past that. He wanted to. For a long time too. If only he had said something earlier, they could have been walking around this museum right now as partners or even as spouses. Of course, he knew he was getting ahead of himself, but still…He finally was going on a date with Auraleous.

Although he nodded at the hero's words, he couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. Ruin the perfect image? His eyes squinted. It made no sense to him. "You'll always be perfect to me, Auraleous," He whispered, "Not as a hero, but…yourself." For all he knew, Auraleous could hate movies and red velvet cupcakes and he would still be in kahoots. Even if the hero's home was a mess from head to toe, he'd still be smitten.

Taking a step forward, he looked the hero up and down. "I may not know you when you are out of this little hero outfit of yours yet..but something tells me that you are even better when you are…well…you." He shoved his hands into his pockets before saying, "It's okay, you don't have to promise me anything."

Auraleous huffed a relieved yet warm laugh, "You had me nervous for a second, dear." He admitted, fondness crossing his features as he watched Narciso regain composure, already making mental notes for their date. Would they eat out? Auraleous knew some amazing places to eat that were more private and out of the way. Would he try his hand at cooking? He wasn't the best at cooking, having never been something he had particularly dedicated much time to in his infinite lifetime save for the few dishes he had forced himself to learn for his sake and survival. Certainly never anything near the first date worthy. If they were going to Auralous' apartment, he had to clean and tidy everything beforehand, make sure everything was perfect, and at least give some sort of illusion he lived a semi-functioning life.

Auralous couldn't shake his nerves about disappointing Narciso. He would never claim perfection. He wasn't above anyone else just because he chose to help others or because he was immortal. He was just himself. He only hoped that would be enough. From his track record with dating, sometimes it wasn't. Auralous didn't date much, mostly out of fear for his partner's safety but dating Narciso would be different. There wouldn't be any danger because Narciso, arguably the most dangerous person in this city, would be with Auraleous. The mere idea of them together made Auralous grin with excitement.

He blinked and glanced up at Narciso as he came a step closer. He arched an eyebrow, almost snorting a laugh “yet? What are implying, my little Storm Cloud?” he asked, giving Narciso his own slow once over before sobering and bowing his head shyly. “I hope to impress, even if it's just me.” His gaze found Narciso’s and his easy smile faltered slightly. For ages he felt as he had owed everyone something simply for taking up the opportunity of being immortal up with his existance. What someone wouldn't give to be immortal, to be with their partner forever, to experience everything the world had to to offer, to make a true difference with all this time, yet here Auraleous was trying just to live day by day as if he had been mortal. As if he couldn't care less to be immortal. So this was what he did to make up for it. He was a hero. He was the mysterious Phantom everyone adored. He made promises and he stucknto them because that what people needed. But here someone, of all people his enemy, telling him a promise wasn't needed. He didn't have to promise to be anyone else other than himself. Auralous was itching to drop everything and pull Narciso into a hug and never let go of the sudden comfort he had found in his arms. But they had a date to go and neither that neither of them would go on if Auralous did that. So he tugged of his suit jacket and gently took Narciso’s hand in his. “Thank you Storm- Narciso. You have no idea how much that means to me.” He pressed a kiss to Narciso’s hand, the guided his hand to his lips. “I'll see you tomorrow at 7.” he gently let go of Narciso’s hand before brushing past him and heading out of the museum to his car, the moment he lock the doors he unmuted Conan and gushed like teenager the entire ride back home.

As much as Narciso believed that perfection was foolish and highly unachievable, his mind still maintained it, thinking that it was somewhat important. Even with immortality, old ways of thinking die hard. While part of him could care less about what others thought of him, he cared a lot about what Auraleous thought.

"Yet?" He thought back to what he said. The moment he softly gasped, Narciso briefly glanced away. While shaking his head, he whispered, "Nothing." Of course Auraleous would be able to impress him. The man had already been doing so for years and years. Time after time, Narciso would have his breath taken away by this hero. Oh what he would give to be at Auraleous's side for the rest of eternity. Hopefully he would be able to breathe every now and then.

The hero's gentle touch made his hand feel light. His chest was all warm and fuzzy. Narciso nearly melted at the touch of Auraleous's lips against the back of his hand. When the hero let go, he frowned. He could barely get out a, "See you then." Lifting his chin up, he watched as the hero left. A gentle smile rested on his face. It remained still on his face as he slipped out of the museum and went back to his apartment building.

Everything was pretty much a blur until he reached his apartment. Just as he had always done for God only knows how long, he feasibly slipped out of the museum and away from the crowd that encircled it. The moment after closing the door, Narciso sat down on the floor. His back pressed against it as he looked up at the ceiling.

None of it felt real. He was scared to close his eyes because everything that just happened could have been a dream. None of it could have been real. But at the same time, being a villain and professing his love to Auraleous was exhausting. The villain stood back up then dragged himself over to the sofa where he collapsed and continued to stare at the ceiling.

Auraleous hadn't realized just how quickly time passed throughout his excitement. He didn't even realize he was back home until he sat in his parking lot and still rambled. "I'm nerouse Conan. What if he doesn't like me after all? What if I disappoint him?" He asked, turning off his car and looking at his apartment, dark and lonely save for the orange tom cat lounge in his front window.
"From what we all heard, I think he's willing to give you a chance Rae. He likes you a lot, why would he be disappointed in finally getting a chance to be with you?" Auraleous made his way inside the apartment, almost immediately being assaulted by his cat. Maybe not assaulted, more lazily swatted at but he gave his cat an A for effort and rewarded him with head scratches. "I don't know, it's just…I don't think I can live up to the image he has of me." He knew he was probably worrying over nothing but then again when did he get the chance to date someone he had an interest in? What if he messed up? He took a deep breath and started his nightly routine of feeding his cat and getting ready for bed.
"You're you. More than just a hero, you're a great person. It's about time someone took you out on a date. I'm glad, despite everything, that it was Narciso."
Auralous huffed a small laugh. "Me too, and thanks, Conan. I'll let ya know how the date goes tomorrow." He said his goodbyes to his friend and finally let himself have some time to himself. A glass of wine and a small dinner for the night was exactly what he needed to relax and then sleep with lingering thoughts of Narciso in his mind.

Post-fight naps always hit different. Heavens above only knew how long Narciso was out. By the time he woke up, the moon was hung high up in the sky as it shined in its gorgeous glow down on the city. It was quite the process for him to get off of the sofa. In the end, he rolled off of it and fell on the dark brown carpet. At least it felt soft was what he always thought every time something like that would happen.

The first thing he did was get out of the clothes he wore to the museum. Despite wanting to get it all off, the villain was gradual and careful, although he did violently throw the clothes into the laundry basket. In nothing but his black boxers, he went to the tall dresser to pick out an oversized black shirt with some art nouveau poster on it, dark purple shorts, and a clean pair of black boxers. Then he took a shower where he spent all of the 15-ish minutes in there singing ABBA songs.

Narciso spent the rest of the evening watching some spy thriller. While waiting for his leftover sarmale and mămăligă to heat up, he decided to put on the first thing he saw. To be honest, he didn't really pay any attention to the movie. From the time he started the movie to when he went to bed, Narciso thought about what happened earlier in the day. If he wasn't thinking about that, then he was either thinking about Auraleous or their date tomorrow evening.

It was difficult for him to fall asleep. While taking a nap clearly doesn't help, his mind running in circles because of Auraleous didn't help either. Eventually Narciso did pass out and all he could dream of was being with Auraleous.

Auraleous startled from sleep early the next morning, the alarm on his phone blaring from the other side of the bedroom. He groaned in mild annoyance and stood to turn it off. He pulled on his glasses, blinking rapidly for few moments before looking at he time on his now silenced phone. "Shit." He scrambled around his room, grabbing clothes from his drawers and closet, glad that half his wardrobe was earthtones and neutral, nearly guarenteeing anything he chose would go together. Thankfully today was only an office day, the agency having enough heroes today that he wasn't needed on the floor, even more so that Narciso wouldn't be out causing trouble. Or at least Auraleous hoped. He wouldn't put it past his villain to not make a ruckus right before their date. He smiled to himself, breifly giving into the giddiness and excitement for tonight before he tossed a granola bar into his satchel bag and headed out the door. He wrapped the scarf around his neck tightly as he made his way to the car. It was only autumn but today was a particularly brisk morning, cold enough to shake the sleep that clung to body.
Before he got a chance to pull out of his driveway, he got a text from Connan. Actually two texts
"Narciso's number, you owe me one big time"
Auraleous chuckled softly, not even wanting to know how many rules Conan was breaking just to get Narciso's number.
"I do indeed, thank you."
Auraleous wasn't sure why he was hesitating texting Narciso immediately but he was. He sat in his driveway, phone in hand, little curser blinking, yet no thoughts coming to his mind as to what to say. He signed softly "I hate that you make me feel this way." He muttered, finally settling on a quick greeting and explanation.
"Hey, Stormcloud. Guess who? Conan gave me your number I think from the database. Heading to work but I'll see ya tonight.*"
He set his phone off to the side and finally headed to what he could only guess would be a very long day at work.

The sun was way up in the sky by the time the villain woke up. Seriously though, he fell asleep the previous night and hadn't budged at all till his eyes groggily opened. Fights always tried him out. Even though what happened last night wasn't a fight at all, it tired him out. At this day and age, everything tired him out. Half of the time he wanted to be with Auraleous and the other half he wanted to be asleep in bed all day every day.

On his nightstand, his phone vibrated. Narciso slowly sat up. A curl of crimson hair fell in front of his face. Slowly turning his head to the left, his eyes looked down at the lit screen. All he could see was some number and a bunch of words. While the screen went black, he rubbed his eyes before opening his phone to check the message.

"Auraleous?" He mumbled to himself while staring at his phone screen. After yawning, he texted, "See you soon, love," with a little red heart emoji. Clicking on the number, he selected the add to contacts option. While figuring out what to put in for the name, he bit his bottom lip. It took him about a minute till he typed "Wonder Boy" then pressed done.

Already he could feel his face warming up. The villain sighed while lightly patting his face. So far he had only been up for about ten-ish minutes and he was already blushing. Narciso reluctantly got of bed then grabbed his oversized black jacket to put on. What was nice about being a wedding photographer was that he was able to stay at home and work on certain days. There was not much of a burden to immediately get to work right away which was something he always hated.

He used a hair clip to put his hair up while he went about getting ready for the day. The television was playing some playlist he had made with a bunch of 80s new wave songs on it. His laptop sat on the dining table with a photo editing software opened up. Narciso walked around his kitchen while making breakfast. A few times did he look up at the clock on the wall. Somehow he knew that the day would be both slow and very fast. That was fine by him though for he was already excited for tonight.

Auraleous only checked his phone when he got to the institute parking garage, and a small smile spread on his features. What had happened last night felt like ages ago. This was how a married couple of 5 or 10 years spoke to each other, not two people who had just agreed on giving them a shot yesterday spoke. But Auraleous and Narciso knew each other far longer. In all senses of the word save for legal, they were married. Married to the fact that they were immortal and could never die, and in that, each other since immortals were so few and far between. Auraleous paused in his reply, the thought of marriage sticking with him. He had never seen himself as the type to get married, mostly because that would be too painful for both him and his mortal partner. He didn't want to go through losing someone so profound, so he hadn't given marriage a shot. But again, the immortality aspect of both Narciso and himself had him reconsidering. They could live forever, they could love forever. There wasn't a worry that they'd die in a decade because they couldn't. Auralolous rested his head against the steering wheel of his car and took a deep breath. What was he doing, thinking about marriage? They hadn't even gone on their first date and Auraleous was already thinking about forever with this man! However, the notion of Narciso in a gaudy white suit or even a dress did make him smile. He knew the wedding would be up to Narciso, even now he'd given up the idea of having a simple, discreet wedding. But seeing that smile, the smile from yesterday when they had confessed to each other, nervous yet so unbelievably happy, Auraleous would do anything to see that again.
He sighed softly, sent a winky face emoji, and finally went into" the building to anticipate the dat for a whole 8 hours.

"Tell me it's somewhere nice, at least." Conan swung his wheely chair over to Auraleous's desk and set his chin in his hands. 2 hours in Auraleous was being assaulted by questions from his friend, twice that morning. "If I have to wheel you back to your desk again…" He threatened lightly, glaring at the smirk on Conan's face. "yes… it's nice. Nothing too out there but I think its good." He replied, neatly stacking his reports and setting them off to the side.
"Nothing too out there? After all, you two have been through together and against each other, the best you could do was 'nothing too out there?'" his friend raged. Auraleous shrunk in his seat and raised his hands up in defense. "I didn't want to freak him out on the first date! I was going to take him to my place and cook but we all know I can't cook, so I thought this was the best thing without being too showy." He defended, pulling up an image of the restaurant for Conan to see.
"You're literally dating the very definition of 'showy.' I don't think you could freak him out if you tried." He shrugged as he scrolled through images, seeming complacent when he saw the restaurant at night. "fine. But at least tell me you're going out after."
Auraleous blushed but nodded. "Yeah, I heard there's a street market that doubles as a sort of fair close by to the restaurant. I think he'd like it. I hope…"
Conan softened as he saw his friend and ruffled his hair. "You're adorable when you're flustered. I'm sure he'll love it no matter what because it's coming from you. You're putting thought into this. You're putting your heart into this. If he's half as in love with you as he claims he'll see that." He reassured, standing and taking both his wheely chair and self back to his desk. Auraleous relaxed slightly and ave a shy smile, "Thanks."

The clock went slower everytime he looked at it. Patience is a virtue. Narciso had to keep telling himself that. Usually working was not a taxing thing. At least when he was not sitting at home in front of a computer screen while looking forward to a date. It felt like an eternity would pass before he'd see Auraleous again. You'd think with being immortal that it'd be feasible with waiting around and so on. For him, it was fifty-fifty.

Immortality was one of the best and worst things to ever have happened to him. It was scarring to see how much his homeland had changed. On the other hand, things got better even though things remained the same. That's why Narciso got into photography. With a camera, he could capture a lot of the changes. He only took on wedding photography because capturing the joy of others assured him that he still had humanity. Even though he was a villain, and had been for centuries, he could pretend like he wasn't for just a few hours.

Another thing that was fascinating about photography was how one could enhance it with things like editing or whatever software that wasn't a million dollars. He was terrible at painting and drawing, but when he edited his clients' photos, he imagined his mouse was a paint brush. Every little swipe was like a paint stroke against a canvas. It was fun. Definitely helped take his mind off of things.

Eventually it was time for lunch. He felt restless sitting at the kitchen table for the last few hours so he put on his boots, grabbed his waller, and headed out. What was nice about his apartment building was that there were so many restaurants and cafes within a one mile radius. If he forgot to get groceries or come home after fighting Auraleous, he just waltzed into one of those places and tried something new. Narciso stopped at a small café on the corner. He picked up a toasted BLT sandwich and raspberry lemonade before making his way back to his apartment.

Most of lunch was spent in front of his closet. Narciso ate his sandwich while going through every piece of clothing he had. He leaned against the wall. Sure, Auraleous probably wouldn't care what he'd wear. He could show up in pajamas and that'd be fine. Narciso always wanted to look good even if the only person that saw him was him. The villain knew that he shouldn't be so concerned with every little detail, including clothes. With his right hand, he reached in his pocket to check the time on his phone. He sighed.

During his break, Auraleous made a call to the restaurant, reserving a spot for two for that night. He sighed in relief once the call was done and picked at his lunch with his fork. This day possibly couldn't go any slower yet, at the same time, Auraleous never wanted it to end. The anticipation of their date, putting thought into what Narciso would and wouldn't like, preparing for a nice dinner and evening rather than another fight was a nice change he would welcome any day. He'd wait a million lifetimes for another chance like this, but hoping tonight went well, he prayed he wouldn't have to wait that long. He thought about what they could do after dinner to pass the time. Auralous didn't think bringing Narciso back to his place would be the best idea, considering he had made a mess of his living space the night before looking for the perfect thing to wear for the next night. He didn't want to seem messy or uncaring, not being able to take the time to tidy things up at the very least when he invited a date over. The only downside to not going to his apartment was that Narciso wouldn't be able to meet his cat, someone Auraleous thought Narciso would love but he could save that for another time. So that meant going elsewhere. They both knew the main town pretty well so he didn't think there was much that would surprise Narciso but he thought a nice stroll through the city would be nice regardless, perhaps finding a few shops they liked, or just enjoying what the night had to offer. it would be nice to get to know the city they lived in like normal people, rather than as a hero and villain.
He frowned down at his salad and shut the container, decidedly done with his break. He'd had a better idea half lucid while trying to sleep. What sort of date was a walk around the city? After so long, Narciso deserved something a bit more eventful, more memorable as their first date rather than a boring stroll through a city they've literally seen built from the ground up.
The night market was still something Auraleous really wanted to show Narciso, it is one of his favorite events the city did every year and something he considered a well-loved tradition but that wasn't until later that night. It's what they would do in between the diner and the market that had Araleous's head spinning. Narciso's words from last night suddenly came rushing back, their flirtatious quips and suggestive comments made Auraleous turn red in the face. What he thought of as witty comebacks and nothing more than words all made more sense now. Tonight would not be the night for that. He wanted to get to know Narciso more before any of that happened. At least that's what he tried to tell himself even as their conversation echoed in his head.
Having finished his reports and paperwork, Auraleous used the rest of his time to research nearby date places like bars, or clubs, or to see if any events were going on alongside the night market that started sooner. So engrossed in his research, he jumped suddenly when he felt a gentle nudge behind him.
"Go an hour early, I'll cover for ya." Conan urged as Auraleous recovered from his mini heart attack. "Get yourself all fancy and ready for the date, maybe take a drink or something to calm yourself down before you have the best first date ever. Even if you don't have a game plan going in." Conan jerked his head to the monitor, now displaying Top 10 Dating Ideas For First Time Daters. Auraleous didn't even try to argue as he signed out for the day and grabbed his stuff. "Thank you, I really do owe ya."
Conan merely waved a hand. "don't worry about it. I want the juicy details tomorrow if you do end up coming in though." He called with a wink as Auraleous rushed out of the office.

The rest of the work day went by pretty quickly for him. What was nice about being your own boss was that sometimes you can choose to not work. Typically Narciso keeps himself in line till it's around 5 o'clock, but he decided to relax for once. And by relaxing, the villain meant not sitting behind his laptop editing and formating photos.

Initially he had given up on trying to find the perfect outfit for the date. He received a few bookings for wedding then sorted out scheduling and payments. All of them were happening sometime in the summer. Plus, they were all happening in the city too. Weddings were always a beautiful thing to him. Some were extravagant. Others were simple. No matter what, the couple put so much detail into everything. They enjoyed being with each other and wanted to show it to the world.

Sometimes he got distracted thinking about him, Auraleous, and weddings. Was it crazy of him to think about those things? They have not even gone on a first date yet. He recalled what Auraleous had said yesterday. The thought made him chuckle as he sat behind his laptop. After shaking his head, he continued on with editing and formating his clients' photos.

Once it had hit four-thirty, he stopped working. Narciso went back to pick out an outfit. Again, it took him some time to pick out something. Eventually he went with an oversized horizon blue suit jacket and pants along with a dark gray turtleneck tank top. He paired it with small silver hoop earrings and a cross necklace.

The villain got dressed then did his makeup. All that he did was make himself look more alive and less tired. He curled his hair then brushed it out in order to give it a wavy look. When he walked out of the bathroom, he realized that there was still a little over an hour till the date. So, Narciso slipped on his black dress shoes and sat down on the sofa. To pass the time, he put on a French movie from the 60s.

It took all of two hours for Auraleous to shower and get dressed after getting back from work. All in all, he was proud it only took him that long to put together a nice outfit and take a nice long shower, considering how strung up his nerves were the entire time. Annoyingly, though secretly very thankfully, his cat could care less if Auraleous was nervous over his first date, so long as he got food and plenty of attention. "You absolute menace to society," Auraleous muttered as the cat decidedly settled on his shoulders. "You and Narciso make a formidable pair. Its by sheer luck and determination I've made it this far in our lives." He teased, giving his cat chin scratches before continuing on with making a light lunch to hold him over until dinner.
Lunch came and went, as did cuddle time with his cat before Auraleous finished dressing, not wanting to get cat hair on his outfit. He had settled on a comfortable, more casual look of a well-loved but nicer green sweater of his over a button-down shirt paired with a brown pair of trousers and a deep blue cardigan. Ignoring the comparison he made in his head to a professor he remembered long ago, Auraleous tucked the sweater into his pants and clasped on a few gold pieces of jewelry and earing, hoping that would move the outfit away from looking too school-teacher-esque. Adding a few more rings and trying to fix his unruley hair into something less toussled, he eventually gave up and grabbed his bag, finally ready for hte date, or at least as ready as he could be.
"I'll see you later, little one. Who know where the night will lead us." He promised his cat, patting his head before grabbinghis keys and getting into his car.
"Be there in 15, stormcloud." He texted Narciso before pulling out of his driveway and heading over to the villain's, his date's house. He hoped one day, he'd change how he viewed Narciso. mor than just a villain, than his enemy. A partner, someone he could learn to trust, someone he could love and be loved by.

Anytime his phone buzzed, he jumped. His heart would pump rapidly. Narciso would begin to smile only to find out that it was just an email or something irrelevant. The villain did not pay attention to the movie. And while he perfectly understood the French being spoken, all the words went over his head. Waiting with purpose is torture.

On the hundredth time it did vibrate, he saw a text from Auraleous. Well, not the full text. He just saw his contact name for him then sprung up off of the sofa. After unlocking his phone, he read the short line over and over. His head tilted down as he sighed, gazing at the hero's words. Stormcloud, he still wondered where the heart got that nickname from.

Narciso laughed softly before replying back, "See you soon, Wonder Boy." He checked the time on his phone then fell back onto the sofa. The movie kept on playing but he still was not paying attention to it at all. Even though he was feeling good about this date, he continued to wrestle with the anxiety of the what-ifs. He hadn't gone on a date for centuries. Literally. Plus, he had only known Auraleous as a hero. Was the guy any different as a "normal person"?

By the time he noticed that Auraleous would be there in five minutes, he turned off the TV. Before stepping out, the villain went into his bathroom and quickly fluffed out his hair. Narciso hummed quietly as he locked the door. The humming continued when he went down the stairs, through the lobby, and stood by the entrance. Although it stopped the moment he began taking long breaths. Everytime he finished exhaling, a soft smile settled on his face.

Auraleous spent ten or so of those 15 minutes going the long way around town, telling himself he had probably taken a wrong turn at one point but he knew that his car would always give him the fastest routes. He may or may not have been stalling out of nerves, but he couldn't waste any more time. After all, he had promised to pick up Narciso at 7 sharp, and there was no way in heaven or hell that he'd be late for their first date.

After ever so carefully running a few minor red lightly and maybe speeding on a few backroads, Auraleous made it only 5 extra minutes late. He pulled up to the home, letting the car roll slowly up the driveway so he could gather what little courage he had left and properly greet Narciso. He took exactly 5 deep inhales and exhales before stepping out of his far and taking in the extent of the home. It was weird, to show up to the house of someone he had considered an enemy for most of their lives. What was stranger still was going on a date with them but Auralous tried to ignore that. He had agreed to this, hell, he had been the one who practically suggested Narciso give him, to give them a chance.

He shook himself from his thoughts and grabbed the bouquet he had managed to remember in the 10-minute detour to pick some up. He hadn't had a wide selection since it was late but he managed with what the shop had left, deciding on a simple bouquet of deep red roses with small baby-blue and white flowers to fill in the empty spaces. He carefully cradled the bouquet in his arm before he climbed the steps to the home and gently knocked on the door. No, going back now, not that he wanted to, he just wasn't good at dating…at least yet.

The time on his smart watch said 7. A knock came from the door. Time gradually crawled by as his hand reached for the door knob. His heart picked up its pace. This was fine. Everything was fine. Everything was going to be okay. Narciso made sure that no hair strand was out of place. His clothes had no wrinkles. And his makeup was not smudged. He had to keep reassuring himself that this was nothing. All he had to do was open the door.

Deeply sighing, he wrapped his fingers around the bleak door knob. With a gentle pull, the door swung open. There stood Auraleous right in front of him. He has seen hundreds of romance movies and there's always some sort of clever cute thing that one of them says when they meet up for a date. The only thing he could come up with was, "Hey." Just as he bit the inside of his cheek, his face flushed red.

At least when he was stepping outside, he was able to come up with something else aside from a simple "hey." He pulled the door shut behind him. "You look great," Narciso grinned, "I am excited that we are going out."

It was true. He had been waiting for this moment, this night for years. More than anything he wanted to go out with Auraleous. And here he was standing in front of the hero, not wearing one of his usual villainous outfits. He was just himself. He was dressed as Narciso going on a date.

Auraleous' head snapped up as the door opened and it took every nerve in him not to collapse in relief. "Hey," he replied breathlessly, looking at Narciso in awe. A smile quirked at his lips at seeing in true Narciso fashion, he had dressed immaculately for tonight with just a hint of flamboyance Auralous had come to expect. He glanced down at himself and breathed a light laugh, "Nowhere near you, Stormcloud. I look comfortable and now I'm half tempted to go back and change." he admitted, trying his best to shake off his nerves. "You look stunning, dear." He offered the bouquet to Narcisso with a shy smile. "these are for you. I wasn't sure what you liked so I went with a classic." he explained, mildly rambling as he carefully pulled some baby's breath from the bundle and carefully placed them in Narciso's hair.
"Me too, though I'll confess it's a little weird not meeting up for a fight like we usually do. Not that I prefer that over this! this is ten times better." he assured, hurrying down the steps and opening the passenger side of the car for Narcisso. "Shall we?"
Auraleous didn't think he had ever been this excited for much in his lifetime. Sure promotions as a city hero and praise from the public were nice but when was the last time someone had wanted to truly get to know him? When was the last time it had been someone he was interested in? Ages, lifetimes perhaps if he was being honest. He had friends here and there, some more close than others and even less of those who he remembered throughout lifetimes, but Narciso had been there for them all. Yet never once before had Auraleous considered him a friend, at least until recently. They were more than that in a way, even beyond romance. They were lifelong companions even if they were on two different spectrums. But here was there chance to merge those sides, to put aside the years worth of fighting and let each other grow closer to one another willingly.

Something inside of him is telling him that this date should have happened ages ago. By the looks of Auraleous gazing at him, he was glad that it was happening now. By the grace of God, he was to muster up a smirk then winked, "If you play your cards right, you can change into something more…comfortable…back at my place with me later." No matter how much confidence he had, Narciso looked away while his face turned red. "You look stunning, too."

Looking down at the bouquet, he glanced back at Auraleous then asked, "For me?" His eyes counted all of the flowers before slowly taking them. They were beautiful. Between the quiet rambling and the shy smile, Narciso could not help but sigh at his date. By the looks of how things are going, this was not going be any other normal date.

He touched the flower that was in his hair. "They're gorgeous. I love them. Thank you, Auraleous." Perhaps later he can give Auraleous two flowers. Back in Romania, being handed a bouquet with an even amount of flowers is bad luck. Besides, they are mesmerizing and he cannot keep them to himself. Not when there is someone equally beautiful in front of him.

Narciso laughed. It was weird. After all, they only saw each other whenever they had to fight. Him, a villain. And Auraleous, a hero. Now they were standing across from each other as regular normal people. A record first for them. "Yeah," He chuckled while following Auraleous to the car, "This is ten times better."

Never had someone opened a car door for him before. He really should not be swooning over someone who has been his enemy for hundreds of years and is now giving him flowers and opening car doors for him. But his cheeks continued to blush. His lips scrunched together, trying to fight back a smile. It was too late though. His eyes sparkled as he thanked his date then got into the car.

Auraleous felt a bit more relaxed after he had gotten into the driver's side of the car and started slowly backing out of the parking lot. Maybe he had over-thought the date a tad too much for the amount of nerves that were bundled in his stomach but he cut himself some slack, after all this was a first in lifetimes. After a bit of driving, enough where Auraleous was familiar with the roads, he felt a bit more like himself, enough to make a teasing remark and flash a charming little smirk. "Darling, if you wanted me in different clothes, all you had to do was ask. I'm afraid I didn't bring something to change into so I'll have to borrow yours." He peeked his gaze over at Narciso, even as heat rose to his face at the thought of wearing Narciso's clothes, at being inside his home and just hanging out like normal people. In hindsight, Auraleous didn't really think it was weird to hang out at other people's houses. Perhaps this sincerio was a bit beyond just friends but regardless, this is what normal people did. They hung out, they went to each other's houses, and they dated. It all seemed so easy but for Immortals like Auraleous and Narciso, it was a vicious cycle to try and pretend to be normal, and experience normal human interaction only for eventually all their friends and family to be gone.
"I was planning on going to a market after dinner if that's alright with you. There's an extra jacket in back in the event it gets colder if you need another layer." He offered, trying to break the silence, lightly tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he picked up on the beat of the music, something catchy and vaguely recognizable, enough that Auraleous muttered a few of the words now and then when silence fell. He rolled down the windows, letting the cool night breeze sweep through his hair.
"So tell me about yourself, Narciso." He requested as they entered the city. He knew the superficial details about Narciso from his files and reports but that didn't tell Auralous about what Narciso liked, what he was like when he wasn't playing the role of the villain, his childhood, etc.
"We'll switch back and forth," he reassured, not wanting to make it seem like Narciso had been the one talking the entire time.

Narciso looked out the window, watching all of the buildings and people they passed by. Sometimes he would glance over at his date and smile, but he kept quiet the whole time. The silence was fine. It was enough to be in Auraleous's company without having to fight him.

When Auraleous talked about what they would be doing, Narciso nodded. "No, that'd be great. I can't wait to go with you." He went back to silence for another moment until he was trying to come up with what to talk about when telling his date about himself. Narciso always slightly hummed while in deep thought.

At this point, what was there for him to tell? Almost everything he could think of is probably on some sort of document that Auraleous or any officer or weirdo can get out of some folder collecting dust in a filing cabinet. Narciso is just some tall Romanian man who's happened to not die since he was born God only knows when. Literally anything he could think of was something that his date probably already knows.

"I'm a wedding photographer. I do other kinds of photography, but mainly weddings," He shrugged, "Taking pictures is one of my favorite things to do. I also love to watch movies. Any kind really, but old ones like silent films hold a special place in my heart. I remember seeing some of them when they first came out. I always liked preformance stuff…art…since I was little."

Talking about himself was something he had never gotten used to. He can talk about his photography business, movies, Auraleous or literally anything else all of the time, but he does not want to spend this whole date talking about movies. Really, he wants to spend the night listening to Auraleous.

Auraleous couldn't help but be a bit ashamed for not knowing something so basic about Narciso. They had known each other for so long but all Auraleous could recall were notes on a profile. Name, age, height, general appearance (which always seemed inaccurate) crimes over the years, behavioral patterns, really anything the authorities needed to know. Nowhere was there mention of hobbies, family, what he liked to do on days off, his favorite music, occupation, and his thoughts on art or media. They had stripped Narciso of any humanity and in a way, up until now, so had Auraleous.

"You're a photographer?" He asked in awed surprise. "I would love to see your work someday, I'm sure it's beautiful with the gorgeous venues and everyone takes on their perfect day." He mused, having never really given much thought to marriage before. Sure he could imagine saying I do's in a historic church or at an outdoor venue under a romantic gazebo but when it came to who he was saying those vows to, who he was holding hands with, and leaning in to kiss, the daydream always seemed to get blurry.

"The old movies always hold a special place in my heart." He agreed, smiling as he recalled the first movie he had seen. "The trip to the Moon was a favorite. Short but an outstanding feat for its time and still memorable. Silent films of the 1910s and 20s were also great, truly underrated though. I suppose now movies have gotten better but the oldies are still very nostalgic." He reminisced, slowing the car and turning into the parking lot of a cozy restaurant. Golden light and traditional Italian decor could be seen through the windows. Once parked, Auraleous got out of the car and came over to Narciso's side of the car, opening the door and offering his hand, still very much set on being a gentleman.

"Ah, I suppose that explains the location for your little hostage situation the other night?" He questioned with a teasing grin. "I'll admit it was very picturesque. I've always wanted to visit a museum after hours without the crowds of people. It was peaceful for a few moments before you started breaking things. Was that necessary, dear?" He tilted his head innocently as he locked the car and guided them both to the entrance of the restaurant, tucking Narciso's hand into the crook of his arm.