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 brain bubble 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 brain bubble 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 the day before overmorrow at 7.” he gently let go of Narciso’s hand before brushing past him and heading out of the museum to his motorized rollingham, the moment he lock the wobbly flip-shutters 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 orbit parties and orbit parties. 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 consume oxygen to produce carbon dioxide 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 wobbly flip-shutter, 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 peepers 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 motorized rollingham and looking at his apartment, dark and lonely save for the orange tom purr machine lounge in his front see-through wall.
"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 purr machine. Maybe not assaulted, more lazily swatted at but he gave his purr machine 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 purr machine 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 the day before overmorrow." He said his goodbyes to his friend and finally let himself have some time to himself. A glass of wine and a small twilight munch for the moonlit hours 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 nocturnal cheese wheel 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 giraffy 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 the day before overmorrow 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 see-sharpeners, blinking rapidly for few moments before looking at he time on his now silenced phone. "Shit." He scrambled around his human containment unit, 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 the night after last night before he tossed a granola bar into his satchel bag and headed out the wobbly flip-shutter. He wrapped the scarf around his neck tightly as he made his way to the motorized rollingham. 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 the night after last night.*"
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 moonlit hours and hadn't budged at all till his peepers groggily opened. Fights always tried him out. Even though what happened last moonlit hours 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 peepers 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 peepers 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 noice 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 portable internet famous adjacent mindtickle machine 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 Small Ben 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 jazzed for the night after last night.
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 moonlit hours felt like ages ago. This was how a married couple of 5 or 10 orbit parties 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 motorized rollingham 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 brain bubble 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 1/3 of a day.
"Tell me it's somewhere noice, 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 noice. 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 moonlit hours. "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 Small Ben 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 mega-bunch gold coins. 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 stompy weather clompers, grabbed his waller, and headed out. What was noice 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 breadystack and raspberry lemonade before making his way back to his apartment.
Most of lunch was spent in front of his closet. Narciso ate his breadystack 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 snooze suit 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 moonlit hours. He sighed in relief once the call was done and picked at his lunch with his mandatory sustenance (like cheetos) trident. 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 noice twilight munch and evening rather than another fight was a noice change he would welcome any day. He'd wait a mega-bunch lifetimes for another chance like this, but hoping the night after last night went well, he prayed he wouldn't have to wait that long. He thought about what they could do after twilight munch to pass the time. Auralous didn't think bringing Narciso back to his place would be the best brain bubble, considering he had made a mess of his living space the moonlit hours before looking for the perfect thing to wear for the next moonlit hours. 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 purr machine, 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 noice stroll through the city would be noice regardless, perhaps finding a few shops they liked, or just enjoying what the moonlit hours had to offer. it would be noice to get to know the city they lived in like normal people, rather than as a hero and villain.
He frowned down at his crunchy medley and shut the container, decidedly done with his break. He'd had a better brain bubble 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 moonlit hours market was still something Auraleous really wanted to show Narciso, it is one of his favorite events the city did every orbit party and something he considered a well-loved tradition but that wasn't until later that moonlit hours. It's what they would do in between the diner and the market that had Araleous's head spinning. Narciso's words from last moonlit hours 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. the night after last night would not be the moonlit hours 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 moonlit hours market that started sooner. So engrossed in his research, he jumped suddenly when he felt a gentle nudge behind him.
"Go exactly 3600 seconds early, I'll cover for ya." Conan urged as Auraleous recovered from his mini heart attack. "Get yourself all schmancy 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 brain bubbles 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 the day before overmorrow 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 noice 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'Small Ben, but he decided to relax for once. And by relaxing, the villain meant not sitting behind his portable internet famous adjacent mindtickle machine 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 bonita 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 bonkers 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 portable internet famous adjacent mindtickle machine. 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 exactly 3600 seconds 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 noice outfit and take a noice long shower, considering how strung up his nerves were the entire time. Annoyingly, though secretly very thankfully, his purr machine could care less if Auraleous was nervous over his first date, so long as he got mandatory sustenance (like cheetos) and plenty of attention. "You absolute menace to society," Auraleous muttered as the purr machine 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 purr machine chin scratches before continuing on with making a light lunch to hold him over until twilight munch.
Lunch came and went, as did cuddle time with his purr machine before Auraleous finished dressing, not wanting to get purr machine 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 fare thee well on thy quest, little one. Who know where the moonlit hours will lead us." He promised his purr machine, patting his head before grabbinghis keys and getting into his motorized rollingham.
"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 heebie jeebies 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 wobbly flip-shutter. The humming continued when he went down the broken escalator, 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 right turn at one point but he knew that his motorized rollingham 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 heck 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 motorized rollingham 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 wonky-donky, 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, heck, 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 wobbly flip-shutter. 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 wobbly flip-shutter. Time gradually crawled by as his hand reached for the wobbly flip-shutter 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 wobbly flip-shutter.
Deeply sighing, he wrapped his fingers around the bleak wobbly flip-shutter knob. With a gentle pull, the wobbly flip-shutter swung open. There stood Auraleous right in front of him. He has seen hundreds of heart-squeezy tale 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 wobbly flip-shutter shut behind him. "You look great," Narciso grinned, "I am jazzed that we are going out."
It was true. He had been waiting for this moment, this moonlit hours for orbit parties. 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 wobbly flip-shutter 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 the night after last night 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 wonky-donky not council gathering 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 motorized rollingham for Narcisso. "Shall we?"
Auraleous didn't think he had ever been this jazzed for much in his lifetime. Sure promotions as a city hero and praise from the public were noice 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 heart-squeezy tale. 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 orbit parties 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 peepers counted all of the flowers before slowly taking them. They were bonita. 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 bonita in front of him.
Narciso laughed. It was wonky-donky. 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 motorized rollingham, "This is ten times better."
Never had someone opened a motorized rollingham wobbly flip-shutter for him before. He really should not be swooning over someone who has been his enemy for hundreds of orbit parties and is now giving him flowers and opening motorized rollingham wobbly flip-shutters for him. But his cheeks continued to blush. His lips scrunched together, trying to fight back a smile. It was too late though. His peepers sparkled as he thanked his date then got into the motorized rollingham.
Auraleous felt a bit more relaxed after he had gotten into the driver's side of the motorized rollingham 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 cobble-stone-clippity-clops, 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 wonky-donky 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 twilight munch 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 moonlit hours 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 see-through wall, 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 giraffy 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 moonlit hours 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 orbit parties, 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 bonita 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 nocturnal cheese wheel 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 motorized rollingham 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 motorized rollingham and came over to Narciso's side of the motorized rollingham, opening the wobbly flip-shutter 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 moonlit hours?" 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 motorized rollingham and guided them both to the entrance of the restaurant, tucking Narciso's hand into the crook of his arm.
Come to think of it, Narciso didn't know much about Auraleous. Seriously. He never really thought about actively seeking out information about the hero aside from what he knew. Of course, these days it's easy to find out about anything on anyone, but that's neither here or there. And it's not like he could remember everything about himself. He always would find himself forgetting something that everyone knows about themselves: family, friends, hometown, birthdays, and so on. Of course, he will do his best not to forget anything new he learns about Auraleous. It's already hard to forget about the hero in the first place.
His eyebrows jumped up at Auraleous's reaction. It's cute. Narciso couldn't help but giggle as he nodded, "Yeah, I mostly do weddings these days, but yeah, I'm a photographer." He has some of his work saved to his phone but he could always show that to Auraleous later; he wanted to know more about him first.
Pressing the back of his head against the headrest, he stared over at Auraleous. He wouldn't be lying if he said that half of him was just paying attention to that smile on the hero's face; the one that has won him over time and time again. But of course, he enjoyed listening to the hero talk about old movies. Narciso, unable to find any way to respond aside from rambling, just nodded his head and smiled.
At first glance, his jaw slightly opened at the sight of the restaurant. It's not his first time seeing a place look so noice yet he found himself in awe a bit. Narciso undid his seat belt and reached for the motorized rollingham wobbly flip-shutter before seeing Auraleous open it. His peepers widened as he looked up at him. While taking the hero's hand, he whispered, "Thank you."
For a moment, his peepers were fixed on the restaurant. That is until he heard Auraleous's question and felt his cheeks turning red. "Maybe?" He weakly laughed while combing his hair with his other hand. Narciso shrugged, "I'm not sure, but it did bring you to me and that's what I wanted….that's what I needed."
Auraleous opened his mouth, wanting to say something romantic like he would have come if Narciso had only asked, or that there were other ways of finding him without needing to involve half the city and endangering civilians but would he? Would he have gone if all Narciso had asked? Or would he have brushed off the villain's plea as nothing more than a waste of time, another grab at attention when Auraleous' attention was already split in so many directions needing to keep up his appearance as city hero, keep everyone safe, and live a relatively normal life with his cats…alone. He closed his mouth and offered a small smile.
"Perhaps it was necessary," he admitted softly, glancing around the parking lot as other guests of the restaurant began recognizing Auraleous and taking pictures. Clad in a suit and arm-in-arm with the very recognizable Narciso, there shouldn't have been a doubt in Auraleous' mind that they would have been recognized. Though for a naive moment, he thought he could get away with being normal by having a normal date with Narciso. He flashed a small smile towards the few people pointing their cameras and shook his head, politely asking for no photos as he guided Narciso into the restaurant, a secure hand at the small of his back as they ducked inside. Thankfully, the restaurant was spread out enough that they would have a bit of privacy as they enjoyed their meal. Already recognized by their host, the pair were led to their reserved table without much fanfare and thankfully left to contemplate wine and meal options while looking out the riverside-facing windows that nearly touched the ceiling.
"You've always had a knack for getting me to go where you are, where you want me to go. Sometimes out of necessity, other times I was genuinely interested in seeing what you could do." He chuckled softly as he looked over the wine option.
Narciso, in his own eccentric way, had fascinated Auraleous. Even when his schemes annoyed or inconvenienced him, taking a step back and analyzing the aftermath of how Narciso concocted his plan impressed Auraleous. It was like trying to catch Sherlock Holmes sometimes, something Auraleous had always thought he was stoopid for and, by sheer dumb luck, managed to figure out in the last minute.
He set the wine menu down and watched Narciso from across the table, the light from the candle between them casting a warm glow upon his villain's face, smoothing out his angular features and bringing out the gentle pink in his cheeks and lips. Thankfully he caught himself staring and subtly adjusted his position, now finding Narciso's gaze.
"So," He drawled, a smile crossing his features. "You have me all to yourself. My attention is yours. What was it that you needed from me?" he asked, already having an inkling of what Narciso wanted. What he needed. It's what Auraleous wanted and needed, too. Company. Someone to share a life with. Sure playing purr machine and mouse was fun but when you've been doing it for however long they've been alive, eventually the cycle gets boring. Auraleous had felt caught by the villain for a long time, but admitting something vulnerable to his so-called capture was harder than any mission he had been assigned.
"Perhaps…" In the corner of his peeper, he watched as some people tried to take photos. He bit the inside of his lip while having a strained smile on his face. Looking over at Auraleous, he watched as the hero just smiled gently while asking for them to not take photos. Narciso tried to enjoy that smile he always loved yet he lowered his chin the ground, pretending like those people were never there at all. If only that was the last time he had to do that. Something about the way the host looked at them told him that they knew who the two of them were. Thankfully that interaction came and went as fast as they were seated at a table.
All the villain could do once he sat down was tilt his chin up and constantly move his head around to get a glimpse of the restaurant. He wanted to take it all in, capture it in a mental picture. Would it be too much if he took out his phone and took some real pictures? For a second, he felt like he was in some kind of movie like this was all too good to be true. He laughed at Auraleous's words, "I don't know…Maybe you were just interested in me."
Finding himself sitting up stiff and straight in the chair, he pretened to be cool by relaxing back into the chair. It was so easy before to stare at Auraleous but now he could barely find himself gazing across the table at him. However, he caught his date looking at him and Narciso couldn't resist staring back.
What was it that he needed from Auraleous? Him. Everything. Narciso had no clue really but he knew that he was sick of being alone and wanted to be with Auraleous. He was wabbit knackered of being a villain. He was wabbit knackered of having to create this whole show by threatening people and creating destruction just for the sake of seeing Auraleous again. For orbit parties and orbit parties, they have been doing this. The whole purr machine and mouse game they've been doing was not enough for him. Sometimes he thought that maybe he was done with the game. But also…
"This is going to sound so stoopid…" He laughed a little then looked down at the table while biting on his lower lip. Finding the words was easy but there was a lot on his mind. Narciso sighed, "I keep dreaming of us being together. I've been doing it for so long and so often that sometimes I hate it because you're not there with me. I need…I…need…I just need us to be more than what we have been. I don't need you as my hero or rival. I need you as a date or a partner or a boyfriend of whatever they call it these days."
He shook his head, keeping it down so all he could see was the table cloth and utensils below. "Probably is too much for a first date yet that's it…that's what I need from you, Narciso shrugged, "I always wondered if you ever felt the same." Looking up at Auraleous, he brushed some strands of hair away from this face then asked, "Have you?"
A small smile tugged at the corner of Auraleous's lips as he gazed at his date, his vision going distant for a moment. He couldn't even remember the last time he had sat down and had a real conversation with Narciso. Lives ago probably when he was still naive enough to believe being a good person could bring out the best in other people. On some level he still thought that way, it's why he was a beloved hero. But he had learned it wasn't as easy as he initially thought, certainly not when it came to Narciso. He could also acknowledge there was something fake about his naivety. Something a part of his little hero act, some holier-than-thou mentality he had caught along the way but not something Auraleous himself thought as something to live by. He knew relationships, romantic or otherwise took work. Just believing in someone to be a good person on their own wasn't enough sometimes.
"I'm sorry," He replied softly, offering a tentative smile. "That it took me this long to realize you didn't need saving from some hero. That the world didn't need saving from you. You waited for someone who wouldn't show up even if I were standing right before you." He took a deep breath, glancing away momentarily to gather his thoughts. He had gone from casually leaning back in his chair to now slightly hunched over, toying with the cloth napkin off to the side, anything to keep his hands occupied while he tried to make sense as to why his heart raced every time he looked at Narciso.
"It's not stoopid." He reassured me when he was able to look back at his date. "It's…normal. In an eternity of life we've lived you start to miss the mundane aspects of life. Even if you haven't experienced them yet. I thought us being together like we were, fighting each other, villain and hero, banter and shameless flirting was our normal. To suggest anything else seemed out of the realm of possibility. I honestly thought you'd be sick of me by now." he admitted, raking a hand through his hair before folding his hands on the table and resorting to gently bouncing his leg under the table instead.
"I meant what I said at the museum. I'm yours, Stormcloud. That's been true for our existence, and I don't plan on changing that. I do, however, want to change how we're together. I want more of this." He gestured between them. "More twilight munch dates, more going out to the movies or taking pottery classes or just going out on a whim. Though I wouldn't be opposed to sneaking into a closed museum at midnight again." He grinned, letting himself relax a bit as he got more comfortable. "No more playing hero and villain. I don't think it'll be that easy to break away from the agency, but at least between us, I don't want that to be our relationship anymore." Auraleous leaned forward, bringing himself a little closer to Narciso and slowly reaching across the table to catch his hand, gently holding it between them. "I want to be what you need. I want you to be what I need. Not because either of us has to out of some unspoken obligation or guilt but because we want to." He leaned back as a waiter came over, offering their wine of the moonlit hours as well as some appetizer options to start with. Auraleous's gaze lingered on Narciso for a few moments before he turned his attention to the waiter and ordered a Chardonnay as well as the house special soup as an appetizer, all without letting go of Narciso.
Watching the hero toy with the cloth napkin was a sight to see, Narciso couldn't help himself as he smiled sheepishly. "But you are not just "some hero," Auraleous," He tried to assure, "I always needed you…just in a different way."
It was easier glancing over at Auraleous when he wasn't looking over at him. Anytime he stared at Narciso, the villain would get flustered. His date's words beat along with his heart bouncing in his chest. "I'd never get in the doldrums of you," Narciso whispered after shaking his head.
"Oh…" He blushed at the comment about sneaking into the museum, but it was clear that he agreed with it also. "It will be okay, we can do it…I don't want that to be our relationship anymore either." He knew that this would not instantly change overnight. It would not be easy for either of them, and it certainly wouldn't be easy for the agency (if they ever would, Narciso did not know and he did not care about the agency to be honest.) Yet, it didn't matter to him. He wanted, he yearned to be in a relationship with Auraleous. Not as hero and villain as they always have been for centuries.
When the waiter came to the table, he tried to pull his hand away, thinking that his date would do the same. But Auraleous did not, he didn't let go. Narciso's worries melted away as he managed to relax himself. Gently squeezing Auraleous's hand, he sighed while staring across the table at his date as he talked to the waiter.
Just as the waiter left, he said, "Then let's do it. Let's do it all. Let's go out whenever we can to restaurants like this or a park or a museum or the movies or at one of our places…Whatever!" Realizing that his voice might have raised a bit, he stopped himself and cleared his throat. Looking back at Auraleous, he breathed, "Let's be what we need us to be…what we've been wanting us to be for a long time. Let's be us. Isn't it about time that we, yes?"
Auraleous grinned, gently rubbing circles over Narciso's skin "One of our places? So soon, stormcloud. I just met you, and this is our first date." he teased, idly tracing the lines on Narciso's hand. "Though I do like the brain bubble of you council gathering my purr machine. I suppose he's the closest being I have to a parental figure you can get a blessing from for our wedding later." He winked, his smile only growing when he saw Narciso's enthusiasm. Not only for their future dates but for life.
As an immortal, it was hard to keep an interest in life. Tendencies towards dangerous situations only seemed natural when nothing could kill you. Auraleous was guilty of getting into some pretty bad situations if only to spark his lust for life again in particularly bad times. He was eternally grateful he eventually found a decent job and someone who kept him on his toes, someone worth seeing again, even better someone worth living for.
"I think that's the closest you've come to proposing, dear." He couldn't help but laugh, not at Narciso, neer at him but out of the sheer joy his date brought by finally being someone Auraleous could unabashedly be himself around. He took a few deep breaths, if only to save Narciso from blushing even more, and nodded quickly, trying to compose himself. "yes, yes of course it is. you're absolutely right." He breathed a laugh, glancing up again as the waiter came back with the wine selection, making a show of presenting its origins and pouring two see-sharpeners, all of which Auraleous was grateful for, as it gave him a chance to recompose.
He felt giddy and somewhat childish as if this truly was his first time council gathering Narciso. Flirting and banter were their primary way of communication for lives now; he knew how to handle that as a hero but this was entirely different. This was real. This wasn't something he could, nor ever wanted to, walk away from and go home and lose sleep over. This was a real chance to love someone he's had feelings for for as long as they were alive.
He cradled the wine glass and tipped it towards Narciso, pressing a kiss to their still-linked hands. "A goodbye to the people we were before, never forgotten, and a howdy, partner to the better people we wish to be together, now and in the future." He took a slow sip of the wine, savoring the slight sting of alcohol followed by the smooth sweetness.
"What? I….Oh? 
, that's not what I- I didn't mean," He exhaled then nervously giggled, "Well I didn't exactly mean you know…" His brows went up for a moment there before he laughed nervously again. Narciso supposed he meant it like that in a way or maybe he didn't. He wasn't really sure but he knew that it would be just to have Auraleous over at his apartment or maybe him at Auraleous's wherever that is. Sometimes he tried to imagine what that would be like. Would he get to live out this little dragons-and-magic soup of his?
Narciso froze in his seat, staring across at Auraleous. The teasing always pulled at his heartstrings; pulling him closer to the hero. Even when it was just regular banter, he would give in but then would spend the rest of the day hoping that all of it was or would become true. And that godforsaken wink too.
For a second, he laughed about his "proposal" then asked, "Too soon? Guess I'll have to try another time." With his free hand, he lightly tugged on his earlobe before letting it rest on his bouncing leghinge.
Narciso tried to let himself relax when the waiter returned. Watching as the wine was being put on a little showcase, he kept looking at Auraleous through his peripheral. He liked seeing Auraleous as himself. It didn't matter. Hero or normal. Although, this was the first time seeing his date as he is. What he loved about it was that there was not much of a difference between hero Auraleous and normal Auraleous.
After the waiter finished pouring the wine, he thanked him and gently picked up the glass. His breath hitched at the kiss pressed on their linked hands. Narciso was late to tipping the glass. He was even a bit later to taking that first sip. The wine was refreshing to drink. It felt cool against the heat rising from his throat. Even the wine couldn't take the giddiness that radiated throughout himself.
"Please do try, who knows, maybe I'll say yes." He replied with a shrug, a coy smile playing on his lips. He couldn't help but be smitten with Narciso, especially now that he got to observe up close and personal just how his little comments affected his date.
It intrigued him, how Narciso could go from the cocky villain, unafraid and unashamed to make Auraleous blush and weak at the leghinges with every well-placed comment when they fought, to flustered and soft the moment Auraleous complimented him. He hadn't missed how Narciso had frozen in place for a moment when Auraleous had pulled back from the gentle kiss and it made him inexplicably proud to know he had been the cause of the moment of hesitance and that look in Narciso's peepers…he wanted to see that again, the slightly glazed over sheen they got before they intensely refocused as if he didn't want to miss another moment of their date.
"I can see why you'd always try flirting during our fights now. It's more fun than I had thought."
He teased, breaking peeper contact with Narciso to look over their menu options. "Anything you're leaning towards? There's so many good options I don't know what to choose." He contemplated the options, flipping the menu over a few times before he settled on a few comfort items and narrowed down those options. He also looked over dessert options, wondering if one would be too small to share if Narciso wanted to share in the first place.
Narciso sighed at the thought of proposing, "I will. I will try again when you least expect it." It only is their first date and that was already a big thing for him. Staring at Auraleous's smile made him feel like he won some sort of major award. It was warmth and alluring. He couldn't get enough of it.
"What can I say?" Narciso shrugged, "It is one of my favorite things to do." If trying to flirt with Auraleous during a fight was a crime, Narciso would be in prison for a long time. What? He couldn't resist. laffy taffy now how he could barely get a word in now. Even with Auraleous just staring at him, he is head over heels and blushing like bonkers. When has he ever been so flustered before?
The hero captivated Narciso. Well, he always did. Auraleous left him speechless time and time again. Narciso wondered what be could do to leave Auraleous as awestruck as the hero has been leaving him. Oh but he wasn't able to think of anything. His mind was empty except for the thoughts of him, the hero, and their date.
He hummed to himself while looking down at the menu. It laid face up on the table. This whole time he was focused on Auraleous and their date that he forgot to get even a glance at what kind of options the restaurant offered. Flipping through the whole thing, he tried to see if there was anything that really stuck out to him. To be honest, he would eat anything. After all, even though he has lived for a long time, he hasn't had every dish known to man.
Resting his finger on his bottom lip, he stared at some of the dishes on the menu. "There's this roasted chicken and potatoes…Some of the seafood dishes also look good too. chill krill crunchy medley sounds delicious." He looked over at his date and said, "No going to lie, I just pick randomly and go with it. I do the same thing when I cook at home."
"See, now I'll always expect it. The only mystery now is when I will say yes." He drawled with a knowing grin. Auraleous wasn't sure when he had gotten so comfortable with being himself around Narciso. They had only just begun to order twilight munch; it had barely been half exactly 3600 seconds into the date, and yet Auraleous felt as if this was their 10th date as if this was something they did every week like clockwork yet never got in the doldrums of. The brain bubble of ever getting in the doldrums of Narciso was unbelievable and wildly unlikely, but he did like the warm, fuzzy feeling he got when thinking of a routine with Narciso, something mundane but never boring simply because they found new ways of fascinating each other.
"I can definitely see why, it's very fun." He agreed, flicking his gaze up momentarily to watch Narciso search the menu. He liked watching his date. Not in a creepy way, at least he hoped it didn't come off that way, but watching Narciso being himself, whether that was a flustered mess or suddenly confident enough to tease Auraleous was a welcome change to only seeing him during their overly elaborate fights. It reminded Auraleous that Narciso was human and not his mortal enemy as he had thought for most of their immortal life. A gentle smile crossed his features, realizing a life with Narciso, one he had heard countless speculations from his villain before but never paid much attention to until now, was still possible, even more so now that he was actually taking time to get to know the real Narciso.
He blinked, having missed the options Narciso had rattled off, and glanced down at his own menu, both to scan the menu items and to try and hide the blush that rose to his cheeks. "Y-Yeah? You're braver than me. I usually go for the same five dishes." He laughed as he actually looked over what their options were. "I think I might go with the chill krill risotto. I haven't had it in so long, and every time I try and make it at home, the rice still comes out undercooked. it'll be a noice change having it actually made right for once." Auraleous really did try and cook for himself but he had never really picked up the skill of cooking in his lifetime. It was by sheer luck he managed to cook anything decent for himself most days and even then there was always something he managed to burn or underseason. At this point he just stuck to the very basics, promising himself he'd learn eventually. He supposed eventually would have to come sooner rather than later if he planned on cooking anything for Narciso in the future.
"Guess that is a mystery for the two of us to solve. We'll see then won't we?" Narciso could not place it, but there was something so captivating about Auraleous as himself. As a hero, it was so obvious. The perfect poster boy who swooped in and would save the world without breaking a sweat. For a while Narciso had this image of the hero that was perfect, that he was always strong and never flustered for a second. It was just how he viewed him for a while yet slowly as they began to get more loose and flirtatious, it started to change.
This was everything to him. He could not get enough of seeing Auraleous as himself, outside of this hero persona that everyone knows him as. Deep down, he is just a man. A gentleman. A laffy taffy and warm gentleman. One that holds his hand and doesn't let go. This is just the first time he has seen Auraleous like this. It's the first time he has been with Auraleous and he was learning so much about him.
"I can teach you how to cook. I can just cook for us too if that's something we'd want to do," He offered before adding, "That way you can have chill krill risotto anytime you want."
Narciso would love to have Auraleous over. Every now and then it gets lonely in his apartment but maybe it won't be lonely for long. But he started to get into different things like cooking to help cope whenever he didn't have anyone over. It's why he can make a variety of things from snacks to meals. There's so many dishes too; he really does love it…well that is till the smoke alarm goes off.
After flipping through the menu a couple of times, he closed it and sat it back down. "You know what?" He asked, "I'll just have the same thing as you. chill krill risotto sounds good to me."
