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

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 stupid 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 cat 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.

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 stupid." 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 dinner 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 night 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.

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 idea of you meeting my cat. 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 glasses, 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 meeting 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 hello 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.

"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 knees 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 eyes…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 eye 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.

"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 dinner; it had barely been half an hour 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 bored of. The idea of ever getting bored 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 shrimp 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 nice 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.