darkinferno | [narrations + overflow]

[Immediately, there's a look of disapproval.]

Dante. [A blood pact? Really? Seriously, boys.

But since it seems to be already healed, he's not going to follow up on this disapproval. He only exhales, and instead decides to ask about this "dad" business.]

Well, to be honest, sometimes it does feel like I'm a tired father wrangling a bunch of tireless children around.

[Yeah, he expected that.]

Hey, at least I didn't let Prompto use the kitchen knife.

[Because yes, Prompto had come out of the kitchen with a chef's knife expecting that that would work... but okay, moving on.]

I don't think I want to know who you're talking about, do I? Unless it's Togusa, since he was referring to you and Grell as mom and dad a little while ago.

[He's not good at playing innocent and he knows it. So he's just going to avoid that route altogether!]

[That...does not help at all. He's definitely going to ask Prompto about this, but-]

What did you use?

[He'll drop it after you answer that, okay.]

He what? [Him and Grell, mom and dad? That puts a hitch in his expression, for a moment, and he raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck.]

I'm starting to wonder just how much I'm being talked about behind my back. But no, you know who I'm talking about. You and Prompto. My nephews. All a handful.

[A handful he'd never do without, but a handful nonetheless.]

[That, at least, is a question Dante's not unwilling to answer! He leans back in his beach chair, grabbing the gym bag he'd brought with him to the beach. Even unable to summon Soul Eater as he is, Dante's still got the dagger Ari gave him close to hand, safe in its sheath.]

This. [He offers it to Ardyn if he'd like to take a closer look--the blade's been well-kept, oiled and honed to a sharp edge, cleaned of any blood it might have drawn before.] Do you remember when I disappeared for a while a few months back? When I got back, Ari gave it to me. With everything that had been going on, she was worried.

[There's a quirk to his lips at Ardyn's apparent surprise--is he uncomfortable with the insinuation? But--]

[Wait.

Him?]

[He'd been expecting Prompto's name. The twins aren't surprising. But... him? Dante hadn't been expecting that. Yeah, maybe there's a feeling of closeness between the two of them, a strange respect he hasn't really felt for other people in his life, but Dante had chalked that all up to the prof's willingness to actually talk with him, to question his deflections and to try and actually help him like most people don't. He's not like Prompto, eager to connect with other people, able to open up and talk and make people like him in a single conversation. He's guarded and remote and intentionally prickly, more often mocking than not. (See: the single time he's called Ardyn "dad.")

There's this feeling in his chest he's gotten a couple other times in the past month, a sort of sensation just above his heart that feels like something's twisting there, a visceral reaction to Ardyn's words.

Huh...

For once, Dante's speechless. Nice job, Ardyn!]

[Here's a truth: Dante might be a good liar, but once you've made it inside his circle of trust, he becomes much more of an open book. So it's probably easy to see his surprise when he finally finds his voice again.]

I--what?

[See, the thing with Ardyn is that he doesn't think he's said anything worth such a reaction. To him, it's such an obvious thing -- that he would consider Dante as one of the few which he feels the need to protect, to constantly lecture, as if he were being a psuedo-father figure to the boy. It's true that the statement had been said in a half-jest, but there was some truth to the matter. He wanted to look after these boys, he wanted to make sure they were happy and well tended to.

So he reaches out to take the dagger from him, for the sake of examination, but hesitates when Dante looks up at him like he's just said something shockingly scandalous.]

....What?

What you just said.

[He manages to school his expression enough that he doesn't look completely flummoxed, but... there's still something a touch incredulous to his voice.]

Did you... really mean that?

[He looks at him questioningly, but takes the dagger, looking it over idly as he tries to decide how Dante expects for him to answer.

He chooses, instead, just to be plain about it.]

Which part? That the lot of you are a handful and need looking after? Or that I may as well be an honorary tired father, with how much I'm prone to worrying about you?

Both notions are sincere.

[For a moment more, there's that touch of surprise on his face... and then Dante seems to realize again where he is and what's going on, because he averts his eyes, resisting the urge to fold his arms and lean back in his chair like a sullen child.]

Who says you need to worry about us? We can look after ourselves.

[Yeah, like he actually means that at all. But how in the world does he react to something like that? Dante's got no idea--and so he reverts to his normal deflection instead.]

[It seems like he's triggered that deflection reaction in the boy, he thinks to himself, and quite accurately at that. This isn't the first time he's seen Dante respond in this way, which usually means he's hit something rather close to home.

Or, at least -- he thinks he has. He hadn't meant to be presumptuous, only sincere.]

All people your age say that. And even if you don't need someone, you have someone.

[He never knows how to react when Ardyn doesn't respond to his acerbic comments. It's tough to keep it up when he continues with the sincerity...

He can't meet Ardyn's eyes as he feels that sensation welling up in his body again.]

Yeah, well...

Thanks, prof. [VERY POINTEDLY NOT MEETING HIS EYES NOPE] You're a pretty cool guy, for a walking fashion disaster.

[Yeah, he should've been expecting that.]

[Maybe he was -- maybe he just so obviously takes no offense to it, as always.]

I'm offended, Dante. Tell me how you really feel.

[He just gives him a grin that's lopsided as usual, but there's affection in his tone regardless. Still-]

I may just have to slap you for that.

Aha, so that's what this was really about.

[He's just gonna point toward that sign--he knows you saw it, Ardyn!]

Sorry, no family discounts.

[Yes, he sure did see the sign.]

Mm-hm. Are you paying taxes on all this money you're going to make, I wonder?

[Excuse him while he digs around his pocket for his wallet.]

Not even a ten percent discount? For all the knowledge I've granted you in class?

Actually, I was thinking about using it to buy stuff for the fight practices.

[Dante shrugs. It's not like he actually needs the money; he's just doing it to undermine Retrospec.]

Fine, if you're gonna complain about it I'll give you the teacher discount. I don't have change, though, so if you don't have singles, you're out of luck.

[Undermining Retrospec; that's something Ardyn can always get behind, and he'll not argue the point.

Finding his wallet, he takes out a ten dollar bill and offers it to Dante. His complaining about price was nothing more than his usual flippant joking.]

Well, since I'm generous...

Generous, huh?

[Dante's got his normal smirk on his face as he takes the bill, putting it in his pocket with the rest of the money he's made today. And then he'll get up to come around to the front of the table, so that they don't accidentally knock anything over, spreading his arms wide in invitation.]

Well, let's see it.

[Well, time for the slap, then.

(Ardyn's damnable bleeding heart will tell him, don't hit him too hard.)]

May I ask just how hard others have slapped you so far? So I know what will count and what won't.

Depends on the person.

[He shrugs. If Ardyn looks hard enough, he may be able to see the beginnings of some swelling to his right cheekbone--don't ever get hit by Noah's new arm. That thing's like a lead pipe.]

The first guy barely even made contact. It was almost a pat, if you ask me.

I see.

[He does spot that swelling, frowning slightly. He'll be making a note to avoid that side of his face, just to be kind. Other than that, he tells himself that he won't be so gentle that it won't count for his bingo card. Dante did take his money, after all, and he was more than willing to see this through.]

Brace yourself, then.

[And with that warning, Ardyn raises his hand and slaps Dante across the face.

"Slaps".

The bleeding heart always wins. It was not anything close to painful. Don't you dare judge him.]

[Yeah, it's a slap, but it's nothing really, not in comparison to some of the others he's gotten. Maybe a 1 on the "ow" scale? Dante lifts an eyebrow at it, but other than that he's not going to say a word about it.]

Do you want to make sure that counted? Check your card.

[narrations + overflow]

that last tag was *know.... tmw u tag when you're too tired

haha no worries, i knew what you meant!

&hearts;

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