Play Night

Nope. He wouldn't be there anymore. He had stayed on the sofa for a while after they separated, but he couldn't stay in one spot forever, and it wasn't like he was playing games anymore either. At that point in the morning, the other would find him in the kitchen, as he was in the middle of creating some food for breakfast. Might as well since he was up regardless.

Golden orbs would look towards the sofa, but between sound and smell it wouldn't take long to pinpoint exactly where the other had gotten off to. Shifting his eyes over to the kitchen, he would observe the other moving about. It was odd at times having someone cook for him, but on the other hand the help was nice. Besides...

The demon would drift over quietly before settling off to the side for now as he watched the other with a small smirk on his face. "Morning," he would begin in friendly tones before pausing to look the other up and down with an appreciative eye before speaking again. "You know. You look very charming and handsome cooking. May seem weird, but I think just enhances what you have there."

Welp here we go with odd starters in the morning. He hoped the other wouldn't mind. Anyway being more serious, he would look around the kitchen, but not move from his spot. "Anything I can do to help?"

Pausing for a short bit, he would glance over at the new disturbance, seemingly trying to process what he just heard before just shrugging lightly as he turned his attention back to the food. ‘’I think I’ll let that one just fly over my head….’’ Not necessarily weird, but he simply didn’t quite get it. How did an activity such as cooking enhance someone’s looks? He wasn’t sure. He could see himself maybe calling someone cute, amusing or the like when watching them do this, but linking it with actual attractiveness and stuff related to that didn’t really compute for him.

He would hum slightly as he took hold of the handle of the pan he was working with before giving the other a brief glance again. ‘’You can help by telling me what do you like to eat pancakes with.’’ It wasn’t like he really needed a second set of hands for this, and having two people moving about would actually just be chaotic. No need to risk that they would bump into each other or get in the way of what the other was trying to do, right?

Pfft. The demon would shake his head with a light chuckle at the comment given. "Welp so much for trying to charm you," he would say seeming more amused than anything as he watched the other continue to cook

As for the answer he recieved, the demon would rub the back of his head. "I suppose sausage or eggs will do." Anything that could counter the sweetness that was called syrup. Regardless the other seemed to have the kitchen under control so after a while the demon would sigh inwardly as he backed away from the counter and moved over to the near by dining table. Pulling out the chair, he would sit down before reaching over to get his laptop that he had left resting there. Flipping it open he would turn it on and wait for it to load. Might as well do something useful while waiting.

He would snort. ''You're forgetting I'm immune to that.'' Well, maybe that wasn't the best word to use, but it was technically true? He pretty much never swallowed the hook when it came to these comments, and if he did, then it was likely with the intention to just joke about it.

''No sweet? Okay.'' Guess that would be some extra work, since he hadn't planned on getting any of that for himself, but that was fine. Hmmm. Maybe the eggs then. Sausage would take more time to get done, and he didn't want to spend forever just on breakfast. Time to grab a new pan and some eggs....as a matter of fact...''How many eggs would do?''

"Well then, I suppose I got my work cut for me," the demon would say, an easy smile painting its way across his lips before he was moving. To the questions regarding the pancakes, the demon would hum. "I do eat them with a bit of honey or syrup, but I've just found it easier to stomach them when I have a salt or plain food to cut on the sweetness. I guess it is like a balance." Could he live with just one. Sure? But he preferred the balance. Besides the egg or whatever protein wise kept said pancakes from going straight through him and two hours later he'd want to eat something else. Best to get full and stay full for a bit versus chance taking down the house.

That aside, the computer would boot up and after getting the correct password in and everything, the demon would move the cursor to the internet before pausing as he heard the question about the eggs. "Oh, two. Thanks."

''Perhaps.'' That depended on what the other wanted after all. Speaking of wanting things, he would make a slight frown and the explanation that came after. ''I think just the idea of that makes my taste buds want to commit suicide. I'd rather one or the other, not both at once.'' Well, there were some foods where that did work, sure...but for example just the idea of pancakes + sausage + syrup alone sounded nauseating to him. Wrong combo, honestly. Abort.

''Hmmm, alright.'' Two it was then. Well, for the time being, he would just set out to work on getting everything finished and ready. It would take a bit more time after all.

The demon would give a soft snort at that the comment given, but for the moment didn't add onto the matter of challenges as golden eyes gazed at the screen pulling up the internet for now, but doing no surfing as he heard the comment about food.

"Really? Having a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and even hash browns is not so uncommon. You can find it in restaurants. What makes the idea so horrible." It all went down the same way no? And it wasn't like he was asking to smash it all up to eat as some slop. Outside of that...well the syrup on eggs was pretty tasty even better with assuage, the sweet and salty quite pleasant to the demon, but maybe he was just weird like that.

Strange food preferences aside though, it seemed the other would go about cooking the egg and so the demon let him as he narrowed his eyes at the screen and for now just pulled up a bit of news. He didn't have anything else to say at the moment.

''.....it's called preferences. Though I think you missed my point. The stuff you named...none of it necessarily super sweet. I was referring more to having that stuff with syrup or the like. I don't know about you, but I don't think I could eat a sausage with some sweet-ass topping and enjoy it.'' Just bleh. Thousand times over. The tastes honestly did not mix well for him. That's like eating chilli with ice cream or something equally ridiculous sounding. Just no. Not for him. He could handle sweet egg in some ways, but he still did not really like it much.

Nevertheless, if the other wanted it that way, he had no issue there. As long as the food stayed away from him. He didn't want to sour his morning this early. Breakfast was supposed to be enjoyable, not a lot of effort to even get down. In any case, he would focus on finishing up all the cooking for the time being, since it didn't seem like he was getting disturbed at the moment. A while of fiddling about later, he would walk over to where the other was sitting to put a plate down next to him. It contained a stack of two pancakes, with the third floor being a layer of the eggs. (which look kind of like this CLICK He just did the smiley mouth with the syrup lol) ''Here.'' With that, he would also place down the bottle of syrup nearby (and the necessary utensils I suppose). Seeing as he had no idea how much the guy would want, he'd just let him pour for himself. Besides, he could make use of it too, once he got his own plate fixed. Which he would walk off to do unless he was stopped somehow.

"I get its preference, I was just curious as to why the idea seemed unpleasant to you is all. And no the items aren't sweet on their own, but I was kind of referring to a meal where the syrup was already there. In any case, I don't drench my stuff in it, but I do like the sweet and salt combo if syrup did touch the egg or sausage. It is not bad." But then again....he ate strange combos on a daily basis, so maybe liking such things was weirder than he thought. Ah well.

That aside, the demon would become silent as he waited for the other to get done with what he was doing, flipping through a few articles before clearing the screen back to the search bar just as the other sat down his food next to him. Moving the computer out of the way, the demon would look over at the meal and become still as he blinked down at it.

He saw the face alright, his own blank for a bit as he stared at it with his arms folded on the table and his body slightly leaned over to observe it. His ears were tilted forward and despite being human, he did mimic a cat quite well in that moment. Even his tail was curling a bit at the tip as it swished slightly. Now was he upset with this thing that could be considered childish. Absolutely....not!

The demon was still for a few seconds and then he snorted softly as a smirk came across his face. "Well aren't you being cute this morning?" the demon would say to Sharaku as he moved the plate before him. He would pick up the fork and carefully move the eggs off to the side for now as he waited for the other to come to table with his food before eating.

''Certain sweet and salty combos are acceptable, but some things just don't go together well for me. I like my meat better with its natural taste, thank you very much.'' He just wasn't very into certain items being made into what they normally weren't. Extra sweet meat didn't do it for him for example. Sausage was good just the way it was. No extra salt or sugar for him. Not in such an obvious way, at the very least. Besides, everyone had their special tastes. Maybe there was something he liked that the other would be ew on. Who knew?

''It was a perfect opportunity. What, too cute for you?'' He wasn't exactly aiming for cuteness, but guess it could be that too. He didn't mind much right now. In any case, he would come over with his own pancake tower a while later, holding an extra can in his hand as well. ''Want some whipping cream too?'' The other didn't mind the sweet, right?

"For the most part I am okay with some odd combos that most are like nope about. I guess the same can be said of sweet and salty stuff. Not everything works, but I seem to stomach some things better another. Maybe my stomach is broken," the demon would say with a light chuckle. Special tastes indeed, but he often wonder where special tastes ended and just plain weird began. Did it matter? Probably not and it would be a thing that would be off his mind some time later when presented with his food.

“Heh,” the demon would begin as he got the eggs safely off to the side. “Nah. I think it was just the little touch needed to brighten my day a bit more.” Even if it was childish sometimes the smallest of things could be the light or extra omph one needed to go forward in life. That aside, the demon would pause as the other came over with a can of whip cream in hand and asked his question. To this, he would shake his head. “No thank you. That is getting a bit too sweet for us.” He would say before smearing the smile over the edge of the pancakes it could reach. Once done, he would cut a piece off and eat it.

''Well, I wouldn't know.'', he would shrug lightly. He could technically stomach a lot of things. It was more often about not really liking the taste of it though. If he had no taste buds, it would certainly be way easier to eat a lot of stuff without any subsequent issues. Why would he eat something that he didn't enjoy however?

''How dark was it?'' Maybe a bit of an offhand comment, but he didn't really have anything better to say to that. Whatever goes, right? In any case...''Suit yourself then.'' More for himself? He certainly didn't mind the sweet, as shown by the fact that he would pour both the syrup and the cream over his pancake stack. Diabetes on a plate? Maybe, but it wasn't like he couldn't afford to do that.

"Ah the mystery that will not be solved," the demon would say with an amused glance at the other before focusing on his food. He would eat one chunk and then another seeming to work around the area where he had smeared the syrup for now. However, he would pause with a chunk of the pancake and the a bit of the egg folded onto the fork as he answered the question posed. "It was kind of overcast, but it is all better now," he respond back with an easy smile before plopping the food on the fork into his mouth.

As he was eating he would glance over at the other watching as he added the syrup and the whip cream on the pancake to which he would raise an eyebrow before speaking again. "A bit of a sweet tooth, huh?" he asked as he cut the last bit covered in syrup.

''Sometimes.'', he would shrug a bit as he stabbed the pancakes with a fork thoughtfully. He didn't always eat sweets too much, but they were a nice break here and there.

The demon would hum lightly at that one before becoming quiet for a bit as he reached over and got the syrup. He'd poor a small amount, in the average joe's eyes, before taking that amount and spreading it over the pancakes with his fork. Some of it dripped off onto the eggs, but the demon didn't seem to mind as he went back to slicing a piece of the pancake off along with a bit of the egg. For the moment, he would just pop the piece in his mouth not sure what to say now that the other conversations had effectively died off. Hmm...

Well, he didn't necessarily have anything interesting to say either. Besides, wasn't it awkward to try conversing with your mouth full most of the time? He had no problem being silent while they were in the middle of eating, in all honesty, so for the time being, he wouldn't really make an attempt at reviving the talk. The other could if he wanted to, but it was simply an option.

Then silence it was for the moment between the two males. The clink of utensils against the plates the only thing disturbing from now. That and the occasional jingle of a bell as Andromeda ate her own food in the kitchen. The demon had many things on his mind sure, but for the time being let them stay on the back burner as he simply enjoyed the meal and the company of the other. It was kind of nice to be honest.

Silence. Well, it didn't particularly bother him either way. He didn't need to talk to feel better or entertained, and he figured the conversation would come soon enough anyway, so there was no point in trying to force it early somehow. Whether this was nice or not was a question he didn't have much of an answer for though, as breakfast was just breakfast to him, and he didn't tend to see anything commendable about it generally speaking.

Silence would indeed be a thing for the pair as they ate their breakfast, the demon content enough with the situation and the peace between them. When they had finished eating, the demon would get up from his seat with the empty plate in hand. While it was true he was still not at 100% on the healing scale, surely he was allowed to help with clean up no? Or at least wash his own plate yes? Well, he would certainly find out as he made his way to the kitchen and if not stopped by the other, he would make it to the sink.

He would sit the plate in the sink before speaking. "Thanks for making breakfast and for tolerating me these last few days. I really appreciate it," he would tell the other before pausing to turn on the water. He would grab the scrubber and move to clean the dish as he thought for a moment about some passing thought before actually speaking again.

"Sharaku...if I were to ask, would be interesting in trying dating with me again?" An odd question, but one that was not exactly random.

Well, he could have protested it, but then again, the other didn’t seem like he was having too much trouble anymore. So he would leave it be unless he saw the guy struggling with something. There was no need to overdo it and be controlling, right? Besides, it’s not like he could keep the guy tied down forever anyway. ‘’It’s not a big deal.’’, he would shrug lightly. It’s not like he was breaking his back here, and it was mostly the same stuff he would be doing at home too either way.

As for the next question though….he would frown slightly, as he folded his arms down on the table. ‘’I..don’t have a clear answer for that. I feel like I’m not the type that should really be dating. I mean…I don’t mind spending time with you and going out or the like….but it feels as if we go and focus it mainly around the subject of dating again, this will go wrong…..’’ To be honest, dates were starting to make him uneasy at this point. It never went well when the other person had too many expectations in place and wanted things to head that certain way. He was cool with hanging out when he enjoyed someone’s company enough…but…

Even if the other didn't seem to be breaking his back, caring for another person was in itself a job that required a lot of energy, even more so when the first few days one didn't get much sleep due to said person waking ya up due to pain. He honestly didn't see the act as minor and had no clue how to repay the guy for all he did. If it wasn't for him, his natural healing ability probably would've worked double time and the week or so long process would've been stretched out to closer to the length it took a human to heal.

Gratefulness aside though, the other would have nothing to worry about the demon more or less handling the washing of the dish easily enough. He would finish the small task and put the dish in the dishwasher to dry a small smile on his face until his thoughts turned to more serious matters weighing on his Heart and mind.

To what he heard, the demon's eyebrows would furrow in thought before he spoke again. "Well...if I wanted to take this beyond just hanging out and going places...actually wanted more out of this relationship then how do I perform that step without asking you out?" The demon would drift to the entrance of the kitchen and look over at the other as he rested lightly against the edge of the wall for now, keeping most of his weight on his arm to avoid agitating his still healing side.

He had no real answer to that. And to be completely honest, it'd just be the same thing even if the guy avoided saying the word 'date' out loud. The name alone wasn't the issue there. If it could all just be solved by not mentioning it like ever, then it would be a fairly smooth ride quite easily, wouldn't it?

Perhaps a label wasn’t necessary...if they could agree on what is they wanted from each other was alright that is. Title or not, not knowing what one even had was an issue on its own and while Rika did ask what to call it, his question wasn’t really after a label to begin with. What he was after was more complicated than that...and apparently something he would need to figure out how to explain since the other was asking.

The demon was quiet for a moment as he looked down at the ground, his tail switching with thought as he tried to find the proper words for this. It wasn’t easy and more than likely he was about to land himself in a tornado of confusion, but they had to start somewhere right. Besides...maybe this would clear up some things from last night.

“What I mean is that I want a relationship that goes beyond just hanging out and being around you. I would like to feel comfortable being able to kiss you or even go beyond that into more intimate realms. Like…” the demon would pause as he tried to wrap his mind around explaining this and then sighing just continued on. “I like you, but deeper than a friend to the point where I do considered being a couple and doing things that couples do. As far as goal, I don’t even know if there is a proper one for this outside of getting into and maintaining a healthy relationship between you and I. One that isn’t hung up on various snags like before, you know?” Was that even going to work with helping the other understand what he meant? Looking back at the other with a derp face, the demon waited to find out.

Well…..it wasn’t like he didn’t even understand what the other was after. That wasn’t it. He knew that much. It was just a more theory-based understanding than one from personal experience. Nevertheless, he didn’t need this explained in detail. Not necessarily.

Still…’’I understand that. At least I think I do. Either way, that’s exactly where the problem lies though. I can theoretically do those things, but I don’t really feel some special motivation for it. You may be able to feel comfortable, but I probably won’t. Difference of basic interest, you know? I think that’s the main issue I’ve always had with people. I can tell they do these actions with a somewhat different intention than I would. And they obviously expect that to be given back in some form. When I can’t, it just makes me feel uneasy, and even something as simple sounding as cuddling can become more stressful than calm.’’, he would shake his head. ‘’I’m not sure how something like this really works. Even if someone claims that they’re fine with me the way I am…I honestly have to call bullshit anyway. They can pretend they’re ok all they want, but I’m not dumb enough to believe that they don’t still expect me to love them back the same somewhere deep down. If they could just not care, they wouldn’t want to ‘date’ me to begin with. Is the mental torture really worth it?’’, he would sigh. ‘’Say, how far are you really willing to go for this?’’