Flawed By Design

Letting out a bashful laugh, he ran a hand through his hair to expose a few eyes in the meantime, completely ignoring them as he shyly looked away. For a 26-year-old millionaire to be growing flustered like a middle school girl in front of a man he hadn't said a single word to before was a pretty sad sight to see, to say the least.

"Xavier... that's a nice name," he admitted as he offered a hand, a meek smile on his face. "I mean, I have to agree, you're much cuter face-to-face. Granted, I was expecting you to be shorter... ah, not that there's anything wrong with you being tall! God, I'm sorry, really, ah..."

Clear panic could be seen on the designer's face in horror at his poor words. All of his interviews had been through emails or through calls, he had never experienced talking to someone he had a crush on before face-to-face, especially if he couldn't even do that when involving his own business. Shoving his free hand into the pocket of his coat, his cloven hooves tapped at the concrete sidewalk nervously.

"... I guess I never imagined you to be so... human? I was sort of expecting you to be a closeted monster or something so it's a little strange," he admitted, daring to cup Xavier's face curiously just to confirm. "I mean, I-I... I think it makes it harder for me to really fully take in being called cute by you."
 
"Well, uh-- I'm 100% human, so-- hey, is it that surprising that I like you? You're inspirational and I love your clothes and you're definitely attractive. I don't think it's so shocking that I like you. Besides, all my relationships have been with monsters. My last fling was with a half-tentacled girl, so... Hey, it's my thing. I like what I like, I guess," he shrugged, blinking a little a the fact the other grabbed his face (albeit gently) like that. He was happy to shake his hand because that's all he assumed he'd be getting. To have this sort of proximity was surprising, but also well appreciated.

"So... sorry about barging into you and almost smashing your phone," he continued with another wide smile. "I would ask you to come and have a drink, but you said you're not into that, huh?"
 
"Ah, no... I'm not very good at holding a drink, not to mention I've got some bad history with the bar down the street," he admitted with a nervous laugh, going as far as to rub the back of his neck shyly and give a quick glance behind him. If he were to get drunk, he would much prefer to just sit in front of the fireplace with a beer and watch people on the streets below his apartment. "Look, I shouldn't be holding you up, yeah? Go and enjoy your night, no reason to stop everything for me."

Offering another nervous laugh, he returned his hand to the pocket of his coat before offering to step aside, both allowing some drunk humans to pass and so he wasn't blocking.Xavier either.

"It's alright, people would probably be happy that I broke my phone - they wouldn't have to see me take picture of birds or other useless shit, yeah? Though I guess I wouldn't be able to talk to you..." he whispered, his attempt at flirting being pathetic once Face-to-Face with the other. "Look, I shouldn't hold you up. I'm sure your friends miss you..."
 
"I mean-- Nah, they won't miss me that much. They're probably having too much fun to realise I'm not there. That's what they're like," responded the human casually, waving it off with little worry. He could just end the conversation there and let the monster get on with his night, but he didn't really want the chance encounter to end this early on-- and there had to be a reason the other was stalling, didn't there?

"You know, that might not be your thing, but there's a cute place I go to sometimes that do the best hot chocolate-- and from your Instagram, I know you like chocolate cake, so... we could go talk some more if you'd like? Totally my treat," he smiled, nodding for emphasis. Admittedly, he was definitely concerned that he didn't have enough in his wallet to pay, and it would definitely be a close call, but he wasn't going to admit his financial difficulties to the monster.
 
"... I mean, that sounds lovely. Are you sure, though? I don't want your friends to curse at me because you missed a fun night out for me," he cautioned, though he couldn't help but have his smile grow larger on his lips. Glancing over at the street, and the increasing rain, he tried to calm his growing smile by pursing his lips. It failed, of course, especially after his brief decision.

"Sure, yeah! Yeah, I think that would be nice," he admitted before offering his umbrella fo the other. "You don't need to pay, though. I mean, I've got a hole burning in my pocket, Xavier, I think I'll be fine."
 
While he wished he could be in a position to disagree and confidently convince him that he would pay, he really didn't want to go through the embarrassment of not having enough money when they got to the dessert place. His family were far from rich, but he hadn't helped himself by going a little crazy and buying so many clothes in the effort to grab Dante's attention.

Though, given the compliment he received from him during their conversations online, it was well worth financially crippling himself. A few extra shifts at the garage, and maybe a second job, would soon rectify it, at least.

"Right, if you're sure-- I'd rather spend my time with you than my friends, trust me. When else am I going to get a chance to hang out with someone like you? It's sort of a once in a lifetime thing, I'm not giving it up," he confirmed as he began to walk in the opposite direction to the bar he'd initially been headed towards.
 
"I can't believe I'm doing this," he admitted with a giggle, his hooves making hard clacks on the sidewalk as he moved close to the other. They were in a rather popular part of the city, sure, but there was always a chance to suddenly be jumped - he had gotten his bag stolen not that long ago, that of which contained hundreds of dollars.

"I mean, I'm not a very, Ah... social person, I guess. I mean, I go to the cafe pretty often but I never pictured being out this late. It isn't very glamorous but I either eat fast food or don't eat at all. Maybe you can help my shitty eating habits," he laughed, keeping his eyes from avoiding the other. "Assuming you would want to do this again, I mean."
 
"I'd love to do this again, why wouldn't I? And not just because I'm a fan. Mostly because I think you're cute and hanging out with a cue guy is definitely something worth doing again. I don't get the chance to really hang out with people I find... attractive. Like I said, my type -at least this far into my life- isn't other humans, so it's pretty hard getting monsters to believe me when I tell 'em I fancy them, you know?" He murmured, deciding a good dose of sincerity would help the cause. After all, the ideal situation was to really start something with Dante, and if he was up for another meeting or two, he was definitely on the right track.

Though it'd help if Dante realised that he genuinely found him attractive.

"So, uh... I thought it was really brave of you to post your picture like you did. I'm sure it'll be fine, you know. Humans can be jerks, but there are good ones who won't freak out about it. I thought it was great."
 
"Sara did the math and 89% of the replies are negative. I've gotten death threats, called garbage... I mean, people are burning the clothes they've gotten from me and boycotting the company. The first day I came out, people swarmed around the building with signs and shit - my guards had to beat them up, which doesn't look very good for me either. I regret it, to be honest. I only did it because Sara said it would be good for the people who liked me, you know? I should have just refused to post a picture and everything would still be normal."

Rubbing his face wearily, he dared to link arms together the later it became and the harder it rained. To be close to someone was incredibly relaxing, especially for someone so starved for affection. He only really relaxed once inside the homey cafe, the warm fireplace and brick wall interior was just the scene for him, despite his rather fancy attire. Smiling eagerly at the waiter, he happily shimmied out of his fur coat once sitting down at the cute booth.

"This isn't a club but I hope it's alright..." he whispered as he neatly adjusted the silverware before picking up the small menu, the aesthetic making his cheeks grow rosy.
 
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"...If it helps, I'd buy your clothes regardless. I like your designs! They're just... pricey-- for me, anyway. I can't afford a lot. I'm a mechanic, it's... not the best paid job in the world," he smiled quietly, sinking into the comfortable booth and, with its homey, warm aesthetic, found himself smiling wider. He could fit in seamlessly into the club environment, be as outgoing as any of the men and women there, but equally, he loved this sort of cosy environment too.

Especially if he got to share it with someone like Dante.

"So, who's Sara? A friend?" He began, despite knowing just who the woman was. He'd done his research, after all, but it felt weird if he admitted to knowing her. If he had to pretend to be oblivious, so be it.
 
"Only friend, really. I mean, I have plenty of acquaintances but I only really have one solid friend - he's my assistant, too, but that isn't her most important role," he explained with a smile, his long nails tapping the table absently. Taking the other in and fully assessing him visually, Dante's smile grew.

"I mean, you could probably do well as a model. I don't use human models too often but I suppose I can change, right?" He suggested slowly. "I mean, you're very handsome, Xavier. You've got a fine body, and I'm obviously not just saying that because I like you."
 
Having been quietly observing the menu, trying to decide whether he fancied ice cream this late at night, or if waffles with some chocolate sauce was a better option, he legitimately jolted his head up in shock. He had genuinely perused the idea of modelling for the last week after becoming obsessed with Dante, thinking it was a potential avenue to get close to him, but he'd always fluttered with the idea, never really settling on it. It required him to actually be confident with how he looked, and while he wasn't deeply insecure, he wasn't someone to boast about himself either. He considered himself average - and average-looking guys were never going to be models.

"I'm pretty sure I don't fit the bill. Like, modelling is hard, right?" The young man shrugged, setting his menu down with a small smile. "Besides, you should stick with using monsters."
 
"Modeling isn't hard if you get an agent and, with a recommendation from me, I'm sure you could get one," he reassured, his own expression that of eagerness as he adjusted his weight in the seat. "I mean, it's up to you, obviously. I just thought it would be an easy way to see you, you know? Not to mention you would be getting free clothes from me. I dunno, I guess it was a stupid idea..."

Despite his over dramatic sigh of defeat, he watched the human with the same smirk, expecting nothing other than Xavier saying yes. It was a perfect opportunity, after all. Win-win.
 
Modelling really wasn't something he thought he'd be comfortable doing, being judged on his looks and expected to look good enough to sell whatever clothes he was dressed in. He had contemplated the idea, but even then it was just to be close to Dante-- and he already had this bond going with him. He could quite easily turn the idea down and ask for his phone number.

But that was limiting the amount of time spent with him. If he accepted the idea of working as a model, he'd earn a lot more time with Dante, and he was willing to do anything to get that.

"...Right. Sure, then. I can do that. It beats being a mechanic. You know how much I have in my bank right now? About $25. That's it. Not that I'm accepting this chance purely for the cash. If it paid ridiculously low amounts, I'd accept it 'cos I like you and I suppose I want to be around you as much as I can-- god, now who's the cheesy one~?"
 
"Well, I'll make sure that your pockets are properly lined. To be honest, you don't look like the type who would be a mechanic, to be honest. A mechanic is such a tough job, you look so... soft," he admitted, biting his lip immediately in horror at his words. He was so on edge in hopes to make everything go smoothly that even the slightest mistake could ruin everything, at least, in his mind.

"I mean, you've got a nice body but I just feel like you don't look like the type to do super strong stuff. I- I just... I'm sorry," he giggled, his perfectly shaped brows furrowing in horror under his bangs. "Look, I'm just happy that you'll do this with me. I promise I'll be a good employee, okay? You don't even need to do anything outrageous if you don't want to."
 
"I only got into it 'cos my Dad owns the place. That, and the fact I failed all my exams, meant I didn't have any real choice in the matter. He's going to be so pissed off when I get home and announce that, hey, I'm not doing that anymore. He'll probably go nuts," he smiled, finding the idea more amusing than anything else. He loved both his parents dearly, but he wasn't particularly close to them. Not after the whole debacle when he was a kid, having them scream at him because he happened to fancy the monster across the road. After that, he deliberately chose not to get as close to them as a son ought to be.

"And if it helps, I go to the gym three times a week-- I lift up pretty heavy things all the time. But... hey, if I look gentle and stuff, that's cool," he admitted, leaning back happily once ordering what he wanted. "I still think you're mad to offer me this chance, but I'm not going back on it-- it's sort of a huge opportunity and-- hey, I get to spend time with someone like you, which is pretty rad. You seriously think I'm cute, then? That wasn't just some polite comment?"
 
"No, that's why I was so disappointed that you got rid of your profile icon," he admitted, a finger twirling a lock of hair. "I think you're a beautiful man, I don't want you to think otherwise. You know... I would love to see you try and lift me," he offered with a cheeky smile only to snort in disbelief at his own words. "I mean, I'm pretty bottom heavy so it might be heavy. It would be nice for a strong man to lift me up, though~"

Smiling up at the waiter when he set the pot of hot tea and happily poured himself the cup. Nothing went better with thick chocolate cake than some warm tea, especially with the chilly rain.
 
"Why, because you're half-centaur or whatever? Please, you'll be light as a feather. Like I said, one of my exes was half-orc. She was about 6'7" and I managed to lift her up once. She told me not to bother again when I dropped her, but still, I managed it. She used to work in here actually, so I had to stop coming in when we split up, but she's gone now-- thank god. I missed the waffles, they're insanely good," he babbled, reaching eagerly for the small dish of chocolate sauce to pour plentifully over the steaming waffles, humming contently without even having tasted them yet.

"She was the one relationship I really had. The others were all flings and casual stuff. My parents found out when I was a kid I had a thing for monsters, went nuts at me-- it's hard dating people I like when we're both scared of how people would react. It's a bummer, really. I... guess it's way harder on you guys than it is for humans like me, though."
 
"Ah, she must have been a pretty important person to you, then," he whispered as he took a slice through his cake, his smile fading just a tad. "It's nice to care about someone that much, I guess. I've never been in a relationship before, so I've never had to put that much effort into that sort of thing. Maybe it's for the better, yeah?"

Taking a bite of cake, his eyes drifted to the fireplace as he shamefully frowned. Talking about your ex was a major turnoff, it only made him realize just how lonely he was.
 
"Care for her-- God, no. She called me a creep. I kinda hate her. Besides, the most I spent trying to impress her was $20. I... literally bought a whole new wardrobe to get your attention online. I thought that if I stood out, you'd pause and respond to me. Couldn't do that wearing any old shit, right? So I drained my bank account-- I did manage to buy some cheap knock-off of that denim jacket you brought out last Summer. It's obviously nothing like I imagine the original, but it's all I could get," he continued, oblivious to the fact he'd somewhat ruined the mood-- though the gushing and open admissions to how much he liked Dante were natural anyway.

"I put a lot of effort in. I liked your clothes anyway, and then you turned out to be this amazingly cute guy, so I thought I should at least put some effort in. And it kinda worked, so it's totally worth it."
 
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