“I don’t want it to be strictly professional either,” he whispered as his cheeks ignited red. “To be honest, that’s the whole reason I wanted you to work with me.sp I could be around you. It’s pretty pathetic, huh? Here I am, someone who could go after a supermodel, falls for some mechanic. Who the hell does that?”

Rubbing his face warily, he let his many eyes scan the other for a response. In a perfect world, he wanted Xavier to simply pick him up, say everything is fine and have a heated makeout session but that just wasn’t going to happen. Most likely, he decided, the human would grow uncomfortable and just leave.
 
The first part of the comments was everything he wanted to hear - Dante didn't want to have some conventional professional working relationship, which was definitely a huge boost for Xavier and put things right back on track. There was every reason to stick around if Dante wanted something more, and shared all the feelings Xavier had hoarded about him--

At least, everything seemed all perfect again until he continued to speak, which left Xavier's giddy smile dropping ridiculously quickly.

"...It's pathetic that you happen to like me and not a supermodel? That's... kinda rude, don't you think? I'm a mechanic, sure, but... I don't see why that's so... pathetic that you like me. It's... It's actually really snobby of you," he muttered, his happy tone disappearing along with his smile. "I don't think I'm pathetic. I like my work. It's fun and I'm kinda real good at it."
 
“I-I didn’t mean to call you pathetic! I... I’m sorry,” He stammered in response as he sat up a tad, immediately feeling guilt rise in his throat. “God, I just - I say that because the likeliness of a mechanic falling for a fashion designer and vice verse is unlikely. I mean, how many mechanics do you know that love fashion? It’s just n-not what you would think.”

Letting out an unsubtle groan in distress, he ran a hand through his bangs, his many eyes avoiding the other’s as he did so, his cheeks burning even brighter. “I didn’t mean for you rock take it that way, I promise.”
 
In any other circumstance, involving any other person, Xavier would be much less inclined to forgive them so quickly. In fact, he'd hold a grudge and refuse to accept the apology after being so badly offended and genuinely hurt at the situation in hand. However, Dante could have said a lot worse, with genuine venom, and be forgiven for it - it was a perk of being Xavier's latest -and most meaningful- crush.

"...It's fine, Dante! Jeez, it's just me being sensitive or whatever," he laughed beneath his breath, stepping forward with his hands raised in mock surrender. "Let's just... start over, right? I can work here, we can... continue getting to know one another, see where things lead."
 
His sour mood at least proved to uplift a tad from his body language, sitting up a bit in his office chair, though he held his frown cautiously.

“... are you sure?” He questioned slowly as he leaned back in his chair, his grey fingers fiddling with his button up absently. “I would really love to get to know you and I’m not saying you’d be a cute model just for the fun of it. I think you’ve got a beautiful body, Xavier. I’m surprised you haven’t already had someone on their knees, begging for your attention.”
 
"I'm normally the one doing the begging. I mean, I'm the one that's usually being dumped. My ex girlfriend dumped me, this guy I had a few dates with ended things going further. I sort of suck at romance and love, so you'll inevitably get bored of me at some point but... hey, I think you're too cute, so despite how awful I am at this, and how upset I'll be when you dump me at some point, I'll give it a go," he teased with a playful wink, wandering over to the window of the office to properly examine the superb view of the city in front of him. The view from Dante's apartment had been amazing, especially as it was nighttime, but seeing the city like this at day was equally as impressive.

"So, uh... don't you actually need to really see my body before you say it's great and stuff? I work out a lot, I have a good diet, so that's... sort of what models need to do, right? Keep in shape and stuff? I do that, so that's one thing I can tick off."
 
“Well, I was going to take your measurements until you came in acting like you wanted to quit,” he reminded as he began to rummage through his door, pulling out the proper tape for emphasis. “I need this if you plan on still working with us - with me. You know, seeing you... fully, is just an extra treat for me, I suppose.”

Hiding his flustered cheeks well as he rummaged for his tablet, that of which held all of the models’ dimensions. To be so unsubtly sexual was still a bit new but he knew he was getting better, at least. Getting to his feet, he motioned the other away from the window, closing the blinds for privacy.
 
"So, uh... do you want me to just take my shirt and pants off? I don't need to take my underwear off, do I? I don't know how this really works, obviously. Give me a car that needs its engine replaced, I can do it with my eyes closed. This is... mad," he laughed quietly, at least taking off his t-shirt, which he knew he'd have to do. The other elements he was unsure about, but removing his shirt was something he was comfortable enough doing without too much complaint or stalling.

"This is awkward, huh?" He murmured after a second, rubbing his arm with a faint grin. "I mean, do you at least... like what you... oh god, I can't flirt. Do I look alright? I mean, do I match the other models?"
 
Remaining quiet for a moment, he really took in the other, covering his mouth with his hand to hide a smile. He’d be lying if he said the other wasn’t gorgeous, much like all of the models. The difference was the fact that he had gotten to know Xavier rather than have a model flipped in front of him, given outfits and headed out.

“I don’t want to stroke your ego, but... you’re pretty perfect. I need to get your leg measurements too, you know,” he insisted, his brow wriggling under his bangs. “It’s fine, I would get touchy or anything. Besides, I’m curiously...?”
 
"...Right. I have really cheesy underwear on-- like, cartoon themed, so don't laugh, alright?" He quickly murmured, albeit with a wide grin. If it took showing his cheesy cartoon underpants to make up for the tension he'd earlier created, then he was glad to remove his stonewash jeans as quickly as he could. Besides, with the bashful reaction from the other, it was hard not to enjoy this moment - having someone gush over how you looked was a nice feeling, especially if it came from Dante.

Setting his jeans aside with a faint, bashful smile, he rubbed his arm again in awkwardness. "So, uh... is your curiosity settled now?"
 
“Definitely,” he admitted as he took a moment to fully soak the sight in. Dante was a man, with feelings and desires, but being a Momster stripped opportunities away... no pun intended. Carefully offering a smile, he shook the thoughts away before beginning his measurements.

“If it helps, I only have to do this once, unless you lose or gain a lot of weight suddenly,” he explained as he wrapped the soft measuring tape around the human’s hips, quickly putting the number in his tablet. “You’re a lot easier to work with, you know? Some of our models are twice my size, imagine me on a ladder, scared shitless of falling off, just to measure some shoulders.”
 
"Some monsters are pretty tall, huh? My ex was at least 8 inches taller than I was, so imagine me having to get on my tiptoes just to kiss her. It was ridiculous. You, on the other, are the perfect height-- not that I'm going to kiss you, I mean... Would I like to? Definitely, sure. I just-- sorry," he began in what was now a typically awkward babble, growing increasingly flustered by his own insinuations. He knew at this point that Dante liked him - he wasn't so naive that he didn't recognise the other's attraction to him. To have that in just a day of physically meeting him was amazing. He just wished he could be more cool and less... awkward.

"So, uh... I should probably get rid of the blue in my hair, right? They don't give a shit in the garage, though my Dad says it looks too 'girly' or whatever. I just-- if I'm gonna be seen by thousands of people and stuff, I sorta want to look good."
 
“Keep it, it looks good,” the designer reassured, his red cheeks being the only sign of him really listening to the other. “It’s colorful, I like that. You must know that a lot of clothing in my brand is black, so it’ll be a nice contrast. In fact, I encourage you to get a brighter blue. You know, I dyed my hair pink early on. It’s my favorite color,” he admitted.

Moving to measure the other’s head, he couldn’t help but offer a toothy smile, exposing his sharp teeth. Once putting the measurements in, he took a step back to properly enjoy the sight once more.
 
"...Can I put my clothes back on, or are you just gonna, like, keep staring at me? I don't mind that, to be honest. It's nice to have a positive reaction 'cos normally, I don't... get this. Mind you, I don't get into situations where I have to get unchanged in front of other people that often," he admitted as he scooped up his clothes and began to tug them back on once the measurements had all been recorded. Despite not necessarily striving to become a model, he couldn't help but admit just how exciting all of this was. If things did really take off, he could achieve a hell of a lot and do so with Dante as a friend-- possibly even something more if things went really good between them.
 
Wandering to the desk with the tablet, he seemed to work fast to type in the correct information. This wasn’t his first model, obviously, so the process didn’t take very long compared to his first model meeting. Before his company took off, he relied solely on Sarah - bar, cutting her face out upon request. Now he had hundreds of models, Xavier being one of them.

“Okay, so I’ve got your measurements, I’ll render them out on our program so we don’t have to randomly put fabric onto your body and hope in works,” he explained simply, his eyes only briefly glancing up from his tablet to offer a smile. “That is, unless you want me to. You came just in time for our summer line, so... yeah.”
 
"You know, there's no guarantee I'll be good at this-- and I want you to tell me if I'm shit, alright? Like, it won't ruin what we... might have, or whatever. You can tell me I'm awful and it won't... affect anything," he promised as he quietly smoothed the creases from his shirt, even if it was useless trying to make himself look presentable when the shirt itself was covered in petrol stains. Growing acutely aware of the mess, he smiled wider in an attempt to laugh it off.

"I... came from work, I kinda got messy, but it was too late to change," he began awkwardly, moving to lean on the wall again. "I make a horrible first impression, huh? To everyone out there, I mean. I'm a human and i dress like this. I'm hardly gonna make friends."
 
“Don’t worry, no one likes anyone anyway outside of me. That sounds arrogant, huh? I mean, I hope they like me, I’m their boss. God, that sounds so snarky,” he murmured, shaking his head in shame as he watched the other, taking in his outfit. One talent of Xavier was his ability to always look on the bright side when he could, so it was natural for him to do the same with the outfit.

“I dunno, you’re giving “rugged blue blood American”, to be honest. Again, not to sound full of myself but I probably could popularize the look if I incorporated it into a line. People sell paint-covered jeans all the time, to look ‘artsy’ and whatnot,” he explained, his sharp nailed fingers moving for emphasis. “I think you could look good in anything, though.”
 
His brow did arch at the brief boastful comments, but he didn't find them remotely off-putting. In fact, if anyone deserved to boast about themselves, he figured Dante was that very person. He'd built up a legitimate empire, gave monsters a chance to get somewhere in the world and his clothes were, undoubtedly, beautiful. Even Xavier, who wasn't that into fashion, would gladly wear Dante's clothes-- and that wasn't just because he fancied him.

"Hey, don't apologise. You deserve to boast and stuff. If I had the career you have, I'd shout it from the rooftops," he pointed out after adjusting his shirt once more, incredibly self-conscious by his appearance. Being in an office building full of monsters, from what he could tell, he didn't like standing out like this. Fading into the background was a much more comfortable reality for him.
 
“Thanks,” he replied quietly, unable to not smile at the others agreement. Dante had his insecurities, naturally, especially with the fact that he was in charge of a company that relied on other people’s responses. To hear he wasn’t being a jerk for boasting calmed his nerves significantly.

“Seriously, I’m just afraid to sound full of myself. You... don’t need to suck up to me, you know. Just like you want genuine criticism on your looks, I want it on how I act,” he explained before getting to his feet, picking up the other’s coffee. “It’s cold now, I could microwave it? I have a ton of that sort of thing in the closet. I mean, I practically live here.”
 
"Thing is, I don't really like coffee. It tastes disgusting and it makes me all hyper. I prefer tea, you know? Or just some soda-- Pepsi, preferably," he began casually, taking a seat just to fully absorb how nice everything in this office was. He knew Dante was successfully and, as a result, very wealthy, but it was still a shock to see just how nice his work surroundings were. Compared to the garage he worked at, this was ridiculously grand.

Before he had a chance to really vocalise his amazement, the door flung open to reveal a flustered -but nonetheless energetic- monster. With her arms full of files and papers, she flung them down on Dante's desk with an exhausted sigh, fanning herself to try and remove the heated blush across her face. Like most monsters these days, she was an amalgamation of various species: her mother was a naga, explaining her slightly scaled skin and tail in place of legs, and her father himself had been a splice of various things. Not that Grace remotely cared about her appearance and characterising herself as a single species - she didn't fit into one single box, and she was proud of that uniqueness.

"I... I had the figures back from Milan about stocking your new line," she began as she hurriedly attempted to catch her breath, her three eyes focused down on the remaining file in her hand-- at least until spotting the human. "Ah, Sara said you had company, I just sorta ignored her 'cos she still owes me, like, a coffee and she's refusing to buy me it-- anyway! He's cute, Dante."

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