i'll be with you still

you are the angel that I couldn't kill

The dancer's sweet giggles easily rose above the cacophony of sound within the lively restaurant. Although such a soft sound, it still stood out over the large, imposing burly laugh of a middle-aged man somewhere at the back of the restaurant. Or the collective sound of voices within that room, or the clamour of clinking plates, sizzling food, waitresses and chefs emitting from the kitchen itself. To him it is all he is aware of. The natural glow to her features, the soft blonde appearance of her locks of hair. He could do little else but listen to the woman's explanation of this pain au chocolat that caused the hunter's brows to stitch together in an altogether confused expression. He swore he heard of that term somewhere. For a man who had once been forced to take the language in school, he remembered none of it. Save for the words that fell similarly to the english language. Yet even if he understood so very little, he could listen to her speak fluent french and be entirely fine. What was wrong with him? How could everything this fae woman do, be utterly adorable to him. He didn't find women adorable. Sure... maybe it was not always such. But it was as long as he could remember.. Life had shaped him to be and yet here was a petite fae describing a chocolate bread.. And he could listen to her attempting to explain things all damn day. Was that a fairy thing? How did she do that? Disarm him like that? He could rake his brain forever and find no answers. "I will need to try this pain au chocolate." How terrible it sounded from his own lips, the man practically brutalizing the language without inflection. If the woman had just said chocolate croissant he would have known, hell anyone would know what that was.

That conversation had then shifted to her hometown.. And her features seemed to shift. Ah he recognized it, that longing, that bittersweet nostalgia that haunted her eyes and the wistfulness to her tone. It was short lived and yet it was potent all the same. Adrien attempted to lighten the mood with his vision of her frollicing in the hillside with a flower crown upon her head. It had been a long time since he felt that pining for anything. He was content to chase away that worry that soon brought a grin to her feminine lips. Her admittance that she had made a flower crown or two before came as no surprise to him... he could imagine one perched betwixt her blonde locks... Maybe fairies were like the creatures of lore. Harmless... mischievous creatures. Was it all a rouse? To disarm him? Adrien was so accustomed to the dark side of the supernatural because that was all he saw.. Darkness in the other.. The savage creatures that did far more harm than good. The creatures he had to annihilate from this world in order to keep the innocents safe... well.. Safer than before. It was a futile endeavor but he could only imagine what it would be like without hunters.. Without men or women like him to keep the ever encroaching threats somewhat at bay. Yet even still Sacrosanct was basically a playground for nefarious monsters to run amuk... Yet somehow... it still managed to possess its charms. There was a reason why it attracted the monsters... just as much as it attracted its humans.

Audette seemed... curious by that reveal of his thoughts on the city, her head tilted slightly to the side. Had she not seen it? Experienced it? Had her only experiences within this city been limited to its darkness? He could only imagine what it could be for someone so sweet and gentle, so unlike him to be faced with something so brutal at times. He had seen it swallow up people whole.. It didn't matter if you were weak or strong.

Audi's eyes seemed to not stray at all from him as he spoke as if she was enthralled by his words. It coaxed a playful reply that nearly caught him off guard. Him! What would the vampires he hunted... think that he could be reduced by such a tiny glowing creature. She wanted him to show her? His lips just parted to respond, his attention wholly upon her.. Perhaps he could.. Would it be so wrong? She didn't feel wrong. The waitress all but snuck up on him along all of their ordered foods, clearly distracted and surprised at himself. He did not answer her yet how could he say no? The pair however were starving. There was so much to try, it could have been overwhelming if she was not in such good hands. Audette bravely dove into each dish fearlessly. It was impressive to see such a petite girl eat. Actually eat and not just nibble here and there. He ate his fair share and then some, living up to the stereotype of a man's stomach knowing no limits, his body needing the fuel for his strenuous workouts. The man was nothing but solid muscle beneath the clothes he wore. He was just as much the weapons as his powers.

Ah, finally the pair were down to the final dish. Adrien observed her, studying her features as she seemed to consider the flavour upon her tongue. Cuttlefish, for some reason he had managed to avoid. Perhaps he shouldn't have chosen a date to order it. She eyed it with a skeptical look that nearly made him laugh and the unimpressed look that grew the moment he commented on her fearlessness. Oh he broke, he couldn't help it. Laughter bloomed like a balloon in his chest and casually slipped out anyways. He held up his hands as if to ward off an attack. "Easy there, no need to show your claws just yet."

Fearlessly stole a bite sized portion with her fork, Adrien trying to leave that amusement at bay. At least until.... She hesitated and her petite nose wrinkled as her features shifted into one of distaste. Was it truly that bad? She admitted that it was terrible. Really? He hadn't tasted a thing he truly disliked here.. Was this the one dish that failed to impress? She had proven to be adventurous with her tastebuds already. Not turning her nose to any one thing. She looked adorable again, she had to stop that.. Even as she made a face that clearly said she despised it.

"Oh now.. I have to try it.." He took his fork, reaching to take a morsel for himself. Hmm. He brought it to his own lips and anticipated... something... far worse than he tasted. "Not bad... not the best either.." He admitted... It was a pity the final thing she tasted wasn't to her liking... and yet perhaps he had a plan. She had asked if she was to show the charms of the city... did she not?

"You asked me something earlier... and it got me thinking.. I have something I'd like to show you... and maybe something to help get that taste out of your mouth." He paused for her reply not really giving his plan away. "There is a catch. You have to trust me.." His shadowy purple eyes studied her, leaning forward so to rest his elbows upon the table, curious of her answer.

Once decided, he tracked down the waitress to pay, the pair slipped on their jackets once more to escape into the cool air once more."Your first experience of Tapas...what you think? Besides the cuttlefish. I'll remember you are not a fan.." He questioned as he maneuvered them through the eastside toward the perfect place to wipe her tastebuds clean. It was a brief pitstop to obtain a hot drink and some pastries.

"As promised.. " He reached out for the door, opening like only a gentleman would. Immediately they were met with a blast of warm air that carried the robust scent of coffee and sweet smelling treats. "Although... this isn't what I wanted to show you.. I thought dinner wouldn't be complete without something sweet. We will be taking our goods to go."

Adrien Westward