Title: Sweet Dates and Tender Moments
Pairings: Axel/Lynus, Fafnir/Flavio
Prompt: Tumblr Anon - How about a cute date at Regina's restirant/cafe with a Cease The Suffering pairing of your choice?
AN: Just a quick interlude before returning to the main plotline :3
The restaurant was starting to become more popular with the locals and explorers of High Lagaard, thankfully. It wasn't easy to get passed the lower wards' suspicions that the restaurant had something to do with the reduced funding to the hospital, but with the Guardian Guild's help, they had managed to prove to them that they were just a simple restaurant trying to get by.
It was late afternoon, early evening, but customers were steadily streaming in. Regina wasn't run off her feet or anything like that, but she was constantly busy in the kitchen. A busy chef is better than an idle chef. That was what Regina believed, anyway.
While the library guild relaxed in the background, coming to Regina's aid should she ever need it, Flavio couldn't help but get more involved. Could help but help out, as they say. Checking on the patrons, taking their orders, taking their empty dishes, informing Regina what they had ordered. Bertrand and Regina had both joked once that maybe he should hang up his explorer's badge and become a waiter.
Never going to happen. But Flavio wasn't going to sit idly by when he could be doing something helpful and constructive. Doing absolutely nothing was something he just couldn't do.
As he moved from the kitchen after returning some dirty dishes to be washed, Flavio heard the little bell positioned above the door to alert for customers chime softly. He automatically turned to look, ready to greet whoever was there with a polite smile when he paused for a moment. However, a genuine smile soon appeared on his lips when he recognised the two potential customers.
"Lynus, Axel, welcome," he greeted and quickly made his way over to them.
With his orange hair out of his usual ponytail and around his shoulders, Lynus looked somewhat different than Flavio was used to. He was also wearing a woollen cardigan that appeared a size too big for him over a simple t-shirt and comfortable pants. Always next to him, Axel wore something similar but had on a jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his powerful forearms. They both appeared comfortable and relaxed, which was rare for the two these days, being members of a heavily relied on guild.
Fidgeting with his sleeves of his cardigan, Lynus smiled. "Hello, Flavio."
With one hand gently touching Lynus' back, Axel gave Flavio a curt wave with the other. "Hey."
"Hm? You look slightly different without your medical coat and with your hair out," Flavio couldn't help but comment to Lynus, earning himself a soft laugh from the tangerine head.
"To be honest, I feel slightly awkward," he said as he reached up with his hand to touch a strand of his hair before curling it absentmindedly behind his ear.
Flavio smiled at him before tilting his head to the side in curiosity. "Are you guys passing by?"
"Actually, no," Axel answered. "We're looking for a table for two."
"Ah, you're dining in?" Oh, good! No one from the Guardian Guild had been able to find the time for a dine-in at any restaurant or café.
"If you're not too busy," Lynus said politely as he folded his hands in front of him, clasping them together in an almost fidgeting manner.
Axel rolled his eyes, but there was an expression of fondness and tenderness on his face nonetheless. Funnily enough, it was an expression that Flavio had seen Fafnir wear a few times.
"Even if they were, we're still eating here," Axel said as his hand slid around Lynus' back to rest on his shoulder, subtly pulling him closer toward him. "Because somebody neglected their own health and passed out while at work this morning."
"W-what?!" Flavio immediately spluttered and turned his full attention toward the medic.
"I didn't pass out," Lynus adamantly insisted with a light flush to his cheeks. "I just had a vertigo spell, that's all."
"What kind of vertigo spell? Did you black out?" Oh, sure, Flavio himself had experienced the two on separate occasions himself, but he was allowed to worry about others, ok?
"I'm fine, really," Lynus said as he raised his hands in a pacifying and calming manner. "Don't worry. I've been resting all day."
Lynus then tilted his head back slightly to glance up at Axel, an expression that could only be described as pure fondness on his face. "Axel wouldn't let me do anything else."
Axel spend a moment gazing back down at Lynus, a small smile on his lips as he curled his arm around Lynus' shoulders tighter, pulling him closer. Lynus made a soft sound, almost like a laugh as he pressed himself against Axel's side, his hand moving up to rest against his chest.
They looked…
"I'm pretty sure you can imagine the fuss he's been receiving," Axel said as he abruptly turned his attention back to Flavio, Lynus resting comfortably against his side. "I'm actually hoping to get him away from that for a little bit, while also making sure Lynus here gets something wholesome to eat. And somewhere peaceful, too. I'm not in the mood to get into a bar fight tonight."
Flavio had to laugh. He had heard many a tale of Axel ending bar-fights. He had even witnessed the redhead shutting one down mere seconds after it started by yelling for the brawlers to 'sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up'. It was actually quite funny watching the brawlers scurry away to do as they were told.
"You've come to the right place then. There have been no punch ups yet. You never know, though." Flavio turned and motioned for the two to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you to your seats."
"Ah, thank you," Lynus said as he momentarily moved away from Axel only to take his hand in his and tug him along beside him. "Busy evening?"
"Steady, but quiet," Flavio answered as he glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Lynus' and Axel's hands were still clutching each other's tightly, their fingers interlocked. He also noticed that while Lynus had his attention upon him, Axel had his attention elsewhere. It wasn't until he made a quick salute type greeting did Flavio realise that Fafnir, too, had noticed their presence.
He didn't wander over, though, instead seemingly content to rest against the bar area of the restaurant with a drink and talk with Bertrand.
Deciding not to think any more on it, Flavio led Lynus and Axel to a quiet corner of the restaurant, to a small square table consisting of two chairs. It was quite an intimate corner, really, with the window toward the entrance of the labyrinth and the low illumination of the candles. As he opened the window a crack to let in some fresh air, he watched as Axel pulled out a seat for Lynus to sit down before grabbing the other chair and pulling it around so they were sitting side by side rather than face to face with a table between them.
Flavio felt a slight twinge of envy. They were so…Ugh, adorable.
Once Axel and Lynus had settled themselves into their seats, Flavio return to his usual caretaker mode. "Now, what can I get the two of you?"
Lynus turned to look up at him with a slightly apologetic expression on his face. "Sorry, this is our first time here, so we don't know the menu."
"I could recommend a few things," Flavio replied with an understanding look. "Any style in particular?"
"Anything light for me would be fine," Lynus answered after a moment of thought before he winced slightly, his hand slipping from the table to seemingly touch his stomach. "I honestly don't think I can handle anything too heavy at the moment."
Axel immediately looked over at Lynus in concern and made a dismissive motion with his hand. "Don't worry about me," he said.
Lynus, of course, snapped his head up and turned to the redhead, a slight frown on his lips. "No, you've got to eat too. I won't eat if you don't."
"Fine, fine," Axel said in a pacifying manner before he turned his attention to Flavio. "Don't go to any great lengths for me. Anything with venison will do."
Lynus sighed softly and shook his head slightly, almost in exasperation, before he, too, turned to regard Flavio. "He's a meat man," he said with a smile. "So if you could get him something with a lot of meat, that would be great. Don't worry about the cost."
Ah, a meat lover, huh? Chloe should be able to recommend the perfect dish, then.
"Ok. I'll be back in a few minutes," Flavio promised before he turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen.
Flavio spent a few minutes speaking with Regina and the others about what to serve and after a bit of back and forth, decided on two meals that weren't, er, unique to look at. Something simple, but delicious nonetheless.
As per usual, it didn't take Regina long to cook up the two different meals, balancing the process so that the two would be ready to be delivered at the same time.
Placing the two dishes upon a serving tray, Flavio made his way back into the open area of the restaurant.
In his absence, he noticed that Axel and Lynus had somehow moved closer to each other, if that was even possible. Axel had one arm leaning against the table as the other rested on the back of Lynus' chair. Lynus had his folded arms atop of the table, but he was leaning forward slightly in his seat, in Axel's direction. Axel then said something to bring a bright smile to Lynus' face and they both leaned forward and…rested their foreheads together.
They looked so, ah, cosy that Flavio was reluctant to interrupt them, but he also didn't want their food to get cold. So he swallowed back his envy and approached the two.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Flavio said as he placed the plates down upon the table in front of them, mildly noting that Lynus and Axel didn't immediately spring apart like a couple of teenagers who had just been caught doing something romantic. They just pulled away from each other and leaned back into their seats, completely unconcerned that Flavio had interrupted them.
To have that kind of confidence and affection…
Flavio shook his head slightly and returned his focus to the task at hand. "Here, Forest Deer Sukiyaki for Axel and Boar Tonjiru for Lynus."
In all honesty, Flavio was thinking of something a little lighter for Lynus, something that didn't have meat products, but Fafnir insisted that this dish would be fine.
Lynus glanced down at his plate before idly glancing over at Axel's, a force of habit that all caretakers picked up. The need to ensure that others had adequate food and they had enough was something Flavio understood all too well. How could one enjoy their own meal if the other didn't have enough?
"Good, you've got vegetables, too," Lynus commented idly, more to himself though.
Axel arched an eyebrow at him. "I've been domesticated. I eat my vegetables," he said before he gave Lynus a pointed look. "You're the one who needs to eat more meat. Think of your iron levels."
A wry smile appeared on Lynus' lips as he peered at Axel from the corner of his eye and reached for a napkin. "I can do without your Dr Stiles impression, thank you."
Hm? Dr Stiles? Wasn't that…?
Axel smirked and tilted his head in Flavio's direction. "Head doctor at the hospital. Adores the shit out of him, so is always fussing over him," he explained before suddenly reaching forward with his hand and placing it atop of Lynus'. "Not that you can blame him."
Lynus glanced down at their joined hands before looking up and directly at Axel. The gentleness, the softness in his eyes…
"I'll leave you two in peace," Flavio managed to utter without stuttering. "Shout if you need anything else."
Lynus gave him a grateful smile. "We'll be fine, thank you."
Flavio returned the smile before he quickly turned on his heel again and walked away.
As Flavio placed the serving tray onto the bar of the restaurant, Fafnir unexpectedly snared him by the elbow and pulled him toward him, practically pressing him against his side. "Don't go fussing," he said sternly to him.
Flavio gave him a slightly indignant look. "I'm not fussing," he insisted and slid himself upon the chair pulled up close next to Fafnir.
Fafnir gave him an annoyingly sceptical look before motioning with a tilt of his head in the direction behind him. "Look, they're fine. Almost looks like they're on a date."
Flavio was somewhat amused to realise that he wasn't the only one who thought so and turned to look anyway. "…It does, doesn't it?" he muttered, unable to help but feel a little wistful.
He wasn't necessarily feeling jealous. Maybe a bit pensive? Honestly, how could he not? How could anyone who looked at Axel and Lynus when they were together and not feel a sense of envy? They were sharing their food. Feeding each other. Talking softly, pausing every now again to either take a bite to eat or to simply look at each other.
They were so comfortable around each other. So much in love. They didn't seem to have a care in the world. Not when they were together. It was like there was literally no one else in the restaurant but them.
Flavio abruptly turned his gaze away from them, feeling his cheeks heat up when it appeared as if the two were leaning in for a kiss.
Fafnir suddenly nudged him, causing him to turn toward him with a curious look. "You all right?" he unexpectedly asked.
Flavio gave him a shaky smile. "Ah, maybe I'm a little bit envious," he confessed softly, inwardly grateful that it was just him and Fafnir sitting at the bar together.
"About?" Fafnir prodded for him to continue.
Flavio risked a glance over his shoulder to witness Axel curling a strand of Lynus' hair behind his ear, his touch all too tender. "…They're very sweet together," he murmured. "I guess I, well, would like to experience something like that, too."
He finished that last part quickly, slightly mortified at his boldness to actually say it aloud.
Fafnir was silent for a moment, as if trying to process what he had heard. "Why don't you?" he surprisingly asked.
"W-wha?" Flavio spluttered as he spun around to face him, no doubt that his cheeks were a deep red from embarrassment. "As if I could! Not when…"
Unbothered by his reaction, Fafnir leaned against the bar and tapped his fingers in a contemplative way. "I suppose it would be awkward in our own restaurant, wouldn't it? Maybe we could try another one."
Flavio openly stared at him, his mouth dropping open slightly as the words slowly rattled through his head. "W-we?"
Fafnir said nothing, instead reaching out with his hand to gently touch Flavio's, his fingers brushing over the back of his hand before moving to cover it completely with his own. Flavio's reaction was immediately and instinctive; he opened his fingers slightly, allowing for Fafnir to slip his own fingers between his, interlocking their hands tightly together.
Abruptly looking away out of pure embarrassment, Flavio could feel himself blushing up a storm and his heart was beating rapidly in his chest, and yet…he felt a sense of comfort wash over him. Maybe it was relief? Whatever it was, it made him instantly feel more peaceful. So much so that Flavio leaned to the side and rested his head against Fafnir's shoulder, Fafnir responding by resting his head atop of his, sitting in such a way that they were blocking out the rest of the restaurant.
It didn't matter who saw them, right? It was none of their business what they were doing. Besides, everyone else was lost in their own littler worlds.
Let them have their own tender moment.
