Boyfriend Banter[Nero/Violet]

Nero was over the moon. His entire life was on an upward trend after reconciling with his grandfather. He was told that he was loved, that he was accepted, and that filled him with elation. With all that foolish doubt - at least in retrospect - now in his rearview mirror, he felt like he could wholeheartedly embrace the aspects of himself he had cast away.

He hadn't forgotten that he was set to go out on a date with Kokuto. He was certainly aware of... the elephant in the room. He was a demon. By all accounts, he shouldn't even be entertaining the thought, but - and perhaps it was wishful thinking - Nero didn't exactly believe Kokuto embraced his nature half as much as those he considered enemies. And besides, they had a date. He couldn't chicken out now. He was attractive and charming, too. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself here, but he couldn't shake the chemistry between them from prior conversations. The only issue was...

"What does a tall man like that even enjoy eating?"

Such was the question cycling through his thoughts right now as he explored the grocery store, identifying and browsing through ingredients and items he could buy in preparation for the special day. Did he enjoy spaghetti? Or did he prefer something closer to what the Americans enjoyed based on his accent? Pizza? So many thoughts, so many decisions.

Violet was riding a high right now. She successfully got a job with Gracen Arms, went on her first date, and gained the most amazing boyfriend! She hadn’t stopped smiling since their relationship began. Of course, Violet’s insecurities began to rear their ugly head about a day ago, when she realized that she had been clinging to Vanyel to what was likely an unhealthy degree. The fact was, he was her boyfriend and her boss, at least she thought he was. She needed to clear that up sooner rather than later… ‘I’d sooner quit my job though…’ she thought, giggling.

Violet ended up at the grocery store, thinking about trying a new recipe that she found on the internet. She figured that she could surprise Vanyel with something delicious, and showing off her new-found cooking skills was not a bad idea either. Vanyel could finally see she was able to cook a good meal on her own.

"So, the recipe called for..." Violet turned a corner down an aisle, looking at a list in her hands without paying attention to where she was walking. She suddenly walked into someone. She didn't bump them too hard, but the absentmindedness was definitely rude. Looking up from her list, her cheeks turned red in embarrassment and she waved her hands rapidly. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I was reading m-..." Violet stopped when she saw the green haired... man...? woman? She wasn't sure.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" she asked, again like her mind had no filter. Realizing what just fell out of her mouth, Violet slapped her hand over her mouth. "I am so sorry. That was tactless and rude, I am so sorry. Oh my god, what is wrong with me?"

Nero blinked softly after the accidental bump with the blue-haired woman. He wasn't the least bit offended since these sorts of things happened in a grocery store. He was, however, somewhat taken aback by the question regarding his gender, though he hardly found it offensive. With the way he presented himself, which was leagues away from masculine, he supposed questions like those came with the territory. Chuckling warmly, he waved his hand to dismiss her worry.

"Don't worry. I get that a lot. You aren't the first person who asked me that. Nowadays, I think of it as a compliment."

Posing flamboyantly, something he never would've thought he'd embrace in public, he bowed with a smile as he looked at her grocery list out of curiosity.

"I'm Nero Arant. One of the members of the Steingruft, a sector in Albedochiffren. I take it you're going grocery shopping, too, hm?"

Violet nodded, the blush fading quickly, “It was still so rude, so thank you for being understandi-…” Seeing him pose, Violet blinked, and then full blown laughed. She joined in, mimicking his pose with a tad more confidence than she normally was. Her happiness was just giving her a boost these days. “My name’s Violet Gardner,” she said and held out a hand. “I work as an assistant for Gracen Arms, and yeah… I was going to try this new recipe I found… I want to make something special for my boyfriend.” Violet just seemed to glow when she said the word 'boyfriend.'

"So, what are you shopping for? Anything, or anyone specific?"

"Hahaha!"

Nero couldn't contain his laughter at seeing the woman mimic his movements. He didn't know her personally yet, but something told him that she felt like quite a joy to be around. Perhaps, this could be the start of a good friendship? He certainly hoped so, but he wasn't going to jump the gun just yet. When he heard her mention that she was looking for ingredients and evaluating a recipe for her boyfriend, Nero regarded her with a bright smile as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't call Kokuto his boyfriend yet, but he didn't mind at least imagining what that potential reality might look like. A soft blush crossed his features as he responded with a firm joy in his voice.

"I can't call him my boyfriend yet, but... I'm here today for the same reason. I'm looking for and finding ingredients for something special for my date. I... he's a nice guy. He enjoys teasing me a lot, but... I find that kind of charming about him."

Seeing that she brought he-… him some joy, Violet’s smile became quite vibrant. She clapped her hands together as he laughed, knowing that, for once, she wasn’t being laughed at, but laughed with. She was trying to be funny, after all.

“I see…” Violet said, taking a moment to think. “Is it your first date? Where are you going? I’m really curious! I went on my first date ever and it felt like… like…” Violet sighed, but then giggled when she figured out the words. “Honestly? A movie… Like something that would happen to a princess in a movie, not me… It was wonderful.”

"Yes, it is my first date. I... ahem... well.. I thought of having that d-date at my house..."

Nero admitted with a blush. He didn't know where he and Kokuto could go without getting any looks in public. He knew the City of Lights was rather receptive to arrancar, but he didn't quite know the pulse for demons, even if Kokuto was fighting for the Vandenreich's cause. Thus, the only solution he found suitable was to bring things to his household, preferably... without his mother or siblings.

He was still working on that one. Perhaps, he could ask... his grandfather? Ah, worth a shot... he supposed. In truth, he didn't know if it'd go as well as Violet's did, but hearing someone speak so fondly about it certainly brought a smile to his face.

"I'm glad yours went so well, though. It sounds like it was nice and romantic judging by your expressions."

With a cheerful giggle, Violet brought her hands together again, “Yes, it went very well! And at your house? That’s so sweet! Here…” Violet held out the recipe that she had brought to buy things for. The list held the ingredients for a “Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta” and “Homemade Garlic Bread.” There were quite a few things to get, and it wasn’t exactly a cheap meal either, but Violet was determined. “I have an idea... What if we both practiced this together before we show it off? We’ll buy double the ingredients just in case we mess it up, so we can try again.”

"Oh?"

Nero blinked softly as Violet handed him the recipe. Giving it a quick once-over, a confident smile flashed across his effeminate face. He was wholly familiar with a variety of pasta recipes. He was proud of his inherited heritage as an Arant, but no one could ever wash away the love and appreciation of Rome in his heart. When it came to his choice of food, that appreciation seemed to consistently shine through. Even better, he could offer other recipe ideas and make Violet's next experience with her boyfriend a good one! Ah, was this what it felt like to have a girlfriend? No. He wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. They were still in the acquaintance phase.

"Fortunately, for both of us, I have experience with dishes like these. I think this is a great idea! I can even show you other recipes I picked up along the way. I'm sure we'll make sure the respective males in our lives that we're trying to impress are very happy. Let's go shopping, shall we?"

Violet was elated when Nero agreed. She held a secret desire to try and make real friends around the city, and so she was taking a chance. Yumiko didn’t live here, so it was difficult to try and hang out with her, and Yushino… Well, she wasn’t sure the two of them would mix very well. Their views seemed to strongly branch.

“Come on,” Violet said and began walking down the aisle. “Let’s get what we need."

It took about an hour to go through the whole store and buy everything they needed. Violet made sure to keep her shopping cart separate because she wasn’t just buying for this meal, but for the next week. She had a lot more than Nero. While shopping, she tried to keep up normal conversation, asking about his interests, where he was from, and truly being excited to get to know Nero more.

After they left the store, however, is when Violet finally asked the question she was very interested in. “So, tell me about this guy that you’re going out with!”