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The past few months had been incredibly busy. His double workload between streaming and backhand dealing kept him moving, but unfortunately that was bad when he was busy dating. Free time, once he had it, was hard to use if he hadn't communicated with any suitors. So he tried, really he did. He texted back as soon as he could, sometimes instantly out of guilt. He sent photos of his pokemon when able. He collected things to share with Raphael when he visited. [break][break]

Or like now, moving heaven and earth in his planner to make this date. Dinner had been good with conversation flowing with ease and the pair sharing a dessert ( Mint had eaten one too many appetizers to polish it all off on his own). Then, much like their first meeting, Raph had walked him home again, minus the cut in at the alley. Though, he supposed there's always a chance for that to come up again. [break][break]

For now he enjoyed the man's company, tugging him closer for a photo together which he was busy sending back to Raph before they spoke up. "Yeah? What is it?" he asked as he sent the text off. Quietly, while he hoped Raphael was distracted, he used it to change his contact info of the guy, having snuck a photo of him leaving bed and used it instead.

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He sets his phone down, distracted as Raphael leaned in towards him. At the same time, under the few lights of the streetlamps and the skies above, a large white moth appeared. It elegantly flapped, floating in place as the couple gazed upon her. She cooled the immediate vicinity, little ice crystals faking off her wings. "You caught a Frosmoth?" he asked, voice pitching high as he tried not to shriek. Frosmoth were one of the cuter ice types once could hope to find. OR well, beautiful. But cute and fluffy as well. "They're so pretty-" he blurted out. [break][break]

They sheen on perfect white, deep sapphire eyes. Translucent wings. Like a sentient snowflake. He's caught up in his admiration taking in her size before he felt his date's warm breath curl in his ear. Suddenly, no ice type in the world is able to keep the heat from blooming on Mint's cheeks. [break][break]

"Hierb-" The translation makes him turn, nose nearly brushing with Raphael's. "Really?" he holds back a laugh behind a wide grin, shoulders suddenly shaking at the coincidence. "I get it...it's cute. And they look sweet too." he said. "You know, sometimes I use peppermint as an alias online, since it already had part of my name in it." he admitted. Peppermint, after all, was a good protagonist input name for him.
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"Not the pretty part?" Mint teased, refraining from reaching out to touch the Frosmoth. He did, however, reach to his side to pull out a pokeball from his side. Raphael was right on the whole frost thing. Something fern delaney had teased him about, gently, of course but still. An ice type trainer, with a name like his? Then again, the world was a strange place. [break][break]

No sooner had Mint turned back, ad Raph uttered something without thought. "Huh??" he said, equally without thinking. "Y-You know?" Mint's eyes dart to the ground, to the floating ice type and then back to Raph. [break][break]

He goes over the conversation quickly, pulling back slightly as his cheeks flushed red. "You...you watch my streams?" Of course, they'd talked about it vaguely. Nothing too much other than using it as an excuse to not meet. But it'd been mentioned. He'd just never...assumed? intended revealing anything of the sort for Raphael to follow up on. It was just his job. Same as the photos and the travel and contests. Performance that simply bloomed his numbers and magically converted into capital. [break][break]

He's also not sure how he feels about it either. It'd always been something personal.

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"Why would it be creepy...?" he asked, lips pulling into a bashful smile. It felt very different when someone he knew watched him, rather than just any person on the street. He knew it wasn't everyone's past time of choice. Talking to a screen, hoping someone replies, that had kind of been his life hadn't it? He does nothing but reach out to others and hope someone reaches out back. [break][break]

Raph compliments his work and he feels himself blush harder, chest warm with pride someone he actually knew found him entertaining. Perhaps this is just the closest he's come to sharing his art with the world. A different type of expression, but one he had grown up with. Raph joins a crowd that take him apart bit by bit, day by day. [break][break]

Maybe he hadn't meant to tell him. Maybe it was something Raphael assumed he knew. But either way it's exciting somehow. Even if it's a cover, easy work in the eyes of Rocket, Mint invested time into those weird streams. He planned schedules around it, set up brainstorming sessions, bought equipment he researched. He'd found his artistic streak again, something he'd never admit out loud. It felt nice those close to him appreciated it. And...well he could consider Raphael close right? Just a little. He'd let himself call him that. [break][break]

"No, I was just- you know, surprised." He said giving chase. He's still curious after all. "It's not like I expected you to. I downplay it on purpose when we go out." He gave Raphael his privacy even if he hadn't seemed to mind it at the carnival. But some things Mint wanted to keep to himself. "Is there something you like to watch in particular?"
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"Only if you wanted to." Mint returned, a sly grin trying very hard to mask his flushed cheeks. He wouldn't expect him,. nor force him to. After all, Mint wanted to be liked. And people didn't like it when you forced them to do anything. At the very least he wanted Raphael to like him. Just a little. Just enough to keep this unspoken thing between fun. Mint was unfortunately becoming quite adept as keeping this sort of thing unspoken. [break][break]

He'd always fallen hard and fast. For so many others who probably didn't deserve h- no. Who definitely didn't deserve him. Keeping this glow between him and Raph unspoken, kept it from becoming too real. Maybe it's a little sad to think of these dates as transient and in the moment. After all, he'd miss that happy grin, those big pretty eyes. Raphael could be intimidating, sure, but Mint had seen him soft and docile far too many times to be afraid of him anymore. [break][break]

Besides it's not his expression that scared him, but his sincerity. Mint liked to think himself quite the liar. Raphael seemed to believe him well enough. But he also sometimes got the feeling he believed him only for Mint's benefit. Those moments he thought he caught him were fast. A flicker in his smile, or a hug a touch too tight. But he'd ignore it. It was better if Raph didn't believe him, that he stay quiet anyway. [break][break]

"Hehe, well I do treat my audience like someone I can review things with." he said wit ha snort. Clearance rack at the department store was his favorite vlog to do after all. Raphael seemed genuinely happy, and it only made him all the prouder. Rarely did he get to see the reactions to his performance, barring contests and reading comments. It's nice to be praised in person sometimes. [break][break]

"Not my horror play throughs!" Mint faux gasped, though he was a little embarrassed. He was a bit of a scaredy cat. "You like my nervous laugh!?...have you caught onto it on one of our dates?" he asked, feeling cheeky. Some tells you couldn't hide. And an online persona always had a bit of you in it.


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He had to resist hiding his face. A brief moment of breathlessness overcoming him before he carefully pushed it aside and just flashed canines at his date. "Hey!" He'd caused a stir with those shorts. Missing rhinestones, loose embroidery. But Mint had seen a project and it'd been cheap. His creative streak won despite the advice against them. But hot pink magenta could be cute. He could make it work. And he itched for a little project. [break][break]

If he were better at handiwork, he could've become a diy vlogger. "You'll regret that. Those shorts have massive potential." he said, not missing a chance to defend his fashion choices. Even if he knew Raph watched, he couldn't have ever guessed Raph donated too. Not that'd he'd want him to. That would've felt like...too much. Which meant, it was good he had no idea. [break][break]

Mint managed to hold still as Raphael reached out for him. The gesture is small, but he felt his ears itch and his cheeks hurt as he tried to hold back the smile that threatened to appear. He forms a cocky phrase that dies in his throat. Raphael's smile has a softening quality to it. He feels shyer, smaller. Mint can't help look away, overwhelmed once more by the man next to him. "Thank you... I'm happy you think so- I- um." [break][break]

"It's fun, but it's even better seeing how people react to it you know?" he asked, tucking some hair behind his ear as he looked back up at Raphael. The man didn't just watch, but paid attention to him. Genuine attention. He'd given Raphael so many outs by now. He'd tried to emphasize he wasn't too borken up if Raph didn't check his streams or his photos. But, it also felt a little beyond a normal fan interaction. And he wasn't prepared to think about that.


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Before Mint can fall victim to softer, more vulnerable thought, something slips out of Raphael. Its low, and he wouldn't have heard it well if he hadn't been looking so closely to Raph. Cheeks still pink, his head short circuits for a moment as he blinks. His mouth hangs agape before letting out a shaky laugh as Raphael seems to realized what he's uttered. [break][break]
"Yah-" he snorts, covering his mouth immediately. "Really bold." he watches the man next to him try to recover and just waits, letting him sweat for a few seconds before nodding along in understanding. "Bold enough for a date outfit...I can se it now..." he trails off wistfully, teasing out the idea.

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