"That's true, I'm more of a write-off than a horror story," and Dante doesn't dislike the fact that Astarion doesn't view him like a monster or something to be feared even after witnessing what he was. While he didn't care one way or the other what people thought of him in the end it was very clear a demon's presence wouldn't be welcomed. Having a certain level of honesty with Astarion made that aspect of himself seem less dauting in a way.

Then there was this, something a bit more terrifying than any demon was another person so hallowed and ready to fall into the sable blackness of his embrace only to be lost in it. That kind of entanglement was always worth the price of fear, it's a good enough reason to take a step back and be the grow ass man that he knows is in there somewhere.

Damn.

There was the right thing and then there was this, disengaging himself just enough to wind his arms around Astarion's slighter body so he could hoist him up and brace Astarion's body against the nearest wall. He made a point of cupping the back of the other's head with his hand rather than letting it lull back against the hard surface. He held Astarion's body in place with his own aware of just how close they were now that he could feel the coolness of Astarion's body leeching the heat radiation off of his own.

He was capable of making good choices, really, when he wasn't defaulting to flippancy and his own screw the rules philosophy. Maybe he was just calling a bluff.

"You sure that's not a trick question?"

Of course he was stalling a bit now, giving Astarion the opportunity to call it or push it forward if he wanted to.