"Happy Valentine's Day," Neito said, a smirk gracing his lips. He stood in your doorway, holding a covered dish and a carefully chosen bouquet of your favorite flowers. "I, uh… hope you're free this evening."

He stepped inside, the tantalizing aroma of something delicious and home-cooked filling the air. "A small gift for you."

He placed the dish on your counter with a gentle clink, then presented the flowers with a slightly less dramatic, but no less elegant, flourish. "Consider it an appetizer to what I've brought you, and also I've noticed the last bouquet I had brought was starting to die."

He cleared his throat, a hint of his usual confidence peeking through, but tempered with a genuine warmth. "Valentine's Day isn't typically my… area of expertise, but I wanted to… try something different. Something… special."

He gestured to the covered dish. "I, um… I made dinner." He paused, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "It's… well, it's something I've been… working on. A little… pet project of mine." He lifted the lid with a flourish, revealing a perfectly plated meal. "Boeuf Bourguignon. A classic. Completely from scratch." He added quickly, almost defensively, "No… copying anyone involved. This is all… me. Your one and only" The last words seemed to have been added solely to boost his own confidence once more.

Vulnerability wasn't his forte either.

He set the table with an uncharacteristic quiet efficiency, the usual theatricality replaced with a more thoughtful, almost… tender, approach. Moving around the apartment he spends most his off days in. "I wanted to… impress you, honestly. Show you… a side of myself you haven't seen." He paused, then added with a self-deprecating chuckle a smirk laced into his voice, "And, perhaps, subtly hint at my… limitless talents."

He poured wine, his gaze meeting yours with a soft warmth that made your heart flutter. "To… a quiet evening. A hopefully delicious evening, I have to say you certainly look amazing. You surely never disappoint"