The argument is well heated by now.

Dante is livid.

'No, you don't get it! I thought I had killed you!' He hisses.

'But you didn't.' Vergil bites back irritably. 'You might get that honour yet, but not today. We have a job to do.'

'So you will just leave me again once we're done here, is that it?' Dante is pissed and it reflects in the way he almost growls the words out.

'Dante.' Vergil's tone is lower now. 'You wouldn't have wanted to wander the Inferno with me.'

'At least we would have been together!' Dante spits. 'At least I wouldn't have had to live with the guilt of not being able to save you!'

'You didn't need to save me, Dante. If you remember, I went quite willingly.' There's a warning in Vergil's voice.

'You were furious that you lost. Your damned pride got in the way of your brain, so you decided you'd rather die than admit defeat.' Dante whispers furiously. 'You left! You left me behind!' His voice cracks and he grits his teeth, hitting Vergil in the chest with his fist, but there's no real conviction behind the blow and Dante isn't sure if Vergil even notices. 'You left me with nothing but the damned scar!'

'So you would have rather I let you fall? Did you regret not jumping in after me?' Vergil demands, and it's the most heated he has sounded since the argument started.

'Yes!' Dante explodes.

There's a beat of stilled silence.

'You don't mean that.' Vergil intones, all emotion gone from his voice, covered up by his trademark stillness.

But Dante has seen the cracks and it urges him to push forward, to break the carefully constructed wall his brother has built to keep him out.

'I do.' Dante says. 'What did you expect me to do anyways? Go on with my life like normal?'

'Yes, Dante. I expected you to live as you did before.' Vergil's voice is a quiet drawl in it's admission. 'I didn't think-'

'You didn't.' Dante interrupts.

Vergil huffs a breath. '..clearly I underestimated your stubborness.'

Dante snorts. 'You always did. You really should know better by now.'

'Hmm.'

There's more silence.

'Does that mean..'

'Perhaps.' Dante huffs, with a roll of his eyes, unwilling to show his vulnerability and how affected he still is by his emotional outburst. It's not the place.

'Dante.' Vergil pauses. 'Brother. I.. I made a.. mistake and for that I.. I am sorry for the pain I caused you.'

Dante's laugh rings hollow, interrupting him. It feels as if there's a hole in his chest, and Vergil's words only serve to tear it wider; gaping and aching.

'Bastard, you absolute bastard.' He hisses. 'Cut the bullshit. You've never apologized in your life. Not for hurting me, not for anything. I know you, brother.' He puts a mocking emphasis on the word. 'And I know you don't mean a word of it. So how dare you-' he's cut off as Vergil surges into him, knocking him against the wall, expelling his breath from him with force. He's more taken aback by the surprise of the unexpected retaliation than anything else.

Vergil has him caged in and he's gazing furiously into Dante's eyes. Dante returns the glare with similar intensity. Vergil draws his katana, the movement sudden and Dante lets him, fingers twitching for his own sword, but he forcefully stills himself. Yamato presses against Dante's collarbone, the sharp edge just shy of drawing blood.

Dante just laughs. 'Now that is more like you, Vergil.' He almost purrs.

Vergil has a strange sort of smirk on his face. It's barely there and the edges aren't as harsh and cutting as normal. It leaves Dante feeling raw inside.

Looks like they're back where they started.

'Were you doubting my sincerity, Dante?' He breathes, pressing the blade into his skin, and Dante gasps as it draws blood.

'I think you'll have to work hard to prove it.' He replies, leaning forward, heedless of the blade and blood dripping down his front and staining his coat.

The pain is vivid, bright and it blossoms beneath his skin, setting his nerves alight, and it's the most alive he's felt in a long time. Dante basks in it, relishing both his brother's close proximity and the grounding sense of pain.

The only sound to be heard right now is their heavy breathing, echoing loudly through the empty corridor.

'Dante..' Vergil breathes, and suddenly the scene feels almost uncomfortably intimate.

'I hate you.' Dante growls out. 'I hate you, I hate you so much, I-'

Vergil closes the gap between them and suddenly they are kissing.

Dante's hand winds itself through Vergil's hair, crushing him closer. His other wraps around the katana's blade and he flips it around, showing it back into it's sheath. Vergil's hands slide down Dante's chest and around, pulling him in by waist.

Dante uses his free hand to stroke down Vergil's face, leaving a bloody trail in it's wake, from where the blade has cut deeply into his palm.

Vergil dips his head, dragging his tongue down in a hot trail, letting his teeth graze the skin every once in a while and Dante moans.

He becomes aware of Vergil muttering words against his throat and strains to listen in.

'- Dante, my brother, alterum dimidium meae..'

'Meus amor..' Dante murmurs back reflectively, and there's a sharp intake from Vergil, who bites at Dante's collarbone.

Dante groans, cupping Vergil's cheek and forcing him to look back up and pulling him in for another kiss. There is blood smeared around their lips. It seems almost black in the dim light of the corridor, resting on their parchment-pale skin like absent minded brush strokes from a forgetful artist, giving the scene an almost surreal-like quality of a dream.

They break away what seems like eons later and just stand there, sharing their breath.

'We should leave.' Dante finally murmurs, averting his eyes and Vergil hums in agreement.

They put some space between them - reluctantly - but then Vergil's hand slides down Dante's sleeve and links their fingers. He tugs him and Dante follows - willingly.

I'm back and probably not with something you expected.

This fandom caught me unawares, outta blue. I really love it though and it makes me happy to be giving to it too instead of just taking.

There's so many talented people in this fandom, I'm honoured to be a part of this community.

Pardon my latin, I trusted google and who knows how accurate it is.

Send me requests if you'd like, I might get around them.