AN: Here's my promised Christmas Special, it's the longest one shot I've ever written and I did rush a little on the proof reading to get it up in time, so it may still have a few typos here and there.

Warnings for fluff, some harsh language and festive hot man sex. Merry Christmas! XD

Winter Surprises

For miles and miles, the landscape was drenched in a sea of white that glittered beneath the cold moonlight of the winter's night. The sky was clear after several days of heavy snowfall across the country and now, what little remaining heat there was could be released into space. The crisp night was silent except for the sound of a high speed train that had finally made its way out of the station, travelling the long route to its destination. Inside, Nero sat in the near empty carriage, slumped in his seat and staring out of the window with his chin rested in the palm of his devil hand. The endless fields of flat ground were now huge patches of snow, broken up by leafless trees that also had their fair share of snow-blanket. If he thought about it enough, it would have to be one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. The subtropical island of Fortuna barely got any snow, so such weather was a novelty to the young hunter. Though right now, pretty snowflakes and fluffy white landscapes weren't at the forefront of his mind. He sighed deeply, his breath creating a small steamy patch on the glass by his dimly glowing claws. It had been a long, long day. His train had been about five hours late turning up and, with only about an hour left of the journey, wouldn't be back in his hometown's station until eleven. The teen exhaled again, desperate to get back to Devil May Cry and get a decent night's sleep in his own bed. For the size of the job, the pay was miserable and it forced him to have to stay in the worst motel he'd been at for quite a while.

The mission had been a five hour train ride out of town to a remote little place barely big enough to warrant its own train station. The city was very Christian and, what with it being the Christmas season, they wanted the demon infestation gone. A few ice demons, which looked like large birds of prey with crisp, icicle-like blue feathers, had taken up residence in the Cathedral's bell tower. Nero arrived expecting it to be only one small family given the pathetic amount he'd been promised, however once he reached the destination, he discovered several rather large families. In all honesty, the demons weren't causing anyone any trouble and didn't look like the type to attack humans; the ex Order member's devil side had actually been quite fascinated by them. They looked like they were made of crystal when they gleamed in the winter sunlight, vibrant blue light being reflected in all directions. There had been five families, each with about four or so offspring and two couples consisting of only males. In fact, when he arrived there, two of the males were already courting each other and preparing to mate.

Sadly, even though none of them cared much for his presence, Nero had to dispatch them all otherwise he'd get no money, an earful from the Church Minister and a bullet in the foot from Lady. It hadn't been the most pleasant of jobs to do. The poor demons had been genuinely quite startled when he opened fire on them, the infant devil birds shattering into minute pieces from one of Blue Rose's bullets. The angry mothers certainly made one hell of a sorrowful cry, a sound which was enhanced by the reverberations through their icy bodies. The task had been an easy one as they put up a poor fight, their talons looking as though they were made to cut through small rodents rather than human flesh. By the time Nero had completed the mission and received his payment from an overly enthusiastic priest, he felt miserable as he walked back to the motel for his last night. It was Christmas Eve now and he almost felt that the festive mood he'd been in for weeks had been ruined by such an unsatisfying mission. If the demonic birds could have understood him, he would have told them all to fly off and take their young elsewhere.

The teen growled lowly in his throat, hoping that everyone in that stupid religious place had the worst Christmas ever for forcing him to kill families of harmless devils for no damn reason. No wonder Dante sometimes said he preferred demons over humans. Nero had to smile at that, his gloomy mood feeling greatly enhanced by thoughts of the older male. He couldn't wait to get home and see him, especially since he'd promised they'd have good fun for his first ever Christmas. He'd been living with his fellow devil hunter for five months now and, while he'd had his doubts about it working at first, they'd been the best months of his life. Though Dante could be an arrogant, annoying asshole at times, he was also very friendly, caring and a lot of fun. Nero felt his ears burn a little; he could be downright perverted at times too. But at the time, he'd cared little for that. He went hunting for Dante when Kyrie broke off their so-called relationship, having nowhere else to go as the rest of Fortuna liked to keep him at a distance. It had been almost embarrassing running away to see the man he'd first greeted by dropkicking him in the face. Nero's smile deepened, his mind wandering back to the day he went to find the man in red.

After spending some time banging on the double doors of the office garishly advertising itself as 'Devil May Cry', Nero had been welcomed inside by a slightly sleepy looking Dante. He walked into the centre of the room, standing about somewhat bemused while the older man shouted at him to take a seat from the kitchen where he was making coffee. Swallowing a little nervously, Nero removed Red Queen from his back, setting it down next to one of the red leather sofas as he sat down and waited for his drink. Dante returned moments later with two steaming mugs of bitter black fluid, his own drowned in sugar to take away the edge. The teen felt the leather cushions dip slightly as the burly man sat down next to him.

"So then, what brings you here after... what's it been?" Dante asked, taking a small sip of his hot beverage. "Two months?"

"Well, I did ask if we'd meet again," Nero replied sheepishly, rubbing at his nose.

"Missed me that much, eh kid?"

"Whatever, old man."

"I'll take that as a yes!"

The younger male glared. "If you must know, I have no plans on returning to Fortuna."

The elder blinked in surprise. "And after all the trouble ya went to getting things back up and running! The last I heard from you, you were helping rebuild the place and trying to settle down with... err... that red head girl..."

"Kyrie."

"Yeah. Her."

"Well..." the kid's nose received another rub. "We... err... kinda don't... you know."

Dante nodded his head knowingly. "Parted ways, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry kid."

"No, don't be. It was... well, it was kind of expected to be honest. We weren't really going anywhere and in the end, the more time I spent with her, the more I realised that I'd seriously misunderstood my feelings for her. We were brought up together you know, so we were like family. I began to think of her more like a sister than a girlfriend."

"Oh, so you broke it off then?"

"No, she did."

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you told her that when you were getting down and dirty?"

Nero glared harshly and gave him a light punch on the arm. "No! You're sick!"

"Hey," Dante held his arms up in mock surrender. "You said you were with her."

"Oh, so you automatically assume that just because I'm with someone I'm having sex?"

"Well yeah. I know that's certainly the case for me!"

"Sick pervert."

"Don't be such a prude, kid."

"I'm not, it's just we do things differently in Fortuna. No sex before marriage."

Dante chuckled. "No wonder you seemed so grumpy the first time I met ya!"

"Does everything revolve around sex for you, old man?"

"Not everything. Pizza for example."

The teen rolled his eyes skyward. "I never did figure you out to be a clever guy."

"Okay then, how about we quit insulting each other and you tell me what happened?"

"Oh... err, okay..." Nero rubbed his nose again. "Things between us had been tapering off after you left, mainly because we were both so busy helping rebuild the city. She seemed to become more and more distant from me and it was during that time when I realised I wasn't interested in her in that way. Then one day she randomly asked me to kiss her, so I did. It seemed a bit odd, but the next day she said it would be best if we split up. In fact, that same day she moved in with some other guy! I left to come and find you a few days after that."

Dante tried his best to hide his smirk. "Guess she knew your heart wasn't in it then."

"I think I did something wrong, maybe I shouldn't have kissed her."

"Tough call then."

Nero nodded a little glumly, but a bright pink blush suddenly came to his cheeks. "Actually, I kinda came here to ask for advice as well as to stay for a few nights."

The elder's eyes almost visibly lit up. "Oh?"

"When I spoke to you over the phone, you always made comments about people you brought home for the night... so in that case, I guess you've kissed girls before right?"

"Ah, I see. You want to ask me if you kissed her right, is that it?"

The younger male's blush deepened. "Y-Yeah..."

"Well, I wouldn't have a clue! I've never kissed a girl."

Nero's jaw almost hit the floor. "What? But... how? All those girls you bring home and you've never even kissed them? Or anything?"

Dante burst out laughing, unable to hold back the amusement at how flustered the cute little punk bitch was from his admission. "I'll give you some advice Nero," he said after he calmed himself. "Don't make assumptions about people."

"Huh?"

"When we spoke on the phone, did I ever say the people I took home were girls?"

"No, but..." Nero's face was practically on fire. "Oh... so you mean... they were guys?"

"Yup."

"All of them?"

Dante grinned. "Every single one."

"Sorry, I didn't know you were... you were gay."

"I did figure that one, though I never understood how. I mean, it's pretty obvious; I don't try to hide it unless I'm dealing with demons that try to lure me in with females. Then I just have to pretend so I can get them in the kill zone!"

The ex Order member growled in exasperation. "Then I'll never figure out what I did wrong!"

"Listen Nero, just because I only kiss men doesn't mean I don't know stuff," he smiled and placed a comforting arm around Nero's shoulders. "She didn't leave you because you're a crap kisser, whether you are or not. She left you because she knew how you really felt. I guess she did like you in that way and was hurt when she realised she was losing you. You just have to face it kid, you just should have told her properly."

Nero sighed. "I suck, don't I?"

"I dunno, but I can take my pants off and we can find out if you want?"

If looks could kill, Dante would be a dead man. "You really are sick, old man."

"Guess that means you'll say no if I ask you to stay then?"

The teen's glare softened then, an almost sheepish expression returning to his young face. "Then you're offering?"

"Of course, what kind of man turns down a hottie like you as a housemate?"

"Err, a straight one?"

"Alright smart ass," Dante ruffled his hair playfully. "Get your stuff upstairs."

"Thanks," he made to stand up. "Oh, but one condition alright?"

"Hmm?"

"No molesting me!"

Nero snickered softly to himself as he remembered those words and how serious he had been at the time about saying them. When he first moved in, he had always assumed he was a straight arrow, but a few weeks of living there had changed that. He took an interest in Kyrie because he did love her and Fortuna always told them that love was something special between a man and a woman. If he'd been brought up in a more liberal mindset, things would definitely have been different. It only took Dante a few hours to break his promise and the elder had been tossed right out of the door the instant his hands touched his ass. After a few days however, Nero became used to Dante's groping and fondling as just being teasing. Just because the man was gay didn't mean he wanted to screw every single man he saw. That, naturally, was another statement that went out of the window the longer he lived at the office. Dante practically had trysts every night or so, the younger being kept awake until the early hours of morning by the muffled sounds of two men having wild sex. Thankfully, those decreased in number when Nero actually complained about barely getting two or three hours of sleep a night. Though in the past month, Dante stopped bringing guys back home and even though he knew he still had sex with them somewhere else, it certainly wasn't as frequent. It had been barely one a week.

The teen stirred in his seat at that thought, his mind secretly hoping it was because Dante had eyes on someone else. The closest secret he kept in the present was that he was far from a straight arrow. Sure, being with the elder encouraged him to look at men in a different way, but that wasn't how he found out. For the past three months, Nero had slowly been harbouring feelings for a certain half-devil. The time they'd spent together had been wonderful and there were many moments where he often wished the two of them could share something more intimate than just a close friendship. They had definitely become close, something that Nero would have shot himself for if he knew that before the Saviour incident. But he wanted more. Not only that, but he had easily noticed how attractive the older male was. The masculine scent of his cologne, the tight clothes he wore hugging his robust frame, the rippling of muscles on his bare torso, water dripping down from his hair when he left the shower with only a towel around his waist... the teen bit down sharply on a blue claw as he felt himself begin to drool at the very thought of him. Dante was hot. No. Dante was downright sexy. It was enough to forgive him for the nights he spent jerking off to mental images of the narcissistic bastard.

Eventually, the train pulled into the near-empty train station, one or two of the few passengers aboard slowly getting to their feet and heading for the doors. Nero slung the guitar bag he'd borrowed from Dante to hide Red Queen whilst travelling onto his back and shouldered his small leather holdall. He waited patiently for the train to stop, a nervous fluttering sensation instantly hitting him deep in the gut. Dante said he would meet him at the train station to drive him home where they were going to get some of the food ready for Christmas Day tomorrow. But it was so late now that any plans they had for the Eve were all but ruined. He sighed lightly at the disappointment of missing out, but he'd still have the main holiday to spend with Dante. He just wanted to have a little time between the two of them seeing as Lady and Trish were invading for dinner tomorrow. However, as he stepped onto the quiet platform, other worries soon began to surface. His train had arrived just over five hours late; what if the elder hadn't bothered to wait around for him? He'd hate to walk back with all the thick snow around, especially with Devil May Cry being a fair distance away from the station.

"You'd better be here to pick me up, old man," Nero mumbled under his breath.

Sighing, he carried on towards the exit, glancing back as the train powered up to leave. It went a fair way, but most of the passengers had left at earlier destinations so it had been empty for an hour or so. There was still no sign of Dante as Nero walked down towards the exit at the other end of the platform, his stomach grumbling as he walked past the closed cafe.

"Typical," the teen muttered. "Damn it Dante."

"You called?"

Nero almost jumped about a foot in the air as Dante's voice reached his ears a lot closer than he expected. Trying to muster a glare to combat the shock, he turned to face the elder, who was leaning against the side of a ticket machine wearing his usual smirk. Clearly he had stood there to keep out of the biting wind funnelling along the platform, but Nero also didn't doubt the possibility he used it to hide behind in order to scare him.

"Asshole," he cursed. "I was beginning to think you weren't here."

"I said I'd come and fetch ya, didn't I?" Dante responded.

"Yeah, but I am back some five hours later than expected. It's eleven o'clock at night!"

"What, you think I'd be in bed or something? I know I need my beauty sleep and all, but this is far from a late night, if you know what I mean," he winked playfully.

"If you've had sex with some guy in the back seat while you were waiting..."

"Nah, don't worry kid, I brought the bike."

"What about the car? It's freezing!"

"Lady nicked it so she could take Trish out for dinner. She promised to knock a few bucks off my debt if I leant it to her, so where was I to argue? Getting into the festive spirit and everything, I'm taking her generosity when it's offered because I won't see it for another year!"

"She'll be having your pension off you at this rate, old man."

Dante chuckled when Nero stuck his tongue out cutely. "Come on, let's get home."

He threw one arm around the teen's neck and walked him out of the station, quietly satisfied at the adorable blush tinting his soft, pallid cheeks. During the time they'd spent together, he'd grown more and more attached to the kid. He had been exceptionally happy when the white haired cutie showed up on his doorstep, even more so when he intended to stay a while. The only problem with having Nero staying with him was that he had steadily lost interest in any random men he met on a night out. No matter how attractive or well hung, Dante had been unable to think of anything but wanting to be with his younger housemate. After several dreams and an embarrassing incident during one fling where he nearly moaned the punk's name, he gradually reduced his nightly romps in favour of thinking about how to pursue Nero. He smirked at that thought. Hopefully tonight would be the night he could pull everything together, especially when, if he had read things right, it looked like Nero wasn't a straight arrow after all.

Once outside the train station, the two devil hunters made their way over to the elder's parked red motorbike. Nero stared at it for a moment or to, subconsciously reaching up to rub his nose at the realisation he'd have to ride behind Dante. His devil side however was thoroughly enjoying the anticipation of the journey home, wanting to have his thighs straddling the bike with his body pressed against the muscular form in front of him. He shivered in delight at the thought, briefly glancing at his companion to see if he had noticed.

"You tired?" Dante asked suddenly.

"Huh?" the question caught Nero off guard a little. "No, not really. I got a good nap on the train after sitting at the station for five hours!"

"Good!" the elder grinned broadly. "Because I have an idea to make up for all the stuff you missed out on."

The teen pouted. "So you got all the food sorted without me?"

"Yeah. I got here, saw the train was delayed, so I went back to get stuff ready before I came back to come and get you. I would have waited because I know you were looking forward to it, but I think the girls would be pretty pissed at me if I didn't get the turkey done over night."

"I bet the office smells great, right?"

"You bet."

"Okay, so what do you want to instead?"

"Well, it'll only be about half an hour until midnight by the time we get in, so I thought we could see Christmas Day through together. You said they don't celebrate it in Fortuna, so it'd be fun to have a little time to ourselves without the leaches!"

The younger man chuckled. "Big softy!"

"Sure I am! How else would someone react when they were told by someone they'd never experienced Christmas before? Besides, seeing your face when we finished decorating the tree was so damn adorable I wish I had a camera!"

"Shut up and take me home, asshole!"

Nero glared when Dante snickered at him, trying desperately to hide the fact that his ears were burning from being told he was adorable. Adorable? I'm supposed to be a badass demon hunter, not flipping adorable! As to be expected, his devil side begged to differ and even felt contented with such a complement from a worthy man. Nero shook his head, beginning to become frustrated with his inner demon constantly checking out Dante as a potential mate. For once, he just wanted to have a good time with him and enjoy the festive season, sharing with each other the gifts they'd bought. For once he didn't want to disappear into his bedroom and masturbate whilst imagining the elder madly fucking his brains out.

The journey was a relatively quick one through the near deserted streets of the city. Those who were religious were already in church for Midnight Mass and any who were not already asleep were in the pubs, such establishments never seeming to close. Nero began to feel excitement bubbling up in his chest as they drove past buildings decorated magnificently in brightly coloured lights. It only added extra wonder to snow covered pavements which took on the same shade as the festive bulbs. The teen smiled and hugged Dante for the warmth in front of him, already feeling several years younger and regretting he'd been brought up in a place like Fortuna that had never seen a holiday such as this. He really had a lot to be thankful for and, oddly though it may seem, he owed it all to Kyrie. Maybe she hadn't intended to hurt his feelings after all. She had always been an observant and kind person, so in her own way, she had been letting him go. His smile broadened; though perhaps not intentionally to the guy who disturbed the peace in the religious city.

Before long, they both caught sight of the glowing red sign of Devil May Cry, Dante parking the bike in its usual spot just to the side. The pair of devil hunters dismounted and rushed inside, desperate to get into the warmth of the building; since Nero had lived with him, Dante actually made the effort to keep the place a little more hospitable. Sighing with relief, the younger part devil dropped his holdall and removed the guitar bag, unzipping it all the way around so he could remove Red Queen and place the blade with the rest of the armoury. Whilst he stripped himself of his coat and gun holster, Dante glanced at the time on the VCR, noticing with a pleased smile that it was only half an hour left away from Christmas Day.

"Bet you're hungry, right kid?" he asked his younger partner.

"Yeah I am a little," Nero replied absently as he gazed at the tree that sat between the bar and the door to the downstairs shower room. "There was nothing to eat on the train and the cafes at the station I came from were all shut."

"I've only got left over pizza."

"Oh how I should have guessed!" he remarked dryly as he turned to face the elder. "What was on it?"

"Ham and pineapple."

"Sure, but that smell from the kitchen makes tomorrow sound better!"

Dante chuckled, loving the way the little spitfire's eyes lit up like a child's as he smelt the delicious aroma of the turkey slowly cooking in the oven. He only hoped the old thing held up over night because, not only would they have nothing to eat but some of Trish's nasty vegetables, he would get a bullet in the face from Lady. He wandered into the kitchen to heat up the remains of yesterday's Hawaiian pizza, leaving Nero staring happily at the wrapped presents beneath the glowing tree. He smirked satisfactorily as he took out a few cans of beer while the microwave worked its magic, looking forwards to crushing Nero against him in response to whatever gift he'd bought him. Any opportunity to molest him was like gold dust and wasn't to be missed.

The teen was already sat on the sofa when Dante returned to the main room, his boots kicked off and his sleeveless red hoodie unzipped. He frowned momentarily, failing to see how he wouldn't have been frozen solid in that. His denim coat was long, but not that thick and certainly didn't keep you as warm as leather. Shrugging it off for now, he sat down next to Nero and set the pizza box down on the table in front of them, passing him a can of beer. The kid thanked him, cracking it open and taking a sip before reaching out with his Devil Bringer to grab a slice of pizza. Dante couldn't hide his small snicker, knowing all too well that he was determined to get something when it was in danger by being taken by himself.

"Still don't trust me, do ya?" he asked humorously.

"Not where pizza is concerned," Nero replied thickly through a mouthful.

"As if I'd steal your share right after a bad day of travelling."

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Hey, I'm not that mean!"

"Sure you are! Remember about three weeks ago when I had that bad cold? Trish bought me some soup round and you promised you'd keep it in kitchen for me when I felt like eating it. So what happened when I asked for it? You said you ate it!"

"That was by accident!"

"Still, it was mean, especially when all you had to offer me was a single slice of pizza that had been in the fridge for about three days!"

"Hmm, so does that mean you expect me to always take your food from you?"

"As I said, I'd never put it past you."

As soon as Nero took a bite out of the slice he was holding, Dante leaned over and took hold of the crust, attempting to pull it out of his mouth. Blushing furiously, the younger tried to push against the elder with his Bringer, the blue glow flickering madly from a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. Smirking, Dante tugged on it a little harder, noticing with sheer joy that Nero still held the tip of the pizza in his mouth. Growling out of a little frustration at how strong and unrelenting the other hunter was, the teen shoved his devil arm in his face and pushed him back against the arm of the couch. He straddled him and eventually managed to free his pizza from the clutches of its captor. Dante laughed loudly once his teeth were free from the crust, only a few crumbs managing to escape into his mouth. Once the demonic hand was removed from his face, it was to his great delight to find the younger male still straddling his lap.

"Bastard," Nero grunted as he attempted to shove as much of the slice as he could into his mouth, only entertaining the man beneath him even more.

"Persistent aren't we?" Dante remarked, his shoulders shaking a little from laughter.

Nero mumbled something incomprehensible through his mouthful of pizza, the elder trying to fight the growing discomfort in his chest from laughing too hard. "What was that kiddo, I didn't quite catch it?"

The kid glared while swallowing. "I said trust you to do something like this!"

"Well I might start doing it more often it means we'll get into this position more often."

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, Nero's face lighting up like the Christmas tree as he glanced down to see he was still straddling him. Sheepishly, he clambered off the older man and sat back down on the couch, eating his pizza hurriedly. Dante sniggered under his breath so Nero couldn't hear before sitting back up, taking another sip of his beer and grabbing his own pizza slice. He glanced at his housemate as he took a bite, knowing that he wasn't just imagining the faint purring he heard in the back of his mind. Even though it was most likely Nero himself wasn't aware of it, there was no mistaking the sound of a devil when it was attracted to a potential mate. Okay, so the kid's definitely not straight...

That thought swam persistently around Dante's head as the minutes passed by, the two pursuing light conversation while they finished their beer and pizza. In fact, the night seemed like most other nights they spent together, but with one big difference; the expectations of Christmas Day to come. Dante could tell how excitable the young fireball was, not just from the look in his gorgeous azure eyes, but the way he cutely fidgeted in his seat. Just staring at him was enough to make the elder fidget too, but in a completely different way. His devil side had become aware that Nero's was interested in him and he desperately wanted to try and court him. Nero would be a worthy mate and probably the only person in the world suitable for him. Of course it was no wonder that his demonic nature was stirring and he was inches away from being as horny as fuck, but he wanted a few civil moments with the kid. He wanted to let him know how much he meant to him and that he wanted more to come from their relationship than just sex. Heck he loved the fiery punk bitch. He loved him.

"So, do you really want to open presents before we go to bed?" asked Nero, his hands twitching by his sides.

"Not everything," Dante replied. "Lady will only go on at my lack of self control if we do! I just wanted to give you one thing before the girls came. You know, just the two of us."

It wasn't long before the ex Order member was blushing again. "You don't have to."

"Sure I do! You're the best friend I've ever had, how could I not?"

Nero rubbed at his nose, an action Dante was beginning to understand as a subconscious thing he did when embarrassed or shy. "You had Lady and Trish before me."

"Yeah, but you don't take every penny from my wallet and fire bullets at my ass every opportunity you get! And besides..." he trailed off as he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the clock on the VCR had struck midnight. He smiled, feeling Nero do the same. "You mean a lot to me, even if I do tease the hell out of you!"

The younger hunter looked back at him. "Thanks Dante."

The elder grinned at him. "Merry Christmas kid!"

"You too, old man."

Nero didn't object to being pulled against Dante's body with strong arms, his face not wanting to give up on the lovely shade of red it had adopted. He returned the embrace a few seconds later, closing his eyes briefly and grinning broadly as he relaxed into the warmth of the elder's body. He'd never had real friends in Fortuna. Kyrie and Credo didn't count because they had been like family to him. Being told by the man he secretly adored that he was the best friend he had was something very special. Nothing anyone could ever say to him would match that.

"Then we can open some stuff right?" Nero broke the silence, cringing slightly at how childish he sounded at that moment.

Dante chuckled softly. "Go ahead."

"Alright, but I want to give you something first!"

"How sweet of ya kid, you actually got me something?"

Sweet...? "Of course."

"And there I was expecting another dropkick in the face!"

"That's how I planned to wake you up in the morning if you were being your usual lazy self."

He laughed. "Okay, okay! What is it then?"

"I left it upstairs for you because... well, you'll see when I fetch it."

Dante raised a questioning eyebrow as he watched Nero leap off the leather couch and sprint up the stairs with vigour he'd never seen before. It was little moments like that when he found himself really wishing he'd met the kid sooner. Not only could he have rescued him from a strict upbringing, he would have spent a lot less time on his own. Sure Lady and Trish were good company, but he would frequently want plenty of time away from their girly gossip and consistent ganging up on him. Nero was like the missing piece in his life. He found himself wishing as hard as he could that the younger man would stay here and not try to move on as he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Whoa kid," Dante noted with wide eyes as he saw the size of the wrapped object.

"Hopefully you'll save that for when you open it!" Nero replied.

Again, he couldn't help but notice the blush on Nero's cheeks. It was almost as if he was doing it on purpose to try and stir up a light and fluffy feeling inside him. Dante got to his feet and walked over to the Christmas tree where the other man had placed the large package, a wide grin still plastered on his flushed cheeks. He sat down on the hardwood floor, making himself comfortable as he set the parcel down across his lap. Nero followed suit, watching the elder expectantly as he crossed his legs, his hands still a little fidgety. Dante couldn't deny how utterly adorable he was; it was times like this where the nickname 'kid' really suited him. Smirking and deciding to ease the other's restlessness, the elder began tearing into the shiny silver wrapping paper that was decorated with different sized and shaped snowflakes. It seemed almost a shame to have to open it in a way, as Nero had obviously spent a lot of time and effort in wrapping it.

Dante's jaw practically dropped when he removed the sizeable item from the confines of its festive paper. It was a shiny black Fender American Special Stratocaster, the very same guitar he'd been admiring for so long since it appeared in the local instrument specialist store. He gripped the neck gently and ran his fingers to the top, almost itching to try and play a tune on it already. It would certainly make a change from resorting to playing Nevan whenever he was bored.

"Wow Nero," he managed to say, the surprise of such an amazing gift almost rendering him speechless. "You seriously do know me well!"

"Yeah, but I've know you've had your eyes on that guitar for ages," Nero replied.

"No wonder you've been so eager to take missions since you've been here."

"Hey, you let me stay with you, I wanted to give you something you could appreciate."

"Aw, thank you," Dante smiled warmly. "Seriously, thank you so much."

He reached out and grabbed the sides of the hood on Nero's jacket, pulling him into a tight embrace for the second time that night. Nero hummed contentedly, hugging him back and feeling pleasantly warm inside at the response he received for his gift. Dante gave him one quick squeeze around the waist before lightly pushing him away to reach for a wrapped gift under the tree. The teen sat back down expectantly, the butterflies in his stomach beginning to act up again. He'd never opened presents before, even on his Birthday as Kyrie only ever tended to make him a cake.

"This is that special thing I wanted to give you first," Dante explained.

"I'm beginning to wonder what it is seeing as you didn't want to give it to me with Lady and Trish around," Nero noted, mock speculation in his voice. "It better not be anything dirty, old man."

"As if!"

Nero beamed like a happy child as he received the gift from Dante, the package feeling slightly squashy in his hands. He slowly began unwrapping it, careful as not to tear a huge whole through it and the present with his glowing blue talons. What he retrieved from the mess of torn red paper was a blue denim coat that looked almost exactly like the one he already had. However, as he looked over it closely, it was quite different. Instead of the red satin lining, it was layered inside with fluffy red synthetic fur that looked like it would keep him very warm. Along with that, the Order of the Sword emblem was missing from the sleeve.

"I know you love that coat of yours," Dante explained. "But you're not used to the cold weather here, so that lining should do the trick for you. Also I know you keep prodding at the Order's insignia, so I made sure you wouldn't have it there anymore. I can tell you dislike the only thing that really kept you tied to them, so if I removed it, you can wear it and feel free from them now. Well, I hope so anyway."

A mere smile could barely describe the expression that crept to Nero's young face, the touching gesture almost bringing tears of joy to his blue orbs. "You really know how to touch a man's heart, you know that?"

Dante chuckled. "I'm gay kid, of course I do!"

"You've no idea how much this means to me, Dante."

"I think I do," he replied, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. "In that case, I'm hoping that because you can wear this coat knowing you've finally made your own choices, you'll choose to stay here at Devil May Cry."

Nero glanced at him. "You mean that? You want me to stay?"

"Nero, I've always wanted you around. I've been hoping for a while you wouldn't decide to try and make it your own somewhere else."

"Actually I..." the teen scratched the back of his neck. "I did want to ask you if I could stay."

The elder smirked. "Then ask me."

He glanced at the older male. "May I stay?"

Oh he's so fucking lovable. "Sure, but first you need to be aware of some traditions that we have outside of Fortuna."

"Sure... but, err... what do you mean exactly?"

His smirk picked up a somewhat sly edge to it. "Shake out your coat a little."

With a confused expression on his handsome visage, Nero grasped the coat lightly and shook it a little until something that resembled a branch fell out. He managed to get a better look at it when Dante picked it up, small white berries clearly visible amongst the green of the leaves.

"What's that?" he asked, curiously.

"This is called mistletoe."

Dante's smirk was beginning to unnerve him a little. "Why did you put it here?"

"Because, as a long shot, there's something I need to introduce you to."

"Oh, these strange customs of yours?"

"They're not strange, kid. It's a thing done around Christmas."

"Okay, so what is it for? I'm guessing it's not edible."

The elder chuckled. "Nah, it's not for eating..." he paused for a moment as he handed it over to Nero, who took it apprehensively. "Hold it up above your head."

"Why, it'll look ridiculous."

"That's not the point, just do it."

As nonplussed as ever, Nero held the mistletoe above his head. "Okay, so what is the point?"

"I'll show you."

Before Nero could do anything about it, Dante had completely closed the gap between them and meshed their lips together. His azure eyes widened as he felt the elder's slightly rough lips against his, the moisture seeping through feeling oddly pleasant. He hadn't had anyone kiss him since he tried with Kyrie and the last person he expected to kiss, if he ever did it again, was Dante. After a few moments, the man in red pulled away, the smirk still plastered across his face as he gazed at the kid's scarlet cheeks.

"That's the tradition," he explained. "You have to kiss beneath mistletoe."

"You..." Nero shook his head a little. "You made that up, didn't you?"

The elder laughed. "Not this time, kid."

"Then... you mean you put this in here so you could show me that?"

"Yeah, though that's not all of it," he reached out to squeeze the younger man's shoulder. "I guess it'd kind of a confession too. You've been here for so long that I've really come to like having you around... a little too much. I like you, Nero," he gently began to tangle his fingers into the ends of his silvery hair. "I like you a lot."

Nero could hardly think of anything to say. "You picked a hell of a time to say that."

"Yeah well, you know me and my timing."

"Is that why you... why you stopped bringing so many guys home?"

"Ah, you noticed?"

"It was a bit hard to miss."

"Yeah, that's the reason. I just wasn't interested anymore because I just wanted you."

"You still thought of me like that even though I said I was straight?"

"Hmm, so you only said you were straight?"

Nero blinked. "Yes..."

"Then do you mean to imply that you're not?"

Before the younger could respond to that, lips met his for the second time that night, the mistletoe now discarded. Nero closed his eyes slowly and relaxed into the kiss, tangling one hand into his white locks. He felt Dante smirk against his lips at that action, the elder pulling away to observe him with interest.

"Want me to show you some other traditions?" he questioned, a seductive edge to his voice.

"Festive or not?" Nero queried with a blush.

"Not always, but it can be at this time of year."

Dante carefully moved his guitar and placed it down under the Christmas tree, crawling back over to Nero. He took the denim coat off his lap, replacing it with himself as he leaned over and captured his lips again in a gentle kiss. The teen moaned this time, both arms instantly reaching up and wrapping around his neck. Dante brushed his tongue along his bottom lip, gently indicating to the younger male what he wanted. As if Nero expected it, he cautiously parted his lips, allowing the elder to slip his wet muscle inside the moist cavern beyond. He wrapped one arm about the younger's waist, tugging him a little closer and supporting his weight against him with his other arm. Unexpectedly, Nero spread his legs and wrapped them about Dante's thighs, tearing a low throaty groan from the older male. He deepened the kiss instantly, his devil side purring erotically in the back of his mind as he tasted Nero on his tongue. Glowing blue claws latched back into his hair, pulling his head down further into their heated lip lock and almost forcing the elder to lose his control and tear the kid's clothes from his lithe body. Taking that sudden desire as a warning sign, Dante pulled away, taking in as much oxygen as he could.

"Damn it Nero," he growled. "I didn't realise you tasted that good."

Nero smirked. "You're not too bad yourself."

"Listen, I hope it isn't just a bit of fun you're after because I can't hang on much longer."

"As if I'd play with your heart like that, old man," the kid rested their foreheads together, his Devil Bringer's claws still playing with his hair. "If I wasn't interested in you, I would have slugged you the moment you tried to kiss me! I like you too, Dante. A lot."

"Oh, it ain't just like, Nero."

He smiled reassuringly. "I know," he brought his lips to the elder's ear. "I love you."

Those whispered words sent shivers of arousal right to Dante's core, every inch of his flesh heating up in that single moment. It was incredible. He'd lusted after men before, but never had he fallen so deeply in love. No. Only Nero could do that to him. Nero was one in a million. He brought their lips together for another kiss, pulling their bodies flush together in their sitting position. Nero moaned deeply into the embrace as Dante dropped his hands low to cup each cheek of his pert ass, groping them fondly. Taking that as a sign he was comfortable with moving on, he reached lower and supported an arm under the kid's knees, standing up and hauling him into his arms simultaneously.

"Whoa!" Nero exclaimed. "What the hell Dante?"

"Bedroom," he growled.

The younger blushed. "Already?"

"You wanted to see more traditions, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then come on!"

"But... the stuff..."

"We can do all that again tomorrow, I've got another gift for you upstairs."

The way Dante said those words made Nero believe that this gift the elder had in mind was a little different from those under the tree. He kept his arms wrapped securely about his neck as he was carried up the stairs and into Dante's bedroom. He was carefully dropped on the floor, Nero using the other's body to keep steady while he put his feet down on the wooden surface. The instant he regained his balance, Dante crushed their lips together in a bruising kiss, biting harshly on the kid's bottom lip to break the skin. He stuck his tongue out to lap at the blood, his devil side delighting in the metallic taste of his soon-to-be mate. Without much warning, he slipped Nero's unzipped hoodie off over his arms and instantly moved to tug off his navy blue undershirt.

Running on instinct, Nero began kissing at Dante's neck, taking small pleasure in the heated growls rumbling deep in his throat. His unskilled hands fumbled with the buckles across his chest, managing to unfasten one in order to open up a little bit more of his black leather shirt. He palmed the taught skin of his chest with his Devil Bringer, the bright aqua glow lighting up the pallid flesh which was stretched firmly over strong muscles. Dante purred deeply as he enjoyed Nero's fondling, rubbing comforting circles into the kid's lower back and listening to the response of the other's inner demon. He dipped his head low to nuzzle the teen's messy white fringe, their lips meeting softly when he raised his head to meet his. Feeling that the teen was relaxing well and definitely one hundred percent into it, Dante finished unbuckling his shirt, pulled down the zip and discarded it onto the floor somewhere.

Nero felt a sensual shiver run along his spine as he breathed in the more experienced male's masculine scent. He felt a flare of arousal shoot straight to his groin, his devil side beginning to purr louder at the realisation that he had succeeded in attracting a potential mate. Dante smirked, responding with a deep growl to assure his new lover that there was nothing 'potential' about it anymore. He slowly unfastened the belt holding up Nero's jeans, undoing the fly just as carefully in order to show that he wanted to be gentle. It was the kid's first time after all and he was used to men who'd been with many partners before him. Nero groaned softly as the denim was tugged down his legs, his silky black boxers quick to follow until he was completely naked under Dante's expert touch.

"Hmm, yeah," Dante murmured. "Delectable."

"Heh," Nero chuckled, breaking off with a gasp. "I'm surprised you know what that word m-means... old man..."

He nipped harshly at the sensitive skin beneath his ear. "I make it a point to know as many words to compliment a man as possible."

"The secret to your success?"

"Not only..."

To make his point clear, Dante quickly removed the rest of his clothes with no regards to where his chaps or red leather trousers landed. Nero's eyes widened when he saw that all the elder wore for underwear was a little red thong, something else that was probably meant to be one of his 'gifts'. The older hunter smirked devilishly, hooking one thumb under the band of his thong and slipping it down over his hip a little. Nero was practically drooling at the sight of his muscular hips and thighs, along with the trail of white hair that disappeared under the waistband. He swallowed nervously when he saw the sheer size of the bulge that was barely covered by the small item of underwear. The key to his success.

"Don't worry babe," Dante cooed reassuringly. "I'll be gentle."

He took things slowly as he nudged his partner towards the double bed, Nero making a mental note of how comfortable the red satin sheets were. Dante walked over to his bedside cabinet, opening the top drawer and rummaging around until he produced a pink tube of lubricant. Again, Nero swallowed nervously as he was aware of what it was used for. Even though he was a virgin and Dante was his first man, he did know some things about gay sex. Hell, living with the king of gay sex himself should have taught him a few things, he'd been kept awake at night enough times. Though this time was different. He'd still be kept awake but now, he'd be the one caught in the elder's loving embrace. He'd be the only man to ever sleep in this bed again and that thought made him swell oddly with pride.

While lost in thought, Nero was jolted back into reality by the feel of the bed dip next to him. Before he knew it, Dante had crawled over him and had latched his lips and teeth into his neck, sucking gently at the racing pulse beneath his pale skin. The younger hunter gasped, eyes rolling back into his head as fingers started caressing the skin on his chest and gently rubbing over his hardening nipples. Dante licked a wet trail down from his neck to the centre of his chest, his stubble lightly grazing the skin and nearly making him giggle. But such a sound was drowned out with a loud moan as hot lips latched onto a perky nipple and suckled expertly, scalding tongue twisting around the nub and teasing it to such a degree that Nero became harder than ever. The elder growled deeply at that display of submission, his demonic nature rearing up and ready to dominate.

"Shit Nero" he rumbled lowly. "You really are something."

"Hmm, you must have really liked my boots in your face," Nero hummed.

"Well, with a big alpha like me, what's not to find hot in such a display? To my devil side, that was almost a mating ritual!"

"Just remember to be gentle okay?"

"Sure babe, but don't worry, when you get into the full heat of mating, you'll forget about any pain quite quickly."

The teen fidgeted at those words. "Mating, huh?"

"I know it's not an incredibly romantic thing for the first time, but hey, we're part demon and we still have traditions."

"Like the mistletoe?"

"Yeah, but much more important and meaningful," he planted a soft kiss on his lover's lips. "Mating is a stronger bond than, say marriage is for humans; especially if you're the type of devil who mates for life."

Nero's face reddened. "And are you?"

He smiled lovingly. "Sure am."

"Then mating is different to all the guys you bought home before?"

"Oh yeah, that's just my human side having fun. Sure, my demon half gets a kick out of it too, but that's much more interested in slightly less human subjects. Most devils I meet won't do, so when I met you it was like love at first sight."

"Wow, liking those boots really was an understatement."

Dante chortled as he popped open the cap on the hot pink tube and dribbled some of the clear ooze onto his fingers. "As I said, it was like a display. You showed some physical prowess, you're part devil, it was only natural for me to want to court you."

"Oh?" Nero gasped as a pair of lubricated fingers travelled down his torso to his inner thigh, teasingly avoiding most of his erogenous zones. "So all those sarcastic c-comments you threw m-my way were attempted to seduce me?"

"Naturally," the elder purred as he gently caressed the ring of muscles at Nero's opening and hovered his lips just above his weeping erection.

"I s-should have-ah... known..."

"Then you shouldn't have been surprised when you found out I'm gay."

Nero tried to calm his panting in order to respond, but the only sound that left his mouth was a broken moan as Dante swallowed his manhood in one swoop. He fisted the elder's white hair in his Devil Bringer, his human hand clutching desperately at the bed sheets as Dante's experienced mouth worked wonders on his throbbing cock. He'd never felt anything so incredible in his life. Above him, Dante watched the younger with lustful eyes from between his legs, his head beginning a slow bobbing motion as he sucked in earnest. Nero began to writhe a little as one slicked finger prodded his entrance and carefully slid inside to the knuckle. Though the feeling was foreign and somewhat unusual, with the added oral stimulation it was absolute bliss.

Dante wriggled that single digit about a bit, moaning softly at the smooth, velvety feel of his tight inner walls. He could feeling them contracting around him in an arousal fashion, the thought of himself fully buried inside sending a powerful throb to his groin. Hurrying things a long, Dante bobbed his head faster as he inserted a second finger. He glanced up at Nero briefly to check he wasn't in any pain and once satisfied, he started to stretch him. The teen moaned loudly, his back arching almost completely off the bed the instant his prostate was jabbed by the tips of his thrusting fingers. Nero knew that Dante was much larger than that, but he was beginning to feel quite impatient. His conflicting desires for something gentle and romantic, and something rough and needy almost made his head explode. The older man was right. Mating first, lovemaking later.

"I need you Dante," he breathed out. "Now!"

"Are you sure?" asked Dante, a concerned edge to his husky voice. "It's your first time, I don't want to hurt you."

"Romance later, I can't wait!"

In that moment, the elder hunter was exceptionally glad of the amount of experience he had. Nero's azure irises were rimmed with copper and his last words were edged with the darker, more demanding tone of his devil side. The kid was right in heat for mating and for a demon, he couldn't be more prepared than that. Besides, Dante knew he couldn't hold out much longer himself. Nodding, he removed his fingers from Nero and hurriedly discarded his thong, exposing his aching arousal to the air. The small male panted heavily as his eyes focussed on Dante's manhood. It stood proud from its bed of white curls; red, swollen and dripping. The man was truly an outstanding sight to behold. He watched with bated breath as his chosen mate slicked himself in a generous coating of lubricant, the faint smell of strawberries wafting in his direction. Well, Dante was as much of a sucker for strawberry sundaes as he was for pizza, so it was no surprise he liked his sex products scented like them. Probably tastes like them too.

However, the Nero was soon pulled out of thought as he felt the tip of Dante's hardened shaft pressed against him. He instinctively wrapped his legs about his waist tightly, helping to raise his hips a little for a better angle. Dante leaned down and kissed him deeply, their tongue's dancing in and out of their mouths and succeeding in distracting Nero once again. Whilst tangled in their embrace, the elder slowly pushed the head inside, stopping when he felt the body beneath him suddenly tense. He moved up slightly, parting their lips so he could take in the younger man's expression. As gently as he possibly could, Dante pulled out and thrust back in heavily, knocking a pained groan from Nero's kiss bruised lips.

"Sorry babe," Dante whispered soothingly.

"No," Nero panted. "Keep going... p-please..."

Nodding, he continued with his slow rhythm, gradually deepening his thrusts until Nero was comfortable with being penetrated. For the teen, it was a little painful to be filled so completely by Dante's long, thick length, but it was beginning to become immensely pleasurable. For Dante, the virgin tightness was utterly mind blowing and it took every ounce of control he had not to pound right into him. He had to fight off the urges; Nero meant far too much to him to ruin the moment in one lustful romp. What was that saying? Good things come to those who wait? Sure enough, on a particularly deep thrust, Nero's back arched almost in two as Dante pressed torturously against his sweet spot.

"Oh f-fuck!" the kid moaned. "Right there!"

Taking that as his signal to get things going, Dante pulled almost all the way out before slamming back in hard. Nero moaned loudly, arching his back again as the direct contact with his prostate sparked surges of pleasure along his spine. He wound his legs even tighter around Dante's waist, clawing at his strong shoulders with both hands as they picked up a steady rhythm. The elder's well toned muscles rippled beautifully with each powerful thrust, Nero managing to marvel at the view through his lust clouded mind. As he relaxed, he felt Dante slide in and out of his body easier, the extreme tightness not so restricting of his movements. It felt amazing. During masturbation in the past, Nero had once tried fingering himself in experimentation, but it felt nothing like this. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Dante moaned deeply at the sight of the cocky young part devil he was mating with, feeling the carnal urges beginning to surface again. Carefully, he grasped Nero's legs and hauled them up onto his shoulders, the new position allowing him to slip even deeper inside his body. Nero gasped, eyes closing momentarily as the thorough penetration stimulated his nerves in ways he could never have imagined. He let a whisper of the elder's name pass his petal soft lips, his Bringer glowing brighter with every thrust. Dante leaned down and kissed him deeply, drowning out their moans while he picked up the pace until he was slamming roughly into him. Moaning loudly into the passionate kiss, Nero encircled the older man's strong body in his arms, his ribbed claws creating thin rivulets of blood on his muscular back.

Turned on even more by the sharp stabs of pain, Dante growled lustfully as his eyes glowed a bright crimson and he pulled out of the man beneath him, flipping him onto all fours. He practically mounted him as he plunged back inside, the demonic need to mate clouding every sense. Nero began to moan the elder's name like a mantra each time his prostate was struck, his hips rocking back to meet his lover's every thrust. Growling the kid's name possessively, Dante reached between his legs and started stroking his leaking arousal, still pounding mercilessly onto his beautiful body. Such a worthy mate.

"Ah Dante!" Nero cried out. "More... h-harder!"

"Shit Nero," Dante moaned. "I... want to... mark you..."

The teen purred with delight. "Do it! Bite me! Make me yours!"

Unable to resist such a pleading tone, the larger half devil leaned over Nero's writhing form and licked along the back of his neck. He nuzzled the soft flesh under his ear before licking the thrumming pulse in the side of the pale column of flesh exposed to him. With a feral growl, Dante sunk his fangs deep into the junction between his neck and collar bone, drinking every drop of blood that he spilt. Screaming in pure unadulterated ecstasy, Nero arched into the elder hunter, almost ripping a huge gash in the red satin beneath him with his Devil Bringer.

"Dante... D-Dante..." he moaned, saliva dancing past his swollen lips. "I... I'm cumming... Dan-te..."

"Then cum," Dante murmured seductively as he lapped up any remaining blood. "I'll let you, baby."

Keeping his word, the elder started pumping his rock hard flesh vigorously, matching the raw pace of his now animalistic fucking. Nero felt the heat in his navel roaring like a wild fire as his end approached, the edges of his vision fogging with red as his devil side almost broke free. Before he could lose control of his Trigger, the younger slayer screamed Dante's name loudly as he came, his hot release staining the red sheets on the bed. Dante followed seconds later, roaring his mate's name as he filled him to the brim with his seed, the teen's tightening walls milking every drop from him. Pleasure still flooded their bodies as the elder continued to rock leisurely, riding out the last moments of passion. Drained of energy, both men collapsed onto the soft mattress in exhaustion, Dante pulled out of Nero and rolling onto his back with his lover in his arms. Both lay like that for several minutes, neither making a sound save for their gradually calming breaths.

"Hey Nero," Dante was the one to break the silence.

"Yeah?" he panted, his eyes beginning to close as he felt sleep tug at him.

"Merry Christmas."

He cracked one eye open. "You said that already."

The elder half devil chuckled. "But it sounds better after sex, right?"

Nero had to laugh. "Yes, I suppose it does!"

Dante wound his arms tightly around his recently claimed mate, shifting onto his side so they could face each other. Smiling adoringly, he rubbed the healing bite mark with his thumb pad and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"I love you Nero," he whispered affectionately.

"Love you too Dante," Nero replied with a broad grin. "So much."

"Ready to surprise the girls in the morning?"

"You bet!"

Hugging Dante tightly to him, Nero curled into his glorious warmth and feel into a contended sleep, not just happy about spending his first Christmas was the older man, but finally being loved by the man he wanted to devote his entire being to. No matter how cheese it sounded, the only thing Nero ever really wanted for Christmas was Dante.