A/N: Decided Dante needed a short bit of back story, not needed for main story.

Dante didn't understand them. Talking about their weekends and how the newest football match went. Shouting in each others faces that their team was better.

They're all the same... He thought. So he wasn't popular with the sporty guys, in a more nerdy group. But he didn't have money to buy video games, no matter how much fun they were, so he didn't fit in with those either.

Girls were a problem too, they were scary, intimidating, always on about things he didn't understand. Very judgemental, well, most of them anyway.

He was Italian, but born in Japan, and never felt like he fit in. He wasn't bullied, probably because there was nothing to bully him about, he kept his nose out of other peoples business and made his way through the day, and no one bothered him. What a fun existence.

When he turned eleven, his parents bought him a parrot. He loved his pet parrot, Mickey, named after his incredible impression.

"Huh ha! Hey kids!" Dante would say, and Mickey would repeat in a perfect Mickey mouse voice.

He would sit in his room all day after school, playing with the bird, feeding him, talking to him, Mickey became so tame and so used to Dante, that he could let him out his cage. He would fly around and land on Dante's shoulder, and for once, he had something to look forward to each day.

But of course, all nice things end.

Dante was torn apart as he buried his best friend in a cardboard box. He was twelve, and his tears soaked his pillow, two years with his best friend, he had become very attached.

Dante was inconsolable for months, losing sleep, grades fell, he became very unhealthy, hardly eating.

Dante recovered after a few months, and once again, he trudged through his days.

He bought a computer, saving up and using birthday money, and played on that most nights, but all his friends had Amusphere by then, so he played alone, on old servers, on dated games.

He made his way through school, keeping mostly constant grades.

Until the single greatest day of his life, now that he looked back on it.

It was a normal day, making his way into the corner of the field to lie down and wait for lunch to finish. One of the sporty guys came over to him, he had no name for them. He kicked him in the ribs.

"H-hey!"

"Yeah? And what are you gonna do!?"

"Nothing. Move along. I'm a waste of time."

"You're a waste of space."

"Great insult."

"I know right. Move."

"Why? This is my spot."

"Cause I said so!"

"And what? You are king of this school?" Dante laughed, and scoffed.

"Pretty much. Haven't you heard of me? I'm the son of the two leaders of titan's hand!"

"As If I give a Damn. You have Sao heritage, well done. Listen, I'm not being disrespectful here, congrats to your parents, but I lie here every day, and there are plenty of other spots, so move along."

"Italian boy, move, or I'll go piss on Mickey's corpse."

"What."

"Yeah, I know about your little friend. I'll piss on his grave."

Something knit Dante hard.

"Move. Along." He said, much harsher.

"You're in year eleven now, stop crying over your dead parrot."

"At least I had a real friend, not just monkeys that follow you around."

"Did you just insult my boys?"

"A little. Move along."

He kicked Dante in the ribs, hard, winding him.

"I'm gonna go get them. See what your odds are then."

"Fine. I'm not moving." He grinned. He already knew that he was going to get beaten up, but that didn't matter, he had won the argument, he could tell by his facial reactions.

So he smiled as fists struck his abodemen, and feet impacted into his ribs, a couple of hits in the face too.

"You guys have such terrible punches."

"You what mate!?" They punched him again.

Dante smiled as he walked to the nurses office bloodied and beaten, and explained everything. His parents ended up moving schools, as it continued over a month, the bully denying everything, and beating him harder every time he 'snitched'.

He arrived at Yui's school, and the instant he saw her, he knew that she was different. As he sat next to her, he thought to himself, I might have a chance at a friend here.

Oh, she became so much more.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you want any back story for other characters!