A/N: sorry about the mixed writing this contains. My writing has changed some since I started writing this. And sorry about the long wait. I was on a hiatus for not having no internet whatsoever for communicating with anyone, and not having time to write this or any stories I wanted to be done with. Hope you'll like what I have so far. (next chapter will be skipped ahead about a year, into DMC4, FYI) AS usual I don't own anything but the plot and OCs ,except for Hope who belongs to mintybat on deviantart. DMC belongs to CAPCOM. I make no money on any of my fanfictions; they are just for my amusement and everyone else's entertainment.

May 23, 2013

Dear Diary,

Today is my birthday. This is what I've been excited yet dreading since the beginning of this year. After a little party I will be moving into an apartment of my own.

I am a legal adult, or should I say legal adult for smoking and drinking with some I.D. I don't know what to do first. Besides moving into an apartment I don't know what else.

My bags are packed and ready to go. Hopefully I can get settled in because I am a bit nervous. I will write more another time.

Faith put her pen and diary in her school backpack and put it on her bed. All of her clothes and belongings were put in giant plastic containers and boxes. Her room looked barren without anything in it.

Even her bed without her sheets looked odd. "I'm going to miss this room." she said to herself as she looked around the room one last time. She then went down the steps to the living room where her family had baked a cake and invited some of their friends over.

"Happy Birthday!" they all exclaimed when they saw her turn the corner. It was nice to have people who cared for you. 'I wonder where Dante could be.' she thought.

Dante did say he was coming for her to show her exactly where this place, this apartment was. He had already made a deal with the owner that Faith would make monthly payments or however they wanted to get their money. 'Oh, well, I'll just have to wait.'

Faith sat down and announced to those who didn't know that she was leaving today to go to her new place. Some went "Awww..." and some clapped. "And once I get settled, you may come over to take a look. I may not get to paint the walls or stuff like that, but I'll try my best to make it look nice."

Faith never thought about what the apartment would look like and just hoped that it didn't look dingy. Her definition was dirty walls, windows with cracks, and bugs crawling the walls. Or something that looked like it belonged in a ghost town.

Just then a knock came at the door. A voice behind it also spoke. "Hey, babe. I'm here."

"Dante." Faith went to open the door and there he stood. "Hey."

She tiptoed and gave him a hug. "Are you going to stay and have cake?" she asked. "Maybe."

He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Happy Birthday. By the way, are you sure you don't want to go celebrate with me?" Faith knew what he meant by that and replied,"Let me think about it before leaving today."

She left a kiss on his cheek that was kinda prickly with hair growing on his jawline. As they walked to the living room, she said to him,"Sorry that I haven't helped you with your devil hunting. I was so busy studying for finals. I wanted to make good grades to help boost the final grade, at least to an A- instead of a B." Dante replied, as he shrugged his shoulders,"It's alright. They were all too easy. You deserve a break."

He was right. Faith had a part time job between weekdays and weekends just for her to save up money to help pay for her tuition and other school stuff. Just this year starting this fall and she'd have an Associates in Art.

It'd be alright for now. She wanted to do the devil hunting business. Faith came to that decision not too long ago after she spent that weekend with Dante.

She could paint or write in all the spare time she'd get. She could also have some sort of job on the side to be able to have money to keep Devil May Cry ,and Dante, up on their feet. There was still so much to think about but it'd have to wait until tomorrow.

Her family and friends saw Dante come in. "This is Dante, everyone." she introduced him to those few who didn't know him. "Dante!" Hope hopped up and gave him a hug.

The two were best friends. Faith small smiled as she pictured of what her future could be like having Dante around her family till the end. She snapped out of her daydreaming when she heard her name being called.

"It's time to blow out the candles." someone said. She sat on the floor in front of the table that had the cake, and then she blew the candles that were shaped as '21'. She didn't have any wish so she blew out the candles quickly.

Everything she could want she already had. She didn't get the ending like all the romance novels she'd read but it was better to feel what it meant to be happy than not feel happy at all, wish or no wish come true. One step at a time is what it took for a relationship to work out.

Everyone cheered and was ready to dig into the cake. She took the candle out and licked the cake that got stuck on it. Whipped cream icing and chocolate cake...YUM! She sliced a piece for Dante and he at it.

It was sweet but it wasn't like strawberry sundaes he used to enjoy very much. Maybe he would start eating them again if he could keep money for Faith and himself. Day by day, things were changing, and those around him were changing, too.

Afterward, Faith and Dante stayed in a corner until the parent's friends left. Outside it was evening, almost dark. It was time to load up and say goodbye. "Time to go." Faith said.

Dante went to go get her stuff to put in the back of her car. He walked since his car got repossessed. Since Faith's car was the same red color as his other one, they were going to share this one. If there was ever any job that needed to be done Morrison would drive him there.

Faith confronted her family in the living room. "Remember what I told you last month? Well, it's time." They didn't choke like she anticipated them to. Probably because they had a month to think about it. "My bags have been packed and I'm ready to go."

"Don't you want to stay a bit longer?" her mom asked.

"Then I'd stay forever." she answered. Dante was in the background carrying boxes back and forth.

Her mother and father had been thinking that maybe this relationship between their daughter and this devil hunter would never last, as they always thought when they first met. Maybe this was going to be just some fling and then she would fall out of love. That's what they were thinking. But little did they know she wasn't. Faith was determined to help Dante become a better person. She wanted him to be alright with the world while trying to keep the world save from devils and avenge his mother's death.

"Ready, Fai." Dante said.

"Remember, I'm not so far away." she said to everyone. They all gave her a hug before she followed Dante out the door. To Hope she said,"You'll find that someone. Or he'll find you." Faith only hoped and prayed that that could happen. "Bye!" She waved and then closed the door behind her.

She hopped into her car, handed Dante the keys, and a turn of the ignition they were driving off into the almost gone sunset. "Where is this apartment anyway?" she asked.

Dante teased her by replying,"You'll see."

"I hate it when you do that."

"But you love me, right?" he asked back, a flirty smile on his face, looking at her for a second or two. Dante saw Faith turn her head down to look at the floorboard and blush coming on her cheeks. 'Gets her everytime.'

After driving for about an hour, they finally arrived at the apartments. It wasn't what she expected. "Nice." she said sarcastically. Dante looked at her.

"It isn't what I think it'd look like." he said to her. When he came here in the day it didn't look so bad. Tonight it was giving off something eerie. Dante didn't think it was right to leave Faith alone here tonight. Or any night while there was still this aura surrounding the place. What he was feeling was a demonic aura. He only hoped for Faith to change her mind about going inside tonight.

"Want to go in? There isn't any furniture in there." he said, looking up at how tall the building was. There was so many doors and stairs all the way up, maybe 12 feet or more.

"Uh... Maybe tomorrow. I'm just not prepared to see the roaches and other bugs that I'd be sleeping with." she shivered as she replied.

Dante was relieved. "Come on then." They got back into the car and drove to Dante's place.

Faith was thinking were to get a bed for her apartment and thought of the mattress she had bought when she lived at Devil May Cry for a year. "Do you still have my old mattress?" she asked Dante.

"You're not thinking to sleep alone, are you?" he asked.

"If I was I'd take your bed, or I'd take the couch if I was going to do that." Faith replied to him. She small smiled and giggled to herself. Faith saw that his blue eyes were on her. "Eyes on the road."

"We're fine. I won't hit nothing." he said back. He was slowly going into the other side of the driving lane and Faith saw headlights coming closer. Dante still had his eyes somewhere else.

"Dante!"

He saw the car coming straight toward them and then swerved to get back in his lane. Faith's heart was pounding. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. And she was still alive!

"I told you-"

"We'd be fine." Dante finished for her. It was silent for a moment. "I told you before, as long you're with me you'll be safe."

Faith took comfort in that everyday in everything that she done. She just hoped that there wouldn't be no accident. Because then this would have been a sucky birthday if she had to be in a hospital before Dante could save her. But, yeah, she had been safe from harm because of Dante. The past couple of years had been dangerous so far and she had survived.

She wasn't going to doubt Dante in the perils of danger, even in the depths of hell. She was wanting this relationship to work, and from what little she experienced within these couple of years is to never doubt or otherwise it poisons your entire being and blinds you.

Later, Devil May Cry came into view and Faith never felt so relaxed. She was tired all of a sudden. The car stopped and jerked Faith back to earth. "Um, are we going to leave the stuff out here, or take it in?" she asked him.

"Whatever you want to do." he replied.

"I guess I'll try to hide stuff in the trunk, lock it, and then leave some of the bags in the floorboards." she said. She wasn't wanting to mess with the boxes and then drag it back out in the morning. She opened the door and beat Dante to the door, whether he let her or not.

Dante followed behind her. She looked over her shoulder and said,"I'm going to bed. Are you?" She went toward Dante's room in the back. She was making herself at home.

Dante grabbed her from behind and pressed her back into his chest. "It's rude going into someone's room without their permission." he purred into her ear.

"But haven't you heard of ladies first?" she retorted in the same tone. Her hand went to the back of his neck, feeling of his soft, snow white hair tangling through her fingers. His cheap cologne and soap smell invaded her senses. His lips lightly kissed her neck under her ear. His stubble tickled her and sent shivers down her spine.

"Really, now, Dante?" she softly moaned out.

He picked her up and then walked toward the room. Faith giggled out of giddiness. "You're such a-" she was about ready to say something until there was a woman with short black and red hair and fishnet stockings (or stuff that revealed a whole lot of her body) coming out of his room. "Pig." She pushed against his chest to put her down. "Let. Me. Go."

She wriggled out and then watched the woman go out the front door. "I'll sleep on the couch." she said flatly. And she left Dante in the dust.

Dante stood there. He watched her go back into the office at the front. Maybe the girl was a stalker. He's had a couple in the past. That was the same woman he made a deal with for the apartment. What was she doing here? It was best to not talk to Faith about this just yet since he didn't know exactly what was going on.

Faith dropped herself down on the couch, ceiling fan blowing and rotating above, and tried to let sleep take over. Maybe she was hallucinating. "But that seemed too real to be a hallucination." She sighed and turned her face into the back of the couch, trying to go to sleep.

An unshed tear sled down her face.

Morning come and Faith woke up to see Dante already up and opened shop. She sat up and stretched. She got up, grabbed the keys from his desk and headed toward the door.

Dante yelled for her. "Wanna grab something to eat?" He had a pizza.

Should she? She quickly grabbed a piece and then she was out the door and in her car. She drove off without saying goodbye.

Dante called out to her though before she left,"Later." He didn't know if she heard it or not. The mystery from last night stayed in his mind.

Faith meanwhile arrived at her new apartment. It looked better in the day light. She checked the front desk to see if anyone was there. Apparently no one was. She went ahead and got the key hanging from behind the desk and walked to her apartment room. It was about 3 floors up from the ground. Not too bad.

All by herself she carried her stuff to her room. Inside the room, the walls were a dull tan brown, wallpaper torn, and only kitchen and bathroom appliances were the only things inside. "Well, I've got a lot of decorating to do if I can't paint it." she sighed and put her hands on her hips after stacking boxes in the living room.

It was already lunch time and she was starving. "I'll go grab a hamburger." She locked her door and then pulled out her car keys. She drove to a fast food restaurant and ordered enough to feed two people. Was she really that hungry? Or was it because she was used to getting Dante something, too, whenever she went to go get something for herself?

Maybe she would go and drop something off for him as an apology for storming out this morning. Receiving the two bags of food and two cups of bubbly fizzy cola she drove to Devil May Cry. Many thoughts kept coming into her mind and she had to put them in the back of her head to be able to concentrate on the road right now.

Getting out of the car with food in hand she walked in to see Dante laying back in his chair and his long legs crossed on top of his desk. "Hey." He looked up to see Faith. "I … bought you something."

"You get settled?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's not so bad. But I'll have to fix it up a bit before anyone comes over."

She gave Dante his half of the food. "Look, I'm sorry about last night and this morning. I should've remembered that this is who you are. It's..." she stopped. "I should go ahead and get unpacking. I'll see ya."

She gave him a smile. "Maybe you can come over sometime." she left with those words. She was eating on the way 'home'. She was so hungry. The burger was juicy and cheesy, accompanied with the condiments and the lettuce and tomatoes. After she took a sip of her soda and then waited to eat her fries till she got back to her abode.

Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that it was a text from her sister, saying if she was at her new home yet. When she parked out in the parking lot she texted back that she just pulled in from getting something to eat.

Faith was then unpacking the necessary things needed for tonight: piles of fluffy comforters for a bed and a cover to cover up with. She also had a charger for her phone. Night was approaching quickly and Faith ordered a pizza from the same pizza place that Dante does.

The delivery guy asked her when she answered the door,"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?"

"Maybe." She handed him money. "Keep the change."

She sat down on her self made bed and opened the square box with anticipation. She ate half of it and done some exercise to try to burn off some calories. She wasn't going to put the pizza in the fridge because it was nasty, black stuff on the shelves and the walls where it hadn't been cleaned in a while. She decided to eat the rest of the pizza so the bugs won't taint it.

Faith changed into sleep clothes and snuggled herself under her blanket in the dark living room. Beside her was her cellphone in case someone called her. She was unaware that something had been watching her. And through the crack under the door it slipped.

She heard something and she saw someone standing there. She blinked away the bluriness in her eyes. The figure came into view. "I know you. You were at Dante's last night." She was scared. She quickly grabbed her phone and pressed the number that had a speed dial to Devil May Cry. The woman shape shifted into something horrible. The line on the other side rung once and then clicked as if someone picked the phone up. "Dante! Help me!"

A sword was made from the arm of the demon and was about to stab her. Faith screamed and closed her eyes, phone still in hand. The sound of glass shattering echoed in her ears and she peeked to see Dante.

"Who would've thought that you'd be at my place last night?" He pulled out ebony and ivory and shot at the lesser demon. "So I think that deal we made is offically..." He sliced the demon up with his sword, blood splattered on the walls and the floor. "...off."

Faith was confused with what he said. "This was the landlord I made a deal with to get you this place. Demon must've hid her somewhere and pretended to be her. Which explains why I felt that presense last night and why 'she' was at my place."

"What deal DID you make?" Faith wanted to know.

"I give up my life if I lose the game."

"So... that was a demon that..?"

"Yeah. But this demon was cheating, and so... he paid with his life instead."

Faith began to put the puzzles together: a landlord possessed by a demon makes a deal with Dante, wanted to take his life as soon as he approached the place again, and since he didn't he picked up his trail and quickly went to his place to find out his weaknesses. That weakness was... her. And it thought that Dante would sacrifice his life for hers.

Faith felt guilty of thinking that Dante had another woman behind her back. "Dante... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She found her footing and stood up to hug him. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Sorry I doubted you after all this time..."

"Hey, no need to get upset over something like that." he was used to the rejection of women.

They stayed like that for who knows how long. "Can you stay the night?" she asked him. "I still feel uneasy with that demon coming in here without me prepared."

He did. He lied down with her and made sure there wasn't anymore demons around.

Next day Faith and Dante went searching for another apartment. But Faith told him that she wanted to live with him, officially live with him. "I thought I told you this before."

Dante kept driving. "Do you think you can handle living with me?"

Faith scoffed. "After living for you for a year? Heck yeah!"

Dante turned around and headed back home.