New chapter, somewhat filling in between the action, but we get some interaction between the boys! As always, thanks to all you awesome people who have reviewed/favourited, you all get more cookies!

SirenaLoreley: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, we all love our favourite pervert, same as we hate the Fortunians! As for Nero's stalker, you'll find out ;)

VioletIsInPain: Thank you for the review, glad you're enjoying it so far… and the tongue bath! XD

BattleGoddess126: Thanks for the review and I totally agree with you on the Blitz, took me a while to figure them out too!

TheRealAkuRoku: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you're still enjoying it and thanks for the hug! ^^

Bitbyboth: Thanks for reviewing! Glad you like the fight scene! It's always fun to get the two boys in the same space together! XD

Chapter 4 – Eyes That Burn With Hate

Dante didn't quite know what he was expecting, but he was certainly expecting something a little bigger. Nero's home was a three storey flat block that was made from the same, dreary brown brickwork as most of the city's buildings were and lacked the gothic architecture commonly seen. Though it could have been a lot worse as it didn't appear run down from the outside. He followed Nero up to the front door and waited for him to unlock it before being shown inside. The staircase creaked noisily as they trudged up to the second floor where Nero lived; the doors to the first two flats below were locked, suggesting that their occupants were out.

"Anyone else live in this flat, kid?" asked Dante.

"Just two guys from the Order," Nero replied. "I don't really know them."

"Oh? Shouldn't you be their superior or something?"

The teen snorted. "Whatever, I do what I do alone without the Order."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Is your relationship with them really that rocky?"

"Listen," he sighed. "Can we talk about this after we've eaten?"

Dante frowned at the irritated tone in Nero's voice, but he was still just as determined to find out what was bothering him. His mood swings varied so often; one minute, he was the cocky young punk he'd met two months ago and the next, he looked so small and lost.

"Then we'll eat now, because we're going to talk," Dante told him.

"Never give up, do ya?" Nero remarked with a sigh.

"You should know that perfectly well by now."

The elder held back from ruffling the kid's hair again, trying not to be too touchy-feely with him so soon. It might end up getting him a lot worse than a sock in the face. On the top floor, Nero stopped outside the heavy wooden door and unlocked it, shoving it open with a loud squeak. When Dante stepped over the threshold into Nero's home, the first thing he noticed was how empty the place felt. From an initial glance, it looked just like any other small flat; a living room with an adjoining kitchen and two doors sectioning it from the bedroom and the bathroom. It was well kept and in good condition with decent quality furnishings, but it just lacked the feel of home.

"You don't like it here, do you?" asked Dante, scratching the back of his neck.

"What makes you say that?" Nero questioned. "It's not big, but it's comfortable."

"It just doesn't welcome you home, if you know what I mean."

"I guess not, but I've only lived here for just under two months."

"Oh, so you lived somewhere else before this?"

"I used to live with Kyrie."

Dante frowned slightly. "But not anymore?"

"Well, you know. I just wanted my own space, you see..."

That's not very convincing, kid. "Can I use your shower?"

Nero cocked an eyebrow. "Sure, if you want to."

"Good, because fighting demons always works up a sweat."

The teen sighed and shook his head. "There's a mirror in there as well, in case you're worried."

Dante chuckled, but he was distracted from replying to that as Nero shrugged of his coat, hung it up on the back of the main door and unzipped his red hoodie. The kid's body looked well toned beneath the thin, tight fitting navy tank top he wore underneath and the fabric had ridden up just enough to expose a thin line of flesh around his abdomen. Dante swallowed thickly before removing his own coat to hang it next to Nero's; he was really beginning to lose it.

"See ya in a bit kid," he said as he made a dash for the bathroom.

"Err Dante... that one's the bedroom," Nero warned him.

"Oh, yeah okay... must be this one then!"

"I'll get dinner cooked while you're in there."

Dante shut the door quickly and locked the door, growling at his demon side for throwing several insults his way. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door for a moment; if he'd have known hanging around the kid after missing him for two months would be so difficult, he would have dragged him back home with him after giving him Yamato. Sighing, he pushed away from the door and stripped before getting into the tiny shower cubicle and pulling the curtain across. As he turned the tap, he was instantly hit with lukewarm water, something he was unfamiliar with from his shower at the Devil May Cry office. It actually felt somewhat relaxing and it was certainly better than making a fool of himself in front of Nero.

You're an idiot; obviously things aren't cool with the girl so ask him and then take him! Dante groaned under his breath, trying to ignore his devil side, which was presently making things feel very awkward around the object of his affections. You know you want too... the elder clenched his fist, managing to stop himself from shouting and potentially making himself appear mentally disturbed. Of course he wanted to, he wanted to more than anything, but that wasn't the way he should treat a man he wanted more than just a quick fuck from.

"Damn, guess Vince was right," he muttered under his breath. "I do have feelings for the kid."

At least that comment seemed to quieten down his devil side; if he had feelings for Nero, then it would soon get what it wanted. Dante frowned; did I really just refer to myself as two separate beings? Ignoring that train of thought, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, not bothering to use any of Nero's soap or even registering the fact that it was rose scented. He grabbed a white towel from the rail and dried himself off before running it through his silvery hair. Deciding not to worry Nero by walking out completely naked, he pulled on his red leather trousers and left his boxers behind with his chaps and shirt. It would be a bit of fun when the kid found them later.

Snickering to himself as he imagined a cute blush on Nero's pretty face, Dante left the bathroom and was immediately greeted by a welcome smell. It had been so long since he'd had anything other than pizza that he'd forgotten what other food smelt like. The scent of grilling steak had him practically drooling, something that wasn't helped by the site of Nero standing in front of the cooker. The kid had changed out of his jeans and was now wearing a pair of tight black leisure pants that hung a little way below his hips, just about revealing the upper cleft of his buttocks. Dante licked his lips and was unfortunate enough to be caught by Nero as he turned round.

"Smells good, does it?" Nero asked teasingly.

Yeah, but you look tastier. "Sure does kid," Dante replied. "As much as I love pizza, it's nice to eat something else for a change."

"You seriously only eat pizza?"

"Hell yeah! Are you telling me you don't?"

"Sure I like pizza, but... every damn day?"

Dante shrugged and crossed the room to sit down at the small table. "Never hurt me."

Nero rolled his eyes skyward before he turned back to check on the chips that were cooking in the oven, managing to hide his blush. Luckily, he had managed to keep his tone even after the pleasant surprise of seeing Dante walk out of the bathroom without a shirt on. The man was just as well toned and muscled as he imagined, if not better, but it was only going to make things even more difficult. There was no way in hell that such a hot guy was gay and, giving the run of luck he'd had in the past two months, he would definitely be straight. Straight as an arrow.

"Hey kid, are you paying attention over there?" Dante's voice interrupted his chain of thought.

Nero looked up to see what the elder was referring to, but he noticed quickly that the steaks were beginning to get a little too well done. Cursing a little at allowing himself to get lost in thought, he switched off the grill and removed the pan holding the steaks with his Devil Bringer so he didn't burn himself. He heard Dante snicker behind him and he glared at the slabs of meat, wondering whether the other man purposely left the bathroom half naked to distract him. That would mean he's interested, right? Nero blushed a little at that thought but was able to divert his attention in favour of concentrating on the chips in the oven.

Without any further distraction from his 'guest', Nero finished with what he was doing and plated up. Oddly enough, the elder was waiting rather patiently for the younger hunter to hand him his steak and chips. Dante glanced up at the kid as the plate of delicious smelling food was placed in front of him, unable to prevent his eyes from dropping low to the thin line of exposed flesh at his midriff. He continued to stare as Nero walked round the table, but sadly he had pulled up the back of his trousers so they were seated back on his hips. He cleared his throat as the other man sat down opposite him, reaching for the bottle of ketchup and drowning his chips in the thick red sauce.

"Seriously, do you need that much?" asked Nero, hoping there would be enough left for him.

"Oh, so I can't eat the way I usually do?" Dante replied, handing him the bottle.

"Yeah but at that rate, all you'll be able to taste is tomato."

"Hey, I've never had your cooking before, I might need to only taste tomato."

Nero glared at him. "You didn't have to ask me to do this, you know."

"You're right, I didn't. You should have offered to cook for me."

The teen flipped him off. "You can be a real asshole, you know."

"You love it kid, I know it."

"Shut up and eat it, old man."

Dante smirked, enjoying getting the kid so riled up. To his surprise, the steak tasted just as good as it smelt and it was certainly good quality meat. As he started to think of the idea of being able to have Nero cook for him every day, his devil side started purring with satisfaction again. He cleared his throat again, deciding to move back to previous conversations to silence his inner demon.

"So then kid," he mumbled through a mouthful. "About what I asked earlier."

Nero cocked an eyebrow. "I can't understand you with your mouth full."

"I said..." Dante swallowed the rest of his food. "About what I asked earlier."

"Oh, what exactly?"

"Before we entered the Opera House, you were saying something about the people here but you didn't tell me what when I asked."

Nero glanced back down at his plate. "Really? I don't recall."

"Come on, we both know that's not the case."

The teen sighed. "Just what do you want me to say, old man?"

Dante stared at him seriously. "The villagers aren't just afraid of the demons, are they?"

"Look, can we just..."

"Stop cutting me off kid, it's getting irritating."

"Why are you so damned interested anyway?"

"Because I saw the way those people were looking at you before and they were afraid of you. Hell, some of them looked as though they wanted you to just drop dead right there. I can assume the same from the lack of workmen at the Opera House too; the reason why they don't come back to finish the job is because they're afraid of you, isn't it?"

Nero continued to eat silently, causing the elder to sigh deeply. "Please Nero, just talk to me."

The kid glanced up, his azure eyes meeting those of the man opposite. "It's nothing, Dante."

"It doesn't seem like nothing to me, you seemed a bit bothered by it at times."

"I get used to it, that's all. They've acted this way ever since you left."

"So you're just happy to let this continue?"

Nero sighed. "How can I change them, eh? If you haven't noticed, this is a religious city and I'm not exactly an angle, am I? When the people see my arm, all they see is a demon, nothing else. Everyone expected the problems to go away when the Saviour was defeated, but the devils just keep coming back. They started to think that I'm the cause of the problem because of my arm, they don't stop to think it's simply because the demon's can smell weakness."

Dante frowned. "But they know you practically saved this place, right?"

"Dante, most of the people still believe Sanctus wasn't behind it! They think I was."

"In that case, have you ever thought of leaving?"

"If I left here, who would hunt the demons? All of these people would be dead if I left."

"Yeah, but they don't seem to think of it like that, do they?"

"Aside from that, I still have Kyrie. I can't just leave her here."

I wondered when the girl would come into play. "What, she can't take care of herself?" Dante grimaced inwardly; tactful Dante, very tactful.

"Well, we grew up together; I just feel I have a bit of an obligation."

"Ah, so that's why you used to live together... but why aren't you there anymore?"

Nero's gaze faltered noticeably. "I told you, I needed space..."

"She's afraid of you too, isn't she?"

The teen bit his lip, knowing that it was impossible to hide the truth from the elder. "It seems like she believed what the people say about me too..."

"Damn it kid, why did you put yourself through that for two months?"

"I hoped that maybe if they could see my true intentions, they'd have more faith in me."

Dante sighed again. "Look Nero, there are some people that never change and you should know that better than anyone now. Even if you grew white feathery wings and a halo the people would still think you were responsible for the demon attacks. I came up here to see how you were doing seeing as I had reliable intel suggesting you were carrying on without the approval of the locals. Seems that the demons weren't taking your mind of things, hmm?"

Nero smiled lightly. "Until a certain other demon I know showed up."

The elder chuckled. "I'm always around if you need me kid, maybe I should have left you my number with that gift I gave you."

The teen blushed as Dante winked, playfully. "Dinner's getting cold, old man."

Dante snorted, but continued eating at his host's request; the food did taste damn good and it would be a shame to let it go cold. Once he finished, he stretched back in the wooden chair and yawned slightly, not failing to check out Nero as he cleared their plates away. He smirked and moved to sit on the slightly frayed blue couch, beginning to think he could get used to the idea of having the kid around. Now that it seemed the girl wasn't Nero's love interest, there'd be no harm in asking the younger man to come and live with him at the office.

Nero sighed contentedly, fighting off the urge to hum a random tune to himself whilst he washed up the dishes. He hadn't really told Dante just how much the atmosphere in the town was getting him down, but simply a few words from the elder made him feel like a new person again. He had occasionally allowed himself to think that the red half demon had forgotten about him, but it was clearly not the case. Not only had the man given him a very important gift, but he even returned to see him and cheer him up in a way no one else could. It almost made him think he had a chance with the guy, but he knew they were only friends. That was all they'd ever be.

After drying his hands of the soapy water, Nero left the kitchen to use the bathroom. The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was the rest of Dante's clothes on the floor; his black leather shirt, chaps and a pair of red silk boxers. A dark blush lit up his face and, although he should have been annoyed at the elder for leaving his clothes around, he found himself unable to be. He bent down to pick up the shirt, unconsciously hugging it to himself as he breathed in the older man's scent. It reminded him of being hugged to his warm, muscular chest but the scent soon started to work its way to his groin. Glaring at himself, and his devil arm for glowing so brightly, he dropped the shirt back on the floor and finished what he came into the bathroom for.

"Dante," Nero started as he left the bathroom. "Do you have to leave your clothes around?"

"Huh?" the elder glanced at him. "Oh yeah, sorry kid, it's a habit."

"Then go a fetch them because I'm not doing it for you."

Dante smirked. "Sure. Besides, you promised me a beer or two, right?"

"Oh yeah I forgot, I still haven't upheld my side of the bet," he rolled his eyes skyward, wondering when the other man would let it drop, if ever. "But we'll need to go to the store for that, I'm not really welcome in any of the bars, you know."

"You mean this city actually has bars?"

"Sure it does, just they don't like half demons, funnily enough."

"Heh," Dante walked over to him and placed a thumb under his chin. "At least you're thinking more on the bright side now."

"Just get your clothes back on, old man! And at least wear some underwear..." Nero tried to fight back the blush that threatened to return. "Going commando in leather is... kinda weird."

Dante laughed. "Actually it's pretty comfy down there."

The teen glared at him as he smirked and rubbed at his crotch. "Sick old pervert."

Soon, the two of them left Nero's apartment for the streets of the city, which were only partially lit from the setting sun. A few people were wandering around, but not in the same numbers as during the day; it looked like the nightlife in Fortuna was rather nonexistent. Dante paid attention to the locals as he walked by Nero's side, catching their sideways glances at the kid every so often. He glared back at several of them, seeming to make a point, but the nasty looks kept on coming. Their eyes just seemed to almost burn with hatred as they looked upon the part devil and it made Dante want to level the place even more. He hoped that a group of demons didn't show up now because if they did, he'd certainly lose it and end up Triggering.

Once they entered the late night store, Dante was able to breathe a sigh of relief; the place was empty apart from an old man behind the counter. The two made their way to refrigerator units, which were mostly full of soft drinks, but they contained a few brands of bottled beer. As Nero pulled open the fridge door and fetched out a few bottles, Dante felt eyes on them. He glanced in the direction of the counter where the old man was giving them odd looks, mostly in the direction of his younger companion. However, the expression in his eyes was somewhat different, especially when his eyes fell on Rebellion and refused to look elsewhere. At least Nero wasn't the target this time.

The sun had gone down quickly so when they left the shop, it was mostly dark and the streets were lit only by the soft light from the lamps. On the walk back to Nero's flat, the kid was oddly quiet, but Dante fully understood his reasons. A few more people were out on the streets and, because of the darkness, it was easy to see the glowing light of Nero's demonic arm. No wonder he preferred to hide it in a sling; the locals seemed drawn to it like moths to a flame, though not in a positive way. They turned around a street corner and immediately came face to face with a group of five men who were wearing uniforms of the Order. Nero dropped his gaze to the ground, hoping to walk by unnoticed but Dante was already glaring a warning at them. As the men passed, the closest 'accidentally' bumped into Nero, almost knocking him into the elder slayer.

"Heh sorry, didn't see you there demon boy," the man sneered.

Nero ignored them, but Dante had stopped in his tracks. "Wanna try that again, pal?"

The Order member chuckled, turning to face the man in red. "And who are you?"

"I know him!" one of the others exclaimed. "That's Dante; he killed His Holiness!"

"Aw, I'm touched," Dante dramatically placed a hand on his chest. "You remembered me."

"Dante, let's just leave it," Nero grumbled, grasping his arm. "Let's just..."

"Forget it kid," the elder growled. "Someone needs to show these bastards a thing or two."

"Oh really?" the group leader laughed. "What's he to you then, devil boy? Your boyfriend?"

"So what if I was?" Dante questioned, resting a hand on his hip.

"Just another reason to drive scum like him out of our city!"

"Oh, do you wanna try saying that again."

The Order member snarled, flipping back the tail on his coat and grasping the handle of his sword. "Yeah, maybe I will say that again... after I've run this through you!"

He quickly pulled out his sword and charged at Dante, who had a broad grin on his face. Without even using any of his usual strength, he grasped the hilt of Rebellion and swung his sword down off his back, knocking the other man's sword from his hand in one blow. The other four men also reached for their swords, but they hesitated as Dante shot them a look that could kill, his fingers curling about his blade's handle.

"You sure you want to do that?" he taunted, darkly.

The Order member on his knees in front of Dante got to his feet, quickly trying to retrieve his sword, but Dante spotted him easily. He rested a flat face of Rebellion on the man's shoulder, one of the sharp edges dangerously close to his neck. His eyes widened and he stared up into the ice blue eyes of the leather clad half demon.

"I think you should get out of here," Dante growled.

"How dare you just walk around here like you own the place," the man shot back.

"Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"Good. Then you can take that thing with you."

He nodded his head in the direction of Nero, who looked away. Dante narrowed his eyes and removed his sword from the man's shoulder, reseating the blade on his back. As he turned away to leave, he made sure to step on his fingers, smirking at the grunt of pain he was rewarded with. Nero glanced over his shoulder briefly, watching as the four other Order members crowded around their leader, who was still kneeling on the floor. He knew two of those men and thankfully, neither of them lived in his flat. But he allowed himself a small smile; he hadn't expected Dante to act like that and it made him feel warm inside when the elder had defended him like that.

"Thanks Dante," Nero murmured, not looking at the older male.

He heard him chuckle. "Don't mention it, Nero."

Perverted Dante is still perverted... and a certain kid is in trouble... new update coming soon!