"So, let me get this straight," Dante began, eyes narrow as he ran Lee's theory through his mind a few times. "You want to tell me that that Chief guy of yours is actually Atlas in hiding because you managed to overhear bits and pieces of a conversation of his?"

"And he knew details he shouldn't have known about my attack. And those bits and pieces of that conversation had been about making sure that something stays a raccoon problem, and that the truth isn't supposed to be revealed," she retorted with a sigh. "Actually, the exact words were: "Just make sure it stays"-"

Dante waved his hand around in her face, interrupting her. She had to refrain herself from biting him, lest he might let it get to his head that he seemed to be the only person alive whose closeness she could tolerate, if only barely.

"I know what the exact words were. You've already told me, oh I dunno, thrice today. But what makes you so sure that they were talking about your raccoon problem?" He stared at her, squinting his eyes even further. There was something else, and he knew it. And he knew what that was, too, but he just liked to put her on the spot.

And Lee knew that, but it couldn't be that hard to figure out, going by the amused twinkle that always seemed to shine in his eyes just when he had planned something horrible for her.

She let out a sigh, knowing she wouldn't get his full support if she didn't give him this guilty pleasure. "Because my instinct tells me this. I get goose bumps whenever I'm in his presence, something that only started since the whole Atlas ordeal... I guess his presence had never endangered me. But now it has and I can recognise it. Now go and have your laugh."

Crossing her arms and glaring at the white-haired bastard, who had started gloating at her even before she had told him he could do so, she realised how stupid this instinct bullshit was. Especially when it came from her, someone who hammered on about scientific evidence and whatnot all the time. James would be having an 'I told you so' party if he knew about this.

"Anyway." Lee coughed to get the Devil Hunter's attention once more. "I was thinking of how I could-"

Dante frowned at her sudden freezing, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes a few times when his calls didn't seem to reach her mind. "Don't tell me you're actually a machine and have to be wound up every so many hours to work again. Though... I have to be honest and say that it wouldn't really surprise me. And I'm insulted that you haven't told me earlier, I'd be glad to wind you up whenever you-"

The scowl she shot his way for once happened to be enough to silence him and he muttered under his breath, "Great, she has a restart button."

"He was grinning when I entered the room after hearing him say that. For what had appeared to be no reason. Ugh, why hadn't I thought of that sooner?!" she yelled, pinching herself as though to punish herself for her own dumbness.

"Woah, woah, hadn't thought of what sooner?" Dante caught her hands in his to prevent her from hurting herself again.

"Don't you get it? He was grinning because he was confident in his case. It doesn't matter if I find out whether or not he's Atlas. Nobody will believe me if I claim that our boss is some demon who can change into a human! They all think I'm crazy enough as is, they're practically waiting for something like this to happen and to put me in a mental institution!"

"Okay, calm down," Dante said, still holding Lee's hands but she hadn't seemed to notice. He shook her arms a little to try and bring her back to reality, concern filling his eyes. "All you have to do is find evidence, right? How about start with those two men you saw leaving his office?"

She shook her head. "No, that's exactly it. I don't have any evidence, and he's going to kill me before I get any, too. You were right all along, I shouldn't have gotten myself involved with these stupid raccoons."

"I have to agree with you on the fact that raccoons are horrible beasts, but believe me when I say you're not going to die. I won't let him, okay? And didn't you say something about raising suspicion if you were to die?" Dante retorted.

When he didn't get an immediate answer out of her, he shook her hands about again, which finally made her realise he was still holding them in the first place.

Tugging herself free from his grasp, she shook your head again. "There are many ways to kill someone while making it look like an accident. Haven't you ever watched television?"

"Hey, don't lecture me on watching television. And just don't get into situations where you can die in an accident," Dante suggested with a grin.

At that, Lee raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean to tell me to stay indoors all day and get James to do my grocery shopping and all? No, thank you very much."

"Or you could stay with me," Dante offered in a low voice, his grin turning his a smirk as he drew closer to her. His expression was unreadable and she could feel herself turn red at the amount of lust that he seemed to be secreting all of a sudden.

"Y-you mean to suggest that I live in that hole you call a home, or office, or whatever?" She almost slapped herself at stuttering.

Dante pouted and backed away from her, feigning a hurt look. "I, for one, think it gives it a very personal and cosy feeling."

"If you mean 'personal' and 'cosy' as in, 'Hey let's do it on this couch', then I guess you've hit the nail right on the head," Lee shot back at him, looking rather disgusted at the image that had appeared inside her mind. Of course it had to insert herself and him on that dirty couch, giving her shivers of both the turned on and turned off kind. She hadn't known this guy for so long and already was he giving her such conflicted feelings.

"I liked it better when you were all blushing and stammering. Though while you're at it, you could use that sharp tongue of yours for-"

"No! Get out!" she all but screamed at him, pointing towards her backdoor.

"What crawled up your ass all of a sudden?" Dante retorted with a grin as he made his way out and Lee merely watched him go, knowing that whatever she wanted to say would only come back to bite her instead.

Once she had slammed the door closed, she rested her forehead against the wood to collect her thoughts for a few seconds. Immediately forgetting Dante's existence, her mind went back to the Chief, the hopelessness of it all washing over her.

She couldn't tell anybody about this because they'd think her crazy. Even if she did manage to somehow find evidence for her theory... It would remain hard for the average human being to comprehend the situation. People could be stupid like that.

But she couldn't just get up and find said evidence, which would still help her more than her silly claim could, for she had been taken off the job and that would raise suspicion. Even with a certain half-demon out there trying to help her, who knew how long it would take before Atlas killed her or she managed to catch him.

A knock from her front door startled her and she twirled around, her heart almost in her throat just as she repeated her last thought to herself. She grabbed her gun from its holster and held it behind her back before making her way to open the door.

Fearing to see the face of the Chief, intent on getting her out of his way, relief and irritation flooded her when she saw it was Dante, instead.

"What do you want now?" she asked him.

Her armed hand now hung by her side and Dante eyed her gun before directing his gaze back at her. "You expecting company?"

"No, I-"

Lee's snarky response was cut off as a pair of lips crashed to hers, her eyes going wide as she watched Dante watch her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her against him and started to probe at her shut mouth with his tongue, almost begging for entrance.

Torn between giving in to him and staying true to her mind, she stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do.

The situation resolved itself when, due to her inactivity, Dante gave up and pulled away. This had to count as a rejection for him, yet there was a smirk on his face when one of his fingers traced her lower lip, his expression unreadable.

"You know, just in case you're telling the truth and your Chief wants you dead. Wouldn't want you to die without having at least kissed someone, right?" And with a wink, he disappeared again, and this time she hoped he wouldn't start knocking at her backdoor in a few minutes.

Lee closed the door behind him, again. Having forgotten her predicament for a moment, she ran over his words a few more times, her mind incapable of pushing that look on his face away.

"I hate you, you idiot," she mumbled and touched her lips, where his had been but a few seconds ago.

She hated how her face had turned red, how she had frozen up and had been unable to push him away, or just to kiss him back while she had the chance. Hated how she - no, her body, she wouldn't acknowledge herself enjoying such a barbaric activity - had seemed to enjoy the contact. Contact which she hadn't even thought that she would have, never thought she wanted to have, yet now she seemed to be yearning for more.

And somehow it hurt. Her first kiss, ever, and it had seemingly been given by this guy, the only guy ever who had managed or wanted to get this close to her, because he 'didn't want her to die without at least having kissed someone'.

But then again, he had said at least kissed someone. Did that mean he was planning on going further?

Lee wasn't sure whether she was supposed to be happy or angry, so she just settled for pressing her free hand against her eyes in an attempt to hold back the sudden tears that were trying to escape.

Had she always felt this lonely?