Character(s): Nero, Slight Kyrie, Dante
Genre(s): I really don't know...
Warnings: Very Mild Nero/Kyrie (lol That's a warning...), Language, Suggestive Themes
As Nero hastily rummaged through the fridge to scrounge together some semblance of breakfast, he felt the most shameful and strange stab of anxiety in his gut. Every morning, he woke up feeling that way. He wasn't sure when it started, but, for about a month, the young hunter had been suffering through that nervousness and dread. Unfortunately, he was beginning to see the source of that anxiety—though he didn't want to admit it—and work was his only respite.
"Good morning, Nero!"
Nero's entire body stiffened like a board when a smaller form collided with his back. Kyrie's slender fingers ghosted over his bare clavicle, and her soft breaths wafted over his nape. He started to break into a cold sweat, his mouth going dry, when he realized he could feel her breasts pressed against him, and her hips grazed him a few times. He swallowed loudly around what felt like a lump of cotton lodged in his throat.
"Uh," he croaked, "morning, Kyrie."
Nero noticed how she grew silent at his unenthusiastic greeting, and he could feel her eyes on him, studying him. He worried he had hurt her feelings, but, despite how fragile she seemed at times, Kyrie was actually quite difficult to harm, at least, with words.
"Is something wrong?" she asked. The sincere concern in her voice made Nero's heart ache with guilt. It wasn't fair at all to make her worry, and he knew she had been. However, he simply couldn't find the words to explain his issue. So, instead, he lied, which only made his guilt worse.
"I'm fine," he replied, trying to sound believable. "I just don't feel too hot this morning."
"Are you alright?" Kyrie asked, releasing her headlock. Nero had intended to throw together a ham and cheese sandwich, but he decided quickly that he would rather pick something up on his way instead. As he hurried into the den to slip his boots on, Kyrie followed behind, waiting impatiently for his answer. Eventually, she had to speak again.
"Nero?" The worry was clear in her voice, and it was perfectly understandable. Nero knew he was acting weird, but he had no idea what to do about it, and he hated himself for that.
"I'm just tired," he responded, mustering a smile that looked more like a grimace. "I'll feel fine after I eat something."
"O-okay, but aren't you going to—"
"I'll just pick something up on my way. Bye, Kyrie!"
Nero spat the words at her before hurrying out the door before she even had a chance to respond. He knew he would have to apologize for his rudeness later, if he ever figured the whole situation out. Until then, he would continue feigning ignorance.
"'Bout time you got here, kid. Didn't think you'd show up."
Nero was still lapping grease off his fingers when he slowed to a halt in the midst of the vast battlefield where he had once fought Bael. Though it still snowed in the mountains, Lumina Peak had warmed up considerably after the Hell Gate was destroyed. The cold was no longer unbearable. However, demons still lingered here and there. Nero was slowly working toward picking them all off until Fortuna was demon free. Occasionally, Dante tagged along if Nero was kind enough to call and invite him. Nero claimed he only ever invited Dante because the halfbreed taught him new techniques with Yamato, but it was his deep, dark secret that he actually kind of enjoyed the loudmouthed hunter's company.
"Oh, shut it," Nero growled. "When are you ever on time?"
Dante smirked, obviously satisfied with Nero's reaction. "Somebody's grouchy today," he mused. Dante took pleasure in picking at Nero. He loved pissing the younger hunter off. Nero normally didn't mind it too much; it felt good to blow up sometimes, and who better to suffer the brunt of his rage than Dante? However, the halfbreed also had a habit of discovering what was eating him, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Nero knew he probably should have thought more about inviting Dante over. He could only hope that the devil hunter wouldn't figure out what was wrong with him or, at the very least, would show some mercy. There was a microscopic chance of either of those things happening.
"I wouldn't be so damn grouchy if you didn't act like such a smug bastard," Nero retorted. Ordinary people would probably have been insulted, but Dante was far from ordinary. He took insults like compliments.
"I wouldn't be such a smug bastard if you didn't give me a reason to be," Dante replied mockingly. Nero snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, right."
Nero summoned Yamato from within him, and the blade conjured in his hand. Wrapping his bare hand around the cold hilt of the blade felt exhilarating, refreshing. He almost forgot entirely about his problems. Perhaps, actually using the blade would alleviate his mind completely.
"Well, are we gonna do what we came here for?"
Dante jerked his head to the side. "I dunno, kid. Are we?"
Nero curled his lip at the man. "You suggesting I'm not up to it?"
Dante smirked humorously. "You're puttin' words in my mouth, kid. I never said any such thing."
Nero almost flushed pink as he realized the vague double entendre he had inadvertently incorporated into his words. His cheeks heated up slightly, but he scratched at his nose to hide it. He would have succeeded, too, if it wasn't for that meddling asshole. He had to point out everything. If only Nero could embarrass Dante somehow. That'll never happen...
"Am I missing something here?" asked Dante quizzically, his lips half smirking and half grinning.
"No," Nero mumbled, glaring at the older man from the corners of his eyes as he continued rubbing his nose. He knew he was already doomed; he was just waiting for Dante to figure it out.
"Your girlfriend not putting out or something?"
"W-what?" Nero squawked, his voice breaking an embarrassing pitch. "You're a pervy old man." Nero's reaction was definitely more a product of his own embarrassment than disgust. The way his blush intensified confirmed that.
"Well? Is that the problem?" prodded Dante, ignoring Nero's insult. He was used to it.
"No! She wants it just fine!" Nero answered too quickly.
"So you're the one who's not putting out?"
"Dante!"
Nero slapped a palm over his face, sighing into the clammy skin. Even as he acted exasperated with Dante, he didn't always get himself into those situations accidentally. While discussing his personal life with the halfbreed was uncomfortable, sometimes, Dante actually had some useful advice. Concerning that particular topic, Nero wasn't sure exactly what Dante would say, however. Probably something stupid and wildly inaccurate, but he could try anyway.
"Well?" crooned Dante, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping a boot on the stone floor. "Is that it?"
Nero sighed deeply, slowly, before forcing himself to mutter, "Yes..."
Dante blew a sputtering raspberry in lieu of laughter as if his lips were a bursting dam meant to suppress his guffaws. A grin twitched on his lips, and, while he seemed to be trying to control himself for Nero's sake, the young hunter wasn't so stupid as to fail to notice what a spectacle the older man made out of it. Nero scowled at him until Dante was finally able to regain his composure.
"Sorry, sorry," he repeated, waving a hand as if to fan away his laughter. "So you're the one who doesn't wanna do it..."
"Yes, Dante, that's what I just said," Nero grumbled, glaring at the older hunter.
"Can I ask why?"
Nero sighed yet again, though it was out of nervousness rather than exasperation. That was the point where their conversation could become truly awkward. Nero wasn't sure he wanted to discuss the truth with Dante. When it came to sex, they were polar opposites, and Nero wasn't dubious at all that Dante would tease him if he told the halfbreed what was bothering him. He was already ashamed; he didn't need Dante making it worse. However, there wasn't another living being on the planet that would know better about it than Dante.
Finally, Nero took a deep breath and confessed. "I'm afraid I'll screw it up."
"Not confident in your ability to please, huh?" Strangely, Dante's voice was void of humor. For once, he actually sounded serious. Nero wasn't sure he preferred that over Dante's usual frivolity. It gave their conversation an uncomfortable weight.
"No, I can do just fine in bed," replied Nero. He cringed at how uncertain he sounded.
"Kid, I've been with enough virgins to know you're lying."
Nero rubbed at his nose, turning a rosy pink. Dante grinned at him, and Nero suddenly wasn't certain how he wanted Dante to act. He found it difficult to be comfortable with the man, no matter what he said or did.
"It's not that that's bothering me anyway," he replied. Dante said nothing, waiting for Nero to respond. After a moment of tense, awkward silence, he did. "I'm afraid I'll hurt her."
"I seriously doubt you're that big," Dante replied. He was obviously trying to irritate Nero, perhaps, to lift the mood. Somehow, Nero found it within himself to ignore Dante's crack at his dick size.
"I mean, when we've fooled around before, I got kinda rough with her, and she's always been too nervous to go further. But now she wants to take the next step and I can't..."
"Why not?" Dante asked with a shrug.
"Seriously?" Nero replied, staring disbelievingly at the older hunter. "You said yourself that you don't get involved with relationships because your demon 'scares off all the ladies'. If I lost control and hurt her, how would she fight back? And I barely know shit about living with a freaking demon inside of me. What if I lose myself and kill her or something? Am I supposed to just give up on ever having a relationship just because one of my parents decided to fuck with a demon?"
"Calm down, kid," Dante laughed. "You're jumping to conclusions."
"Well, it's hard not to. If you can't control yourself, how can I possibly hope to?"
"That's because I don't try hard enough, kid. It's a lot easier to control yourself if you never have the same girl in bed twice. Keeps my demon thoroughly entertained."
"Yeah, but I don't wanna whore around with a bunch of different women. I'm only interested in Kyrie. Besides, everyone's afraid of me anyway..."
"I didn't say you had to. It just means you're gonna have to try harder."
"Try what harder?"
"Sex," Dante laughed. "Just don't lose control of yourself."
"But how do I do that?" Nero asked, quirking a brow.
"Focus on her and not yourself," responded the hunter simply. "It'll be easy at first, but, then, your devil's gonna start getting bored. It'll want more, but you'll have to force yourself to ignore everything and just focus on pleasing your girl."
"That doesn't sound very fun," Nero mumbled.
"It's not horrible, but it's nothing like pornos make it out to be either. At least, not until you learn to control yourself. If you really want that, I don't think you'll have that hard of a time with it."
"You think?" Nero asked uncertainly. The fear of hurting Kyrie was still present, but the way Dante described everything made it seem far from impossible.
"Yep," replied Dante flatly. "Now are we gonna do what we came here for?"
"Oh, right," Nero replied, blushing. He had forgotten about Yamato entirely despite that the blade was still gripped in his hand. Dante motioned for him to toss the katana over, and Nero obeyed, watching intently as the devil hunter began to demonstrate an exciting new move he had never seen before, instructing all the way.
