Disclaimer: Don't own DMC.

Author's note: Geez... how do I even start? This story was pretty ambitious when I first got to work on it. A lot happened. Just typical life shit. I'm sure this story has been long forgotten by now haha but it's always been on the back of my mind to finish. It's been so long and I'm only just picking up my old hobby again. I'm sorry if the story feels different- it's literally been years. SO BLAH! ENOUGH TALK. LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET BACK INTO THE GROOVE. EVERYONE HOPE FOR A DMC5!

Chapter 13: Uncertainty pt. 1

It was cold. Dark. The sound of water dripping could be heard nearby. Nero woke up to find himself sitting on the floor, his back resting against a hard cement wall. Squinting his eyes in the dark, Nero groggily took in his surroundings to process where he was.

Where am I...? Oh yeah... This is my room. I'm living with Dante.

He slowly got up, feeling his joints popping with every movement and it irritated Nero to know that he actually spent the night sleeping on the floor like some dog. Why he didn't bother with his bed was an unknown to him. It was only a few feet away actually. Now he had to deal with the annoyance of a sore neck and aching muscles.

As he was stretching out all the kinks in his body, Nero berated himself. His back was so stiff that it felt like he had been sleeping for an eternity. He groaned in temporary pain but breathed a sigh of relief once his stretching loosened his limbs enough to move easier.

How long have I been sleeping? Nero wondered as he looked around his unlit room. No light came from either the overhead floorboards or the door that led up to the shop. Shuffling around in the dark, Nero tried to find the string that would turn on the one crappy lightbulb his room had. Found it. The lights flickered on weakly, illuminating his small makeshift bedroom. At least it was somewhat cozy despite the cool breeze.

First things first, he needed to figure out what time it was. The last thing he needed was for Dante to barge into his room for oversleeping when they had a job to do.

Dante...that's right...

He can't believe he forgot what happened last night. His hand reached up to cover his mouth unconsciously. There was no way he could look the old man in the eyes after what he did last night. The feeling of shame flooded into his face and his hand shifted from his mouth to cover his eyes in silent embarrassment. He was such an idiot. How could he nearly lose control again after he made a promise to himself? That he wouldn't let his demonic urges overpower him.

He wanted to believe he could handle it alone.

Alone.

That's how it should be... He thought sullenly. All the sense of urgency he felt moments prior evaporated in the wake of his realization. How was he going to face Dante? Laugh and brush it off? Usually that would have been easy... but...

The sickly sweet taste flashed in his mind briefly.

Heat touched the tips of Nero's ears and his gritted his teeth involuntarily.

No. That was a one time thing, he told himself. Some weird fluke because of the state he was in then. There was no way in Hell he'd want Dante that way. Zero fucking chance.

Don't think about it. Suppress those feelings. From now on, he'd just have to keep his distance from Dante until he figured out what was going on with himself.

His tongue tingled in remembrance as if to taunt his self-restraint.

Nero had half a mind to flee the shop right then and there. He couldn't deal with the fact that he had felt something in Dante. Something that he only wanted to associate with Kyrie. No one should be able to touch something that even Nero thought was long dead and buried. Certainly not by someone as senile as Dante. Although, if he was honest with himself, the feeling he felt wasn't even completely right either. It was beyond wrong - like he... like he had wanted to...

Devour Dante.

What the fuck is happening to me?

While Nero was internally freaking out, scratching sounds started coming from the door. For a moment, Nero felt his heart nearly stop in panic, but calmed himself down to realize Dante wouldn't make sounds like that if he were to come downstairs.

Then a small little bark confirmed Nero's assumption. It was the puppy he rescued. Figuring that it was his much needed distraction, Nero climbed up the stairs tentatively to open the door for his newfound friend- it's incessistant whining becoming more distinct the closer he got.

Light broke in through the door crack, blinding him slightly. Had he really been downstairs for so long? The light felt so strong against his eyes that it was like he'd been in the dark for ages. Before he could get his bearings, he felt the door wobbling beneath his hand as it was shakily pried open by furry paws and, soon after, a little snout joined in forcing the door open faster.

The ragged puppy finally broke through, scrabbling its way in and nearly toppling down the stairs in its frenzied haste.

"Woah there...!" Nero gasped as he caught the speedy furball in time. It was a tiny little thing and he could practically hold the puppy in one hand as its paws flailed energetically in the air, trying to reposition itself to look at him. "Hey there little guy."

Nero held the feisty puppy in hands, its excitement only growing from seeing him, and it started lapping at his face with happiness.

"Hey, quit it..." Nero grimaced, his hand reaching to place itself between him and the slobbery muzzle. "You stink, pup." Guess now was as good a time as any to give the puppy a bath. The only problem was that he'd have to shop for supplies and hopefully not run into Dante when he goes out. Remembering where he was, Nero quietly peeked around the doorframe and was inwardly relieved to see an unoccupied desk waiting there.

Guess that's one encounter he didn't have to deal with yet.

He didn't quite feel ready either.

Nero went back down the stairs to drop off the puppy by his bed. "Wait here for me okay? Stay." He motioned his hands in a halt sign hoping that it would understand him and the only reaction that the furball gave him was a blank beady stare with it's one tiny pink tongue sticking out. The perfect definition of understanding. "Be good while I'm gone."

But as Nero backed away to head towards the stairs, he heard the tell-tale sounds of little paws following after him. He turned around to look down at the puppy, its round baby eyes trained on Nero almost expectantly while it wagged its tail furiously. He didn't have time to deal with this and, as bad as he felt for doing this, he bounded up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. By the time he reached the top, the poor little guy was scrambling to find purchase at the third step. Nero took a moment to appreciate how cute it's futile attempts were to climb, watching how it hopped multiple times to get over the ledge but not quite reaching the height needed. The soft abandoned whining almost made him turn back out of guilt. Just almost.

Once he checked that the coast was still clear, Nero made his way to the front of the shop, relieved that he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Dante. He almost felt scared to face the older hunter. All because of a new troubling thought amongst many that needed to be sorted out within himself.

Some days he felt like he was going to cave in.

Tucking away that thought, Nero noticed the rain and grabbed his hoodie from where he left it last on the couch. All the rain was getting him annoyed. He pulled the hood over his head and braced himself for the chill as he stepped out into the damp weather. If the shopping districts were anything to go by, he hoped a store or two would have pet supplies.

On his way back from the shops, the rain was coming down hard and Nero tugged his hood further over his face so he could shield it from the pelting cold. Unfortunately, he didn't notice someone coming out of a building and bumped into them in his haste to hurry home. He dropped his bags and let out a muttered curse.

"Excuse me," Nero said and offered a quick apology to them. He crouched down to pick up the things he dropped and, to his surprise, the person he bumped into held their umbrella over him and helped him gather the fallen goods.

"Let me help you," came a feminine voice he hadn't heard before.

Nero, in his confusion, paused to look at her face from beneath his hood. Her eyes were downturned, showing how long her lashes were and brown graceful waves framed her fair face. She looked up then to smile at him and Nero was treated to rich chocolate eyes and pale pink lips before he turned away nervously. A small laughter escaped her dainty lips and she moved to grab the last item that was under his hand. Nero didn't realize he was staying still, fumbling around like an idiot. She just caught him by surprise was all.

"Oh uh... Sorry, I- you didn't have to," he managed to stammer out to her.

"A simple thank you would be fine," she joked, handing him the pet supplies he dropped. "You have a pet dog?"

Well. Why else would he be out in the rain to buy supplies? But he opted to keep things polite.

"Yeah. Found one recently."

"Found one? Or stole one?" She teased. Her voice was filled with a cheerfulness so familiar he was shook with an indescribable urge to be closer. It was almost nostalgic to him. This warmth he felt- like the summer days of his youth holding hands by the river. As she stood up and held her umbrella over him, she smiled at him so genuinely he could almost see her. "But you're so nice for taking in a stray! Next time, you should probably grab one of these or you'll get sick from the rain."

Could he feel attraction for someone new? Was this attraction?

He wasn't sure where his train of thought was going but, out of curiosity, it was then that Nero decided to abruptly get up and into her space. In her surprise, she backed herself into the building behind her, but that didn't deter Nero from stepping closer. The wind rattled the black umbrella in her feeble grip as she stared up at Nero. She was neither frightened nor angry at him. How naive. She should be more careful in these kinds of situations.

But her beautiful smile was gone at least.

Rainwater still streamed down his hood, dropping from the strands of his hair onto his silver lashes and spilling over the curvature of his cheeks- almost like they were tears echoing the pale emotion he could no longer feel inside. Cold blue irises silently peered down into startled doe browns.

He knew he was looming dangerously close to her - close enough to see the soft blush coloring her heart-shaped face; to feel the faint heat radiating off her petite frame; to smell her delicate natural scent coming from her slender neck; and he could even hear the quickening pace of her fragile heartbeat. Oh was it fragile.

His senses were definitely heightened at that moment but...

No... It didn't feel the same to him.

He didn't want her.

And for some reason he dreaded that fact.

"Thanks." Nero stepped away from her, like an uninterested wolf disregarding its prey, and walked out from underneath her umbrella. He grabbed the rest of his things and proceeded to head back home.

After her moment of initial shock, she called out to him from behind, "Take care of it!"

Nero didn't bother to respond. The rain hadn't let up at all and he was more in a hurry to get back home so he can dry himself off.

He knew who he wanted and he'd be damned to admit it.

Things only keep getting more confusing for him.

The rain had seeped deeply into Nero's clothes and he felt it cling to him, weighing him down heavily as he returned to the shop. Each step he took was accompanied by the slosh of rainwater beneath his soles.

Rain, rain, rain. It brought about a near chill that had his fingers stiff in the gusty winds. How had the weather gotten this bad already? It was just a drizzle when he left the shop, now it was damn near a torrential storm- or it at least felt like it. In hindsight, he actually felt relieved to have found the puppy in time. Who knows what would have happened to the little guy, Nero thought, remembering how it desperately tried to climb the stairs to go after him.

Upon sighting the shop's neon red sign amidst the dark gray sky that hung drearily overhead, Nero picked up his pace and dashed forward, crossing streets haphazardly with bags in hand. Cars honked at him angrily as they whizzed by, nearly splashing him with the dirtied sludge of the streets, but he easily made it to the front steps of the shop unscathed by filth.

A rush of warmth greeted him as he opened the door to the shop and made his way inside. His hair was sopping wet despite having his hood on, but he'd feel better after a shower. With no Dante in sight, Nero dropped the bags and immediately shrugged off his soaking hoodie. He found a spot to dry it and went over to see if the puppy was patiently waiting for him. He felt bad for leaving it the way he did. Yeah, he definitely felt bad.

As soon as he cracked the door open, the damn furball was out through the door, barking happily and trying to pounce on his legs. It didn't even care if his clothes were damp and cold to the touch. Nero couldn't help but laugh at its antics and the sound of his laughter, unbridled with amusement, seemed almost foreign to him.

"C'mere you!" Nero picked up the little pup, traces of laughter still lingering in his voice, and ruffled the matted fur on its tiny head. "It's bath time."

He grabbed the shampoo bottle from one of the bags and headed upstairs towards the bathroom. Nero made a mental note to not forget to shower himself. The damn cold was going to get to him and felt like it was already seeping into his bones.

Flicking on the bathroom lights, and after making sure the puppy wasn't going to dash off, he put the puppy down and started up the bath. He crouched down by the tub, one hand was under the faucet to feel the temperature as he waited for the water to warm up. Unexpectedly, a tiny snout came into the palm of his Devil Bringer. The puppy must want more petting.

For some reason, it felt oddly relaxing that the Devil Bringer made no difference to the puppy. The only noticeable reaction it ever gave his other arm was sniffing it more often, an innocent curious reaction that was a stark contrast to the negative treatment people often gave him. In a sense, it helped soothe the deep hidden hurt he felt inside; to know that not everything scorned his mere existence.

He smiled down at the puppy and patted it's head with his clawed hand. The blue glow of his hand hummed softly in his contentment, only brightening briefly, before returning to its normal hue.

Once the water was warm enough, he picked up the scraggly puppy, gave it one last pat on the head, and gently lowered it into the tub. At first the little guy was wary of the water, but after some prodding on Nero's part, it soon found itself splashing around playfully. Nero wasted no time lathering its fur with the new shampoo he bought, it's floral scent filling the air.

To Nero's surprise, the more he lathered the puppy, the more brown the suds became. He rinsed off the suds and reapplied more shampoo. During the second wash, Nero noticed the puppy's fur had brightened considerably. Rinsing the suds off again revealed cream colored fur underneath.

"Well look at that." Came a voice behind Nero.

The voice caught him so off guard that Nero felt his body stiffen involuntarily, his hands literally freezing in their movements. The puppy looked up curiously, harmlessly nipping at his fingers and wondering why he was so still.

"What are we doing here?" The voice was inside the bathroom now, heavy over him. Behind, he could feel the overbearing presence of the man he did not want to see. He never turned around but he could bet that Dante stood there behind him with his arms crossed and the trademark smirk ever present on his face.

"What's it look like?" Nero retorted, but there was not enough bite to his voice since Dante still came to crouch down beside him at the bathtub. Nero felt his breath hitch ever so slightly and he swallowed back a nervous sound as he wished that Dante didn't come so close to him.

"Figured out a name for him yet?" Dante asked, rather innocently.

"She... It's a girl." He had noticed while he was bathing the puppy. It was getting a little hard to breath with having Dante in such close proximity.

"Ooff, a girl? Smells like trouble."

"Only for a womanizer like you." Nero was grateful that he kept up his calm façade, his hand tightening imperceptibly on the edge of the tub, no matter how difficult his urge was to quell.

The puppy barked excitedly at having more people around and just like that, it grounded Nero. He felt some semblance of normalcy return to him, but that only lasted briefly as Dante shouldered him in jest for the womanizer comment. Being touched by him, even being near him, set Nero on edge and he almost broke then at that one simple contact.

He was struggling to keep his composure and he knew he wouldn't very last long if this kept up.

"Can you grab me a towel?" Nero said quickly, his voice quite terse. He needed an excuse to get Dante away from him.

"Sure thing." Dante complied, not seeming to notice, and he stood up to go grab one of the towels hanging on the drying rack beside the door.

Nero pulled the puppy out of the tub, the droplets from her fur and paws splashing back down noisily into the soapy water. He started to dry her off rigorously, using the task as a way to take his mind off the man that was too close for comfort. He was too hyper aware of the older man right now.

The puppy suddenly yapped and started nipping at Nero's hands.

Dante noticed this and made a comment, "The little lady wants you to slow down, you're going too hard for her."

Nero's hand instantly stilled, not realizing he was mindlessly going through the motions. Also... did everything that old pervert say had to sound like innuendo? Or maybe he was the pervert for reading into it like that? Either way, Dante was right, he might be hurting the puppy. Nero slowly continued to dry the puppy. When he was done, he lifted the towel off and watched as she gave one last bark that sounded suspiciously like a huff and then proceeded to shake off her own fur.

Had she been a big dog, Nero would have frowned at all the remaining water splashing everywhere. Luckily she was tiny and it was more amusing to see her try to dry herself, almost losing her footing in her effort to do so. She quickly finished and was already hopping into Nero's lap, paws clawing at his chest as she tried to reach for his face.

"Mind taking her now? I need a shower myself." Nero stood up with the puppy in his arms. He was still wet from the rain, as well as cold, and he just wanted Dante out of the bathroom as fast as possible.

Dante took her from his arms and instead of leaving, he lingered by the door.

"What?" Nero said flatly. He should honestly slam the door on Dante's stupid face, but opted to peel his annoyingly damp shirt off. Fortunately, the air was a bit warm from the bath. He was glad to have his shirt off. It was getting suffocating with the way it clung to him.

"I'm just surprised your hair is still pink."

Nero looked up at the fringe in his vision. It was still a soft salmon color. "No thanks to you. Now can you please get out?" He drained the tub and pulled the curtains closed as he turned on the shower to hot. Heat was slowly creeping into his cheeks, knowing Dante was still there but he couldn't let the old man see how flustered everything made him.

Another snide remark came from Dante and all the resolve to stay calm was dropped as heat immediately flushed his face. Nero stomped angrily over to the door and slammed it shut. There was laughter on the other side and, eventually, the sound of fading footsteps.

Sometimes he couldn't believe Dante. Maybe the old man was more perceptive than he thought and already saw through him? No. There's no way. He was giving the pervert too much credit. Dante just liked messing with him. That's all.

He can't let his emotions get the better of him anymore.

But damn, did he wish Dante would just stop. He had been fine with it at first, because he didn't care then, but wait... why did he even care now? What changed?

I'm not the weird one. ...Am I? But looking at his mismatched arms didn't help things. They were just as strange as he felt.

He didn't want to acknowledge these feelings.

So pushed them down he did.

Nero decided to just chalk it up to not ever really having a normal social life outside of Kyrie or Credo. Yeah... That's what he'd tell himself. Dante was just someone new that he'd become familiar with. That's all. Nothing more.

The doe eyed girl from earlier flashed in his mind and he painfully remembered his failed attempt to find an attraction. She just wasn't his type was all. And... And maybe he couldn't move on from Kyrie.

Right. He wasn't like that. Socializing just wasn't his thing. He just didn't have any actual friends before Dante, but it was only because he was always considered to be some sort of heathen back in Fortuna for not being by-the-book like everyone else. Added to the fact that things started to change once people discovered what happened to his arm. Friends gradually became strangers that wanted nothing to do with him.

Only Kyrie remained with him in the end, and it was almost a miracle that she didn't turn on him despite Nero feeling guilty over the death of Credo, her one and only remaining real family. It was fear that made his frail friendships drift apart and created a divide between him and the townsfolk.

It was fear that continued to keep everyone at arms distance from him.

A fear that ultimately ended up leading to the deaths of...

His past memories resurfaced. One of blood and regret. Of disgust and hatred. He was to blame for not only Credo's death, but also for the others. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to remember - trying to will the faces away.

If only he walked away. If only he controlled his emotions. Why did it have to be like this?

And now he had this strange change all of a sudden.

It was too much.

Without realizing it, steam filled the room and Nero noticed he was standing in front of the mirror. It was fogged up completely. He rested his hands on the sink and stared at his blurred reflection. He could see the outlines of his face, his damp hair, shadowed eyes, and... Nero stared closer, there was something in the mirror.

Through the hazy mirror, he saw someone standing behind him. His head whipped around to look, but there was no one. Looking back into the mirror, the figure was gone. With a tentative hand, he wiped away the mist that formed over the cold reflective surface. Forlorn blue eyes stared back at him. This face was his own.

He must be losing it.

He thought he saw Kyrie...

Dropping his head into his hands, Nero exhaled deeply, hoping to calm himself down from whatever he was feeling. Nothing made much sense anymore.

The guilt he felt over his newfound urges. They were slowly getting to him.

That's right. Shower. He was going to shower.

Stripping off the rest of his rain soaked clothes, Nero stepped into the tub; his mind didn't relax at all so he focused solely on the spray of hot water washing over him.

He felt like he betrayed Kyrie, but he wanted to forget Fortuna. He just wanted to move on.

"Dante..." The name seemed to roll off his tongue with ease without even thinking, but as soon as he said it, he gritted his teeth in frustration.

But not like this.

A/N: Yeah this is going to be a short chapter. I could have made it longer but figured I should post a chapter while I can. So the idea of the next chapter is already in my head and a rough outline kinda done. No promises for when the next chapter will be up! My creativity comes and goes.
Plus I felt like writing. I have an idea of the ending, I can promise you that.

This. Is. Not. Beta'd. + Getting. Sleepy.
Don't know if I'll keep up the artwork side of things as diligently.