Disclaimer: I do not own.

Author's notes: EY. Gaiz... I know I said I was going to drop the art side of things, but... After 4 years, I drew again. Thanks to my best friend for bringing my sketch into digital~ She might add color to it one day. Or I might. Depends. I dedicate this chapter to her even though she'll never see it. Lololol BUT on the off chance she does, U DA BES' ❤️ hurrdurr.

*cough*Imsorryeveryone*cough*

I'll post the pic link on my profile!

Chapter 20: Reunion

Nero tugged the dark scarf more snug around his neck. Time had passed unperturbed and the cold had forced Nero to find more suitable wear for the weather. His denim jacket was put away for the more heavier coat he now wore and it protected him perfectly from the elements.

Snowfall blurred his vision as he weaved silently through the crowded sidewalk; his eyes were on a man a few strides ahead. He was currently on a job to track down the target, but as he moved along, he had a feeling that someone was following him.

Had he been noticed? No. Nero was always careful when he was out and the man ahead showed no signs of speeding up. Sneaking a look back, there was someone directly behind him but he couldn't make out their features because they wore a hooded jacket. When he refocused his gaze back in front of him, the man he was tailing had disappeared.

Shit.

He must have been complacent that day if he didn't know how long he had been followed while on a job. And now he lost sight of his target because of it.

Putting some distance between them, Nero spotted an alleyway and took a turn down it. He then knew for sure that they were after him because he could still hear the tell-tale footsteps of his shadower as they made the same turn.

Nero continued further down the alley and came to a fork in the path. He quickly ducked out of their sight and hid himself against a small crook in the wall as he waited for them to hurry past when they notice that they lost him.

Like he had expected them to, they unknowingly ran right by him and he was able to get the jump on them, grabbing their arm and twisting it behind their back as he pinned his stalker against the wall.

"Who are you and why are you following me?" Nero asked threateningly. He tugged tighter on the restrained arm when they didn't respond and they cursed in pain. The cry belonged to a woman and Nero loosened his grip in surprise. When their hood fell free, they turned to glare at him over their shoulder.

The instant he saw her pair of mismatched eyes, Nero released his hold completely and stepped back. He wasn't expecting to see a familiar face and was unsure of what to do now that he realized who had been following him.

"Finally found you," Lady said once she was free. She rubbed at her shoulder, her face wincing slightly from the pain of being forced into an awkward position. "Didn't think you spotted me."

"You were following me. Why?" Nero didn't knew whether or not he should be hostile towards her. They didn't end on the best of terms and he wondered if she tried to ambush him or something.

"I happened to be in the city. And I saw you."

"And what? You wanted to give me a friendly 'Hello?'" If she wanted to attack him, she probably would have done so by now.

"Not quite. But sure."

"Here's my goodbye then." Nero turned around to leave. The sooner he left, the better.

"Come back to Devil May Cry," she said at his back.

Nero stopped in his tracks and peered back over his shoulders, genuinely surprised she would ask him such a thing. "What...?" was all he managed to say.

"I know we didn't always get along..." She looked nervous, standing there by herself as she tried to speak, "but I've been looking for you, Nero." Slowly, she approached him. Her stature was so small compared to his and she practically had to look up at him as she braced herself to keep going, "I wanted to apologize... and let you know that I want you to come back to work at Devil May Cry."

Her words weren't making any sense to Nero. He understood them, yes, but he didn't getit. Nero hadn't felt so conflicted in ages. When he turned back around to face her, he looked her directly in the eyes, "I thought you hated me?"

"I don't hate you at all," Lady said and Nero could see that she was genuine. "And I'm ashamed of how I acted towards you before. That's why I wanted to find you."

Ah. Nero remembered that night. Neither of them had felt too fond of each other then, but that had never really mattered to Nero. No. It was because he had gotten jealous of her. And from what Trish had told him before about Lady, she was also jealous of him. But of what, he never knew.

"I left for a reason," he finally said to her, staring down at his Devil Bringer. He had always thought about working alongside Dante again. His secret wish to go back to the way things were before, but the memories of the old man were tainted by feelings he didn't want to exist.

"If it was because of me, I really am sorry." Lady placed a hand over her heart to emphasize that she meant what she was saying to him. "I've already sorted things out with Dante. Please come back."

It was strange seeing Lady almost plead with him, but Nero couldn't.

"No. You made me realize something," Nero began as he lifted his arm to better examine the dull blue glow that emanated from it. "That you were right. I really was unstable. I got mad at the slightest things and didn't know when I would go off." He couldn't risk it if his emotions got out of hand again.

Yet in the smallest recess of his mind, Nero hung on to what she had said earlier; that she had sorted things out with Dante. He didn't want to dwell on it, but he couldn't help but wonder what she had meant by it.

Lady, after reading between the lines and studying his arm for herself from a distance, asked him, "How are you now?"

Her casual stance seemed to belie that she was unguarded, but his experience as a hunter told him that she could swiftly get on the defensive if need be. After all, her side arm in plain view wasn't just for show.

Nero took a moment to ponder on her question seriously; on his thoughts, on his feelings, on seeing Lady again after all these years. And he felt… Well... he didn't feel much of anything anymore.

No anger. No jealousy. Just nothing.

"I'm good." And he meant it.

Lady's shoulders relaxed imperceptibly, the tension in the air seeming to dissipate with his answer.

"So what's the problem then?" She asked him.

"I think it's just best that I don't go back." Nero wasn't sure how he'd react if he saw Dante again, but he was fine with keeping things the way they were now. He had worked hard to get to the point where he was at and he didn't want to ruin it. Any feelings he had, for anyone, were shoved away in a tiny little locked box.

Life was as it should be. And he'd continue believing in it.

Lady took the initiative then and came closer to him. Nero didn't move as she gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Whenever you decide to visit, just know that we'd welcome you back. Even Trish misses you."

The bit about Trish almost made Nero smile. If only she knew. He was truly touched by Lady's kind words, and a little dumbstruck to see such a soft side of hers.

"Thanks…" Nero said, meeting her gaze.

Then a loud groan of metal ruined their moment and a chubby man wearing a greasy apron stepped out from a door into the alleyway. He spotted them and a sly grin spread across his face.

"Oh, don't mind me, you two. Continue, please."

Lady dropped her hand and gave the man a disgusted face. "I got to go." Before she departed, she told Nero one last time, "At least come see Dante. Or I'll drag you back."

"You can try," Nero said with a shrug, knowing all too well how it'd play out.

Lady gave him an amused glance, looking as if she wanted to accept the challenge, but she turned and walked off instead.

When she was gone, the fat greasy worker shook his head in shame as he puffed on his freshly lit cigarette. "Sorry I ruined your chances there, buddy."

"Not a problem." Nero paid the man no mind as he walked away in the opposite direction. After being side-tracked, he still had a mission to do.

A puff of warm air escaped his lips as Nero trudged on. Despite the snow dusting his jacket with a fine sheen of white, the weight on his shoulders felt lighter that day.

Back at his apartment, Nero's phone started to blare on the counter-top as he was busying himself in the kitchen. Trish was calling him. After a few rings, he answered his phone, placing it on his shoulders as he continued to cook at the same time.

"Guess who came to me with some exciting news?" Trish was quick to jump into the topic.

"I don't know. Seeing as how you only talk to me and a few others, its not hard for me to guess." Nero already knew who the call was going to be about.

"Oh shut up. At least I have more than two contacts on my phone," she teased right back. "So you ran into Lady?"

"Did you have anything to do with it?" Nero questioned. He trusted Trish. She had kept quiet so far, but he had to check.

"Of course not. I'm the reason why they haven't found you for so long." Her tone became a little more serious. "But she's going to stop by Dante's office today. What'll you do when he finds out?"

"Nothing." Nero finished the preparations for his food and turned off the stove. He didn't particularly care if Dante knew or not, but he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"So if you saw him again, would you be alright?"

"Who knows? I'll just cross that bridge when it happens." Nero could only hope for the best. After all, two years was hopefully enough time for Nero to sort himself out. Ideally though, he would prefer not to test it.

"What did Lady say to you, by the way?" Trish suddenly asked.

"I thought you said she told you?"

"She's only told me about running into you. Not much else."

"Oh. Well, she just asked me to return to DMC."

"I've been telling you that from the start," came her exasperated voice. "I don't know why you keep trying to avoid it, even with Lady herself asking you to."

"It wasn't her that I've been worried about. Not really." Nero thought about returning when Lady offered, but he couldn't. There was one more thing in the way.

"I know… It's Dante."

"I'd only bring trouble to him."

"Don't be so hung up on it. Dante brings in enough trouble on his own." What she said was very much true. Dante was like a magnet for trouble.

"Well, I don't want to add to it."

Trish sighed on the other end. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Because it's funny hearing you get frustrated," Nero replied nonchalantly. Trish then tried to muffle her phone, but Nero could still hear her expletives about him being a little smart ass. The sound of her disgruntlement made the corner of his mouth quirk up.

After some silence, there was something that had been on his mind ever since he spoke with Lady.

"How is Dante? Did Lady and him..." Nero's voice trailed off, wondering if he should even ask the question.

"Get together?" She finished, knowing exactly what he meant. "About time you asked."

Nero felt his face heat up and was glad that she couldn't see him. "Never mind. It's none of my business. Forget I asked." The only information Nero, unwillingly, divulged with Trish was the fact that he had feelings for Dante. She must have figured out the rest when he moved.

"But you wanted to know, right? If he's still not taken, you might come back." Now Trish was teasing him. She must be trying to get back at him.

"That's not why I-!"

"Awww, how cute of you," she purred, ignoring his protest altogether. Nero regretted asking and was about to cuss her out, but she continued talking, "But no. Although, from what I can tell, something has changed between them because Lady doesn't even go by without me."

"She doesn't?" Then what did Lady mean when she told him that she sorted things out with Dante. That they weren't together? Or had she meant something else entirely?

"Unless you know something I don't, my guess is that whatever happened between them, it got awkward."

"Something they both might have regretted," Nero said, remembering the scent of Lady on Dante all those nights ago. The memory of the heartache still lingered, but he no longer felt them. They were a ghost of his past, feelings long buried.

"Look. If you're that concerned about him, just come back already. Ask him yourself."

"Not gonna bother."

"There you go again trying to avoid it," Trish's voice took on a stern tone. She was really becoming a mother hen to him at this point. "Nero. You can't keep running away. At least think on it."

"I got it," Nero said only to appease her.

After their call, Nero went to eat his dinner with Rema.

"Uh huh… yeah. Alright. No, I don't mind at all." Dante droned on half-assedly to the client at his desk. The woman was going on and on about how thankful she was that he took on her request and in all honesty, it wasn't a big deal. He did it for the pay, not as an act of kindness for her. Situations like this was why he didn't really like walk-ins, since most people treat his office as some kind of circus show with all the memorabilia of his past exploits laying around or they would be relentless about their gratitude like this one currently was. But as much as he disliked dealing with nosy clients, he never had it in him to tell them to leave.

"If you're ever free and in need of some company... I'd gladly come to see you."

Dante's ears perked up at her choice of words. For the first time, he was finally paying attention to the woman in front of him. She was tall and attractive; her long dirty blond hair styled and layered around her shoulders, perfectly framing her contoured features. To be frank, the woman in front of him was quite the looker, and with the way she sat on his desk and leaned closer to him, he knew her proposition was of the intimate kind.

"Ah…" Dante's tongue seemed to have been caught as he blinked at her repeatedly, looking every bit as confused as he felt with the turn of events. Ironically, he had always had bad luck with women. And whenever he made attempts to charm his way to them, they'd always give him some sort excuse about one thing or another. But now, without even trying, left and right, women seemed to be flocking to him and he just wasn't… interested - to say the least.

The blondie in front of him hadn't been the first one either; female clients tried to visit more often because they would suddenly get interested in him, he would also get stopped on the streets by women who wanted to chat him up, and even at the diner he frequents, there would be other customers that made constant passes at him. He didn't know what was going on.

It was a great time for his libido to fail him. Just great.

"So...?" A light touch on his hand brought Dante back into reality. The client was being bolder with just the two of them alone.

"Look, miss-" Dante started before he was interrupted by a loud bang from the entrance.

"Spread your legs elsewhere. I've got business with him." Lady said as she strode with purpose towards them. She must have read the situation because she turned the dirtiest glare towards the woman sitting on his desk. Lady also wasn't privy to the strange amount of attention Dante had been receiving from nearly every woman he bumped into.

The client stood up and looked absolutely appalled, her words coming out sputtered as she looked between him and Lady. "A-Are you just going to let her speak that way to me? A customer?"

Lady seemed to have no patience today and scowled as she retorted, "Hurry and get out. I don't have time to deal with the likes of you." Even with a scowl that could scare grown men, Lady was ten times more lovelier than any random stranger he'd meet. Maybe he was just attracted to the hot heads?

"She's the boss," Dante said as he raised his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender and the client silently fumed in humiliation. Despite how upset she was, the woman wasn't going to pick a fight with Lady, someone who was strapped from head to toe with weapons, and walked away from them.

"Bitch!" She spat back as she was safely out the door, the click of her heels becoming muted once the door slammed shut behind her.

"Wow." Dante said when the silence settled. "What was that about?"

Lady ignored his question and turned to him, her demeanor calmed somewhat once the other woman left.

"I've found Nero."

Dante almost didn't register the name that left her lips.

"Nero?" The word sent a strange feeling through Dante as he repeated the name. It had been so long that saying his name felt foreign on his tongue, like a lost memory. Once or maybe a few times, Dante had been guilty of retreating to the tiny room downstairs and sleeping on a bed that wasn't his because it curbed his loneliness. Now there was a chance he'd find the certain someone that left him feeling a little empty and the reality of it shook him.

It had been two years. So why…?

Why was he feeling so eager at the mere mention of Nero?

"I spotted him in Montague. Don't know if he lives there or not, but it's where I last saw him."

"Then I'm going there now." Dante stood up and gathered his trench coat. He didn't know why he was so quick to want to leave and normally, when it came to friends, he would have just been satisfied with knowing that they were alive and well. But with Nero, Dante found himself caring more than he should. It was like Nero had taken a piece of him when he left that night.

"I've already asked him to come back," Lady said, a hand on her hip. "I don't think he wants to."

"I'll tell him myself."

"Do you need me to come?"

"No. I think I can handle it." He winked at her, "Thanks, Lady. I owe ya."

As he left the office, Dante missed the forlorn look on Lady's face. He didn't have much time to dawdle in case Nero wasn't going to be around the same place for long. The little red car he owned revved into life and he quickly got on the road, heading towards the city that wasn't too far. Who knew Nero would be so close by?

Impatience was getting to Dante as he pressed down more on the acceleration pedal, speeding down the highway. He didn't know why he felt so anxious. His grip on the steering wheel was tight and Dante felt his heart doing a flip just thinking about seeing Nero again.

Seriously, why was he so nervous? He was acting like some high schooler about to meet his first date. No. Wait. That was weird. Dante just really wanted to see Nero again. Friends can miss eachother, Dante told himself. Yet a thought nagged at him: Did it make him strange? No.

But was it out of the norm for someone like him?

Definitely.

No one else had made Dante care like this.

Dante blew through the city's welcoming sign and drove on still, to where he knew the center of the city would be. The sun was setting and amber light reflected like glitter on the towering city's windows. Dante pulled to a stop near one of the taller apartments. He craned his neck to look up at the emergency stairs that led to the roof. If his hunch was correct, maybe he could try something that would help him find Nero more easily.

His feet making plenty of noise on the metal gratings, Dante scaled up to the rooftop, and there he saw the fading sun drifting low in the red-orange sky. Taking a deep breath, Dante closed his eyes and focused his energy. The wind blew through his hair and with it carried the scent of the not-so-distant ocean. He was going to Devil Trigger to find Nero.

Moments later, a bright light had burst around him and his body completed its ungodly transformation. Powerful waves of energy poured forth in rivulets around him and Dante could sense the lesser demons in the area scatter away from where he stood. Many were starting to just come out for the night.

Weak or strong, Dante was able to differentiate one demon from the next and his heightened senses were going to be the tools he needed to track down Nero. A throaty growl seeped through his sharpened teeth as Dante turned in every direction to pinpoint the exact scent he was searching for. Demons skittered out of his path and back into their hiding holes as he made his way around, searching for the same scent he followed back in Capulet.

Not long in his search, Dante picked up a trace of Nero's presence. He felt his senses prickle when he knew he was getting closer. Hopping from one rooftop to the next, Dante was sure he scared the occupants awake. His hulking figure wasn't exactly light, so he wouldn't be too surprised if a ceiling or two cracked beneath his weight.

Then as he neared a certain part of the city, Dante knew he was where he needed to be. The scent was faint, but it was enough to let Dante know that Nero had been frequenting the particular area more than once. He felt his lips curl into a toothy smile. Nero must live around here.

Dante followed the small lead, allowing his body to practically move on autopilot. When he landed on a three-story building, he heard a dog barking ferociously below him and it was where the scent of Nero was the strongest.

"There you are."

Something thundered overhead, sounding as if it plummeted on the rooftop of his apartment. Nero lived on the highest floor, so he was immediately alerted of the presence. That and Rema wouldn't stop barking. Her tail was tucked between her legs as she growled at the window. Knowing it wasn't some normal intruder because of how brightly his Devil Bringer glowed, Nero quietly slipped out of bed and ushered Rema out of his room to safety.

Carefully, he made his way over to the window. He didn't see anyone, but he had to be sure. A cold breeze blew past his fingers when he lifted the window pane and just as he was about to peek his head out to look, he was suddenly face to face with a grinning demon.

On reflex, Nero threw the first punch and his armored fist was met with little resistance as he heard the crack of contact. A flash of yellow sparked up his arm and a shock-wave went through him with about as much physical force as his punch.

"What a pleasant greeting…" came a deep, timber voice. The voice was as familiar to Nero as the rapid drumming of his own heart. He knew who it belonged to and realization quickly dawned on him.

Nero could do nothing but stand stock still as the demon climbed in through his window. A black cloud billowed around the tiny space of his room, obscuring his view as it transformed, revealing Dante. The older man was staring straight at Nero as he rubbed at his jaw.

"Been awhile, hasn't it? Got quite the right hook there." Dante only took one step forward before Nero backed up.

"What are you doing here?" Nero asked. His right arm was swirling in hues of blue and yellow, most likely because he had just woken up and wasn't ready in the slightest to see Dante suddenly in his room. Two years of steadily building self-control was threatened by the mere presence of one man at the wrong time.

"I came to find you."

Nero felt his face heat up at Dante's words. It was what he wanted to hear, yet at the same time, not what he needed because it only made him feel worse, like his heart would burst at any moment. Nero became frustrated to no end, believing he had worked past his feelings ages ago. But he hadn't. At least not fully since he was very much feeling a plethora of emotions at seeing the older man again.

Once Lady found him, Nero knew that there was a chance that Dante would go looking for him, or maybe even never if Lady still secretly hated his guts and stayed quiet about it. But as fate would have it, Dante had barged into Nero's home, uninvited, in the middle of the night, and gave him no time to prepare himself mentally. Nero just didn't think he would see Dante so soon either - and in the very room he had spent nights fanta-

Before his train of thought could finish, Nero took one cautious step backwards, still facing Dante as his hand searched blindly for the door he knew was behind him. Certain images of Dante were appearing in his mind and Nero wanted to get away from it all. When his fingertips finally brushed the door handle, Nero seized the opportunity to try and make a run for it, but it was no surprise that Dante was faster.

One moment Dante's silhouette was by the window, the next he was only a modest arm's length away, his hand bracing against the half open door.

"What's the rush? Not even a "Hello. How are you?" Or even an "I miss you?" Dante asked as he gently pushed the door back closed. A soft click could be heard behind him, letting Nero know he was essentially trapped.

Nero swallowed hard. This wasn't exactly what Nero thought would happen when they met again and he wished Dante wasn't cornering him like this. He was all too close to Nero because he could feel the faint tingle of demonic energy rolling off Dante's form. Turning away, Nero suddenly felt sheepish for his cowardly attempt to run. Nero wanted this moment, he knew he did, but he couldn't handle seeing Dante by himself like this. He thought the others would be around when it happened. But no. There was nobody else.

No one was standing between them at this moment. No Lady. Or Trish. Just the two of them alone. Together after years apart. And Dante was the one who came looking for him.

Oh, did Nero feel scared.

He was scared of himself, what he was feeling, and what he wanted to do. But Nero did his best to hold himself back.

"What's wrong?" Dante asked. He hadn't moved an inch and seemed to be staring down at Nero intently as his voice grew lower, "Did you not want to see me?"

The opposite, in fact. Although Nero wasn't going to tell him he had imagined their meeting in a hundred different ways. Many involved them returning to this very room. In hindsight, Nero realized that was why Dante still affected him. He really hadn't gotten over Dante.

"You..." Nero started, trying hard to not let the tremble in his voice be heard, "don't go sneaking up on people from their bedroom window..." His mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts with Dante so near and he couldn't think clearly. It was nerve-racking.

"Come on. It's been so long and that's what you're hung up about?" Nero could practically hear the pout in Dante's voice. "That's cold, kid."

Kid. Nero hadn't heard Dante's voice in so long. It was doing strange things to him. The barrier he had built up was falling apart. Deep inside, Nero was berating himself for getting stirred up by the same trivial things that had made him avoid Dante in the first place. He had to get it together. Now was the chance for him to mend things with Dante and have the normal friendship he wanted. Because if Dante went out of his way to look for him, he might as well get it over with.

So not wanting to waste the years he spent reigning his feelings in, Nero steeled himself and quashed the turmoil inside. He couldn't keep running away. He had to face his problems someday and it would be alright. He could feel however he wanted to, as long as he didn't act on them.

One step at a time, he told himself.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I... just wasn't expecting a surprise visit." Then Nero gestured between them, "Can I... breathe a bit?"

Nero still didn't dare to meet Dante's gaze, but he heard the other man clear his throat nervously before he backed away. Now Nero was finally able to relax, but just a bit.

"Oops!... Sorry, I was just too excited to bump into you again."

"'Bump into.' Sure." Clearly Dante knew better than to think that climbing through someone's window was considered a casual run in?

"Right, no need to get technical on me." Dante said, as if sensing Nero's critical thoughts.

"How did you find me, by the way?"

"I sensed you," Dante said matter-of-factly. "Like how your arm works, but with my whole body." He made it out to be some amazing revelation of his.

"I see..." An odd way to word it, Nero thought as he tried to pay it no mind. He could probably guess the gist of what Dante meant by how his own Devil Bringer worked when it came to tracking other demons. He remembered the form Dante changed into. How his presence felt when he saw him again. The years had only made Dante stronger - as if the gap was more apparent than before. Dante's strength still seemed unattainable to Nero.

Suddenly, a scratching noise could be heard from Nero's bedroom door. Rema was whining and pawing from the other side. Nero was grateful for the distraction and flicked on the lights as he opened the door. She immediately ran towards Dante and, curious about the visitor, started sniffing at his boots.

"Whoa! She's gotten big!" Dante exclaimed upon seeing Rema again for the first time.

Now with the lights on, Nero could see Dante that much clearer. He hadn't aged a bit since Nero last saw him. The same old jacket, same old Dante. It was like Nero had never left.

While Dante was petting Rema on the head, she decided to stick her snout in Dante's crotch.

"ACK! NOT THERE!"

Same old idiot.

Nero breathed a little laugh. He hadn't laughed in so long. Rema was a wonderful companion and Trish was a great friend, but no one could lift his spirits quite the way Dante did. Underneath the surface of his aloof exterior, a small warmth crept back into his heart.

A/N: I said fuck it. It was 11:59PM. I tried to clean up this chapter as best as I could, but I'm just a dodo bird. So sorry if you guys spot mistakes! I wanted to get this chapter out before February ended (and have I procrastinated. lol)

DMC 5 IS GOING TO BE OUT SOOOOOOON. I'll be taking a break then. But not for long hopefully.