A/N: warning, extreme fluff romance/humor in these chapters. So get your tissues.

CHAPTER ONE:

A LADY WAITS

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain. - William Shakespeare

Lady waited for him there at the corner Restaurant. The place was packed with people because of the club that joined the fancy dining area. It was a beautiful place inside, with impeccable white satin table cloths and men in white tuxedos. White long thin candles were set atop the tables and there were delicious entrees and tasty desserts that passed along the aisles of the tables.

The nervous brunette stood there every so often glancing down at her watch. She had become accustomed to the time of humans here than she did when she fought in the Underworld with Dante. Time runs differently there than here. Humans kept time as important as their own life and even more so than perhaps their material wealth. Sighing, he wasn't here yet and here she was, wearing the most expensive gown she ever wore. Wasn't it just today that he told her to dress in her finest? What finest? She cynically mused with a little laughter.

With their budget they could hardly afford medical bills and thank their lucky stars that they could heal with all paid expenses. There was something to be said about ancestry and where you came from. When she had arrived at her room to find something suitable to wear there was a long white box that contained the new gown she now wore. Were there tears that nearly spilled upon that beautiful gown she held in her shaking hands then?

Thank goodness it was a fresh cool evening but even rain couldn't stem the anxious excitement she felt. Her hands went to the bright jewels, which clung to her long slender neck and waited nervously for him.

He was late.

She even wore the most expensive perfume. Chanel no. 5, maybe not the most expensive but the most popular and the scent mixed well with her senses.

"Ma'am, do you want to take your seat?"

There was a gentleman, one of the waiters or some other who tapped on her shoulder. She jumped a little and smiled at him. Nodding, she followed him to the table he offered. It was a dark lovely corner with flowers around the corner and the smell of fresh gardenias and orchids mixed with her perfume were assaulting her senses. How much more elegant can she ever get? She was always more of a biker kind of girl she supposed. With a semi tight white blouse and short pants and a plaid like armor skirt around her waist, she rode cherry-red motorcycles and flew them over demons like Dante. Well at least, him in particular. She'll never forget the day she met him.

The rocket launcher securely placed atop her slender shoulder and the torpedo went flying across that space to her future partner and lover. She wasn't surprised that he hopped on it, show off that he was and rode on the damned thing as if it were a child's choo-choo train on paraffin gas.

No need for tattoos and piercing to show off her more rough side. Nope, that was not the kind of girl she was and there was no need to get chains for people already thought her fair skin and ebony hair were Gothic enough. She didn't mind. She loved Gothic architecture and books and everything about it, so she shrugged off the labels. Besides, there was enough piercing and stabbings from demon slaying for that kind of small torture. Tattoos never attracted her to display on her white skin, she had scars for that already. Damn things. Sure, she could get them erased by some modern technology or buy those expensive creams, but they were a memento really.

It was nice to see small tattoos on others but she was glad for the absence of one. Why, she thought with some kind of interesting musing, there would probably be a silly Devil May Cry stamped across her belly button or on her arm. A light bulb flashed in her mind again, ah-a, maybe on her butt would be cute but then no one would see! Wasn't it better to have tattoos so that people can go oooh and aaah at it? She shook her head as the thought vanished.

She made a slight smile and nervously took out her compact out of her little black purse. Never one for carrying such trivial things for she normally carried Kalina Ann and guns, it was so out of character for her to be checking her nose and her cheeks and hoping the lipstick hasn't worn off. That guy who invented no smear off lipstick was a genius!

"Lady?"

She looked up and saw him. He took her breath away. Now if she would just stop gaping and hoped her tongue didn't hang out. Although looking at him, it never occurred to her how he would look in a suit and hoped one day he would give her the opportunity to dress up in one. This was her day indeed. She took a few gulps and opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her with a lovely flower that presented itself in front of her nose.

"Dante. I…uh. Thank you. I have so many flowers already. The ones that you gave me, remember?"

Chuckling, he produced a slight smirk, gorgeous bright blue steely eyes boring into hers and he had such beautiful white straight teeth. It was a wonder how he managed not to get them knocked off each time a demon slammed into his face.

He took a seat next to her and he actually wore cologne! Lady could smell it among the rest of the others that assaulted her sense of smell.

"You look great, Dante."

Dante adjusted his collar and the tie there that shone silk and was obviously costly. Lady lifted a fine delicate brow at the material and wondered how he managed to buy all this and his clothes. Did he make a killing in one of his missions? His missions never paid him that much. He either ended up with a medallion, a few pieces of Aztec gold, perhaps a rusty sword, a few orbs that she didn't understand was necessary but never this. Did he somehow put them up for auction and sell them on E-bay? The thought did occur to her as well. Investing in stocks and such should be what they should get into as a side job but Demon hunting was such a chore. Demons always showed up, whether it's local or from the other side of the world.

"How do you like this place, Lady?"

"I love it, Dante. I can't believe you went through all this. But you're late!"

"Yes, I had traffic and um, some demon slaying before I came. I basically had to do some superman action in a phone booth if you know what I mean?"

She nodded, biting her lower lip and nervously picking up the glass of water that was on the table. He just looked so gorgeous that she became instantly nervous and jittery. What was the matter with her? Of all the times she and Dante had been partners he had never asked her out or anything. Sure, they have had a sexual relationship on and off but that was because they were well, they couldn't help it, living and working close quarters like that. Still, she felt utterly nervous and hoped there was something to this new Dante he was exhibiting.

The waiter came up just then and gave them menus. The menus items were quite well rounded but Lady's eyes widened at the prices there. She looked at him, waiting for him to cuss out something like this is bullshit and that they should get out of there because no one in their right mind should pay something so high priced when you can buy a hamburger down the street. At least that was the usual Dante she knew. A box of pizza for a night's dinner was what satisfied him.

"What will you take, Lady? The filet mignon? Maybe the main entrée with a bottle of red wine or would you prefer champagne to celebrate tonight's evening?"

Did she just feel the earth move or was it some kind of vortex that happened to jump in front of her eyes? Was her hearing correct? She wanted to reach up and bang on her ear a few times because that wasn't what she heard now was it? Dante asking her whether she wanted champagne? My goodness, she thought as she raised a fine, dark brow at him, something must have happened and biting her lip to stop the flow of questions was difficult for her indeed. Why, this is the most special moment of her life perhaps. So why ruin it with a barrage of suspicious interrogations right?

Clearing her throat softly, she replied, "I would like wine thank you. No need to order champagne. Um, what's the occasion tonight?"

There, she had asked it and it wasn't an interrogation. Dante gave her another one of his devastating smiles.

"Uh. Can't I just take you out somewhere nice for a change? I mean, you deserve it. You've been there with me through thick and thin. Backing me up when I needed it. Helping me out with the office and organizing my files, checking on my bills, taking my mail, making flyers for Devil Never Cry. I don't even like the name but hey, you insisted, babe and you deserve it. And not to mention the finishing touches to our place, now, who could beat soft lavender and baby blue curtains!"

He chuckled as her face produced a blush, did he fail to notice that she never blushed? It was that moment in time when they both paused, and Lady puffed out with an answer,

"Dante, you said you loved it! The colors! I mean they sort of matched your eyes and I thought that putting them up in the bedroom and the kitchen would add something a little less conspicuous than your trophies of dead demons and array of swords hanging all over the place."

She watched him sit back; idly dropping his lids a fraction so that he looked as if he were seducing his prey with the luxury laziness of a snake. She was about to continue but he replied,

"Hey, was there a hint of sarcasm in my voice?" grinning, Dante continued, "Not to mention that I wouldn't have been able to get by without the use of your Kalina Ann. And if it weren't for you back there between us in the Divine Library, I wouldn't have you here. remember, Lady?"

How could she forget? He wanted to keep her from harm. From harming herself. That was her Dante, so protective and so macho. She smiled at the fuzzy thought.

He watched her as he took a sip of his drink. Ice blue eyes clashing with her deep red-blues: shades of violets, then lowers her lashes momentarily to shift them somewhere else. She was uncomfortable, he noted and wondered why. In fact the tenseness in the air was something that was quite foreign. They've always had an easy way together. Everything he said just now was true. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't know what to do, realizing that the touches that she's brought into his life had actually multiplied in the plus side of life. Lady was invaluable.

She cleared her throat, "Thank you, Dante. That was sweet. I am really quite shocked. You never talk to me that way."

Her eyes scanned his face for any trace of dishonesty. Dante had never lied to her, except perhaps little white lies so she wouldn't get herself in trouble, so he says. Dante was indeed a little devil so there was no question in him that he lived a pure and straight life.

They sat there in silence most of the time, eating their dinner. Dante ordered meat, of course. Lady insisted that he has at least some vegetables to balance that diet of his. She daintily picked at her dinner. It was a delicious fare of buttered scampi's, fettuccini with angel hair noodles and a side of fresh tossed romane salad, sprinkled with baby tomatoes and topped with creamy dressing.

Dante finished his meal first, carefully dabbing his chin with the white immaculate silk napkin. He tried to be a bit of a gentleman tonight because he was a bit nervous about what he was going to ask. Would she refuse him? It was easy to be easy with Lady. She never complained too much except during times when he would go off without her on a demon hunt and come home to a frustrated and angry woman. Not that she was possessive or anything, but rather she was worried, somewhat like he was married to her. That was a word he thought he'd never think about. Marriage.

Yet, the feelings he felt for Lady were very genuine. He was after all just a child when his mother and brother had been abducted by Mundus. It was by some kind of ironic miracle that he was able to be this close to another woman who happens to have the same fire and characteristic.

Damn, he mused, he was thinking way too much. Not his way. Always an action man he was, picking up quick instincts and his trusty guns, knowing which way to turn, which way to shoot and kill, that was what was inside of him. Pure instinct and purely talent, born with it, that's all.

He moved forward, "Lady I want to ask you something."

The brunette opposite of him blinked, crazy thoughts whizzed through her mind. Ask her something? Usually he just told her something or rather ordered her to get moving when they went about demon hunting but in the way he said that, the sound of his voice. If she believed in a God, would she be praying for something right now? Something from him that she has waited for?

"Yes Dante?"