Disclaimer: Yeah... I don't own DMC or anything related to the franchise... sad isn't it?

AU: So... this was supposed to be the last chapter on this story. As I said before, I started this fic with the idea of being very short and to the point. But given that a few people asked me to continue with it, I've decided to give it a bit more life. That said, I'm taking a little more time to write it, to make a story worthy of writing more of it.

Anyway, thank you for everyone that has given me feedback, as always I appreciate every comment.

A popping sound of wood cracking echoed in the silent kitchen, the room almost completely immersed in a dark gloom, bathed in light only by the wavering flames in the ancient, yet very well-kept, wood-burning stove.

In a quiet vigil in front of the dancing fire, Vergil waited until the flame had settled in a stable burning at the center of the two chopped logs of wood. Only then, he began the next steps in this nostalgic and somewhat exciting practice.

First, would be the ceramic jug resting in the corner close to the sink. Tap water would never suffice in proper custom, not that his house has access to it. Such a small blessing that his isolated abode happens to be near such a rich and clean source of water.

Pouring a small portion of water into the old kettle, he moved back to his stove to let it warm a bit before pouring it down the sink, only then he refilled the kettle with a proportional amount, never too little to leave one wanting but not too much that it would leak out as it started boiling.

And this was another important step. Today it would not do to let the water boil, it would ruin the selection of the day; make it too bitter.

His attention while not properly focused on the kettle, it never leaves its peripheral. With so many years of this, the timing of it is not so hard to have in mind. Still, after so long without actually having to practice, he would need to stay close just in case.

Five, maybe six minutes later the signs he waited for appeared. The most subtle sound of water bubbling under heat flew from the small pipe with the flow of steam.

Now is the most important step in the process, he could not fail at this step.

Taking the pot from the table behind him, Vergil poured some of the heated water into it. Giving soft stirs on the pot, he allowed the heat to spread back and forward, chasing the coldness away, preparing the inside for the magic it would need to perform.

Emptying the contents of the teapot into the sink, he sat it down on a wooden pad, moving then to one of the cabinets to grab the ceramic pot containing the so nostalgic tea leaves.

One spoon, then another. Vergil stared at the pot for a moment, the step complete and clear; yet something nagged at his mind.

Why shouldn't he overdo it a little?

Another one is overindulgence, but who is stop him from enjoying himself?

With a small grin on his lips, he added another spoon into the pot before covering the pot with its lid.

Just a little more waiting and complete a success is in sight.

As he silently waits for the leaves to steep in the hot water, he felt a sudden touch graze his back, it took a stronger form as two arms wrapped themselves around his waist. It took a lot of self-control to not jerk away from the sudden contact on his body, yet it was enough to make him get rigid and make his shoulders tense.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Lady said in a small voice, pressing her head against his back.

"It is… an occurring reaction for me." Vergil replied calmly. "I'm not used to being touched… yet."

"That is something we can fix, isn't it?" Her body pressed a bit closer to his, her warmth feels so calming and soothing. Such a contrast to moments earlier.

"How was your bath?" He asked with a chuckle, his eyes never leaving the prize in front of him. "I hope the water wasn't uncomfortably hot."

A small laugh came out of her. "It felt fantastic. I have never seen a bathtub of that size, it feels almost like a small poll. How did you keep the water warm with just fire and wood? That's the craziest part."

"Old engineering. Not of my device." His expression shifted slightly to a serious tone, his hand twitching to move. His concentration started to relapse away from the kettle, shifting more to a certain spot in his back. "Are you going to stay naked in this cold kitchen after a hot bath?"

"Well… I came to ask if I could borrow something of yours for a while." She replied with a small laugh. "And to see what has kept you so entertained while there is a naked beauty in your house."

Deciding that he has yet a bit of time, Vergil turned around and pulled Lady into his arms. "There is nothing in this house I would mind letting you use." Her eyes sparkled and her lips began to move, the name Yamato almost audible in her voice. Quickly Vergil leaned forward and silenced her with a firm kiss. "Almost nothing."

"Such a spoilsport." She grinned, placing another peck on his lips.

Shaking his head, Vergil allowed his arms to fall to the side, freeing Lady from his hold. "Come to the dining room after you change, there's something for you there."

"Oooh, a surprise?" She winked at him before turning to walk away with a suggestive sway of her hips. "Someone is trying to impress…" She looked back at him with that beautiful smile of hers. "I'd say you're managing so far."

With a faint smile tugging at his lips, Vergil returned his attention to the warm pot resting at the sink. Taking the lid away, he stirred the light-green liquid slowly.

From the color to the fragrant scent of green leaves, the tea feels perfect. To end the matter conclusively, there is only one thing left.

Taking the pot to the metallic tray resting on the table, Vergil carefully poured a cup for himself, straining the leaves so just the pure tea would fall in.

A single sip from the cup was enough for him to settle it down the tray again. Pressing his hands together, he eyed his work with an appraisal.

Nothing short of perfection, as expected of himself.

A sign that his evening would be sure to follow suit.

Raising a thin teacup closer to his lips, Vergil deliberately allowed the colorless steam to graze against his nose. An earthy fresh scent flooded his senses, rushing down his lungs with a pleasant gush of warm air.

A small giggle sang from the side. "Never knew someone could be so… enamored with their tea." She teased with a smile as Vergil settled his cup down onto the table.

His icy blue eyes settled on her form, his breathing spiking ever so slightly at the marvelous sight in front of him.

With the autumn glow of dusk as their company, they find themselves in the spacious dining room on the first floor, enjoying a modest but rich tea with plenty of variety for snacks.

Still foregoing her usual attire, Lady is dressed only in a dark silky robe from Vergil's wardrobe. While the entire piece feels slightly too big and large for her, its raven-greyish fabric is resting with comfort in her body, cupping tightly around her curves in a not-likely coincidence.

He, on the other hand, is wearing only a pair of grey pants, leaving his upper body completely naked.

Vergil ran his tongue subtly over his lips, his gaze slowly drawing from her shoulders, then to her neck and chest, for only then to stare properly at her; a knowing grin resting on her lush and beautiful lips.

"This…" Vergil started with a soft growl, clearing the hoarse edge of his throat. "is a mere appreciation of something I've missed. Living with Dante for a few weeks makes one miss even the slightest of indulges. Especially after drinking the sewage he calls coffee."

Her laughter echoed faintly in the living room. "He does make one mean coffee. It's so very bitter even for me." She then leaned forward in her antique padded chair, reaching over for a tray of light-brown toasted bread. One bite at it took a delightful sigh out of her, one finger pushing the honeyed crumbs on her lips into her mouth. "How come a simple toast feels so good with you?"

A low chuckle escaped him as he took one piece of bread from the tray. "Maybe they are not so simple." He suggested before taking a bite.

Seeing her cup almost empty, Vergil stood up and took the crystal-glass jug with citric juice in his hands. Standing next to her chair, he slowly poured the golden-orange liquid until she tapped his leg. As a thank you for his service, he received a firm squeeze on his bottom, together with the sweet sound of her giggles.

"You know, I'm really starting to like this portal thingy of yours." She spoke naturally, her eyes glancing over the table with so many diverse dishes. "A girl can feel so spoiled with treatment like this."

"A decent meal is the least I can offer after you have done for me today." Vergil stated simply as he sat down on his chair.

"Hm… Is this about the books we dusted earlier or…" She smiled. "the other things we did together?"

"Oh why, the books of course." He replied with a very much sincere look. "I assume my performance was more than enough recompense for our other… activities."

A small piece of toasted bread flew at him, which Vergil easily blocked with one hand.

"You are so cocky!" She cried out in scandal, but could not suppress the giggles coming right after. "This Vergil I'm getting to know today is so different from the one always bickering with his brother." One finger pressed onto her bottom lip, her eyes almost glowing as they stare at him. "I could almost call you charming, almost."

He quirked one eyebrow at that. "Any reasons for the reservation?"

The response is a short shrug. "I am a cruel and stern mistress." Her voice came out in a purr, such a powerful melody to his ears, it caused an instant reaction in his body.

A low growl slid past his slips, the deep sound making his adam's apple bob up and down in a way that convey so much of his rising desire.

"Oh no, stop right there tiger!" She was quick to raise her hands, pointing a bitten piece of toast at him. "I know exactly where that look in your eyes is going get us."

"Hm… never got the impression it would be a bad thing." He replied with a husky tone, his eyes not losing any of their fire.

"Well, it wouldn't, per se." She smiled. "But if we go down that route, it would be just another night on the bed." As another snarky reply was ready to come out from Vergil's lips, she waved a hand to stop him. "Yesterday you promised we were going out tonight, remember?" Lady squinted her duo-colored eyes at him. "Or was that horny Vergil talking to get anything out of me?"

He sighed, resuming his attention on his teacup. "I remember. Only got slightly distracted on the course of this delightful early evening."

"Uhum… sure. I can work with distracted. As long as we are thinking very clearly from now on." With that Lady finished her snack in one bite, she then stood up in a woosh, her legs very much bare for he to see as the silky robes flapped up in a gracious mess. "Give me a few minutes to get ready and we can go."

Vergil mustered a low growl as a response, his reaction seems to have bothered Lady very little. Bouncing on her feet, she came over to his chair and planted a small kiss on his cheek. That managed to produce the slightest of smiles on his lips.

Laughing at the weird mixture of frown and a grin on his expression, Lady left the room in a hurry, most likely going towards the master room where her clothes are still lying on the floor.

Left alone in the silence of the now gloomy dining room, Vergil stared firmly at the teacup as he settled it down onto the large table.

"Such a troublesome woman…" He sighed again.

In this quiet contemplation, Vergil cannot help his thoughts but wonder why would he ever agree to a foolish wish such as this one.

Not that he resents her from desiring to spend time with him, despite how ridiculous the notion may seem. He simply doesn't see value in such an endeavor.

What would he ever gain, as she has put, in 'going out'? To interact with beings he has no affection for, to participate in their asinine games and rules…

What could he ever want from such a waste of time?

His eyes then drifted to the seat she was occupying just moments ago. A longer sigh escaped his lips this time.

The question in its previous form was meaningless, and because of that, he found no answer in his thoughts before.

He made a promise to accompany her, for Mary's sake. This is something she desires, what would make her happy.

Is her smile something worth such a sacrifice from him?

The answer came to him so easily that it aggravated him to the point that his legs worked on their own and without a thought, Vergil stood up from his chair.

A bit of realization sprung Vergil into some uncustomary few minutes of scrutiny over his wardrobe. It made him growl, grunt, and sigh at every moment of the ordeal. To think he would fight with his thoughts about clothing, or at least go against his usual way of dressing himself.

Of course, his normal attire would bring them attention, it is not his fault that the world at large is lacking fashionable sense.

He growled yet again, annoyed about the situation itself. So, he chose the more 'agreeable' set in sight and left his bedroom in a hastened stride.

"There he is." Lady's voice welcomed Vergil into the living room. "I almost thought you jumped the window to run away."

Mary is standing in front of the entry doors, wearing her mundane clothes; a grey shirt, long dark pants, and black leather wide-calf boots. And yet how she manages to shine as the most beautiful woman he has ever seen?

"I wouldn't dream of it." He replied with a clean and small grin. His eyes then landed on a piece of clothing resting on her right arm. "Something's amiss?"

"Look, I appreciate the effort." She started with a grin. "But you are not wearing that long coat tonight."

His perfectly normal coat is a dark grey one, adorned in the back with brilliant golden strings sewn in the pattern of his family's crest.

Before Vergil could raise his question at her words, Mary walked over to him and presented him with the grey jacket. "I found this in your closet. It's pretty don't you think?"

And there it is, her brilliant little smile; so beautiful in its line and irritable in its power over his clearly unstable emotions. Looking at her duo-colored eyes makes clear the intent and hidden words behind her question.

With a nod, no sigh or growl, Vergil took the jacket in his hands and began to take his coat out.

"Oooh, look at that. The most handsome half-human I've ever seen." She giggled as he deposited his coat upon a long chair.

Ignoring her teasing looks, Vergil twisted his right hand and called out to the Yamato resting on a shelf. "As the lady requests, should we start this outing?"

She stared at him. "No Yamato."

His brow furrowed as he looked down at the sword and then back at her.

"It kills the purpose of it." Mary continued, moving closer to rest a hand over his. "Today is supposed to be a new experience for you, yeah? Doing things in the silly human way. A dimension-splitting sword at hand is a bit weird, no?"

Vergil quirked one eyebrow, lowering the tip of the sheathed Yamato onto the floor, and placing the palm of his hand on the handle. "Certainly, it would be an unusual experience." He conceded and earned himself an eager smile from her. "Isn't tonight a bit chilly to go on a night swim?"

This time her eyebrows quirked.

He smiled at her puzzled expression. "We are on a small island; close to Fortuna sure, but surrounded by water all the same. Without Yamato, the only way out is through the water. I don't own a boat."

Pressing a finger to her lips, Mary glanced down at the floor. "A detour then." She announced glancing back at him. "We drop Yamato with Nero and go out in our merry way from there."

Vergil conceded with a discrete sigh. "As you wish." His hand slid to grip his weapon, already feeling the withdrawal from its comforting presence.

Deftly he slashed at the open space to their side. With ease and grace, Vergil opened a small portal in his living room, then with a click, he brought Yamato into its sheath.

Moving closer toward her, Vergil raised his left arm and gave Mary a thin smile. "Should we?"

With a smile of her own, Lady wrapped her arm around his. "Onward and forward into an ordinary human night out!"

After putting the children to sleep, Kyrie and Nero found a brief moment to spend only by themselves.

So simple and warm, exactly like Kyrie has always enjoyed her times with him. After living through so many outlandish and extraordinary events in their lives; these moments where they are just sitting on the couch, talking or reading together.

This new hobby of Nero came as a marvelous surprise for her. It gives them such an amazing common ground to share. It's hard for her to follow Nero's talks about battles and demons, but when they discuss a book they both have read.

Again, such a simple thing that fills her belly with butterflies.

Suddenly the doorbell rang loudly and steadily; as if someone pressed the button for a bit longer than anyone would.

"The kids are sleeping right?" Nero asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Kyrie nodded quietly, pulling away from their close embrace.

"I swear if this is one of their pranks again…" He growled in an eerie similar way she has heard him describe his father doing.

The memory of Julio running out from the front door towards the garage is very much fresh in his head; the boy spent the entire day annoying Nero with the doorbell. Kyrie explained calmly that this was Julio's way of getting Nero's attention, and that he felt lonely because Nero was away for so long.

"They are very much asleep. I doubt even Julio has any energy left after running around the house the whole day." She giggled and pressed a digit to her beloved's furrowed brown. "As funny as it is to see you two in this game of cat and mouse, you should probably just talk to him. Even Kyle called you two silly."

A soft snort escaped Nero, and his expression softened. "Whatever…"

The doorbell rang loudly again, the sound being slightly irritating as it kept going until it stopped.

"Who the fuck slams their finger for a whole minute on someone's doorbell?" Nero growled and moved to stand up.

Before he could pull himself out from the couch, Kyrie pressed one hand over his chest to hold him down. "You need to rest." She chided him. "I don't wanna hear about you sleeping on the car or the floor again. Leave the door for me and just rest, okay?"

He grumbled some unintelligible words, clearly still irritated at Nico for telling on him. Still, he did as Kyrie asked.

Pressing a soft kiss on his cheek, Kyrie stood up and took a coat of hers that was resting on a chair. Rubbing the cold away from her arms, she walked across the front yard and stopped right in front of the closed gate.

Taking a small peak at the side, she saw two silhouettes standing on the other side. Growing slightly suspicious, Kyrie was about to walk back and call Nero when she heard a familiar voice coming from the other side.

"Leave the button alone, if there's someone home, they must have heard us by now." Lady, as Kyrie recognized her voice, told someone.

A grumpy grunt came as a reply, it is a strangely familiar voice but one Kyrie cannot pinpoint. But still, after confirming that it is safe for her, she calmly grabbed the keys to open the gate.

"Oh." She stepped back after pulling the gate open, a little surprised at the visitors in front of her.

"Good evening." Vergil offered with a short bow.

"Hey there, Kyrie." Lady smiled brightly at her, waving one hand in a friendly greeting.

"Good evening, Lady, ahn… Vergil, sir." She returned Vergil's short bow with one of her own. "Are you here for Nero?" One very subtle frown appeared on her expression. Not out of any ill feelings toward these people, but at the thought of having Nero go out after two days without proper sleep.

In a gesture that took her by surprise enough to make a small yelp escape her lips, Vergil stepped forward and thrust the sword in his hand to her. "I shall leave this in your attentive care."

Her eyes widened at the familiar weapon. "Y-Yamato?! Me? Why?!" She then looked at Lady, eyes begging for any explanation.

Pressing one hand to her face, Lady shook her head. "Jeez Vergil, don't phrase it like you are naming her the retainer of some country." Then she stepped next to him and smiled at Kyrie. "What he meant to say is that we are going out on a date today, and we would like you to look over Yamato for a little bit."

"Date?!" Another bombshell out of nowhere, her eyes going wide yet again. "I-I mean, of course. It will be my pleasure to help you guys." A shy little smile graced Kyrie's lips, her mind still slightly numb from the surprise of this sudden revelation.

Lady beamed at her. "Thanks, that's a huge relief. The other option would be Dante and…"

"Out of the question." Vergil grumbled, clenching his hold over the Yamato.

"As you can see, you would be helping us a ton." Lady added in, shaking her head at Vergil again.

Nodding in a mild reaction, Vergil pushed his arm forward a bit more, urging Kyrie to take Yamato into her own hands. She glanced at the sword; her eyes then shifted toward his icy-blue eyes.

"Take it." He said simply, but with the rich tone of his voice, it sounded a lot more like a command than a suggestion.

As per his request, Kyrie held on to the middle of the sheathed sword and its weight suddenly became heavier when Vergil released his grip on it.

"Kyrie." He called out her name, making her stand a little straighter under his penetrating gaze. "Thank you." It was all that he offered before turning away from her and start walking leisurely down the street with both hands in the pockets of his pants.

Seeing how befuddled the girl is, Lady gave her a gentle pat on the arm and smiled at her. "Thanks a bunch, Kyrie. I'll make sure to buy a little present for you as a show of our gratitude." She then winked and turned to follow Vergil, who still waits for her a few meters down the road.

Kyrie watched in quiet attention as Lady caught up to the tall man, wrapping one arm around his and guiding them down a path toward the other side of the street.

Holding Yamato close to her chest, Kyrie slowly made her way back inside. After locking the gate, she moved in such a stupor that she barely noticed as the brightness around her changed.

"Kyrie?" Nero's voice pulled her out of the trance, her boyfriend still resting on the spot where she left him on their couch. "Is that…" He quickly jumped to his feet, rushing over to her. "Hey, are you okay? What's with that look? Why are you holding Yamato?"

"Ah… Vergil gave it to me." She said softly.

Nero stepped back, just to take a step back forward. "HE WHAT?!" His right hand landed on her shoulder; his blue eyes frantic. "What the hell happened? He left already?"

She nodded before sitting down on the couch, Yamato still in her arms. "He and Lady." She replied and glanced up at Nero. "Apparently, they are going on a date… A date!"

After her words, slowly Nero's fretting behavior dimmed. Rubbing the back of his head, he shifted on his feet before dropping next to Kyrie on the couch. "Oh, a date. Damn, I almost had a heart attack."

"Why are you so unfazed?" She poked at his side with a finger. "Did you know about them? Are they together?"

He sighed and shrugged. "It's not like I knew about them or something. But every time I saw those two together, there were these looks ya know? At first, it felt weird as hell, like they were dunno, measuring each other."

"Well, they looked very much past looks just now when I saw them together." She giggled. "Your dad is even looking normal."

He made a face as he glanced at her. "Whatcha mean normal?"

Her shoulders raised in a small shrug. "The way he is dressing. He looked almost normal and all. He is using people's clothes."

"Not like a vampire you mean?" He chuckled at the good-natured snort escaping her. "But damn… Lady is some kind of witch or what? The guy almost threw a fit at Dante's when his coat was missing and now, he is going on dates looking like a real person?" Throwing his head back, Nero this time laughed. "Man, I would pay to see his face having to be civil to people."

"Nero!" Kyrie poked him on his sides again, trying but failing to contain her own giggles.

Having laughed for a good minute or two, Nero pulled himself forward again, looking very troubled. "Oh fuck, I'm spending too much time with Dante."

Kyrie leaned closer to Nero, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, mean comments aside, they look happy… I think." She rubbed her cheek with a finger. "It's hard to tell with how serious he looks all the time."

"Lady and the old man, huh…" Despite shaking his head, Nero has a small grin on his lips. "Let's just hope that Dante doesn't know about this already. I don't want to be around when he decides to mess around with Vergil about this."

"Oh please, Dante would never be this cruel to someone." Kyrie said softly.

Shaking his head, Nero let out a small snort. "With those two? You never know…" He then looked back at Kyrie, frowning ever so slightly. "Now, how in the world this explains why he gave you the Yamato though?"

For what should be a dreadful walk amidst the common folk, Fortuna provided an acceptable medium for their stroll.

The tall buildings with their old aesthetics paint the city dull with their cold grey stones. Vergil has always found himself fond of this city, a place where his mood is matched by the reclusiveness of this place.

An unexpected help to counterbalance Mary's heated excitement. Their walk has been filled with words, giggles, and questions. Mostly initiated and continued by her, her cheery disposition turning what could be a bleak affair into a very pleasant one, despite how bad he imagined this could go.

Once more, Vergil finds himself contemplating why a woman like her has decided to take a chance with someone as difficult as him.

"Okay, here we are." She tugged at his arm, stopping them before a dark alleyway in an already dark street in Fortuna. "Our first stop in my little world."

Calmly pulling his arm away from hers, Vergil stepped over to the greasy dirty wall at the corner leading to the alleyway. Tapping one finger at the foggy cracked brick, he glanced back at her, one eyebrow quirking up.

"Maybe I overdressed myself." He said in a mild jest, which came out as apparently a very serious complaint by the stoic tone of his voice.

"Please, like every place you go is a gilded castle." She had to roll her eyes when he grinned at her. "Come on, let me introduce you to a nice place I found."

Giving a light tap on his back, Lady walked into the alleyway, nodding with her head for Vergil to follow.

Taking a brief moment to glance at the vacant street behind him, Vergil walked into the darkness with her. Given his nature, his eyes quickly adjusted to the gloomy fog surrounding them, but his steps remained slow and deliberate on account of Mary's own cautious walk.

At first, when they entered this place, it felt claustrophobic to the senses as if the walls were pressing onto them with each step forward. However, as the darkness began to dwindle under the mildly distant shine of lamps, the alleyway began to stretch itself wide.

Extending his arm to the side, Vergil noticed the vacant space growing slightly bigger the further in they got. Looking up, he noticed the buildings caving into themselves as if they had yielded before the existence of this secretive place.

"Almost there." Mary said quietly, managing to reach behind herself to touch his arm.

Vergil allowed himself to smile at the consideration of her words, despite how utterly ridiculous the notion of him being scared of the darkness of this place.

Soon, as she declared, they arrived on a small street inside this weird alleyway. Vergil noticed that after crossing the first lamp lighting this place, the previously desolate location began to be populated.

First came the most expected, beggars huddled into balls cuddling their worn-out blankets and coats. Then the number of people started to increase, most of them hiding their faces under masks or long cloaks; even with their eyes hidden under some sort of shade or darkness, Vergil can feel their stare firmly fixated on them.

And then, the existence of this place became very much clear to him. Under the cover of darkness, hidden behind a curtain of beggars and the unwanted in society, lies a buzzing center of shops and vendors; one looking shadier than the other.

"Over here." Lady whispered to him, grabbing his arm to guide him into a small window carved into the left wall.

Resting his forearms on the wobbly wooden counter at the base of the window is a small old man with hunched back, his balding head only has a thin crown of grey hair at its sides. Casually reading a few pieces of tattered papers, he kept chewing something in his mouth; until his hazel eyes caught a glimpse of his new guests.

"Aw, fuck…" He slammed the papers on a small table inside his room.

Mary gave the old man a smirk. "Heyo chief!" She waved one hand at him, the gesture putting the man a bit on edge. "I'm here for my order by the way." Her words seem to have no effect on the man, his eyes now properly glaring at Vergil standing a bit back to her left side. "Eyes on me, chief. He is no trouble… if you got what I want."

The 'chief' growled at her, waving a dark-dust covered hand at her. "That won't work again. You can't just show up here with a white-haired fuck and get stuff for free." He tapped his fat round fingers on the counter, making the wood wobble. "Want yer stuff? Show me the money, then we talk."

His agitated tone made Vergil take a small step forward, but Mary stopped him with a look before things could get worse.

"Money?!" She turned her duo-colored eyes back onto the small man in a glare. "What about that favor I did you? Do I look like a woman in the business of hunting demons for charity?"

"Don't know, don't care." The man let out a loud and disgusting snort. "If I see no money, you see no gun. Even someone slow can get that concept, right?"

This time Lady was the one taking a step forward, putting her very close to jumping inside the small shop.

'Chief' just stared at her, even shrugging when she grabbed the corner of the window. "You don't scare me lady, nor does your weirdo friend. Kill me and there are no more guns and parts forever. See how easy it is to get the custom stuff by yourself."

"You piece of shi-"

"Mary…" Vergil grabbed her arm before she could really jump inside the window. Adjusting the collar of his shirt, he calmly approached the window and stared firmly at the diminutive older man. "I've noticed something has failed to be understood by you."

The man growled, rolling his eyes. "Great, now the boyfriend's turn to threaten me."

"Hardly," Vergil replied simply. "I don't give threats, should I have any intentions of harming you, I would have done so. Instead, I decided to clarify a misunderstanding on your part." Nodding with his head he gestured at Mary behind him. "She claims to have done you a service, a favor, in exchange for your services."

"Fucking great narration skills buddy, I still can't buy bread with 'service'." Replied the man using air quotes at the end.

Surprisingly the snark in the man's voice did not affect the half-demon. "Again, you fail to understand." Softly, Vergil pressed his right hand on the counters. "This is about perspective, to see where there is gain to be had." Tightening his hand into a fist, he raised it towards the man, very slowly he opened finger by finger, a slight glint sparkling within the black fabric of his glove. "A favor has led me to this."

Waving his fingers in a dexterous wave, Vergil toyed with a dented gold coin.

Instantly the man's interest was picked. He watched the coin slide right and left, then his hazel eyes widened at the size of saucers when he got a proper look at it. "Is that?!"

"Worthless to me." Vergil said, stopping the coin between his index finger and the middle one. "What such an ancient thing could be worth without connections… favors?"

Sitting a bit straighter, the shopkeeper tried to smooth down what is left of his grey hair, eyes never leaving his new prize. "Well… I know a guy or two who can work something out with that nice coin of yours."

Vergil's throat bounced in a little hum. "So, it seems, but…" Vergil slammed his hand down into the counter, the coin disappearing beneath it. "But how does such a thing benefits me?"

Growling like an old dog, the 'chief' rubbed his dirty hand on his chin, leaving a dark smear on his rough skin. "Fine, I get your stupid point." Jumping out from his chair, the man disappeared into his shop for a moment, and a few seconds later get back with a small wooden box in his hands. "Favors for favors, eh?"

With a nod Vergil raised his hand, leaving the coin resting on the wood.

Taking her order from the weaponsmith's hands, Lady glared one last time at him before putting her whole attention on the box. Like a child on Christmas, she opened her present with glee; a silver-colored pistol with a bit more flair than Vergil has ever seen in a normal gun before.

"Better not make a scene next time, you old goat." She said to the man, who at this point is too worried about his coin to give her any attention. With a smile on her lips, she nudged Vergil's arm. "Let's go, you didn't think this was our date, right?"

He shrugged as they began to walk together towards the same path they had taken. "There's never a dull moment with you, Mary. This could've been just another… surprise."

She laughed as she poked him with an elbow. "Well, I just wanted to show you a little of our small world. Hunters, I mean. This is only one of the pleasures we have to deal with in this kind of life."

"Shady dealings at the dirty corners of the city." He hummed a small chuckle. "Such joy."

Ignoring his snark, she toyed with her pistol for a moment before putting it away. "What was that about the coin? Do you always have a secret pocket with problem-solving coins in those pants of yours?"

"As I said before, there's never a dull moment with you. That makes one prepare himself for the unexpected."

"Care to take another turn into the unexpected?" She asked with a bright smile.

He grinned back in response. "The night is yours, Lady Mary Ann."