Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry.
I've started a livejournal group for this pairing, dantexnevan! Come join and share the (rare) love of these two. They have so much in common! Going topless, for one thing. There's also one for spardaxeva.
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He was lonely.
You would have thought he'd be used to it by now.
As a child he'd never been alone, Vergil was always there, his other half, and Mother of course. They'd invented a private language and beat each other up, both equally without hate.
It had just been the three of them. There were other people, once Eva thought it safe to take them out into the world, but they came and went, were left behind.
Other people fascinated Dante. He didn't understand why that irritated Vergil, why Vergil wasn't just as enthralled as he was. He'd wanted to play with other children, and had resented what he was just a little more when he realized how close Mother always watched them around other children.
He'd broken an arm once. Vergil hadn't because Vergil didn't touch them.
On the street there had been other kids he'd shared stolen food with. He'd protected some but they always ended up joining gangs and he'd known even then he was a lone warrior.
Then there had been Grue, Nell, and all the other mercenaries.
Grue and Nell had died for him but the mercenaries liked Vergil better. He didn't know why Vergil had drawn them away from him. Had he done it to hurt Dante, or had it just happened?
After that… there had been Enzo, and he'd made sure to abuse him so no one would think he actually cared about him. Enzo had given it back in full measure.
On the tower… Agni and Rudra had irritated him so much because they reminded him he wasn't with Vergil. He'd reached out to Lady, joked with her, and she'd repaid him with bullets.
Now Lady was gone too, back to New York. Demon attacks were increasing there and Dante didn't want to go back. She was planning to live in her old house, use the library… that was good, she'd feel closer to her family.
Dante had headed west, to Metropolis. The town, one of the ones that ringed Chicago, gritty industry, was named for Superman's home.
Appropriate. He wasn't human either.
He hated to admit it, but he was lonely. Really lonely. He'd been lonely even when he was with Lady, because even though they were friends he'd wanted more and it hurt that he'd never have it, that she kept him that tiny bit away. She couldn't help it.
There was Nevan…
There had been witty remarks, before and after battles, never interrupting him while he was planning moves or watching out, unlike Agni and Rudra, who he used only to stay in practice.
And he'd answered back, because he loved talking, cracking jokes, acting.
It was good to hear a friendly voice.
Just like in the tower, they'd both known they were about to fight but damnit, they'd been friendly. They'd just… hit it off, even though he'd hit her and vice versa. She was tough, even though she relied on powers instead of physical strength.
And come on, a guitar. Just when he'd lost all of his. Thank god.
Coolest thing ever.
Thing was, though, he'd hated demons. Hated hated hated. They'd killed his mother, taken Vergil away from him, cursed him to be always alone, always have to fight. He loved to fight, but he'd love to have the option not to.
So why had he let her show him the spell to call her out of her devil arm? Why had he used it?
Sure, the spell had been useful. Actual demons on demand for him and Lady to spar with.
All the others he'd dismissed as soon as the battle was over.
So why had he kept her out when she made Lady uncomfortable? It was fun to joke around with her, innuendo and smart remarks. It was great that someone appreciated his mouth. Irritated the hell out of Lady.
Clue, Dante. She's a succubus. Whores know how to make clients like them, it's a stock in trade. Courtesan, high class. Geisha. Whatever.
She was good at getting people to do things. He couldn't be in two places at once, and he hated shopping. So she'd helped him carry things at first, then run errands while he was on missions.
She swore she wouldn't do anything to anyone and hell, he believed her.
Didn't explain why he'd told her to buy good clothes, since she was representing him. If he only called her out on business why did she have several outfits? Paid for out of his money when he needed to buy bullets and repair things and food and a hundred little things.
Like the black suit, utterly feminine yet sharp, she was wearing now, as out of place in this bar as on the moon, yet she fit right in as she talked the bartender yet again into using the milkshake ice cream to make a strawberry sundae, as she ordered bloody marys for both of them.
The thing was, well, several things. Little things. Like paying the phone bill and learning how to make their money stretch like a very stretchy thing. Making his life a whole lot easier.
Treat you so nicely you'll never want to leave, she'd said, and he didn't doubt it. It had felt incredible when she sucked the energy from him, and he'd almost stayed there and let her do it. Fuck, it had been way, way too close.
She knew humans, which was more than any of the others. So…
The drinks were placed on the table and she sat down gracefully across from him. "The sundae'll be ready in a minute, Sugar."
"Thanks, Nevan." He sipped his bloody mary.
"You're welcome, Sugar."
That wasn't all he was welcome to. The offer she'd made the first time he had a real conversation with her still stood. He knew she wanted him. He also knew she'd wanted his father, and that put a damper on the mood.
No slouch himself, she'd said, her hand about to grope him and even though he knew he had to conquer the tower (no time for love, even though he was already lost) he'd regretted it when she'd become a devil arm before the hand connected.
She was a mistress of lust, and she wanted him.
He'd had sex before, but he'd almost killed his partner enough times he'd given up. She wasn't so fragile. If they had sex it would blow his mind, he knew.
She hadn't brought it up after that conversation. He knew he was still waiting, though, and he knew he was glad she was. It was flattering, sort of, and scary the other times, but good scary. Shivering in anticipation.
But he couldn't afford a kid, he couldn't afford to love someone who might get defeated, no matter how he tried to guard her, no matter that she would fight tooth and nail, and serve an enemy.
He realized that when he'd thought of why not the most obvious reason hadn't been on there.
She's a demon.
He was well aware of that: their knees brushed each other across the tiny table and she was too hot. Not just the warmth radiating from her skin. Even when she looked human (she could change her shape, and that brought up all sorts of fantasies), she was just too beautiful.
She smiled him, as though she knew what he was thinking, and she got up to fetch his sundae. Eyes followed her around the room, followed her hips. Swaying in time with the music, she was humming softly under her breath when she came back. "Here's your sugar, Sugar."
He laughed at the joke. "And you're Spice."
"So what's everything nice?" She asked. Eerie how soon she'd picked up on modern stuff like that. "I think I know."
And he didn't want to ask. Because Sugar and Spice were a coupling and everything nice came with them to create a little girl. Nevan was clever.
No, he was the one who had started it. He needed to watch what came out of his mouth. Mother had always told him that, so had Vergil.
Nevan laughed low in her throat, almost a purr. "You're such a doll."
Little girl, doll. "Well, you're all dolled up." She wasn't, she didn't need makeup. That would be gilding a lily, no, a blood-red rose.
"Special occasion, Sugar. Taken out of the house to play." Dollhouse. Playing house. They were playing now.
He took a bite of his sundae, she sipped her drink, an eyebrow arched. He lost points for not coming up with a comeback instantly.
Wasn't fair, she had more practice. Well, not in English, but it was the principle of the thing.
Saved. They were setting up the equipment on the stage! He started to wolf down his sundae.
Nevan laughed. "Your face lit up! So cute, Sugar. I could just eat you up." She leaned forward, peering up into his eyes. He blinked, and tried to look at her eyes and not points south.
"Not cute. Hot. I just have to finish the ice cream before it melts." Yum. It had been a couple hours since he'd eaten, and that was just tomato juice. It was okay when he was fighting, he could feed on demon deaths, but otherwise? He needed the sugar.
"Hey!" Donny (Dante had heard Bobby when he was introduced the first time), headed over. "You should get ready, show's about to start."
"Five seconds, Donny. Our star is eating."
"Done." Dante sprang up. "Come on, Nevan, we have to make sure those two haven't messed up our stuff." One time Agni had put his fist through a drum. He'd taught them how to set up equipment, but…
His drums were set up and Nevan's guitar was plugged into the speakers: she'd blown out a set of his once while practicing.
He really hoped nothing like that happened tonight. This was his first real show. Amateur night, there was some charity being sponsored, when Nevan had told him about it he'd been too excited to pay attention to the details. They only got four songs, which sucked. Still…
He sat down at the drums as Nevan hummed into the microphone, testing it. Nevan looked at him, he nodded, and she waved Donny over.
"Are you guys ready?"
"I was born ready." Was this stage fright? He had no trouble performing for an audience, but this was different. Normally it was demons he was about to kill, and if they found him stupid and annoying all the better. This was… he didn't know if he could take it if they didn't like his music.
Mother had always said she loved his playing, brought him all sorts of instruments, but that was Mother. What if it sounded different to human ears or something? He knew his were sharper and that humans normally couldn't hear bats call. Nevan had told him to not play certain chords on the guitar for human listeners.
Well, dive right in. Only way. Nevan winked at him reassuringly as Donny took the microphone.
"Welcome to the Fourth Annual Battle of the Bands!" Battle? Dante thought as the crowd cheered. Nevan had told him this was for amateurs! "This year we're benefiting St. Mark's Hospital! I'd give a speech, but you'd send me there! First up, Sacred Heart!"
The crowd cheered.
Here we go. The drums led into it. "Red light in a grey sky," he sang as the crescendo ebbed.
"Doorway to the battlefield," Nevan joined in, voice wrapping around the guitar's notes.
His next line overlapped hers. People were already nodding with the beat, smiling faces. "Fall to infernal war."
"No victory here for you-oou…"
Not his best work, but… they seemed to like it, if the noise was anything to go by. They'd have trouble making out the lyrics soon.
A base, he wanted a base. In practice sessions he could use the doppelganger technique…
He was thinking too much. Go with the music.
The last song, was, inevitably, the song he'd played in their very first show.
When they left, he carried the trophy, Nevan's arm in his, as they laughed and Agni and Rudra loaded their equipment into the borrowed van.