Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait! Thanks for the reviews, I love reading what you think! I think i'll start taking up this space to reply, since FFnet doesn't have a public way to respond lol. I should've done this sooner!
AkiariV: Thank you for your kind words! And for being such a consistent reviewer and reader. Makes me really happy to familiar faces as support :)
Ladylaicii: Cyra thirsty as fuck, Vergil just having fun lol.
l0liWaifu: And you make my day with a review!
Hope you enjoy this one! I had fun writing it, but I went through like 4 edits before i was content with the final version x_X
29 January 4:04pm
Cyra was sitting at her workstation, absentmindedly spinning a pencil around. It was officially the 3rd anniversary of Gabriel's death. Coincidentally, it was also their wedding anniversary. Normally, for the past two years, she'd go out and just enjoy their traditions on her own, but she was rather limited in the current situation. That day's crossword puzzle in the paper was already completed, and she already took her hour long bubble bath. The boredom was so strong that she even called in to get new towels delivered for Dante, considering his were drenched in Vergil's blood, and ordered new chairs for her bookstore, since Vergil complained about the current one so much.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to be able to be alone. It was either be in her bookstore alone, or be in the presence of a devil hunter for protection. Nothing made her feel more useless and weak. Even when it came to making Vergil's cure, she was limited with the supplies she already had. There weren't many more combinations she could try that she hasn't already. Amelia turning out to be a dead end was a blow to her morale.
Cyra sighed and turned over the photograph of her and Gabriel. The photo was from her birthday a few months before he died. Cyra smiled at it, "Happy Anniversary, Gabriel…" She said quietly to the photo. Her smile started to falter and her lip began to quiver. Moving on felt wrong. She felt guilty… but it wasn't fair. He died, she shouldn't be expected to just sit and mourn for the rest of her life. The only reason she started becoming defensive was because of Vergil. Cyra hasn't been interested in a man quite like him since Gabriel.
When she first met Dante, she was confused. A new attractive man in her life who was both friendly and capable of taking care of her. She knew she could trust him instantly. While they threw flirty comments at each other every now and then, she didn't think she could fall for him. There was always something in the back of her head that told her it wasn't right. She never got to the point where she was starting to feel guilty about moving on, but with Vergil… oh, she felt it. Being with him made her feel special. When he looked at her, she felt like she was the only one in the room. She blushed, remembering the feeling and brought her knees up to wrap her arms around, feeling bashful, even though she was alone. When did I become a teenager again? She thought.
The door to the bookstore opened and Cyra quickly set the framed photo facing down again and rubbed her eyes in case any tears were starting to form. She quickly picked up a book she had at her desk, pretending to read it. Vergil walked up to her, "Doing something you're not supposed to be doing?"
"Me break rules? Never," Cyra answered sarcastically.
"I'd be more surprised if you didn't," Vergil said.
Cyra closed the book and set it on the desk, "Well, there's no need to worry. I stayed in like a caged dog. Tell me, are the outdoors as whimsical as they say?" Cyra asked albeit dramatically.
"I encountered a homeless man threatening to urinate on me if I didn't give him a lock of my hair," Vergil said.
Cyra stifled a laugh, "Well your hair looks put together, and you don't smell like urine, so what'd you do?"
Vergil's lip twitch into a smirk, "I'm relieved you didn't think I gave in to his demand. Thankfully, I kept walking and he went to harass the next person. So hopefully that answers your whimsical question."
"It does. Sounds terrible, but doesn't stop me from wanting to do stuff outside, " She sighed the mood suddenly seemed to turn sour. Cyra stood up to stretch her legs and turned so that she was leaning against her desk, "Anyway, what's up?" She asked wondering why he came to pay her a visit, not that she was complaining.
Truth was, he just felt like seeing her. Sure, his own boredom had something to do with it, but either way, he couldn't admit that he missed her, "Making my rounds. What did you want to do outside?" Vergil asked slowly, a bit awkwardly.
Cyra opened her mouth to speak, but played it off with a breathy chuckle, "Don't worry about it," She grabbed the coffee mug that was on the desk behind her, raising it to her mouth but stopped when she realized it was already cold.
"Just say what's on your mind," Vergil said trying not to get annoyed.
"Nooo, it's stupid," Cyra said, averting her eyes.
Vergil walked closer and reached to put a hand over the coffee mug Cyra was holding to set it back down on the desk. Vergil tapped her chin up to look at him, and he lowered his face to place a kiss on her lips. A light shiver flowed through her body, purging any sour feeling she had. My, what a better alternative to coffee, she thought. Vergil broke the kiss too quickly, "Now will you tell me?" He asked, voice low.
Cyra blushed and released her face from his hand, "Well, now it might just be awkward…" She muttered, "Um, today is the anniversary of… Gabriel's death. Uh, and our wedding. We had some traditions..." She rambled.
"Oh," Was all Vergil said.
"Told you it might be awkward..." Cyra turned so that she was facing her workstation again.
Vergil knew being forced to stay inside on this particular day was just depressing her, and he hated himself for caring enough to want to do something about it, "20 minutes. Be ready," He said angrily, walking out. Cyra was confused. Did she do something wrong?
29 January 4:41pm
Cyra was just glad to be outside. Not like she walked around that much alone, anyway, but she now that she was under a much more strict house arrest, it was harder to stay locked in. Vergil glanced over a few times at her, realizing that even though this day was hard for her, she was able to find things to enjoy. Traditions were something that didn't interest him. Why would people do something simply because they were told to or feel obligated to? Though to her, he guessed it was another way to cope with a loss. Whatever kept her happy, he supposed. There was one location Vergil wanted to lead her to, then she can do whatever other outdoor activities she had on her mind. That was the plan.
Vergil put a hand on her back to guide her towards an outdoor patio setting that was attached to various bars on one side. The other half had a nice, quiet view across a park. Luckily for Vergil, there weren't many people around. They stopped at a small high table under an umbrella. The sun hasn't set yet, blinding them from one side, so the umbrella was very welcoming, "Sit down," He said.
Cyra glanced up at him, but his attention was hard pressed ahead to scan the park, "What're we doing here?" She asked, waiting for Vergil to sit down in his seat before she sat in hers.
The familiar bartender Vergil unfortunately knew as Kim strolled up to the two, "Cyra, darling!" She winked at her.
"Kim!" Cyra said surprised. "How've you been?" Vergil faced away from the two, elbow against the table, head resting on his hand, focusing on the scenery. Somehow this Kim woman looked harsher on the eyes in natural lighting. Heavy, caked on makeup just wasn't appealing to him, but it was nothing compared to the woman's lack of personal boundaries. Why she needed to lean over the table and rub her hands against Vergil was just beyond him.
"Oh, good," Kim said with a smile, "I feel like I haven't seen you in months!"
"Probably was last summer," Cyra smiled. Strawberry sundaes from Kim's workplace was a common treat after Dante left for the Qliphoth, as a way to cope with his disappearance, even if she didn't like strawberry that much.
Kim glanced at Vergil and looked back at Cyra to wink in approval. Cyra had to suppress the urge to tell her she had the wrong idea for fear of making it more awkward, "Well, I just couldn't wait to say hi to you, but... I'll be right back."
Once Kim left, Vergil moved his hand that his head was resting on, to rub his eyes, relieving the pressure in his head. He was just thankful she was gone. Cyra chuckled, "Do you have a problem with Kim?"
"Yes," He simply said.
"Whaaat? She's nice!" Cyra smiled.
"Didn't she want to spit in your drink once?" Vergil asked holding his hand out in disbelief.
Cyra laughed, "Dante tell you that? Yeah, she kinda has a thing for him and thought we were together, but we cleared it up later."
"How fortunate for Dante," Vergil said sarcastically.
"I mean, she seems to like you now, sooo how fortunate for you," Cyra smirked.
Vergil grimaced, but played along with her teasing him, "If that's the case, then watch for spit."
Kim came back a moment later, setting down a strawberry sundaes in front of Vergil, and a blueberry sundae in front of Cyra, "Enjoy, you two," Kim purred, running a hand down Vergil's arm, who just shut his eyes together, willing the woman to go away.
Confusion spread across Cyra's face as she ignored Kim to look across the table at Vergil, who was now averting eye contact from Cyra. The plan to follow through with another one of Cyra's traditions sounded great in his head until he was faced with the situation. It made him uncomfortable because he didn't know what to say or what she was thinking. For a moment, he was worried that she thought he was trying to take her ex-husband's place, which could anger her, but perhaps that was just the last minute paranoia speaking. He grabbed the spoon and dug into his strawberry sundae, nervously playing with it, "I know this is an important day for you…" He trailed off.
Cyra's heart was fluttering. This was her and Gabriel's anniversary tradition. One that she may have had to skip out on because of her new strict house arrest. She assumed Dante told him, which is the only explanation for him knowing, but that didn't matter. He probably thought it was a silly tradition, but the point was that Vergil was going out of his way to still make this happen for her. How uncharacteristic of him. She couldn't even bring herself to say anything. It was the sweetest thing someone has done for her in a long time. Even his aversion to eye contact was endearing. Was he nervous? Or just annoyed that he had to be social? She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.
The silence wasn't helping his nerves, "I, uh," Vergil stammered and cleared his throat to hide it, "I didn't want you to be depressed staying in all day."
Cyra could watch him like this all day. First, because she thought his struggle was adorable. Second, as payback for all the time he teased her. She couldn't help herself, "Vergil…" She said in a sweet voice trying to get his attention.
Vergil looked up at her, expecting her to be offended, but her genuine smile made him feel warm like getting out of his comfort zone was totally worth it. Her smile reminded him of how she looked in that framed photo she has on her desk.
"This is exactly what I needed. Thank you," She said. Vergil smiled back at her, relieved she wasn't mad, but in fact happy. He watched as she dug into her blueberry sundae, bringing the spoon to her mouth, Vergil joining her as he started to eat his own.
Cyra didn't fail to notice the flavor he chose, "So you like strawberry?" She asked.
"It's the only flavor I've tried so far," Vergil said.
"Really?" Cyra asked in disbelief, "I take it Dante ordered for you. Want to try blueberry?" Vergil didn't say anything, but Cyra took a spoonful of her sundae, making sure to get enough of the blueberry flavoring in. She lifted her spoon up in front of Vergil's face, waiting for him to eat off her spoon.
Vergil narrowed his eyes at the spoon, ready to decline the current offer, "No, I'm fine with this."
Cyra didn't move the spoon, "I want you to try a new flavor."
"If I wanted to try a new flavor, I would have gotten one," Vergil said.
Cyra grinned and didn't budge, "You better hurry up. It's going to start melting."
"Then you better eat it," Vergil responded, mocking her tone.
"I'm not moving," Cyra protested.
"You're going to make a mess," Vergil said.
"If it's going to fall and taint your precious strawberry sundae, you're going to end up eating it anyway," Cyra argued.
"Woman…" Vergil warned.
Cyra smirked and brought up her other elbow to lean on the table, head resting in her palm, "Demon," She challenged.
Forget the ice cream, Vergil thought, he just wanted the woman behind it. He pushed that thought away, and leaned in to wrap his mouth around the spoon Cyra was holding out, eating the ice cream that was on it. Blueberry was her favorite, huh? It was much sweeter, but he liked it. It seemed fitting for her.
Cyra set it up, but she still swooned at the sight of him eating off her spoon. She smiled, "It's great, isn't it?" She asked.
Vergil nodded, "You have good taste."
Cyra pushed her sundae glass forward, so it was more in between them. Guess they'd be sharing the same glass now. The sun finally started to set, sun rays no longer attempting to blind the two but now creating a soft orange hue in the sky. It was a typical sunset, though for some reason it looked extra vibrant and she couldn't help but think that the company she was with was why it looked so much better, "How did you know watching the sunset was part of my list?"
"I didn't," Vergil answered.
"Oh, well, that's a nice surprise, then," Cyra said blushing.
"What else is on this list of yours?" Vergil asked.
"You want me to start from the top?" Cyra asked.
"If you'd like," Vergil answered, hoping she wouldn't get too detailed.
Cyra exhaled, "Weeellllll," She drawled out, "I watch the sunrise, make pancakes, finish the crossword puzzle in the newspaper, which, by the way, I all did before noon!" She cheered, "Then I just take a walk, grab dinner and a sundae, watch the sunset, and end the night with a loooong bubble bath. I figured I wouldn't be able to leave tonight so I already did the bath."
"If only I paid a visit earlier," Vergil said.
"Wanted in on that bubble bath?" Cyra asked jokingly.
"I meant so you keep your traditions in order, but now that you mention it..." Vergil smirked.
Cyra blushed, but didn't respond. Now there's an idea, she thought, "Maybe next time," She said. Next time? What's next time!?
Vergil may have thought bubble baths were childish at first, but he did see how it could be a romantic activity. Sharing any form of bath with the woman sounded like a pleasant way to pass the time. A pang of jealousy reached his chest at the thought of someone getting to experience that with her first, but there were plenty of other things Vergil lost to, which was only to be expected. She was married, after all. Still, he hated being second, "Tell me about him," Vergil said taking another spoonful.
"Hm?" Cyra asked, mouth full.
"Your ex-husband," Vergil clarified.
"You want to know about Gabriel?" Cyra asked, expression mixed with confusion and shock.
It irked him a bit to hear his name, but he had to remember he wasn't an obstacle, "Well, he was important to you, and I'm curious about the man who was able to live with someone as stubborn as you for 10 years."
Cyra laughed and looked down to play with the spoon in the sundae glass, "Alright, well, let's see… I already told you he was a police officer. He was really kind, patient... Pretty talkative - to a fault, sometimes. Never knew when to keep his mouth shut," Cyra giggled and looked back up at Vergil, "So he's pretty much nothing like you."
Vergil chuckled and twitched the corner of his lip up, waiting for her to continue. His eyes were watching the sun setting, enjoying the light breeze hit his face.
Cyra smiled looking at Vergil. True, they were two very different men personality wise, but they did have the important qualities in common, "But he protected me, appreciated me, listened to me, and made me feel important everyday," Cyra listed softly. Vergil's attention was still ahead towards the sun, unaware that she was now talking about him, "and he not only tolerated my bad habits, but I think he actually kind of liked them." She smiled.
Vergil turned back to see her looking at him, only for her nerves to take over and tear her own eyes away, suddenly hoping he didn't catch her staring. It was her turn to watch the sunset.
Vergil realized she was talking about him, surprised to hear that he made her feel that way, though he never stopped to wonder it in the first place. He was too busy thinking about how she made him feel, even if he kept trying to deny it. Her feelings for him were right in his face the whole time. She wanted to get to know him since day one, but he shut her out. She tried to hear stories that she already knew, but wanted to hear them again in his own words. The main goal in her life was to help the people around her, but she was willing to drop all of it just to cure him first. Most importantly, she treated him like he was a real person, not some monster who would just snap and revert back to his murderous ways. All this time he was afraid of getting too attached to a human woman, but turns out it was the easiest thing he would ever do.
Cyra was smiling at the sunset, hair slightly blowing around in her face. "Sunsets are some of the most beautiful things... Don't you think?" She asked quietly, mesmerized by how much of the sky was orange that night.
Vergil's eyes were glued to her features, "Yes," He muttered quietly, distracted by how she pulled some stray strands of hair behind her ear, just for the wind to blow it back.
Trish and Lady were off in the distance, watching them, arms both crossed, "Ugh, they're adorable," Trish said.
"I could throw up," Lady said.
"Who knew he had it in him to plan something like this?" Trish asked.
"Yeah, I don't think I like human Vergil," Lady said.
"I guess it beats the alternative," Trish said. However, despite their words, they both smiled at the sight.
29 January 8:11pm
Vergil and Cyra stopped in front of the bookstore, Cyra beginning to open it. Vergil didn't intend to stay, wanting her to let her enjoy the rest of her traditions however she saw fit without a distraction, "Have a good night," He said, ready to walk away.
Cyra stopped, realizing then that it was presumptuous to assume he would come in with her, "Oh, you're leaving?" Cyra asked, stopping him from leaving.
"I was planning on it," Vergil answered.
Suddenly it felt like she just came back from a date. Dating, hah! Like she remembers what that was like, "Can we do this again sometime?" Cyra asked.
"You know where to find me," Vergil said with a playful tone.
Cyra smiled and looked up in the clear sky, not a single cloud in the sky to block the bright stars that were twinkling in the sky. Her attention turned back to Vergil, "Do you think it… looks like rain?" She shyly asked, blushing.
Vergil knew there would be no rain, and understood her implication. He was taken aback by how bold she could be at times, but he chalked that up under how comfortable she started to be around him. Perhaps that had more pros than cons, after all. He smiled and walked towards her, relieving Cyra's nerves as she opened the door, holding it open for Vergil to walk in behind her. Vergil ran his hand through his hair, pushing back the strands that the wind previously tried to untame. Cyra could watch him do that all day. Vergil caught her staring, "Yes?"
Cyra cleared her throat and looked away, "Nothing," She answered confidently.
Vergil took a step closer, "Say it," he grazed the side of her cheek with the back of his gloved hand, bring her attention back to him.
"Your… hair…" She muttered lamely, focused too much on his closeness.
Vergil lowered his face to kiss her lightly, "Mmm, you still taste like blueberry," He said against her lips.
Cyra placed her hands on his chest, "So do you."
"I want to know what else you taste like," Vergil muttered through the kiss. Cyra gasped and pushed herself away from Vergil, freezing with her hands slightly out. She wasn't looking at him, and moved a hand to her chest, unable to comprehend was just happened. Vergil enjoyed making her nervous and getting a reaction out of her, but her reaction then concerned him, "Too much?" He asked carefully.
Cyra didn't respond, almost like she didn't hear what Vergil said. She started to mouth words, but couldn't muster the composure to make noise come out, "I...I'll… be right back," Cyra finally said and walked through her bookstore, going upstairs straight to her bathroom. She closed the door behind her and pressed her back against the door. After a long exhale, she walked to her bathroom sink, looking at herself in the vanity. It wasn't entirely Vergil's words that scared her. If anything, they excited her, but she felt guilty, which just made her angry. Why? It's been three years, she deserved to find new happiness. Maybe she never got the closure she needed with Gabriel. He died, and even though she was able to mourn and get used to him not being around, she never properly accepted that he wasn't ever going to come back. Her life had to move on.
Cyra walked back downstairs and glanced at Vergil reading in that chair that he claimed to hate so much. She smiled at the sight. Her attention moved over to the framed photo that was faced down on her desk. Walking over to it, she silently grabbed it and walked back around the stairs, leading to a door that led to a back exit; a porch. The view wasn't much, it only being a small courtyard with other buildings leading to it, but it was nice and quiet. More importantly, it was empty. Cyra sat on a step, hugging the framed photo to her chest.
She looked up into the sky and sniffed back tears that were threatening to spill even before she started speaking, "Hey Gabriel… It's me…" She began, "I can't believe it's been three years. Feels just like yesterday we were arguing over crossword puzzle answers. I was still right, by the way," She chuckled through her tears, "I, um… I had a really good day. I hope you did, too," She paused trying to think of the best way to vocalize her thoughts, "The past three years made me realize that I was still holding onto you… It made me afraid to get attached to anyone, because it felt like I was abandoning you. But… you're not here anymore, and I don't want to feel guilty, so I just… I need to ask… Is it okay if I move on?" She sniffed. She realized there's no way for him to respond. It was a silly thing she was doing anyway, but it made sense to her at the time.
A gust of wind went by, blowing Cyra's hair in her face, as well as some tears away. She chuckled, fixing her hair, "I think I'll take that as a yes?" She looked down into the framed photo once more, her tears falling on the picture. She smiled and stood up, once more looking up in the sky, struggling to form words, "I guess… Goodbye, Gabriel," She said, slowly walking back in, closing the door behind her. She smiled and wiped her tears away hoping they weren't too obvious.
Cyra set the photo frame back on her desk, but it wasn't facing down. She went over next to Vergil who was still sitting in the chair. She threw her arms around him from the side, head resting on his shoulder, "Thank you for today…" She started, voice slightly wavering, "It meant more to me than you think," Vergil reached up to pat her arm, not knowing how else to reciprocate the hug from the awkward angle. He didn't say anything response. Cyra let go of him and sat on the arm of the chair, "Hope I can repay the favor someday."
"Keeping me alive has been a pretty decent favor so far," Vergil said with a half smile.
Cyra laughed, "I mean something more personal!"
Vergil could definitely think of something, but decided not to lead with it since it seemed to make her so uncomfortable a bit ago, "You could replace this chair," He said lightly.
Cyra rolled her eyes, "That wouldn't make us even!"
"Woman, I'm going to stop you right there," Vergil started. He closed his book to rest it on the side table and rubbed the back of his hand against Cyra's thigh next to him, causing Cyra to glance down at it once, acting like it was totally normal, "I wanted you to see through your list because this day is important to you. I don't want you trying to find something else to call us even. I owe you much more than a dessert, anyway."
"It wasn't just dessert. That gesture was worth everything," Cyra said holding his hand with both of hers, "It was the nicest thing someone's done for me in a long time."
"Not surprising considering what those humans give back. What was it again?" Vergil asked, pretending to think, "Ah, yes, nothing."
"I don't need anything in return," Cyra laughed.
"You're even aware of not being appreciated. Your altruism is infuriating," Vergil said.
Cyra bit her lip and feeling brave, she slid off the arm of the chair to sit in his lap, "But you appreciate me, right?" Cyra asked, playing with the buttons on his vest.
Vergil moved an arm around her waist, and rest his other hand on her thigh, "Among other things," He said looking slightly up at her. He noticed her eyes were a bit red, signaling she'd been crying, but he wouldn't pry. He just hoped it wasn't because of what he said.
"What are these other things?" Cyra asked coyly.
"You'll have to get them out of me," Vergil smirked.
"Hmmm, how do I do that?" Cyra asked.
"You're smart, you'll figure it out," Vergil said.
"You have that much faith in me?" Cyra asked and brought a hand up to his face, lightly brushing her thumb against his bottom lip.
Vergil's eyes were now glancing to her lips, unable to think of anything witty to say, and not caring, "Yes," Honestly, he wasn't even sure what he said 'yes' to.
"Then that's all I care about," Cyra said and moved her face down to meet with Vergil's lips. It wasn't slow nor freverant. It was the perfect kiss to end their little outing. Her heart fluttered at the memory of what he did for her. Going out of his own comfort zone for to make her happy meant more to her than anything she could have asked from him. Gestures like that proved to her that if she was going to move on, it was with the right person.
"Vergil," She muttered through the kiss, not breaking it. He hummed a response, but kept kissing her, "You hate this chair, right?" She broke the kiss and looked down at him.
"Despise it," Vergil confirmed.
"I might have something more comfortable upstairs," Cyra said, blushing at her boldness.
Vergil smirked at her blush. He knew this was a bad idea. The parasite would stop him, or worse, control him. He lost control the day before, he couldn't risk it around Cyra. Looking at her face, seeing her face and her lips flushed because of him, it was difficult to say no, "Lead the way," He said.
Cyra placed one more kiss on his lips before she jumped off his lap and strolled through the store to reach the stairs. She turned and waited for Vergil to catch up, noticing he looked very uncomfortable at first, "Healing factor not so good against uncomfortable chairs?" She taunted.
"You've no need to concern yourself with my healing factor," Vergil said.
They reached the top of the stairs, Cyra showing Vergil around, "Bathroom, Kitchen, aaand," Cyra turned to face Vergil. She took her jacket off and threw it over the chair, "This is where coats go," She reached back up to grab the lapels of his coat, pulling Vergil's face down to hers, who wasted no time to kiss her. His coat came off moments later, followed by their shoes, which took longer than expected because of how complicated his shoes seemed - or rather the covers that went over them.
Cyra tripped backwards onto her bed, squealing as she fell back. Vergil chuckled as he leaned down to crawl onto the bed over her, "Are you okay?" He mumbled into her neck, causing Cyra to shiver. This is a bad idea, he tried to argue with himself, I'll lose control and kill her.
"Mhm," She mumbled back, breathing heavily.
Vergil's lips returned to hers and ran his hand up her shirt, trying to coax her into taking it off, which she obliged. Cyra messily unbuttoned his vest and dragged the zipper down, letting Vergil do the rest of taking it off. Cyra couldn't stop herself from placing her hands on his chest, inspecting every groove she could. Her hands found their way to his sides, learning just how slender he really was under that large coat he wore. She couldn't stop herself from wrapping a leg around one of his, just wanting to feel closer.
It was like there was a countdown until the parasite would show itselfto interrupt. The closer and hotter their bodies became, the closer it was to showing itself. Any longer and it'll be too late, he knew. Vergil groaned and broke the kiss, dropping his head back down to her neck, breathing heavy. He gripped the cover on the bed in his fist, winning his internal battle to stop their activity.
"Are you okay?" She asked breathlessly when she realized his tension.
It took him a bit to respond, "We can't continue."
"Oh, do you… not want to?" She asked, disappointed.
Vergil came back up to her face to place a single long, hard kiss on her lips, reassuring her, "Of course I want to," He said into her lips, not able to tear himself away from her. Pull away or she's dead, he told himself.
"But?" She meekly asked, moving her lips to kiss him anyway, which he allowed for a moment longer before he pulled back to lean on his elbow.
Vergil made the mistake of looking down at her. He found her light blush and heavy breathing irresistible, but he had to remember what was at stake, "But I don't want to lose control and hurt you," He said.
Cyra moved a hand through his hair, "You won't hurt me," She said.
Vergil wanted to melt when she did that, but he mustered all the strength he could to hold back, forcing himself to use logic and not let himself turn into a fool because of lust. He pushed his body away from hers and rolled over onto his back, and let out a hard exhale, "I lost control the other day. I can't guarantee that won't happen during something like this."
"O-Oh, right… That makes sense," Cyra said begrudgingly. Using his brain at a time like this is pretty admirable for a man. He should get a medal, she amusingly thought, "We can extend that raincheck," Cyra offered which Vergil hummed in response to. He slowly sat up and draped his legs over the side of the bed.
Cyra stopped him from standing up by grabbing his wrist before he pushed himself off the bed, "Wait," She said quickly and let go just as quick, "Do you… Um… Could you stay? With me? Tonight?" Cyra asked in a broken sentence.
As horrible an idea it probably was, Vergil found it difficult to refuse. It was clear that she just didn't want to be alone on that particular night. Having her reach out to him when he was about to leave made him feel needed. Sleeping next to her should be harmless. It's a bad idea.
Cyra pulled the blanket up and got under it, feeling slightly self-conscious at her lack of shirt, and overall situation. Vergil accepted the gesture to join her under the covers, laying down to stare up at ceiling. Only he found it much harder than he anticipated to be under a blanket with her. She was eyeing him, completely attracted to his disheveled demeanor. His usual cool, composure was something she liked, but having him somewhat sprawled out on her bed, shirtless, with messy hair, hearing him breathe through his mouth… All knowing that it was because of her, well, it was quite something. Cyra leaned up on her elbow towards him and bit her lip, tracing her fingers along the grooves of his abdomen, "But, you know… it doesn't have to be physically demanding for you..." She said, her fingers sliding lower.
That didn't help. He wanted to give in, but instead, Vergil quickly snatched her wrist before she even knew what was happening, "It's best you keep your hands to yourself," He said and removed her hands from him.
Cyra smirked, unable to stop herself, "Oh, I wasn't planning to use my hand…"
"You're playing a dangerous game, woman," Vergil warned.
"Consider it payback for the comment in the gym," Cyra said laying back.
"Is retaliation the only reason you asked me to stay?" Vergil asked.
Cyra sighed fondly and turned to lay on her side, fingers drawing a small line over his shoulder, careful not to annoy him, "Not the only reason."
Vergil turned to his side to be face to face with her, barely any inches away from each other. They comfortably looked at each other in silence. Cyra retracted her hand back and pulled some hair back behind her ear. Vergil noticed she missed a few strands and reached over to push the rest away. When her face was clear of stray hairs, he didn't feel like pulling his hand back, fearing he'd miss the feeling of her skin under his fingers. Only then did he realize that he was still wearing his gloves, though it was too late to take them off. Probably for the best, too. He let his hand gently rest on the side of her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb, "I wasn't expecting this," He blurted out without realizing.
"Expecting what?" Cyra asked quietly.
He furrowed his brows learning that he said it out loud. It was too late to turn back now. Even if he tried to change the subject, she'd annoyingly force the truth out of him, "When I met you, I thought I'd have to deal with an annoying brat of a woman," He started and Cyra smiled, expecting to hear kind words, "Well, turns out I was right," He said. Cyra gasped and hit him lightly on the chest, causing Vergil to chuckle, "Turns out… I ended up having to deal with a woman who I was able to… do more than just tolerate."
Cyra let a wide grin spread on her face at his confession, reminiscent of what she said earlier in the day. So he did know I was talking about him, "You've never done that, have you?" She asked.
"No, and don't get used to it. I currently have a problem where blood isn't flowing to my brain," Vergil said.
Cyra got the hint and laughed, "Oh, poor baby, if only you let someone help with that."
"You seem determined to provoke me, fully knowing what could happen," Vergil said.
"I can't seem to stop myself," Cyra said placing her hand on his chest.
"You're going to be in so much trouble when that damned parasite is out of me," He said lowly.
Cyra felt hot at his words, needing to bite her lip to keep her composure, "Maybe I should get back to the lab then," Cyra lowering her hand to his stomach, loving the feeling of his somewhat rough skin.
"I thought I told you to keep your hands to yourself," Vergil said
"It's innocent," Cyra tried to defend.
"Hmm… Innocent you say...," Vergil pretend to muse and he pushed her hand away so he could trace his own fingers down her stomach, feeling her flinch slightly at his touch. He moved lower so that his hand disappeared under the covers and turned his wrist so that his hand was at a better angle to trace along the side of her leg. He was pleased to know she had her legs slightly parted, so that he could rest his hand high up on her inner thigh.
"Wh-wha-what are you doing?" Cyra whispered.
"Resting my hand," Vergil answered innocently, "Problem?"
"N-no," Cyra lied.
Vergil hummed, "Is that so?" He asked, and he slowly grazed his hand up to the warmth between her thighs. Even through her clothes, he could feel the heat emanating from her center.
Cyra gasped and pushed him away so he was laying on his back again, "Okay, yup, bad idea!" She said, voice shaking as she also laid on her back.
Vergil chuckled and silently thanked her for pushing him off. If they stayed in that position any longer, he didn't think he'd be able to stop. Pheromones were a powerful chemical. No, sleeping next to her was definitely not innocent. He was facing the ceiling, feeling oddly proud getting that much of a reaction from her. Damn that parasite. If her reaction about a slight brush was that entertaining, he couldn't wait for more, "Well, if it makes you feel better, my problem only got worse," He said.
Cyra exhaled, "It does a little…" She trailed off, "But at least I can hide my problem."
"Not from me," Vergil said suggestively.
"What!?" Cyra said louder than she intended, "Don't tell me demons can sense that!"
"Sense, smell, whichever bothers you more," Vergil said.
"How invasive," Cyra realized bringing the covers up higher.
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you and had some more fun with it," Vergil said.
"Ugh! You're already so smug, I don't need you knowing when you get me frustrated, too," Cyra said almost pouting.
Vergil couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face when she called him smug, knowing he got under her skin.
They laid in silence for a while, Cyra smiling a bit at the banter, even if she was a bit sexually frustrated. She turned her head to Vergil, smiling at him lying there next to her, his arm resting over his eyes. It was such a surprise when he opened up to her about his feelings, even if they were vague. It was going to be like pulling teeth to get him to open up, she knew, but it made the moments that much sweeter. She felt it was only fair to express her own feelings towards him, even if she kind of did earlier. Her nerves kicked in at the thought of it, Oh god, I can't just tell him I like him!
"You're staring," Vergil said.
Cyra scoffed, "What, can you smell that, too?"
"No, but I can hear your heartbeat," Vergil said, amused.
"You can hear-?! Oh, forget it. What makes you think that means I'm staring at you?" Cyra asked.
"It'd be rather concerning if that was your resting heartbeat," Vergil said in an obvious smug tone, if not only just to add salt to the wound.
"And you said I was annoying…" Cyra said. Vergil chuckled, "Okay, fine, I was staring at you," She said which caused Vergil to remove his arm from him eyes to turn his head to Cyra. This was her chance to share. She could start at the beginning and say that the reason she was so nervous around him during their early days as acquaintances was because she found him unfairly attractive. Once upon a time, she thought he was completely out of her league, whatever that meant. Though she couldn't admit something so immature to him. Well, she could, but even though she almost slept with the man, she felt sharing that was too much, "I was just thinking about what you said. I guess I, uh... I just wasn't expecting this either... but here we are," Cyra finished.
"Here we are," Vergil repeated.
Cyra leaned up on her elbow with the intention to move closer to Vergil, but he held up an arm to stop her advance, "Relaaax. I promise I won't make it worse," She said. Vergil narrowed his eyes at her and moved his arm up so that she could lay down and rest her head on his chest. Vergil brought his arm back down around Cyra's body, hand resting lightly on her hip. Cyra placed her free hand back on his stomach, lightly tracing her fingers back and forth, careful not to agitate his current problem.
Vergil closed his eyes, rather enjoying the feeling. He tried to focus on her scent which seemed to equally calm and arouse him further, "Tell me something," He said.
"What?" Cyra asked.
"Anything. A story, a secret, your family," Vergil listed, giving her ideas. He needed to think about something else.
Cyra smiled. He wanted to know? She forced herself to think of a story, struggling to come up with one as she felt she was on the spot, "I guess I can tell you about my family, since I know yours. Um… My mom was a doctor. She's the reason I wanted to become one myself. Ironically, she got sick and died. I never knew my real dad, but my step dad didn't handle her death very well. That's why when I met Gabriel, I latched onto his family. Haven't seen my step dad since. I don't even know if he's alive," Cyra laughed awkwardly.
"When did she die?" Vergil asked.
"When I was 16. I already knew Gabriel around that time, and he and his family were so supportive and let me live with them. My step dad either didn't notice or care that I was gone for most of the week. I just came by every now and then to see if he was okay, but he was usually just drunk," Cyra explained. She cleared her throat, "Wow, sorry, I didn't mean to dump all that on you."
"Well, I did ask. I don't mind," Vergil reassured, rubbing his thumb to caress her hip, comforting her, "You didn't end up going to his parents home today," Vergil remembered that Simon person mentioning it.
Cyra laughed a bit, "Oh, Gabriel's? Yeah, there's no way. They're great, but there's no place for me there, anymore, and it's okay," She smiled, genuinely not feeling sad as long as she was in Vergil's arms. The movement of his chest going up and down with his breathing was calming. Her hand grazed up from his stomach to his chest resting where she remembered the memory where he stabbed himself. The feelings crept up again, imagining him in that dark void again, feeling alone and angry. Angry didn't even cut it. Hating Dante; despising his humanity, wanting it gone… How could someone feel like that? It caused her fist to clench. Vergil's hand came up from the side of the bed to envelope her hand.
"What's wrong?" Vergil asked.
Cyra snapped out of it and flattened her hand, but propped herself up on her elbow, feeling too anxious to stay still. Her eyes were still glued to his hand on top of her's, "Those feelings… I just… I wish I could've done something to help you…" Cyra said caressing her thumb over his chest.
Vergil could tell it was from his memory that she saw, unaware that she still thought about it. He wished she didn't have to see it if it affected her this much. How strongly did she even feel them? Judging from her reaction immediately after, they were intense, and if he could spare her even a little bit of his past misery, he would. He squeezed her hand, "There's nothing you could've done," He said, "Had I even known you then, I wouldn't have listened. I had to see through it myself."
Cyra nodded, "I'm sorry…"
Vergil tried to interrupt, "Cy-"
But Cyra didn't let him, "I know, I know. I'm just sorry you had to go through that. The worst part is you've been through so much that you don't seem to realize just how painful those feelings were."
"Then I hope you don't dig into another memory," Vergil said somberly.
"How much worse can they be?" Cyra asked sadly.
Vergil exhaled, thinking back, only to stop himself. Where would he begin? "I'll make sure you never find out," He answered.
Cyra glanced to his face. He was looking up at the ceiling as she expected. Could it really be that bad? She couldn't even deal with the memory she did see. The only reason she handled it was because Vergil was there with her. How he managed to go through that alone was beyond her. Cyra's most traumatic experience was losing her husband, but it wasn't anything compared to what Vergil must have experienced. How could anyone have those feelings that he had and claim there was worse?
"Any idea why that was the memory you saw?" Vergil asked.
Cyra shrugged, "Knowing Amelia had something to do with it, it was probably a way to manipulate me. Or maybe a memory just makes the tether stronger."
"Both seem likely. Sorcerers are rather predictable when they're desperate," Vergil said.
"You've dealt with one before?" Cyra asked.
"Plenty, but you don't need to concern yourself with her anymore. I'll end it," Vergil said.
Cyra smiled and laid her head back down onto his chest. She would continue to focus on developing a cure for him, and Vergil and the others will take down Amelia. Though it didn't sit well with her. Amelia was still just as much her problem. Vergil knew it wasn't going to keep Cyra away. The stubborn woman would still find a way to make it her business. Her house arrest meant nothing if there was no way to enforce it. Vergil didn't like the conversation that the night would end on. Perhaps it was his turn to tell a story.
"I hated sharing things with Dante when we were children. We fought over everything and even when things were mine, Dante would just come by and use whatever he pleased," Vergil started, "There was a man who gave me my favorite poem book as a child. Dante had no interest, but the first thing I did was write my name on it. Even if Dante did take it, having my name proved that it belonged to me and only me."
Vergil wasn't sure if Cyra fell asleep before or after he started the story, but he hoped that his voice lulled her into a peaceful sleep. Knowing how often she refuses to sleep annoyed him. He wasn't sure why he thought to tell that story, but it made sense when he looked down at her. Looking down at the sleeping woman cuddled up next to him meant that she trusted him. With everything she knew about him, she still chose to foolishly trust him. Just as much as he'd foolishly let her. There was a threat of a parasite ripping her into shreds and she still chose to share a bed with him, despite that. He wanted her to place her trust in him and only him. He wanted her to be the only one she would turn to when she needed help. He wanted her to be his, and he wanted everyone and everything to know that.
Unfortunately for him, he couldn't make that happen just by writing his name on her.
Hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter full of fluff, because it's gonna get serious for a bit :) oops