"I'm just sayin', it ain't often people get to see their step-mama naked," Nico slurred. Despite not even receiving their main courses yet, she was already on her third bottle of beer. Kyrie was focussing intently on the non-alcoholic cocktail in front of her, desperately trying to avoid eye contact.

"Damn it Dante, make her stop," Nero groaned, covering his ears. "I don't want to hear it!"

Dante hesitantly placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Nico, maybe you should-"

"You can't stop the truth!" Nico protested, pointing a finger at Nero and spilling some amber coloured liquid on him in the process. "E-Everyone knows-" Nico hiccuped. "Right?" She looked around the table and received nothing but silence in return. "Right…?"

Nero couldn't even remember how the topic had come up, but he knew he wanted it to go away again. Lady and his father? Impossible! Just the very idea that what Nico was saying could have any truth to it was giving him a headache. "You're drunk," Nero huffed at last, pushing Nico's hand away. "Next you'll be claiming that Dante and Trish are-"

"Oh look, food!" Dante called out, more than grateful for the distraction. There was a strange sinking feeling in his stomach. He'd had his own suspicions of course, but listening to Nico's ramblings had pretty much confirmed it. Despite thinking he'd been prepared for this moment however, he suddenly found himself at a loss for how to feel. Sure, joking around and teasing his brother about it was fine, but that was when he wasn't completely sure that there was anything to it. If it really was as Nico claimed, then… He sighed. This could complicate things considerably. Not to mention how weird it would be talking to Lady about it. What would he even say to her? He smiled and thanked the waitress as she placed his food down in front of him. The server was mumbling some sort of apology for the delay, but Dante wasn't really listening. Lady and Vergil… Lady and Vergil!

"Let's talk about something else," Kyrie offered once the server had left. "How do you like the new renovations at your place Dante?"

Of course there's nothing to confirm Nico is telling the truth… Maybe she just has suspicions too. After all, it's not exactly the sort of thing you can just hide, right? And Kyrie hasn't said anything… But on the other hand if it is true… No wait, maybe this could work. Perhaps it might even be fun...

"...Dante?" Kyrie prodded.

"Huh?" Dante asked absently, still lost in thought.

"The new appearance of your shop, do you like it?"

"Oh, it's uh…" Dante shovelled a piece of chicken into his mouth. "Well, it's okay I guess."

"I hear Trish helped design it," Kyrie continued, desperately trying to move the conversation forward. "I'd have offered to assist myself but…" She looked down at her plate. "Well, I wasn't feeling very well unfortunately."

"I'm sorry…" Nero whispered into her ear. He gave her arm a light squeeze. "You know I'd have come back sooner if I could."

"Alisa helped too," Nico pointed out, seemingly moving on at last. "Kid's a damn near genius…"

"I still can't believe you adopted her," Nero said cautiously. "You never really struck me as the motherly type."

"Which is exactly why I need an heir to pass my knowledge on to," Nico said proudly. "'Cause lord knows ain't no-one gonna breed with me if I can help it!"

"...Right," Nero said, blushing slightly.

"Probably kinder that way," Dante smirked. "The last thing we need is more of you running around."

"Rude!" Nico said a little too loudly, causing some heads to turn in their direction. "I just don't wanna risk ruinin' this rockin' bod!" Quiet laughter spread around the table. "What about you?" Nico said suddenly, pointing her fork at Kyrie.

"Me?" Kyrie asked in surprise.

"You think you and Nero'll ever have kids?" Silence fell over the table. Dante looked down at his plate and focussed on finishing off his meal. This was not a conversation that he wished to be a part of.

"I-I… Well…" Kyrie stammered, fiddling with her napkin. "I mean… We…"

"It wouldn't be fair," Nero butted in at last. "Bringing another monster like me into the world, I… I just don't think I could handle the guilt." Kyrie looked up at him with what appeared to be a shocked expression. Nero sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I mean… It's not that I wouldn't want … But logically, y'know, and…" He let out an irritated tut and downed the rest of his drink. "Besides, we have the orphans. They're more than enough and we love them like they're our own anyway, so-"

"Nero, may I please be excused for a moment?" Kyrie asked quietly.

"Uh oh…" Nico said, sitting back in her seat. She leaned over to Dante and whispered a little too loudly: "I think I said something I shouldn'ta…"

"What's wrong, are you okay?" Nero queried, shifting along in the booth to let Kyrie out.

"Yes, I just…" Kyrie pushed past him, her head dipped low. "I just need a quick comfort break…" Before Nero could question her further, Kyrie quickly walked off in the direction of the bathrooms.

"Someone should go with her," Dante said seriously, finally glancing up. If those things he'd seen outside earlier had somehow managed to sneak inside…

"R-Right," Nero said, moving to stand up.

"Not you dumbass," Nico said, getting out of her seat and shoving Nero back down. "I…" she staggered slightly then grinned widely at the pair. "I got this, don't worry!" She gave a small salute then jogged off behind Kyrie.

Dante and Nero stared at their plates in silence for a moment.

"I messed up, didn't I?" Nero groaned at last.

"Maybe," Dante replied, turning to look out of one of the many windows in the restaurant. "Watch the table, I'm gonna-"

"Yeah I got it," Nero sighed, waving Dante away. "Call me if anything comes up."

"I'm just saying, not many people have seen their father's partner naked," Lady mumbled through a mouthful of olives. She gulped rather ungracefully and washed it down with some of her cocktail. "Just think of how embarrassing it would be!"

"I still refuse to acknowledge that Nero has seen you in such a state…" Vergil grumbled. He glanced away and angrily sipped at his elderflower cordial.

"Nico too," Lady grinned. "Dante has too before, and Trish…" she added, counting on her fingers. "Then there was that time that me and Kyrie went swimming… Gee, when I think about it just about everyone has-"

"Alright enough," Vergil growled, slamming his glass down on the table. "How did we even get onto such an indecent topic to begin with?"

"Reasons not to tell Nero and Dante?" Lady reminded him. "So let's see, we have embarrassment, awkwardness, potential mocking…"

"Let's discuss something else for a while," Vergil sighed. "This is meant to be an evening about us, remember?"

"I mean, technically this is about us, just… reasons not to let other people know about us…"

"They're probably going to find out eventually," Vergil huffed. "That is… if you intend to continue with…" He glanced out of the window. No further sightings so far. Good. "With whatever this is," he finished, gesturing between them.

"I mean, I wasn't planning on leaving without actually enjoying our meal," Lady said, deliberately missing his point. "Although if that waiter takes much longer, I might starve to death before I can try it…"

"...I'm sorry," Vergil said solemnly. "This is all my fault."

"Hey you can't help it if the service is less that speedy around here," Lady replied, leaning out of the booth to look around the restaurant. "I'm starting to think going to the other place would have been better after all…"

"I don't mean this," Vergil said, picking up the now empty pot that had contained a small serving of olives. He inspected its oily interior, then perhaps a little too forcefully placed it back down on the table. "Although I must admit the lack of food is not helping." Their waiter had re-appeared very briefly with a pot of 'complementary nibbles', then once more to deliver their drinks. Despite stating that they were ready to order their starters and main dishes, they had not seen said waiter again for a good twenty minutes or so.

Lady sat back in her seat with a heavy sigh. "Vergil, we've been through this. Don't make me do it again."

"You would be with your friends right now if it were not for me," Vergil stated. "That and you would not be dealing with this unnecessary stress…"

"Like I keep telling you, I don't care," Lady said, taking his hands in hers. "It's not you or the relationship that's stressing me out, it's other people. I'm still all for telling everyone if it'll just make you relax-"

"Sir, madam, my sincere apologies." The pair looked up to see their waiter standing next to the table again at last. He appeared to be panting slightly and had an oddly dishevelled appearance compared to when they had last seen him. "I am so sorry for the delay, please accept these complimentary drinks on the house," the waiter added, placing two fresh glasses down. As he straightened again, he appeared to wince.

"This is unacceptable," Vergil said sternly, glaring at the man next to them.

"As I say, I am terribly sorry, you see the thing is-"

"I do not wish to hear your excuses," Vergil growled. He pulled his hands away from Lady's and thrust the menu in the waiter's direction. "We would like to place our orders. If the starters are not here within ten minutes we will be leaving."

"But sir! All of our food is freshly prepared, it's unlikely that we will be able to-"

"Then make it likely," Vergil said angrily. Lady tutted and kicked him lightly under the table.

"Just do what you can please," Lady said, smiling up at the waiter. "We have been waiting for quite a while."

"Of course madam," the waiter replied with a light bow. Vergil continued to glower at the server as he took their orders, and stared after him as he left with another slight tip of his head.

"What was that about?" Lady huffed at last. "I know you're frustrated but there's no reason to take it out on the staff. If anything it'll just cause more issues."

"There's something off about that man," Vergil stated, finishing his drink and moving onto the fresh glass. "Perhaps I should-"

"No," Lady said firmly. "Despite what we told the others, we are not out on a job tonight. No investigating, no fighting, no anything related to demons or otherwise unless absolutely necessary." Vergil opened his mouth to respond, then gave up as Lady's determined eyes locked onto his and held him in their gaze. "I'm sorry if tonight is making you uncomfortable," Lady said, finally looking away. "I really wasn't expecting anything like this. That's why I was so surprised when Trish told me you had something planned. This…" She started fiddling with her napkin. "This is really lovely, and I'm honestly so grateful, but… It isn't really your sort of thing, is it?" she asked, looking up at him.

Vergil felt his chest tighten as he noticed the small beginnings of tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Even in the dim candlelight, the disappointment in her expression was visible. "Forgive me," Vergil whispered. "I'm trying, I really am. It's just…" He swirled the liquid in his glass around, trying to find his words. What is it? What is all of this? "...Are you happy?" he asked quietly.

"I wouldn't be here otherwise," Lady said gently.

Outside, a loud peal of thunder rumbled across the sky, and the window next to them shook slightly. Vergil chanced another glance outside and stiffened when he spotted a figure walking towards the van. Leaving already perhaps? How fortunate. But wait, what was…

"Vergil?" Lady prodded. "What about you? Do I…" her voice broke and she took another sip of her drink before trying again. "Are you happy? Being with someone like me?" Her grip on her glass tightened. She found herself wondering when she had become so desperate for his approval. It wasn't like her at all, and she hated it. She questioned not for the first time how she had allowed things to progress this far.

Vergil tore his gaze away from the scene unfolding outside and turned back towards his date. Lady looked up at him expectantly and he noticed that her brow was slightly furrowed. It seemed he wasn't the only one struggling with the current situation. "...I wouldn't be here otherwise," he said quietly, smiling a little. There was so much more he wanted to say to her — how she had made him the happiest he had been since his mother had died; how he would be willing to risk anything, everything just to keep her safe; how even just her smile made him feel so… Vergil lightly drummed his fingers on the table. Why did he suddenly feel so nervous? He should be used to this by now... He let out a sigh. "Mary, I want you to understand that this is all still very new to me," he explained. "As you know, I haven't exactly had an… easy life. I've grown so used to hiding my intentions from others over the years that even now, I…" He paused and glanced out of the window again. The figure below had disappeared, as had whatever had been following it. Whatever it had been, Dante was probably dealing with it (right…?). He faced Lady again. "Look, I don't know how this happened, and I don't know why this happened, but…" He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I don't say it enough, but…" He reached out and grasped Lady's free hand in his own. "Despite my sometimes foolish actions, I…" he paused. "I love y-"

Another crash of thunder filled the air, followed by a few streaks of lightning. When it finally quietened down again, Lady let out a nervous laugh and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "It's okay," Lady said, grinning at last as Vergil let out a muffled curse. "I get the idea." A few tears finally escaped her eyes and she quickly dabbed them dry. She took a deep breath and looked outside as heavy rain started to batter against the window. "And you know… I think that's all that matters," she added. She gestured to the restaurant. "This is great, really, but… We don't need something like this to prove that we care about each other. I'm sorry for not realising that sooner."

"But I thought-"

"So did I," Lady stated. "When you told Alisa that you hadn't planned anything, I felt a little hurt, but I realise now that that was silly of me. Why should today be any different to the rest of the amazing days we've spent together in the last year? And honestly?" She pointed at her hair and makeup. "This isn't really my scene either. Makeup and tight dresses? Talk about impractical!"

Vergil chuckled quietly then sighed. "I appreciate the point you are trying to make, but I feel like you might be saying these things just to make me feel better."

"Please, you think I'd risk not getting to do anything like this again just for your sake?" Lady scoffed. "Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy things like this occasionally, and I really have always wanted to come here, but…" She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. "I guess the point I'm trying to make is, I'd be happy no matter what we did, as long as I was doing it with you." She quickly downed the rest of her drink. "Or something like that."

"That's..." Vergil's cheeks reddened slightly. Curse this woman for making him feel such strange things! "You continue to surprise me, Mary…" he mumbled, leaning back in his seat. "Even now I can never tell what you are thinking."

"I think that's just part of being a guy," Lady laughed. "Although… I'm not sure I'd want you to be able to read my thoughts - There's some embarrassing stuff going on in here sometimes!"

"It might make fighting demons together somewhat easier, at least," Vergil retorted. "Your unpredictability has proven somewhat troublesome on occasion."

"Aww come on, three major injuries per twenty or so fights isn't that bad!" Lady said. "Besides, now that you have your beloved sword back it should be a lot easier for you to-"

((…There!))

Vergil shot up in his seat suddenly, causing Lady to yelp in surprise. His head snapped to the left as he looked out of the window again, and locked eyes with it.

"Kyrie?" Nico asked hesitantly as she pushed open the door to the restroom. She'd been waiting outside for a few minutes now with no sign of Kyrie exiting (or entering for that matter). When she received no reply, she slipped inside and glanced around the small but fancy looking space. There were three cubicles along the left hand wall, and the one at the very end was closed. Nico cleared her throat and marched towards it. "Alrighty look, I know this is awkward but if it ain't Kyrie in there can ya please let me know so I don't end up bothering some random lady?"

There were another few moments of silence, and then a timid voice responded: "It's me…"

Nico let out a low whistle then leant against the wall. "Well ain't that a relief. I was startin' to feel like a bit of a weirdo for a moment there." She chuckled. "Well, more of a weirdo than usual anyway…"

"I'd really rather be left alone," Kyrie's quiet voice said.

"I get that, I get that," Nico said, nodding despite Kyrie not being able to see her. "I just… wanted to check you were okay, I s'pose."

"I'm fine."

"Y'know, the others'll start getting worried if we're not back soon. Given how often weird crap seems to happen around us an' all…"

"I'll be back soon," Kyrie said, a little more firmly this time. "I just need some time to myself for a moment."

"Look…" Nico pushed herself away from the wall and started pacing up and down. "What Nero said, he probably just wasn't thinkin' straight. Guys are dumb, y'know? You gotta spell out exactly what you want or they'll just assume that everyone thinks the same way they do. If you want mini-Sparda's runnin' around then-"

"Just-! " Kyrie said, raising her voice for what felt like the first time in her life. "Just… let me handle it, please?" she continued, her voice now barely above a whisper again.

"Okay, okay," Nico said, trying to hide her surprise. "Listen, I'm headin' to the van for a quick smoke before we order dessert. If you wanna talk more in the next few minutes, you know where to find me…"

"Thank you Nico," Kyrie replied in a tone that clearly implied they would not be discussing this any further.

Nico sighed, considered saying something else and thought better of it, then left the restroom. As she stepped outside, she almost bumped into Dante who appeared to be returning from another trip to the bathroom himself. "Damn, meal ain't treating you too kindly tonight huh?" she smirked, looking him up and down.

"Something like that," Dante said absently, dusting himself down.

"Hey wait a sec, why's your coat wet?" Nico asked.

"Where's Kyrie?" Dante replied, ignoring her question.

Nico jerked her head in the direction of the door behind her. "She just needs a moment," she explained. "Says she'll be back at the table soon though." Nico raised an eyebrow. "You, uh, doin' okay yourself?"

"I'm fine," Dante said, finally looking at her. "Y'know, you probably shouldn't have brought up-"

"I know, I know," Nico said, waving a hand in the air dismissively. "I just wasn't thinkin'."

"I'm starting to think it might be best if we skip dessert and just get out of here," Dante said, heading back towards the restaurant.

"Are you kiddin' me?! Dessert's my favourite part! And don't try tellin' me you haven't been eyin' up that strawberry sundae on the menu!"

Dante's grim expression brightened a little and he grinned slightly. "I can't say it escaped my notice…"

"See, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Nico said cheerfully, punching him on the shoulder. "I know it ain't exactly the sorta welcome back meal you were hopin' for, but there's no reason for you not to enjoy it!" She pointed towards the front doors. "I'm just goin' for a quick smoke but I'll be right back. Come get me before you guys order dessert."

Dante's eyes became serious again. "I really don't think you should go out there," he said, lightly grabbing her upper arm to halt her in her tracks.

"What 'cause of a bit of rain? Please," Nico said, rolling her eyes and pulling her arm free. "I'll only be a few secs anyway."

"It's just…" Dante scrambled for some sort of explanation. Maybe it would be fine. He had just pushed a bunch of them back after all. They didn't usually tend to regroup very quickly either. And Nico was just a regular human after all; if they wanted to hurt her they'd have done so a long time ago. Right. It was him they wanted. And Nero apparently. "Okay," Dante said, raising his hands and stepping back. "Don't take too long though, I don't want to have to deal with the awkwardness that is Nero and Kyrie by myself."

"Don't worry, I'll probably be back before Kyrie," Nico grinned. With that, she gave a small wave and jogged towards the entrance, noting that their waitress was back at their table as she passed it. She could hear Nero politely asking her to leave Kyrie's plate in case she wished to finish it when she got back. Unlikely, Nico thought. She doubted Kyrie would want to eat much of anything for a while given how upset she'd sounded. That girl didn't handle stress very well.

It was warmer outside than Nico had expected, even in spite of the rain, but she still shivered as the drops hit her bare skin. There was a strange yet familiar feeling in the air, almost like static. She was glad they'd managed to park fairly close to the entrance. She whistled a tuneless melody to herself as she made her way over to the van. If they'd let her take her smokes and lighter into the restaurant like she'd planned, she could have snuck out the back entrance and been done by now. She glanced up at the sky briefly as she walked, and was surprised to see that the rain clouds seemed to fade away a few streets over. An isolated rain shower, huh? The first beginnings of some stars were appearing in the areas of clear sky, almost invisible above the artificial light coming from the town. Man, she wanted to take another road trip soon. One far away from all the people and noise. Heck, maybe she could even bring the kid. As she approached the vehicle, she realised that her arms were covered in goosebumps.

Nico opened the driver's side door of the van and rummaged around in the glove compartment for a moment. She let out an annoyed tut as she remembered that she'd haphazardly thrown her smokes back inside the vehicle after Nero had realised she still had them on her as they were approaching the restaurant. When she couldn't find them on the floor under the steering wheel, she leaned further in to search on the passenger side. "Gotcha," she mumbled to herself after a few minutes of searching in near darkness, aided only by the weak glow of a nearby streetlight. Note to self, fix dome light.

It was as she started to wiggle herself out backwards, that she finally heard the footsteps. "Decided to talk after all, huh?" she called over her shoulder. "Could you do me a favour and drag me outta here? I think I've got myself stuck on somethin'." It was only as she felt the grip on her ankles that she realised she'd made a terrible mistake.

A/N - Happy New Year everyone!
Sorry it's been a while and thank you to everyone still reading, it's much appreciated. Hope you enjoy!