AN: Thank you so much for all of the kind words! I had been wanting to write a DMC D/N fanfic for a while and I just finally got all of my thoughts together lol. Honestly its hard to find a good dante/nero ff, trust me I go looking all the time lol. There are some good ones but there aren't enough in my opinion. Thank you so much again!

Also I don't own the DMC series, and if I did the fifth game WOULD NOT LOOK LIKE IT DOES and it would involve more Nero :D

The day continued on slowly to Nero. The setting sun that he saw when he left his room was still just over the horizon, not fully disappearing. The light of day still lingering in lines across the sky as dark blue streaks threatened to over take it.

Nero stood on the steps to the Cathedral looking out at the people of Fortuna. Lights were strung all across the court yard, through the iron fences, through the plants. Twinkles of white breaking through the colors of the city, illuminating every place the lights touched making some of what was left under construction look beautiful.

One by one the people of Fortuna lined up to talk to Nero. Each person had a way of saying thank you, each hand shook vigorously. Every pair of eyes filled with a gratitude deserving of him, some eyes brimmed with tears of thanks. Nero took each hand in his, careful to try not to reach them with his demon hand.

No matter how many thanks he received he still noticed the few people in the crowd with their eyes flittering towards his bandaged hand every now and then. Nero knew that they would never fully accept him, not all of them anyways. There would always be the few whispers about how someone so young became such a high ranking member to the Holy Knights and the Order. There would always be those who questioned how he saved this town, who still had questions about the man in the red coat that just seemed to have disappeared.

"I'm just so grateful that you are going to be leading the Order now. I always knew there was something about you, something that just said that you would be a great leader one day. You have that air about you kid." An older man with a slightly hunched back and small frame was shaking Nero's hand variously with both of his own. Nero just looked down at him, trying to bring a smile to his face but not being able to do it. Kid. That one single word brought a wave of images flashing through Nero's mind. There was only one other person who called him that, Nero pushed the thought aside quickly and instead looked down at the old man, hoping that there would be enough gratitude in his own eyes for the old man to see his own thanks.

"Thank you so much, I only hope that I will be as great as your words." As Nero said that he truly meant them. He hoped that he would be able to live up to these new expectations and help to become a driving force in rebuilding this town. There was a part of Nero that did want this, he wanted to be this great leader, to have a place here with all of these people who wanted him to succeed. The old man smiled up as him and let go of Nero's hand.

The old man walked down the steps gesturing for the next citizen in line to go up to Nero. Nero continued on keeping up the best demeanor that he could, calm. He could feel himself wanting to talk back to everyone. Yes he was grateful of their kind words but there was a part of him that wanted to scream out at them. What are you expecting out of me? To be someone great? To fix all of these towns problems? He could feel the words crawling under his skin, begging to come out. Nero's mind flipped back and forth between wanting to be the perfect Captain and the other side of him just wanted to ask everyone what the hell the problem was picking him to have such an important role.

Just breathe, I only need to make it through the night. Nero looked up at the sky realizing that the sun had finally set bringing on the full set darkness of night. The sky burst into stars, the ground reflecting the sky with its artificial lights as they went into their full effect. What seemed like an endless line of people finally did come to an end. Nero let out a small sigh of relief as he closed his eyes for a moment only to imagine that he wasn't really there.

His mind went to a place much simpler than this one. A place where he was able to be free of everyone's on going pressure for him to be something greater. Where he could just be himself. Somewhere where the skin on his arm wasn't crawling with anticipation to be able to breathe.

Nero opened his eyes back up to see Kyrie looking up at him. Her amber eyes giving off the look of flames as the lights of the city shone against them. A smile played across her features as her hand reached out for his. Nero tried his hardest to return the smile that she was giving him but he couldn't bring himself to do it. A part of her smile fell as she realized that he wasn't giving her one in return. She squeezed his hand lightly in reassurance.

"We'll go home soon." Kyrie whispered to him. Nero raised his eyebrows at her knowing that she never came to his quarters.

The night was soon over, but not quick enough in Nero's opinion. After yet another speech from the priest to the towns people Nero was able to leave, a part of him felt bad that the other Holy Knights had to stay till everyone went home. The part of him wanting to leave and get out of the uniform that seemed to weigh a lot more by the end of the night eventually won out with his dilemma of volunteering to stay.

Nero made it back to his room with Kyrie following him into the room. The doors leading out to the balcony were left open, a light breeze billowing the white curtains. The room was cast in a light blue glow, the brightness of the full moon illuminating the room. Blue, white, gray and black shadows danced across the objects of his room as the breeze continue to blow in.

The door shut behind Kyrie, her back pushed against the door. Her eyes were cast downwards as Nero approached her. Kyrie let her eyes linger on the floor as Nero's hand found its way to her waist. His hand slowly moved its way up her side, his fingers lightly tracing their way up to her face. His fingers finally made it to her face where he tilted her chin up so her eyes finally locked on with his. Nero leaned down, his lips lightly touching hers. Kyrie parted her lips ever so slightly just enough to grant Nero access.

Nero pushed himself against Kyrie trapping her between himself and the wall. He immediately felt her body tense as he put more pressure between them. Nero deepened the kiss, pressing his hips to hers. Once more her body tensed. Nero let her reaction slide as he continued to kiss her. His free hand began to roam her body, traveling from her thighs to her hips and higher.

Kyrie quickly pulled away from Nero breaking the kiss. She looked down at the ground, her gaze not wanting to meet Nero's confused one.

"What is it?" Nero asked her, his voice quiet. He pressed his forehead against hers; her eyes still focused on the floor beneath them.

"I…I don't think I'm ready yet." Kyrie's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes too afraid to meet Nero's. Nero instantly let go of her almost pushing her away from him. He walked over to the balcony, casting his eyes to the sky. The moon shinning in through the open doors cast brilliant white shadows across Nero's skin, the color of the moon making his normally white hair show hues of light blue.

"God Kyrie what is it? Why is it every time we are together you always seem so reluctant?" Nero was frustrated, this had been going on for a year now. Every time when Nero thought that they were going to be close she backed away at the last moment.

"I'm just not ready yet." Her voice was timid as she twined her fingers together out of nervousness.

"No that's not it. I don't think you're ready to be with a monster." Nero's voice was harsh, he ran his fingers through his hair making the hues of blue blur as his lochs were rustled.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Kyrie's eyes widened and for the first time in the room she looked at Nero. "No its not that at all!" Her voice was rushed, the nervousness showing fully in it.

"Don't fool yourself Kyrie, that's exactly what it is." Nero clenched his teeth as the last words came out. His hand twisted into a fist at his side as the frustration kept rising inside of him.

"Nero, I love you, you know that." Her voice came out in a whisper, the fear of this fight shinning brightly behind her eyes. Kyrie took a step closer to Nero who was pacing in between the open doors of the balcony while lightly shaking his head.

"Is that what you think this is? You think that this is love? You really do have yourself fucking fooled. I do everything for you! This! All of this!" Nero was facing her now, his voice loud and even, the anger in his voice making his argument resolute. Nero pointed at the pressed uniform that was clinging to his skin while he kept screaming. "Every single move I have made for the past year has been for you! I saved you! I risked everything for you! Most of the town may accept me but I can see the way that you still look at me at times. Like I don't fucking notice. How disgusted you look when you look at my arm. When you realize what I really am. This isn't love, I'm not really sure if it ever was. You may have been a fool but its obvious that I was the bigger one for ever thinking that this would work. That someone like you would ever love a monster like me." With every word that passed through his lips his voice became a small octave louder. Convinced that the louder he was the more his point would get across.

Kyrie looked at Nero, her eyes brimmed with tears. Her fingers and lips trembling at the same time. Nero scoffed at the sight of her. "Of course you would do this. Do you think if you shed a few tears that I can forgive you for everything that I have done for you? I don't know who I am anymore because of you!" The words were out of his mouth before he could even think about stopping them. He wasn't even really sure if he wanted to.

Nero could feel the hot sting of tears threatening their way out. I wont let her see me this way, she doesn't deserve any tear I shed for her. "Get out of here Kyrie." His voice was shaking now, the true weight of his words weighing down on him. His own thoughts promise him his own demise. Kyrie didn't move, her lips stay opened slightly almost as if she wanted to say something. She looked frozen in time almost. Nero would have thought for a moment that she was if not for the single tear that slid down her face at that moment. "Get out of here!" This time he yelled the words to her, hoping that his deep voice would have more of an impact on her this time.

They did just what he was hoping for. Kyrie ran out of the room, her footsteps pressing hard against the wood floor. She slammed the door shut on her way out. Nero could hear her sobs become distant as she ran down the hallway away from his room.

Without another thought Nero ran his human hand through the wall next to him. The plaster crumbled as white dust flew up into the air. Nero pulled out his hand that was now covered in a mixture of plaster and blood. Scratches ran deep along his hand and wrist. Nero stayed frozen for a moment watching the crimson liquid spread its way slowly, threading its way into staining the fabric of his pristine uniform.

The silence in the room became overwhelming. Nero began to rip at his uniform with his bloodied hand, more of his blood streaking across the uniform. The fabric was tearing with difficulty but the noise of each rip brought a strange satisfaction to Nero's ears. He needed the noise, anything was better than the silence. The golden buttons on the front of the uniform went skidding across the floor as Nero continued to ravage every delicate piece that belonged to the Captain's uniform.

The hot tears were no longer threatening the brim of his eyes, they were now in a torrent down Nero's face. The warm liquid fell fast, the droplets landing on the chest of the fabric that was still clinging to him, refusing to let go. Nero began to tear at the uniform harder. This time his hand when for the intricate tassels on his shoulders. The golden fabric began to unweave as his blooded human hand kept ripping at it. The gold mixed with his blood started turning to a dark brown as more of his blood kept seeping in. He continued to rip at his shoulder pieces till there was nothing left but a pile of gold, red and brownish colored thread in a heap on the floor.

Nero's chest started heaving as his breathing became rapid from the anger that still hadn't extinguished from him. Nero pulled at the fabric left on the front of his jacket one more time, with one last loud tear going up the spine of the jacket Nero was able to throw it off on to the floor. Nero collapsed down onto this knees staring at the destruction he had just done.

For the second time that day Nero had the same thought, Its not enough anymore.