A/N: One chapter left and then I have to clean up and do homework… *grumbles* I really, really don't want to do this homework but it's due by 4:00 tomorrow… grr… it's just a class I don't really care about, it's my last engineering gen ed (basically engineering stuff that has nothing to do with electrical or computer engineering) therefore it feels really unimportant to me…

Disclaimer: Environmental Science, that's what.

You're Rubbing Off on Me

Dante wasn't expecting to come home to find Nero out, usually the other hunter was lounging about or actually doing the laundry that Dante was too lazy to take care of until he had no other options. He looked at the desk and saw most of the paper cleared to the side and a single page in the middle. Must've left a note, the red slayer thought, walking over and picking it up.

Left on a mission, might be a few days. Call you when I get there

-Nero

The half devil smiled, at least the other cared enough to call, though most of the time he would do the same. Unless it was something small, like he got called out on this morning, just a handful of demons that took a few minutes longer than anticipated and the client took even longer than the half devil wanted to deal with. But even then he hadn't been gone long and he hadn't even left the city, if Nero had really wanted to find him, he would've been able to.

"I guess I have the place to myself then…" Dante grinned, leaning back in his chair just as Nero had done several hours before. Only to have his peace interrupted after a few seconds when a shrill voice called from the front of the shop.

"Dante! You're going to take me to the fair!" the half devil groaned, so much for the rest of the day off…

-Time Slip-

Several hours later the red hunter finally managed to pull himself away from the overactive young blonde by passing her off to her mother who hadn't been aware that her daughter had nigh on dragged the devil hunter to the fair. She apologized, though she found it all to amusing that her young kid had the ability to command around such a powerful half devil, and took Patty home. Dante sighed when he walked back inside, praying to any gods that would listen that neither Trish nor Lady were going to interrupt his peaceful time at home. He had just settled back in his favorite position when the phone rang.

"What?!" he snapped into the receiver.

"Fine, see if I ever call you to tell you I made it safe again." Came Nero's bemused voice over the line.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I just got dragged all over the place by Patty, I'm glad to hear your travels went well, where are you at?" Dante sat up now, obviously interested by his partner's exploits. Nero laughed

"I figured it had to be one of the girls. The plane ride was a bitch, but they always are, not as bad as your flying skills though." The partial devil teased, Dante scoffed, though he wasn't sure if Nero meant his skills with piloting a biplane or his actual flying skills. He shrugged it off when Nero continued

"Anyway, I'm in a big city, nearly half way around the world feels like. Got the tip called in by some old woman, apparently we got some crazy maniac who's trying to make himself a god… again." Dante chuckled

"Okay, you be careful, those usually aren't easy missions." He could practically hear Nero rolling his eyes

"I know, I know mom. I'll be careful though."

"Call me if you need help."

"I will." Dante hesitated a second before saying

"I love you." Nero felt his cheeks heat up. No matter how many times they exchanged those words, it never felt old.

"I love you too. Now I gotta go, parently one of the clients is supposed to show up at a museum." The line went dead and Dante was left smiling softly at nothing in the darkening office. He put the phone back on the receiver and leaned back. Maybe he'd just take a small nap before some of the late night action started up…

The half devil woke up to the sun pouring into the office and groaned, he hadn't meant to sleep that long at all… what was wrong with him…? He twisted a few kinks out of his neck from sleeping in the old wooden chair for so long. He stood up and stretched, it was unusual for the whole night to pass without anything of importance happening. The half devil meandered up the stairs and into the shower, already missing the other hunter, usually Nero would be in here with him, sometimes they screwed, sometimes they merely just chatted while cleaning up from a busy night. Either way it was always comforting to have the partial devil's presence around. He'd really grown used to it, not that Nero hadn't taken an overnight mission on his own before, it wasn't that unusual at all for him to do so actually. But it had been a long time… the half devil stepped out of the shower and onto the cold tile floor. He shivered and quickly threw on some clothes before walking downstairs. No one was in the office and after making and eating something Dante found himself exceedingly bored. Sure they had had lulls in demonic activity before but usually there was at least someone to kill the boredom with. Dante grumbled about for a bit before his eyes fell on the steps to the basement… Nero had started some laundry yesterday.

"Dammit Nero, you're rubbing off on me…" the half devil grumbled before heading down the stairs.

A/N: Aaaaaarrrrrgggg, I don't want to have to do homework now… halp… Also I kinda actually really like this chapter, it was like a glance into their everyday life and it was fun :3

Till next time,

-Winged Element