A/N: Thank you to the Guest who keeps encouraging me to keep going with this story. Thank you also to Ella2000 Rogers for the review.
Nero stayed at Devil May Cry for a few days. It was evident that he needed a rest and was more than just a little grateful for being granted sanctuary in the office.
It wasn't awkward at all, much to everyone's surprise, if anything however it was surreal to say the least. At first Nero seemed out of place but after a day or so he fit right in.
Kyrie was relieved that Dante hit it off with the younger hunter but then again why wouldn't he? They shared mutual respect for one another, they had gone head to head at one point during the savior incident and had formed a camaraderie.
It was nice for a change to have another guy around. Generally Dante found himself out numbered in that department. He had gotten accustomed to it, Lady and Trish were the closest thing he had to family and vice versa, but there were certain circumstances at times that he would have liked a little back up.
The girls went out leaving the two males to their own devices, pizza was ordered although Dante knew he would have to get rid of the evidence before Kyrie got back.
Beers were drunk and cards were played as the two talked smack to each other and raised their stakes. It was friendly banter and harassment for the fun of it which Dante always enjoyed.
From what he could see Nero hadn't been around company in a while, which coincided with his story. He was curious however about Yamato and who exactly was after it.
"So kid tell me something; where's Yamato?" Dante asked suddenly figuring it was the best time. Nero held out his devil bringer and materialized the katana.
"Right where I left it." He replied with a cocky smirk. "Hasn't been easy though."
"I warned ya Nero about that sword." Dante stated. "There are devils willing to give up their nut sacks for Yamato's power."
"I take it you've seen its power before?" He asked.
"On a few occasions." Dante replied throwing down his hand.
"Like when?" The younger male asked returning the sword to his demonic appendage. Dante cleared his throat.
"I'm bust." He said as Nero placed his cards down. "Good game."
"So you not gonna answer me?" Nero asked as he raked in his chips.
"I, uh, don't like to think about it." He replied scratching at his face absently. "It was a bad time in my life."
"I hear you on that one old man." The younger chided. "I've never told anyone about what went down with the order or the savior thing." He shuddered as a chill seemed to take grip of him.
"Well like I told you before, that sword belonged to my brother." Dante stated after mulling over it for a few minutes. He took a few gulps of his beer before sighing.
"Yeah I remember you saying that. That and how it was also used to separate the human and demon worlds." Nero recalled.
"Yup." He answered. "My father used Yamato to seal off the portal between them. That was why it was entrusted to my brother, he was the older one."
"How much older?" He inquired.
"Not sure to be honest. We were twins, identical twins, so not that much older." Dante replied.
"Really? I mean living in Fortuna we learned about the sons of Sparda but they never mentioned you guys were twins." Nero said receiving a nod from the elder hunter.
"Vergil." Dante said taking another gulp of beer. "We were separated as kids and didn't meet back up until we were almost adults."
"Wow. That must have been awesome." Nero stated getting a slight glare from Dante telling him otherwise. "Or not."
"He tried to reopen the portal to gain my fathers demonic powers that were trapped. He felt as if it were his right, he didn't understand why I wouldn't go along with it." Dante said. "I don't know what happened to him, what his life was like for him to feel the need for power."
Nero felt uneasy for a minute as he glanced down at his talons flexing them. "When I got Yamato and I triggered for the first time there was this voice in my head, it said, 'power, give me more power.'"
"Might have been the sword calling out to you. They do that you know." Dante stated pointing to Rebellion as it leaned against his desk. "That frigin' thing is always whispering shit to me."
"Why do they do that?" Nero asked intrigued.
"It's the demons in them." Dante said. "Rebellion and Yamato were forged with devil souls to make them more powerful."
"So then they're alive?" Nero questioned hesitantly.
"Yup, they sure are kid." Dante replied cheerily making Nero feel more uneasy. "They aren't easy to control either. I'm impressed with how well you've handled the responsibility."
"Yeah well, it meant a lot to me when you let me keep it." He said sincerely. "That reminds me, how exactly are we related?"
"Beats the hell outta me." Dante quipped. "You could be my brother, nephew...kid."
"Wait...what?" Nero asked feeling his eyes widen and slightly bug out of his head.
"The point is I don't know. Any things possible." Dante said holding a hand up to settle him.
"Seriously though, is that a possibility?" Nero shot back quickly.
"I've always been careful but again, anything's possible." Dante reasserted.
"Guess it doesn't matter." He said.
"So these devils that are after Yamato, any info on them?" Dante asked dealing out the cards again.
"Not much other than that they want the sword and pack a wallop of a punch." Nero replied. "I've been kind of busy fighting for my life the last couple of years to do any research."
"Did the thought ever cross your mind to come looking for me kid?" Dante questioned somewhat irritated.
"Yeah but it's not your problem." Nero quipped back in the same tone.
"If someone got their damn hands on that fucking sword then it would be my problem and a whole lot of other peoples." He said shaking his head in disbelief. "Come on Nero use your head."
"Relax old man, I'm pretty sure I got their nest." Nero chided.
"Pretty sure ain't good enough." Dante replied. "You've gotta be certain."
"Well I was certain enough to go back to Fortuna." Nero mumbled under his breath. "Like that did me any good."
"If you had given her some hope then it probably wouldn't have been a wasted effort." He commented.
"I was panicked. The last thing I needed was to have to worry I had left her in danger." Nero defended.
"Who's to say she still wouldn't have been?" Dante said calmly. He felt the glare pierce him like a blade causing him to glance up. "Devils do their homework kid, they probably knew about her. Least you taught her how to fight, gave her a means to make some income for herself."
"How long has Kyrie been living here for?" Nero asked curiously.
"I told you, a while." He curtly responded.
"What is that? A month? Two?" Nero wondered.
"Try over a year." Dante stated feeling his hackles raise slightly.
"So how did you guys come up?" Nero asked. "When did you guys start a relationship?"
"I'm assuming you're really asking when we started sleeping together and that is none of your damn business." Dante retorted.
"Sorry it's just hard to swallow." Nero said.
"When I found Kyrie she was sitting in a diner crying into her coffee She would say things about being alone and feeling lonely." He said. "She was miserable and felt unwanted, I felt bad for her and offered her a place to stay for as long as she wanted. From there we got to know each other and care for one another. I didn't plan it that way, just happened."
Nero listened with interest clearing his throat when Dante took another swig of beer finishing off his bottle.
"I'm glad that she's happy." He said finally.
"Seems to be." Dante replied.
"She is. I can tell." He stated. "She said that she is in love with you so..." Dante had opened another bottle and took a good mouthful. He felt it slide down his wind pipe causing him to choke. "Wait, you didn't know?"
Dante coughed and sputtered violently banging on his chest. He tried to inhale receiving a pathetic gasping sound followed a rattling in his throat. "Didn't mean to kill you old man." Nero taunted with a smirk.
Dante didn't know how to respond. He knew that Kyrie cared for him deeply, he could see it in her eyes and felt it in her touches, but love? He wasn't quite certain if he was ready to dive into those waters, they were uncharted territory for him.
He had never been in love with someone before. He had lusted, more than once, after a woman for sex but there was never anything behind it.
It was already vastly different with Kyrie from anything he had experienced. He had no past knowledge to drudge up to help him in that area. He was flying by the seat of his pants and doing his hardest not to chase her away.
"I don't know about that." Dante said honestly once he cleared his throat. "I do know that Kyrie is the last person I ever thought would be with me."
"Yeah I know how you feel." Nero replied.
"For what it's worth I am sorry for how things went for you." Dante said.
"Thanks Dante." Nero said. "Your deal old man."
"Looks like it kid." Dante agreed and grabbed the deck.