She wasn't sure when Dante had placed her into the tub but wasn't complaining when he rubbed a warm cloth on the back of her neck. Her body felt numb and unused yet at the same time it was as if she had been in a triathlon.
Everything ached from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her hair. There wasn't a spot she didn't feel some discomfort. The warm water soothed out some of the cramping in her muscles but burned the various wounds that covered her.
Dante remained silent moving the wet cloth to wipe at the dirt and blood staining her face. Kyrie winced slightly out of reflex even though his touch was light.
"I'm sorry." Dante whispered.
"It's okay." She replied just as softly. "Can you get my toothbrush?" Dante reached the short distance to the sink grabbing it along with the toothpaste and a cup filling it with cool water. He grabbed an empty cup for her to spit in.
"Here you go." He offered. Kyrie cracked open an eye attempting to reach up to grab it finding her arms were dead weight. She couldn't lift them. "I've got it."
She watched as Dante placed the cups down dunking the toothbrush into the water cup and squeezed out a thin sliver of the paste onto the bristles. "Open up."
Kyrie sighed before relenting allowing him to brush her teeth. She felt absolutely awful that he had to help her with such a small, personal task. "Take a sip." Dante pressed the cup to her lips and she swished the water around her mouth.
She took her time enjoying the moisture in her mouth as her tongue soaked it up. She spit into the empty cup and Dante tossed it all in the sink.
"Thank you." She said.
"You're welcome." Dante replied almost robotically. Kyrie forced her eyes open squinting slightly in the dim light. He was staring through her with his eyes a million miles away from where they actually were.
"Penny for your thoughts." She offered causing him to shake his head a couple of times to clear it.
"I just, I'm glad you're home." He said. "I'm glad that you weren't hurt worse than what could have happened."
Kyrie smiled at him weakly sensing his severe distress and unease. His shoulders were wound tightly as were the rest of his muscles as if he were spring loaded, any small movement may set him off.
"Dante, about what did happen, I'm..." She began only to have him hold a hand up to quiet her.
"Kyrie, my sweet Kyrie, my brother knows now that we're together and he will stop at nothing to get to you to get to me to give him what he wants." Dante said.
"And that is...?" She prodded when he didn't say anything else.
"Well for starters Yamato but not just that also this." He replied taking his amulet out from his shirt to let it dangle in full view. "He needs my half and his, which I have, in order to obtain my fathers power. It's what he cares about, the power to be stronger and to rule."
"Then I guess we will have to be ready when he comes back." She said. Dante looked away from her sadly. "Dante..."
"As long as Vergil is a threat there isn't any 'we'." He said flatly.
"No. You're wrong." She said. "Stop trying to kill our relationship every time you feel insecure."
"Insecure? Kyrie, you've been gone for days. You show back up beaten half way to death and under mind control." Dante interjected.
"I was only under mind control because I wouldn't tell him where you were!" She tried to shout only straining her dry throat.
"It shouldn't have come down to that!" Dante quipped back. "I should have known something had happened, for Christ sake it was right outside the shop where you were abducted!"
"No." Kyrie said calmly. "It was a block away."
"Same frigin' difference." He shouted.
"You are not breaking up with me!" Kyrie yelled.
"I have to because I love you!" He yelled. Kyrie's eyes went wide as she swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry, I think I'm imagining things." She stated certain she had heard wrong.
"No honey. You heard right." He replied. "Kyrie, I love you. I'm in love with you and I can't let you get hurt again because of me."
Water dripped from the faucet plopping into the tub distorting the slightly to small ripples. The only other sound was ragged breathing as both of their tempers cooled down.
"You know that right from the beginning of us, I guess you could say, we've been so upset when the other one gets hurt." Kyrie said finally. "We are so paranoid of losing each other, Dante it has to stop. We have to stop second guessing ourselves and each other, stop blaming ourselves because something happens to one of us."
Dante had sat back slightly on his haunches. He listened intently to her quiet voice and found himself taking her in. She was right, he knew she was. "It isn't healthy and that is what will break us apart."
"I know." He relented with a sigh. "There have been so many people I've cared for and in the end they've ended up dead. I don't know what I'd do if..."
"No 'ifs' Dante." She stopped him finally able to life her arm up slightly. She grasped at his hand squeezing as tightly as she could. "Those don't exist".
Dante ran a hand through the short tangled mess of her hair and nodded his head once.
"You're pretty clever, you know for a girl." He said receiving a small glare from his lover. "Seriously though, I do love you Kyrie."
"I love you Dante." She said with a small smirk and a blush creeping across her cheeks despite the awful bruises.
"There. Now we know." He said receiving a short nod from her. "Come on let's get you into bed. You need some rest."
Kyrie didn't argue as Dante helped her stand and wrapped a towel around her before picking her up in his arms. Shakily she wrapped her arms around his neck as he took her into their room.
He helped her dry off and get dressed in a pair of elastic shorts and a tank top. She sunk into her pillows and blankets reaching out for Dante to join her.
He smirked kicking off his boots and removing his jacket. He climbed on top of the blankets reaching underneath to snake an arm around her gently.
Kyrie laid her head against his chest taking the amulet in her hand to hold onto as if it were an anchor.
"I thought about you, like this, when I felt as if I couldn't go on...just like this." She said sleepily.
"I'm here sweetheart." Dante replied kissing the top of her head. "Go to sleep. Let me take care of you for a change." Kyrie gave a small noise of understanding before losing consciousness.