"Kyrie for the last time, sit." Nero ordered worriedly as Dante walked into the shop. "Dante tell her to take it easy. She's been up all day."
"Really Nero, I'm fine." She replied turning a little to fast losing her balance. Nero put his hands out to either side of her helping to steady herself.
"See! She's going to end up getting hurt." Nero said to Dante.
"Nero I'm not porceline. I won't break if I fall over." She replied.
"Now, now boys and girls, quite with the bickering." Dante said sitting at his desk and propping his feet up. "You should know Nero that when a womans made her mind up not even Satan himself can convince her otherwise."
"Yeah but..." Nero interjected
"The longer I stay resting then the longer I will be laid up. Really Nero, I feel fine." She reassured.
"It's just you went through a lot and I feel bad. I don't want to see you hurt yourself any worse than what already happened." Nero replied sincerely.
"I know. Thank you for your concern. If I need help I'll be sure to ask." Kyrie stated calmly with a small smile to further her cause.
"It's just I know how you can be. You always push yourself after something happens until you're exhausted." Nero continued. "You remember after you miscarried how you were here and there until you ended up passing out."
Dante perked his ears up slightly even though he hadn't meant to. He attempted to remain as if he weren't listening but there was no way to mistake the kids words, not that it was any of his business.
He knew that they had had a life together and he didn't want to know all of the sordid details. If there was something that Kyrie wanted to tell him she would or she wouldn't, it was that simple.
In the time that Nero had been staying with them Dante realized that he had no filter. Once the words hit his brain they came straight out of his mouth. While at times it was entertaining this clearly was not one of those times.
"Yeah. I uh, I remember." Kyrie said her voice clipped and somewhat irritated. Slowly she walked by Dante's desk grabbing Blue Princess and Red Rose where they were sitting next to his own arsenal. With out a single word spoken she went through the door to the back of the shop.
"You know you talk more than a damn woman, right kid?" Dante commented when he was sure Kyrie was mostly out of ear shot.
"Huh?" Nero wondered. "What are you blabbing about now old man?"
"What you just said to her, do you ever think before you act?" He questioned.
"What about it?" Nero countered back slightly on the defensive. "It sucked but it happened, she was pregnant once and then she wasn't. I'm not going to pretend like it never existed."
"Nero you do know that I had no idea about it." Dante replied.
"I just, I mean I thought, it's just that..." He floundered. Dante let out an irritated sigh.
"Good grief. You two living under the same roof are going to be death of me." He stated standing. "Look, just drop it. Sorry that happened to you because you're right, it does suck. I'm going to go check on her."
Dante went to the back of the office while Nero sat down heavily on the sofa feeling flustered and overwhelmed.
"Hey." Dante said simply. Kyrie sat on the floor with her back against one of the large crates. She had Red Rose taken apart with its pieces laying on an old rag.
"Hello." She replied.
"Just wanted to check on you, make sure you're alright." Dante stated.
"Are you upset that I didn't tell you?" She asked straight to the point.
"No honey." He said quickly. "Why would I be?" Kyrie gave a small shrug.
"Maybe it's something most people tell their lovers." She stated.
"Maybe." Dante agreed. "Then again we're not 'most people'."
"No. I guess we're not." Kyrie said.
"Okay then, I'll leave you to it." Dante said sensing the intensity of her wanting to be alone. "Yell if you need help." He turned on his heel reaching for the door when he heard the small sigh she offered.
"I eventually would have told you." She said. "If it became relevant to our relationship." Dante turned back around using the wall to ease himself to the floor sitting across from her.
"I know." He said.
"Nero seems to think that you and I are practically married, well on our way to having kids because that's how our relationship was." Kyrie said. "It was very fast. One day we were friends and the next we were more."
"Don't sweat it sweetie." Dante replied. "I mean there's a lot of stuff I haven't told you about past relationships I've had, keeping some things to ourselves is okay as long as it doesn't bite you in the ass later."
"Kind of feel like this did." She said staring at her dismantled gun.
"Wanna talk about it?" Dante asked compassionately.
"I was sick from it, so sick, and I just wanted it to stop." She began. "I wanted that baby and Nero was so happy I just knew that it wasn't going to last forever. A few months went by and I ended up in the infirmary. I was there for a week and then I...I got this terrible pain and I knew that was it. It was gone."
"Do they know what caused it?" Dante asked wondering if the seemingly back water island had any formal medical training.
"Because I was so dehydrated and couldn't eat it had put the baby in distress. When I got medical attention it was just to late." She said.
"That does suck." Dante stated his face drawn down in a frown.
"Yes it did." She replied. "A definite mood killer so that's one reason why I never brought it up."
"Well if it ever happens again then I'll just have to make sure you're taking your vitamins or whatever else women do." Dante said as if it were a stray thought.
"As in if I were to get pregnant?" She asked slowly.
"It could happen." Dante said smirking.
"Do you want it to happen?" She asked nervously furrowing her brows together.
"Not today! Who knows though, in a few years if we're still together...if you'd want to." He said still smirking out of sheer embarrassment.
Kyrie scooted across the floor to her lover wrapping her arms around his neck and settling into his lap. She pressed her lips against his gently.
Dante rolled her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it lightly before they parted. Kyrie ran her fingers through his hair laying another soft kiss.
"Maybe in a few years." She agreed. Dante's smirk grew wider as he initiated the next kiss sliding his tongue past her lips and teeth enjoying the warmth that enveloped him as her own slippery appendage slid over his own.
A loud knock on the door caused them both to jump slightly breaking the kiss prematurely
"Uh, Dante. There's some woman here to see you." Nero said.
"So take care of it kid. I'm busy." He said winking at his girl friend causing her to blush.
"She said her name is Patty Lowell and..." Nero said.
"Patty's here?" Dante asked uncertain if he was hearing things.
"That's what she said her name was." Nero replied.
"I don't believe it." Dante said as Kyrie moved. He stood helping her up. He opened the door walking back out into the shop. Sure enough stood none other than the royal brat herself.
"Dante I need you." She said desperately placing her hands down on his desk for emphasis.
"Whoa easy. I'm taken." He said sitting down in his chair leaning it back.
"Not like that!" She said. "God, you are so dim sometimes it's a miracle you're still alive. How the hell have you been getting by with out me?"
"Quietly with less harassment." He said causing him to be shot a glare.
"Who are they?" Patty said motioning towards Nero and eyeing Kyrie from where she had sat on the desk.
"You could be nice and ask them yourself." Dante offered.
"That's rude. I'm a guest." She said crossing her arms across her chest.
"I'm rude...?" He baited receiving an irritated groan in response. "Fine, that's the kid and this is my honey."
"Your honey?" Patty asked cocking a brow at Kyrie before smirking mischievously. "You old perv."
"So what brings you out of hiding. Been a while since you've stopped by." He said deciding to cut to the chase before Patty loaded any more ammunition.
"I've got a case that I need help with." She said. "Figured I could share half the pot with you if you help me, you know for old times sake."
"Yeah? How sweets the pot?" Dante asked. Patty grabbed a pen and some paper scribbling down a number sliding it across so only Dante could see it. He glanced at it.
"Pretty freaking sweet, huh?" She stated smiling.
"Not bad." Dante agreed. "What's it entail?"
"Shape shifter." She said.
"That's cake." Dante stated arrogantly.
"Yeah well the problem is that it has taken over a seat in a political office but I don't know if it's been the shape shifter all along or if it took out the human it used to belong to." She said.
"That sounds fun." Dante mused.
"So you in?" Patty asked.
"Of course I am. Wouldn't miss this." He stood grabbing his weapons. "I'll be back. Don't wait up." Kyrie gave a nod.
"Be careful." She said softly bringing out Dante's smirk.
"Sure thing sweetie." He replied. Patty watched the scene and smiled a sappy smile but remained quiet. "Nero you stay here. Mind the shop for me."
"Sure thing old man." Nero said from his position on the couch.
"Nice meeting you." Patty said to Kyrie. "See you later...kid." She waved emphasizing on the word.
"Bye brat." Nero responded earning him a flirtatious smirk in return. Once the double doors closed Nero felt eyes on him. "What?"
"You like her." Kyrie said.
"I just met her, she was kind of pushy. Got on my damn nerves." He stated.
"That didn't stop you from checking her out." Kyrie said in a sing song voice.
"So? That doesn't mean anything." He countered.
"If you say so."
"So that girl is seriously, in all seriousness, your girlfriend?" Patty asked intrigued.
"Yup." Dante said proudly.
"She's younger than I am." She said astounded.
"That just means you're getting old." Dante quipped.
"Screw you! You're the one who's old!" She raised her voice trying not to laugh.
"Man, ten years since I last saw you and you're on my case about something." He said.
"How olds the kid?" She asked.
"Nero? Fuck if I know. Twenty four if I had to take a stab at it." He replied.
"Oh good, same age as me." She said softly.
"Patty you were that age the last time I saw you and again it's been ten years." Dante laughed out trying to steady his voice to talk.
"No! I was twenty one! I just stopped counting after twenty four!" She shouted.
"You always did like the younger guys." He stated casting her a knowing glance.
"You know it." She said winking at him. "You drive." Patty tossed Dante the keys to her bike letting him climb on first. She took her place behind him instructing him on where to go.
"Alright kid. Hold on." He warned revving the bike and taking off.