Nero was just as perplexed about Christmas as Kyrie had been the year before. He fussed as Patty tried to explain to him the religious aspects behind it retorting that he was done with religion. Dante assured him that they were in the same boat and it was more about spending time with people and, as he had put it, receiving loot.
"You seriously don't know anything about Christmas?" Patty asked as the pair entered the office. "With all the traveling you've done in the past few years that you claimed you've done and you never noticed once a year all the lights and music changes for a few weeks?"
"Why do you have to always be such a damn brat?" Nero retorted playfully.
"Would you want it any other way?" She quipped smirking at him. Nero just shook his head in a defeated gesture. Dante watched the exchange from his desk attempting to remain impassive but enjoying the show all the same. "Is Kyrie upstairs?"
"Nope. She went out with Lady for something." He replied straightening out his chair to rest on the floor. "And I have no clue when they'll be back."
"It's fine." She said. "There was just something I wanted to tell her. It can wait."
The three played a few rounds of pool, with Dante losing each time, when the front doors slammed open banging against the walls.
"Hey!" Dante yelled out in reaction. "Easy with my place."
"We need your help carrying stuff in." Lady said as she entered her arms laden with bags.
"What's all this junk?" Dante wondered sifting through one only to have his hand slapped away.
"Kyrie said no peeking." Lady said briskly. Dante shook his head and muttered under his breath before walking out.
"Really?" He stated standing on the top step. Kyrie stood on the other side of his car trying to wrestle the large pine tree off of the roof.
"Hey baby, could you give me a hand?" She asked smiling brightly. Begrudgingly Dante walked over to her grabbing it down and placing it over his shoulder single handedly. Kyrie rifled through the car taking out a box that held the tree stand.
"It's already shitting needles everywhere." He complained.
"What do you care? It's not like you clean." She quipped good naturedly.
"That's it!" He exclaimed. "Lady has officially turned you on me, I'm screwed."
"Oh stop being so ornery Dante." She chastised softly. "You're acting like you lost a game of pool."
"Yeah. Lets just get this crap in the house." He mumbled walking ahead of her. He leaned the tree against the wall making his way back over to his chair sitting down heavily.
Lady and Patty had already set about the task of taking out the multiple ornaments and decorations that had been bought. Dante rubbed at his eyes watching them take over his space helplessly.
"I hope you don't mind." Kyrie said after the tree was set up and some of the decorations were strewn about the office.
"Nope." Dante replied curtly. "Not at all."
"Aw, come on...lighten up." She said resting a hand on his shoulder. Dante placed his own hand over hers and sighed.
"You're just lucky I like you so much." He said to which he received a kiss on the cheek before Kyrie busied herself with hanging up more ornaments.
It took a few days for the tree limbs to settle before it could be decorated but once it was Dante had to admit it wasn't so bad. The twinkling lights amidst the glittery bulbs, stars and garland everywhere brightened the shop making it feel warmer.
The couple settled on the couch staring at the tree resting comfortably against one another, Dante with a beer and Kyrie with a glass of wine quietly.
"Patty wanted to tell you something the other day, did she get around to it?" Dante asked suddenly remembering.
"No." Kyrie said shaking her head slightly. "She didn't."
"Hm, guess it wasn't to important then." He replied.
"Maybe they're getting married." Kyrie mused. "Or maybe she's pregnant."
"If either of those were the case my condolences go out to the kid." Dante laughed out. "Stuck with Patty, phew, I wouldn't sentence that to anyone."
"Nero's happy with her." She said with a shrug. "That's all that matters."
"Yeah, I'm glad they found each other." He said. "Gets both of them out of our hair."
"It would be kind of weird if they did have a kid." Kyrie said. "That would make you a great-uncle."
"I'm already a 'great' uncle." Dante replied smiling. "I'm the coolest uncle there is. The kids lucky to have me."
"Of course you are." She said in a mock patronizing manner.
"Well let me remind you sweetheart that if you and the kid didn't break up then you'd probably be the one having my nieces and nephews." He said.
"But I did, remember?" She asked softly. Dante mentally berated himself for it.
"Yeah, sorry...I do now." He apologized placing his empty bottle down on the coffee table.
"It's okay." She retorted pushing him down gently on the sofa so he was lounging against the arm in a half sitting position.
Kyrie straddled his hips wrapping her arms around his neck kissing at the scarred over bite she had given him. "Don't worry Dante. The only babies I'll have are yours." She whispered into the shell of his ear laying a trail of kisses down to his jaw.
"As in plural?" He asked with a contented sigh. "As in more than one?"
"You never know." She said catching his lips with hers nipping gently with her teeth.
"Honey, you need to stop talking like that or else I might not be able to control myself." He warned only half jokingly.
"How do you mean?" She questioned innocently batting her large brown eyes at him. Dante felt his tongue snake out to lick his lips hungrily feeling the soft growl escape his throat.
"It's bad enough that since we've mated all I want to do is impregnate you." He whispered huskily. "Now you play the innocent game with me, it makes me want to take you even more."
Kyrie smirked at him seductively dragging her nails across her lovers neck slowly.
"What happened to waiting a few years?" She wondered.
"That was before you decided we should take our relationship a step further." Dante retorted. "I am just reciprocating."
"I love it when you use big words." Kyrie teased. "Makes you sound so smart."
"I have my moments." He said.
"Don't you like it just being us though?" She asked. "We can come and go as we please, do as we please. Once we have a baby that's all over with."
"For you. I'm not the one having it." He stated feigning seriousness. "I'll still be good to do as I want."
Kyrie socked him in the shoulder hard enough so he could feel it and he erupted in laughter. "I'm kidding Kyrie, I'm just joking."
"I know." She said. "But that was still a jerk thing to say."
"You know that I'll wait as long as you need." He replied. "For however long that may be."
"You're a good boyfriend Dante." She stated laying a kiss against his forehead. He laid her down on the couch kissing down her neck feeling his insides flutter and his heart nearly burst from content with the woman he cared for.
Patty laid in bed listening to Nero's heavy breathing as he slept soundly. His demonic arm was draped loosely around her waist as she traced her fingers lightly over his talons.
After a month she had invited him to stay in her bed with her whether they had sex or not, it was something she had never done before.
It was a whole new experience having Nero living with her, not that it was bad. She enjoyed waking up to someone whether he was asleep or up and about, it was nice to come home and have someone be there.
The sex was still good but had become secondary in their relationship. Patty was surprised that what ever it was they were doing could actually be considered a relationship but it was.
Nero was her friend and partner, she liked him as he was extremely likable. He was loyal and passionate about everything he did. In the beginning she had waited for the facade to drop, waited for him to show his true colors.
Needless to say she was surprised when that day had yet to come. Nero was as good as he seemed. That was when she thought she may have been developing feelings for him.
It was a little twinge of admiration at first that became a wanting to see him when they were apart and worrying over him when he was away. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
When she realized she cared for him more than a friend was over the course of the past week. She had come down with a terrible cold that had hit her hard.
She woke up with her throat swollen and congested leaving her sitting up suddenly and gasping for air until she could clear it.
Once she was able to relay to Nero that she wasn't dying, she just felt like she was, he made her a mug of tea. He walked to the corner restaurant every day twice a day to get her soup.
He even went as far to ask the pharmacist what the best remedy would be for her to ease her congestion and came home with a bag of mentholated ointments and camomile bath soak.
All of it he did on his own out of his own pocket to ease her discomfort until it passed. It wasn't anything she had had anyone do for her before, sure her mother had cared for her once she came back but obviously this was different.
Aside from the fact that everything Nero had done did help it had meant so much more to her because of the simple reason that he just did it. She hasn't asked for it or expected any of it, he just did.
From her observations she knew that Nero was the type who would give the shirt off of his back for someone else. He cared about people despite that he tried to be rough around the edges he couldn't truly seem pull it off.
Patty turned to face him feeling his arm tighten around her slightly. She ran a hand through his hair removing it from his eyes. He woke up blinking wearily.
"What time is it?" He mumbled out half into his pillow.
"Too early." She replied. "Go back to sleep." Nero closed his eyes without another word. She had wanted to ask Kyrie about what she should do.
She didn't know if it would be appropriate to question the other woman on it seeing as how she was his ex and she may very well be his current girlfriend. She just needed some insight on what the best course of action would be.
The last thing she needed to do was embarrass herself or make Nero feel obligated to stay with her because she cared for him when he didn't have the same feelings for her.
She figured that depending on how she was feeling later on in the day she would make the trek over to the shop and ask her. With that thought in mind she drifted off to sleep.