The Ghost of You

Disclaimer: All I do is write fanfics. I don't own ANYTHING. -_-
Rating: NC-17 (starting at Chapter 2)
Warning: This is YAOI - meaning, it has GRAPHIC depictions of MALE/MALE SEX in it (VxD, in this case). Slightly AU (alternate universe), but not much.

Enjoy!


Chapter 2: Child

It’s strange how people flock to each other in times of need. On September 11th, 2001, Americans from every reach of the country bound together, offering aid to those that could be helped and consolation to those that couldn’t. Why? Were these humans truly so saintly to begin with, or was this something that developed once they realized the weight of the situation? Perhaps neither. Perhaps these people were only acting out of a desire to calm their own world. However, if that statement is true, then why have they not banded together in any great peace movements prior to this? Surely the world we live in is not perfect, yet its citizens are content to live with its failings. It is quite simple. It is because what we have identified as chaos throughout the ages has slowly become our comfort. Without this disorder, we could not live our quiet, happy lives. Thus, when America was attacked that day, they became terrified of the foreign disorder being forced into their lives and did everything in their power to return their world to their own definition of calming disorder and chaos. Assuming this is true, we may also assume that there is truly no chaos in our world. For us, it is normalcy. The situations and events that are forced upon us and disrupt our normalcy – those are chaos and disorder. For example, a little girl’s unintended death is chaos. A sibling’s suppressed need to comfort – that is normalcy.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He had to admit; he had really found an interesting perch this time. Not only was it one of the highest places in the city (his favorite kind), but it also managed to create a perfect view into the window of apartment #302, which just so happened to belong to a certain Dante Sparda.

Vergil smirked. It really was an interesting new perch. Still, his smirk widened as he noted the “Sparda” part of his brother’s name plaque. For lack of a better last name – save using her own maiden name – the mother of Dante and Vergil had always insisted on the two boys using “Sparda” as a last name. Not that it mattered much to Vergil. As long as he had something to identify himself by, he couldn’t care less what the name was.

On this particular night, the young, scholarly man had been laying out a new training course for himself across the city rooftops. He had been in an uncharacteristically good mood. As he bounded from roof to roof, he had felt a certain tug on his senses. Assuming it was just some random demon playing on his instincts, Vergil had moved on, continuing the planning of his next course. However, the tug grew until he was clearly able to identify its source – Dante. Intrigued by this, he leaped off into the direction that his sixth sense told him he’d find his twin.

As he neared the location, more information transmitted to him. Of course, this was nothing new to Vergil, who had been experiencing an enhanced version of a “twin link” with his brother since the moment they were born. However, the information itself is what startled the blue-clad man. He felt something that he hadn’t felt from Dante in several years – anguish. Despair. It partly shook Vergil out of his pleasant mood and caused the young man to make his way to his brother with greater speed.

Finally, Vergil alighted on a rooftop close to an apartment complex. At first the building meant nothing to him, until by sheer chance he caught a sight through one of the many windows on the structure. A flash of a platinum head made him turn his eyes and his sharp vision beheld precisely what he thought he had seen – his twin brother.

So, that was how Vergil just happened to catch his brother on this dark, storming night. Still, the meticulously dressed man wanted to know why Dante seemed so down tonight. Still taking something from his earlier good mood, he recalled a memory that both held terrible pain and supreme happiness for him, thinking it might hold the key to Dante’s odd mood.

It was so exciting that Vergil could almost see his brother bouncing off of the walls. He observed as Dante danced from foot to foot during his preparations for bed, though he assumed his twin wouldn’t sleep much tonight anyway. Dante wandered off to the bathroom by his brother’s side to brush his teeth before bed. Absentmindedly – as usual – the younger of the twins grabbed the first brush that he came into contact with and began to put the paste on it.

“Hey, that’s mine,” protested Vergil.
“So? I saw it first,” Dante retorted.
“What...what kind of logic is that?” the older twin questioned.
“The Dante kind,” the younger replied, sticking the toothbrush in his mouth. “Let’s see ya get it back now.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“So’s your breath.”
“And that’s childish.”
“So? We’re still kids.”
“...I’m going to bed.”
“Without brushing your teeth? Nasty.”

Vergil resisted the urge to slap his forehead as he headed off to his room, now his own since his and Dante’s fourteenth birthday. Thank God for that, too. Dante’s room, their formerly shared room, was a total disaster area, complete with the wrecking ball that his brother so often insisted was a punching bag. Of course, Vergil’s own room was meticulously clean, with every book arranged alphabetically and by genre. Hardcovers were on the lower shelves; softcovers were on the top. All of his old toys were packed carefully into an opaque container sitting in a corner of his room. It went without saying that all of Dante’s toys were still strewn about his own room, especially his dolls...pardon – “action figures”.

For a long time, Vergil wasn’t sure why their mother had insisted on them sharing a room, when there was clearly the open one that the older twin resided in now – the “guest room,” as Mother had dubbed it, despite the fact that they never entertained any guests. Though, as he grew and matured, he understood two things: first, they didn’t have guests because they were a “weird” family. Nobody wanted to be associated with a woman who had twin, nearly albino sons that could make dents in steel doors with their bare fists. Second, the reason they had shared a room for so long was to ease the pain of the first issue. Because they weren’t normal, they had many admirers, but few true friends. Still, Mother had done her absolute best to give her boys some semblance of normalcy. She had even sent them to a public school.

Speaking of which, tomorrow was their very first day of their freshman year in high school. That was what had Dante so excited tonight. Vergil had to admit, he was pretty excited himself, but he wasn’t as...obvious about it as his twin was. School was where the twins truly differed. Though they were both always the best in their class with athletics, Vergil was the only one of the two that excelled academically. Of course, Dante wasn’t stupid by any means; he was just incredibly forgetful about doing his homework. He was one of those kids who stored his entire life’s work in one trapper, with papers sticking every which way and things constantly falling out of the contraption (which was generally caused by a broken zipper, unable to close the bag because Dante had overstuffed it, of course). Vergil, however, had a separate binder for each class, with all of them labeled in impeccably neat handwriting. He kept a planner as well, so he would not forget anything in his busy schedule, such as his homework, or Chess Club and Drama Club after school. The twins truly were different, yet the elder of the two could not recall a better friend than his own brother. Vergil kept Dante reasonably organized, while Dante reminded Vergil to take time out of life to have fun. That was the way it had always been, and it was what made the older twin happiest.

With a smile that few ever saw, Vergil settled into his bed contentedly. Tomorrow was going to be fun. He had a good feeling about it. Those were the twin’s last sleepy thoughts before he drifted off to the land of dreams.

***

*beep beep beep beep SMASH* *yawn*

Vergil woke quickly, as usual, and glanced over at his alarm clock, his fist still making a dent in it.

‘Shoot,’ he thought with another yawn, ‘that’s the second one this month...I really have to work on not doing that...’

He got out of bed, padding over to his dresser to obtain the outfit he had selected the night before. He snatched his hairbrush from the top of the dresser and made his way down the hall to the bathroom. After a quick shower, he pulled on his clothes and stood in front of the mirror for a second. At first, he brushed his hair down as he normally did, but then thought for a moment. Slowly, he lifted the brush to his hair again and used it to sweep it all back. Contemplating the look for a minute, he eventually decided with a smirk that he liked it. He started out of the bathroom, then, running his tongue over his teeth, remembered something. He walked back over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a brand new toothbrush. After all, it wasn’t like it was the first time Dante had stolen his brush. Vergil quickly brushed his teeth and headed downstairs.

Vergil seated himself at the table, knowing that his mother would have already fixed his breakfast by now. She was like that – especially on the first day of school...or any other important day, for that matter. A moment later, the kind woman emerged from the kitchen, with a plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast for her son. She did a double take at him, noticing his hair, and kissed him on the forehead as she set his food down.

“It’s a good look for you, kiddo,” she said with a smile.
“Really?” Vergil asked.
“Really really,” she replied, with a light finger bop to her son’s nose.

His mother retreated back into the kitchen, presumably to make Dante’s breakfast, and he ate his own food in silence. A moment later, he heard the expected sounds of the morning in his household.

*beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep SMASH CRASH THUD* *groan*

“Dante’s awake,” his mother called from the kitchen.
“I can tell,” Vergil replied quietly, raising his eyebrow.

Several crashing noises later, the older twin was greeted with the sight of his less-than-prepared brother downstairs. While Vergil was dressed quite professionally in a dress shirt and khaki pants, his disorderly sibling was dressed in a dark blue T-shirt (proudly proclaiming “i eat glue,” no less) and low cut blue jeans. Vergil’s eyebrow twitched as he realized Dante had on a panicked look and only one sock, the sockless foot tapping the floor impatiently.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” said the younger twin, with a slightly crazed look and waving hands. “Where is my other sock!?”

As Dante twisted about, Vergil noticed a flash of white. Suppressing laughter, he calmly raised a hand and crooked his finger to indicate that his brother should come over to him. All craze lost momentarily, the younger twin walked confusedly over to his sibling.

“Turn around,” Vergil ordered.
“Uh?” Dante slurred.
“You heard me.”
“’kay.” He promptly turned around.

Vergil pulled the renegade sock off of his brother’s back and handed it to him around his side.

“Oh,” Dante said.
“Oh, indeed,” his twin replied.

Dante quickly pulled on the sneaky footwear and sat down at the table, just as his mother brought out a plate heaped with pancakes and a bottle of syrup. She set both down in front of Dante and then dipped back into the kitchen quick and grabbed two glasses of orange juice, setting both down next to the two boys’ plates.

Dante glanced at the pancakes, then the syrup, then his plate, then at the syrup again, then back to the pancakes. He had a look of utter concentration on his face. In a smooth gesture, he opened the syrup and turned it onto his pancakes. The plate slowly filled up with the thick liquid, until it started to reach the brim. He kept pushing until the surface tension was at its limit. Finally, he upturned the bottle. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

“Dante...what are you going to do with all of that extra syrup...?” inquired Vergil.
“Drink it, duh,” the younger replied.
“That’s disgusting.”
“So’s your face.”
“We’re twins.”
“Nuh uh. Your hair is up.”

Vergil resisted yet another urge to slap his forehead. Their mother just smiled.

***

Shouldering his backpack, Vergil waited for his brother to find his other shoe so they could leave. The younger twin finally located it, put the elusive thing on, and started for the door.

“Bookbag?” Vergil reminded.
“Oh yeah,” his brother replied, picking it up.
“Moron.”
“Shup.”
“Proper English, please?”
“I said, shut up.”
“That’s what I thought – and no, I won’t.”
“Can we go now?”
“Yes, brother dearest.”

With a kiss and a hug to their mother, the twins set off to walk to school. The trip there was uneventful, save for the brothers discussing where they would be going for the day. Vergil informed Dante of his locker number, so that the younger twin would meet him there after school each day. Also, he came to learn that his sibling’s own locker was on the other side of the school, which confused Vergil, who was under the impression that incoming freshmen were arranged alphabetically. He assumed that it was just another attempt by the education system to separate twins from each other. After all, in all of their years of school, he hadn’t shared a class with Dante yet.

The two boys arrived at Carver High School about twenty minutes before school started. As they stepped through the doors, Dante and Vergil gazed at the high ceiling and colorful banners of the main hall.

***

As he had expected, Vergil’s day was filled with freshman rules and regulations. Of course, he was all for order, but the teachers were practically treating the freshmen like little kids. If he was bored, though, he imagined Dante had already fallen asleep. He smirked as he thought of his brother’s loud snoring disrupting the class. The sad part was, he knew Dante would actually do it, too.

With a perfect mask of attention, he ironically tuned out the teacher’s talk of “pay attention when I’m speaking” and sent out a mental prod through his weird sixth sense. He didn’t quite understand it himself (though he assumed it had something to do with his mixed blood), but he knew that he could send out simple emotions and messages to his brother, and vice versa. He sent out his message of boredom to Dante, and got a message of hunger in return. Vergil did his best to give Dante the impression that he was rolling his eyes, but he wasn’t sure how well a vague emotion like that could be sent. His brother promptly sent a miffed feeling and closed his mind off.

Vergil wondered what had got his sibling so touchy all of a sudden. Then again, if Dante’s day had been going anything like his own, then he, too, had dealt with the funny looks that all of the upperclassmen had been giving him throughout the day. Still, the older twin had been getting this treatment for so long that he had long since grown used to it. Besides, it wasn’t like his own classmates did it anymore. They had gotten accustomed to the different twins. When they asked him if he was albino, he would always respond with “something like that.” Somehow, Vergil didn’t think that announcing he and his sibling were half demon would go over very well with the public.

However, Dante did not take the looks and the whispers so well. He knew deep down that he could never be the perfect academic student that his brother was, so he opted for the opposite route instead. He had become the class clown. He just wanted a way to become cared about and respected, like his brother, so Dante chose crazy behavior over order. Everyone knew that they could count on Dante’s antics for a laugh, and people often dared him to do less-than-intelligent things – which he almost always agreed to, of course. The only things he wouldn’t do were things that would hurt others or really mess up another’s plans. Even then, when he did do something that borderlined his preset morals, he always offered to clean up the mess he had made. He was a good kid at heart, and all of the teachers knew that, so he usually got away with his behavior.

In a way, Vergil envied his somewhat carefree brother. However, it was his gentle heart that always ended up getting him hurt in the end. That was why the older twin had insisted on taking martial arts classes. He needed an outlet for his frustration over being ridiculed, so his mother had agreed to enroll him in a course. She had signed Dante up as well, but he didn’t really seem to enjoy it the way his brother did. Still, the younger sibling had developed his own style of fighting over time, as Vergil had (carefully) used Dante as his subject for testing whatever new moves he had learned. Vergil would perform an action on his brother, and their mother would clap and cheer at her son’s new skills – after she made sure her other son wasn’t hurt, of course. After the demonstration, he would go into the backyard with his sibling and spar for a while. It was in these times that Dante learned how to hold his own in battle.

Just as Vergil came out of his thoughts, the bell for the ending of his final class rang. He looked forward to going home, if only to get some food. Okay, so he was hungry too, but Dante was always that way. Curse his teenage body anyway. The twin slipped out of his desk and made strides for the door, always the last one out.

As Vergil rummaged through his locker, he pulled out a few binders and stuffed them into his backpack. He didn’t actually have to take anything home, but he wanted to get a head start on some of the future homework, particularly in geometry. He loved math, and already understood many of the beginning lessons, so he figured he’d kill some time tonight working on it.

The teen finished packing his bookbag and waited for Dante, presumably cleaning out the snack machine with his lunch money, to show up. And waited. Vergil shifted uneasily. Surely it didn’t take this long for his brother to stuff all that food into his locker, did it? Trying to figure out what Dante was up to, he tentatively opened his side of their link.

And fell to his knees.

Vergil bit his tongue to prevent from crying out as he felt a wave of his twin’s pain surge through him. Dizzily, he rose to his feet and dashed as quickly as his backpack would allow him to the place where he felt his brother’s pain come from. It only took him twenty seconds to charge to the field behind the school. There was no practice on it today, so he knew that there would be no one hanging around there. So why was Dante at that place?

Before he burst out of the back doors, the older twin paused, knowing it would be reckless to just run out there without knowing what was going on first. He listened, and his sensitive hearing clearly hearing a voice other than his brother’s.

“...why?”
“I don’t like freaks. Besides, no one makes a fool of me.”
“A fool? Did I do something wrong?”
“No punk freshman is going to show me up in basketball.”
“I can’t help it if I’m good.”
“Then I can’t help if I kick the shit out of you!”

Vergil heard a few sickening thuds and his own sibling’s strained noises of pain. He couldn’t take it anymore and finally burst out from his hiding place, just in time to see a rather large senior boy put a boot into his brother’s stomach. Dante was on the ground, halfway curled up, and the senior towered over him. A quick estimate told Vergil that the other boy was at least twice either of their sizes, but the older twin still knew that either of the siblings could have easily taken him down. So, why wasn’t Dante fighting back? He clenched his fists in rage at this pathetic senior who thought it was okay to beat on freshmen.

His brother finally turned his battered body and met his twin’s angry and confused gaze, shying away as he realized he’d be scolded later for letting this happen to him.

“Whaddya know? They’re twin freaks,” commented the senior.
“Screw off, bastard,” replied Vergil coldly, the unexpected words making Dante’s eyes go wide in surprise.
“You wanna say that again, freshman?”
“Screw. Off. Bastard.”

The senior, having had enough, lunged at Vergil with a right punch. The boy easily dodged it, grabbing the arm as it went past him and wrenching it mercilessly. The senior cried out in pain, and turned around to try again and hit the twin who had just injured him. However, when he saw the teen’s inhuman eyes flash dangerously, he backed off, turning to run away.

“You...you won’t get away with this! You’ll see! Next time your ass is mine, freshman!” the senior yelled, cradling his twisted arm.
“Whatever,” said Vergil, giving the response that his brother so often gave in tough situations.

The elder twin turned to the younger, seeing that Dante had now sat up against the school’s back wall. He took in his sibling’s condition, noting many bruises on his arms (and many he couldn’t see under the clothing, he was sure), a few on the face, some bleeding cuts, and a little bit of a split lip. It was nothing major, but added all together, it had to be awfully painful. Trying not to be frustrated with Dante for being so careless, he extended a hand to help him up. However, the younger twin ignored it and rose to his feet himself, albeit with a look of pain.

Dante brushed past Vergil, also sidestepping the lunch that had come back up when he had been kicked in the stomach for the third or fourth time. Vergil felt his concern and worry rise at his twin being so uncharacteristically standoffish, but he chose not to say anything. Instead, he readjusted his backpack to a more comfortable position and took stride next to his sibling, who was already walking off. They said nothing as they walked home, neither wanting to break the silence and risk angering the other.

Vergil wanted to ask why Dante had allowed this to happen, but he already knew the answer. At heart, his brother really was a pacifist. He knew that Dante couldn’t stand to see people mad or fighting, so when someone brought a fight to him, he tended to just shut down. On the other hand, Vergil let his dark blood get the better of him more often than not, so he ended up utterly defeating and humiliating anyone who tried to pick a fight with him.

Dante wanted to tell Vergil that he could take care of himself, but he was secretly grateful that his twin always stood up for him. To Dante, his brother almost seemed to have an obsession with protecting people, whether those people were strong or weak. It didn’t seem to matter to Vergil. It was a quality that he had always envied about his twin, but Dante knew that he was too fragile at heart to ever have the kind of strength he would need to protect others. So, when the going got tough, Dante gave in. He allowed people to take advantage of him, only wanting the other people to be happy – even if it meant his own pain or loss.

After what felt like an eternity of uncomfortable silence, the boys arrived at home. Vergil unlocked the door (their mother was at work still and wouldn’t be home for another two hours), put down his things and started for the kitchen, still very hungry. He turned to offer Dante something, but was only able to catch a glimpse of his back as his brother headed upstairs. A moment later, he heard the door to his sibling’s room close. A moment after that, his sensitive ears strained to hear the lock click into place.

Vergil finally allowed himself to sigh out loud. He decided that he was talking to his twin brother about this later, whether the other teen wanted to or not. He just couldn’t allow him to stew in his own depression, understanding exactly what his brother felt. They were different. They had always been different. They would likely always be different. Couldn’t Dante just accept that and move on? Still, part of him couldn’t blame his twin for feeling that way. He had been the same way until about two years ago. It was with adolescence and the consequent maturity that Vergil had come to realize that there was nothing he could do to change himself, so he shouldn’t be ashamed – and when he really thought about it, he liked himself the way he was. Now if only he could get Dante to see things his way.

Thinking of nothing better to do, he took his snack, which consisted of a peanut butter sandwich and a homemade gingerbread cookie, up to his room. He snagged his backpack along the way, fully intending to start on that geometry homework that wasn’t even due.

***

An hour later, Vergil finally heard movement from his brother’s room, seriously hoping that Dante wanted to talk, or even hoping that he was just getting something to eat. To his dismay, all he heard was the tub faucet in the bathroom being turned on. The older twin presumed that his brother was taking a bath to ease some of the stiffness his body must have acquired by now. Vergil sighed in frustration as he turned to Chapter 3 of his geometry, starting on his ninth assignment.

***

Another hour passed, and Vergil grew tired of homework. Much earlier he had heard Dante move from the bathroom back into his now locked room. For the last twenty minutes, the older twin had been playing his Gameboy, though God forbid that anyone knew he actually owned one of those things. It wasn’t like he was ashamed of it. After all, Tetris was a perfectly educational game.

A few moments later, he heard the door downstairs unlock, open, and close. After that, he heard a sunny “Hel-looooooo!” called from his mother just entering the house. He paused a moment, heard no sound from Dante, who was usually the first to jump at greeting her, sighed again, and headed downstairs to greet his mother’s arrival. Besides, he was hungry - again.

Halfway down the stairs, he smelled what could only be an ordered pizza. The boys’ mother didn’t usually order out, but the first day of school deserved some special treatment in her eyes. She was already plating some slices for her sons when Vergil entered the kitchen. The elder twin walked over to his mother and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, going to get something to drink with dinner that would be equally as bad for him as the pizza was.

As his mother went to put down a third plate, Vergil tugged it from her hand. Perplexed, she looked at him.

“He’s not eating tonight, I think,” Vergil tried to explain.
“School?” she asked, solemnly.
“Yeah.”

He watched a look of dismay color his mother’s features, and then pass as she realized her son was watching her.

“Well, I guess that just means more for you, eh?” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.
“His loss,” replied her son, putting on his own mask.
“...Vergil?”
“Yes, mother?”
“You’ll...talk to him later, won’t you? I feel...I feel as if there’s nothing I can...do...to help Dante.”

Vergil just nodded in response. They continued to eat their meal in a fairly comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts of how the teen locked in his room might be feeling. After dinner, Vergil offered to do the dishes, while his mother looked for a movie to watch for the evening.

As he padded into the living room, having finished washing the dishes, he saw that his mother had alighted on a channel that would be playing Star Wars in the next five minutes. The elder twin’s lips curled up into a smile; it was one of his favorite movies. It was one of his mother’s favorites, too. Dante had never been a fan of the series, but he did like the dancing girl, Oola, from the third movie. He thought she was hot.

The movie wore on, and Vergil allowed himself to laugh a few times when his mother called out lines as they were being spoken – especially when she tried to mimic Darth Vader’s voice. He, too, began reciting lines eventually (including R2-D2, no less), as he grew more at ease. In all of their loud fun, though, they failed to notice a figure sitting silently at the top of the stairs, watching all of it with furrowed brows and a frown.

The credits now rolling, Vergil and his mother both let out a yawn simultaneously. They shared an oddly amused look, and both decided it was time for bed. It was only a little earlier than usual, so Vergil didn’t mind. Besides, he was pretty sure that his mother wanted to give him some time to talk to Dante before it got too late.

She took a few strides over to Vergil, presumably to give him a goodnight hug and kiss, but just stood looking at him for a few moments, her hands on his shoulders. She lifted one hand to his head and used her fingers to brush his hair out of its swept back look and back down into its usual look. Smiling at the more familiar appearance, she leaned down and gave her son a kiss on the forehead, with a tight embrace following that.

“Love you, sweetie,” she said softly.
“Love you, too, Mom,” her son responded.
“Goodnight.”
“Night, Mom.”

She turned to walk away, as did Vergil, but paused at her downstairs bedroom’s doorframe, laying a hand against it.

“...Vergil?”
“Yeah?” he questioned, turning around, only to see his mother’s back still to him.
“I just want you to know...both of you...that I never regretted it. Not once. Having you two boys was the greatest joy of my life – my blessing. You are my happiness. Please never forget that.”
“...Mom?”
“Yes, dear?”
“It’s all right. So don’t worry...okay?”

He heard his mother sigh, as if some great tension had just left her.

“Thank you,” she said, walking into her room before Vergil could respond.

He turned and trudged upstairs, hoping his mother wasn’t feeling too stressed out by this.

He did all of his preparations for bed, including changing his clothes, and then paused as he passed between the bathroom and his own room. He stared at his twin’s closed door, wondering what kind of a mood Dante was in, and if it was even a good idea to disturb him. Still, he had promised their mother that he would do his best to help his sibling, and that was precisely what he intended to do. Besides, it was cold in that hallway with just sweatpants on.

Vergil reached down to the doorknob, noticing that the door was now unlocked. He hesitantly pushed it open, poking his head inside. The room was dark, but the streetlights allowed Vergil to spot his brother curled up on the bed. The older twin used the small gap to slip through the doorway, knowing that if he tried to open it farther, he’d bash the door into something strewn on his sibling’s floor. Vergil tiptoed silently across the mess on the floor, and finally stood next to the bed. If his brother was awake, he still chose not to react to the older twin’s presence. Tired of waiting for a reaction, he settled himself upon the edge of Dante’s bed. He peered a little closer, and almost drew back when he realized that Dante’s eyes were not only open, but also staring right at Vergil himself.

“Uh...hey...” said the older twin, that being the best thing his vast vocabulary could come up with.
“What do you want?” Dante said, in a strange voice – a voice that sounded distant and not all there.
“To talk to you.”
“Why?” the younger boy replied, still in that strange voice.
“Because you need someone to talk to right now,” said Vergil, thinking that was already obvious.
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I’m not being overprotective. There’s something wrong with you and I want to help you feel better!” Vergil exclaimed, exasperated.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“...what?”
“You heard me. Go. Away.”
“Dante-”
“Don’t even! I don’t want to hear it! You’re so special. Everyone loves Vergil Sparda! What makes you so great, huh!? Why do I always get beaten up!? What did I do to deserve it!? I hate it! I hate you! I wish you weren’t here. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with any of the crap you cause me.”

Vergil just stared at his brother, completely stunned and unsure of how to respond. He knew that his brother didn’t mean half of that – it was just the frustration of today speaking – but the fact that Dante had said it at all hurt him.

“I’m sorry, Dante,” whispered Vergil, almost inaudibly, “I never wanted to do anything to hurt you.”

He watched for a moment as the younger twin’s shoulders sagged in defeat. Then, he sat up and leaned over to embrace his brother in an apology. Vergil hugged him back, feeling a strange bump on his sibling’s arm as they pulled apart. He held onto that arm for a moment, studying the partly faded bruise that was puffing up the skin. It was difficult to spot in the low light, but Vergil could see a number of similar bruises and cuts scattered all over his brother’s body – all of them fairly easily seen due to the fact that his brother slept in just his boxers. Of course, most of those injuries would be completely healed and gone by morning, but knowing that Dante was in pain from them here and now made Vergil depressed and sympathetic for the teen.

Gently, the older twin turned his brother’s inner forearm up and examined the bruise more closely. He felt a strange, animalistic instinct rise in his mind, and very innocently leaned his head down and licked the puffed skin. There were no ill thoughts in his mind as he did this – only that he wanted to make Dante feel better. His brother seemed to accept this, knowing that Vergil’s intentions were pure.

The older twin lifted his head to look his brother in the eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other, some unspoken words of understanding passing between them. Then, the darker side of Vergil’s mixed blood called out to him again and he leaned down to lick another wound on Dante’s chest. The younger twin simply closed his eyes, allowing his brother to do as he wished. Somewhere, in the backs of their minds, they both knew that what they were doing was strange, but their demon blood felt no prejudice toward this act.

Eventually, Vergil had licked his brother’s right hand, his left shoulder, and his left knee. He pulled away again to stare into his brother’s eyes. Dante’s were still closed.

The elder twin saw just one more wound that needed attention.

Slowly, gently, with a feeling he had never known, Vergil closed his eyes, tilted his head, and pressed his lips to the fading scar that had been his brother’s split lip. It was a chaste kiss, but the older boy held his lips in place, loath to break away. Had he opened his eyes at that moment, he would have seen Dante’s own surprised orbs staring widely at his brother’s extremely close face. While there were a million things telling Dante that kissing his own brother like this was wrong, there was a dark tug at his being that said it was okay.

He chose to listen to the second thought.

In that same moment, Dante pressed his own lips tighter to his brother’s, moving closer to the inviting body and wrapping his arms around Vergil. The elder twin put a hand at the back of the other teen’s neck, pulling him closer, but breaking the kiss. He felt a little lightheaded, but his mind and the rest of his body felt oddly elated, like this was just the start of something very good.

The two boys’ eyes met again, an unidentifiable feeling in both of them. The closest Vergil could come to describing it was by calling the emotion a need or a want. His young mind didn’t quite understand the concept of lust, but that was precisely what the two of them were sharing. Though, beneath it all, he could feel something that was easily identified as love.

In unison, both boys opened their link, feeling desire, love, and a little fear from each other. Between one breath and the next, Vergil lunged forward and kissed Dante deeply, slowly pressing his brother back to lay on the bed. Over and over, he drank in the taste of his twin, feeling the younger boy warring with him just as passionately. Unconsciously, the lower half of Vergil’s body began grinding against Dante’s, causing both boys to shiver in pleasure.

Inexperienced as they were, both Dante’s and Vergil’s hands seemed to know exactly where to go to make the opposite whimper for more. Finally, the older twin broke away from his brother’s lips and began to kiss his way down the other boy’s neck. All the while, they kept rubbing together and Dante’s breathing quickened. He sent a message of ecstasy to his brother and began to finger the hem of Vergil’s sweatpants.

Suddenly, Vergil froze. He lifted his head to stare into Dante’s eyes, breathing heavily out of an odd mix of pleasure, excitement, and fear. He felt his sibling’s hands brushing dangerously close to an area of his body that he had never allowed anyone else to touch before. His mind slowly took in the bulge in his brother’s boxers pressing against his own, his brother’s hands playing at his lower back, and their heavy breathing. The intense gaze that they held was enough to overwhelm Vergil, and he unknowingly sent a wave of apprehension to Dante.

Vergil began to shake. He was scared. He knew what this was going to lead to if they continued, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. Propping himself up on one arm above Dante, he used the now free hand to still the caresses of one of his twin’s hands. Dante seemed to take the hint and stopped moving both of them. Vergil felt a wave of questioning, and sent back his own wave of nervousness.

“Dante?” Vergil addressed.
“Yeah?” his brother asked confusedly.
“Listen...we’re not...I don’t...I’m not ready for this,” he finally managed to force out.
“Ready...?” Dante asked, not comprehending why his brother seemed to be so tongue-tied, “for what?”
“You don’t...? Dante. We were about to...you know...and...I’m not ready yet,” he said, his face turning bright red, but going unnoticed due to the low lighting.
“We were about to...oh. Oh.”
“Oh indeed.”
“Uh...” Dante began, his own face blushing furiously now, “I don’t think I’m...ready...either...you know.”
“At least we agree,” Vergil replied, laughing nervously and making a weak attempt at humor.

Abruptly realizing the compromising position he was in over Dante, Vergil shot up and sat as far away from his sibling as he could, his face still burning. He shifted uncomfortably, a certain part of his anatomy not particularly pleased with the two stopping their previous act. He felt a wave of a mutually uncomfortable feeling sent to him. Vergil blushed even deeper, if that was possible. Had he really just sent the feeling of his...problem...to Dante? He cowered away even more to perch at the foot of the bed, embarrassed in ways that he couldn’t even begin to describe.

His human side finally kicking in again, Vergil suddenly began to feel ashamed of everything they had just done. Unfortunately, he kept forgetting that Dante was getting these impressions loud and clear. From behind him, he could hear his younger sibling move across the bed, creeping closer. Finally, Vergil felt a pair of slender, but strong arms wrap around him and pull him close to lean his back against his brother’s chest.

What Dante whispered to him in his ear next was something that Vergil would always remember in perfect clarity.

“I love you.”

The older twin closed his eyes, searching his thoughts, his heart, and his soul. There was only one thing he could think of to say back to that.

“I love you, too.”

Somehow, this was different from all of the other times the two had exchanged those words. Before, it had always been a routine thing to say, perhaps before bed each night or when one gave the other a gift for a holiday. Those words had never quite held the same weight that they did now – and now, Vergil knew that both of them truly meant it.

“Dante?”
“Yeah Verg?” his brother responded, hearing a low, airy laugh at the nickname come from his opposite.
“We’re twins.”
“True.”
“We’re brothers.”
“That too.”
“We’re related by blood.”
“Yup.”
“People are going to think we’re weird.”
“I guess.”
“People don’t usually expect brothers to be in love.”
“Right.”
“I can accept that.”
“Me too.”
“Do you think we’ll be okay like this?”
“I hope so.”
“Then let’s get some sleep, okay?”
“About time.”
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, brother.”

With that, the two laid back down on the bed and snuggled close together. No more words were spoken, though there was a contented sigh from each. Arms and legs intertwined, neither twin dominant over the other. A tired hand, unidentifiable as to which twin it belonged to, patted around for the blanket, finally locating it and pulling the soft cloth over their bodies. Their link stayed open for as long as both were awake, and continued to share sleepy thoughts of peace as each slipped into pleasant dreams.

***

*beep beep beep beep beep SMASH SLAP* *groan*

“Uh...? Wha...?”
“Good morning to you too.”

Dante opened his bleary eyes to be greeted by the sight of his brother smirking down at him. Vergil looked pointedly past Dante, getting the other twin to turn over and glance in the direction his sibling was looking in. What the younger twin saw was his hand covering his brother’s, who had smacked his alarm clock. Vergil waited patiently for his twin to remove his hand from atop his own, snickering as Dante blinked a few times, the other boy’s sleepy mind still processing the situation. Finally, the younger twin removed his hand, but grasped Vergil’s as well, bringing it back over to the bed and kissing it before he relinquished it back to his elder twin’s care.

His older sibling grinned, leaning down for a quick kiss to Dante’s lips.

Together, they got up, prepared for school (today Dante’s shirt announced “I disturb my parents”), ate breakfast, and headed off, all the while managing to keep their mother in the dark about their newfound relationship. She was just happy to see her sons both smiling and ready for a new day of school.

***

The day at school was heavenly. Mostly, the boys just passed the day ignoring the teachers and sending each other little messages of love through their link. At lunch, they offered each other food, much to the chagrin and “weirded out-ness” of the other students. During gym, Vergil actually got hit in the head with a basketball because he was too busy “conversing” with Dante. After he was hit, he just started laughing and fixing his hair back up, in too good of a mood to think it anything but hilarious.

Several times throughout the day, they sent the message between them of needing to use the bathroom – regardless of whether or not that was true – and left class at the same time to meet up with each other. As they found each other in the restroom, they stole kisses and caresses, both reluctant to leave and go back to class. Surprisingly, it was Dante who broke away first each time, being the responsible one for once.

After school, they walked side by side, grinning like loons and laughing at things that weren’t even funny. They felt delirious with their happiness. However, someone didn’t appreciate their carefree demeanors.

His arm now in a sling, the senior from yesterday stood directly in the twins’ path as they began their walk home. They were so busy entertaining each other that they didn’t even notice the older teen until they nearly ran into him. Actually, Dante did run into him – his injured arm, to be exact – on purpose.

Vergil laughed at that, too.

He easily dodged the expected punch and tripped the senior boy as he walked past. Dante added a kick to the arm for good measure.

The senior just stared after the two boys, dumbfounded.

***

As the twins entered the household, they quickly made their way to the couch and began their newfound favorite pastime – making out. Of course, this didn’t last long, as Vergil heard a gurgle from his brother’s stomach. Dante just grinned, slipping away from his twin to get some cold pizza from the refrigerator. He looked back at Vergil, who was currently wearing, in Dante’s eyes, the cutest pout he had ever seen.

“Bring me one, too?” Vergil asked in a childish voice, jutting his lower lip out.

Dante grinned again and fetched another piece for his sibling, wondering when Vergil had started having such a bright personality. It seemed strange to him that his normally stoic brother was suddenly being so...free. Thinking about it for a moment, though, he realized that Vergil’s recent behavior probably had a lot to do with their constantly open link. Since his brother had suggested so that morning, Dante and he had kept their minds open on a permanent basis. He supposed that explained why they both seemed to be acting so differently; their personalities were rubbing off on each other. Dante’s carefree spirit was making Vergil fun loving, and Vergil’s studious mind had been allowing Dante to concentrate better on his classwork.

***

A few hours later, the teens were sitting at the dinner table with their mother, entertaining her with stories of their day. The smile never left her face. She seemed absolutely smitten to know that her darling twin sons were happy. Fortunately, she remained blissfully unaware of the reason behind their cheerfulness.

Several hours later, Dante and Vergil began to ready themselves for bed. As they stood in the bathroom, brushing their teeth (this time with their own toothbrushes), the older twin took on a blush. He and Dante were wearing sweatpants and boxers, respectively - the same clothing as last night. Last night...Vergil blushed deeper, trying not to think about how much he wanted that to happen again tonight.

They finished up in the bathroom, and then wandered off to their respective rooms. Vergil laid down on his bed, curling up on his side under the soft blankets. A feeling of relaxation came over him, but something still wasn’t quite right. Something felt like it was...missing. It didn’t take long for him to figure out how much he wanted Dante there next to him. The older twin shifted to his back in frustration. This wasn’t good. Developing a need for his brother like this was only going to bring them both down. Vergil did his best to calm the part of his deprived heart and go to sleep.

Ten minutes later, the older twin sighed in greater frustration. No matter what, he couldn’t sleep without Dante. Extending his link out, he could feel that his brother was having similar problems.

Finally, feeling defeated, he sent a wave at Dante, beckoning the other boy to join him. He practically saw his younger sibling jump up in excitement. This was what his brother had had in mind also, obviously.

A few moments later, he heard his door gently pulled open, then closed again. Then, Dante lifted part of the covers and slipped underneath them, cuddling close to Vergil and the warmth that he offered. The older teen wrapped an arm around his twin, feeling more contented now. He felt Dante hug him back, offering a gentle kiss as he did so.

The two boys embraced each other, both giving a satisfied sigh. It was finally time for sleep.

***

A sleepy pair of ice blue eyes opened, taking in their surroundings, and, in particular, the angelic face across from his own. Vergil stared at that face, noticing how peaceful it seemed, with a slight smile gracing its features. It was the most beautiful scene the elder twin had ever laid eyes on.

Slowly, Vergil extended a hand, gently caressing the soft skin of his brother’s face. He loved being like this, just the two of them. The older twin knew that he should get up soon, but the comfort that being entangled with his precious brother like this brought him simply outweighed any other desire. Sighing, Vergil lightly shook Dante to wake him up. Unfortunately (or fortunately? He wasn’t sure which), all this earned him was a tighter snuggle from his sibling.

A smirk appeared on the twin’s handsome features as he went for the next best solution. Swiftly, he dove in and pressed his lips to Dante’s, fairly positive that that would wake up his brother. Sure enough, he felt his younger twin respond to the intimacy.

As Vergil pulled away, he saw Dante open his eyes and smile sweetly.

“Good morning,” the older twin said coyly.
“I was already awake, you know,” Dante responded thoughtfully.
“Tease.”
“You wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Touché.”

The two finally hopped out of bed, preparing for yet another day of school.

***

Two days later, Vergil came to the conclusion that this was a distinctly strange feeling. The aforementioned emotion seemed to take him over completely. What was this emotion? In all honesty, the elder twin wasn’t sure. All he knew was that the feeling was causing him to forget his homework, play – God forbid - averagely in gym, and steal out of class more and more often to see Dante. It was distinctly strange – and distinctly unsettling.

Vergil stared at the wall-mounted school clock, desperately wishing for it to be next hour. Completely ignoring the lesson being taught (though he thought he caught the word “demon” in there somewhere), the older twin picked apart the emotion, trying very much to figure out what it meant. Over the last two days, his need to be with Dante had continued to grow. There was a powerful desire within him; he couldn’t quite explain it, but he knew that it wasn’t being satisfied.

Vergil sighed, feeling as if he was going to explode in frustration.

***

After school, the twins walked home together as usual; however, this time was different.

Even as they were walking out of the school, Vergil snaked his hand into Dante’s, intertwining their fingers.

“Verg? Uh, I thought we weren’t going to do this here...” Dante half-whispered.
“I don’t care anymore.” Vergil responded with conviction.
“But...Verg, we agreed on it!”
“I said I don’t care,” the elder twin repeated, a bit louder.
“...I’m sorry...” Dante said softly, slipping his hand out of his brother’s. “I can’t.”

Vergil tried not to let his disappointment show as his sibling pulled his hand away. He knew that Dante’s feelings were still the same for him; he was just frightened of what would happen if others found out about those feelings. Still, Vergil was incredibly frustrated. There was something he wanted, but he just didn’t know what. No matter how hard he tried to analyze it, he couldn’t put his finger on the desire within him.

***

Arriving at home, Vergil immediately dragged Dante to the couch, nearly attacking his brother with passion. The younger twin responded to this, laying kisses on his older brother in quick succession. Impatiently, Vergil pushed his hands up his twin’s shirt, desperate to touch the skin there. Dante didn’t seem to object to that either, letting out a small whimper as his brother made contact with particularly sensitive skin.

Frantically, without thought, the older twin drew the shirt over Dante’s head, throwing the offensive garment somewhere across the room. The younger twin seemed to shrink away from this, nervous at how forward his brother was being.

Vergil began kissing down Dante’s neck, letting his craving for his brother take over. The kisses turned into licks, and the licks turned into gentle nips.

“Verg...hey...”

The elder twin nipped a little harder, beginning to leave red marks.

“Verg...it hurts...!”

Vergil bit Dante’s neck not so gently, drawing a tiny drop of blood.

“Vergil! Stop!”

The older twin looked up finally, his breathing hard and his eyes hungry. Slowly, the look changed, becoming softer and full of concern for his slightly panicked sibling.

“...Dante...?” he questioned, reaching out a suddenly gentle hand to his brother’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Vergil...please don’t touch me,” Dante said, looking away.
“...what?” the older brother responded, his voice a mix of disbelief and confusion.
“That...that hurt.”

For a long moment, Vergil just stared at his brother, not quite comprehending. Finally, he looked down at the trickle of blood near Dante’s collarbone. There were deep red marks just above that – not the kind that came from tender kisses. A sickened feeling rose in the pit of the older twin’s stomach. Had he really just done that to Dante?

His brother continued to look away, the expression of hurt on his face never leaving. It only made Vergil feel worse, and he backed away from Dante, off of the couch, as if repelled. The older twin absentmindedly walked over to his brother’s discarded shirt on the floor, picked it up, and tossed in onto the back of the couch where Dante could get to it. Then, without another word, he shuffled lethargically up the stairs to his room, closing and locking the door behind him.

It was a long time before he heard Dante move, recognizing the familiar noise of the refrigerator being opened. His own stomach gurgled; he was pretty hungry himself. Vergil did his best to ignore the feeling, curling up on his side and trying to sleep off his guilt and depression.

***

By the time Vergil awoke, it was already dark out. He glanced at his digital display, the numbers glowing 9:13 PM in red. Thinking he read it wrong, the teen looked again, blinking his eyes as he did so. Sure enough, the numbers stayed, the three flickering to a four a few seconds later. Had he really slept for so long? He had come upstairs at about 3:45, to his recollection, so that meant that he had slept for – he did the math quickly in his head – five and a half hours.

Vergil sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. That meant that he would have to go to bed soon, and he wasn’t the least bit tired. More than that, he was positive that Dante wouldn’t come tonight – not after what happened earlier – so he wasn’t going to be able to sleep anyway.

The elder twin sighed again. Today sucked.

Some time later, his sensitive hearing picked up Dante telling their mother goodnight, and giving her a hug and a kiss. He wondered if she had noticed any of the marks on his brother’s neck. Probably not – they would have healed before she had come home. That gave Vergil a little bit of consolation. At least their mother didn’t know anything was going on.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was terrified of anyone finding out about his relationship with his brother. They both knew that it wasn’t right in the eyes of society, but still...he couldn’t just not feel like this for Dante. He couldn’t switch off his emotions like that. That was the reason they had agreed to not hold hands during school. They both knew the consequences. Vergil didn’t know what he had been thinking as they walked home earlier. At that moment, nothing had seemed to matter to him – only Dante. The thought of being near his twin had just felt so right then, even though he knew what others would say. In retrospect, he really hoped that no one had seen them. He could handle any kind of teasing the other kids dealt out, but Dante would crumble beneath all of that pressure.

Listening again, he heard Dante shuffling about in his room. He assumed that his brother was dressing for bed. Speaking of which, sleeping in khakis and a dress shirt hadn’t really been very comfortable. Vergil quickly changed into his favorite, oh-so-cuddly-soft sweatpants. The older boy smirked. If anybody ever found out about his obsession with cuddly-soft things, he’d never live it down.

His stomach growled again. God, was he hungry.

Finally, Vergil laid down again for sleep, his momentary amusement broken by more thoughts of guilt and depression. He really had no clue how he was going to fix this mess with Dante. The twin sighed (again), and closed his eyes, desperately wishing for sleep to take him once more.

*knock knock knock*

Vergil’s eyes blinked back open, wondering if maybe his mother wanted something. He hadn’t heard her come up the stairs. He crawled out of bed, padding over to his door and undoing the lock. He pulled it open, looked...

...and got a huge plate shoved in his face.

The older twin stumbled back a pace, utterly confused at the grinning face of Dante offering him a plate of junk food. A closer inspection revealed that this was all from the snack machines at school. Vergil shook his head, smiling. Dante really had cleaned them out, hadn’t he?

The younger twin ushered his brother to sit on the bed, setting the plate down near Vergil as he did so. Before Dante took a seat on the opposite side of the plate, he pulled something from his solitary pocket on the back of his boxers. Unwrapping it, he popped the item, now identified as a sucker, into his mouth a second later. Vergil looked away from that sight quickly, enjoying watching his brother’s tongue move over the candy just a little too much for his own good.

“Well? You gonna eat it?” Dante prompted.
“It’s for me?” Vergil questioned slowly.
“Duh. I’m not gonna let my big brother starve himself, you know. Besides, you gotta be hungry by now. You didn’t eat dinner.”

Vergil contemplated those statements for a few moments. It was true. He was awfully hungry. Still, Dante seemed pretty easygoing for a guy who had just been nearly raped some hours ago. He tried to ignore the confusion. If Dante was still sensitive about it, then Vergil assumed that his younger twin would tell him he was. Another growl from his stomach told him that thinking was bad and food was good right now.

He pulled a bag of chips off of the top of the pile (Crunchy Cheetos, to be exact), opened it, and munched on a few of the cheesy corn crunches. For several minutes, he and his brother sat in a comfortable silence, the younger politely waiting for the older to finish his little meal.

Three small bags of chips later, Vergil felt somewhat full. At least, he had eaten enough that his stomach finally stopped making the gurgling noises. He set the plate on his nightstand, the saucer still three fourths loaded with its snacks. They sat quietly for a few more moments, Vergil unsure of what to say. His twin was unreadable through their link right now, and that left Vergil feeling even more unsettled.

“Verg?” Dante prodded, breaking the silence.
“Yeah?”
“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. I understand why you did it. I’ve felt the same way lately. Like...like I’m going to burst open, because...I...really want you,” the younger twin said, his voice lowering more and more as he went on.
“Uh...really?” Vergil said, sudden hope flooding the second word.
“Yeah,” Dante responded with a laugh.
“So...this means we’re all okay now?” the older twin asked shyly.
“Well, mostly.”
“What is there still? An apology? I’m sorry. I’m...really sorry about...earlier.”
“Thanks, but that’s not what I meant.”
“...?”
“We still need to make up.”
“Make up?”
“God, you’re dense.”

Before Vergil could protest the little insult, Dante pressed his lips to his sibling’s. They stayed like that for a moment, before the older twin broke away and gave a thoughtful nod.

“Oh...‘make up’...I got ya.”
“Moron.”

Their simultaneous laughter broke through the air, and Dante took his brother off guard in that moment by laying Vergil down on the bed, climbing atop the other boy and sitting on his lap. Playfully, he brushed his fingers down his brother’s sides, making the older boy shiver. The carefree twin gently touched Vergil’s stomach, observing every tiny reaction that came from his precious sibling and feeling each one himself through their link. His hands slowly moved over Vergil, all the way up the torso and back down, eliciting a little sigh from his brother.

Finally, he leaned down to lightly kiss Vergil again, feeling the other teen’s hands beginning to run over his own body. His brother drank into the kiss, seeming to enjoy this slow, sensual contact. Deliberately, with love, Dante kissed down his brother’s neck, pausing to lick at the hollow of his throat. Then, he moved down more, laying kiss after kiss on Vergil’s chest, stopping once more when he reached his brother’s rosy nipples. He began to lick and tease one, drawing out a gasping moan from Vergil, who was more than surprised that his twin was actually doing this to him.

The younger teen broke away, not wanting to oversensitize his brother yet. He continued the trail of kisses, now coming upon Vergil’s stomach. He could feel his twin’s breathing quickening; Vergil had probably figured out by now what Dante intended to do. The older twin unintentionally sent a wave of uncertainty to his younger twin. Dante knew that Vergil wasn’t ready for sex yet, but he thought that he could still give his twin something to ease the discomfort he had been feeling lately.

With that thought in his mind, Dante slowly put his hands to the hem of Vergil’s sweatpants, waiting for his brother to give some sort of okay before he proceeded. He felt a wave of nervous reassurance come through, and Dante sent a wave of comfort back. Then, he pulled down on the waist of Vergil’s pants, looping his fingers in his brother’s boxers as well. The older twin lifted his hips a bit, so Dante could slip off the garments more easily.

Finally, Vergil was exposed completely. The elder twin blushed, embarrassed at Dante’s unabashed look of adoration towards him.

“See something you like?” Vergil asked shyly.
“You got that right,” Dante responded.

Without another word, the younger twin gently put his head down and placed a kiss on his brother’s erect length. Vergil jumped a little, utterly inexperienced with this. Then, Dante flicked his tongue out. That caused a gasp in his brother. The younger sibling grinned; he knew that Vergil wouldn’t last long beneath this teasing.

Sure enough, a few random kisses on his sensitive length later, he was begging Dante to do more – much more. Taking pity on his big brother, the younger twin finally took Vergil’s erection into his mouth fully. He set a slow rhythm at first as he sucked on his brother, letting the older twin grow accustomed to the feeling. Then, he swirled his tongue around the tip of the hardened organ, knowing that would elicit a reaction.

Vergil let out a loud moan, biting his lip quickly to keep quiet. It would be terribly awkward for their mother to wander up here, worried, and then find...this. Still, the older twin couldn’t help it. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever known, and it was making him feel like he was going crazy.

He gasped again as Dante’s mouth starting doing some wonderful things below his waist again. His young body was getting close now. He had no idea just what he was getting close to, but he knew that he wanted to get there badly. His hands clutched the bedsheets and twisted them, trying to control the delirium that seemed to take him over. He felt...high, almost, his breathing ragged and his body feeling like it would burn up at any moment.

Dante picked up the pace, knowing that Vergil was going to release soon. He tried to ignore his own pulsing erection, just focusing on making his twin feel good tonight. Still, it was difficult when Vergil was sending him those amazing sensations that Dante himself was causing.

Vergil bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, desperately bucking his hips and feeling so close now that he couldn’t stand it anymore.

Dante sent him a powerful wave of love, and that was it for Vergil.

He gasped once more, and then the world went white before his eyes.

Dante watched as Vergil’s entire body went stiff, his back arched and a trickle of blood trailed down his chin as he tried to contain pure ecstasy.

It was the most beautiful thing Dante had ever seen.

After what felt like an eternity of bliss, Vergil collapsed back down to the bed, breathing hard. With a great deal of effort, the older twin propped himself up in one elbow. He glanced down at his brother dazedly, seeing the younger twin swallowing the last of his release down.

His entire body felt drained, but oddly relaxed. Despite his earlier alertness, Vergil wanted to sleep now.

He kept his eyes on Dante, meeting the other’s gaze steadily as the younger twin looked up at him. Dante gave him a small, shy smile, and Vergil couldn’t help but offer a wide grin back. His sibling crawled up to lay on his side beside his older brother on the bed. As soon as he laid his head on the pillow, Vergil turned to his side as well and kissed him appreciatively. The older twin almost pulled away at the different taste, but soon realized that it was his own seed that flavored the kiss this way. It seemed a little disgusting at first, until the elder twin realized that he was calling what his brother had just done to him disgusting. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so revolting.

Finally, he broke the contact, feeling his brother come closer for a moment. He felt a warm tongue gently move along the line of blood still on his chin, and Vergil blushed a bit, forgetting how...enthusiastic...he had been. Dante pulled away, and the older twin paused, noting the discomfort coming from his sibling’s end of the link. Vergil traced the source of the younger twin’s discomfort, an idea forming in his head.

If his brother had just made love to him, then Vergil was obligated to return the favor, no?

A mischievous grin crept to the older twin’s features, reading confusion from his brother at the sudden change of behavior.

Vergil reached out a hand, slowly bringing it up to touch Dante’s face. He moved it up to brush the teen’s hair out of his eyes, seeing his twin smile as he did so. Then, in a fluid motion, he brought the appendage down to stroke along the other’s side. Unhurriedly, Vergil fingered the waistband of his brother’s boxers, waiting for Dante to react or give him a signal that he was okay with this.

The younger twin sent a wave of reassurance, too impatient to care about being embarrassed. Then, the older teen progressed his explorations, pressing his hand lightly against the bulge in the front of Dante’s lone garment.

His brother squirmed at the touch, trying to get his hips closer to that wonderful pressure. Vergil could tell that Dante was uncomfortable; he knew that his younger sibling just wanted to be touched fully. Taking pity on his twin, the older teen pushed Dante’s boxers down to his thighs, just enough to free his shaft from its confines.

The younger twin shivered, both at the chill in his brother’s room, as well as being exposed like this. For a long moment, Vergil simply stared at Dante, all the way up and down his body. Fascinated by the body that was so similar, yet so different from his own, he reached his hand out again and touched his brother’s length.

A jolt shot up Dante’s body, his adolescent mind not sure how to handle such a feeling. He chose simply to accept it – to allow Vergil to do as he pleased.

He drew in a breath sharply, feeling the hand continue its stroking and teasing. Dante opened his eyes, only to find Vergil staring right back at him, watching every reaction that crossed his sibling’s face as he went on with these blissful tortures.

The younger teen found himself locked into that gaze, unable to pull away, even as his frame was trembling with pleasure and his mind lost its coherency.

Vergil’s hand moved faster, loving the effect he seemed to have on Dante right now. His brother squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his body bucking uncontrollably into his twin’s hand. The older teen felt the ecstasy his brother was experiencing come through their link.

If this is anything like Dante had felt earlier, then he understood why his twin had gotten so aroused by it. As it was, Vergil could feel his body beginning to react again to the mental stimulation.

Unable to contain his voice anymore, Dante let out a whimpering cry, his eyes opening once more to meet his sibling’s intense gaze. Abruptly, his vision glazed over, and the only sensations he could isolate were the movement of his brother’s hand and his own heavy breathing.

He stiffened in the throes of his orgasm, never breaking his gaze with Vergil. The other boy felt a wetness cover his hand and spill out onto the bedsheets. Still, he continued his ministrations until Dante had completely relaxed again, wanting to give his twin the same bliss he had known just minutes before.

Finally, Dante’s body calmed, and he met his twin’s gaze fully. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, unspoken words of gratitude passing between them.

Slowly, Vergil leaned forward into a chaste kiss, his damp hand reaching past Dante. As he pulled away, he took a few tissues from his box on the nightstand with him, cleaning his twin’s seed from his hand with one. He used the other two to wipe the fluid from his brother’s body and the bedsheets. There was still a wet spot on the sheets, but Vergil ignored it as he threw the tissues over Dante’s shoulder to land somewhere on the floor.

His twin waited patiently as Vergil cleaned up, simply watching with sleepy, lidded eyes. Having discarded the tissues, the elder brother took another moment to look into Dante’s eyes. He couldn’t contain his shy smile, and saw one returned in kind.

Everything seemed...right.

The twins embraced each other’s nude frames, intertwining their legs.

“Vergil?”
“Yeah?”
“You know...no matter what happens...I’ll love you. We’ll be together forever, okay?”
“Forever...that’s right. Together forever. I’ll never leave you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Verg?”
“Yeah?”
“Love you.”
“Love you too, brother.”

With that, they laid together, drifting off into a peaceful slumber, thoughts of each other passing between their minds.

It was a perfect day.

The last perfect day of their lives.

***

It was absolutely refreshing.

Vergil felt so content and relaxed that he almost hadn’t gotten up that morning. Fortunately, his sibling, in an uncharacteristic display of responsibility, had poked his older twin repeatedly until the teen had given in and awakened.

They both had followed their normal morning routine, neither mentioning the night before, but neither feeling particularly embarrassed about it either. For now, everything seemed right in their lives, and it only seemed natural that they would make love to each other each night. Were they lovers now? Vergil wasn’t sure. He did know that he was completely dedicated to and unashamed of his relationship with Dante. He also knew that they couldn’t keep this a secret from their mother forever. That worried him, but he tried not to let it weigh on his mind too much. He just wanted his time with his twin to be happy, for however long it could last.

Their mother was acting slightly off this morning. Vergil couldn’t quite place his finger on it, but she seemed different. Well, she had opted to stay home today, complaining that she felt ill. Perhaps that had been the cause of her odd behavior. He sincerely hoped that she hadn’t heard any of their...activities...last night. Even if she did suspect anything, she said nothing. Besides her sickness, though, she had been her usual happy self. Maybe he would offer to cook dinner tonight; that was bound to make her feel better.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts. He had been brooding – brooding? No, thinking – about this all day, and now he was walking home from school with his brother. Today, he had opted for a casual look, donning dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. It was abnormal for him, but Dante’s influence had been slowly, but surely working its way into his life.

Speaking of Dante...today, he was wearing another novelty shirt, which, much to Vergil’s amusement, proclaimed, “I’m the evil twin” on it in bold white letters on red cloth.

For the first time, the older twin found himself staring at his brother’s body with a look of appreciation. Always before, he had seen Dante as his twin – nothing more. He wasn’t sexy or charming – simply...his brother. Now, though...things were different. He saw his twin as a beautiful creature, as someone worthy of his adoring stare. He wasn’t sure when he had first started thinking this way, but the thoughts were there now, and if the feelings he received through their link were any indication, Dante felt the same way.

Vergil sighed. Things seemed so right now. Now a good distance away from the school, the older twin slipped his hand into his sibling’s. He noticed Dante’s smile as he did this. He said nothing, but words weren’t really required between them anymore.

They finished their walk home in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the company of one another. However, as they neared the house, Vergil felt Dante’s hand tighten on his almost painfully and a fright well up from his twin’s side of the link. The elder twin looked up from his content daze, tensing. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but a closer examination of their home showed something fearful and strange.

Claw marks...no, not claws. More like...blades. Scythes?

A sickened panic rose in Vergil’s stomach, and, in unison, both he and Dante bolted for the front door.

As they burst into the house, the first thing they noticed was the complete disarray. Everything was thrown about, and most of the breakable things in the rooms were, in fact, broken – including the kitchen table, most of the dishes, and the couch in the adjoining living room. The broken couch was obstructing part of his view of the living room, but there was still one thing of particular interest that caught Vergil’s eyes. The china cabinet that their mother held so dear was virtually untouched, but the door was opened. Nearby, the pair of decorative swords that had hung on the wall as long as the older twin could remember were also undisturbed.

Curious and concerned, both of the boys trudged forward, only to see an image that would be burned into both of their minds for the rest of their lives.

Their mother was laying on her side on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding her small frame. Her arms were encircled about a wooden container, resembling a jewelry box. Vergil vaguely recognized it as being from the cabinet, but his mind barely registered that in comparison to the sight before him.

Her hair was strewn about her messily, and her blouse was torn badly – so badly that it was almost indecent. Her worn jeans were mostly intact, but there was an impossibly large sickle blade jutting out from her lower right leg. The unwelcome taste of bile rose in Vergil’s throat at the last observation, but he forced it back down viciously, trying to focus on being calm and rational at that moment.

Dante was the first to dart over to their mother, his emotions getting the better of him. He shook her gently, trying to wake her from her unconsciousness, if she could even be woken.

All of Vergil’s thoughts halted, his breath catching as he waited for any kind of reaction from their beloved mother.

After an eternal moment, an incredibly soft moan came from the petite body. The woman blinked her eyes once, twice, and slowly focused on the face of her younger son above her.

“......Dante...?” she questioned, her voice no louder than a whisper.
“Yeah, it’s me, Mom,” her son replied, already beginning to visibly tremble.

Worried, Vergil quickly crossed the remaining distance, kneeling down next to his twin. Trying to take some of the emotional strain from Dante, he put one hand lightly, but firmly on his shoulder. With the other hand, he reached out and touched his mother’s own pale limb. She reacted slowly to the contact, but eventually shifted her eyes onto Vergil’s face. A weak smile crossed her youthful features, and she opened her mouth to speak, drawing in air.

Abruptly, she was overcome with coughing, spurting a few droplets of blood to add to the pool beneath her body. Vergil watched her wince in pain, and felt a sharp pain in his own chest at the sight. She carefully took in a few breaths before attempting to speak once more.

“We need to call an ambulance,” Vergil stated, slightly panicked, but his mother seized his hand tighter.
“Vergil...Dante...it’s good to see both of you. I’m...glad...” she said, smiling once more and gaining a bit of strength in her tone. “How was...school? Did,” – another cough – “you enjoy yourselves? What do you think...we should have for dinner tonight?”
“Mom -” Vergil started.
“Oh, I think...that the fish I bought...sounds good...”
“Mom!”
“What do you two think?”
“You need to tell us what happened,” Dante said in a blank voice, gesturing with a nod of his head to the devastation around them and cutting off anything else she might have said.
“...oh...that?” she asked.
“Yes,” the younger twin confirmed.
“I was...expecting them...”
“Them?” Vergil intervened.
“Yes...those monsters...the magic on the house has kept them away before, but...it’s faded now...”

Confused, Vergil attempted to assemble the facts in his mind, but ‘magic’ just didn’t make sense. There was no such thing as magic. Right? And what ‘monsters’ could she be referring to? Giving up, he continued his inquiry.

“Magic? What are you talking about?”
“Magical spells. Wards. Your father...he put them up for me...when...I first moved here.”
“Father did?”
“Yes...he did. He wanted...to keep me safe, because...he knew...that they would be after me someday.”
“Mom...tell me more about ‘them.’ What are those ‘monsters’?”
“Demons. Devils. Call them what you will. They’re...vile creatures from the...Underworld...” she explained, rasping and coming close to yet another violent cough.

Vergil winced again, his body tensing.

“So,” Dante began, piecing the information together, “you were attacked by demons? Because the magic wards on the house are gone and couldn’t protect you? Is that what happened?”
“Yes.”
“You said...that you were expecting them...” Dante continued.
“That’s right.”
“Then why did you stay home!?” the younger twin cried, his voice rising with every word. “Why? You knew this would happen!” His voice then lowered, despair creeping into its tone. “You knew. You knew.”
“You’re right, Dante. It is my fault, I suppose, but...it was better than...the alternative.”
“...what?”

There was an uncomfortable silence as both teens contemplated the meaning of her ominous words. After a moment, the older twin closed his eyes, comprehending. His grip tightened slightly on his mother’s hand.

“Us, Dante,” Vergil spoke delicately, “they would have come for us...”
“Why?” his brother inquired softly.
“Because you are...the sons of Sparda...within each of you...flows his blood...and his spirit,” their mother began. “The demons...saw your father as a traitor, and so...you two are the same. The demons...they don’t forget grudges...” she ended with a sad note.
“How can we be traitors?” Dante asked with upset confusion. “We didn’t even do anything!”
“It doesn’t matter. They don’t really know any better, I guess,” she said mournfully.

A long moment of silence ensued, Vergil and Dante absorbing everything they had just been told. To the elder twin, it just didn’t seem fair. First this, and now they were being hunted down? What was the meaning of it all? It was all happening too fast. He moved his hand from his younger sibling’s shoulder finally, putting it over his face. He felt the beginning of tears well up at his frustration. Violently, he shoved the feeling back, knowing that he couldn’t break down now, lest Dante fall into the same state.

Not now. There would be time for tears later.

In a subtle motion, he laid his free hand onto the box his mother was clutching.

“What’s in here, Mom?” he started gently.

She slowly moved her arms around to unclench the polished wooden container, moving one hand down to a pocket on her jeans. She reached in, letting out a little sigh at the painful strain of the movement. With the utmost delicateness, she pulled out a tiny silver key. It looked old, but had almost a glow to it. Gradually, she moved her hand back to the box, rotating it about to reach the lock on the front of it.

Fumbling slightly, she managed to fit the key into the lock, turning it a bit and unlatching it. Then, for the first time since her sons’ births, she opened the lovely box.

The twins peered over the lid, not expecting what they saw.

Two bejeweled amulets, one with a silver chain and backing and one with gold. The gem was red – almost that of a ruby, but different...in an ethereal sense.

Their mother reached her hand in, grasping the twin amulets and lifting them out of their longtime prison. She handed the pendants to her children, the silver one going to Dante, and the gold one going to Vergil. Then, she smiled at them.

“Mother...what are these?” Vergil asked, still examining his own amulet.
“They are...a gift...from your father,” explaining it the best way she could.
“From Father? Then, they must be...special, right?”
“Yes, they are very special. So special...that you mustn’t let anyone...take them from you. Not even...each other.”
“But why?” Vergil asked, meeting his mother’s gaze with an obviously confused face.
“Because...well, you’ll find out someday, I’m sure,” she responded, managing a weak, but mischievous little smirk.

The older twin watched as his dear mother, with a display of effort, fought to keep herself coherent and in the same world as her two sons. She blinked her eyes a few times to clear her head and then continued speaking.

“I have...something else for you two. They are also things that your father...wanted you to have.”
“...what?” Dante prompted cautiously.
“The swords hanging on the wall. The larger one on top...is Dante’s. The katana below...is yours, Vergil. These blades...are for you and you only. No one else can wield them. No one...” – another cough – “is capable,” she finished, her voice growing thinner.
“Rebellion,” Dante whispered, remembering the name her mother had first identified the blade with.
“Yamato,” Vergil echoed, his thoughts following a similar pattern.

The elder of the twins was lost in thought, until he saw his mother’s head slowly sink to the ground. Her breaths came in shallow whispers, and she couldn’t help the coughs that began to rack her body.

“Mom? Mom!” Vergil started, his fear rising severely. “Hey! Hold on, please! Everything’s going to be all right...”

He started once again for the phone, which looked to still be intact, but his mother reached out with surprising speed and seized his arm once more.

She shook her head sadly, trying to make Vergil understand what she couldn’t bear to put into words. Her coughs subsided, and she reached out with her other hand to take Dante’s own. Looking between each of her sons, she took a slow breath, preparing to speak again.

She recited something she had said before, after their first day of school. The words were so simple that it took Vergil years to realize the true depth of them.

“I never regretted having either of you. You are my happiness. My joy. I...love you so much.”

Eva Sparda reeled with coughs suddenly, desperately trying to breathe and failing. Blood droplets spilled from the corner of her lips and onto the ground. Still, she never relinquished the hands of her beautiful twins. Her grip tightened almost painfully.

Then, it went slack.

The twins reacted instantly, both lunging forward and crying out to their dead mother.

***

He didn’t know how long it had been.

It was cold here.

The officers had offered them a change of clothes, but neither twin had accepted, both believing that some part of their mother remained in her blood.

His hair had long ago fallen back down into its usual look.

Dante hadn’t spoken since...then. His end of the link was closed, as well.

He studied his hands, sitting folded in his lap. They seemed so small, now. He felt like a child. He was a child. He slowly reached one out, laying it upon the chilled skin of his twin’s own hand.

Dante pulled away.

He drew his hand back.

Dante’s gaze never shifted from the floor. He touched the amulet hanging around his neck.

He wondered what time it was. It must be late by now. The station’s staff was wearing thin.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered that he was hungry. He wondered if Dante was too.

For the first time since the officers had questioned them, Vergil opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s our fault.”

Dante beat him to it. His voice was dull, unanimated.

“What’s our fault?” the older twin asked, his own voice blank, but confused.
“We did it. She’s dead because of us,” the younger teen stated, the tiniest of wavers in his tone.
“That’s not true,” Vergil proclaimed with a sigh.
“It’s our fault.”
“How?”
“We’re sinners. We did awful things.”
“...what are you talking about?” Vergil started, a sickening fear rising in him.

He put out his hand, putting it on Dante’s shoulder.

The younger twin shook it off violently, turning on his brother like an enraged animal. Dante’s eyes flared like an icy blue fire, and before Vergil could react, he slapped his twin across the face roughly with the back of one freezing hand. The blow sent the elder twin off of the bench and sprawling onto the floor. The gold chain of his pendant jingled.

With inhuman speed, Vergil rolled off of his stomach and fixed a defensive, but bewildered gaze on his sibling. He took in the image of Dante, full of fury, his fisted hands trembling fiercely at his sides. However, the look on his face wasn’t one of anger, but rather...disgust...

“Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me ever again. Just the thought of you putting those filthy hands on me makes my skin crawl. How could you ever even think of doing something so sick!?”

Horrified, the older twin climbed unsteadily to his feet, noting that there was blood in his mouth. He ignored it and touched his cheek, where his twin had struck him moments before. He paused, not knowing what to say. Dante was obviously waiting for some sort of explanation, but Vergil wasn’t sure he had one to offer to his infuriated sibling.

He took one uncertain step towards the suddenly menacing figure, worried about receiving another strike, but more curious about the sudden change of behavior. He stepped again. And again. Dante tensed as his older brother advanced cautiously on him.

“Stay away from me! I can’t even stand to look at you!”
“What are you talking about!? Dante, what’s wrong with you?” Vergil cried out, his second question taking on a pleading tone.
“Vergil,” Dante started, in a deathly low whisper, “for a smart person, you’re being awfully stupid right now. Don’t you understand? The reason that mother is dead is because we are sinners! You were sick enough to fall in love with your own brother!” he said in a strained murmur. “I should be asking what the hell is wrong with you!”

His voice gained some volume, but lost its strength.

“Vergil...how could you ever do this to me?”

The older brother stared at his twin, part of him not accepting what he was hearing.

“But...I love you...Dante...”
“Don’t say that...please, just don’t say it...” the younger twin pleaded, tears filling his eyes.
“I love you.”
“Quiet...!”
“...it doesn’t matter what you say. My feelings won’t change.”

With a slow, but confident step, Vergil walked over to his brother, and gently wrapped his arms about the shaking frame. He said nothing. He simply held Dante, and waited as his twin finally allowed himself to cry. He found himself weeping along with the teen, and just as they both began to calm, a female officer came in.

She was weary-eyed, and obviously distraught, but she put on her best smile for the boys, noticing their current state.

“Can I ask you a few questions?” she inquired in the gentlest of voices.
“Sure,” the teens responded unconsciously in unison, both taking a seat back on the bench.
“Tell me...who is your closest relative? An aunt? Uncle? Grandparent?”

She was trying to get at something, and Vergil caught it right away.

“We don’t have any. Our mother was an only child, and my father...was too...and our mom’s parents died when she was young.”
“Is there a guardian, maybe?”
“None.”

The woman sighed slightly, obviously at a loss for what to say to the twins.

“Then, I’m afraid your only option is...”
“Foster parents. I know,” Vergil finished for her.
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Dante said abruptly.
“Oh?” the officer began, a little startled. “What do you mean?”

When Vergil looked over to his twin, he saw something familiar, but strange. Dante wore an odd smile, one that didn’t really hold any mirth. He turned his fake smile to the tired woman, and said simply:

“Because we’re freaks.”

The woman blinked a few times. Vergil was about to say something, but...he knew that Dante was right. People would never really accept them.

The swords...Vergil knew what their mother was entrusting to them. She had told them that their father had crusaded against his own kind. He was a demon, but he chose to guard the humans. He had even fallen in love with one. She had bore his children – children that had the potential to be the same guardians as their father. Children that knew human love and compassion, but had demonic strength. They weren’t normal. They could never be. It was true that they were freaks, but...

...there could be no other way of life for them.

He looked into his twin’s eyes, and he knew that Dante had also come to this conclusion.

He turned to the woman, and offered her a sad, but genuine smile.

“I’m sorry to waste your time like this, ma’am. We can’t live with foster parents. It’s simply not possible. I think we’ll be leaving now. Right, brother?”

With those plain statements, Vergil and Dante both rose to their feet and strolled casually out of the room. The confused officer stood up and called after them, but the twins kept walking with purpose. They passed by the clerk at the reception desk, who recognized the teens, but his question of where they were going went unheard, and they continued right out the front doors.

There were a number of people walking about in this busy section of town, with its tall buildings and bustling action. The sun was setting, but there was still a fiery orange glow to everything.

They took a few steps down the sidewalk, but when their eyes met, Vergil felt his twin’s side of the link open finally, and a single thought passed between them.

‘Let’s have fun.’

So, for the first time in years, the twins allowed their demonic blood to take over.

- a different time...a different place. words of their mother seeping through and into vergil’s thoughts. “you mustn’t use your abilities in front of others.” “they don’t understand.” “you can show me everything, though.” “i’d love to see it.” bending a steel pipe. their mother clapped. another gentle warning not to do it in front of others. hearing a sound from impossible distances. rewarded with a surprised look. a vertical leap onto their rooftop. cheering. -

Jump. Leap. Fly.

Vergil opened eyes that he hadn’t remembered closing, but didn’t see his brother’s face. It was...the side of a building. He looked down. He was standing on a lightpost. He turned around.

Dante waved at him from the one across the street. Then, he looked down and waved at the people that were gawking openly at them, a ridiculous grin plastered to his face. He glanced back at his twin, his face sobering.

“Let’s go home, brother.”

Building facades and lightposts got their fair share of action on the way.

***

Despite the distance between the police station and their home, the teens made it home in record time – and they were hardly winded.

The sight of their home made Vergil’s spirits sink a little, but he felt Dante’s reassuring hand on his shoulder, apparently feeling the same. With slow strides, the twins walked up to their now tainted home, both feeling as if they were intruding somehow. Vergil slowly cracked the door open, peeking in and wincing at the wreckage. Dante gently prodded him on, entering the house and wincing similarly at the sight.

Not wanting to think too much about what he was doing, the elder sibling marched lightly around the broken couch and right over the pool of blood that his mother had left. He made his way over to the swords still hanging on the wall, and took down Rebellion first. He handed it to Dante, who looked to be avoiding the blood as best as he could. His brother examined the blade, passing his gaze over the intricate handle with fascination. The weapon was much too large for Dante’s frame, but Vergil knew that he had the strength to wield it – even at his young age.

Next, he carefully plucked Yamato from its holding on the wall. His own blade came with a sheath, which was as simple as it was beautiful. The katana was thin and surprisingly lightweight, but he knew that the weapon was not to be underestimated. He could feel a tug somewhere in the back of his senses; it told him that Yamato was meant for him – attuned to his unique soul. A quick glance at his twin told him that Dante was experiencing a similar connection with his own weapon.

He unconsciously fingered the amulet hanging from the heavy chain about his neck. He could feel a power within him...something that he had suppressed for much of his youth. He smiled softly at Dante, somehow knowing that this would be a new chapter in both of their lives.

His twin finally looked up from Rebellion, meeting Vergil’s gaze steadily. Then, he strode purposefully past him, not hesitating a bit as he crossed the bloody pool on the floor. Dante started up the stairs, beckoning his sibling to follow.

“We have to get ready. I’m pretty sure that those monsters will be back eventually. If they know about us, then...it’s a sure bet that we’ll see them again,” he said, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly.

A grim look graced his handsome, young face, and Vergil followed his twin, knowing in his heart that Dante was right.

***

Some time later, Vergil found himself becoming anxious and worried. His large bookbag had been cleared of its former contents, and stuffed to the brim with clothes and other things the teen might need. He was pretty sure that he had everything he needed, but there was always that lingering doubt that he had forgotten something. He couldn’t afford to forget now, knowing that he would probably never come back to this place.

A twinge of emotion through his link let him know that Dante was similarly concerned, though not quite to the obsessive point that Vergil was taking it to.

After another thorough check of his packed belongings, the elder twin decided that this would have to do. Abruptly, he snapped his fingers in an “aha” moment and paced over to the dresser in his room, picking up his Gameboy – along with Tetris and some extra batteries – and placed them in the relative safety of a front backpack pocket. Certainly, a little entertainment on the road couldn’t hurt, could it? He pulled all of the money he had stashed in his nightstand drawer and placed it on the pillow of his bed. Then, he turned to his closet, pondering the outfit that was hanging up on a hook outside of the sliding door.

It was a simple, dark green t-shirt, with a pair of equally dark blue jeans to match. A fresh pair of socks and boxers completed the details of the ensemble. He nodded in approval. These would make for good, comfortable traveling clothes. Quickly, he stripped out of his dirty, bloodied clothing, holding the garments tightly in his hands for a few moments before dropping them unceremoniously to the floor.

He turned to the full-length mirror next to his dresser, staring at his frame for a moment, nude, except for the amulet hanging from his neck. He still looked like a mess, despite no longer having on the soiled clothing. His hair was in disarray, his eyes were a bit bloodshot yet from crying earlier at the station, and he had a disheartening frown on his face. The red mark that Dante had left from his blow previously was no longer there, but had not darkened into a bruise, either. He smirked lightly – excessively fast healing came in handy sometimes...

He frowned again, feeling like he was...being watched. He turned and nearly jumped as he saw Dante standing in his doorway, staring at his naked twin unashamedly. Vergil, trying to ‘play it cool,’ just crossed his arms over his chest and cocked an eyebrow at his younger sibling.

“Well, excuse me,” he said in a pretentious huff, “I wasn’t aware there were perverts here.”

Dante gave him a look of innocence, turning around politely and waiting for Vergil to don his new outfit. The older twin grinned at his brother’s oddly courteous behavior, dressing rapidly. He folded the money on his pillow and stuffed all of it into his pockets, and then shouldered his backpack. Finally, he grabbed the sword, using a leather tie attached to the sheath to fasten the katana to his waist firmly.

He turned to Dante, who was peeking over his shoulder anyway, and signaled his readiness. He asked his twin about his own belongings briefly, making sure that the teen had everything he needed – money included – for their departure.

Vergil and Dante stopped in the bathroom momentarily to grab a few items they needed from there, but the older twin paused in front of the mirror. With one hand, he grabbed the brush, wet it, and swept his hair back into the look that he had come to prefer over the last week. Nodding in satisfaction, Vergil joined his brother in heading downstairs.

As they reached the first floor, the elder sibling chose to climb his way over the broken furniture to get to the front door, rather than dodge the bloodstain on the floor. He didn’t particularly feel like getting the now semi-congealed liquid on his socks. He looked behind himself and noticed Dante following the same course of action. After alighting on the other side of the room, Vergil grabbed his other pair of comfortable boots, thankful that their mother had always insisted on having two pairs of good shoes. His twin also snatched his own alternate boots and they both sat down to put them on.

A minute later, they both stood up, adjusting their backpacks. Dante retrieved Rebellion, which he had laid by the door. He almost started out the door but looked back at Vergil and stopped.

The older brother was staring sadly at their home, taking in all of the details in one long, sweeping gaze. He put a hand up to his amulet, eyes closing. Finally, he felt a gentle touch on his free hand, breaking him from his depressed thoughts.

They were leaving this place, and they would likely never return. They were too vulnerable in an unprotected house – sitting ducks, as it were. Still...

This was home. Vergil couldn’t neglect that this was the place he loved, but it was also a dangerous one now. He honestly didn’t want to leave; yet, there was no other choice.

He sighed deeply. This was his last chance to memorize his childhood home. He gazed once more.

Behind him, he could feel Dante doing the same.

Finally, with purpose, the young man strode for the door. He didn’t look back.

***

They stood there for some time, just staring at each other. Dante had the flat of Rebellion’s blade leaning against his shoulder, standing in a casual position. Vergil had his hands folded in front of him, nervous and unsure of what to do. They had come this far. Now what?

The identical brothers had traveled to the very edge of their hometown, and now faced each other at a T-shaped intersection, their backs to the stretching highway running in either direction past the teens.

Crossroads.

This was where they would part ways.

Vergil opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t force himself to say anything. He tried again. Nothing. He drew a deep breath, calming himself. He had to say something to Dante. He tried again.

“Sometimes, you don’t need to say anything at all, Verg,” Dante said first. “It’s okay. I understand.”

The elder twin sighed, and gave a small, but genuine smile to his brother.

Dante responded simply by lowering his sword to his side, and walking forward to embrace his twin. For a long moment, they stayed like that, comforted to be in the arms of someone they loved. Vergil breathed in Dante’s scent, pulling himself as close to that inviting warmth as possible. He didn’t want this moment to end. Finally, it was the younger sibling who pulled away, holding his big brother at arm’s length.

For the first time instance a long time, Dante seemed indecisive to Vergil. Always before, his twin had responded with a calm, almost machinelike reaction. Even in the worst of situations, Dante rarely wasted a moment on thinking too hard. Vergil often found himself concentrating on the details and reacting to a circumstance, rather than acting on it.

The younger twin seemed to come to a conclusion in his thoughts at last. He sent Vergil a lopsided grin, turned about, readjusted Rebellion back to his shoulder, and walked off down the highway, waving at his brother as he went.

Vergil’s mouth fell open in confused astonishment. Dante just kept walking.

When Vergil ran up to his twin, the younger of the two just turned around and said, “Hey, you’ve got your own direction to go. Leave this one to me!”
“Uh...?” came Vergil’s highly thought out reply.
“Come on, I thought you were the bright one,” Dante said with a sobered smile.
“Just like that? You’re just leaving?”
“What’s wrong with that? You were the one who suggested we split up. Safety precaution, remember?”
“It just seems...sudden, I guess,” Vergil replied.
“Oh...I think I know what’s missing,” he said, a mischievous smirk lighting his youthful features.
“Wait. What?”

Dante lowered his blade once more, and in one swift motion, he pressed his lips to Vergil’s. It wasn’t lustful, but instead...full of love. Sending affection and caring through their link, he broke the contact.

“A goodbye kiss, right?”
“Yeah,” Vergil said with a nod.

He blinked away the welling of saltwater in his eyes, took one last glance at Dante, and turned away, walking down the highway.

Vergil didn’t look back then, either.


In a way, he regretted not going to see his mother one last time. Still, he believed that she would have been proud of him, had she known the path Vergil had chosen. He had become an independent demon slayer, guarding the unsuspecting humans from evil wiles. Along the way, he had met people who understood him and his mission – people who had sheltered him, particularly in the beginning, when he had just been a frightened boy. As he aged, though...those same people had become frightened of him, having more reservations about Vergil than they did the demons themselves. He had grown cold since, destroying the devils only out of a personal vengeance in his mother’s name. He embraced his demonic side, reveling in the power it offered him. It was exactly that power that he would need to protect the ones he loved.

Someday, he had hoped to find Dante again, when he was stronger – when he could protect his twin.

A crack of thunder overhead reminded the smartly dressed man of his surroundings. He withdrew from his thoughts, his earlier good mood mostly dispersed. By now, Dante had walked far from Vergil’s line of sight.

He brushed at his azure trenchcoat; it was completely soaked from the rain. His hair had fallen down, and he thoughtlessly put one hand up to the white tresses to push them back. It wouldn’t last for long. The rain continued to beat down on Vergil, and he decided that standing here and getting chilled wasn’t doing him much good right now. He glanced in the direction that his twin had departed in, thinking something over in his head.

This was the first time he had seen Dante since they had parted a few years ago. Certainly, he wasn’t about to pass up the chance to reunite with his little brother, right?

With renewed energy, Vergil leaped off of the rooftop, tracking his lighter half.


-----------------------------------


Siroi and Victoria - thanks for the compliments and the encouragement! ^_^
A Pie - o_o;; Wow. I hadn't even thought of that. You're right. I guess maybe I was thinking that she was in shock or something, because you really don't feel the pain then. I think. >_>
Antigone - I apologize. I was thinking in advance, I suppose. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Well, I went a little early this time. Only four reviews before I posted the next chapter, but that's because I figured that there might not be a lot to comment on yet. This time I'll try to be more patient and wait for five more.