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 3: Comfort

The past, the present, the future. Where do they meet, and what do we find when we get there? Do we find happiness? Anguish? Perhaps we find neither. Perhaps...what we really find is more crossroads – more paths. Dreams, accomplishments, knowledge...they become fleeting thoughts in the light of the whole. Of life. And what of love? Is it not everlasting? A dance, where two people meet and circle about each other. Eventually, you come to learn about the other – to anticipate one’s actions. They whisper close to one another, and then glide grandly away. The paths meet, intertwine, and draw away from each other. For a brief, yet eternal moment, they become one – a whole. Time stops for them. Past, present, and future become one and the same. Then, the moment passes, and they find themselves alone once more.

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

Rain.

Cold and hard, it penetrated every pore of the young hunter’s body. He didn’t shiver; he hadn’t done so for some time.

He walked the streets aimlessly, following little more than a simple feeling – a premonition. Around him, he could feel the presence of many soldier demons. Too weak to challenge the hunter, they peered at him from the dark corners of the roads he traveled.

Dante paid them little heed, feeling the comforting weight of Rebellion on his back. He absently reached a hand behind him, fingering the handle of Ivory, one of a pair of custom made guns he had recently acquired from a business friend. Ebony hung in its holster next to its twin. His red coat, soaked with rainwater, flapped heavily in the wind. It burdened him a bit, but it was nothing that his powerful frame couldn’t handle.

Most of the blood had washed away now. The only trace of the girl he had accidentally killed remained on his conscience. He cringed, pushing the image of her mangled body out of his mind.

Despite his heavy footfalls, Dante moved with swift purpose. He searched with his sixth sense, trying to find the only one who was capable of hearing his desperate call. Growing curious about the unintelligible stream of spiritual energy emanating from the young man, glittering eyes shone through the inky blackness. As they focused upon the hunter, the shadows seemed to extend from their confines. Dante didn’t notice.

Abruptly, he turned down an alley, still tracking the sensation in the back of his mind. The shadows retracted, allowing the fearsome halfbreed to pass. He continued to follow the feeling, sensing it growing in strength. Encouraged, he picked up the pace of his steps.

Finally, the alley opened up into a modest lot, with rows of apartments directly in front of Dante. He looked about, knowing that the presence was at it strongest point here. Still, he saw nothing – no trace of the brother he so wished to locate.

The young man closed his eyes. Focusing his spiritual energy into his link, he searched once more. He touched the thread of the soul that represented his twin, and applied a mental tug to it. There was a faint response, but it was skewed and strange.

Something was wrong.

That wasn’t Vergil.

Before he could completely withdraw from his state of concentration, a rough gust of wind threw him off of his feet. He fell hard onto his side on the pavement, surprised and confused. Dante stood up and moved into a fighting stance, positive that something that was not his brother was also here.

The hunter backed himself against a wall, drawing his guns slowly and pointing them in a general direction in front of him. He could feel the abnormal presence whirling about the lot. It knew that it had been spotted, and now it was looking for the best way to dive in for the kill. Apparently deciding that the hunter was too well prepared for a sneak attack, the creature alighted on the ground several meters away from Dante.

At first, it was just a mass of shadow, seemingly formless, with no discernable features or anatomical landmarks. In a few moments, it had partially solidified into a shape resembling a tall skeleton (as many demons do) wearing a black cloak. It stood so far hunched over that it crawled partway on all fours. The hands of the demon had long, delicate digits, each tip colored with red, as if painted. The eyes shone an unsettling gold. The most peculiar thing about the creature was that it seemed to be constantly shifting its shape, the image it projected rippling with darkness. It never completely solidified, as Dante had expected it to.

The hunter racked his thoughts, trying to remember what kind of demon this was. It certainly wasn’t the normal soldier type that Dante currently saw seeping into the alley’s entrance – no, more powerful than that. A mid level? It was far too weak to be a master level demon, so that had to be it. It was obviously commanding the soldiers. The swarm of shadow demons formed a barrier at the entrance, forcing Dante into combat with this creature. His thoughts raced, still trying to identify the exact class this demon was from. He ran over the list of mid levels in his mind. Shadows, Death Scythes, Hell Vanguards...no, this wasn’t any of them. The creature’s form rippled again.

That was it!

Dante finally identified the demon as a Mimicry. It was...an uncommon breed, but not unheard of. It constantly changed shape in minute ways, but the most distinctive part of the demon was an attack simply known as “allure.” It called unsuspecting people to its ‘doorstep,’ so to speak, by tapping into the victim’s spiritual energy and projecting what that person most wanted. In this case, Dante had been drawn to the Mimicry by a false projection of Vergil’s presence. It was a formidable attack for a mid level demon. He supposed that was why so few of these creatures existed.

He chided himself for being lured by a mere mid level, and straightened his arms, directing the aim of the weapons to the ghoul before him. Tony Redgrave, manufacturer of Dante’s pistols and a scholar of demon lore, hadn’t bothered to enlighten the hunter much about Mimicries, telling him that he’d probably never see one anyway. Thus, Dante had to do some guesswork on how to fight it. The head was likely the best part to aim for, he figured.

He squeezed off a few experimental shots, nailing the demon’s long, skull-like head. It recoiled briefly and then extended one arm impossibly far to swipe at Dante. He dodged it with a roll, and blasted the Mimicry with another shot to the head. Again, the demon recoiled, but it didn’t seem to take much effect this time. Confused, the hunter drew back for a moment. He saw the black cloak and body undulate once more.

Ah, so it adapted to attacks, did it? He could handle that.

He put his guns back into their holsters, and heaved his heavy sword from his back. With inhuman agility, he leaped high into the air and brought the blade down violently above the creature. It only had a split second to look up at the hunter with its eerie golden eyes before Dante struck the head cleanly. The demon screeched incoherently, and collapsed to the ground, its skull now two uneven halves.

The rest of the Mimicry dissolved into dust, but its cloak remained like an oily pool in its wake. Dante ignored it, knowing that some demons took longer than others to disappear. With a smirk, he made strides toward the alley entrance, noting that the shadow soldiers had departed at the demise of their master. Purposefully, he stomped on the grounded cloak on the way out.

As he took his next step, his boot stuck on the cloak. Slightly irritated, he tried to shake the offending garment off of his shoe, only to find it creeping up the side of his leg. He shook his leg more violently, but the cloak’s grasp didn’t seem to end. The inky pool didn’t lessen in size at all. In fact, it grew. He looked around him frantically, seeing the soldiers from earlier gathering in a thin film across the pavement to collect at the cloak.

Damn it. The glossy substance had crept up to his waist now, and was traveling back down his other leg. He quickly sheathed his sword, putting all of his strength into a leap. Dante succeeded in jumping a few feet off of the ground and breaking free of the shadows. Still, his entire lower body was covered in their tainted essence. The onyx mass kept creeping up his body, and Dante used every trick he could think of to dispel the oily stuff. He leaped up and used the force of his landing to try and shake it off. It didn’t work. Then, he pulled out a Holy Water – an emergency item that he didn’t keep many of in stock. That failed as well. He even considered using his sword to slash at the substance, but he was too worried about injuring himself as much as the shadows.

Out of options, Dante began to run. The rain continued to beat down on him. The swirling cloak of darkness covered his torso, slowing his headlong flight. Still, he kept his dash going. The hunter was desperate to find someone, anyone, who could help.

The oil worked its way up Dante’s neck, constricting his breathing. Yet, he kept running. What else could he do? He needed help, but he would never make it to anyone in time. Even if he did, no one would know what to do. Redgrave might have a solution, but there was a slim chance of Dante getting a hold of him at this hour.

The oil seeped into his mouth, and the hunter let out a gurgling gasp. Exhausted from the pressure of the cloak and the weight of his own soaked clothing, Dante finally collapsed to the wet pavement. His breathing came in ragged, labored wheezes. He tried vainly to breathe past the cloak’s constriction.

The oil covered his hair, his nose, and, finally, his wide, ice blue eyes.

Dante thrashed violently for a few moments and then went still. No sound came from him, but there was a panicked scream from a rooftop on high.

The noise was completely lost on the blackened form that had been the hunter.

***

“Dante...? Dante? Come on, wake up,” came a distant voice. “Are you alright? Hey, can you hear me?”

The words faded in and out of the young hunter’s mind. He felt a warm hand touch his face lightly, tapping his cheeks in an effort to get Dante’s attention. The voice, the touch, the presence...it all seemed so familiar. He pushed his weariness away with a mental shove, but it took everything he had just to crack his eyes open.

The face above him was like something out of a dream. Sharply lined jawbone, thin lips, icy blue eyes, and hair that had fallen down from its usual swept back look. It was...it was...

Vergil!

He threw himself up into the arms of his twin, a jolt of adrenaline serving as his only source of strength. Surprised, but relieved, Vergil hugged back tightly, clutching the golden star in his hand behind Dante’s back.

The younger man finally pulled away and stared blankly at his twin for a few moments.

“How did you...?” Dante started slowly, his throat dry and sore.
“I was there. I just...didn’t quite get to you in time. I’m sorry,” Vergil replied, looking away.
“Hey...it’s okay. If it weren’t for you, I’d be...definitely not alive, you know?” he joked lightly.
“How are you feeling?”
“...well, alive, I suppose,” the younger twin said conversationally.
“Besides that?”
“My throat hurts, my eyes are blurry, and I was almost eaten by a demonic coat. What do you think?”
“Sorry I asked,” Vergil said with a mock indignant huff.
“So...how did you save me? I tried everything I could think of.”
“You...needed a Yellow Orb.”
“...it got that bad?” he asked sheepishly.
“Yeah.”
“But after that...? That goo wouldn’t have given up just because I was half dead. That was a mid level demon. It definitely would have stayed to finish the job.”
“Well, I used this,” Vergil said, holding up a half dissolved gold star.
“What is that?”
“It’s called an Untouchable. Essentially, it makes you invincible for a time, driving away evil until it runs out. Then, you’re demon bait again.”
“Lovely. So, wait a minute...once the star runs out of energy, won’t the demons just come after their prey again?” Dante inquired.
“Normally, yes, but I used the shield to cover both of us long enough for me to carry you away. The shadows didn’t follow – too scared of the newcomer, I guess,” Vergil said with an arrogant smirk, “and besides, without the proper spiritual power to feed off of, a Mimicry’s cloak is generally unable to move on its own.”
“Is that so? I guess I can consider myself lucky, then, that you were here.”
“Lucky...yeah.”

For a moment, Dante could feel an oppressive silence between them. It seemed utterly strange to suddenly meet his brother like this. Vergil had changed, certainly. He was taller, leaner, and more handsome. He had strong arms and a balanced posture. Even the concerned look on his face was full of composure, as if he were worried about letting an emotion slip. Everything about his twin spoke of professionalism and style. It made Dante feel inadequate, somehow.

The silence stretched, and the young men found themselves tongue-tied. The younger twin felt his brother shift a bit beneath him. Slowly, Dante became aware of the compromising position he was in, cradled by Vergil’s arms in his twin’s lap. Likely, the older sibling was getting somewhat uncomfortable with Dante’s considerable weight on him.

Slightly embarrassed, Dante shot up into a standing position. Vergil rose up almost as quickly.

“Hey!” the older twin started. “You shouldn’t get up that fast. You’re going to pass out again!”
“I’m feeling better...now...” Dante replied, but the blood in his head was rushing too wildly to say much else. He swayed once, twice, and then started to fall to one side.

Vergil’s hands shot out and grabbed the tumbling form, righting him and keeping one arm wrapped under Dante’s arms to steady the man. The younger brother blinked a few times and put one crimson-coated limb around Vergil’s shoulders for support. When he looked over at his twin, the sleek-looking man had his free hand on his hip and was looking pointedly at his “little” brother. Vergil shook his head once in amused exasperation.

“What did I tell you?” he mumbled, more of a rhetorical question than anything.
“Sorry. And, uh...thanks,” Dante replied with another sheepish look.
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get you home now, okay? Do you think you can walk there?”
“Probably. It’s not that far, I guess...but you’d better keep close to me,” Dante said with an unsteady sway.
“Whatever you say. Lead the way.”

As they began the walk to Dante’s apartment, the hunter’s mind whirled with thoughts. He had found Vergil – well, Vergil had found him, actually, but it added up to the same thing in the end. Now, he had someone who could understand him like he needed, someone who shared his pain. He should have been elated; yet, something was missing. Something didn’t feel right.

He stole a glance at Vergil, who seemed oblivious to everything but their walk. Dante couldn’t get over how different his twin seemed. He felt...left behind, in a sense. The younger twin felt the same as he always had before; he didn’t feel like he had grown or changed at all. Sure, he had become a more competent fighter, but one look at the way Yamato sat at Vergil’s hip told Dante that he’d be confetti within mere seconds of challenging the dangerous-looking man.

When they were children, Dante had always perceived himself as being lower than his twin – less talented, less gifted. Now...that was the only thing that hadn’t changed. All of those feelings of resentment had stayed with him, and he found himself wondering if looking for Vergil had been such a good idea after all. Every time he looked at the older sibling, he saw perfection. Vergil had seemingly become the perfect blend of demon and human. Still, something was...off. The cool demeanor didn’t fit somehow.

Occasionally, they would pass someone on the streets, unfortunate enough to be caught out in the rain, although the frequency of this was low. Whenever they did, most of the pedestrians shied away, seemingly repelled by the peculiar-looking twins. With each look of fear the humans gave, Dante’s brother gave the barest hint of a scowl.

He looked...cold.

Hateful.

Dante shook his head lightly. He was positive that he was just imagining his sibling’s reaction. Surely, Vergil didn’t hate humans, especially considering that he fought against the demons. He shook his head again. No, he knew Vergil. Perhaps, his twin was simply upset about being stared at. It was dark, rainy, and he was half-carrying his sibling, so Dante could well imagine why the elder twin seemed so irritated.

They spent much of their traveling in silence, Dante still reeling from his near-death experience, and Vergil looking generally unreadable. From time to time, the red-coated hunter opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. He wanted to ask Vergil so many things, but it just didn’t feel like this was the right time. The stoic, bland look on his twin’s face told the younger of the two that he probably wouldn’t get satisfactory answers now anyway. Still...Dante couldn’t stop his thoughts.

Where had Vergil been? What had he done? Had he met any interesting people? Had he learned anything about the demons that murdered their mother? Had they chased him at all?

Did he ever think of his brother?

Dante was too busy staring confusedly at the rocky road beneath him to notice his sibling glancing his way in concern.

“Are you alright?” Vergil questioned.
“...huh? Me?” the younger twin said, pointing at himself and blinking obliviously.
“Yes,” the older twin responded with an annoyed sigh.
“I’m fine,” Dante assured him, turning his gaze away.
“...if you say so,” Vergil eventually conceded, not looking the least bit convinced.

***

When they finally reached Dante’s apartment building, all the young hunter wanted to do was take a hot shower and get away from the increasingly agitated man standing next to him. He fumbled in his pocket for his key, pulling it out and unlocking the door – not like it mattered. He didn’t have anything of much value in his apartment, anyway. Absentmindedly, Dante turned the knob and pushed the creaking door open, wandering in and throwing his soaked trenchcoat over the back of a chair. This left his torso completely bare, but it didn’t really bother him – he was used to it.

The young hunter turned to his twin, who had let himself in and shut the door behind him politely. He stood just in front of the closed portal, saying nothing, but obviously taking in his surroundings with a keen eye. His ice blue orbs smoothly panned over the living room. The furniture was battered, a gaming system (Vergil, inexperienced with modern entertainment, couldn’t identify which one) lay scattered near a small television, and a table that was likely for dining was covered in papers and ancient-looking books. Clothes were tossed unceremoniously onto an arm of a small couch, and a container of cold Chinese takeout was perched carefully on the opposite arm. Vergil couldn’t tell how old the food was. The only decoration on the walls consisted of a place for Dante to hang his sword and a space where some demon skulls had been carefully arranged. Vergil raised an eyebrow at the “war trophies.”

Distantly, he heard his twin ask if he wanted something to eat, and Vergil nodded an affirmative. At his brother’s next question, he turned his attention to the figure standing near the phone.

“What do you want?” Dante asked.
“Ordering in?”
“Yeah.”
“Anything’s fine.”
“Pizza it is,” the hunter responded, dialing a number that he apparently had memorized.

He ordered a half and half pizza, plain cheese on one side and enough toppings on the other to call it a “garbage” concoction. When he turned around, Vergil had wandered in farther. He shrugged off his own sapphire colored trenchcoat, hanging it up neatly on a hook near the door. The elder twin also turned to his brother. For a long moment, they just stared at each other.

“So...Verg...uh...what do you think is the best way to start a conversation with a long, lost sibling?” Dante inquired with raised eyebrows.
“Hmm...I was wondering the same thing,” Vergil said thoughtfully, as if it were something he had been considering his entire life.
“How about...asking him where he’s been?”
“That seems like a good start, but I was thinking more along the lines of ‘would you like to sit down?’” the older brother commented with a wry smile on his face.
“That might work too,” Dante responded, grinning lightly.

Dante relaxed a little from the tension, and could visibly tell that Vergil was a bit more at ease as well. He directed his twin to seat himself in the comfortable armchair adjacent to the couch. Before the young hunter took his place on the sofa, he threw the pile of dirty clothes to the ground next to the piece of furniture and tossed the week old takeout into an already overflowing garbage can. Finally, he sat down, stretching his legs and booted feet out over the cushions and facing his twin.

They were both still soaking wet, but both seemed fairly used to such unsavory conditions. Dante watched as Vergil raked a hand through his white tresses, pushing them back into a look that he apparently came to prefer over time. It was a little messy, but his regal features made it look more natural than Dante would have thought. He briefly considered pushing his own hair back, just to see what it looked like, but ignored the impulse. Looking more like Vergil’s twin was the last thing he needed to worry about right now.

Meeting his twin’s eyes at last, Dante realized that he was waiting for his little brother to say something first. The hunter blinked a few times, and finally pushed forth a question.

“So, where have you been, anyway?”
“Around. I never really stayed in one place. Usually, I just looked for a place to stay, a bite to eat, and moved on. If I heard about any disturbances in the town, I tried to check it out. Sometimes, killing off a few of the bloodsuckers got me a cash reward. It wasn’t often, but it happened. From time to time, I met people who were nice enough to help me out with clothes and other items – usually after I had just run out of money. Talk about luck,” Vergil said, shaking his head at the last part. “It was...as rough as I thought it would be - sometimes worse. I tried not to let it get to me, but...”
“I know,” Dante intervened. “It was the same for me. People didn’t always understand who I was, or what I was doing. I tried not to let them figure it out in the first place, but some people got pretty nosy. When they realized that I was the same as the demons I was chasing after, I guess it scared a lot of ‘em off.” Dante paused. “Still, the people I met were pretty good to me. Once they got past the whole “oh my God, it’s a demon” thing, you know,” he finished with an ironic smirk.
“I had to...hide it. Anyone who learned what I was scorned me. Hated me,” Vergil said, spitting out the last two words and clenching his fist.

Dante drew back. He certainly didn’t want to ask, “Do you hate humans, or what?” so he took a few moments to word his next question carefully.

“So... from what you’ve said, I take it you’ve been hunting demons, right? Had any luck?”
“In the beginning, I was trying to find the ones that...killed mother. However, as time passed...I think I came to realize that finding them wasn’t possible. They’re just a small group in a sea of devils. I don’t think I ever understood just how many of them there were,” Vergil said, sighing. “Now, though, after all of the information I’ve read about the Underworld, I’m positive that those murderers can’t be found anymore. Hell is a small universe unto itself. And you? Any luck?”
“No. I tried, but...nothing worked. For every one of those monsters that I kill, it seems like there’s a hundred more waiting. Verg...can I ask you something?” Dante asked hesitantly.
“Of course. What is it?” he prompted curiously.
“Have you ever...made a mistake while you were hunting?” Dante asked slowly, desperate to avoid explaining what he meant, but seeing no way around it.
“A mistake? I’ve made all kinds of mistakes. Can you clarify that a little?”
“Have you ever killed...a...human...?” he asked, averting his gaze and lowering his voice to a mumble.

Vergil was silent for a long time, knowing from the look on Dante’s face that there was a deep reason behind this question. He tried to formulate an answer that wouldn’t scare his twin. Yes, he had killed humans before. It hadn’t been an accident or a mistake, though. Occasionally, he encountered one that had gotten too close to the demons – one that had been injured, and would only serve as bait. Sometimes, he just needed to put them out of their misery. He never relished the idea of killing a living creature, but there were times when it needed to be done.

“If...I knew that they were going to die, with no chance of surviving, I have before...but only then. There have been a few times when I’ve taken off...a limb or two...with Yamato, of course. I just didn’t want the person to suffer. I’ve never attacked anyone with the intent of causing pain,” Vergil explained carefully.
“Vergil.”
“Yeah?” he asked, instantly wary that Dante had called him by his full first name.
“I...killed someone. A little girl. I didn’t mean to.”
“What happened?” the older twin asked, drawing in a slow breath.

A glazed look passed over Dante’s eyes. He seemed to go back to a different time, a different place, and somehow, Vergil knew that what he was about to hear had a lot to do with why he himself was here now.

“There was a family. They said they needed an exorcist, but I figured it was just some demon running loose. I was right. She was the girl’s babysitter, and she had burned to death in her home. She possessed the girl – Angela was the girl’s name – so I tried to get her to come out. When she did, I...said something...and it must have set her off. She attacked me. The room filled with smoke, so I couldn’t see anything. I thought I saw her for a second, and attacked with my sword.

I did destroy her. But...she was beginning to rejoin with Angela, and...”

Dante’s voice trailed off, and he seemed unable to say more. The hunter swung his legs over the front of the couch, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, and put his head in his hands.

“And you hit the girl as well,” Vergil finished for him.
“I killed her.”
“Dante, that was an accident. You didn’t mean it.”
“That doesn’t change anything. I still did it,” the younger twin asserted.
“There are...always sacrifices,” the elder of the two said softly. “It can’t be helped.”

As his brother had done mere minutes ago, Dante fell silent. His eyes were closed, and he didn’t seem to react to what his twin had said.

Vergil stood up and took two steps over to his brother, settling himself on the couch next to Dante.

“What do you want to do about it?” Vergil asked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dante asked, turning his head and blinking confusedly at his twin.
“It means, you made a mistake. Now, you have two choices. Either you can be pathetic and wallow in this, or you can overcome it and go on. You can make sure it never happens again. It’s your choice,” the elder twin said, conviction in his tone.
“I...want to try. For Angie. I don’t want her death to be meaningless.”
“Good. Now that’s the little brother I remember.”

When Dante focused on his twin’s features, he saw a genuine smile there. There was no mocking, no humor – just kindness.

“Verg?”
“Yeah?”
“I missed you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Vergil affirmed, giving his twin a good-natured pat on the back.

A second later, the doorbell rang. The rumble in Dante’s stomach reminded both of the twins of just who the visitor was. The hunter rose up, paced to the door, and retrieved his food. The deliveryman gave Dante a funny look, obviously not used to seeing young men with platinum white hair, but seemed nice enough otherwise.

Setting the box down on the coffee table in front of the couch, the younger twin pulled some plates from his sparsely stocked cabinet. He grabbed a pair of drinking glasses, as well as a bottle of Tab soda. Sure, the soda could cause cancer, but Dante liked taking risks. He grinned at Vergil, whom the meaning was lost on. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement of his twin’s expression.

The younger sibling dished some of the pizza for the both of them, giving Vergil slices from the plain side – which was quite all right with the elder twin. The side Dante was taking from was swimming in toppings that Vergil neither could nor wanted to identify. He wrinkled his nose distastefully at the scent coming from that side.

Then he noticed the drink his twin was pouring.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Vergil began to protest.
“Huh? What?” Dante asked, a puzzled look overtaking his youthful features.
“Seriously, Dante, are you trying to kill yourself?” he responded in a deadpan, slightly exasperated, voice.
“...you lost me.”
“Your pizza has varying forms of trash on it, and your drink is cancerous. I don’t even think your stomach is that strong. Moreover, you’re trying to get me to drink that. Are you trying to kill me too?”
“Ah, I’ve been drinking this stuff for years. There’s nothing to worry about. Relax, bro,” Dante assured, and promptly downed half of the liquid from his glass.

Vergil gave the soda a dubious look, but took a swig of it anyway. It didn’t earn many points for taste; however, it certainly wasn’t the worst thing he had ever drunk.

His twin flipped on the television, turning it to some sitcom that perplexed Vergil to no end. He simply couldn’t understand why this “Laura” girl even put up with that “Urkel” fellow. Obviously, he was smart, but he was going about courting the girl all wrong. Fortunately, the elder twin was pleased to note that he himself had been blessed with both brains and brawn, as well as beauty and charm. Outwardly, he knew he looked like the perfect man, and he could easily seduce any woman – or man – of his choice. Those thoughts comforted him more than he let anyone know.

As they watched the program, Dante found himself increasingly distracted by the person sitting next to him. Even after the young man had gotten their late dinner from the delivery boy, Vergil had remained settled on the couch near him, seemingly perfectly content to be in this close proximity to his brother. After he had finished his meal, the elder twin had draped his arms across the back of the sofa. Dante had nearly jumped when he had leaned his head back and made contact with the sleeve of a silk shirt.

The young hunter stole a glance at his twin’s imposing form out of the corner of his eye. Beneath his coat, he had been wearing a shimmering, black silk dress shirt, snakeskin pants, and a sturdy-looking pair of boots. Knotted loosely from his neck was something that Dante could only identify as a scarf, though the way Vergil wore it suggested otherwise. With his hair swept back, he made for an imposing figure, indeed. Dante was lost in the regal perfection that his twin presented. Unconsciously, he turned his head more and began openly staring.

“Am I that interesting, brother?” Vergil asked suddenly, not looking at his twin.
“If I say ‘no,’ would you hit me?” Dante countered, a wry smile on his face.
“Yes,” the dark twin replied with a look of utter seriousness.
“In that case,” the hunter started with a light chuckle, “yes, you are that interesting.”
“And what, pray tell, has caught your fascination?”
“Ah, I don’t know...” Dante said, leaning his head back and intentionally resting it on Vergil’s arm. “You know, Verg...you’ve changed. A lot.”
“Have I?” Vergil replied, more of a statement at first, but then followed it with a question. “In what way?”

Dante sighed, debating how much to tell his twin. Somehow, he didn’t think that Vergil would react well to the words ‘cold-hearted bastard’ being thrown in his face. He tried to formulate the best way to say it, but as he thought, a pair of ice blue eyes examined his expression.

“Don’t lie to me, Dante.”

The young hunter looked at his twin, startled.

“I wasn’t going to.”
“You were thinking of it.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Okay, then you were figuring out what you wanted to tell me and planned on leaving out the bad bits.”
“Can you blame me? I finally found you again, and I’d really rather not piss you off. I...wanted you to stay for...awhile. If I got you mad, then you’d just leave – which, to be honest...would kind of suck.”
“Tell me the truth. I promise I won’t be angry with you,” Vergil said, persuasion in his tone.
“Alright, alright. I think that you’re kind of, uh, cold...and stuff,” he trailed off lamely.
“Cold?”
“Yeah, especially to humans. I mean, you must’ve glared at every single one we passed on the streets.”
“They were looking at us rudely.”
“Bro, they always look at us rudely. It didn’t bother you when we were kids, but it sure annoyed me. Now it’s just the opposite. They annoy you and I don’t give a damn.”

A wild look flashed in Vergil’s eyes, and Dante wondered if he had said too much.

“Those cretins don’t deserve my respect. They kill each other, destroy things without a care, and ruin everything they come into contact with. They’re as bad as the demons we hunt!” Vergil nearly shouted, now looking directly into his twin’s eyes.
“And so you hate them?” Dante asked in a quiet voice. The look on his brother’s face sobered.
“In the beginning, I tried not to, but...it wasn’t that easy. Even when I was perfectly kind to them, they treated me like a monster,” he said, spitting out the last word with scorn. “I was saving their lives...doing things for them that no one else was brave enough to do. Still...each day, I found myself wondering just what I was getting out of it. To the humans, I was just another demon. They hated me.”
“But, Verg, they’re not all like that,” Dante insisted.

At this, Vergil gave a mirthless chuckle and favored his twin with a cynical look.

“Maybe you’re right, little brother. I’m sure they’re just all angels in disguise.”
“Angels...maybe that explains why you hate them. Natural enemies and all,” Dante replied with a flippant tone.

The elder sibling looked away at this, extracting his arm from beneath Dante’s head. He seemed to search for words, and the look on his face was one of longing.

Vergil turned back to his twin, staring into his eyes for a long moment. Reaching out a hand, he put it out to Dante, gently stroking the white locks on his head once. The hand slipped down to press against his twin’s cheek. The contact only seemed to enhance the link they shared, and Dante could feel caring, worry, and, most of all, a need for understanding coming from Vergil. At this, the young hunter turned his body to face his brother.

The dark twin pushed closer to his brother, and began to speak in a voice so low that Dante had to strain to hear it.

“I may not have the humans, Dante, but I do have you. For now, that’s enough for me.”

In one swift motion, Vergil leaned in and touched his lips to his twin’s. It was just a feathery contact, so light that Dante wasn’t even sure it was there. He tried to get closer to the fleeting kiss, but the hand on his face prevented him from moving.

Finally, the older twin pulled back, and stared into Dante’s eyes once more.

“So, little brother, do I truly have you?”

After only the briefest silence, Vergil heard:

“Of course.”

Without another moment’s hesitation, Vergil captured his twin in a kiss. It was slow and tender, and reminded Dante of the first time they had ever kissed one another. Vergil had been gentle then, too. Now, though, there was fervor in the movement of his lips that took Dante off guard. It excited him more than any forceful passion could have. The hand on his face lightly moved back up to his hair, threading its digits through the locks. Vergil broke the kiss.

In a motion so languid and fluid that Dante couldn’t even tell it was happening, Vergil laid his twin down on the couch. The young hunter’s head, still cushioned by his brother’s hand, was put on the arm of the sofa. Dante could feel Vergil climbing atop his body, and he tensed a little, suddenly feeling trapped. When he finally brought himself to look into his twin’s eyes, all the hunter saw was love and desire. The previous feeling of being someone’s prey began to fade, and Dante shivered in anticipation.

A hand on his bare torso nearly made him jump, but he could tell that Vergil was just testing the waters. He moved methodically, touching each dip and rise on Dante’s muscled stomach. The fingers ran delicately over the chest beneath them. Vergil seemed almost frightened to press harder against his twin – as if Dante would break if he did.

Impatient as he was with everything, Dante arched his back, trying desperately to get closer to that wonderful hand. As he drew nearer, though, Vergil seemed to pull back. The younger brother let a little sigh of frustration, and tried again to push his body upward. Still, he was only granted that feathery brush of skin on skin.

As he looked at Vergil, he almost gaped. His twin was smirking at him! Giving his dark brother a determined look, he decided to take a little control. Imperceptibly fast – though not as fast as Vergil likely could have done it – one of Dante’s hands shot out and seized Vergil’s “scarf.” His twin, already reacting, began to move his hand out from under Dante’s head, but the young hunter pulled down violently on the cloth. Abruptly, the elder sibling’s face was very close to that of his twin.

Vergil’s now-freed hand clawed at the garment and the suddenly constricted airflow that it caused. Unfortunately for him, Dante had no intention of letting his twin breathe at that particular instant. He pulled Vergil into a fierce kiss, the older of the two forgetting his little problem for the moment. He moved against Dante, pressing his body roughly to the one beneath it.

The elder twin softly moved his tongue over Dante’s lips, as if silently asking permission to enter. The young man parted them willingly. Dante felt the warm organ slip into his mouth, and he answered it with his own. He expected Vergil to fight him for dominance, as he so often had during their play as children, but he received no such treatment. The dark twin merely explored this part of Dante, learning and memorizing it.

His hands moved from the cravat fastened about his neck and instead began making feathery lines of contact down his twin’s sides. Each time a finger pressed against Dante, the younger twin shivered. He wanted more, but he knew that Vergil was not finished with his teasing. If the hunter knew his brother – and he thought he did – then Vergil would keep this kind of touching up until Dante cracked with need.

When they were younger, Vergil had learned early on that teasing Dante with something he wanted was a surefire way to earn his obedience – and now, it was definitely working. The young hunter was moaning into the kisses he shared with his twin, all while attempting to get himself even closer to the inviting form above him.

Abruptly, Vergil pulled back, and Dante looked at him confusedly. With a light smile – and a blue face – Vergil deftly undid the knot of the cravat – still only known to Dante as a “weird scarf.” He then tossed the sleek garment to the table. Taking a deep breath and tilting his head to one side, the elder sibling sent a confident, yet curious gaze at his twin.

“Now where were we?”

Barely a moment later, he leaned down to make a trail of kisses down his brother’s neck. Vergil moved his tongue down the pulsing vein at Dante’s neck, and lazily dragged it about the peaks and valleys of his twin’s collarbone. The normally self-assured young man found himself submitting to this wonderful torture. Much to his surprise, he also found himself enjoying the fact that he didn’t have to be in control.

Vergil seemed to be relishing his position at that moment as well. He forced his little brother’s hands down to the couch, effectively pinning him. Continuing the barrage of kisses he had been caressing Dante’s collarbone with, he then moved his head down, flicking his tongue out to touch one dark, rosy nipple. His twin jerked suddenly, but made no noise. Vergil tested the waters again with a light kiss to the area. Rather than be startled, this time Dante instead seemed to writhe under the contact. He twisted his hands under Vergil’s tight grip. This only amused his dark twin, who clenched the submissive hunter even more firmly.

Finally, apparently taking pity on the young man’s state, Vergil sucked on his brother’s chest fully. He no longer meant to tease – only to pleasure. He continuously assaulted Dante with sensations, all while pushing his own body closer. As his stomach pressed against his twin, he could feel a hard bulge pressing back. Vergil smirked inwardly, proud of this little “accomplishment.” Of course, seeing as he was in the same state, he surely couldn’t brag, now could he?

Slowly, in no hurry to end this, the elder twin continued his trail of kisses down Dante’s stomach. Deliberately, he placed a particularly rough one on the bulge at the front of his twin’s leather pants.

Dante, who had been squirming the whole time, gasped at that last contact.

In a burst of strength, the young hunter freed his hands from Vergil’s. Threading his fingers through his twin’s white locks, he spoke only one word:

“More.”

It was then that Vergil realized he had just made Dante crack.

He grinned.

For a few moments, the elder sibling remained still, just watching his brother’s reaction. Dante was obviously becoming impatient, and he grasped Vergil’s hair almost to the point of pain, shoving the older twin’s head down to the front of his favorite pair of leather trousers. Again, he said only a single word:

“Now.”

At first, he was only rewarded with a self-important smile from his older brother. Then, Vergil took one of his hands and put it to the waist of Dante’s pants, dipping his fingers until the hem just a bit to touch his hips. His other hand fingered the brass button on the front, moving on to the line of the zipper. He intentionally made contact with his twin’s aching bulge, but only for a moment.

Dante felt like he was about to burst with his need, and roughly pulled one of his hands from Vergil’s hair. He deftly began to unfasten the button, and drag the zipper down. His elder twin stilled his hand, looking at the revealed skin pointedly. When the young hunter looked to his brother questioningly, Vergil gave him a serious gaze in response.

“You’re sure? We can stop now if you want,” the elder twin reminded him.
“Hell, Verg, there isn’t anyone else out there I’d rather be doing this with,” Dante replied casually.
“Well...I suppose that settles it then.”

With that, Vergil pulled the zipper the rest of the way down, confirming his suspicion that his little brother did not, in fact, wear any kind of undergarment. While he couldn’t imagine wearing leather pants without at least a pair of briefs, he said nothing about it to Dante. At that particular moment, he was more interested in getting the pants off of him, rather than contemplating their comfort. As far as he was concerned, his twin’s lack of underwear made it that much easier.

Dante lifted his hips a bit to allow Vergil to pull off the offending garment. He could see his twin give a look of frustration when he had to pull off Dante’s boots, but he made no comment.

Finally, Vergil tugged the trousers off completely, and stared at the sight before him. His twin was all muscle and hard lines, perfectly proportioned and resembling very much his older brother. It seemed to him that Dante was built a bit sturdier than he himself was, but Vergil had always retained a more slender frame.

The young hunter could feel himself flush under his twin’s appraising gaze; yet, he was more excited than anything. He shifted a little, painfully aware – literally – of his throbbing erection. He could tell Vergil was examining that particular part of his body the most, which made him both nervous and eager. His brother extended a hand to touch the engorged head of his younger twin’s shaft, stroking it. Dante’s breath hitched, and he sent minute mental jolts toward Vergil, urging him to do more.

Seeming to catch on to this, the dark twin looked seriously once more at the young hunter, though there was a glint in his eye.

“Are you enjoying the couch?” Vergil inquired lightly.
“Well...”
“Because, I have to say, I’m getting the worst cramp in my back from all of this leaning over.”
“If you want – ”
“I’d be delighted.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”

With that, Vergil rose from the form beneath him, waiting for Dante to get up as well. The younger twin, apparently no longer ashamed about his nakedness, simply gestured towards his bedroom and began walking in that direction.

Before he followed his brother, Vergil tugged off his boots and cast them somewhere unseen.

As they walked into Dante’s bedroom, the young hunter felt his nervousness creep up again. He knew what their actions tonight were leading to. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Surely, he wanted to be with Vergil, and he had certainly imagined this moment before – often using it to comfort himself on especially lonely nights.

Mostly, it was the emotional impact this would have on him that he was concerned about, but there were physical aspects too. For one, he was a virgin. Despite the insistence of many of the girls he had fooled around with before, he had never actually gone over that border. It never seemed right. It felt...wasteful, for some reason. Vergil was the only man he had ever found himself attracted to, and he sensed that he should have somehow saved himself for this special person. Thus, Dante had remained a virgin over the years.

As they paced forward, Vergil had similar thoughts running through his mind. He was more worried about Dante, emotionally and physically, though he had his own virgin heart to worry about. He had never even allowed another man or woman to touch him. The thought of a human coming into such close contact with his body just...sickened him.

Only Dante had remained in his mind...and his heart. He would accept no other – be it human, demon, or otherwise.

Suddenly, he realized that he was standing in his twin’s room, with the said person staring at him. Now that he had had a chance to really stand back and look at him, Vergil almost couldn’t believe the beauty of his twin. Dante, still yet a teenager, was truly beginning to fill out into his adult body, though...certain parts...seemed to be ahead of others, Vergil noted with a smile of satisfaction.

Hesitantly, Dante walked over to his dark twin, and placed his hands on either shoulder of Vergil.

“Vergil?”
“Yes?”
“I just have one question.”
“That being?”
“Why the hell are you still wearing clothes?”

Vergil couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that, and he quickly began undressing himself after Dante moved a step back. He had his shirt halfway unbuttoned, when he noticed his brother sit down on the bed. The young hunter simply stared at him, and Vergil got the distinct feeling that Dante was expecting some sort of a show out of this.

So, when he finally removed his shirt, he threw it at his little brother, effectively covering his eyes in the process. Dante batted at the silk garment for a few moments before throwing it to the floor. He turned back to Vergil with a mischievous look on his face. Ignoring it, the older twin efficiently removed his snakeskin pants. Beneath them, he had on a pair of black boxers. Unlike his twin, he found it less than comfortable to wear tight trousers while being so...“free.” His eyebrow twitched at the very thought of it. He kicked the pants off into some corner of the room, keeping his eyes on Dante’s lust filled expression. His twin had begun absently rubbing himself, obviously impatient for his big brother to finish undressing.

Here, Vergil hesitated. There was only one barrier left now. It wasn’t as if he was ashamed of his body – quite the opposite. It was just...this was a part of him that he had only shared with anyone once before. That person was the same individual who now sat before him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. By all rights, he was a blushing virgin, though perhaps minus the blushing. For the first time in years, Vergil found himself truly nervous. He didn’t know if he would be good enough for Dante.

As if following Vergil’s train of thought – which was highly likely with their link – Dante stood and paced over to his twin. He pulled the elder brother into a gentle kiss and pressed his body fully against Vergil, reminding him bluntly of how much they both wanted this.

The dark twin relaxed into the contact, and barely noticed when a pair of hands pushed down his boxers. As the piece of clothing slid silently to the floor, one of the hands wrapped itself around Vergil’s throbbing erection. He moaned softly into the kiss and pressed himself closer. The elder sibling sighed in frustration as the hand was removed and the kiss was broken, but his dissatisfaction was cut short as Dante lead him by the hand to his bed.

Vergil was about to lay Dante down on the bed when the young hunter captured his lips in a sensual kiss. They warred for dominance, but Dante suddenly pushed Vergil down to the bed. He climbed atop his older brother, pointedly grinding his hips against his twin’s as he moved up his body. Finally, the younger sibling sat on top of his twin, straddling him with his legs. The feeling was sexy…completely erotic…and Vergil found himself wanting more of it. He pushed his hips up, but Dante had him in a compromising position. It was difficult for him to get to what he wanted if his twin wouldn’t allow it. He decided to exercise some control on his side.

With a burst of strength, he flipped Dante over onto his back and took the position that his twin had been enjoying moments before. Before the younger twin could protest, he reached down and began stroking the hunter’s taut length. Never removing the hand, he directed Dante to lay farther up on the bed and to rest his head on the pillows at the head of it. As long as the ministrations continued, the young man seemed perfectly content to do as his big brother told him. Vergil finally got Dante laying on his side, so that they were facing one another.

Much to Dante’s disappointment, the elder twin moved his hand away from his brother’s greatest area of need and used it and its mirror image to touch him elsewhere, sharing involved kisses all the while. As they moved against each other, a euphoric sense rose in their bodies and minds. They unconsciously sent this sensation back and forth to each other, intensifying it with each pass. Hands grew more adventurous, and kisses were placed at random. The twins touched each other freely, both of them feeling things they had never experienced before.

In his passion, one of Vergil’s hands continued to move down Dante’s back. The young hunter lifted his leg to intertwine it with his twin’s, and the elder brother moved his hand to touch the exposed area.

Dante’s mind shot back to reality as a finger lightly touched his virgin opening. Vergil seemed completely intent on what he was doing, and continued to massage the area of skin gently. The hunter’s already heavy breathing quickened and he brushed his own hand against Vergil’s arm, stilling the motions. The elder twin seemed to come back to reality as well.

“Dante…is something wrong?” he inquired.
“No, it’s just that…uh…wouldn’t it be better to…use…something?”
“Pardon?”

Rather than risk any more embarrassment, Dante blindly reached behind him, opening the drawer on his nightstand and rummaging through its contents. He found the tube he was looking for and sheepishly held it out to Vergil. His brother examined it for a moment, and smiled a bit as realization dawned on him. He reached out to take the massage oil, offering a chaste kiss to his twin as he did so.

He poured some of the liquid onto the hand that had been rubbing Dante moments before, coating his fingers thoroughly. He then laid the vial down somewhere on the table that flanked the other side of the bed. Slowly, Vergil reached between his younger brother’s legs and touched the opening once more. Despite the deliberate approach, Dante still jumped a little. The elder twin rubbed circles around the area, just trying to relax his brother at this point.

Some moments later, he applied a bit of pressure at the virgin entrance. Dante didn’t react.

Vergil pressed hard enough to insert the tip of his finger. Dante winced a little.

He continued to push the finger up inside the tight passage, seeing Dante fight to control the discomfort. This was different from the many battle wounds he had received over time. This time, he was allowing himself to be subjected to it. The fact that it was in such an intimate place surely wasn’t helping either.

When Vergil had pressed as far as he could go, he stopped his movement. His twin visibly relaxed. The elder sibling offered Dante a few comforting kisses, which the young hunter eagerly took in. Looking his twin in the eyes, he slowly began to work in a second finger. Dante seemed to relax a bit more to this one.

The dark twin gently began to thrust his fingers in and out of the opening, loosening the passage as best as he could. His aching length reminded him of just how much he wanted to put himself in place of the digits, but he ignored the feeling. For Dante’s sake, he would take this slow, despite how badly he wished for the completion that would come from joining with his brother.

Carefully, he curled his fingers slightly and was rewarded with a gasp from his twin. A feral gleam was in Vergil’s eyes, and he thrusted the digits more roughly. Dante bucked his hips against the attention, trying to push the already buried fingers even deeper inside of him. Vergil leaned close to his twin.

“Ready?” he whispered into the brother’s ear.
“Yes...yes, Vergil...” Dante moaned in response.

One look into his twin’s eyes told Vergil that Dante was getting desperate now. In response, he quickly withdrew his fingers, and the young hunter sighed in disappointment. He lightly moved Dante to lay on his back, reaching for the tube on the nightstand again. Pouring more of the liquid onto his palm, he coated himself with the oil. He felt about ready to burst, and spent a few moments more than necessary to rub the oil onto his erection. He had to restrain himself from doing any more than that, contenting his body with the thought that it was about to get much better.

He used the extra oil on his hands to rub the edge of Dante’s entrance, making sure that this would be as painless for his twin as possible.

Finally, Vergil positioned himself above Dante at the virgin opening, lifting his twin’s legs and leaning in close.

“You’re sure?” he asked his brother, his voice no louder than a whisper.

He felt a flicker of fear from Dante, but his twin’s conviction rose above it all. He raised his head up to kiss Vergil, and laid himself back down with a small smile.

“Yeah.”

Not wasting another moment, Vergil thrusted into Dante. It was one, fluid motion, and the young hunter gasped as much in pleasure as in pain. The dark twin halted for a moment, giving Dante time to adjust to the feeling.

The sensation of being inside his brother was almost more than Vergil could handle. He allowed himself a low moan, but made no noise beyond that. His twin’s body was hot and tight, nearly to the point where he wanted to pull out. He felt as if he could burn alive in that passageway. Dante relaxed somewhat, and Vergil felt the overwhelming tightness lessen in turn. A feeling of reassurance from his sibling came through and Vergil knew that it was alright to proceed.

He set a slow pace at first, getting both Dante and himself accustomed to the motion. It was a unique movement, and it felt awkward, but Vergil continued on. The heat wrapped around him was beyond anything he had ever dreamt of, or even fantasized about. The dark twin picked up in speed. Dante’s hands began to clutch in the sheets beneath them, as his hips jerked over and over in a counterpoint to Vergil’s rhythmic thrusts.

The sensations flowed between them, intensifying as the twins passed them back and forth constantly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Vergil noticed Dante’s neglected erection and remedied his brother’s discomfort with swift strokes in time with his movement. His body doubled over in pleasure, Dante’s passage tightened again. This caused the elder twin to pound the body beneath him, all thoughts of gentleness long forgotten by both of the young men. Suddenly bombarded with more blissful sensations, the hunter’s body writhed violently. The sheets were hopelessly twisted in his hands, but he clutched them even more forcefully.

He couldn’t think. Dante couldn’t begin to define the higher plane that his body was reaching. It was so similar to what he had felt the last time he had been with Vergil, but the years had changed everything. He fought to control the raw cries escaping his mouth, only focusing on the point of light that was forming behind his eyes.

For one eternal moment, he opened his eyes. He took in all of Vergil, the sight of his twin exerting himself so passionately branded into Dante’s mind permanently. An unconscious wave of love was sent between the two, and in that instant, the dark twin opened his eyes. He never ceased his movements, but their eyes met in that moment.

Vergil gasped and suddenly cried out, his entire body going stiff. The feeling overwhelmed Dante’s senses, and he, too, went rigid. Now less-than-composed, the older brother nearly screamed his twin’s name as his body released. Dante, merely a bystander in the tide of sensations, could barely whisper Vergil’s name as he followed suit.

For a few seconds, everything was silent. Then, exhaling his breath in a rush, Vergil collapsed exhaustedly on top of his brother. Dante was breathing hard, his eyes not entirely focused. Vaguely, Vergil realized that he should remove himself from his twin’s body, and he lethargically withdrew from the passageway. Not about to regain his strength anytime soon, he simply fell to lay beside Dante, wrapping an arm around the spent body of his dear brother.

The younger twin turned his head slowly to face Vergil, and gave his usual self-confident grin.

“Damn...” he said, not having the energy to say much else.
“Damn, indeed,” the elder twin replied, noting with some self-satisfaction that Dante’s voice was a little hoarse now.
“...Verg?”
“Yeah?”
“Mind if I go cliché for a second?”
“Whatever. Go for it.”
“...I love you.”
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Whatever. Go for it.”
“...I love you, too.”

They shared a brief, chaste kiss, and then Dante’s gaze turned curious. He glanced down at their bodies, both covered in his seed. Vergil followed his line of sight, and turned to his twin with one of his trademark stoic glares.

“Dante. Fuck it. We’ll clean up tomorrow. I’ll fall asleep in the shower at this point.”
“...tomorrow. Meh, works for me.”

With that, Dante snuggled closer into Vergil’s embrace, patting around for his blanket and covering their nude forms upon finding it.

The last thought either twin had was a gentle wave of love from one another.

***

He awoke with a jolt. Something was wrong.

An intruder? No.

The rain outside was still falling heavily, obscuring any noise.

There was...a gathering. Group? How many? He searched out with his mind. Fifty...maybe more.

Anger and anticipation. They were waiting. For what?

Vergil blinked his eyes furiously for a few moments to clear his head. Still curled in his arms was his brother, and Dante was sleeping peacefully, seemingly oblivious to the spiritual disturbance. His mind quickly pieced together last night’s events, and he smiled – or, rather, he would have, if the presence of the...things...outside would calm down. The dark twin tried to reach out again, and heard...whispers? From inside the house? No.

From inside his own mind.

Low, guttural noises resounded in the faintest murmurs, and Vergil tried fervently to make out some of what was being said. It was no use. It was all gibberish to him.

Wait. That word. He knew that word.

Sparda.

Sparda? Then...the creatures outside must be demons. Demons searching for Sparda – or his power, at least. They were...waiting for one of the people in the building to make the first move, it seemed. But they were growing impatient. The demons thought that Sparda was in the building?

The color drained from Vergil’s face as a sickening realization dawned on him.

When separate, Dante and Vergil were just spiritually strong humans to the demons – not important, not worth notice. However...when they were together...their combined might equaled that of Sparda. The demons had sensed the power of the one they sought and had gathered to face him.

Would this happen every time Vergil attempted to see his brother?

Every single time?

He couldn’t. No. It was impossible.

Vergil sat up, carefully extracting Dante from his embrace. He stared at the young man – his sibling, his lover – and closed his eyes. This wasn’t happening. He could finally be with Dante again, and now these lowlife demons were going to take that away because they were too stupid to realize that the sons of Sparda were not Sparda himself? Vergil nearly growled in frustration at the unfairness of it all. He racked his brain for solutions, trying to find a way to be with Dante and keep the demons away at the same time.

Wait. It...would be risky, but it could work. The demons – surely they wouldn’t attack a power greater than that of Sparda?

The tower of legend: Temen-Ni-Gru. The power of Sparda was locked there. His mother had told him part of the story once. No human was capable of attaining the power of Sparda, but...Vergil was certainly no ordinary human.

It could work.

It could.

***

‘...I.....romise...I’ll get......onger...and....when I co.......back...I’ll be with you....Dante. Forever.’

Vergil? Someone had spoken to him. A dream?

Somewhere between sleep and waking. Dante wasn’t sure how long he spent in that state, but a ray of sunlight streaming through his window pulled him out of it.

Sunlight? It had been raining, hadn’t it?

He opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright light. He felt...content, somehow. Like a weight had been lifted. He glanced at the space next to him, but wasn’t overly surprised to find his twin not there. Vergil had always been an early riser.

Wrapping the blanket around his nude form, he stood up and walked over to the window. Squinting his eyes in the morning sun, he peered out at the street below. It looked...different. There was...sand everywhere.

Sand? Demons?

Hurriedly, he reached out, but Vergil...was gone. Their link was...empty.

‘I promise...I’ll get stronger...and when I come back...I’ll be with you, Dante. Forever.’

‘There are...always sacrifices.’


____________________________


Well, I hope that was as good for you as it was for me. ^_~ I won’t wait for a certain number of reviews this time. I’ll just go ahead and post the final chapter (and the Author’s Notes) in a few days or a week. I just wanted some feedback on the first two chapters to see if I was going in the right direction. As for the reviews...

whacko, Marcy, and Silver – thanks for the comments! And Silver, to be fair, I should tell you that I’ve had this fanfic done for a while now. Like I said above, I was just being slow about releasing this story cuz I wanted to make sure I was doing okay. Actually, if you’re curious, this story took me six months to write. ^_^;; I wrote in weird spurts – got a whole bunch done in a day and then I wouldn’t touch it for a month. Stuff like that.

kidavi – I’m going to hold off on responding to you for now, because I think my author’s notes might clarify the way I think a little bit. Then again, they may be even more cryptic...if that’s the case, I’d love to chat it up with you.

Nikki-chan – you know what? More sex, INDEED. *nod nod* XD Thanks, babe. I appreciate the comments, but you know that. (psst. For anyone reading this, Nikki’s my beta, so cuddle her, would ya? ^_~ )

Ooh...long response this time...I’ll shut up now. >_>