Shadow Games

Disclaimer: “Devil May Cry” belongs to Capcom, not us. We have no money, so don’t sue us. ^.^ Zithantharis “Zi” is an original character—please be considerate and do not borrow him without permission. This fic was written as a one-on-one RolePlay, so the POV switches just about every paragraph.

This is a continuation shortly after the first game.

Thanks for reading and please enjoy!


Shadow Games
Chapter Eight:

“Good.” I’m going to do this. Dante took a deep breath and began to spill them both forward. “You’d better take it all, then.” He paused long enough to tug the tank top over his head, and as he urged Zi to the floor began to relieve them both of their remaining clothing. All the while he could feel his blood heating, his skin tingling in excitement.

Zi remained passive as his lover stripped him down, purring every time their flesh touched. He…would have liked to tear at the man’s clothes, but the fact that Dante hadn’t banished his claws convinced him to remain still. Once he was lying naked he arched his back in a deep, cat-like stretch. I’ve never done it this way before…. I wonder what it will be like.

Ahh, it’s been a while. I’m looking forward to this. Dante chuckled to himself as he crawled over his lover, pressing a few biting kisses along Zi’s back. Though…I hope I’m doing the right thing. With a quiet groan he allowed his body to gradually change, stretching into hardened, dark flesh. There was always a thrill of adrenaline that came with the metamorphosis, and it fueled his excitement now as he scraped their bodies together. A pair of thin, leather wings unfolded from his back to flutter anxiously above them.

Zi’s eyes widened at the feel of strange flesh, the sound of wings, and he turned to peer up at his lover over his shoulder. He’s…. A brief chill went through him, startled by the power emanating from the creature and knowing it was much greater than his own. Dante….

His own body began to change, knowing if he stayed like this…it would be dangerous. But he didn’t lose his form completely--he just covered himself with a layer of magic. Zi pressed back against him. He’s incredible, even being half human. He shivered. Beautiful….

Dante growled, low and deep, as he arched forward into his partner. He didn’t have all the patience and methodology Zi had--he entered swiftly and strongly, reveling in the feel of warm magic around him. In this form all his senses were heightened; he wanted to feel Zi writhe beneath him, to hear him cry and moan, and he fell quickly into a firm rhythm.

Hissing, Zi’s back straightened beneath the sudden assault--it was almost too much, Dante scraping at his insides almost painfully. But at the same time the intimacy struck him deeply, and he moaned. “D…Dante….” His flesh shifted to ease the slight pain. He’s…so strong…. Growling, Zi pushed back into each thrust, coaxing his lover to move with more strength.

That’s better. Dante scraped his mouth along Zi’s shoulder--he was just careful enough to keep himself from biting him, even if he wasn’t much for common sense in this form. With low, animal-like murmurs he flapped his wings in time with the pumping of his hips to strengthen them. Zi was sweet--tight and hot, and everything about their union was so…primal, so raw, that he couldn’t stop trembling with excitement.

Zi moaned harshly as he clawed at the floor, nearly losing himself to the maddening rhythm. His eyes were wide, glowing, and unseeing as he continued to meet every harsh thrust. In a sudden fit his body expanded, reaching back to wrap around Dante’s waist and hips. Without thought Zi forced himself into his lover, using the intrusion to push the demi-human even deeper into his own body. He tried to call Dante’s name, but his voice only came out in a feral growl.

Dante’s clawed hands snapped around the shifting form where Zi’s hips would have been, aiding in his desperate movements. Deeper. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, but he hissed urgently in Zi’s ear, surrendering at last to instinct as he sunk his teeth into the demon’s shoulder. His wings continued to beat rhythmically overhead as he drove into his partner, willing his form to stretch and thicken.

Shaking his head wildly, Zi easily understood the other, and he both welcomed his lover deeper even as he pushed himself further into him. His arm trembled beneath Dante’s harsh treatment, and his eyelids fluttered. I…I can’t…. Zi abruptly tightened around the Hunter, his whole body throbbing with too much pleasure, pain, and energy. His back arched as he climaxed, and Zi released a long, low howl of satisfaction.

Dante groaned, shaking, as he thrust into the demon once more and came as well. His voice hissed from him in beastlike murmurs as he gradually slowed, as his wings fluttered awkwardly and wilted at his sides. He…was having trouble coming back to his senses, however, and for several long moments he lay still, still wound in and around his partner, gasping around the flesh still held by his jaws.

Dante…. Zi carefully pulled himself out of the other, tilting his head to the side. He’s too much…just too much. Supporting them both on shaking arms and knees, he licked softly at Dante’s cheek and the corner of his lips. I’m tired and…I hurt…. But even then he smiled and continued to coax the other back to his senses.

Gradually, Dante came back into himself. With a soft murmur he relaxed his jaws and leaned back; his wings began to fold and shrink, his skin softened and grew pale. He was still light-headed, but soon enough he was back in human form, working on regaining his breath. “Zi….” With a weak smile he rolled onto his back next to him. “Fuck, that was…that was amazing.”

Zi sunk onto his stomach, his form changing as well until he was lying boneless and weak on the floor. His purr was tired and broken, but his lips were curled. I don’t know…if I can even speak. I haven’t felt like this for…a long time…. One hand reached out to paw faintly at Dante’s shoulder. I’m tired….

Dante glanced over at him and chuckled. “You look exhausted,” he murmured, turning inward to kiss Zi’s cheek. It wasn’t until then that he remembered the dark blood on his lips, and he frowned as he wiped it off. “Are you okay?”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Dante muttered a curse as he pushed wearily to his feet. “Damn late,” he muttered, tugging his pants on. Walking felt a little funny as he first retrieved his coat to drape over Zi and then ventured to the door. He wasn’t all that surprised to find a pair of police officers on his front porch. “Kinda late for house calls, ain’t it?” he greeted lazily.

“Pardon the hour, sir,” one of the officers said. “But we got a few calls about a…disturbance coming from within your building.” His eye caught on the several skewered heads decorating the wall. “Would you mind if we came in for a moment?”

“Um…” Dante’s blush was dark and genuine as he offered the officers a sheepish grin. “Sure, but you won’t find much. We were just fucking--we get carried away sometimes.” Trying not to grin at their expressions he took a step back. “Keep it down, okay? I think I really wore him out.”

Though one officer remained in the doorway, watching the man with a wary eye, his partner ventured further to find the boy lying in the middle of the floor, covered with just a coat. He frowned--the boy didn’t look like he could be much older than sixteen…. Approaching quietly, he knelt beside him. Jesus, the weirdo even dresses him up with cat ears. I swear people…. Reaching down, he pressed two fingers to the kid’s neck, checking his pulse since he seemed all but oblivious. He looks drugged up. This is serious. He glanced back at his partner significantly, slowly rising. “Mind telling me how old this kid is, mister?”

He said he was seventy-something. “Um…seventeen,” he came up with, setting his hands casually on his hips. Man, I really did take him out. He paused, however, when he realized what was going on, and how this must have looked. “Is there a problem? Sorry about the noise, but if that’s all I’d like to get me and my friend here cleaned up so we can get some sleep.”

The officer raised an eyebrow, and his partner straightened meaningfully. “Yeah, there’s a problem. Mind facing the wall and placing your hands on it?” He nodded to a space free of…nasty things, and he turned back to the boy as his partner began to urge the man over. “You see, California’s age of consent is eighteen. Hey Charlie, we might need to call for backup--this kid looks pretty well knocked over.”

“Oh I don’t fucking believe this….” Dante dragged a hand down his face and refused to be prodded, to the wall or whatever. “Now hold on--I’m not gonna cause trouble, but if you lay a hand on that kid you’ll regret it.” He should have known better than to be making threats like that, but there was no telling what Zi would do if he awoke to find two strangers trying to cart him off.

“Dante?” Trish ventured down the stairs, dressed in her nighttime attire of shorts and a tank top. She crossed her arms over her chest when she saw the police officers. “Geez, what’s going on? I know you were loud, but….”

Glancing at the woman, officer Smith could only shake his head. At least she looks old enough, but if she knew about this…. “Ma’am, would you please join your friend there.” He could hear his partner in the background calling for their backup. Reaching down, he peeled part of the coat off the boy’s back. “Oh jeez--” His eyes darted over the dozens of scars across the kid’s back, focusing on the needle marks all over his arms. There was a bit of blood on his shoulder, and when he looked closer Smith found a row of shallow bite marks. “Charlie, put an a.s.a.p. on that call-this one looks OD-ed.”

This is unreal--fucking unreal. Dante wasn’t sure if he should be outraged or just laugh at the irony of it all. He had to admit it certainly couldn’t have looked worse. “Now hold on.” He started to step closer, and it took a lot of control not to shove the other officer away when he stepped in front of him. “You’re not taking him anywhere, do you understand? Just--just wait a goddamn minute and he’ll be awake enough to tell you himself.”

Trish, shaking her head in exasperation, moved easily across the room to the telephone. When the officers cast wary glances in her direction she started dialing anyway. “I’m calling your boss,” she said easily, as she punched out the numbers for the police station. “He’ll clear this up for us.”

Smith shook his head as he leaned over the boy. “Look, this kid needs help,” he said forcefully. Moving closer, he began to slip his arms beneath the prone teen to lift him up. “He’s obviously over-dosed, so--”

Zi came awake at the touch of unfamiliar flesh, his senses suddenly filled with the smell of men. He jerked away, only to find his body too tired to properly escape, too slow, and he only ended up back on the floor.

“Shit--” Smith quickly pulled out his handcuffs and wrestled the kid into them before he could go far. “Just settle down there, kiddo. No one’s gonna hurt ya.”

“Hey--” Still a little drunk on the aftereffects of his transformation earlier, Dante wasn’t about to stand for anyone fighting him. He stepped forward again, and when the second officer tried to intercept him he shoved him aside. It was an effortless gesture, but it was still more than enough to send the man off his feet. He did the same for “officer Smith” and shredded the handcuffs binding his partner with one swipe of his hand. “Hold onto me,” he murmured. And then to the cops, he snarled, “Like I said--he’s not going anywhere.”

“God, Dante….” Shaking her head Trish finally got in touch with the police chief on the other end of the line. “Just call your men back before it gets ugly,” she said, “you’ve known him longer than me, haven’t you?” She hung up and started to approach--slowly. “Dante, just calm down--Zi’s not going anywhere, okay? Just relax….”

Smith pulled himself up off the floor with Charles’s help, cursing vehemently. “Fucking piece’a….” But already his radio was screeching at him, and he fumbled to get it from his belt.

Zi was still struggling, the cold metal around his wrists freezing what little sense he had after their long night. Somehow…his body was reminded of his months of capture, and he started clawing frantically at his arms to try and get the metal off. No--no no no let go let me go. I can’t stay here please I can’t take any more pain-- Zi jerked away from Dante’s confining hold. He growled fearfully and bit at the cuffs, not caring that he was catching his own skin. “No….” A shadow passed through his flesh, now bare as the red coat fell from him. “No…no no….”

Fuck. Dante pursued, keeping himself between the cops and Zi so they wouldn’t be able to see what might become a full transformation. “Zi,” he said quietly, his hands hovering over Zi’s shoulders. “Calm down; it’s me, it’s Dante. You’re all right.” He started to reach for his wrists. “I’ll take them off--let me take them off.”

Still cursing, Smith shoved his radio back into his belt. “Come on,” he hissed at his partner, watching the group with wary eyes. Fuck--the Chief better be able to explain this shit. The pair quickly exited. “Just keep it the fuck down,” he shouted, just to have the last word as he slammed the door.

Zi snarled at the sudden approach, the feel of a stronger demonic aura so near him. He continued to bite at his wrists, ignoring the blood that was beginning to trickle down his arms. He was trying desperately to transform, to escape the bindings and the confining room, but he was too weak. Please let me go-- He howled, voice dwindling to a whimper as he kicked at the shadow hovering over him.

Dante buried a curse, and at last snatched Zi by the arms, prying the metal off of him. If Zi was going to regain his senses, he’d have to start with this and then give him some space. “Zi, it’s okay,” he continued to assure as he let the handcuffs fall, in pieces, to the floor. “Zi--”

Trish stepped forward to place a hand on Dante’s shoulder and gently ease him back. “Give him room,” she said quietly. “He’ll be all right.”

Whimpering, Zi struggled to get his hands and feet beneath him, wild eyes turning to the pair. His ears perked faintly at the soft, feminine voice. Be…. Pausing, his fear faltered, and he crouched low to the floor as his memory slowly began to catch up with him. “Be…Bea….” No--no she died. And then the Hunter…Dante…. His breath froze as his eyes cleared, shoulders slumping. I…I’m safe. I’m here, safe, and….

Dante’s hear skipped a beat when he heard Zi’s voice try to form that name, and he took a step back. He thinks he’s…back with Mundus…. He turned away abruptly. Seeing Zi like that, his body riddled with scars, bleeding and half crazed…it conjured too many frightening images. Fuck. Fuck this…. He scraped the back of his hand across his mouth and tried to reclaim his composure.

Trish glanced at him briefly. Dante…. She turned her attention quickly back to Zi, however, being in greater need of it at the moment. “It’s okay, Zi,” she soothed, holding out a careful hand to him. “It’s just us three here--you’re all right. You’re safe.”

Safe…. His ears and tail drooped. Those men…they’re gone. And Dante’s here. My mate…. Zi lowered his head, letting his hair cover his face. “Dante….” My…my eyes are stinging. They hurt…. He blinked, but that only succeeded in blurring his vision further. “Dante….”

Zi…? Dante turned back, his expression sobering when he saw the other. With a quiet sigh he returned to kneel in front of the demon, touching the top of his head. “I’m here,” he murmured. “It’s okay, Zi.”

Zi crawled close, pressing his forehead into the man’s bare chest. He sniffed, puzzled by the bizarre sensation of water dripping down his cheeks. “Dante….” But he was calming, even as the tears didn’t slow. I’m…crying? But demons don’t…. Zi pawed at Dante’s arms, urging them around him. I’m tired….

Dante pressed his eyes tightly shut, as they, too, had begun to burn. “Shh….” He didn’t want to listen to Zi cry, not like this. Carefully he began to scoop the smaller form up in his arms and struggled to his feet. “Come on, Zi,” he breathed, nudging him with his nose. “Let’s go to bed. You’ll be all right.” He glanced at Trish, who nodded silently, before starting toward the stairs.

“I’m okay,” he replied just as softly, though he didn’t reject the gentle treatment. “Just…tired. I’m tired and…they surprised me….” Zi wiped at his eyes before glancing up at his lover. “I’m okay,” he repeated before stretching his neck for a soft, questioning kiss. Just to be reassured….

Dante returned it with confidence; the tension was starting to drain from his spine and shoulders as he carried Zi up to the second floor and laid him out in bed. “It’s been a long day,” he sighed as he flopped down on the mattress next to him. “God, I’m exhausted.” He rubbed at his eyes. “I’m sorry, Zi, about all that. Humans…suck sometimes.”

He smiled, very faintly, and wiggled up against the man’s wider body. “It just proves I’m not all better yet,” he murmured. “But that’s okay.” Zi relaxed into the familiar mattress and even more familiar form of his lover. A weak but sincere purr murmured from his throat as his eyes fluttered closed. “Just…stay.”

Dante slid his arm beneath his companion, curling around his waist to drag him close. He didn’t bother with blankets--his skin already felt hot enough, after everything. “I’m not going anywhere.” A deep breath was more enough to assure him, and he closed his eyes as well, kissing Zi’s forehead. “Get some sleep already.”

“Mmm,” he said with a nod. “You too….” Zi turned his nose into the other’s neck, his purr growing a bit more pronounced before fading into a sigh.

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End