sorry guys for pushing this story so much but I'm putting a lot of energy into so I just wanna get as much traction on it as I can :)
Here's the first chapter, just so you have an idea of what you're or could be getting into
It had been three months since the destruction of the Qliphoth tree, yet Dante had not returned. You had been holding down the fort at Devil May Cry in his absence, taking on small jobs with lesser demons and mostly just keeping bills paid, it was also your home after all.
About two and a half months ago, some kid had come by your door asking for you by name and claiming to know Dante. The kid turned out to be Nero, Vergil’s son. It was a weird situation and definitely took a few weeks to process, but Nero was a sweet kid, which sort of gave you an idea of how his father could be, until he explained some more stuff and that image of him quickly fizzled out and you had nothing to go off.
Over the time Dante was away, you, Nico, Kyrie, and Nero hung out a lot, even just them coming over to help you do renovations to the shop since they were well overdo, but you became very close to the group. Probably given you were closer in age to them, though you had never really noticed it with Dante as he was pretty immature but also because you guys just got along and never really noticed the age difference. You had forgotten what it was like to be around people your age.
The more Nero tells you about his father, the more you begin to dislike him. You remind yourself that Nero probably has a lot of strong emotions to Vergil and they likely warp his perception of him, so you try not to make a harsh judgement so quickly, though you can’t help the slight bitterness you have towards the man you have yet not met.
You don’t linger on such thoughts, preoccupied with bigger issues such as trying to reach Dante. You’re pretty sure it’s impossible, especially with your lack of knowledge and resources, but you need to know he’s alive. He is your best friend after all.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to you, Dante has been rambling about you non-stop. Vergil is becoming quite tiresome of his brother's constant chatter as they continue to journey out of the Underworld, but he is unfortunately rather intrigued by Dante’s description of you.
Dante describes you as super cool, since you both shared similar taste in music and movies. Smart, telling his twin about your degree in architecture and how precise you are with all your projects. He admires your hobbies and interests, explaining your skills when it comes to metalwork and intricacies in design, how motivated you are even on shitty days, the books you read, how you dress, the types of tea you enjoy, everything down to the way you speak.
“You have no clue how much they rock, Verg” Dante says, eyes lighting up at his own mention of you. Vergil quickly picked up on the close bond his brother has with you, and can’t help but wonder who has earned such high praise from him.
He shows Vergil the bracelet cuff you made him for his birthday last year, despite his brother's obvious disinterest, he continues to explain. “It’s super cool, they made this out of an old titanium plate for me and engraved the designs, isn’t that cool as fuck?” Vergil gives the bracelet a small glance, expecting disappointment but actually surprised to see a very well made piece of jewellery, delicately engraved with the scene of a gothic-style cathedral, the detail is impeccable, somehow managing to use empty space and shadows as even more depth to the design.
He is almost brought to compliment it, but decides not to. “You speak very highly of this person, Dante” He offers a sideways glance to his brother as they walk the maze of the Underworld, making sure his younger brother keeps up with him as they move.
“They’ve earned it” Dante shrugs, looking down at his feet as they hit the ground, hands shoved back into the pockets of his red leather coat. “I’d probably be in a much shittier place without them.”
Vergil presses his lips together slightly at those words but doesn’t give much more of a reaction at the implication. He is still getting used to being around his brother again. Dante notices the tension in the older twin's shoulders and clears his throat “Anyway, I think you’ll get along with them pretty well, but they are a little–no, very awkward around people, so just try to be a little… I dunno, less brooding?” He glances over at Vergil, grinning in response to the scowl he shoots at him.
“Brooding?” Vergil scoffs “I do not brood, I merely prefer to observe instead of inserting myself in every setting unlike some” He defends coolly, giving his twin a pointed sideways glance at the last word. Dante isn’t bothered by his scorching glares anymore, considering he gets many. Instead, he rolls his eyes “You know what I mean, people think you’re weird. You stand around like you hate everyone, it puts people off,” He tries to level with Vergil, sighing heavily around his words.
Vergil looks very vaguely confused, the only sign of his discombobulation being the slight raise of one eyebrow. “What does it matter if I hate everyone? Or present myself as such? It is not like people are very fond of every other person they meet anyway” He murmurs, adjusting his grip on Yamato slightly as they walk side-by-side. “Society continues to bewilder me.”
Dante hums a little in partial agreement with his twin, shrugging his shoulders once again. “You got a point, but it’s not like you can just avoid everyone forever,” He chuckles faintly, showing his brother his words are not at all hostile in any way. There’s still a tension between them, even after these months forced to spend together.
“You never know what will happen if you let someone close,” Dante speaks up after a long moment of silence, his words a lot softer than his previous ones. “Sure, it may get you hurt, it may also be the best thing you’ve ever taken a chance on.”
That’s probably the most meaningful thing he’s said over the span of the three months together. Vergil doesn’t respond, but the words linger in his mind, circling his head as they approach what appears to be the way out.
“I hear it’s polite to prefer the elderly,” Dante grins, bowing as he gestures for Vergil to walk first. The bow earns a small scoff from his brother as he walks past the younger twin.
“I’m only older by twelve minutes, Dante.”
The two of them enter the portal.
They arrive late one Sunday night, right into the main room of Devil May Cry, where you were busy working on some floorplans for your latest client in the other room. You had music playing softly out loud, taking advantage of the empty house. The kitchen table, which you’re using as your desk for the time being, your work dimly lit by a lonely lamp, pointed towards the mass of utilities spread over the flat surface.
Not yet noticing the shift in energy, you push your glasses up your nose before catching a glimpse of the flash of purple light from the living room. You stand up quickly, barely getting a few steps towards the source of once existing light before a strong pair of arms sweeps you up in a tight hug. While you’re not much of a hug person, the scent of old leather and musk gives away the person who’s embracing you, meaning you don’t immediately panic. Dante’s home!
The look of confusion is quickly replaced with an overjoyed smile as you squirm slightly in his grasp, laughing slightly. “You’re finally home!” You exclaim with glee as he sets you down so you can wrap your own arms around your best friend. “I thought you were dead” You admit with a light chuckle.
Dante responds with a light chuckle of his own, ruffling your hair as you pull away from the embrace. “You really thought I would just leave you in a cold, cruel, Dante-less world so easy?” He grins and you roll your eyes slightly, patting his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, dumbass” You murmur fondly. “Take a shower, you reek.”
“Rude” Dante holds a hand to his chest as if you’ve offended him dearly before shaking his head with a snort and turning to walk away, presumably to the bathroom. He stops short before walking out of the room and turns back to you. “Oh, by the way, Vergil is here. Go say hi, he’s not great with people.” With that, he walks off.
You stand there momentarily, blinking at the statement. You still haven’t really made up your mind on the guy, but the sudden appearance of him makes your brain falter. Glancing towards the living space, sure enough, Vergil stands there, stiff as a board, save for the subtle rocking on the balls of his feet, while taking in his twin brother's living space.
Unfortunately, you panic and end up staring at the guy for much longer than you would have liked to. He clears his throat pointedly and you finally catch yourself. Quickly glancing away, you wring your hands together uncomfortably. After a long moment of hesitation, you speak up, introducing yourself and offering a kind smile.
“Vergil, as you likely are already aware of” He speaks after your introduction, still looking around the space you and his brother reside in, noticing the aspects which are out of character for Dante, assumedly your input, whether it be decor or the mere cleanliness of the space.
“Is there anything you need or such?” You offer after your mutual introduction, still very, very uncomfortable with the whole interaction. You were never great with social settings after all.
Vergil simply shakes his head, his gaze only barely meeting your own fleeting one. “I should be well, thank you” He says with a small nod. You respond in kind, taking a step back to offer space. He has a nice voice, that much is true. It’s soft, a little nasally, the kind of voice you would associate with someone who holds great intellect.
Silence blankets the room other than the soft murmurs from the turntable across the living room, where your music continues to play quietly. As much as you enjoy sitting in awkward silence with an equally as awkward person, you do have work to do. You quietly excuse yourself back to the kitchen table and continue to work on your floorplans.
With occasional glances towards the older twin, you realise he wasn’t what you were expecting when Nero explained his father at all. He’s more reserved, more quiet, more… anxious? That doesn’t feel like the right word. Especially given all the things you’ve heard. Anxious can’t be the word to describe such a man, yet it’s the word that feels most fitting right now.
A soft sigh slips through your lips as you stare blankly at the page before you, holding your head up with one of your hands. A nagging feeling settles in your gut as you begin to hunch that this guy may be a lot more complicated than Nero and Dante gave him credit for.