my hero | dante x reader
(dante sparda x reader | can be set in DMC'S game universe or anime! inspired by re4.)
𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
When Dante was hired to rescue the daughter of a powerful, fortune-telling family, he expected someone pristine. Proper. Maybe soft-spoken, mysterious, and grateful to be saved.
Not... this.
He had slayed demons—multiple demons, mind you, just to reach the creepy, crumbling church where you were kept. Solved a ridiculously hard puzzle, nearly got impaled by a swinging axe trap, and had to put up with the scent of brimstone and rotting pews the whole way.
And this is how you greeted him?
With a candlestick. To the chest.
Dante staggered slightly, looking down at the now-bent bronze stick protruding from his jacket. His eyes flicked up to the girl standing in front of him, panting, your expression twisted in panic. Her eyes were wide. He could practically hear your heart racing.
“Not the hello I was expecting,” he muttered, yanking the candlestick out of his chest and tossing it aside with a clatter. The wound was already closing.
Honestly, you were kind of a sight, even if your first impression was... intense. He glanced between you and the photo your had given him. Same eyes. Same pouty lips.
Definitely her.
“Who... the hell are you?!” you snapped, stumbling back and dropping to the floor, scurrying away like a terrified cat.
He placed a hand on his hip, unimpressed.
“I’m Dante. I’m here to save you.”
“No, you’re not! You’re-you're one of those things! You’re here to finish the job!”
Dante sighed. “Your father hired me to save you, princess. You can chill.”
But you weren’t having it. You grabbed a piece of broken wood like a sword and aimed it at him, still shaking.
“That’s it.”
Before you could react, he darted forward with lightning speed, hoisted you up like you weighed nothing, and threw you over his shoulder.
“Put me down! I swear to God - let go of me! This is kidnapping! You animal!”
“Yeah, yeah. Screaming won’t help your case.”
You flailed and kicked and pounded your fists against his back.
“I’m going to curse you! I’m going to curse your entire bloodline!”
“Aw, that’s cute,” he said with a smirk. “You think I haven’t already been cursed.”
And with that, Dante walked out of the church, the echo of your outraged shrieking following behind him as he carried you straight into your unwanted rescue.
He already knew this mission was going to be a pain.
But hell if it wasn’t going to be entertaining.
𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
Okay... maybe you weren’tthat bad.
After he explained the situation to you—albeit while covering your mouth mid-scream—you started to calm down. A little. And after he saved you from, oh, multiple demon attacks, you finally stopped stabbing him with random objects.
Now, you followed his lead like a wary cat, tiptoeing behind him through the ruins of a quiet village. At first glance, it looked abandoned. Peaceful. But you knew better. Dante had warned you, some of the villagers weren’t villagers at all.
Demons. Disguised. Watching.
You stuck close, barely breathing.
Suddenly, Dante stopped and motioned toward a metal trash can.
You blinked. Confused. “What?”
He kept his voice low. “Hide.”
You looked from him… to the trash can… then back again.
“Seriously?” you hissed.
He turned to face you, clearly baffled. “Yes. Seriously. No choice, princess.”
You groaned and dragged your feet toward the bin like it was your destiny.
“This is so disgusting,” you muttered under your breath. “Ew. Ew. Ew.”
Dante smirked as he heard the faint, pitiful complaints from within. Then, without missing a beat, he drew Ebony and Ivory from his holsters.
“It’s showtime, baby.”
Gunfire erupted just as you hunkered down. Inside the trash can, you flinched at every bang, every crack, every roaring screech from the demon horde. Then you heard it:
“WOOHOO!”
You couldn’t help it,you laughed. A wacky wohoo pizza man saving your life? Not exactly what your cards had predicted. But fate clearly had a wild sense of humor.
The noise outside started to fade. Silence crept back in. Your heartbeat rose.
What if it wasn’t Dante who opened the lid next?
But a moment later, the top popped open and there he was—grinning like a devil who just cleaned house.
“You good there, princess?” he teased, but there was something softer in his tone now. A flicker of concern.
You sighed, brushing your hair from your face.
“Not the best, but it can do.”
He chuckled and offered a hand, easily lifting you out and carrying you from the filth like a damn knight in blood-stained leather.
“You don’t have to worry,” he said over his shoulder. “We’re near the castle. We’re almost out. I’ll have you back to your pops in no time.”
You looked up at him, something warm blooming in your chest. You clasped your hands together.
“Dante?”
He glanced back. “Hmm?”
“Thank you. For saving my life.”
He paused. Just for a moment.
“No need,” he said casually, turning away again. “It’s my job. Come on now—time’s valuable.”
And off you went.
You, the trash-can princess.
And him, the demon-slaying, woohoo-yelling knight.
Yeah… maybe you guys were a nice team.
𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
You were cursed, a demon’s blood was injected inside you while you were unconscious.
One moment, you were walking beside Dante through the castle’s silent halls, chatting about exit plans and the next, your feet froze.
Your body stilled.
“Hey,” Dante called casually from ahead. “You good there, Princess?”
He turned, eyebrow raised. But when he took a step toward you, your hand shot up, swift and deadly. Before either of you could react, your fingers wrapped tightly around his throat.
The grip was monstrous. Not yours. Not truly.
“The girl… is mine,” a voice growled through your lips. Hollow. Unrecognizable. You watched in horror, unable to scream, to cry, to stop.
Dante choked beneath your hold, eyes never leaving yours even as he struggled. He could’ve fought back. He should’ve. But he didn’t. He was afraid of hurting you.
Then just as suddenly, the grip loosened. Your knees buckled and you collapsed, only to be caught by warm, steady arms.
“W-What… happened?” you gasped, blinking rapidly.
Dante smiled at you gently. “Nothin’ much, princess. It’s good to have you back.”
Now, the two of you were in the underground levels, taking a breather in one of the rare safe zones. A “save point” you called it, after one of the video games you played. A friendly mercenary from above had set up a dummy shooting range and Dante took to it like a kid at an arcade, blasting each target with confident ease.
And your cheers? They only made him better.
“Woo! Ten in a row!” “Nice shot, cowboy!” “Is this your secret stress relief?”
Your laughter echoed off the stone walls and Dante couldn’t stop the smirk tugging at his lips. He never thought babysitting a rich girl would be this… fun.
He wasn’t gonna lie, it felt nice, having you around.
But behind your claps and witty quips… something was stirring.
As he reloaded for another round, he noticed the silence. No clapping. No teasing remarks.
He turned, and there you were, staring at your hands. Your expression was distant. Haunted. The veins beneath your skin looked darker. Angrier. Your smile was gone.
“Hey,” Dante called softly, walking toward you. “You good, princess?”
You looked up at him, guilt swimming in your eyes.
“I hurt you,” you whispered.
“You had no control over that.”
“But still!” you snapped, frustration breaking through. “What if I do lose control? What then?”
You looked around the area, eyes glassy. Tears were beginning to pool, and you hated it.
“I’m sorry, Dante…” Your voice cracked. “I’m just… so scared.”
His eyes softened instantly.
“When that happened… I was there. Inside my body. Screaming, but no one could hear me. It was like… like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from!”
You stumbled forward, leaning into his chest. He didn’t hesitate—his arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly, protectively.
For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Just the sound of your quiet sobs, and the steady beat of his heart.
Then he smiled into your hair and whispered:
“You’re the strongest girl I’ve known, (Y/N). What you did back in the castle while I was trapped and unable to reach you? You handled yourself like a damn pro. You’re gonna beat this. I know you will.”
He gently pulled back to look at you, brushing a strand of hair from your face.
“I’m gonna bring you home safe.”
Your eyes met his.
For once, the fear inside you faded just a little, replaced by something warm. Trust. Hope. Maybe even something more.
“Now come on, don’t you wanna try this shooting game?”
𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
It had taken over.
Veronica. It was the name of the demon that had fully consumed your body, turning you into a twisted mirror of yourself. Black veins streaked across your face, eyes glowing an unnatural red, your voice dripping with venom as she mocked Dante with every word.
But the hardest part wasn’t the speed of her attacks. It wasn’t the razor-sharp accuracy or the maddening, taunting laugh echoing in the chamber.
It was you.
You,whose body Veronica now wore like a trophy, was why Dante hesitated. Each bullet, each strike, each blow brought him closer to ending the fight… and possibly hurting the one person he didn’t want to lose.
You, who had laughed with him in the darkest of places. You, who was the clear representation of why he saves humans. You, who made even a devil feel a little more human.
Then came the moment.
Veronica, grinning wickedly, spotted the flicker of hesitation.
“Jackpot,” she hissed. “So this is the weakness of Sparda’s son…”
She lunged for him—fangs bared, blade raised—but she stopped.
She froze.
From inside the shell, you fought. Screaming in silence. Pushing against the darkness. Your hands trembled mid-strike, and your knees gave out. Her control faltered.
“No… no!!” Veronica howled in rage.
As Dante effortlessly slices through the demons, his eyes never leave you. He could feel it, too, the pull, the connection, even though you were trapped inside that monster. But now, he had you back. You were fighting for control, resisting the demon’s urges to hurt him, and damn, if that didn’t make him proud.
The demon smirked, but it faltered when it realized you weren’t backing down. Dante grinned, his confidence returning like a wave crashing over him. "That’s my girl," he muttered under his breath. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he entered his Devil Trigger, the power surging through him.
The demon howled in defiance. “NO! I am the queen of everything! I WILL NOT FALL!”
Dante shot a look full of cocky confidence. "Yeah? Well, guess what? You’re about to get dethroned."
With one final slash, the demon’s body was sliced in half. You fell, but before you could hit the ground, Dante was already there, catching you in his arms. You blinked, your vision blurry, then you smiled up at him, warmth flooding your chest.
“D-Dante…?”
He smiled. “Gotcha.”
You blinked at him, dazed, but safe. Then you grinned weakly. “My hero.”
“Good to have you back, princess. I missed you.”
You looked up at him with a teasing smile. “Yeah?”
Before he could answer, static crackled through his comm. Lady’s voice cut in.
“You’ve got exactly five minutes before this place goes boom. Underground tunnel. Vehicle’s waiting. Move your asses.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “Buzzkill.”
He looked down at you again, cocky grin back in place.
“Well, what do you say, princess? Care for one last ride?”
You smirked, brushing hair from your face. “I’d be honored.”
𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
The jet ski roared across the water, moonlight shimmering off the waves. You screamed in exhilaration, clinging to Dante’s back as the wind whipped through your hair.
Finally, he slowed, stopping right in the middle of the vast, open sea. The stars above were glittering. Everything was still.
Dante leaned back slightly, looking over his shoulder.
“Not bad, huh?” he said with that familiar cocky lilt.
You chuckled breathlessly, cheeks flushed.
“What a crazy first date.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You consider this a date?”
You hummed. “Mm… yeah. I mean, you picked me up, saved my life, took me for a ride—kinda romantic.”
Dante chuckled, low and smooth. “Damn. Guess I’ve still got it.”
Then you leaned forward, close to his ear.
“You’ve been putting in work all day, Dante. How about some overtime? I’m sure you’ll enjoy this shift a lot more.”
He tilted his head slightly, that cocky smirk growing.
“I don’t think that’s in the company handbook... but to hell with it.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he twisted the throttle, sending the jet ski speeding ahead. “Hang on tight, princess.”
The engine roared, and the two of you shot forward, the water crashing around you as your arm found its way on his waist. Dante’s grin widened, his satisfaction palpable, especially when he glanced at you, a loving look in his eyes.
So this is what his father felt when he fell in love with his mother, Eva.
And Dante knew it all too well..
He hit the jackpot with you.
