Chapter Text
"Any lesser demon would die, but even Sparda himself wasn't sure how long he would last if I hadn't reached out for him then."
Vergil read Mother's remained note, held the red petals which had just fallen from his mouth, unusually tenderly.
"So I just have to get more power faster."
.
His brother's terrified face became further and further before being utterly swallowed by darkness as he fell with scatter scarlet, of the blood from both his own wounds and from the wound on his twin's palm as well as of several petals bursted out his mouth. He thought as darkness embraced him.
"You might hate me, brother. But I will always--"
.
Pain was all over him, from crystals puncture through his torso, from his bleeding wound on his head, from several roots go through his limbs, holding him in place like a broken doll in front of the demon god. Yet the perpetual ache in his chest soothed him, remind him of a smile was so bright.
"I can keep going."
.
Rotten petals followed the servant's trail, stubbornly stuck in its chain. Yet everytime it tried to pick those fragile sangria up, they always soon crumbled, left behind a sense of loss that it didn't understand.
.
The servant's shell cracked and love once again flourished in Vergil's chest, despite he was dying. As his body was deteriorating, Vergil hoped the flower would fest on what remained of him, so his love may lived on, bloomed vigorously for no soul to see. Even when he couldn't hold on his amulet, the only thing last that connected them. Even when his beloved didn't remember him enough to recongize him.
If he had any strength left, he would laugh to his own foolishness.
.
For one moment, Kyrie has doubt Dante when she saw mahogany petals in puddle of blood gushed out from Nero's lost arm, thought it was rose petals. But upon closer investigation, it wasn't. Even Nico was confused, said that she had never seen or known any kind of flower that have petals like that while the brunette recalled a familiarity in the shape of the petals but couldn't point it out where and quickly gave it up in favor for focusing in taking care of Nero and the frightened kids.
.
V didn't carry the disease in his chest, yet the lack of pain made him breathless all the same.
Flower blossomed on the Qliphoth, along with blood, rained crimson down the new demon king. A petal landed on Urizen's hand, he spared a look at it just to crushed it in his palm.
.
Vergil coughed, maroon petals and flowers fell to his hand. He raised his hand with open palm fo let the wind carried the petals to the sky and faded away to the endless blue sky. Even after him being reborn the plant still kept its vitality. The ache in his chest was the same as always, painful, yet somehow so gentle. But he knew, it would die soon with his love.
"Let's settle this, Dante."
.
He have never cough when they fought each other. But when they turn their back to each other with trust and fought Hell together, he hid them in their enemies' blood.
Some those rare occasion they could snatch a rest on the rough ground of Hell, with Dante leant on his side while snoring loudly, he would take one or two petals and dropped on his twin's forehead like a soft kiss, then flicked those away and said to the momentarily silence.
"Still such a fool."
.
Vergil will never admit it to any soul , that being with Dante, in the human world, he is happy.
Even when he coughs out more and more flowers, now mix with of his own blood, which shared the same fresh color of red and his healing ability starts to lose in the race with the corruption of his lungs. Those words which he read decades ago ring loud in his head in his mother's voice, reminds him of the inevitable day. The day when his lungs will ultimately surrender, creeps closer and closer with every smiles and laughters Dante give him.
He coughs again, clutchs the fabric of his shirt as familiar pain flared up in his chest. The sound's let echo freely since Dante doesn't present in Devil May Cry in the moment. Red falls all over the place. He picks one vividly blooming flower up, caresses velvet petals in his hand then puts it in the book he's reading. He wonders what Dante will do if he discovers the floweras, will he throw them away, not knowing what it is?
Suddenly, the clicking of door being opened is deafening. Standing right at the entrance, Dante, who return sooner than expected, looks at his brother with wide eyes.
And flowers everywhere, in his hand, stuck on his shirt and fall from his mouth. Flower which is identical with his own flower except they are dyed in color of blue.
Before he even recognized their own actions, they are already in each other's embrace, kiss each other hungrily and shove the remaining flowers to other's throat while the rest in their chest fade away. And for the first time after many years and time, through hell and hell, his chest is light, yet filled to the brim with warmth and affection from not only his own feeling but also Dante's.
"I love you."- Dante says to their kiss, Vergil gently laces their fingers tightly as an answer.
...
"I tried to grow them once." - in rememberence of you, Dante doesn't say. - "But they withered right away. I want to try again."
His brother's rambling while planting a red and a blue flower together in the place between his own rose graden and Vergil's herbs one. Vergil gives him a questioning look but doesn't argue about Dante's idea to grow their disease flowers. The flower does grow, blooms with beautiful mixed of scarlet and cerulean, and suprisingly, have healing effect to both human and demon alike, but especially hybrids. The twin give part of the harvest for Nero and sometimes uses them for their companion when in need.
But usually , they infuse the flower either to Vergil's tea or some Dante's light liqour and enjoy them together while relaxing in their garden. The flower's smell is pretty soothing, like Vergil'a touch on Dante's hair as he sleeps on his older brother's lap.