Work Text:
Pain.
Agony.
Torment.
Dante’s brain quickly ran out of words to describe what he felt right now as his spine was nearly crushed on the ledge of this building. Mundus’s fingers were digging deep inside his chest, digging closer and closer to his heart. Each one like a rod of red hot steel, burning into his flesh.
Out of the corner of his eyes Dante could see black ooze seeping out of those wounds.
He started to panic, whatever this was, he didn’t want it anywhere near him, he needed to get away, regroup with Vergil - anything.
But he couldn’t feel his legs anymore, couldn’t even feel his hands tightening their grip on Mundus’s arms - with no effect. Was this it?
Dante’s head fell back, hitting the ledge of the building but the additional pain didn’t even register with his brain. There was just the fire that seemed to burn on his chest, seemed to burn inside of it, so close to his heart.
Flashes of a woman came back to him, things he thought long forgotten.
“Mom?”, Dante couldn’t tell if his mouth had actually formed the words, but he saw her. Funny how they both seemed to meet the same end.
At least he could see her again soon. At least Vergil would still be able to defeat Mundus.
Vergil.
He had always known he’d go out fighting, but now… now he felt regret. Regret of never telling his brother how he felt, regardless of the consequences. Just once he’d have liked to feel those lips on his… At the thought his heart seemed to skip a beat, seemed to grow stronger again as if it was trying to fight back, just to get to that one time.
“The Hell Gate…”, Dante barely registered Mundus’s voice, but he felt his fingers retreat, just a little bit, but it was enough to get Dante fighting again. “What have you done?”
Vergil had been successful. He could feel it. The whole world…. it was shifting. The deafening sound of buildings rumbling, cars crashing and people screaming rushed over them.
With his last strength Dante managed a smile, he might be gone soon, but this would be it for the bastard too.
Mundus froze. The tip of a sword pierced through his chest, but still nowhere near close enough to hurt Dante. Yamato.
“Leave my brother alone!”, relief welled up in Dante and suddenly the pain was dulled and his strength came rushing back. Slowly but surely he pushed Mundus’s hands out of him, triggering his healing as he pushed the former demon king over the ledge of the building, spitting on him just to really get that point across.
This was better, oh this was so much better. Whatever that ooze had been, whatever Mundus had done, its effects were slowly fading and he was becoming his old self again. He turned to face his brother.
“You okay, Dante?”, Vergil asked, his body still poised to fight, Yamato ready in his hands.
“You took your time.” Dante was grinning again.
“You’re welcome.”
This was it, he could still get his chance. Just take that one step forward, just-
The building rumbled. The whole city was falling apart and the demon king was still alive, building himself a shell of concrete, metal and whatever else he could find, sucking those materials from the city itself. Mundus formed a huge, vaguely humanoid shell around him and gazed down at the two brothers.
“Two Nephilim? Two sons of Sparda?”
Dante really needed this shit to be over. He remembered the fight against Mundus’s incredibly disgusting demon child - and the eye that had been its weakness.
It didn’t take long for the two brothers to form something that slightly resembled a plan: Dante would distract him, Vergil would expose his eye. How hard could that be, anyway, huh? Dodging a ten meter demon? Piece of cake.
The both managed to dodge the first swipe of Mundus’s giant arm, fleeing to separate rooftops. He just needed to get his attention somehow…
“Dante! Do something!” Vergil was lying on his back, blood seeping from a wound on his forehead and that panic Dante had felt earlier was back in the pit of his stomach. It was almost paralyzing - but it was Vergil.
Dante screamed. Channeled all his energy into that simple thought: Vergil.
The world seemed to stand still for a moment. For a few heartbeats Dante didn’t know what to do but then he saw it: Vergil projected a blade - he could still move - throwing it into Mundus’s eye.
And then the world was spinning again, the demon king was howling, holding his now exposed eye. But he was vulnerable - now was the time.
Dante jumped forward, using Mundus’s own arm to climb towards his head, and with a quick punch with Eryx the eye was out he just needed-
A huge fist closed around him, throwing him against the side of a building, it was rushing towards him so fast and he couldn’t stop -
The world went black for a moment. Air was quickly rushing past him. A thump and something soft hit him, followed quickly by something hard. He opened his eyes again.
“Not dead…”, he mumbled, looking up at his brother. Only slowly did he realize he was lying on his back, with Vergil shielding his body with his own.
“You fell, I…”, Vergil drifted off. There was something in his eyes Dante could not place, something like… fear?
“Teleported”, Dante swallowed. That building had been really hard… “You saved me.”
Vergil slightly tilted his head, moving the tiniest bit closer to him, had they not been so close Dante might not have noticed. Though his brother seemed to change his mind, moving his head back again.
But this was it: This was the moment. They could still die and Dante would not let this opportunity slide again.
So he quickly moved his hands to grasp Vergil’s neck, pulling him down as he leaned in, closing the small gap that was still between them, to press their lips together. For a moment there was nothing, just the chaste touch of lips on lips, making Dante more nervous than any fight - even the one they were having right now.
But Vergil kissed him back - he was kissing him back - and all the pain he had felt this day was erased from his memory. Nothing else mattered. Just this.
Dante’s leg instinctively wrapped around his brother’s waist, pinning him together and pulling him further down as he parted his lips to let their tongues come together. He had craved this taste for so long, had imagined what it would be like, but none of his fantasies came close to the real thing. This was simply… Vergil. No other words could describe that taste.
They pulled apart, finally meeting each other’s gaze again. Their breathing was heavy, intermingling, because neither of them dared to move further away just now.
Dante was smiling, trying to tell his brother It’s okay. We’re gonna be okay.
It took Vergil a few agonizing moments to finally return a smile. He stood up, gently pushing Dante’s leg from his waist, letting cold air rush between them again, but he held out a hand to help his brother up. When they were standing face to face again, it was just natural that they’d be standing close. This was how it would be from now on. They had found their natural state.
Vergil leaned in once more for a quick kiss.
“Come on, brother. We have a demon king to kill.”