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He never complained, so you never asked, however it was interesting watching him adapt to your environment in the same way you adapted into his own.
You ended up learning that Vergil was never one for domesticity, though he was also never one to voice a complaint whenever you seemingly doted on him and treated him as your other half. In return, neither of you truly ever brought it up or thought too long or hard about it, accepting acknowledgments in mutual silence that you both were comfortable enough to settle within the other’s boundaries and wants.
However, fitting Vergil into your life schedule somehow ended up being less of a chore than you originally thought it would be. Sure, he was a half-demon with some serious past trauma on his back and had committed less than acceptable deeds in the past, but you had already known that and accepted the fact any and all social interactions with him would take time for him to adjust to and you would need to be patient with the way he was readjusting to life outside of everything he knew.
The world itself had its edges crusted over in self-deprecation and long-picked wounds ready to reopen form the slightest tear in the seams, until someone came and sewed it back shut from any horrid presence with a touch of lingering affection. At some points you realized he was exactly like that, but you never were one for trying to fix someone; someone who was legitimately fine the way they were to you and didn’t need fixing, just a presence along his side when needed be.
You weren’t the person for fixing, and neither was Vergil, so you supposed that was why he ended up fitting in quite nicely alongside yourself.
However, if you had to come up with how to label him the moment he started frequenting you more often and became accustomed to the way you lived…
Cautious.
A word, and perhaps a description, you would give to the man who always sat almost too perfectly on your couch. His hands clasped between his slightly parted legs, fingers twitching and palms meeting every so often as the time went by, and his posture as stiff as board while his eyes darted out to assess every piece of furniture and decoration you had before he would somehow revert them back to you and repeat the process over.
Cautious… and awkward.
And be it his inability to hold conversations with you at time over dinner (he was trying, really, and it was endearing watching and hearing him talk about things he was particularly interested in), or just settling into a sense of normalcy once more, nothing really quite caught your attention like the way he seemed to interact with your cat(s).
January 7th; one month
“You don’t have to plaster yourself against the wall… Jesus, Vergil, I’m not gonna bite you.”
He was stiff – poised beyond belief – and he was cautious, perhaps walking into an unknown territory and assessing every nook and cranny before relaxing when he found nothing amiss or of threatening means. Vergil stuck out like a sore thumb in the entry way of your apartment, dressed to the nines in his velvety, Victorian getup you liked to tease him about being gothic for, and it didn’t help he took forever to learn how to relax.
The look he shot you alone told you it’d be a cold day in Hell the moment you got the jump on him, and you kept the eye roll in check when he sniffed and flexed his fingers along the grip he had of the Yamato in retaliation – cautious.
You’d seen Vergil placid, focused, and smug, but nothing compared to seeing an awkward expression (seriously, you were having a hard time wondering if it was just awkward in a way he didn’t know what to say so he just sneered, or he was just annoyed, or if that was just his face) on his face the few times he was being more mundane with his son or brother. Bless him, he was trying, but it also did make it funny as it was endearing seeing him make the same faces he made when you placed a key to your apartment in his palm (because he really needed to stop making portals in and out, the neighbors already looked at him weird and God forbid he answered the door again and scared the poor guy down the hall) whenever he was brought into a new interaction that he hadn’t yet experienced.
(It was almost as funny and as endearing the day he slipped up and called Nero, Son.)
You sighed and looked over at him from your shoulder, the dark colors of his outfit a fine contrast to the pale color of you walls, “My home is your home.”
It was decided that pointedly looking away from the heavy way his gaze landed back on your face the moment the words flowed off your tongue was perhaps the right decision… You hadn’t necessarily gotten used to Vergil’s intense stares – especially with the growing relationship between you both. Nevertheless, you fought the heat and embarrassment and snuck a coy smile in whenever you heard the soft footfalls of his boots against your floor, beginning to walk deeper into your apartment with him on your heels as you listened closely to keep everything in check.
He didn’t need a tour, but you assumed it was perhaps a little unsettling since you had practically told him to move in with you, and when you heard him stop walking the ball of doubt lodged deep into your throat fell down to settle into your stomach. You were ready to tell him he didn’t have to do it and you didn’t wanna make him uncomfortable, but he had beaten you to the punch and left you more curious than worried.
“…A cat,” he voiced flatly, and almost so softly and full of wonder you had to pivot on your heel to look and watch as he came to terms with the feline son you kept nuzzled up into your home sitting in his cat tree like he owned the place and lazily blinking at Vergil’s presence. You processed everything for a moment, remembering that very recently you took in a stray and had neglected to tell Vergil about it. Not that it seemed of pertinent information for him, but when you thought perhaps he had some heightened allergy to them because you never did see Dante or Nero around any pets that much…
“Oh… I forgot,” you turned back to him, a sheepish mask playing over your face as he alternated from the weird staring contest he was having with your cat to looking back at you, “I adopted him – kinda… He jumped through the window –”
“ – Stop leaving your window open.”
“ – and I just kinda let him live here…”
A fine brow rose, a tick in his jaw and you swore a vein on his forehead was protruding, “’Kinda’? Do you let everything that crawls into your life take refuge here?”
“I mean, I’m letting you live here, so yeah.”
“…”
Yeah, the vein was definitely protruding, and you waved him off while trying to hide your grin at his disgruntled stance, “Anyways, I didn’t think you’d care, but…”
The lighthearted trail you left at the end of your sentence was your ‘kissy-kissy’ talk you liked to use with him and always worked like a charm because Vergil would get more annoyed at your pestering more than anything and succumb in his own Vergil-esque way. It was like forcing the mouth of an alligator open that had its dinner sitting snugly in there open to get him to say whether he minded something or not, and you had called him a ‘No Man’ once and he got an attitude about it so you tried to refrain from prying into him. Yet, if he wasn’t okay being with a cat…
The barely audible sigh was seen rather than heard, Vergil’s shoulders relaxing and his chest rising and falling as the severe look left his face and casted a slow side glance towards your cat, who remained unbothered and lazily flicking his tail back and forth. “…What’s his name?”
You beamed, “Burrito.”
“Burrito,” he repeated , the tone you knew for sure he used whenever he was severely judging someone. You pursed your lips to hold your laugh in at how humorous it was to hear him say that and the with the way he was looking at you, reaching forward and smacked him on his chest. “Why is it named after a food?”
“Because that’s what I was eating when he jumped in… Look, he’s my big man –”
You couldn’t tell if the noise Vergil made was a snort or just a weird cough.
“But… if you mind…” you trailed off again, twisting your fingers in hopes you didn’t have to sacrifice either of the men in your new life, but Vergil silenced your rambling with a palm up, silvery eyes glinting at you for a moment before they softened just the slightest in the lowering amber sunset when he looked at Burrito.
“I don’t mind.”
February 14th; two months
Valentine’s Day was not a day you were expecting Vergil to even celebrate – Hell, you didn’t even celebrate it yourself, but that wasn’t to say Vergil didn’t end up spending time with you.
He’d been more frequent in going out (‘Finishing unfinished business’, he’d say) so time together was shill between you both when it seemed he woke you up more from his weight settling into the mattress next to you as he undid the straps to his boots more than anything else. You didn’t mind, Vergil was Vergil and you more inclined to feel grateful he was sticking around than running off into the night without so much of a word; spending time with his twin and his son certainly seemed to also put a damper onto his moody attributes as well.
So you weren’t all that surprised when he came back that day – albeit a little earlier than usual and casted a glance to the plate on your coffee table and the leftovers on the counter. He didn’t need to eat, but it was in appreciation whenever he did so with yours as much as he agreed to Kyrie’s at times (it was also fun to learn what he liked and disliked in that area; read: chocolate and mint being favorites apparently). Vergil had settled into the couch next to you the same time Burrito jumped into your lap, focus immediately reigning towards the television where you had started a documentary on ancient Samurais.
You learned he had taken up the hobby of watching every particular documentary he deemed interesting enough; be it history, science, and even marine biology oddly enough, Vergil was probably going to watch it if he found a section in it that caught his attention. You weren’t surprised given how much of a bookworm he was, and it was also nice spending time with him mutual, beneficial silence, something you had to learn he preferred even when you first met him.
You sighed inwardly. Watching an old documentary about Samurai on Valentine’s Day… your hand brushed along Burrito’s back, Well, it could’ve been worse. He could've not been there. You weren’t necessarily complaining, but your past plans for the holiday didn’t also end up sitting on the couch with a half-demon completely engrossed in a three-hour long documentary…
Well, was engrossed, until you peeked over with a less than noticeable side glance to see he had stopped watching it and was very decidedly taking that time to have another staring contest with Burrito. Who in turn stared right back unblinking with his tail flicking across your forearm… almost in a challenge.
You snorted.
“No matter the species, men never do change…” Having some weird contest over you that resulted in glaring at each other… you wouldn’t have been surprised if they randomly started having some vocal exchange to impress you.
“I’m not an animal,” his knee knocked into yours, a result from his manspread, while he propped his head into his palm, “The – Burrito… assumes I’m intruding in on his territory…” You didn’t miss the way his finger started to curl around strands of his hair, his eyes flicking back to you, Burrito, and the television every few seconds.
You paused, eyeing Vergil carefully as he just dropped that information on you and like it wasn’t weird at all that he was able to deduce that so easily. A hum resounded low in your throat and you ran your hand along Burrito’s back once more, “And you just… know this?”
He pointedly looked forward, not even at the television anymore, just anywhere else, “His behavior says otherwise?”
You thought about it for a moment, the forgotten documentary flashing against face highlighting his cut crease features and Burrito purring underneath your hand. “No, I’m just… wondering why you know that.”
Vergil sniffed again, “Instincts.”
“Right, but you’re half-demon, not half-cat… Unless…” you trailed off with a sly grin, his eyelashes shadowing over his eyes in the side-glare he shot you the moment the words left your mouth. He didn’t comment further, a familiar pinch in his brow that usually only happened whenever he had something on his mind and was trying to find the words to rightly discuss it. Part of you wanted to ease up since he looked vaguely uncomfortable about the speaking about the matter, yet the other part of you wondered just what he was getting at as he didn’t seem to particularly be in one of his ‘joking’ moods. Not only that, but he also somewhat looked like he was… pouting?
You blinked, recognition hitting you at full force.
Ah. Ah.
A sigh passed your lips as you held back the laugh lodging itself in your throat. Leave it to Vergil to have beef with a cat. If he wanted attention, all he had to do was ask.
His pout was cute, you’d give him that, and you barely held the giggle back at his suspicious side glance when you began to move in your spot. You ignored Burrito’s annoyed, ‘mrrrr’ as you jostled him in your lap from the movement, opting to plop yourself closer to Vergil and ultimately squish yourself into his side. You’d napped plenty of times on his shoulder and in his lap, but you didn’t think it really could compare to the way you two could lay together in silence at times completely awake and basking in each other’s company.
It was a moment of you sitting with your head against his arm, his scent as pleasant as ever, before he lifted his arm without a word and let you fall completely into his side. You felt a smile uncontrollably split your face when the warmth bloomed out of your chest and cheeks throughout the rest of your body, and with the documentary seeming all the more interesting as you snuggled into his side and pulled Burrito closer to you to let lay comfortable once more in your lap.
As tired and content as you were, you didn’t have the heart to even fall asleep, especially not when Vergil’s hand eventually crawled its way up to land upon yours, mirroring your motions of petting Burrito who had begun to purr the moment it happened.
March 19th; three months
With March finally signaling the arrival of Spring, you had been brought forward with allergies. Vergil had been vehement the moment you sneezed four times in a row one morning and had an itchy throat to keep your windows close. You had agreed of course, but that also resorted to you turning the air conditioner on because it was way too hot without it in your apartment. Especially when your boyfriend’s body temperature ran hotter than was humanly possible and sometimes liked to spoon with you.
Sleeping was easier, yet you got colder with the air conditioning on and had become a ‘nuisance’ (Vergil’s words) in the night stealing blankets and placing cold feet on his bare back, yet that night you were particularly warm. Even in your sleep you deduced that Vergil had returned earlier than normal, snuggling back in your sleep, but you weren’t necessarily sure why he was feeling furry and curled up against the skin of your back.
You ignored it.
(Maybe his leg hair grew.)
You hadn’t been waking up so frequently in the night since becoming accustomed to having Vergil living with you, any nightmares or memories diminished by his mere presence alone in your bed. However, it was still a fuzzy recognition each time you felt his side of the bed dip in the late of hours of the night when nothing but the moon and stars accompanied the sky.
It was of no surprise that you began to wake the moment you heard the door shut, his weight settling down onto his side of the bed as the sounds of him undressing reached your ears and you inevitably waited for him to lift the cover up and settle in next to you. It was routine, and you’d either roll over and shove your face in his chest or wait for him to curl an arm around a part of you as you fell back into a dream.
Nevertheless, when the moment did come as you heard the nearly inaudible sigh from him as he lifted the cover back and revealed half of your form, you realized with the frosty air chilling across your bare legs that the moment was lasting entirely too long.
You furrowed your brow, still facing away from him and silently begging for him to lay down because you were for sure going to roll over on top of him for warmth if he was purposely making you cold. Though with the stare you could already feel flitting across the exposed skin of your back, you had a sneaking suspicion of the mood he may have been in (as it wasn’t entirely all the time it happened). You sighed and opened your eyes, nothing but the dark greeting you and your creepy boyfriend ogling you at your back. Sure, you didn’t sleep with pants, but he’d seen it all, no reason to stare, all he had to was ask, but if he wanted to play hard to get, and that was what he wanted –
“I see you’ve let another take my spot instead.”
Despite the meaning for the words, Vergil sounded… humored. You blinked and stretched your arm around, patting around until you came across a lump of fur curled up against your back and said lump swatted at your hand for interrupting his beauty sleep. Ah, it wasn’t a potentially new form of Vergil that was hairy, it was your son seeking warmth in the sixty-degrees blast of cold inhabiting your apartment.
“Ouch,” you griped, rubbing your thumb over the spot Burrito had slapped you, while rolling over to sit up and face where Vergil was, “I didn’t even know he was there.”
“Unsurprising… Though it was bound to happen sooner or later with the way you keep it freezing.”
It made you want to bubble up into a giggle at the sound of his voice seemingly disembodied in the dark, not being able to see him yet his vision letting him see you perfectly, but you were more focused on the fact he still held the blanket up and was currently making you cold. You huffed and waved your hand, slightly disoriented as the chills on your legs doubled, “Lay down. It’s cold.”
“Burrito has taken my spot, unless you intend for me to take the couch.”
You patted the bed again, feeling the lump again and not getting slapped that time, “Just scoot him over.”
A beat. “You looked awfully peaceful.”
This again, you rolled your eyes and snickered, instead heaving your big cat into your arms and making room for Vergil, “What can I say? I need a cuddler and he’s my b –“
“Your ‘big man’, yes, I’ve heard it more than enough.”
“Don’t be so jealous, handsome,” you snickered and patted the spot next to you while lying your head back onto the pillow, tucking Burrito underneath your chin and against to your chest as he began to purr and press his nose to your neck, “You’re my big man too. All nearly seven feet of you. Now lay down and come here.”
The noise he made in the back of his throat was something you weren’t sure was of embarrassment or one of his signature grumbles, but ultimately did as you said. The bed shifted once he was down, the cover back over the both of you and a leg tangling with your own as Burrito shifted enough to lay along the lengths of your bodies. No more words were exchanged, the night was still, and you were already becoming warm mere minutes after Vergil finally settled back into bed.
At times it was hard, getting someone with the horrors that had happened to him to finally rest on his back; completely open and vulnerable to anything that could happen as he rested. It took a lot of work to get him to finally sleep next to you, it took a lot more work to get him to talk about those late nights. However, it was soft having him next to you, it was soft being with him, in a way that had chills breaking back across every part on your skin and leaving a yearning in your soul of wanting to burrow yourself into his warmth and everything he had offer.
It was perfect; perfect and warm, quiet and peaceful –
Until Vergil promptly sneezed.
You snorted, and he hissed into the dark, “Cat…”
There was no ill intention in his voice, and you felt Burrito swish his tail again (the indication that he brushed it across Vergil’s nose to tickle it and make and him sneeze that loud ass sneeze not lost on you as you bit your cheek to keep from laughing), until Vergil’s arm barred down across the both of you and all movement stopped with Burrito’s purrs soothing you both to sleep.
You fell asleep then, a lingering pink of softness and warmth surrounding you and when you awoke later you couldn’t find it in you to wake your two others. You felt your lips stretch into a smile, Vergil’s face buried in Burrito’s fur and Burrito tucked up under his chin while you both remained secured by his arm.
July 21st; seven months
The iridescent colors of blues in the form he took every so often had always fascinated you, the indention of the ‘V’ along his widened chest abdomen the most interesting as you pondered if it was something he did consciously, or it was something far beyond anything he had power. You weren’t necessarily sure if he really had any power over what his forms looked like, as he once told you before it had changed to older he got, but nevertheless you were always quick to appreciate it whenever he showed you.
The blue of him did intrigue you the most, but you were also fascinated by his tail that would teasingly wrap around your ankles or pull on your pant leg, or his wings as they spread out for you on display and the span of them lifting your eyebrows when he let you see them. Almost as if he was proud of himself and showing them off to you for your viewing pleasure in hopes that you would like them.
(Almost like he was baring a part of himself to you that was closed off to anyone else considering the number of times he dived out of the air in the form when you were alone somewhere walking and nearly scared you shitless.)
Vergil didn’t just… phase into the form randomly, you noticed acutely he’d fly at times, not bothering to break reality with the Yamato you guessed, but it was those times you realized he was looking for you. You didn’t really have a habit of going out and walking around on your own, but that was really how you got to and from your job, it was more… you got bored if he wasn’t around. Vergil occupied ninety percent of your time, so when he wasn’t around you took matters into your own hands to actually find something to do because you weren’t about to sit cooped up in the apartment. It hadn’t been raining the day you got out, troubled by boredom and seeking the city to find something to do, but the moment you heard that noise was the very moment it began a downpour, and you made a decision before having to run home and get away from the storm.
Summer weather was always the worst to you.
However, luck was on your side in the form of a nosey boyfriend who most definitely worried more than he’d ever let on as you were walking one moment holding something precious against your chest, and the next you were wondering if you were about to get dive-bombed by a gigantic lizard. He had landed as graceful as ever in front of you and promptly lifted a wing to use as a makeshift umbrella to shield you from the rain, a sigh leaving your lips from being out of the freezing rain as you began to walk with him.
Mutual silence at times was your two’s go-to, nothing awkward about it or a sign either of you were upset. Vergil didn’t talk all that much when he was in that form, the one time you did hear his voice like that frazzling you at the way it wiggled up your spine and scratched at your brain until it tingled your nerves. It was…. Interesting the way it echoed, but also sounded like he was speaking into a box fan sometimes.
Not that you didn’t like it, just weren’t used to it. You loved his voice, and he had gotten better at talking your ear off as of then.
“Didn’t think you’d find me with all the rain,” you spoke once you both reached a more populated and covered area, that form diminishing in a flurry of azure diamond crisps as he come into view in his human guise. You realized his clothes were connected somehow (“Demonic magic,” he had offered one day, a shrug accompanying him when you asked) as he was soaked, and you wanted to curl your finger around the strand of hair that stuck out from his usual updo whenever it was wet. The little cowlick made you giggle, much to his embarrassment, a little quirk he seemed to have that you continued to learn about.
Smoothing a palm down his sleeve, he glanced over to you, “…I could smell you.”
Right; heightened senses. You weren’t sure you’d ever get used to that. You wrapped your arms around your abdomen, securing what was in your shirt closer to you to keep them warm and from slipping out, “Yeah, but you’d think the rain would mask it.”
Vergil shifted on his feet, taking a moment to lift one of the tails of his coat to wring it free of water while beginning to mumble, “It’s not something I would forget…” he cleared his throat and let go of his coat, a finger coming up to pull his collar away from his throat as he looked elsewhere, “…And you’re starting to smell like me.”
Ah. Basically telling you he knew your scent like the back of his hand. And he could find you anywhere. That made your cheeks heat up, your pulse deepening to which you were sure he was able to hear. It was sweet, really, knowing you’d never stray too far from him without him finding you. You opened your mouth to speak, but the small ‘mew’ from the inside of your shirt cut you off, Vergil’s head swiftly snapping back to you with an incredulous look as if he was wondering if you were the one that made noise until your shirt suspiciously moved again and his eyes zeroed on it.
You tried to mask the meow with a cough, and he sneered at your pathetic attempt; damn his insane hearing. A sigh left you as you removed one arm from your abdomen, holding the other in its place to make sure the baby didn’t fall out without your support. You both stared at each other for a long moment, the sun beginning to break through a mass of shadowing clouds and the puddles on the ground casting flickering rainbows.
“…”
Vergil said your name. You smiled guiltily.
His eyebrow arched, staring down at the lump in your shirt he could easily see and hear, “What’s in your shirt?”
“…My boobs?”
Vergil looked exhausted, almost breaking composure and rolling his eyes as he motioned for you to remove your arm and promptly lifted up your shirt for you. You squawked, “Wait -- !”
You weren’t able to stop from the little thing falling out of your shirt, and luckily for you Vergil had the world’s best reflexes, catching the small bundle of black that fell free from your shirt in both of his hands and holding it up for closer inspection. And truly it was a tiny thing; shaking and cold, green eyes blinking every so often, and its fur soaked to the bone which was telling since it looked awfully skinny. It looked even smaller in Vergil’s hands yet held so tenderly you wondered if he already knew and wanted to just see for himself after cozying up to Burrito more and more.
“…A cat,” he said, sounding all the same as the day he officially moved in and saw Burrito perched up waiting for him, however his voice lifted a fraction as he stared at the little ball of fur and ran his thumb over the cat’s nose.
You sided up next to him, smoothing down your shirt and sighing, “A kitten. I found it in an alley; by itself so I think it’s all alone without…” you trailed off and peeked over at him, watching his eyelashes fall carefully over his eyes and he glanced once towards you with dilated pupils.
“Do you make it a habit to pick up strays?” His mouth quirked up at the side; a tease despite how intense he was watching you and the kitten.
You shrugged, cheeks a little too warm and you feeling a little too giddy, “Maybe. I got you and Burrito.”
Vergil’s mouth twitched, a smile. You fanned your eyelashes as he sighed, wondering what was possibly going through his mind as you got ready to ask him the inevitable. Yet he beat you to the punch, pressing his thumb over the kitten’s head as it followed the movements of his pets, “I know you… What do you want to name him?”
You beamed, and grabbed his arm, “It’s a girl, and I’m not so good with names. I named Burrito because I was eating one and he wanted some, if I named her she’d be Dumpster because that’s where I found her.”
He huffed, his throat lodging with a laugh as he lidded his eyes while petting her, “Then…?”
“Then… you name her.”
You expected him to refuse, his lips pursing and brow knotting as he stared down at the kitten in his hands seeming like he was truly thinking of a name to give the little thing and not being able to come up with anything. However, it was more the look in his eyes as he stared at her, like he was seeing something you weren’t able to and conflicting memories were riddling his brain as he tried to sort through them for a moment. Vergil looked… somewhat troubled; upset to a degree, and it twisted your gut to see such an expression on his face, so you began to open your mouth to tell him not to worry about it before he cut you off with such a soft voice it made your knees buckle.
“Shadow.”
The troubled expression was gone, and he looked… relieved, the newly named Shadow purring underneath his pets and Vergil tucking her closer to his chest. You nearly wanted to tease him about such a cliché name for a black cat, but when the sun finally casted through the dark rainclouds and shine over Vergil’s features and nearly sparkled along Shadow’s fur, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Not with that smile on his face.
You didn’t say anything else, taking his arm he offered to go back home and bringing your new member with you as well as she fell asleep in his arms.
Shadow, it is.
October 31st; ten months
Despite Vergil making some money with… the demon-hunting business, you still kept a job. You had to feed yourself, two cats, and sometimes Vergil, who had more of an appetite than you had initially thought otherwise, and you still had to rent to pay every month. You weren’t necessarily struggling, but sometimes you liked to know you had extra money on hand in the bank in case anything was to happen. He helped some, but you were hard-pressed in letting him use for himself for whatever he wanted to do; just trying to let him have a semblance of something that he may have never gotten to experience.
You didn’t like working (Hell, who did?), but if you were able to spend a little extra money on yourself and Vergil, you’d do it. Besides… it was nice getting him things he showed interests in yet never expressed an aloud want from them.
Still, you inwardly groaned, climbing the stairs to your apartment and biting your cheek at the empty candy bowls and Halloween decorations outside other apartments, did I have to work Halloween? You liked Halloween; you loved Autumn. It was a serene time of year full of inspiration and beauty in the way the leaves danced in primary colors as they fell for year, and you much liked doing activities with Vergil as he seemed to prefer the cooler weather.
Speaking of… you paused digging for your keys in your purse, eyebrows raising and blinking at your own empty candy bowl outside your door. It was a black cat like Shadow; green eyes and pink ears that you had bought and sighed over thinking about you wouldn’t be able to hand out candy for Halloween, something Vergil only acknowledged with a hum and stealing a piece of chocolate from the bowl as you weren’t too sure of his opinion on the holiday. However – your heart panged and cheeks warmed – it seemed he had taken a soft spot for the idea and placed the bowl outside regardless, and while you knew he didn’t open the door and communicate with any of them, it was the mere notion that he did it, nonetheless.
Thus, it was odd that he was home so early, your key finding its way into the lock and making your way inside to complete darkness. You had half a mind to think that perhaps you were wrong in Vergil being home (or thinking he was playing some weird prank on you), yet from the dim outside light peering inside you were able to squint and make out his form on your couch while you regarded him cautiously and to why he was just sitting there in the dark.
“Vergil?”
You received no answer, and though you blinked and let your eyes readjust to the new darkness to see the outline of his broad shoulders and his legs open in his signature manspread, you could not help but think something may have been wrong with fear trailing down into your throat and balling up into your stomach.
And didn’t help neither Burrito nor Shadow came to welcome you.
You felt along the wall for the switch next to the door, squinting as the light came on and gave you a full view to your boyfriend who was slumped over on your couch asleep. Your lips parted at the sight of his hair brushing along his chin, down and shielding parts of his face instead of its usual updo and letting you see every emotion that flickered across his face; a paradox in the enigma of him as his expressions always seemed more vulnerable with his hair down and in his face. He looked… soft; a peaceful and beautiful sleeper with his eyelashes fanned out over his eyes and his chest moving slowly with each breath he took.
He was a light sleeper, as he usually woke up before you in the mornings and would’ve definitely been roused by you turning on the light and calling his name, yet he remained still and at peace.
(A symbol of trust and safety he felt in your apartment and with you that would never go unnoticed.)
Vergil was half-laying and half-sitting as he slept; an awkward position with his neck rolling onto his shoulder that you knew potentially would be sore, and his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. And as you assessed him and his sleeping form, you nearly missed the two other members of the household all saddled up next to him and sleeping just as peacefully as he was.
You smiled. No wonder they hadn’t come to greet you.
Burrito was curled up next to his thigh, head lying atop it nearly and stretched out leisurely as he slept, his new favorites spots to sleep being anywhere next to Vergil as long as he’d pet him and give him treats. Shadow was a little harder to spot as she was a dark color, nearly blending in with the dark colors Vergil shrouded himself with, but you spotted her curled up in a small ball atop his lap, slowly growing after you both took her in, but not the slightest bit shy with either of you. You found Vergil’s hands holding her close to him, all three of them warm and utterly peaceful as they slumbered.
Your heartbeat increased; chest heavy and cheeks warm despite the night air and rain.
“…”
You made up your mind.
Quietly you shut the door behind you, turning the light back off and using your phone as a flashlight as you tiptoed to the bedroom, setting your purse down and quickly shimmying off your work clothes for a sweatshirt and sleeping shorts with the blanket from your bed and an extra throw blanket Vergil had gotten you when you were sick. You were careful placing one around his shoulders to not wake him, the other you wrapped yourself in as you yawned, and stretched out on the other end of the couch, careful not to disturb the others before you drifted off.
You weren’t too sure how you ended up with your head in his lap as you woke a few hours later, Shadow purring close to your face as she slept and Burrito tucked in lying against your stomach limbs all sprawled out, while Vergil finally retained a more comfortable position and had his body keeping all three of you warm.
It didn’t matter, as long as you were all safe, comfortable, and warm.
December 31st; one year
You liked Winter.
The snowflakes that fell in the city sticking to all the buildings and bare trees making for a beautiful yet somber display, the blanket of blinding powder on the ground you liked to trace your fingers in, the colors of the decorative lights comforting and leaving you feeling cozy as the final days of the year came around, and the cold letting you gravitate everything that was warm; letting you gravitate towards him and your two cats in the night for that semblance of balance and warmth.
Snow was quiet as it fell around you, and as you blinked through your eyelashes you realized the snow reminded you of his hair. Finely white and fluffy; yet one being cold to touch and the other bringing you comfort whenever you got the chance to run your fingers through it.
His hair, however, was down once more; brushing his jawline and the ends slightly dyed with red. You didn’t like that.
It matched the red you saw stained on the pure white hours beforehand; you didn’t like the way it looked when droplets singed his hair and a streak spattered across his cheek. It didn’t match the night you wanted to have with him at all.
You weren’t sure how long he’d been holding you. You weren’t sure where everything nearly went to Hell.
A New Years celebration at Devil May Cry was planned, and everyone had been there. Dante, Nero, Lady, Trish, Kyrie, Nico, Morrison, Patty, then you and Vergil; all of you were there and it was surprising to not have to (metaphorically) drag Vergil by his coat to social occasions, seemingly no exceptions coming from him as he was rushing you that time around. You’d been fairly happy, conversing with everyone that you hadn’t got to see in awhile and indulging on glasses of red wine as Vergil watched your intake by swapping your drinks every so often. He wasn’t drinking, staying on alert despite the amicable air, yet he was more than patient enough with you when you got a little tipsy and nearly spilled your drinks.
You blamed yourself for him not being on guard enough to stop what had happened sooner, and you blamed yourself for allowing yourself to get hurt in the moment after you got pushed into Lady’s arms.
Being fuzzy with alcohol didn’t help, whatever demons attacking getting the drop on you, yet it wasn’t like you were able the defend yourself anyway against a good hoard of them. Though Vergil pushed you to Lady because he trusted her enough and know she’d do whatever she could, it wasn’t enough when face was abruptly grabbed with your jaw nearly grinded into dust and the slice in your side deemed you a liability regardless. It only lasted for a brief moment – the fear bubbling in your gut, the whining in your jaw and watering in your eyes – before anything permanent damage was done and he had sliced through its body in precise precision.
The drunkenness dissipated, only being back within Vergil’s comfort for a short moment until mere milliseconds later you were with Kyrie that time around, Nero doing his damnedest to keep her free from harm as he always would. The pain was stinging and the nerves bundling themselves in your gut to make you want to hurl, but you held steadfast, cringing whenever Kyrie began to tend to your wound and smoothing her loving fingers across the bruises on your jaw. It wasn’t long until you were coddled enough to stand up on your own with a sigh from Kyrie, a pat on the thigh from Lady, and Trish’s thumb running across your jawline with a troubled expression, not that it mattered in the end anyway when you found yourself hanging out in Vergil’s arms whenever everything was said and done.
He never openly displayed affection with you around others, the fact he was doing it around others was enough for you keep quiet in complaining about it. You supposed everyone else understood as well, keeping their eyes and voices to themselves. The only ones who spoke to Vergil were the ones who knew him best: his brother and his twin.
Dante was assuring to enough to tell him he could handle anything else from there and to go home, asking you if you were okay and cackling when you rolled your eyes when he spoke about the wine stain on your shirt. Nero was more… of a guilty sort, arguing he should’ve seen it happen before it happened whilst the rubbing the back of his neck and asking if you were well. Vergil did well to decline any need for any help from either of them, and you felt your cheeks warm at his words.
“We’ll be fine going home. Thank you.”
Vergil carried you all the way home, your questioning of why he didn’t want to use a portal or fly answered in the form of not wanting to jar you in any way with your injury. It was doting you supposed, watching the snow fall along his hair as it fell into his face, but you got the sinking suspicion his mind was heavy elsewhere all the way until he pushed the apartment door open with his foot, closing it behind him gently and making way strictly for your bedroom.
You didn’t miss the way Burrito and Shadow perked up, coming to trail after you both as they seemed to understand part of the situation that was going on.
Vergil sat down onto the bed, still holding you in his arms as the movement jostled the cut on your side and you huffed and curled your knees inward. He stilled at the noise, arms stiffening and nearly like he wanted to hold you away from himself until you dropped your head back down onto his shoulder. He was warm despite being out in the cold and snow, and while you knew that you’d heal just fine and figured a little warmth would help with pain in your side, something was particularly eating at Vergil with the corded muscles in his bicep straining and the narrowing of his eyes every so often.
You knew what was bothering him.
A wet sigh pushed itself out of your lips, “I’m fine.”
You weren’t lying whenever you said that his expressions were more vulnerable with his hair down, which is why you assumed he liked to hide behind that curtain of white to keep them at bay. The silver of his eyes found your own, the dark ring of blue just around his pupil deeper than you had ever seen as he carefully eyed you, dropping down to stare at the bruises along your jawline. You watched his lips move first, hearing the words a few seconds later so quiet you wondered if he had really spoken them.
“You were afraid.”
Eyebrows scrunching you knotted your fingers in your shirt, “Not –”
“Don’t lie.”
You shut your mouth, feeling your body flush and grinding your teeth, “So maybe I was…”
The admittance brought about that troubled look along his face, the creases of his face shadowed by the room’s darkness and highlighted by the moon, and he looked away down towards the blood that seeped through your shirt and stained it permanently. “This is the only time this has happened…” his jaw flexed, perhaps his molars grounded together and he grimaced, “Were you afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach you in time?”
The question diminished all annoyance over him fretting, blinking numerous times at the newfound emotion running throughout your body and wishing he would look at you so you could have a fleeting grasp of just what he was feeling. It wasn’t that; more you never had that type of interaction before and were scared for good reason of your life that something might’ve happened to you… but never that he’d not be there. A treacherous part of you whispered into your mind that he was blaming himself, rethinking everything, and you sat up into his lap, Vergil’s eyes following you once more as you gripped the lapel of his coat.
“No,” you answered evenly, the hand on your back staying and his other falling into your lap, “Afraid of other demons? Maybe, but not ever afraid of you or anything you may or may not have done.” Your cheeks felt cold without lying against him and your pulse thundered, no doubt something he was easily able to hear, and with your side still throbbing you wanted to shrink back into yourself but you were steadfast to sit up and speak to him, to let him see you were telling the truth.
He seemed to take it with a grain of salt, eyes still searching around your jawline, and you could practically see the storm building up behind his expression, “You know the dangers.” It wasn’t a question; a statement. A fact.
Your chest ceased for a moment at the idea of him thinking differently, “Yes, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t accept that. I feel…” your cheeks warmed, finding the words difficult as you weren’t really an affectionate person as well and spouted out every single emotion Vergil made you feel, “safe… with you. And it’s always warm around you – and not just because your body temperature runs hotter –“ God, you were babbling and grasped the hand in your lap to keep yourself from blurting anything else embarrassing out. You sighed, curling your fingers around his palm, “I always feel protected around you.”
The silver of his eyes were fast to find your own once more, the intense stare he directed you something you had finally gotten used to and not shy away from anymore, and you felt his hand turn yours over, fingers tracing along your palm while his eyes seemed to brighten. You had spoken, perhaps, something he wanted – and needed to hear.
“This will be the last time it happens.” Vergil spoke with finality, an unspoken promise to keep you safe and his own to never let it happen again. You let a small smile grace your face before lying your head back onto his shoulder, your hands intertwined and your body beginning to feel warm once more.
“I’d hope so. I like us. I like our family. And…” You’d never said it before, your own insecurities of being rejected keeping you from doing so, but you had felt that way for a long time. God, what the Hell. “And I do love you.”
You’d been together a year, you figured it was long enough to announce those feelings – especially if it put him at ease.
It seemed to do the trick, and though you may not ever hear it verbally and so casually, you learned Vergil was a man of actions to show his true feelings. The kiss was chaste in its own way, yet passionate in the way he pulled you into him. You heartbeat slamming against your ribcage into his own, his fingers digging slightly into your back and yours tightening into the fabric of his coat, and the wisps of his hair tickling your cheeks as your lips molded together in the perfect fit of the puzzle you’d been searching for. His answer was clear as day to you, and yet the true depth of his emotions for you would remain unknown, but you knew exactly where they stimmed from – the foreign heart you could feel along your chest.
Your answer had been accepted.
He was careful in leaning back onto the bed to lie down, your body curled on top of his as his chin found the top of your head and he kept a firm hold on your back and hip. You sighed contently, a huff slightly leaving him as his lips brushed across your forehead, and you closed your eyes at the dreamy warmth prickling down your spine and throughout the rest of your body. You would’ve been able to fall asleep right then and there, but Vergil’s fidgeting and the bedroom door creaking open slightly made you smile against his skin.
He sighed after a moment, the hand on your hip falling down onto mattress and his throat humming as he spoke, “Nosey…” he patted the bed a few times, “Come here.”
You didn’t have to guess who he was speaking to, blinking your eyes back open and watching your two cats jump onto the bed, Burrito coming to curl along your stomach, and Shadow finding her way to tuck her face against Vergil’s neck. They sought the warmth and comfort the same way you sought it from Vergil; the safety you two presented something you both looked for in each other. Both of the cats purred as they cuddled with you both, Vergil’s chest deepening with the breaths he took and his hand smoothing down your back in intervals slowing down.
You closed your eyes, ready to fall asleep in his arms full of acceptance.
Safe and warm; something you’d always feel with your family.
