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Hell was a strange dimension, made of endless expanses and ever-shifting worlds melded together like some strange patchwork. There was no up, no down, nor east or west. In fact, it was unclear if it even was a proper planet like Earth or something else altogether.
Hell was a strange dimension, and the sons of Sparda had been here for a month, doing some weeding.
A quite curious activity for a honeymoon, but it suited them well. The exercise let them rediscover each other slowly, space up the talks with the easy companionship that being brothers in arms brought.
It made licking and closing the wounds easier. And so, the distance between them as well.
The way fate had always bound them together didn't leave them any choice, really, they found themselves as attracted to each other as they'd always been. Gravitating closer to their missing half, slowly but surely, caught and tangling in that sweet dance of violent games and affectionate swordplay. It wasn't surprising when one could-be-called-a-night, they found themselves settled next to a fire with wandering hands and lips locking together, Vergil on his knees and Dante leaning forward as they'd clumsily closed the remains of the gap.
The older twin had his hands on the younger's face, holding it gently as their mouths moved slowly, his knees bumping against his brother's legs as he yearned to touch more. Shaky arms had reached and wrapped around his waist, a small muffled whimper reaching his ears, and he knew he was needed back as much as he himself needed him.
That kiss was... A bit more desperate than either of them would usually be willing to show. Their lives were endured and survived more often than they were enjoyed, and this came with a reserve that was quite hard to shrug off- yet, they unraveled under each other's touch. But they weren't going anywhere where the other wouldn't, so they melted, settling together as they always should have been.
The shivers that ran through Dante hadn't left, though, and Vergil took notice. "You're so tense." He whispered against his lips, allowing his hands to linger on his skin.
"Can't deny I am." He couldn't help but let his eyes fall slowly, half lidded. His touch was so soft, so... Relaxing.
"Foolish little brother. You know a good swordsman cannot afford stiffness." He moved slowly, kissing under his jaw softly as his hands cupped the base of his neck. Even here he could feel his muscles thrumming with the strain.
He sighed, his hands twitching on his waist. "...Nothing I tried worked."
"Needed me that badly ?" He asked in his ear, his fingers digging into the sore flesh under it.
He found himself swallowing uneasily. This was a harsh admission to make, but he still found himself going through it. "I never knew what to do without you, Verge."
The only reply he got was more silent kisses under his jaw- but that was enough for him to understand. This time, he let his eyes close.
A little pull at Dante's collar, and they shrugged their coats off, scuttling to be sitting stomach to stomach, with Vergil's legs around Dante's waist. Like this, his hands could reach his back more comfortably as he stayed nestled against him. The fabric of his henley was thin and worn, and he almost could feel the texture of his skin through the cloth. Maybe later he'd sneak his hands under it, but for now...
He was happy with more chaste touches. It was nice. Like this... He could map out his body, that should've been familiar territory. So, he was quick to reclaim what he'd lost. Despite how Dante's thick build had a nice protective layer of fat, Vergil still felt the hard muscle under it. So damnably wound tight...
He pressed on his shoulder blades, letting himself trace circles in the flesh here, and earned himself a sigh.
"Hurts ?" He asked, looking up to him.
"A bit." He was honest, surprisingly enough.
He pushed his fingers down a little harder, moving to the top of his back, only to earn himself a small wince. Vergil couldn't help but shake his head a little at the sound, finding it quite unfortunate his brother winded up in such a state. So unable to release his tension pain would bloom from it, really ? No wonder his demonic blood couldn't prevent age from settling down on his skin, he couldn't imagine any way to not acquire such creases under such a strain.
"To hell with that. Let me take care of you." He demanded, despite how he'd already begun to do so. Still, he felt like his brother needed to hear that was what it was.
"Mmmh." His eyes were worn, but gentle. Peace slowly was coming back to them both, that precious thing they'd lost eons ago.
"Didn't get your fill of affection in a while, did you ?" He asked, despite knowing the answer. Honestly, neither did he, but he had his heart rebuilt, freed, lightened. His brother didn't have such a luxury, he'd not been cleansed.
"...Yeah..." He didn't like how much it showed though, that much was obvious. "...Been away from Nero for too long too..." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes, only to have his hand twitch away when he hit a particularly unruly spot. Truly, he felt like he was trying to tend to a violin which's strings were about to snap from being bound here by an amateur repairman.
"Protective, aren't we ?" Despite being focused on his task, he couldn't help but be a little amused at his admission.
"Yeah." His reply was curt, dry. Vergil could easily guess why.
It was a bit cute, to be honest. "Coping badly with your demon having decided it has a nestling now ?"
"That's an understatement." He was grumpy. Of course he was, father demons were the most territorial pieces of shit the magic animal kingdom had ever seen, rivaled perhaps only by mother demons.
Still, it was the fathers' role to guard the nest and provide food to their spawn and mates. It probably was upsetting him how he had to go against that, had to tell his demon that there would be no baby to defend if the human realm was overtaken by nasty hell houseplants.
Vergil was somewhat luckier. While yes, he couldn't help but think about the boy near constantly, his inner demon had more questions than it had urges for now. Their contact together had been too brief to rebuild these yet, though he was sure they'd kick in just fine when he'd be back. He hoped Nero was like Dante in this aspect, and wouldn't mind excessive amounts of cuddles and getting cleaned.
Regardless, he understood. He still remembered the pain of finding his crib empty, and the willpower it took him to not search for him, to not let his instincts sabotage this impromptu better fate for the child. Had he found him again, he would've been sacrificed by Arkham. While, yes, maybe if he hadn't been lost in the sorrow of a postpartum month spent without his babe, maybe, maybe, one could think he might've mayhaps made better decisions upon reuniting with Dante, but in this reality before his eyes, Nero was alive- and this, this was a precious thing that made him refuse to question what else could've happened. "We'll return to him soon, I promise."
He hummed again, and Vergil could visibly see his shoulders drop a few centimeters when a particularly nasty knot's tension faded under his fingers' pads. "Hope you're ready, it's not because the kid's an adult that being a parent is any easier."
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Maybe we'll fare better together, demons work in packs after all." He indulged him, even though Dante's statement wasn't... Quite accurate. Nero wasn't a fully grown demon, in fact, if they had to view it from this angle he essentially was still a toddler and they themselves were teenagers at best, but whatever.
"Is that your roundabout way of asking me to be your mate ?" He'd decided to tease back, kissing his forehead.
Not quite a dig, though, it only made Vergil smile more openly. "Maybe so."
Dante probably would've replied something witty if Vergil hadn't managed to find at that moment a badly wound-up group of muscles, actually earning himself a yelp this time, before his brother positively fell apart under his fingers upon managing to relax them. It faintly occurred to Vergil that those were particularly strained due to their anatomy changing when they'd trigger- the direct repercussion of suddenly growing wings.
"Ahhh... Shit." He mumbled again, boneless and held here solely by his brother's arms.
He gave him a little respite, only petting. "Better ?"
"Much. Much better." He nuzzled him, openly grateful.
Then Vergil was back to peppering kisses against his neck, occasionally nipping as well, and he could've sworn he felt Dante vibrate with a deep sound against him. "Are you purring ?"
That earned him a pout. "Can't control it, fuck off."
He snorted, taking the time to look at his fool of a little brother, who truly thought he'd dislike that somehow. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
He huffed. "Just give me a heads up if you're gonna bite and claim, I don't wanna trigger on you."
"Of course." He let his face fall in the crook of his neck, and pondered it for a few seconds. "I think we should keep it for when we come back home. Let's court each other a little more in the time being, yes ?"
Dante stayed silent for a few seconds. He often did that whenever he said "home", he supposed the idiot still quite couldn't process that they'd go back together. Still, he eventually managed. "Solid plan."
Not much more needed to be said after this. They were comfortable, and simply smiling at the time they finally were afforded. Nothing like in their youth, where they'd been frenzied and stupid and angry. They'd get to do this properly now, to love each other.
Huddled up like that, it didn't surprise Vergil when Dante started blinking with heavy eyelids. The little rumbling still was here, and Vergil suspected he would fall asleep soon.
Well, good. He needed the rest. They both did.
Their coats weren't far away- so it was easy to grab them and set them on the ground for them to lay down on. Tomorrow promised its own lot of lighthearted fun, of frolicking like the young adults neither of them got to be.
They exchanged a few more kisses, before settling down together again.
One more night together, and one more little weight lifted off their shoulders.