Chapter Text
“Dante, I need a favor.” Vergil asks after Nero has been put to bed for the night. The words are so quiet that Dante thinks he misheard at first.
Dante glances over his shoulder from where he’s messing around with the faulty jukebox. He notices that Vergil is keeping his distance from him, posture stiff. Dante raises an eyebrow. It’s impossible to tell what’s going on in his brother’s head at any given point. Even moreso now that they’ve created a shaky foundation to communicate on.
Neither of them see eye to eye and yet all the same they can agree that Nero needs to be cared for and protected. Dante knows he’s not that good with kids beyond keeping them entertained on a good day so he’s not much help. Yet he can’t help but feel like this situation’s an olive branch between them to help Vergil leave behind his obsession and live again.
If raising Nero keeps Vergil’s mind off of whenever the next tempting pursuit arrives then more power to him. Well, in a sense.
“Shoot.” Dante keeps his eyes on the open panel of the jukebox, though his attention zeroes in on Vergil’s presence.
“Nero is six, as you know.”
“Yeah, we established that a bit ago.” Dante smacks the side of the jukebox and grimaces when a crack in the case gets worse.
As much as Dante doesn’t want to admit it to himself, the machine’s going to need an actual technician. Or an exorcism. Or maybe both. It would be easier if he can figure out why certain buttons on the console don’t always work or end up working too well and press multiple times. He closes the access panel and leans against it, outmatched once again by the machine he can’t get rid of for sentimental reasons.
“He’ll need some form of schooling. Should have started it, if Fortuna cared about proper academics. Which from their culture I can’t fathom beyond parents being in charge of their child’s education for the first few years. Especially since Nero’s grasp of reading and writing had obviously suffered at the orphanage. As he’s left-handed-” Vergil’s voice trails off, and the intention behind that statement is lost in the margins.
“Your point?”
“I have researched a few potential homeschooling services that arrange the delivery and retrieval of both materials. However there’s the predicament that we don’t have a permanent address. I was perhaps-“ Vergil stops talking, eyes glancing away.
Dante turns to face Vergil. He wants to hear Vergil say it himself, not leave the air open to interpretation.
“-wondering- if you could allow me to use the Devil May Cry. I will handle any paperwork required to fill out or forge- that you can be sure of. I’ll make sure this endeavor will do little to disrupt your daily life.” Vergil shifts, the stiffness of his shoulders increasing.
Like he’s expecting a no. Like an idiot. Just like a moron who has convinced himself that the moment he left a few years ago was the last time Dante actually wanted him around.
Dante strides over, holding his arms out.
“You know, for being the older brother you sure do have nothing going on up there from time to time.” Dante grins and taps the side of his head. He gets a summoned blade flying past his head to clip off strands of his hair for his troubles.
Dante throws his arms around Vergil in a hug he can’t escape from. Then again, Dante’s not sure if Vergil even wants to make the attempt in the first place from the gasp he hears.
“You never had to ask. But-“ Dante’s voice trails off, not sure if he wants to finish his thought.
He realizes that this is the first time he’s hugged Vergil since they were kids. Even with the times Vergil has visited there’s always been an emotional wall between them. It’s a little disappointing that Vergil doesn’t hug back.
“But?”
“It was nice hearing you try it out anyway.” Dante says, just loud enough for Vergil to hear.
Vergil pushes Dante off of him, scoffing and fixing his hair.
“Don’t get too comfortable with it. This is something that simply must be done for Nero’s sake if he’s to excel.” Vergil retorts.
Dante knows that the stoicism Vergil carries as armor slipped just enough then. Something is different with Vergil. Something that Dante had thought was long gone when he’d dragged Vergil out of hell. It leaves Dante smiling to see Vergil allowing himself to feel something so soft. So human.
-
Vergil reluctantly lets Dante tag along on a shopping trip when the welcoming kit for the homeschooling service arrives. Nero is thrilled with the extra company. Dante helps keep an eye out while they wander the aisles and weave around other families. He doesn’t say it out loud, neither of them do, but his presence ensures Nero’s safety and helps Vergil focus on the task at hand. If Vergil is to handle Nero’s schooling then he needs to buy the supplies sooner rather than later.
Nero struggles to go down the list in order. In fact, he doesn’t seem to be able to read it well at all the more Dante watches Nero hold onto the cart with his free hand and try to say the items out loud. Dante remembers that Vergil once mentioned Nero’s education had suffered before Vergil found him. When Vergil takes an effort to show Nero how to read the list Nero tosses the paper down. He won’t take it back when Vergil holds it out.
“No!” Nero slaps the paper away out of Vergil’s hands and squares his shoulders, face red and teeth bared.
Dante can see how Nero is more like Vergil than he’d thought before. Anger not at being corrected but at being wrong in the first place, and then taking that frustration out on whatever’s nearby.
A family further down the aisle peers over in their direction. It feels like the other noises in the store stop even if Dante registers them at the back of his mind.
Vergil tenses and his fingers twitch. Dante prepares to step in. He’s never seen Nero misbehave, and he doesn’t know how Vergil handles it because all he’s ever seen is Vergil lash out when angered. Vergil exhales and kneels down in front of Nero.
“Nero, you’re not in trouble.” Vergil reasons, voice strained but still soft. He leaves the list on the floor and focuses on Nero “I gave you the list because you wanted to hold it. Not because I was expecting you to read it for me. I know you’re upset. You were denied knowledge when you were younger, and it’s infuriating to find yourself behind. You will catch up. I need you to understand that you have time.”
Nero settles down, his defiant posture relaxing as he nods. His cheeks are still red and he sniffles.
“Do you still want to hold it? You can say no.”
“I wanna hold it.” Nero wipes at his face with his sleeve and reaches out with his hand, motioning to the paper that had fluttered out of his reach.
Vergil hands Nero the list, and Nero grabs Vergil’s hand with his free one.
“Can we get ice cream when we’re done?” Nero asks.
“I would normally say no since you swung at me again, but I will let it go. You can pick something out after we’ve finished this if you promise to behave the rest of our time here.” Vergil explains. He glances over to Dante while Nero celebrates “Yes, you can get something too if you’re staring at me because of that.”
Dante blinks a few times, forcing away the restlessness that had been building in his muscles as it becomes more obvious that the conflict is over rather than escalating.
“Sweet!” Dante grins. He thinks it’s easier to go along with Vergil’s assumption, rather than embarrass Vergil in public by pointing out Vergil’s parenting techniques.
Surprised, he makes a mental note to ask Vergil another time about what happened those five years they were apart.