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Blood pooled over their feet, splattered across their clothes and pavement as the demons' lives came to an end. Dante, the half demon descended from Sparda, smiled at his handiwork, his fangs showing through. The devil hunter was pleased. Sure, his clothes probably needed a deep cleanse, maybe the dry cleaners if he could ever afford such, but the thrill of slicing demons was far too great.
To his side stood Lady, his human, devil hunting partner. She had a disgusted look on her face. Don't get her wrong, she loves killing demons as much as Dante, but she just bought a nice, new outfit and hadn't planned on getting demon blood on it. Her mind was also jumbled. Thoughts and memories creeped into her head. She threw her most prized possession, the Kalinna Ann, over her shoulders. It was a rocket launcher named after her beloved mother. "Well, my night's ruined", she scowled.
Her partner elbowed her side. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me you didn't enjoy that."
She simply huffed in response. "I don't expect you to understand. I don't think I've seen you once use your money to buy a new set of clothes."
He contemplated that comment. "Well, yeah...I don't have the money to do stuff like that."
Lady rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
"What? I rock this jacket. You know I do!"
"I know you stink!"
She started walking off. He trailed behind for a second, taking the time to give himself a nice whiff. "I don't smell....that bad."
He ran up to her and matched her pace.
"I already contacted Morrison and told him where to send cleanup." She was always so professional.
"Well then, you wanna grab dinner? I know what I'm hungry for." The answer would always be pizza. He placed his arm on her shoulder, but she brushed it off. She crossed her arms and turned away from his eyes.
"Not tonight." Her tone was different than usual. Yeah, she didn't always want to hang out with the half-demon after their missions, but she usually had some snarky remark to go with it. That comment just seemed...empty.
"Oh, then I'll see you tomorrow." Dante remained his usual cool tone. He tried to send her over a smile, but she wasn't even bothering to look. She stopped in her tracks.
"No, you won't." And she continued on walking. Clearly taking the hint she wanted to be left alone, Dante let her go. He felt his heart clench, she was sad. Nothing had happened recently, he would know. They spent most of the time together. No, tomorrow must mean something. And as he found his way to Devil May Cry, it hit him. Tomorrow was her departed mother's birthday. She had only ever brought it up once, shortly after the events of Temen-ni-gru, where their lives had changed forever.
That had happened almost 5 years ago, but the memories were still fresh. Both had suffered terrible loss and learned about themselves and family. Dante lost his brother, though a tinge of hope resided in him that maybe he had made it out alive, though unlikely now. Lady had no choice but to kill her own father- Arkham. For he was the reason for her mother's death.
Lady was his best friend, his partner in crime. They even lived together for a while there, though Lady had moved out recently, a vacancy Dante felt every day. They bickered a lot, clashed on almost every single thing, but he wasn't alone. He and Lady were together and thrived on the mission of protecting the people from demons.
Despite the time spent together, they rarely spoke of their traumas and memories from when they were younger. Occasionally, one would slip and the other would always be there to listen. When Lady had spoken of her mother after Temen-ni-gru, she claimed it was her birthday and she spoke so fondly of her. According to Lady, her mother was the kindest woman and one of the most beautiful. A statement Dante believed whole heartedly as Lady was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Though the kindness part wasn't necessarily Lady's thing. She's tough and fierce, not that Dante minds. She's the most badass woman he knows.
(He would go on later to say Trish is too, but hasn't met her yet. Not until dmc1!)
Lady never spoke of her mother more than that since. Her death must be hitting hard at this time, but she'd never tell Dante that. She would never want to be seen as weak or pathetic, though human emotions are normal and never signs of weakness. Maybe Lady felt she had to prove her strength. After all, she was a human in a demon world.
Dante threw his clothes in the wash, after scrubbing them profusely first, and took a long shower. He thought about how he could help Lady, but he thought what she needed most was space. She wanted to be alone, and he respected that. He threw himself onto the couch, watching the fan go round and round as he drifted off to sleep.
****
The sound of the lock awakened him. He was immediately on his feet and grabbing his guns: Ebony and Ivory. In this line of work, you could never be too prepared. He didn't feel fear. Afterall, most wounds he sustained healed up in a matter of minutes. But it was always good to be ready to fight. The sound continued for a few more seconds until he heard a click. The door slowly opened, the moonlight shining through and illuminating a figure as they stepped in. Immediately, he knew this presence.
"Lady?"
Lady stumbled in, not bothering to close the door behind her. Dante walked by her to the door. He could smell the alcohol resonating from her. She's drunk. Of course, if that wasn't proof enough, she had her lands lazily wrapped around a bottle and was teetering so far to the left, she could fall at any minute. He closed the door and rushed to her side just in time to stop her from falling. His hand caressed her waist, a light touch. She leaned into him and gave a big smile.
"Ohhhh, h..hi Dante", she drunkenly greeted him. Her words were a little slurred.
Her smile was gorgeous, but he was concerned with the fact that a drunken Lady had walked here, most likely from the bar just right down the street, without any supervision or weapons. Not that he thought she couldn't handle herself. She was far more than capable. He laughed every time she gave a guy what they deserved, but if someone tried to touch her when she wasn't at her 100%, she would probably bust their nose, and he'd have no choice but to also break something else of theirs too.
He guided her to the couch to sit and turned on the lamp. He didn't want to blind her with the full light. As he turned it on, he noticed the mud stains on her clothes. It was raining.
"Did you fall?"
Lady giggled. "Maybe..."
Dante sighed. "Wait here."
He ran to his room to grab some of her clothes. She left a bag here. It contained some extra armor but also some extra clothes in case she stayed or ever needed them. When he walked back out to her, she was downing the last of her bottle.
He grabbed the bottle from her hand and exchanged it with the fresh set of clothing.
"Go change...please." He pointed towards an empty room. She stood up on wobbly legs and he had to guide her the way, ensuring she would not fall in the process. "Okay I'm going to change now."
He breathed out a "thank you", and let her enter. She peeked out, shirt already halfway up her head.
"Don't look, pervert!"
Dante felt a rush of blood and turned away wide eyed. He cursed her under his breath.
"Damn woman."
After what seemed to be forever, the door opened and out stepped Lady.
She threw her arms over her head in a grand gesture.
"Ta-da!"
"Good job", came the sarcastic reply from her white haired-friend.
She immediately glared at him, a look that sent fear into his bones.
"Don't be mean, asshole."
But just as quick as she snapped, her expression changed back to happy.
She pointed to the door.
"I'm...going home now."
She started to take off for the door, but before she could get much farther than step, Dante intervened.
"Like hell you are. You can barely stand."
With a hmpth and a turn away from him, Lady crossed her arms. "Whatever. But I get to sleep in your bed."
"Are you serious?"
She nodded her head.
"Alright fine. Hop on." There's no way he was going to argue with a drunk Lady.
He squatted down in front of her, wanting her to hop on his back.
She obliged, but the minute her icy hands touched his bare skin, he shivered. Her hands were always cold, something about bad blood circulation. He was sure the bodies in a morgue were warmer.
She patted his back.
"Thanks!"
He carefully walked her upstairs towards his bedroom. She was giggling to herself. She seemed so happy, so opposite to her previous mood. Enough alcohol will do that to you. He gently laid her down on the bed. His bed. She closed her eyes and sighed in bliss.
Dante took in this once-in-a-lifetime sight before him. Even drunk, Lady was still so beautiful. She always thought she wasn't pretty like the other girls. She liked wearing nice outfits, but you'd rarely catch her in a dress. Her hair is short and choppy, and scars appear almost over every inch of her body, but that's what makes her so different and so breathtaking. Every scar was a story and a testament to her bravery and courage in battle.
He placed his hand on the spot next to hers. "I'll be right back. Gonna grab some more blankets."
She said nothing and snuggled further into the pillow. He ran downstairs, cleaning up her mess in the process. She'd be proud if she was sober. Usually, he was quite the messy one. He threw her dirty clothes in the wash and grabbed a glass of water. She was going to need it.
As he rushed upstairs, he heard sobs. His heart sank when he walked into the heartbreaking scene before him. Lady had her head buried in her knees. Her cries were crushing. She sounded so defeated, so sad. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Lady rarely cried, and if she did, she would walk away and act like it never happened.
"Lady?"
He set down the glass of water and sat down next to her on the bed.
"I miss her." She unveiled her face, it was red from the crying and tears still fell. Dante's heart ached as he gently reached for Lady's trembling hand, his fingers brushing against hers with a tenderness that spoke volumes. He didn't say anything, just let the quiet comfort of his touch settle between them. Lady's sobs quieted for a moment, and she looked at him, her eyes raw with grief. "She was the best," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"We did everything together, just the two of us. She used to pick me up from school and we would just hang out. Some days we went shopping, and other times we had lunch. She liked writing poems. She would read them to me." Her voice cracked at the end, but she smiled weakly, the memory of those simple, beautiful moments hanging between them, a bittersweet reminder of everything she'd lost.
Her grip tightened on his hand, but her breath hitched as she tried to speak, her voice trembling. "I...I was there Dante." Her words felt like they were choking her, like a knot in her throat that she couldn't loosen. "I saw him—my father—standing over her, his face empty, like he didn't care that she was gone. The light in her eyes was gone. She was..." She paused, the words getting caught, tears threatening to fall again. "I should've known. I should've done something. But I couldn't."
Dante's voice softened as he tried to offer her some semblance of comfort. "Lady," he started gently, his voice firm yet warm, "it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have stopped any of it. You were just a kid." He paused, watching her closely, but when she didn't look up, he moved a little closer.
His hands reached out slowly, cupping her face with surprising tenderness, lifting her chin so their gazes finally met. Her eyes were still clouded with pain, but he didn't look away. "You know, your mom would be so proud of you. The way she raised you—she knew you'd grow into such a strong and resilient warrior, someone who could handle anything life threw at her. And look at you now. You're probably so much like her, Lady. Strong, brave, and determined, even when the world is at its worst." He gave her a small, comforting smile, brushing his thumb back against her cheek. Speaking like this was so foreign to them. But everything he said was the truth. "And I'm so damn glad you're around. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're not alone in this. You've got me. And I've got your back. Always."
He sat back and placed his hands in his lap with a sigh. He heard her sniffle, but she wiped her face.
"Thank you."
"You're-"
She jumped into his arms, wrapping him in a hug, one that threw him off guard completely.
"-welcome."
She pulled away just enough to look up at him. "I'm glad I have you too," she said, her voice barely a whisper, but the sincerity of it hit him harder than he expected. "I love you, dummy."
Dante blinked, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I ...love you too, Lady," he said, his voice casual, thinking she meant it in a more platonic way. But before he could say anything else, she looked at him with a strange intensity in her eyes.
"No," she said firmly, her voice suddenly serious. "I love love you."
And before Dante could even react, she pulled his face toward hers, her hands threading through his hair, and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was unexpected. He never thought she would ever think of him in that way. Sure, he flirted with her all the time, but it always seemed a joke to her. She usually ignored it or scowled in protest. But now, with her lips still lingering on his, a new thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. Had he been so damn oblivious this whole time? Was he really that stupid, so lost in his own feelings, that he never saw the signs? The signs that she might've been feeling the same way all along? But it didn't matter now. The woman he wanted more than anything was clinging to him.
He had been thrown off balance, but now, something about the way she kissed him—passionate, raw, and full of emotion—ignited a fire in him he didn't know he had. His hands instinctively found their way to her back, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss as he lost himself in it. His heart raced, and despite the surprise, Dante couldn't stop himself from taking control, his lips demanding more, his fingers tangling in her hair, savoring the sweetness of the moment.
Their lips moved together, soft and slow, and Dante felt a peace he hadn't known in a long time. Everything about this moment felt perfect, like time had paused just for them. But damn it, he wanted more. The part of him that was always pushing, always hungry for something more—something deeper—began to stir. It was like the demon inside was reaching for something, urging him to pull her closer, to not stop.
And then he felt her fingers untangled from his hair. She trailed them slowly down his chest to the hem of his shirt, tugging at the fabric like she wanted to bring him closer, too. For a split second, it seemed like she might feel the same way, that maybe she was ready to take that next step with him. But as her hand moved, Dante gently stopped her, his hand covering hers, his touch warm but firm. He pulled back slightly, just enough to catch his breath.
"Lady," he said softly, his voice low but steady. He lifted their hands. "We can't." She stared at him and tilted her head ever so slightly.
"You're not in your right mind. It wouldn't be right. I want you...more than anything, but I need to know you feel the same. I want to know this is more than just a drunk thought."
He turned away, almost embarassed. He felt like some little kid who just confessed to their first crush. Lady lazily smiled and reached up to place a tender kiss on his cheek. "I'll tell you tomorrow how I feel."
He smiled back and placed a blanket over her. She yawned and cuddled back up to the pillow. He shut off the light and closed the door before collapsing from shock. What just happened?
*****
The morning sun shone brightly on his face. He groggily rose and flashbacks of last night hit him. She had promised an answer, but in her drunken state, he couldn't be sure if she'd even meant it, or if she would remember it when the morning light hit.
The sound of a shower running echoed , and he held his breath, every second stretching longer than the last. He knew she was in there, probably trying to piece together what happened, just like him. But would she remember? Would she even feel the same way? His heart raced at the thought, but he tried to push it aside, not wanting to get his hopes up. After all, emotions had been running high last night.
A few minutes later, the shower stopped, and he sat up a little straighter, listening intently. All was quiet except for the soft creak of the stairs. His pulse quickened as the sound grew louder, and then, there she was. Lady appeared at the top of the stairs, her figure silhouetted against the light. She hesitated for a moment at the top, before slowly descending, each step taking her closer.
Dante made the first greeting. "Morning. How do you feel?"
She clutched her head. "Kinda like I've been hit by a truck." She paused before continuing.
"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to intrude last night."
Dante shook his head. "Not at all. My home is your home too."
Silence hung in the air. He took a deep breath.
"So what do you remember from last night?"
"I remember falling on my ass. I fell on the way here."
"Kinda figured", he remarked.
She shook her head to the side.
"Sorry, I have such a headache. I overdid it last night."
A heavy weight settled in his chest. She didn't seem to remember. Maybe it had all been a blur. Dante should've expected it, but the realization still stung. He didn't want to let it show, though—he couldn't. He had to keep it together for her, for them. The last thing he'd want is to ruin the friendship they have now.
His voice was warm and steady as he spoke, his words soft but genuine. "You... you talked about your mom last night," he said, his tone kind. "You mentioned how she wrote poetry. You should be proud of who you've become, Lady. She'd be proud of you." His words weren't meant to dwell on the past, but to remind her of how strong she was, how far she'd come despite everything.
He paused, watching her closely. "But I don't want you to be sad today. You've got a lot to celebrate. You deserve that." He offered her a soft smile and a small squeeze on her shoulder, the weight of everything between them almost forgotten for a moment. "I'll be here, whenever you need me." With that, he started to turn away, heading for the stairs to give her space to process everything and be alone.
But just as he was about to leave, she stopped him, her voice breaking the silence.
"Dante..."
He turned towards her, awaiting her next words.
"I...", a blush spread across her face as she shuffled her feet to the side, "I do love...you." She lowered her head, not quite brave enough to look at him as she said these words.
And just like that, the world around them stopped. He couldn't believe his ears. She did feel the same. It was like fireworks went off.
He rushed to her side, sweeping her up in his arms as he gently kissed her lips. She yelped and was tense at first before melting into him. Finally realizing this was real, he placed her down and leaned his forehead against hers.
"Jackpot", he whispered and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the lines. Things would be a little different at Devil May Cry now, not that either of them was complaining. They were partners after all, forever and always.