Work Text:
He had always imagined that the infamous Fortuna library would be much grander than this. He slows to a stop as he reaches the steps leading to the main entrance, basking in the glory of Fortuna's finest architecture.
The once polished ivory walls are now covered with ivy and grime, riddled with signs of wear and neglect. The marble statues surrounding the pavilion are cracked, and some are missing chunks altogether. The glint of the afternoon sun reflects rays of light off the stained glass windows.
Vergil sighs, pushing the hood of his cloak back with one hand. A few pieces of his hair fall loose from its style, framing his face. He furrows his brows as a disgruntled expression forms across his face. He had always dreamed of visiting this place since he was young, and was disappointed to find it like this.
He wastes no time climbing the stairs, keeping one hand on the marble railing until he reaches the top. After taking another moment to look around, he takes hold of the worn iron handles and pushes the large wooden doors open.
Upon entering the scent of mildew and old paper fills his senses, the quiet ambiance settling into his bones. There’s a soft coo of doves from outside and the gentle tap of branches from a nearby tree hitting the windows.
Cautiously he makes his way inside, the giant doors slamming shut with a loud thud behind him.
He looks around the main room, icy blue eyes darting rapidly as he searches for any sign of life. Fortunately, it seems that he’s alone.
He takes a deep breath before sauntering over to the closest shelf, running his fingertips along the spines of the books. Gingerly he picks one, turning the novel back and forth in his hands.
He casually flips through the pages, scanning the text without thought. After a few moments, he snaps the book shut with one hand and begins reaching for another.
This process continues for several hours, with him walking throughout the entire library inspecting dozens of worn tomes. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn’t alone at all.
The woman opens the main doors slowly, her footsteps light and calculated so as not to make a sound. She takes cover behind one of the pillars, peeking her head out to look for any trace of him.
Vergil then turns the corner ahead of her, sauntering on slowly. She can’t help but hold her breath. She knows in her heart it’s wrong to spy on unsuspecting strangers, yet she couldn’t help but follow in his footsteps.
He climbs the stairs to the right of her, the soft click of his footsteps getting quieter as he reaches the top. She cautiously retreats from her spot, catching a glimpse of navy coattails from the top of the stairs.
She smiles to herself, tiptoeing to the stairs and lifting her dress so as not to trip over herself. She freezes as she makes it to the top of the staircase, her blood running cold when she notices he’s standing only a few feet away.
She inhales sharply, ducking her head and taking a few steps back. Vergil pauses, his gloved hand drifting to the hilt of the Yamato. He listens intently, turning his head from side to side. Her heart pounds against her ribs, biting on her lip hard to keep quiet. He sighs after a few moments, continuing on his path, the Yamato clicking slightly as it hits his hips.
She breathes a sigh of relief, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she straightens herself out. She picks up where she left off, reaching the top of the stairs. Her heart skipped a second, panicking as she realized she didn’t see which direction he went.
She drifts forward, spinning in a small circle in an attempt to locate him. She then wanders over to a stone pillar and peeks her head out, turning her head from side to side. She freezes in her tracks as her eyes settle on his figure, the setting sunlight glinting off his sword.
He appears to be lost in another novel, flipping through the worn yellow pages with a light hand. The overhead sun above seeps through the stained windows above him, painting him in shades of reds, blues, and yellows.
She brings a hand to her chest, clutching the fabric as her heart begins to race again. She then leans her head against the cool marble, utterly lost in his features.
He continues skimming through the tome, furrowing his brows together as though deep in thought. She scans his figure from head to toe, tracing the outline of his features with her eyes. She can’t quite put her finger on it, but she feels like there’s something different about him.
Suddenly, Vergil snaps the book closed, the sound echoing across the space. She flinches, jumping a little as a small gasp escapes her throat. She immediately smacks a hand over her mouth, praying that she wasn’t found.
Once again Vergil stops. He takes a long, drawn-out breath groaning in annoyance.
“Is there something I can help you with?” He utters, turning his head to the side. She swears her heart stops beating, sinking to her stomach.
He then places the book back on the shelf, once again placing his hand on the hilt.
“I’m waiting.” He says through gritted teeth, pushing the blade up with his thumb.
She takes a deep breath before stepping out, lifting her hands in an attempt to surrender. Slowly, she steps out from behind the pillar, bowing her head in shame.
Vergil is taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening slightly as he scans her figure. After a few seconds he releases his grip on the handle, relaxing his arms at his side. He then turns his body to face her, cocking his head slightly to the side with a brow raised.
“A human…” He utters, furrowing his brows once again.
She slowly lowers her arms, wringing her hands anxiously as his cold gaze burns into her skull.
“I-I’m really sorry about just sneaking up on you like that” the woman begins, taking a small step towards him.
He takes a step back in return, his eyes wary and his stance stiff. She continues to ramble, stumbling over her words.
“Get to the point. What is it that you want from me?” He hisses, a tinge of annoyance in his tone.
She pauses, becoming sheepish all of a sudden.
“Well it’s not everyday that you see someone sneaking around the city just to end up at a practically abandoned library” she replies softly.
He nods slowly.
“I don’t find it strange at all.” He begins, shifting on his feet.
She swallows hard.
“It doesn’t help that you have that huge sword…It draws attention.”
Vergil doesn’t reply and instead stares at her in silence. Although his gaze is intense she feels as though there is something hidden beneath their icy blue exterior.
He grunts, rolling his eyes. He turns back towards the shelf once more, giving her a cold shoulder as he reaches for another book.
“Whatever. Just leave me be.”
She blinks wildly in response, resting her hand on the windowsill beside her.
“But-“ she begins. He gives her a heated glare, his lips pressed into a thin line. Her words die on her tongue and she looks down at the floor.
They stand in silence for a few moments, with him acting as though she’s not even there. Slowly, she straightens herself out and starts walking towards him, leaving several feet between them as she goes in a half circle behind him. His eyes follow her the entire time, never once faltering.
She settles on his right, standing several feet away. He averts his gaze back to the novel in his hand, huffing softly and pursing his lips.
She looks at him through the corner of her eye, dark eyes flitting back and forth. A soft smile crosses her lips as she reads the spine of his novel, the title taking her back a bit.
She scans the shelf ahead of her and hums happily as she finds the book she’s looking for. Gingerly she pulls it from its spot, standing on her toes to reach it. Vergil peeks at her from his position, closing his own and placing it back on the shelf before grabbing a new one.
She flips through the pages casually, rocking back and forth on her heels while humming lowly. She runs her finger across the page, following each sentence until she finds the one she’s looking for.
The woman then clears her throat and begins to recite the text out loud.
“Never seek to tell thy love, love that never told can be…” she begins in a sing-song tone, taking a step back.
His eyes widen and he turns his head to the side. She continues, holding the book with one hand and using the other to follow along.
“For the gentle wind does move, silently, invisibly…”
She takes a step forward, beginning to circle him. He remains still, listening intently and hanging on her words.
“I told my love, I told my love, I told her all my heart” She retorts gently, placing a hand on her chest dramatically. He guffaws in response.
“Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears — ah she doth depart”
Vergil snaps his book closed. Before she can finish he cuts her off, his words sharp and precise.
“Soon as she was gone from me, a traveler came by. Silently, invisibly — O, was no deny.”
A small smile grows on her lips and a feeling of warmth floods her body.
“My, my you are full of surprises. It’s not every day you find someone who still reads poems like this.” She replies with a small laugh. Vergil flushes, averting his gaze.
“My mother was a fan. A fanatic for all things…tristful.” He replies bluntly.
She hums and takes a step forward, now only a few inches from him.
“Your mother has wonderful taste.” She says with a smile, some of her hair falling out of its updo style. He coughs awkwardly and looks away.
“It doesn’t matter.” He utters, brushing past her. Her gaze follows him, watching as he runs a gloved hand across the dusted banister. His face contorts in disgust as he rubs the grime between his fingers.
“That reminds me…why are you still here?” He asks slowly, his back turned to her.
She bites her lip as her heart sinks.
“Well…it seemed that you were looking for something and I figured that being from Fortuna myself I could be of some use to you.” She replies softly, leaning against the pillar once more.
He chuckles, running a hand through his hair. She cocks an eyebrow in confusion.
“What’s so funny?” She asks, taking a small step towards him.
In the blink of an eye, he withdraws his blade, holding it just inches away from her throat. She gasps and swallows hard, her heart pounding against her ribs.
He straightens himself, keeping the blade hovering above her jugular.
“I don’t need your help.” He hisses as the sunlight bounces off the cold steel.
She inhales shakily, a bead of sweat dripping down her neck.
“I-I’m sorry.” She whispers, wincing as he drags the blade up to her chin
He inhales sharply, stepping closer to her until they’re mere inches apart. She trembles against the blade.
With his free hand, he cages her against the stone, leaning in until his lips are hovering next to her ear. She shudders, keeping her hands firm at her sides.
“Heed this as a warning…” he begins, practically rasping into her ear. “If you were wise, you’d not follow me or intervene in my business again.”
A few moments of silence follow, the sound of her heartbeat rushing in her ears.
“Do I make myself clear?” He asks, lowering the blade slightly. She nods, meeting his gaze. He grunts and slowly takes the blade away from her throat, placing it back in its sheath at his side.
He gives her one final glare before sauntering away, quickly turning the corner to go back down to the lower level. She finally releases the breath she’s been holding, panting for air as she holds her throat.
After a few moments, she straightens herself, wiping her sweaty palms on the fabric of her dress. Despite his warning, she’s determined he’s not completely serious. After all, if she was such a nuisance, why didn’t he kill her right then and there?
Her heart skips at the thought. Slowly, she wanders to the railing overlooking the lower levels. She spots him immediately, already back to his search. She smiles to herself and quietly makes her way down the steps.
Meanwhile, he’s grown frustrated with his efforts. After looking for several hours, he still has yet to find the one tome he's been wanting most. He snaps his current book closed and throws it against a nearby desk out of frustration.
She watches silently from the staircase as he runs both hands through his hair and takes a long drawn-out breath. Once she makes it to the foyer she tiptoes past him, peeking at the book he had thrown.
Vergil fails to notice as she grabs a new book from the shelf and scribbles a note, leaving them both on the same desk before scurrying away.
She takes one final glance at him behind her shoulder before prying open the main doors once again and sneaking out quietly. Vergil is only able to catch a glimpse of red before the doors shut completely and he’s left on his own.
He turns his head to the side as the door closes with a large boom and notices the gifts she left him. Slowly he wanders over, picking up the note.
I thought you might like this one…it’s one of my personal favorites. If you change your mind, I’ll be around.
Vergil scoffs, a small smile crawling across his lips.
“That woman…” he utters to himself, turning the note over in his hands. He folds the paper into a small square and tucks it into his shirt and reaches for the book.
His eyes widen upon reading the title, and he blinks in disbelief.
“This…” he utters softly, turning the book over in his hands. He runs his fingers across the cover, tracing the embossed title. He flips through the pages and hums in satisfaction. He gently closes the book and holds it to his chest.
Without a word, he makes his way back towards the entrance. He pulls up his hood once more and tucks the novel under his arm, exiting the building without a sound.