This is How You Remind Me

[x_devil_in_me_x]

Dante had been out on a job. It seemed the devils were being more active. This was the third time he'd been out in the last two days.

As he walked in the shop he shouted, "I'm back!"

Nevan and Lady entered from the kitchen, Lady having just got back from a job of her own.

"Everything ok here?" Dante asked.

Lady nodded, "Yea, everything is fine here. Syn called she'll be around later today. And she asked me to do the grocery shopping, I'll be back in a little while."

Dante nodded and she headed out the door.

Nevan smiled, "Well Sugar, everything go well for you?"

He nodded again, "Yea, everything went just fine. No injuries or anything. Those guys were lightweights."

She nodded, "Vergil's back in his room I think."

He grinned and headed back, going to check on his twin.

He knocked on the opened door and leaned up against the door jam, "Hey Verge. You all right?"

Comments

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil was halfway under his bed, apparently arguing with something under it, judging by the hisses and growls. He didn't seem to have heard Dante, too focused on whatever it was.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante eyed his brother's form, noting that he had filled out some, wasn't so skinny and malnourished. He was strong and lean, and Dante shook his head, shaking the thoughts of his brother out of his head.

He walked into the room, closer to Vergil and chuckled, "Vergil? What are you doing?"

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

"Door!" was the muffled response. Apparently he wanted Dante to close the door before he answered.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante looked at the door and at his brother with a quirked eybrow, but he went and closed it anyway.

He walked back to his brother and sat down beside him.

"Ok the door's closed, what are you doing?"

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Dante got his answer when a ball of yowling fur bolted out from under the bed and around the room. Vergil followed soon after, scrambling out and trying to catch it. Without much success. It was fast for a kitten.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante watched Vergil and the kitten go round and round. He chuckled, sitting calmly on the floor, "So who's winning?"

He shook his head, not believing his brother. He had the same affliction as Syn, taking in strays.

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Ignoring Dante, Vergil lunged forward and finally managed to catch the spitting furball. He sat up, petting the kitten until it calmed down. "Found it outside," he murmured. "Stray dog killed its mother."

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante nodded, knowing that was the only reason that Vergil brought the cat inside. "That's good. You can take care of it, well when it decides to let you. Strays don't always make good pets though."

He chuckled, "Of course I say that and the little guy will be a perfect angel."

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil snorted. "They make the best pets." As if to confirm that, the kitten decided to lick his nose, making him go cross-eyed in surprise.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante laughed, "All right, I'll believe you."

The cross eyed look was good on him, made him look cute, not that he wasn't gorgeous anyways. Dante mentally shook his head, clearing that thought from his mind.

"So you ventured outside? That's good. You know you're free to go around the compound as you wish."

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

"I heard the animals fighting outside." He loosened his hold on the kitten, letting it climb along his arm. Then he snorted as it immediately dove into his pocket.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

He nodded, "Well at least we know it was a stray dog that attacked. Cerberus and the others are with Syn at the Preserve. They like it there more than here."

He chuckled as the kitten hid in his pocket, "Well looks like he's found a favorite place."

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

"Safe place. Small, dark, and warm." Vergil glanced around to make sure the tribble was still in the covered tank and not wandering around.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante nodded, "Yea, I guess."

He noticed where Vergil was looking and couldn't help but chuckle, "I still can't believe that Syn got that for you. So what'd you do with that stuffed animal she gave you?"

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

"It's purr is soothing." Vergil paused at the question about the toy, his eyes drifting guiltily toward a bit of stuffing sticking out from under the night stand.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

He looked at the night stand and noticed the stuffing. He couldn't help his laughter, "Man oh man, I can't believe you did that. Well that thing sure didn't last long. Syn'll be all right with it too. She'll probably laugh, she was expecting you to do that."

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil shrugged helplessly. He didn't have an excuse, other than it was fun.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

Dante chuckled again, "Well did you enjoy it while you had it?"

His dreams the past few weeks had been disturbing, leading him down a path that he wasn't too sure of. He'd been meaning to speak to Syn about it, but he hadn't yet.

He looked around the room, noting the books and such.

"How are you, really?"

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil nodded slightly. He watched Dante look around the room. At the question about how he was, he shrugged slightly. He didn't know.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

He smiled at his brother, "Well I think you're a heck of a lot better than you were when I first brought you home."

He reached out and touched him, needing to feel him close, "I'm so glad I found you alive."

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil leaned into the touch a little. He didn't think he was doing all that much better, but he wasn't going to argue. He liked seeing Dante happy.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

He moved closer, then wrapped his arms around Vergil, pulling him into a hug.

"So about Nevan. Think you could stand to meet her yet?"

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil sighed softly and closed his eyes, relaxing into the hug.

But the mention of Nevan made him tense slightly. He bit his lip, not responding for a moment, then finally nodded slightly. If Dante was with him, he might be able to handle it.

[x-devil-in-me-x.livejournal.com]

He smiled, "Well you want to surprise Syn when she comes home? Let's go visit Nevan now, see how you react to her and if it's good we can all be in the same room when Syn comes home and she can be shocked."

He kept his arms wrapped around his brother, enjoying having him close to him.

[bathed-in-shdw.livejournal.com]

Vergil nodded slightly again. It would be nice to surprise her.