Dante/Leon - The Devil and the Hunter

The rain was as cold as ice, falling from a night sky as black as onyx. The only light in the sleeping city was that of a hanging bulb in a shop window, joined by the bright neon sign above the window. "Devil May Cry." The locals knew that only months ago, it was temporarily renamed "Devil Never Cry", but for some reason or another, its single owner had decided to change it back. He liked the ring of it more, and the name stuck better to one's memory. Said owner was currently enjoying the bliss of a hot shower, savoring the few minutes of hot water he did have. Dante was ignoring his pizza, which was a sin in itself, but just seeing the rain and night out his window made him cold and need to shower. He sighed to himself as he leaned against the cool tile, falling apart against his weight. It was nice to have the shop to himself, but even he had to admit it was boring now that the girls, Lady and Trish of course, were gone on their own little "sub-missions".1

Sidestepped on yet another trail and ended up in the wrong city. It was becoming almost anticipated. The tall male held his handgun at the ready, walking with his back to the wall. He had been less cautious around the rest of the open city but now was night and he was weary. He heard a can fall over and jumped around the corner, aiming for the stray cat or mouse he expected to be there - instead he was slightly blinded by the bright neon lights above the first floor of a double-story building. Shielding his eyes, he squinted and read it - "Devil May Cry".2

Squinting further, he eyed the door and raised his handgun, unprepared with nothing else. No vehicles in sight, just trashcans brimming with scrap. Obviously a newly renovated building. As he neared the door, the smell of pizza hit his senses and he breathed deeply. It was a nice smell, something he hadn't have, living off rations and quick, cold or canned foods for some time while on the road. After his escort mission with the president's daughter, he took time off from the Force but still kept the equipment - just in case.3

Slowly pushing the door open with his free hand, Leon slipped into the shop silently. Aiming around the room, he found the sparsely furnished room empty of occupants, with the exception of an open pizza box. Lowering his gun, he stepped to the desk and glanced around quickly. He could hear running water from somewhere but the draw of the pizza was too much... One piece was already missing - no one would miss another piece gone. He took a final glance around and took a slice of the pizza in one hand. It smelled so nice, so fresh. He quickly took a deep bite and chewed slowly through the sauce, toppings and crust. He closed his eyes with a soft smile.4

"Save some for me," a voice spoke from nearby, deep yet lifted by the tone of cockiness. A silver-haired male stepped down the stairs, dressed in a pair of pants, heavy boots, and a towel around his shoulders catching the water from his short hair. A necklace hung around his neck, a heavy red amulet with gold chain. He smirked a bit as he went to the desk and grabbed a slice for himself. Two guns were stuffed into the backside of his pants, one of glimmering silver and the other as dark as the night outside. The guns weren't even in a holster, but simply shoved in the slack between his pants and his body, within easy reach. He stepped around Leon and went to a quiet jukebox.5

"Be grateful I'm not going to charge you for the meal...I almost should, just to get them off my ass about the debt." The silver-haired male frowned. [Why am I so talkative all of a sudden?] He wondered. [Am I that desperate?] He shook the thought from his head as he turned and leaned lazily against the jukebox. "Alright. What's your story? You look like you've been to Hell and back."6

As the voice spoke, Leon's gun was up, the pizza still in his hand. By god if he would drop it. The nine-millimeter handgun was nothing nearly the size of the other man's, yet Leon was still confident of his abilities.7

"I didn't think anyone was around. Waste of good pizza...." He kept the gun trained on the man as he walked around. The man seemed human enough, he was tempted to trust him. But too many mansions had told him not to let his guard down. Taking two steps back from wherever the man walked, Leon stayed his distance. When questioned, Leon tried to think of a good lie. "My story? Hell and back sounds easy. One escort mission, two police forces lost, three too many mansions, and way more zombie apocalypses than I care to recall again. You?"8

Dante grinned. "Shoot me. I dare you." He turned his head quickly to flip his hair out of his face. "And I wasn't wasting that pizza. I wanted to shower." The man spoke between bites now, not seeming to care that a gun was pointed at him. God knew it wasn't the first time and definitely wasn't going to be the last. "My story? Chyeh." He almost growled. "Lets just say, its none of your business." He pushed himself off the jukebox now to go back to the desk and retrieve another piece of the food. "Zombies are nothing compared to the shit I've been through. Put your gun away before you poke your eye out."9

Leon was suddenly, by the end of the man's talk, not so confident. He holstered the gun slowly, deciding to just eat the pizza and listen quietly. With his other hand free, the fished into his pockets and pulled out a few dollars. Shrugging slightly, he tossed it on the desk. "My share, then. Just don't shoot me, either." He said finally. "So what makes you think zombies are nothing to your scene?"10

Again, the man grinned and pocketed the money. "Because I've been to Hell," he said sincerely, his eyes on Leon's. 11

Quirking an eyebrow, Leon was mid-bite when the words rang into his mind. "Hell, huh. How was that, warm enough?" He joked. He may have seen Hell in the mansions, but it was hard to get more real than that.12

"Ohhohoh...A skeptic," he said with a smile, looking like a child with a new playtoy. "Tell you what, you've put me in a fiesty mood. Let's go for a romp." He finished his slice and grabbed another, letting it hang from his mouth. He went upstairs to retrieve his favorite red coat, then equipped himself with a shotgun, very large sword, and three-pronged ice-blue nunchaku from hooks on the walls all around. 13

"Skeptic?" Leon questioned. He was not well equipped for any kind of hunt. "Sorry, but I don't have my equipment." He turned down the offer quickly, fearing more zombies.14

"Chyeh. You can just stand back and watch then. Unless you want to borrow some of my gear." He gestured to the large armory around them.15

Leon was tempted to take the offer. He liked the weapons he saw, as he surveyed each of what he found around the armored walls. Picking up a shotgun that looked similar to his back at HQ, Leon smirked and checked the ammo count for it. When he was satisfief in simply preparing for more zombies, he nodded to the man. "Alright."16

"Let's rock." Grinning widely still, Dante led him out of the shop, closing up behind him. He was greatful that the rain had stopped, if only for a moment. It would get them plenty of time to get into the car and the top up on it. The man led him to the garage and into the car, turning it on and popping up the top so they'd be protected in case of another rainfall. As they drove out of the city, Dante glanced at Leon. "When we get there, stay behind me and stay out of my way. Don't worry about shooting me, I won't feel it. I'll just show you the first level since I don't want you coming home smelling like shit."17

Leon followed quietly behind him. All the way out of the shop to the car, Leon kept his eyes alert and his handgun out. The shotgun would remain a good defense if anything got too close. "First level?" He questioned, glancing at this man with an odd look. "Yes, mum." He cracked sarcastically as the man sounded like a parent. "Nice car, by the way. So where is this place? And what?"18

He chuckled a bit, patting the dashboard affectionately. "Thanks..." The man sighed. "As for where I'm taking you, its called the Blood Palace. A direct link to Hell. I go there to train. I figured it'd be better than taking you to Hell itself. No offense meant, but humans are too weak for such messy work." Dante ran a hand through his hair now. "There are nine-thousand nine-hundred ninety-nine level to the Blood Palace. I just want you to see that there's something worse than your zombie apocolypse."19

"Blood Palace? Great, sounds like another mansion to me." He sighed, glancing out his window quietly. Too many memories of being nearly killed in mansions, where he did his best against the zombies and the Los Illuminados and still only barely made it through. Now he was going to Hell. A little premature, he thought to himself as his eyes softened as the rain started to pour down again. He never was much for rain. "Anything worse than a zombie apocalypse and I'm game to viewing. Participating, let's count me out?" He didn't know what to expect now.20

"By the way, the name's Leon. Figured that might make talking a little less formal." He paused slightly. Inside, that sounded stupid, almost childish. But he couldn't seem to help it. The need to introduce himself seemed apparent enough. Maybe this guy didn't care about names, though he seemed to be welcoming enough to enjoy more informal talk.21

"Good. I was afraid I'd have to make up a name for you too. I got lucky with Lady, but I don't think you're the kind of guy that likes being called 'dude'." He smirked a bit. "Dante. And I don't mind if you just watch. Maybe I'll pull some fancy trick or two now that I have an audience." The other didn't give Leon a chance to respond as the two neared a tower that seemed to reach to the sky, disappearing in the clouds. He pulled the car up to it and turned it off, getting out. "Don't worry about getting attacked. These things are more interested in killing me than anything else."22

Leon couldn't help but snicker a bit. "Lucky with Lady? If that's her name, she's gotta have so many bad puns..." He glanced up, through the windshield at the tower. His stomach sank quickly. It was worse than the mansions already. "Well, that's my luck." He mumbled, climbing out of the sleek car and pocketing his hands, muscles tensing against the rain on his bare arms, already attempting to drench his dark t-shirt and jeans. "Shit, you guys have freezing rain up here." He said between his teeth that were clamped tight. He hated seeming out of his league, but he wasn't in his territory anymore. "Fancy tricks, right." He grumbled, following Dante's lead to the tower.23

The man rolled his eyes and removed his favorite coat, tossing it to the other. "Don't get it damaged. It costs a shitload to get it repaired." Saying nothing more, he led the way inside the tower. The chamber they were in was large and circular. He glanced at Leon, grabbing his guns. "You may want to tuck yourself in a nice little corner. Things are going to get spooky real fast." No sooner had he spoken did rings of red light appear all around and creatures obviously not of this plane began to pour out, their eyes intent on Dante.24

Catching the thrown coat quickly, Leon gave Dante another odd look before simply draping the coat over his arm and following him into the "Blood Palace". By the look of it, this was Hell. But by Dante's previous reference, it was just somewhere close. Heeding the advice given, Leon quickly ducked into the door and quickly located himself in a far corner out of sight, where he could see the main floor. The creatures he soon saw were nothing like the Las Plagas, or the mainstream zombie. Not even those rag-ass toilet paper zombies on Halloween.25

Dante had a simple fighting style. Both guns were drawn, firing on one demon he was walking toward until he was close enough to put the guns away and swing the monsterous sword at it. Sprays of sand and black blood flew in the air with each hit, knocking it back until it shattered to dust and scraps of cloth that drifted to Dante's feet. Not losing a beat, he turned his attention to another and let out a shout as his entire body lunged with incredible speed, impaling the creature and knocking it back as well.26

"This is the real deal, Leon!" He shouted as he swung his sword and body at these things, fighting for not only his life, but for Leon's as well. "These are demons from Hell's deepest bowels! The shit you've lived through...is NOTHING compared to te real Hell that awaits..." An aura of red seemed to grow with each kill, the man soon stopping as the creatures stopped coming. He leaned against his sword slightly and sighed, then hefted it to his shoulder as he turned his attention to Leon, slowly making his way to him.27

Leon watched with tensive eyes. He held onto Dante's coat with a false casualty. He felt weak hiding in his corner, watching this man so loosely hunt the demons that came for him. Yet as he saw the true meaning of Hell, he also saw the differences in what this man was doing and what Leon was used to. With zombies, you avoided as many of them as you could, though with these demons it seemed the goal was to deplete their numbers entirely. Understanding this, Leon lightly applauded Dante's conviction over his foes and offered his coat back to him.28

"A splendid show, really." The sarcastic tone in his voice was almost as permanent as Dante's cocky tone. It was just a habit. Something he'd be trying to get rid of, along with his sarcasm in general.29

"Maybe next time I'll be a show off. Right now, I just want to get home and get to bed." He ignored the offered coat and led the way out, back to the car. "There's a spare bed one of the couches in the main room. If you have no where else to go, you can sleep there for a few nights." Dante ran a hand through his hair once more. Something about this guy really exhausted him yet...Something in those blue-grey eyes made the creature within, the demon, stirr in Dante's blood. He shook the thought from his head, disregarding it and blaming it on his loneliness, for the lack of a better term. [Am I lonely?] He wondered as he turned the car on and waited for Leon to join him inside its warmth.30

"Maybe next time I'll join in, if I'm allowed." He said, simplying hanging onto the coat. It was a rich coat, he liked the feel of it. Glad that Dante didn't take it back right away, he put it over his shoulder until he got back into the car, where he kept it in the seat next to him, guarded by his hand and the gun holstered to his hip. The shotgun was propped beside him against the panel in the car, not nearly forgotten yet simply brought as a precaution.31

"Thanks for the offer. I'll chip in for the next pizza if I stay." As he shut the door to the car, Leon's eyes fell to the wet ground outside the car window. He wanted to be more sure that he'd stay but the truth was he wasn't. He wasn't on a mission, there was no zombie threat here - Leon could see why with Dante roaming the city - yet Leon wasn't sure he -should- stay. His eyes reflected nothing of his thoughts on the subject but all of his emotion. Staring at the bleak weather, he watched the sky drain the color from everything as the rain kept getting heavier. "How long is the storm expected?"32

This earned a small smile from the man. "Sure." He watched the other curiously through the corner of his eye as the other held the coat as if it were something precious. To Dante, it was. That coat had been with him longer than his guns had. Oh the stories that coat could tell if it could talk. The man snorted to himself, but said nothing on that subject. "No problem..." He muttered, as if not used to saying it, the car taking them back to the city. "Don't worry about paying for the pizza. I'll pay off that debt eventually," he said, changing the subject. "As for the storm, don't really know. As long as it doesn't rain blood, we'll be fine." 33

"Hm." He hummed slightly, still mesmerized by the window's scene. He didn't argue about the pizza, though he schemed. He wasn't one for having a debt to someone, especially not someone he'd just met. Though, for just meeting this guy he was pretty open. Unless he shows everyone this side of Hell? Leon kept his thoughts to himself and frowned at the comment of the storm. "Guess I'm stuck here as long as the storm stays up." He said in an off tone. He smirked at the thought of it raining blood. He didn't want to stay, yet he was compelled to - unsure if he even should. The easiest way to satisfy all feelings was to stay a short time, with a reason. The storm provided him that reasoning - and his lack of pizza in a year or more. On the thought, his stomach gave an audible rumble. "Sorry, haven't had decent food in a while. That pizza hit the spot." He joked with an innocent shrug.34

"Just be glad we have the same taste in food. Its all I have at the moment. Pizza, beer, and bottled water that Trish left behind." He chuckled at a thought, but didn't speak it. The nice thing was that they were getting along, Dante reminded himself. Things could be worse after all. The two soon reached the quiet shop once more and Dante led the way inside, his strides slow to emphasize the fact he was getting tired, either worn out from the battle or from some other thing that had happened before Leon's arrival. Putting the weapons away, he flopped belly-first into a couch. "There's a bed upstairs, bathroom is up there too. Make yourself at home." He closed his eyes, an arm hanging off the side of the couch.35

"Trish?" He questioned, though didn't follow the thought until he was out of the car, picking up the shotgun and coat. He replaced the shotgun in its proper place in the wall and strolled around the store, lightly placing Dante's coat on an armchair. "Trish - and that Lady - are these girlfriends of yours?" He questioned. Something inside, other than his stomach, tried to sink. He simply stretched to avoid the look his eyes would give. He went, instead to inspecting the articles on the walls, glancing out the window. He was slightly tired, and would retire to the offered bed in a few minutes. He wasn't exactly kosher to making himself at home in such an open stranger's place.36

Dante laughed weakly, his eyes fascinated with the floor. "Heh...If they heard you call them that, they'd have your ears for bracelets." He shook his head and sighed. "Nah...They're just fellow hunters...Lady and I go back pretty far, but she's made it quite clear to me that she'll never be interested in me romantically. As for Trish, she's nice, but she's too much like my mom, you know?" His brows furrowed slightly. He was minutely confused as to why he was so open, so willing to tell this human everything. It was almost hard to keep quiet. Dante was almost willing to bet the other was some sort of demon as well, but knew from his smell that the other was indeed human, at least for the most part.37

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Leon was glad they weren't around. "Brutal, eh?" He nodded at what Dante was saying when he spied a picture on the desk. "Well, if this woman is your mother, then I'd know. But otherwise, I'll just agree." Leon scoffed. "Though I'm shocked they wouldn't be interested in a guy like you." He said casually. "Most girls would kill for a sharp guy with a big gun. Or two."38

The man grinned, looking at Leon. "Nah...Lady wants to kill me more than anything. Trish...Well, God only knows what goes through that woman's mind. She's not exactly my mother, but close enough to keep me at an emotional distance." He smirked. "As for getting girls, I don't have any problem. Its just keeping them that's the hard part." He was two steps from telling the other why, telling Leon about the bloody day over twenty years ago, but bit his cheek before he could. "They can be brutal...but they're a good pair of gals. They'll have good lives once they find something better to do."39

"Kill you? And you work with them? Maybe it's not a good idea I stay here." He said skeptically. "I keep myself away from emotional attachments." Why was he saying this? "Working on the police force, especially on cases nearing apocalypse, doesn't exactly put me high on the wanted list for females." Leon smirked, eyeing the cold pizza left in the box for a moment.40

"Yeah...But mostly because we get along and work well together," Dante said with a shrug. "The only thing that brings them back here is the same goal. Slaying as many demons as we can." He sighed and smiled weakly. "I know the feeling. Guess we have more in common than we thought. But don't worry about the girls. They won't hurt you." [Too badly.] He sat up long enough to roll onto his back and kick off his boots. "Feel free to finish it off. I don't have much of an appetite tonight." He was sure if either of the two females were here, one of them would state that it truely was an apocolypse.41

"Zombie hunting seems to be the opposite - avoid as many as you can." He stated, taking a slice of the pizza. "I think I'm going to borrow your shower, then I might crash. Haven't slept since I entered this boring city." He said minutely, muffled slightly through the bite of pizza. With one stroke he unfastened the holster for his pistol and took it off his belt. He wasn't in the slightest bit tired, but he didn't want to push his welcome. He headed for the stairs, noting to himself it would be just his luck if either of the girls showed up and Dante had another person in the shower. Shaking his head and rubbing at his eyes, Leon tried to force the thoughts out.42

Luckily for Leon, the bathroom was quiet by the time he reached it. Dante smirked to himself and glanced down at the buckle of his pants. "Well, well...I guess I'm not as manly as I thought I was," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes to will the minor erection away. He would admit, the other was attractive as well, but he swiftly reminded himself that Leon was human, and the last time a human and demon tried to be happy together ended in blood that continues to be spilled today. The man sighed and closed his eyes, using an arm as a pillow as the other rested on his stomach. [Maybe tonight...I won't dream...] He thought hopefully, letting himself listen to the sound of Leon's footfalls up the stairs on above him as he started to drift to sleep.43

Leon reached the shower without a problem. He peeled his soaked shirt off and dropped it on the floor, starting up the water as hot as he could get it before he glanced in the mirror, surveying some deep scars he got a while back - scars he couldn't get to heal properly. He seemed to have many of those. Though not all physical. Roughly shoving the memories aside, he stripped of his jeans and his briefs - his one habit from the police force. In the shower at last, he sighed heavily as the steaming water caressed the tense muscles and got rid of the dirty, chilled rain.44

The sound didn't come from the shower, but it sounded like it was all around the shop. A rough growl of a healthy, yet possibly a little abused motorcycle hurling at top speed down the ally in front of the shop. A loud squeal made the direction of the noise apparent and the shadow on the door was visible enough to let anything know it was a close call - the doors opened suddenly with a bang and a familiar-looking schoolish girl leapt sideways off the bike that was parked literally right outside. She paused long enough to quirk a brow at Dante, and the sound of water that was obviously not him.45

The man growled to himself at the sound of the nearing motorcycle. "So much for a quiet night." As she entered, he opened an eye at her. "I have a guest. Be nice," he told her before closing his eye once more, trying to look like he didn't care. It was a hard thing to do though. Her being here meant one thing: either Lady had a job for him or she was here to hassle more money from him. Neither was something he enjoyed. 46

"For a moment I though you left the water on." She scoffed, wandering over to him and sitting on his stomach abrutly. "A guest, huh? And you didn't tell them you were busy? Or pretend you weren't here? Again." She hadn't quite made a point yet as to why she was here, but she was enjoying bothering him. Moreso now that she knew there was company.47

Again, Dante fought to look as uninterested as he could. "How busy could I be? I haven't had a job in months." Probably not the best thing to tell Lady, but he kept talking, hoping to dig himself out of his own grave. "And its not like I was going to shove him back out in the streets. He looked like he'd been through a lot, so I invited him for pizza and some rest. Sue me for being charitable for once."48

Lady nearly stopped dead. "He?" She was suddenly more interested than she was planning on being. "Heeee?" She cooed, leaning over Dante. "He who?" She asked quickly. "Aw, Dante! And here I was thinking you were hopeless!"49

He opened both eyes to glare at her now. "He's not my boyfriend. Nice try. Now get off before he gets the wrong idea."50

"What idea? Does he know you're single? Or does he honestly believe you could possibly have somebody? What wrong idea could he get?" She was now nearly laying on him, grinning.51

"Wrong idea?" That question didn't belong to Lady, but she did look towards the speaker. "Am I suppose to have an idea of something?" Leon was out of the shower, standing there with his jeans on, his lack of a belt or shirt showing a toned midrift and hips. Lady gave Dante an impressed smile.52

Dante growled again and flopped his head back. "Lady, Leon. Leon, Lady." He sat up, not-too-gently shoving Lady off in the process. The man glared at the girl again. "I repeat myself. Be nice." He stepped quickly past Leon, retreating to the bathroom to urinate, grumbling to himself. His brows were furrowed in deep thought. He couldn't figure out why he was so angry at Lady all of a sudden. The demon sighed to himself. "Maybe because she sticks her nose where it doesn't belong," he muttered under his breath, zipping his pants up and pausing to wash his hands. He stopped and caught himself staring at his hands. Grumbling, he shook his head and left the bathroom to retreat upstairs, claiming the bed since Leon hadn't. Or at least he hoped, but at this point, Dante believed the night couldn't get any worse.53

"Oof!" Lady squeaked as she hit the floor. "Whaaaat?" She protested, getting up and waving to Leon. "Sooo, you're-okay I'll be nice. Hi Leon."54

"Uh, hi." He said quickly. He knew acting oddly would only make things worse for Dante, but he had no other choice. At Dante's sudden retreat, Leon was left alone with Lady who seemed to be more cozy with Dante than the man had mentioned. "Is this the part where I ask what just happened?"55

"No, actually. This is the part where you're suppose to follow him." She said quickly, with an innocent tone. When Leon looked confused, she glared with a huff. "What? I'm not kidding. Oh, now I remember what I was here for!" Lady remembered, but paused. "Dante owes me money, and Trish and I were going to grab a bite after our jobs." She looked as if she was contimplating. "Eh, I won't bother him. Have fun!" She raced for the bike still sitting in the doorframe. "Oh, and don't be too rough." She winked, and the bike was gone as quick as Leon had heard it come in. He was now more confused about Dante and Lady's relationship than he was before Dante had even explained it. The man had been open all day - would he have skipped over something like that? No motive, Leon noted. He decided to head upstairs and catch Dante before he fell asleep. "You know, I can leave if I'm causing problems. It seemed I interrupted something."56

He chuckled weakly into the pillow his face was buried in, again laying on his stomach. The man rolled onto his side to look at Leon tiredly. "No...You're fine..." He rubbed his forehead a bit, pushing his bangs back out of his face. "She just likes causing trouble and convinces herself that I'm her bitch. Don't let that cute schoolgirl uniform fool you. She's a bondage queen under that sweet smile." Dante cursed inwardly. Of all things to say, that came out the worst. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair once more. "Just...nevermind." The man gave up. Every time he opened his mouth, he seemed to be screwing himself over more and more. "Let's just pretend that scene down there never happened and I'll be alive tomorrow morning."57

Leon paused slightly and after a moment, he spoke up again. "Does that mean if I don't pretend it didn't happen, you won't be alive tomorrow morning?" He cursed his ever-present sarcasm.58

Again Dante laughed weakly. "More of if you don't pretend it didn't happen, I'll be oddly unable to look you in the eye for a few days." There. He said it. He felt humiliated, rediculous, maybe even morbidly embarrassed, but Dante said it. [Lady was right...] Dante cursed mentally. [I am hopeless...Damn her and her woman's intuition.]59

"Sounds fair." Leon agreed, though despite the agreement, he wasn't sure he could move his legs. He quickly made another comment to stall until he could find the strength. "Though it seemed she was interested in you - but maybe that was her deception working?"60

"Like I said, that's the first time she's gotten that phsyical with me. Ever," Dante stated firmly. "Trust me, if I knew she would be pawing at me like that, I would have shoved her off before her ass even hit my chest. " Again, that sounded so wrong. He sighed once more. "Listen, I know Lady. She hates me. She would never find herself so desperate enough to even think of doing anything with me besides hunt demons."61

Leon still didn't look convinced, but he didn't want to push the topic. "Okay, okay." He said finally. He was tempted to ask what in the world made this time any more different than any other time Lady was around Dante, but it dawned on him that there was another guy in the house - himself. Seeing where this was going, he thought he'd be wishing for a way out - instead he was trying to gleen more information, figure it out further and not make a fool of himself later. Later? He caught himself thinking. What later? Confused, and feeling an awkward tension, he quickly asked a different question. "Expecting any more visitors?" But even as he said it, he wished it didn't sound so wrong coming out of his lips.62

"No, but last time I thought that, I had a girl on my chest," Dante muttered to his pillow, rolling back away and closing his eyes. [And a pissed-off boyfriend....Urg! He's not my boyfriend! Not yet...No! Not ever! Not if I keep fucking up like this...Dammnit...Lady was right. I am hopeless.] "Leon...Just...get in bed and get some sleep."63

"This...is true." Leon agreed quietly, pocketing one hand in his jeans and tossing his hair back deftly. It was still slightly damp from his shower. He paused quickly. "So we're sharing a bed? That'll make Lady happy." He quickly had to find a way to keep himself from digging a grave as Dante had with Lady downstairs. "Just stay on your side." Was his childish, yet workable, answer.64

"You too. I'm too manly to be gay." And yet he had his own words echoing in his mind, something he had said to an old friend. ["I'm not just a lady's man. I'm a man's man."] 65

"I can't believe you just said that." He retorted, climbing into the bed on the opposite side.66

"Me too actually..." He rolled onto his side, his back to Leon. [I'm...blushing...]67

Leon smirked, safe from view with Dante's back to him. He was more tired than he thought he was, perhaps the confusion that erupted with Lady's entrance. He drifted quickly to sleep, a regretful decision. Since his first assignment as Raccoon City, his dreams were plaqued with zombie fights and trapped mansions. He couldn't escape the horrid scenes, waking several times each night. He hoped for a decent night's sleep and was met with a worse dream. He tossed and turned, the bed was comfy enough but his dreams kept him moving, even out of his sleep.68

Dante beside him wasn't having any better time either. The man was on his back, clutching at the sheets and thrashing as if struggling against something. He whimpered uncharacteristically, and a sweat was building on his brow. His breath was short and swift, and his skin was hot to the touch. What nightmares he was having couldn't be told, but he calmed for a moment when his hand brushed against Leon's, the human touch of skin against skin pushing back a moment of the nightmare.69

The thrashing of someone beside him made Leon slightly more jumpy in his dreams. He pushed his head further into the pillow, on his side facing Dante his hand fell from where it was gripping his own shoulder to the sheets where his fingers rested beside Dante's shoulder, the touch of someone else's skin that wasn't a rotten horror relaxing his hand so his fingers gently touched the other man's shoulder.70

His body flinched when touched, and instantly, Dante woke from his dream. His eyes were wide and wild with fear, but quickly realized where he was and who he was with. He felt his heart sink seeing the other in pain and in nightmares. He shifted his shoulder so that the other could touch it. Dante sighed to himself silently, reaching to Leon's other hand, tangling his fingers with the other male's so that he held Leon's hand firmly. The man closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep once more, knowing his body needed rest, despite how horrid the dreams were.71

He wished he was a heavy sleeper, yet that conflicted with having bad dreams. Thus, his eyelids fluttered for a second as he forced himself to go back to sleep, the feeling on his hands he pushed to being a trick of the nightmare. Yet the touch on his hands had a strong pull and Leon's nightmares become slightly brighter. A shattering of glass from the foyer of this dream's mansion and a silhouetted figure swooped down from the ceiling's domed roof. The dream proceeded to go from horrific to no longer a nightmare as he finally lost his pull on sleep and shifted slightly towards the warm body next to him, holding tightly to the hand in his and lightly tracing his fingers on the soft shoulder, mumbling.72

Dante shivered at the light touch on his shoulder and the other scooting closer, not quite asleep yet. Now he was face with a dilemma. [Shit...] The man sighed again, a thing he had been doing a lot lately that was starting to annoy him slightly. An arm slid under Leon and gently wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer into the demon's hold. He shifted his weight so he laid on his back and the human laid partially on him. Again he closed his eyes to try to sleep, feeling more at ease now with a hand holding Leon's still as the other gently petted his hair. [I'm going to kill Lady for this...]73

Leon gave a heavy sigh, barely asleep anymore, he didn't have a clue what was going on. He was comfortable, but the rarest thing was he felt...protected. As his consciousness regained slowly Leon's body bolted suddenly, the pillow he was on flipped over and his handgun was in his hand, finger on the trigger. A click told both of them the safety was off. Leon was standing already several feet from the bed, his jeans still sagging on his hips, hair messed from his tossing, breathing heavy.74

[Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit....] Dante laid still, his breathing slow and steady as he feigned sleep. He knew for a fact there was no way he could talk his way out of this one and prayed for the first time since that day. He knew it wouldn't be easy to kill him, but it would still hurt to wake up to a face full of black powder and lead, and neither were flavors Dante liked mixed with his already-rancid morning breath.75

"Wha-..." A clank of metal on wood as he dropped the gun and Leon swayed on his feet. He had gotten up way too quickly and his body was now catching up. The world was spinning for him and he suddenly crashed towards the floor.76

Dante opened an eye and saw the other begin to sway. Quickly he rolled off the bed and caught the other, leaning over him as if the two had stopped in the midst of a graceful waltz with the hunter dipping his human counterpart. His arm was once more around Leon's waist and a hand was on Leon's on the gun, pointing it away from the demon. 77

"Ugn..." Leon protested quickly, his eyes slowly focusing on Dante's face. He let go of the gun. "Sorry...just...unfamiliar." He mumbled apologetically as he struggled to his own feet. He wasn't pulling away from Dante's arm, but he was going to stand on his own feet. "Sorry, I...I have nightmares..." He stammered quickly.78

The other helped him stand, not removing his arm from Leon's waist either. He let the gun fall to the ground. "Same..." He said in a whisper, finding himself wanting to let go but unable to do so. A moment of searching within Leon's eyes passed before Dante turned his attention away and let go. "Guess we should try again..."79

Leon quickly caught himself, mentally, before he stammered forward towards Dante's arms. The last thing he needed was to confuse himself of his own actions. Though, he already didn't have reason to pull a gun on the man. "Tch. I think we just need to try this entire night again." He smirked sincerely with a delicate smile before sitting on the edge of the bed and falling backwards with a soft groan. "The nightmares wouldn't be so bad if..." [I wasn't so afraid of why you keep showing up in them.] He stopped. He didn't want to say what was going to come to his lips, so he ended the sentence just as it was.80

"Heh...I'm up for starting the night over again, but sadly, I'm not that strong..." He sighed and laid back as well, scooting away slightly when Leon's hand brushed his shoulder. "Let's just try to sleep. The worst part has already come and gone, so it can't get any worse than it's already been." Or so he hoped. Dante was sure, though, he wouldn't be able to sleep long without the warmth of the other against him.81

"Neither am I." Leon agreed, laying on the bed quietly. "Sleep sounds good, really." [But I've tried that already...] He quickly cut his thoughts off and shut his eyes, burrowing them into the pillow - an action he soon regretted. Saying nothing allowed, he noticed when he had grabbed for his gun, he had knocked his pillow over. Now he lay there, inhaling the scent of Dante's pillow. He felt an unfamiliar ache in his muscles to be closer to the demon's body, laying only a foot or two from him. He quickly pushed himself to resist. [Deal with it-deal with it-deal with it....]82

But oh how that demon had already had the breath of Leon's scent in his lungs and the feel of his body already burned in his mind. Dante struggled as well in his mind, fighting himself tooth and nail to keep from grabbing the other and possessing him, holding him to his body and smothering his lips against Leon's. Dante's hands clutched and released his sheets as a cat would, debating hard on what to do. He was close to throwing caution to the wind, just to taste that sweet ambrosia of being close to the other again. 83

From the corner of one eye, Leon could see Dante. Though he tried hard to bury himself in the pillow that didn't help him, he couldn't help but watch the demon struggle. Quickly, he pretended he was asleep again and tossed over onto his back, one arm over his stomach and the other at his side. Now, he realized, he was making excuses to touch Dante. Excuses, and petty ones. Was he desperate...? Since Ada, his love life had fallen apart rather miserably but this was...this was a male. While he was never against gay rights, he never considered himself to be one of them. He was too fond of the company of women. Now, he felt the difference between the company of women and the presence of another man. His hands twitched slightly as he shifted on the bed.84

The demon watched him pretend to be asleep, knowing very well that the human was still awake. [But that moment…] He thought to himself. [We were connected. We felt it. There was something there that we both liked and wanted…] Dante sighed. He might as well assert now that he was going to be the more dominant of the two, unafraid of making a move. The man scooted closer and again wrapped his arm around Leon’s waist, pulling the other so the human was on his side, his back pressed to Dante’s chest. He rested his cheek against Leon’s shoulder and closed his eyes to sleep, his other arm curled under his pillow.85

He wouldn't be fooled, Leon thought. Demons have that about them, obviously. So silly for trying. Leon tensed slightly at Dante's touch, at his pull, but he had to force himself to tense. For show? For confidence? It shouldn't be like this, but he couldn't help that it was. He yearned to roll over and curl up into Dante. The impending doom that he could almost predict he was going to face when he started dreaming again - he didn't have that fear anymore. Wrapped in the demon's arms, an unlikely place for Leon Kennedy, he was most comforted against any number of zombie apocalypses.86

Dante wasn't surprised at the flinch, and some part of him didn't seem to care. Leon was in his arms, and that was where he was going to stay so long as the two were in the bed. His eyes were closed and already the demon felt himself slipping toward sleep. He knew deep down that the nightmares would be gone now, and for that reason alone, his body relaxed. His arm left Leon's body once to pull the covers to their shoulders before his arm went around Leon's waist once more, giving him a light squeeze.87

Leon sighed heavily and his body caved. When he felt Dante's squeeze, he curled up around the man's arm and shut his eyes tightly. [What is happening...why...] Leon fought with every part of his being not to urge himself to pull Dante into his arms as well. He felt lost, yet comfortable in that feeling. Finally, he did shift over in Dante's arms and he slipped his arm over Dante's waist, curling his hand up his back to his shoulder. He felt he had to say something, justify this in some way...but his mind came up blank.88

He didn't open his eyes, not needing to. Dante shifted his head so the two could have some breathing space, partially regretting doing so when he breathed in the smell of Leon's hair once again. The demon was content with where he was, even with who he was holding. He smiled to himself. [It all makes sense now. The reason I have such a hard time with women...was because I'm gay...Let's just hope the two aren't yaoi fangirls or else I'm going to have to constantly screen my apartment for bugs and cameras.] The hand on Leon's back moved, gently stroking the skin with his knuckles boredly. He was tired, but he just wasn't falling asleep. Maybe it was because his heart was racing faster and faster, and his mind was running just as fast.89

The mumble from Leon's voice was deep and rough, his breath brushing against Dante's neck. "A man's man..." He smirked before his head tilted forward, hesitant and without control. Before Leon could do a thing about it, his lips connected with Dante's neck.90

The man purred at the kiss to his neck, tilting his head for more. "Careful now..." He muttered. Dante was having enough problems as is. He didn't need his first boyfriend getting him horny on their first night, but each passing moment was getting harder to suppress certain urges. 91

Leon grumbled something softly against his neck before he tightened his arm around Dante. He didn't care what was going on anymore. He wasn't trying to think. The warmth of the demon holding him was too intoxicating. He burrowed his face into the curve of Dante's neck, his muscles aching for what he tried to hold back.92

Dante growled and shifted his weight, rolling so that Leon was under him. He could feel himself losing his grip on that last string of control, knowing that if they continued, there would be no turning back. His breath was hot in Leon's ear. "You sure about this?"93

Caught under him, Leon's control went before Dante's. The human governmental agent suddenly seemed to have a complete change of mental composure. A split second and he caught Dante's eyes, fire blazing behind the baby blue and gray hues. As soon as he heard Dante question his intentions, Leon's head came up quickly, his hand went around his neck, pulling Dante's lips to his roughly but kissing him with a soft and hidden passionate feel.94

The kiss was returned just as roughly as it was given, nipping his bottom lip to pull them apart for more of the kiss. His hands were suddenly on the move, on Leon's sides peeling the tight cloth from his body. Dante's hips moved as well, rubbing his groin against Leon's. Already he was feeling the effects of their closeness and touches. He was the dominant of the two, and he demanded that their kiss be more passionate as a warm tongue touched Leon's plush lips before slipping past those lips to taste the other's own tongue.95

The other under him hissed softly against Dante's lips. Tilting his head only slightly to press his lips further against Dante's. He couldn't gain enough of the soft skin on his lips. Parting his lips, he accepted Dante's tongue and closed his teeth gently over the intruder. He pulled softly, playfully, as he toyed his tongue around the tip of Dante's. The fingers of his hand around Dante's neck found their way into his hair, his free hand slowly finding his way down his side and caressing the top of Dante's hips before he finds the small of his back and pushes down, forcing their groins together as Leon shifted his hips so slightly.96

He chuckled to himself as he was playfully nibbled, drawing the other's tongue into his mouth to suck on for a moment before caressing it with his. His hands were busy, peeling off that shirt still. Dante's hips were lowered and rubbed against Leon's, thrusting his hips down roughly to grind his body against the brunette. He broke the kiss long enough to pull the other's shirt from his body before pressing back down on him to assault his lips once more.97

A rough moan escaped Leon's throat and he shivered as the colder air hit his body with the lack of his shirt, but it gave him all the reasons to keep Dante's warmth on him. At each, Leon retaliated first by grabbing the top of Dante's pants and holding on, then by following the motions with his own body, his fingers still threading through the demon's white hair and their kiss becoming more heated as Leon began playfully moving his lips from Dante's lips to his jawline and then down to his neck, following a trail back up along his jaw and breathing on his ear.98

Dante allowed himself to groan when the nape of his neck was kissed lightly, but really felt his body tingle with pleasure at the hot breath on his ear. He growled slighty and gave Leon's ear a bite, tugging slightly on his earlobe. A hand parted Leon's legs to allow closer movement, again growling in his throat as he continued to grind his body into Leon's. His pants were getting itchy and constricting, and he didn't want to stop. His hands ran over Leon's chest again and again, memorizing every inch of the flowing silk, every hill and valley that made his body whole.99

Grinning slightly, Leon went to nip at Dante's ear but inhaled sharply when his own was caught. "Aah..." Leon urged, pushing up with his hips as his body began shifting to try and find a comfortable way to still be in his jeans. He gave Dante's ear a quick nip and tug before moving to nuzzle the warm neck. He moved his leg out and around Dante's, locking his leg around the back of the demon's knee. The man's toned chest heaved and fell with his slow, heavy breathing and the motion of Dante's hands. Leon was near begging for his hands to not make the same pattern. He lightly caught one of Dante's wrists with his own and sighed heavily. "Mm...Dante...."100

Gods above, he loved hearing his name moaned like that, and hearing it come from Leon's lips made him even more aroused. Smirking, he licked along Leon's ear with the bare tip of his tongue before nibbling down Leon's neck and up again catching his earlobe again. His free hand made its way down as his hips stopped moving, cupping the firmness at Leon's loins. Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach and heart, his fingers worked at the button and zipper. 101

"God..." he murmured softly against Dante's skin. He was nearly squirming under the demon and when Dante's hand caught him firmly between his legs, he jumped slightly at the excitement he shared. He gave a soft moan against Dante's neck before searching for his lips, nudging them off his neck and assaulting them with his own. He had never felt this aroused, this turned on by anyone before. The further he let Dante go, the more he found himself giving in to nothing more than this. With a soft growl he slowly rubbed his pelvis against Dante's hips, catching the demon's lips between his teeth and pulling softly as he made the slow movements with his thrusts as he let Dante work away his jeans.102

The kiss was returned, his lips and tongue fighting for control over the kiss. His hands finally freed the clasps of Leon's pants, pulling them off and tossing them aside. He broke the kiss again to sit up over the other, looking down and admiring the creature beneath him, this human that he had only met hours ago, this human that had completely entranced him and captured him in a spell. He purred, running a hand down Leon's chest to his erection that fought his briefs. Leaning down, his lips touched Leon's in a slow, gentle kiss as his fingers now peeled off the last garment the other male wore.103

The look Leon was giving him when Dante pulled away was one of lust, unburdened want, and fire from a lack of the loneliness they both had been sure they would have been cursed to. He shifted slightly from the others eyes on him, not sure what Dante was thinking of his body. At the loss of his pants, the hard erection he had spend the first hour, just laying there, trying to will away was becoming to rough to cope. The release from his jeans brought a gasp of relief from Leon accompanied with a heavy groan. As Dante kissed him, he kept it simple - this time - and helped himself out of his briefs before trailing a hand down Dante's chest to the top of his pants and tugging slightly before making easy work of the fastenings.104

His hands were running over Leon's hips and thighs now, one even reaching further to cup and stroke his firm erection. He purred in the kiss as he felt hands on his own pants. Dante let Leon work on his own, trying to think of some way of preparing the other for what was to come. The demon had never had sex with a male, but already his mind had put two and two together. Males only had one opening something could fit into, and if left unprepared could bring mroe pain than bleasure. His mind was brought away from that as his pants were finally opened and the cool air touched the skin of his abdomen and erection that peeked out the opening. 105

At the touch, Leon shivered but instead of shivering away, he tensed himself into Dante's hand. As Leon worked open Dante's pants, his fingers brushed directly above the demon's own erection and Leon moved his lips to Dante's ear, softly murmuring between his lips, "That's easy, Dante..." his fingers brushed the member directly, his fingers curling deftly and his thump stroking the tip gently. It was everything he could do to keep from squirming at Dante's hand.106

Dante fought back a shiver of his own as his sensative pride was touched so gingerly. "Like you really thought I'd wear something..." He muttered in return, reaching back to push his pants completely off. The last garment gone now, he leaned over Leon to steal light kisses from his lips and along his jaw. He traveled down neck and chest, pausing to give a nipple a teasing lick before continuing further down. Again he paused to give Leon's belly-button a lick as well, stopping again in the forest of earth and musk. He purred as he gave the other a lick. "Divine..." He purred with a smirk. 107

Dante fought back a shiver of his own as his sensative pride was touched so gingerly. "Like you really thought I'd wear something..." He muttered in return, reaching back to push his pants completely off. The last garment gone now, he leaned over Leon to steal light kisses from his lips and along his jaw. He traveled down neck and chest, pausing to give a nipple a teasing lick before continuing further down. Again he paused to give Leon's belly-button a lick as well, stopping again in the forest of earth and musk. He purred as he gave the other a lick. "Divine..." He purred with a smirk. 108

Gasping softly for air, Leon kept his breathing slow and steady. His fingers worked at the tip of Dante's growth as the demon played with the sensitive places on his chest and stomach. He cringed at each lick, enjoying the excitement. The lower Dante got, the faster Leon's heart raced, trying to escape from beneath his ribs. There wasn't much Leon could do to save himself at this point, giving himself to Dante. He uttered a soft moan, muffled as he turned his face sideways into the pillow.109

He sat up and curled a finger under Leon's chin, pulling him to face the man. "No hiding," he said with a smile. "I want to hear you moan..." The man stole another kiss from Leon's lips before returning to the other's pride. Dante chuckled darkly. "And trust me...I'll have you moaning a lot..." Giving the other a teasing wink, he kissed the length in his hand, running his tongue up the underside before swallowing it whole. It was the first blowjob he had ever given, but the demon had plenty in the past to know what it was to do.110

Leon gave a lazy smirk, a little more meaning behind it than he meant to and gave a soft groan of protest just to give a reason to Dante. "I'm sur--ngg..." He stammered quickly before tilting his head back slightly and gasping, unable to stop the long and audible moan. His hips twitched and quivered slightly from their excitement. "Dante.." he moaned softly, running his fingers through the other's hair.111

It wasn't often that Dante allowed others to pet him, and he wondered why as Leon's fingers sifted through the snowy locks, a feeling he found to be more pleasant than he imagined. His eyes closed as he sucked the flesh in his mouth, massaging the underside with his tongue. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow such a humiliating service, but now the man suddenly didn't care about his own pride and image. This was his equal, he was sure of it. 112

Leon's relationships with women had never gone so far. Ada was perhaps the longest he'd been with. Casual dates with his police co-workers or a few women he saved on missions. He wasn't less experienced, it was simply a drastic change that took his excitement and understanding of sexual activities to a new extent. With Dante's mouth wrapped around his erection, Leon couldn't help the sounds he made as the demon's tongue played with the flesh. The feel of Dante's hair between his fingers, massaging his head gently, stimulated both as Leon wrapped one leg loosely around Dante, his hips quivering and giving a slight push to Dante's lips.113

The demon smirked to himself, suddenly wishing he was a more vampiric demon than anything. He knew very well of a vein not far from his face on the inside of the other's thigh. Dante could only imagine the pleasure and torture Leon would be in if he ran across the wrong demons. [Never gunna happen...] Dante told himself as he swallowed more of the other. [He's mine.]114

Leon could feel the smirk and shuddered slightly. He muttered under his breath and caught his breath for a second before his free hand that wasn't tangled into Dante's hair found the demon's hand and entwined his fingers with the others. It was comforting, and simple. Familiar. As Dante worked with his mouth around Leon's pride, the man couldn't help but give a soft whimper as a rush came over him. His hips gave a small thrust and Leon uttered his name softly. "God, Dante..."115

He gave the other's hand a gentle squeeze, smiling to himself. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from the other with a long lick. Dante was gasping slightly, having forgotten how to breathe for a moment. "You've got some will," he muttered, stroking Leon's pride in his hand. "I was going to suck you until you came and use your own juices as lubricant...but you're pretty stubborn it seems."116

Leon moaned gratefully and looked at Dante with a longing look. "It's always taken a bit, yeah." He said quietly, carefully pulling both of his legs around Dante, locking his ankles at the demon's back. "But I can't imagine it being any easier with you." He smirked, propping himself up before coming to a sitting position, his legs kept around Dante and leaning in, licking the man's lips softly. "But you were so close, Dante."117

An eyebrow rose and the man couldn't help but smirk as his companion hoisted himself up. He purred as their men kissed at their waists, rubbing heatedly against one another. His arms circled Leon's waist. "Maybe I should just thrust into you now then..." He muttered, kissing along Leon's jaw to his ear. His voice lowered to a whisper. "Enter you...without preperation or warning...I'm sure you're used to pain..."118

He tilted his head at the kisses along his jaw and smiled serenely. Leon wrapped an arm around Dante's waist and another around his neck, sliding his fingers into his hair lightly. "I'm sure you'll make up for the pain." He retorted as his hips shifted against Dante's. "Won't you, lover?" He added pointedly.119

His heart fluttered and a pink blush painted Dante's cheeks. Lover. The word wasn't unfamiliar to him, but it just seemed...different now. He wasn't sure how or why, but the hunter could only smile and topple back onto the bed and Leon as he claimed the other's lips in a warm kiss. It was now or never, shifting his hips and moving a hand to guide himself to the sealed gate. He continued the kiss, hoping to distract the other from the pain as he slowly forced himself into the other.120

Leon kept himself held close to Dante's flesh, his arms and legs kept around the demon tightly hanging on. The kiss became fiery and rough as Dante entered him. The pain seared through his veins and he clutched to Dante, shaking uncontrollably. His eyes were forced tightly shut and even still his eyes were watering with tears sneaking out to touch his cheeks. The pain wasn't quickly passing, but he was adjusting as best he could. A single tear dropped from his cheek to Dante's and Leon quickly tensed his fingers as they nearly clawed at Dante's back.121

Sighing to himself, Dante moved his hips back slightly then plunged forward quickly, piercing his lover's virgin entrance and burying himself deep in Leon's heat with a low groan. He broke the kiss to kiss away the tear apologetically, nuzzling his neck and cheek. Something in him wanted to stop, simply because he had hurt Leon. He simply stayed still, allowing the other to adjust before making another move.122

Finally opening his eyes, Leon nudged Dante to look at him before giving him a smile. He stole a kiss from him quietly before lowering his head to nuzzle Dante's neck, distracting himself from the now dulling pain by playing with his hair. Each move Dante would make would send a new chill of pain, but also pleasure, through Leon's body. It was a conflicting place to be, but with experience he'd be used to it. He could already tell this wouldn't be the only time. [I can't leave him now...]123

Again he felt that flutter in his breast at the sight of that charming smile. Dante sighed to himself as he nibbled and sucked on the skin of Leon's neck now, slowly withdrawing his hips and sword from his lover's sheath and just as slowly entered again. Leon wasn't the first virgin Dante had encountered. A small part of him was saddened that this wasn't the demon's first time, something special for them both to share, but he already felt that this was indeed something special. Dante could feel it in his soul that the two were united, and this gave him strength to slowly raise his speed.124

Leon was used to the feeling he was receiving from Dante's member being inside of him. He knew Dante couldn't help the pain he caused, nor would Leon want him to. He'd survived worse chainsaws than this. But as Dante's speed increased gradually, Leon felt the need to meet each thrust with his own. By now he could ignore the pain and focus entirely on Dante's pleasure at the other end as their hips would meet, causing Leon to give a soft moan against Dante's neck.125

Dante smiled to himself and kissed Leon's neck and shoulder as he continued to thrust rapidly into the other's body. The feeling of the heat and friction was indescribable, better than any woman he had ever bedded. A thought crossed his mind, and he dared to chuckle weakly at it. [We don't have to worry about getting each other pregnant...] He found his mind wandering in disappointment and brought it back to focus as he held Leon tightly, embracing the warmth as if it were the only thing he'd ever feel.126

Leon was nearly panting after a few moments. He moaned for Dante, holding tightly and his body shivering and shaking between the thrusts he made at Dante, matching the speed and ferocity of the demon. His mind wasn't focusing properly on anything. The pain was a subtle reminder that this was a male he was with, but that only reminded him that this was Dante and he was pleased with that. A circle of thought that kept coming to pros, no cons. It made his hips work even harder.127

The demon was gasping for breath as well, his thrust becoming swifter and digging deeper into the body of the other male. A light sweat was beginning to accumulate on his skin, giving his body a sheen in the dim lighting. His eyes had shifted from their normal soft baby blue to a deep crimson, and he was fighting himself, fighting to keep himself from taking his demon form. His body moved like fluid, every ounce of his being put into their passion. Dante could feel himself nearing the edge, but held himself back. He wanted to fall over oblivion together.128

Leon was close - very close. He could feel the surges and only instinctively fought to keep them under control. It wasn't long before he cried out, grabbing Dante's neck and forcefully kissing the demon as he spilled juices with vigor, his hips quivering to stay still as he pulsated and lashed his tongue into the demon's mouth. Such a powerful connection was forged so quickly between them, made iron by the explosion of passion at that moment. Leon held quickly to Dante, unmoving.129

At the moment that Leon toppled over the edge, the clutching of Leon's body around his own forced Dante to follow him into orgasm. He moaned in the heavy kiss, filling the other with his own seed. The demon felt it as well, the strong bond now forged between them, unbreakable yet delicate. The man fell onto the other, rolling onto his side as he held Leon tightly, gasping through his nose as he continued the fierce kiss. As the splendor of their passion began to fade, he gently pulled out of his lover's body, but held his body close to Leon's, not wanting to lose the warm embrace.130

He pulled from the kiss to tilt his head back and breathed for the first time in a while, shallow and unsteady. As Dante pulled out, he nuzzled the demon as the pain passed and he remained feeling empty and as if something was missing. He didn't say anything, knowing well what it was. But he was pleased to open his eyes to Dante still being beside him. He smiled at the demon figure laying next to him. Both tired from their exercise and exertion but happy, content and connected - something probably neither saw happening at all in their lives before now.131

Dante shared that smile, that charming smile that could make clouds part and the Heavens above ring out in chorus. He nuzzled Leon's neck lightly before tucking his head on the human's shoulder. The demon was gasping as well, but he was pleased with the racing heart within him and the beating of Leon's pulse in his ear. A hand left Leon's body to pull the covers over them, covering their bodies from the world. His hand brushed aside some of Leon's bangs before circling his waist to lightly caress his back. "It'll be morning soon..." Dante whispered. "We should try to get some sleep before Trish or Lady come in and ruin it all..."132

Leon wrapped his arms around Dante's waist and his shoulders, petting him lightly. "A good idea...yeah..." He sighed, curling up to Dante and resting his head on the demon's own. "That's surely the most exhausting night I've had in a while. No excuse though, it was the best night I've had in a while."133

This earned a chuckle from the demon. "Same..." He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Of all the women he had slept with in the past, nothing had been more satisfying than that, and never had he felt this content about actually holding the person he had mated with. The girls had been clingy, but this was an embrace he didn't want to wiggle out of with some cold retort about image. And for once in so many years, he slept without nightmares.134

The man in his arms fell asleep about as quickly as Leon himself did. He was content to share a bed with this man after the event, hoping Lady and Trish, whom he hadn't met yet, wouldn't mind - or com barging in. Only a passing thought on his mind before he drifted into an actual dream instead of a zombie-infested horror. He felt safe again. Such a rare thing made him never want to leave this place. He only wished he didn't have to.135

Trish removed her glasses and folded them, tucking one of the legs down her bodice. Of course she had to pause to flick the demon blood off them, but it was a minute gesture she paid little mind to. She stabbed the earth beside her feet with a sword she had borrowed from Dante and sighed, resting an elbow on it and leaning against it. "Miss Lady...Its not often you come hustling after me like this...Shouldn't you be giving Dante that mission?"136

Lady leaned casually on the side of her bike, a scheming smirk across her lips. "Oh, I gave Dante a mission. Maybe not the one I should have, but I gave him one." She grinned and tilted her head. "We'll find out how it went if he's still alive when we get home."137

A golden eyebrow quirked on Trish's face. "Something tells me I'm going to like this mission." She smiled at the other. "C'mon. Let's get a cup of coffee from somewhere and talk about it. I want details on this mission of yours."138

"Sounds good." But then Lady paused. "Am I driving?"139

She shook her head. "We could meet somewhere." The woman shrugged and turned to go, putting her glasses back on. "Its up to you."140

Lady straddled the bike and kicked it on. "Eh, meet you back at the usual place. We'll have to skip Chinese for this."141

"It better be worth it," Trish muttered to herself as she got on her own bike and turned it on as well, driving away quickly.142

Lady spun off in a different direction, her own way to their usual place. She took a few scenic detours and took her time, but arrived after Trish, skipping the coffee and finding her seat occupied. She stood over the man that was larger than her, folded her arms and waited.143

Trish joined Lady's side, a plastic cup of vanilla bean smoothie in her hand. She rose an eyebrow at the gentlemen at their table. "You're in our seat, boys," she purred, putting an elbow on Lady's shoulder. The two glanced at them and quickly stood, leaving. The woman smiled and took her seat, leaning across. "Tell me everything."144

If Lady had dealt with it, the Kalinna-Ann would have solved everything. As if she simply smirked and took her seat, lounging back deftly. "Weeelll, it's funny really. I went to tell Dante about the mission and heard the water on..." She began, "But Dante was on the couch." Lady quickly sat up straight, leaning on her elbows on the table. She wanted to see if Trish could put things together. "I figured it was some chick or another...."145

Again, an eyebrow rose in interest and her lips curled into a smile. "But it wasn't just some chick...was it?" She asked in a whisper, leaning in for more. "How deep is he?"146

Lady rolled her eyes and snickered. "Slow down, Trish!" She grinned and coughed slightly to lower her voice. "So this guy comes out of the shower.... Mind you, I'm sitting on Dante trying to get information on this 'guest' he's got when he just...shoves me off!" She giggled slightly and tilted her head. "Our little Dante's grown up. And he really is a man's man!" She whispered quickly.147

This made Trish snicker to herself, smirking as if knowing something more. "So he was pissed when this guy saw you with Dante...Hmm, I imagine our little devil has finally landed his special someone." She took a sip of her drink, then asked, "Where are they now?"148

"At the base." Lady said finally, claiming herself a caramel frappe'. Granted, I left them there a while ago."149

"I have a feeling they're still there," she replied with a smile. "Knowing Dante, he doesn't like gallavanting around town this late." Trish chuckled and said in a whisper, "They're probably sleeping off a long session of sex."150

Lady was snickering hard by now, trying to concentrate on her drink. "Kinda makes me want to find out. Shall we claim we're done and head in early?"151

"Of course. We'll have to be careful not to wake them though." She stood, her face serious once more. "Heaven knows that they'll need their rest for the trials ahead." 152

Lady dropped her jokes as well. With a simple hum of agreement, she stirred the top of her drink in with the rest, took a big gulp and stood. "This other guy was pretty hot though...."153

Trish's smile returned as she led the way out. "I'm sure. He'd have to be for Dante to be interested in him, let alone have sex with."154

Lady followed, glancing back to see the two men Trish scared out of their seats, looking after them. She glared in their direction and they stayed where they were. Back outside, she got onto her bike and kicked it on again. "I'll try to brake before the door this time, then." She said before smirking and spinning the bike around to head back towards the shop.155

She sighed to herself, getting on her own bike. "If Dante were smart, he'd start charging HER for repairs..." Trish shook her head and turned on her own bike, following after the other.156

It was a longer drive back to the shop now that Lady was hoping to see the after-effects of her seed of a scheme but in the end, she cut the bike off down the ally and walked it up, taking most all precautions. Leaving the bike outside, she waiting on the stoop for Trish a few moments later with a wide grin. "I don't hear anythiiiiing."157

The blonde had parked beside her friend, and once outside the door, closed her eyes to expand her hearing. She smiled widely. "I hear something..." She said softly. "Dante's light snore...They're asleep alright...I can hear the breathing of another..." Lifting her keys, she carefully unlocked the front door and led the way in, careful not to jingle the bell of the door too much.158

Lady slipped in beyond Trish quickly. Light-footed, she quietly made her way up the stairs and peeked over the top, glancing around. At first, you could mistake it was just one male in the bed - but that male wasn't Dante and Lady knew better. Smirking to Trish she avoided the squeaking stair and the squeaky places she knew from jumping on Dante when he was sleeping in on missions. Leaning over the head of the bed, she gazed down on the two of them, one curled up to the other and mimicked a silent "Aww" to Trish.159

Trish followed just as stealthily as Lady and smirked to herself at the sight of the two men sleeping peacefully in each other's embrace. She took an extra minute to look to two over before turning to leave, gesturing for Lady to follow her out. She went to their bikes and leaned against her own. "Well, I must admit they are an attractive couple," she said outloud.160

Lady quickly and silently followed Trish out, falling against her bike and snickering happily. "They do! It was cute. I was tempted to wake them up just to tell them. And did you see the clothes on the floor? They were both even slightly clothed when I left."161

She chuckled to herself. "I saw. I wonder who led though...Probably Dante...The demon in him wouldn't allow someone else to be more dominant." She crossed her arms, fighting a shiver from the cold. "Its good to see him sleep..." Trish shook her head. "We'll let them sleep in. If they're not up by noon, they're fair game..." She frowned. "I can't help but wonder who he is...His blood smelled odd."162

Lady, who wasn't attentive beyond the look of the two, shrugged. "Dunno, didn't catch the scent." She joked at Trish. "Maybe we can quiz him later? Innocent, of course - like when he leaves?" Lady paused on that note. "Unless you think he's staying. They do look comfy and Dante's so out of his own territory, ruining his image like that." She folded her arms with a smile.163

"I have a feeling that our guest will be staying for a long time, as long as Dante doesn't scare him away." The woman was stuck in serious mode. "When you can, see if you can do a search on this stranger. His face is familiar to me, like something I've read in the news, but I can't place the name. Check the Internet. I'll head to the library and see if there are any newspaper negatives in to skim through."164

"I'd call our little librarian first. Library's bound to be closed this late. I'll grab the laptop and come with. If we find anything, we'll be right there to know...." Lady trailed off, eyeing the garage. "Can we take the car?"165

The blonde smiled. "I'm sure Dante would prefer to have one of the bikes if he and his little friend need to go somewhere. The forcast is clear." Dangling her keys, she led the way once more.166

"Yes!" Lady cheered, quietly though, and ran for the garage. "How come Dante gave -you- a set of keys, anyway?"167

Her smile became a smirk. "Who said he 'gave' them to me?"168

"Oooh, bad Trish!" Lady laughed lightly and tilted her head upon entering the garage. "The top wasn't up when we left. Think they went somewhere special?" She joked.169

"Doubt it," Trish said as she got in and turned it on. "Knowing Dante, his idea of a date is a pizza, old movie, and romp in the Blood Palace. I can't think of anywhere special he'd take a lover."170

Lady rolled her eyes. Dante needed more charm to fore-go his laziness when it came to dates, she thought. Climbing into the car, Lady noticed it - the smell. "Smells like the Palace to me." Used to it, she reclined the seat and then paused, propping herself up on the seat back. "Do you think they did it in here?"171

"Not yet," was the answer. "You'd know if they did. And if they met just today, they wouldn't have had the time, unless they had sex the moment they met." She drove them toward the library, handing the other her cellphone. "You were going to call ahead for us?"172

"I can, but I didn't volunteer." She took the phone and hit the speed-dial button for the library. She quickly hit cancel. "Did you change the library's speed-dial to Dante's cell?"173

"I might have. Why?"174

"You better be glad I didn't let that ring." She went to looking for the library's number the old-fashioned way, through the contacts. Once it was ringing she leaned over the back of her seat, searching the back for her laptop. "One." She spoke to the phone, the re-direct for their pesky, yet tolerable librarian's number. "Aha!" She said as she found the laptop, simultaneous with the loud "What now?" over the phone. "Oh, you. Yeaaah, we need you to open up in ten. 'kay, thanks." Lady hung up quickly, fishing the laptop out and into her lap as she handed the phone to Trish. "Done."175

"I'm sure it woke one of them up, unless they're that tired." She pocketed the phone and smiled to herself. "We'll have to bring them breakfast. If Dante was the one who woke, he'll demand compensation."176

Lady simply rolled her eyes. "Think they'll even want it in bed? He wouldn't have even slept with the guy if I hadn't of given him a reason to go back to his bed! Hmpf." Lady started up the laptop, already diving into her research. "Jeez, I don't know where to start. Waait, isn't the personnel locator program still on here? Surely I can just give the description to it."177

"I'm sure I have that program still," Trish said as she pulled the car up to the library. She chuckled a bit. "Sorry, but if they want to eat, they'll have to come downstairs to do it."178

A husky librarian was standing outside in a robe, fuzzy slippers, and his arms folded across his chest, glaring at the car. "The fuck for this time, girls?!" He ranted quickly. Being no where near as old as Lady, he was not even a real librarian - simply someone they knew used to work there and could still hack in without issue. He was familiar with Dante and the Girl's profession and research topics were spontaneous.179

"Got familiar face. Don't worry about it." Lady yelled back, climbing out of the car with the open laptop and strolling up to the door.180

"If you have a face and name, it'll make the search faster," Trish said with a small smile as she followed the girl in. She gave a nod to the librarian and sighed, removing her sunglasses and tucking them in her bodice once more. The woman led Lady to a table, then stood beside her to look at the screen of the laptop.181