[ it's his hand at dante watches carefully, watches the way the trembling that is so alien to him. vergil had never been scared, never been unsure, even when they were kids he was always so sure and steady. on those nights when dante would wake up crying from some sort of bad dream it was always vergil who would assure him, who would wrap his arms around him and soothe him back to sleep. to see him tremble, it's almost too much.

dante links his own hands together in his lap and laughs again, though it is little more than a puff of air than an actual laugh. ]

Yeah, I know the one. [ if vergil had never stabbed him with rebellion that night, would he had ever awakened to this devil in his blood? ] It's... difficult to explain.

We never hated each other, Vergil. [ he looks down at his own hands, bloody fingers interlinking as he tries to find the right words. they've never been good at properly expressing their feelings through words, after all, it's always been easier through actions, through the clash of blades on top of a tower, at the mouth of hell. ] We disagreed on some things, some pretty big things. You wanted power, for a while I did honestly think you were just power-hungry but there was more to it than that.

[ it took him longer than it should of to realize vergil's want for power came from that night, from the fire, from the belief he was too weak to protect that which mattered to him most. ]

As to why I was so relieved? [ another laugh, another exhale of air, his stomach twists and everything in dante screams to leave. ] You're my brother, my twin, my other half. [ his voice lowers, becomes infinitely smaller, as though he could confess it all and if he were lucky no one hear. ] You're the only family I have left, you know? I lost you time and time again.

[ not anymore, not since nero, but he isn't sure mentioning the kid would be a good idea right now. ]