[ it's enough that vergil doesn't move away, that he stays close enough that if dante wanted to (and he does) he could easily reach over and grab him. it seems to settle the need for contact, or at the very least make it easier to stomach. his shoulders aren't nearly as tense with vergil this close, muscles not coiled in such a way that one would not be remiss in thinking he is about three seconds from either bolting or attacking. dante's always been more relaxed in his brother's presence, after all, even when their blades were at each other's throats. ]

I only stole them because you wouldn't pay attention to me, Vergil. [ majority of the time, yes, dante felt the need to take the very things that vergil would pay more attention to than his own brother. even on that fateful day, all those years ago, dante had tried to take his stupid book with the emblazoned v ─ an action that would result in the pair fighting and vergil running away out of frustration with his brother. it had been dante's desire for his twin's attention that caused vergil to be absent when the demons attacked, that caused their mother to run out into the fire and the demons in search of him, that left dante alone as the world he knew crumbled down around him.

fuck.

dante pushes the thoughts down, latching onto vergil's next words like a drowning man out at sea. don't think about it, don't do this shit again. ] It's okay I know the truth, you'd be all lonely without me.

[ vergil moves, looking for the knife, as dante shifts his weight foot hitting the bloody blade beside him. he leans down and picks it up, dirtying his fingers even further, only to straighten a second later and holding it up to vergil. ]

Keep your apologies, it wasn't your fault.