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The coming of autumn meant cooler weather, a blessed reprieve from what had been the sweltering heat of the summer. The nights were already less muggy and more refreshing, a balm that could soothe any overheated soul that should happen to wander outside.
What an absolutely perfect time, then, to cool off your nerves, anger having heated your blood to near boiling from Vergil's earlier outburst.
"You're barely competent to look after yourself, much less my son!"
Inhaling sharply, you kicked off from the heavily pebbled ground, body gliding back and forth as the iron chains of the swing set you found use of squeaked and groaned ever so slightly with the motion.
Honestly, you hated how you reacted to the situation, but Vergil had left little wiggle room for you to get a word in inchwise. You shouldn't have shouted, but there was no reason for him to bring up your poor state of affairs.
So, what?
You lived in a crap apartment, and you definitely weren't always the most put-together, but that didn't mean a damn thing when it came to your capabilities as a caretaker. You cared so deeply for Nero and V, doing everything in your power to make sure both boys were well taken care of while their fathers went off to fight demons and the like that popped up around the city and beyond.
That he would think...that he would even suggest that you were incapable of keeping V safe…!
"And to think, we wasted our time giving you a chance…"
The swing had long since stopped its motion as you stewed for several long moments in your contempt, your anger damn near bringing you to tears. The longer you replayed the evening, however, that anger began to diminish, and in its place came the bitter taste of guilt.
V should have never gone into the attic, you knew this.
While you had managed to help him through his asthma attack, it would have never even happened had you not allowed the boys to follow you as you cleaned the dusty space. Even with his eager assurances, it was only a matter of time before the dust aggravated his lungs and forced his tiny chest into seizing just as it had done mere hours ago.
More than anything, you wanted to go back and check on him, your heart aching fiercely to know that he was well and truly okay. Poor Nero had been so worried, too, and terribly panicked as you sat with his cousin, doing your best to help V regulate his breathing.
His inhaler wasn't in that drawer when you checked, you were sure of it. Even Nero hadn't been able to find it, and yet…
And yet…
You hoped, at least, that the boys would be able to sleep, and that V wouldn't be too worn out from such an ordeal.
A long sigh left your lips as you fully relaxed into the seat of the swing, hands lightly gripping at the chilled metal links bracketing you on either side.
The night was still young, barely after nine, if you were to guess, but you were more than ready to fall asleep. Intense fear and anger had a way of zapping energy right out of the body, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion that had a tendency of lingering much longer than any one person ever wanted it to.
Stifling a yawn had never been so hard.
"Do you find yourself here often?"
You looked up with a snap of your head, beyond surprised to find Vergil standing not too far from where you sat. You stood from the swing almost abruptly, fully intent on finding less company somewhere else. His hand came up as soon as you took a single step away, however, palm facing you in a motion you assumed was meant to placate you from going anywhere.
Your eyes narrowed as the anger from before began to simmer at the surface. The expression was not lost on Vergil, though his neutral countenance did not give away any worries or doubts to how you were reacting to him.
"Did Dante send you after me?" you asked.
"I came of my own volition; should you choose to believe it is entirely on you."
"Of course," you expressed in a semi-mocking tone, sitting much more heavily upon the swing you had been occupying for some time.
You looked away almost immediately, only aware of Vergil's approach by the sound of tiny pebbled rocks crunching beneath his booted feet. Had he been himself, you wouldn't have heard his approach, at all. The gesture should have been endearing, that he allowed you to hear his movements, though given the current predicament, it only served to make you anxious in a way that was borderline frustrating.
The gentle shaking of metal alerted you that he had taken the empty swing beside you, the chain links creaking as he applied his weight.
You contemplated on ignoring his presence, wanting desperately to hold on to that very anger that led you to the solitude of the park in the first place, the very anger that he had ignited within you. Even so, the heat of your earlier altercation had all but dissipated, and though there was bitterness in its stead, you could acknowledge that he was at least trying to be civil in his own roundabout way, even if it wasn't what you really wanted from him at that moment.
Having Vergil, of all people, come to you without prompting was an odd phenomenon, one that, perhaps, wasn't something to take lightly. Even stranger was having him sit beside you on a swing set, and in any other situation, it would have been a welcoming memory to be had.
You sighed once more, looking up to the dark sky above with a frown.
"I like to come here when there's no one else around," you admitted. "It's relaxing, gives me a moment to just sit and think about things."
You gave a light scoff soon after, kicking at the tiny pebbles beneath your feet.
"Guess that moment's over with, though, isn't it?"
"I didn't come here to fight you," Vergil said, his voice even and giving nothing of his intentions away.
"Then why are you here, Vergil?" you questioned, turning to finally look him in the eye, "because I'm pretty sure it's not to have tea and talk about the weather."
His eyes narrowed a fraction at your tone, but you held your ground, just fed up enough to keep up with the intensity of his stare.
"I came to apologize," he said, voice dipping low and quiet, gaze faltering momentarily before finding yours once more. "I was...out of line. I shouldn't have said the things that I did."
A long pause of silence followed his apology, one where you took the moment to assess how sincere he was really being. It was hard reading Vergil's motives, and it frustrated you that even after months of being around him, of interacting with him almost daily, you still had yet to figure him out.
"Is that coming from you, or your brother?"
His eyes narrowed dangerously, and you were suddenly under the distinct impression that you had unintentionally hit some sort of hot button.
"I told you, Dante has nothing to do with this, though if it eases your concerns, you're more than welcome to believe what you want."
"Why else would you even be here?"
You were startled into standing once more as Vergil appeared before you, lightning fast and without so much as a warning growl of contempt. His hands gripped the chain links above your own tightly, his close, intimidating presence enough to have your heart beating wildly in your chest.
"You saved my son," he forced out, the intensity of his stare slowly morphing into an almost helpless sort of grimace, "and I reacted poorly. There is very little that can truly shake me, but when it comes to V's safety-"
His eyes closed for the briefest moment, and when they opened to stare you down, you were shocked at the sincere gratitude he held within those icy depths.
"I cannot thank you enough for how you handled the situation."
You looked away almost immediately, once again feeling guilt gnawing at your insides.
"Well, don't," you muttered, "because I'm what caused his asthma attack in the first place. I should have never let him follow me into the attic."
"The boys sneak up there regularly, despite our warnings and reprimands," Vergil said. "There was always a chance it would happen. I was fortunate to have you there with him when it did."
The mood shifted as any lingering contempt diminished between you rapidly. The ache in your chest flared up rather suddenly, enough that you could feel the telltale prickling of tears within the corners of your eyes.
"Is...is V okay?"
"He'll be just fine," Vergil assured, continuing after you gave a shuddering, relieved exhale, "he fell asleep some time ago with Nero by his side. Dante is watching them both closely."
"That's good," you said, sniffling and quickly wiping at your eyes.
Vergil carefully let go of the chains bracketing you, eyeing the swing as it settled back into place.
You couldn't help but notice that he continued to stand before you, gaze oddly soft. It reminded you of the gentle expression V often wore when he was at his most content, usually watching Nero doing something silly or enjoying the story you read to him during bedtime.
Through your hostility, you had known Vergil was acting out on impulse. Even still, it was only at that moment that you recognized he was being a father like no other, worried and angry and scared because V had suffered, and there had been nothing he hadn't already accounted for that could have prevented it. He had lashed out simply because there was nothing more he could have done, and it had been the only way to release his own frustrations and fear over the fragile state of his son.
"You're a good father, you know that, right?" you insisted through a sniffle.
Vergil seemed surprised, perhaps almost confused by your declaration, but only for a moment.
"He's a bright, happy child that adores the ground you walk on," you offered as explanation. "You're doing right by him, okay? He may be physically fragile, but his will and his sense of life are so strong, all because of you. Just, you know, if there was any doubt."
It was odd seeing Vergil look so taken aback, especially by something you had said.
"You truly do care for him," he murmured, and it was your turn to be surprised.
"Of course," you said, "I love them just as much as you do, V and Nero, both. Why would I even still be crawling back to Devil May Cry if I didn't?"
Vergil stared you down a moment longer before turning away with a hum, finally stepping away from your personal bubble. It was only then that you noticed the rapid beating of your heart and how the ache in your chest had changed to that of longing.
Oh…