#╰ ♡ › v : just two dancing flames .

[ariseur]

Could you possibly do Vergil with an injured SO that he takes care of? It would be really cool

on the morrow 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪

vergil (devil may cry) x reader

┊ ˚➶ notes ｡˚ 🎼

i got csrried away.

┊ ˚➶ warnings ｡˚ 🎼

vaguely mentions vergil’s past, intended lowercase, mention of injury and bloody bandages, lmk if i missed anything love 💕

┊ ˚➶ word count ｡˚ 🎼

1169 words, 6361 characters

. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄

bright sun rays seeped through the curtains of your room as they shone on your face, providing it with a golden hue as it illuminated every pore and feature in your face with its light. it made your eyelashes flutter as you wiped the sleep from your eyes with a closed fist and resisted the urge to yawn.

you let yourself adjust to the bed, the once cold sheets now warm behind your back as you stretched every aching limb that you could with a small pop. your eyes danced around the room, taking in your surroundings until they scrunched in pain while you hissed at the dull burning in your stomach. the slow pain brought you memories from the day before as you remembered how a pyrobat had gotten you when you were down, how badly the flames it spewed out of its jowls had stung at the initial contact.

while you continued to grimace at the thought, a deep exhale caught your attention as you turned your head. your eyes fell on vergil, his familiar head of hair still up despite just being at home. he always did seem to take pride in his appearance, you recalled.

you eyes stayed glued to him as he shut the book with a soft thud, the book that previously belonged to his human husk of an alternate, the book that adorned his signature ‘v’ on the front cover was now placed on the wooden nightstand next to your bed.

silver eyes bore into yours as he sighed once more. being with vergil so long, you were able to read his emotions. emotions that were so greatly concealed to the naked eye.

you two sat and stared in silence, waiting to see who’d break first. it took you everything not to tear your eyes away from his intimidating gaze as deafening silence fell on both of your ears, any external stimuli beyond the room was suddenly drowned out. it was only you and vergil.

but alas, all silence has to be interrupted eventually. this one just so happened to take a halt because of you.

“have you slept?” you asked, noting his droopy eyes and the way his cheek slightly contracted on occasion, almost as if he was biting his cheek to keep from falling asleep.

“what were you thinking?” he deflected, you also took note of that. nothing from vergil ever got past you.

you tilted your head a bit, silently inquiring as he pinched the bridge of his nose. an exasperated sigh left his lips, which you noticed the peeling of. presumably due to him chewing on them all night.

“don’t be coy.”

“i was just helping.”

“you were vulnerable, you should’ve stayed put instead of,” he paused as he waved a hand around, “carelessly throwing yourself out of cover like that.”

a frowned graced your lips, one similar to his own, “you could’ve been hurt.” he looked up at you with a furrowed brow as he paused. despite vergil thinking of others too, he failed to think about the fact that others could think of him, too.

another pregnant pause, you thought, great.

this time wasn’t as tense, you could still look at vergil and hear the sweet coos of the birds outside. hear the broken smoke alarm that constantly chirped due to one of nico and nero’s “experiments” with his devil bringer. you could still look around the room and still look back at vergil, who sat there in the wooden chair.

“you waited up for me.” you started again, spotting yamato sheathed against your dresser. typically, the signature sword would be on vergil, he never let go of that thing. yet, there it was in the corner, still close just in case he needed to use it. knowing that he’d think he needed it just in case you needed help made a warm feeling swell in your chest as you awaited an answer for him.

he narrowed his eyes before his chest rose with another sigh, “i suppose i did.” his tone seemed unbothered but you knew better. you knew that vergil was grateful, you knew how much he cared for you. otherwise, he would have left you.

you pressed your hand against your stomach, taking note of the bandages wrapped around your midriff. with how much blood you would have assumed you lost, the bandages would have needed to be changed every hour or so. meaning vergil changed them for you. that was enough evidence to confirm your suspicions on their own. with anybody else, vergil would’ve had someone else keep watch while he continued his work. but no, he stayed. for you, you reminded yourself. for you.

you needed each other, both you and vergil knew that. you had helped him through everything, keeping his hand locked in yours despite how much he tried to pull away. you’d sit with him outside no matter how many times he had wished to be alone, voice wavering albeit cold. you’d pull him into a hug when he came home, tired and dragging his feet, assisting him in whatever he needed as he parted with the wintering sadness of his past.

you cannot remain unchanged without making a change of your own, you’d remind him.

as your warm hand gripped the coldness of his, he didn’t let go this time. instead, he gave you one assuring squeeze although it was weak. it still mattered. he refused to look you in the eye. his own eyes, quick and as observant as silver lightning, were now sunken in and tired with sleep as you watched them stay fixated on your hands linked.

conversations under the stars often turned philosophical, usually when dante egged his brother on too much resulting in way too many drinks and threats, some not so empty than others. in these moments, you’d comment how it often felt as if vergil’s hands were molded to fit yours, to which he’d look away as an embarrassed dust of pink would barely grace his cheeks.

you’re grateful that vergil came around to accept you as apart of his life and him in yours. you’re grateful that you’ve inhabited a place between his ribs and that he is reminded of your presence with every beat. you are grateful that you’ve met each other, both in this lifetime and the next. and you know he feels the same way too, although no words come with that feeling.

you’re grateful that you were reborn with your hands molded together, knowing that before you both were just a clump of weeds with roots matted both in and out of the ground, indecisive on where to go.

but as you hold vergil’s hand in yours, the same hand that felt so perfectly designed as a catering to you, you smile. and for what feels like the first time in forever, he smiles back.

you refuse to let him hate himself for his mistakes in the past, as there are more to make on the morrow.

[sashi-ya]

月が綺麗ですね > 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚒𝚝?

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐦𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 ᴅᴀʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ > ᴘᴏʀᴛɢᴀs ᴅ. ᴀᴄᴇ x ғ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

♡ request: Anonymous asked: HII!!! could I pls request a portgas ace x fem!/gn!reader for prompt 3: grab my hand in ur newest event?? Maybe suggestive? But sfw fluff!! That's all!! :3 Feel free to ignore or delete! 🙈 kisses xx ♡ tw: sfw. a liiiitle bit sugestive, as a natural flirting mechanism. ٠ wc: 1.5k ٠♡ masterlist ٠ taglist: @zella07 @jin-supremacy01 @alexkanroji @jenwooly |

When Ace asked you on a date you couldn’t quite process it. It took the freckled handsome man- that once used to be just your co-worker- quite a lot to be able to ask you out, but when he finally did both smiled with blushed cheeks…

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes, is that ok with you?” the text you were waiting for, finally arrives. You were torn in between choosing to wear a dress or some basic leggings, but, since he was driving his motorcycle, the pants were the safest option.

The location for the date, had been a secret since he proposed it to you. Ace wanted to surprise you, and only told you it was going to be a romantic activity. Excited, you decided to trust him, even if Ace was known for being a little too extra when putting his life at risk. He is a young man who enjoys life with a fire burning passion, addicted to extreme sports that can’t stay still a single day of his life.

The sound of his motorbike arriving puts bumps in your skin; he is right outside of your home. And you were waiting for him with a little bag with a change of clothes and some toiletries. Unsure of him planning on spending the night together, you acceded to his request of bringing such things to the date.

While you gather your belongings and take a last look in the mirror, you wait for your phone to ring with the classic “I’m outside” text. But he doesn’t text; instead, Ace rings your doorbell.

You gulp. And there you thought those old manners were a thing of the past. Something men wouldn’t do anymore.

You open the door with a million butterflies in your stomach, and even more doubts inside you. “Hi ~” you salute him, with a slight burning sensation on your cheeks.

“Hi, (Name) you look beautiful!” he chimes, with two helmets hanging from his arm and his wavy locks dancing with the soft breeze of a dying fall. “Are you ready for our date?” he continues, showing you the helmet as if he wanted to put it on you.

You look at your feet and then up to his freckles. “Hi, Ace. Thank you… you look so cool dressed that way…” you murmur, trying not to show him how much you liked his “civil” outfit. You are used to see him wearing suits, but tonight he has appeared in front of you with a ragged jean, a black t-shirt with a V neck and a classic leather jacket over his shoulders.

“Cool? Ha! I like that! Let me help you with the helmet, we want you to be safe” he states, coming closer to you.

You blink twice, his closeness makes your body to shiver and your pupils to widen. He is even more handsome when he smiles, and his freckled cheeks narrow his eyes into fine lines.

As he fits the helmet on your head, he takes utmost care not to mess with your hair. Your eyes reach his neck, and your lips die to land on it. But it’s just too early to do so, right?

“Let’s go! You know how to ride a bike?” he asks, walking towards his big motorbike who looks scary but amazingly pretty with flames decorations all over the black paint.

“I- I do” you answer back. Even if you prefer driving in the safety of your car, you know how it is to ride a bike. And so, as he sits first, he pats the seat so that you could sit behind him.

You do, thanking you have chosen to wear leggings and as soon as you do, Ace grabs your arms and put them around his lean waist. You gasp, you are actually touching him for the first time.

He scoffs. Of course, he has noticed your reaction. “Alright! Let’s go! Our surprise awaits!” he says, reminding you that you actually don’t know where and what you are doing tonight. But, the soon breeze in your face as he starts driving eases any doubt.

Ace and you slide over the road, leaving behind your neighbourhood. The lights of the city, that have turned into passing rays of red and green accompany your eyes and your chest against his back it’s all you want right now.

And as you completely forgot about paying attention to the road you discover where you are once he finally stops the engine. “We are finally here!” he chimes, after taking his helmet off and shaking his head to let his hair return to his rather messy state.

When you finally focus the landscape behind his perfect depiction of manly beauty, you discover that he has taken you to the port. A few little ships and others not so tiny, float calmly tied to the shore. The moon is specially beautiful, big, as big as you have never seen it before. Behind it, some storm clouds that you are sure are way far from this side of the world. And the soft breeze coming from a calmed see caresses your cheek as you take off your helmet.

“This- this is beautiful” you murmur, as he helps you get off the bike. It’s really mesmerizing, but what you thought it was going to be a simple walk on the port turned into something else…

“Isn’t it? But, wait until you see where we are having dinner!” Ace, excitedly, says as he signs you to follow him. You do, holding your little bag tight to your body but always with a sweet smile.

As you walk you notice one of the little ships with fairy lights hanging from mast to mast. And over the deck, a little -but beautifully- prepared table. “Welcome to the Moby Dick! I hope you like having dinner with me on my dad’s boat?” he says, showing you the vessel with his spread arms.

You nod, taking your hands to your mouth. It’s specially romantic, and nobody has done such thing for you ever… specially men. “I love it, Ace… thank you so much ~” you murmur, feeling like your eyes become watery by the only thought of being treated so good.

“No worries, is the least thing I could do for you. You surely deserve more than this, and if you give me time, I will give them to you” he says, so naturally as if what he has just said wasn’t almost like a love confession.

You stay silent, gawking. But, the moment doesn’t last very long as he lifts you by your waist to help you get in the boat. “A’ight, time for you to finally meet the Moby Dick!” he chimes, following you into the main deck.

As soon as you realize you are on the ship, he is already moving the chair for you. Like a true gentleman, he makes sure you are comfortable and asks you to wait for him. And when he comes back with a perfectly arranged dinner you turn around to see if there was some kind of chef or something in the back, but you couldn’t see anybody.

“My friend Sanji prepared this dinner. I’m sure you are thinking why I didn’t cook for you, but the thing is that his skills are out of this world… he is the most famous chef in town, and probably soon from this world” he explains while serving you a plate in fine porcelain with the logo of “The Baratie”, a restaurant you know too well.

“Baratie?? Oh my! I feel so flattered!” you chime, excited to enjoy the delights in front of you. Of course, the dinner went smoothly. Both enjoy a sweet conversation that would lead both of you into blushing. By the time all the plates were finished, Ace told you to ger ready for the next surprise of this floating date.

He stands up and as he does, he lands his hand for you to grab it. “Grab my hand, (Name)”

It’s slightly calloused, but his palm feels warm and caring. He leads you to the helm, standing right behind you. “Now, take the wheel” he sweetly commands, placing his hands on top of yours as you grip on the handles. “We are setting sail”.

You gasp, it’s gonna be the first time you do this and it makes you so excited… however, what makes you slightly shiver is the way his chest gets pressed against your back. You can even inhale the scent of his caramel tinted perfume. The embrace that feels magical, like a fire that burns bright, but it isn’t painful. The weight of his body over yours, it feels so good… and you wonder if you will end up showing him the pair of matching underwear you chose for tonight…

“Ace… I love this~ ”  you purr. “Do you, (Name)…? Then why don’t we set sail every weekend from now on?” he whispers in your ear, kissing your cheek after, so close to your lips’ commissure. “I would love to, Ace… 💖”

[vincentmatthews]

Summer Rain

{Small trigger warnings: Mentions of blood and sickness, as well as language.}

I hope you enjoy this, I've worked on this for a few months now. Thank you 🥺💕

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Vincent sat outside on the cold, wet concrete steps. He was wearing Johnny's Samurai tank top, his bullet necklace, and a pair of Kerry's ripped black jeans. His green eyes watched the zippo lighter he kept flicking; entranced by the hot, dancing flame. He didn't move from his spot, unaware as the door behind him opened. The soft patter of rain falling on the cement road and sidewalks.

"Christ, V. How are you not fucking freezing?" A soft male voice spoke from behind him, placing his warm hand on V's bare and cold shoulder.

"I'm not."

"Mhm. That's bullshit." The flame went out as the lid was clicked back on it. His eyes flicked up to meet Kerry's worried grey-blue ones. He couldn't help but still be entranced by the gold ring around the iris of his optics. Kerry was wearing his tour hoodie that was a few sizes too big, his black synthleather jeans, and those damn goth boots V teased his about when they first met. Kerry of course said they were threatening because no one wants to be curbstomped by someone in platform goth boots.

"I'm not."

"V, you have goosebumps and you're shaking."

"I am?" V looked down at his trembling hands, ones he'd just passed off as being sick and weak. Yet there they were, trembling and goosebumps freckling his arms. He didn't feel cold, in fact, he didn't feel most sensations any more. His sense of touch was gradually diminishing, as was pain; and now his brain couldn't tell the difference between hot and cold. He just felt numb.

"Babe?" Ker knelt down next to V, his hand still on his shoulder. "How long has this been happening?"

"What?" V's fingers nervously fidgeting with the lighter again.

"Don't give me that shit." Kerry spoke in an authoritve voice that made V feel small, wanting to hide in on himself. Seeing this, Kerry took a deep breath and calmed himself. "How long have you noticed this change?"

V went quiet, looking at the lighter in his hand; it was a vintage black zippo lighter with a gold KE engraved on it.

"How long have you noticed that you can't feel the difference between hot and cold?" Vince stayed silent for a long moment before letting out a forced answer.

"It's new.." V continued looking down to avoid eye contact which worried Kerry on how long it's actually been. Could be days, week, hell even months for all he knew.

"New? What else have you noticed?"

"Nothing.."

"Any loss of motor functions such as: your legs or hands not working correctly, anymore?"

Yes.

"No." V lied, his fingers clicking the top of the lighter anxiously. He put the end of his bullet necklace in his mouth, the taste of the cold metallic metal tinged his tongue.

"Loss of depth perspection and/or balance?"

Oh god yes.

"No."

Liar.

Kerry sat down next to V, sitting cross-legged for the next question, which almost seemed to worry him.

"Any loss of your sensation of touch?" There it was. The question was like being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. It was sharp and unexpected, and just the honest answer to it, made V feel tears prickle the corners of his vision. He felt his heart drop to his stomach, as if it was tied to a brick.

"No." That was a fucking lie. He'd been gradually losing his sense of touch for over two months now. It terrified him because there's a good chance it's completely irreversible.

"You know, I can tell when you're lying." Kerry's voice was still calm despite him having the burning desire to grab Vince and scream at him while they cried. Yet he had to remain composed for him. "You get quiet, give short answers, you get fidgety with whatever's in your hands, you refuse eye contact, and you always put the bottom of your necklace in your mouth."

Vince looked up with the end of the necklace still in his mouth. There was no point in trying to lie to him, Kerry knew him like the back of his hand. And he knew that if he kept it up, there's a good chance he's going meet his backhand. His lips parted enough for the necklace to fall from his lips around back on his chest.

"What are you so worried about?" Kerry placed his hand on V's thigh, looking up at him with those large blue doe eyes. Vince was quiet, snapping the lid of the zippo as he looked back down. The male sighed, looking down at V's fidgeting hands that were bruised all to hell.

Vincent's lungs felt heavy, each breath was agonizing. His throat burned with the desire to scream, to yell, do anything to get the point acrossed that just the idea of dying fucking terrified him. If he had it his way, he'd grow old with Kerry and never leave his side. But instead, he felt like he was suffocating, that he was drowning, unable to see the surface of the water; that no matter how far he went, he'd never reach the top. His fingers wouldn't stay still now, he couldn't feel anything, and now all he could think was how he was affecting Kerry, just by staying.

"Vince?"

He didn't want to hurt him, but he could tell just by looking at him, that he was affecting Kerry, and not in a very positive way. Then it dawned on him. He was Kerry's Alt.

"Vincent.?" His voice was more broken that time.

He was Kerry's Alt. He was dying slowly because of Arasaka, just like Alt. Ker even made a joke the other day that if V was to suddenly drop dead, that he'd bomb 'Saka tower, in his honor. Even go as far as sprinkling some of his ashes in the explosives used, so V could have one last big bang; while also tearing down an evil corporation. He even said he'd get a sexy golden arm in the same style of Johnny's. It was a joke that they both laughed off but now, it felt more like a promise. His hand holding the lighter trembled as another wave of shakes cascaded through him.

"Dean?" There it was, V's real name.

"Hm?" He hummed, his mind still a million miles away.

"An enny for your thoughts?" He smiled softly to V who tried his best to continue to avoid eye contact, remaining silent.

"Please, Dean. Give me something." Ker reached out, gingerly taking V's face in his hands. "At least look at me." Kerry's hands shook against his face. "Please." Guilt knawed away his heart, he knew without even looking, that Eurodyne was crying. "You know I love you." He sniffles, and yet V still couldn't bring himself to looking Kerry in the eyes. "I just hope you always remember that." He kissed his forehead, he could feel the moisture of tears on the male's face. He let his face go, standing up.

"I'll be inside if you need me." Was all that was said before the door opened and closed.

Vince sighed, leaning his head against the door. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his head. The sweet smell of rain mixed with the cool summer air. His mind kept wandering to how Kerry gripped his face. How his voice broke when he spoke his name. It made his stomach churn and his heart ache. He couldn't help but hysterically weep into his arms. He pulled his legs to his chest, crossed his arms over his knees and cried. He didn't tell him because he didn't want to be seen as a burden. Yet not telling him made Kerry feel like he didn't love or trust him enough to tell him. He wanted to tell his husband everything, but knew that it would kill him. Kerry still had his music career, his fans, his tours, his upcoming albums and collaborations. Something as small as this would just get in the way of Kerry's big plans for the future. One that V had to be as supportive as possible for; even knowing he'd probably not live long enough to see it through to the end. And just that alone was soul-crushing.

His heart rate picked up. He couldn't breathe. His mind was racing, he couldn't focus. His mouth got dry and he felt reality slipping from his grasp. He felt like he wasn't himself. His mind didn't register pain or other sensations. His head hurt so much, like it was being split open. His teeth hurt, and his jaw locked up from the stress which put pressure on his sensitive teeth. It felt like he'd gotten into a fist fight with Johnny Silverhand. His eyes prickled from the tears and next thing he knew, he was crying, hysterically.

After a good thirty minutes, he was able to calm his breathing and clear his head enough to stand up, wiping his tears away. His knees shook and tingled from falling asleep. His pins and needles legs dragged themselves inside. He exhaled a sigh of relief as warmth washed over him. The sort of warmth that seeped into your clothes, and relaxed your tense body.

Kerry was in the kitchen, his head down, washing the dishes. His hoodie carelessly tossed on the back of a chair, now wearing his white tank. He had the radio playing faintly that was playing Never Fade Away by Samurai. Eurodyne's blue optics illuminated a blue, turning the radio off, before they dimmed.

"Hey babe." He simply said not looking up. Vince hated this. Hated when Ker was upset with him. He hated hurting his husband like this. Hated how his face pouted when he was upset. He snaked his arms around Kerry's waist, leaning his head on the male's tattooed shoulder.

"I'm sorry.. I don't mean to upset you.." Vince sighed, watching Kerry scrub a plate with a shaky hand.

"You didn't upset me, Baby." Ker continued to refuse eye contact. Vince could tell by his reddened eyes that he'd been sobbing as well. Ker exhaled, heavily. "Just promise me you won't leave me. Just talk to me. That's all I ask." He finally looked at him, his face doing that puppy dog pout that instantly melted Vincent's heart. He could never say no to him when he did that face, especially with his large tear stained blue eyes.

"I promise.." Those words were heavy and hard for him to say. He knew it was a lie, Vince was a runner when things got too hard or scared him. His relationships never lasted more than a month, except for Kerry. Eurodyne was his longest relationship, going on almost three years now. But he was scared, and his instincts were kicking in.

"Thank you." His husband placed his forehead on his. "You can trust me. I won't hurt you. I just want to know what's going on with you. I love you Dean, but you're starting to scare me." Kerry kissed V's forehead lovingly. "Just promise me you won't leave in the middle of the night." Ker laughed, going back to cleaning his dishes, V released his arms from around him.

"Promise.." Another painful word that left his mouth.

"Good, because I'll hunt you down and kidnap you~♡ Keep you chained up as my prisoner~♡ And That's A Promise~♡" Ker pointed at Vince with a steak knife, smirking at him.

"Careful, I might fall in love~♡" He cooed back, which caused Ker to roll his eyes at him, and turn back around to continue washing. Eurodyne's optics flashed as the radio clicked back on, now playing a rock song that Vince didn't have any time in figuring out which one it was. He crept upstairs towards their room.

"What are you doing-?" A voice asked as he entered their bedroom. He instantly recognized the gruff voice, which resulted in Dean rolling his eyes.

"Classic fucking Johnny. Not knowing how he fucking impacts people. How fucking fitting of you to have your head so far up your ass, that you don't even realize that us just staying; is fucking killing him!"

"Stop being such a fucking pussy and tell him how you feel!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Vince screamed, angry tears rolling down his face. A light knock sounded on the doorframe. He turned his head to look, and saw a sad and concerned Ker standing in the doorway.

"May I come in?" His voice was soft and calm, even though years of worry wore on his face.

Vince took a breath, his mouth was dry. "Yeah." He hated this. Hated seeing his husband hurt like this. Hated how he always found a way to make him cry. Hated how he was always on borrowed time.

If he had it his way, he'd spend an eternity with Kerry. But 3 years, wasn't very long, and six months of those have already passed. Six months, and he'd already made a drastic decline in his progress. How was he supposed to hold through the next 30 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days?

Kerry snaked his arms around Dean's waist, pulling him close. Vince sighed, laying his head in the crook of Ker's neck.

"You scared me, screaming like that." Kerry's voice was calm, as he rubbed soothing, slow circles on V's back. "You know you can talk to me." That elected a heavy sigh from Vince. "Hey, I mean it. You can talk to me about anything, I'll understand." Ker gingerly cupped the male's face into his. Dean looked down, far too ashamed to make eye contact. "I mean it. And just don't do anything stupid. Talk to me, first. Promise me that?" There it was. The promise. The one thing he couldn't keep.

"I promise." He forced his scratchy voice to say. It came out more painful than as second nature as it used to be. Now those promises weighed more. He felt like he was being pulled underwater by them.

"Just get some rest. You're tired." Kerry hummed, running his hair through Vince's short red hair in a loving manner.

"Yeah.." His voice was soft and barely audible. His throat was locking up, tears prickling the edges of his vision.

"You'll be better after some rest." He leaned in, kissing V's neural port. "And you be nice to him. Cut him some slack. Kid's been through hell, let him rest for once." A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, he knew that wasn't for him, but rather the brain parasite that pledged his mind. "Please try and rest. Or I'll have to knock your ass out." He laughed, and gave him a playful glare. Sure, Eurodyne was joking, but in a way, he was also serious.

After a kiss and an "I love you" he left the room to go do God knows what. Vince sat on the end of the bed, putting his head in his hands, leaning forward.

"You're fucking gonk."

"Shut up."

"This is going to fucking kill him."

"Shut UP! THIS ISN'T YOUR FUCKING CHOICE TO MAKE!" He sat up quick, putting his finger in Johnny's face, who stared at him wide eyed, his hologram wavered before the pixels shattered and glitched away. "YEAH, FUCKING RUN! JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO WHEN THINGS GET TOO FUCKING REAL FOR YOU!" He huffed, rubbing a hand over his face, his breath trembled, as did his hands.

He bent down, pulling a black suitcase, setting it on the bed. His hands examined the acrylic Samurai kerychain Ker gave him during one of the tours, even signed the back of it with a permanent marker. "For my favorite groupie." He said as he gave it to him.

"Really?" A pair of legs appeared hanging off the edge of the suitcase. Johnny was sitting on the top of it.

"Move." Dean growled, glaring daggers up at the male who scoffed, leaned back, and lit up a cigarette.

"Make me." He blew a cloud of smoke in V's face who sneered and waved a hand in front of him.

"Now." He pushed the square of Johnny's chest who fell back, but shattered as soon as his back hit the bed. "Fucking parasite.." He mumbled to himself, undoing the zipper, flipping the top open.

He looked around the room, wondering where to start. Then his green eyes caught sight of himself in the full body mirror. He looked ghostly pale, his face didn't even have the natural tint of blush. His eyes looked dark, and heavy. He slowly approached the mirror, lifting up the ends of his shirt. He'd lost weight, and not in a healthy manner. He knew Ker noticed, he even mentioned it briefly. Saying how he needed to eat more. Yet the idea of food made him nauseous, and most meals now ended with him hugging a toilet.

He dropped the ends of his shirt, the fabric that once fit him perfectly before, now looked a few sizes too big. Almost like his clothes were trying to eat him.

"You're ugly." V's voice broke as he spoke. He didn't know if it was Johnny speaking or himself; not like it really mattered anymore, they both knew he was. "Skinny. And looking half dead. Can you even feel anymore?" His mind wandered to the dark depths. He wondered if he could cut himself on glass and still feel the sting of a fresh wound.

"Do it." A voice whispered in his ear. "Do it you fucking pussy."

V rolled his eyes, turning back to the duffle bag. He opened the black hardwood closet. He pulled out his clothes off the hangers, he stuffed them inside the bag, followed by pants and boxers. Then he pulled out a shirt that Kerry had gotten him. It was a blue and pink ombre US Cracks shirt with Kerry's face on it.

"I remember when he got us this." Vince sighed softly as he looked the shirt over, tearing up at the memory.

"Remember when he insisted on signing it?" Johnny leaned against the wardrobe, watching as Dean folded it and placed it in the bag.

"Remember how mad he was when I told he didn't need to?"

"Yet he didn't listen, did he? Just had to sign it anyways." Johnny sighed, watching Dean continue to stuff clothes in the duffle. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"No, but what choice do I have?" He zipped the bag up.

"Oh I don't know-" Johnny held up his metal hand. "Tell Kerry wants going on, be open and honest, stop running from your problems, don't be a pussy, talk about it, get help, stay, sleep on it." He counted them out on his fingers, which made Dean glare at him. "You know, just to name a few."

"You're one to fucking speak. Mister my Girlfriend died so I killed thousands of innocent people as a form of revenge."

"Listen here, Mother Fucker-" Johnny got in V's face, pointing at him with his metal finger. Dean dead panned as he reached out and touched Johnny, causing him to blue screen and glitch out.

"Mhm.. and you're nothing more than a virus on a chip." He hissed at Johnny, throwing the duffle over his shoulder.

~

"Mhm. I just worry about him, you know? He's not eating as much as he used to-" Kerry was leaning over the cutting board, chopping away at a carrot. "And he's gotten more quiet. He stares off a lot. Yes I'm sure it's not stress. Stress doesn't effect V in this way. Stress makes him want to go street racing and street fighting. Not shut down completely." His optics were illuminating a blue, indicating that he was on call with someone, most likely Vik.

"No. No. No. He hasn't mentioned anything about the Relic or Johnny in a while, now." Kerry sighed, gliding a ringed hand through his salt and pepper hair. "What really scares me is he's losing his sense of touch." Kerry adjusted Dean's MISSIO t-shirt that he was borrowing from him. Classic Kerry, cooking in a t-shirt and boxers.

Maybe if he was silent, he could slip out the door, unseen.

"He's having violent nightmares again." He finished with the carrots and moved on to an onion. "What type? The type that leave him in a cold sweat. The type that make him wake up screaming then break down into tears. Those type of nightmares. Lord knows what they're about because he won't tell me anything about them. Everytime I ask, he fakes a smile and says he's fine." He sighed, lowering the knife, setting it on the cutting board. He leaned back, both hands on the counter, even from looking at Kerry's clothed back, he could tell he was tense about the whole ordeal.

"Yes, he's taking him pills regularly. Same with hydration and eating. Although the hydration part seems a bit harder than I'd like to admit." Kerry laughed softly. "I swear he's like a child sometimes. If it's not flavored, he doesn't want it. I mean who hates the taste of water?"

"Right. Sometimes I forget how drastic of an age gap we are. I swear sometimes he makes me feel my age." Another laugh came from Kerry. "I mean what sort of kid hasn't seen or at least heard of *Shrek*? Back in my day that was cinema gold." Another laugh.

Dean stood there, taking in the sweet sound of his laugh. One that he was fairly certain he'd never hear again, Kerry hasn't had much to laugh and smile about as of late. He'd even returned to drinking and smoking once V was in bed for the night. He tried to hide it all, not wanting to worry him, or prove that he couldn't handle it. Their once cheerful, sunny household, was now grey and full of tears. He'd seen how much this had aged Kerry, if not physically, than certainly emotionally. And the only thing going through V's mind is he was the cause of it all. This angelic laughter and half smiles was further proof that Kerry would be okay with out him. He could finally heal from this all. Even if it meant doing it alone.

It was starting to get dark outside, unfortunately the heavy rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. A deep rumble came from the sky.

"Ooo~♡ Thunder~♡ I wonder if we'll be lucky enough to see lightning~♡ What do you think V?!" Kerry called out, still having his back to him, returning to chopping a few more times before transferring the cutting board contents to the oiled pan. Dean kept silent, which elected a heavy sigh from Kerry.

"Yeah.. He's gotten into the habit of not answering. I don't know if he can't hear me or what. I have this fear of checking on him one day, and him being.. gone.." His voice got strained. "The other day I went to the store, to grab a few things. And when I'd come home, he was asleep on the couch with the TV on. I swore for a second, that he had died on me while I was gone. I didn't tell him of course-" He stirred the contents in the pan with a wooden spatula. "I mean what do I even say? 'Hey, you scared me today when you fell asleep'.? That would just make him force himself awake, and he has enough problems sleeping as it is." Kerry sighed. "And the last thing I need is to make him feel like a burden."

He had heard enough. V carried his bag to the door, opening it. He tried his best to close the door, silently, yet the latch made a soft click sound.

"What are you doing?" V nearly jumped out of his skin as the voice sounded behind him. One he'd grown far too comfortable with hearing, and one that had become more loud and prominent since he's been sick.

"You know what I'm doing." Dean huffed, carrying his bags to his motorcycle. Ignoring the fact that his clothes were being soaked by the cool rain.

"He's going to kill himself if he finds you gone. Or worse. He'll become me." V scoffed.

"You'd love that wouldn't you? Kerry self destructing so much that he becomes you. Proof that the only reason Kerry loves me is because I'm becoming you. Because that's how it is. Everything is about you. No wonders Alt fucking hated everything about you. Classic Johnny Silverhand, only caring about himself. I bet she didn't even try and fight it when they-" He didn't finish the sentence before a hard smack was delivered by a metal hand, he dropped the bags to the pavement road. He coughed, unable to breathe, he doubled over, his hands on his knees, trying to remain standing on his trembling legs. The warm copper taste filled his mouth, he kept letting out hard coughs, trying to clear his lungs enough to breathe. His hair was pulled, forcing him to stand up straight again.

"Don't talk about shit you know nothing about." Johnny hissed at him. Vince finally spat the blood on where Johnny's shoes would've been, if he was real. He took a shaky, pained breath; finally able to breathe.

"Fuck you." V let out a weak laugh, leaning over to grab his bags once more.

"You're fucking pathetic you know that? Running away from your problems, instead of dealing with them."

"Like you'd know anything about that? All you did is run when things get too real. You ran from Rogue. You ran from Kerry. You ran from Alt. You deserted during the war. You ran from everyone in your life! So you know what? Maybe this isn't me. Maybe it's You." Vince pushed past Johnny to get to his bike. He'd just secured his bag on the back as the door of the villa opened.

"What are you doing.?" Kerry's voice sounded distant, he had his black robe over his shoulders, and his ugly blue sandals. "Where are you going.?" He could hear how heavy those words were for Kerry to vocalize. He couldn't turn to look at him, just the thought of having to stare into those big blue doe eyes again, it would make him stay.

"I'm leaving, Ker."

"Please come inside, we can talk-" Kerry slowly approached the male.

"I don't want to come inside!" V raised his voice, resulting in Ker recoiling his hand from touching Vince. His throat tightened up, his lungs burned with the urge to scream, he tried his best to bottle it up, yet his eyes prickled with tears. "I'm afraid that if I come in.. I might not leave.. And I can't have that."

"Why not? Baby, please come inside. You're wet and cold. Lets at least dry you off. I'll make you some tea. Then we can discuss-"

"For the love of GOD!! WILL YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME!!" V finally turned to Kerry. He was drenched, his big blue eyes were crying with the rain.

Kerry was taken aback by his tone, and that look of scorn on Dean's face.

Dean took a deep breath, his face softening. He didn't mean to raise his voice, let alone scream at him. He reached out to caress Kerry's face, but he pulled away before he could touch him. His lungs tightened, he'd never had Kerry pull away from him, let alone in fear.

"Ker.. I.." He sighed heavily, shaking his head. Dean picked up his bags, setting them on the back of his bike, using a bungee cord to secure them.

"Where are you going-?" Kerry sniffles, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Dean went silent. Kerry reached out, placing his hand on V's arm.

"Please just come inside.. Let's talk about this please.." Kerry looked up at Dean with his big blue eyes.

Dean sighed heavily, pushing Kerry away. "No. I'm leaving Ker. I'm sorry." Kerry backed up, the tears surfacing in his eyes again.

"Please don't. Babe.. Come inside please.."

Dean avoided eye contact from Kerry, as he got on the motorcycle.

"No No No.. Please don't.. Please.."

V sighed, starting the motorcycle, putting on his helmet. His stomach twisted and a wave of nausea washed over him. Something about seeing Kerry, soaked and in tears made his eyes well up. He had to leave. Rather leave while he could still semi-function, than wait until he's too weak to walk.

"V, wait! Please! We can talk about this!" The blonde rocker cried out.

"I love you. And I'm sorry." And with that he finally left.

Kerry stood there, watching his bike disappear from sight. He was shaking from the cold rain that was pouring over him. He was crying so hard he was hyperventilating. His hands trembled as his optics illuminated a red, trying to call Dean, but the call was instantly dropped.

"Fuck.. No.. Please.." He tried again, gaining the same result. "Fuck no please, God-" Again, nothing. "Fuck-" He took a shaky breath, trying to calm his breathing and think for a moment. "I'll call Vik.. He'll know what to do.." Kerry combed a hand through his disheveled and wet hair.

-

V pulled over on the side of the road, at least 30 miles away from Kerry's Villa. He tossed off the helmet, throwing it to the ground. He couldn't breath, his lungs locked up, and seized. All he could do was cough. He spat up blood, finally able to take a pained breath; which came out more as a heavy wheeze. Gravity hit him and the whole world spun for moment.

He took an uneven gasp before he reluctantly picked up his helmet and got back on his bike. Heading towards the only cozy motel he knew, that was just on the outskirts of Night City; The Sunset Motel. The most peaceful place Dean knew of. It wasn't much, but it would do, up until his body finally gave out on him. And judging by the numbness in his fingertips, it wasn't very long from now.

He put back on his helmet, and headed off down the road. He hated how silent everything had became now. He hated how there was a gap between calls and texts from Kerry now.

How still the world felt. It was oddly comforting. How quiet everything became. It was something he hadn't felt in years; since he was a kid. To have everything just stop for a few seconds. To finally be able to breathe again. He could only hope that Kerry would somehow feel the same, after Dean had left this world. To be comforted by the silence once more.

[livingecho-arch]

@lunarscaled​​   /   i have brain rot for them in this au shut up just take this ♡

tw ; abusive relationship ( vis & vivian ) , violence , possible murder , imprisonment , drinking . it will be tagged as ❛ v ; guard dog ❜ for those who may wish to block this from dash . 

vivian was gone for a few days , perhaps a week . she had business within the port of the bladed district & deemed it too much trouble to come all the way back home just to return early the next morning . but ah , the two had a fight the night before she left . . . was that the true reason for her leaving him alone again ? no ⸻ it can’t be . his wife would not lie to him , right ? the fight was not their worst one , far from it . it was just another couples squabble , all couples had that ! it was his fault anyway –– he should have known better then to speak back so strongly to one of her friends . they were . . . kind to him . spoke of how pretty he was , that vivian & vis were so lucky to have one another ! 

why didn’t he feel lucky ?  oh , wasn’t he so blessed to be married to a woman who’s friends valued him ! 

he sipped his wine . his fourth one today . it was never enough . besides . . . today would be the day she returns & he had to be happy to see her . so vis sat , in his sitting room watching the fireplace roar . . . the only source of light in the otherwise dark room . his eyes stared deep into the dancing & flickering of the flames . sometimes he could make out a person in that fire . was that person dancing ? perhaps they too , felt like the flames of love . burnt . scarred , but warmed too . that's what love was ? to be kept warm : laying the the grass during the summer months , lazy & relaxed . to place your hand directly in the fire & watch your skin bubble & melt away at it’s touch but don’t pull away ! it worth the warmth . it worth it & this is how it should be . this is how it will always be . so why bother fighting it .

vis leaned back into his chair , wine glass tilted & almost spilling out ⸻ until he heard the turn of the knob . he jolted up , tipping the glass into the nearest planter so she may not see how much he had today . vis turned to face the door , smilingly softly with hands in front of him . so politely , so softly . like a naive woman on her wedding day ! but when he saw those dark curls his body relaxed –– ah , when did he get so tense ? 

❝ oh . . . lyric . ❞ it was not disappointment in his voice , no far from it in fact . it was utter relief . 

❝ you should announce yourself when entering i thought ⸻ well i . . . i-it doesn’t matter . please sit with me . i have some snacks if you’d like some . . . ❞ he gestured to the spot next to him on his couch . the plushest seats ever seen , made of the finest blue velvet & edged in gold painted wood with intricate details of serpents in the seas . vivian would hate to see that dragon on ❛ her good furniture ❜ but it was his ! he bought everything here ! still , she wasn’t here . . . what she didn’t know would do harm . besides , vis could bat his eyelashes . play that wide-eyed-beauty role up . ❛ oh they looked so sad . . . how can i say no to good puppy eyes ? i know when you look at me with big eyes i can’t help myself vivi ❜ & she would melt once more to him . 

so the shade returned back to his own seat & patting the space next to him . ( oh -  how regretted dumping his wine . . . such a waste . . . hopefully the plant enjoyed it .  ) it was nice to have lyric around . behind sharp teeth & snarling ; they were soft to him . almost like a guard dog at his feet ⸻ baring fangs towards anyone they seemed a threat to vis : vivian included . head in his lap as he sat , flipping through paperwork or simply enjoying a good book . sometimes vis would even read aloud to them . ah , how fast they fall asleep on him during those moments . so cute ! 

too bad the guilt of keeping them here ate at him . vivian & her division found them , washed ashore all alone & deemed them an asset to the kingdom . like a weapon to learn how to master . a dragon to best any enemy valskhan would have : so vivian took it upon herself to keep lyric in his home to ❛ train ❜ . lyric could leave any time ⸻ but the whole army would be after them to bring them back . DEAD OR ALIVE . so was there really a choice for lyric ? it kept him up at night . 

❝ have you had lunch today ? if not i can ask miss clara to bring you something . anything you’d like . oh , do tell me if the fire is too much . . . i’m always a bit chilly . ❞ short dresses don’t offer much warmth in this cold weather of valshakn . but that was his uniform . either way , he crossed his legs & brushed forward some hair an attempt to cover his shoulders . a moment passes before he turns back to the fire to speak again ( why couldn’t he meet lyric’s gaze ? ) . 

❝ i . . . she comes home today . you’ve been nice . . . can i ask you to keep that up ? ❞