Chapter Text
It was over.
Finally, she could catch her breath. Her heart was still pounding at a frantic pace, her fingers tightly clutched the empty gun, feeling all the dents and cracks left by someone's careless hand. Too bad, the adrenaline effect was wearing off and her body was starting to remember not the softest landing it had experienced earlier.
No, she definitely won't leave her bed tomorrow. Saving the world turned out to be a rather unhealthy job.
Mary winced, trying to relax in vain. Fuck, she hadn't sign up for this!
What if her hand had trembled? What if she had hesitated even for a moment? Dante would've been a goner, dooming their world as well.
Stupid demonic dumbass. Why does he always walk on the edge?
She chuckled. A bit hypocritical of her, as if she herself hadn't done stupid things that she didn't even know she was capable of.
And yet, tonight, the gap between them became clearer than ever. She saw him. The Demon himself.
Crowned with branching horns. Steel claws adorned his arms and legs. Flaming veins ran across the scaly body, hidden only by his wings. A mysterious golden shimmer blinded her with every move.
Mary couldn't see his face, but she heard his thunderous cry. Was that— creature really him?
No wonder he freaked out after his first transformation.
She watched his final fight with the Rabbit, almost hypnotized, too afraid to look away even for a moment. But when the scarlet curtain fell and the twilight enveloped her in a comfortable darkness, to her own surprise, Mary could no longer look at the bridge.
What's gotten into her? She’d never taken herself for a coward. Besides, being afraid of Dante? This puppy eyed man with the most pathetic attempts at humor she had ever heard? No, she knew better.
Despite his outrageous form, the essence was the same. A big naive softie she struggled to deal with.
Shaking off her anxiety, Mary raised her head. Only to meet an unblinking stare.
Her battle-hardened body responded immediately, yelling SOS to her brain. Run, stupid, run, this enemy is too tough for you!
But it was too late. The predator swooped down on its prey. And she continued to stare, mesmerized by the majestic dance of wings, even as the hot air touched her skin.
He seemed smaller at the former distance. The stupidest thought flashed through her mind as a huge shadow blocked the light.
“Lady…”
Another clap of thunder. His raspy voice was difficult to follow, nothing in common with Dante's soft tone.
“Ar-re you in one piece?”
Mary blinked. The line didn't fit the picture at all.
Her gaze lingered on the clawed hand extended towards her, then slowly slid up to meet the glowing yellow orbs again.
“Hey, don't be afraid—”
And then she finally recognized him. Mary watched him enough to know: every time Dante tried to hide behind a cool facade, his eyes darted slightly, a crooked smile froze on his lips.
However, it was so uncanny to see the well-known expression on this alien, inhuman face. In search of further evidence, Mary narrowed her eyes trying to discern the familiar sparkle of blue behind the still golden glow.
To her surprise, she suddenly realized that their roles had been reversed. A shadow of discomfort fell on Dante's face, and even though he still towered over her, he suddenly seemed somehow smaller. The clawed paw trembled just slightly as he tried to withdraw it.
What an idiot.
Mentally cursing them both, Mary grabbed his hand tightly.
“Don't quote the Bible at me, smartass,” she smirked, trying her best to ignore that his hand was three times her size in this form. “You don't look cryptic enough to pass for an angel.”
“I can be your devil,” he retorted in a bizarre attempt to wink, a clear relief in his voice.
But still, as he effortlessly lifted her to her feet, she felt how much he avoided touching her bare skin with his claws. Carefully, as if he were holding a porcelain vase. Too afraid of breaking it at any moment.
It pissed her off for no reason.
“Now what? Are you stuck in this form?” Mary raised her brow, trying to balance on her injured leg.
“Not really,” Dante's wings flattered as he moved closer to her, so she could lean on him. “In fact, I'm barely keeping it together.”
“You better turn it off, if you don't want to hit the news. It's almost dawn. And journalists are probably already following our trail.”
Brushing off his gentlemanliness, Mary made a big step forward, but her body punished her determination immediately. The leg went into spasm and she staggered.
But Dante was already by her side.
“Hey, don't be so stubborn and let me help you!”
“Back off! I'm fine! And stop pressing me with your demon form! Are you doing it on purpose?!”
“Doing what?!”
“Towering over me! You were already tall before, wasn't that enough?!”
“Is that what you’re mad about?!”
A soft chuckle followed. And then a roar of laughter filled the air. Mary blinked again, not believing her eyes.
A devil may laugh. Wholeheartedly.
“Just drop it already,” she groaned, trying to fight her own smile. “I don't want to be on the front page either, 'caught on a date with a demon' or whatever crap they’ll write.”
Maybe she was too tired to think rationally.
“Lucky us, I know a perfect place to hide and continue our date. The sunrise gazing comes as a bonus.”
This time she didn't get an opportunity to protest. Only a gasp escaped her lips, as Mary suddenly found herself placed in the care of his hands again, in an awkward princess position.
“Hold on tight, the flight will be short!”
“Hey, what the— W-wait!”
Feeling the air pressure, she shut her eyes in panic, clinging closer to his chest. It was warm. The demon's skin was rough against her hand, but she found an odd feeling of comfort in it. Her fingers traced the golden veins blindly, a pleasant electric sensation echoing across her skin.
“Earth to Lady!” his roaring voice snapped her out of the trance. “Don't tickle me! I told you, I can barely control my Devil Trigger! You don't want to end up as a pretty stain, don't you?!”
Trying to hide her embarrassment, Mary shook her head and deadpanned:
“I'll just use you as my airbag then.”
“Not the first time, huh.”
She wanted to parry, but the new view caught her off guard. The sun rose over New York, painting the sky in soft pastel colors. Sunshine rays were slowly filling the city, which was just beginning to wake up from a restless slumber. The chaos on the roads and clouds of smoke and dust remained the only reminders of the night horrors.
“So peaceful,” she muttered, still not believing that an hour ago they barely prevented an apocalypse.
“Yeah.”
Dante's answer felt short, a shadow of his former carelessness. Mary casted a quick glance at him and bit her lip. She knew that face of regrets. It mirrored her perfectly.
“This is the world he wanted to protect,” he whispered quietly, as if talking to himself.
“And this is the world you saved today,” she nodded, looking into his face.
She wanted to say more. That his parents would be proud of him. That Enzo's death wasn't his fault. That everything that manipulative bastard Rabbit had said about him was a lie.
Similar words she craved. But Mary knew better than to lick each other's wounds. Not when some of them would never heal.
So she just focused on the landscapes. Only to realize that Dante flies in circles on purpose so she can enjoy the scenery.
What a show-off.
She chuckled and placed her head on his chest again. Just living in the moment. Running away from all the hard decisions. For now.