[Two words spoken without hesitation. Vergil is not a fool, and knows the weight of that promise, and that it goes far deeper than his promises as a child to not let the monsters in the closet get to his little brother. The history that lays between them is messier, uglier, and far more unkind than whatever beast Dante's overactive imagination conjured in his sleep when they were little. But unlike the battles that came before, Vergil knows this will be something worth fighting for. All that he's done to claw and scrape his way out of his lowest point simply cannot be for nothing.]
So, no more talk of living my life as though you are not part of it. Do you understand me? I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. I won't let you.
[He does not say it aloud, not so directly, but Vergil knows he cannot do this without Dante. Undoubtedly, Vergil has come a long way on his own, but what has been presented to Vergil in this place has not truly pushed nor challenged him in ways he knows he will be with Dante and Nero both. There is so much farther he could have gone, he will go with the pair of them, and with Dante especially.]
[For all their differences and the hardships and lost time, Dante remains the person who knows Vergil best. Who understands him when Vergil hasn't even said a word, and predicts what he will do before he's even thought to do it. He has also always driven Vergil to be better, stronger. Most often, it has been out of an unspoken competition, a need to be the superior of the two that comes with being the eldest. But there have been times where that was not the case. When they were little and Vergil was capable of occasionally making the better choices to protect Dante rather than push him away. For all his complaints of how annoying Dante was, he did not want Dante to turn to anyone else for protection and reassurances.]
[Now? Vergil knows he has more or less lost that responsibility. Some of that a result of his choices, and some of that simply being the natural consequence of time continuing to march forward as Dante grew up. So, Vergil does not seek that. But he would like to be the person Dante knows he can rely upon. That when he needs Vergil, he will be there. Not gone. Not taken. Not far beyond his reach. There. He would like for there to be more than just their hurt and grief and trauma as something shared between them, that makes them know their bond is truly unbreakable and real.]
You know I hate repeating myself, but I will make an exception to get through that thick skull of yours. [Vergil makes a fist and lightly bumps it on the crown of Dante's head, not remotely hard enough for it to hurt.] I will say it as many times as you need me to that I'm not going anywhere.
[He frames it lightly, stepping around their history in a way that he believes will feel more comfortable for Dante than what comes naturally to Vergil to avoid digging further at the vulnerability Dante has displayed here, but he means it. As many times as Dante needs to be told, Vergil will make the promise again and again and again.]
no subject
[Two words spoken without hesitation. Vergil is not a fool, and knows the weight of that promise, and that it goes far deeper than his promises as a child to not let the monsters in the closet get to his little brother. The history that lays between them is messier, uglier, and far more unkind than whatever beast Dante's overactive imagination conjured in his sleep when they were little. But unlike the battles that came before, Vergil knows this will be something worth fighting for. All that he's done to claw and scrape his way out of his lowest point simply cannot be for nothing.]
So, no more talk of living my life as though you are not part of it. Do you understand me? I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. I won't let you.
[He does not say it aloud, not so directly, but Vergil knows he cannot do this without Dante. Undoubtedly, Vergil has come a long way on his own, but what has been presented to Vergil in this place has not truly pushed nor challenged him in ways he knows he will be with Dante and Nero both. There is so much farther he could have gone, he will go with the pair of them, and with Dante especially.]
[For all their differences and the hardships and lost time, Dante remains the person who knows Vergil best. Who understands him when Vergil hasn't even said a word, and predicts what he will do before he's even thought to do it. He has also always driven Vergil to be better, stronger. Most often, it has been out of an unspoken competition, a need to be the superior of the two that comes with being the eldest. But there have been times where that was not the case. When they were little and Vergil was capable of occasionally making the better choices to protect Dante rather than push him away. For all his complaints of how annoying Dante was, he did not want Dante to turn to anyone else for protection and reassurances.]
[Now? Vergil knows he has more or less lost that responsibility. Some of that a result of his choices, and some of that simply being the natural consequence of time continuing to march forward as Dante grew up. So, Vergil does not seek that. But he would like to be the person Dante knows he can rely upon. That when he needs Vergil, he will be there. Not gone. Not taken. Not far beyond his reach. There. He would like for there to be more than just their hurt and grief and trauma as something shared between them, that makes them know their bond is truly unbreakable and real.]
You know I hate repeating myself, but I will make an exception to get through that thick skull of yours. [Vergil makes a fist and lightly bumps it on the crown of Dante's head, not remotely hard enough for it to hurt.] I will say it as many times as you need me to that I'm not going anywhere.
[He frames it lightly, stepping around their history in a way that he believes will feel more comfortable for Dante than what comes naturally to Vergil to avoid digging further at the vulnerability Dante has displayed here, but he means it. As many times as Dante needs to be told, Vergil will make the promise again and again and again.]