Fan Fiction ❯ No One Like You ❯ You've Got Everything Now ( Chapter 3 )

As Elise thought, at seven in the morning she heard something coming from Dante's room that sounded like angered, frustrated movements. And after living with him and his nightmares for almost a year, she knew exactly what the cause of his emotional uneasiness was: dreams. Basically every night he would fall asleep easily but when the sun shone through the curtains he would awake to find himself sweaty and demoralized.

Many times he had spent telling himself they're just images, but they were so real to him. Every breath was his own, every cry was his own, and every fear was his own. It was just like he was re-living the most horrific and unnerving experience of his life. But as he entered the bathroom and prepared for his shower Dante knew he'd quickly be able to shake it off again.

He also had spent months trying to convince Elise that she didn't have to worry about him. She never really believed him, though. Between the nightmares, the strange tendencies, and the fighting he never had any time to practice making his lies completely believable. Every time he spoke one, she saw through it, leaving him with but a thread of patience.

She got dressed and went downstairs before Dante finished his shower, which was longer than usual due to the excess of sweat. When she got into the kitchen, Elise boiled extra water, knowing that Dante would need something to get his spirit lifted into a better mood. She couldn't stand to see him like that after his sleep. It's supposed to relax and refresh but to him it's like going back to Hell and fighting for hours at a time.

After a few minutes and after hearing the water of the shower stop, Elise sat down on a chair at his "dining room" table. Waiting for him but knowing that he'd refuse to share any details.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he walking down the stairs wearing only jeans and drying his hair with a towel. Evidently he saw her, looking rather upset.

"Why don't you tell me?" Asked she before sipping her tea.

"You heard?"

"I always do."

"You shouldn't worry." Walking over to the counter, he poured himself some water for tea.

"Shouldn't, but do."

"You're wasting your time. It's happened ever since I was a child. They're never gonna stop and nothin's gonna change that."

"That's what I'm afraid of. You should really look into it."

"Yeah, right babe, like a psychologist would want to hear the troubles of a half-demon. And by the way, most of `em think demons are evil so I'm sure they'd be able to find it somewhere in their shallow, conceited hearts to show me a little love." He sat down across from her.

"There are other ways."

"And what might they be?"

"Tell me your dream."

"What?"

"Dreams are symbols from our unconscious mind telling us what we should do or fix. I've spent a good deal of my life studying those symbols and their meanings. But there's no way in Hell I can help if you refuse to let me."

"Well then, like I said, don't bother."

"Why in the world are you so stubborn?! You cannot go through life thinking that you can solve all your problems alone. You are at some time going to need someone to help pull you through when you can't. You might as well accept that now!" She was deeply upset by his refusal, just because she knew it would only end up hurting him in the long run.

Dante got up and walked behind her like a panther stalking its prey. She knew. But she didn't know what he was going to do. He ran his fingers through her hair teasingly, and then wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You may be right," he whispered into her ear, so close that his lips almost brushed up against her. "Someday I'll tell you. But not right now, maybe later." He pulled away and walked back to his room, with a strange smirk on his face.

Elise had wanted him to kiss her but knew that it was impossible. He was untouchable by just anyone. Through her mind different scenarios for different actions were being played. She wondered what Dante would have done if she had taken the initiative and kissed him. Ever since she really got to know him she'd always wanted things to blossom, but felt it was too unlikely.

Later that night…

He'd spent a long while trying to figure out why he'd stuck her in the shitty room, with the shitty walls, and the shitty mattress on the shitty bed. So, before she retired for the night, he went into her room.

"Come here." He said, catching her off guard.

"Why?"

"I want to switch rooms, or at least get you out of this one."

"And what's so wrong with this?"

"Tell me, how comfortable is that mattress?"

"Not… really."

He raised an eyebrow. "See? Now come on. Unless you want to sleep on that."

"But what about you?" Concern.

"I've got a nice sofa downstairs."

"No fucking way. You are not gonna do that."

"Yes, I believe I am. This is my bloody house and you will go over there and sleep."

She laughed at his sudden, obviously fake, authority. "What if I don't?"

"Then I'll do this." He walked over to her and wrapped one of his arms under hers and around her shoulders and slid his other under her knees. Dante lifted her up and carried her across the hall, to his room, and dropped her down on a soft mattress.

"Oh, come on!" She started to crawl off the mattress but he pushed her back down.

"Not this time. You always get your way, but not now." As he walked out of the room he gripped the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing the strong muscles in his back and arms. She looked at him with passion in her eyes. She changed for bed and went back to his room, but carefully walked partway down the stairs to check on him.

Dante was sitting at his desk, wearing only his boxers, and writing. She'd never seen him actually write something as long as what he was, so curiosity over came her and she watched him. Evidently it was a story or report or something that took up more than eight lines because he was well into it. Sensing a presence, he shot a glance up where Elise sat and shook his head. He put the pencil he was writing with down, closed the notebook, and then walked to her.

"I thought you were going to bed?"

"I was, but I've never seen you write like that before. You mean to tell me that you're actually involved in something other than the merciless slaughter of demons?"

"Yep. Now come on, I don't need to be a babysitter, do I?"

"No, I think I can manage rather well on my own, thank you. You don't want me to see that, do you?"

"Not really. But I'm sure you've got things you don't want me to see." He accompanied her into the room and over to the bed. Dante sat down as soon as Elise had settled herself in.

"I feel like shit doing this, you know?"

"So?"

"You cannot want to sleep down there."

"Yeah, well. That's life." When he started to get up she grabbed his arm.

"Come back. Listen, I don't want you to have to sleep down there."

"What are you saying?" He knew exactly what she wanted him to do and hell, he wanted it, too.

"Stay up here, I don't mind."

"That would be an invasion of privacy."

"Oh god, fuck privacy. Who needs that shit and have you looked at the size of your bed recently? It's huge! It's not like you can't…"

"If you're gonna keep fussing over this then, fine, I will. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

In response, a satisfied grin that showed she'd accomplished exactly what she'd set out to do.

He slid under the covers next to her, as she'd wished. His bed had seemed soft before but it was warm, then. Not physical warmth, "emotional" warmth. It was comforting. And being beside this beautiful woman aroused him. He wanted her and now she was within his reach, just, literally, an arm's length away. Embarrassed by his sudden, passionate feelings, closeness, and lack of clothing, he rolled over, presenting Elise with his back. Though, he didn't stay that way for long.

A few moments later, when he thought she'd fallen asleep, he twisted himself around so as to be able to watch her. Dante quietly and slowly inched his way closer to her so that his chest was only a few inches away from her back. Lost in thought, he reached out and touched her arm. After getting no response, he let his arm skate down to her hip, still, no response. Provoked by her silence, he shifted to spoon himself to her back. Dante tucked his arm comfortably under her elbow and around her waist. He nestled his cheek against the back of her neck. She could be his…

Elise opened her eyes, being sure not to let him know she was awake. She could feel his strong arm around her hip, his fingers lightly stroking her stomach, his knees were pressed into the back of hers, and his chest was tight against her back. She smiled, being careful not to make him suspicious, because she could also feel his hard member pressed up against her but she didn't care much. And neither did he. Of course, he knew about it, he definitely knew about it, but so long as neither said anything, neither cared. Mutual understanding was their greatest strength.

After a volley of thoughts, Elise closed her eyes, for his sake, slumped against his chest, and fell asleep.

The business line rang. Dante pulled his feet off the desk and picked it up. From the other side of the room, Elise listened to him. And apparently, from what he said, the hunt was on.

"Teenage girl said part of her uncle was eaten, while he was still alive, then burned, still alive."

"Where?"

"Just outside of town."

"Did she say what the demon looked like?"

"Actually, yeah. She said it looked like a, and I quote, `a man.'"

"A man?"

"So, it's a man. We can take the bastard."

"Yeah, but, do you know how many men are on this Earth?"

"Umm… a lot."

"Of course, you know, about six billion. There's a couple thousand right here."

"Wait." He closed his eyes for a second, as if trying to remember something.

"Huh?"

"Shit, she heard his name."

"And…?"

"Sarlone." He whispered.

"No."

"Yeah, she said that she heard his name and it was Sarlone. We're still going right?" He sounded disappointed by her doubt.

"Yeah. Shadow!" She called. Soon after he came running down the stairs. She looked up at Dante who nodded. "Come on." She grabbed her coat and they left.

He drove to a house at the edge of the forest. Smoke came from more areas than just the chimney. The girl was waiting outside. Her knees were drawn up to her chin, which was soaking wet from hours of sobbing. Bloodshot eyes looked up at the car.

As Elise got out of the car she spoke lightly to Dante. "They must have been close."

"Looks like it."

Without saying a word the girl stood up and lead the hunters into a room that was the source of the excess smoke.

Dante's face twisted up at the smell. "Jesus, it reeks!"

"Flesh…" The girl nodded in Elise's direction.

"This is what it did." Her uncle's body was charred from hours of burning. Blackened by the raging fire. But it looked like serious wounds were spread across his naked body, though they didn't look like they'd be enough to kill him.

"Did you see where he went?"

"I'm not sure. I only saw him for a minute, I turned away quickly and when I looked back he was gone."

"Is that all you know."

Fear showed itself on the girl's face. "No. Not quite."

"What else?" Dante asked, as his partner wandered around the room searching for something.

"Before…he was burned, he was…raped." Elise snapped her head around and looked at the girl. The Hunter looked at her, in her eyes he noticed that she knew. Knew what, he couldn't guess, but she knew something about this demon.

"Raped?"

"Yeah, the `thing' locked me in the next room. And I, I heard his screams then I smelled smoke. I finally got the door and I saw it there. The rest…"

"That's enough. There are only a few demons around here that want to make headlines by raping. Call the police, they'll do what they can."

As they walked back to the car, Dante thought incessantly.

Raped? What kind of a demon would do that? It's not like they don't get enough pleasure from the killing. And if it was a man why the fuck would he rape some other man? Maybe the ladies' aren't delivering…

It was roughly ten o'clock when they got back to H.Q., but Elise ran right up the stairs to her room. Shadow stayed back with Dante.

"What's gotten into her?"

"The demon."

"I thought she's seen lots of them."

"But only one like this."

"Who?"

"We…don't know his name." Shadow turned his head away so his lying eyes couldn't be seen.

"Do you know anything about him?"

"Only what you've heard."

Dante ignored these last words, feeling too engulfed by Elise's pain. But he didn't understand why this would hurt her. It didn't even involve anyone she knew. So he walked up the stairs and slowly opened her door. "Elise?"

She was sitting on her bed, with her back against the wall, huddled together. "Promise me something, would you?"

"Pray tell."

"Take me with you on all your hunts from now on."

"I always do."

"Well then don't let me stay here when the chance comes."

"Alright, but why?" He walked over and sat down next to her.

"That demon."

"I've handled myself every other time."

"I know, but last night, I fear my dream was prophetic."

"And it had something to do with that demon and me?"

"Yeah."

She let another tear fall and, after sensitivity kicked in, Dante pulled her close. "I promise."

Shadow noiselessly stuck his head in the door. He saw her crying, and in all the situations he's been with her, never saw this.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I should be." She was tired, so tired in fact, that she could have just fallen asleep in the warmth of his arms. After noticing this, Dante swung himself around so his back was against the wall. In doing so, he allowed her and himself to acquire some rest. But it didn't come easily. She was shaken like Hell, he didn't want to fall asleep so he could watch over her, and the freezing wind of October surged through the window.

Shadow walked in, jumped up and closed the window.

"Thanks."

"No problem. How is she?"

"Okay, I hope. She is sleeping though." He added with a look down at her.

"Good." Shadow curled up in his usual spot at the end of the bed. Resuming his never-ending vigil over Elise.

The sky was dark even though it was just early afternoon. She was walking into an old castle, on a hunt. Where Dante was she couldn't even guess, but she knew he was around. Lightening flashed and illuminated the hallway, showing her a door at the end. Curiosity overcame her and she opened it only to find the most disturbing, fucked up thing she'd ever seen. Dante was naked, pushed up against the cold, stone wall. He was bleeding profusely, and screaming in tremendous pain. She opened the door farther to see Sarlone, the man, raping him. She screamed out.

Elise jerked up quickly, sweating from the fear. Feeling her movements, Dante awoke but an instant later.

"What's wrong?"

"Dream."

"You too?"

"Not quite the same, though, it is the same dream I was talking about before. The same images, the same everything."

"It can't be that bad."

"For me, no. But for you, it's terrible."