FicWad

Twins and Chess Just Don't Mix
Disclaimer: I do not own DMC or any of their characters. I am merely using the characters for pleasure only, no profit. No suing, please.



Dante's lips pursed into a frustrated frown and his eyebrows came together creating deep ravines in his normally smooth skin. It was quite a sight. One would think the outgoing twin would be head banging to obscene music right about now, but no. Instead he sat with his chin propped up in his hand with his elbow resting on the table in front of him, staring intently at a game board in deep thought. To the only other person in the room the silence was a welcome solace from the normally loud teen. Vergil sighed in content as he closed his eyes, knowing full well that it would take another ten minutes for Dante to finally move one of his pieces.

The twins sat opposite each other at a temporary table set up in the middle of their shared room. On the table sat Vergil's favorite board game--chess. He had finally convinced his brother into sitting down quietly to play the game with him. He wondered how he had gotten so lucky, but mentally shook his head clear of the thoughts. Trying to second guess Dante was like trying to predict the weather; try all you might, but you'll never succeed completely.

After about another ten minutes of deep frowning and muttered words, Dante finally made his move. Just like clockwork, Vergil thought. He gave a small smile at Dante's desperate move, trying to save his queen from immanent doom. Rather than protecting his beautiful queen Dante had fallen into Vergil's patient trap. He glanced at the board once, making sure he himself was in no danger, and then quickly moved one of his rooks into the white queen's place. Taking the queen from the board, Vergil watched Dante's expression go from confused to surprised to fuming.

"Damnit! How do you move so quickly? And how do you set up those traps without me noticing? God, Vergil. I can't belief I let you talk me into playing this game! You know I can't think as quickly as you!"

"It's not about thinking quickly, Dante. It's about looking at all the moves one can make before deciding which one to choose. And not just the immediate moves, but ones that could be taken several turns after that one as well. Besides, I don't think faster than you. I merely have all the time I need to contemplate my moves while waiting for you to finish your turn." Vergil smiled at this last statement.

Instead of lessening the bite of the words however Dante interrupted the smile as an egotistical smirk. He glared at his twin so cruelly that if looks could kill Vergil would certainly have died that moment. Frowning in response to Dante's harsh countenance, Vergil wondered what he had said this time to so thoroughly upset his brother.

"Dante, calm down. I was merely trying to-"

"Shut up! You think you're so much better than me because you're smarter! You think, just because I can't play some silly little game of yours, that I'm beneath you! Well, screw you!" Dante's hands flashed underneath the table and pushed upwards, sending the table, the game board, and all the chess pieces flying across the room. He then stood up and walked to the other side of the room making sure to face away from his brother.

Vergil flinched away from the flying objects, most of them hitting him at such close range. He stared at Dante ruefully, briefly wondering why it always had to be like this. With a sigh, he set to trying to soothe his sulking twin. "Dante, I didn't say that. And I've never thought it either!" He added the last as his twin turned back around to glare at him once more. Silently, Vergil pleaded to Dante with his eyes.

But the upset twin couldn't, or wouldn't, see the apology written in his brother's face. Instead he seemed to grow more upset by the minute. His eyes flashed with rage and his nostrils flared with anger. His breathing became heaving huffs and his hands clenched into tight fists. Vergil noted the drastic changes in his mirror image and prepared for an all out verbal spar, a wistful look flooding his eyes at the regretfully lost peace between them. However what happened next was not what Vergil expected.

Vergil had one second to blink surprisingly at his twin as Dante flung himself across the room. Then he found himself out of breath, sprawled out on the floor with his brother's heavy weight interposed on top of him. He looked up at his twin with astonishment as Dante pushed him further into the floor, seemingly trying to smother him into the carpet. When Vergil's brain finally registered the fight, he kicked out aimlessly and began to wriggle beneath his brother. He took hold of Dante's hands and desperately tried to remove them as Dante began to move towards his throat. Soon Vergil was gasping for breath while Dante's hands choked him to death.

Finding no foothold around Dante's hands, he started to try for the arms. Hitting Dante in desperation he finally connected with Dante's inner elbow which caused Dante to hiss in annoyance at the pain. The younger twin growled at this forlorn effort to subdue him, and began to punch Vergil. Dante didn't really aim his fists; they merely struck out at his brother. One shot hit Vergil's chest, while another hit his windpipe causing him to gag and cough. Soon Dante's fists reached up higher and suddenly Vergil wasn't gasping on air anymore. Now he had blood to contend with as well.

Eventually Vergil quit struggling and Dante's swings slowly began to fade. Finally they stopped altogether. Breathing heavily from the exertion, Dante peered down at his brother with unseeing eyes. As his vision began to focus Dante gasped out loud at the sight beneath him. He quickly rolled off of Vergil and leaned down near him, lightly patting his brother's face to wake him.

Carefully, Vergil's eyes opened just enough to make out Dante's worried face. He smiled wistfully at his younger brother, wincing as his split lip tore further open, trying to convince Dante that he was all right. But it didn't work of course, he couldn't possibly have succeeded. Vergil's face was horrid; one eye was slowly swelling up and would soon be completely black, his cheeks were red and scratched from the repeated blows, his nose was bleeding horribly and it was probably broken, not to mention that his lip was still bleeding as well.

Dante's eyes welled up and the drops soon fell down his cheeks. Crying profusely, he attempted to speak in between his heart wrenching sobs. "I'm... s-so sorry, Vergil. I'm sorry... S-sorry. I didn't mean... I didn't mean to do this... I'm so sorry..." His head dropped down and practically hid in the floor next to Vergil's shoulder, his body rocking back and forth with his sobs. "So sorry." He repeated over and over again.

Vergil watched his brother mutely for a moment. Though he forgave Dante for the recent outburst, the damage had still been done. The twins' relationship would never be the same. Without meaning to, Vergil would always be wary of Dante. And Dante would always be aware of this edginess, making their moments together rigid and stiff from this point onward.

With a sigh, Vergil carefully sat up and scooted himself to his bed, leaning his back against it gingerly. Reaching out gently he pulled his brother to him, lovingly wrapping his strong arms around his twin. Dante clung to him like a child, still silently whispering his apology over and over again into Vergil's shoulder. Vergil cooed as his brother wept openly on his shoulder, rocking him side to side in a placating manner.

Eventually the sobs disappeared as Dante cried himself dry. The younger twin sat there sniffling in his brother's arms as unbidden sleep began to take its reign over him. He had one last thought before slipping off into dreamland, head sinking down on his twin's comfy shoulder. I had only wanted to make him happy by playing that game with him...