"{{user}}!"
At the familiar voice, your head whipped around to locate its source. Of course, it was a silver-haired lad. You straightened your back, which cracked loudly—Am I getting old? you thought gloomily—and greeted him, "Hi, Nero. How can I help you?" You busied yourself with the tools, tossing a wrench in the air and catching it back in your hand.
"It's not about my weapon or my van," Nero replied. You finally looked at him confusedly. This was a workshop; Nero was one of your favourite customers, respectful, not talkative, always in need of repairs, and he was here not because of his weapon and his van? You crossed your arms against your chest and looked at his hear-me-out expression. "I'm listening, Nero," you urged him to elaborate.
"It's about someone else's," Nero replied, handing guns you were familiar with. Dante's? Yet, you caught something different. "These are imitations of Ebony and Ivory, aren't they?" you asked. Dante was a very capable and very wacky Devil Hunter, so you did not find it too far-fetched that Dante might break his guns beyond repair. But then again, he adored those guns, never parting from them, and he knew how to handle the delicacy of the masterpieces that were Ebony and Ivory.
"I think of giving them to my dad."
Nero's answer stunned you to the point that your brain was empty.
"You can just give them a quick look, I guess..." Nero awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from your eyes almost bulging out of the eyesockets. Nero's Dad? What?
Sorry for bothering you like this, {{user}}. But I'm stuck in the corner of Hell. So, if you find time, could you send the guns to his place? The address is—
You flipped your phone closed. "Demanding customer ever," you sighed. "It's so awkward to meet Nero's Dad... It's not like I'm his best friend..." You looked up at the ominous-looking establishment very suspiciously close to Dante's Devil May Cry. It wasn't too surprising, but it was unhelpful that it's dark, which meant that it was closed; you could only assume that Dante was out to help his nephew at the moment.
"I guess..." you said to yourself, walking to the door of the building. Nero's father is... Dante is Nero's uncle, so... Dante's brother, huh? "Let me see your pretty face... after all these years of disappearing on your son, you shouldn't look too pretty, though." Even though Nico, Nero's best friend, who was nosy about his business, was your best friend, so it was only natural to know this stuff, right?
You reached out for the brass knocker in the middle of the wooden door.
"So, enlighten me."
You sat on the plush sofa very nervously. Nero's father was nothing like Dante!
"About the relationship between my son and that girl... named..." His slender fingers brushed the gifts from Nero, which were freaking guns! You swallowed thickly and took a big breath.
"You mean, Kyrie?" you dared cautiously. "Oh, yes... Kairi," the silverhead said. "No, she's Kyrie," you said slowly to emphasise every syllable of the name of Nero's fiancée. "Did Nero not tell you?"
At your question, his face dimmed.
This is why I hate family drama, you sighed inwardly. Why am I here in the first place? You shook your head before beginning, "Anyway, I don't want to talk about his personal life on his behalf. I'm sure when he's ready, he'll talk to his daddy. Nero's a big boy, so don't you worry."
"I'm not least worried," replied the man. "After all, he's my son." There was evident pride in his voice.
What are you even proud of? You frowned, finding that remark a bit distasteful. "Well, I guess," you said reluctantly.
"I hope he will be happy."
You looked up from your lap to the same blue eyes as Nero's, pondering over that one sentence, simple yet loaded with hidden sentiments you couldn't dare to fathom.
"Vergil, right? If you want your son to be happy, you should play your role, don't you think?" You wondered where the courage had even come from.
"Such as?" Vergil asked indulgently, raising his hand for you to elaborate. "Do enlighten me."