Hey all (: Guess who's back! :3
Sooo sorry for the absence- uni has been taking up alot of my time. I had actually written this chapter earlier, then I wasn't very happy with it, then.. I couldn't decide how to change it so i just modified a few things and hoped for the best.
As usual, I'm so grateful for all of you who read and review and add to favourites and all that :D
Disclaimer: not only do I not own DMC, I do not own Elvis Costello's "She"either.
Happy reading (:
Lady took a sip of her warm water and sighed. At least she had the decency to quit while she was ahead. She had always prided herself on being disciplined; how else could she expect to reach the level of fitness she was at now? A few drinks were enough for her.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for some people.
The table before her was littered with glasses of various shapes and sizes as Dante continued shot after shot, drink after drink. Though his speech was slurred and almost nonsensical he didn't seem to be anywhere near stopping; demanding more to drink, round after round.
Lady breathed in deeply, taking in the familiar musty scent of the local bar. She had been roped into this whole idea earlier that day, when she had decided to pay Dante a little visit, only to find him in the company of the younger man and the pure sunshine that was Kyrie. She didn't think it would have been a bad idea; after all, it wasn't every day that she saw the younger couple. She was, however, grateful that none of them were too keen on dancing, as was their original idea; she was just not in the mood. At all. She would have liked to see Dante force her into that one. She would have blown the bastard's head off.
The old wall clock on her left told her it had just turned 2. 'Two in the fucking morning; and I'm stuck babysitting this bastard.' She was not amused. Beside her, she saw Nero fiddling with his drink with one hand, while the other wrapped around Kyrie as she slept peacefully. Lady couldn't help but smile. Beneath that punk-ass attitude and quick mouth was a decent kid.
"Dante. Hey Dante!" she called, as the man took another swig from his half-empty mug. "Haven't you had enough already? I really doubt she's coming."
"mmngshh'll be here," he slurred, turning his head around, catching sight of the mike that stood at the front of the room. It was karaoke night. "Oh yeahhhhhh," said Dante, grinning. "Imma go teach that mike who's boss."
Dante rose from his seat and stumbled over to the mike, flipping through the karaoke song options, leaving Lady to watch in disdain. Dante's obviously drunken state despite his exceptionally high tolerance for alcohol was testimony to how much he had taken that night.
Because Trish had yet to return by the time they had wanted to leave, Dante had left her a note on the fridge, telling her their whereabouts and asking for her to join them. Had they been two other people, Lady would have found this gesture to be rather sweet. She didn't think the word suited the pair very well.
That message was left 4 hours ago. '4 fucking hours. Can't this bastard give up already?'
"Oh no.." said Nero suddenly, grabbing Lady's attention. The opening melody of a familiar song began to play. Dante stood proudly by the mike, waiting for his cue.
"SHEEEEE…May be the face I can't forgetttt…. The trace of pleasureee or regrettt…may be my treasure or the price.. I have to payyy…" he sang, surprisingly steadily, despite his drunken state. He continued to sing the words to Elvis Costello's 'She', oblivious of everyone who was watching, fuelled by his fill of liquid confidence, unfazed and unaware of his irregularities in pitch.
"What the- HAH. I'm never gonna let that old man forget THIS!"said Nero, laughing. Lady laughed along with him. "I never took him to be the soppy type."
"Well," a sensual voice purred. "What have I missed?"
Lady turned to see Trish standing behind her, dressed in her usual manner with a leather jacket over her corset, her hands on her hips. A mischievously bemused smile graced her face as she watched Dante's display.
As the music reached its instrumental portion, Dante caught sight of Trish and grinned. "Hey babe," he said, his voice still slurred. "What took ya?"
She waved at him.
Dante pointed in her direction and continued his song, his eyes intense and fixed on her. "She.. who always seems so happy in a crowdd… whose eyes can be so private and so proud.." He walked over to her as he sang, pulling the mike as far as its wire would allow him to. He reached out to touch her face, caressing her soft cheek with his thumb. "No one's allowed to see them.. when they cry.."
"She.. may be the love that cannot hope to last.. may come to me from shadows of the past.. that I'll remember.. till the day I die.."
Dante threw his head back dramatically and fell to his knees, obviously lost in the ecstasy of song. Song.. and alcohol. "Sheeeeeee….. may be the reason I survive.. the why and wherefore I'm alive.."
Trish stood dumbstruck as she watched him. She furrowed her brow despite her smile. "Is he.. drugged?"
"Don't think so,"said Lady, amidst her laughter. "Though he might as well be."
Dante grabbed Trish's hand as he sang his final line: "The meaning of my life is.. !"
He kissed her hand softly, then spoke into the mike. "I love you, Trish. I love you."
Nero laughed harder than ever. A small whack on his arm made him look down, finding Kyrie, awake and frowning at him. "I think.. I think it's sweet, Nero,"she said softly.
"You wouldn't if you knew how much the bastards been drinking!" said Nero between laughs.
Trish rolled her eyes, her cheeks slightly more flushed than they usually were. "It's the alcohol."
Dante turned the other way, got on all fours and began to puke.
"ugh.. "said Trish. "C'mon Dante.. Let's go home."
In a swift movement, Trish slung Dante over her shoulder and started to walk out, ignoring the shocked expressions of the bystanders, and stopping to mouth a quick 'sorry' to the bartender.
Oooooo
Dante squinted at his surroundings, the warm rays of morning caressing his skin and piercing his sensitive eyes. Unable to see past the blinding light, he groaned at the searing pain, mentally cursing himself for having had so much to drink. It must have cost a fortune. He swore to himself. Lady was going to have his head.
"Ugh.."
His head pounded mercilessly, a deep nausea accompanying the pulsating pain. He gripped his head, swearing audibly.
'Where the fuck am I?'
The texture of soft blankets told him he was definitely not left in the bar. For that, he was grateful.
"So many nasty words so early in the morning?" a familiar voice purred.
Dante didn't have to open his eyes to know who it was.
"Ugh.. if you knew how I felt you'd be fucking cursing too."
"If you knew what I had to clean up.." she decided against finishing the sentence, sauntering over to the windows to pull the curtains, shielding Dante's delicate eyes form the violent rays.
"How're we doing today. Soldier?"
Dante forced his eyes open slowly, catching his breath at the sight that greeted him. He found himself gazing into her endless blue eyes, her face a mere inches from his. He dared himself to look a little lower, catching a generous view of her chest, longing to be freed from the constraints of her corset, almost touching his bare chest.
Wait.. bare?
"Oh fuck. Trish. Did we..?"
Trish giggled at his loss of words and animated hand gestures. The faint flush of his cheeks was a rare sight.
"Why? Is it so bad to have slept with me? It's not like we haven't done it before."
"What? N-Nah. It's just.." he stammered, caught off guard. 'It's just I don't know what kind of crap I was spouting last night.' Nor could he account for any of his actions.
"Don't worry babe," she winked, causing the red in his cheeks to deepen. "Your clothes were covered with sick- I had to throw them into the wash."
Dante sighed with relief.
"Hey Dante.." she started, handing him a glass of water, which he accepted gratefully. She placed a tray laden with a hearty breakfast by his bedside. "Kyrie and Nero are going off to an island.. they asked if we'd like to go along. Personally, I'd love to get away for a while.. you game?"
Dante looked up from his glass and hesitated a few moments, before finally giving her a brief nod.
"Sure, if you promise to bring that little black bikini you have," he said cheekily, winking at her.
She chuckled lightly and rose from her seat, excusing herself so as to let the younger couple know. His eyes were fixed on the sensual swaying of her hips as she made her way to his doorframe, stopping briefly to look over her shoulder at him.
"By the way," he purred, her eyes glistening mischievously. "I never knew you could sing."
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