First draft, not revised.

Written for word prompt: water.

The young man lounged against a willow tree, watching the smooth silver surface of the lake before him with intense concentration. He waited for a stirring beneath the water, or a small ripple, or a bubble to break the solidness. Anything, anything would do. He didn't realize he was no longer alone until Dante stuck his hand right in his line of vision and waved it.

"Hellooo, earth to Vergil." Dante said.

"Don't be a nuisance," Vergil said, forcefully shoving his hand away. Again he scanned the wide face of the lake, alert to any movement he might have missed. Satisfied that it was as still as before, he folded his arms across his chest.

"What are you doing all the way out here by yourself anyway?" Dante asked.

"That's none of your concern."

"Are you waiting for someone?"

Vergil pursed his lips shut. If only the buffoon would leave him be – why did he have to follow him everywhere? Did he have no life of his own? When Dante stepped into his field of vision, Vergil thought he knew the answer.

"Have you no purpose other than to intrude on my privacy?" Vergil said scathingly.

"I'd rather be grilling hotdogs with dad than trying to check up on you right now," Dante shot back. "Don't get all high-and-mighty with me, dude. You're not on my list of priorities."

"Then what do you want?" Vergil growled.

"You've been acting funny ever since we came on this spring break. Out with it, what are you up to?"

"Get out of my face, Dante."

"Mom thinks you're secretly seeing someone."

Vergil had straightened up, ready to give Dante a left hook that would have sent him toppling down the steep embankment below them, but froze at his brother's words. His eyebrow twitched involuntarily, and heat rose from his neck.

"What?" Vergil spluttered in disbelief.

"Yeah...she said you've got the look."

"What look?" Vergil snapped.

"That one," Dante said, smirking knowingly. He gave Vergil a sidelong, cunning look before nodding toward the lake. "Is she at the camp site across the lake? Do you swim to meet each other halfway and get–"

"If you don't leave right now, you will greatly regret it," Vergil said, clenching his fists.

"Whoa! Love-punched Vergil is scary-Vergil," Dante mocked, forming a heart shape with his hands.

Vergil lashed out at him with a hard kick in the shin that had Dante staggering back a step or two. "Go away, Dante!"

"Are you kidding?" Dante asked, hopping on one foot and rubbing his injured shin. "This a momentous occasion! It's like Sparda falling in love with a mortal, just better because this is you. I'm not missing out on history repeating itself."

"Don't be foolish," Vergil said, yet he could feel the heat spread from his neck up to his cheeks.

"Oh-hohoho, Vergil!" Dante laughed, giving a clap of amusement. "This girl has you hook, line and sinker, doesn't she? C'mon, I'm your brother. Don't be an ass for once and let me meet the lady, will ya?"

"She's not your type." Vergil said.

"Tch, I might be hers," Dante said playfully. This time he managed to dodge the kick Vergil threw at him. "Chill out, bro! It's a joke."

"She won't come while you're here."

"How does she know I'm here?" Dante asked incredulously.

"She can see you." Vergil said condescendingly. "How else? If she doesn't come to me now, I won't see her again until midnight, and you know how uptight mother and father are about us wandering around alone at night, which means I won't get to see her until tomorrow, now get the hell away from here."

Dante's amusement subtly ebbed from his face. Vergil swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. He'd said too much; Dante was annoying – yes, lazy – yes, stupid – definitely not.

"So she's around here somewhere, huh?" Dante said, his tone still playful, though there was a jagged edge to it now.

Vergil tensed when his brother started to pace around with slow, precise steps, like a predator sniffing out its prey. "Your presence is unwelcome, Dante."

"Is she hiding in one of the trees?" Dante asked, ignoring Vergil as he studied the trees nearby. He stared for a long, quiet moment before levelling his icy blue eyes with Vergil's. "No."

"You have no business with her, Dante," Vergil snarled.

"Oh, I don't?" Dante said, pulling Ebony from behind him and jabbing the barrel hard into Vergil's chest. "I might not like your arrogant smut but you're still my brother, and anything concerning my family is my business."

The brothers stared at one another with blazing eyes before Dante stepped away and Vergil cracked.

"Maybe, but Dante you don't understand –"

"Oh, I understand perfectly," Dante said over his shoulder, walking to the edge of the embankment to glare at the lake.

"No, you don't! I've never felt this way about anyone before –" Vergil pleaded, joining his brother's side. "I can't... I need her. Without her my life has no meaning..."

Dante gave Vergil a once-over and nudged his brother away from him. "Get out of my personal space."

"Listen to me. I've been waiting for her all my life! You can't deprive me of love..."

"Well, aren't you a mess?" Dante interrupted scornfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were possessed."

"I'm not! I'm not!" Vergil said desperately, all means to keep himself together falling apart.

"Don't worry, Vergil, I know you're not possessed," Dante said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You'll not harm her then?" Vergil asked, feeling a rush of relief when Dante's expression softened.

"No. Of course not. What type of guy do you take me for?" Dante sniffed, and turned Vergil away from the lake. "We do have to get back to camp, though. Those hotdogs are calling my name. Can you hear it?"

"But I can't leave."

"Yeah, you can. You'll survive another day without seeing your lovey," Dante teased, letting go of his brother's shoulder. "Those hotdogs, on the other hand, might disappear before we get back."

Vergil watched him walk a few steps ahead. He cast a longing glance over his shoulder at the lake, and reluctantly started after his twin. A loud eruption behind him made Vergil spin around, and he stared at the ravishing beauty in shades of pure gold baring her sharp teeth at him.

"Come back to me, my beloved," she sang coaxingly with her arms wide open, and Vergil obeyed the hunger in her gleaming emerald eyes.

He was a foot away from her delicate reaching hands when something knocked them apart. Vergil fell back hard, and dazedly stared. Dante had his beloved gripped by her shimmering blonde hair, exposing the wildly racing pulse in her lily white throat. Her eyes were pleading with Vergil for salvation, but he knew he could never get there in time. Dante had his gun pressed hard against her soft chest, right where he could hear her heartbeat thrum.

"No! Dante, you said you wouldn't hurt her!" Vergil shouted angrily, slowly pulling himself back to his feet.

"My beloved!" Her cry was sweet and melodious, and gave Vergil the needed strength to prepare an attack on his brother.

"You'll thank me for this in a minute," Dante said flatly when she reached her thin, creamy arms up to try scratch at his face with her delicate claws. He pulled the trigger a second before Vergil knocked him off his feet and both boys plummeted into the icy water below.

They resurfaced a moment later, breathing hard, and stared at one another through soaked blonde strands of hair. Dante shook his head and wiped a hand down his face. Vergil pushed his hair back and blinked the water from his eyes.

"I'm hungry," Dante stated in the eerie silence.

Vergil let out a deep breath and pressed his fist to his forehead. "Damn."

"Well, I gotta admit, she was easy on the eye."

"Shut up."

"What?" Dante snorted. "I'm just saying."

"I was infatuated."

"Dude, infatuated doesn't even cut it."

"Don't patronise me."

"Look," Dante muttered, getting up and shaking the water from his guns. "This thing happens all the time. They lure unsuspecting guys into their trap and put them under their spell. You're just lucky you have an annoying little brother who can't leave you alone."

Vergil pulled himself from the water and stood on dry land, wringing the water from his coat as best he could. When he looked up, Dante was lounging against the trunk of a tree, watching him earnestly.

"You're okay, right?"

Vergil glanced at the ground where the water nymph had met her unexpected demise. There was no sign that it had ever been there. A mere nasty dream he'd soon rather forget.

"Yes, I'm fine," Vergil said solemnly.

"Let's get going," Dante said, turning in the direction of their camp site.

"Dante," Vergil said. His brother paused mid-stride, but didn't turn to him. "Thank you."

"You're just some guy. I would have done the same for anyone else," Dante said with a curt half-hearted salute.

Vergil lingered until Dante was out of hearing range before turning furious cold eyes on the lake.

"Defungo lacus scum," Vergil murmured with a swift, discreet wave of his fingers at his side. Morbid satisfaction brought a small smile to his lips when dead nymphs bobbed to the surface of the lake along with hundreds of fish. He whispered in response to Dante, "Wrong, I'm not just some guy."

FINITO! Hurrahs! XD (and I beat the 1000 word min. aha-aha! :D)