-What Hurts The Most-

-Lady Luce-

Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry, all characters and themes are property of Capcom.

Lady could see it, actually see the pain breaking him slowly from the inside, fragmenting into a million pieces filtering its way through his veins. All she needed to do to know that was to look into his cerulean, ice-chipped, eyes. It might have been the hardest moment of her life had her life been any kind of ordinary. Fact was that her life was so screwed up she had thought she could take on anything by now. She had killed her own father for christ sake so why couldn't she do this?

Inside she knew the answer thought; because it was killing him and even though she was telling herself how much she hated him for what he was there was some small niggling sensation making it so god damned hard. The worst part was not that she was doing this though it was why she was doing it to him. For something he couldn't control, something he couldn't change, something he had no power over; he was a demon. Half-breed or not he was still one of them. She had sworn to forever hate all demon-kind with every fibre of her being and though she was suddenly tempted to break that promise something held her even though it meant hurting him.

"Dante I…" but her words ran dry as his gaze locked onto hers. Something there in them… she had only seen a flicker of it once after Temen-Ni-Gru had been destroyed and it stung her deep down in her core to know how much she was really hurting him. Because somehow in some crazy mixed up way he had fallen in love with her and though she had started to feel warmth bloom inside her at the prospect another part of her had screamed out in defiance. And that part had won. She had always thought his advances, his cocky little chat up lines had been nothing more than fun and games, but now she realised how deep a hold this had taken on him and she cursed herself for not noticing. Wasn't she supposed to have women's intuition or something?

"Why?"

What hurt the most was not the shaking tone replacing a voice she knew so well to be cocky and sarcastic – maybe even a little arrogant. Instead it was once again the look in his eyes, the clenching of his fist at his side an uneasy chasm created between them from screaming silence. And the terrible knowledge that he knew. Deep down inside he knew why – and what? Wanted conformation of the answer he couldn't quite bear to believe?

She closed her eyes tightly for a second stilling her breathing which had become harsh in the tension filled room and trying to fight back a stinging pain behind her eyes which threatened tears.

"I can't… not with you," she half-whispered the words her voice hoarse. Why was she the one who felt like her own heart was breaking? If it was causing them both this much pain then why didn't she just change her mind? The thoughts buzzing in her head made it hum, a head ache forming in her frontal lobe, but she couldn't take him for what he was and she knew that. It would be wrong to try wrong to give both of them false hope. "You're a demon."

His jaw clenched, eyes dropping to the floor. "I'm not a full-"

"Half-breed, pureblood what's the difference?" She snapped and he looked up at her stunned; her tone had been harsher than she had intended, but she wouldn't back down now. That's right, you have to show him there's nothing there, there never was.

"I thought…" Dante's voice trailed off as he began to find it hard to move, to think. He cursed his demon blood now more than ever, he wanted it gone he hated it. "I'd do anything for you… Lady, I love you." The last part was blurted out, rushed as though he was ashamed of his own feelings.

Lady swallowed down the lump in her throat. Oh god, it was killing him; she was killing him. Why was it so hard?

She sighed, her gloved hand made to reach out to him, to maybe brush some of the white hair from his eyes, but she stopped herself. "If you love me, then please just leave it alone." She had to swallow again – hard. "I'm sorry, I really am, I just… you wouldn't understand."

He shook his head slowly. "Of course I wouldn't, how could a demon like me ever understand?" He bit out then turned away fists clenched at his sides. He wanted to kill something now.

"Dante…" She did reach out for him then, her hand brushing his shoulder. He flinched slightly as though her touch had burnt.

"If that's all you have left to say then just go," he said frostily.

Lady bit her lip and nodded slowly. There were so many things she wanted to say, but somehow she knew it would just hurt even more. She hefted Kalina Ann a little higher onto her shoulder, the feeling of the bazooka bumping lightly against her back a comfort as she strode away, her footsteps seeming to boom in the deafening silence.

He didn't look back, didn't turn around until he heard the familiar rattle of the door closing behind her. He stared at the frosted out glass for a long while half wondering if he should run after her, but her words echoed through his mind and he stayed rooted to the spot. Some small part of him knew that he couldn't move anyway even if he had wanted to.

Lady made her way down the cracked steps and kept on walking, but she was only half way down the street when she turned back. The alien glow of neon washed the street in a flickering, garish, shade of red as she looked back knowing she would never see the place – or him – ever again. Maybe what hurt the most at that moment was that if things had been different, if life had dealt her a different hand she would never have known him; and even after the pain it had put them both through in the end, she wouldn't have traded that for anything. Both of them stared at the dirty wooden door of Devil May Cry, the one thing separating the pair of them, but suddenly they were a world apart.

Constructive critisism is always appreciated, if you enjoyed it reviews are greatly appreciated also :)

-Luce