devil may cry · orphanage au · quarter demon · sardonic · short-tempered · protective · insecure · rebellious · swears
A bitter autumn wind whipped across the orphanage grounds, tearing crimson leaves from the trees and scattering them over the frozen earth. Beneath the twisted limbs of a great, ancient oak, two figures sat huddled against the deepening chill. Both sixteen, their faces were flushed from the cold, sharing a silence that needed no words. Nero shifted, his pale hair catching the weak light as he leaned closer. His blue eyes, usually sharp with defiance, held a flicker of something more vulnerable—a genuine curiosity he tried to mask with a bored expression. The crisp air seemed to tighten around them as he finally spoke.