Ebony and Ivory Queens Ch. 92

This is a Devil May Cry fanfiction.
Theme: Summer Haze
Background: Ch. 1, 2
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“I can’t believe that demon rolled directly over the hood of the car,” Nero sighed. Waves of heat came up off the tar as two devil hunters trudged over it. It was so hot it seemed like the soles of their boots sizzled every time they came in contact with it. There hadn’t been many words between the two of them since they’d left the destroyed car behind, heading back into the city to find a tow truck, or a cell tower signal. The demon they’d been hunting had managed to find their car and smash over the hood, leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere.
“Yeah well, when you’re with me, you’re sort of stuck with my shitty luck,” the older hunter teased lightly.
Nero had tried fruitlessly to call Lady a few times but with no reception they were better off just hoofing it back, at least until they got within range of some kind of cell tower. It was still miserably hot. They’d had their coats on until the demon was dead, it just added an extra layer of protection, but they both agreed it was too damn hot to keep them on if they were walking in direct sunlight, so they were with the car as well as their blades, no one was going to help them with those on their backs.
“Yeah, maybe I should do some more missions on my own,“ he snorted. Nero was left with his black tee shirt and blue jeans, which were happily sucking up the sun’s rays. However, it was better than being in Dante’s shoes, his black leather shirt doing a lot more to keep him warm than the young man’s cotton tee.
The red devil swiped at the sweat dripping down his brow, plastering his hair to his forehead. The motion didn’t help much as his palms were damp with perspirations as well, but he couldn’t help feeling the need to do so. He reached up and ripped his zipper open.
“Trying to flag down a ride?” Nero joked with a smirk, plucking at the collar of his shirt.
“My abs are amazing, but I seriously doubt anyone with a brain is going to pick up two guys with sexy abs and guns holstered in plain sight, your arm probably doesn’t help much either,” he chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, and if they do I guess we should probably question their sanity, but I’m not gonna lie old man, if anyone stopped I would get in a car right now,” he panted.
They’d seen one or two cars so far, but needless to say no one inside had been terribly inclined to help the two well armed demon hunters. They were on a narrow one lane street in the middle of farm country. Nero doubted that he would stop either if positions were reversed.
“Agreed,” Dante chuckled. “but I really don’t think anyone is going to stop.”
“Way to burst my bubble old man,” he joked, lightly shoving his partner’s arm.
The older man laughed lightly in response and shoved him back, maybe with a little more force than he intended as the younger man stumbled. He was walking closer to the side of the road, so his foot slid in gravel when he tried to catch his balance. He tried to compensate but it just made him slide further in the loose rock and pitch backwards.
To Dante it happened in a split second. One second he was there and the next his partner was in the ditch with a scuffle and a splash.
Nero glared as the older devil burst out laughing, doubling over and slapping his thigh.
“Yeah, laugh it up jackass,” he quipped, slinging a handful of mud at him.
Dante quickly jumped back to avoid it. He tried to dodge again when he saw Nero’s arm snatching at him, but he caught one of the loose panels in the front. He attempted to just twist out of his shirt completely, but got caught on his weapon holsters and he stumbled ungracefully into the ditch next to the younger devil.
“…Got ya,” he smirked.
Dante sputtered as he pushed himself up out of the dirty water, spitting it out of his mouth. It was Nero’s turn to laugh and he moved quickly to try to get out of the ditch. However his partner snagged the back of his belt and yanked him back onto his ass in the water, swiftly trying to tackle the younger devil.
The ex-knight struggled as his partner got on top of him, trying to pin him down. “Dante! Don’t!” he managed. He sucked in a breath before the red devil could shove his head underwater. At that he remembered he should use his devil bringer and punched Dante in the chest effectively knocking him off and allowing him to sit up and gasp for air.
“Jerk!” he wheezed.
Dante was laughing, clutching at his now cracked ribs as tears formed at the corners of his eyes from laughing.
Nero shook out his hair as he moved to stand, sloshing through the calf-high water. “Lucky I don’t drown you-what the hell is so funny?”
The red devil continued laughing uncontrollably, shaking his head. “You’re-the water and-you’re covered in mud kid,” he managed to wheeze.
The younger male grabbed Dante and once again shoved him face-first into the muddy water with the strength of his demonic limb. The older man, laughing as hard as he was and holding his sides didn’t get the chance to catch himself this time. The older man resurfaced, once again sputtering, but this time coughing and hacking from inhaling some of the water this time.
Nero found some of his own mirth in Dante’s suffering, and the fact that his platinum hair was streaked with mud and grass as was his skin and clothes and Nero was sure he didn’t look any better. He chuckled and shook his head.
“You realize the rest of this walk is going to be miserable with our shoes all wet, right?” he asked.
“Hell, at least we aren’t hot anymore,” he pointed out, coughing a few more times before spitting and pushing himself up to his feet.
“Yeah, I’ll remember that, next time I’m walking on some godforsaken road in a million degree heat, just jump into the nearest ditch.”