Diva brushed Vergil’s hair back, smiling as her fingers combed through the silver strands.  His hair was slightly damp from exertion, and had become tousled over the course of the night.  She was pleasantly surprised he was staying so still…  She’d be a fool to believe that even a night like this could have exhausted him, but there was no denying that it was how things appeared at the moment.  He lay beside her, eyes shut, nostrils flaring slightly with every steady breath.

“I’ve decided.  I like it better like this,” she said, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.  “It’s more… you.”

One of Vergil’s eyes cracked open.  A smirk played on his lips.

“Too strong a resemblance to my brother otherwise, I presume?”

“Well…  Now that you mention it,” she started before allowing a soft laugh to complete her thought.  She leaned down, kissing his nose as her thumbs stroked his cheeks.  His eyes were once again shut, but his small smile had not faded.  He was at his most vulnerable and she knew it.  It was nice seeing him like this.  She didn’t want to say it was hard to love him, because it would not be true.  He merely made it difficult to show so physically.  Him managing to linger after they’d had their fun was still a recent development, and she was not going to take it for granted.

“Why do you dote on me like this?” he asked without opening his eyelids.

“Because I care about you,” she said without missing a beat.  Her fingers returned to his hair.  “I’m taking the opportunity to do so while you’re too mellowed out to fight it…”

Vergil breathed a laugh, shaking his head in amusement.

“Cunning woman…”

Diva wore a sly grin at his response, but it faded when she thought of something else that she wanted to add.

“And I don’t want you thinking I’m only in it for the sex.  I don’t want you to feel… used.”

“A ridiculous point to make.  I am well aware that’s not the case,” he said.  “You do not have to convince me of that.”

“I know, but… I like to show it.  Especially in moments like this.”  She paused, considering his words.  The things he said could have sounded like he was opposed to this, but if he truly did hate it, he would have stopped her before now.  Curious, she probed him.  “Why?  Does this make you uncomfortable?”

A pregnant pause hung in the air.  Vergil’s answer was not immediate.  Diva almost wondered if she had hit the nail on the head.  When he did speak up, he did so truthfully.

“Frankly, it does…  But you must remember, all this is foreign to me.  Decades have passed since the last time I have received any sort of affection, physical or otherwise.”  He looked up at her again, meeting her gaze once her stroking of his hair stopped.  “I do, however, find myself growing fonder of it.  And of you.”

While his words initially caused her heart to drop, he managed to reassure her.  Another beat, and he had something more to add to that thought.

“And I hope you don’t believe that I don’t share the sentiment, since my touch is not as gentle as yours,” Vergil continued.  He reached up, tucking a curl behind her ear.  “I suppose I… have difficulty reciprocating…”

“Shh… It’s okay,” she assured him when he began to struggle articulating his feelings.  “I know you do…  Care about me too, that is.  Do you want to know how I know?”

Vergil raised a brow, giving a silent request for her to inform him.  She leaned down once more to kiss him; this time on the lips.  Thumbs stroked his cheeks again, and she felt his hands enclose hers.

“Because you permit me do this,” Diva said quietly.  “You didn’t do that before.”

“Well, if that’s how you can tell,” replied Vergil.  “Then you may continue to your heart’s content, so I can continue to allow you to do so.”