Love~Love Paradise isn't all that quiet at night. The restaurants are buzzing with couples, with parents finally free from their kids' nagging.
With the sharp noise of glass on glass, with sleepy voices on their way home from whatever they may have been doing.
The beaches are, however, silent- save for the breeze and waves.
And so, that's where Dante sits on his own and thinks. Generally not the safest thing for him to do, but especially when he's never hated himself more.
He doesn't know how long he's been sitting here with waves lapping at his feet, with sand sticking to his skin, with his head tucked into his knees. He's shivering, his fingers and feet beyond numb by now.
His chest hurts, and he suddenly thinks that maybe he should just go into the water and.. solve all of this.
The thought is unwarranted, most definitely unwanted, and he can't hold back a quiet sob.
There's relative silence- save himself,- when he hears the unmistakable sound of feet in wet sand, only burying his face further into his knees.
He prays to Irene that it's not anyone who'll stay long, hopes it isn't anyone who'll pry into what he's doing out late.
There's a long moment of peace before he hears the slightly offputting noise close by him, and there's cold fabric laid on his back. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he finally lifts his head from his knees.
"Hey." Gene says nonchalantly, giving a small smile as he sets Dante's hoodie over him.
"Thought you might need it." he continues, though his smile drops as he hears Dante sniffle, as he notices the tears in his eyes.
He's not quite sure what to say, only reaching a hand out and gently patting his brother on the back. "..Wanna talk about it?"
Dante just chuckles and settles his legs against the cold sand. "I-I wasn't.. really expecting anyone to come here this late."
"Neither was I," Gene shoots back, "and put on the jacket."
Dante lets out an exasperated sigh as he pulls the sleeves of his hoodie over his arms.
He's still cold, it really hasn't helped anything, but he figures Gene will probably age by another good twenty years if he doesn't keep it on.
"So, what's wrong? You know you can always tell your favorite big bro." Gene jokes, though his grin seems forced, and falls fast at the silence that follows.
Dante shifts, he fidgets with his hoodie strings, and he sits crosslegged. "..Can.." he trails off, lowering his head.
"H-Hey, Gene?" he raises his voice a tad, staring out at the water. There's no way he can look Gene in the eye right now, he'll probably just feel worse.
"What's up?" Gene responds, a bit of worry tugging at him.
"Have you ever thought that..maybe.." Dante stops, swallowing the lump of anxiety in his throat, "that if you.. died," he pauses again, "all your problems would go away?"
Dante hasn't taken his gaze off the gentle waves, tears stinging his eyes again. Gene is stunned into silence, and it very quickly feels like it's crushing both of them.
Gene hesitates for a moment before he leans forward, wrapping his brother up in a hug. "..I have."
That seems to get Dante shocked, too, because he's tense and he's gone silent.
"But, Dante.. listen," Gene starts, pulling away. He watches Dante frantically rub tears from his eyes before he continues.
"It would. It would solve everything, but.." he makes sure to raise his voice towards the end for emphasis, "..it would make more problems for everybody who cares about you."
His tone is slightly solemn, and he finds himself staring out at the water too. It's much easier than looking Dante in the eye after hearing something so.. out of character for him.
"..Like you?" Dante says quietly, and Gene can only laugh.
"Of course! If-.. If something happened to you, I'd be devastated." his voice softens, "I don't like to think about it."
"..and Mom.." he mumbles, brushing hair out of his face.
"Travis," Gene adds, "everyone else who's here, even some people who aren't. It'd hurt a lotta people."
Another long moment of silence falls between them, but it's much, much more comfortable than the last.
Dante finally takes his gaze off the waves, turning and wrapping his arms around Gene tightly.
"Gh-.. Jeez, you're really cold." Gene flinches, a less forced grin finding its way onto his face.
"Deal with it." Dante shoots back, rolling his eyes. He pauses for a second, his tone shifting. "..Thanks for coming out here, bro."
"Wasn't gonna let you become a popsicle. Juuust takin' care of my lil bro." Gene pats his head, and though he won't say it, he's missed this more than anything.
"M-Maybe we should go back now.." Dante says, backing off. He's still shivering, burying his freezing hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
"Hm.." Gene thinks, he thinks, and he thinks it over several times. "How about we go get somethin' nice and warm to eat first? On me."
"That-.. That sounds great!" Dante says, his face lighting up. He stops for a moment. "But..I call dibs on paying."
"Ughhhhh." Gene groans, pushing himself to his feet. "I call-"
"I call double dibs!" Dante interrupts, jumping up. That gets him an elbow to the side, and the two can't help but laugh.
"I hate you." Gene grumbles, gently shaking his head. He can't help the stupid grin on his lips.
"Love you too, big bro." Dante chuckles, setting off up the path towards the resort.
Gene catches up fast. "So, where do you wanna go?"
