A/N: First KH fanfiction in a while. First fanfiction in a while, really. First BBS fanfiction. Excuse the list of firsts. Anyways, enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts series nor any of the characters. That's Square Enix/Disney.


Chapter 1: Vanitas.

Thunder rolled off in the distance and the clouds began to darken. People started rushing back to their homes and off the streets. A storm was surely coming, and quick, at the rate of the blackening clouds.

A lone boy with spiked, black hair and amber eyes gazed up at the sky with hatred. He shifted to fit under his makeshift, cardboard roof and sighed lightly. Maybe he really shouldn't have run away… He scoffed at the thought. Here he was, sitting in a back alley of the busy city, seeking shelter under some cardboard he had found in the recycling of the newspaper company. He chose to make his "dwelling" a few blocks down from the building in case anyone possibly noticed that the two big cardboard boxes were missing. His stomach growled. He covered his stomach with his arms and brought his legs up towards his chest. The rain started to fall from the sky.

Maybe he shouldn't have run away… He shook his head, there he was, thinking those stupid thoughts again. Who were they kidding? No one was going to adopt a scrawny teenager with a short temper and an attitude for rebellion. No one was going to adopt him. So he ran away. The raven haired boy scowled at the rain as it started to come down harder. He hated foster homes anyways. For the long seventeen or so years of his life, he'd been alone. He could handle being alone. Dropped off to the adoption agency because his irresponsible parents didn't want him. He didn't really even know how old he was. They said he looked seventeen, so he must've been seventeen. He went along with it; it wasn't like he had any other choice. And besides, as long as he wasn't legal, the agency could keep him there and get more money from the government for his one head among the other kids there. He didn't really miss it. The agency, the foster homes; they were never kind to him anyways. Not that he was particularly nice either. All he really missed was food in his stomach and a non-leaking roof over his head. He grunted as water droplets began to fall from his "roof". He huffed and wrapped his arms around his knees. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine a warm fireplace and the smell of a nice home-cooked meal. If he held on long enough, there'd be a comfy bed and a starry night sky out his window.

"You okay? Kid?"

The boy's amber eyes opened to glare at whoever disturbed his imaginings but his gaze caught bright blue orbs that twinkled with curiosity. He blinked. The boy across from him was holding the "roof" of the box gingerly to support himself, and between his shoulder and his neck, he supported a black and white checkered umbrella. His blonde hair practically defied gravity with his neatly put spikes that were only slightly damp due to the rain.

The dark haired boy didn't respond, his eyes staring forward, cold and calculating.

The blonde raised his eyebrow, cautiously holding out his hand to the amber eyed boy. "Come on, I'm not gonna bite… but you're gonna catch a cold if you stay here all night."

The boy just stared at him and then his hand. Was he offering him a place to stay?

"Come on, kid. I've got a spare room. Might as well stay the night."

The boy was hesitant but his amber eyes flickered with a spark of hope. He took the hand gently and stepped out from under the wet cardboard. He felt a few drops on his head before the blonde's umbrella covered him. He looked at the blue eyed boy and found him smiling softly. He was curious, interested even, but he didn't smile back.


The blonde boy tossed the raven haired boy a towel with a quick, "the shower's down the hall on your right" before disappearing into what the raven assumed was his bedroom.

Although curiosity often got the best of him, the tanned boy ran a hand through his dark hair and obeyed, walking down the hall and entering the bathroom. He set the towel on the rack and turned on the tap before he began undressing. A nice hot shower. He sighed under the spray of water and wondered how long the blonde boy would allow him to stay.

Once he finished, he turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel off the rack and drying himself. There was a knock at the door. Covering himself quickly, the dark haired boy walked over and opened the door a crack. The blonde boy asked for his used clothing and handed over some clothes that "would probably fit". After nodding a bit out of thanks, the boy closed the door. He dressed quickly and looked himself over in the mirror. The blonde's checkered shirt hung loosely on his skinny frame and the black pants hung a little too low, but were thankfully held up by a belt. His hair was still untidy, although he tried to make it at least a little more decent. His natural spikes refused to adjust to his will so he sighed, gave up and left the bathroom.

"Feel better?" The blonde turned his head at the sound of footsteps. The raven nodded slowly. "That's good." He gave a soft grin and patted the area next to him on the couch. "Come sit with me."

The boy complied, sitting more towards the edge of the couch, away from the blonde. His back was straight and his hands were clenched in tight fists.

The blonde gazed at him strangely, he didn't think himself to be intimidating but the young raven seemed to believe so. "You can relax," he stated calmly, "I wouldn't hurt you."

Amber eyes locked with the other boy's deep blues before he visibly relaxed.

"I'm Roxas." The blonde gave a tiny grin, reaching his hand out to offer a handshake, "what's your name?"

The dark haired boy stared at the hand, not speaking or moving for what felt like hours. He didn't lift his tan hand to shake the blonde's pale one until he spoke, and when he did, the grip was light and quick, and his lips barely seemed to move.

Roxas furrowed his eyebrows. "What did you say?"

"I said my name, dumbass. Vanitas."