There was nothing about this particular night that seemed unusual. All things considered, it was a fairly normal night for the city of Celatum. The same teenagers stayed out past curfew, getting intro trouble with their friends. The same shops and stores remained open for people who wanted late night snacks or needed emergency groceries. The same adults headed off to bed early as they had work in the morning and elected to be responsible.

Or at least, that's how it should be. Vanitas grumbled in his own head, sighing softly. The wind played with his onyx hair, threatening to dismantle the spikes he had worked so hard to achieve this morning in front of the mirror. You see, Vanitas Hardt was very much the opposite. A victim of insomnia, he often struggled with early mornings as late nights came naturally to him. On these nights he couldn't sleep, he usually found himself at the local bar. Not that he considered himself an alcoholic, by any means. But a stiff drink (and as much as he hated to admit it sometimes) good company did manage to make him a little more sleepy.

Celatum was a fairly big town, and there were a few bars. However, The Oblivion on East Corona road was Vanitas' haunt of choice. The bartender was a longtime friend of his, and most of the patrons were people he knew from school. Unfortunately, that meant he might also run into his brother. The raven-haired young man groaned at the thought.

Vanitas stopped outside The Oblivion, anyway. He would take the chances of running into his brother over going to one of the overcrowded, dirty and creepy bars in town any day. He wasn't in the mood to have strangers feel him up, and this was the one locale he trusted.

The bell chimed as he stepped in through the old oak doors. The interior of the bar was dim, as usual. The walls were black, a stark contrast to the white floors and ceilings. The chairs and tables were white, and there were plenty of people seated tonight. Some people were drunk on the dance floor underneath the hot white lights, and Vanitas shook his head softly. He approached the bar and took a seat on the nearest unoccupied stool (there were a lot of them, thankfully). The bartender noticed him right away and gave a wry smile. It wasn't that Roxas didn't like seeing his friend out of the house for once (not counting work), it was more so that he knew the real reason for it.

''Trouble sleeping again, huh?'' The honey blonde busies himself with cleaning a few of the cups. His sapphire eyes were bright even in the dim lights of the bar, and Vanitas could see the worry disguised within them.

''Yep. And of course, I have to be up at the ass crack of dawn tomorrow.'' He releases a heavy sigh.

''You need to get that checked out, man.'' Roxas responds a moment later.

''Yeah, yeah. What else is new?'' Vanitas rolls his eyes. He'd never say it out loud, but it was Roxas' kindness that kept him coming back. He knew that being his friend was no walk in the park. He was abrasive as hell, and that kind of person doesn't keep people around long. Vanitas was surprised, but somehow he had managed to find insanely good friends who kept putting up with him.

''How was work today? Got any good stories for me? Oh, and the usual, right?''

''Actually, I do have a pretty good one. Yeah, usual is fine.'' Vanitas nods after thinking it over for a moment.

''Usual it is.'' Roxas got to work, and Vanitas got caught up in watching, as usual. He thought about the story he wanted to tell Roxas while the bartender worked his magic.

''There you are. One Darkness Embrace. I added a little more of the Chocolate Vodka this time.'' He handed Vanitas a glass filled with a deep red liquid. The insides of the glass were decorated with splashes of chocolate Liquor, and there was a single cherry added for garnish.

''I don't know how you always do that.'' Vanitas said simply, plucking the cherry off. He popped it between his teeth and separated it from the stem easily before devouring it greedily.

''Do what?'' That seemed to make his friend laugh, though Vanitas couldn't figure out why. He didn't think it was a funny statement.

''Know how to tweak my drink.'' Vanitas gazed at him suspiciously through golden-honey eyes.

''You always ask for more vodka when you look this tired on a Thursday.'' Roxas said as though it were the most obvious thing. Vanitas couldn't help but feel vulnerable.

''Yeah? That's...weird. That you know that.''

''Not really. You've been coming here for years, getting the same drink over and over again. I'd be doing a lousy job if I didn't know how you liked your cocktails by now.'' He snorts just a little. Vanitas decided that was a good point, and more importantly, his drink was incredible.

''Vani!'' A loud voice shook Vanitas to his core. Oh, no, He thought, This is divine retribution, right? I hate my life.

''Hey, Sora! Having a nice time tonight?'' Roxas waves happily. Clearly, he missed the look of utmost horror upon Vanitas' face.

''Uh huh! It was fun. Neither of us has to work tomorrow, so we figured we'd get some drinks. And look who we run into!'' Sora beams widely. Vanitas looks over at his brother with a forlorn expression.

''Ah...hey, kid.''

''That's all you've got to say? Wow, rude.'' Sora pulled off his signature pouty-face. Vanitas actually sort of felt bad. And if you'd ever experienced his twin's pout, you'd feel bad, too. When describing Sora to strangers, Vanitas often explained that his brother was the human equivalent of a puppy-excitable, friendly, bright eyes and lots of open love. That held true into his early 20s as well, considering his slightly more docile behavior was mostly due to his boyfriend. The two were practically inseparable, and Vanitas was thankful for Riku's quiet and introverted behavior. However, seeing his brother in public was still something the younger twin could never quite be prepared for. Vanitas and Sora were on opposite ends of each other personality-wise, and this quite often led to fights and arguments.

''Alright, alright. It's nice to see you. How are things?''

''They're really good. Riku and I are doing good, and work is still work.'' Sora flops down on the bar stool next to him. Don't touch me. Don't touch me...don'ttouchme,don'ttouchme,don't...he's touching me. Vanitas forced back an annoyed sigh, as his brother never was one for boundaries. He accepted Sora's hug, returning it only so that he didn't see his brother's pout again.

''Yeah? That's good.''

''So, what about you? How is the shop? Dating anyone yet? Are you-''

''Sora, Sora. Easy. We just got here.'' Riku laughs, taking a seat beside his boyfriend. Riku was someone Vanitas understood very well. They got along exceedingly well, and their favorite past time was reading in the same room together silently. They were the kind of friends that didn't have to say a word to each other about the nature of their friendship. That was just fine with them-they liked the silence. It was comfortable. Vanitas appreciated him greatly, and while he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was glad to hear Sora and Riku had finally started dating. They balanced each other out, which was important in many different ways.

Jesus, he looks like a mess today. Vanitas couldn't help but noticing the heavy oil and grease stains splattered along Riku's white V-Neck. There was also a few smudges of dirt just visible on his cheek and neck. Or perhaps the one on his neck was actually a hickey. Vanitas wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought.

''Oh, right. Sorry, Vani.'' Sora rubs the back of his neck. He had been a little excited. More than a little excited, actually. He hadn't seen or heard from his brother in what seemed like forever. Well, aside from their Chocobook group chat. He missed Vanitas, and he knew that he missed him, too. He just wasn't good at showing it. Admittedly, it frustrated Sora to no end, but he loved him. So, he was willing to handle his introvert behaviors.

''It's not a big deal. Also, I'm guessing you came here straight from work. Damn, what happened to you, Riku?''

''Well, someone,'' He started, folding his arms and looking at Sora pointedly, ''Was so eager to get to the bar and see his friends that he pulled me out of the apartment before I could properly shower. Conveniently, today I had to check someone's oil pan and got filthy in the process.'' It was phrased in a reprimanding sort of way, but there was no hiding the playful and fond tone in Riku's words.

''I'm sorry, Riku...!'' There was a flash of something in those cobalt eyes that rang familiar with Vanitas. Sora was being coy. There was more to that story, and that was definitely a hickey on Riku's neck. Disgusting.

''Mmhm. I was just about to tell Roxas what happened at work today. Wanna hear?'' Vanitas was dying to change the subject.

''I think we're all ears.'' Roxas interjected while he was making Riku his drink.

''I had a girl come in today. She seemed really nervous, so I figured she was a first-timer. But as it turns out, she wanted a cover up. Her first artist was a complete hack, which was kind of obvious with the design of the tattoo. All she wanted were dogwood roses, but they gave her some horrible monstrosity instead.''

''How badly could you mess up flowers?'' Riku asks softly.

''Pretty damn bad, that's for sure. They looked nothing like the flowers she requested-didn't even look like flowers. When she showed them to me, I thought they were fishing poles.''

''That's...terrible...'' Roxas shakes his head, but he's listening intently.

''So, we get to working on the details of her cover up, and I get her prepped and ready for inking...and not only did her last artist cause a blowout, but there was scarring as well. This tattoo was so unprofessionally done, that it might have been a back alley tattoo.''

''Scars? Ouch...'' Sora winces. He himself didn't have any tattoos, but he went with enough of his friends that he knew scarring wasn't exactly a good thing. It was usually a sign of inexperience or laziness.

''That's when she tells me her friend was starting his own tattoo shop, and she let him practice on her.''

''People, am I right?'' Riku downs his glass, shaking his head in disbelief.

''No kidding. It took me an extra hour before I could even leave. I had to be incredibly careful and gentle to not rip open the scars or make them worse. I just can't stop thinking about how these people get themselves into situations like this. Tattoos are permanent.'' Vanitas polishes off his glass with a deep drink, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

''Right? Trust me, I get it. You know how many times people make the same mistakes with their vehicles? Can't tell you how many times I had to inform someone that it's really not a good idea to fix a radiator with duct tape.'' Riku adds with a laugh.

''Speaking of which, the chains on my bike need to be looked at again.'' Vanitas groans.

''Again? I feel like I just checked 'em. Not a big deal, I can take a look at them anytime. Is she in the lot?'' Riku slides a hand around Sora's waist. He can tell his boyfriend is starting to feel a little awkward, wishing he could contribute to the conversation in some way. Sora greatly appreciates the move, leaning back into his touch ever so slightly.

''I left her at home today, actually. I was getting worried that the chains might be a little too worn.''

''Understandable. If those chains snap on the road, it can be deadly. I can swing by tomorrow on my way to work and look at them for you.'' Riku suggests, and Vanitas nods.

''That would be great, thanks.'' Just as Riku is about to respond, another familiar voice interrupts them.

''Hey there, boys. Wow, this full on a Thursday night? Unusual.'' Vanitas didn't have to look back. He would know that voice anywhere. Quinn Fiore had a soft, melodic voice that was unique to her, and that made it easy to pick her out in a crowd. Well, if her long pink hair didn't do the trick beforehand.

''Hey yourself, stranger. Haven't seen you in weeks. Where you been?'' Roxas smiles warmly.

''The shop has been crazy busy. Weddings, Prom, preparations for Memorial Day. It doesn't help when you're basically the only one running it.'' Quinn takes a seat beside Vanitas. He noticed just how tired she looked; dark bags resting below her turquoise eyes. Her pastel pink hair was slightly curled at the ends and tugged up into a ponytail. The only real way to describe Quinn was soft. That was how Vanitas saw her, anyway. Her soft voice, the soft colors in her hair and eyes, not to mention she was all soft curves and rounded features. She had been a long time friend of his, even though they'd been rivals in middle school. Normally if Vanitas needed advice, he would go to her.

''I feel that. KupoMart has been insane.'' Sora sighs loudly.

''I can imagine, with all of these events going on.'' Quinn nods before adding, ''It's good to see you all!We need to get another game night going.''

''Anytime we start one of those it feels like there's always someone who can't make it.'' Riku responds as Roxas slides him another drink.

''You mean Aqua?'' Roxas interjects teasingly.

''That's not very nice. She's not even here to defend herself.'' Sora has to laugh at least a little, because it's true. Aqua was one of the sweetest and most dedicated people out of their group, and oftentimes that lead her to getting taken advantage of at work. She was usually the first person to cover for anyone else, and some coworkers definitely milked that. Aqua wasn't dumb, and she realized this. She also knew she needed the money, so she didn't always mind.

''I still think it's worth a try. We're all so busy, we never see each other anymore. Riku, I haven't seen you in like...two months. And our group chat is basically dead.''

''Yeah...you might have a point. It would be nice to use my Cards Against Humanity again.''

''I can bring my Switch! I'd love to play Mario Party!'' Sora gasps with excitement.

''Sooooo...let's send it through the group chat. Pick a date, decide what place and who is bringing what!'' Quinn practically bounces.

''Yeah! Sounds like a good idea. Maybe if we plan in advance this time, Aqua can get the night off.''

''Let's hope.'' Sora stretches softly with a yawn.

''Getting tired?'' Riku laughs a little.

''Yeah. I feel like the bed might be calling my name a little early tonight.''

''Probably a good idea. Thanks for the drinks, Rox.'' He slides some money to the blonde, tipping him extra.

''Not a problem. Get your boyfriend to bed, buddy. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon!'' Roxas waves a little.

''Yep! Van, I'll be there in the early afternoon to check your bike.'' Riku gives them all a wave.

''Cool, thanks.'' Vanitas nods softly, leaning back against the bar.

''Is your girl in trouble?'' Quinn asks curiously.

''Mmm? Oh, yeah. Her chains seem to be worn, and I'm having Riku look at them.''

''That's a shame. Hope he can fix her up fast! You haven't been walking everywhere, have you?'' Her eyes pierced right through him. Vanitas couldn't lie to her.

''Yeah. It's really not that big of a deal, though. It's probably good for me.''

''Walking is good when you aren't overdoing yourself and suddenly walking four miles to work everyday. You should have called me.''

''Yeah, well. I figured you were busy, and I didn't want to waste your time.'' Vanitas stares down at his empty glass.

''You should know me better than that by now. It's not a waste of time. You're not a waste of time... I like hearing from you. Wish you'd talk to me more often.'' It was Quinn's open honesty that touched Vanitas the most in a way that all of his other friends just...couldn't. He knew she meant every word. He rubs the back of his neck out of reflex, thinking of how the hell to respond to that.

''Yeah, um...sorry about that. Work picked up and the chat kinda went dead. I really didn't know what else to do.''

''Reach out to me personally? We're friends outside the group, y'know?'' She punches his arm playfully. Vanitas winced because he really didn't like being touched unless it was on his terms. He made an exception for Quinn and Sora.

''Right. I'll...try to be better about it.''

''Not a problem. Just want to make sure you're doing okay. I know what it's like to be alone with your thoughts too much.''

''Yeah...thanks, Quinn.''

''Anytime. I'm always here for you.'' Vanitas thinks about that for a moment, and he suddenly realizes his arms feel like lead. I'm tired. Finally...He sighs softly, feeling ready to collapse into a warm bed.

''I think I'm finally ready to turn in.'' He slowly rises, pulling out his wallet and handing Roxas cash.

''Thanks for giving me some company, man.'' Roxas smiles.

''Yeah, sure.'' Now for the walk home. Vanitas thought, yawning deeply.

''Want a ride?'' Quinn asked gently.

''It's not that far. I can make it.''

''I didn't ask if you could make it, I asked if you wanted a ride.'' She puts her hands on her hips. Vanitas folds his arms.

''Thanks for the offer, princess. But I think I'll be just fine.'' Quinn wrinkles her nose at the pet name.

''Suit yourself. But take some time to message once in a while, yeah? And I want to see you at game night. It wouldn't be as fun without you there.'' Vanitas doesn't think that's true at all, but she's so sickeningly sincere.

''I'll see what I can do. Might have more people coming in that have had their first tattoos done by morons.'' He lied through his teeth. Vanitas wanted to go to the game night. He wanted to see all of his friends again, even if he was an unstable mess 100 percent of the time.

''Well...at least try. Because I know I'd miss you, and so would everyone else.'' Quinn adds with a soft wave. Vanitas wants to argue with her, but his bones feel tired and he needs a good 12 hour sleep.

''I'll...try to remember that. See you around, princess.'' He can't help but smirk a little at the way her nose twitches again.

''See you soon, Vani.'' It was his turn to cringe. Oh, how he hated that nickname. Normally, Sora was the only one who called him that. Sometimes Ventus, if he wanted to get under his skin. But he supposed he can't call Quinn 'Princess' without expecting 'Vani' in return. He leaves the bar shortly after, ready to flop onto his waiting bed.

It took a his usual forty-five minutes for him to finally reach his apartment, and he was almost never happier to see his empty little home. His cherry red bike sat in the parking lot, abandoned. The little run down townhouse apartments weren't much to look at, but they were roach free and relatively spacious. Vanitas supposed he couldn't complain. Plus, they were pet friendly and that was a big bonus. He hung up his coat and kicked off his shoes, only to be greeted moments later by a very enthused meow.

''Sorry I left for so long, Void.'' Vanitas sees his black cat perched on the sofa, waiting for the attack. He steps near him and bends forward. Void pounces up onto his back, resting on his shoulders. He holds the cat in place as he stands back up and heads for the bedroom. Void was purring and nuzzling his face all the while. Vanitas softly lifts Void off of him and sets him back down on the bed while he changed into comfortable pajamas. His body felt so heavy and sleep was settling in so deep. With a few final yawns, he collapsed onto the bed. It took him mere minutes to drift off, and Void curled up on his head to rest along with him.