A/N: Yaayy something that isn't Hetalia!

This is a "Welcome-back!" present for a.. really good friend! .u. And kind of a random idea, if I'm honest *-*

Anyway, I really hope you like it, babu ;u; .. and anyone who reads this!

Enjoy!

Eraqus rushed into the main hall entrance as he heard the stone doors unlocking and sliding heavily, with low grinding screeches from years of light use, across the fawn marble floor. It was raining outside, he could hear even from so deep within the tower, but that wasn't the first thing that caught his eye as he descended the stairway to meet the figures that had stumbled in.

"What happened – what is this?" He halted a few steps in front of the others, an apprehensive and bemused frown pinning his features down. His two most capable students dragged their feet towards him; both burdened with the task of carrying another body.

Terra, a resilient and strong student held his head low, an unwavering glower marking his features as he gripped onto a smaller, seemingly lifeless body positioned over his right shoulder. He slowed to a stop, and Eraqus, the only dry being present, could see the man struggling to hold even his own weight.
Aqua stopped by her companion's side; the face of her cargo clear. Ventus lay immobile against her back, his arms dangling either side of her neck and jolting when she repositioned him against him with a small bounce.

The Master of the two observed the lifeless bodies. He recognised the one Terra was holding before he even had to get too close. He was getting chills before they had even entered the castle.
He took a step closer to his azure-haired student and brushed the bangs out of Ventus' still and emotionless face. His eyes were a dull and dark blue, and held no light, which shocked the man; the youngest of the three he had taken in usually emitted the most luminosity. He stepped back and shot an accusing look at the two.

"What happened here? Why have you brought him?" He demanded pointedly, aiming his frown at the black and red-clad body over Terra's shoulder.
Vanitas' eyes were closed and his body was in the same state as Ventus'; unmoving.

"Ventus.. wouldn't let us leave without him." The brunette shrugged the boy off his shoulder and he hit the floor with a cold thud. He spoke with a vexed and weary drawl. The moment Vanitas' body hit the ground, Ventus shifted into life and gasped out a breathless mumble. He struggled until Aqua let him down, but there was still no life in his eyes, even his movements made him look like a puppet; his only stability hanging on unseen and skeletal strings from above.
The boy stumbled with great difficulty towards the dark being on the ground, his fingers searching the air as if he were blind, and his throat rasping out choked sounds that could barely be shaped into words. He managed past Aqua, who watched him in a shocked silence.
A barricade in the form of Terra's left arm hindered him from doing himself any more harm, and Terra held him back.

"Stay away from him, Ven." The younger kept reaching around sightlessly, his head tilted down and his dead eyes staring at Vanitas as his noises adapted into strangled cries and moans as if his throat had been damaged beyond repair in his unintelligible state. He grew more distressed the longer he was kept from getting to Vanitas. Just as Terra was about to do something about his struggling, Ventus fell limp and collapsed into the brunette's body. Eraqus observed the display and sighed as Terra and Aqua tried to wake the boy up in vain.

"Leave him. He needs his rest." Brown and aging eyes lowered to the still body on the ground. "Take Vanitas to Ventus' room." Aqua stood abruptly, leaving Ven in Terra's care.

"But.. But Master! He's—"

"I know what he is, Aqua. But we need to get to the bottom of what happened here; why Ventus seems desperate to be close to him." He grew visibly more uncomfortable which each word he spoke, hating the situation as much as anyone. "Ventus shall have to stay in one of your rooms." He turned partially away. "…Watch over them both for a while." And he left.

-o-o-o-

It ended in Light.

We both started off in the blackest darkness, but… whatever happened back there ended in Light.

I can remember a huge… platform the size of… I don't know – something big. And you were there, and you were telling me about…this keyblade you wanted to make. You had to make it, because that was your purpose.

And you told me I was the only thing stopping you from doing that… and you looked so sad even when you laughed at me.

The things you said kind of hurt, but… I can barely remember those, I was just focussed on how unhappy you were. It was like you were asking for help even though I didn't /hear/ you, I knew it.

And then your keyblade broke…when we had to fight, and you started to fade and the platform shattered and I didn't want to do that, not to you, not when you looked that sad.

I don't know what…that light was or what caused it or why my screams were answered but you stopped fading and we both fell and that's the last thing I remember.

And now everything hurts but at least you didn't fade, and I have a chance to make you happy.

-o-o-o-

Ventus' vision was distorted and blurred; the colour seeping in eventually with black blotches and spots, and he couldn't hear for a while. When he could, the first thing he heard was a gasp.

"Ven!" Two long arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, causing the boy to wince a little. He looked across and saw blue; Aqua. He smiled and hugged her back as he felt her shoulders shaking slightly.

"Aqua…" His friend pulled away and cupped his cheeks, staring at him as if they hadn't seen each other in years. He just smiled and pursed his lips a little, not sure was to do before he was pulled into another hug.

"Ventus, wait right here, I have to tell Terra and the Master, I—" Aqua had stood but before she could run out the room Ventus has grabbed her hand, his head low. She paused and looked back at him, worry fixed into her features. "..Ven?"

"Wh-Where is…" He trailed off, his throat feeling raw as if this was the first time he had ever used it. His companion knew exactly who he meant, and knelt down beside her own bed – the one Ventus had been resting on – and smiled dejectedly.

"He's here, he's still asleep…" She furrowed her brow a little, clearly confused and nervous about the subject at the same time. "Ven… why did you bring him here? We worked so hard to try and keep you away from him, and now…" Ventus only shook his head, not caring to hear the rest as he kept his cobalt gaze focused on his lap, able to sit up; slouched somewhat.

"I can't explain it…something just came over me and I need to see him wake up." Aqua seemed to wince, reaching over to take his hand in hers.

"Ventus…we… we don't know if he ever will wake up." She spaced out her words, as if breaking bad news to a six year old. "When he came back here…the Master thought he was dead and you've been here for almost a week. Vanitas… hasn't moved since we put him in your room…" When silence responded, she sighed. "Ven I'm scared for you… I'm worried about what he can do, you haven't seen his power, he—"

"Aqua." The blond raised his head to flash a feeble but meaningful smile across at his friend, turning his hand over to grip hers back. "I'll be okay."

Ventus grimaced as he took his first step outside the room, Aqua close behind and holding onto his arm to support him. A familiar brunet stepped into the main hall and spotted the two, double-taking when he saw his blond friend standing… or even awake for the first time in a week!

"Ven!" He rushed over and pulled the younger into a tight bear hug, lifting him off his feet. Ventus let out a laugh even if it did feel like his insides were being crushed a little, and beamed up at the blue-eyed other when he was allowed back on his feet. The boy explained that he wanted to go to his room, and Terra looked to Aqua before receiving a short nod matched with a concerned frown, and looked back to Ventus. "…Okay, if that's what you want. Are you okay to walk?" A nod, and then youngest made his way slowly and steadily to his old room.

The room was silent and dark, the only light coming in from the window and the sun was setting outside; shrouding everything in an amber-tinted dimness. Ventus stepped into the room and closed the gap between himself and Vanitas the moment he saw the lifeless other on his bed. He didn't crouch or move to touch the dark haired figure, just… stared down at him, trying to work out his own memories or feelings as his two friends entered the room behind him. There was a span of silence before Aqua spoke up, spilling out her deepest worries.

"Ven…what happened out there? Why are you both…" She didn't have to continue, Ventus was already searching for those answers himself. He turned to his friends slowly, eyes narrowed as he tried to think of the earliest memories he had of everything he had seen.

"I just remember landing there… and when Vanitas came I got this pain in my chest and in my head, and…" He raised a hand to press against a temple, wincing. "…I think I passed out, but he was there too. And we stood on this…- I don't know – mosaic…platform thing. And he told me about his plans and we fought. I broke his keyblade and when he started to fade I called out to him and…then I woke up in Aqua's room." He looked up at Terra, knowing he'd be both worried and not satisfied with that explanation, but it's all he could muster; it hurt to think past that stage. The older brunet took a minute before sighed and relaxing his folded arms, dropping them to his hips.

"Well…when we got to you, you were sort of semi-aware we were there, anyway." Ventus tilted his head, and Aqua nodded.

"We had to visit an old friend to find out where you had wandered off to, and… when we got there, you were still conscious enough to be adamant; Vanitas had to come, you wouldn't let go of him." She lowered her head a little and Terra rested a hand on her shoulder. "I've never…seen you like that before – neither of us have – it… scared me that I couldn't help. That's why we brought him with us, you seemed to settle." Terra looked down at the blue haired girl, then across to Ventus.

"The Master thinks that Vanitas' heart was broken when whatever happened, happened that day. He'll need time." The youngest nodded, turned to glance over the dark haired other's motionless body.

"I'll stay with him." And there was a silence where both Aqua and Terra were trying to hold back from not allowing this, but both chose to accept it. Ventus could be persistent, and they had never been in a situation like this before.

"If he wakes up…or if this is some trick he's pulling, or you get scared – you come fine me, okay?" Terra frowned harshly, thrusting a hand out to grip Ventus' shoulder. The boy only nodded, deep blue orbs focussed on Vanitas. Terra and Aqua left the room.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ventus spent any time that he wasn't training – or needed elsewhere – in his room with Vanitas. There hadn't been any new movement, and the dark haired boy's slight pulse was the only thing keeping Terra from pronouncing him dead to the world, but the blonde never left his side.

Aqua would also visit every day. Ventus had managed to persuade her to promise she'd come with him every morning to cast a Curaga spell on the dark being. He knew her magic was stronger than his, and he trusted his companion with his own life – so why not Vanitas'?
After some weeks, the act of fruitlessly visiting Ventus' room to cast the spell became routine for Aqua; laborious, but she did it to keep Ventus hopeful. She noticed how he would look so happy the moment he saw Vanitas flicker his eyes open or make a sound. It was all a trick of the mind though, she thought, Ventus wanted to see those signs of life so desperately his mind would make him think he had done so, when really…Vanitas hadn't moved all that time. It worried her.

He would also stay up until early the next morning talking to Vanitas. He would talk about his worries, his troubles, his dreams and hopes; all receiving no response but somehow it didn't faze him and he kept unloading all of these thoughts to the other. One time that worried her the most up until this point was when she walked in on Ventus reading out a story; one that had been read to him as a child, she could only imagine – but how would he remember that?

He recited it as if he were reading the story out loud off of some invisible manuscript:

"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of the Light.
Everyone loved the Light.
Then people began to fight over it, they wanted the Light for themselves.
And darkness was born in their hearts."

Aqua turned to leave as silently as she had entered and Ventus didn't stir or watch her; as if he hadn't even notice her visit.

"The darkness spread, swallowing the Light in many people's hearts.
It covered everything, and the world disappeared."

He felt the tiniest smile curl into his lips, reaching the favourite part of his story as he watched over Vanitas' unmoving body.

"But small fragments of Light survived… in the hearts of the children.
With these fragments of Light, the children rebuilt the lost world.
It's the world we live in now."

He paused, already sat on the edge of his bed next to the other, but shuffling closer.

"The true Light sleeps deep within the darkness.
That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other.
But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open.
And the true Light will return."

His eyes trailed sadly over Vanitas' face, his features, his chest; slowly rising and falling in his comatose state, and he tried to call out to him.

"So, listen… Vanitas…
Even in the deepest darkness… there will always be a Light to guide you."

And Ventus stood after a while, his heart aching, and stepped away from the bed towards the door.

"I should.. maybe get to sleep now, too.." He rubbed his arm almost nervously, feeling dejected. 'Nothing seems to work..'

He blinked out of his solemn thoughts at the flinch of movement. It was small, but enough to catch his eye. Cobalt orbs fixated on Vanitas' body, sure he saw something this time; it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. When it happened again, Ventus could only smile and sigh deeply out of relief. Vanitas' hand had twitched again, his fingers curling and uncurling weakly, but the movement was there and that was all the blond needed.

Ven moved slowly, not wanting to startle the other – if that was even possible – or cause any sudden jolts as he sat down on the bed again, then lowered himself to lie beside the dark, sleeping being. Vanitas was cold, and that suit he had been wearing with its metal and plated material and the like wasn't helping, but Ventus knew he could do nothing other than wrap his arms around him and try to share heat.
In that position, he fell asleep, breathing in Vanitas' scent and cuddling in close in fear of falling off the bed backwards.
He didn't wake until late morning.

-o-o-o-

It could've been the next day, the day after that, a week later – nobody kept track – when Ventus barged into his room and had to stop himself from slamming the door. He was angry, anybody could see that, and his cheeks were dampened with tear tracks; another argument with Terra, or the like.

He slumped down onto his bed, by Vanitas' feet, and gripped his wooden and makeshift 'Keyblade' he had been given to train with, his grasp tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

"Why do I have to be so stupid!" He cried out, gritting his teeth. He glared at the door, and the room remained still. "Every single time I try to beat Terra and he pummels me! He's even beating his own records so he's not even given me a chance! I'm so weak!" He threw the Keyblade down, the dull sound of wood against wood resonating throughout the room. Ventus was crying now, his shoulders shuddering whilst trying to hold back another outburst; his voice quieter and strained as he lowered his head. "…Why can't I just… be better?—show them what I can do?" He clenched his fists over his knees and choked out a snivel. "Why do I have to be so protected and weak?" He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and sighed deeply. He had always seen himself as the weakest in this whole place, this whole world. Both Terra and Aqua babied him and never let him try to prove himself – but why would they? He was weak and pathetic and would never be able to defend himself. They trained with him to humour him, he thought. They knew he was feeble.

He calmed after a few minutes of silence, not daring to – or having the pride, to – turn to look at Vanitas. Thinking his grievances had fallen on deaf ears, the blond stood up with another slow exhale, and left the room. He needed air and it was so warm in his room with Vanitas there.

With the absence of a second party present in the room, pallid skin flinched as eyelashes flickered and uncovered ochre orbs which flashed with an obdurate fury and stared up at the blank ceiling. Vanitas was irate, furious – any other word you could think of, he felt it.

Strong hands found grip against the bedframe and he pulled himself up; the shift in gravity taking a toll on him after so long lying down in one spot. As Vanitas stood, dizziness exploded in his head but he calmed, breathing in deep and exhaling with an animalistic growl. He was needed somewhere.

Terra froze as he watched Ventus' body fall backwards –or rather, be forced backwards – as Vanitas' leg came into contact with the boy's chest. The dark haired teen quickly re-joined with the blond, bent down to straddle the boy, gripped rough handfuls of his black shirt and kissed him hard on the lips.

"Ven!" He called out, stopping in his tracks when he witnessed the kiss. 'What's going on here..?'

The kiss lasted for all of three seconds before Vanitas broke it and kept his grip on the blonde's shirt, now seemingly more angry at him as he screamed in close proximity.

"Do you have ANY idea how fucking PERFECT you are?!" He demanded, livid; his rhetorical question punctuated with a rough jerk of the boy's shirt. "After ALL I've been through; you're a different kind of torture – you know that? Here you are with your perfect life and your perfect friends and your eyes and your smile and you don't even KNOW how lucky you are. I would kill to have your life" He growled, eyes boring a hole into the blonde's head, and all he could do was whimper in response and try to make sense of the situation before Vanitas shoved him again and continued. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you? You couldn't let me DIE back there, like I was supposed to – you had to be the fucking angel you are and bring me back, didn't you?

"And I have to lie there and listen to you bitch and moan about how 'oh, I'm so pathetic and I'm so weak' - Well guess what, Blondie? You're the biggest dumbass around if you believe any of that shit because your only problem is you're too fucking perfect and you can't even see it." Vanitas' hands were shaking and his voice was straining to keep above volume. Ventus parted his kiss-bruised lips to try and get a word in edgeways before he was shunted to the ground and he felt Vanitas stand up off him. The ember-eyed boy stalked backwards, his composure noticeably crumbling as he gritted his teeth, coercing the last of his energy into the form of his final harsh words as he over-exerted himself further. "You better fucking open your eyes to see how perfect you really a-are soon, kid—"Ventus pushed up on his elbows to watch Vanitas fall to his knees, a defensive frown still etched into his features. "..'c-cause if you don't… I'll be here to make you see it."

And Vanitas' body fell limp, collapsing against the marble floor with a resounding thud; striking a familiar feeling in the blonde's head as he hoisted himself to his feet and dashed forward, only to be pulled back by a furious Terra who had held back long enough.

"Vanitas!"

-o-o-o-

Vanitas let out a frustrated grunt as he skidded across the dirt on his back. As the dust settled, he heard Ventus trying to cover a giggle with his hand, and saw Terra swing his keyblade over one shoulder.

"Aahh, you almost had him, Vani!" The younger called, shooting the brunette a look before making his way over to the other on the floor. Vanitas sneered at the use of his nick name the blond seemed to have dubbed for him, but accepted it. Just like he had accepted a lot of things, and like they apparently had accepted a lot of things in him, too. The fact that Vani was now living in the Land of Departure with these people, being probably the biggest, he thought. He spent his days with them – despite Terra, Aqua and Eraqus' first oppositions – Ventus had managed to make it somewhat enjoyable.

Ventus had convinced them to accept him, knowing they could train him under their rule and change him as a person. He remained slightly weak from the whole experience beforehand – breaking his heart was never going to be a sleep-it-off case, of course – but still strong enough to fend off Ventus' meek attempts at combat. Terra, however, was still slightly out of his league, but he'd get there.
He was working hard to get his power back. He had been from the day he woke up again – the second time he woke up, in Ventus' arms - and everything before then was a blur. But it didn't matter. All that did matter was the now and the present. And a present, indeed it was. Vanitas didn't know what fucking entity or god up there who decided to smile down at him and give the guy a break; but a gift had been bestowed upon Vanitas that day. And that gift was holding his hand out for him right now, as he broke out of his thoughts.

"I can see you improving a whole lot!" Ventus beamed as he tugged the dark haired being to his feet and held the hand contact on afterwards. "Pretty soon you'll be able to kick Terra's butt, trust me!" his signature grin, and Vanitas couldn't help but smile back.

'Perfect.'

A/N: Ti amo, Vani. ;u;'

Please Review! I'd love to hear what you have to say about my first KH oneshot! -lovelove-