A/n: School started on July 28… but now, since the first quarter is over, I have two weeks off. :D
HOLY SHIT. I WAS LOOKING IN /cm/ OF 4CHAN AND GUESS WHAT. SOMEONE FUCKING LINKED HERE. I PRETTY MUCH DIED HAPPY. LIKE, THIS IS MY GHOST. SHIT, THAT WAS SO FUCKING AWESOME. :D
Thank you, those who review and boost my confidence. :] Sorry this chapter is pretty late… but school and all… And I was grounded periodically… I'm sorry… Also, sorry I haven't replied to any of my recent reviews, I've been going through a LOT.
I'm trying out a new style! Try to tell the difference!
OH MY FUCKING GOD, I GOT BIRTH BY SLEEP AND A PSP. :D HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE IT?
Another Note (9/24/2010): Yesterday, I was diagnosed by my doctor to be mildly depressed. It pretty much caught me off guard. He said that it would explain my irritation and all of my emotional emptiness, my practical phobia which reacts to just the thought of the future, and some other things. Currently, I have been prescribed some medication to motivate me. :C
Written with the help of: "Like a G6" by Far East Movement, my "Mood Setter" playist on iTunes on shuffle, and MeeShee MuhFFin! :D
Song of the Chapter: "Diary of Jane" by Breaking Benjamin
Warning: OOC-ness regarding Lea. I'm going to change him into his actual personality soon, don't worry. Also, you find out who Ventus' dad is. :o *le gasp* Vanitas will be VERY evil in this chapter as well, and there will be MANY cliff hangers.
Sorry for all of the long A/N's. XD

Edited: February 17, 2011

Lygophobia

Chapter Four

A monotonous dripping sound invaded his senses, causing him to suddenly realize the dampness of his surroundings. He cracked his eyes open, wincing when he felt his head pulse as he lifted it. The horrible smell of rusted metal and mold overpowered his senses. His head began swimming with every breath he took.

After a few silent moments, he raised his eyes to chance a glimpse of his surroundings, meeting only darkness. He shifted against the hard surface he was leaning against, growing alert when he noticed he was upright. He attempted to jerk his hands to the throbbing back of his head, fear peaking when he found they were restrained high above him. Cold metal chain links rustled loudly as he tried once again to move his hands. His breath hitched when the loose, rusted cuffs around his wrists suddenly grew tighter, causing his hands to grow warm and numb when blood began pooling in them. He squeaked, shaking his hands once again in desperation. The backs of his hands rubbed against the cold, damp wall continuously, causing his palms to tingle slightly.

A squeak escaped his parted lips and he shook his arms, whining in desperation when the metal chafed against his skin. He broke out into a nervous perspiration, panting as his hands hung limply high above his head.

The light of the moon coming in from what he suspected was a barred window near the ceiling flickered dangerously, like the weak flame of a dying candle. He held his breath, attempting to expel all fear in the pit of his stomach. The natural light blinked once again and he shut his eyes to avoid the imminent darkness. A small flame slowly grew to life in the corner opposite the one he was changed against, providing a weak light. However, as soon as it had flared to life, it died away. A screech filled his ears and his eyes snapped open, taking in the sight of sparks in the corner of the now pitch dark room. The squealing of the unknown source grew more intense and he cried out, his ears ringing horribly. All of the sudden, the sound ceased.

A small, nervous laugh echoed through the room. Two glowing orbs turned to his direction, an unfamiliar tinge of guilt in them. The emotion quickly swam out of the unknown entity's gaze, however, and a somewhat uninterested monotone voice called out, "Hello, Ventus."

He was completely speechless. The voice seemed familiar… He could not place his finger on it, however, due to the overwhelming fear wracking his body. His entire mind was blank… he could not remember a thing. The back of his head throbbed as if he had been struck, but he could not recall any attack.

The light from the moon poured into the room once again and his breath caught in his throat when the mysterious being smiled at him. It brushed its bang out of its eyes nonchalantly, revealing its golden eyes. Pain shot through his body as his entire world was enveloped in darkness once again.

Ventus jerked upright in bed, panting heavily as he scrambled desperately in his blankets. The breaking dawn bathed his entire body in an eerie glow, the twilight hour mesmerizing as the moon lowered and the sun followed in its wake. He pulled his hands from beneath the sheet, staring in horror at the raw, bloody skin around his wrists. He trembled, blinking only once as more blood dripped onto the white sheets.

His breath hitched sharply in his throat and he frantically jumped off his bed, running through the open door of his bathroom and halting before the sink. He turned on the water, shoving his wrists underneath the steady stream until the clotted blood swirling down the drain ran clear. When he pulled them out, he grew an unhealthy bloodless shade as he took in the sight of his unmarred skin.

"Hey, Ven, you okay?"

Ventus blinked at the person sitting beside him, mind veering away from the strange nightmare he had dreamed that night. Terra stared at him somewhat strangely, but the curiosity disappeared when the small blond smiled hesitatingly up at him. He nodded, the small smile never leaving his lips.

It was not everyday he and Terra would hang out in the mornings, but due to Aqua's absence from school that day, it was only him and the brunet senior. He did not mind the stoic demeanor of boy; it was actually welcomed in their group. A nice balance, as Aqua liked to call it. Like a scale, she was to Ventus' left while Terra was to his right, both keeping the blond's world rightfully turning as he sat dutifully in the center.

However, Terra could be talkative and nice when he wanted to be, but it was not a regular occurrence. It usually occurred around Ventus, but he would not comment on the fact. It was a simple observation. For all he knew, Terra could act the same around Aqua as well. It was an unnerving thought, so he did not dwell on it for too long. It made him feel paranoid.

"…Yeah," he replied finally, twiddling his thumbs. He felt slightly embarrassed after having been caught practically daydreaming. However, it was still bothering him. Where was he in the dream? Why was he chained to the wall? Who was the person? Why did it feel so… real? It frightened him.

"…Ven! Ven!" Fingers snapped in his gaze once again and Ven jumped, head jerking back and nearly hitting the wall of the locker he was leaning against. "Ven, really, what's wrong? You're out of it, again."

'I wish I could tell you…' Ventus thought miserably, a frown moving onto his features. "It doesn't matter. I'm fine," he muttered.

"No, Ven. I can tell that something is wrong." Ventus flinched at the insistence pouring through his friend's tone. He did not understand why Terra would want to know what was wrong with him, let alone care. Suddenly, he felt extremely uncomfortable and he quickly looked away.

"You'll think it's stupid," he mumbled, fingers playing with the checkered wristband Aqua had gifted him for his birthday. At the time, he had been both extremely flattered and shocked, but now, from the waves of tremors traveling through his body and the nervous sweat he had broken out in, it was only causing his skin irritation.

"Tell me," he insisted once again, "I really won't." When Ventus stayed silent, the brunet added, "I promise."

"Don't tell," a voice whispered in his ear, and he was suddenly all-too aware of the break in time, the same that had occurred the day before. However, when he jerked his head in the direction of the voice, he found an empty space. "We'll be forced to kill him." The voice was directly in front of him, and yet, when he turned his head, he still found nothing. A horrifying mental image of a disemboweled Terra flashed through his mind's eye, one that was implanted by whoever was speaking to him. He began trembling, all color draining from his face as time resumed. He recognized the voice. He could not recall the time or place, but he knew the voice. It was unmistakable.

He thickly swallowed the lump in his throat as Terra blinked at him, the glossy expression moving once again. However, all he could see of the brunet was blood and body parts strewn across the floor. "I… I had a really bad dream. It's no big deal," Ventus hastily replied, fidgeting as his finger ran under the wristband once again.

"You were pale… and shaking…"

"C-can we just drop it? Please?" the blond pleaded, his voice pathetically cracking mid-sentence. He played with the white edges of the wristband once again, wishing for some sort of distraction.

Terra closed his mouth. He wanted to know why Ventus was so afraid, but he did not want to go against his wishes by asking any further questions. They both continued watching people enter the building silently, only moving when the first bell rang to indicate the hasty sprint for first hour. Slowly they both stood with the blond avoiding eye contact with the brunet as they both parted ways.

Terra was left with a dark curiosity, one that would plague the back of his mind for the rest of the day. He could not understand his friend's strange behavior. It seemed more severe than his normal odd behavior. It was killing him. He wanted to help Ventus, but he needed to know what was bothering him. It was frustrating that the blond refused to share.

Meanwhile, as Ventus slowly shuffled through the hallway, the nightmare began slipping from the grasp of his mind. His eyes grew wide as the face of the person began slipping away, moving backwards into the darkness. Its lips moved strangely, enunciating his name in a hushed whisper, reversed and almost unrecognizable. He abruptly halted before his classroom door, a sharp pain shooting through his skull as in his mind's eye, the moonlight receded back through the barred window. The water droplets slowly flew back into the leaking pipe, rushing into some unknown water source. The numbness in his hand faded away and he stopped struggling against the cuffs, cuts closing as blood trailed back up his arms. The candle flickered, flame dancing from the wick to the tip in a strange, slowed dance. The light on the wall receded into the candle as it went out, smoke swirling into the damp air.

He stumbled and leaned against the wall beside the door, grunting when his back met the hard surface. He was once again covered in a blanket of darkness as his vision began burning away in their corners, his migraine pulsing to a painful throb. He blinked away the feeling desperately, hoping, praying, that he would not faint.

Ventus turned once again to the door to his classroom, shakily moving back onto his two feet and entering just as the bell screeched in his ears.

"Zexion…"

A sickening snap…

"Lexaeus…"

A violent cracking sound…

"Vexen…"

Vanitas glanced over at the woman who was standing beside him as she tapped the crumbling ruins nonchalantly. Her fingers danced over every juncture, every crack, mockingly.

"So nice of Xemnas to give them the decency of a gravestone… however…" she flicked off bits of the rubble. "Those that are executed do not deserve anything to mark their pitiful existence." Another piece.

A small smirk flitted across his lips directed towards her humorous display as he crouched beside an unharmed gravestone. Demyx… He remembered him. He was somewhat an acquaintance. When he had learned of his death, he almost felt sad. He could only sit before his headstone, as he was now, and stare down the grooves of the words that summed up his existence. His name, his specie of demon, and his accomplishments in his short life. There was hardly anything written. His smirk fell.

Larxene yawned into her hand, turning to the Shadow. "Oh, you're still here?" she hummed. Her gaze turned to the headstone and she scoffed, leaning against the stone disrespectfully. "That's what he got for roaming the Human World without Xemnas' consent. I wasn't really surprised to hear they had gotten him so easily. I doubt he even put up much of a fight."

An uncomfortable silence befell the two of them. Vanitas glanced up at the woman, trying to decipher her unreadable expression. He could never guess at what she could possibly be thinking when she did not want him to. She had a poker face of a champion.

'They' were the Protectors, the humans born with supernatural powers of sorts whose responsibilities were to keep demons in check while insuring the mortals near their assigned areas were safe from the paranormal. Wherever there were Shadows, there were Protectors. However, most of the demons that were killed by them were usually of different specie, as was Demyx. He was a Nocturne, a water demon basically, unnaturally kinder than most of the creatures of his kind. His cheery nature was welcomed by most, and he stuck to Vanitas like glue. He was not much of a fighter, Vanitas could remember. He avoided the assignments that Xemnas gave him like some sort of plague, running off to his friends for the protection of the Elder's fury. However, as the laziness (or fear, Vanitas could not decide which it was) persisted, Xemnas' anger had bubbled down to a mere exasperation towards the blond's shenanigans and he would assign him things less and less until one day, he ignored the Nocturne altogether.

Demyx was joyous to be free of duties, and soon everyone found him becoming reckless. He was showy with his powers in the presence of mortals, which was very foolish. One day, after leaving for the Human World once again, as he did everyday, he never returned. Xemnas had sent lesser demons, the Floods, to search the oceans, and yet, their efforts were fruitless. However, the demons had discovered the demon's lifeless body, and immediately brought it back for some sort of proper burial. Everyone knew it was more of a confirmation to Xemnas that one of his Nocturnes had been murdered (brutally, at that). Back then, so long ago, it seemed, Nocturnes had been essential to the Demon Realm, and the demons were dropping dead left and right.

The burial had been silent. Silence was unwelcome when it came to Demyx. He was loud and obnoxious. He would scream at the top of his lungs if it meant that a pleasant ringing could echo in his ears. Demyx had once confirmed to Vanitas that, despite it being foolish, he was afraid of the silence. He would then hear the fear, the pain, and the misery of anyone when it was dead silent. Demyx hated pain.

Only a few of the demon's closest friends (those that cared enough to attend) had showed up to it, and had left without a word. For years - decades, even - after the Nocturne's passing, the music he had brought them would never leave. It was a sobering thought, and Vanitas caught himself before he could delve deeper into some sort of depression. He still had not come to terms with his friend's passing.

"How many have been killed by the Protectors?" Vanitas finally whispered, breaking the silence.

"There haven't been many in ratio to Creation rates, even before you were created. There were a few Newborns of different specie every now and then, but it seems Demyx was the last."

How long has it been? Vanitas sifted through his memories, trying, with great difficulty, to recall the date. His lips parted when he found it, calculating the math easily. "It's been one hundred years…." He could not believe it. The memory was so vivid… like it could have just been the week before, not a century.

"I guess…" He did not comment as he heard the heels of Larxene's boots clicking on the stone walkway. He waited a few moments, giving the gravestone one last, long stare before standing, exiting the graveyard silently.

Slowly he shuffled through a fissure between plateaus, ducking his head as he realized he had grown slightly in the past year he had visited the area. He entered a small, shallow canyon, glancing around the empty area before hastily walking to a corner. There he sat, leaning against the wall of stone, and closed his eyes. Immediately, his senses were engulfed by an unfamiliar set. His nose was overpowered by the disgusting scent of sweat and testosterone, and his ears rang with the loud hum of people speaking in unison. His hands could feel the cold touch of metal, which was already warming from his body heat. His gaze was downcast, watching his fingers as they played with the hem of his shirt nervously. He used this technique often, but, due to its limitations, he could only use it on Ventus. It was then that he heard the whispered salutation behind him, and he was already out of the trance, at his feet, eyes narrowed.

The dry, cracked dirt beneath his shoes did not cause him fear as he balanced on the edge of the cliff. He strolled through the vast area, sun beating down on him but not causing perspiration. He reached an opening between two cliffs, staring down at the canyon below where whirlwinds leading into the Human World swirled freely. Quietly, he waited for one to slowly veer towards his direction before he jumped, free falling into the colored torrent of air.

Vaguely he wished he could execute a back flip before he was transferred.

"Hey."

A shiver traveled up his spine as the voice breathed down his neck. He clutched the shirt in his fingers tightly as he leaned away from the person, the corner of his gym locker pressing into his stomach.

"Go away," the blond responded, closing his eyes as the person only pressed against him tighter.

"I'm only saying hi."

"Leave me alone, Lea," Ventus hissed, the hand that was holding onto the door of his locker dug into the metal, turning his knuckles a harsh, bloodless bone white. He slammed it shut behind him, ignoring the ringing that hung in the air.

The red head simply moved away, turning so he was leaning against the wall beside the blond. "Listen," he said, sounding a bit forced, "all I want is to hang out or something. I'm not asking for too much."

Ventus hastily pulled his shirt on, glancing around the empty locker room fearfully. "N… No thank you." The glare he received from Lea only caused him to flinch. Quickly, he pressed his back against the locker, leaning as far away from him without him possibly noticing.

"Listen," Lea ground out, teeth clenched in some unnecessary fury. "Why do you not like me? What's so wrong with talking to me?"

Ventus attempted to glare back, however, with the immense fear he was experiencing, it was futile. The red head forcefully grabbed his arm, slamming him further against the locker. The intense look in Lea's heated eyes asked him the question once again. "I don't know…," he whimpered, eyes glazing over as he trembled against him.

He ran a hand down his arm to his waist, pulling him flush against him. Ventus gasped, struggling against the red head's grip. "All I want to do is hangout, Ven."

"Don't call me that," the blond whispered, turning his head away from the red head. He clenched his eyes shut, whimpering when he felt hot breath fanning against his neck. There was a loud thud as Ventus sharply jerked away from him, skull meeting his locker painfully. Lea growled, moving forward and pinning him against the metal door.

"Stop struggling," he whispered, forcefully pressing his lips against the blond's. This only caused Ventus' ministrations to double as he thrashed in the red head's hold. As Lea's grip moved to tightly grip his hips, slamming him harder against the metal, a hopeless feeling swelled in the blond and his defenses slowly began crumbling away.

He stilled against the red head, trembling in his grip as his hand moved under his shirt. He whimpered against him, arching away from the hand desperately. He did not understand why Lea was doing what he was, all he knew was that he needed to escape from him before things got out of hand. He felt a warm touch against his stomach and chills ran down his spine, a nauseous feeling rising in his throat.

…He did not understand…

His eyes shot open, sparks of darkness flying around in his gaze. His hands shot out, forcefully pushing away the red head. His vision suddenly clouded as Lea's furious glare melted away into a wide, fearful stare.

Ventus thumbed the end of the ballpoint pen he clutched in his left hand while the fingers on his right hand skillfully drummed a beat onto his leg. He stared at the equations printed neatly on the white sheet of paper he had been assigned for homework, and was impeccably confused by the math. He sighed heavily, fisting his right hand in his hair, his left hand moving his index and middle finger continuously, both ends of his pen tapping on his paper. He loudly groaned, passing the book, sheet, and pen he had sitting in his lap towards the end of his bed. He slid off the comforter, pulling the black shirt he had on, leaving his comfortable wife beater, over his head and throwing it across the room, missing the hamper by a few inches. He had not noticed the door creak open when retrieving the clothing, his mother's voice startling him.

"Getting ready for bed?" she asked, taking in her son's wife beater top as an indication. Her tone did not seem strained as she spoke in a deceivingly sweet voice. Ventus looked over to his mother, scanning her soft pink nightgown as she flattened the sides of the soft fabric to her thighs. He must have lost track of the time.

"Oh, um, yeah…" Ventus really had no experienced talking to the woman anymore, what with being avoided for so long up until now. He was so afraid, though, that the cycle would resume the same as before (what with the slim-to-none conversations between them) once his demon returned from his little 'vacation'. He thought that (as seeing Vanitas during his therapy session) obviously meant he would be coming back soon enough for his somewhat normal days to be demolished. Therefore, Ventus would make the best of his days and try to remain as normal as he could, and when the demon returned, maybe he would get a chance to resume this new lifestyle.

However, so lost in his musings, Ventus had not realized that his mother had bid him goodbye and goodnight. When she was closing the door, he had just barely been able to mumble his farewell to her, which had gone unnoticed (he assumed) due to her lack of a response.

Sighing to himself absentmindedly, he walked to his pale wooden dresser and pulled on the drawer's handle, picking out clothing for the night. He shuffled out of his dark-colored jeans and tugged on the sweatpants he had pulled out.

"You know, you really do look good shirtless," called a chilling voice, a menacing chuckle following the statement. "Maybe that's just my opinion. The scars look nice, though I can't understand why you hide them under such pitiful layers of clothing." Ventus locked his gaze on the open window above his bedside, watching the moon fade in and out of clouds while icy arms wrapped around his abdomen. "I think you like them too," Vanitas whispered, breath ghosting over the back of the blond's neck as he nuzzled his mouth and nose into the warm area of his neck and shoulder. Ventus' mouth fell open, a shiver running through his entire body.

"Oh, yes," Vanitas reminded himself with a grin, his fangs barely touching the scarred skin as he spoke again, "I'm back." Ventus was too petrified to even speak, barely even able to move, setting aside his slight tremble in the demon's arms.

He remained silent, afraid of what would happen next. The only thing calming in this situation was that Ventus' lamp had not yet gone out, but burned with a strange, new intensity. As if the light itself were counting off the minutes it had left until the light bulb would burn out. Its glow was ominous; it would grow large onto wall, and then quickly recede back into the lamp before repeating the process with much more gusto.

Vanitas' dark chuckle was buried as he ran his tongue over the two crescent moon shaped scars on his victim's neck. "You won't speak, Ventus. Why?" A glare molded onto the blond's features as his shot away from the window and to the clawed hands wrapping their fingers around both sides of his waist. A shiver wracked his body and he closed his eyes, unconsciously leaning into the Shadow's body. However, an abrupt spout of anger welled within him and his eyes snapped open.

"Like you don't know," he growled, appalled the demon could even try to play innocent. "You gave me two days, just barely." Ventus' voice cracked with anger. He would have jerked away from the other's touch by now, but knew well enough that it would either anger the Shadow, or amuse him. The raven shook his head, nibbling at the scarred skin playfully as he tried to decide what he could (and would) tell the teen.

"I'm back, and that's all that matters, now is it?" Vanitas whispered against the blond's neck, biting down on the skin of the juncture of the skin, a choked gasp escaping the blond's parted lips. His hands slipped lower down his sides, lifting his tank top and slipping his fingers under the hem.

"Although… it is a shame you just still have these on. How about I take them off? They could get uncomfortable in a few minutes…" The fingers that had slipped under the blond's pants ghosted over the fabric of his boxers as he nuzzled closer into the boys' neck, sucking at the smooth skin and humming at the blood blossoming under his ministrations to form a mark.

In a flash of movement, Ventus found himself underneath the raven haired boy, pinned to his bed. Vanitas' lips crashed down onto his, some sort of desperation underlying the touch. The blond could not help the moan that rose in his throat, but once again, like always, he swallowed it in defiance. Vanitas pushed harder into the kiss, opening the teen's mouth with his tongue, and forced his way through.

A dark blush dusted Ventus' cheeks but he refused to react. However, with the way his body was responding to the hand trailing under his shirt, he knew he could not hold out much longer. Vanitas' hand brushed his nipple with a gentle touch, the blond beneath him letting a small moan into the kiss finally. His resistance was breaking down, he needed to fight back. He closed his eyes tightly, another breathy sound from him rattling through their connected mouths as the hand under his shirt played with the nub once again.

Vanitas pulled away, smirking when Ventus tilted his head back and let out a low, guttural moan when the demon's hand dove into his boxers and wrapped around his semi-hardened length. The blond panted, another moan escaping his lips when the raven's hand tightened unbearably around him. Vanitas leaned down, covering the teen's open mouth with his own harshly in a searing kiss.

He retracted his hand, the blond whimpering from the cold air that touched his heated length momentarily. However, a harsh pressure was suddenly weighted on his waist as the raven straddled him. He groaned at the force, wincing as Vanitas made no effort to shift at all to make the blond at least slightly comfortable. The demon above him suddenly snapped his head to his left, staring at something he presumed was in the corner of his room. However, a large, sadistic smile crawled onto Vanitas' lips as he turned back to stare down at Ventus. "Tell me, do you believe in your Creator?"

"E-excuse me?" Ventus panted, confused by the question.

"Your deity… Your God, Your holy Creator, etcetera. Do you believe in him?"

"Y… yes?" the blond whispered hesitantly, baffled by the raven's interrogation.

The door to Ventus' room creaked open, and the smile on Vanitas' lips grew wider as he slowly inclined his head towards it. The blond's eyes grew wide, mouth falling open, but the demon only tightly covered it with his hand.

"Ven-"

A choked gasp was captured by Vanitas' hand as Ventus watched his father's eyes fly open in shock. The demon's smile grew even wider, fangs glistening by the light of both the artificial lamp light and the moon's glow. In an instant, the raven had disappeared from his place hovering above Ventus, reappearing in a flash behind the blond's father. His clawed hands gripped the man's chin as he chuckled, leaning his head against the man's arm to keep an eye on Ventus.

"Mr. Highwind," he whispered, laughing as the man stiffened against him in absolute fear, "are you afraid?"

"D-don't…" Ventus mumbled, sitting up and staring at his father, who was pale and shaking violently. The demon merely ignored him, lightly running his nails against the man's neck, applying enough pressure for scratches to appear.

"Ventus…" his father pleaded, tilting his chin away from the demon's claws, ignoring the stinging sensation his actions caused as his stubbly chin touched his scratches.

"This isn't funny…" Ventus whispered eyes wide and fearful as he stared at the demon.

Vanitas only rolled his eyes at the small blond, pressing his cheek against the man's bicep, claws finally coming to rest on his shoulder. "You bore me sometimes, let me have fun."

"Ventus… what the hell is this?" his father choked out, leaning away from the demon's touch.

"I'm a Shadow demon," Vanitas hummed, sadistic smile returning to his lips as Ventus' eyes grew wide. What was he doing? "My job is to basically terrorize little Ven over there every night, as I have been for the past two years. Thanks to your efforts, he has never been able to escape me. I bet you feel like a pretty bad parent right now, huh?"

Ventus' eyes swam in tears, but he blinked away the liquid. This was not happening… His father was staring down at him, eyes wide, trembling ceased as realization dawned on him.

"The devil is what you are," Ventus' father gruffly whispered, pale complexion causing his son to tremble. His father was never afraid.

"However," Vanitas continued, lightly pressing his claws into the man's shoulder, "now that you've seen me and I've told you what I'm here for, I'm going to have to kill you."

There was a strangled noise in the blond's throat as his gaze was filled with fear. "No, Vanitas!" he cried out, jumping to his feet. The Shadow's gaze turned critical as his grip on the teen's father grew tight. Ventus was silenced, staying still as his father winced in pain.

Vanitas removed his hand from the man's shoulder, placing the tip of his claw against his temple as his hand mimicked a handgun, snickering as Ventus paled. "Pow!" he whispered, and the man immediately fell limp in his arms. Without issue he caught him, a sadistic laugh bubbling to his lips as he lowered him to the ground. Nonchalantly he dropped him the last few inches, the heavy thud snapping Ventus out of his stupor, causing him to scream in absolute shock. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks as he became hysterical.

"Relax, you idiot," Vanitas laughed, shaking off the entire situation with a mocking demeanor.

"But- But you just-!"

"I erased all of his memories of me and replaced them with some false ones, simple as that. What we just talked about is completely wiped from his mind, which pretty much makes the last half-hour completely pointless. He's either sleeping or he just had a heart attack."

"Heart attack?" Ventus screamed, falling to his knees beside his father as he lifted the man's arm. He shakily pressed his finger against the man's wrist, whimpering in relief as a slow, steady pulse coursed through his touch.

"This is so entertaining," Vanitas drawled, moving to Ventus' bed to take a seat.

"You…," Ventus whispered, his father's hand falling out of his loose grip as he turned towards the demon. "You cruel, heartless bastard!"

"You wound me."

"Go to hell!" he cried out, shaking in his kneeling position beside his father.

"C'mon, Ventus," Vanitas said, tilting his head mockingly. "You think he loved you if he locked you in your room with me for two straight years?"

"He didn't know… He meant well," the blond whispered, anger dissipating instantly.

"He thought you were crazy." Vanitas hummed slightly, as if considering the unconscious man lying on the floor. "Actually, he still does."

"I'm not crazy," Ventus whispered, mind blank as he stared out of the open window and into the vast abyss of night.

"You are in terms of your mental state," Vanitas sang, swinging his legs to accentuate every word. "You went bonkers two years ago on Monday."

"Shut up," Ventus hissed, turning a hateful glare to the raven. "Shut up right now."

Vanitas could only laugh at the blond's anger. "What are you going to do," he asked, chuckling, "hurt me?"

"I'll try," he whispered, shakily standing.

"You know what? I'll give you a bit of an advantage and make myself human," he laughed, slowly losing his demon attributes as Ventus blinked at him with a hate-filled glare. "Alright," he hummed, blinking up at the blond under his eyelashes. "Give me your best shot."

Ventus flew forward, tackling the raven to the bed as he straddled him, hands curling into fists as he aimed punches at his face. He may have been cowardly and weak, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins was enough to jolt strength into his muscles. He knew enough from his recent lessons with Terra on fighting and self-defense to be able to hold himself in a fight for at least two minutes.

Vanitas was slightly shocked by the blond's sudden actions and soon he found himself attempting to fend him off. Despite the small hits that made contact with his cheeks or his nose, he felt absolutely no pain and blamed the lingering venom in his veins for the lack of feeling. He grabbed the blond's left wrist, not at all fazing him as Ventus continued aiming punches higher to his temples in fruitless attempts to knock him unconscious. The flurry still continued to hail down on him.

The blond was panting, as was Vanitas; face flushed red as he struggled against the hand that restrained his own. "Let go of me," he growled, jerking his fist wildly to uncurl the fingers that were tightly around it. However, the raven merely tightened his grip on his wrist, enjoying the unfamiliar thrill the fight was sparking in him.

"I'd rather not," he countered, suddenly hovering above him. Ventus panicked as he felt Vanitas pin both of his hands to his bed, face littered with small blossoming bruises that were quickly fading away as soon as they appeared. "You've got quite the right hook," he whispered, leaning down sardonically into the blond's face. In his desperation, Ventus sharply brought his knee between the boy's legs, causing the raven to fly off and cry out in pain. "What the hell was that?" he screamed, writhing slightly on the ground until the pain quickly faded into a dull ache.

"Shut up!" Ventus screamed, aiming a fully charged kick into the raven's side. "I'm tired of hearing you!" With a grunt Vanitas' hand shot out, wrapping tightly around his supporting ankle and causing the blond to cry out in surprise as he tumbled to the floor, groaning as his back met the hard carpet, knocking all breath out of his lungs. Vainly, he attempted to crawl away, but the pain in his back was too much as the demon advanced on him.

The raven climbed onto him, making sure to sit on his legs to restrain from any thrashing that could possibly catch him off guard again. He laughed, first beginning with a small mirthless chuckle and soon led into a deranged laugh as he stared down at the blond.

"You bruised me," he whispered, lifting his shirt to show that there was indeed a purple mark already forming on his side, "and that fucking hurt." The glare that was simply radiating anger frightened Ventus, but the adrenaline that was pulsing through him allowed his to persevere and sharply bring his already-formed fist towards Vanitas' face. The demon, however, caught the fist, fingers digging hard into his knuckles and causing him to cry out. The joints of his fingers were harshly pressed into each other and he desperately attempted to throw his other fist, whimpering when Vanitas caught it as well.

"No…" he whispered, struggling under the raven as his hands wrapped painfully tight around his wrists. All previous adrenaline drained from him and he fell limp, exhausted from the fight he had with the demon. Vanitas merely ignored him, slamming both wrists on either side of his head as he leaned down, a small smirk playing onto his lips.

"Not too shabby," he whispered, staring down at the blond with hazy, lust-filled eyes. His lips crashed down onto Ventus', a harsh kiss that demanded reciprocation. Ventus lightly pressed back, fully aware that his father could wake up at any moment and catch the two of them. The thrill of it was addicting, but when he realized just who he was kissing, he pulled away slightly.

"My dad's going to wake up," he muttered, lamely attempting to discourage the raven. However, he could feel his arousal touching him and knew that Vanitas would not willingly move. It was then that he desperately glanced at the alarm clock on his night stand and snapped his attention back to the raven, who was frantically kissing down his neck. "Just a few minutes to midnight," he choked out, back arching slightly as Vanitas' tongue touched the underside of his ear.

Vanitas' head snapped to the clock to confirm that the statement was really correct, and he grumbled, nuzzling his nose into the crook of Ventus' neck for a moment before he pulled away to stand. Slowly his wings snapped back into place and he stared down at the blond's father, who still had not moved. Ventus glared up at him, hissing, "Go put him in bed, you did this to him."

Vanitas childishly bared his fangs at him; however, he slung the man over his shoulders easily, glaring at Ventus before vanishing in a flash of light. It was then that he realized, with shock washing over his body, that he had overpowered his demon. It may have not been enough to hold him back, but it was enough to make a confident feeling rise in his throat. However, it died down as Vanitas' words replayed in his mind.

His father really thought that he was insane?

A/n: THERE. 10 PAGES. HAPPY?
Don't forget to drop me a review if anything seems unclear. However, if it will be explained in the next chapter, for the sake of no spoilers, I'll just tell you that!
Now I'm off to write a Roxas/Ventus twincest… I'm not really a fan. D: Oh noes…