Strawberry

A soft gasp escaped her lips as his mouth caught her perked nipple. She clenched at his hair, keeping him close to grind her hips up against his. He groaned into her flesh, his hands clenching into her skin, helping her movement along. It was slow, calculated, and quite agonizing for him. He bucked his hips to meet hers, causing her to throw her head back, her red hair drenched as it clung to her skin. He grabbed her roughly, pulling her to meet his lips. Their tongues met, exploring the warmth of the other's mouth. She pulled back as her breath quickened, leaning against an arm that braced against his thigh and holding herself up with another wrapped around his shoulder. Her pace grew faster, making him groan. Her breathing grew ragged with each pump.

"Ah… ahhh!" she whined in a voice he had never heard from her before. Finally, she pressed herself against him, threw her head back, and released a low, shaking moan.

Vanitas turned away from them. He had only seen what they were doing for perhaps a count of ten seconds before he realized he shouldn't have seen it.

"Sorry!" he said loud enough for them to hear. There was a screech, a yell, and scrambling across creaking wood. The raven-haired boy kept his back to them. "I didn't see anything. Just… just meet us on the beach when you're… ready."

Before he either could say anything in retort, Vanitas leapt from the planks that paved the way to the tree house, landing in the hardened sand below. He didn't even give the small room a second glance before heading to the softer sands and the gently lapping waves. He tried to comprehend what he had seen. The more he tried, the hotter his face felt, and the more he just wanted to drown himself in the waters ahead of him.

Beside him, a Caninergetic begged for his attention. It playfully yapped, nudging at his legs to get him to acknowledge it. The ribbon wrapped around it's neck proved it to be hers. He couldn't let his frustrations out on it as much as he wanted to. He dreaded looking her in the face again. He was downright terrified of what she might do to him because of his intrusion. He wished he could trade places with the little shit. He wanted to be a happy, infuriatingly annoying little monster that just wanted attention. When Ventus finally found them, he was seriously debating whether or not he had the ability to split himself from one monster into many lesser ones with no intelligence or memory of what he had witnessed.

"Hey!" Ventus panted, supporting himself on his knees, peeking up at Vanitas through his blonde fringe. "Did you find them? They weren't one the main island."

Vanitas nodded, barely giving Ventus a glance. He couldn't do it. He couldn't even face Ventus. What the hell was wrong with him? Ventus could make everything better without so much as a word. Except this, clearly.

Ventus seemed to catch on that something wasn't quite right. His grin faded as he pulled himself upright, tilting his head curiously. "Did… something happen?"

Vanitas's lips pressed tightly as he nodded. He released a growl of frustration, allowing himself to finally drop into a crouch, supporting himself with his knees. He could have sworn his head was smoking from how hot it felt. All of the blood rushed through his body, each synapse was sparking, his heart pounded wildly with sheer embarrassment. And the worst part? He didn't even know WHY.

"Kairi's gonna kill me," Vanitas finally said.

"What'd you do?"

"I don't…" he whined, not quite sure how to put it into words. Vanitas never whined. He had never felt such a desire to bury himself in the wet sand as much as he did now. Around them, Unverse came into being unbidden which he swore he had gotten a handle on after so many years. "I didn't mean… I had no idea… they shouldn't have been somewhere so open to begin with…"

"Vanitas… you're not making any sense."

"Vanitas!"

Oh no. The red fury herself. Vanitas dropped to a knee, sweat pouring down his face in buckets. He wasn't scared of much. Really, the only two things he found he was terrified of was Ventus finally growing sick of him and being on the wrong end of Kairi's wrath. He had never experienced either personally, but he had been witness to one. Kairi, for being a pure Princess of Heart, was purely wicked when her temper got the best of her.

He had to put on a brave face. He swallowed his pride, trembling as he climbed to his feet, slowing turned to face the girl and her boy. Her face was redder than her hair that had been pulled back and at least she was wearing clothes now. Vanitas couldn't make eye contact. He held up his hands defensively, taking a step back as he tried to find the best words to say to ease her.

"I… I didn't… S-Sorry!" was the best he could come up with.

Nobody had the power to turn him into a bumbling idiot quite like Kairi could. Perhaps that was part of the reason he admired her. But never had she turned him this stupid because of pure, unbridled rage.

"What did you see?" She shot, finger under his nose accusingly. She wasn't afraid to catch his eye. She was also brave enough to hold it and keep him staring into those almost-violet irises that shimmered with embarrassment and anger.

"Nothing!"

"Liar!"

"I don't know!" he amended.

"How long were you there?" she took a step forward, which pushed him a step backward.

"N-Not long!" Vanitas shook his head. "I swear! I don't know what I saw!" He quickly tried to get her to listen. He needed to her understand this clearly. "I just know it was something I shouldn't have and I'm sorry!"

And like that, her rage diminished. Her blue-violet eyes widened as the gears began to turn, working out what he was trying to say. Her red face became pink as she glanced back to Sora, his jaw slowly falling as the two of them came to an understanding. She took a step back, her voice barely above a whisper. "You… don't know?"

"No," Vanitas shook his head vehemently. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. I don't know."

The two of them were well aware of how ignorant Vanitas was. There were many things over the past four years that they discovered Vanitas hadn't the slightest idea about. Kairi had compared him to a child multiple times and questioned Xehanort's parenting (what parenting?) more times than he could count. He never left the Keyblade Graveyard the first four years of his life. Most of what he knew of what life should be like, he learned through Ventus's memories. Still, he didn't care to know. He knew he shouldn't last long, so he never bothered until Ventus picked him up.

Apparently, this was one of the things he should have inherently known.

Kairi covered her mouth, her eyes darting from Ventus to Vanitas. Ventus furrowed his brow, still very clearly unsure of what was going on. She slowly pulled her hands away from her mouth, her eyes trained on the blonde. "Do… do you know what it is?"

"What what is?" Ventus huffed, blowing his overgrown bangs from his eyes.

"Sex."

Ventus's color soon rivaled Kairi's. "Of course I do!" he sputtered, his gaze darting from Sora to Kairi to Vanitas. "Wait… did he… did you… were you guys…?"

Sora slowly nodded. "Yeah… we didn't realize he was even… we didn't hear him or feel his presence…"

Kairi rounded on Ventus, her fury turning to him. Vanitas was relieved he was finally not the target. His ignorance probably saved his life. Now, Ventus's… Ventus had been scolded many times for not telling Vanitas about certain things. But, evidently, this was something big. Something very important that he should have known about for a long time. Something he should have been told about from day one, like his life depended on it.

"You didn't tell him?" Kairi's voice was low, which was worse than her screech.

Ventus gulped. "N-Not… not yet…"

"When exactly were you going to tell him?" she demanded, stepping towards him, her eyes sharper than her Keyblade.

"I don't know… maybe… if he ever asked about it?" Ventus offered hesitantly. "It's embarrassing to talk about…"

"It's embarrassing."

"Uh."

"To talk about."

"Y-Yeah."

Something about Kairi made it hard to want to disappoint her. Ventus had clearly done so. He hung his head in shame, making himself as small as possible. He instantly realized his wrongs, knowing it was far too late to emend them. Vanitas, while he pitied Ventus, knew there was nothing he could say to make it any better for Kairi. She wouldn't ease up on him, no matter what anyone said. There was no excuse they could give to make her see her victim's side.

"I know…" Ventus said in a small voice. "I know I should have told him. I just… I get to nervous sometimes. I… I can't really explain it to you guys but…" He lifted his head to face Vanitas. The boy felt a lump in his throat, the hurt and shame the both of them felt for very different reasons. "But I promise I'll tell you everything, Vanitas. When we get home, I'll—"

"Oh, no," Kairi turned her back, her voice icier than Arendelle. "You had your chance, Ventus." Oh, boy. You knew he was in trouble when anyone other than Vanitas called him by Ventus. Usually—strike that—Ventus was always Ven.

She turned to Vanitas, her cheeks still tinted pink, but her usual kindness finally touched her eyes once more. Her voice was smooth as honey. "I'll tell you what you need to know, okay, Van?"

Vanitas was only Van to Kairi. He wouldn't even let Ventus call him that. When she started, he loathed the nickname. He hated every sound of the word. He hated how comfortable she felt saying it. He hated whenever someone tried to pick up on it. Kairi was the only one he let call him that because she was the only one he never corrected. He would hiss at anyone that attempted, "Don't call me that!" Even if Kairi was in earshot. Kairi knew how much he hated it, and still called him by it anyway.

He grew kinda fond of it eventually. But only when Kairi used it.

"I'm… I'm going to get the Gummi ship ready," Sora said, breaking the tension. "Kairi, please don't kill Ven while I'm gone."

"No promises."

"But, I kinda see where—"

"Don't," she turned to him slowly, "say it."

"I love you."

"Get out of here, dork."

Kairi heaved a sigh. She looked like she really didn't want the job she took upon herself. She gave Vanitas an uneasy glance, beckoning him to follow her. Vanitas shrugged at Ventus, knowing he was being taken by good hands. Ventus couldn't look at him. He was unsettled, hurt, and ashamed of himself. Vanitas frowned. He hated leaving Ventus like this. Kairi was already ahead of him, moving towards the islet.

Quickly, Vanitas took one of Ventus's hands, squeezing it with assurance. "I'm not mad."

"I know," Ventus said quietly, still very fascinated with his shoe. "But I am."

Vanitas was forced to leave him alone. He wanted to kiss him to make everything better, but with Kairi so close by, he didn't want to risk her seeing them. Then again, after what he saw her doing with Sora was probably much more than a kiss (which was something he'd seen the two of them doing pretty much several times in the span of a visit—the two were disgustingly open about how they felt about each other). Still… he didn't like the idea of sharing his weakness with others. He was certain they already knew he and Ventus were close, but just how close they really were… how much they depended upon each other… he'd never disclose that much.

So, he released Ventus's hand. He glanced at his underlings with disgust before turning back to Ventus. "Take care of them, okay?"

He couldn't trust them to wander this island on their own. Ventus nodded in agreement, summoning Wayward Wind. He left Ventus to it, surges of embarrassment and anger coursing through him with each Unversed. When he and Kairi reached the islet, the feelings were in full swing. He wanted to crawl under a rock once more, convinced becoming a hermit was the only way of life. She offered an understanding smile, only beginning once the emotions ebbed.

She sighed heavily, leaning back to look up at the sky. Her cheeks were still dusted with pink, accentuated by her usually almost-invisible freckles. As the years wore, Vanitas could no longer see her as a girl. She was definitely a woman. Age graced her fondly, only bringing out more of her already attractive looks. Her face thinned out and hardened in all the right ways, starting with the cheekbones. Her hair that she usually wore down had been pulled back into a messy ponytail, a tell-tale sign she felt rushed when getting ready. She was by no means vain, but she, like Aqua, took care when it came to their appearance. Practically won over everything, yet she still found clothing that fit her just so in all the right places.

Her slender legs kicked against the tree bark, frustration clear in her posture. Vanitas wasn't sure why she was frustrated, but he knew it wasn't because of any of the boys that angered her.

"You know," she huffed. "I knew I'd have to give The Talk one day, but I didn't think I'd be giving it to an adult. I always figured it would be my kids, y'know?"

The Talk? What did that even mean? Was this a right of passage when growing up if she assumed she would be talking about this with her children? Vanitas certainly missed this stage of growing up.

"Well," Vanitas frowned uncertainly, "if it makes you feel any better, I'm technically only eight years old. Not counting the years I was in Sora's prison."

Kairi laughed. "I guess that makes me feel a little better." She smiled kindly towards him. "That's usually the age kids get The Talk."

"Then I'm right on schedule."

The girl took a deep breath, slapping her hands against her cheeks to prepare herself. When she finally settled down, she took on this certain persona that she tended to have when telling Vanitas about things he should have known about. She was calm and patient, always willing to answer whatever questions he had without judgment. Maybe that helped when it came down to him learning to trust her. She was happy to help him without ever asking for anything in return.

Sometimes, he wondered if an idiot like Sora even deserved to have the affections of this amazing girl. It wasn't that he desired her himself, not by any means. It was more like… he wanted her to have the absolute best. She deserved it more than anyone in this universe. If angels or gods existed, she would be one of them. She would be the one leading them.

And here she was, slumming it with some moron.

She first, she explained what sex was anatomically. It left them both flustered and Vanitas was beyond disgusted. Seriously? Why would anyone even consider partaking in an action as gross as that? She explained it's purpose, why it felt good, what it did for both partners, and even a variety of other species that did it just for the sake of pleasure. It was common for humans to fornicate, no matter the gender. It was only with men and women that it was possible to have children. She explained briefly that members of the same gender also partook in it, but shrugged when he asked how. She explained she never really looked into it because it wasn't her business. If that was what they wanted to do, it was their business. She didn't care whether or not who they were attracted to.

Then, she explained the emotions behind it. Why some people did it simply for the pleasure of it and other did it strictly as a means to connect with their partner. For her, it was to express to Sora just how much she loved him. She put her absolute trust into his hands when it came to it. It was the same for Sora. She believed this was how it should have been for most people, yet, it was the opposite.

"Why?" Vanitas questioned, glancing to Sora and Ventus who stood in the sands waiting for them. "Because of the whole procreation thing?"

"Well, partly," Kairi agreed. "But, I'm not even looking to have kids yet. So, I guess we're not much better. But… I don't know. Being with Sora, someone whom I've loved for as long as I can remember, makes it seem like our connection only strengthens when we do it. It's… warm is the best way I can describe it. Everything becomes warm, and not because of the energy we're exerting. It's warming me to my very soul when I'm with him, wrapping me in the comfort that is Sora. We do it because we enjoy it, but also because it makes us warm."

"You're weird."

"I guess," Kairi shrugged. "When you fall in love, I think you'll know what I mean."

Vanitas furrowed his brows. When he fell in love? Did she not realize what she had just said? The way she said it, with such earnest honesty and certainty made him realize she had no freaking clue. He thought she knew him enough after all those years to know the absurdity in that statement. He supposed she was just as ignorant as he was.

"Kairi… that's not possible."

"Hm?"

"I'm born from Ventus. I'm ripped from all of the darkness he carried. I took everything negative I could from him, which left him nearly empty." He explained slowly. "I'm a creature of darkness."

"So?"

"I don't have the capacity for love."

The look in her eyes flared his anger. She never looked at him like that. He'd seen it and knew when she gave that look, something upset her beyond consolation. The worst part was that it wasn't for herself, not by any means. That specific look was reserved for others. She pitied them. She ached for them. She took everything she believed they would be feeling upon herself to feel for them, even when they didn't feel it themselves.

"I think… I think you don't give yourself enough credit."

He ripped his gaze from hers. This entire hour, he hadn't looked away from her once. He braved through the embarrassment of The Talk and this was what drove him to tear away from her to focus on something other than her. She was beginning to piss him off. He didn't need her sympathy or her comforts. He was fine not feeling love. What could you miss if you never had it? He trained his attention on Ventus, who was still beating himself up over this whole thing. Which was so stupid of him.

"Let's go," Vanitas grunted. "They're waiting for us."

Vanitas wanted to take the Corridors alone or with Ventus. He didn't feel like being in a cramped space with these two after realizing just how intimate the action he happened upon was. He was right to think he shouldn't have seen it. He didn't want to speak of it any further and he didn't think he could handle the awkwardness of it all. He didn't want Kairi's disappointment for Ventus or sympathy for Vanitas to fill the cabin and suffocate all of them.

Yet, here they were. They boarded the Gummi Ship, heading for the Land of Departure where Aqua used Ventus and Vanitas to summon Sora and Kairi to. Vanitas sat back with Ventus while Sora and Kairi sat at the controls. Sora would steer, Kairi would blast enemies, and the two boys would sit back, trying to come up with another topic of conversation.

Kairi's Unversed slipped and slid across the floor, yipping with excitement. Vanitas was ready to return it back to him, but he wasn't about to face Kairi's anger for a second time that day. Vanitas grumbled, picking the pathetic creature up to prevent it from flying across the cabin.

"Why'd you even bring this thing?" he asked, staring into it's blue and yellow eyes. It barked, lunging to lick his face. Vanitas held it at a safe distance, snarling in disgust. "Couldn't you, I don't know, leave it with Naminé or Xion or whatever?"

"Ichigo can fight, too, you know!" she protested. "She's really helpful and strong and I don't like to leave her alone. She'll get lonely."

"They're fine on their own, Kairi," Vanitas told her for the umpteenth time. He was still in disbelief how she could name it, gender it, and treat it like a pet. He rued the day he ever felt good enough to produce this abomination in front of her. She hated the idea of destroying it, the proof that Vanitas could actually smile and have a good time (because he often pretended he couldn't). She took it upon herself to love it and take care of it. Well, it certainly had plenty of positivity to feed off of. It lived with Sora, Kairi, and Riku, two of the happiest people he knew and one of the more miserable ones (though, Riku was definitely in much better spirits around Sora and Kairi, much like how Vanitas was when he was with Ventus). "I doubt it'd even notice you were gone. Aside from the significant lack positivity."

"Ichigo loves us, don't you girl?"

Ichigo barked.

"See?!"

Vanitas had this argument with her so many times and he always lost. She was blind when it came to this monster. He'd never understand why she cared so much for it. He passed it off to Ventus, who smiled at it, scratching the top of it's head. Vanitas huffed, leaning against the arm rest. He couldn't wait until this day was over with. He'd finally understand what Terra and Riku were doing, what Aqua wanted with these two, and maybe what that intense darkness was that he sensed every time they entered the lanes inbetween.

He noticed it about a year ago on the way to Twilight Town. It was faint, enough to brush it off. Eventually, it came to gnaw at him. Every time they left world, the darkness grew stronger. He made a comment to Aqua and Terra one day and the two of them left to investigate. Ever since, the Keyblade Masters were constantly coming and going, checking to see if they could discover its source.

They parked the Gummi ship, taking the Warp Pad to the courtyard, where Aqua allowed Sora to set one up. He was polite enough not to request one in the castle, seeing as how that was like barging through the doors without knocking (which they did anyways, since this seemed to have become their second home). They found Aqua in the main chamber, where the three thrones stood. They were rarely ever used, even by the masters. More often then not, when one of them wanted to take a breather while training, they'd kick back on one of them, forgetting the reverence they once held.

Aqua stood on the plinth where the thrones stood tall. She held her arms across herself, her expression grim. Her frown deepened when the four of them approached.

"Kairi, you decided to come to?" she asked, a touch of worry held in her voice. It was subtle, one that would most likely not be picked up by Sora or Kairi. Ventus probably had. Vanitas felt he knew her enough to know when she was truly concerned.

"Anywhere Sora and Riku go, I go too."

Aqua nodded. "I… understand." She cleared her throat. "Terra and Riku sent back word on the status of the anomaly. It's finally escaped its world."

"No way!" Sora stepped forward, his eyes widening. "But… the heroes of that world were doing so well."

"I know," Aqua nodded. "It's up to us now. We need to take care of it."

"When do we leave?" Ventus asked without so much as asking what exactly it was. The two of them were not trusted with this information. Aqua and Terra reasoned it wasn't something the two of them needed to be concerned about. The Masters would handle it. And neither were yet a Master.

"We leave immediately," Aqua replied, her tone implying her decision was final. Vanitas's frown hardened. Not that he really wanted to help. It was just if Ventus was going, he would follow. "You two will be staying here."

"What?!" Ventus ran forward, disbelief coloring his voice. "But… we trained so hard! We deserve to go! I mean… we both fought in the Keyblade War." No one would mention Vanitas was fighting for the opposite side. "We're both strong! We can help!"

"No."

"You know," Vanitas wasn't really one to voice his opinion to Aqua or Terra. He knew his limits and how much they could handle of him. But Ventus really wanted to go. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to be seen as equal to his friends and the little family he had. "This would be a great task to set for his Mastery Exam."

"I'm sorry," Aqua shook her head. "I need you both to stay here. Neither of you are to leave the Land of Departure until we return. Do you understand?" Aqua offered no explanation as to why there were suddenly restrictions on their access off world or why Ventus wasn't allowed to help. "Train hard and when we do, we'll administer your Mastery Exam."

This should have sent Ventus over the moon. He was certain he had been ready to be called Master for some time now. Vanitas whole heartedly agreed. Ventus was older than Aqua was when she was deemed a Master. He knew more than she did then, as well. He had been training practically his whole life, fought in two wars, and went through hell to get where he was now. Ventus deserved to have his dream come to fruition.

"But—"

"Please, just listen to me." She pleaded. Vanitas had seen and orchestrated what happened when Ventus didn't listen to her. Bad things, usually. "Stay here and watch each other's backs."

Her eyes flickered from Ventus to Vanitas. In that moment, her gaze hesitated. Something in her eyes broke from her show of strength and fortitude. She weakened upon the sight of him. Her brows turned upward, her gaze softening, her jaw tightening. As quickly as it occurred, it vanished, leaving Vanitas unable to fight for Ventus.

What was that look for? Something about it sent his heart racing. A sudden sense of betrayal ripped through him. That couldn't be it… That wasn't right. He had been good for over four years, never once slipping up. He didn't give them any reason not to trust him. He did as they asked. He grew fond enough of them to think of them as his family.

He kept himself steady. He could barely hear what Aqua was talking about before she dismissed them with enough finality to silence Ventus. He couldn't get out of there fast enough. He briskly made his way to the courtyard, his anger growing to a boil. Ventus had to jog to keep up with his pace, only now becoming aware of how upset Vanitas was.

"Hey!" Ventus grabbed Vanitas by the elbow. "It's okay! We'll try again when Aqua comes to say goodbye."

Goodbye…. He wasn't even sure he could stand to be in the same room as her, let alone look at her again. He didn't know what to do. He just wanted to feel better. He needed to calm himself before he lost control and created more Unversed. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed Ventus by the lapels, bringing him in for a kiss.

Ventus hummed in surprise, though not quite in protest. He wrapped his hands around Vanitas's, pushing himself against him as much as he could with their fists in the way. Vanitas broke away from Ventus's hands, wrapping one around his back and grabbing a fistful of his hair to bring him as close as possible. Closer… he needed to be closer.

With his tongue, he coaxed Ventus's mouth open. The other didn't hesitate to oblige, following his lead. Their tongues traced each other, growing familiar with the strange new intrusion. Vanitas tilted his head, recapturing Ventus's mouth to explore from a new angle.

Was this what Ventus wanted to do so many times? Why did this make him so nervous before? It was weird, learning the heat of Ventus's mouth. But it was intoxicating. He wanted more. It only pulled away when his lungs begged for more oxygen, releasing the dizzy and dazed boy that was still trapped in his arms.

"Not that I'm complaining," Ventus breathed, a languid smile drawing across those beautiful features. "But what was that about?"

"I wanted to see what it was like," he confessed, turning his gaze downward. It was definitely what he needed to salve his anger. "Before I left."

That quickly sobered him up. Ventus shoved away from Vanitas, hurt and disbelief mixed with confusion quickly taking place of the drunk look Vanitas was so proud to have put on him. This was a less pleasing appearance from the same benefactor. "What are you talking about?"

Vanitas drew himself up, allowing himself to meet Ventus's gaze. "You're going with them. I'm leaving. I don't know where, but… I'll figure it out."

"Why?" Ventus's voice was so small. Vanitas felt a lump growing in his throat. He wasn't going to make it easy, but there was no way he was backing down from this decision no matter how much Ventus begged, cried, or pleaded.

"Aqua… Aqua still doesn't trust me," Vanitas cursed when his voice cracked. Why did he allow himself to get to choked up about this? She should have meant nothing to him. This should not have been news. "She's keeping you here to watch me."

"That… that doesn't make any sense," Ventus wasn't afraid to show just how much his voice wavered. "She cares about you as much as she cares about me."

"It doesn't matter." It does. "If I leave, you get to go with them."

"I don't want to."

What the hell was he going on about? Wasn't he just begging to go with them? "Of course you do."

"I don't want to go if you're not there!" Ventus blurted, his blue eyes glistening.

Vanitas huffed. He hated with Ventus got like this. It usually meant he got what he wanted. This time, Vanitas wasn't going to let it happen. "That's stupid."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes it is and you know it."

"No, it's not!" Ventus insisted. "You can't leave me!"

"It's not for good," Vanitas promised. "I'll find you again when you become a Master." Like it wasn't hard enough pulling himself away from Ventus as it was. Every fiber of his being was screaming against it. How could he even consider this? He only felt good when he was with Ventus. Why would he willingly allow himself to be taken from that?

"Screw that!" Ventus shook his head. "If you're leaving, I am too."

"Don't be stupid. No, you're not." Vanitas put his hands on his shoulder, hoping to maybe talk some sense into him. "You're going to become a Keyblade Master if you go with them. If I leave, you have to swear not to try and find me. I'll come back to you. I need you to promise me."

"I won't!"

Vanitas huffed. This was growing tiresome. "Why are you being so unreasonable?"

"I can't… I can't do it." Ventus was shaking under his palms. Why was he so scared? "I can't be away from you. It hurts too much."

Vanitas couldn't help but smile. He snorted, pressing his forehead against Ventus's. "I know," he agreed. "It's going to hurt like hell. I'm going to ache every second I'm away from you." Ache was an understatement. Ache was going to be more like unimaginable pain, day in and day out. It would hurt more than the first time they were separated. He needed Ventus more than the other knew. "But I know… I know we'll be together again and that's what's going to get me through the day."

"Then don't leave," Ventus wrapped his arms around Vanitas, pushing himself against him harder. "You don't have to hurt anymore. Just stay, please."

"I'm doing this for you." Which was the only reason he ever did anything in the first place. Everything was to Ventus. Everything was because of him. Everything was due to Ventus being this bubble of warmth and goodness that made Vanitas felt like he never had before.

"Why?" Ventus whined. "Why is it me?"

"From the beginning, it's been because of you," Vanitas stroked his hair, pulling Ventus to rest his face into his collar. "Because of you, I had Xehanort send you here, so I wouldn't hurt you. Because you asked, I came here to live with you. Because you would be upset, I played nice with Aqua and Terra. Because you asked, I made friends with your friends. My entire existence is because of you. It's for you."

Vanitas wasn't sure how Ventus would react. He was sure he might blush and burry himself deeper into Vanitas's chest or complain he was being cheesy or maybe continue to to beg him not to go. But he needed to and he needed Ventus to understand he only wanted what was best for him.

Instead, it was soft, almost inaudible….

"I love you."


Aaaaahh the first bit of smut to happen and it wasn't even our boys! xD I hope the ending of this chapter makes up for it. =p