a/n: GUYS I'M TRASH I'M SO SORRY
i was hit by intense writers block for all my stories, so it's been pretty tough...but i think i'm finally over it, thank jesus
enjoy this long, sappy chapter uwu
a-far-off-memory
Three days passed without incident. Vanitas' wounds were finally given time to properly heal, and were almost fully closed up.
They were all having breakfast before Riku's head popped up suddenly. "Someone's at the gate," he stated.
He and Axel stood and headed out of the dining room. "If it's a girl with blue hair, let her in!" Vanitas called after them.
A grin pulled at Ven's lips. "Do you really think it's her?"
Vanitas shrugged. "She said she'd visit, so I assume it's her."
The assumption was proven true when Axel and Riku returned, the bluenette in tow. Forgetting what was left on his plate, Ven sprang up and ran to her, tackling her with a hug.
"You came!" he exclaimed, grinning widely.
She smiled in return. "I said I would, didn't I?"
Vanitas stood, smiling. "Welcome to my home, Aqua. I suppose some introductions will be needed," he said with a chuckle.
"Yes," she replied with a grin. "Axel and Riku already introduced themselves on the way in."
Sora made his way over, wrapping an arm around Riku's waist and holding a hand out to Aqua. "I'm Sora, Vanitas' brother and Riku's fiancé," he told her, tone bright.
She looked between him amd Vanitas, blue eyes wide. "The likeness is uncanny. Are you two twins?"
Giggling, Sora let go of Riku to tackle Vanitas, grinding his knuckles into his skull. "That we are!" he replied once Vanitas threw him off, glaring and reaching up to fix his hair. "I'm older by ten minutes."
Aqua giggled. "I see. Well it's nice to meet you, Sora."
The brunet grinned. "Likewise."
"Everyone else has already finished their breakfast and gone off on their own," Vanitas stated, smiling. "Ven can introduce you to everyone, I've got some things I have to attend to for the moment."
"Oh? Alright," she replied, smiling.
Vanitas returned the smile. "See you in a little while, Aqua." He then reached out to take Ven's hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the knuckles. "See you, Ventus."
The blond was unable to stop the blush that colored his cheeks as he murmured a shy "See you later." Aqua echoed him, and then they watched as the black-haired teen walked away, followed by Sora and Riku.
"Well well well," Aqua said, grinning. "What was that I just saw?"
Ven blushed even more. "Nothing," he practically squeaked, cursing his inability to hide his emotions.
"Do you like him, Ventus?" she asked, light blue eyes full of excitement. After all, Ven had never really liked anyone before.
"What makes you think that?" he questioned, his voice cracking and signalling that he was lying.
"Oh my gosh, Ven! You do!" Her arms were suddenly around him. "Oh, I'm so happy, Ven! He's a nice guy, and he's so attentive to you..."
Ven sighed. "Okay, fine. But...I don't even know if he likes me, Aqua! So it doesn't matter..."
The tall girl chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Oh Ven...you're so clueless sometimes. You don't see the way he looks at you, do you? You are what he focuses on. He's tuned into you completely, and you don't even notice."
Ven's mouth fell open. "Seriously?"
Aqua nodded. "He likes you, Ven. A lot, from what I can tell."
The blond sagged, half relieved and half anxious. "But...I don't even know what to do about that, Aqua. How do I know for sure?"
At that, she grinned. "Make a move. That's what you told me to do with Terra, and now look at us. Take your own advice," she told him with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around him. "Now...how about you show me around before you look like a tomato?"
Taking a deep breath, Ven nodded. "I'll show you the east wing first...that's where my room is," he announced, pulling her out of the dining room. He pulled her up the staircase on the right and led her through the halls until they reached his bedroom.
He opened the door and gestured for her to step inside, smiling at her gasp seconds later. He followed her in, finding an awed look on her face.
"Oh, my...I can see why you wouldn't want to leave, Ven. This is amazing," she commented, turning to look at him.
He grinned. "You haven't even seen the best part yet." Taking her by the hand, he led her to the bath room, moving to the tub and gesturing to it. "There are pipes that carry hot water right to the tub, Aqua! I don't have to heat the water myself!"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "That sounds too good to be true!" she exclaimed.
Laughing, he reached out and turned the faucet on, telling her to stick her hand under the stream of water. She gasped when her fingers met warm water, mouth hanging open.
"That must be so wonderful..." she breathed, wiping her hand on her shirt.
Ven nodded enthusiastically. "I swear, I'd live in the bathtub if such a thing were possible," he told her with a laugh.
Aqua giggled. "I'm intrigued to see more of the house!"
Smiling, he looped his arm through hers and led her back out of his room. In the hallway, they ran into Axel and Roxas.
"Giving her the grand tour, eh?" Axel questioned, grinning.
Ven nodded. "Vanitas said I should show her around, so..."
Aqua looked between him and Roxas, looking as if her eyeballs might pop out. "Wow, you two could be twins!" she exclaimed.
Both Ven and Roxas laughed at that. The older blond extended a hand to the tall girl, which she took. "The others have said the same. I'm Roxas, by the way...I'm Axel's boyfriend."
Laughing, she shook his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Roxas."
"Mind if we join you? We're bored to tears, honestly," Axel said with a grin.
"The more the merrier," Ven replied with a laugh.
From there, they decided to seek out the others. They found Marluxia and Larxene in the garden, the pink-haired man tending to the vegetables in his greenhouse while his blonde wife lounged in a chair. Axel of course saw it fit to antagonize the pink-haired male again, once again incurring the wrath of his blonde wife.
"Make fun of him one more time, Axel. I dare you," she spat venomously, fists clenched.
The redhead grinned, pulling himself up and rubbing his cheek where he'd already been punched. "Pansy boy," he said slowly, green eyes glinting with mischief.
Marluxia caught his wife just as she was lunging, pulling her to his chest and kissing her temple. "Dear, I've already told you his antics don't bother me. You don't need to stick up for me, although I appreciate the gesture," he told her, chuckling. "Axel is a harmless fire-freak, anyhow. You're going to scare our guest off." His ice-blue eyes found Aqua then, who simply smiled in response.
A 'hmph' left the blonde woman, and she too turned her attention to Aqua. "I'm sorry you're forced to be near lesser beings such as Axel, you poor thing. I'm Larxene, the resident electrician and plumber."
The blue-haired girl laughed. "I don't mind him, he's been nothing but nice to me," she replied. "But it's very nice to meet you, I'm Ven's friend Aqua."
Marluxia let go of Larxene, deeming it safe to do so, and retrieved a white rose from within his greenouse. He extended it to Aqua, offering a charming smile. "I hope you enjoy your visit, my dear. I'm Marluxia, the gardener and Larxene's husband."
Aqua took the offered flower, gently stroking the silky petals. "Thank you...pleased to make your acquaintance, Marluxia."
They moved on, Roxas scolding Axel for antagonizing Marluxia and getting punched again, while Ven and Aqua continued on in amused silence. The blue-haired girl had put the flower in her hair, and Ven could admit that it made her look really pretty.
They found themselves in the animal enclosure next, where a bundled-up Kairi was feeding her chickens and playing with her goats. Ven had initially wondered how she'd gotten the animals, and was then told by Naminé that she'd conjured them up to make the red-haired girl happy. The two of them were quite close, apparently.
The redhead looked up upon hearing footsteps in the snow, smiling widely. "Well hello there," she greeted, straightening up and adjusting the hood of her cloak.
Ven smiled, leaning on the fence. "Hey, Kai." A little black goat trotted over and nudged his hand, causing him to laugh. "And hello to you too, Buford."
"I take it this is your friend?" Kairi questioned, one red eyebrow raised.
Aqua smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Aqua."
The redhead took the offered hand and shook it, smiling. "I'm Kairi. As you've probably already guessed, I look after the animals."
The taller girl laughed. "Your goats are very cute. I myself have some goats and cows at home." She reached down to scratch Buford's head as she said it, laughing when he tried to munch on her cloak. "Little devil you've got here."
Kairi snorted. "Buford certainly loves attention and will do anything to get it," she explained, looking down at the little goat fondly. "The others are quieter."
"Nothing wrong with a little personality," Aqua said in reply, smiling.
"I see you've been to see Marluxia," Kairi murmured with a laugh, pointing to the white rose. "His flowers are beautiful, aren't they?"
Aqua nodded. "How does he manage to keep them alive in the winter?"
The redhead winked. "With a little help from our resident witch."
Light blue eyes widened. "Witch?"
A laugh left the shorter girl. "Don't worry, you'll love Naminé once you meet her!"
Aqua looked to Ven, who laughed and nodded in agreement. "Nami is wonderful, she's been teaching me how to paint."
"I see. I trust your judgement, then," the blue-haired girl said with a smile.
They stayed with Kairi for a little while, playing with the goats, before it got too cold for them to be outside any longer. After a quick stop inside the stable to visit Minnie, they headed inside. Riku was already waiting for them with two mugs of hot chocolate, which they both accepted gratefully.
Axel and Roxas headed off to do their own thing, and Ven led Aqua to the library. Just as he'd predicted, Zexion and Demyx were both there, with the former giving the latter directions on where to put books. They both halted when they saw that they had visitors, however, and the tall blond shot them a dazzling smile while Zexion hunched inward slightly.
Demyx put down the pile of books he'd been holding, wiping the dust from his hands before striding over. "So we meet again. Aqua, right?"
The blue-haired girl nodded, laughing. "You were there that day at the gate, right? I don't think I caught your name."
He grinned. "Demyx. It's very nice to actually meet you, Aqua."
"Likewise," she replied, giggling.
Demyx extended a hand toward Zexion, who slowly made his way over and took it, letting himself be pulled against his taller boyfriend's side. "Sorry, he's not exactly sociable with unfamiliar people," Demyx told her with a laugh, kissing the shorter man's forhead. "This is my boyfriend, Zexion."
"I could've introduced myself," the indigo-eyed man said sullenly, crossing his arms. He looked up at Aqua, clearing his throat. "Yes, I'm Zexion, the librarian here. Demyx is a drifter, he helps whomever requires him to, though he seems to enjoy bumming around in here the most."
The tall blond laughed, hugging him tighter. "Only because I like spending time with you, love."
This brought a blush to Zexion's cheeks, and he hastily pushed his glasses up. Seeing that he was getting flustered, Ven decided to step in and come to his rescue.
"Hey, Zex, have any books you can lend to Aqua? She loves reading, right?" The last part was directed to his blue-haired friend, whose eyes immediately lit up at the prospect of new books to read.
Zexion immediately straightened, eyes brightening. "A fellow reader, hm? What genres do you prefer? Non-fiction, fantasy, adventure, romance..."
They ended up spending hours with Zexion and Demyx in the library, and Aqua ended up with a pile of books to take home. The two had instantly clicked, having deep discussions over books and authors they both enjoyed, while Demyx and Ven watched on in amusement and had conversations of their own.
It was soon time for supper, so they all headed to the dining room. "You're going to love the food," Ven told Aqua excitedly. "Riku and Roxas are excellent cooks."
She grinned. "I can't wait."
Everyone else was sitting by the time they got there, and Ven led Aqua to the two seats near the head of the table, where Vanitas sat. Ven sat beside him, and Aqua took the seat between him and Kairi. The two girls immediately got talking, leaving Ven to turn to Vanitas.
Golden eyes sparkled. "How has your day been, Ventus? Has Aqua enjoyed the tour?"
The blond nodded. "She loves everyone here already, like I knew she would. She and Zexion spent the last few hours talking about books."
Vanitas chuckled. "I'm glad. Have you been to see Naminé yet?" he questioned.
"Not yet," replied Ven with a shake of his head. "We didn't get the chance yet, I was going to take her after we eat."
"I'll accompany you, then. I've been meaning to visit her since recovering, anyway."
A wide smile pulled at the blond's lips. "Alright! Oh, and..." He leaned over and reached into Aqua's bag, taking a deep breath as he lifted out a large leather-bound book. "I...I asked Aqua to bring this. It's all of my mother's music...I want you to have it." He held it out to the taller male, whose golden eyes had gone wide with surprise.
"Ven...are you sure?" he asked, gently taking it and running his hand over the front, where it read "Aerith Highwind" in simple black ink.
Ventus nodded, smiling softly. "She'd want it to be played, Vanitas. I know you'll treasure it."
Any further conversation was cut off as the food was brought out, causing everyone to eagerly dig in.
"I know you'll like her," Ven said as they walked back toward the library. "She's amazing."
"She's a little strange, but she has a kind heart," Vanitas added, chuckling.
"I believe the two of you," Aqua replied with a laugh.
They made their way into the library, climbing the staircase. Vanitas knocked twice, and Naminé softly called, "Come in."
They opened the door, finding her painting in the light of the dying sun. She smiled up at them, setting her canvas and paintbrush aside and standing.
"I see you've finally brought your guest to meet me. I was wondering when you'd show," she said with a giggle, stopping in front of them. Her crystalline eyes fell on the taller girl. "I am Naminé, and it is very nice to finally meet you, Aqua. I've heard a lot about you from Ventus, he tells me about you and Terra all the time."
"Good things I hope," the blue-haired girl responded with a laugh.
Naminé giggled. "Of course. He didn't have one bad thing to say." Her eyes softened. "I can feel that you are uneasy about the fact that I am a witch, but I assure you that I have never harmed anyone nor will I ever. I use my abilities for good, I swear it."
Aqua let out a long breath. "Sorry, I didn't want to offend you or anything...I've just never met a witch before. I wasn't quite sure what to expect."
The blonde smiled gently. "That is quite understandable. Do not worry, you haven't offended me in any way. I can sense you bear no ill intentions, your heart is very pure and good. It's no wonder you and Ventus are friends."
Aqua grinned, slinging an arm around Ven. "I've known him since we were just little kids. He used to make quite a mess of himself...no mud puddle was safe from him. He also used to run around with no pants on."
"Aqua," Ven whined, the tips of his ears and his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
Both Vanitas and Naminé began to laugh at his expense, with Vanitas nudging him. "I'm sure you were an adorably messy child, Ven," he said with a grin, golden eyes sparkling.
The blond just hmphed and crossed his arms.
"Here, it is dark and the woods around here are dangerous at night. This locket will keep you safe," Naminé told the blue-haired girl with a smile, holding out a simple silver locket on a black cord.
Aqua took it with a soft exhalation of breath, admiring it for a moment before looping it around her neck. "Thank you very much," she replied, smiling brightly.
"I do hope you'll come back soon," the blonde murmured, blue eyes sparkling.
"Of course," Aqua assured her.
Ven and Vanitas led her from the room then. She waved goodbye to Demyx and Zexion as they left the library, and Sora and Riku were waiting for her by the door.
"We'll walk you to the gates," Sora said brightly, grinning.
Nodding, Aqua pulled Ven in for a hug. "I promise I'll come back soon to visit again," she told him, kissing his cheek.
He returned the hug tightly, holding back irrational tears. "You'd better," he whispered, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. "Now get going before it gets any later, Terra's probably worrying about you."
Chuckling, she nodded again. "Good idea." Then, she reached out and tugged Vanitas in for a hug before he had a chance to say anything about it. "Thank you for allowing me into your beautiful home, Vanitas. I really do appreciate it."
Looking slightly flustered, Vanitas allowed his hands to lightly rest on her back. "It's really no problem, Aqua...you're welcome anytime..."
She giggled, kissing his cheek as well before letting go and pulling her cloak on, raising the hood and adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I'll come back as soon as I can," she promised before heading out the door, Sora and Riku following closely behind.
Vanitas exhaled softly, a smile pulling at his lips. "She's really wonderful, Ventus. I'm glad you have such a great friend."
Unable to hide the tinge of sadness in his eyes, Ven forced himself to smile. "She's the best."
Seeing the sadness, Vanitas extended a hand to him. "Shall we go to the music room? I'm sure you're eager to hear your mother's music again, I certainly hope I can do it justice..."
Brightening immediately, Ven nodded and took his hand, letting himself to be led into the music room. Vanitas had taken the book there earlier, and it sat on the piano, just waiting to be opened.
The two of them sat down on the bench together, and Vanitas cracked his knuckled before opening the thick book. He searched through the songs for a moment before grinning, the words "Dearly Beloved" clearly written at the top of the first page.
"I've been itching to play this," he admitted, biting his lip. "Now, to see if my sightreading skills are still up to par?"
Ven smiled softly. "I have faith in your abilities," he murmured.
Taking a deep breath, Vanitas positioned his fingers on the keys and examined the sheets for a moment. And then suddenly, the familiar tune of the song his mother wrote just for him filled Ventus' ears, making him close his eyes and remember her smiling face. It was a little hard to do so, since it had been so long, but he remembered her kind smile and gentle green eyes clearly enough.
Without even really meaning to, he let his head rest on Vanitas' shoulder, allowing himself to become wrapped up in the beautiful music. He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until he felt himself be laid down on his bed and tucked under the covers, blinking blearily.
As Vanitas was leaving, his hand shot out to catch his wrist. Golden eyes showed confusion at the action, to which Ven replied with a sleepy, "Stay."
Eyes softening at the whisper, Vanitas crawled into bed with him and wrapped his arms snugly around him, and Ven barely caught his murmur of "Sweet dreams, Ventus" before he was asleep again.
a/n: these two are so fucking cute i'm gonna die
again, i'm sosososososososoSO sorry about the ridiculous wait, this chapter kicked my ass tbh
only a few chapters left, guys!
afom out~