When they got to school later that day, Ventus automatically looked around searching for Vanitas but was disappointed when he didn't see him standing at the street corner. Perhaps he had not come today or maybe he was already inside. Not saying a word, the boy accompanied Roxas to the schoolyard where he once again searched for the black-haired teen with no success.
Once inside the classroom, Ventus pulled his stuff from inside his backpack and opened his notebook. Right on their first class they were told there was going to be a test in two weeks; professor Luxord announced it with a smile, telling his students about the topics they should study.
"It would have been easier if he said to study everything" Grumbled Ventus to himself while writing everything down. There was only half an hour left of that particular class when someone knocked on the door.
"I'm sorry for being late, teacher"
Ventus widened his eyes. It was Vanitas; he didn't look worried about being late, just waiting for permission to enter the classroom. It wasn't his calm or patience that called Ventus' attention however but the fact that he wasn't wearing that heavy sweatshirt from before! He now wore their usual school uniform and no longer covered his arms in bandages either. The wounds did not even look that bad anymore - It helped that those weren't as deep as the ones on his shoulder, he thought - and he kinda looked calmer as well.
"Lost track of the time, eh?" Said Luxord, allowing the teenager to enter the classroom and proceeding with his lesson as if there had not been any interruption. Vanitas said nothing, walking to his desk and sitting down. Ventus smiled happy for seeing him like that and, not really thinking before speaking, spoke to the raven.
"Good morning!" Vanitas looked at him, frowning "You look much better now wearing only a shirt"
"Hmpf" The older boy gave him a weak smile and then turned his attention back to the teacher. Ven only realized what he had just said when Roxas stared to him in utter disapproval.
Ventus gasped silently, turned to Luxord's direction and stood there, staring to his own hands. You look much better now wearing only a shirt? What did Vanitas think of him when he said that? It wasn't like Ventus was talking about his appearance or his body (No way!, he told himself), he was just glad that he no longer wore that damn red sweatshirt! Considering how Vanitas now laughed at him as silently as he could, however, he was probably blushing more than he wanted to.
Luxord ended his lesson right after that. The students quickly opened their Physics Book and it was with surprise that they saw Terra entering the classroom.
"Good morning, everyone!" Greeted him "Professor Braig won't be able to come here today. So tomorrow you're having Physics classes with him and I'll be with you guys today instead. Is that okay?"
Everyone nodded, relieved. Braig knew how to be an awful teacher when he wanted to; they could spend a day without seeing him no problem!
"Well then, today... We'll carry on with our studies about absolute and relative locations. I want you to pay attention and write down as much as you can, because after your break we're having an assignment about what we see now" He explained, opening his own book and making the teenagers do the same.
Soon enough almost all students were talking about anything but the lesson. It was known by everyone that Terra didn't have much control over his students and, that said, usually spent more time trying to make them calm down and speak less than actually teaching something. Listening to the bell announce their break was as much a relief for him as it was for the students.
Ventus left the classroom right after his brother and once they were on the schoolyard both were called by Sora to play volleyball. Ven denied it but told his brother to go and merely waited for him while sitting by one of the tables.
Vanitas sat down in another table a few meters away from him, crossing his arms and watching the younger boys play as well. Seeing that as an opportunity, Ventus walked to him and sat by his side. The raven rolled his eyes; amazing.
"It's great to see your arm is better!" Exclaimed Ven, smiling "Did you make the bandages by yourself?"
Vanitas sighed. He smiled, but this time there was irony in his voice "Come on, blondie. You can stop that already"
Ventus looked at him confused "Stop that what?"
"There is no need to pretend you don't know!" Replied Vanitas, resting his face on his hands while looking to him "It's obvious that your friend told you about what I did. Ienzo, isn't it? The nerd?"
"Ahhhnn... Yeah?" What did one thing have to do with the other?
"So that's that. You already got what you wanted, little Ven. No need to play the good guy anymore"
"Got what I- What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on!" Vanitas gritted his teeth in exasperation "What other reason did you have to come after me that way? Do you think I don't see how you look at me?"
Ventus felt his face turn red but didn't look away. It was true that he... Looked sometimes, but he didn't have bad intentions!
"W... Well, you were hurt. I couldn't ignore that now, could I?"
"I suppose not. Anything to be a step ahead of me, uh?" Vanitas laughed "I get it. I hurt your little buddy so you forced me to 'see my mistakes' and apologize. Well, very well. I've done it. You can go back to living your life now"
For a few seconds none of them said a word. Ventus was so confused that he started to laugh.
"You... You think I helped you for that? To prove something?"
"Wouldn't be the first time someone does that" Vanitas gestured his hand in disdain "I'm just being nice with you, kid. I won't bother you or your friends anymore, so-"
"You're wrong!" Interrupted Ven "I didn't... Want to prove anything. I was actually worried about you!"
"Really now? And why? Will you tell me you don't know?"
"Because-" Ventus stopped talking for a few seconds. He didn't have a reason exactly, just felt like doing something. He breathed deeply "Because you're always too quiet and all by yourself. And... And you looked sad. I wanted to help! And to..."
To get to know you better, was what he wanted to say but once again he stopped. When they played prisonball together during their first Physical Education class, he had seen Vanitas act pretty differently than he did now. He had been encouraged by him and even cheered everytime they scored. There was something about him that attracted the younger teen but he didn't know what that was and seeing him in such a depressing state after that day made Ventus want to help somehow.
Vanitas lifted an eyebrow at him, trustless. That 'reason' was way too exaggerated even for that way-too-shiny blonde "Kid, no one does anything unless there's a reward for it. You wouldn't have done it unless it would be worth for you. Want me to write that down?"
"That's not true!" Complained Ventus. How could someone be so bitter? "It is not and... And I'll prove it to you!"
"Prove it? Há, há! Good luck, then!" Replied Vanitas right before the bell rang again and he stood up "You can't"
He took the lead on the way to the classroom but Ven didn't allow him to walk away; instead, Ventus ran after him, holding him by his arm.
"Wanna bet?" Questioned the smaller boy. There was confidence in his eyes and that challenging tone of voice was uncommon for him. Vanitas stood still, watching him from head to toe. Damn brat!
"Bet, hm?" He smiled with superiority "And what happens if I win?"
"If you win... I will never... Ever talk to you or... Look at you again" Said Ventus, trying not to sound as hesitant as he really was. The raven nodded.
"Now that's a great reward"
"So you accept it?" Ventus still hadn't let go of him.
"Hold on! You still have to tell me what happens if, in the worst-case scenario, you win the bet!"
The students were all heading back to their respective classrooms and the ones who were playing volleyball did the same. Roxas was next to Sora and Riku when they walked by his brother and Vanitas. They didn't do anything but surely noticed the physical contact and how Vanitas seemed to be enjoying the situation while looking down at the boy.
"If... If I win..." Ventus swallowed "You will stop being so freaking lazy and actually try to study harder!"
Vanitas' smile disappeared.
"What?"
"It's my bet! Will you accept it or not?"
He was really determined to do that. Why it mattered so much Vanitas honestly didn't understand but, hell, what was the worse that could happen? It would be funny, fun even, to see the boy struggling for something so stupid. Behind that brave face of his there was so much inocence that it was pitiful.
Vanitas smiled once again "Alright then. It's a bet... Ventus! You can let go of me now"
"So it's a bet... Vanitas!" Replied the younger boy and let go of his arm, both now side by side while they walked to the classroom. While Ven tried to hide his victorious smile, Vanitas took a quicky glance at him; that would be interesting.
Terra waited for all of his students to arrive before giving them their assignment. It was a paper sheet with ten questions, all of them dissertative, about what they had been taught before the break.
"You can do this assignment in pairs or trios and I want it finished before class is over, no exceptions. You may start!"
Roxas poked his brother in the arm "Ven, wanna do it together?"
Ventus nodded and pulled his desk next to his brother's. He had already sat down again when he realized Vanitas was staring at him.
"Or trios..." He muttered, pretending to be serious "Perhaps I could help you two"
"Eh?" Ventus found that weird unlike Roxas who denied it immediately.
"Not you! You'll only slow us down!"
"Rox!" Exclaimed the other twin, hesitant. What should he do? He didn't even have time to think about it before Vanitas continued.
"Come on, Ventus. I thought you were being serious about the bet"
Damn it. Damn it, damn it! Now it was Ven who didn't know what that had to do with the bet, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that Vanitas shouldn't have spoken about it, not here, not now, not in front of Roxas.
"Bet... Ven?!" Roxas turned to his brother, nervous. Ventus even tried to defend himself but ended up mixing his words and, in the end, gave up on his explanation.
"I'll tell you later, Rox. Honest! Now can we just get this over with?"
"You better tell me everything... In details, Ventus!"
"So I'm in, right?" Celebrated Vanitas, pulling his desk next to Ventus' so he now was between him and Roxas. The older blonde grumbled irritated and Ventus put their assignment over his desk so everyone could read it.
"So... Will each one of us answer a few of these questions or are we gonna answer them all in one go?" Asked Ventus, opening his notebook so he could read all the notes he took earlier. Roxas and Vanitas did the same, although Vanitas had no writing at all in his own notebook. That was enough to make Roxas even angrier.
"Let's get this over with!" Murmured him, reading the questions aloud. All the time while he and Ventus searched for the answers, Vanitas merely stared and let them do everything. Of course none of them liked that.
"Hey!" Roxas called while writing the answer to exercise 4 "If you want to be a part of this then you better help us!"
"I am helping! I'm rereading everything you wrote down to make sure you got it right. See?" Replied Vanitas in the most annoying tone of voice he could manage. Ventus sighed.
"You could actually write the answers down then" Suggested the boy "That way you will at least do something"
Roxas agreed, giving him the paper sheet and the pencil. He was tired of that nonsense anyway "Have fun"
With a playful smile, Vanitas pulled the sheet closer to him and put it on his desk, once again reading what was already written "There's a mistake here, Rox"
"Who do you think you are to call me Rox? We barely even talk to each other!"
"Man, you're boring" Grumbled the raven "Your brother lets me call him Ven!"
"No, I-!" Started Ventus, lowering his voice until he could no longer be heard "don't..."
"Is there any problem back there?" It was the teacher, now with his arms crossed and an angry look on his face. They lowered their heads and carried on with the assignment but Vanitas helped with nothing, only wrote down whatever the twins told him to. It was obvious he was doing this to annoy Roxas and, of course, embarass Ventus. Why?
When classes were finally over, Vanitas stood up and stretched his arms over his head, glancing at Ventus with a smile. So that's how it was going to be, uh? He thought it would be easy to make him give up and lose the damn bet, eh?
"Thank you, boys. Looks like I'll do well in Geography at least"
Roxas clenched his fists, the will to fight the older teen growing with each second but he managed to remain calm while they rearranged their desks and went back to their respective places. Ventus had just looked to Vanitas when he felt Roxas poke him in the arm again, this time harder.
"We need to talk!"
It was at that moment that Ventus realized he would rather deal with an annoying Vanitas all day long instead of facing an angry Roxas at home.
