Hi guys! Um...this may or may not be the last chapter for a while. The guy that's supposed to fix my iPod may or may not be in town...so I dunno. If you don't hear from me for a while (two to four weeks) then yeah...he's in town.
Um...oh and this chapter is pretty sad. Quick warning. But there's lots of cuteness too!
Disclaimer: I...am too lazy to write this right now XD.
Chapter 14
~x~
Crash!
"AH!"
"Ugh..."
Seven-year-old Vanitas Leonhart sits up in his bed. Actually, it's a cot, but everyone calls it a bed. He looks to his right, where his brother's 'bed' is. His brother, Sora, is screaming and crying. Vanitas stands up and braves the cold floor between them on his bare feet. He kneels by Sora.
"Hey, bro." He whispers, shaking him lightly.
Sora looks up at him, fear in his clear blue eyes. "V-Vani?" He whimpers.
Vanitas nods slowly. "Yeah. It's ok, don't worry. It's just the storm."
Sora's eyes grow even larger, he hadn't realized there was a storm. He just had a nightmare. "S-storm?!" He dives into Vanitas, hugging him tightly.
Vanitas quickly excepts his age-old role as big-brother and hugs him tightly. "It's ok, it's ok..." The blackette chants, patting the back of his brother's head gently.
"Vani...?" Sora whispers.
"Yeah?"
"C-can I...can I sleep with you?" The little brunette looks up into Vanitas's shining gold eyes.
Vanitas nod solemnly and walks him back to his cot next to the wall. He pulls the ratty, colorless blanket off the blue plastic netting. The twins lie down on the small rectangle and Vanitas spreads the blanket over them both.
Sora curls up against Vanitas's chest, holding onto his over-sized navy t-shirt. He falls asleep the instant Vanitas puts his arm protectively over Sora's back.
Soon, Vanitas becomes very tired. When he closes his 24 karat gold eyes, it's like two small lanterns being snuffed out. He tumbles head first into sleep.
~x~
Boom!
"Ah!"
"Huh..."
Twelve-year-old Vanitas sits up in his bed. Actually, it's an old couch. Being the troublemakers in the orphanage, Sora and Vanitas had been herded into the attic, where the only sleeping accommodations where an air mattress and a couch. Vanitas took the couch.
The black-haired pre-teen gets up and walks across the rickety floor to Sora's bed. The other boy is sobbing into his pillow. Vanitas sits on the edge of the mattress and strokes Sora's hair. It's much like the situation five years ago, but Vanitas knows the dreams are worse. And the reality isn't much better.
"What was the nightmare this time?" He asks tenderly, still petting Sora's chocolate-colored spikes. They are, of course, identical to his own black hairstyle.
"M-Mr. Dodge ag-gin. He wouldn't stop hitting you." Sora whimpers, turning to Vanitas.
Mr. Dodge, their...fourth, I believe, foster parent. He was wildly abusive, and beat Vanitas almost every night until the caseworker came and sent the guy to jail. But he never was able to touch Sora. Vanitas couldn't move for two weeks, but that was a small price to pay for his little brother's well being. Unfortunately, Sora had crept down one night at the sound of Vanitas's quieted cries. He saw everything, and was traumatized.
Vanitas wraps his arms around the shaking brunette, and continues his tried-and-true chant of, "It's ok, it's ok..."
But...he wonders if it will be. Will he and Sora be adopted together, as they beg their caseworker (Ms. Farron) to try everyday, or will someone pick up on Sora's innocence and cuteness? Will he be taken away to some horrible child-slave driver? Or will (God forbid) Vanitas be picked first, leaving Sora to fend off bratty food-stealers and constant nightmares alone?
"Vani...?" Sora's plaintive whimper pulls Vanitas from his thoughts.
"Yes, Sora?"
Sora looks down at his lap, as if embarrassed.
"C-can you sleep with me?"
Vanitas nods. "Of course."
And just as before, Sora curls up against Vanitas's chest, clinging to his torn black t-shirt. Vanitas spreads the perhaps-plaid blanket over them both and puts his arm across Sora.
The other's breathing becomes repetitive and deep, signaling he is no longer conscious. It takes longer for Vanitas to fall asleep though, the fear and unknowingness of tomorrow too much for him.
Finally, at three in the morning, he closes his tarnished eyes. Dented and dulled by tears held back for his brother. Tears he couldn't spill, because he had to be strong.
~x~
Crash!
"NO!"
"Sora!"
Vanitas springs from the couch at the sound of his brother's cries. At first he thinks it's another nightmare, but he sees Sora isn't in his bed. He rushes down the creaky stairs and into the play area. The boy looks around frantically, but can't find his brother.
"VANI!" He hears someone scream.
The lobby!
Vanitas runs down a hall and through a door, before crashing into the building's lobby.
Sora is standing in front of Ms. Farron and two people. Vanitas might have noticed how pretty the lady is or how cheerful the man seems, but he is too distracted by the river's-worth of tears pouring out of his twin's eyes. Vanitas wraps Sora in a protective hug while simultaneously glaring at the adult trio.
"What's going on?" He demands as Sora sobs into his shoulder.
Ms. Farron gives Vanitas a sad look. "I'm sorry Van,-"
"Don't call me that." He interjected.
"Vanitas, than. I'm sorry Vanitas," she gives him a 'this is why you're twelve and still in an orphanage' look. "Sora is being adopted."
Vanitas's hardened heart drops.
"W-what?" He whispers, and everything grows quiet. Sora even stops sobbing for a moment.
"Mr and Mrs Fooser want to adopt Sora." The woman says gently.
Vanitas stares up at the two people. "You...you can't do this. You can't take my brother from me."
Ms. Farron turns to them. "Um...would you possibly be interested in adopting both of the twins?"
Mrs. Fooser shakes her head, her blonde hair flys everywhere. "Nope." What is she-five? "We only want him."
Vanitas's jaw drops, he is horrified. "B-but he's my brother. My twin! You...you want to separate twins? You can't do this to us!" At this testimony, Sora begins to wail. Vanitas pats his back reassuringly.
But really, who is he to assure Sora of anything?
"Sorry, but we don't have enough room. Or money." Mr. Fooser says, racking his hand through his thin brown hair.
"Then, maybe, you might consider taking another look at the other boys?" Ms. Farron is obviously nervous. But she has good reason, she's seen several of Sora's tantrums and knows just how protective Vanitas can get. And besides, it's yet to be proven they can survive without each other. They might stop eating or talking.
"No, we've made our decision. We want Sora." Mrs. Fooser chirps.
At which point, Vanitas grabs Sora's hand and pulls him up to their 'room.'
He herds the brunette to the back of the room, where there is a hole in the wall. The matrons had warned the boys about going back there, but one day while playing hide-and-go-seek Sora found a little-boy sized space where the floor extended to. It was a good hiding place, especially if you cover the space with the dark gray towel they had strung up. It makes one nearly invisible.
Vanitas hops on the couch and picks up a book he had seen on the floor. He doesn't know what it is, but it makes him look like he's doing something.
The grown-ups tromp up the stairs to see an empty air mattress and a couch inhabited by Vanitas. Who is, maybe for the first time in his life, holding a book.
He looks up. "Hi." The greeting is paired with cold eyes that make Mr. Farron take a step back in fear.
Ms. Farron however, fears no child. Not even...this child.
"Van." She says, earning herself a glare from the nickname-hating Vanitas. His brother is the only one who is tolerated when it comes to that. "Where is Sora?"
The noirette stands up (Mr. Fooser hides behind his wife) and sets his book on the floor. "Bout yea high?" He indicates his own height. Ms. Farron nods. "Yes."
"Crazy brown hair? Blue eyes?"
Ms. Farron nods again, very used to the children's games.
Vanitas flops back down on the couch. He picks up his book and starts 'reading' (although no one ever actually taught the twins how to read).
"Never seen 'im."
Not a good idea.
Mrs. Fooser turns a funny shade of red. Vanitas stands up and she rushes him. The (possibly insane) woman picks the ravenette up by his jacket collar. "Where. Is. My. Son?"
At this, Vanitas's eyes turn dark. He pulls her hands off of him. His feet hit the ground with a clack.
"Your son? Your son?!" Vanitas yells, taking a step forward.
"He's not your son! He's my brother!" The angry boy screams. They weren't going to take Sora away.
No one could separate them.
Vanitas and Mrs. Fooser start yelling (more like screeching) at each other and Mr. Fooser mumbles something about waiting in the car.
Ms. Farron hears a tiny voice; "Vani...?" She looks for the source and then notices the big hole in the wall. She walks quietly over to the hole and sees a thick gray towel hanging over a bar on the inside of the hole. The lady almost doesn't notice it, but the nearly-silent sobs gives it away. Ms. Farron gently pulls the makeshift curtain away to reveal Sora. His eyes are red and puffy from crying, and his hair is even more disheveled.
The woman held her hand out to the boy, who stares up at her, then drops his eyes and takes her hand. Ms. Farron leads Sora out of his hiding place and back into the bedroom.
The other brother and his now-arch enemy are still shouting at each other. Ms. Farron leads Sora by the hand next to Mrs. Fooser like the mother he no longer wants.
Vanitas stops yelling. "I...I...Sora..."
"Vanitas," Ms. Farron says evenly. "Sora is being adopted. You are staying here."
At this point, Vanitas basically gives up.
"Now, please say goodbye."
He takes two steps forward and numbly wraps Sora in a hug.
"Listen to me, Sora." He whispers into his twin's ear. "Everything is going to be alright. And when we turn eighteen, we'll meet up and go to collage in Destiny Islands together." This was a dream they had shared since they found a Destiny Islands University t-shirt under Sora's bed.
"A-and I'll become an artist and you'll be a guitar player." He adds. They pull apart and Vanitas looks into Sora's cloudy eyes.
"You're going to be fine. You're going to go to school," Here he adds a meaningful glare at Mrs. Fooser. "And meet some hot girl..."
Sora actually giggles. "V-Vani? What if I have nightmares?"
Vanitas reaches around his head and pulls at the clasp and takes his silver necklace off. It consists of a large silver crown on a thick chain. He clasps it around Sora's neck and gives him a weak smile.
"V-Vani?" Sora whimpers.
Vanitas tugs at Sora's clothes, straightening them out like mother would. "Yes?"
"W-will you be ok here alone?"
The noirette stops. He straightens his back. "Y-yeah...don't worry about me. I'm tough." He grins at Sora.
Sora sniffs and smiles bravely. "I love you Vani."
He will not cry. He won't. He can't. Not in front of Sora. No...he has to be strong.
"I...I love you too...Sora."
Sora grasps the metal crown in his hand as Mrs. Fooser leads him downstairs. Vanitas follows behind.
They get to the street, where Sora climbs slowly into their tiny station wagon. Vanitas stands on the concrete steps.
He won't cry...no...no...no...
He cries.
~x~
It's been two years since Sora left. His 'family' hadn't let him write or call, but Vanitas doesn't care. He knows if he hears anything from his brother, he'll lose his mind.
At the moment the raven-haired boy is sitting in an under stuffed chair in the playroom with his back to the playing children in the huge room. The black eye he'd obtained in a fight against some sixteen-year-olds is throbbing. Without Sora there, Vanitas had no one who looked up to him. His temper got shorter and shorter, and he picked fights with anyone who crossed him.
He is staring intently at a loose thread on the dark green couch, when a shadow falls over him. He looks up, glaring.
Standing in front of him is a bald man in a fancy silk suit, looking the teen over.
"I am Mr. Kazay. I have a lot of money." He says.
Vanitas blinks. "Good for you."
The man clears his throat. "I don't think you understand, ah...Vanitas, is it? I want to adopt you."
The black-haired boy raises his eyebrows. "Hm. You're rich. You're bald. You do realize my name's not Annie, right?"
The man looks mildly surprised. "Yes. Vanitas, I am looking for a mature child who does not yell or cry. One that can take care of himself. I need an heir."
Vanitas stares. The man continues. "I will not play with you or pay much attention to you at all. You will attend a private school and be waited on by my extensive staff."
"You want me.." He says slowly. "To come to your house..and live there..until you kick it..and then take all your money? And you won't ever bother me?"
The man puts his hands behind his back. "Indeed."
Vanitas hops up. "Let's go!"
~x~
They arrive at a huge brown mansion. Three men in suits help Vanitas and Mr. Kazay out of the white stretch limo. The moment Vanitas set his combat boot inside the door, he was offered an array of sweets and sodas. How did they know all his favorites?
This is good. He thinks as he cautiously takes a bite out of a piece of chocolate. The moment he bites down, some sour juice squirts in his mouth. He smiles, showing off stained red teeth. Even if the old man doesn't die before Vanitas turns eighteen, by the looks of it, he could steal a freaking lightbulb and still be rich.
"I think," the boy says, blowing a kiss to a particularly cute maid. "I'm gonna like it here."
In four years, I'll meet with Sora at Destiny Islands. We'll go to collage together and share a dorm. I'll become a world-famous artist and he'll be a rock star.
And everything will be perfect.
X
Xionhikairi: You're welcome! I mean, someone who reviews on every chapter deserves some recognition in my opinion!
Ok, if I don't get my iPod fixed this week, I'll see you soon!
Please review!