Hello! I hope this was worth the wait :'3
Thank you so much for still being here! I hope you liked this chapter and that you enjoy what's coming as we get near to the end ;w;
On another note: VanVen Week is almost here again! :D For those of you who don't know, last year I put up some prompts on Tumblr for people to use them if they wanted to make content for the boys and it was amaziing! I participated myself with a fic collection (If you'd like to see what I came up with, you can check them here: /series/1222745 ) and many other people made fics and fanart too :3
So this year I decided to do the same and posted some prompts on Tumblr and Twitter. If you'd like to see them or even participate, make sure to check them out! (Also -coughs- I've posted some more VanVen art there too, including a scene from Fledgling Emotions itself, so if you'd like to keep in touch with other stuff I do feel free to send me a Hi over there :3 ). Let's give these boys all the love they deserve!
My Twitter is: EmrSaory
My tumblr is: saoryemanoelle-art
Once again, thank you so much for all your support! On a lighter note this time, I'll see you guys on VanVen week :D
The school felt more silent than usual. Maybe because her own mind was filled with thoughts, closed off to anything that was happening around her. Maybe because everyone already knew about what happened, which made it harder for her to at least pretend things were alright. Maybe because to receive that news had been a shock and she was still in denial.
Aqua didn't go into the classroom at first. She waited. Waited for her students to sit down, for a moment to prepare herself. In her heart, however, she knew that no matter how long she waited, she would never feel prepared.
Except by the sound of desks and chairs being pulled around, there was nothing more. No laughter, no conversations between happy students who'd just returned from the weekend.
Aqua sighed, put her books on her desk and took a step forward.
"Good morning, everyone! Before we start, I… I'd like to have a few words with you."
Her eyes fell on Xion and Ienzo who were sitting next to each other holding hands. In the back, Riku stared down to the floor in silence. Sora hadn't come.
"As most of you must know, one of your colleagues is… Hospitalized." A few of them nodded. "To the ones who didn't know, I… I really hoped I wouldn't need to tell you this. But..."
Aqua closed her eyes. She remembered every detail.
Saturday had started like any other day. As he always did every weekend, Terra woke up before her, gave her a good morning kiss and left the bed to make them breakfast. She had smiled, enjoying a few more minutes on the bed and listening to her husband sing in the kitchen.
They didn't have any plans for the day. There were no tests to grade, only classes to be prepared for next week, which they were more than used to and was therefore just a part of their routine. There was something however that worried both of them.
"Do you think he'll send something today?" She asked when he came back to bed, bringing breakfast with him.
"...I hope so."
Aqua had sighed, nodding and thanking him for the food. She turned the TV on and they spent a few more minutes together, watching the news absently.
At 9:45, Terra's cellphone vibrated. He picked it up.
"It's him!"
"What did he say?"
"He asked if we can talk." Terra said, quickly typing his reply down and sending it.
They had shared glances and Aqua remembered smiling again. After trying to get close to the boy for so long, it seemed they were actually making progress. All thanks to Ventus. She held her husband's hand and sat closer to him, staring at the cellphone screen. Then another message was received and she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
It's about my father.
They waited. Suddenly, Vanitas was offline. Soon, ten minutes had passed and he still hadn't replied.
"He's probably just busy..." Terra said, trying to calm his wife down even though he was worried himself. They had waited for a few more minutes before Terra sent another message asking if everything was okay. With no answer, he tried calling him once, but no one picked it up.
Despite the awful feeling that took over themselves, they tried not to get too desperate. Maybe it was just being hard for the boy. After all, it was the first time he was trying to open up about his personal life like this. Maybe he'd just gotten nervous and left his cellphone aside for a while, maybe he was just distracted with something else...
It was only three hours later that they got a definitive answer. Only two hours later when an unknown number called Terra and color drained from his face.
"Honey?" Aqua had called for him. "Honey, what happened?"
"... Vanitas, he..."
"What? What happened? Is he okay?"
Terra rubbed his face with his hand. He took a deep breath and looked back at her.
"Aqua, his father…!"
In the classroom, Aqua opened her eyes. She looked to Ventus' and Roxas' empty chairs, but mostly to Vanitas', with a heavy heart. The students didn't try to hide their pain and so she didn't either.
"But as your teacher, it is my responsibility to let you know. I think we need to talk a bit. We need to talk..."
They all looked up at her.
"... So we can prevent this from happening again."
For the fifth time, his alarm went off. For the fifth time, he turned it off and closed his eyes, tightening his arms around Chirithy. It was Wednesday.
His head hurt. Ventus had lost count of how many times he'd woken up in the middle of the night, of how long he'd been rolling from side to side on the bed while trying to sleep or simply to stop thinking.
The windows were closed. Even though he was constantly turning his alarm off, he didn't really see what time it was. It didn't really matter. He didn't want to get out of there. He just wanted to sleep and forget everything for some time. Even for just a few minutes, it'd be enough.
But how could he forget? How could he forget Vanitas' empty gaze while laying on his vomit, in his own house? How could he forget the way they had taken him away, of how he had waited for what felt like hours just to know if he was alive?
Ventus couldn't forget. All he did was to cry.
He pulled Chirithy closer, no longer trying to suppress his hiccups. He hadn't been able to do so the entire night, he knew he wouldn't be able to now. Ventus buried his face against his plush, the plush which had been given to him as a gift on one of the best days of that year.
Vanitas had been so happy that day. They all had been so happy...
He pressed his hands against his head. The pain was almost unbearable but there was nothing he could do. He just wished he could go back in time. He wished he had gone with him to talk to Terra, he wished he had asked for help before Vanitas even considered the idea. If he had, Vani wouldn't be at the hospital now, he wouldn't have almost died. If he had-
"Son?"
Ventus closed his eyes, muffling his sobs with his hand. He heard his mother approach but didn't look at her.
"... Ventus..." She sat on his bed, looking at him with all the care in the world. It hurt to see her son like that. It hurt so much. "Son, it's lunchtime."
"'M… 'm not h-hungry, mom..."
"Sweetheart, you need to eat something." She said in a very low tone of voice. It wasn't the first time she went there. Her husband had gone there too, even Roxas, but nothing they said made him leave the bed. "You barely ate last night and you didn't have breakfast today..."
She gently stroked her child's hair.
"... Sweetheart, I'm so sorry…"
Ventus whimpered, his eyes closed.
"... But he's safe now. They're taking good care of him. When you least expect it, he will wake up."
"What if he doesn't?"
Ventus felt sick. A cracked rib, broken teeth, glass shards on his head... Wounds and bruises all over his face… His eyes, opaque. Empty.
"Ven-"
"What if he doesn't wake up?" Ventus repeated and looked at her in despair. "W-what if he stops fighting…? If… If gets tired and gives up-"
"Son, no…"
"It's all my fault!" He sat up, crying louder. "If I had.. If I had told someone, if I had done something, anything-!"
"Ventus, it wasn't your fault..." She pulled him into her arms and her heart clenched when he held onto her. "You can't blame yourself for what happened..."
"But I k-knew! I knew he was in danger but I waited, I waited and now he's there when he could be here with us. When he could be here with me!"
Ventus squeezed his eyes shut. All he needed was for Vanitas to be alright. He needed to hear his voice again. To see his smile again. He needed… He needed to apologize for failing him.
He felt his mother's arms tighten around him. She held his face in her hands.
"Ventus… Vanitas loves you. He loves you so much." She kissed his forehead. "And I know you love him, too."
"I do! I love him so s-so much, mom…!"
"And he knows this. He knows you did everything you could, Ven. Please, don't blame yourself like that..."
Ventus shook his head, frustrated. She didn't understand. No one seemed to understand.
"Is…" He swallowed dry. "Is dad with him right now? I… I don't want him to be alone."
His mother smiled. Vanitas didn't have familiars who could stay with him at the hospital, but that didn't matter. He had them now. She and her husband agreed on staying with him, making sure the boy would always have at least one of them around.
"Yes, son."
"And… And when can we go?"
"The visiting hours start at 3. But you need to eat before going, Ven. You'll feel sick if you don't."
"I'll eat something later. Just… Just not now. Please."
She sighed, saddened but understanding. She didn't want to push him more than she should. It was being hard enough for him. For all of them.
"Alright… Just promise me you'll do it, yeah?"
"... I promise."
They left home around 2:20 pm, not exchanging more words than necessary. In the car, Ventus sat on the back seat and leaned his head against the window. He wasn't paying attention to the street. He wasn't paying attention to anything but to the voices in his head.
The way he spoke was… Soft. He even wished me a happy day… He's never done that before.
"I'll be staying with him tonight, okay?" Their mother said, but only Roxas listened. "Your father will come home with you".
I'm scared, Ven.
Roxas' cellphone vibrated.
"Ventus?"
I'm afraid of what he might do to m-me!
"Brother!"
"Uh?" He looked back at Roxas. His head was starting to hurt again.
"Our friends… They sent you a hug."
"Oh… Thanks."
Ventus hadn't touched his own cellphone since the day they found Vanitas. Any message their friends had sent him was unread and they would stay that way for some time.
"Xion told us to pass by her house when we come back. She made cupcakes. I think Ienzo will be there too."
"Cool."
Ventus knew his friends wanted to help him. He knew he had support but at the moment he just wanted to be alone, even though he had already been alone in the past few days. He wasn't ready to talk to his friends yet.
They got to the hospital just a little before 3. Ventus had already had enough of that place. He felt nervous just by being there.
"Good afternoon."
His mother talked to the receptionist for them and Roxas stood by his brother's side. Ventus put his hands in his pants pockets, his eyes fixed in the waiting room. Remembering the many hours they spent there, waiting for news along with their friends and Axel who immediately came to be with them. Remembering when Roxas used his cellphone to call Terra and to let him know what happened. Of how he and Aqua arrived just a few minutes later.
"Ven? It's time."
"Okay..."
Their father was waiting for them next to the door and he smiled when he saw his two sons. To see Vanitas in that state was painful. He didn't know if he'd be able to bear seeing one of his little ones like that.
"Can I go inside?"
Ventus' voice was low. Hesitant. He looked up at his parents, his eyes filled with anguish, and they nodded once the nurse allowed him to. He accompanied her and she opened the door.
It felt as if all air was ripped out of his lungs.
Ventus remembered well the day Vanitas slept with him. He had made himself comfortable and smiled, calm and relieved after telling someone about his father. Ventus too had felt relieved, happy for seeing him by his side, safe and warm.
That was how he deserved to be. Happy, without feeling scared all the time. But instead, he was on that bed, his forearm marked by needles, motionless and stuck in that place. Wounded. Alone.
When Ventus first visited Vanitas on Monday he hadn't been able to stand on his own and needed his mother to hold him. He was standing now, but felt like his legs would give in at any moment.
"I'll leave you two alone. I'll be outside if you need me." The nurse said softly and closed the door behind him.
Only then Ventus approached the bed. He looked at the cardiac monitor and then at Vanitas' face, holding his breath as he did. Hesitant, Ventus moved his hand to his boyfriend's face and stroked his cheeks just like he had done days ago.
"... Hi, Vani."
His eyes welled up with tears. He leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"... It's me again. I'm here."
He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down, holding Vanitas' hand in his.
"No more IVs today. And dad said… Dad said you didn't need any more oxygen. That's really good. It… It means you're getting better."
From that room, one could hear people chatting outside. One could hear steps in the corridor. All kinds of medicines being taken from and to rooms, doctors caring for their patients.
"But..."
But Ventus didn't hear anything. And all that silence was suffocating.
"Vani, I'm… I'm… Vanitas, I'm so scared…!"
Vanitas wasn't breathing when they brought him in. If they'd arrived just a bit later, they would've lost him. Still, they didn't know he had crawled from his bathroom to the living room, or that he'd pushed his body beyond his limits and how lucky he was that his ribs hadn't been broken to the point of hurting his lungs.
"Every day I hope you'll be awake, but… But you're not. I just… I just want to hear your voice again."
But to know that or not wouldn't change the state he was in now. It wouldn't make him less pale, it wouldn't erase those wounds from his body. Ven looked up at Vanitas again.
"I just want to hold you..."
Ventus held Vanitas' hand tighter and held his breath, waiting. He waited, waited for Vanitas to twitch his fingers even if just a little, just enough to show he was listening to what Ventus said. It was always like that in movies, right? All it was needed was to really wish for the loved person to react that they answered. That they gave a sign.
But he wasn't in a movie. And the truth was Vanitas wasn't listening.
Ventus crossed his arms on the bed and buried his face on them. He stood still for one hour and he'd stay forever if he could. But he couldn't, not yet.
Maybe one day, when Vanitas woke up, they could be together in a house of their own. Ventus would take care of him. He would take care of him like no one had ever done before.
But he couldn't do that now. And it was only with his father's help that he managed to say goodbye and leave the room.
It was Saturday. Roxas and Ventus were in the living room, watching a random movie that was on TV while their mother went shopping. Their father was at the hospital. It was 5 in the afternoon when the doorbell rang and Roxas stood up with a smile, already knowing who it was.
"Hi, everyone!"
Sora, Xion, Ienzo, and Riku smiled at him. Roxas was the one who invited them, hoping they could help him cheer his brother up a bit. He couldn't bear to see him looking so miserable.
"Thanks for coming..."
"Don't mention it." Sora gave him a light tap on his back and walked inside, searching for Ventus.
"Ven!"
Ventus looked up in surprise and Sora hugged him before he could even understand what was going on. His friends all waited to do the same, happily greeting Ventus before they all sat down.
"You guys want something? We just made some juice-" Ventus asked even though his voice was slurred and his eyes were unfocused.
"Don't worry about us, Ven." Xion said softly. "Do you want some though?"
"No, I… I just ate. Thanks, Xi."
Ienzo rubbed Ventus' back and looked at their friends. They all nodded and so he spoke.
"... Did you go see him today?"
"Yeah…" Ventus looked down, staring at his own feet. "Terra was there too."
Xion smiled. "Yeah? Did you talk to him?"
"I did. It's not the first time he goes. He and Aqua, they went… On Wednesday or Tuesday, I can't remember..."
"Everyone at school is worried about Vanitas." Riku said. "I think they all would go see him if they could."
Ventus nodded. "Yeah. I just… I wish he knew that."
"He will." Sora promptly exclaimed. "When he wakes up. Then we'll all visit him again!"
"Just imagine his face when he sees all of us there!" Riku added and Xion chuckled. "I bet he'll be surprised!"
Ienzo laughed. "Well, I'm sure he'll like the surprise. He'll be happy. I know he will."
Ventus teared up and looked away for a moment. Everyone was so hopeful that Vanitas would wake up… He sighed and looked down.
"Vani… Always seemed so lonely." He said. "I think… To see everyone there will make him happy. He will see… We've all been waiting for him."
"... We're all waiting for you too." Xion said with care. "We miss you, you know."
Riku agreed. "Yeah. School isn't the same without you."
Ventus smiled at them. Roxas did go to school a few days that past week, more so he could understand the lessons and help his brother with them later on, but Ven himself hadn't managed to.
"When are you coming back?" Sora asked, expectantly.
"I… I don't know. I think it would be a waste of time, I won't be able to concentrate."
"But you'd be with us! We are all gonna be there. At our usual spot. You won't be alone."
Ienzo nodded. "Yeah. We know you're worried. We all are. But… We're worried about you too. To isolate yourself will only make things harder, Ven."
Xion stood up from where she was sitting, leaning down in front of Ven. She held both of his hands and looked into his blue, teary eyes.
"Vanitas will be alright... But he needs time. When he wakes up, we'll all go see him. But for now..."'
"For now..." Roxas finally said, thankful for their friends' support. "For now, I think he'd like you to be with us."
Ventus raised his head, looking to each one of them. Roxas, his brother and best friend. Sora, the talkative boy they'd met as toddlers. Xion, Ienzo and Riku, three people he didn't even know when that year began but for who he would do anything now. They were all there, together, for him. For Vanitas.
He closed his eyes for a moment, held Xion's hand back and smiled genuinely for the first time that day.
"... Thank you."
"Ven?"
It was Monday. Nine days.
"Are you going today…?
Ventus slowly opened his eyes, Chirithy safe in his arms. He mumbled a few words and sat up, thinking of the answer.
"I…"
"If you don't feel well, I can come back home with you."
"... I'm going."
His body seemed to refuse to move unless it was to take him back to bed. Still, Ventus pushed himself up, changed his clothes and went down the stairs with Roxas, to the kitchen where their father was waiting for them.
To see Ventus made the adult smile from ear to ear. He kissed each of his sons' forehead and put the coffee on the table.
"Good morning, boys. Did you sleep well?"
"Mhm." Roxas sat down, getting himself a piece of bread. "Did you, dad?"
"I did." He sat down, turning his attention to Ventus. "What about you, Ven?"
"I… Had a nightmare. Didn't sleep that well."
"Want to talk about it?"
"... No. Not really."
He couldn't remember exactly what happened in his dream but he remembered Xehanort was there. That by itself made his blood boil. The police still had no clue about the man's whereabouts. He had left his son behind, alone, and ran away like the coward he was. Ventus wanted him to pay for what he had done.
"So, uh..." Ventus proceeded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Did you talk to mom?"
"Mhm." Roxas picked his phone up. "She said he's alright."
Alright.
"Good."
They didn't talk much while going to school, but Roxas was just glad Ventus was with him that day. And Ventus, as much as it hurt to not see Vanitas waiting for him at the street corner, couldn't help but smile when he saw his friends at the school entrance.
Sora came running to him. "Ven! You came!"
He pulled Ventus into a bear hug - To which Ventus returned, although out of breath - and put an arm around him, joining the rest of the group as they walked inside. They were all happy for having Ventus with them again and hoped they could at least distract him a bit.
In the first class of the day, Luxord happily welcomed Ventus back and the boy thanked him for it, but then he suddenly realized that everyone must already know about what happened. He hadn't asked Roxas about that, it didn't even cross his mind with everything going on, but he did wonder about how many students knew.
Well, it couldn't be helped. Once Vanitas was back, people were bound to ask him questions after all. And then they would find out, one way or another… The thought made him uncomfortable.
"Alright… Where did we stop?" Luxord asked and everyone got their books. Ventus looked around. Being away for a week had been enough to make him feel different, almost like a stranger. He wondered how much he'd lost.
"Page 140, professor!"
"Thank you, Kairi. Very well, then..."
Ventus felt like he had been there for a long time, staring at those words without reading any of them. He didn't say anything and actually wrote some things down, but they didn't make any sense to him. His eyes often wandered around, searching for his friends, making sure they were all there. Then they'd fall on Vanitas' desk and his heart would sink.
"Ven?" Roxas asked behind him.
"Mm?"
"Are you okay?"
"... Yeah."
He turned his attention back to his notebook.
It took a long time for the lesson to end. To his relief, Luxord didn't ask him questions and didn't call his attention when he started dozing off. Once his classes were over, it was Aqua who came to the classroom but by then Ventus had fallen asleep and so he didn't see her.
When the bell for break finally rang, he sleepily followed his brother to the schoolyard, putting his cellphone in his pocket and walking with him to their usual spot close to the entrance gate.
Riku and Xion sat on the floor, chatting about something Ventus didn't understand and thus ignored. Sitting on the bench next to his brother, he took his cellphone off his pocket and put it aside, staring into the distance, watching a few younger students playing catch.
"Ven?"
He raised his head, noticing Ienzo in front of him.
"Here. For you." He said, handing him a Lucky Lucky.
"Thanks, Ien. I'm not hungry."
"Well, you can take it home. To eat after lunch."
"I don't think so… But thanks anyway."
Ienzo pressed his lips together with worry but didn't insist on it. Instead, he gave the chocolate to Roxas and sat down.
Ventus sighed, crossing his arms and turning his attention to the students again. Considering this was his first day after being away for so long, it had been rather… Alright until now. He really didn't feel like going the next day, though. He couldn't wait to get home and go to bed again. Then he and Roxas would go to the hospital at 3. And then…
And then…
He blinked a few times and actually focused this time. A student was walking towards them. Towards him. He was taller than he was, a 12th grader. Ventus took a deep breath and pressed his fingers on his arm when Max stopped before him.
His friends turned to the newcomer, standing as soon as they realized who it was. Roxas stood next to his brother.
"... Hey."
Ventus barely moved, his eyes fixed on the boy's face. What was he doing there? It had been months since they've interacted at all and even then they weren't in good terms. Ventus frowned.
"I, uh… I heard about… You know..."
Max looked down, clearly uncomfortable. Ventus remembered how he had feared him before. He didn't fear him now.
"He… How is he?"
Oh, he's fine. You know. Didn't wake up ever since he was beaten by his own father.
"They said…" Max continued since Ventus didn't reply. "They said… Did someone beat him? Was that it?"
"Maybe you should go." Ienzo stepped up, standing next to the brothers. "Ventus doesn't want to talk."
"I just want to know how he's doing." Max shrugged, a guilty smile on his face. "It's been a while since he doesn't come to school, I just-"
"You just what?"
It was Ventus. He stood up, staring at the other boy. Remembering every word he'd said in that alley months ago, every name he'd called them. Every punch and every kick. Everything Vanitas told him after.
"I just-"
"Say it!"
Max swallowed dry. He didn't look as tough as he did at the beginning of the year, maybe because something was bothering him or maybe just because of the way the blond stared at him.
"Was… Was it his father again...?"
Ventus stared at the other boy and suddenly he remembered. Of course. Or course, Vanitas told him Max knew about it, he was one of the very few people who did! Max hated Vanitas for hurting his brother and Ventus had never truly understood why exactly Vanitas hated him so much but if Max was aware of what Xehanort did then-
"You knew…"
He didn't deny it.
"All this time… All this time you knew about it!"
He didn't deny it.
His other friends walked to him, surrounding Ventus. Max looked away.
"Did you know or not?!" Ventus asked out loud and pushed the older boy, his vision blinded by anger. Of course he did, Vanitas told him so, but he wanted him to admit it, to say it out loud. Roxas immediately held his brother back, helped by Ienzo and Riku, but Max didn't do anything. Anything but finally look up and stare right at the blond.
"Yes. I've always known."
Ventus didn't know what took over him. Suddenly, all he knew was that he jumped against the boy and punched him on his jaw, his fists still trying to hit him again when he was pulled back by someone. Max stumbled backward, taken by surprise.
"Ventus, stop-!" Roxas screamed as he tightened his grip around his brother.
"You knew about it and yet you did nothing?! All this time-" He felt Ienzo grab him by his arm and gritted his teeth, trying to free himself. "Instead of helping him, all you did was to mock him! You laughed at him, you hurt him-!"
Xion and Sora stepped forward, standing between Ventus and Max but Ven continued to shout at the boy who still avoided his gaze.
"If you had done something… If you'd done anything-!"
"Hey, hey, what's going on here?!"
"If you had just told someone then this wouldn't have happened, it could've been different-!"
"Ventus?!"
The moment Ventus saw who it was he finally came back to his senses. Demyx and Xaldin stopped on their tracks, checking on the students as he stopped moving and let himself be held.
Roxas stared at him and Ventus lowered his gaze. "Ven…"
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Roxas…"
"What happened?!" Demyx asked worriedly and only then did Ventus notice other students watching from afar. "Ventus, what-"
"You're right." Max said, finally looking at him while Xaldin stared with a frown. "I… I've always known. I think I… Came here so I could apologize? But-"
Ventus shook his head. No, he wasn't right. Max and Vanitas' relationship was something he was barely part of. All he knew were bits and pieces.
"Ventus…"
No, he wasn't right. All he was doing was to put the blame on somebody else.
"Ventus!"
He turned to look; Xion stared at him anxiously, holding his cellphone in hand.
"Your mother is calling!"
He practically jumped to her to get the phone and everyone's attention turned to him. They all gathered around, waiting, listening as he called for his mother.
"Hello?! Mom?! Mom, is everything okay?!"
Ventus listened in silence then let out a heavy sigh, tearing up. He covered his mouth with his hand, nodded and then turned the phone off, looking back to his friends.
"He…"
Ventus smiled.
"He woke up!"
Ventus and Terra were outside of the hospital, sitting on a bench in the garden, waiting for Aqua to return. She had been with Vanitas for ten minutes now; there were only five left before visiting hours were over.
The blond was staring at nowhere in particular. It was windy but he enjoyed being in the wind. His hair was a bit of a mess and yet, maybe for the first time in days, he felt a little calmer.
Terra seemed to share that feeling. With his arm around the boy's shoulder, he too wasn't looking at anything. But he was thinking. He was thinking a lot.
"... How are you, Ven?"
The boy looked at him, his hands closed together. "I'm… You know. Not very well."
Terra nodded, his voice low and calm. "I heard about what happened at school today morning."
Ventus widened his eyes, blushing with shame. After he knew Vanitas woke up he even forgot the almost fight he had had. Before he could apologize, however, Terra continued.
"Don't worry. I'm not here as your teacher now. I'm here as a friend." He took a deep breath. "You know, Ven… I once told Vanitas that he could always count on me. That I'm not here to judge, only to help... The same goes to you."
He smiled, looking at the boy with care. "What you've been through lately… No one but you knows how hard it's been. So if you need to talk or… A shoulder to cry on… Know that we're here. Aqua and I, we will always be here for each one of you."
"... Thanks, professor. I… I appreciate it. But..."
Ventus crossed his arms. When he got to the hospital, Vanitas was no longer awake. His mother, who was with Van when he woke up, said he'd fallen asleep just a few minutes after she called. Of course, he was glad Vani woke up at all! But he did feel frustrated for not being there. For not getting to him in time.
"... You… Can I tell you something? But… I need you to be honest with me."
Terra said nothing for a moment, taking in Ventus' features. The boy looked much older now than he did a few weeks ago. He looked exhausted, serious and very, very worried. To think Vanitas had always been like that but he'd never seen the signs…
"Of course. What is it?"
"... Everyone… Says I shouldn't blame myself for what happened. But I knew." Ventus looked up at him. "Vanitas told me about his father months ago. And I… I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid."
Terra was still listening. Ventus continued.
"… It's… Even if I'm not… Directly responsible for what happened, I'm still guilty to some extent. And… I hate it when people say I did my best because I know I didn't. I know I could've prevented this. No one can deny that. And I… I just wish people could understand."
Terra sighed. He waited for a few seconds and only when he was sure Ventus had nothing more to say he replied.
"... We all are to blame to some extent, Ven."
The wind was getting stronger. There were fewer people around them now.
"We all could have… Done something. Made sure this wouldn't get this far. But… At the moment, blaming ourselves won't take us anywhere."
Ventus nodded, closing his eyes and leaning against his teacher.
"At the moment, we must have hope. And patience. Right now, the most important thing is for Vanitas to recover. Once he's well, then… Then we'll think of the rest."
The wind was getting stronger. But on the inside, something made them feel calmer.
Once Aqua left the room, Ventus watched her and Terra leave. He waited alone at the entrance of the hospital, waiting for his father to take him home. He really wanted to go back and stay with Vanitas but now all he could do was wait.
Still, it was funny how Vanitas woke up on the same day he went back to school. Ven liked to think he had something to do with that. That he, somehow, gave Vanitas the strength he needed to open his eyes.
"What you said yesterday after the ceremony, did… Did you mean it?"
"I did. Did you?"
Vanitas needed time, but he also needed someone to be strong for him. He had been strong for too long.
"Yes, I did."
" Can you say it again?"
At that moment, Ventus swore to be that someone.
It was Thursday. His mother had called him just a few minutes ago.
" He's awake!"
He was shaking and sweating, unable to control the feelings that threatened to choke him. Ventus ran to the entrance, not waiting for his father or brother, pretty much jumping out of the vehicle once they had stopped. He couldn't wait, not anymore.
"And he's asking about you!"
He had run like that before when they first brought Vanitas in. Desperate to reach him, to make sure he was breathing, to make sure he was alive.
I need to tell him
By the time Roxas and his father got to the entrance, Ventus was already walking to the room. It took everything in him to stay close to the nurse and not go by himself, afraid he'd miss his chance. The nurse smiled at him but Ventus didn't smile back.
Please, I just need to tell him-
He stood before the room. Time seemed to stop and he could swear it took an eternity for the door to be opened, an eternity which made him shake with expectation, with worry. The nurse turned the doorknob, giving him space to go inside. And so he did.
And so, Vanitas turned his head to look at him.
The cuts on his face, the bruises on his eyes, all of that meant nothing. Vanitas was barely moving, exhausted, but even as he struggled to stay awake he still looked at him like Ventus was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. He looked at him like he was his everything.
"V… Vanitas…?"
Ventus stared at him for a moment, afraid that he would wake up any minute now and realize that it was all a dream, that Vanitas was still unconscious.
But he didn't wake up and so Ventus took the final steps towards his loved one and reached for his face, cupping his cheeks with gentle but trembly fingers, tears now endlessly running down as he looked into his eyes. Days ago they looked almost devoid of life, but now there was a weak but persistent light in them. A light that came to be the moment when Ventus entered the room.
He slowly circled his arms around the other and Vanitas closed his eyes, leaning against the boy. He wasn't cold anymore. There was no blood on his body nor was he choking up with saliva. He was warm and safe and he was finally back in his arms again-
"V..."
Ventus held his breath, still holding on to him, listening. Vanitas tried again and this time raised his arms as well, holding on to the person he loved the most.
"... Ven…!"
Ven couldn't hold it back anymore. He carefully pulled Vanitas closer as he cried, sobbed as he held him, still afraid this wasn't really happening but this time it was. Ventus tried to speak, shaking and uselessly trying to hold his tears back when he felt Vanitas hold on to him, his fingers tightening around his shirt.
"V… Ven..."
"Yes? Yes, I'm right here, I-I'm r-right here with you, Van..."
"... I… "
I just need to tell him
"... I love you..."
Ventus' mother smiled at them and she too was unable to hold back her tears. It had been long, hard days of seeing her children suffer, of seeing them cry and being unable to do anything about it. He was crying again, but after a long time he cried with joy. And it was between sobs that Ventus smiled again and gently, softly kissed Vanitas' forehead.
"I-I love you too…!"
And so, Vanitas smiled too.