Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! This chapter just so happens to be about love so I hope it will put a smile on!
The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)
Chapter 48: An Offer Aqua Can't Refuse:
Aqua stepped out of her classroom, relieved and happy. Classes were done, so she headed toward her apartment where she figured Vanitas was already. Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. When she checked, her expression changed to surprise. She took a few seconds before she answered. In the back of her mind, she wondered why the person on the other line called. "Hello?"
"I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you busy?" the deep voice replied over the phone.
Aqua stepped outside and toward the side of the door to stand out of the way of the other students. "Yeah it has," her voice sounded curious. The last person she would expect to call was him.
"How have you been?"
Nearby, Aqua noticed an empty table and sat down. She smiled. "Good…I've been good. I've been busy with classes. What about you Terra?"
He gave a slight chuckle on the end of the line. "I've been fine. Hey Aqua…I was calling…for another reason." Aqua's curiosity rose. She knew there had to be a reason that he called all of a sudden. "I was wondering if I could see you?" Hearing those words had put her somewhat on edge, not because she didn't want to see him, but because of a certain black spiked haired boyfriend. "If your schedule is still the same, I have some time. I could meet you at the place you usually study."
"Um…?" Aqua wasn't sure what to do at the moment, but she wanted to see if he needed her for anything. "Sure. I'm already here." After they hung up, Aqua waited until she spotted Terra. She waved toward him as she smiled. "Terra!"
Terra let out a smile once she saw her. He sat down in front of her. "Thanks for waiting."
Aqua smiled back. "It's no problem. What did you want to see me about?"
"I'm sorry. I won't be able to stay long like I planned. I just haven't seen you as much."
"It's all right," she replied. "Things have been busy, so we haven't had a chance to talk much."
Terra grabbed her hand from under the table. "I would like to make it up to you." Aqua froze for a second with his sudden gesture. "I would like… to take you out to dinner. We can talk then."
"Um?" Quickly, Aqua slipped her hand out of Terra's. He was a little surprised. "Can I ask you something?"
Terra leaned back in his chair. "What?"
Aqua gave him a curious look. "Did my parents put you up to this?"
His eyes traveled to the side for a second. "Well… your mother did call me, but…" Terra smiled toward her. "…I did want to see you."
Aqua turned her head away, nervous. "Why?"
Terra smiled. "What do you mean? There must be some reason our parents keep putting us together and… I'm starting to see why."
His words put her on edge. She placed her hands firmly on the table. "Don't say that!"
Terra looked at her surprised. "Did I say something wrong?"
Aqua calmed down. "Um…? Sorry about that." Her eyes traveled toward the side.
"So? Would you like to go to dinner with me?" Aqua's eyes traveled down. She felt torn about the whole thing especially between Vanitas and her parents. She couldn't say yes. Terra took notice of her silence. "It doesn't have to be a date. We could just catch up. Maybe then our parents would get off our backs about seeing each other." Aqua looked up at him. No matter what he put it as, she knew that it would be a date. It would be up to her to decide what she should do next.
Inside of the apartment, Vanitas lied on the couch with one hand behind his head. He stared bored at the book standing up in his lap. Reading had almost put him asleep. Minutes later, Aqua unlocked the door and spotted Vanitas with his eyes barely opened. Instantly, a big smile spread across her lips as she carried in a few bags. "Hey!" Vanitas, half asleep, jumped at the sound of her cheerful voice. He sat up a little as he arched his eyebrow. He wondered what had her so happy. Aqua walked toward Vanitas and kissed him on the forehead. "How was your day?" Vanitas was about to answer her, but she had already moved onto her next question. "What do you want for dinner?"
"Huh?" He sat forward, on the edge of the couch as a suspicious look came to his face.
"Don't worry about it! I got it covered! I picked up a few things!" Aqua headed toward the kitchen after she had put her stuff down.
Now she was really acting strange. Usually, she made the excuse that she was too tired to cook except on the days she agreed to. Either, he would have to or they would have to eat out. Vanitas stared at her as she took some food out of the bags. Then, he walked in behind her. "What's got you so happy? You passed a test or something?"
Aqua turned around to him as she displayed a happy disguise to him. "No! I'm just happy to be here with you. Just you and me." Her arms wrapped around his waist and she leaned in closer to him. Uneasy, he returned the embrace. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Afterwards, she let go of him and returned back to the food she had left out. Vanitas was still suspicious about what was going on, but decided to let it go for now and returned back to the couch. As she had her back turned, the smile disappeared from her face and her worry returned. Her mind debated about telling Vanitas what was really going on, but she didn't know how he might react. For now, she decided that it was best to keep it to herself.
During dinner, Vanitas noticed that Aqua had barely touched her food as he sat across from her. "Hey."
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him. "Yeah?"
Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Aqua gave her best smile despite what clouded her mind. "Nothing. It's nothing." She returned her attention back to her plate. Her reaction only confirmed his suspicions. He wondered what she was hiding…
Later that night, Aqua lied under the covers of her bed, falling asleep on and off. Apart of her was still worried about what would happen. She opened her eyes and groaned. There was no way she could get out of things now. "You still awake?" Her body jumped at the sound of Vanitas's voice.
Aqua thought that he was still asleep. Her eyes shifted around nervously. "Um…? Yeah…" She wanted to make an excuse, but she didn't want to lie.
"Aqua." She turned her body to lie in front of him. Vanitas's eyes were open and staring at her. It was almost hard to look straight at him. Vanitas placed his fingers under her chin to make her look up at him. "You okay?"
Aqua leaned her head against his chest. Her body cuddled up closer to his. "I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me." She could hear the slight bit of frustration in his voice. She knew he didn't like when she didn't tell him what was on her mind.
Aqua stared down until she closed her eyes. "I was…just worrying over nothing. That's all…"
"Hmm…" Vanitas placed his arm around her waist. It still didn't explain what was going on with her, but for now he would back off.
Aqua closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep right after. "I'm sorry Vanitas."
The next day, Aqua returned back to her apartment from her last class. Tired, she sat her stuff in her room and began to change into something more comfortable. Suddenly, her phone rung and vibrated on the bed. "Hm?" Aqua looked over surprised. She didn't expect anyone to call as soon as she got back. Once she saw who it was, she became curious. "Hello?"
"So…? How did your talk with Terra go?" Her mother sounded cheerful and hopeful. "When I last talked to him, he told me that he couldn't stay long, but that he was going to ask you for a date. I take it that you accepted his offer?"
Aqua's eyebrows furrowed as she became upset. She knew she was behind this. "Mother!" Her fist baled at her side at the nerve of her mother trying to put her with Terra again. "You had no right doing that!"
"What are you talking about? I just thought since you're at school alone, you could use a friend and Terra is the perfect companion," her mother replied.
Aqua sat down as she grabbed onto the edge of the bed. "It wasn't you place to do that! It's enough that we go to the same school, but you shouldn't force him to ask me for a date!"
"I didn't force him. He mentioned that the two of you haven't seen each other much, so I just suggested it. It's good to stay in contact. What did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him anything! I don't want him to treat this like a date!"
"Just give him a chance. I'm sure you'll have fun. Just see each other."
"This isn't a-!" All of a sudden, she heard a dial tone. "Mother… Mother!" Aqua sighed frustrated. "She won't take no for an answer..." she whispered to herself. Even if she tried to do something about it, she couldn't talk her out of it. Afterwards, she finished changing. Even if her mother tried to set up a date with Terra, that didn't mean she had to go. Then, she stepped outside of her bedroom. When she lifted her eyes, her body jumped as she froze in place. "Vanitas?!" Vanitas glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he stood in front of the kitchen counter. Uneasy, she walked over to him. "You're back early." He still remained silent. She placed her hands behind her as she leaned in. "How was your day?"
"Fine," he gave a monotoned reply. He arched her eyebrow toward her. "What's going on with you?"
Aqua looked surprised. "What do you mean?" On his face, she could see his suspicious stare. She waved her hand as she smiled nervously. "Nothing much. Just a lot of work to do. I should get to it." As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the living room. The suspicion never left his face.
After a few days passed, as Aqua headed back to her apartment, a voice called out to her. "Aqua!"
Aqua turned around surprised. Ahead, she saw Terra approach. "Terra?!"
"I still haven't gotten a response yet. I'm free this weekend if you are." Aqua looked a little concerned. Her eyes traveled toward the side. Terra smiled to assure her. "Like I said, it doesn't have to be a date." Aqua stared at Terra for a moment. She did want to spend time with her good friend. Afterwards, she gave a small nod. Terra let out a smile. "I'll see you this weekend." On the outside, she let out a smile, but inside she was worried about how Vanitas would take it...
Afterwards, she headed back to her apartment and unlocked the door. Once she stepped inside, she saw Vanitas on the couch. She closed the door behind her and walked forward. "Hey," she whispered.
Vanitas reached on the side of the couch and pulled out a long white box. "This came for you today."
Aqua looked surprised. "But I didn't order anything…"
Vanitas gave her a serious look. "You didn't. Your mother did." Aqua had no idea of what her adoptive mother could've send her. When she opened the box, she saw a sparkling red dress. Then, it dawned on her as to why. She was set on her going on the date with Terra. Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "Why would she send you a dress?" Aqua was still worried about telling him what happened the past few days. Vanitas stood up and went over to her. He grabbed her hand, which caught her by surprise. Slowly, her eyes locked onto his as he gave her a serious look. "You ready to tell me what's got you acting so weird?"
Aqua stared at him, calm. "Weird…? What are you talking about? I-."
Hearing more excuses made Vanitas more frustrated. "Cut the crap!" Aqua jumped a little at the sharp tone of his voice, but then she sighed. She couldn't stand not letting him know. She sat down on the couch and placed her hands on her face, afraid of how he might react. Vanitas placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just say it." Aqua didn't reply as she kept her eyes toward the floor. Vanitas leaned back against the couch as he placed his arm over the top. "So? You're going to keep stuff from me now?"
Aqua breathed in as she closed her eyes. She relaxed herself. "I didn't… mean to…"
The frown deepened on his face. "When were you going to tell me about that phone call you got?"
Aqua turned her head to him. She was surprised that he knew about that. "How did you-?" Her eyes traveled along the floor. "Did you overhear the conversation with my mother?"
He gave her a serious look. "That would explain the dress. Start talking."
She sat back along with Vanitas as her fingers fiddled in her lap. "I got a phone call recently..."
Vanitas shrugged. "I already know who."
Lightly, Aqua shook her head. "No. First…It was…"
Vanitas frowned, frustrated again. "Just spit it out woman!"
"I got a call from…from…" When she looked over, she noticed Vanitas waiting for her explanation. Aqua breathed out as she closed her eyes, but then looked back at Vanitas. "Terra." Vanitas's expression didn't change. It seemed that he had already guessed as much. "We're supposed to meet together this weekend. I didn't want to mention it because…I thought you would be upset by it. I tried to get out of it, but then…I kind of got myself into it." Aqua gave him a worried glance. "I was afraid that if you knew…you would get angry and I don't want our relationship to end up like it was before."
Vanitas leaned forward closer to Aqua as confusion was written on his face. "How long has this been going on?"
Aqua felt slightly on edge about telling him. She looked down as she thought back. "It was when my parents had just moved me here and I could barely talk to anyone after what happened to you. Then, Terra and I started talking once I found out we were going to the same school. He was the only friend that I had while I was here alone." She closed her eyes. "It took my mind off of you and how worried I was. I was afraid that…I would never see you again. A few days ago… he met with me and he…asked me out on a date." Aqua held her head down. "I'm sorry."
Vanitas sighed. This was going too far. He wasn't going to let his woman go out with another guy. "Tell him no."
Aqua turned her head toward him. "Vanitas-."
Vanitas looked upset. "No! I don't care! He's not going out with you much less being around you! Why didn't you just tell him that you were with someone already?!"
"I wanted to because I want this setup with my parents to end, but then I thought that if I told him, then it would just get back to my parents. I know they'll try to separate us again." A worried look came on her face. "This time... Maybe for good. I..." Aqua let out a sigh and looked serious. "Besides...He's my friend and I want us to stay that way. I should be allowed to go out with my friend."
Vanitas looked upset. "Who are you kidding? This is a date! You're leading him on!"
"I-!" Before Aqua could finish, both of them heard her phone ring. Aqua pulled it from her pocket and answered it. Once she saw the phone, she let out a frown. "Mother…"
"Did you get my gift?" she asked, cheerful.
"That was too much."
"No it wasn't. Don't worry. Everything has been taken care of. I've already set reservations for the two of you."
Aqua sighed as she closed her eyes. She stepped away from Vanitas, leaving him to think. No matter what, they couldn't escape this. He wondered if Aqua would be happier if she had ended up with someone else. Then, they wouldn't have to keep fighting the same thing over and over again. Over time, he had become confident that she would stay happy with him, but listening to Aqua over the phone started to make him doubt. Soon, he was left with only one question on his mind. This time, he would leave the answer up to Aqua. Afterwards, Aqua sighed as she got off of the phone. "Go."
Aqua turn to Vanitas stunned. She didn't believe that she had heard him right. "What-?"
Vanitas looked away from her as he frowned. "I said you should go. You said your parents couldn't know about us, right? Then just go."
"Vanitas..." Aqua didn't understand why he had changed his mind. "That's not right to you. I can't."
"Just go." Aqua didn't understand it. It seemed that Vanitas was pushing her away. Vanitas stood up and walked passed her as her eyes followed him. "Don't lie to me again," he said with a slight anger in his voice. Aqua watched as he disappeared into the bedroom. Things didn't work as she had hoped...
A few days later, it was night when Aqua stepped out of her room, wearing a red dress that reached down to the floor and one strap over her right shoulder. She brushed out the wrinkles. Guilt dwelled in her stomach. She knew that they were going out as friends, but it didn't feel much like that. When she looked around, things were quiet. Vanitas wasn't in the apartment and hadn't spoke much since they argued the other night. She wished he was there, but, like her, maybe it was better if they didn't see each other yet. Suddenly, she heard the door unlock. When she turned around, their eyes met from across the room. After he closed the door, he walked passed her toward the kitchen. "Hey…" She turned around. She saw Vanitas stand in the kitchen over the sink with his back turned to her. Worried, she walked over toward him. He could the clicking of her heels advance toward him. His bangs covered over his eyes and casted a shadow. She stopped a few feet away from him. "I don't have to go…" Vanitas remained silence. Soon, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Aqua leaned against his back. She hid her face within the blades of his shoulder. "Vanitas... I don't feel right leaving you like this."
Inside, Vanitas wanted to stop her, but he had to see for himself if she would be happier. "You told me that we had to keep this a secret. This won't make your parents suspicious."
Aqua closed her eyes tight. "I don't care! It isn't fair to you."
"Go!" Vanitas raised his voice. Aqua was taken aback at first. He was pushing her away again. Uneasy, she stepped back from him. She took one last look at him, before she headed toward the door. Once Vanitas heard the door closed, he sighed and placed the plate down into the water. He sat down on the couch as placed his hands on his head. He wondered if he had made the right decision...
Aqua walked inside of the crowded restaurant. Inside, she looked around until she spotted Terra across the room. She made her way pass the tables to Terra who sat by the window. Terra stood up and went toward her chair to pull it out for her. She smiled and sat down. Afterwards, he returned back to his chair. He smiled back. "You look nice tonight."
"Thank you…" Aqua replied nervously.
"I guess we have your mom to thank for this."
She rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah… Sorry about that… I know how pushy she can be…"
He shook his head a little to assure her. "It's all right." A few minutes later, they ordered and waited before their food came. They had a few small conversations to catch up while they ate. Terra looked up from his food to Aqua with a thought on his mind. "Aqua."
Aqua looked up at him curious. "Yes?"
"I've been thinking... Our parents have been spending a lot of time trying to get us together. You noticed that, right?"
Aqua wondered where he was going with this. "Yeah…"
Nervously, Terra smiled. "I've been thinking…maybe we should give it a try. Maybe we should get together. You're the most interesting woman I met. If we give it some time, then maybe we'll grow more on each other."
Aqua's eyes widened in surprised as her red lips parted. "Terra…? Are you saying that…you might have feelings for me?"
A gentle, relaxed look came on his face. "With all the years we've known each other and spending time with you while we're at school, I think that I do and I thought maybe… you do too."
Aqua was taken aback. She could see now that things had really gone too far. It was the last straw. Aqua shook her head and stood up. "No."
Terra was surprised by her answer. "What?"
She didn't want to hurt him, but it had to stop now. All of it. "No. I can't. The truth is that I'm only doing this because my parents wanted me to. Not because I want to. I tried to treat this as two friends getting together, but I knew it was more than that."
Terra gave a small smile as he leaned back in his chair. "It is two friends getting together. We-."
"I can't do this anymore. I'm…" Aqua breathed out as she closed her eyes. After she prepared herself, she opened her eyes to him. "I'm in love with someone else and I should be with him right now."
Terra looked surprised. She never mentioned that she was in a relationship. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Aqua's eyes lowered, worried. "Can you please not tell our parents about this? Please…"
Terra's eyes traveled down. He didn't understand why she didn't tell him earlier or how to feel about it. When he looked up, he saw the pleading look on Aqua's face. It was then he made his decision. "It's all right. I won't."
Aqua let out a grateful smile. "Thank you." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "I have to go. I'm sorry." Afterwards, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. Terra's eyes followed her until she was out of sight. Afterwards, he sighed with his eyes closed.
Inside of the apartment, Vanitas lied on the couch with one hand behind his head. His mind was occupied with thoughts of what Aqua could be doing at that moment and if she would come back with her mind changed about the two of them. This time, he decided to accept whatever she decided. Suddenly, he heard the door slam close. Vanitas was surprised and was about to get up, but then felt himself being pushed back down. Aqua pressed her weight against him with anger on her face. She grabbed his shirt and pulled at it with her fists baled. "How could you just let me go out like that?!"
There was a moment Vanitas thought Aqua might hit him. He looked at her surprised. "Wow...! You're back early."
Aqua let go of him and allowed him to sit up. A serious look came to her face as she stared toward the ground. "I couldn't let it go on. Terra asked…if we should be together."
After Vanitas got over his surprise, he became curious. "What did you say?"
She gave him a loving look. "I told him that I couldn't because I was in love with someone else."
Vanitas's eyes traveled up to Aqua's. "You came back."
Aqua arched her eyebrow as she grinned. She thought the answer was obvious. "Why wouldn't I? I do live here and… you're here. You're the only one I love and it's always going to stay that way."
Then, his eyes traveled down toward her chest, to the necklace around her neck. The ring he gave her years ago still hung on the line. His fingers intertwined with her necklace. "I see you wore this tonight."
Aqua smiled. "How could I not? It always reminds me of you."
Vanitas reached over and unhooked the necklace from around her neck. Aqua was stunned. "What are you doing?" she asked worried. "If you're still upset about tonight-."
The necklace became buried in Vanitas's palm. "Don't worry about it. You'll get it back."
Aqua placed her hand on Vanitas's chest and then her head on top of her hand. She was still curious as to why he took the necklace he gave her, but concerned at the same time. There was more that she wanted to ask him. "Vanitas? Why did you let me go…?"
He shrugged as he looked toward the side. "You wanted to go out with your friend…"
Aqua lifted her head and frowned at him. "I know that's not the reason. What's the real reason?"
Vanitas sighed. He knew that Aqua would get on his case for not telling her. "I just…wanted to make sure you were…happy…" he muttered.
Aqua moaned as she shook her head. "Not again…Vanitas…What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
"I do. I just…wanted to make sure that you were sure."
Aqua looked surprised. "Huh…? What do you mean?"
He leaned back against the arm of the couch. There was a serious look on his face. "I don't want you to wake up ten years from now and you think about what you could've had. Then you realize you regret it." Surprised, Aqua searched his eyes. Vanitas put his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes. He wanted to be honest. "Now that everything is fine, you don't have to stay because you feel some need to help me. Just know that you won't get everything you want at the snap of your fingers. We probably won't get to travel or eat at restaurants all the time. What you see is what you get."
For a moment, Aqua was quiet, but then she reached over. Vanitas closed his eyes tight as he held a hard flick in the middle of his forehead. "Ow! What the-?"
She crossed her arms against his chest as she smirked. "You really have gone soft on me…"
A confused look came on his face. "Huh?"
"What happened to 'you're all mine and no one else's'?" she teased him with a deep voice, mimicking his, which caused him to pout. "I told you before that I didn't care about that stuff. I thought you didn't care about it either."
"I don't."
"I've made my choice and I'm not going to regret it." Aqua made room for herself beside Vanitas. She wrapped her arms around him as she kept her eyes closed. "There are times when we fight and that's normal, but our other times together are good too. I know in the end that I'm happy that we're together…I'm happy," her voice started to fade, tired.
It made him happy to hear that. He leaned back against the pillow on the couch. "Did you really have to wear that dress?"
"I didn't just want to leave it in a box." Vanitas could feel her warm breath going through his shirt. Then, Aqua sat up. "I'm still kind of hungry. Do you want to go out with me?"
Vanitas sat up beside her. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. "All right. You might want to change first. I'm not taking you to anything fancy."
Aqua grinned. After she changed, they headed down to a local fast food diner. They sat next to each other in a booth, eating off of each other's plate and their own. Aqua smiled toward Vanitas, showing that she was truly happy. She took a bite of her burger. "This is the best date we've had so far," she spoke with her mouth full.
Vanitas gave his usual smirk to show that he was happy with her. "Yeah. I guess it is."
A week had passed. Aqua was in her apartment as she lied against the couch. She was exhausted after her classes and wanted nothing more to do than rest. She placed her arm across her forehead as she closed her eyes. Things were peaceful while she was alone there. A few minutes later, Vanitas opened the door and closed it behind him. Seeing that Aqua wasn't there, he pulled something small out of his pocket. He stared at it as he walked over toward the couch to sit down. As soon as he saw Aqua, he quickly put it back in his pocket. He was glad that she had her eyes covered. "Aqua? What are you doing here?"
"I live here." Aqua removed her arm. She noticed that he seemed more jumpy than usual. She became suspicious. "Vanitas?" Vanitas could feel his body stiffened. He didn't expect Aqua to already be there. Aqua sat up a little. His silence began to concern her. "Is something wrong?"
In his mind, Vanitas kept urging himself to move. Finally, his body reacted. His expression changed to serious. "You can lie back down." Aqua listened and Vanitas walked over toward her. He kneeled down on the floor nearby Aqua's face. "Hey," he whispered.
Aqua turned her head and opened her eyes. "Hm?"
"I got a surprise for you." Vanitas reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace he took from her a week ago. Curious, Aqua took the necklace and observed it to see why it was a surprise. Vanitas decided to fill in the blank. "Look at the inside." Once she read the inscription, she couldn't help but smile. It was the same message, but Vanitas added something that he knew would be special to her. "Always stay the way you are. Love Vanitas."
It was a small gesture that made her happy. For her, he was willing to write his love on the necklace she cherished so much. "Awe! It's very sweet. Thank you." Aqua leaned in and kissed him.
Vanitas watched as she stared at the ring in her hand. As she did, his eyes lowered and his mind raced. He wondered if he should do what he planned to now. He stared at Aqua a few seconds before he decided that he couldn't wait. He wanted to. She proved to him more than once that she loved him very much. Now, it was his turn to prove how much he loved her. He reached into his pocket. "Hey."
Aqua turned her head to him curious. "Yeah?" Once she looked over, immediately her body froze as her eyes widened. He had her full attention. Vanitas held his other surprise in front of her. With one hand on top and one at the bottom, he held a small black box. He opened the box to reveal the shiny silver band with a small diamond on top. As she sat up on her elbows, her lips parted. No words came to her as she stared at the inside of the box. Vanitas scratched the back of his head. "Listen…I know this ain't the most romantic thing or whatever…" He pushed himself more to finish. "…but I figure I could use that money I got from your mom for something so here." Quickly, she sat up as he moved the box closer to her. Her hand flew up in the air as she started to get up and almost knocked the box out of his hand. She caused the box to snap close on Vanitas's fingers. "Ow!" He resisted the urge to swing the box around in the air to get it off. Instead, he calmed down and reopened the box. He placed the box down and shook his hand to try and make the pain go away.
"Sorry! Sorry…!"
Vanitas grabbed her hand to stop her from talking. Her body jumped at the gentle touch of his hand. Aqua grew speechless. Vanitas stared at her waiting on an answer. The silence started to get to him. She continued to stare at him without blinking. It was a moment she couldn't believe. "Well say something! I can't kneel like an idiot forever! You haven't given me an answer yet!"
Aqua smiled toward Vanitas. "Neither did you ask me. You just let me look at the ring."
Vanitas rubbed the back of his head as he sighed. She had a point. "Let's try this again." He grabbed her hand. Vanitas slid the ring on her finger as she smiled. He placed her hand gently in her lap before he looked up at her. "Aqua will you…?" Uneasy, he looked down. Even though he knew the answer, it didn't make it any easier to ask. "Just stay with me and no one else."
She giggled. "I don't think that was a question."
He breathed out and lifted his eyes to her. "Just marry me."
"There's a nicer way to put it." As she smiled, she looked down at the ring on her finger. Then, she stared at him, touched. When things were silence, his eyes lowered toward the ground and to the side. Afterwards, he felt his head lifted up by her hands. She placed her hand against her chest. "Yes." It was all she needed to say. She kneeled down in front of him and hugged him tight as she closed her eyes. Her head leaned on his shoulder. Emotions started to fill her all at once that made her want to tear up. After everything that happened to them, they made it to this moment. Vanitas embraced the woman he loved for a long time, happy to know that they were going to stay together for even longer. "I love you Vanitas." Vanitas rubbed the back of her hair and then pulled her apart from him. He stared into her eyes and gave her a heartfelt look. Aqua closed her eyes as she smiled. "It's finally happening, isn't it? We've finally come this far." A tear escaped from her eye. Her hand reached up, about to wipe it away, but Vanitas's hand got there first. His finger wiped away the water from her cheek. "Vanitas?" Aqua wondered why he was being so quiet toward her. Was it his way of expressing how happy he was or something else? Vanitas pulled her head toward his and pressed his lips against her. His kiss filled with passion, bliss, and longing.
After a while, the two lied on the couch. Vanitas closed his eyes. His head leaned against her shoulder as he had his arms wrapped around her. The front of his body was pressed against her back. Aqua could feel his warm breath on her shoulder. "I love you," his voice whispered gently in her ear.
Aqua grinned. She still couldn't believe that he proposed. She held out of her arm and stared at the shiny piece of jewelry on her finger. She wanted to call her friends first, but he convinced her to spend time with him instead. For now, she took some time to let the news sink in. "I'm still surprised at you Vanitas."
Vanitas looked at her confused. "You're surprised that I asked you to marry me?"
Aqua nodded as she kept her eyes on her new ring. "Yeah. I…didn't know you were thinking about it."
He rolled his eyes to the side. "I'm sure you would have got on my case eventually…"
Aqua laughed a little. "No I wouldn't have!"
Vanitas leaned his head against hers again. "I wanted to find a way to make you mine. Forever."
Forever didn't sound bad to Aqua. After all, she loved him and he loved her. "I see. As long as we both shall live."
"Already starting with the vows?" Vanitas replied jokily.
Aqua grinned. "You did say forever. Funny... Before, I didn't see you as the type of guy to settle down." Hearing that had made Vanitas think about everyone else who would have an opinion if they knew. He sighed. Aqua looked concerned. "What's wrong?"
"You just made me think about something. Everyone's going to find out eventually if we have this wedding. Your parents. My family. They don't accept me with you."
Aqua knew that Vanitas had a point. It's like she thought before. It seemed as if the whole world was against them, but she didn't think that was true as much anymore. Somehow fate had brought them back together and somehow had led them to this moment. "You're right. If they knew we were having a wedding, especially my mother, she would be the first there to stop it."
"Who said anyone had to know?"
Aqua gave Vanitas a surprised look. "Huh? But Vanitas? They might not like that we're together, but wouldn't it hurt them not to know?"
"Haven't they tried to hurt us enough? Who knows if they'll ever accept us?"
Aqua moaned. She knew for sure there was no way her mother would accept them. Not when she had someone already set for her. She closed her eyes, disappointed. "You're right."
Vanitas thought about it and came up with an idea of his own. "I have an idea."
Aqua turned to him interested. "What?"
Vanitas grabbed her hand where her newly placed ring was. "It's up to you if you want to do it."
Aqua became more anxious. "Tell me."
Vanitas grabbed her hand a little tighter. He was a little unsure about asking, but it was the only way he could think of, if they were serious. "Elope with me." Aqua stared at him stunned. Once again they were running away, keeping secrets from their families. "So? What do you think?"
Aqua took a second to think. The way she stood up to her family before when it came to Vanitas, how much she loved him, and how distant Vanitas had become from his family. It didn't take her long to come to a decision. She wrapped her hand against his and stared into his eyes. "Yes."
Right away, Vanitas smiled at her answer. "You want to do it tonight?"
Her eyes widened at his suggestion. It might have been a little too soon to run away yet. "Vanitas…? You're ready that soon?"
Vanitas laughed. "I'm just kidding, but we can do it as soon as you're ready."
Aqua playfully pushed him. "You joke around too much." Vanitas intertwined her fingers with Aqua's. He could feel the ring he had given her on her finger. His body hovered over hers. Before he could lean in to kiss his newly stated fiancée, they heard a knock on the door. Aqua stood up to see who it was. She smiled back at Vanitas. "Later I have to tell Kairi, Rikku, Yuna, Paine-." Aqua opened the door as Vanitas sighed. He was going to hear about this from more than just the girls. He could already hear what his step-brothers would say.
The person at the door waved their hand. "Hey!"
Aqua's eyes widened at who she saw. Her body frozen. "Um…? Hi." Vanitas looked over curiously, but couldn't see who it was because the door blocked his sight. Aqua blinked a few times. "What are you doing here?"
Her visitor Terra smiled toward her. "I came to see you. You rushed off the other night, so we didn't have a chance to talk."
Aqua smiled nervously. "Oh! Sorry about that..." Vanitas arched his eyebrow as he started to get up. By now, he could tell it was a male voice and someone that Aqua had been with recently. Only one person came to mind.
"Do you mind if I come in?" Before Aqua could answer, Vanitas stepped in behind and touched her waist. It had made her body jump, worried. Terra noticed her reaction and got a little concerned. "Are you okay?"
"It's okay. I'm just here with someone." Nervously, Aqua opened the door more to reveal Vanitas behind her. Terra was surprised that another guy was already with her. "I want you to meet Vanitas… He's my fiancée."
Terra stared at Vanitas, stunned. "You? You look so familiar…"
Vanitas casually placed his hands in his pockets. For once, he was face to face with the man who used to be his competition. Being there now, he saw Terra as less of a threat. "We used to go to the same school."
"Oh…right…" They could hear the disappointment in Terra's voice.
Aqua looked back toward Vanitas. "Vanitas? Do you mind if I talk to Terra alone?"
Vanitas wondered what she was up to, but either way, he trusted her. He closed his eyes and headed further into the apartment. Aqua stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against the door with her hands behind her back. She closed her eyes as her head was pointed toward the ground. Vanitas has actually behaved himself. Terra leaned on the other side of the hall with his arms crossed. He couldn't believe the news. "So? You're getting married now? When did this happen?"
Aqua smiled nervously with her eyes closed. "It just happened recently."
"Oh…" He replied, disappointed.
Her expression turned to worry. It was time to give him an explanation. "Listen. I know our parents were trying to make us spend time because they hoped that we would get together, but I couldn't do it anymore. You've been a good friend and I hope that we can stay that way. If I didn't meet Vanitas, maybe things could've work out." A gentle smile crossed her lips. "But we did and I'm glad for that." Aqua shook her head as she felt that she was getting off track. "Anyway, the point is I did meet Vanitas and I care about him very much."
"You love him right?"
Silently, Aqua nodded. "I do, but…" She held her head down. "…my family, especially my mother, won't accept him."
"Maybe there's a reason for that."
Aqua shook her head. "No there isn't. There's nothing wrong or dangerous about Vanitas. They judged him before they got to know him. It wasn't fair to either one of us. For now, I can't let my parents know about this or they'll try to separate me from Vanitas again." A sad look came to her face. "I…couldn't bare that," she whispered.
Terra's eyes traveled down and noticed the engagement ring on her finger. "Can I ask you something?"
Aqua lifted her eyes curious. "Yeah. Sure."
Terra gave her a sincere look. "Are you happy with him?"
Aqua was surprised by his question, but then she smiled. "Yes. I am. Vanitas would never do anything to hurt me and he always tries to be there for me and protect me. I know that… he loves me." She placed her hand on the middle of her chest as she closed his eyes. "That's all I need is for him to love me and for me to love him. That's why I asking you not to tell my parents about this. If they find out, then they'll stop at nothing to break me and Vanitas apart just because they think that he's not good enough for me. Just because he's not like you. They don't know Vanitas nor will they try. They don't know the Vanitas I know."
Terra sighed with his eyes closed. It was obvious to him that she loved Vanitas and expressed no feelings toward him. He stood up straight. "Don't worry. I won't tell your parents about this."
Aqua's mouth hung opened surprised, but thankful. "Thank you…so much." Afterwards, she smiled. "Hey! Do you think that... we could still be friends?"
Terra stood for a second before he turned to walk away. "Sure…" As much as he didn't want to give her an answer, knowing that there wasn't a chance between them now, he didn't want to lose her in his life. Aqua could hear the disappointment in his voice. She watched as he disappeared down the hall. Maybe it was too soon for her to ask that of him. She felt bad, but she knew had to make things clear for both Vanitas and Terra. She had chosen who she wanted to be with.
Afterwards, she opened the door. Suddenly, she heard a thud as she felt the door shake. "Ow!"
When she peeked behind the door, she saw Vanitas cover his nose with his hand as his eyes were closed tight. Aqua smiled a little and closed the door. "Being nosy I see…"
Vanitas straightened himself up and saw that his nose wasn't bleeding from the hit he took. "So? What happened?"
Aqua sighed. She hoped for the best. "He told me that he wouldn't tell my parents about us. I told him that I wanted to be with you and I think he was a little disappointed by that."
Vanitas pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her. "Look at it this way. If we get married, then your parents can't separate us if they tried. We're not going to leave each other again." Aqua smiled a little. She snuggled herself more against his body. She just had to believe that things would be okay for both their sakes.
Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!
