The introduction of Ventus! Sorta. ((He is going to come into the main story at some point.)) I'm not sure when. He may even turn up in the next ((Main)) story chapter.

-Elegant

Side Story Chapter 2: Apples

"Don't touch it! It's slimy and gross!" Roxas really hoped Ventus wasn't serious about touching the worm that was on the ground in front of them. It was long, fat, a pink-ish brown in color and it wouldn't stop crawling in all kinds of directions. Despite his own disposition on slime and slimy creatures, Ventus was polar opposite of him in that matter- he didn't care if it was worms, snails, slugs or whatever kind of animal it may be, he still ended up touching them.

"Oh come on, Roxas, he's not that bad!" Ventus knelt down by the worm and picked it up with little to no regard for how it slithered in his hands nor the slimy outside that its skin had. Seeing the fear on Roxas' face, he didn't bother to bring it closer to his younger cousin, but he did enjoy staring at the creature in his hands. Roxas was usually afraid of smaller creatures, so he avoided picking up things like baby crabs, spiders, anything that he deemed to be 'gross' or 'dangerous'- and the only time he got to keenly observe them was when Ven picked such a creature up. The shorter blondes eyes were trained entirely on the worm, and he took an instinctive step back.

"How aren't you dropping that? It's so...sticky and gross!" Describing the worm just as it had looked to him, Roxas was repulsed by the sight of it and the actions the creature performed whilst in his cousins hands.

"I don't think he's gross." Ventus commented, carefully 'juggling' the worm within his hands in order to stop it from falling. Though it technically did 'fall' from his left to his right and vice-versa on his little game of playing with it. However, despite his best efforts, it eventually slipped due to its slimy skin and eventually fell back onto the ground. Despite his best efforts to keep it within the palms of his hands, the worm had actually managed to slip between the 'seal' they had made while pressed together.

"Gross!" Roxas hopped back and away from the creature. Just seeing the things that it did in Ventus' hands had him reflexively patting his hands dry despite never even touching the worm.

Ventus laughed at the display his younger cousin was putting on over something so simple as a worm. Though he didn't think they were necessarily 'cute' or pet material- Ventus didn't have much of an aversion to them like Roxas. Watching it slither into the taller parts of the grass, Ventus waved goodbye. "Bye worm!" Maybe he'd come across something else for him to pick up later on. Now they'd have to find something else to do, and he wasn't exactly sure what Roxas would be up for.

"Good riddance." Roxas chimed in after him. He hated the sight of the worm, and he was so glad that it decided to leave the two boys alone.

"So, Roxas, do you wanna play soccer?" It would be a good pass-time for the two of them, and at least this way they could have some one on one fun. He could see a few problems arising from the two of them playing together, such as Roxas getting mad at him for scoring goals, not being fast enough to catch up, - though Ventus never dared to go full speed as he found it too cheap to do so - mad for letting him score any goals. His little cousin was a very complex person who liked to win, but it had to be on his own terms and fair. That was one of the hurdles they were more than likely going to overcome once the two of them were older.

"Sure!" Roxas was all for playing soccer with Ventus. He loved playing games with his older cousin, but he honestly hated losing, so much. Often times Ventus thought he was being 'nice' by letting Roxas get ahead, catch up, or even win the game without earning that win- Roxas absolutely couldn't stand those kinds of outcomes. If he was going to win, then he was going to win fair and square. There was no point in winning if you didn't actually win.

"I'll race you!" Ventus put in minimal effort at running over to the ball in the middle of the backyard. He wanted Roxas to feel like he had a chance, and he didn't want to start problems between the two of them so early on.

"You can go faster, Ven! You don't have to go slow just for me!" Roxas whined. He hated being babied by his older cousin. Plus, he didn't really mind who got to the ball first. All that really mattered was when the two of them started their game.

"Okay if you're sure." Ventus put in a little bit more effort and stood by the ball once he made it to the object. A few moments later, Roxas made it and was ready to play. Deciding it best to start off by playing 'pass' - as there would never truly end up being a winner in this 'friendly' game there would also be no loser - this way Roxas wouldn't end up getting mad.

"Look at the two of them playing! They're so cute!" Ventus' mother couldn't help but to comment on their boys playing together to Roxas' mother. It was just always such a sweet display whenever the two of them were together. Ventus was always such a doting, pushover of an older cousin to Roxas and it was just about the cutest thing in the world to see that despite the age difference, (which neither seemed to mind) they got along fairly well, with almost no grievances between either boy. And if such a thing did come about, then Ven was usually quick to resolve the issue before an adult ever needed to be involved. Honestly, she didn't know how they'd gotten so lucky with their boys.

"They sure enjoy each others company." Roxas' mother couldn't help but to agree, especially after seeing her son play with his older cousin. Even if her little boy loved to be an impossible brat from time to time with his pushover of an older cousin who would do nothing but try to appease him should he ever be angry or throw fits that evolved into tantrums. She had half a mind to step in whenever such a thing came to be, but Ventus just seemed to always know how to make Roxas feel better. They seemed almost like brothers who were separated at birth.

Ventus' mother nodded. "I'm glad that they can be such good friends." Most people believed that just because you were 'family', you had to 'endure' through the company of those individuals, that there was no choice in the matter of whether or not you could love them, because, simply put- you're family. Just because you had blood ties with an individual, didn't mean you would always have to love them, nor like them. Roxas and Ventus were a prime example that it absolutely was a choice, even if they were both still so young, they still enjoyed each others company. No matter if they fought or Roxas threw constant temper tantrums, his big cousin would always be there for him. They didn't even really seem like cousins, at all- they were more like best friends, maybe even brothers.

Roxas' mother couldn't have agreed more with that statement. Just because her boy was always so short with Ventus, didn't mean they weren't the best of friends. She couldn't wait to see what would happen, when the two of them were older and if this bond was a lasting one. Knowing all too well what it was like to be that young, and just how easy it was to be so short with someone older than you, she could put herself in Roxas' shoes, and felt sympathy for Ventus having to endure through so much. Being older now, she could see it from both points of view, and appreciated all of the times she'd spent with her big sister, and couldn't help but to steal a glance at her every now and again, taking her attention off the boys.

"Come on, Roxas! You can do better than that!" Ventus encouraged his cousin to take the soccer ball from him. Smiling while he gently teased his younger cousin, Ventus hoped that Roxas would actually be able to steal the ball from him. Honestly, he'd just allow Roxas to steal it from him, but the younger blonde somehow always just knew when his older cousin had let him win and got angry/scolded him for such a thing. There was no happy medium in pleasing Roxas, but if anyone could manage to do it, it'd be Ven. Despite how Roxas may have felt when they played their games together, Ventus always felt happy to be able to spend time with him, no matter what. Lightly passing the ball between his feet, he slowed himself down just a bit, so that Roxas could have more of a fighting chance.

"I can't! You're too big!" Roxas frowned, pouting as he stared up at Ventus. Even his very best only paled in comparison of his older cousin, no matter what he did, all he could do was trail behind Ventus and lose goal after goal. He was all for trying new things, and doing all that he could in any given situation, but he honestly didn't think he could best Ventus in this game. His cousin was bigger than him for starters, and he had more stamina. How was he supposed to compete with someone like that?

"No way! You can do it! I believe in you!" Ventus held his smile, doing his best to make Roxas believe he actually had a fighting chance. While it was true Ventus hadn't been going all out in their game, he just wanted Roxas to have fun. What was the point in 'winning' if it was a cheap victory? Of course he had a handicap in their game, he was older by four years, and that made all the difference. Even though he was going easy, it seemed Roxas actually had a hard time keeping up with him.

"You're just saying that!" Roxas frowned, crossing his arms while staring up at the older boy. None of his encouragements were welcomed at the moment, in fact, all they seemed to be doing was stoke the fires of annoyance/anger Roxas appeared to be feeling towards Ventus. He wasn't going to move another inch toward Ventus, nor the ball. Each time he tried while Ventus stood still, his cousin would feign being stagnant then run off with the ball.

"I'm not!" Ventus shook his head, what would it take for Roxas to believe him? He felt bad seeing Roxas like this, but it just wasn't fair on how difficult he was being. The age difference had a few 'setbacks' that would be rectified once both of them were older, surely, as his mother and Roxas' mother had just told him to 'be patient and understanding' with the younger boy, no matter how difficult he could be. Their advice had just been little more than common knowledge to Ventus, as he'd always do his best to ensure his cousin was happy and wouldn't remain cross with him forever, that no matter their quarrels, they'd always remain friends at the end of the day.

"Fine." Roxas gave up arguing and decided to give it one more shot. But if he didn't score this time- he was done playing. Running forward, he tried to steal the ball, but Ventus passed him with relative ease and continued onward to the goal. "Hey! That's no fair!" Falling to his knees, and hitting the ground with his fists, the younger boy proceeded to cry. His hands now covered his face, and he sobbed bitter, angry tears. The display seemed to pique Ventus' attention, as he came running back over.

"Are you okay?" He thought he was doing pretty well at letting Roxas have a chance. For most parts of the game, he let his younger cousin steal the ball and get a goal or two. Maybe that wasn't enough. Stooping down to Roxas' level, he didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry!" Apologizing seemed to be the right first step. Ventus truly hoped that Roxas wouldn't be angry at him for what had happened.

Roxas pulled his hands down that had been covering his eyes, and his crying stopped. A smile spread across his face, "Gotcha." He stood up and ran past Ventus, scoring a goal. "I am the winner! Woohoo!"

Ventus was still in shock from the fact that he'd been deceived to really say anything. A dumbfounded look make its way across his face as he finally locked over at Roxas. "You...you cheated..." The first thing he said was what he'd been inwardly thinking. Roxas had been crying, and everything! It all looked incredibly real, but he'd been faking the whole time...

Roxas shrugged his shoulders, giving a mischievous smile "You fell for it."

"Because it sounded so real!" Ventus felt like an idiot. Although he had to admit it, that was a good ruse on Roxas' part.

"That was the point." Roxas stated the obvious, he wanted to win their game. And the only way to win apparently was to cheat. Ventus had the advantage, so he had to get creative. Maybe taking advantage of Ventus' good nature wasn't the best course of action, but he thought (correctly) that it would be the turning point of the game.

Ventus stood up, and decided to get over Roxas' cheating. Although he didn't really condone what happened, he was still going to be a good sport about it. "Good job." Ventus pat Roxas on the head and smiled down at his little cousin. Maybe they should end playing there, and find something else that they could do together instead of being against each other.

Roxas was surprised at Ventus' reaction. "You're...not mad?" The younger blonde asked, looking to the ground when he started speaking, and up at Ventus once he had finished. He knew what he did was absolutely wrong, and his arms were folded behind his back, the words 'I'm sorry' briefly flashed through his mind, and he was doing his best to summon the courage to say them.

"No." Ventus shook his head. "Why would I be? You managed to beat me, and it made you happy to beat me, right?" Ventus smiled, hoping that would reinforce the fact to Roxas that he wasn't angry.

"Yes, but-" Roxas began to argue that he really didn't win, so it was all pointless in the grand scheme of things.

"No 'buts' about it. If you're happy, then I'm happy." Ventus lightly shrugged his shoulders and held his smile. Roxas seemed a bit anxious and like he wanted to say something but just couldn't get it out, so Ventus ruffled his hair just a bit. "Let's go find something else to do, okay?"

"Sure." Roxas nodded, grateful that they could still continue to play together.

"What are you in the mood for?" Ventus wanted to brain storm some ideas, that way they could find something interesting to do. He didn't mind at all what activity he picked, so long as it was within their means to do it.

Roxas opened his mouth, but his stomach rumbled before he could speak. His cheeks lightly flushed with embarrassment as the loud noise filled the otherwise silence between both boys. Ventus lightly laughed at the disturbance, he hoped Roxas didn't take things the wrong way, but it just seemed funny to him. To his relief, Roxas had joined in on the laughter. Ruffling the younger blondes hair, Ventus lightly jogged. "I'll race you!"

"You're on!" Roxas grinned and happily accepted the challenge thrown his way. Running side-by-side with his cousin he eventually surpassed Ventus, and with the finish line in sight, Roxas wasn't going to slow down. Focusing on nothing else but getting to the backdoor, he wasn't even aware of the fact that Ventus was holding back in order to let him win. Eventually making it to the door, he touched it just to make sure he factually 'won' the contest. "I made it!" Leaning forward to catch his breath, he placed his hands over his thighs and tried to catch his breath.

"Good job! I knew you could do it!" Ventus smiled, lightly ruffling Roxas' hair. Roxas seemed really happy to have 'won' and there was absolutely no way he'd take that away from him. Self-confidence was a great thing to have, and the more he could instill in Roxas, the better.

Grinning really big, Roxas appreciated the praise. "I finally beat you!"

"Yep!" Ventus gave him a 'thumbs up'. "How about we go and get an apple?" Waiting for his little cousin to speak up, Ven thought of any alternatives they could have just in case Roxas decided the fruit just wasn't for him. Knowing that not likely to be the case, Ventus was more prepared to hear Roxas say 'yes' and make things easy on himself. It would be a good snack for them to share, and their mothers weren't too likely to care that they had one. Plus, it wouldn't be that much of a big deal since he was helping Roxas to eat a fruit as opposed to junk food.

"Sure!" Roxas readily agreed. Although he wasn't into fruits/vegetables very much, he did 'like' certain foods solely because Ventus enjoyed them. It was one of the reasons that they often made sure Ven was there should new food come to the table, that way the younger boy wouldn't just outright say 'I don't like' whichever foods it may be, and actually try it just because his cousin did so. How else was he to know that he factually enjoyed a food, if someone he idolized didn't make the choices for him? Though not much of a picky eater, Ven did make him have a much larger palette.

"Perfect." Ventus led Roxas inside and grabbed a large, red apple from the fridge. Grabbing a wooden cutting board and a knife, Ventus placed the fruit in front of him on the counter. Roxas grabbed his usual stool and stood beside Ventus, watching his every single movement in the preparation of their apple. Finding it both adorable and funny, Ventus smiled and chuckled a bit. Roxas was looking intently at what his cousin had been doing - from lifting the knife to plunging it carefully through the 'flesh'/'meat' of the apple, separating it into fourths and removing the seeds - even when Ventus had dropped a slice and swiftly picked it up from the floor. Even though no dirt had gotten on the apple due to it landing with the flesh side down, his cousin had still made a big scene of Ventus not simply discarding the apple. "You think I should throw it away?" Raising his brow, Ventus waited for an answer.

"Yes!" Roxas didn't hesitate at all in his answer. Sticking out his tongue, he found it gross that the apple was now dirty. Who knew what was on the floor/now on the apple?

"So...you're saying I shouldn't eat it then, right?" Ven asked, placing the apple near his mouth.

"No! It's disgusting! Don't do that! It's dirty- just throw it away!" Roxas tried to pull Ventus' hand away from his own mouth. Although he found the idea gross, he still smiled a bit at the idea of his cousin eating the filthy sliver of apple.

"Don't wanna." Ventus teased him, pulling his arm just out of reach so that Roxas couldn't grab his sleeve. Placing the apple closer to his mouth, Roxas' giggles egged him on a bit. Honestly, it had been on the floor for 1-3 seconds, and he didn't mind eating it at all. Even a quick rinse of water would make it just like the other slices, so he didn't know why Roxas was making a big deal out of nothing.

"Ven!" Roxas whined a bit. "Don't eat it!" Knowing fully well that Ventus usually gave in when Roxas begged in this manner, he waited for his cousin to fold.

"I'm gonna." Ventus shrugged his shoulders, slipping the slice into his mouth and eating it without a second thought. Though Roxas continued to protest, and his mouth gaped open at the prospect of what Ventus had just done, he secretly though Ventus was cool for what he did. "Delicious!" He winked and said the word in-between bites.

"You're gross!" Roxas made a sour face.

"Am I?" Ventus handed Roxas his two slices, and grabbed the peanut butter jar. He dipped his slice into the peanut butter jar directly, as it wasn't as if he'd licked the apple to make it 'dirty' or somehow contaminate the jar. Offering it over to Roxas, his overeager younger cousin worked on accomplishing what Ventus had done. In the back of his mind, he honestly hoped Roxas wouldn't start dropping things purposefully on the ground just so that he could eat them in an effort to seem more like Ventus. His mom likely wouldn't be too happy about this new trend of his, and in hindsight it was probably a mistake to show the younger, impressionable boy he could - but not necessarily should - eat food off the floor. After seeing Roxas struggle for a moment or two, Ventus gently took the slice from him and dipped it in peanut butter. "Here!"

Roxas folded his arms and turned his head away from Ventus. "I could have done it, you know!" He pouted and whined out the words. Hating Ventus having to do anything for him, Roxas really wanted to hurry and grow up so that he could perform the many feats his older cousin was able to do. Being little was so boring, because everyone treated you differently. Just because he was younger didn't mean he wanted to be treated like he was a kid who didn't know how to do anything on his own/had no independence.

"I know you could have." Ventus wouldn't dispute that fact. "But I saw you having a little trouble, and I wanted to help you out." Seeing that Roxas was still a bit mad at him, Ventus figured he'd have to put it in a simple way to make him understand. At least this way Roxas wouldn't be mad at him anymore. "You know, you're going to be going to school soon, and you won't need me anymore." Ventus looked at Roxas, and saw that he was getting through to him a little bit. Deciding to elaborate further, he continued his speech. "You're getting older, and you'll make so many new friends...you'll want to go and hangout with them, and then we won't have time together like this, anymore." Kindergarten was honestly such a fun year of school, and Ventus assumed that it would be up until he graduated. Was the first as good as the last? He'd get that answer in less than a decade. Turning his back to his cousin, he didn't want Roxas to think he was staring at him and trying to force a reaction out of him.

Finding himself hugged tightly from behind, Ventus' eyes widened. He hadn't expected Roxas to perform such a gesture. Smiling down at the tiny hands trying desperately to link themselves around his torso, he found himself being pulled back with as much force as Roxas could muster up. By Ventus' guess he was probably at the limit of his strength, and he didn't fight his slow retreat toward his cousin. "I'll always need you! You can do so many things that I can't! And...and I don't wanna make new friends if they take me away from you!"

Such a sweet, tender confession made Ventus smile. He honestly felt so loved when it came to his younger cousin. "I'm not saying that we'll have to stop hanging around together, I'm saying that you'll meet new people who you'll end up liking and probably want to meet with even more than me. That's alright, too. I can only do some things that you can't because I'm older, that's all." Stepping out of the hug, Ventus turned around to see Roxas, seemingly on the edge of tears. Seeing one of the sights he hated to see, Ventus wondered what was wrong. "How come you're crying? Are you alright?"

"I don't want us to stop being friends!" Roxas explained the situation in the best way that he could- by shouting it out and letting bitter tears fall.

"But we're not friends, Roxas." Ventus stated what he found to be the obvious, and Roxas seemed surprised and hurt by his statement. "We're more than that- we're family. We'll always have each other, no matter what happens. You'll never have to worry about 'losing' me, because I'll always be here." Hunching forward a bit, he hugged his cousin and gave him a gentle squeeze. "You're my best friend and probably the best friend I'll ever have. I'm glad I got to have a cousin like you."

"Me too! I mean...I'm glad you're my cousin, too!" Roxas admitted happily, wiping off his lingering tears.

Pulling out of the hug, Ven was still smiling. Noticing his cousins peanut butter finger prints on his shirt, he just brushed it off. So he had to wash his shirt- big deal. "Wanna go play?"

"Mhm! Yeah!" Roxas nodded his head vigorously up and down. Grabbing his remaining apple slice, he ran over to the door and raced outside.

"Hey! You cheated!" Ventus called after him, hurrying after his cousin.