Ven got a text from Vanitas the next day in the afternoon, asking him to meet up in the parking lot after his classes ended. Ven couldn't suppress a shiver of anticipation at that: they were going back to Daybreak, but this time, it was Ven's turn to meet Vanitas's family—the only one that seemed to matter, anyway.

"Is there anything I should know?" Ven couldn't help but ask as they got on Vanitas's car. "Anything I should avoid saying, or—"

"Ventus," Vanitas interrupted him, his voice heavy with a mixture of fondness and weariness. "It's okay. This isn't a test. Besides, Roxas will be there too. It's gonna be fine."

"Right." Ven leaned his head against the glass, watching the roadside zoom by. Was it really that easy? Ven was starting to feel like life would be a lot simpler if he could skip the ordeal of learning to know other people and went straight to just knowing them. But when he turned back to Vanitas, he realized that wasn't entirely true. Getting to know Vanitas had been part of how they'd gotten where they were now, and he wouldn't trade that away for simplicity's sake.

Still, in spite of Vanitas's reassurance, he needed to know more. He remembered Terra's words to him the night before: communication was important. He couldn't push down his worries on the off-chance that they'd scare Vanitas away.

"Still, does she know—" He wasn't sure where to start.

"I talk to her as much as you talk to your brothers. At least by the sound of it."

"Yeah, but still. Between the way we met, and everything before we were together—"

"Ventus. It hasn't been that long."

"What about your father and my—"

"My foster father," Vanitas corrected.

Ven blinked. "Right. Sorry. Does she know about that?"

"She knew who Ventus Enix was long before we were neighbors. So yes, she knows."

"And she's—okay with that?"

"You do remember the part where he kicked her out, right?"

Ven flinched at the bite in Vanitas's voice, even though he didn't think it was directed at him. "Yeah, of course."

"Look, Xion's cool with us."

"Okay. Good." Ven scrutinized Vanitas's face to see if he was going to snap again. "What about—the reason why I changed my mind about you?"

Vanitas cast him a brief, curious glance. "What do you mean?"

"Does she know that her existence is kind of the reason we got together?" It felt strange to say it out like that, but he supposed it was still kind of true.

However, Vanitas only laughed. "I'd like to think it was more about my own personality than my sister existing out there."

"So is that a no?"

"I didn't go into a lot of detail about that morning with her, no. But I'm sure it'd be fine if I did, although it might go to her head if she thinks she's responsible for getting us together."

Ven chuckled at that, feeling his tension finally recede a bit. "Okay. Okay, I think I'm ready."

"Hope that thought lasts," Vanitas said, keeping his voice light. "We're still a few minutes away." Just as he said that, he took the exit into Daybreak, entering the familiar streets.

"Yeah," Ven said. "Just a few minutes." Maybe it was the familiar setting, or being able to air out his concerns to Vanitas, but he felt his mood shifting. He turned his gaze back to Vanitas again, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. "Just enough time to confess, if you have anything to tell me."

Vanitas frowned at him out the corner of his eye. "'Confess'? What're you—"

"Is there anything embarrassing she might tell me that you'd rather tell me yourself?" Ven said, leaning towards Vanitas with a teasing smile. "Did you talk her ears off about how hopelessly in love with me you were while I still thought we hated each other?"

"I never said anything about that." In spite of his protest, Vanitas's cheeks heated up with color. "And Xion's not a snitch."

"We'll see about that."

Vanitas only scoffed as he found a parking spot.


Ven couldn't suppress a strange thrill in his veins at being back at Foreteller Ava High School, when Vanitas parked in front. He wasn't particularly nostalgic for his time spent at his old high school, but it still felt good being back here with an unbearably cool, smoking hot, badass boyfriend by his side. Even if there was little chance of them passing by anyone who might recognize Ven, it felt triumphant on principle.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Vanitas finally asked as they waited by the school entrance. He leaned back against the wall as if he owned the place, which felt curious, since Ven knew Xion had only recently signed up.

"Can't I just be happy we're here? Together?"

"That's a lot of enthusiasm over picking up your boyfriend's sister," Vanitas deadpanned.

"I didn't insist on the 'together' part enough, did I?" As he said that, Ven shuffled closer to Vanitas, leaning against him shoulder to shoulder with a smile. "This weekend, I was in this bubble where it was just the two of us. And yesterday I freaked out when people started finding out about us. I guess—this is the first time I get to truly feel good about us being together in public. A couple." He pressed a kiss to Vanitas's cheek. "I like it."

"You sap." In spite of Vanitas's deadpan retort, there was a faint smile on his lips and a flush on his cheeks that Ven didn't think was the wind's fault. Finally, he sighed. "Well, I suppose sappy is better than a nervous mess."

"You still liked me," Ven said, grinning.

Vanitas met his gaze, and returned his smile. "Tragically, I did." He leaned forward, and kissed Ventus, his arm snaking around Ven's waist to pull him closer.

Ven closed his eyes, and let himself go into that kiss. He truly meant what he'd just told Vanitas; in this moment, he finally felt like they could just be good together and not care about anything.

So of course, his brother had to show up just then to spoil the mood. "Are you gonna be this gross all the time from now on?"

Ven pulled back to face Roxas, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he did. "Hey, Ro!" Next to him was a girl, and even though Ven knew they weren't related, the air of family between her and Vanitas was too strong. She had short black hair in a pixie cut, a jean jacket over a dark crop top, and dark leather jeans. Even more than her fashion choices was her attitude, the way she held herself with confident poise, even as she eyed Ventus curiously.

"You must be Xion," he said, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Same," she replied simply as she shook his hand. "Although I'm still trying to figure out if I should give you the 'if you hurt him, I will end you' speech."

Ven couldn't help but chuckle, even as he glanced at Vanitas, nervous. Vanitas merely shrugged. "I'll hold you to that if Ven and I ever break up."

His tone was light enough to help Ven relax again. "Honestly, if I do hurt Vanitas in the future…you can kick my ass. Tell future-me that you had current-me's support."

"Will keep that in mind," Xion said, grinning. "So, like, are we doing something special, or—"

"It is a school night," Vanitas pointed out sternly, making Xion and Roxas's faces fall.

"Well, school night or not, we all gotta eat dinner anyway, right?" Ven suggested. He hoped he wasn't overstepping, trying to decipher the look Vanitas cast him, then his sister.

Then, finally, Vanitas let out a short laugh. "Relax. I'm kidding. Of course I wasn't just going to drive you straight back home, Xion." Turning to Roxas, he added, "You're welcome to join us too, of course. If that's okay?" He eyed Ven with that question, who merely shrugged.

"I'm not the one who gets to decide that anymore," he said, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia at that admission. A matching look of dismay crossed Roxas's face for a moment, but finally, he merely nodded.

"Yeah, sure." Then, after a moment, his face shifted into a beaming smile. "I'll follow you in my car, okay? Can Xion come with me?" Judging by the way the two of them traded looks, there had been some sort of premeditated agreement between them ahead of time.

"Sure," Vanitas said, "but I need a word with my sister first."

Roxas cast him an odd look as Vanitas took Xion a few steps away, then turned to Ven. "I'm only going to say this once, but—I like how happy he makes you."

Ven gaped at his brother briefly, then settled into an easy smile. "So do I."

"What do you think he's telling her?"

"I did tease Vanitas about all the embarrassing stories Xion might tell me about him," Ven said, shrugging. "Maybe that's it."

"Oh, that is a good idea," Roxas said, a mischievous grin coming to his face. "I should have asked Sora for ammunition."

Ven chuckled, though he couldn't tell how serious his brother was. "Hopefully you'll get plenty of other occasions," he said as Vanitas and Xion came back towards them.


They went back to the Blitz, out of habit more than anything. There were a few fancy restaurants in Daybreak, but that would have felt far too formal. Better save that for a proper date.

The thought sent his mind spinning for the rest of the ride, even as he tried his best to give Vanitas directions. A proper date. He hadn't ever been on one yet, wasn't even sure what one did during one exactly. But now, that was something he could think about as more than a hypothetical.

He was still grinning at the thought of a date when they got out of the car, and Vanitas had to gently chastise him for Ven to focus on the present.

"Sorry," Ven said. "Game face on?"

"Didn't I just tell you it wasn't a test?"

"I mean for you," Ven retorted. "It's your turn to have your sibling hang out with your boyfriend."

Vanitas stared at him, dubious. "I don't know if I like you this cheery, after all," he said, sarcastic. "Can't you turn back to being anxious?"

Roxas pulled up in the parking lot next to them, saving Ventus from having to answer. Instead, he reached out to cup Vanitas's cheek and kissed him, earning himself another grimace from Roxas.

Ephemer didn't work this shift; instead, the waiter was Tidus, whom Ven hadn't seen in a few months now, since he rarely came to the diner this late in the day. "Hey Ven! Hi Roxas!" he greeted the two of them. "Usual table?"

"Please," Ven said. Tidus glanced at Vanitas and Xion, and frowned, likely looking for Sora. Ven was pretty sure that the last time they'd come during Tidus's shift, Sora had caused some sort of food-related mischief. Apparently, he wasn't forgiven for that yet.

They settled around the table, Ven next to the window, Roxas by his side, Vanitas across from him, and Xion next to him. Immediately, Vanitas's leg found his under the table, gently pressing against him—almost innocently, as if for warmth. Ven couldn't help but smile at that, and was still smiling when Tidus came to pick their order.

After Tidus left, Xion was the first to speak. "So, I've gotta ask. How'd you manage to fall in love with my brother in spite of his rough exterior?"

She said that last part dripping with sarcasm, but Ven was too busy choking on his drink to laugh. "I—we're—"

"Geez, you were right, Ven," Vanitas said, stepping in. "She really is gonna embarrass the fuck out of me."

"Oh, did Ventus say that now?" In spite of her offended tone, her attention was mostly on her brother now.

"It's a little early for that word," Vanitas replied, unfazed. "You'll understand when you're older."

"It's okay," Ven said before either of them could start arguing. "You're right about your brother—he did make it difficult. But I just…realized that he cares more than he lets on. And that helped me admit to what already felt for him."

Xion cooed at that, although Ven wasn't sure how sarcastic that was. "Aren't they adorable, Roxas?" Okay, definitely sarcasm there.

"Xion—" Vanitas said, as if in warning.

Roxas, however, was smirking at Ven. "Wait until you hear what changed Ven's mind," he told Xion with a conspiratorial look.

Xion turned to Ven again, an expectant look on her face. Intimidated, Ven glanced at Vanitas, who shrugged. "Whatever," he said. "I warned you, though."

Ven snorted, amused by his melodramatic tone. "It was you, actually, Xion. Finding out what Vanitas does for your sake."

"Really?" Xion let out a triumphant laugh, grinning at her brother. "Told ya, Vani. The poor little sister is total babe magnet."

Ven frowned, confused and slightly concerned. "So, like—is it an act?"

"Oh, no, Vanitas really is the only person in our family who doesn't treat me like shit. But hey, silver linings, right?"

"I still wouldn't call it a babe magnet," Vanitas said. Judging by his resigned tone, Ven figured they'd had this conversation before.

"Did you—ever use it before?" he couldn't help but ask. "Like on your first boyfriend?"

He knew the question was awkward, especially this soon after meeting Xion, but he still wasn't prepared for the devastated look she cast him. She turned back to Vanitas briefly. "Guess it's time already?" she asked softly, and Vanitas nodded. Then she looked at Ven again. "Ven—can I call you Ven?"

It took him a moment to realize this wasn't just a polite question. "Uh, sure."

"Okay. Ven. Vanitas tells me you're already acquainted with our older brother."

Ven blinked. "Xehanort," he said. "Um—'young Xehanort'."

"That's the one."

"He's the only one," Vanitas pointed out, cutting her off. "Let's cut to the chase." In spite of his words, he took a large gulp from his drink, and winced at it as if he wished it were stronger. Nervousness exuded from him, almost palpable in the air.

"Should I—leave?" Roxas asked timidly.

Vanitas shook his head. "You're Ven's family. It's fine." He shifted in his seat so his entire body was turned to Ventus, and said, "He's—the first boyfriend."

The words fell flatly from Vanitas's mouth, and hung in the air, stunning Ventus in spite of the lack of force behind them. "I—what?"

Xion reached across the table to put a hand over her brother's. "Xehanort II, more commonly known as the young Xehanort," she said. "Our foster father's only biological child, and our older brother."

At the edge of his sight, Ven could see Roxas was as struck as he felt, but he kept his focus on Vanitas. He felt at a loss for words, but Vanitas's eyes were set downwards, as if waiting for Ven to pass judgment. Their tone made it clear there was more to the story, but Ven didn't know how to ask the question he truly meant.

Instead, he recalled what Vanitas had told him before about him. "You told me he broke up with you when you left for DSU."

Vanitas didn't look up. "Yup."

"That was a year ago. You were seventeen." He paused. "How old is he?"

Xion was the one who supplied an answer. "He's twenty-one."

Three years older than Vanitas, then—though Ven didn't feel the need to say it out loud. "And—how long had it been going on?"

There was a blank moment, and it was Xion who answered again. "Two years. And yes. Our foster father knew, more or less the whole time."

How she'd known what he was going to ask, Ven didn't care to find out. "Two years," Ven repeated. He felt himself getting incensed with powerless anger—at a man he'd met for all of five minutes, and one he'd never even met.

He opened his mouth, but Vanitas cut him off. "Don't. I've heard it all. A lot of it from myself."

It was hard enough to breathe, with his throat tightening with anger at hearing that part. "You said it was complicated," he said, breathless. "Complicated is a messy breakup, or leftover feelings. Not—"

Vanitas visibly flinched, and Ven noticed a hint of tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

It took Ven a moment to realize he was responding to Ven's anger, thinking it was directed at himself. That thought made Ven's heart clench, and he felt his rage drain out of him. "No, I—Vanitas, no." He reached across the table to take Vanita's other hand, and pressed their legs together again under the table. "I'm not mad at you. It's just—" His voice died, because he wasn't sure what to say. Because he couldn't say this was unexpected or surprising—not exactly. Not when he considered everything he already knew about Vanitas. Had he gotten the scars on his body from one of them? "You were abused by your own brother. And your—" He sighed. Vanitas's insistence not to refer to him as a father made a whole lot more sense now. "The man who should have protected you did nothing to stop him."

Vanitas was the one who broke the silence. "At first I was flattered," he said flatly. "I thought it was love, and hey, we weren't really related, so it's okay, right? Then I started to feel uncomfortable about some things, but I couldn't speak up. It was only when my faster father kicked Xion out, and he did nothing to stop him that I realized how bullshit it all was. It was just their way of controlling me."

"Why do you even still work for him?" Ven asked, doing his best to keep his anger in check.

"Because of me," Xion answered. "For me," she corrected before Vanitas could. "I know you don't blame me for it," she added, turning to her brother. "But it's true."

Vanitas nodded. "It's the only way I can keep us both afloat. I'm only a college student; anywhere else than Organization XIII, I'd be lucky to be an unpaid intern, prodigy or not."

There was little else to say, so Ven said the only thing left. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. Both of you."

"Can I—say something?" Roxas asked. "You said it took Xion getting kicked out for you to realize—" He let his voice trail off. "So why did he kick you out? If—if it's okay to ask."

Vanitas glanced at Xion, and she nodded. "It's okay," she said, before turning to Roxas. "I came out to my family; I'm a trans girl." She paused, as if expecting some follow-up questions on that. "I asked them to support my transition. Just to call me a girl, and that I wanted to try out the name Xion—I wasn't even gonna ask for hormones or anything."

"And he just kicked you out?" Roxas sounded stunned—and a little outraged.

Xion only shrugged. "Yep. Vanitas found me a place to stay, thankfully."

"Took most of my savings for her rent, that first year. But it was worth it. Our foster father froze Xion's accounts immediately, so those funds are pretty much lost. At least I managed to win legal guardianship of Xion when I turned eighteen, even if it took some legal struggling."

"Remind me never to meet him," Ven couldn't help but say. "I might end up committing murder."

He wasn't really kidding, but Vanitas smiled anyway. "Thanks."

Beside Ven, Roxas shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah, um…yeah. Thanks for trusting me with all of that, Xion. And um…you too, Vanitas."

"Like I said, you're Ven's family." Vanitas's eyes didn't leave Ventus as he said that, with a strange intensity, but Ven didn't mind. If anything, it made him feel at ease.

"And you're my friend," Xion added, smiling at Ventus. "I was gonna come out to you sooner or later."

Tidus chose that moment to come with their dinner, forcing a break in the heavy conversation. After he left, there was a moment of awkward silence, and it was Ven who decided to break it.

"So, Xion—why come all this way for a music class? You don't have a car, right? Why not find something in the city?"

Vanitas cast him a grateful smile as Xion shrugged. "Oh, it just—sort of happened. Friend of mine at school, Naminé, her parents are divorced. Her dad lives here in Daybreak, so they came up with this arrangement. That way, he picks her up and drives him to class, and she stays with him for a couple days before going back into the city with her mom. I just carpool with them." With a nod towards Vanitas, she added, "And I have this one to pick me up after class, so it all works out."

"It's convoluted," Vanitas chimed in, "but Xion likes it here, so I had to fold."

"Hey, I'm glad you're here," Roxas said, smiling brightly at Xion. "Otherwise we wouldn't be friends."

Xion nodded with a theatrical affect. "Very true, dear friend," she said in an exaggerated posh accent, making the two of them laugh.

"You know, I could probably help with the driving around," Roxas offered. "If Vanitas can't make it, or stuff like that. Or if Xion wants to come here on other days."

The plea was a pretty transparent one to spend time together, and Ven suppressed a smile. "We'll have to see how you handle driving in the city," he warned, though he had no doubt Roxas would be fine.

Vanitas looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded. "Sure, we can figure something out." The air of regret in his eyes was one Ven knew all too well; it was one Roxas bore all too often, especially lately, when he was talking to Ven about feeling like they were drifting apart.

Roxas must have recognized it as well. "We don't have to, of course. Just in case, you know?"

Vanitas finally managed a smile, and nodded. "Yeah, just in case. Thanks for the offer, Roxas."

With that, tension finally evaporated between them, and Ven was able to focus on eating without feeling like any one of them would have a nervous breakdown at any moment.


Roxas offered to make good on his offer to drive Xion around immediately after dinner, but since Vanitas and Ven were headed into the city anyway, it didn't make much sense for him to take Xion home instead.

"There's always next time," Ven said, encouragingly. "Besides, it is a school night, and it's getting late." Ven knew his brother would still be up for a few more hours, but that didn't mean he shouldn't at least try to make him be reasonable.

"Yeah, I guess," Roxas replied, yawning as if on cue.

The drive back into Radiant City was quieter than dinner, as Xion also seemed tired, dozing off in the backseat. Ven supposed they had exhausted a lot of conversation topics while eating anyway—and then some, considering what he had learned of Vanitas's past.

That information still made his head spin; he wasn't sure how to properly process it. His grandfather may not have been the best guardian for Ven's teenage years, but the kind of abuse Vanitas and Xion had gone through felt too big to even fathom. Ven was dizzy just thinking about it.

Xion's apartment wasn't very far from campus, it turned out. Maybe Vanitas had chosen the location on purpose—if not to be near the college he was applying to, then because Ventus knew that their old home was far across the city, even if thinking of that 'home' made his skin crawl. The building was an old house, four stories tall, divided into multiple apartments on each floor. Ven was curious to find out more, but Xion just stepped out of the car with a cheery good night for the both of them.

"It was really nice to meet you, Ven," she told him. "I'm glad my brother found someone like you."

Ven couldn't help but beam at that, even when Vanitas groaned at him after Xion left. "Great, you're both gonna let tonight go to your heads, aren't you?"

"You know," Ven said, chuckling, "it is a shame I didn't find an excuse to ask why Xion thought I was in love with you. Maybe I should have pressed harder on that."

Vanitas laughed him off before turning the engine back on. Ven realized he'd been waiting to see that Xion was safely inside the building before he drove off, and even though it wasn't a surprise anymore that he cared about his sister, it still felt endearing to see.

As they drove, though, Ven wondered if they should talk more about what he'd just found out—about Vanitas's past, and specifically how his first relationship had been his foster brother abusing him. Maybe it was best to let it rest for a while, though; Ven definitely wasn't sure if he could keep his anger in check, even though it was directed at a man he'd never met.

Vanitas saved him from having to decide by speaking first. "So. What were you thinking earlier?"

Ven turned him a confused glance—that was a pretty broad question. "What do you mean?"

"Before we went to the diner. You were smiling like an idiot in my car. Usually I can at least guess why, but not that time."

"Oh. That." Ven had almost forgotten about that, though as he thought about it again, he couldn't help but smile. Maybe they'd had enough depressing conversation for one day. As he readied to answer, however, he realized— "Wait, what do you mean, you can guess why I'm smiling? What are you, psychic?"

"Don't deflect just because you're mad that I can read you like a book," Vanitas retorted. "Spill."

Ven sighed, but there was no reason not to tell him. If anything, telling him was probably a first—and essential—step to getting there. "I was thinking about taking you on a date. Like, a proper date. Not—what we've been doing until now."

Vanitas snorted at that. "'Taking me out.' How very gallant."

His snark made Ven gasp with indignation, even as he blushed with embarrassment at what he'd let slip. "I'm just trying to be romantic!" he protested.

"So, why then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why were you thinking about that at that moment?"

Ven shrugged. "We were going to a diner. I was thinking about the other dining options we could've picked."

"Ah. A dinner date. Classic."

"Don't," Ven whined, trying to bury himself under his seat. "I know. I don't know anything about—"

"I've never been on a dinner date before."

Surprised, Ven blinked at him. Vanitas was smiling softly, his gaze solidly on the road. "You haven't?"

"Do you really think my brother who sexually abused me for years took me out a lot?"

Ven bit his lip, ashamed that he hadn't considered that. "And the—others?"

"Plenty of bars and coffees, but never dinner. I guess I don't seem the type to a lot of people."

That felt like a wide enough opening, even to Ven's oblivious eyes. "Are you? The type?"

Vanitas cast him his best seductive glance. "Are you asking me out on a date, Ventus Enix?"

"We're already boyfriends," Ven pointed out. "And…yeah? I guess I am."

"Well, I'd be delighted. But I'm gonna have to disappoint you on one thing—"

He let his voice trail off as he parked the car, back at their dorm at DSU. Ven didn't dare disturb him by asking questions, even if he burned to know what Vanitas meant.

Finally, after he killed the engine, Vanitas turned a smug smile to him. "Fine, ask away."

Ven didn't have it in him to play coy. "What am I gonna be disappointed about?"

"I have dibs on taking you out on our first date."

Ven stared at him, confused. "You do?"

"Well, unless you tell me no, like—right now. It's all already set up."

"It's all—what is set up? What're you talking about?"

"If you knew, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. Come on, you'll see." Vanitas stepped out, while Ven watched him walk around the car, baffled. He opened the passenger door and held out his hand to Ventus. "Are you coming?"

Smiling, Ven took his hand and followed his lead. To his surprise, Vanitas led the way back into the dorm building, and made a beeline to their usual elevator.

As the doors closed on them, Ven couldn't help but say, "Okay, if you just wanted to sleep with me again, you could have just said so."

"Tempting," Vanitas said, crowding him into a corner and stealing a quick kiss from him. "But no." Ven heard him fidget with the elevator buttons, though he didn't see what exactly he did. All he knew was that, when the doors opened on the seventh floor—their floor—Vanitas immediately pressed the button to close the doors again, keeping Ven locked in place with another kiss.

When the elevator stopped again, Ven was pleasantly dizzy and short on breath. Then Vanitas took his hand, and shot him his most confident smile. "Come on!"

Ven stepped out of the elevator into a small, bare room he'd never seen before. Across from them was a nondescript, grey door, which Vanitas pushed open without hesitation.

The sudden chill made Ven hiss when he stepped outside. Because they were outside, Ven realized: Vanitas had taken them up to the residence's roof. Confused, it was all Ven could do to follow Vanitas, who was still holding tightly onto his hand.

The roof was divided into several sections by tiny, knee-high brick walls. Ven couldn't even begin to imagine the purpose of that, but as Vanitas made his way over the first one, he suddenly realized why they were here. On the other side, laid out on the bare concrete, was a nest of blankets. And next to them, glinting in the starlight, were two very familiar devices.

Ven froze at the sight of them, forcing Vanitas to stop. He turned around, casting Ven a worried look as Ven gaped at the telescopes. "I—asked Terra if I could borrow yours," Vanitas said, suddenly sounding uncertain. "I saw you took it with you on Saturday. Was it—did I do something wrong?"

A smile came to Ven's lips as he noticed how nervous Vanitas was. "No," he said. "No, this is perfect." So perfect he should have thought of it himself—or perhaps, so perfect only Vanitas could have thought of it. "I love it. Way to blow my dinner idea out of the water."

The chuckle Vanitas made was clearly a nervous one, and when Ven wrapped his arms around him, Vanitas all but melted in the embrace. "It's not a competition," Vanitas said softly. "But I'm glad you like it."

"I do," Ven said, stepping back to take in the whole scene. "Who knew you had such a clear view of the sky from here?" Even though they were within Radiant City, the campus was isolated enough, and the residence tall enough, to give them a clear view of the stars. It wasn't the same as being in the fields outside of Daybreak, where there was hardly any light pollution, but still.

"Anyone who's come here at night," Vanitas pointed out. "Which is—a lot of people. Very frequent hook-up spot in this residence."

Ven turned to him with a pout. "Way to kill the mood."

"Don't worry, the spot I picked out for us is clean."

"Gross. If weirdly attentive."

"I aim to please."

Chuckling, Ven leaned in to kiss him. "And you are excellent at it." Just then, the wind picked up, and Ven hugged himself against the cold of its bite. "Even if—"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before Vanitas fished out jackets from within the nest of blankets. They were both Vanitas's, but they were close enough in size that it didn't matter. The one he handed to Ven was elegant, if unusual, the left side of it jet black while the right half was white. "I love it," Ven said. "I might have to keep it."

"Well, as long as you're keeping me, too," Vanitas said, kissing him again. "I checked the weather, by the way—we have clear skies for at least a couple more hours."

"More than enough time for you to realize how much of a hopeless nerd I am?"

Vanitas shrugged as he sat down among the blankets. "I have my own telescope too, you know."

"Yeah," Ven said as he settled into the nest himself, snuggling against Vanitas and dragging his telescope closer to him. "Although yours is fancy."

"I guess so. But yours has history."

"That's a nice way of saying it's old."

"I took a peek at it when I set this up, you know. You've got some high-quality lenses in there. It's not factory default." He paused. "Which you already know, right?"

Ven nodded. "It was my father's, but I upgraded it over time. Felt better than to replace it. There isn't much of the original left by now, but—"

"It's the ship of Theseus," Vanitas said.

"The—" The name felt vaguely familiar, but Ven couldn't place it. "I should know this, but refresh my memory anyway."

"It's a thought experiment. If you have a ship, and replace each piece one at a time, until not a single wood board that makes up the ship was originally part of it—is it still the same ship?"

"Oh." Ven tilted his head. "Well, this is still definitely my father's telescope."

"The point of the experiment is that there's no easy answer."

"I realize that, thank you very much. But—"

"I get it. Improving, patching things up, it's how things grow."

Ven glanced at him, taking in Vanitas's wistful look. "A little bit like yourself," he couldn't help but say.

"Ouch," Vanitas said. "But true. Stealing the words right out of my mouth, in fact."

"So you have a fancy telescope, if barely used, and I have one that has…history, and a lot of patching up." Ven frowned. "Is this a metaphor?"

Vanitas laughed, and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "I'd like to think so. And hey, Ven—"

Ventus had been about to start looking at the sky, but the edge in Vanitas's voice forced him to look at him instead. "What is it?"

"I know you were just teasing earlier, but—I think I really am in love with you." Ven's lips fell open, and before he could answer, Vanitas pressed his fingers against them. "Don't say anything just yet. I think I'm in love with you, and it's scary, okay?" Ven didn't say anything, but he could easily guess why, now. "I know it's early to even say stuff like that, but—honestly, with everything I've been through, I wasn't sure I could feel that way at all, so—" Vanitas made a nervous chuckle. "I'm rambling. Sorry."

"It's okay," Ven said automatically, transfixed.

"Yeah. I know. Point is, it's scary, but I'm glad, too. I just needed you to know that."

Ven considered him silently for a moment, unsure if he should say something in return. How could he even know what he felt was love? "I—"

"Like I said. Don't say anything yet."

Even if the understanding tone was soothing, Ven shook his head. "That's not good enough," he said. "I don't know what to say, but—I want you to know I'll do everything I can not to hurt you like they did."

"I know," Vanitas said, smiling. "That's how I know how I feel about you."

He kissed Ventus, soft and tender and desperate, his hands clinging onto Ven's shoulders as if for dear life, overwhelming Ven completely. Yet there was comfort in that, too—for Vanitas, but for Ventus too. A sense of an unspoken promise between them.

"Thank you," Ven simply said, and he hoped that was enough.