Vanitas has come to Namine's house. What will happen? (Bad summary, I know)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERS!

I just own this story. Enjoy!

I stood there, eyes bulging, mask of businesslike cordiality shattered, staring at the guy waiting on my front porch. About a million questions bounced around my mind.

Vanitas? HERE? He was my Mom's boss's son? WHAT?

"Hey, Namine," he greeted me with that gorgeous smile of his. "How're you doing?"

My mouth flapped open and closed as I continued staring.

He gave me a confused look. "Namine, are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

I snapped my mouth shut and slipped on a mask of coolness. "Yeah, no problems. Just wasn't expecting to see you," I replied.

He sighed with relief. "Oh good."

He looked at Dajh and his face brightened.

"Hey there, kid," Vanitas greeted "What's your name?"

"Dajh," Dajh said shyly. "Who're you?"

"My name is Vanitas," Vanitas replied. "Wanna be friends?"

Dajh grinned. "Sure!"

"Come on, let's play whatever Namine has for us," Vanitas urged. "Race you there!"

Dajh burst into motion so fast even I barely caught up. And again, I'm one of the fastest kids in the entire freaking school, but the kid had a five second head start as I got over my shock. I managed to reach the living room neck and neck with Dajh, but Vanitas was left behind.

He staggered into the living room, panting and wheezing. "Not much—of a—runner," he gasped, clutching at his chest.

I checked him out. It was strictly for guessing exactly what sport he played (for he undoubtedly did)…but I did enjoy looking him over.

Oh god. GET your MIND OUT of the GUTTER, girl.

I never thought I'd look at a guy in this way. Sure, I gave hot guys second looks, but never in detail.

I was following the rise and fall of his muscular chest as he caught his breath, the crouch of his legs as he bent over with his hands on his knees, and ripped my gaze off of him for a second time.

"Lemme guess, you play football?" I asked, trying to be cool, trying to show him that I was superior to him.

"Yep," he confirmed. "How'd you know?"

"Stereotype," I answered.

"Oh," he said. He sounded…disappointed, for some reason.

Dajh grunted and groaned. I turned around to find him reaching for the Monopoly box, which was just out of reach of his 3'2" height.

I snorted in amusement and slid the game off the shelf, carrying it to the center of the room.

"Monopoly!" Vanitas declared with a wide grin. "Prepare for the biggest butt-kicking of your life!"

I snorted again, this time in derision. "Bring it," I challenged.

Just fifteen minutes later, I had learned the lesson that challenging Vanitas to a game of Monopoly was a good way to be humiliated. With the way he'd crippled my finances, even Dajh slaughtered me.

I groaned and slapped my face as my last banknote flew away into Vanitas's pile.

"I give up," I mumbled in shame.

Vanitas laughed merrily. "Aw, come on, ya sore loser! The game's still young!" he chuckled.

"It's a foregone conclusion—I'm gonna lose," I replied.

Vanitas was about to answer when Mom called us to dinner.

"One second!" I called back. "Alright guys, let's clean up."

"You sure you don't wanna play this later?" Vanitas asked.

"No!" I shouted.

"Fine," he grumbled.

Dajh had watched us argue the whole time.

"But I want to play later," he said, with those dog eyes that almost always got me.

I dared not look the kid in the eye. "No is no," I stated firmly.

"Awww," he whined.

We cleaned up quickly enough that we got into the dining room before Mom brought in the platters. Somebody had added two more seats for Vanitas and Mrs. Nabaat beforehand.

Dinner was steak (none for me, Mom, or Aqua), corn, potatoes, salad, potato salad, and all manner of assorted vegetables. My mouth watered as I looked at the arsenal of foodstuffs.

As we ate, Mom and Aqua and Sazh and Mrs. Nabaat had a conversation about me and Vanitas. Both of us just ignored it and helped Dajh with his food.

I was cutting up a potato for the kid when Mom mentioned that I'd never confided in her as to who my crushes were.

"That's because I don't have any, Mom!" I said angrily.

"Aw, come on, you know you're lying," Sazh teased. "Maybe it's even for Vanitas!"

"Wh-where did you get that from?" I retorted, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"I may be a guy, but even I can tell that Vanitas would be considered hot by girls," Sazh chuckled.

"Just because he's hot doesn't mean I have a crush on him!" I said, biting back an insult.

Sazh smirked.

"Wait, I didn't just say that he was…did I?" I said, turning red again.

Uproarious laughter resounded in the dining room. I looked away in embarrassment, and saw that Vanitas was blushing too.

When the furor died down, Mrs. Nabaat leaned forward with a glint in her eye.

"Actually, Vanitas was gushing to me about this beautiful blonde girl he met in school," she said with an evil smile. "And speak of the devil—she's here right now."

"Mom!" Vanitas shouted, angered. Now it was my turn to blush.

I nervously twisted a lock of my hair as Vanitas captured one of my rooks. He was turning out to be a master of every board game in my house.

"How'd you get so good at games like this?" I demanded.

"I was a nerd before I joined the football team," he admitted. "I used to be in a board game club."

"Playing board games does not automatically make you a nerd," I pointed out, stung a bit.

"True. A lot of jocks and preppies were in that club too, but I—well, if you saw me you'd think I was a geek," Vanitas replied.

He became quiet. "I-I looked like a stereotypical nerd then. Just like I'm a stereotypical jock right now," he said, lowering his head. He looked at me with a sad smile. "Just like you said."

I wanted to reach out and hug the poor woobie. I really did. For a second.

"Sounds like you went through a lot," I said, overlaying a mask of sympathy on my words.

But I thought, you can't possibly know how I feel. How would you feel if you had no dad?

"Yeah," he said tiredly. "My dad divorced my mom when I was six or so. I missed him a lot; he'd used to play with me. My mom never did."

"At least you knew your father," I let out before I could shut down my tongue. What was wrong with me? First I ogle a guy, and then I get a motor mouth?

Vanitas gave me a confused look. "What do you mean by that?" he said in surprise.

By then my mouth was firmly restrained. "Not telling," I replied coolly.

"Come on, just tell me," he urged.

I didn't respond.

"Tell me, I wanna know," he begged.

"No way. You're just gonna use it as gossip," I sneered back.

Vanitas looked hurt by that. "I never gossip. Not about friends, family, NO ONE!" he yelled furiously.

I was taken aback by his outburst. I even got scared for a moment. I hid that behind a mask of indifference, there was no point in showing him he'd shook me.

"Really?" I said dryly.

He got up, a dangerous look in his eyes. "Are you questioning my honor?" he said threateningly.

"No, no it's just that I-I-I—" I stuttered as he walked around the table.

My eyes grew wide as he towered over me like a castle tower.

"Well?" he asked.

"Okay I'll tell you," I said meekly.

He smirked. "Good."

"I can't believe you intimidated me like that," I complained.

He gave me that sad smile again. "Yeah, I got good at that." Then his eyes flashed fiercely. "Continue, please."

I started with how Mom and Dad met in a bar. I told him how what should have been a one-night stand turned into a whirlwind romance. I told him about Aqua's birth, then mine. Then I told him how the cops came knocking one day while he was planning his and Mom's wedding.

"Aqua told me that the policeman had had a warrant for Dad all the way from Twilight Town," I stated. "She said he had murdered a guy who threatened to hurt his sister. Mom was shocked by that. She went into depression, even toyed with suicide."

Vanitas had been listening, chess game forgotten, and he sat back. "Your mom tried to commit suicide?" he said in horror. "Damn."

"Yeah. It wasn't like she was ashamed of him or anything," I said quickly. "She was just—broken, I guess. They were the world to each other."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Vanitas said quietly.

Before I could ask why, Mrs. Nabaat came into the room. "We're leaving now, Vanitas," she called.

"Okay, mom. One second," he responded.

Mrs. Nabaat nodded. "I'll be in the foyer, okay?"

Vanitas nodded back before turning to me.

"Hey, um, Namine?" he said.

"Yeah?" I answered cautiously.

"You wanna go to a restaurant with me?" he asked nervously.

"Are you asking me out?" I said, incredulous. I searched his face, looking for any hint that he was just kidding. I found none.

"No!" he said quickly. "I mean, yes. I mean, no. I mean, oh what the hell. Yeah, I am."

"O-okay," I replied.

"Great!" Vanitas declared. He flashed me that delightful grin of his. "See you…Friday?"

"Okay," I said again, still not quite believing what was happening.

I sat in a daze, ignoring my Aqua's calls for me to join them in the foyer. Finally she came into the living room in a huff, and dragged me towards the room.

I mechanically returned the goodbye's and nice to meet you's as they were sent at me.

Vanitas asked me out. A guy had asked me out, and I had accepted.

Something was seriously with me, and I had more important things to do than listen to Aqua's scolding lecture about politeness. I ran towards my room the second she was done.

I had to tell Kairi about this!

Oh god no, telling Kairi would be a HUGE mistake, Namine.

Vanitas asked Namine out! What's gonna happen on their date? Are they gonna go steady?

Or am I gonna add in some extra material to build the suspense?

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