A/N: Thanks for the support, everyone! Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
Roxas and I both tensed up. Roxas' hand was gripping the binder tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. "Oh no," Roxas whispered. I shushed him and slipped the binder into my backpack. "Grab anything else you might want or need and put it in your backpack. Hurry!" I whispered fiercely. Roxas, his eyes big, quickly and quietly began stuffing things into his backpack. My entire body was on high alert. I hid in the doorway, listening to the shuffling downstairs. "Ventus, how are we going to get out of here?" Roxas whispered fearfully. I hesitated, licking my lips nervously. I hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know yet. I'm still trying to figure that part out," I replied under my breath. Roxas groaned softly in frustration and peered over my shoulder.
"Is he still down there?" he muttered. I nodded, my eyes set intently on the staircase. There was a sudden shout and a crash. Roxas jumped and he knocked down the lamp on his desk in the process. It clattered to the floor loudly. We both froze, our eyes fixated on the fallen lamp in horror. "What was that?" said Dad's voice. Roxas was nearly hyperventilating in my ear. "Shit!" I breathed, grabbing Roxas' hand. As quickly and silently as I could manage, I hurried into the bathroom, dragging my brother along with me. I shut the door behind us, risking being slow to keep the lock quiet as it clicked into place. "Ven, this way, hurry," Roxas hissed, swinging his leg up to climb through the bathroom window. There was the sound of thundering steps as Dad came up the stairs to investigate the noise. My heart was thudding rapidly and my palms were coated in cool sweat.
"C'mon, Ven," Roxas mumbled. He held out his hand for me to grab. I was just about to take his hand, when Dad roared, "WHO IS IN MY HOUSE?!" Panicking, I shoved Roxas through the window and scrunched myself as small as I could between the sink and the toilet, wincing as the action tugged at my ribs. The bathroom door began to rattle and Roxas looked down at me, panic-stricken. I waved him to go on without me and, reluctantly, he ducked his head back out. The door suddenly burst open and Roxas froze. Dad stood there, his eyes blazing. "You! What are you doing back here?" he shouted, stomping over to the window. Roxas scrambled out of reach and avoided our father's reaching hands. He scurried like a squirrel out of my view on the small patch of roof the window was installed into. "Get back here!" Dad yelled, his hands grabbing at the air frantically. With an annoyed grunt, he spun to leave. I sat there, frozen and petrified. Without looking at me, Dad made his way to the stairs. I don't know what I was thinking as I extracted myself from my hiding spot and rushed after him.
My bruised body was throbbing and practically screaming at me for jostling it around so much. Dad had turned at the noises I made and, the moment his eyes met mine, I lunged. Using every ounce of my body strength, I hurled myself at him, knocking him and myself down the stairs. The wood of the stairs bumped and scraped at my limbs and sore ribs, but at that moment, I was filled with adrenaline and could feel nothing. I heard yelling and realized that it was me- it was my battle cry. We tumbled down the fifteen steps, rolling over one another. Dad's hands flailed then went still as his head struck one of the steps. We landed on the hardwood floor with a tremendous thud. My eyes were practically rolling into my head and I had to close them to get over the massive case of dizziness and fatigue that had accompanied my fall. I shoved Dad off me and took in a deep breath. He...didn't move. I nudged him with my foot, but he didn't respond. I bit my lip and rolled him over onto his back. Dad's eyes were closed and he appeared to be breathing.
I breathed a sigh of relief- it was more a gust of breath that abruptly burst from my lips- and quickly got to my feet. I didn't want to be here when he woke up. Grabbing my fallen backpack, I ran as fast as my legs would allow out the front door, slipping a little on the rug. The door slammed behind me as I rushed onto the porch. My knee buckled under me and I stumbled down the stairs onto the sidewalk. Panting, I looked around for Roxas. I heard running steps behind me and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end. 'Oh no, you've got to be kidding me. He was knocked out! How did he get up so fast?' I thought. There would be no time for me to try to run away; I was trapped. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for Dad to kill me. "Why the hell are you just standing there? Run, you dumbass!" Roxas shouted, grabbing my arm as he ran past me. I staggered but managed to regain my footing to keep up with him.
As we ran, I looked back and watched our house slowly vanish from view. The thought that I could never return there safely made my heart ache. Roxas pulled me into Axel's front yard and up onto the porch, knocking on the door frantically. I bent over, my hands on my knees, to catch my breath. Axel's door swung open and the redhead himself was the one who answered. Poor Roxas didn't get a chance to speak for Axel had already pulled him into a crushing embrace, smushing my brother's face against his chest. There was something about the action that made me feel a sense of accomplishment; I had gotten my brother in and out of that damn place in one piece and back to the people who loved him most. I was just straightening up when I was abruptly pulled into an embrace of my own. Strong arms held me close, tightening ever so slightly, and black spikes brushed against my cheek. The smell of hickory smoke and the nighttime wind engulfed my senses and I practically melted. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Vanitas asked softly. I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him, my fingers lightly gripping his long-sleeved shirt. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here much longer," I murmured. I felt his chuckle rather than heard it. "I'm pretty warm at the moment," he murmured in response, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
I smiled, but a part of me was afraid he was going to feel just how fast my heart was pounding from being so close. Vanitas was the first to pull away, his cheeks pink. "I-uh-ahem, I'm glad that you came back alright. I was worried," he said shyly. My own cheeks were warm from embarrassment. I glanced behind him and saw Roxas and Axel watching us in amusement. My blush spread to my ears. "What the hell are you staring at?" I said. Roxas laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Nothing, Ven, don't worry about it. Thanks for going with me to Dad's. I know that must have sucked," he said. I grinned at him and ruffled his hair. He snatched my hand away, pouting. "What are big brothers for?" I said, chuckling. Vanitas and I waved goodbye and began walking to his house.
"Say, why were you at Axel's house? I figured that you'd have gone home," I said. Vanitas cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I told you I was worried. The last time you went over there, he...," he trailed off, turning his head away. I caught his angered expression beforehand and looked down at my shoes. He remembered that? 'Of course he remembers that, you dolt! He's the one who took care of you after you collapsed on his doorstep. Or do you not remember?' my subconscious snapped. I stopped walking and, without thinking, put a hand on Vanitas' shoulder. He halted and turned to me, surprised. "I-I never really got the chance to thank you...you know, for patching me up after I came back. That was...um...very sweet of you," I stammered. Vanitas held my gaze steadily, his golden stare burning with some intense emotion I couldn't quite place. 'Shit, did I say the wrong thing? Did I take it too far by calling him sweet?' I though, panicking a little internally. My whole face burned in embarrassment.
I hesitantly began walking again, breathing out harshly as I heard his calm steps as he caught up. "What about you, Vanitas? How come your parents are so mean to you?" I blurted. Oh, no. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. I mentally cringed. 'Crap, crap, crap. He's going to hate me now. You fucked up! Abort, abort!' my subconscious yelled. I opened my mouth to take back my questions, but the look on Vanitas' face immediately shut me up. "It wasn't always bad," he said softly, "There was even a time where my parents never fought. They were happy and everything was great. But, like everything else in my life, it didn't last very long. About three years ago, Mom had a miscarriage. She didn't talk, eat, or sleep for days. It was as if she was...lost. She lost her job, so Dad had to take up two. Despite that, money got really tight and we were evicted from our old house because of it." My eyebrows furrowed as I listened intently. My heart was pounding so wildly, it was a wonder that I could hear at all; Vanitas was opening up to me. He seemed bemused by my reaction and took out a cigarette from his pocket. As he lit it up, I watched the light of the flame reflect in his eyes, turning them into more of a reddish orange than a gold. It was beautiful, like watching a sunset.
Vanitas inhaled deeply and blew out smoke from slightly parted lips. The tendrils of the smoke curled and swayed in front of his face, almost as though they were dancing. "The only reason we are in the house we have now," he continued, "is because Dad had an affair with some rich doctor who felt sorry for him. Long story short, Mom found out, shit got real, Dad fucked up by defending the doctor. They've been fighting ever since." We reached his house and sat down on the steps. The sun had just began to set, its rays sending golden warmth over us. I looked over at Vanitas and found him staring down at his shadow, the cigarette hanging in his teeth. "It's not that they were necessarily mean to me," he said suddenly, "It's just that...they ignored me." He glanced over at me and looked back down again. "Is that when you...you started cutting yourself?" I asked quietly. He chuckled, a bitter and dry sound. "It was as though I wasn't even there anymore. The only time they ever really noticed me was if I interrupted their fights or if someone called them, like school. It got worse when Xion left. She was my only escape, my sister and friend. When she left for college, I dunno I guess I...," he said, scuffing the tip of his sneaker on the step, "I didn't want to exist anymore. Like, I thought that there was no real reason for me to be here."
Vanitas fiddled with the cigarette a little then tossed it to the ground. I watched as he crushed it beneath his sneaker. "Let's-uh...go inside. It's getting cold," he said gruffly. I nodded and didn't say anything as I followed Vanitas into the house. As we went upstairs, I found myself staring at Vanitas' back. 'He's gone through so much. I just never understood until now. Here I thought I had it bad. I want to help, but how can you help someone who is just as lost as you?' I thought. My cold skin sent a shiver down my spine and I shuddered. "Are you cold, too?" Vanitas said, stopping in front of the thermostat. When I nodded, he glared at the numbers on the digital thermometer. "No fucking wonder. This stupid thing is busted again," he said tapping at it. He sighed and went into his bedroom. I hesitated a moment by his doorway then went into the guest room. The house was colder than it was outside, which was saying something since it was September, almost October. Shivering, I went to my suitcase, rummaging through my clothes for something warm to wear.
I pulled out my over-sized gray hoodie and slipped it over my head. The sleeves came down passed my knuckles, warming my freezing hands. I has taken off my shoes at the door downstairs, so my feet were in thin socks on hardwood floors; they were as cold as ice cubes. Frantically, I pulled aside some more clothes and found the wool socks Aqua had knitted for me one Christmas. 'Thank goodness,' I thought, tugging them on. I shut my suitcase and climbed under the big, poofy comforter. "Thanks, Xion," I mumbled, burying my face into the pillow. I must have dozed off for, when I opened my eyes, the clock by my bed said 8:30. I groaned and threw an arm over my eyes. I nearly bit my tongue at the sudden knocking at the guest room door. It opened and I could see the outline of black spikes. "Ven? Are you awake?" Vanitas whispered. I nodded then, realizing that he couldn't see me, sat up. "Yeah, I'm awake. What's- holy fuck, it's cold in here!" I said as the air hit me. It felt as though I was the Antarctic. "I-I kn-know, the therm-therm- thermostat is broken," Vanitas said, his teeth chattering.
He came into my room and closed the door behind him. He wasted no time in getting under the covers with me. Blushing, I scooted over to give him more room. I pulled the heavy comforter over us and snuggled down against the warm sheets. Vanitas, cold and shivering, pulled me close to him. "I'm sorry, V-Ven, but I'm freezing. I feel like I might die," he said. I understood, but he was making me cold again. I shifted a little and felt something wet fall onto my hand. What? I blinked hard and saw Vanitas wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. My heart ached. "Hey, are you...are you crying?" I whispered. Vanitas sniffed and shook his head. "N-no, of course not," he mumbled. I could hear the thickness in his voice and knew he was lying. Fuck it. I pulled his cold body as close to me as I possibly could and even wrapped my leg around his. His arm went under mine and rested against my back, his fingers lightly brushing the back of my neck. Our foreheads were inches apart and our noses touched just barely. I opened my eyes- I hadn't realized I'd closed them- and saw Vanitas' looking at me.
I was thankful for the darkness that hid the flaming blush that spread all the way up to my ears. "I think this is the closest I've ever been to someone," I whispered. My eyes widened and I mentally smacked myself. 'God dammit, Ventus, you are the dorkiest person alive! Think before you speak!' I scolded myself. Vanitas laughed and the knot of panic in my chest disappear. "Same here," he murmured. I chuckled nervously. I felt the phantom wetness on the back of my hand and impulsively brought my hand up to his cheek. "Why are you crying, Vanitas?" I whispered. He shivered a little and sniffled. "I'm not crying. It's just so damn cold that my eyes started leaking," he muttered. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help the small smile that tugged up the corners of my mouth. "You're ridiculous, just tell me," I said softly. I could feel the shift in his face as he smiled. "I can't get anything without you noticing, huh?" he said. I heard the hint of amusement in his voice and grinned. "Nope, now tell me what's wrong," I said. He sighed then was quiet for a moment. I was beginning to think that I had overstepped my boundaries when he sniffled again. "I had a dream that Xion never came home," he said softly.
I hugged him a bit tighter and he looked up at me. "She isn't going anywhere, Vanitas. Don't worry," I said in what I hope was a soothing voice. Vanitas was silent then his body relaxed. Suddenly, he pressed closer to me, our lips brushing a little. "Ven...can I kiss you again?" Vanitas asked. My heart thudded hard and fast in my chest. 'He wants to...? Does that mean he doesn't regret the first time?' I thought. I was filled with a burst of courage and, without saying a word, I pressed my lips against Vanitas'. His lips were slightly chapped from the cool weather, but they were warm and seemed to conform to mine almost perfectly. I closed my eyes and moved the last couple of inches closer to him, deepening the kiss. His tongue softly slid against mine, making quiet, wet noises. His breath tasted like toothpaste and smoke. In the back of my mind, I prayed that my breath wasn't bad; I had forgotten to brush my teeth before bed. 'What if I taste bad? He's going to be disgusted by me,' I thought worriedly. My skin jumped as Vanitas' hand brushed against my side. I felt his lips curl up into a small smile.
His fingers tangles themselves in my hair while his opposite hand slid deftly up my hoodie. His palm felt smooth against my heated skin, causing me to shiver. "You're so warm, Ven," Vanitas mumbled against my lips. I gasped and felt as though my heart had jumped into my mouth; the sound of his voice so close to me had sent a cascade of shivers down my spine. 'Oh my fuck,' I thought. My abdomen tingled and a rush of heat shot down between my thighs. Vanitas' hand caressed my stomach, my sides, my ribs, and lightly brushed over my chest. One of his fingers grazed my nipple and my breathing hitched as the sensation sent a jolt to my crotch. He froze and moved away. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," he said, mortified. As he quickly pulled his hand from my hoodie, I felt a rush of dismay. 'What? No! Don't stop!' I thought. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand. "D-don't...please don't stop. I told you that it doesn't bother me," I said. Vanitas inhaled sharply as I kissed his fingers hesitantly. "Are you...sure? One hundred percent?" he asked. I bit my lip at the vulnerability in his voice. There was no point in prolonging the agony anymore. 'Just fucking tell him!' I thought. I took a deep breath.
"I really like you, Vanitas."
A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Review if you wanna, I look forward to reading them with each new chapter. :3 Next chapter is in the works! Ciao!~