Chapter Text
Part I. Ventus
For all the time he has known and spent with Terra and Aqua, Ven was confident that he knew them best. The bond the three of them share with each other was for eternity, and he was forever thankful for that.
Even so, Ven knew that between just the two of his friends though, there was a special bond that was only reserved for them alone. He didn’t quite mind that, seeing as to how Terra and Aqua were already inseparable even before he came into the picture. Perhaps it was because of their age, or perhaps it was because of all the time they’ve spent together since they were young, Ven never exactly dwelled on that topic. He was contented with how things were, and he would never have dreamed of asking for more.
Which was why when he woke up one Sunday morning to find Aqua bustling about in the kitchen on their only rest day, with Terra sitting by the counter top, a book spread opened in front of him, Ven wasn’t surprised at all.
“Morning,” He greeted with a yawn while bumping his fist with Terra’s. “What are you cooking?”
“Morning, sleepyhead.” Aqua greeted back with a chuckle, hands busy sorting out the ingredients on the counter. Aqua was wearing an apron, a sight that was not unfamiliar to Ven, ever since she began travelling to various worlds and coming back each time with new recipes in her journal. “There was a dish that I tried, and the host was so kind to share the recipe with me. It was really delicious, and I really want you two and Master to try it!”
Ven grinned, exchanging looks with Terra, who was also smiling. “Do you need any help?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer from the way Terra was acting. “I mean, I’m not as clumsy as Terra—“
“Hey!” Terra interrupted, an eyebrow raised. “I’m not that bad in cooking.”
“Says the one who nearly burned down our kitchen years ago.” Ven stuck a tongue out and immediately moved to the other side of the counter, away from Terra’s reach. Aqua merely laughed in agreement.
“That was one time.” Terra groaned.
“One time is enough, Terra.”
Terra sighed, turning to look at the blue-haired mage. “Help?” He asked, to which Aqua glanced at the younger boy with a smile and said, “Eat your breakfast first, Ven.”
“Okay, mom.” Ven conceded easily with a tease, reaching for his bowl and a box of cereal. He ate in silence after that, watching Aqua chop some onions. The kitchen was quiet, save for the sound of chopping and the sound of Ven chewing on his cereal.
Ven couldn’t help but smile to himself; he missed this regularity. Being in the same room with his two best friends, doing things that was so normal, so routine, just like the old days—he was grateful. There was simply nothing else he wished for but for the three of them to always be like this forever.
“Ow!” A sudden yelp from Aqua snapped Ven out from his thoughts, but before he could process fully what had happened, Terra was already by her side. Ven looked on from the opposite, realizing that Aqua had cut her finger. “Let me see,” Terra asked gently, holding onto Aqua’s hand, worry etched evidently on his face.
At first, there was nothing that struck Ven odd about this whole situation. The cut seemed minor, nothing comparable to what Aqua had suffered throughout the years wielding the keyblade. Ven was about to suggest casting cure on it, but there was a gut feeling that stopped him from saying anything.
Ven has seen this many times; when Aqua had injured herself during training, when she came back from her missions with a few bandages or scars that didn’t go away even with spells. Terra was always there in a flash, if he was around, tending to her wounds and injuries, fetching her things that would keep her comfortable while she was resting. Even so, Ven found himself frowning watching his two friends in front of him, there was something different that caught his attention this time. He just couldn’t quite place a finger on it, though.
Terra was still fussing over that small cut, he had washed her finger under the tap and was putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding. “Are you sure you don’t want to just cast cure on it?” He asked, his free hand rummaging for a band-aid in the kitchen drawer.
“I’m fine, Terra,” Ven noticed a hint of blush on Aqua’s cheeks as she replied, though he opted to say nothing about it. “You know what Master thinks of casting magic for personal gain—“
“It’s not personal gain, you’re hurt.”
“It’s just a tiny cut, Terra.” Aqua sighed, eyes not quite looking at the older man beside her. “A band-aid should do the trick.”
“You need to be more careful next time, seriously…” Terra said firmly, clearly still worried.
“Well, kitchen accidents aren’t very unusual.” Aqua retorted with a huff, though she allowed him to wrap the band-aid around her finger.
Ven stood there in silence, watching the scene unfold in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed together. Suddenly, Ven had this nudging feeling as if he was intruding an intimate moment between his two friends, which made him even more confused, seeing how they weren’t even doing anything especially out of the ordinary. Even though Terra had already finished tending to her wound, he still hovered near her, insisting that he helped her with the rest of the onions.
That was when it suddenly hit Ven. Fast and hard, that he had to do a double take.
No way, he gasped, really?
“Guys?” The word came out before Ven could even think of stopping himself. Terra and Aqua turned to look at him, (finally) remembering that he was still there with them.
Ven observed how closely they stood beside each other, Aqua’s still flushed face, and Terra’s look of concern. He took a deep breath. “Don’t kill me for asking this but are you two like…together together?”
“What? No!” Aqua was quick to reply, though clearly taken aback.
“Yeah…we’re…not.” Flustered, Terra joined in a split second after.
“Oh.” Ven simply said, though it didn’t go unnoticed that Aqua had become even redder. And that in itself was amusing to the teenager. In all the years of Ven knowing her, Aqua was always calm and collected, never once had her expression betrayed her feelings. But this time, it was evident that even if both his friends weren’t together, Aqua still felt something from his innocent question.
There was an awkward pause after that; Aqua had moved herself to the stove, back now against both him and Terra, while Terra resumed chopping the onions quietly.
“I’m going to go…uh…water the plants.” Ven cleared his throat, a sudden bubble of excitement building up inside him. Before either of them could reply to him, he had already left the kitchen.
After witnessing the possibility of a change in their friendship, Ven wanted to add something to the wish he mentally made to himself earlier. He didn’t exactly know what was going on with his two friends, but he had a hunch that something more was about to happen. And more than anything in the world, he wished that his hunch would eventually be right. From the looks his friends were giving to each other, it didn’t seem like it would take a long time, if Ven were to be completely honest with himself.
Perhaps a few push is what they need, Ven grinned excitedly, his mind now filled with hundreds of thoughts and ideas.
(end of part i - ventus)