Work Text:
Sora's foolproof guide to ask your crush to spend Christmas with you
Success guaranteed!
Only a fool would write a foolproof guide. Which Sora was. Why Sora would give him this in the first place was a mystery to Vanitas - Vanitas definitely didn't have a crush and even if he had one, he would totally be fine on his own. Because would it really be that difficult to just ask "hey, let's spend some time together on Christmas so I can kick your ass-" wait no. Cut that last part.
Point is, Vanitas didn't have a crush.
"Hey, Vani!"
Vanitas whirled around to glare. Only one person would be stupid enough to call him that. Not counting Sora, because his stupidity surpasses how stupid a normal human could be.
"Call me that again and I'll kill you in your sleep," Vanitas hissed but Ventus only waved him off with a laugh.
"Oh no! Not again!"
Vanitas would like to repeat he does not have a crush. Even though the slight blush at the other's laugh may suggest otherwise. Because the idea of having a crush on Ventus was outright laughable to Vanitas. He was kind. ...Stupidly kind! And he was. Annoying. Because he was always so lively and his smiles and eyes were so bright, it was blinding.
Yeah, who would even like that idiot. Definitely not Vanitas. Because he did not have a crush at all.
"What'cha got there?" Ventus asked and suddenly he was so close, peering over Vanitas's shoulder. His breath ghosting over Vanitas's neck. His hair tickling Vanitas's face.
Vanitas swallowed and without a thought, offered him the little notes from Sora. In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea. But Vanitas had been distracted. By, uh. The cat sitting on the table. Yeah.
"How to ask out your crush? Why would-" Ventus interrupted himself as if he realized something and his eyes turned to slits, his mouth forming a mischievous grin. "You have a crush on someone?" He teased, snatching the notes away from his friend's hands. Vanitas let him, for a reason unexplainable and definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he was enamored with the other.
"Uh, no. Sora's just being stupid."
Ventus never stopped grinning, if anything, he started grinning even wider. "Lemme see… Step 1: Be confident! Make yourself look good! haha. Sora should follow his own advice and then he wouldn't be such a mess around Kairi."
"Or Riku," Vanitas countered.
Ven shrugged. "Sora's so popular. Do you think he can grow a backbone and finally choose one of them? He has left them hanging for long enough."
Vanitas laughed, but it probably sounded more like a bark. That's what Roxas always told him at least. "Never. If he could he would date all of them. He just has too much love for this stupid world."
"True. This world isn't stupid though. Step 2: Ask. Wait how is this a foolproof guide?"
Vanitas shrugged. "Ask Sora. Not me."
"Sora's love life is such a mess, I can't believe he of all people thought of making a foolproof guide to ask someone out," Ventus laughed, handing the notes back to Vanitas. He took them but was unsure what to do with them now. So he just held them in his hand awkwardly.
"Well, wanna test if it works?" Ventus's sudden question made Vanitas jump to the roof - almost. The cat on the table did jump to the roof because Ven had said that very loudly and very suddenly. As if it was a miracle, it landed on the shelf close by, on all four paws. Nah, who was he kidding, it's a cat.
"Test what," Vanitas was only able to answer, eyebrows furrowing. He turned to look at the other, but immediately regretted it when he saw how excited Ven was, bouncing around with a blush on his face. God, he was so cute- uhm, cu..cue the fanfare for annoying...ness. yeah.
"The guide you dummy!" Wait, was that Ventus telling him he wanted to confess to his crush? Because Vanitas didn't like that one bit. Or he could be telling Vanitas to go and confess to his crush. Which would never work. Cause, you know, Vanitas didn't have a crush.
"...with who?" He asked, almost carefully. Ventus rolled his eyes again.
"With Sora of course. If he can't decide, I'll make him decide! No seriously- wait, why do you look like you're about to burst into tears?"
The faster you blink the lower the possibility anyone even would even see a trace of a tear. And maybe, if you shake your head rapidly to boot, they can't see your flushed face. " 'M not."
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hey hey. Vanitas. Please look at me."
Okay, but he needed one more second to blink it all away.
When he finally managed to look at Ventus with all evidence erased, Ventus smiled at him.
As if it only took the other's smile, Vanitas's general chest area felt warm - but it wasn't Ven's smile, nuh-uh. It was the cute cat. Vanitas's lips slowly curled into a smile, to match Ven's - because of the cute cat! - and he was just about to mutter a quiet thanks when Ventus just had to go and open his big mouth again.
"So your crush is Sora, huh. He is a popular guy!"
So Vanitas did the most logical thing in this situation. He called Ven an idiot, hit him, burst into tears, hit him again but with the keyblade, kicked him in the shins and ran. Exactly in that order.
"Urgh! Wait! I was just teasing! I'm sorry! Come back Vani! I was just about to ask you to spend time with me at Christmas! Come back!" Vanitas thinks there had been more pleas, but he hadn't exactly been listening to Ventus. Because he was running away really fast and didn’t have time to listen to a loser like Ven.
---
"What did you DO?" Ven seemed to shrink under Sora's exasperated gaze. Riku towering over them next to Sora did not help.
"Um so, funny story, I tried to follow your guide but I might have overdone the confidence part." The two boys across of him shared a look.
"Foolproof my ass," Kairi shouted from the living room, followed by a loud munching sound. At least someone seemed to enjoy their life.
Sora turned around to shout a quick: "Shut up Kairi!" and then turned back to Ventus. "Vanitas has been hiding in that guest room for almost a day! He hisses at people when they come in! He bit Riku! He destroyed half of Kairi's wardrobe! Also, his eyes are glowing in the dark… that's kinda spooky." Sora pointed upstairs. "Fix. This."
Ventus laughed nervously. "That's what I'm here for…"
Sora finally stepped aside to let him in. Immediately, Ventus trudged his way upstairs, ignoring Kairi booing him and Riku rolling his eyes at her while Sora wouldn't stop wheezing for some reason.
The way was relatively quiet, except when he tripped over something that looked suspiciously like it belonged to Roxas and felt like he broke his nose. He left a nice blood stain on Roxas's … whatever that thing was. That's what you get. So he went into the guest room and lo and behold, it was just like Sora had warned. Vanitas sat in the back of the room, his eyes actually glowing in the dark - which was kind of neat. He did not move, all he did was stare the blond in the doorway down with judging eyes. Ventus gulped. Very audibly.
"Hey, Vani...tas. I've come to try and apologize…"
"Your nose is bleeding," Vanitas interrupted with a raised eyebrow, stepping close enough for the light of the hallway to hit his face. He didn't look… messy at all. In fact, he looked very rested and calm. Not quite what Ventus expected.
"Yeah, I fell on my way here but I thought I apologize first…" Vanitas shook his head. He retreated to the darkness of his room for a second and returned with some tissues. He didn't give them to Ven, but he also didn't bother to wipe the nose for him. All he did was to toss those in the general direction of Ventus's head. Which was fair, Ventus supposed.
"You're a mess…" Vanitas murmured but he was unable to keep the small grin of his face, which for some reason made Ven unbelievably offended for no apparent reason. Maybe it was because Vanitas thought it was funny. Or maybe Ventus didn't like to be called a mess. It was probably one of those. Or both.
"What about you, huh?" He tried to counter. "You bit Riku! And...and destroyed Kairi's wardrobe! If that doesn't show you're the mess I wouldn't know!"
Vanitas only laughed. "You think I bit Riku because I'm a mess? I bit him cause I hate him. And Kairi's wardrobe wouldn't be destroyed if she didn't decide to try to lock me in there 'because I'm too feral'."
"Urgh. I came to apologize but now I don't want to anymore," Ven groaned. "I hate you."
Vanitas just hummed, deciding to not answer that. The silence only lasted a second, but Ven used it to brace himself once again. "Look. I know I took teasing a little too far and it's mostly because I tried asking you to spend Christmas with me but I was too nervous okay? I'm sorry."
Again, Vanitas didn't answer with words and only made a noise of approval. His eyes wandered the hallway to check if the coast was clear, and once he made sure he dragged Ventus into the darkness of the guest room, the latter not shrieking at all.
"You apologized after all."
"Just… urgh. Just tell me yes already." Vanitas's eyes widened slightly. Ventus was only able to tell because they were still glowing.
"Yes?"
"Yes to spending Christmas with me! I know I'm your mystery crush, god!"
Vanitas shook his head rapidly. "Uh no. I said it before, I don't have a crush. And definitely not on you. Sora's just stupid."
Ventus groaned. He did not have the nerves to deal with denial right now. "Sora wrote it on his guide. Just ask him Vanitas! Ven likes you too! Black on white!"
"Sora's stupid."
"You're stupid."
"You're stupid."
"You're stupider."
And before Vanitas could come up with a more or less smart answer, Ventus pressed his lips against his… nose? As much as Ventus adored his darkness, the darkness in this room was a major annoyance right now.
Groaning, he tried again, this time, Vanitas also leaning towards him to meet him halfway.
It took three kisses until Vanitas was finally convinced he did indeed have a crush on Ven and about a half more until he agreed to spend all Christmas with Ven.
Ven decided not to tell him that that meant he also had to spend all Christmas with Aqua and Terra.