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Vanitas grumbled as Ven moved his piece next to his king, leaving no room for his king to escape - Checkmate again.
"It's late. Let's get to bed already," Ventus said and stretched. His movements showed that he wanted to stand up, but Vanitas took the pieces and put them back into starting position, looking at Ventus expectantly.
Ventus sighed. "Again?"
Vanitas continued to look, waiting for Ventus to put his pieces back in position as well. With a sigh, the blond relented and they played another game, Ventus's white pieces quickly trapping Vanitas's black king once more.
"Again," Vanitas grumbled. Being so used to putting the pieces back, he was so much faster than Ventus, who sluggishly followed due to tiredness.
"Vanitas, while I'm glad you're having fun I'm really tired. We can play tomorrow, promise."
Vanitas glared and shook his head. "No. I want to win."
Ventus sighed. Once again, white pieces surrounded the black king. Checkmate.
"Again."
"Why do you want to win so badly?" Ventus asked, trying to hide a yawn. Vanitas's eyes avoided his, choosing to glance at the pieces on the board instead.
"...none of your business."
"If I win will you tell me?" Ventus asked. Vanitas stayed silent but Ventus knew how he would get him to agree.
"If you don't agree to tell me, you can forget another game." Finally, Vanitas's reluctant gaze met Ven's. For a second all they did was stare at each other as if it was a contest.
"Fine."
Ventus smiled and they started playing. It was rinse and repeat for the blond. Checkmate again.
"Now you have to tell me Vanitas." Vanitas's face contorted to pure rage - it was only a second and if he had blinked he would've missed it, but Ventus saw it - and he did not fear his other's anger. He knew Vanitas was able to control himself. He trusted him.
"It's been a year," Vanitas mumbled after a deep breath. Ventus only tilted his head to signal him to elaborate. "A year since we defeated Xehanort and you let me stay here."
Ven's eyes widened. Now that he thought about it, that had been a while ago. He didn't quite realize. Time had flown past them so fast.
"...I don't want to have a whole year pass without me beating you in chess at least once."
It was pettier that Ven had thought, honestly, but it was also so like Vanitas. Ventus hadn't even paid attention to their record. He hadn't noticed Vanitas hadn't beat him once.
"Stop looking at me like that," Vanitas hissed and Ventus snapped out of his thoughts.
"Sorry. I was thinking." Vanitas went back to staring at the pieces. Ventus followed his gaze, sighing when Vanitas chose the same opening move. "You can't win against me if you keep using your current strategy."
Vanitas snarled in response but stopped his hand, seeming to think about his next move. While he changed his opening move, Ventus soon realized his strategy didn't at all - His fingers touched a pawn, moving it a little forward.
"You keep castling Queen's side to attack my king with your pawns once I castle King's side, but you always make some mistakes so I can block it all off. See, you want your pawns gone. So you can attack with your rocks and your queen. In that case, is it really that smart to move your pawns past mine like this? Once you move him there, they'll be stuck and you'll never get rid of him. Your own pawn will block your attack."
Vanitas put the pawn back to its original position, watching his pieces with a scrutinizing glare.
Then he decided to just take Ventus's white pawn, who struck back with a pawn himself. "Look, now you have a half-open line for your rocks and your queen to stand on. If you use your minor pieces right, you can start pressuring king!"
Following Ventus's advice, Vanitas moved his rock to the line he had just opened up. Ventus only thought about it for a second before moving his own pawns to attack Vanitas's king.
"Why are you attacking me when you're getting attacked so heavily by my pieces? Shouldn't you use your pieces to defend yourself?" Vanitas asked, confused.
Ventus shook his head. "If you use all of your pieces to attack, your king is as open as mine. Plays like this all depend on who can ignore the other for longer."
Vanitas glared at the attacking white pieces before he moved more black pieces to attack Ventus, who did the same. Once in awhile, Ventus used a minor piece or a pawn to close down Vanitas's advances, much to the other's frustration.
Vanitas's defense was the first to crack. Again, he lost.
"Again," he whispered. Ventus nodded and started putting the pieces back but to his surprise, Vanitas didn't move at all.
"Vanitas?"
"Even with you giving me tips and helping me I still lost. Maybe I just can't win." Vanitas slumped as he said that, almost sinking into himself.
"Maybe you just need to try something new!" Ventus suggested. He put the pieces back for Vanitas and turned the board. Vanitas looked up but didn't make a move, he only glared at the white pieces in front of him.
"I don't want to play with the white pieces," he said with an air of finality, turning away from the board.
"Why?" Ventus asked. Vanitas continued to avoid his eyes, pulling his knees close to his chest to then bury his head in them. The other looked for his hand and found it on the table, tracing it with soft movements as to ask for permission. As soon as Vanitas's hand opened for him, their fingers interlaced.
"...it feels wrong," was Vanitas's muffled response.
"Why?" Ventus asked again.
"Because… the black pieces represent darkness. And the white ones' light. And because I'm darkness, I must play the black ones."
"You're more than just darkness Vanitas," Ventus firmly said. He knew Vanitas was doubting his words, as the other boy still refused to look at his eyes. "You chose to turn your back to Master Xehanort. To darkness! Regardless of what your past may have been, the moment you chose to side with us, you chose to be more than just darkness. You chose to be yourself. And I'm so happy you did. I'm sure everyone else is too."
Finally, Vanitas met his eyes. The golden glow that had tied him to darkness and Xehanort was long gone. Instead, his eyes shone red in the moonlight, flickering crimson like fire. They expressed his gratitude without him needing to say any words - Ventus knew him well enough to know Vanitas wouldn't say anything cheesy like that anyway. And he was completely fine with it, after all, the way his eyes brightened up, his lips curled into a small smile-
It was all Ventus needed.
"I don't know any opening moves for this side," Vanitas said, still a little hesitant.
"Neither do I," Ventus laughed and that seemed to get rid of any lasting doubts.
Vanitas made his first move. Ventus answered him. It was almost a mirror of their previous games, only that Vanitas was fiercer than he had been before. With the small advantage of the starting move, his aggressive playstyle flourished as Ventus predicted. Soon, Ventus found himself with no escape - his king trapped by the white queen and a bishop.
"I won," Vanitas breathed out eyes widening in wonder. Ventus loved the way his eyes brightened. Loved the way he started to smile.
To his disappointment Vanitas suddenly started frowning, staring at the board in distrust and suspicion.
"You didn't let me win, did you?" He asked, eyes narrowing at the blond. Ventus only laughed.
"You think I'm nice enough for that?" He asked teasingly, his hand, that was still interlaced with the other's, soothingly caressing the other's skin.
"I think you're the nicest person in the world," Vanitas answered, almost in a daze. "After all I did to you, you still let me stay." He looked at their intertwined hands. The smile crept back on his face. While Vanitas stopped speaking Ventus could almost feel the gratitude and appreciation radiating from his other. And Ventus wanted to tell Vanitas everything and all he felt, but judging by a look at the other's face, he understood. In moments like this, no more words were needed between the two of them.
Leaving the chessboard messy with Vanitas's winning position, they went to bed, Ventus passing out almost immediately. While their hands separated, their bodies stayed close, letting them feel their other's warmth.