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They sat on the beach, side by side. Ventus was leaned back, eyes closed and soaking in the light breeze, which carried salty droplets from the ocean with it. He could feel each drop kiss his face as the winds glided by him.
His other half sat upright, knees tucked and arms folded around them. Rather than embracing the atmosphere like his other, he seemed a bit guarded. Allowing himself to be in the moment, but not overtaken by it. He could feel drops of ocean water drift past his face, but only vaguely, as his mind was doing all the drifting he cared to focus on. Eyes set on flowing water that mimic his flowing emotions.
Ventus was drifting in peace to the rhythm of the waves brushing up on the shore, when he was awoken by a hushed voice.
"Why don't you love me like you do Sora?"
"Huh?"
Ventus wasn't even sure he really heard anything. But as he processed what he'd just heard, he understood what exactly it was Vanitas said, and Ventus propped himself up to address it.
"What do you mean, 'love you like I do Sora'?"
The dark haired boy responded with a bit of an unexpected growl.
"Oh c'mon, don't act like you don't know what I mean." He finished with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, I don't. That's why I'm asking" The blond said plainly back, a tinge of concern and annoyance in his voice.
Vanitas shrugged as he began to rattle off.
"You two talk constantly. You always get along when you're together. You both light up like a kid who had too much candy anytime you two see one another."
Vanitas paused for a moment as his mind raced with thoughts. He wondered if Ventus lights up when he sees him. If Ventus gets happy to see him . If he's ever happy to be with him .
"And, not to mention the fact that he literally completes you. Something I could never do." His grip around his arms tightened at the spoken words. The latter being said as more of a whisper to himself.
He felt that Sora could complete Ventus in ways that he never could again. That Sora made Ventus whole, and Ventus loved Sora more than he would love him because of that. If Ventus even loved cared for him at all.
"Vanitas" Ventus started "I don't love Sora more than you. We- "
He took a brief second to find the right words.
"We only talk all the time and get along and stuff because Sora actually talks to me. Like a person. Like he enjoys talking to me. Not talk to me only to insult me."
Ventus' agitation rises a bit as he tries to explain the situation. He sits himself up completely, no slouching.
"Vanitas, you have this mentality that Sora means everything and you mean nothing. But that's just not true."
The other boy doesn't respond. His eyes still looking low and ahead. Gaze drifting off like driftwood lost at sea.
Given that there's no retort, Ventus can hope that means Vanitas is at least listening, so he continues.
"Yes, I enjoy talking with and spending time with Sora. And yes, I get happy when I see him because he's my friend. I get happy when I see all my friends. But Vanitas-"
He turns to Vanitas, hoping to gain more of his attention.
"Just because I do all those things with Sora, doesn't mean that I don't also want to do those things with you."
The water rushing up onto the shore gets a bit closer than before, leaving darkened, damp sand behind as it recedes.
He still only receives silence from his other, which frustrates Ventus. It's just like Vanitas to ignore him when he's talking!
"But I can't just- I can't just talk to you like I do with Sora. I can't talk to you because all you do is insult me, or ignore me!" Taking his chance to hint at the current situation. He wasn't sure if Vanitas was ignoring him right now or not, but he didn't want to be ignored right now, more so than any other time.
"I can't hangout with you because you always tease me. It's like you hate being around me."
He turns his gaze to the water as well. Watching the current wash away any marks left behind in the sand. He wished that something could wash away the marks that stained their past, too.
"I.....I would love to have a closer relationship with you. I just- honestly I get intimidated."
His voice smoothens as his speech becomes less aggressive. Speaking from more of his deeper feelings.
"Maybe I'm just not brave enough." He ponders for a moment. Letting his mind rest on the thought before words find him again.
"But, I'm tired of you thinking I don't care about you. I'm tired of you thinking of yourself as less than Sora. I guess being a scaredy cat hasn't been helping to show that, though. So, I guess maybe it's time I braven up."
Ventus adjusts himself as he turns towards Vanitas, he leans forward and rests his weight on his sand dusted hand.
"I care about you, Vanitas. And, I'm sorry if I haven't shown that before."
Ventus takes a moment to look at the boy sitting in front of him, and takes a moment to gain up the courage to do what he was wanting to do. Trying to not let his affection be hindered by his fear any longer. It was obvious that Vanitas was bothered by Ventus' lack of attention, and in this moment, Ventus wanted his attention.
"Vanitas."
He lifted his free hand and a light trail of sand followed, but he paid that no mind as he touched his fingers to Vanitas' face, slowly turning his head so that he would look at him instead of at the water. Vanitas flinched at the sudden touch. Not expecting it and not being used to it.
Their eyes connected, and Ventus was determined to not break eye contact.
"Sora may have re-completed my heart. But you hold my heart. No one will ever have my heart the way you do."
Dandelion colored eyes looked into the blue hues that had his gaze in a lock. Vanitas' thoughts were frozen by his mind trying to wrap around the words he was hearing come from his other half. He could feel his half-heart skip a beat. Was Ventus really telling the truth? Did Ventus really believe what he was saying?
As his mind was racing trying to process the words and process his now flaring emotions, he didn't realize how long he'd been looking into those deep blue eyes. Not until he saw them slowly shut and noticed as his other half had leaned in.
His thoughts froze a second time along with his breathing when Ventus pressed his lips to his. His golden eyes opened wide in definite surprise. It was then he also noticed Ventus' hand was still touching his face.
He instinctively reached up to grab it and swiftly took the blond's hand in his. The sudden grip caused Ven to pull back.
The two shared looks at one another, trying to gauge what the other was feeling or thinking or saying without words. Uncertainty could be seen on both their expressions. Ventus immediately thought he crossed a line, and began to panic. He didn't want to be scared to show affection anymore but now he really was scared that he overstepped with that affection. He'd just touched and kissed Vanitas in a matter of seconds. Had he really been suppressing these feelings this much?
It was then he realized how Vanitas initially flinched at him touching his face, and Ventus started to worry he'd made Vanitas uncomfortable.
"I'm so-" he was about to apologize to the dark haired boy, who's eyes up to this point held a piercing gaze into his own, when he was shut up by a forceful kiss.
Vanitas' kiss back was fierce and definitely felt like it was meant to shut him up before he could say anything. The blond then returned the kiss with eyes closed and further pressed into his lips.
They'd stay like that for a few moments. The gentle sounds of the waves couldn't be heard as all became silent to them. Even the feeling of cool saltwater washing up to touch their skin didn't break them from their focus on one another.
The only thing Ventus was noticing was he wasn't being ridiculed or mocked for his affectionate gesture. And for Vanitas, the feeling of water touching his feet didn't matter anymore, as he was trying adamantly before to not let it touch him. As was the same for the feeling of sand on his skin, it couldn't bother him any longer either, because all he could feel in this moment was Ventus. He could only feel his light's hands touching his face. He could only focus on the lips that were with his, and the growing fact that they weren't leaving.
Every so often Ven would glide his fingers through Vanitas' hair, brushing the dark strands back and allowing his hands to explore more of his hair each time, testing the waters so as not to cause his other to flinch again.
Vanitas in his own way mimicked Ventus as he did the same. He'd never allowed himself to show affection before as well, let alone even be shown affection, and he must admit it felt nice to actually allow himself to love for once. And especially to love Ventus.
They remained in one another's embrace, being drowned in the other's affection. They couldn't be bothered by the tiny traces of sand that sprinkled their hair. And the small traces of saltwater that kissed their skin as it was curried through the air by the soft recurring breeze, only made their kisses that much sweeter. The ocean was deep, but the connection they had with one another was deeper, and neither one could deny it, nor did it seem like they wanted to.