writetomyheart | [TEAM ONE]

Kingdom Hearts, Sora/Vanitas, 1k~

“I’ll give them something to remember,” Vanitas snarled, shadowy presence heavy on Sora’s back. The more time that passed, the more tangible Vanitas felt, even though he wasn’t really there. It was like a sixth sense, the feeling of being stared at, the displacement of air near you — nothing the normal five senses could pick up, but a stubborn existence nonetheless. It was seriously screwing with Sora’s ability to work in a fight.

“Just leave it alone,” Sora sighed, weighed with exhaustion. Vanitas’ hair-trigger temper was both exhausting and annoying. Sora wasn’t used to being so angry, and the more Vanitas reared his head, the more tangible his own emotions were. It was as if Sora himself were physically angry, even though he mentally wasn’t. The dysphoria of it alone dizzied him.

“Stop being such a doormat,” Vanitas sneered, and Sora was far too tired to be riled up. It usually worked, sad as that was, but all Sora wanted was a bed to collapse in and to cease to exist for maybe twelve hours. Each step felt like lead, another foot too much to stumble across. The hotel was nearby and his keen sense of direction had never failed him, but quite frankly? That park bench was looking pretty nice right about now.

Cognizant and hyper-aware as usual, Vanitas picked up on Sora’s abnormal state instantly. The ire that had succeeded in distracting Sora from his exhaustion simmered down, annoyance surging in its place. No shit, me too.

“What’s wrong with you?” He demanded quizzically. That was the usual question. What’s wrong with you. There was an endless list of things Vanitas didn’t understand, and he’d learned the best way to get an answer out of Sora was to irritate the living stars out of him. Sora was too tired to care.

“Just sleepy,” Sora said aloud, then yawned wide enough it made his jaw pop. He rubbed at his eyes, dry and bleary, and corrected a turn he was about to make, now heading down the right street. He was a block away, but the moment he finished a crosswalk, he staggered against the pole with the signal lights. His head was as heavy as the Gummi Ship, Sora thought, dropping forward so his chin rested on his chest. He’d close his eyes… for just a few…

“Hey!” Vanitas snapped, and hot hands clammered from his shoulders to his chest, shoving incessantly. Of course it was just the mental sensation and devoid of anything physically touching him, as if it were a ghost. Poltergeist. Same thing? “Stop thinking stupid things. Isn’t the… the hotel right there? Just go. People are staring at you.”

“Let them,” Sora mumbled. Vanitas was right, but asking him to move was too much to bear. “Just… just five minutes… then we’ll go.” His heart beat sluggish and loud in his ears, and it sounded as if he were under water. His eyes slipped close and he sighed.

He thought he heard Vanitas mumble something before he fell asleep.

The next thing he knew, he was lying in a sinfully comfortable bed, two layers of covers over him and still dressed in his uniform. At least he wasn’t wearing his shoes, something he figured out with a minute wiggle. Vanitas woke up after him, sleep-slow and subdued. “Finally awake?” He grumbled. It felt like he wanted to stretch, so Sora did, a nice, back-bending full body stretch.

“Mm-hm,” Sora replied lazily, then he frowned. “How did I get here?”

Vanitas stayed quiet, and Sora rolled to lay on his back from the curled up position he’d been in. That wasn’t how he normally slept. He was in their hotel room at least, and his mouth was ridiculously dry. There was no cup of water on the bedside table, which made him smile. Of course Vanitas wouldn’t think of that. Why would he even know to? The last thing Sora really remembered was the battle and Vanitas’ pissed off reaction to it. He’d been tired, enough so that he’d gotten hit a few more times than he should’ve because of a slowed reaction time. That’d been careless — and reckless.

No reckless stunts, Sora thought, bittersweet.

“Who said that?” Vanitas demanded, and Sora turned his head to the empty side of the queen size bed. If he closed his eyes, he could simply feel the weight of Vanitas alongside him, knew where his face was, how he laid on his stomach, arms bent to prop his chest up.

“I did,” Sora said, then, “Riku did. It was a thing.”

“A thing,” Vanitas repeated, both confused and derogatory, as he often was with topics he didn’t understand. Sora had long since stopped being offended by it.

“It meant to stay safe. Come back home in one peace. Or, don’t do something stupid without me. Or him.” Sora’s cheeks warmed attempting to explain it. It felt, suddenly, more intimate than it really was, trying to explain what being worried about someone else meant.

Vanitas stayed quiet again, though, and Sora left him to his thoughts. He knew without being told that Vanitas had taken over his body again. The exhaustion was from keeping Vanitas with him and fighting him off all the time, he instinctively knew that. Vanitas probably did too. He’d had a chance to go for a joyride, and instead he’d taken Sora back safely, and even left him to sleep undisturbed.

His heart felt suddenly three times as big as before, and he wished he could touch Vanitas. The way it’d been so easy to with all of his friends, to say thank you, to say I’m glad you’re here, to say hi.

It turns out he didn’t have to. He’d forgotten that what he felt went vice versa. Vanitas’ voice was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. “You think too loud.”

Sora laughed so hard the bed shook, and he thought Vanitas might’ve even smiled, if that’s what the warm feeling was.

That was probably when he’d realized how fond he’d become.