It wasn't noise or movement that stirred me awake but a sudden feeling of completion. The hole in my chest didn't seem to exist, and though I couldn't make anything out from the room's darkness, I was sure someone was here with me. I sat up, letting the bedspread slide to the floor.

"Is someone there?" I asked. My body remembered that a situation like this should put my nerves on edge. Instead, I felt compelled. I wanted to know this person. When they didn't answer, I continued, "I can feel you there. You don't need to be afraid of me."

"I am not afraid," came a harsh voice.

My eyes were steadily adjusting to the dark. I could now see the outline of his back. "Then why are you hiding?" I asked gently.

He spun. Disappointment filled me when I noticed the black helmet. I wanted to see his face, to read eyes that may tell me what he refused to say.

"I had decided not to hurt you as I intended. But now, I'm reconsidering my choice."

My eyes widened as I realized the delicateness of the situation. Perhaps I was being naïve. Yet I still couldn't feel maliciousness. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I want you to bleed," he scoffed. "I want you to suffer as much as I do."

I wanted to ask what he meant, I wanted to know what relation we had to each other, I wanted to ask how I could help him. But his fingers found my neck and squeezed so that I couldn't speak. Yet there was an uncertainty in the grasp. Even without seeing his eyes, I knew he spoke the truth. This was a hurting man. I wished that I could ease that pain somehow. Instead of feeling fear as I'm sure I should have, I caressed where his check would be beneath the helmet and cooed like I had to the bird. That was the only comfort I could think of.

He jolted back as if my fingers were made of flame, fist clenching. Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to do. I recalled what Terra had said about frightened animals. It was best to not push them.

We stared at each other in silence, until I finally asked, "Can you at least tell me your name?" Silence. I settled on the edge of the bed. "I'm Ventus. Please, call me Ven." Silence. "I'm staying here with Terra, Aqua, and Master Eraqus. We're training to become keyblade masters. Or, they are—I still need more training before I'll be ready." He chuckled slightly at this which caused my checks to heat. "What, you don't think I can?"

"No. I know you can. You just aren't applying yourself." That was strange. It sounded like he actually knew about my training. Had he been stalking me? Considering he snuck in here, it wasn't a stretch. But, for some reason that didn't bother me.

"Fine! I'll work harder. Just you wait." He moved, sitting beside me. "Huh?" I blinked in surprise, and then, suddenly, his head was resting on the edge of my shoulder. A spark lit in my chest, and I brought a hand up to pet him. Again, I was disappointed by the helmet he wore, which now prevented me from feeling through his hair. He felt so close to me, yet that helmet felt like an impenetrable wall dividing us.

"It's weird, I feel at ease with you here. That must sound weird, doesn't it? I mean you snuck in here in the middle of the night, and I don't even know your name. But for some reason this is the most at ease I remember being."

He remained silent, and I just kept stroking at his helmet. But then my fingers met spikey hair instead, and I let out a yelp of surprise. Turning my head, I studied his face. My eyes had mostly adjusted now, so while I couldn't make out the color of his eyes I could see the bottomless depths. "Uh, is this alright?"

Instead of answering he cupped my cheek expectantly. "Uh." Neither of us moved, so I took in his features. Though his muscles were relaxed now, I suspected they were often wound tight, leaving subtle stretch marks. His mouth was set in a straight line, but his eyes studied me in reverence.

My breath caught when his forehead met mine, catching me by surprise. Neither of us moved, simply reveling in this close proximity. I could feel my nerves singing from an ache for contact. Then, he was kissing me. It felt strange, but it was oddly satisfying, and soon I was moving against him. Instead of breaking apart we stayed impossibly close. I could feel his breath against my lips, and I brought my hands to his neck.

"Please tell me your name," I pleaded.

He sighed, but finally he said, "Vanitas."

"Vanitas," I repeated. It made my tongue tingle pleasantly, and a smile formed on my lips. I was overcome with longing to kiss him, and practically straddled him as I did so. His tongue lapping at mine was making my head swim. An arm crept under my shirt and began to stroke up and down my back. The skin he touched burned, and I moaned in response.

In a ragged motion, he flipped us over so that I lay on my back with him above me. The space between us sizzled with desire. But he didn't move. "Is something wrong?" I asked, furrowing my brow. I reached for his hand, but he shot away, forming a swirling black portal.

When he stepped toward it, I knew he was going to leave. "Wait!" I exclaimed. Fear of never seeing him again had my chest in knots. "Will I see you again?"

His voice was strained. "Yes." Then his body stepped into the mass of blackness, dissolving into it.

I took deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly. My body felt like when you first get into a shower before it heats up all the way, hypersensitive and unpleasant. The space of my back he touched felt eerily cold, and my mouth felt dry. Why had he left? No matter how long I thought on it, no answer came.

I lay back, clinging to the bedsheet in frustration. I wanted to see him again. Now.