Short chapter this week, and something a little bit different. Stuff is starting to happen again (sorry for the last few weeks—I know it's probably felt like the story's been kind of stuck in a rut), and it might not make sense at this point, but this stuff does actually have a purpose, we promise. From this point, things are moving forward.

Love,

Laci and Kat

Vanitas was in his room. Ventus was supposed to come over that afternoon, and it made Vanitas happy. He hadn't seen the boy in a few days, and he just wanted to be around him. Ventus had this way of making everything brighter.

No one knew they were dating. Vanitas had kept it from his family. He didn't think they needed to know. It was none of their business, really. So, the family knew Ventus was a friend, but they didn't know just what benefits came with that "friendship".

Ventus arrived ten minutes later. Vanitas heard a knock on the door and let Ventus into his room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Vanitas was glad his mother didn't know he was gay. It let him get away with a lot. There was a policy about keeping the door open when girls were in the room, but no policy with regards to boys.

"How are you, Ven?" Vanitas asked.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Much better now that you're here," Vanitas said. He sat back down on his bed, leaving room for Ventus to sit next to him.

Ventus smiled at Van as he sat on the bed, too. Vanitas wrapped his arms around him.

Ven leaned closer to Vanitas. "Hi."

"Hi." Vanitas smiled as Ventus shifted closer. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Not really," Ventus said. "What about you?"

"Not much," Vanitas responded. "Things are different now that Sora's back. Mom's been very skittish around Sora, which I cannot really blame her for. I think my favorite part of this whole situation is that little brother has a boy, though he doesn't know it yet."

"He what?" Ventus looked confused.

"He has a new friend that he is quite clearly crushing on," Vanitas explained.

"I didn't know that Sora liked guys that way."

"I don't think he knows it, either." Vanitas smiled slightly. "But I know he likes him. Sora keeps inviting him over to the house and spending all sorts of time with him. Hell, this guy has even met our mom. That shows you Sora is really serious about him sticking around."

"That's cute."

"Mmhm."

"You're not still mean to him, are you?" Ven was always trying to get Vanitas to be nicer to Sora, but it usually failed.

"We currently have a truce," Vanitas responded, keeping his phrasing as vague as possible.

"Oh?"

Vanitas nodded. "He stays away from me and I leave him alone."

"Van..." Ventus started, sounding disappointed.

"Yes?" Vanitas asked, blatantly ignoring the puppy dog eyes that were already starting to form on Ventus' face.

"That's not the same as being nice."

"I'm not being mean," Vanitas pointed out.

"No, instead you're basically shunning your brother," Ventus said, not sounding convinced that Vanitas' solution was any better.

"It's a peaceful agreement."

"It's not right, Vanitas."

Vanitas looked at Ventus. "Look, the more he's around me, the meaner I am. This is a good thing for both of us."

"But, why?"

Vanitas shrugged. "He pisses me off. The parents care more about him than they do about me. He gets pretty much everything he wants, even though he's an ungrateful little brat about it. It's frustrating."

Ventus frowned. "He's always nice whenever I see him."

"Nice and grateful are two matters entirely different," Vanitas said. "He's a ray of freaking sunshine to everyone but the people who actually care about him."

Ven shrugged. "He doesn't seem ungrateful either."

Vanitas looked pointedly at Ventus. "We completely uprooted our lives for him and all he does is bitch about it."

"Have you ever asked him why?"

"He says he didn't need it, that he hates getting 'special treatment', according to Xion," Vanitas said snarkily.

"That sounds more frustrated than ungrateful."

"He and Mom do nothing but fight."

"About what?" Ventus asked.

"He thinks she's overbearing because she actually gives a fuck about him," Vanitas said. "I get that he has OCD, and it's not entirely his fault, but if he made less of a fuss, and actually seemed reliable instead of constantly freaking out on her, she might trust that he'd be safer. He's an idiot, though. He doesn't get Mom."

"Elaborate."

"Mom doesn't want him getting hurt," Vanitas said. "She doesn't let him drive because he always ends up getting into accidents because he gets distracted. She doesn't let him into too many new situations because he has panic attacks when something is not quite right and he can't fix it. He hates it and thinks she's being overly controlling."

"That sounds downright stifling. I'd hate it, too," Ventus said, wrinkling his nose.

Vanitas shrugged. "It's Mom's way of showing she cares. He doesn't seem to get that."

"Well, how would you like it if she was doing all of that to you? Put yourself in Sora's shoes."

"I'd deal. I'd either talk my way out of it or I'd just shut up and deal with it," Vanitas responded.

"The fighting might be his way of trying to talk his way out of it. It sounds like he's fighting against it because he doesn't want to be treated differently."

Vanitas rolled his eyes. "That's the thing. He may not like it, but he does need to be treated differently. Mom takes it a bit too far, but a lot of it is justified."

"Has anyone ever talked to him about that? Without shoving restrictions down his throat at the same time."

"Dad and Xion have, I think," Vanitas said, not liking where this conversation was going. It sounded like Ventus was going to propose having HIM talk to Sora, which was not something he wanted. He and Sora did not see eye to eye, and Vanitas was fine with that. "He's way closer to those two."

"They're also not the ones doing the restricting. It's not going to have the same effect, probably."

"Look," Vanitas snapped, "I'm not doing the restricting, either. I don't know why you care so much."

"Because the goings on upset you, and I don't like it when you get upset," Ventus said. "So, I'm trying to get a handle on how they go, so I can suggest a solution."

Vanitas kissed Ventus' forehead. "Don't worry about it. It's been a problem for years. It's sweet of you to care, but it's a waste of your time and energy."

"I guess..." Ven still looked sad.

Although he wanted to be annoyed with Ventus, Vanitas couldn't help but feel guilty. Vanitas knew a bit of basic communication could probably fix things between Sora and his mother. Vanitas was really the only person who was in a position to argue his mother's perspective clearly, since his mother often got overly emotionally charged when she was upset, and her meaning got warped.

Vanitas could work to make things better. He could help bridge the gap, even if just a little. It would take so much energy, though, and although he did not like his mother being upset, he did not know that he was willing to put so much effort into making this work.

Ventus was not even directly involved, but he was willing to meddle in stuff he did not understand and try to sort out a mess of a family just so that Vanitas was happier. Vanitas wanted to be annoyed by his genuine concern, but the only emotion that was showing up was a fond feeling in the pit of his gut.

"You're a good person," Vanitas told him, brushing Ventus' cheek with his hand.

"I just want you to be happy and have a good family life."

Vanitas smiled. "When you're around, there's no way I can't be happy."

"You are so cheesy sometimes."

"Shh," Vanitas said, poking Ventus. "No one else is supposed to know that."

Ven smiled. "It'll be our secret. They should get to see your sweet side, though."

Vanitas shrugged. "Xion does."

"Good. She's sweet."

"She's a good kid," Vanitas agreed.

"Yeah."

Vanitas leaned his head on Ventus' shoulder, and Ventus looked a little bit surprised. "You're extra cuddly today."

"So?" Vanitas asked, his words defensive, but his tone almost teasing.

"I like it," Ventus said earnestly.

Vanitas smiled. "I'm glad."

Ven kissed Van's forehead. Van's smile only grew wider.

"And you're smiley."

"Mmhm."

"Is there a reason for that?" Ventus asked. Vanitas' mood whiplash was a bit baffling to him.

"You," Vanitas said, being typically straight-forward. "I love you."

Ven leaned his head on Van's. Hearing those words from Vanitas always made him happy, because he never saw them coming. "Love you too."

Vanitas kissed Ventus.

Ventus kissed back.

The door opened.

"Oh," came a small sound from the doorway.

Vanitas looked up, and his eyes narrowed when he saw a small brunette standing at the entrance to his room. His good mood started to plummet. "Get the fuck out of my room."

"S-sorry... Mom wanted me to tell you two that dinner was ready..." Sora looked at the floor.

Vanitas completely ignored Sora's apology. "I repeat, get the FUCK out of my room. The door was closed for a fucking reason."

"R-right. Sorry." Sora left quickly, closing the door behind him.

Vanitas looked at the door, feeling his control of the situation quickly slipping away. "Fuck."

"Van..." Ventus said worriedly.

Vanitas didn't say anything. He only stared at the door, a look of controlled anger on his face.

"Van," Ventus repeated.

Standing up abruptly, Vanitas said, "Let's go eat."

"No, we're going to talk first," Ventus said calmly.

"We're not keeping Mom waiting."

Ventus sighed. "Fine, but we're talking after."

"Fine," Vanitas said, only agreeing because he knew Ventus would bring it up whether he liked it or not.

Vanitas knew that when Ventus got an idea in his head, he could be frustratingly persistent.

Dinner was awkward. Vanitas refused to meet Sora's eyes, and everyone at the table was confused about what was going on between the two. No one said anything. Their father figured that it was not his affair to be messing in, and Xion, who was sending Sora questioning looks the entire meal, was ignored. Their mom seemed almost oblivious, seeming to think that the animosity was normal.

Everyone was glad when dinner was over and Vanitas went back to his room. Ventus, of course, went with him. Vanitas walked to his bed and fell forward, landing face down on his pillow.

Ven sat next to him. "Van..."

"Mmf?"

"Why did you react like that?" Ven asked carefully.

Refusing to remove his head from where it was buried in the pillow, Vanitas merely said, "Mf mmf mmmmf."

"I don't understand pillow talk."

Vanitas shifted his head slightly so that Ventus could see one of his eyes.

"Move more so I can see your mouth and then answer."

Vanitas shifted slightly more. "I was surprised."

"I think you scared Sora," Ventus said.

"He wasn't supposed to be there," Vanitas said, anger starting to seep into his tone. "He knows better than to go in my room when the door is closed."

Ventus diplomatically said, "People forget sometimes."

Vanitas shrugged. "I panicked."

"It's not like he'd tell anyone."

Vanitas shrugged again. Ventus had just accidentally hit on his greatest concern, and he probably did not even realize it.

"You should apologize," Ventus said.

"I was planning on talking to him later, anyway," Vanitas said, although he was nearly certain that his version of talking was different from Ventus'.

"Okay, good."

Vanitas hid his face again. Ven poked him. "Go now or I'm leaving.'

"Do I have to?" Vanitas asked in a tone that was definitely not whining.

Not at all.

"Yes," Ventus responded firmly.

Vanitas sighed. "Evil," he muttered. He knew he should have put up more of a fight, but Ventus was wearing his determined face. When Ventus was wearing his determined face, Vanitas disagreeing too much only led to Ventus giving ultimatums that never ended well for Vanitas. So, he got up and walked to Sora's room. He knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Sora called from inside.

Vanitas opened the door and poked his head in. "Hi."

"Hi..." Sora seemed confused. Vanitas almost never came to his room. The two typically ignored each other.

"Ven said I had to apologize," Vanitas intoned, his voice flat.

"Oh," Sora said. "Well, there's no point if you're not going to mean it. I can tell him you did anyway, though."

Vanitas looked down. "Didn't say I didn't mean it."

Sora looked at him skeptically. "You never mean it. Why start now?"

"You screwed up, but I could've yelled at you slightly less," Vanitas said.

Sora shrugged. "You've done worse. I'm used to it. It doesn't matter."

"I'm still sorry."

"It's fine," Sora said.

"Okay," Vanitas said, figuring that was good enough for Ventus. "I'm going back to my room now. You won't tell?"

"I have a sense of self-preservation," Sora said. "I'm not telling a soul."

That was the biggest relief to Vanitas. Although he did not agree with Sora about a lot, he knew htat Sora was generally good on his word. If he said he wasn't going to tell, he wouldn't. "Good."

"Yeah." Sora looked uncomfortable with Van in his room. Vanitas was only usually in his room if bad things were happening. Vanitas being there was making him instinctively worried.

Not wanting to drag things out any longer than he had to, Vanitas said, "Bye," and walked back to his room.

"I talked to him," he said, sitting back down next to Ventus.

"And?" Ventus prompted.

"And he won't tell," Vanitas said, settling back in on his bed next to Ventus.

"Didn't I tell you that much?"

"Yeah," Vanitas agreed. "I had to be sure, though." If Vanitas were Sora, he'd be looking to see how he could use his new knowledge to his advantage.

"So, everything is good now?" Ventus asked.

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Mmhm." Vanitas sighed.

The two of them spent the rest of the evening together. When it finally started getting late, Ventus left for the night.

That left Vanitas alone in his room, vaguely unsettled and planning back-up measures, just in case everything blew up in his face.

[TBC]