#kh reader insert

A streak of black flickered in your periphery, making your heart race as memories of pressing shadows rushed back into your head. You gasped and spun towards the source, brow furrowed as you looked around at the blank stone of the corridor, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. ‘Lack of sleep must be getting to me,’ you thought to yourself, hand clutched to your chest as you tried to calm down from your momentary fright. You continued on, shaking your head at your own paranoia. You brushed off the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, attributing it to your exhausted state.

The sounds of your comrades’ voices grew louder as you approached the grand room where Master Eraqus held the exams and important meetings. You quietly slipped into place beside Ven, placing your hand gently on his shoulder to alert him of your presence. He shot you a bright smile, his contagious enthusiasm lightening the weight on your heart and making you return it with a small smile of your own. Aqua and Terra spoke in low tones on Ven’s other side, but you weren’t able to catch the details of their discussion. The echoing of boots on the stone floor had you turning towards the front of the room, watching as Master Eraqus made his way to address you, followed by an older, harsh looking man. His head was bare, and his deeply tanned skin was a stark contrast to the white beard he sported. His sharp yellow gaze seemed to pierce through you, making you shiver as his eyes landed on you. The small grin he gave you made your skin crawl, your instincts making you quickly break eye contact, only for your own gaze to land on the figure trailing behind him.

Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of the, presumably, young male. Even though he was across the room, you could sense the dark power radiating from his being. He was tall like Terra, with a tight bodysuit that hugged the curves and ridges of his muscles. The suit was so black it seemed to consume the light around it, with red lines outlining it in a way that alluded to what hid underneath the material. When you pulled your gaze from his impressive physique, you immediately noticed that his face was entirely covered by a mask so opaque you could see the room reflected in it. An uneasy feeling settled in your stomach as you took in both of the strangers, and you knew you weren’t the only one that was put off by the darkness they both seemed to emanate. Aqua had shifted into a less care-free stance and Terra’s hand was now gripping his Keyblade, although he held it downward so as not to seem like a direct threat. Even Ventus had lost some of his bright, excitable energy and was now eyeing the old man and the masked male warily.

When the trio stopped a few feet from you, Master Eraqus addressed you in a deceptively positive tone. “My pupils, it is my pleasure to introduce you to an old friend and comrade of mine, Master Xehanort.” You reluctantly drew your gaze back to the older man, stiffening when you noticed the way he seemed to be sizing up Ventus next to you, an unsettling grin twisting his features almost menacingly. You had to physically force your body not to step in front of him defensively as you didn’t want to offend your Master or his guests. Master Xehanort chuckled to himself before speaking, his deep and gravelly voice grating against your ears like nails on a chalkboard.

“Your Master speaks highly of the four of you, so I look forward to assessing your abilities. I have high expectations,” he stated plainly. “I’ve brought my own student, Vanitas, in the hopes that you might learn from him and he from you.” His comment prompted a harsh scoff from the masked boy next to him, and you saw the grin slip from Master Xehanort’s face for a split second before he schooled his expression to a smaller and noticeably tighter smile. You had always thought of yourself as particularly perceptive, and you were sure you saw something dark flash through his eyes in the short moment his expression changed. You shifted your attention to Vanitas, jolting slightly when you noticed him seemingly looking directly at you.

He tilted his head, and even though his mask hid his features you could feel his intense gaze focused on you. You shivered involuntarily once again, however this time it wasn’t due to feeling uneasy. You couldn’t quite name the feeling that washed over you, something foreign but not wholly unpleasant. You gathered yourself, realizing that your demeanor had been anything but welcoming thus far, and gave Vanitas a small smile in the hopes that it would ease the tension in the air. He huffed a humorless, short laugh before turning his head away so that he no longer appeared focused solely on you. Your smile faltered, and you clasped your hands in front of you and began to awkwardly fidget with your fingers as you turned your attention back to Master Eraqus. ‘Well, that was weird…’

As much as you respected your Master, and you truly did, you couldn’t bring yourself to pay much attention to his long winded recap of his time training with Master Xehanort. Your gaze kept flickering from Eraqus to Vanitas unconsciously, though the masked stranger hadn’t turned his head back in your direction. It wasn’t until the old man himself spoke that your focus snapped back. “I look forward to our time together. I hope it will prove to be… fruitful,” he croaked. You couldn’t help but wonder what the heck that was supposed to mean, and you were decidedly not a fan of the tone of voice he used to address your group.

“Master Xehanort will be staying in the vacant room in the west wing of the castle, and Vanitas will be using the extra room in the students’ wing. I expect that you all will be gracious hosts and help him feel comfortable during their stay with us,” Master Eraqus explained, looking at each of you pointedly. It took you a moment longer than it should have to realize where, exactly, Vanitas would be staying.The only empty room on that side of the castle was at the very end of the hallway, directly across from yours.

As though he read your mind, Master Eraqus called your name and spoke, “would you be so kind as to show Vanitas to his quarters?”

“Of course, Master,” you responded respectfully. You glanced over at the masked man and smiled once again, albeit nervously. He stepped forward, his intense presence making you want to shrink back but you held your ground. “This way,” you said as you headed out the doors and into the labyrinth of halls that made up the castle. You heard Aqua politely strike up a conversation with Master Xehanort, asking about his travels. Her comforting voice faded as you made your way deeper into the castle.

Vanitas was so silent at first, you could barely even hear him walking behind you. However, you could somehow feel his gaze focused on you despite the fact that he was out of your line of sight and wearing a mask. It made you incredibly self conscious, but you fought to keep your gait steady and your demeanor confident. You had a feeling you did not want this guy to see you as a weak link. This, of course, didn’t go to plan. As you rounded a corner and headed towards your rooms he decided to speak up for the first time.

“So, princess,” you jumped noticeably at his sudden words, and you didn’t miss the quiet chuckle he gave in response. “How exactly do you expect to become a Keyblade Master while you’re trapped in this shiny castle?” His voice was deep with a sharp edge to it, a hint of throatiness as he finished his sentence that had you hanging on his words. You stopped in front of his door before turning to him.

“Well… Our training grounds are outside. I’d be happy to show you once you get settled,” you offered evenly, not wanting to dig too deeply into what his words actually implied. He tilted his masked head at you, seemingly dissatisfied with your answer. He scoffed,

“What a waste.” You bit your tongue at his comment, not looking to start a fight with someone you had just met 15 minutes ago. He shrugged dismissively then, saving you from having to respond.

“Anyways,” You introduced yourself to him, although you had a feeling he probably couldn’t care less what your name was. “I stay in that room there,” you point at the door directly across the hall. “You’re welcome to let me know if you need anything.”

“Gonna give me full access to your room already, sweetheart?” Vanitas asked, his voice dipping dangerously and making you blush at the implication.

“W-well, no. I just meant– if you…” you stammered, cringing at the heat you felt creeping up your neck and into your face. You clasped your hands in front of you, once again fidgeting awkwardly with your fingers.

“I know what you meant,” he replied dryly, his heated tone gone. At that, he turned and opened the door to his room, looking back at you momentarily to add. “Just make sure you lock your doors at night, we wouldn’t want any monsters sneaking in.” His door closing harshly echoed the way your heart beat against your ribs. You stood dumbly for a long moment before rushing into your own room, leaning against your closed door once you were inside. You rubbed at your still-red face, thoughts racing as you wondered who, exactly, Master Eraqus had invited into the place you called home.

You sighed in frustration before reaching over to lock your door.

“I’m here.” He said, kneeling down before your chair so that he could glance up at your face. He removed his leather gloves then took your hand in his much larger one, gently stroking his thumb over your skin. You were cold to touch. You might have been sat here all alone for the longest time, unwilling to move to grab a blanket or a jacket to warm yourself.

He gave a heavy sigh, willing you to meet his gaze as he stared at you. Without taking his eyes off your face he turned his free hand towards the fireplace and shot a flame into the grate. Even without logs or coal to sustain it, the flame would burn for a few minutes or so – enough to take the chill from your bones, at least.

As the magical flame crackled and danced in the fireplace, Axel took both your hands and kissed the knuckles, each hand in turn.

He wanted to tell you everything would be okay. He wanted to tell you it would get easier, that you would smile again in the end. But he knew it was too soon for that. Words could not reach you – in fact they could make you worse, like they were trying to rush you through your grief; like there was a time limit on how long you were allowed to take to heal.

There was no rush. Not for this. Axel felt helpless but he stayed with you, knowing you would tell him what you needed when you were ready.

When the flame died down, he picked himself up off the ground, letting go of your hands. They fell limply by your sides while your face stayed buried in your knees.Slowly, so slowly for fear he was overstepping your boundaries that shifted and strengthened when you were upset like this, he leaned down and tried to take your whole body in his arms. At first he wrapped and arm behind your back, then slipped another below your knees. You did not reject him. When he lifted you up, your limp arms came to life and wrapped around his neck to help him take your weight.

You stayed quiet as he carried you. He held you close and as tightly as he could. He took you through to the bedroom, letting you down onto the bed so that he could find your pyjamas – the comfortable ones that you loved so much. He helped you change into them then got you into bed, tucking the sheets up to your chin before he folded your clothes and left them in a pile on your chair.

He got you a glass of water, an old teddy bear than no one but he knew you still owned and then changed out of his black cloak and into the set of pyjamas he kept at your place. He closed the curtains and turned off the light, then got in bed beside you.

Some time passed before you started to move. Axel waited patiently, under the covers but keeping his distance to let you decided what you wanted. You reached over your shoulder, feeling the mattress and the pillow as you searched for him. He took that as a sign and shuffled into you, melding his larger body around yours like a warm comforter. He slipped his arms around your waist, smiling as his hands brushed the teddy bear clutched in yours before he encompassed you completely.

No words were spoken. No sounds were made but for the soft sniffs as you tried to hold in your tears. Axel held you tighter, pressing his face into the back of your head. He sighed, wishing he had some way to protect you from the horrible things humans called feelings.

He wanted to tell you it would get easier. It would get easier. But for now he was contented to hold you and comfort you in the quiet of your room, in the peacefulness of this moment where communication was not demanded nor necessary.

He would wait until your voice broke the silence and told him what you needed.

–

I just lost my grandfather. Each member of my family is dealing with it in a different way, but we are unanimously sad and grieving. He passed at home surrounded by his family so I can at least be comforted by that.

A sharp, broken gasp cracked through the stillness of the night that had covered your bedroom in a blanket of darkness. Sweat slid down your skin, dampening your nightclothes and making you shiver as the cool night air blew through your open window and chilled the droplets against your feverish body. You placed a hand against your forehead, breathing heavily and attempting to bring yourself back to the real world and farther from the shadow-filled abyss that was your dream. A blink of your eyes sent previously unshed tears spilling down your cheeks so you squeezed them shut in an attempt to halt the salty flow.

Once your breathing calmed to something close to normal, you opened your eyes and turned your attention to your open window, your gaze hastily seeking the comfort of the glittering night sky over the Land of Departure. Two weeks now… two weeks that you had spent every night falling endlessly into the darkness, grasping and clawing and soundlessly screaming through shadows so thick you could swear they were pouring into your throat and filling your veins with every labored breath. It felt like eternities passed, time nonexistent in this forbidden place. You couldn’t even summon your keyblade here, the one thing you’ve found you could always count on. Every time you would reach into the abyss, fingers desperately trying to grasp onto something solid, only to come up empty.

Except for tonight.

This time, when you watched your hand nearly disappear into the blackness, you felt a startling warmth caress your chilled skin. A shape began to form before you, somehow even darker than the already all-consuming shadow you found yourself stuck in. You automatically latched onto the warmth, finding an odd sense of comfort in the unknown presence. You reached out with your other hand, your body moving of its own accord as you sought to close the distance between yourself and the only source of warmth and life in this place. The form shifted then, and a flash of bright golden eyes sent you tumbling back into consciousness, your own eyes flying open with a gasp. You don’t know how long you lay there, mind racing as you tried to make sense of the new development in your recurring nightmare. All you could be sure of was that you would not be getting any more sleep tonight.

Only when the first rays of daylight began to spill into your bedroom did your trembling completely cease. You slid from your bed and dressed, mindlessly slipping on your training gear before combing out your knotted hair. You rubbed at your burning eyes, no doubt in your mind that Aqua would be questioning the dark circles underneath them as soon as she saw you. With a resigned sigh, you made your way down to the training area outside of the castle.

You began your stretches, allowing your mind to clear as you focused on the comforting and familiar burn and tug of your muscles as you loosened them. You knew it would be awhile before your comrades joined you, but you were okay with taking some time to ground yourself before interacting with them. Once finished, you released a deep breath and shook out your arms and legs before calling your keyblade forth. A sense of peace washed over you in gentle waves as you grasped your weapon, borne of your own heart and soul and connected to you in the same way your bones fit together in your body, making you who you are. All lingering thoughts of creeping shadows and suffocating darkness faded into the background as you shifted into your battle stance.

For an hour you gave in to the pull of your keyblade, honing your physical combat skills as you worked through the training course that Master Eraqus had established for his students. Just as you could feel your magic begin to thrum through your keyblade, begging to be unleashed, your three comrades had made their way from the castle and up to the training grounds. Their bright smiles, albeit sleepy in Ventus’s case, greeted you as you dropped your stance and waved at them. Just as you anticipated, Aqua’s expression shifted into a look of worry as her gaze traveled over you, no doubt seeing the exhaustion even through your smiling facade. Both of her hands gently rested on the sides of your face, azure eyes searching your own. “Good morning you, are you feeling okay?” she asked gently. Ventus stood by Aqua’s side, looking equally as worried after hearing her concern. Terra placed a large hand on your shoulder as he passed, pausing to look down at you and giving you a quick squeeze in his own way of offering comfort.

“I’m fine, guys,” you chuckle lightly, unable to be annoyed at your beloved friends’ outward displays of concern for your wellbeing. “I just couldn’t sleep, so I came down here early to get a head start on training.”

Aqua said your name softly, before replying. “You haven’t been sleeping well for the past couple of weeks, are you sure there isn’t something else going on?” You placed your hands over her own on your face, giving her a squeeze before dropping them as you stepped away. You looked at her and then to Ventus, smiling at them in a way you hoped was reassuring and not obviously forced.

“I guess I must be having weird dreams or something. It’s no big deal, really. I promise!” You were relieved to hear Terra summon his own keyblade over your shoulder, signaling that he was ready to get started and giving you an excuse to turn your attention elsewhere.

“You can talk to us any time if you need to, you know that right?” Ventus offered. You ruffled his hair fondly, laughing as he groaned and swatted you away.

“Of course Ven, thank you,” you replied with a genuine smile. With that, both he and Aqua summoned their keyblades and the three of you made your way over to join Terra in your routine training.

“We’ll be wrapping up early today,” Terra announced before you began. “Master Eraqus says we have guests staying with us for the next few weeks. An old friend of his and his student, apparently. They’re due to arrive by lunchtime.” Aqua nodded and Ventus jumped excitedly in place, clearly looking forward to meeting someone new after having such limited contact to the worlds outside of the Land of Depature. You hummed in response, barely comprehending what Terra was saying as you fought off your lingering exhaustion. You were sure to make quite the impression on these strangers if you were all but falling asleep on your feet.

Throughout the next few hours, you kept a barrier wrapped around your mind in an attempt to fight off the memories of your restless night. However, you struggled to keep all of the shadows from slipping through the cracks, feeling deep in your very heart that the being that found you inside the void of your own dream was somehow…