#vanaqua

“If only you put that same energy into studying," Riku said, opening the door for Roxas.

The blond stepped in. "Hey, sup?" 

Sora gave Riku a goofy grin and dangled the car keys before him. "Fun, Riku. F-U-N..."

Riku crossed his arms and stared at him. "You're not driving." Sora chuckled and pocketed the keys.

"Oh, come on. It's my turn."

Vanitas rolled his eyes. He would surely regret this tomorrow. “By the way, tell Ax where I am. You know how he gets,” Vanitas called before closing the door.

Alright, let’s see what the night brings…

 ***

  ‘Your thicc’

Aqua blinked twice at the message on her phone screen. Did he just…? She pinched one of her thighs. Okay, so there was a generous amount of meat on her bones. 

So what if she was? What did that have to do with anything? 

Also…'your thicc’? With that grammar horror, the conversation ended before it even started. She sighed and hit the back button on the chat. The guy’s profile pic stared back at her with a charming smile. Shame, he was so cute, but not enough for her to ignore…everything else. She swiped, searching for something better.

‘ I am fluent in woman.’

Okay, that doesn't sound any better. Next.

‘7 inches of 8=D’

She shook her head. “Seven inches of what? What’s that supposed to mean?” Her eyes settled on the odd symbol as she cocked her head to the side. Oh! She swiped him away without a second thought.

‘Fun come on rub my chocolate body.’ 

Eh, how about no. Next. 

She swiped again. ‘You may call me daddy’.  

Ugh, no thanks. 

‘Looking for women for dating.’

“As opposed to what? Looking for a victim?” It could’ve been a poorly worded sentence, but she wasn’t about to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her gut. “Better safe than sorry.”

Her phone chimed. Milfhunter_69 likes you! 

Another chime followed. Serious_Dom likes you!

“Ahhhhh.” She quickly placed her phone face-down on her thigh and crossed her arms. “Why am I attracting the wrong kind of attention? I just want to have a date that might lead to sex…” 

Something about her was not getting her what she wanted. Maybe it was her profile pic or the introductory line…or it could even be the size of her breasts. Aqua looked down at her chest, twisting her lower lip between her teeth. They’re still perky…  

“Okay, maybe I’m being too picky. I’m not that young either...”

Aqua eyed her phone and sighed before returning to it. After a few swipes, she settled on a guy that looked intimidating. 

“Interests: reading, outdoors, fishing, dancing…mmm, interesting.” 

He met all her specifics as well: tall, dark-haired, broad shoulders. Strong enough to pick her up? Maybe. Pleasing to her eyes? Yes, definitely. Her cheeks heated up at the thought. 

She tapped on his profile and scrolled through his pictures. He had tattoos and a dog. Shockingly, he seemed honest about his love of fishing, given there were a couple of pics of him and his buddies doing so. She continued to swipe through his photos.

Oh. Dear. Lord. 

There was a photo of him at the beach in barely there swim shorts. It left little to the imagination. Her eyes wandered down his muscular torso and past the waistband of his shorts. She bit her lip. 

I’m absolutely not staring at his—

“Hey, mom…”

“Ah!” Startled, Aqua dropped her phone on the floor. Ven stood in front of her, eyeing her curiously. “W-what is it, Ven?” Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She hoped Ven wouldn’t think of it.

Ven shifted back and forth on his feet and placed his hands behind his head, looking sheepish. “Umm, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind me having Xion over…?”

“Isn’t it a bit…” She eyed the clock, ticking away on the wall. “I mean, no, I don’t mind, but…”

“Well, she just texted me. Asked if she could come over because Axel needs to go out for some reason. Also, Van’s not home right now, and he can’t leave her alone, and—“

“Ven.”

Ven’s face showed signs of distress. “You know, something could happen to her, and O-M-G, if she’s alone—”

Oh boy. He was letting his imagination run wild again. Aqua stood and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Ven, it’s fine. She can come over.” She squeezed his shoulders affectionately. "I said I didn't mind.”

Ven stared at her. “Really?” She nodded. He immediately hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

Aqua smiled. “Am I? Or are you just kissing up to me?”

“Both? I’ll stick with both just to be safe.”

She gaped at him and crossed her arms. “Offensive…but I’ll take it.”

Ven flashed her his signature smile before practically skipping down the hall. She wondered briefly why he seemed so happy. Not that he wasn’t most of the time. ‘Her bright ray of sunshine.’ 

Aqua bent down and picked up her phone. She glazed over the guy’s profile again. Well, he seemed alright…but maybe she should wait until tomorrow to revisit it. Make sure she didn’t lower her expectations and gave into fatigue from scrolling through profiles for a couple of hours.

“Yeah, that’s definitely enough for today.” She set her phone on the coffee table and left for a glass of wine.

A few minutes later, she plopped down on the couch with a glass…and the whole bottle of Rosé. She turned the TV on, flipping through the channels until something caught her attention. There was a vampire and a werewolf both competing for the same girl's attention. She eagerly grabbed her glass, filled it up, and settled back comfortably. 

Mmm…let’s see what happens.

Within fifteen minutes, Aqua poured more wine into her glass. Okay, this woman's too indecisive. 

Thirty minutes later and another glass of wine. “Don’t be stupid. Come on, did you not see his muscles? Pick him!” she said, pouring another glass.

Almost the whole movie later…

“He’s obviously hotter. Why do you like them cold? Team Wolf!" She took a sip from her glass before realizing it was empty. “Mmm.” She eyed the bottle…it was empty as well. No wonder she felt lightheaded and sleepy.

Shit…Again... 

That was enough. She couldn’t keep drinking like that. She set her glass down and curled on the couch as the credits rolled. 

You did it again…

Thoughts simmered in her mind as she slowly fell asleep. Frustration. Anger. Disappointment. It was her daily mindset catching up with her.

 ***

  Loud. That was Vanitas' first thought while watching the frenzied crowd around him. The atmosphere was alive with excitement and music blaring from the speakers. The smell of alcohol and sweat lingered in the air as the local DJ—Demyx—stood behind the booth, spinning the latest tracks. Judging by the drunken dancing and the number of red cups lying around, the party was well underway.

“O-M-G! You guys made it!”

The high-pitched voice startled Vanitas. Of course; if he came to Kairi’s party, she would be there too. 

Duh. Brilliant mind, Van. You’re so smart.  

She greeted Sora and Riku with a kiss on the cheek, then waved at Roxas lazily.

Vanitas stepped aside, rolling his eyes at the annoyance before him. “Yes, you insisted that we come. In fact, you wouldn’t leave the other day until I finally said yes.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Vani…I’ll make sure you won’t regret it,” Kairi said, wedging herself between Sora and Riku. There was a look in her eyes as she stared at him that he knew all too well…

“I already do,” Vanitas said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Kairi crossed her arms and gave him a look. Before she could reply, Vanitas spotted a makeshift bar on the kitchen counter. He nudged Roxas, both walking away from the redhead.

Various drinks lined the marble surface, left completely unattended. Everything from spiced punch to beer and more. There were some savory snacks as well to prevent people from hurling immediately.

"Figured she would jump them as soon as we got here,” Roxas said, pouring himself some punch. “She’s so obvious. I don’t know how most guys don’t catch on to her web of lies.”

Vanitas grabbed a drink and leaned against the counter. “She’s a good liar. It’s easy to fall for it.” He took a sip out of the red cup and grimaced, his throat burned as the drink washed down. Holy hell. The punch was about seventy-five percent alcohol and only a tiny bit of juice. “Shit. This place’s gonna turn into puke central by midnight,” he said, turning to Roxas… who’d already abandoned him. 

“Ugh. Figures.”

The night went slowly. Vanitas mostly kept close to the drinks, watching others get wasted and making fun of them. He even played bartender for a couple of girls that hit on him. None of them was his type, plus they were classmates he’d have to see again at some point. 

So not interested.

Eventually, Riku and Sora waded through the crowd of bodies and found him, dragging him toward a group of people that seemed vaguely familiar. Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka—they were good friends of his cousin. They usually visited the main island during summer break. It eventually ended with a terrible fishing trip with Tidus' dad. The others he didn’t know; Riku introduced them all, but between the buzz of the alcohol and the loud music, he couldn’t remember their overly complicated names. He doubted that Kairi knew them. She didn’t care who came, as long as there were lots of people making lots of noise.

He mostly kept quiet. New people intimidated him. Especially the group of girls to his right. A loud blonde, a shy brunette, and a girl who also kept oddly quiet. Her hair was silver and short, her bangs covering her sharp features. His eyes wandered down her form, her peculiar black leather outfit catching his attention. He then noticed the silver pendant around her neck, with a threaded barbed wire chain. She left a lot to desire in the tits department, but to Vanitas, tits were tits, no matter the size. It looked like she had been dragged to the party just like him. 

Mmm, edgy and bored. Let’s see if she’ll talk to me, at least…  

“Hey.” He nudged his chin at the spot beside the girl. “This seat taken?”

The girl’s red eyes scanned him up and down. She brought her solo cup to her lips. “All yours...”

Vanitas grinned and flopped beside her. “Thanks. So, you from here, or college on the island?”

“College.” Her head tipped backward as she sipped her drink.

"Ah,” Vanitas chuckled, “so, you know Sora and Riku?”

She looked at him and sighed. “Look, I don’t do small talk. If you’re looking for someone to hook up with, try Yuna. You’ll have better luck with her.”

Ouch. Unapproachable much…? He briefly wondered if he came off like that sometimes.

“Truth be told, the girls heard ‘party’ from ‘Seeker of Darkness’ over there, and I got dragged 

here.” 

Bingo. 

“You too, huh?" He leaned forward, holding his cup on his thigh. “Sora insisted I tag along, and once he gets something in his mind—

“There’s no stopping him.”

“Exactly,” Vanitas said, turning to her. 

The girl finished her drink and placed her cup down. “Wanna dance?”

“Fuck yes. Nothing better to do.”

“Paine,” the girl said, getting up from her seat.

“I know, right?”

She shook her head and stretched out her hand. “No. My name’s Paine.”

Vanitas stared at her for a minute. “That’s a fucking cool name .”

Paine laughed and pulled him to the ‘dance floor,’ which was the middle of Kairi’s living room. They were soon absorbed by the mob of drunken people, bodies bumping messily into others. She wasn’t a bad dancer—had interesting moves for someone reserved.

Vanitas rarely danced, but he could hold his own if he needed to. He didn’t have two left feet, as most guys claimed. Now music? That was his vice. If he were deaf, he wouldn’t want to live in this world anymore. What was the point if he couldn’t hear? Wait…that was probably how Naminé felt. Drinking made him eerily sober and philosophical. The fuck. He shook his head and kept dancing.

Soon, the crowd on the ‘dance floor’ parted and gathered near the bar. Sora made an announcement before climbing to the counter. Riku stood near the loud crowd.

“Seeker of Darkness, I want your babies!” A girl shrieked. Riku scratched his head in embarrassment. Vanitas rolled his eyes. Part of him was convinced Riku was gayer than the word ‘gay.’

Sora brought a hose and a funnel to Riku. 

Ah, fuck. There goes my ride.

“Chug, chug, chug!” The crowd chanted as Sora poured beer for Riku to drink. “Chug, chug, chug!” 

Vanitas was sure that amount was dangerously close to alcohol poisoning. Not my circus. Not my monkey. He didn’t tell people how to live their lives. It was theirs to fuck up if they wanted.

Riku accomplished whatever he was challenged to. Despite its insignificant nature, the crowd went wild. Riku stood perfectly still with a dumb grin before he stumbled and fell flat on his face. Everyone grew quiet, the loud music taking over for a few minutes. 

Oh, shit! Did he fucking bite the dust?

Sora jumped off the counter. “Chill, he’s ok. He’ll get up any minute now.”

And so he did, and the crowd cheered like drunken idiots. Riku pulled his shirt off and threw it at the girls yelling for him earlier, flashing them a stupid smirk. Yeah, Riku was definitely not driving them home. Judging by his clumsier-than-usual movements, Sora wasn’t in good shape either. 

Oh, that’s just great. 

Riku barely pushed past the crowd before passing out again. Sora waved off people asking if he was alright, reassuring everyone that he’d be fine in a few minutes. When Riku didn’t stand up after a solid minute, he gave Vanitas a nervous glance.

“Hey, Vani, he’s out cold,” Sora said, his own balance questionable. “And heavy. So help me out, will ya?”

Vanitas sighed and helped his cousin. “Why the fuck is he so heavy?” Vanitas asked as he pulled at Riku's arms. “Fucking hell, Riku...” He pulled harder, and the body finally budged. They dragged him to the stairs.

“Okay, Vani. Now grab his legs,” Sora said, pushing Vanitas aside and grabbing Riku’s arms.

“Wait, what?”

Sora let go of Riku. His arms hit the first step, and the silver-haired boy groaned. “We gotta take him upstairs. He’s not gonna wake up any time soon, and Kairi said we could crash in her room if we needed to.”

“Ugh, really…? Alright…”

He did as ordered, and they got Riku up the stairs and into bed. Not without dropping him a couple of times, though. The dickhead had it coming. Especially since Vanitas would now be forced to walk home at an ungodly hour of the night. He sure as hell wasn’t staying here. He would rather risk it and have Sora drive them home than stay anywhere near Kairi.

“Hey, Sora, I’m going out for a smoke. Then we’ll leave—His cousin’s snoring interrupted him. His eyes fell on the brunette on the floor next to the bed. “Great…” 

Vanitas sighed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned back, internally timing how long it would take him to walk home when the sound of heels snapped him out of his thoughts. 

Kairi stood a few feet away. “Oh, hey Vanitas, Have you seen—

“Sora and Riku? Both passed out in there,” he said, pushing off the door.

She crossed her arms. “So much for the ‘Seeker of Darkness’, huh?” She laughed. That giggling laugh she did when planning something. “How come you aren't fucked up?”

“Get shit-faced in your house? You’re kidding, right?”

Kairi rolled her eyes at him before approaching. “Oh, come on, Van. You liked it,” she said, pressing her chest against his.

Yeah, and now I fucking regret it.

"Still doesn’t mean it wasn’t a mistake.”

“Yeah, well…tell that to your dick,” she said, rubbing her knee against his groin. 

Fuck.  

“I’m a guy. What the hell do you want me to do? Tuck it between my legs?”

“Put it to good use.” She kissed him full on the lips.

Vanitas' eyes widened. He hadn’t expected her to dare. A part of him wanted to let her do whatever she wanted. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system or his hormones, but neither helped with the situation in his pants. He wouldn’t mind getting laid right now—in fact, he wanted to get laid, but…with Kairi? Seriously? With a frustrated growl, he pushed her away.

Kairi frowned. “What the hell, Van?! Come on, don’t be like that.”

He turned away from her with a scowl. “Don’t follow me. Personal space, remember?” 

“Vani, wait!”

Vanitas quickly made his way down the stairs and passed a couple of dancers, his patience wearing thin. He’d met his socialization quota for the day, and he really wanted to leave. Just get home and listen to his music, maybe mess around with his guitar a bit…

Taking out his lighter from his pocket, he walked out of the front door and to the sidewalk. He reached for his smokes as a familiar car pulled over on the opposite sidewalk. Squinting, he noticed a figure behind the wheel, looking lost and confused. Was that…Ms. Thorne? Yes, yes it was. He perked up immediately. The whole thing had been worth it after all.  

He crossed the street and leaned on the car, looking in. “Ms. Tho—Aqua?” 

She looked up from her phone and smiled. It made his night. “Vanitas? What are you doing here?” She asked, sounding puzzled. 

“Party,” he said, quickly hiding his lighter. “I kinda got roped into coming by my cousin and his friend.”

“Oh. Is this the same cousin you mentioned the other day?”

She remembered that. No way… He couldn’t remember what he had for lunch some days.

He sighed. “Yep…”

“You don’t sound too happy about it,” she said, resting her hand on the window and her head atop it. “Why? The girl you like didn’t show up?”

Vanitas chuckled and licked his lips. “She did. Sort of.”

Her smile widened. “So why didn’t you have fun, then?”

“Not really my type of thing, you know,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t like being dragged into things, either.”

“Mmm, that sure brings back memories…” Aqua said with a glint in her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. "You party a lot?” 

She hummed thoughtfully. Cute. “I was more focused on my studies and following the rules. I did get dragged to a lot of parties, though. Also did my fair share of crazy things as well…”

A car drove by them, faint light illuminating her face. There was a subtle blush on her cheeks. He wondered what she remembered so vividly.

Naughty Ms. Thorne.

Her phone buzzed, and her eyes immediately fell on its screen. She frowned.

“Something the matter?”

Aqua sighed. “Roxas texted me to pick him up earlier. I texted him that I’m here, but…”

“Give him a few. He’ll come out,” Vanitas said. “Maybe he’s dancing, or his phone fell out of his pocket or something…?” Or his hands are too busy to text back. “Hell, I’d be surprised if it hadn't, given the commotion in there…"

“What do you mean?” Aqua asked, giving him a look.

He crossed his arms. “You do know there’s a bunch of drunken teens in there, right?”

“What? What do you mean drunk?!” 

“Uh, yeah. It’s a party, there’s alcohol,” he said, pointing at a group of girls stumbling outside. A blonde girl fell on her ass. “See? drunk off their asses."

“That’s it.” She released her seatbelt and stepped out of the car immediately. “I’m getting him right now!"

Vanitas smirked. Please drag his ungrateful ass out. His smirk vanished when he noticed what she was wearing. Fuck. She definitely left her house in a hurry. And did she not have a bra?! Fuck no. She can’t go in there like that. Not with a bunch of horny drunk frat guys.

Without thinking, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, hey. I’ll get him for you.”

“But—

“I’ll be faster.”

Aqua folded her arms over her chest. Her expression turned serious. “Alright.”

He turned around and returned to the party, scanning for Roxas. It didn’t take him long to spot him reclining on a couch, completely asleep. Idiot. 

Vanitas jerked him awake. “Yo, get up man.”

“Fuck off,” Roxas muttered drunkenly. 

He pulled him by his shirt. “Knock it off, smartass. Your mom’s waiting outside.”

Roxas blinked twice. “The fuck I care? Why do you care?”

“Because my cousin gave you a ride to this stupid party, which means you don’t have a ride unless you go home with your mom right now.”

Roxas rolled his eyes at Vanitas but followed. Vanitas pushed him in front of him, and he almost tripped.

“The fuck, man?”

After several minutes, Vanitas got Roxas past the others and outside. They went to the car, and Aqua helped them.

“Tch,” Roxas brushed his mother off.

“Just get in the car,” Vanitas mumbled, pushing him into the back seat and closing the door.

Aqua sighed and turned to Vanitas. “Do you need a ride?”

Fuck, yes I do.

“Nah, it’s alright. Don’t wanna trouble you,” he said, acting disinterested. “But now that you mention it, my cousin and his friend are so shitfaced I don’t think either of them can drive, so...”

She smiled. “It’s no trouble at all. I insist.”

Well, don’t mind if I do.

A few minutes later and seat belts on, they were on their way. It was a quiet ride. Roxas had passed out in the back, and the only sound heard was a song on the radio. Seriously? Who even listens to the radio? She needs a sick playlist. Hell, he’d even put one together for her. But that wasn’t the point.

Aqua kept her gaze fixed on the road, her hands firmly on the steering wheel. As much as he liked the occasional bit of silence, he wanted her to say something. Vanitas stared out the window, eyes following streetlight after streetlight. Kairi’s house wasn’t too far from his own, yet it felt like it was taking a long ass time to get home.

“I just don’t get it," Aqua said suddenly. “Why would someone think getting wasted is fun?”

Finally!

Vanitas turned his head toward her. Cause you could get laid. “No idea. Ask my cousin.” He shrugged. “College life I suppose? They think it’s fun?”

Aqua frowned. “There’s healthier ways to have a good time.”

I bet you could show me a good time.

“Like what?” Vanitas asked, a smirk creeping on his lips.

“Well, there’s camping, going to the movies, ghost hunting—

He laughed. She couldn’t be serious. The movies? Sure, if it was something awesome like Across the Spider-Verse. But ghost hunting? Camping?

She shot him a puzzled look. “What?”

“You’re not serious, right? Ghost hunting?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with it?” She asked, eyeing him briefly as they stopped at a traffic light. “It’s summer. That sort of thing is popular around this time. I remember years ago, spooky stories around a campfire, sneaking into an abandoned building and looking for ghosts…” A smile formed on her lips, and he didn’t know if she was blushing or if it was the glow of the red light.

The light turned green, and Aqua focused on the road, still smiling. “There was this one time around a bonfire at the beach…a bunch of us chilled by it after we went swimming. Terra hid in between the bushes, and…”

She stopped smiling and gripped the steering wheel harder. So bringing up the big guy was still a sore spot. Was he the one who cheated? Or was it her? Vanitas didn’t know, but his money was on Terra.

“Anyway, he scared a couple of us, and then we somehow were dared into trespassing on one of the old, abandoned buildings on the hill. There were rumors that it was haunted, and we wanted to see if it was true.”

“Oh, so you are serious about the ghost thing,” he said, amusement in his voice. She nodded. It was oddly cute that she believed in that stuff.

A ringtone chimed through the speakers, and the radio screen lit up. It read Terra. Vanitas was about to ask her if she wanted to answer. She signaled him to wait. On the third ring, she answered; the big guy’s voice boomed over the speaker, and she lowered it a bit.

“Hey.”

“Hi…”

There was an awkward silence, and tension was palpable in that simple exchange.

“Sorry to call you at this time. I know it’s close to midnight, so I hope I didn’t just wake you…”

“No, it’s fine. I was just…doing something.” 

“Oh, okay. So…umm, you know about shared custody—I have a trip coming up, and guess what? Germany,” he paused. “I was just thinking how the twins have always wanted to go, so…”

So?

“I know it’s not my turn yet, but I want to take them with me. if that’s okay with you…”

“Sounds great,” she replied with a broad smile. Her eyes said otherwise.

“Umm, you could come if you want to…we wouldn’t mind.”

We? As in his side piece turned main 'we'? What the actual fuck?!

She pressed her lips together as if trying to keep the words in. “I would love that, but…I have to take care of some things,” she said, a hand playing with the star on her necklace. “Besides…I promised to babysit Tifa’s little bundle of joy.” She laughed weakly.

Terra laughed as well. “Busy woman as always. Take care then. I’ll text you later when everything’s booked for the twins, alright?”

“Okay.”

There was a long pause, and they both bid the other goodbye before the call finished. Vanitas felt awkward. He’d listened to a personal conversation that he probably shouldn’t have. Still, he wanted to say something about that bullshit. 

"Pretty ballsy of him to ask you to go, huh?" he asked.

Aqua flicked the signal light and turned around a corner. "I guess so..." 

"Ven mentioned you guys..."

"Yeah."

"But that really was a dick move."

She frowned. "Why? He's just being nice to me." She pulled into a driveway. Vanitas immediately recognized her house.

"Umm, you're kidding, right?" he asked, unbuckling his seatbelt. "He cheats on you, then—

Aqua gave him a heartbroken look. "That's the problem, Vanitas. No one cheated..."

Oh. But if no one cheated, then what…

His eyes widened as he realized.