-This is an AU where Warring Gods (WG) Vanitas and Ventus wind up in the original universe (OG). There is a reason they're there, them figuring that out is part of the mystery.
-Considering the above if you haven't read Ash and Dust you're gonna be very confused. TLDR; WGVV were role swapped. Vanitas was raised in Departure, Ven stayed with Xehanort. It's as insane as it sounds you should read it Ini is an amazing writer.
-In addition to obvious discrepancies, the OG is also slightly behind WG in terms of time passing. WGVanitas and WGVen are 22, OGVanitas and OGVen are 19.
-WGVen goes by Ven and OGVen goes by Ventus. Yeah that's the differentiation we used. It has meaning. No really.
-There is an order to these drabbles. Yes, that means this is the third one. Will you get the others? Maybe but probably only after I go insane and edit it all and drag Ini into being equally as obsessed with writing the rest of it and slapping it all up on Ao3. Or Ini posts some. Who knows.
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They have to be close, this world. Ventus assumes they have to be close, because the moment they touch down? Vanitas takes off.
Which– okay, sure! Vanitas might not be the most talkative companion he’s ever had, but Ventus– it’s weird, associating himself that way in his head. But when this Vanitas says Ven he is never talking about him, so– would have to be totally blind not to get that he’s… he cares a lot about his Light. An awful lot.
It’s really sweet. Kind of hurts, a little, but he’s not thinking about that.
Even then, the action takes Ventus completely by surprise. Vanitas hasn’t really…left him alone, since they met. Always kind of right there, just behind his shoulder or even standing right next to him, a little in front. A voice in his head says it’s shielding, which doesn’t make any sense at all. He doesn’t need to be protected from Aqua and Terra. He doesn’t need to be protected from all the other people he knows.
But every time he’d thought that in the moment, a little disquieted and disgruntled, he’d felt Vanitas’ gaze burning into the side of his head and– he hadn’t said anything. Not a word. The shielding continued.
So this feels kind of jarring. A lot jarring. Ventus trots in the direction he thinks Vanitas sped off in, hoping against hope that it’s a straight line, contemplating if he shouldn’t just get back on his Glider and try finding him from the skies, instead.
It must be his lucky day, because he finds him in the next clearing. Something he would comment about, except he’s not alone.
Ventus. No, Ven. That’s him.
That’s him, wrapped around Vanitas and rubbing his nose into his cheek with the sweetest smile Ventus has ever seen, completely lax within the arms wrapped around his middle. He looks older, like Vanitas does– a few years on him. Maybe…shorter, though? Their clothes are close, but not identical. The jacket’s almost the same, at least.
They both look really happy.
“Oh! You found him!” Ventus isn’t sure exactly what he’s feeling when he does interrupt, just that– he interrupts. The version of him in Vanitas’ arms twists around to look at him, vivid blue meeting vivid blue. Smile widening until there’s a gap between his teeth.
Ven shrieks. A sound that has Ventus jumping out of his skin before it registers that the sound is almost deliriously delighted, before Ven squirms right out of Vanitas’ hold and– blips, across the space between them. Blips.
A few dozen feet away one moment, crashing into him the next. Ven puts all of his weight into throwing himself on him, and Ventus gets one look at Vanitas’ completely unsurprised expression before he’s knocked onto his back with a yelp that ends with all the air in his lungs being shoved out of him.
“You! Oh, you’re so–!” Ven sits on him, thighs on either side of his waist and hands fluttering over his cheeks. “Cute! Vanitas! Look at him!”
He thinks that should sound weird. It should, shouldn’t it? Look at him. This guy who is me. He’s looked at Roxas, before. Mirrors. He knows what he looks like.
Except this is different. It’s so different. Ven is– a little older, and so, so bright. He’s so bright. An angular face and petite nose and wide, wide smile under windswept hair that’s more angelic than Roxas is, by far. Ven is just kind of– holy. He’s kind of holy.
He’s kind of holy and it’s almost painful, staring at him. Wide-eyed and speechless as Ven’s thighs squeeze his waist and fingers grasp at the bells of his cheeks and pinch, hard.
“It’s almost a surprise, you know? Here I was, thinking– oh, well his Darkness is vicious. Pretty nasty, actually. But you’re so,” Ven sighs, leaning closer. Breath washing over his face. Eyes boring into his own, with an intensity that’s uncomfortable. “Soft, aren’t you? You’re so soft. Young.”
The words are almost nostalgic.
Bitter.
“Ven,” Vanitas says, and Ventus watches with a building sense of disbelief as his older counterpart twists around immediately, peering up at him. Vanitas steps into view, coming to a halt next to his prone form. He looks– amused? “You’re scaring him.”
“I’m not!”
“He isn’t!”
A chorus, one that has Ven turning back to him, head canting to the side. Doglike, vulturelike. Quizzical. Ventus’ heart is beating a little rapidly in his chest, he realizes.
They’re both staring at him. His heart is beating a little rapidly.
“I just– he startled me,” He feels like he’s floundering, heat settling into his cheeks in a way he knows he’s not going to be able to hide. “I wasn’t expecting to hit the ground.”
Ven coos, pinching his cheeks again. Vanitas is giving him that look. The one that says he’s lying, and Vanitas knows he’s lying. Ventus really doesn’t like that look.
It makes him feel bad. Worse.
“Oh, you really are… young.” Thumbs run back and forth beneath his eyes, lovingly. Ven’s smile is– nostalgic. In an awful way. Too little like his own, and a lot more like the Vanitas he used to know. Mean. “A little Light.”
Ventus doesn’t understand why that feels like an insult.
