Set in an Alternate Universe.

WARNING!
This story contains a Lemon.
Please do not read if you find that offensive in any way, or you are underage.
Respect the Rating.

So.
If you have read my other stories, or if you know me, this story might come as a surprise.
I am writing this because I realized that I have received a staggering number of requests for a lemon.
And since my birthday is coming up, I decided that this will be my treat for you: something new and unexpected, something many of you have asked for that I previously denied.

I would normally list names in the dedication.
But in this case, I am not quite sure that those who requested would be too happy about their names being announced.
Plus, they are too many to list.
I'll keep it generic. This is dedicated to whoever requested a lemon from me.

Special Thanks
To all the guys who once said they loved me.

DISCLAIMER [I do not own Kingdom Hearts] DISCLAIMER

Also, I do not advocate the sexual acts and situations that will be mentioned in this story.

PLAY DATE

Just you and me.

"No! No way!"
"We are not watching that again!"
"I never said I was choosing this."
"Then why are you holding it?"
"Wait, why can't we watch it, anyway?"
"It sucks."
"Just throw it out the window or something."
"It is not that bad of a movie..."
"It. Sucks."
"Quit picking on the girls, guys..."
"Yeah! And I happen to like that movie..."
"You're the only dude on the planet who does."
"We are not watching it."
"But I like it, too."
"Doesn't matter. We outnumber you."
"I said I wasn't choosing this, geez..."
"I kind of want to watch it."
"Me, too."
"Well, you can go have your own party, then!"

"Stop it," Aqua said as she came in and set down the bowls of popcorn and the cans of soda in the middle of the floor. "I leave you for five minutes and you're already fighting?"

Axel grinned at her. "Since the first minute," he said.

Aqua sighed exasperatedly. "Of course..."

She sat down on the floor and watched as her friends continued arguing about what movie they were going to watch. Some of them went ahead and started picking off the popcorn and drinking the soda. Most of them were still focused on the extremely important debate at hand.

They did this every other Friday, all eleven of them gathering for a sleepover at one house, and tonight it was Aqua's turn to play the host.. It was an excellent way for them to bond and just find time for each other, especially since they were at different grade levels and not all of them went to the same schools. Aqua mused for about the hundredth time what happened to make her clique of friends grow from just two to eleven.

When she was little, it was just her and Vanitas. They had been neighbors from the time that they were in preschool until present day. They both had friendly, outgoing parents, who just absolutely needed to make friends with the friendly-looking couple next door. And, of course, it was such a plus that one couple had a very adorable son whose pouty frown was to die for. And the other couple had a daughter with a smile that could light up the sky.

So it was inevitable that Aqua and Vanitas were coaxed into having play dates almost every day and into staying over at each other's houses whenever either set of parents needed to be away for one reason or another.

And then a few years later, Aqua met Terra at school and they became close. Terra eventually dragged Ventus into the little circle, who dragged his brother, Roxas, in as well. Roxas brought Axel into the group. By then, Aqua was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by being surrounded by guys but fortunately, Roxas soon introduced Xion to the clique as well. With Xion came Riku and Naminé. And finally, Riku brought Sora and Kairi in, too.

As for how they all grew to be very close, Aqua never could figure out. One look at the group would make an outsider raise his eyebrows. They did look quite mismatched, after all. But beneath how they look on the outside, inside it was as if they were simply meant to be friends, all of them.

Except, perhaps, Vanitas.

Aqua looked around the room, seeking him out. He was not in the middle with the others, participating in the debate. She found him by the back wall, minding his own business. He was settled comfortably on his favorite beanbag, the black one with red stripes which he protected the way a predator would guard his territory. The room was pretty small, and it seemed smaller when stuffed with eleven people, but he still successfully distanced himself. He smirked at her, though, when he noticed her looking and she smiled back.

She was glad he was there. Every time they planned these sleepovers, she worried that he might suddenly decide he no longer wanted to join in. He was not very sociable. He was, actually, very unhappy when their group grew and grew and grew to a number that he just could not handle.

Aqua selfishly and wishfully liked to think sometimes that Vanitas tolerated all this for her because he genuinely liked being with her. She liked to imagine she was special to Vanitas. And as she thought it right then, she blushed and looked away from him. She hoped he didn't notice the way her cheeks flushed with color. He would tease her about it and demand to know what flustered her so. But she just was not ready to tell him her secret thoughts and feelings.

How could she tell him that she likes him?

She was sure about it, though. The signs were there. She dreamt about him now and then, and more often lately. She finds that her eyes linger longest on him when she looks at their group photos. She ends up mirroring his emotions, especially when he feels very upset or particularly happy. She always finds herself wandering closer to him whenever the group gathers. She votes for whatever he does whenever the group is split between two decisions.

"I've watched that," she suddenly heard him say. "I don't want to watch it again."

Aqua realized with a renewed blush that she had not been paying attention to the discussion about what movie to watch. That is, until Vanitas spoke up.

"But no one else has watched it, Vanitas," Kairi answered.

"I want to watch it!" Sora exclaimed.

"Me, too!" Ventus added.

All around the room, it seemed everyone agreed. Aqua looked at the movie in question, the one Kairi was holding, and frowned. "A horror film?" she asked, letting her disapproval ring in her voice.

"What, are you scared already, Aqua?" Axel teased.

"No," Aqua answered defensively. "I'm just not a fan of horror movies."

"Either way, it comes down to you and Vanitas against the rest of us," Riku pointed out.

"We win!" Sora cheered, exchanging a high-five with Ventus.

And just like that, the debate was closed. Terra set up the movie, Roxas turned off the lights, and everyone settled down, dividing into the mini cliques their large group can be subdivided into. Axel and Roxas were sprawled on the floor with Xion sitting beside them. Sora was sitting closest to the television with Naminé nestled against him. Terra and Ventus sat side by side and had sneakily hogged three of the five bowls of popcorn and majority of the cans of soda. Riku had Kairi in front of him, and she was leaning on his chest.

Aqua looked at Vanitas again. He had pulled out his iPod, stuffed his earphones on, and had clearly decided to drown out the movie. Since everyone else seemed comfortable the way they were, Aqua fell to the back and sat down on the floor beside Vanitas, who buried himself deeper in his beanbag of a throne.

The movie was starting, but Aqua honestly did dislike horror movies. So she softly whispered, "You've watched this, right? How is it?"

"Not bad," he said, slipping off one earpiece so he could hear her better. "You will never guess who the killer is and what his motives are until they're revealed."

"Are they all going to die?"

"No."

"How many survive?"

"Two."

"Just two? Who?"

Vanitas pointed at the screen. "That girl," he said. "And that guy."

"Oh."

They were quiet again and Aqua tried to watch the movie, though she started yawning just a minute later. It was not because the movie bored her, though.

"Sleepy?" he asked her.

"Tired..." she replied.

"Oh, right, you've been pulling all-nighters for the exam you had today," he said, smirking. "You are such a nerd, Aqua."

"I am not," she murmured, though she was smiling at his playful teasing.

She yawned once more and turned to the screen. And out of nowhere, Vanitas started snickering. She turned to him. "What are you laughing at?" she asked curiously.

He pointed to one of the guys in the movie. "He reminds me of Ventus. Idiot. He gets impaled on a broken fence post."

Her eyes widened as her blood ran cold. "How is that funny?" she hissed, horrified. "And what do you mean he reminds you of Ven?" The image of Ven impaled on a broken fence post invaded her mind and her throat constricted.

Vanitas snickered again. And he went on to explain how each character in the movie reminded him of one of them, and also how each character dies in the end. When he had explained five more of the characters and their gruesome deaths, Aqua practically begged him to stop.

"You're not curious about which of them reminds me of you?" he asked.

"Let me guess. I'm that girl," she said, ponting at a random character on screen. "And the killer takes his sweet, sweet time with her, carving out her innards while she's conscious."

"Interesting, but no," he said with a smile. He nodded at the character that the camera had just focused on. "That's you."

She was surprised. He was pointing out the one girl who survives. "What? Why?"

"She is very intelligent," Vanitas explained. "If the other idiots had all listened to her instead of shoving her off as a coward who just didn't have the guts to fight head-on, they might all have survived."

"Oh..."

"Want to know which one I am? Or you want to guess again?" he asked, teasing.

"Just tell me," she said, with a roll of her eyes.

"I survive, too, of course," he said, indicating that he was the one guy that lives through the movie. "Your character asks for his help. Begs, actually. And he decided to help just because he had nothing to lose. Then he realized she has a good head on her shoulders and he might just make it out of all that crap if he sticks with her."

At that moment, their characters were having a conversation and at watching the scene and seeing – or maybe just imagining – some chemistry there, Aqua just blurted out, "Will they end up together?"

Vanitas snorted. "This is a horror movie, Aqua, not a chick flick."

Then the movie was suddenly paused. Axel turned towards the back and stared at Aqua and Vanitas. The others were looking at them, too. "Are you two really just going to talk through the whole movie?" Axel asked with a half-amused, half-annoyed smirk. Everyone else was snickering.

Aqua felt her face flush with embarrassment and she murmured an apology. Vanitas stared with indifference. And after Axel told them to shut up or clear out, in the playful way that was so Axel, they all resumed watching the movie. Aqua leaned against the wall and brushed her fingertips over her eyes, trying to wipe away her drowsiness.

"Yes," Vanitas suddenly whispered beside her.

"Huh?"

"They end up together."

She was unsure what to say but Vanitas wasn't expecting an answer. "Go to sleep, Aqua," he said softly. "I'll wake you when the movie is over."

"No, I doubt I can sleep anyway," she whispered back. "Not with all the screaming that's bound to happen."

He almost chuckled, but he caught himself. Then he wordlessly placed one of the earpieces of his earphones into her ear. And at the familiar but unexpected sounds, Aqua looked at him. "Is this...?" she mumbled.

"Bach, yes," he finished. "Surprised?"

She was, definitely. Who knew Vanitas listened to classical music?

"Now be quiet and sleep," he commanded gently. "Or Axel will kick us out."

Aqua almost laughed, covering her hand with her mouth. "Thank you," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

She was asleep in mere minutes.

Vanitas smiled because he liked the feel of her weight against him. He was glad that she was something of an outcast in their group, like he was. Although he was an outcast by choice. She was an outcast because she loved everyone equally, meaning that when everyone divided into uneven little clusters like this, Aqua was a little lost. And always, she would fall back with him.

His smile sharpened. He had always known he was special to her.

He simply watched her for a long while, waiting until she was in a deeper state of sleep. Then he moved his arm a little, the one she was leaning against, so that he could find her hand and gently trace the lines on her palm. How many opportunities did he have to touch her anyway? He braided his fingers with hers and was pleased when she involuntarily tightened her grip. But then she stirred.

He thought he had woken her, but as he watched and waited, he calmed at realizing she was still asleep. Just as he was about to look away, though, the tip of her soft, pink tongue suddenly slipped out for a second, wetting her luscious lips, followed by the tiniest of moans.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He was familiar with that sleeping habit of hers; he has seen her asleep many times. He liked seeing her soft little tongue peeking out like that, as if it was teasing him to follow it with his own. Then, once it had hidden itself away, he would still be baited by her shiny, wet lips. Kissable. Inviting. And that lovely little moan at the end was new...

He released a breath, trying to fight down the urge to lick his own lips then bite hers, forcing them apart, slipping his tongue between them, between her teeth, into that warm, wet... He clenched his jaw. He should be stopping such thoughts, with Aqua so close to him. But did he really want to? No, not really. Not at all.

And her movements did not end there. She turned slightly and snuggled closer to him. His hand was still locked with hers but it was now pressed too close against the front of her thigh. Too close to her... her...

He gritted his teeth. To even think the word was a bad idea. He tried to focus on other parts of her body. Her cheek was now right on his collar bone, her forehead at his neck, and her other hand was inching its way closer and closer to...

"Damn it..." he hissed under his breath.

Her fingertips were millimeters away from his crotch when her hand finally settled. He wasn't quite sure, though, if he was upset that it was too close, or that it was not close enough.

As he pondered that, his cock suddenly seemed to consider making its presence known, heating up when Aqua whimpered a second time. Vanitas breathed deeply and reached over with his other hand to slowly push hers away. He was sure she would not like it if she suddenly woke up and realized that she had her hand on his groin. But before he could, a certain song decided to play on his iPod.

A certain song that conjured certain images that he usually only thought of in the privacy of the shower. Frantically, he considered shutting off his iPod but he remembered that it was in the pocket that happened to be on the same side where Aqua was. Damn. Then he thought of pulling off his earphones but... No, it was too late!

Just as the passionate, strangely erotic sound of the violin assaulted his ears, the eye of his mind looked at a memory from a couple of years ago.

He was sitting at his desk, listening to this very song, looking passively out of his bedroom window, which happened to be facing Aqua's own.

Her curtains were drawn. But the window was open. And it was a very windy day.

And just as the music picked up the pace, a breeze blew. It lifted the curtain for a moment. And Vanitas' mouth fell open because... no, it couldn't be. Aqua, her wet hair sticking to her skin. Her bathrobe slipping slowly off her shoulders to reveal... No. No way. She was not that careless! He had imagined it. Right?

He leaned forward on his desk. He couldn't help it. He willed for the wind to pick up again and it did. His eyes widened. She was completely naked. Her back was to him, her arms were up, drying her hair with a towel. Then the curtain fell again.

He cursed, slamming his fist against his desk in fury. Then a gust blew as if to appease him. Or tease him. Or both. No, it was definitely to tease him.

The curtain danced a little longer this time and Aqua had turned around, almost. She was looking elsewhere, somewhere other than the window, still oblivious to her audience of one. Vanitas, his vision tunnelling and zooming in on her as if he had some unnatural powers of sight, memorized the beautiful contours of her body. The smooth flatness of her stomach. The firm roundness of her breasts. The gentle curve from her waist to her hips.

When the curtain dropped, he all but shouted his rage to the heavens, spitting out every foul word he knew. And yet another breeze came by, raising the damned curtain just as Aqua bent down and...

Vanitas forced himself to return to reality. It was too much. His body shuddered, jolted, from the sudden rush of arousal and his mind worked quickly to force his eyes shut when he felt Aqua's body tense, awakened by his movement. He felt her fingers press hard against his thigh, so close to his erection. Too close.

He kept his eyes shut. He tried to keep his breathing even. He tried not to think about Aqua. And her hand. And his cock. And most desperately tried not to think about all three in the same sentence.

Fail.

His groin was already reacting, pulsing hot and hard, as if Aqua's hand was actually clenched around it.

He raised his eyelids very slightly when Aqua had leaned away from him. He felt his throat constrict. She was staring at him. At his... Then he had a twisted idea, the thought of which almost brought a smirk to his lips. Her eyes darted to his face just as he closed his again, pretending to be asleep.

"Vanitas?" Aqua whispered very softly.

He did not respond. She looked at him for a moment longer. Was he really asleep? She tentatively looked down again, at the little tent between his legs, which she noticed almost as soon as she awoke. How could she not notice? Her hand was right there!

Her face flushed. She had almost touched his... his...

She knew what it was, of course. She also knew, scientifically, what it meant and the events surrounding such an occurence. It made her wonder what he was dreaming about. Her, maybe. Hopefully.

She mentally slapped herself.. Hopefully? Why would she hope for such a thing? Did she really want Vanitas to be having dirty, erotic dreams about her? Or about anyone, for that matter? But, for the sake of her sanity, she would rather it be about her. Wait! Who said they had to be dirty and erotic? Maybe they were tender and sensual. Maybe Vanitas was dreaming about making love to her and...

She shook her head, took a deep breath, and just settled down beside him, leaning against the wall. She should not let her thoughts wander like that. But she kept looking back at his... She could not help it. She was only a human; she was just a girl.

She has seen naked guys before, of course, but maybe that only fed the curiosity further rather than help to stifle it. She had even seen Vanitas naked before, although he was only five then and she had just turned seven. Did that still count?

They were hiding out in the closet. They were both very curious and they had reached an agreement. She was still dressed but he had already removed all his clothing, confidently showing his stuff. Then he looked expectantly at her.

"Your turn, Aqua."

She shook her head, suddenly shy and afraid. And she was sure her parents would be so mad.

Vanitas did his pouty frown. "Cheater..."

"I'm sorry..." she said, but he was still upset with her.

"You said you would."

"But..." She shook her head again, steadfast in her refusal.

"Cheater," he hissed. "You owe me."

Aqua bit her lip, returning to present day, and looked at Vanitas again. He was older now, they both were. More mature. Changed. Grown. And she was curious all over again. Her curiosity kept growing, spurred by a natural kind of fascination and an aching kind of desire.

He was asleep. He would never know. Aqua shut her eyes. It was wrong. So wrong. And yet...

She opened her eyes again and slowly extended her hand towards the bulge in his pants. She'll just touch it. Just for a second. As soon as her fingertip brushed the very peak, it jumped and she drew back, panicking. Was that voluntary? She looked cautiously at his face. His eyes were still closed. His breathing was still even. He was still asleep.

Aqua let out a silent sigh of relief and then came a wave of internal conflict. She wanted to touch him again. In a more substantial way. But if she did, would he still remain asleep? If he woke up, would he be angry? She focused on his face as she slowly snaked her hand towards his arousal. Very gently, she laid her palm over his member, her thumb at the tip. Vanitas did not react at all.

Satisfied that he was not going to wake up, Aqua looked down at the object of her twisted curiosity, the object that was the cause of the spreading warmth in the pit of her stomach. She wrapped her fingers around him and tightened her grip, the soft fabric of his pants yielding easily at the pressure. She was not sure if she imagined it at first, but after a second she was certain.

He grew.

In her hand.

And an ecstatic but shy little smile graced her lips.

She did not move for a moment, focusing on his heat and his hardness and his still-increasing size and then... She moved her hand slowly upwards, then downward. Carefully, at first, instinctively loosening the fabric so that it did not restrict him. Then she gradually pumped him faster, finding the perfect rhythm. Again and again and again. Until Vanitas exhaled sharply and she released him, panicking once more. But his eyes were still closed.

Aqua took a deep breath and bit her lip, closing her eyes halfway as she suddenly became aware of the wetness between her legs. She told herself to stop. She almost woke him up. She had gone far enough.

Then an often-ignored part of her mind spoke up, as if it was sitting on her shoulder, whispering temptingly in her ear. "Don't you want to see him?"

She held her breath. Yes, she wanted to see him. She wanted to see him badly. But he might wake up. And then how would she explain herself? It was hard enough to simply consider telling him that she liked him. How in all the universe could she ever hope to admit – as proven by the past few minutes – that she painfully desired him as well?

She tried to slow her breathing, tried to lower her temperature by the sheer force of her will. And she almost succeeded. Almost. Until he said gruffly, still asleep, "Hngh... Aqua..."

She stared at him. Did he just talk in his sleep? Groan and talk? And was that her name? Did he really just say her name? And then more questions. Was he dreaming of her like she was hoping? Was he having an erotic dream? Or, no, a sensual one? About her? Was she the cause of his arousal, which in turn aroused her?

And, yes, she was very aroused. There was no denying it, especially now. His moaning out her name did the trick.

All her efforts went to waste, the heat in her core increasing, her heart racing in her chest, a haze of desire overpowering all the logic that she possessed. She'll just take one look. One quick look, she promised herself. She carefully lifted the hem of his shirt, slipped her fingers underneath the garter of his pants, and then...

Aqua screamed.

Thank You

~Alacquiene~