A/N: I couldn't resist with this one. No, I haven't given up on my other projects. I have on my profile what updates to expect from me & this was one of them :D No worries guys, it's a one-shot so don't expect forever for an update because there is none & I'm standing firm on that this time. And because I felt like a change, this is my 1st time writing in present tense. (On this site anyways, but then again I can't remember the last time I used anything but past tense..) Hope I didn't slaughter it too bad. Read, enjoy & lemme know what you think! Thanks!

Warning: Minor Naminé labeling.

INNOCENCE

The bedroom door bursts open, ricocheting as it smacks the wall behind it and drifts back slightly. The teen raises his head from his Indian-style sitting position on his bed, sliding the Beats headphones off his ears and down around his neck with a clear look of irritation. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he glares icily at the intruder, his attention now pulled forward.

The amber daggers are however ignored as sheer happiness has already taken over the trespasser's body and soul. He rocks back and forth on his feet at the doorway, arms crossed behind his back while biting down on his bottom lip, the cerulean hues twinkling underneath honey-colored lashes.

Vanitas eyes him wearingly. The blond resembles a school girl who has just been asked to prom from her lifetime crush and would settle with nothing short of sharing it with the world, or worse, his more convenient roommate.

"…What's got you so…giddy?" he decides to say, his face telling he wasn't all too sure if he even wants to know.

A wide grin stretches over the light haired boy's features and he waltzes over towards the occupied bed posted near the left side of the room as he croons, "Oh, nothing~!"

Vanitas furrows his brows. He really doesn't have the patience for games like this. "Alright then, get the hell out."

The boy stops a foot or two away from the mattress, his once bright smile quickly dulling until it was completely replaced with a pout. "You're not even gonna press the subject a little bit more?"

"I'm not trying to play twenty questions with you, Ventus. And frankly, you're kind of creeping me out," Vanitas deadpans before adjusting the headphones back over his ears.

He nearly punches the blond when the headphones are snagged off from over his head, an explanation quickly being spluttered after the action as Ventus becomes aware of Vanitas's balled fist, "J-Just hear me out, okay? This is really important news to me!"

"What is?" Vanitas stresses, narrowing his golden irises.

The grin returns to Ven's visage and he bites his lip once more as he tries not to scream out excitedly right in the other teen's face. "I finally asked out Naminé today," he says, pausing as if it was news in itself and he was allowing time for Vanitas to sink it in before he hastily grows impatient again, blurting out, "And guess what? She said YES!"

The raven's expression fell, even more than it already was, if possible. That was it? That was the big news? He had got to be joking. "Congratulations, you don't completely suck at life. Now never barge into my room again with stupid shit like this."

Ventus blinks once in surprise to the reaction before he soon scowls, his now uncrossed hands subconsciously clenching firmly by his sides. "It's not stupid! How could you say that? You should be happy for me!"

The raven sneers amusingly, already looking back down at the magazine in his lap. "And how do you figure that?" he drawls as he turns a page.

"Because we're suppose to be friends," Ventus mumbles with a roll of his eyes when Vanitas reaches up and snatches the headphones back from his grasp, "somewhat," he adds exasperatingly. He wished Terra and Aqua weren't so much older than him and already done with college or else he would've roomed with one of them instead- most likely being Terra –someone who's more, oh, he didn't know, supportive of him, heaven forbid.

The blond shifts his weight to one side as he rests a hand on his hip irritably, "And this isn't your room, Vanitas. We share it, remember? 50-50?"

Vanitas idly nods his head to the rock music that now blares in his ears, his attention back on his previous leisureful activity and proving to Ven he isn't listening to a thing he has to say anymore.

"…I hate you," Ventus announces, turning on the heel of his foot to stomp out of the premises.

"You say something?" Black brows arch as Vanitas inquires, eyes hesitantly leaving the page like they have to finish absorbing some important image before they can be torn away to glance back up at the blond. He pushes one side of the headset slightly up off his ear to enforce the fact that he just asked a question and expects a response after Ventus goes a couple of prolonged seconds without saying anything.

"…And that's exactly why." Ven looks over his shoulder before he turns back around fully. "You're not listening to anything I've said!"

"I heard you, obviously. You were saying something about…that one chick," he recounts carelessly, looking up at the ceiling as if he's trying to recall something Ventus had told him no more than 10 seconds ago.

"Naminé!" Ven corrects. "Her name is Naminé! We're boyfriend and girlfriend now!"

"Which one are you?"

Ventus blinks before he tosses the raven a glare, his jaw setting into a deep frown. "The boyfriend, of course."

"The fact that you even answered that tells me a lot." Vanitas smirks, turning another page in the flimsy article.

A light blush dusts Ven's cheeks and he's unable to bring himself to be mad as his expression loosens from the sudden confusion. "Like what?" he tilts his head slightly to the side.

"You don't wanna know. Anyways," the teen hits pause on the music player humming from his laptop beside his leg before flicking his eyes back up at the boy, "Naminé is that blonde, mary-sue girl you've been drooling over for years, right?"

"I-I haven't been drooling and she's not a mary-sue," Ventus replies, sounding a bit annoyed. "She's just really sweet and loving and kind and…and I have a date with her tonight…" The blond's head flushes a deep cherry red from the memorization alone.

Vanitas stares at him, an emotion that can't be pinpointed stirring in his eyes. He briefly wonders how someone like Naminé and Ventus could even end up together. Weren't opposites suppose to attract? Ven and her were too much alike. Two blonde, justice-driven, nice, bashful idiots. In fact, they could both be described as mary-sues as far as Vanitas is concerned. How a guy as unmasculine as Ventus can even secure a girl is beyond him. The raven irrationally comes to the conclusion that Naminé has to be crazy, or at the very least, an undercover lesbian. He shakes his head, realizing he shouldn't care either way.

"...Just try not to make her puke when you kiss her."

The blue eyes widen, blinking multiple times. "K-Kiss her?"

Vanitas narrows his orbs as if his roommate was completely clueless, leaning forward a tad. "Yeah. You know, lip contact." He taps the rim of his own in indication.

Ven's blush deepens, whether upon his eyes briefly being drawn to the raven's lips or the thought of connecting his to Naminé's, he isn't all too sure. "I-I know what it means, Vanitas! I just… You don't think she'll be expecting a kiss on the first date, do you?" he practically whispers, in which Vanitas doesn't understand why. They're the only two in the dorm.

"…Have you never been on a date before?" Vanitas asks, incredulity underlining his tone.

"Not a…real one…" Ven susurrates, though his voice rises afterward just as quickly as it fell, "Elementary school doesn't count. This is college, this is serious."

"Wow…" Vanitas muses for a moment. "So I'm assuming…you've never kissed anyone either?"

Ventus feels the heat rise in his face and he jerks his head to the side in embarrassment. "N-N-No…" he admits shamefully, looking from the right wall down to the matted carpet.

Vanitas bursts out laughing.

"S-Shutup!" Ventus quickly snaps back to leer at him. "That's not funny, Vanitas! There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Yeah, if we were still in diapers. We're eighteen now, Ventus, come on," Vanitas emphasizes through his chuckles before he starts up again, falling over to his side in laughter, the magazine sliding off his lap as he clutches his torso. His octaves are slightly higher-pitched at certain notes, but the raven's voice always went like that when he laughed hard, in which Ventus normally thought was kind of funny, except when the raven's laughter is directed at him which, unfortunately, is 90% of the time.

The blond scowls. "So I'm guessing you have, Mr. Casanova?" he asks over the mock snickering.

The black haired teen exhales, pulling himself back together once his laughter dies down to a minimum. "Of course I have." Vanitas pushes himself upwards with one arm, pointing a finger to his face with the other once he sits up. "Don't you see this on a regular basis? It'd be a sin for me not too."

Ventus rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Do you think she'll be expecting a kiss or not?"

"…I don't know," Vanitas shrugs, his voice returning to its normal even tone. "You should be able to relate to a girl more than I am."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ven frowns.

The teen scoffs, "I'm kidding. Sort of. But if I didn't get a kiss on the first date, I'd think you were trying to be some kind of gentlemen or something." Vanitas clicks his tongue in a look of disgust. "That's boring. No girl falls for men like that anymore, Ventus."

The blond rests a hand under his chin as he muses worryingly. "…But Naminé's not like that. She's really-"

"Sweet, loving, kind. Yeah, yeah, the whole mary-sue package." Vanitas raises a finger, elaborating before Ventus can defend his newfound girlfriend once more, "But those are the type of girls who love excitement the most. Their lives are so fucking boring with being perfect and all they seek a thrill…elsewhere…" Vanitas drifts off and Ventus doesn't like the lopsided smirk that compliments his velvety voice at all.

The blond squirms a bit, shoving his hands into his pockets nervously as he stares down at the floor. "…You think Naminé's like that?" he asks softly.

The smirk widens and the golden hues seem to flicker under the ceiling light as Vanitas's expression looked almost crazed. The raven swore the reactions Ventus gave were just too entertaining for the blond's own good. When will he learn that Vanitas was like a marauder who ate up opportunities like this?

Oh well.

"I know she's like that," he drawls. "Trust me. I've snagged girls like her before."

Ventus considers it. Maybe his roommate is right. Maybe Naminé will indeed expect a kiss on their date. "…This is bad."

"Bad?" Vanitas arches a brow. "Are you kidding? This is the girl you've been drooling over for years, right? If you think kissing her is bad then maybe-"

"N-no," Ventus interjects, looking back up at him, "that's not it at all! I mean… It's just… Wonder if I suck…?"

Vanitas stares at him, numerous things running through his mind at the moment. Yes, the blond never is fully aware of what he does to him. How his emotions always being so genuine- his anger, his happiness, his confusion, his concern –made the blond seem so intriguing, unwavering and susceptible all at the same time. He never teases or plays with others, Vanitas, however, cannot say the same thing for his personality applies.

"…Well…" he starts finally, "if she's as nice and wonderful as you say she is, maybe she won't tell you to your face. But if she gives you a call breaking up with you, don't be surprised."

"Breaking up with me?" Ventus exclaims, "But we just got together! Naminé wouldn't do that just because…!" He let his words die as his mind thinks against it, pondering the possibility. What if he does suck? He doesn't want Naminé to think that! Even if she decides to tell him or not! Oh, gawd, he couldn't live with himself thinking that she went back home only to get on the phone with Kairi and tell her friend all about how he can't kiss worth shit. "I-I- What do I do! What did you do?" he whips his attention towards Vanitas desperately.

Vanitas looks back at the pleading pools of cerulean and he has to stop himself from laughing again, instead the teen boasts with a confident smile, "Ventus, I was born with a natural gift. A simple kiss was child's play."

"Well, aren't you special?" Ventus murmurs, a reminded concern running up his spine. "Seriously though, Vanitas, I'm worried! I don't know what to do! And I see her tonight!"

"Okay, okay. Breathe." Vanitas gives a shrug. "I may be an exception, but I suppose other people have practiced. Just get some girl who won't give two fucks if you suck or not and practice with her."

Ventus pauses, staring motionlessly at the raven for a moment. "But…I don't know any girls like that."

"God, what have you been doing with your life?"

"Shutup!" Ven's ears redden embarrassingly. "Not everybody's as sex driven as you are."

"Yeah, yeah," Vanitas waves away the statement.

Ventus frowns, running a hand through his hair troublingly. "…Can you at least help me by role-playing what I should say beforehand?"

"Role-playing?" Vanitas repeats uncertainly, not quite liking the sound of this.

"Yeah." Ventus drops his hand to usher it towards the boy. "You could pretend to be Naminé. You don't even have to say much."

"Yeeaah. No."

"Vanitas, you're not even trying to help me!"

"I am. I've been giving you advice, but I'm not about to act like some girl." Vanitas makes a face as if the idea that Ven would even think he'd agree to his suggestion was offensive on its own. "If anything, you can play as Naminé and I'll be you."

Ventus's expression falls, giving a low mumble, "What good is that gonna do?"

Vanitas straightens his back and looks down at Ventus, both in the literal and pitying sense. "You obviously don't know what you're doing, so I'm gonna be you and you're gonna pay close attention to the things I say, got it?"

"I-I guess…"

"What do you mean, you guess? You better be certain about this. You're the one that needs the help. I don't have to do anything."

"Okay, I mean, I'll do it."

"Alright." Vanitas throws his legs over the side of his bed, careful not to knock over his laptop, and pats the space bedside him. Ventus gulps, stepping over and sitting down next to the darker haired teen, his body tense as his arms lay firmly between his pressed in knees. The raven turns slightly to face him, glancing up and down. "…You know, you can loosen up a bit. I won't bite."

"I-I am," Ventus reflexively relaxes his shoulders.

"Riiight," Vanitas flashes a doubtful expression. "Well, anywho, let's not make this last all day. There are many different ways to go into a kiss. But for you I think it'll suit more if you start off complimenting her, since you're a pansy like that."

Ventus scowls, about to retort when Vanitas places the end of his index finger gently under his chin, tilting it upwards. "You're beautiful... Make sure to look her straight in the eyes when you say this too. It captures the person's attention and makes the compliment more intimate."

No kidding.

Ventus stares back into the golden fields, never noticing the bronze hue edging around the orbs until now. The raven's eyes truly resembled that of a Lion's, daring and stealthy, the eyes of a predator. And right now Ventus can't help but feel like the prey as he feels almost naked underneath the piercing irises. He gawks, his mouth partly hanging open like a dim-wit before his brain screams for "Naminé" to respond. Ven nods once in acceptance to Vanitas's advice before speaking, "U-Um, thank you, Va- Ventus. I think you're really…handsome," he chokes, hoping the raven didn't catch his slip up on the name.

Vanitas hardly paid any mind to the mistake when the blond had given himself such a compliment. The raven snorts a ridiculing chuckle. "You really think she's gonna say that?"

Ventus blinks before what Vanitas meant dawns on him and he frowns. The blond shrugs lightly, mumbling, "She might…" It never hurt to hope.

Vanitas sneers once more, then continues, "You know…I'm really glad I'm here with you tonight."

"M-Me too." Ventus can feel his face growing hot and notices Vanitas still has his chin tilted up, making it nearly impossible for the blond to escape from the amber trap. Is this really how Naminé is going to feel? Ventus isn't sure if it'll be too overbearing for the girl or just right.

"You're too kind," Vanitas thanks. "You know, other people may find you to be a mary-sue, but I find it rather…cute."

Ventus gulps. "T-Thank you," he replies before realizing he should have defended that his girlfriend isn't a mary-sue, for the last time, but his mind is solely wrapped around the conversation and he can't help but feel like the compliments are to him. It's a stupid assumption really and he figures he's only thinking that due to Vanitas talking directly towards him, anyone would feel the same. Ven reminds himself that he is only feeling this way because this is how it's aimed for Naminé to feel, so he can kiss her.

Vanitas stares at him all the while Ven contemplates, silent for a protracted moment. "You do know how I feel about you, right?" he begins. "I mean, like, really know. I love you."

Ventus's eyes widen and he doesn't know what to say. "I-I…um…" Why didn't he know what to say? Because he isn't sure how Naminé would respond? Of course. He always wished for Naminé to say she loves him, he even dreamed about it, so he would pretend. "I love you too…Ventus," he hastily adds on, his heart hammering in his chest way too quickly than he thinks is appropriate.

Vanitas's expression darkens and Ventus fretfully ponders if that was the wrong response. Ugh, of course it was! Naminé is never going to admit that to him on their first date! He feels like such a hopeless idiot.

The blond thinks about asking Vanitas if he can try that again, but he can't even look him in the eyes as the amber shards mentally sever his heart and he can't bring himself to understand why, as if he's done something horribly wrong. Gosh, Vanitas doesn't care that much if his conversation with his girlfriend goes flawlessly, does he? So why does he look pissed? Ven attempts to ignore the rising feeling that the reason goes a little deeper than just preparing perfectly for Naminé and he continuously tells his subconscious to be quiet, shutting out any absurd answer that was threatening to be heard.

He laces his fingers together, anxiously twiddling his thumbs one over the other as the awkward silence makes him grow antsy.

Ventus is about ready to call this game quits since the situation he set up for himself is becoming a little more overwhelming than he expected. He opens his mouth to voice this concern, unable to even begin his sentence when Vanitas leans forward, pressing his lips against his own without another word. Ventus's eyes broaden at the sudden even pressure, still, as the hand under his chin slides up to caress his cheek with a cool touch that is quickly heated by the warmth emitting off the blond's face that he guesses probably ranges around 1,000 degrees.

He doesn't know what to register as his ability to think is shattered by the immense solitary fact that Vanitas's…lips…are on…his. And he is making no motion to move.

He sits frozen, on the outside; no longer twiddling his thumbs, but his heartbeat still goes a million miles a minute. Even more so when Vanitas scoots himself closer and Ven can feel his lips more firmly against his, warm and surprisingly soft.

Ventus isn't sure how long it is, but it seems like forever that they stay like that before the most illogical part of Ven's brain edges him on to kiss back, his body and mind battling whether to advance or not. Just when the blond's own body betrays him, becoming alive and building up the guts to kiss back, Vanitas tilts his head to the side as he forces his tongue pass the blond's teeth. Ventus freezes once again, ironically, because the heat he's feeling has to rival that of the sun's.

When had Vanitas gotten a tongue piercing?

Ventus realizes this as the teen's tongue teasingly rubs against his own, wet and hot and unlike anything Ventus has ever felt before.

The blond feels the little round object rolling in his mouth and tastes the metallic tang of it, confirming a piercing, but maybe the taste is also contributed by the blood the raven draws when he bites Ven's bottom lip, earning a low yelp from the blond while he smirks, then sucking on the cut between his teeth as Ven remembers his words of "I won't bite." Well, that was a lie.

Vanitas's hand leaves Ven's cheek to slip back and upwards into the blond's soft hair. Ventus can feel Vanitas's fingertips scratch against his scalp as he fists his hair in his hand and, jiminy crickets, did it feel nice. A pleasant shutter soars down Ven's spine and he absentmindedly leans to be closer to Vanitas, the raven, using his free arm to snake around the blond's waist and pull their bodies alarmingly close. Ventus feels as if he's going to explode feeling Vanitas's heart beat steadily against his chest, to his utter surprise. He didn't think it was long until he gets a heart attack the speed his is going.

The dynamic of the kiss has completely changed from one that was soft and chaste to one more fierce and indulgent. Vanitas plunges his tongue deeper into Ventus's mouth and the blond tries to lean his head back to give the teen more leverage, but the raven keeps their bodies crushed together.

Ventus can hear Vanitas breathing along with the wet smacking sound of their tongues tousling and every velvety moan that rolls out of his throat makes Ventus feel lightheaded.

It isn't until Ven starts to feel a dull ache from the lack of oxygen he's attributing that he struggles in twisting his head away, breaking the lip lock as he breathes heavily, his chest dramatically rising up and down. If he hadn't needed air, how long would he have stayed attached to the raven's lips? How long would the raven have let him…? "That was…" the blond pants, "practice…right?"

Vanitas's eyes look glassy before he blinks as if he's snapping back from some dream. He leans back, retreating slightly as his hands leave the blond boy. "…'Course."

Ventus can hear his blood pulse loudly in his ears as if his heart resided in his head. He almost didn't register his phone was ringing until the third chime and he quickly blinks, fumbling with his pants pocket to fish out his cell. "H-hello?" he answers upon shoving it to his ear.

"Hey, Ven. Um, are we still on for dinner tonight?"

Cerulean hues widen upon the blonde girl's sweet voice and his conscious yells at him to reply before the pause is too prolonged. "Y-Yeah! …Can you not make it?" a hint of concern laid in his voice as his eyes frown.

"N-No, I can make it! I'm just checking to see if you hadn't made a change of plans or were too busy at the moment."

Ventus hadn't realized his mouth was hanging open until he notices Vanitas making an upward gesture with his palm and he quickly clamps it shut, giving a cough. "'C-Course not."

"Okay, that's great! I-I'll see you tonight, Ven."

"Right, 'night! I-I mean, I'll see you tonight, not like goodnight or-" the blond sighs, "See you soon, Naminé."

The girl giggles, "See you soon, Ven."

The blond snaps his phone shut, then slides it back into his pocket. Guilt ties knots in his chest and he can't understand what for. He kissed Vanitas for her, not because he necessarily wanted to. So what was making his heart ache like he had done something horribly wrong yet again? The room is awkwardly silent for a dreadfully long moment until Vanitas informs with a monotonous tone, "You don't hang up on a girl first."

Ventus turns to the raven. "…You would."

"Because I'm me." His eyes were cold, and as per usual, unreadable. "So…with what car are you picking her up in?"

"You know I don't have one," Ventus answers bitterly. "We're gonna meet each other at the restaurant. It's not far at all. In fact," the blond stands up, "I need to get there before her so she won't have to be the one to wait…"

Vanitas nods his head once. "…Well, I'll let you get ready for your date." He pushes himself off the bed with both arms. "You've took note of everything I've taught you, right?" he turns to look at the boy, now as they both stood, at eye level.

"R-right…" Ventus blushes, averting his hues as he glances down and twiddles his thumbs.

"…But Ventus."

The blond looks up reluctantly in a nervous fashion. "Y-Yeah?"

The black haired teen leans in, planting a final kiss on his lips with soft smk sound before he steps back to the door, holding it open, "Let me know when you need practice having sex with her." And Vanitas winks, shutting the door before the thrown magazine can collide with his head.

A/N: Blah, I still feel like there's something I could have done. Good? Bad?

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