“Okay, what flavor are you tasting now?”

Ventus’ soft voice brought Vanitas’ heart to a loud pitter patter. Sometimes it was hard for him to focus on what he was saying versus how he was saying it.

“Hm?” Vanitas cracked open one of his eyes, before a pale hand came down and closed it.

“No peeking!” Ventus protested. “Seriously, what flavor?”

Vanitas sighed. “Lemon.”

“…Lemon annnnd?”

He sighed. “This is stupid. I don’t care what flavor of cake we get.”

“Yeah, right. When we walked in earlier today, you couldn’t stop smiling ‘cause the bistro smells like sweets.”

Vanitas countered. “It’d be weird if the damn place didn’t smell like food.”

“Ok, point taken. Anyways!” Ventus grabbed Vanitas’ hands. “Cmon, Lemon ain’t the only flavor in there!”

Vanitas sighed. He opened his mouth for another bite and Ventus placed the light and fluffy sponge cake in his mouth. Though he tried to hide it, the subtle sweetness of the cake brought warmth to his cheeks and upturned his mouth to an actual smile, no smirk to be found.

The sweet tanginess of both the lemon combined with something slightly sweeter hit his tongue.

“Um…” he licked his lips. “Strawberry?”

“Yes!” Ventus hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You got it!”

“Well congratulations for me.” he smirked. “Lemon with a hint of strawberry with nice ol’ sugarmint icing or whatever for the frosting.”

Ventus giggled. “So, you like it?”

“I mean, you managed to pick a lemon cake that wasn’t so over fucking powering. He took another bite and felt a warm tingle erupt over his cheeks. “Oh man, this is actually really good.”

“Yes, cake fit for Vanitas!”

“You should like it too, nerd.” Vanitas wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

“To be honest, Vanini, I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the red velvet from our last tasting.”

“Red velvet who? No way. I think this works way better. Strawberry lemon is my jam now. I’m feeling it.”

Ventus smirked. “You’re not that much of a picky eater after all.”

“I- Hey!” Vanitas playfully punched him. “Don’t make me change my mind about the cake.”

Half an hour later, Ventus and Vanitas strolled out of Twilight Town’s bistro, happy with the cake that would be served at the wedding. The town was growing sleepy already. It was chillier than usual, the bite of the cool air made Ventus gather his coat together and huddle close to his fiancé. Vanitas took his hand, holding it close as they strolled down the street.

“One more thing down on the plans,” Ventus said. “What else do we have to do?”

“Well, we got flowers, venue, cake, all that down. We still need seating arrangements, suits or dresses or whatever, shoes, hair and makeup, and trying to find somewhere to honeymoon.”

“Oh.” Ventus blinked rapidly. He didn’t expect Vanitas to remember from earlier.

“What, you thought I wasn’t paying attention?” he tsked. “Of course I was.”

“Ah- Uh- I never-”

Vanitas cut him off with an angry puff of air directed at his own bangs. “I’m not that hopeless,” he said.

“I never said you were,” Ventus said gently. “I know it’s a lot but we aren’t doing this alone. We got lots of people helping us.”

“It’s still so much for one fucking night,” Vanitas grumbled. “And to think this is still for a wedding on the small side! Can you believe it? All I want to do is get to the part where I get to call you my husband.”

Ventus took his hand and kissed it. “Oh don’t worry, Vani Wani, it won’t be long now. It’s a lot to plan, but it’s still an important night for the two of us.”

“Every time we’re together, it’s important.” Vanitas pointed out. “Especially these past few years, it’s been nothing but milestones.”

“Our first apartment, our first winter holiday together, our first uh…” Ventus tapped his chin. “Hey Vani, how many firsts have we had?”

“As many as I can think of,” Vanitas said. “You almost listed them all. Kiss, dance, apartment, fight, car, cat,” he chuckled. “Chirithy likes you better than me.”

Ventus pouted. “That’s not true! Chirithy loves you! She loves cuddling up against you and mooshing your hair.”

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “What the hell is ‘moosh’?”

“It’s y’know! When a cat presses its paws into you, like kneading.” He faced him, brought the two of them close together until Ventus could count the lines on Vanitas’ lips. He pressed his fingers into his cheeks repeatedly, making a few circles and going, “Moosh moosh moosh moosh!”

“Ok ok, I got the memo, cheek driller.” He swatted his hands away. “You’re such a dork.”

Ventus grinned. “You smiled though!”

“Did not,” he playfully argued.

“Did tooooo,” Ventus said back.

The laughter died down and the two walked together silently. Then Ventus spoke again, holding his fiance’s hand tightly. “Hey Vanini?”

“Yes, Ven?”

Silence again.

Vanitas poked his shoulder. “Hello-”

“I’m glad it‘s you.”

Vanitas was going to joke about where the sudden sentiment was coming from, when he looked into his eyes. Ventus’ eyes were unusually soft. His cheeks flushed, his shoulders moving inwards, his lip chewed.

Vanitas melted at that cute face of his. “Me too,” he said. “I feel like you’ve helped me be a better version of myself. A version that compliments you.”

Ventus grinned. “Remember our first date? How you punched the guy that kept harassing me one table over?”

Vanitas snorted. “No, punching someone for being an ass is like Tuesday for me. Remember when…” it was his turn to shyly smile. “Remember when you first kissed me? It was too good to be true. Your lips were strawberry cause of the chapstick you’d put on. I’d finally beat you in that dumb racing game and I was like ‘Oh ok, that wasn’t so lame I guess, now what?’ And then right after that…”

He trailed off. His lips curled into a shy smile.

“You only said the game sucked when you lost.” Ventus teased.

“Well you only won because I lost, numbnuts.” Vanitas grumbled.

This made Ventus almost bend over with a tidal wave of laughter. Though it brought Vanitas joy that he was the one to make Ventus laugh, he was still a little sore about the game. It wasn’t his fault the controller wasn’t working that day.

Ventus wheezed. “Th-That’s how it works, ya silly goose.” He put a hand over his mouth to try and swallow his giggles.

“I’m trying to be sentimental, that’s not the point,” Vanitas complained. “Anyways, after that game, I don’t know what you saw that day but…it was enough that my face was so close, you held my hips and you stole my breath. I didn’t want to breathe, I wanted that moment forever. Even though we’ve done so many things past that, I still think back to that day. I think of all the people who don’t give any shits about me, and then I think about you.” He stared at him with the warmest of smiles. “You’re my world, Ventus. I’m home when I’m with you.”

Ventus was stunned. “I-I…Vanitas…” he breathed. He held him close, his arms encircled around his hips. “You didn’t wanna save that for the wedding, didja?”

“Nope. My heart wouldn’t let me.” He leaned in to peck his lips. “I love you, Ventus.”

“I love you too, Vanitas.”

But soon it was the day of the wedding and everything was ready and. Vanitas sat in his hotel room, trying to pay attention and not move around so Kairi could apply his eyeliner and mascara, but it was difficult. Tradition dictated the wed couple not see each other until at the altar. Every second spent without Ventus felt like his heart would break all over again. He had tried keeping in his emotions as much as he could, but…

“Vanitas? Don’t bother saying you’re fine, there’s hareraisers everywhere.” She pointed at his band of Unversed scurrying around the room.

“I just miss him.” he mumbled in embarrassment. Kairi was one of the very few who got to know what Vanitas was thinking.

Kairi held his hand. “You’ll see him in a few hours. It’s going to be ok. I bet he misses you too, yknow.”

Vanitas nodded. “Just a few more hours, and we won’t be apart any longer.”

Those hours flew by. The ceremony was outside, in a small garden surrounded by bright flowers handpicked by their planner months before. Vanitas let the scents of hyacinth and lavender calm him. He faced the other side of the altar, where his love was waiting for him.
All it took was one step, and another…

Vanitas barely paid attention to what their officiant was saying. He had one person in his sights. That person who chose him, who wrote vows to him, promising to love him until the last heart joined Kingdom Hearts. Then came the custom vows they wrote to each other. Ventus spoke first.

“There’s nothing more otherworldly,” Ventus said. His grip on Vanitas’ hands tightened. “Nothing more complex, 3 dimensional, than…” his shy smile increased. “Than my love for you. It could become its own person and uh…it kinda actually did.” There was a light chuckle in the audience. “But I’m glad that it’s you, that you’re the one I’ll spend my life with, that you’re the one my heart chose. Maybe it wasn’t how our story started, what with you trying to kill me, but…I think I’m really going to enjoy how it ends. I love you, Vanitas. I’ll always love you. You’re the dearly beloved piece in my heart.”

Vanitas was stunned. Even if he heard Ventus say “I love you” every day.

“Ven…I…” His breath was trapped in his lungs. He inhaled and exhaled once more, trying to find his words again.

“Ventus, y-you… you’re my light. My home. Wherever I go, I hope it’s with you. Whenever I feel like I’m home, it’s with you. My first breath of life was with you, and my last breath, I hope it ‘s with you. So, wherever you go, I’ll go with you. I’ll protect you like you protect me. And…well. Honestly this was hard to write. I can’t describe what it means to love you, not in words. But…maybe one day I can really show you how you are in my heart. But for now, I hope these vows suffice. I love you.”

Once again it was all a blur. Whatever sounds and lights Vanitas was supposed to pay attention to, he couldn’t. He always got like this, so nervous from spilling out parts of his heart in front of all these people, it made him lose focus.

But Ventus was there. He let out a shaky breath and relaxed. Just a little more, he thought. Just a mumble of “I do”, and they could kiss as husbands.

And when it was time, when the words “You may now kiss” hung in the air, their lips touched.

“Ugh, finally I get to taste that cake,” Vanitas grumbled. “I’m starving.”

Ventus laughed and kissed his cheek. “Come on then, first cake slice as husbands.”

They held the knife, Vanitas’s hand softly wrapped around Ven’s. The two of them could almost taste the cake as they cut it open. With two slices in two plates, arms crossed to give the other a nibble, once again they both melted at the ever so sweet, fruity cake that was impossibly soft.

“Hey, Vani-”

Vanitas poked his nose. “You have cake in your mouth, dork.”

“I can’t help it! It’s so good and I gotta tell you it’s so good and sweet.”

“You know what else is really sweet?” Vanitas set down his plate and held his husband. His husband!

Ventus shyly smiled, his cheeks a sakura pink. The two closed the gap and kissed again.

“Your lips,” he mumbled as they pulled away. “Your lips are as sweet as this cake. And I’ll never get tired of kissing them. I love you, Ventus.”

“I love you too, Vanitas.”