​        “How do you know when you love somebody?”

​ ​        The clicking sound initially echoing in the gray space came to a sudden stop at the new noise. Golden eyes shifted from the now quiet fidget toy to the electric green orbs staring back with an unwavering and curious expression. The yellow eyes blinked once in confusion before their owner asked in an incredulous tone, “What?”

​        “How do you know when you love somebody?” Ventus easily repeated the same question in the same tempo, in the same tone. By this time Vanitas had grown used to his companion’s odd mannerisms, so he wasn’t surprised at the brief déjà vu that passed over him from the repetition. However, he did feel some exasperation (and hope…?) at the question. He pushed the positive feeling away and allowed the negative emotion to give life to a new Unversed, watching his latest creation carefully. Fortunately it wasn’t too big, a Yellow Mustard as one of his sisters had fondly named for its color and shape, and Vanitas sent the jar-like creature off to power the store lights. He’d reclaim that small amount of emotion later after he dealt with the elephant in the room.

​        The necromancer gave a forlorn sigh while clicking the fidget toy’s switch again in a poor effort to calm his nerves. “Why do you want to know? You guys can’t feel emotion. There’s no use for you to know.”

​        “Yes, that is true,” Ventus agreed. “However, I came upon some ancient texts describing the various forms of love between Seekers that have made me curious, more curious than with other emotions.” Of course Vanitas should have expected that answer. Ever since they made contact through the mirror and discovered that they came from vastly different universes, the Ambassador, as the pretentious idiot called himself despite looking like a regular human being, wouldn’t stop asking questions about the necromancer’s world while researching it through his own world’s archives. Initially, Vanitas kept ignoring him in favor of whatever he was doing at that time. Then it became too irritating when Ventus kept repeating his questions, until the necromancer had no choice but to answer them lest he accidentally created a powerful creature from the vexation he felt.

​        Nowadays though…admittedly, his answers dripped more with mock irritation rather than actual annoyance at Ventus’s constant curiosity. Despite how he tried to stop it, Vanitas found himself enjoying how his companion wanted to learn about his world and explaining to the outsider how things worked. At times he would sense an upcoming question at the tip of Ven’s tongue and answer it before it could be asked, sparking up a conversation that led to many other topics. This in turn made them spend more and more time together. It fueled a hope that should have died a long time ago, and it scared him.

​        “It is fascinating, what has been transcribed concerning love,” Ventus continued, pulling Vanitas out of his thoughts. “Many sources have described a variety of types, some forms being consistent throughout the differing cultures. A few examples I have witnessed are the familial love you have shown towards your twin sisters as well as the platonic love between your various customers.”

​        Vanitas ran a hand through his hair, resisting the temptation to pull on the black spikes. Instead, he turned his fidget toy over to mess with the joystick. He knew exactly where this was heading, hoped against his common sense that it was going in a certain direction. The necromancer tried to drench the fire again, only to have it flare back stronger than ever. He could feel his coping mechanism straining now against his sudden tight grip as he repressed his false happiness to stop another Unversed creation. It took him a moment, but Vanitas managed to calm his pulsing heart to say, “It sounds like you have a lot of information about it already. What more do you need to know?”

​        “I am wondering about amorous love, the one where two separate Seekers form a relationship and sometimes a new family together. Although many vow to stay together, separation is still common between said Seekers. From that result, it seems as though it would have been better for them to not get together in the first place. So how does one know when one is romantically in love and able to form a relationship with another without separation?”

​        “You don’t,” Vanitas spat, a bit surprised at his own bitterness poisoning his answer. It was a bad taste on his tongue, a distaste that only grew when he realized how he was trying to convince himself otherwise. He knew when he loved somebody. But that didn’t matter to him. The only thing that mattered to him was that the person at the end of his red string knew and reciprocated. Unfortunately, they didn’t. And that thought made him glare intensely at Ven. Or, more specifically, the red string tied around his right little finger that connected to the necromancer’s left little finger.

​        Yes, leave it to him, the cursed child, the dreadful necromancer, the world’s blight, to be fated to love a being incapable of feeling love and not even of this universe. As if his life wasn’t shitty enough already…

​        “I…don’t?” When Vanitas refused to elaborate, Ven tilted his head to the side, trying to process the new information given. The necromancer could see the numbers being evaluated behind those green hues. “…But that does not make sense. You know when you are happy or sad or angry. How can you not know when you love somebody?”

​        “Because love is one of the most complicated emotions out there,” Vanitas explained impatiently. Why was the Ambassador even pursuing this so much? He should just be satisfied with the answer and inquire about some other stupid thing. “People think they love somebody. Or they think that that person loves them. Then it turns out they were wrong and they suffer for it.”

​        “I…see…” Ventus muttered. The Ambassador remained quiet for a moment. Long as the silence was, Vanitas thought he was finally free from answering any more questions for the time being. He exhaled a sigh of relief that only cracked his heart a bit. As he turned to stop a devious Flood from sneaking a drink from a potion, Ventus spoke up again, “…is that why you are so afraid of it?”

​        “What?” Vanitas snapped, head whipping back with indignation.

​        “Is that why-?”

​        “I didn’t need you to repeat your question.”

​        “Then why did you ask ‘what’ in such an irritated tone?” Despite the outsider’s lack of emotions, Vanitas could have sworn that he heard a bit of teasing smugness in Ven’s voice. That only annoyed him further, forcing him to inhale a bit to calm down.

​        “​​Maybe because I need time to process the pointless questions of an Ambassador. I’m not a supercomputer or android or whatever it is you are.” Vanitas rubbed his eyes. “And I’m not afraid of it. Where did you even get that notion?”

​        “Your heart rate says otherwise.” Vanitas looked sharply up at that. Ventus continued, “Ever since I asked my question, I have detected the following emotions from you: slight surprise, mild exasperation, and cautious ho-.”

​        “Have you been scanning me throughout our entire conversation?” the necromancer interrupted before the Ambassador could say that cursed word. He waited but Ven remained silent. That just reaffirmed his suspicions. “I thought I told you to stop scanning me.”

​        “I apologize,” Ventus said in an even tone that held no guilt whatsoever. “I cannot help myself.” Vanitas rolled his eyes at the stupid statement.

​        “It’s simple, really. You stop looking at me from head to toe and going ‘ding’.”

​        “I do not go ‘ding’.”

​        “Really now? I didn’t leave anything in the toaster oven, so where else could it come from.” For the first time since their conversation started, Vanitas smirked as he felt the satisfaction of hearing a hint of irritation from Ven. It always felt good when he managed to elicit an “emotion” from the Ambassador, even if it shouldn’t exist in the first place. He raised an eyebrow at his companion when he saw how still he went with eyes widening minisculely. However, Vanitas didn’t have time to question it as the door chime sounded for a customer. Storing his fidget toy away, the necromancer immediately went to help while the Ambassador remained frozen, eyes sliding from him to take interest at the floor. It didn’t take long, and right after the door slipped shut to leave the two of them alone again with Vanitas walking back, Ven said:

​        “I…am truly sorry, Vanitas, but I still have more questions about love-.” At that word, Vanitas threw his hands up. He was seriously getting tired of this conversation.

​        “Dear gods, Ven! Why the fuck are you so insistent on knowing this? Don’t you have something else to be curious about my world?”

​        “W-Well…”

​        Vanitas couldn’t stop both eyebrows from lifting up in surprise. Ven never stuttered. From all their conversations, the Ambassador had always conveyed his thoughts clearly and concisely without a mistake or correction. This was interesting…to a point. The necromancer crossed his arms with a frown, waiting for his companion to stop scanning the floor and find a reason to continue this line of inquiry. His patience almost wore thin until Ven finally found the words to look up and say:

​        “It is because I believe…I believe that I like somebody.”

​        Jealousy sprouted from Vanitas’s heart, so suddenly, so immensely, that a huge armored Unversed arose from the ground before he could calm himself down. Even then, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Like finding out who Ven liked, if that was even possible in the first place. Although the Ambassador rarely reacted to his creations after seeing the magic so many times, Ven now took a step backwards, his eyes widening. Vanitas took that opportunity to step forward to glare at him.

​        “Oh, you like somebody, do you?” The necromancer’s calm tone belied the fury shadowing him. “Pray tell, Ventus, who would that person be?”

​        Ven opened and closed his mouth several times. If his heart hadn’t just been broken into multiple pieces, Vanitas might have laughed at the rare sight of broken composure. He saw the Ambassador swallow before sliding his gaze away. “I…I cannot say.”

​        For some reason that stung even more than if he had told him. Vanitas bit his tongue in a harsh effort to stop the tears prickling his eyes. When it felt like a losing battle, he turned away. He wasn’t going to deal with this. “Fine then. Get out.”

​        “W-Wait!”

​​        “I fucking said GET OUT!” the necromancer roared.

​​        In response to his anguish, the Trinity Armor charged past its master to punish the offender. Fortunately Ven managed to leap out of the way in time. His curved blade extended from his wrist, yet the Ambassador made no move to destroy the Unversed. The danger of protecting himself from being smashed didn’t even seem to be his priority as Ven kept his attention on Vanitas, his mouth moving quickly to call to the necromancer.

​ ​        “Vanitas! Wait!”

​ ​        No, he was done with this farce. With narrowed eyes, Vanitas only snarled a refusal as his armored envy swung another fist at Ven. The cramped space forced the Ambassador to block this attack instead. Yet he wasn’t strong enough to hold his ground, and the Unversed slowly pushed him towards the exit. Vanitas could see him struggling against his creation. And Ventus wouldn’t stop looking at him despite his efforts to push him away.

​        “Vanitas!”

​        No! Had he not known better, the necromancer would have said that his heart tore into more pieces at the desperate tone in Ven’s voice. But it wasn’t real! He didn’t have any emotions! How could that emotionless freak know that he actually loved somebody?! Love somebody else?!

​        “Listen to me!”

​ ​        NO! HE DIDN’T NEED ANY MORE HEARTACHE! HE DIDN’T NEED TO MAKE HIMSELF SUFFER EVEN MORE!

​ ​        Vanitas clutched his head and turned away to leave in despair. His haywire emotions flared nearly to their peak, and the Trinity Armor almost succeeded in overpowering Ven when the Ambassador finally shouted:

​ ​        “It is YOU! I BELIEVE I LOVE YOU!”

​ ​        Vanitas’s heart almost stopped. He had to blink multiple times to ground himself, slowly looking towards the exit where Ven was shoved right against the door with no room to breathe. He didn’t even realize that his mouth had drifted open in confusion as he tried to make sense of what had just been declared. “W-What…?” the necromancer managed to whisper. He saw Ven swallow.

​        “I think…no…” The Ambassador shook his head as if to reaffirm his statement. “I know that I love you.”

​        “No…” Vanitas shook his head, voice hollowed. “You’re lying…You’re lying! You’re a fucking Ambassador! You said it yourself! You’re not capable of feeling emotions! How can you love somebody when you’re like that?!” As his Unversed twisted and writhed from the stream of rejection, he kept taking steps backwards, still shaking his head in disbelief, until his back hit the counter and trapped him there with his bewilderment. Despite his denials, he couldn’t stop the small voice from asserting that what his fated one said was true.

​        That Ven actually loved Vanitas…The unfeeling Ambassador actually loved the accursed necromancer…But this wasn’t a fairy tale. This was reality. How could this even be possible…? There was no way that Ven could grow emotions after just constantly asking questions and spending time with him. How would they even come to be in the first place-?

​        A warm touch in his hand startled him, and Vanitas looked up to see the green eyes that had captured him since the first time he saw them, his breath hitching.

​​        The necromancer saw none of the usual lies or contempt that others have shown him, only an affectionate sincerity he never thought possible.

​​        The Ambassador didn’t say anything, only watched him with quiet reassurance until it calmed him and the blood pounding in his ears became quiet, the shadow of his Unversed shrinking and seeping back into his body. When the torrential magic in Vanitas’s eyes stopped swirling and he had a hold of his emotions again, Ven smiled. “Maybe it is because I changed…I changed from spending time with you. I only know a little, but from what I read, it seems only logical to me that I also will learn to fall in love with you.”

​        “I…” Vanitas wasn’t sure what to say. His mind still buzzed, whether from the constant denials or dizzy happiness, he couldn’t tell.

​ ​        “How is this even possible…?”

​​        “Magic, perhaps? Or my algorithm learned it on its own. I do not know the real reason, but it happened and I can assure you of that.” The Ambassador tilted his head to the side. Vanitas could feel the shyness and hesitation from him. But as if to give himself courage, Ven intertwined their fingers together with a small squeeze. The necromancer inhaled sharply at how natural it felt. He couldn’t stop staring at their hands, the red string tying them together without any tangles.

​​​        “Do you…” Vanitas’s eyes snapped back to look at Ven. “…love me back…?”

​        …of course he did.

​​​        However, something stopped him from confessing. Previously he might have readily teased his fated one about love since in a morbid and depressing sense, none of them could resist what Fate planned. Now though…the vulnerability felt strange.

​        ​ He wasn’t used to it, not when the necromancer had hidden his true feelings all these years. Vanitas slid his eyes away from Ven’s stare, mouth still tight-lipped and stopping the desired words in his throat from exposing him. What was he supposed to say when his opposing emotions fought for control? Yet strangely they didn’t get too out of hand to the point of creating new Unversed…

​​        “…Your heart rate is increasing significantly as well as the temperature of your hand-.”

​ Internal conflict forgotten, Vanitas’s head abruptly snapped up in indignation, his face feeling hotter by the minute from the embarrassment and acknowledgment of it. “Did you just scan me again?!” At his response, Ven laughed. Despite his irritation the necromancer’s heart skipped a beat at the sound, and he found it difficult to breathe all of a sudden. Dear gods, Ven really was blinding when he smiled and his happiness just made him glow even more…

​​        “You wouldn’t answer! So of course I had to scan you to know! It’s easier on you than for you to confess outright, is it not?”

​ ​        “…You pretentious idiot,” Vanitas huffed in resignation but didn’t refute his fated one’s statement. He should have expected the Ambassador to scan him again upon not getting an answer. Even then, it would have been easy for Ven to know how happy he was from the multitude of Unversed now popping up around their feet, all with the rare happy expressions rather than the more common sorrowful or angry ones. His heart skipped another beat when Ven pressed his forehead against Vanitas’s.

​        ​​ “Hehe…I love you, Vanitas. I truly do.”

​​ ​        The necromancer let out a snort yet didn’t move away from the contact. Despite the negative voice screaming at him to not fall for it, the long hope and Ven’s warm gesture reassured him again that this was true. The fear of it all being a lie still stirred underneath, but for now he was grateful that things were finally going right for once. He could allow himself this, just for once…Vanitas closed his eyes in acceptance and his mouth moved to say a silent,

​​​        “I love you too…”