Cheating Destiny

Back to Basics

"Trust me," Ven says, pulling the blanket down as he glares at Aqua and Angeal. "I am."

"You two are so fussy in the morning, I don't get it," Aqua complains with a sigh.

You just give her a look before turning on your heel and marching out of the room towards the bathroom to get ready. Angeal shakes his head, following after you towards the kitchen.

"The day she wakes up early is the day I retire," he tells himself with a small chuckle once he shuts the door behind him.

"You should go back to bed," Ven suggests to Aqua once Angeal leaves, stifling a yawn as he shuts his eyes and burrows deeper into his bed.

"Can't. Training," Aqua responds simply.

"Lame."

"Why aren't you?" she presses with a raise of her eyebrows.

"... I will. Later."

"You're avoiding it."

"Don't be silly."

"Ven..."

The blond sighs, pulling back his blankets as he stares over at Aqua, who's perched at the edge of her bed.

"I'm not avoiding it. I just... the idea of training to possibly take down Terra is a little much to handle right now," he admits, for the first time, out loud.

"If you're thinking about sacrificing yourself, you know it won't work," Aqua points out, her tone as gentle as she can manage.

"I'm not," Ven quickly argues with a shake of his head. "I'll train today. I know I need to. I'm gonna fight for you this time, Aqua. Not the other way around."

The bluenette grins as she stands up, marching towards Ven before she perches down next to him.

"And me for you," she agrees, leaning down to press her lips gently against the top of his head.

Ven smiles up at her before sinking into his pillow.

"I just need some more sleep, it's too early," he complains through a yawn.

"Well, it probably doesn't help that you were sharing your bed," she states with a knowing look.

"Don't give me that look," he hastily reprimands. "It's partially your fault, hogging the bed so much."

She smacks him hard on the stomach, causing him to release a loud oof of pain before he starts to laugh.

"How's she doing anyway?" Aqua asks.

"Not so hot. She's in a bad place," Ven tells her honestly.

"I'm glad you're there for her then."

"Yeah, you know me. Always there to help," Ven grumbles with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, Ven," Aqua sighs, not in the mood for his irritability. "Get some sleep. We'll be by the castle if you want to spar later."

"Night night," Ven mumbles through a yawn as he tucks himself in once more.

Aqua watches him for a moment before a frown grows on her face as she walks towards the door, gently opening it and stepping out into the hall. It's even harder to fight this time around. The stakes seem so much higher, and hope so much more difficult to find. The thought of losing once again drives her to train more than ever; but it also haunts her dreams, as she knows just what horrors wait should you all fail to stop Xehanort.

There's so much to fight against, sometimes it's hard to remember what they're fighting for.

As she heads into the kitchen, she does a double-take when she realizes you're already sitting there guzzling [coffee/tea/whatever you drink in the morning] while Angeal sits across from you with an amused look.

"She insisted on eating first," he explains to a confused Aqua.

"Might as well, since I'm already running late," you agree as you grab a pop tart. "Joining us today?" you add as Aqua stands behind you.