Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aerith is warm

Not that Ienzo never had a problem with the cold, it’s part of his family, he grew up with it. The cold is home to Ienzo, and in memories both in recent and memories distant and dark, burning heat makes him grieve.

But Aerith isn’t devastating flames, the kind that seem to make Ienzo choke and tear up for a reason he can’t quite place. Aerith the warm sensation of sitting on the opposite side of a room where a fireplace is lit, or a blanket right as it comes from a dryer. Its a comforting warmth, it’s sweet and sincere.

Much like her, Ienzo notes. Aerith is gentle when she holds his hand or cups her palm on his face. Her smile is sincere, and her laugh is sweeter than he can put into words. When he looks at her he can be what is only described at “heart struck”

Aerith is warm, and Ienzo is quite fine with it.

Chapter Text

Even’s hands are cold, but it’s a comforting kind of cold. Like the kind of cold when you press your face against a floor tile on a hot day. They’re also incredibly soft, always covered by latex gloves and most of the time unknown to the rough handle of a weapon will do that to them.

Braig’s hands are rough and calloused. Almost as if they’ve been withered away by centuries of use. But touching them when he’s in a good mood makes your whole body float for a heartbeat, as if you’re traveling to the heavens.

When Braig’s face gets cupped in Even’s cheek, he gets chills.

When Even holds Braig’s hand, he walks among the stars.

They both like it that way.

Chapter Text

It’s the little things that count for them.

Maybe it’s trying to get Dilan to crack a genuine smile while on the job. And then moving on to trying to make him blush if he did.

Maybe it was the banter they shared as they spared together, that every so often went a little just beyond that.

Maybe it was looking at the childhood photos, pointing and laughing. Recalling old memories and stories. They both had already heard the same ones a million times over, but neither of them cared.

For Dilan and Aeleus, the little things meant more than anything.

Chapter Text

Isa doesn’t cry.

He’s never been a cryer, even since he was a kid. He never cried. Lea cried over everything, no matter how small.

Saïx couldn’t even dream of crying, or at least that’s what he told others. And despite the permanent tears marked on his face, Axel didn’t cry much either.

But on nights filled with nostalgia, thinking on what they used to have, and how it got taken from them, Axel cried. But he’d never tell anyone. Saïx would begin to tear up, but telling himself he’s not supposed to have emotions over and over until he stopped helped, he supposed.

Then came the day they saw eachother again, both of them completed and whole, and free from any kind of Xehanort. Lea held the former diviner his his arms, fingers intertwined into his hair.

And Isa cried.

Chapter Text

Namine doesn’t live in radiant garden, but that doesn’t stop Xion.

Every Sunday when she and Lea takes the train to Twilight Town to visit Roxas, she always takes time to go the mansion and visit her. Namine always knows Xion’s coming, so she stands in the window like she always does, people always used to call her the ghost in the window, a wonder of the odd Twilight Town. And Xion saw her as a wonder, but not the odd kind.

Xion shows namine what cool keyblade tricks her dad Braig taught her that week, and Namine shows her the drawings she made (which Xion is often the focus off). And when they have the time too they go down to the beach and collect seashells together. But that doesn’t happen much really. Xion always takes whatever shells they find and takes them home and turns them into necklaces for the both of them. And Naminé makes them matching bracelets

Xion likes visiting twilight town.

Chapter Text

Arata had been waiting at the train station for almost an hour now. And he was honestly starting to get kind of annoyed. He’d already had a weird encounter with some white haired girl with snake-like eyes, talking nonsense about him being “Luxu’s son” and “meeting him more formally soon”. Arata didn’t know what the hell that was about.

When vanitas finally showed up, he said that he was “busy” doing “something”. Whatever, he’s just glad they didn’t miss the last train. When they got to Twilight Town, they bought two ice creams and went straight to the plaza. Yeah they had sea salt ice cream in Radiant Garden, but there was something about Twilight Town’s that made it better than the ones at home. They both watched Roxas hit a ball in the air for like 45 minutes. He’d never talked with Roxas directly, but from what his sister said he seemed nice. Vanitas said he reminded him too much of someone else to give an honest opinion, Arata would have to ask him about that later.

After that they went over to the waterfalls and just kinda talked about stuffs that’s been happening recently. Vanitas told Arata about how he saw and he quote “the weirdest fucking bird dude. Like. He wore a suit, and a top hat.” And Arata had the great pleasure of telling him that that was Scrooge, and he lived there. Vanitas hasn’t fully gotten used to Radiant Garden yet he guessed. And right before they had to leave, Vanitas said he had something for Arata. And then he pulled out a rock. Like the kind of huge ass rock you only find on playground you really wanna take home but the teacher won’t let you.

Vanitas said he spent extra time looking for it for him, and that’s why he was late.

“Vanitas?”

“Yeah?”

“We almost missed the train over a fucking rock?”

“It’s a shiny rock dumbass. But yeah. It’s for you!”

“....you’re the best”

And with that they headed home, on the way back Arata got a call from his dad saying he had some people he wanted him to meet, he wondered if that white haired lady had anything to do with it.

On the train ride home Vanitas pointed out every thing that stuck out to him

Arata can’t describe how much he loves him.