Vanitas × Noé

Rainy Days

Beware me screaming about the raws for chapter 50 in the note at the end of this
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Vanitas and Noé had been living together for a number of months and during that time they had gradually grown closer against their will. They didn't even really notice for the most part. They just began to do things they never would have otherwise because over time it became easier to compromise and go along with the other person's idiosyncrasies.

Vanitas began to tidy Noé's things away, going so far as to fold his clothes some of the time to keep their room tidy. Noé began to leave money on the desk for Vanitas when they needed to shop for food, though Vanitas rarely accepted the gesture. Vanitas would walk down to Noé's various places of work when his shift was about to finish so they could walk home together. Noé would run a warm bath for Vanitas when he was spending too long on the roof at night.

It became so normal to each of them that they could hardly imagine living without the other person anymore. Vanitas had not lived with anyone for a very long time and though it was at first irritating to have less privacy he found himself absent of the loneliness that he hadn't realised had been haunting him. Noé on the other hand had known he was lonely. He always liked people and the life they bring with them to a home but since Louis had died all those years ago Averoigne had never quite returned to normal. The cosiness of their hotel room was a welcome change to the endless, empty hallways of Teacher's manor.

Noé lay on his bed, petting Murr when he heard the sound of a faint pattering on the roof. It must be raining. Without really thinking about it Noé got up and went to the bathroom to fetch two towels. The first he placed under their room's window and the second he held on to. Moments later Vanitas, dripping wet, was swinging the window open and landing on the towel. Noé handed him the second one and Vanitas gave a nod of thanks.

Vanitas removed his coat and boots, before beginning to dry himself. He took great care in trying to keep his hair neat but when the towel came away it still looked mussed and was sticking up all over the place. Noé had to stifle a laugh but from the look of Vanitas's glare he probably didn't do a very good job. Vanitas tossed the towel at Noé's head and yawned.

"You want something to eat, Noé?"

"Yes!" Noé exclaimed, excited at the prospect of Vanitas's cooking. "What were you thinking of making?"

"I'm not thinking of making anything. I can only ask Amelia to let me borrow the kitchen so many times," Vanitas snorted. "Besides, I'm too tired to make anything. Let's just go to the hotel dining room." Noé made a face and Vanitas smirked. "What's wrong?"

"You aren't going to eat oysters are you?"

"For goodness sake I don't know why it bothers you so much what I eat." Noé's face remained tense and Vanitas sighed. "Okay, I won't eat oysters tonight if them sight is so offputting to you."

"Thank you."

Vanitas shook his head, "I am far too kind to you Noé."

Before they left Vanitas put on his spare pair of boots, though he could not be bothered to replace his spats. Noé thought he looked a little silly but Vanitas insisted it didn't matter if he wasn't as well dressed as usual while they were in the hotel. Together they walked downstairs to the dining room, there were many tables free and they got one by the wall. They talked idly as they waited to be served, able to keep up a relatively nice conversation despite the fact that they never really told each other anything. Until their food arrived they remained absorbed in each other, dancing around matters of importance and having petty squabbles that they didn't really care about.