Vanitas x Female! Reader ☆ Pure Shores ☆

4. Making Waves

"I'd rather eat Whale barnacles than wear that."
(Y/N) took a deep breath, slowly counting to ten.
"Vanitas, for the last time, you have to wear clothes!"
Pulling an ugly face, Vanitas plucked the long shirt from the bed, turning it this way and that in his hands.
"And I told you, my people don't wear clothes. Only ceremonial adornment."
He visibly grimaced as he said 'clothes', as if it left a vile taste in his mouth.
(Y/N) stopped folding the pants she was holding, facing him in interest.

"What kind of adornments?"
An arrogant expression passed over the young mans face, his chest visibly puffing up with pride.
"Males accomplished in hunting will wear an Akavair of bones around the neck. It symbolises our impressive strength."
His eyes slid sidelong at (Y/N).
"The females go wild for it."
She blinked back at him for a few seconds, feeling foolish as her cheeks grew warm.
"Interesting."
He grinned back at her.
"Very."
She rolled her eyes, throwing a loose pair of black pants his way.
"Be that as it may, you're still wearing clothes."
Vanitas growled chidishly.
"Why? I don't want to!"
(Y/N) leant against the open drawer in exasperation.
"Because you can't walk around nude. Its October, and cold. You'll freeze to death if you sleep without them."
Vanitas scoffed. "Our kind has excellent temperature control, to counter the seasonal changes in the sea."
"Right. Just one problem..."
She watctched as Vanitas ran an inquiring hand over the solid flesh of his thigh.
He gave her a sour look.
"A big fucking problem that is entirely your fault, two legs."
He glanced down at the clothes, groaning loudly.
"Would you like me to help you?"
"Do I look like a youngling to you?" He snapped back.
(Y/N) raised her hands again, smiling patiently.
"Alright, but be careful of your bandages, I'll be just-"
Before (Y/N) could finish, Vanitas had stood, quickly dropping the sheet clutched to his mid section without a second thought as he held the pants aloft, squinting at them.
(Y/N) raced from the room, slamming the door behind her. She slumped against the door, her cheeks blazing.
From the other side of the door, she heard a quiet chuckle.
"That son of a..."

☆

A half hour later, (Y/N) gently knocked on the door.
"Vanitas?" She called, feeling shy.
"What?" Came the gruff reply.
"Can I come in?"
"If you must."
She rolled her eyes, pushing into the room with one free hand.
"I brought you something to eat."
He glanced up at her from his relaxed position on the bed, his eyes watery and tired.
To her surprise, he had actually managed to get the long shirt on correctly, but the pants were crumpled into the farthest corner of the room.
(Y/N) placed the steaming bowl down on the bedside table, before crossing to retrieve the discarded garment.
"Vanitas, I appreciate you wearing the shirt, but you need to wear the bottoms too." She explained kindly.
He eyed her defiantly, and from his expression, (Y/N) knew she was in for a fight.
She shook them out, crossing to kneel beside the bed.
"I know it'll be weird for you, being new to this whole.." she broke off uncomfortably.

"...legs thing. But its important you stay warm." She said in a soothing voice.
He simply stared down at her, his lips a tight thin line.
"I'm not wearing them." He said quietly.
"It'll help you get better."
He laughed bitterly, looking away from her.
From his demeanour, and the hard glint in his eyes, (Y/N) knew he was very upset.
"I don't care." 
"Please?"
He turned to face her again, his expression almost hateful.
"No."
(Y/N) searched his blazing eyes, seeing a muscle twitch gently in his cheek.
She sighed, standing in concession. Perhaps the fact he was wearing the shirt was enough of a victory for now.
"Alright. Well, how about something to eat?"
She crossed to the small table, feeling Vanitas' gaze burning into her the whole way. She carried the steaming bowl over to him, holding it out.
"Its vegetable soup, it'll help with the fever and-"
In a flash of impossibly fast movement, Vanitas smacked the bowl roughly from her grasp. Hot soup splattered her clothing, the bed, and exploded across the floor as the bowl crashed to the ground.
The silence that followed was tremendous, as (Y/N) blinked back at the male, too stunned to know what to say or do.
A tense number of seconds ticked by, with the pair stuck in this unpleasant tableau.
"You have no idea what you've done."
(Y/N) opened her mouth, but promptly shut it again.
"All of this that you did to save me?"
Vanitas was not raising his voice, but was rather speaking in a hushed tone, like he was sharing a secret. The venom in his voice however, was loud and clear.
(Y/N) would rather he had been screaming.
"You acted with ignorance, knowing truly nothing of our people."
(Y/N) swallowed, soup dripping from her clothes.
"How could you possibly have known that turning me into-" he stopped briefly. "...Making me like this against my will is the greatest insult of all."
He leant forward.
"I don't want your hospitality, your clothes or your food. I'd rather you'd have left me to die out there." He hissed at her.
An uncontrollable wave of unbridled rage poured over (Y/N).
She leant even closer, her voice a dangerous whisper, angry tears forming in her eyes.
"I gues that makes two of us."
She stood abruptly, striding from the room purposefully.
Slamming the door behind her, she raced down the steps, heading for the one place she hoped she could find some peace.