Hold Your Hand - [Ventus]

You're more precious to me than anybody else…

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You ran through Castle Oblivion, going as fast as your legs would take you. No one had told you until now. And now that you knew, you weren't going to waste another minute until you saw for yourself that it was true.

Racing down the long, twisting paths of the castle, you finally reached a large set of doors, seemingly different from the rest. Without a moment's hesitation, you burst through the entrance, breathing hard.

And there he was—just as you had been told.

Ventus.

You stood in the open doorway, staring. He sat in a large chair in the middle of the room with his head down, as if he were sleeping. In truth, his heart had left his body and he would be in this comatose state until it returned. Master Yen Sid had told you that he needed a friend who believed in him, one who would guide his heart back to its rightful owner and show him the way to the light.

You walked towards the chair, trembling slightly, before kneeling down next to it. Hopeful eyes searched the boy's face, but nothing happened.

"Ven," you murmured. "Ven, wake up."

He did not stir or give any sign of having heard you, so you tried again. "Ven! Ven, please!"

You pleaded for him to wake, the dull pain in your chest growing stronger as time slipped by. Bowing your head in defeat, you squeezed your eyes shut as tears began to form and threatened to spill over.

"Ven…"

You tried to say his name again, but the words dried up in your throat as you began to cry. Tears dotted the back of Ven's hand and fell into his lap. You subconsciously clutched your heart as you broke down, letting loose all the feelings you had felt since you heard what had happened to him.

You just wanted him to come back. To smile and laugh with you. Those blue eyes that you had come to love…would you ever see them again? All this time you had hoped that by some miracle, he was okay. That he would wake up and wrap his arms around you and give you that goofy grin of his, telling you how much he loved you.

"Ven…please…tell me…you can hear me…"

You felt something smooth and cool wrap itself around your hand, making you look up in surprise. Ven had taken it in his, and on his face, a small smile was visible as he slept.

You hadn't realized you had been holding your breath. Now you let it out in relief, in happiness—no, pure joy—that there was hope of him waking. Hope of his heart returning and making him whole again.

Tears dried on your cheeks as you smiled for the first time in days. Leaning against his chair, you closed your eyes and entwined your fingers with his. All right, Ven…I won't worry…Just let me stay here with you…for a little while…

Maybe someday…I'll wake up to hear your voice again.

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…I'll be the one to hold your hand