Proximity Alone

It was a rough afternoon; Eris was unable to speak and was stuck having to have Vanitas worry over her. She had only just finished her breakfast in bed, sitting upright against the bed frame. Vanitas watched her diligently as she shyly fumbled with the empty glass on the tray. After she tapped twice on the rim, she pointed to the tray in her lap. Vanitas realized what she meant as she as she looked back up to him.

His hands, which were larger than hers in size, clasped the handles under both sides of the rims. "I got it," he whispered as he lifted it off her carefully. "You should stay in bed. You don't need to push yourself." Eris watched dejectedly. She didn't like the idea of everyone having to do everything for her because she didn't feel good, but she felt too fatigued to protest.

Vanitas walked down the stairs with the tray, careful not to spill anything. The house felt somber without the usual noise. Vanitas dumped the glass and the plate in the sink without a care, taking in the natural light that seeped in through the blinds of the windows. Vanitas turned on his heel and made his way up the stairs.

He entered Eris' room once more, leaving the door open behind him. Eris motioned that she needed to get up and clean herself, gesturing wildly with her hands as she tried to explain it to him. He nodded, "You're right. You're probably still sweaty from when you woke up."

Eris nodded solemnly, eyes transfixed on Vanitas' form. Vanitas walked to her side and helped her up in a more careful and gentle manner than Eris thought he was capable of. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised as she tilted her head in confusion. "Don't worry about it," he mumbles under his breath, his usually tone edging out.

Vanitas walked down the hall with his hand resting on her back as they both slowly walked down to the end of the hall in comfortable silence. Eris walked in first, expecting the older boy to let her bathe in peace. However, she noticed him walk in after her casually, as if he wasn't invading on her privacy. She stared at him with the same confused expression as before as he stared back blankly.

Eris pointed her thumb at him then to the door behind her. "Look," Vanitas scoffed. "Ever since you woke up this morning, you've been pretty weak-looking. You're moving slower and
with less enthusiasm." He averted his eyes as he continued. "You've only been up for an hour, but you still don't seem any better after filling your stomach."

"If you pass out in the bath, I need to be here. I'm just keeping an eye on your health; I'm not interested in what you look like naked. Trust me, it's not like I haven't seen that shit before." Vanitas said dismissively as he turned the handle to the right, cool water running out out the faucet and into the tub.

"Plus, the others would definitely kill me if I looked," he joked, smirking as he turned his head as he straightened up. "Especially Kairi."
He sat on the closed toilet seat, snickering. "She'd be so pissed at me. I bet she just wants to see you naked for herself."

Eris turned red at the insinuation, glaring at the older boy. Why would he say something like that? What would Kairi have to do with something like that? She questioned in her mind. Snapping out of her thoughts as the laughter from the boy erupted at seeing her face, she fully turned towards him and shyly motioned for him to cover his eyes.

He stared for moment, trying to understand before she tugged at one of the straps of her tank top. "Oh, right," he muttered in compliance, covering his eyes with his eyes. Eris noticed the red blooming on his cheeks while she was making sure he wasn't peeking. "It's fine, I'm not looking. I promise."

Eris blushed slightly and turned around as to not worry about his view. She rid herself of her clothes one by one, and set them in a stack in the corner close to the door. She stepped into the bathtub slowly, feeling for the water first. "You in?" Vanitas asked, his hands not moving from his eyes. Eris didn't respond, but the sound of the curtains moving, gave him an idea.