"I've gotta go finish a test in Bio. Tell Meiko I'll be coming home late again." Len Kagamine had said this so often at the exact same time, it had practically become a ritual between him and his sister. The twins would walk out of final periods together, and he would bring up a project he had to finish, or a club meeting he forgot to mention.
Rin just rolled her eyes. "Meiko would be worried if you came home before six. I mean, do you remember anything?" She elbowed him lightly, laughing when he flinched.
"Do all women have to be so violent?" Len grumbled, rubbing the spot on his arm Rin had jabbed. "Can you ever do me a favor without hitting me?"
"Baby."
"It's not my fault I bruise easily!"
"Whatever. Just get the stupid test finished and get home before dinner."
Not too long, later.
The rest of the test had been easy. Long, but easy. Len had grown used to walking home alone; watching the sky turn from pale blue to orange, the residue of late-afternoon traffic passing by as he strode down the cracked sidewalk. He'd made the trip so many times he could have done it blindfolded. But there was something that made him pause: up until this year, every time he'd walked home, it was with Rin.
They were Freshmen in Highschool now, and they'd gone everywhere and done everything together since... conception, practically. Did that mean, that now in their early teenage years they were-he could hardly bring himself to think it-growing apart? Len shook his head and kept walking. He refused to acknowledge it, but doubt was still fresh in his mind, like a newly formed raincloud ready to pour at any time.
Finally, he reached the walkway that led to the front door; which had been lazily painted and repainted by Vocaloid family members so many times, that patches of yellow, green, blue, and even bright pink shone through the current dark red color. When he was about five feet away, he reached into his pocket, preparing to pull out a key when the multicolored door flew open.
Rin, still wearing her school uniform ran out, nearly knocking over Len in the process. Meiko stood in the doorway, a look of matronly concern on her face as she watched the blond girl take off.
Miku was standing by the foot of the stairs (also, still in uniform) her lips pressed into a hard line, and her hands clenched tightly in fists. The moment Meiko turned around, as if to try talking to the tealette, she bolted up the stairs, the faint sound of a door slamming coming after a while.
Len finished his walk to the door. "What was that about?"
The red-clad woman sighed and pushed a strand of red-brown hair out of her face. "Rin and Miku got into a fight." She sighed. "I'll try to talk some sense into Miku if you can coax Rin into coming home."
He shrugged. "I would have dragged her home kicking and screaming even if you didn't ask."
Meiko laughed quietly, turning around and shaking her head before ascending the stairs, leaving Len alone to carry out the task.
He closed the door and headed off to find his sister, having a pretty solid hunch as to where she'd be.
The place had been called "The Duck Park" due to the large lake at its center being home to home to a ton of them. But the lake slowly grew polluted and all the ducks had long since gone. No one really bothered to call it anything else.
There was some sort of pier-like wooden structure that overlooked the lake, and it used to be the only place you could feed the ducks without getting attacked by one of the two geese that also used to populate the lake. Now it was old and starting to rot, good for virtually nothing except daring people to stand on, and start jumping. Regardless, there Rin sat, tossing pebbles into the murky green depths of the neglected lake.
Len knew it was a bad idea to approach her directly, so he made his way toward a set of vending machines (about the only thing in the entire park that was actually used anymore), fished two dollars worth of change out of his pocket, and bought two cans of orange soda.
Step one was complete, but step two was the dangerous part. Literally.
The old wood of the pier-thing creaked slightly at Len's every footstep, but apparently they weren't loud enough for Rin to hear, or she wasn't paying attention. Either way he silently prayed to whatever god was out there that the pathetic thing wouldn't decide to give away just yet. Finally he was right behind her, and Rin was now fully aware of his presence, and looking up at him. Step two, complete.
"Meiko sent you to find me. Huh?" Rin asked, looking back at the lake, and chucking another rock from the steadily shrinking pile to her right.
Len shrugged. "I would have, even if she hadn't asked me to."
Rin had just picked up another pebble, and was about to toss it, when her arm stopped mid-swing. "How'd you know I was here?"
Finally, he felt safe enough to sit down, and handed his sister a one of the cans-which she gladly accepted. "'Cause Mom used to take us here all the time to feed the ducks. You know... before..."
"The accident." Rin finished his sentence, pain briefly showing on her face until she opened the can and took a drink.
They sat there together for the next few minutes in silence, just drinking soda. It was almost like the way they'd spent summer every year up until now. The sky was fading from orange to purple, and everyone would start to get worried if they stayed out much later.
"Come on, lets get off of this death trap and go home." Len stood up, and extended a hand to Rin, who ignored it and got up on her own. The empty soda cans were tossed into a garbage can, as they left the park.
The streetlights were just starting to come on when they were halfway home, and when Len had noticed how unusually silent Rin had been. Eventually Len just asked "are you okay?"
The girl stopped suddenly, eyes fixed on her shoes, biting her lip. "Len, are you embarrassed by me?"
"Why would I be?"
She finally looked up at him, her eyes filling with frustrated tears. "Because you never walk home with me anymore! You never go anywhere with me! Is it because you're friends think its stupid to be so close to your sister?" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and sniffled.
Len just stared at her. Rin had always been so tough and determined. Normally it was her having to calm him down anytime he got overly emotional. But now she stood before him, crying as if for the first time. Without a second thought, he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Listen, you. I'm you're stupid, forgetful brother. I always have been. Highschool's been tough for me, so I don't always have as much time to hang out an go places with you. I'm sorry you feel like that-I've been just as afraid of us growing apart as you have." He felt her trembling stop for a moment. "We've always been together, but there's going to come a time where that just won't happen."
He slowly stepped out of the hug, keeping his hands on either of her shoulders. "I may not always be next to you physically, but I'll always be your brother, and I'll never be ashamed of that."
Rin, having calmed down significantly looked up and smiled. "Guess you saw my... other side, for a minute there." She scratched the back of her head, her face turning a faint red. She took a step closer, narrowed her eyes, and frowned. "But if you tell anyone you saw me cry-I'll freaking kill you."
Len grinned. "Now that's the Rin I know and love. Come on, lets go home."
A/N: So there you have it folks. My first (published) Vocaloid fanfiction. Please leave a review, criticism is welcome, but flames aren't.