"Len! I need backup!" he heard her scream. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he made a split-second desicion to help her.
"Miku, cover me! I am heading for the center post." His hoarse voice replied. She simply nodded affirmative, her mind debating the pros and cons of switching to a different weapon. She saw an enemy move and she realised their motive.
"Run Len! It's a trap! They have me surrounded! They will kill us both!" she gave a warning, her voice shrill from panic. But she was too late.
Boom
Mission failed.
They both stared at the message on the screen. He dejectedly threw his controller on the bed, a bitter expression on his face. How could he have fallen for the trap? Their usernames flashed on the screen, showing their statistics.
He turned to look at his friend. She was sitting there, with a sour expression to match his. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He knew her too well.
Len and Miku had been the best of friends since childhood. They were neighbours and had met each other when Miku had shifted next to him. Both he and his sister had been very excited, though she had been more. Of course, she had expected to get along with the new girl more than him. Boy, had she been wrong. As it had turned out Miku was not your typical girl. She loved playing video games, fighting and did not mind getting down and dirty at all. She and Rin got along okay, but did not have many things in common. On the other hand, he thought that he had found the brother he never had. He and Miku started doing everything together. They played together, went to school together, sat together and studied together.
As they both grew up, they helped each other in other things too. (A/N- No, not what you guys are thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter.) She was the best wingman he could have ever asked for. She helped him secure one of the hottest girls in school, Gumi (but they did not work out, which was kinda his fault). And he returned the favour by helping her get a date with the one and only Kaito.
But the entire event had been horrible for him. His sister dressed up and put makeup on the tomboy for the date. She looked absolutely radiant in the cute dress and curled hair. It had sent shivers down his spine. But he couldn't believe that she was really Miku. Hell, she had never even worn a dress before. But she did for Kaito, not for anyone else. And when she had gone arm in arm with Kaito, pure rage had boiled in his stomach. And when she had come back from said date and complained about how full Kaito had been of himself, he felt extremely cheerful. He attributed it to the brotherly feelings he had for her.
But since that day the fact that Miku was a girl would spring up at his at odd times. He started noticing random details like that her hair smelled like blueberries and her lips were almost always covered with some translucent lip balm. More than once he caught a wiff of some light spicy perfume. Had she always put this stuff? Or had he started noticing it all now? And accompanied by this were instincts to hold her, or kiss her. Instincts he had to work hard to ignore, since she was practically always with him.
He noted that in all the excitement of the game, one strap of her tank top was hanging off her shoulder. He could see a blue bra strap. He gulped, and his eyes automatically went to her pouting lips. A sudden wave of arousal hit him, hard. He wanted to kiss her, to let his hands roam on her creamy skin.
What had gotten into him? He had never felt so strongly for any girl. And especially not for one he considered like a sibling. Heck, it was Miku! He saw her everyday. There was nothing special about her. Now, his senior Luka Megurine, she was something. She had a feminine charm few could resist. And not to mention her voluptuous body. His daydream about Luka and Miku was broken by the latter.
"Hey, Len! Stop drooling over whatever it is you are drooling about. What do you want to play now? Destiny or Dark Souls 3? We haven't played The Last of Us in a long time; we can play that too." He stared at her. She was lying on his bed on her stomach, her feet crisscrossing in the air. Her shorts gave him an excellent view of her shapely legs and her tank top was still hanging. Her hands cupped her face, her lips full and pink. The unsuspecting fool was hit once again by sudden desire. Somehow, it boosted his confidence, and he said something he never would have said otherwise especially to Miku of all people. But today, Miku was different from all the other people.
"I can think of a game. You." the words left his mouth before he could stop them. She shot up, and sat cross legged, her face confused. He too sat on the bed, leaving the floor. He shifted near her, his body moving on its own. Her face was inches away from his and he knew if he didn't do anything, his nerves will give way soon. Somewhere at the back of his mind a battle was raging on about his feelings for the girl. Why was he doing all this? Did he actually like Miku romantically? Or did want her in other ways? His mind was a mess. But one thought was clear- what he wanted was Miku.
"Len, what did you just say?" he heard her, confusion clear in her voice. Maybe he was imagining things, but he thought he heard a little excitement too. Again, he was surprised by the sheer boldness of his mouth as he repeated his statement. And before she could react to the suggestive nature of his comment, he closed to gap between their lips. At first, she stayed still. But slowly her balled fists rested on his chest and she tentatively started kissing him back. Taking heart in the development, he deepened the kiss and heard her moan against him. He tugged at her lower lip, wanting entry and she complied. As their tongues intertwined and teeth grazed, his hands started exploring the rest of her body. His mind was blank, the questions which had been plaguing him now forgotten.
All that existed was Miku.
She sunk on the bed, with him on top of him, without breaking the kiss. Their kiss became passionate, and her hands also started roaming freely. Soon, they broke apart, gasping for air. Miku unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor. He returned the favour, and off went the tank top which had started it all. He took in the sight before him. Her eyes were half lidded and staring at him coyly and her breaths were short. She was wearing a very delicate looking blue bra, complete with a little pink bow at its center. It wasn't what he had expected at all. Knowing her, he had half expected a sports bra or something along those lines. He dived for her neck and kissed and sucked the skin there. She moaned his name and her nails dug into his back. By the time he left her neck, he could see the starting of two bruises. He started trailing kisses from her neck to her collarbone, stopping at her creamy mounds. His hand went to her back, to unhook her bra.
And that is when everything took a turn for the worse.
He struggled and struggled, but he could not get it undone. As Miku stared at him expectantly, and he growled in frustration. He tried using both hands, but the result still came negative. She sat up and turned for him so that he could see the hook. He tugged at the weird hook, but to no avail.
Then he suddenly heard a door banging downstairs and a high - pitched voice screaming, "I am back!"
Well, dang it all. Rin was back.
He and Miku stared at each other for two seconds, frozen. Then suddenly there was a flurry of activity as both of them reached for their clothes. As he buttoned his shirt, he heard Rin's approaching steps. Miku's tank top was on, but her hair was a mess. So was his. They were barely able to get in normal positions by the time Rin entered the room. "Oh, hi Miku. What are you guys playing today?"
Both of them answered at the same time.
"Dark Souls"
"God of War"
Rin looked at them incredulously, but Miku spoke up, "Well, we were deciding." Rin shrugged, waved and left the room.
"God of War? You hate that game." He had been expecting this. Even he didn't know what prompted him to say God of War. His mind was still trying to make sense of what had just happened.
They stared at each other in silence, not knowing what to say or do anymore. Finally, Miku asked, "Len, what happened?" He didn't know himself, but he tried his best to explain.
"Well, I am not sure. You were looking good- I suddenly- felt like- kissing you." He was fumbling, and he knew it. He stared at Miku, and saw that she was blushing. He had never, not even in his wildest dreams, seen the tomboy Miku blush. And then something clicked.
"I think I have a crush on you."
The words made sense, for a change. He knew it was true, for his heart and his mind were both agreeing to this thought. But before he could say anything further, he was tackled to the ground by a mass of teal. Soft lips crashed against his, and he responded with equal vigour. After a few minutes, they untangled their limbs and sat up again. She looked straight at him and said, "I have had a crush on you for ages. You cannot believe how happy I am to hear those words from your mouth." He stared at her surprised. She liked him? More than a brother? Slowly, a smile crept up his face. "You know, we should go for a date." She beamed at him, and asked, "When? And where?"
"How does Salt sound?" Salt was one of the upper class restaurants, one of the places he used to take Gumi to. He didn't like it much, it was too fancy for his tastes. But he wanted to impress Miku. What he had not anticipated was the frown on her face at the mention of the restaurant. "To posh for my tastes. I was thinking something along the lines of that pizza joint round the corner. And maybe we can hit the arcade after that. You know, check out the new games. I heard the latest Battlefield is on sale there."
For a few moments, he didn't know what to say. He had totally forgotten- this was Miku. She would rather go catch the latest football game than go to a salon. There was a reason he had fallen for her after all.
For he knew. The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. He had fallen for the girl in front of him. She was different than the rest of them. She was his kind of different. He replied, "I guess it is a date. How's Saturday?"
"Perfect, but sadly I have to go now. Mikuo has called thrice now. I am ready to bet you fifty bucks that he is out of food and wants me to buy some on the way home, the prick." He laughed at the image of a disgruntled Mikuo staring at an empty cupboard. He went with her to see her out. Rin was staring at them as they crossed the living room, probably shocked that he was walking her out. But before he could reach the door, he was interrupted by his mother.
"Ah, Miku! Perfect timing. I have made apple tarts! Be a dear and take some for your parents. I know your mom loves them!" She handed the steaming goodies to the girl and patted her head. Miku smiled at the woman and consented to do the same. His mother sighed and continued speaking, "You are such a good girl! You will make a great daughter-in-law!" Both of their faces became red at that. "Or son, seeing as you are better than Len at being boyish. Do you know he takes half an hour every night at his 'nightly - routine'? Every time I pop in the bathroom, there he is putting moisturiser or something." His mother loved telling Miku all of his 'adorable traits' As she liked to call them. He thought of it as making fun of him, but whatever floats her boat.
He quickly ushered Miku out of the house, before his mother could say anything worse. "So, bye then. See you tomorrow, I guess." The atmosphere was becoming more and more awkward by the minute. Suddenly, Miku leaned in and kissed his cheek. Flustered, he scratched his head. "Oh, and I will come online tonigh. I plan on breaking your high score." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she said that. Oh, game on.
"Puh-lease, you cannot break my high score."
"I so can. Your score is shitty. How can you be proud of it?"
"Heh, you're just jealous. You know you cannot get my score."
"I can and I will. You just wait and watch."
"Keep dreaming, leek-head."
"Oh, you are going down tonight, banana-brain."
They both stared at each other and cracked up, the tense atmosphere long gone. They were back in their familiar groove. For the first time, he would date a tomboy.
For the first time, he would date a friend.
After bidding her goodbye, he went inside. But there he was confronted by a smirking Rin. "So, what did you guys play?"
"God of War."
"Well, go take a bath and wash off the perfume of 'God of War'. Everyone in this house knows what her perfume smells like. And wash 'God of War's lip balm off your lips while you're at it."
He stared at his sister as she walked off into the kitchen.
What he didn't know was that as he was taking a shower, his sister was becoming fifty bucks richer.
"See, I told you they will hook up in high school." said Rin, her palm outstretched. His mother sighed and shoved fifty bucks in her hand. "I was so sure that given how dense Len was that they will date in college. So ironic, seeing as Miku is the tomboy here. But I guess intelligence counts too."
In the shower, Len sneezed. "Hey, is someone speaking crap about me? Nah, most probably they are just talking about how awesome I am."