Chapter 1

"It's only a matter of time, Len. Just be patient with yourself."

Len sighs, and places his elbows on the table in front of him, drumming his fingers lightly on the surface, "Yes, I know, but…" He looks up at his twin, "I'm afraid I'll still be a coward in the future, and I'll never be able to tell her, Rin."

Rin says nothing, and simply keeps her mouth closed. She finishes fixing up tea for both of them, and sets down the two cups, placing one in front of her brother. She sits herself across the table from him, and blows the steam from her tea.

"A coward, hm?" She states, glancing up at him.

He stirs his tea, "It's what I am, isn't it?"

"I would suppose so." She says calmly, sipping her tea.

He presses his lips into a line, and he brings his cup close to his nose, "Orange tea?"

"What did you expect?" She says.

He rolls his eyes, and drinks anyway. He had expected to receive better advice from Rin than what she's given him so far. Usually when Len needs help, she would have the right things to say to him. But just this once, she oddly doesn't seem to be willing to. With this suspicion bugging him, he glances up, and catches Rin staring rather harshly at him.

"What?" Len asks, raising an eyebrow. He's a bit intimidated by the way she's looking at him. Cruelly, bitterly.

She downs the rest of her tea, and lightly bangs her cup on the table, startling Len a bit. She wipes her mouth with the back of her sleeve, and opens her blue eyes again, giving her brother that cold look once more.

Placing her hands on the table as if she's drawing energy from it, she says coolly, "You know, you are more than a coward."

Hearing this, a singe of annoyance shoots through him. He knows this already, and she doesn't have to repeat it. He glares at her and grips his cup tightly, "I know that, Rin."

"Good. Well, unlike you, I am not a coward," And then she flashes a smile. Not a genuine, kind one though, but more of an unpleasant, sharp smile, as if she's planning to do something wicked to her brother.

"And since I am not a coward, I will take this chance, and take it." She continues, tucking her short, blond hair behind her ear.

Confused, he shifts his sitting position, "Take what chance?"

"To tell Miku how much I like her, of course." Rin says happily, a light blush crossing her face.

Did he hear her right?

Something surges through his body, something scorching and quick, with a touch of blaze. He moves his hand to his lap, to hide his white knuckles from Rin. Trying to keep his voice under control, he asks lowly, "You… You like Miku?"

"You're right. And perhaps even more than you, dear brother." She says, smirking as she stands, up, taking both empty cups and placing them on a tray. She lifts the tray and starts to stand, "This shouldn't be a problem. That is… Until you work up your manly nerve, yes?" She chortles.

"Are you mocking me?" He snaps, now angry at the light hearted tone his sister has taken upon this situation. He clenches his fist tighter, digging his fingernails deeper into the palm of his hand.

At this tone, Rin slams the tray down onto the table again, and Len can see her hands are clenched around the edges, her knuckles white, just like his. They both stay completely still, and then she begins to speak, not moving her clasping, white hands from the tray.

"Listen up." She hisses, leaning over and jabbing her yellow painted finger at Len's chest painfully, "You heard what I said. I like Miku. I like Miku. In the way you do, alright? I want Miku in all ways you do, I want to see her in all ways you do, and I want her in all the ways every damn pervert in the world wants to see her!" She snaps angrily, "You might be a coward, and we might be twins, or mirror images, or whatever the hell Crypton calls us. But that doesn't mean I am anything like you."

She leans back, keeping her steady glare at him, and continues darkly, "You would think, with all the fans involved with our software, that I would have feelings for you." She then smirks, "I don't get it. Every damn time. I have to be paired with you. I have to act as your lover. I have to shoot music videos with basically only you."

"We consider each other as brother and sister, yes, I know. We've told each other this. But you know what?"

He keeps quiet, and merely glares at her with his matching blue eyes, and she glares back, clenching her teeth.

"I hate you!" Rin whispers harshly, "You always come to me, complaining about how you're such a weakling to confess to Miku. And I just sit and listen to you. And today I suddenly think if you're always going to be too weak to admit to Miku, then I'll might as well take my chance and soon enough take Miku for myself!"

"I hate you because you're always in the way!" She continues, more anger adding into her voice, "You always get to have chance with her, but you never take them! You're able to show those signs of liking to her, but I can't! You…" She trails off, letting her raised hand drop to her side.

Len simply looks down at the floor, hurt. Angry. Furious. An amalgamation of emotions he can't describe. He doesn't even realize how tight his fist has gotten, but somehow, he can't seem to release all the tension he's built up.

Then, as if her heated yelling never happened, she picks up the tray again, stands up, and says with composure, "I am not going to hold back any longer. I do not care what anyone else thinks, or especially what you think. I like Miku, and I am going to take her away from you."

With that said, Rin gives her brother one more disgusted look and walks out her bedroom door to put the tray in the kitchen. She leaves Len there, now filled with pure fury.

After a moment, he shakily stands up, relaxing his fists. He eyes a photo of Rin and Miku together, hugging each other. Miku, with her bright, joyful smile that could cause anyone else to smile with her. Len can't help but allow a small grin escape his lips, despite what Rin had just verbally hit him with.

Then he takes note of his sister in the photo, and his smile drops. Even the Rin in the photo seems to be sneering at him, hugging Miku possessively.

"If you believe I am as weak as you think, Rin…" He mutters silently and angrily to the photo, "Then you're wrong. Most definitely wrong. I'm not going to break and back off just because of something you said to me."

Then he turns away, and puts his hands in his pockets, and walks out of Rin's room, murmuring, "You've pissed me off, but I won't let you have your way, dear sister."

"Rin, did you and Len argue?" Miku asks as Rin places the tray on the counter. She moves some of her long, teal hair away from her face, and stands next to Rin.

"Oh, it was just a small argument over a ridiculous topic. No need to worry, Miku." Rin says gently, touching Miku's arm lightly.

"But… It sounded rather vicious…" Miku says worriedly, rubbing Rin's bow between her fingers.

Usually Rin hates it when people mess with her bow, Len included. But it's Miku, and she can't care less about what Miku does to her bow. She smiles at Miku, and puts her arms around Miku's waist, pulling her close.

"Trust me, it was nothing…" Rin murmurs into Miku's hair, taking note of the faint, sweet scent of strawberry. She can feel Miku relax under her arms, and Miku kindly returns the gesture, wrapping her arms around Rin.

Miku gives a small laugh, "I know you are supposed to be younger and smaller than me, Rin, but…" She lets one hand go of Rin's back and pats Rin's head lightly, "You're nearly the same height as me, and you act older than me."

Rin chuckles into Miku's hair, and then moves back a little to look at Miku's face, "To admit, I sometimes feel as if I'm older than you too."

Miku pouts, "Hey… That's mean, Rin. Are you saying I'm immature?"

Rin giggles, favoring the cute face Miku has on and she lightly pinches Miku's cheek, "No! What I'm saying is…" She pats Miku's cheek, "You are much more innocent than I am."

Miku tilts her head, "Innocent? Well… I've never murdered anyone…"

Rin laughs again, "Oh, Miku…" She winks at her, "There are more definitions of 'innocent' than just one."

At Rin's wink, Miku blushes slightly, and Rin takes this chance to take hold of Miku's hand.

Rin holds Miku's hand in front of her mouth, and she says softly, "Miku, you have such long, slender fingers… Your nail polish compliments your appealing hands well."

"Oh, ah… Thank you?" Miku giggles, placing her other hand in front of mouth cutely, "I never thought of it that way… I've always seen my hands as simply, well… Hands."

"I see…" Rin smiles, letting a small smirk replace it. She whispers, "The things I would love to do to your fingers… "

Miku tilts her head again, "Hm?"

"Oh, nothing." Rin smiles warmly again, a glint in her eyes, "I just love your hands… They're very beautiful, you know?"