'How annoying.' Kagamine Len thought with narrowed eyes as he sat in the couch, watching Bakaito begging "Mei-chan" to give him back his ice cream after she confiscated the treat from him, stating that it was bad to eat too much ice cream and it was not and never will be a meal.
His gaze turned into a full on glare when the blue haired ice cream lover practically hugged Meiko, with Miku laughing beside her, clearly amused at Kaito's antics.
He was so clingy and childish at times.
The blond teen's mouth quirked upward a bit when Meiko swatted Kaito on the head and scolded him.
Len seemed to notice a lot of Kaito's faults lately; how he couldn't do any housework at all and when he tried, things just get worse. He also noticed that Kaito was not good at being manly. Even Rin could lift heavier stuff than him and is braver. Kaito was still scared of ghosts even at his age. Kaito was not book-smart…he rarely held a book at all. Kaito's cooking can make even the biggest glutton puke. Kaito can't draw to save his life. He was terrible at math. He has never won a game of rock-paper-scissors. He cries at sappy and girly movies. The only thing he was good at was singing but then again, everyone in their circle can sing. He wasn't the greatest dancer. Len was. Is.
Len sighed and turned away from the scene, getting irritated at himself.
He wasn't the kind of person who insulted and criticized his friends, especially ones who were like family. It's just that Kaito was really idiotic at times but Kagamine Len isn't harsh. Honest.
But there was one thing that aggravated Len beyond belief.
Despite Kaito's glaringly obvious flaws, there were things he had up his sleeve that can completely throw Len into a dark, small corner of envy and jealousy.
Kaito is funny. Stupid sometimes but funny still. He can make a person laugh just by smiling goofily at them. His actions can easily crack you up. He was a harmless and endearing clown whose humor seemed entirely innate and natural.
Kaito has a nice personality. He would never turn away from someone who needed him and he has never heard the scarf wearing man-child utter an expletive. He never raises his hand at a child or a woman. He stays away from violence and if he's involved, it's usually him that is the victim. He cries a lot but his tears are honest and Len thinks it's because he is innocent-minded. He sings about ice cream with an easy smile and is not embarrassed at all at the teasing he receives. He is a willing and usually oblivious pawn in Rin's pranks but when consequences are dealt, he accepts it with responsibility.
Len wasn't like that. He was far from that and that annoyed him because apparently, these traits are what SHE liked.
Len wasn't funny or wacky. In fact, people called him serious and mature for his age. Whenever he tried to tell a joke, it was usually complicated and just "corny and lame puns that tries too hard to be funny", as Rin put it. He believed himself to be kind enough but he was usually formal and polite unlike Kaito who was always very open to people. He was called mature, responsible and smart and while that might be true, he was not as forgiving as Kaito. He was the voice of reason at most times and if he or anyone he cared about was hurt or offended; you can count on Len to do something about it. Kaito sings about ice cream? Well, Len sung a song regarding sex! And he was very professional about it and only got mildly upset when Rin teased him. He was the complete opposite of Kaito.
Len stood up abruptly, upset already. There are many reasons why he's angry; first, it was the Kaito thing, second, there are many things he's upset about but he's not sure what those things are and third, he hates that he's being so childish and… like a girl on her period.
Rin, who was sitting beside him as she watched a drama, was startled by his suddenness. "What's wrong?"
Her twin shrugged, "Nothing… I just… don't feel so good."
"I told you not to eat all those bananas." She replied, turning back to watch the program.
Len flushed and turned to see Miku and Kaito laughing while Meiko who had her back turned to them, heard everything and just shook her head and forced a cough, as though she was holding back the urge to laugh, too.
"W-what?! That's not it, you idiot!" Len blushed, pulling on Rin's ribbon
"Hey! Nobody pulls my ribbon! Nobody!" Rin cried out in anger and then proceeded to get revenge on her brother by tackling him to the ground. A battle of pulling, pushing and overall crude pummeling of fist erupted. They began to roll on the carpet, both not giving an inch.
Miku just sighed and turned towards the fridge, got herself some leek salad and headed to her room, confident that Meiko-neechan will sort things out quickly.
Kaito turned towards Meiko "Uh, Mei-chan…" The ice cream lover, who was watching the whole thing with worry, drifted off, gesturing to the twins who were practically going for each other's throats. He turned to see Meiko wearing a stern expression. She faced him and said in a resigned voice,
"Yeah, I know. I'll give them twenty seconds."
Kaito gulped and nodded his head but he was secretly praying for the twins; an angry Mei-chan was something you do not want to mess with. He glanced at his dear friend. She was tapping her foot to the beat of time. Kaito did not like watching anyone get scolded; he somehow felt embarrassed and bad for the people getting chewed on and although he knew that Mei-chan would go easy on the twins, he still felt bad for them so he quietly made his exit, sneakily snatching the ice cream that Mei-chan left on the table, forgotten.
Meiko didn't really notice Kaito leave but it mattered little. What mattered was stopping the kids from hurting each other. Honestly, they were twins! They shouldn't fight!
"Okay, stop this ruckus already." Meiko said calmly. The pair paid her no heed and continued to fight.
"You sissy! How could you hurt a girl! Your own sister!" Rin cried, pulling her brother's hair hard.
Len retaliated by pinching her cheeks with all he could. "Don't call me that! You started this so don't you dare use the sibling card on me, you brat!"
Meiko watched as an explosion of yellow continued to roll around on the carpet, their 'battle' not easing one bit.
Meiko tried to stay cool. Don't stop fire with fire…She decided to call out to them. "Rin—"
"UGH! I'M SO GONNA HURT YOU BAD, LEN!"
The older woman sighed, a tad frustrated. She turned to the more easy to calm down Len. "Len, will you—"
"OH, YEAH? JUST TRY!"
Meiko could only take so much and after a few seconds, her patience snapped.
"HEY, YOU TWO BRATS! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" She boomed, charging toward the twins and grabbing both their arms and then forcibly broke them apart. The pair yelped in shock.
"Eep! Meiko-neechan!" Rin squeaked, losing her steam in place of fear. Len could only gasp.
Meiko was still in a furious rage. "Now, look here you two! I'm tired as is dealing with everyone else, so could you guys please just stop this idiocy? You two are siblings!" She looked at them back and forth. "Now, apologize to each other."
Rin reacted first. "Why should I apologize to him? He attacked me all of a sudden!"
The older brunette raised an eyebrow. Len, being the one to instigate trouble? This is a first. "Is that true, Len?" She asked the boy who was looking away. He remained silent.
"Len?" Meiko tried again.
Rin snorted. "Don't bother, Meiko-neechan. He's been acting weird for a looong time now. I think he's in that problematic stage where he wants to establish his non-existent manliness or something stupid like that."
Len's head snapped up and glared at his annoying twin, his face red with anger and indignation. "You little-! What did you say?!"
Meiko saw the brewing of another fierce battle and she immediately took action. "Alright! Enough, you two! Get away from one another. Rin, go upstairs and stay with Miku. NOW." She ordered. Rin pouted and glumly followed Meiko-neechan's word. She was not satisfied with walking away without winning the dispute with Len. She hated losing but Meiko-neechan's word is law.
Meiko just shook her head with a small fond smile as she watched Rin stomp away. When she turned around, she saw Len heading for the backdoor leading to the garden. She rushed to him and grabbed his arm.
"Not so fast, young man!" What Rin said kept ringing in Meiko's head. The young teen had been somewhat strange recently. He always looked upset or sad about something. She couldn't very well let him suffer. Maybe a little chat would do him good.
Len did not turn to face Meiko.
"Sorry, I'm just…" He began, but lost his nerve as a wave of shame took over him. He acted so immaturely in front of her! 'She must think I'm a bad guy now…' He thought. He almost wanted to wail in despair and he felt very upset about almost wanting to as well. He tried to speak again but he couldn't find his voice.
Meiko saw his hesitation and promptly took hold of his hand. She had been through rough patches before and she knew that being alone was not good. Sometimes, you need someone to be there and let you know that you are not alone.
Len jumped in surprise and whipped his head to stare at her. "Me-Mei-"He stuttered, not knowing how to respond to her sudden touch.
"It's okay, Len. Don't worry. Why don't we sit down and relax?" Meiko said gently, leading Len to sit on the couch beside her. When they were comfortably situated, she waited for a few moments before starting.
"Now, Len. Please be honest, what's been bothering you lately? I know something's up and I hate seeing you so down." The brunette began gently. She put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, showing him that she will lend him an ear to pour his troubles on.
Len was speechless. He was happy that she seemed to care about him but he was afraid of telling the truth. Was it too early for her to know? If he went on, where would it lead? Len was sure that Meiko was kind and understanding yet there was this small voice in his head that kept warning him. Her response could make him the most miserable creature in the world.
As his thoughts waged war, Meiko just sat there, waiting patiently. Sharing your feelings and thoughts is no walk in the park. You would be lowering your defenses, open to be seen and judged. She knew that so she gave him time to decide whether he wanted to talk this out or not.
Meiko was fairly sure she was mature enough to help Len. At least, she hoped she was. Len wasn't exactly your average 14 year old. He mostly handled his own problems alone.
A full ten minutes passed and the blonde boy still had yet to speak. Meiko was getting more concerned as the seconds ticked by. What was it that was troubling him that would cause such reflection and hesitation? It must be very important… Maybe she should give him a slight push?
"I know you're in a tough spot but Len, you know that no matter what deep dark secret you may have, I will never judge or hate you." She declared firmly. If he was thinking about it so much, it must be something he doesn't want to share easily. She won't force him to but she wanted to let him know that she's there for him.
The blue-eyed boy looked up and saw her. This was the person he never wanted to humiliate himself in front of. The person he admired for her strength and determination to take charge. Meiko; 18 years old, fair complexion, brunette, with a lovely face with the warmest and most captivating eyes he had ever seen. And the personality to match.
'I will never judge or hate you.'
She was reaching out to him. In the past, she had always been there for him; the big sister he wished he had. A figure he could always count on to support him in competitions and dreams. She's here now, trying to help him.
What if he just gave her half of the truth? Give her the light side of it and just deal with it himself?
But what if…?
Maybe…maybe it would turn out okay. If he didn't do it now, he might live forever dreaming about what-ifs.
"I… like someone." He whispered softly, blushing and eyes to the floor. His voice was so faint but Meiko heard it. She almost sighed in relief at his confession; she thought he would shy away and leave... So this is what's been going through his mind? She smiled at the simplicity and innocence of it all.
"Oh wow, really? Liking someone shows how big your heart is and that you are selfless enough to give and share love." She stated positively. Meiko has always viewed love as the catalyst for miracles.
Len stared at her with wide eyes. Meiko thought she saw a glint of something akin to dread.
"Do you mean to say that you've experienced being in love?" It was the only logical conclusion. She's been—or is—in love!
It was Meiko's turn to blush. She hadn't expected him to react like that. She didn't know what to say. If she told him the truth, would her advice lose credibility? Better go around this one…
"Ahaha, but this isn't about me, Len… It's about YOU." She chuckled nervously.
She avoided it. It must mean that she is most likely in love and didn't want Len to know who it was, out of shyness and appropriateness. She was after all, not known for being the romantic type. Meiko was hiding something and Len did not like it. Saying those words were not easy. He frowned and stood up.
"Oh, I get it. You just don't want to make things awkward… I get it, I really do. You don't need to hold back Meiko-san, I understand." He said with a hard tone.
"Huh?" Was all Meiko could manage, momentarily thrown off by his statement. Awkward? Hold back? What?
Len was about to walk away when Meiko quickly grabbed his arm, recovering. "Len, I'm sorry" She realized that he may have been offended that she wasn't being honest with him as he was with her.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for dodging; I just did that because I didn't want to…" She trailed off.
"Hurt my feelings?" Len supplied, a hint of harshness in his words. He didn't mean for it to come out like that but he was stinging now.
"Just… just don't laugh or anything, okay?" The older brunette said. "Truth is, I don't know much about love. I've never been in a relationship." She finished, burying her face in her hands.
Len could only stare.
"But you're beautiful, brave and nice!" Len said without thinking. She was always having fun with Kaito and he even saw her blush around the man once… was he just over analyzing things?
"I don't know. I'm so sorry, Len. Maybe I'm not the best person to talk to you about this… ohh, I'm so stupid." She wailed, her voice muffled.
So he was mistaken? Len had never felt so relieved at being proven wrong! He even chuckled.
This did not go unnoticed by Meiko. She lifted her face from her hands and looked at him with hopeful eyes. "What are you laughing at, brat?" She asked humorously.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just so weird." She was worried that her lack of experience would make her seem low and not credible, when in truth, advice was something he didn't really want right now. But he would take it anyway because he respected her.
She grinned. "Oh yeah? Well, just because I've never been in a relationship doesn't mean I'm completely clueless about love. I've had my fair share of crushes and such and I have a ton of friends with colorful love lives to use as reference. So now that the air's been cleared, let's go back to you. What about this girl that you like?" She asked without hesitation, pulling him back down to sit.
Although he now felt a little better and fortified, Len frowned. It was impossible, his love. He knew it. "She doesn't like me back… She doesn't even know how I feel, but I know she doesn't." He revealed with a gloomy face.
"How can you be sure, then? You have to confess and find out! Who knows, maybe she does like you after all!" She replied.
"I'm pretty sure she doesn't." He insisted, looking away.
Meiko crossed her arms. "Oh, yeah? Why? What's not to like about you, hmm?"
"…"
"Look, Len. You are smart-"
"She likes funny and silly and nice guys." He blurted out.
Meiko just shook her head disapprovingly. "You are funny, silly and nice! You're also brilliant and dependable and talented. Look, those traits you mentioned are great but if you ask me, I would prefer someone who is true to himself. You can't say you have a type, that's like putting yourself in a box where you refuse to be open to other people. I hope the girl you like isn't like that." Meiko huffed. She was starting to think that Len might be too good for this girl.
"She isn't." He said, his eyes resting on her features. She isn't like that, he realized. He had been so worried about her type that he forgot who she was. She wasn't closed off. He smiled and felt hope in his veins. One day…
"Really? Well then, tell me who she is and I'll help you!" She beamed at him, happy that he was sure of his feelings and who his love was for. She still didn't think that whoever that girl was is good enough for Len but since it would make him smile, she'll support him. A little more and she could aid Len in winning his conquest for love.
"Uh, not a good idea." He mumbled quietly.
"Don't you trust me?"
He swiftly nodded his head. "I-I do! But it's complicated…" How would she respond to his feelings?
"Come on! Tell good ol' Meiko and she'll be Dr. Love!" She insisted with an encouraging, bright smile.
That smile… it blinded him. "You wouldn't understand…" He murmured softly as he traced patterns on the couch. It was all too simple to her.
Meiko's eyes widened, slightly hurt but it quickly softened as she thought about his feelings. "I don't know about that. I might or I might not but I will do my best. You know Len, you are one of a kind. You are a gem and I'm so happy you trust me enough to tell me what you really think but please know that even if I don't understand, I'll never turn away from you. Just tell me if you want and if you don't, I completely understand." She smiled at him with a glow in her eyes that he had never seen before, the kind of light that he never saw her direct at Kaito. Understanding, tender and…dare he say loving? It was mesmerizing and it was then that he made up his mind.
"Whoever this girl is, she's very lucky. You're bending out of shape for her, that girl is-"
"M-Meiko." Len said with a quiet but warm voice, still gazing into her eyes. His felt his heart burst at saying her name.
"Hm, yeah?" she replied, thrown off track by his loving tone, completely unaware.
"Meiko." He repeated. Can she feel it? His feelings? "C-can I call you that?" He added gently. He might be crossing a line here…
"Sure. I don't really mind." She approved easily with a grin. He was mature enough and he would never address her disrespectfully, so why not?
Len looked away for a second before taking a deep breath. Calm down, calm down. "The one I like."
"Yeah, who?"
Len looked at her with meaningful, soulful and crystal clear blue eyes that said it all.
That's when realization dawned on the brunette.
Does that mean…?
"Meiko is the one I like." The blonde declared, with determination and hope radiating from his entire 14 year old body. "I'm no fool, I know I'm four years younger than you but I don't care. I'll drink milk and get a lot of sleep and get taller and stronger for you! I like you so much it hurts and inspires me. You are kind, strong, beautiful and brilliant. You are amazing and while I know you don't feel the same way, I will do whatever it takes to make you like me back." Len told her with a firm voice and eyes sparkling with affection. It was sealed. He finally said it and he no longer cared for what anyone would think, whether he was being immoral or inappropriate, he didn't care. He liked her and that was all that mattered.
He gave her a sweet, boyish smile before adding, "I hope you're ready for that!" and with that he left, walking up the stairs with an effortless stride.
The shocked brunette just sat there, frozen and completely blown away by what had just transpired. Did Len just confess to her? She expected it to be Gumi or Miku. Even Neru. But her?
"WHAT?!" She exploded, almost falling off the couch.
The following morning…
"Oh… Morning, Len. You want some, uh… Toast? Cereal? Rice?" Meiko offered, tense. She had just finished making her coffee when Len came in. She and the blue eyed boy were alone as they were always the earliest ones up in the morning. She just sipped her coffee slowly, trying to shake off the nervous feeling. She tried her best to ignore the boy as he moved about the kitchen.
He liked her.
This is silly. He just has an innocent crush on her! She shouldn't let that ruin her relationship with the boy. 'It's just a phase… It'll pass. Right?' She did not know how to deal with this.
Len sat across from her. "I love you a lot." He said as a greeting. He didn't say it to get the same reply. He said because it made him happy knowing that his feelings are out there. He knows that Meiko is still in a bit of a shock but he was now sure of his feelings and he wasn't ashamed to let her know.
"LEN!" She choked on her coffee. "Not so early in the morning, please!"
It was only yesterday that Len made his bold confession of love to an utterly astonished and baffled Meiko. He thought about what happened and decided to just let things simmer for awhile, let it sink in.
No one was going to stop him, not even Meiko's best friend Kaito, who everyone thought was perfect for the short haired brunette. Kaito and Meiko…They were not cute together. At all. They looked mismatched if anything.
But did that make Len perfect for Meiko, who was older and completely different from him? No, not really but he was determined to prove that as long as the feelings are genuine, love can make miracles happen.
And on that morning, as he watched her fumble with a growing blush of embarrassment on her face, Len made a vow.
He's going to marry Meiko.
This is so different from my other Len X Meiko story, but I found it refreshing. Expect that story to be updated sometime soon… as well as my other fanfics.
Just a oneshot to get me back into the groove. I actually just swung this around and ended up with this. I made Meiko 18... I think it suits her. Vocaloid avatars don't have official ages, so I just did it like this. Hahaha, it was fun though and I hope everyone enjoyed reading this! Just a sort of cute and innocent story to fill our systems.
Thanks for reading!
_Rain Stops Goodbye_