A/N: Hey guys! None of you probably know who I am, but that's because this is my first ever Vocaloid fanfic. I discovered Vocaloid around Christmas last year and I've wanted to write a story about it since. However, since I'm a lazy ass, I was only able to do so now. Since I discovered Vocaloid and its characters, I've been hooked. It's crazy! Not only is the music pretty good and I find the characters interesting. So, my Vocaloid otp is LenXMiku and I just find them to be completely adorable. Well, without further ado, here's my first ever Vocaloid fanfiction! Enjoy!
There comes a time in everyone's life where he/she wishes that a fast-forward button to the future existed for he/she would rather die(not really but you get the point) than face a certain…challenge. Simply because said challenge would bring utter embarrassment and/or desire to crawl into a hole and rot there until one's body cells decay. Unfortunately for those people, such feature does not exist.
And unfortunately for Len Kagamine, he was one of those people, at the moment at least. For the little boy wanted nothing more than to go home and bury himself in his mother's arms.
It was the first day of kindergarten. Like a lot of kids, little Len had been frightened by the mere thought of going to school and meeting other kids. However, no matter how much he begged, his parents refused to let him stay home. They told him that it won't be as horrible as he thought it would be. He grimaced as he remembered his parents' words of comfort.
"Son, it's time to go. I know how much you don't like being around other people, but you need to try this time. Don't worry, kiddo, there are kids inside, just like you"
"You'll be fine, son. Your sister's already inside. Plus, I'm sure you can handle it. You're a big boy after all, aren't you"
"Of course he can! He's our Lenny after all!"
The moment he stepped foot in the room, he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him. All of the sudden, the surge of confidence brought upon by his parents' reassurance faded. What were these kids looking at? Did they not like him? Did they find him creepy? Did they not want to be friends with him? Did they think he was not…cool enough? Negative thoughts swirled around the boy's mind.
Inside the room were five tables with four chairs each. Setting aside his usual pickiness, he settled for the seat beside his sister's. Since the chairs were arranged in a way that there were two chairs on one side and two on the other, Len had to sit across a random kid. He didn't bother taking a glance at the kids in front of him. He merely hung his head, his eyes trained on the soft fabric of his shorts. For alas, his shyness prevailed once again; enduring numerous focused stares took a lot out of the poor boy. While his sister on the other hand, was already chatting away with her other seatmates. Judging from the giggles and exchanges he heard, it appears that his sister already had a handful of friends on her corner.
The first hour and a half was rather uneventful for little Len. He only tore his gaze away from his lap whenever his teacher spoke. The boy's neck already started to ache, showing early signs of a stiff neck, but he didn't care. At least this way, he won't see if the other kids are staring at him again.
Soon enough, the raven-haired teacher closed her textbook and asked the children to bring out their lunch bags, signaling the beginning of recess period. After eating, she announced that because the children behaved well, she would allot more time for them to play outside. With multiple cheers erupting from the kids, the teacher opened the door and watched as her young students rushed to the playground.
"Let's play! I wanna try the swing set! Come on, Mikuo!" his sister, who sat beside him, yelled before grabbing the arm of the kid in front of her and running along. Unlike him, his sister appeared to be having the best day of her life. While he hated interacting with others, his sister was the complete opposite. She was so amicable, causing everyone she meets to shower her with attention.
Tch. Only if he was as awesome as her sister was. All she had to do was captivate others using her cuteness. He returned his gaze on his lap, slumping his shoulders.
"Aren't ya comin'?"
The blond slowly tilted his head upwards to find a girl staring at him. She appeared to be around his age. She had unusually teal-colored hair which extended past her shoulders. Her petite, heart-shaped face was defined by her bluish-green eyes. Her skin, was white as porcelain, just like his mother's.
Len blinked, focusing on the question rather than the features of the cute girl. He returned his gaze to his lap and shook his head in reply.
"Aw, come on! It'll be fun!" the girl urged.
Len looked up again and saw the girl smiling at him with her hand outstretched towards him. Somehow, Len's wanted to play with him. Besides, his parents did tell him that he was bound to meet someone who wouldn't dislike him. Maybe she was one of them? Len simply decided to find out.
Hesitantly, he got up from his seat and walked towards the girl. He looked her in the eye, causing her to giggle. Seeing her teal eyes (which complemented her hair perfectly) radiate with such innocence made him feel that maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
"My name's Miku! What's yours?"
Len flushed before replying "I'm Len"
The girl grinned at his reply "Nice to meet'cha, Len! Now come on! I wanna play tag!" she declared before grabbing his hand and running outside to the playground. Len felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips as he was dragged by the teal-haired girl.
That was how he met her
A frown was etched upon the seven year-old boy's lips. Miku should already be here by now! Seriously, it's been five minutes since recess period began. He kicked his legs off the ground, swaying himself backward on the swing set he sat on. Soon, he got carried away and was swinging himself as hard as he could. All of the sudden, he felt himself come to a halt from his swaying. He looked up beside him and saw three boys smirking evilly at him. One of the boys had his hands on the swing set's chains, preventing it from moving. Before the befuddled boy could even lift his eyebrows, he was shoved forward with astonishing force.
The blond yelped when his skin made contact with the ground. Pain shot through multiple areas of his body. The pain on his left cheek seemed to stand out; he felt the tender flesh throb as if it was his own heart. He reached up and grazed the throbbing spot with his fingers. When he moved them back in front of his face, he felt dizzy; his slim fingers were now coated with blood. The mere sight of the red substance made bile rise up his throat.
"What are you doing here, Banana Freak?"
"Shouldn't you be stuffing your face with bananas like the ugly gorilla you are?"
"Yeah! Don't use the swing set! You'll cover it with your gorilla cooties! Go use the monkey bars over there!"
"Get lost you freak!"
The boy found himself helpless as countless insults were thrown at him. Tears began to form at the corner of his cerulean eyes. Why were they doing this to him? Why were they being so mean? What did he do to deserve this? Why were they insulting him when he's been nothing but kind towards them? Why didn't he have any friends? Was the world really this cruel?
"Hey! Leave him alone!" someone shouted. Almost instantly, silence ensued, stopping any more insults from leaving the bullies' mouths.
The three boys who were picking on the poor blond turned their heads to see who was interrupting their fun. There stood a teal-haired girl; hands on her hips, eyebrows furrowed in anger, lips curved into a nasty frown and eyes gleaming with desire for revenge. She glared at the bullies with such disdain that it was beyond frightening.
When the boys realized who it was, they began to snicker and seconds later broke into uncontrollable laughter. About a minute or so of laughing and wiping tears of pure amusement off their eyes, they approached the tealette. They stopped just a couple of inches in front of the little girl. They smirked arrogantly before letting her have a piece of their minds.
"Oh look, it's the little Leek Head"
"What are you gonna do about it, twerp?"
"If you don't want to end up like Banana Freak over there, you better get lost girlie"
The tealette lost her temper; in other words, hell was about to be unleashed. A distinct smacking sound resonated in the air. In a blink of an eye, the boy in front of her was no longer there. The other two boys blinked several times before turning their heads to the ground. They almost couldn't believe what they saw. There lay their friend, clutching his cheek. The boy's flesh throbbed in absolute pain. A red handprint was across his left cheek, signifying the tealette's reply to his and his friends' threats.
A loud whimper escaped from the boy's lips. Tears began to fall uncontrollably from his eyes. The once childish atmosphere suddenly became a serious one. Silence ensued. Not a sound was made, save for the wails of the boy on the ground. Once they realized what just happened, the two other bullies returned their gazes to the tealette who just slapped the living hell out of their friend. This time though, the mocking glint in their eyes was no longer present. Instead, their eyes were now wide in fear. Who knew that a little girl such as the one in front of them had the ability and the guts to stand up for herself?
The boy clutching his cheek abruptly stood up and ran away. He sprinted as fast as he could away from the scene. Even as his retreating form began to fade from sight, his sobs were still very much audible. When he was completely out of sight, the little girl eyed the two boys who were still frozen in shock. When her teal orbs shifted towards them, they were consumed by fear. In a split second, they were running for their lives as well.
After the three meanies finally left, the tealette turned to her blond friend who was now sitting up with his head hung low. Amidst the exchange between her and the bullies, the boy was able to sit himself up. But now, the boy appeared to be crying. The sight of her trembling friend broke the little girl's heart. She rushed to his side and crouched in front of him.
The blond had long lost the resolve to hold in his tears. He himself, just like the bully that was slapped by his friend moments ago, was sobbing like an infant albeit silently. His body quivered; he choked on his tears, wheezing as he struggled to breathe. The gravel beneath him had dark spots on it, serving as landing zones for his warm tears.
All of a sudden, he felt a pair of warm hands cup his cheeks. Upon the warm touch, Len felt his face gently being tilted upwards. When Miku's eyes met with his, the tealette let out a gasp. Needless to say, the girl was shocked at what she saw. She knew Len had been bullied, but she didn't know that he was bullied to this extent. She eyed ugly gash on her friend's cheek that was still bleeding. His tears mixed with his blood; by the time his teardrops reached his chin, they already had a transparent-red color.
Len, like Miku, was shocked when their gazes met. He didn't want her to see him like this. He didn't want her to see him crying like a baby. He didn't want her to see him wounded and bleeding like a pathetic dog that he is. He didn't want her to think that he's useless. He didn't want her to think that he's ugly. He didn't…he didn't…
He didn't want her to leave him.
That's why he was shocked even more when Miku simply smiled at him. She appeared to look…relieved? Huh? But…wh-
Before he could comprehend with what was happening, he found himself in the arms of the girl in front of him. He froze. She wasn't going to walk away? She wasn't going to tell him that he was ugly? She didn't want to tell him that she didn't ever want to see him again?
"It's okay. I'm here with you. You're safe now" Miku mumbled. She tightened her arms around his neck, almost squeezing him to death. She nuzzled his cheek tenderly. She continued whispering words into his ear, mostly reminders about how everything was going to be okay. Eventually, Miku pulled away. Their gazes met once again. Miku smiled warmly at him again.
When he saw those familiar teal irises, all doubt disappeared. He was safe. He was with her. Miku was here. Miku wasn't going to leave him. Everything was going to be okay. Those beautiful teal eyes promised him so.
He believed them.
That was when she became his first true friend
He can't remember the last time he had ever felt so cold. He was shivering, his body unable to withstand the ridiculously low temperature. His lungs were burning. His cheeks were paler than usual. His eyes felt like they were being pricked by thousands of needles. Was it because of his attire? But he was wearing a suit. He shouldn't be cold. And the last time he checked, it was summer.
So why was he freezing?
His train of thought was derailed by the sound of a loud wheeze. He blinked several times to snap himself back to reality. The first thing his eyes landed upon gave him a hint regarding the answer to his previous question.
There stood his mother, who he swears he saw with proper makeup a few minutes ago, one hand covering her mouth as she cried. Her other hand was clutching a white rose. Her grip on the rose was light; it appears she's supposed to let go of the flower but still seems to be hesitating.
"I won't ever forget you…all the memories I shared with you…I promise I'll take care of the kids…I love you…I'll see you again soon…" his mother croaked out. Her sniffing/hiccupping/sobbing interrupted every syllable of her little speech. She eyed the surface below, before closing her eyes and letting go of the flower.
Len's eyes followed the white rose. His ocean blue eyes did not blink while it tracked the rose, seemingly unsatisfied until it finds out where the flower will land. When the flower landed and he saw where; everything became much clearer.
The white rose landed on top of a black coffin along with numerous other white roses. He looked around him. Everyone was either crying his/her eyes out or were staring at the coffin sadly. So that's why it was so cold. So that's why even if all his aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were here, no one was happy.
His father passed away.
There had been an unfortunate accident a few days ago. There was a fire in the establishment where his father had been working. Apparently, there was a malfunction in the building's electric circuits. A fire broke out; when people found out, the fire had already engulfed almost half of the building. His father made it out initially, but when he found out that a lot of people were still stuck inside and that firemen were nowhere to be found, he rushed back inside the burning establishment. He saved as many people as he could, but failed to save himself. He didn't make it.
He still remembers how happy his father was before he went to work that day. He had just been promoted as the Junior Vice President of their international company. He remembered how he promised him that he would buy him a PlayStation, an XBOX and as many games as he wants when he got his monthly salary. He remembered how brightly his father smiled at him that morning. He remembered how he hugged him goodbye before he left.
So that's why he feels like hell. So that's why he's clutching a white rose on his right hand.
He was about to say goodbye for the last time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister utter her last words, before dropping her own rose. After doing her part, his twin sister stepped back and continued to sob. That meant it was his turn to drop his rose. Since he was closest to his father, he would be the last person to say goodbye before they bury him underground.
He couldn't move. He couldn't even cry. Out of everyone who was present during the burial, he was the only one who didn't appear to be grieving. Instead, he looked…indifferent…like he became a robot…like he lost the ability to feel. He blacked out. He didn't know what to do. He's supposed to say goodbye to his father? How does he do that? Is that even possible? What? Why? He's still so young. He only turned eleven a few months ago and he's already lost his father.
He was able to snap out of it when he felt his right hand, which had been empty, being held by another. He slowly turned his head to the right and saw something very familiar—a pair of beautiful, teal eyes. Ocean blue clashed with lush teal. She squeezed his hand. The cold became a little more bearable. Faint warmth enveloped his hand. Mildly, he was able to grasp the situation. A little bit of sorrow penetrated the cold…and for a second he became the usual crybaby that he was again.
A tear was slipping down her cheek. Her eyes were filled with concern. She opened her mouth to speak, only to close it right after. Her lips were quivering. He could see her desperate plea for him to remain sane. Weakly, he squeezed her hand back. She let out a gasp; the worry in her eyes lessened. She gave him a slight nod before turning to the black coffin below them.
He took a shaky breath. He faced his deceased father's coffin. He closed his eyes. He let out a deep sigh.
'Goodbye, Dad. Thanks for everything. I'll never forget you. Don't you worry, Dad. I'll take care of Mom and Rin. I promise. I love you, Dad. Rest peacefully' the blond recited mentally before dropping his own rose.
After the coffin was buried underground, everyone began to say his/her goodbyes and left. While everyone came over to hug and console his mother and his twin sister, Len remained on the spot where he stood before they buried his father. He just stared at the exact space where his father's coffin was visible some time ago. It wasn't before Miku told him that it was time to go home that he left his spot.
Miku continued to hold his hand while they walked over to their families. Miku's brother, Mikuo, was hugging Rin, comforting her while Miku's parents were consoling Len's now-widowed mother. With everyone crying in front of him, Len felt angry at himself. Why is it that he could cry over the stupidest of things like television shows and movies but can't bring himself to cry over his father's death.
Why can't he cry when it actually matters? Is it because he's older now? Is it because now that his father's dead, he's now the man of the household? And his dad told him boys don't cry…that men don't cry. He's a man now, right? It's up to him to protect his mother and his sister; he even promised his father that he would do so. That's right. He has to be strong. He has to be a man. Men don't cry. Men don't cry. Only the weak cry. He's a man now. He doesn't cry.
Or perhaps…that wasn't the case for him.
Miku pulled him to a hug; the tealette wrapped her arms around his neck, encasing the emotionally drained blond in a bear hug. Miku rested her lips on his ear and whispered a few words that finally opened the floodgates of Len's tears.
"Things will be different now; some things will change. But don't you worry. What we have will never change. We'll remain as best friends, no matter what. I know how you're feeling, Len. It's really hard to lose a loved one, especially since you're still so young. Your Dad's in a better place, Len. Always remember that. I know you're a little older now, and that boys don't cry. But it's okay to cry, Lenny. Let it all out. It's normal to cry. It means you're human. Don't be afraid to show what you feel. I'm right here for you"
It caught him off-guard—how well Miku knew before he himself did why he couldn't cry—to say the least. And finally, he was able to grieve. He wrapped his arms around her waist and sobbed helplessly. He finally was no longer cold. He wasn't warm either, but at least he wasn't numb anymore. And he had her to thank for it.
That was when he realized that he absolutelyneeded her in his life
A/N: How was it? I admit, writing this was quite the challenge since I don't really know how to write characters as kids. Let me know what you think! I hoped you guys enjoy the first chapter! I'm sorry that this was also quite long? Because I really wanted to portray how important Miku is in Len's life. This'll be pivotal in the second chapter, as this ficlet progresses.
