It's like I'm dreaming at the end of a tiring day.
You embrace me with warmth.
I gingerly open the door to our apartment, a small part of my heart sincerely hoping that you would be around, although that was extremely unlikely to happen. I place my bag quietly on the velvet sofa, then scan the room. Nobody. Just the low grumble of downtown traffic below the rooms of our building. Just the same old cream walls, brown carpets and almost melancholic yellow lamps brightening up the slightly narrow space. How I wish the exuberant you were there to brighten up the atmosphere.
Hell, I should probably invest in some cheerier lights. That would probably be better to my constantly tired mind.
I sigh, kicking off my blue loafers. I opt to relax before doing anything else, despite my stomach defiantly protesting against the cruel decision. As I crash onto the couch and close my heavy eyelids, I replay the day's events in my head. It was honestly such a wonder I was able to drive myself safely back home.
"No, don't do that yet!" I shrieked as loudly as I dared in the operating room, immediately shocking the technician and causing him to drop his instruments. I pointed at what he was doing sternly and hid a sympathetic look from him when he realised, in horror, that he had missed a crucial step while preparing some surgical gear.
It was busy in the hospital today, as there had been an accident on the freeway, with more than thirty injured. Unfortunately, as we were the closest hospital available near the scene, we had to bear the brunt of taking in most of the patients and treating them. I had thought it would be a slow day. I was just finishing up my rounds and preparing to end my shift when one of the on-duty doctors received an emergency call.
An unplanned extra eight hours then decided to sit itself down on my once eight hour shift. It was frustrating to no end, especially because a lot of the staff during those hours were fresh out of medical school. Geez, was I as bad as them when I was an intern!? I raced from room to room, disinfecting instrument after instrument and assisting surgeons in various operations for eight hours straight without a break.
My eyes stung badly, my shoulders were tensed beyond all belief, and my breathing became very unruly. It was a wonder I was able to keep a straight head for that long under so much stress. I had only realised that I was tired when one of my workmates told me that I worked for long enough and that I was allowed to return home for the night.
I hear the door unlock, but I don't open my eyes, feeling the exhaustion more than ever although already resting. I bet I looked like a mess with my long, turquoise hair tangled up in the fat ponytail it is bunched up in and my blue and white nurses' uniform, consisting of a simple knee-length dress, stained and crinkly. It isn't until I feel a strong pair of arms wrap around my shoulders that I open my eyes, just a little.
My fiance, Len Kagamine, smiles warmly at me and whispers,
"Are you alright, my love?"
Am I dreaming? I thought he had to work. If my haggard brain remembers correctly, he came in for his shift a few hours ago. I blink my eyes a few times before I ask, "Aren't you supposed to be working?"
My heart that was empty fills up with your scent.
So I can dream forever.
His minty cologne wafts up into my nose. Although it is mixed with a slight tinge of sweat, I take deep breaths of the scent, feeling warm and secure with the familiar smell.
"They told me you looked like death, so I came back home to see you." I hear him reply, his deep, soothing voice only making me feel like it's more of a dream than ever. "Long day?" he queries.
"Mmmf," I mumble back as I bury my face in his chest. I feel him gently put his head on mine as his arms curl around my midsection. I smile into his chest, savouring the rare moment of peace.
Such a soft scent, a slightly soft tremble. Actually, I'm afraid.
Give me courage so my heart is overwhelmed. Quietly and tightly hug me…
The slight tremble he has while holding me makes me a bit worried. Am I making him uncomfortable? As selfish as it sounds, I don't want to let him go. I'm afraid of him leaving me.
His quiet voice cuts through my thoughts, offering words of encouragement. He always knows what I need, and always makes me feel happier and more energetic. He tightens his hold on me, almost suffocating me but then loosens his hold.
I wonder if he's afraid of losing me as well.
I hope you feel the same way every day,
I hope every day shines and dazzles beautifully.
I push myself out of his arms and kiss him. He stands up and offers his hand to me. I take his hand and we walk out to the balcony together.
The sky and the plants we grew sparkle beautifully, and I smile as I look up at the sky. It was a cloudless night, and despite the skyscrapers and bright lights that polluted the distance, many stars could be seen. I use my finger to trace out the constellations I could see and spontaneously jump in joy when I complete one.
"We have the Summer Triangle… I can see Orion's belt…!" I hear myself cry out, causing my fiance to chuckle. I always had a child-like spontaneity to my personality, and although it's embarrassing to myself, he finds it cute.
My blabbering about stars cuts off when Len kisses me and puts his head on my shoulder.
"I love you, Miku," he says, smiling. My face warms up a bit as I reply.
"I love you too, Len."
You are my only one, baby,
So let our hearts flutter again tomorrow.
Love, love, love, my baby.
On a cloudy and cold night, your light is my comfort.
I feel like a child. I love your eyes that are filled with me.
A cold breeze sweeps by, and I shiver. He notices my shaking.
"Are you cold?"
Even if I deny, he knows it. He is always so considerate and always so worried about me. The moment he sees me nod, he scoops me up from the floor and carries me into the living room. I don't protest, and instead stare into his gleaming cobalt eyes.
I always know when he's thinking of me, because it only gleams when he does. I love his blue orbs; they're always so full of life. I then mentally slap myself for caring about such strange things such as eye colours.
And suddenly, I realise that maybe, just maybe, caring about eye colours doesn't seem so childish anymore.
You hide my dark times and pain. You make me happy.
I'm falling in love
"He doesn't love me anymore," I sobbed, stuffing more ice cream into my face as I did. Rin Kagamine, my best friend since diapers, simply smiled sympathetically as she cracked open a bag of chips and began shoveling food down her throat with me.
Rin was Len's twin. She was always the one who kept Len in line with me during our school years, and she was my best friend, always as bright as a warm summer day, with her big, white bow always bouncing atop her lemon yellow head and her blue eyes as bright as a cloudless afternoon.
"Miku, I'm sure he didn't cheat on you, though," she said, her voice light. "I think he didn't actually kiss Neru, because you know how she can be."
"But still!" I cried, throwing my spoon across the room and falling into a miserable heap onto the floor. "I saw him deepen the kiss, Rin! He can't possibly..."
She frowned, and placed her bag of chips on the coffee table. "Well, he's my brother, and I know him well," she declared, snatching her phone off one of my couches. She then proceeded to speed dial Len. My eyes immediately grew large when she showed me her phone. She had video-called Len, and the dial tone was still ringing when I saw it.
"Rin, no," I screamed as loud as my scratchy voice (the aftermath of eating so much junk food) would allow. "I don't want to see him!"
Rin was defiant, however, and she dodged my attempts to turn the call off. Soon enough, a full-on grapple fight commenced, with Rin's phone on the line. Just when I was a push away from winning, Len's voice emerged from the speaker. "Hello?"
Rin's face lit up, and she promptly sat up as soon as she heard the slightly modified voice from the phone. "Yeah, hey, Len." she said, one hand holding her device in front of her and the other holding my head down.
"Riiiiiiiiiiin," I cried, slapping her hand with my own ones as hard as I could. "Let me go!"
She looked down from the camera on her phone and smirked at me. I then heard Len's voice again. "Rin, are you at Miku's place right now?"
Rin smirked bigger. "Yeah, I am. Here she is," she said, pulling my miserable self up by my turquoise hair, allowing me to face the camera. Len's eyes widened, probably surprised at seeing my tear-streaked face and puffy red eyes. "Miku… Why didn't you pick up your phone? I called you two thousand times!" That was Len, alright. Always trying to lighten up the mood.
However, my emotions were far from lighthearted. I began crying again, and my hands instinctively went up to cover my face as I spilled out my pent-up fury and hurt once more.
I didn't hear much of anything after that, only snippets of "Yeah, she's in a pretty bad shape" and "She's pretty much down in the dumps… Could you come by for a bit?" from Rin. She just stared at me, her eyes shining with worry. When I heard her say the latter, I immediately shot up and shook my head 'no' through my tears. The last thing I heard before I collapsed from my tears was
"I'm on my way."
from Len.
Such a soft scent, a slightly soft tremble. Actually, I'm afraid.
Protect me so my heart feels full. Hold my hand…
My heavy eyelids fluttered open gently, with a feeling of lethargy accompanying my awakening. With a start, I noticed that I was in my bed and not the living room. I sighed, gently pushed myself up and wondered if it was all a dream, and that everything didn't happen.
The appearance of a certain blond boy in my bedroom doorway seemed to immediately wash away that possibility, however.
He noticed that I was awake and almost dropped the tea tray that he was carrying. Frantically walking to my side, he placed the tray on my bedside table and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Lie back down, Miku," he whispered with a commanding tone. I obliged, and watched him take a wet teal washcloth from the tray. He pressed it down on my forehead and I groaned in dismay, pulling my sheets up to my chin.
"I don't have a fever, Len," I said bitterly. He looked down worriedly, pushing my hair out of my face. I must've looked terrible. Suddenly, images of Neru kissing him flashed in my mind, and I turned my back to him. Neru was beautiful, rich and popular, I thought. Unlike me.
"Miku…" Len's voice cut through my train of thought. "What's wrong? Why were you crying?"
I didn't want to tell him. I really didn't.
But somehow, the words came flowing out of me.
"I thought you were cheating on me."
I hope you feel the same way every day.
I hope every day shines and dazzles beautifully.
"Miku?" Len's voice cuts into my daydream. I stir, jolting out of my thoughts. "Are you alright? What are you thinking of?"
I groan halfheartedly, realising that his eyes had that dumb effect on me again, the one that causes me to think deeply about the past. He chuckles, plopping down next to me on the cushy velvet sofa and wrapping a thick blanket around us. "What, am I that handsome?"
Typical, cocky Len. Still, I find myself falling in love with him all over again. He smiles warmly, arms curling around my shoulders as he pulls me into an embrace. I grin back, basking happily in the cozy world that his body offered. His chin rests on my head as he hugs me. Stealing a glance at the window, it shows me the outside of our building, but also our reflection, which was reminiscent of a matryoshka doll with two heads (one on top and one in the middle), albeit not very clearly.
I'm always annoyed at his height, but tonight, I feel like I have an advantage. When we were little, Rin and I were usually taller than him by about an inch or so, but after Len was boosted by his growth spurt, he grew an entire head taller than both me and Rin. It aggravated the blonde girl a lot, but I liked it. It sort of showed that he was becoming more manly. Uh, maybe not. I don't know. All I know is that I like it.
"You're so tacky," I grumble, pressing my back into him. He lets out a quiet yelp, probably surprised by the sudden pressure. Or maybe he's just pretending to. He has a dumb habit of acting like I'm strong, or heavy in this case. Dumb, but cute, I chorus whenever he does that.
His rebuttal? "You're so pretty. Pretty fiancee."
Well, what did I expect?
You are my only one, baby
So tomorrow, you and I can have our hearts flutter again
Love, love, love, my baby
I whine loudly, falling headfirst onto the soft sofa. "Tacky," I say again. He just smirks, flopping onto my body and then kissing me.
I don't know if it's because he's a good kisser or whatever, but whenever his lips touch mine, it always feels like warm, toasted marshmallows are being pressed against my mouth. It always feels nice, even when his lips are chapped and as dry as a desert.
He lets go and leaves me feeling empty and drafty. I sit up, and he dips his head into my lap, eyes gazing into mine. I giggle and say,
"Sing for me, Prince Len."
He laughs weakly, then closes his eyes. "Hey, don't leave me hanging; I'm your queen, remember?" I exclaim, lightly tickling his sides. His laughter is now an enormous contrast from before. It's loud and extremely happy, with his body constantly twitching. He gives in and grabs hold of my hands. His laughter dies down, with my smile doing the opposite, instead growing bigger and brighter.
"Alright, alright," he chokes out, still out of breath from laughing so exuberantly. "What song would you like to hear?"
"Um..." I say, pretending to think for a long time. He knows the answer, however, and just rolls his eyes playfully before he begins.
"I'm glad I was able to love you from the beginning, and so..."
You give me different kinds of butterflies every day
I hope you won't forget this moment
So my growing feelings won't get hurt when I see you.
I sprung up from my bunk bed at summer camp, my eyes wide. My body was drenched in cold sweat; I had a nightmare. Feeling around for my bolster, I grabbed it as soon as my hands touched its soft material. I squeezed it tightly as if it was my lifeline, then try to replay the events of the nightmare in my head.
-o-
I remember screaming… What was it? It was so big, so scary… And it was as pale as a sheet. It was a cold night, the kind of night when the sky was purplish and the moon was low enough to seem as if it's hanging from a tree branch like an apple. I was running, running so fast, tears falling from my eyes faster than I can blink them back…
I sprinted until I couldn't anymore; until I was gasping for breath and falling to my knees…The air smelled like smoke and…
Was I mistaken? I sniffed again, getting up carefully and looking at the dusk sky. The tang of iron, the kind that reminded me of…
Blood.
I shrieked as I spotted puddles of blood everywhere around me, on the dead branches of the trees, in the sky, everywhere…
I felt pain on my arm, and I gasped as I saw a large gash, crimson and dripping with blood. I fell into a puddle in shock, staining my white nightgown a terrifying red.
Then I saw it again.
"I finally caught up with you..."
All I can remember after that was a scream.
-o-
I snapped myself out of it, my body shaking in fear. I glanced at the clock beside me, and sighed internally. It was 3 a.m, and I couldn't sleep. I decided to take a walk to soothe my nerves, and crawl out of my bed. Rin was sleeping soundly in the lower bunk. Lucky her, she could sleep through everything.
I step out of the room I shared with Rin and take a deep breath, scanning my surroundings. Good, no iron smell, no purple sky. I began to take small strides towards the little meadow in our camp; a secret place I shared with the twins.
To my surprise, Len was there. My stomach began to churn as I called his name. He turned, and smiled in slight shock when he spotted me in the dim moonlight. He patted a spot next to him; a silent invitation for me to sit down next to him.
I smile back in gratitude and plop down, my head immediately settling on his shoulder. I was tired, but my eyes were wide open. The effects of the nightmare haven't left me.
"Bad dream?" he questioned, although he probably knew the answer already, with my body shivering during a warm summer night. I let out a noise, and he gently places my head on his lap, taking the noise as a yes. He stares into my eyes, and I feel my face heat up as I stare back. His normally bright cobalt seems to almost shine with an obsidian shade with the moonlight, and they reminded me of a cozy, rainy night.
He started to sing quietly, and I felt my shaking subside as his tongue danced over the lyrics.
"What I am now is like the small glow of a sparkler..."
"For a moment, it will bloom like a flower that lights up our hearts."
The next thing I heard before falling asleep was 'I love you.'
This feeling I get when I'm always dreaming
I hope we won't lose this right now… I hope we can keep it forever.
Oh baby~ Ah~
"I'll sing to the sky..."
I smile in satisfaction and he crawls down to the floor before settling next to me, readjusting the blanket so it covers the both of us up to our chin. He then wraps his arms around me again, muttering words of encouragement for no reason at all. Another one of his habits that I find endearing.
It's greedy of me, but I don't want to lose him, nor any part of him. These emotions that crash onto me whenever he holds me, whenever he proclaims his love for me, whenever he's next to me… I don't ever want to lose them. I don't ever want to lose him. I want us to keep this forever. As my eyelids become heavier and heavier, I wonder if he feels the same way, if he treasures these feelings equivalent to a beautiful dream as well.
I get my answer just before I fall asleep.
You are my only one, baby
So tomorrow, our hearts can flutter again.
Love, love, love, my baby.
"You're my only one, Miku, and you always will be."
–
Disclaimer: Only One's lyrics are not mine. They are owned by Apink (a Korean-pop girl-group and their agency, Plan A Entertainment.)
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think! Also, try to guess the song that Len sang, I'm sure it's quite obvious xD
