This was originally for the Kagamine's 8th birthday (2015). I didn't write a fanfic for them last year, but I did sneak my way into the birthday collab on tumblr, although I doubt anyone noticed because who is me.
I can't believe it's the Kagamine's 10th anniversary this year, though, it's kind of strange. Although I've been in this fandom for a long time and come and go as I please, I find it hard to believe that Vocaloid has existed for more than 10 years already. I'm still waiting for the day I wake up and become a true, Cold adult, losing my interest in everything I love, including Vocaloid... squints at the unseeable future.
Revised by Piriluk on 15/4/2017. Original copy unbeta'd.
first impressions matter
Len asks Rin a very important question on their first date.
.
Rin didn't really know how to adult.
Which was pretty funny, really, because she was soon turning 23 and she still had no clue on how to date, let alone flirt with the opposite gender. Ha-ha.
Actually, no, it was pretty sad.
Even she had to admit it: here she was, single and ready to mingle since the dawn of the dinosaurs – and every other 23-or-whatever-since-she-was-getting-kind-of-desperate year old man was either crazy, married or homosexual. Had she known that she would still be tragically all alone and in dire need of Vitamin D in five years time, she would've been less of a prude when she was 17.
Ah, calamity. This is why time travel needs to be a thing.
Anyway, after 'putting herself out there' (as her best friend, Miku, proclaimed) on a few dating websites and battling the creeps who wanted her to send pictures of her feet, she finally found The One.
His name?
Len. Len Kagamine.
Yeah. He had the same last name as her – she knew that. But she decided it was just a sign from the gods, because she was in desperate need of hope, alright? If he ended up as her cousin thrice removed or whatever, so be it.
Anyway, he was quite the hunk: also 23, well-known according to Miku, and modelled for an underwear clothing line. (She'd seen his photos – he looked like his body had been carved by angels.) His family owns a famous business that manufactures string instruments, meaning that yes, he was also rich and a musical genius. It gets even better: he's funny, and charming, and witty. He just gets Rin's poor sense of humour – a blessing in itself. He was practically a match made in heaven for her.
And now – now they were going on a date! Yes, folks—Rin Kagamine, of all people—was going on a date with a hot guy for the very first time!
…which was the problem.
You see, Rin had never been on a date before – literally. Yep, that was right – she was 23 years old and a 'virgin'. She had no skills whatsoever with dating, or flirting, or just communicating with men, full stop. Sex? A-whole-nother language, guys. It was humiliating. She wanted to be appealing. She wanted to be sexy, and mature, and experienced – but she couldn't even walk in high heels without eating the dirt.
Miku enjoyed taking the piss out of her for being so 'virginal'. But goddammit, Rin Kagamine was going to make a come back and shove those words back into that inconsiderate tealette's mouth. Len Kagamine was going to be her boyfriend, and nothing was going to stop her.
Nothing.
She was absolutely, positively certain about that.
.
Once they settled into the restaurant Len himself had picked for their date, and ordered a few things from the menu, the young man began new conversation with, "Can I ask you something?"
Rin, hardly batting an eyelid about his sudden seriousness, said, "Sure."
Len sipped at his drink and hesitated, gaze dropping to the table. "It's weird, though."
She raised an eyebrow. He pressed his lips together. "It's okay," she told him, though she wasn't really sure what she was in for. She felt pretty confident it wasn't a big deal, though, like, maybe he was asking her about kinks or her favourite colour or –
"What colour are your nipples?"
Or the colour of her nipples.
Wait, what?
Rin almost choked, had to take a moment to figure out whether she heard right. "I'm sorry?"
Len shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "What colour are your nipples?" he repeated, lowering his voice a little, as if concerned the people nearby would hear his god-awful question.
She hadn't heard him wrong, apparently. "What," she said. "The… colour of my nipples?"
He nodded.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" she then queried, feeling suspicious of him. She glanced down at his hand to check if there were any rings; whether he was just a deprived husband out looking for a side-hoe. His hand was clean, though.
Len tilted his head, a bit like a confused puppy. "No. I'm being serious."
"Why?"
Goodbye her dreams, 'The One' was actually batshit. She began imagining the dreaded scenario of having to crawl back to Miku only to tell her the date was a failure. "You bring out the worst in anyone, Rin," she'd probably chide.
The man sitting across from her adjusted his shirt, appearing nervous. "Well, you know," he fumbled. No, I don't, Rin thought back with a frown. He saw her expression and sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."
"Shouldn't've you," she muttered, her cheeks growing warm. She folded her arms over her chest, suddenly conscientious he might have x-ray vision, too. "Way to make my first date a memorable one. Jeez."
"Wait," Len said. "Did you just say… your first date?"
Rin blinked. "I… uh."
He cracked a small grin. "First date, as in your first, first date? Aw." He paused, before his eyes darkened. "Same, though."
"Er… what?"
"It's my first date too," he explained, sounding a little annoyed, as if the thought bothered him. "Untouched and everything. What are the odds, right?"
Rin didn't even want to ask why he'd been single all his life, considering he was super attractive and had a good amount of junk, too. Maybe he had… crabs or something. Oh God.
"I know what you're thinking," Len spoke up. "There's nothing wrong with me. I swear."
She rested her chin on her hand and raised an eyebrow, doubting his claim. "Right. Any normal person would ask someone what colour their nipples were on a first date."
It was his turn to frown. "I have a reason behind that, okay? My friend told me to do it."
"Your friend," she echoed. "Your friend told you to ask a girl that question? Why?"
"Er, I was asking for tips and… he told me to do that, because apparently it'd help me know whether she was good news or not." He stopped, eyebrows furrowing. "He didn't exactly get to how it worked, though."
Rin smacked her forehead. Either this guy was a bullshit artist, or he was really that gullible. Jeez. "Okay, well, you're lucky I'm not one of those girls who'd flip out and tip my drink all over you if she were asked a question like that. The thing is: you don't. Especially not on a first date. I don't know what you friend was on, but I think he was just trying to cause trouble for you, Len."
Len laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised… I can't believe I fell for that. Thank goodness you were calm about it, though. Sorry… Wait – why even am I apologising? That move was really damn stupid."
"I was contemplating walking out," she stated, before taking a swig of her drink. "Glad I listened to more of the story, though. Now I just know you're just an idiot." She smirked.
Her date thought for a moment. "Okay, so… how about maybe after tonight, we arrange for another date and try again?" he suggested carefully, giving her a sheepish grin. "It'll be like, our second-first date, but our first date without the awkward nipple question."
Rin mulled on the idea. "Hey. Not bad. That way we can just forget about this and… have a proper date without feeling super weird about what just happened."
"Thanks. So… what about next Saturday at six o'clock?"
.
He was already waiting for her at their table when she arrived.
"Hey, Rin," he greeted, standing to pull out her chair. Before she sat down, he stooped in to steal a kiss from her cheek.
Rin flushed, surprised by the warm gesture. At least it was already playing out a whole lot smoother than last week. They somehow got to know each other better after planning their 'second-first' date (as Len liked to call it), so now conversation came more naturally.
"Good evening," she answered. Once she took her seat, he sat across from her.
"So," he began casually, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What actually is the colour of your nipples?"
idk? what was on my mind while writing this, but yeah. What a nice anniversary present for some synthesizer-program mascots.