I do not own Vocaloid. They belong to the respective programing companies that created them, and Sega, who makes the Hatsune Miku games.
This story is a continuation of The Forgotten Memory, and thus, I have added it to the story as a second chapter. Again, there will be intermittent thoughts from various characters, marked by 'whoever's thought' and ended with 'thoughts end'.
The time is about another year after the very end of The Forgotten Memory, so Len and Rin are now 18.
Just like the previous story, there is gay sex.
The Returning Memory
Len's thoughts . . .
The dreams keep coming. A metal chair. A room painted white. A man with cerulean blue hair. Pain coursing through my body, my chest feeling like it's going to explode, my lungs feeling like their filled with water. An explosion, and pain in my legs.
The doctor says that they're just dreams, and keeps increasing my medications to make me forget them. I hate the meds. I don't take them. They make my movements sluggish, slow, and make me sleepy. I'm already made fun of because the lower half of my legs are artificial. No one will answer how my legs were destroyed, not even Rin.
I wonder. Is she really my sister? Our 'Aunt', Lily, keeps saying that we're twins, but they have yet to prove it to me aside from that our birthday is on the same day. She looks a lot like me, but . . . I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. And it frightens me.
Then, there's the problem of clothes. I hate pants. They're tight, constricting. Shorts aren't much better, unless their the loose kind that Lily hates. Shirts are alright, but I honestly wish they'd let be dress the way I want to. I like dresses, damnit! The loose feeling, the soft fabric, the freedom. The only thing I'm allowed to do is tie my hair up with the black ribbon.
The black ribbon. I know, somehow, it connects me to two people I've unfortunately forgotten. I know they were important to me, and every time I try to grasp at the faint memory, it feels like it's slipping further away. I know, if I could just find those two people, I'd have my life back.
. . . thoughts end.
Len Kagamine sighed. He was sitting in the waiting room of the psyciatrist's office, his 'Aunt' Lily on one side and Rin on the other. He already knew they were going to go into the apointment with him, tell the doctor to raise his medications again, and not really let him say much of anything except what nightmares had plauged him this week.
"Len Kagamine." called the receptionist. She motioned for them to go into the third room on the right.
Len sat on the patient's couch, Lily and Rin sitting in the two extra chairs that were provided. He fiddled with the end of the long black ribbon.
"Uh, you put that thing in your hair again?" snapped Lily. She got up and made a move to pull the ribbon from Len's hair.
"It's mine." Len growled. "Just leave it." His hand tightened over the end that was in his hand. He knew the ribbon itself was very valuble silk, and that Lily just wanted it so she could wear it with her ugly, tube-style black evening gown with the black fur wrap.
The doctor stepped in just then, and Lily sat down again.
"Hello, Len."
The teenager said nothing. He was sick of these apointments, the forced pleasantries, and the medication.
"Moody again?" the doctor asked.
Len stood up and went to walk out.
"Where atre you going?" Lily demanded.
"Out." Len replied. "Let me know what I'm being doped up with this week later." He walked out, a slight wobble in his left leg when he tried to move a little quicker and slammed the door.
"Well." said the doctor. "I guess the session's over."
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Len headed out of the hospital and went to the bus stop. He had a pass, even though Lily had driven them there. Rin had a pass, too, since it was how she got to and from school. But Len wasn't recieving any form of schooling, since no one wanted to try educating him. They all seemed afraid, like something about Len would infect them with a disease.
The bus pulled up just as he heard Lily coming out of the hospital. He gave no regard to her shouts and got on, not really caring where the bus was going. He just wanted some time away from it all. All the fake smiles, all the fake pleasantries, all the fake 'help', all of it. He just wanted away.
Len took his seat and clicked the barbell on his tongue against his teeth. He reached up and gently ran his finger along the smooth metal. The particular one he was wearing was the one he'd woken up with in the hospital. It was an inky purple with a blue bead on either end. Two colors that he seemed to find remarkably beautiful, and that always brought with them the faded memory of the two important people.
The bus stopped again, and two more people got on the bus. It was getting crowded, but the two seats beside Len were open, and the pair sat there. Most people wouldn't have really taken notice of the were ordinary enough, dressed in pants and a white coat over. One had a blue scarf, the other had long purple hair.
Len looked over, and gasped slightly.
"Something wrong?" asked the purplette, only to swallow and blink.
"I . . . I know you." Len said, his voice wavering. His hand reached over and touched the purplette's hair.
The blue-haired one beside him looked over, his body going ridgid. Why was Len on the same bus as they were?
"Gakupo." Len whispered. He looked a little troubled. "But . . . where?"
"You have me mistaken."
"No, I don't." Len said. "I've been trying for two years to remember you." He clicked the barbell against his teeth. "I still have it."
"Have what?"
Len stuck out his tongue, showing the purple and blue barbell. He smiled when he caught the glimpse of recognition in their faces. "You are the ones I've been looking for."
"Listen, kid . . ." said the bluenette.
"It's Len." he returned. "And I know you know me."
"How can you be sure of that?" Gakupo asked. Two years of watching Len from a distance, figuring out when he would be out so they could try to not bump into him, and now it was all shot.
Len swallowed. "The white room. A metal chair. Sticky things on my head, chest, and back." He noticed the pair looked uncomfortable, but he had to. "A feeling of being . . . cared about. Of being . . . being loved." He sighed. The bus stopped again, this time near the mall. There were a bunch of passengers getting off, and these two were no exception. Len got up and followed them.
"Look, we're not . . ."
"Don't give me that." Len said, looking desperate. "The past two years sucked."
The pair looked at him. "But, you have your sister back."
"I don't know her." Len returned. "Rin may be nice, but I don't remember her. And Lily's a bitch. Every week I'm being dragged to an appointment to be doped up on meds so she doesn't have to worry about me screaming at night."
"Lily?" Kaito asked.
"Yeah, my aunt, if you can call her that." Len said. "She took everything away. The clothes I had when I was in the hospital, most of the tongue rings, she even tried to take this." He pulled a loop of the ribbon over his shoulder.
"The ribbon." Kaito said. He sighed. "Yeah, we do know you, Len."
"Then why haven't you come to see me?"
"We thought it would be better for you to not remember us." answered Gakupo.
"Remembering you two is better than living a lie."
"A lie?" Kaito asked.
"I hate this. I can't sleep without nightmares, I can't eat anything without it hurting, and I'm constantly being watched." Len started to cry. "I have to pretend so that I'm not locked in another white room, alone."
Kaito gently brushed the blonde locks back. "You're that afraid?" he asked.
Len nodded. "They don't even let me dress myself." he said. "I'm not allowed the clothes I like."
Gakupo had a feeling what the answer would be, but he asked anyway. "And what kind is that?"
"Dresses." Len replied. "Loose, fluffy dresses, with a higher cut front and a low-cut back at the bottom." He looked up at the pair. "Kaito, is something wrong with me?"
Kaito sighed. "No, Len." he said. "Being an individual isn't wrong."
"Then, will you come with me for a minute?"
Kaito's thoughts . . .
Blast it! I thought for sure we wouldn't run into Len, but we did. The kid has grown, taller at least. He's very insecure, though, and seems desperate to be accepted for what he is, rather than being forced to conform to someone else's whims.
He seems to have retained a few memories of the memory lab, and none of them really any good. The metal chair he refers to is obviously the one the experiments were done in. The white room could be any of the rooms there, and he's afraid of it all.
Somehow, though, he's managed to remember Gakupo and myself. We were sure he'd have forgotten, but apparently he's been trying to 'capture' our memory for the past two years.
From the direction he's now taking Gakupo and myself, we're going to be seeing him try to dress 'comfortably'. This could be . . . interesting.
. . . thoughts end.
Gakupo raised an eyebrow as Len brushed a lock of hair back behind his ear and selected two very different dresses: one was a white pessant-style that was cut even at the knees, the other was a black Gothic layer peasant style that was longer at the back.
The lady at the register looked at Len strange as he also looked at the accessories. "Is the boy with you?" she asked, looking at Gakupo.
"Yeah. He has a sister about the same size as him, so don't worry if he asks to try them on."
The lady nodded. "Alright. He's not the first to do that."
Kaito rolled his eyes. Were they really going to go through with this?
"Here." Len put the items up on the counter and fished out his bank card to pay. He smiled sweetly when the lady handed him the shopping bag, then leg the two older men out of the store.
"So?" Kaito asked. "Now what?" He felt Len tug on his hand, pulling him and Gakupo towards the washroom. Oh, gods, he's going to change? I'll never be able to show my face here again.
Gakupo just smiled as Len pulled them into the family washroom and locked the door. He was startled, though, when Len suddenly turned and grabbed Kaito by the scarf, yanking the still taller man down to his level and kissing him.
Kaito only blinked, his entire body rigid. "What was that for?" he asked.
Len seemed relieved, however. "That taste." he said. "I remember it. Ice cream sandwich, from the vending machine."
"Try fresh from the box, but . . . wait, what?" Kaito asked. "How could you . . ." His hand shook as he tilted Len's face up to look at him. "You're starting to remember things?"
Len nodded. "You always took care of me." he said, a tear running down his face. "No matter how much it hurt, you were always there to make it stop."
Gakupo sighed. He really didn't want Len to remember things, but the boy looked . . . happy. Maybe he and Kaito had been wrong about not seeing him.
"Go change, Len." said Kaito. He sighed and leaned against the wall while Len turned so his back was to them and took off his shirt and pants.
Gakupo looked at him. "What is it, Kaito?"
"You know, if his aunt is as bad as he says, these new clothes are going to be 'lost' like the original set."
Gakupo smiled. "I have an idea."
Kaito knew that smirk. "Dear god, no. No no no no no no no."
Gakupo glared at him.
"You are not conning me into this again."
Gakupo grabbed his cerulean hair and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss, which Len noticed quite well as he finished putting the choker on. It was hard not to see at least their reflection in the wall-wide mirror.
"Alright." Kaito groaned, knowing he wasn't getting out of it. He gasped slightly when he saw Len, dressed up in the black dress, a black lace choker around his neck with a small red rose just off center. The boy had also purchased make-up, or at least had some on him, seeing as how his thin lips were now painted black as well.
"You look beautiful." he said, gently tilting Len's chin up.
"Thanks." Len said. "My clothes are in the bag, so I can change back before I go home."
"Come on." said Gakupo, taking one of Len's hands. "I have an idea that might save your clothes from your aunt."
Len looked hopeful, and his step got a bit lighter as he walked between the two, not caring what the other mall patrons thought of him.
He should have, as they passed by a particular female with teal hair tied in pigtails. The girl stared, then turned to her cell phone and dialed her friend's number. "Rin? Are you at the mall with two guys? - Oh, then it must be your brother all dolled up like some chick. - Uh-huh, and he has two older men with him. - They were headed for the food court. - No problem, sweetie. - Bye."
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Len was happy. He'd finally found something he'd been trying to remember, and they weren't putting him down for being different. In fact, the pair were gay, something his aunt would have freaked about if she'd heard that.
"So, what was this ide- OWCH!" Len shrieked, his ear suddenly grabbed. "Lily!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Lily snapped. "Where are your clothes?"
"There in the bag, ma'am." said Kaito.
"And associating with strangers? Get in the car."
"Excuse me." said Gakupo, standing. "But we were in the middle of a discussion."
"You leave him alone, you hear?!" Lily snapped. "Len's already got enough problems without freaks like you butting in."
Kaito stood as well and grabbed Lily's wrist, making her let go of Len's now-red ear. "First of all, Miss Lily, we're not strangers to Len. We're friends, from around the same time as the accident that took his legs."
Len blinked at him. An accident?
"Secondly, we were in the middle of talking with Len. My friend and I are both musicians and researchers."
"Researching what?" Rin asked, suddenly appearing beside Lily. "Len! Get out of that dress."
"Actually, we need him in it." said Kaito. "It's part of an experiment."
"On what, his sanity?" Lily asked.
"Actually, we've been researching crowds, specifically the ones at concerts. Len's going to appear with us at one of these concerts, in the attire he's currently in, to help us." Gakupo continued. "Since it's also an experiment, we are willing to compensate him for the time."
"What are you paying me?" Lily asked. She glared at Len. "And don't think I didn't notice your purchase earlier, Len."
"Len will be paid however he sees fit upon the completion of the test." Kaito said, emphasizing that the payment would be whatever Len wanted. And if that meant wanting to know more about his past, then that's what they would do.
"So, when's the concert?" Rin asked.
"Tonight, at the Juke Box." Gakupo replied. "Now, if you don't mind, we need to go over the rehearsal with him there. We'll return him before midnight if the payment doesn't require later." He took Len's hand and helped him up.
"One minute." said Len. He reached into the shopping bag and handed Rin the white dress. "Here. I got it for you, since you look good in white."
Rin blinked. "Uh, thanks." she said. She had to admit, white was a good color for her, and it made her honestly forget that Len didn't remember sixteen years of his life. But when she looked up, Len was gone, along with his two friends.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Gakupo's thoughts . . .
Len certainly cuts a nice figure, dressed up in his black gown. Kaito currently has him singing, and I must admit that the boy has a beautiful voice, in a lovely pitch higher than either of us could reach.
Earlier, we were playing the music for tonight, and Len had made faces at some of the lines we were singing. In truth, there was supposed to be a third, but he dropped out on us, so Kaito and I had been trying to work things with just the two of us. But Len's voice seems to be a perfect match, and he already sings with his eyes closed, so we're sure the crowd won't bother him. Still, we've asked him, and he's agreed. Anything to spend more time with us, apparently.
He hasn't changed much from the boy Kaito and I both used to make love to. He seems to remember bits, but there are parts that still seem missing. I hate what my father did to him, but at the same time, I can't help but feel glad that I got to meet Len, and love him.
The music tonight is going to be a bit . . . heavier. One of those concerts that has people jumping and shouting and at least two calls to the hospital for an ambulance to get some poor sap that fell and got stepped on. I wonder how the reactions from the crowd will be when they see Len?
. . . thoughts end.
Gakupo looked up at the clock. "Half hour till they start filling in." he called.
Kaito patted Len's shoulder. "You're doing great."
Len smiled. "Thanks."
He had to admit, Kaito and Gakupo looked good in black. Gakupo's pants were tighter than Kaito's, but both had flared leg from the knee down. The shirts were loose and opened to expose the chest. Kaito's did up once before being left open to show his toned abs, while Gakupo's was done up all the way down. Gakupo wore a black ribbon around his neck, while Kaito wore an Alice-band that held a small black hat off to the side on his head.
The lights were dimmed as people, mostly teenagers and young adults, filed into the room. The stage was dark, but the trio were ready.
Len tapped the heel of his shoe. He was ready. There was a clicking sound, and the lights came on on the stage. And the concert began.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Rin wasn't sure what to think. She loved the Gothic band "Memory", but to know Len was somewhere at the concert as well, and his two weird friends, took away from her anticipation.
"Rin, come on." said Miku, the same girl that had called earlier to tell her Len was at the mall dressed like a girl. "I wanna get closer before it starts."
Rin nodded and followed her friend closer to the front. Then, the lights went on, and Rin's face dropped.
Len was up on the stage, front and center, with the bluenette and the purple-haired guy to either side. The music started, loud and heavy, and the trio began to sing.
"Woah." said Miku. "They really decked out the replacement, didn't they?"
Rin could only stare.
"I mean, Oliver was good, but this guy is actually making the music just move." Miku said, totally into the trio on the stage.
Rin's thoughts . . .
I had to agree with Miku. While Oliver had been kinda cute, Len was the one that was shining up there. Where Oliver just sang the words, Len sang them with emotion and conviction. Even my favorite song, Imitation Black, sounded way better.
I didn't even realize it until half-way through the song that Len was still dolled up in the black dress I'd seen him in at the mall. But somehow, it didn't matter anymore. I just stood there, with everyone else, as "Memory" performed song after song, thoroughly entranced by the sweet melody of the trio before me.
I had a feeling that Aunt Lily was going to flip out if she knew that the two hanging out with Len were also my favorite band, or that what they'd needed him for wasn't so much an experiment as it was someone to fill in for Oliver, who'd quit the band just a week ago.
The last song was about to start, and I couldn't wait. The ticket had said 'Special Reveal Song' on it, and I'd known all the others, so this had to be it.
Gakupo and Kaito came closer together, and the song started with a rather interesting rhythm. The song itself was good, too. It spoke of a forbidden act, something they could never turn back time on, and that they must forget. And then, Len's voice, like a cry for help, pierced through the song, asking what he wasn't supposed to remember, what was it he'd forgotten.
It hit me hard. And it made me think. Lily and I had been trying to make Len forget anything that could have been causing the nightmares, instead of asking him what those dreams were about. I knew he'd been brought to the hospital in bad condition and that he'd had to have the lower parts of his legs removed, but I never thought about where Len could have been for eight months. I couldn't even remember where he'd been found, or who had found him, wounded the way he was.
The concert was over, and I just kinda numbly followed the crowd out into the night air. I called Aunt Lily, letting her know I was ready to be picked up. I had a feeling Len wasn't going to come home tonight.
. . . thoughts end.
Rin leaned on the wall, looking up at the stars. She could recount almost everything she and Len had done together; singing, learning the guitar, dance classes, painting. But as he'd gotten older, Len had started to do things on his own, and Rin had done her own thing. The night before Len had vanished, the pair had slipped out onto the roof and had been pointing out various shapes in the stars.
Lily drove up and beeped the horn at her. She frowned when Rin got in the car. "Well?"
"Well what?" Rin asked.
"Were those two creeps and Len there?"
"I didn't see them." Rin lied. If she said that they were the band she'd just seen, Lily would have thrown a fit on her.
"You tired?" Lily asked.
"Yeah. I'm going to go to bed once we get home." Rin replied.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
"That was fun!" Len squealed after the crowd had finished leaving.
"Want to do it on a more permanent basis?" Gakupo asked.
"Huh?"
"We used to have a third who'd sing with us, but he left a week ago. Said he wasn't going to sing these 'gay love songs' anymore."
Len looked at the two of them. "Memory." he whispered. He put a hand to his forehead as a few images flashed in front of his eyes. A kiss from Gakupo. A sweet pain in his body as he was being held by Kaito. A man with short hair yelling. An explosion that hurt his legs.
"Len?" Kaito held him. "Len, it's alright." He looked over at Gakupo. "Just tell us. What is it?"
Len shuddered. "I . . . I used to be your lover, wasn't I?" he asked, still a little shaken. "For both of you."
"Yeah." Kaito said, not about to deny Len the truth. If he'd lied, it would have made things a lot harder later.
"There was . . . someone else. A man, short, with black hair. He yelled a lot, and was always near that metal chair."
"Dr. Kamui." Gakupo said with some distaste. "My father, and the reason you don't remember the first couple years of your life."
Len leaned his head on Kaito's chest. "And pain. A sound, like a timer, and then pain, where my legs should be."
"The patient tracker." Kaito replied. He gently ran his hand over Len's head. "The day Gakupo and I found your files, we got upset, and tried to take you out of the lab. But we didn't think the tracker on your leg was also a bomb, until it was too late. You lost consciousness soon after the explosion, and I wrapped you in a blanket and ran with you to the hospital."
Len looked up at him. "Until now, no one ever told me how I ended up with only half my legs. All I knew was that someone out there had seen the pathetic mess I was, and had paid the crazy amount of money needed for me to walk again."
"It's alright, Len." said Gakupo. "Kaito finished his thesis on memories that he was working on, and then, we decided the best thing to do was try creating music. Something that spoke to people, said the emotions they couldn't say themselves, and let them be free, even for a moment. That's how this band, 'Memory', came into being."
Len sniffled a little, smiling. "Rin's favorite band." he said. "She was probably here tonight. Wonder what she thought?"
"Don't know. But the emotion readers said that the crowd was pretty happy." said Kaito. "Especially every time you sang."
"I would like to do this again." Len said.
"Alright." smiled Kaito. "Oh, and about your payment . . ."
"You're coming over." Len said. "I don't care what Lily has to say. She works, and can't lord everything over me. If I want friends over, I'll invite them."
Kaito nodded. "Alright. When do we show up?"
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Rin looked over at Len. The boy had returned home only about an hour after she had, grinning from ear to ear, and had hurried up to bed. For the first time, he didn't wake up screaming from a nightmare, which had Rin wondering. Just what was going on?
Lily had left for work an hour ago, and Len was watching out the window, as if he was expecting something.
"Len, what happened?" Rin asked suddenly.
"Huh?" He looked over at her, his hair tied up again in the black silk ribbon. It was obvious he'd actually dressed himself, the loose shorts and two-sizes too big shirt said it all.
There was a beep outside, and Len wobbled his way to the door. "Come on in. Lily won't be back for about six hours, so we have time."
Rin nearly died as the two from the day before walked in. "Len, we aren't allowed guests when Aunt Lily's gone."
"I'm getting my payment." Len answered. "I asked them over as my payment for helping with the experiment."
"What experiment?" Rin asked.
Kaito smiled. "So you were there." he said. He was dress casually, wearing a brown shirt and blue pants under a white trench coat and blue scarf. Honestly, he looked almost nothing like he did on stage.
Rin nodded. "I had to lie to Aunt Lily, though. She would have freaked out on me if I'd told her you three were on stage."
Gakupo snorted. "She sounds awful." He looked over at Len. "I was going through a few things and found this. I think it was yours." He reached into the pocket of his short-cut samurai outfit and handed Len a slightly burned piece of an old shirt. "The locker it was found it had your old room number on it."
Len tentatively took the article, his fingers brushing over the golden note stitch into the front of the collar. His hands started to shake, and tears began to run, unbidden. Then, his whole body started to tremble, and the artificial legs collapsed beneath him, forcing him to kneel.
"Len?" asked Kaito.
"Screeching." he said softly. "Blood. Pain across my lap. A thud. Thrown across the space. My head hurts. More blood. Smoke. Screaming." His hands went up to his face and forehead. "Pulling. A vehicle, blue. Standing. Crying. Where was I? Something on my leg. A voice." He looked up at Kaito. "You." He suddenly fainted, flopping to the floor with a light thud.
"What the heck was that?" Rin asked. She gasped. "That shirt piece."
"You recognize it?" Gakupo asked.
"Yeah. I had the matching girl's shirt, but that was two years ago." She looked at Len, who was now pulled partially in Kaito's lap. "Just what are you two?"
"Prisoners, like he was." Gakupo replied. "But still. He recalled the second car almost clearly."
"Second car?" Rin asked. "Just what happened to my brother? I know Mom and Dad died in an accident, but Len wasn't there according to the police reports."
Kaito brushed his fingers through Len's hair, which had come loose when he'd fallen. "So, even before the police could get there, huh? He really was a creepy, cruel man."
"Can say that again." said Gakupo. He looked at Rin. "Len wasn't there because someone took him away from there, before the police could arrive. He was locked up, in an experiment house, and used as a test subject. Kaito and I were tests as well, but we were allowed a little more freedom than Len was. It's why, when we escaped, only Len was hurt."
"You still didn't answer my first question, though. What was that rambling just now?"
Kaito rubbed a finger over Len's cheek, noticing that the boy had woken up. "It was fragmented, but it was a memory." he replied.
"That? That was a memory?" Rin asked. "I thought memories were clearer, more defined, not garbled gibberish."
"It's how Len perceives them." Kaito said. "Someone with a similar memory pattern would understand how to interpret it, but to others, it's as you said, gibberish."
"Similar memory pattern?" Rin asked.
"Kaito wrote his thesis on memories." Gakupo smiled. "His thesis stated that the human mind can infinitely store memories, good and bad, but that under stimuli, from within or outside, those memories can change, and differ from what another remembers of the same event."
Rin looked puzzled, and didn't notice Len sit up and get a kiss from Kaito.
Kaito smiled. "For instance, last night, at the concert. How did you perceive Len's singing?"
"I thought it was beautiful, like a forbidden jewel that I was being allowed to get a small glimpse at." Rin replied without much thought.
"Gakupo?"
"I thought he was more of an angel." the samurai replied.
Kaito nodded. "See, two very different opinions on the same act." He smiled. "It has a name, this phenomenon."
"It does?" Rin asked.
"Hitsuzen." said Len.
"Why would I do that?" Rin asked.
He snickered into the back of his hand. "Hitsuzen - A naturally foreordained event. A situation which can only be perceived by one person in one way, and other people would necessarily perceive it in other ways."
"Weird." There was the crunching of gravel under tires. "Aunt Lily's home."
Kaito helped Len stand, just as the front door opened with a bang.
"What did I tell you two about having people over when I'm not home?!" Lily snapped.
Len shrank back, leaning on Kaito.
"And what are you two doing in my house?" she continued to shout.
Gakupo looked out the window, frowning slightly. "Is that a newer car?" he asked.
Lily growled. "Get out!"
"I'm sorry, but if we were to leave now, Len wouldn't be getting his full payment." said Kaito. He pulled an innocent-looking deck of playing cards from his pocket. "He said he wanted to spend the afternoon playing cards with us."
Lily glared at Len. "Is that true?"
"Yes, ma'm." He gripped his head as more images flashed. A strike to the head. The soft back seats. A scent, faint but familiar. Kaito holding him.
"Len?" Kaito asked.
"Where are his meds?" Lily snapped. "He's supposed to take them when he gets these headaches and ramblings."
"Don't bother." said Gakupo. He sat so he was looking at Len. "What did you see?"
"A blow to the head. Grey seats. A smell, but I can't place what. Kaito helping me."
"See, useless rambling." said Lily. "Take your meds, Len."
"I wouldn't." said Kaito. "Those are pain and sleep medication mix. You don't want him better, you want him docile."
"What?" Lily snapped.
Gakupo looked at her a bit more carefully. "Consider your next answer very carefully. What is your maiden name?"
"Lily Kagamine." she replied.
Gakupo's purple-blue eyes narrowed. "Rin, was Lily with you the day Len vanished, the day your parent's died?"
"No. I was with Miku, and we were playing in the yard, painting our nails. Aunt Lily had said she had to get something from the store and went out for a bit, maybe only a half hour." Rin tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"
"Len previously mentioned a blue car, and more recently grey seats." said Gakupo. "His memory always goes in sequence when he says things, so the blow to the head meant that whoever took him hit him. And a familiar smell he can't place could only mean he's smelled it before, or since."
"My car is red." Lily argued.
"With the previous coat of paint being blue." Gakupo returned. "It's flaking."
Len looked between his two friends, then at Lily. "What did you do to me?" he demanded. "Was it you that took me to that place?!"
Lily slapped him, sending Len sprawling across the floor. "How dare you insinuate anything?" she demanded.
"Miss Lily." said Gakupo. "We can only come to conclusions based on the information we have."
Kaito helped Len up. "We don't know much, and what Len has been able to piece out to us is in pieces itself." He sat with Len beside him. "Now, can we please try talking this out together? For Len's benefit, if nothing else."
Lily sighed and sat down. "Rin's right, I wasn't there for about half an hour before the call came saying Neru and Luki were killed. I'd gone out to get something to make for lunch."
Len leaned his head on Gakupo's shoulder as the taller sat on his other side.
"However, I had a boyfriend back then, and he used to drive that car that's out there. Mine was a little shabby pink beetle car with a happy-flower on the antennae."
Len blinked, putting a hand up against his forehead again.
"Len?" asked Rin.
"The hand yanks me out. Cuffs me across the head. The grey seats. A smell. The voice on the phone speaks. I get tossed in the foot-well. My body hurts. Pulled out, forced to stand. I look up. Kaito catches me as blackness covers my eyes."
Lily looked at the pair. "What was that? His ramblings have never been that clear."
"Memory fragments." Kaito replied. "So, the car out there belonged to your ex?"
"Yeah. He ditched and ran just after Len was returned to Rin. As the only living family, they were my responsibility." She looked at Kaito. "What's this about you catching him as blackness covers his eyes?"
"I was already a captive, as was Gakupo, when Len came to building. We had a little more freedom, but not by much. We were there when Len came, and I caught him when he fainted."
"Anything else?" Lily asked. "Like why Len doesn't remember anything, even his own parents?"
"The building was called The Memory Lab." said Gakupo. "It was run a by Dr. Kamui." He looked at Len. "My father."
"You did this to him?" Lily asked.
Gakupo shook his head. "No. I was just as much used as Len was, and Kaito as well. The only difference was, Kaito and I had no idea we were guinea pigs until much later. Len knew he was being tested, he just didn't know for what. Unfortunately, all the test data was destroyed the day the building burnt down. And my despicable father died along with it."
Len swallowed. "Lily."
"I told you to call me aunt."
He shook his head. "I can't. I don't remember you being my aunt, not yet, anyway. But . . . the car."
"What about it?"
"Can I try something?"
Kaito and Gakupo looked at him as Len took the keys from the table and hobbled outside. Naturally, the others followed, just to make sure he was going to be alright.
Len unlocked the door, put the key in the ignition and started it, then walked around the car for a moment, trying to figure something out. He looked at Lily. "Throw me in the car."
The others were taken back. "What?" Rin asked.
"Throw me in the car. I can't remember what side it was, so please, toss me in."
Lily shook her head. "Your my nephew." she argued.
"Alright." said Gakupo. He grabbed Len's upper arm, opened the driver's side passenger door, and tossed him in. Len fell gracelessly to the seats, then fell into the passenger side back foot well.
"Len?" Kaito asked.
"Wrong side." Len replied, struggling to pull himself up. He crawled over into the other foot well.
"What?" Lily asked.
Len climbed out. "I found the smell." he said. "It is the car, but Lily might want to check."
Lily did, leaning over and sniffing. "Is that exhaust? But I had this thing tuned recently." She reached up to the front and turned the car off. "So, what's this do for Len?"
Len sighed. "Well, I can guess now who brought me there."
"Likewise, and he's going to be in a lot of trouble if and when I get my hands on him." She saw Len was breathing a little strange. "Len? You alright?"
Len gripped the closest person to him, Kaito, and his whole body trembled. "Kaito?"
He knew the sound in Len's voice. Gently, he wrapped his arms around the boy. "Not right now, Len."
"What?" Rin asked.
Gakupo looked a little nervous. "Can we finish this inside?" he asked. "There's a bit more explaining we need to do."
The group sat again in the living room, Len leaned on Kaito and giving him the hush-puppy face.
"What is with that look, Len?" Rin demanded.
"He doesn't see you." Kaito said. "Or hear you."
"You sound like you've seen this before." said Lily.
"When we . . . were in the same facility together, Kaito and I noticed drastic changes in Len from when he was first brought in." said Gakupo. "Now before I go further, it might also be wise to note that Kaito and I are both gay."
Lily frowned, but said nothing.
"It started shortly after Len's first test. He began pawing at Kaito, and called him 'love'. This continued, and eventually led to, well, sex." Gakupo said. "With either of us. There were other things as well. That's when he started wearing dresses. You ever ask him why he does that?"
"I thought it was just a phase he was going through." Rin said.
"He was reprogrammed. Bet says if you ask him, he'll ask you if he was ever a girl." Kaito said. "I'm actually surprised he can remember fragments of the accident. Dr. Kamui did everything he could to erase it, and anything to do with his family."
Len reached a hand up and pawed at Kaito's face.
"So, Len's gay?" Rin asked.
"I don't know if it's by choice, but yeah, he was for about eight months." Gakupo replied. "Has he had a girlfriend or anything since being with you guys?"
"Nope." Lily replied. "We tried, but about the only thing Len did with a girl near him was scream for the first three months after he got back. Needless to say, it made living with him awkward." She wrung her fingers. "I eventually made Rin hold him for an entire day. He settled into quite sobs about mid-afternoon, and had completely exhausted himself by dinner time. He was shy and nervous afterwards, but he stopped screaming."
"Any friends at all?" Kaito asked, trying to hold Len's hand down from pawing at his face.
Rin shook her head. "He always seemed to be trying to capture some stray memory, and no-one really wanted to talk to him. They thought he was weird or handicapped, so not even the teachers bothered with him."
Len managed to get his hand out of Kaito's and grabbed the other's face, kissing him.
Gakupo rolled his eyes. "Get a room."
"Mine?" Len asked.
Lily sighed. "Go on up. His room is the first on the left at the top of the stairs." She looked over at Rin as the trio headed up. "So, you wanted to go out for a bit, right?"
Rin nodded, not wanting to hear any of her borther's lovemaking.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Len's thoughts . . .
It felt almost surreal. Kaito's lips on mine. They felt familiar, and he tasted like ice cream. Chocolate, this time, with a little vanilla. He probably had an ice cream sandwich on the way over. Still, I wanted him again. I wanted to taste him, to know that I wasn't dreaming.
Someone told us to get a room. Gakupo, from the sound of it. I couldn't help myself, and I asked if we should go to my room. Vaguely, I heard Lily tell them which one was mine, and then, I was being carried.
I wrapped my arms around Kaito's neck, almost like I didn't want to let him go. I didn't, I don't, I won't. Kaito and Gakupo are mine. I've looked for them forever, and since finding them yesterday, a lot of old memories are pouring back to me. Like they're the key to my lost past.
I felt Kaito put me down on the bed, and I felt a little awkward, suddenly. I mean, they'd said we'd been lovers before, even I had figured that out, but . . . what was I supposed to do? I know I was the bottom one, I could never top now even if I wanted to, but I was still a little on edge.
Kaito seemed to notice and shed his coat, letting me see that his shirt was actually more of a belly top. He took my shaking hand and made me touch his nicely toned abs, telling me everything was going to be alright.
At that point, my brain shut off, and I just let instinct carry me.
. . . thoughts end.
Len placed his other hand on Kaito's abs, kneeling on his bed, and let his fingers wander up under the shirt. He looked up at Kaito, who was smiling at him, and pulled the shirt off.
Len withdrew his hands, grabbing the hem of his own shirt and pulling it up and off him, his hair falling loose around his face. He looked over as Gakupo shed the over-part of his samurai gear, showing a purple and bright blue body suit that matched his high-cut boots.
"So beautiful." Len whispered. He leaned up and got a kiss from the purplette, letting the other's hand wander down his back and under his shorts to grope his ass. He arched, gasping.
"Len?"
"Oh." Len looked over at Kaito. "Come on." he whimpered.
Kaito smiled and finished undressing, walking over and unzipping the back of Gakupo's bodysuit and letting the pale flesh underneath become exposed.
Len went to pull his shorts off, but the two men did it for him, blinking when they noticed that Len's artificial legs were attached to his real legs.
"What the . . ?" Gakupo asked.
"It was another surgery. They put a hole in my knees, and a joint that responds to muscle movements." Len explained. "They said the person who made the donation told them to use the best replacements possible." He moved his foot. "See? I can't run, but walking's better than some I've seen."
Gakupo and Kaito both tilted Len's chin up and gave him a somewhat messy three-way kiss. "They're beautiful, Len." Gakupo smiled. He again reached around behind Len, gripping and squeezing the soft globes that formed his ass.
"Ah." Len moaned softly. He noticed Kaito was licking and sucking on his fingers. "Why?" he managed to gasp out, just before one of those wet digits slipped up into his ass. He went rigid for only a second, then seemed to completely relax, leaning on Gakupo.
"He's loosened up pretty easy." said Kaito, two fingers now pressed into Len and working their way around inside the youth. "Len?"
The blonde's face was heavily flushed, and he was gasping slightly. "Please?" he gasped. "I . . . I need you."
Kaito looked at Gakupo before asking. "Whick one of us?"
"Both." Len gasped out. "Like . . . before."
The two men knew of what time Len was talking about. The first time they'd both done Len, in the washroom.
Gakupo gently lifted Len so he was clinging to his chest, his needy entrance just barely touching Gakupo's blood-engorged cock. Kaito lined his up as well, and they gently let Len down on them. It wa amazing how easily Len's body opened to accomodate both of them, and yet how tight he was inside.
Len gasped, keeping his hold on Gakupo, but turning his head so he could kind-of look at Kaito. "It feels . . . so good."
"We're going to move now, alright?" Kaito whispered, giving Len another kiss.
The blonde nodded, gasping as the pair moved inside him. The stretching and contracting of his ass was almost heavenly, the nearness of the bodies of the other two men was comforting, and the sounds he made were ones he didn't even know he could make. Before he knew it, Len was moaning, cum shooting up over his and Gakupo's chests. Another hard thust, and the two men came together inside Len.
The trio separated, lying on the double bed together. It was a bit crowded, but it didn't matter. Since he'd faced Gakupo while they'd had sex, Len snuggled against Kaito and drifted off to sleep. The two men soon followed suit, pulling the large comforter over in case Lily or Rin decided to check up on them.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Gakupo looked over at his two lovers. An hour had passed since they'd dozed off, and he was trying to get his clothes back on. Len was still sound asleep, nestled against Kaito's chest, and Kaito was asleep as well. Reaching over, Gakupo went to brush a strand of hair from Len's face, noticing the boy felt cold to the touch. Carefully, he checked for breathing and a heartbeat, greatful when he got both from Len. So why was the boy cold?
He headed down to the living room, where Lily and Rin were talking.
"Hey. Where's Len?" Rin asked.
"Sleeping." Gakupo replied. "Kaito as well. I actually had a question. Does Len have a problem with keeping body heat?"
Lily sighed. "Yes. He's had that problem since birth." She looked at him. "He isn't sleeping in his bed-sweater, is he?"
"Actually, he butt naked under a thick comforter snuggling Kaito." Gakupo replied.
Lily nodded, got up, and retrieved another comforter. "Here, add this to the one already on them. I should help him warm up."
Gakupo accepted the blanket and returned to Len's room, but not before he heard Rin ask, "So, which one of is grandfather giving the company to?" He shook his head, figuring it wasn't worth asking about, and carefully draped the blanket over Len and Kaito.
Kaito woke about half a hour later and managed to peel himself out of Len's grip. "Kid's got a good grip, and a cold hand." he said as he dressed. "Something eating you, Gakupo?"
"Is there a company owned by the Kagamine Family?" Gakupo asked.
"Yeah. They own the ship-yards." Kaito replied without much thought. "Half the crap held by customs had to go through their docks and yards first." He put his coat over. "Why are you asking?"
"Nothing, at least not yet." He looked up as Lily knocked on the door. "It's safe, sort of."
Lily peeked in. "I was just wondering how he's doing? Len is my nephew."
"He's sleeping. He might walk a little weird when he's up, but . . ." Kaito replied. "Hand was cold earlier, so I tucked it under the blanket."
Lily sighed. "So, what was the experiment yesterday?"
Kaito sighed. "I wrote a thesis on memory and emotions. Gakupo suggested trying my thesis out using some old equipment he'd been left by his father: emotion readers. Disguised as two sub-woofers, the emo-readers register the feeling of the crowd at concerts. Problem was, no band would let us test this. So we made our own."
"So, you two are a band?" Lily asked.
"There were three, but our third backed out a week ago, when we told him were were performing here. Part of what we needed Len for last night was to fill in for Oliver." Kaito continued.
"Oliver?" Lily asked. She took out her wallet and handed Kaito a picture. "Is this your Oliver?"
"Yeah, it is?" Kaito said, showing it to Gakupo. "Why do you have his picture? That one's obviously old, but . . ."
"My ex." Lily replied, talking the picture back from Gakupo. "I can guess now why you lost your third. He didn't want to face up to what he'd done."
Gakupo nodded. "Len makes a better singer, anyway. The crowd reacted in a much more positive way to him, in the dress, than they ever did to Oliver in pants."
"So, will Len be traveling with you to your concerts?" Lily asked.
"Probably. He enjoyed it, singing, that is." Gakupo replied.
Lily nodded. "I'm not sure why, but Len's been more . . . normal, since you two came into his life. I only want to know one thing before I'll let him go."
"What's that?"
"Was it one of you two that brought him to the hospital that day, two years ago?"
"Yeah." said Kaito. "I did."
"Do you have any idea who it was that gave Len back his legs?"
"Yeah, but we're not a liberty to say. The person asked that they remain anonymous for a reason." Gakupo replied.
Lily nodded. "Alright. I'll write out his allergies and emergency phone numbers." She looked at them. "Oh, and can I get the name of your band so I know what group to watch for?"
"Memory." the two men replied.
`~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~`
Six months later . . .
Rin looked beside her at Lily. The area on the dock-yard was full of fans. It was no wonder the trio had opted to perform from the boat.
The laser lights flickered to life, and the two huge screams blinked on.
"Lady's and gentlemen! Presenting: Kaito!"
Kaito strutted out, decked out in black, with a blue ribbon around his wrist and a matching rose on his small felt hat. He struck a pose that stated 'I'm sexy and I know it'.
"Gakupo!"
Gakupo strutted out from the other side, also in black, the fluttering of a purple ribbon on his opposite wrist and a purple rose in his breast pocket button-hole. He struck a pose that said 'You want this'.
"And Len!"
Len walked out, a fluttering gold ribbon on either wrist, dressed in a beautifully pieced together black Gothic dress. The front came to a good three inches above the knees, and the back fluttered and flowed behind him to trail a good foot on the floor. A red rose was on the choker around his neck, and he wore black nail polish and lipstick. He struck a pose that said 'I'm dangerous'.
"He-e-e-ere's MEMORY!"
The crowd began to chant the band name over and over for a bit, until Len picked up his guitar and slammed out the first note to the song. Then it was just screaming as they started into the concert.
"You know, Rin." said Lily. "I honestly never thought Len could actually pull of sexy and dangerous at the same time, and in a dress."
"I know what you mean, Aunt Lily." Rin replied. "But still, I'm glad he's back."
"Me too, Rin. Me too."
