DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloids... Though sometimes I wish I did.
Chapter Three: An Offer One Cannot Refuse
Rin sighed, sitting in the alley next to Len, where he was sleeping. "You said no to free food so you can sleep." she stammered, stretched a bit and eating what was left of her dumpling. "Well... At least you'll have something to eat when you get up. And it wasn't stolen, so it will taste extra good~" Rin continued, though she knew Len wasn't listening.
Eventually Kaito found the alley way where Len and Rin were and he smiled, his breath a little heavy from all the running around he did to find them. "Ah found...you?" he asked, making his voice quiet when he noticed the younger boy sleeping.
He slipped into the alley way and crouched down across it from them with a smile, not wanting to be too loud. "Sorry, I...have a question but your brother should be awake for it. Did you like your dumpling?" Kaito asked, noticing she was finishing her dumpling.
Rin jumped when Kaito showed up, not expecting anyone to come looking for them. She swallowed what was in her mouth before slowly nodding. "A question?" She whispered, not wanting to wake Len up either. "And yeah, it was good, thank you." A look of confusion was on her face, unsure what he could possibly want to ask them.
He sat down in the dirty alleyway, his pants getting instantly dirty since they were white at the time but he still only smiled. "Let's wait till your brother wakes up. I'm glad you liked it." Kaito watched Len sleep for a moment, anticipating his awakening almost like someone waiting for their favorite dish to finish cooking.
Rin went quiet, staring at Kaito with a weird look. Before too long she sighed and shifted over to lightly shake Len to wake up. He stirred slightly and groggily opened his eyes. "What..." He murmured slightly raspy. Rin pointed towards Kaito.
"The Ice-Cream man wants to ask us something." She stated causing Len to sit up. "He said both of us need to hear the question though." Rin continued as she moved to look at Kaito.
Len sighed looking over at Kaito as well. "Store hours open after five, come back then, let me sleep..." He slurred a little.
Rin gave a huff. "Oh Len, just listen to him, okay?" She demanded slightly.
Kaito let out a laugh at Len's comment. "Would you prefer to sleep in a bed?" he asked Len, that childish smile still over Kaito's lips. "I was going to ask you two if you'd like to work for me. I'd give you a free room in my apartment above my store too..." he asked, his smile fading a little in worry that they would refuse his offer.
Len let himself drop back onto the pavement. "I'll sleep on it." He hissed.
Rin glared slightly, crossing her arms. "No! This is serious Len!" She exclaimed before looking at Kaito. "What would we have to do?" She asked, wanting to know more of this opportunity. Len sighed, opening an eye to look at Kaito, though it was obvious he was annoyed.
Kaito smiled and nodded. "My store has lost a lot of business lately because of all these big brand companies moving into the area... I was hoping you two could help me advertise! I know, it's a lot to ask of you, but you'll be paid, and have a place to sleep." he said, his brows furrowed as he hoped he didn't offend them in any way by asking them to work for them. "Maybe clean a little too!"
Rin smiled. "Anything is better than the alley." She stated almost excitedly.
Len sighed, knowing he wouldn't win in this debate against Rin. "And what are the conditions?" He asked though a bit halfheartedly. "Like what exactly are we supposed to do?"
Rin looked at Len then to Kaito. "Yeah. Are going to hand out fliers or something?"
Kaito smiled and nodded. "That is a good start! Maybe also hold signs outside wearing adorable- I mean, maybe in specially made clothes that represent the shop!" Kaito coughed slightly, not wanting to sound like a creeper to the two, but then he smiled. "So your name is Len, hm? What is yours?" he asked, looking to Rin.
Rin twitched, remembering she had said her name at the store. "Rin..." She stated sternly, hoping it won't be forgotten this time. Len laughed inwardly at Rin's voice before turning to lie on his side though winced and sat up. "Arms asleep..." He murmured a little before yawning.
Rin huffed before standing up and pulling on Len's arm. "Well? What do you think? Huh? Should we?" She asked, pleading even. Len sighed, letting her pull on him like he was some kind of doll. "I don't know..."
"A-ah! You said it before, sorry." Kaito smiled and stood up from his seated position on the dirty ground, his white pants covered in dirt and hardly could be called white anymore. "Meals would also be included. I usually make too much when I cook anyway." Kaito did not wish to sound like he was forcing them to come, but he thought it would be a good opportunity for them.
Len sighed inwardly. "Not like I have a choice on the matter..." he murmured, eying Rin, since he knew she really wasn't going to let him say no.
Rin's eyes almost sparkled as she threw her arms in the air and hugged Len. "Look at it this way~ we'll get to clean up~ and eat~ Well... work to of course, but the other things are better! And a bed! Len!" She exclaimed excitedly, letting go of Len and looking to Kaito. "Of course we'll do it~" She answered.
Len lied on his back again, closing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah... You say that now." He whispered more or less to himself.
Kaito nodded his head with a big smile as he attempted to brush off some of the dirt from his white pants, failing to do so, and smearing it instead. He didn't care though as he walked toward the entrance to the alley way. "Come on, I am sure you two would also like a nice hot bath, ne?"
Rin looked down at Len and started pulling on his arms again. "Come on~ Come on! Len! A bath would be nice and feel really good~" She chimed.
Len moaned before sitting back up. "Fine..." he managed another yawn before standing up, wobbling a bit before catching himself of Rin. "Aa.. Legs are asleep..." he stated bluntly, using Rin now as support to stand up. Rin giggled, adjusting herself a bit to help him walk. "I hate when that happens." She commented before helping Len to follow Kaito.
Kaito began walking toward the street now and smiled back at them to make sure they were following. It was a fairly quiet walk. Len and Rin watched as people gave them weird looks as though they did something terrible and the man in front was taking them to be punished. Len let out a small sigh shaking his head. If anything, he was regretting accepting the offer, not that he wanted to take it anyway.
Finally they made it to the shop where Akaito was sleeping, of course, at the register. Meiko was sitting at a table in the corner, chugging her beer which she recently bought with what money, no one knows. When the bell to the front door rang, Akaito groggily woke up, "Welco- Oh, it's you, Kaito." he said, closing his eyes again to attempt to go back to sleep.
Miku giggled, having moved to a table rather than the counter. She looked behind Kaito at the two he went and got. "Hmn. Twins, huh?" She said, standing up to look at them better.
Rin walked in, followed by Len who was now able to walk on his own. He didn't say anything, rather just looked around, twitching when he spotted Meiko. Rin gave a weird look to Len when he slid to be on the other side of her. Len looked down, nervous a bit since Meiko was the one he had stolen from that night, whether she remembers or not.
Miku looked at Kaito and bowed. "I need to go home. I have homework to do. Just wanted to see if they'd come or not~" She chimed, waving to Rin and Len then heading to the door. "And Akaito. Business won't come in if you're asleep~!" She stated as she left.
Akaito waved his hand to Miku's comment as she left though he yawned and stood up, looking at Len and Rin.
"So, who's hungry?" Akaito asked with a raised brow. Meiko rose her hand quickly from her drunken corner though Akaito scoffed.
"You don't get any food, free loader. Go get a damn job." Akaito turned and walked into the kitchen. "I'll bring some up when I'm done, Kaito." Kaito nodded with a smile, turning to look at Len and Rin.
"Let's go upstairs and get you that bath while he cooks, ne?" He led them outside to some stairs which went up to the somewhat large apartment. It was relatively clean and tidy.
The entrance way led into a hall which had doors down the sides and an opened walkway to the side which lead to the large kitchen and somewhat bare living area.
Kaito took his shoes off and walked down the hall to open a sliding door, which lead into the bathroom there. "Here is the bathroom, I will run some warm water for whoever wished to bathe first, or together... if you'd like." he added with a smile, walking into the room and running some water.
Rin and Len both looked at each other before Rin giggled. "I'll go first, kay?" She stated, looking into the bathroom waiting for Kaito to finish running the water. "Keeh~ this is going to feel so nice." She stated, getting a little antsy. Len sighed, moving to look down the hall. The only thing still on his mind right now was sleep.
Kaito left the bathroom after the water filled so Rin could have her privacy. He saw the look on Len's face and smiled. "The spare room is this way." He walked down the hall a little more and opened another sliding door to open a somewhat bare room though there was a comfy looking bed off to the right a little against a window and a small dresser as well as a couple unopened boxes in the corner.
"I will have to get those out of there, I hope you two don't mind sharing a bed for the time being." he asked, a bit nervously. "I will get Akaito's, my brother's, bed from storage later and clean his old room up so you two can have your privacy, if you want."
Len only nodded, following Kaito. He really didn't want to stay somewhere they didn't know but knew if it made Rin happy he'll put up with it. A small thought did cross his mind though; at least he wouldn't have to steal... for the time being that is. He eyed the bed though debated if he should wait until after he bathed. A small sigh escaped him as he dismissed the idea. "I... should probably wait..." He stated, no matter how tempting sleep sounded.
Kaito nodded to Len. "Ah, true. Do not want to get the sheets dirty, hm? Well, you can rest on the couch in the living area at least." He walked to the living are and laid down a blanket that was over the back of it, showing him he could lay on it if he wished. "Don't worry about the blanket... Just rest for now." he said with a smile, though only after Len would follow him, if he did.
Len followed quietly but stopped by the bathroom listening to hints of Rin singing. He sighed though and headed to where Kaito had gone. He didn't hesitate to sit on the couch. "God, I am so tired." he murmured before nodding at Kaito thankfully. "Sorry for the trouble..."
Kaito shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's no trouble at all." He moved to the kitchen and came back with a slice of pie. "It's sweets, I know... but dinner will come soon." The slice of pie was very small and not enough to ruin an appetite.
"Ah! Forgot a towel!" Kaito said quickly as he set down the pie on a small table in front of the sofa and ran to a closet in the hall. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Rin, I am going to leave a towel by the door! Forgot to get you one." He sat it down right by the door and then went back to the living area and sat on the couch by Len. "Phew."
Len looked at the pie for a second then leaned back. "Not hungry." he stated, closing his eyes. Nothing really seemed appealing to him rather than sleep. "Why..." he managed to ask though stopped before finishing his question. He slightly opened his eyes in thought. The words he wanted to say just couldn't form.
A slight frustrated look crossed his face before he shook his head. "Hmnnn." he yawned before tilting his head a bit to look at Kaito. "Why did you decide to do this?" He finally managed to get his question out.
Kaito sat back on the couch and smiled to himself. "To be honest, I don't... really know. My brother always told me I had a soft spot for people in need. I guess I just felt like I had to." Nodding to himself he sat back up and looked at Len with a smile. "I hope you'll like it here. Sometimes the regulars can be slightly annoying but you'll get use to them like Meiko."
Len twitched when he heard that, mostly when he said Meiko. "Are the two that were in there earlier your regulars? Or are there others?" He asked curiously while trying to fight sleep, now trying to find out what Rin and he just got them into.
He nodded to his question. "She comes mostly to annoy us I think." he laughed and shook his head. "Me and her go back a ways." Kaito smiled then at Len. "Miku, the one who left when you got here is also a regular; she goes to one of the schools nearby."
"I see." he said almost in a whisper, losing to tiredness though Rin coming out of the bathroom caused him to wake up a bit.
"Leeeeeeeen... We have a problem." She whined the towel wrapped around her. Her skin looked a bit cream, colored without the dirt. Len sighed a bit knowing what she was complaining about.
"Um... We don't have other clothes..." Len murmured. Rin pouted.
"I don't wanna put those back on. Would make the bath pointless." she whined.
Len snickered a little at Rin. "Well... I think he is the one you need to complain to." he stated as he gestured to Kaito.
Rin looked to him as well. "Mr. Ice Cream Man...What am I supposed to do?"
Kaito laughed a little and scratched his head. "Maybe Miku has some spare clothes..." he said mostly to himself.
He stood up and went to his own bedroom, digging through stuff before he came out with a long white cotton shirt, long enough to be worn as a nightie for someone Rin's size. "This is all I have at the moment. I'll call Miku right now." He went and grabbed his cell to call Miku.
Rin went back into the bathroom and slid the shirt on, though felt a bit uncomfortable just wearing a shirt. She came out of the bathroom and walked to the living room, smiling when she saw Len has fallen asleep in that short time that Kaito had left the couch.
"Poor Len. I guess you do deserve a rest..." she commented before waiting for Kaito in regards of getting clothes.
Miku answered her phone a hint of confusion in her voice never having had Kaito call her before. "Hello? Something wrong?"
"A-ah... Sorry Miku. I am glad I had your number saved from a long time back... Do you have any spare clothing? Rin has nothing to wear... I ... I only had a shirt to let her wear." He said nervously, not having thought about the clothing situation, hoping she had something for Rin to wear, having maybe something Len could wear later when he was awake and bathed.
Miku began giggling. "Um. He he. I think I might have some clothes from last year she can have. I didn't think about that." The sound of a door opening could be heard as Miku started going through her closet. "Hopefully they'll fit her." She stated. "Give me an hour and I'll bring them by, okay?" Miku said cheerfully.
Kaito gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Miku. You're a life saver. See you soon. Thanks again." He hung up and smiled at Rin. "She is looking right now and will be over in about an hour." Kaito spoke quietly so not to wake Len though he was sure Len wouldn't wake up because he was really tired. "Sorry, Rin. Hopefully the clothes fit that she brings."
"Well... It doesn't matter to me if they do or not. I mean, if I can have them then Len can fix them for me to fit." she said in a complimenting voice as she looked at Len again.
Rin looked around the apartment, not use to being in a building after living on the streets the last couple years. "This place looks so bare. Do you live in here too?" She questioned as she directed her attention to the bare looking living room. "It needs color." she exclaimed as she ran her hand along the walls.
Kaito laughed a little. "I used to have an apartment across town, but because of travel I decided to use the apartment above the shop instead. Easier that way." He looked over the room and sighed but then smiled. "Maybe you could help me later fix it?" He asked because Rin seemed to know what it needed more than he did, and he thought a woman's touch would make the place... brighter. Kaito sat on the floor then with his legs crossed, watching Rin and waiting for Miku.
Rin pondered for a minute, looking about the living room. "It'll take some work but I am sure it can be fixed up real nice." she stopped and looked over Kaito. "If we're going to be working and living together I guess we should get to know each other." she chimed, throwing her hands to her hips.
A quirky smile rose on her face as she was now curious of Kaito. "So, I'll start…My name is Kagamine Rin. I am 14 years old, born December 27th. I love oranges and the color yellow. I like to sleep in." she rambled a bit. "Now you~"
"Mn. My name is Shion Kaito. I'm 24 years old. My birthday is February 17th and I obviously love sweets but ice cream is my favorite." He smiled and leaned back with his hands pressed into the floor a little behind himself now. "I love the color blue as well. I only have one sibling, Akaito, who you met earlier." His eyes shifted to Len who was sleeping for only a moment.
Rin looked at Len as well. "Len is also 14. I... I'll let him tell you about himself. It's not my place to." She stated, not wanting to say anything Len might get mad at her for later. "You're nice. I'm sure we'll get along~"
"Thanks. You too! I hope you enjoy staying here. It's the least I could do, really... but it's a place to sleep and eat." He smiled once more, like he seemed to always do. A knock came to the door and Kaito answered it, hoping it was Miku, but it wasn't. Akaito pushed past Kaito and went into the kitchen with some covered dishes in hand. He sat them down and dished out some food for Rin, having noticed Len sleeping.
"Eat, munchkin." Akaito said even though he wasn't much older than Rin it seemed, though he smiled at her.
Rin looked down at the food. "Er.. Thanks. And it's RIN. Not munchkin." she retorted as she took the plate. "It smells good..." she stated, taking in the smell as if it were going to be her last meal. Before she could take a bite another tapping could be heard at the door. Kaito answered the door, hoping this time it was Miku.
Akaito laughed a little at Rin's statement. "Yeah, I know. Rin." he said in jest, going into the kitchen to dish up some food for himself and standing in the living room with a plate in hand and fork in the other.
Miku stood at the doorway, a large bag in her hands. She obviously knocked on the door by kicking it. "Tee-hee~ I had a lot more old clothes then I thought I did." Miku stated happily. She felt accomplished in being able to help Kaito. Rin sat the plate down to see what Miku had brought.
Kaito smiled and let her into the house at lease and closed the door. "Wow, that is a lot more than expected! Thanks, Miku." he said, though Akaito laughed in the background a little. "Wow, sounds like you're the one getting the girly clothes." Kaito sweat dropped and decided to ignore his brother's comment with a twitch. "The bedroom is open if you two would like to have Rin try them on."
"That would be great!" Miku stated, making her way to the room, Rin happily in tow. Though she was thankful for the shirt to wear she wanted something more comfortable. As they left, Len woke up slightly. The noise of extra voices having woke him up.
"Ah, you're awake." Kaito mentioned as he moved back over to sit on the floor. "The bath is open now if you'd like one." Akaito shifted over and sat on the couch next to Len, a brow rising in Len's direction though he said nothing, taking another bite of his food. "Ah, there is also food now if you're hungry..." Kaito was trying to be nice, though he felt like Len didn't like him which made him sad.
Len gave a slight glare to Akaito before standing up and heading to the bathroom. He didn't say anything as he left. A couple seconds after he closed the bathroom door Rin came out of the room wearing a pale pink summer dress.
She seemed pretty happy, handing Kaito's shirt to him. Her eyes looked towards the couch. "Ah. Len got up?" she asked wanting to show Len her new clothes.
Miku walked out of the room giggling. "Well. She should be good for now."
Kaito's smile grew a bit as he was handed his shirt. "That looks great on you, Rin. I'm glad they fit. Thanks once again, Miku." Akaito seemed to stare at Rin for a long moment, blinking a bit, and then seemed to advert his eyes in embarrassment. He decided to begin eating again so it didn't seem suspicious. Kaito then nodded to Rin's comment. "He went into the bathroom."
"Ah." She sighed with a slight pout. "I'll show him …Ah... Did you put a new towel in the bathroom?" she asked having interrupted her own thought.
Miku giggled having caught Akaito staring then smiled to Rin's comment. "Knowing Kaitosan... Probably not."
Kaito face palmed and went to go grab a fresh towel from the small closet and then knocked on the bathroom door. "Ah, Len? I forgot to give you a new towel... Would you want for me to set it by the door?"
Akaito made a face at Miku as if to tell her to shut up, though he said nothing still and then stood up. "Well, you're here... Want some dinner, Miku?" Akaito asked as he headed for the kitchen.
Rin laughed as she watched Kaito. "Don't worry. Len gets easier to deal with once you get to know him better." Miku nodded and followed Akaito, though that was more or less to torment him.
Kaito sat the towel near the door and backed up. "It is there for you now." He went back into the living room and sat on the floor once more.
Rin looked at Kaito then smiled. "Ne ne.. Can we paint the walls?" she asked her mind having gone back to the idea of fixing up the apartment.
Kaito looked around and nodded. "I don't see why not! Not much furniture to get in the way either. What color did you have in mind?"
Rin looked up in thought for a minute before slamming a fist into the palm of her hand. "Oh! A soft peach, or a pale blue or green~" she answered.
Kaito smiled as Rin seemed to get excited about the idea. "We can go look at paint later to see which one might work better." He felt like a father figure to Rin for some reason, or like an older brother mostly.
Rin nodded. "That would be fun. Maybe Len'll want to go too! If he isn't still tired." she stated seeming to become a little gloomy all of a sudden.
Kaito made a face and went over to Rin, placing a gentle hand on her hair. "You two seemed to have gone through a lot... but I won't ask you to tell me about your past unless you want to tell me, okay?" Kaito smiled then to try and cheer her up as much as he could.
Rin quickly shook her head. "Mnn. It's not that…Just... Len has been sleeping a lot lately... Maybe he's been restless and just hasn't been getting as much sleep as I think he has." She forced a smile and looked around the living room again. "That's probably all it is."
"He's dedicated to you. He probably stayed up a lot to make sure you were safe. You two can rest easy now. No more stealing either." Kaito murmured under his breath a little though shook his head after and stood up.
"I should find Len something to wear. Akaito should have some clothes still in some boxes; he won't mind I'm sure." Kaito then patted her head gently once more and headed into the spare room to find Len clothing. When he found him some simple clothing to wear for the time being, he folded them and sat them by the towel.
Rin went quiet as Kaito went to look for some clothes for Len. A small sigh escaped her as she thought about how things had been the last two years. Her attention was adverted when she saw Kaito place something down on the towel. "When did you want Len and I to start working, anyway? I know not today, obviously... but just so I know." She stated, giving a smile.
Kaito moved back into the living area and smiled, sitting now on the sofa. "Perhaps the day after tomorrow, you two should get some rest tonight and tomorrow. I can give your brother an advance so he can go buy more clothes, Akaito doesn't have many here to spare." He sat back, staring at the bare ceiling in thought.
Rin shook her head. "Um. The bed should be fine tonight. I am sure Len would agree." She stated, not wanting to sleep by herself, and knew Len wouldn't want to be by himself either. "Perhaps tomorrow night one of us will sleep on the couch." She continued, smiling at Kaito.
The bathroom door slid open and Len stepped out, the towel was draped over his head as he was fighting with the pants. "I need a belt..." he hissed a little to himself before looking down the hall. His skin looked a lot paler then Rin's but looked a lot better now that he was clean.
Rin smiled at Len, noting strands of hair peeking out from under the towel. "Hair tie break?" She couldn't help but ask.
Len twitched and looked the opposite direction now. "I'm shocked it even lasted as long as it did..." He answered.
Kaito nodded to Rin and then looked to Len. He moved into his own bedroom and got Len a belt. He walked to him and knelt down to put it around Lens waist before he could protest. "There, that should keep them up for now." he said with a smile.
Len was twitching slightly; his body had tensed with Kaito's action. "I could have done that myself..." He stated in an almost growl, having backed up a step.
"Len…right? Here. Eat." Akaito said as he walked from the kitchen to the sofa and sat the food down on the table in front of it so he could sit down and eat it.
Rin quickly stood up, using her voice to snap Len from his little fit. "Len. Eat." She stated, though it sounded nice there was a hint of command in her voice.
Len loosened up a little, glaring a little before maneuvering to get to the couch and sit down. Rin sat back down, looking to Kaito apologetically. "Not hungry..." Len stated more to Rin then anything.
Rin sighed. "Then we'll save if for if you get hungry later." Miku walked out of the kitchen a few minutes after, having finished eating and cleaning her dishes.
Kaito sweat dropped, having noticed the nervous and somewhat scared movements Len made. "Sorry, that was rude of me. You're not a kid." Kaito walked to the table and took the plate of food. "I'll put it in a container in the fridge so eat it whenever you get hungry later, okay?" He then went to the kitchen and put the food away.
Akaito shrugged a little and looked at Rin once more before he made a sound. "Kaito, I'm going home. The shop is already locked up for the night, kicked Meiko out, and cleaned while the food was cooking. Good night, everyone." He then headed to the front door to put on his shoes.
Len stayed quiet to what Kaito said. A small ping of guilt hit him causing him to sigh. He knew it wasn't Kaito's fault... he doesn't know.
Rin smiled waving to Akaito. "Thanks for the food by the way, I'll eat it when I get a chance." She stated before turning her attention back to Len.
Miku smirked, watching Akaito. "I need to go too. Still have homework. He he~ I am so distracted. You two behave, kay? Kaitosan has a hard time keeping up sometimes.~" She teased before walking to the door, bowing and leaving before Akaito.
Akaito waved back at Rin, a small smile on his face. "If he gets out of line, just kick him in the shin." he said as Kaito came out of the kitchen to hear that. "J-just go home already, Akaito." Akaito stuck his tongue out playfully at his brother and then left as well.
Kaito sighed as he moved on the other side of the table to sit across from the sofa on the floor. "Did you enjoy your bath, Len?"
Len simply nodded before dropping his weight a little then forcing himself to sit up correctly. Rin sighed and looked to Kaito. "We really needed it." She stated before taking in a sigh of relief. "Being that dirty... you itch. It sucks." She continued using hand gestures as she talked.
"So do you already have fliers, Kaitosan? Or do you need to make some?" She questioned, changing the topic.
Kaito smiled at the change of subject. "I planned on making some tomorrow while you two rested. I don't want to rush you into working. Rest is good and I am sure you two need it." He leaned back and rested his hands on the ground like earlier and stretched his somewhat long legs under the table, his white pants and shirt still dirty from sitting in the alley way.
Rin nodded, putting her hands on her lap. "Are they going to be colorful? Colorful fliers are bound to get people's attention! Colorful and fancy~" She chimed, wanting to give ideas.
Len looked to Kaito then to Rin, a slight confused look on his face. He just couldn't seem to understand what they were saying all of a sudden.
Rin looked down at her hands before crossing her arms. "Well, you said you like blue~ and orange is its complimentary color! So use those two colors~ Maybe a pale orange background and fancy font blue text~ and of course, maybe a photo of something you serve here~"
Kaito nodded a couple times. "I love that idea! I can take some pictures of some dishes tomorrow." He was thinking with a wide smile on his lips. "Ah! Maybe I can redesign my sign outside too. It's looking a little drabby." Kaito looked at Len and sweat dropped. "Sorry about that."
Len shook his head before mumbling to himself though what he said was unable to be understood. Rin looked at Len and smiled. "Maybe you should go to bed, huh?" She stated, slightly pushing against Len to motivate him to get up.
Len sighed, before looking at Rin and standing up, barely catching himself to stay balanced. "Good idea..." He murmured.
Rin looked at Kaito before standing up and helping Len. "Maybe a good couple hours of sleep will make you feel better... kay?" She commented, helping him to the room. "He he... We're so much trouble, Len. I feel sorry for Kaitosan..." She whispered as they walked.
Kaito stood up when they headed to the bedroom. "I am going to take a shower. Please, if there is anything you need, don't be afraid to get it or ask." He smiled before getting himself a towel, remembering this time, and some night clothes to wear. The sound of the shower could be heard shortly after and soft singing.
Rin helped Len onto the bed before she sat down beside him on it. "You're acting weird..." She murmured. Len shook his head before lying down horizontally on the bed.
"No... not really. Just tired is all. Every time I've tried to sleep today, I've been woken up. Or have you forgotten..." He said almost as if trying to give a guilt trip, though it failed.
Rin stood up and motioned for Len to readjust himself to lay correctly. "I know. I'm sorry, but this type of opportunity doesn't happen every day..." She countered as Len was moving to lay on the bed the right way.
He looked up at Rin before shaking his head. "Yeah, but how long will it last? What happens if we run out of usefulness, Rin... Then what?" Len said, he feared the idea of acceptance then rejection. Rin looked down.
She knew where Len was coming from but she felt this was different. "Len. We can't just assume everyone out there is out to hurt us. Yeah, we've been through hell... but Kaitosan seems really nice. He doesn't look the type to try and hurt us. Or kick us out if we don't seem useful... He doesn't look like that type of person..." Despite knowing Len's reasoning, she felt slightly angered by Len's distrust. She felt this time they were in a place they could call home.
Len shook his head before pulling the blankets over his head almost as if telling Rin to shut up without actually saying it. "You'll understand some day Rin..." he murmured, though feeling a little betrayed for Rin's inability to understand him.
Rin gave a displeased look before walking out of the room and going back to sit on the couch. A small sigh escaped her as she found herself in complete silence. Not even the sound of the cars on the street could be heard. As much as it was pleasing… it was also a little frightening.
Kaito came out of the shower a little later, his hair still dripping a little though the towel was around his neck. "Ah, Rin? Not tired?" He moved over to the sofa and sat down, now dressed in some blue and white PJs. He gave her a smile though it faded as the atmosphere felt a little tense to him.
Rin looked down. "Len is being so difficult... I don't even know what's wrong with him. He's so secretive and quiet when it comes to things like this... We use to be able to tell each other everything, but lately it's like he's a completely different person."
She brought her hands to her eyes trying to avoid crying. "I feel like I'm losing him to the cruel world that swallowed us." she continued. She didn't want to keep her feelings bottle up. She saw what it was doing to Len. "I don't know what to do..."
Kaito smiled once more and moved over to give her a hug much like a big brother might, nothing more. "You two must have went through some hard times. Maybe he just needs some time to trust people again, it could take a while but I hope he'll come to trust me. I won't force him to though." Kaito didn't hold onto Rin, not wanting to seem like he was being...strange. He didn't want his kind intentions to be taken the wrong way like some people might think.
Rin nodded, feeling a little comforted. "Maybe.. his behavior is just from lack of sleep.. I guess I shouldn't come to these conclusions without ruling everything out first..." She stammered between a couple sniffles. "Hopefully he'll come to trust you quick. You're a really nice person. I am so sorry with how he is acting..."
"Don't apologize! I am happy to help you both. I don't know what happened, but I hope someday you two can forget the past a bit and move on. It will take time though." He smiled at Rin and then stood up, going to the kitchen real quick and grabbing an orange. "You didn't eat much, here." He handed her the orange and a napkin before sitting back down. "I just hope he eats when he wakes up." Kaito made a worried face, hoping he wasn't the cause of his loss of appetite.
Rin happily took the orange, her demeanor changing. "Thank you~" She chimed before hearing the other part Kaito said. "I even have a hard time getting Len to eat. He always winds up saying. 'It doesn't agree with me..', or 'I'm not hungry.'." She sighed as she began to peel the orange. "He's so difficult. If he weren't stronger than me, I'd shovel food down his throat!" She commented, before twitching as she accidentally pressed too hard on the orange, getting juice to drip on her lap. "Hmnn... Well... I forgot how easy it was to do that..."
Kaito laughed a little and went to grab her some more napkins. He sat one in her lap but didn't make to clean up the juice; he also brought her a damp cloth which he sat on the table for her to use when she was done. "I hope he will find something he enjoys to eat that I can make for him so he'll eat. Any foods he likes that you know of?" he asked, trying to think of something someone his age might enjoy, though he took into account they weren't typical teenagers.
"Bananas..." She stated as she continued to peel the orange, occasionally licking the juice off her fingers. "Other than that, I don't know." She looked at Kaito and smiled. "Not that that is much to work with, is it?" She stated a little apologetically.
Kaito laughed. "Maybe I will make him a nice banana pie later, with banana on top. Or a banana ice cream!" His demeanor changed a little when he spoke of sweets and ice cream. "Hm, what else could I make that uses bananas... Tarts, breads..." Kaito seemed to trail off into his own little world before he shook his head. "Sorry! I sometimes go off on random tangents, forgive me. I will ask him tomorrow what he likes to eat, maybe he can tell me."
Rin nodded happily, having finished peeling her orange and was eating it. "I'm sure he'll be happy with anything that has bananas in it." She stated. She started to hum to herself now as she ate.
Kaito stood up once again and stretched his arms above his head and then walked to an almost wall sized window that lead out into a balcony above the shop, though it had been covered by a large curtain earlier which he opened. "It's getting late." He chuckled a little, having lost track of time. "I guess we should sleep soon."
Rin nodded again, still enjoying the last bit of the orange, having been eating it really slow to take in the taste. "Maybe I should sleep on the couch tonight. I think Len might still be mad at me..." She stated.
Kaito nodded and closed the large curtain again and went to the same small closet where he kept his towels and wash cloths. He brought a thick looking blanket and a fluffy looking pillow. "I hope this is enough; if you get cold there is more blankets in that closet you can use."
He unfolded the large blanket and laid it over half the couch, part she was not sitting on so she could pull it over herself later, and placed the pillow near the arm of it on the opposite side. Kaito walked to Rin and placed a gentle hand to her hair, not knowing really how to act around them so didn't know if it was acceptable or not to pat her head at all so did anyway.
"Sleep well. The garbage is in the kitchen in the corner for the rinds and you can leave the cloth there if you use it and I will take care of it in the morning." Kaito smiled at her once more before going to turn off a light in the living area but left one on for her which was bright enough to light the room but not a lot. "Good night, Rin. Sleep well and do not worry about your brother too much, he seems like a strong kid, you both do." He then turned and walked into his room, sliding the door closed.
Rin sighed again, finishing up the orange. "I guess… This is going to take a while getting use to…"
A/N: Now for a treat. Here is a little side story for those of you who might be curious of the conversation Miku and Akaito have while in the kitchen when Len is taking a bath. It comes in play later in the story as well.
Chapter Three: Side Story!
The Kitchen conversation, GO MIKU GO!
Akaito was in the kitchen now getting Kaito some food and had planned on getting Miku's for her though. "I could have brought it to you, you know..." Akaito commented, a brow rising in question. "Why'd you follow?"
Miku laughed a little, watching Akaito fix up the plates. "I saw you staring." she teased, adjusting herself to put weight on her right leg. She put her hands behind her back and waited to hear Akaito's defense.
Akaito made a scuff sound and then smirked in Miku's direction. "I know a pretty girl when I see one." He stuck his tongue out at her then and handed her a plate. He teased her quite a bit, just like he did Meiko. It was in his nature to tease the girls he knew.
Miku giggled. "Careful now. If you mess with the mouse the lion might bite." she teased again, taking the plate. "As for the pretty comment and how you said it. I know I am not pretty." She winked. "I'm beautiful~" she busted up laughing after staying that. "Do you like her? Already?"
Akaito sighed and placed a hand on his slender hip, shaking his head. "Of course not! I'm not that quick, geeze. I just thought she looked cute. I'm a guy, alright? I'm allowed to look, aren't I?" he said, trying to defend himself a little though it seemed to be failing. "And you're beautiful all right... Beautiful as a dead fish." Akaito jested though it was all in fun, and he knew Miku knew it too.
Miku laughed. "Not that you're a pleasing sight either~" she stated before crossing her arms and eying Akaito suspiciously. "And the 'I'm a guy' excuse is over used. You'll have to do better than that." she countered his defense.
Akaito looked away from Miku and crossed his arms. "Well, it's the only excuse I can think of. She was just cute, alright?" he sighed a little and then looked back to her. "It's not like I'm instantly in love with her the moment I saw her or something like in one of those Shoujo mangas you probably read. The dress just looked nice.." he said trying not to blush as he said it.
Miku smirked as she set the plate down. "You fail, Akaito." She said sarcastically.
Akaito sighed. "Do you fall in love at first sight every time you think a boy, or girl, is cute?" he asked, his brow rising again.
Miku looked up in thought to Akaito's question. "Mn... I have. Not every time of course. The term is usually 'a crush' though." She smiled at Akaito before actually starting to eat the food she was given.
Akaito turned around at the sink to wash his dishes and place them in the holder beside it when he finished. "Crush, huh? Only ever had one before, in 2nd grade. You don't honestly think I've...gotten a crush... do you?" His pauses were strangely spaced, as if he questioned himself whether or not he actually did have a crush on Rin.
Miku smirked. "Well... Look at it this way. You saw her before she was clean. I will even admit she wasn't very cute then. But now you saw the real her. I wasn't expecting her hair to be that blond. They must have had a lot of dirt on them..." She stated, her train of thought went from tormenting Akaito to pitying the twins.
Akaito rolled his eyes a little, trying to get the idea of liking Rin out of his head. "I heard the other one come out of the bath, I'm sure he's hungry." Akaito used it as an excuse to leave the kitchen, dishing Len some still warm food up and walking out of the kitchen.
A/N: As promise. Much long chapter, and early too! Not too impressive though! I really hope you enjoy! It going to get depressing from here on out so I apologize in advance.
Chapter Four might take while since we have sad plan for it. I will try and update every Monday though.
Hope you enjoy Chapter three! Please R&R!
~HANAME YUKINA
Ryelu's Notes: Hoo-boy! That one took me a bit. _; Yukinachan and her friend are definitely interesting. Haha. I get to read the story as I edit it. As usual. If you see any grammar or spelling errors I may have missed, let us know so we can fix it. Thank you! Please Read and Review! It is much appreciated!
~Ryelu
