Romance, romance!

Rin: You're embarrassing. And why am I always beat up? Why not that shota over there?

Len: Hey!

Me: Urusai, both of you, I'm trying to write.

Rin: And if my life isn't bad enough already, now there's a serial killer involved, too. And he's-

Me: SHUT UP RIN STOP GIVING STUFF AWAY.

Rin: .

Len POV

Rin's beautiful blue eyes widened. (Beautiful? What's wrong with me?)

"What? You said yes?"

"Well...Technically, I-" Rin was on me, her arms wrapped around my neck. I chuckled and hugged back. Then a thought stopped me short. I was gonna have to explain to her about my parents.

"Ne...Rin?" She didn't respond. Right. I tapped her and she pulled away, still smiling so brightly, my heart soared. She swept tears from her eyes, and then nodded.

"Hai?"

Ding-dong.

Dang it.

I hopped up and threw open the door to see Kuo.

"Len... Didn't you wanna see me?"

Rin crept up behind me, clutching the back of my shirt and peeping from behind me at him.

"Ne, Rin." He smiled kindly at her. She blushed.

"Hi, Mi- er, Kuo-kun."

"Just Kuo." He grinned again. I felt something pop inside of me.

"Er, coming in?" I opened the door.

He stepped inside. Rin plopped on the couch, and he sat next to her, forcing me to sit across from them. I made a face and sat down.

"So, you wanted to help Rin?" he asked awkwardly. Rin was looking at me, probably waiting for me to say something. I pointed at Kuo.

"Read his lips... Not mine." I said. She turned to look at him. He frowned.

"You're deaf, right?"

She nodded.

"How are you able to read lips so fluently?"

We both looked at her.

She hesitated, looking thoughtful.

"Well... I started at a young age. And it was ridiculously hard. Most of the time, Dad would yell commands, thinking I could hear them, or he would say them to the TV. I'd have to walk in front of him. I talked to Rinto a lot, and he was a fluent talker. I learned from him."

She sighed heavily.

"School was yet another challenge. Teachers were demonstrative, looking down or at the board while they spoke, and it killed me. My grades never were high, because I couldn't hear how to do the problem, and I had trouble reading because I couldn't hear myself talk."

"But...you're an amazing reader!" I yelped.

"I just imagined myself talking... even though I couldn't hear." She shrugged. Kuo looked thoughtful.

"I need to go... I'll come back eventually, though. But hey, if you need anything at all, call on me, kay?" He glared at me until I nodded, then he chuckled.

"See you guys soon."

Rin smiled at me.

"Kuo's nice, isn't he?"

I smiled. "Yea. That's why he's my friend."

"Hey Len?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Huh?"

"Thanks. For everything. Tutoring, introducing Kuo, helping with Miku, Kaito, and my deafness, and for taking me in."

I smiled at her.

"No problem, Rin."

We were looking each other in the eyes.

Impulsively, I leaned towards her.

Our lips met, hers soft and sweet and gentle. Her eyes widened, but she didn't break away from me. One of my hands was on her shoulders for support, and the other was on her back. Her arms laced around my neck, one finger playing with my ponytail. Her cheeks were a rosy pink, and I'm pretty sure I was red.

At last, we broke apart. Rin was still pink.

"Wow..." I breathed. She nodded, breathless.

Then, I'm not sure why, but we burst into laughter. Rin fell back against the sofa, laughing her head off. I almost fell on the floor.

"Oh, god." Rin breathed. "Oh. My. God." She smiled at me, and I grinned back.

"Well. Better find you a bed." I offered my hand to her, and pulled her to her feet.

"Hai." She let out a small giggle, but I could tell she was still sad.

Coincidentally, I only had one bed, because I was the only one in the house. It was a king bed. We avoided each other's eyes.

"Er... Icansleepwithyouifyoudon'tmind." Rin burst out awkwardly.

I chuckled nervously. "Perfect."