Alright everyone, next chapter! I'm so thankful for everyone and your feedback, I just hope I can do it justice. More drama to follow, but I promise I have good things in store for our girl Rin. Don't lose hope!
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the characters likenesses. I only write the story lol.
Chapter 7
"Rin? Are you okay?" Len asked with tremendous worry in his voice. I could feel his gaze on me, as he undoubtedly noticed my entire body stiffen at Ted's voice.
"Mmhmm. I'm perfect." I said, trying my damndest to relax with very little success.
You could hear the two of them taking their shoes off by the front door. Shit, Len's shoes. Will he notice before he comes into the living room? Will he come in here at all? What about Lily? Is she going to make a scene about it?
Thoughts upon thoughts raced through my head and I had no answers for any of them. The one solace that was keeping me from liquifying into a pure pile of horrifying goo on the floor was Len's steady pressure of his hand in mine. I could feel him squeeze me as if to say that he wouldn't leave me.
"Rin, it's alright. I'm right here, okay?" His voice was right next to my ear, shocking me slightly as my eyes flew open, my head turning to look at him. His gaze met mine and I nearly gasped. The look in his eyes was one I hadn't seen before. Pure anger boiled just underneath the surface; something I couldn't understand. Why was he so angry? And why didn't it frighten me? Could...Could Len know?! Could he... no. That was impossible. No one knew. No one except Ted and myself.
However, a twinge of memory hit me. Deep, piercing blue eyes. A masked face, a tight embrace, and the oddly comforting smell of bananas. The man who pulled me off the bridge knew something about what happens, but he only saw a glimpse. Why was I remembering this now? And why was I looking at the same eyes as that night?
"Len..." my voice quietly trailed off as he reached his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to his side, almost putting me in his lap, himself. I could feel his strong embrace, but there was something almost defensive about the position he had himself in, around me.
Ted and Lily walked through the doorway to the living room, laughing about something one of them had said in the hallway. She walked over to one of the recliners and plopped down, kicking her legs up over the armrest of the chair, before saying a single word.
She looked up and nodded my way, opening her mouth to say something, but caught off guard as she fully grasped who was sitting next to me. "L-LEN KAGAMINE! Holy shit! W-w-what are you doing in my house?!" She nearly screamed at him, for the moment forgetting that I existed, which was much preferred at this point. I wanted to sink into Len and just hide from their gazing eyes. I could feel the red-hot stare of Ted's eyes in the back of my head as I refused to turn and meet his gaze.
"Dad! Len is the star quarterback of our school! Plus he's president of like every club we have! Len is school royalty! And he's in our house!" Lily squealed with excitement. "I have to let everyone know!" She let another inhumane noise escape as she dug out her cell phone so fast, it fell out of her hands and clattered to the floor.
"Lily, I think you're being a bit rude to our guest here, sweet pea." Ted walked around to the other recliner on the opposite side of the couch and gingerly sat down. Finally, I couldn't avoid looking at him any longer and met his gaze, a deep chill running down my spine. He looked between Len and me, smiling kindly. The look in his eyes, however, did not match his facial expression, something off emanating from his gaze. "Len is it?" Ted extended his right hand out towards Len, his long and spindly fingers reaching out. I could feel his grip on my skin; the memory of him touching me would always linger in the back of my mind.
"Yeah, Len Kagamine. Maybe you've heard of my father's company, Akigo Industries." His somewhat large hands reached out and gripped Ted's, his fingers seemingly encapsulating the adults. As soon as their hands met, a look passed over Ted's face, briefly, that I couldn't identify.
"Ah, I see we have someone very influential in our midst!" Ted spoke sickeningly sweet, before leaning forward and placing a hand on Len's shoulder. Instinctively I froze as that man came closer to me, but what I wasn't prepared for was for Len to seemingly move his body in a way that pushed me further from Ted as he leaned towards us.
"Indeed you do, sir. But I'm simply here for Rin right now." Len spoke so matter-of-factly that I was completely caught off guard by how nonchalant he said it. I looked up at him and I could see him wink at me from the corner of his eye, causing a small smile before I allowed myself to sort of melt into him for protection. 'You'll never know how much this means to me.' I could only think as I inhaled breath after breath of his all too familiar scent.
Lily suddenly must have remembered my existence, but probably due to Len's words. "Soooooooo, you're here for Rin. What about Miku? The queen bee herself? You two are made for each other! Do you have any idea how many people idolize your relationship? You two are the face of the school!" She had a point. A few years ago, the school went through a public relations disaster when a student accused a teacher of sexual harassment. So the entire student body was combed through for the best representatives. It was a surprise to no one when Len and Miku were picked.
"I was going to announce to the school tomorrow, and I was hoping Rin would be by my side when I did. It's kind of imperative she is, as she's just as much a part of it as me." Len looked down at me; tilting my head upwards to meet his gaze, he smiled so softly down at me. "Rin and I finally had a chance to reconnect today and I just couldn't let the day end without seeing Mrs. Akita again either." Without breaking eye contact for a second, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, showing it off in Lily's direction.
"I have in my hand, a front-row ticket to see Kenshi Yonezu. If you can keep this between us here, it's yours." He finally broke our gaze and looked over at her. Curious, I turned to see her facial expression and couldn't help but chuckle. Her mouth hung open as she stared wide-eyed at the piece of paper in Len's hand. It was as if she had seen an angel or something.
"You most certainly have a deal! Oh! Ia is gonna be beyond jealous!" She couldn't contain her excitement any longer and audibly squealed before sprinting to her room, taking the stairs 3 at a time, it seemed.
"I think you may have just gained yourself a fan, Len," Ted spoke, his eyes softening ever so slightly as she watched Lily vanish out of sight. He became an entirely different person with his daughter and while part of me was grateful that he seemed to care about her genuinely, my stomach couldn't help but twist into unimaginably painful knots as he turned back to look at Len and me.
"Now, why don't you tell me your intentions with my daughter?" The words seemed unbelievably cold and suddenly I found my voice as I spoke up. "Step-daughter." I couldn't help but look at him, hoping he saw the fear and terror in my eyes. I felt a small squeeze from Len's hand on my shoulder and I instantly relaxed slightly.
"Yes. Step-daughter, but daughter nonetheless." His voice dripped with malice as he smiled coldly at me and waited for Len to answer
"Well, to be frank sir, I'm interested in pursuing a relationship with her. I have no motive other than to make Rin happy. I haven't been able to spend time with her in a very long time and I have to say it's felt like something is missing. Rin completes me." My breath caught in my throat as I tried to hold back tears. Len...you aren't just saying all this...right?
"Hmmm. Is that so? Well, I can't stop her from dating anyone, but just know that Rin and I have a very close relationship and I won't stand for" He looked at me while talking, making sure to meet my gaze. The next words sent a chill down my spine, "anyone to get in the way of that. Am I understood?"
"With all due respect sir, I believe that's for Rin to decide. If she doesn't want me stepping in, all she has to do is say so." He pulled me slightly closer to his side, giving me a reassuring squeeze. " I would never do anything to hurt her."
"Hi, honey! I hope you and Lily had fun shopping. Did you get the lightbulbs?" My mother asked as she walked out of the kitchen holding 4 glasses, placing them on the coffee table in front of us. She walked over and kissed Ted on the cheek.
" I did dear. They are sitting in the bag, by the door." He smiled and gently kissed her cheek in return before pulling her down into his lap. My mother squealed happily; giggling and trying not to lose her balance. "Oh Ted, you know you're gonna break the chair one of these days doing that."
I couldn't help but cringe at the display of affection Ted was showering my mother in. It made me sick to know the type of person he was and knowing I couldn't do anything to stop him.
For the next few hours, Len and I sat in the living room with my mother and Ted as Len answered every question thrown his way. It seemed like my mother had a million questions for him, but that was only natural. Mom had always been fond of Len when we were growing up, so seeing him after all these years must have been quite the surprise.
Finally looking at the clock, my eyes widened. "Len, it's getting late." "What are you-" he said before turning his gaze towards the clock. "Oh wow, you're right. Is it really 10 already?" He reached up and scratched the back of his head slightly, chuckling to himself. "Well, I did let my mom know I might be back late. She can always call if she's too worried."
"Oh, do you have to go? I was enjoying all the catching up we were doing! Len, you have to come over for dinner tomorrow! It's been far too long." Mother stood up and walked over to Len who had already gotten up and help me to a standing position. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly for a few seconds before gently lifting a hand and patting his cheek. "You have grown into an incredible young man." She said before turning to Ted and walking back to him, extending her hand. "Come on dear. Let's give these two kids some time to say good night."
For what seemed like an hour, we just stood in the hallway to the front door, staring at each other, our eyes never leaving the others. "Len...did. Did you mean all those things? I mean, I understand if you said that stuff just to clear the tension but-" I was interrupted by Len pulling me into a tight embrace. I hadn't noticed the tears until one hit my cheek. "Rin, I meant every single word I said in there and more. You are the thing I've been searching for since I lost you and I am never letting you go again. I don't care who tries to come between us, I will never leave you."
Tear after tear fell onto the fabric of his shirt as he simply held me there; absorbing what he had just said. "You'll never be alone again Rin. I swear to you, I won't let anyone hurt you. Not anymore." He tightened his embrace on the last word as if to emphasize that one particular word. "Len..." I spoke softly into his chest, my words muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
"Rin, listen to me closely." his voice was hushed, barely above a whisper. "I know sweetie. I've known for a while. Leave your window unlocked tonight, okay? I won't let him hurt you anymore." My eyes widened before I audibly gasped and pushed away from him enough to look at him. Tears stained my vision, but I could see the absolute determination in his eyes.
"He's watching from the top of the stairs. Don't react, otherwise, he'll know." Leaning down, he kissed my forehead gently before opening the door. "I'll be by first thing in the morning to walk you to school Rin. Sleep well." And with that, he gave me one last squeeze before disembarking from my hold and leaving a cold spot from where he stood.
The door closed behind him and all I could do was stare, hoping he would walk back through. After everything, could I even survive the night by myself? What did he mean when he told me to unlock my window? And how did he...how COULD he know? It made no sense and all the sense at the same time, leaving my head swimming.
"So, he finally leaves." I became paralyzed now that I was alone. Slowly turning, I faced him, my entire body shaking. "Seems our little Rin has caught the attention of someone worthwhile. You do realize this is a problem for us, right? " Ted spoke while descending the staircase, ending up right in front of me. He reached up and lightly touched my cheek, my head turning in disgust. The feeling of his skin against mine burned and I wanted nothing more than to run away and lock my door.
"Tch tch tch. Poor little Rin. No matter who comes into your life, they will never have what I have from you. You know that right? No one can have you as I do." He leaned towards me, his lips brushing against my ear as my body continued to shake uncontrollably. "You belong to me, you understand? You're mine and you will always be mine." His breath was hot against my skin as he whispered. Tears welled up and spilled over as I faced away from him, his hand stayed resting against my cheek.
"Now, I promised your mother a night of romance so tonight you'll just have to think about me to keep you warm." He chuckled maliciously and brushed off his shirt sleeves, before fixing the bottom of the crumbled fabric. "So, sleep well. Sweet dreams Rin." Winking at me before he disappeared into the kitchen to grab whatever he came downstairs for, I shakily made my way to the first step. I had to get up to my room before he came back. I didn't want to see his face again, knowing he would haunt my dreams tonight. I could only hope that Len would save me there too.
I could hear Ted rummaging around in the kitchen as I steadily made my way up the stairs, gripping for dear life to the banister. My legs still felt like jelly, fearful I would simply collapse if I let go. The cold, smooth wood seemed like the only thing I could concentrate on that reminded me this was all far too real.
Finally closing the door to my room, I simply slumped against it and let the tears fall that I had been holding back. Shakily, I reached up and turned the lock, knowing that it was simply a gesture at this point. If he wanted to, he had a key. Always hanging it over my head, he never let me forget that while I was in this house, I was a prisoner. His prisoner.
I couldn't stop my body from shaking as I sobbed quietly for what seemed like forever, but I finally started to feel the tears dry against my skin as I exhausted all the water from my eyes. I knew they had to be puffy as I looked up and gazed around my room. I wish I could feel safe in here, but everything was an illusion. Made for others to think everything was normal when it was in fact, a living nightmare.
The one solace I had was the balcony of my window. It had enough room for a small chair and table, allowing me to sit outside and just watch the sunrise or sunset, should I want to. Suddenly I could hear Len's words from earlier. "Why would he tell me to unlock my window?" I asked myself uncertainly as I stoop up and walked towards the large glass panels. There was a small set of steps that led up to the actual windows so you could push them open and step onto the balcony.
I reached up and undid the small latch that kept them closed, letting the breeze in as I opened the double windows. I let my eyes close for a moment as I simply inhaled a breath of the crisp night air, the wind making the tear stains on my skin slightly colder than the rest of my face.
"You look beautiful in the moonlight." An all too familiar voice rang out from the darkness. My eyes flung open and I waited for my vision to adjust, but sure enough, there stood Len on my balcony, beaming at me. He was leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, looking like he had not a care in the world. His expression changed however when he noticed the marks on my cheeks. "Guess I should have had you come outside with me instead, huh?"
He gently and lovingly placed a hand on my cheek, my eyes lifting to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry Rin. I left you alone for 10 minutes and he still managed to get-" I stopped him midsentence as I collapsed into his body, hugging him tightly and burying my face into his shirt. "you." Wrapping his arms around me, I felt enveloped in his embrace and suddenly it's like the world wasn't there anymore.
"Rin, I'm so sorry I can't protect you every second, But I swear, I'll come as fast as you can call me. No matter where I'll always come for you." Those words felt like magic to the very core of who I was. "Nothing and no one will separate us again." His words became slightly muffled as he placed his lips on the top of my head and gently kissed me.
Without warning, everything suddenly became very heavy as I struggled to push myself away from him. "Everything has been such a rush today." I barely made out before a deep yawn escaped. "You look beat my dear. Come on, let's lay you down." He chuckled and made the motion to step away from me, but I couldn't help but clutch at his shirt. He looked at me with surprise. "Don't...please don't leave." those were the only words I could manage to say before another yawn interrupted.
A soft chuckle before I could feel myself being picked up and gently cradled in his arms, walking the few feet to my bed. "Don't worry your sweet little head. I'm not going anywhere, I told you. I'm not letting anything get you." I could feel him lower my body onto the mattress, a kiss placed on my cheek before I felt his warmth disappear. I was so exhausted from the day's events, I couldn't even open my eyes to look at him.
Before I could say anything, I felt him again, only this time at my back. His body pressed and molded against mine, embracing me completely so all I could feel was him around me. Like a cocoon of something familiar that I had forgotten long ago. "Don't worry Rin. I'll never leave you again."
A small smile played at my lips as I finally let sleep overtake me, feeling his arms wrapped around me, I drifted into unconsciousness, hoping this all wasn't just a dream.