Never gonna give up on this fic! (Lamely sings those words to Rick Astley's Never gonne give you up)

The Voice that Never Fades:

Chapter 6: The Only One Who Could Understand

"Luka...san..."

She almost looked like a ghost, she was so pale. She was beautiful, so very beautiful, with a somberness that made her look so mature and unreachable. Feelings stirred within him, from sorrow, to irritation, to understanding. He had known he would have to face her again soon and seeing her then made memories swim to the forefront of his mind.

The three of them laughed outright when confronted by Kiyoteru's dramatic sigh. Their manager grumbled under his breath, swearing he'd fire them all on the spot if they didn't get their act together and stop behaving like children. Kaito had been the first to take pity on his old friend, standing to pat the older man's back good-naturedly. "Calm down Kiyo. We'll behave. We promise. Right ladies?" He asked with barely restrained laughter over his shoulder at the giggling girl's. Luka was the first to compose herself, pretty pink lips twitching. "Ah..yes, Kiyoteru-san. We're sorry." Miku only nodded, humor twinkling in her light eyes. Kiyoteru levelled a glare on Kaito. "We're on a tight schedule!" He spat and the trio could have sworn they saw a vein in his forehead pop which only worsened their mirth.

"Alright Kiyo, alright. Stop fussing."

"Fussing?!"

Kaito waved him off and the brunette stomped off set. Luka and Miku, attired in complimenting black dresses, shared a quiet laugh with Kaito before the three went to stand at their marks, twisting their faces into the burdened and cold masks they would have to wear for the song.

The director barked a few orders at the crew, the cameramen standing in position, before giving the command, "Action!"

The music started and not a second later the three caught their cue, voices rising in perfect sync.

The dance was a beautiful bit of choreography, something Haku and Kaito had worked tirelessly on to perfect. The song, Acute, told the tale of three friends who became entangled in a complicated love triangle as the male, played by Kaito, fell in love with both women, played by Miku and Luka.

It was a challenge, one Miku had been ecstatic for, because the three had to be in perfect sync throughout the entire song. The dance was dependent on them moving in unison without a single misstep. Luka had been overjoyed for the music video, having been a dancer for years before she had ever started singing.

Originally the song had been written for Miku, Kaito, and Meiko but when Meiko had taken a look at it she suggested they get another singer, citing her age as a factor in how it would be perceived. She had not been happy to say such a thing, her face taking on a scary quality to it. Leon received the full brunt of her ire when he made the mistake of shooting her an offhand comment as he walked by. Kaito was treated to the image of Meiko being restrained by two Crypton staff members while Leon screeched at her and held a hand to his cheek, almost in tears.

Kaito had gone to Miku for help and after some thought she asked him what he thought about Luka. The woman had a soft voice, lovely, and she used it to capture her fans with jazzy and soothing R&B stylings. Kaito didn't mind trying and Miku was quick to grab her phone and give Luka a call. The pink-haired singer was happy to participate and when the three practiced the song together they all left the sound room with matching expressions of awe. They sounded so good together and Kaito immediately knew just what the video should look like. When he and Haku explained to Miku and Luka what they had come up with, the two girls had excitedly jumped into rehearsals.

Luka had been with Miku since their first year of High School, when the pink-haired singer had transferred into Sega High and it was just like with the twins. They were inseparable, so close that people often wondered if they had been raised as sisters. Luka loved Miku, she had admitted as such to Kaito, but she was aware that Miku had and would never feel the same way about her. Still, it had helped to bring the intensity they needed to the set when filming the video for Acute.

Miku the tainted love, Luka the temptress, and Kaito the cruel lover. The song had won several awards, including best choreography for the perfectly timed execution of the dance. All three singers experienced boosted sales and publicity after it was featured. Fans wanted more collaborations between them but Kaito and Kiyoteru sadly informed them that it could prove to be a bit of a trap if they allowed themselves to work too closely together too often. It wasn't like the Kagamines that were marketed as a matched set. The three of them were solo artists and it could reflect negatively on their image if they decided to keeping working with each other, especially if they didn't consider any of the artists signed with other agencies. The reality is that neither woman was part of a duo or even a group. They couldn't collaborate so much that they lost their standalone brand. Miku had been disheartened to learn that but she would go on to star with Luka in other projects.

Luka was a quiet soul, mature for her age. She was beautiful and kind and she had some of the most rabid fangirls in the world. Whenever comparisons between her and Miku were brought up in the media she was always quick to disperse such words, citing Miku as one of her greatest influences.

The three of them had been friends once.

"It's good to see you Kaito-san."

Kaito hesitated slightly. "You as well Megurine-san."

Luka shook her head, luscious waves winding around her. "Please Kaito-san. I would rather we dropped those formalities."

"Of course. Forgive me." Kaito responded politely, body still very much on alert. It was hard for him to completely relax around Luka. Their history was not the easiest and they had survived the last couple years of their association with formal politeness and an unspoken agreement that neither really had anything to say to the other. There was hurt there, on both sides, though it had been tempered with time and Kaito was in no mood to reopen such a wound.

"What can I do for you Luka-san?" He asked, hands in pockets, expression guarded. Luka pushed away from the wall, her once brilliant eyes dull and sad as they roved over the floor for a long moment before lifting to meet his gaze.

"I wanted to talk to you. We haven't had a chance to."

"What is there to say? We didn't talk before everything happened."

Luka opened her mouth but noticed something behind Kaito. Her expression hardened. "Let's go somewhere else, there's too many prying eyes here."

"You're going to get the rumors started again." Kaito warned. "You were just in the magazines for supposedly spending too much time with that actor."

Luka made a face that would have been ugly on anyone less attractive than her. "Let them make up whatever ridiculous story they want. I'm not scared of the dribble they write but I won't make it easy on them. We can go wherever you prefer."

They ended up at his apartment.

There was no helping it. The paparazzi would follow them wherever they went but most of the Vocaloids lived in the apartment suites of Crypton so there was little that could be said in the way of a scandal if the two were photographed entering the building together. Kaito owned several 'homes' that he rented out as Air BnB's and as vacation homes, each with a caretaker attached. Kaito also had a large private home in Kyoto, the house he had bought for his father in the Gion district. That was the place he would return to when he was celebrating time with family. Although Miku had also owned some property, including a small farm in Okinawa, Kaito had yet to go out and inspect the properties. Instead he had exchanged e-mails with the individuals Miku had left in charge of them. Kaito made a mental note to go over all the businesses he owned along with all the properties that had come under his name when Miku...

When they got in Kaito politely took her coat. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." She answered and stepped into the vast apartment in a pair of fluffy gray guest slippers.

Luka looked around the apartment with an appreciative eye. She and Kaito did share similar tastes in decorating and she was impressed by all the original art Kaito had hung on the walls. There was also so much of Miku's influence in the home. Miku had loved to shop. She was notorious for her addiction. Like Rin, she adored all things kawaii and girly. She was a closet Sanrio fan too, collecting just about everything that featured Hello Kitty, Cinnamaroll, or Aggretsuko. When she had moved in with Kaito, his lovely home which had once upon a time been featured in home decorating guides was assaulted by the force that was Miku.

Luka saw that there was a bright yellow and teal Hello Kitty digital clock sitting on the counter in the kitchen. A pair of kitty paw print shaped oven gloves hung on a hook next to the wall stove. A beautiful blue shaded glass vase was filled with ridiculously pink and obviously fake flowers. There was even a decorative pillow on the couch that had the faces of them and their friends printed on it. Luka recognized it as a concert exclusive piece of merchandise from a benefit concert a year ago and she couldn't help but start laughing.

Kaito looked back at her from where he had been rummaging in the kitchen, a tray balanced in his hands that sported two cups of tea, a sugar dish piled with sugar cubes, an artistically designed cheesecake in the shape of a sakura flower, and dessert plates and spoons. "What is it?"

Chuckling and shaking her head, Luka pointed to the pillow. Kaito couldn't keep the responding grin off his face. "She was so excited when she saw those. Some of the fans with backstage passes wanted her to sign them and when she saw that it had us, the twins, you, and Meiko on them she squealed loud enough that Kiyo threatened to make her pay for his medical bills if he ended up having a heart attack."

"That's so like her. She was everyone's biggest fan. I'm sure she couldn't help herself from collecting merchandise of us."

They sat down, Kaito taking the loveseat while Luka made herself comfortable on the divan. She took a small sip of her tea, opting for no sugar while Kaito cut the cake for her. She sighed. Despite their rocky past, Luka did like Kaito. He was a good man and a talented creator. She understood what it was Miku had fallen in love with. Before Miku and Kaito had started dating, Luka had been crushing on the blue-haired singer, after all, what girl wasn't? He had been kind to her from the start and she knew she owed him thanks for helping to get her an audition with Crypton. He was a good man.

But their problems stemmed from loving the same person. Luka had not been happy to know that Kaito and Miku had started seeing each other, worrying that Kaito was only using Miku to expand his career and take advantage of her. Kaito and Miku had collaborated on several projects and each and every one of them had been wildly successful, the media linking the two long before anything had been official.

It had been unfair for Luka to hate him for taking Miku from her but Luka had been battling a number of emotions. She was highly sought after in the world of entertainment and had loosely dated several big names in the industry. Yet no one had managed to capture her heart the way Miku had. To know that her best friend was seeing someone had left Luka feeling strangely abandoned and she had responded less than glamorously. While Kaito had snapped back, Miku had been painfully understanding. In the end Kaito and Luka had agreed to a truce of sorts so that Miku wouldn't have to suffer the animosity between them.

Somehow they were able to enjoy light conversation, reminiscing of better times. Kaito was more than happy to speak about Miku with someone who wasn't constantly telling them in their own way that he needed to get over it and Luka was surprised to realize just how long it had been since she had last held a true conversation with anyone.

Unfortunately, the more they spoke, the more they missed Miku. It was hard to keep herself from noticing the way Kaito spoke about Miku, as if she hadn't died but was just not able to be with them at the moment. It was clear that he was struggling with everything that had happened and Luka felt her heart go out to him. He had loved Miku just as she had.

"You're still not over it are you?" she suddenly asked.

Kaito grew quiet, his features mostly blank except for the glimmer of sadness in his eyes. He put down his tea, instead leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands laced together just past his chin. He rested his lips against his fingers. "How much did you love Miku, Luka-san?"

It was such a blunt question that for a moment she didn't know how to respond. But then her cheeks bloomed red and she glared at him, eyes glittering angrily from what she perceived was an affront to her feelings. "What?"

Without a shred of animosity Kaito asked her again. "How much...did you love her?"

Silence. Luka was confused, unsure of how to receive him in that moment before she seemed to understand that he was asking her something with complete and total honesty. He wasn't making fun of her feelings, had never done so in the past either, and it made her eyes swim with tears to remember just how powerful the emotions had been when she had been practically glued to Miku's side in high school. The feelings had never gone away and Luka took a deep breath before replying, "With all of my heart."

Kaito nodded and stood. "Come with me."

"What?"

He was already up and heading further into the apartment. Luka stared after him, at a loss, before gently putting her tea and saucer gently onto the table and slipping her feet back into the slippers. She followed after him.

Kaito led her through a door that had been decorated with a plaque that read 'Study'. The plaque itself had been defiled with stickers of cartoon onigiri dancing and Luka knew without asking that they had been Miku's contribution to the door. In the large room was a number of computer towers, cords, fans littered throughout, and a desk that sat along one wall covered with a variety of monitors closely grouped together. Luka couldn't even fathom why anyone would need so much equipment.

"What is all this?"

Kaito didn't respond. Instead he walked towards the monitors.

"Kaito-san?" Luka felt a little uneasy. "What's this all about?"

He stopped moving, his eyes on the blank screens in front of him for a moment too long. Luka could see, clear as day, in that moment, just how much he had changed from the person he used to be.

"Kaito-san?"

He turned to her making her gasp lightly as she hadn't expected the movement from him. His face was twisted into a mask of defiance, shrouded in darkness from the lack of a proper light source. Luka could only stare up at him.

"You're the only one who can understand." He told her in a rush, his words hot and passionate. "You lost her too and you loved her. So much. You were almost like me. And she never should have had to go."

Luka found herself breathing hard as she watched him step closer. "You are the only person who I can share this with Luka-san." His voice was imploring her to understand, needing her to agree. But she had no idea what it was he wanted from her.

"Only you can understand the good I'm doing here Luka. Only you can see that what I'm doing is right."

"Kaito-san...what?"

His eyes were dark and filled with a heavy sort of desire she wasn't sure how to respond to. "Let me show you." He told her, voice thick with emotion. He held out his hand.

Luka stood there, in the dark room of his apartment, computers whirring and beeping all around her. It had been months since Hatsune Miku had left the world and while everyone seemed to be moving on and getting on with their lives, Luka could clearly see that Kaito hadn't been able to. And she took some comfort in that because if she was being honest with herself, if she was telling the truth that she had been forced to keep inside for weeks, she wasn't doing any better. She missed Miku desperately. She felt empty, without purpose now that the person that had held her hand through the worst of times was gone. Miku had been there when Luka had transferred to Sega High and had been feeling so lonely. Miku had taken Luka in when Luka's parents had separated. Miku had gotten Luka to apply for the Project Diva program alongside her and the Kagamines. Miku had been at the root of all of Luka's happiness. Losing her had made it nearly impossible to feel anything anymore and Luka was tired, so tired of feeling empty.

Beautiful even with tears pooling over her cheeks, Luka placed a delicate hand in Kaito's and he drew her close.

And then he showed her everything.

Kaito showed her what all he had been working on for the last few months. All the work that he had spent working on late into the night, the reason why he had been refusing so many public appearance jobs, the project that had taken hold of Kaito and refused to let him go. Luka said nothing as she took it all in, eyes scanning the data on the screens. She had turned to Kaito just once and asked, "Are you serious?" in a deathly whisper. At his nod she turned back to the monitors.

She stayed well into the night, listening to Kaito explain his reasons, his process, and what it was he was hoping to achieve. For a moment Luka thought he had gone mad but the more she thought of it, the more she realized that she herself was probably just as mad.

"When can... When can we try it?" She found herself asking, paralyzed with want.

Kaito eyed her. His hair looked almost black without anything to highlight it and it made him appear so different than the persona he usually portrayed. He looked mysterious and imposing and she shuddered lightly.

His deep gaze held her for a long time and then, though it seemed to take everything in him to tell her without his voice cracking, he took a breath and said, "Go ahead and try it."

Luka turned towards the monitors, gazing over the rows of numbers and letters that filled the dark space of each unit. Her lower lip quivered.

"G-good evening Miku."

Tears flooded her eyes, ruining her mascara and her mouth dropped open as a figure appeared on the screen in front of her. The unmistakable smiling face of the woman she had loved looked right at her and in the melodious voice that had made her famous she said,

"Good evening Luka-chan!"

End CH. 6

Whoo boy. I have finally hit a turning point in this fic. Not much more now surprisingly. This fic was always supposed to be just a few chapters, four or five, but it will obviously be double that. It sort of took on a life of it's own but I'm happy because no matter how busy I am, it's always in the back of my mind and I know I won't stop until I finish this fic. Thank you to everyone who is still reading and putting up with this fic. I appreciate all your words of kindness and support.

Track List:

1. Acute - Music and lyrics by WhiteFlame. Features KAITO, Hatsune Miku, and Megurine Luka

2. Just Be Friends - Music and Lyrics by Dixie Flatline. Features Megurine Luka.

3. Knight of Light - Music and Lyrics by lieru-P. Features KAITO.