"You're moving in with them?"

Akaito stared at his brother, his mouth agape. The piece of mackerel he'd been about to eat fell from his chopsticks. He felt like he'd just been slapped in the face.

"Yeah, in a few months", Kaito said. "It's kind of part of my contract. Also, I figured it could be fun."

"But", Akaito faltered, unwilling to state the obvious, "what about me?"

Kaito nodded reassuringly. "I've been thinking about that actually. I know you won't be able to afford the rent here on your own. But I'm going to come into some money soon so… I figured I could buy you a house. Just a small one. I've heard it's a good investment."

"What the fuck do you know about investments?" Akaito growled, rising from the table so quickly he almost knocked his chair over. "I'm not hungry anymore."

He heard Kaito shouting after him as he rushed to his room, slamming the door behind him. Somehow, he'd known this was going to happen. With Kaito's quick and sudden rise to fame, there was obviously no way he was going to stick around his unsuccessful loser of a brother. Why would he, when he could hang out with the likes of Hatsune Miku and her renowned group of friends instead?

Akaito curled up on the bed, tears burning in his eyes. On his lips remained the words that he could never bring himself to say.

Don't leave me alone.

—

Rin turned up at his doorstep a few days later. Akaito was more than a little surprised. He hadn't been sure if she'd even find her way to his house, but apparently that hadn't been an issue. This time, she was wearing the "disguise" she had mentioned before, except for the sunglasses. He didn't tell her that the mask and the baseball cap probably made her look even more conspicuous than if she were to not wear them.

"I've brought snacks!" Rin chimed and held up a plastic bag from the convince store.

"Are you bribing me now?" Akaito asked as he let her inside. She removed her mask and smiled coyly, passing the bag over to him before she took her shoes off.

"Only if it's required."

He lead the way into the living room and peeked inside the bag. It was shock-full with a variety of sweet and savory snacks, too many to even count. He wondered if buying food for people was something that she just sort of did or if she perhaps assumed he was poor. He supposed it didn't matter either way. When it came to her, he'd already learned to roll with the punches.

He grabbed two snacks out of the bag settled down on the couch. Rin sat at the other end. Her outfit of the day was a pink dress with puffy sleeves and white stockings. The clothes didn't do her any favors when it came to looking her age, but he figured they suited her brand at least. Akaito tossed her a small bag of sweets at her and it landed onto her lap.

"Maybe next time you could give me a heads up before you come over", he suggested. "Just in case I'm not at home."

She pulled the bag open with a swift tug and popped one of them into her mouth. She held a hand over her mouth as she spoke, chewing simultaneously.

"Will you give your number then?"

He reached a hand out to her and she got the hint, placing her phone on his open palm. He wrote his number into her contacts under his name and gave her the phone back. Briefly, he wondered if Kaito has said anything to her since last the last time she was here, but he disregarded the notion. She wouldn't have come back if she knew what he'd done.

He opened a bag of spicy chips and ate a handful of them, savoring the taste. They gave a nice tingle on the tongue, just how he liked it. Not bad at all.

"Do you have any friends?" Rin asked suddenly. Akaito winced, coughing as one of the chips caught in his throat.

"I do", he said between coughs, his eyes watering slightly. "I just prefer my own company."

"Oh, really?" she said, sounding unconvinced. "I don't know if I believe that."

"Alright, I don't have any friends. I'm an truly unpleasant person that nobody wants to be with", he snapped. "Happy now?"

She frowned. "I don't think you're unpleasant. I actually think you're nice. I mean… when you found me in the park the other day, it seemed like you genuinely concerned about me. If… if you'd like to, I could be friends with you."

Akaito had to turn his face away from her for a moment to gather himself. She was so straightforward it was almost painful. It would take some getting used to. He turned back to her, his earlier annoyance quickly dissipating.

"You don't exactly know me very well. Are you sure you should be so trusting, Rin-chan?" he asked softly. She clicked her tongue and gave him a reproachful look.

"You're being patronizing again."

"I do apologize. I hope I didn't hurt your precious feelings."

"Go to hell."

Her deadpan comment was so unexpected that he broke into a laugh. Rin tried to keep her face neutral but he could se the corners of her lips twitching as she popped another sweet into her mouth.

"You know… you have a very nice laugh", she said bashfully. "You don't sound like Kaito at all."

Akaito raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you like my laugh more than Kaito's?"

"W-What? That's not what I said at all!" she exclaimed, her face glowing bright red. Naturally, he laughed again and she buried her face in her hands.

"I'm just teasing you~", he crooned. "Actually… I've been meaning to ask you, what do you see in Kaito anyway? I honestly don't understand why you're so attracted to him. Sure, he's got the looks he's a hopeless moron."

Rin raised her head and eyed him up, looking as if she was trying to gauge whether his question was serious or not. Apparently, she decided on the sooner.

"Well, he's might not be very smart, but he's kind enough to make up for it. He cares so much about everyone and he can be so sweet. I just feel safe and warm when I'm with him. I also love the sound of his voice and the way he smiles. I just want to hold him and kiss him and… do other things with him…"

She fell silent as her gaze drifted off to somewhere for away, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Then, she seemed to pull herself together and came back to reality. Her eyes set on Akaito and he stiffened. He recognized that look on her face.

"Can I ask you something now?" she wondered, inching closer to him. "You know, the other day when you 'helped me out'… I was thinking maybe I could something in return?"

He stared at her, blinking in disbelief. She moved closer again and placed a hand on his thigh. He stumbled onto his feet and started to back away from her.

"Um, you really don't have to do that", he blurted out. "That was, you know… a favor, completely free of charge."

"But what if I want to do it?" she insisted, standing up as well. He looked into her earnest eyes and felt the blood rush to his face.

"I really don't think it's a good idea", he tried to persuade her, backing further away as Rin came towards him. She pressed her body against his and batted her eyelashes.

"You don't think you'll like it?" she asked and trailed her hands from his chest down to his stomach, slipping them under his shirt. Her fingertips traced his skin and he shuddered involuntarily. She'd backed him all the way up against the wall.

"I don't think you will like it", he muttered. She gave him an innocent smile.

"You don't know that. Why don't we give it a try?"

She's enjoying this, he thought. She was putting him of balance just to see him hot and bothered and she was definitely good at it. He felt her pulling at him, like a string wound tighter and tighter until the attraction became excruciating. It was no use. He couldn't resist her anymore.

—

Before he really knew what was happening, Rin had pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him. Her breathing was quickening and she bit her lower lip, her eyes bright and eager. Akaito stared at her in a mixed sense of awe and fascination, quivering as she ran her hand down the inside of his thigh until her fingers brushed over his groin. He clenched his fists, gripping the sheets when she undid she button of his jeans and then pulled down the zipper. She dragged the palm of her hand over the beginnings of his hard on and he gasped.

"W-Wait!" he stuttered, his voice cracking. He hadn't expected himself to react so strongly. His lower body was already throbbing and he didn't know how long he would be able to last. He hadn't been touched like this for some time.

"Just relax", Rin whispered as she caressed him through his underwear. "I want to make you feel good, that's all."

She pulled down the elastic hem of his boxers and wrapped her fingers around his sex with no hesitation whatsoever. Akaito strained to hold back a groan but it was hopeless. He felt how Rin ran her thumb along his length, searching for any particularly sensitive spots. Her eyes were so intensively fixed on him that he had to hide his face behind his forearm, a deep blush spreading all the way to the tip of his ears.

"Do you have to stare like that?" he growled through gritted teeth. She gave him a gentle squeeze and he groaned again, trying to writhe and twist his body but it was difficult with her weighing down his legs. She gripped his wrist with her free hand and moved his arm down from his face.

"I can't help it", she answered with her sweet, melodic voice. "You're too cute when you blush."

He made a grimace but then she was moving her hand and his mind fogged over, his embarrassment all forgotten about. She stroked him methodically, the base to the tip and back down, studying his every reaction while he tried to muffle the noises that escaped him. The tension was building inside him and his legs twitched with anticipation. He felt that familiar swell of pleasure, realizing how close he was to coming.

He pushed Rin off him and reached for the box of handkerchiefs on his bedside table, grabbing one just in time. The release went like a jolt through his body and he stifled another moan, turning away from her as he finished. He tossed the handkerchief into the trashcan in the corner of the room, pulling his boxers back up before he fell back onto the mattress. Rin lied down next to him and rolled onto her stomach, folding her arms under her head. Akaito turned his head to her, struggling to speak through his unsteady breathing.

"That was not… the first time… you did that", he said. "There's no way."

"But it was", she replied with a satisfied smirk.

"You're unbelievable."

She giggled softly. He reached out and tugged at a lock of her hair, twirling it around his finger. She closed her eyes and kicked her feet, humming to herself.

"You said you wanted to be friends, right?" Akaito asked. "Is this what you meant with that?"

"Hm…well", Rin murmured. "It doesn't have to be just this sort of thing. We could do other things as well."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. We could just hang out, talk, watch TV… anything you want."

Hm, maybe that wasn't so bad. At least he'd have something to distract him from his perpetual boredom for the foreseeable future. Also, it would really get under Kaito's skin. Perhaps he could even add some fuel to the fire to make things even more interesting?

"Okay, I'm up for it", he said, flashing a grin. "I assume we're keeping this a secret though? You wouldn't want Kaito to find out about it, would you?"

"Actually, I'd be more worried about my brother Len", Rin muttered. "I don't think he'd approve of me hanging out with the likes of you."

"And here I was thinking you were the kind of girl who do as you please without anyone's approval."

She rolled away from him and sat up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's not like he has a say in what I do", she said with a snort. "Len just has a tendency to be a bit overprotective and it gets annoying so I'd rather avoid upsetting him."

"That just means he cares about you, right?" Akaito responded, sitting up too. "You're lucky you know, to have someone looking out for you."

Rin stopped her pouting and looked at him, a strain of guilt crossing her face.

"Ah… I guess you're right. I shouldn't take things like that for granted."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad or anything", Akaito murmured. "Honestly, I wish I had someone like that."

"What about Kaito?"

He jeered at her. "Kaito? Are you serious? He can't even look out for himself."

Rin seemed exasperated by his comment, but surprisingly, she didn't hurl any insults at him in return.

"Well then… at least you have me now."

He stared at her, unable to hide his astonishment. How the hell could she say things like without even flinching? He cocked his head and looked straight into her starting blue eyes.

"You better watch out, Rin-chan. Or else I'm gonna end up falling for you."

She blushed and turned so that her hair fell like a curtain before her face.

"Don't joke about things like that", she mumbled. "I take matters of love very seriously, just so you know."

"I figured out as much. You know you could have any guy you want right? If you only weren't so damned set on my moron of a brother."

She soured again. "The way you talk about him makes it sound like you have some sort of inferiority complex."

"I do not!" he exclaimed, his face flaring with heat. "I just don't share your opinion of how great and amazing he is."

"Then there's no need for you to insult him every time you mention him, is there?" Rin snapped at him. "He's not as stupid as you think."

"Oh, I suppose you never call him an idiot then?"

"That's different! He knows I don't really mean it!"

As much as he wanted to, Akaito refrained from snapping back, putting an end to the pointless argument by pressing his lips tightly together. They sat in awkward silence for a while, the disgruntlement between them uncomfortable and chafing. Finally, he gave a defeated sigh and swept his legs over the side of the bed.

"I haven't had lunch yet. Do you want anything?"

Rin perked up. "Sure! I could eat."

—

He'd placed all of the ingredients on the kitchen counter. Two packets of instant noodles, a leek, a chili pepper and two eggs. Rin came back from the bathroom and reviewed the display. She gave him a quizzical look.

"I don't really like cooking, but eating instant noodles as they are is kind of bland. A little bit of effort goes a long way", Akaito offered as explanation. He took the leek from the counter and handed it her. She stared blankly at him.

"What am I doing with this?" she asked. He took out a knife and a chopping board and pointed at them.

"You chop it of course. Don't you cook?"

She gave him a bitter scowl. "No. Luka-nee does most of the cooking at our house…. I've been told that I'm not very good at it."

"It's not rocket science. Anyone can do it."

Rin glared at him and then and at the leek. Then, she smacked it down onto the chopping board and started to violently hack away. Akaito grabbed her wrist, bringing her recklessness to a halt before she injured herself.

"Stop", he said. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm chopping the leek, like you said", she grumbled and he sighed. He stepped in behind her, keeping his grip on her wrist to guide the knife.

"Think cat's paw, then I won't have to worry about you chopping off your own fingers", he said as he tucked in the fingers of her other hand. "Then you slice it thinly, like this."

He assisted her as she pressed the blade down to the cutting board in a smooth motion. They repeated the procedure together until she seemed to get a hang of it. Akaito felt confident in leaving her to the task and went to chop the peppers himself. He splashed some oil in a pot and added the leek and the pepper, letting them sizzle for a while before adding water and the noodles. He fried the eggs on the side, then used them to top off the noodles once he'd served them up.

"It looks delicious!" Rin exclaimed and smiled at him.

"It's still just instant noodles", he muttered timidly. He went to set the table and they sat down to eat. Akaito realized that this was the first time he had shared a meal with someone in his own home. He had an extra chair at the table, but it always stood there, mocking him with its gaping emptiness. Now, he had a happily noodle-slurping Kagamine Rin before him. It was certainly odd but… comforting somehow. She was finished with her portion before he was even halfway through his own.

"Thank you for the food!" se chimed and swayed from side to side. He nudged her ankle with his foot and she stilled.

"How are you so energetic all the damn time?" he asked. "I feel tired just watching you."

"I dunno", she said. "It's just the way I am. Just like you're always tired and cranky."

"I'm not cranky", he said, crankily. She laughed and turned her gaze to the window, chin resting in the palm of her hand. Akaito finished up his food in silence and leaned back, watching her. He found himself wondering what she was thinking about. Considering that dreamy gaze of hers, he could probably take a wild guess.

"Why don't you just ask him out?" he wondered. "Really, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

Rin looked to him quickly before her eyes darted away again. Her eyebrows knitted together and she sighed heavily.

"Hah, you've got me there", she murmured. "I guess I'm just too attached to the status quo. I like the idea of being with him and all that, but I also like the way we are now. It's comfortable and familiar and I don't really want to ruin it. Also, I can still imagine what it would like to date him and I don't have to get disappointed if it's not all I've made it up to be. "

"That's a stupid reason", Akaito said bluntly. She whipped around at him. The irritation flashed across her features for an instant, but then it faded away just as fast.

"Yeah, you're right. It is a stupid reason", she admitted. "But honestly… I don't think I can bring myself to do it."

He nodded. He could criticize her all he wanted but he recognized the gist of her sentiment. The fear of taking chances, not wanting to rock the boat. Even when the risk appeared insignificant it took a lot of guts to take that leap. It was something he understood more than he was willing to confess.

"So what if he asked you out then? Would you say no?" he asked. He was genuinely curious to know.

"No", she said, without pausing to think. "I'd say yes in a heartbeat."

"Why is that?"

"What do you mean? I have to say yes."

Akaito rolled his eyes. Never mind then. Maybe he didn't understand her motivations after all. He stood up, gathered up the dishes from the table and brought them into the kitchen. He heard Rin follow behind him and felt her pull at the fabric of his t-shirt to get his attention.

"I think I need to go home soon", she said quietly. "The others will get worried if I'm gone for too long."

"Alright, you better get going then", he said, his back still turned to her. He turned on the faucet and let hot water fill the sink. She changed her tactics and came up beside him instead, putting a hand on his arm as she sought eye-contact.

"Can I come here again?" she asked. He saw her in his peripheral while he watched the dish soap form bubbles on the surface of the water.

"How could I say no? It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Really? Are you sure?" she pressed. He gave her a shrewd smile and flicked her forehead.

"I don't have any friends, remember? Come whenever you want."

Glowering, she rubbed her forehead and Akaito chuckled. He turned off the faucet and followed her to the hallway, leaning against the wall while she put her shoes on.

"Will you be okay on your own?" he asked. "I can come with you if you want to."

Rin put on the baseball cap and the mask and did a little twirl before him.

"I'll be fine, it's still bright out", she assured him. "Plus, I have my disguise."

"What happened to the sunglasses?"

"I'm not wearing those anymore", she said crossly. "I saw myself in the mirror and I realized that wearing all of them together made me look like a stalker, so the sunglasses had to go. Stop grinning! It's not funny!"

"I'm not grinning", Akaito said, grinning even wider. She responded by shooting him one of her most deadly glares before shutting the door firmly behind her. He was still grinning when he went to do the dishes.

—

"Where have you been all day?"

Rin sat on the couch next to her brother and did her best to ignore him. She'd been gone for several hours without telling anyone where she was going. Kaito looked on from the second couch as Len continued to badger her for information, but without having much success.

"I've just been out for a bit. It's none of you business", she said, her eyes fixed on the TV screen. Len bristled.

"That's not fair! I never keep any secrets from you."

"Maybe you should. I don't need to know every single thing about you. To be honest Len, you're just not that interesting of a person."

"Well, neither are you!"

The twins stared each other down, two pairs of blue eyes narrowing to slits. Len was the first one to look away. He stuck his hands into his pockets and left the living room moping. Miku instantly took his place.

"Rin-chan", she said with a smirk, walking her fingers up Rin's arm. "You haven't gone and met a boy, have you? I thought I was the love of your life!"

Rin jumped, her arms flailing all over the place. She blushed and Miku giggled at her exaggerated reaction. Only she could pull something like that out of Rin without much of an effort. As Miku herself liked to point out, teasing Rin-chan was her most favorite hobby. She had truly perfected her skills over time.

Probably hearing the commotion, Luka popped her head through the doorway to the kitchen and looked to Rin.

"You missed lunch", she said. "Do you want me to heat something up for you?"

"N-No, I'm good. I've eaten already", Rin stuttered. Luka nodded and went to sit next to Miku.

"What are we talking about?"

"Rin-chan's new mysterious boyfriend", Miku said, still smirking. Luka gasped and brought a hand to her mouth in a mock-horrified expression.

"Oh no! Rin-chan! I thought you only had eyes for me!"

"Please stop!" Rin groaned, which caused both Miku and Luka to burst out laughing. Kaito felt the cushions of the couch shift as Meiko settled down beside him, a cup of black coffee in her hand.

"Your ice cream is melting", she remarked. He looked at the bowl on the table before him. So it was. He didn't feel like finishing it though. There had been an uncomfortable knot in his stomach ever since Rin had disappeared earlier that day. She usually wasn't so tight-lipped in regards to her whereabouts and that worried him. He had his suspicions, but he desperately hoped they weren't true.

"I don't have a boyfriend, okay?" Rin squeaked and stood up, pointing her finger at Miku and Luka. "You guys have such a wild imagination!"

She walked out of the room and angrily stomped her way up the stairs, making sure they could hear every step she took. Miku and Luka looked at one another and their smiles fell.

"She doesn't really have a boyfriend, right?" Luka asked. Miku hesitated, then shook her head.

"No… she would've told me", she mumbled, but she didn't sound all too certain. She must have felt Kaito looking at her because she met his gaze. He looked away and got up from the couch in a hurry. He dumped the half-melted ice cream into the kitchen sink and washed it down the drain. It was a terrible waste, but he really couldn't bring himself to eat it.

Not for the first time, Kaito wondered to himself if Miku somehow knew about his feelings for Rin. She hadn't said anything outright that would make him think so, but he had a hunch that she might. To be fair, it was probably written all over his face.

He'd always had a soft spot for Rin, ever since they first met. She was so cute and precious (most of the time, at least) that it was almost impossible not to care for her. But his feelings had changed in recent years. Although she still retained some of her more childish qualities, Rin had matured and transformed from a girl to a young woman. He'd found his eyes being drawn to her, thinking about her more and more often, wanting to touch her whenever he had the chance. He'd eventually come to terms with his newfound affection, but didn't know if it was appropriate for him to confess to her. She was just barely an adult and he'd known her since she was 14. He shivered at the thought of what the public might say if they went out together. It had seemed better to wait, just until she was a little older. But now he feared that he had made a mistake.

Him and Akaito hadn't really spoken with each other for the last few years, but it had become clear that his brother held some sort of grudge against him. The knot in his stomach tightened when he thought about the photo Akaito had sent him. He hadn't deleted it. He'd wanted to tell Rin about it, use it to make her stay away from his brother, but he didn't want to put her through the humiliation it would undoubtedly entail. The dilemma had brought him to a moral standoff with himself. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what was the right thing to do. It seemed like bad choices all around.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. There was a text from Akaito.

"Your Rin-chan isn't as much of a prude as I thought. I don't know where she learned it from, but she can be pretty slutty when she wants to."

Kaito stared vacantly at the words on the screen, feeling sick to his stomach. That's it. He had to tell her. He left the kitchen and went up the stairs, his mind made up at last. But once he got to her door, hand lifted to knock, his determination immediately faded away. What would her even say to her? What would he do if she started crying, or got angry at him? Both of those possibilities seemed highly likely. He wasn't very good with his words, especially when saying the right thing was critical. What if he just ended up making things worse?

He stepped away from Rin's door, turned around and headed down the hallway to his own room. Whatever game Akaito was playing, Kaito figured he'd get tired of it soon enough. With any luck, the situation would resolve itself without any need for Kaito to get involved. He nodded to himself, relieved that he didn't have to take on any unpleasant conversations for the time being. Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of unease that lingered within him. He prayed that he wouldn't come to regret his decision.