A/N: Credits for the English lyrics to "Don't mylist me!" and "Cantarella" goes to the Vocaloid Lyrics Wiki!

He didn't want to be there, not really, but Kaito had just been so insistent that he'd come for lunch at his house, so he'd grudgingly agreed to get it over with.

Akaito had known from the beginning that it wouldn't turn out well.

Kaito had started off by introducing him to his co-workers/housemates/friends, and they had all proceeded to completely blank out his existence. They were all so engaged in their endless prattle that no one noticed how he was just sitting there, like some ugly ornament that nobody wanted, an imposter in their midst. Even Kaito seemed to have forgotten that he was there, despite the two of them being seated next to each other throughout the entirety of the meal.

Akaito went outside as soon as they'd finished eating, not bothering to offer his help with the clean up. He desperately needed a moment to catch his breath and get away from that suffocating buddy-buddy atmosphere inside the house. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly pleasant outside either. The overbearing August heat hit him like a wall and he had to back up against a tree to find some refuge from the merciless sun. He fanned his face with his hand and made an effort to wet his chapped lips. Once again, he was reminded of how much he hated this horrid season.

There was a sudden tap on his arm and he nearly jumped, turning swiftly to face the small girl that had turned up at his side. It was none other than Kagamine Rin.

"I saw you through the window", she said casually. "Are you thirsty?"

She held out a bottle of orange liquid towards him and he accepted it somewhat awkwardly. He'd mistaken it for soda at first but realized upon the first sip that it was orange juice. A little too sweet for his liking, but at least it was cool and refreshing.

"Thanks", Akaito said and took another sip of the tangy drink.

"So you can talk!" Rin exclaimed. "Here I was thinking you were mute all this time."

He glared at her. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying, you could make a bit more of an effort and at least try to talk to us. I promise we don't bite."

Some audacity she had. It wasn't as if they'd invited him into the conversation or asked him a single question about himself. Why did he have to be the one to do all the work?

"Why should I take advice from you? You're just a little kid", he snapped. Her face flushed and she huffed unimpressively.

"I'm not a little kid! I'm almost 17!"

He smirked, taking on a mocking tone. "Are you sure? You don't look a day over 11."

She turned away from him, folding her arms over her tiny chest as she kicked her foot at a tuft of grass. He watched her smugly. She sure sulked like a kid.

"I was just trying to be nice to you and you repay me by being a total jerk", she muttered. "I can't believe you're actually related to Kaito."

"Well, I never asked you to be nice to me", he grunted in return. The orange juice suddenly tasted bitter on his tongue. Rin looked like she was about to retaliate but then Kaito came up beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Here you are!" he exclaimed with a vivid smile. "Are you two getting along?"

"No!" Rin and Akaito said with one mouth and Kaito laughed as if they were doing a bit. He moved his hand from Rin's shoulder to her head and ruffled her short hair, setting her ribbon awry. That's when Akaito saw how she looked at his brother, her cheeks flushed, eyes brimming with tenderness, every telltale sign of hopeless infatuation upon her face.

So that's how it was, huh? The only reason she was being so friendly to him was to score points with Kaito. He should probably have seen that coming. People in general were predictably disappointing.

"Ah, Rin-chan!" Kaito said, like he'd just remembered. "Len-kun is looking for you. It seemed pretty urgent. You should probably go see what it's about."

"Oh, o-okay", Rin responded. The way her shoulders slumped with a languishing sigh when he removed his hand from her was almost comically obvious. Akaito sneered with disgust and looked away as Rin scampered off, leaving him alone with his idiot of a brother. Akaito glanced at him and felt the familiar disdain bubble in his chest, its sour flavor akin to bile.

Poor Rin was going to have to learn the hard way just how obtuse Kaito was. He was probably leading her on without even realizing it, every touch and inkling of attention giving her that shot of oxytocin her hormonal teenage brain craved for. Everyone seemed to think of Kaito as kindness personified, but in truth he was terribly unperceptive and insensitive to other peoples' feelings. Akaito knew that from first hand experience.

"Why did you make me come here?" he asked, fixing Kaito with a cold stare. "Was it really necessary to subject me to these shallow, pathetic people you call your friends?"

Kaito blinked, initially too astounded to reply. Then, his expression clouded over.

"I invited you here because I wanted to spend time with you", he said. "I know I haven't had much time for that lately, I've had a lot on my plate, okay? But I thought it would be nice for you to meet the people I work and live with. I wanted them to get to know you because you're important to me and so are they. I really don't appreciate you insulting them for no good reason."

Akaito laughed dryly. "They're clearly not interested in getting to know me."

"I don't think that's true at all", Kaito argued, pointing the the orange juice in his hand. "Rin-chan seems like she gave a try at least. Can't we just go back inside? I know you'll come to like them if you just give them a chance."

Akaito upended the bottle and let the remainder of the juice pour out into the grass. Kaito watched in silence, a defeated look in his eyes. He sighed deeply and gave a shrug.

"Suit yourself", he said, turned his back and walked away. Akaito went home without saying goodbye. He didn't think anyone would miss him for dessert.

—

"Did you know, brother? Your Rin-chan gets really noisy when she's feeling it. She makes so many lewd little sounds. Too bad you don't get to hear them."

They had settled into a routine of sorts. Rin would come to visit Akaito's house two to four times a week, often bringing some type of food with her for them to eat. Akaito had been hesitant to the arrangement at first, but he had to admit that he enjoyed the company of the little blonde more than he'd expected. He liked her wit and her nerve. She wasn't afraid to bite back at him when he screwed with her and it made for some intriguing banter. The two of them teased each other relentlessly, often falling into inane disputes where they both pretended to be more at odds than they actually were, just for the thrill of it. This usually lead the suspense to heighten between them until one of them were finally forced to succumb to the pressure.

"Your Rin-chan is very sensitive down there. It's almost too easy to please her and make her purr like a kitten. I could watch her squirm all day long."

Rin called them "favors", those activities they took to when the carnal desire overcame them. She definitely didn't disappoint in that department, rarely failing to impress Akaito with her brazenness. They never went "all the way", but there were still plenty of things they could do to pleasure one another. That wasn't to say that Akaito never fantasized about what it would be like to sleep with her, even though he knew it would never happen (he was well aware whom she was saving that specific privilege for). Not that it mattered that much, certainly not when they were in the thick of it and she was writhing and fervid under his touch. He relished this side of her that no one else had been allowed to see, shamelessly loving every second that he got to indulge in her. For the time being, he very much had a leg up on his brother.

"Your Rin-chan isn't as pure and innocent as you probably think. That girl sure has some dirty tricks up her sleeve. But I guess you wouldn't know anything about that."

Of course, Rin didn't know about those texts he'd been sending to Kaito, hoping they would cause his brother some measure of emotional grief. However, Kaito had apparently decided to ignore him altogether and Akaito was quickly becoming bored of the whole thing. It was also getting difficult to think of any unflattering words to describe Rin with, seeing as he was reluctantly growing quite fond of her. As infuriating and exhausting as she could be, he couldn't deny that she always seemed to make his days a bit more colorful, a bit more eventful, a bit less… lonely. At some point, he realized, he'd actually started to consider her his friend.

"Your Rin-chan is… pretty amazing."

—

"It looks so sad just standing there. You should play something."

That's all she'd had to say to persuade him. But once he stood there, guitar in his hand, feeling immeasurably stupid, he was struck by the absolute absurdity of her argument. It was a guitar. It didn't have any fucking feelings. Rin sat on the couch before him, readily taking the role of his one-woman audience.

"Okay", Akaito sighed, steadying the pick between his fingers. "What should I play then?"

"Play one of my songs!" she said eagerly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Narcissistic much?"

It didn't have the humbling effect he'd expected. She only shrugged and gave a lopsided smile.

"Come on, you have to know at least one", she coaxed. Akaito rolled his eyes but saw no reason to refuse her request. He saw her face light up with instant recognition as he began to strum along. It didn't take long for her to join in and sing the lyrics.

The words are dyed deeply

Revealing the truth of things

This song is for that person

What are you punks so happy about?

She jumped off the couch and grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table, holding it like a microphone as she moved around and nodded her head to the music.

Words of "WTF" crudely line up

All I hear is the panting of animals

When I imagine the sound

Of the innumerable mouse clicks,

It sends chills down my spine

A small crease formed between her brows and she shut her eyes as if in deep concentration, giving it her all for the chorus.

I'm begging you please,

Don't mylist me!

"Temporary, just one click"

What does that mean?

Stop it!

I'm not such a loose woman as that

What's with this "wktk" shit?

Don't make fun of me!

Akaito let the last chord fade out while Rin clapped and whooped with joy.

"That was awesome!" she yelled and grinned widely."We'd make a great duo, you and I."

He gave an unconvinced snort and pulled the strap over his head. "Yeah, right."

He went to put the guitar and the amp back to their assigned spots before settling down on the couch next to her. She wasn't happy by his dismissal, that much he could tell. But the idea of them collaborating was just too erratic for him to get on board with, hypothetical or not.

"Can't you sing something too?" Rin asked suddenly. Akaito groaned.

"Not this again. I told you already, I'm not good at singing."

She pursed her lips and tugged at his shirt in that extremely annoying fashion, like a child begging for a toy. He could feel his irritation swelling, already aware of how long she was prepared to drag this out for if she thought she could prevail. She was too damn stubborn.

"Pretty please?" she asked, her voice cloyingly sweet. "I promise I won't ask again if you just do it once. I bet you're way better than you think are!"

Akaito glanced skeptically at her and she made puppy eyes at him. He sighed wearily. They seemed to end up in this kind of situation awfully often. Rin would steamroll him with her will of iron and he would inevitably cave in because he never had enough energy to fight back. Then again, he supposed being pushed out of his comfort zone now and then wouldn't kill him.

"Fine. I'll sing the first verse and the chorus, but that's it. You're not allowed to ask me again", he told her. "What do you want me to sing?"

And without missing a beat she answered: "Sing one of Kaito's songs!"

It would've been so easy to taunt her for that, but he managed to restrain himself for once. Instead, he cleared his throat, closing his eyes in an attempt to relieve his embarrassment. He took a deep breath and let his voice resound through the room.

Our gazes meet, inside this closed off world

You may pretend not to notice, but we're drunk on love

This burning heart… I hide it as we draw closer

To feel your sigh would enrapture me

Set a trap now in your ordinary love

Leaving no footprints around the cracks of your defenses

He opened his eyes and found Rin gawking at him, jaw literally dropped.

"Wow", she said. "That… was amazing."

Akaito brought a hand up to his mouth and looked away, a deep blush burning under his skin.

"You're messing with me", he muttered. Rin grabbed onto his arm and almost shook him, barely containing her enthusiasm as she raved on.

"No! No! I mean it! That was so freaking good! What the heck! I knew you were just being humble, I knew it! I got chills, okay? That's how good you were!"

Akaito made a futile effort to shuffle away from her, reluctant to show how much her praise affected him. But then he felt her lie down and rest her on his lap and he looked down, seeing her cheerful face beam up at him.

"Hehe, are you embarrassed now?" she teased, poking his nose. "You're so cute."

He swatted her hand away and pinched her cheek until she squealed and kicked her legs.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Uncle! Uncle! Okay, I take it back! You're not cute! You're not cute at all!"

He released at last and she glared grumpily at him while rubbing her face. As a kind of compensation, he placed his hand on top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair, knowing how much she enjoyed it when he did that. It was a trick he'd learned to use when she became cross with him and it worked like magic every single time. Just like she did now, she'd shut her eyes and hum her gratification and everything was forgiven.

"Hey", he said after a brief moment of silence, "can I ask you something?"

"Ask away", she responded placidly.

"What's it like to be famous and sing in front of a huge crowds of people?"

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and she gave him a puzzled look.

"It's fun, mostly", she answered, before closing her eyes again, clasping her hands upon her stomach. "I mean, I love singing and having concerts and hearing the crowd go all wild when I'm onstage. It's super exciting because there's just so much energy and it really makes me feel like… I'm alive, you know? But of course… there are some drawbacks."

"Like what?" he asked, blunt nails scratching her scalp. She sighed quietly and turned a little so that he could get to the back of her head.

"Well… for us, I mean me, Miku, Len and the others… We were sort of given these personas to act up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I was ever forced to be someone I wasn't back then, but… I'm not 14 anymore. I just feel like I need some more space to grow and change. I don't want stuck in the same old character forever."

Akaito was taken aback by her sincere recital, a bit touched that she was willing to be so honest with him about something that personal. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"I've never considered it could be like that", he said awkwardly. Rin shrugged.

"It's not a big deal or anything. I still love what I do after all." She opened her eyes again at met his gaze. "What about you? Do you get any work?"

"I… get enough to scrape by", he murmured. "Nothing as glamorous as you though. Most people don't even know I exist."

"That's a shame. Your singing voice is so deep and beautiful."

Akaito looked away again as the heat returned to his face and Rin giggled.

"Don't say it", he warned with a growl, which only caused her to giggle more.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm not trying to get assaulted by you again. My cheek still hurts, by the way."

He grinned at her. "Serves you right."

They spent the rest of the day like that, just talking, putting aside their petty quarrels and the playful seduction for a change. It was quite pleasant, peaceful even. It was an unfamiliar feeling to Akaito. He rarely afforded himself the luxury to be relaxed around other people these days, but Rin had managed to sneak by his defenses somehow and he realized that he wasn't particularly bothered by it. He enjoyed listening to her speak about her daily life, making it up to be hectic and disorderly, pulling laughs from him whenever she could. The smile would hardly leave his face as he she rambled on about this or that and he allowed himself to get lost in her voice, still tangling his fingers through her hair. Time seemed to flicker away in an instant and it wasn't long before Rin had to return back home.

"Len will probably be livid again when I get back", she sighed while putting on her "disguise". Akaito shook his head and chuckled.

"Poor you. You've got such a hard life."

"Shut your face", she muttered, though with a small smile on her lips. He laughed again as they waved goodbye to each other and then the door closed behind her.

The house felt eerily empty once she'd gone.

—

He was scrolling through his phone later that night, reading all the recent texts he'd sent to Kaito. He'd been going at it for weeks but his brother still refused to engage with him. Akaito didn't see the point of keeping it up, it just wasn't fun anymore. Admittedly, he was starting to feel a bit guilty about what he'd done as well. He'd dragged Rin into his feud with Kaito, exploiting her for his own benefit, and he'd gained absolutely nothing from it except for more stress-induced headaches. Wasn't it was high time to cut it out?

He sighed as he dropped his phone onto the bedside table. It was already past midnight and he was tired as hell. Pulling the comforter over himself, he was about to to turn out the last light when his phone started buzzing. He looked with surprise at Rin's name on the screen. Why was she calling him at this hour?

"Are you still up?" he said as he picked up the call. Rin answered with a soft whisper.

"I can't sleep."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"Do you think you you could… 'help me out'?"

"Aha, I see", he said with a sly smirk. "Can't you do it yourself?"

"No", she murmured, her spoken words growing softer still. "I… I want to hear your voice. I want you to tell me what to do. Please?"

"Oh…" Akaito's smirk faded and he swallowed. "Alright."

So he gave her the step by step, hearing the rustle of her sheets as she shifted around in her bed. He imagined her pulling her underwear down to her ankles, one hand between her legs as she touched herself. He held the phone close to his mouth and spoke gentle words of encouragement, fighting to retain his composure when she sighed and moaned in his ear. He was doing fairly well until she suddenly gasped and whimpered his name.

"A-Ah… Akaito… mmh… hah…"

Bloody hell, he thought as he felt the pulse throb below his waist, paired with that instinctive twitch that roused him. She'd never said his name like that before, so full of lust and need it made his whole body ache for her. He pressed his knees together and a almost groaned as the fabric of his underwear rubbed against his stiffened member.

Rin had gone quiet now and all he could hear was the sound of her short-winded breaths. Even so, he could picture her before him. The rise and fall of her chest, the rosy blush spread across her cheeks, her eyes gleaming alluringly in the dark, calling to him. The thought turned his insides into a furnace.

"Are… are you finished?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Y-Yeah", Rin replied. "Thanks…"

"No worries. Can you sleep now?"

"I think so."

"Okay, goodnight then."

"Good night."

As soon as the call ended, he got out of bed and rushed downstairs to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and let the freezing cold stream of water cool him down to the core. He ran a hand through his hair and pressed his forehead to the tiled wall, screwing his eyes shut. It took a while before he could pull himself together and get his mind out of the gutter. Once he'd successfully smothered his urges, he got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and dried up. He spotted his own face looking at him through the mirror, flushed and frowning.

It's alright, he told himself. You just got caught up in the moment. It doesn't mean anything.

He got dressed and got back into bed but found himself tossing and turning, his brain too restless to sleep. He ended up thinking about his non-existent career as an artist. Obviously, he knew his singing talent wasn't the issue. It was that sore loser, ill-tempered, low self-esteem personality of his that always got the better of him. He didn't want to be a people pleaser like Kaito. Try as he might, he couldn't even fake it convincingly.

To think that he'd admired his brother once upon a time, adopting his passion for music, dreaming that some day he could make it big too. But he that was before he realized that Kaito would leave him to the wayside once he became famous.

Or well… maybe that wasn't completely fair. After all, his older brother had always supported him financially. He'd never hesitated to supply Akaito with emergency funds back when he was jumping from one shitty part-time job to another, all the while trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. But then Kaito had proceeded to become totally engulfed by his work, growing increasingly distant until he seemed more like an estranged relative than a brother to Akaito. It had made him feel small and insignificant, as if he didn't have any real value in Kaito's eyes. How the fuck was he supposed to forgive something like that?

Akaito turned on his side and looked at the face of the alarm clock. 3 AM already? If he didn't stop his mind from going in circles soon, he wasn't going to get any sleep whatsoever. He picked up his phone again and started looking for something to distract himself. He was swiping through the photos in his camera roll when he stumbled on that picture of Rin, slumbering peacefully on his bed, and his frustration immediately trickled away.

He sort of got it now, why Kaito cared so much for her. It was hard not to, once you got to know how genuinely sweet, kind and funny she was. Also, despite her flat chest and narrow hips, he found her insanely attractive. He wasn't opposed to acknowledging that. But being attracted to her didn't mean he had any feelings for her. She was just a friend that he occasionally was sexually intimate with. Nothing weird about that, people did it all the time. Their unconventional relationship would run its course, then they would go their separate ways and he would probably never see her again.

He put his phone away and stared at the ceiling, wondering at the numbness in his chest. But sleep took him before he had the chance to think about it any further.