Wtf is with all of the Romeo and Cinderella stories popping up? I mean, seriously, there are at least three that came out while I was on hiatus. Dude. Seriously. Crampin mah style, yo.

I am reeeeaaaally sorry for taking so long but I actually have a reason other than just total fail writer's block (though there was plenty of that as well). So first I had to "break up" with this friend that was really clingy and liken me a whole lot more than I liked her. So I was losing sleep over that for a few weeks. Then I've been sick for a month with a cold that varies in intensity so that was no fun. Then I went to Kamicon back in February (sick during that, too) and that was fun. Then recently my grandmother fell and had to get shoulder replacement surgery. Then I did some charity basketball thing for school to help abused children or something. So….. yeah. I didn't want to post one of those awful author's note chapters that everyone hates because, well, everyone hates them and it throws off the chapters unless you replace it then reviews get weird and everythiinggggg.

So again, I'm seriously sorry it took me so long, but there wasn't a lot I could do about it. I didn't get to revise at least half of this so I apologize for any rocky areas or mistakes in spelling, et cetera.

…

Romeo and Cinderella

Chapter 13: Some Secrets are Better Kept Hidden

Have you ever wished you could jump up to the stars and dance with them, just to say that you did? Have you ever had the desire to dream something so beautiful there was no way it could be imaginary? Have you ever wished there was someone there lying next to you just to be there, so you wouldn't be alone? I have. Sometimes I wished these things to myself, even though I knew you weren't really listening.

…

I had the most I wonderful dream the night before. I was sad and alone at first but then Len came and we talked for a bit. Oh, it just seemed so real. I sighed and settled into the sheets. Except they weren't actually my sheets. It was about that time that I realized that the previous night was, in fact, not a dream. Also, Len had very comfortable arms.

I couldn't help but giggle a bit at the ridiculousness of my first thought. Plus I was still tired and lots of things seemed kind of funny at the time.

"What are you laughing about?" I could hear a smile in Len's voice.

"Nothing. I just thought it was a dream," I replied.

"Thought what was a dream?"

"Everything."

Lens arms tightened around me a bit. He leaned in and kissed me on the head. "Feel real yet?" he asked me?

"Less and less each day," I answered with a laugh. I looked up at him. His lovely blonde hair hung delicately on his neck, not tied up as it usually was during the day. His eyes were clear and green, like he'd been awake for long enough to blink the sleep away. It almost made me envious of his beauty, the way his eyelashes curled at perfect directions away from his irises and his jaw was so angular and smooth. He grinned at me and I returned the gesture, tracing my fingers along the edge of his face. "You need to shave, Len," I commented.

"I didn't think I was that indecent," he returned, chuckling. Len tucked my hair behind my ear before kissing me on the cheek. "Rin," he started, "I feel like I've known you for such a long time."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I know, it's been so short but it's —I don't know—different somehow. You're so refreshing. I just want to be near you. It's like you're the only one I've met that's… real." There was a bit of sadness in his eyes. It was like there was something he wanted to say, but something else kept him from saying it.

Perhaps it was something that was not beautiful enough to be associated with such lovely words.

"I love you," he said.

"I… love you, too."

"Don't ever forget it, okay? No matter what happens. Okay?"

"Okay." Len let one of his hands trail down my side and the other hold the back of my head.

"Kiss me," he commanded.

"Okay."

He forced his mouth on mine. I let my fingers get tangled in his hair. The room was suddenly very hot, yet, not uncomfortable at all. Len began to move on top of me, deepening the kiss and taking off his shirt in the process. I felt him reach down to pull the sleeping gown from my body so I decided to help him out a bit with my superior female motor skills and all.

Len pulled away then looked at me for a moment, smirking deviously. "Your chest has gotten bigger," he commented.

"S-shut up!" I told him, trying to cover up.

"Aw, you're so cute when you're flustered." He leaned in on me and I squirmed a bit under his reach, feeling greatly self-conscious under such a scrutinizing eye. "Relax, love. It's not like we haven't done this before."

That just made me blush, causing him to laugh at me.

"I'll stop talking now. Don't want to scare my Rinny away." Oh, god. Now I had a nickname.

Long and horny morning was long and horny.

...

Len had to leave soon after. The sun had already risen and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the house would awaken with us. It made me sad that that Len and I could not simply enjoy each other's company during the daytime as normal lovers should. It occurred to me that, perhaps, Len and I would never be … "normal," but I didn't want to tell myself that. There was surely still some hope. Especially with the New Year just around the corner.

Someone, I assumed to be Luka, rapped at the door then let themselves in.

"Be quieter next time, Rin. You woke me up from down the hall. You're lucky the other maids aren't light sleepers like me," Luka chided.

I blushed deeply and felt my eyes widen a bit. "S-sorry, Luka," I stuttered. This conversation just got about fifty-thousand times more awkward. "I—"

"Ah! Don't give me the details," she interrupted. "Just put some clothes on and meet me in the Foyer. We're getting you sized for a dress. You didn't forget about the ball next Wednesday, did you?"

"I tried," I muttered. "Why the Foyer? Are we going out? The tailor is supposed to come to us, is he not?"

"She. We're trying someone new," Luka explained. "And she requires her customers to come to her for her services."

"Oh…" It was odd for my parents to change to a new person so suddenly. Unless, of course, the old one reminded them too much of their daughter, but that idea is just silly. "I'll be right down," I said.

Luka nodded then left me to dress myself. I got up and stopped being naked then walked down to where Luka was waiting for me by the door. Before we set off, Luka looked me over,

"Your chest has gotten bigger," she stated bluntly.

"W-why does everyone keep saying that!" I answered, defensively covering myself. Even more, why did they keep looking to tell?

"Must be from all the sex…" Luka concluded, trailing off toward the end as she turned to open the door.

I blushed so hard my face was going to explode then followed distantly after Luka with a very high temptation to just drown myself in my own humility.

So Luka led me out into the town and down a few streets and through a few turns and I don't even know how she knew where to go because she lived in the kitchen but whatever, we got there eventually, I assumed—once I saw the words Tailor Shoppe painted in pretty red letters on a relatively new wooden sign.

A bell on the door rang as Luka and I went inside. "Coming!" called a woman's voice sounding from a back room.

The front area was quite spacious. Swatches of fabric and rolls of trim and lace hung all over the walls with all kinds of colors and designs to them. Then there was a counter with scissors and threads in baskets on it as well as a bell. Behind the counter were two pedestals and one very large mirror. Mannequins were to the left and right of the pedestals with random fabrics pinned to them in half-finished designs. A cloth measuring tape hung around one mannequin's neck. There was a basket between the two pedestals. I assumed that it contained more of the tailor's equipment.

The tailor appeared before Luka and me. Her hair was a brilliant red, hanging straight down her back. She looked to be older than Luka, perhaps in her mid-thirties, though her smile took years off of her face. She had a slim figure, but not unhealthy. Age had been kind to her.

"Thank you for waiting," she said. "My name is Miki." She gestured to me. "You must be Rin. It's nice to meet you." She gave a small curtsey and I smiled at her. "So you are here for a dress for you ball? Let's get started!"

Miki was very polite as she took my measurements and asked for any preferences of mine. Of course, I really didn't care what I would wear to one of the most miserable nights of my existence so I told her to get creative. She seemed excited by that idea and began asking about any kinds of beading or lace or colors I had anything against (which, of course, I didn't care about) then started holding up silk to my skin. She eventually chose a golden color as well as a black, then went to her basket and pulled out a sketch book.

"Okay, so now I'll sketch out my idea then you can tell me what you think," Miki explained, but I contradicted her.

"Oh, no, I'd much rather you surprise me," I insisted. "Just no skirt cages. That is my only request."

"Ah. I see you're trying to break the trends," Miki said with an excited tone that almost reached delirium. "Okay. No cages. Well, I do believe that's all I need from you. Thank you so much for stopping by. Come back January 2nd for a fitting, though, I assure you, my dresses always fit like a glove."

"Wonderful," I commented. We then bid our adieus and left for the manor.

"She was quite the character," Luka observed.

"Yeah," I agreed, "I think I like her." Luka chuckled to herself and the rest of the walk went by with pleasant silence.

…

The next few days went by uneventfully with the exception of my excitement for the party coming up at Miku's manor. Len had not visited, either until the night before New Year's Eve. I could only be elated by his presence, but his face didn't seem to match what I felt. Something appeared to by hanging heavily in his thoughts. It worried me.

"Len, what's wrong?" I asked. "Did something happen?"

"I'm afraid… I haven't been as honest with you as I need to be," he replied slowly.

I immediately thought that he was sleeping with another woman. But Len wouldn't do that! He was so kind and caring and, dare I say, he may have even loved me or something like that.

…I'm terrible.

"What do you mean?" I implored.

"It's something…" Well, duh, I get that it's something just tell it to me already. "And I know you're not going to like it."

Well that certainly made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Just let me say this! I am just—I am so sorry, Rin. I should have known from the moment I met you."

"Len, you're scaring me," I whispered.

"I know, I'm sorry. Just, please, let me kiss you. I feel like it may be the last thing I feel for a long time…" He leaned in and I let him touch me tenderly on the lips.

It was the saddest sensation I had ever felt in the world.

"Tell me," I said.

Len paused, furrowing his brow as if he were trying to figure out how to word it. "I… Rin, I… Oh my God I am so sorry. Rin… I think… I killed your sister."

I…

"Rin I didn't mean to—"

"Leave." I couldn't move.

"Rin, let me—"

"Please… Go."

I didn't look at his face. I didn't want to see the look in his eyes. I heard the footsteps and the sound of the window opening and closing as silently as he could manage. I just prayed he wouldn't sob, not right in front of me. If I heard that, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. From what I would try to stop, I didn't wish to admit.

I didn't know what to feel. I couldn't see; I was deaf, blind, and dumbstruck. I couldn't even blink. I just let tears flow freely, puddling on the floor and staining my sleeves. All I knew was this feeling of suffocation; an air-tight glass box being placed around me. And a lovely little Voice chirped in the back of my mind, tickling my ears and threatening to come in.

My world had changed; I didn't know if I could look at anything the same way as I did before.

…

A/N: Welllll I hope you liked my uber late chapter! (Btw if you didn't notice I'm slowly going to change the name of my story to "revised" instead of noncest because I like the sound of that better. ^^;) I tried to add a bit of [awkward] romance in the beginning there as an apology for being so late… /shot

Reviews would be highly appreciated! Even if they're flames at me for being retarded or whatever… I really want to break 100 soon.

So while I was suffering from major writer's block for this chapter, I was able to get down a lot of really good stuff for the future of this story. I think there'll be at least a good 10 chapters to go before the end of this. Maybe even 15 if we're lucky, but there's a big blank space between what I have planned and where I'm at now. Suggestions, anyone? If it fits with other stuff I have right now, I might be able to put it in. Even a filler chapter would be alright. I haven't had one of those in a while. (Have I had a filler chapter? I don't remember.)

Thanks to you guys that have stuck with me through all this "life" stuff. But really. I love you guys.

ACK! ALMOST FORGOT ANONYMOUS REVIEWER!

Karina20: Thanks so much for finding meh and reading~! XD