Aaand here's the next chapter. I think this might be four chapters, after all. We'll see when I finish this one.
The next year was the best year of Rin's short life. She felt complete and whole, as if the thing that had been missing from her life had suddenly fallen into place. And, in a way, it had. Len was her other half.
It was a bit odd, at first. When she woke up the next morning, she looked at his face. He was awake and watching her. He smiled when he was her eyes had opened. "Morning, Rin."
Rin smiled sleepily, taking his hand in her's. "Len... you stayed."
Len sighed, his smile becoming a bit sad. "Of course I did, Rin. I promised I would." He turned and layed on his back. Rin shifted and layed her head on his chest. He flinched, but drew his arms around her. She sat up, and he sat with her, his arms still around her.
"Len... does it hurt you to be here right now?" She cupped his cheek in her hand.
He looked down at the ground. "No, Rin, it doesn't hurt."
She frowned, worried. "Well, something's wrong. I know you to well." Len chuckled at this, looking at her.
"Don't worry, Rin. It's nothing that should concern you." He went to hug her, but she put her hands on his chest, stopping him.
"You concern me, Len." The sincere look on her face made Len sigh. He took her hands off his chest and kissed them.
"Well... it's against the rules for you to see me, Rin."
Rin crossed her arms over her chest. "Who's rules?"
Len looked to the sky. "His. I don't think He's going to be very happy... but I couldn't help it. I missed you so much..." He sighed, looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Rin. I'm really not a very good guardian angel." He sighed sadly.
Rin didn't like seeing him sad. She hated it, actually. "Len... if being here makes you unhappy... then go. I'll forgive you."
He turned to her then, and smiled. "No, Rin. I'm going to stay with you."
Having a friend that no one could see took some getting used to. When she went to school, she had to remind herself not to introduce him. Miku seemed rather happy that day, as well. Her and Luka seemed rather close, even daring to talk in public. Some people stared, but Miku ignored it. When Rin asked why, she only smiled. "I'm done pretending to care what they think."
Len was really smart, and was able to give her the answers to most homework questions. Rin's grades went up quickly, and she was happier. That feeling of lonliness and loss was gone, replaced by fufillment and joy. She smiled more and laughed more. Even Miku noticed the differance.
Through all the joy, Rin realized that she felt... odd around Len. Her heart would thump a bit louder when he was touching her. When they held hands every night, her face felt warm. She didn't understand it at first. Then, one day, she realized. Back when she had a crush on Kaito (a crush that ended when she saw him kissing Meiko), she would feel these same emotions. But... did she really have a crush on Len? He was a childhood friend... it seemed odd, somehow. Wrong.
Soon, though, she realized that she didn't have a crush on Len. Her feelings for Len... They went much, much deeper than a simple crush. She never wanted to be apart from her. The few times when he wasn't with her (when she showered, for example), she felt the loss again, and she couldn't stand it.
She didn't have a crush on Len. She was in love with him.
She didn't know how to tell him, though. What if he didn't feel the same way? Sure, he would hug her, and occasionally kiss her forehead or hands... but that didn't mean he loved her, did it? What if it was just a brotherly sort of feeling? Rin didn't want to feel that rejection.
In the end, it was Miku who indirectly gave her the courage to confess. About three months after Rin's birthday, Miku cornered Rin in the hallway before lunch. "Hey, Rin... can I talk to you alone for a sec?"
Rin cocked her head to the side. "Sure." It was a lie, of course-Len would be there, as well. But Miku didn't need to know that. The tealette led Rin into the bathroom by the hand, then looked under the stalls to make sure no one was inside.
"Rin... you know how Luka and I have been spending so much time together?" Rin only nodded, not wanting to interrupt her friend. She was pretty sure she knew what was coming, and she was prepared. "Well... it's because... we're in love, Rin. And we want everyone to know it. We're telling our parents tonight, and... I could just really use your support."
Rin stepped forward and wrapped Miku in a friendly hug. "Miku... we're friends, and nothing will ever change that. I swear, I'll be there for you and Luka every step of the way." Miku sighed, and hugged her back.
"Thank you, Rin... it really does mean a lot."
Rin thought about Miku for the rest of the day, and how brave she was. Even though she might not be accepted... even if it seemed wrong, she wanted to love the one she loved. Was that really so bad?
That night, Rin decided to confess.
She showered and got dressed like any normal night, and crawled into bed next to Len. He took her hands in his just like any other night. "Good night, Rin."
"Good night... Hey, Len?" She tried to see his face, but it was so dark.
"Yeah?" He didn't sound like he knew what was coming. Probably because he didn't.
"Well... we're, like, best friends, aren't we?"
"Of course, Rin." Rin didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to put it so that he'd understand.
"Well... what if... what if I wanted to, ummm..." She swallowed, whispering her last words even quieter than she had been. "What if I wanted to be more than friends, Len?"
Len pulled away from her in surprise. "W-what do you mean, Rin?" Was he really going to make her say it? She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves the best that she could.
"I... I love you, Len. I love you." It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest. She found herself speaking more freely. "You complete me, Len. When you were gone, I always felt so empty and alone, with you I fell so... so filled and happy." She paused, waiting for Len to say something. "I need you, Len. Please..." Another pause, filled only by silence. "Len, why aren't you answering me? Say something!"
Len took Rin's hands carefully, and spoke softly. "Rin... it's unnatural. You're living, and you deserve someone who's living as well."
Rin freed her hands from his grip and pounded on his chest. "I don't want another living person! I want you!"
"Rin... you don't know what you're saying..."
"NO!" Her voice was a fierce whisper as she drew close to Len, burying her face in his chest. "Don't... please... p-please..." She sniffled, trying to hold her tears back. Len noticed that she was crying, and put his arms around her.
"Rin... d-don't cry." He hugged her tightly, even though she struggled.
"D-don't hold me... please, don't if you don't love me." She was crying freely now, unable to hold back her tears.
"Rin... I love you. But you shouldn't love me. It's not right."
"I don't care! I want you, not anyone else." She cried against his chest. Len drew away from her, and she was alone. She cried harder, hiding her face in her hands.
Then he pushed her hands away, and he kissed her. It was long and sweet and sad. It was not their first kiss, but it was their first really meaningful one. It was full of all the passion and love that the two had bottled up over the months, over the years really. From that day forth, they would be more than friends, more than a couple, more than lovers. Rin and Len were two halves of a whole.
Soulmates.
Yes, it was the best year of Rin's life. And, like all good things, it had to come to an end.
On Rin's seventeenth birthday, her world was shattered. She had skipped down the stairs, Len's arm around her waist. She had been in a perfect mood. Len had just wished her a happy birthday, giving her a very special present. She then showered. Len didn't bother staying away from her when she did that anymore. They spent every single moment together.
Rin's good mood faltered when she saw her mother crying at the kitchen table, looking at what looked like a photograph. "Okaa-san? What's wrong?" Upon seeing her daughter, Mrs. Kagamine quickly hid the picture behind her back.
"N-nothing, honey."
Rin sat at the table with her mother, concerned. "It doesn't look like nothing." Rin had always noticed that her mother was sad on her birthday, but she had never questioned it until now. "What about today makes you so sad? Weren't you happy that you had me?"
Mrs. Kagamine smiled. "Of course, love. But... there's something that we haven't told you. Rin... you were really only one half of the package. I was supposed to give birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The boy died during childbirth." Mrs. Kagamine set the photo on the table. It was an ultrasound picture of twins.
Rin felt stunned. "W-why didn't you tell me?"
Mrs. Kagamine shook her head. "We didn't want to upset you. We thought it was better if you didn't know... and then that was your imaginary friend that you had when you were a kid."
Rin felt her heart drop. Her missing half... was he really missing? "W-what does he have to do with it?"
Mrs. Kagamine sighed. "He... had the same name as your twin. We were planning on naming him Len."
Rin felt her entire world tear apart. She smiled at her mother. "T-thank you... thank you for telling me. I'm going for a walk, okay?" Mrs. Kagamine looked worried, but only nodded.
Rin walked outside calmly. Her walk quickened to a jog. Her jog quickened to a run. Soon her stomach acid churned and she dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach. "M-my G-g-... I'm going to be sick!" She rushed to some bushes, leaning over them and heaving.
A pair of familier hands held her hair back.
She turned to Len when she was finished, shock. "Len... you're my twin! You're my twin and we... we... oh!" She started to cry, happy that she had found a rather empty field. Len held her as she cried.
"Rin... I'm so, so sorry. I didn't... I didn't think you'd ever find out."
Rin's eyes widened as she looked at Len in shock. "You... you knew? You knew and you let us... do all those things?"
Len looked sad. "I'm sorry Rin... but I love you. I've always loved you."
Rin stood, backing away. "Oh, God... get away from me!"
She walked away, back to civilization, walking along the sidewalk. She felt shocked, numb. Empty. More empty than she had ever felt before. Her Len... he was her twin! She had always thought... they had looked alike, but she never guessed!
"Rin! Please, wait, Rin! Don't turn away! We'll stop, okay? I promise!"
Rin almost laughed at the thought. Because... she didn't want him to stop. Even though it was a sin... she still loved him. She couldn't stop.
She thought of Miku and Luka. Even though their love was considered wrong, they still continued. Why should she be any differant? She spun around to face Len. "I don't want us to stop, Len... I love you."
Len's face lit up with joy as he ran to her. "Rin, I-LOOK OUT!" His smile became a grimace of terror.
Rin turned, seeing the truck too late. In her shock, she hadn't noticed that she had stopped right in the middle of the street. There was a screech of breaks, not fast enough. There was a sickening crunching noise, and Rin was suddenly tossed upward like a rag doll. Her body hit the hood of the truck and her head hit the windshield. Blood-splattered glass shattered as the airbag deployed into the face of the frightened driver. Rin's eyes stared at the wreck, open but glassy and unseeing.
She had died on impact.
Joggers and pedestrians stared; cars came to a stop as concerned citizens rushed to help; the driver of the car leapt out, fear in his face. "Oh my... she just stopped in the middle of the road! I had no... oh..." He reeled backwards and started to retch.
Among the carnage, no one saw the lone boy that slipped to his knees amongst the glass that could not touch him. No one heard the wail of dispair that left his lips. No one saw the tears that he cried drop to the pavement and mix with the blood of his beloved. No one saw him cover his face with his hands.
And no one saw the girl who walked up to him.
"Len."
He looked up on shock. That voice... "Rin!" He jumped to his feet, wrapping her in the tightest embrace possible. "Rin... how are you... you're..."
"Dead? Well, duh, Len. You are, too, remember?" She hugged him back, sighing. "I suppose if I had to die young, I'm glad it was painless."
Len looked at the dead body that Rin once inhabited, then flinched. "I'm so sorry, Rin... I'm the worst guardian angel ever. I failed you." A white light started to surround them both. The scenes and sounds of the wreck slowly faded away.
"Don't be. Now we can be together."
Len looked doubtfully at Rin, wiping his tears away. "Do you really think so?"
As the white light consumed them both, she took his hand in hers. "I know so."
She was right.
Ohhhhh my Goooodddd this chapter is so LONG! Originally I was going to put Rin's death in a separate chapter (which is why I thought it might be five, not four), but then I just decided to say screw it, and I put it in. Hmmm... this is my first time writing a really tragic death. I feel like I botched it somehow... oh well. One more chapter to go until the end! Reveiw and tell me what you think, okay?