Ehhh... long time no submit-a-chapter... OTL I'm so sorry... school gets in the way of life, especially since this year is an important year with all exams and everything... /cries in corner

Well, I haven't proof-read this chapter, so I hope it's vaguely decent. Mmh, I think it's the last chapter for this arc. Next chapter will be a different story which will follow on from this in a way. I'm so tired I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore... xD

Uhm, hope you enjoy this, I guess. If worse comes to worst, I'll maybe re-write a bit of this. Meh, we'll see what happens.

Updates will be super duper slow from now (nothing super about that...) so please bear with me. And a biiiiiiiig "thank you" to all you guys and gals who have come with me so far! I'm happy that you've been willing to stick with me for so long (TwT)b And as always, I'm welcome to critisism and any ideas you all have to make this story better!

Enough of my emotional blabbering. Here's the chapter.

Vocaloid (c) Yamaha etc.

To Love

Len blinked.

"Answer, bastard," Gumi interjected into the tense silence.

"Well the answer's obvious isn't it?" he cast a sidelong glance at Master Shion and smirked, suppressing all his emotions. "Rin and Miku can die. Master Shion and I will stay."

The quiet lingered for a few seconds longer as the information sunk in. He ignored the shouts of protest from Rin and Miku; he ignored the surprised expression upon Master Shion's face. Intently, he focused solely on Gumi, who appeared to be annoyed by the quick decision. Her eyes narrowed as if she sensed a trick. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah," grumbled the blond in a bored voice. "So can I leave now? I'm supposing you'll take care of the rest."

Without waiting for a reply, Len pushed off the desk and began casually walking towards the door. He didn't even look back, not even a glance over his shoulder. Blanking out the cries of the girls was surprisingly easy. Perhaps Master Shion would even praise him later. In his mind, he smiled at that… praise would make him happy in the same way a cat likes being stroked.

Len had walked slowly on purpose, mainly to agitate Gumi more. He enjoyed seeing that look of frustration on her face. Of course, there was another reason as to why he walked to slowly, holding his breath. He paused for a split second as he reached the door. Nothing had happened. Surely… surely he can't have been wrong?

As he was about to turn and disappear down the corridor he heard Gumi shout, "Bastard! Wait!"

The boy casually sauntered back into the doorframe, standing on the knocked-down door. He leant on the right beam, arms folded across his chest, and raised an eyebrow, letting out that shuddering breath which had been held for so long. With a smirk, he said nothing and waited. Even seeing that cold blade touching the throats of Rin and Miku, he felt and did nothing. Ah, that blade… all he could do was wonder how cold it really was… how many people had it killed? Even now, these things excited him. Was that bad?

Fear reflected in the girls' teary eyes, but they didn't dare utter a word. Master Shion had moved to sit on the opposite sofa, his eyes closed, enjoying a whole tub of ice cream. He gave Len a glance before smiling to himself and closing his eyes again.

Seeing Len's attention shifting back to her, Gumi glared and bit the inside of her lip. She could barely keep the wavering out of her voice as she tried to shot angrily, "Don't you care what happens to these bitches?"

At the insult, Miku flinched, "Whoa, whoa, there. Hold your horses! How are we–"

But she instantly shut up the second that blade was pressed even closer to her throat, squeaking a quiet "sorry". Rin had just stayed silent. For the first time since her capture, the blonde girl felt responsible for all this. It was her fault that the others were stuck in the same mess. It was her fault that everyone had to go through so much trouble. It was her fault after all. And Len… it wasn't his fault. He had nothing to do with this until she had pushed him away. If only she hadn't gotten so angry at him. If only she'd tried to reason and talk to him…

Rin clenched her pale hands into fists. She was frustrated at herself. Why did she have to take this long to realise that nobody except her was at fault? Why was she so selfish? She wasn't important enough to be completely blameless. Far from it.

She squeezed her eyes shut and held back bitter tears. Noticing this, Gakupo had felt sympathy for the girl, along with an interesting assortment of other buried emotions he had once forgotten but now remembered. He lessened his grip on his kanata and eventually sheathed it again. Turning to his adopted sister, he smiled with those sad, purple eyes. Those eyes said everything. Forget this; let's go.

Stubbornly, Gumi shook her head, acting like the young, carefree girl she used to be. Tears started to roll down her flushed cheeks and she ran to her brother, clinging on to him as if he was her everything. Gently, Gakupo embraced her, holding her like a fragile doll. He stroked her soft hair as she broke down and cried ceaselessly onto his shoulder. The shadow of a smile flickered across his features. He pressed his nose against the top of her head, kissing his dear sister, trying his best to comfort her as he had done so many times in the past.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Rin and Miku could not help but stare at the embracing adopted siblings. They exchanged worried expressions and Miku wondered whether to offer Gumi cake or not. By the time they turned back to the real world, Len had disappeared and Shion had finished his tub of ice cream and was reaching for another one.

For a second, the Master's hand hovered over a tub of strawberry ice cream. After a quick decision, he changed his mind and took the vanilla instead. As he opened the tub with practised fingers, he looked up to find four pairs of eyes staring at him. He simply replied, "What?"

"He's gonna get–" began Rin.

" –fat," muttered Miku enviously.

" –diabetes," grumbled Gumi at the same time.

"He'll just get ill. A stomach ache or something," sighed Gakupo. "Happens all the time, doesn't it Shion?"

The man grinned through his inky fringe and nodded, spoon in mouth.

"Still a child I see," said Gakupo with half a laugh.

"Little Len is more childish than I am."

"I saw. He hasn't changed much either. You've taken… good care of him."

Shion and Gakupo continued to talk. Gumi was slightly shocked at how much Gakupo was talking. Maybe… maybe things would get better for them from this moment on. Maybe this was a sign that things were going to be okay…

Once the two men had finished talking, Shion asked Gumi, "Do you understand why your plan didn't work?"

The girl in question buried her face in the warm folds of Gakupo's clothes and ignored the issue. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to reply. Moreover, the answer confused her. Perhaps… the answer even made her feel sorry for that bastard. Back then, what had really happened… why her sisters… no… Gumi didn't want to think about it. Never again would she let the people she loved be taken away from her. So now… so now, she had to make sure that Gakupo would stay by her side forever. She would protect him too. And –

"Silly," whispered Gakupo as he drew Gumi in for another hug.

Yes. He always could do that. He could always read her thoughts. Just like that. When she was little, she thought it was a magic trick or something of the sort, but as she grew up, she realised that this was the proof of their bond. This was proof of how close they were.

As soon as Master Shion had finished his second tub of ice cream, he yawned and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "Right, well I'm off. Good night everyone~"

"W-wait!" Rin shouted after him. "What about Len? Do you know where he is?"

"Well I'm off to see him now, aren't I?" retorted the man as if it was obvious from what he had said before.

"Then I'm coming too."

"Don't be stupid, girl," Shion fired back at Rin.

"But I'm his sister! We're twins!" the blonde protested desperately.

"No means no, girlie," butted in Gumi sourly. "You just don't get it, do you?"

Rin hesitated and stopped mid-breath. Get what? What was there to get? Len was her older twin brother. They were close. She loved him and he loved her... Frowning, Rin made a face as if she'd forgotten something important. He loved her… right?

"Looks like the little girl finally gets it, no?" smiled Shion with a certain smugness. "Honestly, you act like such a princess in contrast to him. It's hard to believe you two are actually related. Next time, think twice before you decide to shout at my poor little Len. He's still a child you know?"

With that, the Master left the room, laughing to himself, leaving a bemused Rin behind. Miku, on the other hand, had grabbed some more cake without a second thought and ignored the serious situation at hand.

"I… I don't get it," Rin insisted. However, she didn't dare make eye contact with anyone, instead staring at the floor.

"Correction: you don't want to get it," chided Gumi, raising her eyebrows, her puffy red eyes somewhat smirking with a vengeance. Her right hand held Gakupo's left and she hit Rin on the head with her free hand.

With a nostalgic smile, Gakupo pulled Gumi on for another hug and held her close. He wanted to protect her. He didn't want her to think she had to protect him. No. As a brother, it was his job to protect his dear sister, not the other way around. They had finally realised that all these years, seeking revenge had been futile. Even now, though they had lost their younger sisters, they knew they had something that Len still didn't have. All these years training and holding back bitter emotions had been a waste. The boy didn't even understand the most basic thing…

"Gakupo?" whispered Gumi softly. She wasn't used to her brother holding her for so long. It had been so long since the last time they embraced like this.

"Just let me hold you a while longer." Gakupo fingered his sister's rebellious green hair. It was so messy; unlike other girls, Gumi didn't care much about her hair.

"W-we're not l-l-lovers y'know…" came the stuttered reply.

"Mmh, I know. I don't want us to be either. I'm happy the way we are – the way we always have been. If you're happy like this, then I am too."

"S-stupid…" Gumi blushed and turned to Rin, boasting, "This is how a brother treats his sister. Not like yours."

Rin nodded without a word. It was true. Len treated her differently. Perhaps not so much that it was obvious, but there were times when he was still awkward. Rin had no choice but to admit it now. She couldn't keep fooling herself.

"Honestly," carried on Gumi haughtily, "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. They say that revenge is sweet, but… how sweet is it really?" she sighed, "What a waste of five years of hatred. Ah, I must have gotten so many white hairs from stressing."

Gumi laughed and sat down on the sofa which Shion had previously been on. She patted the seat next to her and gestured for Gakupo to sit too. He did so, and she rested her head on his shoulder, smiling and holding his hand again. She grabbed a small tub of ice cream and began eating it, sharing bits with Gakupo. Every so often, she would giggle at some faint memory or smile at some private joke she remembered.

Hesitantly, Rin asked, "S-so, uhm, are you guys… and us… is that it?"

"Mmh," Gumi swallowed her mouthful of ice cream and nodded, "Yeah. You two girlies can go home now." She waved her hand in a shooing motion. "Bye bye." Then, she closed her eyes and leaned back, falling asleep on the sofa.

"Rude, much," sniffed Rin. Miku nudged her and made an expression as if to say 'give her a break'. Sighing, Rin nodded. She avoided eye contact with a softly-smiling Gakupo and pouted. "Well, it's dangerous for girls to go out this late." Looking at a wall clock, she realised it was actually just gone midnight. She tiredly corrected herself, "rather, this early."

Yawning, Miku rubbed her eyes and murmured, "I'm going to sleep too," before curling up on her side of the sofa and falling into a world of crazy dreams. As her chest moved up and down rhythmically, the remaining cake crumbs shifted and fell onto the floor. Likewise, Rin yawned, but tried her best to stay awake. Despite everything and the display of emotions she had seen from the adopted siblings, she was still sceptical.

Seeing her doubt, Gakupo tilted his head to the side and warmly smiled. His purple hair cascaded down his shoulder like a flowing river, smooth and calm. His smile was exactly the same: calm and comforting. Quietly, he reassured Rin that it was all over now – neither he nor Gumi would hurt them. They could sleep peacefully without having to worry about being hurt.

Gakupo's voice was so kind and easy, Rin believed him instantly. He had that sort of voice which would never lie – that kind of voice which you had no problem believing, even if what he was telling you was an absolute lie. Nodding, Rin soon nodded off and had dreams of her own. All three girls slept so soundly, Gakupo kindly watching over them.

...

Shion trundled up the stairs to the rooftop. The moment he opened the door, icy winds buffeted him and threw his hair into a crazed dance. A few seconds later, the winds died again. The night sky was completely black, the only light coming from the faintly glowing moon and tainted stars. Straight ahead, there sat Len, his legs dangling off the edge of the building. Wrapped in his black cloak, he stared blankly into the distance.

Half-smiling and sighing, Shion walked up to Len and sat down beside the boy. The blond paid the man no attention whatsoever. After a long time of being ignored, Shion finally spoke up, "Y'know, it's dangerous to be sitting right on the edge of a tall building. What if you fall?"

Len subconsciously clenched his jaw for a split second, then shrugged, "Nobody would really care that much."

"I would! Imagine a life without little Len!" Shion wailed dramatically, "I wouldn't be able to live anymore!"

"Mmh."

"Ah, humour me, Len. At least do that much for me…"

"Mmh."

Again, Shion sighed, "What's wrong?"

He was answered by a long, obstinate silence. Suddenly, he heard sniffing.

"Len? Are you… are you crying?" stammered Shion. Certainly, he was used to seeing Len cry. The boy always cried in front of him; he doubted that Len would ever cry in front of anyone else. But this was somewhat unexpected. "Len? Are you okay?"

"F-fuck off," snuffled the blond. "Leave me alone."

"Len…" Shion reached out to stroke the boy's soft blond hair. He didn't flinch. Looking at Len for the first time on this cold night, Shion noticed that the boy was wearing a familiar blue muffler. Naturally, it was a bit too big for such a small child. Nonetheless, Len had wrapped it round his neck like a scarf and pulled it up to cover his mouth and nose. His pale hands tenderly clutched at the blue fabric around his neck as if it were his lifeline. Without further hesitation, Shion wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him closer. Len shuffled along and laid his head on the man's arm, sniffling all the while.

"Come on, little Len, don't cry."

"I'm not crying!" the blond protested stubbornly. Consequently, he buried his face into the folds of Shion's warm clothes, continuing on with his muffled cries. The Master wrapped both his arms around the fragile child, stroking that mass of blond hair again.

"No matter how strong you pretend to be, you're always hurting on the inside. I've told you that before, haven't I? And I'm right, aren't I?" said Shion quietly.

Len gave a small nod, keeping his face hidden. One pale hand went to grab hold of Shion's jacket. The man smiled sadly and held Len just a little bit tighter.

Carrying on, Shion whispered, "Cry all you want. It's fine to cry."

The blond nodded again and gave another sniff. He didn't make a sound, but the tears still fell, ever so silently.

Shion wondered what Len was thinking about. He also wondered what Len thought of him. The boy had been through a lot and it was no surprise that Len still acted like a spoiled child every so often. Living in the orphanage, he had been denied any form of love and even then, he had been forced to forget any love he might have received from his mother before. He had been forced to forget happy memories he may have had as a toddler with his twin sister. He had been forced to endure painful situations that no child should. He had been forced to learn to keep himself hidden and to bury his emotions, to lie and to hate. It was alright for him to show his true colours now and then. There was no need for him to pretend to be strong all the time.

"M-Master Shion… do you… care about me?" muttered the boy in a strained voice.

Exasperated, Shion answered with half a laugh, "Of course I do."

"What am I… to Master Shion?"

"Well, what am I to you, Len?" Shion quickly fired the question back, casually avoiding having to answer it himself. To be honest, he didn't quite know. Indeed, back in the day, he thought of Len as another pawn – a mere tool to be used as part of the Organisation's plans. But his mind had quickly changed, seeing the boy as, perhaps, his own son… though of course, thought Shion, I'm not that old.

Len stayed quiet for a while. Then, he lifted his face from Shion's jacket and rubbed his bleary blue eyes. He pouted and took hold of the muffler again, bringing it closer to his nose, taking in that familiar, comforting scent. He stared out into the distance, a strained yet peaceful look in his eyes. After some time, he replied quietly, "I like Master Shion."

Shion blinked and gazed at Len. Did he hear the boy correctly? Were his ears playing tricks on him? He must have had a disbelieving expression on his face, as Len frowned, embarrassed, and repeated gruffly, "I like Master Shion."

With quite the unmanly squeal, Shion hugged Len as tightly as he could, squeezing the air out of the irritated blond. The man pulled Len close then lifted the child up in one swift movement.

"L-let me go! Get off! What – what d'you think you're doing?" yelled the blond in objection. Shion hoisted Len up into his arms, draping and carrying him over his shoulder. Frustrated and mortified, Len pounded on the man's back, but all to no avail. "Fucking let go of me!"

But as soon as Shion laid a hand on Len's head, the boy calmed down. Shion began walking back to the door, intending for the two of them to go back inside where it was much warmer. He heard the boy start to sniffle again. Oh, Len was so adorable. No wonder Shion had felt an urge to take care of the boy like his own child. He was so cute, and so fun to annoy: one minute he would be shouting obscene insults at you, and the next he would be clinging onto you with tears in those sad blue eyes.

Slowly, Shion walked, through the door, down the staircase, patting Len on the back like a toddler. Soon, the snivelling died away, replaced by peaceful, rhythmic breathing. Even in his sleep, Len clung on to the blue muffler. His cold cheeks were flushed. Every so often, he would mumble something inaudible or temporarily frown as if in deep concentration. It had been a long time since Shion was able to hold Len like this. Perhaps teenage boys didn't appreciate being carried around by grown men?

Well, smirked Shion to himself, that is something we shall have to fix.

Opening the door to his private room, Shion entered and laid Len down on the sofa. Instinctively, the boy curled up, still fast asleep, and rolled onto his other side, keeping one hand firmly clutching the muffler. Shion went to the freezer and grabbed a pot of limited edition Cool White Mint ice cream, leaving it on a glass tabletop to warm slightly whilst he changed out of his uncomfortable clothing. He switched to a more casual and less restricting shirt, much to his happiness. He absolutely hated having to wear a tie and suit and jacket or whatnot.

Grabbing his pot of ice cream and a spoon, he perched on the end of the sofa beside Len's head. The Organisation's Master took his time, enjoying each spoonful of ice cream, glancing at the sleeping blond boy every so often.

For fifteen minutes, there was silence. Then, there was a hushed rustling as Len rolled onto his other side again. He breathed in deeply and exhaled. With a serene smile, he muttered, "I love you."

Shion suppressed a laugh and gazed at that calm, sleeping expression, wondering who the boy might be talking to in his dreams. To love someone was a commitment. There was only one person in the whole world that this boy held feelings for, which could be called 'love'. Only one person… there was no need to wonder who it might be.

Master Shion grinned and guided strands of Len's dishevelled hair back to their correct places. He was glad to be that one special person. It was a wonderful feeling knowing how special you were to someone… almost like being a pot of limited edition ice cream.