Author's Note- Oh my... I know it's been such a long time since I've updated and I'm so sorry for that ; u;. I absolutely have not forgotten this story and had always been meaning to update... but life just happens, you know? That and I had the longest writers block ever. Usually when I "plan" my chapters I write out the dialogue first and then fill in the details later but for some reason I couldn't figure out how I wanted this chapter to go. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy this. It's almost 4am here and I'm extremely tired but I was on a roll today and didn't really want to stop lest my muse dies on me again lol orz. OK I'll stop with my pitiful excuses haha ; A;.
I do intend to finish this story, hopefully very soon. I have the basic outline of what I want to happen all written down... it's just kind of difficult because I want to skip to the end, you know? Hehe. All in all I think the story will have somewhere around 17 chapters... LOL. Long way to go, eh?
Oh and thank you so much for any of my loyal readers still following up on this story. I love you guys so much ; u; -gives cookies and glomps everyone, weeping-. Might possibly be some mild OOC.
i - normal text
i - flashback/thought text
i - movie text
"I win again!"
"Mou, Luka, that's the fifth time you've won!"
"Yeah! Are you cheating? That's no fair."
"Let me see up her sleeves!"
"Now, now kids," the twenty-five year old woman winked, "You're all still ten years too young to beat me. But in the meantime, you can practice and hope by some stroke of luck you get some of your money back!"
Rin, Meiko, and Kaito nearly crushed the cards in their hands in frustration. All four were crouched around the Kagamines' central living room's coffee table, heavily engrossed in an intense game of none other than the infamous Go Fish. Luka grinned and raked in her winnings, bringing up her fortune by $55.67, which came to a grand total of $352.98 for that day. Behind them, Gakupo and Mr. Kagamine sat watching the scene with heavy sighs.
"Anyone up for another round?" Luka's eyes gleamed mischeviously, "I just need $50 more and I can finally get that purse I've had my eye on for weeks."
"YOU'RE ON!" Meiko slammed her fist onto the table, "DOUBLE OR NOTHING!"
Luka smiled sweetly and folded her hands under her chin, "Like I said, ten years too early. I'd quit now if I were you."
Rin's eyebrow ticked at her aunt's blatant cockiness. Yes, Luka was her aunt now, or at least considered to be. Her eyes traveled to the pink diamond ring adorning Luka's left ring finger, and then to the matching gold band on Gakupo's, or should she say Uncle Gakupo's. Yes, uncle. A sly smile found its way onto Rin's face. After the Leon incident, Gakupo and Luka grew closer, but nobody knew about their relationship until two years ago when he popped the question during a company party. Rin could remember distinctly the shocked gasps and Luka's smeared makeup from all the happy tears she cried. Their wedding occurred six months later, and Mr. Kagamine walked with Luka down the aisle in place of her late father. Rin and Len were flower girl and ring bearer. From then on, they each considered each other family, much like how Kaito and Meiko were pretty much brother and sister to Rin and Len.
"Luka, you should take it easy on them," Gakupo said cautiously.
"NO WAY!" Meiko growled, "I can take her on, let's go! Deal us in! Double, no, triple or nothing! We definitely won't lose this time, right Kaito? Rin?"
"Definitely," Rin smirked, determined to wipe that smug grin off her aunt's face. Gakupo sweat dropped. He was totally being ignored.
"It's alright, Gakupo," Mr. Kagamine opened his newspaper and began reading, "You get used to it."
"Actually," Kaito scratched his head in thought, "I'm… going to sit out this round." he slowly began to inch away from the table, but unfortunately not discreetly enough.
Meiko's eyebrow twitched, "Get back here!"
"ACK!"
"M-Meiko! Let go of his scarf, he's going to choke!"
"Man up, Kaito!"
"Gakupo, Mr. Kagamine! His eyes are bulging out of the sockets, and his skin is as blue as his hair! Is that alright?"
"Err…"
"He'll be fine. It happens all the time."
"Are we playing or not?"
"How do I look?"
The room's six occupants stopped what they were doing and looked up the staircase, where Len was standing. He looked at the scene before him: Meiko lynching Kaito with his own scarf, Luka shaking Gakupo to go pry the girl off, Mr. Kagamine attempting to cool his secretary down by assuring her that this was "normal" behavior, and Rin steadily reaching for a giant pile of money behind Luka amidst all the commotion.
"Err," he coughed unsurely, "What's going on here?"
Luka blinked, "…Len? You look so nice! Why all dressed up?" She ran over and examined him head to toe. His outfit consisted of a black tank top, metal-studded white leather belt, dark blue jeans, orange and yellow sneakers, and an orange zip-up hoodie. As usual, the boy completed the ensemble with his signature high ponytail.
"Looking good," Kaito whistled. Gakupo nodded as well.
"Len you shotaaa," Meiko sneered, "Trying to impress Neru?"
"W-What?" a heavy scarlet covered the boy's cheeks, "No, people are just supposed to look nice on these types of occasions."
"Aww," she continued to coo, "Wittle Wen is gwowing up!" She pinched his cheeks for added emphasis. Kaito smirked and Rin rolled her eyes in the background.
"S-Stop, Meiko!" Len swatted her hand away and stomped off, "I'm heading out now. Don't wait up for me, I might be home late." The front door slammed shut.
"Serious Len isn't very interesting," Meiko sighed and resituated herself by the coffee table. Kaito quickly gathered his scarf and scurried from her reach.
Mr. Kagamine looked up at the ceiling and scratched his chin, "Neru... Why does that name sound familiar... Say, Rin, wasn't she one of your friends in elementary school?"
"Yeah," Rin yawned, "She was."
"Ah! It's so good that you two are going to the same high school now," the older man clapped his hands together, "But then why didn't you go with Len?"
"I'm not wanted there, it'd be awkward."
"How so?" Mr. Kagamine obviously wasn't getting the hint, "This would be a good chance for you two to reconnect."
"Because," Rin sighed exasperatedly, "Len and Neru are on a date."
"..."
The room's occupants stiffened. All of a sudden, the atmosphere felt very cold.
"...A... what?"
"A date."
"..."
"Oh my," Luka whispered, "This doesn't look good." Gakupo paled and nodded.
"A..." the malice literally dripped from Mr. Kagamine's voice, "Date?"
"Here it comes," Meiko grabbed the other end of Kaito's scarf and shielded her face with it.
"Dad, it's not that big of a dea-"
"WHAT? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WHAT IS HE DOING ON A DATE?" Luka and Kaito squeaked and huddled behind the recently overturned coffee table, away from the wrath of a certain extremely overprotective father, "He's only been going to school for a week; I haven't even had the chance to give him 'the birds and the bees' talk! HOW CAN THIS BE?"
"I-I'm sure Len already knows all that stuff," Luka peeked over her hiding place in a vain attempt to soothe her boss, "He's part comput-"
"LEN! LEN KAGAMINE," the older man roared and ran towards the door, "GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! Where has he gone? Where is he headed? LEN!"
"Mr. Kagamine, please calm down! Len will be fine."
"CALM? AT A TIME LIKE THIS? What if he and Neru end up making a huge mistake? What if we end up having to support a baby? I can't have that! Gakupo, didn't you say Len had the capability of being able to reproduce with other humans?"
The lavender haired scientist tensed when his name was referenced, "Err, well, yes, but-"
"WE MUST STOP THEM!" Mr. Kagamine assumed a righteous pose, "QUICK, EVERYONE INTO THE CAR!" He grabbed all five protesting individuals by the collars of their shirts and rushed to the garage.
A young girl leaned impatiently against a planter as she idly watched people go about their everyday lives: some on dates, some on family outings, and some just hanging about casually like she was. In one hand she scrolled through the messages on her cell phone as if half-expecting a text, and with her other she absentmindedly twirled a lock of her long, golden ponytail. A couple boys passing by looked her up and down and whispered excitedly to each other, except they weren't doing a very good job of being discreet.
"Dude, look at that girl, isn't she cute?"
"Yeah… looks like a high school girl, but check out those legs!"
The girl rolled her eyes and gave them the finger, slightly relishing the shocked expressions that crossed their faces. But in a way she was flattered. She did try to look especially nice today and picked out some short but not too short shorts, a flirty tank top, a pair of brightly colored knee-high socks, and some bangles to finish off the look.
"Neru!"
The girl's amber eyes lit up as she turned to wave at the person she had been expecting, "Len, hey!"
"Sorry, have you been waiting long?" Len jogged up beside her, a slightly anxious look on his face. A delay on the subway had caused him to arrive a few minutes past the agreed meeting time, and he was pretty certain being late to a date was a very bad social faux-pas.
"Nope, I sort of just got here haha," Neru waved off his concern and edged her face slightly closer to his, "Eager to see me?"
Len blinked, a bit flustered by her sudden closeness, "I… err… Um, so what are we going to do?" He coughed nervously, trying to ease off the tension.
Neru smirked. Perhaps this would be easier than she thought. Putting on the most eager and absolutely girlish face she could muster, she cooed, "Ooh, there's this new movie out, and I was thinking we could catch it later! It's a romantic drama but it's apparently really popular. I hope you don't mind!"
"That sounds good." Len grinned and gave her a thumbs up.
"Hooray!" Neru threw her arms up excitedly and clasped him by the arm. She fluttered her eyelashes up at him, "In the meantime, let's shop!"
"Look, there they are."
"…Mr. Kagamine, is this really necessary?"
Gakupo grimaced as he tugged at the ridiculous costumes he, Luka, Kaito, Meiko, and Rin all had to wear. He wondered briefly what Mr. Kagamine was doing with a bunch of trenchcoats, sunglasses, detective hats, and fake mustaches laying around… but then again there were many things about his boss that Gakupo didn't exactly want to know.
"Of course! What if he recognizes us?" Mr. Kagamine hissed and looked away from his binoculars for only a brief moment before turning back, not wanting to miss a single moment of Len and Neru's interaction. Currently they were all huddled behind a bush "out of sight"… more or less. "These outfits are an absolute necessity," he continued, "If we were dressed in our every day clothes then Len would recognize us instantly, and we can't have that!"
Gakupo felt his mortification multiply as several passerbys gave them curious glances and frightened murmurs, "Yes, but sir we aren't exactly inconspicuous either." But Mr. Kagamine was too engrossed in his spying, now whipping out some strange recorder-looking device that Gakupo presumed was for eavesdropping. He was about to retort again when Luka placed a hand on her husband's shoulder reassuringly as if to say "Don't worry. I feel your pain."
"You know, I actually like our outfits," Rin said as she tugged at her fake mustache, the thick bristles tickling her upper lip.
"These coats are flattering in a weird way," Meiko twirled to examine herself.
"Does this make my butt look big? Ow, Meiko!" Kaito pouted and rubbed the spot where she had whacked him.
"Idiot."
"Look, they're on the move! LET'S GO!" Mr. Kagamine shot up from his position, startling both his troupe and the confused citizens around them. As he attempted to shift from lamppost to lamppost, Rin groaned and tried to hide her face with her hands.
Neru and Len stopped first at an ice cream stand, ordering one chocolate and one vanilla cone respectively. Kaito had immediately leapt towards the alluring booth, and had it not been for Meiko's quick scarf-grabbing reflexes the entire mission would have been doomed… not that Rin minded much. As Gakupo and Mr. Kagamine took to lecturing Kaito, Rin turned her attention back to her Vocaloid and ex-friend. Neru must have seen someone she knew because she snuggled closer to Len and waved at a couple passing by. They talked for a little bit and Rin could see a faint hint of pink splay across Len's cheeks… but what got her the most was the Len was doing absolutely nothing to push Neru away.
But Rin didn't care. She had resolved a few days ago that he could do whatever the hell he wanted.
After finishing their frozen treats, the two went into a pretty popular clothing store that Rin had always thought was tacky.
"How about this one?" Neru held up a ruffled, pale pink top.
Len smiled slightly. A certain, spunky blonde had the same shirt. "It looks good."
"Then, what about this?" she exchanged the blouse for a cream-colored baby tee.
"That one's good too."
"You're just saying that!" Neru pouted playfully.
"No, really, according to my databanks that style compares favorably to your facial structure and hairstyle."
"…What?"
"O-Oh, umm, the color goes great with your eyes?"
"Really? Okay I'll buy it!"
As Neru pranced off towards the register, Len gently felt the fabric of the ruffled top she had haphazardly thrown back on top of the rack. He remembered Rin had worn the shirt when she took him to see some fireworks last year. What was she doing now? Still losing her allowance to Luka? He chuckled and shook away the thought. No, maybe she'd be curled up on the couch watching a movie with everyone else.
Usually on the weekends he, Rin, and Mr. Kagamine would spend the night watching a movie together. Rin almost always feel asleep on his lap right before the end of the movie, which he never understood why because that was when the most action happened. Then he would carry her to her room while Mr. Kagamine cleaned up, and Rin would protest weakly about wanting to know what happened.
Come to think of it, this was the first weekend in years that he did not spend with Rin. It felt so… strange. Every other minute he'd find something that would remind him of her. Was it because he felt guilty leaving her behind? No, she had Meiko and the others there… yet he still couldn't shake off that unsettling feeling. It also wasn't fair to Neru if he couldn't accommodate her because he was too distracted by Rin. Maybe if he brought something back for her that would ease his conscience. Rin did like those cinnamon rolls from the food court…
"Why is he still standing there?"
"I don't know… maybe he really wants to buy that shirt? Ow, Meiko!"
"Shh," Mr. Kagamine peered out from behind a mannequin, whose pose he was futilely trying to imitate, "Quick, they're on the move again!" He pointed to the exit where Neru was pulling Len out by the arm.
"Dad this really has to stop, there's no point in follo-"
"Not now Rin, they're getting away!" Rin sighed as she and the rest of the group was once again yanked by their collars and forced to follow the unbeknownst pair.
"It seems as if they're buying movie tickets."
"Which movie? Can you tell?"
"Gakupo, go find out."
"Sir, this is hardly-ACK!" the lavender haired scientist grumbled as he was forcefully kicked from their hiding spot. Today definitely was not his day. "Kami-sama, I beg you kill me now." At least the impressive salary and job perks made up for all the humiliation suffered today... sort of. He quickly straightened himself and brushed off any stray leaves or twigs before marching towards his targets, head down and shoulders hunched so as not to be too recognizable.
"Oof!" Len grunted as an older man suddenly bumped into them, causing him to draw their tickets.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Neru stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh, terribly sorry," the man rasped out in a voice that sounded awkwardly familiar, "Here." He took his time in retrieving the tickets, refusing to look them in the eye.
Something so familiar... Len's eyes widened when he saw the intricate, golden band on the man's left ring finger. Len had been the bearer of a very similar ring two years ago. A flash of lavender hair straying from his hat reaffirmed Len's suspicions. "Professor-?"
"OOH silly me!" the man startled them by suddenly yelping and hurrying in the opposite direction, "Look at the time! My dear wife said I had to be home in time for dinner and it's already 6, CIAO!"
"What a weird guy," Neru quirked an eyebrow at the stranger, "Anyways, let's go grab our seats. … Hey, hello? Hellooo? Earth to Len, are you in there?"
"Huh?" Len snapped out of his reverie and blushed, "Yeah, hah, sorry. Thought he was someone I knew."
"You're so weird," Neru giggled in falsetto, "Hurry up, we'll miss the show!"
"So? What did you find out?" Mr. Kagamine barely gave Gakupo time to exhale before he began badgering him for answers. Luka rubbed her husband's shoulders soothingly.
"They're going to see 'Magnet'."
"Magnet?" Luka's eyes lit up as she stopped massaging, much to Gakupo's chagrin, and clasped her hands together dreamily, "That movie, how romantic!"
Rin, Meiko, and Kaito looked at each other. "Never heard of it!"
Luka sighed disappointedly, "Of course you kids have no taste. It's a remake of an 1980's classic of the same name. It's about about three characters: Mio, Mizuki, and Katsuki. The heroine, Mio, is from a rich family, yet despite having wealth and luxuries, she acts very bitter and resentful. Her cousin Mizuki, on the other hand, was orphaned after her parents were killed in an accident, but continues to smile kindly. Mizuki falls in love with her young teacher, Mr. Katsuki, and they begin a secret relationship. Mio, however, feels jealous of Mizuki's happiness, and attempts to break them up, but along the way she ends up falling for Katsuki too! But then she finds out that they are half-siblings! Such drama!"
"Oh please," Meiko rolled her eyes.
"I think it sounds kind of sweet?" Kaito shrugged, "Maybe somewhat cliché and predictable..."
"Either way, we're watching it," Rin pointed at her father, who was returning with 6 ticket stubs in his hands.
Neru's eyebrow couldn't stop twitching. She had chunks of popcorn, wrappers, and ice cream drippings in her hair. And to make matters worse, for the past 40 minutes the people sitting behind her could not be any more annoying. How was she supposed to get close to Len like this?
"UH HUH, HUH, HUH," one of the trench coated individuals behind her coughed obnoxiously as she tried to nudge her arm against Len's, "Sorry, excuse me, please enjoy the movie."
"Whoops! My hand slipped."
"Oh, I didn't see you two there! My bad."
"HEY!" she finally snapped, startling several others when she leapt up from her seat, "What's the big idea? You've been bothering us this entire time, do you guys have something against us or what?"
"Neru, it's fine, they probably didn't mean to..." Len tried to pull her back down, smiling awkwardly at curious onlookers.
"Honestly, some people," Neru huffed and plopped back down next to him, "They can be so rude." And so creepy, too. She had seen those 6 trenchcoat-wearing, sunglass-and-mustache wielding weirdos following them around all day. Were they Len's secret body guards or something? She knew Len was the heir to a pretty big corporation, but she didn't think his safety was that much of a concern, was it?
"You? Love him? Hah! Don't make me laugh."
"I do, Mio. I... I want to marry him."
"He's your teacher, that's not allowed."
"The same goes for you. Isn't he's your half-brother?"
"What...? How did you know?"
"I've known for a while, Mio. I've seen how you look at him when you think no one is watching, and I'll tell you this now: I'm not going to give up on him."
"I'm not giving up on you, son."
Len's entire body tensed. No, not the visions again. Not at a time like this!
The room was once again dark, except for a window near the ceiling that allowed the dim, silvery rays of the moon to illuminate the chamber with their fragile presence. This time the gray-haired boy was on a bed, so sterile and white. It contrasted starkly with the somber feel of the rest of the room. He was hooked up to many wires, making it doubtable that his body could even live on its own. His face, his skin, were so sunken and grim in their pallor... but the only thing still indicating vivacity was his eyes. His irises burned vividly crimson, so full of seething hate, frustration, and absolute raw emotion that one would presume they were the eyes of a vengeful lion, not an ill, sickly boy.
Like in the last vision, there was only one door to the room, and when it opened the same man stood in its frame. He looked more haggard this time, his face set in a firmer, more despondent manner.
Neither father nor son said a word. The father moved first, striding quietly and meticulously to his son's side, sitting right next to the mechanism that pumped fluids that regulated and monitored the boy's condition.
It was the son who finally broke the silence, "They have no more treatments."
"...I know."
"I cannot be cured."
"I know."
"...You are disappointed."
"..."
"You don't speak it, but I know you are," beneath the weakness of his voice were tones of mockery, anger.
"I am not angry," the man replied carefully, "But vindicated that a son of mine would have to suffer such a fate, but if that wicked mother of yours hadn't been so weak... You should have been strong... should have been the envy of all."
"So much for lofty dreams," the boy sneered.
It was silent again. After a long pause, the man rose and spoke in a strange tone, half-strangled and half-calculating, "I promised that you shall be great... and you will. But for now, you must sleep."
Crimson eyes widened in horror as he watched the hand of the one who created him slowly reach for the plug in the wall. "F-father, you..."
"In time, Dell. You will come back in time."
"N-NO! STOP!"
He couldn't succumb to death like this... not in this way! He didn't want to die!
"NO!" Len suddenly yelled out and gripped the arms of his chair tightly, beads of sweat forming lightly on his brow.
"L-Len...?"
The blonde haired boy looked down to find his hand firmly holding Neru's. He yelped surprisedly and yanked the offending limb back as if he had accidentally touched some dangerous maerial, "S-sorry. Movie's getting pretty dramatic."
Neru glanced down at her lap, a heavy blush staining her cheeks, "I-It's fine."
Rin couldn't believe her eyes. Len had actually reached out and grabbed Neru's hand on his own accord. So it was true then... he really was developing feelings for others, not just her... Who was she to tie him to her? She felt her hands grow cold.
"He sure moves fast," Luka put a hand over her mouth.
Rin looked over at the secretary and was slightly shocked to find the professor and her father missing. On the other side, Kaito was busy trying to restrain a fuming Meiko.
"What the heck does Len think he's doing? That girl is way below his league!"
"Luka, where's my dad?"
"He fainted, Gakupo took him out."
"Oh, I see..."
"Leave me alone, Katsuki! Go back to Mizuki!"
"Mio... Please stop crying, I don't want to see tears in your eyes."
"You... No, you love Mizuki. Is this some sick joke to try and get back at me? Go back to her. She's waiting for you. I've already apologized for everything I've done, now let me atone."
"I've always loved you, Mio. But I couldn't tell you. How could I? We're half-siblings, it's forbidden. I was only supposed to watch you from afar, to protect you, out of obligation to our late father. But my feelings have grown since then; I... I don't want to be away from you anymore."
"K-Katsuki..."
"Ah, that movie was so sweet, don't you think Len? At first I was pissed at Mio for being so selfish and spoiled, but when she realized she was in love with Katsuki... EEE!"
"Yeah..." The movie had just ended and everyone was filing out of the theaters. Neru continued to rave about the movie, clinging tightly onto Len's arm and giving any girl who passed by a death glare if they even so much as glanced at Len. But Len didn't focus on what she was saying or where they were going. The vision kept replaying over and over in his head and it made him feel so numb, so shaken.
"I had a great time," Neru turned and shyly twirled a lock of her hair.
"Me too..."
"Thanks again for today," she purred. Looking around to see if any girls were looking, which they were, Neru smirked and quickly leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. Instantly, Len's somewhat distant expression changed to shock. Neru winked and waved, leaving the blonde boy still staring dumbfounded. "I'll see you at school Monday!"
Did Neru just kiss him? Really kiss him? He had never been "kissed" by anyone other than Rin before... why did it feel so weird? He rubbed a hand on his cheek, mind racing through databanks trying to search for some sort of answer. What was he supposed to do now?
"The date is over?"
Mr. Kagamine groaned and rubbed his head, Gakupo handing him a small cold pack to hold against his temple. They were outside sitting on a bench some ways away from Len and Neru, watching the two say their goodbyes.
"Yup, nothing happened," Luka reported, "Len holding her hand for that brief moment during the movie is all he did."
"I still can't believe this..."
"Len is a responsible person," Rin suddenly interjected, "He's still a person, despite all those genetic modifications. He still has wants like all of us, and if he wants to go on a date then it's wrong for you to stop him, Dad. If he can take care of me then he can surely take care of himself."
"Rin..." Kaito and Meiko looked unsuredly at her.
Mr. Kagamine looked stunned. Gakupo and Luka glanced downward, unsure of what to say next.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was in reality only a few minutes, Mr. Kagamine spoke, "She's right... I see that it's time you two are growing up. These shenanigans are just annoyances, huh? Come, let's all get back to the house before he notices." The rest of the group nodded and followed his lead, all ready to leave behind today's events and just unwind.
Rin was the last one to start leaving. She stayed rooted to her spot for a little bit longer, unable to get a certain mental image out of her head.
She had seen Neru kiss Len.
It was no big deal, really, but Rin still wished she hadn't seen it. It was just so wrong... Len wasn't Neru's. Len was her friend, her brother, her companion, her Vocaloid- he was made for her and her alone. He wasn't made for Neru, Miku, or any other girl! Rin's shoulders shook. She wanted to sink to her knees and start crying, but she didn't know why. All she knew was that she couldn't... She couldn't tell anyone how she was feeling. She was treating Len as if he was a toy or random item she bought off the shelf! Getting jealous because someone else had him; so what? He was his own person, he didn't belong to anyone. He was created to be her brother, not her lover...
No, no more. She couldn't think about this anymore. Rin dug her nails deep into her palms, bringing about pain that would stifle any tears should they drop. There was no use in crying anymore.
As everyone began to depart, Len walked idly along the sidewalk, not exactly paying attention to where he was going but being careful enough not to bump into anyone.
"Len!"
The boy looked up when he heard his name called. A little ways down the street was a familiar, teal haired girl, smiling and calling him over. Turquoise eyes widened. "Miku?" She nodded and made a beckoning motion with her hands.
It really was her! Len waved and jogged over to where she was, "Hey! Funny running in to you here. What're you doing?"
Miku blinked and smiled, holding up several bags filled with household knickknacks, "My sister wants to redecorate the apartment, so she sent me to pick up some things. What about you?"
He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I was just hanging out with someone."
"I see," she said, bemused, "Say, are you busy right now? Do you want to go to a cafe? My feet are killing me and I'd really like to sit down."
Len though for a moment and glanced at his watch. It was 6, which was around dinner time for him. His stomach let out a small rumble of agreement. He blushed and quickly slapped a hand over it, "Y-Yeah, I am kind of hungry."
Miku giggled. Her laughter sounded just like bells, "Come on, I know the perfect place."
They walked together for another 15 minutes, making small talk and commenting on each other's recent escapades. They arrived at a small but charming restaurant where the waitress seated them by a window.
"What can I get for you two?" she held her pen and pad poised and ready to go.
"I'd like the potato and leek soup," Miku said politely, "With extra leeks on top please. And a glass of water."
Len was mildly surprised she'd ask for such a dish. Weren't girls usually adverse to all vegetables related to the onion? "I'll just have the banana French toast, with an iced tea."
The waitress nodded and quickly went to fetch their drinks.
"So," Len sipped at his drink, "Have you lived here in Crypton your entire life?"
Miku shook her head, "I used to live in Tokyo with my sister and brother. My dad worked here in Crypton, though, but he rarely ever came home. He's a bit of a workaholic. He wanted us to be closer to him, so I came here last year with my sister and we've been living in town ever since."
"Kind of sounds like my family. My Dad works a lot too, haha. What are your siblings like?"
"My sister is 21. She works a lot, a trait she probably inherited from my dad haha, and can be kind of whiny, but she's very kind and gets everything done when it needs to be done. I think you'd like her a lot."
"What about your brother?"
Suddenly, the mood became very tense. Miku didn't say anything and looked down, silently wringing her napkin between her hands. Len gelt a lump form in his throat. Had he said something he shouldn't have?
"Hey, Miku, I'm sorry if I offende-"
"I haven't seen him in over a year," her voice was incredibly quiet, "Before we moved to Crypton... my father and he got into an argument over his future, which my dad wanted to be in science. My brother, unfortunately, had other plans and walked out on us... He's... He's not someone who can be trusted, Len." Her face grew dark as a torrent of emotions suddenly began to flash across her stunning, green eyes, the most prominent of which Len noticed was hurt and betrayal.
"I'm sorry," Len whispered, looking down too. He wasn't sure how to act and felt as if propriety demanded he touch her hand in reassurance, so he did.
At the contact, Miku sobered once again, "Forgive me, I got a little upset there."
"It's fine," Len smiled, "Sometimes it's better to let things out."
"What about you, Len?" Miku leaned in closer and folded her hands under her chin, "Tell me about your family."
Oh no! Len's getting closer and closer to Miku... what will happen x3? I hope I haven't gotten too rusty ; u;. Since I'm finally on summer break the next chapter will hopefully be out soon! But remember to leave a review to keep me motivated hehe xD.
Wow, can you believe I've been working on this story for almost a year now? Time really does fly... Also, this chapter was 6,000 words! Good grief... I don't believe I've ever written so much for one thing before. It was actually going to be a little longer but I cut stuff out and skipped over some details LOL.
Anyways I'll shut up now -goes to collapse on bed-.