A/N: Warning for what's implied in this chapter. Also, I recommend listening to 'Haven' - Novo Amor (from Life is Strange True Colors) for the latter half of this chapter, it fits rather well.

The next morning, Rin feels listless and mopey.

She skulks around her room, milling about until the afternoon and avoiding going out because she just doesn't know what to say in regard to Len. It feels like there was some unspoken rule she broke last night, and Len is punishing her for it, but it's probably just her own paranoia about fucking it up.

She also doesn't want to see Mikuo, because frankly last night really threw her off the vibes she thought she was getting from him. In that moment right before she was about to fall into the ocean, it felt like she was being forced back— and Mikuo tried to catch her, but he was the one who made her do it.

He had leaned in to kiss her, which maybe seemed like the right move at the time, but it just put her off the entire experience. In fact, both boys are making it incredibly difficult to make up her mind about what she wants to do or how she feels. It's like she just can't think straight anymore.

Love and romance are just benign, abstract concepts to her. She can't even say for certain she felt familiar love; so right now, whatever's going on is just throwing her to the wolves. If she could see the clearcut right answer to how to feel, she'd choose it in a heartbeat, but life just isn't that simple…. unfortunately.

Finally deciding to stop being a coward, Rin leaves her bedroom, heading downstairs to the kitchen. She can hear the clinking of pots and pans, deducing someone else must be in there, but not seeing anyone in passing the living room area.

Entering the doorway, she's greeted with the sight of three people wandering around the cozy kitchen. Gumi, pulling a tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Miki, her android, mixing something in a bowl that's dark brown in color. And lastly, Len, plating a tower of small triangle sandwiches with calm, collected hands.

When he sees her walk through the entry, his hands pause over the stack of food, and Gumi turns to him with a smile on her face.

"Thanks again for helping me out with this," she says to him, and he nods his head.

"...You're welcome. I'll be going now."

He moves around the kitchen island, and brushes past Rin. She can feel a cold air emanating from him, and she crosses her arms over her chest and shivers slightly. It's more than evident that he's… not himself.

Gumi stares after him, her eyes settling on her, and she tilts her head questioningly.

"...Len seems quiet today," she comments, as if seeing right through the blonde's inner thoughts. She picks up a hand towel from a nearby drawer and wipes off her hands, emerald eyes glittering in the daylight.

Rin grimaces, moving into the room and approaching the cabinets. Rifling through them trying to find a quick snack, she makes a non-committal noise. "Does he?"

Her attempt to be nonchalant seems so forced even to herself, but she keeps her eyes focused on what's in front of her, trying not to betray any of her feelings.

Gumi frowns.

"Yeah, he does. He's real quiet and solemn. Did you two fight or something?"

Rin stiffens, and then sighs, grabbing a box of vanilla wafers down.

"No, we didn't fight, and I don't know why he's so… Why he's being like that," she comments. "Maybe his AI is being weird. I don't know."

"Rin-"

Scuttling away, Rin rushes out of the room before Gumi can make any more pointed responses toward her. She knows the green-haired woman can figure things out quickly, but she just doesn't want to have to explain herself. It feels like all she does is try to rationalize her actions, and it's starting to become so tiring.

Still, she feels pretty bad about the night before. It seems to have harshly affected Len himself, but she can't tell if that's because she made him be that way or if he's feeling that of his own accord.

Their actions last night still ring in her head, images and feelings she can't get rid of no matter how much she tries, and she sits on her bed and munches away on the vanilla cookies, hoping the light sweetness will fix the bitterness in her heart.

I'm just eating my feelings, but it's not helping.

A soft knock at the door a few minutes later snaps her back into the present.

"Rin? Can I come in?"

It's Miku's telltale voice, and Rin voices her acceptance.

When the tealette walks in and closes the door behind her, she strides to where her friend sits forlorn on the bedspread and joins her, drawing her legs up under her cross-legged and letting her long ponytail drop in a thick waterfall over her shoulder.

"Alright, Rin, spill it," Miku demands, eying her while she noms away on her cookies.

"Spill what?"

"What's going on. There's stuff you haven't been telling me, and I need to know what's going on."

Rin frowns into her snacks. "It's… It's not like it's a big deal…"

"It clearly is, or you wouldn't be shoveling cookies into your mouth," Miku retorts, raising a brow. "Something's going on in that head of yours, and it's to do with Len, right? And, judging by what I heard and saw a bit of yesterday, my brother.

She cuts to the heart of the problem so fast that Rin's hands tighten on the cardboard box, risking a glance at her friend.

She debates lying to her for a split second, wanting to hide how much she's bothered behind the thin glass of her willpower, but just one glance into Miku's seafoam eyes and she knows she can't hide it. It'd be useless to try.

"...You're right," Rin mumbles. "Miku, I... "

It's like suddenly, she just can't hold it in any longer. All her feelings spill out of her like a leak sprung in a dam, cracking the foundation she's fought to maintain and splashing out in a mess.

Rin lets her heart sit upon her sleeve for a moment, and tells Miku about everything that's been going on. From the first kiss with Len to what happened yesterday, his reactions and strange mannerisms, as well as her one date with Mikuo and where that's lead her. Once the words start coming, she can't get them to stop.

Miku listens intently for a good long time, letting her friend empty her soul out bare in front of her. She stays quiet, just absorbing all Rin has to say until the blonde finally falls silent, her words echoing in the air like remnants of something forgotten.

"...Wow," Miku says after what seems like forever. Rin winces. "That is quite the tale."

She swallows, the box of cookies in her hands left open to the air after she'd spent so long talking.

"Yeah, it sure is."

Miku taps her long fingers against her chin, thinking for a moment.

"...Well, Rin, what do you think you should do?"

Rin lets out a mirthless chuckle. "I have no idea. It seems like every time I set my heart on something, I just turn around and change it the next day. I can't make heads or tails of what I want or what I should do. At this rate I'm just ready to stop choosing anything and let fate decide."

"Why don't you?"

She looks at Miku with confusion, not expecting something like that out of the blue. "What? What do you mean?"

Miku moves her legs out to swing over the side of the bed, kicking them a bit and leaning back on both hands. She tilts her head to give Rin a small smile.

"If these feelings of yours for Len are so strong right now, maybe you need to test that."

"Test my… feelings?"

"Yeah. Don't overthink it, don't try to make it make sense. Having an android lover doesn't exactly make the greatest sense either, you know? But maybe if you stop fighting yourself at every step of this, it'll work itself out. Give yourself a chance to truly give it a chance, and who knows? It could be exactly the answer you're looking for."

Miku's words ring in her head, replaying over and over like a record on loop. Rin simply stares at her.

What she proposes just honest to God terrifies her. To just give in and let the world decide what happens, whether good or bad, seems too impossible to consider, but… Maybe her friend is right. If she lets it go, for just one day, and stops being her own obstacle, it could end up being worthwhile.

"...I hate it when you're right," Rin says, scrunching up her nose, and Miku laughs.

"I'm not your best friend for nothing, you goof." She slaps a hand on Rin's shoulder. "What good would I be if I didn't give good advice once in awhile?"

Rin chuckles under her breath, rolling her eyes. "I guess you're right."

Miku smiles, but then her expression grows serious, and her fingers tighten over Rin's shoulder.

"Rin, do you know how long it took me to get used to Kaito?"

Rin blinks, surprised by her bringing up the topic.

"I… never really asked," she admits. "Honestly, it seems like you were always fond of him."

Miku rolls her shoulders back, looking to the ceiling wistfully.

"...I threw him out the first day."

"W-What?!" Rin chokes. "You tossed him out of your house?"

The tealette nods. "I did. Truthfully, I got him because I was tired of dating human guys who were obsessed with just getting laid and leaving. It seemed like that's all I could ever find, so I just… stopped trying to date, you know? I really didn't like the dating scene, and guys started to turn me away. My last ditch effort was Kaito."

She kicks her feet up again, clasping her hands in her lap.

"I woke him up like I was supposed to, and like I bet Len did to you, Kaito… jumped me. Kisses, touching, pronouncing his servitude. Well, it scared me. I thought I made a huge mistake and he was just another clone of every other guy I'd been with. I told myself I was stupid for spending so much money on a waste of time. Except… After I threw him out of my front door, he suddenly said, 'I'm sorry, mistress, but you were too beautiful to resist.'"

Rin cringes, but her friend continues.

"I told him that was a really dumb, cheesy thing to say, and he only said, 'well, then what do you want me to say? I can't lie to you. But if you let me back inside, I can make you happy.' And there was something… too sincere about the way he said it for me to ignore."

"Did you let him back inside that night?" Rin asks, and Miku shakes her head.

"Actually, no. I made him sit outside that night, but when he hadn't left in the morning, I brought him in. He was sopping wet from the rain, naked, and looked like a drowned rat. A handsome drowned rat, but miserable. But he still smiled at me when he came inside, and I… I felt like maybe it wasn't so bad."

Miku sighs softly.

"That day was a huge turning point in my life. I made myself question my actions and motives to the nth degree, but in the end, I stopped denying what I really wanted, and I let Kaito into my life. Now I wouldn't want to be without him. He'll outlive me some day, and he'll never age a day over twenty five, but I'll be happy with him for the rest of my life… and he'll always love me unconditionally. I could be wrinkly, gray, the most unappealing woman anyone's ever met at eighty years old, and he'll still look at me with love like the day I opened his box. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

She gives Rin a knowing look, pursing her lips.

"You don't have to take what I have to say at face value, either. I've seen the way Len looks at you. He's your android through and through. He's giving you the same look that Kaito gave me, and if you decide to let him into your heart, he'll make you happy. I think maybe that's what you need, Rin."

Rin looks down into her lap, her fingers twiddling together into a knot.

"...I'm afraid, Miku," she whispers. "If I grow attached, I feel like I'll stop being ready to… you know. I'd finally gotten used to the thought that I…"

"Shut up," Miku replies harshly, startling the blonde. "Don't you dare say any of that to my face. I don't want to hear any of that shitty 'woe is me' spiel you're gonna say. You still have time."

Rin falls silent, and her friend just sighs, patting her shoulder.

"I know why you got Len," she says softly. "That should be reason enough to cherish him right now and accept what he has to offer. If you don't think you have many options… then take what you have. Feel what you want to feel, and stop telling yourself you shouldn't."

Miku is… right, isn't she?

All this time I've been questioning the morality of it, making myself run in circles.

I'm my own worst enemy right now.

Rin takes in a deep, shaky breath.

"...Maybe you're right, truthfully," she admits hesitantly. "But what do I do about Mikuo? I feel like that's kinda…. open-ended right now."

The tealette's eyes narrow sharply, and she huffs.

"My brother is the worst person to date," Miku half-heartedly chuckles. "I could've told you that. He can't hold a girlfriend to save his life. He's a shut-in most the time. He might be my twin, but he's nothing like me, and the two of you wouldn't make a good couple. He's the last person you'd want to be with in… your situation. I'm not just saying this because I'm his sister, Rin, but genuinely… think hard about whether you want to be with him. I've known him my whole life, and he wouldn't be able to give you anything you need in a relationship."

Rin's stunned by Miku's brutal honesty, not expecting her to be so blunt and direct about her own brother. Still, she considers it heavily.

"I'm not going to influence your decision any more than that," Miku puts both her hands up, sliding off the blanket and getting to her feet, facing Rin. "What you do, is entirely up to you. But judging from the way you talked about Mikuo, it doesn't seem like you want to be with him yourself. Stop trying to fill the void in your life with things that are only going to make you miserable, Rin. Do what makes you happy. God," she chuckles, rolling her eyes. "I'm gonna stop being preachy now."

"No, no," Rin quickly interjects, standing up as well and facing her friend. "Miku, I… I appreciate it. What you've said has made a lot of sense, and I think I see things a little clearer now. You're… a really good friend."

Miku's expression trembles for a moment, her eyes growing a little watery, before she scrunches up her nose. She throws her arms around Rin suddenly, embracing her in a tight hug.

"You goofball. You need to rely on me more. Haven't I already said that…?" Miku laughs into her hair. "You don't have to do everything alone."

Rin stiffens, but then melts into the hug and inhales the scent of fresh strawberries and lavender that accompanies her presence.

Closing her eyes, she lets herself release the stress she's been holding in, not even realizing how tense her shoulders and body has been since, what, yesterday? It leaves her feeling a little more at peace.

Everything Miku's said leaves much to swallow, though, a hard pill that she has to take. It's laid bare exactly the root of the problem and what she can do to solve it. It scares her like nothing else, but there's a sense of understanding that follows.

Maybe I should follow her advice to the letter.

Maybe I should… give in.

.x.X.x.

The rest of the day passes in a blur.

Miku left Rin to her thoughts, and the group in the house decided to hang out around the beach again. This time Rin sat it out, choosing instead to make food for everyone in exchange. It was a feat, making enough food to feed a small family, but Len helped her even though she didn't ask; he was quiet and only answered her with short sentences, but he handled most of the work. She made sure to thank him for it, and she could see it affect him just a little.

Her conversation with Miku echoes hard in her head the rest of the afternoon into the evening. She had also made another, finer point, right before she exited the room.

"Try letting Len sleep in your room tonight, see how it goes."

A bold statement, especially for Rin who had forbidden him from entering her room like that for more than a few minutes. Ever since the day she'd opened his box, he's been forced to stay out of her room for any reason.

Well, this isn't her room at home, and he's already been in there once while she was changing- but that's not the same. At least, she tells herself that.

As the night draws closer, she's forced to make a decision.

As everyone bids off to bed at around midnight, Rin is left standing in front of her bedroom, with only Len left in the hallway, Miku being the last one to disappear into her room with Kaito after exchanging a knowing look with Rin herself.

She can practically hear her saying "Just do it".

When silence falls over them in the hallway, Rin opens her mouth to speak, struggling to find what to say- and then Len turns away from her.

"Sleep well."

He takes a step away, and she feels a blinding sense of anxious panic. Her chance is slipping away in a heartbeat, and she finds herself reaching out in a rush, her hand flailing forward with no sense of direction until it catches the material of his thick shirt, stopping him.

"W-Wait," she barely whispers.

He stops immediately, staying completely still, and yet not looking at her.

"...Is something wrong?" He finally asks.

"No," she quickly replies, her fingers rubbing the material between them as her face turns red. "But…"

Just do it, just do it, just do it…

"You… You can c-come stay in my room tonight, Len."

The words are barely out before she squeaks and releases him, taking a step back and trying to hide her face from view.

She doesn't want to look at him right now.

"...You want me to stay in your room?"

The disbelief in his voice is almost insulting, but she knows it's for good reason.

"...Yes," she tries again, risking a look at him. "If you don't want to be in the living room tonight… you can stay with me. It's your choice."

He's facing her now, and she can't find a dark enough part of the hall to hide in. His blue eyes search her figure, a skeptical look on his face.

He doesn't answer right away, and it sets off her own personal alarm bells.

"Look, if you don't want to, then-"

"I will."

His answer is easy, and her blues widen in shock. He's staring soulfully at her, and it feels too intense to keep returning. She turns to her doorway, the little hairs at her nape standing on end.

"...Fine," she mumbles, nearly tossing herself inside.

The two walk inside, him closing the door behind him, and she walks to her suitcase, trying to calm her racing heart. In the complete, numbing silence of her room, all she can hear is her own staticked breathing and her pulse in her eardrums.

"T-Turn away so I can change," she halfheartedly demands.

He does as she asks, and she quickly slips off her clothes and switches to her favorite nightgown, a white number with a frilly chest area, lined in black lace and reaching her knees. She ties it up above her neck, the spaghetti straps pulling slightly at her skin, and she fluffs out her blonde hair, glancing at Len again.

He's peacefully standing off to the side, directing his attention to the nearby wall, and she frowns. Quickly scooting over to her bed, she jumps into the comforter and practically hides underneath it, letting it obscure her body from view.

"...It's fine now," she says eventually.

He turns back to her, his eyes sliding over her form in the bed, and he says nothing, He leans against the wall and crosses his arms and adopting a casual pose.

Again, silence. It's starting to drive her nuts, especially with him just being in the opposite part of the room. He obviously doesn't sleep, (though he can fall into a type of rest mode, if she remembers from his manual correctly), but right now all he's doing is quietly observing her in the dim lighting of her room.

It also feels wrong to make him just stand there all night while she sleeps in the bed. But, the only other alternative would be if he…

...sleeps in the bed beside her.

Even the thought sends the blood rushing from her face, but she tries to rationalize her, the moral thoughts tugging at her heartstrings until she can't ignore it. About ten minutes pass of this back and forth in her mind, but then she wells up her courage as best she can.

"...Len?"

"Yes?"

She swallows hard.

"...Why don't you, um… share the bed with me?"

This time, she can't mistake the dubious look on his face.

"Rin…?"

She pulls the blanket up to her nose, trying to seem completely fine with the notion.

"...I don't want you to stare at me all night," she mutters. "If you want, you can."

There's a heartbeat of silence, and then shuffling. She turns her face into her pillow, gripping the blanket tightly in her hands.

A shadow passes her vision, and she realizes it's Len, dressed in nothing but his boxer shorts. She inhales sharply and scoots back toward her side of the bed as he lifts the covers, and slides in. Having another person in the bed leaves her skittish, uncertain.

His bare shoulders catch the light, and when he turns to face her, his blonde head resting against the pillow and resembling a prince, she can only stare back at him.

...Why did I let this happen again?

"G-Good night," she whispers, spinning around so her back is to him. It feels almost vulnerable facing away, but she doesn't know if that's worse than having to look into his sleepless eyes the entire night. She'd never get any rest that way.

It feels so awkward, and she scrunches herself into a fetal position, trying not to pay any mind to his presence. It doesn't work.

Flopping back onto her spine and looking up at the dark ceiling lit faintly by the moonlight, she tries to focus on the sound of waves crashing outside on the beach, the faint lull less scary when so far away. Still, she can't stop thinking.

Her hands grip tight to the sheets below her, and she presses her lips into a thin line.

Oh no, I'm doing it again. I'm overthinking it.

I can't help it. It's quiet, it's just us and this bed, and we've hardly spoken more than a few words to each other since yesterday. I don't even know where to start. What do I say? What does he want?

I never thought I'd have issues explaining myself to a robot, but I guess there's been a lot of firsts lately.

It just seems like my life has been nothing but a whirlwind of problems and mistakes since I got Len, but I can't say that it's been all bad, either.

Miku told me to stop being my own worst enemy. I have to try.

A little movement in the blanket catches her eye, and something warm and soft clasps down over her hand. She grows still instantly, her breathing ceasing for a split second while she pieces together what's happening.

She turns her head to look at Len, and his blue eyes capture her own. She can't turn away or move; she can only be lost in the depths of those icy pools. His own hand is warm and tight on hers, holding on securely.

A few moments pass with them holding a staring contest, and her face flushes red. She feels like her soul is fighting to claw out of her chest.

His expression is just as indecipherable as always, leaving nothing for her to solve or understand even as much as she wishes there was. Only an opaque blankness, with just the slightest hint of softness.

It's… hard to overthink when his very eyes pierce through each thought.

Still…

"...Are you mad at me?" she finds herself saying before she can stop it.

He blinks at her.

"I could never be angry with you, Rin," he replies quietly. "I just don't want to be in the way of what you want."

Her chest pangs, a little ache that threatens to grow.

"You say that so easily, but did I ever say you were in my way?" she asks him.

I didn't realize it seemed that way.

"You didn't have to say it," he blinks slowly. "I could see it. I've become an obstacle to you. If you want me to step off from you, I will. If you don't need me… I won't force you to keep me close."

No… stop.

Why does he have to say it like that?

She bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood.

"Len, that's not fair," she argues. "I never said I didn't need you. You're not an obstacle to me, and I-"

She nearly bites her own tongue as the words cross her lips, choking on the taste.

As much as she hates to admit it, everything she's said has been exactly that. She's pushed him away, told him to leave her alone, shunned him when he helped her. If anything… she's just been plain awful to him.

But…

"...You're not," her voice falls to a small whisper, gripping his hand in hers and returning the hold with just as much vigor. "You're not in my way. You're not an obstacle. I just… don't know how to express myself."

His fingers thread hers easily.

"You don't have to say anything, Rin," Len responds, gazing at her. "If that's how you feel, then I'll take that as truth."

Rin peeks at him from under her lashes, heart pounding.

"...You trust me so easily. You always take everything I say at face value. You never question my decisions or treat me like I'm incapable. But… you have feelings too, don't you, Len?" Rin forces herself to hold her gaze on him. "You can feel things… like I do. It's why you were so upset when I almost drowned. It's the same for when I was with Mikuo, and nearly fell. When you say those things, and show so much care for me, I just… you feel it in your own way, don't you?"

It's Len's turn to seem surprised by her accusation.

"...I'm an AI in a metal body, Rin," he finally says. "There's only so much feeling of my own I'm allowed. But, if you had to put it that way, I… I suppose there is. The feelings I was given for you. The ones that don't disappear, or fade, or grow stale. The ones I've... "

He trails off a little, his blue eyes glittering in the moonlight.

"...The ones that grow, every time I look at you."

Her breathing catches hard in her throat.

There's noting traitorous in his voice. It's just sweet sincerity.

"These feelings you say I have, they may not be human, but to me, they're real," he murmurs into the night air. "What I feel toward you is real, Rin. Everything about you is what I ache for. I don't want or need another human in my life, because you're everything I could ever need. My feelings for you are just as real as yours."

Her chest constricts tight, making it hard to breathe at all, and she feels this tidal wave of something crashing over her, sending little tingles through her torso and into her limbs, a sweet rush of something excited and happy.

"Your feelings…?" she breathes, finding herself sliding a little closer to him until their chests are almost touching. It feels bold to her, but in this moment, she chooses not to care, meeting him face to face and trying not to falter. "So, if I ask you something… you'll answer it honestly?"

His expression flickers.

"Of course."

His lips are near hers, too close to be ignored, and she's struggling to think straight all of a sudden, glancing between his mouth and his eyes.

"Len… Do you love me?"

The words leave her, and she feels cold suddenly, afraid of the answer, but his hand squeezes her own.

"Yes."

There's no hesitance, only determination and resolve in his voice. It's so heartfelt that the coldness in her heart vanishes as if it had never been there.

Her free hand reaches for his face, caresses the cool skin there, and he leans into her touch, his blond bangs falling over his face.

She leans closer, her lips close enough to graze his, his breath light on her cheeks.

"You love me?"

"Yes, I do."

She lets him kiss her there, his lips soft and pliable against her own, the meeting the most gentle its ever been between them. He sidles closer, pulling her to his chest and running his fingers along her arm. The kiss is loving, affectionate, with a warm undercurrent and a heat that threatens to grow hotter every second.

It feels so nice.

When she parts for air, she breathlessly asks again. "You love me?"

He pushes closer to her, making her lay down against the pillows and drawing the blanket aside so he can lean over her. His shadowed figure covers hers easily, and his lips leave small kisses across her cheeks, her nose, her forehead.

"Yes. I love you."

Those words send shivers down her spine, and she gasps softly as he kisses her again, this time his fingers gingerly slipping underneath the material of her nightgown. His fingertips brush her thighs, to her stomach, leaving blazing trails in their wake.

Even her own hands begin to wander, drawing his shirt off him in a smooth motion and pulling him down to her. His mouth places kisses all along her neck and collar, each little mark a new fiery spot.

She's never felt so cherished, like he's handling porcelain and could break her at any second. He's taking every precaution in the world to make her feel safe.

Before she even realizes, her own dress is skillfully removed, leaving her in only her bra and panties. His legs tangle with hers, their lips search for one anothers, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows where this is going.

...But, in this moment, as they breathe each other's air and meld together as if they are two pieces of the same puzzle, it only feels right.

His mouth latches at her collar, leaving a crimson red circle, and she whimpers in response. He does it again and again, leaving more of them than she can keep track of, but it feels too good, her voice making the strangest sounds. She's never heard herself like this.

In a blur, they're moving forward, her legs wrapped around his waist, and something else growing between them that sends little trickles of excitement through her body.

When there's hardly anything left to hold them back besides their own skin and the passionate heat threatening to surge from them both, she shakily moans out one last time, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Len… tell me you love me."

It's not a true question, but a demand, and as he draws her close and elicits little, pure bliss cries from her, he simply hums against her skin.

"...I love you, Rin," he whispers to only her, her fingers tangling in his hair and her thoughts already too far gone to care anymore. "I love you, now and forever. I love you. Only you."

He murmurs it to her, over and over, and she lets it sway her into a beautiful mindset of serenity just for this once. She embraces him close, letting his body crush her to his own and his kisses never ceasing.

As her mind blanks out and her body succumbs to him, she closes her eyes.

'I love you, Rin'.

I…

I love you, too.