"Wow, we're getting the hang of this routine fast, huh, Len?"

Len took a swig from his water bottle and nodded at Kaito, "Yeah, they should pair us up in songs more." The overhead lights were hot, and they'd been practicing their choreography all morning.

"Maybe they will if people like it," he said in an upbeat manner. He straightened out his jacket, stretched his arms a bit, and took off back to the floor to get ready to start up again.

The smaller vocaloid stood by himself now, taking in the other teen's action. His eyes then focused randomly on a prop to the side, fidgeting with his bottle cap. He'd been a vocaloid for quite some time now. The practices, working with different singers, performing in front of large crowds... He had gotten the swing of everything... but for the first time in years, Len was nervous about learning a new routine, not just performing. The fact was that this song was rather... romantic... in comparison to the past duets they shared. Nothing over the top, but... He took in a small breath.

'What's wrong with me?' he thought. 'Kaito has done several love songs with other vocaloids, and he's fine... ' His gaze wondered over to the taller male laughing with another singer, Meiko, on the dance floor. His smile was carefree as usual, and his smooth dark blue hair and matching eyes sparkled beautifully under the bright lights next to her. He secretly enjoyed watching Kaito interact with others. He had a very warm personality and showed it in his eyes when addressing someone. Len took in another awkward breath, put down his drink, and ran over. 'He doesn't even touch me in this song. I should just treat this like any other.'

"Alright, guys," the choreographer said. He looked at his notepad, "Slight change. I think this dance could use a little mix-up to keep it interesting... Kaito?"

"Hmn?"

He pointed at Len, "When you two get to this marker, you will dip Len. Len, once he's done, spin towards the right, away from Kaito. He'll then rush over to clasp your hands together, and then you separate into the rest of the routine... "

'WHAT?!' Len was dumbfounded but nodded with a blank face while Kaito gave a thumbs up.

"Sounds doable? Alright, we'll go through this for a while to incorporate it smoothly. This isn't absolute, just some ideas being tossed around, but please treat it as the final. Places!"

Len jogged over next to Kaito. He looked up at his partner, who then bowed with a grin. "May I have this dance, my beloved?" he said in a cartoonishly sophisticated voice.

The blonde boy couldn't help but laugh and felt his anxiety lessen somewhat. "It'd be my pleasure, Sir," he responded in a southern bell accent and proceeded to look forward. This was Kaito. He knew how to keep things light and fun. But it only took a second before his mind immediately went back to a near panic. He unconsciously began digging his nails into his palm.

"Pst, Len!" Kaito whispered next to him.

Len kept his gaze ahead, "Yeah?"

"I've had dips in multiple dances, don't worry. I won't drop you, I promise."

Len swallowed and shifted his eyes over. Kaito had the most gentle and warm smile on his lips. He could see his uneasiness... It was just for the wrong thing. Len wasn't worried about being dropped. Falling wasn't fun but a part of the job, unfortunately. He nodded with a slight smile at him.

"Okay, guys," the choreographer pointed, "three..two...one..." He waved his finger, and the track began to play.

Another issue made itself clear right away. Kaito was laid back, a bit of a goofball, and comforting, but as soon as a song starts... he becomes completely in character. And he's very good at it.

Len moved with the music, his eyes fixated on Kaito as they should be when they faced one another. 'This is just work. Play the part and do your best.' He kept his expression in line with Kaito's, and his movements were on beat. Everything was going somewhat smoothly... until that damn dip.

The part was coming up. Len's chest was beginning to flutter slightly. He kept telling himself that he'd be held by Kaito for only a second. He could play cool for that long. But then that handsome boy made his way over, grabbed his hand gently, pulled him close, and looked him dead in the eyes.

Len's mind froze... He knew he was just playing a part... but the sheer intensity of longing he could see being directed towards HIM and not another singer was too much. He felt himself being lowered, and there was Kaito right above him. His dark, silky hair fell gracefully over his smooth face and gorgeous eyes. Those eyes full of passion... and he was so close to him. This simple action was a sensory overload for poor Len.

The dip came to a quick conclusion, and Kaito made an attempt to twirl the smaller male. Len's legs weren't having it, though...

"Gah!" Len had tripped over his own feet.

"Len!" Kaito dropped to the floor with him. "You okay? You didn't hit your head, did you?" He looked him over.

A faint fuzziness had come over him immediately after hitting the floor. A quick line of yellow text flashed across his eyes, reading "repair complete," followed by some lines of code.

He sat up. The codes and pain were both gone. Being a vocaloid, Kaito knew he wasn't in serious danger, but he still showed concern. Len waved his hand, "I'm fine, I'm sorry, Kaito." Embarrassment flooded him, and he couldn't look at his friend.

Kaito offered his hand to help him up. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, I really tried to be careful. Did I let go of you too soon?"

"It's okay, I think I just lost my balance because I haven't done it before," he said nervously. That wasn't completely a lie, at least.

"Okay, guys, let's try again. Len, pay attention. Kaito, make sure he doesn't fall, okay? Three...two...one...go!"

It happened again.

And again.

Then it didn't, but he had lost focus and messed up.

Len was near crying with frustration at how horribly he was doing. He stomped his foot after another mistake and huffed, "Oh my freaking god!"

He saw Kaito smile out of the corner of his eye, "It'll be okay, Len."

The choreographer then clapped and stood up from his chair, "Alright, let's take lunch and come back rested... Len?"

Len looked up from his feet.

"Get some food and relax a bit. We have time to get this. Don't be too discouraged."

Kaito nodded in agreement, and Len spoke softly, "Okay."

Len immediately turned his back to Kaito and headed for the catering table. 'What the HELL?!' His face was red with humiliation. 'I've NEVER done THIS badly! Even when I was new!'

"Len!"

This made him jump, and he whipped around, swallowing his emotions as best he could.

"Didn't mean to scare you," said the bluenette. "But look, we know you're trying. You're able to do this." He paused and made a guilty face. "I was wondering, though..." He pointed at himself, "Are you scared of me dropping you?"

Len was quiet for a moment. He considered lying and saying yes just to avoid the problem. But he also didn't want this to interfere with the song or his head anymore. He shook his head, "No, I know you're experienced in it, and it's okay if you do by accident. I've fallen before, so it's nothing new."

"Oh..."

Len could see the gears going in that head. It was kinda cute oddly.

Kaito rocked on his heels once, then side eyed him, "Am I the problem? Is it weird when I get too close?"

Len laughed a little too hard at this, "No, of course not!"

Kaito studied him for a moment and then said casually, "I was scared when I dipped someone for the first time."

Len wasn't expecting that. "... really?"

Kaito chucked, "Yeah, it was a song with Miku." He made some gestures with his hands as he explained. "I kept thinking 'okay am I making her uncomfortable? Am I uncomfortable? Someone's uncomfortable, I know it!"

Len laughed, and Kaito continued.

"So... is that maaaybe what's going on?"

Well, it was close enough... Len nodded, "I didn't wanna say it, but you were being extra creepy with that smile at me."

Kaito gaped, "I, Sir," he said in a kingly accent while touching his chest, "am VERY GOOD at what I do, thank you!"

"Creepy."

Kaito slumped, "Well, fine..."

"Kaito!"

He looked to see Meiko waving him over, "Can you help us for a second?"

"Sure!" He turned back to Len. "After I see what she wants, would you like some help with being more comfortable in the routine?"

Len lifted an eyebrow, "You want to keep dancing during our lunch? Don't you want a break? I do."

"Actually, I was thinking of something less physically demanding. Miku did this with me. It's kinda weird, but it worked."

"Really? What is it?"

"Well, uh..." Kaito put his hand on the back of his head, "Wanna stare at each other until the awkwardness goes away?"

"Creep!"

"No!" Kaito cracked up, "Seriously, though. It helped me. We have about twenty-five minutes left. If you're interested, go to my dressing room and wait for me. I'll come over after I'm done with Meiko."

"Okay, weirdo."

"See ya, maybe!"

Len turned back around as Kaito ran off. He grabbed a banana from the bar and headed for the dressing room.

It'd been a little while since he'd been in there. He locked the door back behind him and flopped onto a couch against the wall. He threw his head back and groaned, "Ugh...Kaito, why?"

He came back and looked around, taking a bite of his snack. 'Kaito keeps his room fairly neat.' he thought. Then his eyes spotted something. On a chair by his mirror was a messenger bag.

Excitement pulsed through Len. Without thinking, he stood up and walked right over to it. He reached for it and paused. 'Wait, what am I doing?' He smirked at his impulsive behavior. 'Kaito would never go through someone else's stuff when they're not around. What am I looking for anyway? Just to be nosy?'

...Len quickly and carefully undid the outer flap and unzipped it, leaving it sitting on the chair. 'It's not like I'm taking anything...' He saw some snacks and a random scarf. 'Why does he need a second scarf? Is he afraid he'll lose it?' He pushed the scarf back and saw a small book.

"Hmmn." He picked it out and studied it. It didn't have a title cover, just solid brown. He peeled back a single page and quickly snapped it closed.

It was a date and title of a day.

'Holy shit...' Len was still for a moment. He'd just found Kaito's journal.

Panic began to sink in. 'What if he opens the door right now and sees me holding this?!' He almost put it back but hesitated. '...what if he's written about me...' He opened it again. 'Maybe I still have time. It's hard to tell how long they'll keep him busy...'

Each day had convenient titles like "Miku made us a casserole" and "I beat Rin at badminton." He stopped. When did they play badminton? And why wasn't he invited??? Len shook his head and continued. He began flipping faster to hopefully get a glimpse of his name in a title.

And there it was. "Len and I are performing a song together."

He held his breath in anticipation. The title was straight to the point and didn't hint at any emotions tied to it. He tried to calm himself. He knew Kaito didn't see him like he did him, but there was this seed of insecurity he felt when it came to him and others. Did people actually like him? Learning that Kaito simply tolerated him or even hated him would be heartbreaking...

He glanced around as though he wasn't alone in a locked room and read on.

[Len and I are finally making a song together again!]

A big smile came across the blonde boy's face. He did like him!

[It's been so long since we have. They keep pairing us up with the others. I think our voices compliment each other well, though.]

Len agreed with that. His higher voice and Kaito's low made for interesting songs.

[I am nervous, though. We've never done a song like this. It's a love song.]

Len held his breath at that sentence.

[I have to keep my composure and be there for him. I'm sure it's awkward for him, too. I don't want to make it worse.]

'Composure? He feels awkward? He seems so calm about it, though...'

[I can't let these stupid feelings ruin things. If Len finds out, it'll bother him to no end.]

"..." Len felt his body shiver. What did he mean by that?

[And he may never want to perform together again if he finds out the guy he's been working with for over a decade has feelings for him. He probably sees me as a brother at this point.]

Len had to catch the journal before it fell out of his hands. Where did that come from?! He desperately opened it again to continue.

[But the good thing is, at least we don't have to touch each other. Man. I really wish Len would just come out and say "Hey I have a girlfriend." Maybe then I'd actually move on. These feelings aren't fair to him. I shouldn't see him in this way.]

Len slowly closed the journal and tucked it back into its place, zipped up the bag, and returned the flap over it.

He looked at himself in the mirror next to him. His face was white, and his green eyes were in shock. There was no way he'd just read that.

Then, the door began to open.

Len quickly leaned into the mirror as though he was checking his teeth.

"Food stuck in there?" Kaito locked the door again and sat down a box he had under an arm. He saw Len shrug and then said, "Sorry, Meiko and Neru wanted my help moving some boxes of merch... Look!" He dug into the box and pulled out a Len doll. "They have little yous!" He handed it over. "There are ones of Rin and Miku in there too."

Len examined the chibi version of himself. It wore his trademark outfit with a yellow tye and had somehow larger eyes than his own. It even had his ponytail. He flopped it back and forth, watching its hair move.

"So, you ready?"

Len snapped out of his trance. "Um yeah, sure."

Kaito looked over at the couch, "Why don't we just sit there and try it?"

Len nodded blankly and walked over.

"Okay," Kaito sat next to him and turned to face him. "Since the dip is about a second long, why don't we just -" He looked Len in the eyes, then turned away dramatically, then back at him. "Ya know, haha."

Len laughed nervously, "Alright." So many things were going through the vocaloid's mind. ... Was Kaito doing this to be close to him? Was he going to do anything to him? 'Just stay calm,' he thought.

Kaito saw his uneasiness and backed away for a second. "You okay? I promise I won't put on that creepy face. "

"S-Sorry." Len took a breath and met his eyes. "Okay." He smiled at the bluenette.

"Alright." Kaito met his gaze back, "one..." He turned away, "two." Then came back, "one...two..."

Len focused on the steps as best he could. He may not have been looking at him like he was when dancing, but it was still Kaito looking directly at him. Len bit his lip slightly when he turned away and proceeded to stay focused.

It was strange. Kaito seemed...normal? Did he not just read about how he liked him? His eyes and lips read someone who was completely fine and comfortable. He didn't look like how he himself felt. Was...he really just helping him?

It was a relief, but... Len felt a bit disappointed, too. He at least wanted some sort of reaction that would verify what he had read. He suddenly had an idea. Should he get a bit closer?

Kaito turned away and came back to a slightly closer Len. Len could tell he noticed it but didn't really react outside of that.

"You think it's helping?" Kaito's voice was friendly.

"Yeah, I think so." Len leaned in just a tad closer the next time.

Kaito turned back to meet him.

There it was.

It was brief, but a slight flash of anxiety flickered across his eyes. It disappeared almost immediately and went back to his gentle look, but Len definitely saw it. He wanted to make sure, though...

This time, when Kaito looked away, Len moved in even more.

Kaito smiled. "It's okay, Len. We don't have to get this close in the routine," he laughed.

...

Len stayed put. Without turning away this time, he slowly leaned towards his face, keeping the eye contact.

Kaito's mask shattered.

"I..." his voice cracked, sounding more robotic than usual. "I think I left my phone out there!" He scrambled away from Len and ran out the door, slamming it closed behind him. Len heard his footsteps hurrying down the hallway.

Len stared at the door in silence for a moment and then burst out laughing. 'His face!' He thought. 'Oh my god...' Len could not believe this. He'd NEVER seen him so flustered before. He got up from the couch to go after him but grabbed Kaito's phone off the vanity beforehand.

Kaito had just slammed his dressing room door closed and bolted his way down the hallway. ' WHAT THE F-' he stopped when he realized if he kept going, he'd be back at the studio. There was no way the others wouldn't notice his state.

He then saw Len's dressing room. They both had each other's keys. In a panic, he went in and locked it.

Kaito leaned his back against the door and grabbed the sides of his hair "What the ACTUAL FUCK?!" he mouthed to himself. "No no no no, he was just... he wasn't..." He took in a deep breath, "Calm down, calm down. He can not see me like this..." His mind was swimming. He unconsciously played with his scarf and took more deep breaths.

He then heard the door being unlocked behind him. Kaito jumped back in terror.

"Kaito?" Len opened the door casually to see the other vocaloid right on the other side.

Kaito attempted to make himself look normal, "Sorry I ran off. I keep my credit card in my case, so... I was afraid someone may get hold of it. I think I remember being in here earlier, though, so I stopped here f - "

Len held out his phone.

Kaito was speechless for a second. He thought he'd had it in his pocket this whole time. "Oh..." He took it, "thank you."

"No problem," Len smiled.

Kaito fidgeted with his scarf again. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can help you more today. I'm a tad frazzled now. I probably wouldn't be much help, haha ..."

Len walked past him. "It's okay, I understand." He went to his own room's couch. "Mind talking with me for a moment?" He motioned at the cushion next to him.

Len smiled at how embarrassed Kaito was. Something about seeing him in this state was endearing.

Kaito shyly came over. He was still trying to be nonchalant. "What's up?"

Len turned towards him. Everything about Kaito's body language was screaming that he wasn't okay. He had one leg up on the couch to face him, but his arms were close to himself, and his other foot was bouncing on the floor. His hair was messy, his jacket and scarf were out of place, and his blue eyes were desperately attempting to seem calm. Len focused his gaze on him fully.

"Kaito... do you like me?"

His expression wavered greatly but settled back, "Um...of course I do," he laughed. "You're great."

Len looked down at his hands and said softly, "How do you feel about me, though?"

Kaito paused and averted his sight. "I uh... I feel like you're fun, smart, a great singer, have a good sense of humor -"

"I like you, Kaito."

Kaito had still been looking away from him. At Len's words, the color completely drained from his face... and was quickly becoming replaced with a burning red. He was silent.

Len moved towards the anxious teen.

At the movement, Kaito glanced at him, then immediately looked away from Len's pretty eyes and scooted back on the couch a bit. Len came closer.

Kaito stopped when he realized there was no more couch, and he felt Len's warm hand gently touch his cheek.

Len had to crawl slightly over Kaito's body to reach him. He towered over the taller vocaloid, looking down at him.

Kaito shrunk back, and his eyes grew. He looked away again, but Len guided his face back and pressed their lips together ever so lightly.

A stifled noise came from Kaito. Len was kissing him. His lips were soft and so gentle. He closed his eyes tightly. His entire body felt like it was on fire.

Len's eyelashes brushed against Kaito's skin. He lowered himself more so on him, closing the distance between them. He ended the kiss but began a new one right after.

Then he felt arms coming around his neck and trembling lips kissing him back. Len sighed in the kiss.

It was only a few seconds later that Kaito's hold on him became tighter, one of his hands dropping to his back, and he deepened the kissing.

Len became dizzy. He lifted off of him slightly to look at him. He appeared as though he were dazed. His lidded eyes focused on Len. He looked needy... and turned on?

A stirring erupted in Len while seeing that face. Unsure of how to react, he paused. Then he and Kaito both jumped simultaneously. Kaito's phone had begun ringing.

Fear came back to Kaito's face once again. He struggled to get his phone out of his pocket. "Hello?"

It was the choreographer. "Hey, you guys okay? Lunch was over ten minutes ago."

The remaining practice was horribly done.