''I hate Len Kagamine,'' Miku muttered as she left his house.

She had finally finished off all her worksheets, and now she was going home. Len followed her down the stairs, his blue eyes still cool.

Miku tried hard to ignore his presence.

''That was productive,'' Len muttered, his hands shoved in his pockets. Miku didn't reply. What was she supposed to say?

Len had kissed her, then he had pulled away and acted like nothing had happened. Kissing might not mean anything to him, but it meant a lot to Miku.

What did he view her as?

His eyes softened as she stared at him. ''I'm sorry for what happened earlier,'' he murmured. ''If I did anything that you didn't want me to do...'' he glanced away from her, ''then I apologise.''

''I don't think you did anything wrong,'' Miku said before she could stop herself. ''But why did you pull away?''

Those blue eyes flickered to her, filled with surprise. ''Didn't you want me to?''

I don't know. Did she want him to? She wasn't ready for anything beyond light caresses, beyond deep kisses. She didn't think she was ready. But was she, actually?

I didn't want him to stop.

''I don't know,'' she said truthfully. He looked away again, but Miku thought she glimpsed a trace of hurt in those cerulean blue eyes.

Why? She wasn't anything to him. He had made that clear enough.

''Then I have nothing more to say to you,'' he said, voice distant. He turned, to walk back inside his house.

''Len, wait,'' she hesitated. Could she ask him for this favour, when she barely even knew him? And would he want to trouble himself?

He paused. ''What?'' He sounded wary.

''Could you walk me back home? I know it's only a short distance, but...'' her voice shook, and she hated the way she showed weakness in front of him. ''I don't want to be alone.''

Len didn't say anything for awhile. He didn't move, either, and Miku found that she was waiting with bated breath for his reply.

Finally, he heaved a sigh, turning back to face her. His blue eyes searched her green ones. ''Okay. I'll walk you back.''

He fell into step next to her, and they walked back, silence a thick curtain between them. Miku didn't mind, though. She hated being alone, especially after sunset. She shivered.

Facing the dark by herself terrified her, even after all these years.

Len noticed her tremble. ''Are you cold?''

Miku shook her head, no, and he didn't press on the issue.

Why did he agree to walk her back? Why am I treating her like this?

There was once a time where he couldn't care less if a girl rejected him. There were plenty of other girls, and to him all girls were the same - vessels used to forget.

What made Miku Hatsune so different from the others? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to find out.

They reached her house, and Miku turned around to bid him goodbye. Len hesitated, knowing he should leave, but not wanting to.

Miku stayed outside her gate, too, and the two of them just stared at each other, unsure of what to do or say.

Miku finally broke the awkward silence between them. ''So...I'll go to your house on Friday then?'' she asked.

''No, come tomorrow too,'' Len immediately said. Her eyes widened, and she looked at him with confusion in her mesmerising green eyes. Len could almost hear her think: Is my algebra really that bad that he has to teach me so often?

''It's not what you think,'' he said hastily. ''It's just that your algebra skills will improve much faster if we...study more often.''

Miku considered, then she nodded shyly. ''Okay. Then...I'll see you tomorrow?'' she said questioningly. He nodded.

''And Miku?'' he said slowly. She looked up at him, eyes startled, but she didn't say anything. He leant down, breath washing over her face, and gently his lips brushed her cheek.

Len wasn't prepared for Miku's reaction.

She turned her head so that her lips met his, a small moan escaping her.

Len wasn't prepared for his own reaction.

He crushed her towards him, letting out a moan of his own as his arms wrapped around her waist. Hungrily, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, wanting more. Wanting so much more than she was willing to offer him.

Why was it that he always reacted so strongly towards her? Why, of all girls, did it have to ber her? Miku Hatsune?

She was just so innocent, and Len didn't want to leave her. For once, he considered the feelings of the other party, and he didn't want to hurt her. She was guile-free, and she didn't want him for sex. At least he didn't think so.

So what did she want him for?

Miku had her eyes closed in bliss. This was the third time she was kissing Len, and she thought she might actually enjoy this whole kissing business. His lips were so soft against hers.

''Miku,'' he murmured against her lips, withdrawing slightly. She shivered at the way he said her name - sensual, seductive, his voice wrapped around her name reverently. Almost like a prayer. ''Stop.''

''Why? Don't you like it?'' she asked, surprised at her own brazenness.

''I like it. That's why you have to stop before I do something I regret,'' Len purred. Miku didn't understand what he meant, but he wanted her to stop, so she did.

His fingers gripped her wrists, preventing her from stepping any further away from him. ''Don't kiss anyone else. Only me,'' his tone was demanding, and his eyes were filled with something Miku thought might be possessiveness.

''Why not?'' she asked back coyly. ''I'm free to kiss anyone else I'd like to. We're not together, or anything like that.''

''I was your first kiss.''

''No, Gakupo was.'' Miku chirped happily. Len glared at her.

''That didn't count.'' His hand cupped her cheek, thumb caressing her skin. ''Please, Miku?''

''But why?'' she dropped her playful facade. ''What do you want from me, Len? You kiss me, then you pull away. You hold me close, then you push me away from you. What do you want?''

His lovely blue eyes were almost frightened. ''I don't know, Miku. I don't know what I want. All I know is, I can't stand the thought of you being with another person.''

''Do you...like me?'' Miku asked hesitantly, heart in her throat.

''No,'' Len said softly. ''I can't like you that way. I'm sorry.''

Disappointment flooded her. ''Then you have no right to dictate what I should do.''

''I know that,'' Len glanced downwards, then looked up at her from beneath his long eyelashes. ''But still, I can't bear seeing you with someone else. Please.''

''I am not a second option, Len.'' With that, Miku wrenched away from him and walked past the gate into her house, leaving Len Kagamine behind.