I don't write nearly enough slash. So here. Have some Rei/Len slash because I'm a pathetic mess of writer's block and fluff.

"Oh, dude, that sucks," is the sympathetic response he gets for his unfortunate Friday night plans. If it weren't for the promise of cash (and a lot of it), as well as the chance to get his mom off his back about spending time with family, Rei would have outright refused. but here he is, turning down the chance to spend a few hours with Len Kagamine, who may as well be his best friend if not for Megumi Megpoid and Miku Hatsune. Still, he ranks pretty high up there, and not just because of his pretty face. The fact that Rei's had basically the most embarrassing crush on the other boy for going on three years now certainly has something to do with it.

He think he might actually kill his cousin tonight.

"Yeah, well," Rei shrugs like what can you do and Len laughs and throws an arm over his shoulders.

"Man, you're too nice about these things. I would flip if my mom made me babysit a kid cousin," Len tells him, poking his cheek playfully. Rei swats at him and smirks.

"Money, Len. Imagine all the cool things we can do later with money," Rei says.

Len scoffs. "You're boring."

"Idiot."

Len gasps dramatically as though he's actually been offended. Rei knows he hasn't. Rei also knows that, while Len is a bit irresponsible, he's certainly no idiot.

"And here I was about to offer to keep you company," says Len. "Oh, how you wound me!"

Rei picks up Len's arm like it's a dead animal and drops it from his shoulders. "You're ridiculous," is his response as he starts to walk to his next class. They had stopped momentarily during passing period, meeting up just long enough for Len to invite him out with a huge group. probably to get drunk or something. Rei doesn't really mind; he prefers being around Len when his friend is drunk, just in case he has to pull him off of any drunk girls. Both parties would regret that in the morning.

Len extends his strides to catch up with Rei. His legs are a little longer, and Len's always been a bit taller than him, but Rei has, surprisingly, never had a problem with that.

"Oh, you're no fun," Len pouts.

"Uh-huh," Rei just agrees and smirks minutely at the look Len gives him.

"Okay, Mister Family Man. I'm coming over at five and walking you over to your aunt's. We're going to have a blast, even if we're watching some kid," Len decides without even bothering to ask Rei. "You bring the horror movies and I'll bring the booze."

"Len."

The blond boy laughs. "Don't worry, I'm kidding. Sheesh. Get the stick out of your ass, you poor thing."

Rei rolls his eyes as his friend leaves, realizing he never told Len it was okay for him to join him. He doesn't have to.

Len shows up about three minutes after five, just as Rei steps out onto his porch. His aunt lives in a nearby apartment, close enough to walk to even on a chilling fall evening. Rei will probably get his mom to pick the two of them up later, when it's late and way too cold and dark to walk home. Rei doesn't even bother thinking about what he might say or do if it were just the two of them so late at night.

"Hey," Len greets him. He's bundled up, and Rei smirks. The boy has no tolerance for the cold.

"You're such a baby," Rei teases. "Want me to snuggle you?"
"Don't see why not," Len shoots right back with typical Kagamine wit.

Rei rolls his eyes, something he finds himself doing often in Len's presence.

They arrive at his aunt's apartment at about half past five, shivering slightly from the walk. His aunt welcomes them inside, and as the woman puts earrings in, her daughter jumps onto Rei with a hug and a kiss to the cheek. Rei scoops her up, and he's amazed that she's still small enough for him to hold like this.

"Hey, you," he says.

"Hi, Rei!" she giggles.

He sets her down and pulls Len in, closing the door. "Hope you don't mind that I brought a friend, Yuki," he says. "This is Len. Len, little cousin Yuki."

"I'm five," Yuki tells Len.

"Only five? I figured you were at least seven," Len states, and Rei watches her giggle at that.

"No, silly," she replied. "How old are you?"

"Almost seventeen," Len says. "You make me feel so old, kid."

Rei knows that as soon as Len gently scuffs her over the head the two are going to get along well.

"Thanks again for watching Yuki," his aunt Prima interrupts the group as she flings a warm scarf around her neck. Rei thinks she looks nice. Then again, she always looks nice.

"It's not a problem," Rei assures. "Yuki and I are a good team." As he says this, he pulls the little girl to his side and flicks her ear gently. "Have fun."

"Will do!" are Prima's departing words as the door closes.

Rei turns to Yuki. "So, what first?" he asks.

It takes Yuki less than a second to reply. "Dress up!" she proclaims.

After dress up (Len was the princess, Yuki the queen, and Rei the prince. Yuki was certainly an odd child in some respects), a game of Candy Land, and a session of hair braiding courtesy of Len's long blond hair, Yuki insists they take a break and have a quick snack. Len secures his messy braids into his hair and Rei looks on in amusement. When Yuki rummages through the cabinet in search of crackers, Len shoots Rei a secret wink. Of course Len is actually enjoying this. Rei rolls his eyes in response and Len smiles at him.

Rei helps Yuki put together a snack of warm tea and peanut butter and cracker. He tells the girl that if they lay a towel out on the living room floor, they can watch a bit of television while they eat. Yuki is immediately off to get a towel.

"Cute monkey," Len says. "Though I could do without the crossdressing."

Rei snickers. "You made a lovely Sleeping Beauty, dear," he tells his friend.

"I can't believe she actually almost made us kiss. Like, kissing you wouldn't be horrible, but isn't she a little young to be interested in kissing yet?" Len states as he munches a cracker. Crumbs spill onto his shirt.

Swatting at Len's shirt, Rei says, "I swear, you must be the real child here."

Len plasters a shit-eating grin on his face as he swallows. "I've got you to take care of me, Rei-dearest."

"Oh god I hate you sometimes," Rei rubs the bridge of his nose as he fights off a smile. Yuki runs back into the room and the two boys help her set up for a movie. It is, of course, Frozen, a Disney movie Rei supposes he could care less for. It's not terrible, especially not with Len to mutter sarcastic comments under his breath next to him. Rei gives his friend a gentle shove each time, but he doesn't really mind.

The three of them end up eating an entire box of saltines and a few packets of fruit snacks. After the movie, it's getting really late, and Rei runs through the living room with a vaccuum real quick to make sure everything is clean. Yuki is starting to look sleepy, so he turns her to the bathroom and makes her brush her teeth and change for bed. Len lounges on the couch while Rei takes charge.

Before too long, the blonde comments, "You're pretty good at the whole kid thing."

"Uh, thanks?" Rei says uncertainly in reponse.

"You'll be a good dad," Len tells him and offers him a genuine smile. Yuki comes out, all ready for bed and eyes drooping. Rei scoops her up and tucks her into bed, where she curls in a mass of blankets and stuffed animals. Rei misses going to bed to that sometimes.

With a kiss to her forehead, Rei returns to the living room, where Len's waiting patiently.

"She'll probably fall asleep in like, ten minutes," Rei says as he stretches out on the couch, propping his feet up on Len, who flicks his bare toes playfully.

"She's a good kid," Len smiles. "You know, this was more fun than getting wasted at a party tonight."

"Gee, you're such a charmer," Rei says sarcastically, bending his leg to kick Len.

"No, I'm being serious! I've had a lot of fun."

Rei pauses for a moment. "I knew you were being serious, you idiot," he states. "I had fun, too."

There's a moment of silence before Len says, "I can't believe you're getting paid to watch Frozen and play dress-up."

The next sound is Len grunting as Rei kicks him again.

At around ten, Prima dances in with a happy smile and a tipsy step.

"Date went well?" Rei asks from the couch, where he and Len have been sitting since Yuki went to bed.

"Marvelous," Prima says in a breathy voice followed by a hiccup. "I may be a bit drunk."

Rei can't help but snicker at that.

"I called your mom on my way over; she should come to pick you boys up soon," Prima informs the two, sliding her purse off and kicking away her shoes. "How's my princess?"

"She's been asleep for hours. She was really good tonight," Rei says.

"An absolute delight," Len adds without a hint of sarcasm.

Prima pats Rei's shoulder. "You two are great. Here ya go, kid." Rei takes the cash his aunt holds out as a horn honks outside.

"Must be your mom, Rei. Tell her hi for me, babe," Prima says as she stumbles off to her daughter's room.

Rei and Len rush outside, through the chilly night and into the safety of his mother's warm car. Rei can't count the number of times he almost falls asleep on the way home, just barely pulling his head away from Len's shoulder before succumbing to unconsciousness. He can see his mother grin knowingly at him and almost, almost feels embarrassed.

When they get back, Len and Rei are both too tired to do much of anything. Normally, Rei wouldn't be in bed until one on the weekend, but Yuki really wore him out, so he and len change into pajamas and gargle some mouth wash before setting up a mass of pillows, blankets, and mattresses on the floor of Rei's room for the two of them. A while ago, the two of them seemed to decide this sleepover method was just the right amount of "no homo" and "we're bros we don't care" for the two of them. More often than not, Len ends up sprawled very close to Rei, and the raven-haired youth teases his friend endlessly for it.

Under the covers, with the lights dimmed, Rei can see Len's eyes blinking blearily. He's exhausted himself and can hardly believe he's still awake.

"Hey, Rei?" Len begins.

"Hm?"

Len scoots closer, resting his head on the pillow next to Rei's head. "Hm. Nothing," Len replies, eyes closed and words slurred. "You're warm."

"And you're a dork."

Len doesn't reply. He just curls up closer, cold feet finding the warmth of Rei's legs.

"Hey, Rei?"

"What is it?"

"What if headphones are deaf?"

"...Oh my god, shut up and go to sleep."

"Alright," Len agrees blearily. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Rei says. It's only a few moments later that he realizes what Len said, and by that point the blonde boy is asleep, warm breath sending shivers across Rei's skin. Rei sighs and curls close to his friend, tucking the blanket around the poor bastard's freezing feet.

Rei awakens the next morning to soft Saturday light and the quiet sound of Len breathing. When Rei shifts to look at the clock, he feels Len's arm latch onto him, and he's caught between amusement, pure bliss, and mild annoyance.

"Nooo…" Len moans lightly.

"Len, goddammit," Rei mutters, twisting to retrieve his phone. he has a few texts and he sees that it's almost noon at this point.

Whatever, he decides, pulling the covers back up to cover the two of them. It's warm here, anyway. Len's here.

"Good," Len says, eyes still closed against the light flooding Rei's room. "Getting up is bad."

"You are such a child," Rei repeats, relaxing back into his place next to Len and tossing his phone onto the pillow next to his head. He's surprised when Len pushes himself up on one elbow and looks at him. It feels strangely intimate and cliche, the way Len is looking at him with tired eyes and a searching gaze.

"Uh," Rei begins.

Len shakes his head. "Sorry. Just thinking," he says.

Rei recalls his friend's last words the night before in this moment and can't help but glance down at Len's lips. He hopes Len doesn't notice.

Len does notice. Rei knows he notices because there's that glint in his eyes he gets when a girl pays attention to him. Rei doesn't have a chance to say a single word before Len leans in and kisses him gently.

He's surprised, to say the least. It's not unpleasant, but not much happens before Len pulls back.

"What was that?" Rei asks. He sounds more quizzical than angry.

"You make a good Sleeping Beauty," Len states.

Rei proceeds to kick him in the shin.

I'm a sap.

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