"Tips"

xxx

The call at just after midnight came as a surprise. Normally Meiko would be the one handling things like this... but after four consecutive rings and no signs of stopping, the younger voclaoids in their shared household seemed to be ignoring it... or sleeping through it.

Kaito all but fell out of his bed and raced down the hall quietly, as if footsteps were louder than high-pitched ringing in the middle of the night—or early morning. Reaching the kitchen where the shared house phone was attached to the wall, the blue vocaloid sleepily brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"KAITO, HI!" The loud voice on the other end made him jump.

"Meiko? Where are you?" Kaito asked, glancing down the hall and back for any signs that the red vocaloid was just messing with him.

"I've run into a lil trouble here, Kaito-kun~ This guy says I've had too much, and he insisted that I call someone to come get me!"

"What guy? Meiko, where are you?"

"So you'll come for me? GREAT! I'll be waiting—you know the place, okay sweet heart? You better hurry up, its rude to keep a lady waiting!"

"Meiko, wait!" She had already hung up. With a heavy sigh, Kaito made his way back to his room to get changed into his usual white coat and blue scarf. He just hoped Meiko wasn't so out of it that it would be difficult getting her to come home. The two of them had done this quite a few times, mostly before Miku, Luka and the twins had joined them.

xxx

Kaito should have realized from Meiko's voice just how bad the situation was. When he finally set foot into the bar in question, he could hear a pop song being sung loudly from the stage. Almost everyone in the place had gravitated towards the stage where one very wasted Meiko was singing her heart out and dancing clumsily to the beat. Worse yet, some of the men in the front were tossing tips onto the stage and encouraging the girl to show them more. Kaito swallowed thickly, feeling a need to stop this as soon as possible. Ignoring the glares he received from the other men, Kaito pushed his way through the crowd until he was right up against the wooden platform.

"Meiko! Hey!" He called out, battling the loud music. Though she didn't seem to hear him. The bars red and white lights hit her beaming face as she spun around. Her hair flew back and forth as she moved side to side. Her steps were clumsy, but confident, in her red high heels. She was so wrapped up in the lyrics that she didn't notice how close to the edge of the stage she was moving.

Her heel clipped the edge. With her arms flailing and a sudden shriek, Meiko was falling off the high stage. It probably wouldn't have ended too badly, with the crowd she'd attracted able to catch her, but there was no telling what they would do to her. Kaito moved just in time to catch Meiko in his arms before she could hit the floor. However, he wasn't prepared to handle her weight. The two of them were sent tumbling onto the floor in an ungraceful tangle. Kaito found himself looking down at Meiko's stunned face, blue hair just barely brushing against brown bangs.

"Oh hello handsome~" She said up into his face. He could smell the alcohol on her warm breath.

"M-Meiko, are you okay?"

"I'm just fine," she then glanced around the room with a cheeky grin to exclaim, "Looks like I found who I'm going home with tonight!" Several dejected whines issued from the audience.

"Uh... right. Let's go." Kaito shifted to get Meiko off of him, pulling them both to their feet. The crowd seemed a little depressed that the red vocaloid was taking off, but after getting another drink for themselves, things got back into the way Kaito had found it upon his entrance. With Meiko clinging to his arm, Kaito led them out of the crowded bar and into the crisp night air. The two of them silently got into the car. As he pulled his own door shut, he shot a glance at the girl.

"Meiko—why didn't you tell me where you were going earlier? You could have gotten into trouble."

"Its just a little fun, Kaito-kuuuuun," she giggled, leaning farther over the middle, hair falling in her eyes. The blue vocaloid was in no way satisfied by this, but readied the key in the ignition all the same. That was—until two hands were grabbing him by the scarf.

Before Kaito could so much as start the vehicle, he was suddenly pushed roughly against the door. He would have protested, or questioned what was happening... but he suddenly found himself being kissed, and not too gently. His deep blue eyes went wide in a sort of panic, and his hands braced against the vocaloid girl's shoulders to separate them. Once he was finally successful, Kaito and Meiko were both gasping from the lack of air. Mekio moved to kiss him again, and Katio move his head to the side to prevent her from doing so. Taking it to mean something else entirely, Meiko sealed her lips against the side of the blue vocaloid's neck to kiss along the tender skin there.

"Meiko—hn—s-stop!" The shaky tone of his voice did get her to reluctantly pull back. Her eyes remained half lidded, and she didn't move from practically laying on top of him. Her face had been red since they'd left the bar, and it didn't seem to be letting up at all. She had lowered her already deep voice to an even more sultry tone. The blue vocaloid wasn't sure why, but it was beginning to feel warmer than usual.

"I was just trying to thank you, Kaito-kun~!"

"W-what?"

"You were just like a prince in there, come to rescue me. Don't you want your reward now?" As if to accentuate her point, Meiko brought her legs on either side of Kaito's body to more properly straddle him. The position couldn't have been very comfortable for either one involved. The young man seemed determined to look anywhere other than where she wanted him to.

"Meiko, isn't this pretty inappropriate...?"

"Not really. I've been wanting to jump you for a while now..."

"Meiko! Y-you're just drunk. You don't really feel that way."

"You idiot! Can't you ever just act like a man?"

"Huh? What does that have to do with—" Without an explanation, Meiko took Kaito's hand and pushed it tightly against her own chest. His face colored a bright shade of red.

"I want you to touch me. I want you to kiss me. Say you want me. Say you love me! Why won't you!?" Meiko's words became strangled. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. She moved Kaito's hand to rest against the side of her warm cheek instead, and he could feel her fingers trembling over his own. Meiko was normally what many would call an 'angry' drunk. This emotional change was something she didn't let show very often.

"Meiko... that can't be right. You hate me, remember? You're always making fun of me. You wouldn't want to do... those things with someone you dislike so much."

"You're such a moron, Kaito!" Meiko let go of his hand to wrap both of her arms securely around his middle. She buried her face in his chest as the tears began to flow too freely from her eyes. "Its not fair... Why do you let them near you, but not me—You sing all those love songs with Miku, but not me. Why!? You don't care if I love you... Why are you so stupid!?"

She went silent but for the heavy breaths she took against Kaito's coat. Blue eyes blinked back shock. Meiko had just said she loved him. Though that could just be the emotional mood talking... Probably was the emotions talking.

"Mei-chan, please..." he said eventually into the silence. The old nickname made the red vocaloid's breath catch in her throat. Kaito put a gentle hand on her head. "Don't you know how important you are to me?"

He clicked his tongue in the back of his throat and looked up at the ceiling as if the words could be found there.

"I'm sorry that I never told you so... I do love everyone. But you, Meiko... you're so special to me..." Kaito struggled for something more meaningful. How could he say it? Meiko really was special. The two of them had been through countless road blocks together. They only fought so often because they were so close. It had been that way nearly since the beginning...

The beginning...

Kaito's eyes flicked back down to the crown of Meiko's head against his chest.

"Do you remember when we first met, Mei-chan? You looked really lonely... and then they put us together and they said...'This is Kaito... he was made for you.'"

Kaito felt Meiko laugh into his chest. She finally pulled back to reveal her red face, shining from tears, yet adorned with a kind smile.

"So you see," Kaito continued with a grin, "We're a team! And we're better together than we are alone. It makes me really happy to sing beside you, Mei-chan. I guess that's because... I love you too."

"Kaito-kuuuuun~!" She all but sobbed, albeit happily.

"It will be okay. Now that I know you've been feeling this way, I'll make sure to show you my true feelings from now on!" Meiko felt her heart hammering at a comment like that. The way Kaito spoke so innocently didn't quite match the images racing through her mind. But the tone of his voice was musical, and set her at ease. Meiko hummed in agreement, perking up when Kaito laughed at the same time.

"Ne, Kaito-kun... will you sing with me again sometime? We sound so good together."

"Of course, Mei-chan... but first let's get you home." Meiko finally, reluctantly, retreated back to her side of the vehicle and forced herself into the straps there. Her heart felt a little lighter now that Kaito knew her secret. A buzzing worry at the back of her mind echoed will I remember this in the morning? But she couldn't reach the complete thought with her hazy mind at the moment. It seemed like only a few minutes had gone by when they arrived at the shared vocaloid house.

xxx

Meiko awoke to find too much light assaulting her far too early in the morning. Her head ached, and her stomach was twisted into nauseated spirals. She tried to remember what led here... Images of the crowded bar filed through her memory. But how had she gotten back...? The soft sound of breathing beside her answered her first question... but added several more in the process. Kaito was in her room. Not only that, but the blue-haired vocaloid was laying in bed beside her. Her arms were wound like a snake around his middle, and she could feel his hanging loosely around her back.

A sudden jolt of panic pulsed through Meiko's skull along with that headache. She was about to dislodge herself from what could only be described as cuddling, but by then Kaito was already awoken by her movements. She watched as two blue eyes fluttered open sleepy, finally settling on her. Was she imagining the red blush on the dolt's happy face?

"Good morning, Mei-chan!" He spoke far too cheerfully for the kind of mood Meiko was in. But he didn't stop there. Kaito then leaned over to meet her lips in a chaste kiss.

The reaction was nearly instant.

Meiko's fist shot out before she could so much as think of stopping herself. The vocaloid man fell off the mattress with a crash that could surely wake their younger counterparts. Kaito dizzily moved himself to a sitting position, rubbing the new red mark on his face with a pained expression up at her. It almost made Meiko feel bad... Almost.

"WHAT WERE—" she began, only to regret yelling with the pain behind her forehead, "What are you doing in here!?" While still a yell, this was definitely easier to manage than the more intense volume. Kaito opened his mouth to speak, only to look up as if whatever he was about to say needed rephrasing. Meiko was definitely curious as to what he would say.

"I'm sorry to upset you... Meiko-san. You called me last night from the bar and had me come get you. When we got back home, you asked that I stay in here with you." He spoke quickly, as if another punch was aimed his way. Meiko blinked. Of course. She suddenly remembered Kaito in the crowd of onlookers... catching her as she fell off stage. She groaned as another uncomfortable roll passed through her stomach.

"Fine explanation, Kaito. But if that is all that happened, what was with that... that..." she searched for a more insulting way to say kiss. When nothing came, she ended up making a wild gesture towards her own lips. Kaito's eyes lit up with realization.

"Oh! W-well... the very drunk Meiko-san was sort of emotional last night. Saying that I don't act the way I should... So I made a promise to show my true feelings from now on." As if this were the most natural thing in the world, the blue-haired man grinned at her. It created a stark contrast with the harsh red mark on his cheek.

Meiko growled, "Y-yeah well don't bother with the ramblings of a drunken moron! Just go back to how you were before. And go to your own room!"

"But Meiko—"

"Get out!" Seeming a little unwilling to go, but even more unwilling to upset her, Kaito pulled himself to his feet and made for the door. When Kaito was officially on the other side of it, Meiko flopped off the bed and locked it behind him. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears with anger or some other emotion entirely. Despite that, the reddening blush on her face had nothing to do with embarrassment or even alcohol. As she leaned against the bedroom door, she delicately touched a finger to her lips where they had touched his. The warmth was still there. She wondered what was up with the blue idiot that he would even consider doing something like kissing her.

Her inner conflict began to fade.

Kaito had come to her rescue, like a real white knight. She knew that her drunk self could be difficult to deal with. Meiko thought to herself with wide eyes. Had she told Kaito about her secret crush on him? The blue vocaloid hadn't been very specific about what happened aside from "it was emotional." But what did that really mean?

With a sigh, Meiko pushed herself away from the door and decided to lie down on the bed again before she felt the need to vomit. She was about to close her eyes when a blue cloth brushed up against her hand. Turning to it, Meiko sighed. That blue scarf. His blue scarf. It was a reminder of the incredible kindness of an incredible idiot. Unable to keep a smile off of her face, Meiko settled for grabbing the scarf and clutching it against her heart. Maybe some day soon she would be ready for Kaito to express those true feelings of his. But for now... she didn't want to risk ruining the two of them.

Her best friend.

Her something more...