A Vocaloid's Guide to Proper Courtship Chapter 3, a vocaloid fanfic

Section Three - Getting to know your target of affection

The first step in courting any male/female is to know about your target of affection. In fact, before any proper courtship can begin, it is advisable to have some background information about your target. Any nasty misunderstandings that may sprout from not knowing enough about the male/female you are courting can result in arguments, bumps, bruises, fractures, broken bones, broken egos, loss of limbs and even death.

Len was absolutely ecstatic. The man of his dreams just happened to waltz into the cafe where he worked, and Len just so happened to be the one behind the counter. Len had never been known to have good luck, but it looked like the tides just might be changing in his favor today.

"Hi there! Can I get you anything?" Len had to fight to keep the undertone out of his voice, not wanting to come off too strong. The man, the wonderful, unbelievably perfect blue-haired man, looked from the menu down into Len's face.

"Um... I... I don't actually like coffee... I'm supposed to meet a friend here..." Len's smile nearly fell at that. He hoped with all of his being that it wasn't a girlfriend.

"Oh, is that right? Well, what do you like?" Again, Len had to make his hidden meaning discreet.

"I like ice-cream..." Len giggled.

"Is that right? Then why don't you try a frappuccino? It doesn't taste like coffee, more like ice-cream in my opinion." The man nodded, still looking unsure. Len really liked that look. "Okay, what flavor do you want? We have strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, chai, green tea, and banana." Len loved the banana flavored ones. He usually took one home with him.

"Um... Just vanilla... Small." Len smiled, nodded, and rung him up.

"That's gonna be four dollars." They didn't charge tax here, which made change quite a bit easier. The man pulled a crinkled five out of his pocket and handed it to Len, who put it into the register, returning a one dollar bill. "Mmk, it's going to take me about five minutes to make." The man nodded, and Len went to go make the drink. How he wished he could push himself over the counter, instead of the cold drink that he was preparing. But he finished, and knew better than to hesitate when giving drinks. Despite everything else, Len actually needed this job, if he ever wanted to get out of his sister's house that is, and he did not want to get fired because he refused to give the man his drink.

"Okay, here you go. Before I forget, I need you to sign this receipt." The man nodded, and took the pen. Len watched as he spelled his name out in a neat script and handed the paper back. "Thanks, enjoy your drink." Len pocketed the pen that had been returned, since he couldn't technically keep the receipt. Which reminded him, the receipt had the perfect man's name on it!

"Kaito..." Len said it quietly to himself, loving the feeling of the syllables rolling off of his tongue. He smiled a bit, trying not to be too obvious as he stared in the direction of the table that the man had sat at. He wiped at the counter absentmindedly, watching as Kaito sampled his drink. He was obviously pleased with it, as he began to drink deeply from it. Len chuckled. It was rare to see someone as childish as this man walk into a coffee shop. Most of the people Len met were either grouchy, because they had yet to have their morning coffee, or else they were irritable with exhaustion. It was refreshing, to say the very least.

Bells chimed, signaling to Len that a customer had entered. Len forced himself to tear his eyes away and serve the customer. It was an easy enough order, a simple coffee, but it seemed to take forever as Len prepared it, each second seeming precious, as he couldn't look at the perfection in the corner.

"Here. Please enjoy your drink." The man took it, and left. Len turned back, and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the Kaito hadn't left yet. He settled back into wiping the counter, which was perfectly clean already.

How was Len supposed to insure that he saw this man again? He was obviously not a regular customer, though he did seem to be enjoying the frappuccino. He couldn't come right out and say what he was feeling, that would seem awfully strange. But Len desperately needed to know that this would not be their only encounter. If he could get anything, a last name, a place of work, an address, anything! But there was no way to ask it. Pondering this, Len became depressed. Looks like he had spoken to soon in his belief of turning luck. It seemed more like a cruel taunt, now that he thought about it. Here he was, the man Len had dreamed about for his whole life, and he couldn't get any closer than his first name.

He sighed and threw the cloth under the counter. This was the slowest time of the day anyway, so he made himself a drink, his usual. He perched himself on the stool he had placed behind the counter, and began to sip at the cold beverage. His tongue was greeted by the smooth and creamy flavor of banana, and he couldn't stop the little smile that took to his lips. This was the reason he had applied for a job here. Free banana-creme frappuccinos.

"Uh-um..." Len looked up, surprised by the voice. He hadn't heard the bells ringing. But it made sense as soon as he looked. Kaito was back.

"Oh, um, sorry! I wasn't expecting you back so soon! Do you need something?" The man seemed to flush a bit, but nodded.

"Um, can I have another one?" Len raised an eyebrow, before he allowed his smile to return.

"Of course you can. Same thing, or do you want to try a different flavor?" Kaito looked away, seeming lost in thought, before he spoke again.

"What are you having?" Len paused for a second before the question registered.

"Oh, I'm having banana-creme. It's my favorite." Kaito smiled.

"I'll have that then."

"Okay... That will be four dollars... again." He was again paid with a five, and returned the one. "Alright, just a sec." He went made another of his favorite drinks, which was easier this time around, as he had left the materials out. "Okay, all done." He handed over the drink and receipt. Kaito smiled and signed it.

"Thank you, please enjoy it." Kaito smiled and returned to his seat. Len chuckled. He had apparently liked it quite a bit. He sat back down and resumed his drink, which was slowly thinning as the ice melted. There were only three people in the small cafe; Len, Kaito, and another woman, off to the other side of the room. It seemed awfully quiet. The woman stood and took here leave. And then there were two.

Len let another chuckle escape at his little joke. He hated that book, which he had been forced to read in school for the past month, but the title seemed so appropriate. But the absence seemed to multiply the silence, to the point that Len felt uncomfortable. He looked around, and spotted the radio next to the register. He was only supposed to have it on if there was no one else in the cafe. But it was awfully quiet.

"Um, do you mind if I turn the radio on?" He said it loud enough for the blue-haired man to hear, and he seemed startled.

"Oh, oh no! Not at all, go ahead." Len smiled in appreciation as he flicked the switch. With a bit of searching, he managed to find one of his favorite songs on the radio. He grinned, noticing that he hadn't missed anything but the intro.

Wondering the streets, in a world underneath it all
Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet
As what I can't have
Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair
round your finger
Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you
What I feel about you.

I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
and cannon ball into the water
I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
For you I will
For you I will

Len couldn't help himself, he began to sing along. He forgot for a moment that he was in public, and sang the ever inspiring lyrics.

Forgive me if I stutter
From all of the clutter in my head
Cuz I could fall asleep in those eyes
Like a water bed
Do I seem familiar, I've crossed you in hallways
a thousand times, no more camouflage
I want to be exposed, and not be afraid to fall.

I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
And cannon ball into the water
I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
For you I will
You always want what you can't have
But I've got to try
I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
For you I will
For you I will
For you I will
For you

If I could dim the lights in the mall
And create a mood I would
Shout out your name so it echos in every room
I would

That's what I'd do, That's what I'd do to get through to you

Len finished, smiling with his love for the song. And it seemed so perfect in his current situation. Still, no matter how much Teddy Geiger they played, Len could not bring himself to go talk to Kaito. As he thought that to himself, he heard soft but enthusiastic clapping. He jumped and looked around for the source of the sound. His face flushed as he realised it was Kaito, smiling at him from where he sat.

"That was amazing! You have such a lovely voice!" Len blushed further, dropping his gaze.

"I'm sorry! I didn't even realise that I had been singing!" He heard a quiet chuckle.

"Don't be sorry. It sounded very nice. I'm surprised that you haven't been scouted by a talent agent, to be honest." Len could tell that his face must be quite red at that point.

"Really, I'm not that good. Just singing to the radio. Which I'm not actually supposed to have on... Sorry." Len flicked it back off, and tried to make himself look busy.

"You should sing to the radio more often! I bet you would be a lot busier!" Len allowed himself a chuckle.

"Well, we usually don't have a lot of business right now, seeing as it's almost time to close up. Weren't you supposed to meet someone?" He tried to act as though he hadn't memorized the conversation that they had had earlier.

"Yes, I was." Kaito sounded a little troubled. "I don't know where she is... Maybe I should call her..." Len groaned internally. A girl... Great.

"Girlfriend?" His heart was already sinking before he had even gotten the question out.

"Hmm? Well... She's a friend, and she's a girl... But no, we aren't dating." Len had to refrain from asking 'really?", not wanting to seem to egar or childish.

"Oh, well that's cool. What were you supposed to meet her about?" Len wanted to hit himself. When did this become his concern? This was personal stuff he was asking.

"We were supposed to have a business meeting, actually. But it looks..." He paused to look at his light blue cell phone, "Like we are going to have to postpone. She couldn't find anyone, so she canceled. Would have been nice to know that before I came down here. Honestly, that woman is such a hassle." Len's curiosity was piqued, and it seemed like Kaito was willing enough to talk, so he asked.

"Um, couldn't find anyone for what?" Kaito looked up at him, having just deleted the text message. He had a certain glint in his eye that Len couldn't quite place, but he wanted to say... Mischievous?

"Well, actually, this just might be of interest to you." Len raised an eyebrow. "I happen to be one of those talent scouts that I mentioned." Len tried to process the words, and his eyebrows creased together in confusion.

"You're what?" Kaito chuckled.

"I'm a talent scout, as well as a singer myself, though I'm not very famous in the latter practice. I tend to be rather... bashful... When it comes to people. I came here today to talk with another scout that I usually work with, so that we could pick somebody to sponsor, though it seems neither of us had any candidates to begin with. But now... Well, it seems I might have found our next little star." Len was confused, and looked around the shop, attempting to locate the mentioned 'Star'. Finding none, he looked back to the man. He laughed in response.

"I'm talking about you. I wasn't kidding when I said that I liked your voice. I think that you are exactly what we are looking for. I've already seen that you are capable of dealing with people, and even when you aren't, you look so cute when you are flustered, I don't think anyone will mind." Len was still having a hard time comprehending all of this. Was this a sick joke? Surely it had to be! Len's luck would never allow for him to run into this much good fortune, especially in one day! And wait, had he just said 'cute'?

"Uh..."

"Well, what do you say? Do you want to give it a shot? You'll need a bit of practice, of course, but I think that you could be quite the famous little thing, if you really wanted to be." Len shook his head.

"Um, as nice as that sounds, I think I need to wake up now... I'm probably late for work, and wow, I can't believe that I just had a dream about work... That really sucks... I guess I should have known though. You were way too good to be true... I mean, what were the odds that I would actually meet the man of my dreams, and he would be a talent scout? Cause that's just it. You are the man of my dreams! You don't even look like a talent scout...I should have known..." That got another eyebrow raise.

"To good to be true? Want me to pinch you?" Len nodded, and allowed the dream man to approach. Okay, scratch that... He was real, if the pain in Len's arm had anything to say about the subject.

"Okay, um, wow... This is... Wow... What exactly am I supposed to do now... Considering I just said one of the most embarrassing things in my life... Um... Could you excuse me? I'm gonna go find a nice hole to live in for the next few hundred years..." Kaito chuckled.

"Why was it embarrassing? I thought it was sweet!" Len gave him a look that obviously stated his disbelief.

"You're kidding right? I just... Wow..." Kaito offered a smile in return.

"Don't freak out about it so much. I thought the same thing about you!" Len looked up at him in surprise. "Really! I walked into a cafe that I had never even heard of before, and managed to meet the cutest little blonde I had ever seen. The same blonde somehow found me a coffee that I actually like, and was so sweet while doing it. I pulled off staring at that blonde without getting caught, and even got to talk to him again, even if it did cost me. Then, low and behold, he turns the radio on, and I find out that he can sing. And I mean really sing. And, bless my lucky stars, it seems that he likes me almost as much as I do him!" Len continued his surprised stare, not quite trusting the words.

"Yo-you think I'm cute?" The older grinned.

"As a button." Len blushed.

"And you like me?" He looked down as he spoke.

"Quite a lot, actually." Len's face heated further, but he smiled.

"Looks like my luck really did turn..." He said it quietly, and Kaito gave him a look, but it quickly returned to a smile.

"What time do you close?" Len jumped, not sure what the question was related to, but remembered that he was still in the cafe.

"O-oh! Right! I completely forgot!" He rushed to put things away, and he noticed Kaito go and sit back down. After turning all of the machines off, Len went to the back and turned the lights out. He then returned to the front, and found Kaito waiting for him by the counter.

"That surprised me a bit. I wasn't expecting it to do so dark all of a sudden."

"O-oh, sorry. I'm not used to having people in here when I close. Um..."

"Listen, you don't have to make up your mind about this right now. I know that it's a lot to take in at first. Take your time, okay?" Len blushed, and was thankful for the concealing qualities of the darkness.

"Um, okay. Here, let's go outside, where it isn't so dark." He saw what he thought to be a nod, and led the way out. When he had exited, and Kaito had followed behind, he turned and locked the door.

"Hmm... Do you have a car?" Len turned.

"I wish." Kaito giggled.

"Alright then. Can I give you a ride?" Mulling it over momentarily, Len nodded. I Kaito was a creeper, well, that was one creeper that he wouldn't mind having around the house. Kaito smiled, and motioned for Len to follow. When they reached the car, Len couldn't help but notice the blue paint. It seemed that Kaito was quite fond of the color. They got in, and clicked their seat belts into place.

"Okay, where do you live?" Len looked around, shocked out of his thoughts, which had been swirling around incoherently in his head.

"Oh, right..." Len gave his address, and Kaito punched it into a GPS that Len hadn't noticed. They waited as it loaded, then Kaito put the car into motion as the directions were displayed.

"So, to be honest, I don't know your name..." Len paused, then let out a laugh.

"Right. I'm Len Kagamine." Kaito smiled.

"I'd shake your hand, but... Well, you get the point. I'm Kaito Shion." Len smiled, glad to finally know the man's full name. "I work for Vocaloid records, so I'm not a creeper, promise." Len flushed, embarrassed that he had thought of that earlier. "And you already heard the rest of the shfeel. So yeah. There are business cards in the glove compartment with my contact info. Go ahead and take one." Len obliged, undoing the latch and taking one of the cards inside. It had Kaito's name, an address, a phone number, and an e-mail. Len smiled and pocketed it.

"Len, how old are you?" Len hesitated. This was going to be a problem, he had known that from the start.

"Um... I'm sixteen..." Kaito frowned.

"Yes, I thought as much. Oh dear... I suppose that means that Meiko was right. Hm.. She's going to have my head for this." Len wasn't sure what Kaito was talking about. Kaito seemed to sense this. "Sorry, it's just, I wasn't lying when I said that I thought you were cute." He sighed. "Meiko always said that I had a thing for the little ones, but I never thought she was right." He laughed bitterly.

"O-oh... But, um, I'm old for my age! Or so people tell me... And I won't... I won't tell anyone, and um... Sorry, I must sound pretty stupid right now..." Kaito chuckled.

"Not at all. I'm actually flattered, but... I don't know that it is such a good idea..." Len was getting worried now.

"N-no! Please! At least try? Please?" Kaito seemed surprised, but he smiled.

"Well, alright, but only because you are so absolutely adorable!" Len was shocked when he noticed the car stop, and only had a moment to realise that they had arrived at his home, before there was a pair of lips upon his. He gasped initially, but slowly relaxed and kissed back. His luck was most definitely turning in his favor. Kaito pulled away, a small smile on his lips.

"Can I see that card?" Len tried to process the request through his now fogged mind. He furrowed is brows in concentration before he realised what Kaito meant.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." Kaito just chuckled, and accepted the card when Len handed it to him. He glanced around, then scowled. "What's the matter?" Len sounded concerned.

"I don't have a pen with me..." Len thought, and then pulled the pen he had stashed in his pocket out. He displayed it to Kaito, who looked at it strangely for a moment, before taking it. He scratched something onto the back of the card and handed it and the pen both to Len. Len looked at it curiously There was a ten digit number scrawled there.

"What...?"

"It's my cellphone number. In case you want to talk." Len smiled at that.

"Oh! Thank you! … Do you want mine?" Kaito seemed to think it over, before nodding and taking another card out of the glove-box and handing it to Len. Len wrote his own number quickly and handed the paper back.

"Okay, thank you. I'll see you later, Len." Len grinned, undoing his seat-belt and opening the car door.

"Yeah, later." He felt a hand on his, and turned. He was met with a quick peck on the lips, and smiled into the sweet kiss.

"Bye."

"Bye..." Len got out and watched as Kaito drove off before making his way up to the front door, card in hand. He opened the door and stepped inside. After taking his shoes off, he headed into the kitchen. His sister was there, preparing dinner. He sat at the table, not quite aware of his surroundings. No, he was too caught up in his thoughts to really care.

"Hey Len. Nice to see you too, and yes, I had a wonderful day. Thank you for asking." Len chuckled.

"Sorry Rin. How are you?" She giggled.

"I'm okay. How are you?" Len grinned.

"I'm great! … Hey Rin... You know how you wanted to move your boyfriend in, but couldn't because of me?" Rin nodded, looking up from the stove. "Well, he can probably move in pretty soon." With that, Len went up to his room and flopped down on his bed.

He looked at the card, still in his hand.

"I wonder when I should call Kaito..." Yes. Len's luck was definitely looking up.

A/N: Hey, I'm actually alive! Well, I've actually been pretty active here lately, just with different stories. To be honest, I haven't thought of this one very much. But today, in my lovely inbox, I found a review from a very nice reader, and you know what? That review inspired me to pick this one back up! Thank you Lilac Rose6. You are the reason this chapter happened! It's refreshing to write these little one shots again, but it's hard at the same time... I have to get in a whole story, beginning, middle, and end, in such a short amount of time. So much to do, so little time... But yes, I did this all in one go, so I've been working on this for a few hours. It is now 2:37, and I am going cross eyed trying to type this. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, which I am officially dedicating to Lilac Rose6! I've definitely regained my interest for this story, so I will start to work on the next chapter as soon as I get home. (I am going to a friends house tomorrow.) For now, good by, and ado!

-Riya

(You know, I think I have signed each chapter as something different... Hm... Sorry for any confusion... I just change nicknames a lot... Riya is my current on though!)