Chapter Text
"I'll guide you through this, match your pace step by step. If I do... Will you smile again?"
The rain fell in a gentle rhythm, quiet, whispering, and almost hesitant in its beat. It pattered, the noise soft as it slipped through leaves on the surrounding trees, hitting hit the muddy ground and saturating it. Tapped against smooth stone. Against engraved marble.
Against dark umbrellas, held in trembling hands.
The rain was usually such a comforting thing. The noise of it is one that so many use to help them escape their thoughts and sleep at night.
However now, as fog clung close to the earth settling in a heavy blanket over the world, it's rhythm was relentless. It did nothing to bring comfort to the group of figures dressed in mournful black.
So many figures, but not a single one uttered a word. Miku couldn't help but think that was for the best. There were quiet sobs sounding from behind her, scattered through the small crowd. Others were silent as they stared at the heavy casket, suspended above the dirt cavern meant to be the final resting place for the poor soul inside.
The faces around her blurred. They weren't relevant to her, at least not at that moment. She couldn't seem to bring herself to acknowledge them.
She didn't cry. Couldn't seem to muster a single tear, not anymore. She'd probably run herself dry, given the rivers she'd cried when she'd first heard the news.
She felt frozen. Her skin was pale, ghostly, and her eyes no doubt had heavy bags beneath them. Just... How? Why? What led to this..?
Just why did the ocean have to be so beautiful and yet so, so cruel?
There was a soft clicking as the mechanism of the ropes slowly lowered the casket down. Down down down. Down into the earth.
The casket, once blocking the tombstone, finally lowered enough into the hole to reveal the engravings on the white marble stone.
Miku felt disoriented, her vision hazy at the edges as she read the neatly carved words.
KAGAMINE RIN
𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝙰𝚂 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙰𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝚄𝙽
𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝚃𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺 𝙵𝙰𝚁 𝚃𝙾𝙾 𝚂𝙾𝙾𝙽
𝙼𝙰𝚈 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙼𝙼𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝙺𝚈 𝙴𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙻𝚈
She felt dizzy. Like she shouldn't be here. Couldn't be here, not anymore. She couldn't bear to see her best friend lowered into the ground. Couldn't bear seeing someone who was once so vibrant stuffed in a box.
She was so angry. Angry at the sea. Angry at the lifeguard who was sleeping on the job. Angry at the tides, the waters... herself. So, so angry. Angry at the world. She wanted to... wanted to-
A hand on her shoulder shattered her mental spiral, grounding her from the thoughts in her head. She blinked, turning slightly, and looked down at the hands owner.
Brilliant blue eyes stared up at her in concern, their vibrant color dulled by the deep sorrow swirling behind them. They were smudged with red at the corners, more than likely from crying, and had dark circles beneath them from a clear lack of proper rest.
"Hey... Uhm..."
Len's voice cracked, brows furrowed deeply as he stared up at her. He was wearing black, much like everyone else. Just a simple short sleeved button up tucked into trousers, all in the same dreary shade. She found herself calming down at his touch as she leaned into the hand on her shoulder subconsciously, staring down at him hopelessly.
Had he always been this much shorter than her..?
His hand trailed down her arm gently and gripped her hand, giving it a firm, grounding squeeze. She squeezed back. It's always been like this. He's always been the one to comfort her in her darkest moments, letting her lean on him even when he was shaky himself.
He's always been so much stronger than her.
Lens eyes flickered back and forth from hers to the casket that wasn't fully lowered quite yet. A conflicted expression passed over his gaze briefly before it disappeared completely as he seemed to decide on something.
Miku felt his hand tug at hers gently.
"C'mon, Let's go. You don't... look well."
He turned slightly, still looking at her over his shoulder with those soft blue eyes, and tugged just a bit more insistently, still leaving more than enough room for her to pull away.
"Let's go home."
Miku blinked and relented instantly, following behind him as he led her out of the small city graveyard. He must have noticed how distraught she was. Must've noticed how much she'd hated being there. He wasn't usually this observant...
It warmed her aching heart.
At some point he had gently pried her umbrella from her hands and closed his own, holding it over her as they walked, ignoring the rain soaking through the clothes on his shoulder as he didn't stand fully under it with her.
She wonders why he didn't just get closer...
He matched her pace step for step as he led her to his parked white car. Their car. The one he had shared with Rin, though Rin hardly ever drove it. She always shrugged it off, calling Len lazy. She'd preferred walking and biking anyways, always too full of energy.
And now she's gone. She'll never be here to tease Len for being too lazy to walk. Would never be here to insist that paying for gas is silly when everything is close enough to bike to.
He would never drive Miku to class again. There would be no more comfortable silences as they drove together, sipping cheap coffee while he hummed to her whatever silly love song was playing on the car radi-
Miku hadn't noticed she was spacing out. Hadn't noticed she was spiralling again until two smaller hands gripped her shoulders.
"Hey."
His voice was firm, and the amount of care and concern in that single word was enough to ground her instantly. The solemn, steady, soft look in Lens eyes calmed her screaming mind.
He quietly led her to the passenger side, opening the door for her and gently pushed at her shoulders, guiding her down into the seat. When she made no move to buckle herself, he reached over gingerly, buckling her in with a worried crease between his brow.
He shut the door quietly, circling around and settling in the driver's seat. He gave her one last concerned glance before falling into a heavy silence, starting the car and driving them home through the rain.
Miku stared silently at her window the whole time. She didn't see past the window, she wasn't looking out. Not at the sidewalk. Not at the trees and houses passing by. Her mind disregarded everything outside of the car and she found herself staring blankly at the droplets trickling down the glass, watching them race, some slower than the others.
Water... The same thing that took her away. She was soaked with water, limp and lifeless and-
She'd found herself thinking too hard again before her racing mind was stopped abruptly when Lens hand found hers once more, his fingers interlaced with hers on the center console. He kept his eyes on the road, driving steadily with his left hand, but his grip on hers was firm and grounding.
She stared at their hands, his fingers slotted perfectly with hers. They were smaller than hers, and a little calloused around the fingers.
Strange...she remembers them being around the same size as hers. He feels so much smaller now...
She's reminded constantly just how much she loves him and why. In return he solidifies his love for her with every action he takes.
She perked up slightly, breaking away from her thoughts when he speaks up.
"It's-"
His voice cracked violently, raspy and weak and far too quiet. He cleared his throat quickly and repeats himself a little louder and clearer.
"It's going to be about a forty minute ride. You could use the rest so... try to get some sleep, okay?"
His voice hitched almost unnoticeably again with that final word. He looks at Miku briefly and she nods silently.
She found herself staring at him, tracing his face with her eyes. Her vision was still so foggy around the edges, making everything seem a little distant. His eyes lacked that fog, blue and soft, staring at the road ahead. Looking into his eyes kept her sane.
After a minute of staring at him, she decided to listen to his suggestion, putting her seat back a little and squeezing his hand.
He hesitates before squeezing back.
It didn't take long. She was exhausted both emotionally and physically, and her mind screamed for rest. It took barely five minutes before she drifted off completely, leaning her head against the cold window and finally giving in to sleep she desperately needed.
His hand never left hers.
Tired blue eyes trailed over to the sleeping girl in the passenger seat briefly, concern swirling thickly within them. They'd left the funeral early... A sorrowful, regretful look mixed with the concern in a sick cocktail of emotions. It's fine. Miku... Shouldn't have to be alone right now. She'd needed to get out of there. It's fine.
Exhausted eyes moved back to the road... But the thoughts racing behind them wandered far from driving.
It's fine.
Everything will be fine.
She'll be fine.