title young ladies prefer gentlemen
summary I don't care if he's my hot waiter – if he says one more of those god-awful pick-up lines, I'm throwing my latte in his face. Rin, Len, and skim latte's.
fandom vocaloid.
rating T, for some sexual innuendoes.
disclaimer I don't own any of the Vocaloids, sadly.
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"Screw me if I'm wrong, but have we met before?"
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Len works at a cafe.
Why does Rin know this?
Because he is her waiter.
Unfortunately.
Also, because she has to put up with him every time she wants her morning latte. She didn't mind him at first, although she did feel a bit weird because he is very, very cute but he also looks uncannily like her. Somehow, it's not a turn-off. Somehow.
But after about the seventh or eighth time of her coming in, before she can even place her order, he does this little smirk thing and goes, "Skim latte, right? On its way, Rinnie!"
Maybe it's the smirk. Maybe it's because it's New York, and it's 7am. Maybe it's because no one's called her 'Rinnie' since she punched that guy in the eighth grade.
Whatever it is, it pisses her off.
But damn, they make good latte's, and she's not going to let some weird male-counterpart of her ruin her day.
After about the twenty-seventh latte, he markers his number on the cardboard of her take-away latte.
"Listen... waiter-guy," she tells him, eyeing the latte and laughing nervously. "You've got the wrong idea –"
"Len," he supplies. "Len."
And then he smirks again.
"Uh-huh, okay, Len," Rin says, gritting her teeth at the name. "I'm not interested. Flattered, but not interested."
His smirk gets worse. As in, it widens, and he does this weird waggling thing with his eyebrows. Which he actually manages to pull off. Not that she'll ever admit it.
"And why not, Rinnie?"
Rin sighs. "Because I'm not looking for a relationship right now. That, and you look like my brother, if I had one. That and you serve me my coffee, and it'd be all sorts of awkward once we'd break up. That and you called me Rinnie."
"You tell yourself that, Rinnie. I'll win you over."
He mouths call me when she leaves.
Rin feels like hitting something.
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"Hey, um... did it hurt?"
"Huh? Did what hurt?"
"When you fell from the sky. Obviously, with a face likes yours, you're an angel."
"...Jesus Christ."
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He won't stop bugging her.
She just wants him and his stupid pick up lines to leave her alone.
Rin decides to tell him she has a boyfriend (who is non-existent, not that he needs to know that). "So leave me alone, please."
"Really? Boyfriend?"
She nods, decidedly proud of herself for coming up with the ingenious plan of getting the guy to stop hitting on her.
"What's he like?"
"Uhh –" Rin brainstorms. "Blue hair."
Len raises an eyebrow. "Blue."
"Yes. Blue hair. And he likes... ice cream. Hey – shut up!" Rin cries when he starts snortling. Yes, very attractive. "Ice cream can be dignifying!"
"Right, right. And when will I be seeing this... boyfriend of yours?"
"How about never?" Rin scoffs in his face. "Like I have to prove my non-singular status to you."
"You'll have to," he says, grinning lazily as he hands her another latte.
She snorts, snatching it away from him. "Oh, yuck."
555-942 – LEN
On her way to the office, she's tempted to throw the skim latte in the trash.
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"Do you have a map?"
"Why?"
"Because I've gotten lost in your eyes."
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"So... hey Miku. I really like the way you did your hair today."
Miku blinks, touching one pigtail. "...this is how I always do my hair."
"Yes, I know, but it just looks very nice today."
"Oh. Well. Thank you."
"And I just love your outfit. Teal looks fantastic on you. And it doesn't clash with the hair at all! It, like, promotes it, you know, so that girls all around are like, 'oh my God, I wish I had teal hair to pull that teal ensemble off with'. I'm so totally jealous."
"Rin, what did you do?"
"What?" Rin puts on a very offended impression (which is totally not fake). "I'd never – I mean, I might, but now now, and – just – pshh, Miku."
After a few seconds of Miku's just-tell-me-what-you-did look Rin gives up. "I kind of told this guy that Kaito was my boyfriend. So that he'd back off. "
"What? Why didn't you go out with him? Is he cute?"
Rin contemplates. "Well, yes – except, well, no, but I suppose he isn't totally unattractive, I mean some girls may find him deliciously good-looking but you know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all and uh..." she laughs nervously at Miku's impatient expression.
"Rin..."
"Yes," the blonde girl admits in a small voice. "Yes, he is."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Nothing's the problem, just..." Rin sighs. "Still not over... well, you know."
"Ah." Miku nods. "Him. Right. Well, that's fine, then."
"Oh, and I need Kaito to pretend to be my boyfriend. Just for one day."
"Rin –"
"Please?"
"...fine."
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Rin walks in with Kaito in arm, feeling terribly awkward but also a little triumphant.
"One –"
"Skim latte?" Len offers, grinning devilishly at her. Instead of blowing a trumpet, she smiles innocently.
"And a cappacino," she says. "For my boyfriend."
She gestures over to Kaito, who's humming to himself as he looks through a newspaper.
"Ah, so le boyfriend is real?"
"That's right, so you better back off." Rin juts her chin out defiantly, but Len simply smirks, leaning over with his lips just brushing her ear.
"You better tell your boyfriend to keep a close eye on you," he whispers over the counter. When he pulls back, she's still standing in shock.
When the coffees finally arrive, she takes them in both hands, still confused about what just happened and wow, she feels those words right to her toes.
"In a daze there, Rinnie?"
And just like that, the tingling stops.
She throws her latte in his face.
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"I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away!"
"...why, Len, why."
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"His name is Shiro," Luka tells her over brunch. "He's my real estate agent, for when Gakupo and I were trying to find an apartment."
"Is he nice?" Rin asks.
"Well, he seems alright. Very cute, though."
Rin thinks, and resigns. "Well, alright. Bring it on."
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"Hey, Rinnie, I lost my number – can I have yours?"
"No."
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Shiro is quiet.
And it's eerie.
Very, very eerie.
Also, it makes things rather awkward.
They're at a restaraunt, and she's eating her appetiser – salad – while he's quietly munching on garlic bread.
"So, uh," Rin starts. "You... like garlic bread?"
"Yes." He nods. "I do like garlic bread. In fact, it is my favourite style of bread. Unsurprising, of course, considering its Italian heritage. Everything is good Italian." He says it all fast, quick and in monotone. It's a little creepy.
And he reverts back into being an absolute hermit.
She silently dials in a 'HELP' message from Miku, who promptly calls a couple of seconds later.
"Well – oh, would you look at that. There's a gas leak in my apartment. Shoot." Rin sets down her napkin, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry."
"No matter," he says. "Will think of other things to do. Perhaps fishing. I've always liked to fish."
"Right."
She all but flees with her coat, cursing Luka in her head.
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"That outfit looks great."
"Um, thanks."
"Probably looks better on the floor, though."
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"One skim latte, please," Rin asks, prepared for the next ghastly pick-up line.
Len grins. "Will do. I figured this time, I'll just ask you out normally, and see how I'd do."
Rin gives him an evil stare. "No point. You'll do badly. Remember, I have a boyfriend."
"Yeah, well, sources say he is your best friend's boyfriend, not yours."
Rin stares at him incredulously. "Have you been stalking me?"
"Pssht, no. I just asked a friend of a friend if a friend of mine had a romantic friend." He nods like it's the most normal thing in the world and like she's the idiot who doesn't realise it.
"I'm not your friend. You just constantly pester me."
"Potato, potahto," Len rebukes, waving his hand dismissively. "So. Will you go out with me?"
She fixes him with a steely glare. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're an evil person who's plotting to destroy my mornings," she explains. "And you should care to the rest of the line, who aren't too happy with you doing your pathetic version of flirting."
"Aww. I'm so crushed. I'll get you next time."
"You wish," is all Rin says to him.
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Of course, the main reason she won't go out with Len is because she's still a little sore over the fact that her last boyfriend left her for some dumpy brunette without any warning.
Worst thing is, he told her about his 'new love' when she thought he was going to propose.
Yeah, horrible.
"Maybe Len can just be a rebound," Miku suggests, in the break room of their office. "You know. Screw and shoo."
"Okay, one, never say 'screw and shoo' every again," Rin says. "And two, I couldn't do that if I wanted. Because then I have to see him every morning."
"Oh yes, poor Rin. She has to deal with hot, flirty baristas. Truly, a tragedy."
Rin smacks Miku on the arm. "I'm serious!"
"Well, it wouldn't kill you to give him a chance, Rin."
"What? No!"
"Why not?"
"Because..." Rin bites her lip. "He's an arrogant, good-for-nothing waiter!"
"You don't know that."
"He looks like my brother, if I had one."
"Genetic sexual attraction."
"He probably does it to all the girls."
"Unlikely."
Rin sighs. "Fine, fine. I'll think about it, alright?"
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"Babe, your body has more curves than a racing track."
"Okay, I know for a fact that that one's a lie."
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It's a horrible day. Her column for Cosmo is overdue and she's barely started, and her ex just sent out an invitation to his wedding – plus, there's a really stubborn pimple on her back that just won't go away, and it's gross.
Seriously.
For once, she goes for a skim latte at 8pm, hoping that Len's shift isn't –
-ah, crud.
Instead of going up to the cashier, she sits down at one of the tables and of course, Len smirks and walks over to her.
Before he gets a chance to speak, she snaps, "I swear to God, if you spout out one more crappy pick-up line I will take your throat in my hand and shove you through the door."
If anything, he looks more interested. "Awesome. So you're a kinky kind of girl, huh?"
"Ugh. Look, you know what I want. Skim latte, please." She crosses her arms and purposely stares ahead, but he just stands there expectantly, like he's waiting for her to blurt out her life story or something.
"Seriously. Skim. Latte."
"You seem a little peeved," he observes.
"No shit, Sherlock," she says. When he still doesn't move, she shoots him a glare. "Dude, are you deaf as well as being dumb? I want my skim latte."
Len takes a chair nearby, turns it around backwards, and sits on it, his arms and chin leaning on the surface of the chair's back support. "I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's pissed you off," he says.
"Oh my God," Rin groans. "Didn't your mum ever tell you not to meddle in other peoples' affairs?"
He shrugs. "My mum's dead."
Rin gapes.
Awkward.
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Whatever. So, tell me what's up." He smiles at her.
"What - ? You can't just assume that I should tell you everything about my life –"
"Hey, I pulled the dead relative card. So, it's an obligation."
They stare at each other, Rin fiercely glaring at him and Len, lazily smiling at her.
"Fine. Fine. But if you say a word of this to anyone, I'm going to rip your brains out through your ears."
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"Hey. Rin. Rin. Rinnie."
"What."
"I've just moved you to my to-do list."
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"Hey, Rin, nice set of legs. What time do they open -?"
"Yes."
Len blinks, surprised and suddenly losing all his suave-ness. "What?"
"I'll go out with you. So can you stop it with the pick-up lines?"
He doesn't react, mouth open from shock. Finally, he pulls himself together. "Well... awesome."
For once, he's genuinely grinning. Despite herself, she grins back at him.
"Wow. Just... awesome."
"Yes, well," Rin mock-sighs. "I do my best."
He just keeps on grinning, and when his hand goes over to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear she thinks that he's maybe the sweetest thing she's ever seen.
Then he opens his mouth.
"If you took eleven roses and looked at yourself in the mirror, you'd see-"
"Like, seriously, Len? Shut it."
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author's note well, that was fun.