Vocaloid: SHADOWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT [Miku X Luka]

One More Time - #25

Lukas PoV

"Let me get this straight." I clear my throat, catching Miku's attention. She looks across at me, her head slightly tilted to one side. "You're afraid of being alone at night, and you want me in the room with you. Correct?"

Miku averts her gaze, seemingly ashamed. "Y-Yeah..." She stutters in response. I sit at the end of the bed, looking silently at the embarrassed girl.

"So," I say, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you want me to do? Sit on the floor all night?" Miku looks up at me and shakes her head, a guilty expression in her face. "No, no, I still want you to sleep, I-I just..."

She breathes out a long, exaggerated sigh. Her eyes slide away and fixate on the crumpled bedding momentarily, before looking up at me again. "I was left alone in that house for days on end. I don't want to be alone again, because when I was alone, that's when he... when he... acted..." she shivers, "I'm scared to be alone, the memories are still so fresh, it's like a haunting, and I feel anxious and paranoid if I feel like I've been left by myself... I'm sorry it's pathetic..."

Suddenly feeling a wave of guilt envelope me, I reach forward and give Miku a gentle hug. "Don't worry, it's honestly understandable... but you see, you're never alone, I'm in the room just next door to you."

"I know that, I know, but I always think you might have left... I feel insecure... I'm sorry, I'm acting like such a pain, aren't I?" Miku chuckles lightly to herself, her glassy blue orbs expressing undeniable pain and embarrassment and guilt.

I shake my head with a sigh, and pull away. "Miku, please stop saying that." I tell her, looking her in the eyes. "It isn't true. You aren't a pain at all, you aren't acting pathetic at all. All your emotions, your fears, they're all so understandable because of the crap you've been through. If this will help you to recover, then so be it, I want to help you in any way I can. And if me being in this room makes you feel more at ease... then I'm happy enough to be in here with you." I smile at her, hoping to ease her worries.

Miku hesitates for a moment, before looking at me and smiling back. "Th-Thank you..." she mutters.

"The only question, is what exactly are you intending for me to do? I don't have a futon, or a spare mattress." I tell her, glancing at the empty space in the floor. Miku follows my gaze, biting her lip.

"L-Luka, y-you have a bed, yknow..." Miku mutters quietly, embarrassment clearly in her shaky voice. I twist around to face her. "This is a single bed, Miku, not a double bed..."

"So what? We'd both still-!" She cut herself off sharply, blushing like mad. "S-Sorry!" She gasped, "forget I said anything..."

I glance at the alarm clock, ticking away on the bedside table. "Miku, it's getting late and we have school tomorrow. Please, try and get some sleep." I tell her, feeling slightly flustered. Miku nods silently and crawls under the duvet.

"I'm scared..." she admits.

I smile at her from the other end of the bed. "Don't be scared, everything will be fine. I'm here with you, don't forget that." I tell her. Miku nods in response, and closes her eyes. She falls silent, and pretty soon she had fallen asleep.

I smile at her, before smiling and slowly tip-toeing out the room.

=====

The next morning can be described as nothing but frantic.

Miku's been a nervous mess ever since she has woke up; she is genuinely worked up about school today. I've been trying to calm her down, but nothing I say seems to get through to her.

"Everyone's gonna take advantage of me, they're gonna assume why I've been off school for so long, they're going to make rumours up about me and everyone is going to laugh at me!" She whimpers.

I sigh, unsure of what to say. I want to tell her everything will be okay, but if I'm unsure myself, how will she ever believe my words?

"Ignore them." I mutter, grabbing my school folder and shoving it into my sakura-coloured schoolbag. Miku watches me with an unreadable expression, before shaking her head and grabbing her own bag.

I grab my keys off the shelf and head to the door. "Are you ready?" I call over my shoulder to Miku. Miku laughs, an empty, bitter sound. "No. No, I'm not. But oh well, let's just go and get this over with..."

I glance at her briefly, sadly. The airheaded, caring, happy-go-lucky girl I had met a couple of weeks ago wasn't anywhere in sight, and it angers me that I haven't done anything to stop it.

What a failure I am.

"Let's go." I mutter, unlocking the front door and leading Miku out of the room. We walk in bitter silence down the road, neither of us speaking a single word.

The November atmosphere is cold and gloomy, the overcast weather hiding the blue sky and creating a monochromatic world, extinct of colour.

The fifteen minute walk to school seemed exaggerated, like two years had passed by. The silence between Miku and I was unsettling, though I didn't think trying to speak with her would end well.

We eventually arrive at the school grounds. Miku stops dead as soon as the school building looms into sight. "Miku?" I glance over my shoulder to see her staring at the building nervously. She looks at me with scared blue eyes, and I feel an arrow launch through my heart at the sight of her fear.

I hold my hand out to her, and she looks at me for a moment, hesitating. After a few moments, though, she breathes in deeply, steps forward with a smile and takes my hand. I squeeze it gently, comfortingly, before letting go and walking into the grounds with Miku by my side.

Miku looks around cautiously, her eyes flickering from the groups of teenagers to the building. She looks at me, and I look back at her with a faint smile. "Everything will be alright." I tell her.

A/N: I'm not sure about this chapter, it took a while to write because I wasnt sure how exactly to write it xD buuuuut I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless! Thanks for reading, see you all in the next chapter~! :3