Hearts and Violins (Len X Reader) Chapter 6

“Hey! You kind of need to wake up now. Your alarm’s been going off for the past twenty minutes… Can you hear me? Sorry, I’ll just…”

Someone shakes you back and forth and you open a eye. “What? Can’t I get some sleep?”

“No, if you sleep any longer you’re going to miss the bus.”

“WHAT?” You bolt up and hop out of bed, stumbling towards your closet. “Oh no! What time is it?”

“You have about ten minutes,” Len says. “I made you toast. It’s sitting on the kitchen table. And your backpack is by the door. Do you want me to get out while you, uh-”

You grab a random tee-shirt and hoodie out of your closet and snatch a hairbrush. “Uh, yeah. I’ll just be a minute.”

As soon as the door closes you rip off your pajamas and yank the tee-shirt down over your head. You put on your jeans and swipe the brush through your hair a couple times. Then you toss the hoodie on your shoulder and barrell towards the kitchen.

Len sits at the table and nods towards your plate of toast. He doesn’t even blink as you inhale it all in the space of a few seconds. “You ready?” He stands up and runs to the door, tossing you your backpack. You nod and follow him out to the bus. The two of you plop down into the same seat you sit in everyday, but something still seems different than usual.

“All of the ice-cream is in the freezer, and I Google Mapped Kaito’s house, it’s only a couple streets down from here. We could probably wheel it there, but we don’t have a wagon… Or do you have a wagon? I’ve never seen one in your garage.”

Oh, okay. So that’s the difference. You face Len with a smile playing across your lips. “My my, you’re awfully talkative today.”

He blushes and raises his shoulders. “Yeah, I really couldn’t sleep last night. I talk more when I’m tired, or at least when I was little I did.”

“Say, I haven’t seen you playing your violin lately either.”

“Oh, I did last night. Just everyone was asleep.” Len zips open his backpack and hands you a banana. “Eat it, you’re probably still hungry.”

“If you say so, mom.” You glance out the window as you absently peel it. “So… Are you nervous?”

You don’t even have to look to know that Len’s cheeks are paling. He’s silent for a few seconds, and when he does speak, it sounds nowhere near the joyous, bubbly tone he used moments ago. “I can’t even describe it in words.”

He leans forward a little so he can see past you, his eyes following the movements of the people walking their dogs outside, or jogging in the early morning breeze. You catch his gaze and feel a shiver traveling down your back. For a second you can see the vacant, hollow look in his eyes. They seem empty, yet neverending pools of blue. You force yourself to smile and wrap an arm around his shoulder. “Hey, remember what I said yesterday?”

His head bobs, but his eyes continue to stare forward. “Yeah.”

“Well I meant it. All of it. No matter what happens, you’ve still got us. Okay?”

“Uh huh. Thanks.” Len leans down, resting his head against your shoulder. His eyes blink closed and his mouth twists into a frown. “But… I don’t feel so good. I think I’m going to be sick. Tell me when we get to school, okay?”


Well. This isn’t good. “Len, just promise you won’t throw up on me.”

“I promise. But I can’t say the same about the people across the aisle.”

“You’re joking, right?”

His shoulders hunch up and he smiles for a split second. “No. I'm dead serious."

888

School went by at the pace of a snail. You swore that there was drool gathering at the corners of your mouth by the time the last bell rang.

Len ambushed you after class, shoving you into a row of lockers. "I can't do this!" He cries out, butying his face into your backpack. "I mean, I want to, but... What do you think?"

Older students give eachother glances full of sarcastically raised eyebrows as they glance back and forth between their friends and Len. "Isn't he that kid who doesn't talk?" One whispers

In his panic, Len is oblivious.

"It's up to you." You glare at the cluster of students and they each grimace before looking off in the other direction. "But we did spend a lot on ice cream."

"That's true! And I still haven't figured out how to get it to Kaito's! What if we borrowed the scooters in the gym?”

You usher him down the hallway, glaring at anyone who even looks your way. Those gawkers are going to pay if they think he’s some kind of zoo animal. “Len, those are floor scooters. And they’re barely big enough to sit on,” you answer absently as you think of other things you can find in the gym. Tennis rackets, for instant. Maybe those kids would think twice before staring at Len if you gave them a good whap.

“I know, but maybe if we tie ropes to them… Wait, almost forgot about my violin! We’ll have to bring it too!” His blue eyes look down at the floor for a second. “I- I’m not talking too much, am I?”

You stop and tighten your grip on his arm. “Hey, no! Not at all! You’ve got an angel’s voice.” You laugh as his cheeks turn bright red and his eyes meet yours. “That’s right! I caught you singing the other day. No need to be shy about your voice,” you tease.

“Bu- but, ah,  well, I don’t know. Talking just feels so weird. And yet, so so good, I’m kind of afraid to stop. Like what if I lose my voice?”

“That’s absurd,” you hear someone else say. You both turn around and see IA smiling behind you. “You won’t lose your voice unless you catch a cold or have an allergic reaction. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you both to bring some money or pack a dinner for yourselves. Siyu’s bringing snacks and I’m supplying water bottles, so don’t worry about either of those.” She cheerily waves and adds, “Oh by the way, I didn’t know that you sing, Len. I’d love to hear some time. You guys have fun!”

Once she’s out of earshot, Len whirls on you and wrinkles his nose. “See what you did? No one was supposed to find out that I like to sing.”

You fight off a grin but end up snorting at his pouty face. “Oh ho ho! So you are too shy to sing in public!”

“Lots of people are afraid to sing in public.” Len crosses his arms over chis chest and defensively hunches his shoulders. “I don’t see why it’s weird for me to be.”

“Whatever, but honestly. You ought to try out for the talent show at least. No one will believe you sound that great after…” You shake your head and quickly backtrack. “Let’s get going, we’re going to miss the bus.”

888

“Urgh! This thing is heavy!” Len stumbles forward, a wagon stuffed with assorted boxes of ice cream in tow. “How much did we buy again?”

You shrug and cradle his precious violin case closer to your chest. “Everything on sale, I think. Do you think that friend of Mikuo’s will mind if I eat one of the Nutty Buddy Cones?”

Len opens his mouth to answer when a shriek sends you both recoiling for cover. “WHERE’S THE VANILLA? DID NONE OF YOU BRING VANILLA? HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOUSELVES!?! ARE YOU HUMAN????”

“Go right ahead,” Len murmurs. “I think it’s fine… As long as we don’t touch the vanilla.”

At the utterance of “vanilla”, a streak of blue appears out of nowhere and within seconds, it and the vanilla ice cream are nowhere to be seen. You frown and grip the violin tighter. “What the…” The two of you walk around the corner of the block and up Kaito’s driveway. The teen in question sits criss-cross-applesauce smack dab in the middle and ferociously drives his spoon into the depths of the vanilla ice cream box. By the time Len reaches him and offers up the wagon, all that’s left of the vanilla is just a few melting drops on the pavement.

“Got any more of that?” Kaito claws at the wagon like a baby inspecting new toys. “Mmm, that Nutty Buddy stuff looks kinda good.” His face looks incredibly sticky and you glance away as he yanks another box into his lap.

“And that’s not even all of the carnage,” Siyu whispers as she walks up beside you. “He finished off three buckets and a box of those cookie things before you even got here. He makes the guy on Man vs. Food look like an amatuer,” she declares, her eyes wide with unvoiced admiration.

"Aside from that, Kaito also appears to be crazy. Because if he thinks that it's safe for all of us to ride in that-" IA gestures at an inauspicious vehicle parked at the curb, "then we have portentous problems. Vehemently portentous."

"Speak English," Siyu mutters. She rushes towards the wagon and hands Kaito another box of ice-cream, leaving you, Len, and IA to gawk at the white van.

Len squints at it, taking in the pastel pink splashes of paint adoring the sides and the ice-cream stickers stuck along the door in neat little rows. "What is it?"

"It appears to be an ice-cream truck," IA informs the two of you.

Len's mouth falls open and he bounces up on his toes a little. "No way! I thought those were urban legends!"

"The last one I saw was several months ago. On the Sims 3," you say gravely. "So now I know who's been selling my Sims expired bunny pops."

"Hmm?" Siyu stands up, her eyes straying from Kaito vs. Ice-cream. "Did someone mention videogames and food?"

"Never mind that," you say. "Where's Miku and Mikuo? We need to go, like now."

The sound of a door banging against the wall sends everyone except Kaito flinching. "Where is he?" Someone cries out.

"You looking for me, dad?" Kaito calls out. "We're just-"

"There he is!" Kaito's dad rushes forward and hikes Len up into the air Lion-King style. "Oh you poor baby! Abused and separated from your family, never to see them again! Don't worry, we'll get you back to your sister!"

"The heck?" You hiss at IA. She looks just as shocked as you and merely shrugs. Miku skips beside the two of you, her pigtails bouncing and her mouth curled in a smirk. “What did you tell him?”

The suspiciously cheery teen’s eyes glint as she says, “Oh, I just exaggerated what Len told us at school a little bit.”

“Luka honey, this child needs our help!” Kaito’s dad cries out. He slams Len into his chest and wraps his arms tight around him. “Look at him! Poor kid probably hasn’t slept in days!”

“Wha- umpth!” Len’s protests are muffled as Kaito’s dad tightens his hold and sobs into Len’s shoulder.

“Poor baby!”

A woman rushes out from the house, pink hair trailing out behind her. “Gakupo! Put the boy down! We can’t afford to have you suffocate someone again! Ohhh…!” She breathes in between her teeth, her eyebrows slanted in worry.

As she wrestles Len out of her husband’s arms, you turn to Miku and glare at her. “You exaggerated it a little?”

“What?” She pouts.

“Making a big deal out of things is my sister’s speciality!” Mikuo walks up and throws an arm around her. Until he notices IA, that is. Then his eyes widen for a second and he throws on the broadest of smiles. “How you doing?”

“My mood is tolerable,” IA mutters. She pulls a checklist out of her purse and clucks her tongue as she glances over it. “But it would improve exponentially if we can take off in the next five minutes and orderly situate ourselves into the available vehicles.” She looks up without a beat. “Kapeesh, guys?”

“I call shotgun!” Mikuo hollars. “Unless you want it, IA.”

“I want to ride with (y/n), if that’s okay,” Len calls out. At the moment he’s dodging Gakupo’s tearful embrace.

“I already figured and put that into the plan,” IA says. “Len, (y/n), and Miku will go with Kaito in his chosen vehicle. Myself, Siyu, and Mikuo will ride with Mr. Shion.” Len races towards you and you hand him his violin case as IA finishes up the agenda. “We will convene at the 7/11 in this location.” She glances at Kaito and hesitates before handing a map to Miku. “Sorry. Your hands are too sticky,” she says.

“It’s fine, but you will stop talking all fancy? I can’t understand half of what you’re saying!” He jumps up and puts an ice cream tub under each of his arms and one in each of his hands.

IA frowns. “Furthermore, we should reach Brier City by nightfall.” She tosses her ash blond hair behind her shoulder and walks off with a loud clap. “Let us embark!”

Len grabs your arm and whispers, “I can’t believe it’s really happening.”

A smile spreads across your face. Aww, he’s so cute when he’s excited!