Work Text:
Len never had any self-image issues.
He would get pretty embarrassed at times, or have issues with his confidence on new dances and moves, but he was overall a very confident guy with a very outgoing personality.
That was until he saw his sister in a dress.
It all started when Rin, on one of the very rare instances they had actual free time, was bored.
They both got so used to working and practicing that free time was basically something they never really thought about.
Their shared room was the place they decided to be bored, together. Like real siblings.
Len was reading the newest chapter of a manga he has been following recently on his bed. He wasn't particularly bored, actually. Just enjoying the peace and quiet.
Rin, on the other hand, is a little ball of energy that needs to do something physical or otherwise stimulating for her brain in order to live.
Boredom is a death sentence to her.
She had done everything. Rolling, jumping, dancing and laying on her bed, pestering Len, going back and fourth in their room, singing, pestering Len, checking her phone, pestering Len.
That seemed to be how this afternoon was going to be spent.
Until she had a bright idea.
"... Oh wait! I just remembered something"
She was talking to Len this whole time about how bored she was. Len had learned to make her part of the background noise, what with having her as a twin sister for more than 14 years. He just continued reading his manga.
"I actually have a bunch of clothes that i either have never worn, or haven't wore them since the beginning of last century."
"And i remember wearing this very pretty dress a while back."
"I really wanna find it now!"
She made her way to her wardrobe. The only other thing they didn't share in this room other than their beds.
"Let's see..." She was scouring the thing like it had treasure in there. Despite being an idol, her wardrobe wasn't nearly as big as one would expect. It still had a shit ton of clothes though. Some might not even fit her anymore, but she's too lazy to check which do and which don't.
Len was still reading his manga. Along with having mixed her with the background noise, aka completely ignoring her, he had also learned to absorb some key things she was saying. Because Rin got mad whenever Len didn't listen to her.
Dont get him wrong, he loves his sister to bits. He's her twin and vice versa, very different and special type of bond, but she's a handful sometimes.
"... You're searching for a what you said?"
"A dress! Like, the orange and yellow one that i wore for one occasion only 2 years ago or so. Its been popping up in my mind these past few days. I wonder if i can find it"
Len heard her, but went back to reading his manga without answering. She's done a bunch of things to cure her boredom all these years, but this one was certainly a first. She's never done this before.
He was quietly hoping Rin found that dress, too. Who knows, maybe the hijinks that would ensue upon finding it would be much more interesting than reading something that he's barely interested in.
"There you are! Jeez... You were shoved to hell and back"
Len took a peak. It was indeed the one he imagined it would be.
It was that yellow summer dress with orange floral patterns on it. Definitely needed ironing, but it's not like she's going anywhere with it now. Its been so many years, Len doesn't even remember the occasion it was worn for.
Though he did like it. He remembers how flowy and beautiful it was. He really wishes it would see its use again, but alas.
"I should try it on, actually. I remember liking it."
Len's wishes were heard, it seems.
"Dont look!"
"I wasn't looking anyways."
Len had been reading the manga. He wasn't looking at her.
Actually, more like trying to read. With each passing second, he could feel his interest being shifted to that dress. For no reason.
"Nice! It still fits me. Look Len! Its really beautiful, isn't it? Hehe!"
Rin was walking and dancing around in it, the summer dress followed, adding a nice elegance with each move.
Len finally looked up from the manga and was hit with a feeling he's never really felt before about a dress.
"Its actually very pretty" Len said that as if he had to answer professionally here or get fired.
Not because he didn't like it, but because anything else he might've said might have ended up in an argument over who gets to have it.
"I know right?! Why did i ever stop wearing!"
"Yea..."
Its really getting at Len.
Rin gets to look so nice wearing it. It brings out a sort of energy that makes her look much more elegant.
Len wants to feel elegant too.
In the sense that, he'd be lying to himself if he said that he doesn't want to know how he'd look in it.
He's always had that with Rin's clothes. She gets to have such detailed and colourful clothes, while Len has to wear something much more 'masculine', which he always felt was unfair.
I mean, he DOES like the clothes he has, but Rin's have something that is missing from Len's. He doesn't know what it is, but Len doesn't feel safe enough to ask to wear Rin's stuff. She'd tease him till the end of his life.
"... Is something the matter, Len?"
"H-huh? Oh."
"Uhh. No. Its nothing really. I was just thinking about... Something"
"You can't be so vague about it! What is it?"
Being twins, Len and Rin are used to sharing secrets to eachother that under normal circumstances you wouldn't be able to waterboard out of.
And this one is no different, the issue being that he doesn't know how Rin is going to react.
He goes for it anyways. Worst case scenario she calls him gay or something.
"Ugh... Fine. Its just that, i was really wondering how... Uh"
"How... That dress would look on... Me?"
Silence befalls the room.
The twins are staring at eachother, without knowing what each of them is thinking or feeling.
Len knows that's not a good thing.
Rin suddenly bursts out laughing.
"H-hey! I-I said that as a joke!"
"I dont actually want to wear that stupid dress of yours...!"
Len knew he shouldn't have trusted his sister. Now she's going to tell everyone, and then they are going to make fun of him too and-
"No... No it's not that silly!" Rin catches her breath.
"You dont even have to ask!"
"W-what?"
"Yea! We are twins right? We wear the same things anyway!"
That isn't true, but he can see how she can think that.
Usually, when they are working on a video or in general dancing, they have to wear matching outfits. These outfits are meant to be genderbent version of eachother.
So in a sense, Rin is actually right.
"You can try it!"
"... Really?"
"Duh! Lemme just get out of it real quick"
Len couldn't believe what was happening.
His sister didn't make fun of him? And not only that, she let him wear HER stuff?
Rin must be in an extra nice mood today.
"Think fast!"
Something was thrown at his back.
"Ugh... Thanks i guess"
"Hehe!"
Now it was his turn, it would seem
Ironically enough, this was the first time he's worn anything feminine unironically.
He's done it a bunch of other times before, but that was for videos and such. And as a joke.
This time he was gonna wear a cute, girly dress for real.
Len got done putting it on
"... You can look now."
Rin turned her head with a quickness that could break her neck. It seems she's curious to see how Len looks in feminine clothes too.
Despite her excitement, she didn't say anything at the first sight of Len in a dress.
When Rin was wearing it, it reached her upper calves, but since Len was some centimeters taller, it reached his knees.
"... Uh... How do i look?"
Like an absolute charlatan, but Rin couldn't say that.
He was shifting in it like a kid that was forced to wear something by it's mother.
Jokes aside though, he looks like her, but a bit taller.
Rin didn't expect it would fit him that well.
"You... Actually look quite nice in it!"
"D-do... Do you really mean that?"
"Yea silly! I mean, what did you expect? People have said we look alike, so if it goes well with me, it goes well with you too!"
"You're a bit too tall for it though..."
Len knew that, but he didn't care at the moment.
He's never felt so beautiful in his life.
He does a little twirl and afterwards strikes a pose.
"Hehe! Len! Didn't know you liked it that much!" Rin was watching this wonderful show from the chair in front of her vanity. She must admit that as silly as it felt watching a guy in a dress twirl and pose like a high school girl, she's never seen him happier wearing something.
That makes her happy too.
"... I feel pretty cute" Len finally spoke. He didn't know how to feel at the fact that he feels all that by just wearing a relatively simple dress.
"You do, actually! Who knew that guys can be cute too?"
That stuck with Len, for some reason.
Maybe it's because the definition of cute changes based on your gender, so being called cute in the way you'd call a girl cute is something that Len wanted to experience.
Eventually though, as all good things do, Len had to take it out.
He probably wore it for more time than Rin did.
Right as Rin was putting it in a place she'd be certain she'd find it, Len spoke.
"... You should... Let me do this more often"
"Yea! Sure!"
"...If i want you having my clothes, that is"
"Wh-what?! Why?!"
"You're taller than me idiot! You'll rip something apart probably"
"Dont tell me i gotta fight for that too?"
"Well, they are MY clothes, aren't they?"
Len can't argue with that logic. Yet he continued pleading.
"Ha-have some humanity Rin!"
"Im putting my wardrobe under lock and key, and you're gonna have to ask ME then if you can have them! Hehe..."
"No fair! Ive let you borrow MY clothes before!"
"Yea! For one time only!"
"I haven't seen that belt since you took it"
"I was using it more often than you were, anyway!"
"Besides, I can't believe you're using my moment of vulnerability against me... I thought i could trust you, Len..." She says with a sly smile.
"Be serious Rin!"
"Hehe!"
"Now i want my belt back..."
"NEVER!" Rin says as she runs out the room, holding the belt in question.
"RIN!" And Len runs after her.
He's never asking for her clothes again...