A/N:

I was re-reading the reviews to my older works, and from the review posted by Magery, the plan for a sequel for Breakthroughs was started. However, the inspiration to get the proverbial ball rolling only came this year, and the momentum for it reached unstoppable levels only these past few weeks. Thanks go twice to Magery who was also kind enough to beta-read this (please do take the time to check out her stories; they're amazing).

Hope you enjoy! As always, feedback is appreciated.

Disclaimer: Code Geass and all its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

The need to breathe was the only reason they pulled apart.

After all, drowning because you didn't want to stop kissing each other in the pouring rain would make an embarrasing, if not incredible, cause of death. They might even actually go viral.

But now, as they stared into each other's eyes, they were both confused yet elated with this development. He loved her. She loved him. And suddenly they found themselves feeling stupid for not understanding their own feelings sooner.

~.-.=.o.O.o.=.-.~

= Before =

~.-.=.o.O.o.=.-.~

Lelouch opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. For one, his room wasn't this spacious. Another was that this room had wall-to-wall carpeting, a luxury he hadn't enjoyed since―

A sudden headache interrupted his thought process, making him reach for his head and notice the bandage wrapped around it. That's right, he told himself, he and Rivalz had run into some thugs on their way home from their part-time job. He had tried to defuse the situation, and had gotten himself hit on the head for his trouble. He recalled insisting on no hospitals, before passing out.

Rivalz knew he wouldn't want Nunnally to see him like this, so he was probably in a friend's house. But whose? Last he checked, Rivalz didn't have friends with luxurious accommodations like this, and he'd be an idiot to call a favor from one of their wealthier employers; none of them re-hired either of the boys for some reason.

His mind cleared enough to notice raised voices from behind the door. He got someone into trouble again, it would seem. Not that he had a bad reputation, mind you, but he hadn't been choosy with the jobs he took, and he was seen as being in the employ of establishments in bad neighborhoods. It didn't matter at all that he never went back to any of them even if he wanted to.

Just great, he thought. Another debt to owe. Another person he wouldn't be able to face again.

Finally the door opened to reveal one of the speakers in the heated conversation. A girl. Slamming it closed behind her, she took deep breaths to calm herself. She carried with her a small basin of water, a towel, and a first-aid kit. It took another few moments before she turned to look at him, and he recognized her.

Kallen.

"You're awake!" she said, relief evident in her tone. She went on, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? You were unresponsive for so long, we were getting worried. But Minami-san said we should wait for you to wake up before deciding on anythi―"

He lifted a hand to stop her. "Too loud," he said, voice strained. His head was hurting again.

"Sorry," she whispered. She went on to pour him a glass of water, offering him an aspirin with it, which he accepted gratefully.

With his parched throat sufficiently moistened Lelouch asked, "Where are we?"

"My house, one of the guest rooms." She went on to explain, "I ran into Rivalz dragging you along. I was visiting a friend in the area who's a doctor. He got you patched up, and he said we wouldn't really know much else until you woke up. Oh, and to make sure you're comfortable in the meantime, so we got a taxi to bring you here."

He gave a light nod, careful not to make his headache worse. "Who knows I'm here?"

"Me, Rivalz, Minami-san (my doctor friend), Milly, and Clovis."

"Oh," she added as an afterthought, "and my new stepmother. Sorry if we were too loud, earlier."

"How does Clovis know?" he demanded.

"No one was answering at your place, so I notified Milly instead. She said your sister's at his place for the weekend, and that you didn't want to make her worry, so I called his cell directly. He said he'd think of a cover story for you."

"How did you get his number?" He made sure his phone was heavily encrypted, so that his connection with his half-siblings would remain secret.

"I took a gamble that he's the same Clovis that's one of my father's business contacts," she replied with a hint of embarrassment. She'd actually searched his wallet and had been surprised to learn of the connection, but he didn't need to know that. Other than the link to Milly's family, he had kept his affairs private. He didn't need to know what she learned. "My gamble paid off." she finished with a shrug.

He hummed his acknowledgement, though a little suspicious. His head now more clear with his receding headache, he prodded some more, "What day is it?"

"Sunday. It's almost ten in the morning."

"I should go." He got up only to be assaulted by vertigo, causing him to fall back on the bed. His vision re-focused to reveal a very worried Kallen. Before he could get another word out, he had doubled over, vomiting into Kallen's lap. To her credit, she neither flinched nor pulled away, but instead ran her hand up and down his back.

When the heaving stopped, she laid him back on the pillows, and used the towel she carried to wipe his face clean.

"Don't worry about work today," she went on to say. "Rivalz already said he'd cover for you."

"And," she cut off whatever protest he had to say, "I'm not letting you leave without Minami-san's say-so. Besides, you're my guest today, Lelouch. I'd be a poor hostess if I didn't at least share a meal with you." His stomach took that moment to grumble loudly. Pale as he was from retching, the ensuing blush was impossible to ignore. Kallen was kind enough to hold back her giggle.

"Let me go ask the cook to get you some hot soup and bread. Let's hope you can at least keep it down. I'll join you after I get cleaned up." She swept a hand down her soiled front. "Wouldn't want to ruin your appetite."

He sent her an apologetic smile and she took it to mean that she could leave. Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, he called out,

"Thank you."

She turned to face him, and he saw it again ― the smile that haunted his dreams though he never knew why. "My pleasure," she replied before finally disappearing from view.

-.o.O.o.-

"You didn't ask her?!" Clovis asked, incredulous. He had hoped that his brother would invite the Stadtfeld heiress to his directorial debut.

"She had plans," he replied, matter-of-factly. "Besides, Nunnally wanted to watch, too."

"I can easily get front-row seats if it were for the two of you. The reason I got you box seats is so―"

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch's eyes flew wide open. Her voice! He turned to face the direction it came from, and he had to remind himself to breathe as he drank in the sight of her. A simple off-shoulder dress of a shade of red deeper than her own hair, a pale gold necklace with a small sapphire pendant (matching her eyes) resting just at her clavicle, her hair in a bun secured by a jeweled comb, her lips slightly parted in inquiry, rouged to match her dress.

One word came to his mind: Exquisite.

"I didn't know you liked theatre." Her voice snapped him out of his admiration. The look in her eyes, though, revealed disappointment.

"I, um," he stuttered, "I'm just chaperoning my sister."

"Who's this, doll?" came a male voice from behind her. She visibly bristled at the query. A tall man with red (artificially colored, Lelouch noted) hair walked up beside her, arrogance seeping from every pore in his body. Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he watched the man take stock of him: from his rental tuxedo down to his dress (school) shoes. He noted a flash of cold fury in Kallen's eyes.

"As I live and breathe, Kallen Stadtfeld!" Clovis cut in, drawing the group's attention to him. "Your debut isn't for another month, is it, my dear?"

"My father is away on business, I'm afraid. And my mother," she spat out that word with thinly veiled venom, "wasn't feeling well enough to join us. She sends her regrets." She threw another disappointed glance at Lelouch before continuing, "I'm afraid I'm called to my familial duties early."

"This is Mr. Luciano Bradley, one of my mother's associates," she introduced her escort.

"I suppose this is our cue to leave, Mr. Britannia," Lelouch put in. "Thank you for the interview. I'll send you a copy of the school paper when we publish our review."

"Yes. Yes, of course," Clovis responded, covering for his younger brother. Lelouch did his best to not let the look of betrayal in Kallen's eyes affect him too much. "Hope you enjoy the show!"

-.o.O.o.-

"Bring a friend ―C.," said the envelope that Clovis left in his apartment's mailbox. The envelope contained tickets to two box seats for the premiere night of his directorial debut.

Twelfth Night, of all plays.

He could think of many who would want to go with him, but he could only think of one with whom he could have healthy discussion of the performance afterward.

And he knew for a fact that Kallen preferred Shakespeare's comedies over his other works.

For two days he had gathered his courage to ask her (why he was nervous in the first place, he couldn't find an answer to). The premiere was tomorrow, so today was his last chance.

As luck would have it, she was trying to get ahold of him all day, as well. Finally finding each other on their way to the student council, he was glad to have caught her in a cheerful disposition.

"There you are, Lelouch!"

"Hey, Kallen."

"Are you working tomorrow night?"

"Not really." He already swapped shifts with someone else so he could make it to the play.

"Great, 'coz I have a proposition."

"Let's hear it."

"There's this social function that my Dad got a last-minute invite to, but he can't make it. He asked me to stand in for him, but I need someone to come with.

"How about it? I pay you just to show up at the function with me? Good food, a chance to shake hands with big names, maybe get a recommendation for your next job? Get your future set up!"

"No," he flat-out refused, the theatre tickets crumpling in the hand in his pocket. "I mean, I can't." Did she really think so lowly of him? Just a poor boy who would jump at any chance for a quick buck? "I just remembered, I had to cover for somebody's shift. Sorry."

"I... see." He sensed the disappointment in her tone, though it didn't seem to come solely from his refusal. A part of him was even disappointed that he disappointed her. "I... guess I'll have to find someone else, then."

"Sorry."

-.o.O.o.-

Lelouch was glad to see that Nunnally was enjoying the play. It gave him the chance to look at the other members of the audience. To search for particular head of red hair, to be exact.

The sound of loud, out of place laughter captured his attention and he turned his head to its source. It came from one of the occupants of the box across the audience from theirs. And his companion was clearly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention they were getting.

Their eyes met. An agreement was reached.

Kallen excused herself to go to the restrooms; her escort kept laughing. Lelouch did the same; Nunnally asked him to get popcorn (which wasn't allowed, sadly). He found her sitting on one of the couches in the lobby, looking very miserable.

"You said you were working," she accused when he was close enough to hear. He stood beside where she sat.

"I lied," he admitted. "I apologise."

"Why?"

"I assumed you thought of me as a paid escort."

She whirled at him, but deflated almost immediately after. "I did sound like that, didn't I? I'm sorry."

"Let's call it even, then," he said, holding out his hand. They shook on it, and Lelouch took a seat beside her.

"I only wanted a friend with me," she went on to explain, her voice tiny. "I thought the cash would be icing on the cake, seal the deal."

Lelouch scoffed, "If you needed a friend, you should've said so. I would've gone."

"Duly noted." She groaned in frustration and leaned back in the sofa. "How much longer before the intermission?"

"Not much longer."

She sighed. "Almost halfway over, then."

"You look nice tonight, by the way."

This surprised her enough to make her sit up straight and look at him. Lelouch shrugged in response. "Got your mind off your misery, didn't it?"

When the rest of the audience filed out for the intermission, they were still laughing.

-.o.O.o.-

"WHAT?!"

"What do you mean we can't go to your debut party?" Shirley was the most vocal with her incredulity.

Kallen was unable to face her friends. "I just found out my stepmother single-handedly filled up the guest list." Her voice was quiet. Her fists were clenched as she told them, "There isn't room left for anyone else."

Milly thought to cheer everyone up by organizing their own private debut party for her in the evening after, but it was Lelouch's proposition that lifted Kallen's spirits.

"Hire Rivalz and I as part of your party's waiting staff. You need friends with you, right?"

She accepted.

The party itself, predictably, was a stifling affair for Kallen. Her father was still away, there were none in attendance that were in her age group (the closest being Luciano Bradley, who her stepmother insisted to have a seat at the head table), and she could almost swear only a handful were actually her father's associates. Just who does she expect to impress in my party?

The weather seemed to sympathize with her, turning what was supposed to be a garden party into a crowded indoor one (and the dance floor into nothing, yay!). Nonetheless, she played the good hostess, moving from table to table to thank each of her guests for coming, making sure their needs were seen to.

It was indeed a great comfort to have two of her friends around, even if only as part of the serving staff. Lelouch somehow managed to get a slot to serve at the head table, where he discreetly laid a comforting hand on her shoulder every chance he could, all while doing his best to avoid getting recognized by Luciano.

Just when she thought the party was drawing to a close, the true nightmare began.

"Everyone," Czarina Stadtfeld tapped a fork against her wine glass to call the guests' attention. "Thank you all for celebrating my dear daughter's day with us.

"I would like to take this opportunity to announce another very joyous development, and all of you have been given the privilege to bear witness." She then waved a confused Kallen to join her and stand at her right. Luciano she also invited to stand at her left.

"Everyone, raise your glasses in a toast, to the joining of two great families: the engagement of my dear Kallen to my good friend, Luciano Bradley!"

The cheer that followed wasn't at all shared by Kallen's father's associates. The Bradley family was wealthy, that much was known, but they were also rumored to have ties with the mafia. And they all knew that slightest hint of dirty money would not be accepted by James Stadtfeld. He never let it taint his company, and by God he would not let it taint his family. And so it was with great pride that they all heard their friend's daughter voice out what was in all their minds.

"WHAT?!"

Kallen was seething. How dare she? How DARE she?!

"You should be honored, darling. Luciano thoroughly enjoyed your company in the theatre. You also seemed to have enjoyed yourself immensely when you came home that night."

She had been smiling like an idiot that night, but it was because Lelouch made her laugh; he made her forget about Bradley. "So from that one night you decided I'd found my true happiness?" she spat. "I was sure you slept with my father at least twice before he decided he could tolerate you!"

Anger briefly flashed on her stepmother's face before her smug look returned with a vengeance. "Not at all, darling. It was the dowry Luciano most graciously offered for your hand that same night. Indeed, you would be seriously ungrateful to refuse such generosity."

"I'll show you generosity," she hissed before hurling the contents of her wineglass to her stepmother's face. Satisfied with her handiwork, she added, "No need to return the favor. The pleasure's all mine. That's 'generosity'."

Turning to the guests (not her guests) she spoke, "Show's over, everyone! You can all go home now."

Before she could turn to leave, Luciano grabbed her wrist. "Let go," she ordered, her voice dangerously low.

"No way, doll. I'm not leaving without a guarantee on my investment!"

"I said," she twisted, and her body flawlessly fell into the motions of the move that every single member of the Ashford Academy Judo Club was required to master, "Let. GO!"

After the most satisfying sound of a body landing on a table laden with dishes had petered out, Kallen stood to her full height and declared to all who could hear,

"I am NOT some doll for sale!"

That was it, she was through with being the victim of circumstance. Her father wasn't here. Her true mother left. Naoto was gone. This was her life. She would take back control of it.

She called the shots.

And these people were in her way.

With her thoughts, the adrenaline running through her veins, and her heart drumming in her ears, she hadn't noticed that the movements of the people around her had turned threatening. And so it was with her deepest gratitude that she realised someone had the sense to shout loud enough so she could hear,

"Kallen, RUN!"

-.o.O.o.-

Lelouch sprang into action as soon as he lost sight of Kallen. He had served at this party venue before, and he knew most of the hidden service corridors. He was glad that she was observant enough to notice the service entrance where he had been coming and going while he served at her table. He could find her, and get her out. Slipping into the service door opposite the one she took, he started navigating the maze that would aid in her escape.

He found her tucked behind some pipes, catching her breath, but he knew it was the worst hiding place in the whole building. Wordlessly he reached for her hand. This startled her, but after she saw who it was, she let him guide her.

With the both of them running, their footfalls echoed loudly in the quiet corridors. Before long they heard the sounds of pursuit coming their way. Cursing, Lelouch burst into the first door they came to, which turned out to be the kitchen for one of the other banquet halls.

He guided Kallen along by weaving between the counters towards one of its other exits. From the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar mop of curly brown hair. Turning his head slightly he confirmed his childhood friend's presence, as well as the look of recognition that passed between them.

Not wanting to waste time, Lelouch's free hand reached up and pulled his collar downward, revealing his neck. Please remember this one, Suzaku!Without waiting for confirmation, he and Kallen slipped through the exit he was aiming for. Back in the silence of the service corridors, Kallen's shoes began to click loudly again, but were momentarily masked by the sound of crashing from behind the door they just went through.

"Wait," Kallen hissed before bending down to relieve her feet of her high heels. Holding them in her left hand, she extended her right to let Lelouch lead her again. He hesitated when he saw the blisters on her feet, but decided they needed to make good their escape before anything else and led her again.

When they passed a fire exit, Lelouch stopped to open it wide, but they didn't go through it. He did the same with the next two that they passed. Alarms were blaring loudly by now because of them. Kallen signalled him to wait when she noticed this last one opened to the outdoor parking lot. She threw one of her shoes just outside it. The other she threw a little farther. If they were making red herrings, she thought she might as well make her own contribution.

Seemingly satisfied with their handiwork, Lelouch led her back into the maze of corridors, moving steadily away from that last exit. They congratulated themselves when they heard angry exclamations from behind them. A car was apparently driving away just as they saw her false trail.

Still, Lelouch didn't slow down, winded though he already was, never hesitating on which direction to take in this dark maze. Here, Kallen found time to think, to analyze this new side of Lelouch that she'd never seen before. Until her family fell apart, she didn't think much of him besides being a fellow member of the student council. But when she fell into depression, he had been the one to draw her out of it, not unlike what he was doing now. He knew how to find her, and how to get her out. Come to think of it, ever since that day, he seemed to go out of his way to make sure she was okay.

And make her smile.

But why?

It was at this point that she noted how he led her by the hand. He was holding her hand! Not her arm. Not her wrist. And oh so gently though firm.

I'm not letting go.

She startled. It was from her head, but she heard it in his voice.

The blush that was starting was doused almost immediately when she suddenly felt the rain on her face. She hadn't noticed that Lelouch already brought them outside.

He led them to a corner where tarp-covered crates were stacked, and bent so he could push aside a garbage bin. From there, he lifted a corner off the steel mesh of the fence, and waved her to crawl through. Once they were both through, he repositioned the bin as best he could to cover their passage. That done, he led her again, this time to the trees that surrounded the picturesque venue.

They finally stopped just out of sight from the clearing that was the original garden venue of her party. Lelouch leaned his back heavily against one of the trees, facing away from the clearing, then pulled Kallen against his chest. For a long while they just stood there, the only sounds being the roar of the still-pouring rain and their breaths.

When it was clear that their pursuers weren't anywhere near, Lelouch, finally giving in to his body's protests, slid to a sitting position still holding Kallen. He sighed loudly before loosening his hold, giving her room to move. He thought it cute, the way she looked up from being curled up against his chest. That feeling, coupled with the relief from the chase turned his next exhale into laughter. Kallen, equally relieved, joined him.

Both of them enjoyed the easy silence that came after their laughter died down. But a question needed to be asked.

"Why?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I was feeling generous."

She scoffed at that, not really believing him. A warm smile graced her face before she finally said, "Thank you."

He smiled back, cupping her face and replied "It was my pleasure."

And then they kissed. Because... it felt right.