A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to the forum loiters in the witch x warlock forum and of course, Aspy-kitty-kun for betaing this, he did really a good job ^^
BTW... People here don't know Geass, they are just simple people... anyways, ENJOY ^^
Today? February the 13th. Tomorrow? February 14th. Valentine's Day.
And Lelouch's opinion?
He positively despises it. Why?
Simple; girls hunt him relentlessly and stuff his room with chocolates and candies. Who would look at receiving so many gifts during Valentine's Day as a bad thing?
Technically, Lelouch never minded the presents; in fact, he and Nunnally enjoyed eating them in-front of the television…So… chocolates and candies aren't much of a problem really...
It's just...
"Lelouch," a girl standing by his bedroom door said. He stole a glance in her general direction; she was wearing her Ashford high school girl's uniform. Her long, shimmering, lime-green hair was somehow meshed into messy pigtails and she was wearing her favorite Cheese-kun backpack; compliments of the Pizza Hut where she worked part-time.
She seems to be leaving for home then, Lelouch thought. For a moment, a brief second, he felt a sharp pain in his chest; just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
"C.C.," Lelouch acknowledged the visitor. C.C. isn't her true name, clearly, but more of a nickname. She didn't like people to call her by her real name. In fact, he was the only person alive who knew it.
"I'm leaving," she said coolly, a smirk planted across her face.
"Are you sure?" Lelouch said "Want me to bring you home then?" he offered as his digital watch changed from 6:59 to 7:00.
She shook her head slowly, expressionless once more.
The usual answer. C.C. is so independent, so stubborn, Lelouch thought as he stared at her figure leaning nonchalantly against his bedroom door.
"It's alright, you don't have to worry," C.C. assured him. "My dormitory is just nearby, perhaps a little walk outside wouldn't hurt me."
"What did you and Nunnally do tonight?" He asked her, curiosity burning behind those amethyst eyes.
She smiled and made a sound of amusement, something between a snort and a chuckle. "It was just girl talk, boya," she said playfully.
"Shut up, witch," came the mirthful reply.
"Shut up, warlock," she teased again. Then she sighed, backing out of the doorway. "Anyways, tomorrow is Valentine's day...you should be ready, 'cuz there's that huge marathon tomorrow..."
"That's even worse than Villeta-sensei forcing me into a 100 yard dash..." he answered her with a smile."It's just that...I don't like my room getting cluttered up with chocolates and candies from girls around the campus...by the way, are you planning something for someone tomorrow?"
"Me?" C.C. pointed a finger at herself. "I don't care for Valentine's much, and it's not my problem...anyway, it's getting really late. I should...go..."
Lelouch watched as she turned her back on him, and faded into the dark corridor. He sighed and put his head in his hands.
And so...
C.C.'s last words lingered for a moment longer before disappearing, and Lelouch's hopes followed suit.
=0=0=0=0=0=
"Onii-sama is getting very quiet," came a sweet voice at the end of the dining table.
Lelouch's train of thought was realigned when he heard his sister's voice.
"What is it, Nunnally?" Lelouch said, trying to change the subject to something that wasn't regarding him. "What did you do with C.C. today?"
Nunnally's face suddenly reached an unprecedented shade of red, blushing like Lelouch had never seen before. It must have taken her a great deal of time and effort to make Suzaku a card and some homemade chocolates, Lelouch thought. Was C.C. helping her?
"Nothing!" Nunnally exclaimed. "Uh...no...well…uhm…you see...tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so...you see...I...uh...Miss C.C. was just helping me with something."
His sister's stammering and shifting of emotions indicated that it had something to do with him.
"What could it have been?" Lelouch was truly perplexed, and very, very interested.
"Uhm…C.C.-san looked very beautiful today," Nunally said. Lelouch felt his heart beat wildly at the sound of her name, and he dropped his fork.
"W-Why do you think so, Nunnally?" he asked her.
"Nothing," She answered. "I'm sure she'll give onii-sama something this year."
At this, Lelouch gave a low chuckle. But there was hurt in his voice, and Nunnally was not unaware of this.
"What's wrong onii-sama?" Nunnally said. "Did I say something wrong? Gomen, onii-sama."
"That witch," he began, patting Nunnally's head. "Doesn't care about anything but herself."
=0=0=0=0=0=
February 14, 5:00 a.m.
Today is the dreaded day...
Lelouch contemplated what kind of horrors would await him...his prediction? He would hide, yet the girls would keep on finding him. He couldn't look to Suzaku for aid; he is also being chased...but at least HE'S athletic, the lucky bastard. Student President Milly would make this day a living hell for him because of her weird ideas, and he is sure to receive something from Shirley as always...and C.C...
C.C. will be C.C...She'll do the same as always, caring not for those around her.
Lelouch felt his eyes burst open, lying on his bed and staring at the dark ceiling of his bedroom…
Why is he thinking about her?
Is it because she had been his childhood friend and had a lot of memories with her?
He isn't sure.
All he knew was that, even within a sea of girls, she always stood out: Her long, lime hair...her golden eyes...her porcelain skin, her smile, her laugh, her mannerisms, her mischievousness…
Lelouch's lips curved into a smile just thinking about her. He tried to think of a word to describe her, but…
What word could possibly do her justice?
Strange, he thought.
She is strange. There was no reason for him to expect anything from her today. Valentine's isn't her thing.
=0=0=0=0=0=
"Yo, Lelouch!!!" the blue-haired and ever-smiling Rivalz Cardemonde called out to him. Lelouch turned and greeted him a good morning. Somehow, he felt lucky that somebody was with him during such a dreadful day.
"Why the big frown, Lelouch?" he questioned. "It is a happy Valentine's Day after all..."
"Didn't have enough sleep, I guess..." Lelouch reasoned out as they walked down the school corridor.
"Hey Lelouch!!!" The hyperactive Rivalz said as he put an arm around the prince's neck. "Do you think Milly would give me chocolates today?"
"I doubt it," the raven haired boy said in monotone.
"Awww... Lelouch is being cruel!!!" Apparently, he was hurt for a reason, but Lelouch can be frank.
"I'm not!" he protested.
"Lelouch, mean? Boy, like that's news to me!" Another male joined the two.
"Suzaku," Lelouch said. "Good morning."
"So what's up Suzaku?" Rivalz asked intently. Suzaku turned to him, smiling.
"I was..." Suzaku Kururugi began thinking of how he started his morning, until he came up with an appropriate response. "I was fixing my hiding place earlier this morning."
"That's awesome!!! Suzaku has a hiding place? I bet that's where you are going to keep your girls today!!!" Rivalz said with his usual ardor.
For a moment there, Lelouch sincerely hoped that Rivalz wasn't much of an idiot.
=0=0=0=0=0=
The classroom was noisier than usual.
As the trio casually walked in, Lelouch and Suzaku's jaws dropped when they saw their desks...mountains upon mountains of sweet treats. For them. WITH LOVE.
"What the--!!!" Lelouch exclaimed. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone else who's eyes could pop out as far as his own.
"You're...not serious..." Suzaku said, as they reached their seats.
Lelouch examined the cards scattered on his desk: there were all sorts of candies and chocolates, some of them were even the expensive, foreign variety.
With the chocolates came the cards. With the cards came the girl's names. It was only seconds after breaking out of his reverie...did Lelouch realize that he was searching for a specific name.
C.C. walked into the noisy classroom, and he watched as she walked smartly towards her seat in front of him, her sweet scent lingering under his nose. "You've got quite a few cards there, Lelouch," she remarked as she peered into them with a hint of interest.
"You might say that," he replied in monotone. He watched her sit comfortably and begin hugging her cheese-kun backpack. He figured, since she brought it up, he might as well ask her something. "CC," he began, "Are you planning on giving something to someone, today?"
CC paused for a while. For a moment, it was as if nobody else was in the classroom. The noise faded, the mountain of candy and his friends forgotten.
Lelouch waited for her answer. C.C. did not turn.
"No."
Once again, he felt shattered.
No.
...That is her answer.
=0=0=0=0=0=
Villeta Nu, their class adviser, didn't arrive that morning.
Instead, they heard Milly Ashford's voice over the school's PA system. Just hearing that voice made Lelouch nervous. Why wouldn't it? She's always giving him hell with her contrivances, her little schemes.
This is a marathon, Lelouch had anticipated. I hate running. I hate strenuous activities altogether. Valentine's Day for me is just like Gym class, wherein there is an endless stream of extraneous activities...
"Listen everyone!!!" rang Milly's sugary, teasing voice. Lelouch cringed in his seat, but his attention and his amethyst eyes were secretly focused on the indifferent girl in front of him. "There was a brief meeting with the faculty earlier this morning, and since today is a very special day for everyone, we have agreed that classes would be off today!!!"
"What?!" Lelouch screamed in his mind. His worst nightmare had become a reality.
Then again...this was typical of Milly Ashford.
Milly Ashford is the president of the student council and the granddaughter of the school's owner. Therefore, she holds the teachers by their necks and provides liberty for students. As usual, the students‒the ladies in particular‒cheered at the announcement.
Milly's voice positively oozed satisfaction over the intercom. "BUT..."
But?
"But we have a game," she continued, pausing for dramatic effect. There was a hint of a wink in her voice...
Lelouch noted the reactions of the girls around him; they all had grown aggressive, each of them burning with passion for the raven-haired student...except for C.C., who twirled a strand of lime hair between her fingers. She was looking rather bored at the moment.
"WAIT!" Milly's excited voice grew louder. "I am going to explain the rules and mechanics of the game. Since there will be an upcoming Prom on the last week of February, today is a perfect opportunity for you to find your dates. The boys are given a 10 minute head-start, where they may hide away from the girls. After the allotted time, the girl should have her own candy heart ready for the boy she likes. Once she finds him, she must offer her candy heart, and the boy must eat it; then he'll be her date for the prom!"
The buzz in the classroom intensified.
"...and, girls," Milly continued her announcement, "The candy hearts are available at the school's cafeteria. Each girl must have one... If someone doesn't follow the rules, he or she shall be given 10 assignments each day...so boys, start thinking of your hiding place right now, because the game will start later at 10 a.m. sharp!!!"
The buzz became an uproar.
=0=0=0=0=0=
"What are your plans for later, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked his friend as they reached their lockers. An hour had passed since Milly's announcement, and people were making a big fuss about it.
"Why should I tell you?" The raven haired boy said, a little annoyed. "If I do, well...who knows who could be listening?" He then opened his locker only to find a wave of sweets and cards pouring down to the floor. Suzaku laughed, at first...until the same thing happened to him. "I guess we're even Lelouch..."
"Not quite..." Lelouch answered as he saw CC scampering towards their direction, heading for her locker.
"That's a lot of sweets, boya..." she said with a giggle.
"Hi C.C.!" Suzaku said with a smile.
CC smiled back in acknowledgment.
"So, what brings you here?" Lelouch asked the strange girl (who apparently had no Valentine spirit within her).
"Just getting slices..." she answered him as she opened her locker, which happened to be stuffed with pizza boxes.
Lelouch peeked to see if there were any sweets inside...but he was simply paranoid. What if C.C. likes another boy in school?
"Hey, no peeking at my pizza slices!" CC exclaimed when he peered in. "You'll never get a slice even if you beg me," she said with a smirk.
"You witch, you're always like that," he snickered.
C.C. gave him a teasing smile. "Yes, I am…so if you'll excuse me, I should go to the cafeteria. Kallen is waiting for me..."
Then she left, and Lelouch's good mood all but evaporated.
Lelouch watched her leave. The swaying of her hips, her mischievous smile, and her scent that lingered...everything remained inside the lovesick boy's mind.
"Don't tell me you like her," came Suzaku's mocking voice.
Lelouch could feel blood rushing to his cheeks; for the first time, he felt that somebody had uncovered his plan. "What makes you say that, Suzaku?"
"Nothing...it's just that you never talk to other girls like that..."
"What do you mean?"
"Hi Lulu!!!" Shirley Fennette, one of their friends, greeted him unexpectedly when she happened to pass by.
"Uh...hi, Shirley," he responded to orange haired girl.
"Lulu!!! Would you believe Milly just canceled class!!!" she said excitedly.
"I know..."
Shirley then flashed a smile and poked him in the chest "I'll get you later, Lulu."
"Uh…yeah, sure...whatever," Lelouch answered awkwardly.
With a smile of satisfaction, Shirley went on her way.
"See?" Suzaku accused.
"I'm afraid I still have no clue as to what you mean by that."
"I meant that you treat C.C. differently. We all know that Shirley likes you..."
"That's not true," Lelouch face turned bright red, apparently, he was defensive.
"...and I'm sure you're aware of it, too. Yet, still you treat C.C. as someone apart from all the other girls in the academy." Suzaku shrugged. "Actually, Euphy and I already talked about our plan..." Suzaku said dreamingly.
"Huh? Euphy? You mean my cousin? Hey when did that happen?" Lelouch said in astonishment, completely unaware of other people's affairs, per usual.
"I'm sorry!!!" Suzaku exclaimed. "We just...like each other," Suzaku bowed.
Lelouch sighed, as if he could prevent the present situation. "Anyways, I need to go." With that, he turned and walked away from his best friend.
"Why don't you tell C.C. that you like her?" Suzaku called out at Lelouch who was already at the other end of the hallway.
Lelouch turned back around and gave a small smile. "She doesn't like me..."
=0=0=0=0=0=
The game had started hours ago, and Lelouch was lucky that he hadn't been caught yet. Unfortunately, he was already exhausted from running around the campus. The girls were frighteningly quick to anticipate where he was going. At this point, strategies were pointless. Sometimes he wondered if girls really were smarter than boys...when it comes to such things.
He tried to hide in various places: first, he tried the rooftop, but it was too hot and he was easily spotted; then he tried the basement, but the girls trailed him with ease due to his stamina (or lack thereof).
He couldn't use the comfort room either; it was full of other guys who are just as scared as him, and the lack of room would suffocate him.
He always avoided the gym, and going to the cafeteria would be suicide. He wished he could stay at the faculty. It is locked today, however, and the key is in Milly Ashford's clutches.
Lelouch ran through the school corridors without following any particular pattern. He suddenly looked at his back and saw a battalion of girls 10 meters away from him; they were headed by none other than Shirley and Kallen.
"He's mine!!" Shirley Fennette yelled at the red-haired Kallen Kouzuki.
"Not if I get to him first," Kallen yelled at her rival.
Lelouch flinched. Those girls are simply full of energy, he thought. If this continues to go on...maybe...
Maybe...
Lelouch could feel his body energy draining; he couldn't take it anymore, he could'nt—
Abruptly, he felt a hand grab his right arm from nowhere, and yank him into a darkened room along the dimly-lit corridor. The grip on him was strong enough that he couldn't move a muscle; he even felt a hand cover his mouth. He is utterly powerless in the hands of this stranger.
=0=0=0=0=0=
Lelouch tried to free himself from the grip of his captor. Much to his surprise, it wasn't some hormone-crazed teen latched onto him, but...
"C.C.!!" he exclaimed.
"Ssshhh..." she hissed. Her face was serious, but there was a hint of laughter in those golden eyes.
"But, why...? How...?"
"The girls are chasing you..." she replied calmly, hugging her knees.
"Oh..." he looked around the room, and it dawned on him that this was where the cleaning materials are usually being kept. He glanced at the beauty in front of him, noticing that her golden eyes were staring at the floor, green locks cascading downward, some lightly tickling his arm. She seemed at a loss for words—that or she was simply bored.
"Thank you," the raven-haired boy said as he slumped down in the floor, exhausted.
"Huh?" Her eyes met his, and Lelouch's heart skipped a beat.
"I was thanking you…" he panted. "…you, witch…" he said with a smile.
"I knew you hated Valentines," she reasoned. "I know you..."
"Yes, you know too much about me..."
"Well, you keep whining to me when things don't go your way," CC explained. "And besides, we've been friends ever since we were 10...what difference does it make?"
Lelouch felt her crawl beside him, and her head suddenly came to rest on his shoulder. "Who would ever think that Valentine's Day is one of my most hated days?"
He looked at C.C., who silently urged him to continue.
"The girls wouldn't leave me alone..."
He felt her head nod, "That's true."
"And," he added "Since when did Kallen chase me? She's one of your friends, right?"
"Well, she did stare at you constantly during the Halloween party when you dressed up as Zero..."
"But Zero is just a made up character!"
"I know, but she thought it was cool...I couldn't blame her though." Lelouch saw her smile at the thought. "What about Shirley?" She added looking directly to his eyes. "What do you think about her?"
"Shirley? She's persistent, and I know how she feels. But I can't return her feelings, because my eyes are set on another...even if she doesn't know it."
"Really?" CC said skeptically. "That's something new. Imagine: this school's coolest heartthrob, Lelouch Lamperouge, isn't noticed by the girl he likes. That should make the headlines in the school paper." She looked at him cunningly, whispering, "May I know?"
Lelouch averted his eyes away from her, his cheeks feeling as if he had pressed them to a frying pan. "It's none of your business, witch.," he mumbled.
"Oh?"
"Alright, I'll tell you," he gave in, his cheeks growing hotter. "She certainly doesn't like me."
"Are you sure?" C.C. said, looking away. "How can you be sure that she doesn't really like you? Have you heard her say it?"
"No..."
"Then you don't have any proof."
He laughed...it was a faint chuckle, like he disagreed with what she said. "Do you know who she is? You, the all-knowing C.C.," he said, teasing.
C.C. blinked.
He went on, emboldened somehow. "She is selfish, lazy, and messy...she doesn't care about the people around her, usually goes her own way, and is very independent. After her parents orphaned her, she had created an ice wall between herself and others. A lot of the people around her regarded her as strange..." He glanced towards her direction. He noticed her eyes getting heavy with thought.
"Then," she whispered. "If you claim this girl as strange...why do you like her? Don't you realize that you have a very fine reputation here in school? If you went with her, your image would surely be shattered—"
"I don't care!" he interrupted.
C.C.'s eyes shot open and rested on him, but he stared right at the wall ahead.
"So she's different, cold, and strange...so what?"
"..."
"When she was orphaned, she still greeted me with a smile during her parent's wake...and I saw how her tears spilled when she cried for them while sitting alone; but she would always wipe them, and you know..." He then faced her, his amethyst eyes blazing, trained on her amber ones. "Even if she's busy, she still helps the people around her...she never wanted to be a burden to somebody...she always masks her loneliness with indifference...but I always saw her true self of her being playful and sly...I still do...not to mention she has good grades, especially when it comes to history. She even works part-time at Pizza Hut to support herself somehow, despite those who would judge her. Maybe that's why she loves Cheese-kun so much, because Cheese-kun never judges her like any other person..."
He smiled at her briefly, gently, before staring again at the blank wall in front of them.
"Sometimes, I tend to get jealous of Cheese-kun...I wish that, if only for a day, I could trade places with him...to receive her love...to hold her and be held...I just want her to know that Cheese-kun is not the only one who can comfort her when she is hurt..."
C.C. sighed, but her voice betrayed the tears that threatened to fall. "You say a lot of weird things, warlock...I just asked who she was...not her life story..."
Lelouch smirked at her remark. "I think I just wanted you to know..." Then he looked back at C.C., who took out her candy heart and held it high for him to see.
"Do you see this?"
"It's a candy heart..." he began.
"No, this is a girl's heart," she said slowly, trying to emphasize every word. "What do you think of it?"
"I guess Milly has outdone herself this time..." Lelouch mumbled, staring at the candy.
"It is said that since this candy would represent a girl's heart, sweet and innocent as it is, and she must offer it to the boy who has taken possession of it..."
Lelouch stared at the heart she was holding...then turned to face her. "If you put it that way, what do you plan to do with it?"
C.C. smiled, eyes shining with mischief. "I guess I have no choice then..." Lelouch watched in stunned silence as she put the candy heart between her teeth, her smile widening. Lelouch could feel the tension forming in his chest.
Was she going to eat it?
I wonder...what is she up to now?
Suddenly her two hands grabbed either side of his face and drew it closer to hers, the candy still between her teeth...
Lelouch could feel his heart racing...his hands trembling...the butterflies in his stomach went berserk.
The hurricane of emotions he was feeling threatened to explode. The close proximity of their faces was enough to weaken his knees...she leaned closer, pressed her lips to his, and with her tongue, pushed the candy from her mouth into his...
=0=0=0=0=0=
"Apparently, there was a chocolate thief today; our chocolate gifts seemed to be missing..." One girl randomly said as they passed by Lelouch and C.C.
"I felt bad because my crush didn't seem to have noticed them," her friend answered her.
Lelouch looked to C.C., sitting next to him on one of the benches of the school's garden.
"Don't look at me; I love pizzas way more than chocolates."
"Don't worry, I'm not accusing you of anything...witch."
She grinned like a Cheshire cat and slid right next to him, leaning to whisper in his ear. "War...lock." He shuddered and she laughed, pulling away.
"Hey!!" Kallen cried. "He's over there!!!"
The infamous group of Lelouch fangirls came running towards him, each of them holding their own candy heart.
C.C. put an arm around his, and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed, of course. "Maybe you should say that you are already taken, my dear Lulu..."
Then she looked at her watch and rose from the bench. "Oh, look at the time," she said. "I must go, got to finish some club activities...and besides...your fangirls are near."
Before he could react, C.C. kissed his lips lightning-fast, and then scampered off. Lelouch sighed. How come she's like that? So unpredictable?
C.C. will be C.C....that's why I—
When the girls arrived, he stood up and he bowed to them with grace, smiling apologetically. "I am sorry ladies—I am already taken by a certain girl named C.C..."
And when he looked up, he saw all of them turn into stone. The smirk on his face was one you would give up pizza for.
=0=0=0=0=0=
...The candy heart represents a girl's heart, which she must offer to the guy she loves, and he must receive her heart wholly...
In this game, it is not only the girl who chooses, but the guy also chooses which candy heart he should eat....
=0=0=0=0=0=
"How was your day, onii-sama?" his brunette sister asked him. "I believe Milly-chan was hosting one of her famous games..."
"It was nice, Nunally," he answered her. "No...it was wonderful," he corrected.
"I see...I am happy for you then," she answered him. "By the way, onii-san, may I ask you how many candies you have eaten today?"
Lelouch smiled. For the first time, Valentine's became a memorable event. He turned and answered her, a genuine smile plastered on his face. One that surely would last for the rest of the night.
"One," he said. "I ate...one."
=OWARI=