Author's Note: WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Major spoilers to the end of Code Geass R2... you have been warned.
Author's Note 2: I am so sorry for not updating in... years... OTL... I never finished my Chrono Crusade fanfic, but I am trying to continue it now, but I kind of forgot the whole story, so I need to watch the series over again since I really hate it when authors write fanfics and make the characters very... OOC.
For now, please enjoy this Lloyd x Milly one-shot. And yes, after reading many comments from my other fanfic, I really need to re-read my work before submitting, so that's what I did for this one. So please! I would like reviews (especially to any of my readers from the past) and please tell me if I have improved, what should be improved, etc.
"Good morning!" the young Milly Ashford proclaimed to a maid she passed by. Today was her 20th birthday, and what better way to celebrate her birthday than to throw a huge party? Anyone who knew Milly was expected to see a lot of banners, streamers, balloons, and of course, many, many surprises.
She continued down the long hallway and into the large quad of the mansion she was staying at until she arrived at a fountain that stood in the middle of it all. Even though she was not one to just simply sit around and relax while there is so much to do, there were times when she needed to stop and have a few moments all to herself.
Now, it wasn't like her to act all sad and gloomy, especially during a fun event like this one, but with everything that's happened in the past, how could she just forget about it? The loss of her dear friends, Shirley, Rolo, Suzaku, and Lelouch, what else could she do? Every time she decides to throw a party, it only reminds her of all the sweet memories she had with all her friends. And even though she may look like her usual happy self on the outside, depression would eat at her from the inside. She was not one to have people worry over her. Rather, she was the cheerful one in the group; she was the one who always brought smiles to people; she was the one who would always bring a dark, distraught atmosphere into a lively, cheerful one. That's why she had to keep going on. She knew her friends would be upset with her if she was still worrying about the past and wasting her life thinking about how they aren't around anymore rather than continuing forward to pursue her dreams.
She lowered her head and stared at the ground, feeling her eyes begin to water. It was hard to keep it hidden sometimes, but knowing how everyone would be busy inside the house today, she knew no one would see her if she let out a tear or two here. However, she knew she still had to be strong, even if this was still difficult for her to get through. "No... I... I can't have my friends worry about me, not like this..."
"Milly?" a familiar voice called to her from the side.
She quickly wiped her eyes and stood up, acting like her usual self again. "Lloyd, I didn't think you'd come, and... so early too! The party doesn't start until one in the afternoon," she turned to face him and let out a small laugh as if she was never sad to begin with.
The man known as Lloyd looked at her with the same well-known smile he always had whenever he was with her. "You can never be too early to a party! And I wouldn't miss my ex-fiancée's birthday for anything in the world!"
"Haha, that's so like you Lloyd. Thank you very much," she said as she gave off her usual smile but avoided his gaze. She knew in her heart that Lloyd was pretending to be excited for her sake, and knew the only reason he's here now was because Cecile forced him. And that was the truth. Lloyd was a bit angry at Cecile for leaving him here, especially so early, but he figured it was an act of revenge for whatever he messed up on this time. However, he would not bother his ex-fiancée with trivial matters like that.
"You know Milly," Lloyd began with a serious tone as he moved his index and middle finger up to reposition his glasses, "It's not good for humans to repress what they are truly feeling." He managed to catch the glimpse of her eyes going wide for a bit, but she quickly changed back to her normal self once she saw him looking at her.
"What do you mean? What are you implying?" she questioned him as she turned around, pretending she was fascinated with something going on in that direction.
He watched with curious eyes as she turned her back to him, but didn't do or felt like doing anything about it. "It's unhealthy for people to hide how they really feel. It causes great stress to the body, physically and mentally. In turn, it causes a huge surge of distress and ultimately affects everyone around the person who is suffering." He let out a small sigh and went on. "Unfortunately, my dear, I'm still human. I know something has been on your mind, and since I don't have anything to do today, I'm all ears. Go on, tell me about your troubles," he said in an almost serious tone.
For a second, Milly felt like giving in and let everything she has been bottling up leave her lips, but what would be the point? She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't be sincere about the issue. "...h-haha... very funny, but no, you're wrong, nothing bothering me! Why would you think there'd be something troubling me? I'm fine! Today's my birthday! I'm going all out this time! That's right! I'm going to make this birthday a memorable one! With so much to do and so little time before guests start arriving, I'm going to have to work extra hard today! There's going to be a lot of food, and a bunch of games everyone can play, and –"
Before she knew it, Lloyd was in front of her, looking at her with a small hint of displeasure from his face, but kept the same happy-go-lucky smile and attitude he always had. "I'll have you know, I'm not completely heartless," he then sighed. "And as I have already stated, regrettably, I am still a human being. Therefore, I know something's wrong."
Milly was used to his strange sense of humor and simply laughed it off, "What kind of logic is that?"
Lloyd no longer hid the irritation on his face. "You say nothing's wrong, yet why are all of these tears falling down your face?" He took a step closer to her and wiped away the tears she had been ignoring this whole time. As his fingers gently touched her face, she flinched and stared in shock at what he did, but he continued on, "I doubt you've been suffering from some sort of eye infection. It's even more unlikely that it's due to one of your valves not working properly or... hmm... perhaps your circuitry is malfunctioning..." It seemed so strange for him to show any sign of endearment to another person. What Lloyd did was small, but it was enough to relieve her of the pain she was feeling. For the first time in a long while, Milly felt happy. She looked into Lloyd's eyes, and could see he was being serious as he conveyed his concern for her even though his face was now wearing a carefree smile. "L-Lloyd..."
"Now, now... You're getting your dress all wet," he started as he reached into his pocket and held out a white handkerchief for her. She smiled taking it as she wiped her eyes. "Feel like telling me about your troubles now?" Lloyd questioned her as he reverted to his signature smile.
Milly shook her head as she let out a small smile. "No, I think I'll be alright... I should get back now. I have a lot of preparations to do."
Lloyd didn't press on, but instead, merely nodded, "Ah, then I will be waiting here."
"No, you're a guest! I'll take you to wait in the –" she began, but he interrupted her.
"There's no need. Cecile will be here shortly and she strictly told me to wait for her here," he said in an odd mix of playfulness and exasperation.
"But," Milly started once more, but after she understood the situation, she agreed to leave him there and began to head back inside. She stopped soon after and turned around. "Thank you Lloyd!" she cheerfully shouted towards his direction. She looked down at the handkerchief and smiled, putting it in her pocket as she hurried back inside to help the others with decorations.
Once she was out of sight, Lloyd looked at his watch and let out a big sigh in irritation. "Damn that Cecile! Now I have to wait two hours before she can come get me..."
He began walking towards the entrance of the mansion to wait for his co-worker to arrive. Just as he started to walk, those few kind words replayed in his head. "Thank you Lloyd!" and could even picture how the curves of her mouth made that lovely smile she always had as she expressed her gratitude to him. It wasn't long before he realized he was smiling just as big as she was. "Anytime darling..."
Author's Note: First off, I just want to say that I'm very mad that there aren't a lot of Milly x Lloyd fanfics! More people should support this couple! I'm makes me angry that the ones that do exist are usually only one chapter long. Then again, after writing this, now I understand why it's difficult to write multiple chapters for this particular couple (and without making them go OOC).
And saving the best for last, thank you very much for reading my fanfic! I hope you enjoyed it! I tried my best to keep the characters the way they are without pushing it too much. And please review! I would be grateful if you could CRITIQUE my writing, as well as telling me your opinion of the story. Please and thank you!