Lelouch Lamperouge

I keep my usual stoic face when Kallen kisses me. I resist the urge to kiss her back, willing myself to not fall into the temptation. I expect her to stop as she notices my stiff posture, but I was in no way prepared for her next move.

She continues to kiss me and moves my arms and hands so they wrap around her waist. Her long, slender arms coil themselves around my neck and she kisses me deeper.

I lose all rational thinking.

My grip tightens on her waist and I respond to her feverish kisses. She sighs in my mouth and I try, but desperately fail, to hold back a moan.

When the time for air comes we break apart, painting heavily. Kallen looks at me with her eyes that to this day never cease to mystify me.

"What do you really think of me, Lelouch?" She looks as if she were on the verge on tears. I embrace her.

"Kallen Stadtfeld. Student and Student Council Member of Ashford Academy. Kallen Kozuki. Faithful member of the Black Knights. Pilot of the Gurren MK-II and leader of the elite squad. Do you really want to know what I truly think of you?" I whisper in her ear, while lovingly stroking her soft hair.

I feel her swallow nervously.

"Yes."

I let go of her and gently push her away.

"Then you need to wait a while. I can not tell you right now, I have very important business to attend to."

"But, Lelouch! I-"

"Quiet!"

I silence her with a kiss. When she starts kissing back I pulled away.

"When it seems like everything is over, do not lose faith in me. Even though it may seem like the end, it is only the beginning. When the time comes, just act as if nothing happened. I will contact you when my future preparations are complete."

I manage to show her a small smile, a smile I will only show to her. She looks back at me with distressed eyes.

"Lelouch, what do you mean? You're not making any sense. Are you leaving? When will you be back? How will I know all this?"

"Patience, Kallen. Trust me, when the events I have planned are carried out you will know exactly what I speak of today."

". . Alright."

"Now, I fear I must leave you, Kallen. This will be our last meeting for a period of time. Farewell." I turn to walk up the stairs when Kallen hugs me from behind.

"Lelouch. Please. Just say it once," she says in a tearful voice." Once only, so I can believe that this isn't just a dream. So I can really believe that what you say will come true."

I turn her in my arms and bend down and kissed her fiercely. She kisses me with the same, if not more amount of passion. Our arms lock around each other. When we need air we finally broke apart, panting once again. I look deep into her eyes.

"I love you, Kallen."

She smiles and tears of joy pour down her porcelain-like face. I gently wipe a tear with my thumb. She holds my hand to her cheek and closes her eyes, as if in pure bliss.

"I love you too, Lelouch Lamperouge." My name rolls her tongue as if she were born to say it. I smile to myself and kiss her chastely before letting go of her completely. I rush up the stairs but stop once I reach the top. I turn around to find Kallen staring up at me.

"Goodbye, my love." She says to me.

"Goodbye, my love, but not for long." I smile once more before turning and walking down the long, ominous hallway. I know my future and the future of this world awaits me. I only hope that I can keep my promise to my beloved.

"Isn't that right, Lelouch?" C.C. says in a conceited voice.

"Oh shut up you stupid witch. Anyway why in the world am I driving this thing? I can easily use my Geass at the airport to get us a flight to the Tokyo Settlement." I groan in annoyance and move the reigns to guide the horses on the trail once again.

"But that's boring since you've been using your Geass non stop since the day you were 'assassinated'. You even changed your name in all the records again and even went to the extent to purchase a wig. I must admit that you look awfully foolish with long hair." She giggles.

"You have no right to say that when you're the one who got the wig in the first place! Of course I changed my name; it was inevitable. If I want to live I this world again I need to come up with an alias." I squint my eyes to read the battered signs ahead. 'Kururugi Shrine: 5 KM'.

"I just think its funny how you kept your first name again, Lelouch Lymiaka. You even kept the initials the same. Don't you think that it's a little too coincidental?"

"Don't bother yourself with trying to understand my logic. You're brain might explode from the difficulty."

"If only you're ego died when Zero died."

"We can't have everything we want in this world. I've learned that the hard way."

A long silence fills the air.

"Are we there yet?"

This is going to be a long ride.

Kallen Kozuki

"Kallen wait up! Stop running so fast! Geez!" I stop in my tracks.

"Oh sorry! My bad. So where do you want these Milly?" I use my fake 'I'm an innocent sick girl who's oblivious to what's going around her'.

"Just put it right there. Next to the super noise makers and glowing party streamers." I follow her directions and put the box of extra cheesy cheese whiz on the floor. Don't ask, I don't know either.

"Alrighty! Now it's back to the festival!"

"Milly, remind me again why you're here when you're a news journalist?"

"Kallen, have you forgotten my promise to the school? I said every year I'd come back to host all of the festivals!" She smiles and leads us back to the main courtyard of Ashford Academy.

"Is your boss okay with all of this?" I manage to dodge a crowd of boys chasing girls in tiny swim suits. Boys disgust me. Well, not all of them.

"Yeah, he's totally for it! Because actually I'm about to do a report on it in a couple minutes!" Oh joy. Cameras.

"So, can you do me a favor and just monitor the concert in the West Wing for me please?"

I hide my displeasure and smile brightly.

"Sure! No problem." I briskly start to walk away as cameras approach Milly.

The festival's in full swing. The students are excited and having fun. Parents and other citizens enjoy walking around the campus. I'm practically dying.

I hate having to put up this air that I'm sickly. It's far from what I truly am.

I sigh as I open the door to the large trailer overlooking the concert. I sit down and put on the headphones that connect with the stage crew. I control the video monitors and put in the data for the preset light movements and sound levels. I give orders to the students back stage and security watching the crowd. Everything seems to be in order.

I hear a knock on the door and before I have time to answer the door opens and a dark hooded figure walks in. I grab my small purse with the knife from my pocket and hold it close to me. I remain seated and pretend to be giving orders and adjusting the monitors. Out of the corner of my eye I see him just standing there as if waiting for me to react.

In the blink of an eye he's grabbing my from behind my chair. He covers my mouth and his strong arms manage to keep me down as I struggle to break free.

"Let go of me you freak!"

He continues to hold me in my chair.

"Are you some Britannian spy? Because I'm not in the Black Knights anymore. I was already cleared of the charges. Now let go!" I manage to break free and pin the figure onto the wall and hold my knife up to his neck.

"Tell me who you are and who sent you before I call the police! Now!"

The person reacts in the most unbelievable way.

He starts laughing. Hysterically.

"Haha! Haha!" He starts gasping for air and coughs.

"What's up with you? Start talking!" Man, this guy is nuts!

"Now, Kallen, is that anyway to talk to your boyfriend?" WHAT?

"Boyfriend? There's no way I have a boyfriend I'm not in love with anyone!"

"Really? So what you said to Lelouch Lamperouge before he died was all lies?"

. . . . . .

I slowly remove the hood and it reveals a boy, no man, with a baseball cap on. I remove the hat and dark brown hair flows down his slender neck. His violet eyes look deep into mine. Eyebrows raised in amusement give me butterflies. His fine lips make me want to plant my own on them. Sharp cheekbones remind me of his leadership so many days ago.

"L-Le-Lelouch?"