Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.
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He was ready to inject Refrain into his arm when Kallen walked into the darkened warehouse.
"Lelouch, everyone's been wondering where you went. They need orders—" She stopped short, and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.
"No way!" shouted Kallen as she rushed forward, grabbed the needle out of his hand, ignored his surprised gasp, and smashed the fragile needle onto the hard ground. It cracked into million pieces, spilling out green liquid.
"What are you…" His voice barely above a whisper as if he had no strength left for such a small feat.
She stomped on the already broken glass. Her memories of what happened to her mother because of this drug came flooding back unpleasantly and she hated it. Mostly, she hated her action then.
"This is pathetic," she spat. "What if you lost her? So what? We can get her back. You're Zero, everything is possible. We can get her back…" She was rambling and she knew it. But it was much better than crying.
Lelouch stared at her with dazed eyes, his brain not completely assessing the situation so he didn't quite understand why she's so mad. More importantly, why she had destroyed his only pain reliever…
Then he blinked and regretted it.
Blinking gave him a clearer vision, therefore he saw something he didn't want to see right now. Kallen was crying. Tears were trickling down her cheeks with her lips tightly pressed together.
He hated when a woman cried.
"This is stupid…" she sobbed, wiping the back of her hand over her eyes. "We need you, Lelouch. Without you, we couldn't…"
"Comfort me."
She lowered her hand. "What?"
"Comfort me." He was walking toward her now. The strides weren't stable but at least he could manage without stumbling down.
Closer and closer he got. "Comfort me," he repeated. Comfort me and I'll comfort you.
"W-what?" She backed away slightly, and when he got way too close that their bodies almost touched, she gasped. "Lelouch-"
"That's something a woman's good at right?" Then he reached up to touch her chin, lifted it up a bit and bent his neck down a little. He could smell a scent of mint coming from her. It was overwhelming.
Then, out of the corner of his eyes he saw something.
Something green was standing in the doorway to the warehouse.
Lelouch looked up, despite the fact that their lips were only one inch apart, and his own eyes widened.
A girl stood there. Her pose was rigid as if an invisible rope was tying her down. A gravitational rope.
His lips trembled. Why was it so hard to get words formed on his tongue? Finally, he whispered. "C.C.?"
C.C.'s arms were hanging limply on either side of her. She stood there for another second, then took a step back, spun around and walked away as if she had merely walked upon two complete strangers making out in an abandoned warehouse. As if she walked away to simply not disturb them.
"C.C.!" Lelouch called, pushing past Kallen to follow her. He stumbled a bit due to the groggy feeling in his head, but regained himself quickly and started running. Suddenly, everything became clear. The unidentified feeling he was experiencing earlier simply vanished. The desire to use Refrain, the desire to kiss Kallen just all went away, leaving only clear thoughts behind. And regret.
He ran after her, but as soon as he emerged from the warehouse, he noticed she too had been sprinting.
Occasionally, he wished he had Suzaku's stamina.
Running block after block looking for someone was definitely not on the list of his favorite things to do. Not at all. But he had to. He owed her that much.
"C.C.!" He ran around the neighborhood calling her name, hoping to hear some sort of response. All he heard, however, were the low engine of passing cars and the distant shouts of kids playing in the field. It's time to accept the fact, the fact that he had lost her.
Gasping and panting heavily, Lelouch doubled over with hands on his knees, trying to inhale as much air as he could with the exploding lungs.
After a few minutes, the lack of air became a bit more controllable, and Lelouch looked up. The sun was descending over the horizon, so he took an educated guess that it had slightly passed six.
Straightening up, he let out a loud sigh of defeat, shook his head, and was ready to head back when he heard a voice.
"Hey, young lady. You're not supposed to be sitting in a tree like that!" A deep male's voice.
No response from whoever it was directed to.
"Where's your house? I can take you home—"
"Do I look like a lost child to you?"
The corner of Lelouch's lips jerked up as the voice echoed back to him. He'd recognize that voice anywhere on this planet.
He walked toward the small commotion with hands dug deep in his pockets, the smile never faltered from his handsome face. When he approached the couple, he said. "I'll take it from here, sir."
The older man in a navy business suit looked at him, frowning. "Is she related to you?"
"Why, yes."
"Then you should have taught her some manners."
Lelouch chuckled. The man couldn't have been more wrong.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Somewhere up in the tree, a voice called down. "Thank you, good sir." There was so much venom in those last two words that it made Lelouch shudder a bit. The man probably heard it too because his already disapproving frown deepened. He then cleared his throat, nodded absentmindedly at Lelouch and walked away, mumbling something under his breath.
Lelouch waited till the man was out of sight before approaching the tree. "Want to come down now?" he asked, looking up. The twilight sun was giving off poor light so he couldn't quite make out the details of the figure sitting on the tree branch. All he saw was her dark body and the silhouette of her flowing hair.
No response again.
"C.C.," he tried again. "Come on, come down here."
"Go back, Lelouch," she said coldly. "The Black Knights are expecting you."
"The leader can't go back without his top consultant."
"Why does a mere consultant matter?"
"Because things would be a disaster otherwise," he answered without missing a heart's beat. How he wished his mind could have been this clear back in the warehouse.
A pause. "That's a lie," she replied. The coldness was still there in her tone. "The leader can make any woman his top consultant with just his charms."
"That's not true. It requires a brain to become a professional adviser."
"Oh?" She was chuckling, and he got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Is that so? Apparently, it seems a consultant is only suited for giving advices and not for comforting."
He flinched.
"How much did you see?" he spoke lowly as if afraid of the answer.
"Since the part 'Comfort me.' Now get out of here, Lelouch."
He wouldn't give in. "How did you know to find me there?"
"How did she know to find you there?"
Good point.
He contemplated his words carefully. "I don't know. I never told anyone I was going to be there," he answered truthfully.
She made a snort sound. "Well, seems like we women always follow our hunch."
"C.C., are you… jealous?"
He thought he heard a branch snap. By now, his eyes were adjusting to the dim, poor light, so he saw with perfect clarity what was above him.
C.C. was sitting on probably one of the strongest branches of the old, huge tree, or else it wouldn't be able to hold her weight. Around her, leaves were rustling in sync with the evening wind, and her long legs were dangling over the edge with one hand placed on the tree trunk while the other rested on her lap.
He was pretty sure she had snapped a twig when the question was posed.
"Can you be more persistent, boya?" she said at last, cutting off his train of thoughts. "And to answer your question, I'm not jealous."
"Then why are you still up in the tree?" he inquired, amused in spite of the circumstances.
She made another snort sound. "Because I feel like it. Now run along, your people need you."
"I told you I'm not going anywhere without you."
"Can't a girl have a little freedom?" sighed C.C. loudly.
"I'll give you freedom at the headquarters. Come home with me, C.C."
A pause.
Then, "Are you always this charming to women, Lelouch?"
"What?"
"You heard me."
He bit his lip. He hated where this was going. "No, I'm not," he said sternly.
"Certainly doesn't seem that way," she murmured. "We women aren't just for comforting, you know."
"C.C., it's not a big deal. It—"
"Yes, it is," she snapped. "You almost kissed her, for crying out loud! You could have kissed any women that were available to you." Then, realizing she had lost her cool, C.C. quickly collected herself and straightened up her back. "Leave me, Lelouch." She sounded tired.
Lelouch looked down at his feet. It was all his fault. Entirely his fault. He had acted recklessly and rashly and now he had to pay the price. Only that the price was too overwhelming.
"I didn't mean to," he said softly, eyes glued to his shoes. "I-I don't know what came over me." Then he looked up. "You do know my sister has become the governor of Area 11, right?"
"Yes, that's why I went to find you because I knew you would do something stupid." A sigh escaped her thin lips. "But I guess Kallen beat me to it."
He said nothing, knowing full well that that was the undeniable truth.
"Just go, Lelouch. Please."
He took a step back, turned around and walked away.
C.C. felt like her chest wanted to explode. She brought up a hand to grip the front of her shirt tightly as if to prevent it from happening. Inhaling deeply, she leaned toward the right and rested her head on the tree trunk, golden eyes glued to the sinking bright red sun.
Suddenly, she heard a scurrying noise somewhere below.
Glancing down, her eyes widened with surprise. "Lelouch! What are you doing?"
The raven-haired teenager stood under tree, gazing up at her with a small, determined frown creasing his forehead. He reached out his hands to place onto the trunk, then moved them up a bit to grab the steady branches sticking out of it, and started climbing up.
"What—"
"I told you I'm not going home without you," he said through gritted teeth. One hand shot up to grab another branch. Big mistake because said branch snapped under his weight and he lost his footing. He fell down on his butt.
It took a lot of willpower for her to not snicker.
"Damnit," he muttered, massaging the sore spot, looked up again and attempted another climbing.
It didn't take him long to fall down again. This time on his butt too, of course.
"Just give up," she said lazily, trying her best to force the laughter down. She was mad at him, yes, but she wasn't cruel.
He was massaging his entire body now, especially his shoulder. "Well, one of us has to do something," he snapped crankily. "Either you come down or I come up."
"I'm not coming down."
"Then I'll come up."
"Good luck." She allowed herself a smirk.
Sometimes, she was glad that he didn't have Suzaku's stamina.
It was already seven, or probably eight at night, and Lelouch hadn't made it even one third up the tree. Cursing out loud, paying no attention to the disapproving frowns of bystanders, he slumped against the tree with elbows resting on his kneecaps and head tilted against the tree. What was he thinking? How could he, out of all people, climb up a tree?
"What a long day, huh? Are you tired yet, my warlock?" said C.C. tauntingly from above.
He grunted. She allowed herself a chuckle.
"Well, now that you've tried, are you satisfied?"
"No."
"Then go home. What else can you do anyway?"
He stared the park across. The streetlights were on and a merry couple was walking around with arms looped into each other. Their laughter filled the chilly air.
"You're not coming down, are you?" he queried softly.
She leaned her head against the trunk, closing her eyes. "I already told you no."
"You were wrong, I still have one last option."
She quirked up an eyebrow but the gesture was unseen by him.
Lelouch smirked. "I'll stay here until you decide to get off that poor branch."
This brought back the frustration. "Why are you so childish?" she said through gritted teeth.
"Childish? Me? I'm not the one sitting up there refusing to come down to listen to what someone has to say," he said.
"You're childish because only a child can be this annoyingly persistent about what they want. They never give up until you give in."
He thought about that. "Then so be it. I'm childish, but that doesn't mean you're not, either."
C.C. saw a nut lying next to her. She picked it up, aimed and hurled it at him. It hit his shoulder.
"Ouch!"
"I have more where that came from, for your information."
"What is that?"
Her hand roamed around for more nuts. "Go home now or I'll…" She trailed off; her soft hand felt nothing else beside the rough, woody surface of the branch. That was the only nut available.
He must have realized it too because he held his ground. "I'm staying."
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
C.C. wrapped her arms around her slender frame as she scooted closer to the trunk. Lelouch pulled the collar of his jacket closer and made himself comfortable below her.
Both of them had their eyes wide open, staring at what was happening in front of them as their minds drifted away.
C.C. believed she had fallen asleep at some point, because suddenly her mind went blank and she entered the realm of darkness.
How long had she been out though? And why was she moving?
Was she really moving on her own or was something pulling her? Or rather someone carrying her?
She felt a strangely comforting warmth seeping through her skin, but still she felt sort of disconnected. Why were her legs dangling in the air while she was moving?
Something's not right, she thought and forced her eyes to open.
Indeed, she was moving, but she wasn't on her own.
Someone was carrying her.
Glancing up, she was met by a familiar face, a familiar scent. Aware of her staring at him, his bright violet orbs traveled downward to meet hers.
"So you're awake," he announced.
"What are you doing?" She just had to state the obvious, didn't she?
He chuckled. "What do you think? Carrying you home."
Now she felt more suspicious than ever. "You climbed the tree?" she asked incredulously.
"No." One-word answer.
She waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't she gave him a prompt. "So what?"
He looked down at her, this time truly looked at her. "You fell," he said simply.
"I what?"
"You were sleeping and you fell down. Lucky for you I was awake at that time to catch you." He shook his head, chuckling.
She stared at him with wide, unbelievable eyes. She fell, just like that. She was sleeping and she fell and he was right there to catch her. Why did that sound so much like a cheesy fairy tale she had heard so many times? And why did that make her feel like a damsel in distress?
"I fell without me even realizing it? That's impossible!"
"You were sleeping like a log!"
"Well," she snapped, struggling to break free of his hold. "I'm awake now and I can walk, so set me down, Lelouch."
He kept walking like she hadn't said anything.
"Lelouch," said C.C. warningly, then realized that it only made his hold on her tighten. She could actually feel his fingertips pressing into her soft skin as if he were protecting a treasure from the pirates.
C.C. let out a sigh of resignation. She leaned a bit to the side and rested her head on his chest. His familiar scent wafted up her nostrils. She hated this; she was supposed to be mad at him.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.
"Why are you still mad?"
"Because I have a right to."
"So do I."
She almost laughed at the irony. Almost.
"Why did you want to kiss her?"
He didn't answer right away, and she saw no need in rushing him, so she closed her eyes and waited.
"I don't know," he answered at last.
It wasn't an answer at all, or at least not the kind she'd expected. But she could hear it in his voice. She could hear and feel the honesty the reply delivered.
Strangely enough, it was a thousand times better than any answer he would have given. It was extremely simple but it was the absolute truth. That made her smile.
"Ahh," she said, pressing her head further against his chest. A smile of his own also crept up because he knew he had earned her forgiveness. Whatever happened at the warehouse was in the past now, all forgotten. The smile was a mutual agreement between two people who understood each other so well.
"Thank you," he whispered, then bent down to plant a soft kiss on her hair.
She lifted her head up a bit and brushed her lips against his. A peck turned into a quick kiss, and the kiss transformed into a passionate one. Lelouch had to stop walking when he felt the heat surging through his body and her arms snaking around his neck, drawing him closer to her.
He pulled her body to his. Lips pressed hungrily onto each other.
They stood like that for a few more minutes until there was no more air left.
C.C. chuckled when they broke loose. "Are you feeling any better, my warlock?"
"A thousand times better." He smiled, shifted her in his hold slightly to allow her be more comfortable. C.C. rested her head on his chest, hands folded on her belly and eyes closed. There was also this mysterious smile creasing her rosy lips.
"Sleep," he spoke softly. "You're safe now."
-end-
Just a little something from me :) I hope you guys enjoyed it.
Thanks a tons for reading and of course reviews will be much appreciated!