My Name is C2. Ever since I was born it has been decided who I shall marry when I turn eighteen. I have three months before my wedding. My family was poor until my mother married my father and my parents say if I do not marry a rich man I will befall the same painful fate as those around me. I never really cared much for what would become of me. I never believed in love. There was nothing in my life to prove that it existed. My parents had an arranged marriage as did their parents before them. There was no one in this world that I cared enough about to give up my own well being, my future for... That is until I met him.

"The time slowed, even the humming bird's wings could be seen beating. She looked up into his eyes smiling. She knew in that moment that she was in love," I shut the book and handed it back to my little sister.

She hugged it close to her chest and sighed.

"C.C?" she began. "Do you believe in love?"

I sighed she had asked this many times before, usually having finished that particular story but I always gave the same answer.

"No I don't believe because it doesn't exist. Goodnight Nunally," I said standing up and lightly kissing the top of her head before leaving.

I closed the bedroom door behind me and lent against it. I had never believed in love. Unlike Nunally, when I was younger I knew stories with beautiful princesses that fall in love with dashing princes were simply that, stories. I guess my exposure to my parents loveless marriage had made me sure that no such thing existed.

"She's going to meet him again tomorrow morning," I heard my mother's voice carry through from the dinning hall.

"That's good. I hope they're getting along alright," my father answered.

"You know she doesn't believe in love?!" she said as to question him about whether he knew his own daughter.

"Yeah, but that's because of us."

Your right but it's also hard to believe in something that so clearly doesn't exist.

I went back to my room and set out the things needed for my breakfast with Suzaku.

My mother insisted on my hair being washed and brushed before leaving the house. She also checked the length of my skirt and that there were no wrinkles in my blouse. Suzaku wanted to have breakfast at a cafe; that way we could talk without being interrupted by either of our parents. Not that I would've minded; he was always asking about me. He was too kind, he shouldn't have got stuck with a cynical person such as myself.

"How's the company?" I asked placing my mug on the table.

"It's been tough but we're getting by," he said smiling.

I did my best to smile back at him.

"How's your sister been?" he asked.

My fingers stopped tracing the lines on the mug. I looked up at his hopeful face.

"My sister," I began continuing to trace the lines. "Nunally's getting better, slowly."

"I'm glad," he answered.

He offered to drive me home but I refused. I had to pick something up for Nunally on the way home. That was a lie. I was sure being in the same car as him would have been suffocating so I walked home, alone. I walk with my head down so I can only see the ground. For that reason, when I bumped into him I only saw his feet...

I was knocked back onto the ground as my head hit his chest. I looked up, slightly embarrassed by my klutziness. He carried a worried expression as he knelt down beside me.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I looked away as I stood up quickly.

"You should really look where you're going, you could've walked into a pole."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," I said as I walked past him.

"Nunally, I'm home," I said taking off my shoes in the doorway.

"How was it?" Nunally asked hobbling towards me on her crutches.

"Nunally?!" I said rushing to her side. "You really shouldn't be walking around the house alone whilst your legs are getting better."

"It's fine," she said smiling. "Because I'm not alone, I have you."

"How'd it go?" she asked eagerly.

"It was like it always is Kallen. He was way too kind, it was sickening," I answered.

We sat on a bench far enough so that Nunally could not hear us but close enough so that we could still see her.

"You're so cynical," she sighed. "You're lucky though."

"How so?!"

"You have your life planned out. Once you marry him, you'll never have to work again. He's kind and handsome, he's a great cook, he's considerate," she answered.

"Oi!" I said nudging her. "You don't have to marry him."

Kallen laughed, her voice echoing in the almost empty park. I glanced over to Nunally, to find that she'd been obscured by a tall man. I quickly got up off the bench and ran over to them.

"Hey what do you want with my sister?!" I shouted as I reached them.

Nunally reached out for my hand to calm me down.

"C.C, it's okay. This man was just helping me. I dropped my broach," Nunally assured me.

He placed the broach in Nunally's hand before turning to me.

"It's you," I breathed taking a step backwards.

Nunally turned her head towards me.

"You know him C.C," she stated but at the time I'd been too preoccupied to notice.

"Yes, I met him the other day while I was walking home."

"So it's C.C," he said smirking, "It's a pleasure."

"You're not allowed to call me that," I said gritting my teeth as Nunally's grip on my hand tightened.

"So what am I allowed to call you?" he asked.

"You do not need to call me anything because we won't be talking again," I answered.

"Very well, by the way it's Lelouch," he said walking away.

"Kallen," I said storming over to her as Nunally stumbled behind me on her crutches.

"We're leaving."

I walked quite far behind them on the way home. I could hear them giggling over stupid things in front of me but I was in too much a state of shock to catch up to them.

"Very well, by the way I'm Lelouch." His voice continued to play over and over again in my mind. It was him. The man who'd been Suzaku's best friend and business partner until three years ago. He'd just up and left the company without a word; leaving nothing but a resignation form on his desk. Nobody from the company had seen him since.

I had only met him twice whilst he was with the company; but that first time was long ago. I had been nine when I attended the company party. Suzaku and Lelouch we're still apprentices being only fourteen. He had changed in more ways than one since the last time I saw him. I guess that was why I didn't recognize him sooner.

"Who was he?" Kallen asked setting the tea down on the table in front of us.

I rubbed my temples. Nunally giggled as she set her hand out for the mug which Kallen then passed to her. She raised the mug to her lips but stopped before taking a sip.

"Tell her C.C," Nunally said smiling.

"He's Lelouch," I sighed.

Nunally put her mug back on the table as Kallen sat down.

"He was Suzaku's best friend before he abandoned the company. I remember meeting him before; at the company meeting," Nunally said.

"You were only six," I said.

"So what. He asked me how you were doing."

I opened my eyes.

"He remembers," I mumbled.

Nunally nodded.

"Remembers what?!" Kallen asked impatiently.

"Don't talk to him again Nunally," I said standing up and leaving the room.

Kallen called out after me but I fled the house.

I ran down the road not caring much where I was going. I hadn't wanted to ever see him again in the case that he had remembered. I was young back then, I shouldn't have been held accountable. If he was talking to Nunally about it, it meant that he was serious.

I couldn't live up to what we had promised, especially not now.