Title: Telephones and Rings
Series: Code Geass
Character/Pairing: Lloyd and Cecile
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Oh but if I did…
Cecile Croomy anxiously twirled the chord of the hangar telephone around her pointer finger. Technically she wasn't allowed to use it for personal calls but her cell phone was dead and she needed to check in on her father. Earlier in the week he'd been admitted to the hospital for chest pains and she'd been a nervous wreck ever since.
"So then Daddy is okay?" she asked her mother, cutting the older woman off from her rant on how her father refused to eat the hospital food and was having a fit for 'real food'.
"Yes, dearest… Your father just had a minor issue with his… You know for the life of me I can't remember. You know how I am with technical things. That was always you and your father" her mother laughed.
Her daughters hand wrapped around the chord and squeezed. "Artery? Valve? Ventricle? Sinoatrial node? Interventricular septum?" she asked, going through what she knew of cardiology. She'd had to study cardiology and other medical matters to determine safety measures on the pilot's body when operating a Knightmare.
"Cecile, darling. Stop worrying. He'll be fine. Right now he's resting… The nurse finally gave him a sedative to shut him up" her mother cooed, trying to abate her nerves.
"Mother, it's his heart. Cardiac health is of utmost importance. He could've strained it while operating early era Knightmares. Have they checked him for other known ailments in veteran pilots? Daddy may seem healthy but underneath all that…"
"Honey, please! He's fine, I promise you. Your father just had a little hiccup in his heart but everything is fine now. He has medicine and a strict diet I'm going to make sure he follows plus I'm going to keep him from straining himself by banning strenuous movement and exercise for a week. It will all be fine and you're welcome to visit to see for yourself. In fact bring your boyfriend!" Mrs. Croomy chirped after assuring her genius daughter that all was well.
Grey eyes blinked as a small blush formed on her cheeks. "Mom… I don't have a boyfriend" she admitted sheepishly.
--
Lloyd Asplund had simply approached the vicinity of his assistant to see what was keeping her from her work. There was absolutely no reason for him to eavesdrop: The very thought was preposterous. And it wasn't as if he were deliberately softening his steps so that she wouldn't hear him approach. Also as inane was the idea that he was craning to hear from the other side of the wall where Cecile stood so that he was out of sight. He just… Liked the location.
She'd informed him that her father was in the hospital for something related to his brain… or was it his stomach? It was something important if he recalled correctly. Still it wasn't all that vital if he'd forgotten about it.
He just wanted to make sure the old man hadn't died. It would be inconvenient to him if Mr. Croomy kicked the proverbial bucket since Cecile was so fond of him: A typical 'Daddy's Girl'. He could only imagine all the weeping and vulnerable looks to him for emotional support. It made him shudder.
Amidst his musings he caught the blue-haired beauty saying something interesting and pretending he wasn't intrigued went right out the window as he flattened himself to the wall and listened.
--
"You don't? I thought that quirky Earl you worked with was mad about you"
The pilot and engineer laughed, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "No, Lloyd isn't crazy about me. He's just crazy" she chuckled, amused that her mother would get it so confused.
"Really? Goodness. The last time you visited and brought him with you all he did was stare at you, rave about you, and ask about you. Your father and I adore him… Plus he's an Earl!" the older woman informed her.
"He's just naturally inquisitive. Mother, Lloyd doesn't feel a thing for me except… Well I don't really know what to call it… He's not very easy to read on emotional matters"
"But you've slept with him". The statement came out deadpan and there wasn't a hint of a question in it. Somehow her mother just instinctively knew.
"MOTHER!!!" Cecile cried, horrified that the woman that raised her spoke of her sex life so casually. "We… That… It's none of your business" she defended, blushing profusely and contemplating hanging up the phone.
"You mean to tell me that you and that man have been having sex without any commitment attached? I just don't get kids these days, not that you're a kid anymore. In fact your clock is tick tocking. You're nearly the big three zero" the woman rambled.
"Mom… Please… Stop talking" Cecile begged mortified by the turn the conversation had taken. "I promise I'll give you grandchildren one day after I meet someone. For now can't you just be happy with Suzaku?"
There was a long pause on the line before her mother started speaking again. "That poor boy. I'm so proud of you for opening your heart to him. Having to live out that curse is just terrible. You tell him that we want him to visit and we miss him the moment you see him. Oh it just breaks my heart to see those sad green eyes"
Cecile silently agreed but was glad for the change in subject. She could NOT bear to have a conversation with her parent on her sex life. It was humiliating enough that she was nearing middle-age and still painfully single.
The casual sex between her and Lloyd was just a means for relief.
A loud sigh punctuated the air even as her mother continued to ramble in her ear. So maybe for Lloyd it was stress relief, or entertainment, or whatever it was to Lloyd. To her it was the only way she felt she could get close to him. She'd been his assistant around ten years and loved him at least seven.
--
Lloyd smirked to himself as he listened to Cecile's embarrassment. It was cute how she was so proper about things. Just based on her reactions he could imply the entirety of the discussion and it amused him to no end.
So Cecile's mother and father were pushing for nuptials and grandchildren, then?
It was intriguing to ponder. Cecile in a flowing white gown and sheer veil. Cecile coming home with him at night to a mansion they shared instead of one of their apartments. Cecile with a rounded belly and a warm glow. The internal imagery was appealing.
He'd probably make a horrible father but their offspring would be attractive, healthy, and brilliant. He could teach them everything he knew and expect them to become the next in line of a pedigree of genius nobility.
His own parents had been harping on him to take a wife or come out of the closet (Or even stay in the closet and take a wife). They were oblivious to the fact he was a hot-blooded male with a beautiful woman that shared his bed as well as his lab, as it should be. He didn't want his assistant bothered by politics and protocol. So he never claimed any solid relationship outside of a working partnership and shielded her from the hassle of nobility.
He supposed it was about time to tie her down, though. She was getting restless and while she never once complained or pushed for anything more he knew she longed for it. Besides, he'd never let another man have what was his.
There was no definition to what he felt for her so much as a string of emotions that she evoked from him constantly. Perhaps it was love since every emotion he felt was strong. It could just as possibly be hate since only she could bring out the worst of him.
All he knew was that he refused to be parted from her… And it would be in his best interest to keep her happy.
--
Cecile hung up with her mother letting the relief sink in that her father would be fine. Adjusting her skirt she turned the corner and nearly walked into Lloyd.
The look he gave her was like the cat that ate the canary and she was instantly on guard. "You didn't hear any of that, did you?" she asked with a slightly higher pitch to her voice.
"What? You gabbing away with your mother about shoes or some other such nonsense? Please. I have better things to do with my time than pay attention to gossip and drivel. I merely came over to ask you your ring size" Lloyd informed her, turning to walk back toward the newest frame they were busy constructing.
"My ring size?!" she squeaked, trying to keep her heart from flying up into her throat or sinking down into her stomach. It was a trick or it had to do with work. There was no way he was asking her ring size to get her a ring.
"Yes. My fingers are too big to reach into the crevice to tighten the bolt in the ball-in-socket joint on the frame. If we don't make it snug then the whole joint will be loose and we'll have to compensate hydraulics as well as re-work the entire structural blueprint. Therefore I am asking your ring size to determine if those dainty fingers of yours will be of any use to me" he explained with slight impatience.
"Oh… Size four" she said as she went to the tool box and looked for the appropriate wrench to fix the problem. "She already knew her hand would fit, recalling the measurements on the schematics, though the fit would be tight.
"Splendid. You go do that while I place an order for parts and check on the sakuradite shipment. Don't get your hand stuck" he chuckled before heading to the hangar phone.
He watched and made sure Cecile was hard at work, stretching the cord to its limit so he could see around the corner of the wall and keep an eye on her.
A pleasant voice informed him that he'd reached the directory and he smiled as he spoke.
"Yes, I'd like to be connected to Imperial Colchester Jewelers, please. Tell them that Earl Lloyd Asplund is calling in regards to his special order"
--
Author's Notes: This is just a quick oneshot I came up with out of nowhere. I love this pairing to levels that can be considered unhealthy and decided to show it some love that it desperately deserves. I was so sad to see that the couple gets so little love when they are just so great together.
Eventually I'll post this to the livejournal community that myself and my best friend BlueQuartzFoxy created in honor of Lloyd and Cecile called LLOYD_AND_C a.k.a. 'The Earl of Pudding and His Lovely Assistant'. Right now the community just houses the two of us but we have high hopes that one day there will be love. (Insert shameless advertizing here)