Eight-year-old Euphemia came running down the hallway of her mansion. Ever since their mother's death, Euphemia and Cornelia were the only ones living in Orchid House (1), save for their servants. Tonight, however, the pink-haired princess was especially excited because her favourite half-brother was coming over to stay for the night.

"His Highness Prince Lelouch vi Britannia!" announced the Imperial Guard loudly.

Little Lelouch entered the mansion shyly; he had never stayed over at any of his half-siblings' Houses without his mother or sister. Marianne and Nunnally had gone to the countryside of Britannia to visit Marianne's widow mother. "I'm sorry, Lelouch darling, but your grandmother wants us to do feminine activities during our visit, and I'm sure you'd be bored," Marianne had explained gently.

"I know, why don't you stay over with Euphie and Nellie (2)? Since Schneizel and Clovis are away with Father."

And so, that was how Lelouch ended up sleeping over at Orchid House.

"Lelouch! You're here!" The raven-haired prince sweatdropped as an overly enthusiastic Euphemia pounced on him to give him a hug. Although she often displayed many forms of affection towards him, he still turned red at every time. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back.

"Erm, hi Euphie." Euphemia finally released him, and flashed him a radiant smile. She took him by the hand and pulled him along to follow her. She signalled one her maids to bring Lelouch's things to his room.

"We're going to have so much fun! I'm so happy you came!" she said, smiling broadly.

Lelouch also couldn't help but smile along. Euphemia's cheerfulness can be very contagious. As he followed her to wherever she was taking him, he looked around and asked, "Euphie? Where's Nellie?"

"Oh, she's in her study, I think. You know how she is," Euphemia promptly replied. Lelouch nodded. Then, his eyes fell on his hand, the one that Euphemia was holding as she brought him to some place. If she were looking at him now, he would blush at the contact their hands made. But now, he simply smiled and thought how nice it felt.

The two did many things together after that.

First, they played a simple game of Hide and Seek. But that ended due to Lelouch's ingenuity in finding places to hide. Euphemia became panicky when she was unable to find him after searching high and low. She sat in one corner, hugging her knees, and began to cry. When he heard her sobs, Lelouch crawled out of his hiding place to comfort her.

"Euphie, I'm here, don't cry," he assured gently, though a slight hint of guilt could be heard from his tone. The pink-haired girl looked up as Lelouch wiped away her tears. Seeing his comforting smile soothed her fears, and after staring at each other for a while, she looked away, smiling nervously while her cheeks were tinted pink. Lelouch chuckled at a pink Euphemia. 'Cute,' he thought, and immediately blushed as well.

Next, Lelouch read out loud to Euphemia her favourite story, The Little Mermaid. As Euphemia's reading wasn't as expressive or fluent as Lelouch, she would always let him do the reading. And every time he finished the story, she would end up in tears.

"Lelouch, the little mermaid… it's so s-sad…" she said, using the hem of her skirt to wipe her tears. Out of all of the Emperor Charles's children, only Euphemia cried when she was read sad fairy tales. Even Nunnally didn't because she would only allow tales with happy endings to be read to her.

Lelouch closed the book and put it to the side. "Euphie, why do you always pick this book when you want me to read to you? I don't understand why… since you know the mermaid always dies in the end," he saidsadly, moving towards her. This was the second time she was crying that night and he hated that.

Euphemia sniffed and wiped the last of her tears away. "I know it's sad, but I just love it, you know? It's still so beautiful," she replied softly. She nervously played with the hem of her skirt, hoping that Lelouch won't probe further. He frowned slightly, but nodded, and got up from the floor to return the book back to its shelf.

'The mermaid and the prince is like Lelouch and me, I guess… I don't know if we'll have a happily ever after together…' Euphemia grimly thought. She pushed the last of that depressing thought aside and smiled brightly.

"Come on, Lelouch, let's do something else!"

Lelouch slowly opened his eyes and looked into the face of a sleeping princess. His eyes widened when he realised that his face was mere inches away from Euphemia's. Where was he…? And then he remembered.

The last activity Euphemia wanted to do was to lie on the garden to watch the stars, just like his mother Marianne had taught them. "Will there be shooting stars, Lelouch?" she had asked excitedly. Lelouch just smiled and said perhaps. They had walked to the part of the garden where orchids bloomed most beautifully, and together they lay side by side with their fingers interlocked and gazed at the majestic heavens above.

Unexpectedly, sleep took over them and they quietly slumbered together.

Lelouch blushed at the close sight of Euphemia. Sometime during their sleep, they had sort of huddled towards each other, and Euphemia ended up gripping his sleeve, as though afraid he would leave. Lelouch had always found Euphemia to be pretty, and he was sure he liked her more than a sister… but even with his prodigy-like intellect, he couldn't quite comprehend how he was exactly feeling.

Is this like how his Mother felt towards his Father? Lelouch wasn't sure.

One thing for sure, he wanted to do something he would never be able to do if Euphemia was awake and conscious as his shyness prevents him from doing so. Cheeks slightly tinted pink, the little prince planted a swift peck on the sleeping princess's lips.

Now blushing furiously, he drew back and wanted to get up to summon a servant to bring them back to the mansion, but Euphemia still held on to his sleeve. Whether it was consciously done or not, he wasn't sure. But a smile graced his features, and he snuggled back to his sleeping position next to his beloved Euphemia.

Not long after, Cornelia arrived to the scene with a guard, and seeing that her two siblings were safe and sound, she quietly ordered for a blanket to be placed over them. Smiling, she allowed them together a night of serenity and bliss. They were still children, after all.

The author speaks: I was in the middle of typing a new chapter for one of my fics, when I decided to take a break and watch Code Geass Picture Drama 22.25 (DVD Special). It was then when I got hit with inspiration for this oneshot. Just a quick one before I go back to my work. ;D

Please R&R :)

(1) In my fic, all wives of Emperor Charles have their own respective mansions to live in with their own children, called a House. Each House was named after a flower. FYI, Marianne's mansion is called Rose House. ;)

(2) Euphemia's nickname is Euphie, so Cornelia's nickname is Nellie! It has to be Nellie because Corny sounds odd.