A/N: Thank you everyone for taking the time to read, favorite, follow, and review. As always, a special thanks to Saki-Rose Chan, my guest reviewer, duduaoi, Euryphaessa Gray, springroses, Az, dQueen'C, & RedBloodedMoon for leaving me their thoughts on this story so far. I love reading your feedback just as much as I love writing this, and I am having a blast! :D So thank you so much :)

Ze general replies: I'm sorry if any of you noticed that I've been failing at following my own deadlines lately. But you know how it is. Life is in the way. And when some of you predicted earlier on that there was going to be drama, well, you weren't wrong. Lelouch will pay for his cowardice. He's not slipping off that easily. ;)

Until next chapter again, ya'll. ;) Thank you for your time. :)

Chapter 10: Their Own Little Secrets

Earlier Today…

If there was one thing CC hated the most about Friday, it would be the straight no-breaks-in-between classes. And to make matters worse, she had even forgotten to pack her resources for the next class before she'd gone to third period after lunch. She wasn't worried about a tardy record, per se; but the detours were pesky — just nuances on what could have been a quick one-way trip.

Still grumbling about her own carelessness, CC barely registered people's heads in the hallway turning towards her, nor properly hear the voice calling her name until five seconds into walking.

"CC wait up!"

Recognizing the voice, she turned curiously to see Gino Weinberg jogging to catch up with her. He earned the attention of a couple of students for a bit, before everyone returned to minding their own business. He flashed her a cheery smile as he stopped before her, barely breaking out a sweat.

"You walk fast." He gasped, melodramatically trying to catch his breath.

It was an act that made CC roll her pretty eyes, and simultaneously fail at hiding her amusement. She'd been acquainted to Gino before. A year younger, and in the same college department as her, the chances for conversation were fair at best. But when he wasn't training so hard as a University varsity player, he was slaving away in his academics.

Gino worked hard, and some would even say that he was a model student; quite a far cry from Lelouch who notoriously ditched class, and never took an interest in anything related to physical athleticism.

"What did you want, Gino?" She asked curiously, silently taking note of his smile — a cross between cocky and slightly shy.

Rubbing the back of his neck gingerly, his voice quieted a bit as he said his next words. "I'm throwing an exclusive party — pre-victory celebration and all that."

Oh right, they have a game upcoming this season, don't they?

"And that's going to bring good fortune?" She shifted her books from one arm to the other.

Gino just shrugged, and grinned at her cheekily. "Hope so. Either way it'll be fun. Can you come?"

The blue eyes, the blonde hair, the fit stature, the oozing boyish charm. If CC were any other girl, she probably would have fawned over Gino Weinberg already. The class A attributes ensured he would have a gaggle of fan girls; a gaggle — might she add — that could rival the group circling around Lelouch.

"It's tomorrow night." He added hastily before she could ask when.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Suzaku's going to be there. Oh, and Lelouch is invited too. Would've told him myself, but—" He chuckled. "—it's hard to find the right people on campus. And I don't have his number, so—"

"Yeah, I'll let him know."

She was ready to turn away, and bid him a 'see you later,' but he stopped her again when he called for her a second time. How fortunate he was that CC was in a good mood; otherwise, she would have graced him with a dreadfully bored stare.

"Do you need my number? To confirm attendance and stuff." He held a smartphone between his hands, blue eyes wide and slightly pleading.

CC shrugged and outstretched a hand. Gino smiled as he deposited his phone into her grasp and he watched her dainty fingers fly across the screen.

She was such a peculiar woman, CC. One minute accommodating, and cold as a block of ice the next. In all complete honesty, Gino had had reservations about asking CC to come to his party, because she very well might say 'no' outright and royally embarrass him. Plus, he'd never really held deep and long conversations with her before. It was always just a quick fifteen-minute hi-what's-up.

But things were about to change, and this was the first step…

He didn't know CC yet, but he wanted to. He didn't harbor deep and intimate feelings for her yet, but he did like her — wanted to get to know her. So was he attracted to her? Well, of course he was. Any dude with eyes could appreciate her ethereal beauty. It was all just a matter of being brave enough to actually approach her.

CC was pretty guarded all by herself already — not including the University Student Council Vice President's protectiveness over his best friend. Lelouch and CC were two interesting little peas in a pod — always so over protective of each other — and even Gino would concede to admitting that and appreciating that bond.

"Give me a missed call, and that's that." Her smile was vicious, but pretty.

Handing his phone back, he smiled gratefully at her and at the numbers displayed boldly in front of him.

"Yes, ma'am." He mocked a military salute, flashing his trademark toothy smile that usually had all the ladies swooning.

But since she was CC, she only responded with the perfect womanly coy smile that drove men to confusion, and only bade him a nonchalant goodbye with a wave though, but unbeknownst to her, he had stayed long enough to watch her retreating back disappear around a corridor before he too left to tend to his own business.

vVvVv

"It's not fair! I want you!"

"She doesn't even like you. If she wanted you, you and her would have been dating already!"

"You love someone who doesn't love you back!"

Her words stung, and he only knew that it was so because her words, no matter how outlandish they were, held a degree of truth. Shirley was right… And Suzaku had been right to point it out to him before. He had only settled with Shirley because she was the convenient choice back then — easy, already head-over-heels in-love, requiring no form of effort whatsoever. But now he was paying the price for his rash choices with more than the average person's fair share of guilt.

He wasn't just hurting Shirley. He would probably hurt himself and CC in the long run too…

If CC would reject him in the end, then all the effort he had poured out to make his feelings known would be void. Useless. And what would he do? But he couldn't let himself think that — shouldn't even be considering it as a possibility or create a Plan B. Because the moment that he would fully acknowledge CC's rejection, it could very well manifest for real (because the mysteries of the universe always had a way to f**k with him and his anxieties).

Plus, he had a bigger mess to sort out too. And that mess was called 'Shirley.' Their issues were far from over. And while he knew he had to find a resolution where they could all compromise and heal from their wounds, he also knew he wouldn't be doing it tomorrow. Or the next week. His ex needed time, and probably a lot of it.

Exhausted and disappointed with himself, the disgruntled young man heaved a heavy sigh and pressed his forehead against his best friend's front door — the vibrations caused by the puppy's yapping hummed against his skull and made his head throb even more.

Great. Just great.

He and CC had agreed to study tonight in preparation for their own departmental exams happening in a couple of weeks. But Lelouch didn't think he was in the right state of mind to be dealing with any mathematical equations required by his major some time soon. And to think that he had been the one who had insisted on this.

For once, he just wanted to sleep and disappear. To just forget if even for a few blissful hours that he was in more than in one kind of trouble.

Still, problems were problems; and they wouldn't go away just because he pretended they didn't exist. He could deal with them later, but for now…

Sighing one more time and plastering a smile on to his comely face, Lelouch entered through the front door and was greeted with the heartwarming sight of CC's new puppy and CC herself who was kneeling on the floor as they played a game of object cat-and-mouse. The wholesome picture reminded him of Nunnally and her Siamese pet, Missy, giggling and teasing the feline with a cat wand back at home.

"Look who came in, Mirage." CC cooed. "It's your Dada." The mischievous woman snickered as she pushed the happy puppy gently towards Lelouch's direction.

Mirage, noticing the familiar human standing at the front door, immediately bounded up to him in her four tiny legs and started nipping at the laces of his neatly tied up shoes. Lelouch glanced at the rambunctious puppy before cocking an eyebrow at CC's ridiculous claims.

"Her Dada?"

"Well, the foster dad at least." CC stood up, stifling a laugh at the disdain that was so evident in his voice while she brushed off nonexistent dust from her knees. "Since the secret admirer's her real daddy."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at CC as she approached. "You haven't even met him."

"So? He gave her to me. Of course he has the honor of being Mirage's adopted daddy." She cooed, stooping down to pick up the hyper puppy who had moved on from chewing Lelouch's laces to playing wrestling with the fluffy door mat.

He smiled as CC cradled her new pet. Well, at the very least, he knew CC loved his thoughtful gift for sure.

"You dropped her off here, didn't you?" She asked her friend who was already making a beeline for her bedroom where they had planned to study in privacy. She trailed behind Lelouch, graciously letting Mirage tug away at the sleeves of her sweater for as long as she wanted.

"I did. Also brought his letter. Did you get it?" He was asking as he opened her bedroom door and made himself at home.

"Yup, and it's cheesy as always." CC snickered behind a free hand as she lowered the puppy to the floor and closed her bedroom door.

There was a bit of silence, only interrupted with the sound of Lelouch haphazardly digging through his messenger bag and hoisting out thick textbook after textbook — some of it his own, and the others, he borrowed from the University library. He was stacking them up against her night stand when she decided to sit across from him on the floor.

Something was eating away at his thoughts; plus, his mood was sullen even when he tried to conceal it underneath a mask of cool indifference. She'd never actually considered it deeply before, but ten years of knowing him had gifted her with a sixth sense for her best friend's troubled feelings. It was queer, and it was downright inexplicable, but that's what it was. She knew the man like the back of her own hand; knew him as if he was just another extension of her physical body; knew him well enough to call him out on his bullshit.

"Lelouch, what happened?"

He stopped digging through his bag for other school items, and just sighed.

"That obvious, huh?" For a moment, that familiar smirk crept into his lips. But it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"To other people, no. To me, yes." Mirage nudged her legs with her wet nose, and CC automatically scooped up the puppy so the fur ball could snuggle into her lap.

"We broke it off."

They what?

CC blinked, assuming she was hearing things. But his apathetic voice and his impassive face was enough to confirm that he was telling the truth. But why? Weren't they happy with one another? Why the sudden change of heart just a week after the jubilant first anniversary celebration? And who broke up with who?

Oh, she was just teeming with questions. And she voiced each of them at such a rapid rate that Lelouch just smiled sadly and shook his head, clasping his fingers together as he stared at Mirage who was staring back at him from the confines of CC's crossed legs with her wagging tail and her lolling tongue.

Just thinking about every reason he had had for ending his relationship with Shirley was enough to trigger another bout of a headache. But what was he supposed to tell CC? That he and Shirley split because of her? That didn't sound very ideal nor could he imagine his best friend being ecstatic over something like that. CC was many things, but she wasn't sadistic (well, maybe only when it came to him), but not in situations like this.

"I don't even know where to start."

"The beginning would be nice."

He looked up to see her flash him a vicious smile. He would have wondered why, but he knew it was because he wasn't the only one who invested stuff in his and Shirley's relationship. CC had contributed plenty to help him and the redhead move along together and live happily. And come to think of it, CC was one of the people who encouraged him to accept Shirley's proposition.

He owed CC an explanation, but he really did want to tell her. She always understood — always upfront and never sugar-coated facts for the sake of his feelings.

There was a yap and Mirage clumsily climbed out of CC's protective hold as she crossed the distance between Lelouch and CC. The puppy burrowed her way underneath Lelouch's bent knee so she could climb up into his lap instead. He began stroking the pristine white and fluffy fur, and recalled the story of how he and Shirley realized they had individual issues they needed to resolve, and how they couldn't do that while they were in a relationship.

It was a mutual decision, he said. And CC listened to his every word as if her own life depended on it. When Lelouch shut his mouth again and was merely reduced to scratching Mirage behind her white ears, CC cradled her chin in the palm of her hand and watched her best friend closely.

"What exactly are your issues, Lelouch?"

At this, Lelouch peeked up at her through his fringe of dark hair. He couldn't tell her… Well, not yet anyways. He couldn't admit that he broke things off with Shirley because he wanted to be with someone else. He could break the news now, of course, but he wanted to finish what he'd started. He still had two notes to write, and a grand reveal happening on Monday.

"I can't talk about it right now. I promise I'll tell you." He sighed deeply. "Just not now."

CC looked unconvinced, but he knew she wouldn't pry when he absolutely didn't want to talk about something. Otherwise, they could both end up having an argument as large as the one they had when they were twelve. That had ended in a brawl. CC, for one, didn't want a repeat of that incident. She and Lelouch were sequestered in the school clinic far away from each other, one nursing a nasty scratch on the cheek, the other trying to alleviate pain from a bruise on the arm.

"Say, are you up for a party tomorrow night?"

Lelouch looked up suddenly, slightly taken aback at the sudden change of the mood. CC was scrolling through her phone, and he blinked once…twice…

"Party?"

"Mhmm." She hummed absentmindedly before tossing her phone off to the side to refocus on Lelouch. "Gino's throwing. You know him, don't you?"

Lelouch kept stroking Mirage's fur, the puppy having already been lulled to sleep, as he thought about Gino and idly wondered if he'd met the guy before. The name was strikingly familiar. But then again, lots of names were familiar to Lelouch. He should know; he could stare at hundreds of names printed on a list during a University Student Council meeting with Milly and the others.

"Isn't he a University varsity player?" It finally clicked and he stared at his best friend expectantly.

"Yeah. Pre-game pre-victory party and all that." CC yawned behind her hand; so nonchalant while Lelouch's own thoughts were slowly going into overdrive.

"How much of the school's invited?" He questioned; knowing full well that athletes in the University were notorious for throwing house parties that literally welcomed everybody.

"Mm. He said it was exclusive." CC was now leafing through her own notes, searching for something.

"And he invited you. For what reason?"

CC looked up from her notes to see Lelouch seething. He was trying to hide it, of course, but he wasn't doing it good enough apparently. The feathered muscle at his jaw was the dead giveaway. Though why he was acting this way, she didn't really know. But it wasn't far-fetched to assume that he was over thinking situations again. Ever the worrywart. She only tittered and returned to her notes.

"Is that contempt I hear?"

The crooned question caught Lelouch's wandering attention, and he snapped back to alert after immediately realizing that CC was seeing what he was trying to hide. Was it that obvious?

She sighed. "Chill, Lelouch. He's in the same college as me and I've spoken to him once or twice, I think. He did invite you too, you know. Just didn't know how to get a hold of you."

"And you believe him?" His usually lively violet eyes were dull, and his tone was deadpan. CC wasn't honestly buying into Weinberg's bullcrap right? Or maybe he was just reading too much into this again.

"I don't care."

He heaved an exasperated sigh. "Invited me as your tag-a-long probably. I bet he knows you don't go anywhere without me."

"Conceited much? You're not my entire life, you know. No matter how important you are." She childishly stuck her tongue out at him, which he ignored for the time being.

"I'm putting my money on the table and just make the claim that he's going to try and make a move on you if we go to his party." Lelouch folded his arms across his chest and grumbled under his breath — looking like a whiny child who had just been refused the heavenly jar of cookies stowed away in the kitchen cabinets.

CC laughed at his outlandish claims, and shrugged it off as his characteristic possessiveness. "Who knows? But I figured, since you're not so keen on sharing who—" She waved the latest love note in front of his face. "— this corny admirer is, I'm taking this chance to do some investigating."

Lelouch sputtered indignantly, startling the sleeping puppy in his lap. Mirage, having had enough of the noise and excitement for one night, simply left his warm body and settled for making herself comfortable underneath CC's bed.

"You can't do that. That's cheating!"

"I wasn't aware that this was actually a game. And you treat everything like one, don't you?"

"That's—"

"Do you want to go, or not?" CC cocked an eyebrow, and when she didn't receive an answer, she closed the distance between them and made herself comfortable next to him on the floor.

Lelouch could only sigh, knowing full well that he couldn't deny her anything if she truly asked. "Do you really want to go?"

"I go if you go."

That wasn't a confusing answer at all… But whatever.

"Fine…"

"Look at it this way. At least you can forget for a moment that you're disgustingly single again. The ladies would be thrilled."

Lelouch groaned and mumbled something about only having eyes for one particular woman in his life. And seeing that he was murmuring to himself in that strange way again, CC sharply elbowed his side. He yelped and rubbed his assaulted ribs gently.

"What was that?"

"Never you mind." He muttered grumpily.

CC cast a strange glance his way before she shrugged and stifled another yawn. Another comfortable silence came between them, but this time around, CC broke it with the words that Lelouch had least expected her to say after a conversation like the one they just had.

"Lelouch, when you're ready to talk, you'll come to me, won't you?"

Understanding what she was saying, his lips twitched upwards at the corners. "There's no one else I'd turn to."

They shared a smile; both inwardly recognizing that those were the only words that needed to be said.

She reached up, wound an arm around him, and gently coaxed his head towards her shoulder. He didn't protest. Judging from the way his body immediately seemed to sag, CC secretly relished the fact that he relaxed against her — all trace of tension shedding like a second skin. She smiled against his hair and slowly began to massage his scalp with the tips of her fingers.

Her best friend…

However was she to love this secret admirer one day when her heart already belonged to the beautiful man she had in her arms?

But her Warlock was off-limits, wasn't he? His own heart belonged to someone else, and it was probably pining for its other half even in the midst of their conflict. And even though she was always one for making sure that he was happy and content, the Witch couldn't ignore the slight sting in her heart at the thought of never having her true feelings returned.