Hi. Hehehe. So this is a little break from writing my ongoing multi-chapter stories. I will keep this short (I really hope so 'coz I couldn't afford to write another long one at the moment) so I hope you'll enjoy this, too. Characters will be OOC but I'll try not to sway so far away from their real personalities. Thank you to everyone who are still reading my stories despite the very, very slow updates. I'll finish them all I just can't tell which year I'll be able to, lol. Anyway, I truly appreciate the support and time you all spare for my stories. And for still loving Code Geass and the Lelouch x C.C. ship. I hope you're all doing fine and are safe and healthy. Feel free to talk to me in my twitter acct if you have any comments/suggestions/concerns or even if you just want to say 'hi'. It's yume005_geass. It's in private for some dumb reasons but you can reach me there. Thank you and have a nice day!

Chapter 1

The first time the question was asked, it got drowned out by the multitude of voices accompanied by the loud techno beat filling the bar. She has to lean in closer and restrain her hearing just to catch his words albeit their already close proximity.

"I'm sorry, can you come again?"

"I was asking if you're having fun. You've been on your phone the whole time."

Her eyes follow where his index finger is pointing at and of course, it's at her phone which is clutched against her chest.

She gives him a forced smile and answers, "I'm fine. Bar scene is not really my thing so I'm reading a manga."

"Manga?" His raised eyebrow gives a more approachable and animated look on his face. To be honest, C.C.'s first impression of him based on his looks is not quite appealing. He's handsome, she'll give him that and it is, in all actuality, a fact that no one can deny. But it is the type of face that one can find mingling among the elites, among the high society who wouldn't spare a single glance at those who are not at the level same as theirs. Also, it's in the way he looks at others, as if he's bored out of his mind to be bothered by their existence.

C.C. has a fair share of encounter with this kind of people and most of them ended up leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Yet still, she gives the man beside her the benefit of the doubt, after all, he is Kallen's best friend and Kallen is a good judge on which people to keep and not to.

Although a bit hesitant, C.C. shows him her phone screen where the panel of Junji Ito's Uzumaki that she's been engrossed with is displayed.

"Comics?"

C.C. nods. "Something like that but it originated in Japan."

The man hums and takes a drink of his beer. C.C. resumes her reading and assumes that the conversation is over. He has a nice voice – deep but smooth. She heard him talk to Kallen and Shirley earlier but their conversation was fast and always got interrupted by waiters or random women who have been approaching him since he arrived. She doesn't spare another glance at him despite her curiosity as to why he isn't joining their friends in the dance floor. One, because she's getting to the climax of the manga, and two, because his eyes unnerve her.

The few times that their eyes met had a lasting, or rather, an exhilarating effect on her. Perhaps, she's been reading too much romantic books or shoujo mangas during her free time (and she has a lot of free time) and now their heart-stopping scenes are rubbing off on her. Yet, C.C. mulls so much to justify this breathless sensation she felt earlier, who wouldn't get caught off guard when a pair of crystal-clear violet eyes clashes with yours?

"What is it about?"

"Huh?"

She looks up and finds him staring at her phone. "The illustration looks nice and unconventional. Dark. Is it horror?"

She nods again and the giddy feeling that she always gets everytime she talks about her interests takes over her body. "It is," she answers with a smile on her lips. "I don't like to get you spoiled if ever you find yourself wanting to read it, but it's basically about a place that is plagued by a supernatural curse involving spirals. The title's 'Uzumaki' and it is written by Junji Ito who is one of the well-known and respected horror manga authors in Japan."

"Sounds interesting," he answers with a smile of his own and C.C. thinks how that one action completely changes his appearance and appeal. She wonders if this is how he charms people around him. With a flash of his warm smile and chocolate-coated voice.

Quickly, she averts her eyes and focuses on the display on her phone. "Yeah, the story is something like I've never read before. I liked how the characters are depicted and how their fears feel real and raw. Above all, Mr. Ito truly did a wonderful job in setting up the atmosphere with his drawing style. The strangeness and craziness of it all perfectly expressed through ink and paper."

"Alright, I'm so curious about it now because it got you talking this much."

C.C. doesn't like the blush and heat that crept up on her cheeks upon hearing his words. But the image of him – a successful businessman lounging lazily in his living room with a manga in hand – entertains her. What did Kallen told them about him earlier? He just came back from a two-year stay at one of his family businesses abroad after fixing some mismanagement issues there. Twenty-eight. He's twenty-eight years old, the same age as her, yet he had travelled almost a half of the countries in the world while she sits in the confines of her room with her books, mangas and anime figures.

To change the topic, the woman glances at her friends who are now waving at them and who are obviously drunk and tipsy. "What about you? Don't you want to join them and have fun?"

He shrugs. "Dancing's not really my forte. Plus, I'm already having fun here."

Nodding absentmindedly, C.C. begins an internal battle whether she should go back to reading which would be rude, or if she should engage to more conversation with him which the mere idea of it, in all honesty, makes her a little nervous and wary. Thankfully, Kallen and Shirley had decided that it is time to return to their table instantly saving her from more awkwardness from her side for it seems like she's the only one getting all anxious with the situation while her companion sits carefreely on his seat.

"Lelouch! Why didn't you follow us there? We're waiting for you," Kallen asks as soon as she reaches her chair. C.C. automatically hands her a glass of water, the same she does for Shirley.

Lelouch laughs. "You know how I have a love-hate relationship with dancing."

"Shirley could have taught you. She took some dance lessons during high school."

From her peripheral vision, C.C. observes as Lelouch's eyes travel over her friend's figure. A smirk. C.C. sighs. All she wants to do now is to go home and finish reading the manga. After all, they've been in the bar for almost three hours and she still has some pending work she has to attend to tomorrow morning despite it being a Saturday.

She drones out the rest of night until finally, they are at the parking lot saying their goodbyes. Lelouch has his arms around Kallen's shoulders who is past wasted at that moment while C.C. is supporting a clingy Shirley with her skinny arms.

"Are you sure that you're gonna be fine? I can drive them home if you want," Lelouch offers.

C.C. takes a peek at Shirley who is already mumbling against her shoulder. She shakes her head. "I don't want to bother you anymore. Thank you for the offer, though. Just take care of Kallen."

He chuckles. "I will. Gino will kill me if I don't bring her back in one piece."

"Right," she smiles and waves her good bye before opening her car. Carrying heavy loads is no problem for C.C. for despite her petite frame, she has enough muscles to lift things deemed too heavy for her. But managing to get the dead weight of a drunk person in the backseat of her car proves to be more challenging and bone-crunching especially if said weight is crushing both of her arms.

"C'mon, Shirley, let go so I can lay you down."

"Don't leave meeeee…"

"I'm not going anywhere. On second thought, we won't be able to go anywhere if you won't release my arms."

The taller woman pouts and C.C. would have found it cute if not for the state they are in.

"I can't move my arms. They're locked."

"Of course, you can. Just – "

"Do you need help?"

Startled, C.C. turns around (with so much effort) and finds Lelouch standing behind them. The glow of the moonlight creates a soft halo around his raven hair and the night sky his soulful backdrop completing the scene.

"Yes," she tiredly admits.

Together, they lift Shirley up and put her inside the car. It takes them some special maneuvering to properly lay her down without breaking any of her bones. That would be a real big problem for a model like her.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

C.C. has already started the engine when a tap on her window interrupts her concentration.

"Did you forget anything?" she asks Lelouch after rolling her window down. She couldn't think of anything that he might have forgotten in her car for as much as she can remember, he was empty-handed when he came to help her with Shirley.

Instead of answering her question, the man hands her a small paper containing a set of numbers.

"That's my number," he starts. "Call or text me when you arrive home safely. I'll wait."

And again, with that smile.

Before C.C. can even nod, Lelouch is already jogging back to his car. Stuffing the paper inside her pocket, she huffs and takes a final glance at her passenger at the back.

Finally, she can go home.