Lelouch walked into class to the familiar sight of Shirley watching a small screen, that a few other student's turned on, that described the Shinjuku Massacre, a look of shock on her face from the photos of the dead Japanese.
Sighing, he walked over to Shirley, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Come on, some of those photos are one's I'd rather you'd not see"
She nodded walking back over to her desk, unaware the slight tugging he felt as he remembered his friend dying, her blood on his hands, 'I'll have to deal with Mao, so he doesn't get his hands on her, and make sure Rolo follows orders'
He made his way to his seat, resting his head in his hand, his mind working up plans and counter measures to prevent her death, oblivious as a sickly red haired girl walked up to him, "May I speak to you later?" His eye's flicking up to the source of the voice, the sickly Kallen Stadtfelt standing before him.
A smile purloined his lips, "Of course, will it be about our engagement?"
The whole class stared in awe at their scene, their jaws dropping as the realization at the words hit them like a semi, Lelouch, The Prince of Ashford, who never showed interest in anything, had just admitted to an engagement To Kallen Stadtfelt, most would have noticed the shared smirk between the two, if not for the fact that they were wondering if she had dirt on him.
"Would after school work?" the red head nodding, their meeting now set before the entire class.
"Woah man, how did you even meet her?" The indigo asked the prince in hiding, only getting a laugh from the noirette.
"We go back longer then anyone would know"
This received a puzzled look from Rivalz, never before hearing that the two were friends, much less knew each other's names. The noirette hiding a smile as his friend mulled over the new information, 'If only you knew..' Lelouch turned his gaze to the window as the teacher began to drone on about the war seven years ago.
He opened the door leading to the roof, it empty beyond his expected guest, "You know, you could have phrased it differently, Shirley looked like she was about to take you on the spot" Kallen turned towards the noise of the door shutting, figuring it was a good time to begin their conversation, "You weren't followed were you?"
He smiled to her, her heart skipping a beat, "You think Zero, leader of the Black Knights and The Demon Emperor would be followed so easily? You must have forgotten that I was able to hide from a third the world for seven years, WITH my sister."
She laughed lightly, leaning back onto the rail, already dropping her persona, "I get it, I get it, your untraceable, so you going to reveal Zero again?"
He nodded, "Zero is necessary for this world to move on, else it would be permanently stuck in this cycle of hate and war, besides I've got a trick up my sleeve" A devilish grin evident on his face.
"You mean besides your OP Absolute Obedience? Did that Witch give you a Code?"
His eye brow raised, "You now about Code?"
She smirked, "I was able to 'ask' Suzaku about it after your death"
He sighed, "He was supposed to remain unknown for a reason, poor guy probably thinks he betrayed me for that"
They shared a laugh as the look of his face flashed through Lelouch's analytical mind, Kallen remembering the look on his face after she found out.
"Yeah, he visited your grave quite a bit after that, I think he was trying to apologize, though I'm not too sure" She rested her head against her hand, remembering as 'Zero' knelt in front of the small grave.
Kallen had been following Suzaku for a while, unsure where he was leading his unknown companion. She peaked through the bush, the masked knight kneeling before a small stone, his mask resting on the grass.
"You'd never guess who figured it out first, Lelouch" Her eyes widened, her heart stopping at the name of the man she fell for, her King, "God, I hate when your ability to predict the future" He sighed, his gaze resting on his mask, the one that bound the two.
"Why didn't you tell me she had a killer grip either? Felt like she was about to rip off my arm and beat me with it, My 'live on' was going crazy too" The Knight of Zero chuckled, his expression turning somber as he remembered his best friend's suffering, the nights he sat alone on top of his throne.
"She was always your favorite huh…" She inhaled sharply, 'What did that mean?' a sad smile taking over the Honorary Britannian's face, "Behind Nunnally, she was always the one you worried about, right up until the end" A tear threatening to drop from the Youth, his eyes glazed over as he remembered his friend, the look on his face as he told him about Kallen, the night's before his death as he worried over her, those few times he hadn't broken down before him.
His tears started to flow freely, the memories overwhelming him as he remembered the fun they shared in the Student Council, "Don't worry though, Kallen is doing just fine now, she even seems to have gotten over you" A soft laugh escaping his lips as he wiped away the tears, "Though she couldn't have picked better then the Savior of the World, regardless if it knew it."
He turned looking straight at her bush, "Though I think there are somethings she'd wish to say herself" They both stood, Suzaku bowing to her slightly before offering her a better view of the tombstone. She walked forward nervously, her held breath releasing at the nameplate.
"So this is where …" a sad smile over took her features, "Lelouch.. Lamperouge? He used his mother's name?"
Suzaku nodded, "No matter what, he always treasured the name he and his sister shared, regardless his feelings for what his mother done."
Kallen nodded, having been told what had happened on the Thought Elevator and with the vi Britannia line, "Why is it all the way out here? Why not put it in a regular graveyard?"
"I asked him myself, his only reply was 'So everyone could move on' well that and so he wasn't strung up somewhere for everyone to see, said it was an invasion of privacy"
After a few moments, both pilots shared a laugh, the irony of him not wanting to have his privacy invaded quite funny considering his Geass.
"Lelouch was always the one to have all the secrets huh?"
Suzaku nodded, knowing his time here was done, "I'll leave you love birds alone" He winked at Kallen before replacing the mask and setting off, returning to the last thing he could call family.
She stood over the grave alone, a million questions running through her mind, yet her voice couldn't form any one of them, tears forming the longer she stared at the small grave, the grave no one would find, the grave no one would visit outside the two of them, the grave that would be forgot in time. She collapsed to her knee, her tears flowing at the memories of him, her King, how he had always tried to do the best for those close to him, how even at the end, despite his actions, he had given the ultimate sacrifice for the world.
"Why? Why couldn't I have been there with you? Why couldn't I have been by your side?" She sobbed quietly to herself, just a girl before the grave of them man she loved.
"I've been meaning to ask, how long after I died do your memories go?" The question snapping her out of her daze.
"A few years, I think, I never really payed attention outside the invitations to Nunnally's birthday parties."
Lelouch smiled, a far off in his violet eyes, "So she was able to move on huh?"
Kallen shook her head, "Actually she only started after about two years after your death, I actually rarely saw her make announcement's beyond the occasional 'Marry Christmas' or 'Happy Miscellaneous holiday', she had seemed quite shaken up after you know, you died in front of her."
He looked to his hands, his elbows on the railing as they both sat in silence, Kallen wanting him to sort through his thoughts before continuing.
He took a deep breath before straightening out, turning to face her "Thank you for this info Kallen, Let's hope this time, I won't need to repeat last time.." A sheepish look on his handsome features, "I'm glad to be able to talk to you again…" He turned away, briskly walking back towards the roofs only exit, a light blush on his face.
She waited there for a second before following after him, still a little off guard from his confession, the most emotion she's seen since Nunnally's 'death', a blush of her own as her mind wandered to every meaning behind those words.
"No, I won't let myself get caught up in these thoughts, I will be there for him this time, though it wouldn't be the worst if that's what he meant…" A smile on her face as she walked back downstairs.
R&R appreciated! And I'm somewhat surprised by this series popularity, despite there only being 2 chapters.