A/N: It's been a month since Part 3. xD Nonetheless, I received requests. With this one down, there are 3 more to go. xD Plus, this AU is turning into a guilty pleasure. xD
I was in the middle of writing Part 2 of Five O' Clockwhen I got ideas for this one, so I went with it.
I love how relaxed and mostly unbothered they are in this AU :3 So thank you so much for every review, fave, follow, etc. and for giving me ideas on what to do.
Also, a lot of the scenes here happen in Lelouch's house. If you want to see the house in my mind, including Lelouch's bedroom, & where Rolo & Lelouch hang out, check out Marmelad's YT Channel & look for Modern Suburban Family House * Luxury Interior.
It's will be on my Tumblr too, if you're curious :) I have that house in my Sims 4 game, and Lelouch's family (in the sims) lives there xD
Request:
If ever you write another chap for Chaining Booth 👉👈 hehehehe can we have C.C. hanging out at Lelouch's house and interaction with his fam(nunnally, rolo, marriane)? And of course Cluclu kissses too! 👉👈💎💝 hehehehehe
Girlfriend
Something was bothering Nunnally… This sort of thing didn't plague her often. Truth be told, she was actually quite passive when it came to trivial things. But then again, her family's affairs were not trivial matters, were they? They were quite important and quite remarkable.
Her far-off gaze wandered to the view outside their big window. Charlie, the family Border Collie, was down there, sniffing at the freshly fallen leaves on the L-shaped pathway that led to the pool on the other side of the house and its adjoining patio. Charlie mostly had it easy. He was probably thinking about what to amuse himself with next — his sets of ball toys or a dip in the cold pool?
Charlie didn't have to overthink about what her older brother could be up to.
Nunnally's sighs of distress and the top of her pen constantly tapping at the edge of her notebook distracted Rolo from his own studies.
Sitting across her on the reading nook, he eyed the other girl dubiously. "Something bothering you, Nunnally?" He raised an eyebrow. Frankly, he just wanted to stop the tapping noise. It was driving him crazy.
Without missing a beat, Nunnally set her school things aside and focused on her twin. "Rolo, have you noticed anything weird about big brother lately?"
Taking his eyes away from the staircase that descended into the garage, he frowned and shook his head. "Nooo? Why, do you?"
"He's frequently going out." Nunnally huffed, rearranging her legs to sit more comfortably.
Rolo didn't understand why she was so bothered. Lelouch was always out. Maybe Nunnally wasn't aware of their brother's technically "illegal" gambling? She probably wasn't, and neither were their parents. Rolo highly doubted Lelouch even knew that Rolo was aware of his older brother sneaking out at night. He never bothered to tell Mother or Father, because… well, if Lelouch was grounded, Rolo didn't want to be dragged into the punishment.
Still, whatever Lelouch was up to outside of school was really none of Rolo's business… Was Nunnally seriously just wondering about Lelouch's apparently "weird" outings?
He didn't offer a straight answer and just shrugged as he returned to his English homework. "He's graduating soon. I'm not that surprised. He's going to be very busy."
Nunnally narrowed her eyes at Rolo… She wasn't buying it. A pregnant silence festered between them, weighty with concern and a myriad of unsaid things.
"You can't let it go, can you?" Rolo sighed, feeling the weight of Nunnally's stare on him.
"Uh-uh." Nunnally shook her head and stuck out her tongue at her twin, who closed his notebook in surrender and put it aside. "Do you think Suzaku knows anything?"
"Kururugi?" Rolo piped up, busy digging a leftover snack out of his school bag. "He might. Though I doubt he'll say anything. Maybe if you asked."
Suzaku doted on Nunnally as much as Lelouch did. Rolo wouldn't be surprised if the brunet made time for accommodating Nunnally's innocent queries. Relatives noticed, and so did their parents. Lelouch asked Rolo one time how he felt about the attention constantly being on Nunnally. And truth be told, Rolo didn't mind. He liked having his privacy and a modicum of independence, thank you very much.
Nunnally genuinely considered the idea, thumbs hovering over the screen of a phone that seemingly materialized into her hands, the moment she decided to playfully snoop into Lelouch's affairs.
"It would be easier to ask Lelouch." She commented thoughtfully, tapping a finger on her lip, ignoring her twin who noisily munched on his bag of chocolate pretzels. "Let's ask Lelouch if he has plans to go out on Saturday."
"Knowing him, he probably has." Rolo shrugged, mind wandering to the fantasy game that he'd started yesterday and was now itching to finish.
The grin that spread across Nunnally's face reminded Rolo of Lelouch's own smug expression, and he couldn't help but cringe. Whatever she was going to suggest wouldn't be good, would it?
"Let's follow him."
"You want to spy on him? I don't think—"
"Come on! It'll be fun." Nunnally insisted — the sweetness of her tone mixing with her devious plot. This was the side of her that Lelouch never got to see. As close as they were to their older brother, Lelouch wasn't privy to all of Nunnally's faces. Rolo, unfortunately, knew most (if not all) of it. "We can get Milly to help and—"
Lelouch would kill them if he found out.
"No! If he's going out, and if we're doing this, we're doing it on our own." Rolo insisted. Because, really… No use in dragging other people with them. They were more of a liability than an asset. "I don't think big brother will like it if he finds out. And he will."
"Weeelll~ We'll just have to be extra sneaky."
Heaving an exasperated sigh, Rolo turned to the view from the window. He hated admitting it and laughing at Lelouch's inability to refuse Nunnally's requests, but Rolo fell victim to the same mentality. Nunnally was his little sister too — with only minutes creating the gap between them. Nevertheless, Rolo was the elder of the twins, and he found it hard to say 'no.' It was just a relief that Nunnally barely denied her brothers anything too.
"We're going to need a way to disguise ourselves."
=OoOoO=
The clock on the dashboard blinked at 6:30 PM. Not a bad time to get home…
Lelouch watched his girlfriend sitting at the passenger seat, busy pilfering Rolo's leftover candies. Smirking at her, he eyed the pathway that led up to C.C.'s two-storey house and the partially covered old low-perched tree-house that overlooked the driveway to the garage.
"This is the first time I've driven you home." He mentioned. The thought finally occurred to him. Whenever she hitched a ride in the past, C.C. always insisted that he drop her off at the nearest bus stop at school — insisting that he shouldn't bother coming all the way out here, especially when her house was nowhere near his.
"Congratulations." Came her smug and falsely enthusiastic reply, gathering up her belongings to prepare to leave.
"And you have a tree house..."
"Thank you, Lord Obvious. I know that. I live here." She snorted and rolled her eyes, ignoring the slightly offended glare Lelouch directed her way.
"A simple 'yes' would have been fine. Do you use it?"
"Mm~ Not anymore. Maybe when my younger cousins are here." She waved away his curiosity.
In all truth, she just wasn't ready to tell him that she still kept plenty of sentimental childhood trinkets up there. It was an extra storage space of sorts, and it was a nice place to retreat to whenever she wanted to be alone in her own house.
Choosing to change the subject, Lelouch cut the engine just as C.C. opened her door. "No curfew for you?"
"My parents don't believe in things like that." She replied, clutching her binder closer. Lelouch seemed more interested in the architecture of the home more than anything. And she didn't understand why, especially when his family's house was monstrous compared to hers. "As long as I get home safely and within a reasonable hour."
"Must be nice."
Cutting off the engine, Lelouch slipped out of the driver's seat the same time C.C. opened her car door. Stepping out, she cocked an eyebrow at the other boy. Because seriously—
"What are you doing?"
"Walking you to your door like a decent boyfriend is supposed to do?"
Silly dramatic chivalrous Lelouch. She rolled her eyes; Lelouch grinned at her reaction.. "You're cheesy."
"Says the girl obsessed with all things pizza—"
"Ouch..." Lelouch walked her all the way to the front door, all the while, gingerly rubbing the spot on his arm that she'd assaulted.
"Tomorrow at eleven then?" C.C. looked at him with entreating eyes, holding on to the strap of her bag.
Smiling deviously at her sudden tone, he tapped her nose and teased, "Asking me on a second date?"
"Stop teasing me! It's not funny."
Really? Lelouch resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She had her fun teasing him all the time, but when he did it, it wasn't funny? Where was the justice in this?
Still, she is rather cute whenever she pouted — quite a rare feat for a girl who was usually so composed. "The word you're looking for is 'revenge,' Cera."
C.C. ignored his smug smirk. "Dork."
"I expected better."
"Tomorrow at eleven?" She hid behind her binder, peering at him with the lovable eyes he was finding harder and harder to resist.
He knew she hated asking for things, but she shouldn't worry too much. He'd already told her 'yes' the first time she had asked. Besides, it gave him more reason to spend time with her without sounding overly clingy. "If you want me to be there, I don't see why not."
"Thank you."
"Good night." He smiled, tracing the line of her jaw with the knuckles on his fingers.
It was quite ridiculous to resist the temptation of a kiss — especially when he was here looking like this. They wanted more, but it could wait. Kissing in front of the student body was bad enough; making out in front C.C.'s parents' house would just be asking for trouble. So, C.C. took her chance and stood on the tips of her toes instead, reaching up to peck his lips — short and sweet.
"G'night."
C.C. stood at the front deck of her house, waiting for Lelouch to drive away. With one last wave through the half-tinted car windows, the silver sedan growing smaller and smaller the farther away it ventured down the road and C.C. finally had the heart to disappear into the coziness of her own home. She did not, however, expect to see her grinning mother standing in the small foyer, wearing an overly happy smile, arms folded in front of her chest, as she drummed her fingers on her forearms.
"You didn't tell us you have a boyfriend."
She should have known.
C.C. released a patient sigh, digging the collapsible umbrella out of her bag and shoving it in with the others they had next to the front door and the nook where they kept the logs for the fireplace.
"Have you known him long?" Katriane Caraverre continued to pester her daughter in spite of C.C.'s stubborn silence, following her into the living room as C.C. dropped her school bag on the couch.
No point dragging the questions longer. "Knowing him, yes. Dating him only recently though."
Well this was interesting news. Eyes glittering with the thrill of a good gossip, Katriane continued, "He seems like a nice boy. What's his name?"
A hesitant pause. "Lelouch..."
"Lelouch…?" Katriane trailed off and eyed her daughter knowingly, waiting to hear a family name.
"vi Britannia." C.C. supplied after drawn out stares.
The older woman tapped a finger on her chin, wandering off to the kitchen while C.C. continued to dig in her backpack for the lunchbox she'd brought with her to school today.
"vi Britannia, vi Britannia. Dear, why is the vi Britannia name familiar?"
"Don't the vi Britannias run a vet clinic chain or something?"
Abandoning her lunchbox on the coffee table, C.C. suppressed her urge to curse out loud. What was her father doing hiding in the kitchen, listening to the conversation? Wasn't he supposed to be at work? Didn't he work night shifts? She muffled her groans of despair, hiding her face in her hands. That tree house outside sounded mighty appealing right about now.
"Well, your daughter is dating one." Her mother proudly declared, grinning at C.C. mischievously. God forbid Lelouch would know about her mother's own brand of torment. He would never let her live it down if he knew.
"So I've heard. Where is he?" Matthew Caraverre materialized from the kitchen, finishing off a plate of homemade quesadillas, specially made by his wife.
"Who?"
"That vi Britannia boy."
She was so done.
Plucking her bag off of the sofa, she made to leave their living space as calmly and quickly as possible — head down, hiding the blush that was threatening to engulf her face. "His name is Lelouch."
"Where is he? We'd love to meet him."
"He's—"
"Oh, you should have seen the way he kissed her when they said 'goodbye' and—"
"Please stop." C.C. mumbled.
She couldn't do this. Between her father's insistence for fresh information and her mother's diabolical skill for tormenting people by teasing them, C.C. simply had no choice but to retreat. Who gave her parents the right to probe? Of course, she knew they only looked out for her well-being, but still...
"Kiss her? Wow, they move fast, don't they?"
That's it! "I'm hiding in my room." C.C. growled under her breath, tackling the stairs two at a time.
"Oh C.C. don't be that way." Her father called with laughter in his voice.
"This is a milestone! We need to share these things with family." Her mother piled on some more.
"Not with you two."
Whining her protest, the disgruntled daughter disappeared upstairs, already intent on complaining about her current dilemma to one very amused boyfriend.
=OoOoO=
"That was quite a show, wasn't it?" Lelouch crooned beside her, hands in his pockets, watching her inspect and rifle through rows of neatly pressed dresses hanging from racks.
"I thought we agreed to never speak of it again." C.C. snapped, whirling around fast to glower at her boyfriend, cheeks tinged with pink.
"We made no such agreement, C.C."
C.C. groaned as he smugly pointed it out. Instead of humoring him and that ridiculously mischievous grin, she chose to ignore him and focus on finding her dress for the upcoming Winter formal. She didn't bring him along for this. What the hell?
Still in spite of how much she berated his amusement, she couldn't deny that he had every right to feel that way, especially after what happened this morning. The peace and quiet she enjoyed in her bedroom last night was a distant memory compared to the chaotic events that unfolded at the front door of their house. Half of the blame went to Lelouch and his love for chivalry, and the other half went to her parents for making such a big deal of the fact that she had a boyfriend. Her mother, in particular, had rushed to the door — all teeth and gums — as she opened the door for Lelouch, much to a mortified C.C.'s chagrin. Lelouch vi Britannia had no problem playing the part of a charming boyfriend, beguiling her mother with the smiles he used around the Student Council and shaking her father's hand firmly when he appeared behind her mother to see what all the commotion at the front door was about.
C.C. had had to push Lelouch away from the door, so they could get going, and she hated it even more when her phone lit up with a message from her dad.
'I don't know who's more in love with him. You or your mother.' The hastily ignored and deleted text had said.
"At least now I know where you got that mischievous streak from." Lelouch said at present, tailing C.C. as she navigated one aisle to the next.
"Shut up."
Grinning mischievously and knowing that he had the upper hand for a rare time, Lelouch amused himself with her hair. So deep was he into braiding the lush locks that he failed to see what he would have noticed if he had been paying closer attention.
From behind the wall that shielded the dressing room from the rest of the store, a curious head of light brown peeked out before hastily getting pulled back into the shadows.
"Don't peek outside like that." Rolo hissed, rubbing his hands together as he tried his best to calm his shivering. Why was it so damn cold in the department store anyway?
"He's out with C.C.?" Nunnally gasped, ignoring her twin's warning and she peeked out again to treat herself to the incredible sight of her brother being unbelievably indulging to one other person besides her or Rolo. "They are so cute!"
Rolo released a patient sigh and rolled his eyes. He suspected as much, but he also knew something like this would happen. Because Nunnally was always a big fan of their brother's secrets. She respected his privacy enough, but she had her own brand of playfulness and would never pass up an opportunity to tease Lelouch good-naturedly. Personally, Rolo put the blame on Milly and how she was such a huge influence on Nunnally's rare antics.
"He's going out with her, isn't he?"
Brows furrowing, he tugged on a lock of his twin's hair, making Nunnally jerk and level him with an annoyed glare. "Hey don't assume things. They could be friends for all you know."
"No no." Shaking her head vehemently, she jerked her thumb in the general direction of the unsuspecting couple. "Totally dating. He's holding her hand." Nunnally squealed, voice climbing an octave. She turned her back on Rolo again in favor of keeping a closer eye on Lelouch and this alleged girlfriend he hadn't told them about yet. "I love how good they look together."
"Where are they going?" Rolo narrowed his eyes. "Sh— crap. We need to change locations. C.C. will probably try on that dress next."
Lelouch was busy chattering to C.C. about the theme of the upcoming formal and how she should consider picking dresses that were more suited for the winter weather. Strapless short dresses were a no-go, unless she planned on finding a bolero to match.
"This dress would look good with high boots and maybe a fur lined cropped jacket." Lelouch was suggesting, genuinely interested in the dove gray empire waist dress C.C. held up for him.
He missed his younger siblings scampering away entirely.
"I didn't know you were a fan of fashion." C.C. giggled, holding the dress in front of her as she gauged the fit in one of the full-body mirrors lining the wall close to the dressing room.
She expected a flabbergasted response, but all she got was a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders as he picked through more of her finds. "I love shopping for Nunnally, what can I say? Try it on." He insisted when C.C. leveled him with a look.
C.C. chose the first cubicle, disappearing into it with two dresses Lelouch tossed towards her — his choice of wear and hers. He claimed a seat on one of the leather ottomans scattered throughout the department store, and unknown to him, Nunnally continued to watch — steadfastly ignoring the way Rolo poked her back and how he quietly warned her to mind her excitement, lest she betray their espionage.
Oblivious to their antics, Lelouch sat quietly and waited while entertaining a mentally listed itinerary and C.C. busied herself with the clothes.
If she was being quite honest, she'd never thought Lelouch would be the type to have an interest in fashion — or shopping for his little sister, for that matter. Holding up the dove gray empire waist dress that he had been lauding not too long ago, C.C. scrutinized it some more. She'd given the dress a second look, but truth be told, it didn't hold her attention that much before Lelouch pointed out the ensemble she could put together with it. She was more interested in the ivory sheath off-shoulder dress, but considering the possibilities Lelouch mentioned—
She could trust his input… for now.
Hastily, she took her clothes off and donned the dress he so wanted to see her in. Thank the heavens for manageable zippers.
Her reflection peered back at her, a petite teenager with noticeably lacking physical assets and skin that was probably too pale. What on earth was Lelouch thinking? This was far from flattering. She would blend in with the snow that would be falling. Or would she? Was it too bare? Her legs weren't exactly long enough for this. This type of dress was something she imagined Kallen would look great in. Speaking of Kallen, she needed to call her after this; get her input too. The redhead would have been the preferred shopping companion, but Kallen had her own schedule on Saturdays.
"Well, C.C.?" Lelouch's muffled voice called through the locked dressing room door.
"Impatient?" She teased half-heartedly, eyeing herself critically all over again.
"We don't have the whole day."
Honestly, Lelouch… Shaking her head, C.C. damned her own subjective judgments and stepped out, shrugging and trying to appear nonchalant under Lelouch's heavy gaze. He was being unusually quiet for someone so opinionated—
"I— It's lovely." He said at last. C.C. raised a curious eyebrow. Because what?
"The dress?"
Lelouch shook his head. "No, all of it. You… You're— You look lovely."
Lelouch hated the slight waver in his voice and how foreign he suddenly sounded to his own ears. The heat creeping to his face was no laughing matter either. How was he capable of tolerating every other tease from or for a different girl, but could barely keep himself together when C.C. was suddenly thrown into the equation? He gave a sufficient compliment, didn't he? He didn't think it would be appropriate to tell her about how that dress fit every curve in her body so well; how adorable she was when she was being so nonchalant; or how chic and effortlessly elegant she looked with just the dress. How much more attractive could she be with the makeup and accessories on?
"It looks bare, no?" C.C.'s voice dispelled his reveries, and he jarred himself back into the present to see C.C. busily looking at herself in the mirror.
"No, it's perfect. I think you should get it." He commented off-handedly. When he realized his own words, he backtracked quickly and added, "If you like it that is."
C.C. smiled at him through the mirror, appreciating the sentiment behind the afterthought. It was such a lovely and brilliant smile to see that he couldn't resist returning it.
And thanks to Nunnally's own vigilance as well, she didn't miss a single beat from that exchange.
"Ouch." Nunnally hissed and gave her twin a dirty look, swatting his hand away after he flicked her forehead. "Quit it!"
"Ssh!"
"Oh goodness, he's kissing her. Ee— Mph hrmph."
Exasperated, Rolo sighed deeply and inwardly surrendered to the amount of romantic drivel Nunnally would torture him with later on. This was a bad idea.
He barely had enough time to cover her mouth before her sudden shriek of delight alerted their brother and would inevitably interrupt the… very public kissing. Lelouch was doing a lot of that lately, if you'd believe Suzaku and the stories of Lelouch kissing a girl in a hallway, the Student Council room, and just outside his car. Rolo didn't think his brother would be the type to ignore privacy in favor of affection, but it looked like he was. Rolo suspected Lelouch didn't care as much anymore after that popular incident with the Chaining Booth that Milly set up. Apparently, the gossip was popular enough to trickle down to Ashford's Middle School. Not that Rolo paid much attention to that, in the first place.
He preferred to ignore the rumors about Lelouch and chose to believe what he could see and hear from the older boy himself.
A quick glance at their older brother's direction revealed that he was still busy locking lips with C.C. in (to be fair) the more secluded part of the department store.
They were trading spit and all kinds of mouth germs, weren't they? Ew...
"I told you he's dating. I told you." Nunnally giggled after wresting Rolo's hand away from her face, still enamored with the romantic exchange unfolding before them.
"Maybe they're not even official yet." Rolo shook his head.
That's what it said on the internet. Just because two people kissed (ugh), didn't immediately mean they were dating exclusively. And frankly, who their older brother was making out with was none of their concern unless Lelouch brought her home and introduced her to the family.
Nunnally was just jumping to excited conclusions again wasn't she?
=OoOoO=
Holy shit, Lelouch is introducing C.C. to the family…
Or a quarter of the family, anyway.
A whole week had passed since he and Nunnally had spied on an oblivious Lelouch at the mall. These past seven days, Nunnally kept a close eye on Lelouch and everytime he disappeared to his room. Last Saturday night, she talked Rolo's ear off about the lovely possibility of C.C. marrying into the family. She couldn't wait to hear the news from their brother, herself — even if she already knew. Her curiosity inspired Rolo's. And as reluctant as Rolo felt about pushing Lelouch to divulge, he couldn't help himself during Wednesday night's dinner and asked Lelouch about C.C… Needless to say, Lelouch's answer was instantaneous and very generic — an answer that left no room for further probing. Their brother was content to not say anything, so Rolo had stopped trying to push, but Nunnally fan-girled still.
And now this?
C.C. had visited their house multiple times in the past — sometimes with Lelouch's other friends or with Kallen. But the air just felt different this time — a little taut. Like something big was about to drop, and Rolo regrettably admitted that he knew what it would be.
"I knew it!" Nunnally laughed, delighted and unable to help herself.
From his spot on one of the other sofas, Rolo cringed and shook his head. He was content to pretend and keep his attention on the television, but no such luck there then.
"You knew what, darling?"
"Knew what, Nunnally?"
Lelouch and Marianne spoke at the same time. The former had just finished placing C.C.'s jacket in the coat closet at the foyer, and the latter walked into the living room from the kitchen, attracted to Nunnally's sudden but exuberant outburst. The vi Britannia matriarch held an expectant expression, intrigued with whatever her daughter had to say. Nunnally, having noticed that everyone was waiting for her to say something, grinned and outed Lelouch — to Rolo's horror and C.C.'s utter surprise.
"That Lelouch and C.C. are dating!" She proclaimed, holding up a finger to emphasize her facts.
Rolo caught the way their brother's jaw dropped slightly, and C.C.'s poker face, and rushed to clarify. "She didn't—"
"Lelouch?" Marianne prodded, reining in the devious smile that threatened to spread across her face.
"I—" All caught the slight glance he threw C.C. Rolo held his breath subconsciously. Did he read the signs wrong? Was his brother not planning to divulge his relationship? But Lelouch just sighed, dropped his shoulders, shrugged, and nonchalantly said, "Yes, it's true."
Wow. And here Rolo thought Lelouch would rather keep his new relationship under wraps until enough time passed and their mother wouldn't tease him about it so much. But he was wrong, apparently.
Nunnally had the biggest smile on her face, and Marianne Lamperouge-vi Britannia released a delighted laugh. She practically skipped towards a shocked C.C. and hugged her — not unlike a mother who had naught but pride for her daughter's achievements.
"Oh that's lovely, lovely news!"
"Thank you." Was C.C.'s automatic response, her arms still refusing to move or wrap around Lelouch's mother.
She knew something was up whenever her son brought his friends into the house. Wait— "How long have you two been dating for?"
"Just—"
"Ah it doesn't matter," Marianne giggled and waved off Lelouch's attempt at an explanation. "A daughter in-law is a daughter in-law. Welcome to the family, C.C.!"
C.C. blinked, still a little dazed from the sudden rush of familiarity from a woman who was normally cheerfully distant and busy for as long she'd known of Marianne. "Umm~"
"Mother please. Let's not presume hastily." Lelouch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is almost as bad as Suzaku dating Euphemia."
"Kururugi is dating Euphemia?" Rolo exclaimed, shocked by the revelation. Their cousin Euphy?
"Euphy too?" Marianne released C.C. and gaped at her eldest son.
Lelouch snorted and rolled his eyes, nudging C.C. to go ahead upstairs. "Yes."
"Wait 'til Victoria hears about this." Marianne giggled, letting her son lead her away.
She would let her kids have their fun, but not before she bid C.C. one last well-wish. The girl took it with grace and drifted away from the foyer to speak to a waiting Nunnally and a very curious Rolo. His sister had moved on to talking up a storm while C.C. began braiding her hair like she always did in the past.
It was all the distraction Lelouch needed to stir his mother away from the chaos the woman could cause..
=OoOoO=
C.C. had been to Lelouch's house several times before. Sometimes on her own, sometimes with Kallen. But this was the first time she'd ever seen his bedroom. His was the first door to the right after climbing the stairs. And it wasn't as big as she thought it would be. As massive and imposing as the modern suburban home appeared, it was actually very homey once you stepped inside. Lelouch's bedroom carried the same vibe.
The voices and the laughing from downstairs told her that Lelouch was going to be a while yet, so C.C. made herself comfortable on his bed. Neatly made and beautifully illuminated thanks to the big windows and the mostly white decor.
She was willing to bet good money her boyfriend would come in here all flustered.
Gods, her boyfriend… They'd been officially dating for less than a month and not more than a few days and the term felt jarring. Was this how it was supposed to feel? She'd never had a boyfriend before, so she really didn't know. Kallen wouldn't know either, because the redhead was still busy denying her own feelings for Gino Weinberg. All of it felt surprisingly natural and a little bizarre.
It would be a lie to say she didn't like it, because she did. She really really did. Lelouch was attentive — except when he was playing chess against himself, accommodating, and somehow very adept at romance — though he would never admit that. She doubted he was even aware that he was romantic. Most of his amorous gestures were trivial to him. A good example was the shopping trip last week.
And he really really liked kissing her…
Not that she was complaining. Honestly, she liked it too.
C.C. snuck a peek at herself in the mirror and was mortified after realizing how pink her face was just from thinking about Lelouch's soft lips; his silky hair and how nice it was to tangle her fingers in them; his dexterous hands, his tall frame.
Oh my god, what the hell is wrong with me…
"My mother is a hopeless gossip."
The opening of a door accompanied his clear voice, and C.C. jumped slightly. She stood from the bed and headed for the large windows, intent on keeping her back turned just until the blush subsided and she could finally face him without the threat of being teased.
"She's playful."
She'd finished uttering those words when she heard his footsteps and felt his presence at her back. She counted the brief seconds of hesitation and smiled a little when he snuck his arms around her middle and held her to him.
"She's probably assuming the worst of us right now?" He groaned into her shoulder, breath tickling the skin at her neck.
"The worst of us?" C.C. prodded, her heart skipping a little until she realized what he meant and she grinned mischievously. "You mean making out? You love doing that, don't you?"
She couldn't resist teasing him.
Lelouch squeezed her a little and she continued, "I don't blame you. I must be so damn kissable if you can't stop doing it."
Honestly… Where did this girl find the gall to say such audacious things?
A little miffed, Lelouch lifted his head from the crook of her shoulder and poked her side. She folded a little but stayed in his arms. Well, if she was going to run her mouth, then he would just have to stop her, wouldn't he?
He released her from his arms, turned her around, and kissed the bridge of her nose. She giggled at the surprise, and they both stifled their laughs as their lips locked for the umpteenth time. It was familiar by now. He liked holding her face to brush his thumbs along her delicate cheekbones. She loved stroking the ends of his hair on the back of his neck. He liked running his tongue along the roof of her mouth because she always shivered with pleasure. She willingly pressed her body up against every curve and dip. Hands wandered and tongues would tangle. Breath would dwindle and they would separate, but only just.
She slowly pushed him backwards so he could sit on his bed. Without pause, she straddled his lap and accepted another fervent kiss; lips wandering away from her mouth to kiss her jaw, her chin, down her neck, her collarbone — the risquest he'd ever been, and she didn't mind at all. Curious fingers toyed at the hem of her blouse, teasing the tiniest bit.
Pulling away from her skin, sultry violet met smoldering gold. They shared mischievous smirks and leaned in further. She put her forehead against his, and nuzzled his face, fingers busy hooking locks of ebony behind his ears. He looked so adorable and charming just looking at her like this, expressive eyes that betrayed every word he didn't want to say — more than enough to remind her why she was so attracted to him and why she felt so happy when he returned the affection she had for him.
Lips kissed lightly; bodies responded to the pull of gravity.
He lay down completely, and let her hover above him before he reached out again and drew her in to kiss… And kiss… And kiss.
=OoOoO=
"Had a busy afternoon?"
Lelouch looked up from his place in front of the fire. Rolo approached with Charlie at his heels, sniffing at whatever he kept inside his fist. The older brother waited for the younger to settle before answering his question. It was nice to see Rolo actively participating in Charlie's dog training. After eating up the dog biscuits Rolo offered, the Border Collie yawned and laid down at their feet, curling up by the fire Lelouch set up.
"You could say that." Lelouch shrugged after answering, taking a log from the small pile he'd brought up from the garage, and tossed another into the flames.
The brothers let the comfortable silence continue for a while. As Rolo enjoyed the chilly autumn breeze and the toasty warmth of the flames, Lelouch was busy texting someone. It was C.C., Rolo presumed. Moments like this, he could really appreciate their parents' eye for real estate. Lelouch told him once that this house couldn't have come cheap with the lounge two blocks down and a fishing port that was ten minutes away. The house was comfortable, made for a family, and luxurious in its own right.
Rolo didn't like thinking about it much, but the house was one of the biggest reminders that his family was technically rich; right on top of the fact that all three of them were enrolled in a prestigious private academy.
So that really begged the question—
"Are you still gambling?" Rolo asked suddenly — just wondering aloud at this point. He always wondered why his brother felt the need to do it. The only benefit he could see was money, but his brother had plenty of that already courtesy of mother and father. So why?
Caught off guard, Lelouch stopped himself short of yelling. "How'd you know that?"
"You're not as quiet as you think you are." Rolo smirked, patting Charlie's head when the dog whined and rested his chin on Rolo's leg.
"Mm." Lelouch conceded but added. "Or maybe you're just too observant. Why are you staying up past your bedtime anyway?"
Lelouch frowned. Rolo couldn't know unless he was awake when Lelouch was out and about.
"Never you mind. But..." Rolo brushed his question off and cocked his head. "Look on the bright side, big brother. At least now, Mother and Father will worry about you sleeping with C.C. instead of questioning why you come home so late."
What the—
Unbidden, Lelouch flushed slightly; his and C.C.'s recent canoodling in his bedroom springing to mind. It wasn't even as mature as Rolo implied, but still… Wrong notions had to be dispelled as soon as possible.
"Rolo! We don't do that!"
This time, Rolo did laugh. Part of him was sure they hadn't, but Lelouch was fun to mess with. He had no doubt C.C. loved poking fun at him too.
"Hey, as long as nobody in the house hears any of it, it's fine right?"
"Please never allude to me and C.C. doing intercourse ever again."
A dastardly smile crept across Rolo's face, unbecoming of the angelic demeanor he usually shared with Nunnally.
"No promises, big brother."
Lelouch groaned, lamenting about 'perfect times', 'regrets', and something about admitting to his relationship status prematurely. Not that the last one mattered much. Lelouch's romantic relationships were his business, and Rolo would stand by that — forget the fact that he and Nunnally had spied on the couple that one time. No, they were never going to tell Lelouch about that.
But nevertheless…
"I like her so far. And Nunnally loves her too much." Lelouch looked up from burying his head in his hands, and Rolo smiled at his brother's puzzled expression. "You seem happier around her too. Take that how you will."
Lelouch blinked once… twice… He could have said more — could have prodded Rolo for details or insist on him explaining himself. Because everything his younger brother just said only birthed questions (like why was Rolo alluding so much?).
At the very least, Lelouch was thankful that there was comfort to be had in knowing that his and C.C.'s families were more than okay with this blossoming romance between them. And that was enough.
For now, anyway...
A/N: I'm jealous of C.C. at this point xD More are coming. :) Next up, the gang going on vacation & C.C. discovers something interesting about Lelouch ;)
