A/N: It's been a month since part 4 again. Fuck, time flies so fast TT_TT If you're wondering where I've been (or not xD), I'll tell you anyways.
COVID + Allergies = SUCKY WEEKS.
Anyways… This is going to stray far from the teasers I posted, and that's because the other one was just too far out and didn't make sense, and it was a glaring reflection of how horrible my mental state was for the past weeks. Sooooo we have this one instead.
It's a little jarring considering this is a peek at their future lives together, but why not?
I've made hailtoemperorlelouch wait for so long already. This is long overdue, and I'm sorry. But thank you for your kind messages, the reviews, the faves, and the follows. It really does brighten up the dreary days, you know.
Request: FS3:lelouch has a rare sleep disorder in which he finds it hard to sleep until he met C.C. and she became his roommate
Sleeping Angel
University Life: A Peek into Their Future
"You sure about this? I mean, moving in with someone straight after graduation is a pretty big deal."
Kallen, (the heavens bless her soul), just couldn't get over this simple fact of life. As much as C.C. loved her as one of her best friends, that love was fast fading at the moment as her spiel about why this was such a bad idea was perfectly succeeding at irritating the living daylights out of her. She was busy hoisting boxes and bags of her belongings from the car, damn it. She paused for a second to wipe beads of sweat off her brows, before turning to the redhead whose babbling she had tuned out minutes ago.
"Aren't you the least bit worried?"
C.C. finally met the other girl's inquisitive stare, and nearly felt guilty at how irked she was moments before. Her friend was only being responsible and looking out for her best interests, after all. She should be grateful.
"I get it, Kallen, but I'll be fine, really. Why should I be worried in the first place?" Never mind her parents disapproving. She was a freaking adult, and she could do whatever she wanted.
C.C. shrugged nonchalantly, turning to see the duplex apartment she would be finally moving into in less than a week's time.
Kallen chuckled under her breath. "Renting an apartment to live by yourself fresh from high school graduation in a different town is one thing, but doing it so you can live with Lelouch is a whole new level of crazy."
"As much as I would love to see the look on the dorm supervisor's face when I sneak a boy in, I don't think it's worth the trouble." C.C. joked and nearly cackled at the exasperated look on Kallen's face. Her best friend from high school resided in the University's women's dorm — with its strict visiting rules and curfews. C.C. just didn't want that. "Besides, the cost of living in this area isn't so bad. Lelouch has a freelancing job. I do too. We can manage."
Yeah, independent living arrangements and university miscellaneous fees were no joke. Scholarships be damned.
She certainly didn't mind sharing a room with Lelouch in this one-bedroom duplex though. It had a working kitchen, a modestly-sized living room, and two bathrooms, plus a spare room upstairs that they could turn into a study if they wanted. It wasn't so bad. It was a far cry from the grandeur of Lelouch's suburban family home (where the twins still lived), but it was a nice step-up into independent living.
Not high school students any longer, but functioning young adults furthering their education in the hopes of being decent professionals in the workplace later on.
Hard to believe that she'd been dating Lelouch for three years now...
"Everyone can come and hang out whenever they want." C.C. grinned at Kallen before leaning down to continue finishing the task at hand. A lot had to be done, and there was no time to waste.
=OoOoO=
It had been a week since they had both moved in together, and astoundingly enough, the adjustment period wasn't as daunting as it had first seemed. Two years of spending way too much time in each other's houses had given them a sneak peek of the real deal. It didn't hurt that the duplex they rented out wasn't too shabby.
No dining room, but C.C. didn't see the problem in that. Dining rooms were for homes with actual families living in it — or so she always thought.
Over the course of the week, she had discovered two interesting things: One, Lelouch slept rarely or not enough, and two, her boyfriend lived off of coffee. Well, she knew, he liked to drink coffee a lot (even in high school), but she hadn't realized he could consume 7-8 cups now — a rather unhealthy amount. He didn't tell her how long he'd been doing it.
It was concerning, but also a little amusing; because, Lelouch nagged her about her pizza consumption on a weekly basis, and she had started warning him about the repercussions of excessive caffeine-reliance after she found out this week.
C.C. was reminded of this blatant fact as she walked barefoot into the kitchen at nearly 1AM. The floor was cold, but it really wasn't doing much to fully wake her up. All she knew was that Lelouch's side of the bed was untouched and empty, and C.C. hated hogging the blankets by herself. Why should she have to, when she could have been snuggling with him instead? Although, she would never tell him that.
"Why are you still up? Do you love University work this much?" She chuckled in spite of the yawn that threatened to fight its way out of her mouth.
She caught the answering the smile he gave when she shuffled further into the kitchen and tugged the blanket around her bare shoulders closer. He really was doing coursework, and needless to say, that didn't really make C.C. very happy. He was supposed to be sleeping if he had class in a couple of hours. Sunday had come and gone two hours ago. It was 1:30AM on a Monday now.
"I should be asking you that question, when—"
"Don't even start." She warned him, grabbing a seat for herself. Lelouch let her prop her chin on top of his shoulder. "The bed is cold without you."
"I didn't realize you liked hugging my body so much." He teased weakly, turning to face her with faint dark circles under his eyes.
"I manage," C.C. quipped sleepily, "Hugging a pillow of bones is not very pleasant."
"I take offense."
"For being leaner than other guys? But that's a fact." A finger reached up and poked his cheek, making him grunt as he continued typing more words that made little sense to C.C. "Come to bed, Lelouch. Please?"
He did his best to bargain as much as he could, but it turns out, it worked a little too well. C.C. had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and she was in-danger of slipping off into the kitchen floor entirely. Well, at least he was 1,246 words ahead than when he first started. Lelouch closed his laptop, unplugged the computer from the socket, and wrapped the blanket tighter around C.C.. He was careful not to jostle her around too much as he picked her up in spite of his exhausted state. She had been right about his caffeine-addiction though. He could feel the effects now that his mind wasn't occupied with coursework — could feel the inevitable exhaustion weighing on his bones.
Gods, sleep sounded like a heavenly idea right about now…
But there was a reason why he never favored sleep so much. There was a reason why he'd had the habit of sneaking out at night to gamble on underground chess matches as a teenager living under his parents' roof and supervision. Rolo had his suspicions, but Lelouch wasn't really inclined to share his sleeping troubles with his younger siblings. Even his mother only knew the vague story, and was under the impression that he slept better now.
And well, to be fair, he did sleep better nowadays thanks to somebody else being in the bed with him, but not by much.
Lelouch considered telling her, but wasn't exactly sure how… C.C. would fuss. She didn't like showing people she outwardly cared, but she did in truth. He didn't want to worry her, or make a solution that would jeopardize her wellbeing. It wasn't her fault that he suffered from this recurrent sleeping disorder.
And so he steeled himself and slid into bed, shifting onto his side to look at a sleeping C.C., hoping she would be the last thing he saw right before he closed his eyes. Maybe her serene expression and lovely face would be enough to keep the monsters that haunted him at bay.
Still, she was such a lovely creature on her own…
He didn't think their relationship would last this long, and would take them here. From high school sweethearts to a young couple carving a place of their own in the world. It was small and quaint, but it was a start. They even got into the same University through sheer determination and refusal to have a long-distance relationship.
Exhausted but mesmerized, one of his hands left the cover of the blanket to brush the strands of muted green hair away from her face. In the silence of the bedroom, the sound of the rustling sheets was a little jarring. He couldn't resist tracing the contours of her face, appreciating the soft skin underneath his fingertips. If only she could make an appearance in his dreams as well. He'd much rather see her face more than any demon, that's for sure.
Nevertheless, what was going to happen was bound to happen. He may detest the notion of sleep because of what it brought him, but his body needed it.
=OoOoO=
Somehow, he managed to sleep the day away and woke up to the dark of night. Lelouch blinked and cursed himself as he stared up at a black ceiling, laying on his back. How many hours had it been? Well, at least C.C. got her wish. He just slept for long hours. And missed classes and his client would be complaining about deadlines.
Did he really sleep all day?
Why didn't C.C. wake him up? Was he really in need of this much sleep?
What day of the week was it again? And what time was it?
C.C. wasn't asleep beside him, so it couldn't be that late, could it? But why was it so dark?
Also his phone was ringing. Was his brain so slow that it barely registered the noise that woke him up? Several phones, come to think of it. And was that C.C. at the doorway? What kind of mood was she in now? C.C. was strange (and he loved her strangeness), but dressing up in black with a veil over her face was a little much, wasn't it?
"Your joke is not funny..." He tried to say.
Tried? Why didn't he say it out loud? Why couldn't he speak? His lips refused to move. His chest felt tight — like there was a vice around it, squeezing tighter and tighter until his veins popped and he would be crushed to death.
Couldn't breathe… Why was it so hard to breathe?
Why couldn't he move?
That wasn't C.C., was it? The figure at the door crept closer — the shape of a woman against a backdrop of inky black. A shadow bride.
Phones weren't ringing anymore. It was replaced by harsh whispers he couldn't make out.
His arm… Where was his arm? Or his feet?
"Lelouch~"
The first word that made sense all this time.
"Lelouch~"
It walked closer, whispering his name like it was part of a hellish chant — an invocation to offer his soul to an entity that he had worked to ignore all his life. Why couldn't he see anything except for that? That thing with her black veil moving very slowly towards his paralyzed form. Because this was what it was, wasn't it? He was going to be paralyzed for life with no hope of ever achieving and succeeding at his career or having his own family. He couldn't protect and care for his siblings like this.
He was on the brink of being killed, wasn't he? And by some strange shape of a creature no less.
"Lelouch..."
A long and drawn out shout pierced his senses — the knife that cleaved him away from this living nightmare. His legs twitched, arms shot up, body seizing in a jolt that pushed him out of the dream and into real life. Eyes snapped open, chest moving rapidly with each shallow breath. The room wasn't as dark as he thought it was. On the contrary, he spied a little bit of early morning light filtering through the closed blinds.
What day of the week was it again?
"Lelouch?"
That was C.C.
She was wearing the same camisole from last night, hair a little mussed and looking very confused and concerned. But it was a welcome sight. Not the demon bride from his twisted nightmares at all.
"You screamed yourself awake." There was that tiny hint of a smirk on her face before she dropped it in favor of checking up on him. "Horrible nightmare?"
He was still panting when he nodded once and propped himself up a little so he could gather his composure better. C.C. was just sitting up, and stroking the ends of his hair at the back of his neck — he belatedly realized. Her fingers made slow motions along his skin, eventually going the extra mile to massage his scalp soothingly.
"Will you let me know?"
His response was a deep breath and a subtle nod that she wouldn't have caught if she wasn't paying attention as closely as she did. She'd known him for years and dated him for two, and this was the first time she'd witnessed this. It was so unlike Lelouch that it was such a staggering sight to behold at first — to watch him struggle to move even if nothing was holding him down, screaming incoherently for someone, anyone, to come and save him from a personally conjured threat.
It was...startling to say the least.
A few couple of minutes passed in silence where Lelouch gathered his thoughts and C.C. generously allowed him to. She stayed quiet and continued her own brand of physical consolation that he appreciated. Eventually, she scooted closer and laid her cheek against his arm, toying with the fingers that were limp on his lap.
"Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis." Lelouch said at last, rubbing his face tiredly as he went on to divulge the details of the nightmare he'd just had.
Listening through it all, a specific term he'd mentioned rang in her head over and over again like a bell. Sleep paralysis… Personally, she couldn't ever recall experiencing anything like he had. Night terrors when she'd been a child, according to her parents, but never something as severe as hallucinations to the point of temporary paralysis, fear, and hyperventilation.
And recurrent? He had them frequently, did he? What he'd described to her just now was disturbing enough, she couldn't imagine dealing with that on a frequent basis.
Brows furrowing at the idea, she said, "You never told me you had that."
He managed a small smirk. "It's not a big deal."
C.C. raised an eyebrow and gestured at his slouching and exhausted form. "It is, if it's turning you into this." Not to mention, it was obviously distressing him too. "How long have you had it?"
"Hm?"
"Your recurring sleep paralysis."
"Oh… Since high school, on and off."
Deep in thought, C.C. twirled a lock of hair around her finger. That explained the caffeine addiction he now had. She'd seen his coffee intake increase over the years. And that also provided a reason for the frequent but short naps throughout the school day. Lelouch never mentioned it to her up until now when she was first-hand witness to his distressing episode. Did this seem so insignificant to him then? As if he had subconsciously accepted that this was part of his normal?
Because it really shouldn't be… Which begged the question—
"Have you ever consulted a specialist for this?" She narrowed her eyes at him. Her gut told her that he didn't, but she needed an honest answer from him.
"I don't think there's a need to anymore. As horrible as it sounds, I'm quite used to it— OW!"
She flicked his forehead hard. And he yelped again after she pinched his arm.
Stupid boy was digging himself an early grave. Old age might not kill him, but stress and consequent illnesses just might. At this point, his level of sleep deprivation surpassed abnormal, and by the gods, if he didn't visit a doctor soon, she was going to drag him there herself.
"Your concern warms my heart." He retorted sarcastically, rubbing the assaulted arm. C.C. had a mean pinch.
"Not even once?"
"I did, but that was a long time ago. Besides, I was under the assumption that sleep paralysis was a one-time thing."
C.C. scoffed. "Well it obviously isn't."
"Evidently." He scoffed. She touched his cheek and he leaned into her touch, sliding down the headboard to lie down again. "I do sleep better when you're around."
She rolled her eyes. Was this his way of being cute? "I'm not your fix-it option. You're seeing a doctor." Lelouch had a funny look on his face, purple eyes scrutinizing her in the dim bedroom. "What?"
He shook his head. "I'm just not used to you doing this."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I never thought I'd see the day you would be nagging me about addressing my health concerns. And it's about sleeping no less." Chuckling, he tugged on her arm, coaxing her back down into the sheets and blankets that looked much more appealing after the sleep paralysis episode had passed.
Acquiescing with his request, C.C. laid down on her side, now staring at him face-to-face. "You need to take care of yourself more."
Lelouch rolled his eyes. Really now? "Says the woman over-indulging in cheese pizza," he started to say when he caught the look she was giving him, "But yes, ma'am."
They both forgot about the minutes that marched on by, cocooned perfectly in the haven that was their dim bedroom. She had taken to leaning her head on top of his chest, and his fingers brushed across unguarded skin, toying with the straps of her camisole now and again. It was technically Monday morning, and Lelouch — surprisingly — did not care. He was exhausted. He did, however, have the bed, the dim lighting, and he had C.C… Maybe the second try at sleeping would be kinder to him.
"Do I worry you?" He asked suddenly, twirling a lock of silky hair between his fingers.
"Now that I know, yes."
"This is why I didn't want to say anything." He groaned, and she poked his stomach.
"But I'm glad I know." She retorted with narrowed eyes. "You take care of me all the time, I want to do the same for you."
He didn't think he was doing enough, but if she thought so, then how lovely was that? He was just doing his best, and she really shouldn't discredit herself subtly like this too. They took care of each other. Still, this was rather sweet of her to say. It made his heart clench in the most delightful way.
Touched with her words, he couldn't stop himself from pulling her even closer than she already was. A gentle kiss alighted on her forehead as he nuzzled the side of her face and tangled their legs together underneath the blankets.
"We need to schedule an appointment." She spoke resolutely, muttering the words against his skin.
"Can we do it later? I need sleep." He mumbled into her hair — almost whined, really. If she could see his face, she guessed he would be pouting right now.
This was what his silence was getting him.
Her boyfriend could be such a child when he wanted to be.
If this was the plan for the day, then that meant attending classes was out of the question. Oh well… What was another absent mark in Lelouch's cutting-class record since high school anyway? And there weren't any important concerns on her end apart from three-hour long lectures today, so why not take the excuse for reprieve while it was there?
"I take it University classes are out of the equation?" C.C. teased, accommodating Lelouch as he sunk lower into the sheets and snuggled up to her, tucking his head into the crook of her neck.
When the only answer was a nonchalant grunt, she took that as her 'yes.'
Lelouch ought to know better by now, that he could tell her anything — that she would gladly listen and accommodate him and take care of him the same way he did for her. She loved him enough to commit to a long-term relationship with him, but this was the proof that they still had a lot of learning to do.
"C.C.?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
"I love you more."
A/N: We'll return to their normal High School lives with the next 2 requests for this that I have to write hahaha! xD Also, if you want to read the raw, unfinished, what-could-have-been version, it's on my Tumblr. :)
'Til the next published request~
