Turn 6: The good, the bad, and the fabulous.
I wake up slowly. Feeling my face resting on soft billowy pillows.
Upon further reflection, these are breasts.
Still excellent pillows, mind you. But not their primary function.
I note the time, and seeing that it's still early, decide to snuggle in before my alarm goes off.
CC apparently approves in her sleep as she then proceeds to squeeze me like a plush toy.
That reminds me. I should get her that Cheese-kun doll she likes.
A cute yawn alerts me that I haven't been that quiet as her hands start roaming.
"Sleep well?"
If someone, say Shirley for example, were to walk in and see CC scratching my head like a cat, they would likely drop into a dead faint seeing the 'Ice Prince of Ashford' in such a state.
I would of course, publicly deny that I was purring.
A beep from my phone alerts me that Ohgi left a text message.
I sigh into my limette partner's breasts, causing her to giggle as she scratches along my back.
Ohgi has been in contact with various resistance groups, trying to rally support.
So far, only a few have answered positively.
The general response has been along the lines of: 'Fuck you, you masked freak.'
They'll change their tune soon enough.
"Unfortunately, I have class today." I say, my voice muffled by CC's chest.
"Do you actually learn anything there?" She counters.
Fair point. Lelouch's education is near university level. But the apathetic Lelouch Lamperouge cannot be seen to have radically different views...publicly.
"I have an image to maintain. And that means I have to show up, most of the time."
Hmm, that's a thought. "CC, how good are you at gambling?"
Oddball question, but I have reasons for asking.
"I took a gamble on you, so I'd say I'm quite good." She says with a smirk as I sit up to go get dressed.
I raise an eyebrow at her for her flippant answer. "While I enjoy compliments, try to occasionally answer me seriously."
" *Sigh* Fine. I'm pretty good at most games of chance, but I'm not interested in the underground chess matches you and alot of Britannians favor."
"600 years and you never got into chess?" I say incredulously.
I receive a pillow thrown at my face in response.
"Goshujin sama, I should warn you that Miss Ashford is-" Sayoko's voice emanates from the door.
"Lulu! You were supposed to balance the budget! Get out here now!"
Wait, I did balance it.
"Milly, it was fixed..."
I raise a finger in protest then sigh.
"What did you do?"
Years of dealing with Milly's bullshit tells me she added something, or had an idea, or worse, was 'inspired'.
She's actually hilarious from the outside honestly, until you realize that YOU have to balance the books and figure out the logistics for her plans.
"Welllll, I might have used some of the discretionary funds to get rid of a suitor and host a fundraiser."
I signal to CC to get in the bathroom or hide under the bed.
CC flips me off and curls up under the covers, head concealed under the blankets.
God damnit. "Milly, would it kill you to come back at a reasonable hour?"
The door slams open, and like a blonde fireball, here comes hurricane Milly.
"Lelouch Lamperouge, is that any way to talk to your boss?"
Standing there with her hands on her hips, wide smile, hip cocked, Millicent Ashford is the picture of grace, beauty and nobility.
Unfortunately for most people, she's a bigger troll than I am and she runs Ashford as her own personal fiefdom.
"You should be grateful I took time out of my busy schedule to grace you with my presence." She says with a wink. Milly gets away with this shit because 1. Her family owns the school. And 2. Because she's so crazy and over the top nobody has any idea how to handle her.
I pull out a J and light up. Nope.
Not dealing with this sober.
"Milly, what did you do this time?"
She's tapping her cheek while trying to look innocent.
I facepalm. "Milly, if this is another sexual harassment lawsuit, I refuse to be your character witness."
She waves me off while pacing.
"Oh hush. That was one time. And they enjoyed it later."
I blow a cloud of smoke at her. "Milly...just tell me."
She coughs from the strong scent. "Since when do you smoke..." She trails off.
Oh no. She's got that Cheshire cat smile.
"Lulu, is that marijuana?"
"If I let you have a few puffs, will you tell what went wrong and then let me get dressed?"
Before I can move, the J is out of my hand and in hers.
Lelouch would likely be flustered and irate at Milly barging in while he's in boxers.
I honestly have no fucks to give.
A fingersnap from the bed has Milly hand off the J without thinking.
"So the earl of Albany was in Area 11, and my parents decided that...wait...who did I just pass that to?" She says with a confused look in her eyes.
CC at this point is sitting up her ample chest covered in the Godiva look. A joint held in her smirking lips.
I start hitting my head against the wall. "Was *thud* that *thud* really *thud* necessary?" I say with a sidelong glance at my bemused witch.
"Not really. But it was certainly amusing." She turns to the surprised Milly.
"Lulu is rather silly, isn't he?"
I have a feeling that...yep. Milly is plotting something. She's got That Look in her eyes.
I sit down in a chair after swiping my J back from CC.
"Millicent Ashford, meet CC. My...houseguest."
My green haired vixen is pouting at that. It's adorable.
"Houseguest? How cold. And after our escapades last night." She humphs at me and turns back to Milly.
"I remember meeting you and your grandfather. How is Reuben?"
What the fuck are you doing? Milly was around back then, she might remember you. I grimace as Milly shakes CC's hand.
"You know the Ashfords? Seems Lulu is keeping secrets from me." She says with a devious smile.
"Millicent." I say.
That stops her cold. I never use her full name unless it's serious.
"She knows." I nod solemnly.
A sharp intake of breath is her only response.
"Lelouch...Who is she?"
It's rare that Milly takes anything seriously. Anything having to do with my true identity automatically goes into that category.
"She's a friend of my family. She saved my life in Shinjuku. That's all I can tell you for now."
Milly marches over to me with her arms folded. A stern expression on her features.
"What's going on? You've been acting differently for weeks now. You're more relaxed than I've seen you since Pendragon. You're smoking marijuana. Nina talked to me, she said you got her to be more outgoing. And Suzaku? He clearly knows you."
She pokes me in the chest. "I want answers. Is the royal family after you? Does your father know you're here? Is Ashford in danger?" The last is said in a whisper.
I look to the side. "I cannot explain everything. Ashford is not in danger, not directly. There are things in motion that you're better off not knowing."
Ow. She doesn't slap as hard as Kallen, but it still stings.
She grabs me by my shoulders, her eyes frightened.
Most guys would love Milly to touch them while they were in their boxers.
Attractive as she is, most guys have no idea how to handle her.
"Lulu, talk to me. You're my best friend. We grew up together. Tell me something to make this all make sense."
She shakes me, her breathing quickening. "Tell me she's your girlfriend. Tell me you're doing this to get me off guard so you can seduce me into a threesome. Tell me this is all a prank. Tell me anything except what I'm afraid of." She says with a weak smile.
I look down. "What do you fear?" I say in a low tone, hair covering my eyes as I rise to my full height.
Milly shakes her head at me. "No. No. No. Tell me it can't be that. Tell me you're not him."
I look her dead in the eye, amethyst to blue.
"Tell me that I'm seeing things. Tell me that you let your grudge against Britannia go..."
She's shaking me, tears running down her eyes.
"Tell me that look I saw in your eyes...when Clovis's death was announced...when you thought no one was looking."
She cups my cheeks. "You smiled! You smiled like you knew something!"
She lowers her head. "I know that smile...it's one that says 'I know something you don't.' But then I saw something on the TV. Something I couldn't explain save by a coincidence."
Holy shit, I've been made? Was she this smart in the original timeline? Or maybe I've acted differently enough to trip red flags.
"So tell me Lelouch. Something! Anything! Just please...please..."
She latches onto me, crying.
"Just don't tell me you're...!"
I could lie. She might see through it. But it would be enough to salve this over.
I could refuse to answer. I'd get slapped, but then she wouldn't know. She would be outside the stage.
...I could Geass her. It might...no. It WOULD destroy our friendship.
I can't do it. She's my oldest friend. And she's kept my secrets for years. She's protected me all this time, and my sister.
I'm violating every rule of superheroing if I do this. You don't bring people into the line of fire. You keep people distant to protect them.
...Heh! Since when do I give a damn about rules? I've never liked that idea anyway. And Milly deserves to know the truth.
I nod at CC, activating my Geass at her. I look to the right with my eyes, right at a cabinet with a false bottom.
The limette returns my nod solemnly, and opens the case. She takes out something. Something that will answer Milly's question.
I hope she can forgive me. But I've only just begun. I can't stop now. Saitama is happening within days.
I take the object from CC, putting it over my head.
I look down at Milly's face buried in my bare chest.
"そうだ、ミリちゃん。" (Yes, Milly chan.)
She looks up in shock, a expression of stark terror at her own reflected image from the mirror where my face would be.
"われはZERO." (I am Zero.)
I open the alternate eye slot on my mask. My purple eye staring out from my Zero mask.
Milly falls to her knees sobbing. "You're really him...why?"
She smacks my mask, wincing as her hand hits the hard plastic and metal.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! Are you insane?!" She shrieks at me.
"Milly, stop."
"Don't you understand? If you die, what would happen to Nunnally?!"
Oh no. You did not just try that.
"I can't lose my best friend!"
I grasp her hands with my own.
"Millicent. I'm doing this for Nunnally."
She stops crying out of shock.
I take off the mask and hold her hands up to eye level between us.
"I'm going to make a better world. One my sister won't be ashamed of."
I draw myself up. "And not just for her. For everyone Britannia has wronged. I will rekindle the ideal of justice."
I hold up a palm and slowly curl it into a fist. "By removing the greatest source of injustice. I will fulfill my oath that I swore upon the burning embers of Japan: To obliterate Britannia!" I say solemnly.
Milly looks up from the floor in stark shock. "Lulu..."
CC gets down on the floor, looking over Milly's trembling form.
She raises an eyebrow at me, then looks at Milly with a devious smile.
"It's intense, isn't it?" She whispers to Milly.
What. What the hell are you up to, CC?
"He's blase, amused one minute. And then, he starts getting worked up."
She hugs Milly to her chest as she strokes her arm gently.
"And he gets so magnificently over the top."
Milly sniffles. "Lulu always was a ham." She hiccups.
I sigh. "Too much?"
CC nods. "You don't need to wax Shakespearean in your rage every time someone hits the Britannia button."
I sit down on one knee.
"Milly, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
Milly sits up, face looking down.
"You're a louse, Lelouch Lamperouge."
I kiss her forehead gently.
"Haven't I always been?"
She smiles lightly, giggling at my statement.
"Hehehehehe."
She looks up at me. "Was it just what happened in Shinjuku that..." She covers her mouth, trying not to laugh for a moment before giving up.
"Took the stick out of your ass? Hahahahaha!" She finishes, rolling on the ground, happy tears of relief on her face.
CC meanwhile is straining to maintain her composure.
I sigh and wave my hand dismissively. "Go ahead. Get it out of your system."
CC starts laughing and falls over next to Milly. "You still, hahahaha! Owe me! Hahaha! A stick up my ass, boy! Hahahaha!"
I'm glad Milly is taking this well.
Because as insane as she is? I kinda need people like her to break up the monotony and remind me to have fun.
She wipes her eyes off, and then grabs me into a hug, pushing my face into her busty chest.
"I'm helping you with this and there's nothing you can do or say to tell me otherwise."
I nod, with a thumbs up. Anything I say will likely be muffled by her breasts.
She lets me up. "And I want CC on the student council." She says with a cat like grin.
CC will likely make me pay for this.
But seeing as this is her fault?
"Sure. I'm going to wash up and get to class." I say, gathering up my stuff.
I wave at them. "Byeee." I say with a shit eating grin before dashing out the door.
CC blinks before looking at Milly's cackling features.
"Get back here Lelo-!" She says as I get out the door and slam it on her.
They'll probably get along eventually.
