Disclaimer: Code Geass belongs to Sunrise.

Part 3.500: Renewing a Pact

"Hey, there. It's been a while, hasn't it? Good to see you back. The Student Council's a little short-handed, so I'll be the one to guide you through your class schedule.

"We have the same classes, mostly, but you'll be attending two make-up classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Also, the P.E. department wanted you to re-take all sessions you were excused from before, so you'll be having extra P.E. on Tuesdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, you and I will be on library duty. Luckily for us, the new History prof's too lazy to think up projects for make-up credits."

Lelouch paused, noting that the student he was speaking to had yet to speak a word and was just staring at him, eyes wide with... Surprise? Shock? Fear? Confusion? Disbelief?

He sighed in exasperation, preparing to say the words he'd been repeating since returning to Ashford yet again.

"The name's LAMPEROUGE. Not 'vi Britannia'. Student. Commoner. Not royalty. Definitely no emperor. We look alike, have the same first name, but that's it."

By the end of that explanation, the looks on most of the students' faces will turn skeptical, but they would be treating him like the old Lelouch-kun in the next few days. He had to admit, though, that it was that much harder saying it to Kallen on her first day back.

It was decided that he'd be confined in Ashford for a year. To the UFN, it was for his protection. To the Black Knights, it was his sentence. As a way to test his sincerity in coming clean with them, Lelouch was not to say anything to Kallen about it until the meeting in the underground command center later. How much they did or didn't tell her, he had no idea; but judging from the look of absolute shock in her face when she saw him outside the headmaster's office, she probably didn't expect to see him again. Right there and then he wanted to take her into his arms, to tell her how happy he was to see her up and about; but the surveillance system was back online. They were watching, and Lelouch Lamperouge was never that close with Kallen Stadfeld.

So, playing true to his part, he explained who he was as he would to any other student. The hurt look she was giving him now was tearing him to pieces, but she couldn't know yet. They would both have to hold out until 'library duty'.

"Oh, that's right," he went on, still playing his part, "You saw him up close, didn't you?" She nodded.

"Are we... really that much alike?" he went on to ask. It was a question that Lelouch the student would want ask someone who met Lelouch the emperor were they really two different people.

"Wait, don't answer that. I don't think I really want to know," he quickly added, and it was the truth. He had gone too far. Had she said 'yes', he'd know how much he was hurting her. Had she said 'no', he'd know that his mask was perfect, and that meant he'd lost her.

He continued explaining her class schedule as they walked, refusing to meet her gaze the whole time. Finally they reached the door to their first class just as the bell rang.

"Here we are," he said, holding the door open to let her enter ahead of him. "I'll continue the explanation later when it's time for library duty."

.o.O.o.

'Library duty' ended with Kallen feeling mixed emotions. Lelouch was Lelouch, he was a student in Ashford just like her, but he could not leave campus so as to protect him from potential threats of retaliation by victims of the 'impostor'. Surveillance was back online to watch for any suspicious movement in and out of campus, but also became the reason for him to put his mask as student back on. That explained his behavior earlier today. It was necessary, that much she understood, but it hurt just the same. She tried meeting Lelouch's gaze, but he had stayed right in front of the monitors the whole time, leaning back at the conference table with his hands in his pockets, his back to her.

How much had he known? Did he have a part in planning the whole thing? Did he deliberately mean to hurt her?

Wait, don't answer that. I don't think I really want to know.

No, he didn't like it either. What would she have answered if he didn't change his mind, though?

He moved then, still not meeting her gaze, then stopped at the door.

"Surveillance will be back online in one hour. When you've pulled yourself together, meet me at the roof," he said without turning to face her, and was gone.

He was right. She did need time to pull herself together. She had mourned for him when she was told that his sentence had been carried out. She almost didn't want to return to Ashford because she'd be remembering him everywhere she would go in campus. Now she knew what his sentence really was, as well as the reasons why she was kept in the dark about it until now. They were all valid, she knew, but she felt betrayed. She couldn't blame them, but...

She was just so angry! At who or what, she couldn't really tell.

The UFN? No, they didn't know the whole story.

The Black Knights? No, they had to act like they didn't know him.

Lelouch? No, he was clearly not in control here.

Finally deciding that she couldn't be angry at nothing, she let it subside. She still didn't like what was happening, though, but Lelouch probably had more to say. She stood up and moved to follow him to the roof.

.o.O.o.

Fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes before the first sounds of someone climbing the stairs to the rooftop garden reached his ears.

To Lelouch, it was the longest fifteen minutes of his life, and now he was dreading what would follow. He was never really good at predicting how women would react to certain situations, as he had always depended on C.C. to explain such things to him. Kallen he can predict while in the battlefield: as long as he made her focus on Britannia she would strike without mercy. Now, however, he would be at the receiving end of whatever she's feeling.

He had prepared for all the possible scenarios he could think of, of course, but what he had planned for later depended on one thing not happening. The bad news? Over four-fifths of those scenarios led to that one thing. Twenty percent was no winning chance, but he was a miracle worker, right? Then again, he was not fighting against Britannia now, was he?

Finally seeing her form reach the landing before the last flight of stairs, he stood up from where he had been sitting at its top and waited. Perhaps sensing the movement, she stopped and looked briefly at him. Lelouch let out a breath when she continued her ascent with her head lowered. Two conditions have been cleared, but it only raised his chances by about fifteen percent.

He moved aside to give her more room to stand at the top of the stairs. She faced him now, standing at arm's length, head still lowered. He waited for a few moments, but she did not speak. Three conditions have been cleared. His chances were now at fifty percent.

Lelouch took a deep breath. It's now or never.

Meanwhile, Kallen was fighting a battle within herself. Should she lash out at him? Should she slap him? Should she leave? Why did she come here at all? He hurt her, didn't he? Why wasn't he saying anything, either? But, gods, she was so glad he wasn't really dead!

She saw him move a step closer to her. She was rooted to the spot, now torn between going into his arms and moving away.

"Close your eyes."

The request made her look up at him in query. Recognizing the same pleading look he had when she pointed a gun at him back in Babel Tower, she complied. Soon enough she heard him open the door to the rooftop garden, then he took her hands to lead her outside.

"I know I hurt you earlier today," he spoke, "but I wasn't lying when I said that it's good to see you back. They wouldn't let me see you even after the trial, so the last I saw of you was at that cave. Believe me when I say that the last thing I wanted you to hear from me when we met again was another lie." They stopped walking, then, and she felt his hand tilt her chin a bit upward. Her heart beat a little faster at the gesture.

"Consider this my apology," he said, then she heard him move to stand behind her.

"You can open your eyes now."

She opened her eyes to the skies above the crater left by FLEIJA, and noted that the stars seemed brighter there. She was about to say so when she saw a small streak of light move across the stars. Some seconds later it was followed by another, and some more appeared nearly every half-minute after the last one. Each one ended in a burst of yellow, orange, and blue. Her eyes widened in understanding.

"This is..."

"Make a wish, Kallen. On every single one. Not all of them may come true, but you'll have at least one to look forward to. If you like, you could make the same wish on all of them, and increase its chances of being granted."

"Baka."

He blinked, surprised by her reply.

"Pardon?"

"You can't make wishes on a meteor shower, Lelouch," she began, turning her head to look at him. "Unlike single shooting stars, everybody knows where to find them, so they lose their power to grant wishes."

"...Oh," came Lelouch's brilliant reply. There went the rest of his speech.

"But," she quickly added, looking back into the sky, "they're beautiful, Lelouch. Apology accepted."

Lelouch sighed in relief. He hadn't known that bit of about meteor showers not granting wishes, but was glad she accepted his apology. After letting her watch a little longer, he went on to continue with what he had to say.

"I'm afraid that this will also be my parting gift to you."

"I won't really be gone," he quickly added when she spun to face him. "I will keep my promise, Kallen. I may not have as much control over things as I used to, it might even be more than a year before I can actually make a move in that direction, but I will do what I can to make it happen.

"Until then, however, I have to be Lelouch Lamperouge again - just a regular student in Ashford Academy. After tonight, I need you to treat me like you did before you knew I was Zero. If at all possible, we shouldn't be seen together. If the UFN suspects anything from the surveillance..."

"I don't know if I can do that," she answered, shaking her head. "It will be like when you lost your memories, only-"

"-I'm aware of who I really am, and," he paused, placing his hands on her shoulders before finishing, "you're here with me." Kallen lowered her head to hide the blush that she felt coming.

"It won't be easy, I know, but seeing you come to school as yourself means that we've accomplished something - that the world is moving in the right direction. That makes all the difference, Kallen. Everything else will be just us going to school." Placing a finger under her chin, he gently raised her face so she can meet his gaze. He then whispered ever so tenderly,

"You're not getting your hands on my homework, though."

The next moment he had doubled over, winded and hugging his midsection.

"LELOUCH!" He coughed twice before answering,

"See? It's not that hard." He then straightened only to find himself breathless again, this time because of Kallen's tight embrace.

"You just had to ruin the moment, didn't you?" Lelouch allowed himself a small smile.

"I take it you accept?"

"Hug me back first, you idiot."

Having waited for this chance for a long time, he complied wholeheartedly, and returned her embrace just as powerfully. For a long time, neither moved, both unwilling to release the other after being separated for so long.

"I'll play along, Lelouch," Kallen spoke after a while, "but since you won't really be gone, this isn't goodbye." She moved so that her hands rested on his chest, then leaned back so she can look at his face. Lelouch did the same, his hands resting on her arms.

"I've told you before: I will wait for that day. Back in that cave, I've also said that I'll be waiting if you promised to come back. More than your word, I believe in you, Lelouch vi Britannia, and that's how I know I won't be waiting in vain."

"Kallen..." Lelouch felt his heart soar at her declaration, feeling very much the way he did when their promises were first made. Elated, he took both her hands in his, kissed them, then held them to his chest.

"Your kind words did not fall on deaf ears, My Lady."

Kallen blushed at the gesture, but quickly recovered and replied with a haughty turn of the head,

"I most certainly hope not, My Lord."

Lelouch lifted an eyebrow. "That wasn't a very ladylike response."

"Well, I'm no noble, and," she replied, then smirked before finishing, "neither are you."

He smirked as well. So it begins, eh? He released her hands then crossed his arms.

"Hmph, you were much more agreeable when I was ten."

"You were a kid who needed comfort then. You're all grown up now, and-"

"Ah, yes," interrupted Lelouch. "I do remember feeling all warm and cozy when I buried my face in-"

"PERVERT!" Kallen blushed hotly at the memory.

Lelouch chuckled. "That's enough practice for one night," he said, then caressed her cheek to try and erase the angry pout that settled there. Kallen leaned into his touch.

"How about letting me win once in a while?"

"We'll see," he answered as he ran his hand through her hair. He stopped when his fingers came across the scar that her injury had left behind.

"You scared me half to death back in the cave, you know that?" She nodded.

"Gino told me. Now that I think about it, I should have guessed that you weren't dead from the way he said it."

"A good man. You've been... seeing him?"

"Jealous?"

"Not if you gave him a harder time than you've given me."

"I thought you liked the challenge?"

"Only on an equal playing field."

Neither have noticed how their lips came closer and closer to touching during their exchange until an alarm sounded from Lelouch's phone. Remembering why he set it, he sighed then pulled back to promptly turn it off.

"Ten minutes until the surveillance comes back online," Lelouch announced. "I should be at the clubhouse by then, and you shouldn't be in campus. I'll walk you to the gates."

"No, the lobby will be fine," Kallen replied while calming herself from the surprise of the near-kiss. "If we shouldn't be seen together, I suppose tonight is as good a start as any."

"Of course," he answered, opening the door for her.

"I'll be teaching you some hand signals we can use in case there's an emergency with the Black Knights during the next meeting," he explained as they went down the stairs. "It will be different from the ones Suzaku and I used, since most of them won't look very flattering if done by a girl. Also, since you and I don't have as much mannerisms as Suzaku does, we shoudn't have the difficulty of mistaking a signal for something else."

They reached the lobby just as Lelouch finished his explanation. Kallen turned to face him.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class, then."

"Yes. Tomorrow."

For a moment she thought he seemed to want to say something more, but he kept quiet. Thinking she imagined it, she turned and began to walk away.

"Kallen."

The kiss that followed was awkward, to say the least. It was as if the one who started it was surprised he had decided to do it at all. No, clearly that was the case. To spare himself from further embarrassment, Lelouch quickly ended the kiss, then hugged her in such a way that they won't be able to see each other's faces.

"I'm sorry... T-that was.... I mean..." A small giggle and a return hug was the response he got.

"I'll miss you, too, Lelouch." He sighed, relieved that she wasn't offended.

"But I really should be going," she later said, breaking their embrace. She moved to pick up the book bag she dropped, then looked back to him.

"How about we try that again when you finally fulfill your promise?"

With a shy smile, he nodded. "All right."

With that, Kallen gave a little wave then jogged to the direction of the gates. Lelouch followed her with his gaze until she was out of sight.

Until then, my Queen.

.o.O.o.

A typical day in Ashford Academy begins thus: the first sounds of activity come to life at the dormitories, followed by the students living in the Tokyo Settlement arriving in small groups that grew larger as the bell signaling the first hour of classes came closer. Then comes the idle chatter of students who arrived early in their classroms, and, at class 3-D...

"A slice of toast in the mouth while running? Very un-ladylike, Miss Stadfeld."

"It's 'Kouzuki', Lelouch! At least get my name right."

"Is that so? Your Student Council membership data still says 'Stadfeld', though."

"Why start calling me by my last name, anyway?"

"Ah, my humblest apologies, Kallen-sama."

"...I hate you!"

... at which the rest of the classroom's occupants would roll their eyes, then return to what they were doing until the bell rang.

Author notes: The Geminid meteor shower happens every year at around December 13 or 14. I've been waiting for the Geminids all year, and it just HAD to be rainy where I'm at. Oh well...

I hope you guys liked this one. Personally, I think the characters were a little off. By far, though, the horse ride is my favorite ;) Thanks for reading!

Date last edited: 2009-02-25