A/N: This is just… Um…. I don't really view it as one of my best pieces, but I think it's okay… Of course, I'm saying this with all of the caution I can muster at 11.42 PM right now… Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property.

Calming his racing heart, Lelouch opened his eyes. The trap from the Thought Elevator had caught him off guard, and the influx of the witch's memories had shaken him. He remembered the promise he had made her; that he would become a warlock if she were a witch. The raven-haired man had only just realized how truly alone and sorrowful her immortal life had been, and there was no doubt that he was the first in her eternal lifetime to perceive it. Concerned, he questioned, "C2, are you alright?"

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

Lelouch never got to answer her question; Jeremiah had caught up to them and attacked them while yelling, "It's me! Zero! It's time for you to repent!"

Impatient with Orange, he spat back, "Just give it up, damn it!"

The pair tried to navigate Gawain away from the half-man half-machine psycho, but was hit. As they felt the impact, Lelouch gasped, "Cornelia hit us there before!" C2 replied in a pained voice, "The Hadron Cannon can only be fired one more time!"

They fell towards the sea as they heard Orange crow in the background, "My fabulous revenge!"

Turning Gawain around, the witch fired the Cannon into the sea, sending up a huge explosion of water into the air. She allowed the mecha to fall back, hiding momentarily in a safe cocoon of salt water while their opponent yelled obscenities.

. . .

Inside of their momentary force field of water, it was completely calm, allowing C2 to prepare herself for her match against Jeremiah. She could tell Lelouch was stressed and frustrated because of the intruder, and she instructed, "Leave him to me. You go after Nunnally!"

The Britannian was surprised to find some reluctance to leave the immortal to face Orange alone. In slight protest, he said, "But our energy-"

Her quick reply was "I'll be fine", to which he was going to tell her to look at things rationally, when he heard her say in a gentler voice, "No. I feel a bit uneasy."

The water was rumbling all around them, but his attention was only focused on the person in front of him. The emerald-haired woman turned around in her seat to face him and said, "Lelouch, you must win. Against your own past."

She began to stand up, and he watched her with question in his eyes at her sudden change of mood.

"And against the results of your actions."

Leaning forward, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips towards Lelouch's. Shock ran through him at the sudden contact, but it passed quickly. Overcoming his initial shock, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. Taking his hands off of the controls, he placed them on her waist, pulling her closer.

"It appears that I momentarily lost control of my emotions." he said afterwards, as they flew towards the island, momentarily finding reprieve from Orange's attacks.

"It was a nice out-of-control moment. Don't you think so?"

"It was." a comfortable silence ensued until the black prince muttered, "I can't believe it…"

"Believe what?"

"The Black Knights… Their words came true."

"What words?"

"You being Zero's Mistress. Isn't it ridiculous?"

"Who knew that sex-crazed idiot Shinichiro's ideas could become reality? What is this world coming to?" she smirked until she heard the serious tone of the Britannian's reply, "Yes… What is this world coming to? It's a cruel, dark, selfish place, full of dangerous ideas, people, things, and places. Even to an immortal like you, it's treacherous. That's why…"

"That's why what?" she asked as he stepped out of their Knightmare. She maneuvered the hand he was on to the cliff besides them.

"C2, don't die."

"Who do you think I am?" she smiled at their inside joke. The raven-haired man smirked and replied, "Point taken."

She was about to leave when she called out, "Lelouch."

"What is it?"

"I-"

"I love you." he took her by surprise by his sudden brashness, but she overcame it quickly and said in return, "And I love you."

She saw him smile, not the maniacal one when he succeeded in a battle against Britannia or the fake one he used when masquerading as a harmless student, but a true smile. Full of sincerity. Just like the confession that he had just given her. It was hidden quickly though, by the mask of a terrorist, and she was brought back to the gravity of their situation.

"… Promise me one thing." she said, suddenly feeling afraid.

"What?"

"That we'll both make it out alive."

"Of course. Now go. Orange is looking for you."

They parted ways, thinking that afterwards, they would return to the final battle raging against Britannia together with Nunnally, but little did they know that their separation would last longer than a few minutes.

When C2 recovered from the lovers suicide with Orange and heard about the fate of a certain Britannian, she locked herself in their, Zero's and C2's, room. Sitting on the bed that they had shared when the campaign against Britannia went long into the night, she hugged his pillow and muttered, "Foolish boy, getting caught… You kept your promise but now I have to reawaken the demon inside of you... Now I have to reawaken Lelouch vi Britannia."

She buried her face into the pillow and wondered if he would still love her when they met again.

About a year later

"I can't stay for long. The Emperor has people keeping an eye on me." Lelouch pocketed the small leather-bound diary of himself.

"I know. That's why it took so long to get ahold of you. Those foolish men and women… They think that they can capture me by using you as bait..."

"Why does the Emperor want you, C2?" their footsteps echoed as they walked down the underground hall together.

"I think my question is more important than yours."

"What's your question?"

"Will you let me be caught by them?"

"I'm sure that you can elude them well on your own-"

"But will you let me be captured by them?" the emerald-haired woman already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it from his mouth.

"… No."

"Why?"

"I haven't changed, C2. You're still my accomplice, my partner." at his words, she stopped walking.

"… Is that all you have to say?"

"What more is there to say?"

He didn't love her. She laughed at herself; what had made her nurture the foolish hope that he did? That he would? The words on Kamine Island had probably been false, a ruse to keep her allegiance to him. It wasn't as if the Britannian was a stranger to deceit.

Lelouch stopped in his tracks and then said, "C2."

"What is it?" she tried to cover up the disappointment in her voice, but failed horribly, something so rare for her.

"Disregarding the fact that you're my co-conspirator, I will never let you get caught by the Emperor."

She didn't reply but they both realized her unspoken question hanging in the air between them.

"Because you're mine."

Shaking her head, she spun on her heel to go when she heard, "Because I can't lose you."

The witch smiled sadly to herself and walked away when there was, "Because I love you."

She stood still and the raven-haired man repeated, "Because I love you."

"You.."

"I love you." he turned around to look at her.

"I heard you the first time."

"I know. But I'm saying it to make up for not being able to for a year. I'm sorry, C2, for getting caught."

Balling her fists at the memories of being left alone by him, she wheeled around and strode towards him purposefully. Lelouch said, "If you're going to hit me, I won't blame-"

Wrapping her arms around his slender frame, the immortal replied, "I'm just glad you weren't killed."

He returned her embrace and said, "I missed you."

"How can you lie so openly, Lelouch? You didn't even know I existed."

"I always felt like someone was missing though."

"You're such a liar." but she smiled all the same.

He was back. The warlock, her warlock, was back. He had returned, and now, even if it was just this moment, all was good again.

A/N: I feel like I'm writing the same idea over and over again…. I know! I should totally pull out that two-shot (is a two-shot a real thing?). Hahaha…. Yeah, I totally should. If you're curious as to what it's about, I'll give you two hints. It's titled Trapped. And what happens is… This is just the surface, mind you. Lelouch gets into a situation because of our favorite student council president, Milly Ashford (yet again. She's out to get him) and he has no one to turn to… Save for his witch. Like always. But this is less... Life-threatening. In a way. I mean, it's Milly, you guys… I hope you'll look forward to it!