A/N: Yes, hello everyone. So... Yesterday was my birthday, and... I know I promised this extra big surprise thing, and I didn't. I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling very well yesterday, nor am I today. I promise you, I'll finish it up as soon as possible though. In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this.
Disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property.
"C-"
"Leave me be, Lelouch. Just for today. I don't have the mind to put up with you."
The raven-haired man paused in front of the door, staring at the immortal who was lying on their bed. Of course, this was nothing strange, but ever since yesterday afternoon…
She had been listless and quiet, simply staring at the wall or out the window with empty eyes. She hadn't even glanced in the direction of the phone, much less order pizza, which decidedly perturbed him. To think that C2, the woman who would risk her life for the cuisine, hadn't even thought of or felt the urge to eat her beloved dish…
Something was seriously wrong.
Because he had been set down in completely uncharted and unexpected territory, the exiled prince confessed to himself that he didn't, in fact, have any idea on what to do. He had always detested the sensation of helplessness, the hatred having been further bred by the harsh and unforgiving politics of the royal family. His voice sounded strange to his own ears; weak and impotent, his question was tentatively posed.
"… Is it because of-"
"Just… Go, Lelouch. Go."
Although it disturbed him to, he reluctantly did as she requested and left.
What could he do, anyways? If she wanted to be left alone… Then he would comply with her appeal.
As the door closed behind the raven-haired man, C2 finally released a dry sob. She had been suppressing it since the day before, not wanting to expose her vulnerability to her accomplice. Hugging Cheese-kun tightly, she curled herself up as she reflected back on her lifetime with Mao, the man whose life she had cruelly given and taken away.
Lelouch leaned on the wall besides to door to his bedroom, his expression downcast.
Her heart-wrenching cry rang in his ears like some sick, sadistic tape that kept looping, doomed to torture the listener for an eternity.
It brought to mind how he had seen her trembling the night before, the way she had shied away from him, and he knew well how she had rejected the numbing embrace of Morpheus…
It would be a bold-faced lie no one would believe if he said that he wasn't worried; because, as much as it scared him to admit it, he cared for her. He was… He was greedy and selfish, he was possessive of her; he wanted her to himself. Of course he did. Why else would he have faced Mao?
And because of he cared for her, because he felt possessive over her, he felt protective.
If Suzaku was Euphemia's knight… Then he was C2's warlock.
Yes, he was her warlock, as she was his witch.
But if the witch pushed him away, what could the warlock do?
Nothing.
So… As much as it pained and displeased him, the Britannian eventually straightened up and left for school.
"Hey Lelouch, how do you solve this problem?"
"Hmm?" Said student trailed his brooding amethyst irises to his amiable companion, his dark train of thought having been interrupted by an innocent inquiry.
"This math problem? Apparently, it's going to be on the upcoming test, and-"
"Suzaku."
"Huh?"
The brunette tore his eyes away from the series of numbers and mathematical whatnot on the sheet of paper and was surprised by the poorly disguised distress in his friend's eyes.
"… If someone were sad, how would you cheer them up?"
"Um… I think I'd take them out to have some fun. You know what they say… Love always heals the wounds of the heart. Or Euphie told me something like that, anyways."
"… I see."
"But uh… Why are you asking?"
The raven-haired teenager simply took the worksheet out of his hand, glanced at the word problem, and scribbled down the proper steps needed to solve the problem. Handing it back to Suzaku, he stood up and picked up his briefcase before briskly walking towards the door of the classroom.
"Hey, where are you going? World history is about to start!"
"World history isn't as important as this," Lelouch simply replied while leaving the room. All morning, he hadn't paid any mind to any of his lessons and allowed his mind to wander. But always, it would circle back to the witch. And how small and drawn she had looked when he had left for school.
How lonely.
How sad.
How hurt.
Well, he was going to fix that. And honestly, he didn't care whether it took him going temporarily bankrupt to momentarily satisfy her penchant for pizza or skipping school.
She was far more important to him than those trivial matters.
C2 lifted her hand up to the autumn sun and studied it.
This was the hand that had held Mao when he was lost and alone.
This was the hand that had brushed away his hair while she reassured and promised him she would always be there for him.
And this was the hand that had held the gun that had killed him.
She had killed him.
Through her follies, she had ruined someone to their death.
And what made it all the more cruel was how she had deceived him and herself, claiming that her actions were good and righteous, when they were really just selfish.
Would Lelouch become another Mao? Would he, like countless men, women, and children before him, fall to his Geass? Would she, somewhere, sometime in the future, have to kill him after poisoning him with her misled kindness? Could she? Did she have the courage to, the strength, to execute such an action? The emotional numbness, the-
"C2."
Quiet shock… Was she turning insane now? Why had she just heard Lelouch's-
"C2, get dressed."
No, she hadn't turned mentally unstable.
It really was him.
"…. What are you doing here?"
"Get dressed. We're going out."
"Wh-"
Opening the third drawer of his dresser reserved for the witch, he pulled out some clothes and said, "Here. Change into this."
"Lel-"
"… C2."
She stared at him, reading something… Strange. Something foreign, something she had never seen from him before… Then that something clicked in her head (or perhaps something had stirred in her heart?) and she sat up before accepting the clothing from him.
The two changed silently, having nothing to say. The ivory dress shirt, with its bishop sleeves that fell a little past her elbow, was cool to touch while the chocolate-brown overall dress was short, as it only went halfway down to her knees. After looping the matching pink belt, she sat down on the edge of the bed to slip on her white thigh-high socks, all the while refusing to even meet the other occupant of the room's eyes.
Lelouch, taking off his school uniform, changed into khaki pants and a pale blue dress shirt. Deftly tying on a black necktie, he shrugged on a navy blue blazer and fixed on a watch that Nunnally had given him for his last birthday. Transferring his wallet and cell-phone to his pockets, he asked, "Are you ready?"
"Where are you taking me, Lelouch? I'm too tired to entertain y-"
"I promise you won't regret it, C2. Just come with me."
She fell silent and they slipped on their leather boots before leaving the dorm.
When they were outside, the raven-haired man said, "We have the entire day ahead of us. What do you want to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is there anything you want to do? Preferably something unrelated to pizza."
She only stared at him and he suggested, "… Why don't we go somewhere? Like the aquarium? What do you think?"
She only half-heartedly shrugged and Lelouch suppressed the urge to sigh.
Obviously, this was going to take some work.
He offered her an arm, which she took, thankfully, as she looked rooted to the spot. As they walked down the path and off campus, he cleared his head and heart of any impatience and tried again. Guiding her gently, he softly told her, "Let's go, C2. To the aquarium."
"… I've been to the aquarium. With Mao."
They were her first words ever since leaving the Academy. She had remained completely silent on the train ride and the 2 hours they had spent so far at the Sumida Aquarium. Lelouch didn't reply, none of the words in his head deemed appropriate for the delicate state the immortal was in. Instead, he merely stared at the emerald-haired woman, who was sitting besides him in the stands in front of the enormous viewing window, her dull golden irises glued on the playful dolphins that were dancing in the water.
"…. He adored the otters. The little boy that he was, he couldn't take his eyes off of them. He was so enraptured with them that he actually momentarily forgot about the burden of his Geass."
"… Did you love him?" he finally raised the issue that had been plaguing him as of late.
"Yes." she sighed.
"Do you love him?"
"… Perhaps."
"If you could… Would you start over with him?" he asked, his voice and manners quiet.
"… If I could… I would have never accepted my Geass."
Lelouch tightened his hands into fists to stop trembling; she had wished she had never even begun.
But if she hadn't begun…
How could he have met her?
How could he have ever gotten to know her?
How could he have ever-?
"But there's no point in wallowing in the past. Because that's what it is. The past," she resignedly murmured, more to herself than to her companion.
"… Then why do you weep as you think of him?"
"… Because even if he's a part of the past, the sorrow and regret I feel are a part of the present."
She callously wiped away the silent tears from her cheeks, smearing them, seemingly branding her as a hypocrite and a murderer.
"C2-"
"It's similar, Lelouch, if you were to kill Nunnally. After turning her into a monster with your hubris. The pain… Of realizing how poor your decisions were, and because of your mistakes, someone's life was ruined... It's a burden that will haunt you forever."
She wilted, when he wordlessly laced his fingers with hers. The witch looked at him in surprise, but he only averted her wide eyes and stared straight ahead at the enormous glass wall and focused his attention on the dolphins, who were swimming around together, completely carefree. Dropping her gaze down to her lap, she tightened her slack grip on his hand, the warmth from his hand seeping into her cold one.
Inevitably, she found herself comparing the two men's hands…
Mao, he had had always held her tightly, digging his nails into her, as if he were desperate and afraid to let her go. As if, if his hold on her were any slacker, she would float away like a wisp of smoke, impossible to be captured again.
But Lelouch…
Gentleness.
Caution.
Compassion.
He held her hand as if she were made of china, careful and warmly.
How different the two were…
After coming out of the aquarium with C2 hugging a stuffed penguin plushie, they stood at the wide pedestrian crossing, waiting for the light to change. Their hands, still being held by the other, hung between them. The immortal looked up at Lelouch, who was intensely watching the crossing light, willing it to change. Why was he being so kind to her? He had skipped school and taken her out, he had bought her a doll and pizza for lunch without her having to even say anything. Why?
"Lelouch."
"Hmm?" the second the red hand turned into white figure, he stepped off of the sidewalk and they crossed the street to enter the spacious park.
"Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" but he fully well knew what she was talking about.
"What's motivating you to take me out on this…."
"This date?"
"Is this a date?"
Through the numbness, she felt a spark of bewilderment light her up momentarily before dying as quickly as it was born.
"I don't see why we can't call it one. Technically, it is."
"Technically…"
Of course. Technically. How could it be romantically? After all, their contract-
"But no one's to say that it's a date just because of technicality of the definition. I'll leave it up to you to decide, C2. Do you want some hot chocolate?"
"Hot chocolate?"
"Shirley told me about this café that had a nice menu… I think it'd be to your taste, if we go based off of her description and individual experience."
"… Then let's go."
"Let me call her."
"You forgot the name?"
"Listening to her swoon over a café isn't exactly on the top of my priorities. It'll be quick."
His hand pulled away from hers, leaving her feel… Empty? She hid her hand behind her back, clenching it into a fist. What was this forsaken feeling? Rather, why was she feeling so crestfallen? She watched her "date" reach into his pocket to call his friend, when something fell out, unbeknownst to him.
Her Cheese-kun sticker token card.
And it was flying away, enthusiastically carried by the chilly autumn wind.
Keeping her eyes on the card, she ignored the traffic lights and confused violet eyes following her, and stepped onto the street. Running out with her hand outstretched, she chased after the card. Her fingers brushed it, when there was the sound of a blaring horn. The emerald-haired woman turned her head and saw the blinding headlights of a truck that was currently hurtling towards her. Wha-
A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward into the safety of the lane marking just in the nick of time.
Embracing her, Lelouch turned his back to the lorry as it screamed by, precariously standing on the thin white line painted down the middle of the street. Releasing a strained breath, his arms tightened around her waist as he hugged her out of relief, rather than need; he had pulled her in on time, he had saved her.
Shocked, the sight of one of the clear buttons on his shirt filled her vision as she felt his grip on her become more secure. Then, for some strange, inexplicable reason, she began to cry. She felt his hand running through her hair he gently comforted her.
"You can just start over, C2. If you lose the first, you can start over. All isn't lost just because you lose the first. You can just start over."
To a random passerby, it may have seemed like he was referring to the card and the stickers, when in reality… She knew he was speaking of Mao and her wish.
"You have me. You have your warlock, what is there to fear? You can start over. I'll help you start over. It's okay, C2. You don't have to cry. You shouldn't have to cry. Not you."
She shivered in his arms, finding the warmth that had been denied to her for so long, wordlessly grateful for the one who wiped her tears away.
C2 gazed all around her at the cheerful autumn scene that embraced her from all sides. The trees looked as if they belonged in some finger painting of a rogue five year old, with its rambunctious and fiery hues. A strong reminder of the artwork of Mao's childhood.
Her mood, which had gradually somewhat brightened through the efforts of Lelouch, turned sour again as a darkness tinged her thoughts.
It was amazing, really, how she could continue to live and breathe in such a beautiful place, when just the day before, she had…
Her grip on the soft penguin tightened, seeking some form of warmth or comfort, or even denial or justification, for her unforgivable deed.
How could she have…? She realized that she had deserted her normally icy demeanor yesterday afternoon at the Academy's church, but she made no effort to find it again. It was far beyond her reach now.
Burying her face into the silky ebony fur, she closed her eyes, apologizing to the monster she had created.
A glint captured his attention and he gradually slowed to a stop, wondering what had been so bright as to catch his eye.
He waited, and it, whatever it was, flashed at him again, as if beckoning for him.
For some bizarre and baffling reason, he seemed drawn to the spark, and caved in, searching for the source. He was quickly rewarded.
"What are these?"
A man, an Eleven, who looked to be a middle-aged man who had had led a happy life, had set up a table in the park. With politeness that would have horrified most Britannians, the raven-haired man studied the rows and rows of jewelry.
"Ah, these? They've been trending for some time now. They're called promise rings. Extremely popular amongst young couples these days. Would you like to browse through them, sir? I have all kinds. I'm sure you'll be able to find one that will suit you."
"What are promise rings for?"
An idea began to piece itself together in his head, and he was curious to know if he could use it to ease the turmoil storming his psyche.
"Well, they're supposed to be pre-engagement rings. Teenagers, much like yourself, usually wear them, when they're too young to be legally married. Although nowadays, it's lost its true meaning; most couples just have them as a symbol of their love for each other."
"I see…"
Yes, that was it.
The last fragment positioned itself within the remaining lieu as he held up his spidery hand, envisioning what it would be like if one of the digits bore an emblem of his heart.
Lelouch, finding the witch seated on a cold park bench by herself, came and sat besides her, hiding something behind his back. Calling her attention to him, he not unkindly asked for her to close her eyes.
"Why?" she faced him, looking away from the bright golds, reds, browns, and oranges from the park's trees.
"Just close them."
Not wanting to argue, she listened to his request. A few seconds later, she felt something soft and warm wrap around her neck gently. Opening them, she looked down to see a pastel pink muffler scarf. There was a decorative rose, reminding her of the time she had told him how she admired roses, of how their beauty was constantly being guarded by their thorns.
He had remembered.
The corners of her lips tugged upwards as she gave him a small smile, the first throughout the day, as she replied with a murmured, "… Thank you."
His lips mimicked hers, satisfied by her evident surprise and pleasure at the gift.
There was the smile he had missed all day.
Reflexively taking her hand, the pair walked through the quiet pathways of the park, crunching over the fallen dry and colorful leaves.
"Lelouch."
"What is it?"
"Look at the sky."
He temporarily turned his eyes from the emerald-haired woman to the heavens above.
"It's going to rain."
Just as the words left her mouth, there was a raindrop. And then another. And another.
"We're not going to make it in time," she said, somewhat flatly. As peculiar as it was, he was glad to hear her pessimism. It showed that C2 was returning to him.
"Who am I, but the man of miracles?"
She gave him reproachful look and he added, "If we get caught in the rain, I'll just give you my jacket. Rest your worries, C2. You're not alone."
And so, they quickened their pace to escape the dreary weather.
They ran for cover, hiding under the awning of a café. From inside, you could see the backs of two teenagers, one girl and one boy. They stood by each other, when the boy faced the girl suddenly. He seemed to be saying something serious to her before leaning down and kissing the girl.
Lelouch glanced over at the window to see what it was that C2 was staring at and saw that it was a couple holding hands outside. They didn't seem much older than him, which was probably the reason why she seemed to be drinking the phenomenon in.
"… Do you regret not being able to live normally?"
"Normalcy would simply add insult to injury. It would be a mere joke to me in my never-ending accumulation of experiences."
But in her eyes, she had said: yes.
"… C2."
"What is it?"
"When we're done… Come with me to Ashford."
"How long do you think "this" will take?"
"I don't know," he confessed, "But even if it were to finish tomorrow or five years from now, I know I would still want you by my side. Even when everything is finished."
"… I see..."
"… Are you going to leave me after I finish?"
"Maybe so."
"Don't."
She turned her full attention to him and he repeated firmly, "Don't."
She held her silence.
Lelouch took her hand and reached into his pocket. Slipping a ring on her index finger, he said, "A promise ring."
She stared at the black sapphire and the emerald twinkling on the silver band.
"A symbol of my promise. My vow to you."
"…. Our contract?"
"Not quite. Contracts are emotionless, unfeeling."
"Then… Our vow is…"
"Anything but."
His fingers intertwined together with hers, a thick silver band glowing on his finger.
"Lelouch-"
"Forget about the past, C2. All we have now is the future. Our future."
"Our future…"
He raised her hand to his lips, grazing over them lightly.
"Don't look back, C2. It's behind you. If you're ever unsure… If you ever waver… Look at me. Keep your eyes on me."
Amethyst melded into gold before she broke eye contact and stared at the softly glimmering ring on her hand.
"Lelouch, I-"
Her name left his lips just as there was a ferocious crack of thunder outside. Despite the moody weather, she heard him all the same and her grip on his hand tightened.
The hand that had wiped away Mao's tears would now wipe away Lelouch's tears.
The hand that had smoothed silver hair would now brush away ebony locks away from stormy amethyst eyes.
But this hand, although it had wrought destruction and implemented death on Mao… This hand would never harm the man sitting across from her.
Not this time.
"Lelouch."
"Hmm?"
Moving to his side and sitting in his lap, she rested her head on his shoulder while draping her arm around his shoulders before whispering, "Thank you for extending your hand to me."
He smiled, lost in her wide eyes, which were bright with quiet happiness, before leaning in closer to her.
This was his witch.
Seconds later, she could still taste the surprise and hot chocolate from his lips, and she knew she was his now, and no one else's.
A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated and encouraged. They're like food for me... Oh. Whoops. Not food. More like... Oxygen, I guess. Reviews are important, because they're like an informal survey to see what I need to work on, what you like to see, etc. I mean, reviews that say: nice story are appreciated, but I prefer more the ones with details, like: Oh, I liked this part because etc. But I understand that sometimes writing reviews are tedious and a lot of work. But I just wanted to throw that out there; no need to feel that its obligatory though. Just keep in mind that it's like encouragement. Thank you for reading, and for all of those who are faithful, thank you for being patient with me during the rehab period I had to go through for my mind.