A/N: Uh... Finals week... Yeah... Ha, glad I got that over with. I was practically living in the library during that time period (from 1 (which is the time my school lets us out on finals week) to whenever the library closed, I was seen glued to a desk, cramming my butt off). And that's why I have a giant to-do list. I have "If Only", "The Crazy Coup", and then the holiday stuff. Oh, and "Hidden Vermillion Crane"... So... I'm gettin' right to work on those! Thanks for being so patient!
And... I'm not really sure what the point of this one-shot is... I doesn't feel like it really has a point to it... Which is why it's untitled (again!). So if any of you guys have any suggestions, I'd be really grateful and indebted to you (again. Geez, Prima, get it together!). So uh... Thank you!
Disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property in any way, shape, or form.
Hanging her deserted uniform in their shared closet, Zero instructed his accomplice, his hands busy with the hanger but his eyes occupied by the sight of the witch, who had collapsed onto the sofa.
"You'll remain here. Contact me immediately if you receive any information about the Order."
"I understand," she replied, her voice uncharacteristically worn out. Noticing, the raven-haired man turned his full attention to her as he closed the closet behind him. Despite her eyes being closed, she questioned, "What is it?"
"You're exhausted."
It was more of a statement, than a question, but she answered with grumbling anyways.
"Facing the Knight of Six in combat is the source of much more tribulation than you think, Lelouch."
He came to sit down besides her and slipped off his well-worn suede gloves. He made a mental note to himself to get a new pair; it wouldn't do to leave behind his fingerprints, especially now that the Black Knights, and Zero in particular, had so much of the world's attention. More so on the matter of the masked vigilante's identity. His weary amethyst gaze flickered from his gauntlets to the woman stretched out behind him. Enervated, she looked to be in dire need of inspiration.
"You did well, C2."
"Oh really?" she replied, an undercurrent of sarcasm fusing with her evident doggedness. All the same, he spoke to her with utmost sincerity.
"Yes."
He smoothed her hair, her eyes fluttering shut, and there was a content silence shared between them, when they heard, "Zero, I've brought what you requested."
Newly opened golden irises looked at him questioningly, but he ignored her for the time being and said, "Bring it in," while rising. As the doors hissed open, he strode to his desk, careful to hide his face from the Knight.
Sugiyama bounded in with a cart and a bright smile. As the covered platter was delivered to the low table, C2 caught a whiff of a pleasantly familiar scent, one that she favored immensely. Leaning on her elbow, C2 tossed a curious glance at the back of the man robed in violet before her attention snapped back to the source of the delicious fragrance.
"Please enjoy," grinned the rebel. He glanced towards the proud posture of his leader, who, unmasked and incredibly exposed, had his back to him. Alas, he knew Zero would never allow for him to be privy of his identity and, although it was dissatisfactory to do, quieted his inquisitiveness. Straightening up, he cast a jealous look at the witch, the one woman who knew anything and probably everything about the man of miracles before respectfully leaving the two alone.
The moment he walked away, the emerald-haired woman queried, "What is this?"
Stepping away from the desk, his infamous swallowtail jacket and scarf missing, Lelouch returned to the seat he had temporarily vacated and obscurely told her, "Some encouragement."
"Encouragement…?"
Her brows furrowed in puzzlement, her cat-like scrutinisation never once leaving him. His hand fell upon the silver lid, and, before revealing what was hiding inside and confirming the suspicions her nose was providing her with, he said, "I knew you would be fatigued, so I took the liberty of arranging something that will… Essentially, cheer you up."
He was rewarded with a doubtful frown on her part and the words, "How do you know that it will cheer me up?"
"It will. There is absolutely zero possibility that this won't revive you."
"Well, let's see it then."
The moment he raised the cover, the immortal scrambled up into a sitting position, simultaneously reaching for the plate. She nearly unbalanced herself and fell off of the cushioned seat in the process, but her clumsiness provided no obstacle in her mission for the steaming pizza.
Lelouch would have quietly laughed, if not for the unbearable lassitude seeping into what seemed like the very core of his bones. So, he simply settled for a tired smile.
When he decided that it was high time to return to business, the Britannian stood up, completely ignored by his confederate, who was happily engaged in the task of devouring the entire ten pizza slices all by herself.
As he walked away, it dawned on him that C2 would never change, and for that, he was in her debt… Rigid and predictable habits made her his rock, the one place he could always go to in times of need, especially for the comfort he so desperately sought, to wash himself of the blood that stained his soul.
Thank you, C2.
. . .
The witch muffled her whimpers with one of the several pillows underneath her head. It wasn't the inconceivable speed at which she had eaten a late night snack, nor the quantity she had consumed that was the cause of her grief. No; it was simply her exhaustion. The biting weariness poisoning her prevented her from doing the one and only thing she now desired to do.
To sleep.
Her muscles were sore, her bones ached, she was mentally worn out. Every inch of her was begging for reprieve, and yet… Morpheus continued to reject her, eluding her, teasing her with drowsiness but refusing to come to her. She would have wept out of frustration. If only she had had the energy to.
As she lay there, in the softly-lit room, she ardently vowed to not lift so much as a finger during the following few days. Lelouch could do what he wanted, he could fuss at her to complete the tasks he had assigned her, he could do whatever he pleased, but there was absolutely no way she was moving from this earthly heaven dubbed as "the bed" for the next several sunrises.
She vented her vexation by picking at the duvet spread over her. The quilt, apparently hand-woven with Egyptian cotton, was of an intricate and altogether interesting design. A dark, brooding shade of violet, golden filigree stood out radiantly as it swirled and danced its way around, vividly painting a brilliant border. When she had told Lelouch that she refused to sleep with anything less than the equivalent of the blankets kings and queens of the past had used, she hadn't actually expected him to sheet the bed with authentic Egyptian cotton.
Sometimes, the boy took things far too seriously.
She wondered if he had legally purchased the covers, or if he had taken advantage of the power she had bestowed upon him. Nor would it be difficult to believe him if he claimed to have won them in a chess game against some foolhardy and arrogant noble. Speaking of chess…
The emerald-haired woman rolled over to study the solitary décor of the bedside table on the right of the enormous mattress (his side of the bed).
A bit bland, she thought, but just like himself, she eventually critiqued.
The forsaken ebony king of the boy's favored pastime stood, tall and proud, on the wooden table. The small golden lamp shed a warm circle of light on it, casting a strange and distorted shadow.
How lonely it looked, forced to be on its own, with no one to provide it company.
Blinking once, twice, and then three times, C2 made her way to the polar end of the bed to her own bedside table, which had been specially designated for the various Cheese-kun paraphernalia she possessed. With deliberation, she delicately picked out one of the min-figurines. Studying it for some time, she seemed to reach a decision and promptly returned to her position besides the exiled prince's table.
Carefully setting it down besides the king, she appraised her handiwork. Satisfied, she reburied herself beneath the downy duvet, her softly glimmering eyes drinking in the bedroom she shared with the strange man.
To the right of her was the door that led to Zero's headquarters, the place where he oversaw and directed his Knights. And across the length of the room was the entrance of the bathroom, and, eventually, their walk-in closet where a myriad of dresses, skirts, pants, and shirts hung neatly on hangers. At the foot of the bed sat a luxurious sofa cut from flaxen silk. In front, she remembered, was the coffee table carved from cherry wood, which was in between the settee and sheet-like plasma screen TV that Lelouch so often used to keep an eye on the current news and headlines from around the world. Flanking the screen were two lamps, looking very much like royal guards for a monarch.
In the dim lighting, the witch could just barely make out the twin set of grand imposing bookshelves, each housing an innumerable amount of texts, all books, she realized, she had read twice over in a sorry attempt to sate her boredom. She wondered if she should retrieve one, but decided against it. Words wouldn't distract the pain her body was steeped in, no matter how great the skill of the author was.
Sighing, she sunk further into the soft mattress, pleading to a higher power, anyone, it didn't really matter who, to end her misery.
With uncanny timing, the door slid open and her eyes fluttered painfully at the sudden surge of bright light.
"You're not sleeping?" asked a familiar voice, his tone low with wonder and… Worry? Was that concern she heard in his question?
"No," she grumbled. Curiosity was replaced with resentment; in her opinion, it wasn't fair that she was in so much agony when the one who had caused for such torment was perfectly fine. "Are you not?"
The clock above the TV told her that it was a little past midnight and she was surprised that the raven-haired man hadn't collapsed yet, particularly with the way he had been struggling with fatigue recently.
"As soon as I pack some things for the journey to Ashford."
"You intend to go back?"
"I am."
"Why aren't you staying like last time?"
He sighed, running his hand through his hair tiredly.
"I have to oversee the budgeting for the quarter."
The witch laughed at him and his dreary work. "What an insignificant task you have… Why not leave it to a teacher? Use your Geass and get some rest."
He ignored her suggestion and said, "Why are you not sleeping? I thought you would have passed out by now."
Her pleased grin immediately soured into a frown as she replied, "I'm too sore to sleep."
At her answer, he set down his bag and stared at her. "Does it really hurt that much?"
"Would I lie to you about something like this?"
A moan escaped her lips as she (unsuccessfully) tried to shift her position. C2 cursed her body for being unused to strenuous physical activity, when she felt a hand gently push her down on the small of her back. What…?
"Lie still," he ordered.
"What are you-"
"Just lie still, C2."
She settled down, too exhausted to fight him, when she tensed at his touch. Bending down, Lelouch whispered, "Relax, C2. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only going to help you."
"How do I know-"
"You just do. Now relax, or this is going to hurt."
She fell silent and Lelouch smiled; she seemed to melt at his slightest touch. He could only imagine how tired she must have been. All because of him. He knew that he wasn't the only one that Zero stole time and energy from. In fact, C2 had to care for two, rather than one. There was the masked vigilante, and then there was the exiled prince. He truly was indebted to her, for everything and all she had done.
"… I realize that this pales in comparison with what you do for me. I'm sorry that this is all I can do for you right now."
Her eyebrow arched delicately. "Why are you being so modest and humble all of a sudden?"
"Can I not be from time to time?" he teased.
"… It's just strange… You haven't done anything to Cheese-kun again, have you?"
"Your amorphous plushie is well-protected and safe from any harm, C2."
"Good…" she sighed. "But you know… You're not the only one."
"Only one what?" he asked absentmindedly. He had just taken notice of the Cheese-kun figurine sitting besides his chess piece. With its wide-brimmed witch hat and happy-go-lucky smile, it stood proudly besides the king. Lelouch couldn't help but return its smile. The witch, she could be such a strange woman sometimes…
"What?"
"I said," irritation (and was that embarrassment? Embarrassment?!) poisoning her voice, she repeated, "That you also do plenty for me. So there's no need to be so apologetic."
He simply made a noncommittal sound and continued to massage her slender back. C2 drifted into a light nap, Lelouch's gentle hands opening the gate to Elysium for her. It wasn't until he stopped, sure that she would be able to comfortably sleep for the next several hours, when she woke up and grabbed his wrist.
"You're not leaving, are you?"
Lelouch was starting to become doubtful of whether he should actually make the journey to Ashford or not. He wasn't quite sure he was in any state to navigate a Knightmare, even if it was on autopilot. Maybe it would be better to sleep on Penglai Island for the remainder of the evening and make the trip tomorrow morning. With debate swirling and muddling in his head, he lay down, obviously fatigued. Their eyes met, his hooded and hers drowsy, as the immortal asked, "Are you going to stay the night?"
"Am I going to stay the night?"
"Mmhmm."
"… What would you like for me to do, C2? Would you like for me to return to Ashford, or would you like for me to stay here?"
"Why are you asking me? You usually do as you please."
"I'm just tired of making decisions all of the time. Won't you make this one for me?"
She fell silent and he groaned, his own tense muscles finally relaxing for the first time the entire day.
"Stay," she murmured, her quiet reply muffled by the pillow.
"What?"
"I said, stay."
"Really?"
"… Don't make me repeat myself, Lelouch."
Slightly taken aback, he put his head back down on the pillow. He thought C2 would tell him to leave, that she would kick him out, instead of inviting him to stay. It always seemed like she hated him for sleeping in the bed, despite the bed being his and not hers.
Well, he changed his mind, perhaps it was theirs now, and not just his, or just hers.
"Turn the lights off," she tersely ordered. Complying, he reached up and with a gentle touch of the base, the bedside lamp was turned off and the bedroom was plunged into darkness. Lying back down with a sigh, Lelouch stared up into the inkiness. He was exhausted, but he admitted that he hated sleeping. He had been suffering from nightmares as of late, and if not nightmares, utter blankness, where he wandered in a desert of absolute nothingness for hours on end. The latter frightened him more than the former; you could run from demons in nightmares, but how could you escape the never-ending prison of nothingness? True, he would, although extremely rare, have a dream where it didn't frighten, nor agitate him. But those would occur once in a blue moon, and after the battles he had just survived, he was sure that it wasn't his lucky night.
Zero was depriving him from peaceful sleep, something that grieved him terribly, as slumber was the only rest he could get from the hell he had-
He felt a small hand settle in his palm and their fingers laced together as he heard a soft, "Sleep, Lelouch."
"If only I could listen to…" The words died in his throat as he felt her shift closer.
"Leave your plotting and scheming for another day, and rest for now. Even if means facing your nightmares… Sleep. I'll be with you all through the night. You won't be alone."
"… Why are you being so selfless and gentle?"
"… Maybe you're not the only one plagued by hellish dreams…"
"It seems that you need me as much as I need you."
"A give and take relationship."
"Although it seems like you do more taking than giving."
She laughed quietly, her giggles laced with exhaustion. Lelouch smiled as she murmured, "Guilty as charged."
It wasn't until he was nearly asleep when he drowsily whispered, "Thank you, C2."
"What for?"
"Just for…" Sleep nearly overtaking him completely, he mumbled, "Just for… Just for being you."
She looked at him in surprise as his eyes drifted close. She stared at him, surprised, for what seemed an eternity, when she quietly asked, "Do you know why I asked you to stay with me tonight?"
She didn't wait for a reply.
"You're a warmer person than you give yourself credit, Lelouch. Someone whom one can find solace in… You'd surprise yourself, if only given the chance."
He said nothing and after some time had passed, she resumed their one-sided conversation with such a quiet voice, it was almost as if she were speaking to herself, rather than to her companion.
"I love listening to your heartbeat. It brings me… It brings me peace. Why? Because it tells me that you're alive and well. And if you're alive and well… As long as you're alive and well, I know that nothing could go wrong. I know that if I become lost… You would just find me again. That I'm not alone anymore. It whispers to me of a hidden sentiment, a hidden world, that I thought I had locked away and buried centuries ago. It reminds me of warmth and security and all that I've searched and yearned for… That's what your heartbeat tells me, Lelouch. And that is why I love it."
There was no reply, save for the slow and steady breathing of the man who arms she was encased in, and she knew he had successfully passed into the land of the sleeping.
C2 knew that she could slip out from his arms. That she could return to her side of the bed, where there was so much more room, where there was so much more freedom.
But she didn't.
Rather, she curled up closer to him, their intertwined fingers between them like a newborn child would lie between two loving parents, and stared up at what she knew to be his calm face, completely unmarred by anger, deliberation, or the stress that had weighed him down ever since the demon within him had been set free from its cage.
Her cold golden irises melted as they filled with an unusual gentleness unbefitting a witch. Craning her neck, she studied him, a hesitant mist clouding her eyes before it was cleared away with the light of determination and resolve.
She lightly pressed her lips on his cheek before whispering, "But more so… I just love you, Lelouch."
Settling back down besides him, the woman (for that was all she really was at the end of the day) was finally lulled to sleep by the man's (for that was all he really was at the end of the day) steady heartbeat and warm embrace.
That night, Lelouch dreamt, not of blood being shed, not of the horrified expressions of terror-struck people as their loved ones succumbed to death, not of the nightmarishly bleak and blank desert he so often found himself trapped in, but of the seashore. The waves calmly lapped at the sand dunes as he gazed down from his vantage point. The sun shone gloriously, high in the clear azure sky, the occasional gull breaking the calm monotony of the breaking ocean waves. A gentle summer breeze warmed him, and a sense of peace washed over him for what seemed like the first time.
Suddenly, by some strange inexplicable phenomena, he turned around to face the one who had granted him such tranquility in the maelstrom he had been plunged into. She wordlessly stretched out a slender hand towards him, a quiet smile adorning her lips, which promised to take him away from his torture. Away from dreams of hell, away from dreams of chaos, of anguish, of misery, and towards dreams of calm. Towards dreams of happiness, of contentment, of peace. Towards dreams of her, with her.
The thought made him smile, and for the first time in many a night…
The Witch and the Warlock slept well.
A/N: Uh, okay, so... I made a new video and it's on my YouTube channel, so if you could just check that out, that'd be really cool. And... Tomorrow is Christmas Eve (well, in the U.S. anyways) and so... I've been getting ready for that for some time. Really excited. And stuff (IDK. I don't really like Christmas in general (don't hate me) but it is a nice holiday for... You know... Shipping and stuff). So there will be another post for that on Christmas DAY. I repeat, Christmas DAY, NOT Christmas Eve. The 25th, not the 24th. Just wanted to make it clear. Oh, and... I just realized that I've gotten quite a few requests to make an extension of Ch. 14 (otherwise known as One Summer's Day). Do you guys really want that? And any suggestions/ideas on where I could take that? I mean, I'm all for writing an extension... IF I HAD AN IDEA. I've been turning it over and over in my head ever since I posted that chapter, and I have yet to get any inspiration for that segment. Actually, that one-shot was inspired from the time I went to a Buddhist temple in Korea (I'm not Buddhist if anyone asks). So yeah. See you guys in a day or two! And thank you for sticking through with me!