Chapter Five

C.C. found him lying on the bed. He was too tall and lanky for the bed to properly serve him, but he didn't seem to mind, seeing from the way he was hugging his pillow and was completely still as he lay on his stomach.

She quietly padded towards him before quickly taking a seat on his back. He grunted but didn't say anything more. Slightly annoyed by his lack of attention, she straddled him and bent down so that she was in optimum cheek-pinching position. Mercilessly pinching his cheeks, she whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't that the question I should be asking you? Let me go, C.C. I'm too tired for this."

"And what's this?"

"You're-"

"Ignoring your girlfriend? Whom you haven't seen for the past four years? Was that what you were going to say? Because that's what's happening right now."

"C.C., if you think I'm ignoring you because I don't love you, you should know you're wrong. I'm doing it because I'm exhausted and I don't want to give you only half of my attention," he mumbled. She let go of him before completely lying down on top of him and saying, "Half is better than none, you know."

"You really want my attention that badly?"

She scoffed at him. "You wish. I just want you to…"

Her confidence suddenly deserted her, and she blushed at what she had been about to say. Normally she wouldn't react this way - normally she wouldn't have even told him what she wanted, she would have just gotten it, regardless of whether he liked it or not - but this wasn't normally. She hadn't seen him for four years, and he had changed, as had she. She had seen him through the videos and pictures, but seeing the change in a photo and seeing the change in real life were two completely different matters, not to mention it had been forever since she had actually spoken to him face-to-face and the way she had had four-and-a-half cans of beer and… Maybe she was just feeling a small case of the butterflies.

"What is it? What do you want me to do?" he asked gently.

"… Nothing. It's nothing. Forget I ever said anything."

She slipped off of him and he shifted onto his side. Moving closer to him, she peered at his face. Though his eyes were still closed, he tiredly asked, "What is it, C.C.?"

"You look like you've come back from the dead."

"I feel like I've come back from the dead. Do you know how many all-nighters I had to pull in the past month? Seventeen. And the month before was thirteen. I missed a month's worth of sleep to come here early."

"You're back? This isn't a visit?"

"No, it's a visit," he sighed. He rubbed his face, as if he were frustrated and fatigued, before muttering, "They refuse to let me go. I've been trying over and over, and they simply refuse to budge. But I finally managed to draw a deal with them. Today is a visit, but I can come back in two weeks."

"For a visit or…?"

"Try or."

She stared at him, astounded. He wasn't serious, was he?

When there was no reaction, he opened one eye. "What is it? Are you really that upset? Don't tell me there's another man."

"You're really coming back?"

"Yes."

"You're not joking, are you? Your jokes aren't funny, Lelouch."

"My jokes are funny. And yes, I'm being serious. I'm coming back. Permanently."

"I don't believe you."

"Would you like for me to call my boss?"

Her heart pounding, she sat up. He was really coming back. He was really- she had waited four years for this moment, and it was happening, and there was just this strange sensation bubbling in the pit of her stomach and… And...

"C.C.? What's wrong?"

"You really worked that hard just for me? You did it for Nunnally, didn't you?"

"She was a factor," he admitted. "But you were the one I had in mind when I made the decision to accelerate the plan."

"But why?"

"Because I know you, and I knew how you were feeling. Because it was the same as I was feeling."

She watched as he struggled up into a sitting position.

"Frustration."

He moved closer to her, his long legs loosely forming a circle of protection around her.

"Anger."

He cupped her cheek and she couldn't look away from his soft gaze.

"Loneliness."

He tucked her hair behind her ear before leaning in and whispering, "Longing."

"Lelouch…"

"I promised you we would be together, didn't I, C.C.? I told you that I love you, didn't I?"

She closed his eyes as he kissed her forehead.

"Rest easy, my love. We're not quite out of the forest yet, but we're closer than we've ever been, and I swear to you that we'll make it out."

"You've gotten terribly good at sweet-talking," she mumbled. He smiled as he replied, "It comes with the business."

"I saw that there were a lot of pretty women at the company," she said lightly. "And they seemed extremely friendly too."

There wasn't any answer, and she pulled away from him.

"There's no need to rush back home, Lelouch. I've waited for four years. I can wait longer if I have to. I can wait two more months. I can wait for the rest of my life, if need be."

"C.C.-"

"I understand if things have changed. I can't expect for things to remain the same. People change, the times change, and so do feelings. I'm not stupid, Lelouch. The emails and the phone calls? The video-calling? Where did they all go during the past few months? Don't underestimate me. I'm an understanding…"

She stared at him and how he was holding her hand to his chest. What was he doing?

"Do you remember, C.C.? When we were children, when we played outside, I'd always be sitting down and reading because I had a weak heart. I was supposed to die back then, because I was too weak to live, but I didn't. I continued to live on and my heart has grown stronger since then. Much stronger. Do you know why?"

She was afraid of his answer, of what it would do to her, but she didn't tear her hand out of his grip and merely watched with wide eyes.

"Because I love you. Because I love you, because I didn't want to leave you, I worked to find a cure so that we could be together forever."

"You're lying. These are just sweet nothings for you to get what you want, you don't actually love me. Not after how long we were apart from-"

"Then why are you crying?" He wiped her tears away, and they glimmered under the dim light of the bedside lamp. "Then why do I see tears if you don't believe me, C.C.?"

She tried to tug herself free.

"I'm not crying."

"I'm sorry, C.C. I should have come sooner, I should have… I should have been better. I failed you. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." She leaned into his chest as she said, "Don't apologize, and don't leave me again, Lelouch. It was so hard without you. I kept lying to myself that I was fine, that it didn't bother me, but it did. It bothered me so much. I was always wondering if you had met some other woman, if you had forgotten about me, if you were ever going to come back and… It was just so hard."

"I love you, Cera. Always. Forever."

She listened to the beating of his heart as he told her of his love for her. His heartbeat reminded her of the times when they had been younger, and she had taken turns listening to each other's heartbeats. His had always been so faint and so weak, it had been scary and nerve-wracking at times because of the way it tricked her into thinking that it was gone forever. But that had been years ago, and just as he said, his heartbeat was much stronger. It was steady and strong as it told her that he wouldn't be going to a place where she wouldn't be able to be with him. It promised her that he would be there to stay, that he would keep his promise to her.

"Do you believe me now?"

She nodded, her tears having silenced her voice.

"I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon, C.C. I promise you. I've fought all my life. I don't mind more fighting if it's for you."

She nodded again as he smoothed her hair.

"Then give me a kiss and a smile. It hurts when you cry."

She obediently gave him a peck on the lips before hugging him tightly.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry."

"All's well that ends well. It's already been forgiven and forgotten."

"I love you, Lelouch."

"I love you too, C.C."

She smiled as he returned her embrace. It had been silly of her to worry. He had told her countless times, hadn't he? That his heart beat for her and her only. That he wouldn't let anything get in the way between them. That he loved her.

How silly she had been.

And how silly he was, for falling in love with a witch like her. Didn't he know that witches ate the hearts of men?

Ah, well, he had always been strange in the head ever since they were younger. Not that she minded. No, not at all. She loved his everything - his strengths, his weaknesses, his flaws, his perfection. Everything. Especially his heartbeat.

His beautiful, strong heartbeat.

Fin.