The Chess Match

3

--L/L--

So the Britannian had come to gloat over Light while he had been asleep in the nurse's office? Light still found that image disturbing in his imagination, the other boy hovering over his bedside, purple eyes probably laughing, his porcelain face tilted down to see his handiwork. The fact that he came proved to Light unquestionably that the entire competition had been rigged in the slender boy's favor. He just needed to find some kind of proof that he could bring against him, or at least some other kind of blackmail material.

Which was why Light was currently sneaking into the Student Council building at Ashford Academy. Everyone knew the vice-president lived there with his blind and crippled little sister and their maid. All of whom Light knew to be absent at this time, Lelouch reading Hamlet or some other highly dramatic bit of literature on the roof, Nunnally in her junior high mathematics class, and Sayako out shopping. Under the direction of Ashford's overbearing female president, the rest of the Student Council was out searching for Lelouch. What unremarkably predictable people they were, Light thought, wondering why Lelouch himself would put up with them.

Well, Light pondered, that could be the reason Lelouch was hiding from them at that very moment. Shaking his head, auburn hair waving, Light pushed thoughts of his rival from his head and focused at hand.

The door was unlocked, and the ballroom was completely empty, save for twelve small tables, elaborately set with satin cloths and roses. Light found it distasteful, the extravagant display of wealth when hardly fifteen miles away, the true inhabitants of Japan were being systematically exterminated. Of course, that was why Light was now at this school, in this very room: to learn about his enemies, in order to bring them down. Lelouch may not be responsible for the deaths of any Japanese, but he was blocking Light's ascension to popularity and information, and thus an enemy.

That, and his head still hurt.

"Light," Ryuk groaned impatiently, "What exactly are we doing here? You going to kill that Lelouch?"

Light exhaled through his nose and tried not to let his irritation show. "No, Ryuk, that would be stupid."

"Well, he did make an ass out of you…" the Death God continued, floating around Light's side until he was in front of him. As if Light needed a reminder of his humiliation to Lelouch. He didn't stop, walking right through Ryuk's torso without blinking.

"Oi! Light!" Ryuk shouted, miffed that Light was ignoring him as usual. Light didn't respond, preferring to climb the stairs. Lelouch's bedroom was on the second floor, and it was inside there that Light assumed he would find some kind of disgraceful and usable material.

He turned right after reaching the top of the stairs, heading for the first door, Ryuk following morosely behind, a hulking shadow. He had prepared a paperclip in case it was locked securely, but he had already learned that he could get inside any of the other dorms by being creative with his student ID. Slid between the crack of the door and the frame, underneath the lock, and usually the plastic card would open the door. With any luck, this door would be exactly like the rest on campus.

And so it seemed until his card failed to lift the small bolt. So Lelouch had added extra security? Light smiled; obviously Lelouch had something worth hiding.

He replaced the card back into his wallet, his fingers trading the laminated picture for the paperclip behind it.

Then the door opened.

Light's mind reeled, but he kept his facial expression neatly in check, even smiling at the odd woman before him half-heartedly. Lelouch kept a girl in his room? And she wasn't a student… judging from her long green hair, bizarrely buckled white clothing, and the very fact she was staying in Lelouch's room during the school day. Despite her strangeness, Light had to admit she was beautiful, and thus she was probably some kind of prostitute. His blackmail material was likely standing in front of him and all Light could think was that Lelouch seriously had strange tastes. Light felt let down by his rival, for some reason he couldn't place.

Her golden eyes flicked around the hallway behind him, demure yet insightful, before they came to rest on Light. "Who are you?"

Her voice was smooth and calm, but with a hint of firmness. Light let his smile fade a little, as if her words had hurt him, and slipped a hand into his pocket. "I'm Light… Light Yagami." He gave the woman an appraising look while at the same time pretending not to, the effect being one where it looked as if he were hiding his attempt to check her out. "And you are…?"

"A friend of Lelouch's." She appeared disinterested in him, her eyes wandering the hallway as if she expected more strangers to appear in front of the door. Light cursed inwardly, trying to think of a way to make the green-haired girl to tell him who she was or to let him inside Lelouch's room. His pocketed hand now rested on his cell phone; he would turn the situation to his advantage some way. He always did.

"Do you know when Lelouch is going to be back?" Light asked, making conversation. Perhaps he could convince the whore to let him stay, flirt enough so that she would believe he might become a customer.

…The lengths he went to fulfill his plans, Light thought, feeling unclean. He slipped the small phone out of his pocket unseen and gave the woman a reduced version of his sexy smirk. He needed to convince her first that he was looking for Lelouch—it was the only plausible explanation for being seen outside his room. He didn't want her to think he wasn't a friend of the purple-eyed vice president, but he needed to ease in the idea that he found her attractive.

"I know everything about Lelouch," she stated simply with a light tinkle to her words. Her eyes were still not on Light, but behind him somewhere. Ryuk laughed at her answer, Light assuming that even Death God had now realized the woman was probably the boy's mistress. She turned left and looked up towards the ceiling, then slid her golden eyes to find Light's. The result was coy, her lips curving up playfully.

"I'm beginning to believe that," Light answered, falling into step with her game and playing along. He took a single step closer, increasing the heat in his gaze.

"You don't even know the first thing about it, boy," she replied, amusement with a side of condescension. A single chuckle fell from her lips. Light decided to ignore her 'boy' comment.

"Then perhaps you can teach me," Light conceded, ignoring Ryuk's fits of laughter. No doubt the Death God found Light's flirtations 'interesting.' Light wished he could grit his teeth, but didn't give in to his urge.

She turned to him suddenly, all pretenses gone, her green hair swinging around her in the stillness of her figure. "What are you here for, Light Yagami?"

"I'm looking for something." Light left it vague, hoping she would turn the phrase into whatever she liked. It could refer to Lelouch, one of his secrets, her, or, at this point, plain sex. But he could sense the atmosphere shifting subtly... was she trying to be serious? Was there more going on here than met his eyes?

"Something in Lelouch's room?" she questioned, holding his gaze with her own. Hidden from view behind his thigh, Light flipped open his phone, his fingers silently tracing the memorized pattern to get to the camera option. Physical evidence was necessary if she were the key to getting even—no, ahead of Lelouch.

"Perhaps if I knew it was there, I wouldn't be looking for it," Light responded smoothly without giving her the answer she wanted. He locked his eyes onto her in a near predatory fashion, strengthening the connection between them so that he was now the one with power, keeping her eyes from wandering. Light took another step forward, their bodies only several inches apart.

She chuckled again, the tinkling sound of breaking glass, and Light realized he had sorely misjudged the situation. She wasn't reacting as she should be if she were truly a whore. This woman… was laughing at him, finding his attention amusing and ridiculous. Then what did her presence in Lelouch's room mean? He took his previous step back, eyes narrowing almost imperceptively as he considered her anew. She smiled, watching him, the expression honest for the first time and gently mocking. Light felt a curl of displeasure blossom in his stomach. She was smarter than he had assumed, and had drawn him along into believing in his vast superiority over her. Now he wasn't sure how vast that gap was. He needed to pull out before she got suspicious instead of entertained. He let his expression phase to one of sheepishness.

"Nevermind." He looked down, hiding his face as if he were embarrassed. "Look, I won't tell anyone you were here, if you don't tell Lelouch I was, uh, talking to you. Or here at all."

Not that he was highly opposed to lying, but he hadn't been planning to tell anyone about her until he was sure what she was anyway. It would seem like a fair trade, his silence for hers, as if Light wanted nothing more than to forget about ever meeting her. Especially as she would have more to fear if she were caught alone in a boy's room than he would be. He glanced up through the feathers of his bangs.

Her golden orbs were again flitting about the hallway, and Light seized his opportunity before she noticed his look, and she returned the glance. Her face was warm and distant at the same time as she looked him over and Light wondered whether some portion of that glance was now saved in his phone. "I won't tell."

"Thanks," Light said, visibly relieved on the outside, and nearly satisfied on the inside. He turned to go, then stopped himself, as if he had remembered something. "Won't you tell me your name?"

"C.C." She looked him in the eye and they both knew it was false. He smiled anyway.

"Then this is our little secret, C.C.." The feelings of intimacy and secrecy often worked wonders on women. He hoped it would work on her as well, although no obvious reasons for her to betray his presence without her own were apparent.

Light exited the building, deciding he had stumbled across something important, as long as he could figure out exactly was it was. He had certainly met his goal of discovering a secret of Lelouch's and had even obtained a picture. The girl, C.C., was obviously something to the purple-eyed boy. The enigma spread out before him like unfolding origami, a welcome diversion from his usual business of being Kira. Without any threats from L after Britannia's invasion, being Kira was easier than he had ever imagined. He was even beginning to wonder whether L had actually died when Britannia had come to stop him, the possibility of the detective being in Japan extremely high if Lind L. Taylor had been any clue. But just when Light's competitive nature had been piqued by L's display of mental capabilities, the government had gotten in the way. With Area 11 somewhat stable, L still had yet to show himself again. It was disappointing, but the lack that was L in his life probably triggered his need for a rivalry with Lelouch. His need to win against someone of intelligence. His need to crush Lelouch under Britannia's public scrutiny, and humiliate him for everyone to see.

It would be nice for once to be able to look the one he had destroyed in the eye, the knowledge of his actions spelled out in fury across Lelouch's pretty face.

--L/L--

"Brother?"

Lelouch reached over and took his sister's hand from where she was sitting with her toothbrush. "Are you ready for bed, Nunnally?"

The crippled girl smiled happily and squeezed his hand. "Yes, although… is everything alright?" Nunnally frowned slightly, tilting her head to the sound of his voice, a movement Lelouch had always imagined was in place of searching someone's eyes for the truth. "You seem... well, I heard about the contest from Milly, and she…."

"Ah, you're as perceptive as ever, Nunnally," Lelouch replied a little chagrined into Nunnally's faltering silence. Blind and crippled she may be, Nunnally still picked up on his moods better than anyone else, even if the reasons for his disposition weren't always clear. He sighed deeply, realizing that Nunnally was at least partially correct in this situation and that the contest was still bothering him. "You're right. I shouldn't have pushed him into a contest like that. I suppose I just wanted the challenge and for the rest of the school to… accept him. Yagami really is a nice person, it just takes everyone time to get over the fact that he once was an Eleven."

"Like Suzaku?" Nunnally questioned, her face open with thin eyebrows raised.

"Like Suzaku," Lelouch agreed, squeezing her hand again. "Now are you ready for bed?"

"Yes, Brother."

Lelouch took the pink toothbrush from her hand, replaced it in the bathroom cupboard, and moved around behind the wheelchair. Grasping the handles, he wheeled it gently into Nunnally's bedroom, locking the brakes next to the bed. Pulling back the blankets, Lelouch turned back to his sister. Her arms were lifted expectantly, and Lelouch completed the near ritualistic hug that lifted her out of the chair and onto the bed. Lelouch straightened her legs, and then together, brother and sister pulled up the covers.

"Comfortable?" he asked, sitting on the mattress to her side.

Nunnally nodded. "Like always. Goodnight, Brother."

"Goodnight, Nunnally."

Lelouch pet her hair for a moment, then stood, the soft mattress creaking under him, and headed for the door.

"Brother?" Nunnally's childlike voice echoed across the room.

"Yes?"

"I think I'd like to meet Light. It sounds like you two are friends. He's a nice person, isn't he."

Meet Light? There wasn't any reason not to, as much as Lelouch wanted there to be one. Light made him feel uncomfortable, almost inadequate in his own skin, but the truth was that the former Eleven wasn't a malevolent person. The more he thought about it, everything he had told Nunnally about Light Yagami in the bathroom had actually been true. When Lelouch studied the matter objectively, Light was a nice person and not one he should feel compelled to fear.

He was even better than Suzaku in many ways. At least Light wasn't in the army, trying to kill Lelouch as Zero. In fact, there was a high probability that Light wasn't fond of Britannia at all. Although, that was dangerous territory that Lelouch would likely never discuss with the honorary Britannian out of political correctness.

Somehow, without the dark skinned, auburn haired Japanese student around, Lelouch found that his hatred of Light stemmed solely from losing a single chess match and it suddenly seemed an awfully pathetic reason to hold a grudge. As Zero, he had more important things to do than worry about a game of chess against a fellow student. He was going to overthrow Britannia; losing once to Light meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially if he had already gotten his revenge. It might even help someday to have Light's intelligence on his side, he mused, so why not mend things before he needed that extra pawn?

"Yes, he is, Nunnally. I'll ask for you. Goodnight." Lelouch turned off the lamp, throwing the room into hues of blue and grey. He opened the door.

"Goodnight."

Closing the door quietly behind him, Lelouch headed to his own bedroom, his mind full of ideas on how to befriend Light. He would simply have to talk to him more, showing that he had faith in the honorary Britannian even when the rest of the school didn't. It wouldn't be too hard either, seeing as how they had already challenged each other, and Lelouch was known for befriending Suzaku before anyone else. The problem would be convincing Light he was serious about being friends.

Lelouch unlocked his door and opened it automatically, too wrapped up in his mind to register the process. Instinctively, Lelouch knew that sucking up to Light was out of the question. It was neither Lelouch's style, nor what Light would want in a friend. But what was Light's type? A flutter of wind stirred in his stomach oddly as Lelouch contemplated how to get close to the other teenager.

"Light Yagami was here," C.C. announced lazily from the bed. Lelouch registered that her jumpsuit was lying in a pile on the floor as usual before the sounds made sense in his ears.

"What…?" Lelouch was horrified, all his good thoughts about Light fleeing into the shadows of his soul. Light had come to his room? Why? Was he some kind of spy for Britannia? But if that was true, was he trying to decipher whether Lelouch was a prince or a connection to Zero? Both? Lelouch recognized the feeling growing in his chest as panic and fear, his heart beat picking up and thumping wildly.

"He wanted me to keep it a secret." Her words were nonchalant as she snuggled under the blankets, only her yellow eyes visible and directed at her contractor.

"You spoke with him?" Lelouch was still in shock, his mind unraveling. What had Light been doing here, talking to C.C.? Surely, the witch wouldn't have made any deals with him….

"He said he was looking for something," she drawled, and Lelouch understood that she was teasing him now. He didn't find it funny, and stalked over to the bed, leaning over her with a hand on either side of her head.

"What did you say to him, witch?" Lelouch hissed, wishing to yell instead. She looked bored, instead of frightened or intimidated by his advance, averting her eyes to Cheese-kun next to her. Lelouch sat back onto his knees on the edge of the mattress, and ran a hand through his hair, closing his purple eyes. He shouldn't get so worked up… except he had just promised to introduce Nunnally to Light and the last thing he would ever do was put Nunnally in danger. C.C. returned her honey eyes to Lelouch's face, and he found her watching him critically when he opened his own.

"There was a monster with him."

A million questions sprang to life in Lelouch's mind, but as he opened his mouth to voice the majority of them, C.C. placed a finger to his lips to shush him. Lelouch paused to let her continue, and she removed her finger, her expression still serious.

"I don't believe he can see it exists. It follows him everywhere, but Light Yagami never seems to notice. I wonder if it's invisible," she said, pausing, but Lelouch knew by now that she was going to tell him everything important about it, so kept his mouth closed. C.C. sat up, the covers falling back around one of Lelouch's dress shirts and a bare thigh, but she didn't seem to notice her indiscretion or Lelouch's momentary lapse of concentration and pulled Cheese-kun into a hug. "I don't know what it is, but I believe both the boy and the monster are very dangerous."

She pursed her lips, then let out a sorrowful chuckle. "Probably for different reasons. Yagami was digging for something… perhaps he is dissatisfied with losing to you?"

Lelouch mulled it over for a moment. "That's probably very likely. However, the monster… why is it there? And what do you mean when you call it a 'monster?'"

A queer smile appeared on the witch's face as she answered, "Only that it's obviously less human than I am."

Lelouch frowned, disliking her answer. He liked thinking of C.C. as human, albeit immortal and rather bizarre. To the right people, C.C. was also dangerous. Did that mean she believed Light's monster was more dangerous than an immortal witch who could hand out the power of kings to whomever she pleased? Lelouch cursed himself for agreeing to let Nunnally meet Light and wondered how it had ever seemed like a good idea.

"Tell me everything that happened," Lelouch commanded masterfully. C.C. looked up at him, obviously bemused by the entire turn of events. Lelouch sighed, and then finished, "I just promised Nunnally I'd bring Yagami to meet her."

C.C.'s expression became suddenly empathetic. "I see. Very well."

She recalled the simple meeting, giving Lelouch a slightly irritated glance every time he interrupted with a question. Which was frequently. When she had finished her narration, she rolled over, her back facing her contractor.

"It does seem that Yagami is indeed unaware of the monster… perhaps it has nothing to do with him. That may have been the only moment the monster was with him… it can't be watching you, though… can it? You would see it, wouldn't you?" Lelouch questioned towards the lump on the bed. He had researched his own geass thoroughly, but when it came to strange monsters and invisibility, he decided it was best to consult a witch. The situation smelled of unfamiliar magics.

"C.C.?" he tried, the girl oddly silent after his query.

A soft snore reached his ears, echoing the fall of C.C.'s side under the sheets. Exasperated, Lelouch felt like pounding his head against a wall for all the help a sleeping C.C. could give him. Resisting the temptation, Lelouch got up and merely switched off the lights before returning to the blankets on his couch-bed.

Apparently his questions would have to wait until morning.

--L/L--

So yeah, more development and a much longer wait than I had anticipated. If I didn't get so many reviews, I probably would have dropped this story, so thanks muchly to everyone. I still try to get back to all of you who leave reviews personally, but sorry if I missed you. Or told you I'd be updating sooner. I won't lie this time… it'll likely be awhile because that's how I roll. And I'm going to be extremely busy this month. But, who knows, maybe I'll crank it out in the next few days and surprise everyone? A little birthday present to myself…. XD

Anyway, the plot thickens and I give out HUGE thanks to Tobi Tortue to helping me fix the Light meets C.C. scene. Those two are amazing fun to write together, but I'm glad you pointed out the oocness before it got posted.

Please do your duty and click the button down below. Remember that your reviews are keeping this story alive.