AN: I do not own Code Geass
Guest: I was never even aware of Lelouch's being a 'chosen one'. So, I won't be having the Collective Unconcious treat him as such. Also, they're more mad about the Geass command itself and Lelouch's choice to bestow upon them such an ambigious command. Not that Lelouch tried to help them fight his father. After all, thanks to it, they were slowly dying, thus they had to fuse with another Unconcious. The Karma Collective Unconcious never faced such a problem, thus, the lack of resentment toward Lelouch.
Samurai Seven: Sorry about not responding to your reviews, for some reason, I don't see them until a few days after they're posted. Since Kallen doesn't have the Surger, the landslide is highly unlikely to happen, so his death won't happen. For the C's world conflict, I have an idea for how it'll be solved, though I won't say it here. And Karma Suzaku's obviously going to be dealt with in due time.
Lethana: While not actively shown in the show, Kallen is a smart character, though her intellect never got to shine, as it was overshadowed by her fighting prowess.
Chapter 41: Date
January 18th. 3:00PM. Ashford Academy Clubhouse.
"Lelouch… like I said before, I don't mind cuddling with you like this, but can't you let me go just a little bit? It's getting hard to breathe." Kallen explained as her boyfriend pulled her closer.
The couple were currently cuddling on the Prince's bed, with the red head being spooned tightly by the former, "No way. After the hotel jacking, the Black Knight's have been busy taking on small-time operations, like doing drug busts. Cleaning up the streets for Britannian's and Japanese alike. However, just because I know what we're doing is helping for the greater good, doesn't mean I don't miss spending time with you."
"Ho? Is this an attempt at flirting, I hear?" the red head asked with fake confidence.
"Your red face confirms that it's working." Lelouch cheekily replied.
Kallen desperately tried hiding her face under the blanket, while muttering, "You can't say that when your face is in the same state…"
The Prince carefully removed the blanket hiding his girlfriend's face and asked, "Hey. Why don't we go out today?"
"L-like on a date!?" this made the red head's heart skip a beat. Despite being together for well over a month now, the couple had never actually been on a proper date, as they had been too busy with building up the newly formed 'Black Knights', as well as dealing with Milly's antics.
"Yes. A date." Lelouch calmly restated.
"Where do you want to go, though? It's kind of late…"
"That's exactly why I want to go now. With this, the chances of Milly interrupting us are significantly decreased. So, we should take this chance to enjoy ourselves."
Instead of getting up, Kallen rolled around and wrapped her arms around the Prince, saying, "But it's too cold. The news says it's going to snow today."
"All the more reason we should go out." Lelouch responded while kicking off the covers, exposing their clothed bodies to the harsh cold of the room.
"Damn it, Lelouch. Why's your room so cold?"
"That's a good question." C.C chimed in from an open windowsill, shocking the couple.
"Why're you still here!? I thought you finally agreed to live in the room across from us!" the Prince shouted.
"No. My side of the clubhouse doesn't have windows that look out onto the campus like this. Also, in the morning, since there are no trees, the sun's free to invade my sleep, leaving me extremely annoyed, and unfulfilled." C.C locked eyes with Lelouch, "Do you understand what I'm getting at? Schoolboy."
"If you're asking me to give up my bedroom for your comfort, then you're sorrily mistaken in thinking I'll do such a thing."
"Then, it's a good thing I'm not asking."
Kallen rolled her eyes at the exchange and got up, "Whatever. I'm starting to get used to the cold now." she walked over to the door and picked up her red puffy jacket, "Come on, Lelouch. Let's just give C.C this victory."
"What!? If you give her an inch, then she'll take a mile."
The red head grabbed her boyfriend by the collar and pulled him close, "You and I both know if we don't budge on this, she's just going to become more of a problem later. So just let it go. We have more important things to do."
"Really? Going on a date doesn't sound very important." C.C responded with a smug smile.
This made Kallen turn around, and in an irritated tone, said, "You're lucky I'm still in a good mood. Otherwise, I'd shove you out the window."
"Ooh~ scary. Whatever. Any activities you two get up to on your downtime isn't something that concerns me. So long as you don't draw the military to me, I couldn't care less how many dates you go on."
Lelouch forcefully kept his mouth shut while putting on his jacket, knowing that any more remarks would merely serve to drag on this encounter. "Let's go to the park, Kallen."
4:00PM
Snow began to fall as the couple traveled down a stone path in the park. While they did keep proximity to one another, they weren't holding hands. Partly due to the Prince regretting the decision to take a stroll in the middle of winter, with no real idea of where to go. As a side effect, his hands were occupied rubbing his shoulders. Kallen, of course, didn't mind the cold. Instead, she watched with an amused smile as her boyfriend rubbed his shoulders. "We can go back if you want to." she stated as they came across a large fountain, of which the water was almost completely frozen.
"N-no way." Lelouch responded with chattering teeth. "I said I wanted to go out… and I'm a man of my word."
"A cold man of your word." the red head chuckled while grabbing his arm, "Let's go to the mall. That way, we'll be able to warm up, and have a plethora of things to do."
"The mall? But that's so far away…" the Prince looked at the nearly frozen fountain, "And quite frankly, I think I'll end up as an icicle before we get there."
"Then… if it's too cold." Kallen carefully moved her hand down to the boys, and began holding it, "Why don't you hold my hand to keep warm?"
At first, Lelouch wanted to complain about how stupid of an idea that was. However, in the next second, he found his whole body being warmed up by such a simple gesture. Perhaps it was embarrassment flowing throughout his body, or maybe it was something else. Regardless, the feeling wasn't something he could explain, though, he knows he felt it before. "Lelouch?" the red head put her hand on his cheek, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Did you freeze up already?"
The Prince's eyes locked onto his girlfriends, who returned his glance with a smug one. She knew what she was doing.
"I-I'm fine. Just startled, that's all."
"Really? You don't look fine. In fact, your face is kind of red-"
"L-let's just get out of here already!"
"Why so soon? The snow's so pretty." Kallen replied while keeping a firm grasp on her boyfriend's hand as he tried to walk away. Eventually, she put her foot down, causing both of them to stop. "Are you really that embarrassed at showing affection toward me out in public?" she asked in a serious tone.
The snow fell onto the couple's shoulders as they stood facing each other. Lelouch's eyes wandered to the ground, as the red head used her free hand to point his chin up. Not necessarily forcing him to look at her, but making it so he would be inclined to. "It's… hard to explain…"
"I have all day." Kallen uttered those words effortlessly, which helped to relax the Prince significantly. Making it so he could finally look her in the eyes without issue. "Tell me, is there something wrong? Am I doing something to make you uncomfortable?"
Those words were sincere. Even Lelouch could tell that. "It's not that… it has nothing to do with you. It's just… me, I guess." However, he couldn't find the words to quite describe what he was feeling.
"Is it like a warm feeling?" Lelouch's eyes widened, "One that makes you feel safe. One that you don't want to let go of, yet you also fear that if you hold it too tight, it'll break?" She had hit the nail on the head. After all, this was a feeling she was all too familiar with. From this timeline, and the last. "You don't have to be scared. While I don't know how you exactly feel, I think you're afraid of me disappearing." she paused, allowing for her words to sink in, before finishing her sentence with, "Just like someone else important in your life… right?"
She was obviously referring to the Prince's late mother, Marianne Vi Britannia. And while Lelouch would normally want to steer clear of such a topic out of reflex, he found himself with the warm feeling once again. He felt safe. So, despite his instincts telling him to change the subject, he found himself begging to have a genuine heart-to-heart with Kallen, "You might be right… I am scared. But it's not just because of my mother. It's more than that."
"Can you explain it to me then? Please."
Lelouch took in a deep breath, before exhaling, causing him to release a cloud of condensation with it, "Well… I'm scared of losing you, that much is obvious. But I'm also afraid of losing myself. Losing sight of my goal through witnessing your death… or even Nunally's. I don't want to ever feel lost like I was the day of my mother's untimely demise."
The red head's eyes widened, "I… I didn't know I would have such an effect on him. I mean, I knew we've been growing close over the past few months, but I didn't think it would go to this extent." she moved toward the boy and pulled him in for a hug, "Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere. As long as we're together, I'm sure we'll be able to overcome any challenge Britannia throws at us."
This bold declaration made Lelouch blush even harder, allowing for the warm feeling to encompass his body to the point that it felt like he was burning, "C-can we just go to the mall already? I think I'm starting to overheat…"
"Overheat? But it's so cold out-"
Suddenly, the raven-haired boy began dragging her toward the mall, saying, "Just hurry up… please. This is just too much for me."
Unbeknownst to Kallen, however, she had been put in an interesting position. If something tragic were to happen to the Prince in the future, she, alongside Nunally, would be the only two people in his life who could reach the real Lelouch. Not the wall he'd put up after being hurt. This fact wasn't something Lelouch knew either. Or at least… he did know it. It was just in his subconscious.
After a short walk, the couple found themselves at the center of the mall, aimlessly walking around, passing by numerous food stalls that opened up with 'hot snack/beverages' for the winter weather. Of course, the intrigue eventually overcame Kallen's senses, and eventually, the couple found themselves purchasing two hot chocolates, which surprisingly, or rather, pleasantly, were not scalding hot, unlike certain fast food joints. Nevertheless, they enjoyed their hot confections earnestly, until someone called them over, "Hey you! Lovely couple!" it was an artist who was looking to make a quick buck, "Do you two wanna be drawn? I swear I can make it worth your while."
Lelouch turned to Kallen, seeking an answer. To which she responded with a silent nod, "So… I'm taking a look at your work here, and it seems like you're one of those theme park artists." the Prince began, "Do you draw people in certain styles?"
"Yes, I do. In fact, it's my specialty." the artist explained while gesturing to the two open stools in front of his easel, "How do you want me to draw you?"
Kallen took a sip of her hot chocolate, allowing for her boyfriend to take the lead on this interaction, "How about… a plushie style?"
This request made the red head practically spit out her drink, "Wh-what?" she asked through coughs.
"Well… I thought it'd be cute. Wouldn't it?" Lelouch explained with a red face.
This response only made Kallen laugh harder, "What's with you? I never thought I'd hear you say something like that."
"I-I'm just trying to open up a bit!" the Prince blurted out of frustration, "At least this way… I can return the kindness you've shown me."
As if reading his mind, the red head said, "You don't have to do that." she wrapped her arms around the boy, "You're fine just the way you are. The man I have feelings for… the man I'm dating," she looked him in the eyes, "And fell in love with…" a grin plastered itself onto her face as she said, "is you."
"And done." the artist interrupted their moment while putting the finishing touches on the painting, "How do you like it?" he flipped it over, revealing Kallen drawn in the style of a red panda with cute round ears, as she rubbed her cheeks into Lelouch's embarrassed face, who was drawn in the style of an innocent black and white panda with blushing cheeks.
"Oh wow! It's so cute!" the red head grabbed the piece of paper and began inspecting the image, while Lelouch paid the man for his service.
Even as they walked through the mall, Kallen couldn't take her eyes off the drawing. She was making sure to take in every detail as her boyfriend grabbed her arm, gently directing her left or right, narrowly avoiding collisions with other couples as they went about their day, "I'm glad you like it." Lelouch whispered into her ear as they took a seat at a bench, making the red head get goosebumps.
"W-well… it's cute…"
"You already said that."
"So?" Kallen turned to face her boyfriend, only to have her cheeks collide with his, as he was practically draped over her shoulders, observing the work of art almost as intently. "You make fun of me, yet you're looking at it the same way."
"Obviously. That's why I had to sit you down. Do you know how many times you almost ran into someone while looking at it?"
"Probably a lot… but can you blame me? We hardly have any pictures of just the two of us. Every time we try to, Milly or someone else always photobombs us. And the times when we're alone, something important happens that ruins the moment." of course, the person most responsible for the photo bombing was C.C, as time and time again, she found the red head's reaction to it amusing.
"Then why don't we take one now?" Lelouch took out his phone and put his arm around his girlfriend, pulling her close as she clutched the piece of paper close to her chest, "There's no one who'll interrupt us now."
Kallen quickly scanned the area before saying, "Alright. Let's do it." she looked into the camera lens with her blue eyes dilated while the Prince did the same. They both held genuine smiles as he pressed the button.
Afterward, Lelouch looked at the picture, and similar to how Kallen studied the painting, his eyes scanned every inch of the image. First, he looked at his girlfriend, taking note of her glossy, red lips as they popped vibrantly compared to the green fauna in the background. Her eyes almost had the same pop, yet, at the same time, they were docile, giving her a submissive look that drew in the Prince's gaze. He could look at those eyes forever. In fact, if he had the time, he would. The next thing he took note of was her outfit. Her red puffy jacket contrasted nicely with his matching one. It made him remember back to a few weeks ago when they went shopping for clothing, Kallen suggested they get matching jackets to look like a proper couple while out on dates. Of course, he was skeptical at first, as red wasn't his color, but after seeing this picture, he wholeheartedly agreed with his girlfriend.
"Now look who's staring." the red head teased while poking Lelouch's flushed cheeks. "Some girls would even call you a pervert for ogling me like that."
"Oh please. You're my girlfriend. I can't be a pervert as long as I'm staring at you."
"And you better ONLY stare at me." Kallen responded with a possessive tone, "I don't want any girls getting ideas." that's when a brilliant idea popped into her head, "Hey, why don't you make that your lock screen AND home screen?" she quickly pulled out her phone, "And send me that picture, that way I can do the same."
Upon sending the picture, the Prince asked, "Um… by the way, how do I make an image my home screen?" though, after seeing his girlfriend's expression, he explained, "Hey… I only use my phone for calling. Nothing else."
The red head groaned, "You're the smartest guy I know, yet you don't even know how to operate a phone." she extended her hand, "Give it here. I'll do it for you."
Within a minute, Kallen had changed the lock and home screen of both phones. "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
Lelouch grabbed his girlfriend's hand and said, "Come on. Let's continue our date."
The red head looked at the image on her phone, and focused in on her boyfriends face, specifically his eyes. They were calm, and relaxed. And his smile was genuine, "Only I can make him look like this." she took pride in this fact. Taking this photo of theirs as even more confirmation that Lelouch was well and truly hers.
"Now look who's ogling who." the Prince teased.
However, this teasing came with a return question, "When are you going to tell the student council about us? Specifically Shirley."
This instantly made the raven-haired boy look down, "I… I don't know. There just hasn't been the right time for it…"
"You know Shirley has feelings for you, right?" Lelouch sighed upon hearing this, almost like he already knew, "If you continue to lead her on, she'll only go through more pain."
"Do you think I'm doing that on purpose? I've had a sneaking suspicion of her feelings for the past few months now… but I just didn't want to acknowledge it. Thinking that it'd go away if I simply ignored her."
Kallen slapped the Prince across the face, "How cowardly!" she proclaimed. Thankfully, the crowd was too busy going about their day to notice such a commotion, "Lelouch, you can't just be that cruel to a girl, especially when she has feelings for you! The worst thing you could possibly do is ignore her feelings!"
"I-I thought that's what you wanted! I thought you wanted me to not look at other girls."
"You're right, that's what I want. However, Shirley's my friend, and she doesn't deserve to be led on like this. What she deserves is an answer. Even if it's not the one she's hoping for, at least she'll be able to move on afterward."
The truth is, the consequences of his actions never dawned on the Prince. He thought he was doing the right thing by not making any advances. In his mind, Shirley's feelings weren't big enough of a problem that would require his intervention. Though, it seems he was wrong. "I'll try and explain to her our relationship when I get the chance." he replied with a downtrodden tone.
Kallen sighed, before regaining her smile, "I'm glad you're finally going to take this seriously." she then gently moved her hand and began massaging the Prince's cheek, "I'm sorry for slapping you. That was uncalled-for."
"No… I needed that." the Prince responded, before putting on a smile, "C'mon. Let's try and enjoy the rest of the day while we still can."
"Please, sister. There has to be some retaliation for the events at Lake Kawaguchi." Carine explained to Lila as she overlooked the file provided to her, "While I understand your apprehension for punishing the Black Knight's after they…" she took a deep breath before continuing, "saved the hostages. We cannot allow the JLF to continue existing. Especially if they intend on ramping up their operations like this."
"Even so… what about the people of Narita? We're going to evacuate them before the battle, right?" the Viceroy asked, "I don't want any innocents included in the crossfire."
"Fear not. For you'll be able to oversee the evacuation personally." Dasko chimed in, "Meanwhile, you can leave the battle planning, strategy, and generally command to myself and Lady Carine."
"Really? How long do you think we'll have?"
"15 minutes before the JLF catch on. And that's being generous."
Lila frowned, "So… I'll only have 15 minutes to save as many people as possible?"
"Correct." Dasko replied as the red-haired Princess began filing her nails.
"That simply won't do." the innocent Princess surprisingly responded, catching Carine and her Knight off guard, "How about this. We'll engage the encirclement for an hour in advance. Meanwhile, I'll oversee the evacuation, and once that hour is up, we'll begin the assault on Narita."
Carine rolled her eyes as Dasko stepped forward, "Viceroy… please forgive me for speaking out like this, but if we do that, then the chances of the JLF escaping our grasp are almost certain!"
"Not if we keep the encirclement." Lila stood firm, "You'll wait until that hour is up. In the meantime, you'll be free to defend yourselves from enemy attacks, but you won't be permitted to assault the mountain. Is that clear?"
"What's with her!?" the red-haired Princess clenched her nail-filer angrily, "Since when did little Lila get so confident!? There has to be a reason behind this. There's no way she'd go from a naive idiot, to… to this!"
"What do you think of my plan, sister?" Lila innocently asked.
Of course, Carine instinctively lied, "I think it's a great idea!" but she wouldn't let the topic die there. She needed answers, "But… might I ask where you got it from?"
"Well… it's just a collective from the Saitama Ghetto incident, and the Shinjuku Skirmish. For this battle, I want it to be clear that I'm here to help Japanese and Britannian's alike."
"That's so nice of you!" her sister responded in a condescending tone, "But… who gave you the idea?"
"Well… I was the one who came up with the idea. Although…" Carine and Dasko leaned in, "since I wasn't too confident in voicing my opinion, I had some help from one of our sisters."
"Which one?" the red-haired Princess asked as if she didn't already know which one it was.
"It was Euphie."
Carine's nail filer snapped like a twig abruptly, "Oh great. Now I've got to deal with two pacifist ruining my fun. But Euphie is tricky, especially with how solid she is in her views. If she's the one behind Lila's sudden confidence boon, then I need to separate them quickly. And make sure she doesn't ruin my fun."
"Oh, and by the way, she'll be here by next week. She just has to get everything clear with Cornelia, then she'll do the best she can to help us." Lila explained.
"Help? Help? Help!? How dare she! That bitch is doing this on purpose, isn't she? She knows what I'm trying to do, and is coming here to stop it." Carine's angered expression grew redder and redder, nearly matching her hair within seconds, "Then it looks like I'll have to deal with her personally. I'll make sure little Euphie regrets ever wanting to step foot in Area 11 by the time I'm done with her!"
"Um… Carine… do you not like Euphie?" Lila asked with a concerned tone.
In an instant, the red-haired girl's annoyed expression disappeared, and was replaced by a smile, "What makes you think that?"
"Well… your face. You looked mad-"
"Mad? Mad? Who? Me? No. I'm not mad. Why would I be mad?" Carine spat out rapidly, "I love Euphie. I mean… who doesn't love Euphie? In fact, I'm jubilant for her arrival." despite being so energetic one second, her tone completely shifted the next, "Anyway. I think I'll go for a walk now. C'mon Dasko."
Before Lila could bid them farewell, the duo was gone. "My lady, do you want me to deal with Princess Euphemia?"
"Oh, Dasko… you know me so well." Carine sighed with relief as they casually walked down the corridor, "Though, if I remember correctly, she came here with an escort… what was his name?"
"Lord Darlton? He's one of Princess Cornelia's Knights."
"Yes. We'll have to make sure he doesn't get in our way regarding Euphie, understood?"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure a second-rate Knight like Darlton doesn't cause us too much trouble." Dasko responded with a mischievous grin.
6:27PM
Kallen and Lelouch took a final stroll through the park. Though, the former now carried bags upon bags full of clothing, of which she was planning on stockpiling the Prince's room with, just in case she stayed over. Overhead, more snow began to fall as she spun around majestically. Her boyfriend watched with a smile, while gently holding onto her arm, making sure she wouldn't fall over. "Lulu, today's been a good day, hasn't it?"
Lelouch reflected on their date and said, "Yeah. We got a proper picture of each other, plenty of clothing for you, and a one-of-a-kind piece of art. So, I'd say it was more than good. Maybe even great." he pulled her into his chest, causing her to squeal, "Though, I think there's just one thing missing."
"And what's that?" Kallen asked expectedly while looking into her boyfriend's violet eyes.
Lelouch took in a deep breath, breathing in the confidence to commit to his next action. He first bent over slightly and kissed Kallen on the lips, using his right hand to grab a hold of her scalp, pulling her closer. The red head was taken by surprise, however, she soon dropped her bags and pulled the Prince in, deepening their kiss. Likewise, Lelouch did the same with his remaining free hand, wrapping it around her waist.
The two remained in that position for a while, allowing snow to accumulate on their shoulders until finally, they had to get air. Once they took a step back, their eyes locked. They both felt their cold skin being gently caressed by the warm breath of the other. Eventually, they went in for another kiss. This time, it was shorter than the last, because Kallen had one question, "So? Have you found what was missing?"
Lelouch responded with a genuine smile and flushed cheeks, "Yes. I think I have."
As they shared a third and final kiss, the thin layer of ice on the fountain in the background cracked, signifying another layer of the complex human known as Lelouch Vi Britannia, being broken through.
AN: Bit of a shorter chapter than normal. I really just wanted to focus on Kallen and Lelouch in this one, but I ended up including a bit of foreshadowing for Euphemia's offical entrance into the story, while setting up the Battle of Narita too.
