Trust

Trust
A Code Geass fan fiction story
Written by Archangel
Edited by Comixgal

Chapter 2 – Giving

{Author’s Note: This week’s chapter is dedicated to Coffee Gyrl. It begins shortly after Code Geass episode 1.11. The music suggestion is “Crossroads” by Jim Brickman. Further notes at the end. Enjoy, and please provide feedback! RATE and/or REVIEW, please!}


The small room where the man called Zero stood was an island of stillness in a sea of movement. In the large hangar before him Black Knights were moving to and fro in a ceaseless parade; repairing knightmares, stowing equipment, drafting reports, and all the other things necessary after a large battle. The operation at Narita had gone very well indeed.

There was no need for Zero to descend into the bustle. His Knights knew their jobs, and his presence would only serve to distract. The victory they had won this day had pushed morale to an all-time high, and Zero wanted his troops to savor it together. He was their commander, yes, but not one of them. He preferred it that way.

A quiet knock sounded on the door of the observation room. “Come in, Kallen.” Beneath the mask, Lelouch Lamperouge smiled to himself. He even knew her knock by now. “What’s the repair estimate on the Gurren?” Zero asked as his closest Knight walked in.

“About eighteen hours on the hand,” Kallen Kouzuki replied as she stopped a few paces behind her commander. “Another four for the rest, but it’s mainly cosmetic. Once the hand is fixed I’ll be back in business.” Zero never turns around when I come in, Kallen thought to herself. He does for everyone else, even Oghi. He really does trust me, doesn’t he?

Zero nodded slightly. “Very well. Your performance today was exceptional, as always. Having you save my life is starting to feel like a habit. Thank you, Kallen.”

Still unused to Zero praising her, Kallen blinked. “Uh, you’re welcome.” She drew in a deep breath, then spoke again. “Zero, can I ask you a question?”

He turned to face her, arms folded beneath his cloak.

Kallen took this as an invitation to proceed. “About C.C.—is she your lover?”

Zero stood motionless for a moment, then began to tremble slightly. Kallen was confused until she heard his chuckles. Zero’s cachinnation grew to a full-blown fit of laughter that shook his body. He calmed quickly, shaking his helmeted head.

“Oh dear,” Zero murmured, catching his breath. Then he straightened and was once again her imperturbable commander. “No,” he replied, the faintest hint of mirth tingeing his voice. “She is not my lover. I am… unattached. The most precise description would be that she is a vital ally of mine. She is as critical to our success as you are, Kallen.”

With a slow nod, Kallen relaxed. “I see. Thanks.”

“Jealous?” Zero asked with a verbal smile.

She blinked twice, then answered with a soft smile of her own. “Duh. I love you. Even if it’s not mutual.” Kallen turned to go back to her knightmare.

“Kallen.” She turned back. “There is something I wish to give you,” Zero told her. “However, it will require an exercise in trust on both our parts. Do you trust me, Kallen?”

“Completely,” she replied at once, looking straight into the blank oval of Zero’s mask.

Zero turned and pressed two buttons on a small panel. The door’s lock clicked audibly behind Kallen, and opaque shutters slid down to cover the windows. They were now completely alone. “Close your eyes, Kallen. You must not open them for any reason until I tell you to. Do you understand?”

Kallen nodded and let her eyes flutter closed. She felt as much as she heard Zero step towards her. A soft mechanical hissing noise. Two swift rasps of cloth against skin. What’s going on? Kallen wondered.

The tender caress of a hand on her cheek made Kallen start. She nearly opened her eyes, but remembered her promise at the last second. Zero’s touch was gentle—almost shy. Kallen felt Zero’s warmth as he moved closer still. She smiled and leaned into his touch, rubbing her cheek against his palm.

Kallen heard the tension in Zero’s breathing. I can’t believe he’s so nervous, she mused. His hand slid around to rest on the back of her head. And then a pair of soft lips pressed against hers. Kallen let out a little squeak of surprise, and then kissed back eagerly. She leaned into Zero, bringing her hands up to his cheeks. Kallen felt the warmth of his skin as their lips moved against each other.

The temptation to open her eyes and see her love’s face was terribly strong, but Kallen resisted. Instead, she began to trace the planes of Zero’s face with her hands. Smallish nose, angular jaw… and delightful hair, Kallen noted as she ran her fingers through its short strands. Nice and silky.

Zero broke the kiss gently, catching his breath. Kallen did likewise, still stroking Zero’s hair. It’s kind of nice having my eyes closed, actually. My other senses are so much sharper. What a way to get my first kiss! Kallen pulled her commander into a second, deeper kiss.

And then it was over. Zero softly disengaged himself from her arms. Kallen made a little noise of disappointment as she heard the two whispers of cloth and that mechanical hiss again.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Kallen did so and was met with the sight of Zero standing before her. He looked just the same as ever—clothes, posture, everything about him just so. But now Kallen knew differently. There was a man beneath that mask. A man she loved. This whole thing was crazy. Kallen didn’t care. She reached out and ran a finger along the side of Zero’s mask, once again feeling the hard metal against her skin.

When Kallen dropped her hand, Zero turned and walked back to the window. “You’d better get back to the Gurren,” he told her quietly as he reopened the door and blinds.

“Yes, sir.” Kallen felt herself blushing as she descended the stairs to the hangar floor. He cares for me too, she thought happily. She fought hard to keep the beaming smile in her heart from showing on her face. The last thing either she or Zero needed was gossip.

*****

What the hell am I doing? Lelouch raged at himself behind his mask. He folded his arms beneath his cloak and stared out across the hangar bay. Usually his Zero costume gave him a sense of control and detachment, but right now Lelouch just felt like an idiot in a weird outfit.

How could I do something so stupid? I can’t grow too attached to Kallen, feelings be damned! It may be necessary to sacrifice her at some point. No matter how useful, a pawn is still a pawn. And yet... damn! Lelouch smacked his gloved fist against the window frame. There’s no denying how I feel about Kallen. She’s smart, strong, beautiful… everything one could ask for in a woman. Oh, and she’s saved my life seven times.

Lelouch turned away from the window, shaking his head hard. If only she knew who I really was, he mused. Then we could keep our personal relationship and our professional relationship separate.

No. I can’t reveal my identity to anyone. One person knowing is bad enough. After all, the likelihood of a secret getting out is equal to the *square* of the number of people who know it. I trust Kallen with my life, but no. I can’t risk it. She might slip up, the secret might come out. She might be captured. She’s only human, after all.

The man called Zero straightened his back and strode back to the window, trying to ignore the ache in his chest.


{More Author’s Note: Yes, I know this whole thing is in direct contravention to what C.C. told Lelouch when they first made their pact—Lelouch’s Geass condemns him to a life of solitude. But where’s the fun in that? ^_^ Consider this whole story a “what-if?” scenario.

I know Kallen hasn’t saved Lelouch seven times at this chapter’s point in the show. I added a few to the canonical number (I think it’s more like three or four, but I haven’t counted) to account for the dozens—if not hundreds—of operations the Black Knights have been running. Only a few of them have been seen on-screen.

Lelouch’s rule of thumb about information security was borrowed from Admiral Greer of Tom Clancy’s novels.

Many thanks to this week’s sole alpha reader, AnimeFreak859!

See you next week! Same Angel time, same Angel channel!}