Trust

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

Chapter 4 – Starlight

{Author’s Note: This week’s chapter is dedicated to Jack Johnson. It takes place some time between Code Geass episodes 1.20 and 1.21. The music suggestion is “White Mountains” by Tim Janis. Try to find the studio version, not the concert version. Further notes at the end. Enjoy, and please provide feedback! RATE and/or REVIEW, please!}


“Well?”

“She was bit overexcited from hearing about Kyushu, but she’s asleep now.”

“That’s not what I mean. How are you?”

Lelouch Lamperouge blinked hard at the green-haired girl sitting on his bed. “I’m fine,” he answered shortly. “It appears that all the immediate crises have been dealt with. Nice to have a break,” he added, gazing out the window at the silent campus of Ashford Private Academy.

“You think it will last?” C.C. asked him in mild amusement.

Lelouch’s scowl was reflected clearly in the windowpane. “Of course not! But I’m hoping for a day or two to let my forces stand down and rest. People have been getting edgy.” Despite their surprisingly stable working relationship, C.C. still had a talent for irritating him. Lelouch suspected that she did it deliberately.

A knock on the suite’s door forestalled C.C.’s reply. “Stay here,” Lelouch told her shortly as he left the bedroom.

“I know…”

Well, this is unexpected, Lelouch thought as he opened the door.

“Hi Lelouch.” The quiet voice and soft smile belonged to Kallen Stadtfeld. Lelouch knew her better as Kallen Kouzuki, ace knightmare pilot and his most trusted Black Knight. One of three people in the world who knew him to be the masked man called Zero.

“Hi Kallen. What’s up?” Lelouch kept his voice nonchalant, hiding his discomfiture at Kallen’s presence. They had become romantically involved and Lelouch still worried about the consequences. Could he afford to have feelings for one of his chief lieutenants? Could he maintain his objectivity when committing Kallen to battle?

She seemed to be having similar thoughts. “It’s a beautiful night,” she told him with slight hesitation. “I thought you might want to come for a walk.”

Lelouch closed his eyes and sighed softly. Well, if he was sure of one thing it was that leaving their mutual feelings up in the air would be a bad idea. We may as well talk things through now, he thought. His violet eyes reopened and focused on Kallen’s. “Wait here. I’ll get my coat.”

“Off for a moonlight stroll?” C.C. asked him with a slight smirk.

“Keep an eye on Nunnally,” Lelouch answered curtly as he took his jacket off the back of his chair.

“Have fun.”

Lelouch rolled his eyes and rejoined Kallen at the door. The two descended the stairs in silence and exited the building. “So where to?”

“Around campus. Somewhere quiet,” Kallen replied.

“Sounds good. It’s past time we talked it over,” Lelouch agreed with a nod. He looked down at Kallen and held out his arm to her in perfect courtly fashion.

Kallen looked back at him for a second, then grinned. Rather than link her arm through Lelouch’s, she grabbed his hand.

Lelouch smiled back for a moment and linked his fingers through hers. They began walking across a nearby lawn.

“So, can this work?” Kallen asked quietly.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Lelouch looked more pensive than Kallen had ever seen him before. It was a pleasant change from the bored expression to which she had become accustomed. “If we pursue it, we will have to keep our personal and professional relationships completely separate. Don’t expect any warmth or love from Zero.”

Kallen nodded. “I understand. But how about Lelouch?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I expect love and warmth from Lelouch?” Kallen asked with studied innocence.

In response, Lelouch raised their clasped hands and softly kissed her middle knuckle.

Kallen swallowed a giggle at the courtly gesture. She usually found this sort of thing terminally cheesy, but coming from Lelouch it just seemed right. Kallen stopped walking, using their joined hands to stop Lelouch as well and turn him towards her. She stepped forward and looked up into the keen, intelligent eyes peeking out from his tangle of black hair. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked as she leaned in and kissed him.

Lelouch’s hands quickly found Kallen’s shoulders and began to push her away. After a second, though, their grip shifted as he pulled her tightly against him. Lelouch kissed back hungrily. Kallen responded in kind, and the young couple kissed each other breathless.

As they parted for air, Kallen found herself blushing fiercely. She felt like magma was flowing through her skin. “Lelouch…” she whispered, rolling his name over her tongue. “Lelouch Lamperouge… I’m going to have to get used to thinking that name instead of Zero.”

“That’s not my real name,” Lelouch murmured in a rather flat tone.

“Oh, so I should be thinking of you as Zero?” Kallen asked playfully, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair.

“My name is Lelouch Vi Britannia.”

Kallen froze up for a moment, then wrenched herself away from him. “You’re a Britannian PRINCE?” she hissed.

“Eldest son of the late Imperial Consort Marianne, and sixteenth in line to the Imperial Throne,” Lelouch replied calmly, gazing directly into Kallen’s eyes.

“I guess this whole thing is just a power game, then,” she snarled, dropping into a combat stance. “Just using the Japanese people to claw your way up to the throne, huh? And to think that I ever let you—”

“No.”

The flat finality of Lelouch’s statement halted Kallen’s budding rant. “Why, then?” she asked, still poised to attack. “I should have thought a prince of all people would want to see Britannia succeed. Why help us—Zero?”

“I wish to destroy Britannia,” Lelouch replied matter-of-factly.

“But *why*?” Kallen yelled.

Lelouch made a sharp gesture for quiet as he drew himself up to his full height. His poise and expression shifted subtly. And it was no longer Lelouch Lamperouge standing before Kallen—it was Zero. “My mother was murdered before my eyes,” Zero told Kallen with a frighteningly calm voice. “My sister was crippled in the same attack. And that quickly, she was thrown aside like garbage. An innocent victim of the infighting and scheming over who will succeed to the throne. All driven by *that man.*”

“The Britannian Emperor?” Kallen whispered.

“Yes. My father.” Zero paused, simply looking at Kallen. She could feel sincerity flowing off of him in waves. There was no question that Zero was telling her the truth. “I will destroy Britannia, avenge my mother, and create a world where Nunnally can find happiness.”

Zero deflated, and Lelouch stood before Kallen once more. He turned and started walking away.

*****

When Kallen Kouzuki looked up ten minutes later, she had made her decision. She was sure that by following him she could make the world a better place. And she loved him, now more than ever.

She looked up. Zero—Lelouch—was nowhere to be seen, but Kallen had expected that. He probably hasn’t gone too far, she hoped.

Kallen started walking in the direction Lelouch had been going when he left. Stupid lampposts, she fumed to herself as her blue eyes scanned for any sign of her love. They’re messing up my night vision. She reached one of the pathways right at an intersection. Great, she mused. He could have gone any direction. Casting her gaze about, Kallen saw two deep scuffs in the dirt on the side of the path. They formed a crude arrow pointing across the lawns towards the athletic fields. Good place to be alone at this time of night. Probably nice and dark, too. Kallen continued walking in the indicated direction.

*****

Amazing how the simplest things are the most comforting, Lelouch thought as he watched the stars turn slowly overhead. It must be a new moon. Only starlight. Perhaps that’s symbolic of something, he mused wryly. At least out here in the middle of the football field I can see the stars. I haven’t looked up at them like this… for over seven years…

A slim body bending over him blocked Lelouch’s view. He refocused his eyes on Kallen’s face. The starlight gave her skin a gorgeous silver cast. God, she’s beautiful. Lelouch couldn’t read the expression on that face, if there even was one. He didn’t know if she was going to stab him, kiss him, or what. Lelouch honestly didn’t care. It was late, and he was tired. So tired. And if she did hate him after learning his true identity, he wasn’t sure he could carry on.

One tiny part of Lelouch’s brain pointed out that these thoughts were simply a product of fatigue and his current environment. Zero would be refreshed and ready to resume his plans after a day or so of rest. Probably.

Kallen lay down perpendicular to him in the thick grass, using Lelouch’s chest as a pillow. She didn’t speak, and neither did Lelouch. Kallen had always been more eloquent with action than with words, Lelouch thought with a soft smile. He reached out to stroke her hair. She turned her head and smiled at him.

The two let go of time and gazed up at the stars, content in each other’s presence. They had worked out their new relationship. Now they just wanted to enjoy it.

Yet another reason I love this girl, Lelouch thought as he ran his fingers through the fiery strands of Kallen’s hair. She understands: often, silence says the most.

{More Author’s Note: When I say ‘the football field,’ I mean soccer. This is a Brit school, after all. ^^

Yes, I could have put in more physical stuff, but let’s face it, folks: this is as warm and fuzzy as Lelouch or Kallen ever get. Okay, if I’m being honest, even this is way more WAF than either of them can be. They’re rather out of character in this story (all the chapters), and I realize that. It’s all in good fun.

I saw episode 1.25 just before posting this. So much for fitting in with canon. Oh well, I’ll still try to keep this AU as close to canon as entertainment allows.

This week’s alpha readers: AnimeFreak859 and JG.

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