'Lelouch,' she whispered, shaking him by the shoulders. When the raven-haired boy didn't respond, C.C started to panic. 'Lelouch...' she whispered again, this time in a harsher tone.
Lelouch groaned a little, before cracking open an eyelid. 'What's it this time?' he mumbled in annoyance. For a second he thought he saw C.C's face brightened before it reverted to its usual stoic expression. It must have been his imagination.
'It's nothing.' C.C turned away.
'You wouldn't wake me if it's nothing.' Lelouch muttered.
C.C opened her mouth and closed it again; there was an uncomfortable pause.
'When I saw your face, for a moment I thought you... passed away.' She answered quietly. Lelouch's sleeping expression was very different from his waking disposition. It was serene, without a trace of his usual cynicism or burdened with his unending guilt.
'You would have felt it by our contract, witch.'
Lelouch have always felt it. The contract binds him to C.C in ways he couldn't express in mere words. C.C said nothing. She then turned away and left.
Lelouch tried to rise, and cursed when a sharp pain shot up from his left arm. A makeshift bandage was shoddily wrapped around the wound but it'll do; the wound wasn't serious and the blood had already dried.
'That's right. Suzaku fired first and the bullet grazed my arm. There was a blinding flash and ...'
That was all he could recall. Lelouch blinked, his eyes adjusting to his surrounding. Stalactites hung on the ceiling, and he could hear the distant squeak of bats and trickle of falling water. He was in some sort of underground cavern. There was a crudely-made bowl filled with water. It called to attention how parched his throat was. He gulped it down hastily and wiped his mouth. It wasn't exactly clean, but it refreshed him nonetheless. Lelouch then half-staggered half-walked after C.C.
...And promptly collapsed on his knees. A dizzy spell hit him and his vision wavered. Lelouch slumped down half-unconscious and waited for C.C to return; unaware of how many hours had passed by.
- - - - - - - - - -
C.C returned with some edible fruits and nuts. They spoke little during meals, mainly talking about the current grim situation. He was relieved to hear that Nanaly wasn't in immediate danger.
Lelouch felt his strength gradually regaining, his mind clear. He paced slowly up and down, plotting his next few steps.
The night was chilly. Lelouch ran his palms over his arms in an attempt to keep warm. This action of his wasn't missed by C.C.
She encircled her arms around his slender shoulders, and lay against him.
'I am cold.' she stated.
That action broke his train of thought. Lelouch turned, and his heart tri-hammered when he realized the proximity between their faces. What he had intended to say vanished from his mind like a trivial dream. He noticed that he had been gazing at her soft pink lips, and was reminded of the time where C.C stole a kiss from him in Gawain cockpit.
Lelouch had never openly admitted it; he enjoyed those little times where they would exchange witty remarks at each other. In the past few months, the Britannian youth had been aware of his growing affections for the enigmatic girl, but had brushed it aside into the back of his head. However, when memories of C.C's painful past flashed across his mind, he felt every pain of hers, stabbing into his black heart. And this spoke volumes, considering it came from a person who had barely any conscience left. It was then he understood his feelings for C.C were genuine.
