this is my first code geass fanfic for lelouch and cc. oh, i love this pairing a lot.

warning: they're ooc on purpose. i just want to write a romantic au for them, okay?

Fiction

C.C. always loved to read books - fantasy novels, specifically - because they had this magical attraction that real life lack.

The world created in the pages of the novels she read was so inviting and so captivating, that most of the times she found herself wishing she was living inside that universe too. But of course, it was a foolish desire because magic was not even real.

The young lady was lying down on her bed, green hair sprawling across her sheets. Her legs were dangling from her bed as she held up the book to her face. It was the book her blonde friend gave her as a present for Christmas. Yes, it would only take one book to soften the girl.

Her suppressed giggles were resonating within the four corners of her room. It was a lazy afternoon she had today and the weather outside proved that nothing good could be done outdoors. Well, whether it was winter is not, she rarely had gotten out to have some stroll or hang out with a few friends. C.C. always preferred herself as a company, her books and Suzaku's cat. Speaking of which, that guy was still out of town with Euphy's family. C.C was asked to look after the cat, and she enjoyed doing it anyway.

Arthur, the cat, was awakened by his cat-sitter's giggling. She was kicking and rolling from side to side, a tint of pink staining her milk white face. It was obvious that she was feeling the chills as she read the book, and she ought to thank Milly for giving this one. She had read about one-fourth of the book but she was already loving the story.

It was about a young man who was working for the kind and queen and was tasked to search for the kingdom's lost heir - not knowing that he was the lost prince. The author had done a great job in describing the protagonist and giving him such interesting personality. A total klutz but intelligent and toothsome, C.C. could only redden at the mere sound of these words.

She was imagining his face ever since the author introduced him as a child of the kingdom's messenger, and his delicate features led her to various beautiful faces she had never seen. Black-rimmed purple eyes that could charm women of any age, those cheekbones and upturned nose that make him snobbish when not smiling...and his hair - oh, his black hair! He was gorgeous.

C.C. found herself daydreaming of him again, the book was gently put down on her chest. For a moment, she just kept an eye on her ceiling studded with stickers of stars and moons which would glow at the dark of the night. She was in love with a fictional character again, how sweet. She bit her lower lip to suppress that smile growing on her face, cheeks warming as she did so.

This was horrible. If Milly saw her acting like this again, the blond would take her book and would force her to join her club activities for a week so just C.C. would be awake in reality again.

Was it that bad to find a fictional world more interesting than her tedious life? There was no spark of amusement in her eyes whenever she would watch her schoolmates to do their stuff. None of them could make school better and interesting as well. At least no one tried to, so school life was boring. High school never looked boring when she was in middle school. Her upperclassmen seemed to enjoy themselves whenever she would see them walk home. She wondered why she was not feeling the same when she attended high school? Now that she was eighteen, high school was almost over, she only attained academic excellence. But the enjoyment? None.

The young lady rolled over once more, clutching the book closer to her chest. Her thoughts about the protagonist resumed. His character was amusing enough to make her laugh with his every line. His straightforward manner of talking seemed comical for her, sometimes his bluntness was misunderstood by the other characters interacting with him. At the page where she stopped reading, the protagonist went to meet the kingdom's sorceress to ask the whereabouts of the lost prince. But his first question for the sorceress was, "Is the lost prince real? There was a rumour going around the kingdom about the prince's identity. They said he was a son of the queen's maidservant and pageboy."

"If you are eager to know then read this spell," answered the old woman. "Read it and you shall know."

"I refuse. I've heard a lot about you. Your magic is truly wicked. Please tell me his whereabouts instead," said he.

"It will bring you to the real world, young man. To a world where the prince really belong, and then you shall know the truth."

But the young man insisted to know the lost prince's whereabouts.

C.C. smiled to herself as she read this. Why did he refuse to read it? Magic could not bring harm to him, knowing that it was not directed to him. Well, unless the witch casted it upon him then it shall be fallen to him.

Her amber eyes looked back on the page and studied the spell written. This was a language she could not understand, perhaps a language invented by the author (well, the whole story was!) and went on reading it aloud.

Her window rattled against the harsh blow of the glacial wind outside. Everything was white and hazy because of the blizzard, her window somewhat frosty. The extreme weather pleased her for she loved snow next to books. She didn't know why exactly, there was something with its whiteness that made her love just as it was.

Arthur hopped on the bed and cuddled with her. The cat must be feeling cold, too. Looking at the cat and its dark fur, maybe she needed to take some nap as well. She had been reading the book since lunchtime, so maybe she could retire her eyes for a short while. Closing the book and placing it beside her pillow, C.C. lay down on her bed and stared at her ceiling once more.

The stars and moons that would glow faint green later evening seemed magical. Oh, she was just sleepy. For one last time, she murmured the spell which the young man refused to read for the sorceress. And then, she dozed off.

The harsh wind continued to blow, unnoticed by the young maiden. When the strongest wind slapped her windows - again, unnoticed by her - her room illuminated for a short moment. C.C. and Arthur weren't alone in her room. There he stood, clad with a cloak inappropriate for the modern era. Purple eyes widely opened as he curiously looked around him.

"Where am I?" he couldn't recognize this place. "Whose kingdom is this place?"