The idea came when I had a hard time to sleep myself. But I only officially decided to write it down just because I needed my hands to write on something. Anything

I have my other fic. But that one requires more brainstorming and I needed to write right away.

It's been a while since I've written CluClu so this might be a tad OOC or something.

I hope you enjoy

Sealed With An Embrace

The room wasn't big, but not small enough to be considered tiny. Fitted only a number of wooden furniture. A polite person would say 'humble'. An honest person would say 'plain'. A blunt person would say 'distastefully simple'

But being the beggars our favorite immortal duo are, they can't be choosers.

At least Lelouch could finally sleep in his own bed this time. With his witch beside him.

The bedroom wasn't sized enough for the late emperor to have space to sleep on the floor. Not that he would have that anyway. After all he'd been through, C.C gave him his well deserved right to sleep on the bed. Especially since he was the one who worked for it too.

Psyche. Actually, the girl only gave in just because there was no more room to spare for the boy to sleep on the ground, and Lelouch promised for four extra pizzas each day, adding more to her already overwhelming portion of the cheeseful flatbread

As a result, the two were now sleeping together as the deal goes. With their backs facing eachother.

Lelouch was having a nice dream of him and his adorable little sister on an adorable picnic under a tree sharing adorable stories. Forget reality, Lelouch wanted the moment to last forever and ever with no witches that had green hair and liked pizzas-

THUD!

Lelouch jumped from his slumber. He cursed under his breath before he found the space beside him empty.

"What the- C.C?!" He moved to see his witch on the ground. She rubbed the back of her head from pain. She fell from the bed.

"Are you..alright?" he said.

C.C turned her head around before settling her gaze to her only company. "Why am I down here?"

"You fell down, I guess."

"You pushed me down to have the bed all to yourself?" she said, before pulling a smirk. "And here I thought we sleep on the same bed because you wanted to cuddle up on me when I'm unconscious."

She's fine alright. Lelouch sighed. She went through the Iron Lady. Falling off beds would not kill her.

"Why'd you fell down anyway? Of all nights, it's only now that you fell over." Lelouch stated as he observed the surroundings. It couldn't possibly be of bed space. And it couldn't be because the two slept with each other this time. They've done this before. Of course, he used the same bribe to persuade her (A/N: If you look closely after the flashback on episode 7, you can see C.C's green hair behind Lelouch).

"Who knows." C.C shrugged carelessly. "It might be from a bad dream."

"You can have dreams?" That might be a stupid question. But C.C was an immortal. Her body functioned differently from normal people.

Oh wait, he's immortal too now. Didn't he have that other pleasant dream of Nunnally the other day? One that caused him late for work because of course C.C didn't bother to help and wake him up? Nevermind then

"Yes," C.C said as if it was obvious.

"What was it about?"

The girl parted her lips to answer, before closing them again and looked sideways. "Who knows," she said again. "My dreams are usually recollections of the past."

Lelouch stared at her for a moment and sighed. "Hell knows if you can have any good dreams then, if that's so."

He stiffed as C.C eyed him coldly. Her glare had a menacing hint for a second, and she slid her signature Mona Lisa smile. "I guess you're right," she said. "People tend to remember the bad things more than the good ones."

She then snatched the pillow away and let it collapse down the wooden surface.

Lelouch raised a brow. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep on the floor," C.C answered.

Lelouch raised his brows higher. "You what?!" C.C didn't answer, feeling no need to repeat herself.

The boy watched musingly as his accomplice forcefully pulled the blankets away from him and dropped it to join the said pillow. He frowned at how the chill began to sink in his skin as replacement

"Just in case if I fell over again," the girl explained.

"Well, good luck trying to fit yourself in then." Lelouch said. It's not that he didn't care if she slept there. He did, actually. It's just the fact that C.C was stubbornly strong-willed and it was useless to argue with her. It's only fortunate that they couldn't get colds.

"I'm smaller than you. I'll fit just fine." C.C positioned herself. Wiggling and tossing for a comfortable sleep position in the narrow space. Which was seemingly hard for her to do because of the extra things, the pillow and the blanket, need to take some amount of room too. Not to mention the blob of yellow she adored so.

"See?" The girl finished moving about

Lelouch hid a chuckle under his throat. If the pizza-loving girl considered squished between two walls, her legs frustrated underneath the fabric, the sides of the pillow itself folded up to match the space, then yes, she settled herself well.

She wouldn't let her precious Cheese-kun a smudge, though. The toy perfectly safe and encircled in her arms.

He ran a hand through his hair. Was this because of what he said?

"Are you like this 'cause you're angry with me?" he absentmindedly asked.

The green-maned woman paused from kicking her legs to adjust the blanket. "What? Disappointed that I won't be right next to you this night after all?"

He only breathed tiredly as a response. Why did he even try?

Neating out the sheets, he used his arm for his head and curled his feet, relieved as his skin customed to the low temperature. His mind still wondered of C.C's sudden attitude. And the girl usually slept like nobody's business.

It might be from a bad dream. Recollections of the past.

Then her nightmare may or may not especially detestable this time

Even through the audible shift-shaft noises his company made, Lelouch fell back to slumber.

"Lelouch."

Poke. Poke. Poke

"Wake up."

A groan went out of the boy's teeth as he raised his back to obey his witch's order. He rubbed his violet eyes to see her standing again, with Cheese-kun in arms of course. Her hair impossibly disheveled from all the toss and turns. Lelouch couldn't hold back a victorious smirk.

"Can't sleep C.C?" he said in a tone of mock pity. He snickered as the pillow was slapped in his face.

"Shut up," C.C said. "Now move."

The smirk changed places and Lelouch's lips formed a confused straight line. "Pardon?"

"Get out of the bed," C.C demanded in her usual monotonic voice. "The floor isn't doing me any favors."

Her warlock furrowed a brow. "What? That can't be done C.C. If you have trouble sleeping on the floor then how am I supposed to-"

"I said move."

Despite her demand, Lelouch wasn't budging away. He only stared. Stared at her ridiculousness of the night. C C was always ridiculous and he slowly learned to put up with that. Hence if she wasn't like her usual distressingly difficult self, he'll go mad. Gosh, the witch can drive him nuts whether she's a headache or not.

Still, this was absurd, and he's way too tired. The chill just felt pleasingly numb. And all the warmth radiation from his skin to his bed will all go to waste. It's about 2am now too. He had to go out and find a job. There were chances of him becoming infamous if he kept gambling. So he had to

In one, Lelouch will not get up.

"Why should I?" he said. "Just get back up here if you want to get out of the floor."

"And fall down again from lack of space? No thank you. Now get off."

Lelouch scratched his head. "If this is about your dreams again then-"

"Move."

A chilling silence filled the gap of the conversation. A stare fest between the two began. And C.C won in the end, of course. Lelouch didn't have the will to fight at the moment.

Just this night. Lelouch groaned in defeat. It's only for this time. Everything will go back to normal the next day.

"Fine."

His feet now grounded on the floor, letting C.C to take over the bed like they used to.

His witch began to fill her arms with the blanket and pillow. An action which earned an eye twitch

"You're going to let me sleep on the floor with nothing?"

C.C stared silently before saying, "You can have the sheets."

"You witch," Lelouch muttered under his breath and pulled away the white fabrics from the bed as advised. "The pizza trade is canceled!"

"Whatever," was all C.C answered before making herself comfortable. Sleeping on the floor must have been too stressful for her. As soon as her head touched the soft object, she's out cold.

Mumbling curses, the boy folded the bed sheet into a pillow and placed it sideways. There was absolutely no space for him to lay down so he had to sleep upright. Before his rear sat on the cold, hard floor, he regarded his green-maned companion silently

When he told her that no pizza will be rewarded, the witch only shrugged it off. She's probably gonna order those pizzas on him anyway. Darn it.

Still, he would at least expect her to retort. She usually did. Anything for the damn Italian pie. So hearing her say a mere 'whatever' to it all puzzled him. If this was really about her nightmares bothering her sleep again, enough for her to not care about pizza at the moment, then it must have been a terrible one indeed. Two in a row in fact.

Which parts of the past did she dream of exactly?

These are the times where Lelouch wished the witch wasn't so unreadable. Behind her rock-emotionless face, he would never figure out what she was thinking at the back of her mind. She was that chess piece that he couldn't ever control. Then again, she might not be the chess piece at all. She could be the board, carrying all the pieces. The player, moving the pieces. Or not there at all, uninterested in doing whatever towards the said pieces.

Then again, that was exactly the part about her that made her surprisingly….amusing

There were definitely plenty of times where Lelouch found her the most unpleasant, rude, mannerless encounter in his life. A royal pain. From taking away his bed from him and made it stank of pepperoni and cheese, go out and cause havoc in school, and especially draining his credit card.

Then there were times where she was really a true ally. From saving his life numerous times and even putting her efforts to return his memories. She returned to him.

Guilt pulled Lelouch's shoulders to a slump. She did return to him.

Even after his promise to be by her side, declaring to her that she was his witch and him her warlock, he broke it, in a way.

The emperor, one he daren't address as his father no longer, erased his memories. He went off -left her- for a whole year before she found him again. He actually shamed his own promise by leaving her first. Yet, she went back to him anyway. She could always find some other sucker to bind a contract with, leave him. But she didn't and stayed by his side till the end. She lost her memories too, but that was temporary. And it was for his sake. He didn't lose his memories for hers.

How come it was only now he realized this?

And him? What did he do to compensate that?

With everything she had done for him, could all those pizzas, and actually harmless pranks she did, could that really equal to that?

He even once carelessly said that he'd kill her if only she wasn't so hard to die.

He could only wonder how she might have felt. In all honesty, he didn't mean those words. Well, he probably did at the time, but he was drunk on an emotional roller coaster. He couldn't rest in piece until he avenged Shirley's undeserved death.

She did more than he asked. Her loyalty towards him could very possibly be stronger than his loyalty towards her.

And he, he got ticked easily over her just asking to switch places on who sleeps where. And it's just for the night. And she's having nightmares

The bitter guilt began to pull down his head as well, bowing it.

Perhaps he won't mind her leaving him cold this night, or the next if she wanted to.

Perhaps he won't mind if she called those four pizzas on him either.

Because for all he knew, he owed her for the rest of his eternite life

Lelouch turned his head to peer at the girl, snoozing sweetly down her stuffed yellow blob.

He reached out a hand to tuck a strand of her hair to her ear before gently sliding his knuckles down her cheek. A smile, genuine and grateful, curved at his lips. Right then, he felt like planting a kiss on her forehead. Though, too afraid of her to suddenly jolt at the feel of his lips. That will cause a very awkward moment. So he had to pull back.

He sat his crossed arms down the bed before resting a cheek on them, slowly drifting back to dreamland. The bed sheet totally abandoned

Lelouch."

Poke. Poke. Poke

"Wake up."

The girl expected her warlock to give her a discontent click of the tongue or glare at her. Or both. Though, she saw none of that. The boy didn't bore any specific face expression that hinted any annoyance. Rather a smile. A smile. It was not fake. Not forced. Not merely plastered. It was really there. Wasn't he aggravated with her just now?

Shaking it off, she decided not to think about it. She had another request to ask of him.

But before she could say it, Lelouch suddenly stood up. The bed sheet tucked under his arm.

"I get it," he said. "You want me to sleep on the couch outside, right? Way ahead of ya."

C.C watched silently as he stepped towards the door, about to turn the handle.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch stopped to face his one and only witch. Her face rather quizzical. Her lips form the usual empty straight line, but a brow raised in confusion.

He turned. "Doing what you wanted me to do?"

"I never wanted you to sleep on the couch." C.C looked down. Her face didn't show any emotion, but the gesture did seem rather shy.

"I want you to sleep next to me again."

"….."

"….."

"…What?"

"I wanted you to-"

"I heard what you said," Lelouch cutted. He couldn't decide whether his voice hid a chuckle or a groan. "Why?"

"They say that the best way to treat nightmares is to sleep with a close relative."

"I'm not related to you."

"I know, but you're the only one I've got."

"You got Cheese-kun."

Lelouch observed as the girl looked down towards her stuffed toy, then traveled her gold eyed gaze back to him. Maybe wondering what she should say to get him to do what she wanted.

Without having to use embarrassing excuses that a six year old would, since she was about a hundred times that age.

And something that wouldn't hurt Cheese-kun's feelings…the stupid thing

Or perhaps she's just doing the I-don't-have-to-answer-If-I-don't-want-to crap? Ah well.

"Nevermind," Lelouch said as he climbed on.

Shoving aside to give him space, the girl quickly picked up her composure and curved another smirk. "Don't screw me."

Lelouch rolled his eyes as he pulled the blankets over him. "That's my line, witch."

He rested his head on his folded arm like before, since C.C was the one who's using the pillow. He expected his witch to squeeze Cheese-kun between them as the beginning of the night. So he almost flinched out of the covers when she placed it behind her and scooted near to him before entangling her arms around his neck and buried her face down his back

The sudden contact made his heart race, causing his cheeks to tinge a light pink. It didn't help how her breath send pleasant shivers down his back. Wait, pleasant? Gosh, it's all over now

"C.C…?"

"They also say that hugging your relatives can ease bad dreams."

"Oh..I see…" Lelouch said, totally forgetting to note once more how they weren't related.

He silently took deep breaths in an attempt to slow down his heartbeat. It was only a miracle if the witch didn't feel it through the arms around him. Thankfully, the blush was gone.

C.C, as if she noticed how tense his warlock was, began to gently comb her fingers through his hair. Darn it. Her touch was rather comforting too.

A couple of minutes had passed by and Lelouch was able to become comfortable in her embrace. His heartbeat was back to normal too.

"My dreams weren't about the past this time, actually," C.C said. She stopped playing with his hair and looped it back to the boy's neck. "They were visits to the World of C."

"So you met your doppelganger there?"

"Yes," C.C said. "We were discussing whether it was a good idea for you to become a Code Bearer."

Lelouch felt her cheek sliding up so her chin pressed against his back. She lifted her head to him. "Why did you become one anyway? Were you too afraid to die?"

At first, C.C thought it might be because he wanted to carry his sins on a different approach. But didn't that made his death a tad bit meaningless?

"I did it so I can fulfill your wish. I still haven't pay the other end of our bargain, remember?"

"Oh, of course." C.C nodded. "Surely, you're not like all those other people who failed to take away my Code."

"No, C.C. I meant…" Lelouch trailed, a bit shy on mentioning, what he thought to be, her real wish. So instead, he continued with, "Your other wish."

A scoff was heard. "What? You mean the one which I wish to be loved?" C.C clicked her tongue as she reluctantly remembered the time where he was trying to catch her.

The topic must be a sore subject for the girl as she grouchily took her arms back and shoved away, returning to Cheese-kun. Lelouch could have sworn he saw the damn thing stuck out a tongue at him.

"Silly boya. That's not my wish. I've lived too long to remember what loving is like."

"You loved Mao," Lelouch muttered under his breath

"I beg your pardon?" C.C said in a slightly demanding tone

"When Mao was about to get shot, you still had mercy for him and considered to talk him out instead. You cried out his name when he got pelted with bullets. You still loved him."

Lelouch recalled how desperate her voice was when she did. It was the first time he heard her speak like that. It only made him frown how it was for Mao.

"No, I cared for him. I can care, Lelouch. Caring and loving are different," C.C defended. "And I wanted to take Mao as my own responsibility."

C.C hugged her stuffed toy tightly. The conversation began to become peeving. She wanted to end it right away.

Honestly, why couldn't he accept her wish? He pitied her? Wanted to win the conversation? He…loved her?

Well, even if he did, she wouldn't share the same feeling. Now would she? Would she? Of course not. Certainly not.

"I don't love, Lelouch. That's that," she said. "My heart had died long ago so I can't love anymore."

C.C saw as Lelouch turned around to look at her right in the eye. Amethyst met gold. He still had that humanly point of view in them. After he'll live a number of centuries, he'd understand. How agonizing it is to see the same day and night every day of your 'life'.

How in the end, your heart will forget. Will no longer have that capacity to love. Because all you'll have left is to wish for a death that would never come.

The green haired girl quirked a brow as a faint smirk appeared on the boy's face.

"…Then to bring that heart back," he started. "What if I say 'I love you' to you right now?"

It took a moment for the girl to register what he said, before she hurriedly replied with, "Futile effort. But you can try."

Silly boya, mere words won't change anything.

C.C waited as Lelouch took a small breath and moved his lips.

"I love you, ****."

Every word, each syllable, Lelouch put careful tone and pitch. He made extra care for the last one. Pronouncing it as gentle, sweetly, and fluently as he could.

Was he sincere?

That question was one he wanted to be kept in the dark for the time being.

He pulled his smirk further as he thought he saw his witch tinted a tiny pink, even for a second.

"Dirty move, using my real name," C.C said irritably. "A cheat you are, Lelouch."

"Am I not always?" Lelouch chuckled

"Still, it didn't work."

A sarcastic frown returned to his face. "Stubborn witch."

"However, I guess, for now, my wish is to be loved." C.C said. She smiled a small smile, for all it's worth. "You may 'love' me, stay beside me, until you are fed up with me and you can finally be able to take my Code away, deal?"

Lelouch sniffed. "What kind of deal is that?"

"It's a deal," C.C deadpanned

C.C's deal was the same as asking for him to throw her away all the same. He wasn't going to have that.

"Well, here's mine then," he said. "I may 'love' you, stay beside you, until you give in and admit that your wish is not to die."

"My, you want to love me that much?"

"Only so you can give up your death wish catastrophe."

"Very well." C.C linked her arms back around his neck. She didn't bother to wait for him to turn around again so her cheek landed on his chest. "The deal is on."

Lelouch accepted her gesture and laced his arms around her slender back and rested his chin on her head, inhaling the scent of her hair.

They made a deal and sealed it with an embrace.

"….By the way, I'm still going to get those four extra pizzas, right?"

Lelouch twitched an eye. She had to ruin a perfectly heartfelt moment.

Pizzas?

Is that what she was going for the entire time?!

There might never will be a time where C.C won't think about pizza XD

I intend for this to be a oneshot, but this looked like what would be developed into a multi-chapter fic.

To be honest, I don't know about that. I lost my hype for CluClu after reading mountains of fics about it. The ship still holds a special place in my heart. I just don't have the same passion anymore. And I need lots of focus on my other fic too

Then again, writing CluClu was a lot of fun. I might try and write a next chapter. But who knows.

For now, this fic is only a oneshot.

Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors

Review a feedback or whatever you think of this fic. I'd totally appreciate it!

Thankies for reading!

Merry Late Christmas and Happy Early New Year!

Suffocating Hugs and Obnoxiously Happy Waves

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