After the Requiem…

Not ever will I leave her alone

It was a beautiful, warm day of summer…

As the clouds slowly travelled through the endless blue sky, the wind was carefully playing with all the green grass…and the plait of green hair, scattered on the bleach golden heap of hay.

Shiny golden eyes of C.C. were gazing up at the clouds, her lips smiling softly and ever so lazily…and happily.

Her smile changed a bit suddenly: now it had a bit nostalgic wink to it.

"The power of king, known as Geass, brings one solitude" she spoke to the emptiness. A doubtful smirk now carved her thin lips.

"Not quite accurate. Right, Lelouch?"

"I can agree with that one" a deep, strong voice came from behind the heap of hay C.C. was lying on.

The green-haired witch rolled over and crawled to the edge of the heap. She was now able to see two horses that were pulling the cart and their driver, who removed the hat that was covering his face. C.C. frowned to the sight of black hair.

"Aren't you relaxed? What if someone recognizes you?"

"They won't" Lelouch confirmed in that ordering manner he had been using to confirm Black Knights' actions…or the actions of the world "I am dead, remember? Besides, even if they catch me, what will they do to me?"

"That's right. You are immortal now" C.C. sighed, obviously not very happy by this fact. She sat up and gracefully jumped down to the driver's seat.

"I still can't believe you actually managed to receive your own code, Lelouch"

"It took me some time indeed" he smirked with that self-content grin "I believe my Geass grew too strong"

"More likely you had it in your plans, right? Zero, the man of miracles"

You could say this was the first time C.C. was actually annoyed and worried about someone in such a level. She hated the fact that Lelouch had chosen such a burden to bare and now wondered of what plans were going on in his treacherous, string-pulling mind.

"That's the name I've thrown away already" Lelouch announced, frowning back at her "you don't seem too touched by this plan"

"I warned you, didn't I? That this is more painful than loosing everything and everyone" C.C. unconsciously clenched her hand into a fist, firmly looking at her accomplice "and I told you before: I don't want you to be lost in the eternity. It brings only loneliness and suffering and-"

"That's exactly why I made this choice" Lelouch interrupted her. He pulled the rein, instructing horses to choose the left path at the crossroad.

"Why?" C.C. rammed her elbows into knees, leaning her head onto hands. She was looking at one spot, ready to intake the convoluted answer Lelouch was about to give: his reasoning was always convoluted.

"Because I made everyone's wish come true: I gave people the tomorrow they were so desperately looking up to. I rebuilt the world from its foundation and made everyone's hopes and dreams into reality. Everyone's wish…like a Geass, cast on me. However, it wasn't Geass that you cast on me"

C.C. looked at Lelouch's profile, her face indifferent as usual, but the heart in her chest stirring up.

"You became an immortal source of Geass…because of the one I had?"

"Yours was the only wish I couldn't grant. And it…bugged me" Lelouch smirked to his own words. C.C. could almost hear his thoughts of what the hell am I saying and such, screaming from inside him.

"Why are you always so unnecessarily proud?" she asked him a question he wasn't willing to answer.

"Blood of the prince, I guess" an irony was streaming down his words.

"I never thought I'd say this, but…you're insane" C.C. declared, not looking at him "during the Black Rebellion, also at Kaminejima and the Zero Requiem…always so full of pride and insanity"

"I told you this before, C.C." Lelouch now sounded firm "if you are an immortal Witch, all I need to do is become an immortal Wizard"

"You make it sound like it's all so simple" the woman sighed. He never changes "thank you" she said suddenly. Lelouch watched her fair, delicate face, seeing how still unsure and self-blaming she was. He sighed and took rein into one hand, while wrapping his other arm around her shoulders, pulling the witch nearer.

"It's my choice, C.C. I am indebted to you for everything, so…" he didn't know how to say it right. C.C. looked at his slightly blushed face and confident purple eyes…the look she had seen way too many times when he really made a choice.

"But where will we go?" C.C. head rested on Lelouch's shoulder ever so peacefully and suddenly "what are your plans?"

"Let's see…" Lelouch relaxed a bit, now that she obviously accepted his choice "where do you want to go?"

C.C. smiled happily, her eyes closed from the same happiness and easiness.

"Italy…" she whispered "I heard that's where the pizza was founded"

"Then that will be our prime destination" Lelouch decided.

"How are we going to get there? Everyone knows your face and you no longer have the Geass to take care of that"

"We'll figure something out" Lelouch smirked, hardly believing in the words that came from his own mouth: so carefree and light he felt that any life-altering plan wouldn't even dare to knock on his mind "after all, we have all the time we need"

"In that, you are right" C.C. looked up at him and smiled "you will have to learn not to hurry"

"So it would seem" he looked down at her…and with a gentle blow of the wind, her sweet scent cuddled his nose. Lelouch leaned down and put his lips on hers. Ever so gently, she kissed him back, finally without do-or-die situation.

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When Lelouch kissed Shirley, he could feel tenderness and acceptance…

When Karen's lips landed on his, he could sense power and passion…

But when C.C.'s lips touched his, he felt completion: every bit of emotion that used to be divided between many gathered in one. Tenderness, passion, acceptance, power, lust, fire, pain, joy, sadness, loneliness…that and more was the palette of what he felt in C.C.'s kisses.

Now he was certain his choice was right.

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The witch's head once again rested on Lelouch's shoulder. She was watching the sight that slowly passed by.

"Take it left" she said silently as they approached another crossroad.

"Towards the bay, huh?" Lelouch smirked.

"I believe we have better chances if we go by boat"

"I agree" he pulled rein again and the cart took a sharp turn down the left road.

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It was a beautiful, warm day of summer…

As the clouds slowly travelled through the endless blue sky, the wind was carefully playing with all the green grass…and strands of green hair, mixed with the short black ones.

Lelouch was holding C.C. in his embrace and promised to himself to never let her go.. Not ever will I leave her alone.

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It was a beautiful, warm day of summer…