Lelouch didn't skip class that morning.
He probably should have.
His body still ached from sleepless hours spent as Zero. His mind was fried from calculating troop movements and weighing losses. Some part of him, the part still desperate to cling to normalcy, is why he was at school in the first place. It led him into his uniform, through the gates, and into his seat at the far window in Room 2-A.
The light streaming through the glass was warm and golden, but he felt none of it.
Kallen was already there.
She hadn't noticed him at first.
She never did when she was lost in thought. Her fingers tapped a quiet rhythm against her notebook. Her uniform was well-fitted and clean. However, there was still a faint red mark behind her ear, barely hidden by her hair. Lelouch had seen it last night during the battle. The mark was caused by her helmet pressing too hard against the sides of her head during combat.
She caught him looking at her.
Their eyes met. She blinked and then gave him a nod. Casual. Friendly.
He returned it, just barely.
She has no idea, he thought. That last night, they'd fought side-by-side. That he'd watched her destroy Britannian machines with fire in her eyes. That she'd spoken to him, touched him, in a way that was unexpected. Now, here she was pretending to be just another student.
Just like he was pretending to be just another boy.
The bell rang.
Class passed like the boring daily routine. Lelouch was a genius. He didn't need to put that much effort into his academics. He didn't speak unless called on. He answered perfectly.
Lelouch always did. Ashford Academy may be his safe place for thinking, but it wasn't stimulating in the slightest for him. He needed more of a challenge.
When the final bell rang, Lelouch didn't pack up immediately.
He moved slowly, distracted, until he heard footsteps beside him.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Kallen said lightly.
He turned to her, commenting on his own features. "Rough night."
She gave a small smile. "Try sleeping for once, genius."
He watched her leave, red hair swaying behind her, and wondered if she'd ever know what he was truly losing sleep over.
Lelouch wandered out of the main building alone to the courtyard.
The noise of students faded into background noise as Lelouch thought of his next move as Zero. The wind tugged gently at his uniform. Sakura petals floated down like soft reminders of the peace he didn't believe in. Nunually, he thought to himself.
Then came the voice. The same voice that set him on edge.
"You're not as good at pretending as you think."
He turned.
Villetta Nu stood in the shadow of a tree, dressed casually but radiating something sharp beneath the surface. Her arms were crossed as usual, her gaze sharp enough to break the will of any normal person.
"Miss Villetta," he said, calm and smooth. "Don't you have better things to do?"
She stepped closer. "I find it interesting that trouble seems to follow you. Or maybe it's the other way around."
"I'm in the top one percent of my class. I attend all council meetings. What exactly is your suspicion based on?"
Villetta tilted her head. "Your timing. Your absences. Your coincidences."
Lelouch's expression didn't crack. "You're reaching."
"No," she said, low. "I'm watching."
For a moment, the air grew tight. Her hand drifted, subtly, toward her coat where Lelouch had no doubt a weapon was hidden. He tensed up slightly, ready to use his Geass.
"Lelouch!"
Shirley's voice, bright and unbothered, cut through the tension like sunlight.
She trotted up to them with a warm smile, oblivious to the potential conflict she just averted.
"There you are," she said, linking her arm through his. "You weren't in the council room, so I came looking for you."
Lelouch didn't hesitate. He offered Villetta a small, dismissive nod.
"If you'll excuse me."
And just like that, he let Shirley guide him away.
Villetta didn't stop him and lowered her arm. He felt her gaze burning between his shoulder blades. This woman was a lot of work. Shirley guided him to their usual sanctuary on campus.
The student council room.
The room was quiet now as Rivalz and Milly weren't around. Afternoon light glowed through the stained-glass windows. Lelouch sat down on the couch, elbow propped against the armrest, head resting on his fingers.
Shirley sat beside him on the couch, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.
She didn't speak right away. Just sat there, searching his emotions on his face.
Finally, she spoke up.
"You've been… weird," she said softly with concern.
"I've always been weird. You know that."
"You know what I mean."
He didn't answer to face her.
She turned to him, her voice quieter now. "It's about the other night, isn't it?"
Lelouch closed his eyes. "Shirley, look—"
"I'm not mad," she said quickly. "I mean... I was confused. A little embarrassed. But mostly, I've just been… worried about you."
She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, hands clasped together in intense thought.
"You kissed me like you needed it. You touched me like you'd break if you didn't. And then you walked away like none of it mattered."
Lelouch opened his eyes slowly, gaze fixed on the ceiling.
"It did matter," he said. "Too much."
Shirley turned to him, stunned.
"I care about you a lot," Lelouch continued. "Probably more than I should. But there are parts of my life I can't let touch you. If they did—"
"I'm not afraid," she said.
"But I am," he replied, finally looking at her. "Because if anything happened to you because of me… I wouldn't recover from it."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Shirley smiled sadly.
"You're always trying to protect everyone else," she said. "But who's protecting you?"
Lelouch didn't answer because he didn't know.
He was too busy trying to protect everybody else and change the corrupt world at the same time. Lelouch got up from the couch and left the student council room without another word.
He wanted a moment with his true family, even if that family was already dead.