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Square One	By : ArchangelM127 Category: +. to F > Code Geass Views: 6986 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Square One
- 2-Sweet Dreams
- 1
- 2
Square One

A Code Geass fan fiction story

Written by Archangel

Edited by klv

Chapter 2 – Sweet Dreams

{Author’s Note: This chapter is dedicated to Ezzard Charles. The music suggestion is “Sweet Dreams” by La Bouche (not to be confused with “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics). You should really find a copy to get the full flavor of the final scene; I’m happy to provide one if you email me or catch me on AIM.

Important announcement: After a great deal of thought, I have decided to declare Ch02 of “Hypothermia” not canonical to the ‘Angelverse.’ In other words, the whole debacle with Mao’s manipulations and Lelouch erasing Shirley’s memory transpires the same in this AU as it does in the anime. I’m not going to delete Hypothermia Ch02 from AFF.net or anything, don’t worry.

This chapter was originally posted without the benefit of klv’s editing.

Further notes at the end. Enjoy, and please provide feedback! RATE and/or REVIEW, please!}

And… perfect! Milly thought as she settled the slim gold necklace around her throat. The quarter-karat diamond pendant twinkled merrily against her pale skin. She stepped back to double-check herself in the full-length mirror. Her dress was really meant for high-class cocktail parties, but she liked having her arms bare and the red silk clung to her body in all the right ways. The hem came past her shins and the neckline was a bit too high, but Mother was a stickler for modesty. Although she wished for a little more leniency in that regard—Milly was proud of her figure and enjoyed showing it off—she recognized her mother’s wisdom. Showing off too much attracted the wrong sort of admiration. Still, this dress allowed great freedom of movement, and that’s what mattered tonight.

Lipstick a perfect match to her dress. Makeup so finely applied as to be invisible. Fingernails lacquered a brilliant white. Hair conditioned and brushed out until it shone. The barest hint of perfume. Small purse with £40 and a few other necessities. Milly Ashford was ready for a fun night out!

Locking her room behind her, Milly headed down one floor to Shirley’s room, already wishing she’d chosen flats instead of heels, and knocked.

“It’s open!”

She entered to find Shirley applying the finishing touches to Nina’s hair. Actually, it took Milly a moment to recognize her; the normal, frowsy Nina was gone! Shirley had brushed her rich black hair to a glossy sheen and put it up in a French twist, secured by a silver-and-onyx clip. It contrasted beautifully with Nina’s sapphire-blue dress—far more conservative in style than Milly’s, but very flattering nonetheless. Milly had always known that Nina could look quite pretty with a bit of effort, but she’d never realized just how pretty. Even Nina’s thick glasses seemed to suit her face perfectly. The only flaw was her perpetually timid expression. Well, perhaps tonight would boost her confidence a bit—she’d definitely be getting admiring looks.

And, of course, Shirley looked amazing. She was wearing a white silk blouse and a deep green skirt that swirled around her ankles as she fussed over Nina. Her long red hair was pulled into a thick braid, secured by large jade clips at top and bottom. Shirley’s nails were painted green to match her skirt—Nina’s matched her dress, Milly noticed—and neither girl seemed to have a lick of makeup on. Well, neither needs any, Milly admitted to herself with an unvoiced sigh. Unlike me. How can Shirley look so good without any effort? It’s not fair!

“Nina, you look incredible!” Milly gushed sincerely with a beaming smile. “You’re going to have to beat the boys off with a stick!” Nina dropped her gaze to the floor and blushed. “And you too, Shirley!” Milly continued just as sincerely. “Lulu’s jaw is gonna hit the floor!” Shirley giggled and beamed, complimenting Milly on her own appearance in turn.

Satisfied, the trio made their way out of Applewilde Hall. The other girls joined them in pairs and trios as they made their leisurely way to the campus’ South Gate. Milly smiled to herself, remembering the last time she’d come this way in the early evening. She’d told everybody to “dress up but not formal.” The results ranged from Society looks like her own to club-wear—albeit very nice club-wear. Most looked about the same as Shirley and Nina. The party of young women grew until they numbered twenty-six, more than twice what Milly had originally anticipated. Although she’d kept Lelouch apprised throughout the week, he’d refused to comment on his own progress. Milly felt butterflies in her stomach as the gate came into sight—if Lulu hadn’t been able to round up enough boys, the evening would be a disaster.

A total of twenty-eight people were waiting just inside the gate, only five of them girls. Milly sighed in sincere relief. Lulu had gathered sixteen Ashford boys, plus himself—every one of them a decent guy, Milly saw as her eyes swept over them. And they were all cute! I love you Lulu, Milly thought, grinning at her companions’ delighted chattering. You really deliver when it counts!

What caught Milly’s special attention, though, were Suzaku and the eclectic group of ten accompanying him. They were clustered off to one side, and Lelouch was chatting amiably with Suzaku and the girl holding Suzaku’s hand. Suzaku looked quite sharp in a navy blue suit and red necktie. His lady friend was beautiful, a Britannian with big violet eyes and rich fuchsia hair running freely down her back. Milly had the sneaking feeling that she’d seen her somewhere before.

Conversely, she had absolutely no idea who the others were. Two boys, a Britannian and an Eleven, alternated between glaring at each other and scanning the area as if they expected something bad to happen. A gorgeous Eleven boy stood with a bouncy Britannian girl on his arm. A smiling, motherly woman with strikingly purple hair was standing protectively behind an owlish little wisp and a shy-looking albino. Leaning against the gate was a reedy young man with lavender hair, big glasses, and a sardonic smile. Lastly, a handsome thirty-something redhead guy was standing behind Suzaku with his arms folded, watching everyone with the air of an affectionate uncle. Milly was sure Suzaku had brought them, but couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her certainty. What an odd group, she thought. I wonder who they are.

Lelouch greeted Milly warmly and Shirley even more so, evoking a deep blush. He looked good, wearing a red mock-turtleneck and black slacks. Lucky Shirley! Milly thought to herself. Suzaku and his companion, Euphie, made their hellos as well. She seemed very sweet, and they made a great couple. How long had they been dating? Suzaku introduced his other friends as Percy and Kenji, Hideo and Angie, Cécile, Kimiko, Sandra, Lloyd, and Sol, respectively.

Everyone already knew the Ashford boys, and Milly made the introductions for her flock of female friends. “So, are we still going via the Metro?” she asked Lelouch.

“It’s either that or charter a bus,” he replied wryly, drawing a few laughs.

“But!” Nina piped from Milly’s side, “But the Metro is dangerous at night!”

Euphie smiled and lay her hand reassuringly on Nina’s shoulder. “Trust me,” she said loudly enough for all to hear, “we have the best protection you could ask for.”

“Who are they? And who’s Suzaku’s girlfriend? I feel like I should recognize her,” Shirley whispered in Milly’s ear. The Student Council President could only shrug as the large group started making its way towards the Metro station on the next block.

“So where are we going, Milly?” Ashleigh called from the far side of the pack. “All you said was to have £20 with us!”

Milly beamed as she answered: “Club Void!”

*****

There’s definitely something about him, Shirley thought as she swayed with the motion of the Metro train. He’s so mysterious. He was in profile to her, one eye just visible behind his unruly black hair. Perhaps I should just go talk to him. No way, I barely know him! It’d be too awkward.

Shirley sighed softly and swept her gaze around the car. Everyone else already seemed to be having a great time. People were chatting in pairs and groups, but somehow she hadn’t been drawn into any of them. The boys had left the seats to the girls, although there weren’t enough for all. Shirley was content to stand and watch everyone, though. People were always so interesting.

Milly bounced from one group to another, dropping into her usual role of mistress of ceremonies. Lelouch shifted his back against the metal pole; trying to find a comfier position? The twins, as Shirley was beginning to think of—Kenji and Percy, right?—had taken positions on opposite sides of the car, between the mass of students and the rest of the passengers. Lelouch’s eyes flickered from the station markings outside to the route map above the door, then gazed back into the middle distance. Suzaku and his girlfriend were listening to Nina, who seemed unusually animated. As Shirley watched, Euphie beckoned the guy with the purple hair and the tweedy sport coat over to listen. Lelouch scratched his ear idly.

Lelouch. Shirley’s gaze kept coming back to Lelouch. What is it about this guy? Why does he affect me so much? I can’t stand this; I’m going to go find out!

*****

Across the car, the exiled prince had been following the movements of Shirley’s eyes. She looked slightly confused, a little nervous, but mainly curious. Pondering a riddle, he thought. Lelouch’s memory produced other images of those big green eyes: wide with wonder and ecstasy… bright with joy and love. He remembered hot water, sweet murmured nonsense, running his fingers through that luscious copper hair. Warmth and tenderness. The urge to go over and enfold her in his arms nearly overwhelmed Lelouch as he gazed at Shirley from the corner of his eye.

More memories of those beautiful eyes stopped him: cold with hatred and revulsion… pouring tears of sadness and loss… burning with the reflected light of his Geass. How can I ask her to dance, hold a conversation, with the knowledge of what I’ve done to her? he thought. I don’t even have the right to look her in the eye.

Lelouch Lamperouge slipped his hands into his pockets, set his face firmly in its blank mask, and struggled with his sudden, burning fury at himself.

*****

How many butterflies can dance in a girl’s stomach? Shirley thought to herself as she eased around Marcus to stand beside Lelouch. For a moment she thought he hadn’t seen her. Then his visible eye turned to look straight at her.

“Hey, Shirley.” Lelouch turned to lean his shoulder against the pole and smiled. His expression was neutral, but somehow… reassuring. Shirley could tell that he didn’t mind her presence. It warmed Shirley from head to toe and gave her confidence—maybe Milly was right after all.

“Hi, Lelouch. Thanks for helping Milly set all of this up! Everyone seems to be having a great time!”

Lelouch shrugged. “It was no big deal. It doesn’t take much to convince a guy to hang out with a group of pretty girls.”

Shirley raised an eyebrow. “True, but what about you? You don’t strike me as the clubbing type.”

“I’m not,” he replied with a wry look. “But you know how persuasive Milly can be. Besides which,” he added over Shirley’s laugh, “Nunnally tells me I need to be more sociable.”

“Nunnally?”

“My little sister, in the middle school group. She’s out at a concert with a friend tonight, actually; I can’t help worrying about her a little.”

“Oh, I know who she is. I just didn’t realize that you’re her brother!” This wasn’t right. How the heck could she not know Lelouch before this if he was her friend’s brother? Shirley frowned. “Lelouch, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” He looked a little wary.

Shirley paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “I *know* that I never saw you in my life before we bumped into each other at Narita a few weeks ago. But Milly, Nina, everyone seems convinced that I should know you, and they all treat you like an old friend! I’ve known them for years now! How can I have no memory of you? This doesn’t make sense!”

Lelouch frowned and dropped his gaze to the floor, stroking his chin. “I’ll explain as much as I can, Shirley. But not tonight. Let’s just enjoy the evening, okay?”

“You promise you’ll tell me all about it?”

“I promise,” he replied firmly.

So there was an explanation after all. Surprisingly, Shirley felt a lot better just knowing that, and found herself beaming at Lelouch. “Alright! So what kind of place is Club Void? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there. Waagh—!”

The train braked hard, throwing the unprepared Shirley forward. Lelouch’s arm shot out and caught her around the waist. A moment later he used the reaction to lift her back to her feet. He’s strong! Shirley thought as she recovered her equilibrium. She found herself disappointed when Lelouch withdrew his hold. “Thanks!”

Lelouch shrugged. “No problem. Anyway, you’ll see the club for yourself in a minute; we’re here.” He proffered his arm as their group began to pour out the doors.

Shirley blushed fiercely as she slipped her arm through his. I don’t care if he popped out of thin air, she thought as they walked out into the warm night air. I’m going to catch him, and I might just keep him!

*****

Milly felt very pleased with herself as she leaned against the railing and looked out over the swirling chaos of the club. The students had staked out a group of tables near to the dance floor, and Milly spotted a few couples and groups already dancing. She slipped through the press and took the stairs down to their little area.

Shirley was standing by herself, smiling happily. Milly tapped her on the shoulder. “Where’s Lulu?”

“Oh, hi Milly! He said he’d be right back; I think he went to the men’s room!” Shirley yelled over the noise.

On a sudden hunch, Milly glanced up to the DJ’s stage. Sure enough, Lulu was talking into the DJ’s ear. He pressed something into the man’s hand, then disappeared amidst the crowd. Milly withdrew a bit, trying not to giggle.

As she predicted, Lulu materialized at Shirley’s elbow just as the current song began winding down. He said something, giving Shirley a charming smile and offering his hand. Milly thought Shirley’s face might catch fire, but she seemed confident as she replied and took the offered hand. Milly’s eyes followed them as they made their way down to the crowded dance floor.

“Whatcha looking at?” Rivalz asked as he appeared at Milly’s elbow. Milly just smiled and pointed to Lelouch and Shirley. Rivalz laughed softly. “It’s past time, don’tcha think?”

“Definitely! Aren’t they just the most darling couple?” Milly replied with a giggle. Just then, the song that Lulu had apparently requested began:

Sweet dreams of rhythm n’ dancing…

Sweet dreams of passion through the night…

Sweet dreams are takin’ over…

Sweet dreams of dancing through the niiight!!

“Oh man, I love this song!” Rivalz enthused.

“Me too!” Milly replied without thinking. Well, it was the truth, after all.

“Well c’mon! Let’s dance!”

Milly automatically opened her mouth to decline, but then she remembered the deal she’d made with Lulu. If she backed out, he’d never let her forget it. Oh well, she thought, how bad could it be? Rivalz is my friend, after all. “Sure!” she chirped back, giving Rivalz a beaming smile. The flash of surprise on his face was cute, she thought, although he recovered quickly. Without waiting for a reply, Milly grabbed Rivalz’s wrist and tugged him after her.

*****

Meanwhile, Shirley was feeling rather foolish. Her only experience with dancing was a couple months of ballet she’d done as a little girl, and she had no idea what to do.

Lelouch seemed to sense her discomfiture as they neared the middle of the dance floor. He threaded his fingers through Shirley’s and easily tugged her into a twirl that ended with her tucked against his side. “Just feel the music and let go,” he whispered into her ear before spinning her back out to arm’s length.

Shirley closed her eyes and let the pulsing rhythm of the song flow through her mind. It was a great song for dancing, she thought, opening her eyes and letting Lelouch guide her into another twirl. His strength gave her confidence, and his admiring smile made her feel graceful. Without thinking, she used the momentum of her spin to pull Lelouch into a different move altogether.

With a shared grin, Shirley and Lelouch began to sync with each other more and more. A tiny part of Shirley’s mind was amazed at how she could see what Lelouch was going to do next, and then build off of it; she could read his motions like an open book. They alternated leading from moment to moment, each movement flowing from the last. The feeling of oneness was like nothing Shirley had ever experienced before. She was running on pure primal instinct, and the conscious part of her mind was very sure she looked stupid. But for once, Shirley didn’t care. This was too much fun!

The couple felt space opening up around them and used it—breaking apart and coming back together, guiding each other into ever more expansive movements. Shirley’s brief glimpses of Lulu’s face were little bursts of joy. The flash of his smile and the mischievous glint in his eyes sparked an answering smile of her own.

And suddenly, the song was over. Shirley was holding both of Lulu’s hands and grinning like an idiot. It dawned on her that she was quite out of breath and sweating. Then she realized that the entire club was applauding them. Shirley blushed to the roots of her hair and looked around at the cheering crowd. “Were we really that good?” she murmured dazedly.

“Apparently so,” Lulu replied. He seemed a bit fuzzy himself. “Where did you learn to dance, Shirley?”

She giggled. “I didn’t. I guess I just followed your lead.”

“Well, you are amazing. Another dance?”

“Sure!”

*****

{More Author’s Note: The next chapter will be interesting. Exactly what will Lelouch tell Shirley, and how? I’m in the process of figuring that out; getting deeply into Lelouch’s mind is always taxing, since he’s so much smarter than I am. ^_^ One thing I can tell you is that he does intend to fulfill the spirit of his promise to Shirley, if not necessarily the letter.

Readers: Mikey

See you next chapter! Same Angel time, same Angel channel!}
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Square One