Lelouch

Only a floor lamp was lit in the study. The lights of Tokyo flickered outside, but time flowed differently here. Lelouch sat on the couch, rereading a history book. You approached, feeling the heaviness in your eyelids.

“I’m tired,” you whispered, sitting down next to him.

He didn't look up from the pages, but his hand found its way to your shoulder. You buried your face in his neck, inhaling the scent of a fresh shirt and something familiar. Lelouch tried to read on, frowning, but your breathing became more even. Then he threw the book onto his lap, wrapped his arms around you, and held you close.

Silence. You heard his heartbeat—calm, unlike the frantic pace of his life. In that moment, he wasn't the emperor, not Zero. Just your Lelouch. You thought how much he missed moments like these, moments when he could breathe. You smiled sleepily: "How happy I am."

Your head was heavy. A vision of pizza flashed through your foggy mind (and your mouth started watering, just like in that picture!), but suddenly you felt a touch on the top of your head. Lelouch closed the book. He looked at your relaxed face, brushed a strand of hair, leaned toward your ear, and whispered almost inaudibly:

"I see thousands of plans every day. I calculate every move. But the most brilliant strategy was mine. Because I chose you in it. Sleep soundly, my most important victory. I will make sure that tomorrow is simply a happy day. No war. I promise."

You didn't even wake up, just pressed yourself closer, feeling his hand caress your back. Somewhere out there, in Zero's world, great things awaited him. But here, in this office, he was simply yours. Forever.