tampered | log; complete

log; complete

When; Christmas afternoon
Rating; PG
Characters; Euphemia li Britannia and Lelouch vi Britannia
Summary; Euphemia and Lelouch enjoy a hopefully sweet ~~and probably awkward~~ Christmas together after reuniting only six days ago.
Log;

Things were going well initially. She had managed to find and wrap a gift for Lelouch without him noticing. At least she didn't think he noticed. She even smuggled in some decorations for their shared apartment which she put up after making an excuse to get him to leave for awhile. Her allowance was running a little thin already, but there was enough left over for food. Of course, to properly surprise Lelouch, she was going to have to actually do the cooking herself. It looked easy enough when other people did it, but it wasn't turning out that way.

"Oh..."

She didn't notice him return as she stood there looking sadly at the dishes she'd tried to cook. The oven hadn't been on.

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"I wasn't even referring to that..."

He muttered this while he brought over the fixed dish while fetching another. Lelouch paused in thought. Cornelia... Nunnally... Suzaku... It would be difficult with them near. There was a space in time in which none of them would be too pleased to see Lelouch. For Eupehmia's sake, he nodded in response... He still wasn't able to stop the slightest bit of dread that seeped into his heart at the thought of any one of them being brought here.

When he only nodded in reply she decided to change the subject. Of course he wouldn't want to think about being separated from Nunnally. Cornelia didn't even know he was alive and if she knew about him being Zero...

"There is something for you to unwrap after dinner."

"Unwrap?"

Again, there was confusion. Euphemia wouldn't have...

"Gifts are more fun when you unwrap them."

Lelouch stared at her for a while. A touch of sadness crossed his eyes.

"You didn't have to."

"You don't get gifts because..." Her words trailed off and her smile broke while watching him react.

"Lelouch..."

"I realize this, but now I certainly feel bad since I have nothing I can offer in return."

She watched him a moment longer. She felt like there was more to it than just that.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Maybe we can share this gift."

He wasn't about to let on that there was any more to it than that.

"Is it one we can share?"

"Yes. It almost has to be shared in a way. You can open it now if you want. The food needs some time to heat properly, right?"

"Well yes..."

It was true. Now that everything had been fixed to Lelouch's liking all they were able to do was wait. He took a towel to his hands as he approached his sister.

Euphie knelt down to take the colorfully wrapped box out of hiding from beneath the sofa and then sat it and herself down, waiting for her brother.

"Go ahead." She was eager to see if he liked it.

With another sigh, Lelouch sat by his sister. He gave her a look, trying to gauge her reactions. Excited, hmm? The older of the two siblings took the box and placed it in his own lap. Another glance in her direction was warranted before he started to unwrap the gift.

"You always do that so slowly and carefully. It's more fun if you just attack it you know."

Lelouch gave a little huff, but there was a bit of embarrassment on his features. "It will be easier to clean up."

She just had to giggle at that. "Of course, Lelouch." Either way the paper was almost off now. The box inside didn't immediately give away its contents, so she waited for him to open it.

If he was the type to roll his eyes, he really would have. For now he took a glance at the box. The next step was opening it to view the contents. His gaze softens as he notes the wooden chess set inside it. Years... It had been years since they were both children growing up together. Yet there were something things about him that did not change. Some things about her never changed.

This gift... Just the look that he gave her after opening it told all. The appreciation. However there was still a bit of guilt and helplessness.

That look...

He looked touched, but also sad. There was so much sadness in her brother since he arrived. He wasn't always like that, but so much had happened. Clovis. The battles against Cornelia. The...

The positioning was a little awkward, but she paid it no mind as she leaned forward to pull him into a hug. She's silent for a few moments just holding him to her.

"You still play I hope. I'm afraid I haven't gotten much better, but I'll try to be a good opponent."

A hug. This time he saw it coming and welcomed it fully. Lelouch simply held onto her. For just those few moments, he would give in to both his wish and hers.

"Thank you."

Though he still plays to this day.

Still holding on to him, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I missed you. Even when I thought you were gone forever I didn't stop missing you."

Lelouch didn't let go. There were a lot of emotions just building up inside of him at the moment. Really there were just too many to distinguish them all. What he was glad for was this moment. The former prince knew that he didn't deserve it and that he was, in a sense, still deceiving her.

"I missed you too, Euphie."

Softly, so softly, she spoke, almost hoping he wouldn't hear her. "I know... I know something happened that day."

The moment the words leave her mouth had Lelouch tense.

"What day?"

She coul feel the tension in his body, but she didn't pull away. It was easier to talk about it like this somehow. "The day of the SAZ. It's hard to remember anything...and I'm not always sure I want to, but sometimes I get reminded a little."

His grip tightened a little. It wasn't enough to hurt, but his mind was already racing. How much should he tell her? How much did she really know?

"I'd rather forget that day entirely."

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