a/n: Sorry about the fact this took what. Five months? I actually finished half of it a while ago but never got to finish the rest of it until. Well, now apparently. A lot has gone on in my life since then. School started. I got a job. Code Geass R2 ended. Hetalia stole my heart. ;___;

Thank you for all your reviews, favourites, etc. I hope you enjoy this overdue chapter!

I'll go on loving someone else ; PG13 - romance/drama/humour - Lelouch x Euphemia

"Chapter two - underhanded backlash"

Milly Ashford, also lovingly (very... lovingly) known as 'president' was heaving what one would call a -'parental sigh'. It was just her and Rivalz now. Kallen was gone, which meant Lelouch was gone, which meant Shirley was gone and that should have been the end of it but Nina was gone too! She taps an old dance announcement flier against her chin, feigning to be doing important upcoming paper work, but with so little workers it was hard to get anything done. And she is concerned.

She has every right to be.

"Where is everyone?!" Rivalz asks, hands skeptic at the sides of his head as he scanned the empty seats.

Milly slaps the flier down on the table, determination streaking through her eyes, Rivalz looking over edging-like as if expecting some sparkling explosion (it wouldn't be the first time) "Right."

She pinned him down with a fierce look, "I hereby put all our duties as student council on hold," (They could get chased down by that wonderful horse racing club later) "Until all our members appear once again!" a striking fist in the air he wasn't sure if he should mimic her so he just kept his mouth closed.

She smiled this time, both hands on the desk as she leaned to where he was sitting, "Firsts first, we're going to see how Nina is doing."

There was some flailing movement, "Me too?" Rivalz asks, and Milly nods. Some girl to girl talk wasn't really useful if they didn't get all the perspectives down; even if she was doing it wrong- the shoe still sorta fits, right?

"Of course!" she chirps out as if they're going on a picnic, Rivalz catches on to the sentiment and asks if they should pack some sandwiches.

--

Things.

Were certainly not going his way any longer. That is what Zero thought as he and Euphemia left their individual "knights" (Suzaku looking at him sternly before worriedly soft at Euphemia, "Is this alright?" and Kallen even more sternly than Suzaku but never soft, just a telltale tremble of the brow wanting to ask the same to Zero and he telling her "Do not worry.") So here he was, the collapse of Black Knights semi-prominent with the Special Administration Zone of Japan established, but titter-tottering with the prospect of Zero marrying the very Princess who had organized it to begin with, did that mean she recognized the Black Knights as a legit group, the very champions of justice they said they were? She had after all given this bit of "Japan" back to them- people, everyone was saying, wondering.

Euphemia and he were going up this elevator alone, the air of their last encounter alone ringing on his senses. His fists clench steadily beneath the cloak. All the essence of startled when the elevator shuddered to a halt, the lights blinking off. "What?"

It's a little ironic the first thing that comes to his mind is 'terrorists?' Surely the Black Knights weren't trying to pull something to "free" their leader from the dreadful ceremony that was to come. The necessary "engagement party" the Britannian facture had been so intent on the couple receiving.

Before he can inquire to Euphemia what might happened, she looks over to him, her arm falling from where her hand had hovered over the controls. The thought that she had stopped the elevator...

"Lelouch."

And her gaze is wavering and strongly held on him.

Her hands outreach and touch at his mask, one second, two, waiting for him to protest, the light shut off, the power off within their little elevator going up. Any camera that could have been no longer watches, no one could see him here. And she pulls off his mask, holds it before her as if it is a delicate, fragile cargo. Her pale fingertips smearing upon the glass, slick sides. Lelouch tugs the black fabric over his face, down.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks, almost kindly, but still with an almost weariness as if he has been waiting.

"I-I..." Euphemia starts, brow creased and mouth frowning, her palms feel slick, "I still don't understand, why I- why we are-"

"Going to be married?"

She nods, as if her head was been placed upon a sore neck.

Why indeed, so softly, as if nothing at all is the matter he smiles slightly at her, a gloved hand reaching over to cup at her face, making her vaguely reminiscent of her older sister, Cornelia, whom she is worried about now, that something catches at the edges of her eyes.

"I, the truth is-" she doesn't want to tell him, tell him she doesn't mind, she wants to marry him. Her older half brother whom she used to play tag with, pick flowers with, watch the stars with (and everyone else, Nunnally, Lady Marianne-) wants to and has always wanted to since she was a young girl- still now she... but should they be getting married just because she wishes it, and should it just be a means to an end, she knows Lelouch would do it.

He is articulate, calculative, and thoughtful in all that he does. But for once she does not want him to put anything upon scales, though she knows it is not in his nature not to do so.

She simply wants him to want her like she wants him. Just-

"Euphemia. Euphy."

His hands cup her face wholly now.

Leaning forward and-

-he gets on one knee.

Taking her hand in his, gloved, dark gloves under her slim pale hand, "Do you think I ever do what I don't want to do? Am I such a man?"

She shakes her head through her bared teeth, holding back what could only be a half sob a half bit of reminiscent laughter that he is far more familiar with.

"No, Lelouch."

(No, Zero.)

His smile relaxes, and feels genuine, though inside he is jumbled. This is an equation he cannot solve his way through step by step. As he is unsure which steps are to be- should be taken. And hesitant he wishes not to make up one probable solution after another. That is the real problem with him and Euphemia. Like when he takes her hand, or his gaze catches hers, a snippet of her words caught in his ears. Numbers and letters are shaken.

(He once bought Nunnally a puzzle for some unreasonable holiday that he always used as an excuse to buy her gifts; he thought that being able to touch the pieces she would be able to figure out the puzzle itself. On this same concept he had purchased a blank puzzle since it was shape not scene that mattered he thought, however when Nunnally had finished the puzzle she had asked him "What does it looked like, brother?"

He had made a mistake then.

And spent all evening describing an intricate picture that did not even exist. An ideal scene that he knew she would love.

Embarrassingly a few days later Sayoko somehow let it slip that she had informed Nunnally the puzzle blank even before she had finished it, to which he had to later confess and apologise for the real visage of the puzzle to her. Nunnally had only replied-

"What are you talking about? Is the puzzle not beautiful like you said?")

Even though that had happened, Lelouch still could not stop the words tumbling from his mouth. Perhaps it was a habit he had picked up from being Zero. Or perhaps this was him not wanting to let her down. Or maybe, he too had always-

"Then know that I would only marry you because I wish to."

He kisses at her hand, from the knuckles, to the wrist before taking the wrist in hand and rising, gathers her into an embrace. "Are you all right now?"

In answer she kisses him.

(He's not sure if it's himself he's lying to or her. But-)

--

Suzaku is watching Kallen from the corner of his eye. They watch as the elevator with their masters, rises up. And then with shocked start from Kallen, he sees that it has stopped. He can tell Kallen wants to rush right away to help Zero, but he holds an arm against her. Many of the public have now flocked to stare at the building that was to hold a most important, controversial party that would decide the fate of Area 11 and it did none to alarm them. Plus, only the elevator had stopped, had it been a group of terrorists (which was laughable, now that the Black Knights were on 'their side' which terrorist group could possibly get by the Britannian Empire and their better peers?) the power in the entire building would been turned off. Suzaku could only surmise that the elevator had stopped because one of its passengers had- (he must push it away, the thought that Zero is going to try something, that Zero might do something in the dark, that he might- but no, if he did, even for all his tricks, the Britannians above him that he would meet when the elevator reached to top would not be welcoming should he show up 'by himself') which meant Princess Euphemia had to be the one to stop the elevator, and since she trusted Zero so... surely Suzaku could too.

Kallen gives him an almost sour look, surely coming to similar conclusions.

But both now remain tense and on alert.

--

She's hurriedly putting her clothes back in place, clean, fashionable order that is befitting of her still Princess status (as it dangles, held up in the air-) just as the elevator door clicks open. Zero's mask in place and Lelouch calm as ever as if they hadn't been necking the last few seconds before- after he had pressed her against the wall, accidentally made her turn back on the power. A sleight hand, groping at the surface behind her as if to release the tension, the heat, with her tongue in his mouth and his hand in her hair-

And in a rush they had to act fast, Lelouch had ducked his head, swiftly and appropriately fixing in place the crucial necessities in helping hide his identity. However while he may hide behind a long dark cloak, Euphemia had no such luxury, and hands clasped before her hoping to look natural in her rushed flush faced the greeting crowd with what only could be called 'true noble dignity'. This was all done well, against the bright lights that aligned the room, the business and political associates all still from milling around with wait, patches of the over protective military among them, tables to sit at and eat (though they all knew most people preferred to just sit and sip wine while trying not to be overheard spreading gossip), the city view below from the window breathtaking (disgusting! Kallen's voice rings in his head, the structure of Britannia's enslavement of the Japanese, the blemish of their indignity-) this was all there was until a distinct figure sat up sharp and to kill, as if this is a game of quick draw and by just approaching she has already won.

Cornelia.

"Zero!" are her first angry words, as if that could have been her first cry as she left the womb. You would have thought Zero her born enemy, as if always always he were to be this. And perhaps he always had, since the day he had met soft Euphemia, her catching friendly presence trying to draw him away from behind his mother's skirts as he tried to think up an excuse to leave aside from the real one ("I want to see Nunnally, mother-" "Not now Lelouch.") and get away from that over flowing smile, what was there so darn much to smile about? And Cornelia then with her arms crossed, not sure she had quite liked her little sister, just up to her hip now, too interested in Marianne's son. Though she did admire the Lady Marianne, her son was a different story. For then it had involved Euphy.

But Cornelia knows none of this, knows not the complications that lay beneath the mask, and if she had-

She probably would not have acted any differently.

And only it would be 'Lelouch!' she may cry out instead of-

"Zero!"

Violet locks, curling and splayed over one shoulder, she is decked out in her usual militant wear, if only she had been born a Knight than a princess her fisting hands would bear different nobility than just royal and arrogance. A fierce protectiveness to her lady, but it is to her sister. And she is a princess.

From her hand she peels her white glove and throws if before his feet, just as they walk from the elevator, the steel silver doors closing behind them without so much as a click.

"Coward!" as if Zero's name had not been insult enough for Cornelia to say, distaste marking her every feature- "Fight me!"

Breath hung still, like it had been born there to begin with- "I will not stand for this offense against my sister, her honour is-"

"Something she would rather fight for herself."

Is Euphemia's reply as she bends down, locks of hair sweeping before her, before Zero can make any other move aside from the stuttered hand which is tucked back away as quickly as it had emerged. Zero having the full intent to accept the duel. However Euphemia could not allow that. Cornelia was only doing this in her best interest, because on the only level she could believe- she could not accept that her sister would want to marry Zero on any basis of her own desire. The murderer of their brother Clovis. A threat to their nation. A terrorist.

Her little sister is self sacrificing in that she wishes to prove herself to the world that she could do something, anything for those she loves. Her family. Her people. Cornelia understands that a shadow has been cast upon Euphemia though Cornelia has fought all her life to only allow rays of gentle sunshine to light her world. It is through this that the shadow has been cast, her own doing.

Euphemia rises, and Zero thinks she has never been more graceful, never been more just Euphy in that moment, her own hand fisting within it her older sister's white glove.

"I accept."

Cornelia feels like her heart might as well stop being as she thinks that Euphemia might be saying those similar words one day ahead, only to the man besides her and before an altar.

---

In the next chapter, Cornelia tries to find a way to convince Euphemia not to duel with her as they sort out their strong feelings. Milly and Rivalz see to what's become of Nina. Lelouch wonders if he should tell Nunnally that he is engaged to Euphemia and thus reveal that he is Zero. Cecile bakes Suzaku a-what one can only wonder is actually a pie (Llyod spares his opinion of "not" for the sake of his life and pursuit of happiness). C.C. tells the Black Knights to keep chillin' and tells Kallen to order her more pizza. Kallen surmises shooting must be done if C.C. says "with extra sausage" to her one more time.