Chapter 3

'You see, my wife is pregnant. We need to have a place to stay the night,' Lelouch poignantly told the receptionist of the small inn.

The exodus of the Zilkhstan refugees lasted for about three days which implies that they slept on makeshift beds at the heart of the desert for straight three days too. C.C. didn't want to complain because surely she's been through worse but the feel of the sand was slowly creeping in her skin. She badly wanted to take a bath.

'Can you give us the spare room? Whatever it is that's left. I understand you need to cater people, with the amount of refugees coming to the town but...' he 'sincerely' looked at his pretend wife and something inside C.C's stomach flipped.

Was that the last of the french bread she ate for lunch awhile ago? She didn't know. She wanted to eat pizza.

'... my wife needs a room to stay,'

Sometimes, she can't believe how good of a liar Lelouch is. He gets away with everything with just mere words.

The receptionist sighed and grabbed a handful of papers on her desk.

'Alright. But we only have two spare rooms. The inn is packed with people right now,' she scrutingly eyed the duo's outfits.

'There's the VIP room... and uhh... the regular one. So which would you choose?'

The city of Debora is strategically located for businesses like this. Since it's the first town you'll see after coming out of the desert, obviously, travellers would want to rest here. But since they don't always have customers, they hike their prices to take advantage of the situation. So, those with money are the top priorities. Well, it always has been anywhere you go. Perhaps, they didn't look like they have money. Otherwise, Lelouch wouldn't need to bargain like that.

'We'll take the regular one. Thanks,' Lelouch smiled a handsome smile that made the young receptionist blush. The receptionist then looked at C.C. and to her obviously flat stomach... was that a smug look she gave? The green-haired witch didn't know.

Lelouch took the keys from her hand.

'Why didn't you use your Geass?' she asked.

'I didn't deem it necessary. Let's save it for other more important use,'

'You should have chosen the bigger room,' she said while hugging her Cheese-kun plushie.

'We don't want to attract that much attention, do we?' he said.

Lelouch opened the door to their room. It was fairly small with only one bed for two people at the center. There was a table on the side and a small door that separates the whole room from a tiny bath room. Somehow, it reminds C.C. of Lelouch's room in Ashford Academy. It feels like a long time ago.

The raven head gently placed their bags on the floor.

'By the way, the Geass fragments- hey, C.C... w-what the hell are you doing!?'

The immortal witch was stripping right then and there, much to his surprise. He felt hot red blood rushed to his face... errr and somewhere else. He ran to the door that they forgot to close when they entered and frantically locked it.

It was a good thing that she was still wearing her lower undies, though the geass sigil's scar on her milky white chest didn't escape his view.

Milky white? What the hell, Lelouch thought.

Lelouch turned his back from her. After everything, he's still a gentleman... and a virgin, at that.

'I'm going to take a bath,'

'Do it fast!'

'Ehhh? Are you planning anything?'

'The hell I am...'

And off the witch went with a simper on her face.

Lelouch heard the sound of running water inside the bathroom and somehow the room started to feel hot. He tried to arrange the stuff they had in their huge travel bags for the lack of something to do… and just to honestly take his mind away from the showering maiden a few strides away.

They had very few goods now and if they have to travel more the days to come, he and C.C. have to go grocery shopping soon. Debora is a small city but surely there has to be some kind of market here. Well, they can have the food in the hotel tonight.

Let's leave the grocery shopping for tomorrow. I'm deadbeat tired, he thought.

'Lelouch…' the witch called out.

What does she want this time?

Lelouch walked to the small bathroom.

Really, this place sucks and it's a bit expensive for the kind of service they have.

'What do you need?' he said from behind the wooden door.

'My back feels itchy.' said the voice from behind.

'Rub it for me,'

Gulp.

What the hell?

Blood rushed to Lelouch's face and for quite some time he couldn't move.

'Lelouch? Are you there?'

'Y-yeah…'

He didn't know how crimson his face must have been. He held the door knob and pushed it open. The moist of the warm water was the first one to greet him. The room was small and there was a tiny bath tub on the left side. C.C. was comfortably positioned in the tub, bubbles of soap safely hiding what's supposed to be hidden. Her evergreen hair is tied in a tight bun. She turned to him and looked at him with deadpan eyes.

'Rub my back. It's all itchy because of the sand,' she demanded.

Get your thoughts straight, Lelouch. It's just a damn rub on the back.

'Fine. Let's do it fast. Give me the soap,'

C. handed him the soap and a piece of cloth. Bubbles are still hiding most of her body. She scooted forward which revealed her milky white skin.

Lelouch focused on the matter in front of him that is her back and only her back because he shouldn't be looking at somewhere else besides the things at hand.

CC. sighed pleasurably with every stroke of the rough towel he did, and true enough, it's a bit covered with grimes from the desert's sand. It must've been itchy. The backrubbing session lasted for a few minutes until Lelouch totally rubbed off the sand remains from her skin.

It's all white. How would it feel if he'd touch it with only his palms?

'That feels better,' she said.

Hot blood rushed to his cheeks, it's probably because of the moist.

'That's enough,' he said and handed her the wet towel.

'My job here's done. Shower fast,' he said, stood up from his scooting position, and turned his back in an attempt to go out. But then…

'Lelouch… strip,'

'W-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?'

C.C. started to drain the tub with water, and before the lack of it reveals places that he obviously shouldn't see, he turned his back like the gentleman that he is.

'I'm done here. Let's get yours done. I know all that sand's itchy too,' she said.

Indeed it was itchy.

'Or do I need to strip your clothes myself like what I always do when…'

'Shut up!'

He said and started to unbutton his sleeve.

'Don't worry. I've already seen everything,' she said and he could only imagine the Cheshire smile on her lips.

His face was crimson red already.

He grabbed the towel near him and wrapped his lower part with it. He turned his body to face her but his face was looking on the side.

'Don't worry, I won't allow a perv like you to see me naked. I'm all wrapped. See?' C.C. said.

Lelouch looked at her and indeed she draped her body with a towel.

Lelouch sat on the stool in front of the faucet beside the tub. The room is really small and one wrong move the two of them will be an awkward tangle of limbs.

CC started to wet his back with water. It wasn't cold but it wasn't that warm either and an errie sense of relaxation rocked him almost senseless.

He didn't know he was this tired.

Lelouch worked on rubbing his arms, stomach, and thighs with soap.

A sigh escaped his mouth.

Damn. That sounded erotic.

Meanwhile, CC rubbed his back almost expertly and that made all his muscles relax from the strains of his past activities.

'Give me the shampoo,' she commanded.

He didn't know why but he grabbed the bottle out of impulse and handed it to her. It was like instinct.

Normally, he would just tell that he could do it himself.

CC squished some shampoo on her palms and rubbed it on his wet locks. Massaging his scalp with her palms and fingers.

That felt so good.

Lelouch wanted to fall asleep right then and there.

But a sudden thought came to him.

'Were we like this before?' he asked.

'You mean, when you were still empty? We were,'

Her hands lied on his nape and rubbed the soared muscle there up and down.

C.C. rinsed his head with water and somehow an awkward silence enveloped the two of them.

'I'm sorry,'

She stopped.

'For leaving you just like that. I didn't… know a better way to…set things right.

I didn't know how else I should pay for my sins,'

Lelouch felt her stand up. Was she leaving? He was never good at sincerely expressing his feelings. He shouldn't have said those awkward stuff.

But the next thing he knew, the witch was already in front of him. She kneeled and ran her fingers on the scar just above his chest, tracing the long scar that Suzaku inflicted. Then, she hugged him tight.

Lelouch didn't know if it was water or tears that was wetting his right shoulder where she buried her head. Somehow there was a distinct familiarity in her embrace. Like he knows but he doesn't know at the same time.

His head is becoming fuzzy.

He'd never felt this comfortable for a long, long while.

'Welcome home, Lelouch,' she said.

"I'm home, C.C.'

***end of Chapter 3***

A/N: So, that ends the third chapter! I apologize for the delayed update. I was so busy these past few weeks. How are you holding up with the recent lockdown in your countries/cities? I hope all is well with you. Feelings of sadness and distress are normal on these trying times, but for sure, this too will pass. Stay safe and don't go out unless it's super duper important like you need to go grocery shopping or (god forbid) run to the hospital. Relax a bit and go back to the hobbies you enjoy. As for me, I'm trying to cope by making myself busy with stuff and doing my favorite hobbies on my spare time. Pleaseeee do leave a review. I'll greatly appreciate it. See you next chapter! Yes, they'll still be in the city of Debora (and expect some pizza).