The Warlock's Queen

Chapter 20: The Comfort She Gives

"Lulu, are you okay?" asks Shirley. "You've been absent for long."

"I'm fine," replies Lelouch. Shirley could sense that something is wrong.

"You're not okay at all," she says as she leans forward on him. "You may deceive others with your fake smile but you can't deceive me, Lulu. So what's wrong? I will listen and I will lend you a hand in solving it."

"It's really nothing," says Lelouch. With his answer, Shirley understands that he doesn't want to discuss it. She takes a deep breath and sweetly smiles at him.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me," she says. "This is the only thing I could offer for now."

Shirley hugs him and caresses the back of his head. Lelouch is shocked for a while before he relaxes.

"Lulu, even if you can't tell me what's bothering you, at least let me lift some of your burden," says Shirley. "Would you like to go out and have some fun after classes? Ah, no. Let's go out."

After classes, Shirley drags Lelouch to the student council room.

"Who wants to go out with me and Lelouch?" she asks upon entering.

"Sorry, Shirley, but we're busy here. You two can go," replies the president.

"Can we help out somehow?" Shirley says.

"No, no, no. We can handle these ourselves," says Milly as she pushes the two away from the student council room.

"I guess it's just the two of us," Shirley commented. "Where do you want to go, Lulu?"

"Anywhere is fine," replies the prince.

"That is making it hard to decide," Shirley complained. "Okay, just follow me."

As they exit from the school campus, Shirley looks around to pick where they should go, then she spotted Suzaku.

"Suzaku!!" she calls out while waving her hand. Suzaku goes near them.

"Where are you headed to?" he asks.

"Just around, maybe. Would you like to come with us?" the girl offers.

"Sorry but I can't. I have work to do," replies the brunet-haired guy. "I will be going ahead. Enjoy your date."

Shirley blushes as she hears the word date.

"A-anyway, would you like to go and eat first?" she asks.

"Yeah, fine with me," replies Lelouch. Due to sudden embarassment, Shirley just walks across the road without paying attention to her surroundings. Lelouch hears a loud beeping of a car and his soul fully awakens when he saw Shirley. He immediately grabs the girl away from being bumped.

"Hey, watch it!!" the driver yells.

"I'm so sorry. I am really sorry," Shirley apologizes. "I deeply apologize."

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Lelouch snapped. "What if you were hit by a car?"

"I am sorry. I just spaced out without knowing," Shirley apologizes again.

"Never mind, let's just go," Lelouch says.

They both went in a coffee shop and had some snack.

"You should be more careful and more aware of what's around you. You know you're clumsy sometimes," Lelouch lectured while Shirley is simply eating her snacks.

"Yes, sir," she responded. "I'm so sorry, Lulu. It seems I'm giving you more trouble than making you feel better."

"Don't apologize anymore," Lelouch replies. "Because of your carelessness, I am able to forget my problems for a while."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Shirley pouted.

"It's a compliment," he simply replies.

After having some snacks, Shirley brought Lelouch to a place where they could overlook the whole city.

"Lulu, what do you want to do?" she asks seriously. Lelouch didn't reply, thus, there's a long silence between them. While watching the sun sets on the west, Shirley looks at Lelouch who seems to be troubled a lot.

"Lulu," the girl says. When she is about to speak once more, Lelouch grabs her hand and pulls her into a hug. "Lulu?" she mutters due to surprise.

"Can we stay like this for a while?" the raven-haired guy requested.

"Y-yes," Shirley stutters. "Calm down, Shirley. He will hear your heart beating so fast. He will notice that you like him. Calm down, calm down."

After a while, Lelouch lets go and gives her a smile.

"Thanks for comforting me," he says.

"Eh?" Shirley gasps. "But I didn't do anything at all? Are you really okay?"

"Yes, I am fine," says Lelouch. "Thanks to you."

Shirley felt relieved upon seeing Lelouch smile without forcing himself to do so.

"Whenever you're having trouble, you can lean on me, okay?" she says.

"I will," the guy replies. Lelouch walked Shirley home after watching the sunset.

"Lulu, thanks for bringing me home," she says. Lelouch simply smiles in response and before Shirley enters, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and she dashed off after. Lelouch just smiled at how Shirley acts in front of him.

"I can't believe I did that," Shirley whispers to herself upon entering her room. "Did he get mad? I wish he didn't. But I finally did it."

With great bliss, Shirley flops on her bed and rolls herself on it.

"I kissed him, I kissed him, I kissed him, I kissed him," she tells to herself over and over again with a blushing face. She looks at her side table where the picture of her and Lelouch lies. She smiles happily and hugs her pillow tightly and she starts rolling on her bed once again.