The evening breeze was crisp as Lelouch walked through the front gates of Ashford Academy.
The sky above was painted with the white specks of stars against the background of the night.
It was beautiful. It was beautiful just like the time he spent with Villetta. Beautifully cruel. She would forever remember being dominated and being full of pleasure, but she wouldn't remember who did it with her. The thought of the mystery alone caused Lelouch to chuckle. He wondered how frustrated she was that she couldn't remember the man who had complete control over her.
He smiled faintly to himself. He got his revenge. Lelouch was satisfied, for now.
Serves her right, he thought. For all the times she meddled where she shouldn't have.
He tucked his hands casually into his jacket pockets and crossed the courtyard, making his way back toward the Ashford residence. Warmth spilled from the windows as he approached the entrance, and he heard familiar laughter floating into the night air. The sound of peace.
The corners of his mouth softened.
This was home.
When he entered, the comforting scent of tea and fresh wood polish greeted him. The soft murmur of conversation drew him toward the living room. He made sure he looked fine as he paused at the doorway.
Nunnally and Milly sat curled up on the couch, a small chessboard balanced carefully between them. Milly was animatedly explaining something, gesturing with wide, sweeping hands, while Nunnally laughed, her smile radiant and full of light.
The sight froze Lelouch for a moment.
The moment was so full of happiness he didn't know what to do for a moment. They both turned to look at him as they noticed him in the doorway. Lelouch smiled at them.
"Brother!" Nunnally called brightly, waving and laughing happily.
Milly grinned and waved as well, winking dramatically. "Welcome back, Mister Mysterious!"
Lelouch chuckled lightly and gave a small wave in return. "I'll be right back," he said, his voice warm. He wandered into the kitchen, grabbed a glass, filled it with cold water, and sipped slowly. The refreshing liquid brought energy back into his body. He needed it. Fucking Villetta was a lot of hard work. The kind of work he wouldn't mind doing again.
When he returned to the living room, he settled beside Milly on the couch, lounging casually while they continued their game.
"You two seem to be conspiring," Lelouch said amusingly as he noticed the positions on the chessboard. He was, after all, a chess genius, which meant he could see every flaw on the board. He didn't say anything about it though.
Milly gasped theatrically. "Conspiring? Us? Never! We're simply nurturing Nunnally's inevitable rise as future chess queen."
"I'll believe that when I see it," Lelouch said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well," Milly said with a sly grin, her legs casually brushing his as she shifted, "if she's half as good at chess as you are at hiding secrets, she'll be unstoppable."
Lelouch smirked but said nothing.
He sipped his water and watched them play.
As Milly leaned in to move a piece, Lelouch caught the faintest whiff of her perfume, light and floral, clinging to her skin. The way her blonde hair brushed over her shoulder, the easy laugh she gave when Nunnally teased her for a bad move. It all hinted at something deeper behind Milly's usually chaotic exterior.
She's more observant than she lets on.
Still, tonight, Milly didn't pry. She didn't push. She simply smiled and filled the room with her usual infectious energy. Lelouch appreciated it more than he would ever admit aloud.
It wasn't long before Nunnally yawned softly, covering her mouth with delicate fingers. She was younger than both Milly and her brother Lelouch. Her body needed more sleep. Not to mention the fact Nunnally was very active ever since she got her vision and movement back.
Milly noticed immediately and clapped her hands together. "And that's our signal, folks! Time to call it a night for our princess."
Nunnally laughed sleepily and stood up, careful with her balance. "Goodnight, Milly! Goodnight, brother!"
"Goodnight, Nunnally," they both said in near unison. Milly laughed lightly at that fact.
Nunnally beamed at them and disappeared down the hallway toward her bedroom, her soft peaceful humming trailing behind her. Now, only Milly and Lelouch remained in the room.
The chessboard sat abandoned between them, no longer in use, forgotten.
Milly stood up first, brushing invisible lint from her skirt. "I should get going too," she said lightly. "Early morning meetings with the Ashford Foundation. You know, old people in suits trying to look important."
Lelouch stood too, casually, sipping the last of his water.
As she gathered her things, Lelouch reached out, almost without thinking, and lightly caught her hand. Milly turned, surprised. He held her hand gently, thumb brushing over the back of her knuckles. A rare tenderness Lelouch didn't expect to even do.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "For always being here. For Nunnally. Even now, even after everything."
Milly blinked, slightly shocked. For a moment, just a breath, she didn't say anything.
Then she smiled in a way that caught Lelouch off guard. He didn't mean to be so sentimental.
Lelouch caught her cheeks turning slightly pink as she turned her head away.
"You always were good at catching people off guard," she teased lightly, her voice a little too high to be casual. Lelouch let go of her hand as he held it for a moment too long. Milly adjusted her bag over her shoulder and turned back toward him, whispering a sweet, almost shy, "Goodnight, Lelouch," before slipping out the front door into the night.
He stood there for a long moment, staring after her.
Strange, he thought. I never realized how charming she could be…
He set his glass down, turned off the lights, and made his way upstairs to his bedroom.
The house was silent except for the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.
Lelouch quickly fell asleep and closed his eyes as the day came to an end.