"Some call it arrogance; I call it confidence." - Beyonce feat. Kanye West, Ego
****
There were times when he was so infuriatingly smug that she just wanted to scream and storm out of headquarters with her head held high. And then there were other times that it was almost attractive. Almost! Kallen Kouzuki was not one to gush over the gusto of a man hidden behind a mask. A man who she knew all too well (apparently not as well she once thought. The lethargic Lelouch was actually the mastermind Zero. What a turn of events….although she had always had her suspicions).
But this…this was just too much. Every time he was around women he seemed rather uncomfortable. This was different. They were alone, patrolling the halls before he was to retire for the evening, when he spoke to her.
“Have you updated your Knightmare frame lately, Q-1?” He asked her in his formal tone.
She wanted to laugh. Chuckle at his ignorance. She was Q-1, second in command of the Black Knights. Pssh, as if she ever forgot to update her Guren Mark II. It was her prized possession, aside from her position within the Rebellion. But that was her own little secret. She didn’t need to add to his big head.
“Of course, Zero,” She grunted, casting a quick look of annoyance to a more than observant genius hidden beneath the helmet and cape of Rebellion. The slight tilt of his head told her that he was smirking. ‘God, he needs smacked!’ She mentally squirmed, running her finger around the inside of her collar, attempting to make room between her neck and the fabric.
“Good. Maybe next time we won’t have to rescue you after being captured.”
!!!
Kallen’s hands fisted as she bit back a barking retort. How dare he even go there! The man who couldn’t run to save his life! He wouldn’t have lasted in the same situation she had been in; the very humiliating scenes that had occurred while she had been taken. A blush crept up into her cheeks and before she could rectify the situation, he had caught on.
“Is that blush for me or Suzaku Kururugi, Queen?”
Thankfully they had reached his private quarters. Kallen quickly saluted before she made to stomp off to calm down. One thing about Lelouch/Zero; he definitely knew how to get under her skin.
“Q-1! I hate to bother you but I am in further need of assistance.”
“Have C2 do it,” She snarled, keeping her rigid back to him.
Another someone who knew how to irk the living hell out of her. C2 was definitely not one of her favorite people. She could tolerate her, yes. But aside from that…there was nothing except cursing and death scenarios that played through her head whenever she caught sigh of the pea soup haired woman.
“C2 is out on an intel mission. Surely you can spare some of your time for Zero, can you not?”
Slowly, she dragged her feet so that she may face her commanding officer. Her eyes still daring, her chin held high indignantly, “Of course I can, sir.”
His cape made a swooshing sound as he activated the clearance code to enter the room, and stepped to the side so that she could enter before him. Raising her chin in an attempt to keep her dignity, she swept into the room silently. Mentally, Lelouch chuckled and confirmed that he liked watching her move in front of him. Not only was she a saucy sight to behold from the front, but her backside definitely worked to her advantage as well.
Kallen waited until the door was shut and locked behind her commander before she placed her hands on her robust hips and gave him an irritated stare, “What’s your deal?”
He chuckled, his normal voice a bit disoriented as he pulled off his helmet and set it on his work desk. Pulling down the mouth piece, he smirked, “I do not think I know what it is that you’re talking about.”
Kallen’s eyes glinted with the last bit of patience she had for the day. He had been particularly troublesome today. And luckily for her, she had been his prime target the whole day. Maybe he felt like taking up C2’s job since she was away and couldn’t cast those ridiculously annoying looks she always gave whenever she was around her. Just the thought made the Kouzuki’s jaw clench.
“You do so know what I’m talking about. You’ve been on my case all damn day. Can’t I have a moment’s peace, Lelouch?”
Long, black eyelashes fluttered at her as he kept his melancholy expression, “So you say that I’m bothering you, then?”
The blue eyed woman wanted to smack herself in the forehead. For being a genius, he was certainly clueless sometimes, “Yes! That’s exactly what I’m saying! I’m not going to trash headquarters, if that’s what you’re worried about. And I won’t go around babbling at the mouth that Lelouch Lamperouge is Zero. So could you please not loom over me like a hungry hawk?”
Lelouch cocked an eyebrow, his face still serene, just a hint of humor in his eyes, “Impossible.”
A gasp fell from her mouth. He seriously thought that no one could be annoyed with him? Did he not hear himself? ‘Just because you’re Zero doesn’t mean you aren’t annoying. Perhaps even more so now that I know it’s you. I can’t believe I was falling for Zero when it was you all along!’
“Thoughts, Q-1?”
She frowned, sealing her lips shut tightly. He was setting a trap. She wasn’t going to fall for it. Now it was evidently clear that it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, it was that he was bored.
As if reading her mind, he shred his white scarf from his neck and let it join his helmet on the stand, “Are you disappointed about Zero’s true identity?”
Kallen swallowed. Sometimes the man had an inane sense of his surroundings. Perhaps a little too much so. Either way, she rolled her eyes.
He smirked, “Expecting someone a little older? A little more dashing?”
Dashing? A blush fell over her face before she had a chance to will it away. Yet again, he caught on to her and smiled, “What, am I dashing enough for the great Kallen Kouzuki, I take it?”
She wanted to scream. She hated being under his scrutiny. Those amethyst eyes could see straight through her like a window. Everything about her seemed exposed whenever he was around. Even her darkest fears, dreams…desires.
Lelouch watched as she fell into a coma-like state, her tongue darting out of her mouth to lick at her lips. He had her now. One thing that he found irresistible about his Queen was the chase. As much as she tried to escape him, she would always give in to him. Mentally, spiritually…and physically.
The line of commander and queen was never crossed when observant eyes were around, but as soon as the doors were locked behind them, names were reinvested. Nails dug into skin, teeth buried into shoulders, hair was pulled, lips were owned, bodies were melded into one. Of course, that was only after the chase was over. There was never a moment between them that didn’t involve some sort of chase. Cat and mouse. And he loved every second of it. When it was all said and done, she would always turn boneless in his hold and he was free to do with her as he wished. Today, as usual, was going to be much of the same thing.
He had tried a different strategy today. Part of the magic was keeping her guessing. And apparently today she didn’t have the slightest idea of his angle. He had done many things, but annoyance wasn’t one of them. Just another angle to work from and master. And thus he had set out this morning with the mindset to annoy her. To hover over her, always making sure to make his presence known.
And annoy her it had. At first she had simply been confused, even managing to question him quietly by his given name. He had nearly choked on his air when she had whispered his name with a questioning air. So raw but forbidden. He had been quick to act, using his bravado voice to ask her if she had asked him something, making sure to draw attention to them. The act which made her curse under her breath and turn back to her paperwork.
And it had only gotten worse from there. He had made sure to take lunch with her and even go with her on her rounds. Something that the Q1 of the Black Knights liked to do solo. A fact that he was more than aware of. And more than ready to ignore.
Now he found her in his private quarters, right where he always wanted her, eyes passionate with anger, body rigid as she tried to narrow down his odd behavior.
“N-no! Stop turning this around. Tell me why you’ve been bothering me all day today? You’re quite the nuisance, you know that?”
Lelouch disengaged his cape and laid it on the back of his office chair, “I’m sure I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”