A/N: Well, I do adore C.C. and V.V. Set long before the series started, or let's say...even before Lelouch was born? :D

To make up for my long absence, I'm bringing a little fic featuring our two fave immortals...

THE ART OF ASKING

Golden eyes darted to the direction of the newcomer. The woman, sprawled in her bed in the royal chambers, eyed the long-haired blonde boy as he barged in without knocking, walked in his haughty way and strided towards HER balcony and sat on HER balcony-chair and made himself tea for one.

C.C. raised an eyebrow. V.V. never broke in her room before to have tea. Moreover, V.V. never like breaking into her room to have tea. And most importantly, V.V. never liked to lke breaking into her room to have tea.

V.V. did not like her, because she is Mariannne's friend. and V.V. did not like to like her because she IS Marianne's "friend".

C.C. looked at the boy, sitting peacefully and eyeing the gardens by the balcony.

"What had driven you here of all places?" the woman decided to ask behind her magazine. "For all I know, you hate women who lock themselves up in their rooms all day eating pizza and procrastinating."

V.V. didn't answer her question. The boy stared at the pizza box in the table across him, opened it and took a slice. He stared at it for seconds more and then took a bite.

C.C. watched the boy, melancholic in his stay as he ate what was supposedly her meal. "Where's Charles? You're not bugging him or anything?"

V.V. half-glared, then continued on the pizza.

"How about Schneizel or Cornelia? Not in the mood to stalk and scare them?"

Because she knows the V.V., when in his sadistic mood, like to play tricks on those kids.

But she was replied with another glare.

"You don't want to play jokes at Odysseus, either."

Another slice. Sip of tea. C.C. wondered how tea and pizza matched.

The woman blinked and tried to return to her magazines, all the while thinking of a possible reason on why the boy was deliberately snacking her meal on her balcony.

Marianne was not around. Why again? C.C. was sure that the woman had mentioned something...

And then she looked at the grumbling boy again, seemingly having a grudge to the world, still absentmindedly eating and is now halfway the box. Charles was not around, like Marianne and so if the two are together...

Hm, no wonder V.V. is not pleased.

And, to think there should be a special occasion today.

So, groaning tiredly, C.C. stood up, headed to her balcony, dragged out a chair, posed herself behind the blonde and hugged him from behind.

V.V. stopped midway the bite, looking at her stubbornly - "GET OFF. What do you think you're doing?"

She instead kissed him on the cheek and rested her face against is, chin on his shoulder and arms around the boy's neck. He stiffened, blushing at the sudden intimate gesture from his co-code bearer.

"What is wrong with you?!" he struggled, but to no avail.

"You just had to ask, birthday boy. No use grudging at the world in your case." C.C. mumbled, snorting.

He calmed down a bit, and tried to glare at her again. After that, he sighed and returned to his meal, subtly leaning against her.

After a while in that position, he had the heart to offer her a pizza slice.

"Stupid Charles." the boy mumbled, barely a whisper.

She chuckled behind her slice of pizza. "Stupid indeed. But you got me today, right?"

V.V. hesitated, and then nodded numbly, looking out the gardens again. "Aa."

.FIN.

A/N: Short, I know. It's just that I feel like giving em a cute, fluffy moment. :D