Title : Triangular

Author : DnKS – giRLs

Rating : PG-13

Characters/Pairings: Schneizel-Suzaku-Lelouch

Disclaimer : We hold no claim over Code Geass and all its characters that we include in this story. We hold no claim over the title Triangular which was taken after the song by Maaya Sakamoto. Yet we do hold claim over the plot, howsoever crappy it is.

Warning : We would like to warn that this fic contains idea of homosexual love between the characters. We would also like to warn those who are expecting a Geass-ism kind of plot that you will not find it in this fic. So if the idea of the characters from Geass deal not with war but merely with their studies and love concerns seem to offend you, then by any means, please refrain yourself from advancing further because we do not wish to affront you. By reading this warning and deciding to proceed, we take as true that you have taken into hearts our terms and accepted it.

Chapter 1 – Beginning

He was running amidst the woods, running as fast as his seven year old feet could carry him. It was getting dark and he knew the woods could be dangerous once the sun set. To tell the truth, he was a bit afraid himself. He never entered the woods alone when it was getting dark. And in the eerie light of dusk, the trees really made such frightening view of shapes and shadows.

But he could not go back alone. He had to find him.

It was getting really dark when he managed to catch the sound of someone sniffling. With heart full of hope he ran to the direction of the sound. And how relieved he was when he saw the view of one certain dark haired boy sitting alone on the ground. It was almost completely dark but he could see how that boy buried his face on his knees, how those shoulders slumped, how that body trembled a little.

"Lelouch!" he screamed before running full force to the boy's direction. The boy in question, Lelouch, his Lelouch, looked up and stared at him with teary amethyst eyes.

"Suzaku?" the owner of those eyes said uncertainly. And then he felt a lapful of sniffing boy dropped to his embrace.

"Idiot!" he scolded the other boy though he still embraced him tightly. Lelouch was an idiot for getting lost like that and making him worry for him. "Why did you wander so far from the pathway?"

"I fell," Lelouch said, looking up at him. "And when I tried to go back to the pathway I fell again."

He looked in amazement, "You fell twice?"

"Yes, so what?" Lelouch stubbornly said. "And now my leg hurts and I cannot walk."

He saw how Lelouch pouted at him. His friend could be so troublesome but he knew Lelouch rarely admitted that he was in any pain. Hearing him openly declaring that he was hurt only meant that he was really in pain. And he might be only one seven year old kid, he merely one Kururugi Suzaku, but he knew how to treasure his friends.

Releasing the boy from his embrace, he stood up before he dropped to his knee afterward with his back offered to Lelouch. "Jump up."

A pair of arms circled his neck and he slowly stood up. Adjusting the extra baggage that was Lelouch on his back, he carefully trod his way back to the pathway that would lead to their houses.

"Suzaku," he heard Lelouch say. "Thank you."

He huffed but he felt pride blossoming in his chest. "I told you not to wander so far. You should follow your elder's words."

"You're only some months older than me!" Lelouch protested.

"But I'm still older," he said. He then thought of something that had been staying in his mind for a while and continued. "Say, Lelouch, won't it be fun if we become brothers?"

"Brothers?"

"Yes. You have your mother but you don't have a father. I have my father but I don't have a mother," he explained. "Don't you think it will be fun if our parents get married and then we'll become brothers?"

He felt the arms around his shoulders tightening.

"I don't want that," Lelouch said.

"Huh?" he said as he turned his face a little. "Why?"

"It's awful!"

"Oi! You mean I would be an awful brother?" he said, annoyed.

"No!" Lelouch said. "It's because…"

"Because…?"

There was silence before Lelouch said loudly.

"Because Kururugi Rurushu will sound really weird!"

With a start, a twenty one year old Kururugi Suzaku snapped from his reverie. He blinked as his eyes took notice of his surrounding. Four white walls surrounded him, a photocopier with streams of papers still coming out from it stood in front of him, a blonde man was busily sorting out papers on his right side. There was no woods, no Lelouch, no silent pathway leading to their houses. He realized then that he must have been dreaming just a mere moment before.

"Did I fall asleep?" he asked his companion who was still busy with his papers.

"Yep," the blonde man answered with a grin. "It was funny to see you can sleep while standing. But I need some help here so would you please…"

He saw the other handing him a stapler and with an apologetic smile he accepted it.

"Thanks, Gino," he said. He then began to staple through the papers that had already been sorted out by his friends. "I must have had not enough sleep lately."

Gino Weinberg sighed, "You are a fine soldier and all, Suzaku, but you won't do any good if you fall asleep in the middle of battle."

"I guess I just did that," he said as he stared at the pile of papers dejectedly. It was a battle against paperwork, really. "When will this be over, I wonder?"

"Who knows," Gino said, dropping yet another pile of papers before him. "It's just our luck that we have to do this stupid errand on the first day of the new term."

Suzaku eyed the new pile of papers with vengeance but he took them nonetheless. His eyes efficiently skimmed through those papers that all bore the crest of The Military Division of Ashford Academy on their upper left and sorted them through. If he knew that being in a Military Academy still required him to do paperwork, he would surely have thought twice before applying.

"Just another batch to go," he heard Gino announced cheerfully. "Brace your heart, soldier, victory is near!"

He snorted. Yet he did his work with renewed vigor after hearing that. He had an appointment to do and he knew Lelouch would surely be angry if he showed up late.

Lelouch, he thought with a smile, suddenly remembering his dream again.

"Ne, Gino," he said with his hands still busy sorting and stapling those papers. "Do you think that Kururugi Rurushu is a weird name?"

He saw Gino actually stop his work and stare at him with a frown, "Is that even a name?"

He chuckled sheepishly, "I guess it's really weird after all…"

"Kururugi Rurushu…" Gino murmured those words as if tasting them. "Kururugi... Rurushu… wait! Rurushu… Lelouch!? You mean Lelouch, right, that friend of yours from the Politics Division? You… No way! Don't tell me you're going to marry him!"

"What?" Suzaku exclaimed loudly. He felt his blush rising at the thought of marrying his friend. No matter how he looked at it, it was still embarrassing. "No, Gods… it's not that… it's just… something from my childhood…"

"You intended to marry him even from your childhood time?" Gino asked while staring at him strangely. "Geez, Suzaku, you're so hard-boiled."

"I told you it's not like that," he said frantically. "You know that we grew up together, right?"

"Yeah…" Gino nodded.

"So, that time he lived with his mother and I live with my father," he recalled those fond memories with a smile. "And I thought it would surely be amazing if our parents married each other so we can become brothers and be together forever. But Lelouch, he denied the thought vehemently, because…"

"Because Kururugi Rurushu sounds weird?" Gino finished for him with a chuckle.

He laughed unreservedly. "Yes. And after that, Aunt Marianne married Uncle Charles and even I had to admit that Lelouch vi Britannia really does sound better than Kururugi Rurushu."

"I cannot agree more," Gino said, shaking his head before he went back to his work. "But you two still seem so close even though you're not actually brothers."

"Mm-hmm," Suzaku agreed as he finished his pile. "I still go to his house occasionally and meet his family. It's fun, really."

"Oh, then do you happen to know of his older brother?" Gino said. His hands divided the last pile of papers into two equal parts before he gave one of those parts to Suzaku. "Everyone here seems to worship Schneizel vi Britannia like he's a living god. I heard he was the one and only person in the history of Ashford Academy who managed to complete two majors at the same time and graduated with the highest score on both majors."

"I heard so much but I haven't met him in person," he said with a shrug. "Lelouch moved away from our hometown after his mother remarried so we lost contact. I just met him again when I transferred to his town during our twelfth grade. By that time his older brother was already studying abroad for his doctorate and seldom came home."

Gino whistled softly, "So he's young, smart, successful, rich, and not to mention really handsome. Man, that's what I call a good catch!"

"You sound like a woman," he said. With a victorious smile he stapled the last sheets of papers and declared, "There, I'm done!"

"Praise the Lord Almighty that we managed to finish this battle unscathed," said Gino as he also dropped his last clipped-up sheets of papers. "Now let's get to lunch, I'm starving."

He quickly arranged those piles of papers before exited the room with Gino. Thank God for the simple favor, he thought, that they were not required to bring those papers anywhere. He needed to run. He was already late for his appointment.

"I already made promise to someone to have lunch together, actually," he said to Gino. "Though I am terribly late…"

"How late?" Gino asked.

He took a glance at his watch and cringed, "Almost thirty minutes... oh Gods, he will kill me!"

He did not care if he sounded too high pitched like lead actress in cheap horror movie. Lelouch hated late people. And when he hated someone, he thought…

Oh Gods!

In panic, he began his mad dash to the direction of the Politics Division. So hasty was he in his effort that he did not quite catch how Gino cackled while muttering things about him being whipped. It was just sheer luck that he managed not to trip during his way down the stairs.

Outside, he was greeted with the view of cherry trees blossoming in pink. It was just the beginning of spring, the very first day of his new term. The cherry blossoms bloomed beautifully that day. So beautiful that there were many people actually stopped for a while merely to enjoy the view of those pink petals falling down slowly to the ground. Yet he had no luxury to enjoy the view. Rather than slowing down his steps, he ran faster across that pathway with cherry trees blooming on its sides. He gave no heed to the sweet smelling fragrance emitted from the crushed petals under his heels. He did not even once slow his pace down, only halting briefly once in a while to mumble quick apology to those he bumped on in his haste.

He was terribly late! He just hoped that Lelouch was not in one of his irrationally bad moods because if he was, he did not want to think what would happen. Last time he forgot about their appointment, he ended up being subjected to silent treatment and death glare and weird accidents for the rest of the week.

Turning the last corner, he finally caught the view of someone sitting alone under a cherry tree that had yet to bloom. The lack of blossom seemed to deprive that tree of human's presence. But, Suzaku thought, even without the blossoms the view he saw that time was no less beautiful. No doubt that the certain someone he saw sitting under that tree was one to blame.

He quickened his pace and in no time he was already in front of that young man under the tree. A pair of clear amethyst eyes scrutinized him behind soft strands of black hair. He could sense disapproval there.

He cringed.

"Sorry, I'm late," he said amidst his gasp of breath. "I had to do some errand after class, and then I ran as fast I can, I swear. You… you didn't wait long… I hope…"

A sardonic smile was thrown his way, "Oh, not at all, Suzaku. Half an hour is really not a long time…"

He chuckled sheepishly since there was nothing else he could do. He saw the other huffing and rolling his eyes before ordered him, "Sit!"

And what could he do but obey? So sit he did and from the corner of his eyes he observed his companion.

"Ne, Lelouch…" he addressed him. "You're angry aren't you?"

Lelouch only smiled at him in a way that he knew only Lelouch could do and say, "Yes, I'm angry, because my certain friend who asked me out for lunch somehow stood me up and showed up thirty minutes late with some stupid pink flower petals in his hair."

Hearing that, he absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair before he realized what Lelouch had just said. Lelouch was angry. And when Lelouch was angry, he knew how troublesome that could be.

"I'm sorry," he said. A bit lame, indeed, but what else could he do other than apologizing? "Do you still want to grab some lunch? We can go to the cafeteria now…"

Lelouch calmly said, "We don't need to."

"I'm sorry," he said again, thinking that his friend was that angry to cancel their lunch.

"Suzaku…"

"Yes?"

"If you say 'I'm sorry' again I will leave you without second thought and you won't get your lunch," Lelouch said in his trademarked annoyed tone.

"If you say so…" he said dejectedly. Lelouch could be really difficult when he was cranky. Yet still, they were friends and he really felt guilty that Lelouch had to wait for him alone under that tree. No matter how he looked at it, it was his fault and…

Wait.

"What did you mean by I won't get my lunch if I say 'I'm sorry' again?" he asked.

"I meant exactly what it meant," Lelouch said.

He blinked, "Huh?"

"Oh, for Heaven's sake!" he saw Lelouch sighing dramatically. "Do I have to shove it under your nose for you to notice?"

And it was then he noticed that there was a blue plastic container sitting peacefully between them. Yet he did nothing but stared at it, confused as to what Lelouch wanted him to do with that box.

"Well…?" Lelouch asked him. And then something clicked in his mind.

"Is that my lunch?" he asked with a grinning smile.

"And let the earth rejoice for Kururugi Suzaku managed to understand at last!" Lelouch exclaimed, flailing his hands for extra effect before fixed him the glare. "Remind me again why I'm friend with you?"

"Because you find me adorable?" he joked as he opened the lid of that blue container. "And because you cannot open lids like this by yourself, apparently… ah, tuna sandwiches! I love tuna sandwich! Did you make it especially for me?"

"I simply," Lelouch said in his holier-than-thou tone. "Made too many."

He raised one of his eyebrows, "Right." He decided not to voice out the fact than Lelouch did not even like tuna that much at the first place. His friend could be so stupid sometimes. But that was Lelouch. He tended to mask the good deeds he did with the air of hauteur and acted like it was no big deal. That was one of the things that he still found unchanged in the said boy. Ever since he was little, Lelouch would do his best to help him yet every time he thanked him, he would dismiss it. It was as if he was embarrassed.

Really, Suzaku thought as he chewed on his sandwich, he could be so damn cute sometimes.

"You don't want any?" he said, offering a slice to Lelouch. "It's not nice to eat alone."

"I'm not that hungry, really," Lelouch said.

"Nonsense!" he huffed as he practically shoved the sandwich under Lelouch's nose. "You're anorexic already and that body of yours could do well with some extra weight. Eat!"

Those amethyst eyes flashed with annoyance for a moment but Suzaku held his ground. Patience, he reminded himself, was virtue. And indeed, finally Lelouch conceded. He watched in smug victory as his friend took the sandwich and nibbled on it half-heartedly.

"I said to eat your food, young man, not to play with it," he said sternly.

A resigned look was thrown his way along with a sardonic smile.

"Yes, Suzaku," Lelouch said before he took a bite from his sandwich and swallowed. "The military really does you no good."

"And politics doesn't suit you. You sighed too much nowadays," he complained as he continued eating. "Maybe some outside activities will cheer you up. Say, how about we go hiking this weekend?"

He smiled as Lelouch's face turned a bit white. He knew Lelouch hated outside activity. Ever since he was small, his friend always had a weak stamina. During their childhood time, every time they played outside for too long he would be forced to carry Lelouch home on his back because he was either too tired or injured or suddenly getting ill.

"No hiking!" Lelouch screeched before his face softened. "Besides, I promised Nunnally that you would come to visit this weekend. And Rolo wanted to show you his new video game because apparently 'Lelouch onii-sama is no fun playing game other than chess'."

Rolo and Nunnally, he thought with a fond smile as he remembered the two adorable twins, Lelouch's little brother and sister. He might not manage to become Lelouch's brother for real, but now he got himself not only a brother but also extra addition of a full set of family.

"I'd love to come," he said. "How are they? And how's Aunt Marianne and Uncle Charles?"

"Fine, but mother said you should come more often," Lelouch smiled. "She said it must be hard for you to live alone."

He waved his hand dismissively, "I'm used to that already. I'm fine."

It was true. He was used to live alone though in the beginning, his father's death really shook him badly. But something good came from that. Because of his father's death, he got to live with his Aunt though he had to move out of her house once he entered university. It was a fun thing to realize that the town where his Aunt lived was also the town where Lelouch lived. That was what initiated their second meeting during their twelfth grade. And now he even got to study with him in the same university and had their rooms in the students' dorm next to one another.

All in all, he thought, life was good. So many things happened but he could say now that he was fine with life.

"You're not."

Lelouch's soft voice brought him back to the present. Those amethyst eyes, so beautiful, were staring at him intently.

He stared back at his friend and asked, "Not what?"

There was a palm being placed against his forehead. Lelouch tilted his head as he said, "You're not having enough sleep lately, aren't you? You have dark circles under your eyes and you're slightly feverish. I've told you that you shouldn't take that many part-time jobs at once."

He smiled at his friend's concern, "It's okay. I've quitted some of them since the new term has begun. I'll be fine."

"You should take better care of yourself," Lelouch scolded, withdrawing his hand to his lap.

He chuckled. "I used to be the one saying that."

"Then quickly go back to your sturdy healthy self so you can scold me when I get the fever," Lelouch chuckled too. "Finish your lunch?"

He put the last bite to his mouth before nodded. Giving Lelouch back the blue plastic container, he thought suddenly of taking a quick nap. The weather was nice. It would be fun to lie there on the grass, watching the blue sky and white clouds without any thought of classes.

He glanced to his side, where Lelouch placed the now empty container to his bag. Maybe he would like to skip class also so they would have free time together.

"I'd like that," Lelouch suddenly said.

He blinked, "What?"

"You're going to ask me to skip class, right?" Lelouch said.

"Since when you could read my mind?" he asked.

"Since it became so apparent?" Lelouch said before stretching his body on the grass. "Perfect weather to take a nap."

He watched how his friend curled on his side like a cat basking under the sun. It really did look comfy. And with his sleep deprived condition, the idea of lying flat and closing his eyes was not something he could reject. So he followed Lelouch's action and soon, they were lying side by side.

"Perfect partner to nap with," he grinned to Lelouch.

"I might take that as a sexual harassment, you know?" Lelouch said with a frown.

"I might take that as a suggestion that you want to be harassed," he countered.

"Your point?"

"Nothing… I'm just so very sleepy," he said with a big yawn. "Now shut up, I want to sleep."

And Lelouch did talk no more. Or maybe he instantly fell asleep so that he did not hear him again. But before he ventured completely to the realm of dream, he could feel soft long fingers brushing his hair gently from his eyes. And that, he decided with his hazed mind, felt so nice.

- end chapter 1 –

(A/N: there goes the first chapter. Should you have any comment regarding this story and this chapter in particular, you can give us your reviews. Please, we still consider trash and death threats as reviews, don't worry. We hope you had a nice reading and it is our greatest wish to see you again in the following chapters. Now it's time for us to go and start building a (very) tall wall for the trash that was sure to come. Bye for now.)