Chapter Twelve

[Keeping Up Appearances]

It had been twelve days since Lelouch had awoken to find himself yet again the pawn of the Britannian royal family, and besides Suzaku's constant pawing at him, he had been thoroughly enjoying himself...

In a dark locked room, guarded by two Geassed soilders, Lelouch sat with a phone to his ear. He clutched the eyepatch in his free hand; rolling the leather and gemstone between his fingers.

"Bit early for a booty call, isn't it?"

Came C.C's sultry voice as the phone connected.

Lelouch grinned. "I don't have time for games, witch."

"Oh?" She mocked. "I thought a victory fuck would have been in order, after your performance today? After the way you commanded Britannia's Knightmares against us."

He gave the leather in his hand a squeeze. "I did what I had to do."

"You annihilated them, Lelouch."

"I know," he said. "And I know I will pay for it someday. Those who are willing to kill must be prepared to be killed themselves. I understand, but I cannot risk this unique position I've been put in."

He crunched the leather in his fist.

I'm going to try doing it your way Suzaku...I'm going to take them down from the inside!

In the open cockpit of the bashed up Lancelot, Suzaku sneezed.

"Someone's talking about you!" Lloyd sang, as he tinkered about with the goliath machine.

"I'm sure it's nothing but good things." Cecil said.

Suzaku cringed.

"C.C..."

"Yes?"

"Are the Black Knights still loyal to Zero?"

There was a pause. Lelouch could feel a growing sorrow burning in the pit of his stomach.

"They need a miracle," she said. "Luckily that's exactly who Zero is."

He let out a bark of laughter. That's right, I'm Zero, the man who destroys worlds and the man who creates them...

"C.C, in a week Britannia will launch another attack to finally wipe out the rebels hiding in the ruins of St. Petersburg. I will be heading this attack." A devilish smile snaked onto his face. "As well as the counter attack."

"Your wine, my Lord."

Kanon bent forward, filling Schneizel's glass from a gleaming silver, saxophone shaped chalice. It was a bow and an act of mockery all at once.

Schneizel's took his cup in one hand, and Kanon's jaw in the other. His white gloves gripped his aid softly, and he brought their faces closer and smiled.

"Thank you," he said.

Kanon matched his expression, still bent forward, wine threatening to leak out of the chalices spout.

"Your Majesty..."

An abrupt and thoroughly rude continuous knocking came from their door suddenly, shattering the intimacy.

Kanon looked positively feral, but Schneizel only sighed and released him with a relinquishing smile.

"Come in,"

Lelouch burst through, or, Julius Kingsley, as he was thought to be.

"My, my, to what to do we owe this pleasure."

"Give me my Knight of Thirteen title." He demanded immediately. "After today it has been well earned, don't you think?"

"Such impertinence..." Kanon muttered.

Lelouch shot him a vicious look that silenced him.

"Very well, Julius. I will keep my word. Consider yourself a bonified Knight of Rounds."

Lelouch grinned. "I have done for some time. I've been waiting for you to catch up."

Schneizel stood and walked toward Lelouch with a smooth, imperial weight. "Yes, yes...but remember, you'll have to remain my lover if you want to keep it."

Lelouch set his jaw. "Fine."

Schneizel's smiled powerfully and went to touch Lelouch's cheek, only to find his hand swatted away like a pesky butterfly as Lelouch turned on his heels and moved to leave.

Over his shoulder, he cast Schneizel a divergent look. "You'll get paid when I get my own Knightmare."

With that he slammed the door behind him and he was gone, leaving Schneizel and Kanon to stare blankly at the white and gold doorframe.

"There's something different about him today..."Schneizel said, dumbfounded.

Lelouch strode back to the room he shared with Suzaku with a smug gait. His mind was illuminated by victory, every strategy and every pawn was falling into place, abiding him perfectly. What power! This was far more exhilarating than pretending to be Lelouch when he was Zero. Was he pretending? Lelouch felt like an abstract concept now, a guise - just like Julius. Right now - in this moment - there was only Zero.

He burst through the door in an exuberant rush. Suzaku was lying on his side on the bed, an open book at his side. He didn't even flinch.

"Suzaku! I've been granted Knight of Rounds, Schneizel is going to give me my own Knightmare!" Lelouch exclaimed, a little breathless and flushed.

Suzaku's fingers paused on the page he was turning. He stared Lelouch down. "That's great." He said flatly.

Lelouch deflated a little. That was not the reaction he had expected. He stood uncomfortably in the room as his breathing evened out and an awkward tension loomed about them. Suzaku was still watching him; something was incensed behind his bright green eyes.

Lelouch swallowed with a sudden stomach twisted thought;is he suspicious of me? Does he know I've woken up? Maybe because I've been ignoring his advances...but I can't...not with Suzaku! If I can't get...aroused...it will be even more suspicious!

He squirmed where he stood.

There's got to be a way. I am human...maybe with some stimulation..

"We should celebrate." he offered. "Why don't we go out for dinner?"

Suzaku seemed to perk up. He closed the book and sat up. He finally smiled. "Sure."

The two stepped out into the icy night. Dark navy blue military jackets, buttoned up to the throat, did little to abide the chill. Lelouch tucked the ties of his eyepatch under the rim of his white Russian hat, the tip of its bushy tail just touching his left shoulder. Suzaku's palm rested on the other. He smiled at him and Lelouch returned it with a degree of sincerity, before they began walking down the street. Some restaurants still functioned in the wake of all the tyranny, safely protected in the sealed off province that Britannia had occupied for the battle.

The two found a quiet booth in a candle lit corner. They talked, and Lelouch found out much about the man he had been the past few months. The picture of Julius Kingsley was a fractured one, put back together by Suzaku and Charles and their warped desires. He had been constructed by them, Lelouch rationalised, too afraid to look for himself in this man he had inhabited.

They moved on to other things. Suzaku spoke of Ashford and everyone there. Lelouch struggled to act oblivious, gripped suddenly by the brutal loss of his life there. Still, as Suzaku became more and more passionate and animated about his adventures at school, all of which Lelouch was there for, Lelouch found himself softening towards Suzaku. Maybe it was the wine. How many had they had? Two empty bottles sat on the table. The waiter brought a third. Who cares, he thought. Suzaku had really nice eyes...

Soon they were laughing and stumbling out the doorway to the restaurant and back out into the cold. Suzaku was wrapped around him. The fur of their hats were pushed together as they walked in a close, awkward and drunken stumble.

Their coats and hats were abandoned in the cloakroom of the hotel and by the time they made it to their room, Lelouch's sobriety had started to creep back into his mind as the realisation about what was about to happen loomed. Suzaku's foot caught his in the attempt to untangle themselves from each other and the two fell onto the bed.

Suzaku braced himself over Lelouch, deep green eyes half lidded and lips parted. Lelouch started up at him frozen.

This is it. I'm going to have sex with Suzaku. Oh, God...! I'm terrified!