Now Comes the Night
by the Black Rose
AN: Here is part 2 plus the epilogue. This was written back in February, long before episode 20 aired, so it deviates a bit from canon events. --makes grumbling remarks about how most of my fics from this series will no doubt deviate from canon--
The lemon has been cut from this version in order to post it here (so, I'm not trying to cast aspersions on Suzaku's, ah, virility). I'll post the link to the uncensored version in my profile. Thanks so much for reading! Love, Rose
Part 2
"Father, I didn't mean—"
The Prime Minister's sagging features tightened. "You're the one that caused this. You brought Japan to its knees, begging like a dog."
"No, I-I didn't!" Suzaku shook his head. "I've been trying—"
"Traitor." His father stepped closer. The man towered over his son.
"No."
Another step. "Coward."
"Father!"
"MURDERER!" His eyes widened. Suzaku could see the red veins against the whites of his eyes.
"Suzaku…" A sweet voice interrupted his father's tirade. "Wake up. Please…"
-
Suzaku panted for air. Sweat streamed down the sides of his face. He blinked and wiped at the moisture around his eyes. The Lancelot pilot took one deep breath. Then another. He felt his heartbeat slow from breakneck speed. Cool air filled his lungs. Other things began to register in his mind.
The sheets in his hands felt soft and slick against his skin. The scent in the air…smelled sweet like the fields of wildflowers that used to grow near his childhood home. But, he hadn't been there in…so many years.
Suzaku frowned. The room was dark; a chill bit at the skin of his chest. He glanced around. He wasn't in his bed at the Ashford Academy, and this was definitely not his bunk. Where? What…happened?
He pushed the sheets down his legs. They felt like silk. A shiver ran through his body as he set his feet on the cold floor. To his left, dark curtains wavered beside a large window. Definitely not some kind of confinement or house arrest.
The Lancelot pilot rose from the bed, noting the chill spread to his legs. He glanced down and grimaced. What are the chances my pants are around…here somewhere? He spied the outline of a chair on the opposite end of the window. Suzaku moved towards it. The chair didn't have his pants. I'm somewhere I don't recognize wearing only boxers. What the hell?
He slicked wet pieces of hair out of his face, and turned to the window. Suzaku pushed the curtains apart. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the bright moonlight, but when they did…The Imperial Palace.
He let the curtains fall. Shit. The Lancelot pilot let out a breath and turned around. I've got to get dressed. If…If Euphie comes back to check on me—
'And what makes you think she cares?' A cold voice said. He knew it well….It whispered lies into his ears until they sounded like the truth. Suzaku stared at the floor, but couldn't see… 'She's already forgotten you. You mean nothing to her. Nothing to anyone.'
I need to get out of here. His eyes took a few seconds to readjust. When he looked up, he could see the four-poster bed to his right; the outline of a dresser to his left. There was an opening in the wall beyond the dresser, but it was just an outline of darker space. Directly across from him was…what looked like the shape of a sofa. With something…are those my pants? draped across it.
Suzaku squinted and moved towards that side of the room. A sound reached his ears. He froze, straining his senses to hear…. It sounded like breathing. His? Did the sofa move?
He stared, but the form remained a nonsensical outline of what he could only interpret as a sofa with something…Blankets? A ghost? Suzaku took one step. Another…
The Lancelot pilot drew even with the side of the bed. A chortled sound caused him to jump. His heart didn't seem to leap with him.
Someone…Someone was in the room. The light sound of breathing. A soft snore.
He took another step, holding out his right hand. He swiped for the edge of the sofa and missed. Suzaku shuffled closer. He aimed again for the arm of the chair, but…it wasn't there? He lowered his hand, searching…. It brushed against something solid. He ran his fingers along the surface, and it felt like…
Silk. He smoothed his hand over the warm material, indulging in the feel of the fabric soothing against his skin. Euphie's skin would feel like this.
'Not that you'll ever touch her.'
Something tickled the skin above his fingernails. He jerked his hand away. Suzaku squinted as he knelt to the floor. Someone was definitely there… His heart raced. No guard would sleep on duty. It had to be…
A feminine whimper.
"Euphie…." Someone stole all the air from the room. It took several attempts to catch his breath. He sat on the floor and reached to push the curtain of hair from her face. "Why…"
-
The princess stared at him from the Mobile Dispatch's monitor. Her lips trembled, and Suzaku could see the lines in her forehead. Her sister, the Governor-General, still engaged the enemy, but radio communication revealed she was surrounded.
He could do something…With Lancelot, he had the power to change things. "Euphie…" He mouthed at the screen.
Her blue eyes widened.
"Please, let me."
-
"Why am I here, Euphie?" He whispered.
Her eyes remained closed. Her soft breaths shushing in the silence.
"Do you…know how much it hurts?" Strands of her hair sifted through his fingers. His chest felt heavy - like someone had filled the space inside his ribcage with lead. "I don't know why you brought me here. Or even why we met. But…" He gasped. An ache settled around his eyelids. It warmed his eyes and pulled at the right side of his mouth. "Euphie, am I crazy to…to think…to want…" He traced the pad of his thumb over her cheek.
'You mean nothing to her.'
His hand fell away. "I should let you sleep." He rose to his feet. His body felt heavier than it did moments ago as he padded across the floor.
-
"Lelouch, you know about matters of court."
His friend raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"Say that…" Suzaku leaned forward and looked at the Ashford courtyard below. "I wanted to talk to someone, request an audience…"
Lelouch snorted. "Why would you do that?"
"It's just that. I wanted to thank someone for a favor." Suzaku glanced at his friend. "But they're of high rank in the government."
Lelouch folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the rail. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. The lowest rank that can request such an audience is a knight."
He felt his shoulders sag. "Oh. I see."
"Chances are that person did themselves a favor and you just happened to benefit. Otherwise, if they wish to be thanked, you'll know."
-
Suzaku moved to the window and parted the curtains, again. Moonlight swept across the floor. It touched the features of the sleeping girl on the other side of the room.
Her white skin glowed, shadows dusting the tops of her cheeks. As he grew near, the Lancelot pilot could see the silver outlines of her lashes….
-
"Then it didn't have to be me."
She gave him a shy smile as she met his gaze. "No, I'm glad I found you."
-
He caught himself tucking pieces of her hair over her shoulder in order to rescue them from the floor. He knelt down beside her again; the moonlight granted him the sight of her - pink hair loose and spilling across the satin robe she wore.
-
"It takes a kind person to have a one-sided love."
-
His chest burned. "I don't think I'm kind enough, Euphie."
-
"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it, Suzaku. The lowest rank that can request such an audience is a knight."
-
He shook his head, rose to his feet and backed away. "I hope…"
'You have no hope.'
He winced and took another step. "I only hope…I never see you like this again." His abdominal muscles contracted. He clutched at his stomach and turned away. Harsh moonlight blared into his eyes, like spotlights screaming that he was a criminal – a thief stealing moments that shouldn't be his.
The Lancelot pilot raised a hand to block out the light, his heart pounding. Possible escape routes: window. Door. He started towards the curtains he'd drawn back moments before. The window is the best—
"Suzaku." Her voice, rough with sleep, called out from behind him. He felt his heart stop before his feet. Something struck his chest, or maybe his body was protesting against his heart's refusal to beat.
"You weren't….Are you leaving, Suzaku?"
Euphemia waited for him to answer, his form dark in the midst moonlight peeking in the window. He squared his shoulders. "Yes. I was leaving."
"Then I should ask that you at least do it properly. You weren't brought in through a window or snuck in the back door." She unfolded her legs from their cramped position and sat up. "A gentleman thanks his host and takes proper leave." She cleared her throat. "Especially when a lady is involved." Euphie stifled a yawn with the palm of her left hand.
"Why…"
She saw his left hand curl into a fist. Euphemia rose and moved to turn on the lamp beside her bed.
"Why…"
"Hm?" She flicked the switch. Yellow lamplight filled the room.
Suzaku spun around to face her. His green eyes flashed and he held his left fist up near his chest. She let her eyes travel over the bare skin of his stomach.
-
Euphie straddled his legs. She ran her hands between the flight suit and his skin to let cool air in. She shifted to try climbing over his body, but the lace of her dress caught beneath her leg. 'I don't want to fall on him!'
She shimmied over his hips and stretched over his abdomen. She slipped her fingers under his collar…
-
"Why do you treat me like…"
-
Euphie wrapped one arm beneath his shoulder and pulled him off the mattress to work the stubborn sleeve over the swell of his right tricep. Then, she eased his arm from the flight suit. Still holding him upright - his head resting on her collarbone while she sat astride his lap - the princess peeled the fabric across his back to his left shoulder.
The flight suit fell to his waist. Euphie hooked both arms under his shoulders again, and gave in to the temptation to just hold him…
-
"I don't understand…Why you treat me like—"
"Like what?" Her gaze snapped up to his.
"Like I…Like I matter to you." He lowered his fist and stood there – his shoulders sagging and his head bowed.
So tired… Euphie moved towards him.
"Why did you bring me here? Why didn't—"
Her hand settled on his shoulder. "You should rest, Suzaku," she said gently. "Your body and mind were exhausted."
The muscles of his arms tightened. "I'm a soldier." He stepped away. "It was only a—"
"And are you just a soldier?" She called out after him. Suzaku stopped. "Or are you made of something more?" The air turned cold and she folded her arms across her chest for warmth. "Living flesh…A heart." She moved around him to stand in his way. "A mind and soul…"
He stared.
"One that's filled with a boy's memories and a man's resolve?"
His eyebrows peaked in the center of his forehead. "Euphie…"
She stepped closer. Her right hand cupped his cheek. "It was a soldier I sent into battle. But it isn't a soldier that I worry for…"
His eyes widened. And she remembered him – staring into space with terrified eyes that saw something no one else could.
-
"No! No, I— I never wanted…I didn't want to!"
-
"It wasn't a soldier who came back, spent."
He staggered backwards.
"Shocked." She moved forward and held out her hand. "What is it that haunts you, Suzaku? Who was it you saw in your nightmares?"
He shrank away. "I! I—"
"You asked me to tell him you didn't mean to kill him. Who—"
"No!" He shook his head. Eyes wild. "No, I…."
So much pain… She took one step towards him. "You protected me." Then another. "You protected my sister…" She reached for him. "Won't you let me…"
He sank to his knees. "You wouldn't understand!" His hands balled into fists on the floor in front of him. "You'd hate me." Euphemia knelt beside him. She draped her arm around his shoulders and leaned her temple against his hair.
His head pressed into her collarbone as his left arm wound around her waist.
"I wouldn't hate you." Euphie ran her hand through thick pieces of hair. Suzaku trembled. She held him for a few moments, and then he was pulling away…. He stood and turned his back to her again.
"Euphie. Even if this, even if the time I've known you, your concern was only a lie."
The princess rose and tugged on his arm until he faced her.
"I'm too weak." He stared at the floor. She caught his chin and tilted his head. "Not to need…." His mouth moved like he was searching for words. "Right now, I—"
She surged forward. Euphie crushed her lips against his, her hand sliding up his cheek to rest at the base of his neck. His arms coiled around her waist. Suzaku…
Her heart sped up like it might sprint from her chest. The world spun just as fast…His skin prickled beneath her fingertips. His hands moved up from her waist, his palm fitting against the back of her head as he crushed her against him. Euphemia gasped. Suzaku's tongue stroked hers.
He broke the kiss and lowered his head to her shoulder - his embrace so tight it felt like every breath might bruise the flesh over her ribs. She ran her hands over his back, pleased with the way he shivered beneath her touch.
"Euphie…"
The way he said her name washed warm and cold tingles down her spine. "Suzaku?" She nuzzled into the hollow of his neck.
"Euphie, I…I…"
Her stomach twisted into a burning, heavy knot. She closed her eyes and willed herself to say the words: "Will you stay tonight, Suzaku?"
His arms released her. "Don't ask me to." He started to turn away, but she caught his arm.
"I already did." She drew him back, folding her arms around him as she rested her cheek against the bare skin of his chest.
"Euphie…" His hands touched her shoulders.
"Don't tell me you don't want to." She looked up at him.
Suzaku glanced away. "It's not that."
"Then stay." She unfastened the belt on her robe and pulled it from her shoulders. Euphie grasped Suzaku's right hand and placed it on her hip. She caught the fingers of his other hand.
"Why do you treat me like I matter?" His voice whispered then faltered. "I'm not a gentleman. I'm not a knight." His thumb traced a pattern over the satin nightgown she still wore. "I can't even request to see you…" He hissed as she brought his left hand to her rib cage.
"I've killed."
"I wasn't sure…whether you had killed my brother when I arrived in Area 11. But, that time we met. When you asked me why I lied to you…" She smiled. He stared at her like he was trying to memorize every word. "With that gentle expression on your face like you were chiding someone precious…" The burning, seething knot in her stomach released. "That's when. I chose to believe in you."
He kissed her, again. His right arm moved from her hip to the small of her back. She felt the floor slip against her toes and her stomach pitched like she was on a roller-coaster or taking flight. Euphie felt herself fall…Crazy, frightening, but all the while…
His fingers shook as they slid over her thigh. He huddled over her, his lips biting the skin of her throat. The rough pads of his fingers pulling at the straps of her gown…. She wanted to touch him, but his lips, his hands everything felt so…reckless. Euphemia clasped her arms around his shoulders to keep from hurtling off the planet. "Suzaku…"
-Euphemia woke, but sleep lifted slowly from her mind. A chill covered her body. She slid her fingers over the sheets, searching for a blanket. The fabric felt warm. Her mind clicked. "Suzaku." Euphie blinked and sat up.
But Suzaku wasn't in the bed beside her.
The feel of warm water racing over his skin soothed the ache of a mostly sleepless night. Suzaku hadn't been able to shut his eyes longer than a few seconds at a time. Then he'd wake, his heart pounding, sweat beading his forehead. But, he couldn't remember what he dreamed of.
The girl sleeping at his side…
'It was a mistake.'
Suzaku growled.
'She doesn't love you.'
He slammed his fist against the shower wall. "Shut up." The Lancelot pilot wrenched the knobs to turn off the water. He stepped out of the shower and pulled a towel from the rack. The fabric felt rough against his skin.
-
"Then stay." She unfastened the belt on her robe and pulled it from her shoulders.
Euphie grasped Suzaku's right hand and placed it on her hip. She caught the fingers of his other hand.
"Why do you treat me like I matter? I'm not a gentleman. I'm not a knight. I can't even request to see you…" She brought his left hand to her rib cage. "I've killed."
"I didn't know…whether you had killed my brother when I arrived in Area 11. But, that time we met. When you asked me why I lied to you…" She smiled. "With that gentle expression on your face like you were chiding someone precious… That's when. I chose to believe in you."
-
He finished scraping the towel against his skin. Sufficiently dry, he opened the door to her bedroom.
Euphie sat in her bed, hair tousled and dripping over her shoulders. The tangles did little to hide that she was completely nude. Suzaku cursed the cloth he'd carelessly slung around his hips.
She smiled, sleep weighting her eyelids as she tilted her head. He really wished he'd been able to find some pants…
"I thought you'd left."
"No, when I leave, I'll do it properly, as my lady commands," the Lancelot pilot said with a grin. He held out his arm and gave her a small bow.
"I'm not your master, Suzaku." Her voice sounded sharp.
He winced. For some reason, those words felt like she'd just struck him. "I…I didn't mean… I just." He straightened. "I don't know what to say, Euphie. Once I leave, I don't know when I can see you again. All of that is in your power. Not mine."
She bowed her head. Long pieces of hair shook. "It's not in my power, either."
"I see." He sank down on the edge of bed. He reached for her, hesitated.
"Tell me the truth, Suzaku."
"Euphie…" He retracted his hand.
"Who was it?" She raised her head. "Who did you—"
Suzaku leaned forward and rested his forehead against his fingertips. "My father. His death was my fault. We argued and…."
"Where's your mother?"
"She died. In the first battle with Britannia. She was seven months pregnant. That's why…" He shook his head. "Father was never the same afterwards. He was bent on revenge. Not what was best for…for the people who were still…dying."
"And since then?"
He took a deep breath. Not even Lelouch knew about his past, since— "I moved from place to place. Stayed in the homes of my father's supporters. Until I joined the Army."
"I see."
"Do you…do you hate me, Euphie?" He turned to look at her. She hugged her knees; her chest pressed against her thighs.
"No, Suzaku." She smiled when she met his gaze. "I'm just…sorry. To hear it…it causes my heart to grieve. Suzaku…" She crawled towards him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaned her forehead against his….
He pulled her into his embrace. He closed his eyes and just held her. "Thank you. For believing in me, princess."
Epilogue
Propriety forbade her from seeing a man without title. It also prevented her from walking Suzaku to the front door.
Euphemia watched him leave from the window of the library. Even in an ordinary uniform, she thought Suzaku looked…distinguished. He walked with confidence in his long strides, and pride carried in his shoulders.
-
"My father. His death was my fault. We argued and…."
"Where's your mother?"
"She died. In the first battle with Britannia. She was seven months pregnant. That's why…Father was never the same afterwards. He was bent on revenge. Not what was best for…for the people who were dying."
-He boarded the Mobile Dispatch Unit for the Special Envoy to the Britannian Armed Forces. The Earl of Asplund would take Suzaku back to school. At least until the next battle with Zero and the Black Knights….
The engine rumbled as the large truck that carried the Lancelot came to life. It lurched, then began to roll away from the Imperial Palace.You've been utterly alone since you were ten years old. How does anyone grow up in such cruel circumstances and turn out to be so kind?
"And since then?"
"I moved from place to place. Stayed in the homes of my father's supporters. Until I joined the Army…"
-
"All this time and you've fought. Caring for others. Protecting others."
-
"The Lancelot has reached the battle. Governor General, Governor General!"
"I'm fine." Cornelia's voice broke through the line. "The Lancelot is engaging Zero's troops."
-
"With little regard for yourself." She touched the glass. The truck reached the gates at the end of the long drive. It idled while the iron bars swung open.
-
She ran for the gap between the two suits, yelling at the pilots and their Knightmares. "Stop fighting! I order you—"
A Sutherland hurled something into the air just as she reached the Lancelot's side. She heard his voice. "Euphie!" The golden suit flared its shields – taking fire and damage while holding its position. Protecting her…
-
"You asked me…when you thought I was asleep. Why we met. I don't pretend to know why most things are the way they are, Suzaku. But…I believe. I believe we'll meet again."
-
"I'm…not sure what my place is. And I don't care. Euphie…I'm not. I'm not kind enough to not want you to…To care about me the same way…" He bowed his head. "Maybe before last night. Maybe if I had never—"
"I love you, Suzaku."
-
The Mobile Dispatch Unit sped onto the main highway and disappeared. "So, until then…Let me be the one to protect you."