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Title: Triangular

Author: DnKS-giRLs

Rating: PG-13

Characters/Pairings: Schneizel-Suzaku-Lelouch

Disclaimers: We hold no claim over any of the characters mentioned in this story and we have no intention to insinuate in any way that they are ours.

Warning: The title should be self-explanatory, though…

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Epilogue

For the first time in his life, Lelouch vi Britannia felt dread surging over his body as he stared at the front door of his house. For the first time in his life too, he felt anxious of stepping into that inviting grand white house that had been his home for the past twelve years or so. Neither the recollection of his mother's gentle smile nor Nunnally's happy laugh nor Rolo's adoring gaze could pacify the turmoil he had within his heart. Neither of those could strengthen his resolution to enter the house. Neither of those could be enough reason for him to walk the steps of his house and announce his arrival.

Lelouch vi Britannia was afraid. He was not afraid of the house, but he was afraid of facing his family members that he knew at the moment were waiting for him inside said house. No, maybe he should not say that he was scared of facing them. It would be more apt to say he was scared of telling them something he meant to reveal.

Gulping, Lelouch unconsciously took a step backward but two palms pressing against the small of his back prevented his act from going any further. With hopeless resignation he turned his face to his right and looked up to see his brother's gently smiling face.

"Onii-sama…" he said in exasperation.

"You are not going to go anywhere, Lelouch," Schneizel, his brother, chided him gently. "Need I to remind you that you have already agreed to this? I believe my brother is a respectable man who will never go back at his own words."

"But I'm…" he tried to word out his emotions and failed. In the end he resigned to a desperate sigh as he said, "I'm afraid."

"Lelouch," another voice said to him from his left side. Turning his face to the source of the voice, Lelouch could see Suzaku smiling at him as if to strengthen him. "You don't have to. We are with you now, so why are you afraid?"

"Indeed, little brother," Schneizel said to him again. "After all, we are only going to see mother and father and our dearest siblings. You have no reason to be afraid."

"If we are indeed just coming here for a family visit, then of course I should not be afraid," he said. "But I believe I have every right to be afraid if I am to consider that we are going to tell father and mother about our relationship which if I might add, veers so very far from the line people called conventional."

Schneizel gave him a frown, "Are you going to say that our so-called relationship is not normal?"

"Onii-sama!" he yelled in exasperation at his older brother who only calmly smiled back. Seeing that, he started to hate that smile. How his brother still smiled calmly as if all was well with the world when they were going to reveal something so controversial to their family, was a treat that Lelouch greatly envied him for. And Suzaku also, he reminded himself as he looked at the emerald eyed young man on his left side. Suzaku too had a smile on his face, a very contented smile. All in all, those two people seemed not to be anxious over the prospect that they were going to tell his family that at the moment the three of them were engaged in a relationship that was far exceeding mere friendship.

Even the thought of it made Lelouch cringe. No matter what, he could not tell the fact to his family in a way that he deemed proper. He doubted that there had ever been a proper way to tell his parents that he was having a threesome with his brother and best friend.

He felt a hand that was pressed against his back moved. In seconds that hand found his wrist and he watched as it went to grasp his palm. Suzaku's hand, he thought as the wandering hand stopped to interlock fingers with him.

"You did say that with our hands joined we could accomplish anything, Lelouch," Suzaku said to him as he felt that hand holding his even tighter. "Don't let go of my hand and I will be with you through this. We can do this, okay? Have faith in me."

He just started to open his mouth to speak when Schneizel beat him up to it.

"No, Suzaku," Schneizel said and Lelouch felt his brother's warm hand mimicked the act employed by Suzaku. His two hands were now at the gentle grasp of the two people he loved the most in the whole world, and Schneizel's voice was gentle when he said to him, "Have faith in us, Lelouch."

Lelouch knew he would someday found his death in those two people who were at the time holding his hands. It was really unfair that he could never say no to them. It was really unfair that Schneizel and Suzaku could surely make him do anything for them. And it was really unfair that after all their coaxing and gentle words, now they left him to do the talk.

He cleared his throat, somewhat nervously. He was sitting on the sofa in the guest room of his house, his brother Schneizel on his right side and Suzaku was on his left. On the chair opposite them, his father and mother were seated, waiting expectantly. They were waiting for him to speak, but Lelouch just could not find his voice to speak.

"So," Marianne vi Britannia sighed. "As much as I love my dear children coming home, I know there has to be something extraordinary if they come home during weekdays. So do please spare your parents their anxiety and just tell us, what happened exactly?"

"Please do not worry, mother," Schneizel said with his calm tone. "Though I admit you are somewhat right. There is indeed something that we would like to speak with you."

Hearing that, Lelouch felt a sense of relief at the thought that maybe Schneizel took pity on him and decided to speak the matter himself. But he forgot how cunning his brother could be. And his sense of relief all disappeared the moment his dear brother continued his sentence.

"And Lelouch would tell us about that," Schneizel finished with a smile that looked so innocent that made Lelouch really tempted to punch his brother's face. But Schneizel's words did their purpose. And Lelouch could only gulp as he felt both his father and mother's gaze at him.

There was no way out anymore.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and somewhat failing, for he could still feel how wildly his heart was beating in his chest. Preparing for the worst, he opened up his mouth.

"Mother, father," he began carefully. "There is something I want to tell you and it is part of the reason I'm home today with Schneizel onii-sama… and Suzaku. Because it just happened that Suzaku is… that Suzaku and I are together now and we think it's only proper to tell you about it."

Lelouch stopped after he delivered the first part of his explanation. Anxiously, he searched his parents' face for any sign of disapproval but he found none. Instead, his mother was smiling amusedly, and his father had a somewhat resigned look on his face. He did not know if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

"I should have known it was that," his father sighed before, Lelouch observed, he dropped his scrutinizing gaze on Suzaku. Upon receiving such intense gaze, Suzaku was admirably still holding his posture silent and proud. And that fact seemed to satisfy his father for the man spoke up afterward. "Well, at least he is a nice boy and I can trust him. You will take care of my son well, will you not, Suzaku Kururugi?"

"Sir, yes, Sir," Suzaku said with a firm resolution in his voice and a smile on his lips. "I will do so, therefore, please allow me to have this with Lelouch."

"I'll take your words, young man," Charles vi Britannia said, and his wife merely nodded with a satisfied smile. Their every words and gestures could only mean a thing: acceptance. They accepted his explanation, Lelouch thought in amazement. His parents accepted the fact that he was together with Suzaku, and they even hinted that they had predicted it even before he decided to reveal the truth to them.

Lelouch blinked, a bit surprised that his parents, especially his father, could accept his relationship with Suzaku that well. He knew how conservative his father could be at times, even though Charles vi Britannia did indeed have some radical streaks in him. But to accept it so easily like that, Lelouch was so… amazed.

"Why do you look so surprised, Lelouch?" his mother asked. "Do you honestly think we haven't thought of the possibility before you revealed it to us?"

No, honestly, Lelouch never thought of that. How could he even think of that, after all? He had thought that he was more than able to keep his attraction toward Suzaku to himself. But it turned out that not only Schneizel, but his parents too could see that.

"Family members do have some power to know things, no matter how well you try to hide it, dear," his mother said with her angelic smile. "I have been watching the two of you, ever since you were just two toddlers playing on the backyard of my house. I see how you behave toward each other and I know how you cherish each other. It would be more shocking were we to say that we did not see this coming."

At that moment, Lelouch saw his mother like it was his first time seeing her. He knew his mother was a smart woman, and he knew he should feel stupid as to assume his mother would not see the things he kept within him. So with a resigned sigh, he grasped Suzaku's hand on the sofa beside his lap, enjoying the slightly surprised expression Suzaku made, and smiled.

"I thank you that you allow us to have this, mother, father," he said sincerely. "And I guess I should apologize for assuming you to be so dim as to not knowing your son's secretly harbored desires."

"Pardoned," Marianne vi Britannia easily said. "So, am I right to assume that this is the reason why the three of you are visiting your dearest parents during weekday or are there still things to be revealed? After all, it does not actually explain why you feel the need to take Schneizel along with you."

Lelouch's hand, the one which entwined with Suzaku's, flinched. His mother's seemingly innocent question brought the realization to him that indeed, not everything had been revealed.

Secretly, he stole a glance to his brother's direction. Feeling the silent stare, Schneizel vi Britannia turned his face a bit. Their gazes met and Lelouch saw the smile that his brother threw to his direction. There was surely a hidden evilness within that smile.

"What is it, Lelouch?" his brother asked him with his considerate tone. If only Lelouch could say that the tender affection was a fake then maybe it would not seem so bad. But he knew the truth; he knew that his brother really did cherish him and love him. It just happened that Schneizel had a curious way to love someone that for him, it was perfectly reasonable to manipulate those he loved for his benefit.

That stupid scheming brother of his!

Knowing that the chance of success was slim but unable to give up his hope, Leluoch took a breath. "Would you like to explain the reason of your coming with us to mother, Schneizel onii-sama?"

There was definitely some evilness in that smile when Schneizel said. "Oh, thank you for the offer, Lelouch, but I think I have to abstain myself from the honor. After all, you did say that you would be the one to reveal everything to mother and father, so I have no intention to rob you of your right. Please do continue your explanation for I believe our parents have the right to know the… thing you are going to say."

That time, not only his hand, but his eyebrow also flinched. Trust Schneizel, his dear Schneizel onii-sama, to crush his hope and, again, make the curious eyes of both his father and mother directed back at him.

And so, taking the whole situation into consideration, Lelouch realized that the wisest choice would be to speak up and end it as fast as possible.

"There is indeed a reason why Schneizel onii-sama is here with us," he began, turning his face to meet his parents' again. "And to put it simply, the reason is because Schneizel onii-sama is also involved in my relationship with Suzaku, meaning that while I'm together with Suzaku, I'm also together with Schneizel onii-sama and Suzaku too is together with him."

That was the fastest way in which he could manage to squeeze the information into a sentence. And to tell the truth, he was feeling a bit relieved the moment he finished his sentence. Now the only thing remained was to hear his parents' reaction. But at least his task was done and even if his parents reacted badly, he knew he would have his Suzaku and his Schneizel onii-sama with him. They would face it together, as opposed to the talk which he had to do alone.

With that thought in his mind, Lelouch was able to hold his back straight and look into his parent's eyes without shying away. He had told the truth, and he should be proud of that. Even if his parents were to curse him or do something worse, he would accept it with dignity.

Yet instead of some curse word, Charles vi Britannia merely quirked up an eyebrow and said. "I beg your pardon, but could you repeat that again?"

With that simple request, Lelouch felt the blood drained from his face. Of all things that his father might say to him, that was really something he felt hardest to compel. He did not want to repeat his experience of saying the whole thing again. He just could not.

"Well, uncle Charles, you see, what we want to say is…"

Yet no matter how much he detested the idea of retelling his supposedly love triangle with his brother and best friend, Lelouch objected the idea of Suzaku telling it even more. Suzaku was an honest man, but he was terrible at delivering his words.

"No, Suzaku, let me. Father, it's… I… we… I mean…"

"We are in love, dear father," Schneizel cut him in the middle of his sentence. "We, as in Lelouch and Suzaku and myself. Please give us your blessing."

Staring at his brother's slightly smiling face, Lelouch thought that maybe letting Suzaku speak up was not as bad decision compared to letting his brother speak up. How could he still smile like that after delivering such news was really something that only Schneizel could accomplish. Honestly!

"The three of you…" his mother's voice suddenly surfaced. "Love each other?"

"Yes, mother," Schneizel firmly answered.

"And you three are in a… romantic relationship?" Marianne continued.

"Very much so," Schneizel said with a small smirk.

"But you and Lelouch are brothers," Charles said with a small frown. "I know that you have no tie of blood between you, but I have been seeing you as brothers as long as I can remember and now you are telling me that you view Lelouch as a romantic material and he also views you as one. Moreover you two are in a relationship with yet another person…"

"I love Lelouch as a brother," Schneizel said. "And I also love him as a lover. It's similar to how I love Suzaku as my student and I love him as my partner. It is as simple as that, father."

"I seem unable to follow such logic," Charles vi Britannia replied. "You three as a… now I cannot describe you as couple, surely…"

"It's called a threesome, darling," Marianne supplied for her husband.

"That's not conventional, I think…"

"Indeed…"

For a moment, there was silence before Charles vi Britannia sighed forlornly.

"Marianne, dear, could you please fetch my heart medication? I highly think I would need that soon."

"Oh, why ever did you say that, father dearest?" Schneizel casually remarked. "You are quite fit as how I see you now."

"That was quite a shock for my old age, mind you," their father retorted.

"Surely it cannot beat the shock you got in the battlefield throughout all the years, father," Schneizel calmly said. "I dare not thinking that the mighty General Charles vi Britannia, who could still lead his men to victory even after an unexpected ambush, would find the news about his sons' love interest give him the shock."

"Uncle Charles," Suzaku joined the conversation with that familiar determined glint present in his eyes. "I know I am an outsider here, but I feel the need to tell you that I really love Schneizel and Lelouch. I want to be with them. But I also respect you and Aunt Marianne so I feel I have to let you aware of this thing about me and Schneizel and Lelouch. I know I cannot promise much, but I will cherish them, so please… could I have your blessing?"

Lelouch, hearing how Suzaku speaking out, felt the need to join in. No matter what, this relationship was what he had decided to have for himself, so he would fight for it.

"Dear father, it's like how Suzaku have said," he said. "We respect you and we love you. We hope you can be happy with our decision for we all feel happy in this. Dear father, I know this is hard to take but it is our wish that you and mother can bless us and this relationship that we have."

"Well said, Suzaku, Lelouch," Schneizel remarked. "Father, this is something that we have decided and we lay bets in letting you know this, hoping that you, with your great of heart, would see this matter as something to be rejoiced for we surely think of it as one. Father, we can do nothing more. We have laid our case bare before you to judge, but please don't forbid us from hoping, from asking, from begging you this, dear father, please bless us."

Silence reigned in the living room after the last word escaped Schneizel's lips. Lelouch knew there was nothing more they could say to his parents. He knew they indeed had revealed everything. He wished his parents could be understanding and accept their relationship nicely. But if they did not… then he was at lost. He cherished Schneizel, loved Suzaku, that was for sure. But he could not betray his parents, especially his mother. If his mother, his own dear mother, was disappointed in him because of the entire matter, then… then he would be devastated. But he could not let either Suzaku or Schneizel go from him.

It was the feeling of Suzaku's hand gently grasping his, the feeling of Schneizel's tender gaze directed to him, that somehow made him able to stand the turmoil inside his heart as he waited for something, anything, to come from his parents, whether it was approval, whether it was disdainful scorns, he knew he could only wait.

At last, Marianne vi Britannia let out a womanly sigh.

"This would mean I would not be able to get any grandchildren in the near future, true?" she said. "Let's just hope that your dear little brother would not follow your step for even though I'm happy for you, I still crave for some grandchildren of my own to grace this house and continue the name of vi Britannia."

"Pity indeed," Charles vi Britannia joined his wife in sighing. "But at least I will get my dream fulfilled of having my son walking the same path as mine in the world of military, defending our beloved nation."

"Yes, I do remember it is your greatest dream ever, right, darling?" Marianne directed a loving smile to her husband. "So nice indeed that it can come to fruition. Moreover I know that you have taken a great liking to Suzaku."

"He's a nice boy, someone I can trust," Charles said, glancing briefly to Suzaku's direction. "So I think it is not so bad to think of the idea of trusting him with not only one but two of our sons."

"Yes, but…" Marianne followed her husband's gaze and gently looked at Suzaku. "Is your family all right with this arrangement, Suzaku?"

Suzaku smiled. "You know that my parents have long since passed away, Aunt Marianne, and my only remaining relative, my aunt, has made it clear that I am now an adult so she let me decide things for myself. The choice I make in my life is mine alone, and I should take full responsibility of my every decision. I love Schneizel and Lelouch, I have decided to have this relationship with them, so I will take full responsibility of it."

"That's good to hear," Marianne said. "We trust you with our two sons so do not let our expectation down. Now, would you like to stay for dinner? Or maybe you can stay over if you like."

"I would very much like that," Suzaku said with one of his earnest gaze and cheerful smile. "Thank you, Aunt Marianne."

"And I presume that you two would also stay for dinner?" Marianne said, turning her gaze to Schneizel and then to Lelouch. "You two so seldom visit your parents lately. I will not have you go away just like that without having a family dinner with us."

"Do not worry, mother, of course we would be delighted to stay for dinner. After all, we have yet to greet Rolo and Nunnally," Schneizel assured his mother with a gentle voice. "Thank you, mother."

Up until that point, Lelouch was still trying to comprehend the conversation between his parents and brother and Suzaku thus he did not say a word. From what he heard, it did seem like both his parents were not going to throw any curse or get mad at them. If he was even more daring, he would even say that his parents seemed to accept the idea of their two sons being involved in a romantic relationship with another boy whom they had also considered as their son. But surely… could that be possible, he thought frantically. It felt too bizarre to be true.

"W-wait…" he weakly spoke up, cautiously as if he was testing his words.

"What is it, son?" his father said, frowning. "You do not wish to join the family dinner?"

"It's not that, father, I…" he stopped. "I mean… is it safe for me to think that you and mother… are not opposed to our relationship?"

Charles vi Britannia blinked and stared at his son as if he had just uttered such nonsensical thing. "Whatever makes you think that your mother and I should be opposed to your relationship?"

"No… no… I just feel the need to clarify…" Lelouch tried to explain before the fact hit him hard. His parents did not go against them being together. By whatever miracle it was, both his father and mother did not resent them. By whatever miracle it was, both his father and mother approved their relationship.

And so Lelouch smiled and felt as if a great weight had been lifted up from his shoulders, a feeling that might very well be the truth. "Thank you, father, mother, for being so kind… for allowing us to have this relationship, for giving your blessing to us. I am really blessed to have you as my parents."

"Oh, hush," Marianne said, waving her long slender fingers as if to dismiss some unimportant thing. "Don't pull another dramatic monologue on me, Lelouch, I think we have had enough of that when you hit puberty. Now I think I have to inform the kitchen that we would have extra people for dinner."

"And I have to inform the maids to prepare rooms for you," Charles said. "I guess I do not have to mention that I would not have you share a room in my house, right?"

"Relax, father, we still know our mannerism," Schneizel said with a chuckle.

"That's good to hear," Charles said. He stood up from his seat, followed by his wife. "You might want to refresh yourselves from the journey. Take a rest. Someone would notify you if your little siblings return from their school or if dinner is ready. For now, excuse us."

Lelouch stood as he watched his parents exited the guest room. Schneizel and Suzaku stood along with him. And he knew, should the two look at his face, they would see the trace of grateful smile he knew he must be having at that moment.

"That turned out quite well," Suzaku said, voicing out the very thought that he had in his mind.

"Very well," Lelouch corrected Suzaku's words. He turned his face and without giving Suzaku much time to react, he dropped a quick kiss to his cheek. The look of astonishment he spotted on Suzaku's face afterward amused him and he chuckled a bit as he turned his face to meet his brother's, who had already lowered his face to receive his share of gentle kiss. "I'm so glad it all ends well."

"Careful, little brother," Schneizel said in amusement as his arm circled Lelouch's shoulder. "I do not dare thinking that it's already over."

He tilted his face a bit. "Hm?"

"You have yet to tell little Rolo and Nunnally about us," Schneizel explained. And Lelouch, though he felt really relieved, still managed to catch the pronoun his brother had used. His eyes widened in silent apprehension and he was about to speak when he felt Suzaku's hand on his waist.

"Ah, yes," Suzaku said in a way that creepily reminded him so much of the tone Schneizel employed whenever he prepared something unpleasant for him. "Your task is not yet over, Lelouch."

"No," he said with something that highly resembled fear apparent in his voice. "No, you cannot possibly expect me to handle it by myself…"

"You did well with father and mother," Schneizel said.

"That's… not a valid reason to make me…"

"You are the most suitable person to do this, Lelouch, don't you see?" Suzaku said with a frown so fake. "I am an outsider so I have no right to reveal this, no matter how much I love Rolo and Nunnally like my own siblings. You and Schneizel are their real brothers, but you are the one closest to them. Therefore, isn't it logical that you should tell them?"

"True…" Schneizel said with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a mischievous smile upon his lips as he ruffled Lelouch's hair like how he often did ever since he was a mere kid. "So, little brother, work hard."

"I wish you good luck, Lelouch," Suzaku said cheerfully.

And Lelouch could only stand there, feeling Schneizel hand running amidst his hair, seeing Suzaku cheerfully smiling at him, without being able to form any kind of response. If someone were to ask him whether he loved Schneizel, he would surely say yes. If someone were to ask if he loved Suzaku, he would surely say definitely. Yet somehow, that time he began to reconsider if he was a masochist of some kind since he apparently loved the two people who seemed to enjoy putting him in predicament very much.

He sighed. Life, and love, could somewhat be so irrational and problematic, especially if said life, and love, involved Schneizel vi Britannia and Kururugi Suzaku. It was something he had to live with, it seemed.

- end –

(A/N: this marks the (real) end of Triangular. Allow us this time to give our thanks to you all who have spared your time to read, reviewed, alerted, and/or added this story to your favorite. Truly, your support is something we highly cherish. Thank you for following Triangular till its end and this time, just like any other time, please let us hear your comment on this story.)