"You retrieved him?" Lelouch asked C.C. She nodded and Lelouch peered at her. Something was off… "Is he injured?"

"A little," C.C. said, her voice a steady monotone, but not quite the same as usual…

"How badly?" Lelouch demanded.

C.C. just looked at him. "See for yourself."

Lelouch glared at her and flung the door to Suzaku's room open. "Suzaku?"

Suzaku snapped to military attention before looking bemused under the white bandage that was wrapped around his head. "…who are you?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Philosophy this early in the morning? Or would you like the list?" Suzaku just blinked, looking more confused, and Lelouch sighed. "Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor of Britannia, and second Supreme Council Chairman of the U.F.N. Formerly the Eleventh Prince of Britannia, formerly Zero, CEO of the Black Knights, formerly Lelouch Lamperouge, and formerly vice-president of Ashford Academy's student council. Happy?"

Suzaku nodded, his eyes wide as he tried to absorb all that. "Um. Okay. Then who am I?"

He didn't appear to be joking. Lelouch frowned. "…excuse me."

Lelouch stepped out of the room and turned to C.C. who'd been waiting for him just outside the door.

C.C. took one look at him and started laughing. "He's hilarious, isn't he?"

Lelouch was a patient man (no, he wasn't). He was a tolerant man (…don't make me laugh). And, above all, he was a man who could always keep his cool under stressful circumstances (ahahahahaha, no).

"What. Did. You. Do?"

C.C. wasn't quite done laughing yet. "Give me a second, that look… on your face…" And just thinking about it set her off again.

Lelouch almost turned his back on her to return to Suzaku's room, but the memory of the wide-eyed emptiness in Suzaku's perplexed eyes… "This isn't funny, witch!"

"It's… very… funny… okay, I'm done." C.C. straightened up. "Apparently he's lost his memory."

"Obviously."

"Well, it was your plan in the first place to use the geass you placed on him to get him out of an impossible to escape situation. You really thought that wouldn't have consequences?"

Lelouch glared. "It hasn't yet." C.C. raised her eyebrows. "Except for that one time." C.C. continued to look unimpressed. "…and maybe those other times, listen, I don't have the patience for this right now." Lelouch pulled himself up imperiously. "Fix this."

C.C.'s eyes were still dancing with mirth, but at least she wasn't outright laughing. "And what do you expect me to do, exactly?"

"You fixed me before," Lelouch snapped. "Just do that for Suzaku."

"His memory wasn't locked away by a geass." C.C. shrugged. "It's physical and possibly psychological. And I've got as much chance of fixing him as you do." She smiled. "Possibly less."

That was not what Lelouch had wanted to hear. "He's supposed to kill me and take the mantle of Zero and how the hell is he supposed to do that the way he is now?"

"Honestly, it shouldn't be that hard," C.C said, encouragingly. "He's very suggestible."

…that didn't sound good.

Suzaku poked his head out and smiled when he saw C.C. "I called down. They're sending the pizzas up right away."

"Good boy." C.C. smiled at him, before turning to Lelouch with a mild smirk. "I like him better than the old Suzaku. Less broody."

If Lelouch were less patient, less tolerant, and the type of man who lost his cool, he would have wished for something to punch at that moment.

As it was, all he did was huff and flounce away.

Like a gentleman.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Suzaku was, fortunately, dead. At least officially. So while Lelouch had to deal with his childlike knight, at least he wouldn't be an embarrassment.

…except in front of C.C.

"You seriously don't know how to use a fork and knife?"

Suzaku was holding them like chopsticks and looking mystified. C.C. hadn't eaten a bite of the pizza in front of her, too busy holding in laughter. Even Lelouch had to admit, that feat was impressive in itself.

"I don't…"

"Say something in English," C.C. suggested sadistically.

Lelouch didn't bother. They'd been speaking Japanese the whole time, and Lelouch was comfortable enough doing so that pushing Suzaku on that didn't seem worth it.

The cutlery issue, however…

"Look, it's simple you just…" He leaned over to fix Suzaku's grip and Suzaku nearly jumped out of his seat. "…the hell?"

"Your hands." Suzaku looked at him and suddenly smiled. "They feel… familiar."

Great. Now Lelouch was blushing. Fantastic. "Well… that's… so should using a fork and knife," he blustered, guiding Suzaku's hands and helping him slice though his meat and, wow he smelled good…

"Lelouch?" Suzaku said uncertainly. "I think I have the hang of it now."

Right. This wasn't really Suzaku. Flirting was inappropriate.

C.C. snorted, her mouth full of pizza (Suzaku fumbling with his silverware was funny; unresolved sexual tension between Lelouch and Suzaku just meant that today ended in a 'y'). "So. What are you planning now, Lelouch?"

Lelouch shrugged and switched to English. "We need Suzaku back for Zero Requiem. Suzaku has currently forgotten pretty much everything due to being a damn klutz at a really inconvenient time. I still have an Empire or three to run, and you're even less help than usual. There's only one thing to do."

"Montage?"

"What? No! Did you see how that turned out in the other fic?" Lelouch shuddered. "No, we're not traveling down the memory lane of betrayals and patricide and friendships lost."

"Road trip?"

"Do you have any suggestions that aren't tropes?"

"…no."

"Then be quiet." Lelouch drew himself up. "I will have to bring back his memory… using my body!"

"…that's a trope."

"Shut up."

The trick, Lelouch figured, was to treat this Suzaku like his Suzaku, only a little more carefully, gently. After all, this Suzaku didn't have any memory of their relationship; the ups and downs and occasional going down on one another. He was almost completely naïve, unlike any Suzaku Lelouch had dealt with before. It had been Suzaku who'd led Lelouch as he discovered sensuality and sex, as he'd learned the wide array of pleasures one person could give to another. And now, for Suzaku's sake… for the world's sake, Lelouch had to return the favour.

…or maybe they'd just been really busy these past few days and it had been a while since Lelouch had gotten any. Either way, the conclusion remained the same.

Lelouch needed to seduce Suzaku. For the good of humanity.

It was unfortunate that he wasn't particularly good at it.

"Um. I don't think I like wine."

"The strawberries are nice, but why are they dipped in chocolate?"

"…is there something wrong with your eyes? You keep squinting at me. Is the candlelight too dim?"

Lelouch sighed and gave up on his attempt at bedroom eyes (usually he just raised a roguish eyebrow and Suzaku grinned and suddenly; sex) and leaned over and kissed Suzaku.

Well. That was different. It wasn't that Lelouch didn't know how to initiate or lead, but Suzaku always, always responded back, often turning a simple kiss into a struggle for dominance. Sometimes, Lelouch even won (he refused to consider that Suzaku let him win; they didn't do that to each other).

This wasn't even a competition. For the first few moments, Suzaku went slack under him; surprised and unresponsive. Then, with a soft sigh, he submitted.

Suzaku. Submitted. Willingly. That was just not right.

But it felt so good…

"Mmm… Lelouch…" Suzaku's hand at his waist wasn't guiding him, or holding him in place. It was just there, as if to help ground him. His other hand fisted in the front of Lelouch's shirt, and Lelouch knew what that meant when he used to do it to Suzaku…

More.

Alright, then. If he insisted.

He hadn't bothered dressing Suzaku back up in his Knight of Zero outfit, in part because, well… Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Zero was dead (sort of) and in part because Suzaku had seemed so overwhelmed with everything that Lelouch's fantastic sense of fashion might have been too much.

Shut up. (I can hear you snickering. So can Lelouch. He is not impressed.)

The point was, Suzaku was in a simple shirt and shorts outfit which made sliding one hand up his shirt to tease at a nipple simple, and assessing how hard he was (pretty darn) with a slow grind even easier.

Of course, Lelouch knew Suzaku's body well enough by now. And Suzaku no longer knew his. Advantage; Lelouch.

And Lelouch pressed that advantage, swallowing Suzaku's moans as he used every trick he knew of (and there were several) to drive Suzaku crazy. There were moments when even Suzaku seemed surprised at how stimulated and aroused he became. And Lelouch reveled in it, closing his eyes as he made Suzaku moan; letting Suzaku strip him of his shirt as he nipped at Suzaku's jaw; sliding, then kicking off his pants as Suzaku bucked into his light touch…

And suddenly Lelouch was naked and Suzaku wasn't and in the moment it took Lelouch to realize this and draw back, Suzaku flipped them over and pinned Lelouch to the couch; grinding against him and spreading Lelouch's legs as he sucked on a finger and then Lelouch was arching into Suzaku's body as Suzaku slid a saliva-slicked finger into him and… wasn't he topping a second ago?

Oh, whatever. This felt good too. "Jacket… pocket… lube…" Lelouch gasped out between Suzaku's gentle probing. Suzaku grinned when he found it and removed his finger only to replace it a moment later with two. "Ah, yes…"

"Oh. Wow." Was Suzaku's only response to that, his eyes wide and his mouth turned up in amazed joy. "Lelouch, you…" A thrust and a twist and Lelouch yowled, grasping at Suzaku's shoulders.

"More!" Okay, so the tables had completely turned. "More, Suzaku…"

Suzaku frowned looking down at where they were connected, somewhat perplexed. Lelouch huffed in exasperation. "Fuck me. With your cock. Moron."

"Oh!" Suzaku's eyes met his. "Is that okay?"

How to answer that… "Yes. NOW."

Suzaku beamed at him. "Okay!"

In hindsight, perhaps giving an eager, inexperienced Suzaku too much control over the situation wasn't the best idea. Lelouch was sure that, at least, he'd have a rather specialized limp tomorrow due to Suzaku's haste. Not that he was complaining right now, of course.

"Oh. God. Harder, Suzaku…"

Suzaku grunted in acknowledgement and shifted his grip, pounding Lelouch into the couch, and the bed was right there, they could easily have moved, but right now all Lelouch could think about was the way Suzaku felt as he drove into him, hard enough that he could feel the couch frame through the cushions.

It felt incredible.

Lelouch was barely able to stave off his orgasm, wanting this to last, wanting to draw it out as long as possible; but as Suzaku's hand sped up over his erection and as his thrusts kept hitting that sweet spot and as his eyes looked deep into Lelouch's, dulled by the sheer ecstasy, Lelouch felt himself come undone.

He called Suzaku's name when he came, faintly aware of Suzaku continuing to thrust into him until he came as well, before collapsing on Lelouch, sweaty and sated.

Every part of Lelouch ached in the best way.

Suzaku recovered first, nuzzling against Lelouch's chest and smiling as he kissed the skin there. "Lelouch?"

"Hmm?"

"Your hands aren't the only part of you that feels familiar."

Oh. Right. Suzaku's memory. "Do you remember anything?"

"No. I know I've done that before." Suzaku grinned. "A lot, but I can't remember anything specific. There's just a general impression of you feeling fantastic and looking gorgeous and… cuddling."

"…cuddling." Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "You can't remember your name, but you can remember cuddling."

Suzaku looked at him, devastatingly earnest. "Cuddling's important, Lelouch."

Lelouch sighed. "Yes, you did always say that…" He wrapped his arms around Suzaku and relaxed. Suzaku kissed his chest again and sighed as he rested there.

"Um… Lelouch?"

"Yes, Suzaku?"

"Can we do that again?"

"I suppose." Lelouch smiled. "Considering it was your first time, in a way, you did very well."

"Thanks… I think." Suzaku was already getting used to Lelouch's condescending 'compliments'. "But I kinda meant… can we do that again… now?"

Lelouch looked into Suzaku's hopeful, pleading face and realized that, almost certainly, giving an eager, inexperienced Suzaku too much control over the situation was definitely not the best idea.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

"Did you fuck him better?"

"No."

"Did he remember anything more?"

"No."

"Can you sit down?"

"…no."

C.C., showing a rare kind of consideration, did not burst into laughter at that. "How many times?"

"Four." Lelouch groaned. "One on the couch, then I convinced him to move to the bed, then he wanted to try from behind and he thought that was okay because… 'You don't have to do anything! Just leave it up to me, Lelouch!'." Lelouch groaned. "And then the moment we woke up this morning."

"Did you even consider saying 'no'?"

Lelouch looked away. "N-not really. He…" He waved vaguely. "Really big eyes. Really talented hands."

C.C. patted him on the head. "So. What's Plan B?"

"What were your suggestions again?"

"Montage. Road trip. I have a new one; slide show."

"How is that different from a montage?"

"It's more boring."

Lelouch shook his head. "No. Your ideas are stupid. I keep trying to think of a more eloquent adjective, but they're just plain stupid. Clearly, I will have to figure out a solution on my own."

C.C. pouted. "Why? I like this new Suzaku."

"For Zero Requiem!" Lelouch declared. "For the future of the world!" He managed to draw himself up, wincing only slightly. "Suzaku Kururugi is the man I have entrusted with the future of humanity; with the kinder, gentler world that Nunnally yearned for. By his actions, the cruelty of generations will be overturned, at his hands, the time of dictators and Emperors will end. The world will turn to him as hero, as guardian, and he will carry that burden; as he is the strongest man I know, the only one capable of inheriting the mantle of Zero." His arm swept out in a familiar gesture. "He is my truest and oldest friend, my heir and successor, and not a little boy in a man's body who happens to have a natural talent for fucking!"

"…he likes pizza more than your suppers."

That settled it. "I want the old Suzaku back."

"…he says it's because he doesn't have to use forks."

"If head trauma caused it, maybe head trauma will reverse it."

"…if you'd just let him use chopsticks, he might like your cooking better."

"C.C., fetch me a bat."

"What for?" Suzaku poked his head into the room, his eyes lighting up and a shy smile coming over his face as he looked Lelouch over. Lelouch rubbed his forehead and sighed; four times wasn't enough?

C.C., rather than answering, stood and sauntered out of the room. "Three's a crowd…"

Suzaku managed to pull his eyes away from Lelouch for a moment. "You don't have to go, C.C."

"Really? With the way you're looking at him?"

Suzaku bit his lower lip, smiling coyly. "Well, I mean, if you wanted…"

Lelouch growled and barely restrained from pulling his hair out. "You know what? I'll leave." And he shoved past Suzaku and retreated to his room.

"…he seemed mad."

"He's just frustrated."

Suzaku looked sad and guilty and altogether far too much like Suzaku for C.C.'s taste. "It's because I've lost my memory and can't help him do that thing he wants me to do, isn't it?"

"Well, yes." C.C. wasn't great with comfort.

Suzaku looked even more down. "I didn't mean to. I want… I want to remember him. And you." He frowned and pursed his lips. "Not so much you for some reason. Were we even friends?"

C.C. tried for honesty and understatement. "We weren't enemies…" All the time.

Suzaku shrugged. "Okay. Good. But it's like the more I want to remember everything, the more it escapes me. I mean, earlier when Lelouch and I were–"

"Ah!" C.C. held up a hand. "We have a deal. You've forgotten, but we have a deal; Lelouch can share the explicit details of your sexual encounters, but you're not allowed to talk to me about them at all, because you don't have a proper filter between your brain and your mouth."

"Oh." Suzaku looked disheartened. "So that doesn't change, does it." He sighed. "But I mean… so my tongue was coming right up the inside of his thigh and–"

"Stop!" C.C. interrupted. "No. Talking. About. Lelouch's inner thigh, please." She shuddered. "It was bad enough when Marianne was teasing me."

Suzaku shook his head. "Sorry. But when I… when we were… I knew exactly what to do, how to please him; and the sounds he made didn't surprise me, even if they did–"

"Pre-emptive shut up right now!" C.C. said, slapping her hand over Suzaku's mouth. "I get what you're trying to say. You know things you shouldn't be able to, and the things you feel you should know are completely beyond you. It's frustrating and confusing and a little scary, but those hints; those glimpses of another person, another mind within your own, seem familiar and comfortable. You want to touch those thoughts, reconnect with them, but something's stopping you, almost as if there's a purpose behind that disconnect. Like a thin premise for a PWP in which Lelouch spazes."

Suzaku's eyes were wide and C.C. could kind of understand how Lelouch hadn't been able to refuse him. "…that's exactly it! That explains everything! Except that last bit, that just makes no sense."

C.C. shrugged. "Well I was close. The point is, you and Lelouch both need more patience. Something this big isn't going to just resolve on its own. It takes time."

"I see." Suzaku nodded. "I wonder… would it help if I knew what he wanted me to do?" He sighed. "Maybe I can do it as I am."

C.C. snorted. "I don't doubt that you could don Zero's outfit and run Lelouch through with his own sword in an appropriately dramatic manner, so that he dies amongst the cheers and jubilation of those he subjugated. But to continue on as Zero, to maintain the peace that you two plan to buy with Lelouch's life and your sacrifice… that might be a bit beyond you; even with Nunnally's help."

Suzaku started at her. "Wat?"

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Lelouch was frustrated. He was too frustrated to manage the small but cruel laws and restrictions he'd implemented world-wide. He was too frustrated to play chess. He was even too frustrated to pace the room.

All he did was lean against his dresser, wishing he could at least sit, but that damnable ache was still there…

He was inwardly seething (not against anything in particular, just generally seething) when strong, confident hands wrapped around his waist and soft, wet lips pressed against his nape. "Hey. Missed me?"

Strangely enough, while the solid weight of Suzaku against his back didn't alleviate that ache, it certainly made it less important. Still… "I saw you ten minutes ago."

"Wasn't really me. Doesn't really count." The lips pressed more firmly and the hands migrated southwards. "Your Majesty."

Lelouch sighed and moved into Suzaku's light touch. "Suzaku. My knight."

"Not any more," Suzaku pointed out. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Official announcement and funeral is tomorrow." Lelouch moaned. "You can still be my knight until then."

Suzaku chuckled. "Just 'cause it turns you on, you'll alter reality around you until it fits your personal desire."

And that, that insight and mixture of humour and censure, convinced Lelouch that his Suzaku was really back. "It's hot." He turned his head and shared a sloppy kiss as Suzaku slid his pants down. "When did you get your memory back?"

"Probably around the time that C.C. told me what Zero Requiem actually entailed and I really didn't want to get my memory back."

Lelouch laughed a little and leaned forward as Suzaku's hand traced over his lower back, moving down. "Even your subconscious is contrary. I am less surprised than I perhaps should be."

"You're one to talk about being 'contrary', Lelouch," Suzaku shot back, rifling through Lelouch's drawer for the lube stashed away in there. "Three times? You never let me do you that much." Lelouch snorted, but it changed to a gasp as Suzaku pushed in a slicked finger. "Except for that one time." Another joined it and Lelouch was already panting for it. "…and maybe those other times." Suzaku chuckled and replaced his fingers with his cock and thrust deep into Lelouch in one smooth, practiced motion. "But I still think you owe me."

It took Lelouch a few long moments to catch his breath before he could properly form a retort. "By all means, you are welcome to your pound of flesh, Sir Kururugi." Suzaku thrust lightly and Lelouch clenched around him and gasped. "And y-your pint of blood… will have to come later."

"That's fine," Suzaku whispered, nipping at Lelouch's earlobe. "And long as we can come now."

"…we are not amus- ah, Suzaku, god…" Lelouch braced himself as Suzaku started moving in earnest. "Warn me next… ooh, right there…"

And Suzaku chuckled and Lelouch moaned and closed his eyes and gave himself up to the sensation of Suzaku; faintly amazed at how different and similar this was to the memoryless Suzaku who'd fucked him just this morning.

Their techniques weren't all that different, but this Suzaku was more amused, more entertained by Lelouch's complaints and less careful, knowing exactly how much Lelouch could handle, and less hesitant as his memories and his instincts worked in tandem rather than warring against each other.

This was his Suzaku.

And, dammit, he'd appreciate the supper Lelouch cooked him or else.