Work Text:
Suzaku had been working on his grand plan for almost a month, constantly revisiting his vision and tweaking his ideas.
Now, details had been ironed out. Speeches had been somewhat memorized. Artifacts had been procured, and locations scouted out. Stalling was cowardly now that everything was ready; thus, today was the day. Lelouch deserved nothing less than perfect. As a schemer himself, surely Lelouch would appreciate the dedication and production that went into Suzaku’s bold strategy. If nothing else, even if no relationship resulted from Suzaku’s efforts, at least it was a love confession worthy of Lelouch. At the end of the day, no matter what, Suzaku would rest easy knowing he gave it his all. He couldn’t ask any more of himself.
“Good morning,” Suzaku chirped, beaming as Lelouch blearily stumbled into the dining room.
Lelouch finished rubbing his eyes. “Suzaku?”
“Hi,” Suzaku said, pushing a plate of breakfast towards Lelouch’s typical seat. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. Nunnally was excited.”
Slowly shaking his head, Lelouch settled into his chair. “It’s fine. You’re always welcome. I just wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“Actually,” Suzaku said before he lost his nerve, fiddling with his toast, “I was hoping to steal you for the day.”
Lelouch’s head jerked up, and his gaze sharpened with interest. “Me?”
Snorting, Suzaku confirmed, “Yes, you. I know you usually have a lot going on, which makes it hard to plan things, but…”
Nodding, Lelouch teased, “I guess I can spare a day for you, Suzaku.”
Relishing the rush of warmth and anticipation, Suzaku waited impatiently as Lelouch ate breakfast and chatted with Nunnally. The Student Council members had often tried—unsuccessfully—to reel Lelouch into their crazy plans of late, but Lelouch had usually brushed them off with vague implications of being too busy. It had been a risk to show up unannounced at Lelouch’s breakfast table, before he started his day, and attempt to waylay him from his original secret goals. Suzaku couldn’t help but hope it was a sign Lelouch thought higher of him than of the others.
Besides, now his Master Plan could commence on schedule. Trying again another day wouldn’t have been the end of the world—Lelouch was worth waiting for, worth trying for, worth replanning for—but Suzaku admitted to himself that it worked out for the best when things went according to plan from the get-go.
“Have fun, boys!” Nunnally said as Sayoko cleared the dishes.
Suzaku smiled at her, knowing she could sense his energy. He hadn’t outright confided in Nunnally about his intentions with her brother, but he believed a part of her intuitively knew. There was something akin to approval curling Nunnally’s lips as she waved them off for the day.
“So, what exactly is this all about?” Lelouch asked around a yawn as he trailed a step behind Suzaku out the door.
“You’ll see,” Suzaku said, hoping he sounded the right level of mysterious.
“Ah, it’s a secret,” Lelouch said, blinking in the early morning sunlight. “Should I be scared?”
Suzaku bit back a frown, realizing there actually was a faint tremor of fear hiding under Lelouch’s bravado. To be fair, there was good reason for Lelouch’s apprehension; that said, it was too soon in the plan to address it adequately, so Suzaku settled on, “I have some things I want to show you, that’s all.”
“Intriguing,” Lelouch said, his posture relaxing. “Carry on then.”
Suzaku grinned at him and set an easy pace into the heart of the Tokyo Settlement. The first stage of his grand plan was to remind Lelouch of what they could accomplish together, to bring up the “ancient history” that proved they’d made a great match from the beginning.
“Where exactly are you taking me?” Lelouch asked, starting to sound a bit annoyed as Suzaku kept leading him down random side streets. “I have important things I could be doing today.”
Suzaku almost faltered, admitting to himself that a trip down memory lane probably wasn’t something high on Lelouch’s priorities. After all, Lelouch made it a point to look forward. “I was reminded of something,” Suzaku explained, his stomach swooping with nerves. Revisiting the past was necessary, but it was a delicate balancing act. “Anyway, we’re almost there.”
Lelouch stared at him, confusion swirling in his eyes. “Okay?”
Sliding to a halt in front of a veterinary clinic, Suzaku shuffled on his feet.
“Do you need help getting Arthur checked out?” Lelouch asked, his expression softening as he eyed the building’s signage. “Suzaku, I’ll do anything I can to help. You know that. But you could have just asked.”
Shaking his head, but filing that information away for later, Suzaku answered, “It’s not that. But there is something else I’d like your help with. Come with me.” Leading the way, causing the bell above the door to jingle as they entered, Suzaku approached the front desk.
“Kururugi, right?” asked the receptionist. “We’ve been expecting you. Thanks for helping out today.”
Lelouch looked baffled, but he stood in solidarity at Suzaku’s side.
A vet tech came out from the back, carrying a ventilated shoebox. “We’ve been so busy lately, we haven’t had a chance to bring this little guy home. Good thing you and your friend are experts.”
“We’ve got this covered,” Suzaku promised, brimming with hope and newfound confidence. He took the shoebox and reverently handed it over to Lelouch, smiling wistfully at the soft cheeps emanating from inside. It brought him back to their summer of joy.
Lelouch peeked inside, his violet eyes shining as he glanced back at Suzaku—like he understood what Suzaku was really trying to say. “Is this…?”
Steering Lelouch outside, Suzaku prompted gently, “Remember when that little bird got loose?”
“We proved we could do anything when we worked together,” Lelouch remembered aloud, stepping closer so his shoulder brushed Suzaku’s as they walked. He cradled the shoebox protectively against his chest, but his searching eyes never left Suzaku’s.
“Yeah,” Suzaku murmured, almost tripping over his own feet as he led Lelouch towards the park. Of course Lelouch understood. “You and I, together…”
What looked like pure desire flashed in Lelouch’s eyes, and Suzaku had to catch himself. He was probably only imagining things, seeing what he wanted to see. “Anyway,” he said, glancing away with a self-conscious cough and pointing at the trees on the horizon, “I thought we could make sure he got home safely, like old times.” He dropped his gaze to the sidewalk, suddenly nervous Lelouch would think him a sentimental fool. “I’m sorry. I know you said you had more important things to do—”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Lelouch chided, bumping Suzaku’s shoulder with his own. “This far outweighs any of my other plans.”
Suzaku couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Lelouch, his gaze caught by the soft blush obvious on Lelouch’s cheeks. It was encouraging.
“I can’t help but notice,” Lelouch said with a dry snort, “that you’re not almost killing me in our efforts to help this little bird get home.”
“You were in good hands,” Suzaku scoffed, relaxing at the friendly banter. “I didn’t crash the car, remember?”
“You were driving at 70 miles per hour!” Lelouch pointed out, his eyes twinkling with fond humor. “It’s a miracle we’re here today to recreate our daring rescue!” Never mind that their current mission was a contrived echo of their original misadventure, and looked nothing like their childhood escapade.
Chuckling, Suzaku itched to grab Lelouch’s hand—but he couldn’t, because Lelouch was holding the shoebox so carefully. “I drive much faster than that now,” Suzaku bragged, thinking of the Lancelot.
Lelouch huffed and rolled his eyes. “You reckless—!” Then, shaking his head, he snickered, “I’m wondering if you’re not just an exercise nut, but a plain old nut.”
“Ha. Ha,” Suzaku shot back, settling into the comfortable routine. They reached the park far too soon, and Suzaku silently admonished himself for setting such a quick pace—even though it must not have been that quick, because Lelouch surely would have complained if it was. Meandering along the walkways, Suzaku said, “Let me know if you spot a good place to release this little guy.”
“Deal,” Lelouch said and, though they passed several perfect spots, never said a word. It almost seemed like he was trying to prolong their time together too.
Suzaku tried not to get his hopes up. When the other side of the park came into view, he forced his feet to a halt. Looking directly at Lelouch, he said softly, “Maybe we should revisit some places.”
“Yeah,” Lelouch agreed, but he wasn’t moving and he was looking at Suzaku with something like wonder—like he was reading a deeper meaning into Suzaku’s words, as intended.
His heart fluttering like their nursed bird, Suzaku couldn’t help but lean in. The shoebox squished a bit between their chests as he pressed closer, and Lelouch’s eyes were slipping closed as he tilted his head towards Suzaku and—
SQUAWK!
Suzaku leapt back, his face on fire, and hurriedly looked away. “Sorry,” he mumbled, avoiding Lelouch’s gaze.
“It’s fine,” Lelouch said, opening the box to peer inside. “He’s fine. No harm done.”
The newly-healed bird chirped angrily at them from its squashed box, its feathers ruffled.
“How about we put the nest there?” Suzaku suggested, pointing to the first branch he noticed. Without waiting for an answer, he tugged the shoebox from Lelouch and scaled the tree. Loose feathers drifted down in his wake.
“Show-off,” Lelouch muttered from the base of the trunk, and Suzaku breathed a bit easier because Lelouch wasn’t running.
Placing the pre-constructed nest and the bird in the tree, Suzaku stalled for time and tried to get his thoughts in order. He’d almost kissed Lelouch ahead of schedule, and Lelouch had seemed to want it just as badly. But how could Suzaku address the awkwardness between them now? And what if he’d been mistaken? He was skilled at reading body language, but Lelouch was his own brand of special study. This whole confession had to be done right. It was planned out for a reason, and this was the time to set up the foundation; it wasn’t worth losing Lelouch in the end by jumping the gun now. Taking a deep breath, Suzaku shimmied down the tree and turned to face his best friend. Words lodged in his throat, and Suzaku had to mentally coach himself through resisting panic.
Lelouch was leaning against the side of the tree, his arms crossed as he waited. “I thought you grew wings yourself,” he teased, but his expression was serious as he searched Suzaku’s face.
“I just wanted things to be perfect,” Suzaku defended himself, hanging his head.
Lelouch moved closer. Without warning, he lightly shoved Suzaku against the tree.
Head shooting up in surprise, Suzaku opened his mouth to demand answers—and then swallowed his instincts because Lelouch looked like a man on a mission, and their faces were so close again…
Lelouch stopped, eyeing Suzaku pointedly. “Things were already perfect.”
Suzaku’s heart pounded, and he found himself frozen. Was Lelouch warning him not to interfere with their wonderful friendship? Or did he mean…?
“Don’t second-guess yourself,” Lelouch breathed, his expression softening again. He pulled back slightly, giving Suzaku room to breathe. “What were your intentions today?”
“What do you mean?” Suzaku played dumb.
Lelouch sighed, disappointment washing over his face. “It’s obvious you had some kind of plan, Suzaku.”
“Yeah,” Suzaku confirmed breathlessly, his heart still racing. He wasn’t trying to hide it. “I…kind of got ahead of myself.”
Brightening, Lelouch’s entire posture slackened. “Then hurry up,” he ordered, his voice warm and almost playful. His gaze moving thoughtfully between Suzaku’s eyes and mouth, he tacked on, “I’ve got important things I could be doing today.”
-+-
Sometimes the hard realities had to be addressed before the future could shine bright.
Suzaku congratulated himself on his self-control. It had been damn near impossible not to kiss Lelouch under their bird’s tree.
“What’s next?” Lelouch asked, keeping pace with Suzaku as they walked the streets together again.
“It’s not as fun,” Suzaku admitted with a wince, glancing at Lelouch out the corner of his eye. “But it is significant.”
Lelouch nodded decisively. “Then let’s do it.”
Suzaku shivered at Lelouch’s firm dedication. There was no question, only solid, blind trust. With a deep breath, Suzaku guided Lelouch deep into the abandoned subway tunnels in Shinjuku. His hand twitched again to grab Lelouch’s, but he forced himself not to act on his instinct. It would be Lelouch’s decision. His footfalls echoing in the otherwise silent darkness, Suzaku stopped only when they reached the fateful truck.
Lelouch seemed to stop breathing. “Suzaku…”
Turning to Lelouch, his face lit only by the patches of sunlight shining through the holes in the crumbling roof, Suzaku said solemnly, “This is where I came to life again after seven years of losing myself.”
“Suzaku,” Lelouch managed again, his voice tight.
Suzaku lifted his chin. “I’d always wondered about you,” he said softly, “every day since we separated. I hoped you and Nunnally were doing okay. I missed you.” Moving right up to Lelouch, Suzaku continued, “I never got close to anyone afterwards. I mean, I got along with people—but I never quite made a friend like you, Lelouch.”
Lelouch had to try a few times to clear his throat. “Stop it,” he said, looking down and away. “How dare you come back into my life and—and make me feel things, dammit?”
Suzaku smiled, reading Lelouch easily because it was second-nature by now. Despite his words, Lelouch was lapping up the attention; Suzaku would happily feed his ego forever. “I recognized you,” Suzaku said quietly, “and everything just clicked into place. Even with an emergency situation going on, the fact that we were together again…”
“I know,” Lelouch croaked, finally looking into Suzaku’s eyes once more. “I know just what you mean. I felt the same way. I still do.”
Suzaku swallowed a gasp at the corresponding vulnerable emotion in Lelouch’s eyes, in his voice. Here, in the darkness and emptiness of the abandoned subway tunnels, atop the memory of their fated reunion, Lelouch was sharing his heart right back. Blinking back tears, Suzaku stepped forward and gently leaned his forehead against Lelouch’s. “I never want to lose you.”
Lelouch grabbed hold of both Suzaku’s hands and tilted his own head against Suzaku’s, mirroring him. “You won’t,” he promised fiercely. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep us together. I promise.”
“So do I,” Suzaku added, thrilled at Lelouch’s response. “You know you can always count on me.”
Lelouch broke free to press one hand against Suzaku’s lower back, right where Suzaku had been shot in this very subway tunnel for refusing to kill Lelouch, and to hold one of Suzaku’s hands against his own cheek, reminiscent of how Suzaku had automatically pressed his own gas mask to Lelouch’s face to save him, when they’d still been under the impression that poison gas was about to kill them both. “I know,” Lelouch said again, still sounding choked up. “I trust you completely, Suzaku. More than anyone.”
Dizzy with feeling, Suzaku wrapped his arms tight around Lelouch, closed his eyes, and pressed his wet face into Lelouch’s trembling shoulder. He was overcome by a strong desire to drag Lelouch into the back of the abandoned truck—now with more room since there was no capsule in the back anymore—and see where their feelings took them. But, they deserved a glorious start; fumbling in the back of a decrepit truck in the forsaken old subway tunnels wasn’t the way to start an epic relationship.
By this point, Suzaku was certain Lelouch felt the same. Besides, he had a plan to follow.
Lifting his head, Suzaku wiped at his eyes—and brushed away Lelouch’s matching tears for good measure. Ignoring Lelouch’s hitched breath at the intimate action, Suzaku gave him a watery grin and held out a hand in offering. “Shall we continue our adventure?”
Lelouch didn’t hesitate. Clasping Suzaku’s hand securely in his own, he sniffled a couple times before nodding the okay. “Suzaku,” he chuckled weakly, “sometimes I think you’re going to be the death of me. Where to next?”
Suzaku’s heart soared as he tugged Lelouch out of the darkness.
-+-
It felt like they were always on the verge of straddling two worlds.
By the time they made it back to the city proper, it was just about time for lunch. Suzaku dared not let go of Lelouch’s hand in case he lost the nerve later to reclaim it, even with all the evidence in his favor. Feeling lighter than he had in ages, Suzaku pulled Lelouch over to a quaint little restaurant on the border of the Tokyo Settlement and the Eleven ghettoes. “This place is known for its pork buns and bean crepes,” he threw out casually, watching Lelouch carefully for a reaction.
As expected, Lelouch’s eyes widened and shone with amazement. “You remember,” he marveled.
“Of course I do,” Suzaku said, just as softly. He squeezed Lelouch’s hand as they took their seats at an outside table, their joined hands in plain view in the middle of the table. “That summer, you used to sneak extra pork buns into your bed at night for safekeeping.” Laughing lightly at the childhood memory, Suzaku recalled wistfully, “You were really bad at keeping secrets.”
Lelouch’s eyes sparkled with warm nostalgia. “I never could get anything past you.”
Suzaku tilted his head and leaned in conspiratorially. “You still can’t, Lelouch.”
Lelouch froze for the briefest of seconds before he got himself under control.
Suzaku gripped Lelouch’s hand even tighter, knowing the time was fast approaching where he could lay Lelouch’s fears to rest once and for all. It would be best to follow the plan, and make sure his promises were backed by evidence and action. So for now, he simply stroked Lelouch’s cheek with his free hand and murmured, “Trust me, remember?”
Nodding, Lelouch leaned into his touch. “I do.”
“I’ll always help you,” Suzaku said emphatically, his heart flipping at the hopeful look dawning in violet eyes. “For now, let me treat you.”
“Suzaku…”
His heart feeling like it would burst from overwhelming affection, Suzaku opened his mouth—
“Would ya look at that, Ohgi?” sniffed a redheaded Japanese man passing by their table, loudly interrupting their moment. “Look at the infamous blood traitor holding hands with some Britannian twink.”
Lelouch’s eyes flashed dangerously, and Suzaku held on to him tighter so Lelouch wouldn’t march over and cause some dramatic scene.
The redhead’s companion shifted uncomfortably, offering Suzaku and Lelouch an awkward and apologetic smile. He winced. “Sorry about my friend. He can be really insensitive.”
“So it would seem,” Lelouch said icily, glaring daggers at the Japanese man who’d insulted them.
Suzaku leaned across the table, vying to recapture Lelouch’s attention. “Do you care what others think?”
Lelouch finally turned away from the Japanese passers-by. “Not at all,” he responded calmly. “What we have is nobody else’s business.”
“Right,” Suzaku agreed, weak with relief. They would surely face many an obstacle from society, with their backgrounds and circumstances being what they were. At least they were on the same page about how to view things. “So we’d better get used to letting crap like that roll off our shoulders.”
Grumbling to himself, Lelouch huffed and stared at the retreating men. “Idiots,” he hissed after them, too softly to be heard by the pedestrians but obviously determined to get in the last word.
Suzaku shook his head fondly and never let go of Lelouch’s hand.
Their place was right in the middle, bridging their two worlds into a brand new one.
-+-
Parts of the past could be restored, and sometimes the new echoes rang with deeper meaning.
It was a journey worth taking, and a peace worth pursuing. One day, Japan would be the prime example of restoration. But it didn’t always have to be on such a big level to be impactful. After lunch, Suzaku surprised Lelouch with a trip to a tailor’s store, claiming he needed to pick up a present he’d arranged for.
“What exactly are we doing here?” Lelouch asked distractedly, not-so-subtly checking himself out in the three-fold mirrors.
Suzaku rolled his eyes with amusement and slid into view, lightly slipping his arms around Lelouch from behind. It was a bold move for someone who’d only hinted but not yet confessed; Suzaku sighed in relief when Lelouch didn’t push him away. “Did you know,” he whispered into the shell of Lelouch’s ear, “that some tailors have a side-hustle for restoring old, dirty stuffed animals?”
Lelouch barked a laugh. “Stuffed animals?” he repeated incredulously, turning slightly in Suzaku’s loose embrace. “Suzaku, you do realize I’m seventeen?”
Suzaku deliberately eyed Lelouch in the mirrors from head to toe. “Oh, I’ve definitely noticed,” he breathed, his voice deeply suggestive and darkly teasing. His arms tightened around Lelouch’s torso, and he almost lost the battle against his willpower to kiss Lelouch right then and there. It was a reoccurring theme of his day.
Before Lelouch could respond, an elderly lady came out from behind the back curtain, reverently carrying her work.
Lelouch went completely still in Suzaku’s arms. His expression in the mirrors was appropriately dazed. “Is that…”
“Your stuffed weasel toy,” Suzaku said warmly, hugging Lelouch tighter still. “You loved that thing, but we had to leave it behind when the bombs started raining down on the Shrine.”
Lelouch was breathing erratically now, hastily blinking back tears. “Suzaku,” he said throatily, his fingers clenching desperately in Suzaku’s sleeves. “My mother gave me that for my birthday, shortly before she died. It was her last gift to me…”
Suzaku humbly took the cleaned-and-restored stuffed weasel toy from the tailor, who was looking a bit misty-eyed herself at the emotional backstory. It had taken quite a bit of hard work, revisiting the Kururugi Shrine in secret to find Lelouch’s childhood treasure in the dirt and rubble, and then tracking someone down who could skillfully refurbish it to its former glory. Suzaku couldn’t regret the laborious effort; the awestruck gratitude in Lelouch’s eyes was its own reward. “Then let it be my first gift to you, Lelouch,” Suzaku said, pressing the sentimental stuffed animal to Lelouch’s heart.
Lelouch clutched it to his chest, still taking deep breaths. His eyes met Suzaku’s in the mirrors. “You don’t know what this means to me.”
Suzaku smiled back and brushed his nose along Lelouch’s neck. “I think I do.”
They would restore the future together, one meaningful memento at a time.
-+-
During the grand finale of his confession, Suzaku intended to fully grant Lelouch the key to his heart. He would offer everything he had, and then at that point, he would simply have to trust in Lelouch. He’d set the stage, and he’d finally say his piece—what he’d been leading up to. What happened next would belong to both of them.
Even knowing that the situation had the potential to spiral out of control, Suzaku felt idealistic. Lelouch had been more than responsive to the increasingly amorous hints Suzaku had been laying on him. It no longer felt like a looming mission that would probably go sideways in enemy territory; now it felt like a simple expedition where all Suzaku had to do was follow the outlined mission log and secure success the same way he’d done in safe simulations. Happiness bubbled in Suzaku’s chest as the afternoon wore on, and Lelouch walked proudly at his side holding his stuffed weasel toy like a cherished prize.
“Are we headed back to Ashford?” Lelouch asked, noticing their direction.
Shaking his head, Suzaku answered cryptically, “Not quite.”
“You love keeping me in suspense,” Lelouch griped, but he looked like he was enjoying himself. His eyes gave him away.
Suzaku found himself falling a little more in love. He felt like he was walking on air as he led Lelouch into the university labs through the back entrance, inwardly grateful that Lloyd and Cecile had cleared the area at his request. It hadn’t been easy to convince them, and if they’d known what he was about to do…
Lelouch was gaping. “Suzaku,” he gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the scene. “What…in the world…”
Chest puffing, Suzaku pointed and boasted, “That’s my Knightmare. The Lancelot.”
“Your…?!” Lelouch echoed, rounding on Suzaku and dropping the stuffed weasel toy in pure shock. There was pride and astonishment on his face, but there was also regret, anger, and horror.
Lelouch’s reaction confirmed Suzaku’s harbored suspicions, and suddenly all Suzaku wanted to do was hide from the damage of their conflicting secrets. His bruised heart thumped against his chest, but in the end, it changed nothing. He’d planned for this, after all, and now it was finally time to assuage Lelouch’s worries. Suzaku forced himself to meet Lelouch’s gaze head-on. He stood straighter. Slowly, he reached out and clasped Lelouch’s hand. It was gradually becoming habit, but the electricity between them had evolved to a new level.
Lelouch’s gaze flicked down to their joined hands, but he simply waited.
Suzaku swallowed his hesitation. There was no turning back. He didn’t want to. It was time to lay it all out there, now that he’d laid the foundation. “When I first started at Ashford Academy,” he murmured, “we had that cat chase. Everyone was trying to figure out your secret. You turned that fiasco into an opportunity for the student body to accept me.”
Lelouch steadily nodded, still looking confused, but he patiently allowed Suzaku to finish.
“So now I’m offering you my own secret,” Suzaku said, keeping his voice low as he squeezed Lelouch’s hand. “And I want you to know that…that I accept you…all your layers and masks…no matter what…”
Lelouch stared at him in undeniable awe, much like he had throughout the entire day. “Suzaku…”
“I am your sword,” Suzaku whispered urgently, slowly and purposefully retrieving the Lancelot’s key from around his neck. Memories of their shared childhood and recent past exploded in his mind’s eye, and a sense of certainty settled over him. Everything had led to this moment, where he would promise Lelouch his heart and soul. “We can do anything together. We can change the world.”
“Suzaku…!”
Licking his dry lips, Suzaku pressed forward into the heart of the matter. “But Lelouch? My world wouldn’t mean anything without you in it.”
Lelouch was staring at him like Suzaku was his own personal miracle, for once utterly speechless.
Suzaku held fast to his waning self-control. “You are my past,” he said worshipfully, plucking one of their bird’s feathers out of Lelouch’s hair. “My present,” he added, carefully bringing Lelouch’s shaking hand to his Shinjuku scar tissue. Then, folding Lelouch’s free fingers over the golden key to the Lancelot, he finished huskily, “And my future.”
Lelouch continued to stare at him expectantly, overcome with emotion that he normally didn’t broadcast. “Am I allowed to kiss you yet?”
Chuckling self-consciously, Suzaku ducked his head. “If you want—”
Lelouch didn’t even let him finish, instead launching himself fully into Suzaku’s arms and kissing him with all the pent-up feelings that had been pushed down throughout the day, throughout their months together leading up to this moment, throughout the eternity entwining their fates. He wound his arms around Suzaku’s neck and grasped frantically at Suzaku’s hair, flattening himself against Suzaku’s torso as he tilted his head and opened his mouth under Suzaku’s, demanding satisfaction and fulfillment.
Suzaku groaned into Lelouch’s mouth and let himself go, collapsing against Lelouch and holding him possessively in the way he’d been denying himself. Pride and relief coursed through every nerve in his body that he’d followed his elaborate plan to the end, that he’d shared the secrets of his heart with Lelouch in meaningful ways that demonstrated his commitment to Lelouch’s happiness and future. Nothing could tear them apart now; they would figure things out, like they’d done ever since they were ten. Moaning deeply again, Suzaku hauled Lelouch impossibly closer and plunged his tongue inside Lelouch’s hot, pliant mouth, keening when Lelouch accepted him, invited him deeper…
“I love you,” Lelouch gasped amidst heady kisses, not showing any signs of stopping. “I’ve been waiting for you to get to the damn point all day so I could let you know.”
With a giddy burst of laughter, Suzaku managed, “Thanks for letting me pull the strings for once.” Pulling slightly back, chest heaving for air, he pointed out, “You could have planned your own elaborate confession.”
“How do you know I haven’t been plotting?” Lelouch shot back, quirking an eyebrow. “C.C. was supposed to get back to me with plan revisions last week, but the lazy witch is taking her sweet time.”
Suzaku found himself caught between smiling and frowning. “C.C.?”
Lelouch smirked, playing with the curls at the nape of Suzaku’s neck. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
“No!”
“Hm,” Lelouch mused thoughtfully, “I’m pretty sure it is. You’d better kiss me again.”
Suzaku rolled his eyes, but eagerly followed Lelouch’s suggestion. After kissing Lelouch senseless for another eon, he mumbled against his prince’s lips, “I love you too, by the way.”
“Yeah, I got that memo,” Lelouch breathed, smoothly caressing Suzaku’s face. “And I’m glad you solved my one remaining problem.”
Suzaku nuzzled behind Lelouch’s ear, dropping a light kiss on the delicate skin beneath his lips. “What was that?”
“You know,” Lelouch said, pressing his face into Suzaku’s neck.
Suzaku closed his eyes and inhaled, thinking back to their coded language. “Right,” he said lowly into Lelouch’s ear, understanding that Lelouch was mimicking hiding his face like when he donned the Zero mask. “I meant what I said. I love every part of you, and I made peace with my initial reservations before launching my confession plan.”
“I didn’t even know about you piloting,” Lelouch mumbled, dropping light kisses on Suzaku’s racing pulse. “I just knew I didn’t like that you were still in the Britannian Army. I couldn’t stand the thought of us on opposite sides.”
Suzaku sighed and settled into a more comfortable position against Lelouch. “I know what you mean. That’s when I decided that I couldn’t let myself be your enemy.” Straightening, he trailed his fingers lovingly down Lelouch’s arm and stared right into Lelouch’s eyes. “As proof of my decision, the Lancelot is yours now. It wasn’t just symbolic when I gave you the key as my second gift.”
“I’m more interested in its pilot,” Lelouch said, his voice catching, right before he sealed the assertion with another soul-searing kiss.
“We’re a package deal,” Suzaku explained, not doing a very good job with his words because he was trying so hard to return Lelouch’s wild kisses with equal fervor.
Lelouch looked to the side and snorted, cradling Suzaku’s face as he pulled back just far enough to wholeheartedly correct, “No, Suzaku, I think we’re the package deal here.”
Somehow, Suzaku couldn’t disagree.
Together, they were timeless.