Work Text:
Rolo was getting ready to sleep, and as soon as he opened the door to his bedroom, he was greeted by a plushie sitting right in the middle of his bed. While standing there, he stared at the object, a bit of uneasiness invading him because it looked like it could move at any moment. Well, not literally, as it didn’t show any signs of being alive.
And as concerned as he was with finding out what this thing was doing there, he couldn't discard the possibility that it was just a prank. So, instead of looking at it with greater detail, the first thing he did was run backwards and knock on his brother's door.
Lelouch slightly opened the door of his bedroom and received him with that sweet voice he was accustomed to hear.
"What's wrong Rolo? Can't sleep?"
"N-no, it's not that. Did you... leave a plush in my bed?"
His brother looks at him in a funny way, clearly not catching what he was talking about.
"...No? Why would I do that?"
"I see...um..." Rolo nervously moves his eyes from left to right and can't think of anything else to make the situation less awkward.
He could let Lelouch examine the thing with him but just... Why would a plush who looks like that even exist in the first place? His poor brother would think he is trying to do some black magic with him!
"I-it seems I forgot I took one with me when I came to the dorms..." Is all he could mutter. He is not sure if Lelouch even remembers the fake memories of the specific times at the britannian household, but there sure were a lot of toys back there…
The black haired boy looks at him for a while, with a hint of concern showing.
"...Oh I see. Well, good night Rolo. And try to not get scared next time"
"I will... good night, nii-san"
And the door closes.
Rolo goes back to his bedroom to think about this thoroughly.
Maybe it is a trick from the enemy. It could be a secret spying device, or even a bomb. He couldn't let such a thing that came out of nowhere just be there, because his big brother's life could be in danger too.
Still, such things didn't surprise him as much. He was accustomed to everything at this point, with assassinations, weird Geass powers and all that. So, rather than seeing this as a threat, the scenario reminded the boy of the magical creatures that would appear in the various fairy tales his brother would read him to sleep. It was pretty much inviting and nostalgic... of things he hadn't actually experienced.
He started meticulously examining the object, as if it were another target for assassination.
...He couldn't deny it. It was cute. Probably 20 centimeters tall if not a little more.
There was a little problem with it though. Well, not exactly small. A pretty big and obvious problem.
It looked exactly like Lelouch. Down to every detail, hair cut just like his, the Ashford Academy uniform, even the symbol was there. There were too many coincidences.
For that reason alone, this is not a plush that is supposed to exist.
If it were a stuffed teddy bear, Rolo would have probably thrown it out the window, following his swift senses. But because it looked like him , he didn’t have the heart to get rid of it.
The simplified embroidery in its face made Rolo chuckle a little with how stupid it looked. And yet it perfectly embodied his brother's temper.
While holding the plush and turning it around, that's when he realized that he never had any toy of his own either... The ones he was given in the past were just distractions for his targets, to make them lower their guard with the sight of an innocent looking child. The Order would retrieve them as soon as he finished because such things were not allowed for him, and he did not question this. He was, after all, not a normal child by any circumstance. Just a killing machine .
But now he isn't in that solitary confinement room anymore and he isn’t actively using his Geass either. For a professional like him, getting from mission A to mission B was like crossing the street, and this was getting into some sort of weird long vacation. And as the unconscious workaholic that he is -to not say an outright slave to the Order’s wishes- it’s understandable that he feels out of place in a normal school setting. He learns subjects fast, sure, but when it came to relationships…
No, That is not the point either.
Rolo — a codename of many he had — knows that this work is all pretend. And while he reassured himself that there is no one more qualified than him thanks to years of experience, there was something else getting in the way. Someone else getting in the way. Someone who threatened to stagger his mask by the mere act of existing in the same space as him.
That’s right. The one falsely called Lelouch Lamperouge, whom he was now holding in his hands in the form of a pretend doll, was the root cause of something akin to an existential crisis. Because the more they were together, the more something inside the boy felt wrong – it definitely wasn't his heart, machines like him are not allowed to malfunction – , and those weren’t time to time occasions, but a regular occurrence.
As so, he could not escape the thoughts that exceeded those related to his mission. But he doesn’t want to admit that there's more to him… a part of him that just wants to be loved and cared for.
Those were the things that were plaguing his mind, all while blankly staring at the lifeless toy he was holding. And the more the clock ticked, the closer to his body it got. He doesn’t notice this, though, as he’s more concentrated in stopping his eyelids from closing. I’m still analyzing it is all he’s telling to himself, but if anyone were to see him right now, they would laugh out loud at the sight of a teenager looking at a plush with such a serious expression. He looks like he's actively trying to fight his inner child, debating if he should give it away or keep it to himself, murmuring stuff in the vein of “I’m too old for this!” or “It has sentimental value!”
But such a scenario was not possible for Rolo. Not having a normal childhood was finally getting to him, whether he was aware of it or not.
He’s growing tired. Bedtime was not something enforced in the Order, as he had missions at night all the time. And no, there weren’t any rules about it here either. Then why does he feel so sleepy all of a sudden, when he didn’t waste a significant amount of energy today? Yet he wants to lay his head in a pillow, comfortably position his body in this unnecessarily big bed while covering himself with a blanket.
He does so. But it’s not enough.
It 's lonely. It feels cold. He wants Lelouch to read him to sleep again, as he gently caressed his hair. He wants to pretend closing his eyes while his brother yawns too, carefully placing himself in the same bed as to not wake him up. He wants to wrap his arms around his waist, feeling his heartbeat and watching his chest go up and down as he breathes. He wants to go back to those nights where he’s rubbing his cheeks while he’s trembling and holding back tears, as if having a nightmare. He wants to hold his hands closer to him when it happens, as a form of reassuring him his little brother would always be there. Rolo wanted, desired, longed for nothing more than to be with him right now, and it was hurting his chest like hell, like he’d never experienced it before.
He then looks at the stupid plush that he’s holding so close for no reason at all. And it was a natural reaction put within the human gene, or else he could not understand the sudden urge to hug a piece made from cloth and cotton.
So he finally gave in to that impulse.
It was weirdly comforting.
And before he had the time to react, he was already falling asleep with a plush embraced in his arms.
"Rolo, it's time for class. I made pancakes."
Rolo is woken up by the light knocking and slow voice of his brother. He starts opening his eyes little by little… and notices the plushie right beside him… then proceeds to throw it away as hard as he could, making it hit the floor.
At that moment he is thankful that Lelouch is considerate enough not to open the door right away. Because then there won’t be an option other than using his Geass and kill hi- N-no… Just putting the plush aside and making it seem like nothing happened would be enough…
His face got so, so red from embarrassment that he needed to go to the bathroom immediately to cool it off. It was burning hot, almost a spontaneous fever.
He just needs to go unnoticed by Lelouch. If he’s already in the kitchen, then there’s no problem. He’d just directly drown his own face in the sink’s water.
He opens the door.
And Lelouch is right in front of him… how lucky…
“It’s weird for you to wake up this late. Did something happen?”
…
Rolo is stunned, stuck in place. His face is the same color as just moments ago, only with a blank expression, waiting for his nervous system to send the signal to actually change it to something according to the context. Bad news to him: he can’t completely control his body, just as any other person can’t hide a fever.
“Nii-san.” — is said with the plainest voice tone known to man.
“I knew it, Rolo…” The face Lelouch is making… was one of disappointment. Furrowed eyebrows, closed eyes… there’s no way…
“I knew something was wrong with you!”
No way of mistaking it.
“You’ve been acting strange since yesterday…”
Just… what is happening now…? Did he see it? Can he see right through him? He obviously could! It was obvious. Rolo couldn’t even hide it behind his never-changing expression, because he started changing them to all sort of new ones ever since… ever since …! He knew it, he was getting soft around his kill target, no less. The once prolific assassin of the Geass Order, is now getting caught in the stupidest way possible!? Unforgivable! They will kill – ! No, he doesn't know what would be of him . And that, that was more terrifying than the thought of a slow and painful death.
Trembling, all he says in that moment is…
“S-stop that, Nii-san! I’m alright. I promise…”
But Lelouch dismisses that request and approaches his little brother anyways.
Rolo doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t even think of using his Geass to-
One touch.
One touch was enough to wash all of his worries away.
It isn’t gentle, it isn’t warm. It’s cold and aggressive, yet, the back of his brother’s hand pressing against his forehead was something that felt so real, in comparison to the pain that the thought of not being with him brought him.
Lelouch is looking at him with concern and what Rolo could only describe as an over exaggerated reaction. But he doesn’t fight back against it. If he’s now the vulnerable and sick child, might as well play that role well and just close his eyes, letting all happen.
“You have a fever… should have suspected it sooner.”
Rolo doesn’t reply. Doesn’t say anything.
“It’s better if you skip class today. It’s okay, I’ll talk to the teachers for you. Don’t worry about it.”
That’s right. That’s what’s best for him right now.
“I’ll take care of you, just rest for the time being. I’ll bring breakfast to your bed. We can watch a movie later if you want.”
Rolo finally opens his eyes, drawing in his lips a genuine smile.
“You just want an excuse to skip class, don’t you?”
Lelouch laughs.
“Yeah… I guess I do.”
That same day, the sound of Milly Ashford dramatically opening the door of the student council room could be heard by all living beings on the second floor.
“Your attention everyone! We lost the Lelouch plush. Do not let this information exit this place or else it will spoil our surprise!
Seconds of silence.
Shirley moves her head towards Rivalz’s direction and he just makes an “I don’t know” gesture with his shoulders. So she asks…
“U-Uh? President...? What do you mean by " the Lelouch plush”?”
“It’s a Lelouch plush.”
“I-I see…”
Shirley looks at Rivalz again, but nobody says a word.
“The sewing club is mad. They’re searching for it everywhere.” Milly started moving around the room, arms crossed and a concerned expression on her face.
Shirley, who first thought this would be a meaningless one-off sentence ( but this is Milly we’re talking about!) was now forming a smile, admiring her friend’s hard work and concern for all the students.
“Milly…”
But then, the president spilled out the secret and ruined that image.
“Now the Lelouch Festival is ruined…”
Rivalz was the first to explode.
“Wait, just WHAT in hell do you mean by “Lelouch Festival”!? That’s the weirdest idea you’ve ever come up with!”
He’s calling her out loud, fast and without any thought put in those words. And that earns him almost biting his tongue, compelling him to slow down a bit. The tone is still the same.
“And why are we just finding out about this now!?”
Milly faces him.
“It’s a birthday party you dumb Rivalz… Well the idea was to just make it with us but you know…”
“You know… what?”
And why is she calling me dumb!?
“...Everyone loves Lelouch in this school.”
“...Explain the plush then.”
“Part of the attraction. There is also a life sized cardboard cutout of him in the deposit.”
“Yeah I even saw the art club making a marble sculpture… we did not ask them that. Stop this madness altogether!”
Shirley felt totally lost with what they were talking about. What was this about a… statue? of Lelouch? Why do they want to make that? Is he a school martyr…? Well he excelled at equestrian activities… but all that class skipping…
“Why should I? We’ve just started. We could make a “Lulu” -poem competition too.” She said that nickname in a baby voice, mocking Shirley and waiting to get a reaction from her, which she did achieve. The attacked one’s face showed the intent of a ferocious lion…! an attempt. Poor girl just ended up with her mouth open and no way of striking back. She did make Lulu-poems… and maybe there are more in the works.
Milly let out a short laugh and continued.
“But the plush is obligatory. It makes him look cute and accessible to the public… makes you think you can have your own Lelouch… marketing 101…”
What was this marketing talk about a real and breathing human being!? Is Lelouch some kind of idol…? Would Milly be a good manager!? No, that wasn’t the point again!
“Well it’s just a plush, we can still do it… Wait no! please make this a normal birthday party!”
At the end, Rivalz was just as lost as Shirley… and Milly kept fighting to make her point stand.
“No you don’t get it Rivalz, it’s our most valuable raffle prize! Also you’re just jealous that all the girls are over him!”
Another personal attack directed at the guy. He has no way of defending himself too.
“N-no I'm not!”
Shirley, who was watching the “debate” (if you could call screaming at each other that) unfold, and embarrassed by the thought of a Festival just dedicated to her crush, finally left her two cents in a trembling voice.
“Y-you two! please stop… I also think i-it’s not a good idea…”
Rivalz immediately followed through.
“Of course it’s a bad idea. His stalkers are going to steal everything anyway!”
Milly pouted and looked at each of them, waiting for a change of mind for a while before taking her stance again.
“Okay. The Lelouch Festival is cancelled. For now”
The two of them breathe a sigh of relief. But knowing the president, they knew friendly “debate” wouldn’t be enough to stop this plan from going on… with the statue already in the works and that cardboard thing finished, that is.
“Shirley would have probably loved it though…”
It didn’t take long for it to resurface again.
“E-Eh!? N-no I wouldn’t! Don’t make me look like that, Millyyyy!
And while swinging her arms in an attempt to make the silver-tongued president stop a bit, she came with a better plan and changed the subject to the “normal” party.
“W-well if we’re going to make a birthday party we could ask Rolo for help. After all, he is the one that understands his brother the best.”
Shirley feels proud of her collaboration. Then someone else goes and ruins that moment of peace-
“No waay! He’s going to tell him everything. Just look at how he’s always following him around, it’s like he’s trying to steal my “Lelouch’s best friend” title!”
The girl can’t hide her disgusted face anymore. She's done.
“You can’t be jealous of someone else’s family Rivalz… that’s so childish.”
Thanks, Milly, for saying what was on my mind…
“Y-you again, why are you so bitter to me all of a sudden!?”
And with laughter and lots of hurtful comments, the loose atmosphere of the student council came back to what it was.
...Maybe they forgot what they were talking about in the first place.