Author's note:

Hi all! I apologize for my absence over the more than a year. I'm a terrible writer and I should be cursed. I assure you all, I'm not dead, and am currently working on some new fanfictions. Unfortunate for many, these fictions don't include the ATLA, FMA or Yu-Gi-Oh fandoms. I'M SO SORRY. I swear to you all that I have all the drafts and WIPs on my computer, waiting to be discovered again, but for the moment I have a new fandom that I feel compelled to shpiel about- Code Geass.

I hope a lot of you revel and jump in joy at this statement just as I do now whenever I think about how brilliant the series is. I jumped on the bandwagon much too late on this one, I admit, and I thank a very dear friend for getting me into it.

Anyway, ON WITH THE STORY! This will be my first and hopefully not my last contribution/one shot of CG. It was written in one day (goodness she has a disease!) and over a few hours. If some of you feel it is insulting to the fandom then I grant you my most humblest apologies. I will do better in the future. Swear it.

As for the title? Don't ask. This fiction came to me as an inspiration from an image I shared with my Suzaku over msn. And as we continued chatting we were started talking about birthdays... so...

...yeah. Told you not to ask.

If I had to rename this chapter it would be as is said below. So please, enjoy the non-crack title, and a cutesy fic that was meant to stay cutesy until angst possessed my fingers.

My Knight

A sea of clothes spread over rice straw making the flooring near impossible to notice as two boys rolled around on the soft material, clutching at their sides and giggling until their breaths caught and they couldn't breathe.

"Le-Lelouch, what about this one?" Suzaku grinned like a cat from a particular fairytale as he held up a long dark blue coat, gold trimming lining the edges. Its design was plain- simple and dark in colour with sharp edges and a button that fastened across the chest, almost from shoulder the shoulder. It was the collar of the piece of clothing that looked absolutely ridiculous.

The edges of the collar rose into sharp points that, when fiddled with properly, stood up straight and out, standing up to cover about half of the wearer's face if he were an adult. To the two ten year old boys, it rose up and could engulf their entire heads easily.

Which was why it looked completely ridiculous when Suzaku draped the coat over Lelouch's shoulders, cackling as the boy protested as the high-rise, collar was thrown over his head.

"H-Hey!" he could barely speak steadily for laughter, "It's not fair that I'm the only one that has to look this stupid!

"Hahaha! But it kind of suits you in a way!" Suzaku grinned cheekily, earning him a puffy-cheeked scowl from a 'royally-clad' ex-prince. "Fine, fine! If you're going to be such a baby about it, I'll find something as equally ridiculous!"

"Better!"

The small Japanese boy set around to rummage through the mess they'd just made. Not ten minutes ago the boys had started their rampage of Toudoh's bedroom, and now most of his clothes (some questionable outfits and a few battle 'keep sakes') lay strewn in crumpled heaps over the tatami mats. Lelouch's current adornment had been something from Toudoh's more questionable collection, the boys had decided, and Lelouch really did not approve of wearing it even as he watched Suzaku crawl from one corner of the room to the next in an extremely unorganized manner.

It made the older one twitch.

"That's enough! You're not getting anywhere!" Lelouch ordered in that princely way that more often than not, made Suzaku want to punch him, hard. "You're just making a bigger mess!" Like the little cape-donned prince was one to talk. "Let me choose something for you this time!"

And with that Lelouch strolled over the lumps and knots of clothing, amethyst eyes scanning the expanse of capes, shirts and even hats, littering the small space they played in until his eyes caught on a rather prestigious looking cloak.

It caught his eye because Lelouch was sure he'd seen that kind of cloak fluttering around the corners of white corridors, or glittering beside his father's high-backed throne, still and firm, ever present yet always in the background and careful... careful to never make its appearance known so obviously, as the ever powerful Emperor's Right Hand.

It brought back memories that Lelouch felt he was probably better off not remembering from the past of his short life. Cloaks like that hadn't featured prominently. He remembered that his mother had talked about how much of an honour it was for someone to earn the Emperor's trust and respect enough to don one of those cloaks. And as she'd spoken about it, she'd looked almost wistful.

Now in his ten year old hands, Lelouch wondered how an article of clothing could seem so important. Its shoulders were broad set, the high-collar wasn't nearly as high as the one he now wore but it was broad all the same. The cut was square and the colour a lighter, more royal blue than his. It too was trimmed in gold, but this one was more fancily gilded, designed in sharp, regal edges and majestic lines.

This cape joined at the centre of the chest and each side was linked by a single gold chain, more for decoration then added security. He flipped the material in his hands to see the back.

Unlike his questionable attire, the back of this regal-looking piece was spread over with what looked like the image of a giant sword crossed with the wings of a bird.

Lelouch's mouth had been open for a while.

"Lelouch?"

The ex-prince felt his name being called, and all the hate that fueled his regular days and maintained the pulse of his still beating-heart seemed to evaporate into something more covetous as he looked into that innocent, wide, green stare with his own violet irises. "Here. You should wear this one."

His declaration hadn't stemmed from anything other than pure innocence. An older Lelouch would hate to see a similar uniform donned by the same person, but this Lelouch saw nothing more fitting for his best friend. "I remember seeing this in the courts." Lelouch began to explain after noticing the curious expression and tilt of Suzaku's head, as the younger watched how reverently his friend seemed to be holding the garment. "These Knights used to wear them. And before you say anything about becoming a Knight of Britannia, don't! That's not what I'm getting at!" he had to interject, able to see the rising fury in his friend's face, "I don't think they really had anything to do with Britannia... They didn't really take part in court matters, they just stood there, watching and protecting others. My mother really admired them..." Lelouch finally managed to say, smiling a little in a way Lady Marianne would have loved to see her son.

"...Should I really wear something so important?"

Lelouch looked up with a great pride rather rare in a child his age, eyes falling on an awed and humbled Suzaku, sitting back on his knees, his hands on his thighs in that Japanese custom Lelouch had been trying to adopt himself. He was sure Suzaku's hesitation stemmed from the comment he'd made about his mother rather than the fact that the cloak belonged to Britannian nobles, and that stirred more affection in Lelouch than he would've thought.

He remembered the way the other boy protected and helped Nunnally, how he looked at her with care and carried her among and over large tree roots so she could join them in their play along the outskirts of the temple, how he carefully took her weight when Lelouch was shaking in exhaustion, beat.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Lelouch finally admitted before Suzaku flushed at the compliment.

With careful hands, Lelouch moved to Suzaku who was about to stand when the violet-eyed other shook his head.

With as much of a flourish as the young Lelouch could muster (which didn't seem to be much as a corner of the cape had caught on another in the motion), the ex-prince settled the article on Suzaku's shoulders. The brunette's head bowed instinctively, though Lelouch smiled thinking that the gesture was probably meant in mocking.

Their little 'ceremony' finished on anything but formality as Lelouch pulled Suzaku into a standing position and walked around him, treading on the heavy trail that splayed out behind the younger, a hand on his chin as he took in the sight. A Knight that would protect Nunnally! His mother would be proud.

"It's heavy..." Suzaku commented, shifting under the thick blue fabric. He poked at the large shoulders. The collar wouldn't have been able to cover his entire face if it had been pulled to do so, but the edge of it did come up well past his ears. It looked too big, too drowning, and too broad.

But Lelouch could see Suzaku fitting into it perfectly.

"Well, only the strongest fighters wear it." He commented.

Suzaku's smile was brilliant.

Before the older of the two could realize, the Japanese boy had taken his wrist and pulled him close, his hand shifting in his loose grasp as he drew close enough to hold properly. Lelouch was shaken but followed the other's lead, smiling a little as he touched his other hand with Suzaku's corresponding one.

Their fingers laced together and both boys stood close. Suzaku's eyes were too bright to look into so Lelouch closed his own, though that was enough- he could feel the warmth of their friendship between them from his hands, and from the forehead that pressed itself against his, coarse brown waves tickling his own forehead.

"No matter what happens, I'll protect you, Lelouch... and Nunnally."

The child Lelouch felt like he was about to cry, his chest tightening with an almost overwhelming sensation of gratitude, adoration, and something else...

"We'll be friends forever, and we'll be okay as long as we stick together."

That well in Lelouch's chest, right where his heart was, seemed to grow into a black hole. Oh, how he wanted nothing more than for them to stay together always.

"You'll be the King, and I'll be your Knight."

Lelouch's cape seemed to be pulling him down into the floor though he didn't care to look. It was starting to choke him a little, though Suzaku's words seemed to draw his attention more and he focused on those words that meant the world to his shredded soul.

"And you'll rule a better, more peaceful world, for all of us."

The young Lelouch came to realize swiftly as the sensation grew, just what that other feeling was, what that growing black hole over his heart meant...

Though young Lelouch couldn't understand why he felt it...

Regret.

He'd dismissed Rolo to be alone.

Lelouch lay awake on his cold mattress, violet eyes open and his body still. Every inch of him was exhausted- body, mind, and whatever spirit he had left.

Nunnally had called for Suzaku at that last moment, and Suzaku had come to her rescue, had whisked her away before Zero in his dark, sharp edged cape and cold mask could touch her.

Suzaku who, gear aside, wore the regal blue that came with the title Knight of Seven.

Lelouch remembered those cloaks, their play and Suzaku's promise in a dream. That scene from a childhood so far gone had made Lelouch's heart ache with a longing for that time again, wishing above everything that Suzaku could protect him too, protect his heart, his mind and body...

But he was living up to his word.

He was protecting Nunnally, and that was enough.

Lelouch didn't need that protection anymore, nor did he need to protect Nunnally. She had Suzaku.

He trusted Suzaku.

Now he just had to make the world better, more peaceful.

"For all of us."