Code Geass: The Requiem Aftermath

by Stella.Formidante

What happens after the world knew about the Demon Emperor's death? Why is Suzaku acting like he lost a lot?

Code Geass: The Requiem Aftermath

By: Stella Formidante

Summary: Lelouch – as Zero – has many things to consider when it comes to careful planning and execution of his plans. Unfortunately, when he overruled Britannia and became an Emperor, he did not expect another thing to consider and it involves a certain brunet whom he termed as the Knight of Zero. Where will this lead them afterwards? What will the aftermath of the Zero Requiem teach these two souls who were just wanting to repay their sins?

A/N: So I'm taking a break from KnB to share with you my first fanfic which involves Code Geass! Yippee! Inspired from the song I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sunrise and CLAMP own Code Geass and any of its characters. I'm just an avid SuzaLulu fan, is all. Hahaha!

Turn 01:

I Knew I Loved You (Before I Met You)

a.t.b. 2018

The war is still brewing up to this time. No one knows the outcome and how things will turn out after the whole ordeal. Emperor Lelouch has successfully regained the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire after seizing control of the world that will be created by his father, Charles zi Britannia. Yes, a gentler world as what the former Emperor stated. A world that is also desired by both Euphemia and Nunnally. But as things gradually sink in Lelouch's mind, he countered his father's will and destroyed the Ragnarok Connection, rendering his other eye the power of Geass. And gradually, Charles and Marianne disappeared as Lelouch ordered them to be gone. And that's how it went so far.

Lelouch was sitting in his throne while watching the Britannians he brainwashed – doing the general cleaning of the palace. He put one hand under his chin and leaned on one side of the throne's armrest. He can hardly remember what that certain thing he was thinking of ever since. Lelouch – being a person who does not waste time – just pressed on the matters regarding how he will defeat his brother, Schneizel.

Nonetheless, he felt more worried about the Zero Requiem. Lelouch had a feeling that he's going to miss something big after the plan is executed. But he tried not to focus on that. He has more things to accomplish before he finally ends his existence on this world.

Now what he needs to do is save Nunnally… That's imperative. But how is he going to save someone – the reason why he became Zero and did all these things – who is now siding on his enemy's parade? But he will get through it and think of a plan. Yes, he will set things right.

The whole ordeal passed by so fast and even Lelouch does not notice it keenly. The people are very aggravated about his reign, which is obvious in that parade to officially proclaim his leadership. That is when Zero came. Everyone is shocked, believing that Lelouch is the real Zero. They did not expect that someone who wears the mask aside from Lelouch appeared. The masked persona ran up to the platform where Lelouch stands, unsheathed his sword and pierced it in Lelouch's belly. People began feeling shocked, some don't have the guts to look at what exactly is happening. But at the very least, they are happy.

"You will wear that mask and forever hide in the identity of Zero." Lelouch is hanging on to Suzaku's frame. "You will be the hero of the people. L-lead them… into… the world… they desire." the emperor then moved away from Zero and walked until he is at the slide where he fell and lied on his back beside Nunnally.

Your sins are atoned now, Lelouch. But why do I feel something strange? Suzaku thought while his tears are freely flowing from his eyes. He must hate Lelouch for everything he did, and yet he can't. Until he just heard the roaring weep of Nunnally who held Lelouch's hand one last time.

a.t.b. 2020

It has been two years and people are exactly living the life Lelouch wanted for them. Nunnally continued to be the Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire, assisted by Princess Cornelia and the Black Knights. Everything was polished from the top and finally, Japan was liberated from Britannia's previous colonization. The Chinese Federation also agreed to be at peace with Britannia, as well as the other nations which Lelouch coerced to get the approval of.

Suzaku Kururugi, now considered as a hero hiding in the mask of Zero, is living his life in secrecy. Though he was found out to be alive, he rejoined and became as the Knight of Zero again together with the other Knight of Rounds. He can now feel how hard it is to conceal your identity and living with another character as Lelouch has experienced.

Speaking of which, Suzaku remembered that he will visit the grave of Lelouch today. He wished to do it alone, though fate has different plans. The Empress wants to join and Suzaku nodded, telling the Royal Guards to escort them to the grave. Gino, Kallen, Anya and Jeremiah also requested to join.

"C'mon Suzaku! Ya know what they say, 'The more, the merrier!'" Gino, as usual, put his arm around Suzaku's back playfully. That is until Kallen glared at him.

"Gino, will you stop doing that?! Just a few more of that and I will dump you!" the redhead girl almost shouted and Gino is like a puppy going back to Kallen's side for apology. That's when he is kicked on the ass.

"Sorry, my love! It was just a friendly gesture! I don't mean it that way!" Gino is running and Kallen runs after him.

"What a weird couple." Anya said in her famous monotonous voice, capturing the moment using his gadget.

Suzaku pretends to be happy from of all that commotion. But deep inside he knew he missed something big. The mere fact that he is sad makes it a reason for people to say that he misses Lelouch, which he curtly denies all the time – especially when in school.

"Suzaku… It's been two years. What makes you really sad like you're living a life that is full of regrets?" Nunnally asked in a rather gentle way. She doesn't want to see Suzaku sad, so the least she can do is talk to him through it. Suzaku suddenly faced her and oh God, tears are starting to form from his eyes again.

"Why does it have to be like this?! Why does he have to die?! I already forgave him, I did!" Suzaku opened up again like always, full of anger and regret. Nunnally and the others looked at him in such a worried manner. Suzaku can't help it. He is just like a bottle that spilled because of being full.

"Suzaku…" Nunnally tries to comfort him, but the brunette swatted his hand from Nunnally's grasp. Kallen then started to speak. "Suzaku! Wake up! Lelouch is dead! Why do you have to act like this?"

"Let him do the release of anger. It will help him feel better." Jeremiah suggested and Kallen just nodded at him.

"You people don't understand what I am going through!" Suzaku growled angrily. "Though… I don't understand as well…" the brunette's voice softened at the last part. Just then Gino has the slightest possible idea that he did not expect to top all the mysteries of Suzaku's dilemma.

"Man, I think you love Lelouch." Gino said it like naturally. Kallen widened her eyes and Nunnally as well.

"Do I? I don't know. But I think I really do." Suzaku came up with a brightened face. He has been searching for years and Gino is the one who can answer his questions in life.

"Yep! Pretty obvious, dude." Gino tapped Suzaku's shoulder with a sympathetic smile.

Nunnally – with her cheery face now – was going about how it is time for Suzaku to realize his feelings for Lelouch. Kallen promised to keep it a secret from the others, especially at school. Gino and Anya agreed with Kallen. Jeremiah agreed as well, mentioning how he and Lelouch are perfect for each other since at the very end, they stayed together.

With a new hope, Suzaku pressed on and absorbed the feeling of visiting Lelouch's grave. The shining white stone placed in a closed mausoleum is carved carefully with Lelouch's name on it. Suzaku can't help thinking about it: How he fell for Lelouch… But one thing's for sure – he knew he loved Lelouch before everything happened.

Somewhere in Northern Japan…

A certain incident came back to memory. Zero stood from afar, watching Lelouch and how he would deal with stabbing the sword right into the Emperor's body. An unexpected scene, indeed. Zero ran up to the parade float where Lelouch was located. Zero was then ready to stab Lelouch and bingo – the brunette did it.

"Suzaku!" shouted a boy of around 19 years old. He woke up from a bad dream of being stabbed by a sword on his belly. The boy scanned the place. It was something new… A place far away from everyone he had sinned of. As his vision finally clears up, he saw a familiar figure sitting beside the bed.

"Nightmares again, Lelouch?" the green-haired girl asked in a rather puzzled manner. But hearing that Lelouch mentioned the name of his former Knight, C.C. might have an idea on what's going on.

"C2! Just… Where are we? I should be dead, right? I should be… I have to pay for everything I did to Japan!" Lelouch began blurting out his thoughts… His very pessimistic thoughts. The green-haired witch just looked at him and finally came up with a valid reason to ease the raven-haired boy's pain.

"I don't know where we are now, Lelouch. And it's not every day that you blame yourself for the things you've done… How ironic." C.C. did not have to use any sort of power to predict that, lips forming into a smirk.

"Shut up!" Lelouch snapped angrily at C.C. for the foul comment. "I dreamt about Suzaku stabbing me with that sword again." the raven-haired teen paused, then grabbed his shirt by the chest. "I felt a… strange pain on my heart…" But what could be the reason I felt this pain? The reason? Just thinking about it made Lelouch feel quite dizzy. Nonetheless, he still have to find out the reason why.

"About time you realized some feelings for your former Knight?" C.C. felt that it would be easier this way. "Though everything you did before was for Nunnally, you can't forget Suzaku all along."

"What are you saying?! I will have feelings for S-Suzaku?" Lelouch's heartbeat increased tenfold as he shouted at the ridiculously intelligent and immortal witch. "I don't have time for that joke, witch! I must find out why I am still alive." Lelouch finally decided and ate the soup C.C. has prepared for him.

Since he could not afford going out on his true identity, Lelouch needed to alter his physique. C.C. suggested that he needs to be someone that people will not be aware of. As a resolve, Lelouch decided he would be a regular school girl. He bought a wig which is brown, much like Suzaku's hair color. C.C. gave him another set of contact lens which are black in color. He did everything to cover up his identity and continued to live his life as Lilia Everdawn.

Lelouch did not know that this would perfectly fit him. He felt reluctant at first, but he finally agreed with C.C.'s idea in the first place. And now for his plans…

"I will enroll at Ashford Academy. I have to find out the reason why I was given a second life." Lelouch strengthened his will and did what he had in mind.

"Okay. Suit yourself, Lelouch. Might as well see your Knight in shining armor." C.C. hummed in approval and started another teasing as she ate another slice of Pizza Hut.

"Will you shut up?!" Lelouch had his cheeks tinted with pink. "We need to move now from this place to a new one near the Kururugi Shrine. Suzaku told me before about a place he discovered to have a house on it. We will live there and you will pretend to be my sister. How does it sound?" Lelouch started plotting his plans in which C.C. half-heartedly approved, but she still did anyway.

After that talk, they started traveling from Hokkaido to Tokyo. It was a very long travel by train and it made Lelouch tired by just that. When in Tokyo, they looked for the house and a part-time job as well. Lelouch chose to work in a famous restaurant as a waitress. After settling things, he finally enrolled at Ashford. He encountered his old friends: Rivalz, Nina, and among others. But he haven't seen Suzaku yet. Maybe he's been busy in the Student Council.

"So class, we have a new student here. Please, do the honor of introducing yourself." Ms. Villeta announced to the class. Lelouch was quite nervous as he needs to be careful or his voice might break and the people may know his real identity.

"Good morning to all of you. I am Lilia Everdawn. I came from Northern Japan and was born from a Britannian soldier and a Japanese mother. I work as a part-time waitress in a famous restaurant near the school. Pleased to meet you all." Lelouch said in an almost unrecognizable voice, his black eyes scanning the place for someone.

"Well that's great! I have been married to a Japanese as well." Ms. Villeta added and the class was impressed.

"I do know that." Lelouch whispered quite audibly, but not enough to be heard by others.

"Huh? Sorry I did not get that quite right…"

"Oh, it's nothing Ma'am. Where will I sit now?" Lelouch asked to avert the topic. He should practice not saying things he knew or it may spoil his plans.

"Hmm… I suggest you-"

"Sorry Ms. Villeta! I am late again!" a boy of around Lelouch's age came running inside the classroom, purely exhausted and catching air. Lelouch suddenly recognized the face and tried to hide his blush. It's Suzaku… It's him! But why do I feel so excited when I saw him? Maybe C2 was right…

"Where have you been Mr. Kururugi? I was just about to suggest that your new classmate will sit beside you!" Ms. Villeta answered and pointed her index finger on the seat next to Suzaku. Oh no… What misfortune. No matter, I can handle it. Lelouch felt quite nervous as he walked towards the direction of the said vacant chair. When there, Suzaku looked at him with a clumsy smile. Lelouch's heart seemed to have skipped a beat. He did not know why.

"Sorry Ma'am! Won't happen again." Suzaku said with finality and welcomed the new classmate beside him. Then Ms. Villeta started the class.

The class was ongoing when Suzaku folded a crumpled paper and thrown it to Lelouch's direction. The pseudo-girl caught it by reflex and unfolded the paper. 'Hi. May I know your name?' was written on the paper. Lelouch almost blushed liked a real girl and thought to himself, Did I strike Suzaku's interest now? He then replied with 'I'm Lilia. How about you?' and thrown it back to Suzaku. They stayed like that for the whole class. Until all of a sudden, Suzaku brought him to some place that he will all know: the Student Council Room.

"Lilia, this is our Student Council Room. I am the current Vice President and Nina over there is our President." Suzaku explained and pointed towards Nina's direction. The other members of the council then entered the room.

"Suzaku, who's that?" Anya asked and Lelouch seemed to feel quite nervous around her. "Finally found a replacement after Le-…" Gino suddenly covered her mouth and stopped her from spouting confidential information. Suzaku felt relieved and thanked Gino after that.

"Uhm… This is Lilia Everdawn, our new classmate. Lilia, this is Kallen, Rivalz, Gino, and Anya." Suzaku introduced them one by one as Lelouch shook hands with each of them.

"Nice to meet you all. Suzaku said that you need a new member of the Council so I suggested myself." Lelouch said warmly as the other teens made a ruckus about accepting Lelouch on the Council, of course as Lilia.

"Absolutely right, Lilia." Nina stood up from reading pile of documents and walked towards the group. "We need a new President, actually. You see, I'm starting to get busy with the F.L.E.I.J.A. Project so I don't have much time staying here."

"I see… That project has almost destroyed my plans before." Lelouch, again, spouted facts in a low voice.

"What is it?" Nina inquired, quite not comprehended what Lelouch said.

"Oh? I said it would be nice to be a part of the council. Since in my middle school I was elected as the Vice President, I think I can handle such responsibility." Lelouch cleared himself and Nina finally nodded in approval.

"Vice President, huh? Suzaku, do you remember someone who served as a Vice President here before? I believe you miss him." Anya tried again with more emphasis and she was successful. Gino just sweat dropped and Suzaku blushed a bit.

"Cut it out Anya!" Suzaku blushed deeply at that, turning his head to Lelouch. "Uhm. Sorry about t-that, Lilia." Suzaku scratched the back of his head.

He missed… me? But why? Lelouch asked himself. "That's fine. Who's the guy?" he then asked out of curiosity.

"The name's Lelouch vi Britannia, the 99th Emperor of the Britannian Empire. Ever since he died, Suzaku was always sad." Kallen finally spoke up. Gino and Anya agreed.

"Hey! Stop saying those things which are secret, you guys!" Suzaku started to feel quite uncomfortable. Lelouch chuckled internally. Now he gradually understood why he was given another life… to sort out everything between him and Suzaku. But then again, this is not yet the time to reveal everything.

So, to put it, S-Suzaku likes me? Or maybe more than that? How amusing… You really never fail to impress me, my Knight. Lelouch thought with a smile, which was seen by Suzaku. And then he was declared as the Student Council President the next day.

It was nighttime and Lelouch went home early to get changed and work in the restaurant. His shift starts at 19:00 and ends in 01:00. There were many customers that night and he couldn't believe what he saw. Suzaku was there, drinking alone on the bar. Lelouch had a second thinking whether to approach him or just get back to work. Voluntarily, he approached the brunet knight.

"Suzaku, you're here! Probably more often, I guess." Lelouch started the conversation and Suzaku looked up to him, suddenly imagining other things.

"L-Lelouch… Is t-that y-you?" Suzaku, being drunk and all, hallucinated once more. "Y-you're dead n-now… It's n-not you." Suzaku's frame felt like it was to fall anytime. Lelouch felt a prick in his heart, remembering the scene earlier about how Suzaku missed him so bad. But he need to live up to his plans. He should avoid getting into further things.

"It's me, Lilia. You're probably drunk now. Haven't you grabbed Gino or Rivalz with you?" Lelouch answered worryingly.

"Nooooo. I went a-alone. S-Sorry to bother you… It's my i-illusions again." Suzaku sounded like a puppy without a shelter during a rainfall. He is getting desperate and hurt, Lelouch thought.

"It's okay…" Lelouch approved. "Why not wait for my shift to end? I can drop you home." he suggested and Suzaku just nodded prior to it. "Then it's settled! I have two more hours… Enjoy the night!" and he went back to work.

Two hours passed and Lelouch (as Lilia) helped Suzaku to get home. Good thing Suzaku knows where he lives and Lelouch just followed the instructions given. As they were in the doorstep;

"Suzaku! You're drunk again? My, my!" Lloyd reacted in such a concerned manner. He then looked at the girl with his trusted Lancelot Albion pilot. Cecile also peeped in to the commotion.

"Oh? Who are you Miss?" Lloyd asked, rather puzzled and quite irritated.

"I am Lilia Everdawn. Nice meeting you. I'm his new classmate at Ashford Academy. He was on the restaurant where I work part-time so I volunteered to get him back home." Lelouch explained what happened with such accuracy as that of Zero. Lloyd's expression softened and thanked the girl for what she did.

"You're kind for a new classmate, aren't you? C'mon, you can go inside first and I'll make a drink for you." Cecile suggested but Lelouch, sticking to his plans of not getting involved with people he knew before, rejected the offer in a very polite manner.

"I see. Take care then! And thank you again." Lloyd said and Lelouch finally went home after that.

Lelouch reached home by 01:30. He saw C.C. already sleeping as he dropped his things and got changed into sleeping clothes as well. He had to sleep now or else he'll be late in class. He wanted to change the fact that he's always cutting classes. He then saw something inside of his bag. It was the badge that Euphemia gave to Suzaku before. The brunet might have dropped this on Lelouch's bag. Seeing this, Lelouch felt a bit hurt, remembering how he was the one who killed Euphemia. But Suzaku said that he was indeed forgiven. Even though, he can't help feeling the pain.

Suzaku, I'm sorry… Don't worry, I will come back at you. And I'll make sure to love you more than Euphy did. Lelouch curled his fists and that was the last event for that day before he slept.

The next day came like a breeze of wind offered by a great storm. Everyone in the Academy were busy for the upcoming Festival. The students went on with how this event should be prepared and the teachers were given an off to provide sufficient time for the students. This event was the idea of none other than Lelouch himself. He called it "The Festival of Colors" wherein students, both Britannian and Japanese in blood, can socialize as people with equal rights. Yes, of course… Lelouch still wanted to live up Nunnally's proposed kind of world, though in a school setting this time.

"Your idea was great, President! I never knew this could gather a lot of support from all the students! Even Madam Prez wanted to go over!" Rivalz was marveling of how the event was a very good opportunity. He jumped repetitively, but being careful as not to step on Arthur.

"I couldn't agree more, Rivalz. This is simply amazing!" Suzaku smiled like it was when Lelouch was still alive. Lelouch blushed lightly at the smile Suzaku was giving off to him. That smile… I will make it mine, Suzaku. The brunette pseudo-girl thought as she was cutting pieces of colored paper and some other art materials for the event program.

"Why thank you guys! It's my first time to be a President. But I think this is a great plan, don't you think Kallen?" Lelouch said and faced the redhead girl with a familiar look that Kallen felt a skip beat at the nostalgia it was giving to her. Still, she managed to respond properly. "Y-yes. I agree, Lilia…"

It's strange… Why did I suddenly saw Lelouch in her face just now? Kallen began doubting but went on with typing the invitations for the event.

Kallen… You- Lelouch thought and began feeling nervous. Suzaku was the one to break the silence with, "Uh girls… Would you like some snack now? I thought you might be hungry."

"Sure! I'd love to!" Lelouch suddenly changed face and Kallen nodded at the proposal. Anya just shrugged off and Gino was busy helping his girlfriend so they took it as a yes.

"Great! Rivalz, can you call the members of the Swimming Club? I think they have extra snacks to offer." Suzaku requested and the blue-haired Britannian boy nodded in approval. Suzaku then continued drafting the proposed budget as Lelouch had taught him before. Suddenly, Lilia (Lelouch) came from behind and looked at what the brunet was doing.

"Oh. What are you doing, Suzaku? Must have been that difficult…" Lelouch found it very amusing to tease his love interest. As a result, the brunet flinched a bit but managed to give the brunet pseudo-girl a proper response. "It's a budget proposal scheme. I learned it from Lelouch." Suzaku replied in between glances from the paperwork to Lelouch.

"I see…" Lelouch replied quite dry. Right. I thought him this technique when Madam Prez proposed for the giant pizza event that was held back then… You really remember everything I taught you, Suzaku. I'm proud. Lelouch's heart skipped a beat at the thought. Well, who wouldn't be touched by a gesture like that? Lelouch might have been cold for the rest of his life, but not around those he truly loved… Suzaku, for instance.

"Ms. President, what will we do after this?" Anya started talking emotionlessly while browsing her gadget. Lelouch looked at the pink-haired Knight's direction and said, "We will set everything to launch tomorrow at 08:00. Suzaku, finish the proposal in two hours. Anya and Kallen, work with the invitations and minor technical fixes. Rivalz, you take care of the materials to be used and set. Gino, might as well help Rivalz for that." Lelouch said with much grace that he could muster. The other Council members nodded in approval while Suzaku was left with mouth agaped. She thinks and speaks with authority, probably like Lelouch. Then a blush creeped on his cheeks.

"Suzaku, are you alright? You look like someone who'll be sick in any minute now." Lelouch had pride in his voice while putting up the most concerned face he could with that feminine face. But it seems that the brunet's blush grew deeper. Suzaku felt like hallucinating, seeing Lelouch instead of Lilia in front of him. "I-I'm okay, L-Lelouch…" he spat without thinking and it made Lelouch blush deeply. H-He can't p-possibly… k-know that I-I'm… L-Lelouch, r-right? Good thing Kallen abruptly butted in.

"And he's hallucinating again, for God's sake! Suzaku, are you taking Refrain secretly?" the redhead burst in exact irritation and Suzaku widened his eyes, finally absorbed what Kallen had just said.

"Hey! I don't take Refrain! I'm perfectly fine!" Suzaku bursted in protest and the whole Council laughed at the hilarity. Lelouch smiled mentally and felt like he was replaying the memories from the past life in Ashford Academy.

The ruckus have continued and Lelouch was just laughing to himself. There we could see that Gino was stopping Kallen from whacking the head of Suzaku while Anya documented the whole situation. The brunette pseudo-girl was amused at the situation when someone knocked on the door of the Council Room. Lelouch was the one who went to open the door when;

"Suza-! Oh, sorry." a woman with blonde hair flowing down to her waist suddenly stopped her actions when she saw Lilia.

"Madam Prez, you're here!" Suzaku suddenly stood up and welcomed the former President of the Student Council. Lelouch felt quite jealous on how Suzaku treated Milly Ashford. But he just shrugged it off and thought that it was just a gesture of welcoming a former officer of the Student Council, and mind you: the daughter of the owner of the school itself.

"Yes Suzaku!" Milly flashed her million dollar smile and looked once again at Lilia. "I never knew you have a new member in the Council. What's her name?" the blonde eyed Lilia from head to toe, as if scrutinizing every part of her.

"The name's Lilia Everdawn. New President of the Student Council. Nice meeting you in person, Ms. Ashford." Lelouch bowed in recognition of the Ashford Academy daughter. Milly blushed a bit at the formality but was stunned that Lelouch (Lilia) was the new President.

"Oh, Lilia! Milly Ashford here." the blonde shook hands with Lelouch. "Pleasure's all mine." Milly chuckled at the utmost respect Lilia shown her. "Though I must say you can drop the formalities. We're all students here, by the way."

"But you were the daughter of the school's owner, Madam. How could I afford dropping the formalities?" Lelouch said almost sadly but maintained his composure. He is Lelouch, after all.

"Believe me, Lilia. Madam Prez is the most humble student you will meet in Ashford." Suzaku added and Milly chuckled at the compliment the brunet was giving her.

"And the weirdest one, to be exact." Lelouch whispered almost inaudibly. Again, he couldn't control himself.

"Anything you're saying, Lilia?" Milly felt like overhearing something from the brunette pseudo-girl and looked at her curiously.

"No… nothing. Welcome back to Ashford Academy, Ms. Ashford!" Lelouch smiled all too sweetly his teeth may rot. Milly returned the greeting with a smile as well, a very sincere one.

"Thank you, Lilia. By the way, I will join the event tomorrow. Suzaku, you're doing a great job with the team! Though, sorry if Rivalz is not here. I just borrowed him for a while to help me with reforming the by-laws of the Council. Since you're here Lilia, I might as well get you to help with that." Milly explained the task to the President and Vice President of the Council. The other members just continued what they were doing and cared less about the ruckus.

"Gladly, Madam. Are we needed now?" Lelouch asked and Milly shook her head. "Nope. That will be for later, I guess." the blonde girl then turned to Suzaku. "Suzaku, I need to tell you something important. Let's move to a private room so it will remain confidential."

"Yes Madam Prez…" Suzaku nodded. "Lilia, excuse me for a while, won't you?"

"Sure thing, Suzaku. We'll take care of everything from here." Lelouch beamed at the brown haired boy. Then he left the room with Milly.

What is it that they wanted to talk about? Knowing Milly, she might know I'm still alive. I must do something about this. Lelouch thought deeply and was interrupted by Kallen calling her for help.

Milly and Suzaku were at the room of the Sports Club officers. The room was large enough to hold at least a hundred people. All the displayed sports paraphernalia were sorted by cabinets, as well as the documents of the Club. The interior design and furniture seemed to be of Britannian descent. Milly sat on the table of the Club President while Suzaku was in front of her.

"WHAT? Could it be possible? But it's already two years!" Suzaku reacted a bit overboard but retained his composure afterwards. He could not afford to tell Milly that he was the one who stabbed Lelouch with that sword under the mask of Zero. Since he stabbed Lelouch by the belly, might as well thought that he would still be alive. Milly nodded at his comment.

"Yes. According to my sources, he was living with a green-haired girl. They said the address was somewhere near the Kururugi Shrine. No specific details as of now." Milly presented him with a picture of the green-haired girl mentioned. Suzaku quickly recognized the girl.

C.C.? Near the Kururugi Shrine? Suzaku thought and the immortal witch was the only person he had in mind after seeing the photo and being described by the blonde girl. Milly looked at him with such a worried expression. Well, the way Suzaku frowned as he saw the witch's photo was more than sufficient as an explanation.

"Thank you for letting me know all about this, Madam Prez." Suzaku thanked the former Ashford Student Council President, which the latter replied with "You're most welcome. I know how much you love Lelouch and it's about time for you to know the truth." Suzaku blushed at the revelation and protested about Milly being so easygoing about these secret feelings.

"M-Madam Prez, I think we should go now. There are more things to do from the office." Suzaku finally ended the conversation as one final nod from Milly was shown and they left the Sports Club Room silently. From not so far, Lelouch was listening to the whole conversation and had his hand under his chin. He need to think of a strategy to counter Milly's data so that his plans will go smoothly.

Not now… But Madam Prez really spoils the fun sometimes. However, I'm somewhat glad Suzaku really has feelings for me… Lelouch thought while grinning to himself at the end. He should be more careful moving when Milly and the others were around. He spun on his heels and went back to the Council Room as well. He has more work to do than laze around and such.

Going back at the Council Room, Suzaku entered the room silently. He saw everyone were already having snacks except Lelouch, who was reading a manual which Suzaku envisioned to be the by-laws of the Ashford Academy Student Council. The brunet approached Lelouch, sitting beside him. Lelouch blushed slightly at the contact, in which their arms brushed a bit.

"I thought Madam Prez said it was for later purposes?" Suzaku asked the brunette pseudo-girl and she looked at him before glancing back at the book.

"Work delayed is work denied. That's what I learned." Lelouch asked in fashionably serious girly way. Suzaku blushed, suddenly reminded of the past where those lines were said to him by a familiar person. Yes, it was said to him by none other than Lelouch himself. It was then way back before the Zero Requiem. Suzaku had started to have feelings for Lelouch that time. He wanted to cancel the plan because he didn't want to lose Lelouch. However, he just remained silent about his feelings even after the Requiem. That's where he discovered being regretful about not telling Lelouch about his true feelings which left them both frustrated.

"Uh… Y-yes! I will keep t-that in mind…" Suzaku became a stuttering mess again and his blush got deeper every second passing. Lelouch got curious about the face Suzaku was making. Then he remembered;

Yes. I said it to him before the Requiem. And he seemed upset about it… Suzaku, don't worry… We'll get to be together soon. Lelouch thought as he suddenly touched Suzaku's face by reflex. The brunet kept his blush on display and had his eyes widened at the gesture.

"L-Lilia… I…" Suzaku started, but can't seem to finish.

I know. I need to distract him. Lelouch thought and said, "Suzaku, how about we go on a date tonight. My treat."

Everyone in the room was shell-shocked about what Lelouch (as Lilia) said. They stopped what they did and went near their President and Vice President.

"D-Date? W-with y-you?" Suzaku stuttered again. What a mess he is right now.

"Yeah. I know you have been thinking deeply since then. I might as well help you clear your mind." Lelouch said, taking Suzaku's hand. The brunet boy was heads down and by surprise, he took his hand away from Lelouch and snapped angrily at her (him).

"I don't want to clear my mind! Stop acting like you really know the situation! I… I love Lelouch and I need to be loyal to him! Now that I finally knew he was still alive!" Suzaku bursted into anger when he saw Lelouch's eyes widened at the statement. Suzaku thought it might have shocked the pseudo-girl so he quickly apologized and left the room.

"He's still alive?! What the-!" Kallen absorbed what she heard and felt like bursting in joy but prevented herself from doing so. Gino felt like embracing his girlfriend and said, "Finally! Suzaku won't be down again!" Anya just sighed shortly at that.

Loyalty… Right. Suzaku has been loyal to me even at the end of everything. He deserved to know that I'm still alive. And I know… Lelouch paused for a while and thought of his greatest decision. It's time for him to know who I really am! But now, I think he is mad at me.

"Guys, you continue your tasks. I'll go after him." Lelouch commanded and the other Council members agreed in unison. Lelouch then left the room in a haste.

"I think there's something wrong here… Is it really Lilia or-" Anya was cut off when Gino covered her mouth successfully.

"I was thinking about the same, Anya. About time we hit the mark!" Kallen agreed and never bothered to speak again as they let themselves get carried away by the tasks at hand.

Suzaku went to the gym lockers room and settled on a bench in front of his own locker. He was looking down the floor with some drops falling. Why was he acting this way in the first place? Lelouch is alive. He should be happy. But then, Lilia invited him for a date. This is getting weirder and weirder for the brunet.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch found him. The brunet never even raised his head and continued relishing the solitude he was in. With this, Lelouch made the effort to come near the brunet. Until;

"Don't come near me, Lilia… I don't need your presence. I only need Lelouch now." Suzaku fought back the urge to shout at the girl in front of him. Lelouch tensed and stood where he was left off while walking towards the brunet boy.

"Sorry. I can't give him to you. I don't know where he is now." Lelouch said, trying to uplift Suzaku's spirit. But the brunet snapped at him. He couldn't resist himself this time.

"Then get out of here! I don't need you! I said I only need-!" Suzaku stood up and fumed in anger when he did not expect what happened next: Lilia's lips in his own. The kiss took time as both of them responded reluctantly at the scene. Suzaku's thoughts turned into a mashed mess.

Why am I responding? I shouldn't! I shouldn't! But… Suzaku started enjoying Lilia's lips as he bent her a bit in order to fully enjoy the kiss. This feels different. He ended his thoughts as he savored the taste of the pseudo-girl's lips. It seemed so familiar… He honestly enjoyed the feeling.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch said after they parted. He handed Suzaku a piece of paper. The brunet wondered what that was for. Then;

"Go to that address tonight. There's someone waiting for you." Lelouch said and finally ran away from Suzaku. The brunet was left dumbfounded.

"C-could it be? She knew L-Lelouch's location?" Suzaku asked himself then unfolded the piece of paper given to him and saw the familiar address. "And why does she know about the house near the shrine?" Suzaku then convinced himself to go to that address Lilia has given him.

That night, Lelouch took a day off at the restaurant and prepared a sumptuous dinner for both him and Suzaku. He took off his disguise and went along with his regular clothing – a black t-shirt with black sweat pants. He arrange the plates and candles on the table. It was really a great night for him and he knew that the universe will agree with him because tonight… he'll finally give himself to Suzaku.

"So, you will finally confess to your former Knight?" C.C. sounded plain, maybe because she was eating pizza all along.

"Shut up, witch! Anything that will happen tonight will be none of your business!" Lelouch snapped at the immortal witch and blushed furiously because he knew what will happen next.

"Oh? You're maybe right… I wouldn't butt in if the next moment you're pinned down to your bed by your Knight in shining armor." C.C. made it sound so normal to say which made Lelouch's scowl grew more evident in his shiny white face.

"Stop that, you immortal witch!" Lelouch snapped at C.C. for being so easygoing with sensitive issues.

"Make me." C.C. challenged the raven-haired boy and continued eating her pizza. Lelouch knew he had no win against the one who gave him the Geass. He just sighed in defeat at that.

"You sure know how to ruin my day… Just be sure you stay away when Suzaku comes in." Lelouch reminded the green-haired witch of her manners. Until a knock on the door was heard. Lelouch quickly pushed C.C. on the other bedroom door with her pizza box and Cheese-kun in tow. Lelouch locked the bedroom door and heard some protests from C.C. He went straight to the front door and opened it.

"S-Suzaku!" Lelouch said happily and he did not expect who he will see – Suzaku in the clothing of Zero. Lelouch was stunned for a while before smiling genuinely at Suzaku, who removed his mask and was about to cry as he embraced Lelouch quickly. They closed the door after this.

"L-Lelouch! I missed you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Suzaku was feebly thrashing in the embrace while Lelouch was rubbing circles on the brunet's back. Lelouch just let Suzaku release his tears. He understood where the tears were coming from, and he believed he was the reason why Suzaku felt like this.

"It's okay Suzaku. It's our plan, remember?" Lelouch reassured Suzaku that he has nothing to worry about. But the brunet seemed so upset about what happened two years ago.

"But I… shouldn't… have killed… you…" Suzaku said between sobs. Lelouch thought that Suzaku is a muscled guy with a child's heart. He should really work on taking care of his beloved Suzaku.

"I know how you feel, and it pains me, too. But let's not dwell on that. What's important is I'm alive, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am really glad to see you again." Suzaku broke the hug and cupped Lelouch's cheeks.

"I am glad as well that you're safe. But I'm no longer an Emperor, Suzaku. I'm just a normal Britannian who has fallen in love with a Japanese knight." Lelouch returned the gesture by cupping Suzaku's cheek. The brunet leaned more to the touch and he could feel the longing gradually fading away.

"I don't care… You're still the Emperor I have recognized in my heart." Suzaku looked through those purple irises. "So… you accept my feelings, too? You feel the same way about me?" Suzaku just wanted to make sure if he's dreaming or not. He couldn't contain his happiness, now that Lelouch was here – in the flesh – and confessing to him like some schoolgirl who has been raised by a royal family.

"I think I always did feel the same. Sorry it just took time to be realized… And I will make sure you won't escape my eyes now." Lelouch said and he closed the small distance between them. "I would gladly like to be captured, my Prince." Suzaku grinned sheepishly and responded by closing the space between them as well.

"I didn't m-mean it like that, i-idiot!" Lelouch blushed furiously while turning away then finally his lips met with Suzaku's. The brunet felt the familiar touch of Lelouch's lips as a scene from earlier replayed through his mind. Suzaku cut the kiss as he said, "That sensation… You were-"

"Yeah. I kissed you earlier… As Lilia Everdawn." Lelouch responded genuinely and kissed Suzaku once again. This time, their lips were moving against each other as a few muffled noises were heard. Suzaku was really enjoying this. He then parted his lips and his tongue was seeking entry, in which Lelouch agreed with parting his lips as well. The kiss turned out to be a hot make-out session for lovers who haven't seen each other for years. All the longing and sadness melted in one kiss.

"So I'm not hallucinating after all. I really saw you in that girl disguise." Suzaku said with such assurance and Lelouch nodded along. "If she and you were different persons, I would've considered it cheating." Suzaku said and Lelouch assured him again that there's nothing to worry about. Then the raven-haired boy invited Suzaku to sit with him to eat the dinner he prepared for the brunet. They ate silently, savoring the comfortable silence while glancing occasionally at each other and taking turns in feeding one another. Afterwards, they were in Lelouch's room.

"I think you should stay for the night. I had my day-off at the restaurant so you can have my time now." Lelouch suggested and Suzaku nodded like a loyal dog to his owner. Lelouch blushed at how excited Suzaku looked.

"I will, Lelouch. After all of this I won't let you go." Suzaku paused dramatically and continued. "And I might be unable to hold myself for long…" he winked at Lelouch who blushed furiously at the thought. He will do that with Suzaku now?

"S-Suzaku?!" Lelouch acted all too flustered and Suzaku suddenly pinned him down the bed. Lelouch was stunned and prepared himself. He would be pinned down to bed by Suzaku tonight, as C.C. has perceived.

"All my longing for you has built up and I couldn't wait anymore, now that you're here with me." Suzaku's eyes were filled with love, lust and longing for Lelouch. His feral position was giving off a tinge of his hormones.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch started and his voice became an octave lower. This turned on Suzaku the more. "If that's what you want… I will give myself wholly to you tonight. I love you, my Knight."

"I love you, too my Prince… I can't wait." Suzaku was tempted now.

"Please be patient with me… It's my… first time." Lelouch felt a wave of nervousness in his veins. But it has to be now. He will give his body to Suzaku… now.

"I will, Your Highness. I'm glad that I'm your first." Suzaku winked and started kissing Lelouch's neck all over. The raven-haired moaned at the sensation it was giving him. He enveloped his arms on Suzaku's nape and closed his eyes as a wave of pleasure was imminent to both of them.

Suzaku continued to kiss Lelouch on his neck, then the chest – playing with his nipples – down to the navel then going back to Lelouch's lips. The brunet started to undress himself while leaving kisses on Lelouch's chin and neck. Lelouch also undressed himself, throwing the t-shirt on the floor. Lelouch touched Suzaku's erection, feeling it as it became hard because of the touch. Suzaku groaned lustfully at that and attacked Lelouch's neck with kisses.

"Suzaku… This is… Wonderful…" Lelouch managed to utter a coherent sentence while Suzaku was attacking him. The brunet moaned in agreement as he slid one hand under Lelouch's opened pants, grabbing the bulge with his free hand as Lelouch whimpered at the contact as it became hard, too.

"Yes… My Prince… You are… Wonderful…" Suzaku said in between suctions of Lelouch's nipples. Lelouch was plagued of the pleasure as it was evident when with a few more touches, his underwear was starting to get wet.

All of their clothing articles were gone in a few minutes and Suzaku was sitting on the bed, with Lelouch kneeled on the floor as he started to lick the tip of Suzaku's cock, going all the way down to its shaft. Suzaku shuddered at the new feeling he was getting. He grabbed Lelouch's head gently and let it move on its own. The raven-haired boy was sucking Suzaku's balls until a few moments, he engulfed his mouth with Suzaku's cock full on. He began bobbing up and down as Suzaku kept moaning and was enjoying the oral exhibition initiated by Lelouch. He never knew that his Prince would be so good at this.

The next thing they knew is that Lelouch was lying flat on the bed, with Suzaku straddled between his legs. Lelouch managed to get some lube beside his bed drawer then giving it to Suzaku. The brunet placed a generous amount of the lube from his other hand down to the rock hard member he has. He rubbed the liquid all throughout his cock and in a few minutes, he positioned himself and held his cock.

"This is it, Lelouch. I'm going inside…" Suzaku said, as if giving Lelouch signal if he was ready or not. Lelouch nodded and widened the space between his hips as Suzaku's cock was gradually making its entrance to Lelouch's asshole. The raven-haired boy felt uncomfortable as a foreign object was pushed inside him. Not that he didn't liked it – it's Suzaku after all.

Suzaku had all of his cock inside Lelouch. The raven-haired boy was taking a moment to get used to the intrusion. Suzaku patiently waited for Lelouch to give him the signal. Then a few moments more, Suzaku was fucking Lelouch deep ahead. Lelouch was grasping tightly on the bedsheets as Suzaku was busy finding a better angle to do his thrusts without putting too much pressure on Lelouch. The pace of the thrusts varied from very slow to fast, depending on Suzaku's capability to carry out balance.

"Suzaku! Nngh! Can't… hold it… I'm…" Lelouch managed to say between Suzaku's thrusts inside him.

"Me too, Lelouch… I'm coming…" Suzaku replied with more huskiness as his pace was getting faster again. Finally, Suzaku cummed inside Lelouch with a loud groan echoing around the room. The raven-haired boy had released his sticky cum all over his belly and some on Suzaku's hand. On the other room, C.C. was sighing inaudibly at what's happening.

Enjoying the moment so much, huh Lelouch? C.C. thought to herself and hugged Cheese-kun tightly before going back to sleep. She would convince Lelouch tomorrow for a box or two of pizza – with tabasco sauce of course.

Suzaku then laid himself beside Lelouch, who initiated cleaning both of them with tissues and throwing them off the trash bin. Lelouch went back to lay down beside Suzaku as he settled himself comfortably on the brunet's muscularly toned chest.

"Sorry I lost control…" Suzaku felt like being apologetic for being so hard at pounding Lelouch.

"It's okay. I had fun when it's you, Suzaku." Lelouch mumbled sleepily against Suzaku's chest. The brunet could feel the hot breath emitted by Lelouch. "You're so great on this…"

"I'm glad to hear that I've satisfied you well. I love you, my Prince." Suzaku said and hugged Lelouch all to himself.

"I'm more than satisfied, Suzaku… I love you, too my Knight." Lelouch returned the favor and they bid goodnight to each other as reality drifted into a dreamland as they closed their eyes and let sleep take over them.

No one could really tell what fate has in it, but knowing it has ways, it will still bind together what's meant to be together. As for Suzaku, he knew all along that he loved Lelouch even before they have met. It goes the same for Lelouch. But the question is, how will they tell their friends about Lelouch and Lilia? How will they tell Nunnally that Lelouch is alive without getting hurt or put to harm?

They still have a long way to go, and this relationship they have will take them to their way no matter how long and dangerous it is.

The Festival of Colors Day…

The Student Council was busy preparing the school grounds for the Festival. The booths prepared by each Class and Section were set in a particular area near the school entrance. Some booths, however, were set inside the classrooms. Booths like Horror Room, Bake a Cake, and others were set inside the Academy for additional entertainment purposes. The Student Council also has their own booth which was set at the Student Council Room. Lelouch decided it would be a Wedding Booth, with the motto "Where lovers are welcome to imagine their future wedding together!"

The idea was initiated by Lelouch himself – of course, as Lilia – and was gladly assisted by Suzaku. Gino was feeling very excited at this because let's face it: he loves Kallen so much. Anya was starting to feel out of place because she had no love interest at all, due to her apathetic and quiet personality. As for that, she was charged by Lelouch as the official Student Council Documentarist. Anya's eyes brightened at the idea, although her eyes appear dull to other people.

"So… Has the date took place last night?" Anya was initiating to tease Suzaku. "You might have gotten your hands on Le- I mean, Lilia…" the brunet blushed deeply and snapped at the pink-haired girl while Gino and Kallen started laughing at that. Lelouch was feeling tensed. Does Anya know by now? How about Kallen and Gino?

"Shut it out, Anya! Seriously guys! Stop picking on me and Lilia!" Suzaku tried to halt the intense teasing from Anya. Lelouch finally spoke, silently thanking Suzaku for being very good at covering up for him.

"Anya, do you know something? Might as well share it." Lelouch challenged the Knight of Six. Anya raised her brows knowingly.

"I'm not sure… But my intuition tells me something. Lilia, was it? Or Lelouch?"

"So it's true that you're alive, Lelouch?" Kallen asked. Lelouch looked at the redhead's direction.

"Yes. Lilia Everdawn is just a name…" Lelouch stated, removing the wig and the contact lens to reveal raven hair and amethyst orbs. "But it's still me… Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire."

"L-Lelouch? I m-mean, Emperor Lelouch…" Kallen was dumbfounded. Anya has her eyes slightly widened. Gino felt like congratulating Suzaku.

"Yes Kallen… I'm no longer the Emperor so drop the formalities… I'm the same student as you are." Lelouch said with confidence. Kallen nodded reluctantly. The Council Room was a closed space so the others outside won't hear anything from inside.

"Are you sure you're okay with telling them, Lelouch?" Suzaku was doubting at first, the look in Lelouch's eyes told him otherwise.

"When have I been unsure? I know they'll be trusted, Babe." Lelouch grinned and winked at his lover who blushed immediately.

"Right. So… finally found an endearment for me, Babe?" Suzaku then matched the confidence of Lelouch and emphasized on the endearment itself.

"Yeah. Sounds better if you ask me…" Lelouch rolled his eyes and smirked at Suzaku. That so sexy, Lelouch. Suzaku thought as he bit his lip to prevent any more displays of affection.

"Uhm. Excuse me… We're still here, just so you know." Kallen interrupted the sappy exchange of her friends. Gino just chuckled haughtily at the scene, telling Kallen about a perfect endearment.

"Oh sorry… Kallen, Anya, Gino… I trust you with this. Though I know you're loyal to Britannia… But please don't tell anyone that I'm alive." Lelouch said and the other Council members nodded in assurance.

"C'mon Babe, wear your disguise. People are coming this way." Suzaku suggested and Lelouch nodded.

"We're glad you're alive, Emperor Lelouch! Our Suzaku here might get suicidal anytime without you." Gino tapped Suzaku's shoulder and the brunet frowned at the boldness of his friend's words.

"I know, Gino." Lelouch smiled and looked at Gino. "By the way… May I have a request from you?"

"Go ahead, Your Highness." Gino replied curtly.

"I want to be a member of the Knights of Rounds… As Lilia Everdawn." Lelouch said and everyone was dumbfounded at that. Even Suzaku did not know what to say.

"Are you sure Babe? I mean, this is gonna be hard for you." Suzaku felt worried about his lover's decision but went on with it.

"Nothing's been harder than being separated from you and Nunnally, Babe… You know that." Lelouch said frankly which earned a blush from the brunet.

"Me too, Babe. Nothing's been harder than that…" Suzaku nodded. "I respect your decision with being a Knight of Round… But what Knightmare are you going to use?"

"Hmm. Let me see…" Lelouch thought for a while.

"I can ask Rakshata to conceptualize a Knightmare technology without her doubting." Kallen suggested and Lelouch nodded at that. "Please do."

"Well, there's Lloyd and Cecile as well." Suzaku added. Lelouch kissed his cheek with that. The brunet protested about the kiss, but deep inside he liked it.

"Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be looking forward to that." Lelouch said. "For now, let's enjoy the Festival!" he raised one hand and curled it to a fist as the other Council members cheered.

The Festival was appreciated, as expected. All the booths almost ran out of stocks for tryouts on their concepts. The whole day was accomplished and the students fully enjoyed the benefits of the Festival. As for the Council members, they were in dire need of rest because of the strenuous work and management of the whole event but were very happy to say the least. At least the Festival earned more than they have estimated.

"I haven't seen you two in the Wedding Booth! Wanna try?" Gino suggested as Suzaku and Lelouch blushed at the same time.

"Thanks for that Gino. I've had so much of cross-dressing." Lelouch answered matter of factly. True, he always wore that brown wig and black contact lens. And he thought that's enough for today. But Gino felt persistent about this. Suzaku did not even contradicted the idea.

"C'mon, Your Majesty! You want your Babe to be happy, right?"

"I am happy!" Suzaku protested but not so much convincing.

"Hah. You don't look like one." Lelouch had a mock-frown expression on his face. "C'mon, let's do this!" Lelouch took Suzaku's hand and proceeded to wear the wedding outfits and posed at the booth. Suzaku almost stumbled but managed to keep up with Lelouch. Anya, being the official photographer, took the privilege to snap shots of the wedding pose Suzaku and Lelouch had made.

"There… Perfect…" the pink-haired girl browsed her gadget for the photos. "When do you plan to get married?" Anya said while looking at the photos while the couple (mostly Suzaku) nearly burst out in horror as the news became clear as the sky.

"Uhmm… Isn't that too fast?" Suzaku asked, frustrated as he scratched the back of his head.

"It is a common tradition of the Japanese, right? Early marriage is really evident in Japan nowadays and even before." Lelouch said in Lilia's disguise.

"Well, y-yeah… But are you… ready for this?" Suzaku asked, seeking approval from his lover who was just staying calm about the topic.

"I was feeling nervous, to say the least. But after all of this, we'll get married." Lelouch said with finality and Suzaku just nodded in approval. He always knew Lelouch would make the right decisions, except for the Zero Requiem. That certain decision had turned out to be the worst case scenario for the both of them, and Suzaku unwillingly killed Lelouch for that.

"Finally… You revealed yourself huh, my darling Emperor Lulu? Or Lilia, was it?" a sweet voice was heard coming from the doorstep. Everyone turned their heads to see that it was Milly herself, together with Rivalz. Lelouch flinched and widened his eyes in mild shock as Milly approached him, Rivalz following in suit.

"Madam Prez… I knew it all along that you were investigating about me…" Lelouch clicked his tongue in annoyance. Milly just smiled like there's nothing happening.

"Yep. Thanks to my connections I confirmed that you're alive… Welcome back Lulu!" Milly launched herself to hug Lelouch and the raven-haired royalty almost choked but managed however.

"Yeah. T-Thanks. But please don't tell anyone that I'm alive! I know you have such a loud mouth." Lelouch protested and Milly just laughed at the hilarity.

"Oh c'mon Lulu! Please be kind to your former President…" Milly said in a sad tone and a fake pout.

"And you tell me that after all what you made me do before… Great…" Lelouch talked back with the sarcastic tone. Suzaku and the others sweatdropped at the scene.

"Babe, isn't it great that Madam Prez is here again?" Suzaku chuckled nervously because he might get Lelouch to his anger point. But he knew all along that this was all a show.

"Babe? What an endearment! Looks good for both of you." Milly averted the topic and focused on this one. Great… Just great…

"Stop putting your hands on topics which do not concern you!" Lelouch protested.

"But it's sooooooo romantic! Can't help it, though…" Milly giggled like a preschool girl that was asked by her teacher to go on a recess. Then Lelouch suddenly straightened up.

"Seriously, thanks for the support Madam Prez. I know my rule as the Emperor is not the one you desired for yourselves and your loved ones. I'm deeply sorry." Lelouch breathed a heave of contented sigh and embraced Milly. The blonde returned the hug and felt like her uniform was getting wet. "You're most welcome, my darling Lulu… And it's in the past… We haven't changed our perception about you… We don't actually consider you the Demon Emperor." Milly responded ever so caring and gentle.

"Lelouch, are you crying?!" Suzaku suddenly got worried of his boyfriend. Milly just let it go and rubbed Lelouch's back ever so gently.

"Let him, Suzaku. Lulu has a lot more burden than we thought he could take." Milly softly responded and Suzaku calmed himself.

"After leading a whole rebellion force, becoming an Emperor then getting killed and separated from his sister… Lelouch… I didn't realize until now that you were the bravest person I've met." Kallen was on the verge of crying as well. Gino suddenly had the urge to embrace his girlfriend and comfort her.

"I just… I don't know… I'm so messed up. I feel like regretting this life…" Lelouch opened up which made Suzaku frown a bit.

"So you're saying that you've been regretting ever loving me?" Suzaku had his head down but Lelouch broke the hug from Milly and did it to his boyfriend. His ever caring and loving boyfriend.

"No! You are the most wonderful boyfriend I ever had, Suzaku. Please don't say that… I was just down because I did a lot of mistakes in the past… But I'm trying to move on and I should thank you for helping me… giving me hope and love for the future. And I apologize again for everything I've done." Lelouch clarified himself as he kissed Suzaku's forehead.

"You are really true to your words, Lelouch… I can feel it from my heart." Suzaku brightened up and was about to kiss Lelouch when;

"E-hem? We're still here… Just so you know." Milly tapped one foot and grinned evilly. "Or you want to show us how you do love in your bedroom?" Kallen sighed at the repetition of what she said the other day. The couple broke their contact and straightened up, protesting and blushing about Milly's words. Rivalz turned into a laughing witness. Lelouch apologized and thanked Milly once again for everything. The others were thanked by Lelouch as well.

"I'm sure Nunnally will be happy to see the new Lelouch…" Suzaku said and kissed Lelouch's temple, which caused the raven-haired boy to turn into a blushing mess, but cute on top of that.

"I'm sure of that, Babe." Lelouch agreed. "C'mon, let's get all of this finished." and the Council members shouted in agreement.

That night, the Council was treated to free dinner to a five-star restaurant, courtesy of Milly herself. They were seated at a long table which Milly reserved for them. Of course, the couples were sitting beside each other.

There were lots of food that Milly ordered. From the main dishes consisting of chicken delicacies, pasta and bread, sweet and sour fish, to desserts ranging from coffee-based brownies to jelly-based cakes. Of course, Gino and Rivalz's eyes were twinkling with delight as they began devouring the food. Kallen tried to mediate her boyfriend's eating habits, Anya documented the food and the ruckus, Milly was just laughing her heart out as she took a portion of her food from her plate. Suzaku was busy eating when Lelouch (in Lilia's disguise) tried to feed him with a portion of food different from what was in Suzaku's plate.

"C'mon Babe… Here comes the Knightmare! Say 'Ahh!'" Lelouch motioned the spoon like Suzaku's Lancelot Albion was in the air. The portion of food was delightfully taken by Suzaku. They were in pure bliss while eating their portion of the whole buffet. Nothing's better than being taken care by Lelouch. Suzaku thought as he also fed Lelouch with his portion of the food.

"Thanks guys. You made my night!" Milly said sincerely, her hands clasped in joy. "Though I hope Shirley, Nina and Rolo were here…" then she was suddenly saddened by the second thought. The others were saddened at the incompleteness, too.

"I feel you, Madam Prez… Rolo has been a great young brother to me… Shirley was very nice as well… Euphy…" Lelouch bowed down and felt like his heart was about to crash. Fortunately, Suzaku was there by his side, always supporting him in every way.

"Lelouch… It's okay… Euphy understands…" Suzaku was getting worried when Lelouch whispered, "We need to go to the Sword of Akasha." Suzaku was dumbfounded at the idea of his lover, but nodded along.

I swear I will give them what they deserve… Lelouch thought as he clenched his fists but Suzaku quickly covered them with his own.

After that sumptuous dinner, Lelouch bid goodbye to the gang as his shift was about to start in less than one hour. Of course, Suzaku volunteered to escort his boyfriend to work. Milly was effervescent to know that finally, her two most favorite students were now in a relationship.

"So… I'll be going now…" Lelouch said as they were in front of the restaurant. Suzaku smiled at him and held the ravenette's hands.

"Yep. I will also be going now. I'm needed in the Military post. I will ask Lloyd and Cecile about your secret proposal, too." Suzaku responded and kissed on one knuckle of Lelouch. The Britannian cross-dresser blushed in amusement as he kissed the brunet on the cheek.

"Please do so Babe… I will need that." Lelouch replied actively with a grin.

"Just call me when your shift is done. I will be spending the night in your house." Suzaku invited himself at Lelouch's house which made the ravenette protest a bit about his lover being so eager to invite himself at his house and nodded afterwards.

"I will. Take care, Babe… I love you." Lelouch said with much spirit which made Suzaku's heart leap.

"Take care, too Babe… I love you more." Suzaku responded as he kissed Lelouch in the lips. It was quick but very heart-warming. And the both of them went on with their works.

The job shift of Lelouch went by so fast and it's already 01:00. Suzaku was waiting for him outside the restaurant. The brunet had his out at exactly 12:00 at the military camp. He had brought a bouquet of rich and fresh daffodils with red roses on the center. He looked at the watch, 01:05 it read. Tapping a few more with his right foot, a certain girl has emerged from the main door of the restaurant.

"Why, Babe… So early, huh?" Lelouch teased his boyfriend, much to the latter's delight.

"Hey Babe, for you…" Suzaku handed the bouquet to his lover which Lelouch accepted happily with a kiss as the sign of gratitude. "I was waiting for almost 30 minutes now… Lloyd is very hesitant at first to out me from work, eventually he agreed."

"Sorry to hear that, Babe. Let's go now, shall we?" Lelouch responded and was escorted by Suzaku on the way home. The walk back was very serene and neither one dared to talk. They just held hands and smiled like a fool they have been when they fell for each other. The starry sky was lighting up their path together with the moon beaming that it was indeed a good night for the couple to cherish.

A few more minutes, they reached Lelouch's house. The two quickly entered the door so as not to attract attention from hidden cameras or spies set up by Milly or the Holy Britannian Empire itself. That would be very dangerous.

"So, how's everything from work?" Lelouch asked Suzaku tenderly as he started to remove his disguise and helped Suzaku with removing his military suit as a Knight of Round. Lelouch blushed as perfectly tanned skin was unveiled in front of him and the brunet seemed to notice that his lover has been dazed.

"It went well…" the brunet then looked on his shoulders and found Lelouch staring at his tanned and toned back. "And why are you interested in my back? Looking at it like I won't catch you…" Suzaku teased Lelouch which just darkened the blush of the Britannian teen.

"S-Suzaku!" Lelouch stammered. Now it's something new, the brunet thought. Suzaku took interest in this and stole a kiss from Lelouch's mouth. He savored the flavor of cherry balm on the ravenette's lips. They stared at each other for a while before proceeding to remove their work clothes and change into fresh sleeping wears. Lelouch wore a purple robe with only his underwear inside. Suzaku wore pajamas that were brought for sleepover purposes. It was colored gray with stripes and a few embroidered Japanese characters implicating Suzaku Kururugi on the upper back of the night polo and a logo of the Holy Britannian Empire on the right chest part.

"You really love Britannia, don't you?" Lelouch asked in a rather sarcastic fashion. Of course Suzaku need to get back on this.

"It's because my Babe is a Britannian… Simple and clear." Suzaku said which earned him a weak punch on the arm and a few chuckles were heard from both of them.

"Yeah right… Keep saying that to yourself, idiot! Sooner or later they will kill you for sleeping with a traitor and a murderer." Lelouch started which made Suzaku wince at the words. The brunet hugged Lelouch for a very impulsive reason.

"Don't say that, Babe! We both have sinned a lot… We both deserve to live in exile or be sentenced to death… But what happened?" Suzaku commented with his serious face on. "We're still here… alive and kicking. And I swear, there's a great purpose why we continued to live."

"I know… I'm just worried about your welfare… Causing you too much trouble from the very beginning." Lelouch's face seemed down but Suzaku cupped it and raised so that they were facing each other.

"You're not causing trouble for me. Don't get too worked up with the past… It's been already settled down. I forgave you like you have forgiven me as well." Suzaku caressed Lelouch's cheek with such passion. The intimacy of their love will always be the melting point of their worries and fears of the future ahead of them. Lelouch didn't speak, rather cuddled himself of the warmth that was Suzaku. The brunet welcomed him with open arms as they embraced each other like there's no tomorrow.

"Thank you Suzaku… For loving me and waiting for me even though it felt hopeless on your part." Lelouch mumbled between hot breaths on Suzaku's chest. The brunet smiled at that.

"Thank you, too Lelouch… For coming back to my life like I always wished for. I know it wasn't easy returning my feelings. But everything is possible when we're together, as promised." Suzaku said with much devotion as he petted Lelouch's raven locks with his fingers. The sensation was overwhelming them, making them comfortable at the closeness.

"Yeah. You're not so difficult to love, Suzaku… especially when you're not acting like an idiot." Lelouch grinned playfully which made the brunet grunt.

"Am I?" Suzaku chuckled at the insult. He always knew that was Lelouch's way of saying he loves him.

"Pretty much, Sir Kururugi." Lelouch yawned. "Let's just talk about the proposal tomorrow and my plan with the Sword of Akasha. I want to hug you until I am dreaming of you, my Knight."

"Same goes with me… About time your stamina ran out." Suzaku laughed which made Lelouch protest feebly. "Goodnight, my Prince."

"Goodnight my Knight." and that's the last thing heard after the two drifted into a peaceful and relaxing sleep.

The next day… It was a bright morning that has arrived at Japan. Many citizens were enjoying the pleasant weather which will make their work easier for the day. Both Britannians and Japanese were very cooperative and helping each other. The world that Nunnally and Euphemia desired…

The Royal Family were having a grand breakfast on the dining hall of the Palace. Nunnally sat on the middle edge of the table, while Cornelia on the left and Schneizel on the right. Kanon was focusing attentively to what the blonde prince was saying.

"How does it feel when you got your hands on my brother, Kanon Maldini?" Cornelia asked sarcastically which earned a scowl from Schneizel and a downcast face from Kanon. Before the Royal Princess could ruin the meal, Schneizel started.

"Please my dear sister… Don't do harm to people who did not hurt you… Besides, I am no longer interested in claiming the throne for myself, seeing that our sister Nunnally is very capable." Schneizel continued to eat the portion of food that was waiting on the spoon handled by Kanon. Cornelia frowned in irritation while Nunnally just smiled.

"That's not the point here, Schneizel! You know very well that we are Royalty, and we never tend to fall in love with our personnel. And a male on top of that!" Cornelia glared at Schneizel then to Kanon, who bowed a bit but the blonde prince urged to continue feeding him.

"So how about you and Guilford? Does that sound like what you're pointing out as well? Aside from the same male part, of course." Schneizel stated after he swallowed the recent portion of food Kanon has fed him. Cornelia was really irritated.

"I-It's… none of your concern!" Cornelia turned away with a blush creeping on her face. The radiance seemed to imply itself more when the Princess was flustered.

"Then so is mine, Cornelia. Bear with it… I'm dating Kanon and none shall be an opposing power or I'll call the shots." Schneizel grinned with victory as Cornelia was left silent after that.

Cornelia sighed. "Fine. I get it." she spoke up, looking at Kanon. "Take care of my brother, Kanon."

"I will, Your Highness. I'll do my best." Kanon brightened up at this and continued feeding Schneizel.

"That's amazing, brother! I congratulate you for that." Nunnally beamed at her brother who smiled in return. She also greeted Kanon which made the Earl smile at her enthusiastically.

"My pleasure, Your Majesty." Schneizel nodded and bowed a bit.

"I was just wondering…" Nunnally dropped her utensils on the side of her plate. "What if Lelouch was alive? Would it be possible for him to love a guy as well?" Cornelia almost spat her water over the table, but just swallowed it then coughed afterwards.

"After all his evil deeds, Nunnally?! How come you're still concerned about him, and then push him in an absurd situation?!" Cornelia snapped and Schneizel glared at him secretly.

"He's still my big brother… I will always love him no matter what he did… Because he always prioritized me…" Nunnally spoke a bit softly but managed somehow to be audible.

"Exactly my point." Schneizel agreed. "Going back, I'm sure Lelouch would be open to that kind of relationship."

"Then with whom?" Cornelia asked rather oddly.

"My, my. Now my sister's interested…" Schneizel chuckled which made Cornelia blush in protest.

"Just answer my question!" and she really has it. The hot-headed guise.

"I'm sure Suzaku will be a great choice." Nunnally paused to see her siblings' reactions. Cornelia was horrified. Schneizel hummed in approval. Kanon just ate silently.

"That Eleven?! What the-!" Cornelia snapped.

"Sis Cornelia, Lelouch and Suzaku had been best friends since we were abandoned here at Japan. And I'm sure they would make a great couple." Nunnally giggled as she imagined her brother being kissed by Suzaku fervently.

"I see. So Suzaku Kururugi would be your candidate for this… Why are you so sure about that, my Empress?" Schneizel asked politely with his hands under his chin, clasped together.

"Because Suzaku admitted that he loved my brother when we went out to visit his grave." Nunnally replied. "But it's too late now… Lelouch is dead… My big brother is dead…" she was then saddened at that moment.

"He had committed a lot of faults in the past, mainly destroying our father's reign. But who are we all to judge? If I were to be asked, Lelouch did it right. Because our father is a biological being without a sense of concern to his children. Everything we do for the Empire is just mundane matters to him." Schneizel opened up which made Cornelia widen her eyes.

"I guess you're right, Schneizel. But I'm glad everything went fine after what happened to the Emperor." Cornelia finally managed to let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry to interrupt the imperial breakfast." an Elite Britannian Guard entered the room with a folder in his hand. "Your Highnesses, a report has been sent and was personally addressed to all of you."

"I see. Thank you." Schneizel claimed the folder from the guard's hand. "You may take your leave as well."

"Most welcome, Your Highness." the guard bowed once and left the room.

Schneizel opened the folder before any of them could react. He read every pertinent detail attached within the file with such accuracy. When he reached the conclusion of the report, he sighed deeply.

"What does it say, Schneizel?" Nunnally asked curiously. Cornelia was waiting.

"According here, Lelouch is still alive." Schneizel spoke. Cornelia widened her eyes in shock. Nunnally almost cried in happiness. "His whereabouts are still on investigation. But…" the blonde prince cut off his statement.

"But what? Spill it out already!" Cornelia was now impatient.

"He was found at a house near the Kururugi Shrine and was visited by Zero." Schneizel ended.

"Visited by Zero?! What the hell is he doing there?" Cornelia was getting worked up at this rate.

"They have been suspecting that there's a girl who lived there. The name is Lilia Everdawn. She has brown hair and black eyes. She also attends classes on Ashford Academy. Her figure was more like Lelouch's… And when Lelouch finally showed up at the doorstep, they confirmed that the girl was hiding Lelouch all along." Schneizel stated with much objectivity.

"He's alive! Lelouch is alive! Oh God, thank You!" Nunnally felt hot tears welling on her eyes as she shouted joyfully. Cornelia bowed down and smiled secretly. You're one hard enemy to defeat, Lelouch… Our brother…

"We need to find more evidences for this." Schneizel finally closed the folder and faced his lover. "My dear, kindly send this back to the Research Team. Please encourage them to do further investigation about this girl. Thank you." he handed the file to Kanon who stood up without a word and bowed, leaving the table to do Schneizel's errand… His Schneizel's errand.

"My question here is that what could be the connection between them? We all know that Zero killed Lelouch two years ago… But why is that masked person visiting Lelouch?" Cornelia asked, finishing her portion of the food. Her curiosity around the matter may cause them to target to truth – although not immediately, but gradually they will.

I believe that Suzaku didn't really mean to kill Lelouch. It's their plan after all… Nunnally thought as she finished her meal as well. "Schneizel, Cornelia…" the two people faced her immediately upon hearing their names. "Please do your best regarding this matter. I shall be attending to matters regarding the Britannian Government while you investigate this pertinent matter."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Schneizel nodded politely at his sister while Cornelia just hummed in approval. What could they know this time? Maybe more, maybe less.

It was a great day, indeed. Suzaku woke up in a haste when he found out that Lelouch is nowhere to be found on the bed. However, he was welcomed by the scent of honey and cinnamon wafting around the room. He quickly got up and tidied himself then went outside the room to find Lelouch cooking with a cute apron. The apron must be Nunnally's gift to him before. It was purple in color, white stripes and a logo of Lelouch's chibi face on the pocket portion. Suzaku walked towards Lelouch when;

"Trying to get your morning kiss, Suzaku?" a female voice was suddenly heard from the living room. It was C.C., lying down the couch with Cheese-kun being hugged by her. Suzaku jumped in recognition and was noticed by Lelouch as well.

"C2? You're here as well?" Suzaku was stunned to find the immortal witch here.

"Yeah. Where else would I be?" C.C. sighed heavily at the brunet's question.

"Oh Suzaku!" Lelouch stopped his tasks and went to the brunet's side to give him a morning kiss. Suzaku blushed automatically and said, "I didn't know C2 was here all along…"

"Well, yeah. She took me at Northern Japan a few weeks ago when she thought that I'm still breathing. We traveled until we got here." Lelouch said knowingly, not bothered even if C.C. was there.

"He is correct… In fact, we haven't fulfilled our contract yet… So I still need to be with him." C.C. added, looking at her fingernails before standing up and proceeded to the kitchen.

"H-Hey! I'm not yet done cooking, you immortal witch!" Lelouch protested as he grabbed Suzaku's hand and led him to the kitchen as well. Suzaku just chuckled at the scene.

After that breakfast, Lelouch prepared his things and wore his disguise. Suzaku requested that they will go to school together. And here they were, walking side by side on the way to school. Lelouch promised a box or two of pizza to C.C. which will be delivered later.

When they reached the school, students were looking at them as if they were new enrollees. Others were whispering gossips that mostly revolve around The Vice President together with the Student Council President. Suzaku was holding his temper and a comforting gesture from Lelouch made it all fade away. They smiled at each other, ignoring the indignant stares they got from the other students. At least the Eleven bullying streak wasn't even existing now.

"About time the couple of the year arrived." Gino welcomed the two with a hug. "What's taken you so long? A morning exercise, I presume?" the blonde Knight added which earned several shades of red among the couple's faces.

"Stop it Gino! That's very rude at this time of day!" Kallen halted her boyfriend's teasing and grabbed him by the uniform collar. Gino whined in pain after that.

"Good morning, lovebirds. What are the plans for today?" Anya asked, not bothering to look at the two.

"Hey guys! You're finally here!" Rivalz welcomed them warmly with a cheeky grin. Suzaku and Lelouch greeted the two of them before revealing their plans for the day.

"Good morning Ashford students! We're having a clean-up drive! All students will be excused from their first period to second period classes in order to maintain the cleanliness of our school! Please proceed to the Student Council office for your assigned cleaning places. Thank you and good day!" Lelouch announced over the control room. Then the other Council Members started accepting other students asking for their assigned cleaning places. In addition, whichever group has the cleanest area will win a free dinner at the restaurant where Lelouch (she announced it as Lilia) was working. All students were shouting in glee. Some were chatting on how they will see the Student Council President in maid outfit while at work.

"Why did you use that as the award? They will see you in a sexy outfit!" Suzaku protested but Lelouch put his one finger on the brunet's lips.

"Sshh… You worry too much, Babe. Of course I have it set as my day off! No one can see me there that night. Whichever group wins…" Lelouch answered confidently and there were no more protests coming from the brunet.

"You really are cunning, Lelouch…" Kallen sighed lightly then smiled afterwards.

"Of course. Already given." Lelouch (Lilia) gave a wink and smirked at the redhead.

After an hour – or two or even three – of cleaning the school, the students were now gathered at the gym for the announcement of winners. There has been a ranking set for the winners. The winning group who would get the third place would be excused from their afternoon classes this day. The winning group who would get the second place would get free lunch from the canteen. And, as said earlier, the winning group who would get the first place would get free dinner at the restaurant where Lelouch works.

"Okay Ashford students! Our third place winner is…" Lelouch created a little suspense. "Third place goes to Group K who cleaned the restrooms!" the group mentioned cheered loudly as their other classmates greeted them cheerily.

"Congratulations! Your Excuse Passes are already done and will be signed by your respective afternoon period professors!" Lelouch announced delightfully and Kallen handed the winners their "Excuse Pass" as their prize.

"Alright! Our winner for the second place goes to…" and another moment of suspense. "Group M who cleaned the hallways!" and again, the mentioned group cheered loudly at that. The winners were given their stubs by Rivalz for the free lunch at the canteen.

"And here we are! Our winner for this year's first ever Clean-up Drive Competition is…" Lelouch opened the envelope handed to him by his boyfriend, Suzaku and thanked him. He opened it while holding the microphone.

"Group C who cleaned the garden grounds! Congratulations!" and with that, the mentioned group jumped high in pure amazement. Of course, they deserved to win. As the group approached the stage, the stubs were handed to them by Suzaku himself, who personalized the ticket design with cats as the theme. The other groups whined in protest because they wanted consolation prizes.

"Hey hey hey! Don't cry just yet! We have prepared consolation prizes for the other groups!" Lelouch shouted at the top of his lungs, still with grace and might at the same time. He snapped his fingers and in a little bit there were two Knightmares appearing outside the gym with boxes full of big slices of pizza. Of course, Gino and Anya requested for permission using the Tristan and Mordred for this event.

The other teams of students went outside to get their consolation prizes. They thanked the Student Council for a wonderful gift to them since it's nearing to Christmas already.

"Wow! Another brilliant idea, Ms. President!" Rivalz made a thumb's up to Lelouch who smiled at him with gratitude painted on his face.

"You really are a great strategist, Babe." Suzaku kissed Lelouch's temple secretly and the brunet pseudo-girl punched Suzaku's arm lightly.

"I wouldn't have done all of this without your help…" Lelouch said, looking straightly at Suzaku. "…and their's as well…" then to the other Student Council members who were currently giving each student a slice of the big pizzas prepared for all of them.

"Now I doubt if you really are the Demon Emperor or the Oversweetened Emperor." Suzaku tried to tease his lover who blushed at that.

"S-Suzaku!" Lelouch started to protest. "Don't make such damn names!"

"What? It's perfect for you, Babe." the brunet continued his teasing streak when Lelouch punched him playfully on the arm.

"I swear I'll get back at you… i-idiot!" Lelouch was still a blushing mess when he punched Suzaku feebly and cuddled to the brunet's chest.

"I'll wait for that day…" Suzaku chuckled and hugged Lelouch as they continued looking at the fun event in front of them.

That night, the winning group were found at the restaurant where Lelouch works. Unfortunately, they were disappointed to see that their Student Council President wasn't there at the moment. However, they still enjoyed the food and talked about the whole day's event. They were laughing their hearts out at some fun scenes during the cleaning spree.

"So, this is where I am staying now." Lelouch explained while the whole team (Milly, Rivalz, Kallen, Gino and Anya) were seated on the couch comfortably.

"I told him of this place years ago…" Suzaku started. "I didn't know he will still remember after all."

"That's Lelouch for you!" Rivalz shouted happily and the others laughed as well.

"I agree… Lelouch really remembers everything. No wonder he's a smartass in and out of the battlefield." Kallen commented which earned a blushing protest from Lelouch himself. The others agreed at that.

"I have observed it when he battled Prince Schneizel. Wow! I mean, they made a freaking chess game out of the Knightmares!" Gino was exaggerating his point with his hands waving in all directions. Kallen facepalmed at this. Anya seemed delighted in her silence.

"I can't believe it myself, either…" Milly emphasized. "A student who has the ability to rule the world."

"I think that would be enough. I heard a lot, thank you very much." Lelouch stated sarcastically.

"But Lelouch, you're still a human… And we all know that you always had the heart for everything… For Nunnally… our friends… and me." Suzaku placed his hand on one side of Lelouch's shoulder. The raven-haired boy warmed up at the sappiness his lover was saying.

"I couldn't agree more." Milly said with finality.

"So Your Highness, when will you tell Empress Nunnally all about this?" Gino asked.

"Soon, Gino… Soon." Lelouch said with finality and the whole night was a pack of chatters and good times.

Ever since she knew about it, Nunnally couldn't sleep well. The thought of her brother being alive was one exciting news to celebrate, but knowing how the world sees Lelouch now may not be the best answer to her desire of getting reunited with her brother for the meantime. She always had faith in Lelouch and she knew that he wasn't the bad guy the world viewed him to be. As she was getting ready for sleep, someone knocked on the door from the other side. Nunnally gave the permission to let the visitor in and in less than a second, the door was opened – revealing a blonde man and his lover at the back.

Nunnally smiled gently at the realization that it was Schneizel himself. The empress steadied on her elbows as she sat upright on her bed. "Schneizel, haven't you slept yet?"

"Not unless you were asleep…" Schneizel started then moving towards the side of Nunnally's bed. "Seeing that you are indeed not yet asleep makes me go here."

"I see. Sorry for making you worry, then." Nunnally compensated an apology for the night disturbance between her brother and his lover. Schneizel just chuckled at that and patted the empress' back.

"There's nothing to be worried about now… Lelouch is alive." the blonde prince assured her as he held her hands between his. Kanon was smiling hopefully at this, placing his hands on Schneizel's shoulders.

"Pardon me for butting in, Your Highnesses, but I also do believe that Prince Lelouch was never the bad person he has shown before." the redhead said with such conviction and Nunnally nodded at this.

"I couldn't agree more." the blonde prince smiled warmly and Nunnally thanked them for that. Schneizel also said about furthering the investigation and was planning to invite Suzaku over to answer her questions personally. This idea made Nunnally hum in delight.

"Do what is must, my brother. I shall be looking forward to that." Nunnally finally said and began laying herself to bed. Schneizel nodded and grabbed the blanket to cover the empress up to her chest. Feeling comfortable, Nunnally closed her eyes as she bid the couple a sweet goodnight. As the blonde prince and his lover went outside the room;

"You've finally shown your soft side, Kanon." Schneizel said softly while caressing Kanon's cheeks, which rendered a blush from the redhead.

"Y-Your H-Highness…" Kanon tensed up at the openness of Schneizel to him. He held on to the blonde prince's hands while looking away from those blue eyes.

"I know… We should do this in my room…" Schneizel paused. "Our room, should I correct…" This act rendered Kanon a deep blush. He just can't believe he's in a relationship with a royalty. Oh well… He does love Schneizel so it's worth it. And with that, they walked towards their shared room and a few hours later, there were sounds of moaning and such at their room.

It was 23:00 and the group were still in Lelouch's house. Although Milly and Rivalz already left the venue with smiles on their lips, Kallen and Gino stayed for a very important topic to be talked about. C.C. was getting impatient about her pizza not yet coming after hours of delivery confirmation.

"Rakshata told me of a 9th Generation Knightmare she once developed in India." Kallen revealed the answer to her tasked assignment from Lelouch. "She co-developed it with some Japanese and Korean scientists to add Nanotechnology to it. She also mentioned that this Knightmare was capable of shooting Nano-blades at absolutely accurate and farther directions." the redhead explained and laid out a set of documents in front of Lelouch, which the raven-haired royalty accepted. He read every context of the files and was quite impressed at the technology.

"Rakshata is still at her best no matter what." Lelouch commented and Suzaku looked fascinated as a new Knightmare was unveiled to them.

"And with the help of Earl Asplund and Ms. Cecile, it has developed into a greater Knightmare Technology that can outshine even the Guren and Lancelot." Kallen continued, her face never left the serious part.

"And it flies even without Energy Wings! Oh I can't believe I'm saying this…" Gino clicked his tongue in both amusement and envy. Kallen looked at him for a second then shifted back to Lelouch, who tries to comprehend the document.

"So this new Knightmare…" Lelouch started. "Is what they called Uragan…" he swiped a finger under his chin and Kallen nodded in approval of this. Suzaku was deeply amazed at this. He knew Lelouch handled the Shinkiro very well… But piloting a 9th Generation Knightmare…

"Are you sure about this, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked with a hint of doubt. Lelouch reassured him with a wink of his eye.

"When am I not?" the rave-haired boy asked back with much confidence in him. Believe me, Suzaku. I can do this because of you.

"Point taken." Suzaku settled with that and continued to study the specs of this new Knightmare Uragan. And then he realized that this kind of machine is validated for piloting of the Knight of One. That's when his eyes widened in surprise. Lelouch noticed this and stopped reading.

"What's with that face? You okay, Babe?"

"Uhm… Well…" Suzaku stuttered then turned to Kallen. "This Knightmare is for use of the Knight of One, right?" Kallen nodded and said, "Yeah… Why did you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised…" Suzaku replied as his nerves felt calmer. Lelouch still has plans to come back to being the Emperor.

"Surprised? Or rather, puzzled?" Lelouch noticed the waver in his boyfriend's voice. "Tell us what you had in mind."

With that, Suzaku didn't have any choice but to tell them that he figured out Lelouch's plans. Kallen just nodded knowingly, Gino did the same, and Lelouch just hummed at the whole enchilada.

"You sometimes tend to impress me, my Knight." Lelouch managed to steal a kiss from Suzaku, who blushed comfortably at the audience. "What's that supposed to mean, my Prince? Have I not impressed you on the bed-"

"That would be enough, Suzaku… I got it." Lelouch mock-glared at him and sighed heavily at the backfire he received from the brunet. Suzaku grinned childishly at how he can get Lelouch swayed by such words. Well, Lelouch has a very conservative nature when in public, but how he begged for Suzaku to fill him up was a different issue.

"Oh, don't worry…" Kallen added. "We got it as well."

"Not you, too Kallen!" Lelouch snapped at the redhead with such fierce violet eyes. Suzaku took hold of his lover's arms before anything else happens. Anya was indulgently documenting everything.

"I guess it's always fun to have friends who truly knew you." Suzaku shifted the mood into a more honest kind. "And I'm thankful that my first friends are royalties."

"I'm thankful as well that we became closer than friends…" Lelouch held his hands and looked at those deep emerald eyes of Suzaku. They smiled at each other like no one's around them and suddenly noticed that the others were studying the Knightmare Uragan.

"If you're going to use this Knightmare, we have to ask permission from Rakshata and Earl Lloyd." Kallen emphasized. Lelouch nodded and thought of facing the scientists in his girl disguise.

Knowing that they were side by side, Suzaku and Lelouch learned to conquer a lot of fears and trials along the way. And in this new era, they will face the challenges head on as another path has opened for Lelouch. Will he succeed as a Knight of Rounds, battling alongside with his partner for life? Will Nunnally be able to find out the truth about her brother's real case?

To be Continued…

A/N: There you have it guys! Hope you liked it! Though I would like to have another chapter so I cut it off right here. Hahaha! I know it's a bit off-hand to end in this part but don't worry guys!

*Uragan – It's a special hero from one of the Mods of Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge which is Mental Omega. Uragan is a hero from the Foehn Revolt (Last Bastion sub faction) Faction. Well, search for him on the official website of Mental Omega. Credits to the creators of this great RA2 Mod!

Don't forget! Reviews are highly appreciated. - Stella