Title. Simple Human
Author. Mech
Project Start. 1/12/10
Applicable Genres. Not many...
Rating. K
Canon. Anime. This takes place sometime in the middle of R2, after Jeremiah's joined Lelouch's forces, but before the latter usurps the throne (assuming I'm remembering the time line correctly).
Warnings. I've only seen it once, so... yeah; I apologize ahead of time for any OOC moments. Interpretable shonen-ai.
Pairings. It was intended as Jeremiah/Lelouch (yes, I think Jeremiah would be the seme), but it's easily interpreted as platonic.
Summary. As good as Lelouch was at predicting others' strategies, emotional actions were far too quickly disregarded. Lelouch. Jeremiah. Fluff?
Inspiration. One of those random question memes asked me, "Is there any such thing as One/Eight (Lelouch/Jeremiah) fluff?" I answered, "If there isn't, there should be." There wasn't, so now there is.
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"How can people be so loyal to others without question?" As he voiced the absent thought aloud, Lelouch slid Zero's helmet off his head and pulled the muffling cloth away from his lips, now within the safety of his chambers. Though staying a polite distance away, Jeremiah followed his leader into the seating area at the center of the room.
"May I ask to whom you are referring?" he inquired. After glancing in their direction, C.C. returned her attention to the slice of pizza in her hands.
"People. The Knights of One. The Black Knights. Everyone. They're all the same in the strength of their allegiance." When Jeremiah didn't respond this time, Lelouch lost the abstract direction of his thought, facing him in particular. "You're included in this, too," he assured him.
"I pledged my allegiance to you," explained Jeremiah.
"Yes, I know," he replied, vaguely irritated at the obviousness of the proclamation. "Your assistance in Zero's mission has been very valuable. And yet I don't see the reasoning behind it."
"I gave you my unfaltering loyalty, so I will do whatever you ask of me."
"Yes, but why?" Furrowing his brow, he sunk onto the couch.
"Because I love you."
Instantly bringing his gaze up to meet the other's, Lelouch blinked at the unfazed determination that faced him. "Excuse me?"
"People are loyal to the ones they love simply because they love them. There is no other reason necessary."
He frowned at the simplicity of the reasoning. "Even if the one they love makes a request with which they don't agree?"
For a moment, Jeremiah's one-eyed stare was hard as his lips ever so slightly pursed together. "There is such thing as too much love for someone, or something," he answered carefully once that weighted moment had passed. After flickering briefly on the form of C.C. staring curiously from the corner, Lelouch's gaze drifted back down towards the helmet in his hands. He scoffed into the empty air.
"You say that with such conviction, Orange-kun."
In a few, long strides, Jeremiah crossed the distance between them. One hand he placed over Lelouch's gloves as they caressed the spines of Zero's helmet; the other he gingerly laid against the back of Lelouch's neck. As he leaned over, Jeremiah gently tipped Lelouch's head forward so that the latter's forehead rested against his chest.
"I love you," he repeated.