Hello to the ones who give this fic a chance. XD
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IMPORTANT – Please read: This will be slash/yaoi/shounen-ai whatever you want to call it! So if you don't like then please don't read. It will not be overly explicit as I don't want to go against FFnet rules and should I go into detail it will be heavily edited and post the rest on AO3. (As I am a new writer I don't know how explicit I will get at all, let's see how courageous I will be lol.)
I have always been a fan of Gino/Lelouch and want to contribute to the -sadly- small collection of stories out there. I try to keep them mostly in character but will change things as I need and want, like the timeline. Or that Lelouch doesn't wear his silly emperor-hat! Just because I can and I want it that way XD
Please note that this fic is not my main concern and I have been working on this one chapter for weeks. My main story gets most of my attention and as it takes a lot of work I only write on this one when I need a break but feel like writing. Also because this one concentrates more on the relationship its sometimes easier to write so I also use it to get into writing mood and then switch stories.
A good comparison would be: 'Defeat the world with rationality' is my work while 'My Emperor' is my hobby. So please don't expect regular updates.
So with all of that said, enjoy the chapter!
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Lelouch had just finished his message to the U.F.N. and switched the channel back to his Knight of Zero.
"Suzaku, the message is out. But before you come back, there is something you have to decide."
"What is it?"
"I heard your transmission to Gino Weinberg and it's clear that you care a great deal about him. You didn't destroy his machine like the others and berated him about his decision to attack Britannia. You can either search for him and bring him back to Pendragon or you leave him and accept the high possibility that we will meet him in the next battle where the chance of his death is decidedly higher. It's your decision Suzaku, he is your friend, whatever you want to do with him I will accept."
"If I bring him back with me, what will happen to him?" Suzaku did not trust Lelouch to not have a hidden agenda. And Gino really was one of the few he had come to like while being the Knight of Seven.
"Like I said, that's for you to decide. Let him think on your words and then talk to him. Or we imprison him until the end. As long as he is no danger to me or the Zero Requiem I don't care. If you bring him back and you change your mind we can still arrange a scenario for him to flee and go back to Schneizel if that's what he wants and you're okay with meeting him on the battlefield."
"I... Thank you, your majesty!" Was that really all there was to it? Lelouch being… nice? Suzaku wasn't sure but thankful nonetheless.
"Nothing to thank me for, search for him and I arrange for someone to pick up him and his Knightmare."
As soon as Suzaku had the coordinates of the fallen Knightmare Lelouch send a retrieving team while his knight guarded the newest prisoner. The former knight of three came willingly out of the Tristan and as soon as he was secured, Suzaku made his way back.
It was decided that Gino would not be held in a prison cell but contained in a set of rooms, locked in and guarded at all times. For the first two days Suzaku was torn, he couldn't decide what he wanted to do, he hadn't thought that anything would come from his talking while they fought. And Lelouch really hadn't interfered with anything apart from making sure that their prisoner couldn't flee and ordering him to keep him informed. But after two days in which he had done nothing, Lelouch got fed up with him and ordered him to talk with Gino. And following orders was something he excelled at.
So now he was standing before the door, the guards had given him access straightaway. They most likely wouldn't even be able to contain the teen should he find a way to leave the rooms. They mostly were there to sound the alarm should that happen but Lelouch had taken every precaution and the likelihood of Gino being able to flee was, well, zero.
He knocked more out of habit before opening the door and immediately searching out the blond, readying himself for an attack. He shouldn't have worried. Gino was lying on the couch with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling. And he also had never been aggressive when one of the guards brought him his meals.
"Is it lunchtime already?"
"Not quite." At the sound of his voice the younger male nearly fell off the couch in his haste to sit up and look to the door. "Suzaku! Finally someone I can talk to, do you have any idea how bored I am?"
"I would apologize, but even if these rooms don't look like it, you're still a prisoner so your comfort isn't a high priority." At this Gino flopped down on the couch again. "Geez, Suzaku, I know. It's still nice to see you. So, what do you want?"
"I want to talk to you."
"Don't you mean interrogate me?"
"No, his Majesty is certain that you don't have any information that we aren't already aware of. He has left your fate in my hands because I see you as a friend. So I came here to find out your intentions and if you're a threat."
"You're really loyal to Lelouch?" Suzaku shot him a glare. "Sorry, Emperor Lelouch, damn that will take some time getting used to. You know after you and Prince Schneizel decided to assassinate Emperor Charles I finally realised you may not be as loyal to Britannia as I thought. And there was always something strange about you and Lelouch. So, did Lelouch really kill Charles zi Britannia or was that you?"
"He got there before me and defeated his father." No need to mention that he had failed quite spectacular and had had no idea about what was really going on. And the happenings in the world of C had gone way over his head.
"The how would be interesting... but I'm sure you will not tell me that. So did you immediately swear your loyalty?"
"That's none of your business" was the emotionless reply of the Knight of Zero. Suzaku didn't want to think too much about what happened at Kamine, much less talk about it. He was conflicted enough.
"Thought so. Well you clearly left me here alone for two days to let me think about everything. And your talk during our fight really got me thinking. This is still Britannia, which I swore myself to protect. And by tradition of Britannia Lelouch is Emperor by conquest. The last Emperor gained the throne much the same way. We may have called him usurper but really, if he was the one to kill his father, Emperor Lelouch is the rightful owner of the throne, no matter what anyone thinks about it. So maybe I was foolish to just blindly follow Bismarck."
"I sense a 'but' "
"BUT it's hard to follow someone you don't know and I'm certain the Lelouch Lamperouge I met at Ashford was not the one able to defeat the last Emperor. And of course while my loyalty will always be to Britannia doesn't mean that my actions weren't treasonous."
Suzaku was silent for a moment, thinking everything through and going through his available choices. "Do you want an audience?" In the end it was probably better to let Lelouch and Gino decide what happened further.
"What? You're serious? You would allow me to meet him?" The silly grin he was accustomed to from the other Knight was hard not to return. Gino would always be Gino. Hyper and likeable.
"You would be bound of course even when I know I can win against you in a fight but I'm taking no risks. But I will ask His Majesty and tell him you seem to still be loyal to Britannia and may regret following Bismarck."
At that Gino shot up from the couch again, bouncing over to him, he had a hard time not to automatically attack him when the other was suddenly just inches away from him.
"I would SO appreciate that and accept any form of precaution you want to take. But I will be no danger to his Majesty. I swear! On my honour as a knight!"
"Then I will see what I can do for you."
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It was already on the next day that Suzaku returned and informed him that the emperor would meet with him. Gino had his arms handcuffed behind his back as promised and was led by Suzaku and two guards towards the throne room.
He was kind of anxious about this audience but at the same time he felt almost giddy. Three days locked in a set of rooms and not being able to do much had left him with too much energy. He had had way too much time to think. He was more the action-loving guy after all.
When the doors to the throne room opened he was more than surprised to find the whole place empty, except of course for the throne itself. He was used to seeing it filled with royals and nobles when audiences were conducted. But there only was the new emperor of Britannia in his customary white robes, cutting an impressive figure. He had seen the footage when Lelouch took the throne – who hadn't – and it was clear immediately that the person he met in Ashford was nothing like the one who presented himself then.
He had been intrigued by Lelouch from the start. Well, their first meeting had been kind of awkward. But before that he had heard stories of the Vice-President, the Ice-Prince of Ashford that everyone loved. But also about the ruthless chessplayer who decimated his opponents easily. He hadn't seen much of the later but was still inclined to believe Rivalz. Lelouch had been guarded and hesitant in his presence from the start, which he had then blamed on him being a Knight of the Rounds and that that intimidated the other, which was not unusual when he met commoners. Now of course he knew that it probably really had been his position, but certainly for different reasons. And it would explain why, every now and then, he had caught the other staring at him with calculating eyes.
And it was that picture that had burned itself into his mind because he had seen that there was more to that friendly guy than met the eye. The regal body language, the burning gaze and those deep amethyst eyes had hooked him pretty quickly. He would have like more time to tackle the puzzle that was Lelouch Lamperouge.
And as he was now standing before him he could see this persona he had only glimpsed at before in all his glory. Without prompting he got down on his knee and bowed his head to the new emperor.
"Your Majesty."
The two guards left but Suzaku stayed right beside him and only when he heard the doors closing was the silence interrupted.
"The former Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg. Suzaku tells me that you seem to regret attacking with your fellow Knights. That you think you may have made a mistake."
Gino raised his head at that point looking directly into the Emperors eyes. "There is no 'may' about it, your Majesty. Over the last days I have come to realise that just blindly following Bismarck has not been the right choice."
"Is that so?" Lelouch leaned back in his throne, resting his head on his hand, contemplating the one kneeling before him.
"You know, Suzaku has been telling me a few things about you and I have always been curious how someone like you would make it to the Knights of Round. So I looked up your records. A fascinating read I have to say. Tell me, when the Knight of One comes to personally recruit you, what is your answer?"
Gino was a little confused at the question, as the answer was quite clear and he wasn't sure if an answer was expected, so he was glad when the emperor continued after a short silence.
"The answer would obviously be 'yes', anything else would be suicide. One doesn't say 'no' to the emperor, well, at least not without repercussion. I would know."
There was a story hidden in the sarcastic tone of the last part, Gino was sure of it. And the smirk that had replaced the impassive face was kind of scary. And when the raven haired boy stood up and came towards him he bowed his head again, not quite sure how to act.
"Answer me one question Former Knight of Three" Lelouch was now standing right in front of him, he could literally feel Suzaku tense at the close proximity of his emperor to him. The fingers that lifted his head the next moment startled him more than he wanted to admit. And his mind was captivated firmly by the hard gaze he was forced to look up into. "When you were not given a real choice in following my father, why are you now so eager to follow me?"
Lelouch felt more than he saw the other swallow. Intimidation was an art he had perfected over the years and this boy had last seen him when he was still playing Lelouch Lamperouge. Slender, meek, bored, mostly friendly albeit aloof and not the least bit imposing. He would be damned if he left even an ounce of doubt in the other that he was still that person.
"Serving Britannia is all I know and want."
"Hm, an interesting answer, but I'm inclined to believe you for the moment. You will be given a chance to prove yourself. You will work alongside Suzaku. Whenever you're not with him you will still be locked into your rooms." And now Lelouch was leaning down, still holding his gaze, expression going cold and hard, their faces separated only by inches. "But make no mistake, if there is the slightest hint of betrayal, I have no problem in ending your life. Am I understood?"
"Perfectly, your Majesty."
The emperor nodded and returned to his throne and Gino tried to hide his relieved sigh.
"Suzaku you will adapt your schedule to your new shadow. Whenever you can, take him with you. The other times" At this Lelouch shot his knight a pointed look "you will lock him in again. Let's see how he likes MY Britannia. Dismissed."
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Gino had been following Suzaku around for the last three days. To say that he didn't quite know how to behave was an understatement. He had always liked the Japanese knight, despite his cold exterior and working together had never been a problem. Now there was this distance between them as his place in the new regime was still unclear and the other was watching him closely for any hint of betrayal. Not that he had any intentions of doing so.
This was still Britannia even if the new emperor was turning it upside down and not entirely in a bad way. Some of the changes made Lelouch the hero of the masses and the applications from commoners to join the military had exploded. He had accompanied Suzaku when he was overseeing the training of the new recruits and was quite surprised how much respect they showed him. As the perceived right hand of his majesty Suzaku had been on the receiving end of many thankful words to the emperor who they seemed to nearly revere. And the respect shown was clearly more genuine than any he had seen while the other had still been the Knight of Seven. He had observed in the past that no matter what Suzaku accomplished he was never really accepted. That had been the reason why he tried so hard to befriend the Japanese as he hadn't thought it fair to look down on him just because he was a former number.
Overall he was quite shocked by everything he was seeing. Despite having a lot of opposition, Emperor Lelouch was able to change whatever he set his mind to and if problems arose he send out Jeremiah Gottwald. And that had been a meeting he didn't want to think about as the cyborg seemed absolutely not inclined to oversee his part of the attack against his emperor to whom he was fervently loyal to. Whenever he met the man he had the feeling that the older man would like nothing more than to crush him like a bug. And wasn't his presence alone a surprise? When they had last met, Orange-boy had fought for Zero quite fiercely. But whenever he brought up this topic he got no explanation and funny looks, he was clearly missing out on something.
And now he was following Suzaku to the emperors office for an emergency meeting. And also the first real meeting he was allowed to attend. Whenever the two had something to discuss he was send back to his rooms. He had only seen Lelouch two times since his audience and both times it had been short as Suzaku had only brought him some reports and they discussed them in hushed voices he couldn't understand from his place next to the door where he had been told to wait. And as it was an emergency meeting it was clear that something happened and he hoped that he would get a chance to prove himself, as he really wanted to continue to serve Britannia.
When they entered they were immediately motioned to come closer before they even closed the door. He hesitated, but Suzaku wasted no time in getting closer to the table where Lelouch and Gottwald were standing. Shouldn't they first greet the emperor properly?
"Don't just stand there, Weinberg. You were invited, so come here already." Lelouch shot the blond a quick glare before he returned his gaze back to the map laid before him and began to speak before the other reached the table.
"It has been brought to our attention that some idiotic Duke has apparently taken over one of our bases. The Duke has been living in the area and seems to have many followers inside the base. One of the few not loyal to that man has been able to inform us of the take-over. It was only a short message so we have no further information. We can assume that he stayed undetected and they don't know we're aware of their plans. So they will not expect us, which is an advantage. I want to attack from here as the terrain will let us stay undetected for a while. Weinberg, are you ready to prove your loyalty?"
"Of course your Majesty! Whatever your orders, I will follow." Inside his head Gino was jumping up and down – finally! - and it was hard to keep his expression from showing it.
Lelouch only nodded at the determined gaze levelled at him and shot a sly smirk back. "Great, you will play decoy and come from here. No one knows that you have aligned yourself with me so they should let you get close. When you're near enough, these here will be your first targets. Take them down as fast as you can. Should they decide to shoot first and ask questions later you will fall back immediately and await new orders.
The whole operation will be old-school, meaning no heavy weapons. I want to smoke the rats out, not raze them to the ground, I don't want to rebuilt or repair the whole base. During the whole operation you will take care to only disable the Knightmares, we don't know if the ones attacking us will be there willingly and I also don't want to replace every frame there after we're done. Should you encounter problems you are allowed to destroy pilot and machine but only as a last resort."
"Your Majesty, am I to understand that you will be part of this operation and that there will only be the four of us?"
"Of course Jeremiah, it will be a show of force, taking back the base with only four Knightmares using none of the highly destructive weapons. And if the king doesn't lead how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
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The meeting had lasted for another hour as they had gone over details and possibilities and Gino was damn impressed with the things Lelouch planned for. He was now on his way to the hangar in his new pilot-suit which had been waiting in his rooms. It was near identical in design to his Knight of Rounds one but the dominating colour was now black and the Britannian insignia had been changed to the eye-like symbol of Lelouch.
When he arrived Suzaku was already there watching as their machines were made ready for transport. He was really curious about Lelouchs part in this, did the emperor even have experience in a Knightmare? He hadn't asked during the meeting and as the others hadn't seemed overly worried he had kept silent.
He walked over to Suzaku just as his newly repaired Tristan was revealed and seeing it made the excitement rise, he was really looking forward to some action. When he stopped next to the Japanese he was thrown a thoughtful look before the other quickly looked around.
"His Majesty has probably rigged the Tristan, so don't do anything foolish." And with that warning, Gino was left standing there, surprised. But before he could think about the warning he got the next shock as the last Knightmare was revealed. That was the frame Zero had used! But what was it doing here, in Britannia? Had Gottwald brought it with him? And did Lelouch seriously want to pilot that thing? He had heard that this frame couldn't be piloted by just anyone.
Before he could get over his shock the doors to the hangar opened and in walked the emperor, accompanied by Gottwald and Lloyd. He decided to better concentrate on the matter at hand. For now he would follow orders and keep his mind on the upcoming battle, he couldn't afford being absent-minded as this would clearly decide his fate and future. He would have time to think on everything later.
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As the team for the clean-up started it's work on the newly reconquered base he landed the Tristan on board of the newly arrived Avalon. When the systems were all shut down he leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh. That had been one hell of an operation. He hadn't known how accustomed he had come to all the highly destructive weapons that had been developed recently. Only using the 'older' weapons had really tested his skills but on the other hand that had made it all the more interesting and fun.
What had really surprised him was the emperor. He had mostly stayed out of close range battle and directed them to where they were needed. Still, nearly at the start of the operation someone had gotten through them and he had decided to ignore orders to protect his Majesty. Now he knew he shouldn't have bothered because Lelouch had been able to handle his frame perfectly. And he had gotten reprimanded and laughed at before he was send back to his original position.
Overall the plan had gone off without major problems and he was even more impressed with Lelouch. He had directed the fight flawlessly and with confidence, adjusting his plans when needed and helping out when they were in a tight spot. He had never been part of an operation like this and it truly brought home the fact that everything had changed. He really hoped that he had proved his loyalty to the emperors satisfaction as he really wanted to be a part of it.
When he felt he Avalon taking flight he disembarked and made his way over to the bridge to receive is next orders.
Suzaku was leading the way to Lelouchs office again. After they returned to Pendragon there he been a short debriefing before everyone was sent to clean up. After that he had a meeting with Lelouch discussing their thoughts on Gino who was now following him to the office.
It was still undecided how he would be integrated into the Zero Requiem but for now he was allowed to stay and serve his homeland like he wanted. They had both agreed that he seemed genuine in his desire to serve Lelouch, especially after the stunt he had pulled during the battle.
After knocking and receiving an invitation they entered and while he only gave a bow to the emperor, Gino went for the traditional greeting, going down on one knee resting one hand behind his back, one on his heart and bowed his head. "Your Majesty"
"You're dismissed for the evening Suzaku."
"Shouldn't I..."
"I'm sure Weinberg will not try anything. Go rest, Suzaku."
Suzaku may not like it, but orders were orders. He just hoped Gino behaved because he knew that the only weapon that Lelouch had that would help him should the other try something was his Geass and he didn't want that for the blond. But he also understood the intention behind this, it would be the perfect time for Gino to attack and as he knew nothing of Geass this would be the final test.
With another short bow and a quick glance to the still kneeling knight he left them, hoping that everything would work out.
The sound of the door closing seemed louder than usual. By the interaction of the others it was clear that things were running different now, or at least for those who had a high standing with the emperor. But Gino was different, as his station was completely unclear he stuck to the protocol he knew and followed it down to the letter. Which meant he hadn't moved from his position at all, waiting for whatever came next.
As he had his gaze still lowered he could only discern what was happening through listening. The scraping of the chair indicated that Lelouch had left his desk and by the sound of his footsteps was approaching him.
"You really are quite an odd character." Lelouch was circling him now, and he could feel the gaze resting on him. "I have quite a hard time understanding you."
"Ask me whatever you want to know, your Majesty."
"And you will answer truthfully?"
"Of course, your Majesty."
"Then come and sit down. I, for one, want to be comfortable."
Gino stood up from his position slightly bewildered, while Lelouch was already walking to the small sitting area. And only now did he realise that the emperor had apparently been done with today's official duties and had changed his white ensemble to black jeans and a white shirt. He indicated that he should sit down on one of the couches while he went t a nearby cabinet, taking out two classes and filling them with red wine. The emperor gave him one of the glasses before he sat down elegantly, facing him. He had no idea how to handle this situation, it was far from anything he was used to. He held the glass securely but didn't know what else to do. Lelouch send him a smirk before he got comfortable, leaning back, elbow resting on the armrest while his other hand swirled the dark red liquid in the glass around before taking a sip.
"You should try the wine. Might loosen you up a bit." God, Lelouch had fun with this. Seeing the other so out of his loop was hilarious. While the other had been a fun-loving guy at Ashford, here and now he had absolutely no idea how to handle himself or the situation. Which wasn't surprising as the blond had only ever been accustomed to stuck-up royalty and nobility. And his overbearing father of course. Maybe it also didn't help that he had completely changed his approach on the former knight. His smirk only grew at that thought.
"You had questions, your Majesty?"
"Yes. And leave the title out for the rest of the conversation. No need to make this talk any more tedious than it will already be." Lelouch had to restrain a laugh at the comical look Gino was sporting. As much fun as it was this whole scenario did have a purpose and maybe he should stop playing with the younger boy and start.
"So, like I said, I have read your file. Tell me, why did you run away from home and went to the military?"
"Well… there was this girl who worked at our house. She was an Eleven and - "
"Japanese. Don't call her by a mere number."
"Sorry. So, I really liked her, she was nice and when ever my parents weren't around we spend time as friends and over time we fell in love. Somehow my family got wind of it and they took it out on her. Beat her and threw her out. After that everything was difficult. I couldn't stand to be in the same house as them, couldn't forgive them what they did. As soon as I could, I ran away and the army really was the only place for me to go as I didn't want to use the money of my family."
"And after what your parents did, what you must have seen and heard while in the army and especially after that when you joined the Rounds, you were still loyal to my father. You really do confuse me. The question is, how much do you believe in the distasteful view of Darwinism my father was always preaching about?"
Lelouch could see that these questions were hard for Gino. It was what confused him the most about him. After everything how can one still be loyal to something as rotten as the Britannia of his father.
Gino had a hard time to suppress the fidgeting he wanted to do. Lelouch was speaking about everything he had ignored for so long. He had been young and naive when he joined the army, believing he could do something good for the people, believed that they were bettering the lives of the conquered. Some of the things he heard during training had confused him. When Bismarck came to his base to personally recruit him he had already started to question some things. Of course he had accepted the invitation to the Rounds, who wouldn't? First it was the greatest honour one could achieve and he was young enough that the craved that, to show his parents that he could achieve something without their name and their money. And you don't say no to the emperor, like Lelouch had said.
As the best of the best you were send to the battles with the most opposition, the most problems. There you learn quite fast to not question anything, to not think about what you were doing and – if you were lucky – you found a way to save your sanity. Anya never showed her thoughts and feelings, pouring everything in her diary. Suzaku had been harder to understand, his drive to prove himself had seemed like his coping mechanism, until Zero had returned and by the lack of surprise and how hard he had worked to recapture him again and his sometimes strange behaviour when meeting the masked rebellion leader had lead him to believe that he may have anticipated the return. Defeating or capturing Zero had seemed like his driving force but he had never been sure if it would keep his sanity intact or destroying what was left of him. He had been a puzzle he had liked to examine and he had wanted to cheer the poor boy up as he had always seemed so sad. The same he had tried with Anya actually, he had always tried to make both smile. Bringing even a small bit of happiness to people close to him was what kept him sane.
And here he was now, confronted with all the things he had stopped thinking about shortly after becoming a member of the Rounds.
"I think I have never seen you so down in the short time I have known you." Lelouch was fascinated by the boy in front of him. Before the blond had been brought here as a prisoner he had always seemed like a bouncing ball, nothing had seemed to face him and he had seemed to happily follow the beliefs of his father and never lost his cheerful attitude.
The other had sunken into himself, looking down at the floor, deep in thought and with the most conflicted expression. He hid a sigh before standing up and stopping in front of the other. Again he raised the head of the younger boy with his fingers like he had done in the throne room, this time he met the others gaze with calm indifference, not trying to intimidate.
"You seem to be in conflict with yourself. Maybe you should start to think about what you really want in life. I have given Suzaku the chance to rescue you because you are his friend. That doesn't mean that you have to fight for me. I am not my father. I'm giving you a chance. I don't believe in the same things as my father but staying here will still ultimately test you again and may destroy your life further. Think about it and decide properly this time. Suzaku and Jeremiah know what they are sacrificing. Make up your mind if you really want to continue to serve Britannia or if you want to do something else with your life and then we will talk further."
And with that he left his office and in it a completely unsettled Knight. He didn't know why he gave the other boy another way out. There was a reason he was recruited so young and he would prefer to have him on his side than against him. But he had been able to see behind that cheerful mask and he had seen a conflicted boy, only a bit younger than himself that had seen and lived through too much. He maybe saw a bit of himself in him. Maybe even someone he could still save, from himself and Britannia, like he hadn't been able to with Suzaku.
He had viewed Gino only ever as an enemy and a happy dunderhead following his father. But Suzaku considered him a friend which meant something to him and maybe that was the only reason he tried to save him now.