Author's Notes: This is a tiny little drabble that I had originally intended to turn into a major chaptered fic...but I don't know if it will ever happen, and this has just been sitting in my files growing major dust bunnies for the past year. Figured I might as well post it.

My original idea had been that Milly was so excited to have Suzaku back at Ashford Academy, that she demanded to have a festival where everyone participated in activities highlighting Britannia's triumph over Zero the previous year...including the conducting of a play about the downfall of Zero. Lelouch was nominated to play the leading role, of course.

And so, without further ado-

And There Will Be Time

"There will be time, there will be time

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;

There will be time to murder and create."

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot

"Hear me, Britannia. I am Zero," Lelouch recited dully, frowning down at the papers in his hand as though it were the latest trash discovered within the boys' restroom. "I am a rebel against all those who abuse power."

Rivalz made a snoring sound, rolling his eyes at the raven-haired boy and earning himself a rather distinguished glare as the classroom erupted into laughter. "Lelouuuuuch," he drew out the last sound mockingly. "Surely you can do better than that. At least put some effort into it. You're supposed to be Zero!"

The former aristocrat heaved a tired sigh. "I'm doing the best I can, Rivalz. It isn't exactly easy to pretend to be a megalomaniac."

Suzaku, seated in a corner of the room and looking rather unimpressed with the proceedings, made a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. Lelouch eyed him coolly. "Perhaps you think you could do better?"

The faint amusement slipped from the Eleven's face, only to be replaced by a thunderous scowl. "I refuse to even attempt to be like him."

Lelouch delivered a gentle smile in his direction. "You don't seem to be enjoying this very much."

"Understatement," Suzaku snarled.

The boy lifted his hands and arms into an elegant shrug, the sheet they were currently masquerading as Zero's cape flaring out around his body to reveal the Ashford uniform hidden beneath it. "I thought as much. President, tell me again why exactly we have to-"

"BE-cause!" Milly interrupted with her normal exuberance, pointing a single finger at the ceiling. "Your President says so!"

The people gathered in the classroom all heaved a unified sigh of exasperation.

Shirley turned to Lelouch with an eager smile. "Hey, hey! Lulu, why don't you practice an evil laugh? It might help you get into character!"

An elegant black eyebrow raised in amused disdain. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Rivalz egged on with a mischievous grin. "Let's hear your baaaad laughter, Lelouch!"

Lelouch raised his amethyst eyes to the ceiling as if praying for patience. "Let's not."

"President's orders, Lelouch!" Milly called with a wide grin. Several girls in the class gave cheers of excitement, hoping to see their normally stoic idol let loose with rarely heard laughter.

"Ha ha ha," Lelouch said flatly. "There."

A blur of motion approached from his right side, promptly followed by a ruler smacking into the side of his head. He ducked out of Milly's reach belatedly, crying out in pain and massaging his head. "Ow! What was that for!"

"EFFORT!" she yelled gleefully. "You need to put forth more effort!"

He scowled, and then gave a short laugh that sounded even more forced than before. Rivalz gave a snort of laughter that he quickly attempted to hide behind a fist. Irritably, Lelough laughed again, this time louder and with a deeper pitch to his voice.

Suzaku, who'd remained silent for most of this escapade, looked over at his (former?) best friend with a twisted smile that only barely detracted from his hardened gaze. "Surely you can do better than that...Zero."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed slightly at the challenge. He mentally calculated the many possible responses he could give, weighing each one for its merits. Intellectually, he knew he ought to continue his charade and purposefully fail at replicating his own laugh. It would further convince Suzaku, and the rest of the Britannian spies that were constantly watching him, that he was in fact innocent of any of Zero's current exploits. It would derail their suspicions and force them to look elsewhere when Zero was right under their noses.

But Suzaku had always been able to get under his skin.

And Lelouch, for all his intelligence and logic and plans, couldn't resist the chance to get even this small revenge on the one who'd betrayed him.

So despite what he knew he should do, he closed his eyes, thought of his latest plan to usurp his own nation, and threw his head back in elated laughter.

The class fell completely silent, all of them staring in awe at the boy draped in a silly white sheet. Then, Shirley bounced in place with irrepressible enthusiasm, crying loudly: "That was perfect, Lulu!" Numerous cheers and compliments followed her proclamation.

Lelouch gave a kind smile. "You think so?"

"Yeah, man!" Rivalz replied with gusto. "You sounded just like the real one!"

The raven-haired boy turned slightly to face the Knight sitting against the wall. "What do you think, Suzaku? You would know best. Do I sound convincing enough?"

Suzaku gazed back at him silently, ashen-faced and looking vaguely ill. Then he swallowed, and gave a stiff nod.

"Yeah...just like him."