A Songfic for Coldplay's "The Scientist" I was struck with inspiration after listening to it. Takes place after the conversation Lelouch and Suzaku had in the final episode wherein Lelouch gives the Zero mask to Suzaku. Thank you, and please enjoy!
As usual, I don't own Code Geass or its characters.
Months of planning, work, and altogether luck had come down to this day. Lelouch supposed he could watch the time and count it down, hour by hour, but easily decided not to. Before he left his room, he took a last glance at the ornate clock on the wall.
The hallways felt longer. When he at last walks into the throne room, it's empty and unlit, apart from the few beams of light colored by stained glass streaming down onto the hard floor. He stopped to the right of throne itself and stood there, until the expected light from the hallway poured in. He greeted him with a soft friendly voice.
"Suzaku."
Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
They'd planned this meeting for some time now, but neither thought that it would feel so surreal to be there. It had been but a distant thought until today. The two stood several feet apart and Lelouch began to go over all of it one more time, once and for all. After today, it'd all be over, and they'd both be gone.
Suzaku listened to the best of his ability. They both knew that this was only formal, only to be completely sure. The knight already knew every detail and repeated it to himself each day.
"You're certain that you can do this, right?" Lelouch asked after finishing.
Suzaku closed his eyes. "You have my word."
Lelouch half-chuckled. 'I know." His eyes were apologetic. "Forgive me."
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I've set you apart
"I've chosen to bear this sin, there's no need to apologize." Suzaku replied in whisper.
"There are too many things I wish to apologize for." Lelouch's smile was small and regretful. "Fate wasn't kind to us."
Their sad eyes met, in a silent agreement to his statement. Suzaku shook his head sadly, and loosely clenched his empty fist.
"Lelouch. I never wanted things to play out the way they did. If I could, I would go back…"
"…And change it."
Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start
In the silence that followed, both kept their heads down, with weary expressions etched onto their faces and with similar thoughts of all the regrets, all the mistakes, all the questions left to ask, all the things left unsaid over two years, and all of the things that could only be said right now.
"There won't be any more chances beyond this." Lelouch spoke as he lifted his head, to meet Suzaku's gaze. "So let's put everything else to rest."
Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on the science apart
Lelouch had thought it many times: "We can accomplish anything, when we join hands." Yet their ideals, their mistakes, and their choices continually kept them apart and undoubtedly changed their relationship for good. He couldn't help but wonder, had he said something else, had he done something different, would things have been easier between them over the past few years? But that was all in the past.
Now their footsteps echoed in the empty chamber as they walked closer to one another before stopping about two feet apart.
"I've made a lot of mistakes, Suzaku."
"You aren't alone in that." Suzaku reached his hand out to Lelouch's arm. "We're going to make up for that today."
Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
"Yes… We'll start over. And even more importantly… we'll end these wars." Shifting slightly, he placed his hand on Suzaku's. "When I started my rebellion, I was prepared for the consequences. I was ready for the worse and yet…" He shook his head. "Look at what happened and everything I've done because of it. I reached a point where more things were going wrong than right. Every loss led to a mistake and each mistake led to another."
Oh take me back to the start
"It wouldn't feel right to ignore the blood on my hands. This was my decision; you should take no responsibility for it. Don't hold it against yourself."
Suzaku's look of resignation was a better answer than words could ever be.
I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
"Are you happy… with where we are now?"
"Absolutely." Lelouch answered. He could tell his friend didn't feel the same way. "There are many things I would change about the past, but we can't do that. We can only make the best of what has transpired under these circumstances. I want do this. Therefore… I am happy."
Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart
Suzaku gazed up at the ceiling. "I wish I could be."
"… I'm not surprised…" Lelouch replied. "But I seek a better future. I always have. And we both seek atonement, that's why I asked you to kill me."
With eyes fixed on the mask in his hand, Suzaku answered. "I understand. And I'll do it, just like I said I would."
"There's one other reason. You're the only one who I know can do it."
Oh tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start
"Can…?"
"I trust in you." Lelouch wrapped his arms around Suzaku, for comfort, for expressing an unsaid feeling that accompanied his words. "I believe that you can do it. I think… you're the only one who can." Suzaku returned the embrace slowly.
"I will."
Lelouch placed his fingers on Suzaku's cheek and wiped away the tear, letting his fingers delay leaving for as long as he could.
Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are
"Are you ready to end this?"
"…Yes."
Lelouch broke from the embrace his hand lingering briefly on Suzaku's arm and stepped away.
Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
Lelouch began to walk towards the door, keeping his back to Suzaku the entire way. The next time he would see him, things would be completely different.
"Suzaku."
His knight was already facing him, at attention.
"Thank you. For… everything."
Suzaku was momentarily speechless. "Yes… your majesty." He bowed slightly with his arm across his chest, before lowering it and returning to a normal stance.
Lelouch relaxed, his eyes shimmering.
"You're… not just a friend." He whispered, then tuned away.
"I love you… as well."
Lelouch smiled softly. "I'll… see you."
Suzaku nodded a little. "…See you."
And he left without another word.
I'm going back to the start