Title : Pretty in Pink

Author : DnKS – giRLs

Rating : PG13

Pairing : SuzaLulu

Disclaimer: We hold claim over neither these characters nor the story

Warning: It's crack in its purest form, no meaning nor great plot whatsoever…

In all his seventeen years of life, Lelouch Lamperouge could proudly state that he was not a coward. After all, he could lead an army of rebels and make the oh-so-mighty Holy Empire of Britannia go crazy. He could kill hundreds and destroyed thousands of people if needed. He could manipulate people without any feeling of remorse. He could have an audience with Death and stand perfectly calm.

And yet, he could not manage any courage to simply go out from this certain dark room he was hiding in.

He sneezed. The room was dark and dusty and, he once again reminded himself, perfect. No one would know he was hiding there and that was all that matter. He could stand dust. He could stand darkness. He could stand… wait, was that a rat?!

He sneezed again. It was getting colder there. Maybe it was because of his outfit. Surely it was far too inadequate to fight the cold, he mused as he played with the laces around his thighs. And it itched too. Whoever designed the outfit surely did not put comfort factor into their consideration. As a matter of fact, whoever designed the outfit seemed to not put any consideration aside from the total humiliation factor. And he was just lucky enough to be stuck into wearing that. Though he can blame Milly for that. That impossible woman had once again forced her impossible idea of having such impossible festival that entailed in him being forced to wear such outrageously frilly pink cheerleader outfit.

He was going to destroy Britannia and yet he could not fight a single girl with her crazy idea. That sounds pretty ironic. But maybe he could give the emperor a heart attack should he walk to the throne in his frilly pink get-up.

A creak was heard then. He froze. Did he just hear the sound of a door being opened? No… that couldn't be. No one should have guessed that he was inside that room. Just who…

"Lelouch…?"

Suzaku, he realized with dread. Just great…

"Lelouch? I know you're there. Come out, please?" said the one on the other side of the door. Well, he thought, at least his friend had enough decency not to enter the room before he bid him enter.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Or maybe not…

Light came through the door as it was being opened wide. He drew his knees up and buried his face against them, refusing to see his friend whom he knew was walking to his direction. He did not look up even when he could practically feel Suzaku sitting on the floor in front of him.

"Lelouch, come on…" a whining voice, Suzaku's whining voice. "You're too old for this 'if-I-can't-see-you-then-you-can't-see-me' game."

"…" he said.

"Silent treatment won't work either," he heard Suzaku said.

"Go away," he whimpered and instantly he hated himself for making such pathetic noise.

"No," Suzaku said and he could hear him smirking. "Come on, you look good in those."

That statement was enough to make him look up. He stared at the smiling face of one Kururugi Suzaku with disbelief.

"I look good in these?! I look good in these?! Such impudence!" he screeched. "You don't know how it feels to wear this stupid outfit!"

"Oh, but I know," Suzaku said. "I'm wearing the same outfit like yours."

He blinked.

He stared at Suzaku more thoroughly then, and he realized that Suzaku indeed wore the same outfit like those he wore on himself. A pink halter top covered his chest from his neckline to above his midriff. A frilly pink miniskirt covered his thighs, though—he noticed with disdain—it didn't do a good job at that, considering there was more skin being exposed than being covered.

Yet with all those frills and all, he noted that Suzaku still managed to sit gracefully with his skirt arranged nicely around his legs. It was almost as if he was accustomed to wearing it.

"And why," he began. "Are you wearing it?"

Suzaku shrugged. "I'm being forced to. All the male members of the student council are forced to wear this get-up actually."

He groaned. "Why are you taking this so lightly?"

"It's just for laugh. It's a festival, people come to share the fun."

"And you think it is fun to wear some girl outfit?" he asked in disbelief. "Fine by me, but could you please refrain yourself from trying to drag me along in this insanity because apparently I don't share your sense of humor."

"Okay, how about this," he saw Suzaku huffed. "Either you willingly follow me now or I'm forced to carry you in my arms?"

He could feel his eyes widen, "You wouldn't dare!"

His blood seemed to turn into ice as he looked at that somewhat-creepy smile that spread across Suzaku's face. He never knew his friend could manage such smirk. The military surely brought him bad influence, he thought. In his memory, Kururugi Suzaku was a naive brat who used his muscles more than his brain. He could not place that… smirking, skirt-wearing Suzaku as the same Suzaku whom he knew from his childhood time.

"Wanna try?"

The thing was, he decided, Suzaku could indeed easily carry him in his arms. He gulped. He knew how to choose between two evils. So it was not so much of a surprise when he accepted Suzaku's hand and let himself be hauled to his feet. Together they exited the room and walked hand-in-hand through the many corridors of the Ashford Academy to the open field outside where the festivities were being held.

Suzaku was taking too much fun out of this, he thought. He walked as if it was perfectly fine for a man to wear a poor excuse of halter top and frilly skirt that was so unbelievingly short.

"Your skirt…" he said. "Is shorter than mine."

"Huh?" Suzaku turned his face to meet his eyes. "Yes, it seems so. Why? You want to swap?"

"No!" he quickly said before he blushed. "I just…"

"Hm?"

"Isn't that… a bit… uncomfortable?" he tried, eyes firmly staring at the ground. "Your… I mean, if you move recklessly… they will see… your underwear… anditsnotlikeIsawitImjustwondering…"

Oh great, he was babbling.

"No they won't," Suzaku said confidently. "I don't wear any."

That's…

That's…

"Suzaku! That's vulgar!" he managed a squeak which was far too high-pitched to his liking.

"It's easier that way," Suzaku said as he halted his steps to a stop. "And here we are."

Once he found himself not being dragged anymore, he chanced a glance around. They were standing on the side of an open field. There were so many people cajoling and making fun of themselves. Loud sounds of music and laughter filled the air. It almost felt ironic that they should have such display of happiness in the middle of war.

"They seem like having fun," he said.

"Yeah…" he heard Suzaku agreeing. When he stole a glance to his friend's direction, he could see how his eyes sparkled with mirth. Seeing that, he could not stop himself from smiling. Maybe it was not that bad, he thought. With that many people gathering, he could blend to the crowd without attracting much attention to himself. Or maybe he could slip to the rooftop and wait there until the end of the festival. No one should know. Yes, that was…

"The stage is on that direction."

Wait, he thought, stage?

"Stage?" he asked, already fearing what the word might be implying.

"Milly gave you a piece of paper, right?" Suzaku easily answered him as he maneuvered them both amidst the crowds. "That's the speech you're supposed to say on stage. I've already done mine, Rivalz too, now it's your turn."

He gasped as he felt Suzaku gave his back a light push. It was light, indeed, but it was enough to send him tumbling and attract the unwanted attention of those around them. Then Suzaku, that bastard, still had the nerve to laugh at his predicament and shout, "Go claim the stage!"

He gulped. Now he had no way out from that situation. Not with all those eager eyes staring intently at him. His pride wouldn't allow him to cower and run away from them, so he did the most reasonable thing he could think of. With perfected composure he stood up and walked up the stage.

It was no big deal, he tried to reassure himself. He could deliver his speech in his Zero costume in front of thousands of people. It wasn't much of a difference from that. It just happened that instead of his black and purple coat, he was wearing pink and laces. And it just happened that instead of his wide variation of 'Thou-shalt-worship-me-for-I-am-Zero' speech, he was now forced to deliver such girly speech.

"Um…" he said hesitantly once he arrived on stage. He quickly checked himself and stood in a more straightened pose. He should keep his pride even when—he cringed—he was about to say such stupidities in pink cross-dressing outfit.

He slowly took the piece of paper Milly gave him from beneath the waistband of his skirt.

"Good day, all," he read aloud from the paper, trying to maintain his smile with only a slight twitch. "Lelouch Lamperouge here is wishing you a wonderful day. Please enjoy the festival. It is my utmost pleasure to see your happiness. But remember not to overdo yourself. Thank you for your kind patronage."

Of course, once he was over with his speech he was not welcomed with chants exalting his name as Zero. Rather there were catcalls and shouts of "Lelouch, you're so damn cute!" He only gave them a dazzling smile—if somewhat fake—as he descended the stage.

Finally, he thought, it was over.

"Well, it's not that bad, right?" said a voice from behind him. He turned his face and saw Suzaku still smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I want to tear your chest open, took your heart, and feed it to you," he spat.

"That's pretty strong imagination you have," Suzaku said. "Though there's something I need to tell you."

"What?"

He saw Suzaku moving forward until they were just inches apart. He felt him touching his cheek with his two fingers, and he could practically see that predatory gleam in his eyes as they were staring at each other.

"You're pretty in pink," Suzaku said before he dashed off.

He could only stare at his best friend who had just said those words easily while touching his cheek and wearing that outrageous pink monstrosity.

Oh God, he thought with a groan, his friend was a pervert!

-end-