Suzaku's mind blanked. The words caught in his throat when he tried to speak which was exactly the sort of reaction C.C. had been fishing for. His expression—a little dazed, a little angry as his mind churned for a proper response—gave her endless amusement, so she took it a little further and let her weight settle. Her thighs brushed against some of his more sensitive parts, and that's when the confusion cleared from his dark green eyes, replaced by the same hard glint that he'd greeted her with.

His hands forcefully latched onto either side of her hips. It seemed he was intent on throwing her off, but the click of the front door's lock took both of them by surprise. Suzaku froze; C.C. swiveled her head in the direction of the sound. Before the realization could fully sink in, Nunnally's voice was greeting her brother and Lelouch was in the living room.

His eyes were downcast and his hands ladled with grocery bags. The first thought in Suzaku's mind? Slight surprise that he could support all that weight in one trip. The second? She was still sitting in his lap.

He could feel the heat rising to his ears and spreading across his face. He wasn't affected by things like this on a normal basis, and he wouldn't have been if she'd just had the tact to—to, well, stop whatever it was she was doing. The moment Lelouch had walked into the room, though, it seemed C.C. had forgotten about him. All her attention was now on her black-haired companion as she pressed a hand against Suzaku's chest to steady herself and tilted her head in the other's direction.

Suzaku's hands were still on her hips. He was torn between throwing her off and—and—and, well, nothing because maybe, just maybe, if he did nothing, Lelouch wouldn't notice? Or else—

His mind raced to come up with excuses, but it was difficult when he didn't know what C.C. was doing in the first place. He was so wrapped up in internal dialogue that he almost missed what she said next.

"Welcome home, Lelouch."

Lelouch didn't respond, merely frowned at the back of a brown packaging of coffee as he slipped his arms from his winter jacket, first one and then slowly the other.

He pivoted abruptly, presumably to hang his coat, and in that time, Suzaku regained his senses and hissed as quietly and fiercely as he could, "C.C.! Get off—"

"Did you buy pizza?" C.C. called, shifting, almost clamping down on him harder. After a brief pause, a few footsteps, and some faint chatter (Nunnally's soft tones, Lelouch's deep tenor), Lelouch's voice drifted from the kitchen.

"Does it look like I did?" The exasperation was obvious and then, almost immediately with an undertone of disgust, "—And there's already pizza here."

The direction of his voice shifted slightly; he was reentering the living room. Before Suzaku could hiss a second time, Lelouch had passed the threshold and stopped. Suzaku was certain he'd seen them this time; he was practically staring directly at them. There was a pregnant pause. C.C.'s fingers curled playfully into his shirt, and he was honestly about to shout at her when she dismounted as arbitrarily as she'd gotten on. Her long legs slipped to one side, and she was gone, floating over to meet Lelouch beside the groceries still piled against one another on the floor. There was the slightest hint of a cheeky grin on her face, if it could be called that.

Suzaku stood up quickly, ready to explain with his face still flushed and his tongue a bit dry. She was just toying with him. She was just toying with him and trying to make Lelouch jealous. If that didn't make her a witch of a girl, then he didn't know what did. The anger and chagrin at being used and at the misunderstanding it'd surely cause made Suzaku start talking much louder than he wanted.

"Lelouch! I—I mean, I just—It wasn't—"

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Lelouch laughed, a genuine smile sliding onto his face as he stepped forward and outstretched his hand.

Suzaku stared at it, dumbfounded, for a good three or four seconds before he got his bearings and returned the gesture.

"Y-Yeah! It's been, uh, busy," he tittered hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as he watched C.C. rummage through the grocery bags from the corner of his eye.

When she found nothing she liked, she simply sat down again.

Suzaku wet his lips. He supposed if Lelouch wasn't going to comment on it, then neither would he.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

It took another five or ten minutes to finish storing the groceries, Suzaku doing most of the heavy lifting despite Lelouch's insistence that he could do it alone just fine. An acerbic quip from C.C. about upper body strength, though, preoccupied the dark-haired male til Suzaku was nearly done.

"—In any case," Lelouch heaved, and C.C. knew she'd won. As much as she could win, anyways, against his stubborn wit.

Using up so many words made her hungry again. She began drifting after Suzaku in search of more pizza, but Lelouch suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. There was a frown creased on his brow. C.C. cocked her head to one side and waited, curious, but the look on her face said she already knew what he wanted to say.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop," he murmured, voice deliberately lower than during their little debate.

"I was just being friendly," C.C. hummed.

"Friendly," Lelouch deadpanned, releasing her before Suzaku could get within earshot.

"Being friendly doesn't violate our contract," she managed just as the other came up and caught the very last word of the sentence.

Contract. Suzaku wondered what they were talking about, but he didn't get very far in his line of thought. The tray on which he carried the teacups and teapot tilted, and Nunnally gasped lightly behind him.

"It's ready!" she chirped once everything was settled. Her wheelchair hit the short edge of the coffee table, and she laced her fingers in her lap. "Sorry it took so long. I wanted to find the nice cups since we're finally all together again."

With that, she reached for both boys' hands and held onto them firmly, her left on Suzaku's and her right in Lelouch's.

C.C. settled beside Lelouch, very familiar and close, while Suzaku took the opposite couch and Nunnally separated them in the middle. The youngest of them, Nunnally tied them together. In fact, without Nunnally, Suzaku and Lelouch may never have becomes friends. Try as the girl might, though, Suzaku was convinced she'd never be able to make him like C.C.

Some time after Nunnally served the tea and after the initial pleasantries, Suzaku started talking about what he'd really come to say. Well, part of it, anyways. The other he'd have to discuss with Lelouch alone.

"Nunnally, Lelouch. I just wanted to apologize for not making it last night. You know how Lloyd can get, and I can't really say no to Cécile either."

He was considerably more relaxed now that C.C. wasn't the only one in the room. His shoulders rolled back; he leaned into the couch. C.C. kept watching him, but he shrugged off her penetrating gaze as yet another attempt to get another his skin.

"No, I know. It's fine. I wasn't here for part of it either, to be honest." Lelouch smiled apologetically in Nunnally's direction. "We went to the company party for the last half."

"Company party?" Suzaku straightened, a bit shocked. "You don't mean—"

"I still get the invitations," Lelouch explained as casually as he could, but the air immediately changed. Even Nunnally seemed uncomfortable.

"How's Father?" she squeaked and played with the teacup in her lap.

"The same," Lelouch answered shortly and took another sip.

Suzaku didn't quite know what to say. He opened his mouth then shut it abruptly and threw a glare in C.C.'s direction. She didn't seem interested in the conversation. Either that, or she was just feigning disinterest which was very possible given why she was with Lelouch in the first place.

This seemed a good time to take Lelouch aside, but before he got the chance, Lelouch changed the topic. His eyes had been flicking to C.C.'s chest periodically, and now he was blatantly staring at her with the same sort of haggard exasperation and resignation that was on his face often nowadays.

"C.C., I thought I told you to stop wearing my clothes."

Nunnally giggled, and the atmosphere lightened just as quickly as it'd changed before.

C.C. sighed. "Well, you don't give me money enough to buy my own clothes, do you?"

"You would have enough if you just stopped spending it all on pizza."

"It can't be helped." She said it so flippantly that Suzaku couldn't help getting angry in his friend's place.

Lelouch's lip twitched. He didn't seem ready to give up on the topic, but Suzaku couldn't let himself be derailed. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, and Lelouch stopped.

"I'll get some more tea," he said and stood.

"I'll help," Suzaku added.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

"I just don't get it, Lelouch."

Lelouch stood with his back to his friend. They were speaking in whispers, but given how animatedly Nunnally was talking in the other room, he doubted either of the girls would hear them. Regardless, it was better to be safe than sorry when there was a witch around.

Suzaku took a step forward and placed his hands on the marble counter in the middle of the kitchen.

"Why would you go to the company party, and why would you take her. You're already enough on your father's bad side, and if he saw you with her—"

"Suzaku, I already told you I have no interest in working for that man again." There was something surprisingly harsh and rough in the way he said it.

Suzaku paused. "I know, but you have to think about Nunnally too. Because she—Because she sided with you, she's been—"

He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder and then lower his voice even further. "Disinherited, too. And with C.C. living with you and with the way she spends money on just pizza. I just don't understand how you're going to support them both."

He wanted to tell Lelouch to stop seeing C.C. again, but he hesitated. This probably wasn't the best time to bring it up. Plus, there were other, more pressing issues.

"Listen," he continued, "you don't have to work for the company again, but it's been a year, and if you just talk to him, I'm sure he'll take you back into the family. Even if you don't want to, think about how hard it's been on Nunnally."

Suzaku could see Lelouch's grip tighten on the handle of the teapot. He'd hit a sore point, but it was true. He couldn't go on like this, and as his friend, Suzaku wouldn't let him. Lelouch was being awfully quiet, though, and he was about to plead with him again when the other's phone buzzed. It sat on the counter next to his right hand, so he couldn't help but read the text that popped up.

Cardemonde Rivalz
heeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Lelouch! We're still all set for the casino tomorrow right? Are you ready to win us big money again ;P let's hope there's as many rich suckers as there were last week! LOL

Lelouch snatched the phone, but he was too late.

"You're gambling again?" Suzaku asked, the shock in his voice as apparent as it was on his face.

Lelouch smirked very lightly. "Where do you think I get the money for her pizzas?"

Her. He knew it. Shirley had worked so hard to stop Lelouch's habit. Now, he was back at it, and it was all because of her.

"You have to stop seeing C.C. I don't know what lies she's been feeding you, but she doesn't love you. You haven't told her you've been disinherited and taken out of the will, have you?"

No response.

"Tell her. See how she responds. If she doesn't leave you—"

"That's enough, Suzaku."

Suzaku refused to be brushed off this time. He'd never seen Lelouch so—so—so—unreasonable, and Lelouch had always been the smart one. He was the brains, Suzaku was the brawn. They could do anything together, but now that woman drove a wedge between them, made him out to be some kind of enemy. She was the real enemy. He just needed to get Lelouch to see that.

He skirted around the counter and grabbed Lelouch by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him.

"Lelouch—"

"Oh."

C.C. stood at the doorway, twirling a strand of hair between her forefinger and thumb. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes were smiling. The devilish glint in them made Suzaku grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something? Do you need a room? There's one upstairs, you know."

And then, almost in the same breath, "Is this a bad time to tell you I'm pregnant?"

author's note: hahahahaha expect future chapters to come slower idk what i'm doing i'm supposed to be studying orz. anyways, reviews appreciated as always, and i wanna thank everyone who reviewed last time! i'm glad you're all enjoying it, and to mr. nox, ahhh your double review was very helpful, thank you! and to everyone, i hope i don't disappoint c: