Author's Note: This is late. This is very very late. I have no excuse. I'm sorry.
Warnings: A little bit of SuzaLulu, but I think it could easily be written off as brotherly affection. Also references to Stage 0.533.
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass, which is probably a good thing. The plot is messed up enough as it is without me getting involved.
November
Suzaku was certain he would never quite understand the relationship Lelouch and Nunnally shared. Yes, she was a sweet girl, with a smile that lit up a room and a personality that made you want to protect her. Suzaku could understand that, but sometimes he couldn't help but think that Lelouch took it just a tiny bit too far.
The truth was that Lelouch's entire life revolved around the girl. Every action he made and every step he took was for Nunnally and Nunnally alone. There wasn't a doubt in Suzaku's mind that Lelouch would have been perfectly happy to walk straight into hell if his little sister happened to ask him to do so (not that she ever would).
It wasn't that Suzaku necessarily thought that this was a bad thing, he just wondered if it was entirely healthy for someone's entire world to revolve around a single person.
But really, what did Suzaku know? He was an only child. Perhaps he would have acted the same way if he happened to have a little sister as cute and gentle as Nunnally. The closest thing he had was Kaguya, who was bossy and mean and nothing like Nunnally at all.
Still, times like this, Suzaku honestly did wonder if Lelouch's protective big brother bit was just a tad unnecessary.
"She'll be fine, Lelouch!" Suzaku said irritably when his companion turned to look back in the storehouse's direction for the seventh time that day.
"I don't know, Suzaku." Lelouch answered hesitantly. "Maybe I should go back. It could be dangerous to leave her all by herself."
"We're just going into town," Suzaku retorted, "You've left her behind before, so why is this time any different?"
Lelouch shrugged his shoulders, which probably meant that he didn't have a real answer. Still, despite his friend's logic, he couldn't help but continue to glance worriedly back at the path leading to his sister.
Suzaku sighed, "Look, you still want to go to the earthquake demonstration, don't you?"
Lelouch nodded his head reluctantly.
"Then come on! Nunnally is stronger than you give her credit for. For once in your life, can't you just forget about her and do what you want?" Suzaku asked, exasperated.
It turned out to be the wrong thing to say.
"Nunnally is my sister. She always comes first!" the prince snapped.
Suzaku rolled his eyes, "I think you should come first sometimes too. Wouldn't Nunnally want that for her brother?"
Lelouch's face softened and he looked down at his feet, as if he expected to find answers in the dirt.
Sensing that this line of tactics was striking a chord, Suzaku continued, "Imagine how guilty she'd feel if you came home early because of her?"
Lelouch scowled, crossing his arms, and Suzaku knew that for once he had won.
"Fine, but we're coming right back afterwards!"
"All right," Suzaku agreed, nodding easily. And with that, he grabbed Lelouch's wrist, partly to make sure he didn't try to run off and partly because he was just so slow, and proceeded to drag him the rest of the way.
Genbu Kururugi had chosen a very odd place to live. As prime minister, it would have made more sense to pick a center of society and industry as his home. A place like Tokyo or Nagasaki, not on some nameless mountain with only a small village at its base as a key to civilization. However, Genbu apparently liked the privacy and the beautiful view the area afforded, even if it meant that he constantly had to travel back in forth in order to actually run the country.
Lelouch had grown up in a city all of his life, so the first time he had done gone into town (purely out of necessity); the size of it had blown him away. Only a few small shops, a cluster of houses here and there, and dozens of fearful, gaping faces. Faces that quickly became angry and were prone to ganging up on him.
Lelouch didn't like going into town much.
Suzaku must have been able to see the growing apprehension on Lelouch's face, because the boy gave his hand a light squeeze.
"Don't worry," he said with a reassuring smile, "I'm right here with you."
Lelouch offered a small smile back, nodding slightly as they headed towards the village museum.
It seemed ridiculous for such a small, out of the way place to have its own museum, but that was just something that came from having such a rich patron living amongst them. Genbu had built the establishment on a whim, and it's large, shiny white interior stuck out sharply among all the homey mom-and-pop stores. It simply didn't belong, and Lelouch sympathized with it.
"Come on," Suzaku said, tugging harder now.
Suzaku will never be known for his patience," Lelouch thought, slightly amused as he once again allowed his friend to pull him through the automatic door.
The whole museum seemed to be dedicated to disaster awareness. In one section, fascinated spectators were learning how to put out a fire and in another a tour guide was leading a group and making emphatic gestures as she spoke.
Suzaku ignored all of this and walked right up to a security guard who was standing near the entrance.
"Excuse me, sir? My friend and I came here by ourselves to see the earthquake simulator. Would you mind keeping an eye out for us until we leave? Just to be safe."
The man raised an eyebrow, taking in the sight of the two boys. Or rather, the Japanese boy and the Britannian boy, "Your friend?" he asked, in a tone that suggested that Suzaku had befriended some kind of rodent rather than a person.
Suzaku frowned, "Yes, my friend."
The security guard sighed and finally nodded. He might not have liked the idea of looking out for Britannia's prince, but it wouldn't do to get on the bad side of the prime minister's boy.
But still he had to ask…"Does your father know that you're here?" With the Britannian? The question wasn't spoken aloud, but it was clearly implied.
Suzaku, who was on his way to the earthquake room, turned around with a sweet smile, "My father is out of the country at the moment, but even if he was here, I doubt that it would matter. He's never really cared what I do."
The earthquake simulation room was smaller than Lelouch had expected. About four or five people could go in at a time, and was modeled after a small kitchen, complete with a stove, microwave and a table. Since this room was meant to teach a person what to do in an earthquake, Suzaku and Lelouch were expected to go through tasks such as turning off the stove and propping the door open before huddling under the table to wait for the quake.
"Why do we have to hide under the table?" Lelouch asked. "It doesn't seem like very good protection."
"Underneath kitchen tables and by doorframes are good places to be during earthquakes," Suzaku explained, "They're very sturdy, so they're less likely to give way. Kitchen tables can also protect you from falling objects or the roof collapsing."
Lelouch was a little unnerved by the idea of the roof collapsing over his head while he cowered under a table. Nevertheless, when Suzaku covered his head with his arms and crouched down, Lelouch followed suite.
When Suzaku had mentioned the earthquake simulator, Lelouch had been purely curious. Earthquakes did happen on occasion in Britannia, but never in the area he had lived. The worse thing that could happen in Pendragon was a tornado, which was rare and extremely unlikely.
But he had never considered the pure terror that could come when the earth moved.
Lelouch's eyes widened as the ground began to shake. The floor wobbled drunkenly under him, the kitchen cabinets slapped against their frames in a chaotic symphony, and Lelouch felt like screaming.
It should have been impossible. The ground was supposed to be something hard, solid, stable. It was supposed to be the foundation. It shouldn't be allowed to break out from under him. Not like everything else had.
Nunnally was screaming as their mother's blood soaked into her dress. Lelouch couldn't remember seeing a gun or hearing a shot. He just remembered seeing those bodies on the stairs. Nunnally's lavender eyes, wide and horrified before they closed themselves to the world forever…
"—louch! Lelouch, snap out of it!"
It wasn't really the words that "snapped" Lelouch out of it. It was the shear volume in which they were spoken. That, combined with Suzaku's rapid shaking of his shoulders would have been enough to wake the dead.
"Stop yelling at me, Suzaku! I'm fine!" Lelouch snapped, pulling himself out of the boy's grip.
Suzaku scowled, "You are not fine! You were practically a zombie back there! What happened?"
"It's none of your concern." Lelouch replied, attempting to brush past Suzaku in order to get to the exit. But rather than allowing him to go, Suzaku moved to block his way.
"Of course it is! You're my friend, and when my friend has a freaky breakdown I have a right to be concerned!" Suzaku yelled. But his eyes weren't angry. They were worried and afraid.
Lelouch's face softened by a fraction, "Just drop it, Suzaku. Please?"
Suzaku shook his head, "I can't do that. I can't just ignore that you're obviously suffering. You always act like you have to handle everything by yourself. But you're not alone, Lelouch. I'm here, but I can't help you if you won't tell me anything. Please, just talk to me."
Lelouch stared at the floor for a long moment, weighing Suzaku's words in his mind before letting out a small sigh, "It's just…scary to think how fragile everything is in this world."
"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked, tilting his head.
"Everything that exists will eventually crumble and die. Buildings, stones, people. That's the way the world works. There are no absolutes. It can all disappear in a second."
Suzaku looked thoughtful for a moment as he mulled over Lelouch's words, and then he smiled, clasping the former prince's hands, "I won't."
Lelouch blinked, "What?"
"I won't ever disappear. I'll become your absolute." Suzaku declared earnestly.
"You can't promise that, Suzaku," Lelouch said. But a small smile was creeping up in the corner of his lips.
"I can," Suzaku insisted. "I, Kururugi Suzaku, hereby solemnly swear that I will always continue to live on for Lelouch vi Britannia. No matter what."
Lelouch laughed, "So formal. You sound like a knight."
Suzaku made a face, "Not a knight. I'd never want to be a knight, especially not yours."
"So be it. I accept Kururugi Suzaku. Can we please go home now? I'm afraid that we've been holding up the line."
Suzaku beamed, "Yes!"
They walked out of the museum the same way they had walked in, hand and hand.
Living on forever, Lelouch mused, How ridiculous.
But some part in the back of Lelouch's mind, in a place that went beyond common sense and logic, couldn't help but believe it.
Author's Note: I must admit, I have never been in an earthquake, so I have no idea what one would be like. However, I did model the disaster museum after the Ikebukuro Bosaikan, especially the earthquake room.
Author's Note II: After I posted October Part II, I had a minor personal crisis. I would look in my e-mail every day, but I wasn't getting any reviews. I know that there are plenty of wonderful stories out there that never get any reviews, but you must understand that this had never happened to me before. I always got at least one per chapter. To make matters worse, I was insecure about the length and amount of dialog in the drabble, so I was honestly considering deleting it. I found out later that for some reason, my review alert was turned off so my reviews weren't being sent to my e-mail. The reason I'm telling you all this is because I want to reiterate how much your feedback means to me. You guys are awesome, and because you're awesome I want to address your reviews personally.
beautifuldisasterxo: I think it goes without saying that Lelouch and baseball don't mix. However, me posting this chapter obviously means that he managed to survive.
piratepenguin666: Yes, they are very smart nine year olds, aren't they? Your comments made me laugh. Letting go of the bat is definitely something Lelouch would do.
Aki1: I actually already replied to your review, but I still want to thank you for encouraging me to keep up the last chapter. You saved it.
Now that that's out of the way, I'm asking my readers to please review! As my fantastically long author's note has proven, I need feedback. It turns out that I'm extremely needy and require more love than a golden retriever.