Special Thanks: luckless-is-me, Zakksu, Cat's Uke
Part IV
White Apple
8/5/2011 10:31 AM
For all the old house wasn't good for, Lelouch had to admit the view was indeed very nice to look out over. When Suzaku had first told him it was at the edge of the lake he hadn't thought it was quite literally at the edge of the lake. Actually he hadn't liked much about the idea from the start. Lelouch had thought that the small apartment they lived in was fine. It had a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and an extra room Lelouch had managed to turn into an office, and just big enough for the two of them.
Suzaku hadn't let up though and three weeks later Lelouch found himself helping pack boxes into the house, and all the while Suzaku had hummed and whistled as happy as ever, and in spite of Lelouch's downer mood managed to finish almost all of the unpacking by himself.
Lelouch did have to admit, Suzaku had tried his best to get Lelouch to love that house. He looked down at the book in his lap, pages open, but Lelouch honestly couldn't remember where he'd last been reading. The curly haired boy had smiled so wide when he'd presented the back porch. It had been the first thing he'd finished on the house. The second unsurprising had been the bedroom, but they both knew the reasons behind that.
A smile crept its way on to Lelouch's face. The nice wicker chair he sat in had also been from Suzaku. Its counterpart sat a few inches away, a wooden side table off to the side, though the other was hardly ever filled. It didn't sadden Lelouch, he knew why the other was hardly filled and to him that just made it all the better the few chance moments it was filled.
Lelouch sighed as he looked up, closing the book, having decided that endeavor was useless. Instead he let his eyes rover over the landscape. The house had been Suzaku's dream. With all the effort he put into it had turned out too. About ten years or so ago someone had tried to feature the old house in the newspaper even, but Lelouch, adamant, had declined to let the reporter even ask about the house. Suzaku had been proud though, beaming as the man had started to talk about how nice the house looked, and how so much effort on it had indeed paid off.
If it hadn't of been such a hazard to their 'ageless' situation Lelouch probably would have said yes, letting the man take whatever picture he wanted just to see watch Suzaku light up at the chance to get as close to boasting as Suzaku had ever come. But Lelouch couldn't let it happen. The town closest was big, but not big enough to let something like that slide; the story would be remembered all too easily.
"Research going well?" A crisp voice asked from the bottom of the steps.
Lelouch's eyes shifted, his smile still pleasant as he looked down at the handsome boy at his steps. "Quite. How's playing farmer?"
Suzaku laughed, cheery and as full as ever.. "I have achieved the honorary award of growing a tomato!" To prove this Suzaku reached back behind him and out of his pack pocket produced said produce.
"It is ripe and perfect and I would consider treasuring it if not for the fact I'm pretty sure it would turn rancid after a few weeks."
Suzaku did indeed look proud, Lelouch had to admit as he closed the book in his lap and leaned forward over the armrest, resting his chin on his palm. "Four years of gardening and that is the first thing you can come up with?" He said rather bland. Not to crush Suzaku's spirits but—"It's kind of small." And it really didn't look as amazing as Suzaku probably thought it did. Not that it mattered to Lelouch. If he wanted tomatoes he'd get some from the store like every other ordinary citizen, and the ones from the store didn't have that funny shape the one Suzaku had grown had, though he had to remind himself that his life partner had proved himself to be in no way ordinary.
"It's the first of the season," Suzaku made the excuse. "They'll get bigger."
"You picked it, Suzaku. It's not going to get bigger." Lelouch said a smile creeping on to his face as he watched Suzaku admiring his handy work.
"First of the season," Suzaku reminded, before he shot a glare behind him. "I know this one won't but the others will."
"It's July," Lelouch decided to remind his adorable little farmer. "The last of July. Suzaku, may I remind you that summer doesn't last as long as you think it will, the leaves will start changing soon."
Suzaku didn't look at him, far too occupied with his tomatoes. It sat against his work glove, still small and still kind of weird shaped. He mumbled something along the lines of "how would he know, he couldn't even step off the porch if I hadn't made a walkway," but Lelouch was pretty sure Suzaku was speaking to the tomato and not him.
Rolling his eyes, Lelouch decide he would speak instead. Though the thought did cross his mind that Suzaku really was right, Lelouch had probably ventured into their back yard a total of ten times. "Why do you even bother trying to garden?"
Suzaku looked up and over to Lelouch at that. "Well," he seemed to think on it for a moment. "The house is pretty much done, I mean I guess I could try conquering the attic, but I could do that in the winter, and well—I'm old. Old people garden."
Lelouch said nothing. His eyes moved over his counterpart for a moment, trying to process what had just been said, licking at his lips, and eventually averting his gaze. "You're not that old."
Suzaku laughed.
Lelouch started to feel his hands shaking and to quiet that he busied them with opening the book at his lap, trying to find where he last left off, despite the presence of a bookmark.
Still beaming Suzaku took the opportunity to sit at the porch steps. "I'm getting old," he mused.
The smile that was still present on his face made Lelouch look away, back down to the book again. "You're fine, Suzaku."
"Hmmm," Suzaku hummed looking up as he leaned back on to his elbows.
Going on, Lelouch still didn't look down at his companion. "I mean really, you're fine. You don't even look thirty let alone how old you really are, and I mean you're with me and I won't ever get old…" Lelouch trailed off realizing that Suzaku was looking up at him. Smiling, in a way so akin to C.c. Lelouch would have sworn if it wasn't for that mess of curly hair it would have been her. Lelouch stopped, with his fidgeting and his aversion, and decided to look up at Suzaku.
Suzaku's smile broadened, changing into the effortlessly happy smile that seemed Suzaku's natural expression. "Lelouch, we're old. Just because we don't look it doesn't really mean anything."
Lelouch watched his partner for a moment. But abruptly he stopped looking out to the horizon. "Will you sit with me?" He hadn't meant it to come out as low as it had. "I know, the sun isn't exactly setting right now. It'll probably be a couple of hours but—I don't know, it's been a while since we've just sat together."
Rising, Suzaku gave his answer as still with a smile he walked up the steps, setting his tomato on the little side table by the chairs and took the wicker seat next to Lelouch. All with Lelouch watching his every move, eyes locking for just a moment before Suzaku leaned closer.
Placing a very chaste kiss at Lelouch's cheek, causing a blush Lelouch hadn't thought possible since he was in high school, Suzaku gave his final answer. "Yes, of course I will."
That's all… for this week at least. :) I will have another thousand or so done for next week so check back in and I hope you all are having fun with the ride, despite how short they all are. And thanks again for reading, the whole four of you that are, haha. :D
~Review's are welcome and loved~