Goodness, hello everyone, MERRY CHRISTMAS and I apologize for such a long wait! As usual RL has been crazy, but it's been especially busy ever since I started university, AND I also got sucked into a new fandom (X-Men: First Class ahahahha). I was stuck on the last 500-plus words of this chapter for MONTHS but the long break from it seems to have helped, so here we are! Hopefully some of you are still interested xP

Small warning to those of you who are reading this more for the lulz/fluff/romance instead of the MPreg itself, because I REALLY didn't skip out on some of the details here. (Don't worry though, I still consider this chapter quite fluffy and full of warm fuzzies.) Also one more disclaimer: This is Britannia/Japan and this is a humble fanfic, i.e. a work of fiction. I make no guarantee for the real-world accuracy of my descriptions, especially those in this chapter. I have, however, tried to engineer it to be as "real-life accurate" as possible, with a couple of exceptions. Further explanations on what is "realistic" and what is not can be found in my footnotes at the end of this chapter, for the immensely curious among you.

That's all I can tell you for now without completely giving away the content of this update. If you're still following this story, THANK YOU, and I sincerely hope you'll find it worth the wait! Sorry again!

Seven

Lelouch slept a lot, now. Along into his eighth month of pregnancy, he seemed easily exhausted and the size of his stomach, though not overly ballooned, still made many simple things difficult to do. Eventually there'd been a shift in the way he walked too, a slight amble sometimes with him leaning back a little to balance the weight, and Suzaku, massaging tired feet each evening, had also noted the subtle beginnings of swelling in his ankles - all gentle reminders of the baby's slowly approaching arrival.

But Lelouch was fine, still elegant (though slower), still fiercely adamant on not letting Sayoko and Suzaku take over everything while he could still handle certain aspects of household management - still had enough energy at the end of the day to exchange scornful remarks with C.C. and prepare dinner with all of Nunnally's favorite dishes to boot, at least.

Of course, the frequent naps he took during the day helped. At other times, Lelouch would simply lie there resting, and Suzaku checked on him one afternoon to find him half-awake on his side, the violet in his eyes warm, lidded, and drifting in quiet thought as he lay subconsciously smoothing a hand over his belly. Smiling at the way the sight filled his own heart with warmth Suzaku climbed up next to him and pressed a murmured kiss to his lips.

"Hey beautiful."

The smile Lelouch gave in response was beautiful too, soft and private as he drew Suzaku's hand to the feather-like nudging from his womb, and for the umpteenth time, Suzaku felt the quickening of his heartbeat and the strange, almost overwhelming mix of emotion at the thought that there would soon be a tiny new life in the house to hold and call their own.

"...What do you think it'll look like?"

"You mean who." Lelouch raised a brow, but was still smiling. "There'll be a little bit of the both of us, I hope."

Suzaku looked at him for a moment and grinned. "I hope he or she has your eyelashes."

This prompted a laugh from Lelouch, rich and deep as he smoothed the curls from Suzaku's face. "Idiot."

But Lelouch did have lovely lashes, and though Suzaku knew he had rather long ones himself there was no denying that lashes as dark and defined as Lelouch's were a fine feature to inherit... regardless of whether the baby was a boy or a girl.

Suzaku shifted closer, pressing their foreheads and bodies gently together and palming the roundness of Lelouch's belly with a loving caress as he murmured, "I still think it's a boy."

Lelouch merely closed his eyes, unwavering. "It's a girl."

"Mhmm."

"You can have the honor of changing the nappies for a week if you're wrong."

"That's not so hard -" Suzaku was still optimistic -

"A month, then."

Suzaku looked up in horror and Lelouch let out a low chuckle, though not unkindly as he placed a kiss on his forehead.

They stayed that way for a long moment more, before Lelouch shifted slowly. "...I've been considering it." He murmured. "Breastfeeding."

Suzaku found himself grinning. "Really?"

"Well. From a logical standpoint... the benefits far outweigh any of my own misgivings." Contemplation was still in Lelouch's eyes but from the steadiness in his voice Suzaku knew that his mind had already been more or less made up. And it was true... at least, based on what they knew. Far better than any discomfort or embarrassment was the bonding between parent and child, as well as the many advantages a mother's milk held for the baby and the act held for the mother. Maybe the closer he got to having the baby, the more Lelouch's maternal instincts were kicking in.

"I think you should." Suzaku kissed him lightly, smiling. Besides, Lelouch's body had already been equipping itself naturally anyway, tender nipples and all - and like the doctors had said, it wasn't like he was going to develop breasts. "You're not going to regret it."

Lelouch gave a low hum and closed his eyes again briefly. "Let's hope you're right." A pause. "We'll still need to ready the bottles. In case I don't have... enough, and so that you'll have a chance to nurse it too."

"Yeah." Suzaku grinned again, whispering. "I can't wait."

And then Lelouch was propping himself up suddenly, surveying him with an all-too-thoughtful look on his face. "You know... the doctors did say it was possible with all men. With enough stimulus."

And suddenly something in Suzaku was becoming a little afraid of knowing exactly what Lelouch was getting at. "...Yeah?"

Lelouch smiled evenly. "It's our child. Your baby. If you decide that a bottle isn't providing enough bonding opportunity for you as a father I certainly won't stop you from trying to experience the natural process as well."

Suzaku's mind went a bit blank. Then his throat went a bit dry, and he ended up coughing. "Oh. I hadn't, uhm. Thought about it... That way."

"It's just a suggestion." Lelouch was still perched on one elbow, observing his reaction with what - Suzaku was sure - was secret amusement dancing behind his eyes.

There was nothing wrong with the idea itself, Suzaku knew - though he probably would have liked it more if it wasn't so foreign and sudden, and if the thought wasn't making him feel so... awkward.

And so it was with newfound gratefulness (for all that Lelouch was probably going to have to endure in the course of "motherhood") that Suzaku finally swallowed and said, in a rather thin voice, "I think I'll be fine with uh... just the bottles." Though he was quick to add, "- But I'll let you know if I ever change my mind."

Lelouch looked at his face and instantly broke into laughter. Grinning, Suzaku grabbed him and kissed him again to shut him up, and decided, as they landed in a tangle back on the mattress, that there was still nothing which could really compare with this - that there was still nothing quite like home.

As the date drew nearer the house seemed to get busier and also more crowded. Suzaku took his leave of absence from Nunnally's service, so he was home with Lelouch the whole time now, Sayoko came down even more often, Nunnally stayed over every weekend, Lelouch and Suzaku began readying everything for the new addition to the household and also discussed more specific arrangements with the doctors for the procedure. Lelouch wanted to be awake to hold his baby when it arrived, so it was decided that he'd undergo the surgery with a spinal block, unless the circumstances turned out such that a general anaesthetic was the only option. (Julianna reassured them, however, that the latter instance would be unlikely.) Things got to a point where just talking about the delivery made it all seem that much more exciting.

But as much as the anticipation was heightening, weariness had also begun to creep in, especially so for Lelouch. He was tired, he was heavy, he was tired of being heavy - even the baby seemed tired of being squashed up in there, protesting actively some nights with constant stretching and kicking. Lelouch was tired of being kept awake when he wanted to sleep, tired of having his bladder constantly pressed upon, tired of feeling like his insides were suffocating from lack of space and oftentimes more than ready to insist that Marc and Julianna carry out the C-section right then just so they could all obtain some much-needed relief.

But it still wasn't time yet, and the baby also wasn't quite ready. And Lelouch wasn't about to take a risk merely for the sake of convenience - not with this.

Thankfully only slightly more than a couple of weeks to the scheduled date now remained. Lelouch leaned against the doorframe that afternoon, watching Suzaku as he made quick work of the crib assembly, and musing about the room arrangements they'd planned for, while one hand rubbed at his tired back.

They were fortunate that the cottage had enough space to accommodate arrangements for the delivery - Nunnally and C.C. had agreed to room together to allow the doctors to take up temporary residence in Nunnally's once the baby arrived (so that the doctors would be around at the beginning to monitor Lelouch's and the child's conditions and make sure there were no problems). This still left the spare room which Sayoko often used when she stayed over, which could double for a short while as a delivery room if needed. Lelouch and Suzaku had decided that the crib itself, meanwhile, would stay in their own room, so they could easily look after their little one at night - at least until it was older.

Mentally, Lelouch had been prepared for the pain long before - the chance of going into labor before the expected delivery date was common and didn't frighten him too much. Scheduled delivery or not, however, there was still a certain anxiety surrounding everything else - the surgery, the birth, the baby - whether unforeseen complications would arise, whether they'd do things right, whether he'd be able - whether they'd all be able to manage things appropriately. Lelouch knew these were all hardly any cause for concern considering their positive circumstances and all the preparations they'd been making, but when it came down to it he was slowly realizing that he was still becoming as nervous as any new parent would probably be.

Suzaku, meanwhile, had finished putting the crib together, and tested it for sturdiness before taking a step back to survey his little accomplishment, both satisfied and sort of proud. When he turned and saw Lelouch smiling as well from the doorway he grinned and made his way over.

"Are you excited?" Lelouch asked him quietly, tucking away some of the brown fringe which had fallen into his eyes and tracing the line of his jaw.

Suzaku smiled. "A little scared too, actually, now that..." Now that they were almost going to have the baby. Now that it was so near. It was an honest answer. Suzaku slipped a hand tenderly behind Lelouch's back, realizing that what he was feeling was the same protectiveness and concern which had been there since the start of everything - even more so now that Lelouch was heavy with child. Suzaku didn't doubt Lelouch's capability, but Lelouch did look more delicate now than ever before and though his spouse was still smiling Suzaku could tell that he was probably a little afraid of what was to come, too.

But then Lelouch placed a hand on his arm, violet eyes serene and steady, and Suzaku understood what he was also saying - that it was normal to feel scared, that it didn't really matter, that together they could and would get through things - just like they had before, and just like they always had.

Lelouch leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, and as Suzaku wrapped his arms around the fullness of his form and kissed back, it felt as though he was just that little bit readier to embrace whatever they had in store for themselves next, too.

... Which was probably just as well, because Lelouch, as it turned out, soon became very, very eager to make sure every. single. little. thing was ready for the baby's arrival. A week more into the final month (and just over a week before the C-section as planned), Lelouch kind of... went into overdrive. Okay, "kind of" was an understatement (because this is, after all, Lelouch we are talking about). Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was because the doctors had, at the start of the weekend, already brought over and set up some of the medical equipment as a precautionary measure (in case the baby decided it wanted to be born a little earlier). It did seem like the sight of the complex machinery had caused something to snap in Lelouch, because suddenly he wanted the windows wiped, the grass trimmed, the bathrooms sparkling, the bedsheets changed, the vases taken out of storage and filled with fresh flowers (where had those vases even come from anyway) - he even started demanding that C.C.'s room be cleaned too, and that it be cleared completely of pizza boxes, regardless of whether half-eaten pizza was left in them or not. Ah, the house was going to be lovely.

But things weren't lovely - not if you were C.C. (who chose to give up the remainder of her pizza over putting up with Lelouch's nagging), and especially not if you were Suzaku, who was busy being worried sick that Lelouch's sudden "nesting" urge was going to cause him to overwork, stress himself, and also stress the baby out at any moment now because he was still insistent on doing whatever he could do without any extra help.

Lelouch did of course need help with a lot of the heavier work, though - and naturally this was where Suzaku became the day's unfortunate errand boy - running around lifting furniture, shifting tables, bringing mops and pails. It wasn't so bad at first. In fact, Suzaku had been more than willing to lend a hand and was, of all people in the house, the most used to being bossed around by Lelouch. But then this impulsive cleaning spree of Lelouch's was really becoming a little... disconcerting, especially seeing how Lelouch was still running so high on adrenalin.

There was just no end to it. Lelouch was dusting the shelves, folding towels, ironing all the clothes - and on top of that, already talking about baking something for tea. He wanted the floor of the living room mopped - under the carpet included. He wanted the coffee table shifted here. He wanted the lampstand shifted there. He felt the new armchair wasn't really situated in the best place in their room. Perhaps a little nearer to the window. -No, how about against the wall, over here. Still not quite right. More toward that side... no, no, sorry Suzaku, the other side of the window... ah, and while they were at it, he didn't really like this set of curtains -

Lelouch turned momentarily, pressing his lips together in recall. "The other ones should be dry by now. I'll go bring them in -"

"Lelouch." Suzaku set the armchair back down and sighed, rubbing a hand over his cheek. He'd been complying on the whole because he knew listening was better than trying to pick an argument at this point - but all the work Lelouch was putting him through was finally starting to get a little annoying, and all the work Lelouch was putting himself through at one go was, more importantly, making him really, really worried. The fact that Lelouch had been airily dismissing all Suzaku's gentle reminders to take it easy (or all his attempts at gentle reminders, anyway, since he almost never got to finish) wasn't helping either. "Look - we still have slightly more than a week to go before the operation. I know you want everything to be in perfect order and I know it's kind of natural to want that but... don't you think you need to slow down a little before... I mean, I'm just worried because the doctors and the baby books said -"

At the words 'baby books' Lelouch glared. Yikes. Suzaku threw his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'll uh..." He swallowed. "-just be outside. Watering the plants. Or something." Perhaps it'd be better to stay out of the way after all - at least while Lelouch went to take in the laundry (if he was still going to, that was). Maybe Lelouch's prickliness was due to some late stage pregnancy hormone thing, or maybe Lelouch hadn't had enough sleep the night before again (all the more reason why he ought to take a break, actually). Whatever it was, if he wanted everything done his own way and done now, then it looked like it still wasn't the best time to object... yet. Though Suzaku really wouldn't be the one to blame now if anything did hap-

"Actually, if you're worried, you can stay and help by moving that chair a little more to the right. I wasn't quite done yet."

Again? Well... alright. Alright, fine. Suzaku bit back another sigh and complied. "Here?" He looked up after he was done to see Lelouch still surveying the layout with a thoughtful frown.

"What do you think?"

Suzaku shrugged loosely, common sense (and experience) telling him to go with what he knew to be the safest response. "Whatever you like." It was honest, too, actually. Suzaku didn't mind wherever Lelouch wanted the stupid chair as long as it wasn't going to block the way or something. Besides, knowing how Lelouch always prided himself in his sense of style, Lelouch was probably going to end up sticking to his own opinion anyway and the faster he got this frantic nesting urge over with, the better for all of them. "You're the one who wanted to shift it in the first place."

Lelouch gave him a look. "I'm trying to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for all of us, and especially for our baby. You could at least try to show a little more interest."

"Intere- hey." Suzaku blinked at the sudden attack for all of one second before deciding that that was it. "I'm worried about you overexerting yourself, okay? Last I checked, that's bad for both of you, so I'm sorry if I'm a little more concerned about well-being than the placement of-" Suzaku gestured in frustration, "a chair the baby isn't even going to care about!"

Outside in the living room, Nunnally raised her head to look in the direction of the increase in volume. "Oh dear."

"Oh yes," C.C. stretched out further on the couch and propped her cheek on one hand with a feral grin, listening eagerly. The little spitting cat fights Lelouch used to pick with Suzaku in the early months had all eventually fizzled out once the hormones had settled mid-way into the pregnancy - and so had her free source of entertainment, so she was delighted at how all this was now starting to play out. Of course, it was a given that there'd always be soppy kiss-and-make-up/make-out not long after (really, that had been happening since even before Zero Requiem) but C.C. would take her amusement (and the opportunity to harass them about their increasing resemblance to an old married couple) where she could get it.

"Well I'm touched." Lelouch was now biting back, and not very humorously. "It's a wonder you haven't confined me to the bed yet." He lowered the hand he'd brought to his chest to swoon melodramatically with. "I'm not going to be impaired in every single damn thing just because I'm nine months along, Suzaku. I've emphasized the fact enough times."

"I know, but -"

But, Suzaku's earlier words had apparently still upset Lelouch considerably. And ruined his mood even further. And Suzaku probably still wasn't getting his point. Lelouch cut him off icily, "If you're going to insist that everything is unsafe and persist in such reluctance then I'd rather not involve you at all. Forget I even asked for your help."

Suzaku lost whatever retort he was about to come up with and stared at him like he was truly crazy if he thought he was going to be able to shift things around and redecorate on his own.

"Don't worry." Lelouch's voice was smooth despite the obvious sarcasm. "I've decided the chair will stay where it is, no thanks to your ever insightful input. And at this stage I think it's safe to say I know my own limitations better than anyone else." Lelouch turned and began putting the freshly-laundered towels away. "Now I suggest you leave before you upset me enough to trigger false labor, seeing as how I'm so very delicate."

Uh, wow. Okay. If that was the way Lelouch wanted to be, Suzaku - well, Suzaku really couldn't argue with that anyway, so he settled for an exasperated (and incredulous, because he was), "Fine! Don't call me if it actually does happen then, because I'm going to be staying well out of the way!"

He stalked out of the room knowing full well, of course, that it obviously wasn't true and that he'd come rushing back to Lelouch's side the instant he knew something was wrong - but it felt vindicating to yell it all the same. He looked at Nunnally's worried expression and C.C.'s ever-amused eyes and stopped at the main door, sighing.

"I'm going out for a walk. Give me a call when he decides he can bear the sight of me again."

The door slammed on his way out and Nunnally bit her lip uncertainly. "They'll be alright... won't they?"

"Oh yeah, they'll be okay." C.C. said.

As it was, Lelouch's mood to get things done had now soured entirely. Fortunately almost everything had already been made ready and there really wasn't much else he could do himself anyway, besides checking through all the baby clothes and nappies and giving the windows another quick wipe. Once this was done he decided he was suddenly feeling drained and settled in for a long nap instead of sitting around moping and pretending he wasn't pissed off that Suzaku still hadn't come back yet.

Suzaku was back in time for dinner but Lelouch had still been mutely taking offense at him, so he'd said nothing either and the meal had passed in stony silence.

"This is terrible." Poor Nunnally who'd never been around enough to witness the worst of their fights before (well, the grown-up fights based on their formerly humongous philosophical differences, anyway), was getting a bit upset herself. She'd considered trying to speak to her brother about it but had, in very wise judgment, remained quiet for fear of only upsetting him further.

"Don't worry," C.C. reassured her, smiling and being utterly straightforward, "They'll be having sweet and tender make-up sex soon enough, trust me."

For the most part, C.C. was right.

Suzaku and Lelouch were still giving each other the cold shoulder when they climbed into bed, but it had gotten to a point where Suzaku was starting to feel quite horrible about things; seeing Lelouch curled up and miserable at the far end of the bed with his back turned to him only made things worse.

Lelouch was nine months pregnant, for Gods' sakes, it shouldn't have hurt to indulge him a little more - Suzaku had just wanted to make sure nothing went wrong... maybe a little too much.

The silence and distance was fast becoming unbearable and Suzaku was already contemplating the best moment to make an apology when Lelouch surprised him by saying it first.

"I'm sorry." It was low and about as miserable as Suzaku had sensed he was, but most of all it was tired as Lelouch sighed and rubbed at a shoulder, still facing the other direction. "This is ridiculous. The baby's due in a matter of days and here we are..."

"- getting mad at each other for stupid reasons." Suzaku finished with a huge smile of relief that washed over his face. He shifted closer and pulled Lelouch against him, murmuring and glad for the contact which he was now so familiar with. "I was just about to apologize, too."

He felt more than saw Lelouch smile as Lelouch turned to look over his shoulder at him. "I was a lot less appreciative of your concern than I know I should've been. And I overreacted. I'm sorry I..."

"...was such an asshole?" Suzaku grinned, teasing. "Well I... probably should've known better and understood." He admitted softly. "And respected your wishes. ...And been less overprotective. I'm sorry too."

"That's better." Lelouch smirked at him, but his voice was soft, then he was turning away again two seconds later and Suzaku leaned over and squinted in the dark. Was he actually...

"Lelouch... are you - you're crying."

"I'm not. I just..."

Suzaku tried not to laugh at the obvious denial and tenderly coaxed him around so they were facing each other. Lelouch's hormones had to be taking him on one last roller coaster ride at this stage - it was the only logical reason why Lelouch would be overwhelmed enough by a simple squabble and certainly explained why he'd been so snippy in the first place. And so Suzaku cuddled him as best as he could with Lelouch's nine-month bulge warm between them, and applied what he'd come to learn was the best distraction during all of Lelouch's lows in the earlier months.

"Please don't cry, I love you."

Now it wasn't as if Lelouch was even sniffling - it had simply been a couple of involuntary, silent tears because he had hated the forced distance, hated that Suzaku had left (even though it was mostly Lelouch's own fault), hated the fact that it had happened so close to a time when he'd probably need Suzaku the most. And he was, as Suzaku had guessed, indeed a little overwhelmed by hormones and immensely glad that it was now over - but as always here Suzaku was, already giving him something to be even more embarrassed about.

"You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?" Lelouch sighed.

Suzaku ignored him and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. "I love you very much," he murmured, sighing deeply too and meaning it wholeheartedly. "And I didn't mean what I said about not being there if anything does happen." Something terrible occurred to him then - because what if Lelouch had been so upset because he'd actually believed Suzaku - and Suzaku pulled back worriedly just to ask and be sure, "You knew that, right?"

Lelouch smiled - half a smirk, half a grin, "Never doubted it for a moment." And Suzaku grinned back, wiping the drying tear tracks off his face with a thumb.

"You know at this rate, I won't be surprised if you do end up going into labor tomorrow or something."

Lelouch let out a snort and gave him a half-hearted shove, and, chuckling, Suzaku caught him again before he could make to turn away.

Truth be told, this was usually the point where "sweet and tender make-up sex" would be initiated by either one of them, but with Lelouch in such a condition, and advice against too much stress or excitement at such a stage, sex was pretty much out of the question.

So Suzaku kissed him instead, long and slow and sweet, hand moving to the back of Lelouch's neck as Lelouch sighed against him and reciprocated, allowing himself to be drawn back into Suzaku's cuddle. By the time they were done Lelouch was pressing a tired, affectionate, "Idiot," to the corner of his mouth, and Suzaku chuckled softly and reached upward to kiss his forehead in return.

"Yeah, I know." He whispered. "I love you, too."

Lelouch awoke the next morning to the feel of both the baby kicking and... he half-opened his eyes - Arthur batting his wrist and meowing. Suzaku's warmth was gone from beside him, which meant that he was probably already in the kitchen getting breakfast done and...

"Meow, meow, meow, meow."

"Alright, alright. I'm up. I'm up, I'm up." Lelouch reached blearily to scratch the cat under his chin, yawning and blinking himself fully awake in the process.

"Meow," said Arthur, moving to butt his head against Lelouch's swollen belly before looking at him with shining yellow eyes.

The baby gave a playful kick in response and Lelouch chuckled, scratching the cat's fur again. "Yes, Arthur. Good morning... from both of us." He watched in mild fascination as the cat padded round in a circle on the mattress and then butted his head against him again, this time purring as he rubbed it against his womb. Arthur rarely jumped on the bed in order to give wake up calls, and had often maintained respectful distance from Lelouch's growing stomach (save one instance when he'd curled up against it to go to sleep), so this was an uncommon sight.

The cat mewed again and rubbed against him more insistently, still purring. "Alright, alright." Lelouch managed a short laugh as he propped himself up, accommodating the weight of his middle. "Just a moment." Rising quickly was no longer an easy feat - especially if he woke up in the wrong position. There'd even been an embarrassing incident the week before where he'd actually ended up having to call for Suzaku's help because somehow he just hadn't been able to get up from the mattress. (Suzaku had, of course, momentarily mistaken his yell for something else and panicked, and C.C. of course had teased Lelouch endlessly afterward.)

Lelouch sat up slowly now, feeling a bit cumbersome and tired but at least managing well enough this time, and Arthur bounded after him as he finally got up, trailing at his feet. The cat pawed at his pant leg, meowing even more, and it was then, as Arthur stalled his route to the dining area by circling his feet and pawing at him yet again, that Lelouch realized he was probably after something else entirely.

Arthur looked up at him meaningfully and Lelouch spared him a rueful smile, though he was also a little bemused at the cat's unusual behavior. "I can't bend anymore, you rascal. Not like this." He glanced up to see Suzaku busy in the kitchen, as expected. "Go ask Suzaku for whatever it is you want - and no biting."

"Meow." Arthur cocked his head to the side and twitched an ear, still staring up at him.

"Well go on."

The cat was smart, Lelouch would give him that. He gave a last, somewhat disgruntled "mrowr," before trotting off, and Lelouch watched, smiling, as Arthur switched targets as told and was rewarded by Suzaku's fond laughter. Suzaku turned briefly away from breakfast preparations to pick him up and fuss over him; a thought occurred to Lelouch and distantly he pondered the possibility that the cat had actually been trying to tell him something instead -

Arthur seemed more than happy with the dish of cat biscuits which Suzaku set down for him, however, and it wasn't as if Lelouch was feeling anything out of place - no aches, no sign of his waters breaking, or anything else of the sort -

A slight twinge caught him by surprise as he pulled back a chair at the table to sit down for breakfast. Lelouch winced momentarily, one hand automatically shifting to support his spine - but then it lasted no more than five seconds.

Nothing more.

Lelouch made a note of it nonetheless, frowning as he rubbed his back. False alarms were a likelihood at such a stage and Lelouch disliked the idea of causing unnecessary panic - but it was probably a good idea to at least check with the doctors anyway, if anything else happened. He decided a phone call would be in order if he ended up experiencing a couple more similar instances of pain.

But there was nothing - breakfast with everyone went by without further incident, as did lunch - and by the time Lelouch and Nunnally took the laundry out to dry, any anticipation was already far at the back of Lelouch's mind.

There was fine weather that afternoon - a cool breeze and a warm sun. Suzaku had refrained from protesting this time, on the basis that laundry wasn't too much work by itself - but especially since Nunnally was helping to carry the baskets on her lap, and also because he was currently busy in the kitchen again, trying to bake something for tea (...er, without any explosions this time around, of course). Nunnally meanwhile was chirping animatedly about her most recent visit to Ashford, which had been made together with Ougi and Viletta, and Lelouch listened with interest while they hung up the clothing.

"...And the baby took three steps forward, straight toward Rivalz! You should've seen Rivalz face, and oh, Ougi and Viletta looked like such proud parents. I don't think ever seen them beam like that before." She passed him another shirt from the basket she was holding and Lelouch smiled at the mention of his old friend.

"And what did Rivalz do?" He took the clothespin from her and pegged the shirt to the line.

Nunnally giggled. "I think he cried a bit; he was so moved!"

"He'll make a decent father, don't you think? At least he's less of an idiot than Suzaku is, sometimes."

"Oh, Lelouch." She laughed again at his teasing wink. "How terribly mean."

Lelouch took a blouse next, and Nunnally's voice softened. "Well. I think you and Suzaku will both make great parents." She whispered firmly, eyes sincere and shining. "...And I'd love to be here when your baby eventually starts taking its first steps too."

Lelouch gave a light laugh, smiling warmly as he placed an affectionate hand over his middle. "I'm sure you won't have too long to wait now."

He was turning to hang up the blouse when he paused, grimacing a little. There was that twinge again - considerably worse now, in fact...

"Brother?" Nunnally reached out to touch his arm in concern.

"I'm fine," Lelouch smiled again, relaxing as the sensation faded. "It was probably just a -" oh Gods -

The blouse fell to the ground and he let out a small, strangled cry of pain, bending over.

"Lelouch!" Nunnally gasped and tightened her grip on his arm in an effort to steady him before crying loudly, "Suzaku! Suzaku-san!"

Suzaku burst out the back door and was by their sides in a matter of seconds. "What is it, what's wr- oh. Oh, gods." He took one look at Lelouch and immediately gathered him into his arms, green eyes beginning to brim with panic. "Now?"

"...I ... it seems so." Lelouch managed, cringing as he clutched at Suzaku's shoulder and bit back another cry.

"Alright, easy... easy." Suzaku soothed, lifting him up bridal-style. "I'm going to get you into the room, okay? Nunnally, you get inside too. Leave the laundry for now."

They brought him quickly into the house, and Suzaku yelled for help. "C.C! Call the LeBlancs!"

"Oh," C.C. looked up from her pizza with mild surprise as they stepped in, a string of cheese dangling from her mouth. "So the queer sensation I felt this morning was linked to his subconscious then. He was going into labor."

"You sensed something and you didn't say anything?" Suzaku almost yelped in indignance, stopping in his tracks.

"Now now, Daddy-o, you can't have expected me to know immediately what it was supposed to mean. He isn't scheduled for surgery till next week, anyway."

"Suzaku," There was a soft, panting gasp by his shoulder.

"Aaah! Okay. Okay okay okay, uhmm -"

Nunnally started half-laughing in amusement. "Don't panic, Suzaku."

"I - I'm not panicking!"

"You are panicking," C.C. grinned, rising languidly from the chair to make her way over to the phone.

From his arms, even Lelouch managed a laugh. "Relax... it's not like it's going to - mhrngh." Another wave gripped him then and he cringed, a hand fisting in Suzaku's shirt.

"Okay." Suzaku took a deep breath. "Okay. Easy. Breathe, breathe..." It almost felt as though he was talking to himself as well. "There, see? We're both going to do this... we're both going to relax. Okay?"

Lelouch nodded wordlessly against him, already making controlled inhales and exhales, and so Suzaku carried him gingerly to the spare room while C.C. dialed for the LeBlancs.

"Julianna? Yes, I'm afraid we might have a little emergency on our hands..."

"Bed or chair?" Suzaku murmured to Lelouch as he brought him in, now truly, truly glad that they'd actually ended up clearing up and readying almost everything the day before.

"The chair." Lelouch answered hoarsely, and Suzaku lowered him gently so he could sit facing the back of the wooden chair and brace himself against it, if necessary.

"You okay?"

Lelouch let out a breath and nodded, the contraction (or contractions - he wasn't very sure just yet) having faded a little. "I should have said something earlier. I'm sorry."

"Earlier?" Suzaku pulled up the other chair and settled down behind him, smoothing hands over his back just like he did when he was about to give Lelouch a nice, long back rub.

"This morning. There was a pinch... but nothing after, so I didn't think..." Arthur, Lelouch remembered then - "Oh, gods, of course - Arthur." He found himself letting out a dry laugh. "I think he was actually trying to tell me, and I -" He lost whatever he was about to say in a hiss and a low groan and Suzaku reacted fast, kneading his muscles steadily.

"Okay," he soothed. "It's okay, it's okay. It doesn't matter. ...It's..." He paused, hands slowing, and Lelouch sensed him swallow behind him. "Gods." Suzaku said softly. "It's really happening, isn't it?"

Lelouch glanced over his shoulder with a strained smile. "I thought you said you wouldn't be surprised."

"I... Lelouch, I was joking!"

"Well -" Lelouch winced at another twinge. "I don't think your baby is."

"Julianna says to time the contractions and to let them know immediately if they're less than three minutes apart." C.C. appeared at the doorway. "They'll be up here in forty minutes."

"Time contractions. Right, right. Yeah. Okay." Suzaku was up on his feet again, panicked edge growing once more in his voice - "-Did you say forty minutes?" He asked desperately.

Lelouch raised his head, something else occurring to him right then in the commotion - "Suzaku, the kitchen." Suzaku had run out to help them while he'd been in the middle of baking, after all, and -

"The - oh. Oh, shit. Um -"

"Hold up, hold up, I'll handle it." C.C. said laughingly, stopping him before he could dash out the door. "You stay with Mommy dearest. And yes, forty minutes."

"Okay. Okay. Ah, could - could you get us some ice while you're at it?"

"Fine, fine." C.C. sighed, but quickly went off again, and Suzaku looked at the clock on the side table.

"Alright... so that was..."

"One. Maybe two contractions. I'm not completely certain." Lelouch told him. "But it's gone. For now."

Suzaku nodded, then frowned and bit a lip, asking worriedly, "...Are the first few really that bad? I thought they're usually supposed to start out... milder..."

Lelouch smiled wryly. "Then maybe 'milder' was all that I got this morning. Let's just hope they're regular from here onward."

"Right." Suzaku took a steadying breath and pressed a brief kiss to his temple. "Okay." He looked around the room, realizing that they could probably use the interval to start getting the other things ready... "Ah - towels."

He was scrambling to the cupboard just as Nunnally's voice floated in from the door. "Here, I brought you a basin for washing - and some cups, and water for Suzaku, too." She wheeled in, beam as earnest as ever and a couple of mugs in hand, the basin on her lap, and Suzaku paused to thank and collect them from her, smiling.

"Oh Nunnally." Lelouch wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have, but knew she was only trying to help wherever she could.

Nunnally smiled back and touched his arm, asking gently, "Do you need anyone else with you for the time being?"

It was an earnest question. She was excited, Lelouch knew, and she wanted to be there for him, but...

"You can stay, if you like." He smiled. "Till the doctors arrive. Although I can't promise that it'll be a very pleasant experience. And..." He looked at Suzaku, who was now in the process of pulling out the entire mound of blankets and towels Lelouch had prepared the day before. While Nunnally would probably help to keep them both a little calmer... "I think putting one person through the ordeal with me is bad enough."

"...That wasn't meant to encourage me at all, was it?" Suzaku asked weakly, looking up at him with a defeated smile.

But Nunnally laughed - and fortunately understood what Lelouch felt was better for her and for all of them. "I understand." If she insisted, her brother would have quickly given in, but in such a situation it was all the more important that his wishes came first and foremost. "I'll be outside with C.C. if you need anything else, then."

Lelouch smiled warmly and extended a hand toward her, giving her smaller hand a gentle squeeze as she placed it in his. "We'll call you back in as soon as we can." He promised softly. "Once the baby is here."

"Of course." She whispered, and reached to take Suzaku's hand as well, looking brightly at them both. "Be strong, both of you." She gave both their hands a firm squeeze for emphasis.

"Don't make too much of a ruckus." C.C. added as she walked back in to set down an entire tub of ice chips, smirking as she then came to stand by Nunnally's chair. "I'll ring Sayoko and tell her to come down. And in the meantime..." She grinned. "We'll man the fort and enjoy the tea. You two have fun."

"Uhh... Thanks." Suzaku managed uncertainly.

Nunnally leaned forward to give them both quick pecks on the cheek. "You'll be fine. I know it." She said softly, smiling, before letting C.C. help to wheel her out - and before long Lelouch and Suzaku were alone again.

"Okay." Suzaku ran a hand through his hair after shutting the door and returning to his side, taking another deep breath. "Just... relax, and... - don't walk, okay? We're not supposed to speed this up."

"I'm not going anywhere." Lelouch said blandly, resting his head again on folded arms as he blinked. "And I'm not the only one who needs to relax." Here he smiled again, giving Suzaku a pointed look, and Suzaku gave a shaky smile in return.

"Sorry... I just..."

He was scared, and Lelouch knew he was scared, knew he was berating himself for being a frantic mess when Lelouch needed him most, too - but the truth was Lelouch was scared as well... anyone would've been. The surgery wasn't supposed to be for another few days after all - but now that early labor had started, they could at least be grateful they'd anticipated some things.

Together we can do anything. Lelouch reached gently for the back of Suzaku's neck and pulled him down into a soft kiss. "Everything's going... to be fine." He paused at the mild sensation starting again in his lower back, and Suzaku must have felt him stiffening, because he clasped his shoulder worriedly.

"Another one?"

"I don't... I think so. Yes." The pain intensified. "Yes." He bit back a groan and Suzaku moved quickly behind him again, massaging in soothing motions.

"Breathe... breathe..."

Lelouch breathed. It wasn't mind-numbing (yet), and he knew it was just uterine muscle, cramping and rippling in preparation, as if for a normal birth - but oh gods, they contracted strongly - and it hurt.

"It's six... seven minutes. The interval, I mean." Suzaku was counting as he frowned at the clock. That was a little close for starters according to what he knew, but they didn't have to be alarmed as long as the contractions weren't coming too close together... right?

Lelouch pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to muffle a cry as he tensed further and Suzaku winced at the sight, heartbeat racing even as he continued rubbing Lelouch's back, wishing desperately that there was more he could do.

"Easy, easy..." He repeated, swallowing and attempting to get a hold on his own nervousness. "Just listen to me, just... keep breathing. -Do you want anything else? Ice...?"

Lelouch shook his head, drawing in a long, shaky breath as he grimaced. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He tried to focus on the circular motions Suzaku was pressing into his shoulders and arms and back instead, tried to focus on breathing in, and then out, in, out... and eventually the cramping was fading, he was relaxing... and Suzaku was subsequently relaxing too, finally settling back down into the chair behind him and nestling his face in Lelouch's hair with a soft sigh, still massaging, slow and rhythmical.

For a moment Lelouch reached back, pulling one of Suzaku's hands forward to clasp and run a thumb soothingly along it, and he sensed Suzaku give a small smile in return, gripping his hand back tightly.

At this rate, Lelouch thought with an inner sigh, it was going to be a long forty minutes more before the doctors even arrived.

He was more or less right.

Lelouch generally had a high tolerance for pain when it was sharp, brief and fleeting - but with the womb's muscles working constantly within him now, the stress was long, tiring, and slowly worsening and he had more and more difficulty keeping himself from groaning.

Ironically enough, however, it was probably Suzaku who got more distressed with all that worrying, while waiting and trying to help. Lelouch's breaths became more labored with each contraction and he was groaning and in obvious pain, but he kept a firm grip on things (and the back of the chair) and was managing steadily enough. Suzaku... well. Even a quiet whimper from Lelouch was enough to send his chest tightening yet again with concern. They were just labor pains, he knew, and they were all going to be fine, he knew - but it wasn't easy to watch Lelouch in this much pain for so long, and even less easy to keep himself from becoming a nervous wreck as it continued. He tried his best, though, helping to keep Lelouch's breathing even, and dutifully massaging and pressing wherever Lelouch wanted him to, relieving as much of Lelouch's tension as he could despite his own racing pulse.

And if Lelouch had harbored any doubts as to whether he was really in labor before, they were all gone now. The contractions continued, coming closer together and then a little closer still - at some point Suzaku must have convinced him to shift to the bed and must have helped him over, because then they were sitting on the mattress in a tight sort of cuddle, Suzaku wrapping his arms around Lelouch and rubbing his back as Lelouch leaned into him, breaths trembling.

It did seem to alleviate the pain a little, briefly.

"You can bite my shoulder," Suzaku whispered to him, anxiety still keeping his heart pounding. "As hard as you need to."

"...That's not going to make things better for either of us," Lelouch got out a dry and skeptically amused response - then stiffened, breathed, "Fuck," and buried his face in between Suzaku's shoulder and neck to muffle a long cry, eyes squeezing shut as he shook - and Suzaku pressed soothing murmurs against his skin as he desperately continued running his hands up and down his back, unable to do much else.

"Fuck, oh, gods -" Lelouch's grip on his arm was surprisingly helpful in grounding some of Suzaku's own panic. "Suzaku."

"I'm here." Suzaku could understand fully now, why Lelouch hadn't exactly wanted Nunnally around. "I'm here. It's okay. It's gonna be okay." Maybe if he said the last few words enough times, he'd manage to fully assure himself of the same thing, too.

Lelouch's hold slackened after a few more moments, but his eyes were still clamped shut, his breathing still heavy, sweat finally beading on his brow - so Suzaku pulled him closer, stroked his hair and neck, and prayed, prayed that the doctors would be with them soon.

It felt like forever, even though it did take only about forty minutes, and by the time the doctors arrived with the remainder of their equipment, the contractions were coming no more than three to four minutes apart, with Lelouch gasping badly enough to keep Suzaku on edge even as Julianna examined him and did a quick assessment of the situation.

"So far so good. You're progressing a little quickly but the baby's heartbeat is normal, everything looks fine. You're doing great."

"- Wonderful." Lelouch was able to rasp before clamping his eyes shut again as another wave took hold.

Suzaku, next to him and currently (still) being grasped for support while he applied counter-pressure to Lelouch's lower back, swallowed and wasn't too surprised to hear how hoarse his own voice was as well. "When can he get the spinal?"

"In just a little while more." Julianna reassured him. "We'll have to ready a few more things before Marc can administer it properly. I'll need you both to continue to remain calm so you can understand my instructions."

'Just a little while more' sounded like a long time considering how things had been going for the past hour, but if the Britannians had learned anything from the Japanese it was efficiency, and having been in the royal service for all those years, Marc and Julianna were Britannian Efficiency at its finest. Julianna gave whatever instructions she had clearly, too - which helped to take both their minds off the stress a little, because suddenly they had a good number of questions to answer and things to do. Change into this shift, help him sit here, let me clip this there, when was the last meal, does it hurt if I do this - and Suzaku had always been good at following orders, while Lelouch wasn't exactly about to argue (and was in no shape to argue, anyway) with someone who was going to deliver his baby and who was currently also sounding like a wise but very stern midwife.

In ten minutes they had Lelouch on IV and all necessary equipment hooked up to him and already running, in slightly under fifteen minutes Suzaku was helping Lelouch hold still and keep his shift up while the doctors administered the injection to his spine - and in twenty minutes Lelouch was fully numb from waist down, and under the knife.

Shielded from the rest of the procedure by the small, low curtain Marc and Julianna had set up across half the bed, most of what Suzaku could do after that was simply sit by the mattress, hold Lelouch's hand and look on helplessly, while trying not to worry further at the faint smell of blood slowly filling the room, or at the thought of whatever was going on behind the veil.

The lull of activity did give him enough time to settle and finally, fully realize that OhGods Lelouchwashavingthebabynow, theywerehavingthebabyrightno w - not that this did much to help his current state of mind, of course.

Lelouch, on the other hand, already exhausted from having to endure the contractions prior - and decidedly calmer now - was quite happy to lie back and rest against the pillows, subconsciously intertwining his fingers with Suzaku's.

Suzaku brought their clasped hands to his lips, pressed a kiss to Lelouch's knuckles and afforded him a smile, but it came out looking more uncertain than reassuring and Lelouch grinned, sensing the tension that was still in him and whispering in gentle reproach.

"For Gods' sakes, Suzaku." Okay, Lelouch did look like he wanted to sigh a little, too. "Stop doing that. You deserve a break."

Suzaku's smile was a little woeful. "Can't help it."

Lelouch gave a short, quiet laugh. "I'm fine." He squeezed Suzaku's hand gently, knowing that Suzaku was still very concerned. But Lelouch could hardly feel anything from his lower half now, in any case. "There's some tugging and pulling, but that's it." Again he circled his thumb over the back of Suzaku's hand, still smiling. "We'll all be fine."

"That's right." Marc looked up over the curtain for a brief moment, eyes reassuring above the line of his surgical mask. "So far everything's going well. Try not to worry yourself too much."

But if the wait for the doctors' arrival had felt like forever, then the thirty minutes since the start of the operation were still the longest thirty minutes of Suzaku's life.

The constant, tiny beeping of the monitor which was translating both Lelouch's and the baby's heartbeats helped to calm him a bit after awhile, but above that noise sometimes the doctors would murmur to each other, directing or discussing, and Suzaku would look up nervously each time, only to have either doctor reassure him that they were still doing just fine.

Lelouch, who'd closed his eyes after awhile, would still open them occasionally too, smiling despite his tiredness and giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

"...Will you relax?" He murmured once, reaching up to touch Suzaku's face, and at least this time when Suzaku smiled back, it was less shaky.

"I'm trying, you know..."

Lelouch laughed very softly, and closed his eyes again, lacing their fingers back together.

And then - Suzaku thought he was imagining it at first, but it looked like there was quickened movement from behind the curtain - then there was no doubt about it, because Julianna breathed, "There we go..."

And a second later, as if in the first waking moments from a dream - there was the clear, ringing cry of a living, newly born infant.

Beyond the curtain Suzaku, heart in his throat, glimpsed her drawing it fully out with steady hands, umbilical cord, fluid and all, and -

"You have a princess," They both heard the smile in her voice over the baby's cries, and Lelouch, who'd raised his head at the first cry, settled back into the pillows with a tired but immensely triumphant smirk... which he of course directed straight at Suzaku.

And Suzaku... well, Suzaku couldn't care less, really, already overjoyed and near speechless and almost showering him with kisses - on his nose, his forehead, his ears, his mouth. "We did it," he whispered, as though still having trouble believing it. "You did it, we did it... we all did it."

Lelouch smiled, threading a hand through Suzaku's hair. "We did."

The doctors, meanwhile, had already snipped the cord and Julianna was wiping the baby clean with warm water from one of the basins - and before either of them quite knew it Suzaku was helping Lelouch sit up a little more so that he could still receive the baby without interfering with the stitching Marc had begun on - and Julianna was transferring their daughter, wrapped snugly in towels and swaddling cloth, gently into his arms.

She was so small, so small and pink and fair, lovely even with her wrinkled skin and puffy eyes, still shut as her cries slowly ebbed. Her hair - raven like Lelouch's own - covered her little head in thin, soft down and eventually as Lelouch adjusted his hold on her and brought her closer still, she stopped struggling and came to rest quietly against his chest with the tiniest hiccup.

There were many emotions which went through Lelouch then - warmth, joy, fear, relief - but above all, his love, surging fresh and flooding into his entire being as he gazed down at her.

"Oh," Suzaku whispered from beside him, hoarse. "Lelouch... She's perfect." And Lelouch exchanged the warmest smile with him, knowing exactly what he meant.

"...We need a name." He told him softly.

Suzaku's laugh was still a little shaky from the magnitude of emotion which had flooded through him, too. "I don't..." He began. He did have a few in mind, but none right now seemed to him like a very right fit for their precious little one now in Lelouch's arms. And from the look on Lelouch's face Suzaku had a feeling that Lelouch had already thought of something long before, but had kept silent about it because he'd been waiting for this moment to see if it was... right. "What do you think?"

"How about a name that will sound both Japanese... and Britannian?"

...That was possible. There were a few. "But... what?"

Lelouch's smile was fond and his voice a hush. "Yuuhi."

And Suzaku understood within a heartbeat. Euphemia.

"Also for its meaning, in Japanese."

It almost seemed destined. Suzaku looked out the window and at the warming, gentle hues of the sky, murmuring softly in affirmation, "The evening sun."

It was perfect. Perfect in every way like their newborn daughter herself, and Suzaku could feel his heart throbbing - almost aching with pride and joy and the bittersweet as he kissed Lelouch's cheek with a whisper.

"It's beautiful."

Lelouch gently fingered their baby's nose. "Kururugi Yuuhi vi Britannia." He murmured, smiling. "Welcome to the world, little one."

"Sounds lovely indeed. And that was fast." Julianna glanced up briefly from the stitching she was now helping her husband with, voice lightly joking. "I must say most of the other royals had a tendency to engage in long debates over who to name the new baby after."

"Well they're not your typical royals now, are they?" Marc replied jovially, and both Suzaku and Lelouch smiled at the doctors, realizing that in their first few moments of joy they'd almost completely forgotten that they were even there. "We're almost done here." Marc took the moment to inform them. "Just awhile more, Your Majesty."

"Certainly." Lelouch acknowledged, and then he was shifting the baby slowly in his arms and giving Suzaku a meaningful smile. "Suzaku."

Suzaku's breath caught a little in his throat. But he accepted her readily - carefully, so very carefully lifting her from Lelouch's arms and cradling her in his own. A second of displeasure crossed her tiny features at the disruption, but then she was nestled properly against him and in the crook of his arms, and all was right again.

Yuuhi. Suzaku's heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he was almost certain the baby could hear it too. To his surprise, however, she turned subtly toward him and into his warmth, seemingly content, and when Suzaku finally found his voice again, it was a hushed, enthralled whisper of joy.

"Hello there, little princess."

"That's your father," Lelouch said softly from beside him, and Suzaku glanced back up to see him smiling too, eyes warm and serene and filled with undeniable love as they beheld their little one.

She really was perfect; half his and half Lelouch's, ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, her nose a little button on her face and... "Oh Lelouch, look." Suzaku found himself grinning, voice soft. "She does have your lashes."

Because there they were, unmistakable on her still-firmly-shut eyelids, thick and dark and lovely, and Lelouch hummed low in his throat, still smiling - before his hand went to Suzaku's shoulder, drawing his attention back to the baby. "-Suzaku."

Her eyelids had started to move - fluttering a little, then just a little more - and in one breathtaking moment she was opening them to squint up at Suzaku, with irises the exact same shade of green as his own.

She blinked, blearily, and Suzaku held his breath as she stirred, blinking again - but nothing - nothing had could have ever prepared Suzaku for the way she made his heart stop when she finally focused on his face, opened her mouth with a small smile, and cooed, as if saying hello in return, as if - as if saying -

Something had lodged itself in his throat, tears were welling unbidden in his eyes, and Suzaku, almost trembling, bent to press a kiss tenderly, as tenderly as he could, to her forehead, feeling the tears already starting to slip down his cheeks.

"Hello," his voice was choked and hoarse but it didn't matter, nothing else in that moment mattered anymore and he knew he was smiling with unspeakable joy as he swallowed and gently kissed the tiny fists she was waving at him too. "Hello."

She cooed again, small and short, and there was pride written in every manner on Lelouch's face as Suzaku shifted closer to him, hoping it'd be near enough for the baby to see him as well.

"...And that's Mommy," he whispered. "Say hi."

Upon the movement of his arms her eyes did shift to look... slowly, right at Lelouch's own warm gaze, and Lelouch was greeted with another shy, if not delighted, little smile and a tiny squeak.

Lelouch laughed softly and reached to stroke her cheek gently with a knuckle. "Yes my little one."

She cooed yet again at the touch, kicking a little - and taking Suzaku slightly by surprise when one foot connected solidly (more solidly than he'd expected) with the flesh on his arm.

"That is a strong kick you've got there," Suzaku told her laughingly, and Lelouch's grin was priceless.

"Now you know."

"We're all done." Marc's voice announced then, and in short order he and Julianna were sorting equipment, removing the makeshift curtain and the extra sheets they'd placed on the bed, and giving Lelouch a fresh set of blankets.

Julianna pulled down her surgical mask to reveal a motherly smile. "You can invite the rest in now if you want to. But do it soon. She'll be wanting to close those eyes again soon enough."

Lelouch exchanged glances with Suzaku, then looked to her and nodded.

"...We're doing fine, right?" Suzaku asked them for good measure, just to be sure. "Do we look... okay?"

"You look just like new parents," Julianna reassured them, pausing at the doorway to add with a warm smile, "Overjoyed and scared shitless."

She opened the door and over in the living room Nunnally and Sayoko (who had since arrived) straightened from their board game and C.C., too, looked up from the couch she'd stretched herself across.

"You can come in now, the baby's awake. They're all waiting to see you."

All three looked at one another. Nunnally's face had lit up like the sun and Sayoko was the first to rise, promptly getting behind her chair to wheel her into the room, and C.C. rolled off the couch and followed.

And the sight as they entered, of course, was ever heartwarming. Lelouch and Suzaku both looked wearied, but radiant all the same and it was easy to see why. There in Suzaku's arms was the reward of the last few hours of anxiousness and almost nine months of waiting - a tiny head of soft dark hair nestled snugly against his chest.

"Oh my," Nunnally breathed, almost inaudibly, staring into curious green eyes and extending a hand to delicately caress the baby's cheek, already feeling the beginnings of overjoyed tears pricking her own eyes.

"It's a princess," Suzaku murmured helpfully - but also softly, not wanting to break the moment, and Lelouch smiled from beside him in affirmation.

Nunnally glanced at Sayoko - and even C.C. had fondness unmistakably in the corners of her mouth now as they all got a closer look at the little one. "Do you... have a name for her yet?"

"Indeed we do." Lelouch answered, exchanging yet another warm smile with Suzaku, who turned to look at him.

And when Suzaku gazed upon his daughter again it was filled with both humbled wonderment and glowing pride all at once. "Her name's Yuuhi."

"Oh," whispered Nunnally.

"Ah." smiled Sayoko.

"Cute." remarked C.C. with a smirk.

"That is Japanese for the sun in the evening." Sayoko took the chance to explain to Nunnally. "It is a fitting name."

"It's beautiful," Nunnally, who'd of course understood its other significance almost instantly, softly agreed.

Adjusting the baby's towels a little, Suzaku beamed at Nunnally. "Would you like to hold her?"

"I'd love to," she whispered.

And so it was that her little niece was blinking curiously up at her moments later, from the cradle of her own arms. Yuuhi let out the tiniest coo and in that moment Nunnally found herself understanding, better than ever before, her brother's love for all who were precious to him; why he'd always felt such a great need to protect at all costs, especially when she'd been younger.

Nunnally bent, carefully raising the infant a little more with her arms so she could bestow a tender kiss upon her forehead, pouring her happiness into a soft but solemn murmur, one of age-old tradition. "I, Nunnally vi Britannia, Empress and hundredth ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire, Bless you little one, in the name of the Gods. May the sun smile and the stars shine upon you, now and forevermore."

"Well then." There was a click and a flash, and C.C. grinned from behind the lens. "Since it seems we're all keeping nicely to tradition, I've got the camera."

They ended up snapping a good number of photos, even though the baby yawned and closed her eyes tight again soon after the first few shots. Back in Lelouch's arms though, she was content to rest quietly, and so their little new family got a chance to have proper photos taken with everyone, proud doctors included.

And then, just as everyone was deciding that they'd had about enough, Yuuhi stirred, her little features scrunching up into a frown. She made a small noise of discontent, which soon got everyone's full attention on her once again, and Sayoko raised her eyebrows in speculation. "Perhaps..."

The baby fidgeted some more in Lelouch's hold, kicking, and then the answer was obvious as she began trying to turn her head, as if in search of...

"Oh," Nunnally said knowingly with a soft smile.

Unsuccessful, Yuuhi let out her first cry of protest, and Julianna agreed. "Seems she's hungry. Do you have feeding bottles ready, or...?"

"I'll do it." Lelouch said quietly. A slow smile passed between him and Suzaku, who gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "I'll nurse."

Julianna acknowledged this with a clear nod and Sayoko took the cue and initiative quickly, as always.

"Perhaps we should give them some privacy." She suggested gently, stopping by Nunnally's chair.

C.C. snorted at that, but she was smiling, and Nunnally nodded understandingly before sending a warm smile of encouragement Lelouch and Suzaku's way too.

And so Sayoko and C.C. brought Nunnally out, and Lelouch and Suzaku were left alone once again with the doctors and the baby, who by now was fidgeting constantly and making enough upset whimpers to sound like she was going to start wailing any minute.

"Do you know what to do?" Marc asked.

"I... think so." Lelouch looked to Suzaku for a moment.

Suzaku gave a small smile and nodded, helping him slide the shift down one shoulder whilst he attempted to soothe the now-fretful child in his arms. Lelouch shushed her, low and gentle, running a thumb tenderly over a balled fist, and she quieted momentarily, allowing him to lean back a little and let Suzaku slide a hand over his exposed skin. Suzaku's touch was discreet, subtly intimate - his thumb circling the area around Lelouch's nipple in gentle stimulation, and Lelouch flushed lightly despite himself - but it wasn't until Suzaku was propping the pillows behind him and adding yet another under the cradle of his arms for extra support that Lelouch's pulse really started to quicken in apprehension.

Slowly he shifted the baby in his arms - supporting her neck carefully, turning her a little more toward him, drawing her level with his chest. Lelouch knew how to do this. He knew. He'd spent the past few months reading extensively about it and also becoming convinced that it was entirely possible despite his limitations when compared to most women. Still, none of his preparation was quite enough to help get rid of the familiar worry as it returned full force.

Would there be enough? He certainly didn't have breasts - he didn't have what most mothers had - would there even be anything? What if he wasn't even producing, what if she didn't latch on properly, would...

"Try to relax," Julianna's voice instructed, steady and calming. "Lean back and bring her in a bit more - That's right."

It was... mesmerizing, and terrifying, all at once - the way Yuuhi seemed to pick up his cues for her to move forward even with her eyes closed and instinctively did so, till her lips brushed against the nipple and she parted them - but then - as Lelouch gave her the last gentle nudge forward - then she was latching on, and then there was her first suckle, small and strange...

It was alright. This was alright, probably. Lelouch wasn't exactly feeling anything else yet, but one of her fists had come to rest lightly on his chest, and at least she seemed to have latched on properly and was now suckling in earnest, her body pressed softly against his, and - oh. Oh.

His relief must have been obvious, because Suzaku let out a similar sigh from beside him, grinning, and from their watchful point at the edge of the bed the doctors smiled too, Julianna nodding her approval.

He was nursing the baby well enough, then. She was nursing well enough. Lelouch gazed down at her, at her eyelids, closed but fluttering subtly in content as she suckled - tiny, tender, but steady - and realized he couldn't ask for a moment more perfect than this.

Warmth overwhelming coursed through him; by his side Suzaku wrapped them both in slender but secure arms, Lelouch shared a look of quiet joy with him and for a long, long while, they knew nothing else.

Notes:

1. "Yuuhi" is written 夕日 in Japanese, and does indeed mean "evening sun" or "sunset". I should probably mention that I don't like the character Euphemia all that much... but our boys obviously do, so there we go. It seemed the most suitable name to give. (Don't worry though, the baby will be nothing like Euphy - she's probably going to be more like Suzaku than anything else, minus all the angst. Remember, she spin-kicks ;D)

2. To my knowledge, C-sections in the real world usually take place with the assistance of at least 4 to 5 medical staff (you need a surgeon, an anaesthetician, the ob/gyn, etc etc). That would obviously have been very troublesome to write, though, so assume advancement and more innovation in the medical procedures of the Geass universe or something.

3. I also believe most mothers going in for a C-section actually have to have their arms (and possibly legs) clamped to the operating table during the surgery, to prevent sudden knee-jerk reactions from their limbs or something. Not sure if you'll be allowed to hold your baby before they finish stitching you back up, too - in real life, anyway. (At the most, I think they put the little one on your chest so you can see it while you wait.) Again, for purposes of this story, ASSUME ADVANCEMENT IN BRITANNIAN MEDICINE - and also Marc's Super Surgeon Skillz. So that whatever I've written won't seem too unrealistic ;P

4. Sorry if the breastfeeding thing took some of you by surprise! (Actually no, I'm not that sorry ahahah) Some people did ask for that in their earlier reviews, though, and I did want to give it a go, so tadaa. Thank you to any of you who took the time to express your opinions! Those were most encouraging. HOWEVER, please note that I couldn't find much helpful info on the internet about whether you actually need to prepare the breasts/nipples right before a feed. I've read that gentle massage can help stimulate the let-down of milk, though, so considering Lelouch's, uhm, doubts about his physical "adequacy", I decided that throwing that bit in might make things a bit more believable. (Also, there are so few recorded cases of men breastfeeding, so I have no idea whether breastfeeding long-term may cause males in real life to develop a bit more tissue in their chest area. But of course, THIS here is fiction, so that certainly won't be happening to Lelouch, because that would be TOO awkward and I'm already pushing the limits of "awkward" as it is.)

5. And NO, this is not the end! Okay, it wasn't intended as the end, but the problem now is that I'll be so busy with university life that I doubt I'll have the time or patience to properly continue. I do have more things already planned for this, though (about 2 more chapters worth of adventures in early parenthood) and I still know exactly how I want to end it proper, so I'm going to propose the following: For the next chapter, I will post the scenes I've already written (plus those I find enough motivation to write), and they will be interspersed accordingly among summaries/"plot placeholders" of the scenes which I have in mind, but won't be writing. It may end up looking like a more organized version of my story notes/drafts. The final scene has already been written long ago, for instance, so the only problem I can foresee with this is whether fanfiction dot net's regulations/guidelines allow for an update like this. I'll try and figure it out - but anyway even if such a thing isn't allowed here, I can always just post the final scene as a sort of epilogue, upload the full thing somewhere else, and link you all to it in the author's notes. Tell me what you think about such an arrangement!

ETA, 27 Oct 2012: I still don't have a lot of time, but the good news is that I think I have regained quite a fair bit of motivation, so you might not have to worry about getting a summarized/truncated version of the final 1 or 2 chapters after all. I should have something ready in another couple of months!

Lastly, a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have stuck with me/the boys till now. Your reviews/messages/support mean a lot to me! I still read every single one of them!

And of course, MERRY CHRISTMAS once again! Hope everyone had a great year, and I hope especially that this update has added to or brought you some holiday cheer. Reviews do make excellent Christmas presents, too! ;D Much love to all of you. Muah.