Title: Not Yet
Summary: Lelouch's 'death' was only the beginning. He's not dead yet, and he and everyone else have to deal with life as it comes.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: You know what? If I did own, then paying for uni would be easier than Pie. Sunrise Entertainment ARE geniuses though. If you haven't watched one of their newer animes, Tiger & Bunny, you are missing out, big time. Don't worry, the anime is a lot better than the name.
Authour's Note: No excuse. Beyond no excuse. But if you do want one, read the A/N at the bottom.
"You were seen." C.C. deadpanned, and pulled Lelouch to the bathroom on their new apartment in Towkyow. He was tempted to go kicking and screaming but settled for dragging his feet. Lelouch's pulse increased as he saw the bottle on her hand of what was unmistakably hair dye.
"What color?" he asked, fearing the answer. With C.C. he almost never knew what to expect any more.
"You'll see." She said impatiently, and shoved his head over the sink before getting the dye ready. When she was done applying it, she threw a towel over his shoulders and let him sit up, but faced him away from the mirror. "My hair won't dye, though, so I'll have to wear a wig. My wig is black." She held up the wig to show him.
"Who saw me?" Lelouch asked, not really caring.
"Nobody we knew; you really could have planned that shooting better, though. Maybe lured him into a dark alley or something." Her voice was resigned. What was done was done.
Lelouch shrugged. "I panicked. I've never had to deal with a situation like that since I got the Geass. Anyway, we both know I couldn't have done anything. He was about to start yelling. Better the suspect murderer of one than the confirmed of thousands, or of more when people realized I wasn't dead." His voice held quiet reason, but mostly he knew he had been a coward who had feared for his life almost as much as he feared for the failure of the Plan.
After a few minutes of silence, Lelouch asked "Will this be as bad for my hair as bleaching it was?"
"Oh, quit whining, you sound gay when you whine about your hair." She said, and he missed the burst of inspiration in her eyes. She suddenly had the perfect idea for what she would do for Lelouch's cover identity.
C.C. remained silent for a few minutes, and suddenly shoved his head back over the sink. Lelouch wouldn't have let her remain silent if he had known what she was plotting. "It's done."
When C.C. finally allowed Lelouch to look in the mirror, he paled. At the exact moment he saw his hair, he also glanced at the expression on C.C.'s face, and horror lit it up. "NO!" he yelled, and felt himself slump in defeat. He could practically read her whole plan on her face, exactly like she had meant him to. It was hopeless.
(Linebreak)
Zero paced the room, disgusted by what he had to do, and annoyed that such a simple task disgusted him. When the door opened, he straightened up, and turned toward it. The tall blonde strode in, and sat on a wing-backed chair.
"What can I do for you, Lord Zero?" Schneizel was willing to do anything for his master.
"Schniezel, I need you to put all of your support behind the Black Knights and their relief efforts." Suzaku said tiredly, he hated absolute control.
"Anything you say, Lord Zero." Schniezel intoned, and bowed, leaving the room.
He slumped for a moment before straightening and going to Nunnaly's rooms. It had been so simple, but being able to control a man in such a way nearly left Suzaku dry heaving. He knew if he told Schneizel to go die, the man would happily do it. Once the door was locked he removed his mask and collapsed into a chair. "I hate this. I hate it and He knew I would. Having all of this control, all of this power over people is disturbing, and disgusting. And…" he sighed. "It's also necessary." If he hated himself so much for being able to control a single man, he wondered how much more Lelouch must have hated himself every day that he had to live with the fact that he had accientally killed his sister and had let thousands more die for him.
Nunnaly tilted her head slightly at the dark, brooding look on Suzaku's face. "Well, I think I also hate what I do, but I don't think that's what he intended for me. You bear the brunt of the hardest things. I just have to work with you and support you." She gave him a soft smile, understanding in her voice. "But, for what it's worth, you are doing amazingly. Nobody except the highest of the Black Knights even suspect that you aren't the real Zero, and that's because they saw Lelouch get stabbed and die."
Suzaku smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Nunnaly." And they went into their daily routine of exercising.
They kissed at the end of every night, although not as intensely as the first time, and it was always Suzaku who cut it off before leaving silently.
(Line Break)
Lelouch stared into the mirror, horrified at the change C.C. had wrought on him. His tight leather pants were hot, he would freely admit. However, that was the only thing that he liked about his outfit. His tank top clung to his lightly muscled chest, and his arms were also lightly muscled. He had o wonder if walking to work every day usually had such a toning effect on a person.
"Was the lime green wife beater really necessary?" he asked, not for the first time.
"Yes, and so was the rainbow colored belt. And the bubble gum pink hair. Come on, I want to see you walk the room a few more times." She said like the dictator that she was.
Lelouch slid uncomfortably into the girly posture that C.C. had taught him, and sashayed across the room, his hips swaying just slightly.
"Perfect. Let's go, we need to get to your interview since I got the new papers today." She pulled on her wig, and painted her eyebrows quickly before they left their apartment and exited the building straight into downtown Towkyow. The streets bustled and there was no room for a person to walk down the street without bumping into someone else. Only a few months after the Demon Emperor Lelouch had died, and everything was going so much better than before. Commerce was strong, and community service was stronger.
Lelouch was willing to bet nobody in their wildest dreams would have imagined said Demon Emperor to have Bubblegum pink hair and pretending to be flamboyantly effeminately gay walking down the street. Not even Suzaku would have recognized him.
Lelouch let the crowd buffet and drag him along, with C.C. dragging his wrist the whole way. When they arrived in front of a department store, Lelouch groaned. "This is the perfect job you had for me?"
"You know you'll do well, so stop moaning. You can not only lie so well it's scary, but you can make the truth sound even better. I'm sure getting women makeup that looks good on them and then convincing them to buy it won't be a problem for you." C.C. laughed. She had insisted he learn how to properly do makeup, mostly so that he could diguise his own features, but also so that he could do this job.
C.C. had felt more loose and free with Lelouch than she had in a very long time. Since she wasn't constantly battling to keep him alive anymore, the stress melted off her shoulders. Lelouch had also noticed the gradual change in her demeanour, but he refrained from commenting, if only to avoid putter her back on edge.
Off handedly she said "It's a lot easier to keep a department store clerk alive than a crazy emperor or a peace-driven soldier." He caught a playful twinkle in her eye, and Lelouch almost laughed. Almost.
(Linebreak)
Ohgi and Viletta stared at the completed pile of wedding invitations, and Ohgi pulled out two that didn't bear anything but a name. In gold letters on the thick white paper "Zero" was embossed on one, and "Nunnaly" on the other..
"I'll deliver these myself." He said, quietly.
Viletta stood and gathered up the remaining letters, and tucking them into a bag. "I'm off. The post office closes in a half an hour, and I've got to hurry if I want to make it."
C.C. was weighing a package when Viletta walked in, and she froze for a moment before returning to her task. The line was long, but quickly shortened until it was Viletta's turn. The post office had closed its doors, so Viletta was the last in line. With the next customer, she changed her voice slightly so it wouldn't be recognizable. The customer seemed a little confused but didn't comment.
Hoping beyond hope that her hair was all tucked under the wig, C.C. smiled at Viletta, and spoke in the voice she hoped Viletta wouldn't recognize. "How many envelopes will you be mailing?"
"About thirty." Viletta smiled. "I'm getting married on the fifteenth."
"Oh, congratulations! That'll be twenty, and I wish you luck." The money was handed over. "Your mail will be delivered promptly, have a nice day, and a nice wedding." C.C. accidentally slipped into her normal voice for a moment, and Viletta did a double take before shaking her head and leaving.
C.C. recognized most of the names on the invitations, and tucked one away she knew wouldn't be responded to. It was for C.C. herself, and there was no address on it anyway. Once she was done closing the post office, and getting all of the mail into the bags and boxes it would be sent in she left straight to Lelouch's job.
(linebreak)
Lelouch had slowly grown more comfortable in his act, and the women he helped loved talking to him. He was good at refusing advances, and it was especially easy since the women expected it. He found, a bit to his chagrin, that he was indeed good at helping women with makeup and had made so many sales every day that it was ridiculous. It was getting late when a woman he recognized came in, a large smile on her face.
Lelouch faltered for a second, but continued as he was, tidying the makeup samples. It was Viletta Nu, and although he had only met her a handful of times, he was sure she had seen him innumerable times. Viletta asked for the makeup one would wear as a traditional Japanese bride. She chattered like the other women he had met, about her wedding which she needed makeup for, and spoke to him like an old friend.
Apparently something about being a gay makeup artist made him very personable, and he accepted it. When he was done, he showed her her face in the mirror, and she gasped in joy. She had seen traditional makeup before, but this was stunning and flawless.
"Will you come be my makeup artist at the wedding?" she asked in hushed tones, like speaking loudly would break the magic she was seeing. She had never in her wildest dreams expected to be wearing this makeup, and she knew the kimonos that went with it would soon follow.
"Hun, I'd be honored." He said happily in his 'gay' voice he used for work, gesturing his hand like C.C. had taught him. He helped her wash off the thick white makeup and did her up in a more modern style before letting her leave. She glowed with joy, and Lelouch let a small smile slip onto his face. People were moving on, and finding joy.
He had agreed readily, but inwardly he was a bit reluctant. His worried that he would be recognized, although Viletta hadn't recognized him for even a moment. She left just as C.C. was coming in to pick Lelouch up, and C.C. ducked behind a display nearby so Viletta wouldn't see her face. Once Viletta was gone, C.C. walked over to Lelouch who was closing down the makeup section for the day.
"Viletta's getting married, but judging by the look on your face, you already knew that." C.C. said and chuckled.
"I know. I'm the makeup artist for the wedding, apparently. She'll be calling tomorrow to make the appointment official I guess." He souded resigned, like he had when he had realized C.C's plan for his disguise.
"Well, I guess we're both going…" C.C. began laughing, and Lelouch joined in. They were soon doubled over and nearly in tears. "They… haha … They would never have… haha… imagined you like this!" she couldn't stop laughing. Lelouch was nodding even while doubled over. He thought the circumstances were more than ridiculous.
(Linebreak)
Nunnaly squared her shoulders, and took Suzaku's hand before using her arms to pull herself to her feet. Her leg muscles spasmed from disuse and her body trembled like a leaf. Within a few seconds, she was breathing heavily, but she let go of Suzaku's hand and remained standing. Her heart thumped quickly, and she knew her excitement and adrenaline were the only things keeping her on her feet.
Her legs were thin as twigs, and the muscles were so atrophied that one could hardly tell they were there, but they were. Her bones had mended years ago, but she had never had the motivation to stand like she did now. Back then she had had Lelouch and she had been happy. Now, she wanted to prove herself to herself, as well as to her now dead brother.
She began feeling like she would fall, and her legs were cramping, but she reveled in the sensation. She was standing! She attempted to take a step, but her legs crumbled beneath her and Suzaku easily caught her. She tried to hide her disappointment at this failure, but Suzaku saw through her attempt.
"Not too much at once now, Nunnaly." He said, and pride lit up his face. She had improved so much in so little time. She allowed to him to set her in her wheelchair and wheeled herself to her bathroom. Suzaku let her go and instead walked to his own room, feeling happy, but a bit angry at himself.
His life was happy right now, and what right did he have to be happy? This was supposed to be his punishment, not some sort of vacation retreat or the life that he had always wanted. Well, maybe not exactly what he had always wanted, but he had the love of an amazing girl, and he had a good friend. Sure, he could have more, but considering his life at the present and the fact that he was technically dead… He could hardly complain. He shook his head, banishing the unhappiness. Nunnaly would recognize it in and instant, because she had also gotten good at reading faces since she had gotten her eyesight back.
A/N: My excuse? I graduated HS, then I started Uni at BYU. Then I went through a super intense term at BYU and I did my finals. I'm on a 2 week break right now that is half over. D: Also, I've been writing on my HP fanfiction Not Quite Down for the Count which is BETA'ed by the amazing Miriam1. I know I should have been working on this, but in my defense, the chapter has been complete for as long as it has been since the previous chapter was posted. I was just too lazy to properly edit it and post it. Plus, y'all hardly reviewed!
Posted 17:31 PST 8/19/2011
