When Lelouch awoke with a firm weight on his chest, he had a moment of dread that it was one of those dreams again.
But it was just Suzaku. His ten-year-old Suzaku.
"Week's up!" Suzaku crowed and bent down to press a kiss to Lelouch's lips.
Still more than half-asleep, Lelouch kissed back.
It was the taste of Suzaku's mouth – a childish combination of breakfast and hastily applied bubblegum flavoured toothpaste – that woke Lelouch up completely.
He scooted away with a yelp, staring at the wide-eyed child who was now straddling his waist.
"Wow. That was different," Suzaku said, licking his lips thoughtfully. "Can we do that again?"
"No. We… no. What time is it?" Lelouch demanded.
Suzaku smiled. "You don't have to be up for half an hour." The smile turned nearly predatory and Lelouch's heart rate increased, and not in a good way. "We can take our time…"
God. Maybe this was a dream – this Suzaku sounded exactly like the nightmare nymphomaniac seventeen-year-old that haunted Lelouch's nights.
He was, however, easier to stop. One hand on his forehead, the other tugging his ear. "Quit it, Suzaku."
"Wanna kiss," Suzaku whined, ignoring the small pain in his ear. He was still grinning too, the little brat. "C'mon, Lelouch…"
"If I'd known you were going to be this annoying once the week was over…" Lelouch grumbled, releasing Suzaku. Suzaku immediately draped himself over Lelouch, pressing him to the bed and pressing his lips to Lelouch's. Lelouch didn't kiss back this time, but he did allow his arms to wrap around Suzaku's back. He'd missed this, this past week.
Not that he'd ever admit it to Suzaku.
"That's two… how many more do you have left?"
"Ten. No, eleven!" Suzaku corrected himself. "That first one was totally an ambush and doesn't count."
Lelouch sighed. "You really shouldn't have to ambush people to give them kisses, Suzaku."
"You're right," Suzaku said, pointedly. "I shouldn't."
"…touché." Lelouch's hands rubbed idly over Suzaku's back and they were both getting a little sleepy. "Does your father know you're here?"
"He always assumes I'm here if I'm not at home," Suzaku said. "So. It's my birthday soon."
"Hmm," Lelouch agreed sleepily. "What do you want?"
"You."
"Keep that up and I see if I can't rustle up some coal."
Suzaku chuckled at that. "Honestly? I want a kiss." He took a deep breath. "A real kiss." And held it. "In front of everyone."
Lelouch looked at him fondly. "I'll get you the latest Knightmare Frame model."
…Suzaku wanted that too. But… "I'd rather have the kiss."
"And I'd rather not go to jail because your sense of boundaries corresponds with the legal definition of 'corrupting a minor'." Lelouch kissed Suzaku's forehead. "Between us, it's… well, not okay, exactly, because I'm still uncomfortable with it, but… it's not horrible. To anyone else…" Lelouch held Suzaku. "Best case scenario, I wouldn't be allowed to see you again. Ever. I don't want that, Suzaku."
Suzaku stayed still in Lelouch's arms a long while before nodding. "How old do I have to be?"
"That's not exactly the point…"
"How old?"
"…sixteen," Lelouch said. "And I'll be twenty-two, and that alone should tell you that it's not a good idea."
Suzaku looked at Lelouch, his eyes dark and serious and, above all, patient. "I can wait that long. Just promise me, Lelouch… promise me that you'll still be there when I'm old enough. Promise me you won't let anyone take you first."
Lelouch thought about Milly's jokes about running off together, and Shirley's nervous looks and awkward invitations, and the way half the female population of the school and a good quarter of the males looked at him… "I'll remember," he promised. "Your claim comes first."
This time when Suzaku kissed him, he kissed back. It felt wrong to do anything else after such a serious conversation. But lying back in his bed, with the morning light streaming through his window and an almost-eleven-year-old boy moving and moaning happily on top of him, Lelouch wasn't sure that jail was his biggest concern.
It was entirely possible that he'd go to hell for this.