"I'm very mad at you." Suzaku didn't match the backdrop made by the opened door and dark mountains beyond it.

"For sleeping with Kallen?" Lelouch's eyebrow quirked, "Because you really have no-"

"No." Suzaku shut the door and shed a bright blue cloak Lelouch hadn't noticed he'd been wearing and stepped further into the room. "For not getting out of my fucking head."

"Pardon?" He propped himself up on one arm and watched Suzaku with a back-tilted head after a quick glare at the discarded cloak on the floor. He was too lazy to go pick that up.

"I'll admit it, I wasn't entirely unhappy to see you go. I missed you, yeah, but I didn't miss the daily reminders of what we'd done. The first week was miserable, the second, grand, but after that – I kept hearing your voice in my head, providing nagging commentary for pretty much everything I did." He stared moodily out the small window on the wall opposite the bed.

"Sounds like me. Unfortunately, I can't help you, so if you'd be so kind as to get out –" He still wasn't doing Suzaku the honor of at least sitting up while dismissing him. Suzaku could take his half-leaning self and just deal with it.

"Do you know why I kept hearing your voice?" He turned sharply to face him again.

"You could be schizophrenic." Still not sitting up.

Suzaku's painfully bright, white clothing was a sharp, painful contrast to the unfinished wood of which Lelouch's home was made.

He shot Lelouch an un-amused glance, then the anger simply evaporated and he collapsed on the bed beside him.

Lelouch flinched away.

Suzaku looked at him with miserable green eyes, "I think I'm in love with you."

He couldn't breathe.

Suzaku moved his head over on top of Lelouch's thigh. Lelouch was too… something to shove it off. "I know you love me, don't even bother trying to deny it. You're a good liar, Lulu, but your friend C.C. came and talked to me a couple days before I left Pendragon. When were you going to tell me about her?"

"The witch is bored. She'll do anything for her own amusement. Whatever she told you was probably a lie."

Suzaku sat up, a hand replacing his head on Lelouch's thigh, their faces an inch apart. "She told me you loved me." His fingers pulled aside the neck of Lelouch's shirt; he kissed the skin bared. "And not because of a curse either."

Lelouch shivered as he made a mental note to switch his torture plans from V.V. to C.C.. "She really needs to come up with more original lies."

Suzaku hummed agreeably and nipped Lelouch's neck.

The prince was too flustered to protest as he was pressed onto his back.

Suzaku stayed upright, stroking fine black strands of hair. He opened his mouth, to spew some saccharine platitude no doubt.

"So," Lelouch asked companionably, having recovered his brain, "have you fucked my sister yet?"

Suzaku's hand stilled.

"When's the wedding?" Lelouch prompted with a sick smile.

Suzaku stood and tugged off his gloves, "A couple of days ago."

Lelouch's smile grew, "Mazel tov."

"Or at least I think so. I wasn't there."

"You – What?"

"I said I was in love with you, didn't I?"

"But Euphy's your –"

"One true love? Yeah, I know. But that – That's just… fate."

"What's this then? A hormone-fueled man-crush?"

Suzaku's mouth twisted, "Something like that."

"I can't believe you. You're actually stupider than I thought. It's amazing."

"Think about it, Lulu. Euphy… Yes, she's amazing, but I don't really have a choice other than to love her, right? You… I'm not supposed to love you. I shouldn't love you; you're a – Well, never mind what you are. The point is… Yes, I will always love her. And sure, I love her more than you, but I still love you. And that's what counts."

Lelouch, sitting up, had been watching Suzaku's little speech with a look of bored amusement. "That's great, Suzie, really sweet in fact. There's still the small problem of me not loving you."

"Which is why you were acting like a jealous ass for the entirety of the week we spent with Euphy?"

Lelouch's eyes bugged, "I did not –"

"Yeah. You really did, Lu. There was something about the way you were acting that – Well, it all fell into place after I talked to C.C.."

"I'm gonna fucking kill her," Lelouch muttered to himself under his breath.

"For wanting you to be happy?"

Apparently not under his breath enough.

"She doesn't want me to be happy, she wants me to suffer and be humiliated!" Lelouch squawked, red and indignant.

"You don't give her enough credit."

"I know her far better than you, Su–."

Suzaku was kissing him, in his lap and pushing him onto his back again.

For a moment, Lelouch allowed himself to shut his eyes and enjoy it, running his hands up and down Suzaku's back. Then his hands moved around to Suzaku's chest and pushed.

"What? A few pretty words and you expect us to just kiss and make up?"

Suzaku brushed Lelouch's hands away and bent to kiss his neck, but not before murmuring, "Pretty much. Especially the kissing part."

"You don't get it, do you? I was just using you."

"Mmhmm." He went to work unlacing his pants.

"I said it in -oh- Kanto. Mm, I just want to… uhh, kill my father. I said if I had to, ahh, suck a few cocks to do it, I'd… do it. Of course," he added with a gasp and a smirk, "I didn't have to, nnh – Would you quit that? – suck a few… just yours."

"Sure," Suzaku agreed, compliantly removing his hand from the protesting boy's pants, only to move on to shoving his shirt up. "May I ask what good that did you in the long run? I don't recall facilitating your patricide."

"You're a good fighter. Quit that. I figured if I – Seriously, I'm trying to answer your stupid question. – got you, er, whipped, I guess, you'd do what I wanted. That didn't work too well when you met Euphy."

"Hmm. Much as I love hearing you talk, would you just pipe down and take your damned pants off?"

That pissed Lelouch off. A sharp shove and Suzaku was on his ass on the floor. "Damn it, Suzaku. You left me for my fucking sister, I demand some groveling before I let you fuck me like the slut you claim I am."

The brunet sighed and shook his head. "One, I said I was sorry and that I didn't mean it, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't throw that in my face. Two, I kissed your sister all of two times, you've been sleeping with Kallen. I'd say were about even. Three, were you using me, or are you pissed because you're actually in love with me? Pick a stance."

"Did you even tell her you were leaving?" Lelouch demanded.

"Way to change the topic. I, er, told her something."

"The hell did you tell her?!"

"She figured out the whole you-and-me thing while we were traveling so –"

"She did what?"

"That morning you disappeared in Tristan I said something like… 'Even if you're in love you still shouldn't do some things,' I dunno. I can't remember now. Anyway, she figured out that the 'some things' were probably sexual. And then she asked me about, er, us."

"And what the hell did you say? 'Gosh, Euph, I'm really sorry, but I kinda fucked your brother all the time when we were traveling, except I didn't know he was your brother, and then we stopped, except for that night I let him suck me off because I had a dream about you?'"

Suzaku squirmed, "Pretty much, yeah."

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "I really can't believe you sometimes. How'd she take it?"

"Pretty well, actually. She forgave me. It took a couple of days, but eventually she told me that she couldn't blame me, which I guess means she thinks you're hot, and since it hadn't actually meant anything, meaning we weren't in love, well, I thought we weren't at least, so it wasn't really an issue."

"And then it became an issue when C.C. decided to lie her ass off and you decided you were in love me because you're quite possibly the stupidest person on the planet?"

"C.C. wasn't lying and I wasn't in love with you until a month after you'd gone."

Lelouch rolled his eyes again, "That is so like you. And I'm not in love with –"

The brunet dragged him off the bed and into his lap, "It's okay, Lulu. You don't have to say it. I know it and that's enough." He tried to pull Lelouch's shirt off.

An irritated growl and a shove Suzaku let happen and Suzaku was on his back on the floor, Lelouch glaring down at him as the prince stood up.

Suzaku sighed lightly and shifted onto his knees, sitting on his heels. He bent forward until his forehead touched the floor. "I'm sorry for hurting you," he said seriously.

Lelouch huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I should step on your head," he groused to himself.

Suzaku looked up, but stayed on the floor. He had to strain to look the other in the eyes, "I love you, Lelouch."

Lelouch gulped, it was hard to breathe again.

Slowly, giving Lelouch time to protest, Suzaku stood. He took a careful half-step forward and placed a hand on Lelouch's hip, the other cupping the side of his face. "Please forgive me." He kissed the skin before his ear before breathing out, "You're so amazing."

Lelouch felt his resolve crumple. He whimpered quietly as he clung desperately, burying his face in Suzaku's shoulder.

The brunet stroked his hair and murmured nonsense into his ear.

"I hate you," the prince whispered thickly.

Suzaku didn't bother replying, only held him tighter.

Lelouch got a hold of himself. His eyes opened and he glared at the skin in front of his face. Tentatively, he traced the major vein in Suzaku's neck with the tip of his tongue.

He was rewarded with a gasp and a tightening of the hands on him. He bit the knob at the corner of his jaw and then the earlobe. His hands migrated lower, one stopping at Suzaku's lower back, the other proceeding to grip his ass.

"Le – Lelouch, nnh, take me."

He pulled back, shocked, "What?"

Suzaku fidgeted, "Don't make me say it again."

"Are you – Alright." No need to do it right now. A little waiting never hurt anyone. He resumed his previous activities, biting and licking at Suzaku's neck until it was red and Suzaku himself was breathless and grasping at his back.

Smirking at his handiwork, he took a step back to pull the obliging brunet's shirt off.

A step forward and he was tracing swirling designs all over the exposed skin. A thought occurred to him. He stopped mid whorl and separated his lips from Suzaku's. "Did you really never sleep with my sister?"

"Never," Suzaku assured him. "Did you – Did you really sleep with Kallen?"

"Yes. Quite a lot." He nuzzled the unmarred side of his neck.

Suzaku made a noise in the back of this throat that Lelouch knew had nothing to do with the movements of his hands. Glancing down, Suzaku's fists were clenched.

"Jealous?" he asked with a sly quirk of his lips.

Suzaku blinked rapidly and stared at the ceiling, "Of course I am."

"Really?" Lelouch pulled back and stared at him with a face-splitting grin.

Suzaku glared at him and gritted his teeth. "Of course I am," he repeated.

"Well then," Lelouch ran the fingertips of one hand up and down the center line of Suzaku's chest, "I suppose I should stop teasing you?" A smirking glance downward, "You look about ready to- unh."

Suzaku had lost control; a few stumbling steps and he had Lelouch pinned to the wall, hands all over his body.

"You're a shameless tease, you know that, right?" he growled in the prince's ear.

"Of course I am," there was a definite note of mockery in his voice. "Now let me go and get on the bed."

"You're really, really fucking amazing."

Lelouch laughed softly as he rolled over onto the remaining bed space, it was pretty narrow and Suzaku was taking up a lot of it. "Tell me that again… when you want to walk."

"Nn. C'mere.'

"Ehh?"

A few weak tugs and Lelouch was laying half on top of Suzaku again. "You and your… damned cuddling."

"Mm, get the sheet."

Groaning, Lelouch sat up and fumbled for the top sheet, kicked to the bottom of the bed. He tugged it over them. "Happy?"

"Mm." Suzaku rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around Lelouch. "I love you."

"Yeah, I know. Shut up."

Suzaku hummed happily and kissed the side of Lelouch's neck.

When Lelouch awoke, Suzaku was already up and in the process of dressing.

"Mm," he groaned, blocking the sunlight with an arm, "where are you going?"

Suzaku did not look up from fastening his belt. "I have someone I'd like to have a few words with."

Despite the (relatively) early hour it didn't take long for Lelouch to figure out who Suzaku meant. "Don't kill her."

"I didn't say anything about killing," said Suzaku in a slightly guilty voice, "I just want to talk."

"Mm." He braved the sunlight. "You're wearing my clothes."

"True."

"Suzaku," Lelouch sat up reluctantly, stupid brunet, "you aren't too angry, are you?"

The brunet shrugged dismissively.

Lelouch dropped the topic. "How are you feeling?"

Suzaku knew what he meant. He shifted his weight. "It's not pleasant, but it's not much different from the kind of stuff that happens when you're stupid while training, you know?"

Lelouch was about to mutter something resentful when Suzaku dropped to his knees to be roughly on level with the boy on the bed. He kissed him lightly. "I lo–"

Lelouch caught his lips before he could become even more redundant than he already was. Running his fingers through Suzaku's hair (he'd really missed that) he leaned back, tugging Suzaku with him.

It was awkward; he had to stand, but not too much, in order to follow Lelouch onto the bed without breaking the lip-lock.

Breaking away to breathe he murmured, "Pleasantly distracting as this is, I really want to talk to Kallen."

"Whatever," Lelouch huffed, "I'm going back to sleep." He rolled over and hid his face from the sun in the pillow.

"Oh, and Lelouch," Suzaku stopped in the doorway.

"Nngh?"

"We will be training later."

Lelouch muttered something impolite and physically impossible into his pillow. Suzaku didn't hear.

Suzaku found Kallen eating breakfast in the mess.

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw him approaching.

"Hey, let's spar," he said with a tight smile.

She swallowed, nodded, and stood.

Several Knights followed them out to a training circle. Suzaku was quite well-known considering how short and long ago his stay had been. Someone who could tie Kallen was worth remembering.

"Are you in love with him?" he asked as he blocked then returned.

Kallen would have laughed had she not been concentrating so hard. Either Suzaku had learned a hell of a lot while they'd been apart or he was just trying harder than he had before. Possibly due to some homicidal urges on his part. She tried not to think about that.

She shoved him back. "Hardly."

"So you were just using him them, then?"

She blocked. Anger wasn't killing his technique. Rather, it was improving it. That was unfortunate.

"It was hardly one-sided. I've never seen anyone –" They were body-to-body, which was bad for her. She broke away to the side and chopped at his back. He blocked. "–that miserable."

"So you just took adva–"

"I was just trying to help him get over you, you piece of shit." Parry. "You left him for his damned sister and –"

Suzaku stopped moving for a moment, "He told you that?"

She snatched at the opportunity. He moved aside at the last instant. She stumbled.

"I can't believe he forgave you. And it's not like you love him."

"Actually," his breathing was getting rough and the ache from last night was bothering him more than he'd like, "I do."

Neither was particularly aware that they were having a rather private conversation in front of a ring of spectators.

"Right," she snorted, "Sure, you do."

Kallen didn't particularly want to hurt Suzaku. But she was mad at him for accusing her of something she was not guilty of and for treating Lelouch like he had. (She was also mad at Lelouch for taking him back so quickly.)

If Suzaku wanted a fight, she would oblige.

When Lelouch awoke for the second time that day C.C. was staring down at him, smiling eerily and holding her stuffed toy to her chest.

"Morning," he grunted.

"So," she took a seat on the bed, sweeping her the skirt of her dress under her, "How was last night?"

"Like I'd tell you," Lelouch grumbled, dragging himself into a sitting position.

"I do hope you're not too sore."

"Send your good wishes Suzaku's way, I don't need them." He rubbed at his eyes. "Why are you here anyway?" he peered at her.

She reclined slightly, fiddling with the toy. "Mostly just to make fun of you. I haven't been able to in so long; guilt's a bitch. Also… I thought I should warn you."

"Warn me?" Lelouch was suddenly intensely awake.

"Mm. You might want to get out and dressed before one or both of them winds up dead or maimed." She stood, brushed her hair off her shoulders and disappeared, leaving a trail a pizza-scented air behind her.

"I told him – But does he listen? Nooo. That would be way too easy for everyone." Despite his resentful grumbling he was grasping quickly for his clothes.

Suzaku was limping. His anger bonus had been lost, and he was tired. Kallen was just tired. She had the advantage. It was good, she reflected, that they were using blunt practice blades or they'd be bleeding heavily. As it was, there was still some blood loss and there would definitely be bruises come afternoon.

She was leaning heavily against the fence, the crowd around her offered encouragement, water, and a cloth to wipe her face with. On the opposite side of the ring Suzaku was receiving the same treatment.

The redhead was childishly happy that her crowd was bigger. Suzaku had been, and was, popular. He was a good fighter and a generally nice, friendly person.

But Lelouch was popular, too, for more obscure reasons she didn't want to wonder about. Everyone (but Tamaki) had known of their relationship. When he'd returned alone and clearly unhappy, many had placed the blame on Suzaku's shoulders.

Across the ring, Suzaku was standing, albeit unsteadily. His eyes were locked on Kallen. Not to be outdone, she stood as well, valiantly not using her sword as a crutch.

"If you're both quite finished," a voice snapped.

Both fighters turned dazedly. Lelouch was standing by the fence, arms rigid, hands on the fence. He looked furious; his shirt was un-tucked and his feet bare.

Suzaku looked promptly embarrassed and guilty.

"Don't you all have anything better to do?" he snapped again. The audience dispersed.

Lelouch hopped agilely over the fence and approached his… lover? Kallen couldn't hear what was said, but it had a profound affect on Suzaku. He bowed his head and murmured something with the expression of a reprimanded child.

Lelouch stared at him, arms crossed over his chest. He jerked his head in Kallen's direction.

Suzaku staggered over. "Sorry." He couldn't quite meet her eyes.

She shrugged. "It's okay. I get why you're… Do you really love him?"

Suzaku studied the fencing with an uncertain mix of emotion in his eyes. "Yeah, I really do."

Lelouch waited for her to leave before walking to Suzaku and wrapping his arms around him. Suzaku returned the embrace.

"Why did you sleep with her?" he asked Lelouch's neck.

He petted Suzaku's head as he thought, "Mostly because I was stupid."

Suzaku made an encouraging, "go on" sort of noise.

The prince sighed and tugged him over to the fence. He sat against a post and tugged Suzaku down after him. The brunet curled up on his side with his head on Lelouch's leg, just above the knee.

"I was angry. Partially at you, but mostly at myself. I – I suppose I might like you, a little. And that made me mad because it was supposed to be just sex and then I went and fel– started getting mildly emotionally involved while you happily ended it to go off skipping through fields of flowers with my sister."

He made an apologetic noise.

"Not your fault.

"It was partially to test a theory. I – We were supposed to be a purely physical thing, that didn't work out too well, on my part at least. I wondered if sex, for me at least, always led to emotional bonding."

"So you chose to risk falling in love with Kallen?"

"Again, I'm not in love with you. And well, I guess so. We were friends, so there was already something there. It didn't – I was also pretty mad at you, not entirely justifiably."

"You said that already."

"Suzaku, you left me without a second's hesitation. I… guess I just wanted to prove I could do the same."

Another apologetic noise. "I get why you did it the first time, but why did you continue with it?"

Lelouch shrugged uncomfortably; honesty was not his thing. He toyed with the hair by Suzaku's part. "It's a bit like the blow jobs, I guess. I did it once so I didn't see the harm in repeating it. Plus it felt pretty… Never mind."

"Don't think I want you to finish that sentence." He rubbed his head into Lelouch's leg.

"I wouldn't have done it if I'd known you were coming back," he said, barely above a whisper.

Suzaku rolled over to stare up at his lover. He raised a hand and brushed his knuckles across the side of his face, but he didn't say anything.

Lelouch sighed, caught the hand, twined their fingers together and kissed the back of Suzaku's hand. "I know," he said in response to Suzaku's unspoken statement.

"And she was female," he added as an afterthought.

Suzaku's eyebrows contracted and he made a very confused noise.

"Well, I, er –" Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that. "If she'd been –" This was so embarrassing; he really shouldn't have said anything. It was rather late for that now, though. He carefully didn't look at Suzaku as he said tonelessly, "I cannot think of anyone else I would let top me. There's a lot of… trust involved, not just about the physicality of the thing. It's – Never mind."

Silence from the brunet.

Lelouch snuck a glance. Suzaku was grinning from ear to ear.

"That's really sweet."

"Fuck you."

Suzaku just hummed happily and squeezed his hand.

"For what it's worth, I wouldn't let anyone else top you either."

"I'm glad to know you wouldn't let me get ra–"

"No, I mean, even if you were all for it, I'd still try to kill them."

"…Comforting."

Suzaku smiled sweetly, "I'm very possessive."

"So I'm noticing."

They stayed like that for a moment. Then Lelouch roused himself, released Suzaku's hand and made shooing motions at his shoulder. "Up. We need to get you clean."

"We do?" Suzaku climbed unsteadily to his feet.

"Yes, you're sweaty and disgusting. You have, by contact, made me sweaty and disgusting. Therefore, washing is in order."

"Mm, gotta stretch first."

Lelouch sighed, "Whatever." He leaned against the fence post and watched Suzaku with half-lidded eyes. "C'mon then," he said when the other had finished.

Lelouch hopped over the fence, Suzaku walked around to the gate. Seeing his lover's smirk he huffed, "Let's see you fight Kallen for that long with a sore ass and want to climb over fences."

The prince smiled like a smug cat, but he waited for Suzaku to reach him and wrap an arm around his waist before setting out just the same.

"Suzaku, the baths are single," Lelouch said upon reaching the bathhouse and being followed into the room he'd selected by the other.

"Hmm, I dunno, I think we could both fit." Green eyes studied the tub carefully.

"That's not the – Whatever."

In the end, they did both fit, though a lot of water was slopped over the side in the awkward shifting produced by their efforts to become clean.

"Do we have to get out?" Suzaku asked softly, half asleep in his position between Lelouch's legs.

Lelouch, leaning against the back of the tub, sighed and finger-combed sopping brown curls. "The water will get cold at some point."

"But until then?"

"Until then I don't wish to become a prune. Therefore I request that you stand up so I can stand up and then locate a towel."

"What are we going to do next?"

"Pretty sure I'm due at Rakshata's."

More water spilled over the sides as they stood.

"You still do that?" Suzaku asked with a triumphant grin. "You know I'm definitely coming with you, right?"

"The possibility had occurred to me, yes."

"So, does this mean you'll be borrowing lingerie again?" Rakshata drawled, twirling her pipe.

Lelouch's cheeks burned.

"Ooh, does it?!" Suzaku looked painfully eager.

Lelouch didn't know who to glare at first.

"Suzaku, dear, much as I love your input on your fuck bud–"

"Lover," Suzaku cut in.

"Lover?" A bleached blonde eyebrow rose.

"Lover," he insisted.

Smiling her laughing smile, she continued, "Much as I love your input on your lover's clothing, I have some things I'd like to say to him in private."

Suzaku looked surprised, but nodded and left.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing actually," she compared a length of turquoise silk to yesterday's project, "he just won't learn anything if you keep him distracted."

"What?"

"You'll see. Try this on."

After an hour or two of cross-dressing fun Lelouch made his escape when Rakshata waved her hand at him and went back to lounging on her couch.

He headed back to his house to get some reading done before he got hungry enough to drag Suzaku away from the training rings and into the mess.

But Suzaku wouldn't need to be dragged away from any training rings. He was sitting on Lelouch's bed, elbows braced on his knees and staring at the ground between his knees.

He didn't look up when Lelouch entered.

"Did I do the wrong thing?"

Lelouch had really been hoping they wouldn't need to have this conversation. "I don't think I can answer that objectively."

Wet green eyes stared at him.

It hurt to breathe again.

Lelouch took the seat on the bed beside Suzaku, careful not to touch him.

"I suppose," He said at last, "that it might have been an understatement when I said that I might like you a little. I – I do like you. I don't like you a lot, but I do like you. And… You said it last night. You said that you loved Euphy more than me. So – So maybe you should –" His throat hurt. "Euphy can offer you things that I can't. She's got money, and that promised kingdom and… You might want children someday, I can't – I can't –"

"Lelouch." Suzaku was crying.

The prince bit his lip and looked away. "Please don't do that, Suzaku. I – If you feel this bad about it, maybe you should just go –"

A head collided with his thigh, "Please don't say that."

"If you already know what you want me to say, just tell me and I'll say it!" Lelouch snapped, angered a by a gut-twisting emotion he didn't want to feel.

Suzaku rolled over too stare at him with a "duh" expression in his eyes.

He toyed with the shoulder seam of Suzaku's shirt. "If I say that," he said slowly, "you'll – You need to make this decision without my, or any other, influence, I don't want the blame for –"

"I won't blame you –"

"I will," Lelouch cut him off quietly.

"Just – Tell me I'm not staying here for myself, because –" he bit his lip and whimpered.

He really didn't have a choice, not with Suzaku all but sobbing on his lap. Objectivity be damned.

He brushed Suzaku's hair off his forehead and kissed it lightly before whispering, "I want you with me. I lo– You're nice to have around." He pressed his forehead to the other's and said nothing else.

"But Euphy wants me with her!" Suzaku wailed, pressing his face into Lelouch's stomach.

The prince stroked his head with an exasperated sigh and an eye roll, So much for baring my soul there.

"Suzaku, you just have to make the decision you think is right. I don't want my opinion to be a factor in that." Not that it seems like there's much danger of that, Mr. Sensitive. "So I'm just going to –"

Arms tightened around his waist, "Don't leave me!"

Lelouch lost his patience. He ripped Suzaku's arms off his waist and pinned the other to the bed. "Listen, it's just this simple. Are you here because you really do love me like you say and you don't want to stay with something you were forced into, or because this is familiar and comfortable and I don't ask you to do things like learn etiquette or attend family dinners with people like Schneizel and Cornelia?"

"What?! What the – Is that what you think? God, you're fucking insane!"

"It's a possible option," Lelouch snapped, defensive.

"No it's not! I'm not a coward! Your family isn't that scary!"

Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"They're, er, intimidating, I grant you that, but – You seriously thought that might be why I was here? You know, maybe I should go back," he started to sit up, "if you're that stupid I'm not sure if –"

Lelouch shoved him back down, "You're not going any –"

Suzaku grinned up at him wickedly, "Ha! I got you to have an opinion!"

"I already said that I wanted you to stay, dumb ass."

The brunet froze, "You did?"

"Yeah."

"You said you loved me!" Suzaku yelled, victorious.

"No, I didn't."

"Could you?" Arms tugging him down and squishing the air out of his lungs. "Please."

Lelouch squirmed frantically.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Lelouch might well have been insane.

He gave up after two fruitless minutes. "No."

"You already did once, or as good as. And you yourself said there's no harm in repetition."

"I was clearly mistaken. Now let me go."

"Mm, don't think so." Suzaku held him tighter.

"I can't breathe, damn you!"

The brunet released him a little, but not nearly enough for Lelouch to attempt wriggling free.

"I'll let you go if you say it."

"You know, I think I preferred it when you were crying over Euphy," Lelouch muttered sadistically.

The arms released him at once. "Lelouch," It came out a pained whimper.

"I was kidding. Sort of."

"Did I do the wrong thing?" Suzaku asked for the second time that night.

"Suzaku, I still can't answer that objectively. It's not a fair question, and you know it."

"Then screw objectivity!" Suzaku ordered, eyes blazing. "Just tell me what you want!"

"I told you that I told you that I wanted you stay. How stupid are you?"

"But that doesn't – I still don't –" Suzaku whined.

Lelouch groaned and let his head thunk into Suzaku's. "Okay, I give up. Do whatever the hell you want. I'm getting food."

Suzaku caught his wrists as he made to get off the bed and pulled him back down. The prince grunted slightly as he collided with Suzaku's chest. "No, you're not."

"What? I can't eat because you can't make decisions? That's hardly fair."

"Deal."

Lelouch sighed angrily and adjusted himself to be more comfortable.

"…"

"Make a decision yet?"

"Hush. I'm thinking."

Lelouch sighed again and pushed himself up, "Relax, I'm not leaving." He carefully straightened his clothes as he straddled Suzaku's thighs.

"'Kay, here goes." Lelouch snapped an arm out of in front of him. "Lelouch vi Britannia," he swept his arm to the side only to have it hit the wall. "Ah, fuck!"

Suzaku snorted.

Lelouch silenced him with a glare and started again. "Lelouch vi Britannia," this time he swung his arm the opposite way and bent it at the elbow, so his crookedly bent fingers rested by his temple, "commands you" then back in front, "make a damned decision so I can eat!"

"…"

Lelouch relaxed his arm and spine. "That help at all?"

Suzaku shrugged, "It was kind of funny," he said in a tone he hoped would mitigate the temper that would probably be unleashed soon. He wasn't wrong.

Lelouch smacked his hands down on Suzaku's chest. "Fine! Stay with me and stop being a whiny bitch! Are you happy now?!"

"Well, I, er –"

"Fuck it, we're getting food." Lelouch grabbed Suzaku by his shirt front and tugged him out the door.

"Lelouch," Suzaku said timidly after dinner. "Helpful as your swishing was, I really don't –"

"Suzaku, I made up my mind. Deal with it. Unless you want me to tie you up, just shut up and stay." Lelouch wasn't overly patient today. He tugged his shirt off.

"I – I don't think I'm into bondage." Which didn't mean he couldn't ogle Lelouch's chest.

"Good, now shut up about it and take your clothes off."

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this… It's kinda hot."

"Huh." He didn't sound like he cared. "Does that mean I'm topping tonight?"

"Haha. No."

"Lelouch. Lelouch, wake up." He grabbed the prince's bare upper arm and shook him roughly.

"Ung, gah, what the –"

"I'm staying!"

Lelouch's already half-lidded eyes narrowed further. "Yes, I know. We covered that before dinner. And again, after dinner. Why did you feel you needed to wake me up to re-reiterate the point?"

"I, er, decided it for myself this time?" Suzaku question-stated sheepishly.

"That's great." He rolled over.

"Don't you want to know why?"

Lelouch shifted back to his back. "Gosh, Suzaku, please tell me how you came to this exciting and surprising conclusion. I am made entirely of ears."

"Um, ew. Anyway, prior claim! I met you first. Also, seeing as how I slept with you and not her I need to, uh…"

"Make an honest man out of me?"

"Uh-huh!" Suzaku nodded happily and beamed.

"Can I sleep now?"

Suzaku bit his shoulder sharply.

"Hey!" He bit back.

And then they were tussling. Suzaku was barely trying and they both knew it, but it was late and this just for fun so it didn't really matter. Lelouch could get mad in the morning, if he wanted.

"Hey, Rakshata?"

"Mm?" She glanced up, mouth full of pins, from where she knelt, adjusting the shimmering material so it clung to his hip with that much less modesty.

"How did you know that Suzaku needed to, er, 'learn something'?"

She frowned as she made another adjustment then removed the pins from her mouth. "Why, did he?"

"Something like that." She slapped his hands as they fiddled with the material.

"What did he learn?"

Lelouch was rather uncomfortable with this conversation. "Well, he –"

The blonde woman sighed impatiently, "Is he staying with you this time, or not?"

"He says he is," he mumbled.

"Mm." She stood and took a few paces back, surveying her work. "So which of your sisters was it, highness?"

"You still think I'm the lost prince?"

"Hardly lost; more tossed out."

He rolled his eyes, "Semantics."

"I already know he left you for a sister of yours. Kallen said as much during their little duel yesterday. So, which one was it?" She plucked at the shoulder strap. "I'm thinking strapless, what do you think?"

"It depends on whether you want the dress to be worn by women other than whores."

"Feisty. Even with long gloves? Hmm." She settled on her couch. "Turn, I want to see the back."

"Sometimes, I really don't like you very much." He turned an awkward circle, hating the heels she'd harassed him into.

"Because I make you look like a pretty, pretty princess or because I know who you really are?"

"Do you think most people have as much sex as we do?" Suzaku murmured as he tried to get comfortable in the bed.

"I suppose so, I never really thought about it."

"Hmm… Lelouch, what happens next?"

"Well, presumably, we go to sleep," he yawned and shifted onto his side.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I don't know, Suzie, I've rather been putting off thinking about it."

"Do you still want to kill your father?"

"I don't think so."

Suzaku sat up. "But you –"

"If you thought you knew what I was going to say, why did you ask the question?"

He shrugged, "Ehh, you know. Assumptions. Ass. You. Me."

"Would it have killed you to turn that into a proper sentence?"

"Possibly. Why don't you want to anymore?"

"I was thinking about it the other day, and I realized my reasons were kind of… petty. It was just a lingering rage of my nine-year-old self. I don't think that – I must be growing as a person again."

"Weird." Suzaku tugged him over. Not that there was much "over" to be tugged. The bed was quite small.

"Must you do that?"

"Yes… I think we should expand this place."

"What?" Lelouch really just wanted to go to sleep at this point.

"It's big enough for one, I suppose, but I think for the two of us, it's a tad… small."

"You're probably right." Lelouch's eyes slid shut as he cushioned his head on Suzaku's shoulder.

"If we added a room over there, for instance, we could have an actual bedroom. With a bigger bed."

Lelouch smirked, "So that's what your motivation for this is."

"It's all for you, darling. I know you'd like more space at night, what with your opinion on cuddling."

One purple eye opened, "Why do I doubt you'd give me a choice about taking advantage of that space?"

"Oh, I definitely wouldn't, you're right about that. But wouldn't it be nice for you to have the illusion of an option?"

"Go to sleep, Kururugi." He sat up suddenly. "Oh god!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"We're nesting, aren't we?"

Suzaku looked appropriately horrified. "Oh god, I think we are. I feel a sudden urge to run away screaming. Right now."

Lelouch frowned.

"Taking you with me, of course."

"Damn straight."

"Do – Do you want to?"

Lelouch drummed his nails on Suzaku's chest as he thought. "I don't know. It is a tempting option." He yawned, "Let's just… Let's talk about it in the morning." He dropped back to curl up on top of Suzaku.

"It's funny," the brunet mused, "you keep saying you hate cuddling, but you sure seem to be doing it voluntarily at the moment."

"I've given up."

"Sure, just like you don't love me."

"Just so." The difference being, he really didn't like cuddling. His lack of love for Suzaku was more doubted, but you'd have to torture him to get him to admit it.

"Why can't you just say it?"

"Say what?"

"That you love me."

"Because I don't."

Suzaku made a noise between a groan and a whine.

Lelouch pulled himself up so he could study Suzaku's face. He frowned lightly.

"Something I can help you with?"

He sucked in a breath, but said nothing. He lay back down.

"I will say this," he said after a long moment, "I suppose it might have been a slight understatement when I said I liked you. I suppose, this is entirely supposition mind, that I might, might, like you a lot. Maybe."

Suzaku smiled contentedly and pulled his prince closer, he knew he'd cave eventually.

Happy-happy fun joy, I'm done! WITH THE CHAPTER!!! THERE IS MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!