"Hey."
"Hey." Lelouch put his schoolbag down and closed the front door behind himself. "Is Euphy here?"
"Nah, I just… dropped by. Clovis let me in."
Lelouch made a face. "You could have called."
"Why?" Suzaku asked. "You don't like me just dropping by?"
"No! No, that's…" Lelouch flushed, biting his lower lip in a move that was too adorable to be hot and too hot to be adorable. Damn fourteen-year-olds, they seemed to age years in the span of a few months. "It's fine. Would you like something to eat, drink?"
Coffee, tea, me? Suzaku firmly told his brain to shut up. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go out. There's a new crêperie that just opened in the strip mall. My treat."
Lelouch smiled. "That sounds great. Just give me a moment to get changed?" He turned to go to his room, and Suzaku grabbed his arm, not sure why. Lelouch looked up at him with wide eyes and parted lips, the slight flush on his face deepening.
I could kiss him right now, Suzaku thought, the idea so strong he was afraid Lelouch would overhear it. It would be his first kiss, I'm pretty sure, and I could just… right here and now and…
He released Lelouch's arm and shifted awkwardly. "Um. Don't change too much. I like you just the way you are." Smooth.
Lelouch's confused look vanished under a pleased smile. "That's so corny."
"I mean it!" Suzaku protested, with a grin, thinking of all the other Lelouchs he'd dreamed of. "You're my very favourite Lelouch."
The blush was back. "I… I won't be long."
After Lelouch dashed off to his room, Suzaku leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and trying desperately hard not to mentally picture Lelouch stripping out of his clothes, his fingers catching on his buttons in his haste, peeling off layers of school uniform to reveal perfect pale skin with a trail of fine black hair leading to the front of his pants which would open so easily under Suzaku's hands, the slow sound of the zipper a background to Lelouch's quickening breaths…
"So, where're you going?"
Suzaku snapped out of his fantasy so fast it almost hurt. "Clovis! I didn't hear you… uh, the new crêperie." Great, he was hard. Stupid brain. "It just opened, and I thought…"
Clovis smiled. "That sounds like fun. You two should totally have fun." He clasped his hand on Suzaku's shoulder, squeezing hard enough to imply a threat. "Just not too much fun, if you know what I mean."
"I… I don't…"
"He's still a kid. He's got a massive crush, but he's just a kid. I get that you like him and I'm actually on your side in this, but if you forget that he's a kid, if you move too fast…" The hand on Suzaku's shoulder tightened to almost actual pain. "Well, Schneizel's not the only one looking out for him. And I'm a lot less subtle."
Suzaku frowned. He'd thought that Schneizel had liked him… "I would never hurt Lelouch."
"Great!" Clovis's somewhat threatening smile turned into a full blown, charming beam. "We'll hold you to that."
"Hold him to what?" Lelouch asked, returning to the room. Suzaku plastered a smile on his face and opened his mouth to try to play it off as nothing, but the words got stuck in his throat at the sight of Lelouch in black jeans and a sleeveless black turtleneck as he shrugged on a dark red leather jacket. The clothes weren't especially tight or revealing, although the contrast between the dark colours and his pale skin was remarkable, but they were certainly…
"Ah, they fit!" Clovis clapped his hands. "Brilliant! And Cornelia says I can't judge sizes just by visual memory alone. I am an artist."
Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Yes, they fit fine." He turned to Suzaku, and a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. "Is this okay? I mean, I know it's not my usual style, but it's comfortable… I can go change again…"
"No!" Funny how that was able to get out around the lump in Suzaku's throat. "I mean, nah. That's fine. We're not going anywhere fancy, after all." And maybe it would be warm enough that Suzaku could convince him to take off that jacket… or to let Suzaku take that jacket off him…
The uncertainty fled under a relived smile, and Suzaku was so taken with that expression that he didn't even notice Clovis sidling up to him.
"Just so we're clear. Touch him and I'll have your balls cut off." He sounded completely serious for once.
Lelouch huffed and shoved himself between them. "Quit teasing him, Clovis."
"Right, right," Clovis said, backing up cheerfully with his hands up in a gesture of amicable surrender. "Just a joke. Have fun you two!"
"Oh, for goodness sakes…" Lelouch said, exasperated, turning to face Suzaku. "He can be the most–"
They were close. Really close. Noses-almost-brushing close. Lelouch gave a soft gasp, and Suzaku felt a tug somewhere lower than his stomach at the thought that Lelouch was breathing in his air. He'd move away. Or Lelouch would. Any moment now…
"Suzaku…"
Oh, come on, that was totally unfair. Alright, maybe his hand on Lelouch's hip was equally unfair, but that was just because he was afraid Lelouch would fall or… something. And the slow circles he was tracing with his thumb against the skin just below Lelouch's shirt and above his pants were totally to help them keep their balance. And even if they weren't, it wasn't as if Suzaku was made out of stone…
Lelouch looked away, his body still close enough that Suzaku could feel the heat radiating from it, but at least his lips weren't a mere breath away from Suzaku's. "So. Um… crepes?"
"Right." Suzaku gave that soft skin a final caress and then dropped his hand, stepping back. "Crepes."
When Lelouch bent down to pick up his shoes, Suzaku nearly screamed in frustration. One thing was for sure; someone, somewhere had a really sick sense of humour.