Lelouch woke to find Nunnally still at his bedside. She greeted him with a soft smile.

"How are you feeling, Brother?" She asked. Lelouch yawned into his pillow.

"Tired." He replied shortly.

"Then you should go back to sleep. Suzaku should be here soon. He wanted to get a few things at the store while you were resting. We thought you'd sleep a little longer. Do you want me to call him and ask if he'll get you something specific?"

"No." He responded, "I can't think of anything. You didn't have to stay." Lelouch repositioned his pillows to allow himself to sit up against them. "I'm sure you could think of something you'd rather be doing than sitting in here for hours."

"I wanted to stay, in case you need something. It seemed like you were in a lot of pain earlier, so I thought it would be good for you to stay in bed. Can we talk, Lelouch?"

"You can always talk to me, Little Sister." Nunnally drew in a breath, noticing her brother's hand was again resting on his belly.

"I don't want you to be upset with me, but I've been looking into some things while you were sleeping. We tried to talk to you about this earlier, but I don't think you actually heard us. You just kept saying you were okay. I need you to know that if this is stress related, you really need a break. Stress can do more than cause a stomachache, Lelouch. It can cause damage to your heart and make you very sick. You and Suzaku are all I have. I couldn't-"Tears slid down the princess's cheeks as she spoke, breaking her brother's heart.

"Nunnally-" Lelouch began gently. only to have the conversation interrupted once more, this time by Suzaku entering the bedroom, carrying a bouquet of red roses and a gigantic teddy bear-shaped balloon. Lelouch smiled in amusement.

"Hey, Lu, how are you feeling?" He asked, placing the vase on the bedside table and the bear balloon on the floor.

"Did you really walk all the way back here with that?" Lelouch asked, gesturing to the balloon. "It's like half your size."

"Yeah, but it would've been a nightmare trying to get it through the door on a bus or something." The knight replied. "I thought I'd bring you a little something to let you know I love you and maybe cheer you up a little."

"That's your idea of something little?" Lelouch questioned skeptically.

"I mean, they had a bigger one, So by comparison, yeah. I also got you this." Suzaku reached into his pocket, pulled out a light blue envelope, and offered it to Lelouch. The ill looked at his friend pointedly.

"You know, you didn't have to do all this. Don't you think it's a bit much for a little stomach pain?" Suzaku shook his head.

"Not at all." He sat down on the edge of the bed, lightly pressing his lips to Lelouch's forehead. "I love you more than you'll ever now, Lu. I don't tell you that enough. Lelouch removed the card. The image of a vase filled with roses was printed on the front along with the words "While you rest" above them.

Lelouch opened the card, reading the rest of the message.
I'll be at your side, giving you all the love and snuggles you need to get back on your feet.
So rest and take it easy, my love.
I'll take care of everything.
Love,
Suzaku

Lelouch closed the card with a sigh.

"You guys do know that I'm not dying, don't you? I mean seriously-"

"Come on, Lelouch, it took me a long time to find that card," Suzaku complained. "I didn't just randomly grab on. I actually put a lot of thought into that." The prince chuckled softly at the response.

I know you did, and I appreciate all this. I'm sorry, but you guys know how I feel about people fussing over me. I'll be fine. Like I told Nunnally, it's just a little pain." Suzaku rested a hand on top of his friend's.

"I know you say that, but if it was bad enough that you needed to lean into me and I had to help you to bed, it's not a little pain, Lelouch. It's something you need to take care of before it gets worse. I'm glad you said we could look after you today, but that means we need you to tell us the truth and stop trying to hide it. You can put that energy to better use. Does your stomach still hurt? Keep in mind what I just said when you answer."

"Suzaku-"

"We can't help you if you keep it to yourself. I just said that. I need you to start talking to me, Lu."

"I talk to you all the time, to both of you. It's not-"

"You know what we mean. Why is this so hard for you to just say you're not feeling good?" Lelouch groaned softly in exasperation.

"Yes, it still hurts," Lelouch said after a moment of hesitation. "I don't need you to go into mother hen mode. I don't like worrying you."

"We worry because we love you," Nunnally replied. "It's worse when we know something's wrong, and you insist on hiding it from us. You don't have to be so strong all the time. It doesn't have to always fall on you, big brother."

I know. I know you can handle it. I hate that you have to."

"We don't," Suzaku said. "While I was at the store, I got you some soup and crackers. I didn't know how you'd feel about eating, but I wanted to make sure there was something here that wouldn't make you feel worse. If there's anything else you need, let me know. I'll make sure you get it."

"If you two think I'm going to spend all day lying here-"

"Don't worry, lu, I won't let you get too bored. Let's have a quiet movie day. I think it's Nunnally's turn to pick what we watch. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really," Suzaku turned to Nunnally. "Do you want to pick a couple of movies, and we'll get everything set up in here? I can move some things around and bring in one of the comfortable chairs so you can sit by the bed." Nunnally smiled.

"I'll try to pick something we'll all enjoy." She promised, letting herself out of the room carefully. Suzaku sighed, leaning back on the bed at Lelouch's side. The young prince settled himself on his side, facing his knight.

"One more thing to get it out of the way." The brown-haired teen said, brushing back a few strands of dark hair from his lover's face.

"What did you do?"

"That project you have to throw together for Shirley and Milly...You're not doing it."

"You can't just-"

"Take it easy, Lu, hear me out. I'll let you see it before it goes out. I don't want you doing too much. We talked about that, remember?"

"Yeah, but you don't even know what-"Suzaku smirked.

"Do you think you're the only one that knows how to get information? No one's going to know unless we tell them."

"I can't-" A sharp pain shot through Lelouch's stomach, causing him to gasp suddenly and begin to raise his hand to his belly.

"You are not allowed to freak out about this," Suzaku said, resting his hand on Lelouch's abdomen rubbing it gently. He shifted closer to the ill teen. "All I'm asking you to do is trust me."

"I do trust you, I just-" Lelouch's protest was stopped by Suzaku pressing his lips on his, kissing him softly.

"It's going to be okay, Lelouch, I promise you. I want the next few days to be about you, me, and Nunnally. I need you to get better. We don't like seeing you in pain, and I don't want to see this get worse. I'll stop lecturing you if you promise me that you'll stick to the plan." Lelouch nodded weakly.

"You really are beautiful, Lelouch."

"Liar." Lelouch accused. "I'm probaby-"

"You are always beautiful. Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"Lelouch shook his head.

"I really don't feel well. Could you just...stay here with me, until Nunnally gets back?"

"Yeah. I'll stay as long as you want me to." The knight vowed, pulling him closer. Lelouch buried his face into Suzaku's chest with a soft, painful moan.

"Suzaku?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I kind of gave you a hard time today, I know I can be a jerk. I just want you to know that I do appreciate what you're doing. I know it's for my own good. I love you, and I'm glad you're here."

"Love you too. I'll always be here when you need me if you're sick or just need someone to talk to. You and Nunnally are my whole world. Let's work on getting you back on your feet, okay?" Lelouch nodded against his chest. Suzaku knew it wouldn't be easy for Lelouch to relax, but he was just as stubborn when it came to the people he loved. Just like his friend, Suzaku wasn't one to back down with such high stakes.