Chapter Three

Euphemia

Suzaku half walked, half carried Lelouch into the kitchen and sat him down at the table as he set about preparing food. Lelouch gazed around the apartment as he fought the urge to stumble to the bathroom and throw up the contents of his stomach.

Suzaku lived in a small apartment that looked like it had seen its fair share of renters. The carpets were stained, and some of the walls had wallpaper while others were painted and peeling. The furniture was run-down and there were things strewn all about the room. Yet Lelouch already felt more at home in this little Suzaku shrine than his own house.

Suzaku set a steaming mug of something down in front of Lelouch and advised that he drink it and try to ignore the taste.

Lelouch nodded, took a sip and almost threw up it tasted so horrible. Was Suzaku trying to poison him on top of his having a hangover?

"It tastes like shit I know, but it helps get rid of a hangover," Suzaku said.

Lelouch gave a mental shrug and downed the rest of the contents of the mug, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he set the cup down on the table. He had a sneaking suspicion that Suzaku had enjoyed watching that. A suspicion made all the stronger when Suzaku chuckled at Lelouch's discomfort. Lelouch smiled a bit at that and waited for Suzaku to finish cooking.

***

Suzaku was going about preparing the meal, laughing at Lelouch as he did so. He was filled with such over-radiant joy that his childhood friend didn't hate him and, in fact, still harbored affection for him. He rushed around the kitchen for a few more minutes before sliding the food onto plates, placing one in front of Lelouch and the other in front of his customary chair.

The friends that had once been so close as to be brothers sat and ate in awkward silence until Suzaku asked, "So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a C.E.O. of a bank," answered Lelouch, continuing to eat his meal with out looking up from the plate.

Suzaku felt his jaw drop as his friend said that so matter-of-factly. "Well damn, I guess you live in a little bit of a classier place than my humble apartment here," said Suzaku sheepishly, feeling his apartment was unworthy of having his friend inside of it.

"It's a bit bigger and whiter," agreed Lelouch, "but yours is cozy and everything here reminds me of you. Mine is big and empty, more of a work of art than a place for living."

"Ah," said Suzaku, "well feel free to stop by anytime you're feeling lonely." Suzaku smiled suggestively as he said this, causing a blush to cover Lelouch's face.

Suzaku chuckled at Lelouch's reaction to his implied joke until he glanced at the clock. Feeling the smile slide off his face, he exclaimed, "Shit, I'm late!"

"And just where," Lelouch asked with amusement coloring his voice, "are you late to, Suzaku?"

"Work!" he cried back, franticly pulling on socks and shoes.

"Ah," answered Lelouch, "well where do you work then? Seeing as we were just on that topic."

"The bar you were at last night," answered Suzaku hurriedly as he ran around muttering, "Where the hell are my keys?"

Lelouch stood and hugged Suzaku from behind, sliding his hand into his friend's pocket. "Well, I guess I'll see you there. I'm going to take a shower first," Lelouch said. "And here are your keys," Lelouch almost purred into Suzaku's ear as he slid his hand out of his pocket and dangled the mentioned items in front of Suzaku's face.

Suzaku watched, totally bewildered, as Lelouch waltzed down the hall towards the bathroom. He stood there wondering what that was all about until he remembered he was already late and ran out the door cursing.

------------------------Damn it! My tea melted in my ice!-------------------------

Lelouch stepped out of the taxi as it pulled into the parking lot. The ride had seemed to be a long one due to the driver's need to tell him his life's story, but it was over and he was striding through the bar's door to catch a glimpse of the world in which his Suzaku had lived.

How had Suzaku gotten along without him? Had he shunned the company of others as he had? Or had he continued to shine like the sun, bringing light to everyone around him just as he had done when they were little?

The bar was more or less empty when Lelouch walked in; only an old man sipping from a mug as he stared into its amber colored depths was there. A young woman walked through the doors at the back of the bar carrying a box that clinked with the sound of glass bottles bumping into each other.

She sat the box down and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear asking, "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Suzaku," answered Lelouch simply, resting his chin on his hand, looking bored out of his mind.

"I'm sorry?" asked the woman confusedly.

Speaking slowly as if talking with a child, Lelouch repeated his request saying, "I would like you to bring me Suzaku Kururugi if he is available."

Lelouch saw a dark, unidentifiable emotion flash across her eyes as she said with a sickeningly sweet voice, "Sure, I can go see if he's busy for you." She gave him a sickeningly sweet smile as she turned and exited the bar through the same door she had entered.

Lelouch spent his time waiting by musing at the irony of meeting Suzaku on the anniversary of the day he had thought him gone forever.

Suzaku walked through the door while he was musing on this ironic coincidence, giving Lelouch a large grin, happy to see him. Lelouch found it impossible to keep the small smile from playing across his feature in return. Until, that is, he saw the woman from before tailing Suzaku, a fierce frown set on her face.

"Hey Lelouch," Suzaku said happily as he took up a stool next to him. "I was beginning to wonder…" he started before the girl tugged on his sleeve saying, "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Embarrassment clear on his face, Suzaku mumbled an apology and introduced the girl as Euphemia. Euphemia smiled sweetly at Suzaku as he turned back to Lelouch.

"So, Lelouch, why exactly did you want to come visit me at work?"

"Well," said Lelouch as he stared at Euphemia who was glaring daggers back at him, "I didn't really have anywhere else to spend a perfectly good Saturday."

Suzaku grinned and replied, "Can't say I'm sorry to hear it, but I can't believe they let you have the weekends off, being a C.E.O. and all."

"They don't," said Lelouch shifting his gaze to Suzaku, "the world will still go on even if I'm not there though."

"Well then," said Suzaku, his grin undiminished, "since your not doing anything tomorrow, want to go catch a movie?"

"That would depend on the movie I guess," answered Lelouch, ignoring the absolute death glare he was receiving from Euphemia, "but if its not something stupid I don't see why not. Hell, we can make a date out of it."

He watched worlds explode in Euphemia's eyes as Suzaku laughed and began discussing what movie and time.

End of Chapter Three