AN: Thanks to LittleMissSophie and thepinkmartini for the feedback! :) its always the reviews on the first chapter that help give me the courage to write more. So here you go, Chapter Two. Enjoy, review, and please leave me constructive criticism if you feel that I could improve my writing.

Static.

" Yesterday, in the small port district east of..."

Familiar white static. Annoying. And who was that next to her? They felt too close.. too warm.

"... secret attempts to bury Lelouch vi Brittania were intercepted by civilians..."

Rain...and hurt. A white face..one that she ached so badly to touch..

" A member of the mob recorded the conflict and sent it in to our station this morning: bzz-bzz- 'out of our town!...why do you bury him next to my son?... you bring evil!...

.. ' YOU BASTARD!'"

Yes, yes. She remembered saying that. To who? To who... to who...

"SUZAKU!"

Kallen Kozuki's eyes whipped open as she snapped up in bed. As she came up, the warmth that she had felt besides her went down.

" Jesus!" came the cry, as the owner was pushed onto the floor. Kallen looked down from the bed quizzically, to see a familiar blond looking back at her, rubbing the back of his head. Over the year that she hadn't seen him, he seemed to have gotten a bit taller, but the look in his blue eyes was unmistakable.

The Knight of Three.

" Sir Gino Weinberg?"

He blinked- rather slowly, Kallen noted, as if he couldn't quite believe that she would remember his name. Then, his eyes seemed to fill with light as his formerly dumbfounded expression cracked into a pleased grin.

" Yes, Gino Weinberg reporting for duty, miss Kallen Kozuki."

It really seems that he hadn't changed at all. Kallen had always felt that she was able to relax in his presence, perhaps it was because he treated her kindly even when she was a war prisoner, or was it because of his naturally cheery disposition?..Anyways, his presence always soothed her, it's just that sometimes when Gino began talking he just couldn't sto-

" Although I don't understand why you have to call me by my former title. The sir, well that's just long gone by now right? Part of the past! I basically have no authority as a member of the round anymore, so you don't need to address me with any formal title or anything, although that's kind of nostalgic I have to admit-"

Yes, why- Gino wasn't any different from before. Knight of the round or not.

Gino continued."-Also, why do you call me by my full name? Weinberg. My family name is just stuffy as hell. I don't really like to hear it. My first name if pretty cool though, in my opinion. Besides, Kallen, don't we know each other well enough to address each other casually? We've known each other for almost two years? Enemies on the field, I guess- but now that it's behind us, why don't we be ..."

Gino slowly came to a pause as Kallen leaned down, putting a hand on his mouth. "..be..friends?.."

She sighed in relief as he stopped, looking up at her.

" Gino." Kallen said firmly. " That's great and all, but would you mind-"she gestured around the room.

" Telling me where the hell I am?"

She sat back up in the bed."Well?"

Gino rubbed his cheek thoughtfully, as if he still felt her hand there.

" Ah. Yeah. Where you are." he began slowly.

xxx

" Of course Suzaku, wouldn't really bring you know, real guns to the funeral. At least, he wouldn't let his men be armed with them. Maybe he had one stowed under his cape just for himself, because he's selfish like that. If there was killing to be done he always supposes that he'd do it himself." said Gino. " Anyways, he brought you here afterward. I was so surprised to see him in the rain holding you. He told me to keep me with you for a little while, because sooner or later the masses were going to find out about your identity after yesterday's incident."

She paused, taking it in. Suzaku..saved her? In a stupid way, but hey. She was alive and safe, for the moment at least. Lord. Was he determined to find ways to make her hate him but not be able to hate him at the same time? He just took her in circles with the way he acted. And Gino- she looked up at Gino who was rumbling through the cabinets for a pan. Did he not know the way around his own house? He took a strange girl in without a word, one that used to be his enemy on the battlefield, no less. Wait a second.. the battle field.

"Gino!" it slipped sharply out of her mouth, her thoughts muddling in confusion.

He placed the pan gently down on the stove top. "Yes?"

"How..how..do you know about Suzaku and Zero?" she started cautiously.

Gino turned to face her. "You can say that I always had a feeling that Suzaku wasn't dead. It didn't seem right. The man I knew.. Suzaku. He wouldn't die so easily; that's what I thought. But accidents do happen, I guess. And the strong do fall sometimes. So I accepted it for a bit." He continued quietly. " So you can say I wasn't very surprised to see him on my step yesterday. I've grown tired of questioning things after the Black Rebellion, and I didn't think that much of it when he told me his story."

Gino turned back around, cracking the eggs on top of the heated pan. " Should I feel special for knowing what the rest of the world doesn't? I don't know. Having the truth sometimes tests you." he added.

It really does.

Kallen looked back down. She was taking it better than she thought she would. In the end, she thought sadly, what did one person sharing their burden matter? An extra soul who knew the truth wouldn't bring Lelouch back.

She shook her head, and breathed in the scent of the newly brewed coffee to calm her frantic nerves.

" Suzaku's crazy."

Gino replied from the stove." No. He's just an old soul, Kallen. You can't blame him for becoming like this. I personally have learned to never be surprised at what he does anymore-oops!" He turned off the stove fire before it burned the eggs. Sliding them onto a clean plate, he brought them over to her, who looked at them suspiciously before picking up a fork to take a bite.

He smiled at her expression. " Are they good?"

Kallen gulped down a mouthful of coffee before meeting his eyes. " Yes, actually. I didn't think you'd be the type to know how to even fry eggs..You know aristocracy and all.."

" Oh, I used to help out in the kitchen" he said slyly.* (see notes! I just found out this tidbit about Gino's past today! that is, if you don't already know)

Kallen laughed. " Really? I know a guy.. he never used to cook, in fact I think that Lelouch sucked at everything besides academics!"

The name came out, once again before she could stop it. At the sound of her voice echoing his name, both Kallen and Gino fell silent. She looked down hastily, trying to eat her eggs with as much enthusiasm as possible. They tasted like rubber.

Trying to break the silence, Gino cleared his throat.

" So, about school Kallen." he winced, because his attempt came out sounding a bit too parent-like for his taste, but he continued anyways. " I've already sent for your stuff."

Kallen looked at him, her blue eyes confused mirrors of his.

"..School?" she said.

" Yes, school."he repeated.

" I'm going?-"

" For another year, I think."

" Wait, what?"

" No, I mean, yes! You're going to school for another year."

Kallen sighed.

" Gino. I know that. What do you mean 'your stuff'."

" Yeah, you're going to be going to school with me for your last year."

" With you?.."

" Mhm. School with me, and I guess you can say you're under imperial orders to board here as well." he chuckled awkwardly.

" Board? You mean live?" Kallen repeated.

" I'm going to live with you for a year?"

*NOTES: It was explained in a CG story about the knights of the round I believe. Gino once fell in love with the 11 maid in his household. And his parents threw her out before scolding him about being the proper brittanian noble son he was meant to be. Oh! the drama.

thanks for reading!