Pre-Comment: Flattery will get you everywhere with me.
C TWO TWO ENJOYING YOU!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Tying Knots
Hell was not a place, it was a state of being—this Lelouch firmly believed after waking up the morning after the bachelorette party.
There was a pitcher of water with fresh ice in it, along with an empty glass and two aspirin—a consideration of Sayoko as evidenced by the Post-It stuck to the empty glass with a the information that breakfast was still being served at the same time, written in the maid's neat cursive. With a sigh, Lelouch took the aspirin, washed it down, and proceeded to stumble into the adjoining bathroom (opting to crawl the last five feet) to clean up the general gross feelings that typically accompany the morning after, and attempt to erase the stench of alcohol he could still kind of smell off his breath.
So he brushed his teeth and took a shower. Feeling a bit more human, Lelouch stepped out to dry himself off and walked back out into his room with only a towel around his waist. He glanced at the bed to see CC still asleep, but stirring slightly from all the activity in the room.
With a sigh, he sat back down on his bed, leaning back on one hand, making the mattress sink under his weight.
As expected, CC rolled over and looked up at him sleepily and smiled.
He held her gaze and smiled back. "Breakfast is ready. After that, I need to talk to you alone in the garden—at the gazebo."
CC was still smiling, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her amber eyes.
A pause.
And then a quiet, "Okay."
ooo
As expected, Lelouch didn't remember anything the night of the bachelorette party. His recount of the event consisted of vodka shots, 'Never Have I Ever,' tequila shots, 'The Notebook,' more shots of various colours, and a strong aversion to cheap-looking suits he couldn't understand. Beyond that, he didn't remember a whole lot.
Not the sleazebag who slimed all over him.
Not the way Suzaku basically assaulted said sleazebag.
Not the absolutely stunning confession.
None of it.
Suzaku wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed.
Either way, he got to experience a cute, hungover Lelouch that just wanted the world to stop moving, the sun to be less bright, and to be spoiled all day long until his head stopped hurting. While the first two were out of his power, Suzaku indulged Lelouch everything he wanted—even taking the day off work (as was the privilege of any CEO who liked to abuse such privileges).
The days that followed after that were some of the most content days he had ever experienced. He enjoyed coming home to Lelouch. Even enjoyed coming home to CC—to an extent. It was almost like having a family. And while he still wasn't sure what Lelouch's relationship to CC was, it was a fact of the matter that Lelouch was engaged to him, so he let it go, accepting that she was probably going to be the 'sister-in-law' he would have to put up with. (Along with two other in-laws he'd rather not think about for two entirely different reasons.)
And then there was that one day he had even come home to a delicious home-cooked meal Lelouch prepared on his own. (Sadly, no apron.) He had come home to see Lelouch in the kitchen and placed a kiss on his cheek like it was second nature. Sheer delight settled somewhere in his chest at the dark flush that coloured pale cheeks. In fact, Lelouch seemed a lot more receptive to small tokens of affection than usual, and it always sent a happy buzz through him.
The days in between were some of the best Suzaku had experienced in a long time. They were simple, uncomplicated, and he felt strangely content. For the first time in his life his large, stately house felt like home. He didn't grow up in this house; he inherited it. There were no memories of wandering the halls growing up, hiding in the nooks and crannies, or playing games in the garden to both evade and irritate the staff. The only familiarity this place held for him was the sound of his footsteps on the marble floors, bouncing around echoing, empty halls. The only thing to greet him when he got home was Sayoko's simple, silent bow.
Now there were two others who noticed his arrival as well. Sometimes it would be Lelouch, and other times it was CC—mostly complaining about something or other or willfully demanding pizza money (which he forked over every time, accompanying the credit card with a disapproving stare), but it was a nice change all the same. And when he thought to himself that this was his life now, Suzaku couldn't help but smile.
For once he was looking forward to the rest of his life.
The fact that the rest of Anya's family finally arrived for the wedding and took her off his hands made his world even better. He was no longer spiteful towards the little girl, or jealous, but was glad to see her gone all the same. Between her and CC sleeping in Lelouch's bed, the only one who wasn't sleeping in the fiancé's bed was the other fiancé.
(And, no, Suzaku did not take an especial pleasure grinning like an ax-crazy fool at the little girl as Gino had to pry her off Lelouch. Approximately eight-million death threats were conveyed in the four-point-eight seconds of eye contact Anya made with him on her way out.)
With his home life better than ever, his work soon followed as he began the lengthy process of courting China's markets with a favourable response.
Speaking of courting, after finally feeling ready to move forwards with his relationship with Lelouch, he realized there was still something that didn't quite sit right with him. One small detail that most would consider not small at all. And because Suzaku was careful in both work and his private life, this detail would require revisiting. As soon as possible.
And before either of them knew it, it was wedding day.
Kallen's.
And Gino's.
Kallen and Gino's wedding day.
And if he was being honest, which he had no problem being now, he was happy that Kallen and Gino were getting married—if only because it meant that Kallen would be off the market and wouldn't be tempted to—for some strange reason, because the stars and planets aligned, and the moon was blue all on the same night—get back together with Lelouch.
As he tightened the knot on his tie and settled it at his neck, it was the thought of maybe one day creating a family—growing a family that put the smile on his face he saw in the mirror today.
With a final tug and quick inspection of his suit, Suzaku left his room and briskly made his way towards the lobby. He caught a glimpse of Lelouch and CC already waiting at the front door, but found himself freezing mid-step, just around the corner when he saw the looks on their faces.
CC was visibly upset.
Despite her not being his most favourite person on the planet, he had become attached to her enough to never want to see that look on her face ever again.
And so, because he was a gentleman, he recognized a tender moment between two good friends (more than friends?) and opted to give them the privacy they deserved by backing up a step and hiding just around the corner out of sight.
Within earshot.
"I just don't understand," CC stated bluntly, a note of the hurt in her voice he had seen on her face.
There was a quiet sigh. Lelouch.
"We talked about this, CC."
He sounded tired, and somewhat exasperated. It was a topic they had discussed at length it seemed. And in a very CC-like way, she wasn't taking the answer given to her as the final answer—whatever that answer might be.
There was silence, and then—
"Do you love him?"
Suzaku felt his heart stop and subsequently beat slightly faster in anticipation. He edged closer to the corner until he could see the both of them. CC's jaw was tight and her shoulders were square. She was standing up straight and looked determined—prepared even.
There was a moment of eternity before Suzaku could barely make out Lelouch's reply, straining his ears for it.
"Yeah… I do."
There was a moment where there was nothing but a blank look.
And then CC looked absolutely shattered.
A cacophony of emotions swirled within those stormy, amber eyes, but the one he recognized burning brightest in the centre of that intense tempest, staring him dead on, was fury. It was hate, it was anger, and it was hurt all swirled up into one maelstrom, and it was so powerful that Suzaku hadn't even noticed he was holding his breath, or that he had unconsciously moved into sight, until the woman turned her gaze back onto Lelouch before turning on her heel and walking away, out the door. He watched her all the way until the sunlight glittered on her green hair and finally disappeared from his sight.
Stepping away again, Suzaku leaned back against the wall and held a hand over his rapidly-beating heart and another over his mouth, willing it and the blush burning up his face to calm down. That quiet declaration—a declaration made without the influence of alcohol—
There was something about the moment that was both incredibly relieving and incredibly weighing all at once.
CC loved Lelouch.
Lelouch loved him.
Shaking himself out of it and promising to deal with this later, Suzaku straightened himself out, knowing he couldn't delay any longer or they would all be late—Kallen would literally have all of their heads. Taking a deep breath, he continued walking as if he hadn't seen what he had just seen and casually descended the stairs, pretending to check his cuff-links one more time on the way down the stairs as Lelouch turned to him.
"Ready to go?" he asked cheerfully.
Lelouch sighed and ran a hand through his hair before giving Suzaku a tired smile. "Before Kallen kills us, yes."
ooo
It was hard to say if Lelouch had been to a lot of weddings before. If you were the groom, did it count? It would be more accurate, he supposed, to say he had been a part of a lot of weddings. This… might be the first actual wedding he's attending as a plain old guest.
For a marriage that wouldn't end in less than a month.
For a woman he had been previously married to for less than a week.
And of course he was hoping that nothing would come of it. Kallen had assured him that Daddy dearest would not murder him. At least not in front of the guests. (The fact that the mother and brother were officers of law enforcement notwithstanding, because he was almost certain they would look the other way.)
Although in the event it happened, he had already informed parties invested in his continued living exactly what he planned to do.
Frankly, run.
His life insurance in the form of one Suzaku Kururugi merely laughed at him.
Despite that insurance, Lelouch let Suzaku sit closer to the aisle, and he couldn't help but keep an eye on the front row where the rest of the family sat. He recognized Naoto right away, who nodded to him in amiable acknowledgement and the barest hint of a smile. Naoto had always liked Lelouch. And of course he did. Lelouch made it his business to get along famously with any of the related family and friends while he was on a job. He was always their favourite person. It wouldn't do for the family to hate you.
At least until you jilt their daughter.
When he felt Suzaku's hand reach for his and give it a squeeze, he glanced at Suzaku and met slightly concerned eyes. "Everything okay?" he asked quietly.
Lelouch sighed and tried to relax his nerves, giving Suzaku a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I just… It's kind of awkward for me… because, you know. Her family probably doesn't like me very much."
"Well, don't worry about it. Kallen already said not to worry. Besides, I'll protect you."
Feeling only marginally more relieved, Lelouch gave Suzaku an appreciative look. "My hero," he murmured softly, bringing a smile to the other man's face.
Before anything else could be said the music began playing, announcing the beginning of the wedding processional. And he couldn't help but compare between the two. Just like at their wedding, Kallen stuck to traditional music—nothing outrageous—although distinctly different than when he was marrying her. The wedding parties were also vastly different—Kallen opting for an entirely new set of bridesmaids this time—probably as a result of getting married in Japan. And Lelouch could say with some certainty that the groomsmen were not paid to be a group of the groom's 'nearest and dearest friends.'
When most of the wedding party was standing at the front, the music suddenly changed and Lelouch was brought back to a few years ago when it was him standing at that altar, waiting for this same girl to walk down the aisle to marry him. As Kallen and Mr Stadtfeld walked down the aisle, Kallen turned discretely towards them and winked before looking straight ahead again.
Lelouch got such a strong 'you're next' vibe that a shiver went down his spine at the thought.
And as if to reinforce that thought, Suzaku leaned over to him and whispered, "Wear white for me one day, won't you?"
A blush, bright red and strong, was summoned to his cheeks and Lelouch couldn't even bring himself to look at Suzaku for the next few seconds before casting a few subtle looks at his smug face. When he slid his gaze back to the front, he caught CC's cool stare from the other side of the aisle. She held his eyes for a long moment before slowly looking back to the front herself.
Lelouch sighed quietly.
It would be a long day.
ooo
CC wore the sundress Lelouch bought her, along with the matching hat. After a good, thorough walk through the massive gardens on the property she ended up in the gazebo, which was some ways away from the mansion.
Lelouch was already there and she was at least fifteen minutes late.
Every step towards the ivy-ridden, wooden building felt heavy. It was tucked underneath a large tree and against a colourful flowerbed. Her heart beat steadily in her chest, but she could hear her pulse loudly in her ears.
Suddenly she was brought back to last night, watching Lelouch confessing to Suzaku.
Of course, she had seen Lelouch confess hundreds of times—to himself in the mirror for practice, sometimes to her, to himself in the mirror for narcissism, and often to the girls. But this time…
This time…
ooo
This time the wedding was boring—even more so because it wasn't Lelouch's. She didn't know why she was here. CC never liked weddings. She rarely attended any of the ones that Lelouch was part of and that suited her just fine, because Lelouch didn't need to hold her hand while crossing the finish line. He was a big boy. Her role was always in the background as support. This time she had gotten sucked in: Kallen had invited her directly.
To a wedding Lelouch wasn't a part of.
It was weird.
In fact, she had every intention of not going and wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Lelouch practically begging her to go. He might need her was his argument.
CC scoffed.
What would he need her for so badly that she had to put up with this?
CC sourly sent him an annoyed look across the aisle to which he answered with a helpless one of his own. And then his eyes focused away from her to Suzaku next to him—as if his attention had been summoned, which it most likely had. Suzaku had been doing that a lot today—summoning Lelouch's attention away—and it was starting to get really damned annoying.
When Suzaku turned away to focus back on the ceremony CC sent him her most scathing, hate-filled stare yet, feeling only slightly vindicated when he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, making a point of not looking back at her.
He hadn't said anything about this morning and CC wondered if or when he would.
Oh, the things she would say if he did.
The things she would say.
With a quiet huff, CC adjusted herself in her seat again and looked to the front just in time for—
"You may kiss the bride."
The biggest, child-like grin ever emerged on Gino's face as he pulled back the veil and leaned down to capture Kallen's waiting lips. The whole room erupted in cheering and applause, and continued on strongly even after Kallen threw her arms around Gino's neck.
CC sighed, willing her bad mood to go away, and clapped along with the rest of the crowd, finding it in herself to smile.
Kallen was a good girl, deep down, who deserved happiness and CC was happy for her.
And as her amber eyes slid over to the pair across from her, she idly mused that it was just about time she get her own happiness too.
ooo
The slot of time between the actual wedding and the reception in the evenings, where the newly-married couple and bridal party would typically take photos, was always an awkward time for guests. Lelouch, as the groom, was always taking pictures during this time, but CC had complained thoroughly of how boring it was, and he didn't doubt her, having to now experience this stretch of nothingness himself.
Although his experience wasn't exactly what you could call boring. Instead it was awkward.
"I can't believe you want to go to a theme park before the reception," he stated, pointedly looking at their suits and ties. They would stick out like sore thumbs. Never mind what would happen if someone threw ice cream at him—or if he ran into someone with ice cream.
Suzaku laughed and continued to tug him along by the hand. "Why not? It's going to be a couple hours of nothing anyway. We might as well fill it up with something fun."
Lelouch sighed. CC would be insanely jealous if she heard about this. Fair pizza held a special place in her heart he would never quite understand. (Although, to be fair, pizza in general held a special place in her heart he would never quite understand.) Instead she had simply had the driver take her home—stranding them at the church Kallen and Gino had chosen to get married at. Although judging by how Suzaku had taken them here by a regular cab and wasn't particularly upset CC left on her own, Lelouch guessed that he didn't want the extra company with them anyway.
Well. They did have a bunch of free time, and there really wasn't anything else to do. When Lelouch looked back at Suzaku, he saw that almost-but-not-quite Kicked Puppy Look (not even with rights reserved), didn't feel his heart move even an inch, and sighed all the same, giving in. "Alright, fine. We're here anyway. Might as well."
Suzaku grinned, trying and failing miserably not to look too overly happy. Grabbing Lelouch's hand, he turned towards the brightly-coloured gates to Mega Tokyo and pulled him along to it, where a dead-faced girl in a rabbit costume was handing out flyers.
And, no, he had no idea why a place like Mega Tokyo even existed within Tokyo. But after living in Japan for some time now he had learned to just not ask a lot of questions.
ooo
"This is kind of illegal, Milly," Shirley said, fully voicing her concern—just so it was on record.
Milly Ashford, who was currently spying through the viewfinder on her fancy, new camera with aperture, and shutter things, and other camera features Shirley would never need or use, felt the complaint bounce off her like water on a duck.
"But it's so fun!" she exclaimed. "I want to see them kiss so I can sell the prints online."
Shirley sighed. "What kind of crazy person would buy that kind of thing?"
…
…
In her room, on the other side of Tokyo, Kaguya paused in her reading of the latest volume of [censored with good reason] and sneezed.
…
…
For the first time since gluing her eyes to the viewfinder, Milly physically turned her head to give Shirley a long, pointed look. And then it turned somewhat amused, sympathetic, and the slightest hint remorseful. "A pure-hearted girl like you doesn't need to know."
Shirley puffed her cheeks in slight indignation as Milly turned away from her to continue her spying. Milly had dragged her here for some reason after the wedding ceremony to (and these were the exact words) 'kill time in a fun fun way.' And by 'sheer coincidence,' Suzaku and Lelouch seemed to be here as well.
Even if Shirley hadn't gone to high school with this woman, she had sense enough to know that Milly Ashford didn't deal in coincidences.
So then, to appeal to Milly's sense of ethics as reporter, she pointed out that, "This is using your news reporter skills for evil."
Which was an appeal that went wholly ignored.
Shirley puffed her cheeks out even more.
"Oh! They're holding hands~!" she announced excitedly as the camera shutter went on rapid fire. "Oh~! Ice cream! Come on Kururugi! Get vanilla! It's the oldest cliché in the book!" The shutter clicked even faster.
Shirley gave Milly a worried look, not wanting to know what cliché involved specifically vanilla ice cream.
This was such an invasion of privacy! Why did she even agree to go with Milly in the first place? What would she say if Lelouch and Suzaku ever caught them… spying like this? They were both her friends and it didn't feel right snooping into their private lives like this. Their relationship was theirs alone—not something to be broadcasted to the world. Although… with Suzaku being who he was that might be difficult. But still! Privacy! It mattered.
Well… she was a tiny bit curious about it. Lelouch seemed so interested in her in the beginning when they first met, after all. (Did he ever manage to get that ice cream stain out of his shirt?) But after Suzaku came into the picture, she realized that he was probably just being courteous. Just being nice.
Especially since he wasn't into girls.
(Lelouch sneezed.)
And it wasn't her fault that she didn't have the, uh, proper equipment to interest him.
Because he wasn't into girls.
(Lelouch sneezed again.)
So Shirley had let him go and quietly rooted for Lelouch and Suzaku's happiness. Lelouch was such a different person around Suzaku, after all—anyone could see it. And even though they were friends of friends, Shirley could see that Suzaku was a different person around Lelouch too.
So, no, Shirley wasn't upset about it at all.
Because Lelouch wasn't into girls.
(Sneeze number three.)
("Are you okay?" Suzaku asked worriedly.)
And now that could make her giggle because Lelouch was dating Suzaku, which meant that Suzaku was into boys. And when she thought about them together it made her happy for them, because they were two boys who were cute together, and into each other. It was okay.
It was okay because Lelouch wasn't into girls.
(Four.)
(Suzaku cupped his cheek. "You're not coming down with something are you?")
(Lelouch flushed and looked anywhere but at Suzaku. "I'm fine! It's just… allergies!")
"Good job, Kururugi! First flag conquered!" Milly commended, giving the man a thumbs up.
But that didn't mean she was into this.
Shirley sighed, tugging on her friend's blouse with purpose. "Milly, this is an invasion of their privacy. I don't feel comfortable about this," she notified earnestly.
Milly whined in her throat, pulling her eyes away from the camera to give Shirley a long, flat, you're-being-a-wet-blanket stare.
Shirley increased the power of disapproval in her stare.
Sighing, Milly turned off the camera and stood up from the bushes they were hiding in. "Alright fine," she conceded, brushing off errant leaves and brush. Glancing over in the couple's direction, she sighed mournfully. "They're getting on the Ferris wheel anyway, and we all know what happens there."
Getting to her feet, Shirley let Milly lead them away, probably to get a light lunch before the reception in the evening. But as they left the park, Shirley furrowed her brow, and silently wondered, 'What happens on a Ferris wheel?'
ooo
Suzaku was enjoying himself.
A lot.
A lot a lot.
It made him feel like a little kid—or at least a teenager. This happy feeling in his chest had just kind of bubbled up and settled there, never quite going away—on the verge of bursting. He had even stolen a lick from Lelouch's ice cream cone on impulse. Lelouch, of course, was mortified and scolded him for it, citing that he had his own, but it just made Suzaku irrationally happier.
It felt so surreal to be this happy in this situation. Only a few weeks ago he was having serious mental debates about whether he could go through with a real relationship with Lelouch after all. Now that he had just accepted, he wondered what he was really so hung up about. Lelouch was a great person—kind, thoughtful, loved kids (who obsessively loved him back), intelligent. Being with Lelouch was fun.
He'd have to apologize to everyone who probably thought he was an idiot for overthinking this for so long.
More importantly, he'd have to apologize to Lelouch, who was probably more than a little confused about everything that was going on in their so-called relationship.
"Lelouch," he called out carefully, feeling suddenly nervous. Lelouch looked over at him from gazing out at the view from the heights of the Ferris wheel carriage they were in. Now that those violet eyes were fully on him, he felt even more nervous. "We never… I never explained myself when I called off the wedding, did I?"
Lelouch tensed visibly and Suzaku almost regretted bringing it up since it dashed the easy atmosphere between them so easily, landing them squarely in the realm of Serious Business.
A pause.
"No."
Clasping his hands together, Suzaku drew in a deep breath before letting it out again, meeting Lelouch's eyes with determination. "Can I have the ring back?"
Comment:
Soooo. One more chapter to go. ONE. TO GO. Are you excited!? I'M EXCITED! When will it be up? WHO KNOWS? (You should all know me better than that by now.) And then a 8-year project will FINALLY BE OVER.
OVER.
Please R&R.
- Minute Maid
Beverage of Queens.
