Pre-Comment: ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Chapter Twenty Three isn't quite sure how it got to where it is, but it thinks it might have something to do with crushing the hopes and dreams of everyone in it's journey to get here.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Gone Fishing
"Can I have the ring back?" Suzaku asked, watching with a rapidly beating heart as Lelouch's world just stopped to stare at him.
A myriad of emotions flitted across Lelouch's face, starting with confusion, but the one that trumped them all was fear—followed closely by hurt, and finally resignation. He took a second to wonder if there was perhaps a better way to go about this, to avoid that look, but that would've required thinking things through, and his head had already proven how phenomenally bad he was at that. That stricken look made Suzaku want to make sure Lelouch would never have to have that look on his face. Ever again.
It looked like Suzaku had just pulled the earth out from under Lelouch's feet, and he was just stuck there not knowing if he was falling or not.
Violet eyes held his for a long moment, one that stretched the seconds into small moments of eternity as they ticked by. His left hand moved to cover his right, briefly fingering the simple, circle band. After another long moment, Lelouch dropped Suzaku's unwavering gaze and looked down at the ring. He turned it on his finger once and back again before looking up at Suzaku suddenly.
Lelouch opened his mouth, as if to say something, before closing it again, changing his mind. Almost dejectedly, he slipped the ring off slowly—the elegant ring that Suzaku had bought on a whim yet was the perfect size.
When Suzaku held his hand out, palm up, Lelouch looked up into Suzaku's eyes once more. His face and shoulders just crumpled and he looked back at the shining, metal band, holding it between his fingers, hovering over Suzaku's open palm.
With a long sigh, Lelouch said, "Game's over, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Suzaku confirmed. "Game's over."
Lelouch closed his eyes and sighed, dropping the ring into Suzaku's hand.
Before he could pull away, Suzaku caught his hand.
"The game is over, because I'm done playing games with you."
When Lelouch opened his eyes to look at him in confusion and a bit of concern, Suzaku dropped to one knee, making the Ferris wheel cabin rock slightly.
"I'm done playing games, because this time I'm serious. The first time I did this it doesn't count. I did it in front of an entire crowd of people that had nothing to do with us, on a huge jumbotron, without ever getting to see the look in your eyes when I asked you. Without getting to put the ring on your finger right away when you said yes. So I wanted to do this again. Do this right." Suzaku smiled, looking straight into Lelouch's eyes. "You… are so, so special I don't know what to do about it anymore. My life was… well, it was boring before I met you. I don't even know how I managed it. And I… I love you. Just you," he repeated quietly. "I've been called an idiot over it so many times that I…" Suzaku shook his head before staring back into wide, violet eyes—eyes that struck him the very first day they met with how distinct they were. "Lelouch Lamperouge, please, will you marry me? Be mine for the rest of my life?"
For the second time that night, Lelouch just stopped and stared. The flush started high in his cheeks before filling out his entire face all the way to his ears. Squeezing his eyes shut, he covered his face with his free hand.
"Yes," he choked out, nodding his head. "Okay."
Getting quickly to his feet, Suzaku pulled Lelouch to his, up from the metal bench and into his arms, wrapping his arms around Lelouch. Cheers and whistles erupted from outside their cabin and both of them turned to the open door to see the crowds applauding them on, standing just outside the Ferris wheel that had finished their ride to let them off, but had paused to let the crowds take witness. Suzaku slowly let go of Lelouch and rubbed the back of his head bashfully. He led Lelouch off the Ferris wheel cabin by the hand and nodded his thanks to everyone's wide smiles. His heart was racing and his head felt a bit light, but he had Lelouch's hand in his and that meant everything was right.
When they finally stopped, Suzaku felt the weight of the metal in his hand and turned to Lelouch once again, grabbing for his hand. "I'm an idiot sometimes, or so I've been told, but I'm so happy that you'll have me," he said, feeling thrilled as he slipped the metal band back onto Lelouch's ring finger.
Lelouch let out a shaky sigh. "You jerk. I thought you were dumping me," he said. "What the heck?" he complained, covering his face again, looking embarrassed.
Suzaku just grinned, leaning his forehead against Lelouch's, he slowly pulled those hands away from the face he could see himself waking up to every day, for the rest of his life.
"I'm sorry."
Lelouch sighed before staring back at Suzaku and returning the smile.
The rest of their time at the amusement park is a much calmer time, despite the big thing that just happened between them. It felt a bit cathartic—to get it all out of the way and it was nice to feel like there was some direction in his life again. Something to look forward to. Suzaku hadn't thought much of his future before, having grown up knowing exactly what the future had in store for him, but now that Lelouch was a new aspect of it, he felt suddenly energized and excited to see what else would be in store.
The only thing Suzaku could possibly be disappointed in right now was how short their time at the amusement park was, considering there was a wedding reception to get back to.
ooo
As far as Lelouch was concerned, life was great. Everything was going his way and he felt better than ever. He was engaged to Suzaku and Suzaku was in it until the end this time. They had even talked over wedding details on the way to the reception—like setting a date, theme, venue. There was even a bit of talk about who would be on the guest list.
"And your mother."
Lelouch stiffened and turned to look at the man like he had sprouted another head.
Well. It was only natural that Lelouch's mother be there for the wedding—at least from Suzaku's point of view. But Lelouch had been married several times over with his family none the wiser. (Or at least he hoped.) If his mother knew he was getting married that meant that everyone would want to—
"No!" Lelouch cried out. And then, at the raised eyebrow Suzaku gave him, "I mean, she's a really busy woman. Her trip here probably ate up all her vacation time for the next three years. And she's… I mean… you two don't really get along very well and I…"
Suzaku's eyes softened, only to harden with resolve in the next moment. "I'll win her over. I promise. I'll be on my best behaviour and prove to her that I'm good enough to marry her youngest son."
The way Suzaku was taking this so seriously charmed Lelouch a bit, and he wondered if this was what the girls felt like while they were engaged to him in the past. He never really took into account what their feelings in the matter might be. Often he was only in it for the big paycheque at the end of the day.
Now that the shoe was on the other foot it was a bit enlightening.
But he didn't want to talk about whether his family would be in attendance at the wedding. Having his mother there would be a disaster beyond repair. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if his entire family caught wind of it. Let alone certain family.
But he also didn't want to be the one to wipe that determined look off Suzaku's face, so he deflected the conversation elsewhere—like who would be the one to wear the white suit.
Before he could fully realize what can of worms he walked right into, they arrived at the ritzy hotel the reception would take place at. Suzaku paid the cabbie with a swipe of plastic and they exited the cab.
Lelouch was the first to notice her—wearing a 'Look at Me, Look Only at Me' ensemble of endless midnight blue and lace. Fire burned in her amber eyes and he took that moment Suzaku wasn't looking to admire her. This was the last hurrah for her, he supposed. After tonight she would probably disappear from the picture, leaving the two of them alone—but she wasn't about to leave without a fight.
When their eyes met they shared a mutual look between them. CC smiled softly at him and Lelouch returned it. They didn't need to say anything to each other at this point. They both knew what the score was now.
Suzaku caught sight of her a moment later. The sharp intake of breath made Lelouch glance over at him curiously. The look on the poor guy's face made Lelouch almost pity him for the encounter that was about to take place. His face had gone pale and he was frozen in place, sweating bullets.
Lelouch just laughed and carefully slipped his hand in Suzaku's. Their eyes met and Lelouch smiled at him, gently tugging him along. Seeing them approaching, CC moved from her spot beside the entrance to standing directly in front of the doors to the hotel, barring their entry. From far away she was a sight, but up close she was a vision—looking far too beautiful to be real.
CC first looked at Lelouch, eyes soft and warm—a book full of words unsaid conveyed in that one look. They shared that moment in front of Suzaku until he could feel Suzaku's hand tighten around his. And then those golden eyes flickered down at their joined hands before looking up to lock their gaze onto Suzaku, the warm honey hardening into solid amber.
"Why should I leave him with you?" she demanded, lifting her chin up at him ever so slightly.
Lelouch turned to Suzaku and could almost feel the other man bristle at the challenge.
"Because I love him," he answered without hesitating.
CC grit her teeth and took a menacing step forward. "So do I!" she yelled, anger, hurt, and frustration bleeding out into her usually calm voice. "Who do you think you are? I was here first!" she yelled. "I love him more!" she cried, voice breaking, tears starting to come to her eyes. And then she turned those teary eyes onto him and Lelouch felt it hit him in that spot that CC would always occupy. "I love you more," she said with shaking shoulders.
Feeling both eyes on him, Lelouch swallowed before meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry, CC."
CC's shoulders crumbled and she breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. Letting the air rush out of her lungs all at once, she stepped forward and placed her hand at Lelouch's cheek, giving him a soft smile. "Be happy then." And then she turned to Suzaku and the anger was back. "You take care of him. Cherish him."
The or else didn't need to be voiced.
When they could no longer hear the click of CC's heels, Suzaku let out a long, rushing breath. He dropped Lelouch's hand momentarily to lean over, placing both hands on his knees to stare at the ground for a moment. After a few moments he straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought for sure she would at least slap me."
Lelough laughed. "I'm a bit surprised she didn't." Tugging at Suzaku's hand, he started to lead on. "Anyway, come on, we're—"
Suzaku wasn't moving.
When Lelouch turned to look, he saw a serious look on the man's face. Turning to face him, he silently implored Suzaku to speak up.
"You're mine," he declared without hesitation. "I'm not letting anyone take you from me."
Stifling a laugh, Lelouch shook his head. "I'm not a thing to be owned, but yeah, I'm yours," he agreed softly. "Now come on, we're going to be late. It's not good to be there after the bride and groom."
With a gentle tug, Lelouch led Suzaku inside.
The reception was on the top floor of the building—one of the most exclusive venues you could hold a wedding reception at. Lelouch had briefly spent some research time into wedding planning early on into their stay in Japan. He didn't think they'd be here for long, so he had invested time in finding out what arrangements could be made quickly and cheaply if the situation called for it.
The hotel they were at had a yearlong waiting list, so he had removed it immediately. How Kallen managed to book it in such a short amount of time was anybody's guess.
They stepped onto the elevator together and Lelouch watched the numbers light up, one by one, showing their progress to the top floor of the hotel. His hand was squeezed and he turned to Suzaku and smiled. Suzaku held his gaze for a moment, brushing his thumb over the ring on his finger purposefully.
"How many people will be there do you think?"
Suzaku hummed in thought. "Quite a few. Everyone knows who Gino is, just because of who he works for. He's using it as an opportunity to network for his boss. In return his boss is paying for all of it."
Lelouch tsked in his mind, though he was smiling, thinking how frivolous rich people were that they could just pay for someone else's wedding just like that. "How generous. What company does Gino work for? It must be one in a similar industry as yours, right? What kind of person is his boss?"
"It's sort of in the same industry. We don't directly compete, which is why we can do so much business together. My company processes Sakuradite while his refines it. They're basically our biggest partner because of that. I've never met Gino's boss, but I've heard that he's very, uh, particular—and a big recluse."
Lelouch glanced up at the numbers on the elevator. Floor ten. A few people had gotten on and off. "That sounds like someone I know."
The elevator dinged and their company left them on floor fifteen, leaving just the two of them again.
"Yeah. Gino tells me that he hates leaving the country for anything. It doesn't matter who he's seeing, if it's not in the country, he's not going."
Lelouch laughed, thinking of his brother. "Now that really does sound like someone I know. Which country?"
"Britannia."
Lelouch froze.
His blood ran cold.
"Yeah. Come to think of it, Gino mentioned that he's not even really keen on meeting business partners even if they're in the same building, let alone country. Everyone thinks Gino is the CEO when they first meet him, but quickly realize that that's not true at all."
"Oh… really?"
A horrible cloud of dread started coming in over the horizon.
Floor twenty-one.
"Yeah. I've never met him myself even—though we've been business partners for a few years now."
"What's his name?" Lelouch asked.
"Schneizel. Schneizel el Britannia. CEO of the Britannia Group. He'll actually be here tonight, so I'm pretty—"
When the elevator jerked to a stop, Lelouch had no idea what was going on, except that his heart was pounding so hard it physically hurt, and that his closed fist was over the large, red, emergency stop button. (When did that happen?) His mind was blank and for about ten long seconds, nothing moved except the loud, rapid pulse booming in his head.
"Lelouch…? Are you okay?" Suzaku asked cautiously, moving to stand in front of him, eyes filled with concern.
Lelouch didn't even hear the words. The entirety of his mental processing power was focused on one singular thought.
Schneizel was here.
That reclusive, brother complex, psychopathic maniac was here.
Schneizel el "Pie Incident" Britannia was here.
He glanced up at the numbers on the elevator. Floor thirty-one. He was two floors away from running right into Armageddon on two legs.
When hands squeezed over his arms Lelouch yelped and looked right into concerned green eyes. Suzaku had moved to stand in from of him.
"Lelouch? Speak to me. What's going on?"
Lelouch swallowed, carefully avoiding Suzaku's eyes.
"I… I have a confession to make."
ooo
"Do you love him?" she demanded, standing up straight for the full effect.
Lelouch's eyes narrowed somewhat and his lips pursed minutely, but these were tells only CC would ever be able to spot, with Lelouch's back turned to anyone that might walk in on them. Her only reply was a pointed flick of her eyes to where Suzaku was hiding behind the corner up on the second floor out of sight.
Little nose.
The look Lelouch gave her was one of utter unimpress.
Those violet eyes held hers and asked, Really?
CC chance to wink at him in reply.
Yes. Really.
Biting his lip, Lelouch held her eyes for a moment longer before looking away, having the decency to look remorseful. "Yeah… I do," he said quietly. Quiet enough that it was realistic, loud enough that Snoopy would hear the gist of it.
CC's face crumpled and she gave him the most miserable look she could muster. She recalled the time when the Pizza Hut on the corner closed down. Utter tragedy. Misery beyond misery. Heartbreak worth a thousand years. CC cried for a week. Absolutely inconsolable.
Her eyes started watering a bit at the memory.
When that curly mop of brown hair couldn't resist and she caught Suzaku peeking at the scene before him she caught his eye quickly, tightened her jaw, sent him her most heart-broken look in that split second and turned on her heel and walked away.
"CC…" Lelouch called after her, without giving chase.
As CC walked away, she happened to pass by Sayoko on the way out the door and caught the maid's genuinely surprised look at the usual blasé smile on CC's face, leaving only the swish of lime-green hair and confusion in her wake. Climbing inside the limousine, she scooted to the furthest side of the vehicle from where Lelouch and Suzaku would climb in together for what would probably be the most awkward ride to a wedding ever.
ooo
"Wait, what?" CC deadpanned, prepared to hear absolutely everything besides what she actually just heard.
The sun was bright and beautiful, and the faint scent of the gardens wafted in the gentle breeze around them. It was the perfect location for a secret rendezvous, CC thought to herself. A nice, secluded, romantic getaway. She wondered if Suzaku had ever been out to this gazebo himself. Perhaps it was only here for entertaining people. Perhaps its only purpose was to be part of the scenery.
"You heard me. As my brother would say, I'm lined up for a checkmate. Everything's coming together perfectly and last night I sealed the deal without a hitch."
Lelouch could not look more pleased with himself.
"Last night…"
When understanding lit up her golden eyes, Lelouch smirked. "That was probably my best confession yet. I should get an award, don't you think?" he grinned, wagging his eyebrows.
CC simply stared at him her mouth slightly agape, as if to say something but being unable to.
He drank like fish that night!
How did he manage that?
Where did the sudden resolve come from?
How did he not vomit on the spot?
What in the—
How in the—
How?
How?
In the moment though, she supposed it didn't matter. She would find out later. Like a dam had broken, all the gross, complicated feelings she felt building up while wandering around the garden, amplifying with every step towards this gazebo, drained out from her like a flood.
And slowly she smiled at him, coy and full of mischief.
"Only if I get a part to play in the second act."
Giving her that signature charming smile of his, Lelouch gave her a flourishing bow while she tilted her chin up at him, looking regally smug.
"CC: Exit stage left."
ooo
"I don't understand," Suzaku said slowly and calmly, not quite believing what he had just heard. He searched in Lelouch's violet eyes that this was just some big joke—a bit of payback even. Heaven knew Suzaku deserved a bit.
But Lelouch remained quiet, avoiding his gaze.
"What do you mean this that this was a joke?" Suzaku clarified, when no answer was forthcoming.
He could now feel the rapid beating of his heart, even though his head still felt like mush.
"I… I never meant for it to go this far," Lelouch explained flatly.
There was a moment where nothing existed and all he heard was white noise, but he felt it in his chest first. The pain came suddenly and unexpectedly, collapsing all around his chest like a vacuum had been turned on. It caused him to feel a rush of light-headedness and he clenched a fist to get a rein on what he was feeling.
He looked up again at Lelouch, trying to catch those violet eyes, so he could search them thoroughly. Taking a step forward, he reached for Lelouch. Placing one hand on each shoulder, he took another step closer, until he was right in Lelouch's personal space. There was a part of him that didn't want to believe it—this looked too real. And then there was the other part that said—
I knew it.
"Why me?"
Looking conflicted and guilty at the question, Lelouch bit his lip and turned his face away from Suzaku. "Because you have money," Lelouch admitted.
Suzaku wanted to feel angry at hearing this, hurt even, but all he felt was vaguely empty. It felt like he had lost something important, only to realize it had never been his in the first place. He had known what Lelouch did to Kallen. What did he really expect to happen with him? Suzaku had thrown caution out of the way in light of just about everyone's advice—against his own advice—to pursue this, and for a few brief moments he felt absolutely thrilled with life. And then he knew what he was feeling.
It was the feeling of having.
And then losing.
"Do you do this for fun or something?" Suzaku finally asked him, an unsettling chill in his voice.
Lelouch looked at him for the first time since his confession. There was a shocked sort of surprised hurt on his face that a part of Suzaku wanted to latch onto—that maybe this was just a joke after all, but ultimately dismissed.
Suzaku frowned, green eyes turning hard with resentment and budding anger. "You're well-off enough to buy a plane ticket to Japan on the spur of the moment and a get a residence in a foreign country. You can't tell me otherwise."
"I—" Lelouch shut his mouth before he could say anything else, looking away.
There was a moment of silence as tears formed in violet eyes.
Despite himself, Suzaku's heart went out to him.
"Lelouch, are you crying—"
"You don't know what it's like!" he yelled, shrugging out of Suzaku's hold and turning his back on him. "You have all the money in the world! Everything you could possibly want and then some! You even have five million in pocket change to just give away. I have a blind, crippled sister back home in a hospital that needs medical attention! I need that money."
Silence.
And then—
"She could die," was whispered brokenly.
There was a long moment of silence where neither of them said anything. But there was a part of Suzaku that instantly understood, and knew what to do about all these confusing feelings he was feeling right now.
"Lelouch, I—"
The crackling of the intercom interrupted him and the grainy voice of a technician's voice filled the elevator cabin, "Hello? Is everyone alright in there? Just hang on, we're on our way."
Lelouch sniffled then, reaching up to wipe his face. "You don't know what it's like," he repeated quietly. "I don't pretend to… be gay for kicks like you do. Don't think I didn't notice."
Suzaku winced. And now he felt like the biggest dick on the planet for some reason. "I'm sorry," Suzaku apologized. "You're right. I wasn't any better."
And because this limbo moment couldn't last forever, the elevator shuddered and began moving to the next nearest floor, just one below the floor of the reception.
As if that was the cue Suzaku needed to dislodge the accumulated feelings from this moment in time, he made up his mind about what he would do.
When the elevator doors opened a technician and paramedic greeted them, Suzaku made sure to reach for and tighten his hold on Lelouch's hand, just in case the man decided to make a break for it. He apologized to the tech for the trouble, making up a quick lie about what happened. The tech gave a disgruntled sort of look before routinely inspecting the elevator cabin—just in case there was any faulty wiring and not some idiot pressing the emergency button for the heck of it like it looked.
Suzaku apologized again to the both of them and pulled Lelouch towards the stairwell. He didn't think the tech would be all too appreciative of them taking the other elevator at the moment. When the door closed and they were left alone in the empty stairwell, Suzaku finally turned to Lelouch, still holding onto his hand.
"I… Look, I'm not mad. A bit disappointed and…" Heartbroken. "And a lot of things… but, well, I'm not mad. I'm not happy, but I'm not mad either. I was always taught that I should help whenever I can, and… I want to help your sister out."
And with that explanation, Suzaku pulled out his cheque book, a pen, and signed away a small chunk of his fortune. It was hardly anything to him, but when he handed that small slip of paper to Lelouch—and saw his eyes light up with a thousand watts of shock—he knew it meant a lot to Lelouch.
Lelouch just stared wide-eyed at the cheque being offered to him. He held a hand up to his mouth and covered it. More tears fell down his face and Suzaku wanted to pull the man into a hug and squeeze him tight. But he didn't. Lelouch wasn't his. Never was.
With a loud sniffle, Lelouch wiped away his tears and looked Suzaku in the eye, with a soft smile. "Thank you."
"Can I just ask you one more thing?"
With another sniffle, Lelouch cleared his throat. "Sure. Anything."
"What's her name? Your sister, I mean."
Lelouch looked a bit taken aback before that smile came back.
For what would probably be the last time, Suzaku's heart fluttered a bit.
"Nana. Her name is Nana."
ooo
They separated in that stairwell. Lelouch left first, leaving Suzaku in the behind, heading down one floor. He took the next elevator going down, taking out a handkerchief from his suit pocket to wipe the mess that was his face while carefully pocketing the cheque. The ride down was as slow and tedious as the ride up, but with much less fanfare. Lelouch watched the slow descent of the numbers on the elevator light up one by one before they finally lit up on the ground floor.
He left the hotel with fairly quick strides and spotted CC hanging out suspicious as all hell in a way only she could get away with in the lobby, already dressed in a large cap with all her hair pushed up into it and the brim pulled down low over her face with a high jacket collar. She caught sight of him and looked momentarily surprised, but he gave her a quick smile and continued his quick pace towards the hotel exit, passing right by her.
She was quick to catch up and spared no time to start the interrogation as they made their way down the street at a quick, but comfortable pace.
"Why are you here? What happened? Why are you leaving? What happened to the reception? Where's Suzaku? What's going on?"
Lelouch sighed, sounding dramatically distraught. "I got found out."
CC's eyes bugged out. "What?" she hissed. "What do you mean found out?"
"Schneizel was attending the reception. I had to bail," he answered matter-of-fact.
CC's mouth fell open, and then clicked shut. She looked away from him to stare straight ahead at where they were headed and sighed. "All that time wasted," she mourned.
Lelouch grinned, pulling out the cheque. "Not exactly."
CC's eyes widened at the slip of paper in Lelouch's hands that had to be an illusion. "You… you actually did it. I don't believe this. How? How? He found you out!"
Lelouch tsked. "CC, please, I'm a professional. I told him about Nunally who was blind and crippled back home in a hospital. Few tears here and there. Wham, bam, thank you—" he paused, "man."
CC blinked.
"But Nunally isn't blind or crippled," CC pointed out, confusion vivid in her eyes.
Lelouch grinned, full force.
CC's eyes widened. "Lelouch, you didn't—"
"Oh, but I did." He waved the cheque in his hand. "So, feel like magicking pizza into nothing while I drive around the capital in a new BMW?"
Throwing her head back in laughter, CC brushed away an imaginary tear. Sighing, calming down from her high, she fell into step beside him, taking his arm into hers.
"Just call me a witch."
Comment:
So. What a ride. There's maybe an epilogue left. Before you say anything, I've known it would end like this since Chapter Nine. There's maybe some Extras after that, a long-ass Real Talk that has no business being as long-ass as it is, and that's it. My pre-notes and post-notes are short, so you get to suffer them all at once.
Skip it or read it. I care not.
EPILOGUE INC BOXING DAY.
Please R&R.
- Minute Maid
Beverage of Queens.
