Special Thanks:Lazy Gaga, luckless-is-me, Lovegranted, nachan

Time

Part XIII

1/10/2012 9:34 PM

There was rain that morning. It hit against the roof over their bedroom and ran down the window that over looked their bed. There was only a distilled, grayed light that was let in though the sheets of water droplets and the cold surface of the glass window. So they stayed in bed, tangled in each other without knowledge of where one ended and the other began. Eyes were closed, but they were both awake, hands gripping on to naked skin and fingers tangling against flesh or in strands of hair. The sheets were twisted around them like a cocoon holding them in and together, their hearts beating in sync, pulse to pulse and beat to beat.

Then as always the silence and perfect moment had to break.

"Come on, 'louch," Suzaku said. A comfortable kind of easiness had settled into his quiet voice. "We have to get up."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "It's Saturday. You don't work, I don't work—the dog knows where to get the food, let's just stay." Earlier that week Lelouch had found the oh so investigative dog in the pantry—chowing down on dog food, the bag torn asunder around her. After going red in the face Suzaku had toted Lelouch off to the other room, and then he had gone back to send the dog outside with a scolding and had cleaned up the mess. Now they always made sure to shut the pantry door, firmly.

Suzaku was looking up though, his neck craning to look at the window. "It's really coming down now. I have to go out and cover the garden. If it hails it'll tear it all to shreds."

"Don't go." Lelouch said, his hand lazily ran along his arm curing up over his shoulder blade. It was more of a wistful breath than anything else. He laid his head against Suzaku's shoulder. "Let's just stay in bed." It was warm and Suzaku's arms were wrapped so tight around him it felt like they could never be separated.

Lelouch could feel the rumble of a chuckle, even snuggling up as flush against that broad chest as he could.

"It's almost noon, Lelouch." Suzaku whispered like it was some sort of secret.

Long lashes parted as a smile spread and Lelouch looked up at his once loyal knight. "Well, that's a record." Not for Lelouch—noon wasn't even in the running for Lelouch's record—but it was certainly an accomplishment for Suzaku.

"Come on," Suzaku repeated.

This time Lelouch didn't have a chance to debate as Suzaku slid him to the mattress, even lovingly pulling the sheet up over his shoulder before he moved to the edge of the bed, sitting there for just a moment. A smile was all Lelouch could give. It was a typical Suzaku to get up long before Lelouch and even now Suzaku was fully prepared to let Lelouch stay in bed as long as he wished. But that morning there was what wasn't typical.

Suzaku had his hand at his shoulder, massaging in a hard motion and a sigh reached Lelouch's ears.

Lelouch was sitting up in a second. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Suzaku lied to him.

When Suzaku looked back though Lelouch was sure the glare he wore conveyed his meaning that he didn't appreciate the lie. It was the same kind of lies Suzaku still told. It was the sort of lies that Suzaku never stopped telling. Everything had to be so god damned peachy! There was always a brighter side. There was never something wrong with him.

"It's okay. I'm just sore." Suzaku said before he stood, "And tired." His movements were slow and lumbering as he went to the dresser. In the dark room Suzaku moved as an old oak move across a field, if an old oak could do so, creaking, towering, but not threatening, and not brittle, but very conscious of the danger of each movement.

In that moment Lelouch could feel it in his chest, a hollow ache as he watched his partner. His hand, shaky, lifted to his mouth as his eyes widened and his mind reeled through ever possible option. "But you've slept all morning."

"Well, that is probably half the reason I'm so tired. I don't need that much sleep." Suzaku said. He pulled on a pair of sweat pants before trailing into the bathroom.

Lelouch shifted, tucking his legs up under his body as he tried to think, tried to play this the situation off just like Suzaku was doing. Then he heard it—

Suzaku came out of the bathroom with an aspirin bottle in his hand as he shook out to get a hold of two pills, and the sound of it perked Lelouch's ears—mostly because it was a sound rarely if even heard throughout the house. The clank of the white tablets echoed in the small bottle as Suzaku got two of them out and tipped the bottle back up to replace the lid.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch asked. It came out a bit more accusatory than he meant, but there was no stopping it afterwards.

The accusation seemed to be noticed by Suzaku as well as he looked up with confused knit brow. "…I'm sore. I was going to take a pain reliever," he held the two pills up for Lelouch's examination. "So I could go outside and take care of the garden and the yard and bring in the dog."

"It's raining outside." Lelouch shot back.

"It hasn't stopped me before." Suzaku shrugged his shoulder and kicked back the aspirin in the palm of his hand a second later. No water needed, he swallowed and started to the dresser again.

Lelouch scrambled to the foot of the bed. "Come back to bed with me." he wasn't asking.

Suzaku pulled a grey shirt up and over his head as he gave a chuckle. "We've spent enough time in bed this morning."

"It's not like we have anywhere to be today." Lelouch said, still trying to remain reasonable.

"We can spend all day together, and we don't have to be in bed while we do." Suzaku joked as he walked out of the bedroom, pulling on his socks as he went.

Almost falling off the bed, Lelouch pulled a button up on as he scrambled through the room, grabbing Suzaku's boxers on the way out. He walked as fast as he'd managed since his name had been Zero as he followed Suzaku to the living room.

"Suzaku, just come back to bed," Lelouch hissed as he entered the room.

Lelouch's words stopped his companion, standing at the door to the back porch, the latch in hand even. Suzaku let the door click back shut, stepping towards Lelouch. Lelouch almost thought he'd won, that Suzaku was going to follow him back to their bed and they could fall back among the sheets. At least he'd thought he'd won until Suzaku slid his hand against Lelouch's cheek, his hand feeling more than caressing. He was checking if Lelouch was warm.

Of course he was fine, he was an immortal. The red mark spread-eagle under his navel was even visible through the un-buttoned shirt.

"We can spend all day together." Suzaku said again. He wasn't kidding around this time as he said it.

The mess of black bed head swung as Lelouch shook his head. "No," It wasn't the same. It wasn't the same as it was when they laid together under the covers. "I want you to come to bed with me." Lelouch wouldn't admit it was desperation that was starting to leak through his voice.

Suzaku didn't say anything. His eyes flecked from left to right as he scanned Lelouch's face, looking for what was wrong, looking for a way to fix it. "Lelouch—"

"Just come back to bed with me!" Lelouch hissed. His face was hot now; it burned as he felt the streak of tears. "Please."

Suzaku's mouth hung open for a moment. His eyes still searched. Then he closed his mouth, nodding as he spoke, "alright." And then turned away. "Just let me take care of this, and I'll come straight back to bed with you—"

"No," Lelouch turned away, his face still hot as he hid it, tipping his head in hope that his lover didn't see.

"I'll be right back, I promise." Suzaku said, he returned to him, kissing at his cheek, his lips wiping away a tear before he turned again.

Lelouch's head didn't raise, the sound of the door was the only marker that Lelouch had to go by to know that Suzaku was leaving him. He stepped towards the door, looking out of the window pane as Suzaku went down the steps. As he had said the rain didn't seem to bother him as he jogged out to the shed. Lelouch stayed there, he watched Suzaku until he saw that he was ready to come back in, and return to Lelouch again.

Lelouch returned to the bedroom. He stripped the shirt off, letting the boxers drop to the floor at the same moment. As he cloths fell, Lelouch stepped away from them and crawled into the bed, burrowing under the covers again. When Suzaku came in, Lelouch looked up, even sat up, beckoning his companion forward. His hands out stretched, Lelouch immediately started to strip Suzaku as well. When they were both back under the covers they didn't speak. Lelouch only pulled himself as close to Suzaku as he could and hide his face against his neck.

To all a good reading and to all a good night!

~Reviews are appreciated~