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

Time

Part XIX

3/14/2012 9:26 PM

They were all in the dining room and living area, or at least that's where Lelouch hoped everyone was at. It had been Suzaku's idea to have such a party for Lelouch. He'd blabbed on about how Lelouch had always made sure that Suzaku had fun on his own birthday and that this time he wanted to give Lelouch a good time. Lelouch rolled his eyes at the thought, what had ever made Suzaku think that thirty people they told absolutely nothing about their lives in their house would make such a good time for Lelouch?

Lelouch trailed around the kitchen table, surveying the table and all the variety of alcohol that had either been donated from the same people they told nothing to or from Lelouch's and Suzaku's own meager stock. The sounds of the party going on just fine without him coming from the living room made it easier to continue. If no one was worried about him no one would come looking.

He unscrewed the rum first. He sniffed it, getting the overwhelming scent of cocoanut. He shrugged and poured it in his glass. Lelouch had never been one for mixed drinks, but it was his birthday and if possible he didn't really want to remember his age. Next was the Vodka. It was raspberry so maybe cocoanut would go well with it. Then he poured in a healthy amount of Jack Daniels, lifted and downed. When he slammed the glass back on to the table top he looked at it with disdain. His experiment had tasted awful and burned every inch of the way down.

"Lelouch?"

With one last glare at the glass, Lelouch looked up to find that he'd been caught red-handed.

"What are you doing in here?" Suzaku asked. He was careful to shut the sliding double doors into their living room.

"It's our kitchen; I'm not allowed to be in my own kitchen?" Lelouch growled back and looked back down to start experimenting again.

There was always that look in Suzaku's eye when he was worried. Lelouch hated to see it because most of the time it would lead to something like disappointment or worse anger. But it was harder not to look at Suzaku when he came up next to Lelouch. Suzaku was probably trying to be comforting but he was hovering and it just grated on Lelouch's nerves. He skipped the experimentation and went for the Jack Daniels.

"What are you doing?" it almost sounded like a demand.

But Lelouch wasn't listening. Instead he poured himself a drink and downed another glass of 'please let me forget what is happening.' Unfortunately he was jerked out of his bliss when Suzaku grabbed his arm.

"I asked you what the hell you were doing." Suzaku snarled at him this time.

Lelouch let a charming smile grace his lips—right before he spit venom. "Are you going to stab me again if I don't answer your questions?"

It worked, Suzaku dropped his arm like it was red hot and even took a step back. To celebrate Lelouch took another drink. The silence made Lelouch look up, made him catch that disappointed darkening in Suzaku's eyes. As quickly as he could, Lelouch looked away.

"What…? I don't understand you lately." This time his voice almost sounded desperate. "I mean two weeks ago you couldn't get enough of me. You even tolerated the dog. And the past two weeks—this isn't you." Suzaku was shaking his head. The look on his face this time was almost—fear.

"Right. Just like that mask wasn't me either, or the man who murdered thousands wasn't me. Or how about this one, that man who was supposed to be dead." Of course, those were all Lelouch, but a drink made it just a little bit better, so letting the glass drop and break across the floor Lelouch took a swig straight from the bottle this time.

"Where is this even coming from?" Suzaku asked.

Lelouch didn't answer as he set the bottle on the table. He pulled the packet of cigarettes from his back pocket and with one threaded between his two fingers he raised it to his lips, lit his lighter and sucked in. The light took immediately and he rested back against the counter as he breathed out slow.

" 'louch, we have a lot of people in the house right now."

Not caring, Lelouch just watched the irritation spread on Suzaku's face. He swiped the bottle back off the table to make sure to keep it close. He was done with his drink mixing; right now he just wanted the high alcohol content that whiskey provided.

Suzaku was grinding his teeth so hard it was almost audible. "Look Lelouch. I know this party isn't exactly your idea of fun. But please, there is probably someone that is allergic. Now can you please just come out there with me? One hour then I'll send everybody home and we can do whatever you want to do for the rest of the night. I'm sorry. I thought you would enjoy this party for your birthday."

One finely eyebrow raised. Was that really the best attempt at diplomacy Suzaku had? Lelouch reminded himself that half a century ago he'd used this boy to murder anyone Lelouch wanted dead. Suzaku didn't have an ounce of diplomacy in his entire body.

"Fuck off, boy scout." Lelouch said with an eye roll. He raised the alcohol to his lips at the same moment he let the hand with the cigarette fall to the counter, He tipped the bottle up once it reached his lips and drank.

It was interrupted halfway through the first swallow as Suzaku jerked him again, latching onto the collar of the dark plum shirt Lelouch wore and hauling him closer.

"What the—" Lelouch hissed. Whiskey went everywhere the bottle dropped to the floor. The bottle sustained the fall but amber liquid poured out over the tile and around their shoes. He stated to snarl back when he looked up into those very calm and collected olive green eyes. Lelouch swallowed down again as he was faced with the person who hadn't always been his lover.

"Whatever the hell is wrong with you, cut it out, sober up, and get over it. This is not the appropriate time for you to be acting like this." Suzaku let Lelouch back down on the balls of his feet slow. He retrieved the bottle from the floor and slammed it into the sink.

Lelouch flinched as the glass cracked and scattered in the sink. Suzaku had already moved on though, taking the cigarette he dropped it to the tile flooring and ground it out.

This time when Suzaku touched him it was his hand that latched onto Lelouch's jaw, forcing Lelouch to look at him. "I'm going to go out there and make sure no one knows anything is wrong. And you are going to sober up and come out within five minutes." Lelouch noticed that he didn't tell him what would happen otherwise. But Lelouch was familiar enough with a Suzaku that had served him as the Knight of Zero and what he'd done to Lelouch then—to know he wouldn't like the outcome. Lelouch wasn't the only one that could be cruel.

"We'll tell everyone goodbye and thank you for coming and then you are going to tell me what this was all about. And don't worry about the mess, I'll make sure no one sees and we can clean it up later." Suzaku let go of him and left the room. He walked right through the puddle of alcohol and to the sliding doors. Pasting on a smile he slid the door shut right behind him.

Lelouch looked to the pieces of the whiskey bottle in the sink for a minute before he looked back to the door. There was a moment for Lelouch to collect his thoughts before he went to the sink and turned on the water, moving the faucet to stream into the adjacent sink. He washed his face, even took a drink of the water, and looked himself over to make sure he was proper and then Lelouch did exactly as Suzaku said and slid out the doors to his own party.

"Well?" Suzaku said. All the guests had left within the hour just as he had promised and now with the last one gone Suzaku had Lelouch in the living room, staring straight at him and looking for answers.

Lelouch didn't look up from the floor. It hadn't set in that his behavior had been so outrageous until he'd made it past the doors. The people that called themselves their friends had looked at him. They all gave him smiles—and then asked if he was okay.

"I—" Lelouch wasn't sure what to say. "That wasn't—"

"Just tell me what is going on with you." Suzaku said in a quiet tone. "You've been angry with me all week. You snap and growl and forget about any intimacy—all I get from you is ice and venom lately." Suzaku uncrossed his arms from over his chest, throwing them up in a gesture to show that he was done.

Lelouch lurched forward. It was probably a surprise as Lelouch wrapped his arms around Suzaku and pulled them flush against each other. "I love you." He spoke as he hid his face in Suzaku's shoulder. "Don't leave me."

Lelouch could feel Suzaku calm. He could feel as Suzaku's muscles relaxed and his arms finally went around Lelouch's shoulders. The sigh was audible as Suzaku yielded to everything that Lelouch was and he pressed a kiss to Lelouch's shoulder.

"I won't."

"Promise me." it was a hiss. "You won't ever leave me alone. I want a promise."

"Lelouch, I—" Suzaku faltered and tightened his arms around Lelouch's shoulders. "I can't promise that. I swear, I don't want this. I –I can't promise you something you already know can't be true."

They didn't speak for a long time. Lelouch knew Suzaku was already aware of the tears—so neither of them spoke of it. It was easier to just hold on to each other.

How many weeks in a row is this? I kind of feel like high fiving myself, haha! Oh and look out, another chapter from Major vs. Minor is written and coming soon. See yall next week.

~Reviews are Awesome!~