Special Thanks: EchizenRyomaLover, Wolf of Summer, LelouchMasters, Lovegranted, Lazy Gaga

Time

Part XXV

4/10/2012 8:58 PM

No matter how Lelouch had pleaded Suzaku left for work at the same time he usually did. Tired and sluggish he'd dragged himself through the front door as behind him Lelouch watched ready to pick his lover up and take him back to the house at any moment.

As it became more real of what was looming over them they had started to make preparations. Lelouch would have to leave the house once Suzaku was—gone. Any medical examination of Suzaku would be possibly devastating, so there was no way that Lelouch could be around if that ever came around, be it the next day or the next century. That required money. All spending had been cut to the minimum, and everything else had been placed in a safe place, in cash. Lelouch had arranged for a passport—not exactly for one Lelouch Lamprouge—as well as other critical items that were fraud in ID.

When Lelouch was sure that there was no chance that Suzaku would drive back up their road and back to him Lelouch finally turned back to the house and let his feet drag him back inside. The house was so—haunting.

To keep him busy, keep his mind from thinking at all. Lelouch started on the house, cleaning everything, meticulously organizing their things. He started in the kitchen and worked his way through the house. Charley had followed him from room to room, watching. She never rubbed up against him or approached whining for attention. She just trailed behind his footsteps.

It was when he entered their private bathroom connected to their bedroom that Lelouch was finally faced with his own reflection. His hair was unkempt for once, his cloths hastily chosen and pulled on. Lelouch wasn't sure the last time he'd shaved—four days? Five? The prickly stumble darkened along his jaw. He didn't want to see the dark marks under his eyes from lack of sleep or the sullen look his face had taken on from stress.

So instead of dwelling on it he moved to the sink. Almost immediately memory flashed, reminding Lelouch how he had tended to Suzaku over that very sink. He could remember the stain of blood in the white porcelain bowl. He could remember how Suzaku had looked pained as Lelouch had tried so hard to stop the bleeding. Lelouch swallowed and quickly bent to retrieve the cleaning supplies under the sink. He'd dealt with memories all over the house, he could do it again here.

As he straightened, placing the cleaner and a rag on the counter top, Lelouch's eyes caught a glimpse of the other side the sink. It was his side of the sink to be particular. Suzaku and his stuff never managed to stay separate any more but certain mannerisms had developed. One of those things had been that Lelouch took the left side of the sick while Suzaku took the right. It was easier for them to both stand at the counter then. It was the same for their dresser or their bed or even the couch.

And there on the left side of the counter was a small box. It was a jeweler's box, no bow, or meaningless frill. Just a pale blue box with a logo printed over the top.

Lelouch watched it for a moment. Then his hand struck out and he snatched the box to flip off the lid.

Sitting there was the pocket watch—polished, repaired and staring right up at him.

Lelouch stumbled a step back staring at the watch. His eyes widened and his hands struggled to find something to hold onto. His limbs became worthless as he found himself sinking to the floor. The watch still in the box landed on the floor as well. The box falling haphazard, the watch tumbled out unfortunately still within eye shot of Lelouch.

It hit harder this time as he curled around himself. The tears came easily and he hid his face with his hands. The sound of his sobs echoed through the room as he fell to pieces there across the bathroom floor. He shook and began to lean heavily against the wall, not daring to open his eyes again. He shook his head and his hands fisted in his hair. As if saying no to this would make it all stop or just go away. Nothing would make any of it stop. Nothing could make it all go away.

Lelouch was living through his worst fears.

Charley stepped over the watch as she padded into the bathroom. She didn't whine this time, only sat down next to the sobbing boy and leaned her weight against him.

Immediately, Lelouch clung to her, he pulled his fingers through her fur and buried his face at her neck. Still shaking and sobbing he stayed like that, taking little comfort, but letting for just once, letting himself fall to pieces, it was a moment that could be had in the dusk of the day.

When he heard Suzaku approach Lelouch didn't look up. He could hear the soft thudding of Suzaku's work boots against the tile , he could feel as his shadow was caste over his, but Lelouch didn't move. If anything he turned away, turning into the fur at Charley's neck.

When Suzaku sat down next to him on the bathroom floor Lelouch didn't look up either. It wasn't until he felt strong arms around him, tugging him up from his resting place alongside the dog that Lelouch gave a reluctant glance up. He looked back down as Suzaku directed him back against the wall to lean on his shoulder. The dog gave a whine from the floor, getting up as Lelouch was pulled away from her.

"Come here, girl." Suzaku murmured in a low voice, giving a light pat to on his leg

Of course, Charley immediately obeyed, going around their legs to take up Suzaku's other side.

It was silent in the small bathroom. Suzaku ran his hand over Charley's head and held tight around Lelouch's shoulders. Lelouch has latched on to his shirt, hiding his face in the crook of Suzaku's neck.

Unfortunately, Lelouch couldn't just let the matter lay. "Why did you give me a watch?" He hadn't meant for it to come out through gritted teeth, but nevertheless, it had.

A loud sigh was his initial answer and Lelouch shot back, rocking back on his heels, opening his mouth to hiss, when he noticed that Suzaku had the watch with him. It sat on the floor next to the dog. Lelouch hurling it to the ground hadn't hurt it, or at least it didn't look to have hurt it.

Following Lelouch's line of sight, Suzaku looked down at the watch as well. He stopped the calming movement of his fingers through Charley's fur to pick up the watch. He held it close to him, even taking his hand from Lelouch's shoulder to flip it over in his hand.

"This was my father's watch." Suzaku stated.

Lelouch pursed his lips. He already knew that. He'd heard the entire story behind the watch. There was a reason that out of everything they chucked out that was theirs—the watch hadn't been one of them.

"I didn't get to keep much when my father—when he died." Suzaku pursed, seeming to find the right words to say. "I didn't even get to keep many of my own things." Green eyes flicked up, catching Lelouch's gaze. "When I'm gone you won't get to keep much Lelouch."

It had already been decided what would have to be done once Suzaku was gone.

Suzaku looked back down this time, his hands moving across the silver back of the watch, and with a twist—he had the silver back off and resting it in his lap. "When I had the watch fixed I looked into a battery that I could get for it." He gave a chuckle glancing up for half a second. "It also has bullet proof glass now. Just in case, you know it may come in handy." He removed something, small and gold, with no logo printed on it just a serial number.

Suzaku shuffled closer to Lelouch, holding the watch out between them and taking Lelouch's hand. Startled Lelouch didn't pull away as Suzaku pressed the gold object in his hand. When Suzaku looked up, Lelouch was caught again, him mouth slightly ajar as his lover spoke.

"This is the battery." His voice cracked for just a moment and Suzaku was forced to look down, forced to blink to clear the tears. "To slide it into the watch is really simple, as well as sliding it out. The watch will start the second you want it to and it will stop the second you want it to."

The room was silent again as Suzaku looked back down, clearing his throat before he went on. "This battery will last exactly eighteen years." Suzaku closed Lelouch's hand around the battery. "I figured if it took C.c. that long to find you and to get her immortality taken away—than it was possible it would only take you that long as well."

Suzaku leaned forward, and Lelouch closed his eyes turning into his lover as Suzaku pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"In eighteen years, I am going to be there right where you will come through. I am going to be waiting. And you and I both know there is something after this so don't you dare spout some logical sarcastic crap anything off to me." Suzaku gave a chuckle. "At the eighteen year mark I will be there. I won't leave until I see you again. No matter how long you want to put it off, even if that means centuries."

Lelouch hated that all they seemed to do anymore is cry. He hated to cry any way. It was supposed to be Suzaku that was the cry baby and here he was—crying all the time. Rubbing his sleeve over his cheeks till they were red, Lelouch finally found he could speak. "So are you asking me to accept?"

A crinkly eyed, yet sad smile crossed Suzaku's face. "No, Your Highness, I'm telling you what I plan to do, whether or not you accept will be your decision."

Okay, so I'm playing with a few elements for these last few chapters and I'm not sure if they will work out or not, but if they do this will be a story with a nice little ending. If they don't work out—well it's not like this is getting published now is it?

~Reviews are Awesome!~