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Title: Triangular

Author: DnKS – giRLs

Rating: PG-13

Characters/Pairings: Schneizel-Suzaku-Lelouch

Disclaimer: Code Geass and all characters involved in it have never been ours and will never be ours and maybe it is for the best indeed

Warning: The genre said this story to be some romance drama with the added spice of yaoi. And the Lelouch agony continued in this fic. Honestly, we just love to torture that boy. We should repent for this, that's for sure…

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Chapter 8 – Disclosure

At the same moment when Suzaku conversed with Shirley, Schneizel vi Britannia was also trying to converse with his little brother. Trying being the key point here since the latter seemed unwilling to participate in any mean of conversation. The point was clearly announced by Lelouch's act of simply sitting on the plush mauve sofa with an open book on his lap, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

Schneizel watched Lelouch with a growing apprehension in him. He had noticed that there was something off with his brother. That was why after he finished his class he dragged Lelouch to his quarter, giving no room for argument. Lelouch did give no argument, yet he also gave nothing to dissolve the uptight silence between them.

He had been around Lelouch for quite some time that he knew it was surely quite a big problem that his brother was hiding from him. With two cups of tea, he approached his brother. Placing the cups on the table he then addressed Lelouch gently.

"Lelouch," he said. "Your tea."

His brother looked up and smiled at him. "Thank you, onii-sama."

Seeing how Lelouch smiled that smile like nothing was wrong when actually it was anything but, he felt his mouth tighten. He was saddened at seeing his brother like that. Lelouch was strong, he knew that, but even the strongest would break if they kept all the things bothering them inside.

He would never let Lelouch break.

He sat on Lelouch's side and observed him as his brother put his book down before he sipped on his tea. It was no good trying to beat around the bush. Sometimes, the wisest movement was to dive head on to the problem.

"Lelouch," he said. "Something is bothering you."

The faint halt of Lelouch's hand as he placed his cup back to the table did not go unnoticed by him.

"You are being overly worried again, onii-sama," Lelouch said calmly. "I'm not saying I have no problem, of course I have some. But I can handle them on my own."

That, he realized, was Lelouch's way of politely refusing his interfering with his affair. But he would not have it. He could see something in his brother was tormenting him. And from what he gathered, it was somehow connected with Suzaku.

"I am sure about that," he said. "But perhaps you have such great problem that I wish you would gladly share with me… or would you prefer Suzaku to me?"

Lelouch's face stilled, "There was none."

That confirmed there was really something, and that something involved one named Suzaku Kururugi. Schneizel thought he might know what happened between Lelouch and Suzaku. He had feared it might happen between them.

"There was something between you and Suzaku," he said sternly and Lelouch flinched visibly under his gaze.

"I told you that I could handle my problems, onii-sama," Lelouch said, avoiding his point. "Honestly, why are you so sure that I have such big problem…?"

"That tea is Darjeeling," Schneizel said calmly, his eyes hard. "And you did not notice. You have been reading a book about Gramsci's political ideas and I know you do not share his opinions. You never once saw Suzaku in the eyes during my class. Lelouch, I can point out yet more things but I guess it's futile. You know as well as I do that you are hiding something and that something somehow is connected with Suzaku Kururugi."

"Onii-sama, please…" Lelouch was whimpering then, and all he wanted was to embrace him.

"Lelouch," Schneizel said, pining his brother down with his gaze. He would not let Lelouch get away so easily. "It pains me to see you like this. Do you no longer deem me worthy to know your problems?"

His brother was silent after he finished his question. On Lelouch's face was a look of distress, as if he was trying hard to decide how he should answer to that question. He looked about ready to cry, and Schneizel, who could not remember any occasion in which Lelouch actually cried since his brother was ten years old, took that as the indication of how grave the situation seemed to be.

"Schneizel onii-sama," Lelouch said softly and slowly to him, eyes riveted to his lap so that part of his face was hidden in the shadow of his silky black hair. "I am terribly sorry for making you worry over me. I am terribly sorry for being such a nuisance to you. I am aware that my condition is not at its very best; I in my weak moment have let my problems overwhelm me. I promise you I will be strong. I promise you I will solve my problems. I promise that you will not have to worry over me again. Schneizel onii-sama, I…"

He did not let Lelouch finish his sentence. With one sweeping motion, he gathered Lelouch using one of his arms. Gently he placed his brother's head against his shoulder. His fingers were then running through Lelouch's strands of hair, those midnight black tresses that never failed to remind him of their mother. Before finally, he placed his palm over Lelouch's eyes, forcing his brother to close his amazingly bright amethyst eyes as he whispered to him.

"Lelouch," he whispered gently. "I have promised you first, have I not, that I will take care of you? So don't ever think that you could be a nuisance to me."

He then moved his palm that was covering Lelouch's eyes onto his chin. With a gentle tilt, he leaned Lelouch's face so his brother was looking up straight into his eyes. He smiled tenderly.

"I am your brother, Lelouch," he said. "So please let me do my task as one, let me help you when you are in troubles."

Lelouch stared dumbfounded for a moment before a look of distress flashed on his face.

"I don't think you can help me in this, onii-sama," he said at last, and Schneizel felt like rejoicing for Lelouch finally was willing to tell him his problems. "I have made such a terrible mistake…"

"A terrible mistake…?" he inquired. He moved his arm so it circled around Lelouch's shoulders, giving him support to continue. He felt like he knew where it would lead to.

"A very terrible mistake of betraying the one I thought as my best friend, my Suzaku," Lelouch said softly. "I am in love, onii-sama."

He chose not to remark on that sentence. If anything, he had already guessed that much. Yet loving someone would not make Lelouch so upset, unless…

"I have loved him since a long time ago, ever since he reentered my life," Lelouch continued with a smile at his memory. "But I never thought that it would put him into such difficult position. I should have known better. I shouldn't have told him and made him so distressed over my stupid confession. I should have just let things remain like how it was, forever… so I would not lose him… so I… can still be his best friend… loving him, without wanting anything in return. I should have done that, onii-sama, I know, but I just…"

That confirmed his suspicion. He knew there was something deeper between Lelouch and Suzaku. However, he never considered it might lead to this depression that his brother seemed to be experiencing.

Lelouch was an ambitious person, he knew that. If his brother wanted something, he would try his best to get it. But Lelouch was also a selfless soul in loving. He had seen how his brother loved their mother, how he loved their father, how he loved Nunnally and Rolo, even he noticed how Lelouch loved him. When Lelouch loved someone, he would love them to the point of sacrificing himself for the sake of the one he loved.

Yet the situation with Suzaku confused him. Why Lelouch suddenly confessed to Suzaku was the first thing that bothered him. The timing was off. He could see why Lelouch confessed to Suzaku. He knew just from looking at his brother how much he loved Suzaku Kururugi. But he could not see why Lelouch chose the time to reveal his love to Suzaku. Lelouch was a man of great consideration. Should he want to make such big revelation like that, he would surely prepare the stage for that purpose. The abrupt sense in which Lelouch did his confession confused him.

And the second thing that confused him was why—from what he could gather—Suzaku apparently turned Lelouch down. If anything, it was more than obvious that Suzaku loved his brother. He knew that from the times he spent with said boy. He knew how Suzaku cherished Lelouch. And seeing how he cherished his brother made him cherish Suzaku in return. Lelouch had brought him and Suzaku together and he was glad for that because in Suzaku he found someone worthy of his respect.

Suzaku loved Lelouch. Schneizel knew that and he respected him for that. So why did he seem not to return the affection Lelouch presented to him?

"You love Suzaku Kururugi," he said softly. It was more of a statement than a question, but Lelouch felt the need to make his affirmation.

"Yes," Lelouch said. "I love him, so much I love him that I told him so. I love him enough to say that I will continue loving him even though he does not feel the same toward me. But I love him too much to actually mean it."

"Could I take from your words," Schneizel said carefully. "That he was not taking your confession in a good way?"

He saw Lelouch giving a bitter chuckle.

"If you can say that giving no response means 'not taking it in a good way' then yes," Lelouch said. "But four days of silence justifies a clear rejection, I presume."

So Suzaku had not yet given his answer, he thought. No wonder his brother was so distressed. In some matters, clear rejections were better than no answer. But surely he did not want his brother to receive such bitter rejection from Suzaku.

Or did he?

He frowned as he scrutinized Lelouch's face. He noticed how his brother looked paler than usual, if that was even possible. He loved Lelouch; he never wanted him to be hurt. Would a person named Suzaku Kururugi be his brother's happiness or would he be the downfall of his brother? He loved Lelouch; he would never let him get hurt. If Suzaku could not make things right by himself and only hurt his brother further, he would take the matter into his own hands. He loved Lelouch; he would make sure his brother never get hurt.

He frowned. His mind was already busy with calculation.

"You love Suzaku so much," he said. "I find myself a bit jealous."

The dread he spotted passing over Lelouch's face was enough to make him frown deeper. And it added up to his list of question. Why did Lelouch react so strongly over his statement? But the answer came as quickly as the question formed in his mind.

He smirked in his heart. So that was the reason why Lelouch decided to confess in such an unpredictable time. It seemed his Lelouch was not unaffected by the emotion called jealousy.

"Jealous?" Lelouch said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Why should you?"

It was then Schneizel decided to make his killing move. It was the perfect time to give Lelouch the answer that he had been keeping for years in him.

"Because I love you, Lelouch vi Britannia," he said clearly and sincerely. "As a brother loves, there I love you. But also as a lover loves, there I love you."

Schneizel watched how his words took effect on Lelouch. His brother's eyes displayed his inner emotion that went from the initial state of bitterness to confusion to bewilderment in the matter of seconds. It always delighted him how Lelouch could make a perfect mask of indifference with his face most of the time yet his beautiful eyes never failed to show every emotions his dear brother was having within.

"Onii-sama," Lelouch said with a slight tremble in his voice. "Your joke has carried too far this time…"

"If I want to make it a joke I would make sure to let you know in advance, Lelouch," he said coldly.

"But… no, onii-sama, you cannot…" Lelouch said with his expression looked so lost and full of disbelief. The tears that threatened to fall from Lelouch eyes finally rolled on his cheeks. He watched calmly as his brother was silently crying. It hurt him to see Lelouch cried but he also knew that Lelouch deserved to know the truth.

He loved Lelouch. That was the truth. It was a bit disheartening to him in knowing that Lelouch had such a hard time believing his words. He had loved Lelouch as his brother for so long. Yet he also could not deny that he loved him more than he should love him in his capacity as a brother. For so long he kept it inside him. He was content should Lelouch know nothing of his feeling. He was content should Lelouch love another. But he was anything but content when he saw how Lelouch was practically hurting. He was wrong to let the matter progressed without his interfering. He had decided that he should take the matter into his own hands. And the first step to do that was by making Lelouch understand how he really loved him.

"Is it so hard to believe?" he asked gently, his thumb wiped the tears from Lelouch's cheeks. "Do you find it so implausible that I love you?"

Lelouch gave no answer. His brother was only looking up at him, his eyes silently questioned him. He sighed.

"Before I left you, I already loved you," he explained. "Or at least I had the distinct impression that I might love you. Yet that time, I also had to pursue my future. You were young, I was only someone still unsure on my feelings toward you, and I also had my future to consider. I figured that it would be best to leave and reach my dreams first and in the meantime I should also let time reveal what it had in store for me."

Lelouch turned his face from him. "And given time…?"

"And given time, I found that I really do love you," he smiled to Lelouch. With his fingers he turned Lelouch's face to meet his. "Yet I am content, Lelouch, should you love another. I am content never to reveal this to you. I am content should you find your happiness in another. But I cannot bear to see you saddened like this. I want you to be happy but I was wrong to entrust such important matter like your happiness onto the hands of others without playing a part in it. Your happiness is also my responsibility and I will not stand still, not again now, I will do my best so you can get your much deserved happiness. This I promise you."

The silence that followed his words was not unexpected. Schneizel knew it was too much to hope that Lelouch would give him any kind of response right away. At the very least, his brother did not seem to take his words badly. At the very least, Lelouch was not showing any indication of anger nor resentment toward him.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grasping the fabric of his white suit. He looked down and found that Lelouch's right hand was clutching a handful of shirt against his chest.

"I don't know how I should respond to that, onii-sama," Lelouch softly said.

"I do not expect any particular response myself," he said. "I just want you to know, Lelouch, that when you turn your head, I will be there for you, when you fall, I will catch you, and when everything goes terribly wrong, your Schneizel onii-sama will surely set things right for you."

There was a smile on Lelouch's face after he said that. It was a small smile yet Schneizel knew it was an honest one. And it was more precious than anything.

"I know that, Schneizel onii-sama," Lelouch said. "Thank you."

Seeing that smile, he could not help but smiling in return. Grateful that his brother seemed to be better, he then lowered his face and kissed Lelouch gently, ever so gently, on his forehead. He remembered the numerous occasions he had kissed his brother's forehead but he made sure that this time, Lelouch could feel his every emotion there, his love, his concern, his sincerity that he had for him.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked Lelouch, staring right into his eyes.

"Somewhat, yes," Lelouch answered, and he could see from his eyes that he was being honest. But he could also see how tired his brother was. He surely did not have enough sleep lately. When Lelouch had problems, he tended to veer into the borderline of self destruction in the form of skipping meals and sleep deprivation.

"You look tired," he said. "Do you fancy a nap? I can inform your professor that you are feeling unwell and I can ask for today's notes from your friend. They give such a comfortable bed to us, professors; I think you will hardly find any fault in mine."

Lelouch chuckled lightly, "I think I will hardly find any fault even if I am to sleep on the floor. I am so tired…"

"Do you want me to carry you to bed, then?" he teased. "I know it has been years since the last time I carried you in my arms but I am quite sure my arms are still up to having such lightweight burden such as your body in them."

"Onii-sama!" Lelouch yelped. "I can find my way on my own, thank you very much."

He gave a light chuckle as he ruffled Lelouch's hair. He was pleased that Lelouch seemingly had regained a part of his normal self. With a gentle squeeze on Lelouch's shoulder he hauled his brother to his feet. Without further ado he walked Lelouch to his bed, knowing that Lelouch was in an urgent need of rest. Tucking him to bed like how he used to do in the past, he was again reminded that even though Lelouch had grown up to be a fine young man, in his heart he still thought of Lelouch as his precious little baby brother.

"Sleep tight, brother," he said to the already sleeping Lelouch. His brother had to be really tired for he fell asleep as soon as his body hit the bed. Thankfully Lelouch had managed to get rid of his shoes and belt before he climbed into his oversized bed. And now he was sound asleep amidst the white bed sheets, peaceful for the first time in days of late.

Schneizel kept his vigil on the bedside for some time. His mind was busy, trying to sort things that had just been revealed to him. From his conversation, Schneizel knew that Lelouch was distressed on thinking that Suzaku did not appreciate his affection, but Schneizel knew better. He knew that Suzaku loved Lelouch. Anything that might cause Suzaku not to respond kindly to Lelouch's confession was surely not because he did not love Lelouch in return.

"He's probably just too dense to realize," Schneizel said to himself. Indeed, Suzaku could be so dense over several matters; he himself had known that during their time together. Yet his being such an idiot could not justify his action. Suzaku had hurt Lelouch, whether he realized it or not, and that should not go unpunished.

And yet…

Schneizel sighed as he stood up from the bed. Carefully so that he would not wake his brother, he exited the room. Once he was outside, he proceeded to his study. His steps were measured yet there was a sense of anxiety in his every step. Schneizel vi Britannia was anxious, because he was forced to admit something regarding one certain person named Suzaku Kururugi.

As soon as he entered his study, he approached his desk. Slumping to his leather chair in front of his laptop, Schneizel drowned himself in deep thought. He knew Suzaku had hurt Lelouch yet he could not really bring himself to hate him. Suzaku Kururugi, that person whom he just met a little over a month ago, had managed to claim a reserved spot in his heart. Within such short period of time, he had found himself taking a great liking to the emerald eyed young man. In Suzaku he had found an undying flame that intrigued him, a passionate heart that moved him, and an unyielding determination that pleased him. He cherished Suzaku, he respected him, and he was fond of him. Suzaku Kururugi had become someone dear to him and so he could not really bring himself to hate him.

He chuckled a little over that. "It seems I can perfectly understand why you love that person, dear brother," he whispered thoughtfully. "Because I think I might share your feeling in this aspect."

Schneizel never thought that he might get entangled in such complicated love net, with his brother and the one whom his brother apparently loved, no less. But he welcomed challenge. The situation might seem dire and hopeless for him but he was sure he could come out victorious from it. With the current situation between Lelouch and Suzaku, he knew it seemed nearly impossible for him to set things right to follow his scheme. Yet should he practiced his moves carefully, he knew in the end the result would be to his utmost benefit. He had all the cards in his hands. And he had begun his first move by revealing his feeling to Lelouch. That was a nice opening for the stage he was preparing.

He smirked. Yes, should he move carefully, everything would go like what he had planned. And for the next move…

"Well," he said with such a calculating smile placed innocently upon his lips. "I presume a field trip would not hurt…"

- end chapter 8 –

(A/N: yes, we have Schneizel here. More things got revealed and this story is getting closer to the finale. As always we cherish every review you might give us and we thank you for supporting this story all along. May you have a Happy New Year and should this fic manage to brighten your day even a bit, it will surely be our greatest delight to know.)