I feel so mean for two reasons! I didn't update last week at all AND this chapter is mean and makes me feel guilty sometimes. So I now promise you all another update this week to compensate for the lack thereof for last week! (Excuse me for 'nerding out' with the piano part. I just love them so much!) I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may catch. Please let me know!
Just in case this is helpful for this chapter: Marianne was still assassinated, Lelouch and Nunnally are royalty (though still in secret), and so on and so forth.
Disclaimer because I haven't in a while: I do not own anything, but I like to pretend to when I dream.
Chapter 8- The Theatrical Valentine's Day Surprise
Lelouch's fever had easily blown off within two days, quite the record for the weak immune system Lelouch had. It was now just days from Valentine's Day, the day Lelouch had been secretly waiting for. He personally wasn't sure why he enjoyed the holiday so much—perhaps it was the enthusiasm with which Suzaku celebrated it every year, even before they'd been together.
Lelouch also didn't quite know what they were doing on that day, either. Suzaku had refused to allow him to buy him anything, which he unfortunately had to agree to, because sneaking out would be rather difficult with the monitors Sayoko and Suzaku had on him constantly.
He sighed as he changed the channel on the TV, but as he was flipping the channels, he suddenly realized he hadn't played the piano once since Suzaku had arrived back home a few months prior.
Lelouch jumped from his feet and strode through his home to the room reserved strictly for the black grand piano he'd saved from the dumps of Ashford Academy. The school hadn't been using it and was planning on simply throwing it away, but Lelouch asked Milly for it, and she agreed on a whim. It now sat in a room all by itself, not counting the curtains that fluttered inward from the elongated windows behind them, a stream of light hitting the keys of the piano; almost like a spotlight.
Lelouch found himself sitting at the piano before he could correctly process it, and closed his eyes with a smile as his hands found the correct keys from old memory. A song he'd taken a liking to seeped through the back of the beautiful instrument as he pumped the piano strong and hard, his right hand ting most of the piece.
The song had a mournful tint buried deep within its sound that always caught Lelouch's attention, but when it reached a powerful middle section that was quite difficult, he opened his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed, a frown hitting his face as if emulating the music in his expression. Despite having not remembered all of the notes and sections, he continued it through, not stopping after a mistake and sliding through it.
It softened down once again, and the anger dissipated from his face as it calmed. He slowed it down, slower than the score had ever said to go, but it felt right to him as he slipped his fingers up and down the smooth keys, his body swaying only slightly to the tune as it slowed to the end. The last notes faded off, a silence reigning over the room, before he heard Suzaku say, "I haven't heard you play in I don't even know how long."
Lelouch whipped his head back in the direction of Suzaku's voice to find him standing behind him, leaning against the wall. "How long have you been here?" He asked, his head twisted around to at least look to Suzaku with one eye.
"Since you were at the beginning. I came in quietly." Suzaku said before walking over beside Lelouch and sitting next to him on the piano stool. "Play some more?" Suzaku asked, and Lelouch put his hands back at the piano keys and started another, much more modern piece.
Suzaku watched in wonderment as his lover's hands glided over the keys, stroking just the correct ones in just the correct order with a soft push. The two hands mirrored each other's noise before the left was lead astray, while the right continued onward. An eerie waltz emitted from the piano before it became a bit more hopeful, with just a bit of remorse.
The chorus reappeared, stronger and louder this time, and then staccato and precise.
A new interlude came to be, this one a bit more happy and hopeful than the last, before again, the chorus boomed and interrupted and repeated itself once more. Until finally, it simply faded out, but it did not seem finished as Lelouch removed his hands prematurely.
"Where is the end?" Suzaku asked ly, before Lelouch smiled down at the piano's keys lovingly.
"There is no end, yet." Lelouch said simply.
"No end? How does a musician not finish a song?" Suzaku asked, his eyes showing confusion.
"He hasn't thought of what happens next. A song is a story, Suzaku. The story has yet to end." He said, looking into Suzaku's eyes. "Soon enough." He whispered as he leaned on Suzaku's shoulder.
Suzaku put his arm around Lelouch's waist and held his stomach gently.
"Tell me when it's finished, Lulu." Suzaku whispered, and Lelouch looked up to Suzaku's face with confusion.
"Lulu? I thought only Shirley called me that." He asked.
"I've taken a liking to it, is all." Suzaku said while shrugging, and Lelouch repositioned himself in Suzaku's shoulder. The couple stayed this way for a while, before Lelouch yawned and draped himself over Suzaku's lap.
"I'm always so tired…" Lelouch complained, and Suzaku took it as an excuse to pull him up bridal style in his arms and kiss him on the forehead.
"I know; you'll just have to bear it." Suzaku said, and Lelouch moaned before snuggling up to Suzaku's chest. Suzaku chuckled and carried him over to the couch, repositioning him so that Lelouch was lying across his lap, his head resting on his chest. Suzaku pulled an arm from beneath them and put his hand on Lelouch's stomach.
Lelouch sighed and held Suzaku's hand in place for a while, before speaking again. "She's been kicking a lot today." He nearly whispered.
"Oh? So you think it's a gi rl?" Suzaku asked.
"I'm pretty sure." Lelouch responded, his head straining upward so as to get a glimpse of Suzaku's eyes.
Before Suzaku could talk again, he felt the light kick of the baby that nearly made Lelouch yelp in surprise. "See?" He said with irritation. "She likes to get me when I'm not expecting it." Suzaku chuckled and kissed Lelouch's head.
"I highly doubt she's doing it just to bother you." He said, running a hand through Lelouch's hair.
"Yes she is." Lelouch fought back, glaring up at Suzaku as he crossed his legs and sat up. "I shouldn't sleep, else I won't fall asleep at night when I'm supposed to." Lelouch said as he let his head fall over the top of the couch with his eyes closed and moaned again.
"Have you been thinking of names?" Suzaku asked, and Lelouch shook his head.
"No, I was kind of just planning on going with the 'decide when she's born' theory. Why, have you?" Lelouch asked, his pupils sliding lazily in his direction.
"Oh, names? I've a lot of them!" They both heard Nunnally yell over with glee as she rolled into the home with Shirley in tow.
"Oh really now? And what would they be?" Lelouch asked over the couch with a smile.
"Well, we could name him Julius, or Sebastian, or maybe Xavier!" Lelouch and Suzaku both laughed at the names Nunnally had been thinking of.
"I'm pretty sure it's a gi rl, Nunnally." Lelouch said, but Nunnally pouted at the notion.
"No, I think it's a boy!" Nunnally revolted, and could she have stomped her foot, she would have. Lelouch laughed jovially with Suzaku before Shirley leaned into the room.
"I don't know, Nunnally, I think Lulu would know best. He is carrying the thing around all the time." She said with an apologetic gaze directed for Nunnally, who whined.
"Oh, fine, I'll just think of some feminine names from now on." She stated, faking dissatisfaction.
"Thank you very much, Nunnally." Lelouch said while Nunnally scoffed and had herself pushed from the scene by Sayoko.
Shirley remained, chatting quietly with Suzaku while Lelouch sat at the couch, reacquainting with his tiredness. He leaned over, resting his head on the arm of the couch and curling his legs up behind him. Within moments he'd acci dentally fallen asleep.
Shirley continued her conversation with Suzaku before cutting herself off with, "Suzaku, is Lulu asleep already?"
Suzaku, noticing his lover's extremely heavy breathing and peaceful expression, laughed quietly. "Yes, I think he is."
Shirley shook Lelouch's arm gently. "Luluuuuu?" She said playfully with a giggle attached on the end, and Suzaku went for gold and quickly jolted Lelouch's sides just barely above the hip, a dangerously ticklish spot on Lelouch's body, as he'd recently discovered.
Lelouch's body writhed with a loud yelp at the stabbing of his hips and grabbed for the hands responsible before he even opened his eyes. "Suzaku!" Lelouch said, exasperated.
Suzaku burst into fits of giggles and laughter as he said, "I couldn't resist. Besides, you were the one that didn't want to go back to sleep." He said plainly, and Lelouch smacked him in the head with a nearby magazine.
"You didn't have to hit my tickle spot!" He yelled in a shrill tone, and Shirley giggled at the fact that Lelouch had just seriously referred to it as his 'tickle spot'.
The four friends eventually did have dinner together at the Lamperouge suite, all smiles and laughter and a few games of 'Tease the Pregnant One', as Lelouch thought it to be in the deep confinements of his mind. The night was ended quite early for Lelouch, who'd complained of exhaustion before the day was even old, and Shirley got going soon after.
"Suzaku, have you been thinking of names?" Nunnally whispered, as they were spending a bit of time together before bed.
"A few…" Suzaku said, aloof. "I don't know, it all depends on what Lelouch wants, but I've been thinking on a few."
"Can I know at least one? Please?" Nunnally begged, her voice whining in anticipation. Suzaku chuckled briefly.
"Well, I like Madeleine, myself." He said, and Nunnally clapped.
"That's a pretty name, Suzaku!" She said, excited.
"You think so?" He asked with a smile, not expecting an answer, but he called for Sayoko as he stated, "Nunnally, it's late and a school night, you should get to bed right away."
"You too, Suzaku; I'm not the only one who needs to go to bed earlier." She nagged, and Suzaku laughed once more as he parted ways with Nunnally and started to climb the staircase to Lelouch's room.
"Goodnight, Nunnally." He said quietly, and she nodded and replied with a light,
"And you too, Suzaku."
Valentine's Day had started off wonderfully for Lelouch. Suzaku and Nunnally had made an effort to make him breakfast in bed, which he shared with them as well. They all had a picnic upon Lelouch's bed before Nunnally and Suzaku had left for school.
Lelouch made an effort to spend a long time at the piano that day, playing the many cheerful songs he had in his mind's database to the baby kicking away inside of him. He laughed when she made quite a fuss as he played one of his favorite songs.
"You like that one?" He asked his stomach, which seemed to reply with a final jolt. "Look at me, talking to my stomach." He laughed softly and continued playing.
The day went by quicker than usual as he spent the day with excitement bubbling in his stomach at the mere thought of Suzaku. He didn't quite know why, but he was irrationally happier and excited about nothing on this Valentine's Day.
"I blame Suzaku." He muttered, and when he got a stern kick in response, he said, "You agree."
Milly Ashford was going crazy with excitement today. Her excellent, mischievous plan was going to work out flawlessly, and it was going to be beautiful.
"Suzaku," Milly began, a smirk on her face, "Shouldn't you be spending this day with Lulu?" She asked.
"He made me come to school today." Suzaku said disdainfully.
Milly clicked her tongue in disapproval. "You shouldn't have listened, Suzu!" Suzaku winced at the use of that nickname Milly had taken a liking to.
Soon afterward Suzaku had taken his leave and gone off for morning classes, leaving Milly with some material to work with.
Lelouch had, despite the strict rule against it, gone outside.
It was just for a little while, mostly because it was freezing. But the cool air whipping at his face made him feel rejuvenated, as if he really needed this.
He sat on his steps, his arms hugging himself for warmth. He breathed in the life of the outdoors, slowly and carefully, so as to absorb it all before he had to return to his confinement indoors for the next three months.
Unfortunately, a scream pierced his peace as he opened his eyes wide to find a with one hand covering her mouth, the other pointing at his stomach. Lelouch's face paled as he squeezed his arms together, so as to try to hide the obvious.
The ran off before she could even hear him yell a desperate, "Wait!" And he nearly fell backward in defeat.
Suzaku, Sayoko, or both were going to kill him.
Milly ran to the Student Council room in a crazed hurry. She burst into the room and ran for the PA system. A few calming breaths were made before she turned it on and began her speech.
"Well, Ashford Academy, today is Valentine's Day! And you know what that means! Milly Ashford's super-exclusive Valentine's Day scoop! I'm sure you all remember Lelouch Lamperouge, the Vice President of our beloved Student Council!" A few screams could be heard across the premises.
"Well, his lover Suzaku is here, at school! On Valentine's Day! Without Lelouch! We need to fix this!!" Cheers roared along the hallways, and Milly turned off the PA system with a smile of victory adorning her face.
Suzaku, far away in his classes, was eyed by just about every female in the room with evil glances. The gi rls to his right and left were first to attack. They grabbed his arms and pulled him out of the room, down the hallways and before he could understand his shoes were dragging in mud through the gardens.
A huge crowd of people was marching behind the s holding him still as they dragged him across the grounds, and he realized with dread that they were taking him to Lelouch's home.
Suddenly, a loud scream came from the Lamperouge suite, and Suzaku's heart sunk with dread. "Damn it!" He yelled, but it was lost in the din of screams and cheers as he tried to break free. There were too many hands holding him in place. Just when everything seemed to be hopeless, he heard the crowd go absolutely silent, and Lelouch's voice whimpered a painfully scared,
"Suzaku?"
It was then that the crowd began to scream in shock and confusion, most of the group not even sure what had happened at the front of Lelouch's house. It was here that nearly the entire student body, all at once, saw Lelouch's pregnant stomach.
Suzaku ripped himself free from the weakened arms holding him captive and threw himself up the stairs to Lelouch, who was visibly shaking. He took him in his arms protectively, and helped Lelouch down as they both slid to the ground at the mass of screaming, yelling people.
Lelouch's eyes were wide as he grabbed for his ears, hoping to stop his extremely painful migraine from hurting any worse, trying to stop the growing images projecting in his mind. Broken glass and blo od was everywhere in sight. He couldn't escape the realistic replay from his memory as it paused itself on the image of his mother and Nunnally on that staircase. The blo od, it wouldn't stop!
"Let me through! Move it!" Milly pushed her way through the crowd, but her yells were melted into the calamity as she finally reached the end of the mob and found the two lovers crouched on the ground. The crowd then quieted down eerily, and the grounds were absolutely silent as Milly stepped toward Suzaku, and it was then that she finally realized that a shivering gasping Lelouch was hiding under his arms.
"Suzaku, I-" Milly tried to speak, but Suzaku cut her off violently.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Milly?!" He screamed, his eyes opened wide as he lifted his head in her direction, revealing a trembling head with hands clenched tightly to his ears beneath Suzaku's protective chest, as if still trying to fight an unheard shriek in his ears.
"Lulu?" Suzaku heard Shirley nearly whisper as she stepped from the crowd, and Lelouch's head snapped up at the soft patter of her shoe, giving Milly a full blow of guilt. The panic in his eyes was so strong as tears leaked from them rapidly, his lower lip quivering like most of his body.
Lelouch's hands slowly removed themselves from his head, shaking so badly they fluttered up and down raggedly before clenching so tightly blo od seeped from his palms. His pupils shot up to Milly's, still nearly hyperventilating in fear as Suzaku tried to calm him down, whispering incoherent things into his ears. Lelouch's eyes caught the blo od on his hands, causing his fit to increase in severity.
"No, no, no, no…" Milly could hear Lelouch muttering as he rocked back and forth in Suzaku's arms. Lelouch's voice increased in volume through each muttered phrase. "NO!" He screamed, clutching Suzaku's clothing with the bleeding palms.
"They're going to… They'll take her away, no, no, no!" Lelouch said into Suzaku's chest before throwing his head back in a blo odcurdling screech that nearly made Milly collapse right there.
"They can't take her! They can't take her! They can't take her from me!" It was then that Lelouch finally quit screaming to himself and struggled to breathe through wracking sobs as he slid down Suzaku's front, his hands ceasing to grip his clothing. "Blo od… so much blo od!" He croaked just loud enough to be caught by nearby ears. Suzaku pulled the wrecked Lelouch into his arms with a powerful glare directed straight at Milly as he carried Lelouch into their home slowly and carefully. The door was slammed before anyone could say a word.
Suzaku then struggled to calm him down as he hiccupped huge exhausting sobs and chokes in his arms, and it was then that Suzaku realized how it felt to be useless. The most he could do was hug him and whisper sweet nothings in his ears, hoping to stop what he was probably reliving.
Suzaku had guessed that the loud screams had triggered some sort of remembrance of an experience, causing him to tune everything but his own hallucinations out. He shuddered himself as he realized that what Lelouch had been reliving was most likely the assassination of his mother and crippling of his sister. Now, the hallucinations must have made him fear for their baby, the 'her' he'd repeatedly referred to. Or perhaps the 'her' was Nunnally, legs bleeding from beneath their mother, or maybe even the corpse of their mother as Nunnally quivered beneath it, on that fateful day of the past.
"Suzaku… Suzaku!" Lelouch began to repeatedly gasp, and Suzaku tried his hardest to snap him out of it.
"Lelouch, it's alright, no one's going to take her away!" He had to say over the yells that had resumed outside that were seeping through the walls, and Lelouch's desperate whimpers and breaths.
"No, they will! They won't let me…" He trailed off, his breathing decreasing just slightly.
"Lelouch!" Suzaku yelled, and grabbed Lelouch's face in a final attempt to stop the madness and forced him to look in his eyes. His lover's panic-stricken face melted into that of confusion, and Lelouch finally began to simply cry into his chest. Suzaku sighed and held Lelouch's head to him, stroking his silky dark hair, which seemed to calm the boy down into a light slumber.
Suzaku laid Lelouch to rest on his bed, and wiped the tears that were still pouring down his cheeks from Lelouch's face with his thumb before lying beside him, his arms encompassing him like a guardian.
No one dared to disturb them in the mob of people outside their door that soon dissipated into just the Student Council, all eerily standing together in front of their home.
I left you off in a mean spot, didn't I? I hope this wasn't so cruel as to turn you all away. Thanks for reading and, uh, please review? (Don't hurt me!) I hope you weren't too distracted by the rapid changes of point of view at that middle-end part. It was just the style it ended up in, I suppose.
Code Geass and all of its attributes (c) Sunrise/CLAMP/Bandai Entertainment/Goro Taniguchi.
