tampered | [log] [complete] [backlog]

When; May 21, Evening ♥ [backlog]
Rating; PG
Characters; Suzaku Kururugi [suzaku_11] & Lelouch Lamperouge [lel0uch]
Summary; A little midnight stroll, a chat, and more than one lie. ♥
Log;

The previous several days had been weird. Suzaku felt like he had been catapulted back to his world, but a different version of his world; one where there was no war, no Elevens, and things like that. It had been really nice though he admitted to himself, he wouldn't trade his life for that life. Things needed to be accepted and changed, not ignored and changed like that. He looked at the lake before him and smiled. The night was peaceful. For now, he was content to stay like this. Tomorrow, and he was sure he was himself again, he would go out and look for a way back again. He scratched his head. He really needed to find a way back. He was procrastinating too much. Euphie must be worried for him now. He'd find a way to get the Lancelot back, somehow.No use getting depressed about that! He jumped to the ground and gave the lake one last look before heading to his makeshift home, which really was a small shack he'd made from pieces of wood and that he'd covered with leaves. A fire would be nice, he thought.

Running around campus in the frenzy of completing Student Council work as well as rushing to classes and studying for final exams had pretty much been Lelouch's life back home. Of course, working under Millay's unique presidency as well as Rivalz and Shirley's company had given their council a much more lively feel, even stress had rolled easily off his shoulders with their crazy antics of getting him into a kitty outfit. He would miss those days, Lelouch knew things wouldn't be the same again when he returned if ever. Time would have passed, his Black Knights' loyalties might have been swayed or worst, one of the idiots might have tried something on their own. C.C., most importantly C.C. might have found a new heir to inherit the geass abilities. If she had moved on from Mao, there was nothing to guarantee she would stay waiting for him even if promises had been made.He kicked a loose pebble angrily. He had been so certain that there would be nothing to stand in his way after he received those powers, even before them he had planned to crush Britannia on his own no matter what they threw at him. Now? How was he supposed to even touch them in an alternative world he couldn't even map out? At least he wasn't the only one. His thoughts flew to Suzaku and his trapped Knightmare frame, they were the biggest opposition to him so far. If Suzaku was here, it meant he couldn't interfere with anything at home. His rebellion would move on.

Just as Lelouch was thinking about him, Suzaku found his thoughts curiously drifting back to his old childhood friend. He never did get to ask how Lelouch had found his way to the city -- perhaps, next time - like tomorrow morning - he would ask Lelouch about this matter. It didn't occur to him that he would be given a chance to do so tonight. At first, he thought he was hallucinating or, better yet, some monster had taken the form of his friend, but as the familiar dark-haired youth came closer, Suzaku became sure this was the Lelouch he knew. He waved for Lelouch's attention and regarded the other with a happy "Lelouch!".

Speak of the devil... Lelouch thought as Suzaku came into focus. There was no mistaking the happy voice or the way the other waved, no monster could ever think to replicate that. Not to that degree anyways. He instantly wiped his mind of all previous thoughts and placed a smile on his own visage as well and greeted his childhood, no, his best friend. "I didn't think I would bump into you on an evening stroll, Suzaku. What are you doing out here at night?" The brunette's often disappearance in the evening could always be explained by his militia duty at home, and now that he thought of it, they mostly did coincide with dates when he had a mission planned for his knights. While he knew the truth, he wasn't sure of the extent of knowledge from the other boy... and here he was, meeting him at night. Alone.

"What are you doing around here, Lelouch?" Suzaku questioned back with a grin. "I camped around here so that's why I'm around--" A look of worry flashed through the brunet's face and then his tone changed, becoming a tad more concerned. "Is something bothering you that's why you're out like this?"

"You camped around here?" Lelouch repeated with a blink, not quite registering the thought. He knew Suzaku was very capable of surviving, that had been bloody apparent after so many encounters with the white knight, but he had never pegged Suzaku for an outdoors man. Well, he had, but that was besides the point. His hand flew to his face, his palm in particular shielding over his left eye (it had become a habit), though he made it seem like he was holding his head from a headache instead. "Ah. I'm fine. I just had some trouble falling asleep and thought some fresh air would help clear my head."

Suzaku shrugged off Lelouch's surprise with a smile. "The fish is good around here and the air is fresh. Even with the ticking, it's not bad... Are you sure you're okay? Even I think there might be a bigger problem if you have trouble falling asleep -- I know I'm slow - what's eating you? Maybe I can help."

He had to grin slightly at Suzaku's attempt to help him. He couldn't tell him everything like he used to, the only person he could tell most of his thoughts to had been C.C. for a good few months now. That thought saddened him. "I miss Nunnally." It wasn't a complete lie, he did miss her and she was his main source of inspiration but he wasn't too worried about her. He knew the Ashford family wouldn't let her come to harm in his absence.

The brunet's mouth opened into an 'O'. He looked thoughtful and then nodded slowly with a smile. "That's right... Nunnally... I'm sure you miss her--" A laugh. "I thought you were worried about something bigger, more dire... not that Nunnally's welfare isn't... Don't worry, we'll get back, I'm sure. I promise you we will and then you'll be back with Nunnally."

Oh, Lelouch wanted to get back all right. He had a rebellion to lead, Suzaku on the other hand should stay right here in the city. At least until his business with Britannia had been finished. But right now, he had to play the role of the innocent childhood friend. He gave Suzaku a friendly punch on his shoulder, "Nunnally is a big, dire issue, you brute! How is she going to sleep at night without being able to give her beloved brother a good night kiss?" He paused briefly, curious. "Promise? How are you that certain?" Did he know something he didn't?

Suzaku was laughing, very oblivious to the thoughts running through Lelouch's mind. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" he said in between laughs. "And I know we'll find a way back. I just have to look harder, that's all!" He had to believe in that. He refused to believe he could not go back and atone himself for his sins. For his father, he couldn't stay here, and neither could Lelouch. When he found a way back, he told himself, Lelouch would go with him.

It was so easy to keep Suzaku entertained with light ideas. "Oh come now, surely it wasn't that funny," he mused. When he had arrived he had pretty much been given the basic run down of the place by Riou. There was basically no escape from the city, not unless some fluke happened or someone made some sort of deal with the deities for you. Somehow Lelouch highly doubted one deal would allow two to escape. "Suzaku, I think we're kind of stuck here."

"If you think like that, we will be," Suzaku said confidently. "I believe we're not meant to stay here and it's not been too long. There's still hope!"

Hope. What a pretty word it was. "You're being an idealist here. Look around you," He emphasized that point by gesturing around them to their trapped environment and- was that a branch snapping to their left? "There's no way out, we could comb every corner and be eaten by one of those monsters before escaping. It's not a fairy tale or a silly comic scenario. This is real."

Lelouch could be such a pessimist. Suzaku couldn't fault him for that, especially not when he was prone to bouts of pessimism too, but in this matter, Suzaku felt the need to rebuke Lelouch. "I don't think Nunnally would have us think that. There has to be a way back, we'll just have to look for it." Just like he believed Britannia could be changed from the inside, he believed there was a way back home. Months back, he felt like he was working for nothing. All his efforts to somehow follow his beliefs yielded nothing, and then, one day, he was given the chance to pilot the Lancelot and everything began moving from there. They only had to wait for something here... and never lose hope. Never stop.

If only Lelouch could believe him. He had believed his mother could make everything well and she had ended up dead. He had believed his father would protect him but instead he was sent to a foreign country just short of s hostage position. Completely trusting others' words, it was easier said than done. "You're right, Nunnally wouldn't want us to think like that. We'll look for this way out together."

Suzaku gave Lelouch a playful slap in the back and then grinned widely. "That's the spirit!" A pause. "Are you sleepy yet?"

Sleepy? Not really, thinking always made him more awake and he was thinking miles per second, however, he had to admit it was getting late and he didn't fancy walking around with eye bags or stifling yawns. "I guess, just a little. Why, are you?"

"Nope-- I usually don't get much sleep anyway. Honestly." At times, when he was alone in bed or anywhere, he would remember his father and his duty as a result of his sin. The consequences of what he had done. The dead that littered the grounds they walked on before. Often times, he had wondered about Japan's future had he not killed his father. Would it have been worse... or better? Suzaku liked to believe, for the sake of his own sanity, that it could have been worse. "Do you want to do something? We haven't had the time to hang out in a while, now that I think about it!"

"No, we haven't. I was thinking you were avoiding me." Or possibly plotting his demise but Lelouch occasionally entertained paranoid thoughts like that. Especially since both Lyra and Riou had mentioned Suzaku had looked for him at the beginning when he first arrived yet they hadn't really met until just now. How strange. "Have you any suggestions, nature boy? Since we are in your 'backyard' almost."

"I wasn't avoiding you. I guess I was around-- I'm not very good with computers too..." The brunet’s tone became softer. "You know how Britannia limits Eleven use of electronics... " Suzaku trailed away at that and broke into a wide grin again. "I wouldn't say it's my backyard but... since it's night, all there is... is stargazing."

"The Britannia limits will change soon." Whether by Euphemia's new area codes or by Zero's intended future, he didn't specify. He still wasn't completely sure where in the timeline Suzaku was dropped from. "But," he smiled a real smile to the brunet, "I'm glad we're finally talking. It should happen more often." They were far enough away from the city lights to get a crisp, clear view of the sky and all its stars. He lifted his head to look proper, "Stargazing, huh? Is the astronomy here still the same as it is on earth?"

Suzaku had smiled at what Lelouch had said concerning Britannia's limits. Yes, it would. They would change it, no matter how long and painstaking it was, they would change it."Sometimes it's like the stars up... back home then. Sometimes, it's completely different... but it's beautiful all the time."

It was indeed different. The stars made patterns that aligned differently in the sky forming various new constellations that were similar, though didn't quite match the ones from home. "That cluster over there," Lelouch pointed towards an odd lumped circular shape formed by five stars, "Looks kind of like Arthur, doesn't it?"

Suzaku squinted and scratched his forehead. "I guess? -- Oh!" The brunet began pointing at a cluster of stars just beside the ones Lelouch pointed out. "Pizza!"

Lelouch almost fell with Suzaku's sudden exclamation of pizza. The only one he was used to that did that was C.C. He spared Suzaku a curious glance, "Yes, almost like the giant pizza we might've had on one school festival day."

Suzaku nodded with his arms folded. "Ahh- You're right!" That had been a waste, but he couldn't feel too bad for it. "There's next year, and it'll be greater and better then. I know things will be better next year." With Euphemia's plans, he could see things starting to get better sooner...

"Such optimism." Lelouch commented, before looking away from his bright face. Things were going to change and if it went according to his plans than of course, it would be for the better... but good things never come without sacrifices.

"Such pessimism!" Suzaku countered back and then grinned widely. "I wonder how Euphie-- Princess Euphemia is right now...."

At Euphemia's name Lelouch clenched his fists, though it wasn't visible in the night. Was Suzaku testing him? Did he know more than he let on or was it really just a simple, harmless question? He chose to answer back as cautiously as possible. "Euphemia is still Euphemia, I suppose." Interpretation would be left to the other. He returned his gaze to Suzaku to study his facial reactions, "you were with her last, weren't you?

The brunet began scratching his head again with a nervous smile. "Uh, last I remember I was inside the Lancelot helping Cecile-san and Lloyd-san with some tests... I've been here a while, but the announcement for the administrative region was supposed to be uh... later." As if the fact that he might as well have missed it didn't matter, Suzaku grinned again. "I hope I can come back in time by some kind of magic or something."

"Later?" Lelouch echoed, that could either mean later in the same day or later as in the time between the announcement and the actual ceremony. "Suzaku, what would you do if the special administrative region doesn't happen? I mean, you're stuck here and all."

"Euphie doesn't need me to make it happen, you know," Suzaku said softly. "I'm sure Euphie will do great! Even if I miss it-- do you think I did, Lelouch? Do you?"

"But you were it's main background influence," among other reasons, of course, and if Lelouch didn't have his rebellion plans, it would have been perfect for him too. "I think you did."

He did? He did? Suzaku looked pale for a moment and then terrified. He grabbed Lelouch by his arms and then gave his friend a wide-eyed, hopeful look. "How did it go?"

"Suzaku! Calm down." What was he to say? What could he say? He could disillusion Suzaku's dream right now and save him of any future heartbreak, or let him continue dreaming. "I don't know, Suzaku. I'm merely guessing that you did you've been trapped here for over two weeks now. I didn't mean you truly missed it."

Suzaku had a feeling Lelouch was merely saying that to make him feel better. He wanted to tell his friend he wasn't that gullible, but it would be insensitive. Especially since it was a genuine attempt in Lelouch's part to assure him. He let go of Lelouch's arms, sighed and then smiled. "I hope I didn't or can- you know, maybe turn back time or something? I can't go back without my knightmare too...."

"Anything seems possible in this city." Lelouch offered a comforting smile, "there's a high chance that if we return, we'll go back to the exact second we disappeared and if that were so, you won't miss the announcement." He hoped that wasn't the case though, if only for Suzaku's sake. He didn't need to bear witness... "Your knightmare? It's here too?"

A wide apologetic grin. "It was... I kind of traded it away..."

The white knightmare frame, the one main item that always stood in his way, was traded away? "What do you mean?"

Suzaku sighed again and began pacing a bit. "A while back they were asking for sacrifices to save the worlds-- I thought of sacrificing myself but- somehow -I ended up giving away the Lancelot instead."

So his Geass still had a hold in another world, how interesting. Lelouch found himself grinning slightly, mind relieved of a certain percentage of stress. "You saved the world again, I suppose, since I must've come here after the sacrifices were given." Then again, considering how the world was left before he woke up here, perhaps it wasn't so saved after all.

"Again?" Suzaku gave his friend a look of disbelief. "I don't remember saving the world before... though it would be nice." He broke into a slight laugh. "I don't mind though! They said it was temporary!"

"It's what you've been trying to do, no? Save the world or at least Japan by piloting that Knightmare Frame." He would rather like to believe Suzaku didn't join the military for his own self sacrificing reasons.

Suzaku gave one decisive nod before grinning charmingly at Lelouch. "Not Japan. I want to save the people who live in this country. The Japanese. I want to make life better for them and to show them that change is possible. It's a painful and long process but as long as we're driven? I'm sure we'll succeed!"

"Who is this 'we'?" Lelouch was pretty sure the 'we' Suzaku alluded to wasn't with him, at least if it is, it wasn't just him. How did their ideals grow so far separated from each other? Lelouch wanted to build a wonderful world too, a world where Nunnally could happily live in. One where the both of them didn't need to hide anymore.

Suzaku remained oblivious to Lelouch's thoughts. Like an excited child with a plan he decided to be foolproof, he spoke. "Euphie and I... and everyone living in this place we called Japan. Japanese and Britannian alike. If we worked together for the same goals, surely we'll reach them!" The Honorary Britannian believed in this sincerely. Some would call it blind idealism, but it was true. With hard work, time, they could slowly create a better world for the Britannians and Japanese to co-exist in peace.

Of course that would work, if Britannians and Japanese people could ever work together without prejudice or selfish goals. "How innocent." Lelouch remarked simply, and turned away from Suzaku for the nth time that night. It was an innocent and hardly feasible thought, they would never work together. He would make sure they never would. "Ah, Suzaku. Look at how long we've been chatting for, it will be dawn in a few hours."

A surprised look crossed Suzaku's face and then he scratched the back of his head and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for keeping up Lelouch so late! I'll walk you home!"

He grinned a little, "you can walk me home and then stay for what's left of the night. There's no reason to walk all the way back out here." He wasn't really tired, all those late night activities with his knights had gotten him accommodated to being up until the early AM hours. He just had a feeling he wouldn't like where the conversation went.

That was completely fine to Suzaku, that was, if Lelouch would have him. "If you don't mind then I'll stay the night." Maybe Lelouch was lonely too, Suzaku thought idly, but later berated himself for it. He should assume too much about other people. "So, which way to your house, Lelouch?"

"Not a house, more like an empty floor in one of those apartments. The one close by is it." He pointed to the building to their east, it wasn't a place that Lelouch would call home, but it would do for the time being. It felt empty without another soul inside, even if he did prefer to do things independently. He had always been surrounded by people whether it be Nunally, C.C., his student council friends or his Black Knights. He would never admit to feeling alone though.