#virginianewman

C.C. grinned at him, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “I now see what Lelouch sees in you, other than a pretty face?”

Suzaku huffed, too used to her teasing to rise to the bait. He drummed his fingers against the pommel of the sword before tipping his head to the side. “And what is that?”

“Sword control.”

Suzaku rolled his eyes, brushing his hands down the front of his uniform. He hadn’t been out practicing for long and he had barely broken out into a sweat. But Lelouch had seemed very insistent on the two of them looking a certain way. Their take over and manner of ruling had to look effortless, because it would make the people that Lelouch hadn’t geassed accept them faster. Legitimizing was the word that Leleouch had used, although Suzaku wasn’t sure how much of that was true. 

From what he could see, the Britannians didn’t care as long as it was a prince of the realm and their lives weren’t unduly interrupted. Still, anything to keep Lelouch happy just made his own life easier.

He froze when C.C. touched his shoulder. Suzaku looked at her before ducking his head so she could pat his hair into place, or out of place. He couldn’t tell and he didn’t think it mattered much in the end. 

He expected her to be quick about settling his hair into some kind of order, but she lingered over it. Suzaku shot her a confused look, C.C. raising her shoulder in a shrug. “His majesty is watching.”

Suzaku sighed. “His majesty should be asleep.”

“Ah, but when has he listened to lowly creatures such as us?”

Suzaku eyed her before shaking his head. “When have you been a lowly creature?”

C.C. laughed, dropping her hand out of his hair so she could up his cheek. “This is why you’re becoming my favorite.”

“Don’t tell Lelouch, he’d be insulted.”

She huffed and stepped away from him. “I think he could use a little insulting every once and a while, just to keep him from getting too full of himself.” 

Suzaku glanced up at the balcony above the garden, not surprised to see Lelouch leaning against the railing. The emperor had a book in hand, but it didn’t look like he’d been reading it. If anything, Lelouch was frowning down at them, probably trying to figure out what they were talking about. Suzaku was sure that it didn’t help when C.C. edged closer to him until their shoulders were touching. Suzauk watched as Lelouch leaned a little bit further over the railing.

He was sure that Lelouch was trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them, and Suzaku was almost tempted to call him out on his paranoia later. Then again, Lelouch’s paranoia was one of the things that had kept them alive for so long.

He looked away from Lelouch when C.C. patted his shoulder. “You keep working with that sword. It might just be enough to keep him distracted.”

“Why?”

“Because, geassed or not, the staff doesn’t need him butting into everything that they do.” C.C. paused, giving him a shrug. “That and I want to sneak into the kitchen without him dogging my heels. I had quite my fill of him on the road.”

“And not of me?”

“You’re the quiet one. Lelouch likes a captive audience.”

Suzaku chuckled, shaking his head. “That hasn’t changed a bit.”

“And yet you’re still here.”

“We were friends for seven years.”

“Ah yes, that will do it.” C.C. laughed and gave Lelouch a wave before walking off.

She crossed the open space in the garden before turning to look at him. She gave him a little wave. “Get to it. If you distract him long enough, I’ll give you a share of what I find.”

Suzaku smiled, pulling out his sword again. “Half.”

“Quarter.”

“Half.”

C.C. gave him a disgusted look. “Bargaining is half the fun, boy. You and Lelouch are the same in that.”

Suzaku shrugged and twisted to start another form. He paused halfway through the motion, giving her an expectant look. “I thought you would have figured that out by now.”

“I seem to remember that I was too busy arranging hide outs and food to worry about the endless arguments that the two of you were having.” C.C. gave him a long look before shaking her head. “Alright, half. But only because arguing with you will waste my time.”