Two requested ficlets
This is so late omg @_@
So! Two ficlets in one posts because I'm so behind all my requests >> And they're somewhat related, set in the same AU and all.
Title: Of Lovers
Prompt:Noir (Code Geass, Schneizel -> Suzaku <- Gino)
Requester: ladyasssassin27
Rating: PG
Warning: Uh, angst? Slight AU
Notes: Okay I cheated so much here and took the theme as the mood of the overall ficlet. Which is cheating like hell because what else I write about if not dark things and angst. Here it goes anyway.
Request Table
---
Elena Gwertzman smoothed her gown after she had sat down, and then folded her gloved hands neatly on her lap. Being married to a scientist - a commoner, as her father snidely and persistently reminded her every time they met - did not excuse any relapse in manner, she believed, and Elena considered herself a lady, noble or not.
“So,” she looked at the handsome young man sitting across the table, “how are you, little brother?”
Gino’s response was a smile, different, far more distant than the ones she remembered from their childhood. “Not much better than what the rumours circulating around advertise, dearest sister.”
A primly-dressed waitress sauntered close to take their order. It was a busy time for the cafe at this hour and a couple at a nearby table had started hissing and throwing insults at each other in low voices. Life went on with their little dramas, Elena thought, except for her brother.
“I see you are aware of those rumours.” She went straight to the point once the waitress had left.
“They are rather impossible to escape from,” Gino said, his tone slightly rueful despite the cynical expression on his face, “seeing that they’re running rampant everywhere, the sanctimonious hierarchy of the military not an exception.”
“Then, I suppose, the true question lies in their validity.”
Her brother did not try to hide his smile when he answered, “I’m afraid their validity is not a question at all, Elena.”
She bit her lips. “I was hoping it wasn’t the case.”
They fell into silence as the waitress returned with their order. The scent of rose tea calmed her, a habit of old she had picked up from her governess - bless her, for being a mother much more than her own mother had ever been. And it tasted divine too, and worked like magic to calm her fraying composure.
“What exactly did you hear?” Gino suddenly asked, eyes away from her.
Elena didn’t answer immediately. Her teaspoon made a quiet tinkling sound against the china cup as she stirred slowly, mind hunting for words to put the answer as delicately as possible. It felt like an insurmountable task, even with her skills and experience.
“I heard many things,” she said at last, “but the rumour that upsets me the most - and the rest of the country, it seems - is the one about you and the Knight of One.”
He smiled, amused. “There must have been a severe shortage of gossips in the society for that one to take centre stage.”
“Gino, be serious,” she nearly snapped. “This is no laughing matter.”
He looked down, his fingers curling around the handle of his cup. “If you are concerned about our family’s name, I can assure you-”
“The family’s name means nothing to me,” she cut him off, “and you know it. Don’t change the subject.”
Her brother sat in repentant if grudging silence for a few minutes. Elena waited, drinking the rest of her tea and half-listening to the voices accumulating all around her. It had been so much better since the reign of the new emperor - the rumour itself had proven that much. People wouldn’t be talking about the emperor and his knights’ love life if there were more pressing matters to deal with.
“He loves me.”
She looked up. “Gino-”
“No, it is true,” her brother said quietly, all pride and conviction. “If there is someone he loves - and there is - then that someone is me.”
“So that means the other rumour is not true.” She knew she was scraping around the edge of the cliff at this point. “He is not His Majesty’s lover and there is nothing between them.”
“There is,” his answer came quickly, calmly, “but I can’t put a name to that.”
She stared at him, torn between incredulous and just plain shocked. “Are you saying that this is one of those cases where loyalty overrides love?”
Her brother shrugged, as if to show that he didn’t care. “Maybe, in a way, except it isn’t loyalty.” He returned her gaze with a long, hard look, and then said firmly, “I will not leave him, Elena. That is out of the question.”
Elena fought down an urge to raise her voice and demand for him to see sense. In the back of her mind, there was a memory of a little boy who cried because his stepmother didn’t like him - and it stayed with her, throughout her adult life, a gravity that kept pulling her back to visit him as much as she could.
“I hate to see you like this,” she muttered, her fingers desperately seeking comfort by clutching each other so tightly it hurt.
“You don’t have to,” he smiled at her, reassuring despite its melancholy. “Or if you do, look at it this way: I love someone who loves me in return. What greater happiness can I ask that life has to offer?”
There was simply no answer she could come up with which didn’t make her sound like a hypocrite - she, who abandoned her family to marry the man she loved. Her brother, of course, knew it.
That, however, didn’t stop her from asking, “Are you happy?”
She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer.
End
-----
Title: Of Kings
Prompt: King (Code Geass, Schneizel/Suzaku)
Requester: sasunaru4eva
See above for Rating and Warning
Notes: This is why it’s an AU.
---
“What about Area 12?”
“The insurgence has been successfully subdued,” Suzaku answered steadily, his voice a soft echo in the audience chamber, “and the leader imprisoned. A trial will be held exactly one week from now and security preparations are underway.”
“I trust he will not escape the death penalty.”
Suzaku stiffened. “That is for the court to decide, Your Majesty.”
“Naturally.” Schneizel smiled, placating and ambiguous at once. “I am of the opinion, however, that a harsh punishment will serve as an example, which in the long run will also discourage future attempts at rebellion.”
He could see his Knight of One waver, the picture too tempting to resist. Despite popular belief, Suzaku hated to take lives more than obligations necessitated him to - and even then, he would almost certainly choose to go the long, difficult, impractical way if it meant he could spare a few from the list. The people who did know him often wondered why such an idealistic man donned the white cape and stood at the emperor’s side, his obedience beyond any measure of doubt.
“I suppose so,” Suzaku murmured, head bowed in defeat.
Schneizel said nothing and beckoned for him to come close. Suzaku’s shoulders tensed, lips thinning into a defensive line, but he obeyed and proceeded to kneel at his side.
“There shall be reward for your love and devotion,” Schneizel said, gloved fingers on soft brown hair. He let the familiar wave of pleasure wash over him as Suzaku looked up, eyes rimmed with a glow of muted red. They were not glazed like they had been the first time the curse had overpowered him, but his knight sighed in contentment as he sat on the carpet, resting his head on the emperor’s knee.
“Thank you, master.”
Schneizel’s smile was benevolent.
End
-----
Notes: One fact that I immensely take pride about Schneizel is that he can get people to do what he wants without using a geass not that his position didn’t help, but still. But I often wonder what if he did get a geass and these two ficlets are written around that idea. With Gino thrown into the mix, obviously a happy ending is a little out of reach ):
On a totally different note, I've just realised why I love Dino so much. HE'S A MASOCHIST OMG JUST LIKE SUZAKU
So! Two ficlets in one posts because I'm so behind all my requests >> And they're somewhat related, set in the same AU and all.
Title: Of Lovers
Prompt:Noir (Code Geass, Schneizel -> Suzaku <- Gino)
Requester: ladyasssassin27
Rating: PG
Warning: Uh, angst? Slight AU
Notes: Okay I cheated so much here and took the theme as the mood of the overall ficlet. Which is cheating like hell because what else I write about if not dark things and angst. Here it goes anyway.
Request Table
---
Elena Gwertzman smoothed her gown after she had sat down, and then folded her gloved hands neatly on her lap. Being married to a scientist - a commoner, as her father snidely and persistently reminded her every time they met - did not excuse any relapse in manner, she believed, and Elena considered herself a lady, noble or not.
“So,” she looked at the handsome young man sitting across the table, “how are you, little brother?”
Gino’s response was a smile, different, far more distant than the ones she remembered from their childhood. “Not much better than what the rumours circulating around advertise, dearest sister.”
A primly-dressed waitress sauntered close to take their order. It was a busy time for the cafe at this hour and a couple at a nearby table had started hissing and throwing insults at each other in low voices. Life went on with their little dramas, Elena thought, except for her brother.
“I see you are aware of those rumours.” She went straight to the point once the waitress had left.
“They are rather impossible to escape from,” Gino said, his tone slightly rueful despite the cynical expression on his face, “seeing that they’re running rampant everywhere, the sanctimonious hierarchy of the military not an exception.”
“Then, I suppose, the true question lies in their validity.”
Her brother did not try to hide his smile when he answered, “I’m afraid their validity is not a question at all, Elena.”
She bit her lips. “I was hoping it wasn’t the case.”
They fell into silence as the waitress returned with their order. The scent of rose tea calmed her, a habit of old she had picked up from her governess - bless her, for being a mother much more than her own mother had ever been. And it tasted divine too, and worked like magic to calm her fraying composure.
“What exactly did you hear?” Gino suddenly asked, eyes away from her.
Elena didn’t answer immediately. Her teaspoon made a quiet tinkling sound against the china cup as she stirred slowly, mind hunting for words to put the answer as delicately as possible. It felt like an insurmountable task, even with her skills and experience.
“I heard many things,” she said at last, “but the rumour that upsets me the most - and the rest of the country, it seems - is the one about you and the Knight of One.”
He smiled, amused. “There must have been a severe shortage of gossips in the society for that one to take centre stage.”
“Gino, be serious,” she nearly snapped. “This is no laughing matter.”
He looked down, his fingers curling around the handle of his cup. “If you are concerned about our family’s name, I can assure you-”
“The family’s name means nothing to me,” she cut him off, “and you know it. Don’t change the subject.”
Her brother sat in repentant if grudging silence for a few minutes. Elena waited, drinking the rest of her tea and half-listening to the voices accumulating all around her. It had been so much better since the reign of the new emperor - the rumour itself had proven that much. People wouldn’t be talking about the emperor and his knights’ love life if there were more pressing matters to deal with.
“He loves me.”
She looked up. “Gino-”
“No, it is true,” her brother said quietly, all pride and conviction. “If there is someone he loves - and there is - then that someone is me.”
“So that means the other rumour is not true.” She knew she was scraping around the edge of the cliff at this point. “He is not His Majesty’s lover and there is nothing between them.”
“There is,” his answer came quickly, calmly, “but I can’t put a name to that.”
She stared at him, torn between incredulous and just plain shocked. “Are you saying that this is one of those cases where loyalty overrides love?”
Her brother shrugged, as if to show that he didn’t care. “Maybe, in a way, except it isn’t loyalty.” He returned her gaze with a long, hard look, and then said firmly, “I will not leave him, Elena. That is out of the question.”
Elena fought down an urge to raise her voice and demand for him to see sense. In the back of her mind, there was a memory of a little boy who cried because his stepmother didn’t like him - and it stayed with her, throughout her adult life, a gravity that kept pulling her back to visit him as much as she could.
“I hate to see you like this,” she muttered, her fingers desperately seeking comfort by clutching each other so tightly it hurt.
“You don’t have to,” he smiled at her, reassuring despite its melancholy. “Or if you do, look at it this way: I love someone who loves me in return. What greater happiness can I ask that life has to offer?”
There was simply no answer she could come up with which didn’t make her sound like a hypocrite - she, who abandoned her family to marry the man she loved. Her brother, of course, knew it.
That, however, didn’t stop her from asking, “Are you happy?”
She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer.
End
-----
Title: Of Kings
Prompt: King (Code Geass, Schneizel/Suzaku)
Requester: sasunaru4eva
See above for Rating and Warning
Notes: This is why it’s an AU.
---
“What about Area 12?”
“The insurgence has been successfully subdued,” Suzaku answered steadily, his voice a soft echo in the audience chamber, “and the leader imprisoned. A trial will be held exactly one week from now and security preparations are underway.”
“I trust he will not escape the death penalty.”
Suzaku stiffened. “That is for the court to decide, Your Majesty.”
“Naturally.” Schneizel smiled, placating and ambiguous at once. “I am of the opinion, however, that a harsh punishment will serve as an example, which in the long run will also discourage future attempts at rebellion.”
He could see his Knight of One waver, the picture too tempting to resist. Despite popular belief, Suzaku hated to take lives more than obligations necessitated him to - and even then, he would almost certainly choose to go the long, difficult, impractical way if it meant he could spare a few from the list. The people who did know him often wondered why such an idealistic man donned the white cape and stood at the emperor’s side, his obedience beyond any measure of doubt.
“I suppose so,” Suzaku murmured, head bowed in defeat.
Schneizel said nothing and beckoned for him to come close. Suzaku’s shoulders tensed, lips thinning into a defensive line, but he obeyed and proceeded to kneel at his side.
“There shall be reward for your love and devotion,” Schneizel said, gloved fingers on soft brown hair. He let the familiar wave of pleasure wash over him as Suzaku looked up, eyes rimmed with a glow of muted red. They were not glazed like they had been the first time the curse had overpowered him, but his knight sighed in contentment as he sat on the carpet, resting his head on the emperor’s knee.
“Thank you, master.”
Schneizel’s smile was benevolent.
End
-----
Notes: One fact that I immensely take pride about Schneizel is that he can get people to do what he wants without using a geass not that his position didn’t help, but still. But I often wonder what if he did get a geass and these two ficlets are written around that idea. With Gino thrown into the mix, obviously a happy ending is a little out of reach ):
On a totally different note, I've just realised why I love Dino so much. HE'S A MASOCHIST OMG JUST LIKE SUZAKU