A Place With No Darkness- Chapter Two
Title: A Place With No Darkness
Author: Spirithorse (eachainn )
Rating: M
Pairing: Suzalulu
Warnings: Character deaths, violence, death
Summary: AU. In one move Lelouch saved his sister and damned himself. Now he has to compete in the Hunger Games and figure out some way that both he and Suzaku. Suzalulu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or The Hunger Games.
1-2
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Chapter Two
Suzaku tore his gaze away from the window, quickly getting bored with the view of passing fields. The line that they were on wouldn't take them through any of the other Areas, none of the trains did. He glanced over at Lelouch, his friend seemingly completely absorbed by the view outside of the window, although the frown on Lelouch's face and the slightly glazed look in his eyes said that Lelouch was thinking instead of enjoying the scenery.
Suzaku sighed and sat back in his seat, looking across the aisle at where the woman and Tohdoh sat. If was he perfectly honest with himself, he was still in shock over the fact that he had been chosen, although he was still processing the fact that Nunnally's name had been picked out. If it wasn't for Lelouch's presence by his side, Suzaku would have been inclined to think that it had all been a bad dream.
He had intended to volunteer for Nunnally's sake, but Lelouch had beaten him to it, although Suzaku wasn't completely surprised. Lelouch would have done anything to save his sister. Once they had settled on Lelouch going, Suzaku had been ready to volunteer himself for the next person picked, but he had gotten lucky.
Lelouch would have been furious if Suzaku had volunteered, he was still under the impression that Nunnally needed to be protected from everything when his sister could take care of herself perfectly well. He was sure that, as soon as Lelouch got over the shock himself, that he would got yelled at for coming along anyway. But Suzaku was glad that he was here, it meant that Lelouch had one ally right from the start.
He still remembered what Marianne had whispered to him when they had hugged, Lelouch distracted by Nunnally. "Keep him safe." Suzaku intended to do just that.
Suzaku glanced up at the woman again, surprised when she smiled at him. From what he had heard from Tohdoh from the winning tribute when they took their victory tour, the escorts were dismissive, unless they felt sure that their tribute would win. Suzaku hesitated a moment before smiling in return and offering his hand. "Suzaku Kururugi."
The woman took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Cecile Croomy. I'm sure you've figured out that I'll be your escort this year." She let go of his hand, blushing. "I'm a bit new at this too."
"Not surprising." Suzaku looked over at Lelouch as he spoke. "They would assign the newest handler to the least promising Area."
"Be nice." Suzaku dug his elbow into Lelouch's side, turning his attention back to Cecile. "He can be like this, sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's fine." Cecile shook her head. "I used to be the assistant to your stylist this year, but I was promoted when no one volunteered for the job."
Lelouch snorted, Suzaku elbowing him again. He glanced over at Tohdoh, hoping to get help from their mentor. He was relieved when Tohdoh looked intrigued.
"So you have an intimate knowledge of the other side of the Games and know how to handle the tribunes. It's in our favor." Tohdoh nodded slowly. "Initial strategies?"
Cecile blushed. "Well, I was thinking more about the interview. I know nothing about the Games themselves."
"Well then, it looks like I'll have a job this year." Tohdoh leaned forward, Suzaku copying his pose. "Focus on the training first. Use that time to scope out possible alliances and trouble. Never train in what you are best in, save that for when the judges have to score you."
Tohdoh paused, glancing at Lelouch, who was still looking out the window. He sighed, looking back at Suzaku. "The best thing to do would be to stick close to each other. Between the two of you, you have all of the skills needed. Lelouch can make the tactical plans and Suzaku can carry them out."
"Then what?" Lelouch finally turned away from the window, his full attention on the conversation. "If we make it to the end, then what? Who kills who?"
Cecile looked horrified at Lelouch's question, Suzaku torn between trying to comfort her and confronting Lelouch. He chose the latter, resting a hand on Lelouch's arm. "Then you win."
Lelouch stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "No. I'm not killing you."
"It's a sound strategy when you consider all of the facts."
"I won't kill you."
"Lelouch…"
"I can't."
"Considering all of the other options, it's sound." Lelouch snapped his mouth shut as Tohdoh spoke up again. "Out of all of the names chosen until now, you are the weakest; the rest of the tributes will be trying to kill you. Keeping Suzaku close until the end eliminates that possibility. You also have a family to return to, Suzaku is an orphan."
"He is not!"
"Finally," Tohdoh continued like he hadn't heard Lelouch, "You are the one that crowds remember, you volunteered for your crippled sister. Suzaku was just chosen. They will want you to win and you can use that as your advantage until the end. Win and return triumphantly to your sister and no one will bother your family again."
Tohdoh crossed his arms, staring at Lelouch. Lelouch just looked stunted, looking between Suzaku and Tohdoh. Suzaku expected Lelouch to deliver a scathing retort, outlining the reasons why Tohdoh's plan wasn't possible.
Instead, Lelouch stood up and walked to the end of the train car. He yanked open the door, slamming it shut behind him. Cecile glanced at them before standing and rushing after Lelouch.
Suzaku waited for the door to close behind Cecile before leaning forward with a sigh, raking a hand through his hair. He glanced up at Tohdoh, not surprised to see the man looking confused.
"It's a sound strategy, Suzaku. But you were never one for suicide."
Suzaku hid his unease with a chuckle. There had been times after his father had when he had thought about it, but he had managed to push all of those thoughts away. At least until he had been chosen for the Games. "I have my reasons."
"I hope they're good ones. You could be or best chance of winning these Games in years. I thought that I could marry in peace, finally."
"Well, Marianne did take me in and Lelouch is her only son."
"I could contest that statement, but go on."
Suzaku took a shaky breath, looking towards the door that Lelouch had just left through. Technically, it wasn't his secret to share, but it was a larger part of his motivation, the secondary part he wasn't completely willing to share. He had seen love used against too many tributes in the Games. But if he put it as a matter of importance, then it would be far easier for them to under and less revealing.
Suzaku shook his head, lowering his voice. "This can't go farther than the two of us." He didn't wait until Tohdoh nodded, pushing on before he lost his nerve. "Lelouch is a prince of Britannia. He and Marianne were exiled from Pendragon. Everyone thinks that they're dead. His mother told me this and told me to protect him, so I can't just let him die in these Games."
He held his breath, waiting for Tohdoh to process the information. He relaxed as Tohdoh nodded. "I suspected as much but I didn't want to assume. That's a heavy burden to place on you considering the situation."
"Yes, but if Lelouch wins, then he'll be alive and he hates the Games. Lelouch could change Britannia if he wanted, so I'll give him that chance."
Tohdoh still didn't look completely happy with the situation, but Suzaku doubted that he could come up with any explanation that would please Tohdoh. It would be much easier just to stay that he wanted to win and have Tohdoh come up with a plan from there. Suzaku knew that he could offer a challenge to the other tributes, but it was much more important that Lelouch remain alive.
He looked up at Tohdoh as the man sat back, slowly sitting up. Tohdoh glanced out the window behind him before sighing. "Keep that information close; you might have to use it in the Games."
"I can't."
"Even if it could save Lelouch's life?" Suzaku froze, staring at Tohdoh. "Given the chance, the people will jump at the drama. They will throw their support entirely behind a prince in the Games, and that will save his life. Keep that in mind if you are forced to separate."
Suzaku swallowed but nodded. Tohdoh had a good point, and Suzaku would be sure to remember it, but only as a last ditch effort.
He jumped as the door to the car opened, surprised to see a completely calm Lelouch walking in, followed by Cecile. Suzaku was sure that he would get a talking to when they got a spare moment for his decision. He offered Lelouch a smile, getting a glare in return, which just confirmed his suspicions. Suzaku settled back, scooting over when Lelouch flopped into the seat beside him.
Lelouch pressed his fingers together, glaring at Tohdoh and Cecile. "I don't like the overall plan for the Games and I will think of another one. As for our other strategies, what are they?"
"That depends on Lloyd." Cecile looked nervous. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Honestly you never know with him. Waiting on what he comes up with for you at the opening ceremonies probably won't be any use to us in the first place. Lloyd tends to be a bit eccentric. At the moment, I think our best plan would be to use the idea of the two of you as a team."
"Fair enough." Lelouch interrupted before Suzaku could disagree.
If they were a team, then everything would just fall apart in the end. He would have to find a way to get Lelouch to kill him, which would completely ruin the appeal of the team idea from the start. Suzaku had seen others try to use similar approaches, probably to try to get the rules changed just based on their popularity, but it never working. Knowing Lelouch, he was hoping to change that and coming up with a plan to be sure that he got the rules changed.
Suzaku glanced up as Cecile, nodding. There was nothing else he could do at the moment, and the idea would bring the right kind of attention to them. There was no reason to turn it down. Besides, Cecile was trying so hard already to make sure that they were included and at their ease, it would be rude to shoot down all of her ideas.
To his relief, Cecile seemed pleased that they had accepted her idea. She reached down to pull a tablet out of her bag, booting it up and staring at the screen. "With our estimated arrival time we'll be in a bit of a rush once we arrive at Pendragon. You'll both be sent to your stylist, although Lloyd will probably shunt you off to one of his assistants. Be prepared for something strange. After that you will go immediately to the opening ceremonies. After that you'll get to relax. I'm sorry I can't make it easier on you, but the first day is always a rush."
"It allows the citizens of the capital to have their fun before things get serious." Lelouch sighed and shifted in his seat. By his position, Suzaku guessed that Lelouch had turned to look back out the window. He was considering elbowing Lelouch and reminding him to pay attention when Lelouch continued to speak. "We're put off balance and we can't properly assess anyone, it gives the citizens the time to see us under stress and begin to chose favorites. We're only allowed to start thinking about survival when the citizens of Pendragon have had their fun."
Suzaku glanced at Cecile, not surprised to see that she looked shocked. Lelouch had shifted to his usual defense mechanism, which was to spare no one his disdain. Lelouch would probably be like this until the Games actually started, it was his way of coping. Suzaku sighed and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. The best way to deal with Lelouch until then would be to just let him talk. Suzaku wouldn't be able to come up with anything that Lelouch wouldn't shoot down or stop Lelouch from bringing up some of his own failures. Lelouch would continue to sulk and snap at people until he came to terms with whatever was bothering him.
Suzaku shifted slightly in his seat, turning away from Lelouch to give his friend the illusion of some privacy. If Lelouch was upset, that was fine, but Suzaku was not going to let it interfere with the plans they could be making. He and Lelouch already had an edge on most of the other tributes in the Games because they were friends. They already knew how to work together and knew each other well; they already had the start of an alliance. All they had to do was gather others to their cause, and Lelouch would be good at that. They also already had a strategy, even if Lelouch was completely against it.
He glanced over at Tohdoh and Cecile, keeping his mouth shut as the two of them settled into a quiet conversation. Suzaku caught a few words, enough to determine that they were talking about Tohdoh's duties and what Cecile wanted him to do. Apparently she wanted all of them to be as visible as possible to gain as much support at they could. Area 11 was notorious for having their tributes taken out within the first days of the Games. In the last three years, no tribute had made it past the bloodbath that was the first day. They would have to build themselves up if they were to get anything early on in the Game.
Suzaku closed his eyes, smiling to himself when he felt Lelouch lean back against him. He wasn't sure if that was a sign of forgiveness or the fact that Lelouch just wanted to have a backrest. Either way, Suzaku was sure that he would be the first one that Lelouch talked to once Lelouch shook off his funk. Suzaku trusted Tohdoh and he was sure that Cecile was only looking after both of their interests, but Lelouch was the one that he would have to work with in the arena, and he was feeling surprisingly confident about his abilities to survive with Lelouch at his side.
He reached back, resting his fingers against Lelouch's hand. He only got a brief moment of contact before Lelouch pulled away. Suzaku let his hand stay there, offering Lelouch his silent support. Eventually Lelouch would reach for him again, and Suzaku would be ready when that moment came.
---
Lelouch supposed that he should have been prepared. Cecile had warned them that their stylist tended to be eccentric and she had worked with Lloyd Asplund, she was the best judge of the stylist. Lelouch should have checked her definition of eccentric with his own, because a familiarity with the strange tended to lead to acceptance of it as normal. There was no way that Lloyd was just eccentric.
He tilted his head back to allow one of the assistants to adjust the collar of his jacket, hearing scissors open and close as the man removed a stray thread. He rolled his eyes, choosing to focus on the ceiling instead of the people rushing around him.
Cecile had been right about one thing, they had been rushed along when they had arrived at Pendragon. He and Suzaku had barely stepped off of the train before they had been shoved into the rooms where they would be prepared for the opening ceremony. Lelouch remember hearing Cecile say that they were lucky that they weren't Area 12 before he had been pushed into a bathroom and ordered to shower. Apparently his long shower hadn't been enough because he had been sent back with an assistant to make sure that he had done it right.
To Lelouch's relief, that was all that was asked of him. Apparently Lloyd didn't subscribe to the same idea that the other stylists did, that nearly everything on the tributes needed to be replaced. Just extreme cleanliness was enough.
There were other things that Lloyd didn't seem to think much of. Usually the clothes worn by the tributes in the opening ceremonies represented their Area in some way. They were based on the product that was unique to the Area, an elaborate rendition of the traditional dress or a strange conglomeration of the traditional dress of the people that made up the Area. The latter was losing popularity as the people of the Areas sought to make themselves like the people of the capital. All of the people of the Areas could trace their lineage to either the Britannians who had lived in the homeland when Britannia was an empire or the soldiers that had been brought in from the colonies after the war had ended. The traditional costumes were just an excuse to draw attention to the tributes since they all seemed to include feathers.
Lelouch shifted, getting a sharp reprimand from one of the assistants not to move. Lelouch found another comfortable position, watching as the assistants went back to their last minute adjustments. He glanced down at the outfit that he was wearing, unimpressed by it. It was just a red jacket over a black shirt and black pants, nothing special or eye catching. Compared to him, Suzaku was the one who would get the attention in his blue trenchcoat and yellow shirt. The two of them would probably draw the least attention because they didn't look special. If anything, they just looked clean.
Lelouch jumped as a hand touched his elbow, stepping down from the stand he was on. He didn't get a chance to look around, the assistants pushing him towards another door. A glance over his shoulder showed that Suzaku was being pushed along in a similar fashion. He was tempted to try and drop back so they could walk side by side, but he was sure that he wouldn't even be allowed that.
They were escorted out of the studio and into the open. Lelouch tilted his head back to look up at the city, taking in the tall buildings as trying to match them with his early memories of Pendragon. He came up blank. He had only looked at Pendragon from the Imperial Palace, which had looked down on the city. He and his mother had left the city at night, but even that had been from the other side of Pendragon. There was absolutely nothing familiar about Pendragon, despite the fact that Lelouch had been born and had lived four years in the palace.
He swallowed and looked over at the stadium that had been appropriated for the opening ceremonies. Aside from the training center and the arena of the Hunger Games themselves, this would be his one glance at Pendragon. Even the arena wouldn't afford him much of a view, Lelouch would be too busy trying to survive and the arena was on the outskirts of the city.
Lelouch dropped his gaze down to the large cluster of people that were waiting at the entrance to the stadium. The rest of the tributes were already in line, some of them settled in their chariots, but most were talking to their escorts and mentors, probably getting last minute instructions. Lelouch scanned over the group, picking out Cecile at the end, talking with a nervous looking man, probably the man in charge of the Area 12 tributes judging from his place in the line.
Cecile looked away from the other escort as they came closer rushing over to them. She didn't seem to notice their outfits, looking both himself and Suzaku in the eyes with a smile. "Any problems?"
Lelouch opened his mouth to complain, stopped when Suzaku stepped in front of him. "None at all."
Lelouch snorted and looked away. They wouldn't get anywhere if Suzaku kept blindly accepting what was going on. They were already at a disadvantage because of their Area and the staff that had been assigned to them. Lelouch refused to fall further behind just because Suzaku wanted to be nice.
He crossed his arms, glaring at the chariot that they were going to enter the stadium in. It was supposed to be like a Roman triumph, all pomp and elaborate ceremony for a victory that hadn't happened yet. The bad mood that he had been nursing since he had heard about Suzaku's idiotic plan was just getting worse at the reminders of what this really was about and how it would all end.
His brooding was interrupted as a man skipped over, the man giving a lazy wave to Cecile before beginning to circle around him and Suzaku. Lelouch jerked back reflexively as the man peered at his face. His started reaction didn't seem to deter the man. The man just hummed and rocked back onto his heels. "Excellent. No embellishments to block the machinery."
"Machinery?"
"Lloyd!" Cecile snapped. Lelouch saw her arm rise like she was going to bit the man, but she clutched at her tablet instead.
Lloyd chuckled, stepping just out of reach. "Of course. You shouldn't hide the parts doing all of the hard work, that's counter intuitive. Sure you can protect them and make them look attractive, but not to the point where they can no longer function." Lloyd tipped his head toward the door that Lelouch and Suzaku had walked out of.
Lelouch turned his head, catching sight of the tributes from Area 12 stumbling into the open. Both of them were struggling under the elaborate feather headdresses that were perched on their heads. He raised an eyebrow at the two tributes costumes, jumping when Lloyd slung an arm over his shoulder.
"Hiding the machinery usually means that there are major flaws and they shouldn't be trusted to perform right." Lloyd's arm dropped away from Lelouch's shoulders as the man gestured at the two of them. "Which is why I kept it simple. Let them look at this machinery and see that we have nothing to hide."
Cecile cleared her throat, pushing Lloyd away from them. "Sorry. I warned you he could be eccentric."
Lelouch bit back his own reply, not sure how to begin to describe Lloyd. Obviously the man was in the wrong job, and it was just another example of how everything was going wrong for them.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling Suzaku pat his shoulder. There was no doubt that they would stand out now, but as complete failures instead of contenders. The opening ceremonies existed to impress the citizens, not to show the tributes off.
Lelouch looked up at a cheer from the stadium, watching as the tributes for Area 1 were lead into position. The other tributes were rushed into position, Lelouch accepting Suzaku's help into the chariot. He had to brace himself against the side to get his balance, suddenly aware of how small the chariot was.
It was Suzaku who leaned over the side to speak with Cecile. "Any orders?"
She shook her head. "Just look confident and like a team, alright? Be yourselves."
"Easy enough." Lelouch yelped as Suzaku wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him away from the side of the chariot. He glared at his best friend, not surprised to see Suzaku smiling at him. "Come on, Lelouch, I can't do this alone."
Lelouch rolled his eyes and pushed Suzaku's hands off of him. "You probably could."
"No. I would be scared stiff if you weren't here."
Lelouch was tempted to draw attention to Suzaku's statement but his friend was already looking away. Lelouch let his eyes drop, not wanting to watch the other chariots make their way into the stadium, he could tell just when they went from the cheers from the crowd.
He had never considered what would happen to him if Suzaku hadn't chosen as well. He would have probably been sucked into a strategy where he would have been sacrificed to make the other tribute look good, even though he would have fought it all the way. The more likely thing to happen would have been that he would have just shut everyone else out and focused on what he had to do and how frightened he really was. With Suzaku, he could at least focus on something other than the Games or his fear.
Lelouch reached out and pressed his fingers against Suzaku's wrist for a brief moment as a silent thank you. Suzaku's smile didn't falter, Suzaku sliding his hand down until they were almost holding hands, their palms just touching. "Just remember to smile, Lelouch. And make it look sincere."
"I know."
Lelouch went to move his hand away, but Suzaku just followed, never grabbing hold of Lelouch's hand but keeping their palms in contact. "Together we anything, right?"
Lelouch swallowed and found that he couldn't answer. Instead he just looked ahead and fixed a smile on his face as they were led into position. He kept himself from looking at Suzaku until the moment before they were sent into the stadium, Suzaku brushing his fingers over Lelouch's palm before turning his attention to the cheering crowds. Lelouch did the same, leaning slightly against Suzaku as the chariot began to make its way into the stadium.
---
"That was some opening ceremony, right folks? I haven't seen one that good since Caesar Flickerman, but I might be biased. I was a stuttering mess last year. I'm sure that this year was better than last year, at least for me.
"First, we have the four brothers in the Games, all fighting each other. All four Dalton boys are actually adopted, but they've been raised as brothers since they were six. That should be an interesting thing to watch since they all settled down in different Areas after their father's death. Maybe sibling rivalry will win out these Games.
"Also, keep your eye on the tribute from Area 2, Luciano Bradley. He's been training for this moment his entire life if we are to believe his parents. I'd put more stock in what I see and what I see is a tough competition.
"What about the fabulous Nonette Enneagram? She was working unofficially for the police force in Area 7 before she was chosen. Another good one to watch out for.
"Finally we have the two from Area 11. They don't look like much, but they are cute. You will probably remember Lelouch from the Reaping where he volunteered for his sister. No female tributes from Area 11 this year, but Prince Clovis promises a return to the normal tradition with a year's time. To quote directly from him, he couldn't let the poor boy's sacrifice go in vain. That's enough of a motive to win the Hunger Games, to return to his sister and that would make this the most interesting Games in a long while.
"But we mustn't discount the other half of this team. Suzaku looks like he's going to be tough competition as well. Still, that's just me guessing. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, you know.
"This is Milly Ashford signing off for the night. I'll be back in three days to bring you the scores for the tributes and the interview after that. Have a good night!"
---
Nunnally turned off the television, aware that her hand was shaking. She let her hand drop to the arm rest of her chair, looking back at Marianne. Tomorrow people would walk up to them and ask if it had finally hit home that Lelouch and Suzaku were gone, like neither of them had realized it from the start. Nunnally bit her lip, carefully backing up her chair so she could sit beside her mother.
Marianne was still staring at the screen, her hands still pressed together in her lap. Her hands were visibly shaking, but Marianne wasn't doing anything to stop them. Nunnally couldn't think of a thing to do herself, other than to rest a hand over her mother's.
They might have realized that Lelouch and Suzaku were leaving the moment they had stepped onto the train, but now they were realizing how hopeless it was. When compared to the others, Lelouch and Suzaku looked so small. Nunnally didn't doubt that they would look after each other as much as they could, but it was that moment when they wouldn't be able to help each other that she worried about. She was sure that Suzaku would be able to take care of himself; at least if he didn't run into one of the better trained tributes, but Lelouch would be the first to die in that scenario.
She squeezed her mother's hand, relieved when Marianne looked away from the blank screen. Marianne unclasped her hands, leaning back in her chair. Now she looked more like herself and less like one of the portraits of the empresses. Nunnally gave her mother a weak smile before sitting back herself. There was no need to ask Marianne what she thought of the presentation, her mother was probably formulating her own thoughts of the competition and Nunnally wasn't sure she wanted to hear her mother's conclusions.
Marianne stood up, pushing the chair towards the edges of the room. "I'm going to bed early. Leave something for me to do in the morning."
"Alright." Nunnally tried her best to keep her voice steady. They would both want something to distract themselves from what was going on, at least until the Games actually started. Nunnally wasn't sure how they would survive the Games.
She jumped at a knock on the door, exchanging a glance with her mother as Marianne went to answer the door. Most of the people in town wouldn't visit them this late, they would all be going to sleep in preparation for the long day that would follow. Few people in the Areas actually watched the Games for entertainment, just to fulfill their duties. And no one would think to call on the family who had lost their children to the Reaping.
Nunnally turned her wheelchair around to face the door as Marianne swung it open. She tensed at the person she caught a glimpse of, not sure how to react. Why would Prince Clovis come to see them?
Clovis stepped into the house, giving Marianne a partial bow as soon as the door was shut. "I've come to apologize."
"Why?"
"For sending Lelouch away."
Marianne stared at him before retuning to the main room. Clovis trailed after her, not accepting a seat when Marianne offered him one. Marianne sighed and slumped into a chair. "We both know that Charles would have demanded him anyway. But thank you for saving Nunnally."
"It's the last year I can. I don't think I can keep the rest of the girls hidden for much longer." Clovis swayed in place. "But I thought that Father would pull Lelouch from the Games."
That made Marianne slump, Nunnally tempted to go to her mother and offer support.
Lelouch was often too enraged by the fact that their father had chased them from Pendragon to realize that it hurt Marianne for other reasons besides the implied unfaithfulness. Marianne had really loved Charles, so the accusations had hurt on an emotional level; the damage had come to her pride much later. It was her hurt pride that had prevented Marianne from returning to Pendragon after her name had been cleared. That it was proved that she didn't have an affair with Jeremiah Gottwald didn't mean that there hadn't been rumors of affairs with other people.
Then there was Charles' side to think about, one that Nunnally was sure that Lelouch avoided completely. The rumors had been a betrayal and had put doubt into Charles' mind. After the scandal just admitting that he was wrong was not possible.
Nunnally shivered, gripping the arms of the wheelchair to keep them from shaking. "He won't do it. He won't pull Lelouch out."
Clovis turned to face her, looking shocked. Nunnally swallowed, looking down at the ground. She didn't know what to make of Clovis; she had always just met him in passing or seen him from afar. But she knew that he had allowed himself to be viceroy of Area 11 in part because he wanted to protect all three of them, even if he did so through high-handed methods, like hiding away a majority of the female population to keep her safe. Clovis had done that solely to help her, not caring about the other girls. Then there was the fact that he had never told Lelouch that he knew about them, using the excuse that Lelouch already hated the entire family. Nunnally simply knew Clovis best by the rumors and decisions that he made, neither of which told her anything about him.
She cleared her throat when Clovis remained silent. "Father won't pull Lelouch out."
"But Lelouch is a prince."
"Charles doesn't think so." Marianne spoke up. "And that's all that matters. It doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your help, Clovis, but I don't think that you can change his mind."
Clovis slumped, looking shaken. "Father wouldn't do that. The rumors were false and it was proven false. He knows that Lelouch is competing and he knows that means that you're alive. Why doesn't he do anything?"
"Because Lelouch is expendable to him." Marianne shrugged, her voice wavering. "He's just another prince."
"No." Clovis shook his head, having to lean against the table for a moment. He took a deep breath before looking up. "He's not just another prince, he's my brother."
Marianne dropped her gaze, obviously not going to discuss the matter anymore. She had accepted what would eventually happen, she had to since she was too far away to help Lelouch and returning to the capital wouldn't help their case. There was nothing that Marianne could do, but Nunnally could do something. Nunnally wasn't recognized as a princess officially, but the people would remember her from the Reaping. She was sure that there was some faction that would recognize her as a daughter of Marianne and Charles. And even if none of the people did, Nunnally was sure that most of the royal heirs would be on her side. With that support she would be able to pull Lelouch from the Games or, better yet, stop the Games entirely.
Nunnally looked up at Clovis, pushing herself over to him. "I'll go."
"What?"
"Take me with you to Pendragon when you go." Nunnally turned her chair when Marianne made a sound, smiling at her mother. "There's a chance that I'll be able to save them and I don't want to pass it up. Father won't think to look for me, not until I reveal myself in public. By then, I'll have people to help me. But this could be my only chance. Please."
Marianne frowned, staring at the wall for a long moment. Nunnally shifted in her wheelchair, about to go over to Marianne when her mother looked up. "It's our best chance and I hate to waste it. But…"
"Mother, if I'm old enough to be chosen to participate in the Hunger Games then I am old enough to do this." Nunnally sat up as straight as she could in her chair, trying to mimic her mother's position. "I don't want to have to watch them die if I can help it and I know you don't want to see that happen either. Let me try to save them instead of sitting here and letting your pride make the decisions for you!"
Nunnally jerked back in her chair as soon a she had finished speaking. She hadn't meant to bring up that point. She had never wanted to use that argument against her mother. Using the argument on Lelouch wouldn't have made her feel guilty, because she knew that Lelouch was aware of that fault. With Marianne, Nunnally wasn't completely sure, she could only guess. Nunnally bit her lip, looking away from her mother and focusing on Clovis. She wasn't sure she would be able to follow through if she watched Marianne's reactions.
"What do you think? Would I be able to convince them to end the Games?"
Clovis stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Father would never agree to see you."
"I don't care about him!" The words were harsh but they were true. Nunnally didn't have any emotion attached to her father, she had just been told about him. She didn't like to think about it, but she honestly didn't care about what her father thought as long as her family was safe. She cleared her throat, trying to stop blushing. "I know that Father won't pull Lelouch out of the Games, let alone stop the Games. I'm going to appeal to my siblings and the people. Will I have a chance then, Clovis?"
He leaned heavily on the table, staring at it instead of at her. "I don't know. I've been away from Pendragon too long to know that. Schneizel would be the one to ask."
Nunnally had to think for a moment, trying to put a face to the name. She only knew him as the viceroy of Area 1 and the Prime Minister of Britannia. There were rumors that he would take the throne instead of Odysseus, but there were always rumors about who would take the throne and how the emperor would decide.
"Then I'll speak to Schneizel, which would mean that I would have to go to Pendragon." Nunnally only allowed herself to suck in a deep breath before plunging on, trying not to think too much about what she was saying. "I could go up with you, Clovis, and just stay out of the sight of our father until I am sure of the situation."
"I-"
"Even if you don't help me, I'll find a way on my own. This is more important than my own safety. It's a matter of protecting my family."
"I'm sure that I could convince Schneizel to let Lelouch out of the Games on my own. There's no reason for you to leave Area 11 and to put yourself in danger."
"Put myself in danger?" Nunnally rolled her chair forward, daring to raise herself slightly from her seat so she didn't have to tilt her head too far up to look at Clovis. "This isn't about me or my own safety. This is about the safety of my brother and Suzaku. That is why I'm doing this!"
She wobbled, Nunnally letting herself down into her chair quickly before she could fall over and ruin the image that she wanted to present. Nunnally didn't let her gaze waver though, she wasn't backing down by sitting back down again. Her sitting position did nothing to belittle her statement or her conviction. If Clovis wouldn't help her, then she would find some other way to get to Pendragon, even she had to reveal herself before she was ready. She wasn't going to let Lelouch and Suzaku die just because one person told her that she couldn't go anywhere.
Nunnally turned away from Clovis, looking at Marianne. She wasn't going to allow Marianne to tell her to remain behind either. The only thing that she felt guilty about was the fact that she would have to take most of the money they had set by to get them through difficult times. Nunnally wanted to classify this as one of their difficult times, but it was hard to knowing that she could fail or that the emperor might demand more of them that would put stress on all of them. Nunnally took one last glance at the two of them before beginning to push her chair towards the room that she and her mother shared.
She paused when she heard Marianne stand up, the chair scraping across the floor and knocking against the wall. Nunnally looked over her shoulder, watching as Marianne walked into the center of the room. "Nunnally-"
"You can't convince me otherwise either, Mother."
"I wasn't going to. I was just going to give you some advice." Marianne walked around Nunnally's wheelchair to kneel in front of her. "Revealing yourself to Charles will do nothing for you." She smiled at her before standing up. "Clovis, I trust you to keep her safe. If I get word of Nunnally in danger, then nothing will stop me from coming up there and you will regret letting her out of your sight."
Nunnally was surprised when she saw Clovis bow to Marianne, her brother quickly making his way to the door. He only paused when he was halfway out of the door. Clovis looked determined and cowed, glancing at Marianne before refusing to meet either of their gazes. "I'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning before I go to the train station. I'll be here at around eleven and we'll be in Pendragon by six. You can proceed from there."
"Thank you, Clovis."
Clovis stared at her, finally nodding before walking out of the house and slamming the door behind him. Nunnally sighed, staring at the door before ducking her head. She was tired after a day of work, watching the opening ceremonies and arguing with Clovis. She wanted nothing more than to just sleep, but she still had to pack for the trip.
Nunnally reached up to rub her eyes, tensing as she felt herself being pushed towards their room. She let her hand drop back into her lap, looking up at her mother. Her first instinct was to talk, to try and keep Marianne from sitting in silence for too long, but that was the thing to do with Lelouch. Marianne valued her moments of silence. Nunnally sighed and folded her hands in her lap.
"Don't worry about packing; I'll take care of it." Marianne reached down to help her into bed, Nunnally wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. She opened her mouth to protest, Marianne setting her down on the bed and kissing her forehead. "Just sleep, you'll need it."
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. I was before you or Lelouch came around. I did manage to take myself before the two of you came along and I can manage now." She smoothed the hair back from Nunnally's forehead, looking like she was going to speak before shaking her head.
Nunnally propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Marianne quickly walked out of the room. She sighed and let herself slide back down onto the bed. She would have plenty of time to speak with her mother in the morning, Nunnally was sure that she wouldn't be able to sleep well since she would be thinking up a plan to save her brother and Suzaku. She pulled the covers up over her, rolling so she was on her side of the bed. Nunnally closed her eyes, squeezing them shut in the hopes that she would just drop off to sleep.
---
Suzaku watched the door slide open, hesitating on the outside of the room as he tried to figure out the lay out of the room. He was sure that Lelouch's room would be just like his considering that they were on the same floor and right next to each other, but Suzaku just wanted to be sure. He didn't want to knock into anything and wake Lelouch up, he just wanted to see that Lelouch was settled into his rooms. Maybe that would be enough to let Suzaku sleep instead of spending hours tossing and turning on his own bed.
"Are you going to stand there or are you going to come in?"
Suzaku quickly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He saw Lelouch sit up in bed, not sure if Lelouch even bothered to open his eyes before Lelouch flopped back down.
"That's better. Now I can get some sleep."
"You weren't before?"
Lelouch didn't answer his question. Suzaku lingered by the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot before making his decision. He wasn't going to be getting any sleep in his own room, maybe it would be better to try in Lelouch's room. He had gotten used to having another body in bed with him, and a pillow just wasn't the same.
He crossed the room, slipping under the covers. To his relief, Lelouch rolled over, Suzaku settling into his accustomed place curled around Lelouch. Suzaku sighed, pressing his face into Lelouch's hair and taking a deep breath. Maybe this would be enough for him to finally get to sleep and stop worrying about the training sessions that they would have to stumble through the next day. Being half asleep would just drive potential allies away.
Suzaku grunted as Lelouch rolled back against him, Lelouch's elbow bumping into his stomach. Suzaku went to move away, resigning himself to letting Lelouch settle before attempting to curl around his friend, but Lelouch reached out and grabbed Suzaku's arm. Suzaku reached down to pry Lelouch off of him, surprised when Lelouch nearly rolled on top of him. "Lelouch-"
"What were you thinking?"
Suzaku stared up at Lelouch, trying to see Lelouch's expression. He could tell that Lelouch was frowning, but it was in the nuances of the expression that Suzaku could figure out how much trouble he was in. As it was, he was probably safer playing dumb. He tilted his head to the side, waiting on Lelouch.
He expected Lelouch to start yelling or talking in the calm voice that came before Lelouch really lost his temper. He didn't expect Lelouch to grab a handful of his shirt and lean over close to his face. "Your brilliant plan for this. Just what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that at least one of us has to get back to Nunnally and it should be you."
"That's not…Your logic is…" Lelouch let go of him, sitting up on his side of the bed. "She would hate it if you died."
Suzaku shrugged. "It's a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils."
"You dying is the lesser?"
"What would happen if the both of us died? What then?"
"Nunnally and Mother can take care of themselves." Lelouch was shifting nervously; Suzaku could feel it from the mattress. "Mother was doing the hunting before and Nunnally is smart enough to handle business transactions if she needs to."
Lelouch was obviously skirting around the more important topic, but Suzaku was sure that Lelouch was aware of the problem. It would break both Nunnally and Marianne's hearts if both of them died in the Games. They would be heartbroken if only one of them died, but there wasn't any other way out. There was also the family ties to think about. Lelouch was related to both of them, so he would be closer to both Marianne and Nunnally because of that. Suzaku didn't hate either of them for it, it was just a fact that he had come to terms with.
Suzaku sighed and turned onto his other side. "I'm not talking about this anymore Lelouch. We have a plan, a good plan."
"What we have is me helping you commit suicide! That's not a good plan, Suzaku." Lelouch tugged at his shoulder, Suzaku stubbornly remaining facing the opposite direction. It didn't take long for Lelouch to give up, Lelouch flopping back onto the bed with a huff. "There are other plans we can use. I'm already a crowd favorite so you don't need to worry about me. All we need to do is to get them to like you. Cecile was right about the team angle, going in as best friends will help."
"It won't." Suzaku sighed, turning so he could see Lelouch over his shoulder. "They'll want a rivalry then, they'll want to see how long we can remain friends before one of us snaps and kills the other."
"That's because they're unimaginative idiots used to instant gratification."
"But that doesn't change anything. They might accept that we're friends, but they'll still wait for the breaking point." Suzaku sighed and rolled onto his back. "We're just staying a step ahead of them now, that's what you're always telling me to do anyway."
"That doesn't meant that they won't push for-"
"For what? Them to ask the emperor to pull us both out? He won't, Lelouch, not for two friends."
"Then we'll have to alter our plan."
Suzaku stared at Lelouch, taking a while to realize what Lelouch was saying. He frowned when he finally caught up, sitting up so he could see Lelouch better. "Seriously Lelouch? Out of all the plans you could have come up with…That would never work, Lelouch."
"It almost did."
"Almost." Suzaku sighed and shook his head. "They'll like the idea of two tributes in love, but they'll never get them out. The emperor doesn't cave."
Lelouch had his arms crossed over his chest, probably trying to look intimidating and serious. "Mother told me about two tributes that had entered the Games. They announced that they were in love during their interviews and the rules were changed for them."
"That didn't get them out of the Games; they still had to play through until the end. And they both died in the end, the emperor didn't make a move to save them, even when they were the last two."
Lelouch shrugged. "We'll just have to try harder then."
"They poisoned themselves to try and get their point across!"
"We won't go that far."
"You don't get it!" Suzaku lunged forward, grabbing onto Lelouch's shoulders and pushing him down onto the mattress. "They didn't make it nor did any of the others. And I bet that you haven't thought this all the way through either. Do you really want to give all of Pendragon that?"
"People have tried it before." Lelouch refused to meet his gaze. "We just have to make it to the end together, then we won't be like the others."
"Let me rephrase this. I don't want to show people that."
"Well I don't want to kill you!" Lelouch grabbed Suzaku's shoulders, pushing slightly. "Did you ever think of that?"
Suzaku sighed and ducked his head. "I don't want to make you do it either, Lelouch. But I'd rather have that then to…" He trailed off, staring at Lelouch as he tried put his reasoning into words.
It wasn't that he never wanted to push their friendship further; Suzaku hoped that he would be able to do that one day. He just didn't want to turn whatever came out of it into a huge production. Suzaku didn't mind people knowing that he liked Lelouch, but he was sure that it shouldn't matter to people what they did. He just wanted to be able to be with Lelouch without people deciding how they would act. He would prefer any other method than that, especially if it wouldn't work.
Suzaku sighed and flopped down beside Lelouch, pressing a hand over his eyes. "I don't know Lelouch. I just don't want to show this off, show you off. It's…this isn't the place."
"Suzaku…"
He lifted his hand from his eyes, smiling at Lelouch. "I like you, in case you didn't know, like as more than a friend."
"I know, you haven't exactly hidden it."
"I wasn't trying to." Suzaku chuckled, staring up at the ceiling. "I was actually going to wait until we weren't eligible for the Reaping. I thought it would be better."
He sucked in a quick breath when he felt Lelouch grab his hand, allowing Lelouch to manipulate their hands until they were holding hands. He smiled and turned his head to look at Lelouch. He gave Lelouch's hand a squeeze before letting it go, making up for his action by moving close to his friend. "I don't think that we should do anything about it. We might jinx ourselves. But that doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything."
"Yeah, but not for the Games. I just don't want to rely on this Lelouch; especially since we're not sure it will work. I'm fine with the two of us being friends because then you won't have anything to regret."
"Idiot! Of course I'll regret it. There's no way I won't."
Suzaku shifted so he was resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder. "But would it make everything less painful?"
"No."
"So we stick with the plan." Suzaku sighed when he felt Lelouch tense, reaching down to grab his hand again. "Not because I want to, but because we know that it will work. And, if you come up with anything better we'll switch plans. Honestly, I'm not ready to die."
"And here I was thinking that you had gone suicidal on me."
"No. I'm just…balancing out our importance."
Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would comment on his statement with some reminder that Lelouch was no longer a prince. Instead, Lelouch just rolled closer, wrapping his free arm around Suzaku. "You're staying tonight."
"I wasn't planning to leave." It wasn't exactly true, but it was what Lelouch needed to hear. Besides, Suzaku was far too comfortable to leave.
He moved away from Lelouch to allow his friend to settle down again, pulling the covers up to his shoulders. At least they had the entire floor to themselves, save for where Cecile and Tohdoh were staying, it would make it easier to discuss strategy without anyone overhearing. It would also keep the two of them relaxed and around people that they were familiar with.
Suzaku grunted as Lelouch rolled into him, reaching down to push Lelouch's elbow away from his stomach. There was a moment when they both struggled with each other, Lelouch finally finding a position that he was comfortable with and Suzaku curling around him. Suzaku sighed, glancing around the dark room one last time before closing his eyes and pushing all of his worries about the Games out of his mind.
Author: Spirithorse (eachainn )
Rating: M
Pairing: Suzalulu
Warnings: Character deaths, violence, death
Summary: AU. In one move Lelouch saved his sister and damned himself. Now he has to compete in the Hunger Games and figure out some way that both he and Suzaku. Suzalulu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or The Hunger Games.
1-2
---
Chapter Two
Suzaku tore his gaze away from the window, quickly getting bored with the view of passing fields. The line that they were on wouldn't take them through any of the other Areas, none of the trains did. He glanced over at Lelouch, his friend seemingly completely absorbed by the view outside of the window, although the frown on Lelouch's face and the slightly glazed look in his eyes said that Lelouch was thinking instead of enjoying the scenery.
Suzaku sighed and sat back in his seat, looking across the aisle at where the woman and Tohdoh sat. If was he perfectly honest with himself, he was still in shock over the fact that he had been chosen, although he was still processing the fact that Nunnally's name had been picked out. If it wasn't for Lelouch's presence by his side, Suzaku would have been inclined to think that it had all been a bad dream.
He had intended to volunteer for Nunnally's sake, but Lelouch had beaten him to it, although Suzaku wasn't completely surprised. Lelouch would have done anything to save his sister. Once they had settled on Lelouch going, Suzaku had been ready to volunteer himself for the next person picked, but he had gotten lucky.
Lelouch would have been furious if Suzaku had volunteered, he was still under the impression that Nunnally needed to be protected from everything when his sister could take care of herself perfectly well. He was sure that, as soon as Lelouch got over the shock himself, that he would got yelled at for coming along anyway. But Suzaku was glad that he was here, it meant that Lelouch had one ally right from the start.
He still remembered what Marianne had whispered to him when they had hugged, Lelouch distracted by Nunnally. "Keep him safe." Suzaku intended to do just that.
Suzaku glanced up at the woman again, surprised when she smiled at him. From what he had heard from Tohdoh from the winning tribute when they took their victory tour, the escorts were dismissive, unless they felt sure that their tribute would win. Suzaku hesitated a moment before smiling in return and offering his hand. "Suzaku Kururugi."
The woman took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Cecile Croomy. I'm sure you've figured out that I'll be your escort this year." She let go of his hand, blushing. "I'm a bit new at this too."
"Not surprising." Suzaku looked over at Lelouch as he spoke. "They would assign the newest handler to the least promising Area."
"Be nice." Suzaku dug his elbow into Lelouch's side, turning his attention back to Cecile. "He can be like this, sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's fine." Cecile shook her head. "I used to be the assistant to your stylist this year, but I was promoted when no one volunteered for the job."
Lelouch snorted, Suzaku elbowing him again. He glanced over at Tohdoh, hoping to get help from their mentor. He was relieved when Tohdoh looked intrigued.
"So you have an intimate knowledge of the other side of the Games and know how to handle the tribunes. It's in our favor." Tohdoh nodded slowly. "Initial strategies?"
Cecile blushed. "Well, I was thinking more about the interview. I know nothing about the Games themselves."
"Well then, it looks like I'll have a job this year." Tohdoh leaned forward, Suzaku copying his pose. "Focus on the training first. Use that time to scope out possible alliances and trouble. Never train in what you are best in, save that for when the judges have to score you."
Tohdoh paused, glancing at Lelouch, who was still looking out the window. He sighed, looking back at Suzaku. "The best thing to do would be to stick close to each other. Between the two of you, you have all of the skills needed. Lelouch can make the tactical plans and Suzaku can carry them out."
"Then what?" Lelouch finally turned away from the window, his full attention on the conversation. "If we make it to the end, then what? Who kills who?"
Cecile looked horrified at Lelouch's question, Suzaku torn between trying to comfort her and confronting Lelouch. He chose the latter, resting a hand on Lelouch's arm. "Then you win."
Lelouch stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "No. I'm not killing you."
"It's a sound strategy when you consider all of the facts."
"I won't kill you."
"Lelouch…"
"I can't."
"Considering all of the other options, it's sound." Lelouch snapped his mouth shut as Tohdoh spoke up again. "Out of all of the names chosen until now, you are the weakest; the rest of the tributes will be trying to kill you. Keeping Suzaku close until the end eliminates that possibility. You also have a family to return to, Suzaku is an orphan."
"He is not!"
"Finally," Tohdoh continued like he hadn't heard Lelouch, "You are the one that crowds remember, you volunteered for your crippled sister. Suzaku was just chosen. They will want you to win and you can use that as your advantage until the end. Win and return triumphantly to your sister and no one will bother your family again."
Tohdoh crossed his arms, staring at Lelouch. Lelouch just looked stunted, looking between Suzaku and Tohdoh. Suzaku expected Lelouch to deliver a scathing retort, outlining the reasons why Tohdoh's plan wasn't possible.
Instead, Lelouch stood up and walked to the end of the train car. He yanked open the door, slamming it shut behind him. Cecile glanced at them before standing and rushing after Lelouch.
Suzaku waited for the door to close behind Cecile before leaning forward with a sigh, raking a hand through his hair. He glanced up at Tohdoh, not surprised to see the man looking confused.
"It's a sound strategy, Suzaku. But you were never one for suicide."
Suzaku hid his unease with a chuckle. There had been times after his father had when he had thought about it, but he had managed to push all of those thoughts away. At least until he had been chosen for the Games. "I have my reasons."
"I hope they're good ones. You could be or best chance of winning these Games in years. I thought that I could marry in peace, finally."
"Well, Marianne did take me in and Lelouch is her only son."
"I could contest that statement, but go on."
Suzaku took a shaky breath, looking towards the door that Lelouch had just left through. Technically, it wasn't his secret to share, but it was a larger part of his motivation, the secondary part he wasn't completely willing to share. He had seen love used against too many tributes in the Games. But if he put it as a matter of importance, then it would be far easier for them to under and less revealing.
Suzaku shook his head, lowering his voice. "This can't go farther than the two of us." He didn't wait until Tohdoh nodded, pushing on before he lost his nerve. "Lelouch is a prince of Britannia. He and Marianne were exiled from Pendragon. Everyone thinks that they're dead. His mother told me this and told me to protect him, so I can't just let him die in these Games."
He held his breath, waiting for Tohdoh to process the information. He relaxed as Tohdoh nodded. "I suspected as much but I didn't want to assume. That's a heavy burden to place on you considering the situation."
"Yes, but if Lelouch wins, then he'll be alive and he hates the Games. Lelouch could change Britannia if he wanted, so I'll give him that chance."
Tohdoh still didn't look completely happy with the situation, but Suzaku doubted that he could come up with any explanation that would please Tohdoh. It would be much easier just to stay that he wanted to win and have Tohdoh come up with a plan from there. Suzaku knew that he could offer a challenge to the other tributes, but it was much more important that Lelouch remain alive.
He looked up at Tohdoh as the man sat back, slowly sitting up. Tohdoh glanced out the window behind him before sighing. "Keep that information close; you might have to use it in the Games."
"I can't."
"Even if it could save Lelouch's life?" Suzaku froze, staring at Tohdoh. "Given the chance, the people will jump at the drama. They will throw their support entirely behind a prince in the Games, and that will save his life. Keep that in mind if you are forced to separate."
Suzaku swallowed but nodded. Tohdoh had a good point, and Suzaku would be sure to remember it, but only as a last ditch effort.
He jumped as the door to the car opened, surprised to see a completely calm Lelouch walking in, followed by Cecile. Suzaku was sure that he would get a talking to when they got a spare moment for his decision. He offered Lelouch a smile, getting a glare in return, which just confirmed his suspicions. Suzaku settled back, scooting over when Lelouch flopped into the seat beside him.
Lelouch pressed his fingers together, glaring at Tohdoh and Cecile. "I don't like the overall plan for the Games and I will think of another one. As for our other strategies, what are they?"
"That depends on Lloyd." Cecile looked nervous. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Honestly you never know with him. Waiting on what he comes up with for you at the opening ceremonies probably won't be any use to us in the first place. Lloyd tends to be a bit eccentric. At the moment, I think our best plan would be to use the idea of the two of you as a team."
"Fair enough." Lelouch interrupted before Suzaku could disagree.
If they were a team, then everything would just fall apart in the end. He would have to find a way to get Lelouch to kill him, which would completely ruin the appeal of the team idea from the start. Suzaku had seen others try to use similar approaches, probably to try to get the rules changed just based on their popularity, but it never working. Knowing Lelouch, he was hoping to change that and coming up with a plan to be sure that he got the rules changed.
Suzaku glanced up as Cecile, nodding. There was nothing else he could do at the moment, and the idea would bring the right kind of attention to them. There was no reason to turn it down. Besides, Cecile was trying so hard already to make sure that they were included and at their ease, it would be rude to shoot down all of her ideas.
To his relief, Cecile seemed pleased that they had accepted her idea. She reached down to pull a tablet out of her bag, booting it up and staring at the screen. "With our estimated arrival time we'll be in a bit of a rush once we arrive at Pendragon. You'll both be sent to your stylist, although Lloyd will probably shunt you off to one of his assistants. Be prepared for something strange. After that you will go immediately to the opening ceremonies. After that you'll get to relax. I'm sorry I can't make it easier on you, but the first day is always a rush."
"It allows the citizens of the capital to have their fun before things get serious." Lelouch sighed and shifted in his seat. By his position, Suzaku guessed that Lelouch had turned to look back out the window. He was considering elbowing Lelouch and reminding him to pay attention when Lelouch continued to speak. "We're put off balance and we can't properly assess anyone, it gives the citizens the time to see us under stress and begin to chose favorites. We're only allowed to start thinking about survival when the citizens of Pendragon have had their fun."
Suzaku glanced at Cecile, not surprised to see that she looked shocked. Lelouch had shifted to his usual defense mechanism, which was to spare no one his disdain. Lelouch would probably be like this until the Games actually started, it was his way of coping. Suzaku sighed and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. The best way to deal with Lelouch until then would be to just let him talk. Suzaku wouldn't be able to come up with anything that Lelouch wouldn't shoot down or stop Lelouch from bringing up some of his own failures. Lelouch would continue to sulk and snap at people until he came to terms with whatever was bothering him.
Suzaku shifted slightly in his seat, turning away from Lelouch to give his friend the illusion of some privacy. If Lelouch was upset, that was fine, but Suzaku was not going to let it interfere with the plans they could be making. He and Lelouch already had an edge on most of the other tributes in the Games because they were friends. They already knew how to work together and knew each other well; they already had the start of an alliance. All they had to do was gather others to their cause, and Lelouch would be good at that. They also already had a strategy, even if Lelouch was completely against it.
He glanced over at Tohdoh and Cecile, keeping his mouth shut as the two of them settled into a quiet conversation. Suzaku caught a few words, enough to determine that they were talking about Tohdoh's duties and what Cecile wanted him to do. Apparently she wanted all of them to be as visible as possible to gain as much support at they could. Area 11 was notorious for having their tributes taken out within the first days of the Games. In the last three years, no tribute had made it past the bloodbath that was the first day. They would have to build themselves up if they were to get anything early on in the Game.
Suzaku closed his eyes, smiling to himself when he felt Lelouch lean back against him. He wasn't sure if that was a sign of forgiveness or the fact that Lelouch just wanted to have a backrest. Either way, Suzaku was sure that he would be the first one that Lelouch talked to once Lelouch shook off his funk. Suzaku trusted Tohdoh and he was sure that Cecile was only looking after both of their interests, but Lelouch was the one that he would have to work with in the arena, and he was feeling surprisingly confident about his abilities to survive with Lelouch at his side.
He reached back, resting his fingers against Lelouch's hand. He only got a brief moment of contact before Lelouch pulled away. Suzaku let his hand stay there, offering Lelouch his silent support. Eventually Lelouch would reach for him again, and Suzaku would be ready when that moment came.
---
Lelouch supposed that he should have been prepared. Cecile had warned them that their stylist tended to be eccentric and she had worked with Lloyd Asplund, she was the best judge of the stylist. Lelouch should have checked her definition of eccentric with his own, because a familiarity with the strange tended to lead to acceptance of it as normal. There was no way that Lloyd was just eccentric.
He tilted his head back to allow one of the assistants to adjust the collar of his jacket, hearing scissors open and close as the man removed a stray thread. He rolled his eyes, choosing to focus on the ceiling instead of the people rushing around him.
Cecile had been right about one thing, they had been rushed along when they had arrived at Pendragon. He and Suzaku had barely stepped off of the train before they had been shoved into the rooms where they would be prepared for the opening ceremony. Lelouch remember hearing Cecile say that they were lucky that they weren't Area 12 before he had been pushed into a bathroom and ordered to shower. Apparently his long shower hadn't been enough because he had been sent back with an assistant to make sure that he had done it right.
To Lelouch's relief, that was all that was asked of him. Apparently Lloyd didn't subscribe to the same idea that the other stylists did, that nearly everything on the tributes needed to be replaced. Just extreme cleanliness was enough.
There were other things that Lloyd didn't seem to think much of. Usually the clothes worn by the tributes in the opening ceremonies represented their Area in some way. They were based on the product that was unique to the Area, an elaborate rendition of the traditional dress or a strange conglomeration of the traditional dress of the people that made up the Area. The latter was losing popularity as the people of the Areas sought to make themselves like the people of the capital. All of the people of the Areas could trace their lineage to either the Britannians who had lived in the homeland when Britannia was an empire or the soldiers that had been brought in from the colonies after the war had ended. The traditional costumes were just an excuse to draw attention to the tributes since they all seemed to include feathers.
Lelouch shifted, getting a sharp reprimand from one of the assistants not to move. Lelouch found another comfortable position, watching as the assistants went back to their last minute adjustments. He glanced down at the outfit that he was wearing, unimpressed by it. It was just a red jacket over a black shirt and black pants, nothing special or eye catching. Compared to him, Suzaku was the one who would get the attention in his blue trenchcoat and yellow shirt. The two of them would probably draw the least attention because they didn't look special. If anything, they just looked clean.
Lelouch jumped as a hand touched his elbow, stepping down from the stand he was on. He didn't get a chance to look around, the assistants pushing him towards another door. A glance over his shoulder showed that Suzaku was being pushed along in a similar fashion. He was tempted to try and drop back so they could walk side by side, but he was sure that he wouldn't even be allowed that.
They were escorted out of the studio and into the open. Lelouch tilted his head back to look up at the city, taking in the tall buildings as trying to match them with his early memories of Pendragon. He came up blank. He had only looked at Pendragon from the Imperial Palace, which had looked down on the city. He and his mother had left the city at night, but even that had been from the other side of Pendragon. There was absolutely nothing familiar about Pendragon, despite the fact that Lelouch had been born and had lived four years in the palace.
He swallowed and looked over at the stadium that had been appropriated for the opening ceremonies. Aside from the training center and the arena of the Hunger Games themselves, this would be his one glance at Pendragon. Even the arena wouldn't afford him much of a view, Lelouch would be too busy trying to survive and the arena was on the outskirts of the city.
Lelouch dropped his gaze down to the large cluster of people that were waiting at the entrance to the stadium. The rest of the tributes were already in line, some of them settled in their chariots, but most were talking to their escorts and mentors, probably getting last minute instructions. Lelouch scanned over the group, picking out Cecile at the end, talking with a nervous looking man, probably the man in charge of the Area 12 tributes judging from his place in the line.
Cecile looked away from the other escort as they came closer rushing over to them. She didn't seem to notice their outfits, looking both himself and Suzaku in the eyes with a smile. "Any problems?"
Lelouch opened his mouth to complain, stopped when Suzaku stepped in front of him. "None at all."
Lelouch snorted and looked away. They wouldn't get anywhere if Suzaku kept blindly accepting what was going on. They were already at a disadvantage because of their Area and the staff that had been assigned to them. Lelouch refused to fall further behind just because Suzaku wanted to be nice.
He crossed his arms, glaring at the chariot that they were going to enter the stadium in. It was supposed to be like a Roman triumph, all pomp and elaborate ceremony for a victory that hadn't happened yet. The bad mood that he had been nursing since he had heard about Suzaku's idiotic plan was just getting worse at the reminders of what this really was about and how it would all end.
His brooding was interrupted as a man skipped over, the man giving a lazy wave to Cecile before beginning to circle around him and Suzaku. Lelouch jerked back reflexively as the man peered at his face. His started reaction didn't seem to deter the man. The man just hummed and rocked back onto his heels. "Excellent. No embellishments to block the machinery."
"Machinery?"
"Lloyd!" Cecile snapped. Lelouch saw her arm rise like she was going to bit the man, but she clutched at her tablet instead.
Lloyd chuckled, stepping just out of reach. "Of course. You shouldn't hide the parts doing all of the hard work, that's counter intuitive. Sure you can protect them and make them look attractive, but not to the point where they can no longer function." Lloyd tipped his head toward the door that Lelouch and Suzaku had walked out of.
Lelouch turned his head, catching sight of the tributes from Area 12 stumbling into the open. Both of them were struggling under the elaborate feather headdresses that were perched on their heads. He raised an eyebrow at the two tributes costumes, jumping when Lloyd slung an arm over his shoulder.
"Hiding the machinery usually means that there are major flaws and they shouldn't be trusted to perform right." Lloyd's arm dropped away from Lelouch's shoulders as the man gestured at the two of them. "Which is why I kept it simple. Let them look at this machinery and see that we have nothing to hide."
Cecile cleared her throat, pushing Lloyd away from them. "Sorry. I warned you he could be eccentric."
Lelouch bit back his own reply, not sure how to begin to describe Lloyd. Obviously the man was in the wrong job, and it was just another example of how everything was going wrong for them.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling Suzaku pat his shoulder. There was no doubt that they would stand out now, but as complete failures instead of contenders. The opening ceremonies existed to impress the citizens, not to show the tributes off.
Lelouch looked up at a cheer from the stadium, watching as the tributes for Area 1 were lead into position. The other tributes were rushed into position, Lelouch accepting Suzaku's help into the chariot. He had to brace himself against the side to get his balance, suddenly aware of how small the chariot was.
It was Suzaku who leaned over the side to speak with Cecile. "Any orders?"
She shook her head. "Just look confident and like a team, alright? Be yourselves."
"Easy enough." Lelouch yelped as Suzaku wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him away from the side of the chariot. He glared at his best friend, not surprised to see Suzaku smiling at him. "Come on, Lelouch, I can't do this alone."
Lelouch rolled his eyes and pushed Suzaku's hands off of him. "You probably could."
"No. I would be scared stiff if you weren't here."
Lelouch was tempted to draw attention to Suzaku's statement but his friend was already looking away. Lelouch let his eyes drop, not wanting to watch the other chariots make their way into the stadium, he could tell just when they went from the cheers from the crowd.
He had never considered what would happen to him if Suzaku hadn't chosen as well. He would have probably been sucked into a strategy where he would have been sacrificed to make the other tribute look good, even though he would have fought it all the way. The more likely thing to happen would have been that he would have just shut everyone else out and focused on what he had to do and how frightened he really was. With Suzaku, he could at least focus on something other than the Games or his fear.
Lelouch reached out and pressed his fingers against Suzaku's wrist for a brief moment as a silent thank you. Suzaku's smile didn't falter, Suzaku sliding his hand down until they were almost holding hands, their palms just touching. "Just remember to smile, Lelouch. And make it look sincere."
"I know."
Lelouch went to move his hand away, but Suzaku just followed, never grabbing hold of Lelouch's hand but keeping their palms in contact. "Together we anything, right?"
Lelouch swallowed and found that he couldn't answer. Instead he just looked ahead and fixed a smile on his face as they were led into position. He kept himself from looking at Suzaku until the moment before they were sent into the stadium, Suzaku brushing his fingers over Lelouch's palm before turning his attention to the cheering crowds. Lelouch did the same, leaning slightly against Suzaku as the chariot began to make its way into the stadium.
---
"That was some opening ceremony, right folks? I haven't seen one that good since Caesar Flickerman, but I might be biased. I was a stuttering mess last year. I'm sure that this year was better than last year, at least for me.
"First, we have the four brothers in the Games, all fighting each other. All four Dalton boys are actually adopted, but they've been raised as brothers since they were six. That should be an interesting thing to watch since they all settled down in different Areas after their father's death. Maybe sibling rivalry will win out these Games.
"Also, keep your eye on the tribute from Area 2, Luciano Bradley. He's been training for this moment his entire life if we are to believe his parents. I'd put more stock in what I see and what I see is a tough competition.
"What about the fabulous Nonette Enneagram? She was working unofficially for the police force in Area 7 before she was chosen. Another good one to watch out for.
"Finally we have the two from Area 11. They don't look like much, but they are cute. You will probably remember Lelouch from the Reaping where he volunteered for his sister. No female tributes from Area 11 this year, but Prince Clovis promises a return to the normal tradition with a year's time. To quote directly from him, he couldn't let the poor boy's sacrifice go in vain. That's enough of a motive to win the Hunger Games, to return to his sister and that would make this the most interesting Games in a long while.
"But we mustn't discount the other half of this team. Suzaku looks like he's going to be tough competition as well. Still, that's just me guessing. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, you know.
"This is Milly Ashford signing off for the night. I'll be back in three days to bring you the scores for the tributes and the interview after that. Have a good night!"
---
Nunnally turned off the television, aware that her hand was shaking. She let her hand drop to the arm rest of her chair, looking back at Marianne. Tomorrow people would walk up to them and ask if it had finally hit home that Lelouch and Suzaku were gone, like neither of them had realized it from the start. Nunnally bit her lip, carefully backing up her chair so she could sit beside her mother.
Marianne was still staring at the screen, her hands still pressed together in her lap. Her hands were visibly shaking, but Marianne wasn't doing anything to stop them. Nunnally couldn't think of a thing to do herself, other than to rest a hand over her mother's.
They might have realized that Lelouch and Suzaku were leaving the moment they had stepped onto the train, but now they were realizing how hopeless it was. When compared to the others, Lelouch and Suzaku looked so small. Nunnally didn't doubt that they would look after each other as much as they could, but it was that moment when they wouldn't be able to help each other that she worried about. She was sure that Suzaku would be able to take care of himself; at least if he didn't run into one of the better trained tributes, but Lelouch would be the first to die in that scenario.
She squeezed her mother's hand, relieved when Marianne looked away from the blank screen. Marianne unclasped her hands, leaning back in her chair. Now she looked more like herself and less like one of the portraits of the empresses. Nunnally gave her mother a weak smile before sitting back herself. There was no need to ask Marianne what she thought of the presentation, her mother was probably formulating her own thoughts of the competition and Nunnally wasn't sure she wanted to hear her mother's conclusions.
Marianne stood up, pushing the chair towards the edges of the room. "I'm going to bed early. Leave something for me to do in the morning."
"Alright." Nunnally tried her best to keep her voice steady. They would both want something to distract themselves from what was going on, at least until the Games actually started. Nunnally wasn't sure how they would survive the Games.
She jumped at a knock on the door, exchanging a glance with her mother as Marianne went to answer the door. Most of the people in town wouldn't visit them this late, they would all be going to sleep in preparation for the long day that would follow. Few people in the Areas actually watched the Games for entertainment, just to fulfill their duties. And no one would think to call on the family who had lost their children to the Reaping.
Nunnally turned her wheelchair around to face the door as Marianne swung it open. She tensed at the person she caught a glimpse of, not sure how to react. Why would Prince Clovis come to see them?
Clovis stepped into the house, giving Marianne a partial bow as soon as the door was shut. "I've come to apologize."
"Why?"
"For sending Lelouch away."
Marianne stared at him before retuning to the main room. Clovis trailed after her, not accepting a seat when Marianne offered him one. Marianne sighed and slumped into a chair. "We both know that Charles would have demanded him anyway. But thank you for saving Nunnally."
"It's the last year I can. I don't think I can keep the rest of the girls hidden for much longer." Clovis swayed in place. "But I thought that Father would pull Lelouch from the Games."
That made Marianne slump, Nunnally tempted to go to her mother and offer support.
Lelouch was often too enraged by the fact that their father had chased them from Pendragon to realize that it hurt Marianne for other reasons besides the implied unfaithfulness. Marianne had really loved Charles, so the accusations had hurt on an emotional level; the damage had come to her pride much later. It was her hurt pride that had prevented Marianne from returning to Pendragon after her name had been cleared. That it was proved that she didn't have an affair with Jeremiah Gottwald didn't mean that there hadn't been rumors of affairs with other people.
Then there was Charles' side to think about, one that Nunnally was sure that Lelouch avoided completely. The rumors had been a betrayal and had put doubt into Charles' mind. After the scandal just admitting that he was wrong was not possible.
Nunnally shivered, gripping the arms of the wheelchair to keep them from shaking. "He won't do it. He won't pull Lelouch out."
Clovis turned to face her, looking shocked. Nunnally swallowed, looking down at the ground. She didn't know what to make of Clovis; she had always just met him in passing or seen him from afar. But she knew that he had allowed himself to be viceroy of Area 11 in part because he wanted to protect all three of them, even if he did so through high-handed methods, like hiding away a majority of the female population to keep her safe. Clovis had done that solely to help her, not caring about the other girls. Then there was the fact that he had never told Lelouch that he knew about them, using the excuse that Lelouch already hated the entire family. Nunnally simply knew Clovis best by the rumors and decisions that he made, neither of which told her anything about him.
She cleared her throat when Clovis remained silent. "Father won't pull Lelouch out."
"But Lelouch is a prince."
"Charles doesn't think so." Marianne spoke up. "And that's all that matters. It doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your help, Clovis, but I don't think that you can change his mind."
Clovis slumped, looking shaken. "Father wouldn't do that. The rumors were false and it was proven false. He knows that Lelouch is competing and he knows that means that you're alive. Why doesn't he do anything?"
"Because Lelouch is expendable to him." Marianne shrugged, her voice wavering. "He's just another prince."
"No." Clovis shook his head, having to lean against the table for a moment. He took a deep breath before looking up. "He's not just another prince, he's my brother."
Marianne dropped her gaze, obviously not going to discuss the matter anymore. She had accepted what would eventually happen, she had to since she was too far away to help Lelouch and returning to the capital wouldn't help their case. There was nothing that Marianne could do, but Nunnally could do something. Nunnally wasn't recognized as a princess officially, but the people would remember her from the Reaping. She was sure that there was some faction that would recognize her as a daughter of Marianne and Charles. And even if none of the people did, Nunnally was sure that most of the royal heirs would be on her side. With that support she would be able to pull Lelouch from the Games or, better yet, stop the Games entirely.
Nunnally looked up at Clovis, pushing herself over to him. "I'll go."
"What?"
"Take me with you to Pendragon when you go." Nunnally turned her chair when Marianne made a sound, smiling at her mother. "There's a chance that I'll be able to save them and I don't want to pass it up. Father won't think to look for me, not until I reveal myself in public. By then, I'll have people to help me. But this could be my only chance. Please."
Marianne frowned, staring at the wall for a long moment. Nunnally shifted in her wheelchair, about to go over to Marianne when her mother looked up. "It's our best chance and I hate to waste it. But…"
"Mother, if I'm old enough to be chosen to participate in the Hunger Games then I am old enough to do this." Nunnally sat up as straight as she could in her chair, trying to mimic her mother's position. "I don't want to have to watch them die if I can help it and I know you don't want to see that happen either. Let me try to save them instead of sitting here and letting your pride make the decisions for you!"
Nunnally jerked back in her chair as soon a she had finished speaking. She hadn't meant to bring up that point. She had never wanted to use that argument against her mother. Using the argument on Lelouch wouldn't have made her feel guilty, because she knew that Lelouch was aware of that fault. With Marianne, Nunnally wasn't completely sure, she could only guess. Nunnally bit her lip, looking away from her mother and focusing on Clovis. She wasn't sure she would be able to follow through if she watched Marianne's reactions.
"What do you think? Would I be able to convince them to end the Games?"
Clovis stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Father would never agree to see you."
"I don't care about him!" The words were harsh but they were true. Nunnally didn't have any emotion attached to her father, she had just been told about him. She didn't like to think about it, but she honestly didn't care about what her father thought as long as her family was safe. She cleared her throat, trying to stop blushing. "I know that Father won't pull Lelouch out of the Games, let alone stop the Games. I'm going to appeal to my siblings and the people. Will I have a chance then, Clovis?"
He leaned heavily on the table, staring at it instead of at her. "I don't know. I've been away from Pendragon too long to know that. Schneizel would be the one to ask."
Nunnally had to think for a moment, trying to put a face to the name. She only knew him as the viceroy of Area 1 and the Prime Minister of Britannia. There were rumors that he would take the throne instead of Odysseus, but there were always rumors about who would take the throne and how the emperor would decide.
"Then I'll speak to Schneizel, which would mean that I would have to go to Pendragon." Nunnally only allowed herself to suck in a deep breath before plunging on, trying not to think too much about what she was saying. "I could go up with you, Clovis, and just stay out of the sight of our father until I am sure of the situation."
"I-"
"Even if you don't help me, I'll find a way on my own. This is more important than my own safety. It's a matter of protecting my family."
"I'm sure that I could convince Schneizel to let Lelouch out of the Games on my own. There's no reason for you to leave Area 11 and to put yourself in danger."
"Put myself in danger?" Nunnally rolled her chair forward, daring to raise herself slightly from her seat so she didn't have to tilt her head too far up to look at Clovis. "This isn't about me or my own safety. This is about the safety of my brother and Suzaku. That is why I'm doing this!"
She wobbled, Nunnally letting herself down into her chair quickly before she could fall over and ruin the image that she wanted to present. Nunnally didn't let her gaze waver though, she wasn't backing down by sitting back down again. Her sitting position did nothing to belittle her statement or her conviction. If Clovis wouldn't help her, then she would find some other way to get to Pendragon, even she had to reveal herself before she was ready. She wasn't going to let Lelouch and Suzaku die just because one person told her that she couldn't go anywhere.
Nunnally turned away from Clovis, looking at Marianne. She wasn't going to allow Marianne to tell her to remain behind either. The only thing that she felt guilty about was the fact that she would have to take most of the money they had set by to get them through difficult times. Nunnally wanted to classify this as one of their difficult times, but it was hard to knowing that she could fail or that the emperor might demand more of them that would put stress on all of them. Nunnally took one last glance at the two of them before beginning to push her chair towards the room that she and her mother shared.
She paused when she heard Marianne stand up, the chair scraping across the floor and knocking against the wall. Nunnally looked over her shoulder, watching as Marianne walked into the center of the room. "Nunnally-"
"You can't convince me otherwise either, Mother."
"I wasn't going to. I was just going to give you some advice." Marianne walked around Nunnally's wheelchair to kneel in front of her. "Revealing yourself to Charles will do nothing for you." She smiled at her before standing up. "Clovis, I trust you to keep her safe. If I get word of Nunnally in danger, then nothing will stop me from coming up there and you will regret letting her out of your sight."
Nunnally was surprised when she saw Clovis bow to Marianne, her brother quickly making his way to the door. He only paused when he was halfway out of the door. Clovis looked determined and cowed, glancing at Marianne before refusing to meet either of their gazes. "I'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning before I go to the train station. I'll be here at around eleven and we'll be in Pendragon by six. You can proceed from there."
"Thank you, Clovis."
Clovis stared at her, finally nodding before walking out of the house and slamming the door behind him. Nunnally sighed, staring at the door before ducking her head. She was tired after a day of work, watching the opening ceremonies and arguing with Clovis. She wanted nothing more than to just sleep, but she still had to pack for the trip.
Nunnally reached up to rub her eyes, tensing as she felt herself being pushed towards their room. She let her hand drop back into her lap, looking up at her mother. Her first instinct was to talk, to try and keep Marianne from sitting in silence for too long, but that was the thing to do with Lelouch. Marianne valued her moments of silence. Nunnally sighed and folded her hands in her lap.
"Don't worry about packing; I'll take care of it." Marianne reached down to help her into bed, Nunnally wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. She opened her mouth to protest, Marianne setting her down on the bed and kissing her forehead. "Just sleep, you'll need it."
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. I was before you or Lelouch came around. I did manage to take myself before the two of you came along and I can manage now." She smoothed the hair back from Nunnally's forehead, looking like she was going to speak before shaking her head.
Nunnally propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Marianne quickly walked out of the room. She sighed and let herself slide back down onto the bed. She would have plenty of time to speak with her mother in the morning, Nunnally was sure that she wouldn't be able to sleep well since she would be thinking up a plan to save her brother and Suzaku. She pulled the covers up over her, rolling so she was on her side of the bed. Nunnally closed her eyes, squeezing them shut in the hopes that she would just drop off to sleep.
---
Suzaku watched the door slide open, hesitating on the outside of the room as he tried to figure out the lay out of the room. He was sure that Lelouch's room would be just like his considering that they were on the same floor and right next to each other, but Suzaku just wanted to be sure. He didn't want to knock into anything and wake Lelouch up, he just wanted to see that Lelouch was settled into his rooms. Maybe that would be enough to let Suzaku sleep instead of spending hours tossing and turning on his own bed.
"Are you going to stand there or are you going to come in?"
Suzaku quickly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He saw Lelouch sit up in bed, not sure if Lelouch even bothered to open his eyes before Lelouch flopped back down.
"That's better. Now I can get some sleep."
"You weren't before?"
Lelouch didn't answer his question. Suzaku lingered by the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot before making his decision. He wasn't going to be getting any sleep in his own room, maybe it would be better to try in Lelouch's room. He had gotten used to having another body in bed with him, and a pillow just wasn't the same.
He crossed the room, slipping under the covers. To his relief, Lelouch rolled over, Suzaku settling into his accustomed place curled around Lelouch. Suzaku sighed, pressing his face into Lelouch's hair and taking a deep breath. Maybe this would be enough for him to finally get to sleep and stop worrying about the training sessions that they would have to stumble through the next day. Being half asleep would just drive potential allies away.
Suzaku grunted as Lelouch rolled back against him, Lelouch's elbow bumping into his stomach. Suzaku went to move away, resigning himself to letting Lelouch settle before attempting to curl around his friend, but Lelouch reached out and grabbed Suzaku's arm. Suzaku reached down to pry Lelouch off of him, surprised when Lelouch nearly rolled on top of him. "Lelouch-"
"What were you thinking?"
Suzaku stared up at Lelouch, trying to see Lelouch's expression. He could tell that Lelouch was frowning, but it was in the nuances of the expression that Suzaku could figure out how much trouble he was in. As it was, he was probably safer playing dumb. He tilted his head to the side, waiting on Lelouch.
He expected Lelouch to start yelling or talking in the calm voice that came before Lelouch really lost his temper. He didn't expect Lelouch to grab a handful of his shirt and lean over close to his face. "Your brilliant plan for this. Just what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that at least one of us has to get back to Nunnally and it should be you."
"That's not…Your logic is…" Lelouch let go of him, sitting up on his side of the bed. "She would hate it if you died."
Suzaku shrugged. "It's a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils."
"You dying is the lesser?"
"What would happen if the both of us died? What then?"
"Nunnally and Mother can take care of themselves." Lelouch was shifting nervously; Suzaku could feel it from the mattress. "Mother was doing the hunting before and Nunnally is smart enough to handle business transactions if she needs to."
Lelouch was obviously skirting around the more important topic, but Suzaku was sure that Lelouch was aware of the problem. It would break both Nunnally and Marianne's hearts if both of them died in the Games. They would be heartbroken if only one of them died, but there wasn't any other way out. There was also the family ties to think about. Lelouch was related to both of them, so he would be closer to both Marianne and Nunnally because of that. Suzaku didn't hate either of them for it, it was just a fact that he had come to terms with.
Suzaku sighed and turned onto his other side. "I'm not talking about this anymore Lelouch. We have a plan, a good plan."
"What we have is me helping you commit suicide! That's not a good plan, Suzaku." Lelouch tugged at his shoulder, Suzaku stubbornly remaining facing the opposite direction. It didn't take long for Lelouch to give up, Lelouch flopping back onto the bed with a huff. "There are other plans we can use. I'm already a crowd favorite so you don't need to worry about me. All we need to do is to get them to like you. Cecile was right about the team angle, going in as best friends will help."
"It won't." Suzaku sighed, turning so he could see Lelouch over his shoulder. "They'll want a rivalry then, they'll want to see how long we can remain friends before one of us snaps and kills the other."
"That's because they're unimaginative idiots used to instant gratification."
"But that doesn't change anything. They might accept that we're friends, but they'll still wait for the breaking point." Suzaku sighed and rolled onto his back. "We're just staying a step ahead of them now, that's what you're always telling me to do anyway."
"That doesn't meant that they won't push for-"
"For what? Them to ask the emperor to pull us both out? He won't, Lelouch, not for two friends."
"Then we'll have to alter our plan."
Suzaku stared at Lelouch, taking a while to realize what Lelouch was saying. He frowned when he finally caught up, sitting up so he could see Lelouch better. "Seriously Lelouch? Out of all the plans you could have come up with…That would never work, Lelouch."
"It almost did."
"Almost." Suzaku sighed and shook his head. "They'll like the idea of two tributes in love, but they'll never get them out. The emperor doesn't cave."
Lelouch had his arms crossed over his chest, probably trying to look intimidating and serious. "Mother told me about two tributes that had entered the Games. They announced that they were in love during their interviews and the rules were changed for them."
"That didn't get them out of the Games; they still had to play through until the end. And they both died in the end, the emperor didn't make a move to save them, even when they were the last two."
Lelouch shrugged. "We'll just have to try harder then."
"They poisoned themselves to try and get their point across!"
"We won't go that far."
"You don't get it!" Suzaku lunged forward, grabbing onto Lelouch's shoulders and pushing him down onto the mattress. "They didn't make it nor did any of the others. And I bet that you haven't thought this all the way through either. Do you really want to give all of Pendragon that?"
"People have tried it before." Lelouch refused to meet his gaze. "We just have to make it to the end together, then we won't be like the others."
"Let me rephrase this. I don't want to show people that."
"Well I don't want to kill you!" Lelouch grabbed Suzaku's shoulders, pushing slightly. "Did you ever think of that?"
Suzaku sighed and ducked his head. "I don't want to make you do it either, Lelouch. But I'd rather have that then to…" He trailed off, staring at Lelouch as he tried put his reasoning into words.
It wasn't that he never wanted to push their friendship further; Suzaku hoped that he would be able to do that one day. He just didn't want to turn whatever came out of it into a huge production. Suzaku didn't mind people knowing that he liked Lelouch, but he was sure that it shouldn't matter to people what they did. He just wanted to be able to be with Lelouch without people deciding how they would act. He would prefer any other method than that, especially if it wouldn't work.
Suzaku sighed and flopped down beside Lelouch, pressing a hand over his eyes. "I don't know Lelouch. I just don't want to show this off, show you off. It's…this isn't the place."
"Suzaku…"
He lifted his hand from his eyes, smiling at Lelouch. "I like you, in case you didn't know, like as more than a friend."
"I know, you haven't exactly hidden it."
"I wasn't trying to." Suzaku chuckled, staring up at the ceiling. "I was actually going to wait until we weren't eligible for the Reaping. I thought it would be better."
He sucked in a quick breath when he felt Lelouch grab his hand, allowing Lelouch to manipulate their hands until they were holding hands. He smiled and turned his head to look at Lelouch. He gave Lelouch's hand a squeeze before letting it go, making up for his action by moving close to his friend. "I don't think that we should do anything about it. We might jinx ourselves. But that doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything."
"Yeah, but not for the Games. I just don't want to rely on this Lelouch; especially since we're not sure it will work. I'm fine with the two of us being friends because then you won't have anything to regret."
"Idiot! Of course I'll regret it. There's no way I won't."
Suzaku shifted so he was resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder. "But would it make everything less painful?"
"No."
"So we stick with the plan." Suzaku sighed when he felt Lelouch tense, reaching down to grab his hand again. "Not because I want to, but because we know that it will work. And, if you come up with anything better we'll switch plans. Honestly, I'm not ready to die."
"And here I was thinking that you had gone suicidal on me."
"No. I'm just…balancing out our importance."
Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would comment on his statement with some reminder that Lelouch was no longer a prince. Instead, Lelouch just rolled closer, wrapping his free arm around Suzaku. "You're staying tonight."
"I wasn't planning to leave." It wasn't exactly true, but it was what Lelouch needed to hear. Besides, Suzaku was far too comfortable to leave.
He moved away from Lelouch to allow his friend to settle down again, pulling the covers up to his shoulders. At least they had the entire floor to themselves, save for where Cecile and Tohdoh were staying, it would make it easier to discuss strategy without anyone overhearing. It would also keep the two of them relaxed and around people that they were familiar with.
Suzaku grunted as Lelouch rolled into him, reaching down to push Lelouch's elbow away from his stomach. There was a moment when they both struggled with each other, Lelouch finally finding a position that he was comfortable with and Suzaku curling around him. Suzaku sighed, glancing around the dark room one last time before closing his eyes and pushing all of his worries about the Games out of his mind.