damned_institute | Nightshift 39: M31-40 Hallway

Along with giving him an idea for a good cover story, Scourge's conversation with the soldier-human on the bulletin board had made the tracker stop and think about his place in the Decepticon hierarchy. More specifically, the fact that he didn't have one. Galvatron wasn't here anymore, there was no one who he was obligated to by virtue of creation. He was a free agent for the first time in his life, and it wasn't as scary as he thought it'd be.

Lugnut and Blitzwing probably wouldn't be too happy with him thinking like this, but who cared? They were both crazy, Blitzwing random and Lugnut stubborn, and without a stabilizing Cyclonus-like influence Scourge suspected they wouldn't get very far. Better to get himself a better footing with someone saner and just give lip service to "mighty Megatron" when it was convenient.

In the meantime, Scourge had to see a Superboy about a virginity. What exactly that would entail he wasn't really sure, but it sounded a lot more fun than raiding the kitchen with pointless idiots who seemed to be liking him less and less as things went on.

The tracker took out the wooden cooking spoon he'd found last night, set it on the floor with his foot on the scoop end, and yanked upwards. The spoon cracked and left him with a long rod with a dangerously pointy and splintered end that would probably at least distract anything with a squishy place to stick it in. Better than nothing. The makeshift wooden shiv went in one pocket, the flashlight in the other--with his eyes he wouldn't need it for anything but small details and it would be easier to hide in the dark. The handle of the pan went in his hand and the tracker cautiously went out into the hallway. Let him be a force to be reckoned with.

Or at least one that made the other guy look like a tastier option.

[To here.]

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Hearing that phrase from Suzaku was more than a little odd, but Lelouch found himself grinning at the confirmation anyway. Now it was official, at least in the eyes of the people who really mattered, and after their relationship had been in a state of flux for the better part of the past twenty-four hours, having this much finally established made the the weight on Lelouch's shoulders considerably lighter. He wasn't quite sure if this made them friends again, but that was fine with him. This was more than enough.

"You can stop that now," he said, not quite laughing but getting close. He didn't think it would have been a good idea if he did; he was beginning to feel incredibly lightheaded and that wouldn't have helped. "I don't think either of us want to have to explain what we're doing if my roommate suddenly barges in." Not that he would, as far as Lelouch knew, but he needed some excuse to get Suzaku out of that pose. Knight or not, such formalities were no longer necessary between them-- for now, at least.

Pressing the palm of one hand against his forehead, Lelouch glanced away and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position on his bed. He didn't want to sleep just yet if it meant missing whatever lingering questions Suzaku might have, but he was fairly certain his body would make the decision for him if he held it off for much longer. "Will that be everything, Suzaku?" he asked, letting the hand drop. Hopefully it would, but just this once, he wouldn't begrudge him if it wasn't.

Suzaku relaxed his stance, tentatively smiling back. He supposed it was ridiculous, saying that to Lelouch when they knew each other so well. But the formality was a comfort, something familiar, and he just wanted some way to recognize that things were going to be different now. He wanted to show that he was grateful to Lelouch for entrusting him with this. Lelouch believed in him, believed he was worthy to serve as a knight for the world's future, however little he deserved it. And maybe he was grateful for something else, for Lelouch trusting him on a personal level, but that had little to do with anything. Did it?

"I think so," Suzaku replied, returning to his seat on the other bed. "Just go to sleep already, Lelouch." He smiled again to show he meant no offense, but the other boy definitely looked exhausted. Almost faint, in fact. He had had a trying day, and Suzaku was only prolonging it.

Still, Suzaku really didn't want to leave, not now that it was his responsibility to watch over his Prince. He wasn't tired himself, but he leaned back against the wall anyway. "I'll stay here, if you don't mind. There's no point in walking back if I'm just going to wake up in my own room."

Lelouch was honestly too tired to care about any of that. Right now, all he wanted was to crawl under the covers and sleep, and now that he'd gotten "permission" from his knight (unheard of!), he was fully prepared to do exactly that. It was about damn time, as far as he was concerned.

Rather than saying that, though, Lelouch made a big show of sighing and muttering, "Yeah, yeah, I will." He considered tacking on some remark about how this was exactly the sort of insubordination he'd wanted to avoid, but he couldn't quite summon the energy for it. This day needed to end already.

He turned away, finally stretching out on his bed and starting to pull the covers over himself. He was beyond caring that Suzaku was still in his room and watching him by this point, both because of how utterly fatigued he was and the trust that existed between them. It may have mostly been the former, but that trust was still something he wanted to protect now more than ever. He couldn't lose it or Suzaku again.

"I don't mind if you stay," he added, glancing over at his knight. "I doubt you'd leave if I told you to anyway."

Now that he'd started smiling at Lelouch, Suzaku found he couldn't quite stop. He'd missed this, he realized, and while they might never be friends again, it was a comfort to know that he would have this -- whatever it was between them, even after he lost everything. He probably didn't deserve that one bit of happiness for himself, but by now he knew enough to be thankful before it disappeared like everything else. At the very least, he knew that eventually things would be alright again, just because he was at Lelouch's side. They'd bring peace to the world. That hope was the one thing he thought he still deserved to have.

"I'd leave," he said, trying and failing to sound affronted. Okay, he probably wouldn't leave, but did Lelouch really think he would blatantly disobey a direct order like that? "I'd just protest a lot. Good night. . . Your Highness." He shouldn't feel comfortable teasing Lelouch, especially not that way, but this situation called for some kind of retaliation.

"And keep me awake even longer in the process? Yes, that does sound like something you'd do. I take it back." Lelouch hid a smirk and closed his eyes, pointedly turning away from Suzaku so that he faced the wall and effectively closed the matter for discussion. "Now be silent, Sir Kururugi. Some of us are trying to sleep."

He subsided soon after that, finding it all too easy to slip into unconsciousness after spending an absolutely hellish day in an equally hellish place. There would be more to come tomorrow, but at least when that day arrived, he would be able to face it knowing the invincibility that was having Suzaku as an ally. There was nothing in the world that the two of them couldn't accomplish together, and if there was one thing Lelouch was certain of, Martin Landel would know it by the time they'd gotten out of there. He would make sure of it.

Suzaku snickered quietly, too amused to think of a retort. Besides, Lelouch was already falling asleep, and he obviously needed it. As for himself, he had no desire to sleep yet. There wasn't much to do, and he didn't want to wake Lelouch up, but he was perfectly content just to sit and watch his Prince sleep. Moments of relaxation were rare in his life, and he truly did feel relaxed now. He had already accepted Lelouch as an ally, but he hadn't realized what kind of shadow would be removed from his heart by coming to some sort of understanding, by accepting Lelouch as a person and not just as someone who could change the world. And by knowing that Lelouch still had faith in him, after everything. So Suzaku stayed awake into the night, enjoying the silence and the presence of someone so important to him.

Nightshift 39: M31-40 Hallway

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