The Best Present

An AU take on the events of Turn 9; what if Lelouch was willing to take the easy victory, and so won Suzaku? Tiny suggestions of plot, but nothing substantial. Just a one-shot!

---

Suzaku wouldn't have said he was precisely worried, when they first struck up their agreement. He had never seen the Second Prince play a literal game of chess before, but he hadn't thought he needed to. The older man was a brilliant strategist, an excellent military leader, and those were qualities that seemed to translate well to the game of chess. Admittedly, Lelouch was the best chess player Suzaku had ever met, but--

--but that didn't matter, couldn't matter, because this wasn't Lelouch any longer. Whoever had replaced him was very intelligent, and knew Suzaku better than he was really comfortable contemplating, but it wasn't Lelouch. Because it couldn't be Lelouch.

So they kept telling him.

(Why couldn't he bring himself to believe it.)

But still Suzaku hadn't been worried.

"You must not underestimate the white king."

At least, not until His Royal Highness said that, and placed his own king in danger by checking Zero's.

The room around them came alive with whispers and uncertainty. If Zero moved his pawn, then he would take Prince Schneizel's king. The game would end and the Second Prince would have been beaten by a terrorist. It was all very scandalizing.

What was he doing?

Did he want to lose?

Suzaku held his breath. But Zero was a creature of pride, and there was no pride in a victory like this. He wouldn't take it. Lelouch would never have taken it.

It was impossible to tell what Zero was thinking as he gazed at the board. But after a long moment, he moved his own king -- forward one space, taking Prince Schneizel's.

Silence. Beside him, Gino took a slow but deliberate step to the right, subtly placing himself between the terrorist and his prize. His hand, Suzaku noticed, was on the hilt of his sword.

And he wasn't the only one preparing himself for a fight: all around the room, their men and the Chinese imperial guards were shifting into ready stances, reaching for weapons. It was an incredibly tense moment while they all waited for Prince Schneizel's response.

When it finally came, it probably wasn't what any of them had expected -- a low, rumbling laugh.

The Second Prince spread his hands in a helpless gesture, and then stood, smiling. "His Majesty would have taken that exact same move," he murmured. "But with the pawn, not the king. And he wouldn't have hesitated first like that. You're an interesting opponent, Zero."

Zero lifted his head, and seemed to study the other man's face for a moment; then, without so much as glancing in Suzaku's direction, he said, "And my prize?"

Prince Schneizel paused, only minutely, and then he smiled. "Is yours, of course," he acknowledged graciously. "I am a man of my word."

The guards relaxed, but Gino made a startled noise. "Your Highness--"

"I am," and pleasant geniality had never been so forceful, "a man of my word, Knight of Three."

Very reluctantly, Gino backed down; it was, Suzaku thought with some bewilderment, as if he really cared one way or another. He should have taken his cue from Anya, who watched impassively until he was handcuffed ("For show," Zero suggested, and the Second Prince obliged him) and even then moved only to take his picture.

And she wasn't the only one interested in the sight of him like that, either. The assembled guests were again starting to whisper amongst themselves, and he could feel the weight of many eyes.

Zero took notice and climbed to his feet. "Well," he began smoothly, "I see we've quite spoiled the mood with our little match, Your Highness. Perhaps it is time for young Kururugi to take his leave of us. He can join Lady Kaguya in her chambers. If you wouldn't mind escorting them there, Kallen?"

The young woman in question stiffened slightly, and Suzaku wondered what she was thinking. Disappointment in her leader for this casual treatment of prisoners? Reluctance to leave him alone in this room with so many enemies? Both, or something else completely? But after a long moment, Kallen nodded.

"You heard Zero," she told him, and gave his shoulder a hard shove to get him moving faster. "Let's go." As though she could make up for her hesitation by being callous enough.

"Now, now. There's no need to be so rough with him."

A slender arm looped through his own, and Suzaku looked down to find Kaguya beaming up at him. Her expression when she looked at Kallen was slightly sterner. "Zero-sama made a present of him to me," she told the older girl. "He'll make a much better toy if he's in good condition."

Suzaku stared at her and Kallen stumbled, but Kaguya just smiled back at them, bright green eyes shining with something much less innocent than her usual schoolgirl fervor.

*

As the chamber doors closed behind them, Zero calmly turned to address the rest of the room. "If I might have your attention for a moment," he began, casually flicking the hidden switch that exposed his left eye, "I have a few small requests for you all."

*

There were restraints in one corner of her bedroom.

Manacles, suspended by sturdy chains from a mount bolted securely to the ceiling.

"I want him over there," Kaguya said imperiously, pointing at them. "Chained up. And cut off his clothing, please."

Kallen didn't move. "You really think this is what Zero wanted you to do with him?" she snapped. "I mean, yeah, he said he'd give him to you as a present, but this--"

"--is what I want to do with my present," Kaguya finished for her serenely. "If Zero-sama doesn't approve, I'm sure he'll tell me so himself."

Which didn't seem to satisfy Kallen in the least, but Suzaku stepped past her and headed for the manacles himself, ignoring her protests.

He supposed she didn't want to see him treated this way -- didn't want to believe her precious Black Knights were capable of such blatant abuse. And even after what Kaguya had said in the grand hall, he hadn't quite expected this either.

But it was only sex, wasn't it?

After a moment of frowning mutinously at him, Kallen strode forward swiftly and unlocked his handcuffs, tensing for a few seconds like she expected him to lash out and make his escape before she fastened his wrists into the manacles. "I'm not cutting his damned clothes off," she told the other girl irritably. "You can do that yourself."

In spite of her fierce words and sharp movements, the glimpse Suzaku caught of her face when she headed for the door was dark pink.

Kaguya watched her go with a pout and then turned back to him, all smiles. "Alone at last."

He met her gaze impassively. "You left your friend a little stranded back there, didn't you?"

To his surprise, she giggled. "I'm sure she thinks that, but it's all going to be okay now. She'll see. Zero-sama has a way with people."

A way with people. Suzaku grit his teeth. "Something like that. He's certainly very good at manipulating them when he needs to."

Kallen would have been outraged, but Kaguya only tilted her head to the side, as if she found him very strange and interesting. It was unsettling. She began to cross the room towards him, undoing the bow at the front of her robes and casually discarding her tiara. "Why are you still doing that?" she asked curiously.

"Why am I doing... what?" Suzaku asked in turn. He didn't like the way she was looking at him.

"Why are you trying to convince me Zero-sama is a bad person?" Her lips quirked up at the corners. "What would you do, if I decided you were right and let you out of your chains? Would you really go back to the same Britannia that just threw you away without a second thought?"

Suzaku froze.

She smiled, and then turned her attention to his clothes. With deft fingers she unbuttoned his jacket, exposing and then unzipping his dark undershirt. Her hands were small and cool as she palmed his skin, lingering ever so slightly over muscle and bone with seeming curiosity. Or maybe she was just surveying her new property.

"What a beautiful body," Kaguya said softly, skimming his abdomen with her fingertips. "Very lean, but so muscular. The military must work you hard." She began to unbutton his fly.

He gazed at her face for a few seconds, then reminded himself again that it was only sex. If he closed his eyes and held his breath, in a little while it would be over. She would be satisfied, and he wouldn't feel any more sick with himself than he ever did.

His pants were open and down around his knees when a noise cut through the thick silence. It sounded like someone rapping their knuckles impatiently on the chamber door.

Kaguya drew back from him and, to his surprise, giggled. "It isn't locked, Zero-sama," she called sweetly.

And Suzaku felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.

The door opened, and Zero breezed into the room, his cape peeled back over one shoulder. "I hope I'm not intruding, Lady Kaguya," he said airily, approaching them. "I trust you don't object to an audience?"

Oh gods.

Kaguya clasped her hands together and beamed. "It's Zero-sama's present," she replied sweetly. "Of course he can watch, if he likes."

"You're very gracious."

Suzaku went very still as Zero crossed over to settle on a lavish divan halfway across the room, taking note of his smooth and decidedly disinterested movements. The careless hand he brought up to his masked jaw in some parody of the fascinated observer only made it worse.

"Well, Zero-sama is very generous," Kaguya told him. "Look at all the wonderful things he's done for me today. Saving my poor friend from marriage to a strange Britannian..."

Zero said, with a chuckle, "What an interesting assumption," but she matched his laughter with a disarming smile.

"You saved her, and you know you did," Kaguya said confidently. "Zero-sama would never leave a lady so bereft." Then her attention turned back to Suzaku, and she narrowed her eyes appreciatively. "And then, on top of doing me such a kind favor, Zero-sama went out and got me such a thoughtful gift." She punctuated her statement by sliding her fingers down between his legs, curling them around his shaft and stroking him firmly.

If he closed his eyes and held his breath--

But even with his eyes closed, he could still feel the weight of Zero's indifferent gaze.

Suzaku grit his teeth and did not lift his hips or widen his stance to give her better access. His body was the one thing he had always had total control over, and he did not have to give her any kind of reaction he didn't want to. Relaxing that control and letting himself respond would have actually been more of an effort.

She was his cousin. She would never have been his first... choice for this. And she was only sixteen, which would have bothered him even more if she hadn't seemed so sure of what she wanted. Even so, if it had been only her -- if they had been alone in the room -- then he would have done it. He would have forced himself to respond, if need be.

But they weren't alone in the room, and he could not bring himself to give Zero whatever sick pleasure he wanted from this.

Kaguya paused, staring up at him, and then stepped back with a sulky frown on her pretty face.

"What's the matter, milady?" Zero asked immediately, attentive, though Suzaku might have said more amused than concerned. "Does it displease you already?"

"I don't think he wants to play with me anymore," Kaguya said, large green eyes still fixed on his face. "He's completely soft now." She heaved a sigh, and reached up to touch his face. "It's not very grateful of you to react to him like this," she scolded. "But I suppose if you're not in the mood now..."

For a few fragile seconds, Suzaku allowed himself to hope that that would be the end of it. She was going to give up for a while, or maybe even ask her precious Zero to leave the room. But then Zero stood, almost languidly, and strode over to stand beside her.

"Not in the mood?" he repeated, and Suzaku could hear the unpleasant smile. "Well, fortunately, I did anticipate that problem."

What he withdrew from some pocket in his costume looked like an ordinary medical syringe, but the sight of it actually stopped Kaguya's smile. "That isn't... Refrain, is it?"

Suzaku felt his heart skip a beat, and some part of him was treacherously hopeful, because he would have preferred reliving even his worst memories to being fully conscious for this -- but Zero was already shaking his head.

"That would be quite the scandal, wouldn't it?" the man said ruefully. "Zero, the hero of the Japanese, willing to use the drug that has done his people so much damage on an enemy soldier? No. I think not. Besides, even if he were more responsive, I think you'd prefer him alert and aware of his surroundings, wouldn't you...?"

Kaguya giggled. "I see your point. Then what is it, Zero-sama?"

Zero lifted the syringe to the light. "A potent aphrodisiac. It will certainly take care of his... 'mood'."

Her eyes went wide, and Suzaku tried not to shudder. "Ooh, that would be perfect." She reached for it.

He held it just beyond her grasp. "Are you sure you want to use it, Lady Kaguya?"

The girl tilted her head to the side curiously and lowered her arms. "What do you mean, Zero-sama?"

"You could keep trying," Zero pointed out with deceptive lightness. "Wouldn't it mean more if he gave in to you of his own free will?"

Even in the midst of his horror, Suzaku couldn't resist a futile searching glance at his masked face. It was him, it was Lelouch, it had to be--

But then Zero seemed to change his mind, and there was something almost self-mocking in his words as he handed the syringe to her. "Or perhaps it wouldn't. Perhaps meaning is overrated."

Kaguya blinked, and her eyes darted from her master to her toy and then back again. But she seemed to shrug it off for the moment, and then all of Suzaku's attention was focused on the syringe as she went up on her tiptoes to bring it to the jugular probably standing out tautly in his throat.

It seemed to take her forever to squeeze the godsdamned trigger, but Suzaku did not close his eyes, refused to let himself flinch, even when he felt the burst of pain and heard the soft but deafening shook of the plunger going in. It burned, the way he had always imagined poison must, and knocked his head back. Shit.

"Give him a few minutes," he thought he heard Zero saying fuzzily.

"How will I know when it's working?"

Zero gave a rough laugh. "It should be very obvious," he murmured. "Don't worry."

The haze was clearing, and Suzaku even managed to focus his eyes on the pair of them. He watched them watching him and waited for the reaction that would let him know the drug was working. He didn't feel any different so far -- except maybe more alert, which was probably a very normal reaction to being injected with an unknown substance. Anyone would have felt the same.

"It's been a minute," Kaguya said helpfully. "Do you feel it yet, Suzaku?"

He stared at her, face blank. She obviously wanted to pretend this whole thing was some sort of game, a game that they were both playing -- and maybe it would even make her feel better if he went along with that, but Suzaku wasn't especially interested in making her feel better.

Besides, he didn't feel it yet. Or much of anything, although he was more aware of the open air on his bare skin. The room was a little chilly, he hadn't noticed it before. Suzaku shivered on his next breath and realized that his skin was sort of tingly.

Probably just from being strung up by his wrists -- right?

But Zero steepled his hands together and said, "There. That's it." He turned away, moving back over to his divan, apparently uninterested. "You can play with him now to your heart's content."

Kaguya beamed, but over her shoulder complained, "That was not very obvious. Zero-sama had me waiting for -- for his skin to turn purple, or something."

"Only obvious if you know what you're looking for," Zero conceded drolly. "Hurry up. It will wear off eventually, you know."

She responded by playfully sticking out her tongue, so childishly innocent for a moment that it was deeply jarring when she turned back to him with bright eyes and reached down to clench her small hand around his--

"Ah," Zero said, and she stopped a breath away; Suzaku could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. "That's much more direct than you need to be. Why, I'm quite certain you could bring him to completion now without ever touching that."

Suzaku swallowed on a dry throat and Kaguya giggled again. "Oh, do you really think so? Even though he's been so reticent?"

Not waiting for an answer, she settled her hand on his belly and gently dragged it up, up, up lazily over his skin. It felt like fire licking him, and when she found a nipple with thumb and forefinger to so gently twist--

The raw sensation rendered him briefly blind and then he was panting and she had withdrawn her hand to clap like an elated schoolgirl. "Ooh, much better. And look at how hard he is."

Suzaku forced his eyes to focus on her face -- she was only saying that. Surely he hadn't really -- but then he felt it, that unmistakable heaviness between his thighs. Oh gods, he was actually aching a little.

Shame was the wrong response. Even if she hadn't drugged him, it would have been the wrong response. But he couldn't help it. Losing control of his body was -- one thing that had never happened to him before. And now he couldn't even keep his breathing even.

Which Kaguya seemed to like. Her delighted gaze ran from his heaving chest to his erection and then back again while she stroked his nipple idly, beaming when even that simple touch made him shudder. "Zero-sama might be right," she told him in a secretive whisper. "You really might come without being touched." Her smile dimmed some, and then she skimmed her fingers down to find one hip bone, her eyes on his cock. "I guess that means I won't get a pony ride today."

Suzaku just stared at her. She hadn't really just called having sex a pony ride, had she--

"...Unless," Kaguya said unexpectedly,and turned back to Zero. "Zero-sama, did you bring my toy box up here, like I asked?" He must have nodded, because she giggled. "Wonderful! Don't you worry, Suzaku. I have just the thing."

She stepped away from him then and passed outside his vision, apparently retrieving something from the far side of the room. Suzaku watched Zero watching her, and saw him go very still.

Oh, this couldn't possibly have been a good sign.

When Kaguya came back into view, she was almost bouncing. Whatever she had gotten out of her 'toybox', she kept it hidden behind her back until she was close enough to touch him. "Do you know what this is?" She held it out.

Suzaku's immediate impression was that it hadn't been worth hiding. It just looked like a -- well, ring. Clear plastic, or maybe some kind of soft rubber. There were little bumps all over the surface.

"...No," he told her. But he thought he could guess, and his cock gave an unwelcome throb.

His cousin laughed, eyes dark as though she could tell, and moved in close again to touch him, so lightly, but his drugged body responded anyway and he could not quite stifle the groan. Gods, his skin felt electrified, all the tiny hairs standing on end. He could barely breathe.

"I'm sorry about this," he heard her saying from what felt like a great distance. "It's more comfortable if you put these on before you're quite this hard. But you're big and strong, right...?" Her fingers finally found his cock, gently lifting his balls, ahh shit, and then he felt something cool pinching at the base of his erection. "You can take it."

Kaguya said something more, but he couldn't hear it over the rush of blood in his ears. Her small palm slid over his shaft, and it felt good, so good, much too damned good, but even though his hips bucked and he felt himself peaking--

--he didn't, couldn't, come.

"There we go," Kaguya said, sounding pleased (would she ever sound anything but pleased). "Now we can have some real fun."

Suzaku knew she was unfastening her heavy obi, loosening the bow clasp over her chest, exposing and then opening her under-robe, but his eyes didn't seem to want to focus anymore. It was too much.

He couldn't think straight.

"You're inconveniently tall," she said as she stepped out of her panties. "It's very inconsiderate of you."

Suzaku mumbled an apology, and she laughed.

"You should be. But if you're good, I might be able to let you down next time, and then I won't have to stand on my tiptoes to-- Ahh," she finished in a moan, clear green eyes rolling back in her head, and that was his only warning before he felt her soft wet heat on his tip, engulfing him with sudden indescribable intensity.

The world went white, and Suzaku lost control completely, wrenching his wrists against the chains and very nearly ripping them from the ceiling. He was only distantly aware of the motion of his hips, the savage animal thrusts, Kaguya clinging to his shoulders and crying out again and again.

She was so tight, tighter but also wetter than any woman he'd been with before, or maybe that was just the drugs, making every inch of him more aware of each sensation, and he couldn't stop himself, the need burning too brightly in him, he had to -- had to --

But he couldn't, he was so close so teased so beyond over the edge but still somehow teetering and he could not make himself fall.

Suzaku felt her orgasm, the way her body tightened, vaginal muscles clamping down, a surge of new moisture, but he didn't even slow down and Kaguya gave a low, husky moan of approval.

"Ah... ah.. ah..." she gasped. "Yes-- Suzaku-- Don't stop--"

There was something primally satisfying about her obvious pleasure, but Suzaku still wished he could have stopped. Could have caught her greedy little hips and pried her off. For a wild moment, he was furious with her for doing this to him and smiling the whole time like he was a good little dog trying his best to please her.

But he couldn't stop, didn't have the leverage to seize her hips, and a moment later the anger was gone, replaced by something else. Something less focused.

She felt... so good--

Everything did, even the air on his sweaty skin--

Oh gods, she was coming again--

Suzaku stiffened, panting, as her juices flooded over him, and then she seemed to come down from her high, curling lazily against him, content and apparently oblivious to the aching cock buried deep inside her. Was she -- just going to sleep like that? No, she couldn't -- she couldn't possibly be comfortable enough...

He wet his very dry lips and tried to focus, but he couldn't, couldn't form real thoughts around the desperate need thrumming in his blood. His every inch of skin was hot and vibrating.

"I think he deserves a little of your attention," Zero said, and even though he was the one saying it, Suzaku couldn't help the little flood of horrible, pathetic gratitude.

Kaguya looked back at him, but she did withdraw, slipping free of his dick with a wet sound. She even managed to stand, although she was trembling slightly. "If Zero-sama thinks so," she said, smiling again. "He has been very good. I suppose I can give him his treat."

And she reached between his legs for the cock ring, pulling it carefully free -- much easier this time, with all the fluids covering him -- and he came, almost immediately, hard and thick and gasping at the force of it.

He knew he was making a mess of her hand, the little toy, his own belly and thighs. There was just so much of it, so many hard bursts, and the relief was so intense that for the first time in his life he actually blacked out.

*

Kaguya pouted. "I guess this means I'll have to wait a few hours for round two, doesn't it?" she said.

Silence. She frowned more genuinely and turned to look at him, curious, but caught only the briefest glimpse of her master's cape as he left, closing the door softly behind him.

*

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Anya asked him for perhaps the tenth time.

Gino sighed. He was grateful for her assistance, but he also knew the other knight too well to expect her to understand what had driven him out of the audience chamber and into his Tristan.

All he could offer her was the same rationale he would give at his inevitable court martial. "The Second Prince does not always speak for the Emperor, and Suzaku is His Majesty's personal knight." He grinned. "There's a chance he might not approve of just giving him to a terrorist."

This, finally, seemed to satisfy her. "Understood. I'll take point."

Mordred slid into position in front of him, and they prepared to attack the Ikaruga, for better or worse.