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The summer cicadas are noisy, a painful drone in the air. Not that Suzaku notices it, it is too commonplace for her. It's only because of Lelouch's complaints, his fussing over whether or not Nunnally can get enough sleep with that sound echoing around him, that she actually is able to notice it.
Not that it's important right now. Lelouch is glaring at the river, looking at it like it's the next great foe before him. Which is only slightly an exaggeration.
“Come on!” Suzaku having already rolled up her pants legs and tied up her hair, is wading into the water. It's blessedly cold, a relief from the heat of the summer sun. She grins at him, as the pretty little prince pouts at her.
“Are you absolutely sure it's safe?” Lelouch is giving her a suspicious look.
Suzaku can't help it. She laughs. “Of course! Come on you fussy pot, get in! The water is nice and cold.”
Lelouch crouches by the edge and dips a hand in the water. He shivers, mouth turning down into a great frown. He eyes Suzaku for a moment, then sits down by the edge and removes his shoes and socks, stuffing the socks into his shoes. He stands up and carefully rolls up his pant legs, then, ever so carefully, steps into the river. He yelps, shivering, but manages to make his way over to Suzaku.
“See?” Suzaku grins at him, eyes crinkling up from the force of her wide grin. “It's nice right?”
Lelouch gives her an annoyed look, but looks at the river. Swiftly flowing around their feet, the water is clear and showing the sandy, rocky bottom. “So now what?”
“We wait a little.” Suzaku says cheerfully, even as she shows off the giant net she got. “Then when a fish comes we can catch it. But we gotta stay still for some time.”
“Great.” Lelouch is still shivering, scowling a bit at the sun – probably because it doesn't seem to be helping him stay warm.
Suzaku rolls her eyes at Lelouch's dramatics, and focuses on the water, watching for a fish. Time passes like this, the cicadas droning and the sun keeping them from getting too cold in the water. Finally, a fish comes by and Suzaku brightens. “There it is!”
Lelouch turns, surprised, even as Suzaku moves to catch the fish in a net. He slips, lets out a loud yelp as he does so, and falls into the water.
Suzaku turns, immediately worried and yells for him...
It's dark suddenly. The water isn't cold, but warm, sticky. It's red, a coppery scent in the air, and Suzaku stumbles, falls. She's covered in blood, not a child anymore but in a great pool of blood. Lelouch is before her, struggling in the blood, trying not to go under. Suzaku tries to move, tries to get to him, but the blood is strong, hard to move against.
She just reaches him when he goes under and she misses catching him. Suzaku stares at where he fell, stares at her blood covered hands, and screams.
“Suzaku!” A rough shaking and the sound of her name makes her eyes snap open. She sits up, breathing hard and covered in sweat.
For a moment, she just stares at the wall in front of her, obscured by the darkness around her. Then she slowly turns to look at Lelouch. “Le...Lelouch...”
Lelouch sits up, blankets falling away to reveal his bare torso, a frown of worry on his face. “Suzaku?” He runs a hand over her hair, pushing it back from her face, then cups her cheek.
Suzaku trembles for a moment, then flings her arms around him. Lelouch lets out a squeak, falling down into the bed with Suzaku wrapped around him. “Suzaku?”
“...it was a nightmare.” Suzaku tells him, trembling still. She can hear the sound of cicadas outside, as her breath slowly calms down and her heart stops racing. That's right, they are in Japan right now on ambassador business. Well, Lelouch is. Suzaku is here as his Knight and wife.
“I couldn't save you.” Suzaku says softly and Lelouch stiffens, then relaxes, sighing.
“You saved me.” Lelouch runs a hand down her bare back, soothingly. “You've always been there to save me.”
“Not when we were kids...” Suzaku closes her eyes tighter, thinking of the war, of how they got separated. Of all those years thinking he was dead and Nunnally too. Thinks of Shinjuku, thinks of that horrible awful day where she nearly killed him unknowingly. If it wasn't for luck--!
“It's okay.” Lelouch lifts her head, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “You came when it counted. It's okay.”
Suzaku opens her eyes, letting her green ones meet Lelouch's violet ones. He's smiling at her, in that way that never fails to make her heart flutter. She lets out a hard breath, then curls up closer to him. She can hear his heartbeat like this. Lelouch doesn't move, just keeps petting her.
“Do you need anything?” Lelouch asks softly. Suzaku knows, if she asks, he'd make up anything she needs, anything to make her feel better.
She smiles finally, knowing so well how Lelouch fusses, how he throws his all into even the smallest thing in their relationship. Remembers, with a bit of humour, how he proposed to her. So cheesy and yet so perfect.
“No. Just stay. Okay?” Suzaku presses a kiss to his neck and feels him shiver pleasantly at that sensation.
She knows he's smiling as he wraps his arms around her, curling up closer. “Always.”
He will.
Suzaku lets out a soft sigh, curling up against to her husband, letting the fading horror of the nightmare drift away as she slowly, but surely, drifts off to sleep herself once more.
Lelouch looks at her softly and closes his own eyes, letting sleep wash over him as well.