Chapter Text
“Suzaku, I don’t understand how you’re quite possibly the best detective in Pendragon, but somehow you keep forgetting to tell me we’ve run out of milk.”
Accusatory violet eyes locked on his gaze, complete with a raised eyebrow. A pale hand clutched an empty milk bottle, raising in the air to demonstrate that it was very much empty.
“I’m sorry, Lelouch. I just kind of forgot…” Suzaku tried his best to satiate his boyfriend. He knew how Lelouch was when he didn’t have his coffee in the morning, and he felt genuinely guilty.
“You’ve been working all night again, haven’t you?” Lelouch scowled upon further inspection of his tired and dishevelled state. “You need to give yourself a break every now and then, Suzaku. It isn’t healthy.”
Ah, yes, the workaholic talk.
Suzaku scratched the back of his head and offered an apologetic smile to his (kind of) fuming boyfriend. “You know I can’t do that. I’m a detective—”
“Of the Pendragon Britannian Police,” Lelouch finished, having heard the line about a thousand times. He spoke as he dumped the milk bottle into the recycling bin, “Yes, I’m aware. I understand you have cases to solve, but if you get sick because of constantly working, that’ll be another problem.”
He couldn’t deny the facts. Lelouch was right, he always was, but something stirred inside Suzaku whenever he was working on cases like the one assigned to him now.
“I can say the same for you,” Suzaku shot back.
Lelouch was a Psychology professor of the prestigious Ashford Academy. He specialised in Forensic Psychology and Criminology, teaching the bright young students of tomorrow, and all other times, working on his research papers or grading assessments, often into the wee hours of the night.
The hypocrite pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the kitchen counter with a sigh. “Those papers aren’t going to grade themselves.” He propped himself off the counter. “Also, you’re changing the topic. That’s not fair.”
Suzaku sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to win this one. Not in any argument with Lelouch Lamperouge. “I’m sorry. I was just working on my current case and I didn’t notice the time.”
It was true. There were times Suzaku immersed himself in his work so deeply that he didn’t realise how many hours has passed. As much as it was his redeeming quality as a detective to keep looking for answers, it was also his ultimate downfall.
“Just promise me that you’ll actually try to sleep at the very least.” The corners of his lips quirked up, and Suzaku was relieved to finally see a smile.
“I swear.” The detective stood and closed the steps between them, planting a chaste kiss on Lelouch’s soft lips. Suzaku could feel another smile as he did. He pulled away with a sigh of contentment.
“So, how is the case going?” Lelouch asked, as he started stirring ingredients into a bowl. Suzaku realised quickly that he was whipping up an omelette — a mushroom and cheese one from the looks of it.
His gaze shifted to the piles of folders and documents in front of him. It was hard enough actually convincing his superior, Milly Ashford, to allow him to take work home. They agreed on a compromise surrounding the whole confidentiality thing, and so now Suzaku was finally allowed to work through the night.
The case he was assigned to was nothing new. It was a multiple homicide with no decent leads to go on with.
His favourite kinds.
Not.
“That bad, huh?” Lelouch’s attention was fixated on the omelette now sizzling in the pan. His back was to him, so he couldn’t tell how he was reacting to the situation. “Have you heard from Zero yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Ah, that’s a shame.”
Zero .
A vigilante of some sorts.
He first made his presence known to the public just a few years ago – when he cracked a cold case. A twenty-year-old cold case that not even Pendragon’s finest could solve.
Zero wasn’t your average vigilante, no, he was so far from being the chaotic hero type that dealt with criminals with his own hands and left them to die in the dark alleyways of the city.
The type of vigilante Zero categorised under was a bit more complicated than that. To the police’s knowledge, Zero had never hurt anyone, haven’t laid a finger on deemed criminals. What he did was an investigation. Yes, that’s right, an investigation. As if he was his own private detective.
Zero performed his own investigations and left the Pendragon Police with clues, which 100% of the time, led to the successful capture of the suspected criminal. Of course, they were still sceptical, still having to go through Zero’s reasonings behind the accusations and achieving the same thought process before finally receiving official documents like warrants to investigate further.
However, it wasn’t foolproof. Zero had acquired classified information from somewhere, many assumed from within the police database, which, of course, was a criminal offence, and many of his ‘clues’ involved a certain someone breaking and entering private premises and breaching privacy.
So the subject of Zero was a bit of a sensitive subject in Pendragon – was he a hero or just another criminal? Were gains made through contemptible means worth it in the end?
Either way, the police was on the lookout for the mystery that is Zero. No doubt, when, or rather if, captured, Zero will be privy to the law, and there will be consequences. If Pendragon Police was ready to face the backlash of the public from the stunt, Suzaku didn’t know.
Suzaku blinked, not realising Lelouch was in front of him, waving his hand to catch his attention. “Earth to Suzaku.”
“Sorry. I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Hm, yeah you did,” Lelouch sat on the chair across him and scooted himself closer to the table as he sliced his now cooked omelette. “I’m sure you can solve this one in no time, Suzaku. I believe in you.”
“Thanks.” He grinned. The brunet realised soon after that a plate of the same omelette was also in front of him.
The raven-haired male glanced at his watch and groaned. “I have to go.” He quickly scoffed down the rest of his meal and left it in the sink. “Will I be seeing you tonight?”
What Lelouch really meant was – are you going to be staying up all night at the precinct for the case? Truthfully, Suzaku didn’t know, but he nodded anyway, leaning towards the other male for a quick kiss, but the raven turned away just before their lips could touch.
“Promise you’ll be home,” Lelouch murmured softly. “I barely see you anymore.”
Suzaku sighed, knowing Lelouch was right. “I promise.”