As the summary implies, this is the spin-off of Just Like Magic!. Which means, if you have not read JLM! this will make even less sense than it already does.

Chapter Title: Clovis
Setting: Somewhere in Chapter Ten
Dedicated To: di_sama

Despite its outer appearance, this castle was not a castle. This was a palace. Behind the stone façade, which was about a foot thick, there was an exotic, tropical jungle themed mass of marble and fountains. Suzaku was very confused.

There was still a tower, however. It stuck out terribly.

Resolute, Suzaku pushed open the heavy wooden door and began to climb the stairs. Unlike the stairs in Lelouch's castle, these were sparkly clean. The walls surrounding the spiraling staircase were covered in murals of awesomeness that Suzaku would have appreciated more had he actually looked. Suzaku was oblivious. Whatever.

At a small landing, there was a small snake with diamond collar. Suzaku stopped to pet it. It hissed at him feebly as he passed.

In another fit of obliviousness Suzaku ignored the small engraving on the collar reading, "Lulu." (It should be noted that it was an ill-tempered black snake.)

The door of the room at the top of the tower was already opened. Suzaku took a deep breath and stepped inside. He promptly wanted to kill something. For the person seated casually at an easel was… male.

Why? Why did life hate him so much? He was so very not gay, time spent with Lelouch notwithstanding. So why was his second one true love still a damned guy!

As stated previously, Suzaku wanted to kill something.

While he was standing there, fists clenched, teeth gritted, the man at the easel looked up.

"May I draw you?"

Suzaku snapped back to reality, "What?"

Suzaku's secondary one true love stood and approached him. He lifted his chin and inspected his face. "Your jawline… it is exquisite. And your eyes! Ah! Your eyes, they are like unto-"

"Please stop touching me."

"But you're so very pretty. But wait – You are my one true love, yes? Despite the fact that I'm quite straight and you're clearly male there could definitely have been worse outcomes. Your face is-"

"Really. Stop touching me."

"Well, if we are to be lovers – Perhaps man and, er, man – How do you feel about getting a sex change? – Anyway, you really should get used to the touching."

"I think there's a mistake, I'm, er, I'm quite-" He could think of only one ending to that sentence, and he really, really didn't want to say it, but if the alternative was- "I'm taken."

"Taken?!" The blond drew back in shock. "Then why on earth are you here? Rescuing me when I'm intended for-"

"Community service!" Suzaku blurted out before the man could finish his sentence. His rant senses were a-tingling.

"Hmm, taken." He strode back to the easel and studied it for a long moment before looking up, blue eyes gleaming. "Is she pretty?"

Suzaku could have just said yes. But it was highly probable that the madman would follow him outside to where Lelouch waited. While androgynous, the second he opened his mouth the truth would be obvious. And keeping Lelouch quiet would be impossible. The only possible answer was the truth.

"Yes, he is pretty."

The blond stopped pacing. "He? Actually, that works out rather brilliantly. What does he look like?"

Suzaku was at a loss and quite uncomfortable with this situation. "Erm, my height and skinny. Quite pale. Er, black hair and-"

"Is he as muscled as you?"

"No, he's really, really skinny. Unhealthily so actually."

"And he's pale while you're tanned. Oh, this is lovely, such a wonderful contrast. Take me to him! I must see him for myself."

Suzaku was a bit of a tool when flustered. "Alright then."

He turned and led the way down the stairs-"

"Do you like the murals? I painted them myself."

-past the landing-

"That's my wingless dragon! He's quite tame!" Another feeble hiss.

-through the gardens and palace grounds-

"I designed this whole place actually. When I heard was to be consigned here for some unspecified amount of time. Well, I had quite a lot to say about that."

Suzaku stopped, realizing he'd forgotten something important. "What's your name?"

He gave an elegant bow that reminded Suzaku strongly of Lelouch.

"Clovis la Britannia."

Well that explained it. Wait – Shit.

"Br – Britannia?" Suzaku choked out.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No. No not a problem, just, er, let's just keep going outside, 'kay?"

The blo- Clovis shrugged and followed.

The first thing they saw when past the façade was Gawain. Clearing Gawain, they saw Lelouch who was sitting on a large rock, boulder really, looking positively miserable.

Suzaku had no idea why that could be.

Lelouch glanced up. Purple eyes widened at the sight of the blond following behind Suzaku.

"Oh, yes! He's perfect. The contrast really is splendid. Would you two mind posing for me? Together? Possibly in an intimate setting?"

Suzaku's face turned purple.

"Dear me, your relationship hasn't progressed that far yet? Well, kissing is fine. I'd be rather uncomfortable with anything more actually."

Lelouch made a strange gulping noise as he stared at his brother.

"Hold on a moment." Clovis took several steps forward and bent to study Lelouch's face. "Le – Lelouch?"

Lelouch laughed shakily. "Hello, brother."

"Oh, Lulu! It's been so long!"

"Clovis, we hate each other."

"Please, call me 'brother.' I always got so jealous when you called Schneizel that and not me. Besides, that's all behind us now."

"No it's not!"

"But I love you, Lulu! I named my wingless dragon after you!"

"Your wingl – Clovis, I hate you. Remember that time I tried to kill you when I was seven and everyone thought that was a prank. Yeah, that wasn't a prank."

"Lulu," Clovis whimpered, lip quivering.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Suzaku, who had been stealthily leading Lancelot away, looked back innocently, "Who? Me?"

Lelouch pushed Clovis roughly to the side. "Yes, you! Don't leave me alone with him!"

"But, Lulu-"

"Lelouch, you're really not being-" Suzaku took a step back as Lelouch stalked forward.

"He's not my princess. You deal with him!"

"He's your brother!"

"Half-brother! Suzaku, you really-"

"Wow, you two aren't intimate at all."

Lelouch stopped mid-sentence and gaped at his half-brother. Suzaku bit his lip and looked away, resisting the urge to whistle.

"Why ever would you think we'd be intimate?"

Clovis, sensing he'd said something wrong, smiled sweetly and pointed a finger at Suzaku. "He said he was taken. By you."

Lelouch whirled on Suzaku, "What the-"

"He started talking about me getting a sex change! I had to say something!"

"You couldn't have just said you were straight!"

"I, er, I don't think well under pressure!"

"You don't think well at all, Suzie!"

"But you do act like a married couple, hmm. Interesting." Clovis was studying them, stroking his chin.

Lelouch whirled back to Clovis, "Quit that! No more talking!"

"Lelouch, he's your brother! You could be a little nicer. Though it is nice to know I'm not the only one you abuse."

"Maybe it's how he shows his love," Clovis mused.

"No. No, it isn't," Suzaku and Lelouch snapped at the same time.

Clovis hid a small smile behind one hand, "That's really cute. So how far have you two gotten, anyway?"

"Nowhere!" Lelouch shrieked, he had a habit of doing that, particularly when the issue of his and Suzaku's relationship came up in conversation.

Clovis' eyes sharpened and he pranced forward. Brushing back the hair off Lelouch's neck he smirked uncharacteristically, "Then would you mind explaining this mark."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "I, er-"

Suzaku grinned evilly on the inside and shrugged simply on the out, "He likes it up the ass."

"Suzaku!" Lelouch, again, shrieked.

"Oh, don't hide it, Lulu," Clovis waved a hand airily. "I always knew you'd have a thing for tanned pretty boys with eyes like unto-"

"Quit that!" Suzaku this time.

"I dunno," Lelouch murmured, "I think I need to know what Suzaku's eyes are like unto. After all, I need some sort of poetry to moan while he-"

"Details! Details!" Clovis wailed, covering his ears.

"But, Clovis, it's been so long, don't you want to catch up?"

"Not if catching up involves-"

"I mean, we're family. It's only natural that we share secrets like how much I love it when-"

"Lelouch!"

"-he sh-"

Suzaku made a wild dive at Lelouch to cover his mouth as soon as possible. He overdid it and they both fell to the ground.

"Get off of-" Lelouch beat at his chest.

"It's your own damned fault for-" One hand held Lelouch's wrist to the ground, the other went to cover his mouth.

"Stop! Stop exactly like that!"

They turned and stared.

"I have to get my easel!" He sprinted off towards the castle.

Lelouch and Suzaku stared at each other and shrugged. What was the harm?

Oh. Right. Being immortalized as the gay lovers they weren't.

They scrambled to their feet and ran towards Gawain and Lancelot who had been placidly watching the whole affair.

Please review if you enjoyed it...