Lawli: Just when I say I'm finished writing fanfiction, I get bitten by another idea-bug. Or rather in this case, I have one given to me. Troublecake PMed me a little over a month ago with a request for a CG fic in a hospital setting. Of course there were more details than just that (all of which I found too delicious to say no to) but I obviously won't spoil them in the very first chapter. I've always wanted to write something along these lines, due to my own extensive medical history and the amount of time I've spent in hospitals myself, so when given this idea I could not get it out of my head.

This story will be very much in the same vein as my last fic, 'Back to You'. Not with all the vengeful Lelouch, but certainly with the drama, and also in the way the story is told between flashbacks and present-day encounters.

I want to give a warning in advance that I am not a doctor. Any medical knowledge I have pertains to my cancer and the experiences I had - most of which this story doesn't deal with. That being said, I'm doing my research with this story because I want it to be as factual and realistic as possible (thus it can be more heartbreaking, because I am an angst whore ;) ). If you notice that I DO get anything wrong, and I'm sure I will, please point it out to me so I can fix it.

That being said... please enjoy!

Minutes Per Heartbeat

On Melancholy Hill
"Are you here with me?
Just looking out the day of another dream."

To be honest, he's a little scared of Lelouch at first. Not of Lelouch himself – the boy's way too skinny to be healthy, the wind can probably blow him over, so he's hardly intimidating. The wheelchair, however, is. It makes Suzaku wary to approach, afraid of touching him or even breathing too hard and breaking him.

Lelouch doesn't appreciate it. Whenever he catches Suzaku's worried green eyes on him – such as now – he clenches his left fist and snaps, "what?"

And like always, Suzaku flushes guiltily, knowing he's been caught but shaking his head to deny it anyways.

"Nothing!"

"Is there something wrong with my chair?"

"No! I just—"

But Lelouch never gives him a chance to explain himself. He huffs and says, "staring is rude," and presses the control stick of the wheelchair so that he doesn't have to face Suzaku anymore.

Suzaku fights for a short while against the mixed emotions gnawing away at him: the feeling that he should just leave Lelouch alone, and the much greater desire to get closer to him (maybe it's the unique color of his eyes, or the delicate wrists, or the fact that he seems to want absolutely nothing to do with anyone, especially Suzaku, but Suzaku has always been drawn to him). He chews on the inside of his cheek, and when he finally builds up the courage he runs out of the classroom after Lelouch.

"Are you okay?" It's a stupid question, really. Lelouch is in a wheelchair; he is obviously not okay. But it's the only thing he can think of to ask, and Suzaku feels it's a legitimate question because on Friday Lelouch had been playing on the swing set, perfectly fine. "It's just... I mean, last week you were walking and everything, so… Um. Did something happen?"

Lelouch's eyes narrow on him, studying his face. Suzaku feels his ears burning under the attention and resists the urge to duck his head. Lelouch is his age, but he seems so much older; it's unnerving how intense his eyes are.

"It's none of your business."

This chapter's music:

"On Melancholy Hill" - Gorillaz