A/N: A short AU Fanfiction inspired by a sad-in-context-but-not-out-of statement by my mother at New Year's Eve dinner. Fluff, slight shounen-ai, but can be taken as just friendship. There might also be a continuation of it, which might turn into a multi-chapter story, but I make no promises as to it's existence or completion.

~0~0~0~

Warm breath came out as puffs of fog as Lelouch made his way through the thick crowd, bumping into people as his violet eyes caught on anything that called out for his attention. His red jacket-clad arms were wrapped around him in a futile attempt to warm up, yet he couldn't bring himself to actually go inside; after all, he couldn't read any of the signs and didn't want to end up someplace weird.

He shivered. What he needed was to get inside and empty his bladder, but even more than that - well, less so - what he needed was a tour guide. Earlier he had attempted to strike up a conversation with a local, though it was futile as the woman only spoke Japanese and Lelouch only spoke English.

Around his shivering form were tan, dark haired natives; he could not spot a single person with a complexion that matched his own pale one. It seemed to him that New Year's Eve was not a common place for tourists in suburban cities. No, everyone was likely at home with their families, or at least in their own country. Damn.

His stomach growled painfully, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the free airplane food - which, he asserted, could hardly be called food in the first place - and that his apetite was ravenous. He hadn't even been able to exchange his pounds for yen, so he suffered in silence. His regrettable lack of usable money also brought his mind to where he would spend the - or however many - night.

Grumbling to himself, he slinked down an abandoned alley to escape the cause of his growing headache. The alley, however, turned out not to be as abandoned as he thought, however, as a menacing throat cleared behind him. Turning around quickly, albeit clumsily, Lelouch narrowed his eyes on what appeared to be a classic thug, his ebony hair partially hiding his slight scowl. The amethyst eyed boy must have appeared weak, which he was, and thus an easy target to anyone looking for a wallet to steal.

"Kin dase yo," the thug growled out in, of course it had to be, Japanese. There was a threat to the words, and Lelouch assumed it to mean something along the lines of 'Give me your money'. He certainly wasn't asking nicely, in any case. Lelouch stood his ground, which only served to anger the other, who shouted, more fiercely, "Baka! Kin dase yo!"

He stalked over to the Brit and made a move to grab the collar of his jacket, but his hand was stopped in midair as he let out an abrupt cry of pain before following to his knees. "I think you should go home," a new voice said, the voice that belong to the curly headed boy who was holding the thug's arm above his head in a grip to firm that Lelouch could almost feel the pressure. "You wouldn't want to ruin the holiday."

The newcomer released his hold, and the thug gave him a fearful look before scurrying off into the crowd. Lelouch watched and listened to his saviour carefully. He was clearly Japanese, yet his accent was muddled with sounds of a foreign accent that was all too familiar. Strong, authoritative; he was in the militia. Not only the police, but the army, specifically the Britannian army. Strange. So, an Honorary Brit. His clothing showed no sign of Western culture though, being merely a blue and white yukata. "I didn't realise that the Britannian military helped strangers off-duty," Lelouch blurted out, his contempt for his own country rising like bile in his throat.

His rescuer gave him a startled look. "I-I- How did you...?"

Lelouch's eyes widened when his own words hit him. "My apologies," he amended smoothly. "I'm more than a bit shaken up." He didn't elaborate on why. "I was actually looking for something. My name is Lelouch."

"Suzaku Kururugi," his rescuer introduced, bowing in respect despite the earlier comment. "May I ask what you are looking for?"

So Lelouch's presumption was correct. This boy was, of course, willing to help a Britannian civilian who needed it despite the fact that he had no real reason to. The ebony haired teen forced himself not to grit his teeth at the thought. Such a corrupt nation as Britannia didn't deserve such loyalty from the Japanese people - the Elevens - that the empire ruled with an iron fist. But that wasn't the issue at hand. "Yes," Lelouch responded with a smile, "I was looking for someone to show me around. Someone I could actually understand."

Suzaku nodded and relaxed slightly, though he maintained his formal stance. "I have no one waiting for me, so I can show you around."

"And it feels much better spending such holidays with others, yes?" Lelouch smiled faintly, a small, bittersweet thing. He should be spending the New Year with his sister, not in some unfamiliar country. "But only if you want to. I wouldn't want to force you to chaperone me."

Almost sighing in relief, the Japanese boy gave him another nod. "Yes, that's right. And just so you know, most of the people here actually do speak English, but they'd just prefer to spend the holiday without-"

He stopped himself, but Lelouch knew the words that almost spilled from his mouth, so he continued. "Without being looked down on as Elevens by their oppressors. They want to celebrate they're own way, away from the Britannians, where they can put up Japanese signs and speak freely in Japanese as they grew up doing. They want to celebrate a happy holiday with their families, and they want to forget, even if only for a little while, that to the rest of the world, they are Elevens, mere Numbers, who inhabit the Britannian colony called Area Eleven."

Suzaku stared at him through his rant until the Brit finished, and it was the moment that the speech ended that Lelouch's stomach decided to give yet another demanding grumble. The Japanese boy chuckled. "It sounds to me like you're hungry," he commented. "Why don't I start off this tour with a bite to eat?"

Holding a hand over his stomach, the Brit shrugged. "I don't have any yen to buy with."

Though he tried to hide it with a cough, Suzaku's face betrayed his amusement. "Is that your only argument? This is still a Britannian colony; you can pay with the money you use back home."

"Oh, right." Lelouch forced himself not to stammer as heat rose to his face. Logically, he should have known that - and very few people could stump him in the logic department - but all the signs were advertising low prices in yen, not pounds. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I knew that."

Suzaku's countenance settled into an easy grin. He was a good person, Lelouch decided. "Anyway, come on, I'll show you a favourite stand of mine." He held out a hand, but his new companion hesitated to take it.

Grin faltering, the Japanese boy dropped his hand, then waved for Lelouch to follow him, but before he could take a step away, the Brit grabbed his arm. "It's crowded out there, I don't want to get separated," Lelouch said easily, and it was half true. More so, it was the fact that Suzaku, who had every right to hate him and his entire nation, was offering such kindness to a stranger. "And I'll pay for the food. Think of it... as my thank you for helping me."

"I..." Suzaku blinked, then shook his head, then smiled. "Only if you want to."

~0~0~0~

Violet eyes narrowed at the wooden box in his lap. If he were to be completely honest, Lelouch was hesitant to try Japanese cuisine because - and he hated how snobbish it made him seem - he was picky when it came to food. There were many people who hardly had enough food to get by, yet he had such a damned refined taste.

A hand landed over his, ceasing the slight shaking of the hand that held the chopsticks given to him by the nice lady at the shop. "It's only sushimi and dumplings," Suzaku told him with a chuckle. "Is it really that scary?"

Sighing as he nodded, Lelouch glanced around the small park that they occupied to make sure there was no one that would be offended if he didn't like the food. It was a ways away from the action and excitement of the festival, so they were almost completely alone. "Suzaku... Before we do this... You should know..."

The Japanese boy quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I..." Lelouch sucked in a breath, and then rushed out as he exhaled, "I always cook my own food because the food that other people make rarely satisfies me."

He heard a snort to his right. "Just try it," Suzaku encouraged. "It's my personal favourite. I come here every year just to taste it."

Lelouch attempted to use the chopsticks correctly, he really did, but in the end he dropped one and used the other to skewer a dumpling in a manor that was anything but graceful. "So, uh, you come here every year?" he asked before taking a suspicious bite of the food. By the time he swallowed, he was looking at them in a new light. "Without your family or friends?"

"Family..." Suzaku whispered to himself. He shook his head. "Speaking of, I never caught your surname."

It was meant to sound light, conversational, but there was a curious note that made the Brit pause. There was a reason he hadn't given it. How would his newfound companion react if he found out he was in the company of Lelouch Vi Britannia, ninth prince in line to the heir of the imperial throne? No, it was a secret best kept hidden. "Oh, right, it's," he thought quickly, "Lamperouge. It must have slipped my mind, sorry."

The Japanese boy grinned a bit. "Well, Lelouch Lamperouge, I have a question for you."

"Which would be?" Lelouch eyed him warily.

"Do you always spend New Year's alone?"

The Brit froze, staring down at his partially eaten dumplings and his untouched sushimi. "I asked you first," he pointed out after a few moments of silence had stretched between them.

Suzaku laughed, but this time it was shaded by sadness. "My dad... died... a few years ago. I never knew my mother, and I'm an only child, so I guess, yeah, I do spend New Year's alone every year. Your turn now."

"I should be with my younger sister, but my father is cruel." Lelouch scowled at his food. Venom laced his words. His father was the very reason he hated the empire so. "I spoke out against him, and this is his form of punishment. Force me away to a place I hardly know anything about, yet..."

"Maybe it's for the best?"

The wood of the chopstick bent to Lelouch's anger, but the finely made utensil didn't break. Trying to did nothing to ease his frustration, yet the words spoken beside him made him pause. They lapsed into silence, each boy to his own thoughts, until Lelouch inquired, "...How is not being with Nunally for the best?"

"Well..." Suzaku shrugged, his expression sheepish as he gazed at the park. Sakura trees marked the edges, with one standing proud in the middle, but it was winter and the branches were leafless and dead. In the spring, however, they would bloom a beautiful pink. "I mean, I met you. And now..."

A loud boom cut him off. Lelouch stiffened and turned to face the source, but the tension in his shoulders melted away at the sight of what it was. "Fireworks," he said softly.

Suzaku smiled. "I guess we missed the countdown. Anyway, it's just that because I was able to meet you, I, well, didn't spend this holiday, this new year, like I have the last seven, and for that... Thank you, Lelouch Lamperouge."

The Brit returned the look, then frowned. "If you really want to show your gratitude, then take me to a restroom."