Oda Nobunaga vi Britannia Lamperouge, otherwise named Nobu Lamperouge on her legal ID, screamed at the top of her lungs regardless of his warnings as the band kickstarted their next song. She may have heard it numerous times by now, but he knew Nobu didn't care. She loved what she did. 'It was Rock'n'roll for Hell's sake!' she'd say. The best kind of music out there, even if her husband didn't agree entirely with that statement.
"And if you don't stop being a stick in the mud, I'm going to march down there and make you sing with me, darling!"
Lelouch vi Britannia of the Oda clan, a designation not on his legal ID for obvious reasons, rolled his eyes as Nobu continued singing her heart out alongside the band's lead singer. Taking the seat adjacent to hers, Lelouch could do little but enjoy the melody that was Nobu's crystalline voice. Still, he was content with watching her enjoy herself. She wasn't, however.
"Come on, Lulu! This is Linkin Park! You love Linkin Park!" Nobu shouted while tugging on his wrist. She was on cloud nine and was desperately wanting to share her glee.
Lelouch just smiled and chuckled. "I enjoy their repertoire and appreciate their themes, yes. But I've heard this song more than enough times for it to lose its novelty. No offence to the performers. Still, the night is yours so enjoy it as much as you want… Just don't scream too loud, love."
"Sure thing, love!" Nobunaga gave him a quick peck to the lips and a wink before returning to enjoying her show.
While it would've been an oddity for any couple to have the privacy of the VIP box all on their own, they did sponsor this entire concert. Well, this and many more to come, each and everyone due to being at the top of Nobu's 'appreciated music' list.
Although calling it that, it wasn't Nobu's official name for it. But Lelouch wasn't going to waste his time enunciating his wife's fangirling title for said list.
Both inhuman beings enjoyed their privacy, far from the rabbling cheers of the crowd down below. Security was minimal, but that was only by appearance. What manpower they had was focused down at the ground floor to help manage the roaring fans, but for their box, only a couple of members from their security firm were present.
It was a private date, after all. No need to be so uptight. Nights like this were meant to be their time off, a moment to enjoy their life. For he who already held a quarter of the world's economy in one hand, it was another example of living a normal life for living's sake.
Or, well, as normal as one could get for being the top head of such a big corporation.
As the next song ended, Nobu cheered louder than the entire crowd. Thankfully, the private box was soundproof. She then pulled out a bottle of sake before taking a long swig, nearly emptying the entire bottle with just a gulp. With closed eyes, she collapsed onto her seat. And by seat, it meant Lelouch's lap.
Like a puppy yearning for attention, she hugged her man and cuddled on his chest before happily squealing in delight.
"Aaahhh! Now this! This is life! A refreshing dinner date followed by a concert held in my honour! Great music and bottles of the best alcohol around! And finally, my most handsome darling, the only one in the world, wrapped in my arms! The only thing that can make it better is if we set something on fire! Actually—!"
"Nobu, no." She earned a poke to her nose. One that had her half-drunk cheer turn into a halfhearted pout. "No more fires at concerts. Did you forget what happened last time you did it in Vegas?" Lelouch sighed as he remembered that night. A concert in the middle of a desert with the attendance of many, many ravers and rock enthusiasts. Many drinks were had and music to rock to. It didn't take long for Nobu to start burning stuff. And burn stuff, she did.
"Oh, please. The people loved it!"
"Yes, dear. But do any more of that and we'll end up on news headlines. Publicity in that regard is the last thing we want." He huffed indignantly. He already bought off more than a couple of media and press outlets to curb the impact, but if he couldn't wrangle his darling's fiery inclinations, it would likely give Nobu ideas to host the next Burning Man. And wouldn't that be an irony, considering she was married to and a shareholder of the biggest conglomerate in the far east? "Please, dear. Have fun, but limit yourself for now. Handling the aftermath of anything you do would be a nightmare for the corporation's legal team."
"Sounds like a skill issue, heh!" Nobu smirked whilst taking another sip from a new bottle. Having discovered modern lingo, she'd been yammering about using them every time she got to the bottom of her drink. How many times Lelouch could wince when she did this could be counted equally to the number of times he had to clear their table or room of empty bottles. That's if Nobu hadn't already shattered them against the wall in celebration. He really needed to limit her habit of getting wasted. Nobu didn't seem too disturbed by how many bottles she'd finished already. In fact, she was looking to him as if to offer one of her half-finished ones. "You aren't drinking?"
"Not for now, no. I'm expecting another call." He noted her expression deflate a bit at that. "Hey, none of that now. Besides, this concert is mainly my gift to you. Have fun all you want." A small smile formed on Lelouch's face. "This is but a prelude to our real fun, after all."
"Oh! Aren't you the sweetest thing in the entire world?" Nobu leaned forward and kiss—, well, more mush her face on his cheek. She was already tipsy, though being able to express herself without slurring was definitely a skill of hers. "To prepare me an appetizer before the main course… You're quite devious, you." She started licking her lips. "What's to say we… cut straight to dessert, Lulu?"
"No! Down, Nobu!" Lelouch quickly fought her hands away from his pants while booping the tip of her red nose. Drunk as she was, the red-haired tyrant wiggled her face before pouting, to which Lulu pinched her cheek. "The night is young and we have enough time to enjoy ourselves. But for now, I want you to focus on the music."
A quick peck on her lips was all Lelouch gave to sate her neediness. It would do. For now, at least as Nobunaga merrily giggled before sitting back properly. "Heh, you always play hard to get at the best of times! Nights like these are my favourite. We don't have to bother ourselves with anything and can just fool around." She sighed, already moving on to listlessly stare at the stage below. "I will miss them."
Lelouch allowed his wife to lean into his side and cuddle as he chuckled back. "We can organize another concert tomorrow night if you want. And for every night of this week. Let's enjoy it while we have the time."
It was no issue. Being the de facto rulers of the world's newest growing political alliance did make them pretty rich. The fact that Sumeragi Industries' assets alone could be enough to start a country was proof enough concerts were a dime a dozen. They had enough to live their days in luxury for the rest of several human lifetimes. And that was discounting their influence beyond monetary riches.
They'd not been idle this past decade. A year was spent investigating several nations in turmoil, the following two in wiping out opposition and gathering supporters. Another couple was used to reorganizing and reaching out to the neighbours, and a couple more had them witnessing their puppets make alliances and forge a united front. It was no surprise that, with just Lelouch's expertise, they've overturned a region once known only for civil unrest, poor development, rampant corruption, and religious fundamentalists into a place of tolerance, innovation, increased public education and health, as well as a rise in overall wealth. The balance of power on a global scale had shifted, and the main cause was the two who existed in this very room.
Ten years of having their acquisitions amass even more wealth and power, and using their own handcrafted corporation to reap more benefits while investing in their puppet nations' economies had the couple pretty well off. More so than can be said for any billionaires alive out there. But then again, no one but they had the power to subtly conquer a nation overnight and establish a rising global power, no?
Just then, his phone terminal began to vibrate. Being a new model inspired by tech from Lelouch's own world and innovated by the talent he discovered over the years, the cellphone was quiet and wouldn't interrupt their quiet moment. However, there was a unique shift about him as he felt it vibrate in a specific pattern.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Nobu was quick to note his change in attitude. He would've ignored it earlier, but now, he felt the need to cut celebrations short if he was right to assume who was messaging him. Sitting up straight, he quietly drew out the device and addressed the new mail he just received. Flipping through the details, a smile formed on his face. "Lulu, what are you smiling like an eager idiot for? Are you cheating on me?"
Lelouch retaliated that bad joke by kissing his wife smack on the lips. Caught off guard, she really widened her eyes when he managed to surprise her with added tongue. The snogging ended with him still smiling happily as Nobu was left dumbfoundedly grinning.
"What's got you in such a good mood, sweetie? You never initiate unless you're celebrating some…" A glance to the phone in his hand had a look of recognition on her face. "Good news on the coming war, I take it?"
"Oh, it's more than just that. Earlier, I received word that our little princess has made her way to Fuyuki already. While she evaded or simply ignored many of our local observers, the team I assigned to Fuyuki has already traced her movements. She's been making a habit of exploring the place, likely in preparation like we are. But she's also been doing something aside from prep work."
"And what could be so interesting about the Einzbern's little doll that's got you worked up?"
"She's been visiting a certain point of interest on an almost weekly basis. It seems she's decided to make contact with his adopted son, meaning she's making to advance her agendas ahead of ours. It had me curious as to what she intended, but that's a secondary point as, concerning the dear father in question, well… It seems he's making his way back to Fuyuki. Just as the war is slated to begin anew. Curious. Perhaps, we may cross paths with him while we work towards winning our main objective after all."
"My, oh, my… I didn't think you'd be so obsessed as to have an entire team keeping an eye on him, Lulu. If you wanted him dead, you could've just sent me. I'd turn that bug into a splattering of red in an instant."
But it's not that Lelouch wanted the man dead. Not quite. There were many things Lelouch was, vindictive being one of them. But he held no real hate for Emiya Kiritsugu. Not in the sense Nobu may have believed him to. He was just addressing the threat the man posed.
After all, he was the only one who managed to lodge a bullet in Lelouch's head. Though it was through various surprising circumstances, Lelouch was keenly aware as to how resolved the man was in getting in the way. And even if the Grail gifted him a new life, he wasn't impervious to everything even as a pseudo-Servant.
If there was one thing Lelouch knew to do better in this life, it was to be very wary of idiots with a death wish. And the Magus Killer was quite the suicidal maniac when backed into a corner. Although…
"It matters little if that man intends to get in the way. If he stays out of it, then so be it. I'll let the Einzbern princess have him. But if he stands between us and our goal once more…"
Nobu took the opportunity to drape herself over his shoulder and whisper longingly into his ear. Like a devil on his shoulder. "Then he can't complain if we turn him into ashes, yes?"
"Of course, my dear." Lelouch rested his head back, sighing in relief and taking in the scent of Nobu's hair as things are finally moving on to the next stage. "Most of the pieces are in place. A new stage is set and the curtains will rise once more. We'll be having quite the time playing this round's villains. I hope you're as excited as I am, love."
Nobu pulled him back into the seat before straddling his hips and giving him a quick peck. A competitive smirk graced her lips as she huffed. "Between picking off measly rebels in the desert and acting as the last boss in this game of ours, I think you know well enough that I hate sand."
"Yes, yes," Lelouch rolled his eyes, already having memorized Nobu's constant complaints during their desert uprising campaigns. "'It's coarse and dry and gets all over your hair and boots.' I know. I know. No need to worry about that here, though, dear. You can enjoy all the Servant-hunting you want and still get a good clean bath after atop Mount Enzou. We could even take a quick break. Let the competition thin each other out while we enjoy another date. I did route the band's tour to stop at Fuyuki in a couple of weeks before they moved on to the rest of Japan."
"Wow. Seven Servants for me to kill, getting you all to myself atop our new mountain villa, and a couple of days to spend on dates with a concert. So sweet of my darling dearest to prepare ten times the entertainment for our tenth anniversary." Nobu teased him by rubbing the tip of her nose under his nostrils. "You just never stop spoiling me, do you, darling?"
"You've worked hard this past decade. What's a little more spoiling to reward my accomplice for sticking with me and making my second run through life a blast, my dear?"
"You know, I could make this even more fun for the both of us…" she eyed him hungrily. Lelouch already knew where this was going. But to give her more fun, he played along.
"Oh? And what's even more fun than sitting with my lovely wife while listening to the best band on this side of the hemisphere?"
She leaned into his ear and whispered. In every word, Lelouch felt her desire. "How about riding this lovely wife of yours while we move our bodies to the beat of the best-damned music in the world?"
"You wish to concede to my lead on this special night?" Lelouch eyed her incredulously before chuckling. "Well, if you insist on being dominated for this one night, then—"
Impatient, Lelouch was pulled up by his collar as Nobu slammed her mouth on his, leading the invasion with her tongue and shutting the boy up. "Just take your pants off already! We'll miss the rest of the song with all your yammering!"
Needless to say, it was a boon for Lelouch that the Japanese youth down below were enraptured and cheering aloud to the music. He would keep the noise Nobu makes when she was at the bottom for the day a closely guarded secret for himself.