Disclmer: I own nothing. I have nothing. Now get off my case!
Author's Notes: This chapter should've been up since the 14th, but since ff.net seemed to be screwing up again, my plans of uploading were delayed.
ASSASSIN by rei-chan
CHAPTER TWO: The Stranger
==The Renaissance, 10:10 pm==
Sakura pounded up the employee's staircase as fast as her feet would carry, ignoring the way her breath hitched in her throat as she prayed not be late. Her shift started ten minutes ago, and if she didn't hurry there would be no one to man the front desk. And they were expecting a huge swarm of visitors that night!
Reaching the laundry room, she mumbled a hurried greeting to the clerk before grabbing her uniform and running off towards the locker rooms, scattering her clothes and shoes along the way. 'I'll clean up right after I punch in', she told herself in panic, struggling into her cream-colored blazer while she hurried off, 'The important thing right now is that I check in before my mana--'
Her thoughts were cut off when someone loudly cleared their throat behind her.
'Oh-oh.'
Cringing at the anger inflicted within the voice, Sakura turned around slowly. "Ko-kombanwa, Minomiko-san." She greeted nervously, not meeting the eyes of her F.O. (1) manager.
Minomiko Hana's nostrils flared. "Late." The stern-looking Japanese woman ground out flatly. "Again."
The emerald-eyed woman sheepishly hung her head. "I know, Minomiko-san. Go-gomen nasai." She apologized softly. "I had to find a sitter for my nephew before I left for work."
Minomiko took one look at te twenty-three-year-old woman standing like a chastened child in front of her and expelled a loud sigh of irritation. "Whatever. Just punch in and hustle up to the reception desk. Daidouji and Saiyuki are already there on duty. And need I repeat that I will indeed despise you greatly if this is to happen again?" Her large dark eyes narrowed intently at Sakura's face as if to emphasize the gravity of her fault.
"Ha-hai. I understand, Minomiko-san."
"Good." She turned to leave, but stopped shirt and turned back. "And another thing, Kinomoto."
Sakura cocked her head and waited expectantly for another tirade from her manager. To her surprise, the anger from the older woman's expression suddenly vanished, replaced by that of utter wistfullness.
"Say hi to Touya-kun for me."
With that, she left, leaving Sakura staring stunned at her retreating back.
*****
"She WHAT?!"
Daidouji Tomoyo and Saiyuki Nikira yelped in astonishment as Sakura concluded her narration. The three girls where behind the front desk, busily arranging the brochures under the counter as they waited for incoming guests.
Sakura held up a brochure in front of her friends' faces with a smile. "Yep. I got off from being nagged on." She said proudly. Minomiko was known for sparing no excuse, and all the three women have had their own share of tirades from the tigress manager. Sakura getting off was surprising news.
"Wow." Nikira breathed out as she took the brochure Sakura was holding and piled in on top of the ones she was arranging. "I never knew that Minomiko-san was capable of feeling compassion."
"Neither did I." Tomoyo piped up. She flashed Nikira a knowing smile. "But, then again, Nikira-chan. We don't actually have BROTHERS who shared romantic pasts with Miss Mean and Mighty."
Sakura flushed as the other two girls burst out laughing. It was a known fact that Kinomoto Touya and their F.O. manager had had a romantic history together. If Touya had not met and fallen hopelessly in love with Keisha Smith, the beautiful anchor of the evening news of Asian-European decent, he and Minomiko would have gotten married. Secretly, Sakura was relieved that her brother had married Kei-chan herself, and not her manager. Goodness knows what would happen to their family with that short-tempered woman in the middle of it.
Still, Minomiko Hana's attraction for her brother had once more scraped her out of a very ugly mess.
'I guess onii-chan's scary, gruesome charm sometimes has its' perks.' Sakura thought ruefully to herself as she went on with her work, oblivious of Tomoyo's and Nikira's exuberant chatter. She was pulled out of her musing when Tomoyo suddenly poked her in the back, saying. "There goes your first guest, Sakura-chan."
She was pointing discreetly at a young man who was calmly crossing the lobby. Sakura composed herself in front of the computer, while the other two busied themselves with the brochures. As the guest reached the counter, Sakura launched into the standard greetings that she had come to love and hate through the years. "Good evening, sir. Welcome to the Renaissance. How may I help you?" She said cheerfully, smiling at the young man.
The guest didn't smile back.
"I'd like a single." He said flatly, his whole expression blank.
Although a little miffed at her guest's meaness, the auburn-haired woman pressed on enthusiastically. "Do you have a reservation?" She inquired, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
A look of irritation flashed across the man's eyes, which, Sakura noticed, were an attractive shade of amber(2). But the look was gone as soon as it had appeared. "No."
She pecked a few keys on the keyboard in search of an available room, biting the insides of her mouth to keep herself from saying something that she might regret later(3). Seeing that the hotel had no more single rooms available, she turned back to her guest. "I'm sorry, sir, but it seems that all of our single rooms are booked. Would you like me to book you in another room?" She looked up at him, and he stomach suddenly fluttered. Mean or not, Sakura had to admit that this guest was very good-looking. Tall, with a head full of thick, unruly dark hair, clean-shaven appearance...
He merely shrugged.
Sakura resisted the urge to snarl at him. Never, in the two years that she had worked for the Renaissance Hotel, had she encountered a guest as difficult as this man. "We have double rooms available, sir, as well as several suites. What type of reservation would you prefer?"
"Whatever it is that's good. Just get me a room."
"Fine." Sakura replied huffily. Tomoyo kicked her under the counter. "I mean, that will be fine, sir. I'm sure a double room will be just _perfect_ for you." She pulled out a guest profile form from under the counter and slid it towards the guest. "If you would just sign these forms and I'll get the room ready for you."
Her annoying, amber-eyed walk-in (4) held up both of his arms, as well as a black laptop case and a duffel bag. "My hands are full." He replied in a monotone, one corner of his mouth twitching as Sakura almost growled in frustration.
Quickly composing herself, Sakura pulled the form back to her and did all the signing, ocassionally asking the man information about his company, contact number, and all other relevant information. The guest watched her huff with an amused expression on his handsome, tanned face.
"I'll need to ask for your name, sir. _IF_ you don't mind." Sakura said through gritted teeth, forcing a sour smile at the man.
The guest handed his duffel bag to the bellhop that had suddenly materialized by his elbow and, meeting the receptionist's eyes for the first time since he arrived, replied softly,
"Li Syaoran."
*****
==Kinomoto Household, 2:34 am==
Fujitaka took off his glasses and rubbed his temples in exhaustion as he settled against his revolving desk chair. He knew he sould get some rest--it has been almost two weeks since he last slept soundly--but he just couldn't relax. The lure of the new documents that he had just received was just too strong, and as much as he wanted to rest, his curiousity would not let him.
Absently, the professor glanced at his watch and gave a start. "Two thirty already?" He said out loud in surprise, rising from his seat and heading towards the door. Sakura won't be home until six tomorrow morning, but his son and his wife should arrive any moment now to pick up Xiaran. Walking out the door, he patted his chest for the key he always kept in a silver chain around his neck before closing the door and heading downstairs, intent on getting something to eat. He was halfway to the kitchen when he noticed that the light in the living room was still on. He was just about to peek in when his arm suddenly knocked Xiaran's squeaky stuffed bunny off the downstair counter. The little blue animal made loud squeaking noises and Fujitaka had to dive down to catch it.
As he got back to his feet he found Eriol staring at him with an expression of mild amusement on his face. The young man was lounging in the couch, laptop open and perched on top of the coffee table. Shrugging sheepishly, the sandy-haired man motioned with his head to the kitchen. "Have you had dinner yet, Eriol-san? Want to join me for some coffee and sandwiches?"
*****
==The Renaissance, 2:37 am==
Sakura banged her cup of coffe on the mess hall table, spilling almost half of her caffeine fix on the table's surface. "I _STILL_ can't believe what a JERK that guy was!" She fumed at Tomoyo with her eyes narrowed. Both girls were taking a short break, leaving Nikira and another receptionist, Hellan, to man the counter while they were out. "Li Syaoran?! Who does he THINK he is, anyway?" She ranted.
Tomoyo took a bite from her club sandwich and shook her dark head at her best friend, saying, "I don't get you, Sakura-chan. He wasn't THAT bad. I mean, he didn't show you his dick, did he?"
In spite of her rising annoyance, Sakura couldn't help but blush at her friend's comment. Almost a month ago one of their walk-ins apparently thought that the emerald-eyed receptionist was a keeper, and, in order to convince Sakura to come up to bed with him, had shown her his private parts. It took three guards to drag him out of the hotel, his penis still hanging limply outside his pants' fly(5).
"Besides,' Tomoyo went on, pointing a celery stick at her face, "Even if he acted like someone had just shoved a meter stick up his ass(6), I could tell you have the hots for him."
"WHAT?!" Sakura shrieked, shooting out of her seat so fast that she almost knocked down Tomoyo's plate of food off the table. "ME? Have the hots for Mr. Ice-cold BASTARD? Uh-uh." She shook her head furiously, both hands forming fists on top of the table. "No way. Not even if HE was the last guy on earth!"
Tomoyo nibbled on her celery stick. "Right." She agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "And you ogling at his eyes meant...?"
Sakura's mouth dropped open at the pun. "I _WASN'T_ ogling!" She insisted, green eyes flashing angrily as her friend made a big show of shrugging nonchalantly at her retort.
"Sure you weren't." The raven-haired woman said in false agreement.
"TOMOYO-CHAN!"
Tomoyo squinted up at her in fake surprise. "What?!"
Sakura opened her mouth to initiate another banter, but quickly stopped and sat back down, settling for a deadly glare at her so-called best friend. Tomoyo glared right back.
Realizing that it wouldn't do them both any good is she argued, Sakura sat back down and focused on her coffee, trying with all her might not to think of a certain pair of amber eyes that has been haunting her the entire night.
*****
==Kinomoto Household, 2:45 am==
Eriol accepted the steaming mug of coffee that Fujitaka had passed to him and took a small sip, cringing internally at the bitter aftertaste. He loathed coffee, preferring instead the sweet aroma and taste of tea, but he couldn't argue since it was the professor himself who concocted the drink for him. Thinking back a few minutes earlier, the English agent couldn't help but feel relieved that the professor had somehow managed to knock the stuffed animal on the floor. He was so engrossed with what he was doing that he had mistakenly put down his guard of his surroundings. While Fujitaka was fumbling around the carpet for the toy, Eriol had discreetly closed the professor's personal records and schooled his features to that of amusement before the old man had looked up and found him in the living room.
Fujitaka had already taken the seat opposite the younger man and had started eating, a light blush still tinging his cheeks. "I hope that my little spill back there didn't disturb whatever it was that you were working on." He commented laughingly as Eriol shook his head good-naturedly.
"No. I was just browsing through Mr. Hamajiki's insurance policy when you--" he smirked, then jokingly added "--dropped in."
The two of them chuckled as Fujitaka raised his mug to his lips, thankful of the younger man's company. He sincerely liked his daughter's current boyfriend even though Eriol had rarely volunteered any information about himself for the past year that he and Sakura had been dating. Fujitaka didn't mind this quirk one bit, though. He trusted Eriol, and this was simply because he knew enough to know that the young man lived a decent, clean life as an insurance salesman(7). And he really does seem to care for his daughter. He needed a man like that for Sakura, especially now that his life might be in danger from--
Abruptly, he cut off the thought, instead focusing on the solemn face of his companion. He couldn't fear for his life now, not when he was almost at the brink of finding out what his 'discovery of a lifetime' really is. "Don't you have work tomorrow, Eriol-san? Shouldn't you be resting?" He offered conversationally before sinking his teeth into his BLT.
Eriol placed his coffee cup back down and smiled. "Yes, I do. But I want to be here when Sakura gets home safely from work. Besides, my appointment with Hamajiki-san won't be until two tomorrow afternoon. I'll still have time to catch some sleep before then."
"That's good, then." The professor commented with a nod of his head, his respect for Eriol increasing another notch as the young man's words of '-gets home safely from work' echoed in his mind. "I really appreciate your concern for my daughter, Eriol-san. I haven't had the time to worry about her for the past year and a half, you know." He told Eriol gratefully. Inside, he added, 'I've been so busy worrying about myself that my family's safety completely slipped my mind.'
Eriol, for his part, knew exactly what the professor, even if Fujitaka himself didn't know that Eriol knew about the upcoming threat to his life. The Kinomoto Fujitaka assignment was strictly marked as private and confidential, and, besides himself, only the EIU knew all about the case. "Nan demo nai no, Kinomoto-san(8)," He replied seriously. "It's the other half of my job now, isn't it?"
'And the other half is finding the assassin and eliminate him before he eliminates YOU.' Eriol couldn't help adding in his mind as he and Fujitaka went about sipping their disgusting coffee.
*****
==Upstairs, Fujitaka's study, 2:47 am==
The window slid soundlessly back in place as the masked intruder headed purposefully towards the cluttered table, carrying a small black box. Carefully avoiding disturbing any of the scattered documents, he immediately knelt by the table and opened the box.
Inside was a tiny, rectangular contraption with a small blinking light.
A phone tap.
Disconnecting the phone, the black-clad man proceeded to carefully but quickly dismantle the mouthpiece. Sticking the small device under the mouthpiece itself where discovery was near impossible, he quickly and efficiently assembled the contraption, connected it back, and placed it exactly where the intruder had first picked it up.
Slipping outside the cool night once more, the intruder headed directly towards an unmarked car parked three houses away from the Kinomotos. Shutting the door behind him, the black-clad figure took of his mask and booted the computer sitting on the passenger seat.
Li Syaoran's expressionless amber eyes flashed with grim drive.
'Give me one week, sensei. After that, you're mine.'
==TBC==
FOOTNOTES:
1. Means front office. As in reception, 'Goood evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?' front office. I'm a Tourism major, and since our tests are coming up I decided that I might as well incorporate some of what I've learned in this fic. ^-^ Who knows? Some of you might even be impressed!
2. Why is that everytime we authors introduce Syaoran, we amost ALWAYS start by describing his eyes?!
3. First rule in Front Office management: Always be corteous and polite, no matter how bad the guest is behaving. The hotel won't be able to sell any rooms if the attendants are all mean and irritable.
4. Walk-in is actually an HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) term for a guest who checks in without a reservation. I know, I know. I'm a loser. So sue me.
5. Yeah. Disgusting, I know. But this happens!!!
6. Very UN-Tomoyo like. But we're in an alternate universe, aren't we?
7. Kind of corny. I wanted Eriol to go undercover as a commercial pilot but figured that he would be too conspicuous if he spends too much time at the Kinomoto's especially with the thousands of flights he should be flying.
8. "It's nothing, Mr. Kinomoto."--or something like that.
Author's Notes: This chapter should've been up since the 14th, but since ff.net seemed to be screwing up again, my plans of uploading were delayed.
ASSASSIN by rei-chan
CHAPTER TWO: The Stranger
==The Renaissance, 10:10 pm==
Sakura pounded up the employee's staircase as fast as her feet would carry, ignoring the way her breath hitched in her throat as she prayed not be late. Her shift started ten minutes ago, and if she didn't hurry there would be no one to man the front desk. And they were expecting a huge swarm of visitors that night!
Reaching the laundry room, she mumbled a hurried greeting to the clerk before grabbing her uniform and running off towards the locker rooms, scattering her clothes and shoes along the way. 'I'll clean up right after I punch in', she told herself in panic, struggling into her cream-colored blazer while she hurried off, 'The important thing right now is that I check in before my mana--'
Her thoughts were cut off when someone loudly cleared their throat behind her.
'Oh-oh.'
Cringing at the anger inflicted within the voice, Sakura turned around slowly. "Ko-kombanwa, Minomiko-san." She greeted nervously, not meeting the eyes of her F.O. (1) manager.
Minomiko Hana's nostrils flared. "Late." The stern-looking Japanese woman ground out flatly. "Again."
The emerald-eyed woman sheepishly hung her head. "I know, Minomiko-san. Go-gomen nasai." She apologized softly. "I had to find a sitter for my nephew before I left for work."
Minomiko took one look at te twenty-three-year-old woman standing like a chastened child in front of her and expelled a loud sigh of irritation. "Whatever. Just punch in and hustle up to the reception desk. Daidouji and Saiyuki are already there on duty. And need I repeat that I will indeed despise you greatly if this is to happen again?" Her large dark eyes narrowed intently at Sakura's face as if to emphasize the gravity of her fault.
"Ha-hai. I understand, Minomiko-san."
"Good." She turned to leave, but stopped shirt and turned back. "And another thing, Kinomoto."
Sakura cocked her head and waited expectantly for another tirade from her manager. To her surprise, the anger from the older woman's expression suddenly vanished, replaced by that of utter wistfullness.
"Say hi to Touya-kun for me."
With that, she left, leaving Sakura staring stunned at her retreating back.
*****
"She WHAT?!"
Daidouji Tomoyo and Saiyuki Nikira yelped in astonishment as Sakura concluded her narration. The three girls where behind the front desk, busily arranging the brochures under the counter as they waited for incoming guests.
Sakura held up a brochure in front of her friends' faces with a smile. "Yep. I got off from being nagged on." She said proudly. Minomiko was known for sparing no excuse, and all the three women have had their own share of tirades from the tigress manager. Sakura getting off was surprising news.
"Wow." Nikira breathed out as she took the brochure Sakura was holding and piled in on top of the ones she was arranging. "I never knew that Minomiko-san was capable of feeling compassion."
"Neither did I." Tomoyo piped up. She flashed Nikira a knowing smile. "But, then again, Nikira-chan. We don't actually have BROTHERS who shared romantic pasts with Miss Mean and Mighty."
Sakura flushed as the other two girls burst out laughing. It was a known fact that Kinomoto Touya and their F.O. manager had had a romantic history together. If Touya had not met and fallen hopelessly in love with Keisha Smith, the beautiful anchor of the evening news of Asian-European decent, he and Minomiko would have gotten married. Secretly, Sakura was relieved that her brother had married Kei-chan herself, and not her manager. Goodness knows what would happen to their family with that short-tempered woman in the middle of it.
Still, Minomiko Hana's attraction for her brother had once more scraped her out of a very ugly mess.
'I guess onii-chan's scary, gruesome charm sometimes has its' perks.' Sakura thought ruefully to herself as she went on with her work, oblivious of Tomoyo's and Nikira's exuberant chatter. She was pulled out of her musing when Tomoyo suddenly poked her in the back, saying. "There goes your first guest, Sakura-chan."
She was pointing discreetly at a young man who was calmly crossing the lobby. Sakura composed herself in front of the computer, while the other two busied themselves with the brochures. As the guest reached the counter, Sakura launched into the standard greetings that she had come to love and hate through the years. "Good evening, sir. Welcome to the Renaissance. How may I help you?" She said cheerfully, smiling at the young man.
The guest didn't smile back.
"I'd like a single." He said flatly, his whole expression blank.
Although a little miffed at her guest's meaness, the auburn-haired woman pressed on enthusiastically. "Do you have a reservation?" She inquired, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
A look of irritation flashed across the man's eyes, which, Sakura noticed, were an attractive shade of amber(2). But the look was gone as soon as it had appeared. "No."
She pecked a few keys on the keyboard in search of an available room, biting the insides of her mouth to keep herself from saying something that she might regret later(3). Seeing that the hotel had no more single rooms available, she turned back to her guest. "I'm sorry, sir, but it seems that all of our single rooms are booked. Would you like me to book you in another room?" She looked up at him, and he stomach suddenly fluttered. Mean or not, Sakura had to admit that this guest was very good-looking. Tall, with a head full of thick, unruly dark hair, clean-shaven appearance...
He merely shrugged.
Sakura resisted the urge to snarl at him. Never, in the two years that she had worked for the Renaissance Hotel, had she encountered a guest as difficult as this man. "We have double rooms available, sir, as well as several suites. What type of reservation would you prefer?"
"Whatever it is that's good. Just get me a room."
"Fine." Sakura replied huffily. Tomoyo kicked her under the counter. "I mean, that will be fine, sir. I'm sure a double room will be just _perfect_ for you." She pulled out a guest profile form from under the counter and slid it towards the guest. "If you would just sign these forms and I'll get the room ready for you."
Her annoying, amber-eyed walk-in (4) held up both of his arms, as well as a black laptop case and a duffel bag. "My hands are full." He replied in a monotone, one corner of his mouth twitching as Sakura almost growled in frustration.
Quickly composing herself, Sakura pulled the form back to her and did all the signing, ocassionally asking the man information about his company, contact number, and all other relevant information. The guest watched her huff with an amused expression on his handsome, tanned face.
"I'll need to ask for your name, sir. _IF_ you don't mind." Sakura said through gritted teeth, forcing a sour smile at the man.
The guest handed his duffel bag to the bellhop that had suddenly materialized by his elbow and, meeting the receptionist's eyes for the first time since he arrived, replied softly,
"Li Syaoran."
*****
==Kinomoto Household, 2:34 am==
Fujitaka took off his glasses and rubbed his temples in exhaustion as he settled against his revolving desk chair. He knew he sould get some rest--it has been almost two weeks since he last slept soundly--but he just couldn't relax. The lure of the new documents that he had just received was just too strong, and as much as he wanted to rest, his curiousity would not let him.
Absently, the professor glanced at his watch and gave a start. "Two thirty already?" He said out loud in surprise, rising from his seat and heading towards the door. Sakura won't be home until six tomorrow morning, but his son and his wife should arrive any moment now to pick up Xiaran. Walking out the door, he patted his chest for the key he always kept in a silver chain around his neck before closing the door and heading downstairs, intent on getting something to eat. He was halfway to the kitchen when he noticed that the light in the living room was still on. He was just about to peek in when his arm suddenly knocked Xiaran's squeaky stuffed bunny off the downstair counter. The little blue animal made loud squeaking noises and Fujitaka had to dive down to catch it.
As he got back to his feet he found Eriol staring at him with an expression of mild amusement on his face. The young man was lounging in the couch, laptop open and perched on top of the coffee table. Shrugging sheepishly, the sandy-haired man motioned with his head to the kitchen. "Have you had dinner yet, Eriol-san? Want to join me for some coffee and sandwiches?"
*****
==The Renaissance, 2:37 am==
Sakura banged her cup of coffe on the mess hall table, spilling almost half of her caffeine fix on the table's surface. "I _STILL_ can't believe what a JERK that guy was!" She fumed at Tomoyo with her eyes narrowed. Both girls were taking a short break, leaving Nikira and another receptionist, Hellan, to man the counter while they were out. "Li Syaoran?! Who does he THINK he is, anyway?" She ranted.
Tomoyo took a bite from her club sandwich and shook her dark head at her best friend, saying, "I don't get you, Sakura-chan. He wasn't THAT bad. I mean, he didn't show you his dick, did he?"
In spite of her rising annoyance, Sakura couldn't help but blush at her friend's comment. Almost a month ago one of their walk-ins apparently thought that the emerald-eyed receptionist was a keeper, and, in order to convince Sakura to come up to bed with him, had shown her his private parts. It took three guards to drag him out of the hotel, his penis still hanging limply outside his pants' fly(5).
"Besides,' Tomoyo went on, pointing a celery stick at her face, "Even if he acted like someone had just shoved a meter stick up his ass(6), I could tell you have the hots for him."
"WHAT?!" Sakura shrieked, shooting out of her seat so fast that she almost knocked down Tomoyo's plate of food off the table. "ME? Have the hots for Mr. Ice-cold BASTARD? Uh-uh." She shook her head furiously, both hands forming fists on top of the table. "No way. Not even if HE was the last guy on earth!"
Tomoyo nibbled on her celery stick. "Right." She agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "And you ogling at his eyes meant...?"
Sakura's mouth dropped open at the pun. "I _WASN'T_ ogling!" She insisted, green eyes flashing angrily as her friend made a big show of shrugging nonchalantly at her retort.
"Sure you weren't." The raven-haired woman said in false agreement.
"TOMOYO-CHAN!"
Tomoyo squinted up at her in fake surprise. "What?!"
Sakura opened her mouth to initiate another banter, but quickly stopped and sat back down, settling for a deadly glare at her so-called best friend. Tomoyo glared right back.
Realizing that it wouldn't do them both any good is she argued, Sakura sat back down and focused on her coffee, trying with all her might not to think of a certain pair of amber eyes that has been haunting her the entire night.
*****
==Kinomoto Household, 2:45 am==
Eriol accepted the steaming mug of coffee that Fujitaka had passed to him and took a small sip, cringing internally at the bitter aftertaste. He loathed coffee, preferring instead the sweet aroma and taste of tea, but he couldn't argue since it was the professor himself who concocted the drink for him. Thinking back a few minutes earlier, the English agent couldn't help but feel relieved that the professor had somehow managed to knock the stuffed animal on the floor. He was so engrossed with what he was doing that he had mistakenly put down his guard of his surroundings. While Fujitaka was fumbling around the carpet for the toy, Eriol had discreetly closed the professor's personal records and schooled his features to that of amusement before the old man had looked up and found him in the living room.
Fujitaka had already taken the seat opposite the younger man and had started eating, a light blush still tinging his cheeks. "I hope that my little spill back there didn't disturb whatever it was that you were working on." He commented laughingly as Eriol shook his head good-naturedly.
"No. I was just browsing through Mr. Hamajiki's insurance policy when you--" he smirked, then jokingly added "--dropped in."
The two of them chuckled as Fujitaka raised his mug to his lips, thankful of the younger man's company. He sincerely liked his daughter's current boyfriend even though Eriol had rarely volunteered any information about himself for the past year that he and Sakura had been dating. Fujitaka didn't mind this quirk one bit, though. He trusted Eriol, and this was simply because he knew enough to know that the young man lived a decent, clean life as an insurance salesman(7). And he really does seem to care for his daughter. He needed a man like that for Sakura, especially now that his life might be in danger from--
Abruptly, he cut off the thought, instead focusing on the solemn face of his companion. He couldn't fear for his life now, not when he was almost at the brink of finding out what his 'discovery of a lifetime' really is. "Don't you have work tomorrow, Eriol-san? Shouldn't you be resting?" He offered conversationally before sinking his teeth into his BLT.
Eriol placed his coffee cup back down and smiled. "Yes, I do. But I want to be here when Sakura gets home safely from work. Besides, my appointment with Hamajiki-san won't be until two tomorrow afternoon. I'll still have time to catch some sleep before then."
"That's good, then." The professor commented with a nod of his head, his respect for Eriol increasing another notch as the young man's words of '-gets home safely from work' echoed in his mind. "I really appreciate your concern for my daughter, Eriol-san. I haven't had the time to worry about her for the past year and a half, you know." He told Eriol gratefully. Inside, he added, 'I've been so busy worrying about myself that my family's safety completely slipped my mind.'
Eriol, for his part, knew exactly what the professor, even if Fujitaka himself didn't know that Eriol knew about the upcoming threat to his life. The Kinomoto Fujitaka assignment was strictly marked as private and confidential, and, besides himself, only the EIU knew all about the case. "Nan demo nai no, Kinomoto-san(8)," He replied seriously. "It's the other half of my job now, isn't it?"
'And the other half is finding the assassin and eliminate him before he eliminates YOU.' Eriol couldn't help adding in his mind as he and Fujitaka went about sipping their disgusting coffee.
*****
==Upstairs, Fujitaka's study, 2:47 am==
The window slid soundlessly back in place as the masked intruder headed purposefully towards the cluttered table, carrying a small black box. Carefully avoiding disturbing any of the scattered documents, he immediately knelt by the table and opened the box.
Inside was a tiny, rectangular contraption with a small blinking light.
A phone tap.
Disconnecting the phone, the black-clad man proceeded to carefully but quickly dismantle the mouthpiece. Sticking the small device under the mouthpiece itself where discovery was near impossible, he quickly and efficiently assembled the contraption, connected it back, and placed it exactly where the intruder had first picked it up.
Slipping outside the cool night once more, the intruder headed directly towards an unmarked car parked three houses away from the Kinomotos. Shutting the door behind him, the black-clad figure took of his mask and booted the computer sitting on the passenger seat.
Li Syaoran's expressionless amber eyes flashed with grim drive.
'Give me one week, sensei. After that, you're mine.'
==TBC==
FOOTNOTES:
1. Means front office. As in reception, 'Goood evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?' front office. I'm a Tourism major, and since our tests are coming up I decided that I might as well incorporate some of what I've learned in this fic. ^-^ Who knows? Some of you might even be impressed!
2. Why is that everytime we authors introduce Syaoran, we amost ALWAYS start by describing his eyes?!
3. First rule in Front Office management: Always be corteous and polite, no matter how bad the guest is behaving. The hotel won't be able to sell any rooms if the attendants are all mean and irritable.
4. Walk-in is actually an HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) term for a guest who checks in without a reservation. I know, I know. I'm a loser. So sue me.
5. Yeah. Disgusting, I know. But this happens!!!
6. Very UN-Tomoyo like. But we're in an alternate universe, aren't we?
7. Kind of corny. I wanted Eriol to go undercover as a commercial pilot but figured that he would be too conspicuous if he spends too much time at the Kinomoto's especially with the thousands of flights he should be flying.
8. "It's nothing, Mr. Kinomoto."--or something like that.