Disclaimer: I don't own CCS... but that's ok... I own Ice Queen!!

Hehehe. Again gomen nasai for the late update. - I hope this chapter makes your wait worthwhile.

Ice Queen

Chapter Twenty-One

Suzuka (Sakura) grinned as she changed into a fighting outfit. This is what she had been born for.

Quickly standing in a line with the rest of the girls, their master (the teacher) tested each of their levels of ability.

His piercing golden eyes searched the room and finally landed on her. She shivered, feeling his cold, hard gaze on her, "Well then Suzuka... show me a little hand-to-hand combat."

"With whom, sir?" Suzuka forced the 'sir' into her phrase. The teacher was a little on the skinny side, even though his glares were icy cold. 'He's your teacher. He's going to teach you the fighting arts, show him some respect!' Suzuka's mind screamed.

The teacher didn't answer. Instead he charged at her, baring his fists. Striking towards her face, Suzuka quickly ducked and kicked him under his legs, but surprisingly enough, he jumped high in the air and twisted around so that his knee hit her straight in the chest, sending her flying across the back of the room.

"Hmph. You're cocky. Twenty laps around the building!" the man had definitely earned her respect. Never judge a book by cover. "Hai!"

Suzuka panted as reentered the training dojo. "You're late!" the master announced walking over to her, "The others have already begun practicing shuriken throws. From now on if you don't complete a lap under a minute you're going to be doing fifty push-ups! Join the others."

"Hai!"

Suzuka bowed and took a pouch of shurikens from the master then stood in line with the other girls, throwing the deadly blades at a straw dummy.

Quickly glancing at the other's Suzuka nearly laughed out loud. The blond next to her was throwing the small weapons frantically, trying to hit the target, but all she managed to do is cut herself and put dents in the wall. All the others were not faring much better.

Grinning Suzuka set about doing her own throws. Placing the small blade between two of her fingers she aimed and threw.

It hit the dummy on the forehead.

"Do it with three shurikens at once!" the master's voice.

"Hai!"

--

Suzuka fell onto her bed, exhausted. She was done for the day, but all the different things from sewing to arranging flowers had really worn her out.

Stealthily sneaking out of her room she headed outside to get some air.

"I'm glad that we can finally be together," Suzuka hid behind the wall at the sound of a woman's voice.

Cautiously she looked around the corner and gasped at what she saw. It was Syuuske and in his arms was a young woman Suzuka had never seen before.

Syuuske gazed into the woman's eyes, "I hope you're not disappointed that we can't get married until after my brother is... it's so hard to wait, but I need to make sure that Heero has a good wife to take care of him... I can't always be looking after him."

"It's fine... I'll wait forever if need be, in your arms," Suzuka left before they kissed.

Tears stung her eyes as she silently ran out of the dojo and onto the roof, staring at the stars. "Why... did I try so hard... for him... if he already had someone... I was going to make him proud... make him notice... me..."

"Oi! What are you doing here?" Suzuka turned in surprise, brushing all her tears away.

Glaring at Heero she mumbled, "What's it to you?" "Are you ok?" Suzuka's head shot up in surprise at his question and she turned to look at him. "I mean... never mind."

"Never mind... I see," Suzuka looked down at her feet, for some reason, she really had been hoping he would at least a little concerned.

She jumped off the low roof and began running back to her room, unaware of the worried amber eyes watching her depart.

--

"I'm so stupid..." Suzuka mumbled as she ate breakfast in the main hall with everyone else. "Why the heck would he even look at someone like me? ... let alone be interested..."

"So you're FINALLY giving up?" a snippy brunette walked by a flipped her hair. "You should have known in the beginning that Heero wouldn't even notice someone like you."

"You're on first name basis?" Suzuka felt a pang in her chest. Odd...

The girl took out a fan and put it to her lower lip, letting a long, high-pitched laugh roll out of her mouth, "Of course! Heero and I are destined to be together... I've spoken to him before on several occasions... his and my family are friends... it's also most likely I will win the competition. I'm top two in all my classes."

Suzuka snorted knowing full well who was first in all the classes the brunette wasn't.

"What are you snickering at now you low-class pig?" the brunette and green eyes. Not an emerald like Suzuka's, but a more dull green.

Rolling her eyes at the girl, "You're so full of yourself. Check whose first in all the classes you're not... how about... ME?"

"WHY YOU COMMONER PIG!!!!" the girl shrieked. "Don't you DARE speak to me like that! My father is a feudal lord and high advisor to the most prominent feudal lord in all of the upper half of Japan, Kunimitsu-sama! Who knows what YOUR lowly father is."

Suzuka's eyes flashed. NO ONE talked about her father like that. Though it was ironic... Kunimitsu was her father's name.

"The Kunimtisu?" Suzuka's eyebrow raised in amusement and mockery. When the girl nodded she immediately stood up, banging her fist on the table.

"Then I'll have you know. My name is Kunimitsu Suzuka. If my FATHER is a LOWLY man then what of YOURS who happens to be his advisor?! If I'M a commoner PIG then what in the world does that make YOU," an evil smile threatened to etch itself on her face, but Suzuka kept her face cold and icy. She wasn't the ice maiden for nothing.

Eyes turning cold and eerie as she watched the girl turn paler and paler under her hard stare, Suzuka resisted the urge to laugh out loud when the brunette shrieked and ran away.

"Che. Idiot," for some reason Suzuka no longer felt so great. A part of her was relieved though. Less competition to be Heero's wife but...

HEERO'S WIFE?!!?!?!! What the heck was she thinking?

She heard some girls laugh over how they would for sure be Heero's number one and how he would fall in love with them. Grunting, Suzuka put her head in her hands.

Why did it bother her so much? She liked... his older brother after all...

Shaking her head, Suzuka dashed through all her classes in a daze, and when it was nightfall again, she climbed up onto the roof.

--

"Oh. You're here," Suzuka groaned unhappily. Heero's (Syaoran) sharp eyes glanced at her for only a moment before returning to the night sky above him, "Yes. And so what if I am?"

She surprised him. Such a strange girl. He didn't want to admit it, but her behavior... everything about her... intrigued him.

"Nothing," his astonishment was marked. She hadn't bitten his head off with a harsh remark.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

He hesitated a little before finally saying, "What's wrong?"

"Hm?" her eyes widened in shock for just a moment, but quickly returned to their cold, emotionless state. "Why? Don't tell me you actually care."

To him, her voice sounded a little hopeful. Like she hoped that maybe he did care. Like she was happy that someone cared.

"And..." her head turned towards him. "What if I said yes?"

She blinked once.

Twice.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Tiny crystal tears flowed down the side of her cheek.

"Then... I would be..." she looked into his eyes. "... happy..."

He leaned in and brushed his lips with hers, before Suzuka drew away, pink staining her cheeks.

"Um..." Turning away and staring at the night sky, embarrassed, she let her small smile grow.

"Heero..."

She turned around to speak with him, but he was already fast asleep. Smiling again, Suzuka placed his head in her lap and she too fell asleep listening to the whispers of the wind.

--

Heero's eyes opened and he sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Where am I?"

Looking around, he realized he was on the roof, "Huh? Did I fall asleep here?" Realization struck. Where's Suzuka?

He looked around frantically before his eyes landed on something in his hand and his eyes softened.

A small note read: "I think... I might try to be your wife... if you don't mind..." Next to it was a small necklace with an emerald hanging from it. The jewel wasn't well cut, but jagged and smooth.

Heero smiled. It was just like Suzuka. Harsh on the outside, but lovely on the inside.

To be continued...

I AM SO SORRY THIS PLAY IS TAKING SO LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! P I'll make my chapters longer than usual to make up for it.

REVIEW OR I WON'T UPDATE! MUAHAHAHAHA

Quote (I think I might put one each time from now on...):

"I used to be open minded....

.... But my brains kept falling out."