Disclaimer: Don't even get me started....
You know what? I don't think I've been this mad in a LONG time! Who the heck did that jerk think he/she was?! They just like started yelling at me how if I didn't update instantly they would stop reading my fic and tell all of their friends to stop too! UGH!! The nerve of that jerk!
Sorry... I've never blown up at anyone quite so badly before... I don't think. I'm normally more calm, but I gotta admit. Being in all the possible clubs at school isn't exactly stress relieving. Anyway, forget about my personal life. I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I know it must be annoying for those who actually really like to read my fanfictions. Gomen nasai. Please for give me. This chapter will definitely be the end of the play; I know some people have been very upset that it has taken so long.
Hehehe... I can't wait for Christmas to come... I'm always so relaxed at that time of year... love the holidays...
Ice Queen
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sunlight gently shown into the room of the resident Ice Maiden. Turning herself over, Suzuka refused to get out of her futon, pulling the covers over her head and tried to forget about the idiot that had shattered...
"UGH!" she sat up in bed, shaking her head furiously. "Baka..."
Silently getting out of her futon, her soft footsteps treaded in the direction of her window. In one fluid motion, she drew the curtains open and sighed. She hated it. How the day was so beautiful. It should have been dark, crying with her... crying?
One hand flew to her cheek. It was wet... the tears.
"... Nande?"
With the sleeve of her yukata, Suzuka furiously wiped the hateful tears away and turned abruptly. Barely managing hitting the low table next to her foot, she quickly flipped her body to the left and instead crashed onto the ground, cursing herself for her lack of balance.
"Heh... if master was here... he'd make me run twenty laps," Suzuka's voice sounded bitter, even to herself. (The fighting master at Heero's home.)
Glancing at the table to make sure she hadn't messed anything up, her eyes widened. Her emerald was there... she had surprised herself by giving it to Heero... her mother had told her to give it to the man she fell in love with.
"I just wasn't thinking straight," the bitterness was not gone from her voice, but there was a hint of panic in there. A panic she did her best to suppress, "What is this?"
Grabbing the small jewel, she looked at it sadly, "Well, now that it's been rejected by him... I guess my love really is after all."
"Love..." she nearly slapped herself for letting that detested word fall from her lips. Suzuka had tried to avoid that train of thought entirely, but it just refused to leave her alone.
Her cold but sad gaze landed on the table yet again. There was a piece of paper that was foreign there. It did not belong.
Suzuka picked it up and read it. Her expressionless face became even more distant and detached than it had been before. The tone of her voice suddenly eerie she let out a laugh, "The note I gave him is back too..."
A sudden urge to rip it to bits came over her, but she suppressed the dire want. She was cold. She was not hurt. She was in control. She... was lying to herself.
More tears seemed to spring up as she slammed the paper face down onto the wooden table.
Looking at it once more, she was surprised to see very neat handwriting on the back.
It read: "... Hurry up and come back. The tea ceremony is tomorrow... you'll automatically be disqualified if you're late... then the runner up will have to take you're place... as my wife."
Her fingers trembled as she held the precious paper in her hand. Holding onto her emerald as if her life depended on it, she swiftly dashed out of the room.
--
"Welcome to the Kishimoto family, Suzuka-san," the woman's voice was warm and welcoming. Especially to Suzuka who had been feeling quite awkward until she had spoken. She had passed the last test, but the silence afterwards was deafening. It seemed like Heero's father was in deep thought.
Throwing the brown-haired boy next to her a slightly nervous glance. (Just slightly. No way was Suzuka the Ice Maiden going to show even her fiancé any sign of weakness... for now.)
She felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand.
"Yes," Kishimoto-sama's loud voice boomed. "Welcome."
Suzuka was ecstatic (not that she showed it) Heero's father had accepted her!
"T-Thank you sir," she bowed low. "This is a great honor."
An affirmative nod was all she received from her future father-in-law but the mother seemed incredibly nice and... informal. She promptly hugged the Ice maiden.
"Congratulations you two," the woman was beaming at them with pride. "Now Suzuka, since you're not married yet, you'll have to wear this..."
It was a necklace. There was a pink Sakura blossom on it, but it was outlined in green, the Kishimoto family color.
Suzuka bowed again and both her and her fiancé exited the tea room.
--
She let out a long sigh of relief and let her icy barrier down for just a moment, "I was afraid I was going to spill the tea."
"But you did fine," it was his first compliment to her and she was delighted. He hugged her from behind and a mad blush erupted onto her cheeks.
"Thanks..."
Suddenly very grave, she turned and looked at him, "Why did you ask me to come back?"
When no response came, she felt her heart drop. He was just marrying her because the other girls were to incompetent after all.
"I think... I want to be your husband..."
Suzuka looked at him in astonishment, not quite understanding... "Oh... I see."
A brilliant smile lit her face and she shyly took his hand. She understood. It was the closest he would get to saying he loved her.... For now at least.
They were sitting on the roof again, and the sun had just finished setting. The sky turned from a powerful red to a dark, endless blue.
Just as the stars were beginning to shine, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to stare at her koishii.
"Hm?"
What met her eyes was a sight she had definitely not been expecting. It was a diamond ring.
"W-What is this?"
-- Sakura's POV --
Huh? This wasn't in the script?! Syaoran! What are you thinking?!
--
"Um... it's this western custom... for..."
"I know what it is..."
--
I still don't understand...
--
"Do you know why I'm giving it to you though?"
--
No... I don't.... Syaoran...?
--
He took a deep breath, "Because I love you."
--
Me...? Do you mean me or Suzuka? Who are you? Heero or... Syaoran?
--
Suzuka smiled at Heero before completely dropping her icy mask and hugging him.
"Aishteru."
--
The curtains closed.
Thunderous applause roared through the auditorium. There were tears in the eyes of audience.
The curtains opened once again and all the actors/actresses stood in a line and bowed.
"Thank you for coming to our festival and to see our play," Tomoyo was beaming at the crowd as she spoke into the microphone. "We hope you enjoy the rest of the cultural festival."
--
Sakura wasn't smiling as she bowed. For two reasons actually. One, she was still confused by what Syaoran had done with the diamond ring. Two, she was the Ice Queen. She was only smiling for the play... right?
"Here," Syaoran handed her the ring after the curtains closed. "You keep it. Come on, let's get some more ramen. I'm starved."
She would have gasped or stood there on the spot shocked, except that she was the Ice Queen so she was never.... Surprised.
"Why?"
"Why? I thought I just told you, I was hungry," Syaoran grinned at the expressionless girl before her. His smile drooping just the slightest bit when he didn't see a delighted smile on her face like in the play.
Silence was all he received from Sakura so he merely grabbed her hand and led her off the stage.
She didn't resist.
Why?
The Ice Queen would never admit it, but she was surprised by Syaoran's token of... affection?
Observing it silently, Sakura admired how it was made. The diamond was not large, nor was it small; it seemed perfectly proportioned to the silver band it rested on and... making sure no one was watching, Sakura slipped it onto her left ring finger... it fit perfectly too.
To be continued...
Hehehe. Back on track with the story. Sorry about not updating for a while. -
Aishteru – I love you
Nande – Why
Quote:
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.
Second Quote: (Just felt like doing two)
Evening news is when they begin with "Good evening" and then proceed to tell you why it's not.