This story was originally placed in the CCS section, but I've decided to cross it over with X/1999 and TRC characters to prevent Mary Suing as much as I can.

Infernal Affairs

Chapter Two

An Inconvenient Plan

He had a habit of concealing his emotions. If he was sad, he'd be overly happy, constructing fake enthusiasm to shine brightly from his gloomy demeanor. If he was angry, he'd be smiling as if the China was the most perfect place on earth. If he happy he'd be staring blankly at whatever passed his way. This was when he was in the predictable moods, when he felt like alternating, when he wanted a change, it was very near impossible to tell exactly what he was thinking. He was the king of masks.

And that was why Sakura had no idea how her dear benefactor was truly feeling. There was no way in hell he'd tell her he was hurt, even if he insisted he would, and it would drive her insane if she tried to find out if he was exhausted or lacking sleep and whatnot. So she resorted to being blunt. "Are you sure you're fine?"

Syaoran let his head fall against the table in exasperation. "You've been asking me that everyday for the last month."

"But you could still be hurt!" Worry creased her brow as she fussed over him, eyes scanning over his body over and over again to ensure that he was perfectly healthy. .

"Kurako," Syaoran stood up and leaned over the table, his form towering over her lithe frame. He gripped her shoulders and shook her gently, "I was released the day after I woke up. If I was injured I wouldn't have been released until the week later, at least."

Sakura bit her lip, concerned and unconvinced, "Sure you're up for this?"

"Actually…" his mouth curled into a cruel smirk, "On second thoughts, no, I'm not." He let her go and regrettably sunk back into the padded chair. "Have fun on the trip. Remember to bring your sleeping pills and make sure you keep the sword on you at all times! Sayonara!" He waved extravagantly.

Uncertainty crossed through her thoughts. "Ah, a-ano, maybe—" She yelped when he pulled her over the table and onto his lap.

"Relax would you? You're acting as if one small school trip would kill me," he grinned almost impishly as he gave her a light pat on the head. "Now come, the day isn't going to wait for us. We'll be late if we don't hurry."

"If you're not fine you'll only make me worry more." She struggled in his hold, more than a little self conscious of her weight like every other time he held her.

"Oh hush you, since when have I ever been hurt?" Amusement was displayed on his usual somber features when he saw her furrow her brows together to think, "See? Now hurry up and gather your bags, we're leaving now."

When he deposited her weight to the floor, she quickly scurried out of the room. Sakura poked her head back into his office, "If you're—"

"Sakura." A warning glance was sent her way. She grinned sheepishly, "I get it Xiao-chan, I get it." She smiled adoringly at him and left.

He eyed her form as she disappeared, "Could it b—" A loud thud sounded and he shook his head with exasperation. "Mou Kurako, think you could survive this trip if you keep tripping like that?" he called out mockingly. Sakura's indignant shout was cut short by a crash.

He couldn't help grinning madly for the rest of the ride as the girl's face was pulled into a sulking pout. She had managed to klutz up three more times before she was seated safely in the limousine, and right after she had made a bet with him that she wouldn't trip at the camp.

Argh! Damn the man! Sakura vowed silently to catch him off guard the next time he purposely made her fall. But in the meantime, she would give him the silent treatment. Now that would definitely wipe that smirk off his face. Demo, he'll find a way to make me talk! A deep scowl creased her forehead.

"Oh stop with the face Kurako. Smile!" He grinned playfully when he pulled her over to face him. He progressed onto pulling her cheeks outward. "See? Now doesn't that make you feel much better?"

"It makes my cheeks hurt." She wondered how he knew what she said when he was still holding onto her cheeks. What anyone else would've heard was, "Ee may mah chihurh. Syaoran released her and rubbed her face gingerly.

The quiet buzz of the window separating the passengers from the driver opening diverted Syaoran's attention. "We have arrived sir."

"Thank you Londart. You have the rest of the month off, I'm sure you know." He nodded at the young man and moved out of the car.

"Yes sir! Thank you sir!" the driver mockingly saluted. Syaoran glared at the man's failed sense of humor. Sweat ran down Kyle's neck as he scratched his head nervously.

Sakura laughed heartily at the poor driver, "Don't worry Kyle, Xiao-chan's just a big grump!" She moved to hug him; she wasn't going to see him for a month, and a month was such a long time."I'll miss you!" Strong arms snaked around her waist before she came in contact with the man. "That's enough Kurako, any later and you'll be unfortunate enough to have to see him everyday for the next month." Syaoran aimed a menacing glare towards his employee.

Syaoran carefully dragged her out of the limousine. "Now, don't you have a job to do?" The danger behind his glare didn't lesson one bit as the young man scampered out of the driver's seat to the boot. He unloaded the baggage in record time and, with a speedy and deep bow to his boss, he darted back into the safety of the vehicle.

While Kyle skillfully backed the car out of the school, Sakura energetically waved goodbye to him, "Ne! Stay safe Kyle!" A strong hand gripped hers and dragged her limb down to her side, "I swear you're such a child!"

She glared at him and pulled her hand out of his grip to cross under her chest huffily. "I'm eighteen Xiao Lang!"

Syaoran playfully messed up her hair, "Like that makes a difference." He sensed that she was about to lunge at him, "Oh, look at the time, people are waiting already, don't want to cause a scene." That calmed her down. Syaoran knew that she wasn't outspoken or brash in public. Rather, she was a brilliant actor who fooled everyone at her school into thinking that she was a quiet and mild mannered girl, a recluse to the world. He almost admired her cunningness. Unfortunately it wasn't just that. He had no idea why she insisted to be that way around others. It baffled him that the cheerful energetic girl he knew wasn't quite the same in public.

Containing herself, Sakura grabbed onto Syaoran's arm and dragged him towards the bus, their luggage dragging on the ground from his hands. "Kurako, what's with the sudden attack?" He whined quietly but didn't try to stop her. However, he sensed that they had caught the attention of quite a lot of people on the bus. He grinned.

"I am not attacking you," she replied and slapped him on the arm. "Now go give the nice bus driver our luggage."

"Yes Mistress," he grumbled crankily. "After all, I live to serve you." His voice was heavily layered with sarcasm it was impossible to miss.

Sakura stifled a giggle behind her hand and pushed him off towards the only bus that had yet to leave, the one that her class was assigned to. Syaoran, miffed, threw the suitcases roughly into the open compartment and walked with his head up high towards the bus door where Sakura was waiting. A pleasantly cool smile was fixed onto his face.

"Ah, just in time Sakura-chan." Terada Yoshiyuki, a fellow teacher who taught Japanese and Health and Physical Education, had flown in from Japan because of his recommendations. "I was getting worried that we'd have to leave without you. Now, I know you aren't quite fond of the game but being purposely late isn't an excuse." The teacher jumped off the vehicle and proceeded to usher her inside.

Sakura giggled at his comment. Yoshiyuki was her favorite teacher and their Japanese roots only made them closer, not to mention the fact that his family was also in business with hers. Yoshiyuki smiled at his friends, "Syaoran, do come on, we are about to leave any moment now."

The brunette smiled lazily and acquiesced when he saw Sakura reluctantly headed up the stairs.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, I'm afraid you have to sit down here with us, there are no available seats left up there. A few students from the other classes were sent up."

Syaoran smirked, "Oh, nothing to do with you now is it?"

"Me? Maa, maa, you overestimate me," Yoshiyuki sat down in his seat and gestured to the one in front of him. "By the way, we have two volunteers meeting us up at the ranch. I believe you know them if I'm not mistaken."

"Eh?" The teacher knew he didn't have the man's full attention just yet.

"Kinomoto Touya and Daidouji Tomoyo."

Now he had his full attention.

"Why am I stuck in this costume?" A deep hollow voice echoed out from within the large round head.

"Because you're tall."

He saw a short plump snowman wiggle by. "Since when does height have to do with anything?"

"Oh Touya, since you're so insistent…" Tomoyo trailed off with a wave of her hand, "I don't want you to scare away the little children!" Her tinkling laughter was muffled by her hand.

Touya huffed and hit her lightly on the head. "Now who's scaring them off?"

Tomoyo ignored him. "Oh look! Here they come!" She checked over his snowman costume one last time, tugging at the material from time to time. "Okay, remember, give out those snow bags and make sure that she is given one alright? You know, the girl with—"

He eyed the younger girl from the corner of his eyes. "Just because I'm in this stupid costume does not make me stupid."

"Are you wearing the necklace?" She ignored his statement and looked up into big black beady eyes.

Aggravated he swatted her away, "Yes, mother."

She beamed and headed off into their cabin, waving enthusiastically. "Remember, the girl with—"

"I know."

Right on cue as the long inky mane disappeared from sight, the buses painted with the colors and emblem of Yun Xing Academy for Girls reversed itself into the parking zone. Not far behind were the buses of the sibling school.

Grumbling, Touya stormed towards the buses as fast as he could in such a confining costume. He could almost imagine Tomoyo shaking her head at his subtlety. His sharp eyes scanned the buses, trying to figure out which one the target was in.

He cringed when a few high-pitched squeals rang out; they had caught sight of him, obviously aware of the popular stuffed toys that resided inside the snow bags he carried around in the basket. He sucked in his breath and prepared himself for the stampede of crazy girls who would fawn over how cute he (the costume) and the gifts were. He noticed the other snowmen were receiving the same reaction, but because he was the tallest… Touya growled.

Handing over the bags to the girls as quickly as possible, he made for an escape, however, some pulled him back with strength he never knew they possessed and asked for a photograph with him. He grumbled, knowing how the manager would react to his rudeness towards guests if he denied, the old man was watching him like a hawk by the window. Reluctantly he complied.

After long torturous flashes and what he now referred to as a photo session, he managed to free himself from their clutches. He would hug the teacher who had told them to go to collect their bags if it weren't out of his nature. And now he had a girl to find.

He scanned over the people who had exited the bus, standing around with their bags and luggage at there feet. He searched, sifting through every face he saw. Soon enough, the buses from Yun Xing Academy for Boys arrived and the passengers were filing out in an orderly fashion. It was strange, the school. Every student was still dressed in their immaculate uniforms, all looking prim and proper while their guests were in casual wear. And not to mention their manners… Touya wanted to smack his head. All the students were so well mannered and refined it was ridiculous! Well… with the exception of the crazy fawning girls, but even now they had composed themselves.

Once everyone collected their luggage and the buses were gone, the teachers instructed for everyone to quiet down. Everyone did. At the front of the large crowd stood the headmasters of both schools dressed in suits, sticking out terribly in the white snowy landscape, just like the students. Touya briefly wondered why they didn't look so cold. No one showed signs of shivering nor did any sink into the soft snow like most; it was curious.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, please line up," the headmaster of the girl's academy had a very loud voice, those at the back would have no trouble hearing him. Immediately, everyone uniformed shuffled around. Soon the students were all neatly lined up alphabetically in their respective classes with minimal noise. They were like… zombies. Well, zombie was the only word he could think of for them. Touya shuddered, trying to imagine the discipline the children received.

The guests all moved to the side. Tian Hao directed a kind smile to them. "It's been a long journey and I thank all of you for coming along on this month-long camping trip; I know it has taken most of you away from work." Compared to the students, those on the guest list was fewer, but many were around the same age group. Some parents had come, but they were very few in number, no more than fifty.

The other man, older and graying around his temples cleared his throat. He looked haggard; a mean look on his face clearly showing that he did not tolerate insolent behavior. "The teachers will take the attendance roll, after that, please proceed to your assigned cabins, no detours." He gave a sharp glare to a certain area within the boys' crowd. "If for some reason you cannot read the map you were given, ask the workers. Lunch will be served at one o'clock, after that you will be given the rest of the day to unpack, when done you are free to wander around and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Dinner is at seven o'clock in the main dining room and curfew is at ten o'clock. Anyone caught outside without teacher permission or an adult will be punished accordingly. Misconduct will have you packing your bags, no warnings will be given. Any questions?" The look he gave said that he also tolerated no questions.

Not a sound was uttered, but Touya saw a few teenagers from the sidelines glaring at the man. Ah yes, he was already hated, what with that whole speech of his, Touya would've hated him as well if he were in position to. Then Touya absently grinned, with the students all lined up, he could easily find his target, all he had to do was be as unnoticeable as possible, that part was easy with the big round snowman's head covering his eyes from view. And that was when he saw his prey, standing near the middle of the first line, a few paces right in front of him. He was surprised he didn't notice her sooner; she seemed to have a natural ability to blend in with her surroundings. Now the hard part was to give the bag to her without being so obvious. The wolf was a paranoid son of a bitch. Even from there he could see the amber eyes watching the girl protectively.

What he did have to his advantage was the fact that he was closer to her, very close. When the classes were dismissed and roll call was finished, the students moved with an excited flurry towards their bags, intent to unpack and eat lunch. Taking the chance, he moved forward and gave a passing girl a bag. She accepted with a bright smile of gratitude, but he paid no heed to her and continued to his target. In a matter of seconds he was offering her a bag containing a penguin.

Sakura was surprised that she stopped walking. She looked at him curiously before accepting the bag with a small smile. Touya's breath caught. There was something about the girl… something strangely comforting. He could see why Syaoran was so taken with her. Quickly he moved a few paces forward to hand the next girl a bag. A small satisfied grin settled on his lips. "Mission accomplished," he murmured. Suddenly he felt very foolish for letting such a thing rub off on him. "Heh," he grumbled, "Stupid humans."

He headed off to his cabin to change out of the ridiculous costume.

"Syaoran-kun, what you got there?" Sakura lugged the suitcases behind her having absolutely no trouble dragging it through the snow.

He flashed a grin and held out a black plastic bag decorated with silver snowflakes, "I thought you'd like a toy." He peered into the plain bag dangling around her wrist, "Seems I was too late." He pulled the toy out and a smirk replaced the grin, "But of course, mine's always better."

"Mou!" the brunette dropped one of the bags and attempted to grab it back. "Give that back Syaoran!" She pouted.

"Strange thing this is," Syaoran held it up to his face to examine it closely, "I don't like penguins all that much." He flicked its nose with distaste, "Or suits for that matter." He shrugged and tossed it over his shoulder, not at all caring that he was littering.

"Xiao Lang!" She swatted him on the arm and moved to pick it up. The man chuckled deeply and wound his arm around her waist. He picked up the other bag and continued on the way to their cabin. "Now Sakura, I have a much better one for you!" He dangled the bag from her abdomen.

Sakura sulked, "But I liked the penguin!"

His brow twitched. "Too late now, it's already ruined by the snow." Syaoran nudged her, "Now come on, you'll like this one more."

She decided to ignore him and concentrated on dragging the suitcase as best she could with his arm restricting her movements somewhat. Four klutz attacks later they reached the assigned cabin. Once she unlocked the door, the luggage was discarded by the foot of the closest bed and she kneeled down, intent on unpacking without talking to him. Not to be outdone, Syaoran wound both arms around her and hefted her up. He spun her around to face him and made her straddle his waist, holding her tightly around her thighs, this way he could easily talk to her face to face without having to bend down. She didn't bring her arms around his shoulders like she normally did; instead they were crossed under her bosom.

"Ying Fa," he began in his stern voice mockingly, "It was just a toy. You will not give me the silent treatment over a stuffed toy." She didn't answer but he knew by the spark in her eyes that she had been struggling not to laugh the whole time. He let the bag containing his toy settle between their torsos. Syaoran was able to easily balance her with one arm, but he decided to loosen his grip a little. Now she held onto him, a small yelp escaping her lips. "Now apologize."

The serious expression was what made her crack. Peels of laughter filled his ears like music and Sakura rested her head on his shoulder, still ignoring his toy. She twirled the curls at the base of his neck around her fingers. "Go–me–n na–sa–i!" She enunciate each syllable playfully and then flicked him on the neck. "But that doesn't mean you can just throw away my things because you don't like it."

He stated, "You got it for free."

Sakura's head fell onto his shoulder and she knocked it a few times against his bone, moaning all the while, "Not this again." Minutes passed and all was quiet, the only movement was Sakura's head banging against his shoulder. Still a few more minutes passed and nothing changed.

With a noise of exasperation, Syaoran sat down on the bed, "Open the damn bag already and forget about that stupid toy."

She eyed him curiously, "What do you have against free little toys anyway? It's not like there's a bomb inside it." He glared at her. "Alright, alright," she sighed melodramatically, "The free toy was evil and disgusting, nothing compared to the larger, more expensive toy that came from the same company." He didn't like her sarcasm so he pinched her thigh lightly. She returned the glare. Slowly, Sakura picked up the bag between them, sighed, and reached in, when she finally freed the inanimate object from its prison and discarded the bag and box, her eyes brightened. "Neko-chan!" Instantly she was cuddling the life out of it.

Syaoran stared at her dryly, "Nothing compared to the larger, more expensive toy indeed."

Sakura swatted him with the medium sized black kitten, "Shut up, it is still a toy after all."

Rolling his eyes, Syaoran deposited her onto the floor, "We should start unpacking, lunch in is half an hour."

The girl moaned pitifully from the floor, hugging the toy tighter, "You're so mean to me!"

Syaoran squatted down and flicked her brow, "And you love me anyway."

She snarled and her head snapped up to bite his finger. He retreated in time and smirked at her. "Come on Kurako-chan, don't be so lazy."

"I'll show you lazy!"

"Excuse me?" A low toned voice sounded from the open door.

Sakura looked at the stranger upside down from her position on the floor. The young man was tall, with a head of silky dark hair and smooth pale skin. Quickly she sat up, mindful that she didn't knock Syaoran over.

The young man in the school uniform smiled politely, but it was strained. The smile never reached the blank emerald eyes. "Sumeragi Subaru." A graceful bow followed before he stepped out of his shoes and entered the cabin, a duffel bag hanging off his small frame.

Once her feet were firmly planted on the ground, Sakura returned the gesture. "Exchange student ne?" She saw the badge on his collar and smiled kindly, "Li Sakura desu." She held out her hand.

For the longest time, the boy stayed still, staring at her with glazed eyes. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he accepted and shook loosely, grasp almost nonexistent. For that brief second, Sakura noticed how amazing soft his hand was. Her smile didn't falter as she turned around to her guardian. "Ah! How rude of me." Nimble hands grabbed onto pinstriped sleeves and tugged. "This is Li Syaoran," she continued in Japanese. "I hope we will all get along." As he extended his hand, Syaoran was met with a violent reaction. Immediately, the student had gone completely still, frozen in place and staring at him with something akin to fear.

Syaoran immediately felt drawn to the boy, or else it was his eyes, large green eyes filled with so much pain. Syaoran eyed the boy calculatingly, a brow lowering in interest. There was definitely something not quite right with the exchange student. "Daijoubu?"

The businessman noticed how those dark eyes stood out painfully from the thin pale face. The boy was obviously malnourished, looking younger than he actually was. Amber eyes saw the small fist beginning to tremble. Syaoran's brow quirked up again. There was definitely something about the young man that just drew him in, something familiar; it wasn't just the emerald eyes.

"Saa," the businessman withdrew his hand and smiled thinly. He saw Sakura staring curiously at him from the corner of his eye and turned to her, smile widening. "I believe we all have some unpacking to do." He tapped his wristwatch, "A little more than fifteen minutes left after all." With a cheery grin, he swept the girl at his side up. Delicately, he placed her upon the top bunk where the wooden ladder was connected. He swooped down, grabbed her suitcase and settled it gently at the foot of her bed. He flicked her head lightly, ignoring her glare, before going down to pack his own things away. He didn't miss how quickly the young man turned away.

Subaru was ignored for those merciful minutes of quiet unpacking, something the younger man was grateful for. When he was done, he stood before his bunk, blinking furiously and forcing his breathing to even out. He clenched and released his fists, willing the quaking from reaching his entire body. It failed. Within moments he felt overwhelmed, borderline hysterical. His fingers twitched and his lungs burned. The calm graceful air he had constructed around himself cracked with the stress and threatened to overflow. The dark haired student put on his shoes and promptly exited the cabin.

As the door shut, Syaoran sat down on the bed. "Interesting boy, Sumeragi-kun."

A dangling foot connected with his shoulder. "Why are you being so nice to him?"

"Ah?" A large hand snaked around thin ankles, "Jealous?"

A huff followed the sound of a bag being unzipped. "Xiao Lang, you being nice and cheerful to strangers is… not in your character." She forcefully removed her leg, purposely forgetting to mention when he was being civil with his enemies. Moments later her head came into view, her long hair cascading down like a curtain. "Sumeragi: the clan in Japan famous for Onmyoujitsu. Sumeragi Subaru: thirteenth head of the Sumeragi Clan."

The man blinked dubiously, "Eh? Really? My, quite an extraordinary boy I have attending my school. The Sumeragi eh?" A lazy grin, "I'll be sure to be nicer to him. Only the best for the thirteenth head of the Sumeragi Clan." His grin was infuriatingly mocking.

Sakura glared at him. She felt oddly protective towards the solemn boy. "I promised to stay out of your business, but you will not mess with him."

"And," he drawled, eyes half lidded, "since when did you tell me what to do?"

Sakura huffed and pulled herself upright, unwilling to look at him anymore.

The man sighed. "I don't want this month to continue on like this."

She didn't answer.

"Saa." He stood up, back turned towards their bunk. "I'm going out for a walk. Be sure to make it to the dining room in time."

The girl still didn't say anything as Syaoran left the cabin. Her grip on the stuffed cat tightened. How could things between them change so fast? She knew never to interfere with what he decided to do. He ensured that she was well informed with the people he associated with. She understood the structure of high class society and all the family weaknesses, and she knew that Syaoran was a leader of his clan, working as a businessman in the day and doing god knows what in the dark of night.

Sakura was also very much aware that Syaoran was anything but a saint, doing ungodly things that would warrant the death penalty, but she was fine with it. He had made sure she understood that he wasn't a good guy serving the side of light, nor was he very attuned to morality and mercy. He gave her a chance to run and promised to leave her alone if she wished, but she decided to stay by his side, she was fine with what he did.

Unfortunately, doubts always plagued her mind. As time passed on, her dreams and delusions were shattered as she realized how much of a nightmare reality was. Syaoran was a monster, she knew, and she hated herself even more for wanting to stay with him.

But he had given her everything he could. So it had to be alright.

In the end, everything would be alright.

It had to be.

Her grip on the toy tightened painfully.

A slender hand reached down and picked up the soaking toy. Subaru straightened and brushed the snow off the penguin's wet coat. His eyes remained blank and his posture was limp, defeated. The penguin slipped from his grasp and hit the cold snow with a soft crunch.

His hand retreated into his school blazer and he retrieved his box of cigarettes; Mild Sevens. He took one out, replacing the packet with a lighter. With trembling hands, he set the tip alight and breathed in the intoxicating smoke.

"You know, smoking is bad for your health."

Green eyes widened and his hand stilled in mid-motion. He clenched the lighter tightly in his hand and glared icily at the glowing tip of his cigarette.

"What do you want?"

A friendly smile curled at the corner of his lips. "What makes you think I want something from you?"

After taking a long drag, Subaru glanced over his shoulder, a cold glare settling across his features.

Syaoran's brow arched. "Clearly I have done something to upset you. I apologize, but I am currently unaware of what that something is."

Emeralds frosted over with ice, but the pleasant smile remained fixed on the older man's face.

The cigarette dropped to the ground and the younger man stormed off, angered. Smoke furled around the penguin and a hole was steadily burning through the white fur of its stomach.

Syaoran opened his mouth, his warm breath fogging with the cold air. "You'll catch a cold without your jacket, Kurako-chan." He glanced over his shoulder, ambers eyes warm.

Sakura stared at the snow, hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of her kilt.

"I—"

"Come." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her snug against his chest, "Best get to the dining room before we're late." He grinned, "And I refuse to let your bad habits influence me."

Her head snapped up and she stared back, indignant, "Just because I don't always arrive exactly on time by your watch," she tapped his wristwatch, certain that is was set more than a couple of minutes too early, "doesn't mean I'm always late."

"Who says you're always late?" Syaoran chuckled when signs of an oncoming pout appeared on her face. He ruffled her auburn hair, "Come on, the dining room's over there." He indicated to the large wooden building a few meters away.

Mood lightening once again, she ducked out of his hold and ran forward. "Yosh, I'm hungry!"

Another chuckle, "You're always hungry."

She turned back and stuck out her tongue. "Because you never feed me!"

"I feed you all the time." He pulled her back and pushed her face into his shirt. "Keep this up and I won't be able to carry you anymore."

Sakura huffed and rolled her eyes. "Good, I don't like it when you do."

"Ah, so you want to be like that do you?" He shook his head with a tsk. "How ungrateful. Who will catch you when you fall?"

She broke away from him yet again, "I won't fall," she stuck her tongue out again, over her shoulder, the playfulness crinkling her eyes up into crescents.

"You trip at least once every half hour." Syaoran easily caught up to her and stuck his foot out, "See?" The grin widened as her foot caught on his, sending her tumbling to the ground as gravity's victim.

"Hoe!"

A deep rumbling chuckle burst from his chest. His arms were outstretched, holding her in an upright position, though rather clumsily. "Now if my hands were to accidentally slip…" he let the sentence hang. Small warm hands wrapped around his wrists and locked together in a painfully tight grip. Or in what she thought was painful. "Don't you dare," she glared at him. He smirked and dragged her up. Sakura yelped at the unexpected rush, falling onto his chest once again.

"Mou, why don't I just glue myself to you? I always seem to be stuck in this position." She relaxed, letting her feet drag on the snow as he began trudging towards the dining hall, arms secured around her waist.

"I wouldn't mind so much if you weren't such a pig Kurako."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Stomp!

Syaoran kneeled over, a leg raised off the ground as it throbbed with pain.

"Serves you right," miffed, she pulled herself out of his momentarily weakened arms and trudged towards the smell of food. It was times like these that made her forget, that made her feel less guilty for enjoying herself with someone with as dark a soul as Syaoran's. She spun around and stretched out her arm. Her right thumb and index finger were positioned like a gun held flat on its side. She grinned, "Bang!" and she disappeared into the warmth of the dining room.

And because he had only one foot to support his whole weight on the soft snow, Syaoran fell into the cold snow. Aggravation seeped through his face and he rolled over onto his back, a small vein twitching on his brow. He breathed out watching as his breath mingled with the cold air. "Heh, that girl." A shiver ran down his spine. He sneezed. Twice. A growl was released and he sat up quickly, wiping away the snow drifting down his bare neck. "That girl…" Another growl escaped his lips and he stormed after her with a slight limp.

She knew he hated the cold.

The screen flickered out and the woman pressed the red button that had 'OFF' printed in bold white capitals. The steady red light blinked and then dimmed, slowly losing the heat that gave it life. The side screen was clicked shut and the hand pulled free from the straps. Connected to that hand was a thin pale wrist, one that led to the arm of the small young Japanese woman. "I knew I was asking too much from you," Tomoyo shook her head with disappointment. "Perhaps Rika would've been the better choice."

"Aa?" Touya's hard stare remained the same.

"This." With a compliant sigh, she turned the small palm sized camera on again and flipped the screen towards him. She pressed play.

From the upside down screen, Syaoran's face stared right back at him. "I don't like penguins all that much." The screen shook violently, blanking out for a few seconds, "Or suits for that matter."

Touya's brows shot up and he scoffed. Never mind that the kid was always wearing variations of suits day in and day out.

"Xiao Lang!" The view ricocheted against the snow, and now they had a very clear view of the bright clear sky.

"Heh," Touya stared passively at the screen, listening to the man talk, "A bit possessive that one."

Tomoyo nodded with agreement. "But besides that, I find this rather interesting." She pressed the fast forward button with her thumb and let it run for a few seconds before playing it again. "Here." He took the proffered camera and flipped the rectangular screen back into position to watch it from the correct perspective.

An upright face of green eyes and short black hair covered the sky entirely.

This piqued the man's curiosity. Perhaps it was the eyes; he always had a fascination with green eyed people. "And who is he?" The world shifted again, but this time there was a clear view of the stranger. Touya blinked. The boy was taking out a cigarette, and then he was smoking. He opened his mouth to say something.

"You know, smoking is bad for your health."

His mouth snapped closed and he sneered disdainfully at the sleek pair of black shoes and long slack clad legs at the corner of the video.

The deep monotone voice of the green eyed boy was surprising. He sounded like a dead man, empty and cold, devoid of any signs of life. "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want something from you?" Touya clenched his hands around the device; just hearing that mocking tone was enough to grate on his nerves.

There was silence as the boy's face turned away from the camera.

"Clearly I have done something to upset you. I apologize, but I am currently unaware of what that something is."

"Unaware my ass."

Tomoyo tsked from the other side of the room. She was dutifully hanging up their clothes in the surprisingly large closet. "Language Touya."

"Saa," he said noncommittally, slamming the screen shut when he could see the infuriating smirk that he knew would be on the brat's face. "That boy. Li wants something from him."

"I've already asked Rika to find out who he is." The dark haired girl folded the shirt in her lap delicately, smoothing out the creases, "So far she only has his name; Sumeragi Subaru."

Sapphire eyes narrowed and he looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Sounds… familiar."

"It does. Unfortunately I can't place my finger on it." She tapped her lips while setting the shirt neatly into the draw. "But," she smiled at her cousin, "He is cute, ne?"

"Li-san," the girl bowed, long wavy tendrils of hair sliding down her shoulder. The man stopped but didn't turn around. "Terada-sensei has some things he needs to discuss with you."

"Ah?" Syaoran waited for the girl to catch up with him before he proceeded to walk in slow strides. "About them I assume?"

She nodded and they walked in comfortable silence.

Syaoran exhaled heavily, "So Terada doesn't know where they are?"

The brunette nodded again, "Hai. We've checked with the employers. Seems there are a lot of suspicious guests all year round. It'll be hard to determine if they are the one you're look for."

Syaoran traced his tongue across his upper teeth, feeling the crevices and sharp bumps. "New workers?"

"A lot of schools are already on vacation by now. New workers aren't all that surprising at this time of year."

"Aa." He removed the glove hand from within his coat jacket and held it out, palm facing skyward. A few small flakes settled atop the black leather, quickly melting at the instant contact with warmth. "That will be all Rika. I assume Terada is in here?" He inclined his head towards the cabin.

Rika bowed and left.

Syaoran shook his head and clicked his tongue. He grasped the handle and opened to door. "Terada."

Surprised at the intrusion, the teacher dropped his suitcase. "Ah, Syaoran, how nice of you to come in unannounced," he smiled kindly, swinging the case back up to slide it into the overhead storage compartment.

"Take a seat, please," he gestured towards the couch with his head, "I'll just be a moment."

The younger man nodded, striding over towards the dark sofa. He flopped down ungracefully and pulled the cushion onto his lap, legs stretched out comfortably. "Any signs?"

"Nothing big, but it's something." Yoshiyuki slammed the stubborn door shut before anything could fly out. "There's been some activity around the kitchens, but I assume that's your influence."

Syaoran nodded unconsciously.

Yoshiyuki ran a hand through his spiky hair and settled down next to Syaoran. "Rika also tells me she thinks that they've planted some cameras among your belongings."

"Eh?" Syaoran's brow quirked and he sent the teacher a look, "Rika thinks so, does she?"

Yoshiyuki's eyes narrowed and his smile turned playful "Yes she does." He draped his arm across the back rest, flicking Syaoran on the temple as he did so, "Tomoyo-chan is residing in cabin twenty three. Touya-kun is likely to be around there somewhere. It's hard to miss purple hair and a man towering over everyone else."

"Hn," Syaoran ran his tongue across his teeth, smiling, "Maido'ri." (1) With a final mocking salute, he pushed himself off the seat and headed off towards the exit.

"Anytime Syaoran." He waved, "I'll keep you posted."

Syaoran waved him off.

A tall man with bleached blond hair smoothed out the creases on the apron, nervously licking his lips as he did.

"Now boy, here," a notepad and pen was shoved under his nose, "If you mess up like you did with the greeting I'll have you fired understand?" he didn't wait for an answer and shoved the waiter out of the door, "Now off with you! You're being paid by the hour!"

The blonde muttered profanities under his breath, a glare fixed on his face as he stalked off.

"BOY!" Thankfully, the restaurant was, at this current moment, empty. "WHAT DID I SAY?"

He rolled his brown eyes and mockingly mimicked his boss. After a deep breath, he smiled widely, blinding anyone who cared to look at his perfect white teeth. The bell rang, indicating a customer.

The blonde exhaled, fake smile still fixated on his face, "Table for two?"

The girl started, confused. "Two?" The student glanced behind her and caught site of a young man dressed in a long white trench coat. It took a moment before she was able to register a name with the face. "Ah! Sumeragi-san! What a coincidence!" Sakura clapped jubilantly and beamed at the tall lanky boy, "Here for a snack as well?"

Subaru eyed her distrustfully before nodding reluctantly. Sakura grinned and spun around to face the waiter, "Table for two it is!"

They were escorted to a window view table on the far side of the restaurant. "Here is the menu," the waiter held out two thin booklets, "What would you like to drink?"

"Water, please."

"And you?"

Subaru opened the menu, "Water."

The smile on the waiter's face twitched, "I'll be right back with your drinks."

Sakura nodded with a grin, "Hai!" She blinked when she noticed her mistake, but the man had already left and was pouring them their drinks. "Hm…" she shrugged it off and opened the menu, "So Sumeragi-kun," she looked expectantly across the table, "I didn't see you at lunch."

"I didn't go."

"Ara?" She tilted her head to the side, "And your teacher didn't care?"

He shrugged.

"You haven't had lunch yet?"

Another shrug.

"Well," she snapped the menu closed and grinned, "I didn't eat much either, wasn't feeling hungry then. You don't mind if I join you right?"

Subaru stared at her, as if to tell her it was a stupid question considering she was already sitting at the table with him, but, being too polite for that, he shrugged.

"So what will it be?" The waiter asked as he slammed the glasses down onto the table. The force had the water spilling over the rim.

Unfazed, she cheerfully told him of her order. Subaru followed her example quietly. Once the blonde had left, Subaru grabbed hold of the water and took a sip.

"Ne, rice with a side serving of salad?" She watched him with concern, "You sure you don't want anything else? The school pays for everything."

His eyes snapped up towards her from the glass' rim. "I'm fine."

Sakura winced. "I didn't mean it that way, I meant that—"

He cut her off her apologetic ramblings with a flat stare. "I'm fine."

The Japanese born girl slumped against the seat, "Gomen nasai."

"It's fine."

Sakura bit her lip, unsure. "Do you—"

"Here." Their order landed with a loud clank before them, "Enjoy your meal." And the blond stalked off again. Sakura saw the red face of an old man standing behind the kitchen's door, glaring daggers at the young waiter.

She shook her head and clasped her hands together, "Itadakimasu." Subaru repeated her actions, though a lot less enthusiastically.

And so they ate in cold, uncomfortable silence, Sakura steadily consuming what was on her plate while the dark haired boy was picking at his food with the chopsticks.

Throughout the whole meal, if it could be called that, Sakura stole worried glances at the teen, concern bright in her eyes. She cleared her throat. Subaru didn't look up. "I," she averted her eyes to the napkin, "I'm sorry about Syaoran. Sometimes he doesn't know when he's taking it too far." She made sure to keep the bitterness out of her voice and eyes, though she had a feeling that he knew she was lying. "He doesn't mean any harm, really." She glanced up, but saw that he was still tracing stars around the cooling rice.

"He's just… in his own world sometimes." She stirred around her noodles, sighing.

Her head snapped up when she heard light laughter escape her brooding companion. "In his own world," his eyes glazed over, staring glassily over her shoulder and through the large window. "He's in his own world."

Sakura watched him with confusion, "Sumeragi-kun…"

A wry smile curled at the corner of his lips and his hand retreated into his coat. Within seconds, a white cigarette lay between his fingers and he exhaled the deadly smoke. "Maybe."

Sakura blinked furiously and looked down at her lap, refusing to look him in the eye. It hurt so much, the pain she could feel radiating from the young leader.

"Just maybe."

His gaze remained fixed and she cringed.

Amber eyes watched as snow lightly sprinkled the thick skeletal black branches with its pure white flakes. He breathed in the cold air and pulled the cashmere coat tighter around him. He never was fond of the cold, and the beauty of the winter wonderland was hardly enough to make him reconsider. He shivered as a breeze danced across his naked neck.

Syaoran smiled feeling at peace. Now the only thing missing was Sakura, but she had gone wandering off after lunch to explore the campsite. His eyes fell closed and he leaned back against the rough hard trunk, resting his weight against it.

He pulled something out of his pocket; a healthy blooming cherry blossom flower. The full rose-colored petals gleamed under the bright afternoon sun, soaking in its warmth and absorbing the light. It was such a beautiful thing, the sakura. He stroked the petals lovingly, his thumb moving gently along the soft curves.

Suddenly his hand closed into a fist around the delicate flower. Syaoran smirked and held out the hand. He loosened his grip to allow the wind to carry away the broken petals. Ambers locked with emeralds and he saluted sardonically.

"Sumeragi Subaru, I think I know who you are."

And he wiped his bare hand against his coat, removing traces of the blood.

(1) Short for 'maido arigato' (thank you) or 'maido arigato gozaimasu' (thank you very much), which is a set phrase used by service personnel. Here Syaoran uses it mockingly.