Apartments

Summary: Syaoran Li is a famous writer pressured to produce his new best seller. Sakura Kinomoto is his new next door neighbour finishing her last year of high school. Together they create a new world on paper.

AN: I do not own Card Captor Sakura

Chapter 1

I groaned when the moving and scrapping next door didn't stop. I know I only have to put up with it for a day, but with a splitting headache and my publisher bitching in my ear it is becoming extremely difficult to remain the polite neighbour. "Naoko I know! Gees, please just leave it for the moment."

"But this is the opportunity of a life…"

"Life time, bla-bla-bla. Can I talk to you tomorrow when the new neighbour is done shifting his furniture up and down and I don't have a head ache?"

"Fine, I have an opening at lunch. Meet me at that little café on the corner of 4th and 9th."

"See you tomorrow." I sighed as I put down the phone. The screeching stopped for a moment and the silence seemed almost unbearable.

"DAD!" Great kids, just what I need. Kids running up and down next door, yelling at the top of their voices while they argue about stupid video games. "Dad! Honestly, where can put this down?"

"Honey, we're not in a house anymore. Keep your voice down." The man's was noticeably softer, but still loud enough with all the windows and doors open everywhere due to the summer heat. "What did you say honey?" She must have mumbled to herself.

"I'm not having that argument with you again!" I leaned my chair against the wall as I strained to listen. She is not the little kid I thought it was, her voice is quite mature. And his voice sounds caring, concerned, yet excited. Perhaps I can use that. Perhaps I can use their situation. Or something similar to it. "I could have stayed in Tomoeda." Small town people. "With Tomoyo."

"You know that Tomoyo and you are not a good combination when it comes to studying."

"Yeah, but now I'm going to miss my matric dance." A high school girl, about eighteen, seventeen, with her father moving into a new apartment far away from their little small town. They left behind a comfortable life… "The only conciliation is that this used to be where you and mom lived." Historical significance…

Where is the mother? Divorced. No. Perhaps tragically taken away by an untimely death. "You know she had a little habit of hiding things." A mystery woman with interesting habits. "And I know you will want to go exploring, but you have to pay attention to your studies as well." A father wanting the best for his child, caring... bringing her up on his own.

"Yeah, I know. Do good, get into collage, do what I always wanted." A child that knows that he cares, but becomes slightly hostile at hearing it all the time. "You and Toya are the same." An older boyfriend perhaps.

"You know your brother only wants the best for you."

"Except for the name calling!" A protective older brother that teases his little sister. This is interesting. This gives me an idea. I just need to see the girl. What features will match that voice. Blue eyes, perhaps brown, with black or dark brown hair… Tall for her age, with an athletic build… She is popular amongst her fellow school pupils and known for her beauty. She will wear skirts and label shirts and jackets with matching heels and other accessories. Her hair will be long.

Her father is a successful business man, handsome for his age and incredibly intelligent. He is tall, with brown hair and dark caring eyes. He wears glasses, but it does not 'damage' his image in any way. He could have married a long time ago if he wanted to, but his love for his wife made him a devoted husband even in her death.

Women love characters like him.

Does he find love, or does she? Perhaps both? No. Too clichéd. Focus on him or her? Her life is already perfect. His… perhaps a challenge at the office… the company he worked for was liquidated. They lost everything and were forced to move. They start a new life – a fresh life. Away from all memories. It is a period of adjustment. A period of learning to know one another.

He tries to make up for all the lost time when he use to spend his hours at the office, now he realise that she is all he needs in his life. They move to a city where the best universities are close – he had managed to save her collage money. A trust fund her mother left her.

"Dad! Uncle Mike is here." An uncle! I listen intently, but I can only hear a murmur of two male voices. 'Uncle Mike' sounded older, more to his sixties. His brother or perhaps his late wife's brother?

I scratched my beard. That could work. All I need now is an original twist to it all. An author's touch. After all, they say your characters must seem real, then the world they live in will seem real. And what better way than to base it all on real people, even if it is only their voices.

Oh shit!

I jumped up and walked downstairs to the post boxes. Naoko would have killed me if I showed up tomorrow and not have read the letter. I opened the little wooden door and piled of mail came streaming out. Perhaps I should learn to empty my mail box at least every second day.

Sighing I picked it all up and paged through it as I walked up the stairs. Junk mail and bills, no surprise there. Oh… Nah, just one from my sister. Here it is… I tore it open and pulled out the letter. My eyes scanned the piece of paper. That much! And Naoko said I could probably get more. I'll be made!

"Are you going stand there all day?" I glanced up at the voice. It was the girl's voice from next door. Before me stood a girl. She had short honey brown hair and sun touched skin. In her hands was a huge box stuffed with torn newspapers. She wore bootleg jeans with sneakers and a dark blue t-shirt. Her lips were set in an un-amused smile. But it was her eyes…

Before me my character shattered into a million pieces. This girl was nothing like I imagined her to be. The real girl before me was small, almost too small for that strong voice. Her body spoke nothing but running – middle distance perhaps. And her eyes… It is her eyes that told me that I will never be able to revert back to my dream girl.

Her eyes were green, an intense green, and they were glaring down at me. "Sorry." I mumbled an apology. "25 B right?"

"Yeah."

"24 B, Syaoran Li."

"Sakura Kinomoto." Her name… it does not match. Yet it does. What contrast! What utterly beautiful contrast. "My dad is in if you want to talk to him. He likes the whole 'greet your neighbour' thing."

"And you don't?"

"No. This isn't the sixties." She gave me sarcastic smile and walked past. I watched her disappear around the corner before making my way back up again. Perhaps I should go greet her father. If I am so wrong about her, then I should be wrong about him to. I've never been wrong about any person… Why did I get her wrong? Completely in fact!

I stopped at the open door and knocked. A man in his early fifties popped up from behind a beige couch. "Hello?"

"Syaoran Li. 24B."

"Oh!" He got up and shook my hand firmly, enthusiastically. He looked exactly like I imagined him, then why did I get his daughter wrong? "Fujitika Kinomoto, nice to meet you."

"The archaeologist?"

"The one in the same I am afraid. I hope we aren't disturbing you too much, we should be done at the end of the day."

"Oh no, it's fine. Really." It's fine. "Well, I won't keep you. Nice to meet you."

"Same." I nodded politely and stepped into my own apartment. I listened to them intently the entire day. They talked about school, a girl named Tomoyo, work, digs and the city. Most of the time is was about where to put what, and who will wash what which was determined by a game of rock-paper-scissors most of the time.

When I went to meet Naoko I was all giddy – like a little school girl. I sat tapping my spoon on the table the entire time. I watched her sit down. Her glasses on her nose and her brown eyes scrutinising me. Her short brown hair was neat, in total contrast to mine. "Syaoran…"

"I found my story!"

"You what?"

"My next story – book… what ever. They moved in next to me."

AN: Hey! This I what you come up with when you are completely bored out of your mind at work. And waiting in suspense for exam results to come out. Tell me if you like it or not. Constructive criticism welcome!

Tella