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Returning to You
By sushi-genius
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She took off her sunglasses as she stood outside her house. It had been seven years since she had last returned to Japan and now that she had returned, she intended to start anew. She unlocked the gate, surprised that the lock had not been changed. The gate creaked as she pushed it open.
Sakura gazed at the house again as she made her way up the driveway. The huge mansion was still the same, cold and foreboding. Her heels tapped smartly against the concrete floor. She could hear her pulse roaring in her ears as she approached the main door.
She was apprehensive about the way she would be received. He would be unwelcoming and as rude as a boar. She would not blame him, considering how she had left. However, she was no longer the green girl that she was years ago and it was about time that she proved it.
She knocked on the door; fear once again gripped her heart like a cold fist. The door opened and it was answered by Wei.
"Mistress Sakura!" he could not help but reveal his shock. It had been such a long time since he had last saw her.
"Good afternoon Wei," she greeted as cheerfully as she could while inside she was dreading the moment. Wei took her suitcase as she entered the house. She looked around at her surroundings, sweet and bitter memories flooded her mind.
Nothing had changed much since she had last seen it. Everything was exactly where they were when she had left. She could not help but wonder why she had left although the truth was in her heart.
"Where is the Master?" she asked, slipping off her gloves. She had not informed him that she had returned, she had not dared to. Knowing him, he would have barred her from the house, regardless of whatever she said.
Wei was distracted when a loud squeal filled the hallway. A young boy of about six or seven ran towards Wei, dragging his stuff teddy bear behind him.
Sakura's heart stopped as she gazed at her son. His emerald eyes mirrored her own. He was the exact miniature of his father, there was no end to the resemblance. The only thing that she had contributed was the colour of his eyes.
Wei disengaged the child's arms from his legs and turned to Sakura whose eyes were brimming up with tears. Wei's heart ached whenever he thought about his master's separation from his wife. But now, she was back and he did not know what his master's reaction will be.
"Xiao Hu," Wei addressed the child. "Go and greet your mother."
The happy expression dropped from Xiao Hu's face and was replaced with a look of anger. He looked at his mother with hatred in his eyes. The mother that had left him behind. Without a word, Xiao Hu stormed out of the hallway.
Tears flowed down Sakura's cheeks at the obvious rejection of her son. She had loved him dearly ever since she had held him in her arms. Even after she had left, she had always carried a photo of him around with her. But now, it seemed like her son did not want anything to do with her.
She startled when Wei reached out one hand towards her. She accepted the handkerchief in his hand and dapped at the corner of her eyes.
"Don't worry," Wei assured her. "Xiao Hu will understand."
Tears choked up her throat as she numbly nodded. She looked at Wei in surprise. Somehow, he understood how she had felt seven years ago. The oppression had bent her until she was unable to take it anymore. The only thing that she regretted was that she had to leave her child behind.
"The Master is not home yet. I will get you settled in one of the rooms." Wei picked up her suitcases and headed up the stairs.
Sakura felt a sense of relief when she heard that he was not at home. She had dreaded the moment of their confrontation ever since she had decided to return. Her heart pounded faster when she saw where Wei was leading them.
He opened the door and deposited her suitcases at the foot of the bed. Sakura began to protest.
"Wei, I can't possibly stay in here."
Wei ignored her plead. "All the other rooms at not prepared. If you want, I can get ready a room for you tomorrow. For the time being, you can sleep in the master bedroom."
Before she could say another word, Wei quickly bowed and exited the room. The closing of the door was like the closing of a bird cage. She felt trapped and suffocated. She knew that she could not request for another room. To do so would only trouble Wei and he was the only one that still treated as kindly.
As they were walking up, she could hear whispers among the servants and she did not doubt that they were discussing about her sudden appearance.
The entire day's burden suddenly felt like a ton on her shoulders and she felt exhausted. Shrugging off her coat, she laid down on the bed.
Nothing had changed, she thought to herself sleepily and she drifted off to sleep.
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"What do you mean that she is back?" Syaoran demanded, running his hands through his hair. He had thought he had heard wrongly when Wei had told him that Sakura had returned. It was like being in a nightmare.
He felt anger towards her, the wife that he had loved so much only to have her leaving him. Her betrayal still felt like a stab to his stomach, its memory still fresh. He had not known how he had survived, drinking brandy day after day for about a month.
He felt his anger dissipating when his son ran towards him, hugging him around his legs. He ruffled his son's hair. The only person that had kept him going through his heartache.
"How are you today?" he asked his son.
"Mummy came back," Xiao Hu said, his voice devoid of any emotion. Syaoran's heart ached. He knew that his son was upset over his mother's departure and felt that his mother had not loved him enough to stay.
He himself did not know why she had left. He remembered coming back from work one day to only be informed that his wife had left the country. She had left him a note saying that she could not stand staying with him. He still had the note, so crumpled from him reading it over and over again.
He did not know how he would face her after all of these years. Seven years without a word and now she was back in his life. He never forgot about her, her image was always on his mind whether he liked it or not. There had been no news of her at all, not even her best friend, Tomoyo, knew where she had gone.
He lifted his son in the air, making him squeal in delight. "How about both of us going to Hong Kong for awhile?" he asked, needing to escape from his house. He did not know how he would react to her and he feared that he might not be able to control himself.
He smiled as his son nodded. "Go and play," he instructed, chuckling as his son shot off like lightning. He turned to Wei. "Where is she now?"
"In your room."
Syaoran's jaw tightened. He gave Wei a curt nod before heading up the stairs. He paused outside the door for a moment and opened it.
He had expected her to be startled when she saw him. What he did not expect was to see her lying on his bed fast asleep. He was about to wake her up but stopped when he finally had taken a look at her.
Her slender figure was still the same, more curvaceous than he had remembered. She had kept her honey coloured hair long until it was below her shoulders. She looked like the young school girl he had once knew but was even more beautiful than before.
He shook his head, ridding himself of that image. She had deceived him, deserted him and left him to collect the broken pieces of his heart. There must be something that she wanted that she had to return to the place which she had hated.
A lock of hair had fallen to her forehead. He sat down on the bed and suddenly found himself brushing the hair away. His hand came into contact with her face and he trailed his fingers down to her lips He jerked his hand back when she stirred and found himself gazing into a pair of emerald eyes. The very same eyes that haunted his dreams.
In shock, Sakura sat up; her hand trembled as she looked at her husband. He was different than what she had remembered, more handsome. His jaw was broader and his body was more muscular. However, his amber eyes were just as piercing as they were before. It was as if he could look through her soul.
Her heart clenched as she fixed her eyes upon his handsome figure. Before, he was like her best friend, filled with boyish charm and affection but now, there was no mistaking that the man before her commanded absolute authority.
"Syaoran." She heard herself calling him, her own voice sounding weak and feeble to her ears. There was no use hiding how nervous she felt, her nails digging into her palm.
"Sakura."
It was funny how hearing her name on his lips had trilled her so, sending shivers down her spine. She opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of how to begin. He was like a stranger to her now. She was unaware of how he would react to her news.
His jaw tightened even more when his eyes fell upon her finger. It was void of her wedding ring. The ring that he had placed on her finger during their wedding. Anger like molten lava rushed through him as he thought cynically of his own ring on his finger. He was a fool to still be keeping those vows.
"What do you want Sakura?" he drawled out, keeping his voice deceptively casual. "It must be very important to have you coming back here."
Sakura knew him too well to be fooled by his tone. The amber sparks in his eyes betrayed the emotions that he was feeling. That and the clenching of his fists.
"I want to take Xiao Hu with me," she blurted out.
"You what?" he asked, his eyes widening in shock. He gazed upon her face and knew that she was serious. His eyes narrowed in contempt as he spoke. "You have some nerve coming back here after seven years."
She recoiled her body slightly under his harsh tone. She knew that Syaoran would object to it but somehow she knew that she had to try. She loved her son and would do anything to have him back by her side.
"I know." She tilted her chin, meeting his piercing look with one of her own. "But I have Xiao Hu's mother and I have the right to have custody of him."
"Tell that to any judge and you will find him rolling on the floor in laughter," Syaoran sneered. He could not believe her audacity of coming back here to claim their son. She had no right! "You have not even been close to him!"
"That can be changed once he is by my side," she argued, refusing to relent. She had waited so long just to have this chance and she was not going to let it go without a fight. "That is why I came back after so long. To claim him."
"No and that is final," he commanded. "You will not take Xiao Hu with you. He is my future heir."
"But," he continued before Sakura could interrupt. "You can stay here for a month until he gets to know you better. But you have to promise me to leave this house after that."
"You cannot do this."
"I can do whatever the hell I please," he snapped, his anger finally taking control of him. "I find that I am already reasonable enough to grant you that. Do not push me any further."
Seeing that she had no choice but to accept, she nodded her head. That was the only chance that she had to persuade Xiao Hu to leave with her. She knew that Syaoran could order her off his premises with one snap of a finger and she dared not offend him.
"There is one more thing I want," she said, her voice firm and steady. "I want a divorce."
Her voice resounded around the room; her words the ultimatum. He pushed himself off the bed and stationed himself in front of the window.
Her words had not surprised him. He knew that it was only sooner or later that she would ask for it yet somehow, he could not bring himself to grant her request. It came as a shock to him that he had still loved her after all of these years, that the very sight of her still robbed him of his breath.
There so many things that was unfinished between them. Yet, he knew that it would be dangerous to continue. She had broken his heart once, he would not be so foolish as to let her do it again.
However, Xiao Hu still needed a mother, no matter how much he had resented the idea. He had thought about remarrying but that idea had not seated well with him. It would devastate his son if they were to separate before he had a chance to have a normal family. His son, he felt in his heart, loved Sakura even though he had never spent much time with her. He had often spotted his son flipping through the photo albums that held his mother's photos time and time again, only to have the photo album snapped shut and pushed aside when his son saw him.
"I won't grant you the divorce. You can forget about it," he told her, his voice ringing with authority.
Her emerald eyes flared as she faced him. "And why not?"
"Because," he said as he walked back to the bed, settling himself beside her. She retreated until her back was against the pillows. "We still feel something for each other."
"You have got to be joking! I have no feelings for you."
He caught her wrist in a deceptively casual move, pulling her towards him. She tried to pull herself away but her resistance was futile. He dragged his head closer and closer until his lips nearly touched hers.
"Want me to prove you wrong?" he said huskily, his breath tickling her skin.
Mesmerized by his eyes, Sakura felt her resistance melting away. He still had that effect on her, she thought to herself.
He dipped his head and grazed her lips softly. At the contact of his lips, she felt a tingle up her spine. The kiss deepened as Syaoran molded her lips to his. At the probe of his tongue, she opened her mouth slightly. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth.
She clung on to his shoulders, her entire body racking with desire. Their bodies were knitted closely together like pieces of a puzzle.
The sudden knock of the door jerked both of them apart, both panting heavily. Realizing her mistake, she pushed him away, ashamed of her behavior
"That would not happen again. I apologize for that," Syaoran said, turning away from her.
Sakura touched her lips. They felt bruised and deliciously swollen. She was horrified to find that he still awoke feelings that she had never ever felt with another man and she hated herself for it.
Syaoran got up and walked to the door. With a casual twist of his hand, the door opened. Xiao Hu's head peeked inside, his face brightening when he saw his father.
"It is time for my dinner. Would you like to join…." Xiao Hu's voice faltered upon seeing that his mother was in the same room. It was not fair that she could just come back into their lives as though nothing had happened when they still carried the scars.
Xiao Hu took a step back, ready to run away. Syaoran saw the panic in his son's eyes and his heart clenched. He should not have been exposed to this. He was too innocent to have a broken family yet.
Xiao Hu felt rather than saw his father lifting him up in his arms and his tears nearer flowed down. He himself was filled with contrasting emotions. Part of him wanted his mother, remembering how she had always treated him with love. Yet, part of him refused to forgive.
He lifted up his head and whispered inside his father's ear. Understanding, Syaoran nodded and set his son down. Xiao Hu hurriedly left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Syaoran waited until the door closed before turning to his wife. "Would you like to join Xiao Hu for dinner?" He had not added the fact that it was Xiao Hu who had thought of it to include his mother. He did not want Sakura to know that she was already worming her way into his son's heart as well as his.
Sakura felt a glow of happiness upon his invitation. She finally had a chance to interact with her son. "I would like that very much."
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Dinner was a quiet affair, the only sound was the clatter of forks and knifes. Sakura felt her spirits drop when Xiao Hu had refused to meet her eyes throughout the entire dinner, only answering either a 'yes' or a 'no' to her questions. He however, chatted very animatedly with Syaoran, his bright emerald eyes sparkling.
Syaoran noticed that fact but refused to comment. It was her own grave that she had dug and it was only fair that she would lie in it.
Dessert soon came and they were served with strawberry tarts. It was ironically both Xiao Hu's and Sakura's favourite dessert. Both of them had smiles on their faces as they bit into their tarts, identical green eyes showing their enjoyment. It was however, Syaoran's least favourite dessert but he had always ordered them to be made for the enjoyment of his son.
"Xiao Hu, do you play the piano?" Sakura asked her son as they headed to the living room. In the centre of the room stood a grand piano with Sakura's name spelt at the side. It had been her wedding present from Syaoran when he had learnt that she had enjoyed playing. She was delighted to know that he had not have gotten rid of it.
Xiao Hu looked at her hesitantly and then gave a reluctant nod. He had learnt playing the piano since he was four when he had found out that his mother knew how to play. It was something that he thought would bring him closer to her.
"Could you play a tune for me?" she requested, delighted that her son was so talented at such a young age.
"No!"
"Xiao Hu, go and play the piano," Syaoran instructed as he settled down on the sofa. Sakura looked as though she going to break down and cry and he hated that look on her face. "It has been a long time since I have heard you play."
"But-" Xiao Hu began to protest only to stop when his father pinned him with a stare. Muttering words under his breath, he proceeded to the piano and began to play.
Melodious music sprung from beneath his little fingers as it filled the room. Sakura felt her eyes fill up with tears as she soaked in the music. It was obvious to her that her son preferred his father but she could not blame him. Her son only listened to Syaoran and her words had fallen on deaf ears.
Once again, she thought if she had made the right choice by coming back. She was jerked from her thoughts when the music ended.
She applauded and walked towards her son. Xiao Hu ignored her and headed towards Syaoran who caught him in a hug.
"It is time for your bed." Syaoran looked at his son who grimaced. He chuckled, remembering that when he was at his son's age how much he too dreaded going to sleep. "Go and change and I will tuck you in."
Sakura watched Xiao Hu going up the stairs and turned to Syaoran. "I didn't realize how much I had missed out and I regret it dreadfully."
"It is too late for that," Syaoran said grimly as he too headed up the stairs. Sakura followed him, not wanting to be denied the pleasure of tucking in her son.
Xiao Hu was already in his room waiting for them, dressed in his dark blue pajamas. Syaoran lifted him up and placed him on his bed. "Good night," he told his son as he covered him with blankets up to his chin.
"Good night." Xiao Hu closed his eyes, hugging a teddy bear close to him. Sakura felt a stab of joy when she recognized the bear. It was his birthday present that she had sent back almost five years ago.
Seeing that Xiao Hu was already fast asleep, she bent down and kissed him on the forehead, stroking his soft hair. "Good night and sweet dreams."
Syaoran switched off the light as they left the room. "Go to the room first," Syaoran said as he headed back down the stairs.
Blinking in confusion, she went back to the room and changed into her nightgown. Anxiety filled her when she realized that the flimsy piece of cloth exposed more than it hid. She quickly jumped into bed, hiding herself behind the covers.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Syaoran walked in. Sakura's heart jumped when she heard the door giving a soft click. He had locked the room!
Her heart pounded when she realized that he was unbuttoning his shirt. When the last button was undone, the shirt fell to the floor, revealing his taut body.
She gulped as he took a step closer and closer to the bed. She was not ready for this. As much as she found herself wanting him, she could not do this again. The pain and heartache would not be worth it. . .
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A/N
This is my new fanfic and it is different from the rest that I have written. For starters, Syaoran and Sakura are already married. I hope you will like this and continue to support me.
Please REVIEW!