My first one-shot. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CCS – I know, it's a drag, but I have to do this O.o

It was a fine autumn day, as crisp as an apple. The sky was perfectly clear and the southeast wind blew gently on Sakura's cheeks. Dead leaves fell to the ground, colours varying from gold, brown, orange and red.

'Come, Coco,' Sakura called to the small dog racing around the backyard excitedly. Its legs stopped abruptly and its ears twitched at the sound of its name for a split-second. Then it ran straight to the one who had called its name.

'Good girl.' She stroked Coco under its chin. It closed its eyes, and purred softly, seeming to enjoy being stroked there.

Sakura laughed and sat on the grass, slumped against the wall.

'Gee, you must love being a dog, Coco. You can crap anywhere you like, eh? I'd always have to clean it up for you.'

The dog looked at her apprehensively, as though she was going to whack it with a stick for doing its business around the garden.

Sakura laughed again, and ruffled the dog's soft, brown fur – this time on its back.

'Don't worry! You're only too young, you'll learn in time.' She smiled tiredly.

'I wish you understood how I feel. Not about you crapping, Coco!' she added, fighting the urge to laugh at the dog's pout. 'Sometimes… sometimes I just feel I'm so alone. Just between you and me –' Sakura put a finger to her lips, '– sometimes I think even Tomoyo doesn't give a damn…'

Coco dug itself into Sakura's lap and made itself comfortable, as though it would make her feel better as well.

'Maybe it's because there's too much going on. Every time he comes into the story, I always get an enormous headache…' she trailed off. 'He spoils everything, you know? Just when I think he's gone, he shows up again and again and again! I just hate it!'

She sighed and took a deep breath. 'It would've been better if I knew nothing about him except his name… That would be heaven for me right now. I wanna move on, but I –'

'Boo.'

The voice came from above; Sakura looked up. Looking through an open window from inside the room was that boy. Syaoran.

Oh, it's you again, Sakura thought, infuriated.

Syaoran gave a small smile and went out of the room. Seconds later he was outside in the backyard as well and was standing with his hands in his pockets. Sakura ignored him.

He advanced towards her casually, and stopped right in front of her, blocking her view fully. He didn't say anything.

Damn. I can't stare now. Sakura couldn't stare sideways… that would've looked weird… She couldn't stare at his legs either… that would look extremely weird… So she fixed her eyes on the dog on her lap.

Okay, she thought. This was getting ridiculous. Might as well…

'How much did you hear?' she asked stiffly, refusing to meet his striking amber eyes.

Syaoran said nothing. He stood there, studying her unemotional face for what seemed like ages, and then sat down on the grass so that he was face-to-face and eye-to-eye with her.

'I heard enough to want to come out here and talk to you.'

Silence again. Sakura looked down at the grass, glassy-eyed.

Syaoran sighed.

'Listen,' he said, trying to make eye contact with her. 'What if…'

She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. 'What?'

'What if I said… I liked you?' He whispered the last three words in her ear. 'What would you do?'

Sakura snorted and stood up, Coco's ball in her hand. She threw the toy at some length across the green lawn and the dog dashed to fetch it.

'I wouldn't believe you.'

Syaoran gave her a mild look but something in his voice sounded as if he wasn't happy with this answer. 'Why not?'

'If you said that five months earlier, when I knew nothing about Meiling, or your personality, then I would believe you.'

Syaoran blinked, never expecting a reply like this. 'Meiling and I are nothing anymore,' he said, carefully putting his words together. 'How'd you know about us, anyway?'

'Oh, sure. You and her are nothing anymore. Tell me then, why did I hear about someone from China sending you a parcel for Christmas?'

'Who the hell do you get this information from?' Syaoran asked, his voice raising.

'You've no idea, do you, Syaoran?' Sakura said. 'Are you mad at me, then? Are you curious as to why I know things about you? Do you know why I go through all this load of crap to find out more?

'It's 'cause I can't live in the dark. I mean,' she said, a bit of light laughter in her voice, 'What if you turned out to be a mass-murderer?'

'So… what are you trying to say?' said Syaoran, baffled. 'You like me?'

'Well, what else?'

'Why don't you believe me, then?'

'Hold on – saying that I like you is an understatement. I loved you. A lot.'

'Loved me? As in, the past tense?'

'I don't know – at the moment I don't know what to think of you anymore. You just like toying around with my head whenever you can, don't you? You don't give a damn about how I feel. Every time you talk to me, I'd have to try so hard to convince myself that you're lying to me!'

'Every time? What the heck are you on about? Meaning that you'd love to hear my lies? What lies?' Syaoran asked, both angry and desperate. 'What's your point?'

'My point is proving why I won't believe that you like me! Besides, your feelings for me aren't nearly as strong as my feelings for you!'

'Sakura…' Syaoran said, now getting to his feet. 'I effing love you, okay? I can't concentrate on anything because of you. You're the only effing thing that's on my head at the moment. On Christmas Eve… when you gave me those chocolates –'

'Those weren't mine.'

'Whose was it then?'

'Tomoyo's.'

'Why didn't she give it to me personally, then?'

'Because – she knew I liked you.'

'Oh. Guess I'm going to feed those to the dogs, now that I know it wasn't yours.'

'What?'

'I thought it was yours. So I kept it. It's still in the fridge.'

'How can I believe even that?' Sakura said, giving him a scornful look. 'I love you, but I don't know how to trust you!'

Syaoran gripped Sakura on the shoulders and shook her vigorously. 'I love you too, you got that?' he cried. 'Get it into your tiny brain!'

'You know… you seemed to like me at the exact moment I started liking you. I thought it would work out. But doesn't seem that way, does it? Doesn't seem as if it's going to be what you'd call, "jian dan ai".'

Jian dan ai Simple love (a/n: I got that from the song 'Simple Love' by Jay Chou.)

'I never said that it would be simple! But now, at least, you know that I've returned your feelings!'

'Prove it!'

Syaoran hesitated for a moment. Then, arms around her waist, he closed his eyes and kissed her.

Sakura closed her eyes as well; briefly enjoying the sweet sensation on her lips, but then broke the kiss off when she realised what was happening. She tore out of his arms.

'Any guy who likes flirting with girls would be able to do that, Syaoran.' She smiled at him and then walked away, Coco trotting obediently beside her.

'Wait,' said Syaoran. Sakura stopped, slowly turning around to face him.

'Nani ga?'

Means, 'what is it?' in Japanese.

'Will you still love me?'

'Yes.'

'Do I have much time before you stop doing so?'

'I've never loved anyone this much in my life.'

That's it! First one-shot! Please read & review!

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