Pairings: Syaoran/Eriol, Meiling/OC, others in the future
Rated: PG-13
Status: 1/?
Summary: Syaoran likes his life. He goes to a good college with his cousin and his friends in America. His life is about as average as you can get. But when someone from his forgotten past pops up, his emotions get turned upside down. When he finally starts to get his life in order, what will happen when the one person he's loved all along can't face up to the truth?
Warnings: shounen-ai (boy/boy love), violence in later chapters, Syaoran is a bit OOC
Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely boys or any of their friends.
Much thanks to TamChronin for beta reading this!
Chapter One: Phantoms
Gray mist surrounded me. Nothing but mist. I stood there, looking around. Not even the traditional dark, blurry shapes. I knew that this was a dream, seeing as how this was the most mist I had ever seen in my life. But all the same, this was quite boring. All my other dreams had been so interesting. Well, nothing I could do about it, so I figured I'd give this one a try anyway. So I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
AND WAITED.
After what felt like an eternity, I started to get a little more than annoyed. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words or sound came out. Interesting. So I did the only thing I could think of. I ran. I ran through the mist hoping to possibly find a way out. Predictably, I didn't. I stopped, silently gasping for breath, and plopped down onto the ground. Or what I thought was the ground. Underneath my fingers I felt a squishy material, almost like the foam they put in gym balls. A thumping sound beside me caused me to jump. I hadn't really expected anyone else to be there. I looked to see…a dark blurry figure. I just knew my subconscious wouldn't fail me.
I reached out and tried to touch the figure, but they slapped my hand away. Again I opened my mouth, but still no sound came out. Now come on! That just wasn't fair!
And that's when I felt their lips on mine…
Syaoran shot up in bed. He blinked, bringing his fingers to his lips. They tingled slightly. What a strange dream. He wondered what it meant…
"SYAORAN!!!!"
Before he could begin to ponder, Meiling came running into the room. She was furiously trying to get her brush through her hair. Syaoran laughed.
"Come here and give me the brush," he said.
She smiled gratefully and sat on the bed. She handed him the hairbrush and he began to silently run it through her hair.
"Syaoran, I'm so nervous! What if no one likes me?" Meiling asked in a rushed tone.
"MeiMei, they'll love you! Besides, you're with me," Syaoran replied confidently.
"I don't know…" she said quietly.
"You've already spent a year in college, why should this place be any more different?" Syaoran stated.
"This is my first time in America! What if I mess up my English?" Meiling cried.
Syaoran placed the brush on the side table and climbed out of bed in only a pair of gray sweatpants. He smiled as he looked at her. She had gone back to Japan from Hong Kong when she was 15 to finish her education with her friends. Syaoran had stayed in Hong Kong, but had frequently gone to visit them. After graduating highschool, he moved out to America, saying it was to broaden his horizons. He had gotten into a small university just outside of Boston. Meiling had gone to a Japanese school for her freshman year, but after the year ended had decided to America to go to the same school with her cousin, who she dearly missed.
"Yes, but you've studied English for 6 years. You know it by heart! You'll be fine," he said soothingly.
"You're right," she sighed.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"Um…7:55," she replied, checking her watch.
"Let me shower and change, and then we'll go get some breakfast. What do you say?" Syaoran said.
"Okay," Meiling replied, exiting the room.
Syaoran exhaled loudly and went over to his dresser. He pulled out some clothes, threw them on the bed, and crossed the room to get to his bathroom. When he reached the door, he paused and took a look around. It had been his home for the past year. Usually freshman and sophomores were supposed to live in the dorms, but being one of the most influential people in China had it's perks. He had felt a little guilty using his family status to gain him special privileges, but the Dean had insisted. Last year his friend Arai, who had also been living in the house, had graduated and the position of housemate had been filled by Meiling. Once his family had assured that they were cousins, that is. Their engagement had been broken when they were 15, and now they were the best of friends.
20 minutes later, he stood on the front porch, waiting a little impatiently. He was dressed in a pair of baggy cargo pants and a loose, short sleeved orange shirt with a black dragon on it. He stood at 6'2'' with a medium build. 8 years of practicing with a sword for 3 hours a day had really paid off. His hair was still as unruly as ever, and to the truth, he wouldn't have preferred it any other way. His deep amber eyes no longer held a cold expression, but now had a passion for life and learning that had come from a life of magic and strict teachings.
"MEILING! Come on! Your first class start at nine!" Syaoran yelled.
The front door opened and Meiling nervously stepped out. She was wearing a red skirt down to her knees and a white, sleeveless top with the Chinese symbol for hope on it. Her hair, which was down to her butt, was pulled into a tight braid.
"Hey, you're not going to burst into flames the second you go out into the sun. Get out here," Syaoran laughed.
"Oh shut it, Wolf boy," Meiling snapped.
This only succeeded in making Syaoran laugh harder. Despite her anger, she cracked a small smile. Recovering, Syaoran offered her his arm, which she gladly accepted. Together, they walked down the street chatting and admiring the other houses that students lived in. They crossed a street and entered the town, and Syaoran steered them to a little café-like building.
"What do you want?" Syaoran asked as they entered.
"Coffee," Meiling replied, "Black."
"You got it," Syaoran said.
The shop itself was just like any other coffee shop. Round tables littered the place, some empty and others dotted with college students grabbing a bite to eat before their classes started. Behind the counter a boy about 20 years old with black hair and brown eyes was wiping down the espresso machine with a rag. Hearing the bell tinkle from the opening door, he turned and grinned.
"Yo, S! Good to see you! What can I get you?" he called.
"Two coffees. One in the dark and the other with two cows and a fix. Oh, and two blue bells off the bush," Syaoran replied.
"Right away Mr. Employee of the Month, sir!" with that, the boy set off to get their order.
"Let's grab a table," Syaoran said, grabbing Meiling's arm.
Having to slightly drag Meiling, Syaoran sat down at a table next to one of the large windows. He waved at several people from his seat. He looked over at his cousin, who was staring at him in shock.
"Yes?" Syaoran grinned, trying not to laugh.
"What was that about?" Meiling stuttered.
"What? You know that I work here part time," Syaoran said innocently.
"But what exactly did you just order?" she asked.
"I believe I can answer that," a voice said from behind them.
They turned to see the boy from behind the counter grinning at them. In his hands he balanced 2 full coffee cups and two plates with blueberry muffins.
"Two blue bells off the bush," he set down the blueberry muffins, "One coffee in the dark," he placed black coffee in front of Meiling, "and finally, one coffee with two cows and a fix, or as most would say, two creams and a sugar," he set the final cup down in front of Syaoran.
"Thanks man," Syaoran said.
Meiling inhaled the scents of coffee and muffins and let out a small "Yum!". Both Syaoran and the boy let out a laugh and Meiling gave them a sheepish grin.
"So who's the chick? It's not often we see you in the company of our dear lady friends," the boy joked.
"Ha ha, very funny. Jon, this is my cousin Meiling. Meiling, this is Jon, a friend of mine," Syaoran introduced.
"Correction, your best friend. So…this is the infamous cousin I've heard so much about," Jon winked at her.
"Syaoran told you…about me?" Meiling managed to squeak out, a pink tinge spreading across her cheeks.
"Of course! He'd just rant about you whenever he got one of your letters," Jon replied, grinning widely.
"Jon, would you please stop flirting with my cousin for one second so I can ask you a question?" Syaoran frowned, making Jon laugh and Meiling blush harder.
"Excuse me for having a little fun. What is it this time? Need me to fill in for you while you run around partying?" Jon rolled his eyes.
"If you could take my Friday shift, I'll take your Sunday hours so you can go visit your family," Syaoran said.
"What? You hate working Sundays! What's the deal?" Jon regarded him in slight suspicion.
"Umm…"
"He's still helping me move in," Meiling jumped in, shooting her cousin a look.
"Oh…well in that case, whatever. Just means a free Sunday for me. I gotta get going, I see a group of people coming in. I'll talk to you guys later," Jon said, giving a small wave before turning.
"Bye," Syaoran called before turning to Meiling, "Thanks."
"No problem. Now you owe me another favor," Meiling smirked evilly, and Syaoran sighed.
Syaoran took a big bite out of his muffin, ignoring the comment Meiling made about his eating habits. He felt excitement creep into his chest. He loved the first day of classes. He knew practically every teacher in the school, and the classes he had chosen for the semester were going to prove to be fascinating. He had decided to major in Psychology, a choice to which Meiling had promptly laughed at him for. How his cousin had found this even remotely entertaining he still couldn't figure out. Meiling was majoring in Biology, her first class of the year being an anatomy course. When she told him some of the things they would be dissecting, he felt like his stomach would turn itself inside out. Checking his watch, he saw that they still had half an hour until classes officially began.
"Xiao-Lang?"
Syaoran turned his head to Meiling, who was looking strangely at him. It was then that he noticed he was wearing a grin on his face. He chuckled, and Meiling shook her head at how weird her cousin was.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I was wondering why you wanted this Friday off. We're not doing anything special, and I know you'd rather be at work than helping me unpack," Meiling laughed.
"I asked Mother to do a reading for me the other day. You know how much better she is at those things than I am. Well, she said that something unexpected was going to happen soon, and that I should keep my Friday clear. I was a bit skeptical at first, but majority of her readings come out accurate. So, here I am," Syaoran shrugged.
"Oh, okay," Meiling said thoughtfully.
"Let's go, it's a bit of a walk to our classes," Syaoran said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Yeah," Meiling said, standing up.
Syaoran threw a couple of bills on the table and waved to Jon as they walked out. Jon grinned and scrambled over to the table, making Syaoran chuckle again. Meiling rolled her eyes and urged him to continue. They walked along the sidewalk, admiring the turning leaves and the rich golden color that matched the blue sky perfectly. As some of the buildings came into view, Syaoran stiffened slightly as he felt eyes on his back. He turned his head slightly, and his eyes widened. What he saw was a man his age, wearing tan pants and a navy silk shirt. His dark blue hair, which was down to his shoulders, was pulled back into a loose ponytail with a leather strap, and his wise gray eyes hid behind slim glasses. He smiled mysteriously, just as a gust of wind passed by. It hit Syaoran's face, causing him to close his eyes, and when he opened them the figure was gone.
"Are you okay?" Meiling's voice brought him back to his senses.
"Yeah…just thought I saw someone I knew…" Syaoran mumbled before turning his attention back to where he was going.
Though Meiling bought what he said and chatted aimlessly, Syaoran couldn't shake the one thought that was buzzing through his brain.
Eriol?
~~~
That's chapter one for you! I hope you all like it! I know, Syaoran is a bit OOC. But, as time goes on, people grow up. But not to worry, the old Syaoran is going to sneak back into this fic soon. See the button down there? Mind clicking it? I love feedback! So tell me, love it? Hate it? Any constructive criticism? But please, I beg you to not flame. It does upset me. I'll be back with the next chapter soon, ja ne!