My first shot at a SyaoranxSaukra fic. I'm a little late with this series but I just wanted to try out writing a fic for it. I'm using the words 'Hime' and 'Oou'. If you don't like it, tough nuts :P As for everyone else enjoy the fluff! :3

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa Chronicles.


By Your Side

Syaoran dashed across the sandy streets of the town as though an entire army were hard on his heels.

His dark green cape bellowed behind him as the wind blasted past the boy, haring away through the town to get to the palace.

"I can't believe Sakura Hime is sick!" He blurted to himself as he swerved around a couple of citizens sauntering the opposite way. He had just seen her recently and she had seemed fine and he cursed himself for not being able to pick up on her weakness and be able to help her.

Finally, Syaoran arrived at the palace and paused at the entrance for a brief moment to catch his breath before he was met by Sakura's brother.

"Syaoran." Touya greeted him solemnly, his eyes as hard and black as coal.

"Oou…H-Hello." The boy straightened up to face the elder man. "H-How is Sakura Hime?" He asked timidly, afraid to hear any bad news concerning his childhood friend. However, he considered the grave look on her brother's face and tried to prepare himself for the worst. But when the king next spoke, his expression softened and his eyes lightened a bit.

"It's nothing too serious." He said, and Syaoran felt the relief wafting off of himself in waves. "But she's still not better yet. The doctors say it just suddenly happened overnight for some odd reason and she was hardly showing any symptoms during the day. But they're hoping it will just disappear as quickly as it appeared."

"I hope so too." Syaoran lowered his gaze, feeling guilty for not preventing her illness. But the young king knew him all too well.

"Hey. Stop grieving about it like there was something you could have done to prevent it." He growled, punching him lightly on the head. "Besides, you shouldn't be standing around here for so long. You're already late. So get going." He scoffed, shoving the young boy in the direction of the princess's room.

"W-Wait. What do you-?"

"She's been asking for you all morning, you jerk." Touya cut him off. Then he smirked. "Now get going already." He barked.

"R-Right!" Syaoran yelped quickly before turning on his heel and dashing away. The king watched him go while shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah. He's destined for her, all right." He mumbled to himself before heading off to meet with Yukito as Syaoran disappeared down the hallway.

He traced the hallways he had come to know so well from the times of his childhood when he and Sakura would always play together in the palace. He ran at top speed up a flight of stairs and turned a corner until he finally came to a stop outside of a large, off-white door. He leaned forward and knocked softly four times; their own little secret knock. A few seconds later, he heard a weak voice, as thin as a wisp of wind call back to him.

"S-Syaoran?"

The boy was shocked at how different her voice sounded from the last time he had heard her speak. "Yes. Sakura Hime, may I come in?"

"Yes. Please, Syaoran." She replied, sounding a bit livelier.

The boy creaked the door open slowly and peeked in to see his princess lying in her bed underneath thick, pink blankets, her jade eyes, dull form illness then sparkled with delight when she recognized him. He smiled brightly and slipped into the room, closing the door behind him silently and he walked slowly across the room. He noticed a chair sitting at the side of the room and glanced over at her, asking permission with his eyes. She smiled, amused, and nodded, and he nodded back, carrying the small chair over to her bedside and took a seat beside her.

"How are you feeling, Sakura Hime?" he asked softly, getting as close to her as possible. She turned her head sideways to look at him, her eyes shimmering with joy.

"I was worse last night," she whispered tiredly, closing her eyes briefly, and Syaoran frowned, wishing he could have been with her then. "But I think I'm getting better gradually." She reopened her eyes and looked back up at him. "Especially now that you're here, Syaoran." Her voice died off a bit at the end and her tone wavered slightly. She coughed once daintily, and Syaoran was immediately on his feet.

"Hime, do you need me to get you a glass of water?" he asked anxiously.

"No, no." She laughed very lightly, a tinkling noise like a tiny silver bell on the verge of breaking. "I'm alright, Syaoran. Just…" here she paused and was silent for a moment.

"Yes…what is it, Hime?" he asked, ready to do anything she requested.

"Just...please, stay with me, Syaoran." She finished quietly.

"Alright." He agreed after a moment, taking his seat once again. "But, Hime, if there's anything you need, anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay." She murmured. "Syaoran?"

"Yes?" he asked eagerly.

"Just call me Sakura." She smiled weakly, her eyes fluttering a bit.

"Right. Sakura." He repeated. "You should get some rest. I'll stay right here, I promise. I won't leave your side until you're well again." He vowed seriously.

"Thank you, Syaoran. But you don't have to-"

"No. I want to." He smiled determinedly down at her and she reflected his grin feebly but as best she could. "Now get some sleep, please Sakura." He begged.

"Alright, alright." She giggled, pulling the covers up a bit more before stopping and shaking them back off.

"Sakura?" Syaoran queried, noticing her odd actions.

"I'm just a little hot." She told him softly, her jade eyes silently telling him not to worry. But he could easily see past her façade and his amber eyes hardened.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go get you some water." He informed her before getting up and quickly exiting the room. Sakura glued her eyes to the door, awaiting his return, feeling lonelier than before now that he was gone, even if it was only for a moment.

When he finally reappeared, with a filled glass in one hand, Sakura let out a sigh of relief and glee. Syaoran placed the glass on the small table beside her bed. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and Syaoran stood up her fluffy white pillow to support her. She leaned back on it heavily as Syaoran handed her the glass of water.

"Thank you." She whispered in a small voice, accepting the glass with slightly trembling hands and Syaoran watched her intently. Sakura quickly drained the cold water and handed the empty glass back to her childhood friend gratefully. He placed it back on the table and turned back to help her lie down.

But before he could even do that, Sakura coughed once which then quickly lead to a series of coughs as though she were infected by a plague. She hunched over, clutching her stomach as though she were about to be sick. Syaoran stood up immediately.

"Sakura!" he placed one hand on her back and the other on the blankets over her knees. Her body heaved violently and he could hear the pain in her voice as she continued to cough. Syaoran began to panic, wanting to call out or go find someone to help but at the same time not wanting to leave her side. "Sakura!" he whispered. "Calm down. Please, just calm down…" he rubbed his hand over her back soothingly. He could tell that she was trying to no avail to suppress the harsh assaults erupting from her throat. "Hime…" He kept repeating her name over and over again until her coughing began to die away. Finally, it ceased and was replaced by rapid, labored breathing.

Syaoran let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around her tightly, yet making absolutely sure she could still breathe easily. He continued to hold her shivering form, waited until her panting had faltered into normal breaths. "Sakura, are you all right now?" He asked softly, yet still not letting go of his embrace on her.

"Y…Yes." He felt her nod her head against his chest. "Th-Thank you, Syaoran." She wheezed.

"You scared me, Hime." He murmured, resting his chin on top of her head and rubbing his hand up and down her arm as one would do if he were trying to warm another's frozen hands. "Now are you sure you're okay?"

"M…Mmhm." It was as though she was too exhausted to even form words anymore.

"Okay. Here, lie down." He reached back and put her pillow back to where it was originally on the bed. He then leaned over and gently laid the girl down and gazed at her face. Her skin was even paler than usual and it was obvious that she was struggling to keep her eyes open. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead to find that her temperature was above average. "Hime, I'm going to go ask for one of the doctors." He said, standing once again.

But before he could make a move toward the door, Sakura reached out and grasped his sleeve with trembling fingers. Her grip was so weak he almost did not notice the tugging and just about walked right away from her.

"Syaoran, please no." She whispered. "I don't want to worry other people. They already said they'd done all they could do for me and that all I need to do is get some sleep. Please don't leave me, Syaoran…" she trailed off with another little bough of coughing and he immediately went back to her. After she had calmed down, she still attempted to speak in her dying voice. "Please don't go, Syaoran…don't go…" He glanced down at her to see tears slowly falling down her cheeks and he nearly fell over with surprise.

"Hi-Hime…" the boy quickly took his seat again and moved as close to her as possible. "Sakura…don't cry, please." He reached forward and found her hands, clasping them tightly with his own. "I won't leave you, just like I promised." He decided that if the doctors had already done all they could, there was no sense in seeking them out only to have them give the same diagnosis all over again.

"Okay…" Sakura replied. "Okay…I'm sorry." She laughed a little. "I honestly don't know why I'm crying." She sniffed.

"It's okay." Syaoran let go of her hands and instead slid his arms under her shoulders from where she lay on the bed and hugged her again. "I won't go." He said again.

After a moment he let her go to find that she had ceased her weeping. She smiled up at him and he did the same, reaching down and wiping the salty trails off her face. Then he ran his fingers through her short, soft hair that nearly reached down to her shoulders. "Get some sleep, Sakura." He murmured into her ear.

"You too, Syaoran. You look tired." She rasped. "And don't worry about me. I'm feeling better now."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe, Hime." He replied a bit sarcastically. "And besides," his tone softened, as comforting as the soft evening light that was filtering through the windows of her room. "You're always the one who has to watch out for and worry about me." He took her hands again. "So let me worry about you for once." Sakura sniffed once more and Syaoran smiled. "Now, please," he repeated, "Rest."

"Mm…" Sakura nodded her head and finally closed her eyes, as she was overcome with enervation. She inhaled once deeply, and let it out in a sigh. "I want…Syaoran to get some sleep too." She murmured, her jade eyes still hidden behind her lashes.

"Alright. I will, just as soon as you fall asleep." He responded.

"No, don't wait that long." She reopened her eyes. "Syaoran?" she asked suddenly.

"What is it, Sakura?"

"I-I'm sorry but…can…can I…?"

"Yes?" He prompted patiently.

"Can I…please…have a hug?" she asked shyly, a rosy tint matching her blankets coming across her cheeks.

"Ah…of course." He blinked a few times rapidly, but then leaned forward again. Sakura reached upward to wrap her arms gingerly around his neck, and he lifted her off the mattress slightly and did the same.

They remained that way for a while, and Syaoran soon felt Sakura's embrace slacken and her breathing slowed until he was sure she had nearly fallen asleep. He grinned and pulled back, lying her back down carefully. She was only barely conscious now, but Sakura grasped his hand and pulled him forward.

"Thank you, Syaoran." She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling again, much brighter than before. "Now let's both get some sleep, okay?"

"Right." He nodded. The boy leaned over from where he sat in the chair and rested his head on the mattress beside her stomach. He closed his eyes facing her, and listened to her soft breathing. But he soon realized that she was trembling, so he raised his head and pulled the blankets back up to her collarbones and the girls' jade eyes flickered open lightly as he did so. "Are you cold?" he asked softly.

"Mm…a little…" she breathed, her eyes fluttering shut once more; the exhaustion was too much for her now.

Syaoran moved his chair up and slid one arm under her shoulders and laid the other across her stomach in somewhat of a loose embrace to keep her as warm and comfortable as possible. He then rested his head on her chest, just beneath her shoulder. He heard her gasp softly, but she then relaxed and let out another sigh, sounding of happiness. Syaoran smiled as well, and closed his eyes.

"I'll stay by your side, Sakura. I'll always be by your side…" he trailed off, listening to the steady beating of her heart.

"Thank...you..." she murmured.

Her breathing slowed and deepened and Syaoran knew she was finally asleep.

He continued to listen to her heartbeat until he lost consciousness as well, his promised words still hanging on his tongue, "I'll always be By Your Side…"


A/N: Well? How was it? This is my first fic for Tsubasa so I don't know if it was any good, but I tried X3

Please review!