Category: Card Captor Sakura

Title: Milk with Honey

Chapter Title: Prologue

Genre: Romance

Rating: Rated T or PG-13

Summary: Syaoran Li returns to Japan with a foggy memory of his sweet next door neighbor. He couldn't remember her physical features. But, the smile she offered and her words of comfort and wisdom stayed with him through the years. Now returning to Tomoeda he expected his neighbor to have moved and he was right. So why does his new neighbor continuously remind him of that one girl?

Prologue

His eyes swept past the cherry blossom trees that lined the roads for miles and miles, that how you knew you were in Tomoeda. The small suburb town was famous for the cherry blossoms that bloomed early and lasted until mid-winter. He lowered his tinted window and felt the cool clean air as it swept through this tousled chestnut locks. "Sir?" The driver asked.

"Its fine," he sighed. He still wasn't over the shock yet, his mother finally agreed for his visit to Japan. What his mother didn't know was he planned to make his visit permanent. He traveled throughout Asia mainly for business affairs but Tomoeda was the only place that he could recall every street to, the only town he even bothered to remember. Maybe it was because it was her. He chuckled to himself, who was he trying to lie to? Of course the reason he ever remembered the sweet cherry blossoms was because of her.

"Aren't the cherry blossom nice?" The driver asked. Syaoran Li closed his eyes as the wind continued to blow through his fingers and hair.

-Flashback-

He was sick again that day. Maybe that's why his mother called persistently demanding for his return home to China, this was his third time sick in a week. He was always alone when he was sick, even when he was in the Li estate. The elders explained that a person who was always cuddled as a child wouldn't have the stability as a child who cried and went through sickness alone. His mother showed him she cared with the strain in her voice begging for him to come home and the long letters she wrote ritually but she was careful to stay far enough from mother affection that the Li elders wouldn't take her son into their own custody.

He may had grown used to brief hugs and short conversations but he always wished that someday someone would sit next to him and talk to him through the day so the heat from his body or the weakness in his head wouldn't be the only thing he could think about.

The knock was soft enough but he always was a light sleeper, he pulled his robe around him as he crept to the staircase to peer around the winding stairs to catch a glimpse of who was at the door. His mind always ran blank here, her physical features were always fuzzy to him and for the enjoyment he would change the characteristics each time.

Yes, today the girl at the door would have flowing dark brown hair with striking green eyes. A pair of eyes that were dark and soulful without a fleck of hazel or gold, just pure green.

"The master isn't able to greet guest, miss. I will be able to give him the basket however." His nanny told the sweet girl. A ribbon in her hair that was slipping and loose sun dress that stopped below her knees.

"I don't care how sick he is! I want to see him and give the basket to him myself." Her voice was soft but determined. She pouted and was glaring straight at his nanny who seemed surprised at the child's behavior.

"Now listen! I said the master will not be able to greet guest. You are to leave now or I'll have to call your parents informing them just what you're doing."

"My parents do know what I'm doing. I'm bringing a basket to- Li-kun!" The seven year old screamed in delight. The nanny head wiped around spying the chestnut haired boy.

"Master! Why are you out of your room?" The nanny screamed. "Your cold can worsen and then you'd have to be in best rest for the rest of the week!"

"Why are you here?" The boy asked the girl ignoring his nanny.

"I brought a basket." She told him simple holding the small tan colored basket.

"You came to my estate to bring me a basket?" He asked confused. "You bothered me in my slumber so you can bring me a basket?"

"Well, I am your next door neighbor so it's no big deal." He remember that he then remembered the girl's name then and realized they attended the same elementary school. Today she would be named Haitu. "Either way, I heard you were sick so I came to offer you some treats."

"The master has treats in the kitchen imported from Germany. Is your treats from Germany, little miss? Hmm?" The Nanny asked.

"No, but I did bake them myself." She told her. "I worked hard and I mixed the milk and honey together myself and I measured the sugar and counted the right amount of tea leaves to give the treat an authentic taste."

"Milk, Honey, Tea Leaves, Sugar. What did you make?" The nanny asked. "No matter. Leave the basket and I'll call a guard to escort you off the grounds." The girl pouted and stuck her tongue out.

"You're not having the basket or the treats! Only Li-kun can see them or know exactly what they are." She stuck her tongue out one last time and glanced at him. "Get well, alright?" He nodded slowly. Honey and milk and tea leaves. What could that possibly make?

The nanny shut the door and picked him back up and tucked him back into bed all the time mumbling about the lack of manners the children were being taught. He made sure she was far enough that his nanny wouldn't be able to here him.

"Wait, Haitu!" He called her. The girl spun on her heel and stared curiously at the boy. "Go around the yard and there'll be a fence. Wait for me there!" He instructed her. Quickly as he could he leapt out of bed and ran down the stairs. Unlocking the side doors that led to the deck he jumped down the flight of stairs and run through the garden that held a fountain and patio. Finally he stopped and stared at the girl with the tan basket, bare toe nails, and soft smile.

"Hello Li-kun." She greeted brightly.

"What can you make with honey, milk, sugar, and tea leaves?" He panted. She stared at him for a second, head titled to the side a confused look plastered on her face. "The treat you said!"

"Well, it doesn't have to have tea leaves. I heard the Chinese enjoy tea very much so I decided to add the flavor." She answered; she unlocked the gate by reaching her hand over. Letting herself in she pulled a pink cashmere blanket from her blanket and set it down on the grass.

He sat down next to the girl as she carefully pulled two mugs out and two small china sized plates. "I needed small plates," she explained softly as she continued to take treats out.

"Here," she handed him a chocolate cake that was topped with icing and whipped cream. "I confess I didn't make that myself, but it's really yummy, so I couldn't resist in bringing it with me."

Carefully take a bite he chewed cautiously. "This has tea leaves in it?" He asked.

"No, no, no!" She answered shaking her head wildly. With that said she pulled out a thermos. She grabbed his mug and poured a beige liquid into the cup and produced steam. "This has tea leaves in it."

He took a sip and then another until the mug was empty. "What is this called?" He asked.

"Milk with Honey." She smiled pouring him his fourth cup. "It's really simple to make but you have to mix it at the right temperature over the stove and make sure you don't put too much honey or sugar in it. Mine isn't as good as my brother's,"

"I think you make the best Milk with Honey and the whole entire galaxy!" (I'm trying to give them a vocabulary of seven year old kids. But, it's really really hard.) He grinned a toothy grin.

"Thank you," she blushed and continued to sip her own cup of Milk with Honey.

-----

"Why don't you come over more frequently?" He asked. Every time he was sick he would wait in the gardens and would hear the familiar click from Haitu entering the grounds with the same tan basket and pink blanket. But, after many conversations with Haitu he enjoyed her company much more than anyone from their school and at home.

"Do you want to drink Milk with Honey, more often?" She asked. He blushed crimson not wanting to confess the real reason, the desire for her company. "I could teach you the recipe but you have to promise me you don't tell onii-chan I taught you."

"No, I don't want to drink more. I just-well Haitu-"

"It's good you don't want to drink it too frequently. The Milk with Honey drink has been in my family for generations and is only reserved for cold winter nights, broken hearts, and sick days." She explained and she bit into an English muffin.

He nodded understanding. That was why she only visited him on sick days.

"Thank you for visiting me," he whispered. "But, you've known me for a couple of months and you never visited before, why did you start on that Thursday?" He asked.

"Were you happy Li-kun?" She asked her forest green eyes boring into his. "You used to smile with sadness." Haitu spoke before he could again. "I thought that someone who smiled with sadness would be cold-hearted."

He was confused. Did she compliment him or insult him or somehow did both? "But, I was wrong. You have one of the most beautiful smiles in the whole world," She laughed care freely. He smiled slightly, she was wrong; Haitu was the one with the most beautiful smile.

-----

Even after five years, the tradition continued to the dismay of his nanny. In that specific afternoon the cherry blossom petals were spiraling down on his patio. He left early from school with a temperature of 101.7° and waited patiently on the patio, he was so captured by the scene he didn't hear the familiar click.

"Li-kun?" Haitu whispered. He snapped out of his daze and grinned at her. He helped her unfold the blanket and find the perfect spot for their drinks, right under the cherry blossom trees.

The wind blew and the petals fell faster and were tangled into his hair, Haitu smiled and brushed the petals out before taking out a new treat and the usual thermos. "Today I didn't add tea leaves, last time you said it tasted better without them, right?"

"Yes." He nodded eager to have another mug of Milk with Honey. Last night he asked his chef to make the Milk with Honey but no matter how much milk to honey or teaspoons of sugar the taste wasn't right.

The talked, sipped, ate, and laughed under the cherry blossom tree. The minutes ticked by that turns into hours. Haitu always seemed to be able to make him smile and the warmth from his body seemed nonexistent. "Oh! It's almost six; I'm to cook this afternoon, so I'll have to leave soon." She smiled.

He nodded. No matter how nice her company was she would have to leave each time, that's why he sometimes looked forward to sick days even going as far as praying for one sick day when he felt lonely in the house. As she gathered her cups and plates and was about to stand to fold the blanket, he leaned forward and brushed her cheek. She looked up surprised, it was usual for her to brush or ruffle his hair but he never touched her before, not even a single hug in the six years of each other's company.

He leaned over and brushed the cherry blossom, which no matter the hair color or eye color, always seemed to emphasize her beauty. "You're beautiful, my Ying Fa." He whispered into her ear. He hugged her tightly and they sat just like that for another hour, with cherry blossom petals falling around them.

---

"Yes," He answered after a long pause. He opened his eyes again and gazed at the trees. "They're beautiful." Syaoran Li whispered. Ying Fa, his Ying Fa.

3.2.07

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the rewrite of the prologue. Review because it'd make me really happy.