The Beach House
Chapter One: Something Fun


"When was the last time we did something fun?" Sakura suddenly said.

"We are doing something fun," Syaoran insisted.

"Homework is not fun," she told him flatly.

"Mine is."

Swinging her feet off the side of the bed, Sakura slipped off the mattress and, taking a step to cross to his side of the tiny dorm room, slid down next to him in the desk chair. Knocking her head into his shoulder she began making exasperated little noises into his shirt. Not saying anything, just head butting him and mumbling. Eventually she had Syaoran chuckling.

"Sakura, what are you doing?"

"Being bored."

"You could finish your homework."

"It's a four day weekend. There's still plenty of time."

"You're already behind in math, though. If you don't stay in practice, the school will put you on academic probation."

"I failed one test. They won't put me on for that."

"You still need to be careful."

"Mou, Syaoran. You sound just like my brother."

Syaoran's cheek raised in a flush. "….I don't."

"You do. All you have to add is a 'monster' at the end of that sentence and you would be him!" She huffed and dropped her arms and head on top of his homework. Syaoran uneasily leaned back in his half of the chair, observing Sakura as she began fiddling with his pencil with a upset frown.

Well, of course he sounded like her brother. He had to or else Touya would have never agreed to letting her be his dorm mate. Sakura's brother already hated him and so anything he said or did or allowed Sakura to do was under close surveillance. Though he did care if Sakura failed or not, he admitted that he'd much rather be going to the movies with her than reminding her to do her homework. But it was either please her brother now, or have no chance of dating her later.

"Ever since I transferred here you've been acting funny."

"I'm just concentrating on my work. That's all."

"…and ignoring me. I feel more alone then when we were at different schools. At least when I was far away you'd always call me or e-mail me or txt me. Now I'm lucky if I get a 'hello' from you before I go to sleep at night." Her downcast eyes stared off, unfocused. "When my brother agreed to transferring me to this school I was really, really happy…."

Syaoran's heart dropped. "And now you're not…"

"No. I'm still happy he agreed but…I just wish that you could be happy about me being here too."

When she rose to her feet, Syaoran immediately sprung up from his chair in defense of his feeling but, words failing him, he plopped back down. Injured and powerless, Syaoran gazed longingly at Sakura as she dropped onto her bed. With her back to him, she pulled the blanket over her head and burrowed down into her covers.

Despite the situation, Syaoran felt a smile tug at his lips. Nineteen years old and still hiding her face under her pillow when she was upset. Watching her wiggle underneath the sheets, Syaoran was struck by an overwhelming urge to take her up in his arms and start kissing her until she was giggling and squirming.

That was impossible to do but maybe, if they went out…no, if they went away for the weekend….!

Empowered by the brilliant idea, Syaoran leapt up from the chair and pulled up her bedding. Sakura's excited eyes watched his every move as Syaoran slipped in with her before covering them up.

"Hey."

"Hey," Sakura replied, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Extending an invitation."

Her curiosity spiked and she swiftly turned to her side to see him better.

"Come away with me for the weekend. Well, not just me…but some others too. We can go to the beach just down the train line. My uncle Fei has a house right on the shore, remember? We used to go there when we were younger."

"…will he be there?"

"No. He's only in town during the summer. It's all ours."

"I'd love to go with you! I think it'll be really, really nice to get away fore awhile!"

"Great. I'll go ask Kurogane-san and Fay-san what they're doing and you can ask Tomoyo and Chii, too. We can all leave tomorrow morning."

Just as he was about to creep back out of the covers to call his friends, Sakura's fingers gently pulled at the fabric on his chest. Logic persuaded him to get out before something happened that would further encourage Touya to castrate him, but shameless desire pressed him to stay as Sakura's body drifted closer.

"Now can I extend an invitation?" she asked.

"H-Huh…?" His eyes darted to her hand on his chest, then to her smile. "Oh. S-Sure. What is it?"

Linking her arm with his, Sakura pulled her body to him and brought her lips to his ear. "Stay right here for tonight?"

Syaoran fell off the bed.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
KURO-PUU IS TAKING NO PRISONERS TONIGHT!!!!!!!

Poorly hiding his grin, Syaoran knocked on the door. Almost instantly it was opened by Fay.

Fay laughed and pointed. "What's with the ice, block head?"

"It's….sort of a long story…" Syaoran gave a sheepish grin as he adjusted the ice block on the back of his skull. "Can I come in?"

"Did you read the sign?"

"I'll risk it."

"You were always very brave." Fay smiled before shouting, "Kuro-kun! Put the fangs away and come play! We have a guest!"

"Tell them to get the hell out of the room. It's bad enough I have to deal with the lot of you, but another person?! Fuck off."

"And you wonder why no one visits anymore!"

The quad rooms were a lot larger than the dorms that accommodated two students. In Fay's room, there was even a little common area in the middle of the four beds that had been set against the four walls. Kurogane sat at the table in the center, not looking up from his work even as Fay walked past him, patting him on the head and saying, "Good puppy! Stay!" In contrast to their room, his and Sakura's dorm was half the size and their desk chairs constantly bumped together. Sakura could even stretch her arm across the space to poke his cheek in the morning.

"Aww, why'd you have to come now?!" Ryou, one of their roommates, was tossing a backpack over his shoulder while pulling out a bat from under his bed. "You always get here when I'm about to leave for practice, and you're always busy when I come to see you! If you don't start making time for me I really am going to start believing Sakura-chan."

"Believing her?" Syaoran repeated uneasily.

"That you love school more than you do your friends." Ryou smirked, bumping Syaoran out of his way as he left. "Sheeesh. Last year we played basketball everyday and now you're always off hiding somewhere."

Syaoran awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I know….I'm sorry but--"

"I would have forgiven you if you had been spending time with your girlfriend." He whacked Syaoran lightly on the butt with his bat. "But leaving me in the dust for homework?! That's really low!"

"She…she's not my girlfriend," Syaoran said rather pointlessly to the now closed door.

"Well! That was uncomfortable!" Fay said, munching on popcorn from where he had been watching the scene in his bed. "For you, I mean. I found it amusing. Him too." He threw a piece of popcorn at Kurogane's head before getting a pencil chucked at him in return.

"What the hell is with the ice?" Kurogane said to Syaoran, in a less harsh voice then when he'd first entered.

"It's nothing. I came by to see if you guys wanted to come with us to my uncle's cabin for the weekend. It's right on the beach, we can take the train."

"With us?" Fay asked.

"Me and Sakura."

"Ahhhhhhhhhh."

"And what the hell are you ah-ing about?"

"He wants to get Sakura alone so he can--"

"It's nothing like that," Syaoran quickly insisted, blushing. "She's upset because…"

"Because…?"

"Never mind. She's upset so I thought this would cheer her up. But her brother would kill me if we went alone. Touya-san let her go out with both of you alone before so…if you guys could come with us…"

"Awwww. Do you hear that Kuro-sama? We get to be chaperons!"

"I didn't agree to anything," Kurogane muttered. "I have plans already."

"No you don't. Everyone is too scared to hang around you, you big meat head."

"Meat head?" Kurogane repeated in irritation. "What the hell is that even supposed to mean?!"

"We'll go!" Fay said, ignoring him. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Meet at the station for the 8:00am train?"

"Sounds good! But wait!" Fay hopped up from his bed when Syaoran turned to leave. "Before you go there's something we wanted to tell you."

"I don't want to tell him anything," Kurogane insisted sharply as he walked past them out the door.

"If you really want to make a move on Sakura-chan--"

"I-I don't want to move her anywhere!" he said, waving his hands and stepping away. "Really! I'm just trying to….--to do something nice and get her mind off math! That's all."

"If you really want to make a move on Sakura-chan," Fay continued as if Syaoran had said nothing. "You should do it now. Do you know Yukito-san?"

"Sure. He's the older guy in our Mythology class."

"Well, while you were hiding yourself in the library, me and Kuro-sama saw them at the movies yesterday."

"…she did tell me she was invited by a friend…I thought she meant Tomoyo but...." Syaoran faded off. "But what does that have to do with me?"

Fay-san gave him a sympathetic smile. "We also saw them at the football game and at Cat's Eye together. I'm not saying it's anything!" he added, putting his hands up. "I'm just letting you know, as a friend, what we saw."

"Thanks Fay-san, but me and Sakura aren't together so…it's really none of my business who she goes to the movies with. I'll see you at eight, then?" he asked, smiling.

"It's a date. Night! Tell Sakura-chan I love her!"

Syaoran blushed and ducked out of the room. Although he prided himself in keeping a cool composure during their conversation, Syaoran's insides were burning. Maybe it wasn't his business who Sakura was going out---no, going to places with, but it still left a rancid taste in his mouth. Instead of standing up for his feelings and asking her, Syaoran headed for the library, avoiding Sakura once more within the comforting silence of books and homework.