Disclaimer: Clearly, I can't possess anything of Clamp's because I just can't—that includes Card Captor Sakura. But I own the plot and the characterization, man.

Author's Note: Whoa! A one-shot! Yahoo! Beware: this is not a happy love story. Why, you may ask. Just read to find out.

FALLEN

By Jessicha Therese

It is an unbearable pain when you're left in the middle of nowhere, fallen...deceived without you expecting.

I was standing in the middle of the elegant room of the Li Mansion, talking and laughing with Sheifa and Tomoyo. Eventhough I'm not that keen with parties, I found myself enjoying this one—a miracle I suppose. Maybe, what made me like this gathering was that it's for Syaoran's birthday.

People dressed in formal suits and dresses mingled with each other, bringing a terrible amount of noise and it was hard not to feel annoyed.

Sheifa shifted her weight and faced me while I felt Tomoyo's eyes on my figure. "Are you enjoying the party Sakura-chan?"

My eyes winced slightly for a moment at the question and when a strand of auburn hair fell from the messy bun of my hair, I tucked it behind my ear—providing me a moment of distraction. "Of course I am. Why?"

Tomoyo and Sheifa laughed in unison. Tomoyo, dressed in a glimmering black halter dress, smiled kindly at me. "You're a bad liar Sakura-chan." She giggled. "You're sweating your head off!"

I swiftly wiped my forehead off of the tiny masses of sweat forming there with my handkerchief. The two laughed again and I clucked my tongue for some unknown reason.

"I know why you're not enjoying the party anymore," Sheifa sang. "It's because Syaoran's away."

I huffed in disapproval, totally aware that they will not be buying anything that I will say. "Of course not. I'm absolutely fine without him. And why are you two assuming that I do not like this party?"

"Great pretender," Sheifa mumbled. Why am I having the feeling that she's contradicting everything I have said?

"What did you get for him, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, her tone casual.

I winced once again upon remembering what gift I will have for Syaoran. It was a very difficult task since he already have pretty everything that he wanted. I was sharing this thought to Tomoyo and Sheifa when I spotted someone with dark suit and green tie.

Sheifa wolf-whistled. "Your baby's here." And they left, (cackling, I might add) leaving me with my face tinted red.

Syaoran sauntered towards me with the grace I have applied to him since from the start. His face was a void of emotions once again as he halted to greet a client of their family. I grinned internally at the sight of the frightened face of the client when Syaoran glared at him.

God! Although it can be a source of amusement for me, but Syaoran needs to calm down when it comes to clients.

"Why did you glare at him?" I asked when Syaoran reached me at last.

He smirked slyly. "Just to scare him away."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I thought it was the best thing to do since he asked me if you were my sister." His chocolate eyes pierced mine, trying to see what my reaction will be.

I smirked in response. "Well, thank you for doing that. I honestly don't feel like dating someone else." Seeing that he liked what I said when he smiled handsomely, I plastered a very big smile on my face too.

We positioned there, oblivious of the crowd. He clasped my right hand with his left and caressed my cheeks. At the corner of my eyes, I seized a glimpse of two girls who were at the verge of throwing daggers at me. I tried not to laugh.

"Where's my gift?" he said. I stared radiantly at him.

I settled down the wineglass I was holding on the table on my side and let my free hand crawl over his shoulder and rest on his neck. "I have one. I'll give it to you later. But do you want something in particular?"

To my surprise, he smirked and when he spoke, it was devastatingly seductive and suave. "No one will bother us in my bedroom."

I gasped in surprise and gaped at him. Rolling my eyes, I withdrew my hands and crossed it across my chest. "You are impossible! You mean, you want to have s—,"

"Wait. I'm not thinking of that," he cut me off and looked at me innocently. "How could you corrupt my ever innocent mind Sakura? Now, I have to put anti-microbial stuffs in it…"

He continued mumbling lowly about 'corruption of the innocent', 'dirty stuffs', and 'cleaning agents'.

I laughed. Of course, I knew he was just kidding. He respected me in every aspect and despite his male needs, he never forced me to do something out of my will. "And I'm too young to do that Sakura," he once said, joking again.

"So what did you mean by that, by the way, if it isn't about pervertness?"

He held a mocking hurt look. "Well, I was thinking that maybe, I can open your wrapped gift inside my bedroom so that no one can bother us."

"Trying to be smart," I hissed. He chortled. I decided to put the joke away for now and stared seriously at him. "Happy birthday, Syaoran-kun!"

"Thanks," he stated heartily and without further ado, he captured my lips in one quick motion. The kiss was quick but it was tender and sweet.

He snaked his arms around my petite waist and fell into silence, thinking over something. "Uh Sakura?"

I looked up to him. "Hmmm?"

"You see, my mother called for an emergency meeting with me. I don't know why, might I add," he raised both of his eyebrows and sighed, suggesting that he'll surely not like the reasons behind it, as always. "Are you be gonna be fine with yourself here? I'll try to make it a quickie."

"No, no. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Sheifa and Tomoyo are here anyway. Don't hurry. And, be a good kid to Aunt Yelan." I assured him.

He nodded and hugged me first before parting me. But after a few steps, he looked back. "When you think that the meeting's finished, come to my office and we'll enjoy your gift." He winked and proceeded towards the staircase.

I was left behind, laughing.

Fifteen minutes later, my footsteps echoed through the long silent hallway. I concluded that Syaoran's meeting with Aunt Yelan had adjourned when I saw the latter joining the elitist businesspeople again. I have roamed around the Li Mansion in Japan for a couple of times, whenever Syaoran had something to do and he will leave me with Sheifa or Fenren. After a year of our relationship, (our first-year anniversary's coming soon!), Syaoran's family have been close to me since most of the time, Father wasn't around. And Touya's attending an exchange student program together with his best friend, Yukito, in England.

I stood outside Syaoran's office. I tried to keep the amazement from creeping inside me again everytime I remember that at the age of seventeen, Syaoran's got an office and a company. He's really what? Rich?

My hand flew up in the air, about to knock when I changed my mind. 'What about surprises, eh?'' I thought with a smirk. (Little did I know that I was about to be in for the greatest surprise yet in my life.)

My fingers touched the cold knob and I sensed the first shoot of confusion when I heard a moan. A girl's moan. With my eyebrows met in one line, my forehead creased and the ends of my pink lips pulled downward, I slowly turned the knob and pushed the door inward with as less noise as possible.

The door creaked a little and I popped my head to see what or rather, who are inside. And I was certain that I will not find only a person there.

Both my hands instantly covered my mouth to prevent the escape of sound.

Calling what my eyes had seen as shocking, mortifying beyond belief, appalling and so intense that I can recall it even after my death would be a total and absolute understatement and lie.

Then, oddly enough, after seconds of being rooted to the stop, unable to move my feet and speak a word, I felt nothing. Nothing in my mind. Nothing in my heart. It was like I was sucked into a hole, pulling me downwards to the floor below where the people danced their way, unaware of the abnormality going on inside me.

The instance of numbness was followed by another set of emotions. At least I was feeling something. Anger. Yes, raging ire that I wanted to cry. A furious indignation towards Syaoran and the girl he was kissing took over me, blinding me. There was another thing which was blinding me: tears. Hurt. Pain. My heart and my mind were screaming with the aching feeling resting there.

Before I could stop myself, a muffled sob was let out. Two heads turned to my direction and in that heartbreaking moment, I had the ability to smile at how beautiful Syaoran's culpable eyes looked. His hair was disheveled and he wasn't wearing a shirt anymore. My eyes dropped to the ground and I made out a shimmering black dress messily laid on the floor.

I ran away, immediately spanked with regret not having to see the face of the person he cheated on me. I just hoped she could take care of him.

Obviously not wanting to see the crowd, I took a different route and didn't take the stairs to blend in with the visitors. My visions blurred, I scuttled towards the dark garden and to the street. Vaguely, I could pick up the sound of pursuit behind me and I dashed faster then felt a little bit of relief having reached the road. But, a hand gripped firmly on mine, fingers infiltrating my skin. I cried out in pain.

"Hello there Ms. Beautiful. Why are you alone?" a young man, about my age with dark hair and onyx eyes said, clearly drunk at how his body staggered.

I glared at him and snarled. "Get your filthy hands off of me!"

The stranger raised an eyebrow and to my horror, licked my left cheek once. "Let's see about that."

Taking a strong hold on me, the man kissed me fiercely, savagely and bruising my lips in the process. I could taste my own blood and I faintly heard shuffling sounds not far from us. I tried to break free but he was way too strong. Kicking him and shaking my hands wildly didn't do any good.

I opened my eyes, realizing that I have closed them in terror and caught sight of Syaoran approaching us, murder in his eyes at the man harassing me.

And I realized right at that moment that Syaoran's appearance was a curse. The man holding me panicked and he freed his other hand to finger something pocketed at what seemed a holster at his back.

Before I knew it, there was a loud gunshot.

My eyes met with Syaoran's. His amber orbs were filled with emotion—several of them but what was dominant was pain.

I felt pain. Pain was in my eyes too, I was certain of that.

Then a body fell to the ground.

Jessicha Therese: Liked that? Then review! Despised that? Review too! :D