APOLOGIZE

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rating: K/T

Summary: Everyone makes mistakes. It happens. But when it comes to forgetting birthdays … SxS. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: CSS is owned my Clamp. Pfft, the least he could do was give me Syaoran. D: But nooooooooo. 'Booty Music' by Deep Side.

WHEN THE BEAT GOIN' LIKE THAT –

"– BOOM BOOM! GIRL I WANNA PUT YOU UP IN MY ROOM –"

"Eriol?"

"– I WANNA PUT YOU UP AGAINST THE WALL –"

"Eriol."

THROW YOU ON THE BED AND TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF –

"– CLOTHES OFF!"

Syaoran snickered from the doorway. "I sincerely hope you don't plan on singing that to Tomoyo," he remarked. "Just so you know."

"You mean," Eriol gawked, letting his arms drop from above his head where they were waving wildly, "she won't like it?"

His friend cleared his throat before changing the subject, "Whatever. Some people, like me, have real problems to deal with."

"But – but I thought it'd be a great way to show my appreciation of her!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes before running a hand through his hair, sighing as he sat down on a nearby chair. "I think I've really done it this time."

"You mean," Eriol sat down on the bed, looking at him curiously, "you sang this song to Sakura too? Talk about unoriginal!"

Deciding not to shoot back another insult, Syaoran said instead, "I forgot her birthday."

"Sakura's?"

"Who else?"

"I don't know, it could've been me you were talking about –"

"You're a 'her'?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh – well. Hmm."

"Yeah well, you know how birthdays are to Sakura," Syaoran sighed again, looking drained. "And I promised her last Wednesday that I'd do something really fancy for her too, but it just … slipped my mind."

Eriol couldn't help but snort as he turned the speakers (GO LEO! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY) volume down. "You remembered when you made a promise, but you can't remember a simple thing like her birth date?"

""I'm a guy," he shot back, glaring at him. "Guys don't remember things like that."

"What do guys remember, then?"

"Why," Syaoran looked at him amusedly, "are you asking me?"

"You're a guy," he said simply, cocking an eyebrow at him. "And I thought – oh. OH."

"Thank you for finally catching on."

Eriol ignored his comment and shrugged. "What are you gonna do, then?"

"That's why I came to you!"

"Make it up to her."

It was Syaoran's turn to snort. "Like that isn't obvious?" he commented, resting his feet on the stool in front of him. "She won't even speak to me!"

"Well. Hmm."

They feel into a short silence, trying to brainstorm.

Keyword: trying.

I FEEL IT ALL IN MY BONES, TRYNA KEEP UP WITH THAT TEMPO, MAKE IT ALL NIGHT TIL YOUR BACK GETS SORE –

"Seriously," Syaoran looked at his friend in disgust. "You were planning on singing this to Tomoyo?"

"I wouldn't be talking, mister," Eriol growled in defense. "At least I didn't forget her birthday."

"I hope Tomoyo does," Syaoran muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Eriol glanced at him suspiciously but decided not to press on the issue. "You should send Sakura some roses," he suggested. "They don't come cheap, you know."

"I already did that."

"And?"

"Do you think I'd still be here if she had already forgiven me?"

"I just want to know what she said!" he retorted, frowning.

"Why?"

Shrugging, Eriol replied, "The drama!" he grinned. "All the insults, the guilt, the cold shoulder –"

"You'll be seeing some drama from yourself pretty soon if you sing –"

"I get it, I get it!" his friend snapped.

"What does Sakura like?" Syaoran asked, frowning a little in concentration.

"You really are one lousy boyfriend," Eriol remarked. "Not knowing what your girlfriend of two years like."

"I might've just asked a wall instead of you for some help," was his observation. "At least walls don't comment on my failure."

"So you admit it, eh?"

Ignoring him, Syaoran turned his chair around to face the wall and said aloud, "What should I do, Mr. Wall-In-Eriol's-Room?"

"Fine!" his friend put his hands up in apology, shaking his head. "Alright! Well, Tomoyo mentioned something about the bakery around the corner …"

"Oh yeah," Syaoran brightened up. "Sakura likes cookies, doesn't she? I can't believe I hadn't thought about it myself, wow I'm so stupid."

Eriol made a sound as if from agreement, which earned him a glare from the now excited guy in front of him.

GO AQUARIS! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY, MAKIN' LOVE TO BOOTY MUSIC –

"You go on and sing that song of yours," Syaoran said, once again looking distastefully at the speakers. "Just don't come running to me when it's Tomoyo's turn to ignore you."

"I won't," Eriol promised, looking smug. "'Cause I, unlike a certain someone, actually know what she likes, and that's – that's … damn."

He shot him a smirk. "Like I said, don't come running to me."

"I know perfectly well what she likes!" Eriol said forcefully after Syaoran's retreating back. "Needles! Thread! Some curtain cloth! Hey, wait up – wait for me!"

Ten minutes later, Eriol found himself standing in front of the bakery. Frowning, he wondered why Syaoran didn't want him to follow him. What was so secretive about cookies and cupcakes, anyway?

He peered through the window only to see Syaoran's back facing up – crunching down, over the counter, as if reading a catalogue.

"I don't like it when people bother me when I'm getting something for Sakura," Syaoran had growled a moment ago, before he went in. "Especially you," he jabbed a finger at Eriol's chest, who retreated instinctively. "I know you're gonna make some stupid, smart-ass comment or – or burst out singing another one of your 'BOOBY MUSIC' songs –"

"'Booty Music'," Eriol interrupted.

"What?"

"Not Booby Music, it's 'Booty Music,' by Deep Side –"

"I don't care," Syaoran glared at him again before opening the glass door, making the bell chime.

I guess he has a point, Eriol thought, trying to glance at what Syaoran was looking at. A wedding cake? Is he serious?

"What? How much?" he heard Syaoran yelp, shaking his head at the man behind the counter. "Yeah, I'm a Li, but that doesn't mean my mom would give me a million yen per day – fine, fine."

Eriol could only stand there, wondering what was going on. The curiosity was so great he wanted to burst into the store and shout out his question.

Which of course, he wouldn't do. That'd be stupid and childish!

Twitch.

Maybe a song to calm his frantic mind?

I'M ALL IN MY BOXERS LIKE BOBBY JONES, EVERYBODY DON'T LIKE IT SLOW, CONSIDER ME ONE OF 'EM FOLK –

Syaoran finally emerged from the store, carrying a cream-colored box with a scowl. On his face, that is. Not on the box.

"With the money I just spent," he said, starting to walk down the sidewalk, "I could've just bought her a Prada handbag."

"What did you buy?"

"None of your business."

"Why?"

"Piss off," Syaoran growled, ignoring him and starting to walk faster. "It's also all your fault."

Eriol could only stare at him in disbelief. "How is it my fault? What did I do?"

"Hardly giving me any advice and getting that stupid song stuck in my head!"

"You mean Booty Music?"

"Whatever." Syaoran stopped in his tracks, and looked at the Sakura's house. "Do me a favor and leave me alone for awhile – I've got some business to settle."

"… was that supposed to sound all heroic and manly?" Eriol looked at him oddly. "Cause it totally didn't, you know."

"Coming from the guy who said 'totally' with a girlish hand flip," he rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm going in. Ciao."

"Hn," Eriol grunted, turning away and stuffing his hands inside his jean pockets. "Like I care. I have some practicing to do."

--

"Sakura?"

She opened her bedroom door, peering through the crack. "Syaoran? What are you doing here?" she asked, eyes weary.

Shrugging, Syaoran held the box up. "A belated present for you, my darling," he said mockingly, grinning.

Sakura couldn't help but smile, opening the door wider and stepping aside to let him in. "Aw, you shouldn't have!"

"Hn," he grinned at her before handing her the box. "Don't lie. I knew you were disappointed."

"Who wouldn't be?" Sakura shot back, turning around to put the box on her table. He couldn't see her back, but Syaoran knew she was smiling. "What did you get me?"

"I could've gotten you a island from that Dubai thing instead, but this was in the neighborhood," Syaoran shrugged.

Opening the box and looking at the contents inside, Sakura burst out laughing. "How did you graduate high school? Or preschool, even," she giggled. "Did you forget your spelling book when you filled out the order form?"

Syaoran growled before approaching her, looking over her shoulder. "Be quiet, missy," he scolded her, poking her in the side of her ribs. "You're an expensive girl, you know that?"

"The rich, mighty Li," Sakura continued, still smiling, "can't even afford a few vowels?"

Syaoran made a snorting sound before kissing her temple. "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten y ou anything, you don't even appreciate all the time and – and people I had to go through for you."

Sakura smiled up at him before turning around, planting a kiss on his lips. "You know I love it," she said against his lips, her eyes half-closed. "I imagine the 'people' you had to go through was a certain … Eriol?"

"You have no idea," Syaoran chuckled before leaning in again, deepening the kiss.

Left on the table, now forgotten, were ten heart shaped cookies arranged to spell out: WNT HPN NXT YR.

A/N: I got this idea after seeing the new episode of CSI: NY. I hope I don't spoil anything for you guys, but uh. Yeah. I won't say any names, but I need to get this off my chest …

WTF IS GOING ON? THIS ISN'T A BUMP, THIS IS AN EFFING MOUNTAIN!

I'm not really happy with the new season so far. Hope that changes as the show continues to run. ): Who else is as irked as I am?

Fairytale should be updated soon. I'm about halfway done, hopefully it'll be up by this weekend. :) Who knows?

REVIEWWWWW!