A/N: This is a random scene which came into my head while I was supposed to be studying. Even if their final conversation still feels incomplete to me, I decided to post it. Please enjoy!

( The Attack )

The heat was intense this afternoon. Syaoran had already removed his shirt, dampened by sweat, but not even that cooled his body. For awhile he paced about his tiny home, hoping to receive relief by constantly moving in the thick midday heat. But with no alleviation in sight, Syaoran thumped back down on the edge of his bed and began reading through his notes, trying in vain to divert his mind from dripping bangs and sticky skin. His bed was the one place in the house where the sun couldn't touch him, but because it was in the center of the room, the air was thick and unbearably stale. Time and again, Syaoran coughed, waving his hand in front of him in futile attempts for air.

Papers were strewn about the room, having been dumped from his travel bag upon his return. Empty containers and splotches of water, rapidly evaporating, spread across the room from where he had dumped water on his overheated flesh. Somehow he had to survive for another two hours and get ready to leave for his next trip. Before that, though, he had to face Sakura and tell her that he was leaving. Again.

Lifting his eyes from the papers on his lap, Syaoran heard Sakura rushing in through the front door. She often ran into his house when he returned from a long travel and so Syaoran merely smiled, turning his eyes back down to continue his work. Before his lips parted to her name, the Princess's body had collided into his. His notebook went flying, crashing against the wall behind him and flooding the air with papers. Much to his surprise and embarrassment, Sakura had pinned him down onto the bed, with his wrists held fast into the bedding and her middle half pushing into his stomach.

His eyes darted to the open door, then with equal fear to their suggestive position. "P-Princess!"

"Syaoran!"

"W-What are you doing?!"

"Attacking you!" She laughed. "What else?!"

"W-Why?"

"Don't tease. You already know….when you leave me I'm always upset with you and so this time, I decided I would attack you!"

Syaoran's smile faded. "So you know I'm leaving again...."

"You don't have to say anything," she told him, smile now tinged with sadness. "I already know how it is with you and your dream--we've talked about it before….but just because you know something is the way it is, doesn't mean that you stop feeling bad about the way something isn't. Just like I can't stop hating you when you leave. I hate you leaving more than I hate Nii-san's teasing."

Already bathed in red from the excruciating heat, Syaoran's cheeks now throbbed with shame. Of course he knew she hated being away from him--everyone knew that. But when she said it straight out to his face, her words cut deep into an already wounded heart.

"Princess--" he began to say, but Sakura had already moved on with another timeless smile.

"But then, like just now, when I hear that you've returned I'm too happy to be mad at you anymore!" she whispered, her face lowering. "First I want to attack you because I really, really don't like you. But then? When you come back? I only want to do this!"

"This…?" he repeated dumbly.

"This was the only way I could think of to make you stay with me this time!"

"Sakura...you know that I can't stay."

"It's just this one time I'm asking. Please? I...I've never asked before," she pointed out, shyly.

She was right. Not matter how much it upset her, she didn't ask and never demanded him to stay. Truth be it, he really didn't have to be part of this journey, but the town they were heading to did have books that weren't available anywhere else in the world. Refusing a beautiful Princess for a book was a stupid thing to do, he admitted. But there wasn't much he could do about it.

As much as Syaoran cursed himself he told her, "We can spend time together when I get back. I'll only be gone for two days. Three, at most."

Sakura gave a little sigh. "Now I really do have to attack you."

Wide amber eyes searching her playful smile, Syaoran began to open and close his mouth for further explanation, but his apprehension melted into astonishment as Sakura started blowing raspberries against his sweaty neck. While Syaoran awkwardly resisted her warm mouth, the two teens laughed and clumsily scrabbled for control. No words were spoken between the struggling friends, instead their ears resounded with the intense sounds of uneven breath and rustling clothing.

Wrists freed, Syaoran wrapped the now giggling and squealing Sakura up in a warm embrace and rolled them both so that they were side by side in his bed. It was Sakura's time to squirm now as Syaoran tickled her neck in the same way, while his strong arms rocked their heated bodies together. Instead of moving away, the Princess was exposing her neck to him, further encouraging his mouth to claim her skin. The urgency in her movements excited him, while his breath grew hot and choppy whenever she twisted her neck to persuade him to keep going. Too caught up in the idea of getting Sakura back for the attack, too infatuated with the guilty physical pleasures that came with the Princess's slim body both requesting more intimacy and struggling for freedom; Syaoran had no conscious control of his hands squeezing her hips to restrain her more firmly, or how unlike raspberries his mouth's actions were becoming. The taste of her skin, damp from his previous attacks and the afternoon heat, was addicting to his hazy senses. Her familiar curves, her halting breath, her fingers, sliding up into his sweaty hair were all exhilarating. Rolling them again, so that he was on top, Syaoran's hands slipped up to pin down her wrists. He didn't realize her body was now yielding to his every move, nor did he see her eyes close while her reddened lips remained slightly parted in a elated smile.

She laughed breathlessly against his ear. "I-I was supposed to be the one attacking you, Syaoran...."

The hushed words brought the reality of situation to him, like a slap across the face. Gripped with intense shame, Syaoran hastened to release her wrists before lunging back, loosing balance off the bed and collapsing gracelessly onto the floor at her feet.

She shot up with a gasp. "S-Syaoran! Are you alri--?!"

"F-Fine," he muttered, pulling himself to his knees.

Immediately his mind launched into an apology, but much to his disdain, Syaoran couldn't keep in check a guilty smile that tugged at his lips when his eyes keenly admired her overly flushed body. Ashamed of this too, Syaoran sprang to his feet with a frown, leaving her to cross the room. But Sakura followed after him, grasping his hand and observing with great interest as he first lead her with him to close the front door and then conducted them to his desk where he promptly dumped a bottle of water over his head. Pouring water over her head next, Syaoran shivered when the Princess giggled and attempted to dodge the water by curling up against his bare chest.

"Are…are you trying to persuade me to stay or to go, Princess?" he attempted to joke.

She peeked up from her hiding place with a coy smile. "What do you mean?"

"I-If this is how you're…." He swallowed hard, smile trembling. "….If you're going to attack me like this whenever I come home, I'll always want to be away from you."

"If Syaoran stays, I'll attack him like this whenever he wants...." When he just stared at her, dumbfounded, her thumb pulled at his bottom lip, drawing moisture that wet his lips.

The unexpected touch brought a violent flush to his face. Holding his breath, Syaoran intently followed the movement of Sakura's smile as it eased towards his lips.

"No good?"

"N-No...i-it's good....I-I mean I...t-that is..." he faded off just as her mouth closed around his bottom lip.

That same timid devotion he loved in Sakura masked her green eyes now as she wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling and eagerly waiting for the result of her final attack.

Turning his eyes down in defeat, Syaoran grinned sheepishly.

Like he could really leave after that.