Since I haven't updated in a while and I have a major writer's block on all my fics, this one-shot will hopefully make up for it. I'm very sorry! This is pretty long so be grateful! I'm joking! There's not that much description on Sakura and Syaoran because I felt that it would drag it down a bit and everyone knows what they look like, right? I just put in the basics. I really like this one. It's got a very light-hearted feeling to it. Also, if there's a particular custom/superstition (that I put in) that you're not familiar with or is totally weird, it's not my fault. I had to ask around and lots of people said different things so I put what was said most. This is my first one-shot so please be kind! Thank you.
Pure Luck
By Louann1
When Syaoran Li gets an invitation from an old friend, he thinks that it's just a waste of time. He wasn't particularly close with her at the moment and he didn't think much of her superstitions. Somehow, every time he tries to reschedule or cancel he manages to talk himself right back into it even though he knows that it'll eat up time which would be better spent on his company which is going downhill. Soon, the day finally arrives and he reluctantly knocks on her door waiting for her reply. Almost immediately, the door swings open and there she stands.
Never leave the same way you came
Syaoran had to blink several times to make sure that he was looking at the same person from years ago. She seemed to be a different person but in a way she seemed to be the same. She was slightly shorter than he was and her hair was styled differently (it suited her better), in fact everything about her was different. She stood more confidently but there was a sparkle in her emerald green eyes. Just like before.
" Come in," She opened the door a little wider and stepped aside for him to enter.
" Thank you," Syaoran replied politely.
First impressions count a lot. When you have an idea of someone you tend to stick to it for a long time. It's hard to see past a person's exterior because that would mean putting in effort and letting yourself go a little and sometimes it ends up that it wouldn't be worthwhile. Syaoran's one of the people who did that. He liked every part of a friendship although he didn't show it all the time. He found himself enjoying the nervous first meetings, the quiet get-togethers, the loud over-the-top parties and the parting of the ways. One thing he never did was pick up where he left off and so with her he found he wasn't as confident as usual.
Her house was just as he last remembered it, even the flowers and photographs were the same. It was like this patch of land in the world wasn't affected by the works of time. Syaoran obediently sat down in the living room awkward at his surroundings. It was a rather strange feeling of de ja vou but it felt all too new. He brushed it off and decided to get straight to the point.
" It was very kind of you to invite me but-"
" You're wondering why I invited you."
" Well... Yes Sakura," Syaoran noticed how she seemed to glow as he said her name.
" To be honest I've heard about your misfortune and I was hoping that I would be able to help you," Sakura took a sip from a tea cup which had managed to appear in her hands.
Syaoran didn't know what to think. He rose an eyebrow as if to say 'What kind of help?' It took him a while to warm to the idea before replying back to her in a very dignified tone. Besides, what else could he afford to lose?
" I suppose I need a bit of luck. But suppose this, if I did accept your 'help' what's in it for you? You seriously wouldn't be doing it for the 'warm feeling inside', would you?" Syaoran waited eagerly for her reply, expecting her to take back her offer.
" No, you're right, Syaoran. I'm not doing it for the warm feeling inside. Do you remember why we parted?" Sakura placed her floral tea cup down and gave him a glare which had a mischievous look to it.
" Not particularly. Why? What happened?" Syaoran tried to search through his memory banks but his mind was drawing a blank.
Sakura gave a small smile and held a finger to her lips and said in a hushed voice,
" I can't say. If you want to remember it'll come to you. Leaving that aside, you can pay me in time."
" Uhh... What do you mean 'time'?" Syaoran decided that it was better to leave out the first part of her reply.
" All I want is to spend time with you," Sakura the sipped again before giving another enchanting smile.
" Alright, I suppose it'll give us a chance to reacquaint ourselves," Syaoran was kind of glad that he was paying her in time, that way he could find out about their little one-sided secret was.
" Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow?" Sakura stood up abruptly, startling Syaoran.
" Erm... Yes! Most definitely. What time would you like me to arrive?"
" Around seven in the evening and make sure that you're hungry. Is there anything that you don't particularly like?"
" Um... Nothing that comes to mind."
Syaoran walked to the front door but froze when Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder.
" Is there something else?" Syaoran questioned her movements.
Sakura took his hand. Syaoran noticed how soft and warm her hand was in his and gazed down at the hand which was leading him deeper into the house. She managed to slip her hand away and opened the back door in the kitchen which was gleaming.
" Leave this way." Syaoran noticed how the sunlight sliced through the ajar door and managed to beam down on her.
" Why?"
" Let's just say that this is the first part of my services, okay?" Syaoran was speechless as he looked at the glowing maiden before him.
Sakura paused and wondered about what he was thinking about as he looked so tenderly at her before playfully shoving him out the back door. As he stumbled he turned back to her waiting for an explanation.
" It's so that you can take some of my luck. I'll see you tomorrow! I hope it goes well for you," Sakura locked the door and slumped down in happiness. She put a hand on her chest and felt her heart beating rapidly. Somehow, it didn't slow down for a while. At least not while Syaoran Li was on her mind.
Salt preserves many things
Syaoran had dreaded going into work for the last two months. The company had to downsize and cut many luxuries in order to pay everyone. The industry wasn't growing as rapidly as before and seemed to be coming to a halt. Syaoran tapped his foot to the chiming elevator music as he went to his office. As soon as the doors retracted a swarm of employees zoned in on him with news that took him a while to digest.
" Let me get this right... The one of richest man in the world wants to buy our stock?" Syaoran had repeated the same statement over ten times but it still hadn't sunk in yet.
" Yes sir! Aren't you glad?" One of the employees had a worried expression; Syaoran wasn't taking the news the same everyone else was.
" He's saving the company! Everyone will be able to keep their jobs and he's even thinking about building branches around the world."
" Could you leave me for a sec?" Syaoran waved his hands around, gesturing for them to leave.
One by one, all twenty five workers left his office in silence and burst out once out of the cramped room.
Syaoran wasn't sure what to make of the news. This was incredible luck! Too incredible to be coincidence. He wondered if Sakura had anything to do with it. He dismissed the thought. She couldn't have done anything much just by making me leave by her back door, could she?
After was seemed like the best day at work Syaoran got ready for Sakura's second invitation. He wasn't too sure what to wear and so it would be best to wear a suit. Not too casual but not too formal either. Syaoran found himself excited to visit her. It provided a little break from the usual schedule. It was also a break which he liked very much. Syaoran was determined to make sure that he would try to do some reminiscing with Sakura in an effort to find out what she was keeping from him.
He knocked on the door hesitantly since he found the idea of spending the evening with Sakura quite intimidating. A muffled call came from inside,
" Come in! It's open! Close it after you, 'kay?"
" Are you sure that it's safe to do that?" Syaoran wiped his feet on the prickly welcome mat.
" Yeah, I mean it was only for fifteen minutes, I guess," Sakura came out to meet him.
Sakura eyed his choice of clothing and found herself being impressed by the effort he made. Syaoran also noticed her casual flowing skirt and wondered if he had overdressed. He sat down in the oh-too-well-known living room while Sakura went back preparing the meal.
" I hope you don't mind but I'm not that good at cooking and I didn't want to make something you didn't like so I just made some onigiri and miso soup," Sakura brought in a tray with a selection of rice balls lined in perfectly neat rows and placed it on the low-lying table.
" That's alright," Syaoran peered over wondering which to try first.
He glanced over at the picture frame on the table and turned it so he could see the picture. It was a family of four and it prompted him to ask a question about their present location.
" Well, my dad's on a dig around Egypt, he's still into archeology, and my brother's in England training on some team. I don't really have an interest in soccer or football. They call it football in England don't they?" Sakura returned with another tray with two steaming bowls. " What drink would you like?"
" Um... Water's fine," Syaoran replied while carefully wiping the rice grains which had attached themselves onto his chin. A chord struck in his brain, how could he forget that she had to live with the absence of her mother? " I think so. When will they be returning?"
Sakura returned with two glasses of crystal clear water and a usual smile,
" I'm not too sure, sometime next year. How was work today?"
" It was good. Really good. Surprisingly good," Syaoran pondered on the day's earlier thought, had she done something?
" That's... good. I heard about the offer you got on TV."
" But I'm worried that it just brought up some more problems."
" What do you mean?" Sakura took a small bite from a plum onigiri and spat out a seed into her soup by accident. " Oh sh-! Grrrmmmm!"
" Well, if this guy actually buys the company, then I'll be out of a job," Syaoran sighed sadly.
" Huh? I thought that everybody would keep their jobs?" Sakura was puzzled indeed.
" Since I'm the president of the company, I'll have to give up my job for him. Also there's all the paperwork which I can't handle at the moment and then there's all the maintaining that I have to do before he takes over. The company means a lot to me y'know. It was the first company I ever made by myself that was actually successful," Sakura noted Syaoran's gloomy expression as he mentioned leaving the company, it 'almost' brought a tear to her eye.
" Oh..." That was all she could muster up as a reply.
Sakura knew that Syaoran was something of entrepreneur and took business studies at school but she didn't think that he would actually care about the actual business. She looked upon him as someone who cared more about money than anything else but seeing him care for something that he created gave her a warm feeling inside. It seemed to her that Syaoran had matured somewhat.
" I doesn't matter. I suppose I have to let go sometime. Now's just as good a time as any, I guess... But I didn't expect it to be so hard," Syaoran ruffled his hair with his spare hand.
" I'm sure that things will work themselves out," Sakura passed a small salt shaker. " Don't spill it."
" What?" Syaoran being very slow at things like this (that's listening to instructions) spilt the salt.
" Syaoran!" Sakura pouted playfully. " Toss a pinch over your left shoulder at least!"
" Wha?" Syaoran flustered awhile, he wasn't that familiar with superstitions.
Sakura took his hand, scooped some of the white granules in his hand and flung it over his left shoulder. Sakura smiled in satisfaction while Syaoran squinted in pain (some of the salt sprinkled into his eye). Sakura couldn't help but scold him over his lack of knowledge of fortune-telling.
" You should know that I'm superstitious! Plus, what kind of person doesn't know to toss spilt salt over their shoulder?"
" Me..." Syaoran rubbed his eyes, wiping the small tears away. " Besides what does salt have to do with anything?"
" Salt preserves food and so to spill salt is an omen of a broken friendship - like the friendship won't be preserved. If you spill salt then you should toss a pinch over your left shoulder to avoid bad luck. The salt will go into the eye of evil who is said to lurk on the left," Sakura replied informatively. " Sorry about your eye, you should wash it in cold water."
" Why?" Syaoran wondered if this was another one of her superstitions.
" Because if you washed it in hot water you would probably go blind."
" I'll be back," Syaoran stood up and stumbled along to where he vaguely remembered the washroom being.
Instead he came across Sakura's room. It was bright and cheerful with only a splash of color where necessary. Syaoran sat down on her bed which was more springier than it looked. He took in everything; the location of things and the scent which was only secluded to that room. He glanced over to her bedside table and noticed a small picture frame. It couldn't have been bigger than his palm. He was surprised to find a picture of him. It was old since the color had faded and he looked much younger though his chestnut hair was as scruffy as ever. He wondered why Sakura would have a picture of him in such a personal space. He decided that it was better to leave it and that she would be worrying about him since he was taking quite some time.
He returned as promptly as possible and enjoyed the rest of his meal. He found that he was becoming very reluctant to leave. He was getting a magical feeling inside. It was similar to the feeling he got at Christmas. It was like there was a ball of light inside of him. It seemed to bounce over and over again whenever Sakura spoke to him or touched him. It made him feel lighter, like everything he did wrong didn't matter. After their meal and everything was put away, Sakura sat down on the sofa clenching a cushion in her arms. Syaoran watched her as she tried to maintain consciousness. He knew that she would be out like a light and that he wouldn't be able to wake her so he thought it would be best if he left. He found a large-ish post-it note and a pen and left a short note. He read over his work and placed it carefully on the table. He crept quietly leaving through the front door as not to take any more of Sakura's good luck.
Green cord and more money
Sakura woke up much earlier than usual. It wasn't a habit of hers. She loved her sleep as much as her life. She saw the small note left on the table and read it over and over. She read it quietly to herself and out-loud.
'Dear Sakura,
Good morning! I had a wonderful time last night and I hope that I wasn't too much trouble. I left so that I didn't disturb you while you slept. You probably won't read this immediately but just in case you do, how would you like to have lunch with me? I'll be in the café just across my company building at midday, you can join me if you want. Got no space keep short. Call me.
With Love,
Syaoran'
Sakura couldn't wait. She was very fond of Syaoran. There was something about him that she was attracted to. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she didn't really care. That was Sakura carefree and naïve, always trusting whatever people told her. She liked to believe in the good in people rather than questioning their motives for everything. Never-the-less, she did know when someone was just taking her for a ride. That's why she like Syaoran in the first place. She knew that he would never do anything like that to her. Never.
Syaoran also woke up early, but only because he set two alarm clocks at the same time. He had a bad habit of pushing the snooze button more times than he really should. Syaoran turned off the one closest to his bed but there was still the annoying sound coming from the other side of the room. He reluctantly slipped out from under the covers and dragged his feet across the wooden floor grumbling under his breath. He cursed as a splinter dug into his little toe. He threw himself onto his bed in anguish. He brought his foot closer to his eye and examined the toe in question. What was I thinking getting wooden floor boards? After a few minutes of struggling to get the sharp piece of wood out her gave up and decided to stick it out and go the rest of the day with it. The throbbing had stopped and he was sure that it would be okay. He would try again later when he had more time to fiddle with a tweezer.
Sakura wondered about what help she should give Syaoran today. At the moment no thoughts were coming in about dealing with the exchange so she thought that it would be better to help him with the maintaining part first. She thought long and hard. She didn't want him to hate her because she wasted his time. In other words she didn't want to take him along for a ride.
Syaoran half-expected Sakura not to turn up. There were a few reasons why, firstly, she hadn't called him, secondly, he had just dumped an invitation with hardly any warning, thirdly, he wasn't entirely sure if she liked him. It was just a vibe that he got from her. It was like she was distancing herself from him. As he entered the idea of Sakura being distant was chucked out the window as soon as she planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
" What's that for?"
" You are one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my whole entire life. Do you know that?" Sakura beamed. His note had certainly brightened up her day.
Syaoran wasn't sure what to make of it. Sakura was more something. She dragged him towards a small table in the corner and sat down. She was positively beaming. There was something she needed to say but was bottling it all up.
" How are you?" Syaoran asked cautiously, wondering if it was possible for Sakura to have a split personality.
" I'm fine," She calmed down just a tad. Did I do something wrong?
" So what would you like?" Syaoran asked just as the waiter came across.
" I would like a glass of water and a double chocolate chip muffin," Sakura replied.
" And you sir?" The waiter quickly noted it down.
" I'll have a club sandwich and an orange juice, please."
" Coming up!" With that the waiter left the awkward couple.
" I didn't think you would come," Syaoran blurted out. That's right Syaoran, start out with a semi-insult!
" Why?" Sakura asked. He didn't think I would come? Does he think that I'm selfish? Turning down invitations but giving them out?
" Well... Honestly, I didn't think that you liked... Me... That... Much..." Syaoran couldn't find the courage to say everything at the same time; Breaking things down makes them easier. I'm such an idiot. That's great, I just finished my semi-insult.
" I like you a lot," Sakura gently placed her hand on his, sending a shiver down her spine. It always happened whenever she touched him. Don't make out that you love him fool!
" Really?"
" Yeah... And don't you ever think otherwise," Sakura looked into his deep amber eyes trying to search for the reason for his statement.
" Okay," Syaoran replied with a nod, thinking that his reply was necessary. He couldn't just remain silent, could he? Do I really mean that much to her?
" Here are your requests... Have a nice meal," The waiter carefully placed down a tray, breaking their little bonding moment and promptly left
" Thanks."
" Anyway, yesterday you said that you were having trouble maintaining the company. What exactly did you mean?" Sakura asked, just in case what she brought wasn't necessary.
" Well, the cash flow isn't running in my favor. I'm gonna have to drop a few people since I can't pay them. It's really down heartening. Some of these people have been there since the beginning and it would be a shame to let them go, but I have no choice," Syaoran took a big bite out of his sandwich.
" Are you really going to sack them?" Sakura had to make sure that he was serious.
" Yeah... I'm dreading it. I haven't sacked anyone before."
He really does care! I guess I have to do my best to help him out.
Sakura was never much of a telepathic and didn't really like the idea of reading someone's thoughts but she really did what to know what he was thinking about. It was like there was a part of him he wasn't showing but Sakura wanted to know what it was. Perhaps he doesn't show it 'cause he doesn't know that part of him.
Syaoran had this fascination with Sakura. He wanted to now everything about her. He really didn't want to screw things up and was still beating himself up over his semi-insults. Maybe she could be the one mother is constantly talking about.
" It was lovely having lunch with you," Sakura said.
" Yes, it was," Syaoran replied. " I am lovely to have lunch with."
" Ha ha(!) Very funny(!) I just came back from the hospital 'cause I needed stitches(!)" Sakura squinted her eyes in fake anger.
" That's pretty good you know," Syaoran complimented.
" Thanks. It come with practice!"
Syaoran paused. That's right. She fights a lot with her older brother. She must be pretty lonely all alone in that big house.
" Oww!" Syaoran winced in pain and hoped a few times on his good leg before quickly sitting back down again.
" What's wrong?" Sakura turned and asked concerned.
" It's nothing, I'll be fine tomorrow," Syaoran saw the worried expression on her face. " It's just a splinter in my toe."
" I'm sorry, what!" Sakura had to make sure she was hearing this right.
" It's a splinter in my toe." Syaoran rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth, he couldn't believe he was telling her this.
" Well... Take of your shoe then!"
" What?" Syaoran imagined she was half-joking but when she began to undo his laces...
" I'm gonna take it out, whether or not you want me to," Sakura quickly managed to slip off his shoe and sock and expect the toe.
" Look, you don't have to- Oww!" Syaoran tried to protest but it seemed that Sakura wasn't listening.
" Just hold still and... Done!" Sakura proudly waved the splinter right in front of Syaoran's eye.
" Gee thanks..." Syaoran was grateful just not at her gloating.
" Anytime. You know that I'll help you out any way I can."
" Hey Sakura, I was thinking about what you said before..."
" What did I say?"
" About you liking me... I w-was wondering i-if I would be able to spend Sunday with you since it's m-my day off..." Syaoran did his best not too stutter but he found Sakura's presence (since she touched his feet) too much for him.
" I would love you to," Sakura gave a small smile in agreement.
The two departed their separate ways: Syaoran to his office and Sakura to her home. It was only when he reached his office that he realized that Sakura hadn't helped him at all today. At least that was what he thought before he opened his wallet. Inside was a short green piece of cord attached to a small note. It read,
' Keep this in your wallet.
To help with your money troubles.
Sakura'
Syaoran smiled. He vaguely remembered Sakura's thoughtfulness in school. She would always leave him helpful cheery notes in his books and on his refrigerator. They had a faint smell of cherry blossoms (just like her room) and it made him feel that much closer to her. It seemed as though not much changed.
It's all in the cards
Any day can be the best day of the week. It all depends on what you do. Sunday was Sakura's favorite day. Not only was it the day when she got a phone call from her her family but she liked to predict the rest of the week on a Sunday evening. It's said to be lucky. Who wouldn't like to be lucky? She also invited Syaoran for his first cartomancion. Sakura preferred to use playing cards rather than tarot cards because she didn't know how to use tarot cards and she found that she could never have a complete set of them.
" After I shuffle, I want you to shuffle these cards as badly as possible, that means it doesn't matter if some are upside down, as long as their facing down that's all that matters," Sakura watched as Syaoran made a mess of shuffling cards.
After a while of picking cards off the floor Syaoran finally had a fully shuffled deck.
" Now pick three cards from the top, but before you do... Make a wish."
Syaoran squinted his eyes and wrinkled his nose as if in a deep thought. He opened his eyes and picked out three card carefully.
" Two of diamonds... Three of hearts... Ace of hearts! Well, aren't you lucky in love?"
" What does it mean?" Syaoran questioned her. If he was lucky he wanted to know about it.
" First of all the ace of hearts promises more to those in love or searching for it than any other card. Since its upside down it means that a relationship will begin or grow stronger. The three of hearts means that your wish will come true and that a close friend may become something more. Let me assure you that if you have anyone in mind the feeling is most likely to mutual. The two of diamonds means that someone will confess their true feelings and/or work will bring you satisfying profits," Sakura was very pleased with her prediction. " Here shuffle them again for me."
" How do you know what they mean?" Syaoran was very dubious about her predictions. Like anyone would fall in love with me...
" My dad told me that my mom used to do the same, picking cards I mean, but she had to write down what happened and then come up with a meaning. She wrote them down in a book and from them I memorized them. You don't need to believe them. It's just a bit of fun. But she did try a lot before finalizing a meaning..." Sakura noticed Syaoran's intense stare.
She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It seemed like his brain was in emotional overload. His eyes quivered as if to tell her something that he couldn't say. Did I say something strange? Does he think that I'm insinuating something? Does he know that I love him?
Syaoran could see the sight discomfort in Sakura's eyes. It was if she was backing out of their friendship, as if to say that everything she ever told him was a lie. I wonder what she's thinking about... I suppose she wondering what I'm thinking about. Maybe she thinks that I asked her about the meaning because I don't believe her. I better hand her the cards. Okay hands, just clasp and move... Oh sh-!
" I'm so sorry..." Syaoran stood up and began to collect the cards which fluttered down like butterflies flying in a gentle breeze.
" It's okay. It was an accident," Sakura reassured the flustered Syaoran.
Soon almost all the cards were collected apart from one. Both dived straight for the remaining card immediately, ending in a near kiss.
Sakura would never admit it but she loved Syaoran. It took her a while to realize it but once she did she was totally clueless. Back then, Syaoran considered her his best friend. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for her but in Sakura's eyes he would never love her. Slowly Sakura backed out, she could never see things being the way she imagined them.
Syaoran was slowly falling in love with Sakura. It was gradual but it was enough for him. It was just like years ago. He saw couples all around him but he couldn't find one of his own. Then he saw Sakura, sitting high up on a tree on a rainy day with an umbrella clenched in her hand. It wasn't the most romantic moment since she dropped her umbrella on his head but he really thought that she could be the one. That was until she backed off. They would spend less time together and the rift between them grew so wide that it was a point of no return. So now, this was Syaoran's second chance. He knew that there weren't many of them in life...
Syaoran leaned in a little closer, wondering if perhaps she would reject the idea of him kissing her, having his lips touch hers in lust. To his surprise she didn't move, neither back nor forth, her glittery eyes just watched him, and she wondered if he would seal the deed. His lips quivered as it drew ever more closer to her like opposite sides of a magnet attracting in slow motion.
He's so close... I want to tell him everything... Just like I did before but what if it ends up the same. What if things just get messed up? What if I end up...
I should back out but what if she the one? What do I do then? Walk away? I can't. She even predicted that whoever I loved the feeling would most likely be mutual. Is she wrong? Will I die like mother said? Will I die...
Alone?
Like a light in the dark
Three... Two... One... And the power went off.
" I should get some flashlights or something," Sakura muttered quietly not moving an inch.
" Yeah... I should go check if there's a blackout in the whole neighborhood," Syaoran could feel his racing heart slow down.
" No! Wait!"
Syaoran then felt something warm press gently against his lips. Had she kissed him? In order to answer that first he had to think whether she would kiss him in the first but with Sakura hardly anything was certain. Then he felt two arms wrap around him and Sakura's head resting on his shoulder.
" Hey..."
" Will you listen listen to me? Will you hear what I have to say?"
For a while, Syaoran sat with Sakura in his arms and he listened to everything she said. He listened to her talk about her life and the people she loved. She spoke of her loneliness in the large house. She told him how alone she was with no one around, no one to greet good morning and good night, no one to hear her worries or her cares. Then midway she let go of their embrace and disappeared into the darkness. Syaoran looked around in panic. Where had she gone? Then a small glowing light appeared in the near distance. He crawled on the ground before ending up at Sakura's knees.
" Hey there!"
" You seem to be in a better mood," Syaoran stood up and looked at his kitchen surroundings.
" Yes, that's because I have a flashlight!" Sakura twirled the object in question like a baton.
" You hate the dark that much? How do survive at night?" Syaoran rose an eye bow in skepticism.
" That's easy! Across the road there's a lamp-post and it's positioned so that both it and the moon light my room," Sakura proudly smiled.
" Don't you have any have any candles?" Syaoran asked.
" Um... I think so," Sakura rummaged around in a drawer and pulled out a bag of small tea candles. " Ta-da! They might have a funky smell since I don't really use them."
" Why? You seem like the kind of person to use candles all the time," Syaoran took a box of matches that Sakura handed him and began to strike the small sticks against the small side of the box. Syaoran noticed how Sakura eyed every candle as it lit.
" It's just that... My brother once told me that if a candle ever had a blue flame it meant that there was a spirit in the room. I don't like ghosts much. Childhood experience," Sakura laughed weakly.
" Say no more," Syaoran held up his hand. If she didn't want to say, he wasn't going to make her. " Do you have many superstitions linked with everyday objects?"
" Yeah, water, ice, dice, thread, I can read tea leaves!"
" Really?" Syaoran was impressed by how many things there were to change a person's fortune.
" Yeah, put on the kettle and I'll be right back," Sakura took a candle with her and returned to the living room.
The cards were all in a neat pile she quickly shuffled them and picked the top three cards.
" The five of clubs, the ace of hearts and the five of diamonds... A lover's reunion, true love and happiness..." Sakura sighed happily. Perhaps all signs were indicating that she and Syaoran were meant to be together. " Syaoran..."
The candle began to glow brighter just as she said his name. It brought back a memory of her mother. She once told her that a candle would glow brighter if you said the name of the person who loves you most. She said that it was like that person would protect you from the darkness, if only you would call their name.
Never ask, never tell
Hardly anyone likes the rain. Let's face it, it's gloomy, a bringer of illnesses (sometimes destruction) and it's wet and cold. Most think that the worse always happens on a rainy day but that's not true. Not always.
Syaoran sat in his office spinning endlessly on his swivel chair. He was still president and no one was fired yet. The green piece of cord had proved lucky, his bank sent him a statement claiming that they had made a mistake with his finances and that they were giving him extra to make up for the inconvenience. Also, it turned out that the rich guy wasn't buying everything, he was buying in, as a third party stock holder. So, for Syaoran things turned out well at least on the business front.
Syaoran didn't know what to do with all his spare time. His fortune was changing for the better and so Sakura found that her services were longer required. Since their second parting Syaoran thought long and hard about their first. It must have been before he kept a journal of things since he had no records of her since her invitation. He vaguely remembered Sakura telling him something and then running away from him with tears cascading down her cheeks and blotting the ground like the rain that followed.
That evening, Sakura was sat in a tree in her favorite park. She was waiting for the rain to cease pouring and for a rainbow to appear in the sky. She wasn't trying to find the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, she just wanted to make a wish. The sun was almost setting but that didn't bother her much, there is such a thing as a rainbow in the night. She's been sitting on the tree's branches since the rain began, clutching her umbrella. She thought long and hard about what she would wish for. She was absolutely sure about what she was going to wish for.
Syaoran was walking on his way home from a long day of nothingness through a park when an umbrella came floating down right before his eyes. He looked up and did his best to peer through the rain and the branches of the tree. Sakura froze. What to do? What to do? Hide, confront or run like a chicken? While I like chickens I don't think that I'd get very far. Hiding's not really a proper option so -wow- confront it is.
" Hey! Come join me!"
" What are you doing?" Syaoran raised his voice just enough for her to hear him over the rain before climbing the tree with Sakura's umbrella in hand.
" I'm waiting for a rainbow!" Sakura spoke cheerfully despite the weather.
" To make a wish, right?" Syaoran was almost halfway.
" How did you know?"
" Well, that was what you were doing when we first met, right?" Syaoran grunted in effort and gasped for air just as he reached the branch she was on. " Are you sure there's going to be a rainbow? I mean it's almost night-time."
" Right," Sakura took her umbrella back and held it so that it covered both of them. " Of course there are rainbows at night! You didn't know that because you don't look for them, right?"
" What you gonna w-... Wish for?" Syaoran asked between gulps of air.
" You know I can't tell you. So don't ask, you'll make me feel guilty," Sakura took his hand and squeezed it gently and turned back to look at the translucent rainbow. " There it is! And there's a shooting star!"
Syaoran watched as Sakura screwed up her face and jitter as a stray raindrop fell on her nose. Her grip slowly tightened and Syaoran joined her in wishing.
The two sat upon a tree in the deserted park wishing their hearts desires. As the golden sun set into the horizon, their shadows extended into the distance before disappearing into the deep night.
" Sakura... I'm going to tell you my wish," Syaoran took a hand and gently caressed Sakura's rosy cheek.
" But if you do then it won't come true!" Sakura cried in protest.
" But if I don't then it won't come true... I know that now," Sakura settled down after Syaoran clasped both her hands in his. " I wished... I wished on that rainbow and on that star... That I would never have to give you up again and that you'd be mine... So... Will you make my wish come true?"
" Y'know... I only wished that you'd say what was in your heart. I'm glad that you could... Hey, who am I to stop your wish from coming true?"