DISCLAIMER: No, for the 43rd time: I DO NOT OWN CARDCAPTOR SAKURA!!! (although I wish that I did. Don't worry, I'm yelling at the lawyers, not you…^_~) Oh, and S&S are around 19/20ish in this fic. Ja!
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The rain pounded down relentlessly upon the town of Tomeda, Japan. A small figure sat, huddled on a bench, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was crying.
The rain felt like small daggers on her skin as the storm raged on, but she didn't care. Her brown hair was plastered to her face and her pink dress was soaked, clinging to her skin like a leech. But she didn't care.
The streetlight above her, which had shone brightly before, flickered and went out, leaving her alone in the darkness. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating her tear-stained green eyes, followed by a loud blast of thunder. She shivered out of fear and lack of warmth. But, no she told herself, I don't care. I don't care about anything, anymore.
Her fingers clutched the folds of her dress as she hugged her knees to her chest even tighter, her feet in front of her on the bench. The wind began to blow harder and now her teeth began chattering, uncontrollably. Suddenly, she spotted a dark figure coming towards her, slowly, from the distance.
Not caring, she continued rocking back and forth, her teeth crashing against themselves again and again as the wind howled around her. Slowly, slowly, the figure came, until it was beside her.
"Sakura?" a familiar male voice said. "Sakura? Is that you? Oh my God! It is you! Sakura!"
A young man with messy brown hair sat down on the bench with her, covering them both with his umbrella.
"Sakura, what are you doing out here? Especially on a night like this!" he asked.
She only sobbed harder.
"Oh, Syaoran!" she threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her head into his jacket.
"Shh…it's okay," he lifted her gently, which wasn't a hard task; she hardly weighed anything at all, and placed her on his lap where she continued to cry more.
"Sakura? Tell me, what's wrong?" he stroked her face lovingly. "Why are you out here crying? And why haven't you been eating?"
"Syaoran…it's my dad," she sniffed. "You wouldn't know because you've been gone all these years, but last month he suffered a heart attack, and…and…"
She started crying again.
"Oh, Sakura…I'm sorry…" he held her close, his umbrella protecting them from the elements. "I should have been here for you…I'm so sorry…"
She attempted a smile.
"Don't be a baka, you couldn't have been here, they wouldn't've let you. By the way," she ceased her crying to look up at him curiously, "Why are you here, anyway?"
He pretended to look offended.
"What? Are you implying that a child-hood friend can't stop by ever so often just to say hello? Well, I might as well go on back to China…" his charade had the effect he had hoped for; Sakura laughed.
"No, silly! It's just, I haven't seen you so long and all…"
He silenced her with a finger placed gently on her lips.
"Well, that doesn't matter now. I'm here, aren't I?" he grinned. "Tell you what. I'll take you back to your apartment, I was headed there anyway."
He stood up, Sakura still in his arms, and began walking, managing to balance the umbrella and the girl together without dropping either.
"Oh, Syaoran…" she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can walk, you know."
He shook his head.
"No, no…you are the damsel in distress and I am your knight in, er, Levi's jeans, here to carry you home safe, underneath my mighty umbrella, where I will watch over you and take care of you forever."
She giggled again, having quite forgotten the state that he found her in.
"Ahem. Excuse me, knight in Levi's jeans, but I do seem to recall a time when you were the damsel in distress and I was your handsome rescuer, ne? Princess Syaoran?"
He scowled and pretended to drop her. She squealed and held on tighter.
"Naughty Syaoran!" she tapped him on the nose. "Now, let's get home before you're get as wet as I am and we both come down with colds."
He grinned and nodded.
"That's the best thing you've said all night, koshii."
She closed her eyes and smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. Syaoran, she thought, you always know how to cheer me up, no matter how down I am.
The storm continued to rage on, but the lives of two young people were like the eye of that storm. Calm and content.
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-Trmpetplaya1 (trmpetgrl1@icqmail.com)
S+S4eva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
