Friends with Benefits
By simplydZ
In dedication:
Elli Cole
(The dear that reminded me on her profile that I've been gone too long)
& The 97 dears that put me on their author alert lists
Chapter 1: Meeting
Her small frame stood out awkwardly from the mass of skyscrapers, a vibrant pink in front of the hideous gray. She was hunched over something seemingly precious.
He recognized her as his neighbor.
"What are you doing here?" It was far from their apartment complex.
He wasn't graced with a response, "I'm Syaoran, and you are?"
She finally turned around, and he was momentarily stunned by the brightness of her huge emerald eyes.
She didn't answer his questions, "the dandelion." She shuffled slightly on her feet, and the small flower came into view.
It was as vibrant as she.
She had turned her gaze back to the delicate flower, "it's quite beautiful, isn't it? I didn't think I would find something like this here, in this gray city."
The maturity in her voice sent shivers throughout his body; was a little child supposed to sound so aloof?
He didn't respond; sometimes, he too felt quite a strong contempt for the encaging city, for the arrogant buildings that hid the preciously blue sky. But a response would have been merely a surplus of words. She had made her point clear, and he agreed with it.
Instead, "are you lost?"
There was no presumptuousness in his voice, simply curiosity. She knew, and matched his stare with her own.
"I think so," her response was nonchalant.
"Let me take you home," he offered a hand.
She took it, "I'm Sakura, nice to meet you, Ran-neechan[1!" A smile had spread across her face, never quite reaching her sad eyes.
Syaoran was bewildered, and showed it by suddenly withdrawing his hand, "wait, I'm a boy! Not a girl! See," he pointed frantically to his face, as if to prove a point.
"But Ran-neechan looks exactly like a girl!" she grabbed his hands suddenly, a surprisingly sweet act. A giggle escaped her lips.
And she had a point. Li Syaoran at nine-years-old was a pre-pubescent; his voice had not cracked yet, and his shaggy hair only accentuated his beautiful features. His cheeks were youthfully rosy, and his lips annoyingly full – he had not yet grown into his masculinity.
He decided not to counter the seven-year-old. What was the use, when he knew that she was speaking the truth? Instead, he gently tugged at her hands, slowly walking in the direction he knew to be home.
Sakura knew he had consented, and swung their hands happily back and forth. He looked at her begrudgingly, but she knew also that he was hiding amusement.
But as they got closer to home, Sakura became more reluctant. The swinging stopped, and she started to drag her feet.
Syaoran finally turned around, "what's wrong?"
She was no longer nonchalant, "I don't want to go back…"
"Why not?"
"Because," she hesitated, as if ashamed to voice her thoughts, "Because my classmates say that my mom's a bad person."
He looked at her expectantly. He knew what she was talking about; his mother had personally made a call from Hong Kong warning him not to associate with his new neighbor. She had told him that his neighbor worked as a hostess at a nightclub, that she was a bad breed. He had curtly replied that they had no right to talk; after all, didn't half of the Li fortunes exist only because they had dabbled in the wrong side of the law? And that was the end of that.
And now he was holding her hand, perhaps not comfortingly, but undeniably expectantly.
"They say that my mom is a bad person, because she takes away husbands from their wives. And that I'm going to school with their dads' money, and that I should be ashamed that my mom is such a bad person…"
Bluntly, "and do you think your mom is a bad person?"
For the first time, she showed vulnerability, and he was relieved.
"No…I think she's the greatest mom. She's sweet, and caring, and has the prettiest laugh."
"And that's why you're scared, because you don't want to find out that the mom you love so much may be as bad as they say she is."
She nodded mutely.
"And do you think she's a bad person?"
She shook her head vigorously.
"Then that's all that matters."
Her eyes locked with his, searching, pleading. "Really?"
His eyes intense, he nodded. Another smile broke out on her face, "ok! I trust you, Ran-neechan!"
He felt his heart twist a little, and smiled faintly back. He knew he didn't comfort her for her sake, but for his own. Because here was another pair of eyes that looked as sad as his, as worn, matured, as vulnerable. He felt superior being able to help her, because underneath the aloof exterior, he knew she was pitiful. It was a dreadfully beautiful feeling. He didn't know if he deserved her trust, though he knew he wanted it.
But all of that didn't matter.
What mattered was simply the sweet, sorrowful voice resounding in his head. There was a selfish part of him that wanted to hear it always, forever even…
Ran-neechan!
TBC
[1 Ran-neechan: neechan is a more informal way of saying onee-san, which means big sister. Ran is Sakura's pet name for Syaoran, taking the last part of his name. It reflects Sakura's mistake and belief that Syaoran is a girl, and also the endearment.
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Disclamer: CCS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME! At ALL! Or else I'll be pretty rich and happy :D
I'm back! You guys must be really mad…can you forgive me?
I suppose not really…I mean, what kind of an author goes on a 2-year hiatus?
I have some plans for Deep Water, though I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it (I'm kind of bad on long-term things…)
This was a celebration for the end of my college application process (yay! I'm 18, can you guys believe it?! It's been 5 years since I joined FfdotNet!), I'm quite excited about this fic.
Hahaha…please support? Leave love via that little button on the bottom left?
And if you guys can throw in some constructive criticism – maybe the two are a little too mature? And what's your impression of the two? Do you like them? Dislike them? Hate them? Love them? Love me (haha, just kidding!)?
-dZ
