This Time (we'll do it right)

Part I. Reunion


Li Syaoran surveyed the nondescript gray building with a sense of impending doom. He turned to glare at the man next to him, but for all the good it did, it was as if he wasn't there at all. The man, with his dark-rimmed glasses and expensive Burberry jacket, merely tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, took in a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, and smiled.

"Great day, isn't it?"

"I can't believe you're making me do this, Hiiragizawa."

Eriol glanced at Syaoran out of the corner of his eyes. "It's called debuting you to the world, Syaoran," he said, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's about time you became a man."

"Excuse me?" Syaoran growled.

Eriol gave him a rough shove that sent him tripping over the first of the stone steps that led to the campus café. He let out a muffled curse and barely managed to right himself before Eriol was guiding him along with a hand on his back, insistently pushing him towards a destination he did not want to be at.

"You're 21 already," he said, as if that explained everything. "It's high time you started dating again."

Syaoran scowled. "I dated plenty back in Hong Kong."

"No, you went on dates with women your clan set you up with."

"And this is different… how?"

Eriol's grin widened. "Because I'm the one setting you up this time."

Syaoran glared and decided he had finally had enough of Eriol's meddling. He threw the man's arm off with a vicious shrug that sent him stumbling back a few steps from sheer surprise. Syaoran straightened out his shirt with a triumphant yank and hefted his backpack.

"Fuck off, Hiiragizawa. I don't remember asking for a matchmaker."

"You wouldn't know to ask even if you desperately needed one. And trust me, you desperately need one."

"One more word and I will end you," he threatened. But for all the good his words did, they only appeared to amuse Eriol further because he merely lifted his shoulders in a good-natured shrug and swept his hand towards the double doors of the café.

"Say what you will, but even you're not cruel enough to stand a woman up."

"If you think for a second that I'm going to-"

"You told me you felt lost, Syaoran." And just like that, the laughter drained from Eriol's voice. His blue eyes narrowed slightly and he stepped forward until he was just a hand's-width away. "You may have been drunk off your ass that night, but I know you weren't lying."

Their eyes met, a small short battle of willpower, and Syaoran was forced to look away, uncomfortable as he was with the scrutiny and just how knowing Eriol could be sometimes. He normally prided himself on his stoicness, but that night had been what he—semi-dramatically—considered the lowest point of his life, and in his drunken stupor, he had somehow decided it was a good idea to call the then-visiting Eriol up.

He still thought it was one of the dumbest decisions he had made in a very long time, but unfortunately, he couldn't change the past, and he was now resigned to having Eriol lord that night over him.

Eriol, to his credit, seemed to sense that Syaoran wasn't particularly interested in reliving that night because he suddenly grinned and slammed his fist into Syaoran's arm, successfully jolting him out of his thoughts.

"Stop dallying, pansy. Go say hi. If anything, it doesn't hurt to make a new friend." And then he skipped away, whistling a damnably cheery tune. It made Syaoran want to bash his head in with a stick.

Seeing no other way out of this, he looked up towards the tower with a resigned sigh and proceeded up the steps towards his doom. An angry person he may have been, but his upbringing would never allow him to keep a woman waiting.

"One more year," he muttered as the double doors slid open, and he was met with the smell of deliciously toasted bread and premade lunch options. He remembered being surprised by the similarities between the cafes at HKU and University of Tokyo, and realized that maybe home away from home wasn't that bad.

He had transferred to Todai for his final year so he could complete his Global Concentration requirement. That, and Li Corp had just acquired a new electronics company in Japan and wanted Syaoran to keep a watchful eye on the merger.

The transfer, much to his resignation, had put him in the same school as Eriol once again. So now here he was, going on a blind date that Eriol had set up for him because he apparently needed to "get out more." He wasn't even sure what that meant.

Still, there was something about Japan that made him feel a little jittery, a little unhappy, and a little… nervous?He didn't understand why. He thought he had left everything behind ten years ago when he had been told that the Clow Cards—although no longer called that now, apparently—were in safe hands. Japan was meant to be a distant memory, but even he had to admit there was always a lingering feeling that there was something more here. He just didn't know what it was.

He looked around the café for the woman who would supposedly be sitting next to the fresh bread display… and stopped in his tracks when he recognized her.

Long dark hair, violet eyes, always dressed to please even in the most unnecessary of situations…

"Daidouji?" he balked, and nearly dropped his backpack in his shock. "No, he wouldn't."

Tomoyo looked entirely too tickled by the situation, but to his relief, she shook her head emphatically. "Don't be silly, of course not," she reprimanded. "Although your expression was priceless."

"Ha, ha," he intoned, and slumped into one of the dark blue plastic chairs. "So what are you doing here? Being Hiiragizawa's faithful minion?"

"Helping a friend out." She glared at him and crossed her arms, now looking very reproachful. "You really haven't changed a bit, have you? You've been here a week already and haven't felt the need to contact me? No 'oh hello Tomoyo, it's good to see you again?'"

Syaoran lifted a brow, but said obligingly, "Hello Tomoyo, it's good to see you again."

"That's better," she said, and then grinned. Her violet eyes brightened, casting a glow on her face that made her look like a little girl again. "Despite your less than enthusiastic greeting, I'm really happy you're back. It's been so long!" Just as she said this, her smile morphed into a look of serious discontent again. Her mood swings were giving him whiplash. "So were you ignoring us on purpose? Ten years and nothing? No calls, no emails? Why did you have to make it so difficult to get in touch with you?"

"I was a busy man," he drawled. "Besides, did you really expect me to call? Come on, Daidouji. You know me."

Tomoyo let out a fluttery sigh. "I suppose. Still, an email once in a while wouldn't have hurt. Just so we'd know you weren't dead."

"I'm sure Hiiragizawa was keeping tabs on me." Syaoran checked his watch and barely suppressed a sigh. Whoever this blind date was, she was three minutes late and counting. "Who is this friend of yours, anyway? If she's not here in two minutes, I'm gone."

Tomoyo scowled and leaned forward with a stern "Patience is a virtue, Syaoran." He stared at her, unimpressed, and was surprised when her expression gradually softened. The way she was looking at him made him feel oddly exposed, as if she was searching for something in him. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. She rested a hand on his forearm and gave it a soft squeeze, giving him a view of her perfectly manicured nails.

He was amused. Some things never changed.

"How are you doing, Syaoran? Really. How does it feel to be back?"

He extracted his arm, not unkindly. "I'm fine, Daidouji. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, given what happened in the past with the Void and all, I just assumed-"

"The Void?" Now he was surprised. He hadn't heard that name in a very long time, ever since he had removed himself from any business related to the Cards. "That was years ago, and the Clan hasn't mentioned anything to me since about it reactivating. I'm assuming the Card Mistress has everything under control?"

Tomoyo smiled a little at the words "Card Mistress," but there also seemed to be such an inexplicable degree of sadness in the smile, as if there was something terribly wrong.

He was suddenly concerned. "What are you not telling me, Daidouji? Is the Void still under control?"

She sighed. "Oh Syaoran..."

It looked like she would've said more, but what seemed like a gale force suddenly blew in from the double doors of the café, cutting her off. Syaoran watched, momentarily stunned, as a figure hurtled herself towards their table, barely managing to screech to a stop before she crashed into the chair next to Tomoyo's. She was haphazardly holding what looked like a painting and her book bag, but the painting was wobbling in her hands, two seconds from falling over and knocking straight into the container of chopsticks on the table.

Syaoran instinctively caught the painting before any further damage could be done and grabbed her arm to steady her.

An electric shock pulsed through his fingers at their touch, and he hastily pulled away, startled.

The woman jumped at the contact, but she had already dipped her head in a hasty bow and was already turning towards Tomoyo in her frazzled state.

"I'm so sorry," she was saying, her voice remarkably pleasant-sounding despite her less than glorious entrance. "I thought I had enough time so I was asking the professor for some advice regarding this painting, but apparently he hated it so much that he wouldn't stop picking on it, and then I tried to leave but he wouldn't let me until he was done lecturing. I'm so sorry!"

Tomoyo just laughed and shook her head, reaching out to smooth the stray hairs flying everywhere, and Syaoran took the chance to look at the painting in his hands. The professor did honestly have a point. He really hoped this woman wasn't trying to pursue a career in art, because he was having some serious trouble figuring out what she had been trying to paint. All he could see was a hodgepodge of green, yellow, and orange, which led him to assume he was looking at a fruit bowl.

"It's very okay, Sakura, don't worry," Tomoyo said. "Here, I want to introduce you to someone."

The woman—Sakura—turned, all smiles, to face him… and then froze. Her green eyes—green, like the springtime—he thought curiously, widened till they resembled the dessert plates in the café, and then she was looking at him as if he were a ghost. But how was that possible? He had never met her before.

The woman was certainly pretty. Anyone with a decent pair of eyes could appreciate the long wavy caramel-colored hair, bright green eyes and innocent smile, but she wasn't anything extraordinary. He had seen prettier women on the dates his mother had sent him on back in Hong Kong. And yet there was something about her that made him look twice, something that made his heart flutter and stomach twist.

She, on the other hand, couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from him. Syaoran didn't particularly pay attention to his looks, but women had told him many a time that he was significantly better looking than average. Still, to have garnered such a response? It was… disarming.

He finally sighed. "Staring is a little rude, don't you think?"

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo admonished, but it was Sakura who spoke up next.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, and looked away. When she turned to face him again, she seemed to have gotten over her previous stupor. Her smile was wide, and it made her eyes shine. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you." And then she stuck out her hand.

Syaoran eyed her hand, which wobbled slightly, but when he grasped it, her palm was warm. "Li Syaoran."

He watched in confusion as she blushed, and then immediately retracted her hand as if he had burned her. Then she looked at Tomoyo, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between them because Tomoyo suddenly stood and pushed Sakura into her now-vacated seat.

"Well, it looks like my duty is done here," she announced, and gave Sakura what Syaoran assumed was a reassuring smile. But when she turned to him, that smile morphed into a firm look of warning. "You. Be nice, all right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother."

"If I hear you did anything to make Sakura uncomfortable, I will personally-"

"Daidouji," he said with exaggerated patience, "I hear you."

Tomoyo assessed him for an additional few seconds before she seemed appeased with the answer and flounced away, her dress swaying as she walked. When she was finally out of the café doors, Syaoran turned to assess Sakura, who was doing a very good job of looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

He could understand the sentiment.

"Look, I'm sorry you somehow got caught up in all this," he said. When she blinked, he gave her a crooked smile. "I'm not sure how you know Hiiragizawa, but he seems to think I'm in dire need of some socializing with the fairer sex. So here I am."

Sakura let out a little bubble of laugher and then slapped a hand to her mouth, as if she hadn't meant to laugh. She flushed a dark red when she saw his gaze on her, but then their eyes met and she seemed to just... stare.

Syaoran wasn't sure whether he ought to be amused, irritated, or perplexed, and ended up settling for a combination of all three. Some men probably found it flattering that a pretty woman was paying so much attention to them, but Syaoran had never been interested in playing this game. In fact, he had never truly been interested in any woman at all. There was always something in his heart that told him to wait. What he was waiting for, he wasn't sure.

This woman, whom Syaoran was truthfully more comfortable calling a girl given the youthful innocence that seemed to surround her, was looking at him as if she were viewing him through a looking glass… a specimen that she could see, but not touch.

It was definitely odd.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to redirect her attention. "You must be thirsty after running here. I'll get us some drinks. What would you like?"

That seemed to snap Sakura out of her stupor. "No, no, that's all right! Please, don't worry about me."

Syaoran pushed out of his chair. "Nonsense. I'll be right back."

True to his word, he returned in seven minutes with a cup of coffee and a strawberry smoothie. "I don't know what you like, but you seem like a strawberry kind of person," he explained, setting the smoothie in front of her. "If you don't like it, I can just…"

He trailed off then, and felt dread pooling in his stomach. There were tears in her eyes now, tears that he couldn't hope to understand. It looked like she was trying so hard not to let them drop.

What on earth did he do?

Syaoran hurriedly looked around, as if their surroundings would help him with his dilemma. He usually hated it when women cried, because it was always so messy and there was so much snot… not to mention there was almost always an ulterior motive.

But with Sakura, it felt different. He couldn't explain why—maybe it was the way she tried so hard to cover up her tears, or maybe it was because he couldn't fathom how crying in front of a complete stranger would benefit her, but something deep in him stirred. And for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to comfort someone.

He just didn't know how.

"Err… I'm sorry," he said. He reached for her shoulder, but then thought better of it and retracted his hand. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

Sakura shook her head, sending waves of caramel-colored hair tumbling over her shoulder. She suddenly stood, head still bowed, and gathered her things, haphazardly shoving her phone and other miscellaneous items into her bag.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go," she cried. Without sparing Syaoran another glance, she darted away from the table, nearly bowling over three people in her haste to leave.

Syaoran stared at her retreating figure, feeling much too bewildered to even comprehend what had just happened. As much as he despised going on dates, he had never caused someone to run out on him within the first ten minutes.

He glanced down at the untouched smoothie across the table, and then his eyes trailed to the horrifying specimen of a painting that sat to the side. Unbidden, a surge of irritation swept through him, and he had to fight the urge to throw something. If the woman was so hell bent on running, why had she left her stupid painting behind? It wasn't as if he wanted anything to do with that piece of-

"Oh my god! You're Li Syaoran, aren't you?"

Syaoran looked up just in time to see a woman throwing herself into the empty seat across from his. "Oh wow it is you! There was news that you had transferred here for your last year but-"

"You've got the wrong person," he growled and pushed out of his chair, grabbing his backpack in the same move. He hesitated a fraction of a second before snagging the painting too, and then stormed out of the café before he had to deal with any more fawning sycophants.

Hiiragizawa had a lot of explaining to do.

-x-

Sakura catapulted into her room, shocking Tomoyo, who had been studiously procrastinating on her upcoming paper. One look at Sakura's face had her throwing her textbook aside, but no matter how she consoled her friend, Sakura's tears still fell, drop by drop.

They were now huddled on Tomoyo's bed, with a box of tissues to Sakura's left and wads of used tissues on her right.

"W-What… how? When did he…" Sakura sucked in a deep shuddering breath, struggling to compose herself. "When did he come back? How did you know?"

Tomoyo tightened her grip on her weeping friend, mentally cursing Eriol for suggesting the blind date. She had been a strong proponent of first telling Sakura that Syaoran was back in town and then taking action, but Eriol had been certain Sakura wouldn't have been able to work up the courage to face Syaoran. Hence, she had been convinced to go along with the "SURPRISE" idea… and she was regretting every minute of it now.

There was a loud sniffle, and then Sakura pulled back and wiped her eyes. Her nose was red and her eyes puffy, but even through all her confusion and misery, she was able to look at Tomoyo levelly.

"Okay, okay… wait sorry, I think I'm calmer now." She blew her nose one more time, and then attempted a watery smile. It was only half-successful, but it was a smile nonetheless. "So what happened? Why is Syaoran back?"

Tomoyo sighed sympathetically, handing her a fresh tissue. "He transferred from HKU to complete his last year of university abroad. I think Eriol also mentioned Li Corp recently acquired some technology company out here and they wanted someone to oversee the M&A process."

"So he's back for the year?"

"I think so."

"Oh." Sakura sounded very small, and when she looked up at Tomoyo, she looked like she wanted to cry again. "He doesn't remember anything about me, does he? I saw the look on his face… he thought he was meeting a complete stranger."

Tomoyo reached for Sakura's hand and grasped it tightly, wondering how she should articulate her thoughts. At the end of the day, Sakura was a strong woman. She'd be able to handle the truth, however harsh it may be. Still, Tomoyo wanted to do everything she could to prevent any additional heartbreak.

"Syaoran doesn't remember," she started, carefully. "Eriol confirmed it during the couple times they chatted about his transfer. But that doesn't mean there isn't hope. We've been doing a lot of research lately, and we think there's a loophole."

Sakura blinked. "A loophole?"

"Void's condition for capture was the removal of Syaoran's strongest feeling at the time, which was his love for you and his memory of you. But that doesn't mean he can't fall in love with you again."

Tomoyo slowly waited for this information to sink in. She could see Sakura struggling to process this newfound hope, but it was understandably difficult given how long she had convinced herself there would be no more chances between her and Syaoran.

And really, there had been no reason to assume there would be a second opportunity. Magic was, if anything, binding. It was why Sakura herself had to change all the Clow Cards to Sakura Cards, and why, in theory, Void's condition for capture could not be reversed.

However...

"What?" Sakura finally breathed.

"The sacrifice was already complete at the time. Void did remove all of Syaoran's memories and his love for you. You fulfilled your end of the bargain, but that doesn't mean history can't repeat itself."

Tomoyo was getting more and more insistent with each word. She was trying desperately to get Sakura to understand the possibilities that lay ahead, especially now that Syaoran was guaranteed to be in the country for a year. But Sakura was struggling hard, wrestling with the implications of those words, her logic warring against her heart. She was scared to hope, frightened that even though there was truth to all this, it could all still culminate in failure and further heartbreak.

"But what about the Void?" Sakura wrung her hands, feeling incredibly insecure. "I don't want to run the risk of upsetting that balance again."

"The Void has already been converted to a Sakura Card. We thought about this too, but Eriol doesn't think we have to worry about her anymore. The conversion should also be binding."

Sakura bit her lip, and Tomoyo could practically see the wheels in her head turn, processing the information over and over again. She opened her mouth and then closed it again, and she did this enough times that Tomoyo wondered just how many questions were running through Sakura's head. It was endearing, but also incredibly frustrating.

Ever since the incident with Void years ago, Sakura had grown more cautious and reclusive. Tomoyo couldn't even remember the last time she had heard the ever-present "Surely everything will be all right" mantra that had been such a part of Sakura's younger years.

Tomoyo grasped Sakura's hands, squeezing so tightly that she wished she could will her to understand. "Please, won't you try again? For both Syaoran and yourself. You have nothing to lose."

Sakura's eyes widened, and to Tomoyo's surprise, she saw anger in them. "No, I have everything to lose!" she cried, and wrenched her hands away. "Don't you understand, Tomoyo? I can't do this again. I am not going to drag Syaoran back into my life only to risk him getting hurt again."

"But you wouldn't be! The danger has passed."

"There will always be new dangers." Sakura leapt off the bed, her agitation and anxiety causing her to pace. "I'm the Card Mistress, but when push came to shove, I couldn't protect the one person who had always protected me. I can't... I can't risk that again." She stopped and looked at Tomoyo desperately. "He's happy now. Didn't you see him? He looks good... really good. Who am I to disrupt that?"

Tomoyo's violet eyes were level. "Is he though?" she asked quietly. "Did you even ask him? Did you even talk to him?"

"No," Sakura admitted slowly. "I sort of... ran away from him."

"Sakura..."

"I got scared, okay?" She groaned and slapped a hand to her face. "I kept staring at him, and he was just looking at me like I was an idiot and I just didn't know what to do anymore. And so I just... ran."

"I'm sure that helped the situation," Tomoyo said dryly.

Sakura sighed and finally exhausted the sudden burst of energy. She slumped down into the desk chair, suddenly looking incredibly sad and rather lost. "I don't know what to do, Tomoyo. Every time I see Syaoran, I see my own failure. I know it's been ten years and I've done my best to come to terms with everything, but... but when I saw him again, it was as if those ten years never happened. I feel like I'm back to square one again."

Tomoyo's eyes were sorrowful. "Sakura, if he knew, he wouldn't blame you," she said gently. "It was never your fault. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to save everyone."

"I wish it had been me."

"Oh don't say that, Sakura. I know it still hurts you, but as much as I hate to say this, it's all in the past now. What matters is the future. You have a chance to make things right again. Are you really going to let your fears stop you?"

"I... I don't know."

"The answer is no," Tomoyo said firmly, and her tone insisted there couldn't have been a second answer. "He's finally back. How could you possibly give up on him now?"

Sakura's eyes were wide and terrified when she finally looked at Tomoyo again. "But what makes you think Syaoran would want to be with me again? What makes you think he'd even care anymore? He has his own life now."

Tomoyo could barely suppress her smile. It was just like Sakura to be so clueless to the world around her. Her innocence was refreshing, albeit a little frustrating at times. Ten years had passed... ten years and nothing had truly changed about Syaoran. He was still as stubborn and uncooperative as Tomoyo remembered, but the moment he had laid eyes on Sakura, Tomoyo had known there was still hope. It wasn't so much what he said or what he did, but it was in the way that his eyes had never left her face, the way he had been riveted on her words, even as she stumbled and stuttered and practically threw her painting in his face.

"Now that's something you really don't have to worry about," she finally said, earning a distrustful look from Sakura. "Did you see the way he reacted to you? He may not know who you are, but that doesn't mean he wasn't affected by your presence."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her tears had dried by now, and her cheeks were slowly returning to a healthy shade of pink again. "I think you're being too optimistic. You didn't see his expression when I ran out on him. I told you, I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm crazy."

"Crazy beautiful, probably."

"Tomoyo!"

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" She grinned and motioned for Sakura to return to the bed, upon which she combed her hands through Sakura's hair, untangling a few knots that had resulted from her bawling session earlier. "Come on, have a little faith. When have I ever been wrong about people?"

"It's been ten years."

"Ten years and nothing's changed about him. Well, except maybe his appearance." Tomoyo let out a loud swooning sigh and pressed an exaggerated hand to her forehead. "Did you see the way he looked? Who would've thought that sword-toting brat would grow into such a handsome man?"

Sakura promptly blushed five different shades of red and gave Tomoyo a little shove, sending the latter sprawling across her bed. "Tomoyo! I'm being serious."

"Oh, so am I." She sat up and winked. "If you two weren't such star-crossed lovers, I myself wouldn't mind giving him a go."

"TOMOYO!"

"Any louder and Syaoran's going to hear you." When Sakura only scowled, Tomoyo grinned and leaned forward, poking an experimental finger into Sakura's side. Her lips twitched, but she batted her hand away. Tomoyo tried again… and again… and then Sakura erupted into a peal of laughter. "There we go! You're so pretty when you smile."

"You're impossible," Sakura groaned, but she couldn't stop her mouth from curving. "You really think I still have a chance with Syaoran? Honestly?"

"Yes, Sakura. I really do."

"But…"

Tomoyo rested her hands on Sakura's shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "Would you stop doubting yourself? Believe me. And believe in Syaoran. He will fall in love with you again. I saw what the two of you had, and that wasn't just a passing fancy for either of you. Not even magic will be able to snuff this out. It's only a matter of time before he comes back to you."

Sakura's green eyes glistened. "I would like that," she whispered. "I would like that very much."

"Excellent! Are you ready for this then?"

"Ready for what?"

Tomoyo merely held out her cell phone in response. Sakura glanced at the screen, and then balked when she saw Syaoran's name and number displayed against the white background.

"His number's here. Call him."

-x-

"HIIRAGIZAWA!"

Eriol winced when he heard his front door fly open, smacking into the wall with a resounding thwack that clearly left a dent in the plaster. He mentally reminded himself to patch up the wall in case the landlord were to ever drop by, and hurried out of the bedroom and into the living area, where Syaoran was busy tearing off his shoes.

He allowed himself a small smile. Even when angry, Syaoran remained courteous enough to not trek mud and dirt into the room. If anything, this was a sure sign that he had grown up.

Syaoran glowered when he straightened and promptly threw his book bag in Eriol's face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Hiiragizawa? Exactly who did you try to set me up with?"

Eriol winced. So maybe Syaoran hadn't fully grown up yet. He decided to opt for confused innocence, since he was dealing with a Syaoran who looked like he wanted to take his head off.

"You mean Sakura? She's Tomoyo's best friend. She's really sweet, so I figured you two would balance each other out. You know, her sweetness and your… heathen-like tendencies." He had to quickly duck to avoid the shoe flying his way, and then readjusted his glasses when he straightened again. "Why do you ask? What happened?"

Syaoran glared. "What happened? First the woman was late… who's late to a blind date? I thought dates were all about first impressions!" Eriol opened his mouth to speak, but Syaoran shouldered past him agitatedly, successfully cutting him off. "And then she looked at me as if she'd seen a ghost and started crying for no reason. Who the hell does that?" His abruptly spun around practically shoved his finger into Eriol's nose. "Was it you? Did you say something bad about me?"

Eriol blinked, momentarily stunned. His mind struggled to process Syaoran's rapid-fire commentary—Syaoran, who normally barely managed to grunt out two words during conversations. He finally managed to regain enough presence of mind to usher the irate man over to the couch, and after dropping Syaoran's bag near the shoe rack, he hurried into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Chamomile tea, he decided. Syaoran could do with some calming.

Eriol mused over the situation as he took out his tea set. Had he been wrong after all? Tomoyo had warned him again and again that although Sakura appeared to be fine on a day-to-day basis, ten years hadn't been enough time for her to completely forget Syaoran. And now, to bring him back into her life without warning?

Maybe it was too sudden. Maybe giving her a heads up would've been the better alternative to a forced meeting. Maybe this was still too soon?

He was still musing over these thoughts as he carried over two cups of tea and set them on the table in front of Syaoran.

"Why did she have such a strong reaction to me?" Syaoran demanded. He looked incredibly moody and uncharacteristically ruffled, with his hair in such disarray thathe appeared quite a few years younger than his 21.

Eriol couldn't remember the last time he had seen or heard Syaoran so flustered. In fact, it didn't seem like Syaoran ever got flustered unless it had to do with Sakura. He had to hide a smile. Syaoran may have been a university student and may have been integral to his family's business, but at the end of the day, he was still that ten-year-old boy who fell head over heels for the green-eyed girl.

And it was this realization that gave Eriol hope. Because though Syaoran didn't understand the situation himself, his heart still knew whom it wanted.

"Maybe your ugly mug made her cry," Eriol finally said. "Have you considered that?"

"She most definitely did not think I was ugly," Syaoran snapped, and took a sip of his tea. He made a face as he swallowed and then eyed his cup suspiciously. "Am I tasting mango and hibiscus flowers? With chamomile? Why do you have such girly tea?"

Eriol rolled his eyes. "And why do you have so many complaints? I can see why Sakura didn't like you. I wouldn't either, if I were her."

"And yet you still set me up with her."

"Sakura makes friends with just about everyone. I figured she'd be able to tolerate even you." He shrugged then. "Guess I was wrong. I hope she's all right. I can't even begin to imagine how traumatic it must've been to deal with you."

Syaoran scowled and slammed his cup back into its saucer. "I'm always a perfect gentleman."

Eriol arched a brow. "That's pretty difficult to believe, considering the huge dent you left in my wall and the way you're manhandling my fine china."

"You're just really irritating. I can't help myself."

Eriol had to smother his laughter. "My fault, of course." He switched gears. "So the date went badly, then? Big deal. You've never been hung up over a woman before. Why do you care so much now?"

"I've also never made a woman cry within the first ten minutes," Syaoran responded wryly. He eyed his hands for a moment, and then said, almost contemplatively, "There was also something about her. I don't know what it was exactly, but something in me feels like I know her. That's weird, right? I'm certain we've never crossed paths before, but when I saw her, I felt… strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah." Syaoran gestured a little helplessly. "Strange as in… my stomach was churning, and I felt a little anxious. Maybe a little sick?"

"So you're telling me… the moment you saw Sakura, you felt like you had the stomach flu?"

Syaoran turned beet red and threw an overstuffed cushion in his face. "Shut the hell up, Hiiragizawa."

But the dam had burst, and Eriol was laughing now. He couldn't help it. It was a mixture of Syaoran's startling immaturity when it came to women, coupled with an overwhelming feeling of relief that he hadn't managed to screw everything up.

He had asked Syaoran a while back about the Card Mistress and had tried poking his brain to see how much he was allowed to remember. But Syaoran had merely mentioned that he was aware of the Card Mistress' existence and knew he had fought with her, but that was it. There was no face or name that he could recall, and had since then felt no desire to contact her, given that the cards no longer belonged to Clow Reed.

But now that he knew Syaoran still felt the pull of his connection with Sakura… this was definitely something he could work with.

But he had no time to further dwell on these thoughts. One second Syaoran was casually inspecting a fingernail, and in the next second he had slammed Eriol into his armchair.

Eriol choked and barely managed to knock Syaoran aside before he was lunging again, with all the rage of a rabid beast.

"Oh come on is this really necessary?" he cried, barely managing to dodge another swipe. "Can you stop acting like a prepubescent teen? I'm sorry for laughing, all right?"

Syaoran glowered from where he stood, arms crossed defiantly across his chest. "This is what you get for laughing at my misery." He stopped to think for a moment. "Actually, no. This is what you get for creating my misery."

Eriol ran a hand through his dark hair. "All right, so maybe the circumstances weren't ideal. That still does not warrant your attacking me. A little infantile, perhaps?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ageless freak," he muttered.

Eriol grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment." He pushed his armchair back into its upright position and sat down in it once again. He wondered if he'd soon get a noise complaint from his downstairs neighbors. "What were we talking about before you went all Neanderthal on me?"

"Your dumb friend," he grumbled.

"Ah, the fair Sakura? Is that how a gentleman should refer to a nice, young woman?"

"Nice my ass."

Eriol decided to ignore that comment. Instead, he said, "I don't know why she'd be upset with you. But I can guarantee it wasn't something I said."

More like something he didn't say, but he wasn't going to put that card on the table.

Syaoran slumped back onto the couch and threw his head back. "You're so useless," he groaned. "She's your friend. And she left her stupid painting with me and I don't know what to do with it. Why do women have to be so complicated?"

Eriol felt an impending headache. Why had he ever thought Syaoran was capable of maturity? "You know, instead of wailing about this like a useless brat, you could try the novel idea of, you know, asking her?"

Syaoran looked at him flatly. "Don't be stupid, Hiiragizawa. I don't even know her last name, much less her contact information."

Now it was his turn to stare. "You're a right little genius, aren't you? I have her information, you dolt."

"Oh."

Eriol had to remind himself to keep calm. He had always commended himself on his ability to deal with Syaoran's antics, even back when they had been in Tomoeda. But now… for someone who was so praised for his business intelligence, Syaoran wasn't doing a very good job of putting two and two together.

"Yes. So, what's it going to be?"

Syaoran's amber eyes narrowed as he considered the proposition. He appeared to be mentally weighing the pros and cons, but then he shook his head abruptly, seeming to decide that it was all out of the question. "That's a terrible idea," he said scornfully. "I am not going to chase after a woman who can't even stand the sight of me. I am not that desperate."

But taking in the agitation on his face, Eriol wasn't sure Syaoran even fully believed what he said.

"Are you sure about that?"

A second's pause, and then, "Okay… so maybe I'm not that sure."

Eriol chuckled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Sakura's number. It was simple work to press a few buttons, and then Syaoran's phone let out a little beep to alert him of an incoming message.

He looked at his phone almost warily. "Thanks," he grumbled.

"You're very welcome. I hope you know what to do next."


Author's Note: (edited July 3) It's been about half a year since I published the first chapter of this story (I know it's been forever... I'M SORRY!) and now I'm finally coming back to it. But I realized I didn't like the way the first chapter was written... not enough description, too much dialogue, and so I've set out to rectify that. Here's the revised chapter, with a new story title to boot. Please stay tuned for chapter two! It shouldn't be too long this time around. Thanks so much!

xx KRS