+'Ello again! I hope I'm not boring you too soon! I'll be finished with the third chapter soon and the story will really take off! :Makes rocket noises: I promise! +
"Syaoran-Kun! Syaoran-Kun!" Sakura cried, trotting for him, small dress rustling in the wind.
Chocolate-haired Syaoran turned from his spot near the stream and smiled warmly.
"Sakura-Hime… yes?" he asked calmly as she stood before him, panting from her run to him.
Syaoran pulled the hook and string from the water and embedded the fishing rod in between a couple of rocks near him as he spoke.
He noted that the worm on the hook was missing.
Again.
As she bowed slightly to breathe, he had to resist the urge to bring his hand up to stroke her light brown hair that shone like pure sunlight in its mirror.
He shook the thought from his mind with a shake of his head and looked up at her from his sitting position.
Sakura held her delicate fists out and opened them tentatively. "I thought you might need some more bait." Syaoran smiled at their contents; small grasshoppers wriggled on the surface of her pale skin. He looked at her and smiled, soft eyes sparkling in appreciation.
"Thank you, Sakura-Hime." He reached for the writhing insects in her hands slowly. Almost as if he had crossed an invisible barrier, the little bugs squirmed and hopped out of her hands in a flurry of wings.
Sakura separated her hands and stepped back. "Oh!" A small bug that was on her hand leaped into the air, wings sputtering late, just in time for it to hit her forehead. She let out a cry and shook her head furiously; unaware the bug had already fluttered away from her face in fear of its 'enemy.'
Syaoran blinked and stood instantly. Right then, Sakura, eyes still closed, fell foreword… right into Syaoran's arms.
Syaoran blushed intensely at the contact, feeling Sakura's frail body against his. He swiftly brought his hands to her shoulders, carefully holding her slightly away from his body, so she wouldn't get wet from the water that had splashed onto his body from the stream.
"Ahh! Get it off! Get it off!" Sakura cried, trembling something terrible. "It scares me…"
Syaoran let out a small chuckle. "Sakura-Hime, it's alright. It's gone." He said reassuringly.
Sakura opened her eyes and stared at him a moment. After realizing how close she was to him, she blushed slightly and stood straight again. She carefully rubbed her face with her fist.
"Oh…" she blushed brighter. "That's good…"
Syaoran chuckled. "It's alright. I understand."
She nodded happily and bowed. "I'm going to go back to help Fai-San now… he's making a fire." She said, trotting toward the blonde wizard.
Syaoran nodded and bowed his head, watching Sakura with warmth. His amber eyes, normally bright and filled with curiosity, still looked like so, but each held a small touch of sadness.
As they always did when he watched his precious princess.
Sometimes words couldn't be used to describe such tender scenes one encountered in one's life, ones you would never forget. You could tell of it but, like most things, the listener never really could truly understand the feelings you were feeling at the time, no matter how many words you spoke.
Such was the case in seeing Sakura and Syaoran by the stream, talking together, laughing together, Sakura's little slip against the flustered Syaoran. Fai D. Flowright, no matter how hard he searched his mind, could not find words to describe the experience of simply watching.
Sweet? No… not strong enough.
Charming? Never.
Adorable? That was the children. Not the encounter.
The mage shook his head, deciding it wasn't important. He resumed his attempts at lighting the fire, the wind in his hair, the steady Thwack… Thwack… Thwack… of Kurogane chopping wood in the distance. He looked back to a smiling Sakura. Her emerald eyes glimmered in the sunlight happily, giving him even more reason to smile.
"Is there anything else I can do, Fai-San?" she asked, smiling wide.
Fai grinned just as wide back. "Umm…" He glanced down at the flint in his hand and the minute pile of twigs and straw on the ground. There were a few large sticks but not nearly enough to keep it going for very long. He looked back to her with questioning eyes. "Would you mind if you could go bring back some firewood? From Kuro-Pii?"
She cocked her head for a moment, then nodded. "Of course!" she said, turning and trotting off in the distance toward the steady whacks of Kurogane's axe.
He sighed and struck the stones against one another. Quick sparks appeared, a few landing on the straw and twig mound. They flashed lightly then fizzled out, smothered in the ever-so-slight breeze.
He knocked them against one another one last time and this time, the sparks lit the straw. He blew on the glowing strands of grass gently, coaxing it to flame. Mere seconds later, the ginger-colored grass burst into small flames, flickering dim.
He swiftly set more straw and twigs on the burning mass. He also set the few sticks he had underneath everything.
He wasn't sure when Sakura would get back and he really didn't want to have to restart the fire.
He gazed out to where Sakura had ambled off; she wouldn't be back for a while. He was sure of it.
He sighed slightly, leaning back to stare at a sky the same shade as his eyes. His typical expression of lazy happiness was now graced by an air of deep thought.
Thinking about the love he knew Syaoran and Sakura had for each other, as much as he loved them, made his heart ache terribly.
He hated having to distance himself from people. He really truly wanted to get to know someone like Syaoran knew Sakura, or how his good friend from the Hanshin Republic , Sorata, knew his beloved wife Arashi.
But who knows what could happen should he get too close. Then… he would only lose whomever he truly loved.
He had already gone through it once.
He could never live through it again.
As his thoughts were occupied by such, he was unable to distinguish minutes from hours as he went through almost a preprogrammed evening of talking, eating, laughing, and preparing for sleep.
As his thoughts lingered on the subject of companionship, he was laying down his blankets away from everyone else. Everyone noticed but no one asked. Normally, the blonde wizard would slumber near Mokona or Sakura.
Sakura went to stand, bent on asking him if he was alright, before he laid down in silence. She could sense his uneasiness and relaxed back onto the blankets, watching him breathe in anxious worry.