Chapter II

absolutefluffiness says: I don't own CCS. But reviews are love and hearts!

The Sweetest of Debts

Syaoran watched as Sakura joined her brother and Yukito Tsukishiro on the way home. She was staring up adoringly at Yukito, and Syaoran was annoyed; he knew he was better-looking than the gray haired young man.

And he'd just kissed Sakura—given her her first kiss, in fact, and had he known he would have been even more annoyed—and she'd just walked off with a cheery "Bye! Thanks, and see you tomorrow!"

As if his kiss were nothing.

He had no illusions; while he wasn't a playboy, the Li Clan taught more than just magic and martial arts. He knew he wasn't a bad kisser. And he had felt Sakura's response; she had welcomed his kiss. She was attracted to him!

Now she owed him a kiss. Syaoran didn't intend to let her go on that, and he smiled. Plus, he was still holding Thunder in his hand.

He wondered if there were a way to use it against Sakura, to make her yield to what he wanted.

Then he smiled when he thought of a way.

XXX

"Good morning!" Sakura smiled at Tomoyo, and then at Syaoran the next morning when she arrived. She'd clearly had a very good night, and Syaoran caught himself wondering if that Yukito guy had had anything to do with it.

"Good morning, Sakura," he said softly when she had settled into her seat.

She turned her gorgeous emerald eyes on him, and smiled. "Thank you for yesterday, Li..." she stopped when he raised one eyebrow, "...I mean, Syaoran-kun," she said.

"Anytime," he smiled back, "Sakura-chan."

Sakura blushed; she hadn't given him permission to address her in such a familiar way, and his amber eyes met hers, glinting in a challenging way.

"Is there a problem?" Syaoran enjoyed cornering Sakura; she had no idea how to bring up the topic. She had, after all, kissed him less than twenty-four hours ago, so why should she object to being called 'Sakura-chan'?

"N...no," and she blushed. Syaoran simply stared at her; he saw how her hair brushed her shoulders, how her lashes touched her face, how her little pink lips...ah those lips!

Sakura gathered herself and asked, "Ne, Syaoran, do you have a green costume...with a white, um, turtleneck under it? I'm sorry I can't describe it better."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. Interesting change of topic. He'd never shown her his Li Clan costume, after all, but she had just described it. "Why do you ask?"

Sakura lowered her voice. "Because...because I saw you in it...in a dream last night."

He decided to tease her. "Why, do you want to see it?"

"No! I meant...I was just asking..." She turned pink, and Syaoran smirked, feeling he'd gotten her back for ignoring him the previous day after Yukito had arrived.

"Don't worry. If a Card shows up, I'll show it to you," he said.

"Er..." and Sakura stared at Syaoran. "I just..."

"What?" Syaoran asked. The he realized she was staring at his lips. 'So she remembers after all!' Syaoran thought, and he smiled slowly. Flicking his eyes towards the other students, he saw that no one was watching them, not even the weirdly observant Tomoyo Daidouji. He gave Sakura a feral grin, like the wolf he was named after, and then licked his lips suggestively as he leaned towards her.

"Remembering something you forgot yesterday?" Syaoran said in a low voice, and then he raised Thunder just high enough for Sakura to see the top of the card.

"Ah, yes! Thank you, Syaoran-kun!" She reached out a hand for it, and Syaoran pretended to hand it over; he brushed his hand over hers, then pulled the card back. "Hoee?"

Syaoran smirked and slid the card back into his bookpack. "Nu-uh, Sakura," making his address of her even more familiar. "This you have to win back from me."

"But..."

"You know how," Syaoran said softly, and leaned across his desk; he was so close to her he could feel her minty-scented breath on his nose. Then he laughed. "Think I'll hang on to it until another card shows up."

Sakura looked guilty, frustrated, and almost weepy, all at the same time. Syaoran opened his Literature textbook and looked over her head at the blackboard. Oh he was going to enjoy this.

XXX

Syaoran left class early, and Sakura was surprised when she felt a pang as she saw him disappear through the door. 'What is wrong with me?' she wondered. She'd relived their kiss over and over the night before, and fought her strange attraction to him as much as she could by staring at her photo album of Yukito pictures.

But each time, amber eyes and messy brown hair kept interrupting her thoughts. She could still feel the way he had kissed her; how he had taken her lower lip between his own, how he had—nibbled?—on it, how...'Stop it Sakura!' she scolded herself.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo leaned into Sakura's view. "Want to join me and Rika-chan at the boutique that just opened?"

"Huh?" Amber eyes were still dancing across her mind's eye, and Sakura blushed. Tomoyo smiled; she knew Sakura was disturbed by the gorgeous Li boy's presence, but forebore to point it out; she believed Sakura would sort it out on her own.

"Want to go to the boutique?" Tomoyo repeated.

"Sure!" Sakura gathered her things and joined them happily.

They had fun picking out brooches at the shop, but once they reached Sakura's house and Rika had put hers on, she suddenly changed; her eyes went blank, and she suddenly had a sword in her hand.

Cerberus flew down the stairs. "Sakura! It's a Clow Card..." and had to dodge when Rika swung at him. Sakura, thinking quickly, ran out of the house and did all she could to avoid Rika. But when her attacks got stronger, Sakura realized she would have to do something, and soon. So she summoned her staff, and desperately avoided Rika while thinking of how to separate her from the sword.

But she had stood still for too long; suddenly Rika was above her, the sword slashing down wickedly, and Sakura braced herself for the worst...

Which never came. Syaoran, in the green costume she'd seen in her dream, had blocked the sword thrust.

"Are you all right?" he asked quickly, while attempting to disarm Rika.

"How do I stop her without hurting her? Sakura asked quickly.

"Sword depends on the strength of the heart...oof," Syaoran replied as he fought Rika off. "If the person is overwhelmed then it will cut you. But if the person sees..." and then he was cut off as he hissed in pain; he'd let his guard down as he tried to explain things to Sakura, and Rika had managed to nick him in the chest. Blood was tricking down the front of his robes, and he was now dodging Rika as fast as he could.

"Syaoran!" Sakura screamed. She could see the blood, and as she activated 'Jump' and went after them, she suddenly realized...maybe...what Syaoran had said...

"Illusion!" she screamed just as Rika seemed to gain more strength and hacked at Syaoran with unexpected strength. He managed to block Rika's attacks, but Sakura could see that she had managed to injure him; she seemed infused with a terrifying strength.

Rika stared up lovingly at the illusion; Sakura could not see what it was but she was distracted long enough for Syaoran to manage to disarm her before he himself collapsed to the ground.

"Return to your true form, Clow Card!" Sakura yelled, and sealed the Card quickly. She pocketed it as she knelt next to Syaoran, who smiled at her.

"Great work, Sakura," he said, and stood up shakily. "Damn, that card sure gets aggressive," he joked weakly as he tried to walk away. He'd resolved to avoid her until her 'debt' to him stacked up, and he was looking forward to collecting.

"No, Syaoran!" Sakura said, and she caught his sleeve. "You...you're injured," she said softly.

"It's a scratch. Cats scratch harder," Syaoran said in what he hoped was a joking tone. The sword slash wasn't deep, but it did sting like hell.

"Come on," Sakura said, tugging him into her house. "We need to get you cleaned up."

"I'm okay, really," Syaoran insisted; his pride wouldn't let him let her see how he'd been injured.

Sakura realized Syaoran wasn't going to join her without a fight and so she did the only thing she could think of to make him come with her.

"Syaoran-kun...I...If you let me have a look at your wound, I..." She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

Shocked, Syaoran froze before responding. Sakura kissed like an amateur, definitely, but she was the sweetest amateur he knew. Soon he took over, guiding their lips, gently teaching her how to kiss back. He had raised his hands and taken her cheeks between them to pull her closer; she had her arms around his lean waist.

When Sakura pulled away, breathless, Syaoran smiled. "All right. You win," and followed her into her house, his hand firmly in hers.

Inside, he had to take off his costume; since the sword slash had penetrated even his undershirt, he was forced to take that off and stand in front of Sakura bare-chested, with only his white slacks on.

Sakura had turned around to get the iodine and cotton balls; when she turned back to Syaoran, she drew her breath in. He was lean and slender, but his body was well-formed thanks to his regular martial arts practice and soccer playing. She'd never seen Yukito up close this way, and Syaoran...she was feeling a thrill go up and down her. The sword slash was just below his lowest rib, and was still bleeding.

'Oh no I'm staring at him!' Sakura thought frantically, and she dropped the medicine kit in embarrassment. Her cheeks were flaming red, and Syaoran chuckled; it was nice to know he affected her somehow after all.

'See something you like?" he teased, making her go even redder.

"Um..." and she picked up the kit, "this may sting a bit."

"It's okay," Syaoran said. He waited patiently as Sakura first cleaned up the wound with sterile water, then used the iodine. Syaoran smiled as he enjoyed her touch, and Sakura noticed he looked like he was purring.

His skin was smooth and firm, and Sakura found herself touching him gently, longer than was necessary. Syaoran was warm and as she placed the bandages over his wound, she smoothed it into place longer than was necessary. Soon she was stroking his skin, fascinated by how it felt.

Syaoran couldn't stop himself; he took her hand and pulled her closer. He closed the gap between their lips quickly, and Sakura whispered, "Syaoran" right before he kissed her.

This time, she could feel his tongue at the entrance to her lips, and she parted them; in his tongue slid, like butter, and he gently probed the inside of her mouth. Soon Sakura had raised her own tongue and was sliding it over his. Her hands were running up and down Syaoran's smooth back, and he was kissing her passionately and deeply, his hands on her chin, letting her caress him as he liked.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat by the door, and the two leapt apart.