Author's Note: Here's the 2nd chap... just finished writing it.. sorry if there's any grammatical error... hope you like it... I want to thanks all who had read and reviewed on the first chap... I love all your reviews.. YOU GUYS ROCKS! I'll try not to disappoint you.. If you have any idea to add on the story.. you can just PM me or write them on the reviews... I'm pretty busy right now... I can only write on Sundays... so sorry... I can't promise I'll update pretty soon but I'll be waiting for your reviews... TQ again! =)
Overprotective Much?
Chapter 2: Unpredictably Attracted
"So, how's my pumpkin today?" a voice was heard as Sakura walked across the door connecting to the living hall. She reversed her steps and peeked into the room. She smiled and went into the room, running. She quickly sat on the couch and put her bag beside her.
"Lovely as always," Sakura answered with a big smile that she didn't usually use outside the mansion. She was told to keep on guard outside the Li mansion. She was bound to be kidnapped and used by people outside the mansion and the Li clan did not want to take any chances. She used to whine about the robotic personality she had to maintain outside but had later agreed to keep herself that way to stop from getting hurt. She learned that the hard way and never wanted to let it happen the second time.
"Are you sure? You don't look too happy," the woman in front of her gave her a look that said she was lying.
"Okay, today wasn't that lovely. Sheifa-nee, you're sharp. You know that guy that just keeps getting on my nerves?" Sakura said as Sheifa nodded her head. Since she was always at the mansion compared to the other three, Sakura told her everything about her life. That was the only way to keep her little sister sane and staying as 'her' little sister. Not some kind of product manufactured by the Li.
"Syaoran, right?" Sheifa smiled. Her sister's life somehow revolved around that guy. Well, not in blushing-with-flowers-all-around-and-birds-chirping-happily kind of life. More like storm-and-thunder-turning-into-a-tornado kind of life. But she always had this bright shine every time she talked about the boy. It brought more light into her strained life. It was a good thing really. Unfortunately, this wasn't her story. It's her sister's. So, she couldn't just tell right in her face that it was a good thing. It would make Sakura madder than she had with the boy. She was just there to listen to her rambling and keep her company in the suffocating mansion and it would make Sakura almost drowning when the elders came and harassed her mercilessly especially when she made herself the front-page news. Sakura did have the tendency to be exaggerated in the news even when she did nothing but sat beside a guy who couldn't help but flirt with the famous, unbelievably rich beautiful girl.
"Well, he was exhibiting himself as usual. And since today's Valentine's Day, you surely know what would have happened, right? And he had the nerves to block the entrance with…" Sheifa interrupted Sakura's rambling, "Chocolate?" she asked with a smile plastered on her face.
Sakura frowned and shook her head vigorously, "No! Well, basically yes. But you know better, Sheifa-nee."
Sheifa chuckled and then tapped her chin while thinking, "Then, fan girls?"
Sakura clicked her fingers and nodded with a proud look on her face. She was proud that her sister knew what she meant, "See? They were all over him and then I was so annoyed that I can't get into the class. They kept on pushing me out of their way. He saw me having a hard time but he just looked at me as if I'm not there. Well, that what he ever does to me but still. Stupid Kinomoto!"
"That was very ungentlemanly of him," Sheifa nodded and kept on listening to her.
"Then, when I did tell him to make way, again he did what he does best, ignoring me and apologized to Kinoshita sensei. He was right behind me. He was so mad. His face was red with rage. Kinomoto was flaunting his popularity in full blast when he didn't even get an obligatory chocolate. Thanks to the chocolate you always slip into my bag when it comes to Valentine's Day, the class didn't have to be extended. You know how I hate people wasting my time on nothing. Thanks, Sheifa-nee. You saved me," Sakura explained when Sheifa gave a look of horror to her sister, "You did not just do that."
Sakura looked at Sheifa with a confused look. What had she done to make her sister gave her the usually horror looks she used on their mother, "It was very hard to get that chocolate and you gave it as an obligatory chocolate. Sakura, I'd told you to give it to your loved one. You should give out love on Valentine's Day."
"I'm giving out love as I see it. Then again, I don't have anyone to give the chocolate to, anyway. Tomoyo is out of town. Eriol is allergic to chocolate, something that's very absurd to believe in. Chiharu doesn't have a class with me today. I can't give it to Takashi. Chiharu would go berserk. She's a jealous woman. Naoko and Rika are in the no-list for chocolate. They would give back something that would turn my day upside down on White Day. So, na-uh. And you always said to give some love to the need. I'm giving it to the one who needed it the most or else, I would be stuck in the class for two hours. I'll go numb listening to all his nonsense," Sakura explained before Sheifa could get any madder. She won't like it if Sheifa got mad. It would be a disaster.
"First, Tomoyo is your cousin. Eriol doesn't need chocolate from you. He only eats the chocolate that Tomoyo made. Everyone knows that. Second, Chiharu and Takashi are your childhood friends. That would be obligatory chocolate if you gave it to them. Third, Naoko and Rika are your attendants. They work for you," Sheifa said as Sakura scratched her head and mumbled something incoherent even Sheifa did not hear it.
"What did you say?" Sheifa asked but Sakura just sulked. She hated when Sheifa started the talk. Especially when it came to her attendants. They were her friends. She only trusted them and no other since Naoko and Rika had helped her when someone poisoned her food at a banquet she had to attend, simply out of the necessity her mother had forced on her. They even ate the food when the host did not believe them and accused them for trying to ruin his banquet. Sakura was crying her heart out in the car when they had to rush Naoko and Rika to the hospital. The ambulance was too slow to arrive so Sheifa quickly asked the driver to send them to the hospital. Sakura rushed into the car with them before Sheifa could stop her. They were smiling warmly as they did every day when they were ironically in the brink of death. She had promised herself that she would protect the two of them onwards. She owed her life to them. Sakura looked at Sheifa and took her bag with her as she stood up, "Nothing." Sakura said before she took her leave without further ado.
Sheifa knew Sakura hated it when she speaks about Naoko and Rika that way. She had too or else, Sakura would be too attached to them and if anything were to happen to those two, Sakura would be devastated. She knew Sakura owed her life to them but the elders were watching Sakura very carefully. She was not intended to have close friends especially anyone working for the Li. They could use her for their own benefits, as what the elders said. Naoko and Rika were not that kind of people. Sheifa knew that too. But she had to do the dirty work before the elders take action and decide to dispose of them. Her mother had asked Sheifa to give advice to Sakura to not become too attached to her attendants. Yelan loved Sakura but she was not very good at showing it. Unfortunately, it caused the distance in Sakura and Yelan's relationship. They had a hard time trying to understand each other but they both knew that they loved each other. In their own way.
Sakura sighed deeply and went to her room before Sheifa nagged her more about her attendants. She loved talking to Sheifa but when it comes to her attendants, she turned hostile. The elders must have something to do with that. She hated the elders but she could not say or do anything. She was still a child in their eyes. Her words were like wind blowing on their faces. It was unheard.
"Welcome back, Sakura," Naoko and Rika greeted her when she opened the door.
"I'm back," she said and plopped down on her bed. Rika took her bag and put it on her table as Naoko opened the window to let the fresh air came into the room.
"You seem moody today," Rika stated as a matter of fact.
"Not talking. You can start nagging at me later. I want to sleep," Sakura waved her hand and put a pillow on her head before Rika started nagging at her about the correct manners of a lady and the head of the clan. She was always upright about those things when Naoko was more laidback compared to Rika.
"Let her sleep, Rika. Today's Valentine's Day. It must be the usual traffic jam in front of the entrance of the class," Naoko smirked as Rika looked at her disapprovingly.
Syaoran
Everyone was looking at him with either a knowing smile or a jealous look on their faces. He was walking with all the chocolates in six big bulging plastic bags. Some of the boxes even made a jump out of the suffocating plastic bags. It was the same in the train too. A few kids came looking at him as if he was doing something interesting when he was all tired out from lugging the chocolates. Some even took the chocolates that took depart from the plastic bags. He could care less. He never cared actually. He did not even remember who had given him the chocolates. He just took the chocolates when the girls gave them to him. He just remembered blushing girl and bowing head after confessing their undying love. No one stuck in his head except one girl and she did not even give him a chocolate to celebrate the day. He could not leave the chocolates at the campus or give them to someone else. The fan girls would feel offended and started harassing him with questions the next day. That would be more troublesome than bringing the chocolates all back home.
He could not even reach the doorknob and his muscles were all aching from all the heavy lifting. So, he did the easiest way he could think of. He pressed his shoulder on the door bell and waited for someone to come open it for him. He knew his brother was home. His car was in the garage and he could hear him cursing about something. He must be home.
The door opened after a few moments and what came out from his mouth was not a welcome back. His brother looked at the plastic bags and then looked at him with a disbelieving look, "What the hell?"
"Valentine's Day," Syaoran answered before his brother started harassing him with questions. He was always like that. A very overprotective brother. He could never hate his brother for that. He had protected him since he was just a little kid. His mother, Nadeshiko Kinomoto passed away when he was four. She was a beautiful woman, kind and friendly to boot. Since then, his brother was his mother's replacement. His father was the infamous Fujitaka Kinomoto. The most well-known archeologist in the whole world. He was usually busy at the archeology site. So, it was hard to see his father but when they did, they talked about a lot of things. So, right then, it was only him and Touya at home.
"So, that's why there are so many deliveries since this morning. The bell kept ringing. I felt like breaking the bell already. Why the hell are you bringing back more of those dreadful things?" Touya pointed at the plastic bags in Syaoran's both hands. Three on each hand. Having three hot men living in the house did not help either. The deliveries were tripled and Touya was the one at home, accepting the deliveries. Syaoran might had the ideas what profanities had come out from his mouth and mostly what the delivery man might have to endure with the very hard-headed, tired and annoyed man. He just came back from his three-day conference in Osaka and his well-needed sleep was interrupted. Of course, he was mad.
"I can't just leave them there. It would be annoying tomorrow if rumor is spread," Syaoran explained as he walked into the house. There were no more places to put the plastic bags as the tables were all covered with boxes full of chocolates. He dumped the plastic bags on the floor and stretched his aching hands. Touya did not even bother to help since he hated when Syaoran brought back something home. That something could be presents, animals or people. He was always suspicious of them. He knew his little brother was a little handsome but he hated when people come close to him because of his looks. Especially those fan girls that had no shame and stalked him like there was no tomorrow. Those were the type that he hated the most. They go all gaga on him and started screaming as if his brother was an idol. Touya felt that the evil girls were invading his brother's privacy and modesty all together. He needed to protect his brother from those evil and shameless girls. Syaoran even had his boxer stolen. That was the last straw. Touya made sure they could not even step on the pavement of the house after that. Syaoran may not have said anything but he knew better than to let them take advantage of his silence.
Syaoran took out a chocolate out of the plastic bags and sat on the couch, watching what on the news when Touya asked, "What are you doing with that?"
"I'm eating it, of course. What else am I going to do with it? Smear it on my body?" Syaoran asked playfully but Touya shivered, knowing that the fan girls would be happy to do that to him.
"You're not eating even a single of these. Who knows what they put in them? I'm throwing these all out," Touya took the chocolate Syaoran had in his hands and threw it into the box and quickly discarded all the chocolates as Syaoran sighed deeply, "Fine, do what you like."
It was always like this. He would never let him have anything from the fan girls or to be exact, any girl. Well, he did not even want the gifts, so he had never argued with Touya's reasoning. While Touya as busy throwing all the chocolates into the dumpster, even the ones which were for him and Fujitaka, Syaoran was reminded of what Sakura had said to him.
She was right. He never sincerely smiled at people. He was too guarded to smile from his heart. He had a hard time adjusting to people flocking around him. But he could not help but basking in the attention that people had given to him. He did not know what the people were thinking about him and that made him uneasy. Some might like being with him, others might find him unlikable. His past did not help either but he tried to be seen as a calm and friendly guy. Though never in her eyes. She ignored him from the first day he set his eyes on her in Junior High. He loved her determined emerald eyes that never faltered even when someone insulted her. But those beautiful eyes never glanced his way even when he purposely heightened his voice just to get her attention. She looked his way only on the first day of school, accidentally of course. After that, she never looked at him unless he made himself known to her to either insult or make fun of her but she never said anything. She only looked at him with determined eyes, never saying a word.
She only spoke when she needed to order him to do something. Usually indirectly to him. Just like this morning. She said to make way for her but she never said to whom that was entitled to. It was either to him or the fan girls blocking her way. He saw how the girls kept pushing her out of the way but he did nothing. He liked seeing the anger she had in her eyes. It was the indicator that he existed in her world. His heart ached a bit when she gave that chocolate to the professor. She never gave anything out. When she did, it was never to him. Maybe that was why he was kind of offended. The people around her always had a hard time trying to get to know her but she did nothing to make friend. She was always with the popular crowd. Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu and Takashi. He was friend with Eriol but the others never seemed to like him that much. He knew why actually. He made fun of their dear cousin and friend. Of course, they felt the need to put their guard on.
Having met her made him a little less concerned of what people thought of him. He loved the way she carried herself, not trying to impress anybody and just did what she liked. It was refreshing seeing her doing all the unthinkable. Like speaking honestly to a teacher when she did nothing wrong. People tried bullying her since she was so quiet. She was the future head of the Li clan and people were jealous of her. She had the power to turn the table on them but she did nothing back to the people bullying her. He wanted to be like her but that was only wishful thinking. He was a coward at heart. Even if he did not like something, he never said anything. Looking back at the memories, he realized something. He thought he hated her guts and her nonchalant behavior but it was the other way round, he was unpredictably attracted to her. Oh God, the sudden revelation.
"Hey, are you okay? What's with that look? Don't tell me you're mad I threw all that away," Touya looked at the horrified look Syaoran had on his face. He did not have to be that horrified. Every year was the same. He would throw the chocolates before Syaoran could even have a bite. What made a difference now?
"Touya-ni," Syaoran looked at his brother and grabbed his sleeve. Touya frowned at his little brother's weird behavior and flicked his forehead. Syaoran did not get mad as usual which was weird as well. Syaoran rubbed his forehead and looked at Touya again, "What have I done?"
"You didn't make a girl pregnant, are you?" Touya was horrified. His brother's modesty and chastity. Oh, God! Don't take his future away just because of a girl. That was why he hated the fan girls. They used all methods to get into his pants.
"NO! Of course not! I'm not that stupid," Syaoran said as Touya raised his brow as if asking him to elaborate. As if Syaoran would do that. His brother may be his guardian but his life was still his and his alone.
"I think I've fallen in love," Syaoran said after he calmed himself from Touya's absurd accusation. Touya was silent for a moment but came to his senses after the words completely delivered and processed into his brain. He double-checked he did not hear it wrong.
"Can you repeat back what you'd said?" Touya asked, still did not believe what his little brother had said.
"I've fallen in love," Syaoran said again, this time pulling Touya's ear to hear it correctly.
"You have got to be kidding me!" the horrified look on his face could not express the terror he had felt in his heart. Syaoran was a little taken aback with his brother's reaction but said nothing.
Author's Note: I'm trying to update all my stories right now... but only one chapter a week... and it will be in sequential update that I've wrote in my profile... sorry for inconvenience... NO PROMISES! Thanks to Soulwriter317, make me laugh, , meatbunluver, GrossGirl18, DN Angel and Cardcaptor Sakura, vanillaprincess, AyameRose, Suikahime and the-writing-vampire for reviewing... I LOVE YOU GUYS! =D