Disclaimer: Sad to say, CCS is not mine.
On bended knees, I pray. Hoping the place that was once occupied by him would now rightfully be mine.
Chapter 2: Bouquet
"Just another minute…" Li Syaoran mumbled and buried his face deeper into Sakura's hair as they sat on the isolate park bench, cuddling.
If there was one thing the people in Tomoeda talked about, it was about Kero's Flowers' owner, Sakura Kinomoto and the expanding business tycoon, Li Syaoran.
According to the various waggling tongues, the suave Li Syaoran swept Sakura off her feet when he entered Tomoeda, breaking as many hearts as well as capturing many's attention. They were the perfect couple, even better than Tai could have done, thought the majority.
. . .
There was nothing this sweet couple didn't find interest in talking about, except Tsuraga Tai. Whenever his name is mentioned, Sakura would immediately close off. Those eyes could lose their glitter and her mouth would become a firm thin line. Ever since then, it was an unspoken rule that they should not speak of that subject.
All Syaoran knew through Tomoyo Daidouji, Sakura's best friend, was that they had a big row.
"She hated him ever since that day he died. You won't ever be like him, will you?" She asked. He nodded in agreement.
Sakura hated him for cheating on her. Hated him for every lie he told.
He sighed. He couldn't even buy roses on dates because of that. He really wondered, what happened?
"Sarky, where are we going tomorrow?"
Green eyes rolled around.
"The beach! Didn't you ask me to bring you there?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot."
"You forget all the time, be it today or tomorrow! I want dinner now, let's go."
. . .
The car door closed as a pissed-off couple climbed in.
The beach was about the length of a swimming pool, with rubbish littered all over the land.
"Told you the beach wasn't fun… Tomodea's beach is nothing compared to France's."
"Well, then let's go France someday."
"Seriously. Promise?"
"Promise."
Amber mahogany stared into shimmering emeralds. The earth stopped spinning, the time stopped ticking and a magical silence enveloped them.
They were the only two in the world. Nothing could have prevented this moment, not even fate.
She looked away broke the minute long silence, just like then.
"Did you ever think about our future?"
He didn't answer, the wisps of dark hair falling over his face.
Syaoran was still staring at her.
She turned back.
"What do you see?"
He grinned cheekily.
"What do you see?" Syaoran retorted
"Hey, this is serious." Her eyes were boring holes into him.
"You, always and only you." He leaned forward to meet her lips.
He rubbed her shoulder affectionately and finally faced away towards the windshield. "You. I only see you." Only to turn back at the last moment, lips ready for a kiss.
"Sakura..you are the only one. Believe me." He whispered into her lips, hair tousled between his fingers.
You are the only one.
"No…no…" A lone tear trickled down her cheeks as everything came rushing back to her.
Syaoran cast a worried look over. "What is it, Sakura?"
She covered her face as she wept silently, sinking down into the seat.
Syaoran took her in his arms.
Her fists against his chest, her face next to his neck.
She shivered lightly, her voice hoarse.
'How…how could I hate the one I love? If…if we could go back, Tai, and start once more…"
He stiffened.
The calming warmth left her. She looked up. All she saw were disappointed eyes.
"You never did forget him, did you?" Syaoran asked quietly.
She could only see the blind tears falling, drop after drop.
"I…don't want to share my place with someone else. It isn't fair to you or me. Perhaps we should just stop, Kinomoto."
The engine revved to life.
Drive to the Kinomoto household was quiet.
As the car purred to a stop, Sakura leaned forward to peck him on the lips.
"If we could go back…Tai…"
Out of reflex, he turned away.
"I'm sorry."
She got out of his car shakily and walked towards the building. After she disappeared from his line of vision, Syaoran banged his head against the steering wheel.
A loud honk resonated through the street.
. . .
Weeks passed.
Yukito only shook his head as Syaoran appeared time and again in Kero's Flowers.
"Give her some time." He advised.
While Tomoyo told him the gist of Sakura and her boyfriend, giving him that infuriatingly mysterious smile.
. . .
Sakura realized she had been using Syaoran like a love automated cash transition machine time and again. Asking, begging for more each time. Until she realized Syaoran had no more to offer. All the love he could offer was already used up by her.
No matter how much she battered, how much she kicked the machine, she realized that it was futile.
. . .
"Tomoyo…I always thought Syaoran was a fling. But then I had been having this dream of them drowning and yelling at me for help. Who is more important to me? Who?" Sakura cried in the phone.
Tomoyo sighed. Sakura has been avoiding Syaoran for weeks now and she has somehow turned into the middleman. She had to be the one telling stories, mopping up tears and comforting the both of them.
"Sakura…open your eyes. You can't reason around anymore. I think you might just have fallen for Syaoran. "
. . .
Syaoran rearranged the bouquet of flowers in his arms. Roses of colours twirled around each other, clasped tightly. He approached the biggest tree where Sakura told him to wait. He cleared his throat when he saw the flutter of a skirt from behind it. Sakura.
"Hey." He leaned against the opposite side.
"Hey."
Silence ensued.
"I-"
"I-"
Syaoran smiled. "It's okay, you first."
He could literally hear Sakura blush.
"Perhaps you don't want to listen anymore. But Syaoran, I believe that at any time, I could only have one important person."
"It was over something really stupid. Just some lovers' quarrel. He used to be a huge playboy too. Perhaps that was why I didn't know about his others.
But if he was still here, I might not have met you at all. I was afraid, I couldn't give you enough."
Syaoran walked over to the other side. Sakura gasped. Pink, red, white, green, peach. Roses of every colours were there. He hugged her.
The bouquet of flowers was crushed between them, petals ripped, falling all over the ground.
"Listen."
The wind whistled through the leaves. The crickets chattered quietly.
"Tsuraga–san must be listening. Just say whatever you like."
He felt his shirt getting moist. Sakura was weeping silently.
"Tai, I'm sorry."
"From now on, I will be the only one giving you roses, no one else. And this time, I won't make any more mistakes."
The white roses were in full bloom.
Sorry for the late update! Happy White Day! Tick and Tock.