AN: Here's the next revised chapter. I'm keeping my original thank yous cause they're important to me.
A big shout out to all my reviewers – I love you all!
DaShyGurl – I'm glad you liked it, and don't worry I will send you emails when I update! And I can't promise Sakura will always be on time for her other Job!
linda-liu – thank you, I am glad you like it.
AnimeObsessionFantasy – I'm glad it is interesting; I hope that it continues to be interesting.
sato onigiri – it might well be a big boom, but I'm not saying anything more, thank you for reviewing
myREEN n' RAAYneer – I'm glad you like it and find it interesting, here's the next chapter.
Kari Hiiragizawa – err Kawaii assassins? Thank you for the review, but my day has been relatively chocolate less; there is none in the house!
Kelly - thanks you for the review, hope this is a quick enough update.
Also thank you to everyone who read and didn't review, and I hope you review next time!
Also a quick warning, this chapter involves a rape scene, it's not graphical, but I felt that I should warn you before you proceed with the chapter.
Ok I'll shut up now!
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran both work as assassins for 'The Wolves'. One day they are partnered up, and instantly hate each other. But what happens when their feelings for each other change? What happens when something in both their lives changes, forcing them to choose between life or love?
Disclaimer - I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters associated with it, they are all property of Clamp. I just borrow them and make their lives more interesting!
Chemicals Between Us
Chapter One: First meeting
Sakura woke with a start, her alarm clock beeping away furiously in her ear. Turning it off with a thump she rolled out of bed and stretched. It was 6am and time to get up and train as she did at 6am every morning.
She changed into a pair of sweatpants, a white tank top and her favourite running shoes. She grabbed her water bottle before she left, making sure to lock the door behind her.
The morning was still cold and fresh, the sun was slowly starting to rise and a thin blanket of mist hung over the city, bathing it in an air of calm. The roads where still empty, and Sakura felt as if she was the only person stupid enough to be up this early.
She headed down to the park, stretching her tired limbs on the way. She started running when she passed the first set of gates. The park was one of her favourite places to run, this early in the morning, she barely passed a soul apart from the odd runner or dog walker. This was possible one of the few times in the day when she was free from the stresses of her job. She was still free and the bonds that tied her to earth were non-existent. It was the only time were she could be herself and didn't have to put an act on for the sake of appearances.
Sakura jogged through the park, her footsteps and heartbeat in synch. There was nothing around her except for the murmur of the birds and the wind in the trees. But suddenly her finely tuned senses kicked in. Someone was behind her, matching her running pace, she speeded up and listened carefully as her followers pace quickened.
Her senses were on fire. Deep in her heart she knew it might be nothing, just someone matching her pace with no cruel intentions in mind, but at the same time there was the risk that whoever was behind her was not a harmless runner, just like herself.
Sakura stopped at the nearest park bench and proceeded stretched, ready to defend herself if need be. She watched the potential follower jog past, giving her a friendly smile as she passed. Sakura felt her heartbeat slow slightly and her nerves calm. The runner was female, probably about 18, and just looking for someone to talk to. Sakura had seen her many a day before now and often talked to her. But the thrill of running had gone from her, and the freedom she had experienced had escaped. Turning on her heel she headed home, despondent and disappointed.
Arriving home she locked the door and threw her keys down next to the phone. She wandered into the kitchen and grabbed some juice and a cereal bar before heading into her training room in the basement of the house.
She put on some heavy music with an energetic beat, living alone had its advantages, and no neighbour to complain about the noise was one of them. She stretched and pushed a few weights, waiting for the familiar burn to pulse through her muscles. She started punching and kicking the punch bag, putting all her energy behind each punch and kick. Once she felt calm enough she turned to her weapons cabinet and removed her most prized possession, her mothers sword. Passed on to her after her mother had died. Her strength and her compassion all came from this sword. It was her soul.
Sakura emerged about an hour later, tank top sticking to her like a second skin. She turned the shower on, waiting for it to get hot, almost scalding. Grabbing a towel from her room she stopped to pick up the clothes from the night before. There was almost no blood on them but she could see his greasy prints on them. She threw them in the bin in disgust and walked back into the bathroom determined to wash away the memory of his hands on her.
She stepped into the shower, the hot water instantly brining her skin up pink. She washed herself furiously, trying to remove the stench and grime that had been smeared on her the previous night, trying to wash the memory away of his hands roaming her body.
She hated it when they touched her, it made her skin crawl. To them she was nothing but a fresh piece of meat, maybe dangerous, but fresh. She hated it when they tried to take advantage of her; it brought back too many painful memories.
-- Flashback --
"No, no, leave me alone," yelled a 16-year-old Sakura. "Please just let me go"
The two men who had pursued her and caught her paid no attention. One of them clamped his hand over her mouth and she could taste the salty sweat on his palm. She could feel their hands roam over her body, touching her in places she didn't want them to touch. That she hadn't given them permission to touch.
She heard the fabric rip as they tore away her shirt, and felt them as they pulled at her trousers. She shut her eyes and let the hot tears roll down her face, trying to block out the weight of them on top and the pain that was spreading through her body.
Once Nadeshiko found out who had raped her daughter, they didn't live long, after all at the time she was one of the top assassins in the country. But the damage was already done and Sakura was no longer the person she used to be. It was after the incident that Nadeshiko took her under her wing and taught her everything she knew until she died, three years later.
-- End Flashback --
Sakura opened her eyes, her tears mixed with the hot water that streamed down her face. She gasped for air among the steamy atmosphere of the bathroom as she fumbled for the control to turn the shower off. She grabbed her towel and climbed out of the shower, curled up on the bathroom floor. Trying to push the memories out of her head.
She had never trusted a man since she was raped, and it was something that was not going to happen anytime soon. That was one of the reasons she hated her job so much.
But the killing was addictive.
The revenge was even better.
Across town a young man stood on the balcony of an expensive flat. He felt the breeze blow against his face and for a moment he was free for the path he had chose, free for the killing he did for a living.
He sighed remembering what he had seen last night. A 20-year-old girl who killed for a living to exact her revenge on men. A 20 year old who didn't have much of a childhood. A 20 year old who didn't have a way out.
"In some ways we are very similar" he thought to himself.
He turned his back on the city and walked back into his apartment, turning away from the corruption on the street. He shut the balcony door behind him, the metal runners moving smoothly and almost silently, isolating himself from the busy streets below.
Sakura left her house in her black leathers. Her bike was her baby, and the fasted way to get anywhere. She pulled her hair back, scrapping the auburn locks out of her face before putting her helmet on. She pulled out of the driveway with a screech, leaving a lingering smell of burnt rubber.
Sakura raced through the busy 9am traffic with ease. She arrived outside 'Lunar', the restaurant where she worked, which was owned by her best friend and husband.
She parked her bike round the back and hurried in. It had been a couple of days since she had been back and she was eager to see Tomoyo and Eriol. They kept her grounded, stopped her from getting into a death rage. She loved them both, they were the only two people she kept in contact with, the only remaining links to her past.
"Ohayo Sakura" greeted Eriol, kissing her on the cheek.
"Ohayo Eriol" she replied, smiling at him. "Where's Tomoyo?"
"She's out on the front of house polishing the espresso machine...again" he joked.
Sakura rolled her eyes at his comment, Tomoyo was well known for being tidy, but she was almost neurotic when it came to polishing the espresso machine. Walking out front she smiled.
"Sakura" she greeted happily.
"Hey Tomi – see you're busy cleaning the espresso machine again" she replied.
Tomoyo gave Sakura a tight hug. It was always the same when she returned from a hit. Tomoyo lived in fear that one night Sakura wouldn't return, that the man to be hunted would be the hunter.
"So what you doing in work so early?" asked Tomoyo already knowing the answer
"I have a meeting at 12 this afternoon!" she stated broadly. "So I figured if I came in two hours early you might let me go two hours early."
"Err Sakura, you have to be there by 12 correct?"
"Yup" she replied.
"If you finish at 12 how do you expect to be on the other side of town the same time you leave here?" she asked, waiting for the reaction.
"Shit" murmured Sakura. "Err ok can I leave at 11 and then do some extra hours later on this week?" she pleaded.
"Only cause you're my best friend" said Tomoyo.
"Cheers Tomi you're a star" she replied smiling widely.
Tomoyo just smiled back, and once Sakura had left the smile changed to a sad one. She hated what her friend did for a living, but like Sakura had said so many times before, she couldn't leave, and they wouldn't let her.
Sakura dashed out of the restaurant at 11am. She had to make a quick stop home and change into something a little less grimy, a little smarter. She knew that they had said casual, but their definition of casual differed big time from hers.
15 minutes later she was out of the house wearing a knee length denim skirt, slip on sandals and a black short-sleeved cargo shirt. She got into the car and immediately took the sandals off; she couldn't bear to drive in them if she didn't have too.
She arrived outside the large offices about 40 minutes later, leaving her 5 minutes to make her way to the penthouse offices at the top of the building. She stood in the elevator watching the lights changed as she neared the 34th floor.
The elevator pinged and she made her way through to the penthouse office. The secretary nodded at her to let her know she was expected, but she was still expected to pass through security and to surrender her weapons. She kept her head held high, times like this demanded confidence and surety
Entering the room she was immediately thrown off by the presence of someone else. So this was the proposition they had in mind? She knew its couldn't be anything else, normally it would only be her, on her own in a room with a mirror. They sat on the other side of the mirror, always able to see her, but never letting her see them.
"Miss Kinomoto" said a voice through the speaker. "Please sit"
She sat, showing her obedience. She still couldn't see him properly, he was stood in the shadows, his features obscured. She felt almost vulnerable, she needed a weapon, something to defend herself. Stupid metal detectors and security guards/
"Miss Kinomoto" came a different voice. "We would like to introduce you to someone. Li Syaoran."
The man in the chair turned around. Sakura kept her face still, determined not to show him that she was shocked. It was the man she had seen last night. He had been watching her. And that could only mean one thing.
"If you are thinking of partnering me up with him, forget it. You know I refuse to work with anyone but myself." She said standing up.
Syaoran sat there, no expression on his face, he knew there would be this outburst, and they had told him to expect it.
"Miss Kinomoto, we know you prefer working on your own, but for now you will work with Mr Li." Replied the same voice steeled with determination.
Sakura was outraged; they knew how she felt about working with a partner, a male partner.
"No" she replied. "You know I will not work with him, and you know my reasons why. I ask the council to reconsider their decision."
"The councils decision is final," said the voice, the anger beginning to show.
"I don't care if your decision is final, you know full well that in my contract I said I would not work with anyone else. It is up to you to honour that contract." She replied in a firm voice, her blood pressure slowly rising.
"MISS KINOMOTO" shouted the voice. "You will work with Mr Li whether you like it or not, regardless of what your contract says. You have two weeks to get to know each other before you go on your first mission together. From now on you will be sharing a flat, you will eat together and work together. And if you do not like this arrangement then you can leave, and you know what that will mean. Do you understand me?" He threatened.
Sakura sat down, visibly angry. There was no way in hell she was going to get out of this. They had had her held on a tighter reign than she had thought.
"Yes sir, I will carry out the councils orders" she replied.
"Good, now that is settled the address and keys for your new house are with the secretary, she knows who you are and what to give you. Please collect these items on the way out. And Miss Kinomoto, another outburst like this will not be tolerated." He replied.
The lights by the glass dimmed and Sakura knew that they had left.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out" she murmured to inaudibly to the men behind the glass.
Syaoran looked at his partner in amusement. She was full of fire that was for sure. But at the same time he wasn't sure if he liked her, but he certainly liked her killing style. It was rare to find any good female assassins, and just like her he refused to work with male assassins.
Sakura stormed out of the room, heading towards the secretary's desk.
"Kinomoto-san," said the secretary.
"Asami," she greeted bowing as well
"I take it you are hear for the keys for the new apartment." She said politely.
"Yes" she growled, not happy to be reminded of the agreement.
"I take it that you are not happy with their decision?" She asked handing her the keys.
"Stupid old men" she grumbled.
Asami cracked a smile. Sakura had been the one who always popped into visit her when things where slow. However whilst in the building Asami knew that Sakura was to be treated with the up most respect.
"I'll see you later Asami." She said. Turning around she shouted at Li. "Oi, Li, lets go." she barked
Syaoran just nodded.
Sakura was driving down the highway like a woman possessed. She was royally pissed of with them this time, they knew why she worked alone. And of all the people they could have partnered her with he had to be male.
She growled as she over took a car, causing a blare from the car behind her that had to swerve to avoid her. She smiled at this, if she was pissed, then damn right some other idiot could be.
In a dark room, where there faces where hidden the council had reconvened to discuss their latest mission for both Sakura and Syaoran.
"Will she work with him?" asked one of the men.
"She will have to, she knows if she does not then her life, and those of her friends will be endangered." Replied another.
"What if she does not comply to the councils wishes?" asked another.
"Then she will become the target, we cannot afford to have a rogue assassin!"
-- End Chapter One --
AN: I don't know when I will next be able to update – hopefully Friday when I've finished all my exams! Failing that I'll get the next chapter up within the next week. If you would like me to email you when I update, just tell me and leave your email address.
Please don't forget to review.
Ja
demi-kaijuu
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