.Thank You, Stranger.
Author's Note: First story -smiles- Review appreciated. I mentioned that it's somewhat based on a real life story with a fantasical twist to it so some parts are true, some part I add to make it more story-like though I won't tell which is which –wink wink-.
Disclaimer: Don't own CCS. (whoops, I forgot it during Chapter 1, but there it is now!? XD)
Warning: Minor Language.
Summary: She didn't know about his reputation. He didn't know about her past. They didn't know each other. It was merely a simple request. It was suppose to be only one ride, one short trip around the city, who knew that it would lead to a long journey?
Chapter 3: Soon
2 weeks later…
Shit, shit, shit, he consistently cussed inside his mind as he watched the paramedics pushed in five men that shouldn't be rolling into the hospital. Damn. Mother would not be please, he mentally noted as he noticed three men dress in clothes that yelled 'police officers' in all aspects.
"Mr. Li, may be we talk to you a minute?" one deep brown haired man asked, his face seem gentle and hospitable compare to the other irritated male and glaring female.
"Of course," Syaoran answered, his voice, unlike his mind had been rather calm.
"Right this way, please," the same deep brown haired male spread his arm moving them away from the bustle of the medical staff.
"Mr. Li, we are from Tokyo's police department. I'm Yoshiyuki Terada, and this is my comrades, Katsuya Abe and Chizu Arisu. We like to talk to you about the-"
Yoshiyuki was interrupted as footsteps walked up to the four. A blue haired man walked up in a calm and smiling manner, which equally amounts to Yoshiyuki's presence.
"Excuse me, officers, you'll have to excuse Mr. Li here, he has important business to attend to. I'll be gladly to fill in for him. My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol," spoke the cobalt haired man, a trouble-free smile charmed its way onto his lips.
The officers nodded seeing as it's a reasonable excuse, they allowed him to leave. Before leaving, Syaoran gave a strained smile towards Hiiragizawa and eyes of deep fury flashed. His reward for the hostile look that he gave to the azure haired man was a small smile of reassurance. Knowing what to expect, he stepped out onto the slightly damped ground towards a black limo.
"Mother," he politely acknowledged as he closed the door with a small 'thud'.
Silence greeted him for what seems like eternity as he glanced at his mother's face. His mother, Yelan Li, was known as an ageless beauty, no signs of wrinkles or imperfection on her face. One could not tell that she has five children by just looking at her. Her calm manner of approach and wisdom boosted her popularity amongst the other board members.
Her lip was set in a small thin line as she gazed upon her son, scrutinizing his every movement. No matter how many times or how long his mother stared at him like she's currently doing, he still feels the full throttle effect of her gaze after all these years. Uncomfortably shifting back and forth, he waited for five minutes to past by before he would hear any lecture. Unfortunately for him, five minutes went by agonizingly slow, in which he tried to watch the scenery go by even if he felt her gaze.
"Will you take over?" his mother's dominating stern voice broke the silence. Shifting his gaze to her from the window, he found that she was staring straight ahead instead of piercing a hole into his head.
The question had shocked him more than the fact that she hadn't unleashed her anger out on him. Never, never had he thought that she asked for his thoughts on it, it was more of 'you are going to take over the Clan one day'; never in an asking manner 'will you take over'. He racked his brain to find the right words knowing that his word choices would decide his fate.
"And if I don't?" he found it, or at least he hoped those words were effective.
He glanced as his mother in silence for a few moments waiting. When she spoke, her voice was softer, "your father would've been proud."
She'd done it, she had played dirty. His respect for his mother was slowly slipping from him as he gave his own mother a cold stare. She was on no account to mention his father and the Clan after all these years. After all the years of arguing and rebelling against the Clan, never had she mention his father, but he knew that when she mentioned him, he have no other way, after all it was his-. He sighed.
"I can't promise much," was his cold reply knowing that his mother acknowledged it as an 'I'll do it' and he gazed out the window, hinting that the conversation is over.
His thoughts danced away wanting to be a cheetah, rushing away on its own four legs. He hadn't known that the soon that stupid girl spoke of had already appeared.
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"Do you want to talk about it?" her soft voice broke the comfortable silence that drifted between them for the past ten minutes as they stood side by side, not at all close like couples or friends.
They had returned about fifteen minutes ago and through some weird silent acknowledgement, the two had wordlessly decided to watch the sun set. If you would to ask her, she would've blamed it on him for glancing at the sunset which made her do the same. He, on the other hand, would say that it was her hair glowing in the sun that made him looked past her towards the sun.
She had stood there, watching the red, orange, and yellow glow brilliantly over the horizon. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him and it must've been a pure coincidence because at that moment, he turned around hoping to tell her that he would leave, but their eyes met. Both had lightly leaned against the motorcycle and now their weight was more mounted upon the vehicle; it was a wonder why it hadn't topple over yet.
She glanced at the pair of intense amber brown eyes, truly for the first real time. The first time he had his shades and the encounter awhile back was a swift, slightly embarrassing one on her part, didn't allow either of them the chance. How alike the depth of their eyes are, how protected both of them are yet it was their exposure which tells everything.
She got a glimpsed of the man behind the wheels and had not really expected much, but was surprised to find his eyes so like hers that it scared her. She knew that his situations might've been different, but the glint, the barrier, and the fortification of it all were the same as his amber eyes darkened tremendously.
He suddenly felt a hatred for the woman in front of him. It felt like she could read his soul relentlessly. His fury shaded his vision of her gorgeous emerald eyes so light and innocent that he wouldn't know otherwise behind the guarded shade.
Bringing them back to the present, five minutes had they stared at one another, not knowing when the other would concede until she spoke and the enchantment was over. He gave her an icy blank stare which didn't faze her!
"Your problems, do you want to talk about it?" she repeated, this time more descriptive.
He hated her for trying to read him. He hated her for breaking him down to that one question. He hated her for recognizing his safeguard like it was nothing. He hated her for making him want to tell her. He hated her for everything that's gone wrong in his life. He then hated himself for the next words that erupted from his mouth.
"Listen here, you b----, you don't what the hell you're talking about," he literally growled at her and if he had fangs, he would be baring it out at her like an angered wolf.
"Don't cuss," were the only words she replied with.
Blinking at her in surprised, he was speechless for a small moment before anger rushed back to his body. He lashed out again, venom dripping from each word, "I don't give a damn. You should be glad that I had let you, a stranger, ride with me. You should be glad that I didn't take advantage you like nine tenth of this damn world would. You should be glad that I didn't report you. You should be glad that I haven't torn you to a million pieces yet!"
Expecting her to bark back, envision how stunned he was to see her standing there soaking in each and every word without wincing. People had said that she has this knack for bringing something, whether the good or the bad of someone. Glancing at the chocolate haired man in front of her lashing out at her, she realized that it was true and for some reason, she mentally smiled as her face remained unfazed by his words.
"Say something damn it!" he shouted, his patience getting the better of him and it was another reason to add to the list of why he hated this woman.
"I am grateful and I had already thanked you, what more did you want? This second time, you were the one that offered, might I remind you," she calmly replied mildly surprise at her composure and silently joked to herself, if only I was this calm during my interviews
"Ha! I bet it was the same. Do you want to talk about your stupid little problems too?" he bit out bitterly in a snide voice, "you felt that thrilled, didn't you? You felt that speed that allowed you to wash away your thoughts and worry; didn't you?"
His words hit her like a million bricks, but it was all true. She could snap back at him not fearing how he would perceive her, but when it all comes back, it was true so why waste her anger?
"Yes, I did," was her only response. Though she did not snap, she lowered her head knowing full out the shame that came with admitting it.
"Well, you know what b----? This would be the last time you see me!" he snarled at her before quickly getting onto his bike, "you won't be seeing me anytime soon."
"I believe, it would be soon," was her reply as she glanced at his amber brown eyes again seeing and taking in the rage. He merely growl at her again and drove off without a proper goodbye.
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"…and the lived happily ever after. The end." Finished a young woman, short pig tails braided sloppily.
"Saku, Saku, read more, read more," came the cries of excited little four-five year olds, all spread out, sitting criss-cross apple sauce on the floor.
"Tomorrow, I promise. Story time is over for today," Sakura smiled; still amused at the nickname they'd called her since they hadn't known how to say her name properly, they only utter the first two syllables and the name stuck.
It's been a year since she's became the Story Time Reader for younger children everyday (except Sunday). Parents were glad to have this time to relax and since today was Saturday; they'd deserve it. It's as if she's a daycare lady, but she didn't mind. She loved children and seemingly has a way with them.
Glancing at their sad pouting face, she was about to surrender to them if their parents weren't heading over to pick up their young-ones. Smiling and bowing to the parents, she gave a small wave at the leaving children.
"Good work today," a male's voice appeared from behind her.
Turning around, already knowing who the person is, she gave a small smile and bow with the motion of her head. "Thank you, Yukito."
The said man, with dark jade colored eyes responds to her smile with one of his own. People were amazed once they notice this man for his hair is a light black, dark gray; it was quite difficult to decipher his hair color and after three weeks of asking him and trying to figure it out, Sakura had given up. There was only one word that she could describe him as.
An enigma.
Five years, she worked alongside this man, never really close, but never at a distance. He would open up, telling about his past and his future and be himself. Yet, something in her heart tugged at the thought. It was his eyes; his dark eyes had given her the chills, telling her that something was amiss. She, even now, still stand her ground (in her mind of course) that he was a mystery she won't ever be able to solve.
Heaving a short sigh, she beamed at the passing children. It was half an hour until the library would close up for the night and she glanced around to make sure everything is not out of order. Smiling contently to herself, she returned to the front desk, located in the middle of the Children's Room and right in front of you as you enter through the door.
Silently chattering with Yukito since Tomoyo had already gone home after lunch, and Yue was still upstairs working, Sakura felt a small twitch in her eyebrow. Trying to not disturb their conversation, she quickly closed and opens her eyes. Seeing that it did twitch afterwards, she resumes talking to him about schooling and life in general, but always on the surface, never in depth.
"Why don't you head off now? We only have fifteen minutes left," Yukito politely offered as he saw how tired the girl in front of him looked.
Glancing up at the clock, Sakura nodded and thanked the man. Gathering her supplies, which was only her black bag, she muttered a small 'tell everyone I said goodbye' to Yukito who nodded.
Walking out of the library, she felt the fresh air hit her nose. Autumn has just begun to settle down, she thought as she glances up at the changing colors of the leaves. Enjoying the scent of Autumn, it didn't past her that an engine was revving itself nearby. Blinking to come back to her senses, she noticed that at that spot in the parking lot of the in-between of the library and Tokyo University was a silver motorcycle, its owner holding a frown upon his face.
So soon, huh. She thought as she nonchalantly walked up to the man.
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A/N: Hope you enjoy that: Review please so I could know what I need to improve on! I wanted to thank all who reviewed and now I know which way this story should go.
I hope this chapter may help with a few of the questions you might have since it's sort of a filler; it was extremely difficult for me to write this chapter so please bare with me? And it's sort of rushed so it's not so good.
I'm extremely glad that my writing allowed the reader to question and think. I LOVE that you're asking questions though and I'm going to apologize ahead of time that I might not be able to answer them straight away as to not give away the story! XP
Again, obviously all author(s/ess) would like reviews and this authoress isn't an exception! –smiles-
AND if you want an actual reply to your review, PLEASE (x10395109374543) TELL ME!!! I would gladly give you a more personal answer.
Luv KC