Innocence: A Façade

Chapter: 4

By: Saori

"He won't see you." Syaoran's cold voice shook Sakura out of her day dream of a nice bubble bath, and she looked up at him curiously. "He wouldn't see me either, actually." Syaoran muttered under his breath, a bit irked at his boss. Sakura smiled slyly at his predicament. Sakura seemed to be headed towards the door he had just come through, and he stepped in his way. "I did get a message though- and it's clear you're not to leave my sight."

Sakura growled, and took a stance in front of him, putting the only weapons she had at the moment, her fists, in front of her and he smirked at her seemingly pathetic attempt. It fell from his face when she managed to knock him square in the jaw.

Breath escaped her lungs, and in the next instant she was against the wall, with Syaoran's hand tight around her neck. Instinctively, her hands reached out and she jabbed a finger straight into a pressure point where his neck met his head. They backed away to hold their small wounds.

"I can't stay here." She objected, dropping her hands from her neck to look defiantly up at him. He said nothing but stared at her through his amber eyes- which she hated. "I've got to do my job, and my father will be worried if I don't come home before dark."

"How sweet; what does daddy think you're doing when you're out in the city slaughtering people?" Syaoran mocked her, his voice icy, probably feeling a bit cynical for not being able to stop Sakura's attacks.

She smiled sweetly at him, and then spun her leg to try and knock him to the ground with a round kick, but now he was much more alert, and caught her leg. Instead of spinning her around, which she thoroughly expected, he used his leverage to create a great strain on the bone, her flesh and bones now about to snap and break her leg. Sakura grimaced, and reached up, and enclosed her own hands around his neck, squeezing tightly. Though this act did have its benefits, especially the disgruntled look on Syaoran's face, it put her leg in much more strain, and she was sure it was going to snap in any second.

"I think you should reevaluate this situation." Sakura spoke, trying to make her labored breathing even. "Sure, you maybe able to break my leg, but I hold your life in my hands." His face was turning darker in color now, and she couldn't help but laugh, which made him angry enough to pull more on her leg which resulted in a little but deafening pop. The sound scared her so much, she instantly released him, and he let her leg go.

There wasn't a bone sticking out of the skin, and it didn't seem to be broken, so Sakura relaxed. It wasn't before long that Sakura was glaring up at him again. "You shouldn't have come so easily if you didn't want to stay here. What kind of assassin are you anyway?"

She really wanted to hit him again, but knew his skill matched her own, and didn't feel like letting him actually accomplish in breaking her leg this time. "I was just about to ask you the same thing; what kind of boss doesn't trust his top assassin?" His eyes flashed.

He chose not to respond to her question, trying to save what hospitality was left in him so that she could leave him alone. "Well you're not leaving this apartment, so get used to it. Bathroom is to the left, and the bedroom is further back to the left, kitchen is to the right, and the dining room is attached to it."

"I already told you, I can't stay here," Sakura tried to let go of her anger, but it seemed to always be on full capacity around this guy. "Oh, and I just might add, there's going to be angels in hell before I sleep in your bed!"

"Well, Sakura when you die, I guess pigs will also fly won't they?" Syaoran asked sarcastically, not in the mood for her constant nagging. He was so sick of high school girls, truly. "Besides, you can trust me when I say I won't be using it and when you're finally gone from my apartment, I'll burn the sheets and buy new ones."

Sakura bit her lip, obviously thinking to herself. "I'll stay." He regarded her with a small raise of the eyebrows. "On one condition; you have to let me go home and reassure my dad, and I'm going to need to pick up a few things." Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but Sakura kept talking. "Before you say that's more than one, I'll just make a list. I'll also need to go to school everyday, and I'm going to need to go home every night to pick up my next assignment."

"I don't think so. If I'm not allowed to get any other assignments, I don't think it's fair that you get to have some fun." Syaoran snapped at her, and she gave him a dirty look. She muttered something under her breath, which he didn't catch and his scowl grew deeper.

"You think it's fun?" She asked contemptuously, frowning at him. "I think it's sickening, all those cruel men out there killing competitors and business partners for their own selfish needs, raping girls young enough to be their grandchildren. I won't allow my city to become so far corrupted that no one can feel safe as they walk the streets."

"You really are naïve, aren't you?" Syaoran asked, disgusted. "You think all those men are bad? Who are you working for? Perhaps, you've been fooled like the child that you are, and you are being hired by people trying to kill their so-called 'competitors' and 'business partners'."

"No." Sakura stated firmly. "I've never taken an innocent's life, and I don't plan to." She gave him a glare as he chuckled humorlessly. "I know I'm on the good side, and since I've never met you, I'd say you're on the bad; unless, you just happen to be a bastard on another good side."

"Close," Syaoran smirked. "I'm just a bastard on the bad side." Sakura started to walk away, knowing she could do nothing to stop his annoying chatter, but his next words stopped her. "Whatever your conception of the 'bad' side is anyway; I just get the name, and kill them. No questions- just payment."

"I really wish I could have gotten your name on one of my cards." Sakura growled, not believing she could be trapped in the same apartment with this heartless man. "I wouldn't have hesitated at all, anyone with their head on right could tell your no innocent."

"Who are you to decide, Mrs. Perfect?" Syaoran asked, growling menacingly. "You don't know what I've done, who I've met, why I'm here. You don't know anything about me. So what gives you the right to decide what's wrong and what's right? You're a nobody- just a child with good aim on a puny gun."

"My gun!" Sakura cried, realizing she hadn't seen it since she had been captured the first time. "What did you do with it!" She suddenly became very frantic, and their argument just a few moments earlier was completely forgotten. "Give it back; I swear, if you don't I really will kill you."

"You could try." Syaoran dismissed her threat, and she was momentarily shocked; she had never seen somebody who was not the least bit intimidated by her when she was her true self (discounting Tomoyo). "It's on the table in the den, don't blame me when you don't even realize that your most valuable procession as an assassin- your weapon –is gone. I don't know how you even made it so far in this life."

"You took one look at me, and check-marked me off as a sweet little high school girl who is absent-minded and weak." Sakura seethed, wanting to jump across the kitchen table, tackle him to the ground, and take his life with her bare hands. "Like you said- You don't know me. It's funny that you get so uptight when someone is judging you, and then you turn around and have already accomplished in giving them a grade! You're a hypocrite."

He didn't get to respond as she swirled in the other direction to go and retrieve her prized gun. He didn't understand her obsession with it. I mean, sure it had a nice decorative design of cherry blossoms floating softly around the handle, but it was only a six-shot break-action revolver. He wondered if she made up for her measly gun with perfect aim and a quick reload.

Sakura held her gun to her chest, close to heart, and sighed in relief. It was the only thing she had left of him at the moment, it was her promise keeper, and she sure as hell didn't want to lose it. She growled lightly at the thought of it in her captor's hands. Their feelings from each other had gone from curious dislike to extreme hate. She had never met anyone so… so… She didn't have a clue how to describe him in one word.

She really would need some help making it through the night.

Author's Note- That's all for now. I want to get that up, because it was quite a development on their relationship. Plus, I finally have more of a plot forming. Now I just need to sit, listen to music, and become inspired with a full plot. Be back with more late.r Please review!