AN: Hello! Another update in less than a month? It's the kwasiest thing I've eva hewd! (SN:….so I used to watch Digimon Tamers & one of the characters said that in an episode & I swear every time I hear someone say "That's the craziest thing I ever heard" I bust out into giggles b/c I hear it like how I wrote it in my head!]
This chapter is probably the longest chapter I've ever written o_o. I'm surprised I was able to put it out so quickly but I had to sacrifice some sleep for it (it's going on 3am again!) But I think it was worth it. Everything comes full circle at this point
After this, I'll try to update as soon as I can. I just got a new part time job at this super cool hibachi/sushi restaurant so that will be taking up a lot of my time but it'll only make me look forward to coming home to write!
Thank you once again for all of the reviews & alerts and just for reading! If you're happy then that makes me happy! & if you're not….then I'll work harder to make things better :).
Mkay I'm done rambling! Enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer
I do not own any of the CCS characters - CLAMP has that right. [I do own this plot and a couple original peeps though^_^]
Summary:
Syaoran has been living a pretty comfortable life until a girl he meets during a spontaneous Spring Break road trip shows up on his door step a week later, turning his comfortable world upside down.
Chapter 10: Expect The Unexpected
"Hey, have you seen that girl recently?"
"I don't know, Touya. I've seen a lot of girls." Yukito laughed. He continued to wrap a band around a freshly cut bouquet of flowers.
Touya rolled his eyes, "Yuki, you know who I'm talking about. She stands outside while her boyfriend comes in here to pick out some flowers for their wedding or whatever. She looks really familiar."
He peaked through the closed blinds, the declining sun casting an orange glow over the buildings outside. A single car passed by on the road.
"You think so? I've never really gotten a good look at her. She did come into the shop once though when you weren't here but she stayed near the front of the store."
Yukito took off his apron and placed it on a shelf behind the counter and walked towards the door where Touya was waiting.
They exited the little shop and Yukito locked the door behind them before they set off for Touya's car.
"I could be wrong. But it's a little weird that she doesn't come inside when I'm here. I caught her staring at me a few times from the window."
Yukito chuckled, "Maybe she's afraid of you."
Touya shot him a glare. "Whatever. Women are weird."
"If you say so, Touya." Yukito laughed.
They reached the cemetery within minutes. Before leaving the store, Yukito had arranged a beautiful bouquet of cherry & peach blossoms to lay upon Nadeshiko's grave. They'd been meaning to pay their respects earlier in the week but didn't have the time. Spring Break would be ending soon which meant that their busy schedules would continue to grow. Touya turned the car off and was about to get out when someone caught his eye. The both of them sat in silence as the girl they'd just been speaking of walked by the spot where they'd parked. In her hands she held the flowers they'd sold to her fiancé earlier that afternoon. He came by to finalize the flowers that would be used for the wedding and asked for another bouquet for his fiancé.
Yukito looked over at his friend who's eyes were steadily watching as the girl traversed amongst the many graves. They both remained still as she knelt down and placed the flowers in front of a tombstone before quickly walking back towards her waiting vehicle.
When the car had driven out of sight, Touya and Yukito exited and slowly walked towards the grave where she'd left the flowers.
The tombstone seemed fairly new compared to those that had been there throughout the years. As if mentally in tuned with each other, both boys turned to look at one another upon reading the name of the deceased.
"I remember her now." Touya said quietly.
Yukito nodded, "I haven't seen her in almost 2 years. I guess she ended up going away to school."
Touya knelt down to the grave. Removing one single cherry blossom from the bunch, he placed it within the group of flowers that the girl had left before standing.
They walked on in silence towards the place where Nadeshiko was laid to rest.
"I wonder how Sakura is doing."
Touya continued to walk in silence until they reached his mother's grave. He lay the flowers down and closed his eyes, reciting a quick prayer.
"I'm sure she's doing just fine. She's pretty tough."
Yukito nodded in agreement , "Definitely a Kinomoto. " he smiled. They walked back to the car in silence, Touya's thoughts drifting back to the girl.
x-x-x-x-x
Meiling sat by the window, the weather was definitely reflecting her mood as another streak of lightning bolted across the darkened sky. Rain poured down and there seemed to be no real end in sight.
Syaoran's 4 sisters sat on the floor of the guest bedroom speaking amongst themselves. Initially they'd come to keep hercompany but all that really consisted of was speculation if Syaoran really had gotten married on his spring break adventure and which form of torture they would use on him first if it turned out that it was true.
Her phone lit up and pulsed with vibrations. As much as she really didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, she definitely needed an excuse to leave the room without his sisters following her. She excused herself quietly and answered the call.
"Hey,"
"Hey yourself! Why do you sound so gloomy?" the voice recited loudly.
"Am I really that obvious?" Meiling sighed and continued to walk down the hall. Emi let out a small laugh, "Yes, you are. Now what's up? You're supposed to be enjoying yourself! What happened?"
Meiling walked into the nearest room and closed the door behind her. She headed straight for the bed and threw herself onto it.
"It's Syaoran!" she mumbled into the sheets.
She heard Emi gasp and she rolled her eyes. Her friend had always been so over dramatic about everything.
"Oh no, what happened?"
Meiling took a deep breath and exhaled, "He's married!" she whined.
There was complete silence from the other end of the line. No doubt she was trying to comprehend what Meiling had just told her.
"Really, Meiling? That's just crazy talk. What makes you think that?" she laughed.
Meiling continued to talk into the pillow, "I overheard him say it over the phone. I called him and I guess he answered by mistake but I heard him saying something about 'Well you did marry me, blah blah blah.' She cried into the phone.
"Meiling—get a hold of yourself! Since when were you so quick to jump to conclusions? If he didn't tell you himself, then you can't just assume that it's true. Plus, there's no way that someone just goes off on Spring Break and get's married. From what you've told me he's not one to be super spontaneous like that."
Meiling glared at her cell phone momentarily but knew she was right. Oh how the tables had turned. She was usually the one telling Emi not to get so worked up over things and hear she was at the other end of the stick.
"Are you there?"
"Yeah, yeah. You're right, Ems. But he hasn't called me at all this break and the only reason for that could be because there's another girl!"
"Then you'll just have to wait 'til you both get back to town and ask him yourself, unless you're brave enough to call him now!" Emi giggled.
Meiling shook her head, "Definitely not! I'll take my chances and wait."
"Good. Then stop worrying!"
Meiling smiled, "So what are you up to?"
"Ugh, packing. I'm heading back to town with Tokato in the morning. I just wanted to call to see when you were coming back so we could catch up!"
"I'm thinking of leaving some time tomorrow afternoon. That way, I have the weekend to get myself together before school starts back." Meiling said quietly into the phone. 'And it'll give me a few days to find out what's up with Syaoran.'
"Meiling, stop thinking about him! It'll only make you more crazy."
Meiling laughed, "You always know how to read my mind! Fine, but it's not going to be easy since I AM at his house with his family."
"Then how about this. After this phone call, turn off your phone and tell one of his sisters to hide it. It'll be one less thing to worry about if you're not constantly checking your phone for his call. That way, you can enjoy your time with them even more!"
Meiling was about to respond but waited, thinking about what Emi had just proposed. It sounded dumb but it's not like her worrying that Syaoran had gotten married made any sense either.
"Ok, I'll try that. I won't turn my phone back on at all today but text me in the morning before you leave, ok?"
"Gotcha! Now go enjoy the rest of your day! If I call you later and your phones on, I'll be mad!" Emi joked.
"Ok, ok! I'll talk to you later. Have a good day."
"Bye!"
Meiling ended the call and opened her recent call log. She thought about calling Syaoran but instead held down the power button and watched as the screen turned black. If she wanted to enjoy herself, she'd have to do what Emi said and not worry about it.
The door to the bedroom opened and Feimei flipped on the light, "There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you. Didn't think we'd find you in here though." She stifled a giggle at the mention of their surroundings.
Meiling looked around suddenly and realized that she'd been in Syaoran's room this whole time. A blush spread across her cheeks as she rose from the bed.
"I didn't even realize! Let's get out of here." She laughed and headed towards the door.
"You left your phone!" Feimei shouted behind her.
Meiling continued to walk towards the stairs, "It's ok! Just leave it." She said before skipping down the steps.
Feimei looked from where Meiling stood back to the phone and placed it back on the bed before turning the lights off and closing the door behind her.
x-x-x-x-x
Tomoyo flipped a page of her book as Eriol quietly paddled their boat through the water. Their eyes met briefly and they both held back laughter. There were constant splashes from the vessel of their counterpart.
"You're paddling too fast, Sakura. You have to go slower."
"Who made you captain of this ship? I'm tired of going so slow. We've barely made it far from the shore!" Sakura retorted.
"Fine! You can paddle all by yourself." Syaoran took his paddle and tossed it away from their kayak.
"Children, children, settle down."
"Shut up, Eriol!" the two brunettes yelled simultaneously.
Tomoyo looked up at her adoring boyfriend and smiled as he shrugged and steered their vessel away from the disruptive one.
"Very mature, Syaoran." Sakura muttered, as she tried desperately to reclaim Syaoran's floating paddle with her own.
Syaoran looked past the girl at his cousin and they locked eyes. Eriol, sensing some sort of catastrophe after seeing the mischievous glint in Syaoran's eye, began to move his boat even farther away. When he was at a far enough observation distance he witnessed as Syaoran steadily rocked the kayak from side to side and Sakura lost her balance, falling face first into the lake. She sputtered up from the top and let out a frustrated scream.
"That's not funny, Syaoran!" Sakura yelled over his untamed laughter.
Tomoyo frustratingly put down her book and turned around to face the two trouble makers.
"What did I tell you guys about swimming in the lake?"
Sakura grabbed hold of the side of the kayak and rocked it towards her with all her might, "To never swim in it alone!"
Syaoran fought to steady himself but was overcome by the rocking motion and found himself in the same position as Sakura.
"You two are such a handful sometimes." Tomoyo rolled her eyes and picked her book back up.
The two brunettes worked together to get back into their kayak and collapsed into it. Their laughter rang out throughout the quiet landscape and Tomoyo let out another aggravated sigh.
"Why don't you guys go get showered and change? We'll meet you back there in a little." Eriol hinted, noticing his girlfriends annoyance with them.
They agreed, retrieving their paddles and working their way back towards the shore.
"Don't get my floors wet!" Tomoyo yelled after them.
"Yes, mom!" Sakura yelled back.
"Of course, mother!" Syaoran responded with more emphasis on the word 'mother'.
A nerve twitched in Tomoyo's head and she rubbed her temples. Eriol placed a comforting hand on her cheek and smiled.
"I think bringing them together was a horrible idea." She muttered.
Eriol laughed, "You don't mean that. They're just enjoying their new found freedom. Syaoran from Meiling and Sakura from work and school. They deserve to act like 10 year olds."
Tomoyo looked up at him, "I know, I know, I lied. I love that they're being so care free." she sighed. "It's not so bad when I have you hear to comfort me." She smiled.
He sat up straight and puffed out his chest, "That's what I'm here for." He said in a deeper tone. Tomoyo laughed at his silly remark and placed her book into her bag. Their surroundings were quiet, and Eriol continued to paddle around the lake. It was refreshing, just being able to be together outside of their normalcy. Between school and work, they hadn't really been able to just enjoy each other this past year but all of that would change once she graduated. She had options but in her heart she felt that she just wanted to take a break, spend more time with him and watch their relationship grow. A smile spread across her lips as she thought about the road ahead of them.
"You're going to make a great mother one day, you know."
Tomoyo was snapped from her thoughts by Eriol's sudden confession. She blushed nervously,
"What makes you think that? We've never even really been around kids together." She tucked a stray strand of her behind her ear and started at her reflection in the water.
Eriol shrugged and looked off at the landscape to the side, "I don't know. You just seem like the motherly type. You're always so kind and caring and in tuned with everyone's emotions. You always try to do what's right and what's fair and I mean, you handle those two crazy kids very well." Eriol chuckled, nodding his head towards the lake house where Syaoran and Sakura were.
Tomoyo smiled faintly. She'd never really thought about being a mother let along being a good one. The comment he made about taking care of Syaoran and Sakura made her laugh inside.
"So I have a random question. You mentioned that you had a reason for finally wanting to date me? What was it exactly?"
Yet again, Tomoyo found herself being snatched away from her inner thoughts by the unpredicted question.
"Well," she started and began to think back to when she'd first considered dating Eriol.
"I was so used to just taking care of myself. My mother always taught me that before I could even think about taking care of someone else, I had to be able to take care of myself. So at the time, I was still learning how to manage my new life. Which is why it's funny that you brought up me being a good mother. I'd never really thought about it." She said thoughtfully.
"What changed your mind?" he slowly began to steer the boat back towards the shore.
"Sakura, actually. What happened between her and Hiro really made me realize just how precious life is. It sounds really cliché but I didn't want to waste any more time trying to perfect my life when we could be perfecting one together." Her blush grew as the words left her and she smiled down at the placid water.
Eriol enfolded her into his arms and she returned the gesture as their boat slowly drifted onto the shore.
"I love you, Tomoyo." He whispered. Her heart rate increased as his breath tickled the back of her neck.
"I love you too, Eriol." She smiled and nuzzled herself deeper into him. She loved their moments like this, when they could just simply get lost in each other. They fit perfectly together.
They parted ways and Tomoyo made to stand from the boat, "I can't believe you said that I would make a good mother," she laughed as she stumbled onto the shore. "I think I'd have to be a wife first, you know!" she said jokingly.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. So all you have to do is say yes."
Tomoyo stopped in her tracks. It was as if the world was silenced and all she could hear was her heartbeat. She looked over her shoulder to see Eriol on one knee. Her body felt numb as she turned around to face him, speechless at what was taking place at this very moment.
"Tomoyo, will you do me the honor—and make me the happiest man in existence—by being my wife?"
Her hands covered her mouth as she stared down at her boyfriend of 2 years. Sitting upon his outstretched hand was a red velour box and in the middle a glimmering diamond ring. She found the strength in her legs to take a few steps forward, nodding while her eyes welled up with joy.
"Of course." She whispered, continuing to nod. He stood in front of her and took hold of her left hand.
"May I?" he asked as he removed the ring from its encasing. She nodded repeatedly, her excitement growing with every heart beat as he slid the ring onto her finger. A perfect fit.
Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a loving embrace. Holding her around her waist, he lifted her into the air with a spin before bringing her back down to the ground and ending their short celebration with a kiss.
"Woooooh!"
Tomoyo turned towards the new voice and spotted Syaoran with a video camera, capturing their entire moment.
Sakura ran over to Tomoyo, nearly tackling her. "Congratulations!" She exclaimed excitedly.
Tomoyo laughed joyfully, "Did you know about this?"
Sakura pulled back and pouted, "No! Well, I basically found out when you did! Syaoran had to stop me from screaming out in surprise."
"Which is exactly why we didn't tell you in the first place, big mouth." Syaoran said, walking over to them, still filming.
"Whatever," she said dismissively before turning back to Tomoyo. Their eyes met and they proceeded to jump up and down with cheerful screams.
"How are you feeling right now?" Syaoran directed the question at Eriol and turned the camera to face him.
"Like I'll be a deaf man if they keep screaming like that." Eriol cringed at the screeches that were coming from the two girls. Syaoran laughed and turned the camera towards them.
"I would tell you that you should follow in my footsteps but you guys have been married for what, a full day and a half now?
Syaoran turned the camera back to Eriol, "You think you're soooo funny, don't you." his words were drenched in sarcasm. Still holding the camera stead, Syaoran removed his cell phone from his pocket. There screen was blank, only displaying the date and time.
"Hey, let me see that!" Sakura grabbed hold of the camera. He quickly slipped his phone back into his pocket and watched as Sakura pulled Tomoyo into a shot with Eriol. "I want to get a picture of the happy couple!"
She switched the camera from video mode to still-shot's and proceeded to snap pictures of them.
'A picture' was an understatement as she continuously took pictures of the newly engaged couple. Syaoran stood on the sidelines, watching as Sakura made the couple strike poses. 'Tomoyo would probably be the same way if it were us' he laughed to himself.
Her energy level seemed endless. She was like a ball of excitement, bouncing from here to there and back again. He couldn't help but smile and feel so much more attracted to her. It was hard to believe that even after what she'd gone through she was still able to continue smiling and enjoying life. She seemed so strong but fragile at the same time and he just wanted to be the one to protect her from any harm. He wanted to safe-guard her heart so that she would never have to feel any pain again.
A quick wave from Eriol caught his attention, there was a moment of distress from his cousins face and he knew he'd have to intervene before Sakura wore them out. He winked at Eriol and walked towards Sakura while she quickly looked through some of the pictures she'd just taken.
"Hmm, this one is alright but it could be better." she said quietly to herself.
Syaoran stood directly behind her and leaned his head over her shoulder. Bringing his arms around her he grabbed hold of the camera, and hovered there for a moment. She stopped mid-sentence and jumped at his proximity.
"I think that's enough, honey." he said low enough for only her ears to hear. He knew it would throw her train of thought off and laughed at how flustered she'd become in just a few seconds. He slowly brought his arms back around and turned the camera off.
"Not cool, Syaoran! Not one bit." Sakura crossed her arms and walked away from him in an attempt to mask the red hue upon her cheeks.
"I've gotta go call my mom!" Tomoyo announced suddenly and ran off towards the lake house, dragging Sakura long with her.
Syaoran clapped Eriol on the back and grinned. "Look at you, you can't even keep your eyes off of her for one minute."
Eriol shook his head with a small smile, "It's been that way since the first day I met her." He admitted.
Syaoran ruffled his cousins hair playfully and they made their way back to the lake house, the sun setting on their last afternoon together.
x-x-x-x-x
"Let's go out tonight!"
Tomoyo exclaimed once everyone had washed up and settled down from their outdoor excursion.
"I mean, something other than dinner. I know there are a few clubs and bars in the city that's close by! It's our last night in town so we should enjoy it! We definitely have something worth celebrating."
Sakura nodded and smiled happily but she couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness thinking about this being their last night together. In just a few days Spring Break will be over and she would have no choice but to return to her life at school. She was anxious, mainly. This trip had done so much for her in terms of moving on and letting go—she didn't know how she would sink back into her normal routine.
"Let's do it!" Syaoran threw his fist into the air.
'& then there's Syaoran', Sakura continued to think. It was funny seeing how fast he'd changed in a week. Even if she hadn't known him in his life before, she could tell that he'd opened up a lot more on this trip. She turned her head away and pretended to find the contents of her bag interesting when he'd caught her staring.
Syaoran approached Sakura and knelt on one knee, taking her hand in his.
"Sakura, will you do me the honor…of being my date on this spectacular evening?"
She blinked a few times at the suddenness of his question and rolled her eyes playfully, "No." she pulled her hand from his and folded her arms across her chest, her nose pointed up.
"Really Sakura? You'll marry him but won't be his date?" Tomoyo feigned shock and held back a smile.
"You're right, we're never going to be able to escape from this marriage thing." She glared at the boy who knelt before "Fine."
Syaoran stood and shot both his hands into the air, turning to face Tomoyo & Eriol, "She said yes!" he cheered happily before running off to his room.
Sakura stood from the bar stool and laughed, making her way to her room. "There's something seriously wrong with that boy."
"It's your fault!" Eriol responded quickly.
"I agree!" Tomoyo agreed.
Sakura pretended to wave them off and continued to her room to change her clothes.
"So I guess we can call the bet off now?" Tomoyo stood from her stool and began walking towards their bedroom. Eriol followed a few steps behind, "I guess. But I definitely won."
"Oh really?" Tomoyo raised her eyebrows.
Eriol encircled her in an embrace as they walked into their room and closed the door behind them. She turned around to face him.
"Of course, I've got the greatest prize of all." He whispered before closing the remaining distance between them with a kiss.
x-x-x-x-x
The city was lively. They fit right in with the crowd who were most likely just like them—college students enjoying their last Friday night of Spring Break. They shoved their way along the busy sidewalk in an attempt to finally find somewhere to spend the rest of their evening. They had decided on dinner at a local family owned Italian restaurant. With the exception of Eriol, his three companions had definitely had their fill of wine during dinner. It showed through their animated expressions and tendency to laugh at every little thing that happened along the way.
"Ok! You three, stay here. I'm going to go inside and check this place out." Eriol took Tomoyo's hand and placed it in Sakura's before heading into the bar.
"Did Eriol just give me your hand in marriage?" Sakura gasped. She examined Tomoyo's hand as if it were gold. Syaoran snatched Sakura's hand away and pulled her into him. "But we're already married, dear."
Sakura messily swatted him away, "Ew, ew….ew. Stop that." she said childishly and hid behind Tomoyo who continued to stare into the bar after Eriol.
"I'm going to go find him!" Tomoyo announced, pointing one finger in the air before racing into the crowded bar.
Sakura took a step to follow but was held back by Syaoran.
"Uh, uh. Eriol said to wait here. We can't all get lost." His eyes followed Tomoyo into the crowd as she managed to locate her fiancé.
Sakura pouted and leaned into him. It was getting a little cold and she'd refused to wear a jacket, claiming it would
ruin her outfit. Syaoran wrapped his free arm around her to keep her from shivering while his other hand continued to hold onto hers. "You want my jacket?" he asked. He felt her shake her head in response, "This is fine." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him and moving in closer. He reached into his pocket and checked his phone quickly before putting it away. It was close to midnight and he was a little tired from the day. Not to mention his stomach was still full from dinner.
"Hey you two, come on! I managed to get us free cover and seats near the stage." Eriol shouted over the crowd. Sakura seemed like she was sleeping and he gently pushed her off of him.
"We're going to go inside now." Intertwining his fingers with hers he followed Eriol into the bar.
"What is this place?" Syaoran yelled over the blaring music and the clamor of the other bar-goers. After a minute of shoving and careful maneuvering through the crowd, they made it to the front of the room where a table sat in front of a small, brightly lit stage. Two pianos sat adjacent each other and there was a large chalk board along the back wall with random quotes and sentences that would have probably made sense to them if they were here earlier.
"It's a dueling piano bar." Eriol finally responded as they took their seats. A waitress came over shortly and Eriol ordered a round of waters and an apple cider beer for himself. Sakura took Syaoran's hand and placed it in front of her like a pillow and leaned her head against it. Her nap was short lived as Tomoyo shook her awake.
"No! We have to keep celebrating! Sleeping is for losers." She slurred.
Eriol and Syaoran exchanged worried glances. They had their hands full tonight.
Sakura was awakened even more at the sound of the piano as the pianist on the left returned to his seat. His dueling partner took his spot at the piano on the right side and adjusted his microphone.
"How ya'll doin' tonight?" His voice echoed throughout the room and the crowd burst into cheers. Sakura half heartedly raised her hands and Tomoyo mimicked the rest of the audience with a loud holler.
"Someone sure is excited." The man said again, taking notice to Tomoyo.
Tomoyo stuck her left hand into the air immediately, "I'm getting married!" she shouted. The crowd exploded into applause and whistles of celebration.
"Then this calls for a special moment! Come on up here, little lady!"
Before any of them could really stop her, Tomoyo leapt from her seat and with the help of the pianist, was on the stage.
"Take a seat right here." He patted the hood of the piano and helped her to sit on top of it. She crossed her legs in a lady like fashion and sat up straight. Her diamond ring glistened in the bright stage lights.
"That sure is a beautiful ring. So who's the lucky man?" the MC asked turning back to the table.
"Eriol!" Tomoyo pointed excitedly at her future husband, who's head was currently being covered by his hands.
There was another eruption of applause and cheers.
"Well, Eriol, get on up here you sly dog! We've got something special planned for the both of ya!"
Eriol reluctantly stood from his seat and effortlessly hopped up onto the stage. He took his spot, standing next to Tomoyo and looked at her. Clearly, he wasn't planning for something like this and she reassuringly rubbed his hair and smiled. He shook his head with a small sigh and laughed.
"So you two, love birds. We have a special song just for you!" The pianist made a move to return to his seat but Tomoyo caught his arm. "Wait! Wait. They got married too! Well, it was a fake wedding but they really like each other!"
"Tomoyo!" the two brunettes yelled in unison. Sakura, fully awake, was completely aware of the situation at hand.
"So many lovers in the house tonight! Let's get you two on stage! Come on, don't be shy!"
The audience was wild. Sakura and Syaoran looked back at the hungry crowd and then to each other. Syaoran shrugged and held out his hand to her. "This is just crazy." Syaoran mouthed to her as he took her hand and pulled her up onto the stage with him.
"Let me see your pretty little hand." The 2nd pianist said into the microphone after Sakura had managed to sit atop his piano. Syaoran stood next to her with a smirk upon his face.
"There's nothing." Sakura said to him, holding up her hand.
The crowed and the second pianist awed in unison. "Well son, if you really like it…then you shoulda put a ring on it." He played a few chords from the popular song on his piano and the room filled with laughter.
"Looks like you've got a cheap boyfriend there, little lady!" the first pianist said into his microphone.
"Hey! We're not even together." Syaoran defended from across the stage.
"But you do like her dontcha?" The 2nd pianist chimed in.
Eriol and Tomoyo turned to look at Syaoran along with the hushed audience and the two musicians.
"I like him!" Sakura piped up, raising her hand into the air as if she were in grade school waiting to be called on to give an answer.
Syaoran turned around to look at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yeah, I like her too." Syaoran pointed his thumb in her direction and smiled at the crowd.
He couldn't help but feel like he was on a reality television show and he had to continue to play the role. At this point he was pretty sobered up and his buzz was wearing off but he was still enjoying himself.
"Aww, young love. Isn't it sweet?" The first pianist spoke once again. "I remember my first love. Especially my first kiss. What about you Jim?"
Attention turned to Jim, the 2nd pianist, "Of course, Bill! Why, I think these young couples can help all of us remember what our first kisses were like. What do you think, yall?"
The crowd went crazy. Apparently, this had been something that was done often with couples and the 4 friends looked at each other nervously. What sort of craziness had they gotten themselves into?
"Alrighty yall!" Bill began to play a melody on his piano. The two couples still looked to each other and the audience for some sort of clue about what to do.
"She won't ever get enough, Once she gets a little touch. If I had it my way you know that I'd make her say"
The four looked at Bill as he sang into his mic, his melody a slow tempo. The music stopped and the Jim, the 2nd pianist, picked up where the first left off in the song, only with a much quicker tempo.
"She won't ever get enough, once she gets a little touch. If I had it my way, you know that I'd make her say"
He finished off his line and the room grew silent once again. They turned their attention back to Bill again, "Well Jim, that's fine but all I have to say is…" he began playing a slow melody and sang into the microphone, "My first kiss—when a little like this." The melody continued and he nodded towards Eriol and Tomoyo. They looked into the crowd for support, "Kiss her!" someone yelled from the back and the audience laughed. Eriol shrugged and leaned over Tomoyo, giving her a quick peck on the lips. The crowd applauded his effort but was quickly drowned out by the second pianists' quicker tempo.
"Well, Bill. That was nothing! That's probably why your last girlfriend left ya if that was your first kiss."
The group on stage laughed simultaneously along with the audience.
"Cuz my first kiss went a little like this…"
All eyes were on the two brunettes who seemed to have completely forgotten that it was their turn. Syaoran's eyes searched Sakura's for any sort of sign of what to do. He knew she'd had a lot to drink and didn't want to take advantage of the situation but at the same time, his heart was rushing with the thought of kissing her again. The crowd chanted a deafening "kiss her!" and he knew he was running out of time to make up his mind.
Luckily, he didn't have to.
Sakura reached over and laced her hands behind his neck before pulling him down into a seemingly passionate kiss.
"Woooweee! Now that's what I call a kiss!" Jim bellowed into his microphone. There were cat calls from the audience and Tomoyo and Eriol stared in shock at the sight before them. Sakura pulled away and cradled Syaoran's face between her slender fingers. She laughed as he slipped her off of the piano and held her in his arms. Sakura blew a kiss to the audience and clapped along with them. The two musicians quickly finished off their melodic piece and stood in applause with the rest of the audience.
"Congratulations to you love birds, good luck with the weddings and good night everybody!" Bill announced into the microphone and the stage lights dimmed around them.
"Good job, you guys. What a show!" Jim patted Syaoran on the back and Sakura embraced him in a quick hug.
"Yeah! Come back anytime. Have a safe and wonderful night!" Bill shook both Eriol and Tomoyo's hands before leaving the stage with his counterpart.
x-x-x-x
The car ride home was full of silence. Syaoran and Sakura slept quietly in the back seat, their heads resting on each other for support and their hands were intertwined between them. Tomoyo's eyes blinked slowly and periodically she would shake her head in an attempt to stay awake. Eriol took hold of her hand and rubbed it gently, "You can sleep. We're not too far out." He whispered. He knew that she was forcing herself to stay awake to keep him company while he drove but he would be just fine. She smiled and squeezed his hand before allowing her eyes to close.
Eriol looked into the rearview mirror and smirked. One week and so much had happened. He hadn't planned on proposing to Tomoyo at all until earlier that morning. He and Syaoran had ran into town to get the car checked out when he'd passed by a jewelry shop. When Syaoran asked him what he was thinking, he couldn't really explain it. He just had this feeling that he had to do something, he had to live in this moment because there wouldn't be another one like it for a while. The situation between Syaoran and Sakura inspired him as well. These were two people who had just met, who were living two completely separate lives, that somehow managed to fall into each other and change each other's lives so significantly in a matter of one week. It was sad that he wouldn't be able to watch how things would play out between them and that their time together would be cut so prematurely.
Tomoyo stirred and leaned onto his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his.
"I love you, Eriol." She whispered from her slumber.
He planted a quick kiss upon her forehead and continued to focus on the drive. He looked back once more at the sleeping couple in the back and smiled, knowing that they'd taken full advantage of their time together and had both been changed for the better.
A few minutes later he'd pulled into the drive way of the lake house. Gently waking Tomoyo she arose and looked around at their surroundings, a yawn escaping her.
"I'm so ready for bed right now."
"You and me both." Syaoran woke and gently awoke Sakura with a few pokes which she'd attempted to swat away.
Eriol quickly walked to the other side of the car and helped her out.
"Well that was a great nap." Sakura yawned as Syaoran helped her from the backseat. The four friends trudged their way into the house.
"Good night, you two. I'll see you in the morning." Tomoyo mumbled as she and Eriol walked towards their room.
Syaoran and Sakura made their way down the opposite hallway to their respective rooms.
"I'm not even tired anymore." Sakura complained as she opened her door. Syaoran laughed, walking past her room to his own.
"Good night, Sakura!" he shouted back. There was no response as he heard her bathroom light come on. He closed his door and he too washed up quickly and changed into his night clothes. Sitting on the edge of the bed,
his thoughts were a jumbled mess. He could still feel Sakura's hand within his and a smile formed on his lips when he thought about their on-stage kiss. Even if it was probably only the alcohol in her, he didn't mind that it happened. A nagging thought rose yet again to his mind and he found himself retrieving his phone from the pocket of his jeans. He flipped it open and stared at the bright screen.
A quiet rap on his door brought him out of his thoughts. Sitting the phone down he walked to the door and opened it. Sakura stood in her pajamas with a pillow and she looked anything but tired.
"I was being honest. I can't sleep yet. Are you going to bed or can I talk your ear off for a little longer?" she smiled cheesily. Syaoran stepped aside and let her into his room, flipping the light switch on before closing the door.
She sat cross legged on his bed and looked around the room, "Your room looks bigger than mine!"
Syaoran laughed and lay down on the other side of the bed, folding his arms behind his back he kept his eyes to the ceiling.
"It's because they love me more, of course."
Sakura launched her pillow at his face and laughed, "Yeah, right. They just wanted to make you feel like they love you as much as they love me!"
She flinched, thinking he was going to throw the pillow back but he handed it to her instead. She took it and fluffed it up before laying down. She turned her body to face him and he turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were closed with a soft smile on her face. There was a buzz from the edge of the bed and her eyes opened.
"Were you watching me sleep?" she grinned widely.
"I thought you weren't sleepy." Syaoran retorted, rising from the bed to retrieve his phone. Sakura watched him carefully as he flipped through his phone before plugging it into the charger on his nightstand.
"Stop watching me, creeper." He muttered, returning to his spot.
Sakura laughed, "Am not. You've been checking your phone all night, why?" she asked curiously. She turned onto her back and mimicked him, her eyes to the ceiling.
"No reason."
"Liar."
They both turned their heads to look at each other. Syaoran laughed, taken off guard by the pseudo angry face that Sakura held.
"Geez, well if you're going to stare at me like that. I was checking for any missed calls."
"Ah, does it have anything to do with the call you missed at the haunted house?" she stifled a yawn and blinked a few times, the festivities of the night finally setting in.
Syaoran nodded, he was amazed at how observant she was.
"Then just call them back. Especially if you're already checking your phone every 10 minutes." Sakura said drowsily.
"It's not that simple."
"Of course it is, just dial the number…and press call." Her eyes were barely open at this point.
Syaoran rapidly patted the bed space in between them and sat up, "Hey, you can't sleep yet!"
Sakura's eyes opened swiftly and she glared at him. "I'll stay awake if you call whoever it is you're waiting to call you." She reasoned and propped herself up on her elbow, stifling another yawn.
"You're not the boss of me."
Sakura snatched his phone quickly and proceeded to absentmindedly flip through random folders before Syaoran took it back.
"Alright, alright." He laughed and went into his recent call log. He looked back over at Sakura who pointed her finger back at the phone.
He took a deep breath and pressed the call button. There was one short ring and then an automated voicemail response.
"See! Was that so bad?" Sakura patted his head. He ended the call before it reached the end of its script and placed it back on his nightstand.
"You're such a bully." He lay back on the bed.
"It's because I like you, duh." She teased.
A silence lapsed between them and they settled into the sound and rhythm of just their breathing and heartbeats.
"I still can't believe Tomoyo and Eriol are engaged." Sakura whispered, her eyes remaining closed.
"Mhm." Syaoran replied quietly. He'd finally succumbed to the weight of the day. There was another moment of silence before Sakura spoke again.
"Do you think you'll ever get married?" Sakura asked, her speech become quieter and more drawn out.
Syaoran looked over at the barely conscious girl next to him. Her innocence was showing again. She was tucked into a small ball on her side, her pillow hugged close to her body. He reached over and brushed aside a fallen strand of her auburn hair. When she didn't stir, he knew that she'd fallen asleep. He stealthily rose from the bed and turned the light off before returning to his spot.
"Goodnight, Sakura." he whispered before turning over and falling into a comfortable slumber.
x-x-x-x-x-x
Sakura awoke earlier than she expected the following morning. She stared at the ceiling which was a different shade than what she'd become accustomed to in the last week and it took her a minute to realize that she wasn't in her own room. Turning over, she came face to face with a sleeping Syaoran. His mouth was opened slightly, a quiet snore escaping from him. He made a movement and she shut her eyes quickly, pretending to still be asleep. She laughed to herself at how silly she was being and peeked one eye open to see that he'd simply turned over to face the other way. The clock against the wall showed that it was almost noon meaning it was time to get up. They would be leaving for Tomoyo and Eriol's house as soon as everyone was up and dressed. By the sound coming from the kitchen and the faint smell of toast, Eriol and Tomoyo were already awake.
Syaoran stirred once more and turned back towards her. She smiled at how childlike he was when he slept. His hair was swept in every direction as if it'd gone through a tornado during the night.
"Syaoran." her voice spoke in a soft whisper.
"Hmm?" He opened his eyes and was met with a pair of dazzling emeralds accompanied by a bright smile.
In the short amount of time he'd been exposed to It, he'd become very fond of that smile.
"5 more minutes?" he mumbled, his eyes closing once more.
Her response was a quiet giggle. He felt the bed shift beneath him as she got up.
"5 minutes won't stop time. No matter how long you stay in bed, tomorrow morning it's back to the real world." a sad sigh escaped her.
Syaoran took in her words slowly and he heard the door close behind her as she left the room. 'The real world…' he thought solemnly. So what was this place where he was now? Opening his eyes he slowly sat up, running a hand through his hair. The sun's rays attempted to creep through his tightly shut blinds. He hopped out of the bed and stood to open them, squinting from the intensity of the intruding light as the sun poured into his bedroom.
This whole week had felt like the sun, warm and bright. The thought of returning to his one bedroom apartment, to his job, to his school work, to a promise that he knew now he couldn't keep turned his world cold in an instant.
He turned from his window and made his way to the bathroom to prepare himself for the rest of the day.
Sakura stepped out of the steamy shower and securely wrapped a towel around herself. She cleared the mirror with her hand and sighed at her soggy reflection in the mirror. She quickly brushed her teeth and combed through her wet hair before heading back into her room. She changed into her clothes for the day and packed away any items that were still out of place. The bracelet was the only thing that remained on the dresser. She picked it up, it's silver shine seemed more lackluster than when she'd first found it a week ago. She traced the outline of her name and flipped it over to look at the inscription on the back. She quickly wiped a lone tear from her face and closed her hand around the bracelet. She no longer felt it necessary to wear it anymore but it was still dear to her and it would always be that way. Placing it in her purse, she grabbed her small duffle bag and took one last look at the room before closing the door behind her. She walked by Syaoran's room and noticed that his door remained open, his bed was made neatly and all of his bags had been removed.
"Good afternoon, sleepy head!" Tomoyo shouted gleefully from inside the kitchen. Sakura placed her bags by the front door before greeting her cousin and Eriol.
"Where's Syaoran?" Sakura asked as she made her way into the kitchen. The smell of the different food items greeted her and her eyes widened at the amount of food that was set out.
"You did this all by yourself, Tomoyo?"
Eriol placed his arm around his fiancé's waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Of course she did. I sure as hell couldn't cook anything like this." Tomoyo pretended to swat him away with her spatula, "No kissing the chef! Hurry up and wash your hands so you can eat."
Sakura couldn't help but smile at their interaction.
"Syaoran's outside by the lake. He doesn't seem to be in the best of moods right now though." Eriol mentioned before disappearing down the hallway.
Sakura swallowed, she had a feeling that it had to do with her. She was hoping that her actions from the night before didn't confuse him about where they stood. Walking through the patio door she made her way cautiously towards him. Her thoughts raced with what she would say to him when he turned around. Just with his smile he was able to calm her nerves and she stood next to him. Eriol must have been wrong about his mood, he seemed far from upset.
"Brunch looks great! We should go back inside and eat." Sakura started cheerfully. Syaoran nodded in response and looked down at her.
"You look great." He smirked. She looked back out to the lake in front of them, a blush forming upon her cheeks. "Hey, Syaoran… last night I,"
He shook his head, "It's ok. I haven't forgotten what you told me. We were just having fun so don't worry about it."
Sakura opened her mouth as if to say something else but couldn't really think of anything. All that she was worried about dissolved in all of 10 seconds and she sighed with relief.
"Remember that girl I told you about on the 2nd day?"
Sakura racked her brain for their conversation, "Oh! Yeah, her name is Meiling, right?"
Syaoran nodded and inhaled sharply, "I made this promise to her before I left. That when I got back, she and I would take a shot at being together." He paused and turned to face her. She didn't know how to feel about what he was telling her. From what she knew, she thought Meiling was something like a sister to him and now he was telling her that they were more than that?
"But everything changed when I met you and I realized that what I felt for her wasn't any kind of romantic feelings. I think I mistook my kindness in wanting to protect her and our friendship for something that it wasn't. I mean, she sort of pushed me into it though." He laughed to himself, rubbing his hand through his messy hair.
"I'm really sorry," Sakura said nervously, "I sort of feel like a home wrecker now." She looked away from him.
He took her hand in his and smiled, "Anything but that."
"Then why are you telling me all of this now?" she was confused about his actions.
He made a motion for them to head back to the house and they slow trotted back, "I really like you, Sakura, and I know that you're not in any state to date someone right now—"
"You make me sound like I'm mentally unstable or something." She folded her arms across her chest and looked to the side.
"You know what I mean." He said before continuing. "All I'm trying to say is that when you're ready, I'll be waiting."
Sakura stopped and looked at him suspiciously, "You're telling me that you're gonna wait for me?" She squinted her eyes at him dangerously, "Why are you being so cheesy? Where's the real Syaoran?" she inquired, poking him repeatedly.
"Stop that! Look, I can be a romantic sometimes. I mean, I did get you to marry me after just 4 days of knowing each other. I'll take my bragging rights, thank you very much."
Sakura lightly slapped him in the back of the head as they walked through the door.
"There's the Syaoran I know." She grinned.
"But I really mean it." He said as they both made their way into the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Sakura dismissed his comment with a grin.
The moment they'd entered the kitchen, Tomoyo stood in front of them, her spatula aligned with Syaoran's heart. Sakura bumped into him and stumbled to catch herself, "What the—"
"Both of you. Wash your hands. Now." Tomoyo demanded, continuing to brandish her peculiar weapon of choice.
Syaoran held his hands up defensively and side stepped slowly before hurrying off to his restroom, Sakura following in his footsteps.
"Well done, love. Well done." Eriol slow clapped form where he sat at the kitchen table. "Though I fear for what our children will go through." He added afterwards. Tomoyo shot him a glare and he laughed. "I'm not afraid of you."
"Oh really? You better rethink that before putting that pancake in your mouth. Never bite the hand that feeds you, Eriol. You never know what could be in store."
Eriol stopped and looked from Tomoyo down to the piece of food that he was about to place into his mouth. He examined it silently before putting it into his mouth and chewing with a please expression upon his face. He swallowed and looked up at his wife-to-be with a competitive smile, "Bring it."
x-x-x-x-x
The ride back to Eriol and Tomoyo's house was a quiet one, just like it'd been when they first started their trip and they were already on the last half of the ride. Tomoyo played with her new engagement ring, her expression unreadable. She thought about her last design project that she'd have to finish up when she got back, graduation was steadily approaching, Eriol's busy work schedule and most of all when to start planning her wedding. They hadn't really said anything past just being engaged but she hated the idea of a long-lasting engagement. If they were to be married it would have to be before the new year. Her mother wanted to know the full details by the end of the month so that she could plan accordingly. Eriol reached his hand over and held hers. She smiled gratefully, somehow he always knew when she was troubled. His eyes never left the road but his smile said it all. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world and couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him.
Sakura quietly looked through all of the pictures from her digital camera. Just before leaving, they'd taken one last group photo in front of the lake house. It was nearly identical to the first one that they'd taken but everyone looked a lot less tense and a lot closer. This week had done wonders for all of them. Life wasn't something that was just lived anymore. It was the moments and the people that made it what it was meant to truly be. An experience. With every picture she'd taken, she engrained each of these experiences into her memory.
Syaoran kept his eyes closed after he and Eriol had switched places. He put in his earphones and drowned himself in the music. His mind was clear and he felt content with himself. He was sure that any step he took from here on out would be the right now. It was his new found confidence that excited him the most. Of course he'd been confident before, but something was different this time.
In the last week, he'd found so much to look forward to. He couldn't wait for Tomoyo and Eriol's wedding, graduation was only a month away and then there was a moment he'd recently etched into his mind. The day when Sakura would be ready to love again. She really did change in a way he never thought possible. He felt a lot more in tuned with his emotions, for one thing and he knew for certain that it was her and her alone that made him that way. She'd brought out a softer side of him that was different from what he'd been like with Meiling. If his sisters could hear his thoughts now, they'd die laughing. His phone buzzed in his lap and hesitation ran through him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura look up at him and he held her gaze momentarily before answering.
"Syaoran?"
"Hey Meiling. How are you?"
"I'm doing well. Just leaving your family's place."
Eriol looked back at him curiously.
"We're on the road back to Eriol's place now. I should be heading back to town right after." Syaoran looked out the window at the passing scenery. Something felt off. She wasn't speaking to him with her normal amount of enthusiasm and he had an idea why.
"Ok, that sounds good. Want to meet up for dinner tonight?" there was a slight bit of hesitation in her voice.
"Sure, that's fine. I'll let you know when I get back into town." Syaoran responded uncertainly. Where was the confidence that he'd just been praising himself for?
"Ok! I'll talk to you later then!" the cheerfulness in her voice was present in her last statement before the line went dead. With a sigh, Syaoran placed the phone back in his lap and leaned his chair backwards.
"And so it begins again." Eriol said with a grin. Syaoran reached in front of him and flicked the back of Eriol's head in response.
"Ow!"
Sakura continued to flip through her camera but laughed. She set the camera down and picked up her phone, quickly sending a text message to the distressed boy that sat beside her.
"Don't think so much about it. It'll all be ok. :)"
Syaoran held his phone up in front of him and sighed as he responded.
"If you say so…" he dropped the device back onto his lap and let his hands fall to his side. If he'd agreed to see her later that evening, she would know that something was wrong but if he didn't see her it would be the same thing.
Sakura slowly crept her fingers over to his and took hold of them lightly. There was no surprise and no hesitation as he wrapped his hand around hers. She gave him a comforting squeeze and they remained this way for the remainder of the trip until Sakura slowly drifted into sleep, losing her grasp on his hand.
Not even an hour had passed before Syaoran nudged Sakura away. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at their surroundings. They were back in Tomoyo and Eriol's driveway, hers and Syaoran's vehicles parked exactly where they'd left them. The four friends removed themselves from the car and stretched their tired limbs. It had been a long, quiet trip, everyone too afraid to speak for fear of breaking the spell. The minute Syaoran and Sakura would get into their cars and the minute that Eriol and Tomoyo walked into their home would mean the return of the unexpected life experiences that lay ahead of them.
Tomoyo helped Sakura load her bag into the trunk of her car and they stood together at the driver's side.
"We'll see each other again, soon ok?" Sakura brought Tomoyo into a tight embrace.
"Of course! You have to help me plan the wedding and we don't I forgot about your birthday!" her cousin responded with a twinkle in her eye.
"Your birthday is coming up?" Syaoran asked, closing the trunk of his car and walking over with Eriol to where the girls stood.
Sakura nodded, "Yeah, but Tomoyo always likes to make a big deal out of everything. I wouldn't mind just a quiet dinner with you all." She said timidly.
"Well whatever you decide, count me in." he smiled and Sakura nodded appreciatively.
"You two should really be going, it's going to be dark soon." Eriol hated to be the kill-joy but someone had to do it.
There was a moment of silence between the group as they all looked at each other. Sakura was the first one to make a move.
"Thank you for everything, Eriol and you better take care of my cousin!" Sakura engulfed Eriol into a soft hug.
"Haven't I always?" he questioned, a confident grin upon his face.
Eriol turned to Syaoran and they hugged briefly, "Thanks for coming out. It was great seeing you again."
Syaoran agreed with a curt nod before turning to face Tomoyo who nearly ran into his open arms.
"I had so much fun with you guys! I hope to see more of you." She spoke into his chest.
"Of course. Who else is going to help Eriol skip out on wedding planning?" Syaoran grinned. Tomoyo playfully punched him in the arm and he pretended to be hurt.
Tomoyo rejoined her fiancé just as he finished saying goodbye to Sakura.
Wanting to give the two brunettes a little alone time, Tomoyo decided that it was time for she and Eriol to make their leave, "We're going to head inside to rest a little. Drive safe, you two and let us know when you make it in, ok?"
Syaoran and Sakura both nodded their heads in agreement as the couple turned and walked towards their home.
It was quiet between them once again as they waited for the door to close. Sakura kept her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke, "So…I'll see you around?" she fiddled with her keys and refrained from looking at him. She was never good with goodbyes.
Syaoran gathered her into his arms and held her close to him. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me, ok? We're really not that far from each other."
Sakura felt as though she was saying goodbye to a long-distance boyfriend. It was all too familiar to her but she tried her best to shake off the feeling. He held her at arm's length and placed a kiss upon her forehead before taking a step back.
"Thank you." Sakura said, tiptoeing up to him and placing a kiss upon his cheek before returning to her car. The engine interrupted their solitude and she looked once more out the window. His soft eyes stayed on her as she adjusted her mirrors and backed out of the driveway. Giving a small wave, she began her drive back to school.
Syaoran watched as her small car disappeared around the corner and got in his own. He organized his belongings before starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. It was like going away to college for the first time all over again. The anxiety of leaving your comfort zone and heading into the unknown. He remembered what it was like to leave behind almost everything he'd ever really cared about. What he realized he cared about most were at the house that he was currently driving away from and in a car that headed in almost the complete opposite direction from the direction he was traveling in.
He turned the radio on to drown out any other thoughts that might have plagued him on his long ride back to reality.
x-x-x-x
He played with his knife and fork, flicking them rapidly against the table as he waited for her to return with dinner. So far, things didn't seem so bad. As exhausted as he was, he agreed to meet up with Meiling for dinner in order to avoid future awkwardness.
"You seem nervous or something." Meiling comment as she returned to the table. Syaoran placed his utensils beside the plate Meiling had just set down in front of him.
"Not at all, just a little tired." He forced a yawn to prove his statement true.
"I'm sorry I'm not as exciting as your new best friends." She replied in a joking manner. Over a span of 30 minutes, Syaoran had told her of his time spent at the lake house, leaving out key details concerning Sakura of course, but she got the gist of it.
"I'm only joking." she continued, when she hadn't received a response from him.
He snapped out of his dazed state and laughed, "I'm sorry. I'm just really tired. Thank you for dinner though, it looks great!" he smiled down at his full plate of spaghetti & meatballs. In the back of his mind he heard Eriol's voice from earlier, 'and so it begins again…'.
"So anything else exciting happen?" Meiling took a sip from her water and watched him closely. She didn't want to straight out ask him if what she heard was true but waited for the evening to settle in a little more. There was no ring on his finger so that was the first clue for her that she'd simply misunderstood the situation.
Syaoran thought for a moment and smacked his head, "I can't believe I forgot! Eriol and Tomoyo are getting married!" he placed a large fork full of spaghetti into his mouth following his statement.
Meiling stared at him, speechless. 'How could he forget something as important as that?...maybe that's who I heard over the phone, not Syaoran.' she thought to herself.
"That's wonderful to hear! I think they're perfect for each other." She smiled brightly. She had every reason to be happy after hearing this news. Not only was she wrong about what she'd heard, she couldn't wait to tell Emi that she was finally right about something.
Syaoran mentally sighed as he continued to notice the change in Meiling's demeanor throughout the night. She was becoming much like her normal self with was good. He hadn't actually forgotten to tell her about the engagement, he just wanted to save that bit of news in case she decided to bring up what she may have heard over the phone about the fake marriage between he and Sakura.
The rest of the evening continued without a hitch. There was no mention of what they'd spoken about before break but Syaoran had to keep his guard up until it was time to talk to her about it. But on his ride home he felt as though he had one less chip on his shoulder to worry about.
Now all that was left to do was make it through the long week ahead of him and fall back into the pattern of his life, hopefully with a new rhythm.
x-x-x-x-x
Trudging out of his bedroom and into his quiet living room, he collapsed onto the couch and turned on the television. The long warm shower had managed to relax his mind and body but also made him feel a little more awake. Watching the television for just a few minutes when he knew he was tired was always a way for him to quickly fall asleep. He hadn't even had the TV on for more than 5 minutes before the drowsiness set in.
His amber orbs fluttered shut and the pace at which he flipped through the channels slowed. It had been a long week and he was looking forward to the weekend. 'Another dull weekend… '
He blinked repeatedly in an attempt to stay awake. This entire week had seemed dull. His eyes slid shut and he drifted into a dream.
He awoke abruptly to the sound of the remote hitting the wooden floor. The TV screen in front of him shown bright blue. He retrieved the remote and turned it off, swinging his legs off the couch. The floor was cold beneath his feet as he stood to turn off the lamp in his quiet living room.
'Had life always been so quiet?' He thought to himself as he made his way to the single bedroom in the apartment. As if to oppose his thoughts there was a loud clap of thunder and the heavens rained down on his silent evening. Syaoran passed by his dresser mirror catching a glimpse of himself. His unruly chestnut hair was the same as it'd always been and he hadn't grown any taller.
'Nothing's really changed about me…but I feel so different'.
There was a slam of a car door outside as he was brought back from his reverie of the week before. He ignored this and smiled to himself. 'That was the first night…with her' he sighed inwardly.
His thoughts were interrupted once again by a small knocking sound. He turned back to his open bedroom door that led into the dark living room. The clock on the nightstand showed the numbers 12:31am in bright neon and
the rain was coming down even harder now.
"Probably just the stor—" his words were cut off by an even louder knock. He slowly made his way into the living room, switching on the single lamp.
He stood hesitantly a few feet away. "Who is it?" he shouted through the wood.
There was silence as he reached for the doorknob.
"Hell-"
"Syaoran? Is that you?" a voice questioned from the other side.
His eyes widened and his outreached hand paused just above the knob. 'That voice…'
"Hey, are you there?" the person on the other side questioned again.
He fumbled with the 2 locks, a surge of emotion within him. Flinging the door open he was greeted by the very same emerald green eyes that he'd been seeing in his thoughts all week.
The girls face lit up and her lips curved into a sheepish smile. Her auburn hair much like her clothes was plastered to her, drenched with water.
Syaoran stood frozen in the doorway, a look a disbelief on his face. "Sakura?" his voice was barely above a whisper.
"Hi there," she said nervously. She took a deep breath before continuing, "You said if I ever needed a place to stay—no matter what— to find you." Her eyes shifted to the floor and she folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to stay warm.
"So, here I am." she finished. There was a moment of silence between the two, his eyes glued to hers and hers to the floor."Expect the unexpected, right?" she spoke softly.
In an automatic response Syaoran's arms reached out , pulling her into a warm but soggy embrace.
"I can't believe you're here." he said into her damp hair.
It was then that he noticed the 3 suitcases that sat behind her.
'Guess this won't be a dull weekend after all'
AN: Since I won't be able to update like I just did (but updates won't take longer than a month or so!), I would really like to know your thoughts on where you think the story is going in comparison to what I have in mind! I would love to see how other people are interpreting things!
& a note about The Mixed Tape, I feel as though I want to write a few more chapters of Breaking Free before I go back to it. This story is getting to a pivotal point & month & a half updates are going to cut it. But I've got all these ideas for TMT in my head and I just have to sort them out before posting the next chapter! & what's with this new show called "Duets" that's starting soon? They totally stole my idea but it's all good. I'll survive.
'Til next time!
Always,
Synea K.