AN: Here we are, chapter 9. I'm really glad to hear that some people are still reading, so yay to you guys! Anyway, I actually had a reason for Touya dying like a year ago… but now I can't remember it. So, he has a new reason for dying. I really don't think this'll affect any of you because you didn't know why he died either. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Btw, I got the idea for this from NachoPenguin. So hey, props to you

I'd also like to apologize, because freshman year is seriously turning out to be hard for me, and I barely have anytime to work on this. I'll probably update every weekend or so, but I'm trying to update more. So, please review my story, and give me some ideas, because chances are, I'll use them.

Chapter 9

Friday Night- 6 PM

Sakura was on time. Tomoyo had rushed her out of the house a few minutes previously, and they were running a little early. The day's events had been boring enough, just class and thinking about the upcoming date. Her heart began to speed up considerably as she thought about it. Calm down Sakura, she thought as she caught herself grinning and skipping. Why are you even getting so worked up? You've been on a date with Eriol before, and besides, Tomoyo and Syaoran are going to be there.

She glanced over at her best friend, who was currently on the phone. Her black hair was up in a bun, and she was wearing a normal skirt and shirt, but there was something tragically beautiful about her expression. Sakura couldn't help but think that she had missed something happen, and she was still confused as to why Tomoyo had chosen Eriol instead of Syaoran.

"We're here, so I'll see you inside. Goodbye," Tomoyo said, snapping her phone shut and ringing the Li's doorbell. Sakura looked at her and smiled. Tomoyo's smile back was broken and unconvincing, but before Sakura could say anything, Eriol opened the door. He smiled and took Sakura and Tomoyo inside the house.

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Tomoyo stepped into the house and saw Syaoran immediately. He was leaning against the staircase, smiling softly and running a hand through his hair. Her heart softened and she turned to say something to Sakura before she saw Eriol swoop down and kiss her. Suddenly she felt a stab of unexplained anger. Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she glanced over to Syaoran who was looking away from the pair, a pained expression apparent on his face. Tomoyo walked up to him and jumped into his arms. "Hey babe," she said, sounding just like the annoying clingy girls that she hated.

Syaoran awkwardly hugged her back and muttered a greeting before Eriol cleared his throat loudly and said, "Well, if you two are done, let's go."

The movie theatre was a ten minute walk from Syaoran's, and the four walked side by side in silence until Tomoyo dropped her bag and Eriol stooped down to pick it up. Sakura and Syaoran were a few paces ahead of Tomoyo and Eriol, but the latter were too lazy to catch up to the others, deciding to see where things went from there.

Eriol suddenly spoke up and said, "So, would you rather kill your dog, or let him suffer for a long time with a deadly disease?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment before saying, "What?"

He grinned and casually said, "I don't like awkward silences."

Tomoyo smiled at him and they began talking animatedly about the movie they were about to see.

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Syaoran noticed that Tomoyo and Eriol had dropped behind, and suddenly felt nervous standing next to Sakura. She looked gorgeous even just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The nagging voice that he had come to hate began to lecture him.

Tomoyo.

Sorry, you have the wrong brain.

She loves you!

…now let's not get carried away.

Syaoran.

Well so what if she does? I can't lie to her.

What about Eriol?

…what about him?

He's Sakura's boyfriend!!!

Not officially. They've just gone on a date or so.

Stop kidding yourself, she's totally in love with the guy.

Well, we'll have to change that.

Oh? And how exactly do you expect to do that?

I'll… impress her with my charm.

……uh huh.

Are you being sarcastic with me?

"I love going to the movies, don't you?"

"Ah, avoiding the subject, are we now?"

He was brought back to earth by the sound of Sakura giggling. Crap. That's twice in one week. "What subject am I avoiding?"

Syaoran wracked his brain for something witty to say, but all he could come up with was socks. Why the hell am I thinking about socks? Come on Syaoran, be smooth. Smooth. "Um… how great it is that we get to be lab partners." Smooth, buddy. Why didn't you just say "I have a huge crush on you, why don't we ditch our girlfriends/boyfriends and go make out?"

Sakura smiled brightly at him and said, "You really think it's great?"

Syaoran nodded and replied, "It's fantastic. Now we'll get to have a chance to become a little… closer."

SYAORAN! GIRLFRIEND! TOMOYO! REMEMBER HER?!?!?!?!?!?!

Aw, shut it. I'm acting like anyone in my position would.

Sakura's smile got bigger, if possible and she said, "I agree. Hopefully we can become the best of friends! I mean… I don't really have that brotherly kind of figure ever since.." her voice faded slowly and she looked down at her feet. Syaoran slid a comforting arm around her should while he thought: brotherly figure? Greeeat. Well… it's better than nothing. I can do this. Sorry Eriol.

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Once they reached the theatre, Sakura and Tomoyo ran to the snack machine, Eriol and Syaoran sighing and pulling out their wallets. "Oooh, I want some popcorn, and nachos. And a cinnamon pretzel! Tomoyo, what are you getting?" Sakura said absent-mindedly to the very cute blonde boy at the register.

Tomoyo had a grin matching Sakura's and said, "I think I'll have some gummy worms."

"Oh! I want some of those! Oh, get me some twizzlers, too."

"Oh Sakura! How about the snow caps?"

"Right! Two boxes of those, please. Oh, and we'll need two large cherry icees."

The boy looked pleased with them and began to collect all the food. "What size popcorn would you like?"

Sakura looked at Tomoyo and nodded. "The biggest one you have."

When it came time to pay, Eriol and Syaoran groaned at the boy. "How could you let them buy all of this? It's not healthy," said Eriol, glaring at the boy whose name tag said 'Hi I'm Peter'.

'Peter' shrugged at Eriol and then turned back to the two girls. "So… girls, are either of you single?"

Sakura was faced with a dilemma. Technically, she was single. Eriol hadn't officially asked her out, they were just sort of dating. She opened her mouth to reply before Syaoran stepped up out of nowhere and said, "No. They both have boyfriends." She smiled at him and the four walked into the theatre.

There was hardly anyone in the theatre, so Sakura took Tomoyo's hand and hurried to a row of seats. She sat herself comfortably in a seat and smiled before she realized that there was a problem. Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo were all silently communicating amongst themselves. She saw Syaoran head for the seat next to her before Eriol stepped in front of him. There was an awkward share of glances before the seating arrangement was decided.

In the end, Tomoyo ended up sitting on the end next to Syaoran, who had Sakura on his other side, ending with Eriol. (AN: …….. I am disgusted with that sentence. It was really awkward to write… ugh.) Sakura was holding the huge bucket of popcorn, while Tomoyo had all the candy.

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An Hour Into the movie ---

Syaoran watched the bunnies on screen run past yet another enchanted tree and rubbed his eyes for the umpteenth time in the past hour. How long could this movie possibly be? Well thank god for popcorn, he thought, sticking his hand into the huge bucket. He grabbed hold of something and felt a spark run down his arm. Shocked, he glanced down to find himself holding Sakura's hand. She was blushing and staring at their hands curiously. Syaoran gently let go of her hand as he saw Eriol staring intently at the screen.

He opened his mouth to speak when Tomoyo grabbed a hold of his left hand, tugging on it slightly. Turning his attention to her, he caught the last bit of her sentence. "… so now Cuddles has to find Raquel a carrot. It's all for pure love! Isn't that just so cute?"

He blinked and then gave her a small smile. Tomoyo smiled back and intertwined their fingers slowly. "You don't like the movie, do you?"

"Not in the slightest," he said sheepishly.

He could have sworn she glanced at Sakura before saying, "But you haven't left yet. That's a pretty noble thing to do for love. I have to… go to the bathroom. Excuse me."

She tapped Sakura's shoulder and both girls hurried off out of the theatre.

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Sakura finished washing her hands and turned to Tomoyo. "Are you having fun?"

The latter grinned and said, "I haven't had this fun in a long time."

The two girls smiled at each other and then walked out of the bathroom. As they neared the theatre doors, Sakura realized that they were out of soda, and told Tomoyo to go on ahead without her.

Peter was still standing at the counter, talking to an older looking boy wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans. They turned to her, and the older boy stared at her confusedly. Sakura smiled uncomfortably and said, "Can I please have a refill on this?"

Peter nodded and took her soda to the back. The other boy shook his head, his blue eyes flashing, and said, "It's incredible what a strong resemblance there is between your brother and you."

She felt a coldness sweep through her body, suddenly feeling slightly endangered, and said, "How do you know my brother?"

The boy grinned and said, "Let's just say we were very… close." He maneuvered himself around the counter and came to stand by her. His hand came to rest on her cheek and she took a step back, feeling the coldness of his touch.

"How do you even know who I am?"

"Like I said, there's a strong family resemblance between the two of you," he said, his voice turning colder. "By the way," he added with a sneer, "so sorry to hear about his… accident."

Sakura widened her eyes and opened her mouth to say something before she saw someone rush past her. She recognized the person as Syaoran, and felt a jolt of affection for him as he punched the boy square in the jaw.

The boy took a step back before Syaoran growled, "Stay away from her." As the boy retreated, Syaoran turned to her and said, "You ok, Sakura?"

She saw a fierce and concerned look in his eyes, and she smiled, nodding her head. Before she could thank him, Peter came back from behind the counter and handed her the refill.

"Let's go back in Syaoran," she said, linking arms with him and pulling him toward the theatre entrance.

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Eriol took a breath of fresh air as he exited the theatre. Thank god it's over, he thought, walking slowly with Sakura.

She was talking about how much fun she had, and how she was so glad he'd asked her out, but he was lost in thought and only half of what she said seemed to register in his brain.

He was currently having a dilemma. Deep in his heart, he knew he didn't care about Sakura as much as Syaoran did, but he did care about her, a lot. And if her brain was telling her that she wanted to be with him too, why should he break her heart?

It was at this point that he realized Sakura had stopped, and he turned to face her. "Well, my house is this way," she said, gesturing to the left. This issue hadn't occurred to Eriol. They lived on opposite sides of the city, and he was expected back at his house in twenty minutes, not nearly enough time to get her home and get back, but he couldn't let her walk by herself.

He turned to Syaoran and Tomoyo, who also just discovered this dilemma. Crap, he thought, realizing he'd have to leave Sakura and Syaoran alone to walk home.

"I guess I'll just walk home by myself, but I really did have fun tonight Eriol," Sakura said and reached up to kiss him. He happily kissed her back and broke away to smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

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Syaoran hugged Tomoyo, and began to walk off, ignoring Eriol and Sakura, avoiding the pain that seeing them would cause him.

Syaoran, what the hell, why haven't you figured this out yet?

Shut up, I don't want to hear it.

I'm trying to help you!

Help me, my ass. You enjoy watching me mess up.

Well... yes, but I really do want to help you.

Fine. What do you suggest?

Make her jealous

Oh, great idea, but first I'd have to get something that would make her jealous. Any smart ideas? No.

Oh my god, are you really that stupid?

Why do you sound like my sisters?

Ignore that, answer the question.

No, I'm not stupid, but I don't know what would make her jealous.

TOMOYO!!!!!!!!! Idiot...

Syaoran was seriously going insane. He was hearing voices. The fact that they seriously sounded like his sisters wasn't helping anything. So, it's no wonder that he practically jumped through the roof when he felt a cold finger on his shoulder.

Spinning around, he came face to face with Sakura, and he immediately relaxed.

"Would you mind walking me home?" She asked tentatively. Syaoran grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

Damnit Syaoran, don't lose your cool. Be suave, charming, and smart.

"You look cold, are you alright?" He asked, gesturing to her shaking shoulders.

"I'm freezing! What's with this weird weather anyway?"

"No idea, but, here, take my jacket," he said, handing her the black jacket.

She smiled appreciatively at him and slid it on. They walked in silence for a few moments, Syaoran's ever present voice being completely silent as well, almost as if it had no criticism to give (for once). Sakura was the one to break the silence and she said, "You know… earlier, during the movie, when you stood up to that guy for me?"

Syaoran felt a grunt rise out of his throat at the thought of watching that freak touch Sakura. Pushing those thoughts aside, he stared ahead of them and said, "What about it?"

He saw Sakura stop and shift slightly, almost uncomfortably, before saying, "Thank you. I was pretty freaked out by him."

Syaoran turned to her and said, "Who the hell was he, anyway?"

He watched her emerald eyes ice over, and could almost feel the pain she was in. Her voice cracked a little as she replied, "Someone who knew my brother. Someone who knows that he's dead."

He didn't know what caused him to do it, but suddenly he was wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He waited for her to pull away, but the resistance never came, and they stood like that for a while, feeling the cold air counter balance with the warmth of their body heat.

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Sakura shivered against Syaoran, and could practically feel herself losing energy. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and said, "I'm freezing, but come inside and stay with me for awhile?"

She sighed with relief as he nodded and followed her inside her house. Sakura was feeling so strange, her thoughts pounding through her head at record speeds, and she couldn't imagine being alone at that moment. Syaoran had been so comfortable and warm, she couldn't imagine a better moment, and for some reason that frightened her. Maybe it was because Eriol wasn't the object of her comfort, or maybe she was just confused in general. All she knew was that Eriol was currently far from her mind.

Sitting on the couch, she felt Syaoran wrap a large blanket around her before walking away and into the kitchen. She flipped a switch and her TV came on, playing some random romance movie. Her face was still cold, and she stared at the kitchen door, waiting for Syaoran to return, hopefully with warm drinks.

She sighed a, "Bless you!" as he came in with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. He settled himself on the couch beside her, and she moved toward him, absorbing his body heat. She knew that she should probably be feeling some sort of shame for trying to be so close to him, but for now, all she could think about how good this felt, and how she never wanted to move.

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AN: So… that's it. Please review, it'd really make me more motivated (and everyone knows I need motivation). Anyway, tell me if you like it, hate it, whatever. I'm trying to improve, and I can't if you don't review. So… yeah.

I'll update as soon as I can. 3