Well, hello there!
...4 months later -_-
I'll respond to reviews for Ch.10 afterrrrrr but to the anonymous "guest" that commented today...thanks for the push! :)
I honestly got tired of staring at this document...and frustrated with not being able to update like I said I would so I forced myself to finish this chapter today with my new time off^_^.
I hope you don't hate me too much & that you all didn't abandon me! I'm doing the best I can with my hectic schedule but I just got A LOT more free time so, please bear with me. Seeing all of the continuous reviews & story alerts/favorites only added to my guilt!
I won't ramble too much but I do have on interesting/funny tid-bit to share:
As I mentioned before, I work in a restaurant which just happens to be run by a Li family...with many sisters and one son o_O.
I think my life is filled with too many CCS instances that it scares me sometimes.
I've got a cool little blog I'm starting but I'll bore you with that later!
Enjoy~
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of these characters - CLAMP has that right. [I do own this plot though & a couple extra people in there ^_^]
Summary:
Syaoran has been living a pretty comfortable life, until a girl he meets during a Spring Break road trip shows up on his door step a week later, turning his comfortable world upside down.
Chapter 11: Complexity
Dedicated to Kuromimi....because I wasn't able to update for your birthday.
(Hope you're still reading!)
"I still can't believe you're here."
Syaoran repeated again as he moved the remaining bags from the porch and closed the door behind him. Unsure of where to put them, Syaoran stood awkwardly, grasping two of her three suitcases. She held the last bag in front of her and took in her surroundings before turning back to face him.
"I really can't either." She said, barely above a whisper. They stood across from each other, hesitant of the next move to make, both fiddling with the luggage that still had yet to touch the floor.
A million thoughts raced through Syaoran's head. Here was the girl that he'd been daydreaming about for the entire week-though he'd never admit to anyone of his actions-standing in his small, simple, apartment. His eyes flickered to the his one bedroom and he mentally cursed himself for not renting out an apartment with a guest room. What would their sleeping arrangements be like? Of course he'd take the couch and she could take the bed until he learned more about her random visit.
A loud clap of thunder and the streak of lightning that followed brought him back to the current situation and Sakura flinched slightly from the noise, dropping the bag and breaking the spell.
"Uh, you can follow me, we can put your stuff in here."
With a subtle nod, Sakura retrieved her bag from the floor and followed him into his bedroom. He placed her bags next to his dresser and she did the same. He watched her as she took in her surroundings. There wasn't much to it, actually. The walls were bare, besides a mirror that was placed over his dresser where a few mementos were scattered here and there, there was nothing more than just a nightstand and his desk. His school bag was lain neatly next to his computer desk where a stack of papers and his books were piled.
"I know it's not much." Syaoran shrugged sheepishly.
Sakura shook her head, "No, it's perfect! It seems…cozy." She smiled. She knelt in front of her bags and unzipped one of them.
"If you don't mind, I was wondering if I could—"
"Yeah, of course! I'll just take the couch until we figure something out!" Syaoran interrupted her. She muffled her laughter with her hand and stood with some clothes tucked under her arm.
"I was actually going to ask if I could use your bathroom to change out of these wet clothes and wash up." She laughed, "And don't worry, I would hate to inconvenience you so I don't mind staying on the couch."
Syaoran ran his hands through his hair embarrassingly, "Of course you can use the bathroom but you're not sleeping on the couch."
She raised her hand to object but used it to catch a yawn instead. "If you say so." She said with a shrug before shuffling into the bathroom.
Syaoran sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning his forehead into his hands he blocked out the light from the room. If this was a dream, it was probably the most realistic one he'd ever experienced and he would surely wake up as soon as he reopened his eyes. Upon opening them nothing, in fact, had changed and he was still in this most peculiar situation.
"Are you ok?"
He hadn't even heard the bathroom door open and rose quickly, turning to face her. She was now dressed in her sleeping attire and knelt to put her wet clothes and other items back into one of her suitcases.
Syaoran smiled meekly, "I'm just a little tired." He replied, forcing a yawn.
He didn't' know how to bring up the topic of her unexpected visit. Sakura sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, placing her elbows on her knees she cupped her chin in her hands,
"Aww, it's past your bed time, isn't it?" She teased. He rolled his eyes and returned to his spot on the bed, casually grabbing a pillow before tossing it at her face. She let out a small yelp just as the pillow collided into her. Noticing her motion to retaliate, Syaoran hastily made to escape the room, narrowly dodging the pillow that instead hit the wall next to the door as he closed it behind him.
"You have horrible aim!" he yelled through the wood.
"And you have horrible manners!" she screamed back. Syaoran laughed along with her and rested his back against the door.
"Truce?" There was silence from the other side and although he knew what was awaiting him, he opened the door, peaking his head into the crack. Sakura wasn't in the bed where he'd last seen her and before he had a chance to slip his head back out, the pillow came in contact with the side of his head. He caught the pillow as he stumbled back into the room as Sakura retreated the bed and scrambled under the covers.
"Ok, truce!" her voice sounded from underneath the blanket, poking her head out a moment later.
"You're a pain, you know that?"
"Liar. You really don't mean that." she replied, sticking her tongue out at him before making herself more comfortable within the sheets.
He sighed in defeat with a shake of his head. Syaoran held on to the pillow and retrieved a another comforter from the top shelf in his closet. He looked at the clock on his nightstand, it was nearly half past midnight and the long day of school and work was finally getting back to him.
"If thinking that helps you sleep at night. I'll leave you to dream peacefully about it." He smirked and walked back towards the door.
Sakura pouted and hugged the remaining pillow to herself, "Well that's not very nice!"
He stopped in the door frame with his hand on the doorknob and he smiled. It was weird how things were completely normal right now. As though she hadn't unexpectedly shown up in the middle of the night with no explanation at all.
Clearing the thoughts from his head he made his way into the living room,
"Fine, I take it back. Sweet dreams, Sakura." He stopped in his tracks and stood rigid when her arms wrapped gently around him in an embrace.
"Thank you, Syaoran." She whispered, her cheek pressed against his back. He gripped the pillow a little tighter and he looked down at her fingers that were laced around him. His heart rate increased slightly but he refrained from showing his emotions. He didn't want to rush to any sort of conclusion about why she was here and if her mind had changed about where they stood. In his years of growing up with within a family of women, he'd figured out that girls just didn't figure things out so quickly. As far as he was concerned, he was still very much in the friend zone and didn't foresee that changing any time soon. Plus, it really was passed his bedtime and he really didn't have the energy to puzzle over these things.
"It's fine, I wasn't going to just leave you outside. I'm not that mean." He chuckled and turned around to face her.
She stared at the ground as she continued to speak, "I-I came here because…well…" her eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to gather her thoughts. As much as he wanted to laugh at how adorable she was being, he didn't have the energy to withstand her questions of why he was laughing at her when she was clearly distressed.
"We'll talk about it in the morning." He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, shuffling her back into the room. She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes smiled brightly and she nodded. He returned her gesture with a smile, "See you in the morning."
"G'night!" she said jubilantly, standing on the tips of her toes and quickly placing a kiss upon his cheek before closing the door.
Syaoran stared at the door that she'd just closed in front of his face and touched his hand to his cheek.
'What friend zone?' his inner voice questioned. Defeated by his confused thoughts once again, he took to his makeshift bed on the couch. Tomorrow would come all too soon and all of his inquiries would be answered.
s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s
Sakura blinked a few times before adjusting to the streams of sunlight from the window. She yawned and reached into a stretch, sitting up from her reclined position momentarily before laying back down. As tired as she felt, her internal clock just wouldn't let her sleep in, no matter how many hours of rest she'd managed to get that night and no matter how many dreams kept her mind racing.
She sighed in discontent and covered her face with her hands. The night before wasn't any different. She lay in the darkness for nearly an hour trying to figure out exactly what she would tell him about her sudden visit. The partial truth, she knew he wouldn't believe. But the whole truth was a different story that she wasn't sure she was ready to tell him.
It was the same every night for the last week. She found herself unable to go to sleep at a reasonable hour and as a result, she'd picked up the unusual habit of drinking at least 3 cups a coffee daily. It was unusual for her because normally she exerted so much liveliness and didn't need the aid of energy-enhancing drinks. But for the last week had proven to show the complete opposite though and she'd been plagued with troubled thoughts every night before bed.
Rubbing her eyes she let out a disgruntled noise and turned onto her side. Troubled was a bit of an over statement given that most of these thoughts were about the seemingly harmless boy that lay in the next room.
The first few nights back, she'd found herself immersed nightly in memory-like dreams of her time with Hiro during their years in high school. Towards the end of every dream though, he would magically transform himself into Syaoran. She would wake up startled, unsure of how to comprehend her unconscious feelings and every night, the bracelet around her wrist felt more and more like a hand cuff. It was the link that kept her chained to something she just didn't have the heart to turn her back on. She felt as though she owed that much to the memory of her lost love. After returning from the trip, she'd tried leaving the bracelet off but it didn't take long until she'd feel a sense of guilt in trying to leave it all behind. The one memory in particular that was her deciding factor in coming to see Syaoran could have been better described as a nightmare rather than a dream. Unfortunately, it was the same memory that kept her from moving on.
She looked down at the cuff around her arm and held the heart pendant in between her fingers, as she fought back tears at just the mere thought of what she'd dreamt. With a deep breath she pushed the thought into the back of her mind once more and closed her eyes.
Not even a second later, there was a piercing siren that erupted from the nightstand and Sakura nearly leapt out of the bed. She fumbled noisily with the buttons before finding the one that stopped the obnoxious noise. Her heart rate slowed to a normal pace and she laughed at how frantic she must have seemed. She looked to the door for any notion that Syaoran had woken from the disruptive noise and decided to see for herself. She tiptoed across the room and opened the door quietly. The living room was quiet and the blinds on the window were partially open, allowing for the little bit of sun that had risen to shine through. Her eyes fell on the sleeping figure underneath the large comforter that draped over the couch and she smiled. The sheet rose in steady intervals and she took it as a sign that he was still sleeping before silently closing the door.
"I guess I'll shower!" she whispered aloud to herself and proceeded to gather everything she needed, finding a towel in the small linen closet near the bathroom.
Following the refreshing bath, she brushed her hair free of any tangles and quickly dressed into her clothes. Carefully stowing away her old clothes, she walked over to the mirror that hung above the dresser on the wall and with a nod declared herself presentable. She caught sight of the silver that dangled from her arm and stopped herself short. Gently unclasping it, she placed on the dresser before timidly opening the door.
There was still silence when she entered the living room and closed the bedroom door behind her. Syaoran's unconscious form remained inactive on the couch and she quietly strode into the kitchen. She'd instantly found just what she was looking for—her new addiction. Setting up the machine to brew a fresh pot of coffee, she then set out on her search for breakfast food items. The least she could do was make him some sort of meal for his hospitality and it kept her mind busy from thinking about her explanation to him. After about a minute, the search was over. Apparently, Syaoran didn't feel it necessary to feed himself. She retrieve two cups from a cabinet above the stove and poured two cups of the freshly brewed coffee.
"Now what's the best way to do this?" she pondered aloud to herself, placing the cups onto the table next to the couch. Placing a finger on her chin, she observed his current state. One of his hands hung limply off the edge of the couch and he laid on his side. His lips were parted slightly as he took small breaths and she giggled at how peaceful he seemed. Kneeling down in front of him, she took his hand gently and tickled his palm. This only caused him to retract his hand and stuff both of them underneath his pillow. She huffed a piece of hair out of her face and sat back against the table in thought, 'What would Touya do?'. Her older brother always had a knack for coming up with weird ways to wake people up. Why she didn't just wake him up in a normal fashion? Well where's the fun in that? She smirked as one idea popped into her head. To this day, she still couldn't really understand why it worked so well. Maybe it was ESP or something or she'd read somewhere once that brains have some weird 'gaze detector' system. Regardless of what the reason was, it always worked and she'd always wake up feeling frustrated but impressed by his magical feat.
Following in her brothers footsteps, she brought her face inches away from Syaoran's and scrunched her face into the hardest stare she could conjure. The muscles in his face twitched slightly and she'd nearly fallen back with excitement at the thought of this "magical" moment. Keeping cool, she composed herself and went back at it, this time bringing her face slightly closer, focusing her stare even harder.
Syaoran's eyes flew open and he caught his breath. There was silence between them as Sakura held her intense gaze and he held an equally intense but confused expression. Their faces remained mere inches apart when she finally spoke,
"Good morning." She smiled, breaking the silence.
His eyes remained fixed on her, "…Hello."
A moment passed before she fell back on her heels. "Well that was the dullest reaction ever." She stood from her spot and folded her arms across her chest.
He sat up, even more perplexed by her strange actions than he was when he'd first opened his eyes.
"Well I mean, if I didn't know you and you weren't a girl, I'm sure my reaction would have been a lot different…and more violent." He said through a yawn.
"Oh, don't try to be all macho on me. You looked so harmless while you were sleeping!" Sakura teased.
Syaoran cocked an eyebrow, "Aw, how cute. You were watching me sleep."
Her face reddened and she turned away towards the window, "If sleeping dogs were cute then sure." She muttered.
"Last time I checked, there are plenty people who find sleeping dogs completely adorable." He added after her declaration.
Immediately following his rebuttal, she pulled open the shades, allowing the sun to cascade through the room and blinding the chestnut haired boy.
"Look who the mean one is now!" he said, blocking his sensitive eyes from the brightness.
Sakura walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the mug of coffee she'd poured earlier for him,
"Here ya go!" she said cheerfully while handing him the cup.
He looked from the cup back up to her, curiously. "Thanks, I guess."
She picked up her own drink and took a sip before sighing contently and leaning against the counter.
Syaoran looked into the dark liquid still unable to fully comprehend her actions. Placing the cup down on the table he turned to face her. She had her eyes closed and her elbow propped against the counter with her head resting upon her closed fist.
"Guess you should've slept a little longer instead of trying to wake me up like a creeper." He smiled smugly.
Her eyes opened, "I'm not a creeper! I was just trying to test a hypothesis."
He laughed at her explanation, "What? How long you can stare at someone until they think you're a creeper?"
"No! it's just a trick my brother used to do when we were younger."
"Whatever you say, creeper!" Syaoran took a sip from his mug.
She took a warm gulp from her own mug and countered, "Well next time I just won't try to make you breakfast."
He looked over at the clock on the wall and realized that it was nearly 10am. Usually, he would sleep in on weekends since his regular week required him to be up at the crack of dawn. Standing with a stretch he grabbed his coffee and joined her at the counter in the kitchen.
"So where's this breakfast you speak of?" he asked, looking around his empty room.
"It's non-existent since you seem to live off photosynthesis. Your kitchen is so barren! How do you even survive?" she questioned almost like a concerned mother.
He let out a small laugh and drank again from his cup, "I haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping yet since I got back. I've just been eating on the go every day for breakfast and lunch and…" he trailed off at the thought of dinner. Meiling had offered to cook for him nearly every night this week. "My friends have been supplying me with dinner so I've been managing." He said, immediately followed by another swig from his cup.
"You have friends? That's a shocker." Sakura feigned surprise.
Syaoran rolled his eyes and ignored her comment.
"I still want to make you breakfast though so I'm going to head to the store to pick up a few things!" Sakura continued, cheerfully.
"You really don't have to do that. We can grab something to eat after I shower and dress if you want,"
"No!" She interjected. "I wouldn't want you doing anything else for me. You've done enough by just letting me stay here on such short notice."
Syaoran watched her carefully as she gripped her cup within both of her hands. "Well I never said that I was going to pay for YOUR meal too." He smirked. She looked up at him and sent him an air-punch accompanied by a glare. Silence engulfed the room once more as they both drank quietly from their cups.
Figuring it was as good a time as any, Syaoran decided that it was time to get some answers.
"So, you were just in the neighborhood last night and decided to drop by?" he asked with the slightest hint of sarcasm.
Sakura stared at the warm cup of coffee in her hands. A small smile formed on her lips and swished it's contents around before placing it back onto the counter.
"Well I spent the entire night trying to figure out a good excuse to tell you." She paused for a moment to continue getting her thoughts together.
"And here I was out here thinking you were sleeping the whole time. I was up for a couple of hours and I didn't hear a thing from you."
Sakura managed a smile, "Thinking doesn't really require one to speak." She said cleverly and cocked at eyebrow at him. He rolled his eyes in response which garnered another smile from her.
"Come up with anything good?"He took a gulp from his mug. The warm liquid was comforting and he sighed contently. The conversation was starting off smooth and he was happy about that. The last thing he wanted was an awkward situation between them, especially since he didn't know how long she'd be staying. Judging by the amount of bags she'd brought though, it seemed like it was for more than just a day or two.
She held the cup up to her mouth and shook her head in decline before taking one more sip and placing it back on the counter.
"It's kind of a silly reason and you'll probably make fun of me for it. Tomoyo did." She walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. Curling her legs beneath her, she leaned onto the arm of the chair and shut her eyes before continuing,
"I couldn't function. It was like my whole routine just felt off, like something just wasn't right anymore. I went through the entire week and just couldn't get back into the groove of things." She felt the seat next to her sink under Syaoran's weight as he joined her.
"I told Tomoyo how I felt and she jokingly suggested that I just go to see you and after deliberating for all of a few hours, that's what I did." She said nonchalantly.
"So what you're saying is you came because you missed me?" It was meant to be a statement of understanding but it sounded more like a question.
"Well if you put it that way, it sounds so cheesy. But for the record, I missed Eriol and Tomoyo too! They just have super busy schedules and I didn't want to impose on them." Sakura removed herself from the couch and walked to the lone window in the living room.
Syaoran leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head, "And I don't?"
"Judging by the fact that we're here now having this discussion, no."
"Well it's the weekend, what did you expect?" he retorted.
Sakura turned with her arms folded and sighed heavily. "Fine then! I'll just grab my stuff and leave."
Syaoran stood up defensively, "No, no! It's ok for you to stay. It's nice having some company." He lowered his voice towards the end of his statement.
They eyed each other from where they stood without speaking.
She felt a sense of relief that he'd accepted the half-honest answer she'd given him. Of course she'd missed him and Tomoyo and Eriol but there was definitely more to her sleepless nights.
"Well I guess that's, that! I'm going to head out then." Sensing that the conversation may be over, she walked across the room back towards the bedroom to retrieve her things to go grocery shopping.
"There's more to it, isn't there?"
She stopped short of the doorframe and stood, rooted to her spot. She mentally cursed his perceptiveness.
"Nope! Why would you say that?" she turned around and asked through a forced smile. There gazes caught each other and her smile faded at the concern on his face.
"You look tired and troubled. Like something more is bothering you." He stated bluntly.
She had to cover herself and fast. Letting out another forced laugh, she waved him off and continued into the room.
"Of course I'm tired! Didn't you hear what I said? I even started drinking coffee too." she shouted. Grabbing her purse she checked to make sure she had what she needed and headed back towards the living room.
He stood at the entrance between the two rooms and she walked past him. "I'll be back in a little bit so you better be showered and dressed if you want breakfast!" she spoke over her shoulder.
Syaoran watched her cross the room and reach the door. "I know there's more to what you told me but if you're not ready, I won't force you to tell me."
Her hand hovered above the handle on the door and she took a deep breath. She'd have to tell him eventually but like he said, it would have to be on her own terms. With a nod, she left the apartment swiftly and descended the stairs to her car. She opened the driver's door but instead of getting in, took out her cell phone to look up the closest grocery store. It was a beautiful day and the nearest store was within walking distance. Closing the door and locking her car she set off into a brisk walk to clear her mind.
Syaoran entered his room and surveyed the area. The bed remained unmade and the small room seemed fuller with the presence of Sakura's travel bags. He picked up the three luggage items and tucked them into his closet before straightening out the sheets, making the space seem just a little more organized. He walked over to the dresser and caught sight of the bracelet. Lifting it, he carefully examined it and thought back to the last time he'd come in possession of the piece of jewelry and a strange emotion ran through him. Jealously maybe? He sighed and placed the bracelet back on the dresser.
"Get a hold of yourself, Syaoran." He laughed while rubbing a hand through his messy hair. Again he was overcome with a mixture of guilt and embarrassment for feeling as though he was competing with someone who wasn't even here anymore. Making his way into the bathroom, he figured the shower would help me calm his nerves. After all, if he wanted breakfast he would have to be clean and dressed by the time she returned, right? A small blush crept over his face. He had to let himself feel at least a little special since she was off buying groceries to feed him. Not letting the thought sit for too long, he continued with his routine.
Not even 15 minutes into his shower, it was cut short by the rhythmic knocking from his front door. 'She's back already?' he thought, shutting the running water off. The knocking stopped and his phone began to ring.
"The front door is open!" he shouted, poking his head out of the bathroom door. He figured she'd probably forgotten her money or something. He closed the bathroom door just as he heard his front door opening and resumed his shower.
"Don't worry, I'm showering so I can eat breakfast!" he shouted upon hearing his bedroom door opening.
"That's good to know but since when do you just leave your door unlocked & invite strangers in?"
The warm water droplets suddenly felt ice cold against his skin at the sound of the voice on the other side of the door.
"Meiling?" He asked in disbelief, turning off the water.
"Who else would it be? It's not like you have any friends beside me." she laughed.
He shook his head, why did these women assume he didn't have any friends he thought to himself. Syaoran reached for the towel on the rack but realized it'd already been used by Sakura. All of his other towels were in his laundry room waiting to be washed.
"Very funny, Mei. Can you do me a favor?"
"Let me guess, you don't have a towel or a change of clothes?" she responded almost immediately.
Syaoran held his face in his hand and sighed, "You know me way too well."
Meiling walked towards his dresser and carefully picked out a few clothing items. As many times as she'd volunteered to do his laundry, she knew exactly where he kept everything. Her eyes lingered on the bracelet before she walked back to the bathroom, "Here you go!"
Syaoran stuck one hand out and grabbed at the pile of clothes she'd brought for him before swiftly closing the door.
"So…are you expecting someone for breakfast?" Meiling asked as she walked back over the dresser. She could hear him fumbling around as he finished washing up and getting dressed. Gently, she picked up the bracelet and examined the inscriptions on both sides of the heart pendant. Her eyes scrutinizing the meaning behind the name and the word on the adjacent side. Syaoran emerged from the bathroom and she quickly stuck her hands in her pockets, along with the wristlet.
"Why would I be? You're my only friend, remember?" he said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and watched him carefully.
"Actually, I am meeting up with someone. Which reminds me, why are you here in the first place?" he never once let his eyes meet hers. She was very good at reading him and she'd know that he was hiding something.
"Can't I stop by just to say hello on my way in to work? & who's this person you're meeting?" she inquired, placing her hands on her hips.
Syaoran walked to the window and peaked through the blinds for no reason in particular, "I guess that's reason enough and it's one of my new co-workers. I offered to take 'em out for breakfast since they're new in town. I'm waiting for them to pick me up."
Unable to continue avoiding her, he turned around to face her analytical gaze. That's what Meiling was good at, analyzing everything and coming to conclusions quickly.
"New co-worker towards the end of the semester? That's odd."
"Well they're going to need someone to replace me when I graduate." he responded quickly. He was getting a lot better at this.
"So who's car is that downstairs?" she asked.
Syaoran walked into the living room and grabbed one of the mugs from the counter, placing it in the sink before she could notice.
"I don't know, maybe the old couple next door finally decided to get a car?" he shrugged. The answer was as farfetched as the imaginary co-worker he'd made up just a few moments ago.
"I doubt it. You know they're terrified of those things." She responded very matter-of-factly.
Syaoran threw his hands up in defeat, "Then I don't know, Meiling. Maybe they have someone visiting them."
She flinched at his sudden outburst and took that as a sign that her stay was over.
"Well I'm sorry for asking 21 questions, I was just curious." She glanced at the watch around her wrist before walking towards the door. "I'm going to be on my way then but let's do dinner this week. I still need to talk to you about something and there's someone you need to meet! Maybe you can bring your new uh…coworker." She stumbled on the final words.
She turned around briefly, "So, I'll see you soon?"
Syaoran nodded. Their eyes held each other, both in search of something that neither of them could figure out from the other. With a curt nod and without another word, Meiling turned on her heel and descended the stairs.
Syaoran exhaled loudly and leaned against the door. Running a hand through his hair, he remained this way in thought, unable to believe that she'd accepted his story so easily. It wasn't everyday that he'd attempted to lie to Meiling but now that it'd happened there was no turning back. On the one hand, he knew he couldn't keep Sakura's visit a secret for too long, especially since he didn't even know how long she would be staying for. On the other hand, he knew that if he did tell her she would be extremely hurt by his antics.
His fist slammed against the door in frustration. How could he have let himself fall into such a situation?
There was a light rapping on the door and he quickly turned to face the door.
"Syaoran? Is everything ok?"
The breath he'd been holding left him as he pressed his eye to the peep hole. Sakura stood with a worried expression on her face, a couple of plastic bags dangling from her arms.
"Hey! Yeah, everything's fine." He said nervously, swinging the door open to let her in.
She stepped into the apartment, cautiously eyeing him and placed the grocery bags onto his counter.
"So what was that banging about?" she began to unpack what she'd bought: eggs, orange juice, milk, bread. He watched as each item came out of the bag, attempting to formulate a quick excuse.
"I saw a spider on the door." He rubbed his hands against the side of his pants as if to rid it of the dead bug.
She stopped unpacking and his eyes rose to meet hers, "Poor spider." she laughed before resuming the unpacking.
Breakfast was comprised of cheese omelets, hash browns, toast, small talk and comfortable silences.
Syaoran stood at the sink rinsing the dishes while Sakura dried them and placed them back in their cabinets.
"Have anything planned for today?" Sakura asked, handing the towel to Syaoran. He dried his hands on it and placed it back into the drawer.
"Nothing really. I usually just relax on my weekends." He said while walking back into the living room and taking a seat on the couch.
"What an exciting and busy life you have!" she teased, and took the seat next to him.
He looked at her peculiarly, "Well do you have something better in mind?"
"I do actually." She responded quickly.
"Really?
"Yes."
Sakura stood from the couch and grabbed his hand. He didn't budge as she pulled on his arm.
"Oh, come on, Syaoran! Stop being so lazy."
He groaned and reluctantly peeled himself away from his comfortable spot. "So what's this plan of yours?"
s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s
Syaoran looked both ways, the light was green but there weren't any cars coming. He pressed the crosswalk button once more and waited.
"Oh come on!" Sakura said impatiently before bolting across the street. In a matter of seconds she'd reached the other side before Syaoran even had a chance to get his foot back on the peddles. Once more he looked both ways before crossing to catch up with her.
"Someone's impatient." He muttered after regaining his spot next to her.
Sakura shrugged, "No one was coming so I didn't feel like waiting. It's too great of a day to be waiting around!" she cheered while turning around.
Syaoran was amazed at the grace with which she was able to move.
"You're pretty good at that." He commented, nodding towards her rollerblades. Twirling back around to face forward she held her hands behind her back.
"I used to do this all the time when I was younger." she stretched her arms out to either side as if she were flying, "It just makes me feel so free." She continued.
Syaoran watched as she sped ahead of him. Turning back around after she was a few feet away, Sakura waited for him to catch up before they continued along the path. The slight breeze carried the euphoric sounds from the other park-goers that decided to enjoy their weekend outdoors.
"This reminds me of grade school when my brother and I used to leave for school together." Sakura said nostalgically. "He would start riding his bike ahead of me since I was always late getting ready in the morning and I would have to speed to catch up with him."
Syaoran listened silently as she continued on about her past. He enjoyed her peaceful chatter and felt relaxed in her company. Too relaxed to the point where he hadn't noticed that she'd stopped speaking. Actually, she'd completely disappeared from his side and he abruptly stopped his bike, nearly colliding with a young girl.
"Watch where you're going, will ya?" the girl nearly fell over but balanced herself by grabbing hold of the handlebars.
"I'm sorry about that. I…was distracted." He said in somewhat of a whisper looking around frantically for any sign of Sakura, spotting her peaking from behind a tree. The girl eyed him carefully and followed his gaze. Sakura ducked back behind the tree at the sight of the girl.
"Interesting…well I'm going to be on my way. Good luck with your distraction!" and with that, the girl continued on her way.
Syaoran dismounted his bike and walked it over to where Sakura hid behind the tree. Her back was leaned against it and she held her face in her hands.
"And you're hiding behind a tree because…?" Syaoran leaned his bike against the tree and crossed his arms.
"That was a close call…and embarrassing. But at least she didn't recognize me." she murmured through her palms.
Tilting his head to the side, he removed one of her hands from her face, "You knew that girl?"
Sakura nodded and knelt to the ground, "I haven't seen her in years but I know for a fact that she's Hiro's younger sister."
Syaoran's eyes widened and he looked back down the sidewalk for any trace of the girl but she was long gone.
"I see…so why didn't you say hello?
"She hates me." Sakura said, picking random blades of grass from the ground and letting them scatter.
Syaoran could tell that the whole event was really bothering her and took a seat on the ground next to her.
"You're probably exaggerating. I mean aside from how you treat me…there's no way that someone could actually hate you. You're probably the nicest person on this earth."
Sakura shook her head, ignoring his comment, "Trust me. She's hated me since the first day Hiro introduced me to her. Even after everything that happened.. I think it was one of those over-protective sibling situations."
Syaoran instantly understood. Having 4 older sisters made it virtually impossible for him to have a girlfriend.
"That makes perfect sense. My sisters are terrors when it comes to girls dating me. Every potential girlfriend that I brought home was scared away within the first 20 minutes. Besides Meiling, of course." The words left his mouth before he could even think. How would they feel if he told them that he didn't want to be with Meiling after they'd already deemed her "worthy" enough to be with him. As silly as it sounded. She was the only one that wasn't scared away by them. By countering their crazy antics with her own clever and strong actions, she won their approval.
"Have you…talked to Meiling at all since you've been back?" Sakura asked cautiously through the silence. She felt relieved to have changed the subject but a slight discomfort hovered over her. Although he'd clearly told her that his feelings towards Meiling were nothing more than that of a sister, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She needed to know if things between them had been settled before she allowed herself to be so open around him. Even if she already felt like a hypocrite for thinking that way when she'd invited herself to temporarily live with him without prior notice.
Syaoran nervously rubbed his hands through his hair, "Not really. She's actually been cooking dinner for me almost every day this week but…nothing's been brought up about what we talked about before Spring Break. Maybe she forgot?" he said dumbly. Of course he didn't actually believe that she'd forgotten but he needed Sakura to know that it wasn't a big deal to him. As harsh as it sounded, he couldn't find the strength and patience to stress himself out about something he knew wouldn't work out.
Sakura smacked him lightly on the back of the head and stood from the ground, dusting herself off. She couldn't quite place the feeling that she'd had when Syaoran mentioned that Meiling had been cooking for him every night but decided to try and ignore it.
"Girls don't ever forget matters of the heart that easily. She's probably just waiting for the right time to talk to you." Syaoran followed suit and walked his bike back out to the sidewalk before mounting it. Sakura held her hands behind her back and set off at a slow pace with Syaoran trailing slowly behind her, both at a loss for words.
They neared his apartment once more and Sakura stopped to remove her skates. Syaoran steadily carried his bike up the stairs and unlocked the door, entering his quiet home with Sakura close on his heels, closing the door behind them.
Sakura placed her skates by the front door and without so much as a single word, she headed into the kitchen and began looking through the cabinets and drawers, much like she'd done that morning. Syaoran watched her carefully, unable to understand just what she was doing.
"May I ask why you're inspecting my cabinets?"
Without turning to face him she continued her search through the fridge and freezer.
"You don't know how to cook do you?" she finally reached her conclusion and turned around to face him, her hands placed firmly on her hips.
Syaoran stared at her, thrown off by her question. "I mean, I know how to make a few things but…no, not really."
Sakura's lips twitched into a mischievous smile, "Then let's cook something tonight! I'll buy some ingredients and I can help you cook them."
Syaoran's suspicion was not eased and Sakura walked past him into the bedroom, away from his scrutinizing gaze.
He followed her and stood in the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest.
"You're jealous, aren't you?"
Sakura looked at him incredulously, "What? That's ridiculous. What would I be jealous of?" she quickly grabbed a change of clothes from her suitcases in the closet and headed into the bathroom.
"You don't like the idea of Meiling cooking dinner for me, so you want me to be able to cook by myself. You're jealous." Syaoran said through the closed door.
A few moments passed before the door flew open and Sakura brushed by him to put her dirty clothes away in her bag.
"You're so full of yourself, you know that? Maybe I just wanted to be a nice friend and teach you how to cook?" she made her way out of the bedroom and slipped her shoes on at the front door.
"Whatever you say, Sakura." He said in a disbelieving tone. "Where are you off to?"
She walked over and grabbed his hand, leading him to the door. "YOU are going to drive with me to the store so I can pick out some things for dinner tonight."
"Can't I at least freshen up or something?"
"No." she grabbed his keys from the stand and pulled him along through the front door with her .
"You're such a tyrant." he rolled his eyes playfully and snatched his hand away as they descended the stairs.
"You still put up with me though." She smiled before tossing him his keys.
He stood outside of the driver's side dangling the keys in one hand, "Remind me why we're not taking your car?"
"Because I'm cooking you dinner tonight!" she said, tugging on the handle.
Syaoran unlocked the doors and took his seat before starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. Sakura sat silently, staring out the window.
"So, I thought you said that you would be teaching me how to cook tonight?" he spoke after a few minutes of driving.
"I changed my mind." She said simply as they pulled into the lot for the grocery store.
"I shouldn't be too long so you can wait here for me." She unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car before he had a chance to respond. "What's your favorite food, by the way?" Sakura asked, briefly turning around.
"Chicken and Dumplings!" he yelled back before she nodded and bounded into the grocery store.
Syaoran shook his head with a sigh. This girl really was a puzzle. He turned the car off and reclined his seat, hoping to rest even just a little. The day really had been exhausting. Aside from Spring Break, he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually taken a day to enjoy himself outside. Usually on his days off he'd stay in his apartment, huddled up in his room catching up on homework or just staying to himself. The only time he'd find himself outside would be to run errands or if he was going to see Meiling.
As if on cue, his phone began to ring. He fished it from his back pocket and stared at the name displayed on the screen.
"Seriously?" he looked around the parking lot, stretching out of his seat to see any indication that the raven-haired girl was nearby. Her car was nowhere to be found and there really wasn't anyone in the parking lot that resembled her. He hesitated for a few more moments, debating whether or not he wanted to answer the phone and trying to come up with any sort of excuse as to why he couldn't see her tonight. If he told her that he'd be having dinner with his 'new coworker' then she'd insist on dropping by to meet them. If he agreed, then he'd either have to bring Sakura with him or leave her by herself for a few hours. 'Or I can just not answer and figure out an excuse later' he sighed with relief and decided on that. The phone gave one last shutter before it lay still in his hand. He laughed to himself with a shake of his head. Eriol was right, he definitely needed to grow a back bone.
Meiling rolled her eyes as she disconnected her call to Syaoran and switched back to her other line
"I told you this was a dumb idea. He didn't answer."
The girl on the other line laughed, "It was a great idea! He's just dumb for missing out on your awesome cooking. How about I drop by and enjoy the dinner for him? Then when I finally meet him, I can rub it in his face." She joked.
Meiling couldn't help by smile at her friend's sense of humor. "Fine then. I'll just finish picking up a few more things and I'll let you know when to come by."
"Sounds good to me! See you later!"
Meiling heard the line go dead and she slipped the phone into her purse. Maybe she was over reacting just a little but it was very unlike Syaoran to miss her call. Especially on weekends when she knew he wouldn't really be doing much of anything.
Her thoughts drifted back to the bracelet. She hadn't looked at it since she'd first taken it from his house, her guilty conscious getting the best of her. He hadn't called to ask her about it either, but then again, why would he? She was probably one of the few people he trusted and wouldn't expect her to steal something from him.
Maybe it didn't even belong to him or anyone he knew. He could have found it somewhere on campus and was waiting until the weekend was over to turn it in to a lost and found.
She continued down the aisle and found the last item on her list before heading towards the checkout line.
'Annnnd I'm done.' Sakura mentally noted as she picked up 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. She was actually excited to cook tonight. It'd been a while since she was able to cook for anyone other than herself. When she was still in grade school, she and Touya would take turns cooking dinner every other night. There was just a certain satisfaction she felt from watching others enjoy a meal that she'd cooked. 'That's probably how Meiling must feel,' her guilty conscious took a jab at her. With a momentary sigh, she took a deep breath and pushed the thought away. There was no harm in cooking a dinner for her friend. Even if she may or may not have had feelings for said friend.
Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed how fast she was walking until she nearly collided with someone at the entrance to the checkout line.
"I'm so sorry! I really need to start looking where I'm going!" Sakura apologize genuinely. Her "cart victim" simply laughed it off and told her that it was ok. As a kind gesture, Sakura offered the first spot in the line, which was gladly accepted.
"It looks like we're both making the same thing tonight!" Sakura said while surveying the items strewn about the other cart as the girl in front of her unloaded them to the cashier.
"Hm? Oh! It does seem that way doesn't it."
"Chicken and dumplings?" Sakura asked. The girl in front of her nodded and opened her mouth as if to say something but was cut off.
"May I see your ID, please?" The cashier interrupted as he picked up a bottle of red wine to scan.
The girl nodded and pulled out her wallet from her purse. Handing the cashier her ID, he examined it swiftly before giving it back to her.
"Special plans?" Sakura asked curiously.
The girl's phone rang as she fumbled to put her ID back into her wallet. Attempting to answer the phone at the same time, the ID slipped to the floor. Sakura knelt down to retrieve it for her and froze at the sight of the name on the card.
"Meiling…" She whispered.
"Yes?" the other girl said almost instantly.
Sakura quickly stood and held out the ID to her, "I'm sorry—it's just…"
"Oh no, sorry. I was talking to them." Meiling held her hand over the receiver and whispered while pointing towards it before reaching out and taking the ID from Sakura's outstretched hand.
"No, I didn't forget the red wine!" she quickly said into the phone as she paid the cashier and gathered her bags into her cart. She looked back at a stunned Sakura and mouthed the words "Thank You" before walking out of the store.
Sakura couldn't believe her luck—or rather lack thereof. She slowly loaded her items to be scanned.
'It has to be her. There's no way it's just a coincidence.' she thought as she slowly pushed her cart out into the grocery store parking lot. She didn't know what to expect, really. Syaoran hadn't really talked about Meiling in full detail. She was beautiful and she seemed nice enough. And why was she buying chicken and dumplings? Was she planning on cooking for Syaoran as well sometime this week? Sakura's eyebrows furrowed with the intruding thoughts. But she was meeting with someone so maybe she was seeing someone else? It wasn't good for her to be too conclusive but she used that thought to ease her guilty mind even if it was slightly.
"You look like a lost child." Syaoran commented as he got out of his car to help her load the groceries into the trunk.
"Huh? Oh! No, I was just thinking." Sakura stumbled through her words.
Syaoran eyed her warily. "Is something the matter?" he asked, packing the last of the bags into the trunk before closing it. She shook her head and pushed the cart up onto the median before taking her seat in the passenger side.
The ride back to the apartment, although very short, was also very quiet. Syaoran didn't know what to say. He'd tried asking her if anything had happened inside the store but she continued to decline, insisting that she was ok.
He sighed and shook his head as he continued to unpack the groceries in the kitchen. He would never understand why girls always said that nothing was wrong when clearly, the frown and lost look in their eyes showed otherwise.
Syaoran heard his room door open and Sakura reenter, taking a seat at the stool in front of the counter. His back still turned to her as he placed some items in the fridge, she let out a long sigh.
"Sakura just tell me what's—"
"Why do you like me?" She cut him off before he could finish.
He continued to stand there, halfway turned to face her. "I—wait, what?" he questioned, unsure of if he'd heard the right thing.
She glared at him, "Please don't make me repeat myself." She said dully.
Syaoran ran his hands through his hair nervously. He really hadn't expected to be talking to her about something like this. There was no time to think of some witty or charming answer, he simply stood there, fumbling with his words.
"I-uh, I don't know. I mean, I do know!" he corrected himself quickly, "but it's hard to explain it." He said almost as if to himself.
Sakura laid her head upon her arm and let out another sigh, "I mean, I'm not that pretty. I've got way too many emotions to deal with all the time and I dunno, the list can go on and on."
"Can it?" He asked jokingly, raising his eyebrows.
She let out an exasperated sigh, "You know what I mean! Why do you even bother with me?"
"Because I like you!" he shouted in almost equal frustration.
Taking a minute to breath he continued, "It's as simple as that. I like you and I want to help you work through whatever it is that you're going through. I want to be your friend Sakura and I put that before anything else we may or may not have." He paused to walk around to her side of the counter.
"You're funny and sweet and even though you show it in weird ways, I know you're a caring person."
She managed a small laugh and opened her mouth to say something but he stopped her.
"And you're beautiful. Inside and out, Sakura. I feel like there are so many things I could say to you but—"
"Oh realllly? Like what?" she questioned with a smirk.
He softened at the sound of her sarcasm and reached out, pulling her into a hug, "That you're a pain, you know."
She melted into his warmth. The silent embrace continued for a few more moments before Sakura spoke again,
"It was just a simple question. No one told you to get all hot and bothered over it." she said into his shirt.
"I've learned that nothing is ever simple with you. Maybe that's another reason..." Syaoran pulled away slightly and looked down at her and she looked up at him, slightly confused.
"I like solving puzzles. You-you're like a complex puzzle piece with all of the pieces are laid out, scattered, just waiting to be put back together." He whispered.
Sakura searched his eyes for any sign of a joke, of laughter, of anything to show that he was only kidding but the look on his face was anything but. Her fingers tingled as she gripped the sleeves of his shirt a little tighter and her chest felt as though it would explode from the pounding of her heart when his arms tightened their hold against her back. Her breath caught in her throat as he brought his face closer to hers, their foreheads touching. She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat and fought for air. Finding it hard to breathe from the sudden rush of heat that coursed through her, she closed her eyes.
"But if there's something I've learned…it's that sometimes we just need to be patient…and the pieces will fall into place on their own." He whispered before kissing her forehead and backing away slowly.
Sakura opened her eyes to see his retreating figure.
"I'm going to get some fresh air…I'll be back soon, ok?" he turned around briefly and flashed her a soft smile before leaving the quiet apartment.
Syaoran leaned his back against the front door and held his head to the sky, taking in a deep breath of the warm afternoon air. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone as he descended the stairs two at a time. His fingers dialed the numbers quickly and he continued to walk, waiting for the voice on the other line to pick up.
"So now you want to call me back."
He sighed and took a seat on the nearest bench. "I know, I'm sorry. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
There was brief silence on the other line and the sound of a door closing before they spoke,
"Is it about what we talked about before?" they asked quietly.
Syaoran nodded for no reason I particular. With hesitation in his voice he continued, "Sort of..I…"
"You don't have to be all nervous about it."
There was silence once again between the lines as Syaoran took a deep breath before speaking,
"But there's someone else."
Silence replaced his voice once more and after a few seconds, he knew the line had gone dead.
AN: I hope you enjoyed my suspenseful ending! ^_^ I'll update as soon as I can! I've already got the next 2 chapters lined up. My birthday is next week and I think it'd be nice to celebrate with you all by posting at least one of the chapters!
Answer time: [if I missed anyone, be free to figuratively kick my butt, k?]
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Guest: Happy now? :)
StereoTimeBomb: Thank you for reading & for the encouragment! Which American Dad episode? (I'm curious!) A couple of your questions were answered but I promise the rest of them will be in the coming chapters. Things are going to get pretty serious soon!
Emilie-Horswill: haha yeah, my fingers type way faster than what I'm actually thinking sometimes & I'm too lazy to proofread too much. Thank you for reading!
KawaiiAmy13: I love this story too so I will update ^_^
Czee: awww, I hope this chapter is long enough for you! & I'm really sorry for making you wait for so long.
Moon86: I would love to go to a haunted house soon! Thanks for the review ^_^
Nicole94: Just wait 'til you read the next few chapters!
Saki-Hime: I'm happy my chapter was in time for your birthday (4 months ago now! Happy Belated!) I hope the next update will be in time for mine (next friday!)
Dandy352: We spoke through PM's but thank you for your comments & the review ^_^. I really appreciate your thoughts!
Pockie: Thank you! & I hope you still love it even with my late updates ~_~.
Kawaii chibi Chidori-chan: I hope you liked this chapter & the next ones to come too!
Kuromimi: aghhhh I totally wasn't able to update for your birthday :( but I hope this chapter makes up for it!
deadflo: Thank youuuu! & it's about to get even realer!
Aizawa Li Syaoran Vessalius: haha yeah, honestly I didn't even plan for that part to be in there until I started writing it. It's actually based off of a piano-bar I went to back in January for my friends birthday. Not all of the events took place but...it was still exciting ^_^