"Our Roller Coaster"
Shit.
Syaoran scribbled on the papers quickly as he flipped from page to page.
It was already past eleven; he had a ton of papers to sign that should have already been completed before ten in the morning when he would have to go to that brunch. And, he had Sakura sitting at home, possibly waiting for him to get there.
She had been sitting there all day alone, probably still upset with him for his stupid behavior that triggered something in her.
He was still confused about her random outburst, but he was sure that it was a personal problem. Definitely not normal; which only caused his fingers to scribble down even faster so he could get home and talk to her.
He was beginning to see everything different in life because now, being the chief was starting to get a bit overwhelming for him too. Or, maybe every word and advice Sakura spoke to him was beginning to really make him think.
A few days ago, just before she fell into this depression state, she had told him that he worked too much and did not need to overdo it. And now, he was beginning to think the same even though he was fine with the way things were for all these years. He could not help but feel that he was becoming brainwashed by her like most psychologists do to people.
He sighed, erasing that thought. He finished filling out a few more paperwork before he called it a night. He has someone back home waiting for him.
He did the norm before he left the hospital building. As usual, he had a brief conversation with Haruka and then drove home.
When he reached his apartment door, he dug in his pocket, searching for his key before he remembered that he gave it to Sakura.
What the hell was I thinking?
He knocked on the door softly, not wanting to scare her awake, or anything.
The door opened slowly, revealing Sakura peeking behind the door at him.
His heart tightened in his chest, seeing her current state look the same as it had earlier – in distraught. He gently pushed the door open, making her step back.
"Sakura," he called softly.
She looked up at him hesitantly, and he walked further inside, closing the door behind him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd be so late," he said, hoping that she was not upset with him.
She shook her head. "No, it's fine," she said quietly.
He walked towards her and grabbed her hands. "And I don't know how much I can apologize for this morning..." he said softly.
He still could not understand what caused her to react in such an aggressive manner. He had not expected her to treat him that way after he had taken care of her for the last two days or so. He wanted to be upset with her, but in the end, he could only feel upset with himself.
She had told him not to do that, yet he did because he thought he was doing her a favor by letting her sleep longer. She looked exhausted and worn out, so the moment he saw her peacefully sleeping, he could not help but let her sleep longer.
She pulled her hand back from his with a frown on her face. "Don't bring that up right now," she said softly.
He leaned down, kissing her lips softly. When he pulled back, he made her look him in the eyes. "We are talking about this, Sakura," he said in a tight tone.
She frowned, pulling her face from his gentle grip. "I know. Just, not now," she said, placing her hands on his chest.
Immediately, he grabbed her hands from his body the moment he felt the stirring in his pants. "When, then?" he asked.
She sat quiet for a moment before she moved her hands from his again and placed them behind his head, so she could pull him down to kiss her.
When her tongue slid past his parted lips, he responded to the kiss, pulling her body flush against his, hard. His hands dropped to her legs, pulling one of them up to his waist as their tongues battled with one another.
He groaned when she pressed her pelvis against his, grinding into his erection.
When she did it again, realization dawned on him that she was trying to distract him from furthering their conversation.
Though it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, he pulled back from the kiss and grabbed her hips tightly.
"Sakura," he called, sounding out of breath.
She dropped her hands to his belt and began to quickly work on it.
Even though he really wanted to have sex with her, the desire to understand her health was greater.
"Syaoran," she almost moaned as she wiggled her hips, so she could slide down his body, onto her knees in front of his crouch.
Shit.
She looked up at him through her thick lashes as she began to unbuckle his pants.
It was one of his fantasies that she was initiating.
When he looked at her again, he took a deep breath and then rest his hand on top of her head. He closed his eyes, hiding the image from his sight. "Get up," he said softly.
Instead of listening to his command, she remained on the floor and began to unzip his pants. "Are you sure?" she asked seductively, and then cupped him.
He jerked back, glaring at her. "Up," he said sternly, feeling extremely aroused, but annoyed at her intentions.
She sighed, standing up from the floor. She did not say anything, while staring at his chest blankly.
He leaned down, kissing her lips gently at first before his mouth became hungry for more. But, he still pulled back, remembering the issue at hand. "Talk to me," he said, almost sounding a little desperate.
She swallowed, moving back from him, and then walking towards the living room.
He was quick to follow after her, not wanting to lose sight of her anymore.
She sat on the floor in front of the couch, leaning her back against it.
His brows scrunched together in confusion. "You can sit on the couch, Sakura," he said, stooping down beside her.
She closed her eyes and then took a deep breath. "I can't sit on the couch," she finally said.
"Help me understand, then," he said stiffly.
He could not help but wonder how Sakura and other psychologists had so much patience with difficult people.
Am I like this?
"Sakura," he called when she did not respond.
"Because I just can't sleep with you!" she exclaimed.
Taken aback with her response, his eyes widened. "What?"
"Sitting on that comfy couch just serves to make me feel relaxed and lazy, which will result in me falling asleep," she explained.
His brows scrunched together in confusion. "That's...good, right? You need sleep, Sakura—"
"I'm fine. I was fine before you decided to make me sleep last night," she said, sounding annoyed with him.
He frowned. "You are not going to be fine if you continue to go without sleep," he said.
She sighed exasperatedly. "If we continue to have sex, you can't stay with me, nor can I stay with you," she said in a finalizing tone.
"What?" he whispered.
This should not have been a problem at all, considering that he never stayed the night with women he slept with. But to hear Sakura say that was heart-wrenching.
"We can't spend the night with each other anymore—"
"If it's the issue about this morning, we can fix that. I won't ever do it again and—"
"No!" she yelled, surprising him with the volume she used. "I just... don't want to anymore, okay?" she said softer this time.
He took a deep breath, hoping the feeling of pain would go away. "Why can't you sleep?" he asked quietly.
She was quiet for a moment before she shook her head. "It's hard to explain...I..."
"Try, damn it," he said, sounding frustrated.
She huffed, standing up. "Why do I even bother to try with an impatient, pompous, asshole—"
He stood up, grabbing her arms gently. "Sakura, please. Just...talk to me," he said, looking at her pleadingly.
She stared at him for a minute before she released a sigh. She moved closer to him and rest her head against his chest, and then wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry... I'm just...It's not a good time for me. I know that we need to talk, but I find it hard to come up with the right things to say to you. I just..." She shook her head against his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her when he felt his shirt dampen. "How about I ask a question and you answer it?" he asked gently.
She was quiet, except her sniffing. She nodded slowly.
"Let's just sit down. We won't lay down, or anything," he said gently into her hair.
When she murmured a soft okay, he led them over to the couch.
He thought for a moment on what he could ask her without offending her. Apparently, he had her on edge all day.
"Is it nightmares?" he asked cautiously.
"Sometimes," she said quietly.
"Does something happen to you in the dream?" he asked.
When she did not respond, he knew what the answer was.
"Sakura, I would never—"
"I know, I'm just not ready...for that right now. It's nothing personal. I shouldn't have decided something like that without..."
His arms tightened around her unconsciously. "Without what?"
"Nothing. I shouldn't have decided to sleep with you if I knew I wasn't ready," she said.
He sighed softly, wanting to demand straight forward answers out of her, but knew that it was not possible. So, he would wait until she decided to come out with it.
"Well, you can trust that I won't ever do anything to put you in harm's way," he said softly.
"Eiichi would say the same..."
His jaw clenched at the mention of his name and he tightened his arms around her, but not enough to hurt her. "This has something to do with him?" he asked, feeling his anger rise at the mention of that name.
"Syaoran," she called.
He took a deep breath and then released it. "What?"
"This is all me..." she said.
"Why the fuck would you mention that name then?" he asked tightly.
"Because, he..."
He held his breath, waiting for the answer.
She sighed. "It's nothing. I do want to continue having sex with you, but I can't sleep with you anymore because I'm not ready for that yet."
He let her go, so he could look at her face. "Yet?" he asked hopefully.
She nodded. "Yet."
"So, you will eventually, then?"
"One day," she said softly. "Hopefully."
"I'll try to be patient and wait then," he said, smiling at her.
Crimson hues formed on her cheeks and she returned the smile. "Okay."
He leaned down to kiss her lips gently and then pulled back. "Do you still feel something for him?" he asked.
"Syaoran—"
"I'm serious, Sakura. I don't like sharing, and if you feel anything for that man, I swear—"
"I don't," she interrupted.
For some reason, he did not believe her. "Sakura," he called in a warning tone.
"I don't, Syaoran." She caressed his face lovingly. "You said you trust me, so trust me with this."
He sighed, resting his hand on top of hers. "Okay. I just..." he said, closing his eyes. "The thought alone of another man on your mind drives me mad."
She did not say anything, causing him to become paranoid.
"Do you think about him too?" he asked.
"I think about you," she said.
His heart skipped a beat and that familiar fluttering sensation formed in his stomach. "What about me?"
"How great you are..." she said softly.
A small smile tugged on his lips. "What else?" he asked.
"How smart and funny you are," she said. "Sweet too."
"Okay," he said, and then brought the hand that was on his face to his mouth to kiss.
"I..."
He opened his eyes, looking at her. He brought her hand away from his lips. "What is it?"
"The woman you were talking to earlier..."
His face relaxed, and he looked at her seriously. "Akari. I swear that we didn't do anything. It didn't even cross my mind to do anything with her. She really was just showing me the charts of a patient."
"She didn't seem to think that," she said in a disapproving tone.
He could not detect if her tone was of jealousy or disappointment as his therapist.
"Well, there was nothing inappropriate going on between us," he said reassuringly.
"So, you've never had sex with her before?" she asked testily.
"I..." He paused, wondering if he should tell the truth and possibly cause an argument to start, or lie to avoid it.
"Yes. She is the woman I took advantage of," he said. "I'm not proud of myself for doing it anymore, though."
When she did not say anything, he looked at her. "I would never do anything like that again, Sakura," he said truthfully.
"Okay," she said blandly.
"You don't believe me," he stated.
She swallowed and then sighed, staring at something on his body.
His eyes detected where she was looking, and his heart began to beat faster.
She had given him a hickey probably bigger than the size of a quarter.
He could not believe that she had done such a thing, which only made him feel even more thrilled and intrigued by her.
No one had ever given him a hickey before, so he never experienced the feeling of being claimed. Quite frankly, it felt beyond good. Or, maybe because it was Sakura who had given it to him.
"Everyone I came across saw this mark," he said gently. "So, they know."
He moved closer to her, pushing her down on the couch. "They know that I'm claimed," he said in a low, sultry voice as his lips travelled down her face.
"I-I didn't mean—"
"Can I do the same?" he asked, lips hovering over her neck in plain sight.
"Y-you've already—"
"I don't care." And his lips were already sucking hard on the sensitive flesh.
His lips kissed down her neck lightly and smirked against her skin when he heard a sharp inhale of breath leave her mouth.
He yanked the top of her shirt down with a hard tug, tearing the shirt a bit. "Don't you like that people can see that I'm already claimed?" he asked against her collarbone.
"I—Syaoran," she moaned when his lips sucked on her skin.
His hips pressed into her, making her gasp when she felt his erection. "I-I'll have to leave after we finish," she said.
He stopped immediately, and then pulled back from her neck. "Sakura..." he almost whined.
She ran her hands through his hair with a sad smile. "I was serious..." she said softly.
"Okay. I don't want to keep you up all night, then," he said with a frown.
"I'm not saying I have to leave yet," she said quietly.
"Really?" he asked, looking at her face with concern. "I mean, are you sure?"
"Yes. We can cuddle and talk for a bit," she said with a small smile.
He sighed in relief and then sat up from her body. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his room. "The couch is uncomfortable for two," he said.
She giggled. "Are you just using that as an excuse to get me in your bed?" she asked in a playful tone.
He squeezed her hand, making her look at his smirking face. "Maybe. Also, I want to do something for you."
"Why am I not surprised?"
He chuckled and then kicked his shoes off. He began to unbutton his shirt slowly before he stopped, turning to her standing by the bed. "You don't have to wait for me to get in the bed, you know," he said.
She shook her head. "I know. I was just wondering..."
His brows scrunched together, reaching over into his drawer to grab a bottle of grapeseed oil. "What about?"
"Uh... how many women have been in your bed?" she asked in a small voice.
"Sakura, I told you that I haven't even thought about being with another woman since we started sleeping together," he said, sounding disappointed that she had not believed him.
"I know. I just want to know."
He sat the bottle down and slid the long-sleeve shirt off, carelessly throwing it on the chair by the bed. "I don't bring women into my home," he said, pushing her down on the bed.
"Really?"
He chuckled, pushing her over. "Yeah. Why would I?" he asked, sliding in beside her before pulling her close to his body.
"Why am I here then?"
He wrapped his arm around her, and then paused at that question.
Why is she here?
"You're a special case," he said after some thought into the question.
"Meaning?"
"I don't know, Sakura. You mean something to me, I guess," he said, caressing her bare arms. And suddenly, he wanted to have her naked against him.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Well, you're my therapist for one," he said, pushing her up so he could pull her shirt off.
He was surprised when she let him, so he took off the undershirt that he had on.
"And, you're the person who makes me feel happy," he said after pulling her pajama pants down.
He did not bother to look at her in her undergarments, though it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Having sex with her meant making her leave after. He wanted her here as long as she would willingly stay.
"Alright, fair enough," she said, laying down on his bare chest after he took his pants off.
"And why are you here?" he asked.
"Because I want to be," she said softly, while caressing his chiseled chest.
He shivered, closing his eyes. He was trying to ignore his aching manhood, but the way she touched him was doing no good.
"Why?" he asked, letting his hand slide down her arm, and onto her waist that he grabbed.
"Because I like being around you," she said.
He smiled, pulling her closer to his body, if that were possible. "Oh, that reminds me, why were you at the hospital today?" he asked.
She was quiet, so he squeezed her gently, encouraging her to answer.
"To see Aki," she said.
His hand loosened on her body for a second before it tightened around her. "Did you really go to see that asshole?" he asked tightly.
"It—"
"Damn it, Sakura. I didn't think you were being serious about that," he said, voice raising a bit.
"Please, Syaoran. Not tonight," she said.
"No, I said that I didn't like to share—"
She sat up from his body with a glare on her face. "I said that I'm not sleeping with anyone else, and if you're just going to sit here and act like I'm some kind of whore, then I don't want to see you anymore—"
He pulled her down, crashing her lips onto his in a kiss that they never shared before.
When they pulled apart, he was already pulling her body against his again, possessively. "Can't you just stop seeing him? I don't trust him," he said tightly.
She sighed. "No, I can't stop seeing him. He's my best friend and my therapist, so he's not going anywhere, anytime soon," she said, still sounding a little out of breath.
Syaoran did not say anything, afraid that he might say something to hurt her.
He was consciously trying to work on that because he seemed to do that a lot when she upset him. It was just so hard when she would not let things go his way, though.
"Who would you choose then?" he asked, though he did not want to know the answer. But somewhere deep down, he knew that he did.
"What?"
"Who would you choose? Me or him?"
"Syaoran, you can't ask me—"
"I can. Who the hell would you choose, Sakura?"
She was quiet for a moment before she let out a forced, short laugh. "You're being ridiculous."
"I don't care. Just, tell me," he almost begged.
"He's my best friend and that's as far as it'll get," she said.
He sighed, annoyed with how she could easily avoid topics with statements that always made him feel a little reassured about her loyalty.
So, they laid in silence for a moment.
"It feels like we haven't had a session in a while," she said softly.
He sighed in relief, glad that she was not upset with him.
"Only a few days. I went to the session last Friday night," he said.
"That's true. I guess I just miss it..." she said softly.
He wanted to ask if she meant the money but disregarded the idea immediately. She was not like that, he had to remind himself.
"Maybe...we could have one tomorrow after I leave from Ms. Chiho's place," he said, almost hesitantly.
"The woman you look up to?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. A few months ago, I promised to take some time off to spend it with her kids. They lost their father a year ago," he explained.
"Oh, that's very nice of you," she said.
He swallowed. "Yeah, I just have to finish up a few more paper works and have them turned in by ten, the brunch, and then I'm going to head over there."
"More paperwork?" Sakura asked.
He chuckled a little, nodding his head. "That's the job of the chief. Paperwork, and if I get them done in enough time, surgery. My bosses are very lenient though, so I do a lot of surgeries," he said.
She kissed his chest lightly and he felt her lips curve against his skin. "That's good, then. I hear from a lot of doctors that you guys crave to cut. Is that true?" she asked in a curious tone.
"Yeah, I swear it's like a drug. We get a high out of cutting and fixing something with our own hands," he said with a smile.
It felt a little comforting to know that she was interested in something he enjoyed doing.
"I'm not very good with blood, so I can't imagine myself doing it," she said.
"Blood?"
"Yeah. It freaks me out."
"Well, maybe that's why you're so good at your job."
"What do you mean?"
"Being a psychologist is your destined job, so everything else freaks you out."
She giggled. "Maybe," she said softly.
"So, you don't have anything planned for tomorrow, right?" he asked.
She sighed, blowing her hot breath against his bare skin. "No."
He shivered. "Do you want to come with me tomorrow, then?" he asked.
"Wh-what?"
"To Ms. Chiho's place to spend time with the boys, and you'll get to meet her," he said, giving her a light squeeze.
"Oh."
"I mean, only if you want to."
"I thought you didn't want anyone to know about..."
"Nothing to worry about. I want you to meet her, and I'm positively sure that she wants to meet you."
She lifted her head, looking at him shyly. "Really?"
"Really."
"Alright, then."
His heart nearly leapt out of his chest. "So, we'll spend as much time together as possible, and you're still able to do what you love," he concluded.
She nodded, and he leaned down to kiss her lips as if they were sealing the deal. She laid her head back down on his chest, and they remained in a comfortable silence as he gently caressed any skin his hands could reach. And soon enough, he began to rub soothing circles on her body before he remembered what he had planned for them to tonight.
"Sakura," he called softly.
"Hmm?"
He gently pried her body from his, so he could sit up. "Can I take the rest of your clothes off?" he asked.
Her brows scrunched in confusion as he was already reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. She blushed, covering her breast from his hungry eyes.
"You can keep your panties on," he said, reaching over to grab the oil on the dresser. "Lay down."
She laid down as instructed, letting him have a full view of her body.
He took a deep breath and then twisted the top off the oil to pour some in the palm of his hands. He rubbed them together, warming it up a bit. He gently rubbed both of his hands up and down her arms, spreading the oil on her skin.
"Syaoran," she called softly, trying to sit up, but he pushed her down gently, stopping her.
"No, let me do this," he said, letting his hands glide up her arms, to her shoulders, and kneading them gently.
The soft moan she let out went straight to his groin, but he still ignored his own desires.
He poured more oil on his hands and coated her soft skin with the oil, kneading areas that were tense. His hands only spent a brief moment, massaging her breast to avoid getting carried away. He rubbed down her torso until he reached her thighs, where she automatically closed them.
He smirked, opening her legs slightly so he could teasingly rub between them with his oily hands. He poured more oil on his hands and rubbed down her legs to her feet where he massaged them. He was surprised that she was not ticklish there.
After he finished massaging her feet, he came up from the bottom of the bed and kissed her ear and murmured, "Flip over."
She did as she was told, and he repeated the process on her back, kneading any knots with the right amount of pressure.
His hands glided lower down her body to her buttocks where he squeezed gently before he went lower to massage the back of her thighs and legs.
After he finished, he turned her body over to look at her dazed face. "How do you feel?" he asked teasingly.
"Like mush," she said.
He chuckled and laid back down beside her, pulling her close to his body again. "I had something else in mind too, but I guess it could wait for tomorrow," he said into her hair.
She made a soft humming sound, making him chuckle at her lazy response. He resumed his caressing and soothing circles on her body to relax her even more.
When her breathing became softer and even, he thought about waking her, so she won't freak out again, but erased the thought.
He just decided not to ruin it this time.
Syaoran gently squeezed her, hoping that this is the easiest way to avoid scaring her again.
"Sakura," he called gently.
He shifted under her, feeling the cool air brush against his soaked skin from their body heat.
Her arms and legs clung to him like a magnet. She was holding him so tight that he was surprised that he had not died from suffocation throughout the night.
He gently shook her this time. "Sakura, baby, I need to get up to finish those papers so today can happen," he whispered in her ear.
She let out a soft moan, stirring in her sleep.
His manhood came to life.
Great.
"Sakura," he called.
"I know, I know. I'm up," she murmured, holding on to him tightly.
He smiled, dropping his hand lower down her body to her tailbone. He gave it a little firm squeeze. "Why are you still squeezing the life out of me, then?" he asked playfully.
"Because you let me fall asleep," she said grouchily.
He smiled and gave her a light tap. "Forgive me?"
She sighed and sat up. He was surprised to see a smile on her face. "Only because you didn't leave me this time," she said softly.
He chuckled softly and sat up to kiss her lips lightly and pulled back. "Good morning, kitten," he said in a teasing tone.
She covered her mouth, trying to suppress a yawn. "Good morning. And kitten?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Yes, because your attitude has resembled the behavior of one lately," he said, scooting off the bed. "I'm going to shower and get dressed. Are you doing anything this morning while I'm gone?"
She glanced at the clock. "At five in the morning?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Besides sleeping."
She sat for a moment, giving him time to look at her. She looked so attractive with her bedhead.
His eyes raked down her slim body as the covers bunched around her hips, blocking the view of her matching red panties.
She cleared her throat, snapping him out of his thoughts of having a quick round. She pulled the covers up to her body, hiding the view. "Go shower, or the day won't go as planned," she said, giggling.
He shook his head, feeling his cheeks warm. "You're right. I'll..."
"I may stop by Tomoyo's this morning. Now, go shower," she said, shooing him away.
He went to shower, being sure to rub one off to hold himself off from losing control until later. He dressed and kissed her one last time before he left the house.
As soon as he settled in the car, he took out his phone to call Ms. Chiho and inform her about a friend coming along. He was not surprised at the excitement in the woman's voice at the mention of him claiming someone as a "friend" finally and not being able to wait and meet her.
Afterwards, he decided to call Meilin, knowing that she would want to get off the phone to get back to her sleep. It was four in the morning over there, so this was his best bet to get her off his case.
"Wéi," came her grouchy response after the fourth ring.
"She lives," he said sarcastically.
"Syaoran?" her voice perked up.
He sighed. "I'm doing good, you're doing good, Fanren, Fuutie, Shiefa, and Feimei are all doing well. Life is going great, and I'm sure everyone else's are as well. Goodbye."
"Wait!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, and I've talked to everyone recently, so I'm not trying to cut everyone completely out of my life," he added.
"Don't be an asshole," she said quietly, but he heard her.
He sighed. "What else is there, Mei?" he asked, wanting to get this phone call over with so he could leave everyone and everything in Hong Kong out of his life.
"We heard about the event and the man offering the large donation to the hospital for the research," she said.
"Thanks for the congratulations, then?" he said questioningly.
"That's something big in your career, so we were thinking about coming down to celebrate with you," she said.
He froze, hand tightening around the wheel and his phone. "What?"
"That's what Fuutie was trying to tell you the other day before you ended the call," she said. "Besides, it's been years since we've seen you Syaoran, and we miss you..."
"I'm at the hospital. Goodbye," and he ended the call immediately before she could even respond.
He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to get his rapid heart beating under control. He had not expected her to say that, of all things. It was just supposed to be a quick call, so he could tell Sakura that he talked with his family and that was it.
And now, his cousin was telling him that they were trying to come down and celebrate with him.
He knew that it was his fault that he had not seen them for this long, but that did not mean that he wanted them to just barge in his life like they had been there the entire time.
He took a deep breath and then pressed the power button on his phone. He pressed the group chat that he had on mute and sent them a quick text, telling them that they did not need to worry about wasting their time.
Once the message was delivered, he closed the chat box out and opened his car door.
He walked inside the building, greeting anyone who said anything to him before he settled into his chair. And then, he continued that paper work he promised himself to finish.
"How was your trip to Daidouji's?" Syaoran asked as he drove.
He finished the paperwork in enough time and was able to make it back to the house to pick Sakura up. Now, they were headed to Ms. Chiho's place.
"I just ended up stopping at her shop," Sakura said softly.
Syaoran quickly glanced in her direction, seeing her stare out the window blankly, before turning his attention back on the road. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Nothing."
He placed the closest hand to her, on top of her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze over her denim skinnies. "Tell me."
She sighed. "I just feel really bad for canceling on those patients like that. Just so I can sit around and wallow in self-pity, while people are dealing with their own demons alone?" she said brokenly.
He gave her thigh another squeeze, making her look at him. "You're going to feel even worse if you allow yourself to break down in front of them. You're taking a break, and there's nothing wrong with that," he said reassuringly.
"But, how am I contributing—"
"We'll have our session today, and Ms. Chiho's kids just lost their father. She's been wanting to get a therapist, but they're refusing...like I was. You're...amazing, so maybe you could make them change their mind about talking with someone," he said.
She grabbed his hand, making his heart flutter, and squeezed it. "Thank you, Syaoran."
"We're here," he said, pulling up to a medium-sized brick house.
She squeezed his hand tighter. "Are you sure this is fine? Is she fine with this?"
Syaoran gave her a small smile, and then brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. "You have nothing to be nervous about, okay? She's going to love you," he said.
She took a deep breath and then nodded her head. "Okay."
"Come on," he said, though he did not make a move to get up. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 09:58. "Well, just a few more minutes won't hurt."
He released her hand and pulled her head towards his to kiss her lips. What started as a quick kiss, turned into a ten-minute make out session. Sakura had to be the one to put a stop to it because she could barely breath.
"God, if I didn't promise her that I'd do this, I would take you back to my place and have my way with you," he said, caressing her face gently.
A blush spread across her face and she let out a short laugh, pulling away. "We should head inside, shouldn't we? It's already past ten."
"You're right. Come on," he said, opening his door so he could step out.
He heard her door close and looked at her. "Don't look so uncomfortable," he said, smiling at the face she was making.
"I can't help it. It feels like I'm meeting your family for the first time or something," Sakura said nervously.
He walked to her side of the car and grabbed her hand, kissing it. "She is like family, but you have absolutely nothing to worry about," he said, reassuringly.
She took a deep breath, nodding her head. "Okay."
And they walked up the driveway to her door, hand in hand.
When he rang the doorbell, he heard little footsteps and laughter from inside the house.
He released her hand as soon as he heard the lock of the door unlock.
The door opened, revealing the middle-aged woman with a bright smile on her face. "Syaoran," she said warmly.
He gave her a slight smile before he hugged her gently. When he pulled back, he motioned to Sakura. "This is the friend I was telling you about. Sakura, this is my Ms. Chiho, and Ms. Chiho, this is Sakura," he introduced them.
Ms. Chiho rolled her eyes at him before turning to Sakura with a warm smile on her face. She grabbed Sakura's hand gently. "I'm glad to meet you," and she pulled Sakura over for a hug.
"O-oh, it's nice to meet you too," Sakura said nervously, hugging her back awkwardly.
She pulled back and smiled at Sakura. "Now, it's your choice, but you don't have to call me Ms. Chiho. Syaoran just likes to make me feel old, even though I asked him to stop," she said, giving Syaoran a pointed look.
Sakura smiled at her. "Yes ma'am. Chiho it is then," she said.
"Oh, look at that. Someone respects me around here. I love her already," she said, winking at him. "Come in, please. I didn't mean to have you all standing out in this cold weather."
Syaoran chuckled, and then placed his hand on the small of Sakura's back, gently pushing her inside.
"I hope that I'm not intruding or anything," Sakura said in a small, shy voice.
Chiho laughed, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Please, child. You're not intruding anywhere. You will never understand how delighted I was when Syaoran called this morning, informing me that he wanted me to meet someone. That's not something that Syaoran does, well, ever. So, I'm glad that you're here," she said softly.
Syaoran smiled when Sakura's cheeks colored. "Okay, that's enough. I hate when people talk about me, in front of me," he said, giving Chiho a pointed look.
"Right. I'm a little surprised that Kinomoto-san doesn't have any patients today."
"She didn't this morning, so that's why I thought it was the perfect opportunity for you to meet her," Syaoran said before Sakura could respond.
"I see. I'm glad you could make it then, sweetie. To be someone so influential in this town, you must have it rough finding free time like this."
Sakura laughed nervously, shaking her head. "It's not so bad, really," she said softly.
"That's good," Chiho said, smiling at her. "Well, the kids are in the living room watching tv. I had to force them to be on their best behavior before you guys arrived."
Sakura and Syaoran laughed, hearing the humor in her tone. She led them to the living room, talking about anything to avoid any awkward silences.
When they faced the living room door, sure enough, the five boys were sitting down on the couch, watching an animation on the screen.
A small smile tugged at Syaoran's lips when they all looked in their direction.
"Dr. Li?" the oldest, named Kiyoki called, looking at him with wide-eyes.
He had black hair and blue eyes. He was twelve-years-old, and the oldest twin. He was also the trouble maker.
Syaoran smiled at him. "Hey, guys," he said.
They all, but one, jumped up from the couch and ran to Syaoran, tackling him to the floor.
"We didn't know that you were coming!" Haru, the youngest boy exclaimed.
He also had black hair, but green eyes. He was only five, and the sweetest out of the bunch.
Syaoran ruffled his raven hair, making the little boy pout. "I know. It was supposed to be a surprise," he said.
"Why are you here so early?" Reo, the third oldest asked.
He had blonde hair, like his father, but blue eyes like his mother. He was ten, and the quiet one.
"Well, I missed you guys, and I wanted to see you, of course."
"You wanted to see us?" Kiyoki asked with a raised brow.
Syaoran looked at him for a moment before squinting his eyes. "Is that a problem?" he asked.
"It's just really weird that you could find time to even want to see us."
"Kiyoki, best behavior," Chiho said sternly.
Kiyoki turned from Syaoran to Sakura. "And who is this?"
Sakura forced out a nervous laugh before she held her hand out to him. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura."
Kiyoki stared at her hand for a moment before taking it. "I'm Kiyoki," he said, shaking her hand.
"It's nice to meet you," she said with a smile.
"Hey! Can I shake the pretty lady's hand too?" Haru asked, already pushing his older brother to the side.
Sakura giggled, shaking his hand too.
"What about me?" Sora, the second youngest asked.
He had dirty blonde hair with green eyes. He was only seven, but acted older than his brothers, most of the time.
"No, me!"
And soon after, everyone in the room wanted to introduce themselves and shake the "pretty lady's" hand.
Syaoran noticed Sakura immediately warming up to the kids, with the exception of Kiyoki, faster than he had when he first met them as they asked her all kinds of questions about herself.
"So, what do you have planned for us today, Dr. Li? Mommy says that we will spend the day with you," Kiro, Kiyoki's twin, asked, looking at Syaoran suspiciously.
"No video games for sure. Your mother told me that you guys were grounded from them," he said, giving them a pointed look.
Chiho had left to "run errands" a few minutes ago. It was just an excuse to make the kids bond with Syaoran, though.
"Aww, fuck. You're no fun," Kiyoki said under his breath.
Syaoran's eyes widened, hearing the word loud and clear. "Hey, you should watch what comes out of your mouth. Especially around your little brothers," he chastised softly.
"Oooh, Kiyoki said a bad word. I'm going to tell mommy," Sora said, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"Me too!" Haru copied his brother.
"I don't care," Kiyoki said and then sighed loudly. "Well, you can take them out. I don't want to go anywhere."
He started to walk out of the living room.
"Kiyoki-san," Sakura called, making him stop in his tracks. "I...uh...it would be really nice if you came to the arcades with us. It'll be really fun with you there."
The four other boys gasped, turning to Sakura. "The arcades?" they chorused.
"Yeah. That's what we planned, right Syaoran?" she asked, turning to him, with a look that asked if this was alright.
He nodded. "Right. You have to come with us, Kiyoki. Besides, your mom wouldn't want you staying here alone."
"We don't care if he comes," Kiro, his twin said.
The three younger brothers agreed with laughter.
"That's not very nice of you, all," Sakura said, placing her hand on her hips.
Syaoran smiled when they all gave soft apologies.
"So, what do you say, Kiyoki?" she asked.
He sighed, turning to everyone. "Only because the dweebs want me to," he murmured with a blush on his cheeks.
Syaoran raised a brow, wondering why the boy felt so flustered suddenly. "You also need to apologize to your brothers for your foul language," Syaoran said.
Kiyoki sighed in annoyance. "They use the bad words too," he said grouchily.
"How old are you, Kiyoki?" Sakura asked.
"Twelve."
"And how old are they?"
"Kiro is also twelve!" he exclaimed.
"I say we don't tell mommy about Kiyoki's dirty mouth if, and only if, he apologizes to everyone," Sakura concluded.
The other boys sniggered and nodded. "Agreed."
Syaoran chuckled, nodding his head. "I also agree."
Kiyoki glared at him and then turned his attention to his younger brothers. "I'm...sorry...for using such a bad...word," he said quietly.
"Hmm...I didn't hear him. Did anyone else not hear him too?" Reo asked mischievously.
"Nope, me neither," Sora said between his laughing.
"Me too!" Haru said.
"Screw you guys! I'm not saying it again!"
"I guess we're telling then," Kiro said, folding his arms with a triumphant smile on his face.
"You're supposed to have my back, considering you are my twin, betrayer," Kiyoki said, glaring at him.
Sakura and Syaoran laughed at them. "Alright, alright. You guys heard him because I did. Do we forgive him?" Sakura asked, giving the other four boys pointed looks.
They laughed sheepishly, nodding their heads. "We forgive you," they said simultaneously.
"Now that we have that out of the way, we should get ready to go," Syaoran said.
"Are you sure we can't just play video games here?" Kiyoki asked, looking at Syaoran pleadingly.
Syaoran began to feel a bit sympathetic for the boy. "Why are you guys grounded, anyway?" he asked.
"It wasn't even my fault this time," Kiyoki said, folding his arms.
Kiro looked at his brother suspiciously. "Whose fault was it then?"
"Yeah, whose fault?" Haru chimed in afterwards.
"The stupid idiot who trashed mom's room and broke Dad's favorite portrait."
"Oh, and you weren't in there either?"
"No! It was you idiots—"
"No, it was you!"
And they all began to argue back and forth about whose fault it was.
"Alright, alright. That's not what I was asking. I was going to say that we could play a few video games when we get back from the arcades," Syaoran said.
They all gasped. "Really?" they asked excitedly.
"Yes, as long as we don't say a single word to mom about it," he said, folding his arms over his chest.
"Yes! I knew you were cool deep down inside that old body of yours!" Kiyoki said, pumping his fist.
Syaoran narrowed his eyes at him. "Twit."
"So, we play at the arcades first and then home to the video games?" Sora asked.
"That's right."
"Yes!"
And they all began to discuss what game they would play.
Syaoran felt Sakura nudge his shoulder, making him look at her. "What?" he asked.
"And how are you going to let them play video games when Chiho said that she'll be back by the time we get back?" Sakura asked, raising a brow.
He smirked at her. "I'll handle that." He turned to the boys. "We should go so we can get back in enough time before mom does."
He heard Sakura giggle beside him. "You're such a bad influence," she said comically.
"Well, that, I am."
All the kids jumped out of the vehicle when they arrived. Syaoran had decided to drive Chiho's vehicle, as it was big enough to fit everyone.
Sakura and Syaoran were still sitting in the car, staring at the building.
"You really can think on your feet. I mean, I didn't even know what we would do after Ms. Chiho told me that they were grounded," Syaoran said.
Sakura smiled, turning to him. "You have to be able to if you decide to have kids one day," she said.
"Oh, no. I won't have to worry about that," he said nonchalantly.
"Oh, yeah."
He looked at her, seeing the discomfort in her face. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should go—where the kids are," he said.
"Right."
She opened the door and stepped out as he did the same. They walked over to the kids who were standing beside the vehicle talking.
"I'll pay for the expenses," Sakura said. "I am the one who suggested the arcades."
Syaoran's brows scrunched together at her statement. "What?" he asked disbelievingly.
"What?" she asked, staring at him curiously.
"You're kidding me. I got it," he said.
"No, I can do it. I'm the one who suggested this," she said, sounding offended that he would even say that.
"I got it, Sakura," he said sternly.
"Are you guys together?" Haru asked, tilting his head to the side confused.
"Of course, they aren't," Kiyoki said before they could respond.
"But they were fighting like mommy and daddy used to," Haru said.
Kiyoki's face hardened and he huffed. "Why are you guys so stupid? Let's just go so we can get back home," he said, already walking towards the building.
Syaoran saw Sakura frown as she grabbed Haru and Sora's hand. They followed after Kiyoki.
"I know that we're not supposed to use this kind of language, but Kiyoki can be an ass whenever dad's name is mentioned," Kiro said. "I mean, we're all sad too, but we don't act like that."
"He's not an ass. He's just mourning in his own way," Syaoran said. "And don't tell your mother that I used that word around you. Come on."
And they followed after the others.
When they got inside, Syaoran paid for them all to have a certain number of tokens before the kids ran off to play, leaving Sakura and Syaoran alone to sit at one of the tables to watch them.
"You aren't going to go play with them?" Sakura asked.
"How old do I look?" he asked, raising a brow at her.
She looked at him, humming softly. "You could get off as an eighteen-year-old high schooler," she said.
"What?" he asked incredulously, making her laugh. "So, now you're telling me that you're into high schoolers?"
She shook her head comically. "I never said that. I'm just saying that's the youngest you could play."
"So, you are into them. Looks like I'll have to keep an eye out for any high schoolers looking at you too," he said.
She giggled, shaking her head. "Stop it. In my mind, I'm attracted to a man," she said.
"Good," he said, letting his eyes stray to the direction of the kids playing. "On second thought, I guess I could go and show them how to play basketball." He was looking at Kiyoki and Kiro go against each other with the basketball, missing horribly.
Sakura giggled, and he winked at her, standing from the chair. "Watch the master," he said and walked over to the boys.
"You guys suck," he said, drawing the boy's attention to him.
Kiyoki turned to him with a glare on his face. "Like you're any better, old man," he said.
Kiro burst out laughing at the scowl on Syaoran's face. "I rarely agree with him, but I agree with him this time," he said.
"Step aside, losers," Syaoran said, pushing Kiyoki and Kiro to the side.
He picked up one of the balls and stood in the correct posture and threw the ball in the basket.
Kiro gasped, turning to Syaoran, who had a smirk on his face. "What was that again, noobies?" he asked arrogantly.
Kiyoki pushed him to the side, grabbing one of the balls. "You got lucky," he said stubbornly.
"He didn't even hit the backboard, though!" Kiro exclaimed.
"Shut your trap, Kiro," he said, glaring at his brother.
Syaoran chuckled, watching the boy's posture. "You're standing and holding the ball wrong," he said.
"I am not!" Kiyoki said stubbornly and threw the ball, missing.
Kiro shoved his brother to the side and looked at Syaoran. "How should it be done?" he asked. "I've been trying to beat some kids at school."
Syaoran smirked at Kiyoki's scowling face before standing beside Kiro. He picked up a ball. "Like this," and he got in position. "And hold the ball like this."
Kiro mimicked his movement and then threw the ball, missing it.
"You didn't throw it hard enough. Let me show you again," Syaoran said.
He repeated the movements again and then threw the ball, making another perfect shot.
Kiro tried again but missed because he threw it too hard this time.
Kiyoki snatched the next ball from Kiro and mimicked Syaoran's movements and hit a perfect shot. "You're just so stupid," he insulted his brother.
They heard someone clapping beside him. "That was a great shot, Kiyo-kun!" Sakura exclaimed.
Syaoran raised a brow, surprised to see her standing beside them. He looked at Kiyoki who did not respond, but had a blush on his cheeks.
Oh.
Syaoran realized Kiyoki's strange behavior around Sakura now as him having a crush on her. He noted that the kid was more annoying as he thought he was now.
"He learned from the best," Syaoran said arrogantly with his head raised high.
Kiyoki glared at him. "I did not," he said stubbornly.
"Yes, huh," Kiro said, smirking at his brothers blushing face.
"Hey! Can we play too?" the other three boys asked, running over to them.
Syaoran chuckled, motioning them to pick up a ball as well.
So, that was how they spent the rest of their time at the arcades with Syaoran teaching them how to play basketball. Even Sakura.
They spent approximately two hours at the arcades before they called it a day there and headed back home.
As soon as they got home, they were all running to the door to get to the video games.
Sakura chuckled beside Syaoran as they walked towards the house. "Chiho-san is going to be very upset with you," she said.
He shrugged, nudging her lightly. "She won't find out," he said and winked at her, making her blush.
He unlocked the door for them and they all ran inside to the game room.
Syaoran chuckled, following after them with Sakura close by.
"Are you sure this won't get them into more trouble?" she asked.
"Don't be such a worrywart," he said. "So, what game are we playing?"
"This one!" Sora held up a case.
"No, this one!"
"This one!"
"No!"
And then, it became an argument about what they would play until Sakura came up with the solution of voting on three of the games only.
After some negotiation, they finally settled for a game that they all wanted to play.
They only played for an hour and a half, which Syaoran had to convince them to.
Once they finished, they sat in the living room to watch tv and look like they had been on their best behaviors all day.
"None of you better not say a word to your mom about this," he said in a warning tone.
They all had grins on their faces as if a need had been satisfied after such a long time.
"We won't, we won't," Reo said, waving it off.
"And even if we do, you would never be able to watch us anymore," Sora said, grinning.
"And we like you because you're cool, so we wouldn't dare let that happen," Haru said.
Syaoran chuckled, and then looked to the twins who were quiet.
Kiro shrugged. "You know that I won't."
"Kiyoki?" Syaoran called.
Kiyoki looked at Syaoran and then scoffed. "Maybe."
"You guys won't be able to see me anymore, either," Sakura said.
They all gasped, except Kiyoki, turning to her. "Really?"
"Of course."
"I guess... I'll keep quiet about it," he murmured.
"Yes! And then, maybe they could come over again next week!" Sora said.
"How would you guys feel if you could see Sakura often?" Syaoran asked.
"Syaoran—"
"That would be awesome!"
"Yeah! Could we really?"
"Could we, Sakura?" Kiyoki asked, surprising everyone in the room.
He had not spoken a direct word to her since he introduced himself.
Sakura smiled at them. "Since you all are so insistent...I guess I could," she said shyly.
"Yes!" they said.
As soon as it came out, they all heard the door opening.
"Mommy!" Haru said, jumping from the couch and running to the front of the house.
Everyone else followed after him and greeted Chiho.
They all talked for a while longer before Syaoran informed them that they had to leave.
"It was nice to meet you, honey," Chiho said, kissing Sakura's cheek.
Sakura smiled at her. "You too."
"I'll give you a call as soon as possible. Don't forget to leave your schedule clean for us," she said, winking at her.
Sakura giggled, nodding her head. "Of course. You can call anytime, and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can."
They said their goodbyes one last time before they left.
"You really didn't have to do that..." Sakura said quietly once they settled in the car.
"I know, but I wanted to do something that would make you happy, and their family. They've been going through a lot for the last year," Syaoran said, keeping his eyes on the road. "So, you have me for the next three hours because I have to go back in at seven. I need to stop by the hospital really quick though. Is that fine?"
"That's fine. We could do the session in your office," she said.
"Alright," he said quietly.
It had been a while since they had a one-on-one session, so he did not know how to feel about it.
He felt like he was getting a little better, but was he really?
It was getting hard to tell. He still wanted to have sex all the time, except just with her.
He could not help but wonder what the session would be about, what would she ask, and how would he feel during it this time.
He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head, deciding that he should just wait and see.
A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update, but there's been a lot going on in my life, so I hope that you all aren't too upset with me. I know I didn't respond to any reviews, but I did read them all. It was either respond to reviews or post the chapter while I can tonight, which is what I chose. I'll try to respond to as many as I can as soon possible. Thank you guys so much for all the support, though! I really do appreciate you all :). And I sure can't forget about my awesome beta, theDeviantMe for editing when everything's been a mess in my life. She's a lifesaver! :D.
Anyway, while being away, I do have the next chapter written. I just have to find the time to add and take away a few things before it gets edited. It shouldn't be long though, so bear with me :). I'm gonna head to bed, considering it is 5am in the morning.
Ja ne!