"Confronting the Demons"

Syaoran fell back on the bed, trying to catch his breath as he finished, not wanting to crush Sakura with his weight. He took a deep breath and released it before looking at Sakura's exhausted form. They had just finished making love for the umpteenth time since she had been sleeping here at his house for the last week and a half. He had been managing to get home before two in the morning. In fact, he had been getting off at a rather "healthy" time since she had "moved" in with him.

He had come home one day before seven and she had made them dinner. She had set up a nice, candlelit dinner, which had been something he really needed after a long day at work. They had gone on another date where he took her to the aquarium that past weekend. He had a great time, making Syaoran feel like the happiest man alive. In addition to them officially dating, since she had started sleeping over at his place, he noticed her waking up in cold sweat at 2:37 was lessening by each passing day. She had only done it once this week and it was already Wednesday...or, more like Thursday since it was nearing midnight.

At the thought of time, he knew they needed to get some rest since they both had to get up in the morning, especially him having to be up at five. It did not help that he would wake her in the morning sometimes to have his feel of her for the day sometimes. He knew he needed to lay low before she tired of him though. He had promised himself that they would only perform the full deed a few times a week. After all, it was not healthy to have that much sex physically.

"I hope I don't run you away with my appetite," he said, reaching to caress her damp, flushed cheeks.

She giggled, shaking her head. "Not yet," she said teasingly. "We do need to sleep though." She closed her eyes after that statement, already seeming to drift off from exhaustion.

Syaoran watched her facial expression begin to relax. He could tell he had overdone it with their activity and the days' work, yet he still wanted her to stay awake a little longer to be here with him actively. "I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave..." he said suddenly as his mind drifted to April, the time she would be leaving.

"That's two months away. It'll only be six months..." she said, her eyes remaining closed. "I talked with Aki about taking some of my clients, so I don't leave them all high and dry for the ones who really need therapy still. A lot of my clients treatments will be coming to an end around April, so I won't be letting down too many clients, aside from the recent ones. I haven't spoken to them about it yet though. I'm just planning to refer them to someone until I return from Hong Kong," she explained.

"Hmm…" Syaoran hummed softly, thinking about how different things will be when she leaves. It's definitely not something he wanted to think about.

"And...speaking of that place...have you still been corresponding with you know who...?"

It took Syaoran's brain a minute to register what she had meant before he shook his head. "I mean...I think I've ruined any chances of ever talking with her again after texting her to fuck herself after she sent that ridiculous text. I told her to stop trying to contact me too because I don't want to talk to her, nor am I interested in going back to Hong Kong to see her..."

"You made that promise in Tokyo that you'd take me to Hong Kong one day though," Sakura reminded, opening her eyes to look at him in the dim lit room.

"Yeah, but not to see my family," he said, closing his eyes now. He suddenly wanted to sleep to end this conversation. It was not one he had ever been particularly fond of. He had sometimes thought about going there, but not to see the woman who had given birth to him. "Let's get some rest."

"So, I can't ever meet your family?" she asked.

"You've met my family."

"Formally meet your family...I haven't met your father...or the woman who birthed you. Don't you think I'd want to someday in our relationship?"

Just at the mention of relationship, he felt all giddy inside about them officially dating and her claiming it. "When do you want to?" he asked, deciding to play with her a bit. It was not like he really planned to.

"Well...I haven't thought that far ahead, but... maybe within the next year if we are serious—"

"We're already serious," he said, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her damp body towards his. "You can meet my father this year though."

"And how is that going to happen?" she asked softly, caressing his hair gently.

This feeling of being open and honest with her felt too good to be true. He had never been this relaxed and open with a person before. "When you're in Hong Kong for your new research, I'll come to visit as much as I can since Hong Kong's like Japan's neighbor and one of those times, we could all go out and get coffee or dinner," he informed, unconsciously rubbing his thumb against her hipbone.

"We, as in Mrs. Li too?"

He frowned. "No, you aren't meeting her, Sakura, nor am I seeing her again, so you can get that idea out of your head. She's not important to me, so she's not important to you either, understand?" he said. "I don't want you or me going to Hong Kong for that sole reason there. It's all just bad memories that'll leave a nasty taste in my mouth that I can't get rid of it. It's the reason I haven't been back."

"Okay, Syaoran," she said quietly.

For some reason, he felt like he had disappointed her, which left him feeling queasy. "I just... I'm sorry, Sakura. I thought I was ready for this, okay? That's why I made the conscious decision with myself to give you that support because it's what you want, but really... I'm not too ready myself. I'll get there though. I just need... time," he said sadly.

"I understand, Syaoran. I'm sorry for pushing it," she apologized, touching his face gently to grab his attention.

He looked at her, seeing guilt in her eyes. He shook his head. "You didn't push anything. I just want to be ready is all..." he said timidly.

"Then, I'll wait until you're ready," she said, offering him one of her kind smiles, warming his heart.

"I love you," he said before leaning over to close the gap between their lips.

Akinari stared out the window, looking at the city of Tomoeda. He felt grateful that his office was on one of the top floors at the hospital. It must have been a pain for Sakura having to come up so often in the past.

At the thought of Sakura, Akinari frowned, remembering their last conversation together. Quite frankly, it started terribly because of how he felt about everything going on. Despite how much he denied this in the past and even present sometimes, he loved her more than anything. Not in the aspect of wanting to be with her, no matter what, but in a way that said that he would do absolutely anything for her because he wanted her to be happy.

Seeing her happy would contribute to his own happiness. That had been the sole reason he had agreed to go on that date with her a few years ago. It may not have been the best option for them, but he had thought, if he were there to replace the loss of a loved one in her life, she might become happy again. Of course, he knew that had been very immature-minded now, seeing where they were now in life.

He had always meant well with most things, even if he did not always show that in the best way. He knew that he may have overreacted a bit with her pulling away since the surgeon had come into her life. Akinari had always been fine with just having her at arms-length. If she did not want to be with him, he was okay with that because he did not necessarily believe that they could keep each other happy. He just wanted her to be happy.

He just felt so used that she would throw him away so easily. He almost felt like a little kid with his favorite toy being stolen from him, except, Akinari did not feel any ill-will emotions towards the thief. Was he disappointed that Sakura would break the rules and put her license on the line? Of course. But did he hate the man for falling for Sakura?

If Akinari were completely honest about the situation, Syaoran had done nothing wrong in all of this. It was rather normal for a client to grow an attachment to their therapist. It was the clinician's job to keep that boundary set and things in place to maintain an appropriate relationship to uphold the ethical standards. He knew Syaoran had done nothing wrong. It just sucked knowing that his best friend was in the middle of all that. Especially knowing Syaoran's history.

Sakura would be the one to take the downfall. And because Akinari loved the woman damn-near to death, he was willing to do whatever he could to keep her protected. Even if that meant breaking the code of ethics and trying to protect Sakura and Syaoran. He wanted to help the two as much as he could, as long as it made Sakura happy in the end. That was all that mattered to him.

A knock on the door intruded his thoughts, causing him to look through some files, trying to appear as if he had been working this entire time. The door opened before he could even give the person permission to come in.

Akinari raised a brow, not the most surprised to the see the devil himself walking in his office. "Dr. Li," he called, nodding his head in acknowledgment. After all, Syaoran is still the boss, and Akinari would respect him as such. He had some home training.

The surgeon just stared at him, making Akinari shift uncomfortably as he put his patients files away, locking them up in the desk. "Sakura's moved in with me," Syaoran said, staring at Akinari hard.

The psychologist raised a curious brow again. "Oh?" he said, curious to know more, but knowing that the man was only dangling the information like a person would dangle food to an animal. "I take it that Sakura has done some thinking and made a rational decision," he said, meaning that with everything. He knew that Sakura could be irrational sometimes, but he had never known her to make a huge decision like this without much thought into it. "I'm happy for you guys."

Syaoran scoffed, sitting on the man's sofa, folding his arms loosely. "That's a surprise. You're probably just happier about getting your grimy fingers," Akinari looked at his fingers, not seeing what Syaoran saw, "...on my charts. That's what you've been trying to do to begin with, isn't it? I bet you're happy about that," came out bitterly from the surgeon.

Akinari took in everything the man said and the way he carried himself right now. He knew that Syaoran felt angry about this. And, to his surprise, scared that Akinari would do more than hold his charts. "You know, I don't understand why you feel so threatened by me, Li-kun. Is it that you think Sakura will leave you for me one day?" he asked calmly in a serious tone. He was not going to tease the man today. He was not in the mood to provoke him when he needed him to trust him with this so Sakura could be happy. He was willing to cooperate for Sakura. He just wanted to get to the bottom of this fear.

Syaoran stood abruptly, glaring at him. "She would never leave me for a piece of shit like you," he spat, hatred filled in his tone.

Akinari remained his calm and neutral self, not taking offense to it. Akinari knew that it was all transference coming from the man. "I'm a piece of shit?" He thought about bringing up all the women Syaoran had treated terribly and then sent them to Akinari to help them get through their personal problems.

Akinari had not wanted to hear about those women bringing his boss up in the sessions when they were going through things or experiencing grief. He had not signed up for that with this job. To make things worse, Syaoran had decided to get involved with his best friend and fall in love with her and her reciprocating the feeling, leaving Akinari at a loss of what to do with his own clients.

It was not right to be associated with his best friend's boyfriend old flings. But then again, it would also be wrong to turn away clients because of his own personal relationships. He just felt grateful that Sakura was not the type of woman who would be upset with something like that. Syaoran had put him in this uncomfortable position.

"Yes, you are. You've done all you can to let me know how much of a shitty person I am, so how about I let you know how shitty you are—"

"Li-kun, what are you going on about? This isn't some game of tag right now. Let's act like real men an—"

"You call yourself a man? Lying to your 'friends' for all these years?"

Akinari's brows furrowed, wondering where this was coming from. "Lying to my friends? Li-kun, I wouldn't go there when you've been lying to yourself for all these years. All those tabloids were right about you in the past, but you know what you did? Denied, denied, denied. What the hell do you call that?" he asked with a frown on his face. If the man wanted to go there, two could play that game.

"And what do you call keeping a first name like 'Sakura' as a man from your friends, huh? Sounds like a lie to me. At least own the fucking name like a man instead of acting like a little bitch about it—"

"Get out," Akinari said darkly, not believing what the man had just said. He had not heard him being addressed as that name since he left his parents' house at Christmas time.

"Excuse me?" Syaoran said, sounding very offended by the demand.

"I don't give a shit who you are right now, but you can get the hell out of my fucking office, Li," he spat with venom in his tone.

Akinari had never lost his cool, but found it was impossible not to this time, especially feeling as if he were dissociating and falling in to the yesteryears he had tried to forget.

Syaoran scoffed, standing from the sofa as if he had accomplished something. He turned to Akinari with a cold, hard look in his eyes. "Don't try and turn this whole situation around as if I've been the bad guy to Sakura here," and he left the office, leaving Akinari frozen in his seat, thoughts filled with pink and frilly materials.

With a trembling hand, he reached his desk, confiscating his phone from it and going to Sakura's contact information. His fingers staggered as he typed out a message to her before he sent it.

One thing rung in his head as he lost touch with reality; he could not do this.

'I can't help you and Li.'

Sakura read the text over a few more times, trying to figure out if she had read it right the first time. Akiho had just left after their session time ran out. Thankfully, the woman had been her last client for the day.

Instead of texting the man back, Sakura pressed the call icon, wanting to have answers quick.

To her surprise, she was sent straight to voicemail. She tried calling him a few more times, but ended up with the same results. She began to feel worried. She sent him a text, asking if everything had been okay. She was quick to get her things together, grabbing her purse and putting her clients' files away before she locked up the place.

Her cell rang as soon as she took her keys out the door, making her dig in her purse immediately, praying it would be her best friend. If not, she would have to make a trip to his place tonight to see if everything is alright with the man.

She was surprised to see the caller ID. She swiped it across. "Touya?" she called into the phone, unable to mask her confusion.

"Kaijuu," came her brother's grouchy response.

She frowned. "Is everything alright?" she asked, not even able to reprimand him for the insult.

"I should be asking you that, seeing your face plastered all over the Japanese news here in New York. And you're with that brat? Have you lost your mind little sister?"

She sighed softly into the phone, knowing how serious this had to be to Touya. He called her "little sister" instead of a monster. And that was saying a lot, often times. "Yes, I'm okay."

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" she asked quietly.

"Are you really getting serious with that brat, because I swear to God, if you really are, I'm going to take a trip over there and beat the shit out of him if he thinks he can slide in like the last bastard," Touya threatened.

Sakura heard the honesty in his threat, making her smile a little. "Don't you dare compare Syaoran to Eichii. They both treat me differently," she said, feeling her cheeks warm at the thought of Syaoran. She leaned against the door, forgetting where she is.

"I don't care who it is. There's no man who will ever deserve you. I'll be down this weekend," Touya said in a finalizing tone.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "To beat Syaoran up?"

"Exactly."

"You're being absurd. But, if you must come down—not to beat Syaoran up—you should. I'm going to take a trip to pa's. I have some news that I'm not sure...is too pleasant for you, but I think he will believe it's good, and I want to share it with you too," Sakura explained.

"Don't tell me you're already pregnant with that bastards kid!"

Sakura had to hold the phone from her ear at the volume of his tone increasing. "Of course not," she hissed in the phone, cheeks flaming hot at the thought of her brother thinking of her being intimate with others. "I've only known Syaoran for like five months."

He groaned on the other end. "Why must you address him by his first name?"

"Because we are dating seriously now. That much is true on the news," she said confidently, feeling that familiar rise of emotions in her chest at the confession to her brother. She had never admitted that out loud to anyone before.

The other end fell silent, making her check to see if her brother was still on the phone. "Bring him to the house this weekend," finally came his response.

"W-what—"

"I'll be down this Friday. Pick me up from the airport at seven in the morning. I'll be staying at your place to not bother pa."

"What about Nakuru and Aika?" she asked.

"It'll just be me."

"Touya, you're being irrational right now—"

"And you dating that brat as if he's not known around town for breaking hearts isn't being irrational? I know Christmas Day he was at your place, but I had an inkling amount of hope that you were smarter than getting involved with him. And now this? Plus, I just have this...sense that something's wrong with you again. Like, those years ago when the last bastard..." Touya fell silent for a moment. "I'll be down Friday. Be at the airport at seven in the morning."

"Tou—" The call ended before she could respond, making her groan as she hit her head against the door lightly. Her brother could be overbearing sometimes. And this is one of those times since he was going through great highs taking a trip here from across the world. Perhaps she should have talked to her family about this before going out with Syaoran like that freely.

She headed to her car after dropping her phone in her purse again. On her way to her car, she saw a familiar blonde-head, leaning against the light pole by her car. Her heart nearly dropped to her stomach when he looked up, azure eyes locking with emerald. She took a few deep breaths and walked over to the man slowly. "What are you doing here?" she asked, praying that the fear in her tone remained masked.

She wanted him to know he had no power over her anymore. She refused to let herself keep allowing him to have power over her. She had to be strong. If not for herself, at least for Syaoran who had been doing everything he could to contribute to her feeling better.

"Sakura..." he called softly, causing chills to glide down her body at the familiar tone.

"This is your second time coming here. I thought I made it clear that I'm not interested in being like that anymore," she said, holding on to the straps of her bag tightly.

"You did... and... that's not the reason I'm here—"

"Then, why? Syaoran would not appreciate you still contacting me..." she said quietly, looking around to make sure there was no one else around to snap any pictures for this to get back to Syaoran. She wanted to give him no reason not to trust her. He had been doing everything he could to help her see that she could trust him. She wanted to do the same for him.

"I know he wouldn't. I just…I just want to know that you're happy and…prospering in every aspect of your life. I feel like I haven't gotten any closure between us," he said hesitantly.

She looked at his face, seeing the fear and sadness painted. She frowned, hating herself for feeling empathetic towards the man like she used to. She was no fool anymore though. "What else is there to say between us now that we didn't say at the hospital in Tokyo?" she asked.

"Do you understand why I kept me being alive from you?" he asked, moving closer to her.

Unconsciously, she moved back slightly, making him stop in his track. She saw a sad smile play at his lips, making her feel guilty for fearing the man still. Despite her believing him to be a different man, there was still that fear that reminded her of their past. She wanted to end things on a good note though. "I'm sorry...just...flashbacks of our past always plays in my dream at night, so when you approach me like that, it feels like those nightmares are coming to life..." she said honestly.

"I have dreams at night too about…how terribly I treated you. I'm haunted every second of my day thinking about how much I ruined a perfect person..." Eichii said sadly.

Her shoulders untensed, almost seeing the nightmare he must be living. "I'm not perfect, Eichii. I have never been perfect, okay? Did you hurt me? Of course you did, but guess what? I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for that. I wouldn't be as strong as I am now if it weren't for you. I'm not praising what you did, but..." She moved closer to him, to her own surprise as she felt the fear wash away for a moment. "It's been like six years since all of that happened. We both have grown and should move on from that because we deserve better. We deserve to be happy and...you aren't going to be able to get that happiness if you don't forgive yourself."

Eichii looked torn between being sad and relieved. "So...you really forgive me?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course I do. I just have to work out a few more kinks. I don't want you to suffer any more than I have been. I want you to be happy too like me..." she said, reaching up to grab his face gently so he could look at her directly. "Whenever you find it in yourself to, please forgive yourself for the things you've done and look forward to a future because it can still be bright."

A small smile played at his lips before he pulled her in his arms, crushing her face against his warm chest. She froze, surprised by the sudden act of intimacy. "Thank you..." he said in her hair as he held her tighter. "That's all I've wanted to hear for so long..." he said brokenly.

She relaxed in her ex-lovers arms, but not retaliating. She did not want to give him the wrong idea. "I know..."

She did not know how long he embraced her before he decided to release her slowly. She looked at him with a small smile on her face, a weight lifted off her chest. "I do forgive you and wish you the best, but...I think you know that we can't be friends, nor can you show up at my job like this anymore. I do care about you though."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead, making her cheeks warm a little. "I know and I'm okay with that. I respect Li-kun...a lot. He has balls. He's passed almost every test I've thrown his way. I guess I've just wanted...that validation. And you gave it to me again—outside of those hospital walls where it felt like everything was said and done to make me feel better..." he said gently, caressing her cheeks.

She blushed, pulling away from the man. "I can't make you feel anything, but of course things weren't said just because. It is getting late, so we should part ways. I have to stop by Aki's tonight too," she explained.

"I'm really surprised you didn't end up with that guy. He really loves you..." Eichii said quietly.

Sakura smiled, shaking her head. "You're just saying that because you had issues with me being with him all the time in the past too," she said.

"I may have just been an immature, jealous boyfriend at the time, but only a dense individual wouldn't see how much that man loves you," Eichii said, popping her forehead gently.

She winced, pursing her lips stubbornly. "Whatever. I'm going to get going," she said. "Please get home safe."

"I'll try," he said, chuckling at her stern, playful tone.

They bid each other goodbye before they retreated to their vehicles. The moment Sakura turned her car on, she took her phone out her purse again, going to Syaoran's contact information. She hit the call icon, praying he would pick up so he would not be surprised by her absence tonight. She knew he would not be pleased with her going to Aki's place, but her best friend was giving her no choices here. She was starting to feel terrified at the thought of her friend being in trouble. She just wanted to know he was safe.

"Everything alright, babe?" was the first response that came from the doctor.

"Hello to you too, Syaoran," she said teasingly. She wished there were a way to make Syaoran worry less about her. He always thought something was going wrong when she called.

"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I'm glad to hear from you."

"I'm going to Aki's place," she blurted, wanting to get it over with.

The other line fell quiet.

When he still did not say anything, she decided to clear her throat. "He sent me a text earlier saying that he can't...help us anymore and I called him like five times, and they all went straight to voicemail. And he still hasn't answered my texts...I'm getting a little worried because this is unlike him and...I'm just scared," she said softly.

"You're going to his place alone tonight? Have you lost your mind, Sakura?"

She cringed, knowing he would not jump on board with that. "I've gone to Aki's place alone millions of times and nothing's ever happened. I'm not going for any other reason this time than to just check on him. I'm really worried about him," she tried explaining.

"I won't agree to this, Sakura."

"Well, I'm going. I just want to check and see if he's there," she said in a finalizing tone.

She heard him groan on the other end. "Why are you so god-damn stubborn..."

She did not say anything, uncertain of how she should respond.

"Text me when you get there. And let me know when you're leaving. I really don't agree with this though...and if I weren't at work right now, I would convince you to stay home with me...in my bed," he said.

She smiled, realizing how hard the man is trying to trust her, even by just agreeing and trying to make light of the situation. "I know. But you are, so," she said, giggling when she heard him groan. "Have you seen him today? Is he there now?"

She heard him sigh on the other line. "He's not here now."

She waited for more to come, but he never continued, making her frown. For some reason, it seemed like Syaoran knew something she did not. "I'm going to head there now, and I'll shoot you a text."

He sighed. "Okay. And, Sakura?"

"Mhm?"

"I love you..." he confessed.

Her heart tightened in her chest with anticipation at hearing that. She still had not told him of her feelings and she certainly did not want to over the phone for the first time. "I know. Just worry about the hospital right now. I'll be at your place when you get off," she promised.

"Hopefully in my bed, ready for me to devour you."

She blushed. "Maybe," she said shyly. "Talk later." She hung up before he could further their conversation in a different direction. He had already done it before, but she would not let him tonight. She had other things to focus on, like finding Akinari to make sure he is okay.

Sakura knocked on the door for the third time, feet starting to tap impatiently. She knew the man had to be home because she saw his car parked outside his house. She wondered if it were the best idea to come here unannounced, but she remembered him doing the same to her every time she would not answer his calls or texts.

She just could not understand what was going on with him, but it was starting to freak her out.

She was nearly banging on the door at this point, wishing Akinari would open the door already and stop ignoring her. There was no way the man could be sleeping right now at seven o' clock in the evening.

To her relief, she heard a clicking sound, signifying the door unlocking before it opened slowly, revealing her best friend in sweatpants and an unbuttoned button-down white shirt, revealing his chiseled torso. Her eyes remained on his defined muscles a little too long before they travelled back up to his face. She frowned, seeing his dark hair a disheveled mess and flushed cheeks that only signified one thing. "Are you drunk?" she asked, pushing her way in his house, closing the door behind her, and locking it.

She froze when he grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her towards him in a warm embrace. Her cheeks warmed, but she pulled back from his chest, looking up at him with a frown. "To what do I owe for you to pay me a visit on a weekday?" he asked, his words slurring a bit.

She had never seen her best friend drunk before. He was always calm and collected, keeping himself together, even while drinking. "What's going on with you? Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing his arm so she could guide them to the living room.

Once she pushed him on the couch and settled beside him, he leaned his forehead against her shoulder, giving her nose a wisp of whiskey. "I'm not going to lie to you and say yes, because I'm not…" he slurred, grabbing her hand between his. "Why are you here? Is it to beg me to help you and your bastard of a boyfriend?"

She frowned. "No, I'm here because you had me worried sick about you," she corrected. "What happened?"

She heard him sniff as more of his weight pushed against her, letting her know he was unable to hold himself up. "I liked that bastard, you know? I was rooting for you…" he hiccupped and then burped, "I want you guys to be together because I know Li can make you happy and that's what I want more than anything…for you to be happy, Saku…"

She smiled, attempting to push him up when his weight began to get heavy, so she could look at him. "I am happy, Aki," she promised. "I just want you to tell me what happened? What's gotten into you? Why are you drinking heavily?"

"You know…he came to my office today…"

"Syaoran?"

He hiccupped. "Yeah. He doesn't like the idea of me holding his charts," he slurred, sitting up so he could look at her now.

Her heart ached, seeing a pain in his eyes that she had been all too familiar with over the years. It was pain from trauma. She just wished she knew where this pain came from. As far as she had been concerned, Akinari had had a great life, no major trial and errors. Maybe a few bumps in the road here and there, but he always seemed like he was happy with life. And now…Sakura did not feel so sure about that anymore.

"I mean, I know Syaoran can be difficult when it comes to accepting you, but he will warm up to the idea of you keeping them. He wants to be with me, so he would be willing to—"

"Bold of you to assume that the bastard will warm up to me," Akinari scoffed, shaking his head. "It's not going to happen. The asshole is planning to make my life a living hell."

"Syaoran wouldn't do that, Aki, and you—"

"No, I don't fucking know that, Sakura. Stop defending that fucker!" Akinari snapped.

Sakura fell silent, more so in surprise that he had lost his cool again when that never happened. Akinari did not have a temper and he was very slow to anger, something she had always admired about him. Something had to have happened today, and she was sure of that now.

"What did Syaoran do, Aki?" she asked quietly, wrapping her arm around his back so she could comfort him. "I know he can be ruthless sometimes, but please tell me so I can correct this."

"There's nothing to correct, Sakura. He said and did what he did with the intent to hurt me because he's hurt and doesn't trust me. The dude has major trust issues—hell, how are you even here without him losing his shit?" Akinari said, sounding highly upset with something right now.

"Syaoran's been working on that. He doesn't like that I'm here right now, but he's not going to act out like he normally would. He trusts me," she said softly. "But, he doesn't trusts you yet, so I believe you when you say he's said and done something to hurt you. I just wonder what that something is…"

Akinari chuckled, yet there was no trace of humor. "Sakura, you don't have to use your counseling skills on me by trying to probe. I'm fucked up enough to open up to you right now," he said.

"Tell me then. Please, you've never even opened up to me before. I've always been the one to cry on your shoulder, but you've never—"

"Because you don't deserve to take on my shit too! Sakura, you've taken on the load of everyone else's problem, plus yours, and then some more. Why would I want to put anything on you too? I'm supposed to be your escape, your peace, your freedom, your breath of fresh air. Of course I can't open up to you. I'm just here for you," he said the last part brokenly.

She could feel the back of her eyes burn at hearing him say these things to her. "You're such an idiot," she said quietly.

"What?"

"How can you think you'll put your problems on me? That you'll be a burden to me? Of course you wouldn't be a burden to me! I love you and would never think of you as a burden. You're different from everyone else in my life," she said, pulling him over in her arms to prove her point.

"And how's that, Sakura? Please, enlighten me with this," he said sarcastically.

"Because you aren't coming to me for help. You have things figured out more than me. You can keep things together, while a lot of people can't. You've never done anything malicious to me or anyone that I know of. Just because you open up to me doesn't mean you're asking for help…" she explained.

Akinari took a deep breath and then let it out. To Sakura's surprise, he pulled back from her embrace so he could lean back on the couch, dropping his head back over the edge. Her eyes lingered on his chest for a bit before she reached over to button a few of his buttons on the shirt. He grabbed her hand, making her freeze in her movements. "Am I that tempting?" he asked in a teasing tone.

She blushed. "W-what? Don't talk nonsense, Aki," she stuttered.

He lifted his head, looking at her with heavy-lidded eyes before he pushed her back on the couch and straddled her body underneath him and the couch. "Are you sure?"

"A-Aki! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, frowning at him now. She may not have felt that way about Akinari, but that did not mean that the man was not attractive. She knew what Syaoran or anyone would think if they were to see this scene. She wanted to be as loyal to Syaoran as she could. He deserved this much.

"I'm gonna kiss you to see if you'll kiss back," he stated.

Her mouth opened, ready to respond, but he had already started leaning down, causing her heart to nearly explode in her chest. She could not believe he was acting like this right now. "Aki—"

Just when their lips were centimeters apart, he pulled back from her, sitting on his side of the couch suddenly. He chuckled, pulling her from the lying position on the couch. "You're so cute when you're all embarrassed and flustered," he teased.

She pursed her lips, glaring at him. "You're so mean," she murmured.

"What? I was just teasing…unless you really wanted it?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She frowned.

"Kidding, Saku. I know how you feel about Li and I don't want to ruin what I have with Mikoto," he said.

"You're getting off topic…What happened with Syaoran today?" she asked.

He fell silent at that. Then, he took a deep breath and then exhaled it. "You know…my mom wanted to have a girl. She had three boys, and then…she had me," he said softly.

"What do you mean?"

He scoffed, leaning back against the couch again. "She wanted a girl so badly that…she created that in me."

Sakura looked at him, trying to see his reaction at expressing this to her. "She created that in you…"

He chuckled humorlessly. "She dressed me in girls clothes…made me grow my hair out…and at one point, she wanted me to get surgery…" he trailed off. "Hell, she even named me a girl's name to make up for it…"

"Your name…" Sakura started, remembering how protective he seemed to be about his first name. She had never heard it before, but never wanted to press on it because she knew it was a sensitive topic for him. "It must have been so hard being forced to be something you weren't…"

"You know how badly I got treated. Sakura, I had death threats thrown at me because I was…a freak. I was stuck between being what my mother wanted versus what I wanted," he said sadly. "I wanted her to be happy, so…"

"You played along with it," she finished when he seemed at a loss for words.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said after a while of thinking. "I have nothing against gays, trans or anyone along those lines, but…that wasn't me; it isn't me. I was forced to be in that role and then I had to get the bad end of things. It was hard growing up being me, Sakura. And I don't want to complain about it because I had a loving mom, and I don't want you to think of her negatively..."

"Of course I'm not thinking horribly of your mother. She's always been nice when I've come around. That doesn't mean what she wanted wasn't you or right..." she trailed off sadly, feeling empathetic towards him.

She could only imagine how it felt being forced to be something she is not. And not having that acceptance would be miserably.

"She loves me, you know..." he said, looking deep in thought.

"You know, you're saying that, but it doesn't look like you really believe that," she said softly.

He shook his head, offering her a lazy grin as his lids lowered. It almost seemed like he would collapse at any given moment. She wondered just how much the man drank. "God, I hated life back then..." he said, ignoring her statement. "I hate to think about it, but I used to be the emo, gothy kid in school," he said blandly. "You can put the rest of the pieces together from that."

Sakura frowned, not sure where to go with that. She had never been one to put too many pieces together unless they were things already out in the open. She wanted him to say it. She was not sure where to take this, considering she could not gauge the man's true feelings of this information. He seemed nonchalant as he told her these things, but at the same time, something else screamed pain about it. "And what's an emo, gothy kid supposed to be like?" she asked instead.

"That's a silly question, Sakura," he slurred, attempting to sit up but swaying in the process. He chuckled when he nearly tripped when he stood. "I need more to drink."

She was hot on his trail in an instant, grabbing his arm tightly. "No, sir, you do not."

"It's wearing off and I don't want to talk about this anymore," he said, trying to pull his arm back from her stubbornly. He dragged them both in the kitchen, thanks to him being twice her size.

When they got to the kitchen, Sakura was left baffled with all the empty whiskey bottles on the counter and kitchen top. "You are going to get alcohol poisoning!" she chastised, slapping his arm to get his attention.

He paused for a moment before he turned to her abruptly with a suppressed smile on his face. "Did you just…slap my arm?" he asked.

Her lip trembled, wanting to scream and make him help her understand what the meaning of all this is and what it has to do with today. She was not even worried about him not keeping Syaoran's charts anymore. She just wanted to know he would be alright. "Yes, I believe I did. I will slap you again if it means getting you out of your feelings," she said confidently.

"Wrong," he said, and then pushed her back against the closest wall again, to her surprise for the umpteenth time that night.

She looked at him, seeing him trap her between the wall and his body again. Her eyes drifted down his body to his sweatpants, wanting to be sure he did not have any intents like that because this had been the second time tonight.

To her relief, there was nothing out of the ordinary going on down south, so she kept her eyes locked with his. "I will," she said confidently with a fierce look in her eyes, showing her passion about the declaration.

Akinari just stared in her eyes, not saying a word, as if he were trying to see her soul. Her cheeks warmed at the intensity in his eyes, so she looked away bashfully. "W-why are you looking at me so hard?" she stuttered.

He chuckled, giving her a better smell of the whiskey in his breath. "It must be true," he said suddenly.

She looked up at him again. "W-what?"

"You can't even take me serious as a man either," he said, his voice quivering at the end of that statement.

"What? Of course I take you serious as a man! I understand how dangerous this situation is right now, but I trust you," she said, moving her hand to grasp his face gently so he could look her squarely in the eyes. She wanted him to see the sincerity in her response.

He scoffed, lifting his head away from her grasp. "No matter how much a woman trust a man, he has his limits. I thought you would have learned that by now with that bastard," he said, his tone distasteful towards the end.

"What did he do, Aki?" Sakura asked, noticing his change of mood at the mention of Syaoran.

"He's the reason I am where I am right now. That bastard just think he can come barging in my office. And, you know what's crazy? I'm not even upset about that part. It's the part where he knows he has an advantage over me and will use it to his will whenever he wants to and I would never do that to him, despite me having an advantage over him too. I would never do that; jeopardize his or your life like that," Akinari said, the last part coming out weaker than he expected himself. "But you can take him serious. You could take Eichii serious. Hell, Mikoto could even take her exes more serious than me. All of my exes could take their past lovers serious, but me...? Nope, not possible."

"Aki, that is not true. I take you very serious as a man. You are a very attractive man who can get whomever you wanted to. You're so kind that you could charm your way into any girls pants if you wanted to. We were almost once upon a time because you are one of the best men in my life. It just wasn't the place or time for that yet, and you know that," she said, frowning at him.

"No, Sakura. That didn't happen because we only see each other as a brother and sister," he corrected.

"Well…that's only because we've known each other for so long and have never really tried to be involved like that before. And we know way too much about each other," she added.

He sighed, dropping his head to lean on her chest. "I guess that's true too. I'm being ridiculous right now…" he trailed off, seeming deep in thought after that statement.

"Aki, I've never thought of you any less than a man since I've known you. I didn't even know your mom forced you to be the opposite gender of what you were born..." she said.

He took a deep, shaky breath. "Really..." he barely whispered. "I still think about it a lot. I feel self-conscious with everything I do, fearing that...what mother forced on me majority of my life often shows...my brothers often tease me for it when I see them, so I..."

"Aki, I'm sor—" A ringing sound interrupted her sentence, making her ponder on her next statement.

"You have to answer it, don't you?," he asked with a chuckle.

Sakura did know who it is, but she knew it was not the time to pick up when Akinari needed her. "I'm here with you right now," she said.

When her phone rang again, Akinari pulled back from her, shaking his head. "It's fine, Sakura. I won't be upset or anything. Honestly, you shouldn't be here this late at night anyway..."

"Aki, what's gotten into you? The Aki I know would never push me away—"

"Well, that Akinari isn't here tonight. You should leave. I don't want you and Li to get in a fight because of me," he said, moving away from her.

She frowned. "Aki—" Her phone rang again for a third time, making her dig in her pocket to check it. It had been Syaoran after all. She ended the call and turned her attention back to Akinari. "I'm here for you, Aki."

Her phone rang again and before she could end the call again, a hand snatched the device from her own. "Ahhh, Li-kun, isn't it nice to hear from you on this lovely night," Akinari spoke into the phone.

Immediately, Sakura reached for her phone, but he dodged her, turning away. "Aki, give that back!" she hissed, nearly fighting to get her phone back from him. "Yes, Sakura's here. She's been here for the past hour, but we're busy right now," Akinari said casually, nearly running out of the kitchen.

Sakura was hot on his trail. "Aki, stop!" she said, jumping on his back and reaching for her phone that he held firmly against his ear. "Hoee!"

A loud thud and impact met Sakura as she felt them both collapse on the floor, Akinari being the one to break her fall.

"Hello? Is everything alright?" she heard Syaoran's voice on the phone.

She opened her eyes, only to see her straddling Akinari as he held the phone above his head so she could not reach it. She launched for it, snatching it from his hand. "Syaoran," she called in the phone, nearly out of breath as she stood from sitting on top of the man. "Everything's okay."

"What the hell is going on? What are you two doing?" he asked in a panicked tone.

She took a few silent deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. It was not like she had been hiding anything from him, but she did not want Syaoran getting the wrong idea about anything. Akinari could be sly sometimes and he was beyond his limit of alcohol usage tonight, so he could say anything. "We aren't doing anything but talking. He's just had too much to drink. I'll be at your place shortly...I need to talk to you about some things," she said into the phone quietly.

"Sakura, I'm trying to be very reasonable right now, but I'm really not comfortable with you being at his house right now. I trust you, really, I do, but I just...I don't feel okay with you being there alone with him right now while he's drunk..."

"Okay, Syaoran. I'll be there shortly," she said and then ended the call before he could even respond.

"Akin—" She stopped, seeing the man sound asleep on the floor. She frowned, stooping down beside him on the floor. She shook him gently, trying to wake him so she could help him get to bed. "Come on, Aki, at least get on the couch," she said, pulling on his arm to make him sit up.

She sighed, nearly dragging him towards the couch. "Aki," she whined, leaning further down to wrap his arm around her neck. She was relieved when he complied, helping her lay him across the couch.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this," he murmured, laying on his back on the couch.

Sakura maneuvered him to his side so he would not choke on his own puke in case he had to. "You don't have to be sorry. Lay here while I go get you a cover," she said, already headed to his closet. She grabbed a blanket and headed to the kitchen to grab a bottled water and some Tylenol for him to take in the morning.

When she got back to the living room, the man was sleeping again. She sat the water and Tylenol on the table in front of him and then laid the cover over his body. She stopped in front of him, moving the hair from his forehead. "I'm sorry, Aki," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. She wished she could have been there for him more, but he had only just told her a small portion of his life now.

She stood and grabbed her purse before locking up and heading to her car. She did not want to be the friend who only sucked the energy out of her friends. She wanted to be there for him as much as Akinari had for all these years. She felt guilty for selfishly taking in their friendship but not giving back.

She wanted to do more for her best friend. And she would. But first, she needed to find out what Syaoran had done to trigger Akinari like this.

A/N: Ahhh, I'm so sorry, guys! It is currently 3am, but I promised myself that I would get this chapter out as quick as possible, so I hope you guys can bear with any grammatical errors from my lack of sleep! Thank you guys so much for still showing support in your reviews, they really mean a lot to me! I know it's been like two months, but it's really hard finding time to actually sit down and put the rest of this story together to tie some loose ends since the story's starting to come to it's end. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet, but we will see when we get there, right?

On another note, what'd you guys think of this chapter? Akinari's name has been revealed, though Sakura doesn't know(Kinomoto Sakura :P). I figured the only way Aki would be have been able to open up a bit about his name would be if he were intoxicated since he's normally calm and collected. I actually had planned for his name to be revealed in a much crueler way by Syaoran, seeing that he is the only character who knew his first name in the story, but I didn't want us to hate Syaoran too much for it lol. I thought it to fit his character to do it in a way that Syaoran was trying to prove that he has power over Aki if he wants to mess with Sakura and his newly found relationship.

Hmmm...Touya's paying a visit, threatening Syaoran without his knowledge, Syaoran's still not "ready" to see his mother or go to Hong Kong, Sakura's still been hushy about her test results, Sakura still hasn't confessed, Aki's not going to help Syaoran and Sakura out until further notice...gosh, there's too much going on in the story right now haha. I have everything planned out perfectly, but I am curious to know what you guys think will happen next! Don't forget to drop me a review! I need to get some sleep now because I have classes tomorrow!

Ja ne!