Disclaimer I do not own CCS Clamp does.
Chapter 3.
...Three weeks later... 6 AM Monday..
"Sakura, SAKURA! Wake up babe it's time." Sakura heard faintly from her ears, before turning in her bed and gently opening one eye sleepily only to be greeted by persistent dark brown ones looking straight at her, as if to say 'if you don't get out of bed now, I will make you.'
This look that Brian was giving her was more than enough to shock Sakura in to getting out of bed and head to the bathroom to change.
Ten minutes later, outside standing in the field...
"Right I want twenty-five laps around the field, twenty push ups and pull-ups. Then we will concentrate on some dodging techniques I have seen Syaoran teach the other members over the years. However, remember I will only be able to direct you through these routines and not show you them myself as I am not to do so much physical work."
"Ok I understand Brian." Sakura smiles out at him in understanding, as she puts on her ear phones and takes off running happily. Brian smiles at her warmly, as he watches her start his scheduled exercises happily.
These past few weeks, have practically made Sakura and Brian inseparable. They do everything together, and Brian knew that from just one look at her she had already lost at least a stone and a half if not more in the last three weeks with him.
'You're doing fine, cherry blossom. Well done.' Brian thought out to himself, seeing her complete the tenth lap in admiration. He just did not understand how the Elders' minds worked, how could they even think about giving an innocent girl like Sakura a death sentence just because she was big. 'I will make them regret threatening your life, I promise Sakura.'
As the weeks went past eight, then twelve Brian was stunned at Sakura's progress. She had gone from a size eighteen clothing to a size fourteen. she was already just as fit as almost half of the gang and could probably beat them all at track and field.
In the last three months, Sakura had indeed lost a lot of weight but unfortunately couldn't show it off to anyone because of Syaoran's orders. So, every time someone came into the garage to talk to Brian she would always hide under a car and pretend to be a part timer.
However sometimes Brian would get called away unexpectedly and that's when Sakura would secretly help him finish some of his work at the garage, like changing the oil of a car or tightening various screws on cars.
In the last few months Brian had taught her a lot about cars and bikes so she knew quite a bit by now, she could easily fix a whole engine by herself or take a wheel off of a bike for an exchange.
'Well if this elder thing fail's, maybe I could become a mechanic too' laughed Sakura, as she climbed underneath her second car of the day.
'Come on Brian, how long are you going to be out for?' Sakura wanders, until she hears a voice that completely knocks her out of her thoughts and into a panic.
"Hay brother I am finally back from the witch, how are you getting on with my car I sent back?" Syaoran asks the pair of legs he saw hanging out from under his car assuming they were Brian's.
Shit it Syaoran, Brian never told me that it was today that he was due back what am I going to do...'
"Uhhhh" Sakura grunts out in a low voice, trying to mimic her friend.
"What's the matter bro are you ok? You're not ill, again are you?" Syaoran says out hurriedly.
"Na" Sakura bits out in the best man's voice she could pull off
"Syaoran...What are you doing here? I thought you were coming back tomorrow." Brian's voice echoes through the garage, causing Sakura to sigh out in relief from her position.
"Change of plans. but if you are here, then who is that under my car?" Syaoran Questions his brother curiously.
"O that is um my new boyfriend Sam, he loves cars". Brian stutters out nervously, as his hand reaches to the back of his neck to stroke it softly.
"O so you and Tim are over then?" Syaoran utters out shrugging.
"Yes, I guess so, I haven't seen him in months anyway." Brian answers him shrugging at his brother's question, before he walks towards his workbench to pick up his cap secretly.
"Ok, well are you sure he knows what he is doing under there? It's just that since I have been here I have not heard him do anything." Syaoran says out puzzled
"oh, I am sure he's fine, he is probably just tightening something." Brian tells him, as he joins Sakura under the car quickly handing her the cap.
.Under the car
"You're gay?" Sakura whispers out at him, angrily putting on his cap.
"I will explain later, for now button up your overalls and get back to the house babe. Chances are he is going to be looking for you next." He warns her with a smile.
"How can anyone be angry at that kind smile you have?" Sakura smiles back at him sweetly.
"Ahh bless you, now go." he pushes her gently.
"Ok I will leave but I am not going back to that house, I would rather go for a jog. See you later for dinner, your cooking right." Sakura asks him with a wink.
" Yes, I will see you later, Wait Sakura you can't just avoid him" Brian whispers out at her trying to grab her leg but fails, as she gets out from underneath Syaoran's car on the other side so he couldn't spot her straightaway.
"Oh hi Sam I am Sy-"Syaoran started off at Sakura who just passed him quickly covering her face with the cap and ran until she could be seen running so fast it left the two brothers staring towards her in astonishment.
"Wow that dude can run!" Syaoran mutters to Brian, still eyeing Sakura.
"Yes, I know."
"Anyway, mate I got to go and do something so look after my car." Syaoran winks at his brother, before he turns and leaves in the direction of his private house.
Brian smirked at his brothers retreating figure 'have fun trying to find her today bro. I think I taught her too well when it comes to sneaking around to avoid the enemy.'
...8PM...
"Meiling" Syaoran shouts out for his cousin, as he comes into the main house.
"Meiling, get here now!"
"Chill out cousin, I am coming, what's the matter?" Mailing asks Syaoran coming into his view oddly scared.
"Office now."
"Why what have I done?"
"OFFICE." Syaoran summons her towards his private room with an authorised finger.
Office 7PM
"Where the fuck is she?" Syaoran bites out angrily at Meiling.
"Who Syaoran?" she asked him confused, before continuing
"You're not making any sense!"
"Sakura...She wasn't anywhere in that house, you were supposed to be watching her! In your last report to me yesterday you told me she was still here and doing fine!
"Well she was, that is what Brian told me?"
"Brian? Why would he know about her?" Syaoran asks her, as he gets more frustrated with the situation.
"Well he has been the one looking after her for the last three months not me!" Mailing stutters out a bit more on edge.
"WHAT! The one person I did not ever want to find out about her knows, perfect and worse you put him in charge of her shit." Syaoran says out loudly getting out of his chair pissed off, as he runs out his office fuming.
"Syaoran, why didn't you want Brian to know about Sakura" Meiling called out to him worriedly, causing Syaoran to stop and look back at her seriously.
"Because I did not want it to cause him any stress, you of all people should know about how much he resents the Elders. I just did not want him to do anything stupid" he sighs out to her before taking off down the corridor again.
Garage 7:30 pm
"Brian" Syaoran calls his brother out of breath, coming into his workplace.
"Yo Syaoran, I just finished your" Brian stops short, feeling his brother grab his shoulders seriously.
"Where's Sakura? Mailing just told me that you...ahhhh." Syaoran lets out a growl in frustration before letting go of his brother softly to run his fingers through his hair angrily.
"Chill she was here earlier but took off when..."Brian trails off
"When" Syaoran pressed him to continue"
"When she heard you, I guess she is just not ready to be found by you yet."
"What that's just stupid? Why would she avoid me? " he wanders out a little offended.
"Well maybe she is scared of you? You were after all a bit mean to her before you left, you even ordered her to isolate herself from everyone." Brian tells him, looking away from his brother's frowning eyes.
"That was because "
"I know, it was because you were afraid that people here would bully her right." Brian finishes his brother's sentence knowingly.
"..."
"Syaoran, you can't hide anything from me. I am your twin after all." Brian tells him smiling, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder before continuing.
"I will tell you what, go and visit the room she is staying in at six am tomorrow because she will definitely be there then."
"How do you know that?." Syaoran asks him questionably.
"Trust me she loves her sleep, shell be there. Oh and one more thing don't try to be me, she noticed the difference between us the first day she met me." Brian tells him seriously.
"Really but that's impossible, we are identical. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between us if I was someone else. "Syaoran states out in shock.
"Well she noticed it the first time she saw me, 'Who are you' was the first thing she said to me and then she said 'that we are completely different' or something like that. Her words even had me speechless."
"I don't believe it!" Syaoran says out stubbornly, watching his brother go towards a bike and dismantle it skilfully.
"Fine then don't believe me," Brian tells him flatly, before he goes back to work again.
.Next morning 6am
"Knock Knock Knock"
"Sakura babe, it's time for breakfast" Syaoran says out like Brian quietly, as he enters her room.
'Breakfast? That is not Brian, Me and him always eat breakfast after training together! Ahhh Brian you set me up.' Sakura thought angrily.
After realising who entered her room, she pulls a few of her bed pillows close to her body trying to hide her weight loss from him.
Then moments later as Sakura felt Syaoran near her bed, she jumped up quickly and threw her covers over his head, knocking him down onto the floor with the breakfast he prepared for her.
"FUCK" Syaoran curses out from under the duvet, trying to escape it.
Sakura then took off towards the door grabbing her jogging gear in the process, before running out of the room in a panic.
Garage 8:00am
Brian LI!" Sakura comes in the double open doors shouting at him.
"Yo good morning babe how are you this morning? Do you want breakfast, it is in the office for you" he tells her smirking wildly, at the way she entered the garage.
"Now you know very well that I am no good at swearing but for Fuck sake why was your brother in my room this morning pretending to be you with breakfast?"
"Ha ha ha. Well that was probably because he did not believe me yesterday, when I told him that you could tell us apart."
"So basically, you sent him instead of you to solve his curiosity."
"Yep, that's about it. So how did it go?"
"It didn't! I threw my covers over him and ran"
Seconds later.
"BRIAN!" Syaoran yells out coming into the garage also interrupting the two quickly.
Noticing Sakura standing there in a jogging bra and shorts with a cap on, Syaoran bows to her apologetically not recognising her.
"Hi there sorry, I did not know my brother had a visitor."
'Shit what do I do? Reply like I don't know him then run? Yes, that is a good plan.' Sakura tells herself before answering him nicely.
"That's quite alright, I was just leaving." Sakura tells him also bowing to him, before turning and giving Brian one last glare before running off.
Brains then turns to Syaoran and starts to laugh.
"Syaoran you are such an idiot, you just seriously apologise to the woman that has been avoiding you since yesterday and caused you problems all this morning!" Brian lets out laughing again.
"What that was" Syaoran mutters out, too blown away by Sakura's new appearance to even think of chasing her.
'her size and frame is completely different, there's-'
"No frigging way!" he roars out the last part in shock, taking off after Sakura blushing a bit.
After about an hour of looking for her, Syaoran decides to give up and go back to the one person he knows that she will eventually come and find.
7.00pm Garage
"Sakura, you cannot keep avoiding Syaoran forever. Sooner or later you will have to train with him, he was in all afternoon waiting for you to show up." Brian tells Sakura as he climbs under a car with a ratchet in his hand.
"But can't we just continue training together?" She asked him confused, also climbing under the car so she could hear his answer.
"Listen there will always be things that I will never be able to teach you. I am weak sweet, you know that and it will never change. So, all the physical practices you need to be in the gang, I will never be able to show you. I will just slow you down or worse get you killed. " he tells her with a sigh as he comes back out from under the car looking for another tool.
"What? It's not here?" Brian tells himself.
"Are you looking for this?" Sakura asks him,smiling happily to herself.
"how did you know" he trails off looking at her in amazement.
"It's a gift and a curse. I have a photographic memory so if someone explains something to me or I read something, I instantly know how to do it the next time by just remembering. That's why I want you to still help me. I would not still be here if it was not for you, I would have probably attempted to escape and gotten shot or worse but you made this place bearable for me." Sakura says to him through teary eyes.
She nears Brian and brings him into a hug. Which he accepts and berries his face in her hair for gratefully becoming comfortable in her arms.
They hugged for about a minute until they parted but still held hands gently for a few seconds.
"Sakura, thank you. These last few months have been amazing for me, I know it sounds crazy but I really feel like you are my best friend. So I want to still help you in any way I can." Brian confesses to her with a grateful smile.
"Me too, that's why I will train with Syaoran for you but on one condition. To me you are and always will be my coach, fuck what everyone else thinks. Just keep being my best friend and I will listen to anything you say, Deal? " Sakura smirks out at Brian, as she watches him tear up and hug her again happily.
"You got yourself a deal babe, there is no way i could live without my best friend now." Brian tells her sighing softly inside the embrace.
"When i train with him will you be there Brian?" Sakura whispers out gently.
"of course every step of the way babe."
