syaoran's birthday 1

Personally, I really hate the way this turned out. It was *meant* to be funny, butaiyah. Which is why I don't blame Syaoran for being upset at me for writing this. I don't suppose time constraint and 3 tests would be a good excuse? _

But I hope minna will comment anyway. *_* Sankyu.

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Syaoran no Tanjoubi (Syaoran's Birthday)

One: Inspiration Comes Aided AKA Surprise My Love Party

It was a sunny day. Birds chirped. A breeze blew.

In a particular second-year class in Tomoeda Junior High, one Kinomoto Sakura absently tapped her pen against her chin and sighed.

Today was July the 10th.

To be more precise, today was three days away from Syaoran-kun's birthday.

And she still hadn't got him a present.

She sighed again, slumping a little in her chair. It wasn't like she hadn't *tried*. The nights of the previous week had been spent sleepless with tossing and turning and cracking her brain trying to find innovative ideas for a birthday present. Tomoyo had even offered a few suggestions, only she didn't think giving the boy she liked sakura-print silk tuxedos or sakura-shaped strawberry shortcakes were, well, feasible ideas. Not with the amount of time she had left, anyway.

And NOTHING would induce her to agree to Tomoyo's bright-eyed proposition of a special for lovers only' video. She felt her cheeks growing red at the remembrance; she'd never imagined Tomoyo-chan was so veryimaginative. Yes, that adjective was harmless enough. Imaginative.

Hoe.

A large sweatdrop beaded the side of her head as she desperately attempted to cool her burning face. It was a good thing Syaoran and Tomoyo had gone to help sensei cart books to the office. The last thing she needed right now was a horrified spate of why are you so red' enquiries.

She turned towards the window, thankfully feeling the breeze take a little of the heat from her face. Being embarrassed wasn't going to help her think of a present for Syaoran-kun.

The thing was, what would?

~~~~

The bell that heralded the arrival of break had just rung, prompting a rush of students stampeding to the cafeteria and food.

Hiiragizawa Eriol stowed his textbook underneath his desk and stood up, covering his mouth in a yawn. Recess never came too soon, especially when double physics periods happened to precede it. There really was no tactful way to say that Asahi-sensei's lessons were always boring.

Glancing to his left, he blinked. He'd thought he was the only one who hadn't left, but Sakura was still sitting in her seat, green eyes distant as she twirled a pen. There were traces of what might have been a fading blush in her cheeks. He quietly stepped next to her, unobtrusively clearing his throat.

"Sakura-san?"

"HoEEE!"

He blinked again as she literally jumped into the air. Interesting, he hadn't known her hair frizzed like that when she was agitated.

"Eriol-kun," she sighed weakly, dropping back into her seat. "It's you."

He smiled. "You sound like you expected someone else."

"Actually, I was rather hoping not to see anybody," she dryly replied, tucking a stray strand of auburn hair behind a small ear.

He smiled again, this time with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry I scared you. Would you prefer it if I went away?"

"No! No - I didn't mean it that way." She sighed a second time, rubbing her eyes absently. "I'm sorry. I haven't been capable of thinking straight lately."

Eriol seated himself beside her. "Is anything wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing serious. You'll probably laugh at me for saying this, but I'm frustrated because I don't know what to give Syaoran-kun for his birthday."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Why would I laugh at you for that?"

Sakura flushed most becomingly. "I don't knowmaybe because I shouldn't *need* to be troubled over such a small thing, or"

"But I don't think not knowing what to give the person you like on his birthday is a small thing," he smoothly interrupted. "The very fact that you *are* so worried about it only shows how much you care for Li-kun, Sakura-san." He shot her a guileless smile.

"S-souka?" she stammered, blushing hopelessly. He took pity on her and said nothing more.

So his cute relative's birthday was approaching. In three days' time, if he wasn't wrong. He'd almost forgotten it.

Almost.

It just *wouldn't* do to let Syaoran's birthday pass without doing a little*something* for him, would it now?

Eriol faced Sakura, a maniacally bright gleam in his eyes. "I think I could give you a little help with your problem."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Trust me, Sakura-san. Just trust me."

~~~~

"So Eriol-kun suggested a party at Li-kun's place?" Tomoyo asked her best friend as they walked home from school. Syaoran was absent, today being the day he had extra-curricular activity after class.

"Un," Sakura bobbed her head, looking at the purple-haired girl anxiously. "I think it would be a good idea, but we'd have to start getting ready from tomorrow."

"A surprise party sounds wonderful, we haven't had one of those for a long timeonly how are you planning to get into Li-kun's apartment in the first place?"

"WellEriol-kun said he has this skeleton key thing"

"Oh, my."

"We got it all planned out just now. Li-kun has soccer again after class on Thursday, so we could get everything ready before he gets back in the evening."

"And class ends an hour earlier than usual on Thursday, *and* school will be closed for renovation works on Friday," Tomoyo finished, looking extremely satisfied. "The timing is absolutely perfect. That was a real brainwave, Sakura-chan."

"It was all Eriol-kun's suggestion," her friend replied. "I would still have been giving myself migraines wondering what to do for Li-kun if he hadn't helped me."

Tomoyo smiled beatifically. "We should always strive to give the ones we love surprises."

Sakura blushed and ignored her. "I just hope this will work."

"Of course it will," Tomoyo said, a too-bright sparkle in her eyes. "We'll *make* it work."

Sakura sweatdropped.

Sometimes Tomoyo-chan got a little too much like Eriol-kun for comfort.

~~~~

On the field, Syaoran sneezed violently. And sniffed in irritation.

"That's the second timewho's the idiot talking about me?""

~~~~

Notes:

  1. Great original title, huh? My brain juice runs dry. *_*
  2. It was never specified what junior high Sakura-tachi went to in the last manga act, so I'm just calling it Tomoeda Junior High because the uniforms are so similar to their elementary school ones. I also say second-year' because, well, I just think it would be nicer to see S&S all settled down nicely already and allah, forget it. &_&
  3. I'm ignoring manga plot continuity as usual. Eriol's still here and kicking. And I don't know if Sakura ever found out about him being Clow's reincarnation, but she's clueless about the issue in this fic.
  4. My own school was closed for a day for fumigation and painting (stank up the whole place something terrible) so I took the liberty of stuffing in the same excuse here. It'll make sense later.
  5. In case you didn't get the joke in the last paragraph, it supposedly means someone is talking about you behind your back if you sneeze for no apparent reason. ^_^

--Syaoran no Miko