1 Chapter 5
Syaoran sat on the edge of his seat, gripping his desk so hard that his knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the clock without blinking. This is it.
Finally, the bell rang. Syaoran stood up and picked up his backpack. He realized that he was shaking. Sheesh. This is pathetic. She's just a girl. But no matter what he told himself, he could not calm down.
Sakura was talking to Tomoyo. I hope they're not making plans. I'd better say something. Syaoran gulped, took a deep breath, and finally said, "Um, Sakura?"
Sakura turned around. "Yes?"
Syaoran blushed. Why can't I ever talk to her without blushing? "Um. I-I need to t-talk to you," he stuttered nervously. "Can I m-maybe- i- if you're not, you know, busy or anything- I n-need to t-talk to you."
Sakura smiled. "Sure, Syaoran. When would you like to talk?"
Syaoran looked down, blushing even more. "I was thinking. maybe. I could walk you home, and we could talk then?"
"OK," replied Sakura. "So, then, let's get going! Bye, Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo winked at Sakura. What's that supposed to mean? wondered Syaoran. "See you tomorrow, Sakura."
Sakura and Syaoran walked out together. As they reached the street, Syaoran felt awkward. How do I tell her what I need to tell her?
Finally, Sakura filled the silence. "Look, Syaoran," she said, smiling, reaching into her pocket. "I transformed another card."
Syaoran smiled, looking at the Voice card that was now pink. "That's great, Sakura. How many cards do you have left to transform?"
"Ten," replied Sakura. "I can't wait until I finish. Then I won't have to worry anymore."
They continued to walk in silence. Finally, Syaoran knew that he had to say something. He gathered his courage, then said, "Sakura?"
"Yes?"
He took a deep breath. "Sakura, you've probably noticed that I've been acting a little strange lately." She nodded. He continued, a bit more confident now, but not much. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Well, you remember the other day when I stood up in class and yelled your name?" She nodded again. "Well, I'd fallen asleep." He blushed. "And, well, I had this dream that something, I don't know what, was taking you away. It scared me. That's when I woke up, and yelled you name."
Sakura nodded. "And you think that there's something to your dream?"
"Yes," Syaoran agreed. "And it's not just my dream that makes me think that."
Understanding suddenly dawned on Sakura's face. "After we had ice cream, and you ran back to me and Tomoyo after you started to go home."
Syaoran nodded. "I knew that something was going on. I sensed something. I knew that something was after you."
"But I couldn't sense it." Sakura understood now.
"That's right," he replied. "I don't really understand it, but when I got to you and Tomoyo, I saw something, and I knew it was about to attack you."
"So that's why you had your sword and took a fighting stance, then called my name. You were trying to protect me."
"But as soon as whatever it was realized that I was there, and I knew that it was there, it disappeared."
Sakura looked puzzled. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"
Syaoran shook his head. "No idea. I didn't get a good look at it."
"Then yesterday, when you were following me and Tomoyo."
"It was because I was trying to make sure nothing happened to you."
"And that's part of the reason why you're walking me home today."
Syaoran blushed again. I really need to stop blushing. "Right."
Sakura smiled. "If you'd like, you can walk me home every day. After what you've told me, it'd make me feel a lot safer."
Syaoran's blush deepened. "I'd love to. I mean, okay, sure."
Sakura giggled. "All right then, it's settled. And Syaoran?"
"Yes?"
"I really appreciate you looking out for me."
Syaoran grinned, embarrassed, and looked at his feet. Suddenly he realized that they were at Sakura's house.
"Syaoran, would you like to come in for a little bit? It's cold outside. Maybe you'd like some tea."
Syaoran nodded and followed Sakura inside. The Kinomotos have very nice decorations, he thought.
As they were taking their shoes off just inside the door, he suddenly noticed something. They were standing under mistletoe. Sakura noticed at the same time. They both blushed.
They walked into the living room where Touya was sitting. "Hi, Touya!" said Sakura cheerfully.
"Hi, Sakura," he replied. Then he noticed Syaoran. "What his HE doing here?" Touya glared at him.
Sakura glared back at Touya. "He walked me home. I invited him inside for tea." Then she turned to Syaoran and smiled. "Why don't you sit down?"
Syaoran, uncomfortable, sat as far from Touya as he could while Sakura went to make tea. Touya kept glaring at him.
Sakura came back and poured tea for Syaoran and Touya. They all drank their tea in silence. Why won't Touya stop glaring at me? What did I ever do to him?
After Syaoran finished his tea, he stood up. "Why don't you stay for dinner?" asked Sakura.
Syaoran shook his head. "I really have to get going." Besides, I think Touya would kill me if I stayed.
"Okay then," replied Sakura. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Syaoran walked out the door and down the street toward home. The snow on the trees and ground was beautiful, as were the Christmas decorations everywhere, but he did not notice. His mind was filled with thoughts about Sakura.
Author's Notes: I hope you guys are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it! Sorry it's been so long, but I haven't had much time to write. Let me know how I'm doing! Oh, and if some formatting seems strange, it's because FF.net for some reason doesn't make things italic the way I type them, and it doesn't do the ellipses (you know, the three periods). See, Syaoran's thoughts are supposed to be in italics. Oh well, you guys get the idea. ^_^ Hopefully it won't be too long until I have my next chapter up! Keep reviewing!
Syaoran sat on the edge of his seat, gripping his desk so hard that his knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the clock without blinking. This is it.
Finally, the bell rang. Syaoran stood up and picked up his backpack. He realized that he was shaking. Sheesh. This is pathetic. She's just a girl. But no matter what he told himself, he could not calm down.
Sakura was talking to Tomoyo. I hope they're not making plans. I'd better say something. Syaoran gulped, took a deep breath, and finally said, "Um, Sakura?"
Sakura turned around. "Yes?"
Syaoran blushed. Why can't I ever talk to her without blushing? "Um. I-I need to t-talk to you," he stuttered nervously. "Can I m-maybe- i- if you're not, you know, busy or anything- I n-need to t-talk to you."
Sakura smiled. "Sure, Syaoran. When would you like to talk?"
Syaoran looked down, blushing even more. "I was thinking. maybe. I could walk you home, and we could talk then?"
"OK," replied Sakura. "So, then, let's get going! Bye, Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo winked at Sakura. What's that supposed to mean? wondered Syaoran. "See you tomorrow, Sakura."
Sakura and Syaoran walked out together. As they reached the street, Syaoran felt awkward. How do I tell her what I need to tell her?
Finally, Sakura filled the silence. "Look, Syaoran," she said, smiling, reaching into her pocket. "I transformed another card."
Syaoran smiled, looking at the Voice card that was now pink. "That's great, Sakura. How many cards do you have left to transform?"
"Ten," replied Sakura. "I can't wait until I finish. Then I won't have to worry anymore."
They continued to walk in silence. Finally, Syaoran knew that he had to say something. He gathered his courage, then said, "Sakura?"
"Yes?"
He took a deep breath. "Sakura, you've probably noticed that I've been acting a little strange lately." She nodded. He continued, a bit more confident now, but not much. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Well, you remember the other day when I stood up in class and yelled your name?" She nodded again. "Well, I'd fallen asleep." He blushed. "And, well, I had this dream that something, I don't know what, was taking you away. It scared me. That's when I woke up, and yelled you name."
Sakura nodded. "And you think that there's something to your dream?"
"Yes," Syaoran agreed. "And it's not just my dream that makes me think that."
Understanding suddenly dawned on Sakura's face. "After we had ice cream, and you ran back to me and Tomoyo after you started to go home."
Syaoran nodded. "I knew that something was going on. I sensed something. I knew that something was after you."
"But I couldn't sense it." Sakura understood now.
"That's right," he replied. "I don't really understand it, but when I got to you and Tomoyo, I saw something, and I knew it was about to attack you."
"So that's why you had your sword and took a fighting stance, then called my name. You were trying to protect me."
"But as soon as whatever it was realized that I was there, and I knew that it was there, it disappeared."
Sakura looked puzzled. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"
Syaoran shook his head. "No idea. I didn't get a good look at it."
"Then yesterday, when you were following me and Tomoyo."
"It was because I was trying to make sure nothing happened to you."
"And that's part of the reason why you're walking me home today."
Syaoran blushed again. I really need to stop blushing. "Right."
Sakura smiled. "If you'd like, you can walk me home every day. After what you've told me, it'd make me feel a lot safer."
Syaoran's blush deepened. "I'd love to. I mean, okay, sure."
Sakura giggled. "All right then, it's settled. And Syaoran?"
"Yes?"
"I really appreciate you looking out for me."
Syaoran grinned, embarrassed, and looked at his feet. Suddenly he realized that they were at Sakura's house.
"Syaoran, would you like to come in for a little bit? It's cold outside. Maybe you'd like some tea."
Syaoran nodded and followed Sakura inside. The Kinomotos have very nice decorations, he thought.
As they were taking their shoes off just inside the door, he suddenly noticed something. They were standing under mistletoe. Sakura noticed at the same time. They both blushed.
They walked into the living room where Touya was sitting. "Hi, Touya!" said Sakura cheerfully.
"Hi, Sakura," he replied. Then he noticed Syaoran. "What his HE doing here?" Touya glared at him.
Sakura glared back at Touya. "He walked me home. I invited him inside for tea." Then she turned to Syaoran and smiled. "Why don't you sit down?"
Syaoran, uncomfortable, sat as far from Touya as he could while Sakura went to make tea. Touya kept glaring at him.
Sakura came back and poured tea for Syaoran and Touya. They all drank their tea in silence. Why won't Touya stop glaring at me? What did I ever do to him?
After Syaoran finished his tea, he stood up. "Why don't you stay for dinner?" asked Sakura.
Syaoran shook his head. "I really have to get going." Besides, I think Touya would kill me if I stayed.
"Okay then," replied Sakura. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Syaoran walked out the door and down the street toward home. The snow on the trees and ground was beautiful, as were the Christmas decorations everywhere, but he did not notice. His mind was filled with thoughts about Sakura.
Author's Notes: I hope you guys are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it! Sorry it's been so long, but I haven't had much time to write. Let me know how I'm doing! Oh, and if some formatting seems strange, it's because FF.net for some reason doesn't make things italic the way I type them, and it doesn't do the ellipses (you know, the three periods). See, Syaoran's thoughts are supposed to be in italics. Oh well, you guys get the idea. ^_^ Hopefully it won't be too long until I have my next chapter up! Keep reviewing!
