Chapter 8

Sakura walked down the stairs carrying her clothes while holding the towel that was covering her body in place. She was embarrassed to be in just a towel. Thinking about last night made both of the kids nervous around each other, yet comforting at the same time. She placed her clothing on the screen by the fire while Li starred at her putting them beside his. She slowly sat down beside Li trying to stay warm.

"It's getting colder. I think it's because of what I'm wearing...." She said looking at the towel. She giggled as Li joined in. Li grabbed the blanket that was lying on the floor in front of them and wrapped it around Sakura. She looked thoughtfully out the window then back to the one beside her. She noticed that Li's towel was showing his muscular shoulders that she leaned on before they got to the mountain, his chest that she had cried on so many times, his muscular stomach that never seemed to be out of shape. She loved the way he looked. She loved his personality. But lately she has been loving him and only him.

"Is something wrong?" Her secret love asked as he saw her starring at him up and down. It caught her off guard as she was still gazing at the flesh that was uncovered.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was just thinking. That's all." He smiled and asked her if it had to do with his stomach as he saw her beaming her eyes at it. She blushed as usual and gave her thoughts away to him. She said that it was strange to see the skin she cried on so many times and the way he let her stain his flesh with her own tears,

"Sakura.." He starred at the ground as he didn't know what to say. He wrapped his arm around her body as he gave her a hug.

"Li?"

"Hai?"

"Um... your towel just fell." She said nervously trying not to laugh still hugging him.

***

"...Well, it looks like the snow is lightening up a little. In about an hour or so you should be able to walk outside. But be careful. It has snowed since last night and 8 inches of snow has falling."

Wow. That much over night? This is very strange.

"Are you okay?" Eli spoke for the first time in two hours to Madison. He was still holding her tightly to his body as he knew that she was scared.

"Hai. I'm just worried. This isn't a regular snow storm. Maybe it is. Have you had any feelings?" She said as she looked up to her hubby. He just nodded and turned to Mrs. Mackenzie who had been watching them the whole time.

***

"It's okay, LI! It was an accident!" Li hid his face from this little brown haired girl for 30 minutes now as she sat beside him.

"Li! I'm okay. I wasn't hurt!" They both giggled.

"I am so incredibly sorry Sakura. I didn't mean to..." He started to hide his face again but Sakura grabbed his hands.

"Don't hide from me, Li. It makes me worried." He lifted his head and apologized.

"I didn't want to make you worried, Sakura..." But before he could finish, Sakura dropped the towel that she was holding around her body and gave it to Li. She had the blanket over herself so she really didn't mind.

"I think you need this more than I do. Here." She handed him the towel as she smiled widely enough for him to start blushing yet again.

"Thank you, Sakura. But I think our clothes are done." They turned toward the fire and took their clothing off of the screen. They both blushed as they hands brushed against each other.

"..I.. I'm going to go change now, Li. You can change down here. Tell me when your done, okay?" She slowly started up the stairs still holding the blanket close to her with her clothes. He gazed up to her as he saw her bare back from behind. The blanket didn't seem to cover that area but Li didn't mind.

"Uh hum." Is all he could say while he looked, watching her go up the stairs in a slow peaceful manner. And then she closed the door to the restroom. Li let out a sigh.

He slowly let his towel dropped as he slipped into his boxes and the white undershirt he had on before the water fight. Leaving the rest of his clothing off, he walked up the stairs to tell Sakura that he was done. Geez. I have butterflies in my stomach now. What's wrong with me? Knocking on the door to where Sakura was startled her. She wasn't done changing as she only had her under garments on.

"Hai?" She asked with a quivered tone in her voice.

"Sakura, I'm done changing. Um.. What's wrong? Your voice seemed a little shaky..."

"Oh, you just startled me, that's all. And thank you for telling me your done," She picked up her shirt to find it still wet, "Great!"

'What's the matter?" Li asked concerned to the tone of her voice.

"Oh nothing. My shirt is still wet." She said disappointed. She really wanted to get out of that empty room by herself. She wanted to be with him and only him.

"Um...Sakura?" He started to take off his white shirt.

"Yes, Li?" She said aggravated. My shirt is still wet!

"Can I come in?" Sakura was astounded. She didn't know what to say since she was only in her under garments. Without thinking, she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her and told Li that he could. He walked in with a bare chest and his white shirt in his hands.

"I thought you said you were dressed?" She said blushing as she saw the site of him in his underwear and no shirt.

"Here. Wear this for now, and I'll dry your shirt." The brown haired boy's eyes glowed to the site of Sakura's open blanket for her stomach to show. He knew that she had her under garments on but he still went red to see her flesh. He walked toward Sakura as she looked up at him. He gave her the shirt, hands touching hands, as he grabbed the blanket she was holding and wrapped it around her tighter.

"Don't get cold." He said warmly. Even though he loved to see her skin, he didn't want her to be embarrassed or anything. Her eyes filled with wetness as she thanked him, giving him a huge hug under the blanket. He felt her body brush up to his bare chest as he felt her skin along his. He knew she didn't have the blanket on any longer as one of his arms embraced her waist and the other rubbing her back, trying to keep her warm.

He turned to leave as he walked away from the one he cared for. As he shut the door, he heard Sakura sigh as she started to put his shirt on. Li leaned against the wall beside the door thinking that he needed to tell her, and tell her fast. He didn't want it to be too late when he told her.

She noticed that the smell of the shirt smelt just like Li even though the clothes were by the fire for a long time. She made another sigh as she walked out of the room.

"Oh! Li! I didn't expect you there." She said giggling. Li laughed too from her face expression.

***

It was night time again on Yukiouto Mountain as the kids climbed into their beds with no Sakura or Li with them. The news said that the snow was fading and would be clear by tomorrow but the snow would still be heavily set on the ground for weeks. Looking out the window, Madison knew that they were okay, that were with each other making themselves feel safe. She wasn't a bit worried about them but she knew something unnatural caused this catastrophe as no snow ever came down like that before. She slowly fell into a deep sleep concerning her video camera and Eli. I wonder what it could be...