Chapter 9

"I win!" She stuck out her tongue as the little boy crossed his arms over his bare chest looking at the winner in front of him.

"What else is new?" Not typically a question but he knew that Sakura would always win Monopoly playing the game. He was too nice and never wanted her to pay for the hotels she landed on. She had it easy...I let her win.

Sakura started to yawn as she looked outside through the window to her right. It was getting dark and the snow had finally let up.

"Hum.. The snow let up. Do you think we should go back or wait until the morning?" She asked still looking out of the window. She knew the answer already but she wanted to know what he thought.

"..Um.. I want to stay here just in case..." He blushed while he thought she might take that the wrong way. She smiled and went back to the couch and clicked on the TV. Li sat there on the floor looking out the same window Sakura had a moment ago as she watched TV alone. Deep in thought, he didn't hear Sakura calling his name until he felt something on his shoulder. He turned around slowly knowing that they were the only two in the room.

"Are you okay, Li? You seem lost..." He eyes faded to the floor beneath her as she kneeled down to him. His eyes met hers as he lifted her chin for her eyes to stare at him.

"Yes, I am okay, Sakura. I think you need some rest. You look really tired." Looking worried, he gazed at Sakura as she smiled sweetly, seeming to heat the whole room. She melted into his arms as she fell asleep right then and there. Wow. I guess I was right. He smiled happily and lifted the limp body off of him into his arms with ease. He stood there for a moment and looked into her closed eyes.

"I wish I could tell you how I feel, Sakura. I'm just afraid on how you would react. It may not be the thing you to hear." He said lowering his head. Walking to the couch, he noticed the floor where Sakura and himself wrestled and tackled each other in the water fight, the screen they put their clothes on. He smiled widely as he remembered his own towel falling while he hugged the girl in his arms. Sighing, he walked to the couch and sat down with his love still in his laying on his arms. Stroking her cheek, her eyes slowly opened.

"..Um.. Li?" She said weakly as she rubbed her eyes. His face was right there when she woke up. Smiling, she looked him in the eye to see a tear run down his face.

"Li? What's the matter?" She said worrisome. She could never stand seeing someone she loved so dearly crying. Her thumb smoothed down his cheek as she covered the tear trail he made as he smiled.

"I'm okay. Just thinking."

"It must be very important for you to cry..." She said still worried. He could feel the tension in her voice while she was still in his arms. She obviously didn't mind as she didn't try to get up.

"Yes, very important to me."

"Do you think you could tell me, or is it a secret?" She said helplessly. It was up to him to tell her, not herself.

"I can't tell you now but when I'm able to, You will be the first and only one to know." He said smiling again like earlier. She smiled too as she lifted her head to his forehead and kissed him again.

"Li? When you tell me what is so special for you to cry over, I think I will be able to tell you something that is very important to me too." She said getting up. Confused, Li got up too to see what she meant. Worried he took her hand. She turned too him slowly as a tear fell from her eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Sakura!" He whispered as he saw the waterfall being created. He felt terrible as he thought it was his fault.

"It's not your fault." She pulled herself closer to him. "It just means a lot to mean." She whispered into his ear as her arms crossed behind his bare neck. Knowing what she wanted to do, he put his hands around her small waist as he felt her skin through his thin shirt. In the background, music played from the TV. Evidently, Sakura left it on a music channel. She smiled as they danced to, "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore. Butterflies were jumping all around their stomachs as they danced slowly into the night. His bare skin caressed the white shirt she wore to her skin as they danced close. Being just friends seems almost too much. I need to tell her. But the music took his thoughts away as he knew she was with the one he loved; he never wanted that night to end.

At 11, they decided to lay it low and go to sleep. They knew tomorrow they would go back to the cabins separately but it didn't matter, seeing that they were only 'friends.' Leading her to the couch, they laid down together, his arms around her waist. They knew the relationship between both of them got deeper but they didn't want to bring it up, afraid to scare the other. They both fell asleep not wanting the next day to come. It almost came true...