NOTE: I DID NOT SAY I would not choose which one, E&S or S&S. I simply said
you'd have to wait. That's not so bad if you get two kawaii guys and Sakura
in one fic altogether now is it? Besides, I think it's fun when the little
wolf gets jealous...and with Eriol there, you know sparks are going to fly.
^_~ Sorry if I was too shady on the subject before. You WILL be getting a
definite pairing at the end. Don't worry. I can't bear those 'lady or the
tiger' style endings. They never fail to drive me near insane every time. I
wouldn't do that to you all. ~_~
WHAT I WAS being shady about on purpose though, was WHICH pairing it would
be...just because sometimes it's fun to see how the characters decide to
play it out themselves.
They have minds of their own you know. !_!
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine; story and songs are mine. So there you have it.
Sing for Me: Chapter Four: the Little Wolf meets the Cherry Blossom
Sakura's eyes sparkled as she bladed down the city streets, dressed in a white tank top, black pleated skirt [so as not to hamper her rollerblading] and vivid cherry-blossom pink leggings, matching her black and pink roller blades and wrist guards that clearly read: SAKURA. Her light hair whipped softly in her face, causing her to brush it constantly out of her green eyes.
But that didn't seem to bother our little cherry blossom.
Spinning in carefree delight, she reveled in the daylight's speculative warmth, inhaling the scent of a new day. This was Sakura as any of her family and friends knew her: a happy, all-around compassionate girl with a zeal for life. Now with her alter ego Hisui though, it seemed this light- hearted child had a more introspective side that while others might have glimpsed, Eriol Hirigizawa was being the first to truly see.
And Sakura didn't mind.
In fact, she was rather pleased for reasons unclear to herself. As she bladed into the downtown skater park though, steering clear of some random debris, she decided if it were important, she'd figure it out in her own good time.
Executing several intricate spins and jumps on her own small ramp, Sakura failed to notice the audience she was getting. It was an audience predominantly male anyone would have noticed with a few sparsely clothed girls hanging loosely onto a couple arms. While the males, excluding the leader, rather bluntly gaped at the blading beauty, the females scowled unhappily but kept their mouths shut. Finally, when it became apparent to them that Sakura simply was too wrapped up in her favorite pastime to notice them yet, the leader, a tall, attractive one with amber eyes decided to call her to attention.
This could be fun, Syaoran thought. He had never seen such a talented blader before, not a female one. Sure there were the skateboarders and the figure skaters, but blading? This was something new and as Syaoran was fond of saying: variety is the spice of life. He called to her in his normal voice, the one that made most girls swoon at his feet.
"Hoe...?" Sakura, speeding down the ramp, turned her head slightly to see her small crowd of mixed admirers and not-so-admirers. Startled, she lost her balance in mid jump and Syaoran, reacting instinctively, dashed forward. So, when Sakura scrunched her eyes shut in anticipation of uncomfortable contact with the concrete below, she was surprised to her a soft grunt and feel firm arms encircle her. She opened one bright emerald eye.
"That was rather air-headed, don't you think?" were his first words. Sakura let the phrase 'air-headed' settle in and then leapt aptly out of his arms, failing to see the teasing glimmer in her strange and rude savior's eyes.
"Perhaps, but you were being rather rude interrupting me, don't you think?" she countered, smiling sweetly. This was yet another facet of Sakura. Certainly she was compassionate and most times, peaceable, but as could be proven with her sibling spats with Touya, she had a feisty side that simply would not stay dormant. Shocked at first, Syaoran took a moment to recover; when was the last time a girl had replied in such a manner to him?
He didn't think any ever had. Regaining his composure, he bowed, mocking her in the most open display of blatancy.
She didn't take too kindly but instead, reciprocated the bow, adding a slight flourish with her arms and hands as she bowed her head before staring him in the eyes straight for the first time.
And she did it fearlessly.
"Quite the tart we have here don't we?" Syaoran asked no one in particular but got responses nonetheless.
"You mean a sweet tart, ne?" came one of the replies and Sakura stopped herself from answering to that.
"Certainly looks that way doesn't she?" came another. Sakura flushed uncontrollably and this gained laughter.
"My the..." Syaoran paused and looked at her wrist guards thoughtfully, "the little cherry blossom has thorns...and I think we hit a sensitive spot," he teased.
"My, the unnamed, rude and mindless leader of the pack has brains...but I think he's missing most of them," she shot back and for a moment, Syaoran frowned. No one had ever directly insulted him back...he wasn't certain he liked it. Sakura saw that momentary flash and smirked her innocent, childlike smirk.
Syaoran found himself thinking she could get away with murder using that smile. Shaking himself out of that thought though, he came up with another haphazard tease or insult.
"Wrong dear cherry, my brains are all right here," and he pointed mockingly to his head, amber eyes flashing in amusement, "...can't you see, or is the little flower blind as well as klutzy?" he did not quite sneer but his defensive side was coming out and it showed; he was losing his cool. Normally Sakura would have been hurt, but as this was a complete stranger who had been rather moronic from the start-in her opinion-she felt just dandy and said loudly enough for his whole group to hear:
"My, my, you're right. No I'm not blind. I do see them. Yes, yes, you definitely have a good mind in that head of yours, ne? I bet you could do anything, if you set your mind to it," she added in false flirtatious admiration, absently wondering where in the world this side of her was coming from.
It seemed this young man was bringing out another side in her.
"Anything my little cherry blossom," Syaoran turned on the charm, falling for her sweetness and submission act, ready to show her who was leader in this game when...she added:
"That's what I thought. So, why don't you set it to getting lost?" she gave him a small wave and bladed speedily away, enjoying her victory thoroughly. That must have been the most self-absorbed and assured man she had ever met...the nerve. And his friends were hitting on her too! Since when, Sakura thought frustrated, do boys flirt in packs? She supposed since now.
Thoughtfully, she glanced down at her watch: hmm...twelve o' clock...was there something she was supposed to be doing...?
Then she remembered.
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" was heard clearly through the city streets as she sped home. She had nearly forgotten her lunch-date with Yuki.
Meanwhile, Syaoran was sitting on a bench surrounded by some of his followers, being sulky. A girl had bested him. A child-like girl with all the appearance of...of...well, a child! He was bothered and slightly perturbed but none of his acquaintances seemed to note that.
"Guess she won that round, ne Li-san?" one of them asked, addressing him as they all did except the girls who called him Syaoran.
"Hmph, won? I don't even know her really. It was a skirmish. If I ever see her again, I guarantee I'll have the last words in. Just wait," he grumbled and crossed his arms, amber eyes also frowning. They all laughed at him but he ignored it. They were as loyal as followers could be and they would see: next time he met the little cherry blossom, it would be her turn.
Exactly what her turn would be for though, he had yet to contemplate on.
"Syaoran," a girl's voice.
"Hai?" he responded less than warmly.
"Let's go get lunch, onegai Syaoran?" she was quite near whining but it didn't really matter.
"Sure. Where do you wanna eat?"
"I know this lovely little café..."
Meanwhile...
"Tadaimaaaa!" Sakura called into her apartment, just in case Tomoyo was there. As it turned out, she wasn't but that was all the better; Sakura had to change. She threw on instead, a classy white quarter-length sleeve shirt and exchanged her skirt and leggings for long khakis that extenuated her slim frame. Last, she put in her crescent moon earrings Yuki had given her some time ago for a past birthday.
Maybe it was the remainder of her childhood crush on him, but she always felt like looking a little bit special for him. Somehow she knew though, in her heart, it was nothing more than family love, so she reasoned that perhaps she just wanted someone to look nice for, someone to make smile.
Checking herself in the mirror one last time, hair down in its normal way, slightly haphazard but it worked for her, as it always did.
Humming to herself as she often did, she exited her apartment, locking it, and strolled down to the café where she was to meet Yuki.
It was a small place but cute with wicker furnishings and glass tabletops, pale lavender curtains in the windows and orchids everywhere. Sakura beamed at the kawaii little place. A pair of hands covered her eyes and she smiled brightly, holding onto them.
"Yuki!" she cried happily, a wonder that she had beaten him to their meeting spot.
"Who's Yuki?" a familiar voice asked and Sakura felt her stomach drop into her feet. Shoving the hands off of her face, she whirled on the speaker. Sure enough, there were those same infuriating amber eyes and of course that meant, that there, stood the little wolf.
"You!" she frowned, hands on hips, cocking her head to one side as if contemplating how to have him removed from the premises.
"Yes, I, aren't you lucky?" he grinned, leaning a bit too close and sending an unnatural and odd tingling up Sakura's spine, which like most things similar to this lately, she ignored.
"No, I'm not lucky," she scowled, noting that not only was he being rude to her, but another girl who stood quietly behind him, openly glaring at Sakura. Sakura almost didn't blame her.
"How can that be, when I'm here?" Syaoran feigned a hurt expression.
"Simple. You are unlucky," Sakura stated as if it were a lesson in school, like BIO 101 or something equally as elementary.
"Me, unlucky? My sweet little cherry blossom, I think you are the one that needs to worry about her own luckiness or unluckiness," he countered.
"Only because wherever I go, it seems to bring you in tow," she shot back haughtily, sticking her tongue out for a childish moment and glaring.
"Oh is that so? Well doesn't that just prove that you're the one bringing it?" he asked casually, aware that his peers were all watching.
"Now why would I ever bring you anywhere?" she questioned petulantly. This guy didn't know when to quit!
"Because you want to," he whispered suggestively, tracing her jaw with his right hand, causing Sakura to blink in confusion at the pounding in her chest and the rush of roaring blood in her ears...luckily she didn't have to do anything other than be herself.
Easily distracted-thank Kami-she saw a familiar approaching head of silver over the crowd and inadvertently nearly running over Syaoran, she ran to greet Yuki, throwing her arms around his neck. Syaoran for his part, felt a twinge of irritation at that...jealousy perhaps? Nah. Never. The almighty and super-self-imposed gift to all women, Li Syaoran, jealous?
Absolutely not.
"Yukito!" Sakura smiled as she let go, pointedly ignoring Syaoran as Yuki, oblivious to Syaoran's imminent glare, took her hand gently-for Yuki never knew anything but gentleness-and led Sakura inside.
Inside the café:
"Say Sakura-chan, was that a friend of yours?" Yukito asked thoughtfully as he munched on his large helping of...well, everything on the menu. Sakura smiled at his sweetness but thought to herself: friend? Ugh. More like sudden rival in arms.
"No, not really Yuki," she replied, lifting her water glass to her lips.
"Ah, okay. Well, even if he's not your friend, you might want to warn him of Touya. You know your brother can't be held responsible for his over- protective attitude," Yuki smiled and Sakura shrugged.
Why would she care if her dear older brother just happened to tear that amber-eyed jerk into a thousand pieces?
Why indeed.
As Syaoran sat only two tables apart from Sakura, he could see her slight form easily, laughing at something the silver haired man had said, who was also smiling.
He decided he didn't like the silver-haired man. Anyone might have felt sorry for his date. The little wolf spent so much time sending what he thought to be secretive glances at Sakura's table, he hardly even touched the food he ordered. In fact, he didn't. His 'date' and his other 'friends' sat chatting amongst themselves, used to letting their top-dog be as he pleased.
And right at that moment, he pleased to be grumpy about the silver-haired man, who for his part, was talking kindly and happily with the cherry blossom who would laugh magically at certain points in the conversation.
Yukito, while not always the sharpest of people, noticed the amber-eyed boy sending looks at Sakura and wondered aloud:
"I wonder why he keeps staring this way..." before mercilessly beginning to devour a hefty slice of chocolate cheesecake.
Sakura, bewildered, turned in the direction Syaoran was in and caught his gaze, blushed furiously, glared, and then turned back in her seat to converse with Yuki.
Syaoran, while not to keen on being clearly glared at, and in open distaste too, was content enough to begin eating his somewhat cold entrée.
Why? You might ask.
Why, did Syaoran not look again in her direction, except when she left with the silver haired man/ Yuki? Why, did he not continue to brood or sulk over the emerald-eyed spitfire?
Why?
Why, by all the reason in the realm of love [which there might not be any] did he smile even as she exited the café?
Sakura, although through a glare, had obviously blushed, a warm pink had spread to her delicate cheeks and Syaoran, the experienced play-boy as his reputation asserted him to be, knew that was a sign to be content with for now.
So the little wolf would bide his time.
Maybe there was something the little cherry blossom had for him yet.
Later that evening, the same Sakura, the same one who had so intrigued Mr. Syaoran Li, wore baggy khaki cargo pants and a brown coat, styled for either male or female apparel. With her trusty hat and after removing all jewelry and replacing her sandals with black boots, she left a note on the counter for Tomoyo who was at an important business conference that night.
In full, psuedo-boy outfit, she walked out into the chilly night air, allowing herself a shiver of alertness as she made her way briskly to Destiny coffee shop.
She was meeting Eriol as promised, with the tickets to, ahem, Cherry's big concert, and unbeknownst to him, hers.
Or rather, Hisui Kinomoto was going to meet Eriol, not Sakura, but Hisui. She sighed at this. It was rather confusing and tiresome. Perhaps she would reveal her little secret tonight so as to stop all the madness before it got out of hand...
But as she entered Destiny, and Eriol grinned, waving her over, she gulped apprehensively as she slowed her pace to a near crawl, making her way to the table.
There, seated opposite Eriol, a familiar amber-eyed and messy-brown haired young man sat, silent.
"Hey Hisui, I thought maybe you'd like to meet my best-friend, Li Syaoran. He's from Hong Kong. Come on. Oh, and I was wondering, maybe we could look at some song-lyrics together that I wrote recently?"
Sakura could only nod weakly at the smiling Eriol and speculative Syaoran who it seemed, did not recognize her.
Then again...maybe she'd keep her secret, a wee bit longer.
As Sakura sat down at the table between the two attractive young men, so different but both with their own charming charisma, she slouched slightly, giving the look of an average young man, while inside she was feeling the torrents of a young woman's emotions-which she highly suspected due to recent events-were becoming dreadfully bi-polar. She heard Eriol's voice.
"Li Syaoran, this is Kinomoto Hisui," Eriol introduced them cordially.
"Pleasure," she muttered, standing again to offer a shallow bow and then sitting back down. Syaoran returned the gesture, Sakura noticed, not one centimeter deeper or shallower.
"Any friend of Hirigizawa's here is one of mine I suppose," he replied and Sakura thought: if only you knew...then again...maybe better that you don't!
Sakura settled herself mentally for what she knew would be an undoubtedly interesting evening, consoling herself with the thought of hearing one of Eriol's new songs.
And hoping dearly that the little wolf would not recognize the little cherry blossom.
Sighing internally, she thought skeptically: Miracles do happen.
----------------------------
Yes, yes I know. Shorter than the last chapter but what can I do? School ya know? Anyways though, for all you E&S or S&S fans, like I said, it'll all turn out one way or the other in the end.
Some of you have remarked favorably or unfavorably to the exchanges of songs [so-called mush] and so forth between Eriol and Sakura but it is plot's sake so bear with me. I like to really develop relationships, and this takes a while, no matter which direction the story is going. Whether or not they end up together, I want them to be close in the end, whether she ends up with Eriol or Syaoran. You have to remember that it's not really mush anyway yet, even between Sakura and Eriol because recall that he thinks Sakura is 'Hisui' a boy. Will Sakura be caught? Will they recognize her at the benefit? How will ERIOL react when he finds out the angelic Cherry is his new friend 'Hisui'? How's it all going to unravel in the end? Nicely I hope the ending will come...eventually, but no time soon! Like I said, I like charactering development, changes, and plotting changes too. It's going to be an interesting ride.
For those of you who don't have time to review all the time, I thank you profusely anyway, just for taking the time to read my story.
Next Chapter: More S&E music stuffs, remember, discussing lyrics, that night's performance, et cetera [?] and for all you wondering more S&S confrontations too; jolly fun. I like having Sakura with more of the spunk we see in moments when she stomps on Touya's foot and stuff. It's cure and much fun when dealing with Syaoran, the a-class womanizer cuz then not only is she appalled, but retorting too!
And, hopefully you can be patient with me and keep faithfully reviewing so that you actually get to that ending, be it S+S or E+S! ^_~ I hope you are all at least semi-pleased no matter who ends up with who. Else perhaps my writing isn't quite as good as it should be. ~_~...Whenever that happens!
They have minds of their own you know. !_!
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine; story and songs are mine. So there you have it.
Sing for Me: Chapter Four: the Little Wolf meets the Cherry Blossom
Sakura's eyes sparkled as she bladed down the city streets, dressed in a white tank top, black pleated skirt [so as not to hamper her rollerblading] and vivid cherry-blossom pink leggings, matching her black and pink roller blades and wrist guards that clearly read: SAKURA. Her light hair whipped softly in her face, causing her to brush it constantly out of her green eyes.
But that didn't seem to bother our little cherry blossom.
Spinning in carefree delight, she reveled in the daylight's speculative warmth, inhaling the scent of a new day. This was Sakura as any of her family and friends knew her: a happy, all-around compassionate girl with a zeal for life. Now with her alter ego Hisui though, it seemed this light- hearted child had a more introspective side that while others might have glimpsed, Eriol Hirigizawa was being the first to truly see.
And Sakura didn't mind.
In fact, she was rather pleased for reasons unclear to herself. As she bladed into the downtown skater park though, steering clear of some random debris, she decided if it were important, she'd figure it out in her own good time.
Executing several intricate spins and jumps on her own small ramp, Sakura failed to notice the audience she was getting. It was an audience predominantly male anyone would have noticed with a few sparsely clothed girls hanging loosely onto a couple arms. While the males, excluding the leader, rather bluntly gaped at the blading beauty, the females scowled unhappily but kept their mouths shut. Finally, when it became apparent to them that Sakura simply was too wrapped up in her favorite pastime to notice them yet, the leader, a tall, attractive one with amber eyes decided to call her to attention.
This could be fun, Syaoran thought. He had never seen such a talented blader before, not a female one. Sure there were the skateboarders and the figure skaters, but blading? This was something new and as Syaoran was fond of saying: variety is the spice of life. He called to her in his normal voice, the one that made most girls swoon at his feet.
"Hoe...?" Sakura, speeding down the ramp, turned her head slightly to see her small crowd of mixed admirers and not-so-admirers. Startled, she lost her balance in mid jump and Syaoran, reacting instinctively, dashed forward. So, when Sakura scrunched her eyes shut in anticipation of uncomfortable contact with the concrete below, she was surprised to her a soft grunt and feel firm arms encircle her. She opened one bright emerald eye.
"That was rather air-headed, don't you think?" were his first words. Sakura let the phrase 'air-headed' settle in and then leapt aptly out of his arms, failing to see the teasing glimmer in her strange and rude savior's eyes.
"Perhaps, but you were being rather rude interrupting me, don't you think?" she countered, smiling sweetly. This was yet another facet of Sakura. Certainly she was compassionate and most times, peaceable, but as could be proven with her sibling spats with Touya, she had a feisty side that simply would not stay dormant. Shocked at first, Syaoran took a moment to recover; when was the last time a girl had replied in such a manner to him?
He didn't think any ever had. Regaining his composure, he bowed, mocking her in the most open display of blatancy.
She didn't take too kindly but instead, reciprocated the bow, adding a slight flourish with her arms and hands as she bowed her head before staring him in the eyes straight for the first time.
And she did it fearlessly.
"Quite the tart we have here don't we?" Syaoran asked no one in particular but got responses nonetheless.
"You mean a sweet tart, ne?" came one of the replies and Sakura stopped herself from answering to that.
"Certainly looks that way doesn't she?" came another. Sakura flushed uncontrollably and this gained laughter.
"My the..." Syaoran paused and looked at her wrist guards thoughtfully, "the little cherry blossom has thorns...and I think we hit a sensitive spot," he teased.
"My, the unnamed, rude and mindless leader of the pack has brains...but I think he's missing most of them," she shot back and for a moment, Syaoran frowned. No one had ever directly insulted him back...he wasn't certain he liked it. Sakura saw that momentary flash and smirked her innocent, childlike smirk.
Syaoran found himself thinking she could get away with murder using that smile. Shaking himself out of that thought though, he came up with another haphazard tease or insult.
"Wrong dear cherry, my brains are all right here," and he pointed mockingly to his head, amber eyes flashing in amusement, "...can't you see, or is the little flower blind as well as klutzy?" he did not quite sneer but his defensive side was coming out and it showed; he was losing his cool. Normally Sakura would have been hurt, but as this was a complete stranger who had been rather moronic from the start-in her opinion-she felt just dandy and said loudly enough for his whole group to hear:
"My, my, you're right. No I'm not blind. I do see them. Yes, yes, you definitely have a good mind in that head of yours, ne? I bet you could do anything, if you set your mind to it," she added in false flirtatious admiration, absently wondering where in the world this side of her was coming from.
It seemed this young man was bringing out another side in her.
"Anything my little cherry blossom," Syaoran turned on the charm, falling for her sweetness and submission act, ready to show her who was leader in this game when...she added:
"That's what I thought. So, why don't you set it to getting lost?" she gave him a small wave and bladed speedily away, enjoying her victory thoroughly. That must have been the most self-absorbed and assured man she had ever met...the nerve. And his friends were hitting on her too! Since when, Sakura thought frustrated, do boys flirt in packs? She supposed since now.
Thoughtfully, she glanced down at her watch: hmm...twelve o' clock...was there something she was supposed to be doing...?
Then she remembered.
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" was heard clearly through the city streets as she sped home. She had nearly forgotten her lunch-date with Yuki.
Meanwhile, Syaoran was sitting on a bench surrounded by some of his followers, being sulky. A girl had bested him. A child-like girl with all the appearance of...of...well, a child! He was bothered and slightly perturbed but none of his acquaintances seemed to note that.
"Guess she won that round, ne Li-san?" one of them asked, addressing him as they all did except the girls who called him Syaoran.
"Hmph, won? I don't even know her really. It was a skirmish. If I ever see her again, I guarantee I'll have the last words in. Just wait," he grumbled and crossed his arms, amber eyes also frowning. They all laughed at him but he ignored it. They were as loyal as followers could be and they would see: next time he met the little cherry blossom, it would be her turn.
Exactly what her turn would be for though, he had yet to contemplate on.
"Syaoran," a girl's voice.
"Hai?" he responded less than warmly.
"Let's go get lunch, onegai Syaoran?" she was quite near whining but it didn't really matter.
"Sure. Where do you wanna eat?"
"I know this lovely little café..."
Meanwhile...
"Tadaimaaaa!" Sakura called into her apartment, just in case Tomoyo was there. As it turned out, she wasn't but that was all the better; Sakura had to change. She threw on instead, a classy white quarter-length sleeve shirt and exchanged her skirt and leggings for long khakis that extenuated her slim frame. Last, she put in her crescent moon earrings Yuki had given her some time ago for a past birthday.
Maybe it was the remainder of her childhood crush on him, but she always felt like looking a little bit special for him. Somehow she knew though, in her heart, it was nothing more than family love, so she reasoned that perhaps she just wanted someone to look nice for, someone to make smile.
Checking herself in the mirror one last time, hair down in its normal way, slightly haphazard but it worked for her, as it always did.
Humming to herself as she often did, she exited her apartment, locking it, and strolled down to the café where she was to meet Yuki.
It was a small place but cute with wicker furnishings and glass tabletops, pale lavender curtains in the windows and orchids everywhere. Sakura beamed at the kawaii little place. A pair of hands covered her eyes and she smiled brightly, holding onto them.
"Yuki!" she cried happily, a wonder that she had beaten him to their meeting spot.
"Who's Yuki?" a familiar voice asked and Sakura felt her stomach drop into her feet. Shoving the hands off of her face, she whirled on the speaker. Sure enough, there were those same infuriating amber eyes and of course that meant, that there, stood the little wolf.
"You!" she frowned, hands on hips, cocking her head to one side as if contemplating how to have him removed from the premises.
"Yes, I, aren't you lucky?" he grinned, leaning a bit too close and sending an unnatural and odd tingling up Sakura's spine, which like most things similar to this lately, she ignored.
"No, I'm not lucky," she scowled, noting that not only was he being rude to her, but another girl who stood quietly behind him, openly glaring at Sakura. Sakura almost didn't blame her.
"How can that be, when I'm here?" Syaoran feigned a hurt expression.
"Simple. You are unlucky," Sakura stated as if it were a lesson in school, like BIO 101 or something equally as elementary.
"Me, unlucky? My sweet little cherry blossom, I think you are the one that needs to worry about her own luckiness or unluckiness," he countered.
"Only because wherever I go, it seems to bring you in tow," she shot back haughtily, sticking her tongue out for a childish moment and glaring.
"Oh is that so? Well doesn't that just prove that you're the one bringing it?" he asked casually, aware that his peers were all watching.
"Now why would I ever bring you anywhere?" she questioned petulantly. This guy didn't know when to quit!
"Because you want to," he whispered suggestively, tracing her jaw with his right hand, causing Sakura to blink in confusion at the pounding in her chest and the rush of roaring blood in her ears...luckily she didn't have to do anything other than be herself.
Easily distracted-thank Kami-she saw a familiar approaching head of silver over the crowd and inadvertently nearly running over Syaoran, she ran to greet Yuki, throwing her arms around his neck. Syaoran for his part, felt a twinge of irritation at that...jealousy perhaps? Nah. Never. The almighty and super-self-imposed gift to all women, Li Syaoran, jealous?
Absolutely not.
"Yukito!" Sakura smiled as she let go, pointedly ignoring Syaoran as Yuki, oblivious to Syaoran's imminent glare, took her hand gently-for Yuki never knew anything but gentleness-and led Sakura inside.
Inside the café:
"Say Sakura-chan, was that a friend of yours?" Yukito asked thoughtfully as he munched on his large helping of...well, everything on the menu. Sakura smiled at his sweetness but thought to herself: friend? Ugh. More like sudden rival in arms.
"No, not really Yuki," she replied, lifting her water glass to her lips.
"Ah, okay. Well, even if he's not your friend, you might want to warn him of Touya. You know your brother can't be held responsible for his over- protective attitude," Yuki smiled and Sakura shrugged.
Why would she care if her dear older brother just happened to tear that amber-eyed jerk into a thousand pieces?
Why indeed.
As Syaoran sat only two tables apart from Sakura, he could see her slight form easily, laughing at something the silver haired man had said, who was also smiling.
He decided he didn't like the silver-haired man. Anyone might have felt sorry for his date. The little wolf spent so much time sending what he thought to be secretive glances at Sakura's table, he hardly even touched the food he ordered. In fact, he didn't. His 'date' and his other 'friends' sat chatting amongst themselves, used to letting their top-dog be as he pleased.
And right at that moment, he pleased to be grumpy about the silver-haired man, who for his part, was talking kindly and happily with the cherry blossom who would laugh magically at certain points in the conversation.
Yukito, while not always the sharpest of people, noticed the amber-eyed boy sending looks at Sakura and wondered aloud:
"I wonder why he keeps staring this way..." before mercilessly beginning to devour a hefty slice of chocolate cheesecake.
Sakura, bewildered, turned in the direction Syaoran was in and caught his gaze, blushed furiously, glared, and then turned back in her seat to converse with Yuki.
Syaoran, while not to keen on being clearly glared at, and in open distaste too, was content enough to begin eating his somewhat cold entrée.
Why? You might ask.
Why, did Syaoran not look again in her direction, except when she left with the silver haired man/ Yuki? Why, did he not continue to brood or sulk over the emerald-eyed spitfire?
Why?
Why, by all the reason in the realm of love [which there might not be any] did he smile even as she exited the café?
Sakura, although through a glare, had obviously blushed, a warm pink had spread to her delicate cheeks and Syaoran, the experienced play-boy as his reputation asserted him to be, knew that was a sign to be content with for now.
So the little wolf would bide his time.
Maybe there was something the little cherry blossom had for him yet.
Later that evening, the same Sakura, the same one who had so intrigued Mr. Syaoran Li, wore baggy khaki cargo pants and a brown coat, styled for either male or female apparel. With her trusty hat and after removing all jewelry and replacing her sandals with black boots, she left a note on the counter for Tomoyo who was at an important business conference that night.
In full, psuedo-boy outfit, she walked out into the chilly night air, allowing herself a shiver of alertness as she made her way briskly to Destiny coffee shop.
She was meeting Eriol as promised, with the tickets to, ahem, Cherry's big concert, and unbeknownst to him, hers.
Or rather, Hisui Kinomoto was going to meet Eriol, not Sakura, but Hisui. She sighed at this. It was rather confusing and tiresome. Perhaps she would reveal her little secret tonight so as to stop all the madness before it got out of hand...
But as she entered Destiny, and Eriol grinned, waving her over, she gulped apprehensively as she slowed her pace to a near crawl, making her way to the table.
There, seated opposite Eriol, a familiar amber-eyed and messy-brown haired young man sat, silent.
"Hey Hisui, I thought maybe you'd like to meet my best-friend, Li Syaoran. He's from Hong Kong. Come on. Oh, and I was wondering, maybe we could look at some song-lyrics together that I wrote recently?"
Sakura could only nod weakly at the smiling Eriol and speculative Syaoran who it seemed, did not recognize her.
Then again...maybe she'd keep her secret, a wee bit longer.
As Sakura sat down at the table between the two attractive young men, so different but both with their own charming charisma, she slouched slightly, giving the look of an average young man, while inside she was feeling the torrents of a young woman's emotions-which she highly suspected due to recent events-were becoming dreadfully bi-polar. She heard Eriol's voice.
"Li Syaoran, this is Kinomoto Hisui," Eriol introduced them cordially.
"Pleasure," she muttered, standing again to offer a shallow bow and then sitting back down. Syaoran returned the gesture, Sakura noticed, not one centimeter deeper or shallower.
"Any friend of Hirigizawa's here is one of mine I suppose," he replied and Sakura thought: if only you knew...then again...maybe better that you don't!
Sakura settled herself mentally for what she knew would be an undoubtedly interesting evening, consoling herself with the thought of hearing one of Eriol's new songs.
And hoping dearly that the little wolf would not recognize the little cherry blossom.
Sighing internally, she thought skeptically: Miracles do happen.
----------------------------
Yes, yes I know. Shorter than the last chapter but what can I do? School ya know? Anyways though, for all you E&S or S&S fans, like I said, it'll all turn out one way or the other in the end.
Some of you have remarked favorably or unfavorably to the exchanges of songs [so-called mush] and so forth between Eriol and Sakura but it is plot's sake so bear with me. I like to really develop relationships, and this takes a while, no matter which direction the story is going. Whether or not they end up together, I want them to be close in the end, whether she ends up with Eriol or Syaoran. You have to remember that it's not really mush anyway yet, even between Sakura and Eriol because recall that he thinks Sakura is 'Hisui' a boy. Will Sakura be caught? Will they recognize her at the benefit? How will ERIOL react when he finds out the angelic Cherry is his new friend 'Hisui'? How's it all going to unravel in the end? Nicely I hope the ending will come...eventually, but no time soon! Like I said, I like charactering development, changes, and plotting changes too. It's going to be an interesting ride.
For those of you who don't have time to review all the time, I thank you profusely anyway, just for taking the time to read my story.
Next Chapter: More S&E music stuffs, remember, discussing lyrics, that night's performance, et cetera [?] and for all you wondering more S&S confrontations too; jolly fun. I like having Sakura with more of the spunk we see in moments when she stomps on Touya's foot and stuff. It's cure and much fun when dealing with Syaoran, the a-class womanizer cuz then not only is she appalled, but retorting too!
And, hopefully you can be patient with me and keep faithfully reviewing so that you actually get to that ending, be it S+S or E+S! ^_~ I hope you are all at least semi-pleased no matter who ends up with who. Else perhaps my writing isn't quite as good as it should be. ~_~...Whenever that happens!