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Chapter two: Bath-time and Fairy Tales
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I appologize for any gramatical/ technical errors in this peice. You see, I had it type and done-up nicely when my lap-top decided to take a little snooze, deleting my work. And yes, I am back, hopefully for good, and I appreciate those of you who gave me your support!
This could be heaven or hell, Syaoran decided as he walked home with the girl of his dreams held in his arms. Sakura was still asleep. He was torn, wanting her to awake, to save him from this situation, and praying she wouldn't just so he could hold her longer. Her expression was angelic, as usual, and his heart swelled as she snuggled deeper into his hold. At least she was getting the sleep she desperately needed.
His brief conversation with her father was still ringing through his mind, baffling him. He must have interpreted Mr. Kinomoto's comment wrong, he would not allow some teenage boy to carry his unconscious daughter to their home and stay there, unsupervised. Of course Syaoran would never take advantage of Sakura in that or any manner, the thought alone made him nauseous, but what proof of that did her father have?
Either way, it seems I'm left with few choices, he considered upon examination of the situation. No one was home at the Kinomoto house hold and even if he felt comfortable leaving her alone he wouldn't be able to get inside. Waking her up wasn't an option, she needed the rest and he couldn't bring himself to disturb her peaceful composure. So I have no choice but to go home. Hopefully his action's wouldn't have horrible consequences…
Syaoran was out of breath by the time he'd reached the front door of his second story apartment. The girl he held was nowhere near overweight, but although she seemed extravagantly thin she was still a hundred pounds of dead weight. He unlocked the door and stepped in, closing it quietly behind. It was amazing she hadn't waken-up yet. I can't believe I'm doing this…
It was cool inside the apartment, a refreshing change from the warmth outdoors. He looked down again at Sakura. Now the question was what to do with her…
Walking to his bedroom, Syaoran called in all the good deeds he'd ever done with the hope of earning a favor from Kami-sama. Please don't let her be angry when she wakes up. Please don't let her be angry when she wakes it. It became a type of chant, running through his head as he made his way down the hall. 'Worst case' images flooded his mind; an angry Sakura waking up and storming out, declaring never to talk to him again because he was a pervert for doing what he did. Please don't let her be angry when she wakes up…
Whatever happened would happen, he decided, and he would take what she decided to do to him like a man. But he hoped she wasn't angry…
Syaoran set her gently on his bed, pulling a blanket folded at the foot of it over her slight form. He watched her sigh deeply in sleep and smiled. At least she's getting some sleep, that's all that matters…
Something washed over him, making his skin tingle. Magic. It felt dark, like the a starless sky or a pitch-black room, and cold. What alarmed him more was the fact that is wafted off Sakura in sheets. His face pinched into a scowl as he scrutinized her again with his magical sense, searching for any clue as to what was making her emit such an aura…
It was gone. Rather than feeling relieved, Syaoran's worry increased. So this bout of sleeplessness was magically related, he knew it. But this could be dangerous. Protecting Sakura's cards from an enemy would be harder if they were both seriously sleep deprived. No such threat had ever arose before, but it seemed to be a cunning plan of attack.
There was a bookshelf against the far wall of the bedroom, the only piece of furniture, save the bed and dresser, in the room. The Clan Elders had presented him with an almost complete copy of the Li family's magical library. He went to the shelf and pulled book after book off, accumulating quite a pile in his arms. After selecting ten heavy books, he turned to sneak out of the room quietly, so as not to disturb Sakura's rest, but forgot about the sheathed katana laying on the floor.
Syaoran's foot caught on the object, sending him flying forward and scattering the books. They crashed to the floor with excessive noise and he froze where he'd fallen. Don't wake up, Sakura. Stay asleep, don't wake up…
The figure on the bed stirred slightly then became still again. He let out a sigh..
Too soon…
Sakura sat up on the bed, looking around. She was confused and slightly frantic, but as she noticed Syaoran sprawled on the floor her fear ebbed to puzzlement. "Syaoran-kun, where am…"
He jumped to his feet, explaining the situation before she could take it the wrong way. "You fell asleep in math class," he explained, " and I called your father, who told me he wouldn't be able to come and pick you up and that your house was locked. I didn't want to wake you up so… I brought you here so you can rest. My apartment, that is, and you were asleep until I tripped over that damned sword and dropped all those damn books." He stooped to examine the mess before gathering the detestable objects into his arms, again.
She was smiling as she stretched, pushed the blanket off, and rolled from the bed.
"Ack! Don't get up Sakura! Go back to sleep!"
The card mistress kneeled beside him, picking up a few books of her own. "I can't, Syaoran-kun,"
He felt an incredible wave of guilt.
"It's not your fault!" she replied quickly, smiling reassuringly. "I should help you research anyway! That is what you're doing, right?"
He nodded and picked up a final book before leading the way into the living room. The teens sat themselves down, Sakura on one end of the couch and Syaoran in the arm chair near it. Setting immediately to work, it was many minutes before either spoke; the room was silent save the occasion turning of a yellowed page.
The books were dull, old, and seemed to contain nothing regarding what could be causing their sleeplessness. They were written in ancient characters that were difficult to read and hard to understand. The small text and musty smell about them annoyed Syaoran to no end. Yet every time he thought he'd reached his breaking point with this boring activity, he'd glance up to see Sakura wadding diligently through the text. She had an adorable frown of concentration on her face and she ran a finger along each line to make reading easier, mouthing each character as she went. That image reinstalled his determination and Li was back to the musty volumes.
Sakura's voice broke through the silence nearly half an hour later. "Syaoran! I think I found something!" She jumped off the couch and all but ran over to him, presenting the book to him. He took her offering from her and began to examining it as the girl stood before him with her arms clasped behind her back.
Seconds turned to minutes and Sakura's sleep deprived form could take standing no longer. It appeared that Syaoran would still be reading for quite some time, so she sunk to the ground near his feet. She sighed, a little wistfully, and the comfortable feeling that came from being this close to him. A handful of minutes passed and her head became heavy. Without thinking she let it tilt until it was resting on his knee.
Syaoran felt her presence, followed by the warmth on his leg, and smiled slightly. He set the book down beside the chair quietly, after finding nothing that was of use.
"Nothing?" she wondered, feeling his movement and tilting her head back to look at him.
Damn. He thought he'd been stealthier than that. The last thing he wanted was to deflate her happiness at a possible find. Besides, she might move away once she got her answer and he didn't want that. But he wasn't about to lie to her. "Sorry Sakura, but it was a good try."
She made a small sound of disappointment and leaned back onto his leg. Syaoran watched her reach for another book, battle valiantly against her exhaustion. Her eye-lids were drooping, so close to sleep, but she wouldn't allow that to happen until they'd discovered a cure to their problems.
"Sakura, you need to sleep," he pleaded suddenly.
She set down the book and glanced up at him again, returning his solicit with a look of her own. "You haven't slept either, why aren't you more concerned about yourself?"
Syaoran sighed heavily because the prospect of sleep was so welcome. His hand seemed to move on it's own, reaching down to rest atop the auburn head leaning against his knee. She had beautiful hair, in color and texture. It was a warm honey brown and felt like strands of the finest silk in his hand. Again, his hand adhered to its own will, moving freely through those locks. A horrific thought that his touch was making her uneasy in some way ran through his mind but was erased when she glanced up and met his eyes with a small, sleepy smile.
"I've had training, Sakura, you haven't," he explained gently. "I've dealt with sleep deprivation before but you haven't and not sleeping is making you sick. If I could sleep I would, but I want to help you since I can't."
She smiled at him again, nearly beaming. "I'm lucky to have you, Syaoran." Her hand went up to his, still tangled in her hair, and both teens felt a jolt run through them as their hands touched. They shook it off and Sakura squeezed his hand gently, leaning more of her weight on his legs. "But I've tried everything."
"What's everything?" He felt completely content at that moment, wouldn't have left his position for all the money in the world.
"Teas, charms, prayers," she ticked each item off on her finger, "medicine, temple visits, everything!"
That was a pretty impressive list of cures, he thought, but he had access to something Sakura didn't. It was a very powerful sleep agent from China, that he immune because of his extensive training. Sitting in a bathtub full of the stuff had done nothing but wear on his nerves. Sakura, however, might be helped by it.
"I'll be right back." Leaving his seat and Sakura's warmth was one of the biggest sacrifices he'd ever made, but it was for a cause much greater than himself; Sakura. Syaoran walked into the kitchen and, finding the bottle where the herb was kept, made his way tot he bathroom. He drew warm water from the tap and sprinkled the dried plant in. It gave off a sickly sweet smell, so sweet that it made him cringe. When the tub was filled, he returned to the living room to face the other's inquisitive gaze.
"What were you doing, Syaoran?"
"You're going to take a bath," he informed her and the statement was met with a frown.
Sakura shook her head. "I told you Syaoran, that won't work. I've tried before."
"Try again." It still didn't seem that she was going anywhere so Syaoran scooped her into his arms for the second time that day. Sakura squealed at the sudden action but didn't fight. Instead she sat in his embrace, watching him and unconsciously admiring his strong face. He walked down the hall and deposited her into the small bathroom at the end, closing the door before she could protest. "Take a bath," he called to her through the door. "It will make you feel better."
What did I just do? Syaoran demanded, his cheeks flushing red. What did I just do! He shook off his blush, calming his beating heart by explaining to himself that it was for her own good. Still standing by the bathroom door, he heard the soft swish of clothing falling to the floor, followed by a gently splashing. The youth tore himself away from the spot, walking quickly down the hall. Not that the images entering his mind weren't been pleasant… Damn it Syaoran, don't be a hentai!
He settled himself on the couch, trying to think about anything except Sakura's bath. His mind whirled and whirled until it caught a thought that was significant enough to distract him.
Syaoran remembered the aura he'd felt surrounding Sakura earlier. It was so powerful and black, obviously belonging to an experience magician, but the sense of familiarity that loomed over it annoyed him. It had been black, such a dark black that it was almost blue. Now that brought up an image. Damn Hiiragizawa's hair, shining raven blue in the sun.
That's when it hit him. Hiiragizawa. He was behind this.
Before Syaoran could form any plans of attack the phone rang, providing a much needed distraction. He yanked it off the hook, feeling sullen.
"Li Syaoran."
"Li-kun!" Tomoyo's voice chirruped over the line, sounding cheerful as always. "How's Sakura-chan?"
"She's fine, shouldn't you be in school," he wondered cautiously.
"Oh yea, technically." She waved his question away. "Hey, Li, I wanted to tell you a story."
Now he was seriously suspicious. "A story?"
"Yes, a story," Tomoyo confirmed. "It's a fairy tale, like the one you and Sakura preformed back in elementary school." He blushed at the thought. "Anyway, a beautiful princess was put under a spell by a clever magician and despite their efforts, the people around her could do nothing to help. Luckily for her, though, she knew a prince, handsome although somewhat hard headed, who couldn't stand to see the princess in pain. In an attempt to make his love feel at least a little better, kissed her and magically broke the spell. From then on, they lived happily…"
"Daidouji."
"Yes Li?"
"What the hell are…"
He could almost see her grinning as she cut him off. "A kiss of true love breaks a horrible spell. It's classic, Li."
Without a word of farewell, the phone went dead.
Sakura sank into the warm bath water with a contented sigh. Yes, she had told Syaoran she didn't want a bath, but it felt so right now that she was here. The water was sweetly scented like over-ripe fruit and cotton-candy. It felt nice as well, rushing over her body in small, soothing currents. She breathed in the scent and texture of it, trying her best to relax. Maybe Syaoran would sleep better if he wasn't worrying about her…
This was a little strange, she considered, looking around the bathroom. Here she was in Li Syaoran's bathroom, taking a bath. The thought, along with the heat from the water, made her face flush. He really was a very clean person. She hadn't thought a teenage guy's bathroom would be this… tidy. Compared to the way Touya had trashed the one at home…
Fifteen minutes passed and the water was beginning to wrinkle her fingers and toes. She got out of the lukewarm liquid a reluctantly and dried herself. The scent of the herb clung to her still, filling the steamy air with its scent. She smiled a little, toweling her hair, it smelled kind of nice.
Sakura picked up her clothes, preparing to get dressed. The idea of feeling so clean and putting on dirty clothes wasn't appealing, but she had no other option. That was when her eyes wandered to the small rack over the toilet. On the second shelf were two bundle of clothes, folded neatly. She took one down and found, to her surprise, it was a pair of sweat pants and an old tee-shirt.
He keeps clothes in the bathroom, that's different. She considered, But it's a good thing for me.
The card mistress was preparing to pull on the clean clothes when she stopped, shocked by her rudeness. But I don't think Syaoran would mind, she thought, attempting to justify her actions, and changing back into sweaty school clothes would kind of defy the point… Her conscious appeased, she slipped into the new outfit.
His clothes were, of course, too big for her and hung off her body. But they fit comfortably, reminding her of overly large pajamas. The sweatpants were gray, a small emblem in the corner proclaiming "Hong Kong University" in a circle of text. His shirt wasn't nearly as exciting, a worn gray collared T-shirt without mark or design. Both articles smelled like him, clean and fresh, and she inhaled the scent greedily. Even if he did yell at her, it would almost be worth it, she considered.
Sakura opened the bathroom door and walked out in a cloud of stem, her still wet hair hanging around her head and dampening the back of her borrowed shirt. She glanced in the living room a little apprehensively. Seeing Syaoran seated back in his chair with his back to her, she took a few steps forward and called out a little hesitantly, "Um, Syaoran?"
He turned, another book in hand, and blinked.
"I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind. I didn't have any clean clothes and I saw these on your shelf so I borrowed them, I didn't think you care but if…"
"It's fine, Sakura," he replied, one of his rare smiles appearing on his face. "Help yourself to anything you want."
A grin brightened her face as well. She walked over to where he was seated and looked down on him curiously. "Did you happen to make a breakthrough while I was in the tub?"
"Actually, I think I might have."
He sounded nervous, but she didn't pick-up on his tone. "What is it?" she wondered enthusiastically.
Syaoran stood and took her forearms, gently leading her towards the couch. "Sit down." She did and he sat beside her. He looked away from her and Sakura frowned slightly. What was wrong?
When his eyes finally met hers again, they were the deepest shade of amber she had ever seen. There was something more, some kind of hidden emotion he had been forced to display. He took hold of her face, gently placing one hand on either cheek. "Please forgive me, Sakura," he mummered, leaning towards her until…
His lips touched her in a light caress, feeling strangely cool against her flushed face. It was the most wonderful gesture she'd receive from anyone: intimate, gentle, and hesitant all at the same time. But by the time Sakura gathered her wits and prepared to return the kiss, he was already pulling back and letting his hands drop from her face.
Sakura wanted to stop him, to feel his lips on her again but the second he broke contact a fatigue unlike any she'd experience before descended on her. Her eyes closed against her will, she felt her body slumping in sleep. No! Why now at all ti…
The Chinese youth wasn't fairing well either. He could still feel the soft texture of her lips beneath his hovering around him like the sickly-sweet smell of the bath-herb. Syaoran wanted to say something more, apologize, explain his actions, but sleep overcame him in a sudden rush, flooding his body as darkness took over.
"Syao…" Sakura's hand, poised in mid-air to touch his face, dropped as the much desired sleep drug her into its depths despite her desperate protests.
