Sleepless
Chapter Three: The Evening After
*
"I think that went well. Quite well, and I don't mean to brag."
"How can you tell?"
"I can feel his aura and hers, they're both asleep. Meaning…"
"Li-kun took my advice. Kawaii!!"
"But the kiss really means little. Everything depends on what emotions it uncovered… and what they do with those emotions."
"I see." A slight silence. "You better not mess-up all our hard work, Li-kun!"
*
It was still dark when the Chinese youth awoke, feelings disoriented as his mind drifted back from the land of sleep. It felt like he had been asleep for a few hours and his body was cramped and protesting. Rest, however, had refreshed his mind. He didn't want to disturb the comfortable warmth surrounding him, but his discomfort made his eyes slid open little by little.
Blinking, Syaoran cleared out the sleep. He starred at his surroundings and discovered, after a second of thought, that he was in the living room instead of the bedroom. He was on his back, sprawled awkwardly across the couch; that would explain the pain. After more consideration, he discovered the cause of the warmth he felt surrounding him.
Sakura had settled herself atop him and was sleeping blissfully. She curled to his body, her head resting just above his heart and hands bunched in the cloth of his shirt. His tee shirt hung off one of her delicate shoulders and crept slightly up her back. The smell of bath-herb clung to her tousled locks, tickling her face where they brushed against his cheek. The girl sighed in her sleep, a slight smile crossing her face as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.
Syaoran's face flushed at her proximity, a pleasant tingle racing up his spine. He wrapped his arms around her form, reflexively, and pulled her warmth closer. One hand tangled itself in her hair and the other rang gently over the length of her back, coming to rest on the bare flesh of her lower back. Ordering his mind not to think, he held her and enjoyed being close to her, enjoyed the smell and feel of her. The Chinese youth knew his mind all too well, and if he considered his situation too long his conscious would find some reason why he shouldn't be touching her like he was.
Sure enough, the reason came and filled Syaoran with guilt. She was asleep with no idea what was happening. No doubt, she'd fallen asleep as soon as he had, right after the kiss. And here he was taking advantage of her…
He untangled her hands from his shirt and carefully slid out from underneath her, arranging her into a more comfortable position. She made a small protest as the warmth left her, but Syaoran soothed her with a gentle hand on her face, supplementing it by covering her form with a blanket. "Sleep Sakura, we've got a lot to talk about when you do wake-up."
Tomoyo's suggestion worked, that was obviously no accident. Her and Hiigarawza were in the same league with their sole purpose being to make his life miserable. Things would be so much easier if those two would stop to think things like this all the damn way through! He felt incredibly guilty about forcing a kiss on her as he had.
What was he going to tell her when she woke up? The truth. Syaoran heaved a sigh. He had planned to admit his feelings for Sakura eventually, but eventually shouldn't have been now! Unless she felt the same… but then, wouldn't she have returned his kiss?
"Ugh…" he put a hand to his head, trying to calm his spinning mind. Such a serious problem was not a good thing to wake up to. The messy-haired youth stalked to the kitchen and put some water on the stove, watching the bubbles appear and float to the top. He poured the boiling water into a cup and added a tea bag; soon the drink was ready.
Syaoran retreated across the living room, stealing another glance at the sleeping Sakura before opening the sliding glass door that led onto the balcony. He stepped into the cool night air and took a seat, starring blankly at the city lights before him. Damn Hiiragizawa, you are going to die, he thought bitterly. The heat from his tea formed a twirling length of steam; he blew on it, scattering the fumes. What kind a sick person was he, playing with people and taking obvious pleasure from it… Yes, he would pay, but only after he straightened out this mess.
Sakura had been drifting between sleep and awake for a while now, ever since the comfortingly warm thing beneath her had left. It wasn't the same without the tepidity: she felt cold, empty, and alone. Her eyes opened as she stretched all the kinks from her body. Her hand collided with something, that should have happened.
The solution came to her- she wasn't in her bed, she wasn't even at home. Nothing around her seemed familiar and the darkness didn't help her identify her location. She was lying on a sofa in someone's living room, yet no knowing where she wasn't didn't bother her.
Because I'm at Syaoran's apartment. He'd carried her home when she'd fainted, from exhaustion, at school. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to discover the cause of their shared illness. All that, however, had ended with…
She pressed a hand gently to her mouth as if hoping to find some evidence that the kiss had actually happened. It was so vivid in her memory; it couldn't have been anything but real.
Syaoran, does this mean you feel the same way about me? She wondered, blinking into the darkness. In her mind's eye, she saw him: smiling at her, sitting her down on the couch, leaning in and pressing his lips ever so gently to hers… Even if it was a dream, I'm going to tell him.
Sakura sat on the couch, feeling resigned. Yes, I'm going to admit my feelings to Syaoran.
The door slid open behind the brooding youth, admitting another person onto the deck. "Morning, Syaoran," Sakura said quietly. "But I guess it isn't really morning…" Her voice feel silent as an uncomfortable air floated over the couple. She cleared her throat again. "Mind if I sit down?"
"Of course not," he scooted to the right, making room for her on the swinging bench.
She sat down mechanically, her hands clasped in her lap. This would be harder than she'd expected. Her plan seemed flawless when she considered it alone inside the living room, but all her thoughts fled at his presence beside her. Kami-sama, help me not to look like an idiot.
Both youths starred straight ahead. Syaoran kept glancing at his companion from the corner of his eyes. She was so beautiful, inside and out, the most amazing person he knew. It was only a matter of time before the topic of the kiss came up and he dreaded to think that his confession might make her uncomfortable. Sakura would never avoid him purposely, but some awkward things tended to drive even good friend apart…
He suck in a resigned breath and clutched the teacup in his hands. "You're wondering about last night, aren't you?"
The kiss… No, she hadn't really been worried about that. It's mention, however, brought a whirl of pleasant thoughts to her head.
Her head turned, eyes fixing on him, but Syaoran refused to look at her. He continued to stare straight ahead as he continued. "The k…kiss, I… I'm sorry."
"You're… sorry?" Sakura wondered breathlessly. Her heart dropped to her feet as a cold feeling entered her stomach. If he was sorry, did he mean he regretted kissing her? Was it an indication that the whole thing had been a mistake? No, please no. It was too much to be a mistake… Don't let him think it was a mistake…
He nodded, doing his best to force a grin onto his face. The result was crooked, half-broken smile. "I shouldn't have, but it was the only… Daidouji called while you were in the bathroom and told me the craziest thing. I'm sure it was a hint from Hiigarawza, I could feel his aura surrounding you, so I…"
So that was it. He kissed her to break this sleepless spell. It shouldn't have surprised her; he was too practical to do something like that without some other motivation. Still it hurt, but she wouldn't let it break her resolve.
"Stop." This time he looked at her and found, to his horror, distraught tears in her eyes. "Please, don't say anything else."
Tears. Was she crying because of what he'd done last night…? Gods, he'd never wanted to hurt her. "Sakura, I mean it! I'm sorry, I wish I hadn't…" No, he didn't really. It had been the most wonderful moment of his life…
Scratch that, the second most wonderful.
Something soft brushed his lips, paralleling last night. His eyes flew open in shock and there was Sakura, her eyes squeezed closed as she pressed a kiss desperately against his mouth. He could feel the wetness of her tears against his cheek and the all but tangible sorrow that surrounded her.
She pulled away, tears running down her face and shaking her body. If she hadn't silence him, she wouldn't have been able to say her next words. His lips still burned on her, making her want to kiss him again, but she restrained herself. "I love you, Syaoran," she whispered, clutching her hands to her heaving chest. There, she said it and was ready for rejection. "I had to tell you, before you only… last night… for my safety. I wouldn't have been able to say it if…"
Syaoran's head spun with joy. She just said… and kissed me… I can hardly believe…
With on hand he lifted her chin, pulling her closer until they were inches apart. "Let me rephrase that, Sakura," he whispered huskily. "I wish I hadn't done that without making sure it was alright with you. That's what I meant to say."
"I understand," she replied, trying to turn her head away. What had she expected? Of course her safety concerned him, there was nothing more to it.
He turned her back to face him, "I don't think you do."
All tears were gone now. But her emerald eyes were so large he could she himself reflected back in them. With a smile, he closed the small distance that remained between them. "I love you Sakura, I think I always have."
Their lips meet for the second time that evening and it was minutes before they pulled away. Breathless from their intimate embrace, Sakura flung herself into his embrace, burring himself in his chest. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, holding the girl closer to him. The cup of tea, now cold, sat forgotten on the arm of the bench.
"So you think this was all Eriol-kun's doing?" Sakura wondered after a long, content silence. She could hardly believe the turn of events. Kami-sama really was smiling on her today… tonight.
Syaoran nodded slightly, swinging gently back and forth on the long seat. "I have no doubt," he replied, sounding a little angry. Smoothing a hand over her hair, he sighed.
"I guess that's why I felt his aura two mornings ago…" the Card Mistress considered
"You felt his aura," he demanded, "and you didn't mention it to me?" She was lucky; their position made him too content to get angry over a little issue and risk breaking contact.
She shrugged. "I thought he was comforting me, that's all." He snorted. "Either way, we owe him our thanks. His plan worked out pretty well."
"We owe him a bash over the head."
Sakura laughed, seeking out his hand and squeezing it. "Does my Syao-kun want revenge on poor Eriol?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as he glanced towards the east. The sun was beginning to peer over the horizon, casting golden rays over the sleeping town.
She caught the direction of his gaze and smile. "Isn't it beautiful?" she wondered. "Yesterday morning I remember wishing to never see the sun rise again."
"But…?"
"But I think I can make and exception."
-Fin-
Author's Note: Yes, this was meant to be the end. However, while writing I got an idea as to how to continue the story a few more chapies- I'll go by what you (the reviewers) have to say and take a sort of vote. Next chapter will be something along the lines of "Revenge" and could progress into an E+T subplot (would be my first one ever, wow!) Want me to continue or let it stop here? Lemme know via review or e-mail: pikogio@yahoo.com
